First Light, page 38
First Light
Tales of the Vanguard: Rune Saga Book 1
Verity Rose
Copyright © 2026 by Verity Rose
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact Verity Rose at veerozeauthor@gmail.com.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Book Cover by MiBlart
1st edition 2025
This book is dedicated to my loving wife who has stood by me through everything. Every tear shed, and every smile gifted was one of the driving forces finally bringing my author's dreams to fruition.
To our darling son:
May this book remind you that you never let the realities of life stifle your creativity, imagination, or joy
Finally, to the earliest supporter of this story:
Leah Wells. Without your input, energy, and excitement, this project would never have seen the light of day, nor would any future creation.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Afterword
Acknowledgements
About the author
Prologue
From nothing, Chaos began. From its oceans, beings embodying Order formed, becoming the gods. It was they who found a weakened world, one of many created and destroyed by the toiling of Chaos. It was they who isolated it, protected it. It was they who imparted their Order and blessings to its inhabitants.
Excerpt from Origins of All compiled by the Archpriest Henner of the Crucidian Church
Rune
Surrounded by open fields, broken only by the occasional knoll, a group of six people stood at the ready for their hunt. A gentle spring wind whipped through their hair. Some kept their eyes trained on the tree line in the distance, while others maintained a careful watch over the skies above. Each carried a hunting bow in hand with a quiver full of arrows strapped to their backs. Simple iron short swords clung to their hips. Of the six, two of the people were shorter than the rest, appearing to be only twelve or thirteen at most. Simple leather armor covered their forearms, chests, legs, and feet.
One of the two children was a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes, while the other was a boy with hazel eyes and silver hair. Both of them exuded a nervous yet excited energy that was only barely contained, thanks to the occasional, stern glance of one adult with them, who had similar silver hair to the boy.
“Keep your eyes on both the sky and the forest canopy. The beasts move quick and if you aren’t careful, you could end up with a few broken bones, or worse. Got it, Arkrune? Tara?” the silver-haired man barked.
“Yessir, Vickar, sir!” Tara giggled while giving a mock salute.
The only response the man had for her was to sigh before he glanced back at the trees. Arkrune stifled a small laugh, when the sound of screeching drew his attention to the treetops. Several brown blurs launched into the air in a loose, V-shaped formation. The objects initially soared straight into the sky above the trees but were clearly moving toward the hunting party.
Vickar brought two fingers to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. In an instant, the group scattered, breaking into pairs. Arkrune and Tara paired together, diving to the right of the formation while Vickar took the center. Arkrune clipped his bow to his back before drawing his sword. Today’s hunt had him acting the part of the distraction, while Tara was to pick the birds off.
Bash Eagles were not strong beasts, but their aerial maneuverability made it difficult for all but the best marksmen to target them in flight. The best way to hit them was to catch them by surprise in their nests or by baiting them into initiating their diving attack. As their name suggested, they dove at their enemies with their hardened skulls. Once the diving attack started, they lost all of their previous agility for a devastatingly powerful attack. This state left them vulnerable to a practiced hunter.
It was a dangerous gamble because if the person acting as bait was hit, then the resulting impact could be rather deadly.
Culling the local population into small hunts like this was a tradition for their village of Locke. Neither Tara nor Arkrune had been on a prior hunt. Both of them had been training with Vickar for months and pestering him for a chance to put their practice to the test.
Being out in the field after so much begging sent Arkrune’s heart into a wild beat. This is what I wanted. A sense of adventure, action, excitement. Truly, this is… The cries of screeching beasts drew his eyes back into the air and cleared his mind. There was no time for flights of fancy. As the bait, he needed to attract the Bash Eagle’s attention and give Tara an opportunity to strike. By becoming a moving target and waving his sword around, he hoped to create an enticing opponent for at least one monster. His father had taught him a technique sure to draw attention, but now was not the time for it, as it could draw the attention of all the beasts present.
Two birds broke off from the pack, aiming directly for his position. Tara shouted something, but the roar of his heart in his ears drowned out almost everything else from Arkrune’s perception. He knew what the plan was—what he was supposed to do—but being in the moment was different.
Both birds began their dive with a terrifying amount of speed. They seamlessly transitioned from a graceful glide into a nosedive with a single large flap of their massive wings. With them bearing down on his position, the boy found his body refusing commands. The panic froze him in place. No longer was he in the gravel training pit his father had made; now he was facing a true threat to his life, and it terrified him.
