user + id: Dewy Feathers 998285
kalon name: Andra (Greek name meaning strong and brave.)
form:
Art pieces
#1 childhood home#2 the beast#3 the truth(Please tell me if some of the links don’t work)
Writing
1578 of 2000 words
(Might edit to make a few minor edits)
Andra swung around another sword. “Too light.” She said. The small kalon helping her nodded and scampered out of the room. He came back, dragging two more swords. The first one had a hilt carved with roses and vines. Andra swung it. She frowned. “I don’t like this one.” She picked up the next sword. It was plain, but sharp. Andra swung it around. “It’s perfect.” She said, and the small kalon nodded. He led her through torch-lit walls and several rooms, until she was standing on a dais in front of a gilded mirror. A few more kalons came into the room. They poked and measured and whispered and wrote notes. Andra stood there for a few hours, before they finally talked to her. “Do you want leather armor and a cape?” An old, grumpy kalon said. Andra nodded. They showed her to a chair and bookshelf while they disappeared into the back room.
It had been forever and there was no news on the armor. Andra couldn’t stand this silence or the waiting for much longer. Almost as an answer to her frustration, the door opened and Andra looked up. A kalon wearing a long, hooded cloak came in. The two kalons in the room broke into wide smiles. “Hi!” Andra said. “Hello Andra! I brought some ribbons back.” The kalon tossed two yellow ribbons to the seat. Andra caught them and quickly tied her long, red hair up. “So, why are you here?” The mysterious kalon asked. “I’m waiting for my armor.” Said Andra. “I’ve got my sword already. What’s yours?” The kalon held up their sword. It was a long, thick blade. The hilt was carved with dragons holding up the sharp, curved metal. A large, shiny, blue rock glowed in the center. “You always were a show-off.” Said Andra, looking at it. She hefted hers up. It was plain and simple, except for a few small pink and red rocks in the hilt. A door creaked open, and two kalons came from the back room, carrying armor and a cape. And Andra took them, her cloaked friend called out “General wants you on the front lines against the darkness today!” before he was pushed onto the dais and Andra pushed out.
Andra finished buckling up the armor. It was light, strong, and expertly crafted. She stood there, admiring it in the torchlight for a second, before she tied on her cape, and slid the sword into the sheath on her back. She pulled out the extra ribbon her friend had given her, and tied it around her tail. She would need to cut her blood-red hair later, but later wasn’t today, and later wasn’t soon. She had jobs to do, and she needed to make sure The Darkness was vanquished before she went on with her life. The Darkness had surrounded the kingdom, and the only thing still standing was the castle. All the surviving villagers had come here for refuge, and the Darkness now surrounded it. It was the middle of summer, but the sun had disappeared, covered by fog and shadows. The Darkness took many forms, and they were bent on destroying the kingdom, forever. Andra sighed. There was almost no food left. It was better not to dwell on it, and do something about this problem. Andra ran down twisting halls and through many rooms, before she stood in front of the large oak doors at the entrance to the castle. She could hear howls and screams and roars outside. Andra closed her eyes for a second, and thought of her childhood home. Then she pushed open the doors, and into the battlefront.
All around her, she could see death. Shadows and nightmarish creatures were being defeated, but more took their place, killing noble warriors and familiar faces. The champion of the battlefield was a large, bear-like creature, but three times the size. It had triangular scales, all different sizes. Large spikes covered its back. As Andra stared at it, the thing stood on its back legs and roared. The trees were flattened and several soldiers fled in terror. More covered their ears and The Darkness descended on them. Andra couldn’t hear much from where she stood. She could see her cloaked friend hiding in a grove of trees, defending himself against smaller shadows. Several kalons rushed to her. “Go back!” “It’s useless!” “Just give up.” “We won't win.” She could see the sad, defeated look in their eyes. It was up to her to defeat the shadow, or the kingdom would be defeated. She sighed, unsheathed her sword, and started running.
