She crawled out of bed, noticing that someone had already changed her outfit and dressed her wounds. Deep down, she hoped that it was the wife of the village leader. The moment her feet touched the wooden boards of the floor, she felt an unpleasant tingling sensation in them. The first attempt to rise was unsuccessful, resulting in a painful fall. The noise alarmed the men standing behind the door, and they immediately ran into the room.
-Lady... Please do not overexert yourself. You will still hurt yourself.
-Help me up. We must go to—- She leaned her hands to help herself up, and at that moment she noticed something strange, though she did not notice more. More specifically, it was about the wounds inflicted by the nightmares, she was sure that her right hand had numerous wounds from the cuts of their claws. However, these were not there, although the pain of tired muscles remained.
- The local herbalist recommended staying in bed for a few days.
- We must go to Kellan immediately. It is an order.
With the order, the men could no longer object, so they helped their superior to get up, and the village leader's wife helped her get dressed. She also asked her about her new outfit and wounds, but she said that when Kellan brought her in, she was already dressed like that. Red blushes appeared instantly on the girl's face, the fact that he brought her so meant that he had to dress her up in the same way... At least she was sure that he had saved her.
She hurriedly left the hut, where her escort and her faithful steed were already waiting. She jumped on her horse herself, although with difficulty, and set off towards the hut indicated by passers-by. They arrived a few minutes later, but the hut seemed abandoned. The house was dimmed, there were no clothes or signs that someone lived in this hut. Most importantly, Kellan was not there.
- Split up and find the man, but do not try to attract him by force. You do not stand a chance against him.
All of them at once moved in the direction of the enemy, to the surrounding roads leading away from the village in search of the man. Anabell rested her hand on the door frame, and her gaze drifted to the mill, whose wings slowly turned in the wind.
- It is time, I must leave the village, Wilfred. I regret that I did not have the opportunity to stay here until
All of them at once moved in the direction of the enemy, to the surrounding roads leading away from the village in search of the man. Anabell rested her hand on the door frame, and her gaze drifted to the mill, whose wings slowly turned in the wind.
- You must go, huh - Wilfred asked, his tone calm, as if he had expected this decision.
-Yes. I must if I want to continue living the way I have been doing so far.
- I heard what happened in the sawmill. I knew you could not stand by when others needed help.
Kellan smiled, but he could see the sadness in his eyes.
-This is not my fight anymore, there are other powerful people. It is on them that the fate of this world rests.
Wilfred stepped closer, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder.
- You know it is not true. Man's greatest enemy is not monsters, wild beasts, demons, or ghosts. It is another person. You say that your fight is over, but are you sure?
-I... I do not know...
-You have found out that there are people for whom it is worth sacrificing, I would like you not to look at everyone outside the village through the prism of the evil you have witnessed.
-I promise I will try, but I must get going.
-And do not forget that you always have your place here, - Wilfred said, sadness in his voice.
From behind the younger of the men came the clatter of black hooves. He knew who had come and why, interfering in the forest yesterday he was aware that this is how it would turn out. The older man also knew what was happening, patted the boy on the shoulder in a friendly way and then entered the mill.
Kellen picked up his backpack from the ground, slung it over his back, then turned around. He saw Anabell struggling to get off her horse.
-You should be lying, you were badly battered after yesterday's fight. – you could hear real concern in the man's voice.
- Thanks to you, it is much better than it should be.
-I have not done anything extraordinary that would deserve praise. I took you unconscious and ran away and carried you to the village leader.
The blonde-haired woman looked at her arm, which had been torn only yesterday. -I know it was you yesterday. I may not have seen you clearly, but it was you.
-Mhm. I must go now, I am in a hurry. He took a few steps towards the woman, only to pass her after a while.
-Who are you? Without pretending to be a simple peasant, really.
- Nobody important and it would be best if you forgot about this incident. Everyone in the village heard that you yourself defeated the phantoms, and you also became their hero.
Anabell was silent for a moment, pondering Kellan's words. His words about being -nobody important- aroused conflicting emotions in her heart. She knew he was more than just a peasant, but at the same time she did not have the strength to argue with him.
-Stop, you must help me. - The situation like the one from last night is not the only one. Nightmares will not appear on their own, someone summoned them there. Not only in Eden, but also in other villages, but on a larger scale.
-What do you mean? Kellan stopped and looked at her over his shoulder
- Recently, more and more such monsters have appeared in the area. People talk about mysterious phenomena that plague the villages. Lately, not only bandits are a problem, but something much worse. If you agree to help, I can explain it to you in more detail.
-You were more suspicious of the villagers before, how can you be sure you can trust me? -
- You knew what was going to happen, that we had no chance against these nightmares, and yet you came. As if you were our enemy, you could continue pretending.
Kellan hesitated for a moment, his mind revolving around disturbing thoughts. He clearly felt where this power came from, he sensed the evil that he had once had to overcome himself. Something in it said that people began to dabble in magic they did not understand, playing with forces that could bring disaster. His memories, full of struggle and death, came alive in his memory.
- In that case, let us go back to the village. He replied, and a smile appeared on the woman's face.
