Orsgadts
Pronier

A young man stared at the night sky with a sad look on his face. A dozen years have passed. The wound still hurts. Not physical wounds but memories and feelings. The loss of a father who was very loving and proud of him made him almost lose the spirit of life. If it were not for his mother's affection, he would not have survived.

A dozen years ago Proner lived in the village of Dragh, one of the villages at the eastern end of Orsgadt. The village is adjacent to Eimersun even the west gate of Eimersun is only a day's drive from there.  His father was a knight who protected Bromenh Castle and his mother was a craftsman. Their lives were calm and peaceful at that time.

Peace did not last long, the Orsgadt revolt changed lives not only in Orsgadt but throughout Artamea. His father had just returned from the castle. As usual, he would play with her before returning to the castle in the afternoon.

As he remembered, they had just finished lunch when the riding party came and destroyed their gardens and parks. The haunted-faced people sat on their horses with drawn swords.

“Steven Malfice! Out!” shouted one of the three people who were in the front row.

Inside the house, his father snatched the sword and told him and his mother to remain silent. His father looked through the window, figuring out who the people who had come were messing up.

“Goenhrad Forces. Proner, stay inside. Whatever happens, don't go out.  Helena, take care of yourself.”

His father came out bravely. “I'm Steven Malfice,” he said calmly.

“Your castle is destroyed. You no longer have a master. Join forces Goenhrad or die.”

Steven turned his head towards the castle of Bromenh far to the north. Thick black smoke rises in space. This guy wasn't lying, Steven thought.

“Let my son and wife live. I'm ready to die fighting with one of you.” Steven was trying to make jaan so that his son and wife could be saved.

“You have no power to bargain. You're all going to die.”

The person in the middle of the vanguard who seemed to be the leader of the army raised his hand telling his subordinates to be silent. He got off his horse. Its large, tall body looked like a rock mountain as it touched the ground. He drew his sword.

“I guarantee your wife and children will not be killed. Fight me with all your abilities.”

“Hold your words. I won't lose.” Steven prepared with a sword in his hand.

The fight was fierce. The sword strike from his opponent overwhelmed Steven even though he was very good at twitching and counter-attacking. In terms of strength, he was actually no match for this giant male.

Stevan can now only fight for the safety of his family. He doubted this person would keep his promise but at the moment there was no other choice. A stab in his right chest stopped Steven's resistance. Blood spurted and seeped into his clothes as the huge sword was pulled out. The prisoner ran out shouting to call his father. Helena chased after him and when caught, she hugged him tightly.

Steven turned his head towards his wife and son, a few steps away from where he was. Both were crying and the little hands of his son were reaching towards him. He wanted to approach and hug them but it could harm both.

“That's all you can do, knight Bromenh? No wonder your master and all the inhabitants of the castle died roasted there,” scorn the giant.  “You will die witnessed by your family.”

Proner's screams sounded very painful to Steven. It is close to death. He could only shout loudly at his wife and child. “Live on, fight to live!” A stab to the heart ends the life of Steven Malfice, the knight of Bromenh.

Helena and Proner run towards Steven's immobile body. They were already indifferent to the threat of the great sword of the army leader. Both were crying. Helena could feel her husband's warm hands gradually cold and stiff. He hugged Proner.

The giant lifted Proner's chin with the tip of his sword. The boy's tears fell down his sword blade.

Helena was panicked and frightened. “Do not, do not hurt him,” his door in tears.

“Little boy, I keep my promise to your father not to kill you. You may hold a grudge against me but blame your father for dying because he was weak.” Again the giant spoke with his bow.

The man drew his sword. Steven's sword lying on the ground was taken away with his left hand. He then climbed onto his horse and led his troops away laughing in satisfaction.

Steven's body was buried in the backyard, under an old oak tree. Months and even years after that, Proner and his mother spent more afternoons there, as if Steven were still with them.

It's been a dozen years and now he's traveling alone without his mother. Since his father's death, he has only cried once when his mother died of illness. After burying his mother beside his father's grave, Proner left his home to a neighbor. He allowed the house to be occupied as long as it was guarded and the graves of his parents were not disturbed. Proner smiled sadly, finally his parents united in another realm.

His journey from Alder became heavier due to rampant robbers in Arsyna. He should have entered Imperia but the words of the soothsayer caused him to change his route to Essait. He was not the type to believe in divination but the astrologer out of nowhere suddenly ran and pulled him into a small alley. Forcing her to sit with just words.

“Your journey is very far away but your goal has not been achieved. Sit down, I will tell you how to solve it,” said the astrologer while playing his wrinkled and long-nailed fingers.

Out of curiosity, Proner finally sat down sweetly waiting for the astrologer to finish with his crystal ball. Instead of using a crystal ball on the table, the clairvoyant actually blew white powder directly into Proner's face. Proner sneezing.

He almost went berserk but the clairvoyant instead showed his palm and made a circular motion and like pulling something into his grasp. He then opened his grasp and a small glowing ball appeared in his palm.

The diviner shifted the crystal ball to the side, placed a black cloth on the table and carefully removed the small ball. The ball did not fall onto the black cloth but floated about five centimeters above it. A vortex formed then Proner saw something moving on the surface of the vortex.

