In the human country of Oman, there was a famous tale: The legend of the Silver Eyes.
Various citizens disappeared from Oman’s capital, the city of Oris. But the situation was eventually ignored after nothing was found about their whereabouts. However, one day, all interactions between Oris and the neighboring towns ceased.
After weeks without communication, parties were sent to figure out the problem. The whole population, nobles and common people, had vanished.
Oris had become a ghost city. And the longer they looked for the cause, the faster the tasked soldiers, adventurers, and mercenaries disappeared too.
Something was hunting them and only one person managed to escape.
He arrived at a nearby city on his exhausted horse, looking frightened, and explained what he saw; a being with bright eyes the color of silver, not a monster but too inhuman at the same time, powerful and immortal...
A thousand lives had been consumed by what could only be described as a demon.
In fear the creature would strike them next, the cities kept their armies prepared and for years groups were issued to attempt to retake the city.
All of them failed, except for one. A team of only four people; three men and one woman.
From the north, a proud elf magus. As powerful as she was beautiful. She would be known as the Eternal-Light.
From the west, a mighty warrior. Unstoppable and fierce. The Blood-Hawk.
From the south, a ruthless strategist, fighting fire with fire. Clever and fast on his feet. The Shadow-Robber.
And finally, from the east, an expert of the esoteric. User of the forgotten magics. The Spell-Bringer.
The four fought the Silver Eyes bravely, and against all the odds, they brought the demon to its knees and destroyed it. Freeing Oris from its curse...
* * *
In the northeast of Oman, there was a small town called Onder. In a room of their mayor’s old castle, a boy was telling her sister a story.
"...But the rumors say that, at night, you can still hear the laughing of the Silver Eyes echoing through Oris' ruins. HAHAHAHAHA!" cackled Bertrand making Cailin tremble in fear and hide under her blankets.
Standing by the door, Morgan observed how the siblings interacted and couldn't but sigh. He will never learn.
"You shouldn't tell Cailin scary stories like that, Bertrand. Later, you will complain when she can't sleep," Morgan said.
"Certainly." Bertrand stood up from his stool and gave him a friendly slap on his back, a smug expression on his face. "But then, like the good cousin you are, you'll help her to calm down, right, Morg?"
"Right?" asked Cailin, her big eyes on the verge of tears.
Morgan’s expression softened. He couldn’t say no to that face. "O-of course, I will... But just so you know, that story it’s full of inconsistencies."
Bertrand made a disgruntled expression. "What?"
"Most people can believe in rumors if they want.” He crossed his arms over his chest. ”But we are directly related to the Cardinal Heroes, and as such, we should refrain from spreading those lies. Cailin should know better."
Even if it annoyed Bertrand, as the oldest it was Morgan's duty to be the responsible one. Besides, if dispelling the scary parts helped the poor girl to sleep soundly, he’d do it gladly.
"Then, there was no demon?" asked the girl, her expression hopeful.
"No. There wasn't."
"Not that the real deal was any better," intervened Bertrand.
Morgan sent a glare to his cousin, and then cleared his throat. "The so-called Silver Eyes was just an elven magus. A powerful one, though, but not a demon."
"He was like the Eternal-Light?" Cailin asked with wide eyes and Morgan nodded. "I thought elves were not evil."
“They are not,” he answered quickly, not wanting his cousin to be like so many people out there that grew to hold prejudices against elves.
According to the stories he heard from his uncle and father, Elven-kin were long-lived and prideful beings. Ruthless if you disrespected them, their culture, or their lands but otherwise nonaggressive. Unlike humans, they didn't start wars. However, they had no claims on striking back and history could witness that.
“But some of them can be bad people. Just like humans, there are good ones and bad ones. Do you understand, Cailin?" She nodded despite her slight confusion. She was a smart girl, Morgan was sure she would get it, if not now, eventually.
Bertrand was also intelligent but incredibly stubborn. "And how do you explain the whole population of Oris vanishing? I doubt your typical magus, even an amazing one, could manage a feat like that. So how did he do it?"
"One person at a time," he answered, half-joking.
No one knew the real extent of the Silver Eyes' power and how he was defeated except for the Cardinal Heroes themselves; and sadly, they –his father and his uncle- didn't like to speak about it.
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