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noneuclideanwhimsy · 3 months ago

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Hey!! This is really random coming from me since I usually yap to u abt catcf, but im rlly curious to know what the other fandom I keep seeing u post about is, something involving a G-man?? Idk what it is but it looks rlly cool :3 could u maybe explain it to me? Feel free to yap as much as u want.

Thank you for asking, I love rambling about my interests and this particular fandom is my special interest so I really love rambling about it :]

Anyway. Half-Life is a video game series released by Valve Software, the first game came out in 1998 and was about an experiment going horribly wrong at a research facility called Black Mesa. On May 16th 200-, 27-year-old theoretical physicist Gordon Freeman (this is our player character btw) did what his higher-ups told him to do and shoved a suspicious crystal under a beam. This resulted in the Resonance Cascade, the inciting incident of pretty much everything that happened since in the series, in which a bunch of portals to a borderworld (basically a universe that can serve as a bridge between other universes) called Xen opened and aliens started coming out of them and wreaking havoc on Black Mesa. Then things got worse somehow with the military showed up, but not to save the BM staff but to shoot everybody on-sight to cover up the incident. Gordon grabbed a crowbar and started fighting his way through all of the aliens and soldiers, eventually making his way to Xen and killing a creature called the Nihilanth, who was keeping the portals open and invading Earth with an enslaved species called the Vortigaunts because it wanted to get away from the Combine (we’ll get into what the Combine are and why they’re so scary in a bit). Then Gordon gets saved by the G-Man.

Since you asked about the G-Man specifically (and since he’s my biggest comfort character and I love him to death), I’ll explain what we know about him. He looks like a mostly ordinary human authority figure, just a tall man in a blue suit, if a little uncanny and with glowing eyes. The term ‘G-Man’ is old-fashioned slang for a government agent and is what the fandom calls him (I sometimes say G' for short) because it’s his name in the game files (it's not his in-universe name, he doesn’t have one to our knowledge). However, he’s strongly implied to be a far greater force than any human government just assuming a form humans can comprehend. He’s widely considered to be the greatest mystery in gaming; nobody knows exactly who he is, what he is or what his motivations are, the only things we know about him is that he more or less controls time and space and ensures the story of the games happens as intended with minor nudges in the timeline and by ‘hiring’ important people. Nominally, he answers to a group of even more nebulous ‘Employers’, but his goals don’t always align with theirs and he occasionally deviates from their orders.

Anyway, the G-Man says that him and his Employers are impressed with Gordon’s work liberating the borderworld and preventing further invasion of Earth, so he offers Gordon a job under him. Gordon accepts, and the G-Man puts him in stasis outside of time and space for about 20 years.

In this interval, a whole lot of things happen on Earth, mostly to do with the fact that this is when the Combine choose to come a-knocking, attracted by all of the interdimensional disturbance caused by the Resonance Cascade. The Combine are a nightmarish parasitic collection of alien species that cannot innovate on their own and therefore seek to invade and assimilate as many worlds as possible in order to steal their existing innovation. The Seven Hour War happens, and that name kinda speaks for itself. It ends when Wallace Breen, the former administrator of Black Mesa, strikes a desperate bargain with the Combine in exchange for humanity’s surrender, and so they keep humanity alive and establish an oppressive, dystopian regime on Earth with Breen as its puppet leader as they slowly drain Earth of its resources, turn humans into brainwashed soldiers and try to replicate the teleportation technology that caused the Resonance Cascade.

However, as it often is with humans, not all hope is lost: a handful of other Black Mesa survivors including scientist Eli Vance and his daughter Alyx Vance start a Resistance against the Combine, which includes teaming up with the now liberated Vortigaunts, who now live on Earth and are even more oppressed under the Combine than the humans are (poor guys can’t catch a break).

Half-Life 2 was released in 2004 and is about Gordon Freeman being returned to the post-Combine Earth after his stasis and teaming up with Alyx and the rest of the Resistance. A lot of humans see Gordon as a saviour figure come to liberate humanity for a second time after he already saved them from one alien invasion, which also paints quite the target on his back for the Combine. Quite a few things happen in this game: a Resistance member named Judith Mossman who wants to protect Eli and Alyx is manipulated by Breen into betraying Gordon’s location to the Combine but Gordon gets away and they get Eli instead and ship him off to torture prison, which Judith did not agree to. Alyx and Gordon then storm the torture prison to rescue Eli where they find Judith and figure out that she‘s been working with Breen and Alyx obviously doesn’t take that very well. They find Eli and go to escape with the Combine’s half-finished, clunky replica of a Black Mesa teleporter, but Judith panics and sends herself and Eli to Breen’s headquarters in the Combine Citadel instead. Alyx and Gordon reroute the teleporter back to a Resistance laboratory and make their escape, but the teleporter, being a half-finished, clunky mess, proceeds to explode and bring down the whole torture prison.

This explosion also messed up the teleportation process and Gordon and Alyx only made it back a full week later, when they find that the blowing up of the torture prison has sparked a full-blown uprising from the humans, who now have solid proof that the Combine aren’t untouchable. Gordon and Alyx join the fight, wanting to storm the Citadel and rescue Eli for real this time. They fight their way there but ultimately get captured, coming face to face with Breen himself, who tries to get them all to surrender. Judith then decides she’s had enough of Breen’s nonsense and backstabs him, setting Gordon, Alyx and Eli free. Breen attempts to make an escape using a Combine portal, but Combine teleportation devices aren’t exactly known for their stability, so Gordon destroys it before Breen gets there and Breen falls to his death in the elevator. Before the whole Citadel can explode and take the whole surrounding city with it, the G-Man freezes time and appears once again to save Gordon (and possibly also Alyx), putting him in stasis once more.

This is where things get a little messy, because instead of using another full game to wrap up this story, Valve decides to release the sequels via smaller expansions called ‘Episodes’; at least three were planned, but only two ever came out.

Not a whole lot happens in HL2 Episode 1, the most notable thing is that the Vortigaunts all team up and use their powers to pull Gordon (and possibly also Alyx) back out of stasis, which the G-Man isn’t pleased about but does let them go. The rest of the episode is everybody trying to get the sparkles out of the city before the Citadel blows up, which they successfully do.

HL2 Episode 2 is where the plot picks back up. The Resistance find out that the Combine are trying to use the leftover energy from the Citadel explosion to send a call for reinforcements to their home universe, something they can prevent if they launch a rocket into space from a Resistance base called White Forest, so that’s Gordon and Alyx’s next destination. They do have to stop for a bit when Alyx gets stabbed through the back by a Combine-made creature called a Hunter and almost dies, but Gordon helps some local Vortigaunts save her life, with the minor caveat that Gordon’s and Alyx’s fates and souls are now forever intertwined. The G-Man also appears here, telling Gordon that Alyx was originally meant to die at Black Mesa but he defied his Employers to save her life. Then he tells the still unconscious Alyx to tell her father to ‘prepare for unforeseen consequences’ and, as usual, mysteriously disappears.

