1 Chapter 1

Fear? What is fear? Why is it part of life? Do I feel this same fear, or is it something else altogether? I can feel the stinging pain run through my body as this blade is lifted out from my lifeless body. I know that I am dying, but I still stand, knowing that this fight isn't over until I disappear from this world. Even though my life wasn't always like this, this is also not the end for me. For I swear by her holiness, Lunatica, Goddess of Life and Death, I will return! Yet, for now, let me start my journey from the beginning, where my first steps first began. For I am Lovell Quacey Krisnik!

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An ominous wind trickled throughout a small village. While the wind blew, a young woman could feel that something was not right. She turned and ran straight to her home, a little shack on top of a hill.

"Lovell! Lovell! Where are you?" her voice horsed while stumbling as she reached the door. Before her hand could get the handle, a six-year-old boy opened the door. He was rubbing his eyes.

"What is it, mommy?" A young child answered as he yawned. "Why are you yelling?"

Within no time, the woman gripped the young child by the forearms. While she began to speak, her hands shaking was cut off by screaming ran through the village. Turning to the boy, "There's no time to explain, the Faremin armies are on the way," turning to see if they were close by. "and you need to hide!" The boy stared at her in fear as to ask why. Yet, the screams of the other villagers echoed louder. Drawing ever closer. "Hurry! There's not much time!"

"Ms. Kaya!" a woman called out as she and her partner came running up to her with their newborn, clenching it close as she lifted her head. "Please save our child! We—"

Ms. Kaya raised her hand before they could say more, "Lovell, take the child with you, and go." Lovell went to ask why but his mother glared at him before the words could reach his mouth. "No questions! Now go!!" She pointed to the forest.

Lovell grabbed the child as his mother ordered. The infant's clothes were embroidered with the name Luna. The infant slept in deep slumber as he cradled her in his arms. As quickly as they came, her parents dashed off with his mother while he and Luna rushed off deep into the village's thick forest. He could hear the roars of the soldier's cries while the mix of villager's screams echoes amongst the branches. As he made his way behind the thick trunk of a hollow tree. As Lovell moved into their hiding place, his swift movements woke Luna from her deep slumber to see Lovell and not her parents. Her cries resonated out as she looked at him.

Rocking her back and forth, Lovell tried to soothe her—know that if any soldiers caught wind of her cries, they could both end up being killed. He began to hum. Luna stopped as the humming soothed the infant. Returning Luna to a calmer state before falling asleep once more. As the day dragged on and nightfall fell, it felt as if the days had gone. While fear gripping Lovell, he kept Luna close, waiting for the first light of the next day. Filled hope that they were not the only survivors of the massacre.

As the dawn of the second day broke free, the smell of smoke had filled the air. Lovell, exhausted, quietly got up, cradling Luna close to his chest. Making sure to secure her while he made his way to the main road. While making his way back, Lovell kept an eye out for any soldiers that might still be in the area nearby. Lovell looked up while he approached the village's entrance to see smoke rise in the air.

While a new smell started to fill his nose. Lovell looked down into the town. The blood rushed out of him as the display of scorched bodies cluttering the roads and paths throughout the city. Gripped by fear, he walked around the mangled corpses. Reaching the footpath to his home, Lovell noticed Luna's parents at the base. The sense of dread gripping him while he stretched his gaze up, turning his fear into a sprint up to the shack. As Lovell drew closer to his home, he started to see something. Lovell could see a body pinned to his house. Lovell saw it was his mother, strung across the door. She smiled as her lifeless body blocked the door. Falling to his knees, Luna started to cry as the realization began to sink in for Lovell, that she was gone. Tears began to stream down his face as he could feel his body become numb.

Lovell found the strength to clenched Luna close to try and comfort her. As much as it was for himself. Lovell then felt a bellowing rage-filled towards the Faremin Kingdom and his attackers. Lovell stood up and repressed the anger as he walked over to the door. While moving his late mother's body in the process. Lovell grabbed the handle and opening the door. He saw nothing waiting to greet them. Lovell was expecting to find someone or something waiting inside his home upon their entry. He scanned the area, then turning his attention over to the bedrooms. Finding nothing but some mice scurrying away, Lovell then set his sights to search for supplies.

