The spiders weaved their webs and crawled around the corner of a dusty room. The discolored log walls shined a bright gray from the sun rays hitting them through mossy and worn-down blinds. A hole in the ceiling made the room constantly drafty. There wasn't much furniture inside. Just a long table with benches, a mostly empty bookshelf and an array of beds, each bed draped over with a unique colorful blanket sewn from scraped cloth.
Laying on the stain-ridden floor was a young girl flipping the pages of a book. She couldn't read, she just looked at the pictures of constellations with sparkles in her big bright blue eyes. The sparkles look like constellations themselves in a bright clear sky.
She lived at an orphanage in a big village. Despite being one of the oldest kids in the orphanage she was extremely gullible. Every decision she'd make was based on feelings, not logic. Other kids would sell her weeds for her allowance, telling her that those are spiritual herbs.
Kids constantly made fun of her behind her back. When Amelie was alone they'd hide behind the wall looking inside through holes and talk to her, convincing her they're spirits trying to communicate with her. They'd make her do silly things and laugh at her. Like convincing her to pose in a certain way for "better connection to the spirit world". They'd adjust the pose little by little and by the end of it Amelie couldn't hold on anymore and fall or just trip while readjusting the pose. One time they even made her stand on one leg for an hour to check her patience. Her beliefs did not waver. If she stopped it was only because she physically couldn't do it anymore.
After the jokes stopped being funny, the kids just used her to do their chores or anything else they didn't want to do. They stopped pretending to be spirits and straight up told her.
"The spirits said you should make my bed for good fortune"
"Those apples high up in the tree emanate weird energy, you should pick them, I'll take care of them"
"These rats are lucky. Those who catch them will steal their fortune."
Their use of Amelie became so blatant they didn't even try to hide it well anymore. And that's when the nun overseeing the orphanage stepped in. Amelie called her Nana. The old lady was the only person in the world to care about Amelie. She appreciated Amelie's innocence and drive even if she was oblivious.
The morning came. Nana woke Amelie up and surprised her with a frosted cupcake.
"Happy birthday! You're already 9 years old. But you're so small, you should eat more, we can afford it. I want to see you grow up into a strong young girl, my dear. I heard there will be a festival in the village today. Take this copper and spend it on some treats. But this money is special, don't give it to anyone, spend it only for yourself. Do we have a deal ?"
She answered with her big smile and sparkling eyes.
"Uhhhh.. deal!"
Amelie grabbed the 10 coppers from Nana’s palm and hit them in her jacket hanging on the edge of her bed.
From time to time entertainers would visit the village and call it a festival. They would do performances for money. Stalls would appear selling exotic candy, smoked meats, weird fruits. It wasn't anything special. No big spectacle, no decoration around the village. Just a couple of stalls and a stage for the main performers.
Amelie ate the cupcake in three bites and got ready to head out. Nana was outside doing laundry. The orphans tried to use this opportunity to trick Amelie into giving away her birthday money. One after another taunting her.
"I think this money is cursed."
"Yeah I feel it too"
"Just give it to us, we'll purify it"
"There is no other choice Amelie"
Possibly for the first time in her life she stood up for herself.
"I can't... this money is special. Nana told me so."
Amelie ran out.
In a way the orphans justified their actions by explaining them as "teaching Amelie a lesson" knowing that she may never learn. There was no evil intent in their actions. Just mischief and selfishness. Nana didn't blame them, they were just kids after all.
Amelie was in awe looking at the stalls. She never bothered to come to the festival since she was constantly tricked out of her allowance. To a regular townsman this "festival" would seem unimpressive, sad even. But to Amelie it was a new world she had never seen. Twisted rainbow candy, pastries ranging from regular bread to start shaped donuts and even exotic cyan colored fruits. The star shaped donut resonated with her. She spent 3 coppers on it and gripped the bag with all her strength as if she feared to lose it. In the distance a royal blue tent with yellow dots caught her eye. As she walked closer her eyes started to define the tent's details. The yellow dots turned out to be little stars. It reminded her of a beautiful night's sky.
On the left of the tent's entrance a worker stood by, on the right there was a sign that read.
"Fortune Telling
10 coppers simple fortune
1 silver blessing"
The worker saw Amelie staring at the tent. She noticed her amazed expression, her worn hand-me-downs still slightly too big, a clutched pastry bag with a star shaped imprint.
