The forest to the west of Castle Heramand hides a secret fortune until Lord Bertar Stoneword hears of it. His only obstacle is the Wood Cikels, a native people who have proven that they will fight to their last breath. A travelling Windwalker, Jaeso...
The Kingdom of Heramand and its surrounding borders
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"It's never the line between good and evil that's blurred – but rather that of evil and eviler. You should know, it's never the loser that gets to write history."
- Jaeson Calamity
The white feathered arrows littered the gory battlefield. Three woodcutters and two soldiers bearing the crest of Castle Heramand lay dead at the base of a large Crystal Lae Tree. The minerals in the two-foot-wide trunk are what they had come for. Diamonds, emeralds and other precious jewels were engraved into the gnarled wood.
"You see now, Mister," The scrawny, dirty-haired tavern keeper mumbled, "Twas the elves. They was angry; we tried to cut down their tree." He scurried over to one of the men and plucked up an arrow embedded in his leg.
"These are elf-arrows. I know it, Mister. I've seen the pictures in the books me Pa had."
Ignoring the tavern-keeper and inspecting the bodies for himself was a black-haired man of about thirty. He was of average height and nearly clean-shaven. But his eyes were black and cold.
"Well... Mister Jaeson, sir?" The tavern keeper frowned.
Jaeson turned to the frail man and took the arrow from him.
"This is no elf arrow." He told the tavern keeper, twirling it between his fingers. The shaft was long and finely cut, but the arrowhead itself was likely made of flint, not steel. He leant down and wiped the head of the arrow in the grass, brushing off the shiny blood. He rechecked it; flint.
"Are you sure?"
"Quite."
"But only Elves use arrows like that... mister."
Jaeson shook his head and tossed the arrow away.
"Your mistaken, Hunkor. Elves don't exist."
The tavern keeper snorted in disbelief.
"Of course Elves exist," he blustered, "Everyone in the village knows they live in this forest. They guard the shiny trees, and kill anybody who ventures in. I should know mister; I've lost a few good friends to their sharp aim."
Jaeson shrugged and walked over to his horse, turning his back on the erratic man. He tugged on the girth straps and prepared to mount.
"No, wait!" Hunkor cried shrilly.
Jaeson looked back impatiently.
"What now?"
The innkeeper rubbed his hands together nervously.
"Well, can you take care of whatever these things are? We can't have good men being shot down left and right."
Jaeson pulled himself onto his horse and loosely held the reigns.
