A World Beyond the Dark

by Andrei Navala

  “Raise your gaze, Anvalth son of Geralt for we are all equal on this land.” The man hastily wiped away his tears and looked at Élerion who put one hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as if everything was going to be alright. And he was right, “Everything will be alright”, thought Anvalth.

  “I am not deserving of such words…” His voice was still low and shaking, but he started to gain some courage back.

  “My commander here told me you performed great in battle the other day.” He said, as he surrounded Anvalth’s shoulders with his plated arm and pointed towards Rilwen.

  “You must be mistaking sir. I am but a mere mercenary struggling to survive in combat.”

  “She said she saw it with her very eyes how you had slain a fearsome behemoth all by yourself, right before she had the time to come to your aid and heal you.” Anvalth’s eyes widened at the sound of his words. His heart was pounding faster and faster, overwhelmed by everything that was going on. “I will let you two discuss the details, for it seems I am needed elsewhere.” At the entrance, were standing a man and a woman, both clad in similar armors but without any helmets. He left the two and walked away with the soldiers awaiting him.

  “I-It was you who saved me…” He said, staring at her in disbelief. “I had a hunch but I dismissed the thought, seeing how carefree and calm you were around me.” She stepped towards him, but swiftly stopped in her tracks. He threw away his cloak and unsheathed his rapier, pointing it at her. “Why didn’t you come sooner?” He yelled as a new stream of tears flooded his face. “You could’ve saved him!” He dashed forward, thrusting his sword towards her. She barely dodged out of the way and looked at him with a scared yet pitying look. “Why did you save a weakling like me when you should’ve saved him?”

  “I gave you another chance to avenge your friend, and fight for what you believe in!” She tried to carefully approach him but she was taken by surprise when he fell to his knees, leaning against the sword.

  “All I do is to bring grief to others. I have no reason to live.” He cried out, grabbing his abdomen with his other hand as the wound reopened. Rilwen walked up to him and slapped Anvalth.

  “Get a hold of yourself, you idiot! Didn’t you say you wanted to see your beloved back home?” She noticed he was breathing heavily and realized blood was dripping through his fingers. “Let me see that.” Anvalth let go of the sword which fell to the ground and she pulled him closer to her. A faint aura of light surrounded her hands which were now gently pressed against his wound, taking all the pain away.

  “Thank you, for everything.” He finally said sighing deeply. Anvalth stood up from her lap and grabbed the rapier, sheathing it.

  “Now that everything was said, there is one last thing I’d like to add, a question. Will you join my unit?” She wiped the dirt from her clothes as she stood up and looked straight into his eyes.

  “I am going to the river to bathe. I will think things over and tell you in the morning.” She followed him with her gaze as he walked out and pondered.

  People were still glancing at him and he felt miserable while crossing their camp. He picked up his pace and when he got out into the woods, Anvalth was running as if trying to escape something. Emerging out of the bushes, he arrived where there was a small waterfall forming in the river’s course. He leaned against a tree, catching his breath and unbuttoned his dirty vest. After taking off his dusty trousers as well, he took one step towards the river buck naked but stopped in his tracks. The man turned around and grabbed the rapier, taking it along to bathe. The soft grass underneath his bare feet felt like walking on clouds and when he took his first step into the river, the cold refreshing water of the stream rushed through his fingers. He shivered but proceeded nonetheless into the river. It wasn’t a rapid stream, but the water level ran up to his knees. As he stepped beneath the falling water he let out a prolonged sigh, clenching his fists. The bandages around his waist and abdomen were getting drenched and the wound beneath started stinging. It felt as if his entire upper body was being singed.

  His hands were a bit slowed and he was rather tired, but he slowly swung his rapier around, thinking about her offer.

