Chapter 1: A Naïve Boy

This boy, Eli is his name, was spending the evening in the same way he always did. He had just eaten dinner with his family, a heap of great-boar steaks with a lovely onion soup, and his belly was more than satisfied. This boy, well, it didn't take much to satisfy him. Sometimes all it took was a simple smile from another and he was happy. This small boy was sat in his room, writing. He would sit at his desk in the evening light, casting a long shadow as he interrupted the sun. He wrote stories, wrote them often. He always had dreams of inspiring others, of making others feel better about themselves. The story he was working on was one that he dreamed up when he learned about knights from a distant land.

He muttered to himself as he wrote, "…and as the mighty warrior rose his hefty blade into the air, preparing to strike the final blow against the monster that plagued his land, his eyes met with the creature's, and they shared a gaze at one another. The warrior saw fear in the monster's eyes, and in the warrior's eyes, the monster saw nothing but… pity. 'Perhaps…' the warrior started as he lowered his blade. '… this need not end in blood shed.'" He always narrated what he wrote, and his little sister, sneaking around the door way, would listen to his every word. Eli always knew she was listening, so he made sure his little sister had a hero to dream about. After a while, the stories became less about Eli's own desires, and more about creating something for his little sister to look up to.

"Katar." Eli called her name as he turned to see her at the doorway. "What did you think?" He asked. "So… the monster didn't die?" Katar asked. She was only six, and didn't understand the more complicated details of the world, so Eli always had to speak in simple terms. Eli was smart, one of the smartest in his primitive village, though he was by no means a genius from the outside world's standards. "No, the warrior let him live." Eli never chose proper names for his characters, thus the reason they were called "The Warrior," and "The Monster." "Why? Didn't the monster hurt people?" "Well, yes, it did, but that wasn't the monster's fault." "What do you mean?" Katar asked, looking at her brother with her deep brown eyes. Her blonde hair shined brightly in the light, a complete contrast to Eli's pitch-black hair, which swallowed up any light.

"The monster was told to hurt people from the moment it was born. It didn't know any better, and so it hurt people." "I don't get it." She said. Eli sighed, then said, "You remember when there was a loose leg on one of the stands at the Farmer's Lane?" "Mhm." Katar said meekly. "You reached for it to pull it out, but you didn't. Do you remember why?" "Because momma said not to because the stand would fall and hurt someone." "That's right. Now, what would you have done if mom told you to instead pull the leg as hard as you could?" "I would have done it." Katar didn't understand why Eli was asking this. "Exactly. The monster was just a child, like you. They were learning things, like you were. The monster was told to hurt people, so they thought it was okay." "Oooh." Katar said, but without any other words, she wandered off, completely disregarding the whole conversation. Eli sighed and said, "Maybe she'll get it when she's older." He turned back to his book and finished the page before going to bed.

The next morning, he woke up right as the sun began to peek over the horizon. It was a day where he didn't have anything to do. He had school, as all young boys did, but today there were no classes. He still woke up early anyway, because he read in one of his school's books that having a strict sleep schedule was important for health, so he always went to bed once the sun had set, and woken up once it rose. It had been this way for him for years. As always, he went into the main room of his home to see what his family was up to. His mother was in the living room, mending a hole in one of Katar's shirts. "Good morning, mom." He said. It was another part of his routine. He often said the same things every day. "Good morning Eli." His mother said in return.

It was the same answer every time. Eli was as used to hearing the same things as he was to saying them. However, he'd get something different this time. "What's new?" Eli asked. He was used to hearing the answer, "Nothing." Sometimes he'd hear about an accident someone else in the village had, but nothing ever serious, and no information other than that. Today, however, he had a different answer. "The Wise One had a vision." His mother said. "What did she see?" Eli asked. He was happy to have something new to talk about. "Something that she wants to talk with you about." Eli was confused, but excited. Something new, for the first time in a long time, was finally happening. "She wants to talk to me?" "Yes. You should go. It's best to not keep her waiting."

With that, Eli left his home and went towards the center of the village, where the Wise One lived. He made sure to grab his wool cap before he left. That cap kept him warm on some very cold nights. It was a gift made by his grandmother that was given to Eli's father, and then passed down to Eli. He wore it everywhere he went, sometimes even believing it to be some kind of token of good luck. He walked out the front door, and as he did every morning, he tripped. It had happened so many times now that he knew how to catch himself. He quickly stuck out his hands, taking a form like one you'd take when doing push-ups. "Nice try." Eli muttered as he got himself up. His hands stung slightly from the pressure of the fall, the blood getting pushed away, turning his palms pale white. He didn't care, really. It had happened so many times that he had gotten used to it. He had the calluses to prove it. He moved on, the stinging subsiding as he did.

