Upon a Star: Karyana's Journey: Chapter 15

A Chapter by Sebastien B.

While one sister has accepted her fate, the other refuses it even when pressured by the gods.

Chapter 15

The city of Myst was given this name due to the mysterious aurora that appeared every night, lighting the skies near Frostreach. It was also called this way because of the many days of fog and mist that made travel by-seas dangerous.

But it was mostly known as the place where Reveen's first human reincarnation was born. As such, many priests who embark on their pilgrimage begin their journey in this small city, located a day's walk from Starfall. The said pilgrimage would take them from the location where the Magelord was cast down from the Aether into the mortal world and end at Planar-Gift, a small archipelago beyond the rough seas of Weepfall.

On this day, the city was mostly quiet, except for the bustle of the local tavern, "The Hornet Gobbler". The actual name of the tavern was the "The Hornet Goblet", but years of mist and rain caused the written words to fade and the picture to smear. In the end, the keep had grown so tired of people mistaking the name that he took the jest, changed the tavern's sign and even changed his signature drink to fit.

Kaina scooped the dead hornet from her cup as Alban smiled wryly. "They should've stayed with plain old mead." he said, as he used a spoon to remove his own insect.

Onyx chugged down his pint without so much as breath between gulps, while Turalyon was watching the local bard prance about, singing a tale about a drunkard knight who ended losing his head �" quite literally �" over a young battle-maid.

"I can't believe you actually drink that stuff, insect and all." Korgan said to Onyx, who slammed his empty mug before letting out a less-than-savory burp.

"They don't make ale like they used to." the dwarf replied, grimacing at the aftertaste. "Give me a stoat or a nice dwarven ale, and I'll be dancing like an elf!"

"I'd love to see that…" Alban replied before turning his attention to Kaina. "…but I believe that this meeting isn't exactly one of chance."

Kaina pushed her half-pint away from her end of the table, just as Onyx picked it up. "I guess I can't really hide anything from you." she replied wistfully. "I've been looking for someone over the past week, and I heard she might have been traveling with you."

Korgan rolled his eyes. "If you mean that yellow-haired pilferer-" he scowled, before Turalyon placed a hand against the war-priest's shoulder to calm him down.

"This isn't the place for anger, friar." the battle-mage replied with a mild slur in his speech. "Let the young lady speak."

From the dirty blonde-haired man's look, Korgan could tell that the mage had taken half a pint too many, as Turalyon was actually reeling on his seat.

Onyx looked back at Kaina for a moment, as if examining her from head to chest, taking a moment too much on the latter, then back at Alban. "She's dressed as a warrior, but she looks too skinny." he remarked, making the girl uneasy.

"She has had some hard times at the Academia..." the ranger replied, taking a sip from his brass mug before continuing. "…but she actually took out the biggest of the lot that year. She's not to be trifled with when she puts her heart into it."

Alban's words made Kaina blush, causing the tipsy mage to chuckle. "Maybe we'll see you two up a tree…" Turalyon replied, only to be knocked back to his senses by Korgan's backhand, which caused the drunk man''s head to bounce against the table as if it had been attached to a rope. "Ow! What was that for?"

Kaina stifled a giggle at the scene, even as the others laughed on at the Turalyon's bleak constitution when it came to holding liquor, the poor man ending up splashed by his own drink when he tried to wipe the table's stain off his face.

It took a few minutes before everyone was sober enough, and serious enough, to continue the conversation. "I'm really sorry if my sister troubled you-"

Korgan's face turned pale, then flared to an angry crimson. "You're her sister? You should have shown her proper manners!" he replied, almost shouting over the music. "She led us around on some stupid treasure hunt, and all we got for that was some rings!"

Tura tapped against the table, showing the sapphire-inlaid golden ring he sported. "Well, it isn't that bad." he commented. "All of those rings have some sort of spell weaved in them. I even identified mine as a Ring of Lightning."

Alban had to admit that the rings were masterly-crafted and incredibly detailed. He still didn't know what powers his ring, a white jade hoop holding a polished and perfectly-cut ruby, held, but he was not entirely looking forward to it.

Kaina winced as she heard the words 'treasure hunt'. "Treasure? What kind of treasure, exactly?"

