1 Prologue

10 years ago

Kids chased each other through the streets, laughing when one of them tripped. Their parents sat on verandas, blabbing to each other about the latest news. The smells of baking bread, pies and the occasional whiff of meat wafted throughout the modest village. Will, Maxim, and Lucian sat on a rock, plotting their next adventure. They were a merry band of friends. Maxim and Will were twins. Both had curly, dark hair with blazing emerald eyes that always begged for attention. Lucian was their best friend. He was short, with straight blonde hair down to his shoulders, but made up for his stature with his fierce attitude, and piercing brown eyes that had stopped many a bully. 

"Who should we prank today?" Lucian asked, chewing on a stalk of grass thoughtfully.

"We should put cockroaches into the bakers ovens. That would be hilarious," Will replied.

"No, we should dye our pond black," Maxim said while staring into space. 

"What would be the point in that? We use it too," Will raised his eyebrows at his twin brother. 

"Oh. I forgot. Then we should go to the gorge and explore that area. I hear you can find gold if you dig in the right spots," Maxim wistfully replied. 

"Yes! That would be fun. Let's do it right now," Lucian exclaimed, leaping to his feet. 

Will timidly told them, "But our wings aren't fully grown yet. My mother says strong winds are blowing through the gorge all the time."

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy. Wind doesn't blow all the time." They bickered for a bit until Will caved in. Deciding to go that afternoon, they departed and gathered supplies for their journey. Meeting back up at noon, they headed for the gorge. Before the gorge was in sight they distinguished a thundering roar. Drawing closer, they saw a most beautiful sight. A crystalline sheet of water tumbled hundreds of feet into the gorge. Water carved a winding path to the far off ocean. Ollmhór Gorge traversed across a thousand kilometers. So far no man made structure had accomplished what nature had. 

The friends stood on the edge gawking at the sight. Lucian, always the reckless one, dropped off the edge and glided to a ledge on the far wall. Maxim followed after flipping before he landed. Will reluctantly glided down. Repeating the process until they reached the bottom, Lucian made the mistake of flying low to the water. A wave smashed into him and he went under. Flailing, he rose up and screamed, "HELP! PLEASE HELP ME!" 

Maxim immediately swooped in to grab his friend. But he wasn't strong enough. When Lucian's head sunk below, so did Maxim. Both smashed into rocks. A trail of red was the only indication of their whereabouts. Will couldn't have done anything  to rescue them. Every day since then he thought of the different ways he could have saved them. 

Instead of the timid, shy, boy he had once been, Will transformed into a reckless young man. He resorted to thievery when his family was low on food or money. If anyone dared to hurt his family, that person died within the week. Even his appearance changed. Half his hair he dyed blonde in remembrance of Lucian, and he gained muscle in his wings, chest, and arms. His eyes no longer begged, they demanded. Will carried a sword and dagger everywhere he went. All his free time was spent training with multiple different weapons. At the age of twelve he could handle every weapon available including lesser used ones like scythes or falchions.