He walked through the familiar dirt roads of his home. The many stone homes stood tall and proud above the dirty streets, casting long shadows in the morning light. Eli had walked these streets countless times. It was familiar to him, in every way. He almost memorized every difference of every brick on every house, even after they were changed. The stone homes that littered the village of Eilsar were remnants of something that was lost long ago. People had advanced here, but suddenly regressed, leaving none of their technology behind. Their only remnant was these stone buildings, standing here for ages. His people were happy to have homes, and these homes were happy to have his people. They have given protection to the people of this island for longer than anyone could remember.

Eli turned a corner and came to a much busier street. This was the Farmer's Lane. It was a long street where the farmers set out their crops, allowing people to take some to their homes to prepare morning meals. As Eli walked down the street, many people looked at him, trying not to make it obvious, but Eli knew. Everyone knew who Eli was, but that didn't mean Eli had any friends. In truth, when people looked at Eli, he only noticed looks of spite and fear, so Eli made it a point to never look at them for long, or at all if he can help it. He tries to ignore it as best he can, but it's hard. The walls around Eli's patience had been worn down over the years, as he's had these harsh glares on him for as long as he can remember. People would shift away from the center of the street where Eli was walking whenever he got close, trying not to get anywhere near them. Eli was used to this treatment, everyone avoiding him, but that didn't mean he wasn't hurt by it.

As quickly as he could, without looking any more foreign than he already did, he got out of the Farmer's Lane and into an emptier street. There were still others there, and as Eli passed, he heard their hushed tones, sharing the rumors that had been said about him. Almost all of them true. Eli hated that they were true. Before his anguish could become too much, he rushed to the central building. The men there let him in without question or word. Eli walked in, and inside the familiar glass chamber, stretching high above the ground, was the Wise One. She was sitting on a pillow with a tea set in front of her. "Eli, it's so good to see you!" She said cheerfully. In truth, Eli's family and the Wise One were the only ones to ever treat Eli with any amount of kindness. "O'siyo, Wise One. It's nice to see you as well." Eli said. "Oh, please deary, don't call me by that name, it makes me feel so old!" She hooted. The Wise One was the oldest person in the village, being one hundred and one years old. "Okay, Ms. Amelia." "That's better. Now, sit, have some tea." Amelia gestured toward a tea set on the outside of the glass chamber that was meant for Eli. "You remember how to make it, don't you?" Amelia asked. "Of course." Eli answered.

Eli moved over to the tea set and sat on his knees on the pillow in front of it. Eli began making the tea as Amelia began asking questions. "So, Eli, how is school?" She asked. "Oh, the usual. I have top marks on everything." Eli's focus was mostly spent on the tea set. "Made any friends?" "You know the answer to that." Eli sighed sadly. "It's always polite to ask." Amelia said. "I know… I'm sorry." "That's alright Eli. I know you don't like talking about that. What's got you upset?" Amelia was a polite and kind woman, always taking the feelings of others into consideration. "Well… I went through a crowded street to get here, and I could see them staring at me…" Eli said. "The wound hasn't healed yet, I know. It will take time, but they'll soon remember who was really to blame for that horrendous accident." That didn't really make Eli feel any better, so he just gave her a solemn nod. At that point, Eli had finished making his cup of tea. He brought it up and took a sip. Eli was never great at making tea, but this time it was spot on. It was good enough for him to actually crack a smile.

Now that his mind wasn't busy with the task of making tea, Eli remembered why he came here in the first place. "Oh, Ms. Amelia. Why did you want me to come here?" He asked her. "Yes… it would be best if we got to that." Amelia said as she set down her cup of tea. She got a more serious look on her face, and it sent a chill down Eli's spine. "Eli…" She started, sending another chill through the boy. "do you remember what your life-long dream was?" She asked. "Of course… I want to free everyone. I want to get rid of their Shades." "Indeed… and how many times have you tried?" "More than I can count… plus, I don't think my attempts would have ever worked… I used stuff like sticks, stones and prayers." Eli said, getting a little upset as he thought back on all of his failed attempts. "I believe there may be a way after all." Amelia said.

Eli sat straight up, no longer having the look of grief on his face. Instead, he looked on in anticipation. "What!? What is it!?" Eli asked ecstatically. "I had a vision, and in this vision, I saw a band of powerful creatures. In a land to the distant south, these creatures have taken over an empire, and are slowly expanding." "What are they?" "I'm not sure, but all I know is that they are incredibly powerful… they possess the same abilities that our ancestors did, before the curse." Eli's breathing got shaky, his mind racing at the implications. "You think… they're strong enough to lift the curse?" Eli asked. "Perhaps… but there is only one way to find out." "What must be done?" Eli was ready to do anything.

