Adventure of Exiles

Michael opened the way the door.

Revealing a grand and ornate chamber.

There were two pillars with a set of stairs leading to a small, raised platform in the center of the chamber.

The room was lit with a gentle glow reflecting the magical light of from an arcane chandelier.

Emily’s eyes were drawn to the statue at the center.

There was a statue of a beautiful woman dressed in a gown and a large cloak.

Her face was calm and serene and had a crescent moon crown in her hair.

Her hands were together as if she was praying.

The statue had a gentle look that seemed to exude a comforting aura.

Emily looked over to see Noah taking in everything with a look of amazement.

She always liked how passionate he got.

Emily tugged at Noah’s sleeve and pointed, “what is that?”

Even knowing what it is, she felt like giving Noah the opportunity to speak.

“That is Halja the Goddess of ight. She is the protector and guide of all souls to the afterlife. Unlike the modern kingdom of Lyris, the people of Neveria worshipped Halja primarily.”

“We are in her temple?” Emily asked.

“Potentially. This is the find of the century. This is relatively intact discovery of ancient Neveria. The architecture, the runes, the magic in all its glory. The Vexillum Empire has destroyed so much of this history.”

“What are you saying this is worth quite a lot eh?” Felix replied.

Noah scoffed, “of course not. Knowledge is priceless and you should care for its preservation.”

“Well, you better keep notes. Because this is a dangerous place, and we will leave as soon as we find this gemstone.” Michael cautioned.

Noah sighed, “I understand.”

Lisa was already out admiring the chamber with Felix following to keep an eye on her.

He got out his notebook and started writing. He paused to look up at Emily, “you are controlling the staff to locate the gemstone yeah?”

Emily gently handled the staff of Eternal Night in her hands, “well it’s not really like I’m controlling it. More like it feels natural in my hands. The staff seems to have a mind of its own through. I didn’t decide for the staff to lead us here.”

Noah nodded, “Mildly concerning but this staff has a strong connection to the magical essence of the world, so it makes some sense. Still, I hope we could use this thing without it trying to consume anyone’s soul or something.”

Emily laughed, “that would be ideal.”

Noah pushed up his glasses, “there has to be a reason why the staff hasn’t tried to shroud you the same way it did to me. I would hand it to Lisa to see if the staff had the same reaction to her since she has studied magic as an alchemist. But I wouldn’t want to frighten her and Felix would punch me. Hard.”

“Oh, come on Felix is nicer than you give him credit for.”

“I mean you are right. If I put the staff in Lisa’s hands, he would only give me a quick bash on the nose to break it. Just to prove a point. A quick clean break.”

“I mean...probably yeah.

Emily then waved the staff around and it started glowing a pale light.

“There we go.” Noah said as he finished writing down what he wanted to. “Let’s check out the statue now.”

Emily looked back at Michael, her guardian since birth. He gave a nod, and she followed Noah.

“Noah, are you afraid of Felix?”

“Oh, come on, Emily. It’s not that I’m afraid of him. It’s more that I have a healthy respect of the consequences of making him mad. I seen him in battle before.”

They got to the base of the statue when the staff in Emily’s hands started to shake and glow. Almost if it about to burst.

“What is going on, Noah?” Emily asked.

“W-well.”

Emily could tell Michael was running behind her.

The staff shot out a beam of pale light and pierced into the base of the statue.

The air around the base seem to coalesce together into a nightly shroud. After a moment, the shroud faded away revealing a pale blue gemstone.

Noah and Emily looked at each other in disbelief for a moment.

Was this really the last part of the staff?

Emily reached out to grab it, but Michael quickly grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“What is it, Michael?”

“It could be dangerous.”

“We came this far Michael. Let me try.”

Michael reluctantly let go.

As Emily reached her hand to the gemstone. She heard a loud reverberation and felt a wave of force pass by her. She turned to see everyone else flung across the chamber.

She looked behind her and saw a ghostly figure.

A ghostly woman with long dark hair, her eyes were dark blue, and she wore a black cloak.

She was floating off the ground and on her head was a silver crown.

The gemstone floated to her as she looked down at Emily.

“After all these years, a child disturbs my slumber.”

Emily could barely hear the words. They were whispered into her mind.

“Who are you?”

“Queen Natasha the rightful rulers of these lands of Neveria.”

“This isn’t real, right? Like a guardian spell or perhaps a spiritual projection?” Noah asked as he was trying to stand back up.

Natasha looked over at Noah with an expression of disdain, boredom, and irritation.

“No. I am her, no magical projection, no simulacrum.”

