Sixteen years ago a child laid on her bed listening to sounds of soldiers training just outside her window. She’s been afflicted with a terrible illness that left her paralyzed and always weak.
She’s padded with pillows on all sides and all she can see is the ceiling in her room with the sun spreading across it. There are a good number of scrolls beside her and she’s read and memorized every single command in them even though reading on her back is quite demanding. She’s been laying down for three months now and reading has been the only activity she’s been able to do.
One day She heard the door opened and two people walked in. She’s learnt that her body quickly makes up for her disabilities or maybe it’s just a gift from the gods. She can tell who’s walking by from their footsteps and the smell.
Her mother walks in with a man with heavier footsteps who she realized was a physician.
“Are you are wake sweetheart” says her mother.
She tries to respond but the words get stuck in her throat and she ends up coughing. Her mother runs to her and ensures she doesn’t stress herself.
She is a girl but her features would make most of the town folks call her a boy.
The other man’s name is Abderos. One of the physicians from the town. “How are you doing today boy” he asks.
“Same way I felt yesterday and the past months” the child responds.
Have you been taking your drugs and doing your exercises?
She nods in accent. The medicine is terrible to taste and the exercises are boring but she has to take them, she’s not one to complain.
“No one knows right now how you’ll recover and what you’ll be able to do, just take your medicines and do your exercises That’s the best thing you can do at the moment”
“Ok” she says fighting back the tears until he leaves.
Abderos exchanges a few words with her mother and they exit the room together.
Her mother returns alone, sits with her for a while and holds her hands. Her mother’s hands are firm and strong, she’s a soldier in the Arkmonian guard.
“I know you really want to get well,” says her mother. “I know you want to fight. And I promise you I will do everything I can to support you.”
The child turns away, holding back tears.
“But no matter what happens, whether you’re able to fight or not, I am your mother and I will always be proud of you”
The child embraces her mother and says “I love you”
Her mother hugs her tight and then stands up.
Abderos is making your next dose. I’ll bring it when it’s ready.
She assures herself of her mother’s love for her, but she wants to fight and she’s willing to do everything possible even if it meant ignoring their advice.
She’s been told to do very minute exercises and nothing strenuous but she realizes she’ll have to work harder than she currently is if she’s to have any chance of fighting in the army one day.
She pushes her pillows aside and rests on her palm whilst trying to sit up with all her strength. She groaning and cursing from all the pain and stress and by the time she sits up, she’s sweating profusely.
From her sitting position she can see out the window now. She sees ypung Arkmonian guards training and the sight serves as even more motivation for her.
She swings her legs off the bed to the floor.
Yes! Yes! I can do it she gasped.
“Oh Aeona, grant me strength” she prayed under her breath.
She grabs the side of the bed and puts her weight on her feet. Her hands and feet are shaking but she’s standing. And just then, her feet couldn’t hold her anymore. She holds the side of the bed with a firmer grip now and tries to fall back on the bed but she falls with a bang to the floor. She lays there for a while and then she begins to laugh. Her mother heard the sound and rushed into the room to help her but finds her laughing through the pain and exertion.
Eleven years ago
Selena runs, she’s gasping for air and her chest hurts like hell but she continues to run. She’s dressed like all the other girls aiming to make it into the Arkmonian guard. She’s running now, her sickness is long behind her but she still doesn’t have the strength and energy of most girls her age. Applicants for the guard have to be able to run three miles in 18 minutes and she can hardly do it in an hour. She runs every evening around the walls of Agrodor. The sun is on its way down that day and the forest is cool but she is sweating profusely and gasping for breath as she runs.
She’s as motivated as ever “Keep pushing. Keep running. Step, then step, then step.” She continually says to herself. Selena’s vision starts getting blurry and then dark and suddenly she falls to the forest floor with a heap. She’s gasping for breath and cannot hold back the tears from rolling down her eyes.
Get up!
There’s no use, she thinks to herself. She’s not even half way through the tracks but she’s already exhausted. She feels a pair of strong hands bro her up and push a skin of water to her lips.
“Are you alright boy?”
She shakes her head
“I... I am.. not... a boy” she gasps
“Apologies” says the stranger.
Selena’s vision clears up now and she sees the stranger is a well built woman of about 40 years of age dressed in leather. The woman squats beside her and Selena takes another gulp from the water skin.
Selena stands up and returns the water skin with gratitude. The stranger stands and she a head taller than Selena. What’s your name? she inquired “Selena”
Even if she’d never be Selena of the Arkmonian guard, she’s still Selena.
