RolePlayGateway™

In life you have to make choices...
But with that comes responsibilty...
What if you make the wrong choices?
What if you can't fix up your mistakes?
What if you have to face the consequences?
Some things you can't avoid,
no matter what you do.
So you have to keep going,
no matter what happens...
Even if it means,
making sacrifices...
Even if it means,
losing a loved one...
Learn from your mistakes,
to prevent further regrets...
But what will you do when it's a choice between,
lies that protect,
and truth that will prevent further pain?
Only time can tell...
Because no one really knows.
What you discover,
is only for your heart,
to truly understand.

This is my story.
I warn you. It's filled with pain, hate, revenge, destruction, chaos... Every darkest feeling of the heart.
But it's also a story of love and friendship. The one that touches your very soul.
After all, you can't experience hope when there's no darkness...
My name is Zola.
And this is my story.



THE BEGINNING:

Zola Excalyra Anzelix lived with her father, Dean Anzelix, in the woods near a village called Ealdora. She was a bright, happy child, with long silver hair and shining silver blue eyes that shimmered like the moonlight. She never knew her mother, whom her father told was dead after Zola was born.

Because she never had any other children around near her home, she never had any friends and was accustomed to being alone. She often wandered near the village and spied on the other children playing, but never went near enough for them to be able to see her.

Her father taught her many things when she was little. He taught her the art of the blades, of fighting and defending herself with swords and daggers. He taught her basic survival, how to predict the weather, how to collect good food, how to find your way if you were lost. And although she never went to school, her curiosity made her very knowledgeable.

Zola often wondered why they did not live with the other villagers and when she asked her father, he just shook his head and did not answer.

Then one day, on her eighth birthday, her father opened her eyes to another gift she possessed which she did not know about.

Magic.

It frightened her a little at first, but soon realised that it was within her. Every bit of her sang with power and joy when she used it and she realised that she could control the elements around her: Water, Fire, Air and the Earth with her mind. At first, it exhausted her to use only a little bit, but later on, as she practiced more and more, she found that she did not get exhausted as easily as before and had more control.

She was extremely happy... but then misfortune came.

Zola was playing by herself in the nearby woods as usual, practicing her magic. She discovered that whenever she used her magic or felt some great emotion, her silvery-blue eyes would flash gold.

Zola was feeling the tree roots within the earth with her magic when suddenly she heard voices and she hid behind a tree. There were three big boys from the village dragging a small boy who was crying. They began to bully him for no reason and the young boy was powerless and did not fight back.

Zola suddenly felt angry and forgot that she was an outsider. She stepped forward into view and created a small earthquake around her, the rocks breaking and the trees rumbling. The big boys ran away scared, seeing her eyes burning a deep gold like the Sun. The victim, too, was scared at first but became friends with her. Zola was very happy and spent the rest of the day with the boy called William in the woods, and she was glad because she had made a friend for the first time in years. William asked her many questions about her magic and she answered happily, telling him and showing him things she knew. She in return, asked him about his life in village and what he learnt at school with the other children.

It began to get dark and they parted ways to their homes. However, when Zola got back her home, she found it in a state of chaos.

People were running about the nearby area, with flaming torches. Scared, she sneaked into her house unseen and was alarmed to see her father hurt and on the floor. There was a deep cut on the side of his head and blood oozed from it. He was breathing heavily.

“Dad! What’s happened?” She asked, anxiously.

Dean looked up. “Oh God! Thank goodness you’re safe! Listen, they’re looking for you. Some boys discovered about your magic and told the villagers that you are an evil witch.”
Zola looked at him, eyes wide and frightened.

“I’m sorry dad… I had to use it… I had no choice..”

Dean sighed. “I understand. I do. But the villagers hate magic now they’re looking for you. Darling, that was the reason why we could never live with those villagers... And must leave this place and never come back.”

“What?” Zola cried, alarmed. “But-“

Dean embraced her. “I love you very much. But it is time for you to go on your journey. You cannot stay here; it ‘s too dangerous. i have taught you all i know. Please, take this blade and go. Its name is Excalyra- your middle name. It will protect you, as it once did me.”

Zola took the gleaming sword from her fathers’s hands, tears in her eyes.

“Dad, I can’t just leave you-“

Suddenly there was a lot of banging and shouting from outside.

“You have to leave now! They’re coming again!” Dean said, fiercely, tears now threatening to fall from his silver eyes.
“Go! Go!”

Zola faltered, unsure what to do.

“Go!”

The door suddenly blew open and about eight men came into view. When they all saw Zola, they yelled “We’ve found her!”

Zola did not need to be told anymore. With one last sad glance at her father, she ran out to the back door.

“Quick! The witch is escaping!” The villagers began to chase her.

She ran and ran, carrying the sword tightly. She wanted to fight back, but she knew she’d be no match for eight men. She just rand and ran, tears flowing down and blurring her vision.

Suddenly, stars flashed before her eyes and she found herself on the ground, tripped by a broken branch. She looked up to see the villagers with their flaming torches looking down at her with hatred.

“We’ve got her!”

Then hatred flew into her heart. They were taking her away from the home she knew and the father she dearly loved. Everything that she had had, they were taking from her. Anger flowed and this fuelled a power within her. Her eyes scorched golden and the villagers suddenly screamed as the flames on their torches suddenly grew into a demonic monster and encircled them. Screams filled Zola’s ears as her eyes filled with tears and smoke, blurring her vision. She felt dizzy and nauseous and she felt herself falling into blackness…

**

She slowly gained consciousness. When she opened her eyes, it was daylight and she could not remember anything. She was lying down on the damp earth, confused and battered. What had happened? Then she saw the sword lying beside her and the memories flowed in. Her father, her home, her magic, the villagers… Suddenly, she jerked up and looked around and became horrified at what she saw.

All around her was blackened and smoking. She could still smell burning fire. Burning of wood. Burning of metal. Burning of flesh. Nothing remained except for charred piles of ash. She felt nauseous again. Had she done that? Had she really killed all those men in pure anger? She shuddered. What kind of a monster was she? She felt tears coming into her eyes again. She could never forgive herself. She was a murderer. If her father knew, he would be ashamed of her. She closed her eyes, pondering what to do.

She sat down on a rock and thought deeply.

And after a long time, she knew what to do.

Gripping the sword tightly and looking on at the horizon ahead determinedly, she decided to journey on and see where her feet took her. She had no home now, and this burden of loneliness she would learn to handle. Zola decided to journey on in life and gain experience and knowledge and perhaps discover her fate…

After all, this was only the beginning.

Destiny was waiting for her.

****