Introduction: a light on a dark day
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A gray haze fell over a white stone city as a fresh rainstorm lingered about it. Tall and grand it was long ago, but in decay it now was. Being abandoned by many people over hundreds of years ago, the streets saw sparse inhabitants. The air had grown cold and no warmth could be found in their sun. Unleashing its rain, the clouds darkened, and down a distant street was a woman lying lifeless as her very young daughter approached, kneeling down beside her.
"Mama…. Mama git up." Tears began trickling down her small fragile face, mixing in with the rain that had successfully soaked her. She reached out and grabbed a hold of the woman's shirt, and began to tug on it. "Mama git up. You have ta git up." Tears rushing down her face, she clenched her fists and threw her head down onto the woman's chest. She began to wail in a way that only young children do, shamelessly and without restraint. Noticing a light coming from behind her, she lifted her head. The gentle, soothing figure of light reached out to her, encompassing the child. After a moment, it vanished as if it had never been there, and the girl was nowhere to be seen.
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Ellizea: a day interrupted
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Many years later in a far distant land.
It was a beautiful day in the kingdom of Ellizea. In its capital, El'laissa, the streets were bustling with vendors, markets, all sorts of business, and many who common people who were content and happy to go about their daily rituals. A smile could be found on almost anyone's face. The air was fresh and crisp and seemed to have gotten to everyone.
The late morning sun illuminated the city in a way that only it could do. Its golden haze folded over the many warm-colored stone streets and elegant buildings, nourishing the many trees and flowering plants throughout the city, for they were in their prime. Their fragrance was carried on the breeze mixed in with the smell of the sea.
In the tallest, most beautiful structure of it all were two people sitting at a long, old, wooden table. At one end was a dashing young man of about twenty-six. His rough-cut, shaved face was framed with fine blond hair that layered down to his chin. His medium blue eyes could command the attention of anybody. Though he sat staring at his food, one could tell it was not his food he was seeing.
"Did a squid crawl onto your plate?" came a woman's voice.
"Huh? Oh, no, the food's fine. I'm just not very hungry." He looked up into the face of a beautiful woman. Her emerald green eyes had settled on him. Her long, dark, loosely-curled hair was pulled up fashionably, a few loose strands falling down here and there. Her skin was an attractive pale tone, and her lips a pinkish color. From each ear dangled a teardrop shaped pearl and from her neck hung an attractive necklace of creamy white pearls.
"Then, pray tell what is bothering you, Ean?"
He smiled at her. "I'm just a little tired; that's all."
"Indeed." Her voice was crisp. Cecealye Elleno was her name and she was the queen of Ellizea. History would remember her as the Radiant Queen. She was merciful and operated her kingdom in justice. People swore fealty to her not because they were made to or feared her. They did it because they admired and respected her. She did not have to boldly announce herself to a room; she merely had to walk in. A certain life seemed to radiate from her and people of all ages and sizes loved to be in her presence.
Fortune, however, was not always on her side. Her older sister, Bailey, had disappeared when she was a child. Her mother, Queen Doneria, had met her death some years ago, as had her father, King Trecin, before that.
Cecealye rose from the table to expose a beautiful pink gown that flowed loosely to the floor. With a height of about 5'7, she was somewhat taller than the average woman in her kingdom. "Well, I have some things that need tending to. I should be done in an hour or so." She began walking toward the door.
"Would you like me to join you?" Ean questioned.
"Would it do me any good?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder at him. "Go take a walk; we'll meet later."
"Alright." After another moment, he rose to his feet and walked out of the room as a maid was cleaning up the dining area in which they had eaten.
Ean was a fit young man. Standing about 5'10, his attire was fairly common. He had on a fitted, sturdy hide vest that had studs of metal embedded throughout the fabric which meant that it proved useful as a light armor. Under it, he wore a long sleeved, off-white linen shirt tucked into a pair of nicely crafted, fitted ankapello (a deer-like creature) hide pants along with boots to match.
Strapped around his waist was a belt adorned with two swords, which he carried on his person at all times. One looked much like our sixteenth century two-handed swords, though he could wield it with one hand. The other looked as though it was ancient, with its leaf-shaped blade and all of it being crafted from bronze. He also carried a dagger that resembled a kukri, a dagger that has a one-sided, forward-angled blade with a wooden handle.
As Ean wandered throughout the town, he heard a familiar voice over by a melon stand. As he approached, he saw who it was that he recognized. A little man named Orckle. He was at one of the banquets Cecealye and he had attended. He was a rather mysterious man with his long, deep black robe; his black pointed hat; and his small black boots. Under his coat, though no one could see it, he had a dudgeon dagger, a double-edged blade with a nearly black wooden hilt that had a fluted octagonal grip.
"Lord Orckle?"
"Yes." Orckle turned around to reveal his coal black face. Being about four feet, he looked up, cranking his neck back.
"Hello. Ean Kentrento. We met at that horrible banquet?"
"Oh yes, I remember you-" a shrill cry interrupted Orckle. "I wonder what that was about?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to go find out," Ean said firmly, but there was no reason to go see what the problem was, for the problem came to them. Suddenly, a strange girl came crashing into Orckle and knocked both him and her from their feet.
She got up quickly. "Oh, I'm sorry, but I gotta go!"
"Halt you thief!" came from behind as two guards cornered her at the melon stand. She circled Ean and pushed him between her and the guards.
"Come here you!"
"Go away, you stuck up jerk!" she said without fear.
"You hand it over," he demanded as he pulled his sword.
"Whoa now! What did she steal?" Ean questioned.
"A loaf of bread," she answered sarcastically.
"Here. Look, I'll pay for it."
"Sir Ean, you would be the last person I would expect-"
"Well, you expected wrong. I could see if she had stolen something of great value but a loaf of bread? It's obvious she's hungry, and as the right hand of her Highness I intend on doing nothing else but feeding her."
"Oh, well, my apologies," the guard said stiffly. "In that case, we have other things to attend to, if you will excuse us."
He squinted his eyes. "You're excused." With that, the guards departed.
Turning around to talk to the girl, Ean got a better look at her. She was roughly twenty-years-old and was a rather short woman, standing about 5'3. She had messy, golden blond hair that layered down to her chin; hazelnut eyes that were shaped like a skleros dragons' eyes; and her teeth seemed to be overly sharp.
She had on a fitted, medium brown, long-sleeved jacket that was made from ankapello hide and extended to right below the bust line. Underneath that, she had a well-fitted, off-white, tattered linen shirt. Her pants matched her jacket. However, she was using a rope for a belt. Strapped to her right leg was a simple katar, a punching dagger, and around her waist was a set of strange daggers that had teeth crafted into them. On her feet were makeshift shoes created with a sturdier material, and around her neck hung a small, rough cut, silvery-clear stone. He noticed this as she talked.
"Thanks. I could die for some meat but this will have to do. Say, what was your name?"
"Ean D. Kentrento. And yours is?"
"Supreany." Caution reflected in her eyes. "Just Supreany… anyway, thank you."
"You are welcome, but try not to steal any more food. I may not intercede next time."
"Don't worry. I won't count on you." A mischievous smile lit up her face. "Well, I must go."
As she turned, Ean noticed two vertical tears in the back of her jacket.
'It wasn't so long ago that I was in her place,' Ean thought to himself as he watched her disappear into the crowd. He then turned to Orckle.
"Well, Orckle, I'm going back to the castle. Would you like to join me?"
"I would like to see Queen Cecealye again." His tone had lifted slightly.