A fourteen-year-old boy named Grem wants to head out to the pastures with his flock of sheep at night , as the plant called Nightglow thrives there. Unassuming by day, the sap gathers in the plants at night, making them an abundant and nutritious food source for the sheep. Thus, the sheep can yield more milk and meat. According to folklore, the Nightglow nourishes where the sun fails.
However, young Grem is stopped by his mother, Tilda.
"Grem, have a little something to eat before you go out" says the mother strictly.
Grem has no other choice and replies: "Yes, Mama." He sits down and quickly eats a small bite before he intends to set off for the pastures with his flock.
His father Rulf says: "I will follow shortly. I just have to finish forging something, lad. It won't take too long."
His sister Mira, somewhat pale in the face, wishes her brother a good time on the pasture and tucks a small yellow flower into the breast pocket of his jacket as a decoration.
Mother Tilda calls out strictly again: "Put on a jacket, Grem! It is much windier at night and therefore much colder."
Mira quickly fetches a jacket for her brother and helps him put it on. "Take care of yourself, little brother. More predators are on the hunt at night" she says with a sweet but also slightly worried smile.
Grem nods slightly and answers his little sister's sweet smile with a loving smile of his own.
"I'll be careful, Mira. Don't worry. Besides, Bron and Karr are accompanying me. And I have the pitchfork with me too" smiles Grem.
Mira smiles back lovingly.
Grem hurries and runs out onto the pasture with his flock and the pitchfork. "Come!" he calls to his two large Melandian dogs. Bron and Karr obey instantly and run with their master to the pastures.
Once there, Grem climbs a small hill and keeps a lookout for predators. It is indeed much windier and colder than during the day at this time of year. He pulls his jacket tighter, keeping his hands in his jacket pockets to stay warm.
"Good thing Mama said I should take the jacket" he says, smiling slightly with satisfaction. He breathes in deeply to enjoy the fresh mountain air. "How beautifully the mountains smell" says young Grem with a smile on his face.
And indeed, the mountains in Melandor smell slightly sweet and metallic, due to the iron ores in the rock. Many Nightglow plants grow everywhere, which glow a beautiful orange-red in the night and add an extra sweet note to the slightly sweet scent of the mountains. The sheep graze hungrily in the meadows.
The dark king flies through the skies, once again looking out for his next victim. But this time he is not looking for just any victim. His urge for flesh and blood submits to something else this time: his overriding goal to get his true love back! Even though his craving for flesh and blood is unruly again, it has given way to the craving for his true love.
In doing so, he discovers the village of Glutheim in the southern mountains of Melandor. His craving for flesh and blood increases more and more. He circles over his victim: the young Grem!
The sheep notice the approaching deadly danger and panic. Grem notices the strange behavior of his sheep, even if he cannot yet discern the reason at this moment. The dogs bark loudly. The sheep run quietly from one place to the next, back and forth, as if they didn't know where to flee.
Grem looks from north to south, from west to east and then back again, but he sees no predator approaching the herd. But then he sees Bron and Karr barking towards the sky. He looks up and sees the shadow of a huge, monstrous, flying creature of darkness, circling him and his flock of sheep at considerable speed.
The dark king goes into a nosedive to seize young Grem. The sheep run far away from the scene out of pure fear. Even though the king's craving calls for flesh and blood, his plan is far more important. He lands with full force directly in front of the young shepherd.
Grem falls to the ground in panic, but he cannot move a millimeter; his body has fallen into a kind of shock paralysis. He trembles all over his body. His face is chalk-white, his heart beats like crazy, his pores are wide open and his entire body is covered in sweat. Even though his heart is racing, it feels as if it has stopped beating. The pure fear is written on his face.
"P-please don't kill me" says young Grem with a trembling and stuttering voice.
"Kill?!" asks the dark king. "But certainly not! I have something magnificent in mind for you, little human" he grins devilishly. "You are an important piece of the puzzle in my plan! THIS magnificent honor shall be bestowed upon you. What is your name, my boy?"
"Plan?" asks the young shepherd, confused, fearful, and tearful. "Honor? I do not understand, my lord. Are you the... the Devil? Have you come... to take me to the underworld? Am I to burn for my sins? Have I committed a crime? I only wanted to... do my best for my family. Did I fail? I know, my sister is..."
He can almost not pronounce these words and has to force himself: "...seriously ill and needs medicine. But the yields are low and thus we cannot afford enough good medicine for her." Grem almost has to cry at this. "Can you perhaps save my little sister, my lord?"
Since he is so petrified, he talks like a waterfall. The dark king interrupts young Grem.
"You clearly talk too much, my boy! I can indeed save your sister. But for that, you must answer all my questions! Let us begin with a simple question. What is your name?"
"My name is Grem. And you, my lord? I am sorry, but can you really help my little sister?"
Again the dark king interrupts young Grem. "I have many names, my boy. But this will no longer be of importance to you. And yes, I can actually help your sister. But not only your sister, but your whole family and even your entire village. But only if you answer my questions honestly, boy. Do you have a family? And what are the names of your family members?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions, my lord? I do not understand."
"Simply answer my questions" says the dark king harshly. "You are not capable of comprehending my motives because you think in boundaries that I have long left behind. Do you have a mother and a father, boy?"
"Yes, of course I have a mother and a father, my lord. My mother is called Tilda and my father is called Rulf. And my little sister is called Mira. But I still do not understand why you are asking me all these questions."
"Your thoughts need no longer be confused, boy" says the dark king to young Grem. "You will soon be free... Free from any burden of the earthly world! Your sister, your family, and your whole village will also be free soon!"
"This thought is really very beautiful, my lord" says young Grem hopefully. "I would really do anything if you could save my little sister. Really anything! She has always taken such loving care of me when I was sick. And she has done everything imaginable for me and always supported me where I needed help the most. And now she needs my help because she is seriously ill. So I want to help her now, instead of her helping me. So if I can actually help her, then I would be the happiest human in this world."
"Good, then step forward, boy" says the dark king.
But young Grem still cannot move out of fear, even though he really would like to help his little sister. He feels the unruly aura of a monstrous dark power, so that he cannot move his body a millimeter.
"I am sorry, my lord, but my body won't move a millimeter. I am so sorry. I really want to, but my body simply won't listen to my commands."
The dark king walks towards young Grem with large steps and seizes him. With the sharp, thirty-centimeter-long claws on his wings, the dark king slits open Grem's upper body.
An ice-cold sensation travels internally through Grem's body. An inner feeling of pressure arises, as if something is being pulled outwards. His chest becomes heavier and heavier, literally crushing. Dazed by the blood loss, he feels the void in his body.
Bron and Karr bark and move to attack, but they have no chance against the dark king. After the attack, only a cracking sound follows, and then silence.
Young Grem is still screaming in pain, his entire body trembling like crazy, his pupils and mouth are wide open, but he is still in shock paralysis, so his whole body seems paralyzed. Afterwards, he has the feeling as if he no longer seems to be in his own body.
With his maw wide open, the dark king slowly sucks up young Grem's blood until he loses consciousness. Then the dark king crawls into the upper body of the young shepherd. In doing so, he contracts and becomes smaller, to finally disappear completely inside the boy's body. The wound closes subsequently and leaves only a long scar.
Grem, or rather the host Grem, says contentedly: "Very nice, you will serve me as a useful flesh garment yet, my boy." He smiles contentedly.
"Your will shall leave. But your body shall belong to me."
Rulf noticed the barking of the dogs and rushes as fast as he can with a pitchfork in his hand to his boy.