Chapter 4: Scorched Memories
I ran from what remained of my birthplace, my hometown. I ran through the forest, afraid that if I stopped the strange, cloaked figure would find me, and slay me. I could run no longer after so long, however, and stopped to rest. The day passed fast, and night fell upon the forest. As I sat next to a tree, I stared at the crystal my mother gave to me. It glowed eerily as I held it. I questioned the crystal's existence as the night passed. I eventually fell asleep.
The next morning I kept walking through the forest, yet I was tempted to return to Forester to search for some answers. I knew that I should get to Corneria as quickly as I could, but I didn't know if I would ever be able to return to what was my home. I looked back every few moments, yet I knew I could never go back.
As I walked, I felt as if someone was watching me, but as I looked around I couldn't see anything. I began to walk again, but heard something behind me. To see what it was I spun around quickly, but saw nothing. "This is ridiculous," I thought aloud. I tried to continue traveling, yet I heard a voice.
"You shant pass through these woods," said the raspy voice.
I turned to the voices origin, and said, "Who will stop me then?"
"I shall." A forest imp walked into the open from behind a tree. From the look of him I guessed he was a leader of a group of imps.
"What makes you think you can stop me?" I asked him.
He turned to the forest and whistled sharply. Soon after I heard a loud rustling sound, and saw many imps rise from the brush and from behind the trees. I stared at the large number of them, turned around, and ran. I had no intention of starting a fight, but being blasted out of your hometown has strange effects on a person I guess.
I ran until I was out of their view, and hid behind a tree. I came up with a plan to use a Fog spell to escape, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Knowing this, I tried anyway, holding my hands before my chest, chanting the words to cast Fog. Slowly, the forest became filled with thick fog, and I ran to the south. My plan had worked for the most part, yet one imp passed through my escape attempt. It was the imp leader. I stopped running and faced him.
"Such tricks will not work on an imp such as myself," he said as he reached for his knife. "I'll let you live if you give me everything you have."
"I won't obey the orders of a lowly imp," I said.
"Well then," he said, "I'll just have to persuade you." Having said that he lunged at me with his knife. I stepped out of the way, and began chanting a spell. In a flash of light, the imp stopped his attack, and began looking for me frantically. Not even an 'imp such as himself' could see through an Invisi spell. I waited until he left for the more wooded area of the forest before running for Corneria, so he wouldn't hear me.
As I ran, I stopped on top of a hill, and rested for a short time. I stood and began to look around, and a short distance away I saw the giant stone walls of Corneria. I ran to the gates, but was stopped by the guard.
"What business do you have in Corneria, girl?" asked the guard.
"I have urgent matters to warn the King about," I replied.
"What matters are those?"
"Forester has been burned to the ground by a lone rogue mage. I'm one of the only survivors."
"Forgive me," he said. "You may enter." He opened the gates as I rushed in. As I ran for the center of town, a young man wearing a red hat and cape ran past me.
"Excuse me, but do you know where the castle is?" I tried to ask him, but he kept running, with a look of concern on his face. I stared at him, wondering what could be bothering him, but looked to the east to see a large crowd around a small house. Walking up to one of the people there, I asked, "Excuse me, but what happened?"
The man turned to me and replied, "Someone was attacked not long ago."
"Was the young man in the red cape involved in some way? He seems upset."
"Indeed he was. His family was attacked by a large demon."
"Oh my," I gasped. "I'm very sorry. Could you direct me to the castle? I have similar matters to discuss with the king."
"Follow the young man with the red cape. He's headed there now."
"Thank you." I ran after him, hoping I could obtain some information, and perhaps some help. Soon, I arrived at the castle gate, but the guards stopped me.
"Sorry, the castle is off limits until morning," said the guard.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with the king," I said. "Forester has been burnt down by a single mage."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Remember to be courteous to his majesty." Having said that he opened the gate.
"Thank you," I said as I rushed inside.
As I entered, I knew that life was not going to be easy as it had been, and that I would have to find another way to train in the clerical arts. I began to search the castle for the Throne Room, but found instead someone I had longed to see since the fire started. "Father," I whispered as I began to cry tears of joy.
"Runia?" he asked. "Why are you here? Has something happened?"
I ran over and wrapped my arms around him. "Forester has fallen Father," I said. "The town was burned to the ground, and everyone is." My voice trailed off as I began to cry harder.
"What about your mother?" he asked me. "Is your mother well?"
"I don't know, Father. She may be dead."
He was silent for a long time, but then asked, "Did she give you anything?"
"Only this crystal," I replied as I removed my arms from around him and took the crystal from the pouch I kept at my side.
"The time has come. Lord Chaos is coming," he muttered to himself.
"Lord Chaos?"
"Yes, my child. He is the embodiment of all evil that exists in this realm."
"How can such a fiend exist?"
"As long as impurity exists, he exists." He paused for a moment. "Your crystal is important Runia. Keep it safe at all times."
"What is the crystal Father?"
"It is a gem long passed through the generations of our family. Some say it was a gift from the almighty for the purest of the warriors, yet nothing is certain."
"I'll protect it with my life."
"Time is running short. We must have an audience with the king soon." He turned to a guard and asked, "Guard, when may we have an audience with the king?"
"The wait shouldn't be long," he replied, "yet with the things happening outside, who can say?"
As the audience with the king drew near, I felt scared. I had no clue what was happening, or why. I wanted answers, but knew it would be difficult to find them. As I waited I prayed to the Almighty, praying for the safety of all mankind, and the downfall of Chaos. The crystal I kept close puzzled me as well, but I knew that I would learn it's significance at the right moment. All I could do was wait.
