The Vengeful Spirit
Legends tell of a land to the far north, where no man has ever set foot before. There, one will find the Northern Woods, where deadly predators roam and nature itself turns against you. Further north still is the Molten Sea, where the waters steam and bubble as if it were truly molten. What few creatures that are said to inhabit the vast sea can only be counted as mystical, and the waters are said to be as treacherous as it is vast.
Should any mortal seek to explore those lands, do so only by air; tempt neither forest nor sea, for only the most foolish of the foolhardy will lack the sense to stay out of either. And even so, do not go beyond, and turn back once the sights have satisfied your curiosity, before it is too late. What lies beyond are the Mountains of the Eyrie, tall and dark, where even the gods have forsaken, and even sighting them from afar is a danger.
For that is where the Skywraths roam.
-"Logs of the Adventurer Winza"
There was silence in the long halls of the Ghastly Eyrie, but the great hall was far from empty. Hundreds of armor-clad figures stood at attention, their white wings tucked neatly behind their bodies. In the land of the Skywraths, to open one's wings at another meant aggression, and it was easily a prelude to a bloody feud that could last for years between Skywrath families. Silently, they held their spears aloft, waiting.
Upon the raised dais at the end of the long hall was the Nest of Thorns, a large throne made of pure gold. The throne was made of layer upon layer of embossed gold; when one looked at it, it seemed as if the layers were actually golden swords, beaten and bent into the shape of a seat. The back of the throne was far more pronounced; countless blades stood out, protruding in every direction. Each blade was gilded and marked with a crest on the pommel, representing each of the Skywrath Houses. It was a throne of pride and violence, made for a race both proud and violent. There, the Skywrath Queen waited.
The Queen of the Skywraths was tall, as most Skywraths were; her aged looks were a rarity amongst them, as given their natural aggressive nature, few Skywraths ever lived to the point where their features showed any signs of ageing. Still, every line in her face spoke of royalty and discipline; there was yet a beauty to the Queen that many Skywrath women longed for. High upon the nest, she cut a regal figure, one which commanded fear and obedience; it is little wonder that none had ever doubted the reign of the Skywrath Queen.
Slowly, a sound came from the other end of the long corridor. It was a soft flapping sound, one which grew steadily louder with each beat. The bearer of those wings came into view, and at a hidden signal the guards raised thudded their spears on the ground once in salute. As the echoes faded away, the figure grew closer to the dais.
The woman who approached the dais was clad in blue and gold, a sign of royalty amongst the winged race. She was a beautiful Skywrath, and her chiseled features had a proud, luminous aura to them. Her hair fell over her shoulders in long, golden waves, but in no manner got in the way of the razor-edged chakram strapped to her back. As she descended from the air, her long, slender legs unfolded themselves, stretching out to cover the short distance between her and the stone floor before she tucked her wings closed. Even in this action, she radiated royalty; a warrior princess was she, and in that she left no room for doubt.
Kneeling low, the princess bowed her head to her monarch. Wordlessly, the Skywrath Queen stood and unfurled her own wings. They were beginning to gray with age, but as she beat them once, then twice, it was clear to all that those powerful wings had not lost any of their might to time's creeping grasp. The Queen descended slowly from the dais to stand in front of the princess.
"My daughter."
The words were not a summons, merely of acknowledgement. The princess made no move nor sound, as was customary. The ceremony was one of significant importance to her kind, and it would mark her coming of age as heir to the Nest of Thorns. Twenty years she had lived, and twenty years she had waited for her chance to serve; it had been a long time coming. From within her robe, the Queen slowly drew forth a circlet of wrought gold, marked with the royal crest. Holding the circlet above her daughter's head, the Queen spoke the words.
"As I once have, and as you shall now, and as you will in the days to come, I mark you my heir. May the wrath of the skies ever stride beside you, and guide your hand to the might of the heavens. When the day comes that I can no longer serve, you shall serve in my place, and you shall remember: you are one with the Skywrath." As the Queen concluded her short speech, she gently lowered the circlet onto the princess' head. The circlet fit snugly around her golden tresses as if they had been made for her.
