Alaia's story - taking the wrong turn to the right place

[Alailanible]

Name: Alailanible
Nickname/Alias: Alaila
Age:20-ish... not really sure. My parents had many children, it was hard to keep up with all the birthdays.
Gender: Female. Or in the words of one of my younger brothers: " a stinky girl".
Race: Human. I promise!
Height: One and a half meter of flesh... that's roughly 5'0
Weight: Wow.. arent' we curious. I'm about 60kg what is that, 132pounds? I'm rounded up to survive the winters. Nothing to do with the delicious pork chops that make me drool.
Hair: Are we talking after I just took a bath or after a week hiding underground praying the creepers don't catch me? It's sort of rusty.
Eyes: My eyes are green... and i supposedly stole them from a great-grandma. That or I really was left in a basket at my mother's door like my uncle used to tell me when he wanted to make me cry.
Skin:I'm looking at my arms, trying to find the words to describe it. It's normal. It's a normal human skin. With some damn freckles. That's it.
Identifying Marks:I have a bite mark on the inside of my right arm, a reminder not to push my sister when her dog is around.
Appearance:Seriously.. I'd love to tell you all that I had iridescent purple eyes and that my hair flowed with a whispered breeze. It doesn't.
Strengths:I learn fast. I know how to guard my food from hungry mobs.. and by hungry mobs I mean the rest of my family. I'm a decent farmer and I'm patient. I'm not the most brave person in the world but I do what I have to even if I'm scared senseless. Sure.. sometimes this means that I cry for mommy the whole way to the river if nighttime is upon me, but I get the bucket home with plenty of water. Uh! That reminds me I'm a good swimmer!
Weaknesses and fears: I get lost. I get lost all the time. I'm terrible with directions and sometimes I take 3 days to get to a place that's only a half-day journey away just because I turned around to check if there were no big spiders chasing me and lost my way.
Now, fears... i fear the night. I fear the chilling sound of a skeleton lurking by and don't let me get started on the creepers. Oh my... I shiver just thinking about it. But most of all I have to say that I fear greed. It's scary how it turns familiar faces into monsters worse than those that come out at night.
Religion and cults:Like... what do I pray to at night? I pray to the moon to hurry in the sky and take the demons with her. I pray to the mighty mountain so she might give me the iron I need for a bucket. I pray to the dirt so I'll be blessed with a plentiful harvest and delicious bread for all.
Profession: Lets see... when I was younger I took care of the sheep. Then I started farming with my dad and was quite good at it but he grew tired of me getting lost in the middle of the wheat and sent me to the furnace. So lately I've been a cook of sorts, I guess.
Backstory: You want to know where I'm from? I'm from... hum... wait, is that the East? Or is it South? I know that I saw some cactus on my way here, I'm quite sure. Where are there cactus around here?
Well, I'm from a little village 6 days away from here ( maybe 4 if you don't get lost).
I was born there. Not in a stormy night or in ominous moment... it was after a big lunch my mom had. She thought it was a stomach ache and turns out it was a baby girl ready to come out.
I was the 5th child born to my parents and the second girl. I have 12 siblings and we all live in a house with my uncle and my grandpa.
I had a pretty normal life. We lived in a humble way but there was never an empty plat at our table. Except when my brothers "accidently" got into a fight and were made to sit at the table with us and not eat dinner.
It was one of those dinners that brought me here.
One minute I was eating cooked chicken with some delicious mushroom stew, the next minute I was being accused by my brother of being the only one that does not go out to find iron and coal.
"It's because she's a girl!"- he said, like being a girl was some sort of disability.
My older sister is a girl too and she gathers more ore that all of them combined!
It was not because I'm a girl.... it's because I'm a girl with a terrible sense of direction!
My mother tried to say that if I walked in a straight line to get the milk i'd manage to turn up two days later with the milk... and the wool... and the flowers I found on my lost way home so who knows what might happen if I went out for a long trip to collect ore.
But my pride was hurt. Now I know he was just teasing me and now he is probably worried sick about me but at the time I just stood up and triumphantly declared that I was going on a two day journey to the mountain.
A two day journey... my mom packed food for 8. She knows me to well.
And so, six days later, here I am.
You don't know where I can find a mountain, by the way. A big one... with some flowers on top. One of the sides kind of resembles a pig snout... No?

Searching for a place to stay

Everyone seems so nice around here. Maybe I should stop running around in circles searching for that sneaky mountain and explore the are for a while, get to know the people from this place.

*Alaila looks around wondering where she should start. She remembers that she has a book that might help her. Looking back she was glad she decided to buy the Tome of Citizenship from that gentleman down the road instead of of that extra slice of melon.
She knew she would not last long out in the wilderness by herself without food or shelter and the first thing the book told her to do was visit the towns around Port Silver, getting to know the mayors and maybe find a place to live for a while.
Bewpy, the mermaid she met, told her she lived in Darkwood and that was a good and safe place to be, so she decided she would start there.
She looked at the clouds, looked at the sun and double checked the town location. Surely it was not more than a day ahead.
She didn't walk far before running out of land. It made sense in her head... Bewpy was a mermaid so perhaps she lives in an island.
One foot in the water made her think twice. It was cold and she just knew that without flint and steel she would take forever to get dry and warm again. And this time she didn't have a sheep to cuddle up to like that time that... hum.. nevermind.
One deep breath for courage and one last look to make sure her leather bag was tightly shut and she dived in. Well, she splash in is a more accurate description. And she swam. And she swam some more. And then some more.
The night came and went and still there was no land on the horizon.
But... but.. but.... she had kept the rising moon on her right... and the rising sun... and the clouds were moving in the right direction, weren't they?
She looked at the sky, squinting her eyes. Was she supposed to be following the clouds or going against their movement? Did she turn around when that squid touched her foot before?
By the raining pine cones, she was lost again.
Grumbling muted curses she started swimming back again. *

