Blood on Parchment

Blood on Parchment

 

Maxinne Marie B. Sentina

 

  

Prologue

 

Darkness engulfed the horizons. A hint of smile curved upon my lips as I thought of something I once believed to be real - the inexistent reality of you and me. For some time you became my mentor, my ally, my protector. I led battles with you by my side. In the end, I stood alone.

 

Yet, I could never allow myself to fall. I knew, somehow, that I did not need the one whom I believed was my hero. You could not save me. You were a lie. Everything about you, everything you did, everything you ever told me were all lies.

 

I finally realized how strong I was when I stopped trusting you. My power roused me. And I destroyed the nemesis. I did it without you. It was then that I knew I was stronger without you.

 

You were my mentor, my ally, my protector. I loved you. But you turned out to be a lie. Veracity to you was a blinding light, and hiding from it was your strength. To me, it was weakness.

 

You are gone, betrayer " silenced by my own blade. All that was unspoken will be left unspoken. I do not need to know. I wish to be left in the dark, for in mystery, I find my freedom.

 

And now, with a wicked little smile, I wait. In the shadows, I stay. Betrayers will be silenced. For justice. For truth.

 

Chapter 1. Warrior

 

It was written on a piece of parchment. She held it in her hands as she bowed her head down to look at it before she would keep it in her most precious possession, a wooden chest intricately carved with her name " Raia Shadowvale.

 

She opened the chest. It contained four large books all of parchment, each bound by golden twine. She had always loved to write. Written in the books were the story of her life and the tales of her dreams since she was 15. It had been six years since she had first laid her quill on one of those books.

 

Raia fixed her gaze once more on the piece of parchment she was holding. Just then, a teardrop fell from her eye, faintly soaking the crimson words that were written. It was the same eerie dark red color as the stains on her blade. She placed the paper in the middle of the pages of the topmost book that was stacked and carefully closed the chest.

 

No one knew what she was capable of " she was, like her father, a warrior, one of the ever-vigilant Protectors of the Karajian clan. Protectors were looked at with dignity and reverence, and they were expected to not concede to their emotions. And yet, for six years she had embraced all that she felt and painted all that she saw with her words. She knew and felt love, and wrote it. But she also knew treachery and understood that even love can never overshadow the fate that awaited those who dared to betray. It was the way of the Protectors of Karaj. She was never emotionless like the rest of them, yet she knew where she would stand.

 

 

Chapter 2. Memoir

 

“Lady Shadowvale,” a voice echoed through the hallway.

 

Raia halted and turned her back. “What is it, squire?”

 

The boy bowed before her, as all servants and commoners were expected to as a signal of respect to people of her rank. “The new Commander wishes to speak with you, Protector.”

 

Upon receiving the message, she walked fast-paced out of the palace of the Protectors and headed to the Commander’s fortress " it was once the place where she would always meet her father.

 

The sunlight was beaming mockingly unto her. She clasped the red crescent-shaped stone that hung from her neck. Aside from the parchment she had written on and hidden earlier, it was the only memory left of the warrior she had loved. It glimmered in the light so that the fiery hue of the pendant seemed to resonate his name " Pyro Darkwrath. Like his name, he was fire. Fearless. Strong.

 

“Shadowvale,” the new Commander’s towering figure and deep voice demanded respect, yet Raia had feared her father more when he was the leader of the Protectors. “Is it done?”

 

“Yes, Commander. The traitor is no more,” she gave her reply with her head held high.

 

His stony eyes shifted from Raia to the crimson-stained blade in her hand. “Very well, then. Your father has been avenged. Commander Thrall Shadowvale shall rest well in the Afterlife."

 

She bent her head and body forward, and turned to walk away. She had never failed the Protectors. She had always stood by their principles, even if it meant piercing her heart with the agonizing truth. That moment as she tread, she felt as if each subtle thud of the red stone upon her chest was a memory of him impaling her heart.

 

 

Chapter 3. Ardor

 

Pyro Darkwrath was one of them " a Protector of Karaj who was as brave, as swift, and as strong as a raging fire. And most of the time, he would be as silent as falling embers. Yet it was only one year ago that Raia had discovered he was very much like her in the sense that he, too, valued his emotions unlike other Protectors, choosing to convey them through words. And it was through what they had in common that she found comfort in someone else other than herself.