"Stones." Onyx replied, finishing his pint and setting it upside-down on the table. "Diamonds, I wager. She said they were worth more than any Lord's treasures, but she didn't say how that was possible, as those things were-"

"Unpolished? Crude? Rough?" Kaina asked, cutting the dwarf's words.

"Well, yes…" Onyx added, startled by her tone of voice, which was growing worried.

Kaina let out a heavy sigh. "I knew she was impulsive, but I didn't expect her to go that far…" she muttered before looking at the others. "We have to reach Shardfall before she does something… something horrible."

"With the current roads, it would take at least half a day more to walk there." Korgan said, looking out the stained window as the mist faded into a rainstorm. "Besides, what's so important there, aside from an old monument to Reveen?"

Turalyon and Kaina replied in unison. "The Cradle."

Before Kaina could utter another word, the now-sober mage spoke. "It's the place where Reveen first fell to Medierth. Legends say that his Planar body broke into ten diamond-like pieces, leaving him as a mortal man. It is said that those shards, if placed together at Starfall, will unlock the first Magelord's power, and grant a person his or her greatest wish."

The whole group turned to look at the battlemage with bewilderment. "What?" he added. "The Order sent me to make sure Laurinya Val'kyr was… the Order made me keep an eye on her."

"And you brought her that piece, because…?" Korgan asked, folding his arms as he looked at the mage, ready to test how flexible the man's neck was.

"The Arch asked me to." Turalyon added.

Kaina looked shocked. "So… he knows, then…?"

Everyone's attention turned back to the mousy ranger. "Knows what?" Alban asked, placing his hands on the table.

The young woman closed her eyes for a moment before sighing. "Laurinya… she and I aren't exactly sisters…" she added.

Onyx cocked an eyebrow. "I thought as much. You two don't look or act alike-"

"…we're two sides of a single person."

-
Laurinya rested in an inn on the other side of Myst. The "Night's End Inn" was a much quieter place, as most of the caterers were already asleep. Except for the golden-haired girl.

Looking at the contents of the chest �" the box having been left behind -, she marveled at the robe. The fabric looked like spider silk, woven by the finest elvish hands, and it seemed to glitter in the night, even as the flames of the room's oil lamps dimmed.

"There's no way that this was made for a priestess…" she said to herself as she picked up the cloth, holding it gently. "It looks far too pretty for a worshiper of any Planar. Maybe it was the princess of that sky elf race… or maybe even a queen! Oh, thinking about it just gives me goose bumps!"

Laurinya quickly put the cloth away for a moment, walked over to the room's door and shut it, putting the only chair in the single-bed room against the handle to hold it shut. Walking over to the dress, she made a wide grin. "Whatever you are, or wherever you came from, you are mine now!"

Taking a moment to undress, she looked at the rest of the treasure. Tilting her head slightly, she grabbed the pendant that rested on the bed, unclasped it, then put it around her graceful neck. "Not very ornate, but no jewel should go to waste…" she noted.

Looking at the dress, she picked up, lifted it overhead and slid into the silvery silk, feeling the cloth rest at the right places on her body. "Fits like a glove… and feels like-"

Before she could utter another word, she felt her heart skip a beat, only to hear it louder in her ears. Her eyes went wide as her body suddenly lost any sense of motion. Her mind felt like it was being assaulted by an army of claws, raking at her thoughts, even as her whole frame was caught in a wave of spasms. Her eyes quickly opened and shut, her body no longer hers to control.

As she collapsed onto the rough bedsheets, her mind screamed as it felt a pull from within.

-
"You're saying that you and Laurinya… are the same person?" Korgan asked, his stool having fallen over when he stood up.

"More like… two sides of the same person." the meek ranger answered, raising a hand to her face to wipe a tear and move a lock of hair away from her eyes. "She may not want to talk about it, but… she and I were never meant to exist."

"That is folly." the war-priest retorted. "All Planars create life with equal chance. How could you of all people not be meant to live?"

