Innocent Madness

Chapter One: The End of the World (Final Part)

     "I was thinking about making a training golem for Truith.", Fang states, Speaking to Diana who sits across from him sipping on a cup of tea.

    It is night now, a few hours after the sun has gone down. Truith is in bed sound asleep and his parents now sit in the den, winding down after the days work. "It would be nice for him to have something at his own level to spar with.", Diana replies, setting her tea down on the table next to her. "If you like I can get started on the core tonight and-", she cuts herself short and turns to Fang who is already standing, his body riddid and his fists clenched. "Grab Truith. I will start on the preparations.", the urgency in her voice is clear though she still manages to sound courteous despite the demanding nature of her statement. "Make sure he grabs his cloak." she calls out as Fang rushes out of the room.

    "Truith!" Truith is jolted awake by his father shaking him and calling out his name.

    "Dad?", he responds in a merge of yawn and speech.

    "No time to explain.", Fang states rummaging through Truith's closet. "Put this on.", he continues, tossing a grey cloak with a checkerboard-esque cut along the bottom and a bundle of cloth at the neck that could easily be mistaken for a scarf. Truith, who now sits at the edge of the bed wiping sleep from his eyes, catches  the cloak with his face. Within a matter of seconds he has the cloak pulled over his head and stands, arms outstretched, trying to limber himself up. A rather unusual act as the cloak initially boasted no slits or openings through which his arms could have passed.

    Fang waits, staring at, or more accurately past the wall before him, and past the forest beyond that, to the shadowy figures quickly closing in. Truith, having just regained enough cognizance to properly take in his surroundings, looks up at his father. In his eyes he sees something he thought his father was incapable of, fear. Fear of what he can not tell, but it is clear is that what ever the cause it is well worthy of concern. It suddenly dawns on Truith just how serious the situation is.

    "Dad?", that single word fused with all of his fear and uncertainty is all he can muster, and all that is required to catch his father's sympathy. He bends down to scoop Truith up in his arms, holding him as if he were but an infant. He looks his son in the eyes and says with a gently smile, "Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to you.". The tears that had begun to form under the child's eyes instantly dry in the face of his father's words and a child's unwavering trust. Then they are off, with Fang still holding Truith in his arms.

    He ran, at break neck pace, through the very same patch of woods they had traveled only a few hours prior. In a breath's width they find themselves before Fang's work-shed. Diana stands at the door weaving the final seal onto its surface. Truith stares in awe at the shed, now alight with various seals, sigils, and wards. There one for protection, another there to conceal ones presence. Several he recognized but most were beyond his meager knowledge.

    Fang rushes inside just as the seals fade and integrate into the shed. Fang refuses to set Truith down until the door had been closed behind them, but as soon as it is the atmosphere changes instantly. Fang breathes out a sigh of relief, the impatience and anxiety that has surrounded him melts away. The concerned frown Diana had worn when they arrived has been replaced by her usual calm serene smile.

    Diana walks in front of Truith and kneeling down to look him in the eyes asks, "Can you do me a favor?". To which he simply nods. "I need you to look after this." From her pocket she produces a perfectly round, grey stone and places it delicately in Truith's palm. "I am trusting you to take good care of it. Alright?" Again he simply nods in response. She gives him another smile and after giving him a tight hug steps back saying, "I know you will.".