Adriel awoke in sweat. He couldn't remember his dream, but it had disturbed him. He looked out the window, the sun was barely reaching the horizon.
He got off his bed, dripping from sweat, as he put his shirt back on and opened his door. He noticed Lykos's door was open. He peered into it, and as expected, it was empty.
He walked down towards the dining room, nodding and greeting the several servants politely. He entered and saw Lykos and Dania were already sat down. They both were already showered, ready to start their day.
"Well Adriel you finally woke up." said Lykos staring into his eyes.
Adriel rolled his eyes, "I didn't even sleep because of you two." He said annoyed as he took a seat. Lykos looked at him upset, his eyes stabbing into Adriel like daggers.
Before he could say anything, their mother stumbled in. A maid held her trying to support her with each step she took. She sat down on the chair smiling at her children and Dania.
"It's been so long hasn't it? Since we've all sat down and ate together. It's so nice to have you all for a meal even if it's just one." She smiled at all of them happily, yet there laid a sad undertone to her bright smile.
She knew they'd be gone as soon as they came, and she'd never be sure if she would ever see them again.
The servants came in, serving them their breakfast of cooked fish and bread. They all began to eat; talking amongst each other just like they did when they were younger. By the end they were all full.
Adriel, Lykos, and Dania all went to their respective rooms after eating to get ready for their walk back to the capital. They put back on their tunics and other garments including their mantle with their respective family crest etched on it.
Adriel opened the door to his room once he finished changing. There stood one of the maids from the manor who asked him to follow her. He obliged and followed her to his mother's room where she sat on her bed; a sleek black scabbard resting on her lap.
It didn't take Adriel long to recognize the sword in her hand. It was easily identifiable by the amber gem that sat centered on the blade just above the handle.
The guard was curved and black with the grip wrapped in a dark purple dyed leather.
Adriel walked to the foot of her bed as she looked up at him smiling, "Hey honey I'm sure you figured out what all this is by now," She lifted up the sword to him and Adriel took it, "Do you recognize it?"
"It's dad's sword." He said.
"Good so you remembered," Adriel mother said, looking at her son with gentle loving eyes, "He wanted you to have it once you became a knight. You know what you achieved isn't easy right? You went into the military as a footsoldier to reach the hardest military regiment to enter. Not many people even get close to what you did. We have hundreds of thousands in the military and we only have about two thousand soldiers. How many graduated this year did you pay attention dear?"
Adriel nodded as he pulled out the blade from its scabbard, looking at the beauty of the black and purple steel blade.
He could feel the magic used to create it radiating from the blade; a hint of aura appearing around the blade from the mana the amber gem attracted, "Yeah only about eighty of us passed from the five hundred who started training." Adriel sheathed the blade and held it at his side looking at his mother with a serious look.
His mother giggled, "You look just like your dad. So handsome and strong, he'd be so proud," she looked into his eyes.
She was tired, Adriel knew she wasn't getting any younger as he watched his mother, patiently, as she thought of what to say, "Oh right Adriel I have to ask, do you feel ok? I just… I don't want all this fighting to get to you like it did with your fath-"
Adriel cut her off, upset, raising his voice, "Father didn't kill himself!" Adriel, shocked with his own outburst, took a deep breath trying to relax as his mother looked at him sadly, "I- I'm sorry mom it's just, I don't believe it."
His mother nodded, reaching her hand to touch his, "I understand, maybe it's best not to talk about it. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I just want you to be safe, Adriel. You and Lykos are my greatest treasures. Please, please just stay safe. And maybe visit me every once in a while, it gets lonely here."
Adriel smiled, holding her hand in his, "I promise I will, you know Lykos will keep me in line," his mother giggled and nodded as he continued speaking, "And I'll make sure to help anyone I can mom. Just like dad. Me and Lykos will continue our families legacy and follow in dad's footsteps. I'll save anyone I can. I'll only hurt those who do wrong."
His mother sighed and gave him a hug, "I believe you Adriel. You never lied to me before."
Adriel hugged her back.
He accepted her embrace for a while; knowing he may never feel it again. He promised himself he'd stay true to his word. He would protect everyone he could, including her.
She broke off the hug and said her goodbyes before letting Adriel leave her room.
Adriel saw Lykos and Dania ready waiting for him at the door. He knew today they'd receive their mission from Horv, but they still didn't have their requirement of four in a team. They'd have to find someone soon.
Lykos looked at the sword strapped onto Adriels waist, "Huh, so she finally gave it to you? Never got to see it up close. Looks cool." he said, nodding his head in appreciation.
