Chapter 57 - Dark King Rising

Leon, like the pampered noble that he was, decided he would rather sleep in for the rest of the day. Skyle did not begrudge him that. After all, he knew the poor noble would need all his stamina for the hell that would visit him in the next few days.

Glancing down at his rough, calloused hands, Skyle smirked to himself as he recalled the soft, buttery-smooth skin of Leon’s hands. Likely, Leon was the type of exalted nobleman who wore gloves even for sword practice, that the Lord’s hands might not develop unsightly callouses.

To Skyle, each of the bumps and cracks in the skin of his fingers told a story. Whether from practicing with his bow until his fingers were bleeding, or digging a ditch until his raw skin stopped burning and went completely numb, Skyle was quite familiar with hard work. It was the mantra of the Farrow family that nothing worth doing is ever easy.

Somewhere along the years of hard labor Skyle had learned this lesson. It had not come easy, this lesson. That was the reason it was all the more precious.

His family, he knew, had enough money to live comfortably, even by an elenium farm’s high standards. They could more than afford to hire several laborers who could take charge of the many onerous tasks needed to run a medium sized farm like theirs. However, his father had always refused even the most honest applicants who had come to ask for work.

By the time Skyle learned that the farm was as much a livelihood as a way to educate the Farrow children on the importance of basic values such as hard work, dedication and integrity, Skyle had long been past the stage of resenting his father. Instead, he had become used to the life at the farm, and grown to genuinely love it.

This love-hate relationship, it was a process that like many things in the farm, could not be rushed. Skyle was really looking forward to seeing just how much hatred Leon could take before exploding. That would sure be a sight to see. He only hoped the fire summoner wouldn’t blow up half the farm while at it.

Smirking in satisfaction, Skyle stepped outside the door and headed to the dining room. Already, his mouth was watering from the tantalizing aromas coming from the kitchen.

“Buttermilk biscuits!” Skyle cried out in delight, rushing down the corridor.

Adrienne smiled indulgently in Skyle’s direction as she took a steaming hot tray from the oven. The heat had brought a lovely blush of rose to her cheeks and there was a thin layer or perspiration on her forehead. However, her eyes were glowing as she nodded to Skyle.

“Little Sky, did you sleep well?”

“I did! Slept like a tree, though I’m surprised da didn’t wake me up for chores this morning.” Skyle’s response was animated, but his eyes were riveted by the biscuits.

“Nonsense, that man has too much time in his hands as it is. I caught him sneaking a glance towards your room when he got up this morning, and I let him know in no uncertain terms he’d better not wake my little angel today.” Adrienne emphasized her words with an imperious wave of the brush she was using to smother each biscuit under a thick layer of honey. The golden sheen on top of the crusty exterior of each biscuit made Skyle gulp loudly. “Sit over there, sweetheart. These will be ready in a moment.”

Skyle sat as prompted, but suddenly his thoughts were elsewhere. As captivating as the biscuits were, in the back of his mind Skyle pondered on the mysterious power his mother held over his father. As far as Skyle or any of the other children knew, Adrienne Farrow had never come even close to using violence against her husband or anyone else, for that matter. The very thought of such seemed laughable to Skyle. At most, on very rare occasions, her tone would grow chilly and her words clipped. That was as far as it had ever gone before Kendric Farrow would stumble all over himself to immediately rectify whatever misdeed of his had prompted his wife’s outburst.

As for his father’s attitude towards his mother, there’s no doubt he loved her to death. That much was obvious, as was the fact that the feeling was mutual. As for his strange behavior, it was a head scratcher. It wasn’t even as though Adrienne Farrow was physically frail, yet gifted with the elements.

Watching as his mother transferred all the biscuits onto a plate and placed the baking tray back inside the oven, Skyle glanced briefly at the oven mitt she wore. It was worn and slightly blackened in the middle, no doubt soot accumulated from all the mouth-watering meals she had baked for her loved ones. As far as Skyle knew, however, items such as oven mitts were rare. Not because they were hard to manufacture, but because they were nearly obsolete. The small amount of elemental essence needed to shield one’s hand from a hot piece of metal was insignificant. Most people wouldn’t even need to consciously think about it, reflexively focusing their elemental power to achieve the task of insulating their skin from the heat.