First Steps

After traveling for two days searching for Darkwood I stumbled upon a pleasant town.
No... it was not the town Bewpy had told me about of of course. It seems i traveled to much to East on one day and too much to the south to get to my intended destination.
I asked around and found out that I was on Heaven's Reach.
The people seemed nice and helpful so I thought I might as well look around and see if it was the right place for me.
The town is beautiful, cozy and it has a home-sweet-home feel to it.
As soon as I decides that I'd be staying I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. I rushed to the busy lookng man and asked him if he had any idea where I could find the Mayor.
Oh, I'm a lucky one, I tell you... "you are speaking to him" was the answer and I took that as a sign and asked him if I could join his village. He was most kind and agreed.
And the stars kept on smiling down on me because after a quick look around I bumped into the person responsible for letting us villagers know where we can build.
Now... our first encounter was peculiar because I had the idea this person I was looking for was a lady... and I kept addressing sir Verpa217 as "my lady" untill he asked me if he needed to act more manly.
OH.. I could have dig a hole and jump in at that moment. It was the armor! Covered from head to toe is quite difficult to tell who exactly you are talking to!
Fortunately sir Verpa217 did not take offense and was most helpful.
Finally I had a plot of land to build my home. By the might Oak, I was tired of sleeping in dirty caves and waking up with rain soaking me.
First thing I needed to do was cut some trees in the wilderness... and that made me feel a bit home-sick. You see... every single time my mother would yell at my brothers " GO GET SOME WOOD" they laughed until she was red in the face and threaten them all with an empty plate for dinner.
My father would then make a comment about having some if she ever needed it and my older sister would roll her eyes and say " don't you think after 12 children you should stick to cobblestone?".
I spent my first days at Heaven's reach building my house and I'm quite proud of how it turned out.

Now that I have a roof over my head to keep me warm during a good night's sleep I'm off to explore the SorrowLands and find what are these quests I have been hearing about.

 

[Alailanible]

Hell within Heaven's reach

I ventured in the Sorrowlands today.
I must admit I was a bit nervous but I was lucky to find Itzzaboy in Port Silver and he was a true gentleman and tagged along.
He said he was in the mood to explore but I have a feeling he was really just making sure I would not get completely lost.
We started our journey by greeting Bob.
Oh Bob... what a strange fella. Every time I see him he is always busy with the plans for his castle and mumbling about stone bricks.
This time was different though.... sir Itzzaboy didn't saw anything out of the ordinary but I could not help but notice that sir Bob was somewhat "uncovered".
I might have grown up in a house full of brothers but I'm not used to see men in such sparse clothing and was relieved when we went on our way. I did not want to embarrass myself in front of my travel companion by blushing a deep shade of red.

Sir Itzzaboy got to witness first hand how fine tuned my exploring skills are when he saw me fall into a deep hole on the ground. From his point of view I was walking, walking and then puff... I was gone.
I was looking at the pretty lava and then the ground decided that he had better things to do then be under my feet
and the next thing I knew I was waking up after the sisterhood fixed me.
Luckily Sir Itzzaboy helped me get my belongings back.
The exploring was cut short because my companion had other affairs to tend to and I heard rumors that Heaven's Reach was under attack.
I carefully made my way back to Bob ( who was still feeling like airing out his physique) and then to my town.
I was not prepared for what happened next.
When I got home there was a tension in the air. Everyone was urging the villagers to get to the guild's hall.
When they told us something along the lines of "the beacons are burning... hell as been unleashed upon our town. Protect your home, your crops, your children for they have come for us" ... I'm not going to lie: I was scared.
And then it got scarier.
Out of nowhere dozens of zombies appeared, growling.
I'm not much of a warrior... I rather flee than fight but this was my town and my neighbors.
We all took to kill those rotten corpses and when they were all gone I decided it was time to give in to my shaky legs... but as I was slidding down the wall I saw them.
Not dozens... hundreds of zombies, swarming in like a tidal wave of death.
Excuse me my dramatic description but it sounds way better than "there were a lot of them and all I was thinking was oh cr*p, ohhhh cr*p".
It's quite amazing what people can do when defending their home and their family.
There was no time for introductions but I saw true warriors slay five or 6 zombies with a swift movement of their blades.
I saw people charge into the mob armed with nothing more than a shovel. And when the skeletons came there were villagers fighting with arrows sticking out of their bodies and still kicking ass. Hum.. excuse me.. and still smiting the foul beasts.
The sun finally spread across the sky but the battle was far from over. There were still two more nights of hell in front of us.
New weapons were made, iron was crafted into armor and there was a great deal of melon-munching all around. We needed our strength!
On the second night I was feeling a bit less shaky. Looking back now I think it was just the panic overriding my senses.
"Fine then, bring them on!
Wait. Wait... what the hell is that?
Ghasts? That couldn't possible be a gha...." - those were my last thought before running for my life from a flaming bomb.
Seriously... what a rude monster that is! He spits at us! Flaming, deadly spit! He jsut opens his huge mouth and lets it fly. How unhygienic!
So we had zombies, we had skeletons and ghasts. I was swinging my sword, shooting my bow, running around and being bitten by a spider.
What??? Spiders too? You have got to be kidding me!
At the sisterhood they didn't had much time to fix me up, as soon as I opened my eyes I ran to get to Heaven's reach.
Side effect of not letting the sisters heal me up properly: intense stupidity.
Yes, I was one of those charging into a sea of zombies and spiders with no armor and no weapon, screaming my lungs out and slapping things as I run along.
Yes, slapping is one perfectly respectable way to deal with enemies on the battlefield.
The third night came too quickly and I had only enough iron to make a pair of boots and a sword. Oh how stylish I must have looked in my flowing purple dress that offered no protection and my big iron boots.
So... how much worse could it get after the mix from the second night? Blazing worse, that's how much.
I don't think I lasted more than 5 minutes in a fight with a blaze and I was right back at the sisterhood.
Once again I left in a hurry and once again I thought it was a good idea to fight monsters with my bare hands.
In my mind I had a plan: if I made them all chase me then the other villagers could strike then from behind.
Oh don't give me any sorrow about it. There is no honor when you are fighting monsters! I will proudly stab a skeleton in the back anyday. Never heard the saying " if it's worth fight for then it's worth fighting dirty for"?
Halfway thru I picked up some rotten flesh and started hitting them with that all the while lost in thought about the irony of slaying a zombie using a piece of his own flesh. Oh the places our mind takes us when it tries to run from reality.
I was tired, hungry, cold and scared so I didn' think it was strange that I started hallucinating. Surely that thing was something out of my crumbling imagination. Nop... there really was a giant ( g-i-a-n-t) zombie walking around.
A freaking giant zombie!
As the first light broke we got a new breath of hope and took to the enormous monster with anything we might still have.
There were people kicking his legs. There were people burning him with torches. The few that still had swords where swinging at him like madmen.
Me? I had a bone. And I poked him with it. That was my contribution for the slaying of the beast: poking it with a broken bone.
It was over.
I dragged myself home and steeped into a chest to feel safe. I closed the lid and then I cried for mommy like the big girl I am.
I felt pretty stupid about that decision when I woke up several hour later with a stiff neck and a very squared bottom.
Stupid yes, ashamed not really. We had just fend off hell. I was damn proud of our town and of myself, crying baby-moments included and everything!

