Post by shiningdrake on Nov 24, 2009 2:59:48 GMT -7
So, this is a story I'm writing. There's a separate thread for comments, so do NOT put them here.
Here's the prologue, and the foreword.
Book one: Awakening Dream
By ShiningDrake[/center]
How did this start? All the suffering, all the killing, everything? Why is the world like this?
This is a question whose answer may never be known. One thing is for sure… Something is wrong with this world. No… All worlds. But what if it were possible to stop this darkness? What if there was some way to fix all of this? Not to bring order, not to shield people from the truth, but to undo the distortions that caused all of this? This is a dream that I have. Perhaps it can never happen. And yet, perhaps with some miracles, it might. Either way, this is the story of that dream. And how it might come to be…
Once, in a world not our own, there was a battle. A battle against a great evil… Cliché, perhaps, but that was what happened. In the end, this evil that slaughtered millions of people single-handedly, and effortlessly, was stopped. It was sealed inside its very weapons, two knives, known merely as Distortion, and Rage. Both of these weapons were infused with the power of evil, and both were part of the same pair, but they were actually quite different…
Distortion’s blade was black, and twisted, appearing to be dull. But for some reason, it cut as sharply as anything, and wounds caused by it never would heal completely, even with the most powerful of healing magicks. Its counterpart, Rage, was made of clear, smooth, crimson red crystal, and had the power to drain the life energy of its victims.
These two blades, and the spirit of their owner, now known only as “the monster” were sealed in a cave, on an island located far away from everywhere else. They would never be disturbed again… Or, so it was thought. Eventually, it was realized that the seal was deteriorating. Those sensitive enough to it could feel the immense power radiating from it, even on the other side of the planet.
It was kept quiet by the church, but once that monster broke free again, it couldn’t be concealed. They knew this. Or, most of them did. As was to be expected, not everyone could agree on things. Common sense had never been absolute, and of course, it wasn’t especially strong where politics were concerned.
“Just leave it alone!” Spoke up one member of the church’s council, “It isn’t worth the effort of going out there to do… What again?” His voice sounded as if he had contempt of anyone who even had an idea of going out there. “The ancient sealing ritual has been lost. Besides, we don’t even know that he’s going to come free at all.”
The look the high priest gave him wasn’t precisely angry, but to anyone who knew him, it gave the impression that he thought the other man was a complete fool. “Councilor Verum, you are quite aware that the amount of power being radiated from that place is evidence enough to be sure that something is seriously wrong. “ Suddenly, a woman entered the council chamber, and said, “And if that isn’t enough for you, I’m sure my involvement will be. I plan on attempting to renew the seal, regardless of what any of you say.”
Caliga, the man who had been most vocal in his opposition to the idea of attempting to seal the monster again, seemed shocked, no, terrified, his eyes widening, and sweat beginning to form on his brow. “V-Valkyrie?! But… Surely it isn’t necessary for one such as yourself to go?”
The origins of this woman were unknown, even to herself. The only thing she’d really remembered when she’d been first discovered was one word… Valkyrie. And that had become her name. However, it was known that after she appeared, she’d ended up being involved in the sealing of the monster all that time ago. While she didn’t actually know the whole ritual of sealing, despite having assisted in it, she was still a powerful, skilled light mage.
It was thought that she was some kind of deity. In part, it actually was because of her powerful light magic which was beyond any that had ever been seen before, but another part of it was that she had wings, which caused people to think of angels. In truth, she was worshipped as a god, no matter how much she insisted that she wasn’t one. However, since she had no memories, she had no way of knowing that… Theoretically. There had been so-called “prophets” that had come, claiming to have received visions of her past… She knew it was all nonsense, but everyone believed it. Always.
