Chapter One
The Descent
It was just another beautiful day in Keltar a small community of not prosperous, but joy-filled people. Our village was secluded within the woods surrounded by mountains one side and large river on the adjacent side. Only entry was a small wooden bridge, even then you had to navigate through the dense woods to find our homestead.
Argrona was out foraging near the river in her blue sundress, her favorite it was the first one she fashioned by herself, it was loosely curvy with her features descending and flaring out to her knees. She leaned to a tippy-toe reaching for an apple in her furry fox hide moccasins that came to her shin.
"My basket is full Argrona, and it's getting heavy can we go back yet, pleeeease." A small child's voice whined. She was cute as spring flowers, her yellow & white dress standing only waist high, she was Argrona's little sister Iszibella.
"Yes Iszy, you can go back, tell mums and papa I'll be there shortly."
The impatient child didn't hesitate, she was skipping off before Argrona could finish.
Argrona giggled to herself, then began to hum a tune in sync with the birds, a tune her mum sang a lot while doing the laundry with her down by the river.
Her basket overflowing now, but not quite ready to get back to home & chores just yet, Argrona laid down in the thick grassy meadow and smiled wide, daydreaming of a young boy in the village. Tasseling her long brown hair with her finger, she began to giggle to herself again, giddy with joy.
"So what have you been up to?" she spoke as if someone was there rehearsing to herself.
"Oh you know, the usual, foraging the fruits, washing the clothes, helping mum prepare dinner before the men come in from their evening chores, and maybe daydreaming of you a bit"
She laughed aloud "Daydreaming of me? Argrona, I'm astounded," she imagined him caressing her face and leaning in for a kiss, but her thoughts were broken short when the screams broke through the bird songs. She looked back to the village to see smoke rising up. More pain-filled screams came from the direction.
Argrona dropped her Basket and ran. She was far from the village and by the time she arrived on the outskirts her heart sank and she unconsciously fell to her knees & began to weep. The village was in ruins corpses lay everywhere houses falling in from the flames there was nothing left.
A woman's cry cut short broke her from her thoughts she ran in the direction, she rounded the corner of the destroyed house to see the origin of the cries came from her own mother. She gasped covering her mouth, as a man cut her down. Her father was being held up by another man at sword point. She saw her father's sword laying just in-front of her. Rage began to well up inside her; the red began to set in her mind. It was time to kill...
She was no fool with the blade her father taught her enough to keep an average swordsman at bay, But all that was blocked from the rage welling up in her throat. An ethereal voice intruded her thoughts just before she sprang for the two men. "You cannot defeat these men they are too strong, too battle hardened to notice your feeble attacks." She shook her head and looked back to the intruders, the red set in again.
The rhythmic sound of her heartbeat, she steadied her breaths long and slow, this is the only sound she could hear as she sprang to them striking with precision into one man's kidney a blow that would drop any man.
The voice echoed in her head as the man turned around "They feel no pain." She shuttered when the man turned around. Covered in blood and old battle scars, his face grim with a creeping smile as he raised his blade unhindered by the blow. She was so enthralled she barely had time to raise her blade in defense to the man's attack. Little did it help as his blade cut hers in half making the weapon useless & he kicked her down, the pain was minor her adrenaline still flowing she was enraged now. Her rage was short lived as the man struck her deep in the stomach. Her mouth fell open, pain reeled like no other. She cried out as the man twisted the blade and removed it. She toppled over to the side. She could see her father screaming in her direction tears streaking down his face like rivers. He couldn't move his hands were bound behind his back tied to his feet, he was helpless, every man's worst fear. To helplessly watch as your family is taken.
The other man cut her father's throat a tear escaped Argrona's eye, as he strangled on his own blood, gurgling, choking, but never giving into death he stayed upright as long as his body allowed, he slouched and became lifeless. The killers both walked away, leaving them all to rot...
