Silver Nights - Prologue
The prologue of my ongoing story series, "Silver Nights". I never published this on SoFurry before, but after some encouragement, decided to upload it. No-yiff, and sometimes it has nothing to do with anthro characters or any other kind of creatures, but due to the need of the storyline, I will also publish the chapters with no such content.
Silver Nights - Prologue
The night sky was clear. Stars shined down on the woods, with the moonlight illuminating the surface of the trees, their many leaves, and the ground below. She loved moonlight. It was so pure. She heard the wind whisper as it gently moved the grass beneath her feet. She didn't have time to watch the moon & it's beauty. She continued walking forward, slowly, only letting faint sounds as she proceeded. It was rather cold, and she her silky dress offered her no protection from it. But she did not feel the cold. She was getting closer. The presence was getting stronger. She could already see the outer walls standing beyond all the trees. It was old, but had served the town inside it very well during the years. Moss was covering some of it's stones, except the ones near the gates. The presence was coming from this town, without a doubt. Soon, the name of the town was introduced in her head again; Ashyla. It was rather old, in the middle Earthym, and had survived countless wars without ever being burned to the ground. But the fate it would soon suffer, would be the end of it. That's why she was here. She approached and touched the cold wall and it's moss covered stones. The presence was very strong. It was a he. And it was merely a child. To think that the heritage in him was ever so strong after 800 long years! How she wished she could go get him immediately... after all this time, she had finally found someone. But patience is a virtue of hers. So she waited...
The daylight finally reached the walls of Ashyla, letting the moist reflect the sunlight on the mighty walls around it, and the town market was getting as lively as always. Shouts of bargaining filled the streets, as people from all over Earthym started their daily business. So did the little boy. This day was no different from the other. He was sitting next to his mothers stall, that sold various, cheap goods, like clothing, cups, spoons... you name it. The boy was reading an old, worn out book. It was a very childish one, but it was the only he had. And his mom had bought it to him with her few coins, so he valued the book. He had read it trough many times, but he still liked it. It was a story of a peasant, who fought a giant in order to save a princess. The peasant was able to defeat the giant with a mere pitchfork, and was rewarded the princess and lots of fame. For his age & class, the boy was able to read, which was rather remarkable. He was a quick learner. The day passed as normal, with the boy looking at the guards of Ashyla from time to time. They had a chainmail, covered in slightly red clothing that had the symbol of Earthym in the middle. Some of them were waring helmets, and every one of them had a sword sheathed on their left ( and sometimes right ) side. He wanted to become a guard once he grew up. Then, something very unusual happened. There was a man staggering in the middle of the crowd, and his face was covered in abscesses. He collapsed to the ground, and the people gathered around him, making shocked comments about his condition. The guards rushed at the scene. "Get clear! He has a plague! Everyone, stand back! Now!" The huge crowd blocked the boys view. He turned to his mother, who was looking at the scene as well, with a shocked expression on her face. "Mom... Is there a plague in the town?" His mom turned quickly at him, clearly she had no idea he had seen the scene. "No... no, my dear... nothing to worry about... He just had... a fever."
In the next 2 weeks, the whole city was full of people covered in abscesses, and the stench of rotten flesh filled the streets. Few dared to walk in the street anymore, aside from a few guards who had covered their faces with pieces of clothes. The town was surrounded by one of the Earthym local barracks, denying entry to the town, and archers making sure that anyone trying to leave the city would get shot. The plague had already claimed half, or more, of the population. The boy watched hopelessly at his mom, also covered in ill-looking abscesses. She was breathing heavily, and she was sweating a lot. But the boy was unaffected. He sat there, with his mom, and read the book to her. He read it so loud that his mom would not hear the shouts coming from the streets. In the meantime, two captains, one taller, one shorter, of the Earthym Order were discussing the situation in a tent outside the town's walls. "... you know as well as I do, that there is NO cure for this demonic plague!" The shorter captain took a deep breath, and replied.
-" Yes, I know... but... it is not completely fatal! What about the people that actually survive it? Or the people immune to it! Some are completely unaf-"
." THOSE people posses the real threat! Don't you see? Once everyone else has died, the survivors will surely spread the plague on to everyone else!"
-" We do not know that for sure!"
-" No, we do not. But I am not risking another town, or MY barracks to this... this... "
-" What you are asking is a murder! A murder! A murder of an entire town!"
-" The town is already dead, fool!! " The taller captain sighed. " Besides... this situation is no longer in my hands. I was given a command to do so."
