SEVEN TURNS LATER

FENRER

Papers and books lined the shelves in Dad's domed meeting room. Pelts from the previous hunts hung on hooks. Each one, a story Dad never failed to regale his imagination. Lamplight filled the room in a warm, orange glow which echoed the evening sun outside the window. Outside, in the garden, four shrines dedicated to the Ancients sat in a circle around a pond. Fenrer swung his legs back and forth as Auro Ituan prayed at each one below, placing different coloured candles at their feet.

"We only have a couple more names left to go, Fenrer."

Fenrer switched his attention to Dad, who towered over all. His green eyes full of patience and wisdom, while his short, dark brown hair rested in a tight wolf tail with their family mark tying it together.

Does that mean I won't be a giant like Dad? Fenrer shuffled in his seat and tried to stretch out his spine, while Dad waited, but never pushed him.

He pointed with a large finger at the offending piece of land he couldn't remember the name of.

Fenrer clutched the edges of his chair and studied where he pointed, then glanced back when he heard other kids shout outside in glee. Fenrer leaned on the table and smiled up at Dad. "I want to go outside."

Dad smiled in return, the motion wrinkling his brow. "How about this? Tell me the next few names, and before dinner, you can watch me train Nikos."

"Why can't I train?"

Dad chuckled, and the sound rocked his bones. "Soon, Fenrer." He pointed at a spot on the map, below the borders of Sungrove. "Here? Who is the steward of this territory?"

Fenrer peeked closer. "Lands of Ocliue, and the steward is Lord Gyron." He folded his arms and nodded at Dad, proud of his memory and knowledge of their neighboring territory.

"And... what's his family name?" Dad pressed and leaned on the table as well.

Fenrer pursed his lips and wracked his mind for when Dad and Lord Gyron last spoke in the midsummer harvest festivals. "Uh... You called him Lord Shor...tee? Is that the family name?"

Dad's green eyes widened in alarm, and he waved his hands. "N-No, son. That's not his family name."

Fenrer pointed at him. "But you call him that."

Dad chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, adjusting his wolftail and the wolven mark which danced along the strands. "Duchulun, Fenrer," he corrected and reached a hand forward to give him a nudge, and Fenrer giggled. "His daughter, Valarma is his heir. You'll get to meet her during the next midsummer harvest." He traced the edges of the map, and stopped at the coast, where several islands broke off into the sea. "Here?"

Fenrer pinched his chin. "Lord Stigan Tyronai! He's the lord steward of..." He pressed his hands against the map, and traced the lines until he settled on the bigger island closer to the mainland. "This place!" He read the inked name above it. "I hear you and the housecarls talk about him a lot."

Dad's brow crunched, but not in the same way he smiled. "He was made Lord quite young. It's been seven turns now," he commented. "His heir is Kemal Tyronai until such a time Stigan decides to have children of his own, or hands it over... or loses it in a duel among one of his siblings. It depends on him... although, last time I spoke with Stigan, Kemal had become a—"

"Am I going to have to fight you?"

Dad chuckled. "No, you're my only son. Unless you get older and think you could do a better job while I'm still in tenure — if that is something you want." He gave him a playful grin and gently poked his cheek. "Until then, Fenrer, I'm the Lord of Sungrove."

Fenrer followed the group of islands, then pointed at another group of islands, far off into the Hanekan sea. "What about this?"

"That's Euros." Dad traced the island. "It is a part of the Hanekan archipelago, but a thousand turns ago Dragon King Kolis gave it up for the Storm Warden Order — or so the legend says." Dad folded his arms with a smile. "The Storm Wardens hold an important duty in our lives, they needed a place to call home with the Great Crimson Dusk on their heels."

Fenrer pressed his cheeks against his hands and straightened out his legs underneath the table. "When's dinner?"

Dad left his chair to check outside, Fenrer followed him. Light inched across the sky and flowed into the clouds, setting them aflame. "Hm... should be soon." He reached forward to close the books on the table, and folded up the map. "Alright, you win. As promised, let's go."

Fenrer bounced, and reached out to Dad's hand as he passed. He hesitated when shivers rippled through the air. Grim, moss coloured smoke surrounded Dad. Fenrer withdrew his hand, where the smoke trails followed, but whisked away with the gentle breeze flowing through Sungrove.

"Fenrer?" Dad said, hand still open. "What's wrong?"

Fenrer pressed his hands together, but the smoke never returned. "Nothing!" He followed Dad outside, past housecarls who wandered the Pyren estate. Some of them bowed to Dad, and to him. He waved in greeting to Eyestein when they reached the front of the house, who grinned down at him from his post. Activity bustled around the town which stretched into the forest, with their estate watching over it all. Near the estate, the food hall, which stretched along and showed crests of all those who followed the Pyren's. Shields hung over the door, where weapons criss-crossed. Shouts sounded from inside, though Dad led him down the small knoll. In the careful view of the estate, houses lined the dirt roads. Chickens clucked in pens, while the breeze carried the smell of the sea to them inland.

Dad took him to the training yard, where Dad trained many of the young warriors.

