Kosian rested on the tree, smiling as he looked on at the hilly field of grape trees, their branches decorated by the violet berry. He looked past the field, towards the farmstead, where he saw Pietre riding Jerod, yelps of surprise and laughter coming from him. Smiling even more broadly, Kosian started walking through the field, checking the grapes as he headed towards the main villa. It was hard to believe that five years had passed since their escape. He was already in his twenties, getting proposals of marriage from rich merchants or bankers, who would see their daughter wed to the best winemaker in Vinosognieria. Speaking of that, even Pietre had gotten a few offers himself, though Kosian understood he had his eyes on that nice, pious girl in the village. He had said he was planning on proposing to her in a few weeks. Kosian felt a swell of pride that his brother had turned out so well. Checking a bunch of grapes to make sure none were going bad, Kosian chuckled slightly. He remembered how at the start, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what he had to do to make that shell of a human whole. But it seemed as if he had done it. the boy was like any other young man – brash, charismatic and full of energy.

As he reached the farmstead, Kosian beamed with pride as he gazed upon the limestone brick house, the large barn, the small garden, the short brick fence with a small gate. It was everything he could’ve ever asked for. Walking past workers, waving and watching them load barrels onto carts, walking into the grape field, he neared the large grassy field, where Pietre was still riding around with Jerod. The old horse barely left the barn these days, spending his days sleeping or growling at the occasional worker who got too close, but he always found the strength to ride with Pietre. Together, they would ride circles around the field for hours, seemingly unfazed by fatigue after it all. But Kosian could see that the dog’s days were numbered, as he saw his long tongue hanging from his mouth, his white-streaked fur shaggy and shorter than all those years ago. Compared to him, Pietre seemed the epitome of youth, with his fashionable doublet and britches, his short wavy hair combed to seemingly flow with the wind. After finally breaking out of his shell, Pietre turned out to be quite the man. In only two years, he had already made himself known across all of Vinosognieria as a ruthless and cunning merchant, making sure to get the best price no matter what. But Kosian was worried about him. Pietre had… episodes. It seemed that the demons of their past weren’t done with him yet. But hopefully, they will soon, as they had been more and more infrequent.

Seeing him, Pietre smiled, nudging Jerod to close in next to the fence.

“How are the grapes?” asked the young merchant, a smile on his face. Kosian chuckled. “As good as ready. I think the pressing will start sometime next week. By the way, did you…”

The words died on Kosians tongue. A blackness suddenly spread throughout the farm, consuming everything: people, buildings, the animals. Desperately, Kosian reached out to Pietre, but even he and Jerod were consumed, the strange sludge-like darkness enveloping them as if it was a sort of sheet. In near moments, all around him was pitch blackness. Kosian tried to reach out, to scream. He could do nothing. He could feel nothing. All he could do was hear the sound of his heart, beating as fast as a galloping dog.

Suddenly, he felt strapped to a chair, his arms, his legs, even his head strapped and tied tight. In front of him stood Wymond, smiling as he took a large pouch of coin from a Father, Cleo standing next to him. As the two men talked with each other, Cleo turned to him, flashing a malevolent smile. Wymond also turned to him then, his face completely blank. Looking at him, he then felt the pouch in his hand and nodded to himself.

Quickly, they faded out of view, returning to the darkness. Kosian wanted to scream. He wanted to shout at those two backstabbing mercenaries. He wanted to curse them and their bloodlines to the Red. He wanted to kill them. To skin them alive. To butcher… no, he did not want that. He knew he didn’t. What he did want was to know why. Why did they betray them after all this time?

As this was swirling in his mind, Kosian noticed someone walk into view. In front of him stood Pietre. His brother was completely naked, apart from a large silver collar that was connected to a frail-looking chain. Kosian could not see who held it, but he felt it in his bones that it was the Sister who had looked after Pietre. He was sure of it. Desperately, he tried to break loose of his ropes, to lunge at the woman. He felt his teeth chattering, his arms turning purple, the ropes cutting into them. He felt useless, weak, hopeless. Without a word, Pietre slowly walked towards the end of the chain. Kosian tried to shout to him, to call him. But nothing left his lips, aside from faint groans and whimpers. Before disappearing into the blackness, Pietre turned to him, again looking at him with that blank expression of his. That was when Kosian stopped. He understood that that wasn’t his brother anymore. Merely a dead man walking.

As Pietre disappeared into the blackness, Kosian suddenly felt something hot under him. In an instant, he saw himself tied to a pole, a large bonfire just under him, the flames crackling just beneath his feet. He saw the whole city of Baye, crowded in the main square, shouting:

“Burn the heretic!”

“Burn the heretic!”

Burn the Lord damned!”

