The first of two sons to be born into a family, living a quaint and quiet life on the countryside. A lineage of mere farmers, Arzanium would grow up to see endless fields of crops as far as the eye could see. Because he was the first, Arzanium was required by his father to help out early, being taught the earliest essentials as young as 5 years old. His mother on the other hand, was far more gentle, providing him with the hearthiest of meals and skills that didn't require getting stuck in the mud. For that reason, Arzanium always favoured his mother out of all family he knew, though that'd change eventually.

When Arzanium was 6 years old, a new addition was welcomed in the family. His name was Tyrnellius, he was told. Once the baby brother looked at him, grabbed his finger and giggled, Arzanium was in awe. The boy would grow up to be protective over his sibling, always looking out for him- And in turn, Tyrnellius would follow him everywhere. When Arzanium was actively helping out on the field, baby brother would be nibbling on a potato. When Arzanium started complaining about back pain, baby brother muttered some googoos here and gagas there.

The longer Arzanium aided his parents, the more he realised this life, quite possibly, wasn't one for him. To fuss over crops days on end, to sell them at markets for a penny, to retreat into the night onto a bale of hay. It was a comfortable routine- One too boring to his tastes. Thus, when word came of their uncle Achilles officially knighted, Arzanium had someone to look up to- Someone he could aspire to be like- Someone he could witness grow past their farmer's fate, into something greater.

As their uncle's life flourished, so would the life of the Wynthrox farmers. At first smaller gifts of fortune, which eventually turned into riches that allowed a farm expansion and provided an overall better life. Once Achilles was declared the King's Hand, it inspired the boy so much, he spent his pocket money on a wooden sword to swing around. From then on out, Arzanium's journey to become something greater, had begun.

— RISE TO KNIGHTHOOD —

"Arrrrrrrrrrrse. Hey Arse. Arse. Arse! You up yet? Arse?"

Awoken by his brother, nicknamed Trine a while ago, it'd be the first sight in the morning at least a hundred times throughout his teens. Whenever Trine would gain attention this way, it only meant one thing- There was someone out there, asking for their aid!

Arzanium would then jump out of bed, gather his equipment and almost sprint out the door- If it weren't for mother holding him back, reminding him to not skip breakfast. Father, on the other hand, would make a disapproving grunt once again- As to why, was beyond Arzanium's understanding. Since a few years, the two brothers had gone out of their way to run errands for the local folk, bringing back occasional food, riches and plenty of thanks- They were helping out people in need, from the smallest of kitties stuck in a tree, to an elderly woman with her groceries! Beloved in the neighbourhood and making the world a better place, surely that would've made some impression on their father?

But it didn't.

Upon hearing his scolding for the millionth time, so would Arzanium witness his younger brother talking back. It was usually their mother who calmed down the fuss, as she was more supportive of his and Trine's dreams. Then there would be some words about inheriting the farm, and that was that. It became so standard for Arzanium, it went one ear in and out at some point. The older brother got the worst of it when he was roughly 20 years old, when he first started talking about moving out- Mother supportive, father hesitant as always.

It was the first time father got so red akin to a tomato. It was the first time he was properly accused of taking away what they could've had- A cozy farmer's life, as the older brother was sinking the ship and taking Trine with him. It was the first time he forbid Arzanium from doing something. From that day on, it was clear that Arzanium would only listen to his mother's words, with his younger brother none the wiser how it really was- As for Trine, he kept getting along just fine with their parents, which was at least a relief to the older brother.

Arzanium tried a second time when he was 22, this time not taking no for an answer. Surprisingly, his father complied. He'd let go of the older one quite a bit ago- Leaving the nest wouldn't really sting, per his words. Though it had to get more complicated, thanks to Trine voicing his wish to come with, as the brothers had grown inseparable. The younger one, barely finished his education with little preparation for the world, scolded at next. Arzanium tried to interfere, but it was once again their mother that watered it down to a more peaceful discussion. She brought up the fact their kids were happy doing their dreams- And wasn't that the most important thing?

To cherish and support your loved ones with their dreams, even if you disagreed with it?

To wave them off, wishing them well on their journey onto something new?

To hope they would achieve everything they desired, happy at their destination?

A deep sigh as a response. An acknowledgement that mother dearest was right. With that, the two brothers received help from their parents and uncle, renovating an old castle's ruins over the next year, so it could become their new home and base. From then on, it was just the two of them, and neither of them had complaints about it. Well, Trine did about the cold, occasionally, but that was all.