  “While it would be indeed worth more to join her squad, my life would be much more endangered on the frontlines. But at the same time, I’d have the comfort of following her and fighting alongside her.” He thought out loud. With a swift motion of his hand, he pierced forward through the veil of water. “She is a nice person, but she is too kind for her own good.” He drew his sword closer and looked at his reflection on the blade with streams of water running down it. “But I can’t face her again!” He yelled out, swinging down his sword furiously. The hand holding the rapier was dangling by his side and its tip reached all the way to the pebbles at the bottom of the river. “Not after our last encounter…” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “And even then, a dirty mercenary like me has no place in such a distinguished unit. The kindness in her eyes rivaled with the disgust on others’ faces.” He stepped forward so that the water would fall directly over him and raised his head, washing away the dirt and dust from his hair. Because of the loud waterfall, he did not hear footsteps on the riverside. When he was done and walked towards his clothes, he noticed they were missing. He looked around suspiciously, but there was no one to be seen in the vicinity. When he stood up the riverside, from the bushes ahead stepped out the slender body of Rilwen, wielding a long sword with both hands. Despite her tiny and seemingly frail constitution, she held it with ease.

  “What do you want?” He shouted, pointing his rapier at her. Her gaze was completely different from before, cold and detached.

  “I decided the only fitting way to make you join me would be to challenge you to a duel. Either you win back your clothes from me and you are free to do whatever you want, or I win and you will become my subordinate.” Even though she was serious, he observed she was somewhat nervous, due to the weird inflexions of her voice. “Prepare yourself!” She shouted, leaping towards him all of a sudden. She managed to close a considerable distance in the span of a moment, swinging a sword taller than her at him with might. He was barely able to react, parrying the hit and dodging back. He was being pushed pretty close to the edge of the riverside, forcing him to make his attack before it was too late. Anvalth dashed towards her and as he was approaching, he swooped low avoiding one of her attacks and getting behind her. She spun in place with her long blade, missing him but forcing him to back away.

  He knew he couldn’t afford a clash with a sword that much larger but his feet were slippery and it was tough for him to make swift maneuvers. Rilwen wasted no moment and charged at him, knowing she had the upper hand. There was only one way for him to succeed in this encounter, and it was to confuse her to the point his actions were unpredictable. He charged towards her and the two swung their blades forward, but he let go of his and dashed to her right, dodging the hit and once again getting behind her, but she swiftly turned around and smack him down with the dull of the sword. He swiftly ripped a handful of wet grass and threw it in her face, blinding her. Anvalth stood up in one motion and grabbed the arm holding the sword. The two wrestled over it until he was able to push her down onto the ground and get over her. He noticed a slight blush from her even though she was still blinded but she managed to put her other hand on the dull of the sword, pushing him to the side. She then got over him, with her sword against his neck. A broad smile appeared on her face as she stood up and thrust the sword into the ground, lending him her right hand to stand up, while wiping her face with her left hand.

  “I never would’ve expected such perverted strategies from you.” She said, chuckling as he grabbed her hand and stood up. “Are you unharmed?”

  He nodded, not uttering a word. As mad as he was that he lost, he was still amazed by her prowess, even blinded. Then, a strange feeling of warmness spread around his abdomen. He did not perceive it during the battle but she was focusing on maintaining and healing his wounds as
best she could. She went off retrieving his clothes and after he put them on, Anvalth kneeled before her holding out his rapier with both hands. His heart didn’t waver, and he knew with utmost determination that it was the right choice to make. When one light faded from existence, another one shone brighter in its stead. She was taken by surprise by his pledge of loyalty but masked it under a proud smile.

  “You may rise now, as a knight of Élerion! May the Light be with you!”

  He stood up and took back his clothes, swiftly putting them on. She went off into the woods, headed towards the camp and he followed closely behind. They both agreed to forget about the past events and enjoy the night.

  Once back in the camp, he beheld a wondrous sight. A dark skinned man with red fiery eyes and hair bid farewell to Élerion and transformed into a gigantic, fearsome creature with shining scales and broad wings. Anvalth’s first instinct was to draw his rapier but Rilwen stopped him. The dragon opened its mouth and a loud, powerful voice like none other echoed throughout the camp.

