Fifteen years has passed since I left my homeland and lost my father, lost my throne… I’ve thought about home many times and I’d try to distract my thoughts each time that I did. The war itself, however, had spread across Sumeru and little did I know how my father’s lost kingdom has transformed throughout the years. It was no longer the same as it was back then. The guard itself had transformed into three types; the Black Guard, the Red Guard, and the Golden Guard. The Black Guard consisted of those whose loyalty was tested, the Red Guard were those that were human loyal to the Red Kingdom and the Golden Guard consisted of the androids that were in charge to lead them. The nation had expanded far and wide, and from the window the Queen of Thorns would gaze upon her lands as the members of the Bloodstone Tribe brought her a gift.
“Here she is, Thornbee.”, said Bloody Mary and Jack’ron Horner smacked the back off the prisoner’s head as the queen turned to face her. “Zellandine Carabosse.”, the mirror revealed the assassin’s name and Mary Bloodstone nodded her head for she was familiar with her.
“Do you know this woman?”, the queen questioned Mary. “She’s from another world called Teyvat. It was a world that the Bloodstone Tribe assisted her daughter with tormenting, a world that this widow has abandoned many, many years ago.”, Bloody Mary responded with delight.
“There was nothing there for me anymore, not after what my daughter had done and all of it because of you.”, Zellandine turned her head to face Bloody Mary that grinned at her until a familiar voice spoke to everyone. “Your daughter’s actions were her own choices.”, it was then that a dark corridor appeared out of nothingness and from it Elina Frostclaw stepped forth.
“Who the hell are you?”, Zellandine asked and Elina lowered her hood to reveal her face. “Don’t try to change the topic, ye who have abandoned her children. And why did you that, I wonder?”, Elina raised her finger over her lips in thought and smiled playfully as she looked away.
“Ah, yes, that’s it.”, Elina continued to taunt her and looked back. “Oh, right, because you didn’t want children and yet here you are, mentioning them. Why?”, Elina questioned Zellandine Carabosse who didn’t look happy with how much the strange elven gorgon knew about her.
“It is not because of love, that is for certain.”, Zellandine implied. “My son betrayed the only one that ever cared about him for wealth and power while my daughter condemned thousands of lives for the revenge she sought against him, a revenge that took the lives of men, women and children alike. She placed her own niece, a child, in a deep sleep like death to preserve her own youth and continued to torment the world for the mere fun of it. Both of my children were bad seeds and that’s why I left Teyvat.”, Zellandine explained to the four individuals to the room.
Zellandine Carabosse, like her deceased daughter, is a Sarku Witch with long purple hair that she tied above her head to keep safe from falling to the ground. She had a darker shade of white skin, many tattoos of her past, her ears pierced and a large collar around her neck. She had a tattoo on her forehead and one beneath her right eye with another purple line from the right side of her right eye. She always had this serious and yet fearless demeanor about her and it was something that everyone in the room noticed, but that didn’t stop them from speaking up to her.
“And tried killing me by stroking my lovely hair with a poisoned comb?”, Zellandine looked to the Queen of Thorns and shrugged her shoulders. “Because you reminded me of my daughter and once I saw that you allied with these…”, Zellandine paused before looking to Bloody Mary and her ilk. “Fiends.”, she then finished her sentence to make sure they knew what they were.
“I knew you were beyond salvation, Queen of Thorns, for Bloody Mary and her Bloodstone Tribe seek nothing more but to torment all worlds.”, Zellandine explained. “Not all worlds.”, replied Mary. “Just all the people within them, even the innocent.”, explained Bloody Mary.
“For innocence is an excuse and no one is innocent.”, stated Jack’ron and then the chamber doors opened only for Zellandine’s expression to turn to horror at what she saw.
“We’ve prepared a special gift for you, my dear.”, said the Queen of Thorns. “Sigurd was badly decomposed, but your daughter on the other hand…”, the queen continued to explain as she stepped forth towards Talia Carabosse, who had returned from the dead as a vampire herself.
