┊ ོ 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊 ོ┊

Thane Kyrs’yko

┊ ོ 𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖍 ོ┊

November 13th

┊ ོ 𝖆𝖌𝖊 ོ┊

47

┊ ོ 𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗 ོ┊

cisgender male

┊ ོ 𝖘𝖊𝖝𝖚𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ོ┊

bisexual/biromantic.

┊ ོ 𝖓𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞 ོ┊

Thane is from Laikova, a country rich with history and home to the Laikovan species. The country was ravaged by the War of Two Souls, leaving the country in disrepair and disarray. The people are now spread across several countries in small sanctuaries or on their own. The anarchy of separated tribes in the ruins of Laikova was more dangerous than the unknown outside Laikovan borders, and many Laikovans took refuge outside of their country. Laikovan culture is known for its war tactics, strong physiques, and rather intense ways of life. 

┊ ོ 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖊𝖘 ོ┊

Laikovan

❝ Laikova was beautiful. I dream of the day I go home. But that is all it is, a dream. ❞

.  .  . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 ࿐ྂ

—— —͙ – -

˚  ·

Like any Laikovan, Thane is incredibly tall, though he is on the shorter side for his species. He stands at 7”1’/215 cm and is incredibly muscular. His body is covered in scars, including his back which is practically one large scar from a certain incident that caused him to lose the unique exoskeleton on his back. Thane’s skin is a caramel hue, and he also has a long, thick mane of black hair that reaches his thighs with some beaded braids. His typical Laikovan features include pointed ears, an exoskeleton on certain points of his body, fangs, and horns on the side of his head. Another Laikovan feature is a series of notches on the face: one at the top of the forehead, two on the side of the face in front of the ears and on the cheekbone, and one on the chin, which Thane does have. Thane’s eyes are bluish-gray and rather piercing. He also has a few scars across his face.

❝ The world is heavy with sin. I try to fix that, but I know it can never be fixed. I’d rather suffer in chasing after the impossible than sit back and do nothing. ❞

┊ ོ 𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑 ོ┊

Thane is a very silent and rather mysterious man. He chooses to speak very little, only communicating as much as he needs to for the situation. As quiet and perhaps terrifying as he may be, Thane is still kind, a gentle giant with a soul that has yet to heal. Although he may be absolutely horrifying in a fight, giving off battle cries that rattle the chest while he literally rips people apart, it is with those same hands that he will help you up or wrap a wound. However, despite his capabilities, he is humble and will say that he is only doing as he ought to do. Thane stays strong in his convictions; once he is set on doing something, he will see it through. It is hard to get much out of him because he puts up a cold front to keep others away. Thane prevents himself from forming any close bonds or relationships because he feels he does not deserve them and does not want anyone to get hurt for the sins he has committed. Thane is strong and brave, but only a thick shell of what used to be.

❝ You want to make a bargain? Alright. Let’s bargain. ❞

.  .  . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒 ࿐ྂ

—— —͙ – -

˚  ·

Thane was very close to his mother, Mayvai, his father, Fayrien, and his siblings before the War of Two Souls. Having strong bonds among family is important. Such ideologies never wavered. After the battle for the capital, Laikova collapsed, and Thane was separated from his entire family. It has been thirty-one years since then, and the only connection he has to his family is an aunt, sister to his mother, by the name Invaga. He has no idea if any of his family is alive or not. Thane is the oldest of his siblings, four boys and two girls. From eldest to youngest, they are named as follows: Lythis (46), Theron(44), Eithne(42), Vynya(42), and Yllskai(40). 

These are the ages of his siblings if he were to see them today.

Thane has an ex-wife, Morana, and a daughter, Lyllyn, whom he left behind in Polandra. See the backstory tab for more information.

❝ I cannot tell whether you are bold, naive, or just plain foolish to think that I deserve salvation. ❞

Life in Laikova is hard. Laikovan culture is strong and merciless, and those who grow up there are known for their battle-ready personalities and a strong belief in familial bonds. They were known for their warriors and battle tactics. Messing with Laikova would end in a bloody battle no matter who wound up victorious. From the time he could walk, Thane would learn to fight like all other Laikovans. It didn’t matter if they didn’t grow up to be a warrior, Laikovans were to learn hand-to-hand combat as well as mastery of a weapon regardless. Thane would do so, becoming an expert in Laikovan arts and soon a master with an enormous broadsword that is just about the same height as him. Since it is enchanted, he kept the same sword, and as he grew, so did it. 

His life was not much to really speak about until he was 15. Civil unrest was growing across the land as two ideologies emerged between Laikovans. On one hand, were the Rebels of Ki’lan, those who sought to industrialize Laikova and become a powerhouse for war. Nothing would stop Laikova if its strengths paired up with industrialization and technology. If they proceeded with such, the Ki’lan would go on to take the surrounding areas and conquer in the name of Laikova and claim land and resources for their own. With Laikova doing so well, the Ki’lan only took that as a sign to claim more while Lystirists wanted to keep what they had. Their culture is built upon war and battle, and it was seen by the Ki’lan that their strengths meant pushing their limits. However, Listirists, those who wanted to stick to traditional Laikovan ways by way of their mother goddess Lystiria, were only proud of their strengths and saw no need for conquering when Laikova was thriving on its own. For Lystirists, it was to fight when necessary and fight hard. After months of unrest and riots, the Ki’lan attacked one of the largest cities in Laikova with the intent to take over. This began the War of Two Souls.

Eventually, the conflict exploded and Laikova fell into chaos and war. Laikovans were fighting everywhere and next to no cities or villages were safe. It started with only those old enough and able to fight, that is until the stench of war became too strong and the Ki’lan grew too big. Children deemed fit enough to fight were enlisted as a desperate attempt to settle the tension, and for the last six months of the war, Thane was a soldier for the Listirists. 

However, the final six months were sent straight from the hottest pits of hell.