"Rise, Shendelzare, and you shall be Queen-in-Waiting, the one whom the Nest awaits."
As Shendelzare rose gracefully to her feet, the hall resounded once more with the crash of steel on stone as the soldiers saluted once more.
"Congratulations, sister."
Shendelzare did not startle to the voice that seemingly came out from the shadows to her left. Slowly, she descended to the ground, furling her wings behind her back and turning to face the voice. Delozara emerged from the darkness, her metal boots ringing softly on the stone floor. Like her, the younger princess had long, golden hair, but that was as far as the resemblence went between the two. The pair were both beautiful, but while Shendelzare's beauty was harsh but royal, Delozara's was chill and cruel. It was not just that her lips were ever curled in an artful sneer, or that her eyes always a mad, condescending glint to them; it was nearly an aura that all in her vicinity felt.
"My thanks, sister," was all Shendelzare said in reply. She waited, knowing that her sister would have had good reason to be here waiting for the Rite to end. There was little love to be lost between the two; since an early age, little, stubborn Delo had always found a way to cause trouble for Shendalzare. As the years passed, Delo had only grown more cunning and vicious in her antics, and the rift between them was now too large to cross. Shendalzare regretted it, at times. Violent though they might be, but family bonds had always been important to the Skywrath people.
"Queen-in-Waiting. I thought this day would never come." Slowly, Delozara paced closer toward Shendelzare, her slender body swaying in rhythm with her body's movements. Much like a cat stalking its prey, Shendelzare thought. She stood her ground, watching her move closer till they were but a hands-breadth apart. "Tell me, how does it feel, O Mighty Queen?" Delozara's words were nearly a whisper.
"I am not yet Queen, and you would do well to remember that," Shendelzare admonished. "Our lord Mother still reigns on the Nest, and may Scree'auk bless her with many more years to come."
"Of that, I am certain, dear sister. I but sought to ask, as a good sister should, out of the concern and goodwill of my very heart." Sweet words, but the newly-appointed heir knew better. She gave a snort of disgust, and Delozare laughed, a rich, throaty sound, yet somehow devoid of any kind of humor. Stepping back, the sister gave a martyred shrug. "Well, accept it or not, Shendelzare. For who knows what might happen? Mayhap, the day when a new Queen arises might not be so far off."
"You go too far, Delozara, even for you." Shendelzare's voice had gone flat, the threat in it plain and obvious. The royal sister simply unfurled her wings, and with a few powerful beats, lifted herself off the ground. Hovering in the sky above her, Delozara called out sweetly, "You are far too serious, sister dear. Well, this has been a simply pleasant chat. I shall leave you to your duties now, shall I? For I am sure you have quite a burden to bear, O noble Queen-in-Waiting."
Shendelzare watched as her sister left the hall, waiting for the last echoes of her wingbeats to fade away before opening her own wings. But as she made her own way through the Ghastly Eyrie, one worrying thought pervaded her mind.
What was that about?
Shendelzare pondered the question of her sister's motives heavily as she floated slowly through the halls. Eventually, however, she began to become aware of a voice raised in song, echoing softly in the distance. This in itself was a curiousity; there were few minstrels amongst the warlike Skywraths. Shendelzare altered her course, heading toward the source of the song. Soon, Shendelzare found herself turning into the Outer Gardens, where a figure in blue and white stood. Careful not to make a sound, Shendelzare carefully lowered herself to the ground and tucked her wings behind her, her attention fixed on the singer.
Shendelzare watched as the singer's voice began to grow in intensity and volume. As if in a dream, a halo of pure, white light began to suffuse the minstrel's body, and the glow intensified as he raised his hands according to the song's climax. The song was a familiar one, one which was meant to be full of hope regarding a new journey. But somehow, the song tugged on the warrior princess' heartstrings, as the Skywrath minstrel gave voice to a melancholy which transformed the song's meaning completely. As the song came to an end, the light began to fade, and Shendelzare began to clap.
