[FINISHED]She was born in a tribe of fierce female warriors. Swords and spears have been her toys from the cradle. She has the only path before her, to become the tribe chief after her mother. Yet Ashurran dreams of strange lands, of bigger battles...
After Ashurran's death all the country went into mourning. High King Hashizawa ordered a huge tomb to be built for her, made of black marble from the HaelghiraMountains. To this day the ruins of that tomb exist in the valley of Kassan, by the river Gydarn.
Dirfion's body was delivered to the Elves, to be buried after their rules and customs. There was a six day's armistice announced, in order to bury the two great champions with all due honors.
People whispered among themselves that ever since there were two ghosts seen in Ashurran's tomb at night. The two of them rumored to be beautiful and very much alike, as if they were brothers. They were both allegedly clad in white, and one of them had silver armor on, and a shield with a swan on it, and another, a book. They were said to kneel before Ashuran's sarcophagus and shed tears over the great woman warrior. It's unknown how much truth was behind that legend, but it was as beautiful and sad as the memory of Ashurran herself.
Also there was a strong belief that after her death Ashurran was ranked among the Lesser Gods and became the goddess of battle. Ever since warriors often called her name before or during the fight, asking for strength and good luck. The Elves didn't believe in human gods, but it was customary among them to call the names of their renowned kinsmen, asking for courage or other things; therefore many of them called Dirfion's name.
With her death Ashurran had accomplished more than with her life. She ended the Great War. The High King of Yunan and the Elven ruler were so devastated by the death of their champions they started negotiations and concluded a peace treaty shortly after. The Great War, which had lasted nearly three decades and claimed a great number of human and Elven lives, including those of Ashurran and Dirfion, was finally over.
According to the peace treaty, the humans received all the lands up to the river Kinn Sarg and a huge ransom of gold, silver and gems. The Elves got the prisoners of war back, who had been still alive.
To ensure peace between both great races, the abandoned Elven city of Naith Saihn was inhabited once again. It was declared a safe haven for any sentient being, for any kind of magic and knowledge without harm to living things. It was called the Temple of All Gods, and the most powerful mages of both races spell-charmed it against any invasion.
There were two gigantic statues built and placed at both sides of the gates. One of them portrayed Ashurran with her Golden Lion Shield, in full armor; the other one was of Dirfion, with his glorious long sword, and both statues were more than sixty feet high. The legend says: if any humans dare come near the Temple bearing arms or wicked designs, Dirfion's statue will come to life and bar their entrance. And if the Elves dare to do something like that, Ashurran's statue will stop them.
As time passed, the original Elven name of the Temple was forgotten, and everyone started to сall it Fanneshtou. It became the place of abode of many wizards and healers, scribes and scientists, monks and craftsmen. Yuuji, Ashurran's son, had often visited Fanneshtou and finally, at the end of his life, took his permanent residence there. For it became the only safe place in all Pandeya. In two hundred and fifty years after Ashurran's death Yunan had fallen.
The barbarian hordes poured out from their mountains, seeking lush pastures of the great Teraisa Plain. They came through Yunan and laid it waste with fire and sword. After the heavy siege Kassandana, the capital of Yunan, was taken by the barbarians and destroyed, to be never rebuilt again. However, the barbarians were said to spare Ashurran's tomb. Not only did they refrain from robbing it, they actually rendered homage to it, making sacrifices to Ashurran, like they would do to their own fallen heroes. It's not something to be surprised at. Even an ignorant savage, who knows nothing of civilized life, respects courage and battle glory.
Two hundred and fifty years it took for those who remembered the deeds of Ashurran and for their children and grandchildren to die, and only after that the barbarians got the courage to attack Yunan. That was how great Ashurran's glory was in Pandeya! Her name resounded through countries and centuries, and she herself had lived on in the people's memory forever. Thus everything she had ever wanted and everything Ruatta the wizard had promised her came true.
For eight hundred years the Dark Ages had lasted, until Creede, the new country was founded. It became the center of culture and civilization in all Pandeya, the rightful heir of the legacy of Yunan.
Kingdoms were rising and falling; cities were built and razed to the ground; nations came into being and died out. The land itself was changing: swamps and rivers going dry; forests being cut down and grown anew; the sea rising and subsiding again. But the name of Ashurran, warrior princess, had never been forgotten.
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The End
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You might want to check out a collection of additional stories about Yuuji, the son of Ashurran and the sea dragon Laibhao XD
It's available here, on my profile.
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