The world Avar knew was small.
The walls of Aetherium were resolute and firm, and anytime she tried to climb over them she found herself being caught by all kinds of guards. Some nice, some not as nice, but despite that she was more than willing to try again, and again. She didn’t like the idea of giving up.
One of these times, she had managed to scramble onto one of Minerva’s walls, the obstacle finally overcome with beaming pride and excitement. She took a deep breath, the air refreshing for the first time in her life. It was an exhilarating feeling, the air smelt like freedom. A freedom that became short-lived, as her euphoria was swiftly broken by a deliberate cough to her left. She glanced over to find a guard watching her with curious gray eyes.
He was holding a spear, sharpening its edge while sitting on a small crate. His eyes didn’t break from hers as he continued to whet away at his spearhead. Avar looked at him nervously, and she considered jumping back down to the ground to avoid capture this time, yet she lingered, perhaps it was the enticing winds that caused her to do so.
“You finally made it up here, not even a year since you started, you brat.” Despite the crude words, the guard was soft spoken, as he set his spear and a small stone aside. He crossed his arms, as she began to debate what to say. Her hair shook as her body shivered, green locks falling in front of her face. “I just wanted to see outs-”
“Feel free.”
Avar looked at him with a face stained by awe as the guard smiled gently and nodded, affirming his words within her youthful brain. “Never feel held back by us adults.” He jabbed a thumb to their shared right, as she turned to look over the wall.
It was an illustrious sight, as sunrise painted the vast skies. Beyond the clouds and the vibrant winds was grassy plains as far as the eye could see, forestry surrounding the edges of the horizon, depicting a world of peace and prosperity untouched and unblemished. From this point in the sky, Avar could see everything in its vast entirety.
“Mesmerizing, isn’t it?” Avar glanced at the guard, as his gaze was also stolen by the golden frame from which both saw the world below. “Best part of Aetherium may be the view.” He exclaimed, as he stamped his spear, smashing the hilt with such force that it spun the weapon into the air, as it landed safely within his grasp once more. “The only good part, maybe.”
“Why don’t we live down there?”
“We don’t deserve to.”
She glanced back at the guard, as he returned to sharpening his weapon. “Don’t deserve to?” The guard nodded, as his gaze shifted back to the weapon in his hand, his grip tightening as he began to drift. “We lost our rights to stand on the earth some years ago now, though we never seemed to want it until then. Everything seems so beautiful until you have it, a rose’s thorns perhaps.”
Avar was lost by his analogy, as he simply shook his head. “I’ll put it bluntly, we killed, I killed, under Ether’s commands.”
“For the kingdom?”
“For his greed.”
Avar tilted her head in confusion, as the guard took off his helmet, placing it down next to him as he sat in somber reflection. “He was afraid and greedy, envious of what others had, and told us to slaughter. There are some things we just don’t deserve. That's avarice.” The guard rose onto his feet, leaving everything but his spear upon the ground as he walked past her.
She kept staring at the crate he had sat upon, trying to understand him and his ambiguous words. The slaughter he referred to was one she had been taught about, but very little, she knew that water magic threatened to destroy the realm. Yet the guard spoke otherwise, perhaps it was a different war? Her mother told her that there had been multiple wars recently.
“You speak in fancy words, mister!” She concluded with her high intellect, turning around to face him. Yet he had disappeared, his spear stabbed into the stone and no sign of the man she had spoken to mere moments ago. She looked around in confusion, but thought nothing of it and chose to climb back down.
Though she recalled, the wind seemed to get louder after that.
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Every night, she would dream of that beautiful sky. The sunset that painted it in the brilliance of gold, as if a sky donned by the brush of god’s hand. Her mind drifted aimlessly in her sleep, surrounding her with those skies.
Yet there was nowhere to stand.
She’d fall everytime, falling far and far into the endless skies, the same clouds and sun repeating beneath her as she descended. Her body continued to speed up, everything began to heat up, everything began to hurt.
She’d wake up screaming every night it happened.
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Time passed, and eventually Avar was old enough to be considered a teenager. By that time, Minerva had become a more docile town than most of Aetherium. Adventurers and heroes were a long dead concept within this outermost home, and that didn’t really bother her. Heroes were mostly a hassle anyways, they always said the same things, and went on trying to become popular with their hometowns.
Avar didn’t want to be popular, she would rather simply be forgotten.