When the dull yellow eyes of the Bash Eagles became visible, Arkrune’s brain started working once more. It was too late; there wasn’t enough time for him to react. Moments before the first monster reached him, Tara’s small frame appeared as a blur in the corner of his vision. With a loud, high-pitched scream, the girl rammed her shoulder into the belly of the monster. It squawked in surprise as the impact forced it to relax the powerful back muscles that kept its spine and skull straight. The Bash Eagle crashed into the ground, spraying up clods of dirt and grass. Debris pelted the side of Arkrune’s face.
The second monster flapped its wings and quickly soared back into the sky. Now that its prey was obscured, it had retreated to the safety of the sky until it came into view once more. That was incredibly close. The boy swallowed what felt like his heart jumping into his throat.
“Chaos take me, Rune! You froze!” Tara shouted. She crouched protectively over his body after he sank to his knees from the shock. “I can’t believe you right now. Get up. There’s more to this fight.”
Arkrune stood with the help of his best friend’s outstretched hand. She had a silly grin on her face, clearly putting in a lot of effort to stop herself from making a sassy remark. Before she lost her self-control, Tara lightly shoved the boy’s shoulder with her fist. They turned to look along the ground, where the Bash Eagle had landed. It was sprawled out with its head unnaturally folded into its back.
Tara was lucky that she managed to slam into a special pressure point near the stomach of the monster. Because of a hard enough impact at the right location, she had forced it to relax the strengthened muscles in its neck. Without that increased reinforcement, it had no longer been able to withstand the impact.
A loud screech yet again pulled their eyes to the sky to see the remaining monster gently flapping its wings with its furious gaze locked onto the corpse of its ally. Crying out in frustration, it dove once more. As they were both standing near one another, it was hard to tell which person it was aiming for. Before they could organize their thoughts, Arkrune and Tara bolted in opposite directions.
The monster stuck out one of its wings slightly and pitched itself towards Tara. Once he noticed the change, Arkrune planted a foot on the ground before twisting his body and redirecting the energy into his leg muscles. Using his own form like a spring, he darted in the exact opposite direction. It was like how the Bash Eagles themselves moved and was a staple in the primary fighting style his father had taught them in.
“Tara, watch out!”
Arkrune
With a sharp cry, Arkrune swung his sword upward toward the monster. Using the energy of its own dive in opposition to his swing, the boy tried to sever the bird’s head from its body in one clean strike. At first, there was resistance, and his arms and bones ached. Just as he felt his grip loosen, he suddenly felt a warm sensation spread through his body. His strength increased. The two pieces of the monster’s corpse rolled along the ground, splattering blood and gore over both of them. Tara’s bright eyes turned as wide as saucers, stunned by the display. Shortly after, a massive grin spread across her face.
Arkrune panted from the exertion. Strangely, it felt that his breathing was from excitement more than anything. Not even a hint of exhaustion existed anywhere within his body. Every muscle burned with energy as if prepared to take on an army of beasts. The ache from earlier was simply a memory. What is this? Is this battle-lust? Father told me of it, but it doesn’t quite feel right.
His thoughts were interrupted by Tara’s body colliding with his own. “Rune! That was amazing! Thanks for the save!”
Both of their bodies fell into the grass as she tackled him to the ground. Tara’s brilliant smile was unmarred by the blood painting her cheek. Peals of laughter escaped her lips as she clumsily released her hold on him. Arkrune noticed a hint of blush on her cheeks as she did so and was going to say something before an angry yell interrupted their celebratory hug.
They looked toward the source of the voice and both paled when they locked onto Vickar’s enraged expression. The other hunters averted their gazes as they began working on breaking down the beasts for materials. “You damned brat! By Chaos, why did you freeze? You could have gotten yourself hurt or killed. Do you know what your mother would have done to me if I brought her son back crippled?”
A worried tone underlay Vickar’s angry shouts. Arkrune’s shoulders sank, prepared for a punitive strike. It never came. Instead, his father’s larger form wrapped around him with a near choking embrace.
“You damn fool! You froze, but you recovered quickly. You even protected Tara. Good. I’m glad you’re alright.”
Arkrune looked beyond his father’s shoulders to Tara who was standing beside them. She had a concerned look in her eyes.
“Live combat differs from training, I know. However, you must always be on your guard. A moment of delay can lead to devastating consequences. My son, you are far too young to walk into Death’s embrace.” Vickar continued as he pulled away from him and rested a calloused hand atop his head.
“I’m sorry, Father.”
“Good.” Vickar nodded. “I will be taking the next two months away from the forge. During that time, you and I will be training non-stop from sunrise to sunset. That will be your punishment.”