Startled, the minstrel jerked around suddenly, and as his features finally came into full view, the Skywrath princess finally understood the source of the halo that had surrounded him before. Shendelzare smiled.
"I never knew you could sing like that, Dragonus." Shendelzare began to walk forward as the mage stooped to pick up his staff. As the princess neared, Dragonus knelt in front of her.
"Well met, Your Highness," Dragonus intoned.
"Dispense with the formalities, my friend," Shendelzare snorted. Irritably, she waved her hand, motioning for him to get up. "As Court Mage, your position ranks no lower than mine, and the ties between us surely warrants us to be above such trivialities. Although, you never did tell me you could sing..." A twinkle came into Shendelzare's eye.
"There are a great many things that you do not know about me, Your Highness. This is but one of them," Dragonus smiled.
"A great many, you say? Well then, you best be wary, for learn it all I shall!" Dragonus always had liked to banter words with her, and truth be told, his company had always been more than welcome to her as well.
Dragonus laughed at her little jest, but his face quickly lost its grin. He gave a small sigh, then sketched a lopsided grin at his childhood friend. "Ah, but you shall have little time to do it, Your Highness. For I am leaving, on the morrow."
"Where?" Shendelzare was startled; she had never heard of a Skywrath mage leaving the court before. To her question however, Dragonus only turned away, gazing across the treetops into the distance. In a quiet voice, he said, "My mentor wishes me to seek further strength. He has cast his divinations; a troubled time approaches for the Skywraths. As his successor to the title of Royal Mage, he fears that my strength will not be enough to protect the realm. To protect you." The last was pitched even lower than his words before, but Shendelzare heard them anyway. She felt as if she had been boxed in both ears; her ears were ringing and her heart began to pound.
"When will you return?"
"I know not, Your Highness. It may be months; it may be years. But I swear on Scree'auk's name," Dragonus turned back to the princess, "Return I shall. Trust me in this, Princess." Their eyes locked, and she saw the fierce emotion burning in his eyes. Shendelzare's heart skipped a beat, but she made no action to that regard. Instead, she walked forward and stood next to him, and together they stood for a while, looking over the distance.
"'Twas a time, when you simply called me 'Shendelzare'." Her voice was soft; any louder and she feared she would betray her own emotions.
"Things are different now, Your Highness." Dragonus' voice was heavy and laden with regret.
Meet me here in the Outer Gardens, at daybreak tomorrow. I would see you once more, before you leave.
Shendelzare paced the Outer Gardens impatiently. It was not yet daybreak, she knew; but she could not remember being this nervous in her life. Not even the Naming Ceremony had unnerved her to this extent. In her hand, she carried a locket, housing a lock of her own golden hair. She meant it as a keepsake for Dragonus, to remember her and his oath to return to the Ghastly Eyrie.
"Alright, peace, Shendelzare," she muttered to herself. Forcing herself to be still, she walked slowly to where she had stood side by side with Dragonus the day before, and looked out across the skies. Not long after, she heard a rustling of grass behind her; quickly she turned around, and immediately froze.
The person who stood before her was not Dragonus; in the dim pre-dawn light, Shendelzare could only make out a woman's figure. The woman had her wings unfurled, and her weapon was drawn - a broadsword, the weapon of choice of many Skywraths. Loosening her own chakram, Shendelzare called out first.
"Who's there? Announce yourself!"
The figure did not stop, but continued to draw closer instead. Shendelzare drew her chakram and held it at the ready, and dropped into a battle stance. She was about to call out another warning, but then cried out in agony as an arrow pierced her right thigh. Seizing the chance, assassin lunged forward, the broadsword cleaving downward in a great arc. Gritting her teeth, Shendelzare quickly flipped her handle on the chakram, bringing the circular blade parallel to the outside of her arm and parrying the attack. In the great shower of sparks that ensued, her assailant's face was illuminated briefly, but that short moment it was enough.
"Delozara?" Shendelzare's voice was tinged with disbelief. Snarling at the foiled surprise attack, the younger princess pushed down on her weapon, using the momentum to leap back from their steely embrace. Shendelzare could do nothing to stop her sister as her right leg folded beneath her, and she thudded the edge of her chakram into the ground to stop herself from collapsing.
