Many years ago (it seems like centuries to me) I was a great warrior of the light, fighting against the forces of darkness. One day, I learned of a queen who was subjugating her people and slaughtering their children as sacrifices to the Dark Gods. I set out to kill this queen and end her reign of terror. The fight was long and hard but I finally succeeded in killing her. But she had a friend, a powerful sorceress. To avenge the queen's death she cast a spell on me, which wiped my memories from my mind forever. She vowed that if I brought her Hind's blood so that she could defeat even her most powerful enemies she would release me from the curse. I did not want to give such a powerful weapon to someone so evil but to get my past back I complied. When I brought her the Hind's blood she said that the curse would never be lifted and banished me from her land. Now with no past and no future I simply try to find a life for myself. I stumbled upon a tribe of amazons and when I asked to become one of them I was graciously accepted. I have finally found a home and friends with the Silver Moon Amazons and Manazons.
Alamerain! The truth of Raziel's past. Alamerain...the name was perched on my lips as I awoke from my dream. Who or what is Alamerain? It is a beautiful name to be sure but the visions of my slumber had passed away like mist, as all my memories have. Alamerain. No number of times repeating the name will help me remember but why...why do I want to remember so badly? I have come to accept the loss of my past. I have even found some comfort in my new home among the Silver Moon Amazons but somehow it is this newfound comfort, which has resurrected this painful echo. Alamerain! **************************************************** ****************************************************Another night, another dream, and once again the name...Alamerain.It is a person. I know that now for sure. Ha! This is the witch's true curse, not that I should forget my past but that it should haunt me like an unrelenting wraith. I fear it will drive me to utter madness, and beyond. Something must be done! I know that I have had my sai since before the curse. And I have heard that only one man could have made them. His name is Yoshiki of the Eastern Kingdom, the land of the Rising Sun. He could just be a blacksmith I bought my wares from but maybe he is more to me. I will go out and find him. I must find out about...Alamerain.It was a long journey across treacherous terrain, all the way from Avolysia to the Eastern Kingdom. When I finally arrived at the east coast of Chin, I paid a man three dinars to ride me across the waters to the islands. He haggled over the price but quickly hushed his tongue as I said my only other offer was to take his life and then his boat. Once I arrived, I asked various townsfolk where Yoshiki weapons shop was. None of them seemed to know or care. Then I decided to change my question. "Does anyone know who Alamerain is?" Each time I asked I got the same reaction. A look of pure fear and hatred crossed the persons face. They repeated the name in disbelief and ran away making a sign of protection with their fingers. Whoever Alamerain is I may not want to find out. Suddenly, as I walked through a market, a little boy no older than six handed me a folded piece of paper. He pointed to a middle-aged man standing on the corner. I unfolded the paper. It was a map with two squares and lines representing the roads. There were two words written in kanji. Over one square it said "Market", over the other "Yoshiki". I turned back to the corner but the man was gone. I reached Yoshiki's shop quickly. Inside I saw an old man sitting near a forge."Yoshiki-san wa doko desu ka?" I asked. (Where is Mr. Yoshiki?)"Wakarimasen. Onamae wa Amemiya-san."(I do not know. My name is Mr. Amemiya.)"Dare wa Alamerain-san desu ka?"(Who is Alamerain?) A look of fear and shock crossed his face. Not again, I thought. Amemiya walked up to me and touched my face. He looked into me eyes. Then he stepped back. "Raziel?""Hai! Onamae wa Raziel!"(Yes! My name is Raziel!")"It has been so long my friend." Amemiya embraced me. "Where have you been?"I told him about my attempt at redemption, my crusades against the dark side, and my curse.� I�m sorry," I told him, "I don't remember you.� That matters not, old friend. I remember enough for the both of us.� He told me so much about my past from birth to death (I've died once before, that explains a lot) in so much detail that I didn't think I would have remembered so much without the curse.� But I cannot believe you have forgotten Alamerain, your wife.� He told me all about how we fell in love and were married. We had tried to have children but Alamerain was unable, she feared I would leave her because she was "unwhole" but I assured her that my love for her would never die. Then Amemiya got quiet, he seemed distraught.� When you died, Raziel, Alamerain went crazy with grief. She started to practice the black arts in hopes that she could bring you back. But the Dark Prince took hold of her soul; she was so powerful and so willing to do anything in hopes of having you back. Soon she gave up all hope of that. She gained much power from the Prince. Soon he became king and she was his queen. She would even sacrifice the souls of her subjects for him.� He didn't need to say anymore. At that moment, when the truth of my past and my present met, all memories returned. That evil queen I had destroyed had been my beautiful wife. The age and darkness had changed her so much I hadn't recognized her, even as my sword plunged into her heart. Amemiya continued. "When I heard of her death, being killed by an undead soldier, I knew it was you. There is more to tell although it is painful. Just after you died (he choked back tears) Alamerain found out she was pregnant. The Prince made the girl grow strong quickly so he could use her. She was the sorceress who cursed you.� What! Could all this be true? Could I have killed my own wife and been cursed by the daughter I never knew I had? But it was true all of it. I dropped to the floor, screaming and sobbing. It was weeks before I felt like leaving the shop. I couldn't live with the pain of knowing. So I went to the White Mage living in the village. I asked him for a potion that would once again wipe my memory clean. He gave it to me and I drank. A few days later I returned to Avolysia, never again to remember the pain of what I had done and what had been done to me.
~This is the story of Raziel~ |
