The Awakening

Birds chirped and happily chased each other on the grasses in the fancy wide lawn of the Baroque house. The soil after rain amplified the sensation of what it is like to feel that spring has come. The guards that patrolled the corridors and areas surrounding this huge mansion felt uneasy in their armors as the temperature rose steadily as noon comes near, making them all sweaty and smelly. One guard beside the closed fancy carved, huge door that leads to the grand hall, has fallen asleep, while holding onto his spear. Suddenly, the door opened in an exploding manner as Guinevere furiously took big steps. The guard was startled and stood straight. She looked like those spoiled children that became mad, because their parents didn't give them what they wanted.

"Guinevere!" shouted an angry old man. "Don't you dare take another step. Walking away from this, means walking away from your responsibility as part of this family." She ignored him and went down to the lawn outside. A woman who is the mother of Guinevere spoke.

"Dear, this isn't like you," she said in a calm manner. "try to ask her gently and reason with her."

"She listens to reason?" he said in disrespectful manner as his wife looked at him like she is going to kill him. He didn't spare a second and said: "You're right, I'm off." He said as he hurriedly ran in fear and caught up with Guinevere.

"Gwen, be rational," he said as Guinevere faced towards him. "Children nowadays are not interested in swords anymore, our era is gone." She frowned at him. "The Paxleys are one of the most powerful magical families in the land, yet they really willing to unite our house to them."

"Rational, rational. Paxley, Paxley, blah blah blah, " she said childishly. "That's none of my business."

"You are the last hope of this family, considering that your brother Lancelot became an outcast."

"That's not true, cousin Frelda is very beautiful and talented with swords, no doubt she will be an ideal thing for you to sacrifice."

He raised his eyebrows. "It is not like that, it's marriage it is not a sacrifice, no one is dying!"

"I said I'd rather die than marrying a man I don't know - that's why it is a sacrifice for me. You are a cruel father," she started to fake her crying. "selling your only daughter. What kind of father are you? Are you even a father?" She gasped like she realized something. "Am I not your real daughter?" she cried loudly. Her father tried to calm her.

"Of course you are my real daughter."

"Well, you are treating me like I'm just a baby you found on your doorstep," she said, sobbing, "so it is easy for you to give me away to some stranger."

"What stranger? He said to me that you already met him when you two were still children. He said he was fascinated by your talent in magic, so he said he wants to meet you again."

"So he said that he only wants to meet me?" she said while faking a sob.

"Yes."

Then she exploded. "You're a fool!" He was surprised. "He said he only wants to meet me and you yourself decided to marry me to him. I'm out of here!" she said as she strode along the stone pathway.

"Gwen!"

"Never!"

Her father tried to catch up to her, but she used her magic to launch herself away. "Lancelot is my only hope," she thought to herself.

-----

In the outskirts of the Land of Dawn, deep in the deepest of the Abyss, strangest of creatures lurked. The stench of rotten flesh and blood polluted the thick, moist air. It is very dark for a normal human to safely navigate these parts. Even if one could bring a light, it will only invite death sooner. The glowing plants made little light, enough to see what is on the ground. The terrain is very harsh with mud and sharp stones on the side of the high ridge. It is an unwelcoming kind of place. One woman ignored all these inhospitality and carried on. Karina, an assassin that used her ability to kill people for money. Her goal this time is something she couldn't fail. It is not about money, this time it is somwthing about sisterhood.

Her sister Selena that has been sacrificed by their own people, is the reason why Karina strode this uncharted abyss. Monsters that are waiting for their prey are hiding in the darkest part of the the abyss, most of them tried to attack her, but they are sliced along the way, one after another. She ran as swift as the wind, going through the narrow passages and stony terrains. She could not see anything, but she is not deaf, she uses the sound her foot makes and judge how far objects are with her sharp elven ears. The journey lasted as one could count it, for six hours.

