Hallowed Damnation [#Wattys2016]

1

What if I just ran away?

It was a question that had plagued Salina Ironblood for as long as she could remember. Sitting precariously at the edge of a steep cliff with her legs dangling casually, the question became more poignant. She reached out her hand and it felt like she could almost touch the faint outline of the island across the sea.

Reading was her only hobby and from one of her favorite ancient geography books, she knew that the island she was staring wistfully at was Turquil Island; an island now belonging to the Archan Countries where magic runs wild and life is bountiful. It was a far cry from the dry lands and strained life in the Armen Countries where she resided.

Although she could not be certain of the fact, she felt sure that it could not be worse than it was in Armen. She only knew of the other half of the world from her books and stories from the almost senile elderly reminiscing about the good old days. The days before The Disunion that took place almost a century ago when the skilled and magical mingled freely with the ordinary.

King Cameron Goldenview currently ruled over the whole of Archan and drove it straight to the ground upon inheriting the throne. Their family declared themselves as the rulers when The Disunion took place and since they were the wealthiest and most influential clan, no one dared to contend this.

The king was greedy and took all of the wealth of the land for himself from the hands of the hardworking masses. He raised taxes to an unreasonable amount and placed it upon everything until there was little left for the common man to survive on. The people were left in deprivation while the royals and a handful of noble families basked in lavishness. The worst of it all was that the people were so impoverished that they did not even hold the will to fight back anymore. The king had completely broken their spirit.

She reached up to her collarbone and scratched lightly at the fish-shaped birthmark. She often wished that she could cross the sea to Archan if only to escape the escape the torment here, but as isolated as she felt in her homeland she had a deep unsettling feeling that she would feel just as lonely there. In any case, it was forbidden by royal decree to venture into Archan territory.

The salty breeze blew some loose strands of her hair from her braided ponytail. She sighed as she came to the same conclusion she has always ended up with. She would not run, because there was nowhere else to go to.

She was still sitting there staring longingly at the island just out of reach when she heard heavy footsteps and ragged breathing heading for her. In one graceful movement she swiftly got to her feet and drew out two long daggers hidden beneath her black cloak. She stood there, lethal and waiting.

To her surprise, what beheld her was not an assailant but a rather tired looking young man. It was a messenger with urgent news to deliver. A sudden feeling of dread filled her when she spotted the letter that he was clutching in his hand outstretched toward her and recognized the emblem stamped on it; three stars joined in a circle by entwined rope and in the middle was a broken sun. The Brotherhood of Blades. Her home.

She rushed to the messenger and grabbed the letter, opening it with frantic and shaking hands. She read the letter once. Blinked. She read it again. She bolted from her spot, leaving the messenger without a word, and made her way in a terrified run toward her home six towns away. She ran toward her family that was being massacred.