"Hiya! How are ya doing little miss? Would you like a fortune reading? Only 10 coppers"
Amelie dug deep in her pocket and grabbed all the coins. She put them on the ground and started counting them one by one. When she finished her happy face was washed away by a realization.
The day was slow for the fortune reader duo. The husband was a sweet talker and did the work inside the tent, and his wife worked outside controlling the entrance and collecting payments. The look on Amelie's face was a gut punch for the woman. She felt sorry for the little girl.
"Hey little lady, how old are you ?"
"Today I turned 9"
"That's amazing. We actually have a deal for birthday girls. We give a 30% discount. So we'll give a fortune for just 7 coppers!"
The sparkles came back to Amelie's big round eyes and they lit up like a sky clearing up. Amelie gave all her coins to the nice lady and the lady opened the tent's entrance. She sat in a chair way too big for her. The room was decorated with purple curtains and in the middle of the table sat a large crystal ball.
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The man dressed as a wizard started acting like he was feeling auras around him, flailing his arms everywhere. He suddenly stopped.
"You will one day meet a mighty knight bearing the mark of a star upon his chest. He shall descend dramatically from the stars and lead you to greatness. The earth will tremble at his coming!”
Right at the end of the sentence a minor tremor hit. The whole tent shaked a little. The man being a fiend for drama milked the coincidence
"I feel his presence, it's immense... we need to stop this divination before something bad happens."
Amelie took it dead serious. Her mouth open from surprise, and the pastry bag fell from her hand. Something inside her changed. She felt like her life could be fulfilled... if only she found the knight bearing a star shaped mark on his chest. She thanked the "fortune teller" and exited the tent.
A week later she set out on a mission. She searched for the man with the star mark for 10 years. Traveling kingdom of Adlric searching every nook and cranny for her fated Knight. Surviving off selling herbs, doing "readings" and genuine strangers' kindness.
?????
Broke again. Having spent all his winnings on ale and attempts to impress women Vex walked the main street of Guilfort - a massive city known for it's many guilds. If you wanted to be an expert in any field, Guilfort was the place to be. It was unlike most cities in Aldric. The city felt modern, each store showing off their goods with massive windows. Every building at least 4 stories high.
Vex originally planned to find an amateur blacksmith and exploit the quality of his armor before buying it to knock down the price dramatically.
"I need to look more official. No armor, no sheath. Goddammit! I even carry my own sword. I need a squire. Oh and imagine if she was a cute girl I could "appreciate"."
Vex continued walking down the street, dirty as ever, his cheap chinese star shaped necklace swaying left to right. Daydreaming about a busty shy girl carrying around his sword.
"She could handle MY "sword" hehehhehehe."
His lanky walk and dumb smile creeped out the crowd.
The room was full of chatter. The luxurious interior was not matching the ruffian crowd that was inside. Colorful adventurers filled the room. Each carrying around a unique weapon with them. Vex was inside the main adventurers guild. It was a tall 7 story building and Vex found himself on the 3rd floor in a lounge. If he wanted to team up with some newbie he probably could sweet-talk the newbie into joining him. He had noble apparel and the spectacle to fool a newbie who doesn't know any better. But Vex was dead-set on a busty girl almost like he forgot he was searching for a squire and not a girlfriend. He started light. Just a couple horrible pick up lines.
"Most squires oil the armor… but you, girl, look like you'd rather oil something else entirely. Wanna become my squire?" Winks.
"With canons like that we won't even need my sword." Points to his wooden katana.
"Serve me girl, I'll even allow you to handle MY REAL weapon"
With each failed attempt Vex realized just how much fun he's having harassing these women. He targeted 6'3 muscle mommy with thighs so thick they could crush his skull like a melon. This was his last attempt before leaving so he decided on something bold. He held his sword in front of his crotch and started flailing it around. He looked at the girl.
"Like what you see ?"
Vex spined around with his sword, when it hit the girl on the thigh. It was a weak hit, she didn't even flinch on impact. The psychological hit was more powerful, in her mind Vex was bug that needed to be squashed, but squashing this bug would lead to worse consequences. Living in this inverted world the girl pretended it didn't happened, even if it bothered her.