At the distance , everything seemed to be glowing red. She ran faster and faster, making currents in the air that follows her through the abyss as if she was the only one that disturbed the still air of the abyss that hasn't been disturbed for centuries. Everything became brighter and hotter as she found an altar between a gulf. behind it was a pit full of lava. Beyond it was the huge Lord of the Abyss sitting on his throne of skulls and bones. On the altar was the innocent, crying Selena all chained from her arms down to her feet, begging for mercy. There are other abyssal monsters gathered around the foot of the high altar. Five human-like abyssal who shrouded themselves with hoods for the ceremonial sacrifice. Karina is desperate to stop whatever they are doing to her sister, but she also needs to be cautious. It was too late to plan the approach when the Abyssal Lord unleashed his power to consume Selena.

Karina dashed through the hordes of demons to the altar, killing hundreds of them in a matter of seconds. The Abyssal Lord saw what is happening bellow as pieces of monsters were slice and flew into the air.

"Helcurt," he said in deep voice as Karina climbed up the high altar to save her sister. Just as she reached the end and top of the stairs, everything became dark and she felt something is coming, but she could not tell where and when. Suddenly, a shrouded slithering, clawed monster was already pinning her down onto the ground.

"I'll slice all of you!" she shouted in desperation, as her face dipped onto the hard and bloody ground of the altar. "Let her go, and I swear to the gods I will kill every single one of you here right now!"

"Don't be arrogant, girl," said the Abyssal Lord. "Guests should not be interrupting this ceremony, you should just enjoy it as we all do here." Then the abyssal monsters growled until they filled the whole abyss with echoes as their language for celebrating. The other monsters forcefully pulled the shadowblades from Karina. That's when Helcurt raised her head by pulling her hair so she could see what is happening while putting his blade under her neck. The Abyssal Lord already unleashed an eel like creature that flew towards Selena down at the altar. As it goes nearer and nearer, the more Karina struggled to get out of Helcurt's grip.

"Just watch and you'll see," he said in a shrilling voice.

"No!" she screamed while everyone around her cheered as the eel consumed Selena. The process was as painful as how the screams of the sisters echoed in the abyss. It was a horrible sight for a sister to watch her own sister to die like that horrible death. Then everything became silent. The monsters below the altar, the Abyssal Lord, and the whole abyss. Karina was reduced to sobbing. Then on the altar was there she saw Selena, her appearance changed. Her body was covered by another flesh and her skin became violet like that of other monsters in the abyss. Karina thought that Selena was consumed by that demon, but instead she became the demon itself as she transformed back into her normal elven form. Karina felt a little relieved when she found out that her sister is still alive, or is she?

"For thousands of years," said the Abyssal Lord. "I have been finding someone that this power have chosen. Now, no doubt it finally chose a young dark elven girl." He laughed in pleasure in big deep voice, so did the other abyssal monsters.

"Selena," said Karina while struggling. "get out of here now, forget about me."

"How could she forget?" said the Abyssal Lord. "she doesn't even know you." Karina was shocked as she widened her eyes wishing what she thinks is not happening. "This is not the 'Selena' you once knew. She is my most powerful warrior, the witch of the abyss!"

"To hell with you!" screamed Karina. "Selena tell me that he is wrong, you know me, right?"

"Such a stubborn little girl." said the lord. "She's your first kill, my warrior. Go ahead and do what you want to do to make her death worthwhile."

Selena broke from her chains using her incredible new strength and walked towards her "sister." This is not a fragile cute sister that Karina once knew before, but a stranger ready to slit her throat. Selena grabbed her in the neck. With her strength, she lifted her up high and walked slowly towards the fiery pit behind the altar. She stopped for a moment leaving her exposed by the rising hot air from the burning lake below her as Karina said a word in an incomprehensible choked voice. Probably it was the word, "Stop." That's when Selena loosened her grip to let her die like a soul in hell. Helcurt didn't like Karina's blades, so he threw them along with its owner. Karina's scream became less noticeable as Selena walked down the altar.

"One more thing, my warrior," said the Abyssal Lord, but Selena continued to walk and listened. "I have something for you to enjoy." She smiled with a reek of blood lust as she disappeared into the darkness.