 

It was he who had given her the necklace along with words that said it was to remind her of what they knew had existed between them.

 

He narrated stories never told to the rest of the world, for he knew only she could have understood. He spoke of his sweetest poetry when her heart longed for it, and he uttered out his misery for she was the only one who could listen. She then knew that what they felt was very much like what his name echoed. Fire. Passion. Love.

 

 

Chapter 4. Traitor

 

Yet there was one truth that changed everything. She stood melded in the shadows one day, watching Pyro from a distance. Peculiar it was that he was talking to a person cloaked and hooded in black. They headed to a pillar’s shadow. The black-clad figure took off the hood and revealed a delicate face, and long, flowing auburn hair crowned with a golden circlet. It was a woman. Raia watched as he received what looked like a dagger from the woman. She saw his head lean forward. And their lips touched.

 

Fire. Raia’s eyes burned with disbelief.

 

The woman fled, Pyro walked away, and Raia was left in the dark.

 

Hours later, Raia was woken from her sleep by a commotion outside the palace. The Protectors were talking noisily. She went out into the dark midnight to find out what it was all about.

 

“Darkwrath,” she overheard one of the Protectors say, “he’s gone.”

 

At the sight of Raia, they all turned to look at her. “Lady Shadowvale,” a male voice was heard, “it’s your father. The Commander has been killed.”

 

The shadows of rage and fear seemed to silently run through her veins as her heart pounded intensely against her chest. “And Darkwrath?”

 

“He has fled, Lady Shadowvale,” a woman spoke, “we believe he is behind the murder, they only just discovered that he has been working with the enemy.”

 

“You are called to the Commander’s fortress, Lady,” another Protector said, “There are tasks to be done.”

 

And so, she left, trembling upon learning the truth that changed everything.

 

 

Chapter 5. Slayer

 

She knew what had to be done. That midnight, she went out into the dark wilderness. Shadowvale " she carried her beloved father’s name, and like what it said about them, she was as mysterious as the darkness of the valleys, and had the extraordinary ability to meld with the shadows. She was a perfect blend of strength and speed, almost phantom-like when she fought.

 

In the distance, Pyro Darkwrath rode away, mounted upon a valiant stallion that blazed its silver form amidst the darkness. Raia kept an eye on her beloved betrayer. She traveled as swiftly and as silently as the shadows that were cast by the trees that stood proud against the crescent moon. She could hear hoof beats getting louder. She was getting closer. Indeed, no one, not even the warrior she loved whom she was chasing, knew what she was capable of.

 

Pyro sensed a presence come up from behind him, so he halted and dismounted his steed.

 

“My love,” Raia’s voice reverberated through the darkness, “where are you going? Are you leaving me?”

 

“Raia,” he was stunned as his eyes met hers. He could not move when he saw her walk towards him. He could not speak when she held him close. She loved him still.

 

One kiss. For the first and last time.

 

“I am in agony. I long for death. I love you, Lady Shadowvale. I love you, but I can’t. Forgive me.”

 

“No,” she whispered, “forgive me.” A glint of silver flashed in the dark, drops of crimson tainted the ground, and in a breath of time, there was silence. Her tears burned, blurring her vision of that ill-fated parting. Even love can never overshadow the fate that awaited those who dared to betray.

 

Raia sat down with her quill, her parchment soaked in tears, her story written in blood. For my father. For justice. For truth.

 

She returned home with his blood on the parchment in her hands, because aside from the red stone she wore that seemed to pierce her heart, it was the only memory left of the warrior she had loved, the warrior who betrayed, the warrior who was silenced by her own blade.

 

There is no greater agony than bearing an unwritten story inside you, no matter how tormenting that story may be.

 

 

 

 

Written February 10, 2008, 02:38 AM © Maxinne Marie

 

Author's Note

Yes, it does have chapters, but this it isn't lengthy enough to be a book. I'd like to categorize my short story works as "experimental" as when I wrote this, I combined prose poetry (which I love doing) with flashback-style narration, plus the use of chapters for a short story. I know, I'm weird, I like different, I dare to be different.

Written for a short story writing competition hosted by our university publication, the Forum-Dimensions, and I'm going to submit it sometime this week. The theme was "emo". I'm so not into that trend, but I tried writing something inspired by the darker sense of it anyway. My version of "emo" as told by this story is not focused on the trend itself, rather on sorrow as the dominating emotion. That is why this story takes place in a world far from ours, in a time that is not our own.

