A Prelude To Destruction - Chapter 3Chapter 3: Just ordinary people The Village of Newfound Hope appeared more vibrant than before as Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica were able to look around at their own pace. It was a thriving little settlement and the way people were speaking and helping each other out gave the impression that the villagers were helpful folks that appreciated honest work. Everyone seemed to get along well, but seeing this made the trio feel a little wistful; the sense of belonging somewhere must feel nice, something they weren't familiar with. Though they didn't let this dishearten them too much and who knows, maybe they could become part of the community here as well. As the trio wandered around, they noticed how many flowers there were. Quite a lot of rose bushes were around, along with other patches of flowers, but the most remarkable part was that some were blooming on the walls of the houses and even on chicken coops. Lots of vines had taken a gentle grasp of the walls of buildings, the flowers attached to them and giving a colorful look. It was quite magical, seeming like somebody here really liked flowers as they had decorated so many places in the village with them. This was just one of the many marvels the world around the trio had to offer. After walking around the village for a while, at some point a beautiful melody travelled to the ears of the trio. They got curious about it, sharing knowing looks between each other, and began to follow the music. It led them to a small square where a wonderful piece of art was standing: a fountain with three sculptured horses standing on their hind legs, their backs against each other, and water was flowing in the middle of them. At the edge of the fountain sat a peculiar figure playing an instrument that resembled a lute. They were a swallow about the size of a human man, dressed in simple red tunic and brown short trousers. They appeared to be immersed in their own little world as they played the music, not really noticing the three creatures they had lured with their melody. Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica had never heard music before, so they were rather mesmerized by the melodies the swallow was playing. They were a quiet but devoted crowd, carefully listening to every little note. The music was beautiful, but also sounded somber, perhaps reflecting the inner world of the swallow. After playing their music for a while, the swallow then stopped. The trio applauded them and that was when the bird looked at them for the first time. “You're certainly a strange lot”, the swallow said, speaking with the voice of a young man. His dark eyes wandered around all the members of the trio. “A raven, a cat and a qilin. Can't say I have ever seen folks like you.” He then glanced back at the raven. “Except maybe you. You almost look like a child of my kin. But we don't have horns.” “Well, we have gained quite a lot of looks from the villagers here”, Raiica stated and shrugged. “So our appearance seems to be out of ordinary.” “Where are you from?” the swallow asked and there was a glimmer of curiosity in his dark eyes. The three creatures shared awkward looks between each other. “We don't know”, Kelith responded. “We have no memories, no idea who we are. Ihtiriekko just found us from the forest and brought us here.” “Is that so?” The swallow tilted his head slightly. “Ihtiriekko tends to visit the Forest of Cursed Cries, seeking for herbs that only grow there. No one else dares to enter because it's full of soul-devourers and all around just cursed. It has changed even Ihtiriekko. I don't understand what you were doing in the forest.” “We don't know, either”, Raiica said, shaking her head. “We just… woke up in there, having no clue how we ended up in that place.” “I have to say, you were incredibly lucky that Ihtiriekko found you as soon as she did”, the swallow declared. “You could have lost your lives and what's worse, your souls.” “Just how bad is that forest?” Mengkai suddenly opened his mouth. “We heard these eerie howls while traversing through and even encountered a terrifying purple creature, but other than that, we don't know anything except people calling it cursed.” “Well, I'm not the most knowledgeable person in this subject, but I can tell you the basics.” The swallow leisurely plucked the strings of his instrument. “Like one would expect, it hasn't always been cursed. That ground is a victim of an unfortunate series of events. Back in the day, a lot of newborn bastard children were abandoned in the forest because it was believed that a devil had impregnated many women who traveled here in search of a better life. The cries of these children that never got a chance in life still haunt the forest and it's their resentment and despair that has cursed the place. Then came the soul-devourers. Their origin is unknown to me, but they were lured into the forest as an attempt to seal them inside, so technically, the world would be safe from them. It was said that the God of Wind himself was the one who lured them there. After this, holy statues depicting the Mother Goddess were erected on the borders of the forest, their holy magic keeping the soul-devourers inside.” The swallow took a deep breath. “That's pretty much it.” “Oh… Poor children”, Kelith said quietly. Abandoned in the forest, never getting a chance to be loved and experiencing life was bad enough, but in addition, never getting peace on one's soul and being hunted by creatures that feed on souls was a horrible fate. The three creatures shared looks again, perhaps the same thought had appeared in their minds. Were they purposely abandoned as well, left to be devoured by vicious beasts? But who would do such a thing? After hearing the story of the cursed forest, all three appreciated Ihtiriekko's deed even more now. They would offer their deepest gratitude once they would see her again. “What can you do, bad things tend to happen even to those who definitely don't deserve them”, the swallow spoke. “The world can be an unfair place at times, but there's good things, too. We just have to remember them.” He raised his head and looked up at the blue sky. For a moment it looked like he had left his body, dwelling in some other plane of existence completely, somewhere where he was happy as a faint smile appeared on his face. But his memories were bittersweet since a sorrowful expression then took over and he shook his head slightly. “Do you three happen to have names?” the swallow asked abruptly. All three nodded, being sort of glad that they could actually answer this question. “Raiica.” “Kelith.” “Mengkai.” The swallow nodded to each one as they stated their names. “Pleasure to meet you. My name is Iirenz.” He then plucked the strings of his instrument again. “Say, how do you like the Village of Newfound Hope?” “It seems