Andra let out a fierce battle cry as she rushed towards the bear-like Shadow. She leaped towards its face, slicing it with the sword. The beast howled in pain, purple goop pouring down. Andra tucked and rolled, stopping by a large paw. She sliced it, dodged, and jumped again. She flipped over the creature, stabbed it with the sword, and rolled away. The thing showed no sign of stopping, and Andra was getting tired. The beast swiped its massive paw. Andra barely dodged it, and it ripped out some of her hair. She winced in pain, and the beast hit her again. It threw her into a pine tree. Andra heard a crack! and her head throbbed. She could close her eyes, maybe for just one second. She heard a sharp cry and several more kalon calling her name. It hurts. She thought. It hurts so much. I need to sleep. I just need to close my eyes. The beast roared again. She could see shapes wielding swords and bows and all sorts of weapons. Her cloaked friends came up to her. “Andra!” He said. It sounded too quiet with the ringing in her ears. “Andra I need you to wake up. Come on!” Andra felt nothing. “I can’t.” Andra whispered. “No! Andra wake up! WAKE UP” Andra closed her eyes. She could hear the beast roar and the clanging of steel against scales. Andra shook her head. She had to get up. She stumbled to her feet, reaching for her sword. She held it, looking for the beast. It was closer to her. She stabbed and slashed at its claws. It was too tough. It picked her up again, and roared in her face. It threw her. She felt sick. Sick and so, so tired. The creature roared again and clawed her. Andra blacked out.
She could hear muffled voices. It was impossible to make out the words. She knew her friend was there. They were arguing. Andra fell back asleep.
Andra was barely conscious. She heard shuffling and quiet words. She fell back asleep.
Andra woke up fully when a strange kalon walked in. She shifted around and raised her head. “Oh! You’re awake! Andra’s awake!” Several more kalons crowded around her. “Move!” Her friend called. A gap opened in the crowd, and a kalon bounded through. “Andra!” He said, coming to her side. “Where are we?” She whispered. Her friend sighed. It’s a long story. Maybe too much for you to deal with right now.” Andra sat up. “Ok, I’m ready now. What happened?” Her friend sighed again. “I knew you wouldn’t say no. Do one thing for me. Look in the mirror.” Andra grabbed the mirror from her friend. She tilted it from side to side. “When did I lose my eye?! I think that’s a pretty big thing I should’ve known!! Why didn’t you tell me? When did it happen? How long has it been? WHERE AM I?!?” At this outburst from Andra, a couple of kalons around her scooted away. Her friend sighed again. “I’ll tell you the story.
“Let’s start when the beast. It had knocked you out, and I was trying to wake you. I had to lead smaller Shadows away. When you did wake up, the beast was by you. It threw you again and roared and then slashed your face. You blacked out again. I carried you away from the castle, and bandaged you with stuff from my bag. The beast killed many more kalons.” Her friend had stopped talking and stood there for a minute.
“We hid. We found more kalons and they joined us. I carried you away from the castle. We left, Andra. We’re in the forest now.” Andra stared at him for a second. “I’m going back to the castle. Show me the way. I’m going.” Andra pushed past him. She grabbed a bag, her sword and some food. She swept through the camp, like a bad-tempered storm. The scowl on her face cleared a path through the kalons. “Andra, wait! I need to explain!” “WHAT Talos?! You left the castle! You’re a deserter! I’m going back, and you can’t stop me!” “No, Andra, ANDRA!” Andra had reached a cliff overlooking the castle. “No…” She whispered. The kingdom had fallen. That must’ve been the last Shadow, the final champion. It was all her fault. She would have fought harder, been faster, been stronger, if she knew what would happen. Talos came up beside her. Andra had collapsed. “Is this, are we all that’s left of the realm?” It was too hard to think about. She was crying, tears running down her face. “Was it all for nothing? Did I lose an eye, for nothing?” Talos bent down by her. “It was a sacrifice. You helped us survive. We will survive Andra. We have to.”