Alyx wakes up and they make it to White Forest, where they receive a message from Judith informing them that she’s also been busy since she left the Citadel. She somehow managed to uncover the Borealis, a research ship that went missing many years ago from Aperture Science (Black Mesa’s rival research facility, they’re very unhinged and have their own games, the Portal series) and is thought to have incredible technology on-board. Most of the Resistance is enthusiastic about finding the Borealis and using its technology against the Combine. However, Eli, upon receiving the G-Man’s message through Alyx, reveals to Gordon that he’s heard these words before and that he’s certain they mean another Resonance-Cascade-level disaster is inevitable if they use the Borealis and decides they should destroy it instead. Then there’s a big battle with Combine forces as the Resistance try to launch the rocket. They’re successful, and the Combine fail to call for reinforcements. Then Gordon, Eli and Alyx go to board a helicopter to the Arctic where the Borealis is located, but before they can do that, they’re interrupted by a pair of Combine Advisors bursting through the wall. Advisors are creatures with powerful psychic capabilities, unlike anything the Resistance has faced before, and while they eventually retreat and Gordon and Alyx survive, Eli is killed in this struggle.

For a very, very long time, this exact cliffhanger was the end. HL2 Episode 2 came out in 2007 (which is also the year I was born, funnily enough). Half-Life 2 Episode 3 still does not exist, and neither does Half-Life 3, to the point where it’s a meme in the pc gaming community that Valve can only count to 2.

What does exist is Half-Life Alyx, a VR-only game with Alyx as the protagonist that released in 2020 and technically takes place between the first two games but also does a lot of cool wacky timeline things that would take a separate post to explain because this one is already getting absurdly long. Another thing I didn’t mention is the HL1 expansions, which are a handful of shorter campaigns released between 1999 and 2001 that tell the stories of other characters who survived Black Mesa and are also questionably canon due to being made by Gearbox Software, who got a few Valve canon things wrong. There is so much more to talk about here but, again. This post is very long and I would understand if you didn’t even read this far. If you did, thank you very much!!! I love my silly anti-nihilist video games about the indomitable human spirit standing in the face of forces beyond its comprehension, and it brought me great joy to get to yap about them for 14 paragraphs straight. Thank you again for sending this ask ^^

#long post #VERY long post #half life

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edith-is-a-cat · 5 months ago

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xen getting my half coherent yapping bc i love them

#silly little bear chatters :]

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braxenberry · 26 days ago

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Screaming and crying at Record of Ragnarok still

Spoilers ahead, of course. For round 2, I believe. (Adam vs Zeus)

I CANNOT BELIEVE ADAM LOST OH MY GOD

Yes I am listening to a song about him, okayy and???

It makes me so sad to listen to every single time, the lyrics are so good.

"Father if you don't mind

Sing me to sleep

Just one more time

Before I go"

HE WAS KILLED BY ZEUS

And he was just trying to protect his children cries

"Does someone need a reason to fight for those they love?"

I CANNOT DO THIS

#Xen yaps #Anime rambles #I yap about anime a lot #I'm practicing actually writing original posts #You're gonna hear a lot about anime #WAAAAA #Adam #Record of Ragnarok #Shuumatsu no Valkyrie #He deserved so much better #And now I have to deal with Zeus for the rest of the show HKSDSKJ UGH

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braxenberry · 26 days ago

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When I tell you I LOVE THIS SONG

#Xen yaps #ALL OF USSSSS #DREAM SAVE USSSS #RAHHHHHHHHHHH #And the animation that it shows while the song is playing is SO PEAK #PLEASE WATCH ONE PIECE #EGGHEAD #Egghead Island #Egghead Arc #One Piece

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sportssforsportss · 4 months ago

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welcome to the field!

hi! my name’s xen and i go by she/her pronouns!! this blog has been made to purely talk about sport and my favourites!

\ | /

fave sports and teams:

football & women’s football

arsenal

formula 1

mclaren

mercedes

\ | /

fave athletes and players:

lando norris

oscar piastri

lewis hamilton

mary earps

vivianne miedema

leah williamson

kyra cooney-cross

lotte wubben-moy

bukayo saka

martin ødegarrd

aaron ramsdale

\ | /

other sports i think are cool:

netball

basketbal

tennis

motocross

nascar

indycar

♡ my dni’s ♡

Please don’t interact with my blog if you are:

homophobic/transphobic

racists

tories/far right people

people over the age of 21 (i’m a minor it would make me abit uncomfy!!)

basic dni criteria

tag guide

footy yap - posts about football

footy madness - reposts about football

f1 yap- posts about f1

f1 madness- reposts about f1

sports yap - posts about any other sports

sports madness - reposts about any other sports

my blogs

@sportssforsportss - this blog, a side blog dedicated to sports (mainly f1 and football)

@heartssforheartss - my main blog, general blabber

dividers

#into #footy yap #footy nadness #f1 yap #f1 madness #sports yap #sports madness #mclaren #formula 1 #woso #womens football #arsenal women #lionesses #f1 #formula one

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fae-fucker · 4 years ago

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Zenith: Chapter 68-71

Chapter 68

Andi remembers how Kalee gave her a tour of her home and bragged about how she’d be ruling the place someday. Andi asks why her and not her brother.

Oh, Androma. Kalee had laughed then, tossing her head back in that glorious, carefree way that made everyone around her want to come closer. You and I both know that a woman can rule better than any man ever could. And I’ll look twice as good doing it, too.

Shinsay, voices muffled as their heads are stuck up each other’s asses: This is definitely, 100%, one whole, bona fide, authentic, organic, home-grown feminism that we just put in our book.

Also ... take a look at that weak-ass description that’s supposed to show us how good and cool Kalee is. When she laughs (in a way that tbh have you ever laughed? be real with me now), people want to ... come closer?

Wow! That’s like saying ... when I scratch my face, people want to call their mom. When I brush my hair, people may spontaneously feel the need to take a slightly deeper breath.

Talk about low standards. Hey fellas, you ever see someone laugh and just kinda sorta want to approach them but not really? Yeah, that’s the stuff.

Andi thinks about how Kalee would’ve been a better ruler than her dad, who doesn’t even bother coming down to meet his tortured son because that’s how incompetent and evil and heartless he is. I mean, Andi doesn’t know that Valen is the result of rape, but still. Idk if I’m on board with how the book demonizes the hell out of the General but tried to make whatsherface sympathetic. And by “I don’t know if I am” I mean “I’m definitely not what the fuck is wrong with these people.”

Dex tries to make some conversation and Andi says that nobody befriended Kalee, that only super duper special people were CHOSEN by her to become her friends.

I’m ... not sure how this is supposed to be better. In fact, I’d say it’s worse?

“Kalee chose the people she wished to let into her life. I was honored that she allowed me to be assigned to her.”

“Honored?” Dex asked, raising a bruised brow. “Or damned?”

“I’ll let you know after we talk to the general,” Andi said.