— SQUADRON OF KNIGHTS —

Following his role model, the first guild Arzanium wanted to sign up for, was Haevirndawn. There, the fresh recruit had his first taste of wine, a gift from uncle Achilles as he celebrated loudly with them- The Wynthrox Duo, free to see the world, help the people and go on adventures! Whatever was out there, Arzanium was more than excited to discover it all. Finally they could travel further than a few towns away, slay new wicked beasts and meet new folks!

As the years slowly ticked by, so would the Wynthrox brothers go up the ranks. Cheered on by their uncle, it was pretty much Arzanium's dream come true. Word of mouth spread, which would make the older brother gleam with pride.

Roughly two years after officially starting their guild work, the brothers came across a lost knight in the wilds. Arzanium was the more suspicious of the two, approaching the figure with care. Upon a closer look, the knight had dirty wings, sitting quite.. Pathetically on the saddest bed out of wet leaves. As far as Arzanium knew, winged folks were quite possibly the demigods walking amongst them, as he'd heard from so many tales and songs sung in bars- They were strong individuals, and not to be messed with. Then the question remained, how did this one end up in this state?

Eventually, it turned out Arzanium's suspicions about Raptor didn't come true. In fact truly lost, the winged knight eventually became a part of the group- Which then meant, Arzanium had to file in some paperwork, to adjust their registered name at the Haevirndawn guild- One of those many boring processes he could never see himself enjoying. From then on, it was Arzanium, Trine and Raptor against the world.

As time ticked by further, the trio would eventually take on more difficult quests. It was the most difficult one yet they'd taken that week, a mansion plagued with undead spirits- The goal was to of course purify it. Shivers ran down everyone's backs, the moment they set foot in the building- But with Arzanium's determined words and sword gripped tightly, they all pressed on.

The wraiths encountered throughout the mansion were nothing, compared to the culmination found in the main hall. About 99% sure this was the culprit of the issue, Arzanium rushed into it, ready to fight-

And then.

Everything. Went. White.

— LOST IN ORIXE —

The next time Arzanium awoke, he saw three pairs of eyes staring back at him, belonging to entities clad in armour he couldn't even comprehend. The knight backed away immediately, aiming for his weapon-

And then he found he didn't have it.

The strange figures in front of him were talking in languages he'd never heard of. There was a clang when Arzanium made contact with the wall behind him. When it seemingly got nowhere, one of the group stepped forward, leaving out their hand with some device in it. Arzanium took a hold of it carefully, and was motioned to clip it to his ear. The noises immediately became way more comprehensible.

"Thank the Mother that we found an old translator," the one said, who handed him the device, "I think it's working?"

"Are you sure?" another spoke up. "The poor thing is from a whole other dimension it seems. Might be incompatible."

Once the knight let out a huff, asking in surprise how they could suddenly speak his language- The figures all looked at one another, and seemed to burst out laughing. The first figure, clad in grey and adorned in icicles, introduced himself as Viscol. The second one with a gaping mouth, multiple eyes and some halo, was called Pallas. The third one, the most friendly looking out of the three, due to his rhino-esque head, was Excalibur.

Arzanium had a real difficult time understanding that he somehow found himself completely somewhere else than his home. Apparently arriving here in a block of ice in Viscol's territory, he was brought to the research labs to be taken care of. Something about wormholes, which he didn't know the meaning of- Then something about gateways, which he somewhat understood because of magic principles- Then something else about a different dimension, and Arzanium was lost again.

It took the knight a good few weeks to fully grasp what had happened, let alone what this place was, or who these beings were. He was practically given a crash course in civilisations existing outside his home, ones with far more technological process- Arzanium understood it best when Excalibur simplified it and merely told him they could live in the skies, next to the stars.

Apparently, the knight had found himself in the Orixe universe, wholly different than the one he came from. The beings he'd met, were of the Kraljin species- Least to say, the lot of them were quite curious to see what the knight was made of- Especially once it was clear he had a different mollecular structure, whatever that meant. The knight met various members of their species, though was guided through this world the most by Excalibur and Pallas.

Several times the knight had asked when he could go home. It was shattering to hear it was an if, not a when. It was a matter of waiting, Arzanium was told, as they had to find a gateway to bring him back home- One they couldn't make themselves. And so, several weeks turned into several months- Which Arzanium spent learning more about this place and his two new friends- In turn, they learned more about him and his world through his tales. The knight was constantly wondering how everyone at home was doing.. Had it even been the same amount of time for them?