Thane was first deployed in Emestar and the surrounding areas for a few months, and it was there that he first came face to face with the creatures that changed the tide of the war. He knew not of where they came from, but the Otherworlders were a nightmare. They ransacked Emestar and every village before then, causing Thane and his fleet to flee to the safe capital city of Yn'thona during the last month before Laikova fell. His parents, however, fled elsewhere because they were under separate commands. It was unfortunate that, upon saying goodbye, neither of them knew that it would be their last.

 Within a few days of Thane's arrival in Yn'thona, the final assault took place at the capital. His siblings were there during the raid, and Thane broke the chain of command to save his brother who was missing from the wagons full of fleeing Laikovans. He told his siblings to wait for him outside of Yn'thona, and that he would return with their brother. 

Yn’thona was wrecked, and it would soon come to light that every other large city fell on that day too. The war and the otherworlders destroyed Laikova, and Thane as well as many other Laikovans fled their home country for refuge as the biggest threat known to any mortal both in the past and present began to take hold. The land was completely ravaged by war and the voidbound creature. Those who stayed became victims of anarchy and the horrors of Kaliskai and the otherworlders. Several tribes emerged in the wreckage with no council to rule them.

Refugees made sanctuaries in foreign lands, faithfully sticking close together during their darkest hours. Although they were misplaced they were able to raise new generations of Laikovans with their culture, although certain parts were missing since such culture could only be practiced in Laikova. They made do, however, and managed to stay strong. For Thane, he took refuge in Polandra, a country that was far north, and was able to find his aunt, a sister to his mother. He grew up with the few pieces he had of his culture and family and soon joined the Silver Creed under King Myco in Polandra. The Silver Creed was an elite military group that was set to conquer and fight against evil forces, or so they were told. It was in that Creed that Thane met his wife, Morana, and eventually had a child with her, Lyllyn.

All was well. Thane was in the Silver Creed for twenty-three years and gained notoriety and a good reputation for his bravery in battle. He was a good father, a strong protector, and a well-respected leader within the Creed. The might of a Laikovan warrior was not to be trifled with. Thane was proud of what he worked towards, knowing that he had to emerge from the tragedies of war to reach it. He had brought home many accolades and glory for Polandra, his second home. However, that all fell to pieces during the Storm Raids. King Myco proclaimed to the Silver Creed that this was for stolen goods and that the country of Milite had been the cause of the recent rise of unrest in Polandra, that they were allowing their worst into the country to destroy Polandra from the inside out. 

Thane learned the hard way that it was all a lie.

About four months into the raids, the Creed claimed another city. Thane was walking through the burnt town and rubble when he entered a broken home to fulfill an order to find survivors and bring them in for a claim. Out of curiosity, he looked around what used to be a home and discovered a letter on the desk, singed and dirtied and smudged. Parts of it were missing but the contents were still there. He grabbed it, unfurled its frayed edges, and read:

My dearest Julia. 

I do not know if I will make it through tomorrow. The Silver Creed demons have struck                town, and it is rumored that we     next. Every day I ask myself, why? What have we done? They say we stole from them, that we are trying to      and     them, but our king only                          hand to Polandra to create relations. And now they attack us? Milite has a history of                  pacifism. I never thought I’d see the day when I’d set down my pick ax and instead grab a sword. It feels wrong. I’ve killed people. I’m a miner, not a soldier. I miss you. I miss our                                                                                                       Has                                and               first words? Nori, how is her embroidery? I know she said it was hard. I believe in her. I hope you’re still getting good rations, gods know the children need them. They’re just so         We're running out. They're      and sick. We only have enough for        a day. And the trenches and           .
I wish I was there to see it. I wish to see the day this all ends. King Myco is even worse than I thought. I didn’t think they’d kill children. I didn’t think they would kill and               But our army is broken down into nothing. I don’t know what to do. I just want to see you again. 

I love you, Julia. Please stay safe. I will find you again. I don’t know if that will be here in this life or the next, but I swear. I’ll find you again. May the Gods            

Please live. I think they are coming. 

Yours, forever and always, Gr  more 

Thane would feel his heart pound in his ears. It was then that Morana came in, having been deployed alongside him when the raids started. Thane, in a moment of blind trust, showed it to her, but it was to his own dismay that Morana did not see how dire it was. She simply shrugged it off, saying that the enemy “unfortunately” has emotions too, and left Thane alone with his disgusting revelation. Thane would look down at his armored, metalled hands and see blood stains there upon them, knowing that just the day before he had killed innocent people, and that children were most likely injured as well. They shook violently as everything inside came crashing down, and images of his own daughter amongst the dead began to plague his mind. It had never hit him before that perhaps he was the intruder, that he was the enemy. In Thane’s misery and guilt, he keeled over and vomited, unable to contain or withstand the absolute horror he had helped inflict. He was no better than those who ripped his country away from him.

Thane tried to stay with the Creed. He continued fighting, but the civilians he came across were the ones he let go. He could not kill them or harm them now knowing what he knew. But he also knew that leaving the Creed would not be easy.

The shadows of his kindness and mercy could not be hidden for long and Thane was caught not too long after. Since he was such a high-ranking officer, they decided not to discharge him and instead punished him by giving him severe lashings to the back as a way to have him submit. The lengths they went to for Thane’s punishment were so cruel that his entire back scarred over entirely, as they ripped away the unique exoskeleton on his back.

 It took two months for Thane to come to his decision. He could not continue being a part of the Silver Creed in good conscience, but simply leaving the Creed was near impossible since he knew too much as a high-ranking commander since he was sworn to secrecy. With a heaviness in his heart, Thane left in the dark of the night. His daughter was only one year and a handful of months old. Thane couldn’t even say goodbye to her for fear of waking her up that night. He cried silently over her cradle as a hole ate its way through his chest before kissing his only child’s forehead as a final farewell. Thane almost took her with him but knew that his journey ahead was too dangerous for a child. Thane made a vow that he would return for her when the time was right.

