Reforged!

The Blackthorn Forest

The light of the Sun Sphere awakens her when the first rays of light reach her eyes, she laying in on her back in a black blasted clearing, Was this just a nightmare? With that, she felt the warm hilt of the golden dagger. I know the name of this dagger, it’s called the Bloodfang. She lifted the Bloodfang in her hand and lifted her hand up to her head, the horns were still there as well, she could see them off to the corner of her vision above her eyes. The wings and tail were not. I think the nightmare is just beginning.

She gets up and wobbly starts walking out of the crater, she can hear the sounds of a river.

I desperately need to take a bath. The blood, sweat, and grim need to get off. I feel so foul. Maybe that is why nothing tried to eat me while I slept. Maybe I taste bad now?

She was sure nothing natural wanted to have anything to do with her at this moment.

When demons are around, they taint the ground around them. She looked around, the tree she slept against was still alive and the flowers and grass were also. Bhuul teaches that plants die when hours are in close proximity to a demon, maybe it takes longer than a day's rest?

"Arcana: Cleanse." Andrea cast her simple cleaning spell, this cantrip would get the loose dirt and blood off, but leave oils and such. Those had to be wrung out in the water.

Andrea moved over the rocks and through the tall grass, noting what would have been caused bruising and scratches to her legs and feet did not penetrate her skin, she could still feel the pressure, but it was not enough to penetrate the skin.

Andrea recalled the words that Katalina said, You will have already experienced some of the powers, faster healing, tougher skin.

The random thorny bushes would grab at her dress now and then, she would have to pull them free or cut the plants with Bloodfang. The remaining chains jingled from the shackles, making somber chimes as she moved. Birds would chirp in the trees above and small animals, mostly lizards would scamper away as she made her way down to the river.

I am hungry. Ahh, some berries.

She grasps some red berries off of a nearby bush, popping them into her mouth, and chews. A bitter sour flavor satisfied for a moment, but there was another hunger, she could not figure out what she wanted. She reaches the shore of the river.

What kind of demon am I? Is my face twisted and distorted?

She looks around for any predators. Then she looks into the water, she sees her distorted image, she sees the black horns protruding out of the sides of her head and her silver hair leading over her shoulder. She reaches for her left hand to feel them again.

What have I got myself into? My soul is forfeited. This sucks, I am to be the puppet of this god Katalina. I am such a horrible sorcerer, I went into a deal with a god without any terms other than I just wanted to live.

Andrea tosses the Bloodfang at a nearby tree, the throw is unstable and wobbly, then the blade changes orientation and points the blade forward with a strange metallic echoing sound and buries itself halfway the length of the blade into the tree.

I did not throw it that hard.

She disrobes, pulling the grimy dress into the water, and begins to clean it off. The blood, it's still on there even if I cleaned it with magic. It's my blood.

The explosion! Andrea stood up and looked back to maybe where West Bale is. I did not want to die, my choice killed people.

Why does that not bother me? They were my friends and family who did not defend me against the false charges. Screw Bhuul!

Andrea's fingernails expanded and darkened in color as she grew angry. She turned her hand to her face and studied the blacked nails.

Anger? Yess, I am angry. I sshould have never been ssacrificed in the first place. Maybe I sshould just return and killss them all.

Andrea took a deep in-breath letting the morning air into her lungs. No, no calm down. I never just murder people.

She dips her head into the water. Holding her breath and opening her eyes, she sees the silty bottom and water plants that make up the river bed. Her silver-white hair spreads out like a flower opening for the sun’s mourning rays. Pulling her head back, her white hair drops around and down her back, and she pulls herself back to shore.

Going to take time to dry that flimsy dress. Andrea spotted a large rock, a boulder large enough to lay on. She spread out trying to make herself comfortable. She looked up at the Sun Sphere and then to the Bloodfang still lodged in the nearby tree. She closed her eyes thinking about what to do next… the voice of the dark goddess Katalina entered her mind.

"Morning Ka'Azalin here is your first lesson. Bloodfang."

The sun, not the Sun Sphere, had risen above the valley, the waterfall was high, at least a hundred feet above a forest valley. This was the same location as the night before when the Goddess Katalina had calmed her down. She was in a golden dress with delicate white lace, sitting on a boulder near the waterfall. Her black raven hair long moved gently in the morning draft. She was holding Bloodfang, toying with the weapon really, just tossing it up into the air and catching the blade as it came back down. She had spotted a green lugga lizard drinking along the river shore. With a quick flick of her wrist and with fluid movements of a practiced assassin, the Bloodfang was thrown at the lugga lizard. The blade made a metallic echoing sound just before it cleaved the lizard in half, the lizard exploded in blood and fell over, twice. The dagger then reversed and flew back to her hand.

Andrea’s eyes opened, she understood, she focused her thoughts on the dagger and stretched her hand out as if trying to grasp the dagger from this distance. Bloodfang responded, it dislodged itself from the tree and returned to her hand. She held the dagger in her hand and examined it again as if really seeing it for the first time. The blade was golden but magically strengthened. She also understood that cuts from this blade do not heal normally. This was a god-tier weapon, a true artifact of power.

“Excellent, you figured that out! How exciting! Are you ready to play?” A shrill child’s voice floats about. She looked up and saw a floating crystal sphere that pulsed in different colors.