The three of them left, walking back to the capital. Half the day passed when they finally reached the gate. They entered and immediately went to the castle.
To none of their surprise the courtyard was a mess; with different knights scrambling around trying to find a squad before Horv came onto the wooden podium sat at the center.
Lykos began yelling calling out for a team while Adriel and Dania struggled with the pushing crowd.
Not some time later a man approached Lykos. His hair was a deep shade of purple and his skin was tan.
He had a pretty and attractive face.
It wasn't even a competition to say he most likely was the most handsome man in the courtyard. His chiseled chin, his big strong shoulder, his eyes a sexy deep purple, his arms and chest were big and proportional to the rest of his body, and his legs weren't anything to scoff at either.
He quite simply looked like the chiseled statues of the gods that littered the churches that praised them.
He walked with an odd air of confidence and cockyness. He looked at Dania and winked looking down at her chest and back at her face.
Dania scoffed, noticing what he did and Lykos glared at the odd man as he spoke.
"Ha, well seems like you three are in desperate need of me?" The man said, looking at them with a sly smile.
"Need? You're giving yourself too much credit." Lykos said, his voice stern and serious with a hint of a condescending tone.
The man quickly threw his hands up laughing, "Whoah you big ol' puppy dog! Sorry if I sounded rude my name is," He smirked at them before lifting up his hand putting it up at his face as trying to look as cool as possible, "Lythraz! The name is Lythraz! And I have come here to bless your team with my presence, and possibly get some hot steamy romance going just like all those poems are talking about." He said smiling looking at Dania while wiggling his eyebrows.
Lykos shook his head, "What the hell are you on about man?"
"Oh well I'll have you know, I am the greatest, most coolest, most awesomest man you'll ever meet!" said Lythraz smiling, clapping his hands.
Lythraz walked around them, "I mean look at you guys all weak and feeble. You look like you could use my awesome holder abilities," He looked over at Adriel and smirked, touching his chest, his face inches away from his, "Tell me, what do you desire most?"
Adriel pushed him away, "I desire you to not touch me again without my permission."
"Geez such a rude man you are." said Lythraz.
Lykos rubbed his temple with his hand annoyed, "Look Lythraz just tell us what you can do."
Lythraz eyes lit up, this was the question he was waiting for. He twirled around, then bowed looking up at them, "I am Lythraz Stultus! I can make any of your dreams come true," He produced a small constellation on his hand smiling at them, "I am a dream holder."
Lykos, Adriel, and Dania looked at him oddly. Lykos couldn't believe this man was real. He seemed like such a joke to him. Such an over the top display to just introduce himself.
"You seem useless." Said Lykos bluntly.
Lythraz looked at him in surprise at his reaction to his power, "Wait what? Did you not hear me? Hello? Are those big wolf ears of yours blocked by dirt? I can make any dream come true."
Lykos looked at him skeptically, his eyes narrowing on to him, "If that's so, make me rich."
Lythraz shook his head, "No it doesn't work like that. I mean I can make a dream zone that allows me to manipulate anything I want, but none of it is real."
Adriel piped in, "Sounds pretty useless if none of it is real."
Lythraz's face grew red in embarrassment. He had never been called out so much for his ability. He had always been used to everyone swooning over him, but these three were different.
It was as if they saw through him; seeing the useless man that laid before them.
Lythraz stood up and swung his arm to his side as he exclaimed loudly, "You know what, I don't need you guys, because I'll become the strongest knight ever! Just you wait you stupid idiots! I'll find a different team!"
Lykos, Adriel, and Dania looked at him weirdly, as they saw him huffing and puffing in his anger. The three of them stood awkwardly as they continued to stare at him in the same position.
Lythraz's attention then turned behind him as a group of feminine voices called his name.
"Hey Lythraz come join us cutie." Said one of the girls
"Yeah come on over here." said another.
Lythraz smiled, looking back at the three of them, "Looks like things always work out for the Raz-man! Go fuck yourself assholes." He walked away from them to join the group of girls.
Dania's mouth hung open as Adriel and Lykos eyes were those of confusion. They both couldn't understand the series of events that had just occurred.
It didn't feel real at all. Like it was some sort of staged joke.
"What the hell?" Said Adriel.
"I got no clue." Sighed Lykos.
"What a stupid fucking thing to call himself." Said Dania
The three continued to look for one more to fill their spots. Everyone they asked had already found a team.
