Stonehaven

Tsssss...

The rain has fallen, and with it came a new beginning for the village of Stonehaven.

Despite the weather, the village was calm and quiet. It was a small community situated under the mountains; the place looked more like a town than a village, but it had a charm all its own. The small houses were made of cobbles and woods with small gardens.

The rain fell gently on the thatched roofs, pattering softly on the cobblestone streets. The air was cool and fresh, carrying with it the scent of wet soil. The rain had finally arrived, much to the relief of the villagers who had long been waiting for it. Their hearts were overflowing with gratitude towards the Gods who had finally answered their prayers after a long drought.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning! Farming early in the day?"

"Yes, yes, it had been raining lot recently."

The farmers looked full of hope as they tended to their fields despite the rain, their faces turned towards the grey skies, grateful for the much-needed relief.

Across the road not far from the center of the village, the men and women, along with the Winthrope knights gathered inside the newly built tavern; their laughter and chatter are heard as they raised their tankards in celebration.

The small village is now prosperous.

...

The Duke of Mordor family, Sauron, sat inside his newly built manor in Stonehaven village. The building itself was made of dark stone and stood tall, with a steeply pitched roof and several large chimneys rising into the air. The windows were small and narrow, with thick wooden shutters that could be closed to keep out the cold.

Sauron had already sent his reports to the Queen of Novamantus, informing her that the Winthrope Knighthood, is providing protection to a local village. However, they are uncertain about the true identity of the village lord, as someone claiming to be a member of the Winthrope family.

The Queen responded through her letters, expressing her displeasure. She had no knowledge of any family taking control of a local village, nor did she know that there was a village situated under a mountain in the western border of Novamantus.

With no known lord to govern the village, ergo Sauron was granted the title of village lord of Stonehaven by the Queen's official decree.

Despite the good news, Sauron remained dissatisfied. The mere thought of a family name being used to exploit a small village made his blood boil with anger and revulsion.

But he then calmed himself, not letting his anger surface.

The fate of these people now rested in his hands, and he could not let anyone suffer or carry the burden imposed by some noble claiming to be part of a military family, especially the Winthrope.

As he lifted his eyeglasses, the room fell silent, and he fixed his attention on the parchment on his table.

With a determined expression, he took up the pen and began to jot down notes and future plans for the village's next improvement.

Sauron's mind was consumed with thoughts of how he could better the lives of these people, from managing finances and trades to building new homes and improving the village's infrastructure.

The tension was suddenly broken as a knock on the door was heard.

"Who is it?" Sauron asks as he lifts down his glasses.

It was Mikail with Gwen and Juriel.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?" Gwen rushed towards Sauron and looked at the scattered papers. She began to tidy up, reminding him to be mindful of his workplace. Meanwhile, Juriel remained quiet, his hands still clinging to Mikail's.

Sauron chuckled and asked what brought them there.

"Not much. My troop and I had just finished scouting the forest beyond the mountains," Mikail replied, lifting Juriel into his arms.

They found nothing suspicious other than a mansion situated in the forested mountains, which had not been doing anything prior to Ars' departure.

"I wonder where Brother Ars went?" Gwen asked, worried.

It had been a month since he left, although in the underworld, it was almost three months already. Mikail has been feeling well now. He has returned to his old self, the almighty Sir Mikail, second captain of Winthrope.

"Oh, he's fine! Brother Ars is strong!" Sauron said with a smile, and Mikail agreed with a nod.

Without a doubt, Ars is a talented person, but Mikail still hoped he was faring well. With a smile on his face, a sudden realization struck him.

"Ah, yes! I almost forgot. My Lord, can you take care of them while I attend to something important?" Mikail asked frantically, his expression indicating the urgency of the matter.

"Okay, I'll entertain them for a while. You should hurry up and see Notoria, boy!" he laughed heartily, causing Mikail to feel embarrassed. Before he left, Sauron asked about how the church was doing.

Mikail smiled, it was better than before.

As Mikail left, Sauron couldn't help but smile as well in all proudness. Mikail has grown a lot from a whole month. He was able to lead the knights once again like he did back then.

'Good luck, Mikail.'

Situated in the heart of the village, a large stone church stood tall. Its walls were once dilapidated, but now it proudly displayed freshly painted white walls and a brand new roof.

Despite the pouring rain, Mikail hurriedly made his way towards the church. From a distance, it may not have looked grand, but it was beautiful in its own way and served its purpose of bringing the community together.

As he stepped inside, the church they once lived in has significantly changed.