Almost immediately, the bushes around Shendelzare seemed to explode with Skywraths; soon, the Queen-in-Waiting found herself surrounded by many of her brethren, each brandishing a different weapon. Bow, sword, spear... Shendelzare quickly scanned each and every one, keeping a mental inventory of the possible threats she currently faced.
"Sister." At Delozara's voice, Shendelzare snapped her eyes back to the front. Grunting in pain, she lifted her chakram out of the ground, and resumed her battle stance, obviously favouring her right leg.
"You are no sister of mine, Delozara, just another traitor to the Skywraths. As are all of you!" Shendelzare's voice rose, addressing her assassins. "Do you know who you raise your weapons against? Drop them at once!" She tried to put a note of command into her voice, hoping that at least some of them would waver, but none of them even so much as flinched.
"Do save your breath, dear sister," Delozara said sweetly, "My Skywraths are loyal to me. They, too, feel that the Skywraths need a new Queen, and that you, sister... are not up to that task." With a steely whisper, Delozara sheathed her blade. Such arrogance. Unprepared as she was, Shendelzare could easily take her head off in one quick deathstroke. If she was just a bit closer...
"And you believe you are?" A gambit, hoping to draw Delozara in range of her chakram's reach.
"But of course, O noble sister. What right have you, when you can't even keep your own man?" The smirk was audible in her voice, but Shendelzare grasped the implication of her words more than the inflection of them. The shock on her face must have been apparent, for Delozara's sneer widened. "Oh, but did you not know who told us of your location? Did you not wonder? Really, sister, surely you must be smarter than that..."
"Silence!" Recklessly, Shendelzare swung her arm back and released her chakram. The razor-edged projectile spun as it flew toward its target, and the Skywrath princess poured her fury along with her magic into the weapon. In the blink of an eye, it covered the small distance between the two women, only to bounce off the edge of a Skywrath's blade who had leaped in front of the traitor princess. Shendelzare snarled and snared the weapon out of the air as it returned to its master, powered by her magic. Unfolding her wings, she bent slightly and shot into the air, ignoring Delozara's startled screech ordering her followers to give chase.
Pursuit was not far behind, she knew; she had seen her assassins take flight a split second after she had. These were professional fighters; they had been completely unfazed by her sudden flight. To top things off, her injured leg felt like heavy lead, and it was only by sheer willpower that kept the pain at bay. Despite her lead, she could sense them quickly close the short distance between them.
Gritting her teeth, Shendelzare flew upward as far as she dared, then abruptly turned around and flared her wings, almost stopping dead in mid-air. With startled exclamations, the two closest pursuers shot straight past her. Looking down, she could see the others quickly catching up; wasting no time, she tucked her body tight and beat her wings powerfully, this time in a straight line away from the fortress.
A crossbow bolt whistled dangerously close past her left ear, and behind her she could hear the warcry of an incoming attacker. Instinctively, she folded her wings around her and spun violently, just in time to avoid the downward cleave of a broadsword from behind. As she came out of her spin, her hand lashed out and caught the attacker by the side of the head, snapping it to the left. An instant later, her chakram followed up on the momentum of the spin, and the assassin's face wore an expression of surprise even as it fell, detached from its body. Before the corpse had even begun its downward descent to follow its dismembered head, Shendelzare was already back on her original course.
On she flew, until she reached the line of trees that she had hoped would give her cover. She was just about ready to dive into the Northern Woods when she felt her entire body slowing down; her muscles refused to move, and she struggled to beat her wings. The treeline that was so close an instant before felt miles away, and the sounds of pursuit behind her drew closer, forcing her to turn and face her enemies.