The dark wizard, the white knight and the journey to a secret amazing place that I was not supposed to see but I did and it was breathtaking and I really, really should not be talking about it.

Part 1

So, note to self, learn to choose smaller tittles.
After my trip to the Sorrowlands with Itzzaboy I was feeling a bit more confident and decided to venture on my own.
I had a plan: i was going to get in, get the cobble and get out. That plan lasted about 5 minutes.
When I got there I decided to talk to Jack instead of Bob. I haven't been feeling that comfortable around Bob since I saw his... glamorous undergarments.
Jack was just finishing telling me that if I gave Bill wood he would give me a kiss and a giggle and as I was opening my mouth to say that I'd rather have the 500 radiants, thank you very much when a deep voice told me "you are not from here".
No... I was not but the truth of that statement got lost in the feeling of doom that filled the air.
Maybe not a feeling of doom... but something about the tone of the question definitely made me unease.
I had good reasons to feel that way! It turns out the owner of the deep voice was DarthCorey who then proceed to inform me that he was a Dark Wizard, master of black magic and commander of the undead.
That's a catchy profession... what do you do? Oh, you know... I raise the dead. I bet it's a wonderful conversation starter at the harvest fair.
There I was, screaming in my head "run, Alaila, run" but with my feet glued to the ground, making polite conversation with a lord of darkness.
Where was my plan? I should have just gotten the damn cobble!
He informed me that he was thinking of killing me but he changed his mind after our conversation. Oh I thank my grandma who taught me how to be a polite young woman... and offer food to people at all times.
He tossed some sort of crystal ball saying that I should keep it safe and disappeared.
I was dumbfounded. I stayed there for almost an hour, looking at the ball. I could almost hear it whisper something.
I was afraid if I just tossed it into the river it would poison some town or kill a a bunch of baby kittens.
I put it in my bag and run home.
Ahhh... safe at least.
No.
No I wasn't.
Guess who was in my garden, "admiring" my wheat. Oh yeah... the dark wizard.
-Follow me- he said. And I did. Like a puppy! What is wrong with me?
He took me to his house and told me he was the responsible for the attack from a few days ago. The "man" in front of me was the one that called hundreds of monsters upon Heaven's Reach. Yet he was telling me this and explaining that he had a bigger attack planned and that he would take revenge on us all while giving me stuff.
There he was, the evil master, giving me diamonds so I could make a better sword and be safer... and an enchantment table because he knew how hard it was to be new and wanted to help me get on my feet.
Something did not add up... he talked of bringing great pain to the world and yet his actions were the actions of a kind heart.
I tried to refuse the gifts, told him that my mother had taught me that when a man offers diamonds to a girl he usually expects another form of payment and that I was not that kind of woman but he looked almost offended. I half expected him to say something along the lines of " what kind of Dark wizard do you think I am... I destroy cities, but I would never blemish the honor of a lady". And then a "humpft" for re-enforcement.
In the end he gave me a golden clock and the last thing he said before disappearing again was " Give this to Bellon... tell him that Darth keept it all this time".
And puff!
I was left looking blankly at a wall.
Who the hell was Bellon and how would I ever find him when I can't even find my way home?

Part 2 - Getting rid of the damn clock

Tic tack Tic Tac Tic Tac
Louder and louder.
That damn clock was haunting me. I had to give it to his rightful owner but I had no idea where or how to find him.
By the raining pine cones, I was a mess. Even a chicken walking around would scare me.
I decided that I needed to keep myself busy soI went to the Sorrowlands to find a quest.
Oh.. what a surprise... sir Bob wanted stone bricks.
-Hello, fair lady - I heard. Sorry.... fair lady? Was he talking to me? He was.
Once again I found myself talking to a stranger and this one looked like the exact opposite of the dark wizard I've met before.
Sir Kail was his name and he was dressed all in white, as if the heavens above had sent me an angel to help me. Oh... I had no idea how close to the truth I was when I thought that.
I was about to burst.... when he told me that I looked tense and asked me if I was okay I just blurted out everything that had happened.
He nodded patiently while I told him in great detail everything about the dark wizard.
And there it was: salvation.
When I mentioned sir Bellon he just said "I know of him, I'll help you find him". I swear... If I didn't fear somehow the news got to my father's ears I would have jumped and kissed him right there.. that's how relieved I was!!!! It was like a giant block of bedrock had lifted from my back.
We traveled to Port Silver and from there we went to the magic city.
It was an odd journey. Poor sir Kail got a stiff neck from always have to look back to check if I was still following him. I was. Closely! I even bumped into him several times and managed to lan on his feet while climbind down a ladder.
I had the feeling the journey was too quiet. Like he was always searching the area for hidden dangers and avoiding them without me even noticing them.
We arrived at Uthrandir in a fraction of the time it would have taken me to get there by myself. What am I saying? I would never get there. I would end up going crazy and shouting the time at people in random intervals.

