The Purest Form of Evil

Subject: The Purest Form of Evil 2015-02-22, 4:27 am

Part 1: The Legend

"There exists a legend, dating back centuries, to a far simpler, yet more complicated time. By the calendar of the world of Tellith, the year was 934. The world was enjoying a time of peace, after territorial wars had finally died down with the birth of the kingdom of Tellith only thirteen years before. The kingdom was ruled by a woman who claimed to be an avatar of the goddess Anya, and established the 'Church of the Soul', which quickly spread across the land.

One branch of the church was established in the coastal village of Auvum; a particularly special place to those of faith, as it was where the new Queen had led her forces to their first victory toward uniting the lands. Auvum was a modest village in those days, and the church there was headed by a Soul Priestess, by the name of Melia. Melia was loved by the people of Auvum, and she protected them, as was required of Soul Priestesses. However, in the year of 934, the skies above Tellith were ripped asunder, in what has become known as the Day of the Howling Sky. The sky seemed to be screaming as it tore apart, the earth shook, and strange creatures, twisted by the void beyond, rained down on the land.

Most of these creatures were quickly slain, though some escaped, spawning foul beasts in the world, or becoming legends of their own. However, along with these creatures, came a being in the form of a man; or as he was believed to be at the time, an angel. He was found by the people of Auvum, brought back to the village, and nursed back to health. During this time, the people came to believe that he was an angel sent by Anya to protect them from the creatures that had arrived with him, and it was their duty to help him recover so he could do this.

Until he awoke, and everything fell apart. The man quickly revealed himself to be a monster far worse than the creatures that had come with him. The man, in his 'gratitude' for the people of Auvum, chose to bestow three 'gifts'. The first, was the Gift of Life; he did not kill them. The second, was the Gift of Fire; he burned the village to the ground, except for the church. The third 'gift' was the most terrible of all, the Gift of Knowing.

The man ordered the people into the church, sealing the exits with foul powers, and before the gathered people, forced himself upon Melia. When the man was done, he simply left, and was never seen again in the world of Tellith; he came to be known as the Demon of Auvum; eventually, he was used as a story to scare misbehaving children. His actions had very real consequences for one, however.

The people of Auvum rallied around Melia, seeking to comfort the now broken priestess. Over time she would recover emotionally, but there was another hurdle she needed to get over; the event had left her with child. And it was this revelation that drove a wedge between the people of Auvum and their beloved priestess; Melia, despite everything, intended to keep the child, to raise it. The people of Auvum, however, were convinced the child would be just as vile as it's father, if not more so. A child born of an evil act, from an evil man, through the defiling of a holy woman, would surely be nothing less than the purest form of evil. This conflict got worse and worse, until it finally came to a head two nights after the baby, a girl, was born.

The night that two villagers attempted to murder her daughter, was enough to convince Melia that they could not stay. She fled the village with her daughter, hoping to raise her newborn away from such stigma. It was not to be, however, as word spread over time, and fear was a terrible thing. Eventually, soldiers of Tellith were dispatched. Seeing that they would not be safe among others, Melia made the decision to disappear from society entirely.

Eventually they were tracked down to a forest deep in the untamed lands outside of the kingdom... and all that entered the forest, did not return, or returned with tales of monsters in the forest. Eventually, the Queen ordered all citizens to stay out of the forest, and a wall was built on the border of the kingdom, separating it from the forest, which came to be called the Forest of the Fallen Soul.

Over the centuries, the legends and stories of the forest and it's inhabitants were enough to keep people out, even as Tellith became embroiled in war time after time, unable to keep a hold on the peace that the first queen had fought so hard for.

In recent days, the tales of the Demon, it's child, and the forest... it's firmly established as legend. The first queen is long dead, assassinated at the onset of the first war, just days after the birth of her child. The political power has changed hands many times, and during the reign of Tellith's fifth ruler, all of the Churches of the Soul were destroyed, belief in Anya outlawed. The people of Auvum still believe, however. They believe, and they also feel they know the truth of Tellith's troubles. They firmly believe that the constant war and strife is a curse, placed upon Tellith by that man, or by his child, or even the broken priestess.

