Chapter 362 - The Moonshadow Trading Company Short Stories: 8 - The Coven City of Lyserna (I) (1/2)
*Eldovian Era 1722, 3rd day of the 12th month*
Phillip the Fisherman had grown tired of others encroaching on his hunting grounds. His little boat did not hold much, but catching ten fish for the day was a haul that would give him some decent money. He was a veteran, and had always fished in the same spot on the Endless Lake, just off the south-western shore. In the last few weeks though, other Fisherman, with larger boats and younger crews, kept creeping closer to his area.
Finally, Phillip had had enough of them in his space. His daily haul was dropping, and with a grandchild on the way, he needed the money a series of good days could get him. So, with a quick word to his wife, Phillip made the decision to take a trip to the furthest parts of the Endless Lake.
The Northern End of the Lake was rarely travelled to, mostly because it was at least a 3-day trip to make it there and back in favourable winds. Still, if the fish further north were not used to fisherman such as himself, he would surely get a better haul than he would in the south of the lake.
So, Phillip's wife ensured his boat was stocked with food and water, and Phillip prepared his bait and tackle, then at the dawn of the previous day, he'd sailed north along the waters of the Endless Lake.
A few hours in, and it became clear why the Lake had been named as such.
The waters were relatively calm, allowing for smooth sailing. And the lake itself was sandwiched in between the two halves of the Northern Mountain Range. With the great peaks rising up on either side, and the stretch of water both in front and behind him for hours on end, one could quickly feel that the imposing scenery was indeed endless.
Finally, as the sun was beginning to set on the first day, Phillip could see the vast expanse of the Desolate Lands in the distance before him. He took his boat as close to the Northern Shore as he dared, then dropped the anchor and settled in for the night, determined to spend the following day fishing.
But the draw of the Desolate Lands proved to be a lot more alluring than he'd anticipated.
Unable to quench his curiosity enough to sleep, Phillip had made his way ashore in the early hours of the morning and watched the silent and dry lands under the light of the full moon. His eyes were getting old, but such a well-lit night with such plain and flat scenery made it easy for even him.
There was a strange beauty in it, the Desolate Lands. The line where Eldovia ended, and the desolate and unclaimed plains beyond began was clear to see. Apart from the occasional rock, nothing changed the flat horizon line of what lay before him. It was like staring at the end of the world, Phillip thought. Like if he proceeded to walk forward, eventually it would just end, and he would fall off the edge.
Such a thought made him shiver, and with that, he turned to go back to his boat.
Just then, like the world was truly ending, a large dark arrow-like shadow shot down from the sky and pierced the ground a few kilometres out into the expanse. Phillip's eyes were enraptured by the sight, and seconds passed before the keen whistle of the object piercing through the air hit him, shortly followed by the earth beneath his feet shaking from the impact.
Phillip's eyes widened. What, by the gods, was so powerful that it would have such speed and strength as to fall from the sky and cause the ground to shake. It wasn't…it wasn't a god itself, was it?
As Phillip contemplated the legitimacy of his thoughts, the ground's shaking returned, and grew stronger. Enough to cause Phillip to stumble and the water in the lake behind him to slosh against the shore. Phillip looked up, and not far from where that shadowed thing had hit the ground, the ground itself seemed to rise up in a long, tall column.
And it rose. And rose. And rose.
Finally, when it was high enough that Phillip was sure it was twice as high as the carved city walls of Toulle, it came to a shuddering halt with a boom, the dust around it scattering and the ground stopped it's shaking. The land descended into silence and stillness once more.
Phillip c.o.c.ked his head to the side, what, by the gods, was it? What was it's purpose? Who had-
A shadowed figure broke through the earth at the huge column's base, then rose slightly into the air before changing directions and aiming right towards where Phillip stood.
Instincts flared within Phillip. They told him immediately to run and hide. That what was coming towards him was powerful, and not at all something he stood a chance against. But the niggling curiosity of wanting to know made him hesitate, and suddenly, it was too late anyway.
The dark shape was before him, a giant…no, a man, with huge, dark bat-like wings that looked as if they'd been dipped in blood. The man, with pale skin and dark hair, was young, only in his twenties, perhaps the same age as Phillip's son-in-law. The man's eyes though…Phillip could not help but feel the weight they bore as they looked at him. Could not help but think that those eyes had seen far more than he ever could on the Lake fishing every day.
The man righted himself, gave an almighty flap of his wings to slow his descent, then dropped several metres to the ground. The wind momentarily blinded Phillip. He coughed, brushing it away before he looked up to find the young man before him, a simple black jacket and pants, though they were clearly well-tailored. Phillip could swear he saw the glint of some kind of gemstone beneath the man's sleeve though.
Had Phillip imagined the wings? He can't have. Yet they were clearly not there now.
”Apologies for the disturbance, I didn't expect anyone this far north,” said the man.
His voice…it seemed quite calm, gentle even. Phillip found himself shaking his head at the apology, ”No…I…What…” Phillip had no idea what to say, then he pointed to the column that had just risen out of the ground, ”Did you do that?”
The man glanced over his shoulder, ”Oh? Yes, I had to mark out my path you see. Be sure to find my way back. Had to make it nice and big so that I could plainly see it from above”.
He pointed to the sky with a smile.
So, the wings hadn't been imagined.
”Are you out here alone?” asked the young man.
Phillip nodded, ”Fish-” Phillip cleared his throat, ”I'm fishing”.
The young man nodded, ”Ah, I see. I didn't know that there were those who came so far North for that”.
”Too many sh.i.p.s encroaching on my usual waters,” Phillip grumbled, relaxing into the conversation despite what he'd just seen, ”My daughter's expecting, I need better coin”.
The young man smiled, ”My congratulations to you and her then…I will compensate you for the meal, by the way”.
Phillip raised an eyebrow. The meal? Such an insistent attitude was quite rude, but he'd been polite thus far. Maybe he was noble and was used to getting his way.
”Well, my wife has not packed much spare food but I'm sure I can share-”
”Oh no, you misunderstand,” said the young man, ”You will not need to share your food, I am quite capable of procuring my own”.
Phillip frowned but nodded, ”Oh, right…then…apologies, but I don't understand why I would need to be compensated?”
The young man simply continued to smile, ”What is your name, sir?”
”My name? Phillip”.
The young man seemed to pause for a moment, as if somewhat surprised, then his easy smile returned, ”I see…well, Phillip, I will be compensating you for your time. After all, I am quite hungry, and I would hate for your grandchild to suffer because of my hunger”.
Phillip, still quite confused, opened his mouth to reply, but paused in shock as the young man's eyes turned blood red.
”Wha-”
The young man was suddenly behind him, holding him in a grip like iron with his head to the side before Phillip felt two needle-like points pierce his neck, followed by a mouth enclosing over the skin around it. The initial pain and shock were replaced almost immediately by a calm serenity that had Phillip's protests dying before they even reached his lips.
He couldn't move, and as he felt the young man taking something from inside him, Phillip found himself not wanting to protest even a bit. The calm serenity of the vastness he was still staring out at was the last thing he remembered before he succ.u.mbed to darkness.