"I guess I should explain. About 13 years ago, I was still wandering away from the village, sulking about being abandoned by my wife. It was during that extremely cold winter with snow piled up past my waist."
The couple was surprised as Edmund began to narrate the story of his time away from the village. Whenever questioned, Edmund had always avoided the topic. The couple listened closely as he continued.
....
"Damn snow…" Edmund cursed with a frosty breath exiting his mouth.
Edmund had been traveling around for a few months to sort his thoughts and cool his head after the situation in the village. Still, just thinking about the faces of his brother and ex wife made his blood boil. Unfortunately for him, a terrible snow storm hit as he was between villages, slowing him down and trapping him in the forest.
He let out a deep sigh as he trudged on. The air was frigid and the visibility was almost nonexistent. Each flake of snow was as large as a leaf. Despite this, Edmund didn't seem to be struggling. A faint white glow radiated off him, not that it was visible in the flurry of snow.
The cold helped to cool his anger. 'I really made a mess this time… I bet my house is in shambles. My reputation was already nonexistent, so that's fine.' Edmund let out another sigh.
He continued his slow trudge through the forest. After some time, Edmund suddenly stopped in his tracks an placed a hand on his sword. He had a bed feeling. He closed his eyes and focused on his ears. After some time, conflict could be heard in the distance. Edmund swiftly drew his shortsword and got into a defensive stance. He clicked his tongue because he wasn't equipped for a fight. Normally he'd be wielding his Glaive but it was taken from him when he stormed out of the village. The air around him grew sharp as he listened in on the distant battle.
He once again clicked his tongue as he heard it moving closer. Edmund didn't truly believe that anyone nearby was powerful enough to beat him one on one, but if they launched a coordinated attack, it'd be a different story. Even worse, further away he felt the presence of someone powerful. A disgustingly familiar presence.
The sounds of battle continued before being broken up with a shout. "Damn imp! He broke the formation and is heading north! Contact the rest of the unit, I will pursue!" Upon hearing this, Edmund's expression completely soured. 'A demon…' If there was a demon coming toward him, he might be in serious danger. Of course, it varies between their age, magic, and bloodline purity. But it would likely be dangerous one considering 'that guy' was pursuing it.
After the bout of shouting, silence prevailed the surrounding forest and the only the sound of whipping wind broke up the tense atmosphere.
The sound of hurried footsteps and crunching snow finally broke the silence. Edmund prepared to fight but as the figure of a familiar young man became visible, he lowered his guard.
The young man dull eyes lit up with renewed vigor as he saw Edmund and he happily spoke "Eddy? Is that you?" before stopping and saying "Eddy, please, I need your help. Take me somewhere safe for about an hour. Thats all the time I'll need. I won't be able to repay you but I beg you to help me." The man, Damian, tried to bow down before stumbling from exhaustion.
Edmund quickly caught him. "What is going on. What are you running fro-" Edmund halted his sentence as he felt his hands dampen. His eyes widened as he saw his hands dyed in red. He swiftly placed Damian on his shoulder and sprinted back the way he'd been walking. His pace was vastly greater than the speed he'd been going before. The faint glow increased but the white had now been overshadowed by an overbearing orange.
A pain came with the orange glow but Edmund only creased his brows and continued on. Every step he took left behind a faint blue glow that repositioned the snow to cover his tracks. It was a rudimentary use of basic magic but for Edmund it was quite taxing.
'The cabin… The old man should still be out and it shouldn't be far.' Edmund shifted his path now that he'd found a place to rest.
His back and shoulder were starting to feel damp from the blood coming of Damian. Edmund sped up even more and the pain increased. Though still manageable, the pain would soon start to impede him.
In the distance, through the dense snow, Edmund could see a small wooden cabin. During his journey he'd met a kind old man who gave him a room for the night. That man was probably trapped in a nearby village due to the storm. This meant that the cabin was now empty.
Edmund neared the door and entered. He placed Damian on the bed and immediately moved to treat the wounds. Edmund was baffled that Damian was even alive. This level of vitality was abnormal for a human. He had many critical wounds. A shoulder wound that almost removed his arm, a deep wound on the left of his waist, and another wound on his right that showed his broken ribs. That's not to mention the countless smaller injuries.
