Not everything is Dark and Light

Beginning (part 3)

It was a while before Vuren considered slowing and it was only before he was certain not a single one of the light elf’s were following them. He pulled on Agro’s reins lightly and slowed her from full gallop into tempered trot. Vuren tugged on Nifeerein’s arms which had slackened somewhat. She still remained on the horse but she was unresponsive and still in shock from the events. Vuren brushed it off as her not understanding the depths of darkness the world could sink to from her ivory tower and continued to focus on pacing forward. He assumed they would likely be safe for that night with the elves he had fought in not state to chase them down but Vuren knew that assumptions were where death occurred. Even though he could hardly see in front of him and had to squint through the darkness to figure out where the path continued he pressed on as there could be countless others that were with Jult wishing to get their hands on Nifeerein and Vuren would not allow it. He pressed on unsure as to where they would end up in the morning but assured that it would be safer than the village below.

“You OK?” Vuren hesitantly asked Nifeerein as she continued to press her head against his back unresponsively. Vuren did not expect an answer but had hoped for one but when it did not come he continued on the path hoping she was not too badly effected by the events to do anything reckless.

“Vuren.” Nifeerein said coyly almost inaudibly as she pressed her head further against his back. “What happened back there?”

“We escaped.” Vuren said bluntly unsure how to correctly respond.

Nifeerein did not answer back and only sank deeper into Vuren back as he continued to push further along the road. He believed the route they were on was the one he had travelled earlier in the morning but everything had happened in a whirl even he was questioning where it was they were. The sun had set just as they were escaping and the lands were plunged into night making every turn in the road and horror filled one for Vuren as he could feel the incline the terrain and was praying to the Allgod that there was not a deadly drop off a valley just a foot of the path.

As the path continued to ascend Vuren could feel the strength sap out of Agro and with ever step she became a little more rundown. She needed to rest or she was liable to collapse and Vuren was acutely aware of this but still pressed on as the light elves could be anywhere. His eyes were locked forward trying to make sure that ever step Agro took was one the path but when he heard Nifeerein gasp he felt compelled to turn his head and check on her.

Nifeerein had looked behind her on multiple occasions as the pair rode away fearful of any light elves that were on their tail. She could see nothing but the darkness of night and the hallucinations of her rattled mind each time she had turned but this time was different. When she had turned she had saw the oranges and yellows of a roaring fire rise up from where they once were. It shone in the night sky so perfectly it was almost picturesque but Nifeerein could not help but let out a gasp as she knew the flames were not beautiful, they were destructive.

Vuren had turned when Nifeerein gasped and had seen them too. He pulled back on Agro’s reins and turned her side on so he could get a good look at them without craning his neck. The flames raged on the only thing obscuring them from view was the puffs of black smoke that bellowed out from the wooden cottages of the once thriving village. Vuren tried to wave his hand to stop the fires but it was in vain as he was too far away for his power to be affective. His futile attempt was not noticed by Nifeerein who could not rip her eyes from the dancing inferno. She watched it with her piercing emeralds and let it all sink in.

Then the screaming started.

A bawl of pain and terror erupted from the village and echoed across the surrounding lands. It bounced off the mountains rocks and reverberated across the lands with it disturbing sound. It was a man’s voice, sounded forty to fifty from Vuren’s guesses, but his wails of terror were akin to a child’s. They were soul chilling. Horrifying.

It got worse though as more screams started to come. A woman’s voice was next. Followed by another man’s but one who was younger this time. Next was a child’s. Her high-pitched screams stabbed through Vuren and hit him in the chest as he felt the responsibility of her death. He felt that it was his fault. Jult was down there, he told himself, he was the one killing all those people in an outburst for letting Nifeerein escape. It was Vuren that had done that, Vuren had allowed Nifeerein to escape, and he sunk into Agro’s saddle as the screams kept coming. Each time one would fade another was there to replace it. Each time one died out Vuren waited and within seconds another would take its place.

Vuren waited there for what felt like hours letting to harrowing screams wash over him like a wave. He was not sure which one kicked him into action but he gently patted Agro’s neck as he twisted her back round to carry on the route they were taking before. The screams continued as they rode away and Vuren had to tense his legs up to ensure he did not kick Agro again and made her ride off wildly to escape them. Instead he just kept looking forward and distracted himself with the task of guide the horse through the darkness, a task that did not work as he still felt ever single cry pierce his heart.

Nifeerein, unable to cope with the sounds, turned to watch the flames as they pair continued to ride away. As they made it over the crest of the hill Nifeerein got a distant but decent view of the village as it had come to be. It was crumbling with the rows of identical homes turning to dust one after another. Barely any home was standing and Nifeerein could see the patch of dirt where the tavern should be completely barren. The flames roared on still as the wood and people provided much fuel for them. It was something horrifying but entrancing to Nifeerein as she stared the destructive nature of people dead on.

Then it was gone. The hill started declining and the village was obscured from view. All the pair were left with was the sounds of distant screams which only got quieter and quieter the further they rode on. Vuren wanted to turn back, he wanted to turn back and be the hero that saved all the villagers from the hands of the villain but as he glanced at the knife still lodged in his shoulder he knew he had barely survived the first encounter. He knew it would be futile and would just put Nifeerein in danger. The queen of an entire country or the residents of one village. The math was clear even it the sum was horrific. So Vuren just rode on into the darkness trying to believe he had made the right call but knowing in his gut he would regret it for years to come.