- Alright, men! Load the boats and don’t get too settled in! We’re leaving in a few days back for Aruttos, there’s no work for us here. – Shouted a tall man, to the human troops working in the docks.
The commanding human had shoulder length dark brown hair, that was tied into a neat ponytail, and brown eyes. His face always seemed to have a serious, even mean-like expression on it, but it was only due to its rectangular shape and a hawk-like nose. If one actually looked close enough, they could see that the man’s eyes had a friendly glow. All the small scars and wrinkles gave out the man’s age easily. He seemed to be close to forty and was wearing steel plated armor, that had an emblem of a two headed prancing horse on his chest, where the heart should be. He didn’t have a helmet on, instead he held it under his right arm, while closely watching the docks.
The man’s name was Imonaras Dawnseeker. He and his troops were hired by some merchants back in Aruttos to protect ships from the pirates, all the way to the Twilight Isles, or as the locals called it – Hsi’Calus Sorghai. Usually, this wasn’t the kind of work Imonaras would agree on, but there hasn’t been any decent job offers for a while and everyone could use the money. And the merchants actually gave quite a nice amount of it.
- Sir, the men have finished loading the supplies for the trip back home. – Suddenly one of Dawnseeker’s men came up to him with the report. He seemed to be young of age, but sounded quite confident.
- Good, - Imonaras replied. – Tell the men to schedule for watch on the boats and relax for the next couple of days before we leave. – A slight smirk appeared on the commander’s face. – Even though it’s hard to say how time flows on these isles.
The young soldier smiled to his commander and after giving a salute, rushed off to notify the rest of the crew.
The reason why centurion Dawnseeker gave a remark about the time of the place, is that the Twilight Isles, were literally always in twilight. Even that was only at the shores, the deeper one would go into the isles, the darker it was. This was the home of a race known as maeri. One of the first races to be created by the gods. And somehow, this place, their home, always slumbered in eternal night, isolated from the rest of the world by their own choice. The people of these lands were peaceful enough, never going into wars, unless someone attacked them in the first place, then, they would slaughter mercilessly each and everyone that would dare oppose them. Many other races avoided, feared or even hated them. Some even claimed them to be demons due to their looks and unknown behaviour. The maeri usually had blue, or greyish skin, completely covered in markings, that seemed to spread with the years. Their hair color matching their skin, coming in shades of blue, white, silver, gray, purple or black. The most “demonic” feature would have to be their horns and eyes. No maeri was ever known to have less than three horns, and even that number was considered rare. Usually they had four horns on their head, and sometimes more, smaller ones, in other parts of their bodies, usually their shoulders or spines. As for their eyes. Their colour varied from silver to black, from dark blue to crimson, or even violet. Their pupils – just like a cat’s, vertical, instead of just plain round. And it wasn’t rare when even their eye protein wasn’t white, but matched the rest of the eye’s colour.
Centurion Dawnseeker took a good look around the silent docks. Even the air had a different smell to the one he was used to back in Yaarwi, the main continent. No screeching seagulls either. The place seemed quiet, like there wasn’t any life around. But Imonaras knew that there were eyes everywhere around him. Eyes, that didn’t belong to humans or the maeri. He knew, that the creatures which lived here are constantly watching him and the mercenaries. Creatures, that were completely different from the ones back home.
The silence around the commander, was suddenly broken, as one of his troops shouted to him.
- Sir, I and some of the other men are heading to the village! The men are already set and ready for watch on the decks!
- Alright, Illid! You are free to go! If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my quarters. If I’m not there, leave a message to Zarr!
- Yes, commander!
The mercenary saluted Imonaras from afar and walked off with the rest of the troops, to the village that was here by the docks, built mainly for visitors like them.
Imonaras tilted his head, looking up at the sky. He, was actually one of the few humans who liked this place and its inhabitants. The centurion even admired them and their culture, the history behind them. After all, they were one of the first, if not the very first, to walk on the surface of the world. They weren’t even as arrogant as the other races, that were one of the oldest as well. Imonaras sighed with a soft smile on his face. The moons were both half full this time. Yillë, the blue moon, was past its full, and slowly vanishing into a beautiful crescent. Yirrë, its sister – the red moon, was completely full and standing proudly in the sky, next to its twin. Since, his century was on shore, the sky wasn’t as dark as it would be further on the isles, so he couldn’t really see the stars, except for some brighter ones.
A lonely, gentle breeze ran through, as Imonaras held his helmet tighter and headed for his quarters in the nearby village.

Chapter I

The merry people of Phaelin, greeted Imonaras and his men joyfully. They cared if the soldiers were tired, or hungry, or just plain bored, and tried to fill in every one of those gaps. It’s just the kind of people the maeri were – always treating their guests as if they were part of their family. As the centurion marched through the main street of Phaelin, every single maeri he met, waved, bowed and greeted him wishing luck in the future. Imonaras, of course, did the same in return.
The room he was supposed to be staying in, was provided by none other than the village’s doyen. He and the centurion have known each other for years and have had