As he watched them, Kosian saw something that made the already large pit in his stomach grow even larger. As he watched the faceless crowd, he noticed the sky around them redden. He saw as it started raining blood and guts. He saw as long and strange looking tendrils, akin to arms, slowly lowered themselves from the sky, their red skin sleek with blood, large golden slits which made him think of eyes dotting them in various places. Looking up, he saw clouds of red and black coalesce above him. And in these clouds, he saw a dark pyramid, its walls made of sleek black stone. And atop it stood 12 angels, each with two pairs of pure white wings, their faces, hands and feet hidden in the shadow of large robes. He watched as they descended, their great wings flapping. Hovering just above the crowd, the angels, dressed in heavy dark, red embroidered robes, let out thousands of red branches from every black crevice in their body, each branch stabbing itself into a person’s head. Looking on in abject horror, Kosian saw as the angels let their robes fall, revealing roiling amalgamations of flesh and muscle, rings of jagged bone circling them. He watched as the branches seemingly bloated up, turning more rigid and solid, the tendrils from the sky snaking around them as if they were veins or arteries. He saw the people in the crowd shrivel up, the colour in their skin disappearing, the light of anger in their eyes snuffing out.

And as he watched all of this… this… Hell, unfolding before him, Kosian saw the strange floating balls of flesh and muscle start to crack like eggs, blood spurting from the cracks. Suddenly, every single one of them opened in unison, revealing… elfs. Tall, gorgeous elfs, with pale white skin, long pointed ears and silvery hair. Each of them, men and women alike, turned their gazes towards him, 12 sets of deep, blood-red eyes fixing their deathly gazes. Lusting smiles cracked on their faces, revealing jagged, rock-like teeth. A few of them even had what seemed like precious gems fitted into them, making them look even more ghastly and terrifying. They said nothing, but Kosian started feeling something enter his mind. A flurry of voices, each repeating the same thing over and over and over.

“Draag-ha qur ruina knashi vdaraa aum widuer-og saar-ha doezkn! Draag-ha qur ruina knashi vdaraa aum widuer-og saar-ha doezkn! Draag-ha qur ruina knashi vdaraa aum widuer-og saar-ha doezkn! Draag-ha qur ruina knashi vdaraa aum widuer-og saar-ha doezkn!”

And as they repeated this phrase, their voices piercing into Kosians mind like nails, he could see something shining behind the horizon. Something shining a strong amber colour.

Kosian jolted awake, feeling as if he was choking. His heart was beating so fast it felt like the men hunting them would hear it. Taking deep, deliberate breaths, he finally calmed down, though his heart was still beating faster than usual. Opening his eyes, he looked around, trying not to act frantic. He was in his and Pietre’s tent, his sheets kicked away frantically. Looking around, he noticed that Pietre was missing. Kosian felt his fear up again, but he quickly calmed himself down. ‘He’s probably outside,’ he thought and stood, quickly throwing on his hose and tunic while walking out.

Pietre sat next to the burnt-out fire, looking at the fading embers. Walking up to him, Kosian looked up. the Band was more noticeable now than in the evening, many of the stars gleaming strong enough for the uniform blue hue to fade a bit. He stared at the large stream of stars, watching as they slowly drifted across the sky. Holding up a finger, he suddenly said: “Horse.”

Pietre jolted as he heard his brother's voice, quickly turning to him. Noticing Kosians finger, he looked up. His eyes sparkled in the starlight. Looking at them made Kosian think of Mother. Seeing the constellation at which the finger pointed, he nodded and started scanning the sky himself. Quickly, a finger shot up.

“Dragon.”

Kosian looked up, seeing the 13 stars. Smiling, he pointed to another one.

“Cross.”

“Umm… Oh! Lady!” Pietre exclaimed.

Kosian chuckled, searching the sky again. Sitting down next to his brother, he pointed: “Wing.”

“Cat.”

“Mammoth.”

“Centaur.”

“Maoren.”

“Dwarf.”

They went on like this for a little while, each trying to one-up the other. Looking at his brother, Kosian felt a swell of pride. Those soulless eyes seemed to shine so brightly. He also felt relieved that at least something made his brother happy. Looking at the flowing river of stars above him, Kosian remembered how he and father used to climb up to the mansion's roof. They would stare at the stars for hours. After a little bit, mother would always join them. While father pointed out constellations, she would smile at Kosian and tell him how they came to be named. The three of them would sit there, paying no mind to the night’s chill, watching the Band as it faded on the horizon with the morning sun.

Kosian sighed in exertion. “You know your constellations,” he remarked, scanning the sky for any other unnamed star cluster.

“Mhm! Sister Almona taught me! She…”

Pietre suddenly grew quiet. Looking at him, Kosian noticed his soullessness slowly return. Sighing, he looked up and pointed.

“Look, the Saint Star.”

Pietre looked up, seeing the brightly shining orb of light, which stood staunchly in place as the rest of the Band moved past it. They sat silently for a while, both looking at the northbound star, watching as it shone in the dark, sparsely littered void of space.

“Could…” Pietre started but suddenly fell silent.

