Long ago, there was a girl who sought immortality. She was the child of Sirius, the god of all animals, and Arabella, the goddess of love. She wished to become immortal and gain her rightful place with her parents. Her name was Gwyn.
Gwyn was kidnapped from the Heavens after she was born by the dark wizard, Diablo. Diablo wanted revenge on Sirius, for Sirius had married Arabella. He cast a spell on her so that she would become mortal, and never regain her place. But he did not complete the spell. She could still have magical powers, if she ever found out how to use them.
Diablo abandoned Gwyn on a cold road in the middle of winter, hoping her to die. But a peasant couple returning home found her. They always wanted children, but couldn't have any. They adopted Gwyn as their own. She wore a sliver necklace with the symbols of Arabella and Sirius on it.
As Gwyn grew through the years, the noticed that she was immune to every sickness. She never caught so much as a cold.
This story starts on a beautiful spring morning, 15 years after the peasants had found her. You could never guess what was about to happen.
"Gwyn, get up!" A pillow hitting her softly waked Gwyn. Her mother stood over her. "Get up you lazy bones. I need you to go to market to get the cloth and candles. Now get dressed!" Gwyns' mother walked back to the fire where their porridge was bubbling.
Gwyn slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her eyes were bronze, a very rare color in her country. She pulled her jumper on over her nightgown and tied it. She placed her shoes on her feet and started the struggle with her fiery red hair.
"Now here's 10 bronze pieces. Don't dawdle or else you won't have breakfast." Her mother pressed the coins into her hands. "And remember to make sure Cale is up and ready. He is supposed to help your father in the fields today." Cale and Gwyn were best friends. Cale's parents had died in the plague last year, so he lived all alone.
"I know, I know." Gwyn grumbled. She kissed her mother on the cheek and dashed out the door.
"Don't dawdle!" her mother yelled behind her.
Gwyn ran almost all the way down the 2-mile road to the village. The festive market was open this early in the morning, as always. It was a place of aromas, gossip, and new items. The latest gossip was the rumor of a silver haired ogre roaming the forest. Gwyn made a mental note to tell father to look out for the few cattle they had. Gwyn quickly purchased the cloth and the candles, and then headed to Cale's cottage on the outskirts of the village.
Gwyn had to throw water on Cale's face to awaken him. His ice blue eyes snapped open immediately. He quickly dressed and combed his blonde hair, and then they set off to Gwyns' farm. As they neared it, Gwyn definitely noticed something was not right. Early in the morning, you would hear the lowing of them cattle nearby. Instead, there was an eerie silence. Gwyn tried to shake off the feeling, but it was no use.
As they rounded the corner to Gwyns' farm, they were peculiar markings in the dirt. That of an ogre!
"Oh my gosh." Gwyn whispered as she recognized them. She broke out into a run, Cale confusedly following.
Gwyn came in sight of the farmhouse and the sight made her stop dead in her tracks. A whole side of the farmhouse was gone, destroyed by some kind of impact. Her bed had been thrown all the way to the fields. She saw what remained of the cattle, bones if that. All that was undisturbed was the barn. Gwyn ran into the house through the space that used to be the wall. Her mother was lying on her parent's bed, dead. "Father? Father?!" Gwyn shouted.
"Gwyn." Her fathers' weak voice came from behind the table, which was turned on its side. She walked over and kneeled down by her father. A stream of blood came from his lips and his side had a gash. The sight made Gwyn break down in tears.
"Who had the incentive to do such a thing?" Gwyn sobbed.
"An ogre with silver hair. Tore down the wall and killed your mother. I was in the barn milking the cow. I ran in and the ogre hit me with the table. I'm dying, Gwyn."
"No. No, you're going to make it." Gwyn reassured him, but she was just trying to reassure herself. Her father was one of the strongest persons she had known. He was once gored by a unicorn and survived. "You'll make it."
"Don't try to deny it, child. My organs are far too impaired. I just thank the gods you weren't here. Now listen to me." He paused and coughed up blood. "We are not your real parents." Gwyn started to say something. "No, don't interrupt me. I have little time. We found you on a road with a necklace on. It had the symbols of Arabella and Sirius on it. Go to their temples and light some incense. You shall get your answers from them, not me, for I will soon be only an imprint on this earth." He placed a hand on her cheek as his breath became ragged. "I am just happy to have raised you. To have seen you become what you are." His hand fell away and his breathing stopped. He was dead. Gwyn started sobbing and didn't notice Cale until he placed her hand on her shoulder. Gwyn embraced Cale tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.
Gwyn and Cale wrapped her mothers' body in white linen and buried it. Right before they buried Gwyns' father, she removed the crucifix he wore and placed it around her neck. After they were buried, Gwyn and Cale contemplated their inability to get to the temple. The ogre had destroyed everything except.
"The barn!" Gwyn said suddenly. "The barn wasn't touched and my steed and my father's mare could still be there!" Gwyn and Cale jogged to the barn, and sure enough, the two horses were still there. Breeze, a white horse, belonged to Gwyn. The chestnut mare beside him used to be Gwyns' fathers. "I'll ride them to Cairhein tomorrow and visit the temple." Gwyn told Cale. "Look after the farm for me until I return."
