Glimmer

[Valentine]

(Solo)

Butterfield, a quiet ordinary town. It is the cliché rural town. All the children are too young to work; those that are old enough ship themselves off to bigger towns like Radasanth to become something. Then when they have failed, they return to the welcoming arms of their parents and work the mines. Not ore, not gold, not silver... they mine not for wealth, but for war. They search for the minerals needed for gunpowder, then consolidate them and make the explosive before selling them to Alerar. Still, the denizens of Butterfield are convinced that they are innocent, they have no other choice. They do this because the Thayne placed them here, they have no other alternative. They need to make money. The continuing strife around Althanas means that the demand only grows larger and larger and so the citizens of Butterfield mine more and more so they can sell more and more. They start to start to buy agriculture - vegetables and animals. They plant where there was nothing before; they find land to create farms. But to support these acts, they must buy tools. And for these tools, they need money. So where do they get the money? They need more money so they turn to their ever present mines. Mining and mining, never wary that their precious mines will one day run out. Butterfield starts to attract more people to come and soon, it will be on its way to becoming a full fledged cosmopolitan city.

At least that was what you had been told. Propaganda told to you through every possible source. The citizens of Butterfield believe their own garbage. They have no mayor, no leader... all their stories and hopes for the future were created amongst themselves and from there, they spread like wildfire. You're home after another failed application in the big world of Althanas, to Istien University. They say you don't have to be an elf to get in, they say you don't have to be magical; they say you don't have to be able to sing... and yet, you failed. You don't believe those damned elves, they're not to be trusted. People from outside Butterfield shouldn't be trusted. Everyone trusts each other, everyone protects each other.

You live at home with your two parents. Your father works the mines; your mother takes care of the house and tries to scrounge up enough money so you can start your own farm. It's not like you don't have enough food, the food amongst Butterfield is shared equally. There's no need to take more than you need, everyone knows each other. Everyone's father's father is a cousin to your mother's sister. That's it... Butterfield is one big family.

So one night after dinner, you don't have a care in world as you decide to go for an evening stroll. This is Butterfield, after all. Nothing ever happens in Butterfield except farming and mining. In a way, you like it. After all, you're Alex Radovan, you're not Devon Starslayer. Maybe the Thayne don't mean for you to be famous, maybe you should just live your life. After all, it's not like fame is that important, right? Butterfield's cozy and everything you could ever want is here.

You bypass the last of the houses in the small town and make for the village; about five hundred meters north from the town exit. It's always been a place of solace for you, from when you were a little boy. You search on end, looking for that one tree that you used to go to every time and you still go to every time. There it is, five meters to your right. You recognize it by the engraving you made it in all those years ago. A circle with a dot in the center. Relieved, you lean against it and yawn. Slowly sliding down the tree, you gradually change into a sitting position.

You look into the sky. Through the canopy you can see a few stars twinkling in the distance. You allow yourself a small smile and begin to close your eyes.

As your eyelids close slowly, the twinkling in the distance becomes more obvious to you. You always loved it, maybe you should take another look.

No, you’re tired. Go to sleep.

[Valentine]

Butterfield is quite a lucky town - it is protected on all sides by nature itself. To the east lays the great Althanian sea, where ships seldom come into port to trade. The town itself is tucked away in a small canyon surrounded by steep hills and forests on all sides. It seems that whoever made the decision to build the town here could not have picked a better location. Far from the busy city of Corone, the wars of Raiaera and Alerar and free of the demonic and undead presences, this distinctily human town is a haven. To its citizens, Butterfield is the perfect place to live.

But it's not.

Atop the hill, shrouded away in the shadow of the trees, a lone figure looks down on the small village. In the darkness, he is almost invisible. His eyes look down on the small town, his head subtly nodding. These people were not worthy. They did not deserve the gift of life. He had only recently become aware of this town's existence and to be honest, it disgusted him. They led such pointless lives and even those that dared to change that by leaving inevitably came back. There was no space for them in this world. Only those that are strong, those that are fit, they deserve to be here and the others, those that are not useful should be discarded forever.

This figure, he knew first hand about uselessness.

Not so long ago, he had been like that. Nothing ever happened to him, he simply lived for living. He had no other goal in life. Every day, he would meander, find something to do that would take up as much time as possible and just watch the clock as it ticked away the minute of his life. But now, he had purpose.

It was a gift. And not just that, it also granted him enlightenment into what he was before. Even the thought of what he was before disgusted him now, and it was this constant reminder that kept him focused on his aim in life.

He was the Emissary of Balance.

[Valentine]

‘You wake up suddenly in a dazed mood to the sound of footsteps coming up from the town. At first, you think it's a wandering animal so you swear softly to yourself and close your eyes, shifting positions and trying to get back to sleep. You can't shut the sound of footsteps from your mind so you forcefully open your eyes, standing up and stretching your arms. Yawning loudly, you hear a voice in the distance.

It's barely audible due to the distance from you, but you recognize it instantly. It's that same one that you hear everyday.

"Hey, Alex!" it says again, this time louder and accompanied by louder and faster footsteps. Damn, she's getting closer.