-" A command?! What is this madness? By whom!?"
-" Lord Earthym."
The shorter captain looked shocked, but then took a deep breath again.
-" Then I guess it must be done."
-" Yes. It MUST."
-" But take my words. I will not dirty my hands on this. I'm calling my troops back. Your men should have no trouble operating... the catapults I'm sure."
The taller captain grunted.
-" Then flee. I only do what must be done!"
-" Then you do that..."
The next day was no better for the boy. Her mother was still very ill, and he took his time caring her, even though the only thing he could do was to read the book to her, and get a cloth soaked in cold water from the well and ease her pain with it. The night descended. The streets were filled with the regular screams & moans. But then... the boy saw a light coming from the window. He stepped up, and looked outside. The town was on fire. Fire rained from the sky. Burning, oil-soaked balls of hay rained from outside the walls. People were screaming, and some of them were running as they burned. The infernal sight paralyzed the boy for a while, until he slammed the window closed, hoping the terrors would never reach his mother. He started reading loudly to his mother, as the screams, the sounds of the burning houses echoed outside. His mother turned to him. "What is happening outside?" The boy did not reply. He just read the book, with his eyes fixed on the book with a desperate look on his eyes. Then the boy heard a loud crack, and was sent flying in an instant. He could feel the heat. Everything around him was burning. He tried to step up, but he couldn't. A huge wooden piece of the roof had pinned him down. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't lift it off him. Helplessly, he screamed for his mother. That's when he saw her. She was still on her bed. She was burning. Smoking. Somehow, he managed to pull himself from under the burning debris, screaming every second. He tried to rush to his mother, but as he was 2 feet away, the floor below him gave up, and he dropped. He still could have a short, disturbing sight of her mothers face, in flames, screaming in pain. Trying to get up again, the heat & smoke had already exhausted him, so he was reduced to crawling. He slowly started crawling to the door. He had to get out. The inferno around him closed into him.
As the fire rained upon the town for the whole night, with every single gate from the city barred shut, a few climbed up the wall, and jumped down, only to be greeted by archers shooting them dead as soon as they landed. Finally, as the barrage of endless fire ended, the city was left burning, with patrols of soldiers roaming around the walls, making sure nothing had survived. Finally, after 3 days, the soldiers left the smoking ruins behind them. Ashyla was gone. Only the walls around it stood, forever standing as a reminder of what happened to the once lively town it had so well protected. She started approaching the walls. She was terrified about the sight that she saw once she entered the gate. But it had to happen. This was the only way this could work as she had planned. She still felt his presence. It was weak. But it was there. She roamed the ruins of the town, looking for the source. Then she found it. He was lying on the street. His clothes were burnt, and yet, his brown hair was quite intact. He was still breathing. As she slowly approached the boy, he lifted his head, and looked at the figure approaching him. It was a woman, with pale skin, dressed in a very white dress that left much of her body uncovered. She had jewelry all over her, with the most noticeable being an amulet she was wearing. It was made of gold, and it had a large amethyst in it. But her head was most remarkable. She had a very narrow head, her eyes were shiny bright yellow, and her hair was long, silky, spiky, and somewhat orange of color. Was she an goddess? The boy coughed, and was able to ask her: "Am I dead?"
With a very smooth, feminine & comforting tone, she replied:
-" No. You are not dead."
-" Are you... a goddess?"
The woman chuckled.
-" No, my dear... but not far off... Now say nothing... I will take you away from here."
She placed her hand on the boys chin, and the boy fell asleep.
This boy, she thought. This boy, I've been looking for his kind for so many years now. And how cruel his fate had to be! This would scar him for life. But that might be a good thing... it all adds up to her plan. There was no other living soul in sight. Good. She stepped away from the boy, to get more room. Bright light emerged from her body, and the sound of thunder echoed around her. Anyone looking at her now would be completely blinded by the vast amount of light. It was soon over, and she could stretch her wings again. Gently, she took the boy in her right claw. She looked at him a bit closer. He surely looked exhausted. She really felt sorry for him. She spread her wings, and started flapping them, making the ash from the ruins fly around her. She braced her legs, and jumped into the air. Flying forward to what would have looked like a very random direction, she knew exactly where she was heading. Gliding in the air, she suddenly realized she didn't even know the boys name. It did not matter... she would name him herself. After all, he was hers now. As time passed, she finally came up with a name. Gelorah.