“In my long life. I have been asked many questions, what was my first kill? who was the greatest foe I have ever faced? And the question most relevant to this part of the tale, what has scared me the most, what monument has filled my heart with such dread. (Outside of women) I would say the most terrifying experience I ever had, one that still hunts my dreams and nightmares to this every day. Is the city of Zarbar, the capital city of the ancient and long lost Zarbarian Empire. Nothing at the time could prepare me for the absolute horrors that awaited me within the city’s walls. Eilis and the myriads of other fools who entered the city, had no clue what they were dealing with or could even comprehended the amount of danger they brought upon themselves, or to the world at large. If it wasn’t for the actions of Tharos I don’t think I would be standing here alive or anyone else for that matter.” Excerpt From the memoirs of Cenric Dellcreek, The Illuminator, First King of Aria. Transcribed and Written By the chronicler Eadig the wise.
It was a clear and frigid winter night, with a crisp wind blowing sharply though the sand dunes. along with a bright Crescent moon and several shining stars that lit up the night sky. It was quiet almost too quiet, like the calm before the storm. And to the more observant members of the audience such a calm night was clearly a deceptive prelude, for the events that were about to unfold. The stage was all set, the actors had all been gathered and assembled, all that was required of them was for them to play out their preordained role. In the stage that was life. However unknown to the main orchestrator of these events whose millennia long plan was about to come to fruition, to the actors who came seeking fame and fortune to better themselves, only to find themselves an early grave, and to the audience who waited by on fainted breath for the show to start. There was a wild card, a wild card that was still in play.
The camp was alive and abuzz with activity, The sounds of music and merry making echoed throughout the camp like a rambunctious chorus. Drums booming, lungs and throats set ablaze with roaring laugher and song. The strong smell of alcohol, roasted meat and vegetables wafted through the air. Enticing and inflaming the appetites of all who wondered nearby. Sitting in the corner at the edge of the camp seemingly unaffected by the festive atmosphere, slowly nibbling on a piece of meat, with a small cup of water to wash it down, by a small fire was Cenric.
Despite the rowdy atmosphere, an atmosphere that even slaves like him were allowed to partake in, in a rare act of compassion from Eilis or calculated act to raise morale and help prevent mutiny among his men. Regardless of the reason he couldn’t relax. Staring off at the city walls and the buildings beyond it, he felt a sense of unease and dread that he couldn’t shake off nor explain. There was just something about this city that unsettled him deeply, yet at the same time he couldn’t help but admire its beauty. Even in its dilapidated state it had a grand Majesty to it, that he never seen before. Even in the various city’s he passed by during this expedition or pictures he saw in books at the village elder house. None of those cities he passed could equal even a fraction, of the marvel that was this city.
“I wonder what kind of people lived here, what happened to them, and how did they make such wonders?”
These where the questions that flooded Cenric mind, he couldn’t help but be curious. As he had never seen anything like this before, a part of him felt excited to be here, however the feelings of dread, unease and his current situation put a damper on such positive feelings. Cenric wasn’t here by his own free will nor was he here as a heroic adventurer exploring the unknown for fame, glory or riches. He was a lowly slave, property to be bartered and traded at the whim of his betters. The only reason he was even brought by Eilis in the first place was partly due to his Southern wilder background, as his people were known for their resilience, vigor and size compared to the other races of man. As such they were highly valued in the slave trade as bodyguards and laborer’s.
However, the main reason why he was purchased was because of his pretty green eyes. Which was a comment he would get on a regular basis, to the point it where it could irritate him. back in his home village of Dellcreek. his friend Estrid when they were younger would always comment on how pretty his eyes where, she would always equate his eyes to sparkling emerald gems, and on how she wishes she could puck out his eyes and wear them like jewelry upon her breast. Luckily for him, she stopped such comments a few years ago, even though she would find new to irritate him, such as always trying to hold his hand whenever they would play together or how she would start to lean up against him when they would eat together. However regardless of how annoying she was Cenric couldn’t help but miss her.
“I hope she, ok?”
As he let that thought sink on all he has lost, Cenric feels a hand clasp on his shoulder. As he turns his head around in shock, he sees Torag, who face is slightly red and flushed, his breath smelling of mead. He seemed happy, happier than Cenric had ever seen him before.
“Hay, why the long face kid. “
He slurs out drunkenly
“Yah I am fine. “
Cenric says while he mournfully stares into his cup of water.
As Torag starts to sit down next to him, Cenric notices his movements were slow and clumsy.
“ Look Cenric.”
Torag says as he takes a deep breath. To briefly clear his head from the mental haze the mead had on his mind.
“ Learn to enjoy these small moments of happiness while they last. Because they won’t come often in a life like ours. ”
“I know that I know that very well. But this place there just something off about it, it doesn’t feel ….”
Torag stops him mid-sentence.
“ it’s just your nerves kid, don’t worry about it just re…”
Cenric turns and sees Torag sump onto the ground.
“zzzzzz”
Cenric sighs and grabs on of the lose cloaks on the ground and places over Torag.
