Blackvale[2]

The sun was yet to fully come out and illuminated the whole world. Einar, along with Cadus was walking the perimeter of the farmland just outside the northwest side of Blackvale. The soil was dry and decayed, the farmland barely had any crops which could be harvested.

Cadus walked silently as Einar observed the crops, and the state of other facilities inside of Blackvale. He knew the stubborn cub was empathetic and cared for the common people unlike his family.

Already thinking about ways to save this dying territory and its people. Cadus felt proud, Einar had stopped everyone from calling him Lord. Saying that he had not earned the right to be called a lord. It gave Cadus happiness, which he could not have in these twelve years of exile.

"Sir Cadus, did you send a letter to my fat- no...The Emperor about the conditions here?" Einar questioned.

Cadus sighed and said, "I have done that many times but I have never gotten a reply. I've been managing the territory and kept it from fully dying." Cadus responded.

Einar looked at the forest on the northern side stretching god knows where and just on its left side was an expensive plains. He wondered if that land would be good for crops.

'That plains might solve the issue of a crop like wheat. But then there are a thousand more issues. I need to sit down and asses things and make reports and plan out things for the betterment of these people.' He mumbled inwardly ignoring Cadus as he walked forward.

He was now at the farthest edge of the place still included in Blackvale. Wooden markers were erected in the ground. Torn in place, they surrounded the whole of Blackvale in a ring. Each of them had different marking, some even had bones and pieces of cloth. He thought they were graves.

"Why are graves placed in a ring around Blackvale, Sir Cadus?" Einar asked, as he touched one. Names carved on them with a knife.

"These are not graves, cub. They're boundaries." Said Cadus as he too touched the marker.

Einar queried, "boundaries for what?"

"The monsters which come at night.

These help ward them off. A weaker monster wouldn't dare cross these boundaries. But we have had instances of hobgoblins, orcs and a few Bonewyrms make their way inside the boundaries.

They may be called 'grave markers' but they are not real graves. " Cadus explained.

Einar looked at Cadus as he casually said 'a few Bonewyrms', two days ago he had difficulty against one small Bonewyrm. What a monster, he thought. Despite being in his late sixties, he was powerful enough to turn the tables in a war. 

A warrior forged through harsh wars, with no special blood. Just his will and hard work, made him a Grandmaster knight. If only he had not been exiled, he would have definitely became a Heartbound level Knight. Putting him among the top twenty strongest people of the world.

*****

Einar spent the day wandering the outer districts and talking with people. The situation was worse than he thought. In the whole territory only forty people lived. All of them doing hard work and labor to keep themselves alive.

Apart from Hedra and Thoman, there were four more farmers. Half a dozen blacksmiths, fifteen military personnel and the remaining thirteen did all kinds of work. Be it kids, adults or old people. They were uprooted from their homes and thrown here.

They had no choice but to work hard and try to keep themselves alive. Because they knew and understood each other. Despite their previous standing in society, now they were cut from the same cloth. Betrayed, exiled and abandoned.

Night came and the only light in the dark streets of Blackvale was the moonlight. Near the barracks was a large building, somewhat in a better condition than the other ones. All forty people slept inside it as to be safe and near Sir Cadus, who was arguably the strongest person there.

Einar along with Cadus and two other deserter knights now a part of Blackvale's security made their way to the Black Castle. The path to it was cracked and broken at places. Cadus pushed the huge door open and went inside. 

The inside was huge but lacking, no oil lamps were used for lighting up the place, huge clothes were on the furniture inside and a huge heap of dust was on it. Einar didn't check the whole place, he was led to an office, it was the only room intact.

Shelves full of books were on both sides of the wall, in the far end in front of a window which gave a great view of the whole of Blackvale was a wooden table, the woodwork was amazing to say the least. A stack of papers was on the left and a quill with ink on the right. 

A simple iron chair with a soft cushion was behind the table. On the left wall, just besides the book shelf was a weapons rack. It was empty apart from two swords placed on the highest row, one was a wooden sword for practice and the other a new iron sword.

On the right side, just besides the shelf was a door which led to a slightly big balcony. There was a bench in one corner and a scarecrow in the middle.

"I will bring the important files tomorrow, cub. Do whatever you want until then. I've put everything you would need." Cadus told him while leaving the room.

He was now alone. He walked towards the swords and took the wooden one and went to the balcony. He removed his shirt and took a stance. He was still a Resonant at twenty five. While his old brother was already a Master at the same age.

He steadied his breath and focused on the vessence flowing inside his body. He tried shaping it into a sphere around his abdomen. Then he slowly dispersed it inside his body. This was the basics of increasing your mastery. Purifying vessence and making it flow correctly were necessary for growth.

After a few minutes he opened his eyes and started training. He lunged forward and cut the scarecrow, then he threw a feint and slashed upwards and forced it into a bind. He repeated again and again until he was out of breath.

Sweat dripped down as he went inside. Put the wooden sword back, grabbed his shirt and locked the room. He went down the corridor and arrived at a room. Specifically, his room. He entered and quickly went to take a shower.

The water washed away his stress and exhaustion and as quickly he took the shower, he got into bed and drifted away to sleep.

*****

Einar jolts awake from a distant loud scream. It felt like a humans, but at the same time it terrified him. There's a knock on his door and he opens to see Hedra, in full armor and her sword on her back in front of him.

"Stay inside tonight, Sir Cadus's order. Even if you hear screams like the one you heard do not go out towards the markers nor cross them." Hedra emphasized.

"But what if there is someone in danger? How can I let it go?" Einar retorted.

"I will say it once again, do not go outside.

When another scream happens, look out from your window.

This has been happening every night for the one week now." Hedra explained and left.

He was confused, it was in the middle of the night. The scream he heard made it difficult for him to go back to sleep. So he stayed awake and paced his room from one end to the other.

Then he heard it, the scream sounded like a humans but it was much more terrifying. He moved the curtain away with his hand and looked towards the far end where the markers were placed. 

Multiple shadows moved beyond the markers, and dozens of glowing eyes blinked continuously. They didn't cross, they only watch. 

And Einar, he knew what they were. Before something bad happened he had to take care of those things.