I’m gonna fiking piss. “I’ll tell you whether this important life event was honor or damnation, but like, later, after we have this appointment, ok?” Why is this so funny. Have I fully lost my marbles?

Andi foreshadows some escape tunnels that are hidden all around the estate so Dex has a logical way to save them at the end of the book. I’m sure there is a more elegant way of setting that up, but I can’t be bothered to find one, so let’s call it acceptable and move on.

They arrive at their destination and Andi notices that Alfie seems bummed out. She muses that he’s “capable of far more complex thinking than she’d originally guessed,” which, DOY, but ok, and then thinks about how he’s saved her crew and remembered Gilly’s Marketable Space Pet, which implies he has some “understanding of feelings and attachments.”

That hamster wheel do be spinnin’.

The “head Spectre” comes out to meet them and ...

It took everything in her to speak as the truth struck her.

“Dad?”

DUN DUN DUUUN, it’s Andi’s dad! Also, “the truth struck her?” What truth? That it’s your dad? Was that in doubt? Did you really need a moment to connect the dots, to realize this is your dad? Was there a moment where you saw this man, who is your dad, and thought that this wasn’t your dad, only for the truth to strike and OH SHIT THAT’S MY DAD!! WOW HOLD YOUR HORSES EVERYONE I NEED TIME TO PROCESS THAT THIS IS INDEED MY DAD.

Tbh if you strapped knives to a roomba it’d have more charisma and presence as the protagonist than Andi. And let’s be real, more intelligence.

Yet another chapter ends on a pointless cliffhanger only for the scene to continue exactly where it left off!

You’re just full of surprises, Shinsay.

Chapter 69 (nice)

Andi recaps everything that she’s gone through after the Kalee crash up to the fight with the big alien dude who got deus ex machina-d by Alfie and how she nearly kissed Dex, which gets written as extra special, just so she can make this point:

But this...her father, as General Cortas’s head Spectre?

This might actually kill her.

And aside from how generically melodramatic it is, I can’t help but recall this, from chapter 7:

The man in front of her was a victim of her foolishness. Beside her was the man who’d rejected her love.

The two of them, together? It was nearly enough to shatter Andi.

Andi has the same reaction as I do when in a room with multiple men. Except in her case I think it’s supposed to be deep and personal.

Anyway, self-plagiarism aside, Andi thinks about how her dad was always there for her but then one day wasn’t when he didn’t support her on her trial and how conflicted she feels about him, both wanting to demand justice but also wanting comfort. This is actually quite touching and feels very grounded and realistic.

General Cortas rubs it in that Andi’s dad, “Comander Racella”, has been very loyal and hardworking since he was promoted after Andi’s trial. Andi hopes that her father actually hates the general and was forced to work for him as some sort of punishment for what happened with their daughters.

The general says the situation on Adhira has been taken care of, and when Andi asks whether Xen Ptera attacked because of Valen and her crew’s presence on Adhira, the general says that’s classified. For reasons? Idk. Seems pretty obvious to me, or maybe he just doesn’t know?

Dex tries to yap but Cortas flexes his big dick and reminds Dex that he’s a Guardian now, and Dex is too much of a baby to risk his regained status so he shuts up. This is all spelled out for us by Andi’s inner monologue, because we’re idiots.

The general claims the Xen Pteran forces have been wiped out, saying how it’s probably all they had since there’s few able-bodied and willing people to recruit for war after their planet got fucked, and when Andi presses him for why the attack happened now and on Adhira, he says:

“War never really ends, Androma. The desire for revenge is often too strong to forget.”

“War never ends ... But me and my crew totes ended that war just now. They don’t have any more soldiers so this war is over.” Makes sense, sir.

Cortas says that queen Alara is safe and will be at the Peace Summit, which Andi immediately tells him to cancel because it would be the perfect opportunity for another attack. Cortas replies by saying that Arcardius is impenetrable and that the day the Olen System successfully invades will be the day “stars fall from the sky” which is a very poetic and not at all natural way to say something like this, so it’s there for ... idk dramatic irony? He also reminds her that the Summit is important because it celebrates the peace after the war and the unity between the systems and I’m here like ... for a guy who says war never ends, you sure seem happy to celebrate a war ending and don’t believe one is going on right now. But I guess these characters just exist to spout meaningless yet deep-sounding nonsense at each other.

Dex reminds the general that they’ve done their end of the deal, at which point the general conveniently decides to prolong it out of nowhere and essentially forces Andi and Dex to be Valen’s bodyguards at the Peace Summit by holding Andi’s crew and ship and Dex’s money and status hostage. Thanks for ensuring the main characters are there for the climax, sir! Appreciated!

Dex and Andi leave in a huff.

Chapter 70

We’re in Lira’s POV as she reminisces about her childhood with Lon while he’s recovering from his near-death-experience.

So she sat by [Lon’s] side for endless hours, until the warm clutches of sleep stole her away.

She dreams about flying on an “Adhiran darowak” but then DUN DUN DUUUN Adhira below turns into Xen Ptera and it’s horrible!

“No,” Lira gasped. Her heart began to crack. Fissures spread through it, reaching cold fingers through every valve until Lira felt darkness stealing her away.

So the editor just left that in, huh? Just let Shinsay use the exact same wording in less than 200 words? Must’ve been stolen away by the editing fairy for editing crimes while reading this.

Lira is woken up by Alara, who got here so fucking fast she must be part-Sonic on her father’s side. You’d think a planetary leader would have more to do after a sudden and deadly attack on her home planet, but I guess Adhirans are so chill they’ll just let their leader fuck off to take care of her angsty teenage niece instead.

Lira says that she’ll do anything to make up for bringing Valen to Adhira, to which Alara says that the only thing Lira will do is “follow her heart,” which is sweet of her to say but also really convenient and makes this whole decision easier for her.

I mean, it’s nice that Alara is so supportive, but 1) narratively, it removes the conflict that was introduced only a few chapters ago 2) it makes Alara seem like she’s only there to be the supportive cool aunt and the Good Queen, without any expectations or wants of her own. Like, wasn’t the pressure from Alara something that gave Lira actual conflict? Idk. Seems too easy, is what I’m saying.

Lira didn’t let go of her aunt until the tears dried up. Until they sat down on either side of Lon’s bedside, held his hands and spoke of happier times. The beauty of a family that could come together, broken, and still find a way to become something whole.

You’re one step away from “Ohana means family” over here, Shinsay. Stop spelling shit out. WE. GET. IT. Also, whose narration is this? We’ve mostly stuck to third person limited, so ... is Lira thinking this? Is she thinking this shit while it’s happening? About her own family and situation? What the fuck?

Shinsay couldn’t keep their suspiciously sticky fingers out of their own writing and let it breathe so it comes out looking like God’s mistake.

Anyway, Lon wakes up and Alara tells him what went down on Adhira.

Chapter 71

We’re back with Andi, who just got out of a bath and is bitterly admiring her “private quarters” when she’s interrupted by DUN DUN her dad! He’s been waiting for her!