"You like this baby ? I'd even let you polish it everyday. If you know what I mean.. heheheheh"
He hit her leg again. This time on purpose. Vex looked into the girl's eyes and saw death. She caught his sword with one hand, pressed it into a fist. Vex's wooden katana was crushed, split in half. Vex trembled in his boots squealing, pissing himself, imagining his spine crushed the same way. Despite being a muscle freak, the girl was philosophical.
"Ech... I guess a bug cannot chose his own nature."
Vex awkwardly smiled thinking he got off light.
"A broken leg will suffice."
She grabbed him by his collar, avoiding his skin, and threw him through the window. Vex felt his body breaking the window frame, he was falling down from 3 stories high.
Moments earlier.
Amelie, now 19, grown up, dressed in layered old robes dragging on the ground, patched up with yellow stars, belt with a bunch of full pouches on her hips. She was doing her routine, walking to the herb guild to sell her goods there. It was her main source of income nowadays. During her search she learned a lot of things but finding and using herbs was the most important for her survival.
CRASH! The window flew
Amelie looked up toward the sound. A guy was falling right on top of her.
BAM.
Vex fell right on top of Amelie knocking her down. Amelie's layered robes cushioned his fall very well. It still hurt like hell but at least he didn't break anything. The fallen star groaned, stood up, dusted himself off and thanked the girl for breaking his fall.
"Thanks for the cushion, little nun. Nun ? Or whatever you are. Wait, do you wanna be my squire ?"
Amelie lifted her head, still dazed, focusing on what happened. Her eyes locked on Vex's chest, cheap stars pendant still dangling. The stars circling in her eyes instantly became sparkles and she lit up.
"The mark... you fell.. from the heavens..."
She suddenly lunged forward on all fours, grabbing his pendant in both tiny hands. Tears streaming, voice shaking with joy.
"The stars sent you! After 10 years you fell from the heavens just like the prophecy told! My destined knight has come at last!"
"Why yes, I am the gale from the shadows sent to conquer your world, the star lord emperor Vortex the unyielding! Sent by the stars to your world."
"Such a majestic name! The stars whispered it to me perfectly!"
He checked her out. 4'9 tall at most, her massive oversized robes hiding her frame. Long silver-lavender hair in twin tails tied with star shaped ribbons, huge sparkling light blue eyes that take up half her face. The crowd had gathered around them to witness this spectacle. Vex wanted to be quick, scared of that muscle mommy coming back to finish him.
"So little nun, you in ?"
"Yes my lord! My name is Amel-"
"No time for that"
He yanked her hand and started running, pushing down the observers blocking their way. After running past a few good blocks they hid in an empty alley. Vex out of his breath.
"So.. nun.. wha whats your deal."
Amelie calmly introduced herself.
"I am Amelie Fortunas, oracle of the stars! From this day forward, I pledge my eternal devotion to you, my Lord Vortex the Uniye-;"
"Vex... just vex.. is fiiine."
"She's nuts, but this kind of opportunity comes once in a million years. A loyal follower. I'm not stupid to pass on this." He thought.
Amelie turned her head a little to the right and put her index finger on her left cheek.
"Lord Vex, I'm just an oracle, I may not be a squire, but I'll give it my all serving you. And the stars of destiny will guide us. I can already feel a powerful aura emanating from you."
Vex still looking lustfully at his now loyal follower's figure, wearing a devilish grin on his face.
"Ok little oracle, let's do a spiritual reading. I'll use you as a portal to read the spiritual realm."
Amelie jumped up out of excitement to see her lord's immense power. Vex reached out for Amelie's chest. The closer to her body his hand got the more layers of fabric he collapsed. He finally reached skin, with all the fabric layers collapsed. Amelie shrieked. He was confused, he adjusted his hand slightly to the left and right but found absolutely nothing. She was as flat as a board. His grin was gone and his disappointment was immeasurable.
"I came expecting mountains to conquer and found only frozen lakes..."
"My lord, I felt the connection to the spirit realm, where shall we conquer first? The spirits are eager! "
"Let's just get out of this city before that muscle freak kills me."
The mismatched duo walked into the sunset – a tiny robed girl gazing adoringly at the cocky slacker "emperor" staggering like he's trying to outrun his own dignity.
