Light Anew | Teen Ink

Light Anew

December 10, 2015
By JoahGreen BRONZE, Newark, Delaware
JoahGreen BRONZE, Newark, Delaware
4 articles 0 photos 0 comments

“In 1584 the Roman Province of Britannia declared independence from the mainland Roman Empire, becoming the Celtic Clans of Britannia, the nation we are today.  The Roman Empire responded immediately, sending their Legions to retake the province, but their armies were too spread out fighting the Mongols and- Oriana!"  The Professor yelled.
Oriana was the blond girl looking out the window distractedly.  She wore her school uniform, a white short-sleeve collared shirt with a plaid blue and green vest and skirt.  Her tamed hair almost reached her shoulders.  Two long bangs from the sides of her hair stretched back into a braided ponytail that rested down her back, almost making a reef on her head.
Oriana turned away from the window and look at the teacher expectantly.  She was in her first class of the day, History.  The classroom was a square stone room modified to have the desks and boards needed for an academy.  The academy had been a Roman noble's play house a hundred years ago, but the building was seized during the rebellion and later turned into a very prestigious academy.  ”As you obviously know the information.  Who were the Generals of the Celtic army?"  The Class stared at Oriana, anticipating her to stumble on her reply.
“General Cadeyrn Bànach, General Drust Guinne, and Otho Hirtius the Roman turn-cloak."  Oriana replied.
The teacher was dumbfounded and the class was satisfied with the teacher's response.  “That is...correct.  I ..  applaud your efforts outside of class."  The Professor weaseled out.  He returned to the lecture hastily and Oriana returned to her window watching.  It was still morning so the sun wasn’t yet fully in the sky and you could still see some stars, but that didn't stop the academy from having classes at five.  Though it is easier to do when the students live in dorms.  Oriana’s father had enrolled her here a year ago to educate her and build relations with other families that could afford to enroll.  Most of the classes she had mastered when she was tutored at home, and the rest bored her relentlessly.  But here was far better than the her home.
She was born into the family Regni.  The Regni's had taken the name of an ancient clan during the war and made ourselves nobles in the years to come.  It was a name that carried a lot of weight in the country, and Oriana was expected to uphold it.  She was satisfied to be out of that world for a time, she was pleased to be away from that cold castle, she was delighted to be away from servants paid to care about her, and she was delighted to be away from her father.
Oriana didn’t have a mother- well, she did, but she left a year after Oriana was born.  Oriana’s father was a diplomat to the Iroquois at the time and had had an affair with a Iroquoian woman.  Oriana’s mother was smart enough to leave a man who didn’t feel guilty about a “small scandal”.  But she was selfish enough to leave an infant alone with a man like that.  Though her father was so thoughtful.  “Your mother’s leaving was a disgrace to this family, and I will not see you or anyone tarnish this family again,"  She remembered him saying.  She was definitely glad to be here.
Oriana looked out onto the forest outside the window.  The grass was fresh with dew.  The trees swayed gently in the wind.  It looked peaceful in the morning light.  But then a bright light shone in the sky.  She thought it was a star at first, but then it got bigger.  And closer.  Oriana jumped out of her seat.
"Miss Regni please take your s-"  the  Professor began to say.
All of a sudden, the wall exploded, flinging rubble into the students and the Professor.  Most of the students fell to the floor, injured from the shrapnel.  The Professor was under his desk hiding.  Oriana had flipped her desk over and used it as a shield.  “Sorry I’m late for school, teacher."  said a voice from the debris.  A redheaded pale man wearing a clean black dress-suit and top hat stood in the hole in the wall.  He welded a stygian cane.  “I was just so nervous about my first day of school and given my age … yeesh, what happened in here.  It looks like someone just crashed through the wall … oh wait, ha-ha."  the Pale Man laughed.  “So here’s the deal.  Hey, you, girl I've never met."  Oriana stayed still behind the desk.  “You, behind the desk, this is no time for hide and seek."  He jumped over the desk and landed crouched in front of Oriana.  “Oh, I'm so excited.  It’s my first time doing this, so I may mess up."  He waved his hand and a light shone on the top of her right hand.  When the light ceased, a circle with two helix spirals making a cross inside it was on her hand.  “Also…I've got a present for you."  He said gleefully.  From his coat he pulled a red, scaly cat-monster the size of a bear.  ”Have fun."  He said.  He threw the cat at the Professor's desk and jumped out the only window that wasn’t broken. 
Oriana bolted up and saw the monster had mauled the Professor and now had its eyes set on the students trying to get to the door.  Oriana stepped towards the beast, and threw a piece of rubble at it.  It bounced of the beast's hide and definitely got its attention.  The beast pounced at Oriana, pushing them out of the hole in the school wall.  It was then that Oriana remembered they were on the third floor.
The two fell for less than a second before Oriana was caught by something.  When she felt she wasn’t moving, she opened her eyes to see an old man was holding her.  His skin was ebony and his head was bald.  His clothes consisted of a simple white shirt and brown pants with a brown trench coat.  He put her down by a tree in the school greens and said in a calm voice “You need to stay here, you're not ready to fight yet.”
“Who-"  Oriana asked
“I’ll explain later, Champion."  He Interrupted..
The beast had landed a few feet in front of them, and slowly began to picked itself up.  The man turned from Oriana and faced the beast.  “Stay behind me,"  the man said to Oriana.  A white blade came out of the top of the man's hand, Oriana noticed it was made of bone.  The beast regained its balance and both the beast and the man charged at each other.  Before they could collide, however, the Pale Man fell from the sky between them.  The man in the trench coat and the beast stopped dead in their tracks.
The Pale Man turned towards the man in the trench coat and said “I’m sorry, but you just know too much."  He then shot a black beam from his cane at the trench coat man, who fell over.  The Pale Man said “It would just be too easy if you told them everything.  Where’s the suspense in answers?"  Oriana bolted up and ran over to the fallen man.  She bent over him and checked his pulse.  He still had a pulse, but his blade had disappeared.  She looked up and saw the beast ready to pounce on them and the Pale Man standing by its side watching intently.
The beast approached like a lion stalking its prey.  Oriana searched frantically for anything to defend herself with but couldn’t find anything.  "Where’s your sword!?"  she said anxiously.
"Create…"  replied the injured man.  The beast pounced onto her as Oriana raised her arms to block it.  The beast landed on top of them and a white light shone from Oriana’s hand.  Oriana was surprised to find she was holding a sword that had impaled the beast.  The beast turned to ash before her and scattered in the wind.  She looked down to see a white rapier in her hand.
" Well that was ok… I guess."  said the Pale Man.  "I need to work on my choosing skills,  need someone with more brutal blood lust.”
Oriana stood up and pointed her rapier at the man.  “What are you?"  She asked furiously.
“Ooooh, I like the anger...”
“Answer me!”
“Oh… I never did introduce myself.  I am Reshillian and I am satisfied here.  Goodbye, Champion of Light.  Hope to see you in the north."  And then he was gone.
“Where…"  Oriana dropped to her knees, fatigue getting to her.  She looked at the man in the trench coat and asked.  “Who are you?”
"Death."  the man replied.


The author's comments:

This piece is part of a who series that I hope to finish


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