 

[Alailanible]

Part 2 (continuation)

I was amazed at the city. I mean.... come on, they have bulbs of lava on top of towers. The whole place seems like a brave defiance of natural laws and everywhere you look there is beauty to be contemplated.
Sir Kail show no signs of being as dazzled as I was and I guess it was because it was not his first time in that place.
I don't know, no matter how many times I return to the magical city I don't think it will ever cease to amaze me.
People at Uthrandir are extremely helpful and polite and it didn't take long till sir Bellon himself was greeting us.
I must have made a fool out of myself... I was so nervous, my hands were shaking as I handed him the devilish clock that had claimed my mind the last days and my voice trembled as I told him why I was there.
He was most understanding, trying to calm me down while being honest about sir DarthCorey's ability to make good on his threats of revenge.
He invited Sir Kail and me to spend the night And took us to a room that was pretty much the most luxurious thing I ever saw in my life. The room had kitchen and, get this, a hot bath. It was pure genius! There was lava keeping the water at a heavenly temperature and the tub was not a tub but more of a pool.
As sir Kail had gone out of his way to help me I insisted he used the bath first while I explored the many books around the room.
Note to the world, sir Kail does not sing taking a washing. Well at least not loud enough to be heard from another room.
Then it was my turn. Oh sweet warmth. I could almost say that all that happened before was worth it. I could have stayed there for hours, soaking, taking great delight in the tiny bubbles that clang to my skin and the goosebumps they gave me when they burst.
Yes, I'm taking a very long time to describe a bath because it was that good. If you had taken a bath like that you would talk about it as well!
Sir Kail offered to stay in the kitchen so I could have the room all to myself but I was not having any of that. First it was not fair that I would get the comfort all to myself and second I was a bit scared of being alone in a strange town.
Now stop right there. No. That does not mean that we shared a room. Sir Kail is a gentleman and I'm a well brought up lady. We shared a kitchen and a fireplace.
We sat and we talk about the plot that seemed to be unfolding before our eyes. Sir Kail agreed that there could indeed be good in Sir Darth's heart and that maybe sending the clock to his old master was some sort of warning so that he could stop him.
I don't know... politics and revenge are way out of my reach. I don't understand them. I don't understand how one can respond to the grief he felt by causing pain to others or what there is to gain in that game.
I know that it can be hard to forgive and forget. We never really let go of the things that scarred us... but to live one's life immerse in darkness because of it seems just like handing your future to what ever destroyed your past in a silver platter.
I tried to get sir Kail to tell me some of his own adventures, but he dodge my questions like they were arrows in the battlefield. I thought it was better not to push it... I'm patient and if he deemed me worthy of his friendship he would in time share with me what brought him to this place. That time came sooner then I expected but I get ahead of myself.
The morning came swiftly and with it a knock on the door.
I opened up to find a mage, dressed in the traditional robes and with a polite smile upon his face. His eyes shifted for a moment when he looked at me and his jaw tensed for a brief moment before returning to a polished serene look.
Oh my... have I mentioned how nice people in that town are?
He introduced himself as sir Kai and I had to giggle at the coincidence of being in a room with a sir Kai and a sir Kail. That would not make conversations tricky at all not would it?
We all chatted for a while, he wanted to know what brought us to Uthrandir and one thing led to another and he ended up traveling with us to Heaven's Reach.
Sir Kai is such an agreeable person that I took an immediate liking to him and sir Kail treated him like a long lost friend... like there was something that they had in common that bounded them is a way I could not understand.
The journey back was uneventful for not even I could get in trouble with a powerful wizard and a experienced warrior by my side.
In the end I made two great friends and got rid of the haunting clock. Not bad for a few day's work.

I swear it was not because of the hot baths!

*Alaila looks around, in Kai and Willie's quarters hearing the soft whispers of voices in the corridor as people went about their business in Uthrandir. She smiles at the comforting sensation that gave her. She looks at the blank page before her and starts to write.*

Much has changed in this last couple of days. I have met many good people and made precious friends.
I must admit that I'm not a brave person. I'm not... sometimes I'm ashamed of what a mousy frightful girl I can be, but you have to understand that before arriving to this land my days were spent in peace with my family and the most extraordinary thing that happened in our life was a specially plentiful harvest or Darla, my older sister, having a baby girl that made us all uhhh and ahhh.
I had no contact with battles or magic or politics.
I threw stones at zombies when I got caught by nighttime and run from creepers. That's it.
So yes, after the attack on Heaven's reach and after knowing sir Darthcorey's plans to bring Chaos into every city I was distraught.
And by distraught I mean I had to have 10 torches around me at night and slept inside a chest just to make sure nothing scary went down while my eyes were closed.
I might have tried to bribe a cow to come home with me so I would not be alone. And a pig when the cow went on her merry way.
And I got extremely friendly with Bill in the Sorrowlands and happily heard him talk about wood and stone bricks for 7 straight hours just because it was night time and I didn't want to make my way to the boat in the dark.
See... insane, right?
Sir Kai would come to see me whenever he could but he had classes to teach and I felt bad for being the reason he was away from home so much... so I found myself traveling to Uthrandir every chance I got.
I met sir Auxilium, sir Willie, sir Dew and professor Drizzle and became quite fond of all of them.
I'm not going to lie... knowing that sir Bellon was close by made me feel a lot safer. The wise man acts in a humble way but he cannot hide the aura of power that surrounds him. Even a simple girl like me can feel it.
It took me a couple of days to summon up the courage to go talk to him and ask if he would give me shelter behind his walls.
He gave me a warm smile and told me Uthrandir would always keep safe those who asked for protection. When I stood there looking at him, trying to figure out if that was an yes or a no he dropped the formal tone and added " well, move along, go get your things lass!"
I was so relieved. I had to stop myself from hugging the old man. I'm sure it would be frowned upon... the new girl just jumping on the most respected member of the community. I can imagine the shock on the other wizards' face as I squeezed their leader saying " oh thank you, thank you, thank you!".
I ran to tell Kai the good news.
Ahhh, Kai... he not only makes me feel safe but at peace. There is something about the way he looks at me that makes me believe every word he says when he tells me I will not be in harm's way while he is around.
Oh look at me! Silly Alaila! Soon I'll be dotting my "i"s with hearts and writting sappy poems about sunsets.
I should snap out of it! I must not forget that when I look into his eyes what I see there isn't meant only for me but for a memory as well.
He told me in a rather straightforward away that he does not think of me as a replacement for Amber. Actually he told me a couple of other things in a *very* straightforward way that rendered me quite speechless.
By the raining pinecones.... he wrote me a love story! A book. A whole book! Before the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me was make a heart out of sheep's... hum... poop. Hey.. no mocking... We were 7 and the kid had nothing else to work with at that moment. I thought it was sweet... so I pushed him and ran away giggling because that is the appropriate response when you're 7.
I got sidetracked.. where was I?
Ahh yes, he told me all of those things but I see the way his eyes cloud over when the memories flash through his mind. Something like that you don't just put away in a neat little chest on the back of your head and move on with your life.
I better not over think it or I might go insane.
So... yeah... I said goodbye to Heaven's reach, thanked sir Aug88 for opening his town to me as a safe harbor when I lost my way, promised to visit often to see the new constructions he had planned and moved to Uthrandir.
Now, I know what you are thinking because the first time I visited the school I could not stop talking about it and no, it was not because of the hot baths, I swear!