pretty peaceful and people look like they appreciate each other”, Raiica answered, gaining affirmative nods from the other two. “You're right about that”, Iirenz said. “We are a small community that generally gets along well. All of us have done crimes, but since this applies to all of us, technically we can better understand each other. At the end of the day, we're just ordinary people who have done bad deeds, that's all. What we have done doesn't define us.” Iirenz looked down and played a few somber notes with his instrument. Something had darkened his mood again, perhaps his past was still haunting him. Then he stopped playing and looked at the trio again. “Would you like to help me with something? Don't worry, it's nothing difficult.” This was unexpected and the three creatures exchanged looks again. But as usual, they were on the same wavelength and nodded to each other. “Sure”, said Kelith. “Great, follow me then”, Iirenz said as he stood up. He threw his instrument on his back with a strap that was attached to it and he began to show the way. Together with the three creatures they made their way through the village, heading to a western part of the settlement. The group appeared a little funny to bystanders, with the tall human-sized swallow leading them and three creatures that were only half of his height eagerly following behind like children that had promised candy. “What are we going to do?” Raiica curiously asked as they traversed through the village. “We are giving a helping hand to Nadaer, a lady that uses a small patch of land for growing things like carrots and potatoes”, Iirenz replied. “I promised to help her harvest them. She will then make soup and serve it to anyone who wants to have some.” “She sounds nice”, Raiica said. “I mean, offering food while expecting nothing in return? That sounds nice.” “Well…” Iirenz went silent for a second. “She can appear intimidating, but her heart is in the right place. Don't say I didn't warn you.” The group got closer to a small house that was one of the outermost buildings in this side of the village. It had been decorated with vines and flowers just like all the other buildings in the settlement. As the group was approaching, the door opened with a slight creak and a woman came out and watched them getting closer. Even at this first sight, the three creatures could tell what Iirenz meant when he had described Nadaer as intimidating. She was looking at them with piercing steel grey eyes and her posture as she leaned against a doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest was a sign that she would tolerate no nonsense. Another daunting detail was the few scars she had on the left side of her face. On her head she was wearing a black bandana that kept her curly ginger hair away from her face. She was wearing white shirt that however didn't cover her arms and exposed her belly. She also wore brown, baggy and worn pants. The three creatures didn't know what they had expected, but not this tough-looking young woman. “You got some new friends, huh, Iiz?” Nadaer stated as the group approached her. “Who are these twerps?” “These are Raiica, Mengkai and Kelith”, Iirenz responded. “They will help us.” “Really?” Nadaer said in a doubtful way as she leered at the three creatures. “Well, if you say so. Just don't let them get in the way.” She then disappeared inside her house, leaving behind Iirenz and the trio who were left a bit confused from this short conversation. “Don't take it personally”, Iirenz told the three creatures. “She's like that with everyone. You'll get used to it. Come, this way.” The swallow then began to guide the trio around the house and toward the backyard. There were a few small patches of land where potatoes and carrots were growing and some of them appeared to be ready for harvesting. Before the group got to work, Nadaer made a sudden appearance again and joined them on her field. She was carrying two wooden buckets. “So, if you twerps want to be helpful, take care of the carrots over there”, she said and pointed at one of the patches. “I'll handle the potatoes with Iirenz.” “Understood”, Raiica answered on behalf of all three. “Take one of the buckets and put all the carrots in there”, Nadaer instructed them. “Now, get to work!” Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica hurried to the carrot patch, Raiica carrying the bucket assigned to them. They began to pluck the vegetables from the ground. They had never done any sort of work before, at least they assumed they hadn't, so even this simple task felt new and exciting. They got a little dirtied with soil, but they were happy to help nonetheless, and together the trio managed to pick up all the carrots from the small patch. Since they had succeeded in that in a relatively short amount of time, they then moved over to help Iirenz and Nadaer. It was around afternoon when they were done with harvesting. Two buckets filled with potatoes and carrots, now that was a sight Nadaer was satisfied with. “Great, now we can make soup”, Nadaer stated. “Though I don't have all the ingredients in hand. Hey, Iiz, will you go fetch some chicken meat from Imnia?” “Sure thing”, Iirenz replied, nodding. He went to fulfill this task immediately and soon his figure disappeared from sight. “Now, you three…” Nadaer turned to face the trio. “You may still be useful. You can help me prepare the soup. Interested?” All three nodded, curious to see what this chore included since like with everything else, they had no experience in cooking – or even eating. Maybe that was the strange sensation in their stomachs they had suddenly started to feel. “Good. Come here”, Nadaer said as she began to walk toward her house's back door, carrying both buckets with her. “It would be nice if someone opened the door.” Raiica was the first one who hurried toward the house and she opened up the door for everyone else. Nadaer was the first one to go in and the three creatures followed right behind her. They found themselves from a rather cozy little place; the downstairs seemed to mostly consist of a kitchen and a big living space. The warm afternoon sun flowed from the windows and gave the insides of Nadaer's house a beautiful golden glow. Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica noticed how there were a lot of wooden figures decorating shelves, tables and cabinets; it appeared Nadaer was very skilled in carving. “So, here's the thing”, Nadaer said as she dropped the buckets on the kitchen floor. “I want you to peel off the skin of all these potatoes and carrots. Think you're able to do that?” “What does that exactly mean?” Raiica asked. “Are you idiots or something?” Nadaer asked, though she didn't wait for an answer. “Well, let me show you.” She snatched one of the knives that had been sitting in a neat row on a table that was standing right by a window. Then she picked a potato from a bucket and showed the trio how to peel it. “It's that simple, really”, Nadaer said. “Now, do this to all of them. And don't blame me if you cut your fingers. Meanwhile, I'll go fetch water.” She just dumped the contents of the two buckets on the floor. Staring at this pile of vegetables, the three creatures had a hunch that this task might take a while. But the sooner they started, the sooner it would be done, so all of them picked up knives and began their work. In the meantime, Nadaer took the buckets with her and soon disappeared from the front door. Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica were left alone, trying their best to do a good job. Though they were having a bit of trouble at first, they weren't used to doing anything with tools and the work's results weren't the prettiest. Raiica was the first one to master peeling off the skin of the potatoes and she showed her new technique to her two companions. With her aid, Kelith and Mengkai slowly began to get better at their job, although they did manage to slip a couple of times and accidentally cut their fingers. Nothing serious, however, and mostly they were enjoying this little chore of theirs. Eventually Nadaer came back, carrying two wooden buckets filled with water. “How's it going?” she asked as she placed the buckets carefully on the floor. “Do you all have all your fingers intact?” “Yes, we do”, Kelith responded happily, proud of this achievement. “Good.” Nadaer carried one of the buckets toward the little workstation the trio had formed and placed it near them. “Put all the ready potatoes in this one.” She then carried the other bucket toward a little fireplace where a big black cauldron was hanging. The three creatures peeked briefly at what Nadaer was doing and saw how she poured the water into the cauldron and lit a fire beneath it with a tinderbox. The gentle crackling of fire brought a comforting sound to the kitchen, somehow making it feel more homely than before. After these tasks, Nadaer got her hands on a knife as well and started to work together with the trio, sitting on a stool. “Where are you little twerps coming from?” she asked while immersed in her work, peeling off the skins skillfully and way faster than the three creatures. “I've never seen critters like you before.” “We don't know.” Kelith was once again the one to reply to this familiar question. “We woke up in the forest with no memories of who we are. Ihtiriekko brought us here.” “Are you fucking with me?” Nadaer glanced suspiciously at the trio. “You mean the cursed forest?” “Yes”, Kelith said. “We don't know how we ended up there.” “Well, good thing that Ihtiriekko found you or else your asses would be dead”, Nadaer stated and focused on her chore again. “But hey, maybe you are demons. Maybe that's why you were unharmed.” “What do you mean?” Raiica asked cautiously. She and her two companions remembered hearing from Flamenial something about demons being powerful and dangerous and having the desire to steal souls from others. Being called such didn't really sound like a compliment. “Well, all demons have horns, just like you three”, Nadaer said. “It's not impossible that someone sent you to wreak havoc or something to our village. Not anything too crazy, I reckon, you look like weaklings to me.” This puzzled the three creatures, giving them even more questions about their own existence. None of them felt like they wanted to spread chaos or steal souls or anything of that sort, but perhaps it was a possibility that their origin was darker than suspected, although this option seemed wrong somehow. They all went quiet for a moment, but the crackling of fire kept a complete silence away together with the silent and soft noises of knives cutting vegetables. The quiet moment didn't last for long when a knock on the front door was heard. Just seconds later, it opened, and the familiar figure of Iirenz peeked inside. “Hello, I'm back”, he cheerfully said and slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. He had a package wrapped in cloth with him. “Good”, Nadaer stated and got up from her stool, throwing a perfectly peeled potato into the bucket of water. “You can help these three. I'll start cutting up all the ingredients.” “Sure thing”, Iirenz responded and got to work after dropping the package on the kitchen table. After the swallow had joined, together the group was able to get the soup done rather quickly. Nadaer was terrifyingly good at handling her knife as she cut to pieces all the potatoes, carrots and bits of chicken meat. Everything got thrown into the boiling cauldron and Nadaer did command one of the trio to stir the soup with a ladle, Kelith being the one who ended up doing this task. The scent of the cooking became irresistible after Nadaer had thrown in some herbs. Eventually Nadaer deemed that the soup was ready to be served. “Your new little friends really were helpful”, Nadaer told Iirenz as she was carrying the cauldron toward the front door and the trio could just admire her strength. “Yes, they were”, replied Iirenz who was walking by her side, and he glanced at the three creatures that were following behind them. Judging by his smile, this was quite a compliment from Nadaer and the trio felt a hint of pride because of this. Nadaer carried the cauldron outside and placed it on the porch, looking quite satisfied with the cooking. “Now, Iiz, go spread the word to those who are hungry”, she said, facing the swallow again. He nodded. “See you in a moment.” He then walked away, his figure soon disappearing from sight as he wandered further into the village, other houses concealing him. As soon as he was gone, Nadaer turned to face the trio. “For your work, you'll deserve to be fed first”, she stated. “Wait here, I'll get some bowls and spoons for you.” Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica nodded in unison and watched how Nadaer disappeared inside her home for a minute. It felt nice that their work was appreciated. Maybe they were supposed to be benevolent entities after all, not demons. At least it didn't sound like demons would care about being appreciated for doing a good deed. When Nadaer came back, she offered a bowl and spoon for each one of them. They were made of wood, so probably Nadaer had carved them by herself. She grabbed a ladle and poured a portion for all three creatures. “Thank you”, they all said at the same time. Nadaer looked at them with a little amused expression. “It really seems like you just share one brain. Anyway, enjoy your meal.” The scent of the soup was so mouthwatering. All three took a spoonful from their meal, blew it a little to cool it and then put it in their mouths. It tasted as good as it smelled. However, Mengkai discovered that he didn't like the meat, for some reason it tasted wrong in his mouth. Kelith and Raiica noticed him leaving