EPISODE 112: LADY DEATH
— Ard Deadlands, Year 7291. Season: Color Fading.
Their approach was swift, unreluctant , but stiff as if their bodies weren’t used to moving. Zedra’s eyes were wide with fear, only now did she notice the state of [Brava Guild].
Zedra focused, and the notification she expected to see became present.
Your Path, [Strongest Wealth], has partially resisted {Enthralled}.
‘The singing… it was her singing. How did I not realize…’
“ Be not afraid child. I mean you no harm. ”
A melodious voice said. To Zedra, it sounded like the sweet temptations of cash. Her mouth watered as the sight of endless gold coins and precious gems appeared within her vision. It was all within reach, all she had to do was grab it.
Your Path, [Strongest Wealth], has partially resisted {Enthralled}.
Zedra bit her tongue, red blood spilling between her lips and onto her fur. Her hands shook, and she struggled to raise her weapons to no avail. As one, [Brava Guild] moved before Lady Death. It was impossible to be anyone but her. There was only one other woman within the [Four Horsemen] who served under the Lady and she only rose when the Lady’s life was threatened.
“(Baah-.” Zedra concentrated, struggling to speak. Her throat tightened with each attempt.
“(Battle-.”
“None of that none child. You’re a new one, I remember the days when it was only elves, and humans. Eventually, gnomes and goblins join. Oh, how the Saphens have evolved.”
The footsteps of [Brava Guild] finally halted. Before them a figure looked down upon them curiously. She stood significantly taller than Sid himself. Zedra’s head slowly rotated upwards, not by her own volition. Instead, under the effects of {Enthralled} and the command of Lady Death.
Slowly, she raised her head and gazed at the demigoddess—her breath caught as she finally made out her appearance.
Beautiful couldn’t be used to describe her, for she was beyond that. Not a blemish marred her skin and a small mole sat under her left eye. Gold-red eyes gazed down on Zedra curiously.
“You are brave to venture within my domain. A felion hmmm, relatively new to Genesis. I assume you are one of the many offsprings of [Thousand Face]. What is your name child?”
Zedra found her throat released and her voice returned to her.
“(Battle Body: Strongest Wealth),” Zedra said without hesitation. “(Omni-Step).”
The Lady just shook her head, but watched in silence.
Zedra’s body began to morph, she’d already activated a part of her bloodline earlier in an attempt to increase her strength. Now, the felion activated her Path. An apparition of glittering golden coins appeared within the air. They fell like gentle drops of rain, dispersing into glittering golden dust as they hit Zedra. Her body tripled in size and height—weapons, armor and other items following suit.
Your Path, [Strongest Wealth], broken the effect of {Enthralled}.
Instead of attacking, Zedra’s movements were near invisible as she turned and grabbed the members of [Brava Guild]. Half, scooping, half grabbing them in a messy jumble of limbs. Most of their weapons dropped but Zedra could worry about the consequences later. Money was being wasted and the advance level of strength [Strongest Wealth] brought her was limited.
Cracks appeared in the area in the zone which Zedra moved. The area strained, a long groan was heard while small flashes of black and white light showed.
“ Ahh, an interesting path. The combination of your classes into such allows you to break the what is normally resisted on the Mortal Realm. ”
It took less than a second for Zedra to grab her companions and disappear from the sight of Lady Death. In fact, it took longer for the Lady to speak than her actions. A trail of destruction clearly showed the direction the felion left.
Zedra didn’t stop, in her first step, she appeared at the stairs carved by Lairo on their descent into Shattered Scar. In her second step she was at the height of the abyss and shooting through the air. Cracks appeared every few kilometers as a sound wave traveled after.
Zedra could see the wall of Silent City in sight—in just one more step she would be out and over. A figure appeared before her—Gorrick, much different than the previous time. This time he was dressed in battle gear and more than matched her in height and presence.
“ Return. ”
The command was spoken in the language of magic—the Lady’s voice irresistible. Zedra’s body halted, a cry of despair forced back down her throat as she no longer found herself under her command. The limp body of [Brava Guild] remained as such and moments later under the escort of Gorrick, Zedra found herself facing the Lady.
“ I will only ask this, once , ” the Lady paused. “ …again. What is your name child? ”
Zedra had seen many things in her nearly thousand year life. She was born in the year 6347 of the Final Ending, when the Warring Beastman Plains were called under a different name. When they were the Green Step, a paradise for men and animals alike. She grew up with a small litter, a single brother and sister, Zedra being the oldest of the bunch. They’d pass on now, as did her mother and father and she’d renounce her ties to the Felion Clan the moment her last remaining relative, a nephew from one of her sister’s children perished.
