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EoO:"Star-crossed" - Act 1, chp. 1: "Fates intervention"
INFO: This is a re-do of the chapter of same name, that was written a month ago. The plans are that this will be a longer story consisted of multiple smaller chapters. The world of the story is based upon an RPG Created by the talented HeavyMetalMirage (link below). Karoteight (Karo) O'Eadu Chú Faoil is a player character of mine, from a longer campaign that was run last year. With a new campaign under way, I felt that his story needed to be told, For my own sake and for those that might find an interest in the story. Cpmments are welcome.
The story takes place in the world of the Borderlands, a world that is in its third age. The world consists of a herd of different creatures, most of which will be presented as we go. However, to cast some light before we start, it should be mentioned that the world are made up by three mayer kinds of creatures: There are Spirits, that consists of souls with no bodies. Then theres Tertr ("Ter-tur") which are bodies with no soul (These are "monsters" such as trolls etc). Lastly there are mortals, which have both body and soul - in this setting there are 4 species of mortals of the third age, they will be presented as we go.
Which this set I will go on with the story.
Feel free to comment on my writings and storytelling!
Thanks are given to HeavyMetalMirage for help with the grammar!
Eo & Daykia © http://www.furaffinity.net/user/heavymetalmirage/
Karo, Aewyn, Euna, Tegew & Caitheigh © Black-Draco
Tegew stretched his back and dried of a dribble of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“There! And before noon too. Time to get it gathered and stocked.”
The light hazel furred wolf laid the scythe against the fence and quickly dusted off his clothes before he began to collect the wheat. On the surrounding fields around him there were other lykin doing the same, as they harvested and bound the crops into bundles.
The year of the River. It was the harvest season in the Highlands and the weather was hot and arid. Not a single cloud graced the blue sky. The horizon was only broken by the white peaks of the Dragonspine Mountains in the East. The lands below belonged to Chú Faoil, the wolf clan, and the small farm at the edge of the small forest belonged to Tegew and his wife Euna. It had been given to them on their wedding day by the rest of the O’Eadu family.
Tegew O’Eadu was a Shining Knight of the Phoenix Queen’s second guard. Whenever he wasn’t bearing the queen’s tartan, doing her bidding though out the lykin lands, or guarding the sacred halls of her city: Hope, he would wear the tartan of his clan and take care of his own family and farm. To avoid having to travel the northern Highlands every fortnight, Tegew would stay at his duties in Hope for longer periods of time. This meant that he would likewise be at home longer in between his seasons.
Having been wedd Euna only some years ago, he had been allowed to return home during the harvest season to help gather the crops, as was the custom for many young Knights with newly formed families. Until his children were old enough to handle the task by themselves, he could expect to return home to the harvest the next few years. He currently had three, with a fourth on its way. It would be some years yet before he allowed his eldest son to swing around the scythe. He chuckled to himself. Caitheigh had inhered his grandfather’s sword-arm. He would become a fine Knight one day.
As Tegew was working on the fourth bundle, his keen ears caught the sound of small paws running up the road.
“Dad.”
He looked up in time to see his two eldest children coming running up along the road from behind the trees. The dust that their paws raised up hung in the still air behind them.
“Dad!”
The wolf quickly jumped over the fence and kneeled down as the two small lykin came up to him.
“Aewyn, what is it? What’s wrong?”
His daughter rested her hands on her knees as she took some deep breaths of air before she could speak in a more steady voice.
“Me n’ Cai was climbing trees with Karo down at the steam. He was climbing when the branches broke and he fell into the water. We tried to find him but he was nowhere to be seen.”
Tegew could feel how the fur on his neck rose on end. Karoteigh was his youngest son and had yet to learn how to swim. Normally the stream was quiet and safe, but the slippery rocks could make it hard for a child to get back up once it had fallen in. He rested his hands upon his daughter's shoulder as he lowers his head, eyes leveled with hers.
“Where?”
“By the old hollow oak, at Fletchers’ Ambush.”
With that Tegew jumped up and disappeared down the dusty road. He ran as fast as he could on all four, jumping though the undergrowth of the forest that surrounded the steam. More than once he fell when a root or stone caught his paws, and every time he was up the following second, his mind ignoring the pain as he ran to find his son.
By the time he reached the steam he had to quickly grab onto a young tree to stop, less he fell into the water himself. His fur had become entangled with leaves and small branches, and his clothes covered in dirt and dust. Looking around he soon found the large solid rock that marked the spot described by Aewyn. At its foot laid the hollow trunk of an oak tree that had fallen years ago.
“Karo!”
