“Cecil, I’ve got to get to the outskirts of the village right away. Gertie’s little one is sick… I hope to be back by dinner. In the meantime, could you whip up a potion using malgez flower pollen?” Uncle Herbie said with concern to his apprentice and ward, who was intently working with flasks and powders, mixing up another batch of cold remedies.
“Sure thing, Uncle Herbie,” the girl replied with a smile, brushing a stray lock of light brown curls from her forehead. She sighed, remembering she still needed to head into the woods to gather some malgez. The pollen from those flowers was a key ingredient in many medicinal concoctions, including powders and ointments.
Herbie the Healer and his apprentice Cecil were well-known healers, not just in their village of Green Hills, but across other settlements on the island of Hort as well. Devoted to their craft, they worked from dawn till dusk, brewing healing potions and helping folks fight off ailments.
The cozy little cottage where the healers lived sat right on the edge of the forest. Cecil could spend hours wandering through the thickets, searching for the herbs, flowers, and roots she needed. It seemed like she knew every tree and bush in that forest by heart.
Herbie was an older man, his hair turned silver with age, though he felt pretty spry for his years. His clear gray eyes radiated kindness and a deep love for the world and all its living things. It was as if a shining, positive energy overflowed from him, giving him strength. He also led a quiet, reclusive life, having made the firm decision to dedicate himself entirely to the art of healing.
Herbie might have lived alone forever, but nineteen years ago, on a warm summer evening, he heard the cry of a baby outside his door. There, on his doorstep, he found a newborn girl, carefully wrapped in a pristine white blanket, lying in a carved wooden cradle. Startled, the man immediately scooped up the child and noticed the name “Cecil” embroidered in golden thread on the blanket.
Confused and worried, Herbie ran through the village, searching for the child’s parents, but to no avail. In the end, he decided to keep the girl, though he never gave up hope that her family might one day come for her. He couldn’t help but think this child wasn’t from a simple peasant family, judging by the expensive cradle and the silk blanket stuffed with swan down.
Years passed, and no one ever came for the child… no one even asked about her. Meanwhile, Cecil grew up bringing joy to Herbie, who loved her like his own daughter. He ordered clothes for her from the local seamstress, fed her, and cared for her with all his heart.
Even as a young child, Cecil showed a keen interest in the healing arts, and Herbie noticed how bright and capable she was. With a deep compassion for all living things, she seemed to blend into nature itself, feeling like an inseparable part of the universe. For a healer, this was a vital quality—being able to sense the source of someone else’s pain and find a way to ease it. So, Herbie took it upon himself to teach Cecil the craft of healing, passing down all his knowledge.
“There’s a remedy for every ailment,” Herbie often reminded her. “But beyond the knowledge, you’ve got to be able to feel another’s pain, the energy that comes from within. Most of the time, the problem lies within the person themselves—or rather, in their Soul. If the Soul is weak, sooner or later, the body will react…”
Cecil took Herbie’s teachings and advice to heart. He, in turn, was proud of his apprentice, trusting her to treat even the most seriously ill. Herbie also knew that Cecil was strikingly beautiful, almost like a goddess of Mother Nature herself. He believed such beauty should be hidden to avoid drawing unwanted attention from men, who could be cruel in this world. So, he bought her a long, dark cloak with a deep hood, which also shielded her from the chilly evening winds and bad weather.
For ages, the small island of Hort had been part of the island-based Elgertan Empire, which had been locked in conflict with the Lardonian Empire for centuries. The brutal struggle was over every scrap of land.
Two months ago, military ships from the army of Trey Sparg, a notorious Lardonian conqueror known for his extreme cruelty and lack of morals even on his own lands, arrived at Hort’s shores. Now, he was the ruler of the island, imposing his own laws and intending to settle there for the long haul.
The local folks had grown used to the constant shifts in power. At the time, they didn’t dare resist Sparg’s army, and the Lardonians took over the island without a fight. The previous ruler refused to surrender to the end, staying loyal to his empire. Trey ordered his execution.
So, the new ruler moved into the massive castle-residence of his predecessor, and the locals had no choice but to swear allegiance to him. Sparg immediately set his own rules for collecting taxes, which were far higher than before. Naturally, this hit the peasants hard, and the number of hungry and discontented people grew.
People grumbled to each other about their current lives, though deep down, everyone hoped that the Elgertan Empress Julla Ayl would eventually reclaim Hort. She never let go of what was hers. Among the people, this remarkable woman was known as Julla the Rock, famous for her unyielding character and the absolute obedience she commanded. Of course, Julla listened to the wise advisors she surrounded herself with.
Almost nineteen years ago, the empress became a widow, and after the death of her husband, Gerlian, she ruled alone. Rumors swirled that the emperor had been poisoned, a supposed act of divine retribution for his cruelty. Gerlian had lived a debauched life, keeping a harem of two hundred concubines. Everyone knew of his obsession with wine. On top of that, he was treacherous and vengeful.
Thus, the Elgertan Empire was led by Julla, who bore the immense burden of responsibility on her delicate shoulders. Her loyal advisor, friend, and passionate lover was Wardem, the commander-in-chief of the Elgertan army, with whom she had a child. The late Emperor Gerlian had proven infertile, and by law, the empress was allowed to bear an heir with another man of her choosing.
Of course, Gerlian couldn’t accept that the empress had a child with another man, as it deeply wounded his pride. On one fateful night, by his order, Julla’s infant was kidnapped and killed.
At that time, Commander Wardem was leading a military campaign, reclaiming Elgertan lands from the enemy. The horrific news reached him far from the home island of Elgergia, where Julla’s palace stood, and the grieving empress was never able to conceive again.