The Gael's Blade of Shedding

[Salvira Ava]

April 20th, 308 E.C.


"It's been years since I been banished from the Kingdom of Amalar, no thanks to my own family. I can still remember it as if it we're yesterday when my sister brought me to the center of town, she told me there was a market taking place. Never knew how much of a liar my own blood could be. Then and there she pointed at me with her sticky hands and yelled; "There! There's a witch in the square!" All just so she could gain her own riches, though I doubt she got much. I'm not a witch however, never done anything to classify as one. Yet I'm not upset she got me banished from the Kingdom of Amalar, the outside world treats me much better anyways... "





Moonlight still poisoned everything with her silver twilight. The Gael Forest which was accompanied by the established Kingdom of Amalar sat not far from such place. Townsfolk have always talked down on such a beautiful place but that was alright to the inhabitants of Gael Forest. The more the towns people talked it down, the less they were disturbed by strangers. Within the wooden tangle of trees lurked a maiden, or perhaps a creature of strange lore hidden from direct view. Green strands that stuck out of the ground welcomed a pair of bare feet that were almost as pale as the face of Luna and her silver, twilight rays. Brushing the bottom of the feet were gently, like how fur of a gentle beast would feel to a child's hand. However, they came to an halt blocked by an almighty tree; the Tree of Talok. It's elder branches swayed ever so lightly in the breeze greeting the being before it. A woman of infinitive sorrow, fragile as a doll with porcelain skin. Hair was dampened with waves as they too blew in the breeze. The woman of oddity sat down, leaning on the Tree of Talok. "Sol will be here soon enough, I better get the early birds up and ready..." With a gracious swing of her hand, a harp of silver and wood appeared in her hands, larger than herself. Nimble fingers begun to pluck the seeds of sound from the harp peacefully as a soft tune began to play. Poisoned silver radiated over them all but none seemed bother as "she " was already poisoned.


The tune of the harp seemed to match the speed of Sol as his flaming rays of light grew larger. Birds chirping could be heard from above fluttering nearby. Crisp, ivory leaves fell from above as critters rushed about to reach the kind maiden and her blooming notes of sound. Moments passed and the woman was surrounded by critter of all shapes and sizes, sitting there occupied by the music. The final note of her harp echoed through out the forest, rays of morning light reach the empty, lifeless crystal blues of the elven maiden as she begins to fade away. Only till the moon comes again.


Kingdom of Amalar is surrounded by a glass dome, filled with many stone buildings using a medieval architecture. Brick roads lead to your everyday lives like work, pubs and homes. Towering over it all is the Castle of Kuli, a place where only the up most respected could enter. It towers the village like a God of high power, and all came to praise it.


Recently, one of the Squads marched down from the Castle of Kuli handing out flyers of sorts. One of the Squad members, decorated and blight silver and gold headed towards the pub and nailed one near the wooden door.


"Reward for any who capture this Witch of Gael on behalf of King Fandri!" The man said as he marched back out almost as soon as he walked in. The drunkards continued their drinking almost oblivious to the new posted reward for a woman in the woods...

 

[Idea]

100 E.C- Explorers arrive at a large natural sight which becomes known as the "Lord Woods" and is where they finally settle. The Khasus civilization begins.


194 E.C- The Khasus civilization is at its peak, after a near a century of ever-growing and ever-improving culture. Several cities were founded, all of them rich and highly populated. A plague makes it´s way. People`s limbs disappear in seemingly random way, replaced by glowing mist and metal blades.


196 E.C- Foreign Doctors arrive at the city and seem to cure the diseased. Commercial and diplomatic relationships start between the Khasians and the foreign civilization, the clans of Amalar.


203 E.C- War begins between the Khasus civilization and the clans of Amalar. The clans suffer a succession of defeats to the Khasus magic, armament and tactics.


212 E.C- War ends in the Khasians defeat. The plague has returned to Khasus and the leaders of the clans of Amalar, now a self-proclaimed kingdom, have learned Khasian magic. Amal the first is selected to lead the kingdom as king. The khasian cities are now no more than ruins in the middle of the woods, burned.


