Chapter One: The Land of Aerrann

Chapter One:

Min-Aeric, The Protector of The Minnah and Leader of The Aezai, led a small group of Aezai soldiers from their mountainous fortress towards The Place of Minnos where he had been summoned. He rode his beast, steady, his eyes continually going to the unceremonious dark sky. His beast named, Aelia for his mother, was the only beast on the land of Aerrann that could support his weight for such a journey and even as he sat atop the beast, Aelia still seemed to struggle.  Min-Aeric’s dark locs blended into the darkness that surrounded him as he rode alongside Aellen, his most trusted Aezai. The rest of the Aezai flanked them, many spaces behind, so that the two could ride with confidence.  Min-Aeric had been made aware of the complete disappearance of their light, Se’Rah, but seeing it with his own eyes still shocked him nevertheless. Regret filled him as he questioned the path he chose that kept him in the Mountains of Aezai and truly ignorant to the other places on the land of Aerrann. For years Se’Rah had been slowly fading away, the shadows of The Corruption cloaking the goodness and pushing Their God, The Energy of The Minnah further and further away from them.

Se’Rah had been more than just the light in the sky but also a covenant between the people of the land of Aerrann and The Energy of The Minnah. They believed that as long as they had Se’Rah, they had the favor of The Energy of The Minnah. Min-Aeric lamented for the land of Aerrann but also braced himself for what he and the rest of The Aezai would find in The Place of Minnos. Aellen glanced at him uncertainly before turning away. Her light locs shifted quickly in the night, distracting Min-Aeric as he sighed before he cleared his throat.

“If you must speak, Aellen, then do so. Once we reach The Place of Minnos, I predict, we will find ourselves otherwise occupied.” His apprehension was beginning to become overwhelming and Aellen and her glances just further triggered it.

Aellen sat silent for a moment more as her gaze, like Min-Aeric’s, went toward the void that covered them. She could feel his angst growing the closer they were to The Place of Minnos and worried that her words would anger him but the closer they got the stronger the urge was to speak up. “I must ask for forgiveness, the words I speak may offend you but I still feel that they must be heard.”

“Beware the consequences of your words, my mood has never been more sour.” Aellen scoffed but kept quiet otherwise, Min-Aeric continued. “We are stepping into the unknown, we must be on the same page.”

Aellen nodded, her attention back on the sky as she struggled with her words. “I am worried about your summons, Protector of The Minnah.”  She said before she turned to peer into the darkness that followed them, making certain that they were alone. She turned back, glancing at Min-Aeric briefly. “The Word of The Minnah rejected our help when the shadows started to fill the sky, as the darkness that was once sustained in the east began to inch toward the west.  The Word of The Minnah also rejected our help when Se’Rah, herself was swallowed by the same shadows.  Why have we now been summoned?” Min-Aeric didn’t respond. They were questions that he had asked himself since he received the summons, over and over again. Questions, he wasn’t sure he would ever have answers for. Aellen continued. “It is not only the summons from The Word of The Minnah, Protector of The Minnah, but also the stories I have been told of The Place of Minnos from the one who delivered the summons. Things are not good there, not as they have always been. They have reached an imbalance that has split the good Place of Minnos into two.” Min-Aeric nodded briefly, he had heard rumors of the same sort but had ignored them out of respect for The Word of The Minnah. He knew that he was not allowed to come back unless he was called, the knowledge made him feel weak where he was supposed to be strong.

“I should have returned when the shadows began to spread.” Min-Aeric said after a deep sigh. He knew his words were impossible but it gave him a sense of relief to speak them anyway. He slowed his beast, coming to a stop but not dismounting.  Aellen in turn stopped her beast as well.