DISCLAIMER

Grace Barton does not own Koudelka and is not associated with it or its creators in any way. This is a novelisation of the game and Grace only lays claim to the written form and original scenes and dialogue that do not appear in the game. Everything else is copyrighted to Sacnoth, the creators of Koudelka.

Koudelka

Grace Barton

Prologue

Aberystwyth, Wales. October 31, 1898.

For Koudelka Iasant, the year 1898 held no special meaning. For many it was a year that would drift into the forgotten pages of history, except for those who had reason to note it.

In September, the Fashoda Incident would drive the United Kingdom and France to the brink of war over a dispute of territory in east Africa. That same year, the United Kingdom would conquer and burn down the Benin City in Nigeria. Across the sea, the Spanish-American war still raged, all amidst the Cuban War of Independence.

Yet events were about to unfold here on the wet and dreary shores of Wales. For many these events were insignificant; a tiny pebble on the river of time. But these events would mark the beginning of a long and desperate struggle for those who were yet to find their place in the world. And Koudelka was to be the key to that future; even she did not know it herself.

For now, while the rest of the world found itself on the brink of perpetual warfare, the sleepy Welsh country was unmarred by the passage of time. Even as industrialisation swept its way across the land, bringing the world to the modern age, the ancient Celtic land was almost untouched.

But Time was harsh. Not even Aberystwyth could withstand its unforgiving progression. The Cambrian Railway was one of many new railways being built across the landscape, joining Wales to its more industrialised neighbour to the east.

Koudelka was not travelling by train. Shunning the ever-growing popular method of travel, she chose to travel on horseback. She had bought her mare in an English town before crossing the border into Wales. Now she travelled the countryside, taking with her all the items the mare could carry.

She stayed away from the roads and kept to the countryside, avoiding roads and towns except when she needed to buy food. She bathed and watered her horse at rivers, ate sparingly, and rested very little except when her horse could go no further. She awoke at the break of dawn and kept on going until the sun's light disappeared over the horizon, sleeping beneath the stars. She rode through rain and sun, following the sun's light westward.

Travelling alone through the endless countryside, Koudelka had been filled with a sense of peace she had never felt at all in her young life. The land was so quiet and tranquil, filled only with the sounds of nature. It was soothing and at the same time disturbing, for whenever the land was silent the voice that called out to her became even stronger. The words called out to her soul as clear and piercing as the ringing of a bell. Whenever she heard it, she pushed her mare harder, hurrying onward.

At last she neared Aberystwyth. Instead of approaching the town, Koudelka turned her horse northward. She followed the shore, where the beach was bordered by tall, rising cliffs and the ocean lapped against rocky beaches, sending clouds of spray crashing into the walls.

Soon she was forced to turn back east, as the ground became too rough for the mare to travel. After travelling several miles it cleared, and Koudelka turned north again.

Now several weeks into her journey, Koudelka arrived at last at her destination. She led the mare up a sloping hill that overlooked the shore. Here she stopped, and her horse reared in protest. A chill wind blew around her, causing her clock to rustle about her, making her shiver.

Down in the valley there was a set of buildings. They stood perched against the cliffs, overlooking the rocky shore below. One look at the place and Koudelka felt another shiver run down her spine. This shiver was deeper than any the cold autumn wind could have produced, and chilled her very blood.

Closing her eyes, Koudelka sought out with her mind. It took her a few moments, but then she felt it. The voice had grown weaker in the passing days, and now it was little more than a passing whisper. But it was still there, and it was coming from the buildings in the valley. Koudelka opened her eyes again, and gazed down into the valley.

In the future, when the days were darker and the world was entering World War One, she would look back and remember this moment. Gazing down at the building where everything began and ended; the place that would decide the fate of the entire world.

The Nemeton Monastery.

A Note from the Authoress

Welcome one and all to my novelisation of Koudelka. This one is very different from my other novelisations because I'm not using the original game script. Well, I am using it, but for research and storyline purposes only. This one and my novelisation of Shadow Hearts are my experiments for writing without game scripts, to see if I can grab characterisation just through research instead of using the script to ensure I don't go off-tack. I hope you enjoy it!