His cry is loud and roaring, but nothing than his own echo answered the call. He began searching the banks of the steam further down, hoping to find his son where the water had cut close up to the trees. The roots acted as a web that caught what flow on the water surface. He could see nothing that reminded of his son.
Further down the sandy banks the speed of the steam increases, as the water reaches a fall in the terrain.
“Karoteigh!”
The slope caused the water to descend, picking up speed. While the largest drop was no more than a meter, it was filled with rocks and holes that could easily drag down something light and small. The lykin spent a long time jumping from rock to rock, searching the area thorough before he moved on. Further down the steam becomes calm again. At this point Tegew feels despondent. He has followed the stream for more than an hour. Did he miss something further back? Perhaps he should have spent more time searching the other side of the steam… perhaps the pup had managed to get to the other side and then gotten lost?
As Tegew was about to go back and search the banks again for paw prints, his eyes caught a glimpse of something laying in the water between the rocks. Something small with grey fur.
His heart stopped for a second before it starts hammering in his chest. He can hear it pumping in his ears, a sound so loud that it blocks out every other sound as he run though the water out to the center of the steam. He holds his breath as he, with trembling hands, turns the thing around so that he can get a better look.
It was as he dreaded.
He lifts the tiny, limp body and holds it closely to his chest, shaking with grief as he walks back to the shore. As he reaches dry land he falls heavily to his knees. His head fall back and he howls his sorrow for the world to hear. Once the stillness returns to the forest he lets himself fall forward and buries his head in the grass, his back arched so that his son won’t be squeezed between his body and the ground.
As he lays there crying into the ground, he does not sense the world around him. Only when a shadow falls over him did he notice the shape that had approached him with feline grace. With golden eyes shot red with grief, he looked up at the cloaked form that stands before him, watching him and his sorrow with cold grey eyes.
“The loss of a child is not something any parent should endure.” The person says with a calm purr.
“Nothing is more regrettable, than the loss of an innocent life.” For a moment the hooded figure seemed to reflect on this before it shakes its head and continues. Its voice is now caring, like a mother reassuring a sad child.
“I may know of a way to bring him back. A way for him to continue his life in this world. To grow old and wise, to make a family of his own.” Its head turned to look at the steam behind them. “To live as if nothing had happened.”
Tegew grind his teethes. “Do not mock me demon. I will hunt you soon enough. Do not think that you can use sorrow to bind a knight of Solas!”
The voice giggled and Tegew felt feel a very physical hand pat his head. As he looked up he could see that the figures’ hood had fallen and before him sat a female Faelynn, one of the islanders from the far west. Her fur was white and her hair light. She was wearing a dark, ragged robe that clung to her form.
Around her eyes was a web of veins and black mist escaped her lips every time she breathed.
“Rest assured Tegew. My name is Eo, and I am not here on some dark power’s behalf. I am here to bring you an offer.” Her feline eyes followed the wolf’s movements as he moved up into a seated position, still cradling the body in his arms.
“I will bring your son back to life, if you will do me a small favor.”
Tegew looked at her with mixed feelings. On one side he was a Shining Knight whose purpose was to follow the codex of Solas. While he could tell that the Faelynn was not a demon, though it was of the Sheut: those touched by the Goddess of the Night. On the other hand though, he was nothing more than a father who had just lost a child.
“And who are you to give such a gift?” He managed to ask before his voice cracked over.
She smiled kindly back to him. “A Shadow Witch. I cannot tell you what it is we do, but I can reassure you that I will not ask for anything that goes beyond your ways. All I’m here for is to offer my services; you get your son back and I will receive a favor in return.”
Tegew looked from his son to the witch and back again. There was no doubt.
“Deal.”
The witch smiled sweetly at him as she got up. Once standing, she took the limb body out of his arms carefully. She looked over Karo’s face for a moment, an unreadable emotion flashing across her face, before she quickly swung the body over. She held onto the small legs and gave the body a series of resolute shakes. Tegew could feel a lump in his throat and he had to look away from the scene. Once the body had been drained sufficiently she handed it carefully back to him.
“What no-”
“Shhh!” Eo hissed as she rummaged through her cloak, searching for something intently. After a while she returned her attention toward Karo.
“Hold him close. We only got one chance for this to succeed.” She commanded as she kneeled down.
From under her clothes Eo pulled out… nothing. It took a moment for Tegew to notice the drop of water that was in her fingertip. The drop itself was small, but seemed to have a faint orange hue about it. As the witch mumbled in a foreign language she let the drop falls upon the boy’s forehead. Upon impact it sends a faint orange wave over Karo’s body. The drop itself soon began to roll over the fur toward his mouth. His body began to twitch as soon as the drop fell into his mouth and he soon began to cough up the remaining water from his lungs.