And one day, a young man from Auvum, tired of the state of their world, decided he would end this curse, once and for all.

And so, Kolteras Nith of Auvum, set out to save his world, unaware of just how thoroughly he would change it, the truths that would be revealed... or the pain he would bring to those he held most dear."

Subject: Re: The Purest Form of Evil 2015-02-23, 5:48 pm

Part 2: Face to Face with Evil

Kolteras was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath as he pressed his back firmly against the tree, sword and shield held at the ready. He wasn't sure if his quick reaction had dispatched his attacker or not; there was blood on his sword, but the attack had been a blur. Some massive beast had thrown itself upon him, teeth and claws flashing, and he had struck on instinct. He couldn't hear anything; no movement, no growling, no cries of pain. Was it dead? He wouldn't find out by waiting here.

He peered around the tree, ready to strike at a moments notice... and found the beast slumped against the ground, a bloody furrow torn in it's chest. He sighed, and came around to get a closer look, taking note that it appeared to be some kind of massive... wolf? It was as big as a bear, but sleek, with tusk-like fangs curling up from it's mouth, and four long horns extending from it's skull behind it's ears. It... didn't look like it would have been an aggressive beast, but looks could be deceiving. Now that he was closer, however, he could hear it. The whimpering, coming from a hollow beneath a large tree.

Heart sinking, he moved to get a closer look, and cursed violently under his breath at the sight. Young ones. Pups, the likely name to call them. Six of them, huddled together under the tree, climbing over each other to get away from him... and behind what appeared to be their injured mother, who was looking at him with weary eyes. This one had no tusks, and only two horns, much smaller than those on what he had to assume was the father... and he realized he'd very likely doomed these animals.

He ran a hand through his hair, gritting his teeth. Sure, he could rationalize it. He'd been attacked, and simply defended himself. This was the honest truth, and there was no disputing that. This did nothing to assuage his guilt over killing an animal that had simply been trying to protect it's family. And in his eyes, it would never have happened if he hadn't been blundering about in unfamiliar territory. More than that, however... was the fact that he had to leave them.

He couldn't stay, and he couldn't take six pups and their injured mother with him. He knew no healing magic, and it wasn't as if he could send for help. He was in this forest illegally, on the other side of the massive wall known as the Shield of Hadrin, miles away from any village or settlement. No, he was on his own here. There would be no help, and there was nothing he could do for these animals. "...I'm sorry... I will pray that the spirits of the earth protect you, and for forgiveness for what I have done... words cannot express..." He paused, having heard a noise behind him. He slowly stood, and turned to find... well, it assumed the rest of the pack had arrived, as he was surrounded by no less than eight of these massive beasts.

