Aliot and Alicel
"I'll ask you once again sister," I asked trying not to nudge her again as she walked out of the front door and into the garden. "Tell me a story."
"What kind of story do you want me to tell you Mira?" she answered with a question while shielding her eyes from the blinding rays of the sun. Even though it had only been four hours past dawn, it was already shining high above the tall walls of Rachel.
She was a crusader, a title I did not really understand since it deals with exterminating demons and the like. I was a young hunter back then, found that my calling was to study animal behavior and trapping.
"You were gone for a long time sister." I said. I quietly sat down the steps of the front door and watch her caress the stem of a flower called Izidor. The petals were apparently used more as a spice rather than for display because of its very strong scent. "I have not seen you since I was twelve, surely you can tell me something from your travels?"
"If you put it that way..." she was deep in thought for a moment and then quickly replied. "Yes, I suppose I can tell you something a bard told me when I was camping in Mt. Mjolnir."
"What is it about?"
"It's about Kiel Hyre Academy before it was shut down and burnt to the ground."
"Okay, please tell me."
"But you know..." she stared at me with those endearing, clear, emerald eyes while she put one hand on her chest. "Since a bard weaved this story, it is supposed to be sung. Promise to stay silent the whole time?"
"I promise."
She then cleared her throat and looked straight up the blue sky. "Listen closely Mira, this is the story of Aliot and Alicel..."
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The discovery of the New World brought many things into Rune Midgarts, Arunafeltz, and the Schwarzwald Republic. Items of all classes, equipment, food, places, the people, there were a lot of new things to look into and explore or study. But in conjunction with the unearthing of these vast amount of findings, there were also some in our land that encountered a series of unfortunate events. One example was the Kiel Hyre Academy which is located deep past the wilderness of the El Mes Plateau in Juno.
Before, this was the academy where the very first great sages of the continent honed their skills and wrote books of incredible knowledge. It would also teach and make young promising scholars into wise professors that was on par with the legends of old. The school was well funded, and received positive feedback and bountiful donations from the leaders of the three neighboring kingdoms. With this, the founder, director, and deputy administrator Kiel Hyre, made sure that everyone who studied there, from students to professors, were properly accommodated and were given the best and ample resources possible. Such was the greatness of this academy that was in pursuit of the ever wondrous mystery of magic.
It was at this time though that Aliot, a boy of age fourteen, entered the realm of this magnificent paradise to study magic and to live his dream of becoming a well-known writer of the elemental attributes. Aliot was talented, not just in the arcane arts but also as a writer. On his days off as a student, he was often seen sitting underneath an acacia tree at the school's grounds trying to will a moment to give him inspiration to write poems and sonnets and short stories and the like. Truly, this boy was something exceptional.
Not for long that this exceptional talent enticed a fellow female student named Alicel. Alicel, a beautiful girl of fifteen, was from a wealthy family that had a good and stable holdings in the markets of Aldebaran. But since Alicel has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and magic, she decided to strip herself of the confines of princess-like life and study at the academy.
One evening twilight, Alicel found a small mail underneath the door to her room. This event was very unusual for her since she was not really close to any of the other students in the academy. As her heart beats rapidly inside her chest like it's going to burst, she opened the mail and found petals of witherless roses and a letter addressed to her that reads, "As the first light breaks open the calm night sky, I shall await you at the solitary acacia."
This was too much for Alicel to bear since it might have been a love letter from the person whom she admired the most. The next day, at the break of dawn, she went into the promised tree and there she saw, smiling and waving to her, Aliot. She could hardly believe what she was seeing and had nearly collapsed as Aliot stood up to hold her hand and guide her underneath the tree to sit and chat.
Since then the two best of friends studied and did all things together. From eating their favorite food to practicing spell casts. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. The relationship of the two stood the test of time as they grew strong together as partners. Such was the power of young love.
However, some time after the two came of age, rumors started escalating throughout the academy about the disappearance of certain talented students that were above the age of eighteen. Not bothered by this were Aliot and Alicel, for they know that nothing can keep them apart from each others' bosom than death itself and whatever it is that Verdandi sew into the threads of their fate, their love will remain the same.
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"Does love really blinds people?"
"Hmm...? Did you say something Mira? I am not done with the song yet."
"I was just wondering, there clearly was something that Aliot and Alicel needed to be worried about. But they still believed that they can go through everything as long as they're together?"
"Love doesn't blind people Mira, it merely gives them courage."
"Does it? I wonder..."