In the end, the woman had been forced to live with being worshipped as a deity, which still annoyed her to no end. At least it did make it easier on her whenever she had something she needed to do. No one ever questioned her authority, and lying to her was an offense punishable by death if discovered by the church… Once again, something that she’d had no say in. She felt like a figurehead, having no real say in many things in the end despite what would be expected. At least no one denied her raw power, the mention of it did seem to be putting Caliga into a panic…
“Yes, I believe it is necessary.” said the woman, “And I find your reaction to be quite disturbing. What is it about this idea that terrifies you so?” Caliga stuttered, “W-why, whatever do you mean?” Valkyrie obviously wasn’t buying it. “Someone, grab him, and lock him up in the dungeon. Have the mages cast a truth spell on him, he’s obviously hiding something.”
This particular demand wasn’t disobeyed. Several people rushed toward Caliga. However, the man didn’t simply stand there. “There’s not a chance in hell you’ll catch me, Valkyrie on your side or not!” Then, he jumped. Right out the stained glass window on the other side of the very large room. Everyone simply stared, stunned for a moment, Valkyrie herself included. After a moment, she had recovered, “Well, this is certainly a surprise.” She looked toward the high priest, “Find the mages, and get them to track Councilor Verum down. Tell them to be careful though, I have a feeling he won’t be easy to take down.”
She then continued, “Meanwhile, I’ll be heading to renew the seal. It’s best done as soon as possible, and I can reach it more quickly if I’m alone.” The high priest looked unsure, but he nodded, and headed out of the room, while she went and flew out the same window Caliga had.
Caliga had quickly escaped town, and finally reached somewhere he knew would be safe. A cave, where no one would ever think to look, enchanted so that he couldn’t be traced here using magic… This had been put into place a while ago, because he, and his partner, had known that there was some risk of discovery. And indeed, it seemed that their planning had proved useful… Though in a way, he was relieved. He was tired of playing a simpering coward that broke down when scared… Unfortunately, it seemed that he’d gotten a bit too into character. He wasn’t quite as good an actor as the Mistress, who was able to easily pretend anything she wanted while her own emotions were completely separate from the role she was playing, unlike him, who sometimes seemed to get too into it… Despite the fact that he was annoyed to have to do that to be able to acquire his power. He just wanted to go on and gain the power to rule over everything! That way his daughter could have whatever she wanted.
Despite his position on the church’s council, Caliga actually barely had enough money to keep going. Of course, no one knew about it, but before he’d gotten there, he’d been so deep into debt that he was still paying it off, and thanks to interest, might never have as things were going. He’d invested in things that theoretically should have made him huge profits, but it was as if he’d been cursed. He’d had to keep getting loans from different people in an attempt to make more money…
And poor Yukiko had gotten caught in the middle. She’d been forced to live on the streets, they were so poor. Housing was provided to council members, and all of them had to wear the same uniform, but it didn’t much help now, since the issue had been before. He wished he knew where she was now however. She’d run away
He’d only become a member of the council thanks to that woman. The one he’d come here to meet. She’d used her influence to get him a seat on the council in exchange for his assistance. She’d said that there was something about him that made him perfect for this, and all he had to do was make sure the church didn’t notice anything until it was too late… Indeed, he’d done that quite well until he’d slipped up earlier today.
He thought about all of this as he waited in the torch lit cavern. And then, finally, darkness came, shadows gathered in the center of the chamber, before scattering once more, revealing his savior, the woman in black. Something felt unnatural about the shadows when they gathered for her, and they gave him a chill down his spine… But he loved it. Because it belonged to the one who was his savior. And that power she had… Could be his as well, soon.
“Good evening lady.” said Caliga, as he knelt down to the ground. “It is quite lovely to see you.”
Valkyrie flew toward her destination relentlessly, determined to not even take one more second than necessary. Of course, it didn’t matter if she was too weak to do anything by the time she got there… The spell she was going to use was going to kill her anyway. She was quite willing to give her life to seal away this monster, and she wouldn’t even bother trying anything else. She was sick of this life she had… It wouldn’t stop her from being worshipped as a goddess or whatever, but at least she wouldn’t be there to witness it.