The voice came again as Argrona slipped in & out of consciousness. "You can avenge your families death, you can become more powerful that anyone. No one will question your poweress then. You will be god-like. Do you consent?" She laid there bathing in her & her father's blood knowing this was the end. No bright lights, no smiles, only the cold dark touch of death. "I consent." she said meekly.
"Now embrace what I give to you, the power of a demi-god."
Her back arched & every muscle in her body tensed up. Like a deathly chill slowly spreading throughout her body she gasped as it reached her throat as if she were drowning. Kicking & flailing her arms as if she was being held down by something, but alas the process was complete.
She lied still her back slowing descending to the ground and her limbs lay limply about her. She seemed to be in an enthralling trance letting all that just came to past, sink in. One thing she did know, the pain was gone.
She slowly rose to her feet regaining conciseness. She looked at her village now a smoldering pile of rubble. She walked up to her father's corpse and gently cut the bonds and let him down to the ground, She walked around the corner of their burning house and seen a smoldering body with an arrow in its back, she shuttered as she approached it, it was small child, her sister Iszy… She fell to her knees and tried to cry for her, but no tears came, she caressed her hands across her smoldering corpse, breathing in the foul stench that follows, but no tears fell. She felt worse now, she would feel better if she could grieve for a moment, but she couldn't now.
Rage began to well up in her again a grim look came upon her face. She looked in the direction the two men went and stared. "What are you waiting for? You see their path, destroy them now." The voice commanded. "I have no weapons." She said meekly, thinking about the broken sword on the ground.
"Weapons, Foolish woman, you are the weapon! Instill the fear into their bodies as you unbridle your fury upon them fearlessly un-armed & un-protected. You must let one witness all and live to spread your tale. Go now, my child!" The voice boomed in her head.
Without another thought she started running down the path they had taken. Not far from the village she had seen their fires begin to flicker. They were setting up camp for the night.
"A good ghost story will do them good!" she said with a slight chuckle in her voice. When she arrived to the encampment there were a half-dozen men standing around the fire passing stories of events passed while some were un-armed, others were in full suit.
She scanned the men for a moment and noticed one a little more out spoken than the others. He was large, battle worn, and well equipped. This was her first target, and it would go from there. She felt no anxiety as she stepped into the light of the fire in direct sight of the one that had thought killed her. As expected he pointed and trembled in disbelief. "You, Y-you're dead!" He blurted out.
Exactly what she wanted, for him to instill the fear in the others, as expected again the big man stood up to face off with the young woman.
He grabbed his axe and charged in with an overhead chop that hit the dirt hard. She stepped to the side as the axe blew past her. Amazed at her new found speed, she wasted no time though she turned & swung hard with a left hook in the arm that held the axe, Bones cracked, and the man winced and growled with a bellow, he rose up enraged. His arm laid limp beside him & his axe on the ground. Rage welling in his eyes, he swung with a left hook; she ducked & sprang into the air with a spinning kick, which hit home right at his neck. A loud crack sounded off & the big man instantly fell limp clearly dead.
The men standing around the fire stared at the corpse in disbelief, so easily disposed of by the small woman. The men looked at each other & in harmony cried out & sprang on the woman like a pack of wolves.
She grabbed one man's tunic & threw him into a tent, she felt a sting on the side of her head as she twirled regaining her ground. She turned around & kicked one man to the side and planted fist into his back pushing him directly into the fire. The man flailed wildly sending embers flying in all directions scattering the remaining men. Her head was becoming warmer now, but no pain followed she knew that she must be bleeding. She spun around and a man had his sword drawn to chop her down, but she was the quicker & drove her fist straight through his chest, His mouth fell agape as did her own at the very thought of puncturing a man with her bear fist. The remaining men watched in enthrallment at the sight of the man's own heart, still beating as it rolled off her hand in-front of him. She was in shock, she looked at her now blood-soaked arm small dark clots of blood dabbled all over it as it ran down her elbow and onto her once beautiful blue dress.