The answer finally came nearly 6 months after Arzanium had crashed here- A gateway was found on the outskirts of their solar system. The knight couldn't wait to return home, never able to get fully used to the food they had here. The plan was to get through the gateway, appear somewhere amongst the stars and travel to his home from there.

"Do you know space travel?" Excalibur asked, presuming he was somehow going to travel all that on his own.

"WHAT? NO!"

And so, he and Pallas signed up to bring the knight home safely. Thanks to several of their kind bundling their powers together, the gateway was apparently made more stable- Longer lasting, so the two extraterrestrials could come back home unscathed also. The knight had to place himself in some kind of.. Compartment entirely made out of metal, with dozens of lights, colourful ropes and various sounds more annoying than trumpets. At least he could recognise his seat as a chair.

With Excalibur and Pallas taking place in the other two, off they went- And frankly, Arzanium didn't remember anything about this trip. It was as if all the lights in the skies disappeared, with no noise to be heard for eons on end. Or the knight had quite possibly fallen asleep for a time, who knows.

All he knew that was of utter importance, was the fact that Trine and Raptor crushed him in a tight hug upon his surprising return- Crying tears of joy, confusion, anger and whatever emotion was possible at the time. His parents, uncle and various other connections would follow soon after- His empty grave demolished and sword returned, thank the Gods. Arzanium was finally home.

— BEYOND THE BORDERS —

The initial plan was for Excalibur and Pallas to go home, after they'd succesfully finished their escort mission. However, after staying for a little while, plans changed. They were welcomed at the Wynthrox's base, and it was mostly Arzanium that'd show them around, as he had bonded with them most. It took roughly a few months for everyone else to get acquaintanced- And Arzanium was filled with joy, as he saw Excalibur becoming best friends with Trine and Raptor.

Pallas, on the other hand? Spilled repulsed feelings, and a year later the bells rung for the head-over-heels lovebirds at their wedding. It was the first time their family had a get together of celebratory nature, since the brothers had moved out. Arzanium felt rather odd about that fact, but when he received an approving nod from his father- He thought, perhaps, everything did turn out just fine.

Over the next three years, Arzanium would find he did best on missions alongside Pallas and Excalibur. The mansion quest changed something in the knight- He wasn't sure what, but it sure felt powerful to wield a sword glimmering akin to obsidian, with a newfound affinity for magic.

The trio would climb up guild ranks faster than his younger brother and winged friend, eventually redirected to guilds in more dangerous, tasking areas- Ones closer to the vampire-infested lands, or even the monster-slaying lands in a whole other region. Happy to take on more, Arzanium, Pallas and Excalibur went all in, leaving Trine and Raptor behind at Haevirndawn. At least they had a third member join soon enough- A knight of the name Guntram, whom Arzanium could find it well with, becoming great friends.

The more time passed, the more it would seem the Wynthrox's group was operating in two halves. Trine's half at Haevirndawn, and Arzanium's half elsewhere- Though the older brother had not much time to ponder that, as he was juggling so much in his life. The thought wouldn't even cross his mind yet for several years.

— DRIFTING APART —

What seemed the ideal life, started showing its first cracks, five years after Arzanium and Pallas had gotten married. Thoughts of it having gone too quickly, too swiftly- Perhaps there was greener grass on the other side? Why was everything so comfortable? Was this even the right choice for the both of them, considering they were from wholly different worlds?

With that, Arzanium's wife took a temporary holiday to ponder it all, back at her own home. Several months away, and frankly he felt quite lonely during that part. Pallas had become his everything despite the odds, someone he could bond with on the deepest level possible- They had the same view on quite a lot of principles, even if they were applied to different things within their worlds- And when they disagreed, they did so respectfully.

Usually.

The first time Arzanium took a hard U-turn, was when his wife had returned not alone from her trip. With her, was a child, possibly toddler age. Pallas told him his name was Gallus, and had adopted him in the time she was away. The knight tried to kindly ask why she didn't think of mentioning this in their message exchange. An emphasis on tried, as instead, water spilled over the edge and the knight had damn near enough for once.