She was walking through the commercial district, her eyes inspecting all the stands and shops that had opened recently. One that stood out was a peculiar merchant that seemed to be selling some kind of rustic box. She walked over, and inspected the cube’s mysterious markings. It was of stone, with wooden rings across its form. Try as she might, it didn’t open.
“It's a puzzle box.” Was what the merchant said.
“Puzzles are pointless.” Was what Avar said in return.
She passed by the rest of the district, her hands already bearing a bag filled with an assortment of meager fruits and vegetables. Money was tight, but it was enough to make ends meet, that was what she liked to think.
Still, something else managed to catch her eye. As a rather snobbish and smug knight stood upon a small stool, shouting and yelling at the top of his lungs. “We’re looking for powerful warriors and mages to join the order!” Of course, he was completely ignored. Minerva simply did not have the same energy for fighting that some of Aetherium’s more lively cities did. The knight stamped his foot aimlessly in thought, before seemingly brightening up and yelling again. “We’ll offer a significant sum of silver pieces to those who join! And future benefits as well!”
Avar ignored it and moved along. Passing by the district without visiting any other stalls or shops. As she continued home, she did briefly pause at the doorstep of Minerva’s Mark. One of the few places that was still lively in this town, even now cheer erupted from the bustling building. She sighed and continued to walk. “Not an adult yet, Avar.”
Eventually, she opened the door to her home. It was a quiet place of wood and damp dark. She shut the door as she spoke in a curt whisper. “I’m home Mom.”
There was no answer.
Avar slowly stepped through the empty hall, it was a building with a single floor, as this hall led to the washroom, kitchen, and then main room. She entered the kitchen first, emptying the produce she had purchased onto the counter as she steadily unwrapped a loaf of bread.
“Avar?”
Her ears twinged and her eyes dimmed as she looked down at the counter, her mother’s voice has worsened since yesterday. It was hoarse and dry, she felt a pit grow in her stomach just from the sound. “I’ll be there in a minute Mom, just give me a bit.” She tried to remain calm as she sliced the bread as well as a shining red apple into pieces.
She nearly cut herself thanks to her shaking hands.
When she was finished, she brought the simple meal to the main room. Her mother laid on a rocking chair made of ornate wood. Avar looked down as she approached the chair, setting the bread and apple slices upon her mother’s lap. “Avar…” Her hand grazed Avar’s cheek, as she gently caressed the girl’s face.
“I’m sorry Avar…”
She had no choice but to listen to her mother apologize, her fists clenched as she heard her words. “It's not yo-”
“I can’t buy you a bedroom… or give you clean water… I can barely move…” Her mother’s voice was high and shrill, as pain inflicted her tone with a desperate appeal. Avar held her mother’s hand, rubbing her thumb upon the skin as she closed her eyes. Her skin felt frail. “I don’t need any of that, you’re enough for me.” Avar explained quietly and calmly, and her mother held a crinkling smile.
“Our money is going to run out, we barely have copper pieces anymore.” Her mother explained, and Avar swallowed her fears quickly, not wanting to cause her mother any further worries. “I can handle money, please just rest, Mom.”
“No… I can work.” Avar’s eyes shot open and widened as her mother tried to rise from the rocking chair, beginning to groan as she rose. She gently pushed her mother back down into the chair, holding onto her shoulders with such force that Avar’s knuckles grew a bony white. “No.. I can do it, you’ve done enough.”
“Avar…”
“Please.” Avar begged, to which her mother caved and leaned back into the rocking chair, Avar released her grip. “I actually have found a job I can do.”
“Really, that's great.” Her mother whispered, as she fell back into sleep. Avar smiled softly, bringing a hand to her mother’s frail and weak face, her skin almost seemed to sag onto her bones. It was a terrible state. “I will handle everything, mother.”
Avar applied for the order’s tests the next morning.
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A knight’s attire is interesting, the armor forged of a peculiar steel tinted with blue. In Avar’s case, there was no helmet, something that she didn’t really understand. Apparently female knights fighting with their face revealed was uplifting to the public? She didn’t try to comprehend that.
What she did learn while becoming a knight, Avar found that the training regime was pretty strict.
Her matches were with the smug knight, as it was his job to teach her to master and manipulate wind magic. She was battered and beaten after every single fight, as he did nothing more than make cocky remarks that taught her nothing of how to use wind magic.
