Author’s Note:

        This version of the story is outdated😓 I won’t get into it here. But take everything written as a grain of salt. I’m working on writing the new version of the story, so enjoy this one as kind of like a view of how the story used to be.

 First Draft Synopsis:

The old plot was about Vellice becoming a soldier and later being possessed by a powerful spirit that his mother, Zahira, was indebted to.

Date Written: December 2021 - January 2022

               Prelude

        Cool air diffused the normally frantic air of this small town in Averia. At night, this “Kingdom of The Sun'' fell away to breezy nights. Under the eaves of neighboring houses, a woman drags the bagged corpse of a man through shrubs and dewy grass. She wore a black hood and veil, fearful of anyone's mistaken glance. Behind the houses and through the dense hardwood forest, thick leaves would shroud her appearance into the night, as she made her way deeper into the grove. The strain of pulling a fully grown man started to weigh on her as she finally made it to her destination: a clearing in the forest where a ritual had already been prepared. Candles burn brightly on top of smooth stone, where straight lines and curves met to draw a deep crimson symbol on its surface. She picked up the body and carefully placed it into the center of the ritual, trying hard not to smudge any of the carefully drawn lines.  Grass silently rustled as the wind blew softly. Everything was quiet, peaceful. It had seemed as if everyone in Averia was taken away by a hazy dream.

        And with that, she started chanting to the heavens. Loudly.

 "Shi ni aa'at vak! Seud vetu nu! Ki la'at makeshi ki kuroser yu Ma'at!  Ki la'at makeshi ki kuroser yu Ma'at!" Her voice echoed throughout the forest, waking up any poor animal in her vicinity.

"Ki la'at makeshi ki kuroser yu Ma'at!"

        Like magic, green and blue lights flashed over the body, then into the ground. In a flash, the wind kicked up into a spinning torrent. The wind blew faster, and stronger, nearly toppling her over in the process, and yet she kept chanting.

"God! Send me one of your holy rejects! Those you've shunned from your Kingdom on high!"

"I summon Lutheus of the Underground, The One Who Lies in Wait Under Temptation!"

From the ground rose a man-like figure, dressed in all black with slick black hair. He had a tan complexion, and with only what seemed like one good eye.  She caught a glimpse of the man and knew her ritual had succeeded.

 "Ki ni versat." She concluded, and the ritual was complete.

           Chapter 1 I think 

"More errands?" Vellice asked with an obvious hint of sadness in his voice.

"But of course!" His mother replied in a bright tone. "Missus uppity across the street won't be very happy if her oh-so-beautiful pink dress doesn't arrive on time! Isn't that right?"

"That’s right :[ "

                    And with that Vellice reluctantly accepted the additional pile of clothes. And set off on his fifth delivery run of the day. Vellice was dressed top to bottom, wearing a white blouse with straight black pants and short-heeled boots. He had short, slicked back hair, side edges laid, with 2 small finger curls framing the sides of his face. His mother, Zahira was a greatly successful seamstress, who had made a name for herself as the best dress-maker in Southern Averia. She had glowing brown skin and her hair was kept in shoulder-length black locs, always wearing a headscarf wrapped around the top of her head. There were many other people like her, artisans from far out of the kingdom clamoring towards Eumon to open up shop in what was considered one of the world's busiest marketplaces. The entire kingdom of Averia was a beautiful place, with warm summers, and strong, brisk breezes.

        Specifically, Eumon was known for its tight-knit population, with tiny but bustling family-owned shops, that you could walk into and be welcomed by name. The city breathed with life and oozed homeliness out its core. Today was no different than other days. Vellice traveled up and down the streets of Eumon delivering everything from custom-made shirts to skirts, to dresses all made by his mother for her customers. He would politely knock on their front doors and hand them their dazzling outfits.

        Meanwhile back at their home/boutique, Zahira greeted a familiar customer.

"Lanah?”

"To what do I owe this honor, madam?" Zahira said sarcastically.

"Oh please! You know I can't resist coming here whenever I'm in town!"

                   Zahira welcomed Lanah in and then went to the kitchen to grab some tea. Lanah promptly sat down on a cushy "loveseat", placed right next to the shop's front window. Lanah started talking first, saying “I really wish I was here on better terms, Zahira. The only time I come to Averia at all is when something strenuous and diplomatic happens..“ Zahira placed a small cup of tea at the table in front of them. “The good news though, is that the beautiful velvet scarf you made for me was very well received back in the castle! Many of the other deaconess’ marveled at its craftsmanship!”

