Lian's Peculiar Journey: Starlight Paladins
Chapter 1
The Ghost Within
A lone figure walked up the stone steps of an Eastern Castle dotted with massive red flags decorated by golden phoenixes.
This figure revealed itself to be a woman under a cloak, and she was moving expertly through the masses of people that were forming in front of her.
These people were clamoring and yelling at the gates of the castle, holding gifts and various articles.
The guards at the gate were struggling to hold them back and were yelling orders commanding them to step back. They threatened the common folk with spears and rifles, as well as swords and pikes.
"What is going on here?" the figure asked a commoner holding a basket of fruit.
"Are you a stranger!?" a man butted in as if offended by the person's question.
"Our princess is ill!" the commoner originally asked answered, "We're trying to bring her things to comfort her."
The figure nodded.
"As I figured." She said and continued pressing onward.
By this time one of the commanders of the guard came out with two of the palace guards to his side, one of them blew a large horn.
The crowds went silent.
"Attention!" the commander of the guard yelled and beat his spear on the ground, "While the Princess commends the generosity of her people, she has warned to not trespass against her abode during these trying times for her safety! Anyone who dares near the gate or the walls will be punished with Death!"
Several of the inner palace guards poured out from the doors in the walls and surrounded the gate.
"We will set up a station to accept your offerings at the constabulary down the road!" the commander continued.
"There, and only there, can your kind gifts be turned in to the Princess."
The guards started to move forward, pushing the people back.
The people, this time, were more inclined to move.
Except one.
The woman from before continued passing through the crowds until she reached the line of guards set up. There she set foot forward into the empty area between them and the crowd.
"I request and audience with the princess."
"Stand back!" the guards yelled as they pointed at her.
"Follow the rules!"
The woman stood her ground.
"I know what ails the princess." She continued.
"We said go back!" one of the guards inched closer with his sword.
"She is ill from her spirit! Something is haunting her!"
The commander of the guard turned to face her.
"How do you know this!?" he yelled and ran to meet her, "Are you a spy!?" he raised his spear and pointed it at her face.
"Because I 'suffer' from it as well." The woman took off her robe to reveal she was a brunette of shapely and fine build.
"Stand back now or suffer the consequences!" the commander yelled, until he noticed something.
A nearby wagon had caught fire and was now spreading to the wall.
"What!?" he yelled as the guards turned to see the flames.
"Get down!" one of the guards yelled, "That's the Crystal Sto-"
A massive explosion flashed and shook the earth, sending everyone to the ground.
"Ha… Ha…." The commander of the guard stood up and saw his guards unconscious or recuperating from the blast.
"What… happened…" he murmured and shook his head.
"Commander, are you alright!?" one of the palace warriors ran to him.
"I'm fine!" the commander growled and held his arm, "What happened to that woman-" he turned to see that the gates had a burning hole right through them.
"Men! To the palace!"
The woman from before ran up the castle steps as she avoided incoming bullets and arrows expertly.
"Stop her!" the commander of the guard yelled to the soldiers stationed at the palace doors.
Those soldiers saw and aimed their weapons, only for an intense heat to overcome them and make them fall back.
The woman jumped up many of the steps until she reached the palace courtyard, then kicked the soldiers she had made capitulate out of the action.
"Ha!" she gasped when an arrow landed too close for comfort.
"Stop right there!" the palace guards that peered out from the windows appeared on a balcony and started firing, but then noticed the large drapes behind them caught fire. They immediately started to retreat.
"Almost there." The woman murmured and looked at the large doors of the palace.
She did not burn these down, but tackled through them and then closed them once she had gotten in.
There, on the Ruby Throne, sat the Princess, surrounded by scores of guards and the most esteemed of her warriors, who all immediately turned to face her.
"What is the meaning of this!?" the Princess stood up.
"Princess Lian, I know what is wrong with you." The woman spoke up, partially ignoring all the weapons surrounding her.
"It is not a ghost that haunts you-"
"Silence and kneel!" Lian yelled, "How dare you defile my abode…" she stood up from her throne, "and make these baseless comments!"
"I know what you think is a ghost, but it is not." The woman said, "Now let me tell you what it is."
"You're a stubborn one…" Lian growled and raised her hand, "Once I lower this hand, all my soldiers will fire upon you… but since you do show some tenacity, I will allow you to say your name to me…"
"I am here to help you, and for you to help me…" the woman responded, "I need help with som-"
"Say your name now!" Lian commanded, "Or you will die instantly!"
The woman sighed and brushed back her hair.
"Very well." She said, "I am here to help you, I am here to show you the true nature of your 'illness', I am… Sarah!" she yelled.
"Good… now die." Lian was about to lower her hand when she saw the woman shine, "Hmmm?"
"And this is my Stand FURIOUS FLAME!" Sarah continued, and a being appeared out from her body.
It looked exactly like her, but it had the glowing wings of an angel and was in tight, revealing clothing covered by metallic armor
Lian gasped and her eyes widened.
She noticed her soldiers her waiting her command.
"My lady, should we shoot her?" one of her knights asked as he aimed down his sights.
"Her?" Lian asked, "Do you not see the angel watching her!?" she asked him.
