The sun bathed the Village Of Rhöem in a warm golden hue, casting long shadows over the fields where the children could play and laugh and the adults could get along with their farm work.
It was a small and humble village, away from the rest of the world. Brëhein, the name of this world, was a vast and unpredictable world with many different cultures, seemingly from different time periods. However, Rhöem was remote from the rest of Brëhein, but soon, that would be the opposite.
"Conrad!! Father wants you to deliver a package for the village elders after we eat!" said Vaela, picking up Conrad from the floor.
"What's in the package? And why do I have to do it? Anyways what's for dinner?" said Conrad.
"Ugh too many questions just come home and eat," said Vaela, angrily.
Conrad was a scruffy little fellow, aged 12, he had dark messy hair he wore green camouflage pants and a black and gold coat. His sister Vaela was 10, short but full of imagination and making nothing into something beautiful. She wore a flowery green jumpsuit and was wearing a flower braided into a crown on her head.
Conrad and Vaela sprinted back home as the sun was setting. They came home to chicken and broccoli soup and Conrad was being picky as usual.
"But I don't like broccoli please let me just have the chicken soup," Conrad pleaded.
"No means no you have to finish your bowl so you can be strong enough to carry the package to the elders," said Conrad's mother, called Selene.
"Son, make sure by any circumstance that you don't look in the package," said Conrad's father, called Berian.
"Yeah Dad I wasn't going to anyways."
As Conrad got up and quickly ran out the door, he left some broccoli and took off with the package. As the sun set and the sky bled into shades of crimson, the air grew heavier. In a quiet, candlelit room, the village elders sat in a hushed conversation.
"Should we reveal it to everyone?" whispered one of the elders.
"No, it is too early, we cannot let the children know, let them have their peace while they still can."
"The war is moving," one of them muttered, his voice grim. "The Guild of Jikres marches further north. It's only a matter of time."
Conrad got to the village elders and quickly passed on the package, he wanted to avoid conversation as he was scared of them.
"Ahh Conrad is that you, thank you for the package, send thanks to your father," one of the elders said, trying to be as calm as possible.
Conrad dashed back home, he knew they were talking about something serious, the elders' faces turned from cold to warm and were exchanging looks. He tried to ignore it, but they were clearly hiding something.
"The War of the Iron Fist will reach us, sooner or later, and when it does, we will be doomed, for now let us open the package from Berian, the documents and weapons we need are in there, the adults will soon all have to be ready for war," the main village elder said, with a dark and cold look on his face, seemingly tired and fed up with everything.