COMMUNITY - FORUMS - FAN FICTION & ROLEPLAYING
The Adventures of Azima

Current Index:

-Chapter One: Arrival

-Chapter Two: Disbelief

-Chapter Three: ???


Arrival // Chapter One

The sun was still high in the cloudless sky, beating down on the sand that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Dunes and hills of it flowed out every which way with no buildings or civilizations to be seen. But despite that, there walked a lone figure, cloaked in light and loose clothing with a scarlet scarf concealing their face and staved off the dangerous sun’s rays.

With every step they took in the loose ground beneath them, every stumble they struggled through, nothing seemed to deter the figure’s movements as they pressed on. Cresting one of the many dunes though, it wasn’t until they reached the top of it that they finally came to a halt.

Peeling off the scarf that hid their identity, a female face was revealed. Dark skin with black hair that poked out of the cowl she wore, her black eyes scanned the view below her with a ghost of a smile appearing on her lips.

“At last.”

Quickly pulling out a ruffled map from one of the many pouches that lined her clothes, she looked over the paper before letting out a guffaw that echoed throughout the dunes.

Letting herself fall backwards in a mix of fatigue and relief, the woman could do nothing but laugh maniacally for some time as a wave of happiness washed over her.

“Finally,” She started, mumbling to herself. “I’ve finally found it!”

It had been months… Maybe even a little over a year now since she had been searching for the ruins that appeared just down the hill from her. She had lost track of how long she had been looking, time having little to no meaning as she became obsessed with her hunt. She was considered an outcast by her village, a lost cause by her friends, and an obsessive explorer by her Order.

But she had proved them all wrong.

Feeling the harsh sun beating at her uncovered face and the burning sand that she felt through her clothing, the woman finally pushed herself up and once more took in the sight below her with a grin. Remnants of statues and monuments littered the ground below, long since passed recognizable as the sand and desert air deteriorated its once beautiful existence. With large stone walls that rose high, cracked and broken, they led to an enclosed walkway a few meters ahead, but she couldn’t contain her immediate excitement. It still felt surreal, after all the hardships and struggles she had endured… Azima had come out on top.

Grabbing the small water skin that hung from her belt, Azima took a quick swig of the warm water and gulped it down greedily, finally feeling the effects of having been out here in the deep desert for days. In fact, she couldn’t even remember how long it’s been since the last town she’s rested at. Rationing her water and food had been hard but the thoughts of reaching her destination sustained her and kept her focused. A little too focused some would say.

Corking it back up and retying it to her belt, the ebon haired woman ran down the steep sandy hill, nearly losing her footing multiple times, with a wide smile on her face. It took her mere seconds to reach the bottom, feeling her boots make contact with solid ground as broken tiles covered the entirety of the long abandoned ruins that she now stood within.

Now standing by the broken walls and statutes, Azima took a moment to inspect the ancient words that lined the walls. Intricate writing in a language unknown to her, she eyed it for a few seconds noticing symbols that reoccurred multiple times throughout the foreign text. “Interesting, remarkable even.” Azima muttered hurriedly as she ran a gloved hand over the stone, feeling it crumble from her touch.

“It’s almost as if this place has been undisturbed for centuries.”

Feeling her heart start to pound the closer she walked towards the large entryway at the end of the walls, the explorer could barely contain herself, nearly tripping over fallen rubble and debris as she continued along on her way. The nearer she got however, the cooler the air started to feel, as a chill crept down her spine, causing her to shiver.

No more than twenty feet away from the shadowed entrance of the interior of the long forgotten ruins did the various idols and effigies look somewhat intimidating now, almost like a warning to intruders and thieves.

But Azima was neither of those.

You couldn’t intrude on a place where no one lived and you couldn’t steal from those who had died long ago. At least that’s what she continued telling herself.

Though this certainly wasn’t her first expedition into the unknown, it certainly was her hardest and longest to date. She had long since been abandoned by her comrades in search of the ruins that stood before her very eyes now. Them telling her that she was chasing nothing but a child’s fantasy. But now she could prove them all wrong. They’d no longer think she was crazy after returning home with the riches and treasures of relics long since forgotten.

Home…

Just thinking the word caused the woman to wince. She tried to remember it suddenly, her home. Fuzzy images of a large village came to her then, but the memory was hazy. Almost as if the dust had scratched the memories from her mind. No, when she thought of home now only feelings of anger and sorrow were felt in her mind. She had long been exiled from her “home”. It was nothing but a bitter recollection now.

The desert wasteland was her home now and the inside of the ruins that lie just ahead of her was another room in her sanctuary. It was finally time to see just what was waiting for her inside after all these years of searching.

And with that, Azima took her first steps up the stairs that’d lead her inside the ruins…


Disbelief // Chapter 2

The moment she stepped into the shadowed entrance of the desert ruins, Azima felt the cool damp air as it sent a chill down her spine. The temperature inside dropped considerably from when she had been outside, though it was to be expected.