It’s all very tense. Before they can really start talking, though, we get a flashback. No, really. This whole tense reunion between father and daughter is interrupted by a lengthy flashback brought on by Andi watching her dad and Remembering.

Because Shinsay.

It’s a flashback to Andi in a cell, the day before she was supposed to be executed. Her dad tells her that her mother is "not well” and we find out his name is Oren. As they’re saying their tearful goodbyes, Oren slips Andi a key and tells her “Bay Seven. Tomorrow at dawn.”

The flashback ends with Andi’s cell standing empty the next morning.

Very cool and all that.

Back in the now, Andi rightfully chews her dad out for being a cowardly little bitch and throwing his teenage daughter under the bus for the sake of status. Something he freely admits to doing. He says he and her mother had to struggle to rebuild their reputation after she ruined it, and that he believes his daughter died with Kalee and that whoever he saved in the cell was already the Bloody Baroness even if she didn’t know it yet. Then he fucks off.

It’s all extremely silly. It would’ve been heartbreaking in any better book, but instead, it just feels like it’s tacked on for the sake of adding even more angst to Androma’s character. In fact, she’s not even upset at this. Instead she just carves some more tallies into her swords, dances some more with the dead, and then sneaks out.

No really, it’s written like a list.

She waited for the tears to come. But they never did.

Instead she sat alone, adding more tallies to her swords. Dancing with the dead inside her head.

Why is this so funny! I think it’s because both the tally-carving and the ghost-dancing is supposed to be these deep and haunted things she does that’s given a fair amount of weight and focus, but then it’s just written out like this like it’s just some generic routine shit she does like brushing her teeth or wiping her ass.

Yup, there she goes, doing her generic angsty shit one after the other. Emotional whiplash glossed over for the sake of moving the plot along. She’s in such a bad mental state that we simply MUST ignore it and move on.

Also, I want to highlight how convenient it is for Shinsay to already have Andi suspect and previously coming to terms with how her parents don’t love her before this confrontation. Like, we see her father save her tearfully, yet Andi has almost no hope that he still loves her. Or, she does, but when it’s squashed, she just ... accepts it? Because hey, she already processed that trauma years before! Makes it easy!

Wouldn’t it make it more impactful if all these years, she’s hoped that she has a home to come back to? That her father’s final act of saving her meant they love her still and want her to come back? And now she finds out that they never even mourned her loss? Wouldn’t that be heart-wrenching? And also add to the idea that Andi wants to return to Arcardia, both because it’s her home planet but also because that’s where her parents are? Instead we’re led to believe Andi wants to return, but when she does, she hates it here, she knows nobody wants her here, and she wants to leave immediately.

I seriously question the inclusion of this subplot and these characters. It adds nothing, changes nothing, and is just there to make Andi more angsty, which she already is, so ... why is this here lmao?

Shinsay really went “let’s squander all our potentially interesting ideas and concepts for the sake of more cheap angst and making our protag a cool emotionless badass who don’t care for no thing.”

#eff reads: zenith

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xennariel · 7 years ago

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Grim Aria - Prologue

It’s here! This is the prologue to my novel, a story fifteen years in the making!

If you enjoy the prologue and want to read more, this will be posted as a monthly serializaton on my Patreon for patrons. If you are interested in this story, or are even just a fan of my fanfiction, consider supporting me on Patreon? I’m Xennariel there too.

A huge, great big thanks to my betas @canadiangold @lieutenantriza @ladywiltshire @astroshadowdeviant @sapphiredragonprincess and everyone that read it over for me and gave me their thoughts on it. Your help is very much appreciated, even if I didn’t listen to all of your suggestions. lol

This is also posted on FictionPress and AO3!

Chapter 1

Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Horror Rating: T for violence, swearing, and gore Summary: Xennariel Revenlyr is an Ankhari, a race of demon from a world known as Shadira. After tragedy strikes her people, she feels she has nothing left to live for but vengeance for her family. She decides to dedicate her life to finding and killing Chiron, the Lord of the Chaos Demons and the man that is responsible for her family’s deaths.

Due to events beyond her control, Xen finds herself trapped in an unfamiliar place that she later discovers is our world, a world dominated by humans that are unaware of the existence of other dimensions. She spends the next eight years futilely trying to find a way home, thinking she needs to get back to Shadira in order to kill Chiron. But maybe she doesn’t need to go that far to find him after all.

Begrudgingly accepting the help of a young man who seems oddly interested in the paranormal, Xennariel faces challenges, unexpected enemies, and attempts to cope with past trauma while trying to find a way home. Through it all, she refuses to give up on getting back to Shadira, regardless of the attachments she might be making in our world.

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Dew drops clung to the the foliage of the deep woods, a light mist permeating the air. The early morning breeze was cool and the twin suns had yet to breach the horizon, leaving the hushed forest covered in shadows.

Four small figures moved through the trees, swift and light, the plants under their feet glowing in tones of blue and purple with each step, the trees changing color with each brush past them. The children’s soft giggles echoed through the forest as they raced toward a lake at the center. Running at their sides were two young wolves, a white wolf alongside the male child and a silver and blue wolf hugging close to the girl. The wolves playfully nipped and yapped as they ran, enjoying the fresh morning air just as much as the children.

They burst through the treeline and stopped at the banks of the lake to gaze out over the bright turquoise water rippling gently before them. Across the lake, reflected in the calm surface of the water, was a massive willow tree. Its branches were adorned with blue and purple leaves and flowers that flowed elegantly in a wide canopy. The dark trunk twisted like a braid reaching toward the heavens.

“Sheza is beautiful from here,” the boy said, eyes bright with a soft smile on his face.

“Mhm… the communion is tomorrow morning,” the girl replied, her eyes never leaving the Great Tree of Shadows. “I’ll share the secrets with you. Everything we do, we do together.”

“What if Mom finds out?”

“She won’t.”

“Okay… promise?”

The twins gently touched their foreheads together and held hands.

“Promise.”

They stood there for a few moments longer, the lake water lapping lazily at their clawed feet, before the girl stepped back toward the forest path and motioned to her brother.

“C’mon, let’s go back, Mom’s prob’ly already looking for me to start lessons.”

They returned to the path to make their way home, but neither were in any hurry.

“I know you’ll do a good job with your lessons today, Xen,” Xevran said as they walked back through the woods. “Good luck.”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t make me try portals or guardian magic today,” Xennariel responded with a grumble.

Their walk home was filled with silence. The chatter of birds and cadence of their steps over the twigs and leaves on the path were the only sounds to be heard, subtle and calming.

Soon they arrived at their home city, Raizyx. The city around them was filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It was awash in soft lights of blues, silvers, and purples, much like the forest that surrounded it. Raizyx blended in well with the forest, with homes built into large trees, well-worn paths made of stones and leaves, and stone and log buildings standing along the paths. Sheza stood behind it all, like she was watching over everything. From the city, the dark mist spiralling around Sheza’s trunk was visible. It seemed to come from the tree herself, and it spread to cover the ground around her and seeped partly into Raizyx before dissipating.

