Resurgence of the Nightbringers

The kettle began to bubble, releasing a hiss that pierced through the otherwise quiet room. Everyone was watching with rapt attention as Sig did his yearly retelling of the story of the Folly. A cafe patron rushed to the kettle to remove it from the rudimentary small fire stove and began pouring out the tea into cups for everyone to pass around. Sig waited patiently, building up the anticipation for the seated audience of mainly children as well as the occasional bored adult with nothing better to do with their time. Finally once everyone was properly seated and ready Sig rubbed his palms together opening his mouth to begin, but was immediately cut off by an impatient boy.

“Why is it called the Folly?” the boy asked, drawing frustrated stares from everyone else. “Humanity succeeded didn’t it, so why would the story be called a mistake?”

“Boy save your questions for after I’m done, as everyone else here already knows to do,” Sig said to him patiently, amused at how everyone was shushing the eager lad. He reached down into his travel sack pulling out a few items which were covered with dark cloth and placed on the table in front of him.

“These are just some things I’ll need to illustrate details, they aren’t toys or snacks,” Sig explained as one of the kids started reaching for one of the objects but then quickly shuffled back.

The sun shone brightly outside spreading its warm light over the small town that was bustling with activity. Farmers continued to plow the fields, weavers worked their looms tirelessly, traders passed through carrying news and goods from other towns doing their best to break even. The arrival of a Mythmaker was rare for a place like this, the last one had been over a decade ago. As a traveling teller of tales and holder of the past they were a relatively small order that worked to pass on important tales and knowledge through the generations to ensure that each one stays capable and ready.

“This seems to be a large enough space to conduct this,” Sig the Mythmaker said as he walked on the stage casually, examining different parts of his audience with his aging eyes. “Others may enter and join later on but my main request is that noise be kept at a minimum, especially from those of you who are more curious.”

He shot a quick glance at the boy from earlier before putting his arms behind him and facing the crowd from the center of the stage. “I’ve been through many towns, some even smaller than this one and others that were so grand that it would blow your minds,” he continued. “But one thing remains constant and that is the need to keep on educating people about our past, there’s only so many Mythmakers so by the time we revisit a town the tales of the ones who came previously have faded from memory of the inhabitants.”

He walked over to the first of the covered objects he’d previously arranged and got ready to remove the dark cloth on it. Just then the door to the entrance opened he saw a dark man with a hood enter quiet as a ghost, a large sword strapped to his back. Odd that a town like this would require a mercenary type but he’d seen stranger things in other parts of the continent. Something felt off about this newcomer, he wasn’t a typical mercenary clearly and the fact that his presence was hardly noticed by any of the others was a whole other matter. Sig blinked a few times to make sure the man was there, which he was, and he could’ve sworn the man locked eyes with him for an instant and smiled.

“The Folly, a name which you’ll come to understand as we walk through this story, was meant to be a triumph for us,” Sig said walking around the stage slowly, his voice carrying across the room effortlessly. “Humanity had been pushed to the edge by our ancient enemies in those days eons ago.”

He pulled back the cover on one of the display objects revealing a humanoid shape that resembled a man carrying a spear but the hands were more like claws and where there would regularly be feet instead there were these black trails that seemed to rise out of the ground. The head was also shaped wrong, the skull elongated and the face showed three white spots.

The children in the crowd gasped, some even cowered and looked away before coming back to their senses and focusing on the figurine. The mercenary stood with his arms crossed watching closely.

“Now we all know the rumours and stories, this is a Nightbringer,” Sig gestured at the disconcerting object. “This is just one example, apparently there were many other kinds back then but of course the knowledge has been lost of what they looked like so we rely on just this one.”

“No one is quite sure of their origin, it’s almost as if they manifested into existence without any explanation,” Sig continued. “Any attempts to talk to them were of course fruitless, their language is indecipherable and besides there was never a chance for diplomacy as every single one would fight to the death.”

The air outside started to turn cold sending a chilly breeze through the open window making members of the crowd shiver and complain until one of the stewards went and closed it. “That’s odd it was so sunny just now…” he muttered to himself, glancing outside as the sky began to turn gray.

Sig gathered himself again and got ready to continue his story before noticing the mercenary again. The dangerous fellow was looking out the window anxiously and his hands seemed to be inching upwards toward his sword but then he relaxed and turned back to watch the stage. Just who was this man and what did he want?