Only the sick, young or elderly needed such items. Skyle had often seen his father use his elemental power with finesse to great effect. His mother, however, had never used her own essence. In this respect, she was much like Skyle. They were the only two members of the family who were unable to wield the power of the elements. Thus, Adrienne’s kitchen was full of items such as fire starters, oven mitts, bottle openers, and the such. Tasks that would be a trifle to others necessitated the assistance of such for people like Skyle and his mother.

Still, no one really spoke of it. They had all simply grown used to the fact. Skyle had always assumed it was congenital, and he had simply inherited some freak blood from his mother. Now that he heard of a supposed taint within his veins, however, Skyle had to wonder about the true reason his mother couldn’t wield the elements. It couldn’t be the same curse he had, since Adrienne had been alive and well all these years. Then where had Skyle contracted this strange disease, and why did it let his mother live while he would die within five short years?

His thoughts were interrupted as a huge pile of steaming biscuits was laid before him, along with a big pot full of creamy meat gravy. Not wanting to worry her, Skyle immediately dismissed his errant thoughts and dug into the biscuits, stuffing as many as he could into his mouth until his cheeks were bulging like a squirrel’s.

His mother's laughter lit up the room as she settled her adoring gaze upon him. Skyle basked under this feeling. It filled his soul even as the biscuits filled his stomach, and he knew he had missed this cherished warmth far more than even the most mouth-watering biscuits.

Make no mistake, however. The biscuits were a favorite of Skyle’s and a specialty of his mother’s. Obviously, they were delicious. Skyle lost count of how many biscuits he went through. By the time he finally leaned back in his chair, he couldn’t even swallow a single crumb more, much to his dismay. The sweet honey glaze and the buttery smooth crust sang siren songs to him even now, but if he continued he would surely burst like a pinata.

“Happy?” Adrienne reached across the table and affectionately ran her hand through Skyle’s hair.

“So happy I could die. In fact, I could die happily right here and now,” Skyle crowed, then covered his hand to burp loudly. “Oops, excuse me.”

Adrienne waved her hand as she chuckled indulgently.

“You silly goose. How would I bake more biscuits for you if you did that? Now, give me a few seconds and I’ll pack a few of those to take along with you.”

“Huh? Am I going somewhere?” Skyle asked, surprised.

His mother nodded to him. “Your friend Gordon has been worried sick about you. He even tried to sneak into the forest by himself! Fortunately, his father’s men caught him, or we would have been looking for two missing children instead of one. You have a good friend in that one, Sky.”

“Fatty tried to enter the Forbidden Forest by himself?” Skyle stammered, disbelief painted clearly across his face.

Adrienne nodded. “I thought he was smarter than to try such nonsense, that boy. It seems someone has been a bad influence on him.”

A slightly raised eyebrow in Skyle’s direction left no doubt of whom she was referring to.

Skyle couldn’t muster an answer, and chuckled awkwardly instead. In his heart though, he was truly touched. Fatty was the only friend his own age Skyle had. His busy life at the farm and training with his father left him little time for the usual games most children occupied themselves with. Also, the childish interests that fascinated other kids had never drawn Skyle’s attention. Instead, he found himself joining any circles of adults that would tolerate him and even participated in the conversation when it became pertinent enough.

It was in one such circle of adults that Skyle had spoken up on a topic he had some confidence in. He had barely finished expressing his opinion, when another voice had instantly refuted his idea. He was mildly amused to find it had come from a chubby little boy. Why, he could almost see the baby fat still on his cheeks! The guts on this kid!

Of course, it hadn’t even occurred to Skyle that he himself was merely a 10 year old kid himself.

What ensued was a heated argument that had nearly come to blows. Only when the adults had decided to punish both boys with working together for the whole day had they slowly realized that they actually had much in common.

Fatty, whose real name was Gordius Interspinus, actually hated his name and went by Gordon. Much like Skyle, Fatty did not have many friends his own age. He preferred to read and plan for the day when he would inherit his father’s prospering general goods store and turn it into a mercantile giant to rival even the great merchant families of the Linden Republic. His words, not Skyle’s. Thus, he preferred the company of adult conversation rather than the mindless games of children his own age.

