Black Sun - Origins of Mavaros

Chapter 1 : Brotherhood

The air was cold and dense as always, the only warmth provided was from the body heat of two brothers nestled together, inside their little grotto. It was along the side of a mountain ridge that held one of the main settlements for The Revenants. It had a cloth for a door, a flat rock for a table, and their bed was a pile of cloth, most rugged and worn out.
The younger child was huddled into his elder brother's arms, trembling and barely sleeping. His little body was ice cold, his fingers numb, and his breath shuddering as well.
His brother sat up before igniting two white candles, which had very little wick left. They would need new ones, probably through smuggling again. He was big enough to maintain his body temperature, but little Mav was much too small.
Soon Mav had stopped shivering and feeling the flames nearby let him sleep silently. Lykos smiled, tiredly, down at his little brother before snuggling close, trying to store all that heat so when the candles burned out, there would be some heat left to keep Mav from shaking for a little bit.  
This was like most nights in Gehenna. Cold, harsh, unwelcoming.
Though these boys were raised here, Lykos being 14 and Mav being 6. Their parents died in an accident with the dragons, though such incidents were common, and left many children orphaned in this hell pit.

When morning came, Mav was left home as Lykos left to get supplies and rations. He would stare at the floor blankly and just sit and wait, unmoving and unresponsive. He was like a doll.
Lykos returned 3 hours after he left, holding a bag and brandishing a new blemish on his arm.
Mav looked at his older brother's arm with a blank look and then lowered his gaze with a guilty look. His brother was always going out of his way to keep them alive, even to get himself hurt. Mav felt like a burden ever since their parents' death, though Lykos always showed him love and care, never expressing annoyance with his little brother's life being a responsibility of his.
His older brother set the bag down in front of him and then hugged Mav tightly.
"It's okay Mavy, I told you. It doesn't hurt that much!", Lykos tried to assure him.
"Then let me do it next time", Mav responded in a weak tone.
Lykos pulled back and looked his brother in the eyes and shook his head.
"No, they would pummel you. I at least have some reputation to keep myself from being turned to pulp, but they see you as a bastard child, because of- nevermind. Just let me take care of you okay? I am well fit for this and I need you to grow up into a strong man, so we can fight together to get our lives back, alright?", Lykos sighed and smiled, rubbing Mav's head.
Mavaros looked at him with troubled eyes but nodded, slumping into his brother's embrace and hugging him. His tiny arms just barely wrapping around Lykos.
His older brother chuckled and patted his back before retrieving the bag and pulling out two little stone containers. He gave one to Mav.
It was warm in his tiny cold hands, he marveled at the warmth.
"It has a special powder inside that is warm when you shake it, at night it will be good for keeping us warm, and it doesn't run out of use", Lykos said proudly.
Mav nodded and despite his blank stare at the container, Lykos could see the sparkle in his eyes as he was fascinated with the object.
"Also, here", Lykos said after pulling a bread roll from the bag.
"You better fill up, its the only way you can get bigger!", he said as he pulled out one for himself and bit into the warm roll.
Mav nodded and nibbled it before scarfing it down. It was better than the ones before, fresh, warm, and soft. He wondered how his brother got these better supplies, but he didn't mind it- maybe today he was just really lucky. Though he wondered about the bruise.
Mav pointed to Lykos' arm then and looked at him curiously.
"Ah, I tried getting us some better blankets, but just as I was walking out the back of the shop keepers tent, a worker saw me, and then grabbed my arm real tight before yanking me hard and taking me to the keeper- though I slipped away!", Lykos smiled and gave Mav a reassuring thumbs-up.
Mav nodded and awed at his brother's bravery, finishing his bread and then holding the warm stone container. 

The cloth to their little cave then was pulled up, a man with a broad build and grey ashen skin was peering in.
"Lykos, I need you to come with me, now", he demanded in a rough tone.
Mav looked to his brother, who gave the man a face he had never seen Lykos make before. He was mad.
"I thought I already worked for you today", Lykos mumbled.
"Listen you little shit, I need your "help" again, so get off your ass or else I will toss that little pipsqueak off the edge into the lakes, understand?", the man then growled.
Lykos froze and looked worried, he stood before patting Mavs head.
"Fine, just don't threaten my brother again", he said dryly.
Mav watched Lykos then disappear through the entrance after the cloth dangled back down, preventing any light from coming in.
Mav held the warm stone container close, tears dripped onto it and he sniffled.