Smudge Marks & Engel Werks

Thayrin sat cross-legged under a brookside tree. So focused on his task, he was barely aware of the gently flowing water dancing across rounded stones about him. To his right long, strong short-spear shafts lay on the leaf covered soil. A box of spearheads and spools of leather strappings between, making Thayrin have to reach-over to get his next component. The air felt weird. All the forest's colors were tinged all in hues of red and orange thanks to the lesser moon's influence in the sky. As the sun slowly changed making the shadows of the Shroud's canopy creep, he worked, joining head to shaft, then laying the finished piece on the other side of him. Off a little ways upstream and out of the corner of his eye, he could occasionally spy Rylea trying, and failing to catch her first fish.

He picked up another shaft and laid it across his lap.

"Ugh!," Rylea said as she suddenly popped into his vision, ilms from his face, hanging from a branch right above his head. "Sooooo bored!"

"Argh!" Thayrin jumped, the wood shaft tumbling from his lap. He caught it just before it rolled into the water.

Rylea rolled until she hung from the tree's branch by her arms, then dropped to the forest floor.

"You catch something instead," she mumbled, as she dropped her fishing rod into his lap, her face grumpy, her ears pinned backwards along her silver hair. "You look even more bored doing that, than I am."

She picked up one of his completed shafts and did a mock thrust with it.

"Hey," he snapped. "Stop that, you're going to damage it."

She blatantly ignored him and started spinning the weapon until it smacked into a tree limb, sending the pent up energy back down the shaft and into her arms. She exclaimed and dropped it.

Thayrin sighed, then stood up.

"Put that back on the finished pile," he said. He reached around his back and pulled forth a flat squared off knife. Carefully, he walked around the tree he had been sitting under, occasionally reaching up and testing different branches. Then with a quick, sure stroke he copped off three minor limbs.

Before Rylea's eyes, he crudely caved one down, then stung some of the leather twine from one end to another, forming a bow. He then turned to the others branches, making them into blunted arrows. It was far from a master work, and could only be called a cheap toy at best.

"Here," he said, "This seems more your speed."

Rylea's face lit up. Her purple eyes shined with glee as she snatched the toys from his hands. He smiled softly as he watched her bound across the stream then disappeared behind some rocks. A moment latter, an arrow wobbled though the air and into a tree trunk, seemingly by accident.

Thayrin took a moment to reorganize his work supplies, then picked up the abandoned fishing rod. He checked to make sure a tiny bit of bait was still on the hook, then dropped it into the water. It wasn't long before he had a nibble on the line.

"Lucky," Rylea gruffed from behind.

He simply smiled as he reeled in his catch.

"Thought you were suppose to be working," she said, despite her eyes being firmly on the wriggling fish.

"Thought you were suppose to be fishing," he countered.

He walked over to Rylea's abandoned tackle box that was just a little ways upstream and retrieved more bait.

"Why so many spears?" she asked looking at his pile of still to be completed shafts and spear heads.

He shrugged.

"Master said something about a big fight brewing on the Carteneau Flats." He tossed another line into the waters. "These won't make it there in time, but they will still be needed by the Wood Wailers for when they return."

"Why are they fighting?" She asked, putting another arrow on her bowstring.

Thayrin shrugged again.

"Might have to do something with the Moon?" he replied.

Rylea looked skyward, and she pursed her lips.

Even with the Black Shroud's thick tree canopy, the fall of the Lesser Red Moon was distinctly visible.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked.

He pulled another fish out of the stream.

"Terrified. But it's far away. I don't see how it would affect us here."

He paused, then turned to Rylea. Her eyes were firmly fixed skywards, growing larger with fear every passing moment. Instinctively, he dropped the fishing pole and snatched up one of the finished spears.

Clouds boiled around the Red Moon, parting to make way. Deep lines encircled it, finally visible at such a distance, uneven rods protruding throughout. While still a great distance off, it bore down upon the two.

It cracked, then opened, a deathly bloodied blossom unfolded. And within, a great wyrm screamed. Moments later, a tsunami of aether flooded the land.

The world enveloped them in blackness as it washed over the two children.