The stranger nods.
Selena returns the question. “What’s your name” Orythia of the Arkmonian Guard.
Selena mouth falls open in awe, admiration and shock. You’re Orythia?
The older woman laughs. Is that surprising?
No! I mean yes! I’ve heard a lot about you and I wasn’t expecting the leader of the Arkmonian guard to give me water today. What are you doing out here Selena inquires.
Same as you. I like to run sometimes and keep myself fit. And I like to see if there’s anything out of place. I’ll like to show you something if you don’t mind, Orythia says.
“Oh ok ma’am, I don’t mind”
Orythia leads Selena down a path with a smile on her face. I’ve heard about you, everyone says you want to be in the guard more than anyone else Orythia says.
Really? Selena asks with a little bit of shame. Selena walks behind Orythia quietly, happy at least that the older Amazon cannot see her face.
They say you’re the most zealous aspiriant for years but you had an illness when you were younger, correct?
Yes, I couldn’t walk for about six months when I was ten years old” Selena responds. And yet here you are, running again just five years later. That’s impressive, really impressive but you still have some ways to go if you’re going to make it to the guard Orythia continues.
Where are we going ma’am, because like you said, I have to train. Asks Selena. You’ll see is the reply she gets. Selena follows her in total silence now. Selena hears it before she sees them. It’s the sound of arrows leaving their bows and hitting their targets.
They round a corner and she sees a group of young people practicing. They are future members of the scouts’ troops. The villagers often made mockery of them by calling them the little sisters. They were not as honored or revered as the guard.
Orythia keeps walking but Selena stops almost in anger. Orythia turns back to see what made her stop and Selena speaks up
I get it, she says. You’re saying I don’t belong in the Guard. That I should go join the Scouts.
There’s anger in Orythia’s eyes for the first times since they met now. I have said nothing like that. What else could all this possibly mean, a sobbing Selena yells back. She would rather be anywhere else at this time.
Ever since you fell ill as a child, I guess a lot of people have told you what you could and couldn’t do. Right? Selena nods in response. And did you listen? They said you could never walk or run again and you proved them wrong. You’re here to show everyone who ever doubted you that you can be anything you want to be. Tell me if I’m wrong
You’re right says a still sobbing Selena. You’ve trained really hard and like I said earlier I am impressed, Orythia says. She continues but the truth is that right now, every single member of the guard can outrun you, from the aspirants to the oldest members who are maybe four times your age. Are you getting faster and stronger she asks? Selena reaponds honestly faster, yes but stronger, not for a while now.
Do you want to join the Guard to do what the Guard does? asks Orythia Or do you want to get in the Guard to prove to everyone wrong?
Selena pauses for a moment to reflect. I want to fight for Agrodor, like my mother did before she retired. It’s all I ever wanted since I was a child she finally responds.
Good says Orythia. Next question: I will be your commander if you join the guard, now do you trust me? Selena thinks about this deeply. She’s never met this woman all her life but at this point she was willing to give her life for her.
I do was her reply.
So trust me and don’t assume anything until I’ve said so. Selena nods with her sense of pride returning. Understood.
Now follow me. General Orythia get permission to enter the range and moves to collect a bow and arrows for their training. Orythia leads Selena to the far end of the range. We’ll begin at a fifteen pound draw Orythia said. That’s a good place for beginners and we’d use 20 paces as our distance. Can I ask you something, Selena says. Go right ahead. Isn’t the bow a cowards weapon? That’s what the villagers say
Orythia’s reply was quite serious, if you see anyone say that, tell them to come say it to me. That’s plain stupid assumption. The bow is the weapon of someone who wants to hit something at a distance beyond a spear’s throw, that’s all.
Selena ignore the other young archers as Orythia shows her where to put her feet, how to nock the arrow and rest it on her left hand, how to pull the arrow back to the corner of her mouth so the sinew rests on her nose. She releases her first arrow and it hits the target low and to the left. What a good start she thought to herself.
At the end of the day, Orythia has moved the target sixth paces away and Selena was still able to hit it comfortably and get the arrow within the second ring half the time. The work is more difficult than she assumed but it doesn’t consume her energy and drain her like running. She knows her right arm will be sore in the morning.
That’s enough for today, Orythia says. You’re a natural and with practice you would make a great archer. Orythia puts an arm around her and says you can’t run three miles, and that’s just how it is. But if you can work your way up to a thirty-pound pull and a four-out-of-five hit rate at sixty paces or so… maybe running three miles won’t matter so much.