Runesmith Harotol worked at the forge beside the training yard, shaking his head when one of the warriors rushed the wrong opponent.

Mom.

Fenrer crawled to the top of the fence, and Dad reached forward to steady him. She disarmed one warrior when they went for a lunge. Buckler unlatched, she threw it at another warrior, before kicking the closest one onto the field. Free of the attacker, wisps of wind magick surrounded her fingers as she recalled the buckler, which she caught with a deft hand.

Fenrer clapped for her as she straightened herself out and turned to them with a smile. He jumped to the other side, bouncing in place. "Let me try!"

Mother chuckled as he ran up to her as the warriors recovered from their thrashing. Fenrer checked on Dad, who easily bridged the fence with a call to one of the warriors, who rushed forward. Mother knelt down onto his level with a grin as a brown braid rested along her shoulder, carrying the same wolven mark Dad wore. "You want to try fighting me," she asked and brushed his hair with a soft, thoughtful hum. "Oh, I don't know, Fenrer. It'd be such a one-sided fight... I don't think I'd stand a chance." Mother chuckled and stood up. "Later?"

Dad rejoined them. "Where's Nikos, Kat?"

Mom dropped her smile. "He never came," she said and moved her braid off her shoulder. "I assume he's holed up in his room." Fenrer bounced when she knelt back down to him. "You? How'd your lesson go?"

"I know everything that ever everything'd."

Dad giggled, and Mom shook her head. "Well, how about you tell me about everything over dinner?" She huffed out a breath and turned to Dad. "Do you need me to talk to Nikos?"

Fenrer watched the young warriors relinquish their training swords to the runesmith. He leaned against Mother and imagined himself among them, older and in the fold. He took down every fighter with Mother's grace, but Father's strength.

"No, I'll talk to him. I know the loss of his father hit him hard." Dad sighed, and Fenrer frowned as colours shimmered in heat waves off the warriors as they chortled and pushed off each other. One of them landed on the ground again with a shout, and then tackled the one who pushed him. Fire washed into his temples as their colours merged, and struggled against the backdrop of sundown. He shut his eyes tight, but when he returned to the world again, it was gone.

"Do we even know if—?"

Fenrer raised his head when Mom and Dad both switched their attention to him.

"We'll talk about it after dinner," Dad said and rubbed Mom's shoulder, and Fenrer stuck his tongue out. Dad chuckled and nudged him. "We're having your favourite tonight. Smoked fish, brought right from the Sivaport harbor."

"But that's your favourite," Fenrer pointed out as the colours wasted into the wind.

Dad ruffled his hair. "I'll get you started on some archery training tomorrow. It looks like Yulana and the cooks were early today." He motioned for everyone to head to the mead hall, and Fenrer followed in their footsteps. Mom held herself tall and strong, but no one towered over Dad. He could rip trees out of the ground, right to the roots. Everyone parted for him, the closest thing to a giant in Haneka.

Two Housecarls pushed open the wide doors into the mead hall and laughed. On one table, Erikur and Gylfi, two of Nikos' friends, sat down and grabbed onto plates. In the middle of the hall, a long fire pit, where many stakes rolled the meat as embers bounced and skittered off the runes in the stone. Mother went along the side of the hall, and Dad nudged the back of his head. "Go on. Go be with your mother. I need to make sure your cousin comes down for dinner."

Long tables stretched between the posts and wolven banisters. Wooden wolves danced and hunted along the overhead supports, chasing the moon along its lunar cycles. People sat down and dug in. Fenrer went around the tables to Mom, right to the head table, where behind them, Father's lord seat sat and overlooked the entire hall. Dad prefers to be among people though... talking with them.

Yulana, the head cook, sent fire into the pit as another cook rolled the stakes to cook the meat. Tangy sweetness filled his nostrils. He hauled himself into the seat next to Mom. "Why is Nikos hiding in his room?" He waited while Mother prepared his plate, and handed it to him.

"You don't need to worry about it. Your father will handle it," she said with a smile. "Wait for him, and then we can eat."

"It smells good, though..."

Everyone in their household took their seats. Some laughed and hooted with each other. Some of the adults drank heavily from tankards. Fenrer waited. When Dad says he'll come back, he always does. I can wait.

He bounced in his chair when the doors opened to reveal Dad and Nikos, who kept his gaze trained on the stone and floorboards at his feet. Behind them, Auro Ituan, who took a chair nearest the door. Dad released Nikos and motioned for him to take a seat. His cousin rejoined Erikur and Gylfi, who continued to talk, but Nikos picked at his food. Fenrer snapped up when Dad took the head seat beside him with a huff.

"He'll be at training tomorrow."

One day, I'll get to sit in that seat. Fenrer clasped his hands together and watched over the massive hall. Everyone laughed, cheered and tossed friendly words. Mom nodded at him, and he ate. Smoked fish took the center of his place, along with extra meat-stuff their hunters gathered for dinner. He listened to all the conversations. Most spoke of the harvest, others, scary stories for firepit talks. Derelicts.