As she descended deeper within the darkness that even the sun’s rays from outside couldn’t reach, the dark-skinned explorer reached an arm out to balance herself. It only took a few steps more to fully engulf herself into complete darkness as she kept walking forward, either unafraid or uncaring. Her thoughts, mind, and body all still buzzed with excitement from having finally reach her destination and she wasn’t going to let a little shade get the better of her.

She’d press on.

With her hand against the wall to lead her and the thoughts of finding relics long since lost that were present in these rumored ruins, Azima kept on steadily. She was completely at the mercy of the shadows all around her as even when her eyes adjusted to the complete blackness of it all, she couldn’t even make out her arm right in front of her.

Slowing her pace just a tad bit, she finally felt something akin to fear bubble up in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t mind it though, fear had kept her alive countless times before in the past. She just had to find that usual balance as to not let it control her thoughts and emotions. Just a little bit of fear was good, but not an overwhelming amount that would hinder her expedition and survival instincts.

“This is nothing.” Azima muttered quietly to herself, forcing a shaky smile to her lips. “This is easy.”

She repeated the mantra quietly, trying to make as less noise as possible as she slowly trudged deeper and deeper into to unknown. It felt like the longer she walked though the more she could hear things, noises that she wasn’t sure if she was really hearing. More than once she thought her mind was playing tricks on her…

But it didn’t take long for Azima to notice a light shining from somewhere in the darkness ahead of her. Like a shining beacon that symbolized how close she was. Her breathing grew quicker and her hands trembled in anticipation. It wasn’t long until her raven eyes focused solely on the ever growing light in the distance.

Fixated on it, Azima’s pace quickened. With nearly every step she took in the darkness she nearly stumbled on herself in her rush but she continued, undeterred.

As the light’s shine grew brighter and larger, new sounds were heard. Sounds that almost gave her pause and one that she never thought she’d hear this far out in the desert.

The sound of running water.

It sounded distant but it was there, the gentle sounds of a flowing river current. It had been years since Azima last remembered seeing a marvel such as that, not since she crossed into lands where trees and plants flourished out of the ground all over. Vegetation lined the lands as far as the eye could see, and it was then that she first discovered that there were places where water could just flow freely. Places where it wasn’t hoarded or kept a secret like here in the desert.

But this didn’t sound like any oasis or lake she had heard of being in the sandy wasteland.

Now with her curiosity spiking to an all-time high, the ebon haired woman felt her legs move quicker, running even as she barreled without regard, the sounds of her boots echoing all throughout the ruins she was in. It only took what felt like seconds though, until she was blinded.

Emerging from the darkness of the enclosed ruins, Azima shielded her eyes from the sudden brightness of light. Though as she covered her sight, she squinted through her eyelids and felt her mind go blank at the sight in front of her.

All around her was an open space, the enclosed dark ruins gone. The low hanging setting sun in the sky clearly visible as the ceiling of the ruins vanished, giving way to the light Azima had seen in the tunnel earlier, but that wasn’t the most incredible part. Greenery, plants, and vegetation grew from the desert rocks and stone that surrounded her in this open cavern.

“What in the…”

The words flowed out of her mouth as she stood there, unbelieving. Never in a hundred years did she think she’d see this kind of thing in the land her people have settled in for centuries, maybe even longer. No shaman or record-keeper in any of the desert clans she had encountered spoke of such a mystical place existing. Water that flowed openly from the ground, falling from rocks overhead, plants that thrived despite the wasteland around them just outside, and just the feeling… Even breathing now felt easier. Almost as if the air in this place was clearer.

But the sense of serenity that Azima felt was short lived as another sound was heard, though this one wasn’t as natural as the beauty that surrounded her. This one that terrified her and made her instinctively reach for the curved blade that hung in its sheath on her belt.

It was the sound of voices...

Thanks to everyone who is enjoying this short story I'm typing up. I'm just doing this as something to sate my want for more CoE knowledge, and I find it's a pretty good outlet. I'll keep trying to update in the coming days! And yes, I'm making it up as I go. It's more enjoyable that way!


1/15/2017 4:11:13 AM #1

Hey, it's great. Keep it up.


- Shmuck

1/15/2017 4:56:12 AM #2

Posted By TheGuardian at 9:11 PM - Sat Jan 14 2017

Hey, it's great. Keep it up.

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. :)


1/16/2017 12:47:29 AM #3

A great start so far, really liking the small amount of backstory you gave, enough to keep me interested and yet not too much. Keep up the great work and have a nice day!

-Reaper


1/17/2017 3:19:03 PM #4

Awesome story. Can't wait to see more of this!


1/20/2017 2:52:05 PM #5

YAY!


1/20/2017 7:28:01 PM #6

Added Chapter 2 to the first post. Enjoy!


1/20/2017 8:00:55 PM #7

Really good, liking the cliff hanger... not much happened in this chapter but that's fine. Keep up the great work and have a nice day!

-Reaper


1/20/2017 9:15:32 PM #8

Posted By LunaWhisper at 1:00 PM - Fri Jan 20 2017

Really good, liking the cliff hanger... not much happened in this chapter but that's fine. Keep up the great work and have a nice day!

-Reaper

You know me and my cliff hangers. lol


1/7/2019 9:22:56 AM #9

.