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posted last year, edited last year
a challenge to do but was fun
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The Davirion Chronicles: PrologueThe room was dark. The only thing disturbing the air was bated breath as a youth faced the door to her queen's study. Behind them, Queen Clarissa was chanting soundlessly over an altar where the top looked like a crescent moon on its side. Beyond the door, life carried on as normal, the insidious plots of upcoming betrayal unknown to all. Except of course the lowly nobody that overheard the conspiracy; the nobody that the Queen considered their own child. "My Queen, please reconsider." the youth begged in hush whispers. "Hush my child, I cannot leave our people." the Queen replied in calm but regular tones, carrying on as if it were any other day. Of course, she believed her most trusted confidante, but she would not flee. "Your people are trying to kill you!" the youth continued in a harsh whisper still watching the door. They knew there were at least two betrayers, but there could be more. She didn't trust anyone at this point but the Queen who raised them. "And I'm not a child anymore." She couldn't help but mutter. Only with her did she speak so often; others would never hear mutterings coming from them. "My dear, you will always be my child, even when you're grey." The Queen responded with fondness in her voice. Maintaining a small smile, she returned to chanting, channeling energy into the altar. Between the two points of the sideways crescent, a line of iridescent light forms, writhing about until it stabilized to form a small oval. With the hand that wore the signet ring of her rank, she reached into the magical vault, ignoring the static vibrations up her arm. Without the ring, even if someone had managed to open it, they'd have been electrocuted. After nearly a minute, during which their young companion was growing more tense, the Queen pulled out a small item wrapped in cloth that was about half the size of her palm. She stares at a moment before speaking. "Razier, come here." The youth turned away from the door to face her Queen and without out hesitation she walked over. "Yes, my Queen." The Queen rolled her eyes not for the first time. "You wish not to be called child yet refuse to use my own name as requested." She sighs the old argument. She unwrapped the parcel, revealing a smooth oval stone of translucent blue grey with veins of obsidian black. Staring at it too long, one can imagine a silver core to the stone. It is bound tightly in silver wiring, forming a seven-pointed star design with one point longer than the others. It rests on a sturdy leather cord with an apparently seamless clasp. Chanting again softly, the entire cord and pendent begins to glow and the Queen holds it out towards Razier. "Take it." Razier stares at it a moment in wonder and hesitation. Magic radiating from the necklace seems to thicken the air around it. Before she need another prompt though, she gingerly lay her hand over it. The building tension in the air suddenly dissipates with a pop as the clasp separates. Without a beat. Razier brings the cord around her neck unquestionably where the clasp becomes seamless once more when it meets. "The stone is now tied to you. Only you can remove it. I believe you will know when the time for that comes." Razier looks questioningly at her but remains silent. And so does the Queen; not further explanation is given. Instead, she grips the stone and places it underneath Razier's tunic, out of sight. Wiping her hands on her skirts, she turns to the door. "Now we must get to the portal gates." Razier holds back a sigh of relief, believing that her Queen has finally realized that leaving is the only way to preserve her life at this time. Upon entering the halls, passersby bow at varying degrees as the Queen and her mongrel servant walk past. They make it to the port without hindrance, though Razier is concerned that they made their way straight there. It wouldn’t take much for someone to deduce where the two had headed, including the would-be assassins. The Queen heads to a small portal gate at the back, one that has not been operatable for ages. Yet it comes to life with a few frantic words. Razier stares in surprise and then realizes that her Queen is now apprehensive. Just as a loud bang is heard, the Queen grabs Razier by the shoulders and pushes them into the portal. The last thing she see is the Queen's tear-streaked face. "Queen Clarissa!" she cried out before a blackness takes over.The Davirion Chronicles: Chapter 1 Part 1The sand exploded behind her as Razier dodged another blast. From experience, she knew that their opponents only had a few charges left. She only prayed that the sun would soon rise, driving these fuckers back through the portal to Dilegend. Sweat dripped from her brow as the exertion and building heat began to get to her. An ache began to build in her legs as they began to tire. Her forearm burned from where a blast had grazed her. Controlling her breath so they didn't pant too hard in the arid air, she went over this latest encounter so far. Razier was lucky that these hunting parties only arrived every other full moon or so. It was during these times that the energy flows became the most stable, allowing for portals to be opened. They could technically also be opened during the new moon, but the energies were at their weakest. It took this group most of the night to find her, so they had full charges on their magical weapons. They've been blasting at her almost recklessly, not seeming to conserve their energy. The group also seemed larger. That took more energy to keep the portal open. Were they becoming despite? Or had they come across a new source of energy that allowed them to be less conservative? Hell, the main question she still had no answer for was why they were hunting her in the first place. Their target had been the Queen. If it was for the object that Queen Clarissa had given her then that would give a plausible explanation. And if that were the case, she could only hope the Queen was still alive. It took a moment to get through her thoughts, and when she did, it dawned on her that there were no further blasts. She gave a sigh of relief. They must be retreating for this cycle before it becomes impossible to open the portals to return. To be safe, Razier headed further into the rocks; she’d head back towards the caverns once the sun had broken the horizon. She could tolerate the heat long enough to make sure there were no pursuers to follow back to the colony.The Davirion Chronicles: SummaryAt the peak of technology and magic, catastrophe struck as the environment collapsed. This left the world almost completely inhospitable. Mostly deserts of sand or snow and strong radiation penetrating a weakened atmosphere, pockets of people survive by venturing out at night. Water is a commodity. A few cities survive under tech domes powered by sun itself, darkening during the day and blocking most the radiation. Scattered populations survive in cave systems and underground structures left over from old cities of the past. Magic no longer has a hold here as the environment is too unstable. The energy that the planet does generate is lost to the greater beyond. Before the collapse had finalized its destruction, a pocket reality of magic was sealed off. Here magic thrives and the population sees themselves as superior to those outside the realm. When people from this realm venture to the planet surface, their magical items run on a charge, like a battery. The realm is self-sustaining by recycling energy, but not indefinitely. Most are in denial about this, believing their world is secure. Queen Clarissa Van Dessier is aware of the situation and has made it her goal to restore the environment where magic can occur naturally once again. However, the Martial leader Scout Kingsley from the city of Wasmoke, wants to create a world where tech prevails. And the Queen holds the key.Similar ArtworksSee Morearrow_outward