II
The tribal leader that winter was Sun-Kwai, a strong and intelligent man. He'd been at the frontlines of the battle against the demon, and had the scars to prove it. He was a kind and gentle leader, though merciless against those who broke the laws or attacked his city. Though not the best bowman, he was a fine strategist, and moderately good with a sword.
He had a beautiful daughter, the finest young lady in the city. He'd entertained suitors from as far away as the mines, but none seemed right for her. Unfortunately, the few who did...
Sungmi stepped into the chief's chambers and bowed. The high priestess of the town shrine, she was a very talented healer. "I'm afraid that her highness's suitor has died. The plague, sadly."
Sun-Kwai sighed and leaned against a chest. His daughter would be inconsolable. "Take him to the burial ground. Await orders there. I must go tell her."
Sungmi sighed and nodded. "As you wish, sir." She said, bowing and leaving quickly.
The chief gathered himself and stepped across the hall, slipping into her room. The beautiful princess sat at her mirror, brushing her hair and humming a song. She glanced up at her father, smiling expectantly, waiting to hear him say that her future husband would live.
He sighed heavily. "Sohee.."
III
Brown hair and red cloth spilled into the snow, as the young girl squealed and dodged the snowball. She rolled over and sat up, throwing a snowball back at her attacker. It deflected easily. She laughed and stood, snow covering her. "You meanie, that's not fair, don't use your skills for snowballs!"
He laughed. Brown-black hair framed a soft pale face, his blue eyes accented by his dark blue clothes, showing which tribe he belonged to and how. "Well, what am I to do, you throw hard!"
The younger girl stuck her tongue out at him, throwing another snowball at him while he was distracted. It hit him in the face and he stumbled, coughing and laughing. "Yeah, but you're a boy, you can handle a little snow!"
He smiled, sitting and stretching, the cold air rushing against his play-warmed face. She was so adorable and precious, with her long brown plait and her shining eyes. She belonged to another tribe, one on good terms with his; she was being groomed to be a lady of the tribe, as he was the lord of his since his father died fighting the demon. He loved her dearly; it didn't matter that she was so much younger, and wouldn't be of marriageable age for another three years at least. He could wait, he wanted to study in Glast Heim anyway, learn a skill beyond simple martial arts, be able to support his young wife and their merged tribes..
A snowball pelted him in the chest, and he sat up, just in time to see red cloth disappear up the tree. He ran over and kicked the tree hard, the sole of his foot landing solidly against the frozen bark. A mountain of snow fell, surrounding him, and he could swear he'd heard a screech. Reaching into the cold, he pulled out a braid, followed by an angry girl. "Why'd you do that, be glad there was snow, you're mean!"
He laughed and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile; he was her best friend, always so warm and kind to her, even when the other village girls were cruel. She knew he wanted to leave, and she planned to stow away with him, see the world, have adventures. She hated the idea of being ladylike and stuck at home all the time.
Neither of them heard the guards marching up, flanking a palace aide. He cleared his throat, and the two children looked up. "The chief wishes to see Lord Bongun of the Kuman tribe in the palace. Please come with me."
Bongun looked at her and smiled. "Run on home, and warm up. I'll come over later and we can play games, okay?"
She smiled and hugged him tightly, then let go and curled up. "Have fun, give his majesty my regards!"
He walked off with the palace aide, looking back and smiling, just for a second, before returning to his facade of officiality and maturity.
"Munak.."
IV
Sohee knelt before the altar in the temple, clasping her hands together in prayer. Her long beautiful black hair shimmered in the candlelight, accenting her fair skin and delicate features. Her tears hadn't quite dried, and they sparkled slightly in the dim light.
She was tired. Tired and miserable and desperate for something new. She was only twelve years old, and had been betrothed six times. Tragedy had struck down each of her suitors; archery accidents, bandits during travels, the demon of the past summer, the plague.. she didn't want it to keep happening. It was getting bad enough that her father had ordered prayers for her to lift her curse. True, she already had another suitor, her seventh, but she wondered how long that would last. It was said that he already had eyes for another noble girl, a member of a skilled archery tribe that had lived in Payon for generations.
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the fire settle on her eyelids. The cold snow had already melted and dried from her, and she envisioned herself being enveloped in fire, cleansed by it's everlasting heat. "Please remove the taint that keeps me from marrying", she whispered, shivering.
Images flashed over the inside of her eyelids, and she gasped. She saw a huge beast, and an explosion, and the beauty and grace of Glast Heim being destroyed forever. She saw crowds of people clogging a city that she supposed was Prontera. Beastly men and women charging across the desert and through the forests, waving swords and maces and books, calling for the deaths of anything in their path. She struggled to see only Payon, see who would be the next chief, but she could only see death and devastation.
She caught herself as she fell back, shaking and staring at the fire that still flickered and whispered secretly to itself. What did it all mean? What was that world?