Another commonality they shared were their elemental powers, or lack thereof. While Gordius had astounding talent in the water element, his veins had been diagnosed with a rare condition that left him unable to use the Voice of the Elements, let alone become a summoner. Thus, he could only become an elemental warrior. However, as his bulging belly evinced, he was truly ill-suited to any physical activity. In truth, Fatty could barely walk a few blocks before collapsing in a sweaty, wheezing heap. As for swords, as far as Skyle knew Fatty had never even lifted a practice one, and likely never would. His weapons, Fatty would proudly proclaim to any who disdained him for not practicing with a sword, were his word and wit.

At least that, Skyle could definitely agree with. As helpless and innocuous as Fatty may appear at first glance, his beady little eyes shone with a dazzling intellect and a burning ambition. In truth, Skyle held no doubts that Fatty would, unless some tragedy befell, achieve his grand ambitions, perhaps on a scale even greater than he himself thought possible.

Only two years had passed since they had become friends, yet Skyle had witnessed countless of Fatty’s intricate little mindgames as he plotted the downfall of any of Sunny Meadow’s children who made the grave mistake of crossing this apparently defenseless, chubby little kid. That he initially made no small amount of enemies was no surprise. Fatty’s precocious intellect, arrogance and the fact that his family was far better off than most others in a small provincial town like Sunny Meadow, meant that he became the target of the envy and resentment of many children.

Fatty might be roughed up by other children, and he would not defend himself. Instead, he would grovel and cower and get away with a few scrapes or bruises at most. Then he would unleash his vengeance upon them, visiting such horrors on the poor children that it had already been half a year since the last unfortunate soul had decided to cross the Demon Pig, as Fatty had come to be known. Fatty achieved this through acquiring vast amounts of information on anything and everything, storing it within his prodigious memory, and using it to either find or produce a fatal weakness against his enemies.

Fatty could be a scary enemy, for sure. The worst part was, you couldn't do anything to him. He left no traces behind his machinations. Whether it was the blacksmith’s journeyman apprentice who was found fooling with his master’s daughter right in the middle of the tour for the local town patrol captain and his deputies, or the beer brewer’s son whose latest batch of brown ale had sent every last patron of a certain tavern scrambling straight to the nearest toilet with a particularly tenacious strand of the runs that had their bums burning for the next three days, not a single clue or vestige was left behind that could possibly link these nefarious acts to one Gordius Interspinus.

Only the town’s children knew that a few weeks previously, both kids had become fed up with the Demon Pig’s arrogance and decided to rough him up to teach him some manners. The Demon Pig had squealed, and begged for forgiveness, and every child in town had shuddered as they awaited the inevitable.

In the aftermath, the blacksmith’s apprentice had been run out of town and was never seen again. Rumours said he was somewhere up the Lost Mountains, herding goats in the desolate plateaus for a distant relative. As for the brewer’s son, he was still working double shifts at the tavern he had poisoned, taking daily abuse from the regulars and barkeep alike. Any time he saw fatty in the distance, he’d nearly piss his pants and immediately head the other way in order to avoid him.

What’s pride, Fatty had once sniggered while treating Skyle to some ale pilfered from his father’s store. Burping, he had gone on to boast that a man may force him to bend his knee, but he would definitely twist the man’s neck in return.

He that laughs last laughs best, was Fatty’s motto.

All in all, Fatty was alright in Skyle’s book. He was vicious, cunning and easily intimidated by the threat of physical violence. However, he was also loyal and determined, fearless when his mind was made up. He made for good company. If for nothing else, Skyle found it amusing to stop by Fatty’s shop just to pick up on the latest gossip around town.

Now, the fact that this same Fatty who likely had not taken a single step into a forest in his whole life, and would rather grovel and beg than lift a sword to defend himself, had thrown aside his better judgment to rush into the Forbidden Forest for Skyle’s sake, it really touched him. He had long come to regard Fatty as his good friend, but he had never been certain the feeling was reciprocal. After all, Fatty’s cunning and intellect made it hard for Skyle to fully trust him. Now, he felt ashamed that he had ever doubted his friend’s loyalty.

