Alaster ran through the forest with some of the other village children. Each of them pretending to be brave and heroic knights fighting against evil. In many of their hands, they swung sticks they had picked up, occasionally lightly sparring against each other.

Laughing and giggling filled the bright and warm woods. Birds sung in the branches as the sun streaked through the leaves, illuminating the grass and foliage beneath them. Deer gracefully jumped between the trees. Maple Badgers climbed the trees, either searching for tree sap or getting away from the children as they charged through the foliage.

The snows of the winter melted in the late spring heat, filling the rivers and streams and breathing life into nature. The warm sun, paired with a light breeze, kept the children pleasantly cool.

On a day such as this, what child would want to tend to the fields? And their parents were happy to turn a blind eye as they made their escapes, most were too little to be of much help anyway.

The Planting Festival was in full swing.

All the adults gathered in the village square and together went from one field to the next planting together. It was hard work, but it was done with smiles and laughter. Music filled the air and jokes were made.

When they finished and the sun set, everyone would once again gather in the village square and the party would begin. Food would be cooked and eaten, desserts would attempt to be stolen by the children and would usually fail. Games were played.

It was a celebration of surviving the winter and welcoming the new year.

The last winter had not been particularly harsh, but even still, it had not been easy for the poor villagers. No winter was.

But none of that was on Alaster's mind. The only thing he was focused on, was finding a birthday gift for his little sister. She was turning ten that day, while Alaster had turned twelve over the winter.

The age of ten was important for every child. It was the age when they first touched a Seer Crystal. The Crystals weren't that rare, as every settlement had one. If a child under the age of ten touched the crystal, nothing would happen. But once they touched the crystal, they would be able to see their basic stats.

It was usually nothing unknown. It would give a numerical value to the attributes of the person, which most would be able to estimate from just a simple observation. However, it was seen as the first step to adulthood.

Alaster's Decade Crystal, as the celebration was known as, had not said anything special, the vast majority did not. He was a little stronger and wiser than most of his peers, but nothing extraordinary.

The Decade Crystal was done at first light, something Alaster still remembered grumbling about on the day of his own. As such, his little sister, Evelyn, had already gone through hers. But what no one expected was for Crystal to display that she had a special constitution.

Alaster was still not quite sure what that meant, but apparently neither did any of the adults. They knew that it was special, but the name of it meant nothing to poor and uneducated villagers such as them. However, as one of the Aldermen's duties, he sent a message to the nearest city with the details of any child that was seen as unique.

Apparently, this was done as anyone designated special 'enough' would be granted a scholarship to one of the prestigious academies throughout the Kingdom. Alaster daydreamed about going to one of these academies. Even a country bumpkin, such as he, knew that these academies trained up the heroes of the nation.

Of course, not every graduated student become famous, but it was all but guaranteed that attending one of these academies would promise a successful and great life. Alaster's parents were already preparing to send her off to one of these academies if she was granted a scholarship, but he was more focused on the simple matters.

He did not care for any of the adult matters. The only thing he cared about was getting a birthday gift for Evelyn. For his own birthday, she had made him a wooden ring, engraved with his initials. Apparently, she had taken classes from Mr.Tobyn, the village carpenter.

Alaster wanted to give her something equally great, but he had gotten sick at the end of winter, beginning of spring, preventing him from preparing anything. Even still, he had been forced to escape from his overprotective parents while they had been distracted by Evelyn's special constitution.

He could have gotten Evelyn her favorite flowers, as they were abundant at this time of the year in the forest, but he wanted to get her something that she could keep with her for a long time, just like his ring.

The boy played with the rest of the boys as they played through the woods closest to the village, but he stayed at the edge and searched for something for his sister. Two of Alaster's closer friends, Tommy and Michael, also looked around, trying to help their friend.

"Hey Al, what bout this?" Tom asked, holding up a clump of moss.

Alaster looked up excitedly, but upon seeing his friend's catch, he frowned, "Really Tom? That's the best you got?"

"So you don't want anything that will die or wilt?" Mike asked for the fourth time.

"Yes! I want to give her something she can keep with her, like my ring." Alaster once again explained.

Mike nodded and looked back down on the ground. The boy was the smartest among the other children around his age, but he was always thinking about so many things all at once that it was a struggle to get him to focus on any one thing for any length of time. He knew very little about everything. He liked keeping his black hair shaggy, and had gotten very quick and agile escaping his parents who wanted to cut it.

Tom was quite the opposite. He was not an idiot, though that might be the best way to describe him. He was simply very narrow focused. Tom could be very stubborn. He was fairly average among the kids, but he never gave up. Alaster could still remember two years ago when Tom was set on climbing to the top of a tree. The boy had fallen numerous times and would have continued to try until one of the adults put a stop to it. Tom had broken his arm that day. He was never able to hide in a crowd, as his red hair seemed to glow in the sunlight.

Alaster was a slightly taller and larger than most of the other children, but that was the only thing that distinguished him from the other kids visually. His hair was a very plain dark brown and kept fairly short. His face was average, and while Mike could be considered gracefully attractive and Tom a rough kind of attractive. Alaster simply blended in. It was only once you began to know and talk to the boy, that you could realize how wicked smart he was.

