The Fallen Crusader

Innocence Lost

My parents tell me that I was a child born oddly. They tell me that I was born in a wagon that was moving down some obscure back road in Arathi, the Highlands, too. A detail my father loved to keep telling me when I was a child, was how I was born. I came out of my mother, all sleek and shiny, without a tear or a cry out in horror. My mother would tell me that I did not cry because she took all of the pain and fear from it... this of course made me feel guilty, which I believe was the intention; She always told me this when I refused to do my chores.

In the back of that wagon, held in my mother's arms, I was named Eirianedryd Danniel Pureheart. Strange surname, I can assume you're thinking. I was always told that my family was a long line of Paladins, each man keeping the name. And I, of course, kept the name proudly.

The name Pureheart was a well respected one in the small township my family and I lived in. My father was the Captain of the town guard, and my mother was the renown tailor . She made the finest gowns and pantsuits for the "rich" of our township, along with the homely garments for the common folk. I am a little ashamed to admit, I cannot even remember the name of my youth's home. Though, knowing how young I was when I left, and what followed when I did, I cannot blame myself.

I remember little from my childhood prior to my sixth year. That is the year my brother was given to me. Cynbel, was his name. He was my little brother, the one I protected from the girls with their icky cooties, as well as from the bullies. I loved my brother with all my heart, there were none closer in the village than him and I.

I remember one time, my brother and I were feeling particularly mischievous. We learned the mailman's route through the town, and decided to play a prank on him. We moved to a spot where there was a corner in the road, so he would not see us. He was one mailbox away, around the corner, when we lit a firecracker and stuffed it into the mailbox. By the time he opened it, the thing exploded! Paper went everywhere. I swear by the Light, his eyebrows were singed off. Of course, my brother and I ran like the wind after the mailman saw us, literally rolling in the grass from laughter.

My brother and I lived in "peace" in our little isolated town nestled in the hills of Arathi for nine years. We enjoyed it. We were ignorantly blissful, nary a care in the world. Well, aside from girls and chores. Then, in a matter of hours, it came crashing down around me.

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I tried to stifle a laugh as Cyn paced past my hiding spot once, twice and a third time. I knew he was either clueless, or was toying with me. I wagered on the second one. I blinked for a moment, and then WHOOSH! The wardrobe doors were swung open. Cyn was standing in front of me, grinning.

"I gotcha, Eirian!" His hand then smacked me in the forehead. "You're it!" He called before sprinting off.

"Blecgh. He always finds me," I said idly to myself as I slowly climbed out of my hiding spot. "Where did he go, I wonder?"

Then, a blood curdling scream cut through the still evening air. I strained my ear as another scream filled the air. They were terrified squeals of women... and they had a word with them. A single word that made my heart drop. That word was "bandits".

It took me a moment to actually realize what was going on. I quickly dashed from my house to look for my father. He was standing at the gates, barking orders at his men. I could hear him as I ran up to him. His deep, rich voice always makes me feel safe... but not now.

"You! Gather the men trained in bow to defend from the wall! HURRY!" My father barked at one man before turning to another. "Rally the barracks, we need our men geared and ready for a fight."

"Father!" I called to him as I reached him. "What's going on? Are we being attacked by Bandits?"

My father's eyes had been stern, full of the adrenaline of leading men into an unavoidable battle. When they fell on me, they softened. They almost seemed to melt as his eyes almost instantly teared up. He knelt down and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Son," he said, through the tear that now streaked down his face. "go to your mother. Take your brother, too. She'll tell you what to do."

He brought in a deep intake of air through his nose before he pulled me into him, hugging me. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his back as well, in a loving embrace.

"I love you, Dad." I said, before the hug was broken and I took off to find my brother again.

I found Cyn quickly. He was running around, looking for me. I told him we needed to go to mother and he quickly agreed, and we set off. We ran as fast as we could to our house, where our mother met us there. The look on her face scared me... it was a look of pure fear.

"Eirian, Cyn! I'm so happy you're alive!" She gave us both a quick hug before continuing. "Come with me. We need to get you out of here." She grabbed out hands and stiffly guided us through the city. I looked back as we were going, and saw flames. The town gate had been set aflame. Our mother lead us to a small tunnel in the side of the town's rear wall, the one made of stone to give extra protection to the town hall and chapel. She pulled us into it, and then out of the other side, onto the grass.

There was a door on the outside of the wall, which our mother was closing. As we lunged to stop her, she called out, "Keep your brother safe now, Eirian. Cynbel, listen to your brother." and then the door was closed, and the click of a lock sounded.

"E-Eirian?" Cyn asked me, his voice quaking.

"Sh, Cyn. Let's go. We have to follow mom's final wishes. We have to escape, and I have to keep you safe." I told him, my voice soft, trying to be comforting. I then took his hand and began to run. I ran fast enough to make good time, but slow enough for Cyn to keep pace with me.

It was a good thing our father taught us how to survive in the wild, or else we would have never made it. We moved through the hills during the day, gathering berries and roots we could as we moved, and stopped during the night. Every night, we were haunted by the vision of our home burning in the distance. Until finally, two things came to us. The miracle of the fire no longer being visible, a blessing to be sure. And the second... wolves.

"What was that?" Cyn shrieked sitting upright at once, waking me up.

"What was what?" I asked, sitting up slowly, rubbing my eyes. "Did you have another bad dream, Cyn?"

"No! It's not that. It's..." he stopped mid-sentence as a howl pierced the calm night air. The sound of it was very close to us. "Eirian, I think we're being hunted."

"Wolves... shit. Cynbel, we have to go. We can't stay still for long with these wolves following us." I whispered to him, as I stood up and began cleaning up the campsite. When the task was done, we dashed off into the night.

Three days and nights, we were followed by the wolves. We slept so little, we were so tired. That is when the wolves made their move. They moved in to us, forcing us to run. They chased us.

"Cyn! Run! You can do it!" I called to my younger brother, as I saw that he was slipping away in his gallop. I could see the wolves parting the high grass just behind him. Then, he fell. "CYN!" I cried.

I kept running. I do not know why now, nor did I know then why, but I did. I kept running. Running forward and away, as I imagined my brother being torn apart by ravenous wolves. "Oh, Light... what have I done?" I kept running. Running and running. I could not stop myself from running, so I kept at it. My mouth was so dry. I was so hot and thirsty, as the sun beat down on me violently. My legs carried me one, two, three steps forward, before I fell. I landed on something harder than grass and earth... it was a road.

I lay on the road for Light knows how long, drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness. I then heard the clunking of hooves on the road... the chink of chain mail rattling. Then, the indistinguishable "hmmph" of a horse. My head rose, and looked up. A tall figure of a man was atop a mighty chestnut colored steed. The sun was behind his back, and gave a surreal look to his crimson armor. His arm lowered itself and a hand was offered to me, accompanied by a voice.

"Come unto me, sweet child of the Light, and be reborn with the blood of the Crusade."