Fifty years ago, magic unexpectedly burst into this medieval world, which was already in full upheaval. Kingdoms, intent on gaining total control of this new phenomenon, waged wars to assert their power and dominance. These realms were built upon the blood-soaked foundations of those who dared to oppose their kings and their selfishness, as the monarchs became blinded by their own might. Some believed the magic was Satanic rites; many others claimed it was the work of God. Only the nobles, kings, and influential people had access to this secret. Since then, crystal-clear rivers were replaced by the blood of those who defied the kingdoms and their greed. Wars became a means to display the power they could obtain through magic.
He was there, wounded beneath a birch tree, on the verge of death, his tear-filled eyes squinting as if awaiting what he both feared and, at times, yearned for. In that instant, he saw his life flash before his eyes.
One night, in a humble village far from the kingdom, named Huanta, it was sacked by the so-called Saqras—an organization of criminals known for their bloody pillaging of towns. They destroyed everything in their path: desperate screams, parents offering their lives for their children to escape, houses burning to ashes. Incessant sobs. The dense smell of smoke permeated every corner, transforming it into a palpable hell.
They reached the last few homes; there, the Saqras entered and quickly finished off most of the inhabitants. Amidst blood and laughter, they set out to finish the last one.
In this home lived a family of four. The father stood in front of his two children, who lay weeping on the floor; the mother covered them with her body. Amidst desperate pleas, the father was cruelly murdered. The mother, distraught and surrounded, whispered to them:
"I love you, children… please, survive!"
Between sobs, the mother lunged at the criminals with all her might, tackling them to the ground as the children ran without looking back. They tripped over a villager's body, and as they tried to get up, they found themselves surrounded by the criminals. One of them, about to kill them, grabbed the older brother and said with a laugh:
"We rarely kill children… I hope this isn't the last time, nor the first."
He drew his dagger, determined to plunge it in, but just then, a sharp thud echoed from a direct impact. A small spear had been lodged in his abdomen. The younger brother, trembling and his face soaked with tears, had found it on the villager's body and plunged it with all his might, as if doing so could end the horror he was experiencing.
He looked at the criminal; the criminal returned his gaze in surprise. With the last strength he had, he intended to smash the boy's head, but he couldn't resist any longer. The younger brother felt a wound open on his forehead; immediately, screaming in pain, he clutched his face. He could only leave a wound on the criminal's forehead before collapsing, dead.
The Saqras, observing the scene, began to laugh uncontrollably. The older brother embraced his younger brother; he felt his body trembling, watching everyone around them. They wondered how something so horrifying could be so amusing to them. And amidst laughter and blood, the Saqra leader approached and said:
"You killed one of my lackeys, so you'll have to pay the price. All the children left in this miserable pigsty will serve me the rest of their days."
They grabbed the village carriage and loaded all ten remaining children inside. With their horses and the loot, they set off for their hideout, hidden deep within the forested mountains.
In the early morning, upon arrival, they caught a glimpse of what the town looked like through the small cracks in the carriage: it appeared gloomy; there were merchants, bars, weapon stalls, training grounds, and so on. Some held their gazes downcast, as if staying there was an obligation; others had murderous looks, as if they relished the violence of the place.
All ten were led into a damp, stone cell with metal bars. There, they were divided: five in cell A and five in cell B. Each cell was located in a different spot. The two brothers were thrown into cell B with three other children.
In a desolate atmosphere, only hushed breathing and silent sobs could be heard. For long hours, they remained silent, but little by little, they began to talk and get to know each other. Perhaps they just needed to feel less alone.
The two brothers were the first to introduce themselves. The older brother said:
"My name is Illari Samin, I'm thirteen, and my younger brother is Ikari Samin, he's eleven.
" Illari was thin, with black straight hair and eyes. His face was serious, yet it showed a hint of joy in getting to know the others. He was marked by the premature responsibility of protecting his younger brother. Ikari was very similar to his brother: thin, with fluffy black hair and brown eyes. He was trembling, his face slightly swollen from crying too much.
