"We are fueled by greed and ambition and yet, paradoxically, we must always seek to hinder or tame that which fuels us. For all good things come at a price, and nothing is more costly than realizing your ambitions. It will cost you your innocence, your illusions, your certainty." -Extract of Bishop Kopp's journal from the Miresam Cathedral.

*******

Azra sat on the dilapidated remains of an old boat, with his legs dangling off the edge and his feet slightly emerged in the cool, clear waters of the lake. His blonde hair swayed in the wind and forced him to put down the book in his hands and redo his hair knot. As his hands performed the seemingly futile task of trying to control the long and wild hair, he spared a glance at his surroundings. His eyes darted over the waters of the massive lake that lay just outside the edge of the small town he came from. He looked towards the distant shore opposite him, and his eyes followed the roots of the mountains that encompassed the lake and its surrounding valley. So vast were the mountains that, even on a clear day like this, he could barely see the peaks of the towering behemoths. 

He finished tying his hair and reached for the book again, examining the torn cover with no title or author name, and running his fingers across the rough leather that barely held the pages together. Azra opened the book and found the passage where he left off.

"… Day 13 of the pale moon. The young master is growing increasingly frustrated at our lack of progress. We have found but a few traces of our prey and it's starting to impact the young master's state of mind. I fear that we cannot continue for much longer before the young master falls back to his old habit of punishing us for poor results. I just hope I can dodge his fury.

Day 19 of the pale moon. Poor little Mary didn't make it. The young master was never satisfied with her cooking, but I still…"

Before Azra could finish the sentence, he was disturbed by the sound of a branch snapping behind him. He looked up from the diary of the scared servant and searched for the source of the disturbance. His eyes quickly found it. A tall figure with short brown hair and ragged clothes, not unlike Azra's, was slowly walking towards the shore of the lake carrying a small bow and a quiver with only three arrows, while looking directly at him. 

"I tracked a small flock of deer heading towards the northern edge of the valley. If we move now, we can cut through the forest and ambush them at the ravine."

Azra continued to look at the tall figure without speaking. Without moving from his spot on the old boat, he replied: 

"Why do you want to expend so much effort to hunt deer, when we can just sit here, relax, and catch a few fish instead?"

The tall figure sighed and looked at Azra with exasperation: "No one has seen or caught anything in the lake for more than three years now."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Azra, "By now the fish have had ample time to reproduce and grow big and plump. Extra juicy and sweet!". He leaned back on the broken remains of the boat's mast and resumed reading his book. He was getting to his favorite part where the servant escaped the clutches of his crazed master, when suddenly, he heard water splashing and felt the old decaying wood of the boat shake and splinter beneath him. He let out a small shriek and tumbled into the cold, shallow waters, struggling to keep the book above the water line. 

"Erec you dumb brute! If you weren't my brother, I would have strangled you a long time ago and used that empty head of yours as a fishbowl!"

Erec, standing next to the now destroyed remains of the fishing boat he had just rammed with his big frame, simply smiled while he looked at his brother wallowing in the water like a dog being unwantedly thrown in a bath.

"Let's go hunt some deer."

*******

After nearly three hours of tracking through the warm but humid forest, Azra's clothes were slowly drying while his mood was cooling. 

<<Maybe it's not so bad to take a short break. I did need to clear my head after all that fishing. Maybe when I get back the water will be all settled, and the fish will use the boat as a new home. Surely that will help me catch more.>>

Erec quickened his steps as he shouted to his brother: "We need to pick up the pace. The ravine is just up ahead, and I want to be in place before the flock gets too close." 

"You know Erec, if we do manage to catch a deer, we really should consider using some of the meat to trade for a fishing pole or two. Ever since you broke the last one, I've been forced to use a simple stick with some string. It has really affected my catch rate, you know"

Erec stopped halfway through a long step and nearly stumpled on the uneven terrain. He slowly turned his head and looked at Azra with wide eyes: "Are you still rambling on about that? IT WAS A SPEAR AND I USED IT TO SAVE YOU FROM A WILD BOAR! Why you insisted on using it as a fishing pole, I will never know!"

Azra looked at his brother and slowly moved his index finger in front of his mouth: "Shhhh. Erec, you will scare away the deer if you keep shouting like that."

Erec looked at his brother, the veins in his head threatening to burst, and barely managed to suppress his urge to tear Azras tongue from his throat. Only a deep, guttural grunt escaped his lips, as he turned his back to Azra and continued his way towards the ravine, his pace significantly faster than before. 

<<Huh… He must be hungry. He usually enjoys it when I tease him>>. Azra was left standing alone in the forest before he too picked up the pace, trying to catch up to his brother.