It had been eight years since Thane left. He is continuously on the run from the Silver Creed who has put a bounty on his head. He roams town to town on horseback and leaves them in a better state than when he found it as a way to atone for his sins. Thane has had a few run-ins, but for the most part, he is alive and well. He constantly wears his armor and never shows his face just to ensure his safety. As heavy as the armor is, it means nothing in comparison to the guilt he holds up on his shoulders.

Thane knows not of the fate of his mother and father. Not his siblings either, but he has them forever etched in his mind as the bright-eyed children they were. It has been several decades; every day he hopes and prays that one day he will recognize a pair of horns in a crowd of displaced Laikovans. Every day he prays that Lyllyn might remember him.

❝ Everytime I sleep, I see their faces. It haunts me. It hurts me. What I would do to see my family again.❞

Blood gushed from Thane’s wounds. The great buildings and churches of Yn’thona were now laid as rubble on the ground or broken apart to be nothing but walls rather than great works of architecture that once boasted such beauty. Centuries of life had been reduced to ruin. The dust refused to settle, much like the tension that had been growing for three years. Just six months ago, children were forbidden from the front lines, and now Thane had a handful of successful kills under his belt at only 16. The rubble that was left of the capital was a mass grave site of not only bodies but memories of what was and what could've been. Not a single thing was left. Thane stumbled over debris and decapitated limbs, mutilated bodies with their respective insignia to designate who they were fighting for. Thane had his insignia tattooed onto his left shoulder. It was like a target for the enemy yet also the only thing keeping his adult comrades from chopping off his head the second they saw him. How do you differentiate the enemy from your brothers and sisters in arms when they all look like you? Hell, when they are you? It felt as though it was only yesterday when these people were butting heads and knocking horns over a drink or in greeting. Now they were slicing off limbs for a cause that Thane couldn't even understand anymore. Laikovans were stabbing each other with swords when they should be joining hands, clasping each other like life depended on it. Where had life gone? 

He shut his eyes to blink back tears as he stumbled over the bodies of children his age, forced to fight a war when they should have been playing in the fields and racing their horses. Now they lay in their eternal tomb with the city they once called home, called into the arms of the goddess Lystiria far sooner than they ever should have. He recognized too many of their faces. He knew too many of their names. They clutched each other in their final moments, fists clenching around prayer beads or letters they never got to send, impaled by spears or falling debris, laying among pools of dry blood, most likely from their comrades who got eaten. Some of the soldiers were half-eaten, as if the creature that got them had lost interest halfway through.

The pain, fear, and stress were too much to bear and Thane cried out at the top of his lungs as tears left streaks through the dirt and blood that were caked to his cheeks. Thane sobbed for his mother and father, screaming out of pure desperation. Yet, his mother and father were hundreds of miles away from Yn’thona, in the faraway city of Yllsgar. He couldn’t remember. Thane was so afraid, that all he could think about were the comforts of his mother and father, and all sense of duty and wisdom were thrown out the window. War had numbed his senses, causing him to forget they were even deployed far away in the first place.

Thane gave one last sob aloud for his mother before arms grabbed him and pulled him into an alleyway. “Are you crazy?!” The voice hissed. It was another young boy, maybe a year or two older but much taller. “They could hear you!!” 

 “My m-mum, I’m looking for my-”

“We can’t stay here, we have to go before that thing  gets us first!”

 “But what about the capital?”

“Kid. Laikova’s gone. We can’t…we can’t stay here.”

The young Lystirian soldiers began to run. They ran through the alley and through the streets, bypassing pointless battles and hearing the squelching of spears being pushed through chests even though ancient magic was ready to devour them. Bodies filled the streets and their stench filled the air. The smell of iron wafted above the rotting corpses to the point where both the boys had to hold back gags. Thane had to avoid their eyes, it was too hard to imagine that they were once living, breathing Laikovans, ones he ate, drank, played, and sang with. Now they decomposed under the Laikovan sun as food for the maggots. It felt like both seconds and entire years had passed by the time they were crossing the bridge, racing away on a horse to flee Yn’thona. Thane stared at the crumbling monolith as a massive, glowing red orb was expanding above what used to be Laikova’s most beautiful city. Yn’thona was gone. Laikova was dead.

first ambient: The Great Order of Things by Atrium Carceri

note: The words in red are links to songs that complement the story. Start with the one above.

content warning: gore/death

Pain wracked the entirety of Thane’s body. Thane shed his armor hours ago in order to keep moving. His feet hurt so much that he figured the entirety of his soles were raw and bloody. He had lost sight of his comrades in the heat of the battle and continued on alone. Yn’thona was silent, suffocatingly silent, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it was he was doing here. Thane tried to stay focused, to keep moving forward in order to return to the front lines, guided only by the sounds of explosions and distant clanging of swords and battle cries. Though it served as a constant reminder of where he was standing, it was hard to not think of his siblings or his parents in the far-off but hopefully safe cities. Thane’s own sword felt heavy in his hand, but not as heavy as his feet did. It was hard to get sleep during an all-out war, though exhaustion had set in like a plague.

Thane climbed over rubble and fallen pillars. He passed by dried-out fountains and even stepped over a hand or two that belonged to bodies buried beneath the corpse of the city. It had crumbled into pieces in a span of days. How Laikovans, once a proud people, could bring such destruction to their own homes was beyond Thane. Perhaps he was still too young to understand despite being dragged right into the blasting heat of it all. 

Thane looked away from the street signs he recognized, the places he would come to visit in the warm summers when it was easier to come to see family. Those days of warmth and joy and excitement seemed so far away. Now the city was a tomb of memories and covered in the tears of children.