the bits of chicken aside, eating the rest of the soup just fine. “We can take the meat”, Raiica suggested, not really wanting anything to go to waste. “Alright”, Mengkai agreed. Once he had finished eating the rest of the soup, he offered his bowl to his two companions who then shared the pieces of meat that remained. While they were enjoying their meal, sitting on the porch of Nadaer's house, they noticed how a handful of villagers were approaching, each holding a bowl and spoon of their own. One by one people came over to have their share of the soup, all expressing their gratitude. While Nadaer didn't mention that the three creatures had helped her, they still were delighted by the compliments many of the villagers offered, since they had been part of the process. It was important to them, giving them a hint of a sense of belonging. As they basked in the beams of the afternoon sun, they watched how people came and left, wondering if they could be part of their world. A few folks talked about places beyond the village, which made the trio think. Maybe, their place was somewhere else entirely. The Village of Newfound Hope seemed like a nice settlement, but there was a whole other world out there. And perhaps somewhere out there the truth about their origin awaited. This thought was something the trio played with together as they quietly muttered with each other, sitting on the porch even after some time when the last villager had left and the cauldron was empty. But little did they know, their story was just beginning – and it would take them to a grand journey.A Prelude To Destruction - Chapter 2Chapter 2: The legend of three warriors “This way”, the short creature said to the trio, waving her clawed hand as a sign for them to follow. She began to walk through the village and the three beings, still confused about the world around them, figured that their best option was indeed to follow her. Wherever she was taking them, they didn't get far when one of the people in the village got the mole-like creature's attention by gesturing her to stop with his free hand; the other one was occupied as the man was carrying a bucket full of water. “Got some new recruits, huh, Nial?” the man said to her with a sly grin on his rather handsome face; he was a young man with a stubble beard, dark eyes and black messy hair, dressed in a simple and quite shabby tunic and pants. “No, not exactly”, the escort of the trio replied and the tone of her voice gave away that she had no idea what was going on with the three strange beings. She shook her head. “Lady Ihtiriekko found them lost in the woods.” “Wow”, the man whistled. “In the Forest of Cursed Cries? They had been really lost, then. Like, how's it even possible?” “Well, at this moment, nobody knows”, the short creature admitted and shrugged her shoulders. “I'm taking them to the manor. See you around, Markon.” “To the manor? They must be really exceptional guests in that case.” Markon raised his hand in the air. “Well, I'm not going to waste more of your time. See you, Nial.” He walked past the group, continuing on his way. But the three creatures gave some last curious glances at the man. However, soon they focused on their new acquaintance again. “So, your name is Nial?” the black cat asked. “Oh, sorry that I didn't introduce myself earlier!” She seemed a little embarrassed and smoothed down the pleat of her dress. “But yes, people call me Nial. Though my name is actually Flamenial.” Then she instantly looked like she had already got over her embarrassment and smiled brightly. “Pleasure to meet you!” “What did that friend of yours talk about?” the white raven asked. “About recruits?” Flamenial waved her hand again signaling for the trio to keep moving. Once the group was on the move again, she responded: “This is the Village of Newfound Hope. This is a place where criminals can get a second chance in life. Most folks are human, like Markon, since their laws are different than with other races and can be… well, less severely punished for their crimes. But here are some other races too.” “Like you and Ihtiriekko?” the black cat asked. “Well, I'm a dwarf and come from a faraway northern land. Most of my people like to remain within mountains where we have built our homes. I'm the only dwarf here, which is quite understandable if you know my kind.” Flamenial paused for a brief moment, focusing only on walking. It seemed like she wasn't sure how to word her next sentence. “Lady Ihtiriekko, she is an overseer. Her kind are one of the most powerful people in this world. In fact, they try to keep our world safe and they have the closest connection to gods than any other race. Lady Ihtiriekko is the one who's responsible of this village.” “Are you a criminal, too?” the raven boldly inquired. “Oh, of course not!” Flamenial denied immediately. “I'm just lady Ihtiriekko's assistant.” The three creatures were attempting to grasp all the information they had received. The world around them was still a confusing but also a very intriguing place. And maybe Flamenial would help them further to understand where they had ended up – and maybe even why, if they were lucky. So far their existence had been a strange one, like they had literally come to life at the moment Ihtiriekko found them from the forest. Knowing nothing, it was like they were little children that were unaware of the world around them. The only thing they were sure about was the connection between each other, like they had the same origin. It was an odd but also comforting link they shared and even though they were clueless pretty much about everything, at least they had each other. Flamenial continued to guide the trio through the village and they were able to take a better glance at the life of the settlement while walking through it. They came across a handful of humans, both men and women, young and old, and the three creatures weren't the only ones giving curious stares at people. They also gained curious looks from the villagers, something that Flamenial noted as well. “We are a close community”, she explained. “Everyone knows everyone. People are just interested in you, I hope you don't mind.” “It's alright”, the deer-like creature assured. “We are interested in the people, too.” “Well, you can certainly explore the village later”, Flamenial said. “But first, I want to talk to you a bit. And that is the best to do with a cup of tea.” As they continued to pass through the village, the small group could eventually see a large building peeking from behind other houses and a neat line of trees. It was different from the rest of the buildings in the village, its window sills and roof were decorated with delicate and beautiful patterns. While the other houses were mostly white, this one was purple. There was a balcony on the second floor that would give a perfect view at the village. It had a grand