C A T A N I S — R I T O R ÁY I L L I U S’ T A V E R NThe night was a busy one in ritorà, especially In a place like this. Yilius’ Tavern was extremely loud this night, nothing close to the usual. It amazed even Yilius himself. He was so surprised that many customers were still patronizing him even till that time of the night. The night was also not young at this time, Yillius stood behind his counter, letting his eyes wander as he takes note of all the customers that were present. All of the regular ones were present, and he also saw faces that were not that familiar. They were a couple of new faces there, and he knew from that moment that his business was indeed flourishing. He brought out his pouch and pulled it open, what caught his eyes brought a huge smile upon his face. There were lots and lots of money, in fact, he had not made such an amount in months. To him, it was definitely the best day of his life that year. He closed his eyes and took time to smell the coins afte
. . . . . . . . . .R I T O R À. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A L D É R I S’ H O U S E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The sound of the cockcrow from a distance hit Isher's ears and his eyes opened. His eyes first met the wall that was staring back at him, and when he turned around, he saw Zyra sitting beside him on the bed. Zyra smiled at him, and it gladdened his heart to be showered with so much love. He had missed all of these as a boy, because Castar was always there to steal it from him, but now he was a grown man, and even at this, it still brought smile to his face. The smile on his face ceased after a thought came to him. The love was there, he was getting everything he ever wanted —everything that had ever made him jealous— but he was not fulfilled. Zyra noticed how fast the smile on Isher's face ceased, and she was surprised —wondering of she did something wrong. Isher's attention was drawn from her and his eyes wander
In Northland was Cresva; in Cresva was a great wilderness, and in that wilderness was a region known as the Pit.A place that housed a tribe, the tribe of Kranía. Not a single member was different, they all seemed to have common interests. They all had an inscription on their foreheads that read "Kutagi". The sign stood for the act of defying the laws of nature, written in their own dialect: Kraì. No one, not a soul in the entire land, could understand or speak the Kraì dialect, except the natives of the Kranìa tribe.There was something else usually added to the inscription, not added, but drawn just below it. It was the tribal mark, carved on the forehead. A skull covered in flames, but without a close look, one might think it was just a representation of flames.They were not from Cresva. No one knew their true origins-not even they themselves-but they were thought to be descendants of immigrants from Kin Hill-of those who had been banished for their wickedness long ago, when men s
"A peaceful night is one that passes in a blink of an eye."So long after the mysterious disappearance and extinction of the Kranians, men, women and children had enjoyed their days on Earth, but like a peaceful night, perhaps this one too would pass in the blink of an eye. The cannibals were gone and they could only worry about little things. Death had not stopped, but the causes were only natural and not forced by the brutal creatures of the north.Twenty-five years had passed, but not much had changed. The topography of the land had remained the same, the old structures still standing. Most of the vegetation was still as if it were only a day old.Cresva, as a village, had been their residence since they were discovered. The wilderness of Cresva then comprised steep slopes that fell away from several mountains and hills that surrounded it - creating a lowland with a rugged topography at its centre that was filled with dirt and moisture.After the Kraníans disappeared, the people mo
THE BORDER BETWEEN CATANIS AND RITORÀ [THE BANK OF RIVER FÚLIN] The rooster had just crowed. Customers were pouring into Yilius' tavern. These were men who had no good plans for the day. To be in a tavern at this time of the day left no good impression. The first one to enter was already drunk wherever he had come from. It seemed as if he wanted to be completely knocked out by Yilius' strong wine. He had definitely had too much to drink already, but maybe he just was not satisfied yet. He trudged to the wide counter where he saw the owner of the tavern. He was dressed like a bounty hunter, even if he was not. He was bald, the tallest man in the tavern, and his back was riddled with massive muscles. There was a dagger in his belt, and a coiled rope hung from the other side. He wore thick black boots that made him at least 3 inches taller. He tapped on the counter where Yilius lay, and the latter opened his eyes, startled. Yilius was shocked to see such a huge figure leaning over him
The sun shone over all the lands in the west. The wind whistled over the mountain top. There stood Alderis' house, basking under the sun and on the top of the terraced mountain. Other houses that surrounded the mountain were all basking in its shade. Its top was wide enough, and well levelled to accommodate a house as big as Aldéris’ house. There were six rooms in all. The living room was small. There were a few armchairs that stood, with no table to cling to. It was the least useful part of the house, as it was used to receive visitors. And for those who had fewer guests, like Aldéris' family, it hardly came into use. Part of what made the house seem large was the four bedrooms and dining room it had. Isher pulled aside the curtain and stepped outside. The sun shone, blinding him. He stroked his eyelids as he walked to the backyard. The sound of a blade driving through thick wood reached his ears, and he sighed. He knew Castar went out so early to fetch more wood. He wondered why
Everywhere in the village, of Ritorà torches were lit in the houses. The children would run around in the moonlight and chase fireflies. Even if the night was cold, they would have played in the rain and their parents would have run after them, but since it rained all evening, that might have changed the normal routine. It was night; the rain had not stopped since sunset, people had retired from work to warm themselves by the fire in the hearth at their homes. Aldéris' house was no different. "Malak!" "Malak!" A voice called out to him. He could see nothing. All he saw was darkness, darkness in its entirety. It was nothingness. He could neither feel, nor see, nor speak. All of his senses were called to rest except for one, which allowed him to listen and understand. He could hear only one voice, that one voice called to him in a strange dialect. "Malak!" it called to him, echoing through the endless darkness. The voice of a middle-aged man, cold, raspy, and deep enough to make one
A night had just passed. It was the time that lay between night and day. The sky was pale blue and interspersed with grey clouds. The very thick clouds that covered the sky made the land appear darkened. It was not too dark to speak of night, but dark enough to make out the horizon dimly. The grasses were still damp, and the cold wind that came with last night's rain whistled through the tips of the grasses in the wilderness. The stifling silence made it possible to hear the whistling wind better as it travelled all the way from west to north. People hardly crossed into that area. They thought it to be dangerous based on its history. In the north country the reliefs were predominant, and among the great variety there was one that stood highest of all. It lay far beyond all lands in the north. In a wilderness that lay far to the north. This wilderness had long been isolated from man, and even after the disappearance of the Kranians, man had refused to occupy the land, as the wolves ha