“Your grand daughter had left her to die, but we made sure she returned as one of them…”, Talia then stood in front of her mother and smiled. “Hello, mother.”, before she would greet her and then grab her own mother by the neck and Zellandine’s powers were already weakened.
The Sarku Witch tried to resist the magic that coursed through Talia’s veins, but it was pointless, and the vampire queen had began to absorb the very life force of her own mother, stripping all the years she had left and the Queen of Thorns smiled as she saw Zellandine’s transformation from a young woman to a very old lady in a matter of seconds before the witch’s life force to be fully absorbed and she became ash in front of their very eyes. Talia’s body began to change, her beauty enhanced, her lips turned purple, her tattoos shifting and new taking the place of the old ones that would become her enchanted runes. She had not only absorbed her mother’s years but her beauty as well. She then shook her hand from the ash, looking to Elina, and smiled.
“That felt exhilarating.”, said Talia Carabosse. “As I promised and now I expect you to fulfill your promise to me.”, Elina replied and Talia bowed her head. “Of course, Lady Frostclaw, it shall be done.”, Talia smiled before darkness overwhelmed her and took away through a dark corridor through the realms of dreams and nightmares to return to Teyvat.
“And you, Bloody Mary, have you done your part for today?”, Bloody Mary then looked back and an old familiar face stepped forth, one that Jack’ron had brought to his mistress before.
“It’s good to be back.”, said Naomi Pharon, who grinned for she had a new body constructed for herself and this satisfied the Frost Queen. “Everything is going exactly as planned.”, stated Elina.
The dwarfs and I lived in the southern woodlands of Porbor. We lived in a very secluded part of the woodlands that is far away from the war between the Brangomar Army and Red Army. The battles raged on and the war carried on for fifteen years, it was one of the longest and bloodiest wars in Sumerian history. We continued our everyday life. Peter Piper tend to the gardens, Nory MacDonald to the farm work and the kitchens, Yon Yonson became a smithy and continued his carpentry, Jingleheimer continued to play his sitar, Poll Parrot and Robin Redbreast regularly worked in the mines, and Henry Foster always kept a watchful eye over the farms. Every morning I would head out into the forest for a jog and there were times when Robin Redbreast would run along with me, which he did on this very day with Puss in Boots following behind us. It was on that particular morning that I heard chuckles and giggles throughout the forest.
“Who’s there?”, I didn’t raise my voice because I knew too well that the only ones that could hear me are elves and they are the only ones who would seek to attack me in any way. “Robin, is that you?”, I turned to see Robin Redbreast behind me and over his shoulder was Mojo.
“We heard it too, Snow White.”, said Mojo and then I heard a voice call out for me. “Svetlana.”, I turned and so did the dwarf along with my dear cat as we looked around.
“Svetlana.”, said Poll Parrot, who was surprised to see me return only to learn the truth quite quickly when he got stabbed in the neck by a blade. “Shhh, shh…”, the figure that took on my appearance shushed him and lowered him down gently over the ground before placing her hand over his mouth too shut him up in order for him to be loud.
Poll Parrot was the first of the seven dwarfs to die and he couldn’t even reach his rifle that was close by. The figure that took on my appearance then stepped out of the mines and Henry Foster noticed her, finding something unusual as I did not say a word and just walked out of the mine. Henry would often see Parrot in the distance and now he could not, but he also felt something unusual emanating from the one that appeared like me. It was then that Henry was shot in the chest and when he looked down to his chest he saw something in the center of his body, and it was then that he looked up and in horror realized what it was; a bomb. I could hear the explosion in the distance and in that moment the malfhi elves that lingered within the trees leaped down from it in order to attack me. I swung my body around and created a mist from the rain that fell down upon the woodlands. Robin Redbreast prepared his axes and Mojo prepared his own claws in preparation to combat whoever was coming, and he leaped forth when an elf was about to jump Robin Redbreast with the both of them disappearing into the fog. There were many soldiers who emerged from all around the tree house and all of them were members of the Bloodstone Tribe that used their magic and guns to shoot towards the dwarfs. Jingleheimer played his tunes louder and his arcane magic lifted objects that struck each Bloodstonian that dared to approach. Yon Yonson reached for his saw-blade, a cybernetic sword that functioned like a chainsaw, and attacked several members of the tribe as he cut them in half with ease. Henry Foster’s body was gathering together and Bloody Mary walked into the area with a smile on her face. It was then that Peter Piper emerged from his lair and called for me.