veranda where the entrance lay; black double doors were standing tall. It clearly was a home to someone important or rich – or both. This was, of course, just one more wondrous thing to the three creatures and they looked at the manor with awe. “This is where I live with lady Ihtiriekko”, Flamenial said brightly with a smile. “And I guess you can, too. I'm sure lady Ihtiriekko won't mind.” Once the small group had reached the doors, Flamenial pulled them open, and this looked a little heavy task for her tiny body. She let the trio in before she shut the doors behind them. They had come to a grand hall. Right in the opposite direction from the door there were stairs leading to the second floor. A beautiful chandelier which had sparkling crystals in it was hanging above the hall, the sunlight that was percolating from the huge windows made them gleam in a magical way. The whole place was decorated with portraits of important people of the past, forever guarding their home from their frames. Ornamental objects were also doing their job at brightening up the place, ranging from vases to statues of animals and mystical beasts as well as decorative weapons. There were two corridors going left and right and soon Flamenial started to guide her guests to the left one. “Come here, please”, she said as she headed deeper into the manor. The three creatures continued to follow her and their surroundings just kept fascinating them. All of this was so strange and new. Eventually Flamenial took them to a hall where a dark and tall wooden table was placed in the center of the room, numerous chairs surrounding it, and a couple of silvery candelabras standing on it. The table was well kept as its surface was shiny and one could see their own reflection from it. This of course intrigued the trio since it was the first time they could see their own faces. All three of them spent a couple of minutes looking at their own reflections and all of them felt like there was a stranger staring back at them. They were so occupied by this that they didn't even notice Flamenial was gone. “Just… who are we?” the deer-like creature muttered with a low voice, but the other two could hear him. They could ask the same question. Then Flamenial appeared back to the hall, but her return went pretty much as unnoticed as her disappearance. She was carefully carrying a silvery tray with four cups on it, containing hot beverages. She noticed how curious the three strangers were about their own reflections, being a bit confused by this behavior for a second, but then realizing the situation. “You have never seen yourselves, am I right?” Flamenial asked as she walked closer with the tray. The trio exchanged looks with each other, then nodded. The dwarf placed the tray on the table and sat down on one of the chairs. “Please, take a seat. You can sit wherever you want”, she said with a smile. Her guests decided to all sit on the same side of the table, next to each other – maybe they instinctively felt safer that way. Once they all had sat down, Flamenial shared the hot drinks with everyone. The three creatures stared at the contents of their cups and sniffed the drink. It smelled pleasant, it had a sweet scent that reminded them of a forest. The black cat dared to taste the beverage at first, taking a sip and licked her lips. The flavor was a little bitter, but it seemed like it had been sweetened by something. The other two soon followed her example and tasted the drink as well, all coming to the conclusion that it was fine. “What is this?” the black cat asked after another sip from her drink. “It's berry tea with a hint of honey”, Flamenial replied, seeming pleased that the beverage she had prepared was liked. She drank some of her tea before she started to talk again: “So… You three know nothing at all?” “No”, the white raven said and all three of them shook their heads. “It's like… we came into existence only a while ago.” “I'm sorry, but I just don't understand how you ended up in the Forest of Cursed Cries”, Flamenial stated, more as a pondering for herself rather than saying it directly to the trio. “It just… doesn't make sense. The whole place is cursed and it's filled with soul-devourers. One simply doesn't get lost in that forest.” “Well, we don't know how we got there”, the deer-like creature said. “Our consciousness began to work only after Ihtiriekko woke us up.” “Huh, is that so…” Flamenial looked very thoughtful for a moment, even her whiskers trembled a bit. “I suppose lady Ihtiriekko may know something more since she was there.” “Why don't we ask her?” the black cat inquired. “Where did she go, anyway?” “I… I think it's best to not bother her right now”, Flamenial responded, seeming a bit nervous all of a sudden. “She's probably meditating currently and shouldn't be disturbed. It's an overseer thing, I can't really explain it. But I'm having a hunch that finding you from the forest has stirred something within her. You're not ordinary beings.” “Not ordinary, huh…” the deer-like creature said quietly, staring at the contents of his cup as if he could find some sort of revelation from there. He wasn't sure what "ordinary" even meant. He and the other two had no idea what could be considered as regular in this world. The white raven and the black cat looked at him, probably sharing the same kind of thoughts as he did. None of them spoke for a while, they just drank their tea in silence. Flamenial remained thoughtful for a moment as well, but soon decided to steer the conversation to a different direction. “You know, you sort of remind me of an old legend.” This piqued the interest of the trio and they looked at her, eager to hear more. Their attention made the dwarf glad. “There were once great three warriors”, Flamenial started to tell the story. “Mengkai, a powerful warrior monk from the east, Kelith, a magnificent spellcaster from the north and Raiica, a fierce blademaster from the west. They joined together in order to annihilate a demon lord Pheleos that attempted to take over a human kingdom in the north, planning to spread his influence from there. Now, demons can be very powerful and dangerous, they don't have souls so they try to steal them from others, even the weakest demons are doing this. But Pheleos was mightier than most of his kind, making it hard to defeat him. The humans had an army that fought against his dark forces, but to take him down, they needed someone powerful. That's where Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica came into picture. Bravely they rose against him before he would become too powerful and managed to vanquish him. They became celebrated heroes in the region and even to this day, young warriors visit their graves in hopes of getting their blessing. Like I told you before, I come from the north so this story is well-known there. But in other regions, it's not that