“Go ahead,” Kosian said, still looking up at the starry sky.

“C-Could you tell me about mother and father?” Pietre asked suddenly, turning to him. “What… W-what were they like?”

Hearing the question, Kosian felt as if a large weight started pressing on his heart. Looking down, he felt his breathing quicken and sweat started running down his face. He tried to control his breathing, but it came out in whimpering exhales. Suddenly, he felt a tear run down his cheek. ‘Get a hold of yourself!’ he thought bitterly and, taking in the cold air, turned to Pietre.

“Father was a great man, beloved by the city for his use of our wealth to fund new houses and fighting in the town assembly for the reconstruction of old buildings.”

‘That was a half-truth,’ he thought to himself. After Pietre’s taking, father had been a mess for almost as long as Kosian can remember. He would spend his days whoring, drinking and gambling away the fortune of the guild and the family. Still, he forever stayed a cunning businessman, always being able to get the best price. But he didn’t spend that money on others. The only time he did was when he paid for his tuition and sent him off to university. Kosian suddenly felt sad, lonely. ‘He might’ve gotten better, if not for me…’ he thought, thinking of that man who sat opposite him that morning, his words ringing in his ears again.

“Mother… Mother was a weak woman. Your taking took a toll on her. But, after years, she recuperated. She helped father, ran the household and was still known to everyone in Baye as the ‘Cunning Lily’. She once even bought an entire whore house and turned it into a respectable cabaret, meant for the cultured and educated. Every single woman wasn’t thrown into the streets either, instead of becoming performers, serving girls or other such personnel. She was… she was great,” Kosian finished, feeling as if he had been spewing puss from his mouth. Mother had been a madwoman, who used to yell about ghosts and spirits at night. She used to stay inside for months, only coming out during official ceremonies, and only then as a veiled invalid. But no matter how Kosian hated lying about them, he couldn’t bring himself to it. He couldn’t let Pietre know that because of him, his parents both became mere shells of who they once were. Yet, if only he had given them time… maybe…

Looking up at the sky, Pietre watched the circling Band for a bit. Twiddling his thumbs, he suddenly asked. “When will we meet them?”

Kosian felt the weight in his chest get tighter. “Wh-What do you mean by that?”

“That night. You left me and ran away. You wanted to see if Mother and Father had already left, right?” Pietre asked, looking at him. His eyes seemed… hopeful. They sparkled in the bandlight, beaming hope. Kosian barely held back a sob. Instead, he threw his arm around Pietre, pulling him in.

“Someday. Not soon though. First, we have to get to Phoenixia. They’ll be waiting for us there. Will you be able to wait until then?”

Pietre nodded a few times. Holding him, Kosian suddenly sprung up like a spooked dog.

“Wait here,” he said, hurrying into their tent. Quickly rummaging through his bag, he finally found it.

In his hands, he held a prayer bead, meant for morning and evening prayers. The 20 wooden beads, each depicting one of the Saints, were tied together by a flexible silk string. The Diamond Star, the main sign of the Faith, hung loosely, marking the beginning and end of the saints. Kosian stared at the diamond, weirdly transfixed on its details. Made of silver, it depicted the Four Guardians of the world at each of the corners – the Lord at the top, a hooded man wielding a large and wide sword, a broom-like beard peeking from under his hood and covering his entire chest. A phoenix occupied the diamond's left corner, a majestic, eagle-like creature, its wings spread apart and its feathers burning. The right was occupied by a depiction of a horse standing on its hind legs, its mane rippling as if in the wind. The bottom corner was reserved for the Hands of the Gods, depicting hands reaching upward from a river of flame. The middle of the Diamond was usually reserved for the insignia of the order who made the prayer bead, but this one lacked such a thing, instead of leaving the space open. He didn't know why, but looking at the damn thing made Kosian tear up. He remembered mother's gaunt face when she first gave this bead to him. He remembered how father looked at it with disdain afterwards. 'Keeping it will only bring bad memories,' he said, swigging down a bottle of wine. Wiping away the tears, Kosian made himself remember what each of the guardians represented. The Hands – the Ancient Gods who destroyed the world. The Phoenix – the sign of rebirth and renewal. The Horse – the sign of honour, valour and freedom. The Lord – The God who saved the world.

“What is this?”

Kosian turned suddenly to see Pietre standing next to him, looking at the prayer bead. Chuckling, Kosian showed the tied beads to Pietre. “You startled me! This… it was our mothers. She gave it to me when we separated.”

Kosian offered Pietre the beads. Taking it, the boy carefully scrutinized the saints etched onto the wooden balls, looking over the Diamond. “Keep it,” Kosian suddenly said, sitting down on his sheets.

“…Are you sure?” Pietre asked, seemingly hesitant to take the gift.

“Let it remind you of them,” Kosian said, trying to show a cheeky smile. “Come on, get back to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be gruelling.”