SkunkyArt | dev-lish — Valyris Sylver

Valyris grew up in a small village by the mountainside. He was raised by loving parents, along with his only other sibling, a younger sister, who he cared for very deeply. It was uncommon for the villagers to have children, so every child was treated very specially, and they are more often found around adults rather than other children.

By day, he would join his father and observe as he and his friends go hunting. He never really liked it, but his father seemed so proud at him that he'd be ridden with guilt if he didn't come along. His father trained him on how to scout for prey and how to use a bow and sword, and although he was skillful, he wasn't too enthusiastic doing any of those acts. But after he turned eighteen, his father and his friends urged Valyris to take part in the hunting community, to which he obeyed hesitantly. He hated seeing the blood spill, and how much energy and strength had to be put into it.

By night, he would tell his sisters stories, and often played out scenes with her if she wanted. He felt bad that she was stuck in the house most of the time, and loved to see her play around and have fun. He also considered her to be his closest friend, being one of the only children around. Once, he brought home a small direwolf he found while hunting, to keep his sister company while he was out with his father.

One day, while the men were out for a hunt, a merchant came by the village and started to offer a fertility potion. The villagers were desperate, and the majority believed it to be a miracle rather than it being skeptical about such a thing. By the time Valyris and his father came home, half the population of the village were infected with a somewhat terminal disease, his mother one of them.

Although it was sometime in the summer, people who took the potion were shivering, their lips turning blue and were cold to touch. It was a curious event, and nobody in the village had a cure for it. They only thing they knew was that they had to protect their young, and separated those who were sick from those healthy. However, some of the older, stronger people were requested to check on the sick daily to see how they fare.

Valyris and his sister were upset that they had to part with their mother, but he made sure to always take care of her. He became somewhat a messenger for his sister and his mother, making sure both parties were happy.

After a week or so, however, those who were infected died one by one, and the village area that the sick occupied became a graveyard, corpses scattered here and there.

It was an upsetting turn of events, but a couple days after, havoc filled the village as some of the corpses were rumoured to be moving around, and started to attack people. They grew claws, they said, long and black, which were used to dig deep into their victims and left them to die, as well as eyes that shone in the darkness, a brilliant icy blue shade.

Villagers became afraid to leave their homes--those who tried were attacked by the nearest Infected, and all anyone could do is watch them become Infected as well. The Infected showed no signs to barge in anyone's houses, however, and people assumed they were afraid of the flames. When the brave ventured outside, they made sure to always bring a large torch to scare away the Infected, but they became smarter and travelled in groups, attacking their victims from all sides.

But Valyris knew that it was no good to hide. After all, his direwolf was growing far too large for him to keep inside. He knew they had to make their escape, and he believed he knew how. Having a direwolf nearly as tall as he was on all fours should be more than enough to transport them elsewhere safely. And with his archery and sword fighting, he was confident that he could protect them from incoming attackers.

And so he left the house, sitting with his sister atop the dire wolf with a flame in hand, some wooden arrows and blades, escaping at full speed. The Infected were extremely fast, however, and were on their tail as soon as they took flight. One by one, he fended off their attacks, making sure they burnt properly. They were relentless, showing no signs of fatigue, and the three were greatly outnumbered.

Valyris knew that his sisters' chances of survival would increase if he were left behind, as he was tall and rather heavy for the direwolf to carry. After tears and much hugs, his sister reluctantly agreed to leave him, and bid him goodbye, and told him that their dire wolf was to be sent after him as soon as she found safety.

But as soon as he jumped off, Valyris was surrounded by too many Infected for him to count, fending them off as much as he could. Among them was his mother, whose stare was far more heartbreaking than he last remembered it to be. He managed to burn and fight off the Infected that he didn't know, but when it came to his mother, the last Infected around, he couldn't find it in himself to hurt her.

And so he turned.

He tried to fight the urge, but the Parasytes were too overwhelming for him to control. It had been two weeks since, but he then proceeded to track his sister down, as it was the nearest Un-Infected he knew. After all, she should have found the village already, and if not her, then someone else would do. With his heightened senses, he could feel the presence of the closest living beings around. He had sharper hearing, sharper sight, but his mind was fogged with the need to pass on the Parasytes, leaving him with no self control.

After searching, he heard a familiar voice in the distance, calling out for his name. He knew it was his sister, along with their old pet, looking for him. He started to chase.

When his sister laid eyes on him, she was filled with happiness. Until she realized the monster he became. She went on top of the direwolf, trying to flee, but Valyris was quick and caught up to them before nearing the town his sister took refuge in, and with one quick slash, his sister was gone.

Valyris regained his consciousness, realizing what he had done. He was confused, remorseful, and anger built up inside him. He knew what he had to do now; he couldn't let her turn. He covered himself in her cloak, running off to the town, and came to the first house he saw. He told them of the dangerous beasts lurking outside the town, and what they had done to his sister, and told them not to leave. He also begged for them to burn her body, before it was too late. Horrified, the rumours spread widely, and Valyris felt successful.

He created a shelter nearby, living with his direwolf.