Andrea's Pact

After a long time of wandering, she came across something different. It was a brightly colored tapestry hanging on a wall, and when Andrea saw what was on it she lost her breath. It was Astra. Her strength and power and the vibrant red of her hair radiated off the tapestry.

Andrea had never had never been close to many people. Her father had kept her closely hemmed in. A handful of the servants had tried to reach out to her after her nursemaid Fritha had died, though Andrea had held herself aloof, fearing how he'd react seeing her close to a mere servant. Then she'd met Astra, who in the brief time they'd been together treated her with a respect she'd never known from anyone who held power in her life. And seeing her image here brought back all the old longings which had driven Andrea to run from her home. She'd dreamed of a life in freedom and adventure, such as she'd read in the romances which belonged to her late mother, or the old tales Fritha had told her in the night. And she'd dreamed of a romance worthy of those tales, of a champion strong and kind, who would protect her and care for her. It wasn't a man who she'd found, but that didn't matter to her anymore.

She touched the tapestry, as if she could reach out to Astra through it, and it crumbled away into dust. This, at last, was too much for her. She fell on the ground and dissolved in a heap of tears.

Get up, said a voice from behind her. It took her a moment to understand she wasn't alone anymore. She stood up and turned around, and saw something that seemed to be in the form of a woman. Her head was shaven, and a symbol that was an insult to the heavens was branded into her forehead. Andrea felt her stomach churn momentarily as she noticed her mouth, which was stitched shut with a leather thong.

"I'm dead," whispered Andrea, her voice hoarse with exhaustion and grief. "I'm dead and in Hell and you're a demon."

The glyph on the woman's forehead pulsed, and Andrea heard a voice in her head. Several voices, actually, speaking in unison.

Just so, child, just so. Poor little girl, still running, still hoping for freedom, still yearning to be loved. Everyone who ever cared about you is gone now. Your mother, Fritha, Tamery--

"Tamery's dead?" said Andrea.

She cried out for your help as the Dragon's men tortured her. She believed in you until the very end, did you know that? And one way or another, Astra will follow them soon. There is no hope of love left to you any more. There is only vengeance. You can tear down the world that imprisoned you.

"No," said Andrea, sobbing. "I'll never make deals with the likes of you."

Then you have no hope of freedom, said the demon. Only we can give it to you.

Andrea turned aside and ran away, but wherever she ran, the room she was in was just the same, and the demon stood by her side. At last she collapsed in exhaustion.

"All right," she said through her tears, since she didn't know what else to say. "I'll do it. Whatever you want, I'll do it."

Good, good. So it shall be, little one. We are going to...create a "presence" within you.

We are going to give you power. Power to perform your task.

The woman reached out and pressed her hand to Andrea's cheek, and Andrea cried out. A sound like a thousand people screaming in agony blared in her head, and she felt flames burning in her very veins.

Dimly, she remembered a spell that Fritha had taught her when she was very young, a sign to ward off evil. She whispered it to herself, and felt a peaceful presence within her, like cool water in the raging heat of summer, even as a sharp pain struck her hand...

The pain stopped, and she righted herself. Upon her hand, she noticed a mark, a sigil branded into the flesh like the one the woman bore on her head.

You shall be known to us as Thoabath, the Oathbreaker...

What we require of you now, Thoabath, is that you betray the one who would have aided you in your quest.

We require that you betray Astra of Aquilaria...

Andrea felt herself caught up in a whirlwind, and then she found herself in the forest once more...

When Andrea came to, she saw Astra leaning over her. It was night, and the moon was still waxing, near to fullness, so it couldn't be long after... After her death.

"You're alive!" said Astra. She was almost weeping in joy and Andrea felt a sudden burst of happiness. The idea anyone could have missed her was almost too much to believe. "How did you--"

Andrea groaned, not even sure what she was trying to say.

"Well," said Astra, "I see you're in no state to explain things. Never mind. I'll bring you to safety... somehow." She picked up Andrea and hugged her tight in her strong embrace. Andrea felt a flush of warmth and happiness.

Excellent, said a voice within her, cold and knowing. She sees us as merely a vulnerable girl. How easily we could destroy her...

Andrea shuddered. So the "presence" was indeed part of her. But her soul was still her own--for now. She was not free, not yet, but she could be. Already, she was drawing up a plan to escape the curse...

1. A powerful warlock called Belboz the Fell was said to dwell to the north. Andrea would seek his aid and hope she could break the curse...
2. She would use the curse to her advantage. She would join with the Dragonmage and seek to become its apprentice, all the while planning to betray him, and hoping its knowledge would give her a way to escape the curse...

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