Oakvale...
Sweet Oakvale...
All my memories of you, gone.
I suppose it started on my tenth birthday. I? I am Theresa Robe, daugther of Scarlet Robe, sister of
Sieg the Pilgrim. To some I am hope, to others... I am Skorm's daughter. And all that, just because I -
along with Sieg - am the only one who survived Jack of Blades' bandit attack. That is something no
one but us could do...
Now, where was I? Ah, it was my tenth birthday. My brother, the savior of Albion, the wanderer, the Pilgrim, was only eight years of age, and this day would be the beginning... the beginning of the end Albion for a long time.
I was playing in the fields of Oakvale, since we children are not allowed in bars. My brother was busy looking around the town, doing... whatever annoying brothers do. As I play, I saw a small stone. It was glowing red. I put it in my pocket, I did not know if it would be of any importance. It wasn't, but I feel it should be said anyway because doing that, I heard a distant sound. It was yelling.
Now, I am NOT one who panics, I mean, look at what I've become! But, it was indeed suspicious.
I mean, are town was peaceful. Untouched by the sword. I continued playing, but I heard the sound
again. It was getting closer. I started to think about running away... but no. I forgot to mention today
was the day Mother was coming home. Mother was once a Hero, named Scarlet Robe. If danger was
coming, she'd stop it...
But I had a strange flashback of what she said to me before...
"Theresa," she had said, "do make sure... if anything happens... make sure your brother is Ok..."
"Why?" I had asked, being naive as I was back then.
"Because... he is..." she looked around to see if anyone was listening, "the Key."
"The Key... to what?"
"To a dangerous weapon... a weapon my enemy - Albion's enemy - is looking for."
"You mean-" I began, but then, Mother covered my mouth. She nodded her head to the doorway,
and there he was, Sieg. He looked tired from playing outside.
That was then. This was "now". Sieg was alot more energetic, and very forgetful. I thought he would forget my birthday, but he didn't. He came to me and brought me chocolates.
"Um... happy birthday, Theresa..." he said shyly.
"Thank you brother. I always knew you'd get me chocolates. It's just like my dream," I said. "Come on. Mother'll be waiting for us at home..."
I took one step, then listened hard. I just heard more yelling, then silence. I thought it would never happen,
that me and Sieg and Father and Mother would be safe.
I was wrong.
It did happen.
"Wait," I whispered to Sieg, "something's not right..."
"BANDITS!"
Sieg and I looked towards the town entrance, and saw a bloodied figure, about Father's age. He was running towards Sieg, when he stopped and fell dead. There was an arrow pierced in his back. Sieg looked, and indeed there were bandits, lead by a big man with two blades and a man in a black and red mask. It was Twinblade's group of thieves and Jack of Blades.
"Ah... this is the town..." Jack muttered, walking towards me, not noticing Sieg.
"It's happening; they're really here! Quick, you must hide!" I yelled. He obeyed as bandits started killing on sight. I, instead of hiding with Sieg, the Key, ran home and told Father.
"Scarlet..." he said when he heard it. Mother nodded, and pointed towards a loose floorboard. Father scrambled to open it up, and picked up what looked like a sword...
"Mother!" I said, "Not the Sword of Ae-"
"No. My old friend, the Balverine Slayer itself, the Burnt Katana," she said calmly. Father held it. It
was an ordinary katana, though it looked like it had been reforged... badly. It was glowing red,
I suppose from a Flame Augmentation. The metal looked like rare Obsidian. I looked back out, and
there was no town. No, no town. Just flames.
The bandits were setting everything to fire: houses, people, even the children were in danger! When Jack reached our house, I was gone, though. I left to check on Sieg. I myself did not witness my father's murder...
"Brother?" I yelled into the inferno. He was not in the hiding space. I started to wonder if he was captured.
no, he's too clever for that. "Brother!" I called again.
"Who 'dere?" a wicked and deep voice answered. I turned around. It was big giant with two blades,
Twinblade the Bandit. I stumbled and saw him advancing towards me.
"Master Jock!" he yelled. Jack of Blades appeared out of nowhere, using some dark Will power no doubt. His sword was covered in blood... familiar blood...
"No..." I mumbled, crawling backwards. I was alone, with these two infamous menslayers.
"I foud girl, she seem helpful," Twinblade said. I could sense a twisted smile behind him mask.
"Good... now girl... I'll be simple... answer truthfully... WHERE IS SIEG?" he demanded without patience.
I did not reply. I fixed my stare on him, the same stare I use when I'm angry with my brother for reading my diary or when Mother gives Sieg more cookies than me.