221 E.C-The plague has been extincted for good. Besides some occasional rumors of it`s usage by the king or his royal knights, Khasian magic disappeared too, alongside the lost of it`s people and culture. Three cities have been constructed already, including the kingdom`s capital, Amalt.


308 E.C- The kingdom of Amalar is rich and fully established, although it`s culture is still nowhere near that of the Khasus civilization, whose existence is a now an old tale that is dying along with those old enough to still remember it. The kingdom`s current ruler is the tyrannical Yonst the second. He ordered a campaign to enforce the law created by his father which banished all magic and ordered the banishment or execution of all users of the same outside the royal family or royal knights.





Shadow and dust. That was all I could see. I wanted out. Over a hundred years of hearing nothing but the wind passing through the ruined buildings. The sound of a living creature or the occasional (bad) singer that forgot that singing too loud could mean death in the woods, those were sounds that reminded me of the old days. Old days I could barely grasp, even in my memories. I tried to keep it there, I tried the best I could. For I had nothing else, but the ruins that surrounded me and those memories. No other reminder that my friends, my family, my civilization had even existed. And yet, both were fading, one consumed by fauna, the other consumed my would-be-aging. Still, there were a few things I wouldn`t forget. A few horrors that`d live with me forever.


I heard that song again. That beautiful melody, the one that occasionally played and echoed through the woods. Now that, was something worthy of Khasus. If only I could move and see source myself. But that wasn`t possible: I was just a sword now, a simple weapon stabbed against the ground of what I once called home.


“You hearing this?” Someone said from the woods.


“Yeah. I think we might dine well tonight. It`s got to be that witch that got banished. We`re finally getting our reward. Come, let`s ambush her. With music this loud, she can`t possibly hear us coming.” Someone else said. They got on the move. I could hear their steps, although I couldn`t see them.


At that point I REALLY wished I could move and go warn the one making the music, warn her of the bounty hunters to preserve the closest thing I`ve had had to my old comrades for over a century.


(the italics it`s a prologue. Also, feel free to use the bounty hunters as you wish)

 

[Salvira Ava]

In the distance, voices of man could be heard sneaking around and ambushing through the bushes of the woods. The maiden who has faded from view 'thanks' to the rays of Sol has be nearly invisible to the naked eye, she roamed carefully to get a closer view of who was disturbing her rest. Satyr legs, white as Luna, glided across the green blades soft as fur. Her toes gripped deep down into the soil to muffle her sound.


"...It's got to be that witch that got banished..."


Was echoed through the filled halls of the forest. Eyes of dim, soulless blues peaked around the corner as she placed her limber hands on the trunk of a friendly tree. It appeared as a small group if men. But she could not understand why out of all times, these rude beings are taking aim at what she assumed who be her. The hunters grew closer towards her, too close as the wrong move could cause her to get spotted. Hair was lifted with life from the breeze reminding her that she was never to be alone.


"...our reward...music this loud..."


Were the last words she could make out. "They must still hear the echoes of my notes from earlier this morning. I can still feel them faintly..." She thought to herself. It was time for her to turn away, but there were crippled leaves just laying off to the side. The hunters took a turn towards the noise, she panicked.


"There! There she is!"


Running through what felt like blades of nature, pricking her skin; She ran as fast her lamb legs could take her, but she was never fast enough. One of the hunters threw an unknown, piercing object into a nerve located in the back of her ankle. Blood trickled down her foot marking her trails, gasping in pain. 'No!', vibrations in the ground guided her into unknown territory. 'What is this?' Ruins stood before her as blood continued to taint her poisoned skin, nearly crawling to safety as the hunters could be heard in the distance.

 

[Idea]

I could hear more screams now, coming from the woods. Birds flied out of the trees, signaling the problems beneath them. I saw a maiden coming into the ruins, running, bleeding. I could almost feel her pain, almost grasp the fear and the screams she had to be keeping inside just to survive. And yet, if there was something I knew about the people those bounty hunters belonged to, it had to be that they didn`t give up until they were done murdering and pillaging.


Once again, I felt helpless, knowing the maiden`s fate might be inevitable. I knew I might never hear her sweet melody again. She would be extinguished, like Khasus had been before her. I saw the man, getting closer. I had to do, the only thing a ghost could do for the real living, although unlike most ghosts, I was stuck in place.


