Caldur only heard the rushing wind blowing past his ears. He looked around unable to see everything was dark and no matter how hard he tired he couldn't move like his body didn't respond to his will. Suddenly everything was bright the sun raising in the distance and raising fast till it was almost mid-day then he saw it, something shining in the distance. He tried to walk and for the first time since he opened his eyes here his feet moved.
Caldur was carful as he went the terrain was a rocky mountain, Caldur looked over the edge unable to see the bottom caldur swallowed hard he was only ten and now he's suddenly traversing a mountain. Caldur signed all he couldn't do was push on, as he got closer he could start to make out a figure of someone standing on the edge of a cliff.
As caldur got even closer he could see there a man in full armor the armor was a unusual color like teal his fauld and cape a royal purple the same color as the heraldry of his kingdom of Farisel. A gold chain hanging infront of his fauld the insignia in the middle was the same as his kingdom as well a shield with a open hand shaped like a crescent moon on one side summoning lighting and one in the other side gripped tightly around a sword both the lighting and sword cross over the shield in the center.
Then he noticed the sword even at a glance he could tell it's a great sword the length was taller then the man himself. Caldur studied the sword the hilt and guard the same teal color wrapped around the hilt was royal purple cloth with a tassle with the same color swaying at the end. The blade also teal like everything was made of this same material if it wasn't for the engravings and different depths it would be hard to tell where one part started and another ended.
All of a sudden the man turned gripping this massive greatsword the tip scrapping the rocky surface of the ground. He rested it beside him, Caldur tried to look at his face but it was shadowed by the helmet and covered with purple cloth atleast up to his nose. Now he could see there chainmail under the plate armor it was a light gray color and covered he weak spots in the armor.
Caldur tried to get closer to the man again but he couldn't move again he couldn't will his legs to move he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. The man gripped his massive sword and muttered something Cladur couldn't hear and the blade of the greatsword turned a cyan color and what looked like frost creeped acrossed and off the edges of the blade. He lifted the blade into the air with a single hand, Cladur was baffled impossible with that huge sword its shouldn't possible to lift with one hand. The blade came crashing towards Caldur he shut his eyes and braced himself he waited and waited and still felt nothing.
Caldur opened his eyes to a familiar darkness he looked around then felt like he was being shaken harder and harder, Caldurs eyes sprang open he looked around seeing the walls of his family cabin.
"By the gods Caldur its nearly noon do you plan to sleep all day even with dad and mom gone we still have chores... come on get up."
Caldur looked at his brother and blinked a few times, shaking his head with a chuckle to clear his thoughts.
"Zelren... you're extra annoying today... ugh I don't want to do our chores."
Zelren smacked caldur upside the head, "we have to Caldur. If mom and dad come back and we've been slacking, they'll kick both our asses."
Caldur signed and stood up.
"Your right we need to make sure everything is ready for them, hopfully this war doesn't last too long."
Zelren nodded and left Caldurs room, Caldur got dressed and laced his boots and walked out of the room he went too the kitchen where food was waiting and Zelren was already eating.
"You cooked?"
Zelren gave a half smile and swallowed his food.
"Yes, yes I did and im proud of it im sixteen so mom thought I should learn some basic cooking"
Caldur chuckled and sat down to eat he couldn't help but think of his parents in that moment his mother was a mage on the magic council of Farisel and his father a knight of Farisel under the direct command of the leading General.
"Hey Caldur your staring off whats wrong."
Caldur snaps back to reality.
"Ah just thinking of mom and dad."
Zelren stands up and walks over to Caldur and sets a hand on his shoulder.
"They'll be fine Caldur they're strong you know that."
Caldur nodded.
"Well finish eating then and follow me out im on wood duty so you tend to the chickens."
Caldur watched Zelren walk out of the house grabbing the axe by the door. Caldur ate fast and followed after him, They both tended to there chores cutting wood tending chickens cleaning the house doing the a laudry and setting it out to dry. At the end it was mid evening Caldur was sitting by Zelren in wooden chairs.
"This is boring Zelren can't we do something. "
Zelren laughed and stood up.
"Oh Caldur i forget your young and full of adventure."
Caldur raised his eyebrow.
"Zelren your only six years older then me."
Zelren rolled his eyes.
"Yes and that's six years of dad's discipline and moms knowledge, you know what mom says take the time to enjoy the peace in life "
Caldur signed and also stood up.
