Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress of Ashtown

Harsh Realities

The sun had begun to set when Dranor arrived home, a canvas of glorious colors spreading across the sky that he refused to look at.

At one point in his life, those colors painting the heavens' canvas would have filled him with hope. These days, they filled him with nothing. They, like the rest of this world, had become monochrome; a lifeless parody of the beauty he had once enjoyed, a mockery of everything he had once loved.

His house sat on the outskirts of the Ruudon province. Of course, it was less of a house and more of a hovel that looked like it had been built from scraps of metal. The derelict little hut sat underneath a large overhanging cliff that protected it from the elements and hid it from prying eyes. No one would find this place unless they either knew where to look, or decided to thoroughly explore the surrounding area. Even then, they would have to stumble within a certain radius to see it, for the subtle magics woven around it rendered the house all but invisible to human eyes.

Upon entering the tiny hut, Dranor was greeted by the only thing left in this world that still appeared as color to him, that didn't seem drab and dull, that gave him a reason to continue living.

Vanya.

His mate stood in front of a makeshift stove that had been made with a combination of Alchemy and mechanical ingenuity. He didn't know what she was cooking-likely stew, as it was cheap-but it smelled pretty good, especially when he took the time to consider how few ingredients she had to work with.

Vanya was a beautiful woman who'd been hardened by the lifestyle they had been forced to live. Her once lovely alabaster skin had become a dark tan. Several lines and a number of scars ran down her body, marring the perfection she had once possessed. Her hair, which used to shimmer in the light and felt softer than silk, had become coarse and rough, brittle almost, as if just touching her hair would cause it to crack apart.

He still loved Vanya more than anything in this world and beyond. She was his mate, his world, the sole center of his existence. Nothing could change that. But that didn't mean he liked seeing what had become of her. It reminded him of how he had failed her. Her physical appearance had become like this only because he had failed to protect her, because he had been damned and she had followed him into damnation.

His presence had not gone unnoticed. Being connected as they were, she knew he had arrived home the moment he stepped past the woven magics that hid their home from humans. Vanya turned to face him, her eyes carrying a warmth that had never left in spite of the numerous hardships they had faced.

That smile warmed his soul. His mate was not like him. Cynical and hard. Even now, after everything she'd suffered through, she continued to smile for and support him. For every spiteful remark he made, she had a piece of comforting wisdom to dole out. Every time he had been on the verge of breaking, she had been the one to put him back together with kind words and a smile. It truly amazed him, her astounding capacity to show kindness. She had faced the same challenges as him, had gone through the same hellish life that he had. Yet unlike him, she had not lost herself to despair. She still had heart.

"You're back. How did it go?" Even Vanya's voice was rough and dry. Parched. It sounded like she hadn't had anything to drink in ages. Despite the rough tone she now held, the scars this life had placed upon her, she still smiled for him.

I am truly blessed to have her in my life.

Dranor walked over to his mate and kissed her left cheek. "About as well as could be expected, considering I failed to uphold our end of the contract."

Vanya knew what he spoke of. She was his mate, after all. He shared everything with her.

She turned the stove off and tapped the floor with her foot. Vines sprouted from the ground, wrapped around the pot, and set it on top of a rickety table that looked ready to fall apart at the lightest touch. More vines grabbed wooden plates and utensils, enough for two, and went about setting the table.