"Come here!" I told the woman. "Come here now, before they get you!"


The hunters clearly heard me too, and tried to follow the sound of my fading voice. Hopefully the maiden would be able to follow the right lead and hide behind the ruins of my old house, before the bounty hunters got into the ruins themselves.


(sry, it`s far shorter than what you gave me. I shall try to make y next ones longer, although I might need some interaction to do that)

 

[Salvira Ava]

"Come Here!" Echoed in the woods.


But where, where was it that coming from and just who was it? There was no time as not only did it reveal her location but she needed to get to a point where she can recover. As she scampered into the ruins, the dim lighting made it easier for her to see as she was cursed by Sol for her eyesight. The stone walls were covered in vines and moss like no one as even made an attempt to visit such ruins, as the floors were dusty occupied by small insects. The maiden managed to grab on to one of the vines to pull herself up and continue rushing along to avoid the hunters. There was a strange aura about this place, there was something here...yet she couldn't figure what.


Moments passed which felt like hours of limping towards a feeling of uncertainty, insects followed before her like a goddess as they too were aware of her enchanting melodies. All creatures were, it was her gift to them. They finally came to a stop as there was no other way to go, a stone wall solid as it ever could be or so the maiden thought. Looking down, her silver unkempt wavy hair hid her coming tears as death mocked not far behind her. A beetle of metallic blue caught her attention as it rapidly beat it's wings together. her eyes, darkening eyes followed it to the stone wall.


In shock, the wall began to move with each stone separating from the other. With the last ounce of will she had, she begun to crawl to the room that was revealed by the beetle who now regrouped with her. It seemed strangely peaceful, but there was something more. A sword of dust awaited them both in a stone slab. "Come here..." repeated in her mind. "So it was you..." She now stood face to face with sword as blood stained her skin and pain decorated her body.

 

[Idea]

It was with relief that I saw the walls begin to move and witnessed as this beautiful women entered. Light invaded the room as the woman made her way in, removing some of the coutless spider webs that were spread around, some nearly invisible, other as large and terrifying as a lion. Light bounced around the grey stone walls, occasionally being lost where a rock was missing or giving a special light to the blade marks that were spread all over. There weren`t even remnants of the old windows and curtins that once decorated the room. A few vestiges of dried blood could still be found, however, very near the dusty bones which were now being slowly taken away by the vegetation which had began to grow into the whole expanse of the ruins. Bugs of all kinds made their living there as well, eating away whatever was left of the furniture or each other. And in the middle of the room, surrounded by bones and armor and all kinds of decay, was I. A partially green and partially silver blade with no shief, just shoved into the loose stone ground. The handler was carved in runes, and a small string of rope hang on to me, tied. I once could have called it a leash.In spite of all this, however, the ruined room was a familiar sight which didn`t quite catch my attention: the newcomer did.


The woman seemed, for some reason, capable of understanding that I was the sword. Was she from that wreched kingdom? It was true that every rose has it`s spines, but I never imagined such a beautiful thing, capable of making such an artful melody could possibly be in league with the ones that I had hated for so long. and yet, it might just be true...


"I shall warn you, I have pierced the lungs and heart and stomach of my last wielder. Tell me your story, maiden, for I have long since heard a voice from anyone I could find so...interesting." I requested. My voice could now only be heard in her head, yet I doubted she could speak through her mind as well. Such secrets had been lost with the world I lived in. "I may have a...proposition for you. But your tale comes first, of course."


Outside, one could hear steps and shouts and cursing. The bounty hunters would be soon to come, but I still wanted to know who this maiden was. Why she was what she was. Besides, we still had some time. We could wait a bit more, before they found us. There was nowhere she could run to and hide forever anyway.

 

[Salvira Ava]

Words of estranged being echoed in her head, it had clear intentions for her. The maiden had already grown weak, exhausted from the blood loss as she lowered herself to the cold stone ground where her huddle of insects now scattered to make room. It's partial color had an mysterious hue to it that was unfamiliar to the maiden. Draped in a singular cloth of white that blended into her poisoned skin of silver. Darkened blues watched the blade in silence for a moment before she could continue. "You want my story? I could not possibly understand why a blade would want to hear such of a pathetic tale. Maybe you are just another curse awaiting me..." Gently laying her head against the stone, with a wave of her hand, the maiden summons her harp of carved wood and silver as it seemed to radiate its own light. Before long she begun plucking at the seeds of her harp , as a slow and saddened begun to play filling the room with her notes.