Soon they stood in front of the village leader's hut, whose wooden walls were torn out by the passage of time. Kellan, pausing at the door for a moment, exchanged a meaningful look with Anabell. They entered the room together where they had been talking not so long ago.
-Well... And now what do you know about this strange aura above the sawmill. -This time it was the man who started the conversation.
- The first reports of similar situations began to come to us less than a year ago. People talked about similar phenomena. Most often it was a purple fog appearing out of nowhere or, as now, a strange glow hovering over the forest. Our intelligence reports that it must be the work of the empire, but we cannot reveal it. The emperor would certainly have denied everything and considered it an attack on his country, which would have led to war.
-If you say it is their doing, then surely war is in the air. It was only a matter of time before the Empire made a move.
-I know that everyone at court knows about it. War is inevitable, but if we could figure out where this strange power came from and how to destroy it. The empire would lose its ace up its sleeve, and it would be possible to postpone the conflict until later years. Then diplomacy will work wonders and avoid it.
-What have your wizards found out about these incidents? - - I wonder how close they are to discovering the truth.
-Well, they bet that this is some form of forbidden black magic, even necromancy. However, many years ago, the Mages Guild had all books on forbidden magic destroyed so that no young wizard would think of playing with things they knew nothing about.
- I understand, there is a certain logic in it. Let me ask you, do you know the legend of the Hero and Lord of Shadows?
- The one told by village bards. Of course! Anabell coughed, in preparation for the story.
A long, long time ago, in a time that the oldest of people no longer remember. In our world there have been rifts to other worlds from which he came. The Shadow Lord, a creature with a heart as cold as the emptiness of space, who longed to hide the world in impenetrable darkness.
The kingdoms of men began to fall one by one, and the warriors who tried to confront it were lost like sparks in the darkness. However, in this dark hour, a Hero was born, a man untainted by fear, with a pure and courageous heart. It was said that he appeared out of nowhere, as if fate itself had brought him down to earth to illuminate the darkness. He was armed with a sword that shone brighter than the purest stars in the sky, and his skills in combat were second to none. The Hero's journey was full of trials and dangers. He traveled through desolate lands, fighting monsters and beasts that guarded the way to the Lord of Shadows. Finally, he stood on the threshold of the kingdom of shadows. The Shadow Lord greeted him with a sneer, sneering that the Hero's light would not survive in his domain. However, the Hero, fearless, challenged him. The fight that ensued was epic, their clash shook the earth and the sky darkened, as if nature itself held its breath. The hero used all his power to destroy the Lord of Shadows forever. He delivered a last, terrifying blow that shattered the heart of darkness, and light flooded the kingdom of shadows. After this extraordinary fight, the Hero left. It is said that to this day, his spirit watches over the land, ready to return if necessary. Though he was no longer seen, the songs and tales of him survived, and his name became legend, the tale of a Hero who forever bound his soul to the shadow to save the world.
- This is how I remember it, although it is still only a legend and I do not know what it has to do with our situation. – added the girl when she finished her story.
Kellan fell silent, his gaze wandering far away.
-A long time ago... - crossed his mind, and the memories began to blur into images that he had always wanted to get out. Hundreds of years ago, they had considered him a Hero defender of the kingdom, a man whose one look was enough to awaken courage in the hearts of others. But no one knew that behind every triumph they celebrated was a loss that gradually took away his soul. The Shadow Lord remembered him as an ominous echo that never went away. He was not only powerful; His presence stretched like a dark shadow across the continent, enveloping everything and everyone who stood in his way. It was not an opponent who could be defeated in a simple clash. The Shadow Lord did not fight honestly, preferring to sow fear, to use people as tools, to send demons into the hearts of those Kellan was trying to save. Kellan remembered that night when he understood that victory meant more than defeating the enemy. - How many times have I watched those whom I was supposed to protect pass away. - It was a burden that no one would want to carry. His team, his loved ones, anyone who believed in a world he stopped dreaming of was fading as the Shadow Lord took another step toward his dominance.
-People love stories about heroes, not knowing that behind every story there is an invisible price, - he thought, feeling the pain of those days envelop his heart again. Kelan's gaze rested for a moment on Anabell, who listened intently to his silence.
-There is a grain of truth in every legend, what if I told you that the Lord of Shadows really existed? - That his power has not left this world completely?
-You mean all these ghosts are the remains of him? - It is impossible, it is just a legend.
- You saw what happened in the sawmill yourself. Kellan recalled those not-so-good memories where Anabell had almost lost her life.
-Yes... I just realized that I forgot to thank you. Also... Thanks... for the rescue...- The girl visibly blushed on her face.
- You do not have to say thank you. If necessary, I would do it again without hesitation.
The red blushes became almost maroon when the girl bent her head, covering herself with her fair hair.
-I allowed myself to let my guard down, pull yourself together, Anabell, it is not appropriate for a noblewoman to blush like that. - do you think the Empire can use the last of the Shadow Lord's power to conduct attacks?
- It is very possible, considering what we have seen.
- In this case, I know a person who could help us. He is crazy about legends, prophecies, and other fairy tales. She is quite a talented sorceress; I think she will help us.
- Then we have our first destination. We will set off at dawn.
Anabell nodded, her eyes fixed on Kellan full of hope, of avoiding a sad future.