“ Looks like he drank too much.“
Out of the all the slaves that Elias owned Torag was the one that Cenric could call a friend, or the closest one could get to a friend in circumstances such as his. However, he was surprised that out of all people he would get along with the most was thundering death Torag of all people. A man who once set entire town blaze for defying his will, a man who crushed an ogre head with his bare hands, a man who once successfully besieged the capital city of the former Invictus empire. this was the same man, the same man who was now sleeping on the ground in a drunken stupor, and Cenric couldn’t believe it that it was the same man who did all those things and more, was also the same man who now was a tried old man who better years had left him a long time ago. Maybe it was old age or perhaps the most likely was having your ambitions crushed as ruthlessly as Torag was, that made him like that. Even though Cenric felt that in some way that Torag deserved his current fate, he couldn’t help at the same time feel somewhat sad for him, and while he didn’t understand Torag ambition and others like him. he did have a small amount of respect towards it. But Torag was right despite his misgivings he should enjoy what little fragments of happiness he can get, however were said fragments of happiness only just that, only hollow fragments. temporary illusions, distractions stopping one from reaching true happiness. That was a question Cenric wondered to himself. Sure, Torag was happy now, but the next day he would be the same as he always was. The same depressed old man, a shell of a former self. That walked through the world, not by his own will or desire but at the will and desire of other people. For such a person such as Torag it was a fate worse than death. and that was how Eilis liked it. Eilis loved taking strong people and breaking them, grinding them down until they were nothing but empty husks of their former self, with his latest pet project most likely being Rayner.
“Is that how I will end up?”
Cenric shakes his head at that thought, he couldn’t let himself wallow in despair. As he stared into the fire, stretching out his hands to warm his fingers, which at this point had grown had gone completely cold and numb, due the freezing winds that blew though the camp. However, as he is about to get comfortable at the conner of his eye Cenric noticed something. He saw movement at the edge of the camp. As he turned his head slightly in the direction of the movement, he spotted for exactly a few seconds what looked like a hooded and cloaked figure walking around the edge of the camp and then walk out of view behind some tents. While he didn’t get a clear look at the figure in question, due to the low lighting. the way this person moved was unnatural, there was something unearthly about them. a quality that Cenric has never seen before on anyone who was supposed to be on this expedition.
Cenric started to rub his eyes in disbelief, was he seeing things. perhaps it was nothing, just a figment of his imagination. No, he knew that he saw someone. Gathering up all his courage. Cenric would get up slowly and would begin to walk quietly in the direction he saw the figure. His heart was racing, and he could feel the blood rushing though his veins. As he turned the conner and looked behind the tent the figure walked past. He sees the end of a tattered cloak entering one of the other tents. Cenric would creep slowly towards the tent, his heart felt is about to burst from his chest. As he was about to poke his head though the tent door. He wasn’t doing this because he wanted some sort of recognition by his enslavers, he wasn’t doing this to prove his bravery and courage in the face of the unknown. No, he was doing this for vindication. It was to prove to himself that the feelings that were eating away at the pit of his stomach wasn’t just his mind playing tricks on him or just his imagination.
No, it was this city, this city alone that brought him such feelings of dread. Cenric took a deep breath and then slowly poked his head though the entrance way of the tent, and as the inside of the tent came into view. To his shock he saw nothing. His heart went still for a monument as his green eyes darted back and forth in the tent, his ears trying to pick up the slightest sound. There was nobody there, there was nobody in the tent aside from him poking his head though the entrance way. he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Perhaps it was just my imagination Afterall.”
Cenric would slowly make his way back to the campfire and start to tuck in for the night. With the warm fire, and the sounds of partying and Torag snores to keep him company as he slowly drifts off asleep. He was relieved that it was nothing after all, and that these feelings where nothing to be worried about. However, at the same time a part of him felt disappointed by the fact that it was nothing after all. Cenric would start close his eyes and drift off to sleep. Until he would be woken up suddenly by the sounds of loud shouting and screaming. Cenric would jolt wide awake, just in time to hear these words as they echo though out the camp.
“Cuthfrith has been Murdered!”
Upon hearing these words Cenric couldn’t believe it at first. He thought like many others that it was just an accident, or a drunken brawl gone wrong. However, as the hours and days passed by and more information became available, it became more and more apparent to Cenric that no one truly knew what happened that night, as Cuthfrith wasn’t the only person who had been killed that night, several of Eilis personal soldiers, and a few mercenaries had also been killed. Eilis for his part was furious that someone or something could his camp, slay his men and leave without anyone being the wiser, however the rest of camp there this air of pensiveness that was uncharacteristic of the enthusiastic character they once held before.
However, Cenric knew for certainty now more than ever, that it wasn’t all his imagination, he saw someone, someone who shouldn’t have been there that night. Perhaps this place might not be as abandoned as everyone else first thought, the city dilapidated appearance merely an act to lure in the foolhardy or greedy to their doom. However, there was a new feeling welling up from inside of him. That this was only the beginning. The beginning of what, however, was the question.