I don’t understand Selena says after trying to wrap her head around those numbers. You have to run three miles in 18 minutes to get into the guard don’t you? Orythia delays her response and first shows her how to put away her weapons.
To get into the guard, you have to prove that you’re willing to fight and even die for the people of Agrodor. And that is something that’s easily seen in you. But the truth is, you don’t have the physicality required to be in the guard and so you must find your own way to fight. Do you understand?
I do says Selena, I understand, thank you.
Ten years later, with the silvery moon as her only source of light, Selena is practicing her archery, draws and releases again and again and every time she hits the target. Her target is sixty five paces, very ambitious especially since it’s dark. And her draw weight now is thirty pounds. She’d found the bow outside her door step a few days after her conversation with Orythia. The bow was almost her height. It came with specific maintenance instructions and several sinews. Her mother never asked how she got it so she assumed she was aware of the whole situation. She had become stronger and she could run without exerting herself than she did with all her endurance drills. She trains with the moonlight, sneaking out of the city through hidden gateways because she doesn’t want to talk about her archery training with her fellow guard aspirants and scout trainees. It’s not the safest place to be at such times but she’s confident in the fact that her mother knows she’s out there.
She starts, drawing and releasing her arrows. Thock, thock, thock when she hears a voice behind her that almost made her jump out of her skin.
Four out of five, that’s good the voice said.
General Orythia Selena says without turning back. The General walks behind her and checks her out. You’ve grown taller, you’ll need a new bow soon she says. Yes, ma’am, Selena says. I’ve asked for one for the Aeonaphoria.
Selena nocks the next arrow but she doesn’t release it. She speaks to General Orythia again can I ask you something? General Orythia replies They say truth is told by moonlight so ask. Why are you doing all this for me? General Orythia calmly responds. I told you last year, I need people who really want to be in guard and there’s no one with grater desire right now than you. With all due respect ma’am, that sounds like pity.
Orythia looks sternly at Selena now. Child, she says, if it was pity, I wouldn’t have brought you here the first day we met. I’d have rounded you up and taken you home to your mummy. And I never would have given you the impression that you could maybe one day become a part of the guard in any capacity.
Then why?” Selena asks again, with her arrow still nocked in place. People don’t get things because they want it. You won’t just have me here because I have a strong desire to be here, why ma’am , why? She continues, I’m never going to be strong or fast enough to be in the guard, why don’t you just pack me up and send me back to my mother. Or is this a favor for her?
Orythia let’s put a sigh. Quite the opposite Orythia tells her. Your mother asked me not to get your hopes up.
Cyclop
Two years ago, General Orythia stands in from of the guard and yells in command
“Guard! Take positions! Spears ready!”
Selena ignores the order. Her position is different from the others. She’s perched on a hill with her bow and a couple of arrows from a position where she can see the entire battle field. She’s the first to see it advancing and crashing it’s way through the forest trees to the city walls. A cyclop thrice her height with a club in its hand. It has clearly advanced beyond the scouts as the multiple arrows on its thick skin shows and now it’s heading straight to the city gate. General Orythia is in the second line, yelling commands and clearly ready to fight.
The beast bellows in rage, swinging its cub at the soldiers. It’s single eye is unmistakable in the moonlight. Cyclops have very thick skin and really great eye sight so the soldiers have to fight it at night. The guard Harry around it and flanking and swarming it. Their tactic is simple, keep the cyclop busy and stay alive until someone strikes a telling blow that sends it crashing down or injured hard enough to force a retreat. More of the latter than the former.
The cyclop swings it’s head and club in every direction at the same time. It’s really confused and off balanced now but the soldiers know their tactic is risky, the cyclop could with a swing wipe out a whole line of soldiers. Unfortunately a soldier gets within distance of its club and it sends the soldier clashing out of the battle field.
Selena waits and watches looking for the perfect moment for a shot at the only weak point of the beast. The cyclop is fifty paces away, she can see its eye clearly by the reflection of the moonlight. Her only issue is the cyclop is consistently moving, she was already use to shooting in the dark.
Then she sees her chance. General! yells Selena. Withdraw! I have the shot, but you need to withdraw! Her idea is even more risky than their original plan. If they give the cyclop any more space and time to recover it could easily run them through and get into the city. But Orythia trusts Selena. She looks back at her through the moonlight and sees the glint in her eyes. They both nod and General Orythia yells the command.
