Chronicles of Aetheria

Chapter 1: The Beginning

Chapter 1: The Beginning 

One could begin with the tumultuous sea of swirling crimson clouds or the golden sun reflecting on the blue ocean. One might even begin with the rhythmic whisper of waves retreating and advancing.

He lay on the cold, wet sand, his mind filled with various thoughts and his eyes watery.

He slowly sat up, his head pounding and his body aching. Consciousness fully gripped him, and he then looked around.

“Where am I?” he couldn't help but ponder. He looked up just to see the golden sun almost vanishing from the crimson sky. It didn't look like anything he was familiar with.

He struggled to get to his feet, but before he could stand upright, the waves transferred energy to the ocean, pulling him back to the wet sand.

He groaned heavily and started crawling forward, realizing the sand was different from what he was used to. The sand was white and crystal clear; if one looked closely, one could even see his reflection in it.

But what was he used to?

The more he gazed at the sand, the less he remembered, so he gave up trying to recall and crawled up as swiftly as possible before the waves continued their madness.

As soon as he got far away from the ocean, he sat up with his legs crossed, staring at the ocean. The last thing he recalled was a force pushing him through the middle of the ocean. He had no idea how he ended up here.

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. He sighed heavily and rubbed his palms together as the cold breeze sent chills down his spine.

He had no shirt on, and his black trousers were wet, leaving his body exposed to the cold.

“I need fire,” his voice came almost like a whisper as he tilted his neck, observing his surroundings.

Behind him was a dense forest with large trees standing tall and proud. He was contemplating whether to enter the forest, which felt like a terrible idea, or stay out here, dealing with the cold, when he saw smoke rising between the tall trees.

The cold breeze hit him hard once again, and he didn't think twice before limping into the forest. His feet were sore, and each step he took felt like he was carrying a heavy load.

Slowly and steadily, he arrived at a clearing where he had sensed smoke. There was indeed a fire with a stick forming a cross above it.

He didn't just sit near the fireplace; he brought down the roasted meat from the cross and started devouring it like crazy. He wasn't even bothered by the heat.

The only thing on his mind was that the hot meat would erase the cold from his body. He wasn't concerned about the owner of the meat or the person who set the fire.

Suddenly, a rustling sound from the underbrush broke the silence. The meat hung in his mouth as he quickly jolted up. It then dawned on him that he had been eating mysterious meat and sitting beside a mysterious fire.

His heart pounded heavily as two grotesque figures emerged from the shadows, their features a nightmarish blend of man and beast. They stood before him with eyes glowing dangerously. He remained rooted in his spot, not knowing what to do.

Fear couldn't describe how he felt. He couldn't say if he had seen these creatures before because he couldn't recall anything. But whatever these creatures were, they were up to no good.

“I… I can explain,” he stuttered, thinking that would ease the tension in the air. The duo just stood there, gazing directly at him. Two horns were fixed to their foreheads, and they had two sets of teeth that stopped directly below their noses.

He lost his voice immediately upon seeing how terrifying they looked. The only thing on his mind was to run.

He hadn't taken three steps when a heavy fist crashed on his back, causing the floor to rise up and pull him into a warm embrace.

His reality changed instantly as a fragment of memory pierced through his brain. His vision blurred, and he passed out.

The creatures looked at each other, and one of them approached the unconscious boy.

“It's a black food,” the creature announced, picking the boy up with one hand, causing the body to dangle.

“Throw it away. It might be poison or a trap from those stupid Elves,” the other replied, looking uninterested. “Besides, we just finished devouring the owner of the meat,” he added, heading back into the forest.

“I'll take it to the village; it might fetch a fortune,” the first creature concluded, following his companion with the unconscious boy dangling in his hand.

They arrived at an open space where a carriage was parked beside the road with two other creatures securing it.

“Let's continue our journey so that we'll arrive before nightfall.”

The creature opened the only door in the carriage, constructed with iron, and threw the unconscious boy inside. He gnashed his teeth as his gaze met with that of their captive. Her blue eyes glowed malevolently in the dark.

“Enjoy your ride… Elven,” he said sarcastically. His ear twitched to the sound of chains. She was coming closer, so he quickly shut the door, and the carriage started moving instantly.

“Son of a bitch,” she cursed, banging hard on the roof of the carriage, but it was futile. The carriage was so strong that she would only end up hurting herself.

Realizing this, she slumped heavily on the floor of the carriage, expecting a heavy impact but instead landing on soft skin, followed by a loud groan.

She quickly shifted away, her chains dangling as she rested her back on the wall while the boy slowly sat up, feeling pain all over his body.

“I'm so sorry. I forgot the Trollocs brought another prisoner.”

“Prisoner? Trollocs?” the boy questioned, looking so confused. The way he sounded caused the girl to look directly at him.

“Aargh!” he cried out when he realized her eyes were shining blue.

“Aargh, what?” she asked, looking at him curiously.

“Nothing. Everything's fine,” he assured, drawing himself back to rest his back. Her eyes were still fixed on his face.

“No, it's not,” he said again before she could utter a word. “Why am I being imprisoned by those gruesome creatures, and where are they…” He couldn't complete his speech as the carriage struck a stone, causing them to collide.

“Are you okay?” the boy asked, holding her arms while staring directly into her eyes. She could hear the sound of sympathy in his voice.

“I'm fine,” she replied slowly, still gazing at him. His scent, his tone—they were all strange. She couldn't see him clearly due to the darkness of the carriage.

His cold hands still pressed her arms, and that was when she realized he wasn't chained.

“Can you break this chain?” she asked, stretching out her hands.

“I'm not a blacksmith. How am I supposed to break the chain?” the boy replied, looking at her hands.

“Can't you use magic or something?” she said again while he looked at her confusingly. “Like a skill,” she added, realizing he was lost.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I don't know.”

She scoffed, trying to suppress her anger. “Are you playing with me now?”

“I don't even know you. How can I be playing with a lady I found in a carriage with eyes that shone—”

She didn't let him complete his statement, giving him an uppercut. He coughed out blood instantly and held his chest.

The bone he had mistakenly swallowed was stuck in his throat, causing water to stream from his eyes. He forced his fingers into his throat and dragged the bone out.

“You want another?” she asked, folding her fists, but he shook his head.

“No need for another,” he said, showing her the bone which he intended to use and unlock her chain.