With their faster pace, it didn't take long before the vegetation started to become scarce, and the soil became more rock based. Soon they reached the forest's edge, and as Azra slipped past the last trees, he found himself gazing out over the ever-breathtaking expanse of Nightfall Ravine—a colossal, jagged scar etched into the plain, stretching beyond sight. It was the kind of place that invited awe but whispered danger, as if holding dark secrets in its gaping, shadowy depths.

Stepping closer to the edge, Azra looked down. The abyss seemed endless, its darkness thick and impenetrable, swallowing everything that dared fall in. He thought back to that first time he'd come here with Erec, when they'd tossed a lit torch over the edge, eager to see if light could find the bottom. But they'd only watched, spellbound, as the torch plummeted and vanished into the inky void. Erec had been disappointed; Azra, thrilled.

He lifted his gaze, following the ragged line of the ravine northward, where it wove its way toward the distant Whispering Mountains, their rugged peaks jutting up into the sky. Turning, he looked south, where the ravine led into the sprawling reaches of the Hollowpeak range. Both ranges stretched onward, maybe for hundreds—thousands—of miles, as far as Azra knew.

Finally, he glanced eastward, toward the distant home he couldn't see but could picture in his mind, nestled between these mountain giants. There, at the convergence of the peaks, lay the place they called Hannibal's Madness, a place as mysterious and ancient as the mountains themselves—the spot where the ranges were said to meet, their dark origins intertwined.

He had even once tricked Erec into joining him on a hike to the Hannibal's Madness mountains, just so Azra could confirm with his own two eyes, that his village was truly cut off from the rest of the world. For there, in-between two unsurmisable mountain ranges and an endless abyss, lay Erec and Azra's nameless little village.

<<We really do exist in our own little pocket of the world, don't we.>>

Nightfall Ravine had earned its name for its one treacherous crossing point. To reach it meant descending deep into the earth, where sunlight barely trickled down and shadows clung to every surface. No matter how bright the day was when you started, it felt like night was falling around you as you made your way across. Luckily, the two would-be hunters, had no need to attempt the crossing today, but could stay near the edge. 

"C'mon, we need to hurry and find a good place to setup." Erec was growing increasingly impatient with Azra. Perhaps his hunger was adding to his impatience. 

<<What a shame>> thought Azra <<He is handy with a fishing pole against a boar, but he has no sense of patience.>>

The two brothers found the sloping pathway that led to the top of small a small vantage point near the edge of the ravine. They crouched down next to a small, leafless bush, setting up an ambush for the, hopefully, approaching flock of deer. With the ravine to their backs, and the open plains in front of them, they had the perfect view to spot anything that moved for many miles. 

"In all seriousness Erec, why do you think someone would cross Nightfall Ravine and choose to build a village on the other side, completely isolated from the outside world?"

Azra and Erec had made a deal a long time ago, that if Azra said: "In all seriousness", then he was not allowed to kid around. The deal was made after a rather uncomfortable misunderstanding between the two brothers and the local blacksmith, that ended in Azra spending two weeks with a face that looked like a rotten plum. 

Azra went on: "I mean why cut yourself off from all kinds of interactions with the outside world?"

Erec looked at Azra with his usual stoic expression and answered flatly: "How many times have we talked about this? Maybe it's because they wanted to avoid interactions with the outside world. Not everyone dreams of adventure and excitement like you do, most people just want to live their lives quietly and peacefully."

"How tedious… At least you and I have dreams and ambitions that exceed this pitiful tranquility!" Azra didn't even look at his brother as he spoke. He didn't need to. He knew that despite Erec's calm and seemingly indifferent demeanor, he too was tired of their living situation, barely surviving and having to beg for food in the winter from the local villagers. 

As the brothers sat in silence, Azra was about to once more go on a tirade about the seemingly idiotic decision to build arguably the most isolated village in the history of the world, when he suddenly heard the faint sound of hooves stamping. From their vantage point the two brothers could easily spot the deer, not too far from them. They were slowly, but surely coming closer, and it looked as if they might even walk by, right underneath the two hungry hunters. 

As Erec nocked an arrow on his bow, Azra readied his body, preparing to play his part in the ambush by leaping unto the flock of deer and preventing their target from running away in case Erec's arrow doesn't strike true and only wounds one of them. However, there was no need for Azra's involvement. Erec pulled back the string on his homemade bow, and released the arrow and the brothers watched as the arrow pierced the deer's heart. A clean kill.

The rest of the flock quickly scattered, leaving the two brothers with their trophy. As they approached the body, Azra felt a raindrop falling on the tip of his nose. As he looked up, he saw that the clouds had entirely enveloped the sky.

Azra sighed and muttered: "Now i won't make it back to the village in time to finish my book."

Erec, already in the process of preparing the deer for the trip back to their hut, looked at his brother: "What are you going on about now?"

