A chilling wind followed Valder on his quest to Frostmist. After arriving he stalled to face a wooden gate surrounded by walls of lumber. A fist battered against the dark wood as he reclaimed his breath. Valgards, the elite warriors of Valehelm, assembled around the arch of the gateway. The Valgards stood boldly and vigilant in well-crafted armor made of steel plates, leather, and fur. On their round shields the face of a white wolf was painted. It was the crest of Valahelm and a symbol of Oaknar. Their unique helmets pointed at the top and detailed wings perched from the sides. After identifying Valder, levers attached to a pulley system unsealed the gate. Before it could fully open, Valder forced himself through the crease. "Close it quickly!" Valder's voice filled with distress. The Valgards trusted his judgment and resealed the gate at his request. With confusion they returned to their stations while the hunter gathered his wits. The villagers had overheard Valder's voice and escaped the comfort of their homes. Keeping their distance, they too would stare at the hunter with confusion. Valder breathed freely with relief. He had made it back home but could sense trouble was not far behind. Castor's crow soared down to prove his growing concerns. It landed on a lone wooden post along the gate of Frostmist. The eyes of the village and that of the black bird focused on Valder. He lifted his bow and pulled forcefully to release an arrow. He aimed for the squawking bird but the arrow struck just beneath its talons. The citizens of Frostmist could sense his fear as he stared to the west to watch the bird retreat. A woman emerged from the spectators, striding with concern. Bushy blonde hair draped from the sides of a beautiful face and patched attire. The residents parted and created a path for her. "Valder, what worries you?" She questioned. Valder didn't remove his eyes from the west and refused to loosen his grip on the bow. "Where is your father?" Valder sighed and finally dropped the bow at his feet. He turned to the questioning woman but he couldn't describe such a violent act to his own mother. Valder collapsed to his knees while his mind relived the events. A heavy weight of remorse and self-disappointment crept into his mind next. He had made the wrong decision and should have fought beside his father, he thought. "The boy has clearly lost it." A spectator said. Valder's mother turned to the crowd defensively. "Shut that hole you call a mouth." She remarked. Not another word arose from the villagers and her attention returned to Valder. A hand caressed his back and the mother kneeled in the snow to comfort her son. "The camp was ambushed." Valder finally spoke. "Who did this my son?" "Invaders from beyond our land, father called one out by name, Castor. He ordered me to warn everyone while he stayed behind to fight them." Only a handful of villagers recognized the name and a fear struck their hearts instantly. Those who had encountered Castor in the past had not forgotten his unholy powers. A concerned Valgard overheard Valder. "Ivy, could this be true?" "I'm afraid it is." Ivy answered. "What are your commands?" "Negotiation will be futile; we do not have what he seeks. We must send a messenger to Ice Forge immediately and request aid from King Dag." The villagers grew worried and gossiped amongst each other. "Let me do it." Valder insisted. "My son, your bravery is unmatched, but I can't appoint this job to you." A Valgard leaned against the rim of the wall to behold knights of Airus breaching the forest. The troop carried with them a scarlet banner and restrained on its post was Lir's corpse. This barbarism was used to intimidate the community of Frostmist. "Enemies approaching!" Within the cluster of soldiers, Castor could not be detected and his feathered pet no longer circled the sky. Wasting no time the village instructed a rookie Valgard to deliver this message. "Go, through the back hurry! It will be the only way to remain undetected." Ivy directed. The trusted messenger trailed through Frostmist, but before he could escape Castor revealed himself. The young Valgard withdrew slowly but refused to remove his eyes from the wizard. Castor flared his arms wide and with this movement a raging wind followed. Snow showered on the villagers' faces and dread loomed over the community like a dark shadow. "What's the rush?" Castor questioned. The wizard slowly stalked into the center of the flock, daring anyone to step forth. Most of the town folk bowed their heads refusing to make eye contact. The Valgards on the other hand were prepared to act if Castor harmed anyone. Ivy stepped towards him and split the tension in the air. "We know why you've come Castor." "Where is it?!" The wizard snapped. "It has been lost in times of war." Castor raised his hand to the gate and it began to tremble. The pulley system keeping the doors locked was destroyed by Castor's magic and allowed his corrupted followers to enter freely. The villagers of Frostmist bowed their heads at the presences of Lir's body. For countless years, it was him who kept the community united. Their minds quickly wondered; what fate awaited them? "People of Valahelm! Look what has become of your finest warrior!" Valder's slump of self-disappointment faded at the sight of his father's corpse displayed like a trophy for Castor's thralls. It had triggered an untamed rage in the youth, but he did not act upon it so quickly. Still kneeling in the snow and with no eyes watching him, he freed the dagger from his boot. Like an assassin he rose quietly and quickly. He did not blindly charge into the face of danger like most north men, no, he waited for the right moment. "Pray to Oaknar like your foolish leader!" Castor barked at the stunned community. Holding the blade by the point Valder slung his arm, to test the reflexes of the threatening wizard. The dagger soared but failed to stick; it had grazed Castor's already scarred cheek and swirled beyond his shoulder. Silence grew in the village and all had witnessed Valder's act. A weathered hand lifted to Castor's cheek and rubbed the bleeding slash upon it. The eye shaped amulet dangling to his chest flashed with a strange light. The villagers let loose a gasp as Castor teleported within arm's length of his hinderer. A tight grasp coiled over Valder's throat and his feet elevated from the white ground. Within seconds Valder's face turned a bright red, but he showed no fear while the wizard squeezed the life from him. "Release him!" Ivy cried. "You are your father's son, no doubt." Castor's grip loosened and Valder's feet returned to the snow. A hand of Castor's still remained latched to his cape. "Your son belongs to me until you find the sword! You have two days to deliver, or he shall share Lir's fate." Within the amulet's supernatural light the wizard and warrior vanished in thin air. They had teleported to a high cliff overlooking the valley where Frostmist settled. The mindless army withdrew from the gate they entered, leaving Lir behind to remind Frostmist of Castor's wrath. The citizens gathered under the scarlet banner and despair filled their hearts with the sight of the fallen leader. Ivy had told the truth, the sword was taken long ago, shortly after the land of Valahelm was claimed. There were no clues to follow and it seemed that all hope was lost. A clinched fist struck Valder. He dropped to all fours in the snow with a bleeding lip. "You will pay for all that you've done." Valder declared, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. "This is no time to be brave." The crow returned to Castor's shoulder. "Lir was only an example. I came for the sword not to wage war." "What good is a sword to a sorcerer?" "This is no average weapon I seek, think of it more as a key." "A key to what?" Castor chuckled in a disturbing manner. "A new world." "What's wrong with this one?" "It is not owned by me." Castor snapped, then gave no further hints about his plans. Valder kept his silence. There was nothing he could do, not with his bare hands and maybe not even with the right equipment. Valder knew little about the ways of magic and knew less of the godly talisman around Castor's neck, which seemed to enhance his powers. One last glance was taken at Frostmist before Valder lowered his head in defeat.
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Legends of Torn: Sword in the Rift
FantasyFrom the remnants of a destroyed nation an ancient evil arises, by the hands of the powerful conjurer Castor. Zoth, the god of corruption is pleased by his awakening and offers his summoner the gift of immortality. But before such a gift can be best...