I don't expect this piece to win, they might find it a little too disturbing, and there are many stories which are a lot more "emo" out there, but I loved writing this piece as it led me to explore the darker side of my ideas, the "emo" inside me which is, I believe, present in any human being.

Thank you very much for the reviews! =]

Reviews

[Blackbirdsong]

I love the title of the book and the chapters titles as well. The narration and plot are great...I'm not a fan of emo, so I won't comment on that aspect of this work. I love the delivery and would suggest that you consider expanding each chapter so that you could make a book out of this. You have quite a compelling read here. To be honest since you mention emo, I think this transcends emo and is better than emo. It could easily be ranked beside LOTR or similar fantasies like that. It has a mythic quality that is really quite impressive. Good luck with the competition.

[kathrine]

i enjoyed it. I thought it was going to be longer but it was nice to read something that wasnt long

[M. J. C. Mata]

i think it should be the structure of your work that needs some improvement on. i can easily imagine the idea that you would like to convey, however, the way the images where created and placed in sequence leaves much to be desired. yes, it is a sad story, and a bit emo (i hate to use that word but that's the closest adjective possible). I like it since it has imagination. Perhaps as a challenge, why don't you create a story using reality as your camvass? it will seem real, but fantasy it will be.

[Ice Queen of the Vampir..]

Wow.....this story is just amazing and I loved every minute of it. You did a fantastic job writing this piece. Awesome work!!!

Heather

[Vincent Maltese]

Great write. and to sum it all up with the little time i ahve. it was a very intersting story.

[Aaron J. Wald]

I noticed that those comenting you all have pictures of birds.... Am i out of place? I would classify this as emo... but not all emo is judged the same. You should have stated "beyond the stereotypical emo," because the usual emo prose and verse are constructed very poorly. You exceeded Emo expectations.

Is it ok if I ignore your "Review Guidelines?" Because I have never been one to follow rules or to write an essay. So here goes my own Review. ^-*

You could have made it darker, in my own personal opinion. And Darker doesn't always mean more gore and stuff like that. Darker, escpessialy since you talk about emo... Show more development of the charicters and relationship. (yada yada yada...*yawn*) you have a good story, but having more of this always will help to keep the charicters fresh in mind. Sorry if it seems like I'm picking. I actually thought it was very good. But everything has room for improovement. ^-^

[Vincent Weathers]

"Blood on Parchment," I think this title incorporates the general scope of the story here. Its interesting to me, considering that both she is a warrior and a writer, she must shed red to maintain order. Physical order, with the warrior aspect; mental order, with the writer aspect.
The chapter titles are nothing short of what they are supposed to be. They reflect the characters the way they are supposed to be done. I sort of got an impression from the entire chapter titles, that I could predict what exactly is going to happen in the story. Of course doing so is a sort of a stretch, but its possible. Its narrative style is unique also, which I find to like. I don't know the genre "emo" like I do with others, but I do think it is "emotional" enough. I am not a judge in that category however.
With the names, it seemed very easy to distinguish who exactly has antagonistic qualities. "Pyro Darkwrath"--sounds vengeful and downright negative. "Shadowvale" adds to the entire dark theme. As you mention that you liked writing prose poetry to use for narration, some people might think it is a bad idea to do so. Just to be clear, using prose poetry style instead of the normal style to narrate a story is not as common as its predecessor. I think the style gives it an edge over the competition (if assuming that the majority relies on a normal style). I am not sure how it will turn out in the end, but uniqueness could very well lead to great success or a blunder. It all really depends on the judges of the competition.
Now, the story's delivery, it is consistent. Not full-blown emotional, but realistic.
I think its done well. Good luck with the competition.

[Rc R. Vagilidad]

"The new Commander wishes to speak with you, Protector," he said. (with his head down - delete..it seems redundant)

" She stood melded in the shadows "---hahaha.. Lanaya gid tana.

just a suggestion.. changed noisily... "The Protectors were talking noisily."--it's kinda common word to use in this so epic transition.. hehee

nice irony.. beloved betrayer...

i mustn't have read the guidelines, but sure i am that this would come up to be as great as the theme it speaks. its more than emo, an epic proportion never had a chance of losing the contest...hehe (^^,)

nice nice..



i loved how you describe her in the firrst paragraph of "Slayer".. hehe.. astig