Blight Touched (Book One: Lavender)

Chapter 1: Blood Stained Lavender

Noden was a deeply troubled kingdom, filled with some of the highest crime rates and rumored to hold a large part of a horrendous organization within it. Most would steer away from the kingdom as a whole, the majority of travelers even refusing to rest there for a single night, taking their chances with sleeping in the neighboring woods instead. Despite being a kingdom in title it's not nearly as grand as it sounds, it is only a kingdom by definition. The walls were simply hard maple logs, standing in rows. Their trade routes were often blocked by the Chepstow Camp that was stationed nearby, the Camp has had a long standing parasitic relationship with Noden as they plunder their caravans, and rob those who stray too far from the walls. The only hotspots for the few brave citizens who dared to call this place their home were a shady tavern, homey inn, and a brothel. The houses had little symmetry, their poor construction was due to the lack of masons, and the kingdom's refusal to use slave labor. The King was a kind soul with little experience in ruling a nation and struggled to keep up with the chaos enveloping the little kingdom. The Mossdew Woods neighbor the kingdom, they held a family that aspired to be safe from the scum that plagued Noden.

There in those still, peaceful woods, lived a very passive boy. He was no older than ten at the time, who had doting, loving parents. That's how most people who saw the family in public would have described them. They lived in the Mossdew Woods, residing in a humble log cabin that was being rented from a greedy nobleman from Acre. It was autumn, the leaves were turning a beautiful shade of orange, and falling to the ground. The young boy's father, Bennett Geneolgia, was a locally renowned fisherman who frequented the Cobalt Lake, each day it seemed the life within it dwindled, and he began to catch less every day. His wife, Maybelle Geneolgia, was an acolyte at the local church. She healed injured wandering adventurers and members of the local Guilds in Noden. Maybelle was known as a treasure to all who met her. Her dark brunette hair was usually tied back into a ponytail and pinned with a pale anemone flower during her work, her gorgeous emerald eyes gave off a healing aura to her patients, and a light face dotted with freckles all made her the most desirable woman in Noden. Though her work was charity and earned no coin, she had a passion for it that kept her drive alive despite their dire circumstances. Her husband earned the majority of the family's coin. Even then, the property owner that they rented from despised the family and often raised the rent to unreasonable amounts just to try and push them out. This caused unfathomable amounts of stress on the boy's parents, causing them to argue often, and his father to turn from a social drinker, into a full-blown alcoholic.

The couple's child, Trix, often played in the vast woodlands that surrounded the humble cabin. One morning, once he had finished a delicious breakfast with his mother, she went off to work in Noden and he went out to play in the woods. Sunrise was still on the horizon, shedding a pleasant layer of light across the woods, the trees were a vibrant mix of green and orange, signaling the seasons' change, and providing shade when the sunlight became harsh. The area directly surrounding the cabin was a clearing, the ground was covered in decaying leaves that crunched underfoot. Normally he'd explore somewhere new but today he felt more at ease so he decided to take his usual route, the same one his mother took to get to Noden. When he stepped on the leaves, they gave off a satisfying crunch as he trotted along a path previously carved out by his father. While traversing it he spotted the landmarks familiar to him; first on the trail was a tree where the trunk was morphed into the shape of a horse's head. As the child was relishing in the fresh air he spotted it just a bit off the path, he immediately chuckled to himself. How does that even happen to a tree? He pondered as he trotted up to it. As he reached it, he patted the area where its nose would be, gently caressing the coarse bark for a few moments. After he was satisfied with his visit the boy whispered a quick "Thank you." As he headed off down the trail once more.

Next, he spotted a familiar boulder, its abnormal round shape made it seem as if it had been carved in that manner, no marks along the boulder indicated it but it was a fun theory he crafted to occupy the empty, boring, days. Several patches of moist, carpet-like moss covered the surface of the boulder; he had heard it was brewed to make a unique kind of alcohol his father enjoyed, a foreign concept to him, but he didn't like the effects it had. He ran his hand through it, enjoying the plush feeling and the sweet scent. As he was indulging in the delicacy, soft, stealthy footsteps approached him. A doe, light brown in color, with white spots speckling the back had snuck up beside him. He turned and they made eye contact but there was no hostility. The animal seemed comfortable in his presence, he gave the innocent creature a friendly smile. The doe began to snack on one of the moss patches near the bottom, the boy's eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind. He planted his face into an eye-level patch of moss with his mouth open, he bit down on some of the vegetation, the texture resembled a thick, sticky grass. Immediately he recoiled and dropped to his knees, gagging. The doe, startled, jumped back, and ran off. The child began to spit out as much of the moss as he could. The taste was a sharp bitter flavor with floral notes in the aftertaste, he stuck his tongue out, and began to try and wipe the taste off. He sat back and looked up at the boulder again before getting up and dusting the dirt off his knees. After spitting out the last remnants of that awful taste, the youth hopped back on the trail, and counted the big rocks lining the path to the next landmark, the abandoned camp.