Tara gave him a pitying glance before she slinked away, hoping to remain unnoticed by Vickar. Unfortunately, she was not so fortunate as the blacksmith’s heavy hand took hold of the collar of her shirt. “Not so fast, lil’ missy. You will be joining us. Get ready, both of you. Take the rest of today to rest. Training begins outside the forge tomorrow morning before the sun rises.”
Vickar laughed evilly as he stood and walked away from them. Arkrune felt the beginning of a headache forming but was easily distracted from the pain by Tara placing her slender hand on his forearm. Each gave a solemn nod before standing and assisting with the harvesting of the Bash Eagles.
Rune
Back in the village of Locke, they sat under the shade of a tree. It grew atop a hill behind the church’s graveyard. From there, a pleasant view of the ocean and small fishing piers greeted them. Ever since they had been allowed to venture about town without an adult, Tara and Arkrune had frequented this spot to play and relax.
Only a handful of hours ago, they had faced down their first life or death experience, and in less than twenty-four more they would be subjected to two months of torturous training as punishment for Arkrune’s panic. Still, while they had this moment to relax, they enjoyed it to its fullest. As such, they rested side by side in the soft grass, letting the cool breeze blow over them. It was Spritendus, the second month of spring, so the gentle breeze brought with it the pleasant smell of flowers that grew along the base of the hill.
“You know, you don’t have to work at the church when you grow up,” Arkrune muttered, only barely audible to his friend.
Tara sighed but gently smiled while she turned to lay on her side and face him. She brushed her short, wavy hair behind her ear and away from her eyes. “I told you this already. It’s something I want to do. If I don’t work for the church, I will have to take over the shop for Dad. And I don’t know if you knew this, but I’m not really merchant material.” She laughed softly, joined by a small huff from Arkrune.
“You can always join the Vanguard with me, you know? You fight just as well as me. By Chaos, you are way better at the bow than I am, and you can keep up with me pretty well using the sword, too! Gods, you saved my ass earlier!”
“Rune, you know that’s not the kind of life I want to live. It is good to know how to fight to protect yourself, but seeking out fights…” Tara sighed once more, though in a much sadder manner. “That just isn’t something I want.”
“Stop calling me Rune,” the boy said. “My name is Arkrune, you know.”
This time, his friend squinted her eyes at him with a teasing expression. She jabbed her finger into his cheek. “Ah yes, the boy from a small village with the name of a hero. My apologies, mi’lord. You are destined for greatness. Pity me, good sir, for making a mockery of your regal name.”
“Stop that!”
They laughed together for a moment and wrestled each other for a few more. Years ago, the odds of winning had been much closer to even, but as they grew older, Arkrune had grown larger than Tara. Such an advantage led to his victory in their short bout, ending in them flopping back onto the grass once more.
“I think Rune suits you better. Besides, when you become an S-Ranked warrior, don’t you want the people to sing your praises instead of mixing you in with the praises of some long-dead legend?” Tara whispered.
“I guess that makes sense.” Arkrune nodded in agreement. He glanced between several leaves above their heads and contemplated her words before clenching his fist with renewed determination. “You’re right, Tara. When I register for the Vanguard in a few years, I will do it under the name Rune! When I become S-Rank, I’ll come back and we…”
He glanced at Tara, whose face suddenly felt much closer than before. A faint rosy hue colored her cheeks. “What will we do when you come back?” she whispered after his voice trailed off.
Arkrune gulped slightly. “Uh, we will…”
The sound of a bell interrupted him mid-sentence. Someone had rung the central bell outside the chief’s house, which also served as the town hall. Before rising, they exchanged an unsure look. There was no scheduled meeting today, leaving them to wonder what was going on.
Chapter One
Rune – A Few Years Later
Rhythmic pounding of someone hammering metal pulled Rune from his slumber. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching his arms and legs before him, he deeply inhaled the fresh morning air. It tasted clean at first, but there was a subtle hint of soot flavoring it. A fact of life in the village of Locke. His door was slightly open and through the crack there was a feminine face peering at him with glowing purple eyes.
His precocious sister stuck out her tongue. She threw a wet rag at him with a laugh before she slammed the door and ran off. Their mother’s voice could be heard from the hallway that seemed to chastise the girl. It was firm but, in a way, gentle.
Rune took a moment to adjust to being awake. Once he had done so, he remembered it was the twenty-fourth of Spritistus. His birthday had been two days prior, which meant today would be a big one for him; one he had been waiting on for a while.
