The Weavers’ Warning:

When speaking of the Weavers, what immediately comes to mind is their fearsome abilities to manipulate; through the weaving of Lumin in their surroundings, they are able to bend light, creating illusions and mirages. The more skilled among them are even able to manipulate sound, further enhancing their abilities, concealing steps and even conjuring voices. However, most would also agree that despite these frightening abilities in clandestine arts, they fail to measure up to their fellow Luminescents in battle. These people would only be able to question the speed and ferocity of their forthcoming deaths’ if they ever managed to attract a Weaver’s wrath. In most circumstances, a Weaver’s abilities are far more suited to surreptitious actions and confusion tactics. However, emotion has always had unpredictable and incredible effects on a Luminescent’s abilities. So beware the Weaver’s Wrath, lest you find yourself doomed to a grim fate by your own hand.

“What should we do? More and more bandits have been amassing at the borders of town. Sooner or later, we will be overwhelmed by them and the people will be slaughtered.” Katrine fretted as she paced across the floor of the room, the train of her dress dragging behind her.

A momentary flicker of contempt appeared on Daryn’s face, but was quickly quashed and replaced by his usual genial smile. Despite her franticness, she did not fail to notice the slight change in expression on her fiance’s face, something that had been occurring more and more as the bandit threat worsened.

“Sweet, do not fret. They are merely bandits and are no match for the town guard and your father’s forces, whether it be in skill or equipment.” He looked away briefly, the indignation once again returning to his eyes. “Besides, you have the aid of the Great House of Elunel. This nuisance will be quickly taken care of, so that we might hasten the night of our wedding.

Katrine could only force a nod, pale from fright - not of the bandits, as she knew that she was likely far more skilled than your average crook with a blade - but of the thought of marriage to this boy, who always seems to hide his true emotions behind a veneer and civility and grace.

Seeings her pale face and trembling hands, Daryn lost his sense of anger, replaced by a tinge of lust and greed. Walking up behind Katrine with a placid smile, he placed one hand on her waist and the other along her arm

“You are safe by my side, my sweet. Soon, we will be wed, and I will never let you leave my sight.” Daryn whispered gently in her ear, as would a lover.

Katrine’s trembling only worsened.

-\o/-

More than a month had passed since the death of Sevrath, and House Elunel seemed to possess more and more control over the manor. Throughout the manor, it was more likely one would encounter guards bearing the crest of Elunel than that of Carthal. It was likely due to this that as Daryn’s stay at Carthal wore on, his room slowly drifted closer and closer to her own, despite the lack of propriety. Likely, if this continued at this rate, he would soon be bedding in her own room alongside her, despite her protests.

It was for this reason that she was awake late at night, unable to sleep despite how tired she felt. Feeling foolish, she donned a robe over her nightgown before sneaking out of her rooms in hopes of a tidbit from the kitchens. Her slippered feet made little sound as she strode through the corridors of her home, which seemed more unfamiliar than ever. Every so often, she would hear the scuff of booted feet on the smooth stone floor, causing her to scurry to the shadows of alcoves while manipulating the Lumin surrounding her, allowing her to vanish from the eyes of whoever saw her. While not true invisibility, it still worked to cause others to be less likely to register her presence, unconsciously skipping over her as if she were not there at all.

She knew that it was hardly necessary for her to hide in her own home, nor did she need to go so far as to manipulate the Lumin around her after already hiding in the shadows, but her home had hardly felt like a home for years, and now with so many unknown people roaming the halls, it felt even less so. Two men passed by, wearing uniforms emblazoned with the crest of Elunel; a Golden-Tipped Falcon clutching the moon in its claws. Seeing the men pass by, Katrine let out the breath she had unintentionally been holding. She readied herself to leave the safety of her alcove, but was stopped by more sounds of movement. By this point, she just wanted to be on her way, but she could not bear the embarrassment were she to be seen to have been hiding within her own home. So, rather than rushing to the kitchen as she had been, she waited patiently, resolving that once they passed by she would stop her incessant caution and go on her way.

Her resolve was quickly crushed as her curiosity was peaked; her most recent nighttime wanderer was Daryn himself. Oddly, he was dressed for battle, wearing his sword at his side, with his pauldron shining on top of his cloak which hid the remainder of his body. Unlike usual, Daryn lacked his normal veneer of grace, replaced with a look of loathing as he made his way down the hall and out the doors to the stable.