Tegew was breathless.
“Karo…”
The pup continued to cough as he looks around with a frightened look in his eyes.
“Karo!”
Tegew hugged his child closely. Tears began to run from the wolf’s eyes as he held the confused Karo.
“The loch was big… The people slept.” Karo tries to get free as he searches his surroundings, as if he assumed to see something else than the stream and the wood. Tegew hushes him gently.
“You’re safe now my son. It was nothing but a bad dream.”
Karo looked up at his father. He had a determined expression on his face.
“Dad. The blind lady was sad. Why was she sad, dad?”
In a blink of an eye Eo kneels down and places a finger on the boy’s head.
“Sleep.”
Immediately his eyes felt heavy and his vision swam. Karo fell asleep soon after. Eo stood up and looked down at Tegew.
“I will now ask for my favor.” The gentle expression from before have been replaced by a serious mask that looks down at the Shining Knight coldly. Tegew held his breath. He had gotten his son back and now he must pay. However, no matter what the witch would ask for, he would not regret his decision.
Eo moved her eyes to the sleeping pup.
“He has been in the world of the dead. At such an early age, he is likely to develop an affinity for spirits. He will feel this pull from the Spiritwilds in his very soul, and regardless of how you raise him, there will only be one fate for him.”
Her eyes turned toward Tegew again.
“Your favor to me is that you will never tell any of this, unless they ask you directly what was said between us. Furthermore you will allow him to follow his destiny. Send him to the Coinin Clan in the Lakelands; let him be trained by Elder Shaman Paidín. Let him become a shaman.”
Tegew nodded, a bit confused to say the least. Of all the favors one could ask of one of the Phoenix Queen’s own knights, this was one he had not predicted. He was both relieved and burdened by this. On one side he remained faithful to his cause, god, queen and people. On the other he feared that he might have bought his son a destiny that was not his own. A deal was a deal however and Tegew would not be known as one who did not uphold his end of the bargain. Besides, he had heard many stories about the matriarch of the Seer Clan and if just half of them were true… needless to say she could teach Karo enough for him to carve his own path and destiny.
Eo took the silence as a sign of agreement.
“Good. I will look forward to seeing what he will become. 'Till we meet again, Tegew.”
As she turned her back to him she added; “And we will meet again, two years from now.”
She walked through the forest and disappeared in the rays of bright light that fell from the setting sun. As Tegew stood there with his son on his arms, he heard a faint whisper tingling in his head.
“Oh, and congratulations. Euna has just born you another son.”
The story takes place in the world of the Borderlands, a world that is in its third age. The world consists of a herd of different creatures, most of which will be presented as we go. However, to cast some light before we start, it should be mentioned that the world are made up by three mayer kinds of creatures: There are Spirits, that consists of souls with no bodies. Then theres Tertr ("Ter-tur") which are bodies with no soul (These are "monsters" such as trolls etc). Lastly there are mortals, which have both body and soul - in this setting there are 4 species of mortals of the third age, they will be presented as we go.
Which this set I will go on with the story.
Feel free to comment on my writings and storytelling!
Thanks are given to HeavyMetalMirage for help with the grammar!
Eo & Daykia © http://www.furaffinity.net/user/heavymetalmirage/
Karo, Aewyn, Euna, Tegew & Caitheigh © Black-Draco
Tegew stretched his back and dried of a dribble of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“There! And before noon too. Time to get it gathered and stocked.”
The light hazel furred wolf laid the scythe against the fence and quickly dusted off his clothes before he began to collect the wheat. On the surrounding fields around him there were other lykin doing the same, as they harvested and bound the crops into bundles.
The year of the River. It was the harvest season in the Highlands and the weather was hot and arid. Not a single cloud graced the blue sky. The horizon was only broken by the white peaks of the Dragonspine Mountains in the East. The lands below belonged to Chú Faoil, the wolf clan, and the small farm at the edge of the small forest belonged to Tegew and his wife Euna. It had been given to them on their wedding day by the rest of the O’Eadu family.
Tegew O’Eadu was a Shining Knight of the Phoenix Queen’s second guard. Whenever he wasn’t bearing the queen’s tartan, doing her bidding though out the lykin lands, or guarding the sacred halls of her city: Hope, he would wear the tartan of his clan and take care of his own family and farm. To avoid having to travel the northern Highlands every fortnight, Tegew would stay at his duties in Hope for longer periods of time. This meant that he would likewise be at home longer in between his seasons.
