Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

---Urth, Cerebellum---

“Woah, it’s so big mother,” she heard her child exclaim after she followed her partner through the natural rift in the Pathworks. It was true, she had also never seen such a huge forest. All the trees towered over fifty people-lengths above them, many even higher.

Despite the thick blanket of leaves above, there was enough light making it through to feed the lush foliage that covered the ground and filled the gaps between their massive trunks. Tantalizing fresh air filled her lungs as she took a deep breath in joy.

The information broker had not lied. It really was an elven heaven. Who would have thought that just beyond a small cave at the bottom of a crevasse, they would really find such a wonderful place?

The mana in the air was so thick that she could almost smell it.

Her heart quivered. After everything they went through, had they finally found their safe haven? A place where neither humans nor Degasi could harm them. Could they finally find peace and prosper in this new world?

She followed her partner and the others as the pitiful rest of their tribe followed through the rip behind her. Their faces were filled with expressions of wonder and joy, just like hers.

…

---Present---

She vividly remembered that day, when they thought they had found paradise. The days when they thought they had found their eternal home. The forest was abundant and grey quickly and supplied them with everything they needed. Their modest homes were built in the vast crowns of the giant forest and things were good.

A sharp pain in her abdomen forced her to open her eyes. She thought she was close to death, but Life denied her to sink into the sweet delusions of days gone by. Denied the solace of eternal slumber, she was forced to witness reality before her.

Their beautiful homes… the home she had sung from the tree together with her partner were smashed, burning debris at the foot of the tree. The small market square at the center of their community was in chaos.

Horned people were fighting the twisted creatures that devastated the village. With staff and magic, they slew the beasts, but it was no one-sided battle. Without a sign of fear, they threw their lives away to stop these beasts.

Seeing the mighty warriors battle with the lives on the lines against the bests none of them could even harm, made her feel thankful…and bitter. Had they only listened…had they only known how valiant these warriors were.

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“Leave this place, the darkness is approaching.” This was a warning one of the horned people had brought them one day. Until then, they had not known that there were others living in the forest. No matter how far they traveled, they had found weird beasts, but no people.

They should have heeded their warning, instead, they had dismissed the stranger’s words. Although they were surrounded by the force of the woods, something almost sacred to elves, they were blinded by their newfound happiness. They didn’t want to see the danger…until it was too late.

Hot tears flowed down her cheeks, as she looked away from the tragedy, only to see what relentlessly tortured her. Her heart raced in shock. A tent pole from one of the stalls had skewered her stomach. The wound was not bleeding much, which felt more like a curse than a blessing as she was forced to witness the tragedy,

Seeing her people and the horned ones fight desperately, the memories of the past days flooded into her mind. Everything that led up to this moment. It had not taken long for strange beasts to attack the village after the horned one warned them.

Yet, rather suspected him and his people to be behind these beasts. They had misconstrued a well-meant warning. She was ashamed to see how wrong they were.

“Stand up woman and heal yourself. We have to evacuate quickly,” someone said and pulled her out of the rabble It was not someone of her tribe, but the horned one that originally brought the warning to them. She recognized his azure blue suit of leather armor, which now looked plenty ragged. One of his horns was broken out and he had a massive bleeding hole on the top of his head.

Almost in a trance, slightly comforted by his grassy smell, she followed his instructions. With a quick move and a sharp pain, she dislodged the broken pole from her abdomen and cast a healing spell with gritted teeth. It was not perfect but she managed to stop the bleeding.

After she healed herself, the horned one sprinted off, not looking whether she followed or not. Of course, she followed after him with haste. He ran out of the village. On the path, she came by her home. What used to be a beautiful little best for the three of them in the crown of the trees, had turned into a ruin, with broken pieces littering the floor at the foot of the tree.

Her heart jumped when she saw a tiny hand sticking out from the debris. Could it be? For just a moment she had the delusion of hope, but she was different from the other who were frantically searching the ruins for their family.

She had seen with her own eyes, how her partner and child were ripped apart when the dark griffin attacked the market square. She almost broke down then and there. What was even the point of surviving alone? Why was fate so cruel and allowed her to survive?

Why had she, who did nothing and can nothing survive? Why couldn’t it be her bright son? Feeling the guilt weighed heavily on her mind, her legs began moving on their own. She just ran. She ran and ran, even catching up to the horned one, now following right behind him.

All she could do was to focus on her feet hitting the ground with vengeance as she ran from the pain.

…

---Urth, Lambda---

As her people dragged their feet through the hot sands below an unforgiving sun, Delfaria couldn’t help but be in awe of this world. She had never thought that a world so fraught with dangers could harbor life.

Facing this seemingly never-ending desert she almost wished to be back in the bone-chilling weather of the Border Storm. The thought of the freezing winds ripping at their clothes, the snow and hail, and rain that descended with enough force to kill.

The beasts, abominations made of ice, flesh, and metal- No, well not those. She tried not to think of those things. But the other thoughts helped her cope with the relentless heat that tried to cook her alive.

Right after they stumbled out from the terrifying storm, happy to leave the worst part of their journey behind, they suddenly faced a path even worse. Their lack of supplies was manageable in the storm full of creatures and water. One just had to be brave enough to consume them.

But here? Even if they were willing to eat sand, it just meant they would shit bricks, but did not help with survival. On the other hand, apart from the ball of fire shooting death rays at them, this was the most normal stretch of Urth she experienced or heard about.

No crazy magic, nor weird beasts, no catastrophes or plagues waiting to wipe them out. Just sand and very strong sunlight. In the evening, the saintess of Kavala prayed but without answer. Her goddess had fallen silent ever since they entered the desert and couldn’t help her find the way.

Looking at the vast horizon of softly flowing dunes, she sighed. Would they really arrive anywhere if they kept going like that? A place other than death’s doors?

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