I decided to put out chapter 2 at once. Simply one chapter is not a good enough starter for people to become interested. Enjoy. :)
How long she had been sleeping, she had no idea, but when Kendrya woke up, she was amused by how little pain she felt in her aching, no headache, just this, dull, strange feeling in her chest. She slowly lifted herself up, noticing she was in the chiefs hall, along with several other villagers. When did she get her? Looking down on herself, she first noticed her bloody and torn clothes.
Almost her entire chest was exposed, and if not for the next thing she noticed, she would probably had covered herself up, or at least blushed. What caught her eyes, was that fresh, newly added, vein-formed scar between her breast. The dull pain was still there. Shocked, she placed her hand there, as if to check as if it was real.
If you would face me
She gasped in surprise at the sudden voice, sounding as if there was someone right beside her ear talking to her, she quickly scanned the room, only to yet feel it abandoned by new people, before placing her hand back to her chest. It glowed, a if the sun herself had taken home inside her chest. And now, she listened.
Take up arms, newly Arisen
The dragon. She knew that voice. It was the dragon speaking to her. Slowly, her memory came back.
The dragon, stole her heart. A new determination built up in her, well, heart-less core, and her eyes slowly fixed themselves upon a display of several weapons. Not bothering about the dangers, not bothering about what she would leave behind, at least for now. Not even bothering about the villager she almost stepped upon as she walked, she soon stood in front of the weapons.
An old staff, two rusty daggers, and a rusty sword.
Kendryas gaze first fell upon the daggers. They were swift, and effective, crouching her brows, she thought the had never been much of the fast type.
Her hand then grabbed a hold of the staff, magic pulsating within it. Yes, this would perhaps suffice, she had seen a mage once, they were incredible strong and powerful, able to create magic beyond most humans wildest dreams.
Still, when her eyes caught the sword, she slowly put the staff back. Recent memories flashed before her. A soldiers sword, the dragons unbreakable scales, the defeat. Carefully, she grabbed the hilt of the sword and brought its brown edges into closer view, before holding it before her. She was defeated by a sword. And she would take back victory with a sword, just to prove the dragon how much it had underestimated her.
Taking in a shaking breath, she equipped the sword, and made her way to the outside of the building, only to find Quina, and her father, the chief, speaking in hushed voices.
"You say it`s left a glowing scar?"
"Yes. The wound has closed, and it seems the worst had passed, but-"
Quina hesitated.
"Her heart lies silent!"
Out of reflect, Kendrya almost touched her chest again, only to feel the pulsating energy of the dragons voice through her head yet again, suprising her,almost gasping loudly enough for the chief and the daughter to hear.
"You`re sure o` this?"
Quina nodded.
"Ill magic... the work of some curse! The whole world`s already gone mad for fear o` this dragon. Won`t no good come o` this." The chief noticed his daughters inner struggles. "I must go see the others, Quina. Tell me if aught changes here." "Alright." She told him. And just as the chief went through the door, Kendrya emerged from her hiding, and as Quina turned around to head for the chiefs meeting room, she gasped as she stood face to face with her friend. Her friend with an unusual sturdy and harsh face. She bit her lip.
"You should be abed. I wish you would not strain yourself so. I worry for you, cos." At the sound of her worried voice, Kendryas face softened up a bit. "I know, I`m sorry.." she said quietly. "But I am quite alright, and I must, no, I need to go." Quina looked surprised at her friend. "Go? Go where?" Kendrya shock her head. "I don`t know. Somewhere. To get stronger." "W-why?" "The dragon." Kendrya gritted her teeth. "I`m gonna defeat the dragon." "The chief says your injury could be a curse from the dragon. If so, that`s not something I know how to heal." She clutched her hands together. "But there must be a way." Kendrya smiled weakly and gently took her friends hands in her own. "And that`s why I have to go. I`m gonna find it, no matter what!"
Due her encouraging words, Quina returned her smile, and Kendrya let go of her before turning towards the door. "Oh, and Kendrya?" Quina suddenly asked, making Kendrya turn towards her, sending her a confused gaze. Quina looked at her dead serious. "You better have someone follow you on your travels, you always tend to get lost..."
Kendrya sent her a pouting expression before muttering, "My, thanks a lot.." then she walked outside.
Once again the world was exposed to her. The town of Cassardis laid bare before her, the sea, the plains, everything. But she had no time for that, not now. Taking in a deep breath, she started sprinting down the stairs from the chiefs building, only to shortly be met by the scenario of several villagers desperately tending to their wounded ones. They were suffering. Almost crying in sorrow and despair. In her mind, she thought, once I`ve slain the dragon and gotten my heart back, no one will be sad again.