Katrine fought valiantly to pull herself away from the temptation of the kitchen and dashed out its back door. Hearing the sounds of horses being saddled, she hardened her resolve to find out their objective. Staying low to the ground, she scurried across the grounds of the manor vaulted over the stone wall that was more decoration than protection.

With a satisfied smile, she dusted off her hands as she once again warped the Lumin around her, disappearing from the sight of any potentially prying eyes. Soon enough, a squad of soldiers led by Daryn came walking past, their horses hooves muffled.

‘Curiouser and Curiouser, why would he need to saddle up with guard so late and night, and take so many precautions to not be noticed?’

After reaching a safe distance, the group removed the cloth from their horses’ hooves and mounted up, riding out towards the nearby forest, unaware of the attention they had already drawn.

Though the group had an advantage in speed due to their horses, Katrine managed to adequately stay on their heels due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain, which drastically slowed their pace. Left behind minutes before as the squad of guards began to pick up the pace, she was forced to resort to following their trail; luckily, it could not have been any more obvious if they had tried. She snorted. Typical noble ignorance. So confident in their plans that they did not even bother any further stealth after their departure from the manor. Though it hardly mattered for her, as it made things all the easier for her.

Katrine followed at a steady pace, observant for any sudden backtracking in the trail. There was none. Were it not for the fact that they had left so quietly in the middle of the night, she would have worried that she was losing them. However, it was obvious their absence was not intended to be noticed, and thus, their destination was not exceedingly far. Finally beginning to hear the slight whinnying of horses up ahead, Katrine once again put her guard up as she stalked closer. As she walked, the sounds of an argument could be heard, gaining in volume.

“We agreed…” Stepping forward gently while avoiding any dried leaves and twigs, she crept closer and closer.

“Do you really…”

“What do you…” A sharp crack resounded across the forest, causing whoever was in the glade beyond to startle momentarily, before they resumed. Katrine breathed a sigh of relief, as she had not been discovered despite her mistake.

Realizing that approaching any closer would be dangerous, Katrine scampered up the tree by her side, still more than ten meters from the clearing. She climbed high into the tree branches, shivering with each successive climb as the wind caressed her skin through her poorly clad robe. Concentrating hard, Katrine attempted to hear the conversation of whoever was in the clearing with Daryn. Irritated at her inability to hear, she debated climbing down and trying her luck at approaching closer before disregarding the thought. Dropping her shroud of lumin, she once again popped into existence. She leaned forward slightly, concentrating with all her strength on hearing them, desperately curious.

“Why should I adhere to an agreement with you?” A crystal clear voice suddenly echoed from thin air, carrying with it a sense of familiarity. Katrine started at the sound, nearly falling off the branch she was perched on, before regaining her balance.

“What happened to your nobility? Your honor is worse than a bandit’s.” A new, gruff voice sounded from her right. Unfamiliar.

“Yes. I suppose you would know all about the honor of a bandit.” The first voice spoke carelessly, scorn dripping from his words like venom. She now knew who this voice belonged to. It was Daryn. But how? He was up ahead in the clearing. Why was she able to hear him so clearly, as if she was right beside him? “Well, I am tired of this charade. We both know I do not wish to pay you, nor can I have you keep your life after what you did for me. So this will be goodbye.”

A harsh chuckle resounded from her right, followed by a great, piercing whistle. Katrine reeled from the sharp sound, one hand pressing down onto her ringing ear, and the other desperately grabbing at the tree.

The deep rumble of hooves shook the ground and echoed through the air at the sound of the whistle. Still reeling from before, she looked down in shock to see one, two, three score riders canter across the forest floor beneath her, coming to a stop just past the clearing.

“I am sad to say this will be goodbye. For you. When I took the job from you, I was prepared for this eventuality. Almost makes makes me feel bad for that family and the boy you had us get rid of.”

Katrine slipped backwards, stunned, and landed precariously leaning against the trunk.

“What was his name again? Resourceful kid, nothing like you.” The voice chided mockingly.

She started to breathe rapidly, her face growing paler and paler.

“...”

“No, you don’t want to say? Or did you just never bother to learn it?”

Her hands snagged on surfaces of the branches as she struggled to calm herself, tearing the skin.

“Hmm…Ah! I think I heard the mother say it before she was killed. What was it? Se- S. No. Ah! Seven? Bah! No matter.”

