A Tryout for this Kal.
Username: Zailune
Name: Karrisa “Risa” Sanuis Arah
Gender: Female – she / her
Magical Item:
A small bell.
Why:
Risa lives in a small, medieval era village. Her family is one of many struggling families in the area. They are practically invisible among the other villagers and keep to themselves, but it wasn't long in her lifetime before Risa discovered that her family was indeed quite out of the ordinary – at least heritage-wise.
- ...
Risa had heard stories of witches and wizards from a very young age, and was always intrigued by the subject. She would play with sticks outdoors and pretend to cast spells with them. She would collect local mushrooms and mash them together, saying she was 'brewing potions'. She was very much interested in becoming a witch, but those around her continuously told her that those were simply stories and no more. However, she continued to believe in magic.
She was a happy, pure-hearted young girl with big dreams despite her less-than-fair living situation.
- …
Approximately 2 weeks after Risa's 7th birthday, a terrible incident occurred. Thieves plundered her small home due to a rumor that her family was in possession of some valuable heirlooms. Her parents were fatally injured by the barbaric thieves, and she hid as they pursued the treasures of which they'd been told existed within the household.
As they searched the area, Risa prayed to her Gods that they would not find her, hiding underneath a bed frame behind the shadow of its cloth.
One thief exclaimed, “Over here!”
Risa shut her eyes as their hard boots rushed loudly across the wooden floor. They had found something of interest, but luckily not her.
“What is it? A chest?”
“Looks so. Can you open it?”
“Won't budge.”
Thump. Thump. BOOM!
“There we go...but...”
…
“What is this!?”
“A waste of time. We better leave.”
After some time, Risa found the courage to come out of hiding. She cautiously approached the room where she'd heard the thieves talking, and discovered an old chest sitting on the floor. She'd never seen it before, and in curiosity she opened it to find a small bell. It appeared to be nothing special, and was small enough to fit nicely in her tiny paw. However, Risa was strongly drawn to this bell. She hid it away in a satchel before leaving the residence, not wanting to stay any longer in such a place at this time.
…
Risa escaped to a local meadow, where she rested underneath the cover of a tree for the night. She held the bell close, and told herself she'd never go back. She couldn't trust the villagers, and she no longer had a family to care for her. Where would she go now?
It was then that the bell rang. It was soft, but its tune sounded for much longer than would be expected of such an item.... and it was strange – Risa hadn't moved an inch, and there was no wind to cause the ringing. She observed the bell closely. It looked the same as before – like an ordinary old bell.
…
Risa woke up, but it was still very dark. She was sure she'd slept for hours, though, so she was confused as to why the sun hadn't risen. It was odd, but she was fully awake – so she decided to work on her new home....
In the moonlight, Risa found a large tree which stood at the edge of a hill. There was a dip towards the bottom opening up to a small space beneath the tree. It wasn't spacious enough on its own to house Risa, but she decided to work with it. She dug for what seemed like hours, not growing tired or hungry, and finally formed a space suitable for her (at least temporary) stay. Though, the moon appeared to be in the same place as when she first awoke.
Karrisa was terribly confused by this, but had no time to worry.
She gathered fallen branches and propped them against the opening to form a barrier from the outside world. After some time, her barrier was complete, and she decided to remain inside until the moon fell and the sun finally rose.
It was then, however, that she noticed something especially odd.
Silence.
An eerie silence. Not the wings of an insect, not the rustling of the high leaves of the tall trees. Nothing. Had she gone deaf?
The bell rang once more, and she began to notice the sounds again. Unsure what to think, but still feeling no time to worry, she attempted to rest once more. She eventually grew tired as she laid still, and fell asleep once more. When she awoke, the morning sun shined brightly, gently gleaming through the barrier she'd set up the night before.
Karrisa yawned and stretched, pulled herself into a standing position and exited the den.
…
Karrisa spent the rest of the day gathering edible materials which her parents had taught her to identify at a younger age. Her paws and satchel were soon filled with a plentiful amount of these materials, and she returned to her place in the meadow. She hid them towards the back end of her small den, and laid down with nothing in mind to do.
As a very young child still, she was still in quite the shock of the events which had happened, though her instincts and nature had kept her from falling into a crippling despair. Though, also considering her age, she was terribly bored with her life in the moment. She wished for a toy or a friend to play with, but unfortunately her wishes were useless hopes.
Then, the bell rang again.
“What's with this?” She thought out loud, observing the bell. She shook it quickly, but began to feel an overwhelming pain in her head. She fell onto the ground, and passed out for some time.
“You are not the brightest Kalon, are you?” A woman's voice said. Risa looked around, but only saw darkness.
“Who are you?”
…
Silence was all that returned to her.
Karrisa woke up. She looked around cautiously as she exited her “home”, and listened closely to her suroundings.
Silence.
“What has happened?” Karrisa thought out loud. She looked up to see the trees strangely still, and the wind still and silent as well. Karrisa clutched the bell in her paw before returning it to her satchel and heading towards her village. Despite her fears, she felt somehow that traveling back may provide some sort of answer.