 

[Alailanible]

Rest in piece, Stripe!

Believe me when I tell you I have a lot to write about. I can't even make sense of it all in my head, even the order of the events is somewhat mixed up.
Before, in my tiny village, I woke up, I fed the sheep, I milked the cows and then I worked the furnace. Cake, grilled steak, a nice chicken... that was my life. At night we would all gather around the table and tell our most exciting moment of the day. Mine used to be stuff like finding an egg with two yolks. Whoohoo! Slow down crazy, slow down.
Now I wake up and dark wizards are trying to take over the world, people's hearts (*my* people's hearts!) are being put into apples, powerful necromancers appear flying and knock on my door and werewolves try to eat me.
Seriously, when did I flip that lever and why didn't it had a big sign saying [Private]?
I'll tell you all about it but first, first I'd like to take a moment of silence for a life has been claimed.
Her name was Sripe and I did not know her for long, but i will not forget her eyes.
It all started when sir Bellon asked if I didn't want to join an expedition to the Sorrowlands.
I was quite curious to see them all in action so I tagged along.
This was obviously a mistake. I don't do well on the Sorrowlands.
I'll try to paint you a picture. I see a skeleton and I go in, sword in hand, swinging randomly, eyes tightly shut and screaming " oh shoot, oh no, oh shoot, die, die, die!". How I manage to actually kill some of them is a mystery. I can only assume they are completely surprised by my amazing technique.
So, there I was, night had fallen a few hours ago and the place was crawling with monsters.
Sir Bellon was making arrows fly, lady Mady was sending zombies to their eternal rest with ease, sir Zane was setting creepers on fire. Sir Paragory and sir Floppy were making sure none of the putrid creatures got anywhere near our back and I was... well, you know... " die, dies, die!".
I saw it out of the corner of my eye. A creeper. Too close for me to outrun him. I moved quicly behind a sand barrier and let out a relieved sigh when he moved along, following some skeleton.
I turned around to look for the other as she looked at me. It was the middle of the night, no light in sight.. surely that giant spider would be the end of me.
I closed my eyes and prepared myself, taking what I thought it was my last breath.
It was not. She just looked at me with her big eyes.

I got closer and gently patted her head. She tilted it, granting me easier access.
I named her Sripe and i was safe in her company the rest of the night.
Unfortunately the reputation of her species was too loud and my words were drowned when I tried to explain she was harmless.


As the sun came up her life was taken. My companions aren't to blame... They feared for my life and acted swiftly. Soon all that was left was a bit of string.
Stripe was a lesson to be learned. Even among the most hairy monsters there are those who are good and compassionate... Too many times we don't give them time to show their true colors and Altera looses a kind heart to a wrong first impression.

 

[Alailanible]

It's the people around you, not the events, that shape your life

"Life is beautiful, it is not easy. If it were easy it would be called pie and not life!"- Sir Bellon

I love to hear Sir Bellon speak because he always spits out polished golden nuggets like this. I think that will be my first contribution to the library: a book dedicated to sir Bellon's quotes.
The thing with Sir Bellon is that you always have to take what he says to you and look it under different lights because he isn't always clear. He has a way with words and I think he takes great pleasure in twisting them into tangled tapestries that you can only fully understand by taking them apart in your own mind.
My father was a bit like that, maybe that's why i took such a liking to the wise man. But I'm used to take great words with a grain of salt and I think that's how sir Bellon expects us to take what he says.
This means that, even if I trust him completely, I don't always agree with him.
I don't know if he finds it amusing or extremely annoying, but he always makes sure to take the time to listen to the different opinions one might have.
You see... I agree that life is a gift, but not the greater gift. Life is just the time and space to enjoy the real gifts the world gives you. Gifts that make life worth living: love, friends, family. Take these away and life is nothing more than an empty cold room where you are sitting, desperately waiting for something and always find it lacking.
So instead of speaking about my life and what has been happening to me I wish to speak of the people in it.
Take the wise man, for example.
Sir Bellon is not the mighty wizard of Uthrandir anymore. I mean, he still is... but to me now his title is not that. He's family. He is a man for who I worry because I see him running around, trying to tend to everyone's troubles, accepting willingly the responsibility of making life and death decisions and growing tired.
He has a ready ear to listen to everyone's problems and life stories yet he shies away from sharing his own. I'm hoping some warm cups of tea will change that soon.