-----

Far from the western lands of the Empire, where the great Minoan empire once stood that was now reduced to sand and infertility, an abandoned weathered ziggurat caught the attention of a woman who once was a servant of the church, Natalia. Riding on a lazy looking camel, she examined the structure, so she put off her hood and looked at its summit. She decided to stop here and explore the area. There is a group of palm trees located far from the foot at the west of the ziggurat. There she tied her camel so it could get a little shade from the unforgiving and punishing heat of the sun.

She grabbed her claw like weapon that had quite of a history of backs being stabbed using it. This is her only weapon against the worst of atrocities along with her backpack that contains the things she needs for the exploration. The temperature here in this desert can enable a simple rock to perfectly cook an omelet as delicious as of those in fancy restaurants. She wore her hood against it and an extra clothing so that she could protect her fair skin. Even with this protection, her cheeks still bloomed red along with her freckles. So she started to walk towards the ziggurat. Every step she takes means more sand that her feet could meet. She didn't wear shoes, but instead slippers ideal for this hot environment. The sand is burning hot as she could feel it from her feet, so she hastened her pace, for she couldn't endure it for long. Once at the first step of the long stairway she felt pretty much relieved, because of all the least, it will keep her away from the sand for the meantime. So she started climbing the hundred steps up to the ziggurat. Tiring as it is, she kept going up while struggling to gasp her every breath, because gasping more will only burn her throat and the flying sand will dry her mouth. The wind is blowing harder everytime she takes a step on the stairs, as if it is telling her that she is not a guest to be welcomed here. Even so she reached the top. It was a spectacular view. It is like looking at a yellow-watered seas from an island. The irony is that one could adore it from a distance, and hate it when he is a part of it.

There is a sacrificial altar made out of weathered concrete located at center. it is as wide and as long as a normal human's body. Most of its edges were eroded and it looked like it could crumble like a brittle sandstone as she wiped the sand on its carved writings on its sides.

"This is the same of what Minsitthar showed me," she said to herself and carefully examined the carvings. They are fading so she could not read the characters even though she knows how to read them, but alas! "O hail the great king Minsitthar," she said. as she found a clue of what is in the writing, but she thinks she needs to explore what is inside the ziggurat to confirm what she thinks. She already knew the secrets of these kinds of ancient structures so getting in is not a problem. Pushing the sacrificial altar and it moved like a sliding door on the ground, she found a hole. Below is a spiral staircase that lead to the bottom of the ziggurat, and there were stone statues in place beside the walls of the staircase.

She jumped in without a second thought. Up she went earlier, this time, down she goes. The light from the sun went through the hole and lit up the whole place as it was reflected by the shining armor of a dead man below. She stopped walking for a moment, beside one of the stone statues, because she feels something uncanny. She recognizes the armor from afar that it is not ancient, nor the corpse clad in it.

"And someone made it here before me," she said. "that's strange." She realized something else, apart from the thought of past visitors of this ziggurat or who knew the secrets of the structure of the ancient civilization. She picked up a stone as twice as big as her fist and let roll down to the staircase. She watched it as its made noise that disturbed the peaceful silence of the whole ziggurat. Down it went until something strange happened on one of the stairs. It pressed down like a pressure plate. Then there was a big explosion from the walls beside it, and the rock came falling down into the center, right where the dead soldier fell down.

"Just as I expected," she said in satisfaction. "I guess there will be no walking starting from here." She pulled out a rope from her backpack and tied it on the statue beside her. She threw the rest of the rope below and saw that it reached the bottom then climbed down using the raw strength of her grip to rappel. At last she's at the bottom and she saw faint footprints on the dusty ground. These were footprints of a single person, and they vary from sizes, because it is obvious for Natalia that this is how an amateur tries to sneak. But from what? She figured out why. It is because there are maybe traps on these floors too. The solution she came up with is to follow the footprints, because she didn't see another dead corpse, so the person who made this footprint must have gotten out of here alive. She was right, there she saw what she was after, written on the wall. After that, she climbed up the rope, up to the entrance. She closed it and said a prayer before leaving. It is already late in the afternoon when she climbed down fast, went to her camel, and rode where the sun will rise. She had one goal that she could not slip it from her mind. The time in this long ride towards the capital city of the empire, will only polish her plans evenly. Eventually, everything will go as she pleases. Then a bright light shone behind her.

