The False Knight

Chapter Four

In the frigid embrace of the northern winter, Lioran Lorvil, a humble commoner, struggles against the biting cold and the relentless storms that assail their ramshackle home. With each gust of wind, the fragile walls of their dwelling threaten to collapse, and the feeble fire within struggles to provide even a semblance of warmth. Yet, within this humble abode, a family finds solace in each other's company—Lioran, the eldest daughter, her elder brother Avion, and their younger sister Lethia, all bound by their fiery-haired mother's unwavering love. The Lorvil's home, a small, rustic cottage on the outskirts of the village, was in disarray. The thatched roof was worn and patchy, allowing icy draughts to seep through the cracks. Broken furniture littered the floor, a testament to the family's meager resources. As the storm raged on, the Lorvil family clung together for warmth and comfort. Lioran's mother, a stalwart figure with fiery red hair and piercing yellow eyes, worked tirelessly to keep her children fed and safe. Her husband, Lioran's father, had abandoned them shortly after Lethia's birth, leaving her to raise their three children on her own.

Yet, despite the hardships and struggles, she had managed to instill in her children a sense of hope and resilience. Their mother, a beacon of strength in their tumultuous world, labors tirelessly to shield her children from the harsh realities of their existence. Though their clothes are threadbare and their meals scant, they find joy in the simple pleasures of life, basking in the warmth of their mother's affection. Lioran, her older brother Avion, and little sister Lethia were all blessed with their mother's fiery locks, but each had inherited their different eyes—Avion's green, Lethia's blue, and Lioran's mother's own rich yellow. It was a peculiar trait that only added to their unique bond as siblings. As the days passed, the storm showed no signs of relenting.

The winds howled and the snow fell in thick, heavy flakes that blinded and disoriented. The villagers huddled together for warmth, their whispers of hope and despair carried away by the wind. And then, on one fateful day, disaster struck. The war had come to their doorstep, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake. In the chaos of battle, their mother is torn from them, lying unconscious in the snow as the bitter cold threatens to claim her. Lioran called out her mother's name in fear and helplessness, as she watched in horror as her mother was carried away into the swirling blizzard, her anguished cries drowned out by the howling wind as she was taken away, forced to leave her mother's motionless body as it disappear in the blisters of winter storm. Haunted by the memory of that fateful day, Lioran embarks on a desperate quest to find her mother, her heart consumed by a fierce determination to reunite their shattered family. Lioran's resolve remains unyielding, fueled by the unwavering belief that her mother is still alive.

Lioran and her siblings lived as servants in the work field of the Kharijan kingdom, where they were sent to after being war orphans. Lethia was too young to work, and no one could take care of her other than Lioran. Leaving her older brother, Avion, to be the only one to provide for their remaining family as they lived as servants in the outskirts of the kingdom.

They lived in a small portion of the servant's quarters, where they lived their new life without a mother in their care. The kingdom, though distant and unfamiliar, offered them a glimmer of hope—a chance to start anew. The new kingdom they lived in felt unfamiliar, as the cold memories seemed nonexistent for the cold winter was never a season in the Kharijan kingdom—which was a hot and robust kingdom in the eastern part of the continent. Far from their old home, where they can't even remember the name, only the painful memories. Their mother's passing had left an indelible mark on their young lives, but they clung to one another, determined to survive. Lethia, still a young child at the time, was too frail to work alongside her siblings. Her delicate constitution made it difficult for her to even perform simple tasks without succumbing to exhaustion. Lioran, ever the devoted sibling, took it upon herself to care for her little sister, ensuring that Lethia's needs were met.