Overcast and gloomy, cruel winds cuts at one's skin with the unforgiving chill.
Howling, an impending snow storm blots out the sun, grayish snow filled the sky, and a gradually whitening field.
The same time the previous year, the pair bid farewell to a father that never returned. All their father left with them was a parchment detailing the code of arm, code of the Steinhertz family.
It was said their father had fought bravely to the very end, he volunteered with a small group to hold the ground so the others can escape. During the brief periods of peace time that followed, many people had retraced the route taken but could neither recover his corpse nor determine if he lived.
He was pronounced dead afterwards, trackers decided he may have been killed in the standoff and his corpse dragged away and eaten by scavengers. To some He was called a hero by many, but to the Steinhertz that came at far too high a cost, the news broke their mother's will and she never recovered. As if the lost of her husband wasn't bad enough, numerous tragedies occurred among those that tried to help the family and the widow of Steinhertz was shunned. Rumors of curses plaguing the Steinhertz rapidly spread within Vögelsberg and soon enough the family was driven from their home, and the widow reviled as a witch that bewitched and killed men.
The war ended soon afterwards with a peace treaty peace however was short lived.
Strife within the court destabilized the monarchy and an uprising followed. A disgruntled young man, nephew of the old king usurped the throne. With the old king cast aside, the new king terrorized his people, imposing high taxes and had his personal army take whatever they wanted by force.
It wasn't long before his coffers are drained and he turned his sights on his neighbor. Raids on fringe villages outside borders soon escalated to full scale war. with the treaty was broken, Löweburg declared war and the foolish new king, inexperienced and naive readily agreed. Wanting to show off, the fool lead a small party ahead of the main force of his army and was promptly unsaddled by an arrow in his chest. Power was returned to the old king in an odd turn of events and the worn monarch held off Löweburg with what Vögelsberg had.
The older of the two sons, Hansan just turned 15, had been drafted into the army under the guise of Duran, distant relative to the steinhertz in order to join the war. Years of war ensued and Hansan's valor in battle earned him the recognition for his contributions, as such he rose quickly within the ranks and within a year of induction to the army he was already a commander of his company of men As years passed his skill with the sword and calculated strategies earned him much respect of both friends and foes alike, he was known as Duran of Vögelsberg,
"Take care of mother", Duran tapped the shoulder of his younger brother who was in tears.
Duran was getting ready for a final showdown with Löweburg, their accumulated forces easily 25 times the amount of Vögelsberg. As word had gone around Löweburg had employed the aid of it's neighbors in light of it's multiple loses where it had not regarded Vögelsberg as a threat before, but now was bent on crushing Vögelsberg in a single concentrated strike.
"Please come back alive, be safe".
Duran was silent. He would not make a promise he cannot be sure to keep.
He nodded and turned, as he walked away until he was lost in sight in the storm.
That was the last Timo seen his brother.
A clap of thunder drowning out the howling of winds only briefly, the rumbling of the storm grew in intensity as the eye of the storm approaches.
Timo sprung off his bed, startled by the sonic boom, his hair clammy from perspiration while he had slept.
"Are you ok?" Yari asked in concern.
"I am fine, dreamt of that day again, the day I bid farewell to my brother Hansan" Timo clarified.
" you have been having the same dream for years, perhaps it is time you pay a visit to your homeland. Your brother may still be alive and had returned there waiting for you." Yari suggested.
Timo shook his head, "He is dead, Thomas, our best friend confirmed it when I asked him after he returned from the war."
"there was a huge explosion and he was gone. After the explosion, there were debris everywhere, but no sign of Duran" "Those were the exact words from Thomas's mouth."
Yari signed. "The dream should have some meaning. You would not be having the same dream over and over for no reason. It must be trying to tell you something."
"But what is it trying to tell me? That my brother is alive and I should try looking for him?"
"Thomas has said that he is certain my brother had died in that explosion, that no one can survive that blast, I have no reason to doubt him" Timo reasoned. "Although every bit of me is yearning for him to be alive."
A flash of lightning lit the room for a brief moment and a frightened woman cringed, bracing herself for the roar of the rolling thunder. And the sound of thunder came as expected, the woman had withstood it's deafening boom.
Timo came forward and gently stroked her face, then brought a candle stick he had lit closer for inspection of the trembling woman.
Sharon can barely hold back from screaming, though it would not really matter.
A ball of cloth was stuffed into her mouth to stifle her screams when she was taken, with her wrists bound behind her she cannot remove the gag, much less push away a wide eyed Timo, his bloodshot eyes scaring her even more the the dark room she was held captive in.
As Timo went on rambling about his brother and how he was dead, Sharon managed a muffled response.
"Yes Yari I know, I should go back home sometime. Brother may still be alive….. Dead…. No he is dead, all dead… DEAD I TELL YOU, STOP TRYING TO TELL ME HE IS ALIVE!"
Timo clutches his head in agony as he struggles with some ominous force, his face contorts as he lets out a series of screams which almost sounded like some wild animal.
Several moments later he seemingly calms, and returns to Sharon whom have seen him go through the seizures.
Timo turned Sharon to him and spoke in more measured tones "Thomas told me, he is dead, Thomas will not lie to me."
Something appears to call to Timo as he nods to himself in agreement, and Sharon slides out of his hands onto the cold stone floor. With new found purpose, Timo leaves the cell he sleeps in and locks it as he exits, holding Sharon captive within.
A scream echoes from the far reaches of the pitch black corridors as Timo walks on, oblivious of his surroundings.
why Hanson, why, why wouldn't you stay dead! " Timo bit his teeth " why did you leave...it's all your fault" His grew more angry. " now I have to kill you! " his eyes now a growing red.
A thunder roared as he recalled trusting the knife into his mother heart. Narrowly missed, and as his mother cried in pain, or was it sorrow. He stabs viciously a second, a third, and continued stabbing until his shirt was red with the blood from his mother, before leaving her lifeless body in a pool of blood.
Rain came pouring down, just like that wretched day. The town folks must be satisfied that the witch was finally dead, & disperse in mostly silence as the rain came pouring, filling the town center pavement in red.
" you would have done the same would you, big brother, I know you would!" "But you didn't and I did!"
"The evil Timo that killed his own mother, they will called me" " the same bastard that demanded me to kill her to prove I am not a accomplice" his pale face resembling the recently deceased, timo's crazed eyes scanned the skies as he screamed out. " they all deserved to die, all of them"