He stood in the middle and clasped his hands together in prayer. He could hear the soft whispers of the villagers around him, each expressing their gratitude for the church's newfound grandeur.

As he opened his eyes, it seemed like what he prayed for came true.

"Mikail!"

It was Notoria, dressed in a black gown and veil. With her smile, she was just as beautiful as ever. She quickly rushed towards him and hugged him tightly. In a panic, Mikail quickly reminded her that they were still inside the church.

Shocked, Notoria immediately stepped back, her cheeks reddening with embarrassment. They both laughed, feeling the awkwardness dissipate.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. She then gestured to the children to play without her for a while.

"I just wanted to make sure you're doing well."

Notoria's expression softened. "I'm doing much better now," she said, her gaze flickering briefly to the altar. "Ars would be proud of what we've accomplished here."

Mikail nodded in agreement. Ars had always been passionate about rebuilding the church and bringing the community together, all for her sister's happiness. But his sudden departure had left a void in their lives, but they had soldiered on in his absence.

Mikail scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Well, I guess I also came to see you," he added sheepishly.

Notoria smugged as she leaned in, whispering in Mikail's ears. His eyes widened as she walked away from him with a grin on her face. Safe to say that Notoria has been much better now than before. Before then, she would always wait for Ars to come back every night and day.

***

Mikail walked outside the church, seeing Notoria sitting in the corner of the wall with a mournful expression on her face, staring into the distance. He approached her slowly and draped a large, thick cloth over her back.

Without saying anything, Mikail sat beside her under the cloth, he sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. Feeling relieved, Notoria laid her head on Mikail's shoulders and closed her eyes as well.

Both under the vast grey sky, they shared warmth.

"What would he be doing on a day like this?" Notoria asked in a soft tone, barely above a whisper.

Mikail opened his eyes and snickered. "Even if it pains me to say, Ars has a lot more potential than I do."

Notoria snickered too, "Oh, yeah?" and leaned closer to him.

"Uh-hm. I would consider myself insane right now if I weren't imagining him doing something really dangerous in another kingdom or empire."

"That kid, really..."

"..."

It was quiet again.

"Hey," Notoria suddenly said.

Mikail turned his head to look at her only to be met with a kiss on his lips. They embraced each other warmly, and time seemed to slow down. The sound of the tapping rain and faint thunder in the distance were the only things that filled their world. Eventually, they both fell asleep outside, laying in each other's arms, only to wake up later in the night when it had become very cold.

Time really seems to stretch out and linger, as if the world itself is slowing down to savor the moments shared together.

***

Since the church has been fixed, Notoria has spent most of her days as a lay sister in the church, assisting orphans and others in need.

...

"That's no fun, Juriel! How can you be so good at chess!" Gwen exclaimed as she blundered her queen for the fourth time now.

Sauron chuckled, "It seems like we've got a prodigy here! General Juriel, the youngest war tactician!" It has a ring on it, he thought.

As they had their fun, a knock suddenly interrupted.

"Please, enter." Sauron called out.

A knight entered the room, apologizing for the sudden intrusion as he urgently informed Sauron that someone was too persistent on meeting him that they had forced their way inside by attacking and defying the Winthrope knights. The knights tried to force them out but they were too stubborn to leave and insisted on meeting the new village lord.

"New village lord?!" Sauron jolted from his seat, his annoyance palpable. "There was never a village lord to govern this land to begin with. Only a decadent bastard that forced these people to labor until they fell ill and died!"

"What's going on, grandpa?" Gwen asks. Sauron regained his composure, reassuring that it was nothing special at all to be concerned.

Sauron ordered the knight to look after the kids for the meantime as he handle the matters himself.

As he walked down the stairs, seated on the chair was a man in white cloak but he had his hood took off.

A black cloth tied around his head, covering his eyes. He had two body guards besides him from left to right, armed with large spiked maces.

"The new Lord, I assume?" The man with the cloth spoke, he didn't lift his head. It appeared that he was blind.

"New?" Sauron came to a halt.

The man grinned, sensing the anger emanating from Sauron. The two guards besides him reacted to it as a threat, stepping forward with their weapons.

"Hold it," he spoke sternly. The guards lowered their weapons and exited the room as the man raised his right hand.

"Do you feel more at ease now?" he asked with a tone of concern. "I just simply wished to talk with you," he added.

"What is it that you want?" Sauron asked, his voice displaying a serious undertone.

"I am Arwin Fedora, fifth captain of the Dreadmoor knights. I work under Lord Vernon Sigis, who you'd might as well call the first Lord of this village."