popular. I guess every place has their own heroes, though.” Flamenial paused for a moment, sinking into her thoughts. The three creatures drank their tea and waited for her to speak again. The dwarf tilted her head slightly as she examined the trio with her big green eyes. “You don't have names, right?” All three shook their heads. “Well, how about I name you after the three warriors in the legend?” Flamenial asked as a smile conquered her face again. The trio exchanged looks with each other, this time with clear excitement. If they had names, they would be a step closer to becoming someone. They all shifted their gaze back at the dwarf and nodded. “Great!” Flamenial exclaimed. “Let's see… You, green one.” She pointed at the deer-like creature. “You're the only male of your group, and so was Mengkai. I think the name suits you. And then…” Flamenial was bouncing her gaze between the raven and the cat. “I think Kelith would be a great name for the raven. And so, the cat can be Raiica. What do you think?” They all had names now. It was an empowering feeling for the trio who had entered this world without knowing anything, without being anyone. But thanks to Flamenial, they had got a piece of identity. “Thank you, Flamenial”, said Kelith. “I think I speak on behalf of all of us when I say that you have given us a great gift and we appreciate it.” Mengkai and Raiica nodded. Flamenial couldn't contain her joy and was wearing the most radiant smile the trio had so far seen on her face. But it didn't last long and started to fade slightly. “I'm terribly sorry, but I don't really know how to help you further”, she said apologetically. “I think only lady Ihtiriekko knows what to do. I'll consult her later. In the meanwhile… How about you get familiar with the village?” “We would love to”, Raiica said, being sure that the other two were on the same wavelength as she was. So far they had just been following someone around, first with Ihtiriekko and then Flamenial, but now they could have a chance at exploring the world on their own. “Great!” Flamenial drank the rest of her tea and stood up. “I'll prepare rooms for you. We don't often get visitors, so there's a few guest rooms available.” The trio followed the dwarf's example by guzzling down the remaining contents of their cups so Flamenial could take the empty ones back to the kitchen. She picked them up one by one and placed them on the tray and began to walk away. “I think you know the way out?” Flamenial yelled from the room where she had disappeared to. “Yes, we do!” Mengkai responded as all three were preparing to leave. While the trio was retracing their steps back to the entrance of the manor, they could hear a loud bang of metal from the room where Flamenial was. All three stopped on their tracks for a brief moment, exchanging confused looks. Was the dwarf okay? But they could hear, although just barely, low muttering with a colorful language. The three creatures assumed that she was fine and continued their journey out of the manor. The bright daylight welcomed them as soon as they passed the double doors. Mengkai, Kelith and Raiica were all glancing in different directions, overwhelmed by the many possibilities they could do. They could feel a tender breeze caressing them, like it was greeting them to this world, whispering their new names. Perhaps they didn't have a past, or identity, but they were real and existed. Their fates were somehow intertwined, but they wanted to figure out who they were as individuals. And from there, their journey of discovery would begin, in the small Village of Newfound Hope.A Prelude To Destruction - Chapter 1Chapter 1: Lost in the woods It was a cursed forest where very few dared to enter, but nonetheless, a winged woman was walking in between the great tall trees that thrived, and these kings of the plant world didn't care at all about the place's haunted reputation. But then again, they had grown there long before the forest became blighted. All sorts of creatures avoided these woods, but the winged woman wasn't one of them. She defied the hidden darkness that resided in here just with her presence; this wasn't her first time wandering together with the shades which the thick branches and their foliage casted. However, her defiance came with a price, for her once pure white wings had taken the color of dark blue instead, though there was still some light blue in the tips. Who knew when they would turn dark too, if she continued to visit the forest. The decision wasn't hers to make. Though light wings or dark wings, she still retained an angelic look, for she had a slender body and long white hair with a little bit silver in them. She had golden eyes with a strong look in them. A powerful aura surrounded her and undoubtedly there was a sense of authority in her appearance, especially her beautiful blue clothes that were a telltale sign of someone who wasn't an ordinary person. It wasn't hard to believe for an individual like her to risk their life in a place like this. As she calmly walked further into the woods, a horrifying sound reached the woman's ears. It wasn't anything strange to her, but no matter how many times she would hear it, it never became easier to bear. It was the disturbing and heartbreaking cry of a ghost child, left abandoned in the forest right after their birth. They never had a chance in life, they never grew up or learned about the countless things this world had to offer. All they could do was cry and yearn for a proper burial – which would never come. The woman felt sorry for all the little ones that had been abandoned in the forest, but there was nothing she could do for them. The woman was approaching a part of the woods where the vegetation was more dense. The sunlight was barely able to touch the forest floor, but a few sneaky beams of light managed to slip through the branches and leaves. Carefully she kept her eyes on the undergrowth, for what she was seeking could be found around these parts, based on her experience. Keeping a keen eye on the plants, she eventually spotted some she was looking for: a blue herb with white berries that resembled cloudberry. She picked all of them from the spot, gently putting them inside the bag she was carrying. Once she had harvested them, she continued her travel even deeper into the woods, hoping to find even more of them. The need for these precious herbs was getting increasingly dire. She was familiar with the woods and with its few critters and sensations; she was probably the most knowledgeable person in the world when it came to this forest. And yet, as she proceeded to even deeper parts of the woods, a weird sensation was pestering her mind like an annoying insect. There was a presence somewhere nearby, something she wasn't familiar with. She had to check it out, it was her duty. Guided by this sensation, she ventured towards the