Four years had already passed, and many things had happened during those periods. With the suggestion and guidance of Fernris, Saugrar now had become the youngest member of The Lone's Guard in history of their generations.
On the outskirts of the foremost kingdom, there was a race of wolves who lived in wooden houses with a flower garden and a large farm by its side.
A sound of running footsteps echoed through one of the wooden houses. A boy runs around the dining table with fine gray feathers on his cheeks, while his mother was busy preparing the food.
"Be careful, Sauran, you'll hit the dining table." His mother said.
Sauran pulled out a chair and sat down on it as soon as he knew the food would be ready soon. His feathers retracted back into his flesh.
"Mother, when will big brother come back home?"
His mother sat down and placed the dishes on his plate.
"Your big brother will be home in a few days. Have you missed him?" She said.
"Absolutely! I can't wait for big brother to come home and telling me about the outside world he sees."
A smile crept across her face. Sauran placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment.
"But... mother, why does big brother always travel to the outside world?" He asked.
"Well, we're actually the people of nomad, but that doesn't deny the fact that this is our true home."
"We're the people of nomad?"
"Yes, before this place becomes our home by the Father of All, our ancestors used to travel around the world and now it has become part of our cultural tradition."
"So why are we still here?"
"That's because who would take care of this place if everyone leaves? Every time we travel, we divide into groups; some go ahead, while others stay behind to take care of this place. This system has been used for a long time," She said. "And maybe after a few years and you've grown a little, you may follow your big brother and travel around the world."
"Is it true?"
"Of course."
"Yay! I want to experience everything in this world." His voice tinged with joy.
She let out a small laugh and gently stroked her son's head. For a moment, she saw a glimpse of Saugrar in Sauran, which made her eyes widened.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, startling everyone inside.
"Eris, open this door!" A woman shouted from the outside house.
"Wait a minute, sweetheart." She said, and her son nodded.
She rushed to the door and when she opened it, she saw a woman standing there.
"What brought you here?" Eris asked.
"The wanderers have returned." A woman said.
Eris's expression immediately changed.
"So, my son has also returned, right?"
"That's what brought me here, your son, Saugrar, will not return in another two days; he and The Lone seemed to go to somewhere else, just the two of them."
"Is that so..." Eris said, while her face slowly looking down with wilted expression and eyes losing their luster.
"The rumour has spread widely, everyone thought that Saugrar would become the next The Lone, given how close he was to The Lone." She said.
"I can't do anything about it, that's his dream–"
"I'm not here to make an issue of it, instead I feel relieved because there are candidate to replace current The Lone. But, everyone was question the same thing, will Saugrar lead all of us like Fernris did?"
Eris looked up at the sky, and the wind howled between them.
"I'm sure, he can."
***
In a wide, slightly hilly field with a trees spaced apart, the leaves were violet-purple. Two men walked toward the top of a hill as the setting sun behind, while the birds flew towards their nest. A younger man began to speak;
"Why did you bring me here where there are only two of us?... I should be at home right now." Saugrar said.
"How long has it been since we first met?" Fernris said.
"About 4 years ago, why does it matter?"
"Nothing. I'm just curious about how quickly time has passed... seeing you grow up from a child–"
"Just be straightforward, old man. He muttered.
They both reached the top of a hill.
"I wonder, do you still intend to keep your word to be The Lone and bring about change in this system?"
"Of course, I do."
"Will your new system be accepted by everyone, do you think?"
"I don't know how but I'll make them understand by explaining to them how imperfect this system is."
"How are you going to explain even when you don't even know what The Lone really is?" Fernris spoke.
"As you said before, only the person bearing the burden of The Lone can understand it, so I just need to become the next The Lone and understand it for myself."
"Is that so... how do you plan to improve this imperfect system? Fernris asked.
"So are you interested, huh?" Saugrar spoke teasingly.
"Not really, I just want to know what will become of everything after I'm gone."
"What? do you have a heart disease, old man?"
"Don't be a fool, I'm not that old to have a heart disease yet." Fernris said.
Saugrar burst out laughing.
"What's so funny, huh?"
"Yes, it is, old man." Saugrar said joyfully.
Seeing Saugrar, made a smile spread across his face.
Laughter echoes across the hill against the backdrop of the setting sun. Slowly, the moon replaces it, bringing with it the glittering stars scattered across the sky. Saugrar tells Fernris how he will change this imperfect system, and it is then that Fernris realises that Saugrar is the one who will break the fate of the one who stay behind.
***
Three years had passed and something bad had happened in the kingdom. Heavy rain fell without end.
Saugrar ran through the rain, hoping he would make it in time. His footsteps splashed through puddles.
Damn it, run faster! you useless leg... Please, make it on time!
Saugrar saw a glimpse of Makari and quickly speed up to approached him.
"Hah... Makari what happened to my younger brother?" He said, panted heavily.
Makari shook his head while slowly turned his gaze down and with wilted eyes.
"S... Sauran is no longer breathing." Makari said, trembled.
Makari held out his hand, a canine tooth resting in his palm.
Suddenly, Saugrar's knee went limp, and causing him to fall to the ground. He clenched his fist and punched the ground, over and over and over, endlessly until his blood soaked into the earth.
