Eventide Scriptures I - The Shattering of an Era

Chapter 21.2 - The Weight of Sacrifice (Part II)

That night, coinciding with the first quarter festival, a welcoming event was held for him. Bonfires surrounded the oasis, casting their red glow on the water's surface.

Eiran had misunderstood a little. Because of the festival, he thought there would be plenty of food – he was starving – but not a single piece of bread appeared during the festival. Several villagers spoke to him in their native language. He could only smile left and right.

When he was alone, the mother from earlier came and gave him a piece of bread, placing finger to her lips, reminding him to keep this a secret. He spoke the word that seemed to mean 'thank you'.

At the peak of the festival, a storyteller wearing a wooden mask took on the role of a messenger from the past. He danced in front of the bonfire, beckoning children to come out from the crowd and sit at the front.

The storyteller told his story in the native language, which left Eiran like a deaf person being asked to guess who just farted. However, Roa came and sat beside him, offering a brief smile and translating the story. She explained that the storyteller was introducing the children to the Black Eye and White Eye.

Every cultures knew of White Eye, as it was visible from anywhere, just as everyone knew 'sky' or 'stars.' White Eye was a comet circling the world every eight years, while Black Eye was its counterpart and discovered later.

"Alas! Arrogant men emerged, they sought to control the power of Lorith," Roa's words complemented the storyteller's gestures. "They created a device for this purpose, Artifica. The ambition of these men to dominate their peers led the entire Inner Realm into a period of war known as the Chaos Era Two."

The Chaos Era Two was the time span that most influenced today's life. No major wars had occurred in the Inner Realm since then – until the invasion by Terzion.

"Alas! The war never ends. The Four Elders then warned they would drop Black Eye in the north, causing a massive wave and destroying the Inner Realm."

The Four Elders were not remembered for their services to humanity. Two of them were Summoners. The Four Elders eventually carried out their threat to drop Black Eye. The Great Wave swept through important harbors, lowland fields were flooded, livestock drowned, and countless lives were lost. Thus ended the Chaos Era Two.

"Alas! The end of the Chaos Era Two was soon followed by the Perpetual Night War. Black Eye brought Umbra, turning living creatures into monsters and the dead into undead. The world was then shrouded in a night without day."

This event was also narrated in Mana classes, as the fall of Black Eye introduced the sixth element, Umbra. It also marked the first appearance of monsters and undead in the world.

As the bonfires died out, so did the first part of the story. The storyteller concluded with advice not to be bound by the past but also not to forget it. He removed his mask, returning to being an ordinary person. The second part of the story was for another time.

Since that night, Eiran stayed in the workshop to avoid being a burden. While waiting to heal, he spent his days pondering what he would do next. Should he continue searching for his mother as originally planned?

During the day, he worked on various crafts with the others. His skills surprised the workshop head. It was only natural, as a sailor often passes time on a ship by making trinkets.

Helping the villagers patch roofs or repair broken walls allowed him to learn the native language bit by bit. After a few days, he could call each person in the village by their name.