  “See you on the battlefield, brave paladins!” With a beat of its wings, dust rose and the campfires flickered. With another beat, the dragon took off into the sky unleashing a mighty gust of wind which almost knocked prone anyone nearby. Anvalth looked up in awe at the mythical creature. What chances stood a mere human in the face of such monsters.

  “And to think there’s someone even more powerful than that dragon, than all the heroes of this world…” He thought as he continued to follow Rilwen. “Who was that, an ally?” He asked her.

  “You know naught of Lord Eryn? He is one of the four champions, prophesized to defeat the One-Who-Shan’t-Be-Named. He is but one of the many dragons aiding us on the battlefield.” She spoke with admiring fervor, seemingly enthralled by the prophecy.

  “We common folk only know of the mighty knight Élerion…” Responded Anvalth disheartened that he couldn’t join the conversation.

  “You’re no longer part of the common folk; you’re a full-fledged knight fighting amongst other knights. Brighten up!” She cleared her throat and exclaimed from the bottom of her lungs. “Everyone welcome Anvalth, the newest addition to our ranks!” The people before them cheered loudly and formed a circle around the two. They weren’t many in number but their ecstatic cheers took him by surprise and he was both confused and embarrassed. The previous band of mercenaries with which he’s been traveling for so long wasn’t so warm and close and he did not know how to respond to their welcome. He was putting up a half smile, unsure if he made the right decision entrusting himself to these people and their leader. She looked over their heads towards Rilwen and she smiled and nodded at him.

  “Oi, are ye’ the one young lady saved yestahday?” Anvalth’s gaze turned towards the source of the voice, but his eyes moved down at a smaller man, a dwarf. He rarely ever encountered dwarves but he genuinely looked like the stereotype he’s always heard about. He had a long red beard with a singular large braid in the middle and two smaller ones to the sides and his smoldering red hair was running down slightly below his shoulders. He had small, keen eyes full of avid interest and tubby fingers. “I saw ye’ meself, fighting that ‘uge demon all on yer own. A swordsman of yer skill is more than welcome ‘ere.” The dwarf made his way through the others staring around and grabbed him, heartily patting him on the back. Anvalth heard of dwarves to be rather cold and greedy but he was greeted with such warmth by one.

  “Rilwen must’ve put together quite a trust worthy group.” He thought in the spur of the moment. For the first time in ages, he found himself smiling genuinely and returned the pat with much less strength to the friendly dwarf.

  His gaze then shifted to an unusual pair. Their features struck him as familiar and a bloody image flashed before his eyes. His vision darkened for a moment and he felt dizzy but Anvalth inhaled deeply and moved on to greet the others. Next to him were now standing two, tall elves with large beautiful eyes and long pointy ears. If he was to take a guess, he would’ve said they were both males, but their beauty rivaled even that of a woman. They looked alike one another, so his first assumption was that they were perhaps brothers.

  “I am Atheol Emberweaver.”

  “And I am his brother, Haldris Emberweaver.”

  “We are pleased to make your acquaintance, Anvalth.” said the two in unison. Their voices were soft and melodic, and yet they had somewhat of a powerful tone.

  At a better glance, they looked nothing like his deceased friend. The two had blonde hair and while one had vibrant blue eyes like the bright, clear sky on a sunny day, the other had eyes as green as the verdant valleys of the elves, spoke off in stories. They didn’t shake hands but Anvalth nodded in acknowledgement. The two moved aside and in front of him stepped a man not much older than him.

  “I am Liam of Alnor, and you’d do well to remember my name for I will be the one to strike down the infamous witch, the Demon Queen!” He yelled with a defiant gaze and smile, looking at him from above with superiority.

  “Don’t just go saying out her name, you moron… sheesh.” Another man came from the side, pushing the one named Liam. He looked somewhat older with slightly childish features but what aspect of his appearance was striking to Anvalth was his bald head. The two went away arguing, yelling at one another but he could tell their banter was that from one equal to another.

