Chapter 4

The sun had slipped beneath the horizon, painting the sky with hues of purple and orange, casting a warm glow over the bustling festival. Yet, amidst the joyous revelry, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. As a blacksmith, I was used to a busy schedule, but this wasn't just work-related stress.

The sky had darkened earlier than usual, and now the moon loomed overhead, its eerie red glow casting an ominous shadow over the festivities. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the air, silencing the screams of joy and replacing them with panicked shrieks.

With trembling hands, I flung open the door of my forge, only to be met with a scene of utter chaos. Flames licked at the thatched roofs of nearby homes, sending plumes of acrid smoke billowing into the sky. People were running in every direction, their faces twisted with fear and pain.

Desperately, I searched for my family, but what I found instead was a nightmare beyond imagining. A monstrous creature was tearing through the crowds, snarling and slashing at anything that moved. I stood frozen in terror as I watched my friends being mercilessly slaughtered before my very eyes.

As I turned around slowly, a dark figure appeared at my back, causing my heart to skip a beat. "You're the one I've been looking for," the figure spoke in a menacing tone, grabbing my hand tightly and dragging me inside my workshop.

Trembling with fear, I mustered up the courage to ask, "What do you want from me?"

A familiar voice from the shadows responded, "Please don't kill us, I beg you." As the voice drew closer, I recognized it immediately - it was someone I knew.

Suddenly, Captain Mors stepped into the room, grinning devilishly. "Did you miss me?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with malice.

I was shocked and confused, unable to comprehend how and why he was here.

Captain Mors' request was nothing short of a nightmare. "I need you to make me a Scythe or I will kill your family," he demanded, his voice cold and menacing.

My heart sank as I protested, "I won't do it. I know what a scythe is capable of." But Captain Mors was relentless. "Well then...your family gets it. I will count to five, and if you won't make it, they die."

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as he started counting. "One, two, three, four..." I couldn't bear the thought of losing my loved ones, and I knew that I had to do something. "Stop! I'll do it, just don't harm my family," I pleaded, feeling defeated.

Without hesitation, I scrambled under my bed and retrieved a hidden chest. Inside was a rare metal, one that I had been saving for a special project - a meteor metal that was said to be indestructible

I spent hours crafting the scythe, my body aching from the effort. As I finished it, Captain Mors snatched it from me. "Now, I've finally got a weapon that can destroy any metal," he said with a wicked grin.

He quickly left the room, and as he did, he opened his hand, revealing a crystal. "It's done. Let's go to the floating island," he announced. The crystal began to spin, and with a blinding flash of light, all of the monsters vanished into thin air.

Overwhelmed with relief, I hugged my family tightly, grateful that they were safe. Without wasting any time, we started packing our things, determined to leave this place and start anew somewhere far away from danger.

As Vesh and the others approached the village, they saw a massive column of smoke rising up into the sky. "Oh no, we're too late," Mitch muttered, a sense of dread creeping over him.

Vesh wasted no time, ordering everyone to move faster, but as they drew closer, he suddenly halted the group. As they surveyed the wreckage before them, their faces filled with shock and horror.

Buildings were burning, bodies were strewn everywhere, and flames licked at everything in sight. Vesh knew they had to act quickly, telling everyone to search for survivors.

Heart pounding, Vesh ran towards the blacksmith's house, desperate to find someone alive. And then, he saw them - the blacksmith and his family, frantically packing their belongings. "Survivors!" Vesh exclaimed, relief flooding through him.

After hearing the blacksmith's account of what had happened, Vesh knew that they had to act quickly. "We'll escort you to the capital," he promised, "and tell the general about what's happened here." Vesh quickly assigned ten soldiers to escort the blacksmith and his family, giving them orders to head to the capital and deliver a report of the situation.

"The rest of us will continue to search for the crystal," Vesh declared, determined to see their mission through to the end.

As they pressed on, the blacksmith suddenly spoke up, "There's a tower in the dark forest where you can find what you're looking for. But be careful, it's a dangerous place."

Vesh knew they couldn't ignore this lead, and he quickly ordered everyone to set course for the dark forest, their determination unwavering. Together, they marched on, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.

Moment later As we approached the capital, my heart ached with a pang of nostalgia. I already missed my humble village, the place where I grew up, where I witnessed its growth and eventual destruction. Mors, the ruthless tyrant, had taken everything from me - he killed innocent people for his personal gain. My heart brimmed with anger, yearning for revenge.

The gates of the grand capital opened, and as we entered, it felt like we stepped into another world. The towering buildings and grand houses towered over us, and the bustling market was filled with endless choices. The castle, in all its grandeur, stood regally before us.

One of the guards approached us, "You're already here?" he asked, surprised.

Mich replied, "There's an emergency."

"The mission is done?" the elder asked, bewildered.

"This man will explain why we've returned early," Mich said confidently.

"What do you mean?" the elder inquired, his confusion evident. "What's your name?"

"I am Hervot, and this is my family. Our village was attacked by Mors, and we are the only survivors," he replied.

The elder's expression softened, "Well, you and your family can stay here until this chaos ends. Meoly has an extra room, and you can stay there until we can find you a more permanent home."

"Thank you for everything. Maybe I can even help you defeat Captain Mors. We were close friends before he was corrupted," Hervot said.

"No problem, we need to help each other to vanquish him once and for all," the elder said determinedly.

With renewed hope, we settled into the new surroundings, eager to help and put an end to the tyrant's reign of terror.