Rubble shifted as Thane slid down into a pit in the cobblestone street. The closer he got to the battles, the more debris and ruin he had to climb in and around. Thane looked around, gray eyes surveying the area for enemies with a tired vigilance. His eyes would lay upon a small alleyway rimmed by cobblestone and decrepit storefronts. Going through the residential district in order to stay off the street would probably be a lot safer than being out in the open. The alley was silent, surprisingly clean of debris but entirely abandoned. It was alleys like these that children would run down, pulling each other in wheelbarrows or fighting with their wooden swords. Now, there is nothing but dusty memories, small reminders of peace that can hardly be picked amongst the rubble. Thane could only sigh and pretend that the thought didn’t shatter his own heart. He had been forced to live, breathe, and think like an adult for only a few months now but it was he who was out playing on these streets not too long ago, chasing his younger siblings and telling them what great warriors they would be. It made Thane ache. He looked at his own memories as if they were someone else’s, forgetting that he too was innocent in all this. Just a kid. Hardly fifteen, not even a man, yet he had already killed so many.

Thane took a sharp right into one of the houses. His mind was full of sorrow as he went down the few steps of the house. That is if you’d even call it that, considering most of its walls were missing and its windows were blown out, creating a whole blanket of broken glass throughout the building. Thane lifted his head and spotted a door on the other side. If I cut through here and head north, I should be able to regroup with the others in-

Squelch.

Thane froze. 

Snap.

He swallowed.

Crack.

The noises that hit Thane’s pointed ears rattled his entire rib cage. Did he dare to look? Perhaps someone had killed themselves, perhaps it was just the sound of their body decomposing, simply falling apart after sitting for so long. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d seen it. But no. It sounded too…fresh. Thane slowly turned his head towards the source of the wet sounds.

He wished he hadn’t.

Before him was a woman on the ground, staring straight at him, eyes open with fear, lips quivering. And somehow? Still alive. Still alive despite the absolutely monstrous creature pulling her intestines apart from her stomach like it was stripping bark from a branch. Blood covered the floor and the walls, and her own face too, a deep crimson mixing like oil and water with her sweat. Thane stood there, staring in horror at this eldritch beast no mortal eyes should ever set eyes upon. It was white, ghostly white, with smooth skin that folded over its body, thick as leather. It was crouched on the floor, slurping up her innards with no care at all for her whimpers of agony. Her poor arm was snapped the wrong way. The gaping hole of her stomach went right down between her legs. Thane stared, unable to rip his eyes away from the cesspool of flesh and bone and blood. His entire body shivered, but it wasn’t until he began to process the folds on the creature's skin that he finally understood the gravity of it all.

Some of the folds were faces, pressing up against it as though they were inside and trying to escape. Their mouths were open in agony, or a cry, or wail. To make it worse, there were bones that pressed out of the skin of the creature and horns too. Laikovan horns. And for a moment, Thane thought he recognized a few of them and their intricate patterns, including the ones of the woman it was eating. A small gasp of fear came out of him. 

The creature stopped eating. The woman, unable to speak, seemed to mirror more fear for the young boy who was now in grave danger. Thane immediately pulled back and hid behind a wooden pillar, hand clasped over his mouth to keep himself from crying aloud, whimpering, and even breathing. His hand pressed against his mouth so tightly that the tips of his tanned fingers turned white. He wanted to punch himself for moving so quickly because the crunch of glass beneath his broken boots didn’t help. His hand shook as he gripped his sword at the hilt. The house creaked. The creature clicked. It clicked and began to slowly screech with growing intensity as he began to search around the house. Thane stared ahead, his body clenched so tightly that he thought he would suffocate himself or have a stroke. It made his head hurt like hell. But he wanted to live. He suddenly wanted to live.

The creature screeched louder, clicking intensifying, squelches slapping against the floor. Loud crashing ensued as the creature shoved over a table and tried to search for the source of the little whimpers that Thane made. Thane’s heart pounded. He felt it all throughout his body, in through his ears and throat. But he didn’t dare move a muscle. Did he recognize those horns on the creature? Had those horns belonged to others? Did that mean that creature had eaten not only that woman but other comrades? Laikovans he fought alongside with?

Creak.

The creature drew closer.

Creak.

He felt its presence behind him.

Creak.

Thane’s eyes slowly moved to the right, head stationary but eyes straining to get a look. As horrifying as it was, he had to.

Right beside him was the face of the creature. Pale, jaw dripping with blood and razor-sharp teeth bared as it slumped there. The creature was huge despite walking along on all fours, taller than his father, and his father was a fortress. Bones pressed out of its nasty skin and claws longer than Thane’s arms were crunched up underneath its hands as it walked using its knuckles. The creature slowly moved forward, walking past Thane and ahead of him before suddenly whipping its head around. 

Only an inch separated their faces.

Thane stared into the black, eyeless sockets of the creature before him. Blood dripped from the voids in its head. It had no nose, rather, it had been shaved off down to the nasal cavities. The creature had not even the slightest clue that it was having a standoff with a frightened child soldier. Thane stared and stared before his face pinched together in an attempt to hold back tears, to cease the quivering of his entire body. He squeezed his eyes shut and tears streamed down his dirt-caked cheeks. The smell of blood that wafted off this creature was so strong that Thane had to restrain the urge to vomit. Its hot and heavy breath hit Thane’s face with each crackling exhale. The creature’s head tilted forward just a bit more, closing the gap between them even more, body and wooden floors creeping for a moment. The great mass of devil spawn in front of Thane was suffocating him without even touching him, simply by existing. It wasn’t even a breath’s width away. If Thane so much as moved or even breathed the wrong way, he was sure this thing would rip him to shreds in an instant. Thane said a quick prayer. The tips of his horns were almost brushing against the creature’s skin.

By the grace of the goddess, the creature went still before pulling back and dragging its long claws across the floor to go back to its meal. The woman was now limp on the floor, dead. At the very least, Thane distracted the creature long enough so that her final breath was not spent whimpering in agony as the creature ate her alive. It was a death of dignity. Very twisted dignity.

Thane didn’t dare take another glance. He didn’t dare tempt fate and ensure whether or not it was the horns he truly recognized, maybe that tiny glimmer of false hope was all he needed as he left, feet now light as a feather as he avoided as much glass as he could, stomach-churning, and eyes burning. From what depths that creature had crawled out of, Thane had no idea. All he knew was that something was wrong. Horribly, terribly wrong. The Battle of Two Souls was not about Laikovans anymore, and Thane was fearing the worst. He feared that the several months of battle, extreme loss of life, and massive destruction were only the beginning. That creature was a sinister omen.

content warning: horror/disturbing imagery

Get up.