And as suddenly as it had come, the spell faded. Shendelzare whipped her head quickly to discern the source of the magical threat; she would need to take the mage down quickly if she were to stand any chance of escape. The wall of incoming Skywrath warriors blocked her vision, however, and she was forced to abandon her efforts as she parried the saber of yet another foe. Drawing a deep breath, she seized the front of her immediate enemy's tunic and brought his head close to hers, exhaling in a sudden shout in his face. Unprepared for the sudden attack, he jerked his head back reflexively, and Shendelzare let him go. In a flash, she whipped her chakram across his exposed throat, then kicked off his body straight toward her enemies, leaving him to fall to his death.
Drawing her arm back, Shendelzare let loose a battle cry, powering it with her magic. The force of her empowered cry shimmered with magical energy, causing her enemies to stumble in flight as she shot right at them like a Skywrath cannonball. Even as she flew, she whipped her chakram forward and let loose. The assassins scattered, confused and trying to escape the deadly projectile, and she rocketed past them unscathed, collecting the returning chakram and flying back toward the Ghastly Eyrie.
But even as she passed her killers, her body once again felt sluggish and heavy. The magical lethargy came over her once more, stronger this time; it was as if time itself had slowed for the warrior princess. She struggled against the magic, willing her body to continue, but she was quickly losing altitude. By the time the spell had passed and she once more regained full control of her body, she was far below the edge of the Outer Gardens and the Eyrie. This time, her eyes picked out a cloaked figure wielding a staff not far from her; he was just within range. Gathering her magical energies once more, she threw her chakram with all her might.
As the weapon whirled toward its target, the cloaked figure raised his staff again. The projectile began to slow, just enough for the figure to narrowly avoid it. The edge of the weapon caught at his cloak, and the hood was sheared in two as the chakram whizzed by just above his head. Shendelzare willed the weapon to return, and as she snared it out of its return flight just as she reached the cliff leading to the Outer Garden. Changing direction abruptly, she flew straight up against the edge of the cliff; below her, she could hear the sound of someone crashing into the rocky surface. In seconds, she had broken past the edge of the cliff, and for one split second the eyes of the Skywrath mage and hers locked together. Shendelzare inhaled sharply.
Dragonus stood, looking at her with cold, emerald eyes.
He smiled, a cruel, cruel grin, and raised his staff while Shendelzare was immobilized with shock. A ball of glowing white light erupted forth, striking her directly in her mid-section. Her inhaled breath came out as an agonized cry, and she plummeted downward once again toward the cliff. Desperately, she beat her wings fiercely, and eventually managed to right herself.
Pain ripped suddenly through her body as an arrow pierced cleanly through her right wing and buried itself into the cliff's edge. She screamed in pain, a scream which only intensified as a crossbow bolt followed almost immediately, this time passing through her left wing, pinning her against the surface like a fly in a spider's web. Tinges of red began to cloud her vision, but she could just barely make out her horde of attackers closing in on her with frightening speed. She tried her best to avoid the next heavy blade, but could only dodge briefly to the left. The weapon thudded deep into the rock's surface, and seperated her right wing from her body.
"NO!" The word came out not as a shout, but as a shriek of fury. Magical energy weighed heavily on the word, and magical shockwaves pulsed from Shendelzare's body. The force sent her assassins spinning away in mid-flight, but she knew she could not keep them away for long. She gripped her chakram tightly, horrified at the thought of what she knew was her only option left. She screamed yet again, and raised her weapon.
With one clean stroke, she sliced her left wing from her back.
Even as she fell, her cries of agony, anger and hate echoed through the skies, ending only when she had fallen into the trees of the Northern Woods.
She was dying.
Even as Shendelzare pulled herself out of the river bank, she knew this to be true. She was safe for the moment, carried away by the swift rapids of the river, but she knew that she could not survive much longer. Her injuries were too many and too deep; she would not survive the hour, much less the day. As she lay on the grass panting, she knew a sense of utter despair.
She had lost her wings.
It was the most utter and complete humiliation a Skywrath could ever face. No Skywrath had ever lost his wings without becoming an object of public ridicule; to lose one's wings was to lose one's pride. Condemned to be part of the lesser folk, a wingless Skywrath often ended their own life shortly after. And Shendelzare was now one of them.
