From its depths it did arise a beast which brought about the horrid demise of many a village. Adorned in a raggedly torn cloak,
being of color that even the night fears. It 
came from the dark infernal muck of the 
Blackspring. Its presence brought nought but 
dearth to the land, no matter the ferocity in
which our farmers should toil, starvation
came with every cold month. Few youths took 
kindly to it, worshiping it, fearing its power
and hoping to please it. It took nought but
their souls and left them but their bones and 
shackles to serve him in eternity. He never
leaves the spring, it feeds him, gives him
power, as does the villagers fear. They live in 
misery of the black forest, from the beasts 
that in the night come to steal away their 
children, from the terrible plagues caused by 
the spring’s dark waters. Evil has consumed
this place, and in so doing fear has consumed
the hearts of the people.

It was in this bleak atmosphere that one
lone hero rose. He was a knight, he was called
Lumas. Upon reaching the desolate village of 
Pateikti, he found no warmth in the peoples’ 
hearts, fear and sorrow had replaced the 
light that had once shown in their eyes. He 
found a small child weeping near a well, upon 
questioning, it was found that her father 
went into the forest to fetch back her 
brother after wolves stole him off, but he 
returned not and three suns had passed. His 
noble heart decided then to go in after the 
child’s father. Upon entering the Forbidden
Black Forest, the ever present feeling eyes of
the animals watched as he made his way on 
the trail to the swamp. Getting ever nearer
to dusk, the hoots and howls of the night 
came swiftly, and a dark shadowy chill 
wrapped around Lumas. After but half a day's 
journey, he had arrived. The swamp was cold, 
and peering downwards in its deep dark 
murk it seemed to be without end, dark fog 
seemed to rise up from it, surrounding the 
encompassing land in a veil of ominous 
mystery. Dark wolves with their eyes glowing 
a fearsome red encroached upon the noble
hearted knight, who stood unmoving in his 
place. They were merely the trumpeters to 
the king, as were all deaths creatures whom 
followed behind. It was a gruesome sight, the 
youths who had given their souls were among 
the walking dead carrying on their bare-
boned backs was the most horrific of
entities, the embodiment of evil, the great
beast. He came swiftly climbing over all, his 
steady pace never faltering as he crossed the
black spring to Lumas. From it’s ragged form, 
a dark mist emitted that chilled Lumas to the 
bone, but still he stood on horseback, his 
noble beast loyally standing with him. He let
out an eerie cackle that at once froze all 
things where they stood. They moved not 
again, for all but the wolves were stone. The 
entity was called Neviltis, and in his slow 
moving, dramatic manner, pointed the knight 
down a path to the girl’s family. The knight 
without second thought proceeded. Neviltis 
followed, floating up beside him on his horse 
pointing him the way. The scent of the beast 
was that which brought about the feeling of 
despair to Lumas, choking him almost 
completely out of air. When asked should the 
beast spare him, and in return the knight be 
one of his servants, he replied no, and finding 
again his reason, overcame the ghastly 
feelings. Again they rode, the beast then 
emitted a noise of that which brought to 
Lumas nothing but desperation, for he could 
not place it but the sound was that of a 
deeply troubled child whom was wrought 
with fear. He nearly found his pain 
insufferable, but again when the beast asked, 
he said no, finding his strength. Again then 
continued, the beast then pointed to that of 
a pair of dead bodies, one an elder man and in 
his arms that of a young boy. The knight 
suffered a deep depression that almost 
robbed him of his will to live, the beast once 
again implored, the knight turned to face it. 
He met its gaze and offered to him his final 
refusal, for he had found his hope in the 
desperate unknown where imminent peril 
seemed once assured. It was that hope that 
then emitted a light around Lumas, the beast 
fleeing, turned back just so that Lumas could 
see from where it eyes would be, a single tear 
had formed. The horrible illusion of the two 
corpses was replaced with that of the two 
living beings, huddled together for warmth. 

They rode back to the village, Lumas now a
hero in their eyes. He returned to them 
something important that day, something
they had all forgotten, hope, and with that 
they were again able to live.