Her family were hunters, providing meat to their village and other goods scoured on the plains. Zedra remembered the summer when the first [Adventurers] entered her village. She’d only just passed her twentieth birthday and succeeded in her Hunt of Age.
They were a rag tag bunch, composed of five members. A exploratory group reconnecting remote villages to the rest of the world. A world Zedra didn’t know existed until then.
They were the [Borack Adventurer Guild] established by their young elven leader Borack Lo’renk. A True Elf of Elysium and worshiper of God El — The Adventurer.
For days, as his party rested, the young elf would tell her tales of his adventures, fighting monsters, rescuing maidens and more. For days, she would listen, star struck at the adventures as a budding spark ignited within her.
A spark for Adventure.
A spark for something more than the same dull repetitive hunts her father took them on. So when Borack’s group readied themselves for departure out of her village, Zedra knew this may be her only opportunity to ever change her fate.
She’d snuck onto the adventurers wagon, believing herself able to leave her village without the say so of her kin. The season adventurers sensed her immediately. Borack was a renowned archer, not as famous as his elder brother who never missed—but he wasn’t far off. It didn’t help her class wasn’t related in hiding her at all from the senses the system enhanced within you.
She remembered his words like she was reliving that experience once again.
“A stow away cat? I don’t believe we order those rations from your father,” he laughed as he lifted her out. “How can I help our resident huntress?”
A sheepish smile made its way onto Zedra’s face. “I want to be an adventurer like you and the rest of your guild. I want to dive into dangerous ruins, rescue maidens, and gather riches!”
Borack laugh, a booming thing that made the short elf two sizes bigger. “I’ve only told you the light tales. Those with the least amount of danger. Adventuring is not always light. There are dangers child, ghouls who lack the souls of men and wish to consume us. Dangerous left behind after the knowledge of the continent was broken. The world is only just returning to its safety… are you still sure you wish to take on the responsibility? ”
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“ Yes, ” she said without hesitation.
“Then, the world shall know of…”
“Zedra Lionheart.”
Zedra took a deep breath before repeating herself.
“My name is Zedra Lionheart.”
Pride, resolution, and more radiated from the felion as she gazed upward into the eyes of Lady Death. An unspoken challenge that said more in that moment, then Zedra could in a lifetime. It spoke of her history, of her trials and tribulations to reach such heights. It spoke of her defiance.
“A fine name— Glittering Gold, a powerful meaning. Do you know who I am Zedra Lionheart?”
The Lady’s eyes were emotionless, glass-like as they gazed down on the felion. Zedra wondered how someone, something, so cruel could be so beautiful.
“You are the [Lady of Death]. You are a horror of the most dangerous forbidden zone within the continent.”
“ Is that what you think? Hmph, that was not my question Zedra Lionheart or at least not the answer I was looking for.
What.
Is.
My.
Name? ”
Zedra frowned, unsure as to why Lady Death would ask such a question. “You are only known as Lady Death to the rest of the world. The Lady who resides in the Forbidden Zone guarded on all sides least some unwarranted [Adventurer] stumbles in.”
The Lady remained silent, her glass-like eyes focused still on Zedra. It remained that way for several minutes. The felion would have attempted escape again, but her body remained locked before the demigoddess. She’d never seen or known anyone or thing powerful enough to restrict someone who achieved Prestige. Her mind raced for any solution to [Brava Guild] current predicament. It was a wonder the Lady hadn’t immediately killed them and to Zedra, that meant there was an opportunity to live. Now, it was her responsibility as the only conscious member of her guild to escape with her members.
Their mission was a failure, but it was also a success. They hadn’t gotten the number of undead who resided within the Shattered Scar, but the knowledge the Lady herself was awake was… priceless. If she could escape and report this information back…
Zedra glanced at the ground, at the still figures of her guild members. Their eyes were open and it was in this moment that Zedra realized they were conscious. At least, Alaina was, as she happened to be the only one in a position able to face the guild leader.
Zedra saw the terror within her eyes, the same terror she felt in her heart. It was a callus thing, that visceral fear they both felt. Only for Zedra it was different, she happened to be strong enough to resist part of the Lady’s enchantment. There was one last trick in Zedra’s sleeve, one last thing that she believed would give her the strength to break away.
There was a single thing that was problematic…
Zedra didn’t know if she could retrieve her guild members and still escape. She’d have gone faster in her first attempt but the jostling bodies and unresponsiveness of her guild members caused more delay than she’d expected.
