Part - 1
Halric leaned forward. "We might need more than a few answers."
The man's wife quietly settled into the chair beside him, folding her hands in her lap. Halric gestured gently toward them. "What are your names, by the way?"
"Merr," said the man. "And this is my wife, Calla. We're farmers lived our whole lives on the outskirts of Arcadia. We're Aethreians."
Halric nodded. "And who do you worship?"
Calla smiled faintly. "We follow Elowen, the Bow of the Wild The goddess of archery, the hunt, and the silence between breaths."
Aurelius raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of her."
Merr shrugged. "Few do these days. The Thaloramians don't speak her name."
Halric looked between them. "Arcadia follows Thalorim gods, then."
"Yes," said Merr, his voice turning bitter. "That's why we live here, cast out. The Thalorim followers detest Aethreians. We were forced from the city and told to die quietly in the dust."
A tense silence followed, broken only by the whisper of wind beyond the window.
Halric shifted. "Can you tell us more about the geography of the kingdom? And nearby nations?"
Merr reached beneath the table not far from him, drawing out a faded, fraying map. He spread it across the wooden surface, its corners curling from years of neglect.
"This here..." he pointed to the heart of the parchment, "...is Arcadia. Grasslands. Fertile, open. A hub for trade, grain, and livestock. And the lights you saw? That's the capital: Caelrath. Home of the royal family."
He tapped the eastern edge. "Mountains here. Tall and cruel. Beyond them lies Velmora, a coalition of old kingdoms. They've united under a bureaucratic republic now, though they never quite lost their thirst for internal squabbles."
Merr's finger drifted north. "Up here is Hailspire. Frozen cliffs, deathly winters. Almost no contact with the outside world. No proper roads in or out. Those who go seldom return."
He circled a few scattered dots on the west. "And these? Islands. Some ruled by noble houses, some by exiled priests or cults. Little is known about them. Dangerous waters surround them."
He paused, then added, "Together, the scholars call this whole landmass Vesmyra and there is one more continent apart from this.…."
Halric and Aurelius listened closely, taking in every word. When the map settled and the tale ended,
Halric pointed at a faint mark just beneath Hailspire.
"And what about the Lirathen Kingdom? Here? Is it under Arcadia or still independent?" he asked, his voice quieter.
Merr hesitated.
Calla looked at her husband. "Should we tell them?"
Merr nodded solemnly. "There was once a kingdom there, called Lirathen."
"There was..." Halric repeated. His tongue trembeled.
Merr's voice was quiet. "It was destroyed nearly seven hundred years ago. During the War of
Generals. Entire bloodlines ended. Cities razed. No known survivors."
Halric leaned back, his heart pounding. He said nothing. The fire in the hearth cracked louder now.
Part - 2
Aurelius asked quietly, "What happened? Did you know that kingdom? Do you know something, Counselor?"
Halric's eyes welled with tears, but they did not fall. His voice was hoarse as he broke the silence.
"Seven hundred years ago huh... are you sure?"
The man looked to his wife, who nodded slowly. "Of course. All children learn about the War of Generals in history lessons."
Halric's heart pounded. "What year is it now?"
"Year 703 of Thariel," the man replied.
Halric stared blankly at the fire. He murmured, almost to himself, "Leave that... just tell me... how many years ago did the Seven die?"
The man scratched his head. "I think... around 1000 years? Maybe a little more."
Halric reeled inwardly. Sixteen centuries... and Lirathen was destroyed seven centuries ago... He pieced it together in fragments. I entered the Gloaming Halls 100 years after the Seven fell. Then the War of Generals occurred, which destroyed Lirathen. And now... few more centuries have passed. I've been gone 700... 800 years...
In Nirash's realm, time moved differently, Halric didn't knew that, no one did. He had lived there for around fifty-three years.
Everyone I knew is gone.
He felt the grief claw at him, but his face betrayed nothing.
They continued asking questions, catching up on everything they could about Arcadia the gods, the cities, the wars, the shifts in power. And at last, Halric turned to the couple. "Would you like to come to our kingdom? It will be safe for you there."
Aurelius nearly sprang from his seat. "But Counselor..."
Halric raised a hand. Aurelius fell silent.
"You've helped us greatly. And by what you've told us... a war with Arcadia is not far-fetched. These tensions religion, power, land they always end in conflict if left unchecked. If peace talks fail, there will be bloodshed. And no kingdom accepts another rising within their borders easily. You will not be safe here."
The man and woman exchanged a long glance.
"But what about food, clothing, work?" the man asked hesitantly.
"You'll be treated as honored guests," Halric said. "You won't need to work for anything."
Though they kept calm faces, Halric could see the hope flickering behind their eyes. They had seen the silver, the signs of nobility. They knew the promise of a better life. Living among fellow
Aethreians, free of persecution.
They nodded in agreement.
Halric and Aurelius stepped outside into the cool predawn air. Halric called the guards and instructed them to help the couple gather their things and escort them back to the castle with care.
As the guards obeyed and moved toward the cottage, Aurelius turned, voice tight with anger. "Why would you allow unknown strangers into our kingdom? You're gambling."
Halric didn't flinch. "We need information to survive in this world now. This isn't the land I left. I have no idea what dangers lie ahead. We must take chances."
Both turned their gaze eastward, where the lights of Caelrath still shimmered faintly. The sun was cresting the hills now, washing the road in gold. Morning had come.
Without another word, Halric and Aurelius began their journey back to Astelvyr.
Part - 3
They started moving through the same grassland again towards the castle. The morning sun rose higher in the sky, and a light warmth settled over them.
"So this is what a day feels like, huh?" Aurelius said, stretching his arms. "It's refreshing. It feels great."
Halric smiled briefly. "This is just the start. We may be cast out, but that doesn't mean we cannot enjoy the small things. There are many wonders you'll come to love. Seasons, for one. It will rain, leaves will fall, and winter will come. These things never happened in Vel Atherra. The food there was grown with magic. There were no seasons no change. But here, on Terra, things are finite. And because of that, you learn to respect what you have while you have it."
Aurelius nodded thoughtfully. Then he looked up at the sky and asked, "Also… what is rain?"
Halric frowned, then chuckled softly. "You'll know when the time comes."
Soon, they reached the gates of the castle. Upon entering, they were immediately informed by the guard at the door that the prince had awakened and requested to see them in his chamber.
Without delay, they made their way to the prince's chamber.
Prince Veylen was seated at a table, eating his breakfast. As soon as Halric entered, the young prince stood and hurried over, bowing his head in apology.
"I'm sorry for leaving the castle," Veylen said.
Halric raised an eyebrow. "You already apologized for that, and you were punished too. Don't worry about it."
Elyria, who was standing nearby, stepped forward and interjected gently. "Counsellor… that's not actually why he's apologizing."
She proceeded to recount the full story of the influence, the control, and the shadows that had been pulling at the prince since the beginning.
Halric listened silently, then stroked his sharp beard. He leaned on the wolf-headed cane in his other hand, eyes narrowing.
"So… he was controlling the prince from the very start from the old garden to the New Moon Ritual. This man is no ordinary threat. We need to catch him quickly. We don't know what else he might do."
The room fell silent for a moment, tension settling in the air.
Then Halric looked at the prince and said, "Finish your food. We'll discuss our next steps shortly."
He paused at the door and added, "Oh...and I must update you all on our current situation. Terra is not how I left it."
He looked out the window at the dawn light breaking over the horizon.
"This is the Age of New Gods."
End of Chapter.