While he started to rummage through the drawers, Lovell found a small box inside his mother's dresser. He opened the box and found a letter addressed to him inside. Though his ability to read was minimal, his mother taught him how to learn his name — laying Luna down on the bed while Lovell began to gather supplies. He grabbed his satchel and filling it with some of the essentials for the road ahead. Lovell remembered some of the villagers saying that to the east laid another village, Marewood, a small community village for weary travellers. He was wrapping a cloth around him and Luna to carry before they departed for their home.

Looking back at the village from afar, Lovell could see the town's remnants as smoke filled the air. Lovell turned away in the hopes that this was all just a bad dream. Even if he wished hard enough, Lovell knew in his heart that it was not a bad dream, but the reality he was now in. No matter how much Lovel could deny it, his young heart that all he knew, his home, his friends and family, they were all gone. While Luna was the lucky one, as her parents came to his place at the right time. As he had saved their only child's life, looking back once more before turning away. Lovell clenched Luna close to his frame and looked onward to the east to find some form of refuge and/or a place to call home for himself and Luna within Marewood. Knowing the odds, Lovell found his courage to move on, for both his sake and Luna's.

Once the village came into view, Lovell felt a sense of relief wash over him, as the road was long and hard on his body. Entering the town, people bustling with gossip about Blacklight Village's attack, Lovell's gut sank heard their words. While horse-drawn coaches were rushing through the streets, nearly missing them each time, and adults stomping through, Lovell having to weave and dodge through them as they walked sidewalks. While he clenching Luna close, trying not to drop her within the commotion, unaware of a man from behind bumped into Lovell.

Lovell stumbled as he almost lost grip of Luna in the process. The jolt caused Luna to become distraught and started to cry out. Fear gripped Lovell as he tried to calm her down. People began to stop and stared at them. Lovell froze as doubt filled his mind, as he could feel all their gazes staring at them. Judging them as they stared and walking away in disguise from the sight of them. Luna continued to cry. A man from across the way noticed the pair in distress. He trotted over to them. Lovell glance out of the corner of his eye to see the man walking towards them. Lovell once more froze up in fear. Closing his eyes in fearing the worst, grasped Luna closer to his body.

The man knelt beside him, placing his hand gently on Lovell's shoulder. "Where are your parents, young man?" The man's voice was calm, while Lovell opened his eye to look at him. His eyes filled with concern towards them.

Tears welled up in Lovell's eyes as he stared at the man. "Th-they're dead, mister." Lovell managed to squeeze out as his tears are running down his chin. The man's face filled with sorrow as he heard those words roll out of Lovell's choked voice. Luna seemed to have cried herself back into a lull. The man gently squeezes Lovell's shoulder while the man hung his head low in the process. Before looking back up into Lovell's face, seeing the young child's eyes red as tears continued to stream down his small face. Lovells now curious but frightened by what the man was going to do next. As Lovell stood his ground against the man, he was ready to run if the need arises.

The man looked at the infant in the child's arms. "What's your name, little ones?" The man seemed to care and looked as if he wanted to help them. When no one else did, Lovell cracked out his and Luna's to him. The man's face stiffening. "How old are you, young Lovell?" He was hoping that Lovell would be older than he looked.

Lovell sniffled as he tried to gain some compose before answering, "Six, mister." Wiping his nose, "A-and Luna is only three weeks as of today." Remembering that he was there at her birth, Lovell looked down at Luna, feeling some relief that they might be getting some help. The man's face stiffened even more when Lovell told him his and Luna's age. The man got up, standing straight, asked if he wanted to go to his place for some food and to get cleaned up with the possibility of a place to rest their weary souls. The feeling of Joy washed over Lovell as tears continued to pour out. A soft smile ran across the man's face as he rubbed Lovell's back, guiding him to his place. Reaching the man's home, his wife greeted him only to see that Luna and Lovell were accompanying him. She was confused at what she was seeing.