The sheer amount of pain that shot through Yllskai’s head was enough to bring a grown man to his knees.

Get up!

Where exactly was he? He couldn’t really remember. All that made sense around him was the dust settling, the agonizing pain in his body, the limpness of his legs, the ringing in his ears, and now the violent shaking of his body as a rough hand yanked him from the rubble. “Yllskai, I swear to the goddess, if you don’t get up, we won’t make it out of here alive.”

It was only then that Yllskai finally processed who it was that touched him. The grip on his little arm held the strength of ten men, no, more than that, his father, the epitome of strength in Yllskai’s mind. Yet, when his eyes opened, it was to his surprise that the man shaking him was no man at all, not even his father, but his eldest brother, Thane, standing clad in his black metal armor and a tight ponytail of long black hair.  

Thane had no patience, and Yllskai had hardly any will to move. His brother had cursed their goddess before when Yllskai caused trouble, but this sounded serious. In an instant, Thane yanked Yllskai up into his arm as though he were a sack of flour. Yllskai felt the calluses of Thane’s hands touch his own baby soft skin. It caused him to wake up more, at least enough to comprehend what was going on. He blinked the grogginess away and began to make sense of the world around him, though not in full just yet, just enough to feel.

Dust stung his nostrils, eyes, and lungs. His entire body felt dirty. The taste of iron covered his tongue and a foul stench of death and decay filled the air. “Brother,” Yllskai croaked, throat dryer than a desert. “What happened? Where’s Eithne? And…Vynya? And mama–?” 

“Safe. They’re waiting for us outside the city. Yn’thona has been attacked,” Thane interrupted, footsteps heavy against cracked cobblestone as he made his way to a nervous horse. The mare’s hooves clattered to the ground, pacing with discomfort at the shaking of the already crumbling city. That’s right, Yn’thona, the capital city of Laikova. They had come here for…what was it again? “The otherworlders, they’re here. I don’t know what’s happening, but you and the rest of our siblings need to get out.” Thane lifted Yllskai up onto the saddle of the horse. The saddle was so big, Yllskai could hardly fit without his brother’s help keeping him situated. Thane placed his hands on either side of Yllskai, now gripping the horse and the leather of the saddle. Gray eyes met gray eyes. There were heavy bags beneath Thane’s, and a nasty wound across his face that hadn’t quite healed yet. His lips were chapped, cracked and bleeding. A slight quirk of his brow indicated some sort of emotion, though Yllskai couldn’t quite tell what. All he knew was that his brother hardly looked like his brother anymore. Thane had turned into a man overnight, and the innocent sparkle in his eyes had withered. “But mom and dad were drafted…over a year ago to Salucia, Yllskai. Remember?” Thane looked at Yllskai with melancholy eyes. Yllskai remembered now. It was coming together.

“Mama and papa, will they be okay?” Yllskai shuddered.

“...I’m sure they will be. But we need to go. The others will protect you.”

“But…what about you?” Yllskai whispered, eyes darting to the side and setting upon where he just was. Thane had pulled him out of the ruins of a house. In all the disorientation and confusion, it took Yllskai a few moments to realize that it was what remained of their aunt’s home. He remembered that they had come here to stay with her since their parents had gone off to fight in the war. His eyes slowly drifted back up to his brother, body now shivering with uncertainty. He had no memories, only bits and pieces of fear to paint reality.

Thane swallowed harshly, eyes shutting tightly for a moment as he then let his head drop slightly. A shaky sigh entered him, causing his shoulders to lift up and then downward. Both motions seemed to carry the weight of an entire universe. Thane quietly brought his palm up to Yllskai’s cheek and clasped it with a distant smile. This smile was different though, and Yllskai didn’t like it. “...we’ll figure that out when we get out of here. Alright? Let’s just get moving.” Thane would knock his large black horns against Yllskai’s small, charcoal gray ones, causing a soft little click to sound. It meant I love you, and Yllskai knew that for a fact. Thane patted Yllskai’s head of black hair for a moment before going to pull himself up onto the horse’s saddle. “Wait!”

Thane stopped midway and looked at Yllskai, eyes wide at the sudden voice. Yllskai sunk into his shoulders for a moment. To wait when they’re in the middle of a war zone, but he swore it was important. Yllskai lifted a little finger and pointed to the rubble. “My…my teddy,” Yllskai said quietly. Thane’s eyes drifted over to the rubble. His shoulders went slack for a moment before quietly walking over to the rubble. A small, black teddy bear stuck out from the rubble, arm ripped and fur dusty, but for the most part, together. Thane stared at it for a moment before reaching down and moving the rocks. The teddy bear was pulled free, and he dusted it off with gentle hands before returning to Yllskai. His hands, scarred and calloused, did not match the small toy with its little ribbon bow tie. Yllskai reached his hands out to his brother and took the teddy with a relieved look on his face. “Thank you,” Yllskai whispered, to which Thane only nodded. In an instant, Thane pulled himself up into the horse’s saddle and stirrups, hands grabbing the reins. Yllskai’s hands wrapped around Thane’s midsection, tan fingers intertwining with each other, his teddy between his chest and Thane’s back. Thane’s body then stiffened. 

“One more thing, Yllskai.”

“Yes?” Yllskai asked, cheek pressed against his brother’s back.

“Whatever you do, do not look.”

“...okay.”

Fear pooled in Yllskai’s stomach, but rather than being too afraid to keep his eyes open, he was too afraid to keep them shut. Yllskai was no stranger to disobeying his older brother, but right now was different. Thane could only do so much to protect him. The horse went into an immediate gallop down the streets of Yn’thona. Yllskai looked on with a quivering lip. Ruined homes, collapsed churches, mutilated markets, places he visited just the week prior with his aunt. He even saw charred bodies, the skeletal remains of fellow Laikovans, and all he could do was gasp in horror before hiding his face in Thane’s back. The attack must’ve happened so fast. With each passing corpse, a tiny bit of innocence was stripped from Yllskai, only to be replaced with growing terror. The streets were eerily silent with nothing but the hoofbeats and heavy breathing of their war horse echoing in the empty space. Yllskai swore he could hear even the dust moving past his pointy ears. 