Like pieces of glass, one by one stick and finally display a picture. A girl was holding a rose. The girl had brown hair, dark brown eyes and pure white skin. He was wearing a leather bracelet and was holding a red flower.

“How much does it cost to this hoax?” proner was upset. He sure is being tricked by a self-styled fortune teller.

“No need to pay. This isn't a trick. That girl is the key to your goal. Find him,” replied the astrologer.

The clairvoyant folded the black cloth twice and put it in a box next to the table. The remaining white powder that was blown earlier he removed with a cloth. He realized there was a powder stuck to his crystal ball. He grabbed the crystal ball and started rubbing and rubbing regardless of the young man still sitting in front of him.

“Find then what?” ask Proner.

The fortune teller raised his face which only looked a little because it was covered in the hood of his head. “Oh, I think you're gone,” he said as if disappointed that Proner was still there. “You have to take care of it.”

“That's it?” Proner was also upset at the movements of the fortune-teller who tends to ignore him when he was pulled into this hallway. Crazy fortune-teller, he swore in his heart.

“Master, I am a fortune teller, not a god. You have to find it and decide for yourself what you're going to do. That's how the world works. Your time is up. Go, my customers come soon,” said the astrologer ketus.

Proner disliked the astrologer's attitude and his ridiculous predictions. He rushed out of the small hallway. As the fortune teller said, some people started to go in and out of the hallway. They came out with all sorts of faces.

Proner stopped a middle-aged woman. He wanted to hear his testimony about the old man's prophecy. “Mistress, sorry to bother you. Did the person's prophecy really happen?”

The woman looked at him with a suspicious look.

“I didn't mean bad,” said Proner, trying to convince him.

“He's a great fortune teller. We have been here many times. My husband and I were married for a long time and had no children for nearly ten years. We were idle at the time but the fortune teller said we'd have a child soon and the baby would be born in the fall. The prophecy came true,” said the woman.

“Did he give you something to eat or drink?” ask Proner.

“Drug, you mean? There aren't. He just blew the white powder. My husband sneezed. Very funny,” said the woman while laughing amusedly.

“Thank you,” said Proner.

The woman continued her path and left the bearded Proner in front of the small hallway. That was when he heard a scream from inside the hall.

“You're still there? I told you, go! Goiii!”

Proner jumped up and went away from the small hallway and the mad fortune teller. His head was dizzy from thinking about the girl in the prophecy earlier. Where is the girl? Where should he look for her?

Proner bit off the roasted rabbit meat. Quite tender and delicious. The wine he bought in town wasn't very good so he used half of it to water the rabbit meat to be roasted. He can be patient and buy a better one in the next city.

Spices from the city also add to the delicious meat. Some pieces are well smoked. That's the deal for tomorrow's trip.

The life of a traveler is not always as bad as people say. If lucky he will find an old cottage that can still be used as a place to stay one or several nights. Otherwise, staying overnight in the open is not too bad. There are small niches and caves that can be used as shelter from the rain and night wind. Rivers and clear water wells become the quench of thirst and wild rabbits are an endless source of precious energy in nature.

Brown-haired girl and dark brown-eyed. There are hundreds if not thousands of such girls in Arsyna and many more if you mention Artamea. He needed a lead to find the girl. It is very unwise to go around looking for a woman with no clear direction.

Proner fixed his sleeping position. All around him was dark. Only the stars in the sky were still faithfully accompanying him. He tried to focus his attention on the picture above the vortex earlier. There must be a lead there.

“Brown girl. Dark brown eyes. Leather bracelet. Red roses. There's something behind the girl,” muttered Proner. He suddenly woke up and sat in the dark. “Mirror, yes, stone mirror! Stone mirror only in Galvey!”

Proner out of a small niche. He found a clue. Galvey is only a two-day trip from here. He was sure he could find the girl. He must arrive at Galvey first after that he will think later. This time he approved the words of the mad fortune teller.

The Proner finished his dinner. He switched off the bonfire and entered a niche large enough to accommodate his body. When he felt comfortable, he closed his eyes.

Essait, the best wine-producing town north of Arsyna. This area is very fertile. The vineyard stretches along the eye. The houses stand far apart and the winemaking grounds are on every estate.

Proner enjoyed the ride this time. Although he still did not believe the talk of the fortune teller, there was no harm in going around. He never forgot his promise to avenge his father but it seemed he was getting further and further away from that goal.

Orsgadt was not easy to enter and not just anyone dared to enter Orsgadt. Rumors are circulating that there are terrible things going on inside. The rich are robbed, the women enslaved and the people mysteriously disappear.

Getting out of Orsgadt is also not easy because it involves a large number of treasures. Once declared out of Orsgadt, all the treasures left behind belonged to the kingdom even though there were still other families living there. The people who escaped from Orsgadt were scattered in three other kingdoms. Arsyna is the destination of those who are not too lucky. At least with a little treasure left they could buy a house and a small farm in Arsyna.

The Proner stopped his horse and pulled over. There was a group of merchants coming from the opposite direction. Trains with large cars passing by were accompanied by boisterous laughter and singing made him smile. Had he not sworn to avenge his father, he might have chosen to be a merchant like them.

The merchant company has passed. Proner continued his journey. If there were no obstacles, he would arrive at Galvey tomorrow afternoon. Brunette girl, wait for me!