"Well, if you occasionally bothered to look up, my dear brother, you'd see that it's going to rain. And rather heavily it looks like."

Finally deeming it appropriate to divert his attention away from the deer, Erec looked into the sky and begrudgingly agreed with Azra: "We should look for a place to stay during the night. Maybe one of the caverns."

"As always, I'm one step ahead of you. Follow me."

Azra strode toward the edge of the ravine, eyes scanning the drop below as he searched for a ledge that might lead into one of the countless caverns carved into the walls of Nightfall Ravine. Before long, he spotted a wide, sturdy-looking ledge, seemingly large enough to support them both, and began to descend, his fingers gripping the cold, wet rock.

A few moments later, he heard a muffled curse behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, catching sight of Erec wrestling the heavy deer carcass onto his shoulders. Azra couldn't help but smirk. His brother had always been quick to grumble, especially when Azra moved on without him. But they had work to do, and he wasn't about to linger, especially with the storm thickening.

The ledges were slick underfoot, and the rain was intensifying, pattering down in sheets that swallowed up Erec's muttered complaints. Azra moved carefully but confidently along the narrow trail, scanning the ravine walls for shelter. The first few caves he saw, though promising at a distance, looked half-flooded as he neared them. He felt a flicker of irritation and decided to climb lower, following the faint outline of a wider ledge he'd spotted below.

As he descended, the sky rumbled with distant thunder, and the air grew thick with the smell of wet earth and stone. Finally, just as frustration threatened to set in, Azra's eyes caught a break in the rock face: an entrance sloping upward rather than down, meaning it would stay dry even with the rain pooling outside. He studied the opening, noting with satisfaction that it was large enough for both of them, even if the cave itself didn't extend far. It was exactly what they needed.

A smile crept onto his face as he congratulated himself on finding shelter. But his self-satisfaction was abruptly cut short by a sharp thud against the topof his head. He turned in surprise, just as a small rock clattered down at his feet. Only then did he notice Erec above him, looking down with exasperation, clearly waiting for Azra to help lower the deer onto the ledge.

Azra couldn't make out his brother's words over the roar of the rain and distant thunder, but he could guess well enough. Shaking his head, he crouched down, reaching out a hand to help haul the heavy load up to the safety of the ledge.

<<Did he really have to spoil such a beautiful moment for me?>> Azra thought to himself.

As Azra stepped into the cave, he couldn't help but notice the astonishment on Erec's face. The cave widened significantly just past the entrance, revealing a depth that exceeded their expectations. Erec rummaged through his homemade backpack, searching for a light source, but all they had were the occasional flickers of lightning outside, casting eerie shadows on the stone walls.

Fortunately, Erec was cautious by nature. He soon produced a small torch, and as he struggled to light it, Azra couldn't resist snatching it from his hands, eager to explore deeper into the cave. Erec muttered a few curses, but Azra just grinned and pressed on.

The cave was indeed deeper than he had imagined. After about a hundred steps, he paused, sensing they had reached a point where they could go no further. Just as Erec was about to suggest they prepare the deer, something caught Azra's eye. He yelped in excitement and dashed to the far right wall, his heart racing. There, etched into the stone, was a strange symbol illuminated by the flickering torchlight. It resembled a human skull encircled by an unfamiliar set of runes. A half-moon shape adorned the skull's forehead, cradling a red gem that seemed to pulse with a mysterious energy.

"What is a symbol like that doing in this random cave in the middle of nowhere?" Erec's voice broke through Azra's reverie, but he was too captivated to respond right away. He could feel his mouth hanging open, eyes practically bulging with awe.

"My dear brother" he finally said, struggling to contain his excitement, "As I have always told you, you really should read more. As the wise men say: reading is the key to all the treasures of the world." He reached for his backpack, but his eyes never left the strange symbol.

"What are you talking about? What wise men? The wisest man you've met is the village elder, and he's barely capable of counting to a hundred!"

"Well, you don't need to be a wise man to recognize a treasure when it's right in front of you." With that, Azra turned his attention back to his backpack, casting furtive glances at the symbol as if fearing it would vanish.

Finally, he found what he was looking for: the diary of the scared servant, a book he had read more times than he cared to admit. Enough times that the mere sight of it, made Erec groan. Azra's fingers flicked rapidly through the pages until they halted near the end. Shoving the book into Erec's hands, Azra exclaimed, "This is why I read, brother."

As Erec grabbed the book and looked down at the pages, Azra felt a surge of triumph. Erec's expression mirrored his own astonishment. At the bottom of the first page, a symbol was drawn— a human skull encircled by an unfamiliar set of runes, with a half-moon shape on the skull's forehead, cradling a red gem.