The Old Owl

[Forien's Point of View]

In the great book called The Great History by a Ravenman in the south named Ryene, a tale unfolds as I flip the pages covered in dust and brittle, and dry...

The Spire... built on a high cliff above the Goldhead Strait... is the ancestral seat of House Strix, a once glorious family beaten back to mere governors, then lords... at least that is what my father told me.

For fifteen centuries, we trace our ancestry to Fostain the Rebel, who rose up against the first Ballister king. Ever since his defeat and shameful exile... his son took up his father's legacy and formed it into a formidable force.

Fodrick Strix, known by our family as "The Founder," built the Spire with the help of the other men that were exiled with them. Legends and myths say that he harnessed giant eagles to carve the very stone from the cliff in favor of the Winged God. Others even say that he was a son of the Winged God... most, however, are disregarded as mere fairy's tale.

In his reign as King of the East, he joined forces with the other eastern lords to halt the conquest of King Orevon which spanned across all corners of the mainland.

House Berros, because every king needs a savage commander of his army... they gave us our men in times of dire need, mustering more than ten thousand men in defiance against the king's conquest. These days, Lord Rolen commanded their army of twenty-thousand men in the castle of the Aely, guarding the western front with the other lords that stood with them.

House Tiberrun, was home to the most cunning lords. Their words... Lying, Scheming, Fighting... reminded us all that wisdom must always be a part of a man's arsenal. Partnered with the brutes of House Berros, they fought bravely in the battlefield. In the present times, Lord Loreys is the only member that remains of their house. Others say he is the last wolf out of the pack of hounds.

Deep in the castle of Stoneheart, House Abberan ruled as both lords and knights. Their ancestor, Maecar the Cruel, had given the king his first defeat in his conquest in the Battle of the Muddy Marshlands. Nowadays, the famous Abberan brothers, all knighted, strive as beacons of integrity and honor, partnered with their ancestral ferocity and strength.

Now our house has risen back to what it once was. Through years of taxation, we finally built ourselves a reputation as the richest family in all of the kingdom. With Snow Port just an hour away on horseback, it has become one if not the richest city there is, with it being a center of trade for not only the other houses, but also the lords of the eastern continent.

My father, Lord Folius Strix, is considered to be a prideful man by most, and a shadow of what once was. Others even argue that it is House Tiberrun that was the richest of all the families in the kingdom as they were the masters of coin, managing every financial state of our house. Even our prized reputation... was all a lie.

"Forien? Forien!" the voice yelled out.

I turn around to see my younger sister standing in the hallway. "Forea? What brings you here?"

"Father asked me to call you to dinner." she replied, her face taking on a lively expression.

I close my book slowly and stand up from my bed. "Tell him I will be on my way..." I say as I reopen my closet, opening the small wooden latch, "...is it something important?" I ask, suspicion hanging in my tone.

"He said it was 'family matter that concerned the heir', whatever that means..." my sister answered, trying her best to imitate our father's deep and formal voice.

"I'll follow suit. Go eat your supper before me." I insisted, waving my hand.

"You talk like father too much..." my sister replies with a smile on her face, "...I'll tell them". She says and walks away.

My thoughts return to legends, both admiring and despising them... Is it their fault? I always asked. Is it their sin that gave us such an awful fate?

My father would use our legacy as examples to me. He would tell wondrous fantasies on Fonrei Strix, who had defeated the Ballister king, Oreon- who in contrast, he used to teach me what a ruler shouldn't become. Those stories to get me to close my eyes became words that haunted me, pressured me, and kept me awake rather than asleep.

It had turned like that ever since his two sons became one... my brother had died early at the age of nine and ten due to a fatal illness... he was never the same.

I have always been taught to loathe other houses in the Northern Island, for my father says they all either attacked us, or betrayed us in one way or the other. Even before my brother's demise, my father was always paranoid and prideful, vengeful and oftentimes- reckless. 

In the words of Lord Loreys himself, "The boy lord is neither humble or honorable... but he is both a prideful man and quite the mad ruler himself."

Poetic and ironic, I thought to myself, how fitting...

I shake the thoughts from my head and close the closet. I fix myself up, getting rid of any dust on my clothing, and I head down to the dining hall. As I walk through the hallway, my emotions inside begin to stir, remembering all the conversations we used to have when I was still a young boy... when he was still a good man.

My mother, Lady Elissa, was always kinder than he was. She was beautiful at best, often saying that my sister's face resembled her the most. Whenever she would travel to other castles to speak to other lords with my father, the servants would always gaze at her, and so would the other nobles.

Most ask why she would even marry my ill-tempered father... even I ask myself the same thing.

I arrive at the dining hall, the chandelier hanging above, and the long table at beneath it. My father sat at one end, while my mother, at the other. I had a reserved seat near to my father, and in front of me, was my sister. Right beside me was an empty chair... a remembrance to my brother.