Two, who seemed smaller than the rest, were sniffing the corpse, nudging and pawing at it, as if trying to get it to wake. The rest had their eyes on him, hackles raised and slowly advancing, lips peeling back to reveal rather intimidating fangs. His armor was old, passed down by his father, and his father before him... would it hold? Even so, his head was unprotected. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. "I'm apologize for the crime I have committed here... but I cannot die here..." He shifted his stance, raised his sword, and the beasts charged as Kolteras steeled himself to do what he must to survive. He would do the best he could to fend them off without killing them... but if it came down to it...

~~~~~

Kolteras was in a fog. Was he dead? Last he could remember was... the strange wolves. Had he been killed? It seemed as such, as he felt no pain, and he seemed lost in a void of darkness. Perhaps he had died, and the spirits of the earth were punishing him for what he had done, and failing his people, by trapping him in an endless void. Seemed harsh, but he would not question it. He had failed everyone... but how? Those beasts should not have been able to kill him... he'd faced stronger beasts, he was sure. What had even happened? He struggled to remember, and bit by bit, it came to him.

He'd been doing decently at fending them off while causing minimal wounds, but the beasts were relentless, strong, and clearly very intelligent. They would wear him down if this kept up, and they were... feinting, distracting him, weaving about. Trying to catch him off guard. These beasts were far more dangerous than he had anticipated... and finally, one managed to sink their teeth into the joints of his armor, at the elbow of his shield arm. They did not penetrate deep, but he quickly learned that it hardly mattered. Slowly, but not slow enough, a numbness began to spread from the bite. Soon, he could barely raise his shield.. and it was spreading further. He held on as long as he could, but soon, his vision darkened, as the beasts advanced on him.

That settled it. Clearly, the beasts had a poisonous bite, and he had succumbed to it. At least it was a painless death, he could at least be grateful for that. And yet... something seemed off. The darkness was lightening, the fog in his mind clearing. He was starting to hear something. The sounds of the forest. The breeze moving through the trees. Birds chirping, the fluttering of heavy wings. Low growls in the distance. Slowly, carefully, his eyes opened... and he found that he seemed to be on his back, head propped up, in a break in the trees. A meadow, perhaps. More glaring, however, was the beautiful woman smiling down at him.

Based on the angle, he could assume his head was in her lap, and she appeared to be holding a damp rag to his forehead. He glanced around, taking note of his surroundings. Definitely a meadow... and there were the beasts, a good twenty feet away and watching him. That was all he could see from this position, so he directed his attention back to the woman, who was just watching him with that smile. "...Who are you?" She simply placed a finger to her lips, and leaned forward to check the wound on his arm that he now realized had been... healed? So she had removed at least parts of his armor... or all of it, judging by the lack of weight on his body.

This was disconcerting. Unarmored and defenseless in the care of a mysterious woman. She seemed kind enough, but there was no telling... it did not help that in leaning forward, the woman's breasts were now hanging over his face. Thankfully she was clothed, but loose cloth tended to shift. While nothing was revealed to him, he could see she was moderately well endowed, and such thoughts were rather rude to have about a woman he had just met, and that seemed to have saved him. So, he of course averted his eyes... and realized that the woman appeared to have massive, white feathery wings.

An angel had saved him? No... no, he knew who this was. After all, she was the one he had come to this forest for. Mustering as much strength as he could, he shoved the woman away as he rolled out of her lap, scrambling away. Standing wasn't an option, he found, and he realized too late that he had moved in the opposite direction of where the woman had placed his armor, sword, and shield. So, he reached down and pulled out his boot knife, holding it out defensively as he slowly tried to find his footing... and she simply looked at him, eyes a bit wide.

"You... trying to trick me? Seduce me? I know what you are... you're the demon's spawn..." At this, the woman's gaze lowered, and she clasped her hands in her lap, wringing them a bit. As if that would work! "Stop trying to appear like a harmless woman! Show your true nature!" He didn't want to advance when she was acting like this. He'd prefer she made the first move, so he had the advantage. And yet still, she did not move. She simply watched him sadly. It infuriated him. "Drop the act, it won't work demon!"

Kolteras continued to shift his way over toward his equipment, slowly regaining his strength to stand. And still, to his mounting anger, the woman continued to simply watch him with that sad look... and then she started to stand. Kolteras whipped his arm out, launching his knife as he dove for his gear, snatching up his sword and shield. He would have to rely on them and his mobility for protection in this fight. He righted himself, and froze. He'd expected the knife to be a distraction, that it wouldn't actually do anything. And yet the woman was clutching her arm, the knife buried in her shoulder as tears spilled down her cheeks and she grit her teeth in pain.

