1 The Flame of Beginnings
In a world where giants roam the land, dragons dominate the skies, and undiscovered creatures lurk beneath the sea. We follow a boy born of both ash and blood.
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Vitrox was nothing more than a child who yearned for adventure and discovery for as long as he can remember. Today, he's been in the living room waiting for this father to return from work.
A man wearing a straw hat with bronze skin and a lean physique walks towards a humble home of wood and straw. He slowly opens the door, "Father! You're back from the farm." Vitrox yelled with excitement.
"Haha there's my boy, as loud as ever." His father said with a smile on his face.
"Can you tell me a story about the adventurers that saved you before coming here and living with mom?" Vitrox asked.
A woman with long black hair walks into the living room, she had skin that was slightly fairer than bronze. The woman said with a smile on her face, "Wait until we're done eating dinner Vitrox." To which Vitrox nodded "Okay."
Together the trio walked into the kitchen. There, Vitrox and his father we're welcomed by the alluring smell of rosemary and thyme. The kitchen was small but it had a fireplace where a stew was slowly being cooked to perfection. Dried and salted meats covered the walls waiting for their time to be served. There was a table decorated with a candle that burned slowly.
Vitrox's mother grabbed a jug of water with three wooden cups near the window sill, from there she see's her son grab bread from a brown crate lined with cloth while her husband prepares three bowls of stew with a side of dried meats. The food was served on wooden bowls and plates. In a matter of seconds their routine was complete and they sat around the table ready for their meal.
"How was work today?" his mother asked.
"It was the same as the day before. A few patches in the fields were trampled by wild animals so we had to fix the fences again" his father responded dejectedly.
"Why don't we hire adventurers to make sure the fields are safe from animals?" Vitrox asked his father.
"Well son, adventurers are powerful, it's because of this that their time is valuable. After all, why would they help us with such a simple problem if they have a whole world to discover?" his father retorted.
"You're right!" Vitrox said excitedly.
The family continued their meal with lighthearted chatter about what they've accomplished throughout the day.
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In the shadows outside this home a group of creatures with eyes the color of vermillion marched towards the small town.
This army was filled with creatures both big and small. From a distance the howl of wolves can be heard. Followed by the sound of hooves that start to echo loudly and quickly. Five horses which carried human-like figures began to charge towards the small settlement where Vitrox and his family resides. Behind them a stampede of vermillion-eyed monsters began to roar as they follow the horsemen.
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Moments later, Vitox's father hears the scream of people in the town. He rushes outside trying to see what was amiss. He was greeted with tragedy and destruction. The small town that he began with other people is beginning to burn to the ground and his ears ring with the sounds of fire and screams of agony.
Immediately he rushed back inside, in a panic he says "Quickly grab what's necessary we have to leave now!"
Vitrox has never heard his father with so much fear in his. voice so he quickly grabs a bag which he filled with food and water. Amidst the chaos of packing he asks, "What's going on father?"
His mother interrupts and says "We can ask questions later, for now, we have to leave quickly!"
After packing the family rushes out behind the house dashing towards the nearest treeline hoping to escape the sight of whatever is burning their town to the ground. A horseman see's the family heading west. He slowly begins to pursue the family.
The horseman whips its horse to move faster and he begins to catch up to them. Vitrox's father notices the being clad in iron slowly approaching them. He knew they were quick, but to find them so soon, he began to panic. His father quickly pulls out a rope and tied it between two trees near them, he told them to stay hidden until he's ready to move again. Withing seconds a trap was created and it was obscured by the darkness of night. The family once again begins to run as quickly as they can. Behind them, the horseman whips its horse again to move faster, a moment later it finds itself on the ground alongside its horse that was battered by rocks and branches on the forest ground. It slowly rose, with a limp it continues to chase the family on foot.
"I think we're safer now" his father claims. "It should have been hit by the rope trap that I set up. At the very least, it doesn't have a horse anymore."
"I think you're right" his mother added, as she smiled towards Vitrox. Soon her mouth began to drip blood, her body was impaled with a pale spear with carvings unknown to Vitrox.
"Nooo!" his father screamed, as her body began to slowly burn around where the spear hit her abdomen.
Moments later, his father began to cough up blood. He saw a similar spear pierce his father and slowly burn him. Their bodies were too heavy for Vitrox to carry so he fell to the ground. The spears slowly dislodged themselves and return to the being that used them to kill his parents. As their corpses burned, Vitrox could only feel and think of the flame that sears his skin, fueled by the bodies of the only family he had. He screams in agony, but no-one hears his pain.
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The day breaks and on the forest ground lays a young boy. Parts of his skin blackened and some his flesh still burns with slight color of red.
Vitrox lays there, blanketed by ash and blood.