“I hope he didn’t get into too much trouble,” Skyle murmured pensively.

“No, Merchant Lornius just declared his son Gordius had far too much free time in his hands, and doubled his shifts at the General Store for the next two weeks. I imagine he’s doing just fine,” came his mother’s amused voice.

“You don’t understand Fatty like I do, ma.” Skyle shook his head, feeling sorry for his friend already. “He hates hard work more than anything. Claims to be allergic to it, as a matter of fact. Ledgers and accounts, he takes to like a fish in water. However, his father will be punishing him by making him a laborer at their warehouse.”

“Which is all the more proper for poor little Gordon. He should really watch his weight, and the physical labor will do the child good. If only Merchant Interspinus would finally settle down and find himself a good wife,” Skyle’s mother sighed.

“You have no idea how inordinately proud Fatty is of his large belly. The larger the belly, the happier one’s life is, he claims. I better be on my way to check up on him.” Shaking his head helplessly, Skyle picked up the package Adrienne had neatly folded for him and turned to head towards the door.

The delicate sound of Adrienne Farrow clearing her throat stopped Skyle in his tracks. Grinning guiltily, he turned around and buried his face in his mother’s bosom.

“Thanks ma, you’re the best.”

“As long as you know it, little Sky,” his mother stroked his cheek fondly. “Now go pick up your brother and sister. Don’t forget to take a few cloaks. Looks like it will be raining soon.”

Skyle nodded and after disengaging himself from his mother’s embrace, picked up three small cloaks with hoods and headed to the door. Judging by the sun, it must be well past noon already. Kass and Reik would need to be picked up at Aegis Academy in the afternoon, and it was Skyle’s daily ritual to do so. Settling back into his old routine with ease, Skyle walked towards the road that led to town.

The Farrow farm lay a mere forty five minutes’ walk from Sunny Meadow. Theirs was a sprawling stretch of land, but due to its relative proximity to the Felwood Forest, and the Forbidden Forest beyond that, the area was sparsely populated. This worked out perfectly for Skyle’s family, as their snowblade tigers did not do well with crowds or strangers.

On the way, Skyle was greeted by several people he knew from neighboring farms. The Farrow Farm was the largest in this area, and often helped the smaller farms with seeds and produce during leaner times. Their generosity had contributed to allay the neighbors’ fears at having a pack of snowblade tigers living nearby. In all the years they had been here, which was around the time Skyle had been born, there hadn’t been any accidents. Instead, the Farrow family had become something of a hallmark of these parts, and become an integral part of the local community.

“Skyle, is that you boy?” A voice cried out from behind.

Turning around, Skyle smiled and nodded to a short, stocky man in his fifties. The bushy beard he wore did little to disguise the unfortunate weak chin on the man’s face.

“Yes, Mister Meechum, it is me.” Mannu Meechum owned a small farm not far from here. He was a widower of many years with four children, all older than Skyle.

“Well, slap me silly and call me Doris, we were all afraid you had gone and gotten gobbled up by them ghosts at the Forbidden Forest.” The animated man swiftly traced a cross symbol in the air to ward off any foul spirits being drawn by the inauspicious name.

“Nope, I just got lost for a good while. Was plenty scary though,” Skyle grinned sheepishly.

“Well, I won’t say no more on account of the arse whuppin’ you likely got from your old man. Fair fellow, but got a mean eye when he means it.” Farmer Meechum glanced towards Skyle’s rear with no small amount of sympathy.

“Especially when he realized you were missing. Lord, I ain't been so terrified in my whole life, not even when your da-.” he abruptly coughed a couple times, then continued. “Ahem, I mean, we thought he meant to tear that whole haunted forest by its roots, and curses or ghosts be damned. Good thing he found you, else the devil knows what a man with his temper might do.”

“I’ll be sure to convey your kind thoughts to my da, sir.” Skyle commented off-handedly.

Meechum instantly jumped forward to clasp Skyle’s hand in a tremorous grasp. “Hold up now, young fella. There’s surely no need to bother Master Farrow with such nonsense. Holder of the largest farm hereabouts and honorary leader of the local beast hunters’ guild, your father’s a mighty busy man. Why add another earful to his burdens?”