"What in the world?" she exclaimed. Far to the west there was a purple and yellow light emitting from a far place that lit up the clouds and skies above it. All of the inhabitants and travellers also noticed this strange phenomenon. What is that? What made that light? These are the questions of people that saw this, but Natalia didn't bother.

"I'll know about it later," she said as she continued to ride. "I already have my hands full."

-----

Far in the oasis of the desert in the west, a brave paladin just finished ordering his men to set up camp when the ground shook and rays of light came shooting out from the center of the oasis. His men were dazzled, at the same time wondered about what is happening. They could never find out, because the guardian of this oasis forbids them to enter deeper into it, but the mighty Paladin is an exception, for the guardian knows him very much. He picked up his sword and armor, and ran hastily to the source. It took him a few minutes to arrive, and that's when he saw her. A sleeping maiden between the two streams of light and dark, and the guardian of the oasis, that looked like a huge moving plant.

The mysterious lady wore dress that the other half of it is white and the other is black. She had wings that had different colors too. One is gold, and the other is silver. And there are two orb-like balls with the color of purple and gold that rested on her wings. Her gentle golden hair flowed like a gentle river of gold from her head, but some were the color of black, and there is a crown resting on it. The maiden looked like a goddess.

"Who is that, Belerick?" asked the Paladin.

"Thy do not know," he said in a confused manner. "She just came out of the orb that me was supposed to protecting." The Paladin took a closer look. "Get away from her, Tigreal! Thou don't know whoooo she is. Maybe she is periiil."

"You don't know that. Look she's a fragile looking girl that needs help."

"Thy do not know about that. Thy do not like people thy do not knoooow."

"I was a stranger when you met me before, give this maiden a chance."

"Ooookay," he said in a deep voice.

They went somewhere else to find things they needed to make her feel comfortable. Belerick returned with a bag of cottons to keep her of the ground. Tigreal came from his camp, and brought food and water for the maiden when she wakes up. They just waited for an hour, waiting for her to wake up.

"So, my friend," said Tigreal while sitting on one of the dead trees on the ground. "I thought you were guarding a twilight orb."

"Thy know, but this maiden came out of the orb."

"Came out of the orb," repeated Tigreal.

"Yes, and there was a lot of light. Lots and lots of light. And thy thought thy became blind, so me rubbed thy eyes and saw someone came out like this," he gestured using his big hands and by making sounds with his mouth, portraying of how the maiden came out. "and she felt ashhh.....leep."

"Huh," said Tigreal.

"What thou think?"

"According to the scholars who taught me about history when I was in training, there are more of these twilight orbs that have been lost all over the world. Right there, your twilight orb is one of them. They also said that each twilight orbs have the power to destroy the world or save it. That means what we are doing now is a gamble of whether this maiden wants to save the world or destroy it."

Belerick gasped and said: "Nooo....."

"But that's fine, my friend there are two guardians here that have been protecting and saving the whole world countless times. So need naught worry."

"Thou art right," said Belerick with a smile. Then suddenly, they heard a sneeze. Belerick was startled and came running behind a slim tree to hide himself.

Tigreal went to the cotton bed they made for her. Then they found out that the maiden is already awake. Woken up by the very bed that they made. He unsheathed his sword and said, "We are the guardians of this oasis and of this world! Who are you, mysterious maiden?"

She sat up and looked at his eyes. Her eyes were so deep that even the deepest of the abyss can't reach. Her aura seemed to be becoming powerful and amplifying over time. Even so, it made her look more innocent that Tigreal had expected.

Then she said, "I've been here for too long, I've forgotten who I was."