Fall back, fall back, give it some space. The different ranks of Amazon warriors retreat and the cyclop lunges forward. Selena nocks and draws. Arrow at the corner, sinew on the nose. She whistles very loudly across the suddenly quiet battlefield, and then she lets it loose. The beast turns to the direction of the sound and the arrow hits it right at its pupil. The creature yells out in pain, throwing off its club and reaching for its eyes all the whole staggering backwards.
“Attack” screams Orythia, and the soldiers charge at the blinded beast to finish it off. It’s an easy fight now and soon a loud victory cry rattles the atmosphere. Other soldiers gather wood to burn the ugly creature before other wild beasts come to devour its carcasses.
They take the injured to the infirmary and Selena sits on a pile of wood, her strength abated from helping carry the injured. Orythia walks up and sits close to her. You were magnificent out there today Selena says to her General. We all do our part General Orythia replies. If I had a thousand young, strong and fast people today we would have still lost a couple of them, but all that was avoided because of you, nice shot.
Thanks, and thank you for trusting me to take it says Selena. Like I told you back when you were training, says Orythia. I need people who can see the big picture and understand when the usual tactics aren’t the best tactics. Real leaders. I’m not gonna last forever, you know.
Selena stared at her, surprised at the implications of her statement.
Present Day
It is dark all around when Selena’s eyes suddenly snapped open. She was convinced she heard something. She sits up and looks around the barrack through the silvery light of the moon but she can’t see any sign of movement, maybe it was her imagination she thought and went back to sleep. She hears the voice again, this time it’s a woman’s voice and it mentions her name “Selena” in a whisper.
Selena sits upright. Come to me the voice says. Selena is convinced the voice means no harm, it’s so gentle and beautiful. Selena quickly thinks about all the numerous creatures who entice humans with such beautiful voice until they lead them out into the forest to either drown, murder or steal their faces. Before she could finish processing her thoughts the voice calls again. Selena, Aeona calls you.
She realizes no creature would dare use the name of the goddess to lure people away but she can’t be too careful. She quickly puts on her armor and grabs her bow. Selena climbs outside the windows of the barracks. It’s a full moon and it’s almost bright as day outside.
She hears the voice call again. Come to the hillside, I’m outside the walls. Of course, she mutters. Fine. But if I get eaten or drowned, I will be very disappointed.
She uses her old secret ways to sneak out of the city. She wasn’t in for any questions from the city guards, I mean how would she explain a voice calling her outside the city. She feels the air in the forest as she begins to climb the hill from where she slee the cyclop and suddenly remembered how it felt to train out there alone in the dead of the night under the moonlight.
At the top of the hill she sees a gray wolf standing confidently but not ready to attack. And right then she hears the voice again. Selena of the Arkmonian Guard. The sound of her name seemed to permeate the air and being a consciousness to her. She kneels, now more convinced that she was in the very presence of the goddess of nature herself.
Lady Aeona she breathes
Rise
Selena stood and beheld Aeona in all of her glory standing before her, her eyes glistening like that of a cat. Who do you serve asks Aeona. I serve General Orythia was her reply. Through her, I serve my sisters and brothers in the Guard. Through them, I serve my city and my people.
And through them? asks Aeona. I have never been able to think beyond that my Lady. Your people are the guardians of the forests Aeona responds And through it you serve nature and through nature you serve me. Yes my Lady Selena responds with the clarity that has come to her. What would you have me do?
The gods have a tournament and I need a mortal to represent me Aeona says. Selena’s eyes open in shock, why me, my lady? Nature has more strength and intelligence than it is given credit for. Animals and beasts are not as foolish as men think, not even the trees are mindless Aeona says. Every living thing knows what it needs to survive and they pursue it with tenacity and purpose that goes beyond that of some men. Do you understand what I mean?
Selena seemingly understanding and yet confused at the same time responds I see my lady, but I do not understand what this has to do with me You know what you need to survive and all your life you have pursued it with the animalistic drive of a beast and the wisdom of a genius, that my child, is what I need. You’re correct my lady, I am driven and cunning, but my strength is weak, I don’t think I’m the right person for you Selena says. I do not change my mind breathes Aeona.
Selena feels like a child again at this time, weak and confused. She stammers and asks then can you.... fix me? Aeona’s face get lit with a slight smile and she replies I will empower and grace you like I would any mortal that fights for me. But fix you? Aeona is touching her cheek now as she continues. There is nothing to fix. Selena’s eyes fill with tears, and she nods.
You are not broken, Aeona continues. You are Selena, and I have chosen you as you are. Selena takes her goddess’s hand and says Then I will be your champion.
And Together, they disappear into the night.
*************************THE END**********************************
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