The Reapers : Sons of the Void

Villages Under the Duchy of Auren

Early in the morning, Velora summoned Brien and Miller to stand before a large map in the main hall. A wide parchment showing the lands of Leonhardt lay unfurled across the long table, and Velora's gaze was steady, her voice calm.

Velora:

"You are not mere warriors. A true leader must know the people—feel their sorrow, share their joy. Therefore, I am sending each of you to a different village. There, you will gain not only strength but understanding."

Miller and Brien exchanged a quick look. This task was different from what they had expected. For the first time, they would be separated.

Part 1 – Brien in Arik VillageArik was a small village nestled at the foot of the mountains, shaded by pine forests. Its stone houses and smoke-stained roofs exuded the scent of wood fires. When Brien arrived, the villagers watched him with open suspicion.

Brien:

"I guess I didn't need to look so heroic after all."

He stood out in practical dark clothing. An elder, known as Baba Jorun, approached with his walking stick.

Jorun:

"Stranger… here, you win hearts not by strong hands but by warmth."

Brien took a breath.

Brien:

"My heart might beat a little irregularly, but I'll try."

His first days passed in silence. The villagers kept their distance. Brien helped carry firewood, taught stick-fighting to the local children, and gradually, the children's laughter broke down the adults' walls.

Side Chapter – "Brien and the Chicken Operation"Arik Village – Morning

The sun crept over the mountain peaks, coloring the mist with golden threads. Brien, seated on his cabin steps, held a steaming bowl of porridge and gazed at the sky.

Brien (inner voice):

"In the castle, meals were refined. Now… I'm not even sure what this is."

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Followed by frantic clucking.

A young girl's voice (off-screen):

"GET IT! CILO'S RUNNING!"

Brien set down his bowl. A child, arms flailing, ran after a wild chicken.

Brien (springing to his feet):

"Adventure? I'm in."

He chased the chicken through muddy lanes. Cilo was a lightning-fast escape artist.

Brien (out of breath):

"This… is no chicken. This is a warrior!"

Villagers laughed as Brien, the royalty-born Reaper, tumbled in the mud.

Cornered, Brien looked Cilo straight in the eye.

Brien:

"Listen, Cilo… let's end this. You walk to me quietly, and I'll carry you like a hero. Deal?"

Cilo paused… then bolted again.

Brien:

"BETRAYAL!"

Later That DayEventually, Brien caught Cilo by accident. The chicken was hiding in the old mill. In the chaos, Brien tumbled inside—only for Cilo to leap onto his chest. The elders watched, roaring with laughter.

Brien (muddy but triumphant):

"I'm proud to say… Cilo and I have made peace. No more feuds."

A child presented him with a crudely drawn card showing Brien covered in mud, holding the chicken, labeled:

"Brien: Conqueror of Chickens."

Brien smiled quietly. It was a sign he had begun to be accepted.

Brien (inner voice):

"Sometimes you conquer hearts not with a sword but with a chicken."

One rainy evening, Brien helped repair the roof of an elderly woman's collapsing cottage. Mud covered his arms and sweat his face.

Woman:

"Today was the first time anyone helped without asking."

He wiped mud from his face and replied,

Brien:

"If you never cried for help, I guessed you'd likely run out of tears."

The villagers laughed, and from that day forward, Brien earned a new nickname: "The Light That Forms from Shadows."

Part 2 – Miller in Velden ValleyMiller arrived in Velden Valley—a golden wheat plain where the sun always felt warm. The welcome was friendly; children stared in awe, and elders noted his graceful bearing.

He spent his first day working alongside farmers. The sun's rays, his sweating brow, mud-soaked boots—all reminded him of a childhood without sun.

Miller (inner voice):

"In the orphanage, there was no sun. Maybe there was no sun at all."

One morning, he rescued Talven, a youth trapped beneath a harvester, his arms shredded by wheat.

Talven:

"Why would someone like you do this… for us?"

Miller:

"The soil is like a heart. If clean, everything grows. If poisoned, nothing thrives."

The next day, an elder gave him a seed.

Elder:

"Carry this seed in your heart. Plant it whenever you wish to root in a place."

Miller placed the seed in a small pouch—now a symbol not just of plant life, but of the trust of an entire village.

Part 3 – ReturnA week later, Brien and Miller returned to the Moon Manor. Weary but fulfilled, they entered through the stone gates together. Velora awaited them.

Velora:

"What have you learned?"

They exchanged a glance.

Brien:

"People want to trust, but first they must learn to watch you."

Miller:

"They listen before they follow, feel before they trust."

Velora allowed herself a genuine smile.

Velora:

"You're truly ready now."

They were no longer only warriors—they had become beacons of hope for their people.

Leonhardt – Ay Şatosu, Evening DinnerThe castle's grand hall brimmed with austerity and candlelight. Only five people sat at the table: Velora at the head, with Brien to her left, Miller to her right, Arwen beside Brien, and Garron silently watching from the shadows.

Simple village dishes filled their plates—vegetable stew, warm bread, dried fruit syrup—but the real feast was the conversation.

Velora (smiling):

"Does the village air sit well on your skin? Better than the castle's damp stone?"

Brien (chewing loudly):

"First day was amazing. Second day someone confused me with a cow. Third day… I was stuck in mud. But yes, it was refreshing."

Miller (pausing mid-bite):

"When I looked into those children's eyes in Elnira… my own voice came back. There was no noise—only meaning."

Velora (turning to Miller):

"And did you carry that meaning?"

Miller (eyes on the bread):

"Maybe not perfectly… but I walked without dropping it."

Brien (nodding):

"I did drop mine. But an old lady put a fish in my pocket. It was a heartfelt moment."

Velora (raising an eyebrow):

"A fish?"

Brien:

"Yes. In my pocket. Very emotional."

They all laughed. Arwen raised an eyebrow at Brien playfully.

Arwen:

"So… what did you teach those people? Just observation, or did you leave something behind?"

Miller paused before answering as Arwen held his gaze.

Miller:

"I didn't build anything. But I lifted a stone. Under it was someone who needed to be seen. I just held light for them."

Arwen (softly):

"Cryptic…but we all know how heavy that stone was."

Brien:

"I taught the kids how to hold knives."

Velora (raising a brow):

"Really?"

Brien:

"Ah yes… wooden knives. Self-defense art. I named it: 'Brien's Aesthetic Lunge.'"

Miller:

"Completely imbalanced."

Brien:

"Chaos has its own aesthetic."

Arwen turned to Brien.

Arwen:

"Tell me, Brien… what struck you most there?"

Brien (thoughtful):

"There was a girl whose father never returned from the fields. Every morning she left a plate at the door, in case he came home hungry. She never said anything to me—but that plate stayed."

Velora (lips pressed):

"And here we still hesitate to speak of the danger that shadows their lives."

Arwen:

"Was sending us to those villages just a public relations move… or some kind of rehearsal?"

Velora (sipping her wine):

"You must realize—you're not walking gods. Without touching the soil, you cannot fight for it. This is only the beginning."

Miller:

"So... what comes next?"

Velora (narrowing her eyes):

"Tomorrow morning… Arwen will lead your next training. This time it will test not just your bodies…but your wills."

Brien (turning to Arwen):

"Another training? What kind? Push-ups again? Or… mental? If it's a brain test, give me time to polish my mind."

Arwen (smiling):

"A mental trial. Answers alone aren't enough—you must also hear."

Miller:

"So not only will we speak... we'll question our own words."

Velora (whispering):

"That is why… the two of you carry more than these castle walls."