Katrine’s already pale face turned white as alabaster, and her breathing ceased. A boy and his family? Seven? Sev? It was because of him? Tears fell from her face as her eyes turned bloodshot. Staggering up on unsteady feet, she looked down towards the clearing below with a wrathful gaze. Pulling from a well of power deep within herself, the air itself began to contort around her, sudden rushing winds clashing across her figure as she forcefully drew the surrounding Lumin into herself.

She began to Weave.

-\o/-

Daryn sat astride his favorite mare. He realized belatedly that he had failed to account for the possibility that the bandits under the man’s control had grown so rapidly. He grit his teeth as he glanced around the clearing, only to confirm he and his guard were surrounded on all sides. The only possibility was to capture the leader and bargain their way out. He looked at the man who he had previously employed.

He had a mocking smile on his face as he spoke, though Daryn had hardly been paying attention to what he was speaking about, as he had been trying to formulate a route of escape.

“Ah! Seven? Bah!” Daryn only looked quizzically at the man, before shaking his head and preparing to charge. He opened his mouth to command his guard forward, when out of the clearing came a massive pressure. The night sky lit up in a bright flash, allowing him to see through the tree line. A girl stood on a slender branch high up in the tree, hair enshrouding her face and shoulders slumped in misery. The bright light receded back to her, then pulsed out once more. His eyes widened in fright and -

Where am I? He stumbled, falling to his knees before catching himself. His heart beat at extreme speeds for some reason. Odd, guttural sounds could be heard emanating from the surroundings. Frightened at the possibilities, but aware of the potential dangers, Daryn lifted his head and scanned his surroundings.

His eyes widened and his breath hitched. He could not understand the sight surrounding him and it terrified him. All around, he saw monsters. Great, big, hulking monsters masquerading as men. Oh, they looked real enough at first glance, but he knew what they were. He could see them screeching and cackling with glee in the shadows of their hosts, waiting for a soul to dine on, to devour. He could not run. He knew he could never escape them. His only option was to fight.

The monsters had oddly enough not taken the initiative, each seemingly as shocked at the next, glancing with odd expressions at one another. Daryn knew that he could not allow them the chance to advance. He set upon them in a frenzy of fear, hacking and slashing his sword with little technique and much blood. Upon seeing his actions, the monsters all around him joined the fight, each wearing painted masks of fear, mocking him for his weakness.

Stop mocking me!

He spun around as he swung, heedless of the blades surrounding him, fully engrossed in his own madness. The monsters, too, killed each other at will, swinging clumsily at each other, seeming to be unable to make the decision to charge forward or retreat backwards, causing their swings to miss more often than not as they cringed back.

Despite this, it did not take long before Daryn found himself before a single foe. He began to laugh hysterically.

Only one left. There is only one more monster.

Sprinting forward on tired, stumbling feet, he aimed a slash at the neck of the puppet, hoping it would be too slow to react. Sadly for him, this one seemed to be in slightly more control of its movements than the others had been. Though it too possessed the same desperate visage. Both exhausted from fear and adrenaline, the two fumbled with their swords for minutes longer, each desperate to end the fight. The final monster made a mistake and tumbled backwards to the ground, too weak to prevent his fall or use its momentum to escape his reach. Following through, Daryn brought his sword to bear and tumbled down with him, his sword penetrating up and through the monster’s heart, assuming it had one.

Wheezing from his exertions and the sudden drop in adrenaline, he tugged his precious sword out of the corpse before letting out a bitter, triumphant laugh. Gazing at his sword, he inexplicably found himself mesmerized by the blood coating its length. Entranced, he found his hand lifting of its own will to the blade of the sword, before swiping down its length, clearing it of much of the blood.

His appearance was far more haggard than normal, and he could not help but look in the reflection of the sword, using its polished blade as a mirror.

He froze.

A bloodstained, tired boy lacking its normal arrogant smirk gazed back at him - and behind it stood a great, bloated demon, engorged on the souls it had been fed. The demon rose one of its fat, grubby hands. Daryn’s own followed behind, brandishing the sword high. The hand dropped, and Daryn was no more.

-\o/-

In a haze, the girl plummeted from the branch like a rock, slamming down hard on the soft grass below, as the final dregs of her consciousness slipped away.

Before her lay a clearing in the woods, painted red with blood and littered with the corpses of bandits, guards, and noble alike.