The others introduced themselves:
"My name is Hadrian Clifford, I'm twelve." Hadrian was a redhead with short hair, reddish eyes, and a thick build; he was a bit reserved, but his gaze showed contained anger, accompanied by a few tears.
"I'm Luca Bryon, I'm eleven." Luca was thin, with straight brown hair and hazel eyes; he was someone who tried to stay optimistic in difficult situations.
"My name is Mirelle Hagen, I'm thirteen." Mirelle was blonde, with light green eyes, and a slender physique. She was shy, someone who, like Luca, tried to maintain optimism, but to a lesser extent.
A few hours later, the five children were taken from their cells and escorted by two guards to a fenced training ground. The place was protected by an oak wood fence that was too tall to climb or break. To one side of the field, there was a small table where the Saqra guards placed a few weapons to choose from. There was a crossbow, some daggers, a war axe, a bow, and a small staff resembling a branch with a small, glowing orb embedded at its top. Upon seeing the staff and the orb, they were stunned. They assumed the Saqras had stolen it. The group felt a bit of fear and insecurity in handling that magical object, as in their homeland, they viewed it as a manifestation of the devil himself.
"Choose," ordered one of the Saqra guards.
Illari was the first to move. He approached the bow, followed by his brother Ikari, who, a little nervous, picked the crossbow. Hadrian, without thinking, grabbed the war axe with both hands, as if it were a part of him. Luca timidly observed the daggers and took them.
Mirelle, looking down, wondering which weapon to choose, whispered to herself:
"The crossbow…"
Looking up, she saw that Ikari already had it. Unable to choose it, she slowly walked over and grabbed the last remaining weapon. With hands trembling from fear, she carefully picked up the mysterious branch with the orb. Then, the Saqra, with a twisted smile, said:
"In seven days, there will be a wonderful event," he said in a loud voice. "I hope you arrive prepared."
The children, nervous, clutched their weapons after the Saqra guards left. They noticed that in the middle of the field there were training dummies and blankets to cover themselves and rest. Hadrian, without hesitation, plunged his axe into the head of one of the training dummies. His face only reflected his rage. Luca gripped his daggers and, with a determined but trembling gesture, began stabbing the dummy while muttering to himself:
"Everything will be fine… We'll get out of here… We'll find a better place to live… we just have to resist," he repeated in whispers.
Illari nodded, raised his bow and arrows, and began shooting at his dummy. Mirelle, watching her companions, grabbed her weapon and began to figure out how it worked. She realized that the branch, along with the strange orb, radiated a greenish color that could be projected onto her companions in the form of a spell to help heal blows and minor wounds. However, doing so for too long would drain her energy, and it also depended on the size of the wound; if the wound was deep, it consumed much more energy.
When everything seemed fine, Illari carefully observed Ikari, who couldn't aim the crossbow well. This caused him to make an uncontrolled shot, which hit his own foot. Illari quickly went to help his brother, who was sobbing in pain. Mirelle rushed over, and with the little she had learned, managed to help heal the wound. Not instantly, but the wound was slowly closing. Between sobs, Ikari kept telling himself:
"I'm no good at this…"
Illari approached him and encouraged him to keep trying.
"Don't say that! You just need a little more practice and patience."
Three days passed since the incident. Everyone noticed that Ikari still couldn't control the crossbow, failing in all his attempts. That night, while they were sleeping, Illari woke his brother and whispered:
"Hey, brother, I have something to tell you… well, to give you."
"Brother, it's late, what happened?"
Ikari replied half-asleep.
"Just listen to me, just follow me."
Illari took his brother's hand and led him to a corner of the field, away from the others, and told him:
"The guys and I have noticed you can't handle the crossbow very well. That's why… I brought you this."
Very carefully, he pulled out something wrapped in a blanket: it was a spear. It was the same one with which he had killed the criminal that time. Ikari asked him:
"How did you get it…? That day I… I just dropped it," he whispered.