As expected, when the children finally arrived home, their mother was waiting for them, a raven perched on her delicate shoulder regarding them with scorn.

“You are late for your lessons, Xennariel,” their mother, Rizel, spoke. The calmness in her demeanor and voice belied the disappointment her children knew she felt. She stood with the city as her backdrop, fair skinned and radiant as always with her hands folded in front of herself, long dark hair tumbling over her shoulders and back in waves. Her sharp, dark eyes focused on the twins in silent admonishment. Ever regal and the picture of serenity, the only signs that she was upset were the look in her eyes and the way her graying feathered wings folded stiffly behind her.

“Xevran, you’ll come with me today, as usual,” a tall man with long, pale hair said, walking up to them. A large bear was at his side and he scratched her behind the ear absently as they walked. When he stepped up next to the twins, he bent down toward Xevran and, with a wink, added, “And maybe we’ll spy on your mother and sister sometime.”

Rizel crossed her arms and cocked her head, giving her husband a glare. Rel, the raven on her shoulder, mimicked the expression. “Val…” she said, a note of warning in her voice.

Valran chuckled and put his arms around the twins, giving them a gentle squeeze. His children took after him with their lighter hair, gray-blue skin, and light blue eyes. Even their wings matched his, leathery instead of feathered. Where their mother was bird-like, Rizel’s husband and children’s features were more reptilian.

How identical the twins appeared despite being fraternal was surprising to everyone who met them. Virtually the only way to distinguish between the two was to notice that Xennariel’s right eye was sea-green in color while her left was the same blue as her brother’s.

“Fine, fine, we’ll keep to ourselves,” Val said with a laugh, standing straight again. “Come, Xevran.”

Xev turned to his sister, giving her a pitying glance. “Good luck, Xen.” He and his white wolf turned and hurried to follow Val and the bear as they sauntered off.

Xennariel frowned and nodded, waving to her brother and father as they left. When they were out of sight, Rizel returned her attention to her daughter.

“Today I want to focus on guardian magic and the activation of portal runes.”

Of course she did. Xennariel was convinced it was a punishment for being late again.

“Yes, mother,” Xen sighed, resigned to her fate.

With the silver-blue wolf following closely behind, she followed her mother to the place all Guardians from her clan were trained for as long as anyone could remember: a large, foreboding castle isolated on a mountain floating in the sky. Its dark stone spires and steeples stretched into the clouds, casting a shadow over half of Raizyx.

They climbed the wide, winding stone staircase that led to the castle. Xen frowned as she peered over the thick railing at the other children her age, all playing and laughing. Instead of being out in the forest, playing with her brother, Xennariel had to spend her days learning how to strengthen her mind and magical abilities for the day she took over as Guardian in place of her mother. But all ever she wanted to do was spend more time with Xevran.

She sighed at her thoughts and continued on, following Rizel into the castle.

The Ankhari, known to many of the mortal races as Silence Demons, are one of the five major demon races that exist in the world of Shadira. The other clans live on the four other continents, each ruling over their own continent and each with their own demon lord, or Guardian, of their clan that specializes in a specific type of magic. The five demon lords make up a council that the people of Shadira dubbed The Great Five or simply The Five. Each continent has a Great Tree that the demon lords of the clans commune with. Their hearts and souls bind with the tree at a young age and the environment and condition of each continent is directly bound to the condition of the demon lord’s soul. If the demon lord is upset or distressed, the continent they rule will suffer. Plant and animal life will become sick or even die off until the demon lord’s soul is healed. If they become sick, the continent becomes sick. This is why only those with strong minds and powers are chosen as Guardians. Xennariel...

“Xennariel?” Rizel turned to find that her daughter didn’t seem to be paying attention. It was nothing new, but the information she had just explained was of vital importance. If Xennariel was going to be the next Guardian of the Ankhari, she needed to keep her heart and mind as strong as possible. The very ground they walked upon depended on it.

“Xennariel, are you even listening to me?”

Xennariel looked up at her name and nodded.

“Yes, mother,” Xen responded, sounding as bored as she looked. “But I already know all of this. We start lessons like this every day.”

“Because this is important. Your communion with Sheza is tomorrow morning. You will inherit my burden some day as the only Ankhari connected with Sheza until a guardian is chosen after you. This delicate cycle must not be tampered with. The circle must not be broken.”

Xennariel worried the inside of her lip and clenched her fists under the large wooden table at which she was seated. Tampering with the cycle meant minor mistakes, such as waiting too long to commune, as well as other, more taboo things, like allowing one who was not a future lord of the clan to bind their soul with the great tree. Sharing the connection, especially with multiple others besides the current guardian and future guardian, could have potentially disastrous results. Xennariel knew that, the knowledge being ingrained in her for practically her entire life, and yet, she was still willing to share the communion with her brother. Xevran deserved to be guardian, far more than she ever would, and she would ignore the possible consequences in favor of the two of them leading their people together. The twins had always felt like they were one soul split into two bodies, so there was no way both of them binding themselves to Sheza at the same time would end badly.

“I know,” Xen replied, hoping her mother wouldn’t see through her sudden uneasiness.

Rizel looked over her daughter and sighed. "I know you do. Now, let us adjourn to the courtyard." As they walked, Rizel continued to go over important lessons she knew Xennariel needed to constantly be reminded of. "And never forget, Xennariel," Rizel finished just as they reached the door that led to the courtyard. "All life is important. Everything has meaning. Every soul must be honored and treated with respect and kindness. Violence is not the answer. If you remember that, I know you will become a fine guardian."

"Violence is sometimes the answer," Xennariel muttered under her breath so her mother wouldn't hear. The wolf pup at her side whined and bumped his head into her leg. “Quiet you. Mom’s not always right.”

The day dragged on as Rizel began working with Xennariel on her use of magic. Usually Xen went through her daily lessons with her mother effortlessly. Her magical abilities were exceptional and she never needed to focus too much to accomplish what her mother asked of her. Unfortunately for her, it happened to be the day her mother chose to work on guardian magic and portal magic, the two schools of magic Xennariel could not master no matter how hard she tried. The only thing she seemed to be good at was wielding shadow magic and destroying things. When it came to guardian magic, which included healing and protection, she could never heal more than minor cuts and bruises, and creating a strong protective barrier was out of the question. And despite having memorized all the runes needed to create portals, she could never seem to be able to activate those runes.

Though her mother never said anything, Xennariel would catch the brief look of disappointment in her eyes whenever she failed to create a portal or heal a wound. It was that look that drove her to work harder, but also why she would become even more upset when she continually failed. Xen’s thoughts drifted back to Xevran who, in direct contrast to her, could naturally wield powerful guardian magic without much magical training. Together, the twins were unstoppable. It’s why sharing leadership of their people made so much sense to them.

By the end of the day, even after so much hard work and effort poured into everything, Rizel and Xennariel went home with nothing to show for it.