“Oh, ain’t no problem Mister Meechum. After the visit da made to your farm that day you accidentally bumped into ma at the town fair’s dance, he told me to keep my ears peeled for anything you might say. I think da cares a great deal about you and your views on things, sir.” Skyle made his best clueless twelve year old kid face, smiling innocently.

Poor Meechum began to sweat in earnest as his complexion turned waxy. His lips trembled as he stammered, “Ah, h- he did? Ha. Haha. I- I’m flattered, that I am. Quite an honor, to be worthy of the regard of a man of your dad’s grit. Best man by far in all of Sunny Meadow. No, I mean all of Lacrima Province. Best shot by far too. Why, he nearly nailed my balls to- Ah, I mean, deadeye with a bow, your old man. Really, only man worthy of that fine and very respectable lady that be your mother. Wouldn’t in a million years even dream of even rolling my greasy eyeballs her way, let alone speak to her. You be sure to tell him I said that, boy.”

Skyle dug into his ear with a pinky. “That’s an awful lot to remember, Mister Meechum. What with my frightful experience in the forest, and the tremendous arse whupping my da gave me, might be you’re asking a tad too much from a sad little boy like me. Might be different if I could cheer up somehow.”

Meechum frantically dug around his pockets and shoved a handful of copper coins into Skyle’s hands. “Being as we be neighbors and all, let Uncle Meechum give you a few coins for some sweets from the store.”

Skyle immediately pushed the coins back towards Meechum. “Oh no sir, I couldn’t possibly take this.”

Meechum’s words grew even more desperate as he forced the coins back into the little boy’s hands. “I insist, darn it, and I won’t hear otherwise. Now you go tell your da exactly what I said, ya hear?”

“Well, then much as I’m mighty embarrassed to take these, seeing as how you insist and are being so generous, I suppose I will have to accept. Why, thank you Mister Meechum, I will surely-” By this time, Meechum had already become a tiny figure scrambling away as though his arse had been lit on fire.

Skyle sniggered at the sight, but was in truth grateful. After all, Meechum and men like him who had not been able to resist attempting to take liberties with his mother had provided ample funds that went towards feeding his siblings’ candied corn addiction.

“Shame on you for jerking that poor man around like that, child,” came a woman’s voice from not too far away. Turning his head around, Skyle saw that it was a middle-aged woman accompanied by two girls and a boy. “Not that he don’t deserve what’s coming to him, mind, making himself a nuisance to Mistress Adrienne.”

Skyle bobbed his head in greeting. “Good day to you, ma’am Willard.”

Rosia Willard nodded her head in acknowledgement. Her expression was serious, but her eyes glimmered with humor. Her children were worse, as they were sniggering just as Skyle had been.

“Ma, that’s what old Meechum gets for being such a creep,” Sunia, the eldest daughter and almost a grown woman at 14, managed in between stifled laughter.

“How dare he try to bother Miss Kassandra’s kin,” Laria, the second daughter at 13 years old, chorused.

“Hush children. That’s still no way for a little boy to take advantage of a terrified man,” their mother chided.

“Hmph, if I were in Master Farrow’s shoes, I would have nailed his ballsacks to the wall!” Herman, the eldest son, snickered as he made a shooting motion with his hands.

“Herman Willard, you will not use such foul language in front of the children, especially young Skyle!”

Herman shrugged unrepentantly but said nothing, winking to Skyle instead. Herman and his family lived in a medium sized farm close to Skyle’s own. However, Herman was nearly 15, and he had made it clear that upon reaching majority age he would leave the farm and travel the world. His inspiration and hero was Skyle’s own father, of course. It was widely known that Kendric Farrow had been quite the wanderer before he arrived to Sunny Meadow and settled down with his young wife. Many young men had been instantly attracted by his charisma, and begged his father for archery lessons, only to be refused.

This did not prevent the children from trying to get into the good graces of Kendric’s children. This mostly extended to Kass and Reik, but some fringe benefits applied to Skyle himself as well. The crumbs that fell from the table, so to speak.