It was solely Pallas tending to this extraterrestrial offspring for several months, as Arzanium tried to figure out what to do. The disagreements increased, sometimes escalating into full-blown arguments. Arzanium tried to bond to Gallus, but when he found he couldn't, because he was mothering wrong or something else wasn't right again- It annoyed him to no end.

It resulted in a knock on a familiar door at a familiar farm. When it opened, an old man with those familiar eyes would be staring back at him- At first suspicious, knowing not who'd knock at this time of hour- And then they'd soften, upon realising it was the man's very own firstborn son.

Arzanium asked so, so, so many questions. Advice on marriage. Advice on kids. Advice on life in general. And eventually, the dam broke and all it came down to, was one question- Whether Arzanium had always been a disappointment to his father. A big sigh as immediate response.

"You? A disappointment? Nonsense, son", were his first words afterwards. "I was stuck in my own dreams. Pushing that onto you and Tyr was unfair."

The man then let out a cranky old laugh. "Your mother was sure to beat that out of me."

Arzanium looked at him questioningly with a raised eyebrow, and then the two laughed together, knowing both that mother was too precious to do such a thing. Afterwards, the eldest son was offered some tea to bring upstairs, so he could meet with his mother then. That visit did him wonders- From then on, Arzanium would try his hardest to love whatever was possible in his life even more, cherishing his loved ones for being them- Despite all their similarities and differences.

The knight would change his life around in several ways. For one, he became loyal to the deity his parents had prayed to- The one of family, of love and of home. For another, he would seek mindfulness in meditation, becoming one with his emotions and thoughts. It allowed him to look at life in a new perspective, appreciating what he had with a newfound love. It allowed Arzanium to pick up the pieces with his wife, finally forming a family as Arzanium bonded with Gallus properly and saw him as his own.

And yet.. For some reason, the fact he'd been so busy with his own life, made him forget about another- Which would eventually return to bite him in the ass- The first step being, that Arzanium shifted the Wynthrox's squad leadership towards his younger brother Trine.

— DRIFTING CLOSER —

Even after changing leadership of their knightly squad, Arzanium, Pallas and Excalibur would utilise the base from then on out- Though they weren't officially a part of it anymore- Yet it did allow them to aid where needed, such as Raptor's incident a year later- Or the many, many, many talk sessions Trine required from Arzanium, needing advice on leading his allies. It increased plenty more after the newest recruit- As Trine had complained about misunderstandings plenty more since then.

Arzanium knew that his younger brother came to him out of a place of love, but he was his own person still. The older brother had plenty of faith that he could figure it out- Despite that, the advice kept coming and coming and coming and it got to a point Arzanium grew tired of it. So tired, in fact, he accidentally told his brother he wasn't the ideal choice for leadership.

The older brother didn't think it was such a big deal. At first, at least, and Arzanium tried to put down the fuss in a familiar way akin to mother. But when his younger brother was yelling at him, asking him why he hid that fact from him anyway, the knight realised this was a ginormous deal to Trine. He had no time to explain himself, as the younger brother had cussed at him, calling him a plethora of names, and stormed out- Not wanting to speak to or rely on the older sibling for the next few months to come.

It frankly shattered Arzanium, though he knew the ball was in his younger brother's court. He was the one to put down the limit. To remove that himself, would be disrespectful- A piece of advice from father that proved helpful several times.

And then, Trine did- His brother sharing the same notions, the two siblings apologised to one another and shared a heartfelt hug- After all, they'd always been inseparable. What would one silly fight do to them, even if it was the biggest one they'd ever had? The brothers were loyal to one another, willing to anything for the other- A notion moved to the background as the years passed by, but now returned in the spotlight, as the brothers made efforts to engage in one another's lives again.

Life from then on, went back to its cozy feeling for Arzanium. Feeling closer than ever with the family he came from, as well as with the family he made, was something that made the knight truly feel at peace. As the years passed, so would Arzanium continue his part with Pallas and Excalibur- And so would his brother Trine with the Knight Squad.

Arzanium felt nothing but pride when Trine's group would increase in allies, with Trine at the top- Admittedly still needing improvement as a leader, but nonetheless more than capable to make his dreams come true. The older brother wouldn't complain even a smidge, anytime his younger brother would ask once again for some advice.

The knight got used to a more quiet existence for a while- Adventuring was put on the backburner eventually, as his bones started creaking in a similar way as his uncle's. Coming full circle, Arzanium would set foot once more at the place he started- Haevirndawn, picking up a tamer role handling quests and queries alongside uncle Achilles. Though he never got to enjoy paperwork, the simple life felt good to him. The knight was ready to fully settle down.