Zedra locked eyes with the terror stricken brown-amber of Alaina’s. She was the third member of [Brava Guild] following Sid. They’d known each other for roughly four hundred years give or take a few decades. In that time they’d experience countless adventures. Calabaster, where they fought the [Titian Shifter] and first gained renown. Arrow West, what could be considered a rough home for the goblin tribes, but it was were they solved the Mystery of Black Mask. Lorric’s Crater, as they searched for traces of God Az’s fallen skull. She’d met him once, back when he was still the Demigod of Wisdom. Zedra found it ironic how one supposed to be so wise could do such a dumb thing as target the most beloved princess of the magi-humans.
They’d adventure together for centuries.
Zedra looked away.
If she could escape and reveal this information to the [Light of the Sun]… what were centuries to ascension and the chance of gaining strength to rival the Gods? Hope began to once again blossom in her heart, purging the despair and fear like knights in shining armor fighting against hordes of dark beast. Zedra recalled the names of the few Prestige who managed to explore the astral and gain significant strength.
Azriel — The Righteous.
Moriah — The Resolute.
Jerriah — The Revenged.
The triple R formed their own collation within the Astral and together they could fight even the Gods.
Zedra came to a decision ready to activate the trump card she’d hidden in a false tooth.
“Do not bother child. From the moment you entered my domain, your hope was taken and given to me. The [Light of the Sun] no longer shines upon you and your protection is gone.”
The voice of the Lady was a silent, deadly dagger that poked against Zedra’s ribs. It banished her previous thoughts and the budding hope that only, just, manage to create a growing bulwark was swept away. Knights slaughter as the tides of darkness consumed their light.
“It is unfortunate you do not know my name, let me tell you a story, so that you may understand your position.”
“There was once a girl, who shined the brightest under the light of the moons—a reflection of the sun and the one to balance its might. The sun itself possessed power it knew not how to control, and so the moons—all three of them—offered to dwindle that power within themselves.
Day by day she would visit the sun and halt it from scorching the land dry. It was during the night that she would release the power collected in a much gentler fashion. So that those who inhabited the Mortal Realm may find comfort in the nights darkness. This pattern continued for years, centuries, and the sun and moons grew close—relying upon one another for comfort and… more.
They were not beholden to one another for each were in the possession of two different factions. Factions that grew tense over the days and years as one found bleakness in their situation and life whilst the other was content and thankful to live within the home of their Creator.
The faction of the moon could no longer wait, for its leader was hopeless and feared that the people they protected—gave life too and sheltered may one day be harmed by a forced outside of Her control…
And one day…
The moons was ordered to shatter their home.
Ordered to shatter that bond she created with the sun.
So she used the light of the sun to create a scar that shattered all they knew and loved.
Yet , before she did so, she split off a piece of her… everything… her soul. From one whole into three. Two remain constant and today they still shine over the world, taking the light of the sun and lessoning its effects on the world.
The third was sealed, for when the moons struck, when she struck…
When I struck, I knew I would not be able to finish the job. ”
Zedra listened to the tale, attention wrapped within the story spun by Lady Death. She saw what the Lady wanted her to see, regardless of if it was within her wishes to do so. Powerful magic spun within the air, lashing at the mist when things were tense within the tale and gently showing the events as they unfolded.
She saw a woman, whose appearance reflected that of Lady Death. There were differences, however… as the woman appeared to be much younger, lighter and full of life . Then Zedra saw the second protagonist of Lady Death’s tale. The sun was bright. He shined with a light that only dimmed when the Lady came to take his radiance away. That only slowed in the gentleness of her embrace.
Behind them was a city, split in twain. Not by a scar that shattered its peace, but the inhabitants that lived within. The factions that held opposite sides. One who wished to venture out and attempt the impossible. They other who’d only known adventuring for years and saw the dangers of it. Thus, an impasse was born.
Until the faction of the moon decided enough was enough and its leader ordered the moon to strike.
The conflict within the moons heart only lasted but a day before its deed was done. Not because its connection with the sun was lacking… only because its faith within her leader was stronger.
That morning it began to consume the suns power in greater quantities than normal, leaving him in a greatly weakened state. When night came of the three moons filled with energy, one dimmed and faded back… waning as there was only one moon on the Elrunian realm that did the same.
The scar that struck the city was terrible for it came from within.
The Lady tilted her head slightly as she gazed down at Zedra.
“Do you wonder why I’ve told you this tale?”
The felion did, but she also valued her life, far enough that listening to one, two, or hundreds of tales by Lady Death was acceptable.
A hand reached out and stroked her face, tuffs of fur fell at the touch of Death. The felion eroding away to reveal her most pure state.
Brilliance radiated in the Shattered Scar, its light nearly indescribable for its radiance was something only the Gods comprehended.
Then the darkness came.
Corrupting that light.
Extinguishing it…
…until it resembled something entirely different.
“ That piece of my soul is still missing and you… are Zedra Lionheart are going to find it. ”