I ran from what remained of my birthplace, my hometown. I ran through the forest, afraid that if I stopped the strange, cloaked figure would find me, and slay me. I could run no longer after so long, however, and stopped to rest. The day passed fast, and night fell upon the forest. As I sat next to a tree, I stared at the crystal my mother gave to me. It glowed eerily as I held it. I questioned the crystal's existence as the night passed. I eventually fell asleep.
The next morning I kept walking through the forest, yet I was tempted to return to Forester to search for some answers. I knew that I should get to Corneria as quickly as I could, but I didn't know if I would ever be able to return to what was my home. I looked back every few moments, yet I knew I could never go back.
As I walked, I felt as if someone was watching me, but as I looked around I couldn't see anything. I began to walk again, but heard something behind me. To see what it was I spun around quickly, but saw nothing. "This is ridiculous," I thought aloud. I tried to continue traveling, yet I heard a voice.
"You shant pass through these woods," said the raspy voice.
I turned to the voices origin, and said, "Who will stop me then?"
"I shall." A forest imp walked into the open from behind a tree. From the look of him I guessed he was a leader of a group of imps.
"What makes you think you can stop me?" I asked him.
He turned to the forest and whistled sharply. Soon after I heard a loud rustling sound, and saw many imps rise from the brush and from behind the trees. I stared at the large number of them, turned around, and ran. I had no intention of starting a fight, but being blasted out of your hometown has strange effects on a person I guess.
I ran until I was out of their view, and hid behind a tree. I came up with a plan to use a Fog spell to escape, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Knowing this, I tried anyway, holding my hands before my chest, chanting the words to cast Fog. Slowly, the forest became filled with thick fog, and I ran to the south. My plan had worked for the most part, yet one imp passed through my escape attempt. It was the imp leader. I stopped running and faced him.
"Such tricks will not work on an imp such as myself," he said as he reached for his knife. "I'll let you live if you give me everything you have."
"I won't obey the orders of a lowly imp," I said.
"Well then," he said, "I'll just have to persuade you." Having said that he lunged at me with his knife. I stepped out of the way, and began chanting a spell. In a flash of light, the imp stopped his attack, and began looking for me frantically. Not even an 'imp such as himself' could see through an Invisi spell. I waited until he left for the more wooded area of the forest before running for Corneria, so he wouldn't hear me.
As I ran, I stopped on top of a hill, and rested for a short time. I stood and began to look around, and a short distance away I saw the giant stone walls of Corneria. I ran to the gates, but was stopped by the guard.
"What business do you have in Corneria, girl?" asked the guard.
"I have urgent matters to warn the King about," I replied.
"What matters are those?"
"Forester has been burned to the ground by a lone rogue mage. I'm one of the only survivors."
"Forgive me," he said. "You may enter." He opened the gates as I rushed in. As I ran for the center of town, a young man wearing a red hat and cape ran past me.
"Excuse me, but do you know where the castle is?" I tried to ask him, but he kept running, with a look of concern on his face. I stared at him, wondering what could be bothering him, but looked to the east to see a large crowd around a small house. Walking up to one of the people there, I asked, "Excuse me, but what happened?"
The man turned to me and replied, "Someone was attacked not long ago."
"Was the young man in the red cape involved in some way? He seems upset."
"Indeed he was. His family was attacked by a large demon."
"Oh my," I gasped. "I'm very sorry. Could you direct me to the castle? I have similar matters to discuss with the king."
"Follow the young man with the red cape. He's headed there now."
"Thank you." I ran after him, hoping I could obtain some information, and perhaps some help. Soon, I arrived at the castle gate, but the guards stopped me.
"Sorry, the castle is off limits until morning," said the guard.
"I have urgent matters to discuss with the king," I said. "Forester has been burnt down by a single mage."
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Remember to be courteous to his majesty." Having said that he opened the gate.
"Thank you," I said as I rushed inside.
As I entered, I knew that life was not going to be easy as it had been, and that I would have to find another way to train in the clerical arts. I began to search the castle for the Throne Room, but found instead someone I had longed to see since the fire started. "Father," I whispered as I began to cry tears of joy.
"Runia?" he asked. "Why are you here? Has something happened?"
I ran over and wrapped my arms around him. "Forester has fallen Father," I said. "The town was burned to the ground, and everyone is." My voice trailed off as I began to cry harder.
"What about your mother?" he asked me. "Is your mother well?"
"I don't know, Father. She may be dead."
He was silent for a long time, but then asked, "Did she give you anything?"
"Only this crystal," I replied as I removed my arms from around him and took the crystal from the pouch I kept at my side.
"The time has come. Lord Chaos is coming," he muttered to himself.
"Lord Chaos?"
"Yes, my child. He is the embodiment of all evil that exists in this realm."
"How can such a fiend exist?"
"As long as impurity exists, he exists." He paused for a moment. "Your crystal is important Runia. Keep it safe at all times."
"What is the crystal Father?"
"It is a gem long passed through the generations of our family. Some say it was a gift from the almighty for the purest of the warriors, yet nothing is certain."
"I'll protect it with my life."
"Time is running short. We must have an audience with the king soon." He turned to a guard and asked, "Guard, when may we have an audience with the king?"
"The wait shouldn't be long," he replied, "yet with the things happening outside, who can say?"
As the audience with the king drew near, I felt scared. I had no clue what was happening, or why. I wanted answers, but knew it would be difficult to find them. As I waited I prayed to the Almighty, praying for the safety of all mankind, and the downfall of Chaos. The crystal I kept close puzzled me as well, but I knew that I would learn it's significance at the right moment. All I could do was wait.