part of the woods that was probably the darkest and most dangerous one. For this reason, she had to hurry, because if there somehow was someone who needed aid, the likelihood for them getting devoured by the forest was growing minute by minute. Something was rippling in the air, a powerful impression that felt almost electrifying. The woman was able to recognize it as a form of magic. It was a rather strong one, too. Whoever had ended up in this part of the woods wasn't an ordinary person. While there was a chance that they were capable of doing alright on their own, the woman wanted to check their condition. She had to help them if needed. Thanks to the mysterious ripples that traveled through the air, the woman could easily pinpoint the location of the foreign presence she had been sensing. She came to a small clearing where all these sensations were mixed in together, swirling around like a whirlpool of energy. A shred of a sky could be seen above, something that wasn't possible in most parts of the woods. It was clear to the woman that something had fallen from heaven, crashing into the trees of the forest and hitting the forest floor. On some of the branches and on bushes and other plants were having light purple wisps of magic dancing around, as a remnant that something magical had happened here as the power still lingered. All that now remained were three unconscious creatures whose kind the woman hadn't seen ever before. A white raven, a black cat and a mostly green deer-like creature. The woman could see that they were bipedal since they all possessed fingers. All of them were about the size of a human child, making the raven and the cat larger than the animals they represented, while the third one was smaller than a deer. The cat and the raven had strange markings decorating their bodies, the cat having white marks while the raven had purple ones. The third creature diverged in this trait as well, as their body was partly covered in green scales while the front had a pale color. But all three of them shared one feature: they all had horns. There were two purple horns on the head of the raven, two blue horns on the head of the cat and one horn on the head of the deer-like creature, gradually turning from a shade of green to darker green. The woman had no idea where these beings had come from; she had never heard of such creatures as these three. But she knew she couldn't just leave them here, she could learn their story later. She walked to them, crouched a little bit and placed her hand lightly on the side of the closest critter, the cat. They were breathing normally and the heart was beating. The woman did this brief inspection on all of them, coming to the conclusion that they all were doing alright, they just had been knocked unconscious by something. It was desired that they would stay in a good state, so the woman began to wake them up. Blue little swirls were circling around her hand as she moved it slowly near the heads of each creature. These twirls would gently touch them, beckoning them to awaken. The woman's magic worked and one by one the three creatures opened their eyes and sluggishly raised their bodies from the moss bed to a sitting position. They looked very much confused, clearly not recognizing their surroundings at all. But the woman noticed that there was also something else: they didn't identify who they were. However, this wasn't the right place to resolve these things. “Can you all stand?” the woman asked from the trio as she got on her feet again. The creatures still were puzzled; it was as if they had slumbered for centuries and had no knowledge of the world around them. They glanced around, then looked at each other with great perplexity; it seemed like that they didn't know each other, but at the same time, they did. For a little while they tried to understand what kind of bond they had between each other, but failed. This also confused the winged woman, because it only deepened the mystery how these three had ended up here. But again, this wasn't the right time and space for figuring these things out. “Are you able to stand?” the winged woman asked again. The trio shifted their gaze at her, trying to identify her. But just like with everything else so far, they had no idea who she was. Time for proper introductions would come later, even these three seemed to understand this, and they started to get on their feet. Their movements were wobbly, like with baby animals, and it gave an impression that they hadn't stood for a long time – if ever before. Eventually, however, they managed to find some sort of balance and not for a moment too soon. A terrible howl echoed through the forest; it was hollow, hungry and suffering. It was the most dreaded creature in the whole place, the reason why most people would stay away. While the winged woman was well aware that such abominations were on the prowl continuously in the forest, she really had hoped that they wouldn't encounter one. “Dammit”, she muttered to herself. “We have to go. Follow me.” The three creatures just nodded to her and hurried after her as she began to show the way and guide them out of the forest. Even more of those eerie howls joined in with the first one; whatever being it was, it hunted as a pack. Usually they were after the many souls of children that still lingered in these woods, but whenever possible, they preferred fresh souls. The winged woman was afraid that they had already got the scent of her and her little surprise companions. She wasn't too worried, however, she had dealt with such beasts before; she was a much more powerful entity than them. But never before had she had little beings with her that needed her protection. The woman tried to be as swift as possible while passing through the forest. Unfortunately, she was unlucky today and even though they had managed to move quite a distance without any conflict, suddenly a dark critter appeared from the shadows right in front of them. It resembled a huge and hideous wolf, its fur had a dark purple color. Its tail was thin and had some lavender feathers at the tip. These same feathers were also poking out from various other parts of its body, such as in the neck, elbows and lower thighs. Its bright red eyes were fixed at the small group and a deep growl was coming from its insides; it saw the winged woman and the three creatures as prey. Fearlessly the winged woman stepped forth while the trio remained in the background, not really fazed by the danger in front of them. A magical energy started to surge around the woman's right arm, engulfing it in a white glow. The dark wolf-like being got closer to her, measuring her with its red eyes. Then the woman raised her hand towards the beast and a white blast got shot from her hand, a holy light, hitting the monster in the head. It fell to the ground, but was it dead or just unconscious, it