The War Without End – Prelude

The first time that Ebon heard Hallam’s story he wasn’t ready to accept it, nor the second. In the beginning he listened without belief or understanding, simply because the mysterious stranger told a good tale. Yet even then, when Hallam spoke of destiny and birthrights Ebon felt something stirring within his soul.

However, as the weeks and months passed, Ebon became increasingly disillusioned with the Theocracy and with the War in Iuz, and realised that Hallam had been right to say that he did not belong there. His heart was no longer in it. He yearned for something else.

It seemed that Hallam sensed the growing change in Ebon too, for when they next met he told the young man that it was time for him to depart. He took off one of the rings that he was wearing and gave it to Ebon. It was a plain silver band with unfamiliar symbols inscribed upon its surface.

Then he said, “Should you choose to accept the birthright that is rightly yours, you must take this to the Pilgrim’s Rest in Wintershiven. That is where your journey begins.”

And so Ebon was left to make his choice alone. He wondered long and hard how he could be certain that his destiny was to take up the birthright of which Hallam spoke. Yet somewhere deep in his heart he sensed that it was so.

The one thing that Ebon would be sorry to leave behind was his sister, Blanca. It had been some time since they had been close, which was something that he regretted now, but she was the only thing that really mattered to him here. Before leaving he went to see her one last time. It was a difficult meeting. As a priestess of the Church that Ebon was about to turn his back on, it was hard for Blanca to understand his decision. Yet she tried to support her younger brother, as she always had since their parents were killed. She told him that she would pray for him and for his safe return and insisted that he take an amulet of hers for protection.

Once Ebon had said his farewells to Blanca, he went to the Pilgrim’s Rest as Hallam had instructed, where he was shown to a secluded doorway that was outlined in a mysterious faint blue glow. For a moment he hesitated upon the threshold and then he opened it and stepped through.