"I see... Twinblade, she's all yours. I have... other methods of finding this information." He smirked behind his mask again, and snapped his fingers. Some bandits were coming up, and had bound and gagged... Mother.
I did not yell, nor did I speak at all, but suprise appeared on my face. Jack snapped his fingers, and he - and Mother - vanished into thin air.
So was the end of Oakvale.
But, my story will not end there. No, the flames of Oakvale will remain in my mind, but I will continue uptil my re-meeting with Sieg... my brother, the Pilgrim.
Now, when Jack gave me to Twinblade, Twinblade decided to torture me. However, I did not scream,
nor did I care. I just fixed my gaze onto him. It greatly annoyed him, and to my dissatisfaction, he
ordered his bandits to carve out my eyes.
This was the most pain I could take. I at last let out a long piercing scream, and felt as though my
body was filling with powers beyond anything else. I had to wear a blindfold so not to scare anyone,
but my eyes were the least of my problems.
His carving out of my eyes led to a new power... I could see the future. Twinblade found this out, and used
my power to see who would win in his fights, his raids, what would be poisoned. It made me sick,
but I did not complain. It could be worse...
Then, one day, at least 16 years later, I felt a new aura... at least, I thought it was new. It wasn't.
it felt familiar. It felt like the Burnt Katana Mother used so many years ago. And... the wielder was
so pure, so clean... it couldn't be Mother, she had some evil in her soul, sad to say. Infact, it
was...
Sieg.
"Master Twinblade," I interupted his daily brunch that day.
"Whad? Can oo see I busy eat hooman flesh!" he sputtered through the bits of human flesh in his mouth.
"It seems that someone will come to visit you in a few days notice..." I said. "It might be to see me"
I added at the last second.
"Hmph. Oo tink oo so smart, wif power of footure. Me will wait, kill this newcomer!" he yelled, jumping up.
And, we waited. I wondered how Sieg had survived... I wondered if he'd know who I was... I wondered if he'd survive this encounter with Twinblade... when some bandits came running, and gasped, "Sir Twinblade. The Pilgrim, a man with a burnt katana, comes wandering, carrying some bandit gear and asks to see the Blind Seeress.
It was time. I stood up, and said unto Twinblade, "I believe it is time..."
"Yes, to kill!" He walked over and pushed me down. Someone else came running and unsheathed his sword.
"Ah... Pilgwim," Twinblade's voice boomed, "we meet at wast. Dell me, oo like life? I take it 'way from oo!" Their blades met, and after a few clashes, the new voice sounded.
"I am here to see the Blind Seeress. Do not play dumb, this one knows that she is here."
I stood up, and walked up to where I thought they were. "Here I am... brother"
"Girl get DOWN!" Twinblade probably tried to attack me, cut me, but Sieg's blade blocked it, and after a few more clashes, a huge figure fell down. A sword went back into its scabbard, and Sieg helped me up. "Are you Ok?"
"Yes..." it had been so long, was I ready to tell him?
"I heard you say... earlier, did you... did you say 'brother?'"
He had heard me. I decided better now than never.
"Yes... what? You can't tell me you don't remember your own sister?" And so I began my story to him,
about Mother being captured, about my new power, and about Jack of Blades being behind the attack
on the village. Then, he began his story... on how he survived, how Maze how found him, saved him,
trained him, helped him... he had burst into tears.
"It is alright... here, this will help." I created a ball of energy, and threw it into him, and with a green flash,
I gave him some power. He did not cry again.
"Now," I continued, "Jack of Blades will be after you and me... he has Mother locked up... where, I don't know... but you must look for her! Jack will not find the Sword if he does not have Mother!"
"Kill me now mortal..." Twinblade muttered to Sieg. "I will die anyway... just make it quick."
"No," Sieg said. "I will let you suffer from your own sins. Judgement has been passed."
That was the coolest line I ever heard him say... Yet, it was different. I had one last thing to say...
"Brother... I mean, Pilgrim." It was hard. I had dreamed this many times, but had no idea if this was
a dream or not. "In the distant future... you will make a choice... to kill me or save me... become all-
powerful, or become the savior. I warn you now..."
I decided to run away to let this all sink in, and hid far away. Last I checked, I was at the Grey House, near Greatwood, for a few years...
And so, my story will end here... the beginning of the end is now. But, fear now, the story continues.
Sieg will continue after this. I just don't want to spoil anything... the Blind Seeress is, after all, all
knowing.
It has been known...