"Bah! That's two times. Two times you've killed me you old bastard"- Kai

I don't know exactly when I fell for him. Was it the longing in his eyes? Was it the sweetness in his heart? I'm sure his handsome face must had something to do with it as well.
If I am to be honest with myself I have to tell you that I was his since the moment we first met. The way he looked at me claimed me, like he knew that my place was by his side and he was not having it any other way.
The way he pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me and whispers " you are all that I'll ever need" makes my heart stop and beat faster than ever, all at the same time.
Oh my... but what a ride it has been!
Since I'm with Kai I've seen him battle a demon, die twice and be brought to life, loosing his soul, loosing his memories, recovering his soul and having an apple for a heart.
Sounds confusing? That's because it is!
I cannot shake from my mind what I heard on top of Bellon's office that day.
-You are worthless Kai! A coward, just like you mother! It was your fault she died.. and now you act like you are protecting someone when you are only protecting yourself. You are a fake! - Bellon's words were harsh but not sincere as he provoked Kai to unleash the evil inside him.
I still hear in my mind the screams.
I don't think I can describe what I felt, hearing them fight, felling Kai's life run away from him and not being able to to anything.
I kicked the door, begging to be let in. I needed to reach him but I could not do anything against Bellon's power that kept it locked.
I couldn't.... but that sure as hell didn't kept me from trying.
The starts above me must have taken pity and sent me a savior... I saw the monk I had met earlier and run to him for I had seem how wondrous were his powers.
-Sir Lars!- I threw my self at his feet- I beg of you! Help me!
At first he told me it was not his place to meddle but as he saw my despair he sighed. One look was all he needed and the door was opened and I was running up the stairs.
Have you ever felt like you were leaving your body behind? Like you are not in yourself but watching for afar? That's what I felt when I saw Kai's lifeless body on the floor.
I was not Alaila anymore. There was no place for me in a world where Kai was not there to share his smiles with me.
I screamed his name, begging him to come back. Sir Bellon was beside him too... his face pale... and I don't know what happened after. It's all a blur but I didn't care because Kai opened his eyes and asked what had happened.
He was back... but not all of him.
In the fight against the demon he lost part of his soul and with it his memories.
I thought that had to be *the* worst night of my life. I was wrong...
It turns out he lost his past but he remembered quite well his present with me.
That was the night he shared our first kiss.
I wish I could tell you it was the most romantic thing ever... but the truth is I was crying like a baby, probably had a runny nose, he was acting a bit drunk from whatever Bellon had given him and after he kissed me he collapsed in the bed, exhausted and slept for almost two days straight.
Talk about rolling over and snoozing away, hein.
So, that must be it, that must be the end of the story right?
Oh no, no, no... It's not.
You see... apparently we were so fond of the experience that we decided it was a good idea to have another go at it. But this time lets shake things up a bit, give it some flair.
Here is the recipe if you ever want to try this at home.
1-Get a wise man to tell you that he might have screwed up a bit and that you now have the demon that once lived in your loved one inside of you.
2- Be reminded that because you are a powerless being the demon will be very disapointed with his new living conditions and try to kill you.
3-Have the wise man take your loved one's soul again, killing him for the second time right before your eyes and perform a quick demon-removing procedure on you.
4-Had two golden apples.
5-Put the heart of the man lying there dead on the apple and take a moment to appreciate the tun-tun tun-tun coming from it.
6-Trap a mighty demon in the other apple, panic about the inevitably of him breaking free and decide to hide the apple in an evil library, just under a certain very powerful necromancer's nose.
7- Pray to everything you can remember that sir Shadowsmalls doesn't find out and decides to absorb the demon, become even more powerful and hunt you down because that's the demon's purpose.
8- Pretend to go about life like nothing happened.

Just stir everything together and add a dash of doom.

"It is done. Darkness will start to spread from the beacon and reach Uthrandir. Warn your fellow students and flee for there is no salvation for those who stay" - DarthCorey

The dark wizard is never far away from my thoughts. The crystal ball he gave me continues whispering to me... words that I can't understand and a faint "follow... follow".
It freaks me out.
I buried it in a trunk, under piles of random stuff and I can still hear it, haunting me.
He speaks in my mind sometimes.
Honestly people... someone's head is not like a public restroom... it is not polite to just go in and do your business anytime you feel like it.
My skin crawls when I hear his voice filling my thoughts.
What does he want with me?
He tells me of his plans, he takes me to his town, he shows me things... and I don't know what he expects me to do.
Sometimes I think he is just lonely and wants someone to talk to.
That's the thing with sir Darth... I'm terrified of him yet I can't seem to stop thinking that there is good in that man.
Sure he talks about world destruction... but he does it while offering me tea and being extremely polite. I dare say sweet even!
Sometimes I'm afraid the wizards in Uthrandir are not taking him serious... that they underestimate him and that they will fall before him because of that.
I've seen his city as he was starting to build it, wanting to conjure a whole chunk of Chaos right here in Altera. It's scary as hell! I can only imagine what he'll be able to do after it's done.
I suppose I won't have to imagine it for much longer... two days ago he reached my mind again and warned me to get out of Uthrandir for he was done and ready.
The way he speaks about unleashing darkness fills my nightmares.
I fear for us.. and for him. For I think that taking revenge will not heal the wounds his past has given him... it will only consume what ever is left of his human heart.

 

[Alailanible]

Light and darkness

I know very little about magic. In Niliaria, the tiny village I grew up in, there was no such thing as wizards or mages. We had farmers, butchers, shepherds... that sort of thing.
The closest thing we had to magic was watching my brother Todd making all the cakes disappear in less than a blink.
I have been told that there are white magic and dark magic. I've been also told that all dark magic users are evil. And I've been told as well that any creation from darkness is a monster and an abomination.
In my short time I have seen nothing but proof that all these teachings are wrong.
I've known kindness from dark wizards. I've known greed from white mages. I've known a monster that kept me warm and safe from a creeper.
I have yet to find the being that is truly completely evil.
Is it so wrong to think that magic knows no right or wrong and that it's only the heart of the user that makes it a thing of Chaos or of Light?
It confuses me when I try to organize people into friends or foes like most people seem to do.
Even the ones that were supposed to make me have no doubts trouble me!
Take sir Shadowsmalls for example. Oh I hear such terrible things about him! When sir Bellon told me of his powers and of his doings I shivered. Yet the three times I met him he didn't harm me at all. He was very polite, actually.
And the last time.. well, the last time he saved me from a prison cell! I would not be here today if it was not for him.
It's very difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that the person I should fear the most is willing to help me when no one else seemed to be able to.
Kai says that I'm naive.. that I would try to hug a creeper if it seemed at all friendly.
I rather believe that there is good in all of us...
Us, humans...

