Acheval
05-05-2006, 02:57 PM
By Joey & Robert Ward
At one time, I was known as Kythnos, daughter of Kythra, and apprentice in training at the Dark Temple. We were being trained to lead the forces of the Dark Elves into battle. This training was hard, brutal, but effective. I saw many of my group injured, humiliated, and one even killed. I still remember when Gwyll was punished for forgetting the morning ritual. He was later ambushed by three of the Blood Sisters on his way back to the barracks. None of us ever made that mistake again.
I knew something was wrong almost from the beginning. I was training against Gwyll, years before his murder by the Blood Sisters. We were in the large battle arena. It was like a maze, and there were many places to hide. Gwyll was looking for me, but had wandered into a corner, and his back was turned to me.
"Prepare for battle!" I shouted, and launched my attack at him. I struck him hard on the head with my staff, and he fell to the ground. I looked up to the Master's seat, expecting his approval, but he gave me none:
"NO, Kythnos. Remember your training! You warned Gwyll of your attack. In doing so, you showed you undervalue your own life, and overvalue his. Remember, strike from darkness. Attack unseen, unheard, undetected. "
Time, and training, went on. I knew I was becoming highly skilled in both battle and magic, but my Master continued to scold me. "You are too bold!" he would say. "I trained your mother, and her mother before that. Look at your mother now, and know what a great warrior and leader she is. You must learn to be like her. She would never value an enemy's life more than her own, as you do."
My Master was right. This was how my mother was trained, and it should have been enough for me. But after Gwyll's murder, I could not say why, but I knew something was wrong. I knew I had to leave the Dark Temple.
* * *
I prepared weeks for my escape. I had learned much, and could now move as if invisible. I stole scraps of food from the kitchen, and put them in a leather sack. I stole strong rope from the marketplace. I stole a hunting knife and pickaxe from the Temple's armoury and hid it all under a loose floorboard in my quarters. I watched the guards, both in the Temple, and in the City, and learned their patrol routes. I searched for, and found, the best place to climb out of the underground City. Behind the tavern, it was noisy and dimly lit. There was a fissure there, and the rumors were that the cave 50 feet above led to the surface. It would not be an easy climb, but I knew I could do it. On the next moonless night, I put on my cloak, took my supplies, and crept my way out of the barracks. I knew if I was discovered my punishment would be like Gwyll's, or even worse. All went well, and I came to the fissure, unseen, unheard, and undetected, just like my Master would have liked.
I tied the pickaxe to the rope, and made a crude grappling hook. I threw it as high as I could. It held the first time, on a spot only a few feet below the cave entrance. I was almost to the top of the fissure, pulling myself up the rope, finding footholds as I could, when I made a mistake. A large rock gave way under my feet, and fell to the city below. There was a great crash, which echoed against the City walls. The guards were alerted, and I knew the Blood Sisters would soon be after me.
I could see activity below me, it could have been the guards, the sisters, or something else. I felt a cold, fresh breeze, coming from the cave just feet above me now. I jumped, and caught solid rock. I pulled myself up, and ran, out of the darkness of the underground city, and into the darkness of the forest outside.
* * *
I had never been on the surface before. It was strange, unbounded. But I had no time to take in this alien beauty, because I knew I was being pursued by the Temple's sisters. They were faster than me, stronger than me, and I had only a few minutes head start. As dawn was coming, I could see a faint glittering up in the trees ahead. I ran towards that. Not long after, I looked over my shoulder, and could see the silhouettes of Blood Sisters. They were in such hurry to catch me, they were not bothering to conceal themselves as they should.
There was a rush of sound, a thrumming, as a torrent of arrows flew over my head, into the sisters behind. I heard them scream, but not for long. I didn't know who had fired the arrows that killed my pursuers, but I was too tired to care. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. A red-haired figure stepped out of the cover of the trees and came towards me. "What have you done, little one, to have these fiends chase you like this? Where are you from, and how did you get here?" He knelt down beside me, a kind expression on his face. "My name is Talanar. What is yours?"
I forced myself up, and removed my hood. "I am Kythnos, daughter of Kythra, and I flee the Dark Temple." Talanar's face darkened. Any warmth faded from his gaze.
"I should kill you now, dark one. I know your people only too well to trust even a child of your cursed race." He grabbed my hair and threw me back to the ground.
"Run. Run back to your own people. Be assured, that if I see you again, I will kill you". Then he disappeared into the forest, leaving me alone.
* * *
I was confused and disoriented. I did not know where to go, only that I could never return to the Temple, and neither could I follow Talanar. So I wandered the woods, for days, without direction or purpose. My food was almost gone. I was utterly lost.
Several nights after my encounter with Talanar, the moon was waxing and the forest, once so strange, now seemed beautiful to me. In this soft moonlight, I saw a vision, a woman of beauty and grace, walking towards me. Beside her was a unicorn, shimmering white. I was a trained killer, but also a child, then. For some reason, I could not stop myself from crying.
"You are lost," she said, and held me. "What has happened to you?"
I told her everything, about the Temple, my escape, and Talanar.
She said, "Come with me. My name is Ylthin, and I know your fear."
I felt torn. I wanted nothing more but to go with Ylthin, but I knew I would always be pursued by my own people, and would be putting her in danger.
"I know more you then you realize," she said. "I too was pursued by the Dark Elves when I was a a child, just as you are now." She looked at me again. "Before you come with me, there is one condition. Your name, in the ancient language, means 'Nightfall'. I will change your name to 'Seren', which means 'Star'".
I now learn the ways of the Druids. To be unseen, unheard, and undetected, is not my way. Now I learn the harmony of all natural things. I have not seen Talanar again, but I am sure we will meet again one day. Nor have I seen my mother, Kythra. But that may happen too. I do not know the future, but am ready for it.