“Svetlana!”, the figure that was disguised as me turned and he ran towards her while one of the malfhi leaped downward from the skies only to strike me with her claw over my arm.
She ripped a part of my white clothing and the skin underneath, causing me to bleed, and then she attacked me with her other claw as I leaned my head back only for her other claw to nearly strike my neck. It was then that her tail would emerge to bite me and my own emerged back to bite it instead that caused her to yelp in pain before I clawed her face that left a scar over her face. The elf retreated into the woods and roots entangled around my feet before another elf emerged only for Mojo to climb over my head and land on her face. Another elf would then emerge and then an axe would strike her head that would cut it from her shoulder as she fell on the ground. Robin Redbreast would emerge only to disappear as I lowered my claws and reached for the roots that would freeze them before I would break them off. The mists and fog would start clearing as I could see many elves surrounding Robin that bit onto his flesh and I screamed before raising both of my arms and opened my hands that knocked all those around me with a force of air currents. I waved my claw at another and she was slowed down by arcane magic as the elven malfhi was confused while another, a rezal, was tied by entangling roots as I countered her spell by warping the magic to my own needs, and then one attacked me as I blinked in front of the rezal only to kick her in the head that forced her to fall to the ground. I then turned and raised my claw that froze a malfhi in front of me before my tail struck through the ice and shattered her into pieces. Peter Piper would emerge to the figure that took on my appearance only to spot a lamb that was away from the rest of the cattle with a strange red bowtie tied around its neck. The lamb then raised its back legs and turned to kick the dwarf backwards into a wall before he got shot in the heart by a bullet from the figure that took on my appearance. Henry Foster’s body gathered together and he saw Jack’ron Horner that stood before him that tossed a pie into his face that Henry just absorbed. The dwarf then spat out a piece of plum pie and the witty Criotah Contender that was Jack’ron Horner raised his right claw as a massive blade of frost and ice formed that revealed to Henry the true nature of Jack’ron Horner. Jingleheimer continued to play his tune and molten lava then emerged from the forge that Yon Yonson was using that struck the tree house itself as lava fell downward. Jingleheimer leaped forth and continued to play his tune that kept most of the lava from falling and instead its projectiles were hurled at the members of the Bloodstone Tribe that would fatally die from the shots. Yon waved his saw-blade and then struck the hand of a sorceress who melted it in her grip. When he looked up, he saw Bloody Mary smile at him and she just raised her hand over his neck and raised him up as she melted his flesh in front of the horrified Jingleheimer. Nory MacDonald waved his hands above that caused healing rains that helped heal his friend and Bloody Mary watched with satisfaction before she just let out a burst of flame that incinerated Yon into ashes. She then turned to gaze at the two dwarfs that looked to each other for they knew a battle was coming. It was then that Jingleheimer saw me approach and turned his attention back to Mary.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“No!”, shouted Old MacDonald who waved his arm and thrust his hand forth that sent a vicious cyclone forth that pushed the figure that appeared like me away as the tree house caught fire.
“That’s not Svetlana!”, said the dwarf to Jingleheimer, who turned his attention to the figure that appeared like me and transformed into Naomi Pharon, the android servant of the Bloodstonians.