                          “I’m glad to hear that” Zahira softly chuckled. “But I don’t think I really care about how the stuck-ups in the Peridian Court feel, even if it is a nicety.”

“You’re right. I apologize.”

“It’s fine Lanah, I’m just happy you enjoyed it.” She lightly placed a hand on Lanah’s knee.

                      By then night had fallen, and it began to pour rain. Vellice, mildly irritated and VERY cold, was marching his way back home through the wet streets. Upon reaching the doorstep to his own house, he peered into the window to see his mother conversing with a strange woman in a blue dress. He had seen her before, Lainah or something? He burst through the door with a loud BANG, but then had the wherewithal to close it quietly. Taking off his wet shoes at the doorstep, he eyed them both up and done suspiciously before saying “Good evening, mother…” And hiking upstairs to his room without another thought.

“Excuse him,“ Zahira sighed. “I’ll get him back later”

Lanah looked up towards the staircase, feeling a pit of guilt in her stomach.

”Zahira, I haven’t actually told you why I came here yet.” Zahira raised a brow. “It’s the Peridian Queen, she wants to start something... Something drastic.” Lanah shifted uncomfortably in her seat. ”I overheard, in the throne room, a conversation with her royal adviser. She’s planning an infiltration on Averia. She called it an ‘Occupation of unclaimed Territory,’ whatever that may mean.”

Zahira sat in silence. A million possibilities ran through her mind. Along with a million other outcomes.

“I didn’t get to hear all the details, but I know that she’s going to start sending troops to the villages to the outskirts of Averia.” Zahira thought of her extended family, of the ones who lived far out from the capital being attacked in the middle of the night.

             ”I had a feeling this was coming.” Zahira looked back at Lanah and said, “Does King Lionel know of this?“

                      “No... From here I’m leaving straight for the capital. I wanted to tell you because, if this goes the way I think it will, then your son will have to be drafted into Averia’s troops, too.”

They talked for a little while more, then Lanah left shortly thereafter. Anxiety started to weigh in on Zahira. He wouldn’t last on the battlefield. Vellice couldn’t hurt a fly. Was this draft inevitable? She knew the draft was inevitable. Whether he wanted to or not, her son would have to risk his life defending their home from a selfish Queen. She fiddled and cleaned random things in the kitchen to calm her nerves but to no avail, Vellice came downstairs looking worried. He hadn’t heard their conversation, but knew something was up.

“Vellice, have you seen Konn lately?”

Chapter 2  ^_^

            It was strange, Vellice hadn’t seen Konn in a few days. Which was completely unnatural when he usually came over every day. So after finishing his daily deliveries, Vellice decided to go to what he thought was Konn's house. The sun was starting to set and the night was going to be upon him soon, so Vellice started to hurry. Practically running through the fields leading up to Konn’s old mansion. The house itself had an odd style, black wrought iron gates lead around the front, but the walls and roof all had a strange orange tint to it. The windows looked warped, and flowerbeds under the windowsills had nothing but dead plants. Vellice hesitantly knocked on the door, shocked to see that it was already unlocked.

        "Something’s definitely wrong." He thought to himself. The house opened up to a grandiose, but dilapidated, living room. Candles burned on the walls still, and the hardwood floors shined with rot. To the left of the living room was a smaller room, where Vellice remembers Konn hanging out often. The door was only slightly opened, allowing you to see just a sliver of the room. Leaning into the doorway more, Vellice saw an unmoving Konn face down on the floor.

               "Konn? KONN?!" Velliced rushed to his side. Konn laid smack dab in the middle of an ongoing ritual. Lines and symbols were drawn in purplish paint, with candles slowly burning down to their wicks along the edges of the room. He wasn't moving. Vellice shook and shook him with no response. By now Vellice was holding Konn's head in his arms. Is he...dead? The Konn on the floor groaned a bit. “Magsdfs…nogfd..liasdf.”

No, just unconscious, and muttering nonsense. "KONNN??! Hello?!' Konn's eyes stayed closed but his hands reached up awkwardly to feel Vellice's chin, then lips, then eyes.

        "Vellice?" Konn whispered. He sat up by himself, starting to become aware of his surroundings again. "What happened? Why were you on the floor I haven't seenyouinaweekiseverythingok???" Vellice shouted.