He did not know a lot, and was actually fairly mediocre in intelligence, but he was unbelievably crafty. He could use a bit of knowledge he learned when he was four and combine it with something he just learned and understand the connections between them. Alaster still chuckled when he remembered when he mixed sulfur and charcoal and burned off the eyebrows of the Alderman when the man was teaching the children.

One of the other kids yelped as he tripped into a stream. All the other kids ran over, Alaster and his friends as well. The boy was fine, though he was grumpy about being soaked and kept to the sunny spots as he ran off with the rest of the boys, but Alaster ignored them as he bent down and grabbed something out of the stream.

"What is it?" Mike asked, ever curious.

Alaster bent down and washed some of the dirt off in the cool stream. As the dirt washed away, it revealed a small stone that filled the boy's palm. It was pure black with dark purple streaks that swirled around, leaving a small circle of black in the middle. White flecks gave the illusion of a starry night.

"Perfect." Alaster muttered to himself.

"It is pretty." Mike agreed.

"So you are giving her a rock?" Tom said, breaking the mood.

Alaster looked up, questioning if he should splash him or not, before shaking his head.

"Mike, do you think you could teach me how to make a necklace with this?"

"Sure. We just need string. It's too late to cut into it, so we'll have to tie the string around it, making a kind of net." Mark explained.

"Tom, give me the string in your pocket."

"What string?" Tom asked, tilting his head, genuinely confused.

"The one you put in your pocket four days ago."

"Then how do you know I still have it?"

"Because your mom doesn't wash the clothes for another two days, with my mom. And you never clean out your pockets."

Tom reached into his pockets and quietly pulled out a large and crumpled mess of string. Alaster grabbed it and focused on unknotting it, while Tom muttered to himself about Alaster knowing everything.

The day was already getting late when they found the rock, and after unknotting the string and Mike teaching Alaster what to do, the sun was nearing sunset when they finished. It would have taken much less time if Mike had done it, but Alaster wanted to be the one to do it.

The boy held up the necklace to the fading light to admire his work. He had to admit that while the string was old and ugly, the stone was amazing. Had he not been searching for a last minute gift for his sister, he would have claimed the rock for himself.

"Al, we should get going. If our parents find out we were in the forest after sunset, they'll hang us." Tom said, shivering at the memory of the last time he had been out after sunset. That had been a long spanking.

Alaster agreed and put the necklace in his pocket. Together, the trio ran through the forest back to the village. During the day, the Forest was a beautiful and peaceful place, but that could quickly change during the night. For an adult, it typically wasn't too dangerous, but for children, it could prove lethal.

They managed to sneak into the Festival party since everyone wasn't really paying attention. Mike and Tom went off on their own, leaving Alaster to find his sister. It was not very hard. She was surrounded by people.

She had been the only child doing her Decade Crystal that day, and her results almost instantly spread to everyone in the village.

The ten year old girl had long light brown hair that reached the middle of her back. Their mother had braided it, much to the girl's cries and fidgeting. Even as a twelve year old, Alaster knew that his little sister would quickly grow into a beauty that would capture the hearts of many. If her looks did not, her personality certainly would.

She found it very easy to talk to everyone and always made it seem like she was truly interested in the topic, whatever it was. Maybe she even did. Alaster did not know. He struggled to have casual conversations, preferring to listen.

Nonetheless, Alaster snuck his way between the numerous people and reached his sister.

"Al!" Evelyn immediately spotted her brother and jumped at him to hug him.

Alaster laughed as he caught her, "Hey Eve, I got you a present!"

Evelyn let go and eagerly hopped up and down until Alaster pulled out the necklace. Seeing it, she stopped bouncing and her eyes widened. She tenderly grabbed it and studied the stone.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, "Put it on me!" She excitedly ordered her brother.

He chuckled as she turned around to let him put it on. He barely had time to readjust her hair over it before she spun around and hugged him again.

"I love it!"

"I'm glad!"

"Alaster!"

Evelyn let go and stepped back as Alaster turned to face their mother.

"Al, you were supposed to stay in bed today! You barely recovered from your illness."

"Mom, I'm fine. Besides, I had to find a birthday present for Eve." Alaster explained, motioning towards Evelyn's new necklace.

Their mother leaned down to get a better look and let the light from one of the nearby fires catch it, "Wow, that's gorgeous. Alright, young man, I forgive you."

Their mother was the one that gave both children their brown hair. She was a fair woman who even still turned heads, much to their father's annoyance. Their father was one of the guards that protected the distant village from most threats. He mostly dealt with goblins and the occasional packs of Thunder Wolves. He was where Alaster got his size, a good head taller than most of the other men.

"Where is dad?" Alaster asked, looking around for him.

"Oh, he and the rest of the guards were out hunting down a nearby Dew Bear. They have already reported a good hunt and are coming back. But you should focus on Olivia, she had been trying to find the time to get your attention for a while now." Alaster's mother grinned, pointing to the twelve year old girl, nervously gripping her dress.