When she arrived, she was startled by the sight – there were many others outdoors, yet no one appeared to be moving. Some appeared to be in the midst of actions as well. It was as though the world had frozen around Karrisa, or perhaps her perception of the world was altered as well as her capabilities – she pondered this at a later point. In the moment though, it was simply terrifying.
Karrisa ran to the local market, which was generally bustling with activity. Yet, no movement was found here either. Karrisa fell onto her backside in awe at the sight she was seeing.
“Why...”
…
Karrisa soon discovered that this was the magic of the bell. She didn't understand it entirely, but it at least appeared that time could be manipulated with the use of the bell.
Despite her confusion, her immediate reaction was to take advantage.
She slept in the warm bed of nobles, though found that with time “paused” she could not easily grow more tired, neither could she become hungry easily. Though, she continued to stuff herself with food off the market stalls and steal from various vendors. She was satisfied – perhaps seeing this as her revenge against the world and those that had betrayed her family.
Though, one day, as she rested under the warm silk sheets of a noble's bed, she heard a door creak. Her ears perked, and she immediately popped out of bed. She was confused, as the bell had been rung beforehand and time “paused”. Nobody should be moving, right? She wondered what could've possibly gone wrong. Was her misbehavior to blame? Was she to face consequences for her actions and theft?
She was scared.
“Who is there?” She tried to ask, but the words barely left her lips.
“You make a horrible witch.” A woman's voice said. It was the same voice she'd heard long ago in a dream.
“I....um...” Karrisa stuttered. A witch? She thought. The other Kalon came up to the bedroom door, and entered the room. Her body glowed, and she had a satchel of her own filled with various materials and vials of strange liquids.
“Karrisa, I have studied you for some time now, and I have finally found you here. How long have you been wasting that power?” The woman said. Karrisa remained silent, and kept at the other end of the room. She shook as the woman grew closer. “You are capable of so much more. You are a disappointment, in all honesty.” The woman continued. Karrisa's expression changed to anger.
“What do you know!?” She exclaimed. “You have not a clue what I have experienced!” Karrisa continued. Tears welled up in her eyes for the first time in some time. She was afraid, but she couldn't allow anyone to speak that way about her.
The woman remained silent for a moment, and shook her head. “Your self pity is your weakness, is it not?”
“Be quiet!”
“No. I grow tired of watching a failure such as yourself continue to misuse a great magic. You will learn one way or another.” The woman approached Karrisa, and snatched her satchel which laid on the stand next to the bed. Karrisa immediately ran forward and tried to grab it back.
“Give it back! I need that bell!” She cried out, but she couldn't manage to retrieve it.
“You will see this again once you've discovered your potential. I will take good care of this bell, so have no worry.” The woman said with a smile. Karrisa froze up as she watched the woman exit the structure. Risa snapped out of it after a moment, and rushed out to follow the woman.... but she was gone.
It appeared that Risa would be stuck in this “pause” for some time.
…
What seemed like years passed. Risa did not age physically, no longer become tired at all, nor could she feel hunger or thirst. She was alone, and terribly bored with the same toys and games. She wondered what had happened to the woman who took her bell, or if she'd ever return. Regardless, Risa knew something had to change.
Based on what she knew, she took it upon herself to learn and master language and writing. She discovered the royal library after simply passing the “frozen” guards in the city connected by a long path to her old town. She studied various subjects such as mathematics and medicine. She experimented, practiced various trades such as woodwork and artistry and overall grew an understanding of the world unlike that of any other Kalon.
One day, while Karrisa was re-reading a book on medicine in a small home she'd constructed, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned immediately to see the woman from many, many years ago holding a familiar item – her bell. Karrisa's eyes widened as the bell was returned to her. It was like a dream.
“Karrisa, I have watched you grow for some time, and I believe it is time I grant you knowledge of the truth behind this item. You see, you are not frozen in time. Rather, your consciousness has reached a new level as well as your ability to move and physically process that around you. This item only applies to those with our blood, and so when everything changed for me, it did for you as well. I believe we are the only two in the world who have this blood, Karrisa.” The woman said. Karrisa looked down at her book as she shut it slowly. “This bell originally belonged to me, you know. Though, it has been a part of your family for some time. I respect that, and I will return it to you. However, I expect you to use it wisely from now on.”
There was silence for a moment, and Karrisa looked up to the woman.
“If I ring this bell one more time, everything will return to normal, right?” Risa said. The woman nodded. “I will age, and be able to eat again?” Risa continued. The woman nodded again.
Without another moment of hesitation, Karrisa shook the bell.
Karrisa has not used the magic of the bell since that day. She deeply appreciates the sight of the moon, and the passing clouds in the sky. She feels calm at the sounds of insects around her cottage. She supports herself by inventing and distributing new medicines and tools. She looks in the mirror daily to watch herself age over the years. All around, she's appreciative of what to others is not very important in life.