She was getting close to her destination. She could feel it… However, suddenly, she felt pain. Horrible pain. And she felt herself falling, falling into darkness…
“I see.” said the witch, once Caliga had given her his report. “So, Valkyrie is coming to the seal?” Caliga nodded. “Very well.” she said, “It doesn’t matter. Indeed, perhaps it’s for the better. The seal is ready to be released, and if it can be marked with the death of the Valkyrie, then all shall feel despair~” Yes, indeed, this was perfect. She so enjoyed causing people pain, and suffering. Whether the death and destruction that He would cause, or more delicate ways, breaking someone’s mind slowly, one bit at a time, it was so sweet... Though she much preferred the latter. Of course, a combination of both was best of all, and causing war was quite a favorite pastime of hers.
“Caliga,” said the witch, and her loyal puppet looked up at her questioningly, “Yes?” “Stay here.” came her command, “I’ll finish the last of the preparations. Soon… Soon, He will be unleashed upon the world again, and you’ll have power beyond your wildest dreams.” Caliga tried to look excited, but the witch could tell that it wasn’t quite as pleasant a thought as he wanted her to think it was. She pretended to be oblivious, and she simply teleported away, to the seal.
What was that? A dream? A vision? Or… A memory? It was foggy… She couldn’t even remember quite what had happened. A betrayal, and fire… But it didn’t matter. Valkyrie opened her eyes, and returned from the darkness that had overtaken her.
She could feel… She was on a bed. But her vision was still blurry… And she felt dazed. She heard a voice, “Oh! You’re awake!” It was… Definitely the voice of a young woman. “What… What happened?” Valkyrie spoke, confused. The girl’s voice came again, “My friend Kylie found you, passed out. We were quite surprised, no one ever really comes to this island, and really, that’s for good reason.”
Valkyrie’s vision began clearing, and she realized that was in what appeared to be a log cabin. The girl who’d spoken was standing near the bed, but far enough away that her entire body was in view. She was wearing a light blue dress, and a darker blue, ankle-length skirt, with a strip of green down the sides of both. She had green eyes, and dark brown hair, which looked pretty short, but Valkyrie could tell that it had been tied back, so it was probably in a ponytail instead, it just wasn’t visible from this angle.
“My name’s Yukiko!” said the girl cheerily, “And you?” “Valkyrie…” came the reply. The girl looked startled, “Valkyrie?! But… Aren’t you, like, a goddess or something?” The winged woman sighed, “No. Though no matter how much I try to tell people that, they won’t listen. Please, I beg you, just treat me as you would anyone else.” Yukiko looked confused, but said, “Er… Alright then. So… Valkyrie. Are you alright? Do you know why you were there?”
The one known as Valkyrie winced in pain before she replied, “I… I think I’m fine, though I’m sore all over, especially my wings. No… I don’t know why I was there. I was flying, and then suddenly, I was in pain, and there was darkness…” Yukiko didn’t have a response. After an awkward silence, the girl finally said, “Well, we’re having dinner now. I’m gonna go get Kylie, you can stay if you want.” Valkyrie was surprised, “Th-thank you. But…” She paused. It couldn’t hurt to stay long enough to have a last meal, could it? After all, she was going to die anyway. Yukiko cocked her head, “But?” Valkyrie shook her head, “Nevermind I’ll be glad to accept your offer, thank you very much.”
Yukiko shrugged “Okay then.” She then turned around and walked out, and Valkyrie was able to see that she had a long ponytail… Really long. As in, was barely six inches off the ground. That was… Interesting. And then, when Yukiko came back, with her friend, it turned out that Kylie’s hairstyle wasn’t that much different. Her hair was also tied into a ponytail, and it brushed the ground… It was extremely thin however. The girl had blue eyes, and was dressed in an… Interesting way, with a white sleeveless shirt, a short blue skirt, and white shoes that appeared to be made of leather , apart from the soles, which were purple, and made of something that Valkyrie had never seen before.