At this rate they felt as if they would have to go their separate ways to join other squads who still had space. They continued to look hard, asking anyone they could.
Lykos eventually stumbled upon a man and woman sitting on a bench. They wore the same uniform the rest of the knights wore. It didn't take him long to figure out why they were avoided like a disease once he saw the crest that had been sewed onto their mantles.
Lykos sighed, he knew he had no choice.
He approached the two siblings who looked up at him quietly.
One was a man, the other, a woman. The man's skin was pale with bright blonde hair that fell down to his eyes; his eyes were a bright jade green. His lips were pursed, and he was skinny. He was rather short of stature as Lykos towered over him.
Lykos was surprised that he was even able to make it through training. To him it seemed physically it shouldn't even have been possible, but he knew otherwise to doubt the family they belonged to.
The Mortem family.
A prolific family of higher class nobles known for their cruel methods of killing. They are famous for their works of assassinations and interrogations. They studied a special type of martial arts hidden by the family that is said to be the most lethal. They are able to manipulate their bodies functions to make themselves near undetectable.
They are the king's executioner. They are the closest thing humanity has gotten to being able to capture death by its reigns and control it. Although their work is kept secret, it is rumored that the family is responsible for ninety-five percent of the kingdom's murders.
Then again rumors are rumors and tend to exaggerate the truth, they are only responsible for ninety percent of all murders in the Kingdom of Fringhelm.
Lykos looked at the girl, she was young, around his age of twenty-three. She had long black hair, the tips of which were colored white. Her skin was a light tan tone. Her skin was smooth, absent of any blemishes.
Lykos looked at her up and down, surprised by the contrast of her and her brother. She was athletic. She wasn't as skinny as her brother but more full. He could tell she trained hard to remain as fit as she looked. She looked up at him with her deadpan bright jade green eyes that she shared with her brother and looked directly at him.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice soft yet strong.
"Oh sorry um," Lykos tried to find words trying to debate if asking them was a good idea. He was running thin on options.
He couldn't see Dania or Adriel anywhere nearby for him to consult with, but he desperately needed one or more people to join his squad so it could be valid.
His eyes darted around before looking back at her, he cleared his throat and spoke again, "My name is Lykos Fiducia, and I was wondering if you two had a team."
The woman looked at him surprised, her brother equally as taken aback as she was with his proposition.
They both were expecting to not be asked by anyone due to their family yet here they were, talking to a wolf beastman who offered them a spot on his team.
She shook her head. "No, um- we aren't in a team."
"Would you like to join mine?" asked Lykos.
She turned to her brother. He simply shrugged.
She turned back to him, "Um yeah we would. My name is Zahira Mortem," she placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, "And this here is my twin brother Iaceo."
Lykos looked at the brother, "Iaceo… man that's a hard one to say."
Iaceo rolled his eyes and stood up, "Yeah I know I get that a lot, so tell me is it just us three or do you have more? Also I find it odd that you would talk to us considering what our family is known for. And you're a Fiducia aren't you? Don't remember beastmen in the family bloodline, always just a bunch of hippie bastards trying to play hero. But I'll give them credit they never fail to produce top tier knights."
Lykos glared at him, but kept his calm demeanor, "I don't know about hippies, but yes that's true there is no beastmen in the family bloodline I was adopted."
"Ah I see." Iaceo said, looking at him slightly embarrassed.
"Follow me I'll show you to the rest of the team," said Lykos as he began to walk, "Oh right I never asked, What kind of holders are you?"
"I have the blessing of darkness, I can control and produce physical darkness that can interact with our world." said Zahira; following Lykos.
"And my blessing is toxin, I'm able to produce and secrete toxins from the pores of my skin." said Iaceo; following closely behind his sister.
As they walked Lykos couldn't help but be impressed by their blessings. It wasn't common hearing about a holder with the blessing of darkness or toxin.
He as a beastman could never become a holder or a devourer due to his kind, alongside the elves and dragonkin, being made by other gods.
Not by Beudel or Vileant, who created the human race. He was born with high levels of mana however, a system that the other god implemented into the beastmen, elves, and dragonkin to compete with the humans and their blessing or dévourer abilities.
His magic affinity was fire. Although fire holders existed, it is rumored magic is capable of evolving just like the abilities of holders and dévourers.
Those born without mana from the elves, beastmen, or dragonkin were articants; people who were born with the fragment of the old gods that paradox had destroyed.
Dania was one of those born without mana.
Born with the trace of the chained king of Reltem.