Alaster briefly looked over, "Do you know what she wants?"

"Yes, but a woman never tells. Now go on and be kind." His mother lightly pushed him forward, her grin widening.

Alaster stumbled a bit before he caught his footing and walked over. Olivia was a shy girl, so it was not surprising to see her on the edges of any gathering.

"Hi Olivia, were you wanting to talk to me?" Alaster asked, waving at her with a calming smile. He knew that she was prone to running away at the slightest scare. She often reminded him of a Deer.

The young girl did not look up from her dress, "Hi, Alaster. Umm, yes, I do want to talk to you."

"About what?"

She hesitated before he shook herself, finding her courage for a moment and looking at the boy in the eyes, "I really like you and was hoping we could spend more time together!"

That caught Alaster so off guard that his mind froze. Olivia's courage fled her and her eyes returned to her dress. They both stood there awkwardly while they both tried to think of something to say.

Alaster rubbed the back of his head, "Uh, sure. I'd like that."

Olivia looked up with a bright smile before her face filled with heat and she fled. Alaster looked at her fleeing form, wondering if he said something wrong, but before he could think about it too much, Tom found him and dragged him away to play with the other kids.

The rest of the night was filled with joy and laughter. Games had been played. Some fights had broken out, but they had all been settled with no hard feelings. Alaster's father and the rest of the guards returned, bringing back their prize, and quickly joined the festivities.

Alaster did not see the rest of his family for the reminder of the night. He was too busy playing and running around with his friends. He stayed out much longer than he normally would have. The boy had seen his parents and sister return to their home to sleep off the night's fun, he had turned around and continued to race around.

Most of the kids eventually found their way behind a house, away from the party that was just beginning to die down. Hidden from the adults, Alaster and the rest of the boys began to have one mass wrestle, trying to prove themselves to be the best. However, some of the adults had pulled everyone apart before a victor had been decided, just as they did every year.

Exhausted and bruised, the Trio started to walk home. They lived next to each other, so they usually did everything together. They lived on the outskirts, fairly distant from the Village center, where the party was taking place.

The boys turned a corner and saw their houses, but something was wrong. It was too dark. Usually, the families would light torches in front of their houses to burn through the night, but none of them were lit.

"Why aren't they lit?" Mike asked.

They stopped, wondering the reason. They were never unlit at night, even if Alaster's father was completely drunk, he would still remember to light it. It was one of the safety measures of the village, one that he had personally implemented.

Alaster opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Tom body slammed both him and Mike to the ground, his hands over their mouths.

"Shhhhhh!" He harshly whispered, before falling quiet himself.

Not a moment later, one of the doors opened, and four men in dark cloaks obscuring their bodies and faces walked out. One of them carried something in his arms. The house was Alaster's. Looking closer, He saw that it was his sister in the man's arms. She was either asleep or knocked unconscious.

Alaster rushed to get up, but Tom was both faster and stronger and kept him down and quiet. Even when Alaster bit deeply into his friend's hand, Tom held strong and kept them all quiet.

The men were quick to tie Evelyn up and put her in a sack, and then, one of them pulled out a scroll. He broke the seal, and all four men and Evelyn were surrounded in a very brief flash of light. When the light vanished, so to had they. They had teleported.

It was only then that Tom relaxed enough for Alaster to break free and rush forward.

"Shit! No Alaster! Don't!" He screamed after his friend as he sprinted to stop his friend. Mike followed, not sure what else to do.

Mike was the fastest among the three, but Alaster had a head start. He made it to his house before his friends could stop him. The door was open, but had swung mostly closed. He stormed in, slamming the door into the wall.

His face paled and his knees buckled. Before he fell, Mike caught him. A moment later, Tom arrived and dragged them back out. They both fell to the ground, and Mike puked.

"Help!" Tom yelled at the top of his lungs at a volume even the adults struggled to replicate.

Immediately, the village adults rushed over, many carrying torches and weapons. Tom only pointed to the open house. One of the Guards moved in, weapon held up, but only a second later, he came back out and puked on the side. He wiped his mouth and steeled himself before going back in to continue to investigate.

Over the next hour, all the guards had blocked off the house of their comrade, not allowing any of the villagers to come close, the exception being the Alderman.

None of this was noticed by Alaster. He still sat in the dirt, mindlessly staring at the ground beneath him. No tears fell. No emotions were felt.

Only one thing ran through his mind, he had only seen it for a moment, but it was burned in his memory. Never to be forgotten.

Blood coated the walls and pooled on the ground. Some even touched the ceiling. More blood than he ever thought possible. But that was not the worst of it. The Guards trained to be accustomed to scenes like that, and even cause it if needed. But it was not the blood that caused them to vacate their stomachs.

It was the two bodies that were in the room. Strung up to the ceiling by chains connected to sharp hooks embedded in their backs, their bodies mutilated and so broken it was impossible to identify them as human. Parts that should have remained in the person were instead on the ground or tied up with the chains.

Alaster's mind broke that night, and continued to break each passing moment that image played before his eyes.