The knights around her looked at her curiously.
"My lady, what do you mean!?" the one who was asked answered, "I see the woma-"
"Look!" Lian grabbed his head and pointed to the area above Sarah, "There is an angel right there! That… ghostly being!"
"It is not a ghost, Princess Lian." Sarah told her, "It is a Stand, a manifestation of one's own willpower and soul. Only those who have their own Stands can see those of others. That, Lian, is why you can see this 'ghost'."
Lian stammered.
"How dare you mock me!?" she yelled and ran to face her, "Leave your superstitions away from here!" she raised her fist.
Sarah saw as a part of the princess' Stand formed around her fist, then saw a massive arm covered in deep red armor.
"Lian!" Sarah gasped and called upon Furious Flame to block the incoming blow.
Lian growled, then saw Sarah's Stand grab her own's arm.
"What is the meaning of this!?"
"Flaming Prison!" Sarah yelled, and Furious Flame made a rope of fire surround the Stand's arm.
"I… Can't move!" Lian gasped as she struggled to move her left arm.
"Lady Lian!" the guards around her yelled.
"Let go of me!" Lian yelled.
Sarah stepped back when she saw the rest of the Princess' Stand come out of her body.
"Is this Lian's Stand!?" she gasped.
Lian snarled as she felt her power rising, and with it her Stand, which now revealed itself to be a massive being clad in red armor covered with golden bands and two massive golden eagles on the shoulder guards. It had a helmet with two golden spikes like deer antlers that inside held two glowing white eyes. "Unhand me now!" she yelled, and her Stand punched the flaming binds it was caught in, releasing itself.
"Incredible. Now I know my suspicions were correct!" Sarah smiled, but that immediately disappeared when Lian and her stand were nearing her.
"Princess Lian, that Stand of yours is your ally. It can help you-"
"Help me end your life!" Lian yelled and grabbed a pike from one of the guards nearby, who only stammered when he saw it hover away from him.
"Take this!" she yelled and caused her stand to throw it.
"Furious Flame!" Sarah called out her stand, who yelled and extended its hand, "Take it out!"
Furious Flame glared and blasted a burst of fire from its hand, incinerating the pike completely in the middle of the air.
"These stands you speak about…" Lian growled, "Are quite interesting. Perhaps I can get more information from you once you're in my torture chambers!" her stand came out and removed one of the golden phoenix statues that were in the royal court.
"How is her stand so strong!?" Sarah murmured, then used her Furious Flame to thrust herself to the side using its wings to avoid the statue.
The guards and knights in the room stammered and gasped as they saw their leader seemingly use her mind to move massive objects.
"Lian, listen to me!" Furia avoided another statue.
"Your stand can help me on my journey! My sister… she has a plan to use hers to open a portal to the Abyss!" she informed, "I have to stop her! The Abyss has already taken a hold on her because of her Stand! I need your help to stop her from taking over The World!"
Lian stopped to listen to her.
"And what does you family strife have to do with me?" she grunted.
"If we do not stop her plan, Seris… No… My sister will cause the Abyss to consume us all!" Sarah responded.
Lian stopped.
"Does this in anyway threaten my realm-" she heard an explosion outside.
"Yes… it does…" Sarah told her as the sky started to grow dark.
"My lady!" some guards burst in through the door, "A… A dragon! A dragon from the Abyss has just landed-"
A large bony hand tore through the door and a large dragon skull peered in.
The knights immediately surrounded Lian and protect her.
The dragon, however, did not attack, but only dropped a scroll from its mouth before disintegrating in the sunlight.
"One of you, fetch that." Lian told her knights and pointed at the scroll.
Sarah, who was the closest, grabbed it and walked over to Lian.
Lian snatched the scroll from her hand and looked it at.
THE ABYSS COMES was the only thing it said, but when she flipped the scroll, the skull painting on the back shot out and aimed to rip off her face.
However, her stand suddenly appeared and punched the dark magic skull away and made it disappear in the sunlight.
"Interesting…."
"You see what I am saying?" Sarah responded, "Ever since the Abyss took my sister and granted her her stand… You must help me stop her! You are the only person I know who is still alive that has a Stand!"
Lian crossed her arms, then looked at the damage made to the front of her palace.
She knew that if a single dragon could make it this far in the environment that slowly killed it, how much more dangerous would an entire abyssal army be to her and her people.
"Very well. I will see what I can do." She muttered and started to walk away.
"We have to act fast!" Sarah said, "The more time passes, the more power my sister gains and the closer she is to opening a tear into the Abyss!"
"You dare command me?!" Lian snarled, "Fine. I'll help you, as I am the only one in the world who can. Commander Pao." She turned to her most esteemed Knight, "You and the Governor will be in charge while I am away, I will make this quick to protect my city and my people."
"Yes, m'lady." Commander Pao bowed, "Do you want me to prepare a force to accompany you-"
"I'll have this wrapped up by tomorrow." Lian dismissed him, quite prideful in the abilities she had discovered, "Come…"
"Sarah." Sarah said.
"Yes, that. Let us go since you are so eager to." Lian said and she started to walk out the door.