A few hundred years ago, the realm of Velmund was rather peaceful. Humans reigned as the dominant species, some had even slain dragons. Yet many avoided three territories. The Frozen Wastes, where the ice empress held her domain. The Stone Mountains, where death and his worshipers laid claim. And the uncharted mist, where the forbidden ones waited for their meal.
And in the Frozen Wastes, humanity ventured into the tundra. There was lush greenery then, only slightly frosted over. The mountains in the distance were still covered in snow, the spectacular shining lake and the mountains making for a beautiful view.
A priest stood on the edge of the lake, looking gleefully onto the brilliant clear surface. Deep into his age, Father Paul held only reverence for his lord, and value for his life and the life of others.
He opened his holy book and read a few verses, praying for the safe travels of him and his company.
"Ah. Such beautiful weather."
He hummed and walked back to his wagon, the old priest was wearing long cotton robes to keep him safe from the cold, but the weather that day was still particularly nice.
He strode his way to the front of the wagon and looked at the driver, a glum teenage boy. His body was rather thin, yet he held strong in battle. Wearing a black tattered cloak and black dyed leather armor under. While he sharpened an obsidian tachi with a rock.
"Are you sure you should be using a random rock to sharpen that blade, Aldr?"
The boy's jade eyes shifted over to the old man as Aldr grimaced.
"It won't break."
Father Paul smiled at him.
"Very well then."
Aldr sighed.
"Hey, old man."
Father Paul looked back up at him.
"Yes?"
"Why did the first men call the Stone Mountains, the Stone Mountains? Aren't all mountains made of stone?"
Father Paul chuckled, leaving Aldr's glare to only harden.
"Well, we will never know. I agree, it isn't a great name. But maybe the first men had never seen a mountain of stone."
Aldr scoffed.
"Well, I guess it was my time seeing one too. But still, I would never call it that. A stupid name, especially for a domain of death."
Father Paul looked back towards the lake.
"Well, what would you name it? We found you in those mountains after all, so you must've seen enough."
Aldr stared at the lake as well. Smiling.
"Well, I guess I wouldn't have named it anything else."
Father Paul chuckled once more.
"See? Sometimes it doesn't hurt to just accept these things."
Aldr sighed and went back to sharpening his blade with the rock as Father Paul walked past him, heading to the back of the wagon and looking in.
"Amelia? Are you done?"
A gorgeous young woman with vermilion red hair was straightening it out with her brush, and then turned to look at her father.
"Yes, father!"
She smiled at him before standing up and shooing dust off her emerald green dress with yellow floral patterns.
Amelia hummed and strode out from the back of the wagon, her father helping her carefully reach the soft ground.
She then smiled at her father and ran to the front of the wagon, her gaze immediately locking on to Aldr, who was tending the horses that drew the carriage.
"Good morning, Aldr."
Aldr seemed to brush her off for a few moments while giving one of the horses an apple.
"...good morning, Amelia."
She hummed in satisfaction, her gaze locking onto the obsidian tachi sitting in the front.
"What did you say that blade was again?"
Aldr sighed, looking at her, and then at the blade.
"Famine."
She tilted her head in curiosity.
"Does it make people feel hungry?"
Aldr paused.
"It's just a name."
"Father told me all names have meaning."
Suddenly her bright smile felt quite irritating to Aldr.
"Fine, would you like to hear a story?"
Amelia's smile only brightened in the face of Aldr's words.
"Yes!"
Aldr sat in the front of the wagon, holding the obsidian tachi and took a breath before speaking again.
"Well long ago, four demons were formed. By who? Nobody knows. These demons took the shapes of four horses, one black, one red, one white, one a pale blue. Four of the strongest members of the first men of Velmund fought these horses day and night, for four nights. And yet they ended at a stalemate, both the men and the horses died. Yet they remained together in life and death, as each became only stronger beings in their undead state, turning into powerful blades. The black tachi, Famine, the red broadsword, War, the white bow, Conquest, and the pale blue scythe, Death."
Amelia clapped as Aldr finished speaking, causing him to scoff.
"That was a wonderful story, so there's really just a guy in your sword?"
"That's what the stories say."
Aldr felt an immense feeling of longing in his heart as he stared at Amelia. And then he sighed.
"Thank you, Amelia."
And then the dream faded. And Aldr laid in silence on a soft bed, staring up at the marble ceiling of the inner temple.
He reached for a wooden cup, taking a sip of water as he felt the black dagger in his hands.
'The same dream. Again, and again.'
He grit his teeth and put the cup back down, standing up.
The pale moonlight reflected through the singular window as he stared out onto the plains of Elsire. Months had passed since he had returned to Velmund.
Him, Stone Monkey, and Hunter were given room and board in the temple. Though for an odd reason he received the most luxurious out of the three.
'Is it because of my connection to the world tree?'
There really was no other explanation. He hadn't woken up from the battle for a week, and the moment he did he found himself in that same room. And his life became very odd from then on...