Having been wedd Euna only some years ago, he had been allowed to return home during the harvest season to help gather the crops, as was the custom for many young Knights with newly formed families. Until his children were old enough to handle the task by themselves, he could expect to return home to the harvest the next few years. He currently had three, with a fourth on its way. It would be some years yet before he allowed his eldest son to swing around the scythe. He chuckled to himself. Caitheigh had inhered his grandfather’s sword-arm. He would become a fine Knight one day.
As Tegew was working on the fourth bundle, his keen ears caught the sound of small paws running up the road.
“Dad.”
He looked up in time to see his two eldest children coming running up along the road from behind the trees. The dust that their paws raised up hung in the still air behind them.
“Dad!”
The wolf quickly jumped over the fence and kneeled down as the two small lykin came up to him.
“Aewyn, what is it? What’s wrong?”
His daughter rested her hands on her knees as she took some deep breaths of air before she could speak in a more steady voice.
“Me n’ Cai was climbing trees with Karo down at the steam. He was climbing when the branches broke and he fell into the water. We tried to find him but he was nowhere to be seen.”
Tegew could feel how the fur on his neck rose on end. Karoteigh was his youngest son and had yet to learn how to swim. Normally the stream was quiet and safe, but the slippery rocks could make it hard for a child to get back up once it had fallen in. He rested his hands upon his daughter's shoulder as he lowers his head, eyes leveled with hers.
“Where?”
“By the old hollow oak, at Fletchers’ Ambush.”
With that Tegew jumped up and disappeared down the dusty road. He ran as fast as he could on all four, jumping though the undergrowth of the forest that surrounded the steam. More than once he fell when a root or stone caught his paws, and every time he was up the following second, his mind ignoring the pain as he ran to find his son.
By the time he reached the steam he had to quickly grab onto a young tree to stop, less he fell into the water himself. His fur had become entangled with leaves and small branches, and his clothes covered in dirt and dust. Looking around he soon found the large solid rock that marked the spot described by Aewyn. At its foot laid the hollow trunk of an oak tree that had fallen years ago.
“Karo!”
His cry is loud and roaring, but nothing than his own echo answered the call. He began searching the banks of the steam further down, hoping to find his son where the water had cut close up to the trees. The roots acted as a web that caught what flow on the water surface. He could see nothing that reminded of his son.
Further down the sandy banks the speed of the steam increases, as the water reaches a fall in the terrain.
“Karoteigh!”
The slope caused the water to descend, picking up speed. While the largest drop was no more than a meter, it was filled with rocks and holes that could easily drag down something light and small. The lykin spent a long time jumping from rock to rock, searching the area thorough before he moved on. Further down the steam becomes calm again. At this point Tegew feels despondent. He has followed the stream for more than an hour. Did he miss something further back? Perhaps he should have spent more time searching the other side of the steam… perhaps the pup had managed to get to the other side and then gotten lost?
As Tegew was about to go back and search the banks again for paw prints, his eyes caught a glimpse of something laying in the water between the rocks. Something small with grey fur.
His heart stopped for a second before it starts hammering in his chest. He can hear it pumping in his ears, a sound so loud that it blocks out every other sound as he run though the water out to the center of the steam. He holds his breath as he, with trembling hands, turns the thing around so that he can get a better look.
It was as he dreaded.
He lifts the tiny, limp body and holds it closely to his chest, shaking with grief as he walks back to the shore. As he reaches dry land he falls heavily to his knees. His head fall back and he howls his sorrow for the world to hear. Once the stillness returns to the forest he lets himself fall forward and buries his head in the grass, his back arched so that his son won’t be squeezed between his body and the ground.
As he lays there crying into the ground, he does not sense the world around him. Only when a shadow falls over him did he notice the shape that had approached him with feline grace. With golden eyes shot red with grief, he looked up at the cloaked form that stands before him, watching him and his sorrow with cold grey eyes.
“The loss of a child is not something any parent should endure.” The person says with a calm purr.
“Nothing is more regrettable, than the loss of an innocent life.” For a moment the hooded figure seemed to reflect on this before it shakes its head and continues. Its voice is now caring, like a mother reassuring a sad child.
“I may know of a way to bring him back. A way for him to continue his life in this world. To grow old and wise, to make a family of his own.” Its head turned to look at the steam behind them. “To live as if nothing had happened.”
Tegew grind his teethes. “Do not mock me demon. I will hunt you soon enough. Do not think that you can use sorrow to bind a knight of Solas!”
The voice giggled and Tegew felt feel a very physical hand pat his head. As he looked up he could see that the figures’ hood had fallen and before him sat a female Faelynn, one of the islanders from the far west. Her fur was white and her hair light. She was wearing a dark, ragged robe that clung to her form.
