Dark Pan Histories: from Forever to Never [In Progress]

The Red Sky

Ansgar walked amongst the men of his tribe, they were preparing to climb the great mountain known which had been known as the Spear of Light for as long as he could remember. In recent weeks however, the mountain top had been ringed with black and red clouds and more resembled the angry eye of a demon.

Before the mountain changed Ansgar and his warriors had been hunting in the forests at the base of the great mountain, keeping their distance from the borders of the Fairy Kingdom. Although there was no real hatred between the fairies and the humans, the treaty was signed to show respect on both sides. Ansgar had met the Fairy Queen, but only once – and that was at the signing.

The screams Ansgar had heard had come from deep inside the borders of the fairy kingdom, but the treaty forbade him and his men from going any further than where they were. Some of his men had suggested they ignore the treaty for the fairy people could have been in great harm, but Ansgar could not.

"We can not disobey the treaty," Ansgar had said. "We do not want to be the cause of a war."

Now almost three weeks later, Ansgar was beginning to wonder if he had been right obeying the treaty. Rumors had circulated the lands that the fairies had been kill and that the Queen was now a prisoner. Other rumors said that the fairy queen was a demon who had feasted upon the corpses of her own kin.

"You must understand before we do what will break a treaty that is as old as the lands," Ansgar said. "That we do not know what we fear crossing the borders into the Fairy Kingdom. You must understand, that we may not come back from this. You have all heard the rumors of the deaths of the fairy kin and the demonic possession of the Fairy Queen. If you wish not to come, you will not be thought a coward."

None of Ansgar's men moved. They stood still the butt-end of their spears driven into the ground at their feet, the shields held high and proud. Ansgar smiled slightly. He knew that none of his men would turn away from this, even though part of him wanted them all to turn away so that he could as well.

Ansgar turned and looked up towards the great mountain peak now known as the Devil's Eye and shuttered. Part of him thought he and his men were going to find the Queen and save the Fairy Kingdom. The other part of him, it felt as though he was sending his people to die.

"Return to your families," Ansgar said. "We leave when the sun rises."

Ansgar watched as his men headed back to their huts. Many of them would leave behind wives and children. Some would leave behind their parents. Ansgar would be the only one who left behind no one. He had taken on the role of leader for his tribe and that responsibility left no room for a wife or children.

The sun was slowly sinking beyond the mountain and making the angry ring of clouds look as though they were on fire. Leaving behind the village Ansgar headed towards the water's edge of the cove. He remembered fishing in the cove with his father and his brother.

Ansgar had been very young when his mother had died and so he had not had time to get to know the woman who had given him life. When he asked about her to his father he was told that those beyond death were no longer apart of life and so should not be spoken of.

The man had been a stubborn old man, right up until the day he died. On his deathbed, Ansgar father told him everything he could ever have wanted to know about his mother. Though Ansgar's father had not held the position of the tribal leader, had he Ansgar would not have been born, he was proud to see his son had decided to take up the position.

The waters of the cove were peaceful and calm. If not for the reflection of the Devil's Eye, Ansgar would have been able to find peace. As it were, he could not. In times of trouble Ansgar would sit at the water's edge and through inner thoughts, his soul would become as calm as the waters, but now his soul seemed in turmoil.