Storm Wardens handle Derelicts... hm... watch the fall of dawn, where the shadows move. Keep your vigilance on the shore, where they tangle with the water... Is that how that poem went? How did it end... something about running, for they always return? Hungrier than ever, never able to return to the Echo Obscura? He held his flaming temple, straining to remember. What is the code of the Wardens? He told me about it before...

Chills swept down his spine, but his curiosity longed to hear more of the creatures which stalked their plane.

Mother and Father talked and ate beside him, full of laughs and smiles. Fenrer frowned at a glimmer of colour in the edge of his vision. At Nikos' table, Gylfi shoved Erikur with a snap, while a blazes of flames stretched from her shoulders. In response, a blue bubble expanded and slapped against her aura when Erikur laughed.

On the other side, Nikos, where thorns stretched around the colours and threatened to poke everything in contact with him. It dug into the tables when he formed his hands into fists.

Against the firelight, the colours flickered along with the embers.

It returned, and everyone became colourful.

Throbs swirled against his brow as he withdrew from the expanding rainbow. He bit down on his tongue to stop it, but it reached and writhed. An evening star rose along the rainbow clouds within the mead hall.

Mom?

Fenrer focused on her. Calming light. Flutters of evenfall.

Pain wracked through his temple when Gylfi wrestled with Erikur, with a few nearby adults chortling. Fenrer clutched the sides of his head to tear out the colours, unable to catch his breath when they joined in for an assault. It swirled and mixed, turning into a heaving mass.

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

He wobbled in his seat as the deformed mass of colours danced across the fire.

Go away. Go away.

Colours inched closer with the maws of beasts.

Go away!

Torches flickered.

Auro Ituan snapped his head up, where the strange swirls in his shining blue eyes shifted with the stars. In a nearby corner, two housecarls clanked their tankards and took a swig. When one leash of color withdrew back to the housecarls, one of them froze, and their friend leaned forward with a silent question as their mouth moved, but no noise came out in the drowning sea of shifting colors.

"Lord Soren—!" Auro Ituan yelled over the commotion.

Utensils clattered as some people snapped their hands up to their head. Water bubbled in his ears. Fenrer held his temples and twisted to Dad. Everything spun and screeched, and tears welled up in his face as thorny, rain-wrapped streams fell from Dad's moss-green colours. He reached a hand out, touching his shoulder, but froze as someone in the hall screamed. His own eyes twisted into pinpricks as pain wore on his brow. Fenrer snapped forward when Dad held his own head, gasping in something as his attention went behind him.

Fenrer turned again into the washed out evening.

Mother sat there, her fist tight against her fork as water filled the colours of amber dawn. Her fingers dug into her palm as everyone in the hall trembled, or rushed to flee the colours. What's happening? I don't understand. Go away! Fenrer lunged back from a wave of colour, trying to flee his own seat. Stop it! Stop it! He shut his eyes, and writhed in his seat as the waves drowned him underneath the coloured pain.

Someone grasped his arm, and he forced open his eyes to Mother, who remained stalwart against the pain. Tugged out of his seat, he squirmed when Mom passed him to Auro Ituan, who lifted him off the ground with ease. Colours haunted the comfort of shadows. It never stopped.

"Dad!" he cried out for safety. His brow screeched with the sounds of crashing colours. Make it stop. It won't stay quiet...

"Give my son to me." Father's voice rang through the water. Held in stronger, larger arms, Fenrer curled into the familiarity. "Katya—"

It fell silent with the waves.

Wind brushed against his cheeks.

Everything hurt, and he released the dam behind his brow. He gasped out for a reprieve from the ocean torment.

"Fenrer, we're right here," Mother whispered at his head, and gentle arms brought him closer. Through the bubbles, an evening light called him from the shadows. "We're here now. You're safe. We're safe." Every leash of evenfall tore away the drowning pain, but it throbbed on his temples, but her voice trembled with pain which never swallowed him.

"I need you to open your eyes, little lord," Auro Ituan said.

"No, I don't want to."

"Only for a second, my son." Father's hand rustled his hair. "Just for one second."

"I don't want to."

"Why? What are you feeling?"

"They all hurt... I hurt them too..." Fenrer sniffed and sank into Mother's arms. "Don't make me see. I don't want to hurt them more. I don't know what they are..."

Someone's slender hand supported his face and chin and nudged him to face upwards into darkness. He shook his head, but they kept their grip firm.

"I only need a second, little lord. Let me see your eyes."

One second, and the colours blazed.

Mother kept one arm wrapped around him, where her evening colour kept back the waves as they continued to press down on the world. Father hovered nearby, trembling to his roots. Auro Ituan leaned closer to him as his chin rested in Mother's free hand. His reflection echoed off the swirls of Ituan's irides.

"Take him to bed," he advised as people hovered at the hall doors, keeping a large distance. "Keep people nearby at a minimum until I've confirmed."

Confirm? Confirm what?

Mother released his chin and lifted him up. "You can close your eyes now, my little dawn."

He followed her instructions, and hoped the colours left when he opened them next.