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“Stay on your toes!” He yelled, as Avar held her own longsword with a shaky grip. His name was Saevus according to the other knights, but she didn’t feel a reason to call him that. Her arm snapped backwards as his blade clashed against hers, knocking it out of her hands with a single swing. “Seriously, you’ve got no skill! You just joined for the money bonus, huh?” Saevus said, as he pointed his wooden blade at her neck.
“And if that's true? What are you gonna do?” Avar remarked gently, to which Saevus laughed mockingly. “You know part of the requirement is being powerful? Eventually you’ll get booted out.” Her eyes widened, but Avar kept her gaze to the ground to hide her fears, a skill she was good at.
“Of course, I’d prefer that, you clearly don’t belong here.”
Avar grimaced as she brandished the wooden blade again, intent on proving him wrong. Saevus simply scoffed as he brandished his own weapon, ready to receive her attack. She rushed forward, her feet barely touching the ground as she brought the weapon down upon Saevus’ head. He blocked the blow without effort, as he laughed and shot his free hand forward. A gust of wind smashed into Avar’s gut, relieving her of her breath and sending her flying across the mat.
“As I said, you simply don’t have what it takes, plus you lack any innate magic!” She grimaced as she spat out blood, the taste of copper lingering faintly on her lips as she rose. “I still don’t really know what that means…” Saevus laughed as he swung his sword, the wooden edge slamming into the side of her head and sending her reeling backwards. “Never on guard, you’d die in seconds in an actual duel!”
Avar stumbled as she tried to stay standing, her stamina having been completely exhausted from the constant fight. Saevus pissed her off, to such a degree that she wanted to hurt him badly. Perhaps tear him apart? Limb from limb… and watch as the blood spurts… which stump would stop spewing first?
The dark thoughts were shoved away by her conscious mind, repulsed by her own muses. She looked on as Saevus mockingly flailed his blade about, using his other hand to taunt her with two fingers. She groaned as she prepared to fight him again, before she could step forward however, a hand landed on her shoulder.
She looked over her shoulder, as a wrinkled smile greeted her. “Levi.” She smiled, relieved to see the elderly knight’s face as he patted her back reassuringly. “You can’t let that rascal get under your skin, he doesn’t know his right hand from his left.” Saevus yelled something in response, but Avar couldn’t hear it as Levi leaned down to whisper into her ear.
“Your opponent might have a magical advantage, but they’re also overly confident as a result, let him put too much weight on one foot. You’ll win from there.” Avar nodded, her gaze zeroing in on Saevus' own continued grin as she stepped forward onto the training mat once more. Saevus shrugged and pointed his wooden weapon at Levi instead. “With all due respect old man, it’d be easier to count the hairs that haven’t gone gray on your head! Isn’t it about time you retire?”
Avar ignored them, staring at Saevus’ legs while he mocked Levi. Even now he was putting more weight on the leg he had forward, in sword fights, one leg was almost always in front of the other, as if their stance was sideways. With that in mind, the front running leg was bearing the heaviest load.
“Unfortunately, this is my way to make ends meet.” Levi remarked calmly as he stepped back from their fight, almost belittling in his lack of reaction to Saevus’ insults. The smug boy did not take that lightly, preparing to say something else in response.
He didn’t have the chance, as Avar had knocked his sword out of his grasp, he barely had time to gasp as she elbowed him in the chest, sending him down to one knee in a heaving breath. She looked down on him, clenching her own blade tightly. “Stay on your toes.” She repeated, and Saevus twitched.
He yelled with rage as he picked up his blade and rose up, swinging upwards. Avar looked to his legs, to get up from being knocked down, one has to put pressure onto one knee, but greater pressure is given to the leg pushing the body up. She brought her blade to his thigh, causing his leg to buckle under his own weight and for Saevus to fall onto his side. His sword spun across the mat, as Avar locked it under her shoe.
She picked up the blade, hefting it for a moment. The wooden blade in her right was light as it should be, but Saevus’ in her left produced a different feeling of weight. Rocks perhaps? She grimaced as she threw her former blade before his feet. Saevus was barely rising up to his feet as the wooden blade clattered before him. His eyes widened.
“You…” He didn’t finish his sentence, as his gaze met Avar’s. She stood above him, throwing the wooden sword into the air before catching it once more. The flourish left her holding the sword in reverse-grip. “It's not a knife, you brat!” Saevus roared, picking up the wooden blade and charging forward with a lunge.