At some point, his wife brought forth an idea for more children. Arzanium suggested they could visit local orphanages soon- But Pallas repeated herself, suggesting biological offspring instead. He raised an eyebrow at his wife, knowing that her kind wasn't able to reproduce that way- And when she presented her entire plan laid out to the details, Arzanium wasn't so sure about it. His wife was suggesting modifications in order to bear a child- Ones that could possibly cause her harm for the rest of her life. When she mentioned it was one of her wishes to experience such an event in her life- As well as the valuable research it could provide to her species, the knight went along with it, despite worried for her safety. After all, it was one of her dreams, and he found he didn't have a right to take that away.

Arzanium would always remain full of love for everyone and everything he cared about- Regardless of different origins, different origins, different dreams and whatever was possible to differ- He'd never allow anyone or anything come in the way of that notion.

— END OF DAWN —

Similar to everyone else, Arzanium felt utterly lost once they found themselves on a wholly different place than home- Indicating the start of the End Of Dawn. The knight was one of the first to adjust, as he'd experienced something similar before. Separated from the rest, Arzanium wouldn't reunite with them until he was found by an old enemy of Raptor's, Nestor. Upon arrival at base, he'd find his younger brother and his ally Syrinq orchestrating everything. Even more surprising, folks of all kinds were getting along, despite their differences. Not taking the lead on this one for once, Arzanium would witness his brother growing as a person and leader, more confident with his qualities.

As the multigalactical events played out further, Arzanium would mostly stay in the background- Helping out where he could, whether that was gathering supplies or keeping up the morals. That changed the moment beings from the abyss and the void appeared, the knight ready with sword in hand on the front lines- Forces would have to go through him first, if they wanted to lay even a finger on any of his allies.

Fighting left and right to get home, the road would reach its end during their final conflict with the enemy- Them against three void cultists and an ally gone rogue, the latter group gained the upper hand by summoning a demonic centaur. The being eradicated everything in his path without issue, and Arzanium refused to let it go any further. His joints and bones were screaming- A passing thought that made him wonder, if he truly was this old already- They couldn't lose this fight, not when they were so damn close to victory!

In the span of what felt like an eternity- As if made of paper, a piercing attack that proved a solid gut punch- A loud scream ringing through his ears- A warmth flowering inside that didn't feel quite comforting- A loud roar that rumbled the earth- The demon killed in retaliation- Followed by a loud wail that could deafen the entire universe- Her arms wrapping around him, covered in so, so, so much reds- He wanted nothing but to hold and soothe her- All around him started to blur-

And then...

Everything went dark.

— A FARE THEE WELL —

Filled with agony and rage, it wasn't enough to save the soul that was left. The most he was allowed by the outer forces, was to say his farewells as a spirit, to then dissipate and become one with the universe. His last shared words, were of remembrance- He wanted to be remembered as he was, not as he went- He wanted to remain in their minds and hearts, even if he couldn't share life with them anymore- The last goodbye spent with his brother and wife, pleading them to go on for their own sakes.

Arzanium was one of the first to be laid down amongst the worms and dirt, as soon as the End Of Dawn had finally concluded itself. Two dedicated ceremonies- The first for close friends and family- The second for fellow allies and guild members of Haevirndawn. The painful devastation felt no longer by him, but by his grieving loved ones instead- It hurt to know they were without a soul that shouldn't have left as quickly as he had. Hope and faith didn't do anything in the end.

Buried at the Wynthrox base, a dedicated shrine was soon set up after. Had he somehow survived, the knight could've witnessed the great and grandeur his loved ones would grow into- He could've witnessed Trine truly leading as confidently as he once did- He could've witnessed the Knight Squad becoming truly inseperable- He could've witnessed his guild apprentices improving and his uncle complaining about joints too- He could've witnessed the birth of his triplets, Rovigo, Nafplion and Gytheio- He could've had his dream come true of a beloved family- He could've had so many opportunities still, and yet, they were all taken from his grasp too soon.

And so, it then all slowly sizzled out, akin to the last light within the void.

His last wish was for everyone to end up safe, with everything to turn out alright too.

Arzanium was no more, yet he would remain to live on in the minds and hearts of his loved ones- As long as life kept going on with all its noise, that was all that mattered.