The Light Within The Darkness

At the east of the kingdom of Yeres spreads a forest, dark and unexplored. Nobody dares go near it anymore, let alone enter and investigate. Those who have passed whisper with fear in their eyes about the screaming that can be heard in the darkness hidden by the trees. Gut-wrenching screaming, like the moaning of a wounded beast, that makes the hair on the back of one's neck stand up. Few dared explore the Dark Woods and nobody came back but one.

Jens used to listen to his nana's stories since he was small. She grew up in the village next to the Dark Woods, before the mayor burnt it to the ground, and he knew first hand of the things that people usually heard from others. And with these stories she raised Jens. Growing up, he followed his father's steps and became a knight. In time his reputation spread from village to village, reaching every corner of the twelve kingdoms. He fought dragons and chimeras, he tricked many of the fae folk, killed ghouls, saved countless lives and never, not even once, hesitated, no matter how afraid he was.

When everybody knew his name, when the monsters he defeated became more than the golden coins in the king's safe, when his sight alone inspired optimism in people's hearts, then he decided to follow his dreams and dare do what he wanted since he was young. Everyone tried to stop him, but he'd made up his mind. He took with him his favorite sword, his strongest axe and his most flexible bow, and headed east.

Ten years had passed since he was last seen when he appeared in the front door of his house. He looked wearied, his skin paler than a dying man, but he hadn't aged one day. His family welcomed him tearfully, hugged him, kissed him, and he let them, looking forward, clenching his jaw, not returning any of the displays of affection.

He quit his job as a knight and stayed at his home. If someone looked at him from a distance, they could believe that he wasn't affected by his journey at all. But if they neared him and looked into his eyes, they'd see the pain he carried in his soul, the void look he always had, the weight he carried, that grew heavier with each day that passed

At night one could hear screaming coming from his house, similar to those of the Dark Woods. He woke up in the middle of the night form nightmares and cried woefully, but never told anyone about his dreams. When he was asked, he shook his head and cried more.

He lasted less than a month. Those who saw him, said he was heading east. The last village before the Dark Woods tried to stop him, but it was like trying to restrain an ocean using a rope. Nobody followed him; they all feared more than they wanted to help. After that, nobody saw him again.

Centuries passed and Jens' stories became legends. Nobody was sure anymore if what was being said really had happened, or if it was just a tale that nannies tell to children. Irvan's blue eyes had opened wide the first time he heard of the great knight's tales, and he felt admiration, excitement and a feeling he didn't understand until years later.

Irvan grew up with Bash. Their mothers were old friends and lived in neighboring houses, so the two boys grew up together. They spent their days at the river, reenacting their hero's, Jens', fights. Then they sat on the grass and devised their plan to fulfil their common dream and become knights.

A summer morning they'd gone to swim at the river. It seemed like an ordinary day, no different than any of the ones of the fourteen summers they'd passed together, but it wasn't. Bash decided to swim while Irvan laid on the soft grass and read his book. He was so absorbed in reading, he almost flew when his friend called his name. He sat up and looked towards the water. Bash was looking at him, smiling, and his eyes shone like ambers. He seemed to be the only thing around Irvan being hit by the sunlight, and he felt his heart stop for a moment, and froze, unable to do anything but stare.