was hard to tell. Nonetheless, there was no need to kill it right now, the winged woman just wanted to get past it. “Come, quickly”, she said to the three creatures and pressed onwards, the trio continuing to follow her. The eerie howls sounded more and more distant; perhaps they had decided to go after the poor souls of the children trapped in the forest. This was a good sign, the winged woman thought, and while they still were in a danger zone, they weren't in immediate peril anymore. Confidently she dared to slow down her pace now and so did the three creatures she had found. The trees around them started to gradually thin out and more daylight managed to get through the branches, blessing the plants on the forest floor. The winged woman was feeling relief, for they would soon get out of the cursed woods. The whole world seemed brighter when the small group reached the tree line. The sunlight was absolutely radiant, something the three pairs of eyes weren't used to and they shielded their eyes with their hands. The beautiful songs of birds could be heard, an indication that things were well. A slight breeze was gently stroking the leaves of the trees, sounding a bit like humming. It was strange how different the world was outside the cursed forest. As the three creatures followed the winged woman out of the shadows of the trees, they couldn't help but notice that there were statues made from pale stone standing by the edge of the forest, having quite a bit of distance between each other. They were rather tall, almost as tall as the trees, and they depicted a feminine humanoid figure with four arms and strange antennas on her head. There was something holy in her appearance. All three of them stopped to stare at the closest one and it invoked strange familiarity within them. It was almost like they knew who this woman was, but had no memory of her. The winged woman noticed that the trio wasn't following her anymore and that their gazes were fixated on the statue. “Who… is she?” the black cat asked, much to the surprise of the winged woman. So, these little creatures could talk. The cat had just spoken with a female voice, but it also sounded like she wasn't used to talking, like she hadn't used her voice ever before. “This is the Mother Goddess”, the winged woman answered as she took a step closer to the trio. “These are the holy statues of her that guard the forest, preventing any evil escaping as long as they are standing here. Haven't you heard of her before?” The trio gave quick glances at each other as if trying to find out who had the answer. But then they just shook their heads. “We don't know…” said the raven and although the voice sounded a bit raspy, perhaps having the same case as the cat, it clearly was a female voice as well. “We don't know anything. Not even who we are… We seem to have a connection with each other, but that's all.” “That's… interesting”, the winged woman muttered thoughtfully. “Well, I'll guide you to the nearest village. We can talk about your situation more there.” She turned around and headed towards a small path that was going through another set of trees. It clearly wasn't used much, but it wasn't overgrown either. Oddly, it seemed like the trees around it were bent a little bit, guarding this little path. The three creatures were all glancing around with a child-like wonder while following the winged woman. The sensation of these woods was so much different than in the cursed forest where they had woken up, of course they would find it fascinating. The winged woman got the feeling that they were like children, not being familiar with the world around them at all. It was strange. And now that they had left the cursed forest, she noticed something else about the three creatures. Now that the tainted energy wasn't suppressing them anymore, they were emitting power that reeked of divinity. But what did that mean, the winged woman wasn't sure and she was lost deep in thought while walking forward, barely paying any attention to the trio. Usually the winged woman would just fly this part when making her trips to the cursed forest, it was much faster. But now, as she had a small group of odd beings following her, she had to walk, since probably only one of them had the ability to fly. But the journey to the nearest village wasn't a long one and soon enough the path guarded by trees started to brighten up and the trees were moving out of the way. Only a little bit away the group could see the village, a tiny settlement in the middle of woodlands. The buildings were cozy ones, although a little bit old, white with dark wood decorating their frames. The folks were walking around and doing their chores, and the three creatures noted that most of them looked like the winged woman, except they didn't have wings. There was a lot of curiosity in their little eyes as they got closer, having lots of questions popping in their minds, but the winged woman wasn't the one who would provide answers. Even now, she had closed herself inside her head and didn't seem responsive to the outside world. When they reached the first buildings, a little strident female voice then made its way to the little group's ears: “Lady Ihtiriekko! Lady Ihtiriekko!” A small creature hurried towards them and she looked much different than the few individuals the trio had seen so far. She resembled a mole, had dark grey skin, pale blond long hair tied to a bun, huge green eyes, a little strange snout with whiskers on it and her hands were broad, possessing big claws. She was wearing a pink dress with a headpiece. She huffed a little after her sprint and bent over a bit. “Lady Ihtiriekko, you're back! Oh, I didn't know you would return so soon, I'm not quite finished with the task and – “ The winged woman pushed her aside coldly and continued moving forward. “No matter. Take care of our guests.” Then she just walked away, leaving a group of confused creatures behind. “Our guests?” the being with the whiskers said quietly and looked at the trio and it seemed that only at that moment she registered their presence. “Oh… Oh! Hello there, haven't seen you before! Who might you be?” The three creatures shared glances with each other once more, as if one of them had somehow acquired the knowledge about their identity during their travel from the woods. But of course, all three of them were just as clueless as before. “We don't know who we are or anything, really…” said the deer-like creature, speaking with a male voice, and he too sounded like he wasn't used to talking. “That winged woman… She found us and brought us here.” “I see, I see…” The trio's new acquaintance appeared consumed by thoughts for a minute and she observed the group with her green eyes. Then she spoke again: “Well, you better follow me, then. You obviously are a little confused so let's shed light on some things, shall we?”