Avar stepped to the side, letting him surge past her without a moment’s pause. Levi was right, his weight was beginning to shift to his other leg now, as he tried to perform a quick heel turn. She kicked that load bearing leg, causing Saevus to once again fall to one knee as he lost balance. She slammed the hilt into his chin as he fell, the recoil causing him to fall onto his back and land resoundingly on the mat.
She was going to swing again, but her arm was caught by Levi. She looked up at him in worry of angering him, but he was still smiling fondly. “He’s already unconscious, leave it at that.” She glanced back down, realizing that Saevus had indeed lost his grip on the waking world. She grinned with joy, as she nearly hopped with pride.
That was her first victory as a knight.
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Saevus never grew to like her, but it didn’t matter, it was Levi who chose to accompany her on her missions. While he was no captain or commander, his skill spoke for itself. At one point he had managed to not only rend the bandits apart, but their tent along with them in a single swing. However with all the incursions all around Aetherium quickly silenced by other cities’ own knights, it wasn’t long until their missions had them traveling outside of Aetherium.
“What exactly is the goal?” Avar asked again, to which Saevus groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked at her. “I said it a few times already, there's a bunch of bandits camped out in a cavern nearby. Ether wants em gone.” Avar nodded along, but still found it confusing to her. “Why a cavern outside of Aetherium, how do we even go down?”
“That’ll be addressed, and any bandits nearby could be planning a future incursion, it's called planning ahead, genius.” Levi stepped past Avar, standing eye to eye with Saevus. Avar looked away, not wanting to witness how the staredown ended.
“Ether wouldn’t be sending a city’s knights to handle one random bandit incursion outside the walls of Aetherium.” Levi explained, to which Saevus simply shrugged. “I don’t really understand it myself, but knowing him, it could be a promotion to becoming part of the Royal Order.” Levi didn’t seem to care for it, but Avar’s eyes shone at the thought.
Even with a knight’s pay, her mother was barely living in comfort. She could make ends meet better, if she was promoted to royal order.. She could get her mother a proper bed. Just the thought of being able to see her mother rest peacefully upon the soft mattress reignited her spirit.
“I’ll go.” Avar said immediately, to which Levi and Saevus looked back at her. Levi’s eyes were filled with concern, but he nodded and smiled softly regardless. “Alright, I’ll accompany you. How about you, Saevus? Want that promotion?”
Saevus shook his head, sticking out his tongue at just the thought. “Traveling with this thick bearded man and some little girl? That would do bad things to my reputation, I prefer being part of Minerva’s order.” Avar could understand that, but she hated herself for even slightly agreeing with Saevus for a second.
The trip to the caverns did not take long.
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Avar and Levi sat opposite to each other, the scent of cooking mushrooms and other ingredients wafting into the twilight air as both watched the stew boiling. Both sat around the open fire, as the forestry and bramble surrounded them like dark tendrils threatening to swallow them whole. “So, Levi-” Before she could begin, Levi coughed and waved his hand.
“Why did you join the knights, right?” Levi stated in a mock high voice, before chuckling deeply. In his case, Avar could tell it wasn’t teasing, but his words were on point to her question. “I’ve been asked a few times, don’t blame me for being so wise.” Avar shook her head frantically, to which Levi smiled and leaned back, staring up at the star bejeweled sky.
“I do it cause it needs to be done, a little goodwill hurts nobody.” Levi remarked wistfully, as he smacked his chestplate with his gloved hand, the thud was faint. “Pride and honor, it's something worth fighting for.” He glanced down, looking Avar in the eyes. “Then maybe, reshape this rotten genocidal kingdom.”
First the guard, then Levi. They all seemed to speak as if Aetherium was some sinful place. She didn’t really get it, but clearly they had done something horrible. Perhaps it was this massacre after all? She’d have to do research.
Avar began to pour the stew into two separate wooden bowls, handing one to Levi and holding one within her own small hands. Her fingers began to heat as she sat the bowl in her lap, trying to stave off the cold of the forest with its warmth. She didn’t want to let the silence linger, but it hung over them until they finished eating and went to sleep.
Avar slept peacefully that night. No dream haunted her.