Edmund started channeling the orange light while preserving as much white as possible. An orange glow radiated off his hand as he brought it near Damian's shoulder. The wound on his shoulder was bleeding profusely and would likely kill Damian of blood loss soon. As the glow came in contact with the young man, he started spasming and shouting out in pain. A red glow cloaked his shoulder and repelled the orange.
Edmund hastily removed his hand and canceled the spell. He was shocked by the reaction but didn't have time to think about it. He searched the cabin and found bandages. He wrapped up Damian as best he could and began to wait for him to awaken.
This gave Edmund a chance to truly look at Damian. He was a young man, seemingly around his mid twenties. He had very dark brown hair and normal brown eyes. Resting on his chest was a bundle of blankets. It seemed to be she only thing on Damian that wasn't damaged.
They had first met when Edmund was halfway through his academy days and Damian was just beginning his. Damian's condition saddened Edmund as they became quite close in the time they knew each other. Due to various circumstances they had to separate but they never stopped being friends.
As Edmund was inspecting him, Damian awoke. He glanced around the room and looked at his body. He tried to move but immediately gave that up. "Ugh… Damn, you tied these bandages tight. I think you covered every inch of my body!"
"Almost" Edmund corrected him, "I couldn't get your whole chest because you were clenching that bundle of blankets so hard." Nestled between Damian's arms was a bundle of blankets that were clenched between his arms with an iron grip.
Damian smiled as he looked down at the blankets. His eyes looked slightly delirious. His skin was very pale and his breathing was weak.
"Damian, I tried to heal you but you body reacted violently to the magic. I'm not sure why it happened but it means that you need serious medical attention as soon as possible. You've lost far too much blood. The fact that you are still alive is a miracle in itself."
"Ha… I won't be able to be healed from this condition, I can't even be healed by holy magic in the first place." Damian said with a self deprecating smile. "I think you should know why. I am a demon, well, at least partially. Anything holy is like a poison to me." A small red energy left his left hand but quickly faded.
"That doesn't matter right now, there are some good doctors that can help you with only the support of normal magic. I know a real good guy, just hold out for a bit and I'll get you there safely." Edmund said these words with a bit of desperation, but he knew deep down that Damian wouldn't make it out of the cabin.
Edmund clenched his fist, but soon gave in to reality. He let out a sad sigh and sat on the floor beside the bed. "Let's talk. We haven't spoken in a while so let's have a long conversation. Just like old times."
Damian began to talk with Edmund about anything. He spoke of their time in the academy. He spoke of his wife. Apparently he got married to the girl that Edmund helped him get with.
Damian tried to talk as much as possible. He knew he didn't have a lot of time so tried to tell as much as he could. Especially about his wife. His eyes held so much joy as he thought of her. Finally Damian looked down at the bundle of blankets.
A smile spread across Damian's face. His breath was very light. "Eddy… thanks for all the help… I'm glad I saw you before I died…" Each word spoken took all the strength Damian had. "I think… you owe me a favor… from way back.." His words were interrupted by a fierce coughing fit. Blood started to leak from the bandages and and soak the bed. "This cute bundle of blankets… is actually my son… he's… going to be so… so special." A tears formed in his dull eyes. "I'm sure… he'll be so kind… and… strong… like Eva."
The light in Damian's eyes was almost gone. "Eddy… please take care of Edain… that's all… I… want.." Damian's breathing stopped. The tight grip on the blankets faded as Damian went limp. His face carried his last expression of joy as he thought of his family.
Edmund fought back tears as he picked up the bundle. He slowly unraveled it until a head of soft black hair could be seen. A kid, about a year old, was nestled between the layers. He was unconscious but his breathing was steady and healthy. In his arms was a book labeled:
{Damian, Evita, Edain}
-Family Journal 1-
Tears began to fall from Edmund's eyes as he saw the title. The family had been destroyed, and if he was right in his theory, the culprits were his own family. More specifically, it was his brother, Duke.
Edmund's eyes fell upon Edain and a strong determination filled them. He spoke to the peacefully sleeping child, "I guess I need to take you home. Although it's not a safe place for you, I am unable to truly leave that place. I swear on my life I will keep you safe. No matter what it takes."