Reltem was one of the many grand cities of the gods. The chained god, being the one who over saw the city and the lower gods who lived within it.
Lykos soon found Adriel and Dania, who were munching down on some odd creature with bulging eyes that had been grilled. They both looked over at Lykos and waved.
"Hey so did you find some other?" asked Adriel, looking behind Lykos to see Zahira and Iaceo.
"Hello," said Zahira looking up at Adriel, she was rather short compared to the rest of them, "My name is Zahira. I'll be your new squad member." she stuck out her hand to Adriel.
Adriel shook her hand and smiled, "My name is Adriel, nice to meet you," He noticed the crest on their mantle, "Dang Mortem family huh? That's neat, I thought you guys were a myth."
She chuckled, giving him a small smirk before her face turned neutral again, "Yeah most people think we are some sort of ghost."
She walked past Adriel to introduce herself to Dania. Dania seemed to be very energetic, hugging and talking Zahira's ear off, but they both seemed to be enjoying their interaction.
Iaceo approached Adriel and stuck out his hand, "I'm Iaceo, Zahira's brother."
Adriel shook his hand, "My name is Adriel." he said smiling.
They talked for a while, but it didn't take long for Horv Hauster to appear and walk over to them. Everyone immediately became quiet. Adriel walked behind everyone trying not to be close to him.
He was weary of this old man. After what he made him do he wanted as little as possible to do with him.
"So I take it, you're all a squad?" asked Horv, staring at all of them, his eyes twitching ever so slightly. He looked over at Adriel and gave him a smile.
Everyone nodded in affirmation to his question. Horv nodded in approval as he began to walk away waving them to follow him.
They all began to walk behind him walking past other teams of knights who all made way for Horv; intimidated by his mere presence.
They kept walking until they reached a small room in the back end of the castle.
Horv opened the door and sat down at his desk gesturing to them to sit; to which they all obliged.
"So then I won't waste your time because what I need to assign you is urgent," Horv said, "So you all will be a team, correct?"
They all nodded
Horv looked at every single one of them for a good amount of time before he spoke again, "Lykos, magic, affinity fire. Is that correct?"
Lykos nodded.
"Dania, articant, the chained king of Reltem." Horv looked at her waiting for confirmation.
Dania nodded
"Adriel, dévourer, blessing consumed, life." Horv didn't wait for Adriels confirmation before he moved on.
"Zahira, Holder, blessing, darkness?" Horv asked.
Zahira nodded.
"Iecao, holder, blessing, toxin?" Horv asked, turning to him.
"My name is actually-" Iaceo was cut off.
"I didn't ask you to correct me about your name, just confirm it!" He yelled violently at Iaceo, his voice straining.
Iaceo just nodded, sitting back on his seat as much as he could to make distance between him and Horv.
"Good now that's all settled I'll get straight to what I need you to do. There is a village down north from the capital. It's called Luvena village. It has recently been overtaken by a mysterious ice from an unknown origin. It's safe to assume it's a high level ice holder, but we haven't received confirmation. We have sent four teams of knights in the span of two months and none of them are yet to come back. We assume it's tied to an unknown group speculated to be trying to take over Fringhelm and dethrone the king. I need you to go and find out what happened to them and find the origin of the ice, and try to figure out the damn bastard behind all these random attacks. We don't have much information, so try figuring it out. Investigate, question, and kill." said Horv looking at them seriously.
They all stood there silently not sure how to respond. Horv's face began to turn bright red as he furrowed his eyebrows, the wrinkles on his forehead squishing together as he yelled.
"Dammit go now! What the fuck are you doing looking at me like that still!" He said
The five of them quickly scrambled out of their seats and left the office. They quickly prepared themselves for the trip.
They didn't expect to leave today, but they all had their equipment ready. Adriel strapped his father's sword to his left side, and a dagger on his right.
Lykos armed himself with a dagger.
Dania had nothing but her fists.
Zahira had a special dagger that had been given to her by her grandfather, the blade was inscribed with the saying ut arguatur in morte anima tua.
Iaceo had nothing but a small needle tied to a steel wire.
They began their walk towards the town of Luvena.
They knew something dangerous was lying there. Something powerful enough to most likely have killed the knights who came to explore the town.
They all tried to look confident, but deep down they were all scared. They were knights now, death was always whispering in their ears. And they will finally realize, there is more in this world than being a knight.
This was merely the first step to learning the truth and history of the planet which they walk. Knighthood was nothing but the gateway to the mysteries of the world. The world abandoned by Paradox.