Despite the tension that was ripping his chest apart and making his heart shudder like a leaf in the wind, Yllskai felt safe with his brother. His brother had been there as part of his first memories, an unwavering pillar of strength that Yllskai looked up to without fail. He watched his brother train to become a true Laikovan warrior. Just like every Laikovan, Thane had been training for battle since the day he could walk. It was considered an honor to be able to fight, so every Laikovan was instilled with a warrior’s valor at a young age. It wasn’t uncommon to see a child wielding a sword or a bow, or asking to spar for fun so long as no one got hurt. At the time, it felt like punishment when Thane was drafted a few months ago, to watch his brother leave them behind, unsure if they’ll ever meet again. But now it felt like a blessing. Yllskai wasn’t sure who would’ve saved him if it wasn’t his brother.

Yllskai’s reflections of the past were suddenly interrupted by their horse as it skidded to a stop and reared onto its hind legs. A screeching whinny dragged from out of the horse’s mouth before it started to buck its legs in desperation. “Korhei–!” Thane cried in shock as the warhorse reared and kicked. Yllskai felt fear begin to course through his body and instinctively gripped onto his brother tighter as whimpers began to spill from his lips. The horse was too powerful in its sudden burst of emotions and both Thane and Yllskai went flying. The two brothers hit the cobblestone, and Yllskai’s vision turned blurry from the heavy impact. With great difficulty, Yllskai tried to sit up on shaky arms, one fist still gripping his teddy for dear life. He blinked away the uneasiness and the colors that shadowed his vision. The smudges to his eyesight were hardly helpful in deciphering the situation. Yllskai could barely make out the silhouette of his brother, he heard his own breathing and heart pounding. The sound of steel screeching against steel reverberated from in front of him. The sound made Yllskai sit up immediately like he had been dunked in cold water. His brother was standing in front of him, body firm with one hand clasping his broadsword and the other held down towards Yllskai to keep him in place. His shoulders rose and fell with deep breaths, inky black hair swaying in the slight breeze that brought in the stench of death. Yllskai’s eyes slowly drifted upward. That’s when he saw it. 

A gasp came from Yllskai as he took in the sight of the creature. It walked on its knuckles with curled fingers and extraneously long nails. It was humongous, standing taller than the storefronts on the street, with long, lanky arms and legs and a bone-skinny torso. The vertebrae of its spine pushed up out of its skin, making a mountain range of bones over its back. Its face was hardly discernible, with hollow holes for eyes and no nose as it had been shaved down to the nasal cavity, all of which dripped with blackened blood. But the most horrifying feature of it all was the variously patterned Laikovan horns that jutted from its skin, and the slight outlines of terrified expressions that pressed up against the skin of the creature. Yllskai had heard stories of the creature that ate Laikovans alive, only to make their bodies a part of its own, but never did he think he would see an otherworlder with his own two eyes. Terror filled his veins. Death was staring them in the face. 

“Yllskai,” Thane whispered, voice hollowed despite his brave face. “Run.”

A soul-shattering screech ripped through their eardrums as the otherworlder leapt at Thane. Yllskai scrambled up onto his weakened legs and practically crawled before running to cover. A clash of a sword to teeth clanged behind him as soon as he ducked behind an abandoned wagon. His gray eyes took in the sight of his brother, a mass of muscle despite his young age, fighting off a creature that no child should ever lay eyes upon. “Thane!” Yllskai cried out. Just then the otherworlder’s claws pierced in the exposed part of his torso, ripping through the fabric and tan flesh beneath and sending a splattering of blood across the gray cobblestone. Thane staggered back and fell, hands scraping against the street. 

“I said RUN!” Thane barked, fangs bared as he spared hardly a split second glance to Yllskai. Yllskai had never heard his brother speak in such a tone before. It was scary, rough and weathered. How many times had he ordered a fellow soldier in battle like that? That wasn’t the voice that told him bedtime stories, or sang him lullabies, or the nursery rhymes when they played their games under the big oak tree at home. It scared him almost as much as the otherworlder did.
“I’m not leaving you,” Yllskai stammered. “Not with that monster!!”

Thane had no time to respond. He had scrambled to his feet again just in time to slash the otherworlder’s spindly arm. It wailed and retreated backwards for a moment before lurching forward again in an attempt to catch Thane within its razor sharp teeth.

Yllskai felt useless sitting there, cowering behind the wagon while Thane risked his life to keep him safe. He felt sick to his stomach from the stench that had filled the air and the realization that their true enemy was really this monstrous thing before him. The battle between his brother and the otherworlder shifted, causing them to get dangerously close to the wagon. Yllskai made a dive for new cover behind a fallen pillar as Thane was thrown against the wagon with such force that the wood splintered and shattered. His broadsword burst free from his grip and slid across the street, sending sparks flying in a flurry. 

Yllskai cried out again in pure horror, vocal cords allowing nothing else out of his throat. Thane groaned, head facing away from the creature that was charging on all fours with the wrath of a bull. Yllskai tried to call out, to warn him, yet nothing came out, not even a croak. Thane gasped and bear-crawled to his sword, but he was too slow. The creature ran right into him, pinning him to the ground and snapping at Thane with powerful jaws. Thane shot his arms out, fingers ripping into a saggy neck as he used all his might to force the creature away from his face. His arms were already shaking as strength was being seeped out of him, as the jaws of the creature snapped closer. 

Yllskai's whole body shook. His brother was going to die and he was just going to watch. He closed his eyes. Tears forced out from between his eyelids and made streaks on his dirtied face. This was it. Yllskai had not been alive for very long, yet it was going to end with him failing his brother.

