The Heroes of Alexina
A Mabinogi Fanfiction
By. A.M. Lena
Daughter of Darkness
Note: I OWN NOTHING! DO NOT SUE! Mabinogi the Korean based MMORPG belongs to Nexon and their affiliates, of which sadly I am not among. All characters and places once again belong to Nexon and their team, the only character they do not own is Vuui but I do not own them either. Vuui is a player controlled by one of the people who play on the Alexina server and they have graciously allowed me to write a story about their character. Thank you and please enjoy.
Chapter One
The newly appointed recruits for the Alban Knights were marching down the streets of Dunbarton in a parade like fashion, armor glistening in the harsh sun, fresh-faced and starry-eyed, nothing like the hardened soldiers they would someday become. People from all over were gathered within the village just to catch a glimpse of the new heroes stomping by. If they were not watching the parade they were either buying or selling various goods ranging from food to even swords and talismans within the same lot. Kiosks lined every nook and cranny of the marketplace, even the walls and fields outside before the entrance was crowded with stalls, patrons and milletians eager and ready to make a profit off of the day's events.
Children played along the stalls and mats, mimicking with sticks and toys their favorite milletian in their greatest moments of heroism while their parents looked on with knowing smiles lining their faces, most being milletians themselves or having been one in their youth. Creatures of all sorts pranced around, flying through the air and performing tricks with their masters, aweing the crowds after the new recruits had passed them by in order to keep the excitement alive and thick in the air. All were cheerful on this day of days during the Ceremony of the Divine, were milletians would become one of the few holy enough to vanquish the demons of Cessair's army. Not all milletians could serve the Princess in this way, but for those who could a great honor and prestige was placed before them, bringing the people together to unite in the hope that one day the land would be free again from the darkness that had plagued them over the last decade.
There was not a soul among them who did not revere the Alban Knights, all watching with reverent eyes and joyous hearts as they passed them by, all except for one who refused to honor those who deemed themselves better than others, who refused to revere those who looked down on the milletians of Erinn who for centuries had protected the land from those who would not only look to destroy it but destroy their Gods as well. Vuui sat along the upper stairwells of Dunbarton, looking to hide from the crowds as she openly shunned all the shiny sparkling recruits who hadn't been a milletian for even a week before signing up for the holier-then-thou-brigade and hadn't even seen a battle let alone know their weapon from their elbow. Those who hadn't been killed or horribly disfigured within a week would either go home with their tales between their legs crying like infants to their mothers or become one of the pompous meatheads who bullied their way into authority among the populous. Though she was the General for the human regiment for the Princess she lacked authority in this new section of Eirawen's forces.
Over the last few years, the attacks from the demons have increased nearly twentyfold. When Talvish, who at the time had been her right hand under Andras, had created the Alban Knights even Vuui had to admit that the concept was miraculous and a true gift from the heavens. Now though, as time wore on and the attacks became more severe with each loss, being able to pick and choose those who could harness the power of the Divine has been thrown to the wayside – much to her disproval and arguments to the Princess – so any greenhorn were allowed to take the reins upon having little to zero experience making for a dysfunctional unit and a failing army. Villages were being attacked and in some cases destroyed outright every few months, milletians were no longer allowed to travel alone but in guilds with a penalty of having their license revoked if found unaccompanied by an ally, citizens were more-or-less under house arrest within the villages and cities unless they could get a milletian, soldier or knight to accompany them, even then being forced to put in at least a months advanced notice in order to even leave because of the onslaught of people needing to run errands for their now failing business's, or for those who wished to see their desperate and/or dying family members who happened to live far away.
The times were rough and with the ever growing threat of trouble looming over the horizon seeing the people of Erinn, the very people Vuui had sworn to lay down her life for if ever the occasion were to arise, being happy and cheerful in the face of fear and chaos should have warmed the small corners of her heart. Instead bile buried itself into the back of her throat, bitterness at not being able to stop the attacks herself along with a deep and burning contempt she felt towards the Alban Knights suffocated her lungs, making the air around her crackle with the deep rooted feelings of her animosity at the situation she had been cursed into. Most of all, not even the annoyance of the ignoramuses she had to deal with on a daily basis could trump the pure hatred she held for Cessair. If there was one person she would destroy in her career it would be him, even if she had to die trying.
