Geetah: Chronicles of an Arborum Heroine

A/N: First: this is NOT a D&D story, but is in a very similar world called Geeah.

Second: Ok, ok. Yes, I’m a big fan of the novels of Myst, so I took a name from there for my principal character in this story, but only the name, not the personality or race. My heroine is an Arborum, one of the people of the trees, not a D’ni. This is the story of my character in a cool Role Playing Game that my friend Rafael Leonard invented and I played her for around 4 years.

Prologue:

It was an ordinary morning in the Arborum Village that was in the forests near the city of Horside, in the world of Geetah. Everything was quiet, as usual and everyone was concerned of their own affairs.

Tahli, the leader of the village and his family were having Breakfast in their house over a big oak.

- “Kedri, don’t make noises to drink your milk” he sayed, gently but firmly, to his 9 years old daughter who was sitting in front of him, looking at him with her now surprised green eyes and smiled

- “Oh, ok, Daddy” she sayed, smiling and stopped making disgusting noises.

Her mother, Tiare, was finishing making some eggs for Tahli, so she was in the kitchen when someone knocked the door.

- “Tahli, Tahli, some strangers just arrived to the village, they’re hurt and we need you to come!” It was the voice of one of the rangers that Tahli sent the day before to guard the village. Those were strange times and a evil tyrant human named Pelavin was ruling over the human cities and had everyone terrifyed.

- “I’ll be right there, take them to the Temple for now” Tahli and Kedri finished their breakfast fast. He waited for his wife while she was coming to the table.

- “Yes, I know” she sayed “you have to go. Good luck with the strangers” Tiare kissed him in the mouth and sat at Kedri’s side.

Tahli went to the Temple while Kedri waited for her mother to finish her meal.

- “And you, little one,” she sayed to her little daughter “you’d better get going. You’re already late for school already, so No-One-Knows will take you, ok?”

- “Oh! Yes, mom, see you later, ok?” she kissed her mom good bye and left. She went down the tree and looked around. The grey wolf cub was waiting for her and when she smiled at him he whined and approached “Yes, I know No-One-Knows” she told him “I’m late again, so we’d better go” she mounted on his back and the wolf run towards the school.

(Four hours of very boring classes later)

Kedri wasn’t really paying attention to the class, thinking on the strangers her father had to see this morning. It wasn’t a usual thing that strangers were allowed to come into the village, and less now with Pelavin and his men around the world.

- “Ok, Class, now you may leave, and don’t forget to study because tomorrow you have test” the Teacher sayed to the kids while they all screamed “YAY!” because they were finally leaving.

- “Will you go racing today, Kedri?” her best friend, Sila, asked her.

- “No, Sila, I think I should go home today because some strangers arrived and I want to ask my father about them, but good luck at the race. I’ll see you tomorrow” Kedri sayed while she mounted her wolf and left.

She heard noises inside her house even when she was down the tree and dismounted fast, concerned on what was happening inside, but once she got inside she saw 5 humans talking with her father and eating. Her mother was bringing them food. They were laughing. Injured but At least they were in a good mood.

- “Ah, Kedri, come over here” her father motioned her to approach and she did silently. “This is my daughter, Kedri. She’s a very promising Archer” he kissed her and she took a good look at the men. They all looked like humans from a barbarian tribe. There was something about them that Kedri didn’t like… some strange maybe evil light in them.

- “Joung Lady” her mother called her “I think we have some studying to do. Tomorrow you have a test if I remember well” Her mom liked studying with her. It was at least a space they could have together. Kedri, of course, didn’t know how valuable was that time for her mother.

- “Aw, mom, can’t we just leave it for later?” she asked, but at the look of disappointment of her mother she just sighed and followed her.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly. Kedri and her mom finished the homework and went playing with No-One-Knows, but every time she crossed the humans she always noticed that strange and evil bright in their eyes. She told her mom but she dismissed it “Kedri, you have always been exceptical to strangers… you concern too much, dear. They’ll leave in a day or 2 and that’s all. Relax and keep playing” she sayed, trying to calm her daughter, but Kedri’s instinct sayed otherwise.

That night, during her sleep, Kedri dreamed of fire… all she could see around was fire and a scream woke her up “MY BABY!” She wasn’t totally awake when her father irrupted in her bedroom and took her out of the bed in his arms. She could hear and feel the heat of the flames and the screaming of the people and thought she was still dreaming. Something told her not. In her dream she could only hear the sound of the flames, but didn’t feel the heat. When she looked around she saw her village burning. All the houses, the people, in flames. Her people.

- “Little One,” her father sayed while he put her in the back of No-One-Knows “Little Kedri, I love you, always remember that, ok? Now I have to go back for your mother. Ride on your Wolf and go as far as you can. I promise you, we’ll be fine and we’ll catch you in the first town you find” he sayed this while giving her some money, his sword, bow and quiver “Take, have this in case you need it. We love you, Kedri, always remember that. Now go and don’t look back!” he sayed this last sentence while running back over the tree and inside the house

- “Daddy” she whined, still very confused while No-One-Knows, who understood what he had to do, started running away. Suddenly a noise made her look back just in time to see how her home fell, still in flames. In her desperation she jumped off from the back of the wolf, screaming “NOOO! DADDY! MOMMY!” once and again and started running towards the flames to rescue her already dead family, but No-One-Knows didn’t let her. He run faster than her and got in the way, forcing her to stop and get away from the flames.

Suddenly she heard a familiar noise

- “HAHAHAHAHA… YES! THEY BURNED ALL TO ASHES! I love to see this spectacle” one of the barbarians sayed “next time let’s burn a bigger village… this Tree-People never see it coming. They’re so naive” then he noticed the joung Arborum girl watching him, enraged “Aw… so little daddy’s girl survived. Better, that way you’ll know you don’t have to mess with us. So… you hate me for burning your house? Was your daddy in there? I’m sooooo sorry, little girl” he sayed in a mocking tone and Kedri prepared her sword “Oh, how scary… a little girl with a sword! Uhhh… let me scream in terror” the man grabed her sword roughly and threw it away. No-One-Knows was growling and barking at them. The Arborums have always been very close friends to some beasts and to the trees, to the point that they can talk to the trees if they touch them.

The man kicked the wolf in the stomach and he growled in pain.

Kedri went checking on her canine friend while the men walked away, laughing and making fun of all the disgrace they just caused to the people that helped them only hours ago.

- “You’ll be fine, No-One-Knows” she sayed with real concern to the wolf while she caressed his fur, trying to make him feel somewhat better “I swear those men will pay. We will hunt and kill them even if it takes the rest of our lives. They won’t harm another village, tree or wolf again, I promise.”

The wolf whined and closed his eyes, knowing that harder days would come.