Untold

1. In The Beginning

This is fine, I told myself as demons swarmed down on me. I'll be alright. I slashed and hacked at their leathery skin, multiple attacking me at once. I was surrounded by them. They screamed and cawed around me. Ichor poured down the front of my shirt, mixing with blood from my cuts and scratches. I hissed, wincing slightly as another dragged a talon down my leg. I swiped at it with my sword as Fendwyr forced his way through the swarm of demons. I sighed in relief as he joined me, shooting bursts of bright green magic towards the beasts.

The guild burned around us in the early evening light, cottages and workshops going up in flames. Other people were fighting off the demons near us, some lying dead in pools of blood and ichor. My arm grew weary as I tired, my guard dropping. A demon slipped through and raked its claws down my back, tearing deep gashes in my back. I cried out as I fell, my sword clattering on the flagstones. The demons came down upon me, cackling in glee as they tore at me. Blood gushed onto the stone, mixing with ichor. My clothes were torn, my hair matted and falling out of my braid. I reached weakly towards my sword, only for it to be kicked away by a demon. It forced me back down when I tried to get up again. I tried to ward the demons off with my arms but they kept coming, bearing down on me, searing bursts of pain burning across my arms, my chest, all over me. This is it, I thought in defeat.

A burst of green light appeared around me, and the demons were flying backwards. I collapsed onto the pavers, breathing heavily, trying to hold back tears from the pain. There was a ringing silence in the courtyard. Fendwyr appeared over me, his eyes widening as he took in my injuries. "Healer!" He yelled, beckoning someone over, "Iowyn's losing blood!" Lyssa's worried face was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

I was back in my childhood home, kneeling next to my parents. They were lying facedown on the floor, a puddle of blood slowly growing larger beneath them. Tears poured down my cheeks, dripping onto the backs of their shirts, staining the fabric even more. I sat there over their bodies for a good fifteen minutes, thinking over what had just happened. The two demons had come, bursting in through the door, splinters flying everywhere, and headed straight for my unsuspecting mother and father. A few quick slashes at their throats had done the job. The light had left their eyes as they reached out towards me before they crumpled to the ground. The demons had left me alone, just a glance they spared me before they left. 

I ran my hands through my hair and stood, making my way towards the door. I stepped carefully around the splinters and went outside onto the porch, the cool night air soothing my warm face. A gentle breeze rustled the trees. The crickets stopped their chirping as I darted through the grass towards the shed. I pulled a shovel out and started digging my parent's grave. It took me until dawn was breaking over the trees. I was coated in dirt, blood and sweat. Blisters had formed and popped on my hands, stinging every time I planted the shovel into the dirt. 

I cut notches into the side so I could clamber out. After I had dragged them outside and filled in the grave, it was almost midday. I steeled myself and went back inside. I washed the dirt and blood off my face and then shoved a change of clothes, food, and a few handfuls of coins into a satchel. It took me a few minutes to put all of Grace's tack on her, but once I had finished, we were flying down the dirt path. 

I kept riding well into the night. It was after midnight when I stopped Grace by a field. The warm summer breeze rustled the wheat in the field. Grace laid down by the side of the road, and I curled up next to her for the night. 

A few more days of riding took us through villages, and finally, to the Syndicate Guild. A tall elf with dark green hair met me at the entrance to the square, curiosity alight in his bright eyes. "What's your business here, child?"
I bit my lip as my eyes watered. I looked down at the cobblestones. "Ah, I see," he murmurs. "Come, what's your name?" His voice was warm and melodic.
"I-Iowyn," I choked through my tears. 
"I'm Fendwyr." He pulled me off of Grace and set me gently on my feet. "Let's go get you something to eat, shall we? And I'd expect you to be staying with us?" I nodded at this, following close behind him.