             "Ermm? One question at a time please?" Konn sluggishly replied. They both were in a complete state of disarray. "You hadn't come by in a week, so I came here to see if you were alright!" Vellice helped Konn stand to his feet. "I...got whipped up trying to perform a summoning ritual. The preparation was a little more extensive than I predicted..."

       Again, Vellice thought.

He opened his mouth to speak but- "You don't have to lecture me again, I knew the risks. If you knew, you would've stopped me."

"Of course I would've stopped you! You know how these summonings can go! Hell, I just found you knocked out a minute ago!"

       Konn grew silent. Vellice let out a heavy sigh. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself, Konn. You shouldn't have to endure this alone, y'know?" Vellice turned his back on Konn and opened the door. "Come on, I'm taking you back to our house. This mansion is so...depressing."

        It was dark outside now, fancy lanterns dimly lit their path back to town. The streets were quiet but rustling and chatter could still be heard inside of people's houses. Konn didn't say much on the way back. His small feeling of embarrassment had passed now, as he reminisced on stupid conversations he's had with Vellice in the past. After a while, they were back to normal and Vellice started rambling about everything that went on during his day.

        Back at Vellice's house, he and Konn climbed a rickety ladder to the rooftop. There on a flat terrace, they sat and gazed up at the night sky. The air was cold and refreshing with stars gleaming in the distance.

"Despite you being face down on the floor and whatnot," Vellice started. "The first thing that I noticed was that your lipstick hadn't smudged at all." A snort slipped out of Konn.

"I can't really describe how I felt seeing you laying there. As far as I could tell, you were dead." Vellice's voice started to waver, but he caught himself. "At least let me be there next time!" He said with a smile. Konn was still looking up at the sky.

"I thought this time would be different. I could describe to you in perfect detail everything that could’ve made the spell fail, but I know you wouldn't care."

"You’re right! I wouldn't. Besides, I knew what you were trying to do. You want to forge a contract right?" Konn looked at him, visibly shocked. "Wait, you were actually paying attention when I told you about all that occult junk?"  

“But of course! I’m not as empty-headed as I look!”

“Also…Who were you trying to contact?”

Konn held his tongue again before speaking.

“Magnolia, she was a spirit my mother made a contract with before she passed. Queen of the butterflies, I think.” The air was still. “Terms in the contract listed that if she died before the conditions were met, then the responsibilities would be placed on me.”

Vellice was at a loss for words.

“I-I had no idea.”

“Right, because I never told anyone.” Konn continued.

“Since my mother’s death, I’ve tried to get in contact with Magnolia, with no results.”

“So then…What happened during the ritual?”

“I really can’t tell you exactly what went wrong, maybe the candles weren’t in position, or I accidentally smudged a line or whatever. All I knew was that I was in the middle of an incantation and blacked out.”

Konn sighed. He released the tension in his shoulders and laid back on bare roof shingles. Vellice laid back, too.

“All I know is that Magnolia knew my mother better than I did, and I’m not waiting for any random spirit to come around and give me all the answers I need.”

Vellice suddenly turned over to directly face Konn. “From now on I’m helping you with whatever ritual you need to do. Mark my words!”

Chapter 3 😦

        A woman clad in elegant gold jewelry and an orange-red gown approached a balcony in a palace overlooking Averia's capital city, Amaros. Under the balcony was a courtyard that was accessible to the public, where commerce would flow into the castle.  Hoards of townspeople now crowded her courtyard today, led by the message of town criers.  They were chatting among themselves until a symphony of trumpets led their focus to the woman on high.

"Amaros! Hear Me!" Her Highness bellowed to the crowd. People beneath her bowed in harmony, creating a motion like that of ocean waves.

"I speak to you all today with a heavy heart. It has come to our attention of abhorrent plans against our great Kingdom.."

Everyone had quieted down now, so much so that you could hear the queen's bangles clink against each other.

"Our neighboring Kingdom, Peridia, wishes to threaten the abundance of peace we have built for millennia. Their Queen has taken it upon herself to announce the occupation of her forces on our outermost villages, plotting to take her troops directly to our doorstep! I ask you Averia! How much gall does this bitch have?” The crowd roared in response. “I know not her motives or what she wishes to accomplish,  but ambassadors have already been sent to Peridia to decipher her ignorant reasonings. I bid you all, why disrupt an era of peaceful coexistence?"

