Undra Origins: The First Champion Part IV

Awaken

Lysande dug her boots into the rocky shore. She bent down to pick up one of the orange bits of gravel and held it up to the sunlight. Her eyes gleamed in wonder as she twirled the stone in between her fingertips. The warm winds, the vibrant colors, and unfamiliar sounds all felt surreal.

“Lys!” Her Uncle called out, “C’mon, no time to waste.”

“Right,” she said, placing the pebble into her pouch.

She followed Cilas and the crew deep into the brushpalms.

They marched for hours through the dense maze. Lysande was drenched walking through the damp and suffocating air.

“Are you sure this is the way, Uncle?” She asked.

“Ay, don’t worry. I know this jungle better than my good ol’ ship.”

“But, how do you know the Legionnaire is h — ”

Cilas placed a hand in front of her signaling his men to stop. “Something’s here,” he whispered.

He pulled the cutlass from his hip, and his men followed by drawing their weapons. Some held spears, others held daggers, and a few brutes carried around large axes. She drew her blade, cautiously listening to the silence of the brush.

“Jackals,” the Captain said.

“What — what are Jackals?” She asked.

“Ferocious little things,” he mentioned. “Rip yer arm right off if yer not careful.” Cilas looked out into the distance, “Did you hear that?”

Lysande noticed a rustling bush and gripped the hilt of her blade. The creatures sprang forth from the jungle leaping high into the air. They resembled cats jumping from tree to tree but stood high on their hind legs. Their paws looked heavy, swaying back and forth as they approached.

“Ready yerselves,” he commanded.

Roars of clashing steel and claws erupted.

In the midst of battle, one of the creatures managed to overpower Lysande to the ground. Their paws pressed down hard against her sword as she tried to lift with the creature off. The Jackal growled, exposing a row of edged fangs as it drooled over her, inching closer and closer to her flesh as it lunged at her. Lysande looked around for help, but they were too far from the others. There had to be some way, she thought. As the creature lunged at her neck once more, she weakened her hold, dodging the beast at the last second. It slammed head-first into the ground allowing her to slide further below the beast. She used all of her might and swung her sword across the Jackal’s torso before escaping. The creature rolled to its side and laid on the floor holding the bloody wound with a heavy breath. It looked up at her with its grey sharp eyes as Lysande held her blade to its throat.

As she met the Jackal’s gaze, all of the noise around them vanished. She had never been in this position before, it felt as though the world around her had stood completely still, waiting for her decision. Her father had prepared her for this, but she never had a reason to. She loved animals and the creatures of the forest, whether they were dangerous or not. Lysande carefully lowered her weapon and walked away to help the others. When she turned her back, the beast mustered its last remaining strength to attack her. It pounced, extending its claws to her throat. Cilas and one of the crewmen came around, pushing her out of the way. The beast managed to kill the man before Cilas could cut it down. Lysande looked back in horror as the two bled out, watching the light from their eyes fade away.

Cilas grabbed her arm, “Lys!” He yelled, “Never turn yer back like that, ever!”

She stood there in silence.

His men had cleared out the remaining Jackals not without a few causalities.

“I think that’s the last of em, Captain.” One of them said.

He released his grip. “Ay, check the surroundings just to be sure. Lys, you alright?”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the ground. “ — yes, Uncle. I’m alright.”

“Just, take a minute.” Cilas said. As he turned around, all of his men had disappeared. “Where in the h — ”

Shadows swooped down from the trees knocking them both out cold.

Lysande felt a swelling pain in the back of her head. Her body felt cold and warm all at once. She wiggled and jerked but couldn’t move. Everything was a red and orange blur as she opened her eyes. When her vision cleared, she was lying against a tree in front of an open flame. Her arms and legs were tied, and her mouth was bound by a piece of cloth.

“Looks like you’re finally awake, lift her up.” A ragged voice commanded.

Someone behind Lysande pulled her upright. She turned back and saw a figure covered in scales. It wore tattered pants with her sword on its hip and had a tail that extended out into the darkness. She gasped and huffed, pushing herself away until she was pressing against the tree trunk.

“Don’t be afraid, girl.” The voice spoke.

Lysande looked around to see beasts and men standing around the fire. Across the flame, in the depths of the jungle, was a grim smile floating high within the shadows. The voice stepped out into the light revealing a monstrous man with red bloodlust eyes. He towered over all the others. His unruly soil-colored hair hung down to his neck. He wore chains of gold that sat over a leather tunic. He had a right shoulder guard that wrapped around his chest, and his left shoulder was bare, displaying a mark that resembled a wolf with two horns. Behind his back was a handle the size of a ship’s mainmast. The giant raised his left hand, and a clanking sound appeared. Lysande cried out, trying to scream. From his grip hung a chain that led down to a pair of arms shackled together. He dangled the people through the air as though they were merely a sack of coins.

Lysande wept, managing to remove the cloth. “Mom, Dad, wake up!”

Her father hung shirtless. His face and body were beaten bloody. Her mother hung lifelessly in her tattered dress.

Lysande’s father opened one of his swollen eyes, “L — L — .” He muttered.

“There you are,” the giant grinned. “I‘m glad you haven’t died on me yet.”

“Let them go, please!” She begged.

A pair of bandits walked out from the dense jungle and threw Cilas onto the ground in front of the fire.

“Uncle!” She called out, “You have to help them!”

Cilas stood up and dusted himself off, “Wouldn’t hurt yer to be more gentle.”

He glanced over at Lysande and turned away. He walked toward the monster and stood next to her soulless parents.

“Uncle?” She questioned.

The crewmen came forward from the shadows.

“Excellent work, Cilas.” The giant praised.

“No, no, this can’t be.” She protested. “You — You betrayed us? No, we’re your family!” Lysande yelled.