The roaring of the crowds broke through her thoughts, bringing Vuui back to reality once more and away from her dark ponderings. More recruits were marching out of the training school onto the grounds to their admirers, trying to remain stoic but most failing - this having been their first time in the limelight - and ended up waving and pumping their fists to the crowd in jubilation. Shaking her head in exasperation Vuui shook the black strands of her hair from her face and pushed herself up from her perch, having had enough of the crowds and the recruits to last her a lifetime, brushed herself off then stealthily crept her way out of Dunbarton and into the outlying potato beds not that far off from the walls. All of the vendors who had been selling their wares had lost themselves in the crowds so no one saw the orange-clad figure fleeing down the road on the back of a spectral dragon who was nothing more than shadow and bone.
Vuui wasn't one to follow the guidelines of the Princess. She respected and even held a place in her heart for Eirawen, but in the end, she couldn't allow the little love that she felt towards the girl to surpass her better judgment. Which is why she continued to travel alone despite the laws that even she was made to enforce at times. There were just some things that she herself couldn't comply by, and traveling with others when she was more than capable of taking care of herself was one of those things. Others would only slow her down and hinder her in a fight, keeping her from using full force and power against enemies, and would result in not only a longer battle but possible capture or death. Besides, no one would question her if she was spotted alone, they would assume that she was a part of a smaller regiment that was scouting the area and wouldn't bother to follow up with others or look for soldiers who could possibly be lying low in order to ambush a group of bandits, or even be waiting for rescuing themselves.
Gliding on the back of Nightmare, her familiar, Vuui soared like a whisper above the ground, making her way through Dugald Aisle when something caught her eye in the Logging Camp far below. Stopping Nightmare, Vuui gently eased the beast back down onto the plains, shushing the beast when it began to growl. The energy was crackling all around them, the fragrance of blood-tinted heavily in the air, there was not even a murmur to be heard when Vuui stepped onto the soft ground and surveyed the darkness in front of her. The area was shadowed in a veil of magic, the likes of which she had never seen before. Even with her advanced eyesight she could not make out a single form inside the dome covering the Logging Camp.
Send for Andras, she kept her gaze locked onto the dome as she gave the order, waiting for the familiar slap of wind to come off of Nightmare's wings before walking forward towards the darkness. Placing a palm against the veil Vuui felt around the magic that began to surround her, trying to pinpoint its source. Not finding any leaks or the manifestation point she carefully removed her hand from the veil then slowly pulled out her staff. The staff she had was powerful, crafted by Tarlach himself back when she had been a young girl and was given to her as a present when she had come of age and decided to become a milletian. Upon joining the army years later, she still carried the artifact around, choosing to use it as her weapon of choice rather than the many others that her higher-ups at the time tried to force onto her, seeing as that – at the time at least – magic had not been seen as a conventional weapon. It took her and other's rising through the ranks using magic and alchemy alone to prove to the masses that you didn't have to use swords and bows to be a soldier. Now more than ever more and more milletians were testing the waters of magic and alchemy thanks to the work of her and the others who had paved the way amongst the masses all those years ago.
Seeing as no one was around her, at least from what she could see even through the darkness, Vuui relaxed and let forth her power, removing the earrings that she used to seal off her true form and hide at least part of her identity. Wings the color of obsidian and cream sprung from her back like springs, her ears turned into points and her eyes changed from their typical icy blue to an ever encompassing black. Energy seemed to rush towards her and for the first time in a while, Vuui felt truly alive. Unlike others who seemed to love to gloat about their demigod status, staying within their true forms continuously and bragging about their godly mother or father, Vuui was not among them. The fewer people knew about her the safer she could keep the land, only resorting to using her true powers whenever there was no other option or she was completely alone, as is the case now. It didn't help that the few people who did see her true form always asked the same thing. Who was her parent? Why are her wings different colors? Why are her eyes black instead of gold?
These questions she could not answer, having never met either of her parents, let alone her godly one, being orphaned and left to be raised in the forest of Sidhe Sneachta by a bear during the day, and a cursed mage at night. Tarlach loved her and raised Vuui as his own, teaching her the arts of magic and craft from an early age, even going as far as to craft her the sealing earrings she wore when she had craved them most upon joining the army. Without them, they would have recognized her and not let her join their ranks upon site alone.
