Adventures of Melannya:
Part Three - The Awakening
The morning brought much sunshine as the light peeked through the tattered curtains of the tiny Inn room to wake me. I yawned sleepily but began to dress as fast as possible. Today was the day I was going to be tested by the elders of the city. I was going to find if I was able to channel the same power that made Cimyr an Enchantress or if I had the melee adept to be a skilled fighter such as Finde. Pattering down the stairs, I stopped half way upon having an odd feeling that I was not alone. Carefully spinning around, I saw nothing but shrugged and continued down the stairwell. At the base was Cimyr, smiling as she waited my arrival. I grinned at her and waved a quick greeting. Looking about, I noticed her mate was not at his normal spot by her side.
"Where is the dear Finde, ma'am?" I questioned, curious to see her alone for once. Immediately as the words left my mouth, I felt a startling poke in my left kidney and spun around to see Finde staring eye to eye from the stairs with laughter written in the sparkle of his eyes. "How--?" The two 'keenfolk giggled as Cimyr grasped me by the elbow and lead me to breakfast. We were joined by a couple more from the same guild as my new friends. It was still shocking to me to see one, but the leader of the guild, named Ducki, who was also one of the undead Vampiir folk, joined us. This Vampiir lady smiled briefly at me but then began to talk to the others about guild things. As they finished up their business, away we went!
"Yowch!" I quickly apologized to the poor Lurikeen Master Ranger whose booted foot was now poked with yet another of my wandering arrows. Sighing, I looked crestfallenly at Cimyr and Finde who were assisting me in my quest to find if I could become something more than just the farm girl I had grown to be. It was not looking too good. None of the magics worked for me, I couldn't prove to the Nature guild masters that I had an affinity for healing, magics that improved things like strength and heartiness, or even the slightest hint of being able to carry any sort of tune as a Bard. With melee, my hand was too clumsy with sword and shield and I just could not figure out how the stealth types worked their magics of hiding in plain view (as I found Finde to be from my experience in the Inn earlier).
"It's no use, friends. I guess I should just head back to the farm and stay there forever. It's obvious I am skilled at nothing but being a dull failure." I bowed my head and sighed again. It was bad enough that I felt so poorly about the whole situation but that my new friends had to waste their day helping me find this out was more than I could bear. Finde patted me on the back to try and comfort me, but Cimyr's face was lined with hope. She pulled Finde aside and quickly whispered something in his ear. Turning to me in eagerness, Cimyr said, "We need to have you speak with one more master, Mel." Confusion became excitement as I realized that there was one last chance for me to find myself and become who I had hoped to become.
They lead me into the grove filled with beautiful magic trees and singing bards whom I was told not to disturb as they were creating protective and mighty magics to help the great city. In quiet peace, we walked through the beautiful park until we came around a corner and there stood a living, walking tree. But I realized this was a person, not a tree. Their skin was lined with ridged bark and there were leaves hanging from the skull in the place of hair. I curtseyed deeply to this tree lady but before I stood up, she grasped both of my hands very tightly within hers and pulled me up.
"Rise my child and let me look into your eyes as you look into mine." I could not help but gaze forever in pools of blackness that seemed to encompass my whole being. I felt myself drawn to the magics of this lady of bark, and felt something I had never felt before. Something was happening within me, and it was at that point I noticed the scythe sitting next to the tree behind her. She was a mighty Valewalker and at that point for some strange reason, I knew I was meant to be one of the robed magical scythe wielders myself. She leaned over to the tree without taking her eyes off of me and grasped the scythe tightly. Placing it into my awaiting hands, it felt as normal as breath I was taking, or the skin on my body. This was my destiny—I was a Valewalker…