"I don't get to go with you?" Cale asked. "I don't want this to be an inconvenience for you. Or for you to be an implement to whatever will happen to me." Gwyn responded. "Hey, that's what friends are for." Cale said, putting his arm around her. The next morning, Cale road to the village to get supplies while Gwyn packed her things. This might be the last time she saw the farm. When Cale got back, he had more goods than needed. "The shopkeeper said her knew your father, so he imparted me with this bounty." Cale told her. They loaded the bursting saddlebags on Breeze and the mare. They then set off for Cairhein. Cairhein was the capital of the country. It had many scholars and teachers, and more temples than any other city. Gwyn and Cale reached there by sunset. "Should we get an inn?" Cale queried. One of the things Gwyn managed to salvage from her home was a safe box, hidden in a secret panel. It held 3 gold pieces, 15 silver pieces, and 25 bronze pieces, enough to keep them well fed for a while. "No. Lets see if there is any incense to be bought. I'd like to go to one of the temples tonight." Gwyn answered. They rode to the market which was just winding down. Gwyn easily found some incense at a stall that also sold such things as unicorn hair and horns. They rode to the marble temple of Arabella and Sirius. Gwyn entered first, with Cale following her. The dim passage was lit with torches all the way to the statue of the two gods together. Gwyn lit some incense with a torch and placed it gingerly at their feet. The smell made the place feel as if there was an impurity about. Suddenly, the statues came to life! Cale, who was holding a torch, almost dropped it in amazement. The statue of Sirius stepped forward. "My daughter." His deep voice boomed. Arabella ran forward and embraced Gwyn. "At last she has come!" She exclaimed. "I expect your Earth father told you that we are your parents. I suspect you have a lot of questions for us." Sirius said. "Yes." Gwyn answered. "How did I end up down here?" A look of sadness fell onto Sirius' face. "A dark wizard name Diablo kidnapped you. We had an incompetent idiot watching you and you were kidnapped. Diablo deprived you of your immortality but not of your magical powers. You were originally going to be the goddess of Fire because of your red hair. Have you ever been mad and felt your hands burning?" He asked. "Yes. Sometimes it feels as if they are on fire." Gwyn said. "Now think of that feeling and cup your hands together." Arabella piped up. Gwyn did as she was told and soon her hands her glowing. She uncapped her hands and there was a fireball! "See?" Arabella asked. "You still have your magical powers. Do you want to live with us in the Heavens?" Gwyn contemplated this. "Could Cale and Breeze come?" "Yes, but they will have to help you complete a task to rid them of their impurity." Arabella replied. "What is it?" Gwyn finally asked. "You must kill the ogre that killed your parents." Sirius told them. "He is in a cave a little way from here. He was sent by Diablo to finish you off. Fortunately, you weren't at the farm when he came. Slaughter that imperfect creature, and you shall all gain immortality." Cale and Gwyn left the temple and found an inn. The next day, they would set off to slay the ogre. The next morning they had a small breakfast and set off for where the ogre was rumored to be. There was a series of caves. They tried to find him, but in the end, the ogre found them. Cale and Gwyn were riding back to the inn, realizing they couldn't find the ogre, when out of nowhere, a hurtling mass of green flesh threw itself onto Gwyn, knocking her off Breeze. "GWYN!" Cale yelled and leapt from his horse. He drew a dull sword he had and went clashing into the tangle of human and ogre. Breeze joined in too, rearing and stomping on the ogre whenever he could. Gwyn was able to grab a dagger and stab the ogre in the shoulder, causing him to bellow in pain. He threw Cale off, slamming him into a tree and knocking him unconscious. Breeze was hurt and taken out of commission. "Its just me and you, girlie." The ogres' hoarse voice growled. Gwyn concentrated on her hands and they became hot. VERY hot. "Say goodnight." She said and threw the flaming mass right at the ogre. The fireball scalded his side, which made him even more mad. "Impressive." He growled and lunged at Gwyn with a vicious look in his eyes. He drew a crude dagger and cut her arm. Gwyn moaned in pain and picked up Cales' sword. She thrust it into the ogres' abdomen. The ogre let out a bloodcurdling howl and fell to the ground with earth shaking force. Gwyn sprinted over to Cale and revived him. "It's Ok, its over." Gwyn comforted. Gwyn and Cale returned to the temple with the ogres' blood stained tunic for proof. "Well done daughter!" Sirius boomed. "Tomorrow, your and Cales' and Breezes' of course inauguration." "Father, Cale and I discussed it, and we have decided to stay here and help the people defeat evil." Gwyn said, kneeling, "Until we decide to join you." "But Gwyn, I implore you to reconsider!" Arabella exclaimed. "Please? We believe it is the right thing to do." Cale added. Sirius looked at them with great admiration. "So shall be it." His voice boomed. "And we will look forward to that day when you join us."
Gwyn and Cale have stayed on Earth, fighting the evil Diablo and keeping peace. One day, they will take their rightful place in the heavens.