At one time, I was known as Kythnos, daughter of Kythra, and apprentice in training at the Dark Temple. We were being trained to lead the forces of the Dark Elves into battle. This training was hard, brutal, but effective. I saw many of my group injured, humiliated, and one even killed. I still remember when Gwyll was punished for forgetting the morning ritual. He was later ambushed by three of the Blood Sisters on his way back to the barracks. None of us ever made that mistake again.
I knew something was wrong almost from the beginning. I was training against Gwyll, years before his murder by the Blood Sisters. We were in the large battle arena. It was like a maze, and there were many places to hide. Gwyll was looking for me, but had wandered into a corner, and his back was turned to me.
"Prepare for battle!" I shouted, and launched my attack at him. I struck him hard on the head with my staff, and he fell to the ground. I looked up to the Master's seat, expecting his approval, but he gave me none:
"NO, Kythnos. Remember your training! You warned Gwyll of your attack. In doing so, you showed you undervalue your own life, and overvalue his. Remember, strike from darkness. Attack unseen, unheard, undetected. "
Time, and training, went on. I knew I was becoming highly skilled in both battle and magic, but my Master continued to scold me. "You are too bold!" he would say. "I trained your mother, and her mother before that. Look at your mother now, and know what a great warrior and leader she is. You must learn to be like her. She would never value an enemy's life more than her own, as you do."
My Master was right. This was how my mother was trained, and it should have been enough for me. But after Gwyll's murder, I could not say why, but I knew something was wrong. I knew I had to leave the Dark Temple.
* * *
I prepared weeks for my escape. I had learned much, and could now move as if invisible. I stole scraps of food from the kitchen, and put them in a leather sack. I stole strong rope from the marketplace. I stole a hunting knife and pickaxe from the Temple's armoury and hid it all under a loose floorboard in my quarters. I watched the guards, both in the Temple, and in the City, and learned their patrol routes. I searched for, and found, the best place to climb out of the underground City. Behind the tavern, it was noisy and dimly lit. There was a fissure there, and the rumors were that the cave 50 feet above led to the surface. It would not be an easy climb, but I knew I could do it. On the next moonless night, I put on my cloak, took my supplies, and crept my way out of the barracks. I knew if I was discovered my punishment would be like Gwyll's, or even worse. All went well, and I came to the fissure, unseen, unheard, and undetected, just like my Master would have liked.
I tied the pickaxe to the rope, and made a crude grappling hook. I threw it as high as I could. It held the first time, on a spot only a few feet below the cave entrance. I was almost to the top of the fissure, pulling myself up the rope, finding footholds as I could, when I made a mistake. A large rock gave way under my feet, and fell to the city below. There was a great crash, which echoed against the City walls. The guards were alerted, and I knew the Blood Sisters would soon be after me.
I could see activity below me, it could have been the guards, the sisters, or something else. I felt a cold, fresh breeze, coming from the cave just feet above me now. I jumped, and caught solid rock. I pulled myself up, and ran, out of the darkness of the underground city, and into the darkness of the forest outside.
* * *
I had never been on the surface before. It was strange, unbounded. But I had no time to take in this alien beauty, because I knew I was being pursued by the Temple's sisters. They were faster than me, stronger than me, and I had only a few minutes head start. As dawn was coming, I could see a faint glittering up in the trees ahead. I ran towards that. Not long after, I looked over my shoulder, and could see the silhouettes of Blood Sisters. They were in such hurry to catch me, they were not bothering to conceal themselves as they should.
There was a rush of sound, a thrumming, as a torrent of arrows flew over my head, into the sisters behind. I heard them scream, but not for long. I didn't know who had fired the arrows that killed my pursuers, but I was too tired to care. I fell to the ground, gasping for breath. A red-haired figure stepped out of the cover of the trees and came towards me. "What have you done, little one, to have these fiends chase you like this? Where are you from, and how did you get here?" He knelt down beside me, a kind expression on his face. "My name is Talanar. What is yours?"
I forced myself up, and removed my hood. "I am Kythnos, daughter of Kythra, and I flee the Dark Temple." Talanar's face darkened. Any warmth faded from his gaze.
"I should kill you now, dark one. I know your people only too well to trust even a child of your cursed race." He grabbed my hair and threw me back to the ground.
"Run. Run back to your own people. Be assured, that if I see you again, I will kill you". Then he disappeared into the forest, leaving me alone.
* * *
I was confused and disoriented. I did not know where to go, only that I could never return to the Temple, and neither could I follow Talanar. So I wandered the woods, for days, without direction or purpose. My food was almost gone. I was utterly lost.
Several nights after my encounter with Talanar, the moon was waxing and the forest, once so strange, now seemed beautiful to me. In this soft moonlight, I saw a vision, a woman of beauty and grace, walking towards me. Beside her was a unicorn, shimmering white. I was a trained killer, but also a child, then. For some reason, I could not stop myself from crying.
"You are lost," she said, and held me. "What has happened to you?"
I told her everything, about the Temple, my escape, and Talanar.
She said, "Come with me. My name is Ylthin, and I know your fear."
I felt torn. I wanted nothing more but to go with Ylthin, but I knew I would always be pursued by my own people, and would be putting her in danger.
"I know more you then you realize," she said. "I too was pursued by the Dark Elves when I was a a child, just as you are now." She looked at me again. "Before you come with me, there is one condition. Your name, in the ancient language, means 'Nightfall'. I will change your name to 'Seren', which means 'Star'".
I now learn the ways of the Druids. To be unseen, unheard, and undetected, is not my way. Now I learn the harmony of all natural things. I have not seen Talanar again, but I am sure we will meet again one day. Nor have I seen my mother, Kythra. But that may happen too. I do not know the future, but am ready for it.