A boot struck the back of her knee, breaking her from her thoughts, she spun to face him, he was launching his attack, but she was the quicker. She punched him in the gut hard enough to rupture his vital organs & again she came with a left, then a right hook, in fast repetition. Blood spewed from his mouth like a fountain over her, he fell to the ground struggling to get a breath by the thick blood that now fills his lungs.
The last man came in crying out his battlecry, flailing two swords wildly hoping to intimidate the woman. She snapped her head around her shoulder in his direction locking her eyes with his. The fire in the wild man's eyes died out instantly at her deathly cold stare, he stopped in his footsteps.
"For what it's worth." He began in a cracking voice. "We didn't have a choice in this; it was either obey his commands, or suffer a horrible death. He stated, trying to remain calm.
Her eyes never blinking, and never letting his escape her gaze, she turned her body to face him and began walking to him.
Well I guess you can rest in peace then can't you? You have managed to follow both orders, and face a horrible death. She spoke in a spine chilling ethereal tone.
The man began to weep; he held his hands out dropping his swords to the ground.
"Have mercy." He begged.
Argrona scowled at him now. "Is that what you told the men when you burned my house to the ground, to have mercy? Is that what you told them when the little girl ran out the back door covered in flames, is to have mercy…" Her voices echoing every word, making the man sob in fear of his own death.
"Oh, contraire, I-I-did have mercy on her, I ended her life quickly." He pleaded meekly.
His grim look came about him. "Barchnue scolded me for doing it, told me they needed to suffer the wrath…" he said while pointing to the largest man's corpse.
"Fair Enough, I have pity on you, not for your story, but because you have abandoned your place in Elysium to gain a swift death, pick up your swords now…" she spat in disgust.
The man began to weep again doing as he was told. As soon as his hands grasped the hilt he sprang for her abdomen. She clasped her hands together with downward thrust motion & opening the man's arms the swords nipping at both sides of her hips, the man shrieked at the sight. Argrona rolled her wrist grabbing the ball of the hilt and rolling the blade out of his hands.
She trailed her first bade across his bicep and across his chest the second blade followed in an X motion. She twirled around and around hitting him from waist line up to his upper torso with light cuts all across his body convulsing violently under the stress of pain it was enduring, he did not cry out merely entrapped by the pain itself. She stopped and they locked stares.
"Now you know what she felt like, now I shall repay the favor."
She quickly struck the side of his neck with the sword, his eyes peered around not sure what just happened followed by his head sliding off his torso as it collapsed in a bloody pool on the ground. Argrona looked at it in disgust. But her thoughts were broken once more.
She heard the man that she threw into the tent hyperventilating trying to control himself. She spun around to face him, blood slung from her hair & still dripping all about her body, but it wasn't her blood. The man tried to back up but his clumsiness entangled him even more in the tent.
"I am Argrona; you will tell people what has happened here"
The man didn't hesitate he un-tangled himself of the twine and sprinted off in the distance. The voice came back into her head. "You have done well; they will be back with reinforcements. Perhaps you should prepare." She looked at the weapons the men used. "No- no-no my child, look to the north." The voice said.
She looked to the north and on a weapon's rack laid a pair of steel whips. She picked up the whips and they were light as twine, seamlessly coiled together like muscles. They gleamed in the moonlight almost glowing, such craftsmanship, such flawless masterpieces; she knew it was a gift from the gods. She quickly wrapped the belt around her scanned the area one last time. "What would you have me do now?"
You have begun your name, but you have nothing to show. Prove your strength & let's go hunting!" The voice said with confidence.
She did not hesitate. "Where shall I start?" She asked, as if talking to the night sky.
There is a cave to the East with monstrous beast within. Slay the beast; its hide will make use for later. She felt no need for rest; she started east and found the cave. The sun was beginning to crest over the horizon. "Strange." She thought aloud, she has run better half of the night & has not eaten sense the morning before & she still has no need for rest or hunger.