The Queen was angered now and stopped to take a deep breath.

"If our attempt at a diplomatic solution to this problem fails, then it is certain that war is on Averia's horizon. I pray for the future of Averia, and the enrichment of all our lives."

The crowd fell into a state of despondency. Everyone present in the courtyard that day went home feeling weighed down by a sudden burden.

 "Bless you all, and Long Live Averion."

Dawn of the next day

        Zahira subtly woke to the sound of quiet knocking on the front door. The sun hadn't even risen yet, who would be knocking on doors at this hour? She put on some slippers and quietly crept down the hallway. Vellice snored loudly in his room and Konn was asleep in the guest bedroom.  Zahira went down the staircase and made her way to the front door. Looking out the window,  she saw that whoever had knocked was long gone. Opening the front door she only saw a letter neatly left on the doorstep.  Upon closer inspection of it, her heart sank.

The letter was stamped with a golden insignia, one only used by Averia's royal court. She knew exactly what this meant. Desperation gripped her again. This soon? Her conversation with Lanah felt so far off. She quickly stepped out of the door frame into the cold morning air and hesitantly opened the letter.

"A time has come upon us that our forefathers could never have planned for. Queen Luthia of Peridia has made clear a full-frontal attack on our beloved Kingdom… In this moment of uncertainty, I ask you, citizens of Averia, to gather the courage to join our Royal Militia. We are desperately in need of more brave soldiers to fill out our ranks. If this letter reaches you in a timely manner, then you or one out of your household has been chosen to serve as one of Averia's brave soldiers. It is a dangerous task to accept we know, but this must be done for the prosperity of our Kingdom. Thank you, and Long Live Averion!"

"Name of newly anointed soldier:"

There, in freshly written ink his name was printed:

"Vellice Moreau"

"Signed, Queen Ariel and King Lionel of Averia."

Zahira was now glad that she stepped outside, because seeing Vellice's name printed on that letter completely broke her. She collapsed to her knees, shaking. "This is a death sentence, '' she thought. 'Brave soldiers, who? How cowardly does a King have to be to send innocent people to war?"  

Looking up, she saw many letters on her neighbor's doorstep too. The doorstep of nearly everyone on her street was littered with the King and Queen's message to any unfortunate soul in that house. Zahira calmed herself down and wiped any sign of anguish off her face before going back inside. She sat at the coffee table, pondering the fate of her son. “Who says he has to go?” Turning over in her mind any out to this inevitability. "They can't make him show up! They can't force him to be there!" She sat there, looking for an out, for an unnecessary amount of time.

Suddenly, feeling too antsy in her angst, Zahira threw the letter into a drawer and took to her sewing machine to start on a blue sequin dress, designed for no one in particular.

Chapter 4 ,,,,

I’ve been wanting to talk to him for a while about something. I wanted to know about his plans for the future. I’ve always known Konn was an ambitious person, but I never quite knew what he was going to put all of his talents toward. I..haven’t truly thought about my future endeavors. I really can’t think of anything that genuinely lights a fire under my ass. A passion. Maybe his words could give me a point of reference, that is, if he would wake up.

”KONNNNN!!!” Vellice said while not-so-gently pushing Konn in bed in an attempt to wake him. The sun was directly in the sky, and already leaning a bit to the west; about 3 pm.

“GET UP!!”

”Uggghhhrrrr” Konn groaned, turning away from Vellice’s voice.

”Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep but we’ve got things to do today!”

”Uh huhrgh”

”I was wondering if you’d want to go to the new library they built down the street,” Vellice said abruptly. “It’s the one with an in-house bakery..”

”Bakery? You should’ve woken me up sooner.  Let’s go.”

The town stirred differently that day. It was noon, but the streets were practically empty. Only a few straggling merchants opened up shop today, but many of their stands lay temporarily abandoned in the street. “Has it ever been this quiet?” Konn asked Vellice.

“Never.” He replied. “Everyone must’ve overslept…”

They continued down the streets, noting again how it seemed like the entire town was adrift. Rustling and chatter from inside houses were replaced with whispers then more silence. Finally, they reached this new library. Inside was pleasant enough, with tables decorated so nicely one would think they'd have stepped into a restaurant if it weren’t for the towering bookshelves. The library itself was devoid of people. A singular elderly lady was situated behind a counter, as she was probably the librarian. She sat quietly reading a large dusty book and hadn’t noticed they walked in. Konn was immediately drawn to the back of the library heading straight towards the "world religion" aisle. Vellice sat down at a table near the windows. Outside, men in heavy iron armor and helmets covering their faces were stationed on people’s doorsteps. Konn sat down across from Vellice with two books in tow.