"Shit! Shit!... ARGHHHHH!–"
Makari can't do anything, his gaze remained down, can't stand to see. Rain never stopped falling, as if it too mourned. Saugrar's shouts echoed through the air.
***
Saugrar walked alone in the rain fell endlessly, he walked staggered, his eyes no longer shining. He held his right hand over his chest. He made his way back home, and there was his mother, happily preparing dinner for them as soon as he opened the door. Not knowing what actually happened.
Saugrar was stunned at the front. He didn't know how to put it into words. His mother then turned her gaze and saw him.
"What are you doing standing out there? Come in; you'll catch a cold!" His mother said.
Saugrar did not move, he couldn't hold back his tears.
"Saugrar, what happened? Where is Sauran?" She said tinged with confusion.
He slowly loosened his grip, revealing a canine tooth resting in his palm.
"Sauran... is gone–"
His mother froze until suddenly she collapsed on the ground.
"You must be kidding, right?" His mother said, trembled and tears welled up in her eyes.
Saugrar couldn't bear to look at his mother's face and looked down. His face said it all, and his mother understood. Tears coursed down her cheeks, trickling down to the ground.
Saugrar ran to his mother and hugged her. His mother mourned in his shoulder while hitting him at the back. Tears rolled down Saugrar's face.
"My son–"
"I'm sorry mother... this is my fault."
His mother sobbed, and Saugrar tried to comfort her. The rain did not stop, it fell endlessly. A family of three had to face the bitter loss of one of them. At that moment, everything seemed empty and despite the loud rain and wind outside, it felt as if everything had gone silent.
This was the day everything began to fall into darkness, the day that changed this small family forever.
***
Nine years ago, and a year after Saugrar lost his younger brother, a dark chapter unfolded in the world's history; the mass exodus from the foremost kingdom.
An event that transpired caused a new era to be created. It was darkest period in history, known as the Dark Ages. Villages and roads once filled with life, now fell silent. Both Sky and ground seemed crowded with people fleeing, leaving everything behind. And in one day, everyone became displaced.
Saugrar and his race was no exception; they became refugees, with no place to call home.
***
A year after the beginning of dark ages, in the wilderness and rain falling endlessly caused the surface to become an ankle-high paddles of water, while the wind blew fiercely that it dropped the leaves down.
A race known as the wolf race fled into the forest. It was a large group of people, they moved without rest, walking for days, and yet no one dared to stop moving. Children cried, people were starving, and the elderly who perished were left behind without a second glanced.
Someone running toward Saugrar from the front, his face looked anxious, he said, panting;
"The Warrior..."
"What?"
"Makari is missing," He said. "What should we do now?"
"Huh? How can he be missing, and when did he disappeared?"
"I don't know... no one's saw him, but it's confirmed that he went missing less than an hour ago..."
"Shit, one problem after another." Saugrar snarled, he clenched his fist.
"Should we leave him alone?" That man said.
"No, we don't have right to decide... Only The Lone has the right to make a decisions," Saugrar said. "Wait here, I'm going to meet The Lone."
Saugrar rushed out from the group and ran towards Fernris, his steps heavy against the soaked ground.
"Old man!" He shouted.
"What?" Fernris asked.
"One of our people has gone missing."
"Huh?" Fernris asked, dazed
what should we do now?"
"How could did he disappear?"
"We have no idea, yet."
"Damn it, this shouldn't happen."
"I think we both can find him–"
"No, that's too dangerous."
Fernris paused for a moment before giving his answer.
"Tell Alpha's Lead to divide them into two groups. One will take over The Lone's Guard as all members will join the search for the missing person. Ensure no one moves from their position to prevent any further disappearances."
"Yes, sir."
Saugrar rushed forward and immediately everyone plays their part. Fernris, Saugrar and the other members of the Lone's Guard split up and searched several different areas.
Hours passed, yet there's was no sign of him, even his glimpse. Something was wrong. A bat hung silently from a tree branch, its eyes fixed on Saugrar. A bat?
His attention was drawn as one of the Lone's Guard, shouted at him.
"The Warrior! I've found him."
Saugrar did not waste any time and immediately burst out to their location.
"Where?" Saugrar asked.
"There." He said, while pointing his finger forward.
Immediately, Saugrar eyes widened, saw Makari standing frozen behind the thick bushes, alone in the pouring rain, his eyes didn't even blink. Not even once, with a pale and lifeless expression.
"Makari, what happened?" Saugrar said.
Makari did not answer, his gaze was fixed straight ahead.
"Hey, Makari, answer me!"
Saugrar tried to shook his shoulders, but nothing different.
"There's no point... he's probably already traumatised." A man said.
"So, what should we do now?" Saugrar asked.
"There's no other option. You need to bring him to the group, and then I'll tell everyone else that we've found him." He said.
"Alright then."
Saugrar carried Makari and brought him out of the place. Not long after, Makari tried to speak to him, but his voice was very faint, almost like a whisper, and the rain made it even harder to hear.
"Speak harder." Saugrar muttered.
"They will come." Makari whispered.
"Who?"
"They will come."
Suddenly, while he was running, a shadow passed above him, he tried to looked up and saw a bat flew over his head. Something was amiss.
A bat...? That shouldn't possible... no, not in this weather. They are not the creatures that came out during rain.
His eyes widened as if he had just found out the answer.
No... They're not regular bat. Shit!
Kaelar's Army...