“So, this is the famous Valkyrie?” said Kylie, “I suppose I can see how people might think you’re a goddess. Though insisting when you say you’re not is absolutely stupid.” Valkyrie looked startled, and Kylie said, “Oh, sorry about that, Yukiko told me as soon as she came to get me. We never keep anything from each other, even for a moment. Anyway, I’m Kylie, though I’m sure Yuki already told you.” She held her hand out toward Valkyrie, who had managed to stand up by this point. The two of them shook hands, right before Yukiko’s cheery voice said, “Well, now that we all know each other, let’s eat!”
The food was pretty good, she had to say. And that was to someone who had been treated like a goddess for most of the life that she could remember. Then again, perhaps it was also that it was nice to have food that hadn’t had patterns carved into it to make it look like a piece of art… There was such a thing as too extravagant after all. Though there was a shadow hanging over the meal… She could feel the evil power radiating from the one sealed in the cave that was elsewhere on the island.
Once they were done, Valkyrie said, “That was a lovely meal, thank you. It was nice meeting the two of you, but I have to go.” As she got up to leave, she heard Yukiko ask, “By the way, why were you out here? This is pretty far from everywhere else.” Valkyrie paused, and without looking back, said, “I’m here to renew the seal on that monster. Surely living so close, you’ve felt the power he’s releasing?” Yukiko sounded startled, “Why… Yes, actually. We’ve just learned to deal with it… Is it really that bad?” The winged woman’s simple reply was, “Yes.” even as she walked out the door.
Valkyrie struggled to fly to the cave. She was still so sore… But, she couldn’t keep wasting time. And finally, she was there. Ready to meet her doom. Slowly, she walked toward the back. The power radiating from what was sealed there was more and more oppressive with each step, but she kept going, until finally, it was in view. An altar, in front of which, were three blades… Two were those of the one who was sealed there. The third… Was the seal. A huge sword, made of black stone, in the center between two crossed knives.
Behind the altar, she saw nothing. Nothing but darkness… It was slightly disconcerting… But she stepped closer. She had to do this… She would sacrifice her life to do this… And then, she was in front of the altar, within reach of the knives. This was it… All she had to do, was take hold of them, and recite the spell…
But then, a voice came. “Hello, Valkyrie.” The darkness behind the altar faded, to reveal simply a little bit more space behind it, where someone stood… A woman, judging by both appearance, and voice. “You know, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Valkyrie tensed, “Waiting for me? Why?” A laugh came from the woman, “Because, I wanted you to be here for His release. It’s so much more fun that way~” “What?!” Then, a burst of light… No… Darkness? No… It was both. The cave they were in exploded, shattering outward, and a number of beams of both darkness and light pointed in many different directions, horizontally even as they spun… But then, they slowly all began to point up. And when all of them joined, the huge column that was formed, was blood-red, shining for the whole world to see.
Valkyrie had been dazed and knocked over by the burst of power, but now, she’d recovered. “No!” she cried, even as she charged right into the power, standing at the same spot as a strange, ghostly image, which also had wings, and grabbing the knives. She would give her life to make sure this monster wasn’t released again.
She closed her eyes, as she spoke the words that would end her life. She had no regrets…
But then she heard a voice. It was garbled, and she could barely make it out, but it was there, and no mistake could be made… It was evil.
Here's the prologue, and the foreword.
Truth of Worlds
Book one: Awakening Dream
By ShiningDrake[/center]
How did this start? All the suffering, all the killing, everything? Why is the world like this?