Frustrated and tired, Xennariel retreated to the woods again with her brother, gripping Xevran’s hand as they ran, their wolf spirit guardians at their sides. They arrived at the other side of the lake outside Raizyx and Xennariel flopped to the ground against a tree, her wolf coming to rest his head in her lap. She clutched the pup to her chest and buried her nose in his fur.

“Why can’t I do it?” Xennariel said, voice cracking, muffled by her spirit guardian’s fur. “What good is a guardian who can’t use guardian magic?”

Xevran sat down next to his sister and leaned against her. “You’ll get it one day, Xen, I know you will. I believe in you.”

Xennariel sniffed and wiped away her tears, looking up at Xevran. He was always so supportive of her and she didn’t know what she would do without him.

“Thanks, Xev. I’m so happy you’re with me. We’ll always be together, right?”

“Right,” Xevran giggled and smiled, tackling his sister, eliciting a laugh from her. She forgot about her worries as they played the rest of the night before returning home to sleep.

-------

It was still dark when Xennariel awoke on the morning of her communion. With hours before she had to begin getting ready, she groaned and tossed and turned in her hammock, trying to get a little more sleep. It was no use. Throwing back her sheet, she leaned down to Xevran in his hammock below her. Maybe they could get some play time in before she would have to be apart from him all day? She saw that Zyamishka, Xevran’s spirit guardian, was awake. One of the pup’s eyes cracked open when Xen leaned over her hammock. Zyamishka nuzzled Xevran’s hand and the boy stirred, waking slowly and yawning as he reached to pet his spirit guardian.

“Wanna go play by the lake?”

Xevran looked up at Xennariel and grinned.

“Yeah!”

Xennariel flipped down from her hammock with Shakuran, her wolf spirit guardian.

“I’ll race ya!”

“I’ll win!”

Fits of laughter overtook them as they ran off, jumping over rocks and logs, trying to get ahead of each other with each leap. They crashed into each other when they reached the lake, falling into the cool, shallow water as they came to a stop to catch their breaths. Their smiles were radiant as they splashed each other, their spirit guardians yapping and hopping about them as they played.

After a while, Xennariel’s movements became less enthusiastic and her gaze drifted off every so often. Xevran was quick to notice the change in her demeanor.

“Don’t be scared, Xen,” Xevran said.

“I can’t help it. What if I mess up? You’d be a better guardian, Xev. They shoulda picked you. You’re nicer and good at healing people and stuff.”

“Nuh uh, I’m no good with any magic ‘sides guardian magic.”

“... I guess.”

The suns soon rose almost above the trees and they knew they had to go back. Reluctantly, they trudged out of the lake, making sure to return to Raizyx with plenty of time before the communion. Xen had important things to do that day and they didn’t want to be late. They were never scolded by their parents, but that didn’t mean they never felt bad about disobeying, like they had the previous day. The communion was one of the most important events that would ever take place in Xennariel’s life and the twins made sure to arrive home early. Xennariel and Xevran went their separate ways when they reached Raizyx and wouldn’t see each other again until the communion was complete.

In preparation for her communion, Xennariel was required to cleanse herself beneath the waterfall by the lake. The cool, turquoise water was thought to bring peace and clarity to those who meditated beneath it as it cascaded down into Lake Vryn. As Xen sat on a large rock under the fast moving water, she stared across the lake at Sheza, breathing deeply, trying to calm her steadily fraying nerves. The knowledge that everyone in the city would be watching her and judging her in just a few hours weighed heavily on her mind and it took every ounce of effort to focus and meditate.

After the cleansing, she was then dressed in traditional ceremonial garb that included robes of various shades of purple, green, and gray, jangling silver anklets embossed with gemstones, silver earrings along her long, pointed ears, a silver jeweled cuff near the top of her long, leathery tail, and a crown of leaves, flowers, and thorns atop her head that weaved into her long, azure hair. The clothes were surprisingly light and she was able to move better than she had anticipated. The robes were scratchy, but she could probably ignore it if she concentrated hard enough on everything else around her.

Once she was ready, she took a deep breath and stepped out into the bright afternoon. The suns were high, clouds dotting the sky, and birds sang happily in the trees. Xennariel’s heart pounded in her chest, her blood rushing through her ears. She clenched and released her clammy hands into fists at her side in a failed attempt to relax, but she was good at pretending. She walked forward confidently, a mask of steel on her face, her dark wings folded regally behind her. Shakuran trotted at her side with his head held high.

‘There she is, the future guardian.’

‘Isn’t she one of the cursed children?’

‘She’s Rizel the Eternal’s daughter. I expect we’ll see great things from her.’

‘Lady Rizel wore those robes better, I think.’

Xennariel could hear the whispers of the people around her as she walked through Raizyx toward Sheza. They weren’t being nearly as discreet as they thought. Clenching her jaw, she tried not to react, though her tail swished briefly in agitation.

She would be nine years old in just a few days and the things her people spoke, comparing her to her beautiful, kind, and compassionate mother, were like daggers in her side. Hearing those things at such a young age created wounds that would fester and stay with her for most of her life, especially if she was never able to measure up to her mother one day.

Attempting to block out any further comments from bystanders, Xennariel concentrated on walking, focusing instead on the jingling made by the charms on her anklets with each step forward. She could feel the soft push of Shakuran in her mind, reassuring her and encouraging her to keep moving. If it weren’t for him, she would have already fled the ceremony. Catching Xevran and her father’s gazes helped too. Their smiles were infectious on any normal day, though all Xen could manage at that moment was a meek upturn of her lips when she walked passed them.

When she finally reached her mother standing at the base of Sheza’s massive trunk, Rizel nodded at her, her smile full of warmth, pride visible in her eyes. Xennariel nodded back, absently fidgeting with her robes.

“Xennariel Megari Revenlyr,” Rizel spoke, only loud enough that Xennariel and those closest to them could hear. “Future Guardian of Soruzen, Chosen of the Ankhari, come forward and place your hand upon Sheza, Great Tree of Shadows. Focus your spirit and hear her voice.”

Xennariel took a deep breath and stepped forward, placing her tiny clawed hand on Sheza’s trunk, scattering the mist that seeped from it. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy as her mother instructed. Her heart began to beat erratically in her ears again as her fear of failure bubbled up. She stomped the feeling down and pushed through her unease, refusing to ruin this moment that she had been preparing for her whole life. Her mother had been so proud. She wouldn’t let her down. Couldn’t.

As Xen concentrated, the noise around her diminished and soon a silver light appeared where her hand met Sheza, gradually growing brighter and stronger. She began to feel a comforting warmth envelop her, slowly drifting further through her body the longer she stood there. In her mind, a soft sound grew louder and she honed in on it, listening intently. It was like pleasant music playing just for her, soothing chimes on the wind echoing in her mind. Whatever worries she felt evaporated as she communed with the great tree, filling her with knowledge, strength, and understanding beyond her years. The energy tingled down her spine with a pleasant warmth that calmed her.

It wasn’t nearly as scary as she thought it would be.

