Fateful Encounter

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LunaValentine

A smiling Face
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
Writing Levels
  1. Beginner
  2. Elementary
  3. Intermediate
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
Genres
Fantasy, Romance, scifi, videogame, romance, pretty flexible really
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Freya sighed, sitting in silence with nothing but old bones keeping her company. Not only was her master long since dead any intruders had been long since killed and thrown out. It was a painfully boring existence and she grew weaker with every passing year. She could barely wake up and was on the verge of slumber. Meaning she could no longer be picky on who she chose as a master. Soon fate would decide for her as she was locked in that old tomb and few dared enter a crypt. Her dark blue eyes scanned the darkness, no one seemed to be attempting to enter this day and she could rest with some ease. Her sword lay across her lap as she shut her eyes to rest and conserve what energy she had. She had no idea of the world outside the tomb, what changes had occurred and what new devices had sprung forth. She also had no idea that the curse that had been placed on her long ago would send out weak pulses, attempting to attract a master for the knight. It was meant to be punishment, not an eternal sleep. Weakly, the pulses grew more frequent over the years, however only those who were in tune with the magic of the world would actually sense such weak pulses. Over the years it started to grow stronger and, given enough time, even mighty warriors would be able to sense it.
 
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What all towns had in common was that all the residents woke up when the sun was rising. Most had work to do, or just wanted to start their daily routine. Too bad some were noisy with that, because that made Nathaniel wake up in his room. He got up slowly, still half asleep, and made his way to the window to open it, but slowly. It was a tiring night for him, and way too short in his opinion. Ever since he came to this place, he felt as if there was something special about the area. But with nothing to work with, he had no other choice but to read one book about the history of this area after another. The result: Nothing. There were of course some interesting bits and pieces, mostly about royals and nobles that were talented with magic, but nothing that would explain where that feeling came from.
Nathaniel lived for about 3 weeks in this area by now, and the people knew that he had a room in the local inn. He was known for being a friendly helper, and for his unusual magic. It happened quite often that he would summon creatures to help people, and get some money in return. Not that this was the reason he helped, but he needed food and this room. While rubbing his eyes, he left his room, and then went out into the woods. He noticed that this feeling was stronger than it was when he first came here. By now it felt as if it had a source, which he tried to track like a compass. Hours passed until he finally found a point of interest. A structure made of stone, with stairs at the left and right side that lead to a little shrine on top, and a door in the middle on the base level. From the looks of it, he figured that this was the final resting place of a royal. That type of people loved to have something like that as their final resting place.
Nathaniel approached the structure, curious what could be the source of that weird feeling. The shrine was not inscribed with letters, and there was no artifact or heirloom on it. If there was one, it was probably taken away a long time ago. The door was the last thing he could check, so he opened it carefully and stepped inside. There were stairs leading deep down. Nathaniel knew that it was not very polite to disturb a resting place, but something was weird about this place, as if it was calling. With a magic sphere of light in his hand he descended into the depths of the tomb, taking one step after another until he would arrive at the bottom.
 
Freya was awoken when she heard the door creak open. Her eyes slowly opened as she staggered to her feet. Once more an intruder dared to disturb her master's slumber. She held up her sword weakly and glared towards the light. She mustered up all of the energy she could before speaking to the slowly growing light. Her breathing sounded labored as she spoke, it felt like she was being pulled down by a thousand hands.

"Halt! Who dares intrude...upon this resting place?!" She demanded between breaths, "If thou art here to disturb this place....I will rend you in two!"

She held her sword up and at the ready. She wasn't about to let the stranger just walk in and attempt to take anything. At the very least she would protect the tomb even if it meant finally getting a new master. Though she didn't mind the thought of being free again she still thought of her previous master much like a father. He had taught her much in the ways of war and even how to cook. She ended up caring for him in his old age and was more than happy to give him the peace he deserved. He was no royal, like many thought, but a great war hero long forgotten in time.
 
After a while of walking, Nathaniel arrived arrived in a big room. Multiple pillars held the ceiling, and a big stone coffin was placed in the center of the little hall. There was quite a lot of space to move in, but it also felt too empty. Kinda lonely. Nathaniel heard a voice as he stepped into the hall, and he looked around where the source was. It was too dark to see anything though. But he smiled since he knew how to fix it. He threw his sphere into the air, where it split up and turned into multiple light sources, which attached themselves to the ceiling. With the new sources of light, the room was lit up brightly, as if natural light came through small openings in the ceiling.
Now that it was bright, Nathaniel saw someone at the stone coffin. It was easy to notice that something was wrong with her. She seemed weakened. Most would have taken advantage of that and beat her quickly. But instead of doing that, he looked at her with a worried expression.
"My name is Nathaniel, but are you okay?"
Now that he thought about it, he kinda understood how this must have looked like. In her eyes, he must have been like a tomb raider, a thief who steals from the dead. Before drifting too far into his thoughts, he snapped back into reality, and he was a bit scarred of how the look in her eyes was. She looked like she really really did not like his presence.
"W-Wait a moment! If there is treasure, keep it. Unless they are scrolls or books, I am not really interested anyway. What's your name?"
He had no reason to be mad at her, so he tried a friendly approach. Maybe there was a way to solve this without a fight, which he really hoped for. With her weakened state, this would not be fair at all, and he didn't like the thought of hurting her.
 
