Light Bearer

Chapter One

Florent

Two weeks before Tenebrous

Florent loomed over the ship deck into the foaming waves. She missed the ocean, two months stuck in the Commanders' office, filing papers and recruiting new sailors. Her dark hair whipped in the whistling wind, salty air has filled her lungs for the entire two-week trip to the Ancient lands of Reagel. The green land filled the horizon as the giant continent came into view. Florent stared at the beach where few settlers had set up temporary houses, brave pilgrims had sailed to this dangerous and uninhabited island for a chance to obtain new land and the promise of solitude.

"Captain Fenroe" Florent turned to her vice officer.

"We are nearing the shore,"

She only nodded and headed to her cabin to prepare her weapons. The missing persons posters still littered her desk. Nelson Bracken, Mirna Typel, and so many more. They had been in her company on her last journey to see the eastern islands, four months ago. 10 missing people total, 5 sons and 5 daughters. Some fathers, some recently married. Yet all that remained was their faces on pieces of parchment.

Her job, find them and return them home. Or more specifically, find why they went missing. The Commander had sent her specifically, wanting someone with a military background, someone who's actually seen combat. Florent sighed and grabbed her bow and quiver, slinging it over her shoulders and taking one more look at the missing faces before stepping onto the forest beach. Dusk climbed over the arching sun.

They docked the ship, rolling up the white sails, and she flung the ladder over the edge, climbing down into the clear, shallow water. They trudged through the sandy beach as local fishermen waded in the water, setting and checking traps.

Florent led the group of eight sailors down the path into the small forest village to speak to some locals before spending the night on the beach. Their small wooden huts were small and looked hastily built as they had been up for 6 months. The roofs made of light green moss, the giant pine trees scattered around the clearing.

Florent's silver armor glittered in the last light of the forest, her emblem's stone shone golden. She stood in front of the largest house, what she presumed to be the leader's house.

As her hand reached to knock, the wooden door creaked open, revealing a short gray man, covered in dirty, loose linen clothes. His home was a room bigger than the others but was filled with many trinkets and books. Must have been a scholar or a collector.

"Good evening, my name is Florent Fenore, Captain of his Majesty's Royal Navy. I am looking for some soldiers I lost in this wood about two months ago. Have you seen anyone with this armor or someone matching that description?" The man only walked back into his house, leaving the door wide open. She looked back at her officer, who simply shrugged as all eight of them clambered into the small house.

The house seemed even tinier with all of her crew inside. Florent sat on the makeshift stone table, a dirt floor under her feet, the man sitting on the side next to her, paper and ink in hand. His fingers pointed at his eyes and then again at the paper.

"Must be a mute." a sailor whispered

Florent smiled at the man and looked down on his parchment as he began to write his words. His language would have been foreign to most, but she recognized the ancient language of the old race of man. She had studied in the top Naval academy in Cahir, capital of her kingdom Florent though back to that language of the world's class, which did bore her to death but right now, she was grateful.

"There are demons in this wood, men go out and they never come home. We did see your soldiers, however, they too are lost in the forest of the gods."

Florent took in the man's writing, heeding his warning.