Sheza’s song eventually tapered off. Xennariel opened her eyes and stepped back, her fears alleviated. Xevran would surely be able to commune just as easily and it felt like a great weight was lifted off her shoulders. It was something she never told him, but Xen had been worried that binding to Sheza would be hard on Xevran. Now that she had done it, she was even more confident in the plan they would put into motion that night when everyone else was asleep.

“Well done, Xennariel.”

Xen looked up at her mother’s voice to find a loving smile on Rizel’s face. Rel, Rizel’s raven spirit guardian perched on her shoulder, radiated more warmth and affection than Xennariel had ever felt from him. Xen couldn’t help but return the smile, giggling at the sudden happiness and lightness she felt now that the communion was over. Shakuran was overjoyed as well, circling closely around Xennariel’s legs and nuzzling against her side, ears perked and tail wagging as he whined.

There were cheers and chants and applause coming from the people around them, but rather than reveling in the attention, Xennariel just wanted to go home and be with her family for the rest of the day. Rizel noticed how uncomfortable Xennariel appeared and she put her arm around Xen’s shoulder, pulling her close for a quick hug before leading her home as the crowd slowly scattered behind them.

-------

It was nearing early morning hours when Xennariel and Xevran snuck out of their home. The only sound was the crunch of their clawed feet on fallen leaves as they made their way through the dark city with only the light of the moons and stars to guide them.

“It was so neat Xen! You were all glowy and I can’t get over it!”

Xennariel laughed and nudged her brother.

“I know, Xev, you already told me.”

“Well I’m gonna be talking about it forever, I think. You think it’ll be that easy for me too?”

“I bet. All ya have to do is concentrate on your powers, focus on Sheza, and listen.”

Xevran nodded and the two of them approached Sheza, her leaves and flowers glowing in the night. The mist pooled around their feet as they stood there, looking up into Sheza’s canopy. It looked like the night sky, dark and twinkling with stars. It was mesmerizing.

Xevran slowly lifted his hand and placed it hesitantly on the trunk before him. He closed his eyes, focused his power, and waited. Xennariel stood next to him, nodding and smiling. This was it. They were going to be tied to Sheza together forever.

Except nothing happened.

A long silence stretched before them before Xevran frowned and opened his eyes again.

“Nothing’s happening.”

Xennariel’s ears drooped, her look of disappointment matching his.

“You can’t hear anything? No song?”

Xevran shook his head and Xennariel huffed. It wasn’t fair. It had to work.

“Let’s try again. Together.”

“Okay.”

The twins put their hands onto the trunk at the same time and concentrated with all their might on the tree before them, their spirit guardians even joining in, placing their paws at the base of the trunk.

This time, the effect was almost immediate. Light engulfed the twins and their spirit guardians, the dark mist swirling about as a breeze kicked up around them.

Xevran grit his teeth. Sheza’s musical voice reverberating in his mind was quiet, but it was somehow painful. It was almost too much to take and before long, he had to let go of the tree and catch his breath. The music gradually faded and he was filled with a sense of power that hadn’t been there before. Zyamishka felt it too, just as Shakuran had when Xennariel communed, and she leaned against Xevran’s legs as Sheza’s song subsided. They had connected with Sheza, but their strength had been exhausted. All the training Xennariel had undergone must have prepared her for her communion because it had been so much easier for her.

“Xev! Are you okay?!” Xennariel leapt to her brother’s side and gripped his shoulders. She was shaking, frantic and confused about his reaction to the communion.

Xevran smiled weakly at his sister and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m just really sleepy now.”

“That didn’t happen to me. I was fine after when I did it. Maybe something went wrong?”

“Nah, it was kind of quiet, but I heard Sheza’s song that time. I feel a little different too. Lighter. Stronger.”

Xennariel nodded. That sounded right. It was how she felt too. But Sheza’s song had been loud in her head, not quiet.

“She wasn’t quiet for me…” Xen looked back to Sheza in thought. “Maybe… oh, I don’t know! Maybe she connected to you through me?”

Xevran thought about it for a moment and nodded.

“Yeah, maybe. I thought I heard your voice too for a moment. It was strange.”

“Well at least it worked! Let’s go home and go to sleep. Maybe you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

Xevran nodded. Xennariel helped him stand and he leaned heavily against her side as they walked home at a slow pace.

-------

Xennariel woke early the next morning despite getting to sleep so late. She hung from her hammock with a huge grin to face Xevran upside down. She wanted to play before her lessons that morning, as always, but Xev was sleeping deep and peacefully. He must have been tired from their struggle to bind him with Sheza and Xen didn’t want to wake him, so she jumped from her hammock and crept out of their room and into the predawn darkness alone with Shakuran. Neither Xev nor Zyamishka heard her leave.

The morning air was crisp as Xennariel and Shakuran ventured to their favorite spot on the other side of the lake. She flopped onto her back at the shores of the lake, staring at the steadily brightening sky peaking through the canopy of the trees. The tranquility of the forest was calming. Water lapping gently at the shore, a soft breeze rustling the leaves on the trees, birds singing around her. It all brought her peace as she lay sprawled out amongst fallen leaves and flowers.

A pillar of fire exploded from behind Sheza and Xennariel leapt to her feet, eyes wide.

“Xennariel! Xennariel!”

Xevran’s panicked cries came from behind her and she turned to find her brother and Zyamishka running toward her, out of breath, eyes full of fear. Something was terribly wrong and she could feel the tension on the air. She gripped Shakuran’s fur to ground herself before fear took over, moving to meet Xevran on the forest path.

“Xev, what was that? What’s going on?”

“It’s Mom and Dad!” Xevran replied in a huff, trying to explain as quickly as he could. He was pale and breathing heavily and it took him a few moments to catch his breath before he could speak again. When he did, it came out rushed and Xen almost didn’t understand him. “Mom’s friend from the Drashu clan came to visit, but then he went somewhere with Mom and his men just attacked Dad for no reason! And, and then when others tried to stop him, his men attacked them too! I ran away to find you. We have to stop them!”

“What?!” Xennariel gasped. “Why would they do that?”

“I dunno, but Dad’s in trouble.”

“C’mon, let’s go!”

Xennariel and Xevran ran faster than they ever had toward their home, Shakuran and Zyamishka at their heels.

The Drashu were known as Chaos Demons to the humans and other mortal races of Shadira for good reason. They specialized in fire magic and out of all the demon clans, they were the ones to cause the most problems. But Chiron, their lord, had been good friends with Rizel for many, many years. Like many of the Drashu guardians before him, he was kind and easygoing. For him to suddenly attack them was confusing to Xennariel and Xevran, but they would defend their family and their people against anyone who threatened them, no matter who it was.

The chaos echoing from Raizyx became louder the closer the twins came. Screams and the scent of smoke were carried on the breeze, filtering throughout the forest. As the twins entered the city, they gasped at the sight that greeted them, moving closer together to grip each other’s hands tightly. Shakuran and Zyamishka pushed against the children’s legs, shivering and whining.

