The Sundered Maiden

A sundering war, long forgotten, brought you here, no? So it goes. This endless cycle of treachery has brought countless men into this land. Yet countless men have failed to break the cycle. You are no different. A drop in the chalice of apathy. A pawn whose livelihood lies in the hands of fate.

You think that's not you? That you're some chosen one? So be it. Whencever you came shan't miss you. Either way, your end will come, and the next will take your place. Should you tempt fate, and take up the challenge, I am obligated to guide your way.

You nod.

After the war, our sacred land fell into four castes. The bright, fleeting Sun. The repressed, imminent Moon. The waning Neptune. And the omniscient Zenith.

Endless conflict leaves tattered alliances on all sides. All that remains is an echo of what once was. Each haus has a crown. Within it lies the Essence of its ancestors.

Bearer of the curse of ambition. Seek the Essence of all twenty four members. Seek the crowns of each haus. Lest you fail like all those who came before you.

The black fog fades. A woman steps forward: the bearer of the bright voice. Her face is framed by soft blue hair, and a headdress donned with flowers; rhodanthes are tucked behind her ear, and a cherry scent emanates from her.

A bonfire rests in the center of the courtyard of what seems to be a ruined castle. You walk towards it, the Sundered Maiden follows.

"I am Mayu. Come to me should you seek guidance. This place will not treat you kindly. I urge you proceed with utmost caution."

With that, she draws back, leaving only you and the dwindling flame. The rest of the courtyard, barely lit up, is as empty as it could possibly be. Yet there's a certain comfort to it, it feels safe.

You wander around a bit longer, taking in the different rooms of the castle that once was. A grand library with no books, barracks with no weapons, a garden with no one to tend to the plants. Countless more rooms, all lacking life, yet full of soul. Each hall is lined with paintings of unfamiliar women. At the end of one particularly long hallway is a gallery of statues, depicting brave heroes: some on horseback, one girl holding a baby dragon, two towering knights guarding a door that reaches the ceiling.

Like the majority of the doors here, this one is locked, but there's a light peeking through the cracks. Her voice echoes from behind you. "Yes, that door led to the outside. It hasn't opened since the war, and won't open until someone frees us of this cycle."

You turn around to her in the middle of the rotunda, and the light from the door illuminates her face. "Come here. Grab my hand."

You take hold of her outstretched arm. "Chowall Castle hasn't seen any visitors since the doors closed, besides the likes of you. Not that anyone would want to come here. Desolate place, this is. Would you like to see the rest that this land has to offer? Come closer."

She holds you tight, and her embrace swallows you, before letting you go in an instant.

---

When you open your eyes, they are berated by the sunlight. Rays of light shine over a crowded town in the valley of a mountain. The Maiden is nowhere to be seen, but her warmth remains, even under the sun's heat. You wander through the tight alleys, remaining unseen by whatever those things are in the streets. They look like people, but you can tell from afar they're not human. They're all wearing tattered clothes and mindlessly gathering throughout the village.

The alley ends, leading into a wide street. To one side, the street leads towards the mountains, and a gateway lies at the end. On the other side is a large barred off archway. An entrance to the sewers possibly? You turn left, heading to the gate, hoping to find a vantage point in the mountains.

Just as you begin walking a soldier turns out from a neighboring alleyway. Rusted armor covers about half of his body, the rest seems to be decomposing, revealing a skeletal figure underneath. He growls through his helm and points the chiseled tip of a broken sword towards you.

You rush for a door to one of the houses. Locked. You try the next door, as the soldier limps onward. Also locked, but something catches your eye. Laying on the cracked stone beneath you is a pile of pots, tied together, with a orange liquid seeping out. With no other option, you pick up a pot and throw it at your pursuer. Immediately the creature bursts into flames, writhing in pain as he falls to the ground. Once he stops moving and the fire goes out, you approach him, noticing his sword on the ground. You pick up the broken weapon, and put the rest of the fire bombs in your bag.

-

Nobody else interrupts you on your approach to the gateway. Once you stand mere feet away, you reach forward, leaning into the doors. They're unlocked, but it takes all your strength to push them open.

Inside is a lonely dark room, which you walk into, the last of the sunlight fading away as the doors close behind you.

"Precarious creature, what seeketh thee?"

A series of torches lining the walls flicker on one by one, illuminating the room around you. The final light at the end of the hall reveals a woman kneeling in front of another door.

"Hast thine search for the crown led thee into this sacred bastion? No further will you be permitted. For I, Seoyeon, Knight of Neptune shall make certain your intrusion does not go unpunished."

She rises, armor shifting, then fans her cape, causing the torches to her side to waver. She raises her other hand, drawing a silver greatsword. The knight readies herself, then charges. You run to her right, as she adjusts her advance, backing you into a corner. She jabs forwards, and you dive down to floor, narrowly avoiding her sword. You scramble back to your feet, drawing your own weapon. The knight turns around, and readies another strike. This one is quicker, leaving you no time to react. All you can do is hold up your broken sword and hope you can block hers. The instant contact is made, your sword clatters out of your hand, clambering to the ground. Her blow sends you backwards, and you look down at yourself. Arms bloody, chest cut, weak at the knees. Seoyeon, Knight of Neptune stands tall above you.

