Present time
Before they headed back for their base, Nio healed the wounded. There were a lot of them. He
ordered them to be left on the battlefield and healed them all in one fell swoop. Friends andfoes alike. He didn’t have much experience with healing and life magic, but he instinctivelyknew what to do. His exercise in the hidden valley taught him so much about synergy that hefelt that the smaller elements were just toys for children. He reached out and established abalance in each of them. It was that simple. Lately, it seemed to him that he was looking moreand more with his mind, not his eyes. Everything around him was just energy. Like when youtry to make out the trees in the distance from the bottom of a waterfall. Due to the sheeramount of water you can’t actually see the trees, just the shapes. Still, you know they're there.And you know what they look like. The shPresent timeThe rain outside his window embraced the world in a blurred mist. Thousands of lost souls pouring their tears onto the land, crying for a way back. Just like him.Grabbing the worn grey cloak from the bed, Nio headed for the door and descended the narrow wooden stairs.It was early morning and yet the central room of the inn was still full of people. Old, half-rotten beams creaked and squeaked menacingly but no one seemed to mind. Smoke clouds drifted through the room like ripped and torn patches of fog.Nio headed for the nearest empty table, but before he could reach it a small woman slammed into him and a pair of pleading eyes looked up just as an empty jug flew through the air, aiming for her head.The small creature was a goblin, no
Velas and Malfer, a long time agoOnce upon a time Velas was a land like any other land in Raal. The sun would rise in the south and lazily crawl to the north. And once the ever-fierce globe disappeared beneath the tall north mountains, lush green forests all over Velas would wake up from their slumber, growing and giving life.On sapphire coloured meadows the proud elf cities stood, tall and beautiful. Almost as beautiful as their builders. Almost. Few were brave enough to set out into elven lands. For thousands of years they thrived, while their might and hardened silver weapons repelled all invaders.Then came the disease. The bright-eyed silver-skinned warriors turned into bloodthirsty monsters. Almost a third of the population succumbed to this new illness. The monsters hid in the dark and waited for night in search of their next meal. They were hunted at every turn, but it wasn’t enough. Nights became a source of fear, menacing and u
Present timeHe had the same nightmare again. He was falling. The sky grew smaller and smaller until only darkness remained. And somewhere in the distance, he heard her voice. And her laughter. Nio opened his eyes. The bitterness in him receded and the echo of Thea's laughter grew quieter and quieter. His thoughts turned to Teria'n. The very thought of him made him growl with hatred. He took a deep breath to calm himself and smelling roasted meat he turned his head."I hear your stomach from here": Shieena said smiling.A big rabbit was roasting on the fire and the woman cut a piece and handed it to him. While Nio was eating, the little goblin took the rest of the rabbit off the stick and cut it. She divided the meat into two parts using large fleshy leaves as plates, took a smaller part to herself, and laid the rest in front of the elf."How did you get the slingshot? Considering you were a prisoner.": Nio asked curiously."The sl
Canestor and Zanestor, a long time agoWest of Velas lay the most inhospitable land in Raal. Canestor, the rocky land. Canestor was a harsh country, devoid of most life. The only thing that was in abundance there were rocks, from small piles of polished grey stones to gigantic razor-sharp mountains. The sparse tufts of sickly grey grass made the whole land look even gloomier.Yet, as in all things in life, nature found perfect tenants. Trolls. They were huge creatures with thick grey skin that you could easily mistake for a stone and with big shiny diamond shaped eyes. They looked scary, and yet there was some inexplicable beauty in them. But the trolls were not the only inhabitants of Canestor. Deep underground there were whole cities decorated with gold and jewels, cities of the dwarves.Dwarves, a short, hardened race of warriors and builders who dug tunnels deep in the bowels of the earth in search of precious metals and gems,
Present timeThe man they rescued was large, broad-shouldered and muscular. His fists were twice the size of Nio's, his hair long and curly, the colour of copper. He was shorter than Nio, but most races were shorter than elves. His skin was very dark. The only people in Raal who were so dark came from the south of Malfer.Nio decided to play a guessing game. When he was younger, he was very good at it. Maybe a soldier? No, human soldiers could not develop such muscles, especially because they spent half their time drinking and whoring. Builder? Perhaps, but still, the strength of the upper body was not consistent with hauling materials and spending most of their day hanging from scaffoldings. No. Someone who had enough money for food and used his hands all day. Blacksmith? Yes, the man was probably a blacksmith. And a very good blacksmith judging by his nutrition. If he was not as well fed as he was, he would have died in that cave with t
The age of magicIt is not known how the elves got their knowledge of magic from demons. Even today, it was a closely guarded secret. But there was one thing that everyone in Raal knew. To be able to control magic, you had to have the spark. Without it, magic was as useful as a wooden sword.The first school of magic was founded on the outskirts of Veltas, the capital of the elves. In those days, when the vampire disease had already spread throughout Velas, it was not difficult to find an abandoned estate. Entire families were slaughtered by their own kin who turned into beasts and fed on them, or were executed by the elven guard for helping the monsters they still considered family. One of the largest empty estates was converted into an academy for future sorcerers.Across the country, children and adults were tested for the spark and sent to the academy. The spark did not discriminate. High-born elves, low-born elves, elven women, elven men. A
Present timeThe front door opened and a tall slender woman stepped outside. Lady Dal, Teria’ns mother, stood in front of the door looking incredulously at Nio."You, you are alive. We all thought ... But how can this be? Nio? Oh ancestors, I don't understand ": the woman muttered."Hello aunt Dienna": Nio said coldly."Would you tell Teria'n to come out and play with me?": Nio almost spat out his cousin's name.Dienna replied: “Nio, please, we know what they did to you, but please, he is your cousin. Please come inside and everything will be fine! We will solve everything. We will nurture you back to health."Nio bared his teeth in a crooked smile and said: “Everything is going to be okay? Okay?! They sent me to hell! But I brought hell back with me. And today Teria'n will feel that hell. If he comes out, I promise no one else will be hurt. Otherwise I will destroy you all. Your choice. His c
Nio’s storyNio's mother Vina was a noblewoman. The Dal House has stood proud for thousands of years. They ruled over the utmost southern region of Velas. The household at the time consisted of Vina's father and her brother Kontar. Everyone knew that young lord Dal would one day take his father's place on the high council. The Dal House was one of the few houses that retained its power after the vampire plague.When the most powerful sorcerers in the country replaced the high council, the nobility was pushed aside. They were still aristocracy and had vast estates all over Velas, at least those not killed by the vampire scourge, but their grip over elven present and future was no more. The new high council now had seven members instead of thirteen. And of those old thirteen seats, only two families managed to hold on to it. The house of Dal from the south and the house of Sif from the northwest.Unlike the rest of the nobility