"Once upon a time, a maiden of care wondered a magical kingdom taking great aid with those who came. Illness came and gone, wounds opened and sealed, love became a thing and everyone seemed to have a smile on sight. It was thee job to care for those who came, and not with a price she gave. Herbs and love all it took, but some accused thee of harm and forbidden spells. Magick was not love. Love was a rose that bloomed in moonlight and so did the maiden. The town grew to not understand such things and placed her before death, but more directly by her own blood....A path of poison led the maiden down the wrong path but poison that led to her freedom with a price of many..."


Before the song could end smoothly, the previous hunters closed in on the maiden, though she showed no fear no more. Perhaps it was her time to go...


One of the hunters were in clear lead of the pack as he faced her now as she sat upon the ground eyes gazed into his, emotions were at a none. A blade of pure silver raised above the maiden but a sign lingered in the back of her mind that it was not her time to give up, various of beetles rose from the ground and sat upon the hunters face causing him to panic. With their reaction, the maiden realized it was her turn. "Thy name is Relvira! I am no witch of such!" With great force, she shouldered into him forcing him to take a few steps back and rushed towards the sword. The green of such thing reflected in her eyes like a burning memory that never was. Fragile, pale hands grasped the hilt of the sword tightly. Struggling momentary, Relvira managed to remove the sword from it's loose stone. Unfortunately, foreign to such object and it's usage; it was held rather limply in her hand. Panic filled her mind...

 

[Idea]

«Humble.» I thought. The woman could show respect for a fallen blade in the dusty ground. Few had, especially when they`re lives were under threat like her`s was. Such a fragile silvery beauty should not be subject to such threats. Her song echoed in the ruins, almost bringing life to the dust that surrounded us. It was like if the trees and rocks wanted to converge to that half-lit shadow of a room, only to hear closely about the maiden. I would have cried from her story if I could, but I could do little more than shake a little, stuck in place. «Poor woman. She is deserving of my compassion. I have my pride, and whatever is left of what I once called my Khasian dignity. But her life is above that. Her beauty, her melody is above that.»


I was about to tell her about how our misfortunes were similar, when a blond man with this small bear, shaved everywhere except the chin, appeared. No doubt that was one of the bounty hunters. He raised a blade, whose silver shone with the sunlight and would soon be tainted with innocent blood. Nature, however, had not sided the hunter. The beetles advanced against the hunter, biting his face to buy time for the delicate maiden. She did not leave them to fight alone and instead. declaring her innocence, she took hold of me, regardless of my warning about what had happened to my last wielder. I could feel determination in the humidity of the palms of her hand around my handler. A cloud of dust raised from the ground as the maiden pulled me out, ripping apart plant, stone, bone and web which had formed around me over that century. I felt sad for the poor insects whose homes and webs and comrades were being destroyed because of the commotion of those bounty hunters. Those insects were my only company during so long.


Still, her grasp was weak and loose, as expected. I felt pity for the maiden once more, and decided the time had come to let go of my mourning, a least momentarily. My green parts began to glow as I attempted to recall that power of the old days. The kind of power only Khasus had shaped and tamed. The kind of magic only Khasus had shaped and tamed.


"Remove yourselves from this land, hunters. The maiden is innocent of your charges and the dust you`re stepping on is proof of how worthless wealth is." I ordered in a ghostly shout. The hunters backed of a bit, scared. Yet, they stayed.


"If she`s not a witch, why do the beetles fight for her? And why does she have a talking sword?" The leader inquired.


“The fault is not hers for the hideous crimes of another.” I replied, glowing evermore.