The tribal leader that winter was Sun-Kwai, a strong and intelligent man. He'd been at the frontlines of the battle against the demon, and had the scars to prove it. He was a kind and gentle leader, though merciless against those who broke the laws or attacked his city. Though not the best bowman, he was a fine strategist, and moderately good with a sword.
He had a beautiful daughter, the finest young lady in the city. He'd entertained suitors from as far away as the mines, but none seemed right for her. Unfortunately, the few who did...
Sungmi stepped into the chief's chambers and bowed. The high priestess of the town shrine, she was a very talented healer. "I'm afraid that her highness's suitor has died. The plague, sadly."
Sun-Kwai sighed and leaned against a chest. His daughter would be inconsolable. "Take him to the burial ground. Await orders there. I must go tell her."
Sungmi sighed and nodded. "As you wish, sir." She said, bowing and leaving quickly.
The chief gathered himself and stepped across the hall, slipping into her room. The beautiful princess sat at her mirror, brushing her hair and humming a song. She glanced up at her father, smiling expectantly, waiting to hear him say that her future husband would live.
He sighed heavily. "Sohee.."
III
Brown hair and red cloth spilled into the snow, as the young girl squealed and dodged the snowball. She rolled over and sat up, throwing a snowball back at her attacker. It deflected easily. She laughed and stood, snow covering her. "You meanie, that's not fair, don't use your skills for snowballs!"
He laughed. Brown-black hair framed a soft pale face, his blue eyes accented by his dark blue clothes, showing which tribe he belonged to and how. "Well, what am I to do, you throw hard!"
The younger girl stuck her tongue out at him, throwing another snowball at him while he was distracted. It hit him in the face and he stumbled, coughing and laughing. "Yeah, but you're a boy, you can handle a little snow!"
He smiled, sitting and stretching, the cold air rushing against his play-warmed face. She was so adorable and precious, with her long brown plait and her shining eyes. She belonged to another tribe, one on good terms with his; she was being groomed to be a lady of the tribe, as he was the lord of his since his father died fighting the demon. He loved her dearly; it didn't matter that she was so much younger, and wouldn't be of marriageable age for another three years at least. He could wait, he wanted to study in Glast Heim anyway, learn a skill beyond simple martial arts, be able to support his young wife and their merged tribes..
A snowball pelted him in the chest, and he sat up, just in time to see red cloth disappear up the tree. He ran over and kicked the tree hard, the sole of his foot landing solidly against the frozen bark. A mountain of snow fell, surrounding him, and he could swear he'd heard a screech. Reaching into the cold, he pulled out a braid, followed by an angry girl. "Why'd you do that, be glad there was snow, you're mean!"
He laughed and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile; he was her best friend, always so warm and kind to her, even when the other village girls were cruel. She knew he wanted to leave, and she planned to stow away with him, see the world, have adventures. She hated the idea of being ladylike and stuck at home all the time.
Neither of them heard the guards marching up, flanking a palace aide. He cleared his throat, and the two children looked up. "The chief wishes to see Lord Bongun of the Kuman tribe in the palace. Please come with me."
Bongun looked at her and smiled. "Run on home, and warm up. I'll come over later and we can play games, okay?"
She smiled and hugged him tightly, then let go and curled up. "Have fun, give his majesty my regards!"
He walked off with the palace aide, looking back and smiling, just for a second, before returning to his facade of officiality and maturity.
"Munak.."
IV
Sohee knelt before the altar in the temple, clasping her hands together in prayer. Her long beautiful black hair shimmered in the candlelight, accenting her fair skin and delicate features. Her tears hadn't quite dried, and they sparkled slightly in the dim light.
She was tired. Tired and miserable and desperate for something new. She was only twelve years old, and had been betrothed six times. Tragedy had struck down each of her suitors; archery accidents, bandits during travels, the demon of the past summer, the plague.. she didn't want it to keep happening. It was getting bad enough that her father had ordered prayers for her to lift her curse. True, she already had another suitor, her seventh, but she wondered how long that would last. It was said that he already had eyes for another noble girl, a member of a skilled archery tribe that had lived in Payon for generations.
She closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the fire settle on her eyelids. The cold snow had already melted and dried from her, and she envisioned herself being enveloped in fire, cleansed by it's everlasting heat. "Please remove the taint that keeps me from marrying", she whispered, shivering.
Images flashed over the inside of her eyelids, and she gasped. She saw a huge beast, and an explosion, and the beauty and grace of Glast Heim being destroyed forever. She saw crowds of people clogging a city that she supposed was Prontera. Beastly men and women charging across the desert and through the forests, waving swords and maces and books, calling for the deaths of anything in their path. She struggled to see only Payon, see who would be the next chief, but she could only see death and devastation.
She caught herself as she fell back, shaking and staring at the fire that still flickered and whispered secretly to itself. What did it all mean? What was that world?