Prologue

A middle aged man in chainmail armor was riding a horse gazing upon a destroyed village. Next to him rode a young man with fair features and also clad in armor. There was an unnerving silence, one not even insects broke. that made the early morning fog seem eerie and disconcerting. Around them, men searched the burned out and destroyed buildings. The two men stopped in front of the ruin that was once the village hall. Here many villagers had hidden themselves thinking they would be safe from the raiders. The shattered remains of the main doors proved their hope was misplaced.
"Any survivors captain?"

"We have found no one alive your grace. It is the same as all the others. Those who resisted were slain and the remainder were taken away."

"Have the men keep searching, there must be something at least. And keep watch on the tree line, I do not wish to be ambushed by these monsters should they decide to return"

"As you command your grace."

The captain rides towards the other side of the village that has yet to be searched. The Duke dismounts his horse and gives its reigns over to one of his soldiers before he entered the village hall. Stepping through the threshold he sees pieces of the door strewn about before him as well as the bodies of two men who had tried to stop whatever it was that had broken through. Kneeling down next to one of them the Duke examined his body. He had died a quick death at least. More than could be said for some of the souls that had been found after other attacks. A search of the rest of the hall revealed little other than broken furniture and personal belongings of the villagers. The Duke sighed with sorrow at what had happened here and began to walk back towards the exit when one of his soldiers came running through the entryway.

Breathless the soldier panted "we have a survivor sir! A young boy. He is unconscious but breathing."

"Quickly then, show me where this boy is!"

The boy had been found under an overturned cart, whether he had been hidden there by someone or if he had been in it when it had overturned was not known, only that he had suffered a head injury that rendered him unconscious when the cart flipped. The guard captain was having him looked at by a priestess when the Duke reached him.

"How is the boy?"

"The priestess tells me he will live, but whether or not he can tell us what happened she is uncertain. His injury may have muddled his mind"

"No matter, the boy is alive, have him loaded onto the wagon and we will return to the castle once we have finished our search."

"We have actually your grace. The boy was found on my final pass through the village, we found nothing that could tell us who committed the attack sir."

"Very well, have the men mount up and ready to move. The lady priestess will ride with the boy to tend him should he wake up. I want to be ready to move out within the hour."

"At once your grace."

The captain snapped a quick salute and began giving out order to the men to make ready to leave when the boy suddenly opened his eyes and began screaming.

"Mother! Mother!" He cried out. "Where is she?! Who are you?!"

The priestess tried to calm him but he continued screaming and began to struggle. The Duke knelt down in front of the boy and addressed him in a calm and soothing voice.

"Calm yourself boy. I am Duke Atbay and I came here to help you. Can you tell us what happened here?"

The boy took a few breaths to calm himself and sniffled once or twice and began to tell the Duke what he remembered.

"There was screaming. I didn't know what was going on when my mother hid me here. There was smoke and fire and bad people coming after us. My mom led them away and they took her away!"

The boys voice had become less steady and had started to crack and give out before he began to cry and shortly thereafter faded into unconsciousness.

The Duke looked to the priestess as though to ask a question when she shook her head.

"The boy has been traumatized, this is simply his minds way of protecting himself. It will be best if we let him rest."

"Very well Mother, please see to him until we arrive at the castle."

"Of course your grace." She said with a bow of her head.

After the boy had been loaded onto the wagon with a stretcher and the priestess was attending to him to ensure he developed no fever or other illness, the Duke and captain rode at the front of the wagon with the rest of the men on the sides and rear to protect it.

"Do you suppose that boy will have answers my lord?"

"He might, but he might not. From what little he said it sounds as though he were knocked unconscious early in the raid, and likely didn't get to view much of the raiders. Regardless of whether he can or cannot tell us anything I am certain that our problem with these bandits and raiders will only worsen. These are dark days ahead of us Captain, and we must make ready for them."