For Honor: True Darkness

Part 2: Life & Death

This isn't some corny backstory about a boy who lost his family because he couldn't do anything to stop their killers. I was sixteen. I had every chance in the world to stop my families killers. But I didn't.

It was a cool fall night. My village was small, only ten or so families had lived there, including mine. A large group of thirty vikings came to the village asking for food. That was the first red flag. Vikings don't ask for things, they just kill and take.

When the vikings first attacked I was in the fields with my younger brother, Eli. When the both of us heard the screams of people from the village we ran to our home. When we made it home my father was wielding a long sword and my mother was holding a butchers knife.

My older sister, Sarah, took Eli and hid under the floor boards. The vikings were coming closer and closer until they finally came to our home. When the front door opened my father killed two hairy men before being struck in the arm by an axe. My mother killed the man who injured my father before she was injured by an arrow to the knee.

Three more vikings entered the home and I was the last one standing. But instead of fighting I froze. My father stood up and killed two of the three men before dropping again. My mother cut off the third mans head before dropping to help my father.

I saw the street from where I was standing. Mr and Mrs Apricot were in the road with their newborn son. They were all laying in the dirt dead. More and more vikings came into our home. Each time they attacked my parents would get hurt more and more.

Once another wave was fought off my father called me to him. I rushed to my father who was bleeding from nearly every part of his body.

Father: "I need you to take this"

Father took a necklace with a crescent moon on it and pulled it from his neck. He forced my hand open and put it into my hand, closing it.

Father: "Stay strong. I love you"

More vikings could be heard outside. My mother stood up and pushed me away to the back of our home. She opened a secret door in the wall and told me to get inside. When I was inside Sarah and Eli soon followed.

Mother: "Mommy loves you all. Stay quiet and run once it becomes quiet. None of you return here ever. Never come back"

Father: "Anne!"

Mother: "I have to help your father. I only hope the best for you three when this is over"

Mother gave the three of us a kiss on the forehead. That was the last time I felt her touch.

My mother closed the secret door and put something large and heavy in front of it.

Minutes passed until we heard another noise in front of the secret door. I thought it was mother or even father coming to tell us it's ok to come out but I was wrong.

A large viking ripped the door out from the wall and pulled myself, Sarah and Eli to the ground. Eli was first to stand and tried to escape. A female Viking pulled him to the floor by the collar and punched him on the nose. Eli's head ricocheted on the wood floor. Sarah screamed as two viking men dragged her outside and around a corner of the house. My mother and father were laying in the living area.

They were about to be executed. I noticed small axe was beside me and reached for it. Before I could grab  it I froze again. I don't know why. Why? But as soon as I got out of my thoughts a male viking stepped on my hand and pulled my head back from my hair. I moved my eyes to look at my parents one last time.

My father looked at me and with the last of his strength spoke.

***

(Present)

***

I took the necklace my father gave to me and opened it. A beautiful melody began to play.

He used to play it to me every night before I went to bed when I was younger. He stopped when I turned eleven. Every time I play it flashes of the attack keep playing in my mind. When I hear the screams of my mother, sister and younger brother I feel warm. Warm with hatred. Warm with anger.

Warm with the burning desire to kill all of those men and women who destroyed my family. Warm with the desire to kill those who tore my family apart. I want to kill the people who killed my parents. I want to find and kill those men who raped my mother and sister. I want to find those men and women who took my younger brother as a slave. I want to slaughter them all!

But I can't. It goes against everything I've trained for as a Warden. My heart aches every time I think of my family. I long for the soft touch of my mother but I have to remind myself that my family is gone. There's nothing left for me in my old life. I couldn't save my family or the village we lived in. But I can still save the people of this village from the gruesome end I had witnessed all those years ago.

I grabbed my long sword and left my small house. I walked passed the wagon with all of the supplies and went to the horse stables. I took a horse and hooked her to the wagon. I guided the horse and the wagon to the front gates and exited the village. The Black Priors took notice of me and got up from their small camp.

The leader looked to me and spoke.

???: "What are you doing?"

I looked to the four Black Priors and sighed.

"We have a long ride to the Blackstone fortress. Right?"

???: "Indeed"

"Then let's get going"

???: "Get everything ready. We leave now"

She ordered the other three Priors who did what was ordered. They came back with their possessions and stood next to the wagon.

"Lead the way"

The woman smirked and walked forward I grabbed the leather lead on the horse and tugged it forward. The horse fallowed. I thought one last time about my family. I remember what my father said before he died.

Father: "Stay strong son! Jürgen! Listen to me! Stay strong!"

I scrunched my eyes and tightened my hands into fists. The horse came to a stop. The Black Priors gave me questioning looks.

???: "Everything okay, Warden?"

I nodded and pulled the horse and wagon forward. We kept walking into the dark abyss of the night.

"What have I done?"

I whispered.

-To be continued-