The fire burned with the fury of a thousand dragons. It surrounded them and the billowing, black smoke blocked out the sky. The Ankhari people both fought and ran in the streets, evacuating their homes or trying to stop the Drashu that were attacking them. But with Rizel nowhere in sight and so many people passed out on the ground from the smoke, they were fighting a losing battle.

Xennariel gripped her brother’s hand tightly and glared, turning to her brother with determination in her eyes.

“C’mon Xev, we have to help.”

“Let’s do it.”

Xevran raised his hands toward the sky and brought them down swiftly again, a nearly invisible barrier forming around himself and Xennariel as he did so. Xennariel leapt forward, pulling her arms back to create a ball of shadows surrounded by crackling blue light between her hands. Once the ball was formed, she shoved her arms forward, shooting the ball at one of the Drashu attackers. He fell as the ball of shadows hit him. Not waiting to see if he would stay down, Xennariel spun and shot her shadow magic at every Chaos Demon she could see.

The attackers finally noticed the twins and threw balls of fire at them in an attempt to stop them, but Xevran’s barrier prevented the fire magic from even touching them. So long as they were together, there was no way anything could hurt them.

That was when Xevran caught sight of his father just as Val was struck with an arrow made of fire. Xevran called out to his father, but his voice barely sounded over the battle raging around them. He reached for Xennariel’s shoulder, grabbing her attention as he pointed frantically toward where their father fell. Xennariel caught on quickly, but had no time to despair.

“Go help Dad!” she yelled as she shot out another wave of shadow magic in a seemingly futile attempt to thwart their attackers.

“Will you be okay!?”

“Yeah! Go!”

The twins made eye contact and nodded in silent resolution before Xevran ran off to try to protect their father.

Alone, Xennariel had to be careful. She was powerful, but without her brother next to her, his barrier was not as strong. It dwindled and flickered the further away Xevran was. Just as the barrier began running out, a wave of fire came barreling at her. Unable to dodge it fast enough, Xennariel waited for it to strike her.

But it never came. Something jet black screamed past her in the air, nothing but a blur of feathers to her as it hit the wave of fire and redirected it. Xennariel smiled once she realized what it was.

“Mom!”

Rizel stepped forward, her spirit guardian swooping back toward her. He landed on her shoulder and shook his smouldering feathers.

“Stand back, Xennnariel.” Rizel said as she ran past her daughter. “Get someplace safe!” Rizel lifted her arm and pointed at the Drashu that had attacked Xennariel. “Go, Rel!”

Rel lifted off swiftly from her arm, a blur of feathers again as he transformed into an arrow, weaving and whistling as he struck the Chaos Demons. He swooped back to Rizel and became a staff as she reached for him, purple lightning crackling from a gem at the top.

Xennariel stared in awe at her mother. She had never seen her fight before. So this was the power of a guardian. Possessing the ability to transform her spirit guardian into any kind of weapon. She wondered when she would be able to do such a thing. It seemed like an impossible feat.

Seeing her mother fighting so hard filled her with more determination and Xennariel stood, prepared to continue fighting alongside her. Ignoring Rizel’s warning, she ran toward her, only to stop after a few strides. Xevran's barrier shattered like broken glass around her. Crying out, she fell to her knees, gritting her teeth as her hands clenched at her chest. Her vision swam, ears ringing, the sounds of fighting drowning out. Shakuran fell at her side, panting heavily. It was strange, he shouldn’t have been feeling the same pain, and yet he lay at her side, yowling in obvious distress.

Xennariel looked around for any sign of what could be causing her such torment and her eyes landed on her father and brother, both on the ground a ways away, unmoving, blood pooling around them, seeping into the dirt. Her eyes widened at the sight. She gasped and clutched at her chest with one hand, the other reaching for Xevran.

“Xev?” she breathed, voice quivering.

The wind tousled his hair, smoke and debris falling over him, yet he remained unmoving. Xennariel realized it then, like a firestorm exploding in her chest. Xevran was gone and she felt his death as if it had been her own. Like a piece of her soul had been torn from her. She cried out and continued to reach for him, unable to find the strength move as her world came crashing down around her.

She was so distracted, she hadn’t even seen the man with long, bright red hair approach her. Her mother’s oldest friend, Chiron, lord of the Chaos Demons, stood towering above her. His black horns curled up from his temples, red and black armor reflecting the fire from the burning city around them. He and his dragon spirit guardian cast shadows over her and Xennariel still did not move, still did not see them. A cruel smile split Chiron’s face. He reached out and his spirit guardian became a flaming sword in his hand. He lifted the blade, a terrible glint in his blood red eyes as he glared at Xennariel.

“Your existence is a mistake,” Chiron spat, his voice a heavy baritone. “You too shall die now.”

The flaming sword came whistling down toward Xennariel, but it never struck her. Something warm and wet hit her face and she slowly turned to see her mother above her, impaled on Chiron’s sword through her chest. Xennariel’s eyes grew even wider with a sharp inhalation. It felt as if time slowed down around her. Rizel fell to the ground and Xennariel reached out, her tiny hands pressing into the seeping wound in her mother’s chest. Rel fell on the ground next to Rizel. He was fading, his form shimmering in the firelight. Rizel rested her hand on his soft back, the other coming to grasp Xennariel’s hand weakly.

Next to them, Chiron dropped the sword and it returned to the form of his dragon spirit guardian. He gripped his head in his hands, shaking his head as he slowly stepped back from Rizel and Xennariel.

“No...Rizel. Not Rizel. No. Why?”

His rambling was barely audible to Rizel and Xennariel. They no longer acknowledged his presence as Rizel lay dying.

“M… Mother…”

“It’s… all right… my darling.” Rizel’s voice was a whisper as she lifted her hand to touch Xennariel’s cheek. “You must… run away. You are the guardian of the Ankhari now. They need you. Get away and survive... so you can protect them.”

Xennariel shook her head and her voice broke when she responded.

“No, I can’t… I… I don’t know how.”

“You can. I… believe in… you.”

A purple light emitted from Rizel’s fingertips resting against Xennariel’s right cheek. Her green eye lit up in a flash of purple, an intricate magic circle appearing inside her pupil for mere seconds before the light faded and the symbol disappeared. Rizel’s hand fell limply to the ground and Xennariel shook her head.

“Mo… Mother?” Xennariel stared into Rizel’s lifeless eyes and shook her shoulder. “Mother?”

Chiron was upon her again, shaking with barely contained rage.

“You! You brat! This is your fault! You should never have been born!”

Chiron lifted his sword again with a furious roar. Xennariel still stared at her mother, as if she were in a trance, ignoring Chiron. Her tears fell at last, streaming down her face, stinging the cuts on her cheeks. She lifted her shaking hands covered in her mother’s blood and her eyes drifted from her hands to the broken bodies of her brother and father. A sob escaped her lips.

Unable to control her emotions any longer, she raised her face to the sky and screamed. An explosion of magical energy burst from her body as she cried, killing everything within the Central Continent of Shadira.

#grim aria #original stuff #writing #fantasy #original fiction #thank you so much for reading <3 <3

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