"Feeble animal. Fallen victim to ambition." She plunges her blade through your chest.

---

You wake in Mayu's arms. "You've made your return."

You bask in her embrace. Once the pain in your chest withdraws, you open your eyes. The Sundered Maiden looks down at you, her warmth beaming into your soul. "This journey is impossible alone. They may be hard to find, but there are indeed allies willing to help. Seek their essence, and they will welcome you."

You rise, she follows. Mayu lays her arms over your shoulders, and the world goes dark.

-

You're back at the entrance to the village. Instead of creeping through the alleyways, you wait for an opportunity, then dash for a door to a house. Does not open from this side. Before the creatures can notice, you rush back to another alley. You pick up a key on the body of another one of those soldiers. Looking up, you realize there are three dogs waiting for you, foaming at the mouth, fangs jutting out.

They rush toward you all at once. You ready your sword to your side, bracing with both hands, wait for the beasts to reach you, then sweep horizontally. You catch the first one midair, then step back. The second staggers back, looking down at its slain friend, growling even harder. It rears back, then leaps forward. You stab your broken sword ahead, and the dog impales itself on the jagged edge. You put one foot on the corpse for leverage, then pull the sword out, but not before the third dog can gnaw into your leg. With the last of your stamina, you plunge the sword down, piercing the final adversary.

The teeth of the beast slowly loosen their grip as its life fades away. With a limp, you make your way to a hole in a wall, entering a decrepit house. Inside, you can hear a woman's voice. "Is someone there? Please, if anybody can hear me, would you let this fair lady out of her restraints?"

You walk further into the building to find a cell door, with a tall woman waiting behind the bars. "Please, set me free." She is wearing a plain white dress, with a neckpiece and long gloves. You use the key the dogs were guarding to unlock her cell. "Thank you, sir. I am forever in your favor. My name is JiWoo of Ijbol, and I owe you my life. Take this as a token of my appreciation."

She hands you a small flask, full of a red liquid. You sip some, and instantly feel your leg regain strength. The miracle potion goes into your bag.

Next to her door is another bonfire like the one from Chowall Castle. The two of you rest at it for a moment, and you wake up fully recovered. The flask even refilled itself.

"Have you met the guardian knight of the gateway? What a terrifying woman. She's the one that captured me, stuck me in this forsaken place. Please, if you come across her, slay her. For now, I shall take my newfound freedom and search for a safer pasture."

You reach the front of the house, finding the other side of the blocked door earlier, opening a shortcut. The alley leads you back to the main road, which leads you back to the gateway. A great wall of fog marks the entrance. You slowly disperse it as you walk through, and are greeted once again by Seoyeon, Knight of Neptune.

She charges forth, not wasting any time on words this time around. You scurry under her greatsword like the last attempt, but before she can sweep around and take you out, you roll backwards, creating distance between you two. This gives you time to draw a fire bomb from your bag, which you throw at her feet.

She staggers, taking a moment to collect herself, while you rush forward, swinging rapidly at her unarmored legs. Before you can do much damage, she swings her cape around, masking her approach, then twirls around, leading with her blade, which leaves a gash along the side of your body.

With no time to think, you hurl another bomb at her, to which she quickly dashes out of the way. She retaliates with a quick jab, stabbing you in the stomach.

You've learned your lesson. Now you wait for her to make a move. A broad slash, which you roll, then respond with another fire bomb. As she falls again, you use this opportunity to drink from the flask JiWoo had given you. Now refreshed, you re-enter the fight.

With the upper hand, you roll out of the way of her attacks, responding with quick blows every time the opportunity strikes. Eventually she wears herself down, then you provide the finishing blow with the last of your fire bombs. The knight falls to the ground, clutching her stomach. "Insolent intruder. You will never get the crown of Neptune or any other. We will make sure of it..."

She fades into dust, then you find the Essence of Seoyeon, and the Gateway Key. Another bonfire appears, which you light.

-

You arrive back at Chowall Castle, greeted by Jiwoo. "Good to see you made it back. Have you slain the knight?"

You nod.

"Unbelievable. I knew you were worthy. Here, take this, and come to me should you desire more potent elixirs." She hands you another red flask, then withdraws.

You approach Mayu, the Sundered Maiden, standing in a corner, waiting for you. "Bearer of the curse of ambition, bring yourself into my embrace. Feel the warmth of my bosom. Let me grant you strength."

She holds you as you feel something tingling inside you. She has gifted you power through unknown means. "Continue on your journey. Venture further into the land. You might yet have the fortitude to retrieve the crowns, and break the cycle. Or perhaps, I am instilling false hope. Either way, you know what you must do."

She lets you go, and you walk back to the bonfire in the center of the courtyard. You rest, and transport yourself back to the gateway beyond the Knight of Neptune. Onward you go.