“Skyle, it is so good to see you safe and well. We were all so worried about you. Oh, and could you please pass this on to Reikard? I baked some cupcakes and had some extra. I don’t know if he likes cherries, but I sprinkled them on top.” Laria said, stuffing a small cloth-wrapped package into his hands.

“Laria, can’t you see Skyle’s heading to town? What would he do with your bulky package all the way there and back? Here, take this instead. I embroidered this handkerchief myself. The ‘K’ stands for little Kassandra, while the ‘S’ stands for my own name,” For all her sweet words, Sunia shamelessly added on top of Skyle’s burdens, pushing the item in question into his arms. “Just tell her to think nothing of it. By the way, when is little Kassandra going to host another tea party? I don’t wish to impose, but it is already so hard to speak to her, with everyone crowding around her. Skyle, could you maybe find out yourself and let me know?”

“Children, must you all behave so shamelessly? Why, Mistress Farrow will think I’ve raised a bunch of hooligans. Really, Skyle, do be a darling and convey my greetings and best wishes to your mother. Here, I bought these from the last trade caravan that passed through town. I think the blue in the brooch would really bring out that lovely color in your mother’s eyes. I’ve been meaning to give it to her for a while now, but she’s always so busy helping others. You be sure to pass it along, you hear?” Just like that, yet another package was added to his hands.

Skyle did his best not to roll his eyes, as he was long used to things like this by now. Laria baked an endless procession of cherry-related goods for Reikard, while Sunia was a devoted member of the endless mob of boys and girls who formed the Kassandra Farrow fan club. As for ma’am Willard, she was one of his mother’s most devout followers, going Mistress Farrow this and Mistress Farrow that. Everyone else was Joel or Mary or June, but Mistress Farrow was Mistress Farrow.

Skyle was just caught in the middle of the crossfire, a consequence of being born into a family full of remarkable people, while he himself was anything but.

As he finally managed to extricate himself from the Willards’ and headed toward town, Skyle smiled to himself as he thought about his family.

Kendric Farrow was known as a deadeye marksman, and his wind element was both fierce and strong. He was one of the first to be notified whenever there was a wild beast loose in the vicinity, and also the reluctant leader who led the local group of farm owners and hunters in ending the threat. Thus, along the years people had come to respect Skyle’s father, and no one dared to send stray looks in his mother’s direction anymore, no matter how beautiful she was. It had taken a great deal of bruised noses and egos, but now Kendric’s reputation as a steady man who would fiercely defend his home and family was set in stone.

Adrienne Farrow was widely recognized as the belle of Sunny Meadow, and both her grace and effortless elegance had drawn many hungry and envious stares from both men and women alike. However, with time her gentle nature, wise counsel, and mouth-watering cooking had slowly won over the hearts of women all over the vale. Now, a veritable army of loyal women would defend the honor of Adrienne to the death, particularly against their own men. These women flocked to Adrienne’s kitchen with any problems or grievances, and his mother did what she does best, working her magic and turning tears into smiles as though by magic.

As for Kassandra and Reik, they were both charming in their own ways. Kassandra had inherited her mother’s beauty and intelligence, and was thus followed everywhere by packs of children in whose eyes she could do no wrong. As for Reik, he was as handsome as his sister was beautiful, and his calm temperament and honest good humor had won over the hearts of many mothers as a prospective future son-in-law.

Skyle was the only odd bird in the family, constantly rushing from one place to the next and not spending much time with people at all. He had neither his family’s good looks, nor their talent with the elements.

Indeed, immediately upon testing of their elemental affinities, both his siblings had been given a full scholarship to the Aegis Academy, the top learning institution in the province. Reik had scored in the lower 90th percentile range in the earth element, as well as a high 70th percentile range on his water element, marking him as a rare dual element genius.

As for Kass, she had broken all local records by testing in the high 90th percentile ranges in both water and wind, marking her as a terrifying genius in both elements. Such raw talent was one that might occur once in a hundred years, out of countless thousands of children who underwent testing every year.