He had little time to contemplate this as he heard the snarling of the beasts, and turned to find them charging him. Without his armor, he knew they would tear him apart, but they never got the chance, as a golden barrier suddenly formed between them. The beasts came up short, turning to look toward the woman, causing Kolteras to follow their gaze. The woman's arm was outstretched, trembling, a golden light around her hand as she shook her head furiously. The beasts growled, and sat down, watching Kolteras almost hungrily. The barrier flickered and faded, and Kolteras was... stunned. What was going on here?

He turned toward the woman warily, only to see her running, clutching her arm, toward a cottage further into the meadow that he'd been too preoccupied to notice before. And he stood there, staring after the woman who was acting... nothing at all like what he had believed. If she was evil... why had she saved him after he'd harmed her? Tears could be an act, so that wasn't evidence... but he was doubting himself now.... until he caught sight of something else. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly made his way over toward what he'd seen... it was a grave, surrounded by flowers.

There was a handmade headstone, crudely made from stone, with words roughly carved into the surface. It was worn with time, but he leaned in, tracing his fingers over it as he tried to make out the words. "Melia... Melia Cale. Thank... thank you... for... all... you did for me... I only wish...." He trailed off, gritting his teeth as he registered what he was reading. "Melia Cale. Thank you for all you did for me. I only wish I can one day be a mother as beautiful and kind as you were to me..." Quickly, Kolteras knelt before the grave, bowing his head.

"Lady Melia... please, forgive me for what I have done... I... I will make amends, I swear it..." Standing, he rushed over to the cottage as quick as he could, dropping his sword and shield as he did. This settled it. He didn't care what the legends said. No evil being would bother to create even such a crude grave for Melia. He had made a terrible mistake.

She had left the door open, so he walked inside, to find her standing next to a table, seemingly working up the courage to pull out the knife. "W-wait, let me help..." The woman jumped, and scrambled away from him as fast as she could, huddling in the corner and clutching at her arm as she looked at him in fear now. She hadn't wanted him to be killed by the beasts, but she clearly was afraid of him hurting her again, and it broke his heart. He had assumed the worst of her, and harmed an innocent woman, in his eyes.

Slowly, he knelt down, shifting closer, hands held up to show he was unarmed. "Just... calm down, I promise, I won't hurt you again... I'm sorry. I made a mistake..." As he neared, she tensed up, watching him with wide, tear-filled eyes, but she stopped trying to kick at him. Carefully, as he got close, he took hold of her arm, wincing a bit. The knife was buried deep. "I'm so sorry... I'll remove this, but it will hurt... I assume you know healing magic?" She nodded quickly, sniffling a bit; and he realized it was the first sound she'd made. No cry of pain, no sound when she was crying, no cry of fear. She had yet to make a single vocalization or say a word. Was she mute?

"Alright... on the count of three?" She nodded again. "Okay... 1... 2... 3!" He pulled the knife out quickly, careful to keep the blade straight so it did no further damage, glad that it was a straight edged blade. The woman jerked in pain, opening her mouth in a silent cry, nothing but a slight wheeze coming from her throat. That settled it; she was completely mute. Feeling like an even bigger ass for having been demanding answers from a woman that couldn't have answered, he applied pressure to the wound, while trying to calm her. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, it's okay... it'll be okay, just calm down... calm, so you can concentrate on your magic to heal it..." It took a moment for her to calm, leading him to believe she wasn't used to such wounds, but she finally managed it.

She lightly touched his hand over her wound, nodded, and he pulled away, allowing her to place her now glowing hand over the wound. He watched her face relax as the pain faded with the wound. Once done, she took a deep breath, and looked at him carefully. Kolteras responded by bowing his head. "Words can not express how horrid I feel for what I have done. I have done nothing but cause pain since I entered this forest, and now I have found that I did so in vain. I will gather my things and leave, you will not see me again."

To his surprise, he felt her hand press gently to his cheek, and when he looked up, she simply smiled, shaking her head. "You... do not wish me to leave?" Again, she shook her head. This was unexpected. "So you want me to stay?" Now she nodded, smiling even more brightly. "I... well, I have to return to my home eventually, but... I suppose I can stay for awhile, at least... I admit, I would like to learn more about you... the stories have left me unprepared..." She nodded excitedly, and hopped up, pulling a dumbfounded Kolteras along with her. She dragged him over to the table, and pulled out a notepad, quill, and ink well. There was a book on the nearby shelf that was labeled 'Diary' that seemed well used, but the notepad was covered in dust.

After dusting it off, the woman began writing, and held up the pad for him to see. Her handwriting was better than expected after seeing the grave, but with how worn the headstone was, he assumed her handwriting had improved a great deal since then. 'My name is Syl'ha Cale. What is yours?' That was surprising. Syl'ha... the Tellithian word for 'Savior'... "My name is Kolteras Nith... it is a pleasure to meet you, Syl'ha..." The bright smile she gave in response shot straight to his heart. This woman...

End of Part 2