She grabbed the whips off her hips and looked at them dangling. She had never used a whip, but she had no doubts that this voice will guide her hands to perfection as it did at the encampment. She walked into the cave and what was once black is now a blue/gray hue. "How convenient" she thought aloud. The cave was small at first, quickly gaining size in unison, she came to a three way branch, and a carved wooden sign on one of the middle column walls.
It had rough arrows carved into it she read it aloud while looking at each corresponding branch.
"Left; a scenic view to your death. Right; a round-a-bout way to your death. Straight; the fastest way to you death." She read the sign aloud.
She chuckled as she began walking down the path in front of her, the quickest way to you death. This was no ordinary cave she found out by noticing some of the architecture, this was made. Argrona smirked as she rounded the corner she seen the beast.
"Fast indeed." She muttered.
As if the beast was anticipating her arrival it watched her step down the crafted steps leading into the new lair. A huge squared off room beautify carved out of the solid stone. The beast sneered at her as she paced the floor sizing the beast up. The thing was otherworldly. It was as big as a Mammoth, while it looked humanoid; it had leather like hide its muscles were corded tightly stretching against its gray hide as it rose up and pounded on its chest like a drunken boasting himself.
Time was up; the beast did a roaring charge at the woman.
She twirled the whip once and then let her left whip fly forward followed by a swinging right hook both weapons struck home left whip striking its right shoulder and right whip striking its left forearm the beast did not stop even though the hits were deep & blood poured out from them. Figuring to crush the foolish woman where she stood & knowing her weapons best used at range, the beast charged on. Her nimble body jumped out of the way just before the beast got to her.
The beast tried to skid to a halt; alas it was going too fast and slammed into the wall. Not slowing it down, but it did give the woman enough room to launch another series of attacks.
She ran up the stairs leading into the cave and launched her attack, the weapons tore through the beast's hardened hide as if it were cloth. Deep lacerations bleed now from both sides of his neck, the loss of blood made the beast weak, tumbling to the ground groaning & breathing deep & heavily. She felt no pity, nor Justice for the beast as it laid there watching her pace about it. The breaths got more & more spaced out as it struggled to catch a deep breath. The beast turned its head upright and closed its eyes and took a few more breathes and then faded away...
She scanned the room for something to skin the beast with. She browsed a few nearby remains of slain people, mostly just farmers. A corpse in the corner of the room caught her eye, a very decayed corpse, surprisingly still intact. Even more interesting was a satchel still attached to the ribcage.
She smirked as she made her way over to it.
"And just what were you carrying with you?" she asked the corpse as if it could reply.
She opened the satchel to find a few pieces of jewelry a few gems and a finely crafted dagger, more of a knife probably used for digging the gems out of the stone. "That would explain why you are here." She mocked at the corpse.
She made her way back to the beast & began to skin its hide with the incredibly sharp blade. She ran the blade down the inside each of its arms, then legs just like her father taught her when they would bring back wild game from hunts. She noticed something else when she rolled the beast over. It had a beautiful stone necklace about it with an inscription on it. She pulled on the necklace trying to break it free, but it wouldn't budge. She lifted the beast's head and slid it off and read the inscriptions "Shalkáemouré." She said aloud.
The sound of shifting stone turned her attention. A new door way was revealed. She finished skinning the beast & looked back to the satchel the unfortunate traveler had about him. She picked up the satchel & dumped out the condense scattering the jewels and gems stuffing the hide into it. "I have slain the beast gathered the hide. What will you have me do now?" She spoke to the voice now as if it were walking next to her.
"You are doing well my child; you have already determined the next task. Venture deeper into the asylum be weary, the guardian at the door was not here by mistake." The voice said to her.
She chuckled as she replied.
"Apparently they don't like trespassers, must be something of great importance in here."