"Hi, Tiana," you say, nonchalantly. You've known this brown hair, blue eyed girl since you were both children. Your parents were friends, your grandparents were friends, it just goes on and on since before the founding of Butterfield.

"Hey, you left so quickly," she says. "I didn't get a chance to ask you... how was Corone? Slay any dragons?"

It's only now that you begin to notice the heavily accented native Butterfield speak. It's so much different to the relative elegance that people from Corone speak in. Still, you don't regret coming back here. It's home, of course. And here, you have friends. Tiana, Oigue, Diy... all your childhood friends still live here.

You look at Tiana and smile back. "Well, only one or two. But seven armies help soften it up for me."

You both laugh.

Loudly.

As Tiana's hair dances slightly in the wind with the rest of her face, you can't help but notice that she has changed. You're both entering your third decade of existence and yet, she seems so much different to when you saw her just last year. When you had been in Corone, all the women were apparently so attractive and yet, none tickled your fancy. As you gaze upon Tiana's freckled pale skin, her large brown eyes, her long brown hair... you finally realize why.

"Hey..." she says, interrupting your thoughts. "I hate it when you lie, but you know what? I hate Corone and Alerar and Raiaera and whatever even more! Butterfield for life!"

You can't help but smile. Inadvertently, you turn your head to the right, looknig at a small forest of trees.

"Hey, remember that tree house we built?"

No, you don't.

"Let's go find it!"

But you can't help it as your friend grabs you by the wrist and pulls you along with her. You don't put up a fight.

[Valentine]

The silver haired figure stayed stationary for what seemed like forever, the only thing on his body that was moving was his silver haired that danced in the wind. Even his leather trench coat stayed still, its large mass resting against his body. Beneath it, his chest revealed itself to the cold air, his well formed chest and abdominal muscles staring at the small village of Butterfield. His emotionless face did not show any signs of any anger, happiness or excitement. Nothing, and yet in his mind, he had already perfectly aligned what he was going to do. His right hand hovered inches over the katana which lay strapped to his waist. Oh, how he itched to unsheathe it, to gaze upon the perfect crimson blade once more. Oh, how he wanted to bleed. Every member, every man and every woman... oh, how he wanted to bleed them.

"Hromagh the Strong," he said, softly. "Kadarus the Bleeder, the Emissary of Balance, I offer you Butterfield. A town of uselessness, it no longer needs to exist, for it does not deserve to."

His voice was soft and he spoke as if he was speaking to himself, but clearly, his mind was focused on appeasing the god that had given him life once more. His mind flashed back inadvertently. His previous life, the one of meaninglessness, the one where he had meandered from place to place, accomplishing nothing.

In those days, he was known as Kade Lien, a high ranking and powerful member in the Facade, a power group in Althanas. He remembers how he fought in a war against the Ice Reaver, where his side triumphed. But Kade was no hero that day, he was a failure, a shell of a man. He did not deserve the glory. For he had murdered his friends, in cold blood. Yari Rafanas and Treszlin had been bled that day and they deserved to live, they would have easily been fit enough for Hromagh's law. They would still be alive today, if it was not for Kade.

Kadarus' ears suddenly perk, as he hears the sound of voices and branches breaking underfoot. He turns in the direction and slips behind the enormous tree trunk, his hand instantly falling to the handle of his katana, his fingers wrapping around the familiar groove in it.

It is time.

[Valentine]

You and Tiana roam around the eerie forest for what seems like forever but the only thing you find is that she's grown up since you left Butterfield. She has become more attractive, everything seems to have either gotten bigger or smaller, whichever looked better. However, you notice that she still has the mentality of the same child you'd playfully kick in the mud or spit at when you were young. If you hadn't changed in Corone, you would have done it again. But a new sense of maturity overcomes you now that you're back home again and you feel like you owe this place something. So you'll repay the debt, starting with Tiana. She deserves it.

The trees all look the same to you, but your friend claims that you're on the way there. Your pace increases from walking to brisk walking, then to a light jog and then to a full on sprint. Tiana still grabs your hand, pulling you along. As you run, you can't help but stare at her face, her smile so large that it causes dimples to form in her cheeks. Your eyes won't leave her face, but then... out of the corner of your eye, you see her chest bouncing up and down in her tight tank top as she begins to run. Being a man, you can't help but stare. She doesn't notice though and slowly, you manage to resist the temptation and run after her, amazed at how fit she has been.

When you two finally squeeze to a halt, you aren't surprised to see your friend bend her knees and lean over, panting softly. What you are surprised at is that you are tired. The two of you bend over together in similar postures, your breaths almost synchronized.

"Hey," Tiana smiles. "You were checking me out just then, weren't you?"

Huh? Your cheeks flush the color of tomatoes, you nearly fall on your feet. Tiana throws her long head of beautiful hair backwards and lets out a loud, hearty laugh. Suddenly, you feel pain as she grabs you in a headlock, while the sounds of her laughter ring in your ears.

"Yeah? Corone ladies not enough, you gotta check out your best friend too now, do you?"

You're surprised at how strong she is, yet you know you can easily break out of her grip. But why would you?