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The day of examinations arrived, another time for both of them to demonstrate how well they've been studying together and, of course, how much they inspire each other to break their limits and reach for their dreams. Ironically though, Aliot was feeling nauseous at the first day so he had to go to the infirmary to rest. Alicel was saddened at the sudden sickness of her beloved and prayed for his swift recovery. Strangely enough, Aliot did not come to the exam the next day. This worried Alicel even more so she decided to go to the infirmary to check on him. The priest in the infirmary told her that Aliot was transferred into the advanced healing ward for professionals to look into his condition and that it is out-of-bounds for students. She was heartbroken at the thought that Aliot might be in a terrible sickness that made them take him to some place that is restricted. But she could not lose focus, she knew that Aliot wouldn't want her to mope around and worry about him, he would've wanted her to top the exams and show it to him later.
Exams passed and Aliot was still nowhere to be found. Every single night in solitude Alicel prayed and cried for her beloved's safe return to her side, so they can embrace each other again, study magic again, laugh at each others' silly deeds again, and so she can hear his voice again.
One starless evening, Alicel were rereading her beloved's letters to her, every word felt like a memory, and so she could not hide away the tears that seemed to overflow from the longing that she was fated to endure. So engrossed was she on her sorrow that she didn't notice the door of her room was slightly opened, and from that, the moonlight glinted on a blade that quickly pierced the back of her head through her left eye. Blood dripped on the letters she held in her hand as raindrops slowly fell on the glass of her window that seemed to conceal the darkness that was bestowed upon the entire academy.
Alicel thought that she was dead. At least until she came to and noticed that she can only see with her right eye. Her feet were shackled and her neck was chained to the wall. It was only moments later that she noticed that her arms became heavier and that she was inside some kind of dark prison cell with nothing but a small brazier that lits up the small room. She was alone. Alone with another person.
A male student was crouched in front of her, who seemed like in severe pain, his hands were pressed against both sides of his head. Large claw-like blades slowly emerged from the student's back, blades that were crimson with blood, and one of which had a small white ball pierced into. The student started crying and uttering words no one can comprehend until he murmured, "A...li.....ce..l..."
The female student's one remaining eye burst into tears because of the love and grief she cannot let go of. She then uttered a reply to the boy, "Al...i...ot..."
Aliot and Alicel knew that they were about to face the end of their journey together as friends, partners, and lovers. They had been mutated into terrible beings of slaughter and destruction, and they were slowly losing control over their minds and bodies. Aliot could not withstand the fact that he became an abomination and nearly killed his love so he turned his back to the girl he had shared precious time with, had given all his love and affection to, and had dedicated into living his life with. Alicel was also losing the will of her body, her right arm broke out of its constraint showing a huge hand with claws as sharp as a newly tempered sword. She used all of her remaining life force to control, to stop the movement of her strong and heavy left arm that was the only one preventing her from lunging at the person in front of her. Then with a loud sound of a metal being pulled from a wall, the arm was loosed and she swung her claws at the boy's neck. However, Aliot was no more, and an abomination was the only one standing in front of her. Before she could deliver the blow, the blades at the back of the boy intercepted. It pierced her arm, her leg, her shoulder, her neck, her heart, and stabbed her multiple times. Afterwards, the blades finally let her go and dropped her on the ground. She can still feel like the arms are moving, as if wanting to go and kill any living thing that moves and that this body will surely get up with a mind that is not her own. She can only hope that no one ever dare to seek the things hidden in this academy anymore.
But what happened after that, we do not know. Only that support for the academy stopped after reports of the disappearance reached the leaders of the three neighboring kingdoms and the President of the Schwarzwald Republic ordered Kiel Hyre arrested and the academy burned.
Still because of the academy's architecture and the amount and quality of resources spent into building and maintaining it, it still stood strong today. However, it is now a dungeon that is a primary gathering spot for demons who prey on the innocent souls of children, students, and young lovers like Aliot and Alicel that are eternally trapped here forevermore.
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"That was such a sad tale sister. I feel like crying now." I could not hold back my tears. I know it was just a story, but back then I was such a crybaby.
"It was only a story, Mira. It's not true."
"But do you really think life can be so ironic?" I asked, feigning nonchalant as I stood up to wipe my tears away. "I mean, the two of them, only wanted for them to be together as lovers. But they became slaves to circumstance."
"Life can be described in so many ways. And ironic is a very common one, believe me."
"I don't really like the idea of me being dominated by fate..."
I thought she noticed the sadness I had in my voice because of her reply, "Hey look, it's just a story, I know it's a tragic one at that."
I raised my head and look at her in the eyes.
"You're still young, Mira, take control of your own destiny and let nothing, not even the gods dictate your life for you. That way, you will not be a slave to anyone, okay?" she said with a smile. I nodded.
"Alright, but you gotta tell me a happy one next time!" I said to her as she walked past me with a basket full of Izidors.
"Take control of my own fate? Can I really do that?" I muttered to myself as I look up at the ever blue sky.
"Start by washing the dishes!" my sister shouted from the kitchen.
I stood up and went back into the house.
(This post was last modified: 11-11-2017, 09:25 AM by Shinnzero.)
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