Ever since the incident, it has been Eli's dream, or rather his duty to lift the curse on his people. He knew it would be the only way that people would accept him, and forgive him for what happened. "You must travel to the southern-most point of this island. It is there that a boat will be waiting for you. Tell them I sent you, and they'll help you in any way they can." Amelia said. She pointed at the tea set in front of Eli. "Under the cloth on your table is a map. Your destination is marked in red." She added. Eli took out the map and looked at it. It was a map of the known world. There was one continent with a red circle drawn on it. "Okay… won't it take a while to get through the island and to the boat?" Eli asked. "Not if you go straight through." The safer route to get to the other side of the island was to go around its coast. Nobody ever dared to go straight through the middle. "What!? But… what about the Deadlands?" Eli asked.

He was afraid of that place. Everyone was afraid of that place. It was a barren place, where nothing grows, and everything dies. "Going through it is the only way. You will have to be courageous." Amelia said. "I…" Eli was having second thoughts. "You must. It's the only way to lift the curse." "Alright… alright, I'll do it!" Eli said with a renewed confidence. "Good… now, you must know that you have to go alone." "I… I see." "Pack for a long journey. It should take maybe a day or two for you to get there." "Yes ma'am." Eli tucked away the map into his pocket. He got up to leave, but Amelia stopped him. "There is something I must warn you about." She said. Eli turned to her and listened. "There are many ways that you could die on this journey. Nobody would blame you if you decided to give up and go home."

Eli thought about this for a moment, but only a moment. He shook his head and smiled before saying, "There's no way. I'll see this through to the end. Besides, it'll be fun getting to see new things." He gave her a confident smile. Amelia nodded and said, "I expected no less. Still though, I will tell you this: you will come to a path between two dead trees. That is the point of no return. Once you go past those trees, there is no turning back." "I understand." "Also, you should know that these creatures that you are going to find are not peaceful. They are dangerous, and they do not trust humans. It will take some convincing to get them to help you." "Okay… what do I say?" Eli asked.

He wasn't very independent. Eli often needed direction, otherwise he'd feel lost and confused. "You know I can't tell you that." There was only one rule about Amelia's visions: you cannot ask for the finer details. If you knew the future, then it would change, without a doubt. "Right… I think I should prepare now." Eli said. Amelia nodded and said, "Good luck, Eli. Your people are counting on you, even if they don't know it yet." Eli gave her a nod then left.

Eli went home to tell his family the news. They were worried, as any family would be, but they understood, and they knew they couldn't convince Eli not to go. Eli packed some things: food, spare clothes, things you'd need for a journey. Him and his family went to the edge of the village. He looked down the long stone steps leading down into the forest surrounding the burrowed-out mountain that his people called home. He turned to his mother, being met with a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you Eli. Please, come home safely." She said. "I will mom, I promise." Eli said. His mother let go and brought out a metal cylinder.

It took Eli a moment to remember what it was called. "That's, uh… a thermos." He said. They were hard to come by, and normally reserved for the hunters of the village to keep food fresh on long journeys. "Yes. My onion soup is in it. Give it to those creatures as an offering." She said as she handed it to Eli. "Thank you." Eli turned to his father. "Son… be careful out there." He said. Eli's father was a man of few words, but what few things he said meant more than anything. Eli gave him a confident nod.

Eli got on one knee so he could be on eye level with his little sister. "When are you going to get back?" Katar asked. "When I find a way to lift the curse on our people." Eli said. "When will that be?" "I don't know, but I promise, as soon as I find a way to help everyone, I'll rush back here as fast as I can." "Okay…" Katar said. Eli gave her a hug goodbye then started walking away from the village. He paused half-way down the stairs and looked up to his family. They waved at each other one final time before Eli vanished into the forest.

Eli trekked through the forest, listening to the leaves crunch underneath his boots, and the birds chirping above him. Eli was, of course, afraid of this journey. He had never gone far from home, the furthest he had ever gone was the edge of the forest to help his father with a few traps and to hunt. Now that Eli had gone a good distance into the forest, and felt the coolness of the shade, seeing no signs of any danger, he felt much more confident. "Well… this isn't so bad." Eli said, walking at a faster pace. "Yeah, this is fine… I bet we'll be there in no time." Eli was beginning to gain more confidence. He kept moving, but as he usually did, he tripped, causing Eli to fall over. Unfortunately for Eli, there was a large hole in the path he was falling. He fell in, instantly being engulfed by darkness.