I met sir Xen in the first couple of days I've been here.
He took me to place that I can't say it was Ravensnest because it's a secret and he showed me something that I cannot talk about because I promise I wouldn't. So, even though I really want to tell you all how breathtaking was the trip to the underground city and how truly wondrous it is, I can't as I have been sworn to secrecy. Sorry.
At first I thought sir Xen was a pirate. A very nice pirate. Actually, all the pirates I have met so far are nice people. The Queen of pirates gave me cookies... you can't get any nicer, can you?
As a pirate I would expect him to spend a lot more time traveling the seas and a lot less time saving my ... hum.. skin. You see, sir Xen would always happen to run into me when I was in the middle of nowhere, completely lost and contemplating digging a whole and spending the rest of my days hiding from creepers inside of it.
The explanation came soon enough. He was no pirate.. he wasn't even human. He was an energy being and if you are anything like me you are thinking " ahh.. how interesting, but what by a bunny's fluffy tail does that mean?".
I still don't get it... but I know he is really (r-e-a-l-l-y) old and that his mind seem to reach everything at onde if he so wishes. I also know that he is part of a larger being, even older.
Moral of the story: when I bake sir Xen a birthday cake, I'm not going to put any candles on it because I would burn the whole of Altera trying to do so.
He told me one day that his role here was to study humans. Well, I have been a certified human all my life so I volunteer to help him. The first thing that he asked was " what does it feel like... having a heart?".
I told him of all the wonderful things our human heart gives us. Compassion, happiness, love. I left out a nasty detail, simply because I had not experienced it at that time: heartbreak.
When you hear about it you don't expect it to be as literal. At least I was not prepared to actually feel like mine had exploded in a million sharp pieces, each of them stabbing me as they crumbled.
When Kai got his memories back and we left Uthrandir there were moments when I wished I had no heart so I could stop feeling the way I felt as I watched him slowly slip into shadow, every bit of the Kai I knew and loved disappearing each day.
I clang to the hope that if we went back to Uthrandir everything would be better but when that shattered I was a coward and ran in the opposite direction, giving him the final push into darkness.
I know I was the one extinguishing the last flickering light in his soul.
As I gave him back our engagement ring he let go of his sanity for good.
I thank the stars for sir Bellon's watchful eye. He was able to step in and even though the Kai we knew was gone, he saved is essence in a new man, his mind wiped clean and his life a brand new book.
I can only wish him well and hope he finds happiness and peace as we take a completely different role in echother's lives.
He believes he is the brother of the man I was to marry and that apparently makes me his sister. I slipped comfortably into that role and I can't help to think that this world has a sense of humor because just a few weeks after I gained a step-brother I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to face Adam.
Do you know the feeling of being awake but experiencing a reality that is so surreal that you try to convince yourself you are surely dreaming? That's how I felt looking into my brother's face.
Not in a million years did I dream of casually bumping into him at the market. But there he was. Very quiet. Unusually quiet. Adam was always such a loud mouth that it made everything even more...odd.
He handed me a journal and I read it. I was dumbstruck. My brother had joined a monastery and had taken a vow of silence before setting out into the world to find me.
I immediately dragged him to Uthrandir, anxious to show him everything I loved about my new life.
So I guess at the end of the day, if ever sir Xen asks me again if a heart is a good thing to have I will smile and nod because as I introduced my brother to my friends I realized that it was my heart that allowed me to turn into family even those who did not pull my hair as I was growing up.

 

[Alailanible]

Extreme mining

There are many mining styles. Some like to weave neat tunnels in search for that sparkle that will make a hard-work day worth it. Some like to explore caves, fighting spiders and skellies with one hand and wielding a pickaxe in the other. There are even some who like to be banished from this world by digging straight down to ore using black magic.
Me? I like to mine for iron and coal (coal is a cook's diamond) with a friend or a song.., but lately I have been forced to embrace a new style: I call it extreme mining...
Extreme mining is the art of digging while a ghost makes things explode around you, takes out your torches and tries to bury you in dirt.
If you then find out that the "ghost" is actually Shadowmalls, the evil mage then things get even more exciting.
Yes... nothing beats breaking stone while fearing for your life, not knowing if you will ever be able to see the light of day again. It really gives you that extra push to put your back into it.
This happened the other day. I was out with Lady Van, looking for a good place to bury our shovels when we started to hear scary explosions.
At first I thought it might be a family of creepers having a picnic nearby... but when arrows were shot in our direction I knew it had to be something else... creepers don't have little hands to use a bow, right?
We forgot all about being picky about where we would mine and ran to the closest mountain, thinking if we could get in a cave it would provide shelter from whatever was roaming outside.
As we ran, the torches in the road up ahead started to disappear one by one, allowing the night to swallow us.
We turned left and hurried to a rocky formation. When we finally managed to dig a shelter and close it off I was out of breath and I could hear my heart pounding in my head.
What was there outside and why was it so angry?
Lady Van was as calm as she always is. Nothing shakes her... She shrugged her shoulders and suggested that, since we where going to stay there for a while we might as well look for some coal.
I agreed. At least it would help take my mind of the sickening feel of being watched.
For a while it worked quite well. Lady Van was whistling a cheerful tune and I was happily digging out some iron when the first torch went out.
It was the wind - I though.
Then another. The hair behind my neck stood on end as I watched each torch that we placed give away their lights to make room for total darkness.
Lady Van grabbed my arm and commanded me to run. Good thing my legs heard her because my mind was just too busy crying out for mommy.
The torches she placed keept being shredded and somehow we got separated.
I looked around, a shaky hand holding a source of light. A tiny insane part of me noticed a coal vein to my right. And a even crazier part of my brain actually thought about getting the pickaxe out and take that coal with me but all bits and pieces stopped thinking about mining ores when dirt start appearing out of nowhere.
I'm sure my face was priceless as I watched the cave around me get smaller and smaller.
I was pushed against a wall and the last torched was blown out.
Was that a laugh if heard? Or was it a growl?
Lucky in my head something gave me a mental slap and I heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like my mother yelling at me for just standing there.
In no time I was by Lady Van's side, furiously digging up putting as much distance between us an the cave as we could.
As I crawled out of the whole he showed himself. It was no ghost. It was the necromancer having fun with a meek mortal.
His face was a mix between a charming smile and a snarl that made my blood run cold.
We ran to the road ahead. There was only one thought in my mind at this time: get to Uthrandir. Now!
In the opposite direction, running towards the danger was Sir Xen and sir Jinx. Were they out of their mind?
I gestured wildly, trying to make them turn around but apparently energy beings are not tormented by mortal fears... or common sense.
I have no idea how we all survive the encounter... but sir Shadowmalls seemed to get bored with the game and after nearly destroying Sir Xen's body he left.
The body re-constructed itself and sir Xen stood there, eyes sparkling with the excitement of the fight, almost looking disappointed that sir Shadowmalls had mercifully let us run away.
We traveled to Uthrandir in silence. Everyone had something on their minds.
Sir Xen looked sad.
Sir Jinx looked worried.
I was still trying to stop shaking.
And Van... well, lady Van looked like she was just thinking something along the lines of "curse that dark mage.. I only got half a stack of iron because of him!"