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The two knights stood before the entrance to the cavern, the wind blasting about them as they walked side by side. Avar kept a hand on her longsword’s sheath, her fingers tensing everytime the gusts whispered into her ears. Levi held no sheath, as he held a greatsword that he let rest on his shoulders. The two kept walking for what felt like maybe a few seconds at most.
“Stop.” Levi whispered, and Avar listened. Before the duo was a massive opening in the cavern, leading straight down into the depths. “Down. Slowly.” He commanded, and Avar followed, not intending on disobeying his leadership. While Levi was noc captain, he naturally took control of a situation thanks to his experience.
They slowly clambered down the tunnel, as its very minimal slant allowed them to slide downwards. “Why would bandits hide out somewhere this deep?” Avar thought aloud, as Levi spoke from a little bit below her. “It's hard to stumble upon for one, and it wouldn’t be where any of Fictilis’ patrol would dare to look either.”
She couldn’t disagree with that, she didn’t enjoy having to come down here either. Eventually the tunnel gave way to what seemed to be a massive cave basin. The darkness enveloped her, as she tensed while landing upon the cave floor. Her legs rattled as her echoes surrounded her, it was a massive cave.
“It's a massive cave.” Avar thought aloud, to which Levi laughed as he stood beside her. “Why don’t we illuminate our way a little?” Avar nodded, setting down the satchel she held in her other hand, with a quick search she pulled out and lit a simple torch.
Its orange light surrounded them, illuminating the cave for what it was.
The wyvern’s light surrounded them, as the beast roared, as flames coalesced within its maw. Avar stepped back in shock, fear, and amazement at the same time. A dragon was something of legend, to think that one would be here, but at the same time, it meant certain death. Had the bandits already been burned alive?
She froze, unable to act before the wyvern’s powerful roars. Her body wouldn’t respond, as it completely numbed out and left her standing still as a rock. Perhaps the beast wouldn’t see her?
Yet the majestic coil of its body unraveled, as it prowled forward. She tried to step back, but she wasn’t even able to do that. The torch died out, but the fire still fuming in the back of its throat created a flaring light within the cave. She tried to remember how to breathe, it was slipping from her mind.
“Avar!” Levi yelled, snapping her back to reality as she felt her body grow light and able to move. No, it felt lighter than even that.
Avar’s eyes widened as she realized what was happening, her feet lifted from the air as the wind coalesced under her. “What are you doing?” She asked, her voice barely coming out from the fear that overwhelmed her still recovering mind, she craned her neck to stare at Levi. The knight was focused on her, his hand outstretched to her before drifting to point upwards.
Avar didn’t get to say anything before the wind sent her flying back up through the tunnel. Avar didn’t even get to look down as the intense flames surged below her, the roar of the wyvern echoing through the caves. Avar didn’t get to think of anything as she was sent flying out of the cave and back into the greenery beyond it.
Avar’s back felt like it broke, but she tried to get up, her body was still frozen with fear. The wyvern’s roars could still be heard, as Levi’s voice couldn’t.
Avar didn’t even get to say goodbye, as she got up. She had to go back, to report this, to try to save Levi before he died. Her mind disagreed, but her heart told her that he could hold off that long.
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That same fear echoed through her body, as Avar tied herself up subserviently. She glanced at Basil, who had sat down while crossing his arms and kicking one leg up over the other. His gaze was cold and unforgiving, as he stared holes into her heart. She tensed with terror, but tried to swallow that fear as she began to speak. “I have-”
“I haven’t asked anything yet.” Basil remarked, his voice dry and empty of sympathy as he raised his two fingers. The wyvern growled, and she jerked her head to stare at it as its maw opened, flames coalescing into its maw. She looked back at him, her eyes giving away her emotions. Basil stared at her without any emotion at all.
He was like a grim reaper in his eerie calm. He was clearly battered and injured, but he still seemed as if he could tear her apart with his bare hands. The scales of power had shifted, her life was in his hands. He didn’t revel in this either, he accepted the weight of that so casually, as if he was instead deciding what to eat.
“Here is how this works.” Basil spoke, as he leaned down to look her in the eyes. Her green eyes staring into his blue. “I’m going to ask you some questions, and if I don’t like your answers, I’m going to have you burned alive.” His eyes bore a hunger she didn’t understand, it was like his eyes were black holes, so empty of care and love, they were eyes of an almost eldritch hunger.
He meant it.
Avar was staring into death itself.