"My......My name is....Freya of Wintold," She said as she looked at him.

It wasn't hard to see that this man was a magic user, but even they needed treasures to get by. She wasn't sure if she should trust him, he was a stranger and though he'd given her a name she had yet to see a reason to trust him. She calmed down a little but kept a defensive stance as she stood there, guarding the stone sarcophagus. She wasn't looking for a fight and today was willing to let him walk away with his life.

"I....will be fine....as I have for many, many long years. I will protect my master until someone else lays claim to me," Freya said, referring to herself almost as an object. She'd lost any thought of identity long ago and thought of herself as a tool, a guardian. While she longed for freedom she still had her curse and her duty to preform. "Now.....Luck is on your side today.... If you believe yourself innocent and unworthy of my protection....I will allow you to leave.... Linger or think yourself worthy and I will smite thee." She changed her stance to and offensive one, ready to charge at him. "Do you take the challenge? Or will you leave with your life?"
 
Nathaniel noticed certain words in her way of speaking, and couldn't help but to tilt his head and quietly say "Thee?" as he continued to listen. Words like these were only used by nobles these days, but he paid attention and noted that she has been here for many, many long years. It made him wonder about 2 things. First: How long exactly that was. And second: How she was still alive. Then he realized it and was suddenly excited and happy.
"Now I get it. You're the source. No wonder there was that weird feeling in the air. An imperfect immortality."
With how she looked at him in that moment, he could tell that he must have hit something.
"It's basically like this. The spell you use has used up your reserves of mana, so it instead draws its power from the area around it. Not enough to cause damage or a big chance, but still. Oh this is brilliant!"
It made a lot of sense to him, which cheered him up, but he was serious in the next moment. That was because he also realized what made her look so weakened. There was not enough mana in the nearby area, which meant that the spell was soon going to fade, and her dieing.
"What do I have to do to break that spell?"
While he didn't know her, he also didn't want to leave her like that. Even if it meant danger, he was just hopeless when it was about other people. A bad habit for him, and a good one for others.
 
Freya's eyes narrowed when he called it 'imperfect immortality'. She watched him carefully as he seemed to get excited. Her eyes rolled, typical mage, always excited for finding a little 'trophy' like me. The fool does not see this is no spell that I cast. She sighed as she let the tip of the sword hit the ground. She stared at him quite harshly for a moment though it was hard for her to continue to glare at him. He was cute in his own way.
"You misunderstand Young Nathaniel. This is no spell. This is a curse. As far as I am aware, this curse is mine until the day I perish from the mortal world. I need a master to survive. I may be at my most vulnerable....but I am at my most desperate as well. I will not lose to anyone. Just once more I wish to see the sky and fall to a worthy opponent." She panted as she gave this long winded speech. She was starting to weaken further and fell to one knee, supporting herself with her sword, "Now...make up your mind traveler.... I'll not wait much longer."
 
"So in other words, if I want to help, I have to defeat you. But... I'm sorry, but I don't want to fight you. You look a lot like a knight from storybooks, so I can tell that you want to defend your honor, but you can't expect me to fight you when you are not able to stand. That's not fair, or honorable at all."
It didn't matter just what treasures would be hidden here (if there were any to begin with). Beating down someone who was weakened was no moral gray area. And even if she would be standing straight and at her best, he had no reason to fight her. Nathaniel had no interest in becoming rich, and he couldn't bring himself to cast an offensive spell at her.
 
Freya watched him carefully. She understood what he was saying and yet at the same time she would rather die in battle. However she wasn't about to provoke him as she didn't have the energy to stand up again. She looked at him with a serious face, though her eyes seemed sad. "Then go....." She panted as her eyelids grew heavy and started to droop, "Go and... do....not.....re-" She couldn't finish her sentence as she slumped down on the floor, asleep again. She tried to wake herself up but found it impossible. Her body refused to listen to her and once again began to send out those weak pulses though they were a tad stronger than before. It was clear that she had no energy to attack him with and now she was safe to be around. She practically curled up around her sword, keeping it standing as it was. It was a good thing she wore armor as the blade still looked quite sharp.
 
