The Nightshade Chronicles

Her Story

(I'm not abandoning Fall of the Redcloaks, don't worry. This is just the backstory for a recent OC I made. I'll be expanding her story to include new chapters, but I'll still be writing other things. Now stop reading my ramblings and do something worthwhile like reading the book you clicked on.)

     Gemma Everleigh Silver stood in front of a large crowd, watching them as they watched her. She shifted uncomfortably and pasted on a polite smile. Some of the people were shouting, some frowning, others looked happy and some were acting as uninterested as possible. Such as her three siblings, who were busy jostling each other around and trying to see over the heads of everyone else. Gemma's face started to hurt from the weight of her grin, and she swallowed nervously.

     The bond used to happen naturally at any time from ages 11-12. As the years went on, Erdas seemed to gain some common sense and the ages grew older and older. Eventually, you could summon a partner at ages 14-17. Gemma was fourteen, which evidently was the "ideal" age. It was, however, a way to bring honor to your family if you happened to summon one in front of a crowd. Every year in Gemma's town, the villagers gathered around the ancient well. All the houses stood around it, as if parting to make way for it. The well was the village's pride. The well was the village's masterpiece.

     Why?

     It was said that the Heroes of Erdas - Meilin, Conor, Abeke, and Rollan - had once stopped in this village many decades ago, when they still had roamed the continents. They hadn't stopped long, but the town acted like it had been their home for years. They boasted to travelers, merchants, anyone who would listen. It was almost like they had forgotten that the Heroes had literally traveled all over Erdas, and them taking a drink from a single well wasn't a big deal.

     Gemma had other things to think about, though. A Greencloak stood beside her, his head bowed. As soon as the last citizen of Gemma's village had shuffled into place, he raised his hand for quiet. Everything became still, the crowd became expectant, and Gemma still felt awkward. There was a few minutes of ear-breaking silence, and disappointment started to well up in her chest. Maybe she wouldn't bring a good name to her family, and they would stay as ordinary as could be. Or maybe she would never summon a spirit animal. Of course, there was never any guarantee. Gemma felt her head droop. She was ready to go home, to stop being stared at.

     Then spot started to dance. They swayed across her vision, and at first she didn't notice them. Eventually, though, she did. Her sight became blurred and pinpricks of sweat gathered on her forehead. The heat - no, the cold - became unbearable.

     Heat

     Cold

     Heat...

     And then,

     Light. A blinding flash of light left Gemma's eyes watering. She blinked once or twice, then looked from side to side. Her head rang and she felt confusion clog her thoughts. She didn't think, it happened. I must have summoned an animal! Gemma Silver just felt very, very bewildered. Then she saw her.

     The shape of a cat was standing next to the well. Muscles rippled beneath her pelt, and honey  eyes studied the crowd intelligently. Black markings spread across the ochreous-gray colored fur. The magnificent creature just stood the patiently, waiting to be seen. And she was. Other people spotted the cat, one by one. Approving whispers echoed among the citizens. Finally, the clouded leopard started to move forward. She wove forward, and the few people in her way quickly scrabbled back to let her pass. She stopped in front of Gemma and looked up at the girl. Overwhelmed blue eyes met calm sunshine ones. Gemma felt her vision push in on itself. She thought she might collapse.