 

[Salvira Ava]

Heart beating like a hummingbird, things were like a horrible nightmare. Like honey encasing the hummingbird, drowning it. Relvira's eyes brightened in reflection of the glow emitted by the sword. Words could not even stumble pass their lips. In their mind, the situation could not have been anymore confusing. Pressing their lips together, blood coated the tips of their teeth in the inside of the mouth. With determined willpower, Relvira stepped forth with the sword towards the hunters all while keeping their distance.


Then, like an atomic explosion inside their own body, their heart stops. Silence filled their thoughts and mind like an empty room. At first Relvira just stood there motionless, but when the heart begun beating again, an ringing noise echoed loudly in their mind. Like a mosquito that was in your head. The fragile hands of the maiden grasped their head for a moment, then in a fury, the maiden let out a scowl.


"Back yee selves away! I do not fear to kill you with my hands tied behind my back!"


It was as if the maiden has lost the sense of their self for a moment. Enraged like a beast who has been locked up in a cage. The hunters grew fearful of the maiden as the once whitened face grew tainted and black. Eyes glowing sun yellow. The once peaceful and quiet stone room now shook as stones begun to fall from the ceiling. One of the hunters fled for his life, but an echo of horror came from them deep down the halls unknowingly what happened as he who appeared as the leader of sorts stood in fear. The maiden's hair was no longer a purity white, but a flaming teal, the curse was released from their heart.


There was no control of their actions, as the once white maiden staggered towards the hunter, sword in hand. The hunter begged for his life, that he was wrong for his greed of money; but the maiden had no mercy or mind. Like a brainwashed wreck, the maiden raised the sword and swung horizontally. The hunter's neck bled creating a scarf of crimson around his neck. The sight of blood snapped the maiden back to reality, though in horrified fear, the maiden dropped the sword as they begun to weep their own tears. The purity white of their skin begun to come back, eyes returning to an ocean blue. Collapsing to their knees with sword nearby on the ground, the maiden cried for the now dead hunter who marked his blood on the stone floor.

 

[Idea]

I was actually surprised to see the maiden, Relvira, step forward. I knew her alternative was running away, and given how fragile she looked, an how she didn`t seem able to hold me properly, I assumed she`d try to escape, yet she didn`t. The maiden advanced, suffering a rather unpleasant change of behavior. She threatened the hunters to defend her life like a mad woman threatens the soldiers to defend her delusions. Her (litteral) change in color didn`t help me to trust that side of hers either.


"Please, take a hold of yourself! You morons, run!" I yelled, first to the one wielding me and next to the hunters. Their expression of fear, with raised eyebrows and open jaws, paired up with quick-leg work of all of them...but one. One hunter fell down to the ground, trembling.


"Please!" He begged" I was wrong, please take my money, I don`t care just let me..."


He never finished his sentence. The maiden, transformed and maddened, raised me and used me. It was my first kill in a hundred years. It was just as I remembered: I felt the quick passing wind as I approached the neck. Skin removed like old paper, just opening. Flesh and nerves were a tid more resistant, like bashing into a series of pillows, if those pillows were ripped apart and exploded into a metallic-tasting (strange thing for a blade to think) red liquid, which nearly blinds you and whose scent blocks all other. And then, the bones. First you feel a though bump, like rock. You push it, it fights back, until you heard this tiny cracking sound, and it explodes, hurling the debris as a final act of defiance. If I wasn`t a blade, I would throw up every time.


I fell to the ground as I was dropped. Bugs gathered around the corpse of the hunter and started to feast like they hadn`t done since arriving at those grey ruins. The man`s corpse simply fell to side, helplessly dead. I could do nothing but stare at scenery around me. The cold soulless eyes of the man lying next to me, who was being eaten at a fast rate. The crying maiden of magnificent returned beauty, soul and melody. The grey ruins, empty except for the rocks, bugs and ghosts of the past, whose memory was slowly fading away with my own. My glow also began to fade, leaving me as the as the old piece of deadly junk I was before, only now soaked in fresh blood as I had been a hundred years ago. When they used me…to slay my own kin.


“What will you do, maiden? Are you just a monster after all? I don`t want to believe that. Come, take me. You killed, but you were threatened. You are no murderer.” I said, trying to reassure the maiden, so she`d take me with her, Wherever she took me, it had to be better than laying on the ground, soaked in blood and dust, surrounded by bugs and bugs alone.