Finding Winter

The Dawn

Oströn Valyah
The Beginning

Streams of torches, filed behind one another by the thousands, danced and bobbed in a sea of darkness- shadows so dense that it threatened to choke out the flames and any light emanating from them.

The hooded figures beneath were consumed by oblivion, but almost in a hypnotic, rhythmic pace they ventured further into obscurity with only one objective in mind. Men, women, and children alike wandered with their heads bowed so that their hoods sheltered their identity. If any of them were to be seen, it would mean certain death, for in the eyes of the Sons of Othor they were nothing but religious rebels.

Though cautious and in hiding, they boldy chanted the Prophecy of Four and hummed along in their own individual tune, each of their voices melding together to create a beautiful but haunting harmony.

The dark, murky chamber in which they entered was long and vast, but the ragged cavern walls rapidly began closing in at a suffocating pace- only providing enough room for one person to enter the sacred destination at a time.

All who crouched down to enter and escape the terror of the night were filled with dread for the possible consequences that lay ahead; however, they were struck with awe when they measured their insignificance to the wonder towering before them.

Facing them was a majestic grotto of colossal measure and splendor- the air perfumed with the aromas of spring, the walls studded with pools of opal pure as snow, their ears serenaded with the gentle sounds of wind rustling through the crisp leaves of fall, and their skin greeted with a tender kiss of warmth.

In the center of all its glory was a mystic, white translucent wave of light stemming from the center of the floor- stretching out to a diameter of twenty feet before erupting up towards the roof, which stood at least a hundred high. At the top, it branched out like a magnificent aged tree, but it's branches were forever moving- just like it was at the beginning of time.

This was truly their new dawn, the era and birth of future prophecies.

Many took a moment to marvel the immense magnificence that surrounded them, but it never took long for them to remember the purpose of their visit and find their place among the others. Until the rest arrived, they all joined in harmony- their silent mumbles from before transforming into a resounding song of joy.

A mother and her son were among the last to join. Embarrassed to be late in front of everyone she ever knew, she frantically searched for her husband while recklessly dragging her child behind her- her mind scattered with feelings of embarrassment, awe, and frustration.

She should have; however, payed more attention to her young boy, who was doing his best to obediently follow, hobbling past the forest of legs in horror and tightly squeezing onto her in fear of accidentally letting go. As if nothing more could add onto his distress, the hood of his over-sized cloak slipped past his eyes and his sleeves rolled well beyond his hands, causing those around him, who knew nothing of his nightmare, to giggle or coo in adoration.

Now blindly bumping into everything that stood in his path, the poor boy stumbled his way through and tripped over the tail of his trailing black coak. Helpless and afraid, fear pierced through his tiny little heart once he noticed that his small, pudgy fingers were no longer holding onto his mother's fragile hand.

Frantically, he crawled with all fours on the cavern floor.

Instead of blindly heading towards the direction he thought his mother was walking, he popped through a tight barricade of limbs and found himself amidst a vast, relieving area of open space.

His hands, now free from the burden of his lengthy sleeves, were swift to remove the cloak from his head. However, the instant he did he wish he hadn't.

Somehow, he pushed his way to the very front, sitting at least five feet away from the front line of the crowd. His mother would kill him if she ever found out.

Before he was able to scramble back into the shadow of the masses, he took a quick glimpse of the majestic power pulsing and radiating behind him. This site was breathtaking for a full grown adult alone, but to a young boy it was as if he had seen the whole world and heavens open up before him.

Completely forgetting about his current dilemma, the young boy stared at the luminescent mystery in front of him with wide brown eyes- entranced and unable to look away. Little did he notice that the ceremony had already begun, the voices of the old and young first starting out as a muffle but quickly growing into a bellowing roar that shook the room.

Over and over, they sang only one phrase from the Prophecy of the Four:

Though one blind and other awake,

They became whole-

Breathed, saw, lived as one.

With each repetition, they sang with more power and confidence than they have ever had before. All knew what they and their future generations must do.

They were to mark the beginning of a new era, the Dawn of Prophecies.

A/N: Alright, here we go. Here is a legit chapter ;)

Hope all you enjoyed! Sorry if my writing is crap, but I can not stand re-editing this piece again.

Love you all <3