A nightmare.

[Lun]

Darkness, and then a slowly sharpening image. He was alone in his room, his door shut against his parents fighting. He could still hear them from here, but he didn't understand what they were saying. He was too young. While he tried to busy himself with a picture book, shouts about fleeing from the war. None of it made sense, so he tried to drown them out.
Time passed since then, and he was in the main room when they came. The soldiers. They kicked down the door and came in, torches aflame and swords pulled out. Upon entering, they tried to grab him and his family, but his father fought them off with the best of his ability. He wore the same uniform as the men he was fighting.
Mother grabbed onto his father and tried to pull him away from the soldiers, all the while pleading for them to let us go. Moments passed before a soldier smashed the pommel of his sword into his father's head, his body crumpling on the floor in a heap. The soldiers picked him up and surrounded the two, when a man slowly strolled into the once remotely peaceful home. He had never seen the man before, but felt an aura of importance coming off the man.
"Where is it? You found what I want, didn't you?" the man said, placing a boot over his father's head.
"No." him father struggled to answer, his breath coming in ragged short bursts.
"Don't play games with me. I can have you tortured, and while I wait-" The man took a step toward the boy and his mother.
"No!" his father exclaimed, mustering the energy to struggle in the soldier's grips.
"Then tell me what I want to know." the man insisted.
His father looked at a certain spot on the floor. It was obviously unintentional, as he flinched afterward. The dark man, however, seemed pleased and motioned for his soldiers to prize open the floor. His father flinched away, glancing one last time at his family. It was odd. His eyes looked... apologetic. It was only for a moment, before he closed his eyes.
Something exploded. In just a few moments, the house was engulfed in a raging inferno... ff the explosion had not set the house aflame, the torches the soldiers were carrying would. In a few moments, they were in a giant pyre. Something hot had hit the boy in the back, and he screamed as clothing and flesh burned, a permanent mark to be left. He heard his mother sob as she gathers the boy quickly, his back screaming in agony as his mother tried to cover him up with what was left of a coat. Quickly, they fled from the burning building. The soldiers caught them only moments later.
Father was dead. Even in his pained mental and physical state, it hit him repeatedly. Father had left, and he would not be coming back. The torture began, and the only things he could recall were a red haze, and the pained screaming of his mother. Finally giving up on the pair, the man decided to dig through the rubble. During his final... session, the boy had his tongue removed and cauterized. The boy would never speak a word of the events that had occurred.
Then there was only darkness and running. Lots of running.

Arrak woke with a sudden start, sweat beads tricking down his face. The same nightmare... He looked out the window and realized that it was still midnight, and he wasn't going to get any more sleep. Getting dressed, he went on patrol.