This smol boi must be proteced at all costs!
Darkness. Darkness with eyes watching him. Oroden stared up in horror as what seemed like hundreds of red eyes started to get closer and closer. He found himself shaking in fear under their harsh, hungry gazes. Oroden couldn't move, the fear had him paralized and frozen him to the spot. One of the eyes suddenly lunged for him. Oroden's voice found him.
He screamed and fell backwards, rolling up into a tense ball, waiting to be ripped apart by the things that surround him.
Suddenly the creatures screeched. Oroden opened his eyes that he had squeezed shut to see rays of white light stream down around him.
He looked up to see a figure before him.
They wore glinting silver Shardplate from head to toe. A long, white cloth streamed down from the top of the knight's helm along with a long white cloak. It fluttered in a wind that blew Oroden's hair to the side out of his face. The Shardbearer, held a brilliant Shardblade over their head before the dark creatures. The sword glowed with a blinding white light, making the monsters with red eyes scream in pain. Oroden whimpered softly as he gazed up at the knight before him. The knight turned their head slightly to look over their shoulder at him.
"Don't worry Oroden, I'll protect you." a male voice spoke.
That voice got inside Oroden's soul. It had a gentle, warmth to it.
Immediately, he felt safe.
Suddenly one of the creatures lunged at the knight.
Oroden gasped but the knight suddenly took his sword in both hands and brought the blade down on the creature. The move happened so fast that Oroden didn't have a chance to blink. The monster screamed in pain before puffing away into black smoke that evaporated into the darkness. The knight raised his sword up again in front of him and shifted into a battle stance, staring up toward the rest of the red eyes.
"You. Will. Not. Take. Him!" he cried, some of the eyes started to get smaller and smaller. Others decided to rush the knight all together at once. The knight slashed his Blade to the side, running it through the closet monster. It screamed as it too puffed away. The sword suddenly flashed and a white slash followed it as the knight streaked it up again, slicing another monster. He thrusted the Blade upward at another creature that was lunging at them. The Blade drove itself up through the chest of the beast. It puffed away as it's screams died along with the fumes of smoke rising up into the darkness. The Shardblade flashed again and glowed brighter than ever. Oroden could see the fear and horror in the red eyes that surround him and the knight.
"Close your eyes…" the knight spoke softly then, the sword grew brighter.
Oroden slapped his hands over his eyes and the screaming of the monsters that had tried to kill him grew louder. He could feel the brilliant light intensify, surrounding them, chasing the darkness away. The creatures screeched, scrambling to get away from the light that banished the shadows.
Then suddenly everything was still.
Oroden lay on his side, curled up in a little ball with his eyes closed tightly. The only sound he could hear was his own shallow breathing.
Something gentle suddenly touched his arm.
Oroden jerked, snapping his eyes open and looking up at whatever touched him.
It was the knight.
He was kneeling in front of Oroden with his Shardblade beside him on the ground. The helm still concealed his face from Oroden's view but he could feel gentle, empathetic eyes watching him.
"Shhh...it's okay, their gone…" he murmured, Oroden's eyes darted around to see if that was true. He noticed that they weren't in the dark anymore. Instead they were in a light grey void like space, as if they were surrounded by mist. He looked back at the knight. Up close like this, he seemed to be shorter than an adult. He didn't seem very muscular either. Was he just a boy?
He reached out with a gauntlet hand toward the boy's face. Oroden let the knight take his thumb and gently wipe a tear from his cheek. The hand, even though it was mostly metal, was strangely warm.
Oroden felt more tears trickle down his cheeks. The knight gently pulled him into an embrace, allowing the toddler to clutch tightly to the silver plating of his armour.
"Shhhh, it's alright...I'm right here...and I always will be…" Oroden's whimpers got quieter and quieter and his tears began to dry slowly. The knight gathered the boy up into his arms where he rocked him back and forth. Oroden felt a moment of security, safety. Feeling the knight's soothing hand run through his hair, made him feel protected.
The knight hummed to him softly in a rhythmic tone he had heard his mother hum while she worked. The toddler felt his eyes slowly grow heavier. When he closed his eyes though, it felt like he had been thrust into the darkness again. Oroden snapped his eyes opened again and winced.
The knight was still there.
"It's okay Oroden...go to sleep. I won't let anything happen to you." he said cheerfully, Oroden could feel a reassuring smile underneath that face plate.
He began to rock again and hum his tune softly. Oroden blinked, trying to keep his eyes open but...he was so tired.
"That's it...go to sleep…" the knight murmured, the toddler sighed and smiled.
He was safe.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a dimly lit room around him. He was curled up in blankets and not in the steady arms of an armoured knight. Oroden spotted Hesina doing some needlework beside his sleeping mat. Beside her was his father with his head on her shoulder and sound asleep. Hesina looked from her sewing to Oroden. A relieved smile washed over her face. She set down her needlework and gently poked Lirin. The man stirred and opened his eyes. He looked down at his tiny son and gasped softly. Oroden blinked as his parents situated themselves around them. Hesina placed the back of her hand on his little forehead.
"His fever is gone…" she murmured, Lirin flicked his eyes from her to Oroden.
He felt his son's face too before breathing out softly. Oroden sat up and looked around him.
They were still in the Lord's manor full of refugees from what remained of Hearthstone. Hesina and Lirin were staring at him in awe when he looked back at them. He smiled and extended his chubby hands toward them. They wrapped him up in their arms and held him tightly.