“I — I’m sorry, Lys.” Cilas cried, “The Legionnaire has the love of my life. He wouldn’t free her unless I brought you all to him.”

Lysande glared at the Legionnaire and shouted, “What do you want?”

The monster took one step forward and the ground shook beneath them. “It’s simple, girl. Your father’s death.”

“What has he done to you to deserve this?” She tearfully pressed, “He’s a good man who only helped those in need.”

“Good? Who? Your father? — ”

Lysande whispered. “Pame, where are you?” Her serpent appeared behind her ear, “I need you to chew through the ropes around my arms and legs.”

“ — The great commander of Dagerdom?” The Legionnaire grunted, “This one here is the scum of Undra.”

“That isn’t true!” Lysande protested.

“What have you told this daughter of yours, Marcus?” He asked, holding him high up into the air. “Don’t you worry, I’ll enlighten her.”

He hung her parents over a nearby branch. Lysande watched them sway in the wind as he reached for his weapon. The giant pulled a titanic cleaver from behind his back and shoved it into the ground, breaking the earth beneath it. His men fell back from the sheer force and caused Cilas to push himself further away from the Legionnaire as the giant sat down.

“Marcus here,” he pointed. “Is a despicable excuse of a man. He tortured, persecuted, and killed thousands of innocent people, my people.”

“Father would never do something like that!” She cried.

“What do you know of your father, girl?” He bellowed, “You are simply an unworldly child, blinded by a naive and ignorant youth.” The Legionnaire placed a hand on his chest, “I come from a grand settlement east of Ovan. My people were the mightiest of beings. We did not care to be a part of your so-called sovereign. So, what did your father do? He unleashed a plague that killed hundreds of women and children. Did you know that? Then, he used the disease to justify burning down my countrymen. All of them scorched to ashes!” He shouted as it echoed through the jungle.

The Legionnaire’s breath grew deep, and he stood back up, “My sister, my mother, my children, they never stood a chance.”

When he grabbed the chain, Pame had finally freed Lysande. The serpent flew toward the fire and expelled a blinding flash. Lysande grabbed her sword from the scaly creature and jumped through the flames swinging the blade. The stunned Legionnaire stuck out a hand as she swung and when it landed, the sword was lodged into the giant’s finger. She tried to pull it free, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Hah, nice trick you pulled there. How did you do that?” He looked down at her regaining his vision, “You there, come hold her down.”

“Yes, sir!” Two of his men said, wiping their eyes.

They tackled Lysande to the ground. The giant pulled the sword from his finger and dropped the bloody weapon in front of her.

“You are too weak.” He said, “How do you expect to survive in this world the way you are? There are men and beasts far more powerful and crueler than I. Only the strong decide who lives and who dies. What is right and what is wrong in this world. What can a girl like you hope to accomplish?” The Legionnaire took the chain and held her parents close.

“Look at your daughter, Marcus.” He said, “I shall grant you something that you never granted me. A moment to say goodbye to your family.”

Marcus peered down at his daughter struggling to free herself from the men’s grasp. A single tear ran down his cheek as he said one last prayer.

The Legionnaire’s face grew dark, “The Hallowed won’t save you n— ”

“Wait!” Cilas shouted, approaching the Legionnaire. “Sir, please, ye only wanted my brother. Let his wife and child and my lady go.” He knelt down close to Lysande begging him.

“Ah, right, the love of your life.” He paused. “Well then, why don’t you all join her in the Void!”

In an instant, he swung her parents down like a hammer and crushed Cilas. Splatters of blood landed and slithered down Lysande’s face. She screamed watching the Legionnaire laugh and holler as he crushed them over and over again. She could hear every sound, every bone break and shatter. Pools of crimson red seeped into the earth. The light in Lysande’s eyes slowly faded away before transforming into a swirling night sky.

Once again Lysande was shrouded by darkness. She cradled herself as she cried and wept. Whispers loomed over her saying, “You are too weak. You could not save them.”

Opame appeared in the darkness. The serpent provided a warmth that soothed her broken soul. For a moment, the two nestled together until Lysande heard, “Who decides what is just? What is right and wrong in this world?” The phrase was relentless, sending her deeper into the abyss.

From the Void, Lysande felt a sudden spark. It surged within every vein of her being. She pushed herself off of the darkness and noticed that Pame had grown to the size of the giant. A look of resolve came over her as a blazing light appeared in the palms of her hands.

She peered through the emptiness and said, “I, the flare throughout the realms, shall be the one who decides.”

As Lysande regained consciousness, her body radiated with a glow that burned the hands of the men who held her down. They cried in agony as their fingertips melted away. She stood up with her blade in hand, her hair radiated a shimmering luster, and the corner of her eyes exuded a trail of white light as she approached the Legionnaire. He smiled, dropping her parents onto the ground to pick up his cleaver.

“That trick won’t work twice,” he said.

As he swung the cleaver, the pressure caused a bundle of trees to unroot and fly off into the distance. When it landed against Lysande’s sword, the cleaver broke in half. His eyes widened in disbelief. The giant dropped the broken cleaver and swung down his enormous fists.

Lysande calmly jumped back and stabbed his finger again with her blade.

“Hah, you think you can stop me with that.” He mocked.

“Drown in the blessed light,” she commanded.

From her blade, a spark rushed into the Legionnaire. His eyes and mouth expelled a ray of light before he completely turned to stone.

“Wha — what did you do to him?” One of the Legionnaire’s men asked.

“I purified him,” she spoke.

Panic erupted and the men started to scramble, but before they could get away, Pame grew into her larger form and halted their escape. Pinned between the two, the followers of Cilas and the Legionnaire begged for her mercy.

“No, no, you mustn’t do that,” she ordered. “You see, I shall be the one that decides who lives and who dies tonight.”