1 A Lost Soul
The capital of Avelon, Stargate city. Situated in the vast planes beside the sea. A grand and bustling city filled with prosperity.
The empire of Avelon is a major powerhouse in the western continent. Their military might is arguably the top the continent has to offer. It has over a hundred kingdoms under its banner.
South of the capital is the sea, connecting the city to many faraway kingdoms and empires. North and West Side are the grasslands, filled with smaller cities and villages. And to the East is a big forest called Stardust which is filled with both wonders and danger.
In this world, filled with magic and terrifying wild beasts, safety and power are interconnected. Those who have power live safely and comfortably. But those who don't have power suffer terribly, where death is the easiest way out.
So the weak seek out the protection of the strong. Trying to get the grace of Gods.
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*In the city of Stargate*
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"Anne, please clean the stairs today for me. I have a terrible headache today. I promise I'll help you out tomorrow." said a girl in a pleading tone.
"...Alright." Anne replied in a low voice
Anne stopped cleaning the walls and headed towards the stairs with a mop. She didn't have any qualms about doing a bit of extra work. After all, it's the place that saved her and now provides her livelihood.
Anne is a cleaner at the Church of Healing. It worshipped the Goddess of Vitality and Prosperity.
She was originally from a small village named Rivera far away in the countryside. She got married to a carpenter in the village when she was 13. He was about two years older, called Ray. They loved each other deeply, wishing to live a simple life.
However, three years later, her life changed. A wild beast snuck into the village and rampaged wildly. Many died that day. Including her parents.
Anne and Ray tried to run but ultimately failed. Ray faced it head-on, a futile effort to buy Anne a little bit of time. But there was no escape. And Anne refused to leave him behind. So only a sorrowful fate awaited for the couple.
Ray died, tragically.
He was torn apart by the beast. Perhaps because of the cruel fate, Anne survived, with heavy injuries because a saintess from the Church of Healing was there. She saved her from certain death.
Anne was unconscious for a month. When she woke up, she screamed and cried for days. The horrifying scene of her husband getting torn piece by piece would haunt her forever. She tried to take her life multiple times but was interrupted by the saintess.
"Listen to me, I know you're hurt. You've lost everyone and everything you know. But taking your own life will not fix anything. Those who loved you would like you to live your life, not fall into despair." said the saintess.
"How am I supposed to live? For what? I don't know. Is it worth it to live without a purpose?" Anne replied with a broken voice.
"So find one. Respect those who died by living by yourself."
"....." Anne couldn't say anything.
"What is your name?" the saintess asked.
"....Anne"
"I'm Kathy Lavonne, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Thank you, for saving me." Anne said slowly.
"So what will you do now?" Lavonne asked.
"I- I don't know yet" Anne was lost. And more importantly, hurt. She couldn't clear her head.
The saintess gave her a reassuring smile.
"Why don't you come with me for the time being?"
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'It's been over a year.' Anne thought to herself while cleaning the stairs. After leaving with the saintess, they came to Stargate city.
She got her a job as a cleaner of the Church. It was extremely hard to get into any roles when it came to Churches and Temples. Even getting a job as a cleaner. As every member of the Church was carefully selected.
The saintess was extremely kind to Anne. She bought her a small house close to the Church and gave her living expenses until she saved up on her own.
She checked up on Anne every day to see how she was faring. With the effort and care of the saintess, Anne eventually got past the traumatic state of her mind. However, some scars are meant to stay forever.
"Why are you cleaning the stairs? Where has Lynette run off to again?" A familiar voice entered Anne's ears.
"Ah, good afternoon saintess Lavonne. She said she has a headache today." Anne replied.
"And you believe that mischievous brat? She must've sneaked out to buy sweets again."
Anne smiled, "She's just a kid. Let her be."
"Never mind, how are you fairing? I've been telling you to take it easy. But you don't listen. It's okay to relax for a while. You're always covering for Lynette. If you keep doing this she'll never learn. So don't accept her work from now on. Okay?" Kathy said.
"Okay, I'll stop accepting any of her work for a week." Anne replied.
"...."
"...."
It was complete silence for a long while. "Okay. You win. I'll just raise your pay accordingly." The saintess sighed.
"It's alright." Anne grinned. It was quite a rare occurrence.
"Mmm. Go home early. The city is becoming restless recently. Something is going to happen soon." The saintess went back into the Church.
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After a few hours.
'That was tiresome. The stairs take quite a while to clean. That girl does work hard, whenever she puts her mind to it that is.' Anne completed her work and started heading back to her house. She left the Church campus and started walking.
A few minutes later, when she was close to her home, she saw a few men entering an alleyway while keeping a watch out on the surroundings.
This kind of behavior was weird, especially in this part of the city.
It was a particularly safe area because it was pretty close to the Church. Guards would patrol the area frequently. So trying to cause trouble here was the same as delivering yourself directly to the prison.
Suspicious of their behavior, she followed them from afar. It was a little bit dark so it was hard to see from afar. It seemed they were following someone. However, they lost sight of the person they were following and started searching.
Suddenly a white flash darted from nowhere and their screams broke out. Something or someone was beating them up. It was extremely fast.
They clutched their forehead, stomach, bottom, eyes, ears and they fell onto the ground miserably. Their heads were swollen like fat pigs and they were whining like babies.
It was a very comical scene. It all happened in a moment. Anne couldn't properly see who had beaten them.
But after a while, a faint silhouette was visible. A small girl came out of the alleyway and stared at Anne.
Anne was stunned when she saw her. She certainly did not expect a little girl who was barely six or seven to beat up a bunch of grown-up men.
However, most importantly, she was beautiful. Too beautiful. She long had silver-white hair that reached her wrist. Her skin was pale white with a slight rose hue. And her stunning emerald green eyes almost glowed in the dusky light. Her presence alone made the surrounding area dull and colorless as if she was a Divine Goddess that had descended from Heaven. Anne had never seen someone so beautiful in her life.
Anne finally understood what happened. These men were following her to see if they could capture her and sell her to slave dealers. Someone as breathtakingly beautiful as her would be sold for an unimaginable amount of fortune.
Anne calmed down and looked at the beautiful girl who was still staring at her, "What's your name, little girl?"
"My name? My name is Stella. You want a beating too?" The girl replied in a sweet voice.