"Despite how cornered we were, you grabbed it and used it despite the fear you felt. When you dropped it, I picked it up, thinking they would attack again. But they just laughed, so I quickly wrapped it in some villager's clothes and brought it with us, hiding it. I took advantage of its small size. You were able to do what I couldn't; I owe you my life, and I know this weapon is the right one for you."
Ikari took it, and the brothers embraced tightly. The next day, everyone noticed that Ikari had another weapon, much simpler to use, as if it were designed for his hands. With it, he could harm the dummy and move quickly at the same time.
Each one reacted in their own way: Illari smiled with great joy. Hadrian watched Ikari for a few seconds without showing any emotion. He quickly took his axe and continued splitting the dummy with more force, always aiming for the head. Luca approached Ikari and said:
"This weapon definitely suits you."
Mirelle smiled sweetly.
With two days left until the so-called "event," one morning, the reunited children questioned:
"What kind of event will it be…?"
They assumed they were now part of the Saqras, training to be at their command; however, they didn't understand why they were separated into different groups. Illari, frowning, said:
"All this… something doesn't add up."
But the others paid him no mind. Hadrian, visibly enraged, replied:
"I just want revenge for what they did to my brothers."
Luca retorted in a calmer tone, though filled with emotion:
"Calm down, Hadrian, though I also want revenge for what they did to my parents and my little sister."
Mirelle and Ikari remained silent; after that brief chat, they continued their training.
One day before the event. After a routine morning of training, dusk fell. The group decided to relax for the first time. They lay back on their blankets and began to tell each other stories of heroes who came to save the world from injustice. After some laughter, they opened their hearts, remembering their loved ones.
Hadrian, with a broken voice, spoke:
"My brothers were strong, they were the best warriors in the village: Fran and Luis were village guardians. They retired from the post because our parents died and they dedicated themselves to selling meat to make ends meet. They always taught me to follow my own path; they were my teachers when I wanted to learn to fight. When those damned Saqras arrived, my brothers tried to escape with me, but we were intercepted. Fran and Luis pulled out their work axes and took down some of them. I was so happy, no one was stronger than the two of them together, until their leader arrived and killed them with a swift movement of his daggers. I don't remember anything else. When I woke up, I was in the carriage. I want… to see my brothers again and tell them that… I'm sorry for not being strong enough to fight alongside them. I was so scared. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I wasn't as brave as you."
Luca replied with a few tears:
"I was never good at fighting. I miss my family, I miss working in our grocery store with my parents and my little sister. They always taught me that in the worst moments there's a light of hope. I try to keep faith that everything will be okay, but sometimes I just think about them too much. Seeing my parents and my little sister… I know they gave everything to protect me and my sister, Lucía. Forgive me for letting go of you!... I tried to escape with you, but my hands… I'm a terrible brother."
Ikari stood up and looked at Hadrian and Luca; with a warm voice, he told them:
"This world is full of evil. But, just as evil exists, so does good, and I know someone will come for us… maybe not a hero from the stories… but someone, someone who dares to fight against them and will tell us how well we did to survive this." Illari and Mirelle, as the oldest of the group, looked at each other. They were impressed by Ikari; his maturity in such a short time had been remarkable.
Mirelle, with a soft smile, shared her story:
"In my case, I only worry about my younger brother. His name is Kadir. He was five years old then… now he must be ten. I remember whenever I came home, we'd play hide-and-seek; it was so much fun. But one day, our parents took him to a distant kingdom because he had a serious health problem. I don't know its name, they never told me; the only thing they told me was that in that kingdom, people are experts in healing magic. Despite our beliefs, my parents went, but they… never came back. I don't know if they're alive… I don't know if my brother is alive… I was left alone. I wish I could see him and tell him how much I love him…" she sighed.
Ikari, with full conviction, told her:
"I know your brother and your parents are well… I know you'll see them again. And you'll be able to play hide-and-seek with Kadir many more times."
Illari, with a small smile, added:
"Yes… hope is the last thing to die, so don't worry, we'll get through this together."
After listening to everyone's stories, the children lay back, contemplating their destinies. Night slowly fell, covering them in a sense of hope. One by one, they began to drift off to sleep.