“The Nightbringers had almost enslaved all of humanity and there was only one resistance hold out left which contained the artifact that they seemed to have been fighting for,” Sig said. “The LifeSphere was discovered almost by accident but it seemed to match descriptions of what those demons were looking for, they’d stolen so many similar spheres not knowing what the real one looks like.”

He unveiled the next item which was a transparent green sphere with intricate designs on the outside. “The real one is of course green because of the inherent glow from within due to the Lifeforce it contains,” Sig explained. “This is just colored to reflect that and while people have taken to worshipping the damn thing, that makes it so no one can actually scientifically examine it to figure out what it does.”

Sig shook his head walking to the front of the stage and leaning down to whisper. “Could you imagine what may be learned from this?” he said. “If we knew what it does it may have even been a possible weapon to use back then.”

“So how did they beat the Nightbringers back then?” a voice called out from the back somewhere.

“That is still a bit of a mystery child,” Sig said. “Something happened in this last refuge of humans it seems, they discovered some secret weapon or way of fighting which none of the texts or previous Mythmakers are aware of or understand.”

The mercenary stiffened slightly and fidgeted looking out the window again. It had gotten even darker, how was this possible when it had just been sunny not too long ago. This darkness was also a bit different from the typical caused by rain clouds. There was something strange going on here.

“Somehow our precursors managed to push back the enemy and they were able to seal them away,” Sig continued his story. “And that is why it’s called the Folly, for they didn’t come up with a permanent solution the one time they were able to pull ahead and only gave a temporary fix.”

The boy from earlier stumbled forward to stand nearer to the stage. “But that means that they aren’t dead and could come back?”

Sig sighed, guess no one would follow the no questions rule here. “Yes exactly, something about the Lifesphere allowed them to only come up with a half measure and so we are forced to carry these stories down as almost a warning.”

He walked over to the last object he had still covered and pulled it back revealing a similar sphere but it was black and had similar intricate designs and carvings on it but there was something ominous about it.

“The guild of Mythmakers has long observed opposites in nature,” he said. “We think that there may be an opposite to the Lifesphere that would give a more permanent solution to this issue, a Deathsphere.”

All the kids were completely entranced with the story now and eager to learn more but just then some started noticing how dark it was outside. “Is it raining?” one asked.

An older man who had come to observe the story shook his head and stomped his foot. “Same rubbish stories they’ve been passing down for generations, there probably aren’t any Nightbringers coming back and this is all nonsense for you people to fool us small towns and make money.”

“If that’s how you feel then so be it sir,” Sig calmly replied. “But here’s the issue, what if you’re wrong?”

The older man just turned red at having no response to that and got up before stomping towards the exit.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the mercenary said, the first words the man had spoken throughout this whole affair.

“And who the hell are you?” the old man said shoving his way past angrily.

As he opened the door a clear view of the darkness outside came through to everyone inside and the old man hesitated but then stubbornly stepped outside continuing on his way.

Except he never made it, only a few steps later a shape moved through the air and snatched him away in an instant leaving just his shoes still on the ground.

Instant panic spread through the room as everyone started getting ready to run but the mercenary locked the door to prevent anyone from going outside.

“We don’t need a repeat of what we just saw,” he explained trying to ease everyone while keeping a hand on his sword. “I don’t want to have to use this on you for your own good to keep you in line.”

Sig walked over to him after putting all his figurines away in his travel back. “Just who are you sir?”

The mercenary just smiled at him. “You’ve always known they would be back, but unfortunately for you that’s happening right now.”

Sig froze, quickly going to a nearby window to look outside at the unnaturally dark sky and seeing dark shapes dart through the town randomly.

“Oh they’re still weak and slowly coming back, it’s only beginning but it’s going to get much worse Mythmaker,” the mercenary said. “However our guild agrees with you, there is a second sphere and this time we will finish them off for good.”

“Your guild?” Sig asked confused.

“Yes, that secret weapon in your story that you didn’t know much about?” the mercenary explained. “You see some people are chosen by the Lifesphere to be granted special abilities, and our guild finds those people.”

“We are the sworn enemies of the Nightbringers, and we are known as Dawnseekers,” the mercenary said. “Thank you for all you have done but leave it to us, you’ve played your role well Teller of Tales.”