Tranquil Darkness

The Beginning

We will begin this story on a certain night in early September. The people of The Dark were preparing for the annual Tilting Festival, which marks the beginning of spring in Integria and thereturn of the warmth. From that day on, the nights grew shorter, warmer and brighter, until, by the time of the Pinnacle Festival in mid December, it reached its peak.

The Tilting Festival was only in a few days time and everyone in The Dark was busy preparing for it. Everyone, that is, except for Kerrin, who was sitting all alone in her favourite spot by the stream that wound through the woods. She had never enjoyed the Tilting Festival. The people of The Dark had festivals for just about everything, and no one seemed to realize what the Tilting really meant. Shorter nights, longer days. The return of the light. This was not a good thing, not something that should be celebrated.

Kerrin dipped her long, slender finger in the stream and traced a pattern. It was so lovely to be alone in her favourite spot on this beautiful night. The stars sparkled overhead and smiled down on her, comforting her. The moon hung in the sky like a golden, glowing globe, bathing everything in silver white. The wind rustled the trees with a soft swishing sound, and the water was cool and crystal clear. It was a perfect night to be alone.

"Kerrin!"

Voices were calling her name. Two figures tramped through the forest towards her. Her heart fell when she recognized Adreana and Lucera. They were her best friends, but she wanted to be alone.

"Where have you been?" said Adreana. "Why haven't you been helping prepare for the Tilting Festival?"

"Come with us," added Lucera. "Help us pick Darkenberries for the Tilting Feast!"

Darkenberries were delicious. It was a custom to eat them at the time of the Tilting. But still, Kerrin didn't want to go with her friends.

"No thank you," she said, tracing a spiral shape in the water with her finger.

"Why not?" Adreana countered her, hand on her hips. "We're your best friends!"

"I just... don't feel like it, okay?" Kerrin replied. "I want to be alone."

"Suit yourself, then," said Adreana. "Come on, Lucy." And she took Lucera by the arm and and led her away.

It wasn't long after they'd left that Kerrin left her spot by the stream and began to wander deeper into the woods. The leaves crunched underneath her feet and everything was peaceful. The trees stood tall and silent, they were like companions, giving Kerrin their comfort. She felt so at home and at peace amongst them that she forgot about being careful, venturing farther into the forest then she ever had until she reached the place where The Dark begins to fade, giving way to The Light.

Kerrin stood there on the border between The Dark and The Light, a place that was also known as The Boundary Point, or The Twilight. She hid behind a tree and looked out. The tree she stood behind was one of the last before the trees began to change, becoming more skeletal and less alive looking the further you journeyed into The Light. These sickly trees, pale leaves dropping silently from their branches, grew from the hard, bare ground, and harsh, bright sun beat down upon it all, shining in Kerrin's eyes and making her have to squint. The hard bare earth and horrible trees stretched on as far as the eye can see. It was hard to imagine life in this barren place. So Kerrin was extremely surprised when two people emerged from behind one of the trees and began walking towards her. They stopped barely a metre away from the edge of The Dark, where Kerrin was standing, turned to each other and began to engage in conversation.

"So, here we are, so near the border," the deep voice came from the large man who had his back facing Kerrin. "I wasted my precious time bringing you here. Now what do you say?"

"I say, since we are so near The Dark, why don't we just attack now?" came the voice of a young boy, who was obscured from view by the man.

"No, no, silly boy," the man thundered angrily. "We need to plan carefully. Otherwise our plan won't work."

"Okay." Kerrin heard the bored voice of the boy answer. "Whatever."

"Now, here is what we will do," the man was impatient. "We will wait until the time of the Tilting. The people of The Dark will be off guard, preoccupied with their stupid little festival. We will hide in the shadows and wait, for the moment when they are the most unsuspecting, and then... we will attack. We will kill all the people of The Dark, and then, the whole of Integria will be ours!"

A shiver ran down Kerrin's spine at the sound of these words. This was terrible. She had to warn the people of The Dark straight away.

But just as she was about to leave, the man moved aside and she caught her first glimpse of the boy. One look at him and Kerrin instantly fell in love.