Chapter 5: Lord Verion

It's been 5 years since the day Grey met Verion. And although the two had their differences, Grey held an esteemed admiration for him, and vice versa. After their initial encounter Verion decided, after seeing Grey totally lost and confused that it would be best to take him under his wing, and raise him as one of his own. So that's exactly what Verion did. He grew closer to Grey. He brought him into his home, and fed him. He introduced him to the villagers of the town, and let him play and train with the soldiers under his command. But Verion wasn't just a peaceable presence for Grey, he was also a very stern and demanding parental figure. He made Grey handle various chores and tasks, and forced him to train with a sword and workout.

Grey, although forced to do many different things, wasn't averse to any of this. He was overly thankful that he had been blessed with the opportunity and chance to have another life. Grey wasn't particularly fond of his previous life, (other than his mother and grandfather) so the transition from the brutal culture of the Nightshades to the casual regiment of typical humans was a welcoming gift to Grey. He enjoyed the different tasks Verion gave to him. He saw purpose in all that he did.

Grey wasn't just close to Verion, but to all of the villagers in Verion's village. When he had initially entered the town, he was amazed. Compared to the quaint village by the rhine, the immaculate beauty of Verion's city left him speechless. The town was called Quetzal, and it lied on the outer banks of the kingdom of Avalion. It was a mercantile town full of life and vigor. The actual city was built on the lower half of a mountain, but the land had been terraformed to create a sort of plateau that the city was built within. The city had giant fortified marble walls that surrounded it, and many different defensive towers. Within the city were several different sections. The inner workings of the city were designed like that of a tiered cake. In the middle of the city was Verion's castle, and his surrounding property. On the outer edges of Verion's castle was the mercantile and business district. There were a few houses in this area, but for the most part it consisted of stalls, stores, and taverns. Outside of the shopping district were various housing and community projects. The community projects though were not shady, or run down buildings used by the poor. These types of community buildings consisted of the Legendary Library (Grey was chastised for laughing at the name), and several different academies for knights, mages or summoners. All of which were free.

Quetzal was an immaculate city whose bricks were hand crafted from premium cut marble and stone. It was one of the kingdom of Avalion's great joys. And Verion was the correspondent responsible for the creation of the wonderful city. Verion, at least to Grey, was a man of mystery and power. He walked with power and grace, confidence in every step. Power in every breath. Verion was stern but kind. He was never too harsh, and he gave grace when he thought you deserved it. Grey deeply respected Verion. At times he would say how he wished Verion had been his father or grandfather, but Grey quickly stopped this after Verion overheard him one time. Grey will never forget the encounter.

"What did you say?" Verion's voice came out cold and sinister, his tone dropping. Grey's face tensed up, his smile fading.

"Uh- I just said that I wish I had been born to someone else." Verion slapped Grey. Grey sat stunned, a red mark slowly fading from his right cheek.

Verion pointed his finger directly in Grey's face. "Listen here boy. Do not ever wish to have a life different than the one you have now. The life you live is a blessing, and you only appreciate what you have now because of what you have lost. Don't ever forget where you came from, or how you became who you are today, because the moment you do, you'll lose yourself."

After that Grey stopped saying he wished he had been born in Verion's city. He started to think back to the good memories he had had with his mother and father. Sometimes when he thought about those things he would get sad, but very early on when Grey had just come under Verion's wing, Verion told him, "I'll take care of you, but I won't raise a baby. Grow a pair and look the past and pain directly in the face, and move on." Grey hasn't completely moved on, but over the years he has certainly come to terms with his situation and his history. Verion on the other hand seems to still search for clues and hints as to what happened to Grey. Initially Grey thought he was just curious so he told him everything, but over the years, and after Grey realized the truth of what had happened, he stopped telling Verion everything he wanted to know, and held onto his truths, keeping them hidden from the world. He did this because it made him feel like he still had a piece of his mother with him.

Verion on the other hand wasn't searching Grey for deeper truths or lies, rather he was asking Grey questions to force him to look back into his past. He quit after it seemed like Grey stopped and accepted what had happened to him and his current situation. Initially when Grey had first heard the truth he didn't believe it, who could? But after diving into history books and looking into the past, he believed it. The great truth that shocked Grey to his very core was the centerpiece in a winding story of tragedy and hope that all rested upon Grey's shoulders, (although he didn't know this at the time). All Grey knew was that he had been transported 400 years into the future, and his village and people had been lost with the ages.