So, I'm a lady now? Mom would be proud...

I was running for the boat, a bag of coal in one hand, a bag of apples in the other and a mouthful of bread when sir Lars called me.
- Alaila, do you have a moment? I need to speak to you.
One does not simple say to sir Lars "oh I'm sorry, sir, but my mouth is full so you'll have to wait a bit". No, I nodded, bowed as low as I possibly could and looked at him, keeping my mouth carefully shut.
He started to tell me how it had come to the attention of the Altera's court my role in Uthrandir and how sir Bellon had spoken highly of me and my cooking and something else I can't quite remember because I was getting quite worried about the bread that was still in my mouth.
Should I chew on it?
Should I swallow it whole?
Should I just keep my mouth shut and nod if he asked something?
-...and that is why I would like to invite you to the court.
I noticed that last piece of conversation and as it slammed against my mind I choked on the bread, coughing loudly, gasping for air.
Sir Lars grinned, patting me on the back.
-Now, now.. no need to get all choked up about it. We are confident you are worthy of being a king's hand if you choose to accept the title.
Something in the end of that sentence made me think he was just to nice to add a " and if you are not we'll just chop of your head and be done with it".
He looked at me, expecting me to react to the news.
How do you react to something like that?
I was deeply honored. I was happy. I was as scared as if I was just been told to go barefooted to the nether. I was expecting him to just laugh, point at me and say something like "ah.. fooled you! I'm just joking, lass!".
He did no such thing. he just tilted his head and continued looking at me. Waiting. Oh may.. waiting! I was making sir Lars... *the* sir Lars wait for an answer. Great start!
I immediately started rambling about how thankful I was, that I would be glad to be able to help, that I really felt blessed for having them bestowing me with such honor.
I was still halfway through my rambling when he turned around and said: "Follow me to the throne room".
I'm sure the ceremony was lovely, too bad I don't remember most of it. That's how nervous I was.
There was flowers raining from the ceiling and people congratulating me. I remember hugging a lot of people. Maybe some against their will.
It all ended in the dinning hall at Uthrandir with a ball.
Food and dance, that's the way all big events should end.
At the end of it sir Shadow approached me and asked very politely if I knew anyhing about the ways of the court.
I am a cook... no... i did not know of the ways of the court. I expected him to laugh at me but he offered to teach me.
That is a man of patience, I tell you. He kindly explained me everything I needed to know and how I should act.
I owe him my gratitude and my sanity for I fear i would go insane worrying about taking a wrong step in my new place.
Not long after I received a letter from sir Itzza, explaining me in writing what sir Shadow had showed me, making sure I had something to look at if I forgot. Such kindness... taking the time from his busy life to make sure I would not feel lost.
The next day sir Bellon asked me to join him at the tower.
I put together his lunch and hurried upstairs, anxious to talk with him for a while.
- I have something for you, lass - he told me handing me a small shinny object. - It was made by sir Lars himself and I want you to have it.
He told me that the object contained a very useful magic. If turned one way it would make me appear next to the person I was thinking of. If turned another way it would bring that person to me.
He told me that now that I was a king's hand I might need such thing seeing that I do not possess any magic of my own.
What I really think he meant was something along the lines of " by Harateth lass, you cannot keep getting lost and arriving three days late if you are called to fulfill your duties as a King's Hand!".
-That trinket has some power to it, so keep it safe and use it wisely. - he added, with a stern face before breaking into a smile and announcing " now, food!".
I'm still getting used to my new "shoes" and so far I haven't really feel that life is all that different from before. I'm still the same Alaila... but I must admit that in moments like this I miss my family. I miss being able to run home and tell my mother about it or hearing the wise words my father had to say.
I even miss the way my brothers would have taunted me, asking me things like " if you are the king's hand do you have to scratch his back when he gets itchy?".
Will I ever see them again?

 

[Shadowsmalls]

Awesome

 

[Alailanible]

This way people don't have to jump from page to page to read it.
If you and others are taking time out of your busy lives to read this the least I can do is make the job easier.

 

[salsa80]

cant wait to read the rest

 

[Shadowsmalls]

cant wait to read the rest

Me too.
Moar please? :3

 

[HoboLary]

Damn.

 

[Corey]

*Cough cough* you heard nothing about doom to everyone ....

 

[Alailanible]

Before impending doom.. I had to write about Stripe.

 

[Shadowsmalls]

R.I.P. Stripe

 

[matyio]

poor stripe.

 

[Gaby]

Stripe reminds me of Fluffy the huggable creeper.

 

[Alailanible]

Fluffy? Can you point me in the direction where i can read Fluffy's story please?

 

[salsa80]

LOL

 

[Gaby]

Fluffy? Can you point me in the direction where i can read Fluffy's story please?

now I wish I had the "let me google that for you" link.