Henry Foster fell down into the water and from it emerged a gigantic water elemental attacked everyone in sight as Jack’ron Horner fled immediately with the blade in his claw. Bloody Mary would wave her arm to cause a flame and the red lamb would come to attack MacDonald who surrounded himself with floating stones while Naomi sought to attack Jingleheimer whose many objects just kept striking her. Deep in the woodlands, however, Robin Redbreast was bleeding to death and staring into the skies for his wounds were severe. I blinked from one area to the other; I attacked and struck whatever elf that I could while Mojo waved his little saw-blade towards whoever attempted to attack his dwarven family member. Henry Foster caused a massive rain that rain hails of ice upon many of the Bloodstonians that were cut down and the fires of the tree house got extinguished by his massive waters. Once Henry spotted that Naomi and Bloody Mary were encroaching upon the last of his family dwarfs, he emerged into the river water and Jack’ron raised his icy blade that he struck into the water that caused it to freeze but that only caused for the river waters to burst upward like an explosion that pushed and washed everyone around in water as Bloody Mary disappeared in flames while Naomi leaped into the skies to use her jetpacks to fly while hundreds of Bloodstonians, including Jack’ron Horner, were washed away. Old MacDonald flew off a waterfall along with Jingleheimer that dropped his sitar. They both fell down towards rocks and Jingleheimer struck a stone as he died while Old MacDonald was washed away by the river. Jack’ron waved his claws and he absorbed a life essence of a soul that he stole as the water dispersed. He landed upon the ground and saw the body of the former magian, Henry Foster, which breathed heavily as he held onto his chest. There were puddles of water everywhere with one in particular hiding in plain sight.
“Thank you, haru, and damn ye as well.”, said Henry Foster and Jack’ron raised his blade of ice as he was about to kill the dwarf. “You’ve released me from my curse, but who will now free you from yours?”, the dwarf questioned the Criotah Contender who would then step into a puddle whose waters would begin to rise and surround Jack’ron Horner.
The haru could not shake it off until Bloody Mary’s flames burst forth, forcing the water elemental to fall down and get boiled away into nothing. Jack’ron Horner then stood where he was and Bloody Mary saw his body slightly burnt as he growled at her before he turned his attention back to Henry Foster, who looked up at the haru and sighed. He then raised his hand only for it to be cut off and then the dwarf got impaled in the chest by the frozen blade, killed by Jack’ron Horner that pulled it out of his body and watched the dwarf blood seeping into water.
“Go, Svetlana, go!”, shouted Mojo. “I’ll hold them off!”, the cat-like android stated only to be surrounded by many malfhi who he fled from immediately.
It was then that one bit my neck and another bit my arm as I screamed. I blinked out of existence and they felt my scent as they ran towards me. I looked at Mojo, who looked at me terrified, and before I knew why I was taken by a whip that surrounded my neck and pulled me. I fell from a large cliff into the waters below and many rezal emerged to push me down into the water. They bit on me, their tails dug into my flesh and devoured me, and their claws scratched my whole body until blood remained. It was then that one of the elves was raised from the water and she snarled as she saw Old MacDonald wave his hand to smash her body into nearby stone. The rezal then rose from the water and attack him with their whips that he dodged. He then turned, waved his arm and one of his stones that encircled him struck one of the rezal that knocked her back into the water. The shaman manipulated the waters and causes massive riptides as well as massive tidal waves that then caused the elves to be pushed away. The dwarf forced them all against the water and he shouted as he used all his manna to do so before falling to his knees. He appeared to be so exhausted from all the power he asked off the elements and that drained his body before two scythes appeared around his neck and criss-crossed each other.
“The evil queen sent you, didn’t she?”, Old MacDonald could not see the individual that was behind him and she leaned down, whispering to the dwarf’s ear. “Not exactly, even though you are off interest to her.”, she said delightfully before raising the scythes to slice his head off from his shoulders that fell on the ground and rolled over with many elves then running to her.
“Lady Frost!”, both the malfhi and rezal recognized the lady of death, whom turned to face them with a smile on her face. “You did well, children, and rest assured that Mother Nature is happy with the love you’ve shown her.”, the elven gorgon told the elves that were overjoyed with her.
“Snow White might yet live, mother, we sense her essence lingering the forest.”, stated one of the malfhi. “The elements are trying to cling onto her, but one in particular is emanating a strange power; I smell a stench of an elemental curse upon it.”, stated one of the rezal.