No.

Yllskai’s eyes flew open and frantically looked around the battlefield. Yllskai was young, but the few months of training he had since his last birthday paired with the undying love for his brother fueled something almost monstrous in him. Yllskai clenched his little fists, fangs bared with resolve. He sprinted as fast as his little legs could take him away from his cover only to dive right for a corpse pile. Abandoned weaponry was scattered everywhere. Gray eyes flitted around in a panic before settling on a child-sized bow. His hands trembled, but Yllskai thanked the young soldier that died valiantly for him to have that bow. The teddy bear he clutched in his arms dropped to the floor to be replaced by the dusted weapon. “Breathe in, breathe out, and your aim will be true,” He whispered to himself, pretending that it was Thane speaking over his words. There was no time to waste for thinking or planning. Yllskai notched an arrow to the bow. The quivering of Yllskai’s arms was uncontrollable. He feared that the arrow would be too dull to do anything, but by the gods Yllskai would try.

“Hey…hey!” Yllskai cried, voice growing in volume, so tiny but with the strength of a mountain. He pulled the bow back, arms extending fully as pure valor fueled his aim. “Get away from my brother, you asshole!”

The arrow made a screaming whistle as the bowstring launched it forward. Yllskai’s aim was terrible, laughable by a soldier’s standards, but it hit his target regardless. The arrow pierced the sickly flesh of the otherworlder, right in the shoulder. Without any hesitation, the otherworlder snapped its head in Yllskai’s direction with a blood-curdling shriek. With no mercy for the child it set eyes upon, it charged instantly with nothing but bloodthirst fueling its every step. Yllskai froze up, arms going limp as the creature approached him. He shivered from head to toe. Though he was successful in distracting the creature, Yllskai hadn’t thought far enough to realize it would instead be him that would die. Maybe it was for the better. Thane was a trained soldier, and Yllskai was only a child.

The creature pounced, landing right on top of Yllskai and roaring in his face, sending blood and saliva flying. Yllskai screamed in terror right along with it. At first, it was a lone scream, a singular, despairing half of the duet between him and the otherworlder. But a smattering of the chords ensued as a battle cry rattled the ruins of Yn’thona. The tip of a sword pushed right through the face of the otherworlder with a squelch. The otherworlder froze and went silent, an instant kill. Blood dripped off the steel of the sword onto Yllskai’s cheek before the creature slowly tipped over to its side. In a panic, Yllskai scurried out from underneath the corpse with a whimper. He held his own arms and stared at the creature, eyes glassy and his own blood cold. Yllskai lifted his eyes to meet the gaze of Thane who stood on top of the creature, having leapt on top of the creature in order to completely impale its cranium. Thane stared at his baby brother before proceeding forward. He grabbed Yllskai’s arm with a firm hand, like their father would have. “Where did you learn that word?”
“Word? What word?” 

“Asshole. That word.”

“I learned from…from you,” Yllskai whispered, eyes wide as he stared up at his brother.

Thane slowly squinted for a long moment. “Don’t use that word. Got it?”
“Okay.”
Deafening silence followed his words. Yllskai stood there, shaking as the remainder of his adrenaline made its last round through his veins. His eyes flickered to the carcass of the otherworlder before he suddenly sniffled. Yllskai wanted to be strong, but he feared even moving an inch. Was Thane angry? Upset? Blood was running down Thane’s arm from his wound. Perhaps if Yllskai hadn’t disobeyed him, there would be no wound to worry about. A sickness filled Yllskai’s stomach, down from the very pit, but Thane suddenly relented. His expression twisted with relief and a sparkle glistened over his eyes. He instantly stepped forward and picked Yllskai up, hugging him protectively with burly arms. A deep sigh wisped past Yllskai’s ear, and he could feel the terror leave his body. “Good job, kiddo.” Thane hugged him tighter. “You saved my a–...butt.”
Yllskai’s little arms wrapped around Thane’s neck, eyes pinching closed as the gravity of it all came crashing down. His sobs were muffled by Thane’s neck. In that moment, Yllskai had nothing more but his brother, and Thane had nothing more than him. “Come on now, you’re alright,” Thane whispered. 

“I know,” Yllskai hiccupped. “It’s just that…that I was scared I was gonna lose you.”
Yllskai held his brother tighter. He felt Thane stiffen just slightly and thick fingers pushing deeper into his soft locks. “I ain’t going anywhere, kid. Not anywhere without you,” Thane replied, voice gentle like the wind. Humbler too. Thane lifted a hand and put his fingers to his lips. A high pitched whistle reverberated outward, and their horse came running back now that the threat was vanquished. Thane placed Yllskai on the saddle again. He looked at his brother before looking to the side. Something was missing. 

Thane took a few steps and returned with the dropped teddy bear in his hands. He gently put it in Yllskai’s lap. “You’ll need him, I’m sure,” Thane said quietly, and Yllskai smiled. Thane got up onto the horse, but sat behind Yllskai rather than in front of him. Yllskai suddenly felt decades older. Thane gave Yllskai another lone pat on the head before grabbing the reins. Yllskai put his hands over Thane’s, they were rough and scarred. Yllskai had not even the faintest clue what Thane had been doing since he left, but the battle they just faced was enough to tell a story of a thousand words. The horse charged onward again with Thane’s command despite the scenes of ruin and rubble before them.

Yllskai ran a thumb over his brother’s palms. Only one word came to his mind. Home. Yllskai held on tighter and didn’t let go. 

⚔

“Thane! Thank the gods, you made it!”