She made haste and headed towards the city gates. If the soldiers were right, there would be an encampment nearby, she had seen some soldiers coming and go there. If she wanted to get strong so she could fight, that would most likely be the place to go. Her mind strictly set on the target, she quickly approached the gates. She slowed down in front of it. She hadn`t left the city too many times, in fact, only but a few times in her live to gather flowers, and that`s it. Her moment of hesitation made her stop, her non-existing heart beating, and a tingling sensation pulsated through her veins.
This made her stop all together. Why would her veins tingle, and why did her fingertips itch? On her left side, near the well, a strange, foreign sound emitted, and Kendrya snapped her head towards the distraction. A large, cloudy circle of something looking like smoke, colored like the darkest of nights, appeared before her. She blinked confused at it, and she almost jumped when a clear, green light suddenly burst through the fog, and for a second, it almost appeared to be a tunnel. Had the gods re-decided and remembered that she was living without a heart, and that she was supposed to have died yesterday?
Then, she jumped. A pair of boots, no, an entire person, suddenly fell from the thick clouds and landed heavily onto the ground. It was so unexpected, so unnatural, Kendrya jumped an entire foot backwards and let out an uncharacteristic shriek. Slowly, the darkness from the fog disappeared from the person, and a man stood in front of her, a man with red, curly hair and a thick mustache and goatee. He had strangely friendly eyes. And he was just staring at her. Then, he suddenly lifted his right hands, Kendrya was for a moment thinking if he was about to do a bow or something alike the kind, but the palm of his hand suddenly glowed with the strange light and in the same pattern as the scar she had on her chest, and for a moment, it almost felt like she had a heartbeat, just for a second, before it grew dim once again. She glanced at her chest, before looking at him curiously. Who, or what was this man? First, dragons come to Cassardis, and now, men were dropping from the sky?
Suddenly the chief, from wherever he had come from, appeared in front of the gates and crossed his hands. "That man you were speaking with-" he began, making Kendrya lift an eyebrow as if to ask; I didn`t speak with him. "- he`s o`the pawn legion." "The, pawn legion?" Kendrya muttered, before sending a swift glance at the red haired man. "They come from some unknown place. Just appear, without a warning. They`re a strange lot." Now, Kendrya was a momet from almost telling the chief that that statement was kinda rude, but he continued before she had the time to tell him. "Not human, quite. They look the part sure enough. But they lack the will, the spark that drives us. They have no capacity to feel nor act alone, so they sell as sellswords. Myrmidons they`re called."
At this, Kendrya turned full-face towards the "myrmidon". Her face was shocked, not in fear, not in surprise, but sadness.
No will? No feelings? These people, this man, was naught but a shell? A walking, soulless body with no emotions nor dreams? She stared at the man, who did nothing but look back, an emotionless mask upon his face. He certainly looked human, and yet, he had no feelings? Kendrya felt dreadful for them, and she coulnd`t help to wonder, what was worse? To loose your heart, but still be yourself, or to be without willpower and have no desires nor fears. The chief then couched, interrupting her ship of thoughts. "Mm... There`s an encampment west for the village were man gather to face the dragon." Well, that`s where I was headed, Kendrya thought. "I`d wager a fair number of his kind will be there as well." Oh? "Why don`t you take him? Might be you learn aught o` why he came to you in the first place." "But what if he doesn`t-" before Kendrya managed to finish her sentence, the chief simply walked away, leaving her with the myrmidon.
Slowly, almost suspiciously, she walked towards the gate and got out of it, keeping an close eye to the man. In the split of a second the gate closed behind them, he suddenly took of, leaving her behind. "To the road should see us there." And he was off. Kendrya stood behind, a befuddled expression on her face, before taking off after him, Quinas words echoing through her head. Despite there being a road, she knew quite well she would get lost without a guide. At least this guy seemed to know his way.
She sprinted after him, when suddenly, he stopped. She almost slid on the gravel so she wouldn`t smash into him. "Careful!" he exclaimed, "A goblin!" and sure enough, right on front of them on the road, several goblins were pummeling a poor peddler with blunt, spiky weapons, literally screaming in glee. It was the first time Kendrya had seen one. Gods, they were hideous!
Her instinct took over yet again, as she drew her sword and ran head first into the crowd of dirty, aggressive goblin. A goblin turned around just in time to see her before getting her rusty sword straight into its face, making it scream in pain and stopping its attack on the peddler. Another nearby goblin took fast notice of the girl, and liftet its weapon to smash her down, and Kendrya, was to busy slashing wildly at the already wounded goblin to notice it, would have felt the sting of her ignorance too,if not for the sudden exploding warmth near her head, and the goblin behind her came flying past her and into the ground several feet away.