Kaina looked slowly at the group before speaking. "She probably forgot, or does not want to remember, but we were born an accident." she answered, putting her hands together. "Lord Demyan of Citadel… told me that she and I were once a single girl named Karyana. I don't understand why, but I can remember pieces of her memory: living in Warmcreek, meeting you…"

The brown-haired girl looked at Alban, then at Onyx. "I also remember how Master Rauz fought a stranger, and the look in his eyes when he came back… I also remember the pain…" Stopping for a moment to shiver, she closed her eyes shut. "Karyana… she… we… I was ripped apart from her… and so was my sister…"

Alban placed a broad hand on the girl's shoulder. "Calm down. If it hurts too much, then don't delve any further."

Kaina shook her head. "I kept seeing Laurinya and Lord Demyan in my dreams… even if we were hundreds of leagues away. When he met me at the Selection… he knew who… what I was."

The rest of the group grew silent as the mousy ranger wiped tears from her face. "He sent me to find her… to go to Starfall. He told me it could make any heartfelt wish come true…"

Turalyon looked at the brown-eyed girl. "And what do you wish for?" he asked absent-mindedly.

Kaina looked startled. "What I…?"

"I mean, if you make a wish, what makes you think it might not just go awry?" the battlemage spoke, grasping his staff tightly, holding it close to Korgan to avoid another backhand slap.

Kaina put her hands to her face. "I… I don't know! I don't know what I want!" she let out, breaking in tears.

Alban let out a sigh. "Let's leave her to think." he commented. "We should get some rest."

-----

Laurinya awoke as if from a nightmare. When she looked around, she felt as if the nightmare was still ongoing.

Around her was a silvery garden of flowers, the petals shining like starlight. Tending the garden was a young woman, seemingly older than she was by a few seasons, yet the gardener's long hair was strangely white.

"Wh-what… what is this place?" the golden-maned woman shouted. "Where am I?"

The gardener turned around, then gazed at Laurinya with black eyes, which felt mesmerizing. "You are at the Celestial Garden. My home…" the pale-skinned woman answered.

"Your home?" the emerald-eyed young woman replied, looking irritated. "Who are you supposed to be?"

Her flare of temper made her feel something strange against her forehead. It was as if a hot pike was pressed against it. "Gah… what is this-"

"You lack discipline, child." the woman spoke, walking close to Laurinya, who seemed unable to move. "I am the White Dancer, the Alabaster Maiden… the courtisan of the Childlord."

"Wh-what? What are you doing?" the mortal woman spoke, struggling against invisible bonds.

"I am Lady Asuna, Planar-Lady of the Moon and the Stars." the woman spoke. "And you have donned the gift that I gave Lord Reveen… my maiden's robe."

Laurinya's eyes grew wide with shock. "Wh-what?" was all she could stutter.

"You see, my child… the ritual you wish to undertake would link you and Lord Reveen together… but you are not the one." Lady Asuna continued. "You are merely the darkness and chaos of a child's heart made flesh. A child born from my garden."

The look of shock on Laurinya's face seemed plastered on as her body left her control, following the alabaster-skinned Planar. "You seek freedom, pure and absolute, yet you have never been touched by the threads of fate. If you continue on your ordeal, you will cause the end of yourself… and of the light that meekly walks towards you."

The golden-haired young woman struggled again and again, trying to move away, to run, even to speak, but she could do nothing but breathe on her own, the rest of her body moving without her accord.

"A warning to you." Lady Asuna spoke. "You made hold the shards of Reveen's former shell, but you do not have his blessing. Repent, beg for your sister's forgiveness… let the light fill you, or death will be the end of your quest."

-----

Laurinya awoke in cold sweat, the dress clinging to her body like a second skin. "A nightmare… it had to be…" she wheezed as she got up.

Taking a moment to feel her body, making it move about, she stopped her personal expression when she felt the same burning sensation on her forehead as she did in her dream.

As she looked in the old mirror that hung on the wall of her room, shock soon became dread as she saw a diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.

"N-no…" the word rushed out of her mouth, as she examined the scar before straightening herself.

"No." she continued, trying to ease her nerves. "No! I won't be a puppet to fate… I'm not a pawn in your game, Planar!" she said before dislodging the mirror from its hanging nail and smashing it on the ground. "I will take what's mine! I want to be free; and so, I shall!"

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