Closing her eyes Vuui allowed herself to feel, to feel the land and air around her, to become one with the energy that coursed through the veins of every rock and blade of grass, that connected the small raccoon to the enormous bear, that led to the heart of the keeper of the Logging Camp himself. Relief flooded through Vuui's system when the thread to Tracy's heart appeared before her, it meant that not all hope was lost and that whatever this veil was it wasn't lethal, at least for the moment. Hearing the returning flap of familiar wings overhead, Vuui took a deep breath and pushed.
Everything stopped, the world around the veil seemed to freeze but was in reality stuck in a slow constant motion, the flapping of Nightmare's wings sounded heavier as they struck against the sheer power that Vuui was unleashing. Opening her eyes once more a whirlwind of colors swirled together, never settling on a single hue, something feral seeming to radiate from her core as step by step Vuui popped through the veil and into the Logging Camp.
Andras was both confused, yet not surprised in the slightest by the change of events. As she sat stoically aboard the spectral beast who, at this point, was as much her familiar as General Vuui's, her mind wandered to the strangeness of the events taking place and what possible connection they had with the event that had occurred hours earlier as well. Residing in Taillteann Andras was not a stranger to the comings and goings of the milletians, and had considered herself one with the people, having fought side-by-side with many of them over her career during the war with the Fomors.
As of late, though, what would have been a sense of ease and comradery with the people of her village, a sense of tension and fear had slithered into its place. With the recent attacks ranging closer and closer to Taillteann's borders and the notices now being tacked upon every available surface, one of which tucked protectively within her breast pocket, she was frightfully beginning to understand why.
Shaking her head in order to pay attention to the task at hand Andras narrowed her eyes at the shadowy dome that veiled the area where the Logging Camp should have been. All she could see was the inky translucent surface of the dome, nothing else seemed to remain at all. Searching for Vuui, her eyes straining to the task, she made a clucking sound in order for Nightmare to lower them down when everything slowed and Vuui's power encompassed everything around them….
Upon entering the veil Vuui knew instantly why it was up in the first place. Standing before her were Tracy should have been was a monstrous being that towered over the tree tops, its bulbous form three times as thick as the thickest of logs, with flesh that oozed in an inky slithering slime that smelled of rotting meat. The creature had no eyes or nose, only a gaping gasping maw stretched tight and snapping at anything that dared to come within an inch of it. Roaring, the beast spotted her and lunged leaving Vuui no choice but to deflect with her sword, blocking the slithering claws within seconds of its strike. Switching to her shield Vuui slashed at the slithering mound of flesh before her, hacking off globs of the viscous slime chunk by nauseating chunk.
With a windmill kick to the creature's tree trunk sized legs Vuui sent the oozing slime ridden thing flying towards one of the logging structures. The thick sticky substance that coated the creature now covered Vuui's legs, the ooze burning the parts of her skin that were exposed to the air. Ignoring the fire that coursed over bits of her skin she took advantage of the monsters fall. Bringing out her staff once more Vuui slammed the end of it into the ground and with a roar summoned bolt after bolt of lightning to rain down upon the wounded beast.
Seizing the lightning strikes and wiping the sweat from her brow, Vuui turned away from the odd creature for only a moment to swipe at the acid like slime eating away at her thighs when a deafening roar flooded the dome, knocking her to her knees and grounding her into the dirt. The creature was upon her, looming over her with its slithering claw wrapped around her torso and crushing against her windpipe. Her vision swam for a moment and right when Vuui swore she was about to die she saw it. Cool brown eyes merged onto the face of the beast, its body contorting and fighting against itself, the grip on her sternum and throat lessening with each second of confusion until finally, with fleeting breath and will alone, Vuui unleashed all her energy as she had done before when freezing the world outside of the dome, but this time transforming completely. A primal dark glow formed around her being, covering her completely, dread could be tasted in the air, and the screams of countless souls rang around them as Vuui pushed with all her might against the creature's hand freeing herself completely before striking at its heart, her bare arm pushing through the creature. The dome fell, silence rang through the Logging Camp like a specter, the world no longer was frozen in slow motion, and in Vuui's arms lay the tired barely alive form of Tracy, the keeper of the Logging Camp.