She spun around quickly enough to snap her neck, only to see the myrmidon with a staff in his hands, ready to fire yet another fire-spell. He was a mage! Now this surprised her, for he certainly didn`t dress like one. Standing with her mouth agape for a few seconds, both human and goblin alike, she then gave the mage a wide, thankful smile and a nod, before slashing two goblins at once. Despite the goblins being somewhat easy to beat when the mage suddenly enchanted her sword with fire, claiming that ;"Goblins ill like fire!", she couldn`t help but drain all her stamina in her onslaught of attacks, and was covered in bruises and cuts.
"Quite the fighter eh?" the peddler almost shouted when they were done with the goblins. Kendrya had to admit, fighting, felt great, and even greater when people were as thankful as this. The peddler thanked them again and again, shaking her hands several times, before giving her a cape as a thank you gift.
Not before long, the myrmidon started running towards the encampment, making her back into sprinting after him yet again. "This road will have us at the encampment ere much longer." He said, easily as nothing as he ran, though when they finally had the wooden gates in sight, Kendrya was already wobbling and gasping of fatigue, she didn`t even have the energy to scream WAIT for him. When they got withing the rage of almost touching the wall, the myrmidon came to a halt in order to open the gate and said; "We`ve arrived, Master." Catching her breath in dry heaves, Kendrya gasped out, "M-Master?" before wobbling after the supposedly never-tiring man. Did these guys NEVER tire?
When they stood inside the encampment, Kendryas head felt like it was filled with air, so first, she really though the voices she heard was just her immagination.
Well met Arisen, can you hear our voice?
"To the best of my knowledge... we are near a rift stone, if memory serves." The myrmidon said. As Kendrya started dragging her feet towards the sorce of the voices, the red-haired man following closely behind, she rasped worth the question,"Hey, can you heal stamina?" Insted of answering her, he started running again. "I know the way, Master. Follow me. It must be near." Gasping, she smashed after him, "I am nobodys master!" They go close to a tent, a tent both decorated with capes and various weaponry. Inside, was a strange, blue stone, with even stranger engravings in it. It was as if someone had cut it in half by sheer force, and then pained its letters in the color of the shimmering moon. It was... extraordinary. When she walked closer, her fatigue soon forgotten, it was as if the inscriptions caught fire, before shining even stronger, and then, the voices appeared.
Well met, Arisen, can you hear our voice?
Unconciously, Kendrya nodded.
We speak to you from great distance. The pawn legion has awaited you.
The pawn legion?
Pray, forgive this strange and unpersonal meeting. This rift serves as a gate. It connects our kind to your world. It opens to the Arisen, for they possess a will powerful enough to guide the legion. If you would claim to be among the Arisen, prove the strenght of your resolve.
Kendrya was so... bewiddeled by these words. Another word? Another kind? A rift? So many thought clouded her head, and still, she was absolutly sure her answer was correct, when she said loud and clearly; "YES."
Very well. Then we shall guide you in your trial. If you are an Arisen in truth, then this task should prove no Arisen must possess the valor to stand against all threats, and the power to qwell them. A tireless spirit of self-improvement grants the strenght to lead the legion. Pray, show it now.
Kendrya just nodded slowly, before the light of the stone dimished, and the voices stopped. Turning around, the saw the myrmedion behind her. Unusually quiet, she walked up to him. "A riftstone.A strange power emanates from within." He stated. Kendrya nodded. She suddenly remembered something. "Say, what`s your name?" "Rook." He simply stated, looking at her."We better search the area." Kendrya gazed up at him and sent him a determent nod. "Yeah, let`s go!"
It didn`t take long to understand what the stone had sent for her. Soldiers started running all over the place, yelling about a beast and telling everyone to hurry. Kendrya and Rook followed suit. "There may be prowling monsters about." Rook said. "You don`t say?!" Kendrya told him, as they ran out the gates.
Then she stared. A cyclops. You had got to be kidding. At least five men high and three men wide, this thing was a monster. It was thrashing about, surrounded by both goblins and soldiers alike, smacking away anything in its path. "We have no choice, to arms!" Rook shouted, before suddenly murmuring something along the lines of, "Built to keep out goblins I should think" Kendrya had to mentally shook her head just to check if she heard right.
No matter, she had a monster to slaughter. Sprinting as fast as she could, she made a jump for it, and grabbed a hold of the cyclops, hopefully, leathery pants. At once, the gigantic creature started twisting and turning, trying to shrug her off, but Kendrya kept her grip firmly, and begun slashing out on the things back.
Only a few seconds passed, before a peculiar feeling came washing down on her. Did they suddenly gain air? It was as if time slowed down, as she turned her head away from the creature to look behind her. She was vertical, hanging in mid air, the ground under her, and the giants body on top of her. Her instinct failed her miserably as the creature landed with a loud crash and Kendrya felt as if all the bones in her body turned to flour.
Pain ran through all her senses, and she let out a chocked sound of terror as she tried to move. It was the sight of a cyclops ready to smash her with its enormous hand that made her take a sprint jump away from it, getting into safety, but limping horribly. She was shaking, the pain in her arms and legs felt like it was killing her.
