“C’ mon, Kaius. Put your back to it.”

“Yes, father.”

Kaius stared down at the imposing monstrosity in front of him. A massive tree—wider than what he could wrap his arms around and at least three times longer than himself—he and his father had cut it down hours ago. Father—his red hair and wild beard showing signs of old age—was already holding the back end, his muscles visibly bulging at the strain. A broad smile of only teeth showed on his pale-skinned face, left cheek twitching in effort.

Wiggling his calloused fingers, built from the two years since he had been old enough to help his father in this difficult calling, under the massive thing they brushed against the hard and rigid outer bark. It gave him enough grip to hold tightly without having an entire hand under. Kaius understood that at the age of seventeen summers, he had yet to build a mass of muscles and power strong enough to easily heave the tree up even an inch.

Luckily for him, and his waiting father—trying to hide his struggle, so he doesn’t look any weaker—he had a little secret he liked to call his own.

Kaius closed his eyes, imagining an ancient well of stone—wider than any he had seen before, it was enough to fit him and many more his size—filled with orange water overflowing. There he found it as always waiting in the pitch-black darkness for another chance to see the light of day. He mentally grabbed at it, pulling a light tendril of the energy, but it bubbled in excitement and jumped at his connection. Giving him more than he really needed or wanted to draw.

He grinned a massive one, hidden behind it was a struggle. To his father, it was a struggle of strength against the hulking tree before them, but to Kaius, it was a struggle not to pull too much. An orange haze coated around his body as a sign of his power being used. The color was very light and ethereal, making it difficult to see in the bright light of day.

With a grunt, the tree budged then slowly rose off the ground. Kaius blew his cheeks out as he held his breath. It was challenging to pick up without a doubt, but he made sure to act a bit extra to make his struggle look more realistic. He didn’t know of any other person his age or two years older than him who could lift this behemoth.

Carefully guiding it onto the wagon, his father pushed from the back for it to balance between the two ends. Both fell to the ground after, exhausted from the task. His father tried to keep his breathing even and chest slow and steady but failed as it heaved with every deep breath he took.

Kaius, on the other hand, severed his connection to the well of power. Letting it recede back to its well made him feel empty and alone. He shivered as an unnatural cold ran up his entire back. The warm touch of his power was always so inviting—like a drug he couldn’t be without.

“G-get up, son. We got a long and slow ride towards the village,” father said. He struggled but was determined not to fail in front of his child. He walked up to the other side of the long wagon they had—six wheels made of iron, it would be impossible to fix if they broke during their return—up to where two towering horses idled. Petting the first, a brown mountain of muscle named Bronny, it nuzzled into his embrace.

Kaius stood up with a smile and hurried towards the other horse. It was a black and white mare—smaller than Bronny, but still far bigger than her riders—he had named her himself. Jasper. A name he had been infatuated with from a story about a prince and princess battling dragons in Mountain Gar. It was one of the many books he had convinced his parents to buy for him even though they were expensive. He reached the happy horse, petting it and rubbing its mane vigorously. It neighed in response, glad to see him in return.

After a couple of minutes of enjoying his time, he joined his father on the wagon. It was time for them to move towards the village. It will take them until close to sunset to return, they did not want to be caught outside in the night. The dark was filled with malevolent beings and spirits waiting to lead men astray, or so the stories go. It had done well to scare him when his parents told him of them, the other race living in the abandoned forests, homes and lands. One we can’t see or hear until it’s too late.

“Want to speak about your nightmare?” Father said, breaking his musing.

Kaius shut his eyes. His mind was unable to escape the images that flooded towards him. His hands tightened on his pants and teeth clamped on his lips.

He stood frozen in a world of black and gray. Standing on top of a hill, he watched as a single thing held color. A flower with petals of gold and white. Surrounding it was an orange haze, and that covered even more so by a transparent dark purple. It was beautiful to behold, but his blood rage instead. He knew something was coming, it always did. Eating and destroying everything in its way. It always found him and his flower, devouring them in countless ways.

Though this time was different, something had changed.

Focusing on his surroundings, he watched as lightning peeled in the sky above and thunder following shortly after. The rain fell relentless, making his vision foggy. It was different, he didn’t know why or how, but it was. He followed an urge, sitting down with his head perched on his knees. The flower was in between them, so he stared at it as the inevitable happened. A scream tore across the stormy forest around. The voice was so familiar, yet unrecognizable—as was any feature from this point onward.

In came sliding was a foggy ball of gold and white and blue, in the shape of a human. Kaius locked eyes with it, though the being had none, he felt it right. But just as quickly he looked down once more, staring at his flower and the orange and purple haze that surround them.

He heard the human-shaped glow rustling and walking up the hill towards him. It stumbled up, unable to break its eyes away from him. And as every time since last night, it froze making signs of it sniffing, then turned into itself with what appeared to be great joy and ecstasy. It always stopped there, smelling something he never captured with his own senses. It would stay there for a long time enjoying itself until the darkness broke through the barrier that held it at bay.

The darkness broke the forest, sending trees sprawling to the ground and crushing anything under it.

The glow turned back in surprise like it had forgotten it was being chased. With hurry, it ran up the hill towards him. While the darkness crept ever closer, gaining on her. The glow always reached first, covering him. Hugging his body to itself, it radiated a never-ending desire to protect him.

Then the darkness surged one last time, taking them both…

Yet, unlike all other nightmares before this one, he woke to find himself again on the hill—the flower battered, with few petals, but still alive. He raised his head to the darkness, catching a glimpse of a torn dress of blue and white. That was the only thing left of the glow, it always was. Around him the darkness danced, covering the clearing in its entirety, believing it had won once again.

This time was different, though. The dark purple that always stayed unmoving, uncaring in every instance, pulsed greedily. It ate at the darkness without it knowing, gave Kaius room to breathe to survive. All that he had needed to happen was the human-shaped glow of blue and white and gold to forever be lost in the night.

“No, not yet,” Kaius took a deep breath, steadying his hands. They still shook against his will.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder. It was firm and strong, something he could rely on in his time of need. The act helped calm him down, gave him enough of a sense to focus on the clomping of hooves, the wind that blew past him as he rode on the wagon, and the bumpy road that shook his ride.

Jasper whined then neighed to bring his spirits back up, she always was there to help elevate his mood. He let a small smile grace his face, and his hands steadied themselves without his ministrations.

“Your seventeen summers old now,” father said, bumping him with a laugh. “It’s time for you to join me at the tavern. I heard a certain barmaid has her eye on you.” Father’s smile was enormous, ear to ear.

Kaius turned red, his smile growing. He let his black hair fall forward to cover his face as the wind cooled him down. Father just laughed in response.

“Your mother spoke to her a few days ago,”

“What?!” That had Kaius sitting straight up in concern. His mother would eat her alive. Father’s laugh just got louder.

“Don’t worry. Mother told me what the girl said all swoony.” In a high pitched voice, trying to mimic a girl’s voice, he said, “His honey-colored eyes and ocean of black hair cascading around them,” he sighed like a girl in love. Then burst out in a peal of boisterous laughter.

Kaius, on the other hand, felt like he was in an oven, being burned alive—though a broad smile was on his face. Things were good, even if he had the occasional nightmare that made little sense.

“On to a more important topic. Now listen well, son,” father’s happy expression turned stony. “As a father, I have to explain these things to you. When a man and woman get together th-”

“Hrolf! Hrolf! Strangers…inn,”