1217-11-01
Achoris Niu:
My mind drifts, as it often does, to the United Islands of Khiz. The name alone carries weight, a sense of mystery and possibility. The UIK—isolated, self-sufficient, and untouchable. At least, that's how people speak of it.
I had heard the stories, of course. Everyone had. Tales of the Grand Regent—the ruler who won the civil wars that united the three factions of the island.
The thought of living there made me hopeful. I walked downstairs. I didn't wake my mother or sister
The Marwyn's were a family, devoted to unity, tradition, and balance. They had always advocated for stability and played a crucial role in brokering the Year of Peace between Rali and Khiz.
The Aquavelle's, who currently held power, were a party focused on security, defense, and economic expansion. They had been strong advocates for the War for Prescar, seeking control of its valuable resources.
And then there was the Veyrith. Not much was known about them, only whispers. Yet, they wielded immense power—or so I'd been told. Merchants avoided speaking of them. They are forbidden to do so.
The bags were packed, and the silver was enough to get us started. The journey was about to begin.
The door burst open.
"Dad ?"
Royal guards stormed in. They were on me—holding me down. My legs were forced to the ground, and my arms were pulled behind my back. A rough cuff was slammed around my wrists. Panic surged as I struggled, but they were too strong.
One of them grabbed my face, pressing a rag against my skin. My vision blurred as I fought for breath. The air was thick with the scent of the cloth, and my mind swirled.
And then I heard her voice. A woman's voice, calm and chilling.
"Hello, Achoris." the voice said.
"How long?" I yelled.
"I always knew it was you, Achoris Niu. I allowed you to steal. It filled my pockets, and I could write it off as a loss. I can't allow my pig to leave."
I heard a baby's cries.
Neith's cry.
A desperate sound. I heard the soft padding of footsteps.
My mother.
The voice again, this time more commanding.
"Take them!"
A long time passed.
The wind brushing against me. I was suspended in air. I was dragged. My legs scraping the rough ground. The rope biting into my wrists. My body felt heavy. The hot sun was beating down on me. I didn't make a sound.
I stayed silent.
I knew where they were taking me. I could tell from the sounds. The echo of footsteps. The murmurs of voices. The stench of blood mixed with the smell of sand and sharp rocks. My back scraped against them.
The noises grew louder. Voices, steps, the flapping of wings.
The dragging halted. The wind died down. The wings ceased flapping.
CLICK
The world fell silent. I was forced to kneel.
CLICK
My eyes were finally freed from the darkness. I saw it. A grand throne, adorned with blue and purple gems.
Ance.
There, sitting on the throne, a queen.
Queen Tamara.
Beside the Queen stood a general, his eyes cold and calculating, holding Neith in his arms. Her small form looked fragile against the man's large frame.
She was covered in welts, she had gotten worse.
Tamara's voice cut through the silence.
"You used my money to heal your sister," she said.
"She is the only one who will survive this."
My heart pounded in my chest. I want to scream. I want to fight. I was still kneeling. Bound by my own helplessness.
"My … mother, my father…" My voice broke. "They can be servants!"
"Please, I beg you, don't kill them."
Tamara's lips curled into a cruel smile. "They are nothing but tools. You think you can escape punishment for your betrayal? This is your price." She waved her fingers at the general, who immediately took a step forward.
I could only watch as the general drew his sword.
"No!"
I struggled against the chains.
The blade fell.
My father's head rolled from his shoulders. His body slumped to the ground. My mother screamed. The sound like shards of glass piercing my soul. She fell to her knees beside him. Her arms reaching out for him.
"Please, please… save us! Please, my love!"
But nothing would stop it. The general didn't hesitate. He placed a sharp knife to her neck. In one swift motion, she was gone.
"Mom…" My voice came out in a choked whisper.
Tamara's gaze lingered on me. "Only your sister will survive this. She's the only one worthy of a future."
The Queen stood.
Her robes fluttered, covered in bloodstains.
"And now, a secret," she said with a twisted grin. "I invented the Blight. It's my creation, my gift to the world. But your sister, Achoris, she's different. I can cure her, make her into one of my strongest warriors. She will serve me. She will be everything I want her to be."
I tried to rise. The chains were too strong. My limbs are heavy. My vision blurred with rage and helplessness.
"You coward…" I spat, the words burning my throat. "Hundreds—no, millions of people die from the Blight, and you stand here—doing nothing!"
Tamara's laugh echoed in the room, cold and mocking. "I had hoped you and your family would die from it. It would've spared me the need to get my hands dirty."
"What…" The words escaped me in a broken gasp. "What are you saying?"
"It's truly amazing. Your sister never infected you, never infected your family. I made the Blight to be as infectious as possible, and yet she's immune. She deserves to live, and she will become a test subject—a tool. My daughter."
My heart sank. "No… No, you can't…" But my words were lost, drowned by the horrible reality of her twisted intentions.
I could see the path she'd chosen for my sister—one where she would be nothing but an experiment, a tool for the Queen's gain.
Queen Tamara turned, her cruel smile lingering.
"Say your goodbyes, Achoris. These are your last days."
The room grew darker. The weight of what had just happened pressed down on me. I was powerless, broken. And all I could do was watch as the Queen's twisted plan unfolded.
"No one would believe you."
Tamara's lips curled into a twisted smile. "Really, she's not much older than my son. I'm sure my allies would believe I had twins."
"Fuck you," I yelled, my voice hoarse, raw with fury. "You deserve what's coming to you."
"And what's that? "
"In the name of the Lion, you will be cut down."
"It truly is unfortunate," she said coolly, "this blood going to waste like this."
She picked at her nails, licking the dark stains off.
"A waste."
I stayed silent.
Her hand glowed with a golden light. A blindingly bright. She pressed it to my head. I felt an unbearable heat emanate from her fingers, like the sun itself.
Everything went white, then black, then red. My vision vanished. I felt an intense, suffocating pain, overwhelming and endless.
"You think that's enough?"
I could hardly breathe. I struggled to grasp what was happening. Her hand pierced through my chest. My heart. The agony was beyond anything I had ever known. My soul was being burned away. Blood spilled from my mouth. My vision spinning. The world around me turning a blinding red.
The pain didn't stop. It never stopped.
They continued to speak like I wasn't there. The general's voice was cold, clinical.
"How was your visit to Nor?" he asked.
I couldn't speak. I could barely think.
"Honestly?" Tamara's cruel laughter rang out. "It's amusing how weak they are."
"Really?"
The words felt like they were coming from far away. I was drowning in the sound of their voices. The heat continued to eat me alive. My body was shaking, each tremor a new wave of agony.
Tamara turned to the general. "Her blight is bad. Should I get the elixir?"
"Yes," she said coldly. "Do that immediately."
I wanted to scream. I wanted to rage, but I couldn't. All I could do was lie there.
She paused before responding. "Have someone clean up this filth."
And then everything went silent. The burning stopped, the endless pain that had kept me alive now fading into darkness. The weight that had sustained me—now gone. Everything turned to shadow. I was sinking into it.
The last thing I heard before I was swallowed by the dark was Tamara's voice.
"Bye bye, Achoris."