“And we will allow her to live, my children.”, stated Elina Frostclaw and each elf present stared in confusion. “But you told us she had to die.”, said one of the elves. “In spirit, little malfhi, not physically.”, replied Elina Frostclaw. “Now the truth test begins.”, the elven gorgon implied.
“What test?”, asked one of the rezal, a curious little child. “For us to see just who this Snow White truly is for her innocence shall be stripped away in time…”, Elina grinned and the elves present began to chuckle and giggle for they knew I had lost all those dearest to me.
As the river continued to carry me away, the blood poured from me and stained the river waters. Once upon a time, I felt as if I had lost everything and the dwarfs convinced me that I hadn’t, and now I had lost them as well. I had lost my home, my only friends and family that I had left. I felt a strange energy emanating around me and my blood began to return to my body, the river itself practically cleansing itself and then my eyes would open as I found myself alive in the waters. I was able to breathe and it was as if this world was the surface to me. Strange how fate works, isn’t it? I had fled from a kingdom I lost for a fresh start and a new life, but it was here that my life began anew. When I returned to my home, I found it practically in flames and then I realized I had failed the dwarfs, I had failed my family, and got to experience the memories of their deaths as if I was right beside them when it happened. It was then that I realized I inherited the memories of Henry Foster himself. I saw the death of Yon by Bloody Mary’s hands and once I found the body of Peter Piper, I had witnessed his death in a memory by merely touching his blood and then when I happened to find the body of Poll Parrot, I saw the wound in his neck and touched to discover that it was the same assassin that killed them both. I felt cold, emotionless… I felt like every part of my body is ice itself and the warmth around me, what little I felt, couldn’t feel the void my body emanated behind. Another memory flashed and went away just as quick, it was one of Henry Foster and the dwarves he had knocked away while he himself died by Jack’ron Horner, and for a moment I could feel pain in my chest. I found Jingleheimer lying on one of the many stones and returned to the river where I died only to see Old MacDonald’s body lying down on the ground. I then returned to place of Robin Redbreast and saw a grave where he died, and right beside it was that little Puss in Boots; Mojo. He turned to face me and I stared at him before taking a few steps closer to him. I then looked down to the grave and so did he.
“They’re all dead, aren’t they?”, Mojo asked and I nodded my head, not saying a word. “It is times like these that I am thankful I am not a living creature like you.”, he explained. “And yet, you are not sad?”, he turned to face me with a puzzled look on his face.
“I feel the emptiness where my companions once stood. I took them for granted and now I have nothing. My emotions feel like the surge of tides and it feels like loneliness. I feel like I am faced with a terrible reality that haunts me.”, I described to Mojo who could only inquire about it.
“What reality do you speak off?”, he asked. “That I shall be forever hunted by one who desires nothing more but power and I will never be able to understand why, and that as long as she lives that my life will be torment and pain.”, I described to the android who turned to face the grave.
“But you’re not alone, you have me.”, I didn’t know if it was the android’s way of displaying love or in some matter trying to make me feel better, but I appreciated it nevertheless.
“When I think of what you’ve lost, what we’ve lost…”, I paused in thought. “I know that I am responsible for what happened to the seven dwarfs and our lives. I know it is my fault regarding everything that has transpired.”, I explained and Mojo looked at me with curiosity.
“The years I have spent with the dwarfs shall forever be embedded in my memory for they were the ones I grew up with, who I spent most of my childhood with. They were my family…”, I continued to describe my feelings to the android before I raised my head. “And now those tides are turning to riptides, emotions of anger, which wish to drown out all the rest to focus on one thought that keeps on coming back to my mind.”, I kept explaining my feelings to Mojo.
“And what is that?”, asked Mojo. “Vengeance.”, I replied. “You are the only family I have left, Mojo, and I cannot afford to lose you but I know you will follow me wherever I go and where I am going is to put a stop to the evil queen, the one who has killed both of my families. I am going to kill the one that brought me all this pain. Will you help me?”, Mojo nodded and accepted.