"Yes I've heard that hundreds of times, but i still want to go and explore the forests run through the rivers climb the mountains."
Zelren shook his head and laughed.
"Of course you do and so we will, let's go to the forest then shall we."
Caldur jumped with joy.
"I'll get the rope."
Zelren watched caldur disappear into the house.
"a...rope? Huh ok then."
Caldur came running back out with a bundle of rope.
"So uh Caldur... why the rope."
Caldur gave Zelren a look like he was stupid.
"Well we won't know what we'll find out there or if we need to climb, rope can be very versatile"
Caldur nodded his head and smiled like he just dropped the best knowledge ever.
"We'll your not wrong but I don't think we'll need it today, Lets just take a quick hike through the Forest to the old cave"
Caldur glared and dropped the rope.
"Fine... I'll race you"
Caldur took off in a full sprint.
"Why you little..."
Zelren ran after him at his full speed slowly gaining ground on him, Caldur ran as fast as his legs could carry him his lungs already burning a sensation he slowly has gotten used to with all of dad's morning drills. He dodged and weaved through the trees and branches the occasional nick or thwack of a branch that he didn't quite miss.
He could hear Zelren behind him he was close no getting closer Cladur tried to go faster he didn't want to lose, it was in vain and Zelren was now running beside him breathing heavy but smiling he glanced at Caldur. Caldur knew he could over take him right now Zelren was just toying with him till they reached the cave then he would pull ahead and win.
*Boom!*
Caldur and Zelren both looked to the sky all they saw was a huge ball of fire heading right for them.
"Move Cal!"
Zelren jumped across at Caldur tackling him sending them both rolling out of the way as the ball of fire crashed where they just were dirt, rocks and wood spliters flew through the air, Zelren stayed crouched over Caldur shielding him with himself. He could feel the dirt hit him the sting as the rocks pelted him the burn as wood splinters struck his skin some even breaking through and lodging them selfs in, only one thought went through his mind I must protect Caldur.
As everything went quiet Zelren stood with Caldur they both looked around a meteorite sat a few feet away, a trench in the dirt from where it collided with the soil to where it now rests. Zelren quickly turned to Caldur.
"
Cal look at me are you alright are you hurt."
Caldur was dazed in shock all he could do was stare at the spot there were standing jist a few moments ago.
"Caldur please answer me are you ok."
As Zelren moved infront of his vision Caldur pulled himself together.
"I-I'm ok just shaken... wait Zel what about you!"
Caldur looked his brother up and down examining him he had blood dripping from out of his hair line and down his arms and legs and pieces of wood sticking out or varies places bruises had already started to form from where the rocks hit him. Zelren could see the worry and panic in his brothers eyes and did the only thing he could, laugh and act tough be the older brother and bear through the pain put his mind at ease.
"Ha ha, don't worry cal im tough I'll be ok though I might need you to pick out a couple dozen splinters."
Caldurs face softened and he nodded.
"Of course I'll help you."
Zelren ruffled Caldurs hair.
"Good shall we go investigate our space rock shall we."
They both stood up and walked towards the meteorite, The stone was cracking and crumbling off and underneath Caldur could see a faint glow of teal light. Zelren got closer and took a hunting knife off his belt and used the bottom of the hilt to hit it causing more stone to fall away and reveal the beautiful teal material.
"No way..."
Caldur looked at his brother with confusion then too the rock with even more its the same material that knights armor and sword was made of.
"What is it Zelren."
Cladur saw the biggest smirk he's ever seen cross his brothers face.
"This...this is star metal Caldur the lightest and strongest metal ever! It can even amplify and resist magic its the rarest metal ever recorded!"
Caldur looked at Zelren confused.
"I though lithium.. lighttem.. whatever it's called was the lightest and strongest metal?"
Zelren laughed at his brothers struggles.
"Its Lighthieum or litethum for the shorter version and yes it's the lightest and strongest metal on earth only used by the top knights of the kings army. However star metal isn't from earth you'll learn that when you start school tomorrow, now let's move this thing"
Caldur looked at him mouth agap.
"How are we gonna move it it could easily be seventy or more pounds given it's size."
Zelren shook his head.
"Were you even paying attention I told you it's extremely light it will be like lifting parchment see watch."