Immediately, Aegis Academy had offered to sponsor Kass’ studies and her further development in the main branch at Glory Peak. As one of the top academies in the Empire, the benefits they had offered had blown Skyle’s mind. Grand scholars to serve as private tutors, Sage elemental summoners to nurture her elemental powers, and private servants assigned to her own private mansion that she may better focus her attention on her studies. An extravagant stipend of hundreds of golds would be provided on a yearly basis to both Kassandra and her parents. In short, Kassandra would live like a princess, never wanting for anything, so long as she continued to nurture her natural talent.

Both Kendric and Adrienne Farrow had adamantly refused, of course. No matter how high the representatives who came were, nor how lavish the gifts, they would not budge. In the end, when the headmaster of the Academy himself came to their humble abode, a reluctant compromise was reached where Kass and Reik would attend the Aegis Academy Branch in Sunny Meadow four days a week. In a few years time, the children themselves would decide their futures.

This meant that the staff at the Academy showered Kass and Reik with one extravagant gift after another, and their merest wish was a command within Academy grounds. This only made the aura around his brother and sister grow even more extravagant, as even adults now began to pay attention to the little children. After all, their futures were all but guaranteed to rise to the very top. Parents who had previously only grudgingly allowed their children to seek the Farrow twins’ company, now actively pushed their offspring to fawn over Reik, but especially Kass.

As for Skyle, he was a bit skilled with a bow and handy with words, but next to the blinding radiance of the twins, he really was as ordinary as a lump of coal sitting next to a shining diamond.

Occasionally, Skyle still felt a bittersweet aftertaste in his mouth when he thought of how different the talents of the Farrow children were. It was not that he would trade places with either Kass or Reik. He was very happy at their success and future prospects. Still, every time he saw how effortless wielding the elements was for both his siblings, Skyle felt a pang inside his heart. Skyle knew this was part of the reason why he had been so driven in his efforts to awaken his talent. It was also why his failures tasted all the more bitter.

“Just as well, I suppose,” Skyle murmured in his mind. “Might as well load all the talent on the children who won’t die in five years. It seems the gods do have a plan, after all.”

Now that he knew his days were counted, Skyle reflected that all his pathetic efforts had truly come to nothing. What use would it be to spill blood and tears to awaken his talent when he would lie in a grave within a handful of years? All his tracking and archery skills wouldn’t let him hunt down this damn curse that loomed over his future like an ominous star.

“So, what now? Stuff my face with honey buttermilk biscuits until I give Fatty a run for his money?” Skyle chuckled to himself at the mental imagery.

Skyle was still pondering deeply on the direction his life should take from this point when he finally saw the weathered sign that read, “Welcome to Sunny Meadow, where the sun always shines brighter!” The skies above began to rumble at this moment, and dark clouds churned. A storm was on its way.

He stood there, looking at the sign for a long moment, thinking.

His father, mother, Kass, Reik, Leon.. all the people in his life were such luminaries, stars who shone with dazzling brilliance. Perhaps it was inevitable that he should become the dark star that sucked in all the shadow produced by their splendor and grew darker still.

Darkness within light, wasn't this the way of the world?

It was a desolate domain, this. A very lonely peak, with a singularly dreary throne.

A dark throne on a dark land for a dark soul.

“A Dark King, ruling over a land of the shadows cast by the brightest stars shining in the sky. Hah, guess that title suits me as well as any. If I’m to dwell within these shadows, might as well get a fitting title. You may rule over your bright side, but this here is my domain. My kingdom, my rules. Welcome to the dark side.”

Skyle grinned at his own ingenuity, and wondered if Fatty would agree to become his prime minister.

“Skyle the Crippled and the Fatty the Coward. What a sad pair we make,” Skyle snickered to himself as he entered the outskirts of town and went to look for his future right hand man.

“Hah, weep, ye heavens, and tremble, ye earth. The legend of the Dark King and the Demon Pig is born!” the little boy crowed in his mind.

At that very instant, lightning flashed at the corner of his eye. A mere second later, thunder roared in his ears, and the ground beneath Skyle’s feet shuddered. As Skyle stood gaping in surprise, drops of rain began to splatter against his face.

Thus did the world usher the birth of this dark legend.

It shook. It wept.

It knew a dark king was on the rise.