  “Don’t mind them, they’re always like that. I’m Rousseau, son of Ludovic! I look forward to fighting alongside you.” He held out his hand and Anvalth shook it vigorously. He looked like a pleasant, friendly person and he didn’t dislike that. It reminded him of his past years before joining the war. He quite admired him for keeping those traits even during such a harsh war.

  Someone grabbed Rousseau by the shoulder and appeared from behind him with a mug of ale brimming to the top.

  “Caldwell of Whitestone is my name. As long as you drink and you know to sing you’re my friend, isn’t that right?” Rousseau shook his head and smiled. They went off towards the large barrel sitting by the tent.

  Since most of the livelier squad scattered, the remaining three simply shook hands with him and continued with their enjoyment that night.

  He found himself all alone again, as the cold breeze of the night blew through his hair. His gaze had grown tired and he yawned loudly, drawing the attention of those around him.

  “Sleepy already, hic-” Caldwell approached him boldly with two tankards full of ale spilling all over the ground. He stretched his left hand and offered him one of the two now half full tankards. “Here, drink!”

  Anvalth grabbed the mug from Caldwell’s shaking hand and drank it in one go as if it was fresh water. The strong, bitter ale went down his throat, shaking his senses and invigorating him. Its intense taste made him thirst for more. He passed right by Caldwell and stopped before the barrel of ale. The beer poured from the metal tap until he filled it back to full and he took a long sip afterwards. Rilwen was leaning against the barrel, looking at him with a smug face.

  “You should smile more often.” She said passing right next to him and patting him on the shoulder. “I still feel the sadness in your heart, don’t blame yourself.” Her soft lips were so close to his ear that he felt a strange tingle which made his body shiver. She continued up to a tent which she entered and from where light soon went out. He was left staring there and reminiscing.

  “First my sister and now Tarna, all because of me...” Anvalth didn’t know how much time passed but he was brought back to reality by the sound of someone’s voice talking to him.

  “Hey rookie! Spacing out? I’ve got a proposal for you.” Liam with the same superior gaze, accompanied by his bald friend was standing right before him. “We’ve found a village not far from the camp. How about we check it out, have some fun?”

  “This late in the night? I doubt there’s anyone still awake…”

  “We found out some interesting girls earlier in the day and they’re waiting for us. Rilwen’s well asleep by now to
o.”

  Judging by their language and actions, he could tell they never experienced a true, pure love and had to resort to such pleasures.

  “I can’t really, its not-”

  “If you can’t do this with us, then how can we trust you on the battlefield where decisions actually matter? You need to properly learn how to follow others more.”

  His words cut deep because what Anvalth did all his life was follow others more competent than him, refusing to chase his own dreams and ideals.

  "Fine then, I’ll come!” He said, glaring at the two. They smiled, grabbed him and went out of the camp, heading through the woods.

  They walked for quite some time without any signs of a village and Anvalth was beginning to think he was tricked but just when he thought that, he could see a dim light in the distance. Peering through the dark, he could see the outlines of a house. The closer they got, the better he could see the source of light. A young girl was holding a lantern. Anvalth felt really uneasy, knowing that what he was doing was terribly wrong and yet he kept telling himself that he wouldn’t even gaze at another woman, let alone touch her. The other two would become so engrossed in their affairs that they probably wouldn’t even notice him leaving as soon as he got the chance.

  As they approached the house, the girl holding the lantern hurried to greet them and Anvalth noticed another girl with her.

  “Master Liam, I’ve been waiting for you.” She leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek and caressing his chest with her right arm.

  “Sir Oswald, I’m so happy you came back!” Oswald kissed the hand of the other young lady and took her in his arms.

  Judging from the sight, the girls who probably had feelings for them were going to be devastated after they found out their true intentions, but it wasn’t for Anvalth to interfere. He sighed and followed the merry group inside the house. As soon as he passed through the door frame, an intense scent hit him. He became dizzy and when he tried to turn around and escape outside it was already too late, the door was closed and locked.