“Ah, you got to be fist fucking me right now.” Felix said as he was back on his feet.

Natasha looked back at Emily, “what sort of rabble you have attending you, girl?”

Before Emily could even reply she watched as Felix hitched his legs and formed a javelin of lightning into his hands. The boon of Hrafnagud manifested into his hand.

Felix threw the lightning javelin at Natasha.

Natasha brushed it aside like it was an insect.

The javelin harmlessly dissipated as the ghostly queen turned her to Emily’s companions. “Distractions.”

With a wave her hand a small army of shadowy soldiers emerged.

“Keep them busy my retinue.”

Michael charged at them, “Emily!”

He cleaved through three shadows with a single swing.

The soldiers moved with precision and formation.

They surrounded Michael who now trying desperately to fight his way out. She saw as her friends all started to fight the shadows.

Emily was knelt on the floor. Emily felt a surge of magic in her when the soldiers were formed. She could feel her heart beating rapidly and she could barely breathe.

But she got up to her feet.

Natasha held on to the gemstone with a contemplative gaze at the stone, “the jewel of eternal night? Why would you seek out such a thing?”

“Well...”

Why was she even here?

She just wanted to go on a wonderful adventure like she read in all those books. Like all those old soldiers who looked after her took her as bedtime stories. Hardship overcome with fellowship, the bonds forged in battle and the courage to persevere through any trial.

How absurd was that? As her friends desperately fought, how foolish.

“I want to be an adventurer.” She finally croaked out.

“Is that so, child?”

“Yes. I want to be brave. I want to be free. I want to see the world. I want to see everything the world has to offer. No more being locked away from the world. I don’t want to spend my life being afraid anymore.”

“But you have a duty. A duty to you must fulfill to your people.”

“How would you know that?”

“My blood runs through your veins, girl. You are of my line.”

Emily blinked in surprise, “what do you mean?”

“Did you not think it was mere coincidence you were able to handle the staff of eternal night? That the relic responded to you? Absurd. Tell me girl what has happened to Neveria?”

“...Neveria has been destroyed, shattered and left to be forgotten by the Vexillum Empire. In its place is the Kingdom of Lyris and I am the last heir to the rightful throne to Lyris as the lone survivor of House Strass after a civil war has ravaged this land.”

Emily was surprised as Natasha sighed in frustration, “so it appears after my death it was truly over for Neveria. I had the vain hope there would a lasting legacy...The world has changed so much, has it not?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

“Tell me, girl. What is your name?”

“My name is Emily Strass.”

“Tell me Emily what will you do with the staff?”

What did she want to do with the staff?

They never decided, Felix wanted to sell it, Noah wanted to study it before giving it to the Military Grand Council.

But what did she want done with it.

“...I just want to use the staff to make a peace. I don’t want those who pledged their loyalty to House Strass to die. I don’t want another civil war. I always just wanted a normal life, and a peaceful land.”

Natasha looked at her with scorn, “foolish child.”

She planted her feet on the floor and a black sword like night formed in her hand, “this world is a harsh and uncaring place. You will accomplish nothing with the resolve to sacrifice everything. It would be better if I ended your life here and now.”

Emily could feel a pit in her stomach and the blood rushing from her head. Her legs started to buckle under the pressure and fear.

But she stood her ground and pulled out her rapier.

Natasha moved forward with her sword.

Emily moved back defensively, keeping the rapier in between herself and the queen.

She was a princess. A daughter of the noble house Strass and a trained duelist.

Emily knew that if she didn’t win the duel, it wouldn’t just be her life it would be her friends too.

She felt a nearly paralyzing fear in her heart as Natasha swung her sword at Emily.

Emily parried and counter attacked.

The queen parried and thrust.

The clanging of metal could be heard.

Emily kept her composure as her mind raced.

“Foolish child, your resolve is nothing more than a wish. Peace? I desperately wished for peace as well in my life. I wanted nothing more than that as my kingdom fell into turmoil and chaos with the invasion. And where is the peace I wanted so dearly. In ashes and ruins. My life, my legacy, my dream was crushed.”

The queen attacked again.

Emily dodged and struck.

The queen parried.

“What would you sacrifice for peace Emily? Would you sell the lives of your friends dearly like I did? Oh yes, I sold their lives. They were my most loyal vassals, my champions, my heroes, my dearest friends. I was willing to do anything to keep the kingdom safe. Kono always reliable, Lyndis caring to children, Garrik always quick with a joke, Stannis my stalwart commander. I sacrificed their lives in a vain attempt to save Neveria.”

