The Keepers of Eternity

I

501 Years Later

Blaise peered out over the mountains, for only a moment, watching the last sliver of golden sun sink below the jagged peaks. The sky was growing dark. Time to come out.

He hastened to a stop in front of an abandoned wooden scaffolding, where immediately he leaped upwards, catching himself on a rough cedar beam. Blaise hoisted himself to the next level, and then the next, and the next, until he sat at the top, looking out over leagues of evergreen forest. The twilight wind felt cool, and ruffled his loose hair. He took in a deep breath.

The forest was prickled with pines and cedars and birch, mixed in with the taller needlebarks and bell-tops. Beyond the forest, tiny orange lights dotted the hillside of a steep mountain--Rains Shadow. This was the perfect night for a visit to the town, after all, Blaise only had one night in this region before he would have to move on and search in another place. This place, however, he was certain held the Eternity Disc.

A cloud of thousands of black bats rose into the air before him, fluttering together in a horde from their perch in the trees and disappearing into the gradient plum sky. Bats again. Blaise had seen more than enough bats for a hundred thousand lifetimes. They often followed him around, appearing out of nowhere and giving away his location to passerby. Though, they were company...they felt like an army at his back. At times like this he could use an army.

Blaise wrapped his legs tighter around the pole, making sure that he would not fall. A misstep from this height could mean death. He had no intention to die tonight. The Eternity Disc that he held close to him extended his life, but did not make him invulnerable. He had survived for centuries--even longer than human memory--but his life was delicate as a butterfly's wing, fittingly, like the fragile disc that extended his life. Somewhere deep inside he felt sick from his recklessness. He had an abnormally active conscience these days.

Then, Blaise saw it. The High Tower of Rains Shadow was partially hidden behind a thicket of tall evergreens. Contrary to its name, the tower was not high at all. It was stubby and flat-topped, like a massive tree stump crowned with points. Dim white lights lit up the Tower's exterior, highlighting each ribbed stone groove and obscuring the rest in darkness. Blaise sighed. There, in that building, was the disc he had been trying to find for over three centuries. Finally, this journey was almost at an end.

Night wind blew past him, rustling the trees, and Blaise climbed down quickly and plopped his bare feet onto the forest floor. Then, he began to run.

***

The High Tower stood before him, looking even more massive this close. It was no wonder that these people treated the Tower like a holy temple--the architecture was almost too beautiful to be practical. Ripples and waves of all shades of gray and black covered the glossy stone which was carved upwards in a spiral pattern. The spirals ended at the peak of the Tower in dangerously sharp-looking spikes. The Rvyni liked spikes and dark colors, which was strange given how colorful they sometimes looked physically.

Three sentries stood at the tower entrance, wielding crossbows. Blaise had always thought Rvyni looked strange in long black skirts. In the places he had lived most of his life, only women wore dresses. Blaise couldn't help but smile. After years of wearing fashions from around the world, he had concluded that the Rvyni most certainly had it the worst. The skirts were thick and hot, even in this cold northern climate, and they allowed for little movement. Today, he would have to tolerate it for the sake of blending in, but as soon as he took what he needed, he would strip down to his trousers and be on his way as fast as possible.

Blaise walked up the black stone staircase to the door which the sentries stood around. He had to appear casual, as to not draw their suspicion.

"Ho! How is the watch coming this fine night?" Blaise said nonchalantly in the washy Rvyni tongue.