Suddenly, Rook appeared before her, staff at the ready. "Healing, coming up!" he said, and a green light engulfed him. Kendrya felt herself relax a bit, before her face morphed into sheer terror. "ROOK! WATC-" she didn`t even manage to finish her sentence, before the mage was thrown into the air by the cyclops and landed several feet away, not even managing to let out a sound of pain. Kendrya stared after him, her face filled with fear. Was he all right? Was he alive? He was injured. He was injured because he was bus healing her. Kendrya felt as if a new power engulfed her, and she snarled at the cyclops.
Forgetting her pain, she grabbed the hilt of her sword tightly, before storming straight at the monster, cutting down a surprised goblin in the process. This time, she grabbed a hold of its arm, and without wasting any time cutting through the solid skin, she climbed quickly all the way up to its head. It started moaning in displeasure of someone climbing on top of its head, before its voice was silenced forever. A well-aimed, clear thrust of her sword had pierced through the monsters eye and far into its skull, ending the beast, making it fall onto the ground, Kendrya following suit. It felt like hours ticked by, dust and stones filling the air.
Soldiers were gathering around the scene, someone in awe, someone in sheer surprise and wonder. Despite the agony, Kendrya pulled herself upright, ignored Rooks words about healing her, despite the joy it was to hear that he was alright, and quickly made her way inside the encampment. Walking, or rather, limping, she made her way back to the rift stone. Nothing else mattered, she had to tell it she had triumphed.
She had slayed the monster, she had fought against a powerful foe, and won, with her own hands and her own will. Just like they wanted.
The world became foggy due her fatigue as she drew near it, and its voice rung in her ear as she reached inside the tent and stood before the stone.
With that, your trial is complete. You are the Arisen in truth, proven beyond any doubt.
Now, I bid you select a companion for the journey ahead. They shall serve you, and you alone, to share in your hardships and aid you in every endevaor.
Kendrya was quick to select.
"A mage..!" She stuttered. "I need the help of one more mage, so one can help another!" As she was speaking, Rook as made his way up to her, and was currently healing her, so that she might finish her conversation with the rift-stone without fainting.
As her wound healed, Kendrya placed her hands at her knees and took in several stuttered breaths, trying to rid off her fatigue. Just as she had managed to straighten herself up, and had stopped gasping for breath, a somewhat familiar cloud of shadowy smoke appeared before her.
She stared wideeyed at it, mainly because it was so extremely close, but also due the fact she had chosen another follower without even looking, nor listening, not thinking about what her choice might do in the future. Her empty heart-core was pounding as yet another cloaked feet made their way onto the wooden floor, soon followed by by the linens of a robe and a cloak.
She could barely make out the shape of a man, about two-three heads taller than her, with a mages cloak and a wand resting on his back. Slowly, oh ever so slowly, the darkness that surrounded him begun to fade, and the first thing she noticed was a pair of intense, ice-blue eyes, before the rest of the body became visible. The follower she had chosen was a mage. A mage whose appearance seemed to be of a canvas of which someone had decided to paint only in black and white. His skin was truly pale, and his hair black as ebony. Just like Rook had done, he lifted his right hand and showed the shining mark engraved into his palm, and just as Rook, with an emotionless expression on his face.
Despite her best efforts, Kendrya couldn`t help but to be taken aback by his appearance, and blinked rapidly, but she was even more surprised when both Rook and the new mage suddenly bowed to her without warning. She opened and closed her mouth slightly a couple of times, before the weight of the situation took a hold of her, and she stilled. "Our fealty is sworn to you, Arisen. From this day, the legions men call "pawns", live and die by your command." Rook spoke out clearly, looking straight into her face, letting the information sink in, before closing his eyes and bowing his head to her.
Kendrya was unable to mutter even a single word, as more and more of these "pawns", that had for some reason entered the tent without her noticing, bowed down to her.
They bowed to her, a young, long haired, freckled, inexperienced girl, covered from top to toe in dirt and dust, her hair a mess, and with dried flecks of blood all over her skin. Needless to say, Kendrya was befuddled. And slightly embarrassed by her appearance.
I`ve always found the first battle hilarious. I did yell in annoyance and anger when I first fought that thing, especially when already explained scene took place- I never thought I would ever be humiliated to the level where I would faceplant the mountain sized butt-of-an-cyclops. Oh well, It made for great writing though, and I personally find it fitting. Its humiliating, it happens to everyone, at least ONCE (don`t deny it) and I can reuse this in order to humiliate this stories Arisen. No one is perfect, but being used as a temporarily chair by a cyclops is just hysterical. Oh, an yes! Yay, we get to see the Pawn. :) I wanted to save him for next chapter. But, Oh well. Do leave critique and reviews.