This is a question whose answer may never be known. One thing is for sure… Something is wrong with this world. No… All worlds. But what if it were possible to stop this darkness? What if there was some way to fix all of this? Not to bring order, not to shield people from the truth, but to undo the distortions that caused all of this? This is a dream that I have. Perhaps it can never happen. And yet, perhaps with some miracles, it might. Either way, this is the story of that dream. And how it might come to be…
Prologue: Eternal Darkness
Once, in a world not our own, there was a battle. A battle against a great evil… Cliché, perhaps, but that was what happened. In the end, this evil that slaughtered millions of people single-handedly, and effortlessly, was stopped. It was sealed inside its very weapons, two knives, known merely as Distortion, and Rage. Both of these weapons were infused with the power of evil, and both were part of the same pair, but they were actually quite different…
Distortion’s blade was black, and twisted, appearing to be dull. But for some reason, it cut as sharply as anything, and wounds caused by it never would heal completely, even with the most powerful of healing magicks. Its counterpart, Rage, was made of clear, smooth, crimson red crystal, and had the power to drain the life energy of its victims.
These two blades, and the spirit of their owner, now known only as “the monster” were sealed in a cave, on an island located far away from everywhere else. They would never be disturbed again… Or, so it was thought. Eventually, it was realized that the seal was deteriorating. Those sensitive enough to it could feel the immense power radiating from it, even on the other side of the planet.
It was kept quiet by the church, but once that monster broke free again, it couldn’t be concealed. They knew this. Or, most of them did. As was to be expected, not everyone could agree on things. Common sense had never been absolute, and of course, it wasn’t especially strong where politics were concerned.
“Just leave it alone!” Spoke up one member of the church’s council, “It isn’t worth the effort of going out there to do… What again?” His voice sounded as if he had contempt of anyone who even had an idea of going out there. “The ancient sealing ritual has been lost. Besides, we don’t even know that he’s going to come free at all.”
The look the high priest gave him wasn’t precisely angry, but to anyone who knew him, it gave the impression that he thought the other man was a complete fool. “Councilor Verum, you are quite aware that the amount of power being radiated from that place is evidence enough to be sure that something is seriously wrong. “ Suddenly, a woman entered the council chamber, and said, “And if that isn’t enough for you, I’m sure my involvement will be. I plan on attempting to renew the seal, regardless of what any of you say.”
Caliga, the man who had been most vocal in his opposition to the idea of attempting to seal the monster again, seemed shocked, no, terrified, his eyes widening, and sweat beginning to form on his brow. “V-Valkyrie?! But… Surely it isn’t necessary for one such as yourself to go?”
The origins of this woman were unknown, even to herself. The only thing she’d really remembered when she’d been first discovered was one word… Valkyrie. And that had become her name. However, it was known that after she appeared, she’d ended up being involved in the sealing of the monster all that time ago. While she didn’t actually know the whole ritual of sealing, despite having assisted in it, she was still a powerful, skilled light mage.
It was thought that she was some kind of deity. In part, it actually was because of her powerful light magic which was beyond any that had ever been seen before, but another part of it was that she had wings, which caused people to think of angels. In truth, she was worshipped as a god, no matter how much she insisted that she wasn’t one. However, since she had no memories, she had no way of knowing that… Theoretically. There had been so-called “prophets” that had come, claiming to have received visions of her past… She knew it was all nonsense, but everyone believed it. Always.
In the end, the woman had been forced to live with being worshipped as a deity, which still annoyed her to no end. At least it did make it easier on her whenever she had something she needed to do. No one ever questioned her authority, and lying to her was an offense punishable by death if discovered by the church… Once again, something that she’d had no say in. She felt like a figurehead, having no real say in many things in the end despite what would be expected. At least no one denied her raw power, the mention of it did seem to be putting Caliga into a panic…
“Yes, I believe it is necessary.” said the woman, “And I find your reaction to be quite disturbing. What is it about this idea that terrifies you so?” Caliga stuttered, “W-why, whatever do you mean?” Valkyrie obviously wasn’t buying it. “Someone, grab him, and lock him up in the dungeon. Have the mages cast a truth spell on him, he’s obviously hiding something.”