She contemplated suicide. She knew she had not long to live, but she also knew that she did not want to live whatever life she had left as a wingless abomination. She raised her hand, still tightly gripping her chakram. She smiled grimly at that; at least, she had held on to her pride as a warrior, and had never let go of her weapon.
With that thought, she abruptly knew that she did not want to die - at least, not before she had had this injustice cleansed. There was much Delozara and Dragonus had to answer for. She looked up into the sky; in the distance, she could vaguely make out the shadow of the Ghastly Eyrie. Where she had once called home, she would never fly the halls again; without wings, it was impossible to reach the keep. Impossible to reach Dragonus, impossible to reach Delozara.
Impossible to reach revenge.
Shendelzare screamed then, and she did not care that it would alert her killers. She screamed again and again, letting her tears and fury boil out into the sky.
"Let it not end like this!" she roared, brandishing her chakram at the skies, "Let not this injustice stand! By Scree'auk's name, I will not die until I have had my vengeance!"
She received no response to her shouted prayers, and as her echoes faded away, she let her chakram fall at last, and began to weep. Her tears were cut short, however, as a blazing purple light caused her to cover her eyes. Stumbling to her feet and fumbling for her chakram, she forced herself to open her eyes. A female figure of coalesced light stood in front of her, and even though there were no features on her face, Shendelzare knew she was being watched.
You desire power...?
The words played directly into Shendelzare's head. She was startled at first, but recovered quickly enough to ask, "Who are you?"
I am Scree'auk, child, the Goddess of the Skywraths. I have watched your plight, and unsightly though your fall was, your battle was... interesting.
Hearing the words, Shendelzare dropped to her knees, placing her chakram flat on the floor. "I will do anything, my Goddess, if You would only grant me to strength for revenge!"
Yes... you will be my champion. Now come, mortal. Be mine, and be reborn!
The figure of light flew abruptly toward her, and Shendelzare barely had the time to think of the implications of what she had just agreed to before a burning sensation seared through her entire body. She shrieked as pain as she had never felt before intruded upon every sense she had, and she could feel her flesh and bones melting away in the light. The light grew and intensified, but her screams gradually subsided. Slowly, the light began to fade as well, and Scree'auk was finally done with her new creation.
In the place of the warrior princess, a figure of writhing purple flames stood slowly. It resembled nothing of the warrior princess of the Skywraths; the long golden hair was gone, and wisps of bright azure flames writhed and boiled in its place. Its body was azure to match its hair, and the blue and gold armor was now black and deep purple. Her chakram she gripped in her hand, a ring of blazing purple energy. Shendelzare opened her eyes, and a red light flared forth.
Her body coursed with power, power enough to crush the vile traitors who had usurped her of her throne. Her face contorted in sadistic anticipation, and she began to move her body toward the Ghastly Eyrie when Scree'auk's voice reverberated in her head.
Not yet...
Shendelzare stopped immediately, heeding to her Goddess' voice. You have the power, but you have not the means... There is a task I need you to do for me, one final errand, before I grant you your wings once more. Lower your weapon, and listen... Immediately, Shendelzare relaxed her stance, and bowed her head in deference. She could not defy the will of her master.
Gradually, an image began to form in Shendelzare's head. This was not a message from her master, she immediately knew; it was from a different source. A serene, absolute power; but it was threatened. The image changed; she instantly saw the danger that threatened the entity that had first called to her. She knew what her Goddess wanted her to do instinctively, and she also knew that once she had accomplished the task, she would be granted her revenge. She willed the peaceful glade that she had first seen to her mind again and set off, her ethereal legs making no sound on the forest floor.
The Vengeful Spirit answered the call.
A/N: Welcome back, my FanFiction account! It's been months since I last updated, and hey, I never did promise regular updates. But I've always liked Shendelzare and truth be told I've had this story sitting in my computer for ages - I started almost as soon as my Lycanthrope story was over - but I had writer's block for forever and a day. I don't like the ending, but I honestly think there's way too much dialogue in this already. Hope you enjoy this, and I still don't promise I'll be back...