"You didn't grab anything?"

"Mmmm didn't want to, but look at that." He pointed at the soldiers.

One of the soldiers started banging on someone's front door. A man in shabby clothing opened the door and yelled "I'M NOT GOING!!! YOU CAN'T TAKE ME!"

The soldier showed no response to his sudden outburst. “A time of war has come and your Queen has requested that you join Averia's militia. Your cooperation isn’t necessary, I am simply here to notify you of your current situation. "The soldier’s voice was monotone and unfeeling. "You will be taken to the barracks in Eastern Averia, where you will train with everyone else."

"The Queen can shove it!! I have a wife and children to take care of!! Now PLEASE get off my property and GOODAY to you sir!!!" The man tried closing the door but the soldier firmly held it open and stepped further inside. "You can comply peacefully, or you'll be taken to the barracks unconscious in a wheelbarrow. It's your choice, sir."

At this Konn looked up to see what would happen, so did the old librarian. A draft? "What is he talking about?" Vellice whispered.

The man himself was paralyzed with fear. A woman came from behind him.

“I’ll go in his stead.” She said, stepping in front of him.

“Very well then, we’ll take both of you.” The soldier already grabbed handcuffs to put over their hands. “WHAT?” Vellice shouted. “Neither of them should have to go!”

The man verbally protested more, but his cowardice got the better of him. The soldier was already leading them into a horse carriage. Down the street more people were getting stuffed into the same carriage, their moans and groans of protest could be heard miles away.“What the hell is going on?”

“You haven’t heard dearie?” The librarian spoke up to Vellice. “You must be one of the lucky ones hm? Everyone that got picked received a letter on their doorstep.”

“A letter for what?”

“Have you been living under a rock, young lady? Peridia announced war on us! They’re trying to kill us all!”

“WHAT?!?!?!?!?” Vellice shouted. He looked over at Konn. “I thought so,” he said.

“DID YOU KNOW?!”

“I mean, that’s what the soldier said, but I didn’t know it was this severe.” he lamented.

“I don’t remember seeing a letter on our way out...Could she have..?” While Vellice was busy having a small breakdown Konn checked out the books he was reading with the librarian.

How many people did this affect? Averia’s military has always been lacking, but to who would this benefit? Recruiting the very people that soldiers are supposed to be protecting?

Afterwards, Vellice and Konn went back to the boutique to look for a possible letter. When they got back, Zahira was still at her sewing machine, but kind of jumped when they returned.

“How was the library?”

“It was good, did we… Just so happen to get a letter today?” Vellice asked.

Zahira’s heart sank to her feet once again, and she took a deep breath before getting up

from her sewing. She walked over to a drawer and took the letter out. “It’s only bad news, I'm sorry.” Zahira handed the letter to him, perfectly sealed again as if it hadn’t been opened. Vellice gently tugged it open and read its contents.

"A time has come upon us that our forefathers could never have planned for. The Queen of Peridia has made clear a full-frontal attack on our beloved Kingdom... In this moment of clarity, I ask you, citizen of Averia to gather the courage to join our Royal Militia, and give your dying breath to our kingdom. We are desperately in need of more brave soldiers to fill out our ranks. Worry not, for you will be forgiven of any and all Peridian blood you spill.  If this letter reaches you in a timely manner, then you or one out of your household has been chosen to serve as one of Averia's soldiers. It is a dangerous task to accept we know, but this must be done for the longevity of our Kingdom. Thank you, and Ma’at Versat!”

"Name of newly anointed soldier:"

There, in freshly dipped ink, my name was handwritten:

"Vellice Asrin"

"Signed, Queen Ariel and King Lionel of Averia."

The words shifted over and over in his mind, being jumbled together then being pulled apart. It didn’t make sense. This couldn’t be happening, right? His own death was the last thing on his mind. Separation from his mother and Konn, and every little thing that he held dear to him, now so far away. Isolation began to set in. Zahira’s words snapped him back to reality.

“Who says you have to go?”

“Would it be so bad, if I went?” he said blankly.

“You don't hav-...What!?”

Chapter 5