This particular demand wasn’t disobeyed. Several people rushed toward Caliga. However, the man didn’t simply stand there. “There’s not a chance in hell you’ll catch me, Valkyrie on your side or not!” Then, he jumped. Right out the stained glass window on the other side of the very large room. Everyone simply stared, stunned for a moment, Valkyrie herself included. After a moment, she had recovered, “Well, this is certainly a surprise.” She looked toward the high priest, “Find the mages, and get them to track Councilor Verum down. Tell them to be careful though, I have a feeling he won’t be easy to take down.”
She then continued, “Meanwhile, I’ll be heading to renew the seal. It’s best done as soon as possible, and I can reach it more quickly if I’m alone.” The high priest looked unsure, but he nodded, and headed out of the room, while she went and flew out the same window Caliga had.
***
Caliga had quickly escaped town, and finally reached somewhere he knew would be safe. A cave, where no one would ever think to look, enchanted so that he couldn’t be traced here using magic… This had been put into place a while ago, because he, and his partner, had known that there was some risk of discovery. And indeed, it seemed that their planning had proved useful… Though in a way, he was relieved. He was tired of playing a simpering coward that broke down when scared… Unfortunately, it seemed that he’d gotten a bit too into character. He wasn’t quite as good an actor as the Mistress, who was able to easily pretend anything she wanted while her own emotions were completely separate from the role she was playing, unlike him, who sometimes seemed to get too into it… Despite the fact that he was annoyed to have to do that to be able to acquire his power. He just wanted to go on and gain the power to rule over everything! That way his daughter could have whatever she wanted.
Despite his position on the church’s council, Caliga actually barely had enough money to keep going. Of course, no one knew about it, but before he’d gotten there, he’d been so deep into debt that he was still paying it off, and thanks to interest, might never have as things were going. He’d invested in things that theoretically should have made him huge profits, but it was as if he’d been cursed. He’d had to keep getting loans from different people in an attempt to make more money…
And poor Yukiko had gotten caught in the middle. She’d been forced to live on the streets, they were so poor. Housing was provided to council members, and all of them had to wear the same uniform, but it didn’t much help now, since the issue had been before. He wished he knew where she was now however. She’d run away
He’d only become a member of the council thanks to that woman. The one he’d come here to meet. She’d used her influence to get him a seat on the council in exchange for his assistance. She’d said that there was something about him that made him perfect for this, and all he had to do was make sure the church didn’t notice anything until it was too late… Indeed, he’d done that quite well until he’d slipped up earlier today.
He thought about all of this as he waited in the torch lit cavern. And then, finally, darkness came, shadows gathered in the center of the chamber, before scattering once more, revealing his savior, the woman in black. Something felt unnatural about the shadows when they gathered for her, and they gave him a chill down his spine… But he loved it. Because it belonged to the one who was his savior. And that power she had… Could be his as well, soon.
“Good evening lady.” said Caliga, as he knelt down to the ground. “It is quite lovely to see you.”
***
Valkyrie flew toward her destination relentlessly, determined to not even take one more second than necessary. Of course, it didn’t matter if she was too weak to do anything by the time she got there… The spell she was going to use was going to kill her anyway. She was quite willing to give her life to seal away this monster, and she wouldn’t even bother trying anything else. She was sick of this life she had… It wouldn’t stop her from being worshipped as a goddess or whatever, but at least she wouldn’t be there to witness it.
She was getting close to her destination. She could feel it… However, suddenly, she felt pain. Horrible pain. And she felt herself falling, falling into darkness…
The man in red stood there, eyes gleaming.
“Well, descendant of Valkyries, do you have any last words?”
No answer came. No answer could be formed.
She thought he’d loved her.
She thought he’d loved this kingdom.
She had never imagined this betrayal.
He spoke once more,
“Very well, if you have nothing to say, then die.”
He swung his sword, and there was fire.
The flames of hell.
