The Red God

1: Bonds Unseen

The day started just as it had countless times before. From behind the ever expansive gathering of dark clouds shone the most minute of sunlight. All across the southern kingdom, small trinkets of light bounced off buildings, plant life and the waking residents casting shadows wherever it landed.

We find ourselves in the very south of this lightless region, in the small village of Turun. Its inhabitants had built their homes out of wood, bricks, plants and some even ventured into fabrics. This resulted in a dozen or so matchstick homes arranged in a zigzagging pattern along a winding road that led from the edge of a vast forest to the Titania ocean that encompassed the majority of this world.

The hues of green, brown and the occasional splash of a primary colour were picturesque against the murky skyline. The youngest daughter of the home at the very edge of the forest was crouched beside the stark blue waters of ocean Titania. Naeris stared at her reflection amidst the water, dropping pebbles one after the other disturbing the calm surface.

She had jet black hair tucked behind her ears that reached down to her lower back in her crouched position. Her skin was an almost milky hue with a splattering of white freckles resting on her nose.
   Her eyes were slanted and gave the illusion of a winged make up style that had started making its round as the new in-fashion trend in the big cities. The greenish blue of her eyes glistened ever more prominently as she gazed down into the peerless blue. Her small pinkish lips parted slowly to reveal a set of pearly white teeth tinged with a yellow undertone. Her eyes creased at the sides as she leapt to her feet.
Dusting off remnants of sand from her feet, she turned and trudged back towards the village centre. Probably the most well built building, it towered over the villagers’ homes. It had a cone roof and its walls were painted a bloody red. Even at this early morning, Naeris could see people entering and leaving the centre; some going to discuss the next harvest, others general workings of the village.
Merchants started to furl their woven stall covers revealing stores of goods they hoped to sell through the day. Naeris glanced around at the somewhat dilapidated houses as doors swung open and people trudged somewhat begrudgingly towards another day in Turun.
“Oh morning dear, how are you this dreary day?” cooed a silky voiced stranger.
Naeris turned and was face to face with a middle aged woman. Mrs Langris was a petite slightly chubby woman with a short blonde bob reaching her shoulders. Like most residents of Turun, her skin had a slightly olive undertone to it due to the lack of sunlight and low magick concentration in the southern kingdom. She wore a very common green tunic that stopped at her ankles with a peacock tail design on its front.
“You’ve returned, Nai Langris?” inquired Naeris

Nai was a form used to Express respect to those older or of higher status. She had been away visiting her sons for a month, her usually taut skin radiated youth and a glimmer of satisfaction twinkled behind her eyes.

The Langris were somewhat celebrities in this tiny village. Mr Langris had unfortunately passed 3 years prior fighting in the eastern kingdom.
Her two sons had gone off into the big city-a feat not so easily achieved from a small village- and her eldest daughter was a warrior in the southern relief army.