Age of Fourth Crisis

Chapter 1: Inner Fight

The current age they live in is known as The Tenth Age of Existence; an age of war and chaos as are most other ages. The only age to have little or none of that was the Fourth Age: The Age of Golden Kings. But now, at the tenth age, the kingdoms have split apart from the greatness they once were.

The alliance of The Civilized Races has been tarnished, and now the races of Humans, Rograrians, Aelicians, Nometars, Grokians, and Hastenfolk live in fright of constant war and terror. They live amongst each other still with no formal segregation put into play, but sometimes bicker. The outlaws rule the turf. They pillage and burn like a plague storm, but the people never fight back, for they are afraid of the warlords that command the outlaws.

The world is run by thieves and cultists, and only the true and honorable can rise.... or so they say. Stories they tell are amusing, much like the ones I am used to, but yet amusing, for they think that is how the world works. They truly believe that an honorable man can outmatch an army of cut-throat bandits. I suppose you will have to find out yourself.

Our story begins with a Hastenfolk farmer. Hastenfolk, are brown skinned individuals with deep history of cruelty and pain caused by not them, but others to them. They reside in small villages and towns as peaceful creatures. Not many tales are spun about Hastenfolk, for they are thought to be simple folk who only tend to their own simple lifestyles.

Daneth was his name. A ruggedly handsome boy with little knowledge of the outside world, and only the goal of supporting his family of five, him, his father Faleth, his mother Sarena, his older sister Serena, and his older brother Gareth. Daneth had his father's cold black eyes, and his mother's gentle heart. He wore his usual brown rugged tunic, and his torn up trousers, but sometimes, on big occasions like birthdays, he wore his white and black formals his mother had bought for him on his own birthday. They had saved up for it and gotten it, but Faleth was furious about wasting money, and almost ripped the formals in rage.

Faleth was an angry man at all times. While Sarena had gentle features, he had his constant frown and a pumping stride like he was out always on business with no time for leisure.

Gareth, the second oldest child of Faleth, was always getting into trouble. He and his devilish looks were the pincushion for all things that went wrong, for he had a history of wrong doings. It seemed as if pranks were his ambition in life, but Faleth wouldn't have it. He scolded him everytime, but alas, Gareth was as stubborn as can be.

Serena was a huntress, and supported the family by bringing in game from the outer forests. Sarena was always worried to death when her daughter ventured out to hunt, for dangerous creature lurk the wild, but Serena had mastered the ability to remain unseen to the nightly things. She was beautiful like her mother, with stunning green eyes, long black hair, just like her brother Gareth.

Daneth was the odd man out, for he had lighter skin and sported brown hair unlike the rest. The townfolk in Harakoth teased him by calling him a human, but he cared not. While Gareth had an exceptional ability to make things out of scraps like the Nometarian engineers, and Serena had her astounding hunting skills, Daneth only knew how to farm.

They all had dinner now in the bedroom, for Sarena was ill and could not stand. She was frail, and lost her usual Aelician-like luster. She coughed much, and could not talk well; she sounded gruff, when in reality her voice was like silk.
"Daneth and Gareth," started their father. "I have come to the decision to enlist you into the town's guard."

The family halted their supper and stared at Faleth. Sarena spoke in her feeble voice. "They are too young, Faleth. Why would you do this?"

"The guard will feed them, and pay them more than we receive. And that's two less mouths to feed. We will be better off."

Daneth replied "it is for the good of the family, mother. The guard never fight anyway. Bandits are a norm now."

Gareth gritted his teeth in anger and spoke. "Those cut-throats always take our corn and wheat, the meat from the butchers, and weapons from the smiths, but never give anything back! They're a bunch of ungrateful fiends. Why don't the guards ever take initiative? They just let them pass."

"It is the way of the world, my son," explained Sarena. "We all have a place in the world, and apparently the bandits were placed at the top of our unstable food chain."

"Unstable?" asked Serena.

"It takes only one to topple the tower made of pebbles." Their mother chuckled, and then began coughing and convulsing.

"Calm down, Saren," Faleth ordered as he gently clapped her back. "You are in no shape to talk."

"Oh, please Faleth!" cried Sarena meekly. "I have all the right to... achoo...oh...I have all the right to talk to my children." She whispered in Faleth's ear something indecipherable to the youths. Faleth's face turned dark and depressed. "As I was saying: these foolish brigands don't know how to farm, or make tools and weapons, or even how to farm. Once we say nay, what will they do? They will die."

"They will kill us first, then starve, mother," explained Daneth.

"Exactly," replied Sarena. The three youths wore perplexed masks, for they did not know how that was a good thing. "That is the winning pawn of the bandits: our weakness, our inability to fight. We are Hastenfolk. All our lives we are called weak and useful only as servants, but even we have some fight in us that is eager to reveal itself. The fight needs that final push. Push that fight out, Daneth and Gareth."

"All right, time for sleep. We got work tomorrow," commanded Faleth with a stern face as he picked up his plate and began washing it in the sink.

"I'll help," said Serena, but Faleth denied her aid.

"Go to sleep, you need the rest. Hunting time tomorrow." Serena nodded and walked to her bed on the floor. The family lived in a small home with three rooms. The children slept in the main room, while the parents slept in the other room. Bandits took most of their food every month which left a scarce amount for them. The farming family made by by Serena's game she found in the forest, and Gareth's work at the town's inn as the dish cleaner.

The town they did business in was called Haren-Koth, and was a large town known for its fish, for it was located beside a rushing river with an abundance of fish. This was the reason why the bandits came there: food...and other uneeded takings, but that was just to cause grief. They simply marched right in the town gates while the guards glared at them, and took what they wished. If the town was lucky, no one would do something stupid like insult the bandits. Gareth did once, but dashed away before they could spot him.

Daneth was mild-mannered and did not wish to quarrel with the bandits, but did not appreciate the fact that this injustice occured before their very eyes. I do not have the fight, it seems, thought Daneth as he went to bed.