Zelren went over to the rock and broke off the remaining stone watching it crumple around it, he then took a hand and lifted the rock it went effortlessly tipping up into the sky.
"See i told you now help me get it onto my back, and since we don't have rope you'll have to hold it up with me."
Caldur went to help him, picking it up and helping get it onto his back.
"I told you we should have brought rope with us."
Zelren signed.
" yeah yeah let's just get it too the cave."
Caldur nodded and pressed the star metal too Zelrens back, they made there way through the woods till they came across a huge cliff face. Caldur looked up at the tall mountains there home has always been on the edge of the boarder of the Farisel kingdom and the empire of Coridium almost completely seprated by tall and treacherous mountain ranges, in the middle of the mountain ranges the is the only way into and from the empire and kingdom called the split its a Fifty mile wide valley in between the mountains at one point it was very green full of flowers and trees but that was centuries ago now it's scorched covered in blood bodys and ash from countless wars between the Farisel kingdom and the Coridium empire.
Zelren dropped the star metal and Caldur watched as he approched the cliff wall covered in ever dangling vines, he swiped his arms through the vines walking forward and disappearing into them, a few minutes later he comes back out.
"Okay there all loose we can walk right through now"
Caldur helped Zelren pick up the star metal and walk it through the vines they walked for about 30 feet before breaking though the vines into a hidden cave, the cave walls were also lined in vines at the top of in the center of the cave was a hole that Caldur assumed went to the top of one of the mountains, It let in plenty of light atleast enough to sustain the vines and a small tree that was growing in the batch of soil right under the hole.
"Lets hide it in the passage."
Caldur and Zelren move to the other side of the cave. Where once again Zelren drops the star metal and disappears into the vines and coming out moments later, Zelren used his head to gesture for them to go through, Caldur again helped his brother pick up the star metal and hold it on his back. They went through another five feet of vines before coming out in the passage it was a strait passage about ten feet wide and seven feet tall, it went on for about twenty-five or so feet before ending with a cave in.
"Okay drop it here, we can leave it here till we are ready to use it. Let's head home if we hurry we can get there before sunset"
Caldur didn't even get a chance to respond before Zelren ran by him right out of the passage he had no choice but to follow, The boys ran as fast as they could home to beat the setting sun. Zelran was the first to break the tree line he looked over to their home and stopped in his tracks.
Standing there by the house was a man that Zelren recognized as the prince, prince Elryan he was wearing his offical military uniform its royal purple color shadowed by the setting sun the golden accents glistening in the light. The fact he was wearing it meant he had deployed to help fight in the war. For him to be here could only mean one thing, Zelren heard Caldur come out of the forest behind him.
"Huh Zelren who is that up by our house there... is that Elryan."
Zelren turned to Caldur and place a hand on each of his shoulders and stared him in the eyes.
"Cal... listen to me very carefully he's not here for a social call like normal he's here as an offical... h-he probably doesn't have good news s-so brace your self be brave."
Zelren stood and took Caldurs hand and took slow strides toward Elryan, when Elryan spotted them approaching he signed and stood tall arms too his sides head held high and waited for them to speak first for he couldn't, he couldn't even look these poor children in the eye the children of his best friends that he had let down that will have there whole lives forever changed becuase he wasn't strong enough. Zelren now stood directly infornt of him Caldur slightly behind.
"Prince Elryan."
Zelren took both his hand and interlocked them putting them to his forehead his head bowing the custom royal greeting for Farisel.
"I prince Elryan Vorselt, son of king Mortel Vorselt, best friend and witness to..to the deaths of... Vector Falten a-and Serela Falten - Meltine....And I as the current prince and your future king I promise to avenge there deaths"
Elryan walked away not giving them another glance he couldn't he couldn't look them in the eye he couldn't see them cry or he would also break down. As royalty he couldn't allow it all he could do was return to the field of battle and make good on his promise.
"Caldur.. go inside please."
Zelren couldn't look at his brother he wouldn't let him see his tears, Caldur walked towards the house tears streaming down his cheeks he couldn't believe it mom and dad are gone. Caldur turned and looked out the window, he saw zelren his fist clenched looking towards the sky his tears running down. Caldur saw him speaking then drop to his knees, Caldur didn't want to witness his brothers weakest moment and left he entered his room and stared at the ceiling.
"Mom...dad is promise I'll get stronger i'll make you proud"