Around her eyes was a web of veins and black mist escaped her lips every time she breathed.
“Rest assured Tegew. My name is Eo, and I am not here on some dark power’s behalf. I am here to bring you an offer.” Her feline eyes followed the wolf’s movements as he moved up into a seated position, still cradling the body in his arms.
“I will bring your son back to life, if you will do me a small favor.”
Tegew looked at her with mixed feelings. On one side he was a Shining Knight whose purpose was to follow the codex of Solas. While he could tell that the Faelynn was not a demon, though it was of the Sheut: those touched by the Goddess of the Night. On the other hand though, he was nothing more than a father who had just lost a child.
“And who are you to give such a gift?” He managed to ask before his voice cracked over.
She smiled kindly back to him. “A Shadow Witch. I cannot tell you what it is we do, but I can reassure you that I will not ask for anything that goes beyond your ways. All I’m here for is to offer my services; you get your son back and I will receive a favor in return.”
Tegew looked from his son to the witch and back again. There was no doubt.
“Deal.”
The witch smiled sweetly at him as she got up. Once standing, she took the limb body out of his arms carefully. She looked over Karo’s face for a moment, an unreadable emotion flashing across her face, before she quickly swung the body over. She held onto the small legs and gave the body a series of resolute shakes. Tegew could feel a lump in his throat and he had to look away from the scene. Once the body had been drained sufficiently she handed it carefully back to him.
“What no-”
“Shhh!” Eo hissed as she rummaged through her cloak, searching for something intently. After a while she returned her attention toward Karo.
“Hold him close. We only got one chance for this to succeed.” She commanded as she kneeled down.
From under her clothes Eo pulled out… nothing. It took a moment for Tegew to notice the drop of water that was in her fingertip. The drop itself was small, but seemed to have a faint orange hue about it. As the witch mumbled in a foreign language she let the drop falls upon the boy’s forehead. Upon impact it sends a faint orange wave over Karo’s body. The drop itself soon began to roll over the fur toward his mouth. His body began to twitch as soon as the drop fell into his mouth and he soon began to cough up the remaining water from his lungs.
Tegew was breathless.
“Karo…”
The pup continued to cough as he looks around with a frightened look in his eyes.
“Karo!”
Tegew hugged his child closely. Tears began to run from the wolf’s eyes as he held the confused Karo.
“The loch was big… The people slept.” Karo tries to get free as he searches his surroundings, as if he assumed to see something else than the stream and the wood. Tegew hushes him gently.
“You’re safe now my son. It was nothing but a bad dream.”
Karo looked up at his father. He had a determined expression on his face.
“Dad. The blind lady was sad. Why was she sad, dad?”
In a blink of an eye Eo kneels down and places a finger on the boy’s head.
“Sleep.”
Immediately his eyes felt heavy and his vision swam. Karo fell asleep soon after. Eo stood up and looked down at Tegew.
“I will now ask for my favor.” The gentle expression from before have been replaced by a serious mask that looks down at the Shining Knight coldly. Tegew held his breath. He had gotten his son back and now he must pay. However, no matter what the witch would ask for, he would not regret his decision.
Eo moved her eyes to the sleeping pup.
“He has been in the world of the dead. At such an early age, he is likely to develop an affinity for spirits. He will feel this pull from the Spiritwilds in his very soul, and regardless of how you raise him, there will only be one fate for him.”
Her eyes turned toward Tegew again.
“Your favor to me is that you will never tell any of this, unless they ask you directly what was said between us. Furthermore you will allow him to follow his destiny. Send him to the Coinin Clan in the Lakelands; let him be trained by Elder Shaman Paidín. Let him become a shaman.”
Tegew nodded, a bit confused to say the least. Of all the favors one could ask of one of the Phoenix Queen’s own knights, this was one he had not predicted. He was both relieved and burdened by this. On one side he remained faithful to his cause, god, queen and people. On the other he feared that he might have bought his son a destiny that was not his own. A deal was a deal however and Tegew would not be known as one who did not uphold his end of the bargain. Besides, he had heard many stories about the matriarch of the Seer Clan and if just half of them were true… needless to say she could teach Karo enough for him to carve his own path and destiny.
Eo took the silence as a sign of agreement.
“Good. I will look forward to seeing what he will become. 'Till we meet again, Tegew.”
As she turned her back to him she added; “And we will meet again, two years from now.”
She walked through the forest and disappeared in the rays of bright light that fell from the setting sun. As Tegew stood there with his son on his arms, he heard a faint whisper tingling in his head.
“Oh, and congratulations. Euna has just born you another son.”
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