The flames of destruction.
She could see nothing else.
***
“Well, descendant of Valkyries, do you have any last words?”
No answer came. No answer could be formed.
She thought he’d loved her.
She thought he’d loved this kingdom.
She had never imagined this betrayal.
He spoke once more,
“Very well, if you have nothing to say, then die.”
He swung his sword, and there was fire.
The flames of hell.
The flames of destruction.
She could see nothing else.
***
“I see.” said the witch, once Caliga had given her his report. “So, Valkyrie is coming to the seal?” Caliga nodded. “Very well.” she said, “It doesn’t matter. Indeed, perhaps it’s for the better. The seal is ready to be released, and if it can be marked with the death of the Valkyrie, then all shall feel despair~” Yes, indeed, this was perfect. She so enjoyed causing people pain, and suffering. Whether the death and destruction that He would cause, or more delicate ways, breaking someone’s mind slowly, one bit at a time, it was so sweet... Though she much preferred the latter. Of course, a combination of both was best of all, and causing war was quite a favorite pastime of hers.
“Caliga,” said the witch, and her loyal puppet looked up at her questioningly, “Yes?” “Stay here.” came her command, “I’ll finish the last of the preparations. Soon… Soon, He will be unleashed upon the world again, and you’ll have power beyond your wildest dreams.” Caliga tried to look excited, but the witch could tell that it wasn’t quite as pleasant a thought as he wanted her to think it was. She pretended to be oblivious, and she simply teleported away, to the seal.
***
What was that? A dream? A vision? Or… A memory? It was foggy… She couldn’t even remember quite what had happened. A betrayal, and fire… But it didn’t matter. Valkyrie opened her eyes, and returned from the darkness that had overtaken her.
She could feel… She was on a bed. But her vision was still blurry… And she felt dazed. She heard a voice, “Oh! You’re awake!” It was… Definitely the voice of a young woman. “What… What happened?” Valkyrie spoke, confused. The girl’s voice came again, “My friend Kylie found you, passed out. We were quite surprised, no one ever really comes to this island, and really, that’s for good reason.”
Valkyrie’s vision began clearing, and she realized that was in what appeared to be a log cabin. The girl who’d spoken was standing near the bed, but far enough away that her entire body was in view. She was wearing a light blue dress, and a darker blue, ankle-length skirt, with a strip of green down the sides of both. She had green eyes, and dark brown hair, which looked pretty short, but Valkyrie could tell that it had been tied back, so it was probably in a ponytail instead, it just wasn’t visible from this angle.
“My name’s Yukiko!” said the girl cheerily, “And you?” “Valkyrie…” came the reply. The girl looked startled, “Valkyrie?! But… Aren’t you, like, a goddess or something?” The winged woman sighed, “No. Though no matter how much I try to tell people that, they won’t listen. Please, I beg you, just treat me as you would anyone else.” Yukiko looked confused, but said, “Er… Alright then. So… Valkyrie. Are you alright? Do you know why you were there?”
The one known as Valkyrie winced in pain before she replied, “I… I think I’m fine, though I’m sore all over, especially my wings. No… I don’t know why I was there. I was flying, and then suddenly, I was in pain, and there was darkness…” Yukiko didn’t have a response. After an awkward silence, the girl finally said, “Well, we’re having dinner now. I’m gonna go get Kylie, you can stay if you want.” Valkyrie was surprised, “Th-thank you. But…” She paused. It couldn’t hurt to stay long enough to have a last meal, could it? After all, she was going to die anyway. Yukiko cocked her head, “But?” Valkyrie shook her head, “Nevermind I’ll be glad to accept your offer, thank you very much.”