Emily tried to block.

Natasha’s strike cut through her guard.

She felt her side get cut.

She bit back a cry of pain and swinged back.

The queen dodged the strike and parried her next attack.

“When that failed, I kept sacrificing more. Even my own soul to Halja for a staff of great power. A weapon that could have stopped the invasion. A weapon that could have saved Nevaria. In the end, it didn’t change fate as I was killed at the Blackreach Marshes.”

Emily was panting.

Her vision was getting blurry.

She felt the sting from the cut.

Natasha’s swings were heavy.

Heavy with a sorrow that has not faded in centuries.

It was like a sword weighted by grief and despair.

But she couldn’t fall here. She remembered her father’s warm smile, those days at Svarostadt with Gideon and Edwin tutoring and nurturing her. All her memories with her friends with the pleasant seemingly endless days at Kurkenburg.

The queen swung her sword.

Emily blocked the strike with her rapier.

Then the queen’s other hand grabbed the rapier’s blade.

Natasha’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, “I see that your spirit isn’t broken. I would say I am impressed, but that would be a lie.”

She snapped the rapier blade.

Emily dodged away from another swing of the queen’s blade.

Emily picked up the staff.

She channeled her fear, her sadness, her anger, and her sorrow.

All the memories of the past and the future she desired.

She wasn’t even sure what sort of spell she was channeling but she had to survive.

Watched as the staff started to glow a brilliant emerald color as her body became enveloped by the shroud.

The staff shot out a beam of pure white flame and pierced into Natasha’s chest.

Emily felt her hand being scorched.

Emily fell down to her knees, panting.

She dropped the staff.

The queen was still standing there with a look of bewilderment.

She put a hand to her chest and a shroud of darkness covered it.

After a moment, the shroud disappeared, and the wound was closed.

“That wasn’t the blessing of Halja, girl. Oh lady Herta. I never understood you the same way I could understand Halja. Death was always easier to understand than trying to live a good life.”

Emily was breathing heavy, feeling exhausted.

The queen looked down at Emily a mix of pride and sorrow.

“I suppose this is my legacy, a young girl that would try to accomplish the impossible with a stubborn spirit and the blessing of the goddess of life.”

She sighed and looked out into the distance, “it has been so long since I felt a breeze against my face, the warmth of the sun, the smell of flowers. I was fighting for so long and so hard at the end of my life I could not enjoy the simple pleasures of life. And in the end, I failed. And where is Neveria? I died alone and powerless and what remains. A memory. The world has left me, and my legacy forgotten and I would not wish the same fate on anyone.”

Natasha reached her hand out to Emily.

Emily hesitantly took the hand and got back on her feet.

“Learn well from my mistakes Emily. There are some things that even your will cannot change. But you must do what you can with what you have. It’s a harsh truth, but it’s one you will learn.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Natasha took the staff of eternal night in her hand and the gemstone glowed as she placed it back on the top of the staff.

Natasha handed the staff back to Emily.

“I have no need of this.”

Emily looked back and saw that the shadowy retinue had been defeated and her friends were approaching.

She turned to look at Natasha, but she was fading into the darkness.

“Go. Live. And find your happiness.”

The ghostly figure was gone, and a faint scent of lavender was in the air.

“Are you ok?” Michael asked as he got to her first.

Emily looked up to him.

“I’m fine, just exhausted.”

Michael nodded, “we will rest for a while.”

“No. We can rest once we are home.”

Felix, Lisa, and Noah had come over.

Felix had a nasty gash on his cheek, Lisa was clutching her side and Noah had a bruise on his forehead.

“Well, this isn’t a total disaster.” Noah said.

“Speak for yourself, man. You are the one who was about to light us all on fire with a fireball in an enclosed area. What the fuck were you thinking?”

“You know what. If I wanted your opinion, I would ask you.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever.”

“Alright you two, that’s enough.” Michael replied.

Lisa came up to Emily with some bandages, “looks like you were cut let me treat you.”

Emily was about to protest, but she knew that Lisa would just get worried if she refused.

Lisa started tending the Emily’s wound, “I guess we are done exploring these ruins now.”

Michael nodded, “it’s about time to go home.”

Emily smiled brightly at Michael, “yeah...let’s go home.”

Michael smiled back. She could never get tired of that smile. Michael put out his hand to Emily.

Emily reached out to feel Michael’s hand.

When a crossbow bolt hit Michael in his chest.

Michael’s eyes widened as he staggered backwards.

She watched as the blood spilled out and his expression was filled with shock.

“Michael!” Emily screamed.