Nathaniel could only watch Freya as she sank to the ground. He guessed that it wouldn't have been a good idea to come running at her, but with how she way lying there, it looked not only safe, but also necessary to go closer. He approached the fallen knight, and now that he was close, he noticed that she was actually a beautiful young lady. Nathaniel first tried to pick her up, but her armor was a lot heavier than expected. He then considered taking it off, but something told him that this would have been a bad idea. She would surely be mad at him. Luckily for her though, he had another idea. Usually he wouldn't do that, but it was not like he had another choice.
Nathaniel took a flask of clear water from his pocket, as well as a big feather. He made them hover in front of him, and something in the air seemed to change. The lights became dimmer, and Nathaniel's voice echoed through the hall as he spoke.
"I call the fire,
passionate burn.
Hear my desire,
let life return."
The the water inside the flask began to bubble, and evaporated quickly. The vapor escaped from the flask and gathered around the feather, turning bright orange as it began to spiral around it and ascending into the air. Little embers suddenly were coming from the bright orange mass, and the temperature was rising.
"Come forth Agon!"
Suddenly, a burst of fire broke out from the feather, and a phoenix formed itself from the flames. It was about as big as a normal falcon, and sat down on Nathaniel's arm. He gently stroked its head, and it looked like the bird liked the touch. It then nodded to him, ascended high into the air, and came down fast, crashing onto the knight. The flames ignored her armor, and affected her whole body. It lasted only moments, and the flames died down fast, leaving only a strange scorched smell in the air.
Nathaniel did not summon it to damage Freya though, even if it might have looked like that. No. The flames of a phoenix have mystical powers, and are a high leveled form of restoration magic. While it wouldn't break the curse, it would at least bring the knight back to 100%, with enough strength to straight out jump back to consciousness. Nathaniel waited for what would happen now, sitting patiently at her side, but staying away form the coffin.
 
As the flames engulfed Freya's body memories flooded her mind. They were memories of her master and she could feel her strength return rather quickly. Her eyes slowly opened as she uncurled from her blade. Once her blade was free from her own embrace she held onto it with one hand and slowly sat up. The first thing she noticed was the smell. It was very different from the stale air she'd been breathing the entire time, this was.....like a fire that had been put out. She thought for a moment and realized Nathaniel was right beside her. She looked startled as she nearly fell over. "Wh-what did you do?" She asked, "Why did you do this...what ever it may be?" She moved away a little to allow herself room should she need to fight. While she was in prime condition again she wasn't exactly looking forward to a fight. She knew that killing him would only mean more years of sitting there, trapped. Part of her wanted to take him as her master so she could be free again....but part of her was stubborn still and refused to just hand over the reigns like that. It would dishonor her previous master's memory.
 
When Freya got up again and looked healthy, one other thing she would notice was Nathaniel's expression. He was happy, as if he would see a dear friend again. There was not even the slightest hint of anything evil. This was the face of a quite happy boy.
"I think if I tell you, you'll be mad at me, so... Can we just agree that I healed you?"
Nathaniel kinda doubted that she would be please to know that a flaming bird crashed onto her. Mostly the flaming part would probably make her mad, so it was better to keep the exact healing method a secret.
"Oh and... I kinda defeated you, you know? You passed out while there was an intruder nearby. Or doesn't that count?"
It was probably naive to think that it did count, but it was worth a shot. He had offensive magic too, but still didn't want to use these spells.
 
Freya looked at him as he just stared at her happily. She could tell there was no malice in him, he didn't even seem capable of it. She listened to him and looked into his eyes. He technically had a point. She nodded and knelt before him. "Very well. You have bested me Nathaniel. I now take you as my master. I will protect you until the day I die or receive a new master after your death. None shall harm thee so long as I can prevent it. This I swear upon my life and seal this contract," She said in a serious voice before suddenly moving her face close to his and gently kissing him. She then pressed her forehead to his and he could feel a sort of warmth flow between them. "It is done my master. I will serve you beyond death."
 
Seeing her kneel in front of him felt kinda weird. Nathaniel felt out of place, even a tad unworthy of such a proud knight kneeling in front of him. But he didn't want to insult her by breaking her focus. This probably meant a lot for her, so he kept quiet and listened. While he listened, he noticed these old words again. It gave her way of speaking a certain strength and honor, which he began to like. But when she said that she would seal the contract, he remembered that there were a lot of ways to do that. Bloodpact, bound by objects, a literal contract. But just as he was about to remember more methods, he already felt her hands on his cheeks, which broke his focus, and then her lips on his. When she put her forehead on his, she would notice that his head was very warm. Warmer than usual. That was because he was blushing dark red, completely surprised by her method of sealing the contract.
"U-uhm... C-could you move b-back a bit?"
He had to process everything, which was difficult with her being so close to him. He blinked twice and put a hand on his lips. Not to wipe them clean though. It just felt so unreal that he wanted his lips to touch something again, even if it was just the first fingerbone of his index finger.
 