Yukiko shrugged “Okay then.” She then turned around and walked out, and Valkyrie was able to see that she had a long ponytail… Really long. As in, was barely six inches off the ground. That was… Interesting. And then, when Yukiko came back, with her friend, it turned out that Kylie’s hairstyle wasn’t that much different. Her hair was also tied into a ponytail, and it brushed the ground… It was extremely thin however. The girl had blue eyes, and was dressed in an… Interesting way, with a white sleeveless shirt, a short blue skirt, and white shoes that appeared to be made of leather , apart from the soles, which were purple, and made of something that Valkyrie had never seen before.
“So, this is the famous Valkyrie?” said Kylie, “I suppose I can see how people might think you’re a goddess. Though insisting when you say you’re not is absolutely stupid.” Valkyrie looked startled, and Kylie said, “Oh, sorry about that, Yukiko told me as soon as she came to get me. We never keep anything from each other, even for a moment. Anyway, I’m Kylie, though I’m sure Yuki already told you.” She held her hand out toward Valkyrie, who had managed to stand up by this point. The two of them shook hands, right before Yukiko’s cheery voice said, “Well, now that we all know each other, let’s eat!”
The food was pretty good, she had to say. And that was to someone who had been treated like a goddess for most of the life that she could remember. Then again, perhaps it was also that it was nice to have food that hadn’t had patterns carved into it to make it look like a piece of art… There was such a thing as too extravagant after all. Though there was a shadow hanging over the meal… She could feel the evil power radiating from the one sealed in the cave that was elsewhere on the island.
Once they were done, Valkyrie said, “That was a lovely meal, thank you. It was nice meeting the two of you, but I have to go.” As she got up to leave, she heard Yukiko ask, “By the way, why were you out here? This is pretty far from everywhere else.” Valkyrie paused, and without looking back, said, “I’m here to renew the seal on that monster. Surely living so close, you’ve felt the power he’s releasing?” Yukiko sounded startled, “Why… Yes, actually. We’ve just learned to deal with it… Is it really that bad?” The winged woman’s simple reply was, “Yes.” even as she walked out the door.
Valkyrie struggled to fly to the cave. She was still so sore… But, she couldn’t keep wasting time. And finally, she was there. Ready to meet her doom. Slowly, she walked toward the back. The power radiating from what was sealed there was more and more oppressive with each step, but she kept going, until finally, it was in view. An altar, in front of which, were three blades… Two were those of the one who was sealed there. The third… Was the seal. A huge sword, made of black stone, in the center between two crossed knives.
Behind the altar, she saw nothing. Nothing but darkness… It was slightly disconcerting… But she stepped closer. She had to do this… She would sacrifice her life to do this… And then, she was in front of the altar, within reach of the knives. This was it… All she had to do, was take hold of them, and recite the spell…
But then, a voice came. “Hello, Valkyrie.” The darkness behind the altar faded, to reveal simply a little bit more space behind it, where someone stood… A woman, judging by both appearance, and voice. “You know, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Valkyrie tensed, “Waiting for me? Why?” A laugh came from the woman, “Because, I wanted you to be here for His release. It’s so much more fun that way~” “What?!” Then, a burst of light… No… Darkness? No… It was both. The cave they were in exploded, shattering outward, and a number of beams of both darkness and light pointed in many different directions, horizontally even as they spun… But then, they slowly all began to point up. And when all of them joined, the huge column that was formed, was blood-red, shining for the whole world to see.
Valkyrie had been dazed and knocked over by the burst of power, but now, she’d recovered. “No!” she cried, even as she charged right into the power, standing at the same spot as a strange, ghostly image, which also had wings, and grabbing the knives. She would give her life to make sure this monster wasn’t released again.
“Lux lucis , theca meus animus. Ego dedi meus vita , ut pretium ut servo orbis terrarum!”
[/font]She closed her eyes, as she spoke the words that would end her life. She had no regrets…
But then she heard a voice. It was garbled, and she could barely make it out, but it was there, and no mistake could be made… It was evil.
Won’t… Deni- Free-
See how… Precious li- Now…
-cia Valka!
See how… Precious li- Now…
-cia Valka!