Deviations in Writing

+ June 2006
+ The Empire of Nod

Though travel was not unheard of in Nod, most of the times even the most popular of roads were sparsely populated. Traders tended to move around only in cycles, during the spring and fall, leaving the roads clear for those visiting family during the summer.

The year before, Destiny and her acolytes from the temple went on a tour of the Empire, visiting every city and nearly all of the guard stations; making sure that the majority of the population knew of the Priestess’s words and also giving them a chance to find a group of girls willing to dedicate themselves both to the temple and to Demere. Surprisingly enough, the task was not difficult, and with a great amount of care two girls were chosen from each town, except for Cogstein; all of them between the ages of 15 and 16. In total twenty girls were selected and given a final year to spend with their families and friends before reporting to the temple for training.

When it came to deciding upon the girls they would choose, Destiny and her acolytes had to decide what they most needed out of the girls. They all had to be strong, both mentally and physically for they would be leaving behind their families and traveling throughout Nod for the majority of the years to come, until they retired from their positions. They would be required to take a number of strict vows that might be difficult for some to stick to: sobriety, abstinence and total commitment not only to the Shadow Lord, but to the entire Empire. Finally, they would have to have the willpower to follow the words of the Shadow Lord, to dismiss personal thoughts in order to act without hesitation, whether it would to take a life or to save one.

Now a year later, the girls were on the road toward the temple, though with the intention to stop in Neo-Krell and pay their respects to their deity and regent before continuing on. Days into their journey, news made it to them byway of a runner, that the Princess had been struck blind and mute. The girls were already slipping well into their devote mindset. While only half the story traveled with the runner, they understood that it the disfigurement had occurred at the hand of one known as Saint. Born and raised in reclusive areas, the majority of the girls had not heard of him, though some considered themselves fortunate enough to share what information they knew with their newfound sisters. The stories all sounded conflicting, but together the girls worked their own twist to the story, one that would be repeated across the Empire within months, and while it would never be accepted by the upper-echelon of Nod’s populace, the common people that made up the heart of the land would take the words as gospel.

The story was both simple and complex. Saint, the chosen beloved of the Princess had become a tool of the Shadow Lord, in a move that was both destructive and tender. It was obvious that his intent went beyond harming the girl, otherwise a single attempt would have been sufficient, however after the Dream Lord granted the Princess her sight once more, Saint was again brought forth to once more render her blinded. When looking at the events logically, why would the Shadow Lord allow a figure so important to him—considering that the Princess is both his daughter of the flesh, and his Priestess—unless there was some higher reason? Furthermore, he had chosen the one she loved in order to provide a kindness to the event, giving them both a chance to prove differing aspects. For Saint, though consciously unaware that he was being guided by the Shadow Lord’s hand, is was proving his loyalty; whereas for the Princess it allowed her to prove that she could act independently, while she refrained from seeking aid in overcoming her new hindrances. So spoke the sisters, and so it became both truth and mythology within the vast Empire of Nod.

Four guards had been assigned to the caravan, watching over the girls and making sure that their trip to the temple was a smooth one. It did not take long for the four men to grow tired of the chattering of twenty girls, and seek other avenues of entertainment. After setting up camp each night, the guards would sit around and play cards or other games to amuse themselves. Anytime they crossed paths with other travelers, the guards would invite them to sit and enjoy a meal with them. Most would stay the night, sharing stories with either the guards or the girls, enjoying the company before departing at daybreak.

The runner had been invited to join the group, but his mission was to get the word spread as far and wide as possible. While the guards weren’t pleased in the least, the girls were too caught up in the story to even bother them that night. Through the night they wove the story together, blending together known facts with half-truths and made up ideas. Long before dawn, the guards were lulled to sleep by the sound of twenty anxious girls murmuring over a fire.

In the end, the girls would never be able to point out who first suggested the idea, but all stood behind it with fervor. An hour passed between the first girl and the last one entering the darkness forevermore. They didn’t even pause to watch their final dawn, but in groups of two or three, in one instance a single girl alone, clawed out their own eyes and by this process bound themselves as sisters forever.