The Awakening
Bright light pierced my eyes as they blinked rapidly. They were dry, as though I had been staring for a while at something. My vision then focuses on the city below- way below. I had to have been a couple hundred of feet up. Beings were moving about the unfamiliar place. There was another tower, possibly as tall as the one I was on, and a palace that paled in size.
The morning was warm and I could feel a light breeze on my face. Where I stood was a balcony of sorts made of stone. The coolness of the rock was pleasant to my bare feet.
Where am I? I wondered. It’s strange to think about, but I wasn’t frightened. I don’t think I was truly convinced by what I was experiencing. I thought about Harbinger and how he was possibly just waiting for me with the others... wait, who were the others?
A voice then interrupted my thoughts, “The city is lost,” a woman said, “Whatever they did, whatever power they found, it destroyed everyone who was outside the tower.” There was something strangely familiar about that voice... but I couldn’t figure out why. “The wizards insist we leave, fearing they’d be punished for aiding you. Either we go or continue on with the plan without the collapse of all three Kingdoms.”
I furrowed my brows. The thought came to mind to look toward the woman to see who she was and why she was familiar, but my head began to hurt. I reached up to massage my temple, but the pain wasn’t coming from there. No, it was higher up. My hand then came into contact with a ring. My heart quickened as I felt what the ring was attached too. A circlet! With the headache happening and Sven’s circlet upon me once more, I quickly assessed myself.
My name is Araja Blackwing Eloirakn. I’m hurt? Who was I traveling with? Harbinger, Grendel, Bal Vyr... Lash- oh my head!
I then looked to my left hand. Meryth’s feather wasn’t there. I reached for the curse mark upon my back and couldn’t feel it.
I then looked to my left hand. Meryth’s feather wasn’t there. I reached for the curse mark upon my back and couldn’t feel it.
“Master? Are you well this morning?” the woman called. I could feel her presence behind me, but when I turned slowly, there was a curtain dividing the room from the balcony I was on.
Master? This must be a dream for how is it I have Sven’s circlet upon me again. Gemmel saved me from the last one. And I was... I was... not here! my thoughts raced. It had to be a nightmare and I wanted to wake up, but I couldn’t.
“I’m afraid not,” I finally answered. I was beginning to feel scared and hoped she could give me some answers. I walked to the curtain and as I pulled it aside to view into the room, I caught a glimpse of the woman ducking behind a door and shutting it behind her. A lock clicked and all was silent.
I looked about the room wondering if there would be any clues as to my where abouts found within. I examined the the magical auras about but could only detect the circlet upon my head. Infact another thought came to mind. Gemmel. I don’t quite understand why I thought of him, but reason said to check my hand. I looked at my right hand and was shocked to find only 4 fingers upon it! It was as though someone had removed the entire middle finger to extract the pebble Gemmel had given me. I shook my head. Sven clearly didn’t like what I had done last time he tried to possess me.
After assessing my hand and seeing that it didn’t hinder my magics, I continued to observe the details of the room. It was nicely furnished. Drapings decorated the wall, a comfortable bed, and a desk with ink pens and paper. Nothing written and no books to scour through.
Eventually I turned my attention back to the balcony. I walked through the curtains and over to the stone railing. I felt in a haze and trapped. Then I remembered my wings and for a moment felt liberated, but I quickly realized the weights tethered to my waist. They were locked in place and far beyond my strength to break.
The sky seemed to call me though. Something about wanting to get higher beckoned to my soul. So I climbed up on to the railing. The thought came to mind to jump, to try and fly away. I gave a flap of my wings and I felt the strength they had, but I was unsure if I would be able to safely glide to the ground with the load I was bound to.
I then contented myself to look over the kingdom. The people I saw milling about became clearer. They were Giants! I gaped at them because I remembered Harbinger’s hate for them. Why were they there!? Had they come to enslave the town? Why did it matter? Wherever I was, this wasn’t my problem. I definitely wasn’t going to take the hundreds of them on without my friends.
A feeling welled up in me. A longing.
“Isaac? Raæin?” I spoke as I scanned the horizon. The second name felt foreign, like I should know who he was. Nothing came of my call and so I waited hoping the woman would return soon to help me or that the dream would continue to unfold before me.
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The sun’s intensity only increased as it reached it’s zenith. I finally grew impatient and began my escape plan. I was tired of waiting around. I pulled down the drapes and curtains and began to forge a rope out of them. Funny enough, when I went to reach for my equipment and found them gone, it was as though I had expected that to be the case.
An hour later I had a fairly decent sized length of knotted cloth that I felt would get me close enough to the ground that I would make a safe escape. I then tied one end to the bedpost since the was the most secure place in the room. I then tied the other end around my waist in case I slipped. With both ends tied tights, I made my way over the edge of the balcony and began my descent.
The grass felt cool against my bare feet. I untied myself and began to make my way out of the courtyard I was in. As I walked I assessed myself once more with what I knew to be truth. I’m Araja. Destined to destroy Erythnul. Sven’s circlet is upon my head. I have four fingers on my right hand. Isaac and Raæin- that name again! I need to find them. Harbinger too. My heart longed especially for him. Where was the Goliath? Where was I?
I’m from France. Is this France? No... too many Giants. Giants! I snapped out of my thoughts and made haste to the closest folk that towered over me. The streets were void of people and I couldn’t help but wonder what the evil beings had done to the city.
“Hey!” I called out boldly to the first Giant I approached, “What’s going on here? Why have you attacked this town!” I demanded. The rock like Giant slowly turned my direction and with firm eyes replied, “We have not attacked this city. Our work has been that of defense, as you should well know.”