Freya moved back upon his request but remained knelt before him. "I am at your command Master," She said softly. She had to admit, seeing him blush was cute. She wanted to hug him close to her but kept a stony exterior. She remained in place, watching him quietly. Her deep blue eyes seemed to calmly stare at him. "Are you feeling all right my master?" She asked softly, "your face is flushed. You are not sick....or at least you seemed not to be. Could it be that you have never been kissed? If such is the case then I apologize to thee. I was far too brash and should have told you."
 
While Nathaniel tried to clear his mind, he heard her voice speaking to him. He shook his head and stood up again, even if it was a bit shaky to stand right now.
"It's okay. You just caught me off guard."
He still wasn't back to his usual self, but taking a deep breath helped him to be more calm. There was still the very fresh memory of her lips in his mind, but he pushed it aside for now and held a hand to her. Once she stood, he felt normal again and looked into her eyes.
"Don't worry about it. It was only for the contract after all. But... Instead of being your master, wouldn't it be better if we were friends? Besides. I kinda doubt that I would be a good master."
 
Freya looked at him when he mentioned being friends. She looked at him and nodded a bit. "Very well Master.....we shall be....friends. But I will still protect you with my life. That will not change," She said as she slowly stood up, "let us get out of here master. The air is stale and not good for you. I would not want you to get sick." She offered him her hand, trying very hard not to pick him up and hug him. Her sword was now sheathed on her back as she held her hand to him. She seemed so calm and relaxed. The idea of having him as a friend was odd but she was sure it wasn't too much of a change. The world was a strange place and she would need him to stay close and help her.
 
From how she responded, she didn't seem to get that friends didn't call their friends master, but it suited her to use that word. Maybe it was okay for now to let her call him like that. Nathaniel nodded to her and turned to the stairs again, ignoring on purpose that there might be treasure around, but he did look back once. What he did notice was that there may have been nothing, but it also seemed somewhat clean. It was probably because of Freya, who did her best over the years to make sure this place would not rot.
With an idea in mind, he walked up again, with Freya following him.

Once they were up, Nathaniel closed the door behind them, but didn't just keep walking.
"Freya? The person you guarded here is important to you, right? You won't be able to protect this place when you join me."
He wanted to know if this place was still important to her, or if she was just seeing it as an old dusty tomb.
 
Freya looked at him and headed after him. She followed him quietly and soon they were outside in the fresh air. It was nice to be out in the fresh air but she felt a little uneasy. It was strange to think about but now she could walk around and see the world and changes in it. She looked at him as he spoke. She had been taking care of that place for so long but she had gotten to a point where she could barely stand. The place was not just a prison to her. While she cared greatly for her master before Nathaniel she now had Nathaniel to care for.
"Of course I know that Master," Freya sighed softly, "Of course he was important to me but you are my master now. He is long since gone and you are here. There is unfortunately nothing there but bones and armor. He has been dead for a very long time. I knew I would not protect him for all eternity......they would never allow it." Her voice was a little ominous at the end as she looked away and to the sky.
 
Even though her master was just bones and dust by now, he could tell that she wanted to keep protecting this place.
"Well... Give me a moment. Just because I don't want to stay here doesn't mean I can't help you with that. Just a moment."
Nathaniel took a piece of chalk from his pocket and began to draw on the door. He began with a circle, and added unusual symbols, and additional circles. Soon enough, it looked like a quite complex spellcircle. Nathaniel then put one palm on it, making it glow as he murmured a formula. In the next moment, it faded away again, and the door looked like there was never chalk on it to begin with.
"There. I can't promise you that it will hold off everyone, but no novice will be able to enter from now on."
Upon trying to open it, one would notice quickly that the door wouldn't budge. It had an excalubur effect, not giving in even an inch unless someone very special would try to open it. That someone was only Nathaniel, or someone with greater power.
"Hm... Let's see. We're going east from here. There is a big city there, and I want to study the contents of the library. We might encounter monsters, or criminals on the way, so I'll be counting on you Freya. And one more thing. Friends tell each other if something troubles them, so just talk to me when you feel uneasy or need something okay?"
He smiled again at her, and not only because he considered her as a friend already. He could also tell that she was strong, and while he didn't need a guardian, it felt nice to have someone of her caliber at his back.
 
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