Rain had begun to pour as Thane and Yllskai together pulled Korhei to a stop. They managed to escape Yn’thona without another scratch. Yllskai gasped with delight as he laid eyes on his sisters and brothers. Lythis, the eldest sister, grinned with excitement to see her brothers mostly unharmed, and immediately dismounted her horse to run to him. Thane gently helped Yllskai down, and Yllskai sprinted to her. They collapsed in each other's arms. “Oh, you’re alive,” Lythis whispered, eyes brimming with tears. Yllskai’s head nestled right in the crook of her neck and shoulder. He opened his eyes, now taking in the sight of his other siblings. Theron, serious as he tried to imitate Thane, Eithne and Vynya, the twins sitting close together on their shared saddle, relieved but reasonably shaken up.
“Are you okay? No scratches?” Lythis whispered as she pulled back and held Yllskai’s chubby cheeks. He shook his head and hummed in agreement. No scratches. She grinned and knocked her horns to Yllskai’s. “Thane?” Lythis then asked as she looked up at her silent brother.

“A slash...but nothing I can’t handle,” He told her, hands tightening around the reins of his horse.

Lythis looked at him with furrowed brows, but she relented with a shake of her head. “We'll get you patched up. We’re safe. We’re together now! Now we can go find mom and dad–”
“No.”

Yllskai whipped his head around and looked at Thane. That singular sharp word made his world crumble more than it already had. The tension between his creed of siblings tightened in an instant. “No?” Yllskai whispered. “What…what do you mean?” 

“Thane. You’re not serious. You’re not going back in there!” Theron suddenly cried out, breaking his imitative silence to protest. Yllskai could feel the tears falling down his cheeks. They were together again, but it was only for a moment. 

“Yes, I am, Theron. This is our home. Laikova needs me. You'll be safe, you're together now.

The siblings spiraled into arguments and dissent, but all Yllskai could do was stare at his brother. He slowly stumbled forward on his feet, watching Thane’s unwavering expression. Thane didn’t even notice him, not until a tiny hand rested on his foot. He looked down to see Yllskai’s glassy eyes. Yllskai saw it, the storm of emotions that went through his eyes, before finally breaking and yielding to the weight of innocence in Yllskai. Thane’s expression twisted before he slid off his horse and picked Yllskai up. The clamoring of protest went silent. Yllskai was their little brother, annoying and too young at times to play with them, but when it came down to it, he was just a kid. What child should have to understand war?
Yllskai gasped with tears. “Please. Please, you have to stay, you’re my big brother! I need you!” 

Thane held Yllskai’s head to his shoulder and leaned his cheek against it. His roughed hands ran over his back but it did nothing to soothe Yllskai's sobs. “I can’t, kiddo…I have to go. You have your siblings. They can protect you. And you can protect them for me,” He whispered. Yllskai didn’t say a word about it, but he could hear the crack of tears in Thane’s voice. That was enough to tell him it was just as hard for Thane as it was for their siblings. The group stayed silent as Thane walked forward. They knew he had made up his mind, and protesting would only make things worse for themselves and for Yllskai who had already lost enough. The sanctity of their little brother’s innocence would not be trifled with more than necessary. Would he even remember Yn’thona years later if they make it out of this alive?

Thane gently approached Lythis’ horse and placed Yllskai upon the saddle one last time. “Be brave. You are brave. I’ll see you again.” Thane knocked his horns to Yllskai’s before rubbing his cheeks. He then turned to his siblings and gave them their own goodbyes, a hand on the shoulder, a hug, a special knock of horns. They all cried, all except for Thane, who only returned to his horse to pull himself into the saddle in silence. He looked at his siblings, giving each one a solid glance one last time before settling on Yllskai. Yllskai stared back, hardly able to breathe. They shared no words at that moment, but Yllskai felt every word that was left unspoken. Yllskai watched a tear finally fall from Thane’s eye, but Yllskai was the only one who noticed it through the rain.

“Ride to Salucia.” Thane ordered. “And do not look back.”

Silence befell them all as Thane snapped Korhei’s reins with an encouraging grunt. The horse turned and galloped back towards Yn'thona. Not a singular word was uttered. Yllskai gaped at Thane’s back until he disappeared over the bridge and down the village road, all the way until he blended in with the gray hues of the grand bridge into Yn’thona. It wasn’t so grand anymore now that Yllskai knew what was waiting for Thane within the city gates. 

Home didn’t feel like home anymore. Home would never be home without his mother and father, and most certainly not without Thane.  A pain blossomed in Yllskai’s chest. It felt like part of his heart had gone missing.

"Only in sleep, time is forgotten— 

What may have come to them, who can know?

Yet we played last night as long ago,

And the doll-house stood at the turn of the stair.

The years had not sharpened their smooth round faces,

I met their eyes and found them mild— 

Do they, too, dream of me, I wonder,

And for them am I too a child?"

Only In Sleep - The Wartburg Choir 

• Every year, Laikovan refugees meet at the only Lystirian temple outside of Laikova to mourn their country, lost families, and friends. Though it is a deeply depressing occasion, there have been times when Laikovans have reunited with old friends and family after years of not knowing their fate. Thane used to go every year but has since stopped because he couldn't stand going only to be disappointed when none of his family appeared.

  • The temple is very broken down and overgrown. The roof has collapsed in and the marble columns are cracked, but the Laikovans gather at the foot of the statue of Lystiria to sing hymns anyway.

• Thane is a very deep bass singer. His voice is very gruff and scratchy from how much he's had to yell over the sounds of battle, thus giving him a rather unique sound.

• Laikovans originate from the Draconians, an indigenous group of Dragonriders in the Northern region of Laikova. (lore to be introduced later)

• Thane is on the shorter side for Laikovans. It isn't uncommon for both male and female Laikovans to be over seven feet tall. 

• Laikovan horns are almost unique to each person, both in shape, pattern, and color, however, it is easy to tell who is related through horn patterns as they share some similarities. These similarities are not easily recognizable for non-Laikovans. Laikovans, however, can see it instantly and can denote lineage through horns alone. 

• With Laikovan blacksmithing, protective helmets, and masks can be made to attach to the armored notches on a Laikovan's face. This is what Thane uses to protect his identity. 

• Thane has enough strength to rip a soldier's limb off, though this is the case for most Laikovans as well.

• I have another OC that I will add later that is considered a legend and war hero in Laikovan history. He was born several hundreds of years earlier than Thane.