Categories > Original > Fantasy > Oblivion
Nineteen-year-old Alysia gazed over the green fields of the kingdom of Obli. The sun had begun to set, and lights flickered on in most of the small houses. It was peaceful, a peace the kingdom had enjoyed for over a thousand years now. Most everyone reveled in it with no fear of its end. But Alysia knew. She could sense the coming of an evil presence, could feel a power so strong that it could wipe out all of Obli.
"Alysia, what troubles you?" asked the white, crystalline spirit of Aier-Tal. She turned her gaze from the open window and looked back at the small, round floating crystal. It was suspended in midair by two clear wings infused the spirit's pure white light, with a halo floating above it. It was the spirit of the kingdom itself, its great leader and protector. Alysia's task was to watch over it.
"Can you sense that, Aier-Tal? Something approaches, from the west if I'm not mistaken." The crystal floated over to her.
"Yes, something does seem to be coming our way."
"Something evil?"
"Perhaps. It is...difficult to say." The crystal floated back to its pedestal, a protective barrier rising around it as it slept. Alysia took her place on the throne next to it, eyes scanning the growing darkness as the sun's glow faded. Some of the crystal's magic overflowed onto her, bringing sleep to her as well.
~~~~
Far away, a cloaked figure sat astride a dark horse. Hundreds of glittering stones adorned the cloak, sparkling like the stars above, moving as the black fabric swayed with the horse's motion. The animal was not black, but many shades of brown not often seen in any kingdom, with an uncut, rippling mane and tail darker than obsidian. He galloped for the pure enjoyment of it, changing course at his rider's slightest pressure.
One cold hand grasped the horse's mane for stability. The other held a small bag of the same mysterious cloth, adorned with stones of deepest amethyst. If one looked hard enough, a faint violet glow escaped the bag, along with its pure essence of evil. This was what Alysia had sensed; not the strength of a thousand evil armies, but the secret stone of a lone rider.
"Faster, my friend," whispered the rider hoarsely. "Before they have time to summon their army. Though after a time of so much peace, I should not expect them to have much of one." The rider smirked, brown eyes glinting in the pale light of the crescent moon. Eyes the exact color of the horse.
~~~~
"Miss Alysia!" said the guard urgently, trying to wake her. Her green eyes blinked open with instant alertness.
"What is the danger?" she asked, her heart warning her. She could feel it; the evil was almost here. The guard's eyes widened in fear.
"The Shadowed Rider approaches!" Alysia now realized the full extent of the danger. She followed the guard to the watchtower and again gazed across the horizon. There was so little light from the moon that she saw nothing at first, but her eyes were sharper than most. Now was the time when her years training with the castle guards would serve her well. Her green eyes picked out a flicker of moving shadow, glittering faintly.
"What are your orders, Miss Alysia?" the captain of the guards asked her. Her pure eyes narrowed.
"Attack." The archers lining the wall began to fire at the horse and rider. Several shots were fired, but all missed, seeming to bounce off of an invisible barrier. Then three mysterious black arrows glowing with purple energy were expertly fired from the rider's own bow without the horse breaking stride. They struck the outer wall and cracked the thick stone as if it were merely dried clay. They drew ever closer, seemingly invincible to the archers' arrows and weakening the wall. Eventually the archers had to flee for their lives. This only served to worry Alysia further. She retreated to the inner chamber where the crystal, now awake, hovered beneath the invisible barrier that defended it.
"Aier-Tal! The Shadowed Rider has come and defeated our finest archers! What should we do?" The crystal was silent for a moment.
"Lower the gate. I should like to meet this infamous character." Alysia faithfully delivered the message to the captain, and the rider halted just outside the large ironwork gate. The gate was slowly raised, and the horse dutifully walked beneath it to enter the castle town. The clear stones of the rider's cloak glinted with the colors of low candlelight. Alysia frowned as the horse approached. She did not like this. Not at all.
"Alysia, what troubles you?" asked the white, crystalline spirit of Aier-Tal. She turned her gaze from the open window and looked back at the small, round floating crystal. It was suspended in midair by two clear wings infused the spirit's pure white light, with a halo floating above it. It was the spirit of the kingdom itself, its great leader and protector. Alysia's task was to watch over it.
"Can you sense that, Aier-Tal? Something approaches, from the west if I'm not mistaken." The crystal floated over to her.
"Yes, something does seem to be coming our way."
"Something evil?"
"Perhaps. It is...difficult to say." The crystal floated back to its pedestal, a protective barrier rising around it as it slept. Alysia took her place on the throne next to it, eyes scanning the growing darkness as the sun's glow faded. Some of the crystal's magic overflowed onto her, bringing sleep to her as well.
~~~~
Far away, a cloaked figure sat astride a dark horse. Hundreds of glittering stones adorned the cloak, sparkling like the stars above, moving as the black fabric swayed with the horse's motion. The animal was not black, but many shades of brown not often seen in any kingdom, with an uncut, rippling mane and tail darker than obsidian. He galloped for the pure enjoyment of it, changing course at his rider's slightest pressure.
One cold hand grasped the horse's mane for stability. The other held a small bag of the same mysterious cloth, adorned with stones of deepest amethyst. If one looked hard enough, a faint violet glow escaped the bag, along with its pure essence of evil. This was what Alysia had sensed; not the strength of a thousand evil armies, but the secret stone of a lone rider.
"Faster, my friend," whispered the rider hoarsely. "Before they have time to summon their army. Though after a time of so much peace, I should not expect them to have much of one." The rider smirked, brown eyes glinting in the pale light of the crescent moon. Eyes the exact color of the horse.
~~~~
"Miss Alysia!" said the guard urgently, trying to wake her. Her green eyes blinked open with instant alertness.
"What is the danger?" she asked, her heart warning her. She could feel it; the evil was almost here. The guard's eyes widened in fear.
"The Shadowed Rider approaches!" Alysia now realized the full extent of the danger. She followed the guard to the watchtower and again gazed across the horizon. There was so little light from the moon that she saw nothing at first, but her eyes were sharper than most. Now was the time when her years training with the castle guards would serve her well. Her green eyes picked out a flicker of moving shadow, glittering faintly.
"What are your orders, Miss Alysia?" the captain of the guards asked her. Her pure eyes narrowed.
"Attack." The archers lining the wall began to fire at the horse and rider. Several shots were fired, but all missed, seeming to bounce off of an invisible barrier. Then three mysterious black arrows glowing with purple energy were expertly fired from the rider's own bow without the horse breaking stride. They struck the outer wall and cracked the thick stone as if it were merely dried clay. They drew ever closer, seemingly invincible to the archers' arrows and weakening the wall. Eventually the archers had to flee for their lives. This only served to worry Alysia further. She retreated to the inner chamber where the crystal, now awake, hovered beneath the invisible barrier that defended it.
"Aier-Tal! The Shadowed Rider has come and defeated our finest archers! What should we do?" The crystal was silent for a moment.
"Lower the gate. I should like to meet this infamous character." Alysia faithfully delivered the message to the captain, and the rider halted just outside the large ironwork gate. The gate was slowly raised, and the horse dutifully walked beneath it to enter the castle town. The clear stones of the rider's cloak glinted with the colors of low candlelight. Alysia frowned as the horse approached. She did not like this. Not at all.
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