The House Of Blood and Dust, Book One: Darkness Rising

First Blooded Introvert

I look at myself within the cracked mirror, in this place which the goblin has called ‘The Underworld’ it’s an underground cavern filled with water and its own waterfall, ‘tis magical truly. I see that my hair is longer and flowing, stubble has began to show, I’m growing more than I’ve wished over these past years, seen many things and fought through many of them. The goblin gifted me with an archer’s armour: just a cuirass covering the back and the front, one pauldron to cover my right shoulder, it has a skirt like thing attached to the cuirass which I believe to be called the faulds, then of course the greaves and boots top finish it off. It’s made of some odd material, not steel nor plate much like a dense version of carbon fibre which is apparently bulletproof. It’s black and my tattoos are exposed, I’m sure he’s only given me this so that they’ll be shown off. I wash my face in the sink and walk back into the main area of the cave,

            “Feredir there you are, I wish to speak with you.” Tayovason’s face is in disgust, anger and helplessness; I go to him

            “What do you wish from me?” He looks at me and moves his arm to show me to go that way. Into his bed chambers and he closes the door, “Have you lead me here to seduce me, because I probably would.” I laugh and he looks at me,

            “No, listen to me… they’re looking for Avenji, he is on the most wanted list and has a huge bounty on his head, I’m worried… if my mother was to have her way she’d keep him as a slave to do as she pleased and kill whom she desired.”

            “What do you want me for?” He walks back and forth, staring at the ground, stroking his chin

            “I fear Zachary and Proditor may be believing the lies my mother and your brother have said.” When we walked into that castle the halls bled and my brother and the queen stood there looking at the destruction that Avenji had done, slaughtering my sister and his child but taking his new born, but Tayovason doesn’t believe it, neither do I.

            “Zachary now hungers for power and Proditor hungers for revenge, they believe Avenji to have become a horrible monster, brainwashed by the torments he has seen.” The battle-mage looks at me, his hand still stroking his chin,

            “We need to go to their brief, we need to know where he is… we need to warn him.” The world is going to engulf in war and Garask will be destroyed without the blood of wolves.

            “Are you sure he is the one that Commander Aligious is looking for?” The old wolf looks at me, his hair growing ever so white and his beard growing longer, his scars showing as well as his age. “He could just be after any Arkness or even a lycan.”

            “Bah, Avenji is the keeper of the nameless gauntlets, the Merak has gifted him and he is an Arkness with the ability to become what his name means, he is what that man is after but he must kill him so we need him or this plight will be pointless.” I look around his room, he’s already filled the room with his literature and all of his notes, or poems what ever he does in his past time.

            “Very well… let us attend this brief and then we shall have our mission.” He nods and opens the door,

            “I’ll address the three of you afterwards… I assume Zachary will want to discuss battle plans.”  I laugh and walk through the door as he holds it there for me,

            “Such a gentleman.” He sniggers and closes the door behind him; we then proceed to walk to the briefing room which has an assortment of computers and books. The amount of shit these goblins and orcs get down here is a mystery with all the water and all.