"Forien, join us as we feast, my son." my father requests with a smile.

I know that smile, it's when he has something up his sleeve. Most of the time this is just his way of keeping my thoughts at bay, delighting me so that I would agree to his request... whatever that may be. I simply nod and sit down.

My father eats like a wolf, unlike my mother and sister who dine with class. He wipes his mouth with a white napkin, lays it on the table, and looks me in the eye. "So, I suppose your sister told you the discussion we'll have?"

"Is it really a family matter or is it another one of your useless talks with me?" I ask, making sure. I adjust the napkins, forks, and spoons on my side of the table while my father ponders on what to answer.

"This concerns the entire family, son. Isn't that enough for you to consider this a family matter?" my father asks, his smile wiped clean off of his face. His hands seem to grip his utensils harder.

"Please tell me this isn't one of your schemes again..." I reply, pointing my fork at him, "...you always say the same thing, but we all know it's never going to happen. Just accept what you have and put down your anger. We are not as great as we used to be-"

"Exactly..." my father exclaimed, giving me a cold stare. My sister and mother exchange looks of anxiety, but they decide to stay silent; father opens his mouth again to speak, "To be great again, we must act-"

"But you never do." I interrupt, looking at him with a smirk on my face, my hands, also holding on to my utensils, now with an iron grip. "You never do. All you are is say and never do." I explain with frustration in my voice, setting my fork and knife on the plate gently.

"Look here, young man..." he says using voice, so calm yet impactful, " ...I will not let you become another mere governor of the Spire..." he explained, his voice louder and intimidating, "...you will become a king, one of Strix blood. You will wipe out the Ballisters, just as what our great ancestor failed to do!" he exclaimed, engulfed by a madness I have seen before. Even if he was outraged, however, all that gave it away were his eyes and his curled lips.

"Husband..." my mother began with a smile, "...perhaps we could simply eat in peace-"

"Why do you despise the Ballisters so much? What have they done to us but show mercy?" I ask, picking up my fork and knife, going back to eating dinner. "You should thank them-"

"Thank them?" my father laughed, standing up from his chair, his eyes, turning yellow and red, "You are a boy whose already gone blind in one eye- do you want to make that other one as useless as the other?" he asks with disbelief, pausing for a while, and sitting back down. He speaks again, now in a much calmer voice, "We Strix are natural enemies of their house; we are simply enslaved, humiliated and embarrassed by those... those thieves who stole the throne from us-"

"Father..." my sister objected, "...please not now-"

"Tell me..." I interrupted, "...what is this matter you wish to discuss that you desperately need to do?" I ask, plastering a fake smile on my face. I just want to get out of there, to escape my father's grasp.

My mother and sister looked at him patiently, waiting for an answer.

"Those plots you think are bluffs..." he began, "...they are as real as real can be. I have an army that will arrive in two weeks, give or take one. They will arrive in at Snow Port at dawn..." he explains, his face showing no emotion, yet his tone is filled with joy he struggles to control. "...there will be fifty thousand free folk sellswords arriving at that time. Lord Loreys will take the lead."

My eyes grow wider as I take it all in. A rebellion? Against the Ballisters? Is father mad? "A rebellion? Have you gone mad?" I objected, my eyes glaring at his. "Do you plan to destroy our house more by your ridiculous attempt at freedom?" I ask.

"Freedom? No..." my father replied, laughing off the joke. He settles his utensils down on the table carefully and slowly tilts his head to me and speaks again, "...we will destroy Ballister blood all together. One day, we will take back that throne and rise as kings... and never fall again..." my father explains.

I am left in shock and disbelief. Did I hear that right? Is my father really going to try and do all of this on his own? No... surely, he's not thinking about bringing me into this mess... is he?

"And you will be leading them with me."

And there is my worst fear coming to life. I can't lead an army, not against the Ballisters. If anything, I should be thankful to our rivals, but my father does not think the same. My lips tremble, my eyes begin to twitch, my body begins to sweat, and my mind starts to go blank. I can't think of anything... this is all too much.

I need to escape.

I nod to my father's plan, but deep inside, I despise it all too much. We spend the rest of dinner quietly finishing our meals. I finish first, and I leave immediately, making sure to greet them all as I make the escape to my quarters.

I cannot leave my mother and sister behind... I wanted to say. I shouldn't be leaving them behind. My thoughts race as my mind slowly begins to turn blank. A war... I said in my head, a war... I echoed once more, I can't fight a war...

In a dash, it would seem my surroundings were not there, and that I was simply standing in a room of white... pure white. In my mind echoed the words of our family that seemed to get closer and closer to dying as my father slowly but surely tore it apart.

Family and Honor... both dying at the hands of the one that desires them most.