A few more Giants drew closer and I began to feel my courage fleet as I realized how small and insignificant I was. Even the Goliath would have felt small in their presence. Still I held my head high and kept my eyes firm.
“Why have you refused your aid in this fight?" another Giant asked. He was more agitated with me and before I could respond he went on saying, “The mages were a great boon in this conflict and you wizards are never ones to be out done by them! Yet you were content to sit and watch from your guarded towers letting us die!” he began to shout, advancing toward me.
“Be calm,” the stone Giant interjected, placing a hand on the younger Giant’s shoulder. He then looked back to me and added, “He speaks truth though. Why did you stay your hands this night and day when the city was in so great a need?”
I furrowed my brow. “I- my hand? Why did I not fight? Probably because I have a cursed circlet on my head and I just woke up!” I snapped pointing to my head. However my lips froze for it surprised me what I had said. I just woke up? I brushed it aside and continued on in my defense more respectfully, “I don’t even know where I am, not that that really matters... Heavens I should be content by now waking up in new and strange places,” I muttered to myself.
The Giants continued to eye me. Seeing that they knew who I was, I suspected they were followers of Sven. It would make sense. A bunch of mean Giants to defend his city.
“So do you all work for him then? Defending his city and enslaving your attackers?”
“Who?” a Giant asked.
“You’re in Pride,” answered another.
“And we fought night and day against creatures from the underdark,” said a third. The way they answered it became apparent they weren’t in cahoots with Sven.
“Could you tell us about the circlet. Perhaps we could help you,” the stone Giant offered. I looked wide eyes at him intrigued by the continued kindness they were displaying. Harbinger would be surprised to hear about nice Giants.
“Um, well that would be wonderful if you could rip it from my head, but that’ll likely kill me,” I touched the rings that were embedded in my skull, cringing at the mild pain that jilted through my body. “Let alone if you did remove it, I’m afraid it’s powers are strong and alluring and likely one of you will place it upon yourself.
“My friend and I had gotten rid of one a long time ago in the hopes to one day destroy it. I actually don’t even understand how I’m aware of any of this considering Sven’s power... but I’m willing to let you try anything you’d like to remove this cursed contraption,” I stated. The Giants all looked at each other with worried expressions as they pondered what to do with me.
I was then whisked away by my new found entourage. They knew not what to do with me and I figured they were taking me to someone who could better solve the puzzle the circlet and myself presented.
I’m lead into the palace I saw and inside there are many more Giants.
“My Lord,” the stone Giant called out, “We have brought you a wizard-” wizard? “who claims to have no memory of recent events and blames her condition on her circlet that bares a curse.”
A Giant far larger than the others steps forward. It’s hard to believe I didn’t notice him immediately. He stood in front of me, his skin cracked and sparkling with his magic energy. His eyes were deep and piercing as they scanned my frame.
“You have fallen far little one and broken beyond repair,” his thunderous voice softly spoke. My heart sank. It was confirmation of what I already knew. There was no hope for me. Yet he tried to be optimistic for my sake, but it was hypocritical to what he had just told me. How could I heal myself if I’m ‘broken beyond repair?’
I then heard something, a humming. It filled my ears and I looked around to find all was silent, except the large Giant before me. He was humming and from his mouth a song came out:
“Then you will be free of this device and it, nor any other like it, shall have sway over you,” the Giant told me. He then walked back into the sea of Giants standing about.
I, however, was left with one option. It was time to go home. I hated the idea of returning, the idea of forgiving Him. I knew what He had become! What He had done! Still... if it meant I could be free of Sven forever, then surely it would be worth making amends. Also... what if Heironious had been tricked from the start? What if He was in need of my help now?
I asked for the aid of the Giants remaining to break the weights that were tied to me. The chains gave way under the force of the large folk. I thanked them for their kindness and bid them farewell.
Once outside, the lightly clouded sky above, I took in a deep breathe. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t partially excited by the idea of going home, but I wasn’t sure if I could make it all the way there. Did I have the faith and strength to go the distance? Still, I had to try. Either I would remain a slave to Sven and commit whatever evils in his name or I would confront Heironious and be saved. Both had likely chances of death and I knew my best bet was with my ex God.
I took to the skies, flying harder and faster than I ever thought possible. Higher and higher I flew. The air about me became thin and cold. Soon it grew dark as I left the atmosphere of the mortal plain behind me. However the cold began to blister my skin and my resolve to keep flying vanished. I descended back down to warmer conditions.
My intention was to land and and pray, but something within prompted me to try again. For a moment I thought about shrugging it off, but I remembered Heironious would send those promptings when we needed to do something, whether or not we fully understood it at the moment. And so my resolved renewed and I flew with greater vigor toward the Kingdom.
As the cold set in again, I urged myself to keep going. I even sang the song the Giant had sung to motivate myself. The song poured from me as though I had known it all my life.
With the words spilling out of my mouth, I finally saw a shining light that split the horizon and opened up into the familiar Kingdom I had left so long ago. The ocean laid out before me as the land of Heironious’s Kingdom rested a few miles from me.
As I flew to the shore, nearly exhausted to my wits end, something caught my attention. It was silent. The kind of eerie silence that gives you goosebumps for no reason and makes you suspect someone’s watching. I could hear the ocean waves and the flapping of my wings, but the music that was always about the Kingdom was no where to be heard.
I landed on the shore and looked up to the Golden city perched high on the mountain. I was too tired to keep going despite the part of me that knew my time was limited. Still, I laid down on the ground and fell asleep.
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