judgement Aria Chapter 1
OK, basically I’m just posting the first chapter here to maybe get more people to see it because the account specifically for the story and other original stories hasn’t gotten as much traction as my main account so I’m posting the first chapter here if you guys want to see the second chapter when it comes out if I don’t post it on here, please go check out my ao3 I’ve already posted a link to the story beforehand and my friend @insomniac-jay has reblogged it as well. If you need to find the link again let me know when I will send it.
I do recommend following the story tag and the dedicated account. If you are interested in your story and any future original stories.
also if you wanna see character art of more details go check out the dedicated account
tw : Swearing, blood, death mentioned, (if I’m missing any, please let me know)
if you have any questions about the story or the characters feel free to ask me via the ask box either on this account or the dedicated account please keep in mind. Some answers may not be super detailed for the simple fact of the matter being to avoid spoiling some parts of the story
“ I’m sorry that I couldn't save you, I can at least do this for you “
A black haired young man was walking along the coast of Starfell when he spotted a strange sight, A white haired girl unconscious on the ground just a few feet from the shore.
It took time but about twenty minutes after the young man and his sister whom had accompanied him to get the unconscious girl inside and into a room, The girl looked cautiously around the room after she’d awoken, her hair draped down her shoulder and back like a white sheet, Her purple eye scanned her surroundings as she rose from the bed. The room was eerily quiet save for the sounds of the girl's steps as she walked around the room and the chirping of the birds outside.
“ Oh, You’re awake, That’s good, How are you feeling? “ The black haired boy asked as he walked and sat a tray with food and water on a table nearby. His piercing blue eyes looked as if they were glowing within the dimly lit room. “ Where am i? “ The girl asked as the boy handed her the water and food. “ Starfell, It’s a town on the coast, Honestly surprised any people stayed here long enough to build the wall around the place, Those Ademptio’s are relentless “
“ Ademptio’s? Apologies but i don’t understand “ The girl spoke as she drank the water, The boy waved off the apology, His piercing blue eyes almost glowing in the dimly lit room. “ Don’t apologize, I’m just surprised you don’t know what they are, I mean they aren’t as much of a pain as they were about four or five decades ago but they can still be really pains in the ass “ The girl tilted her head as she listened.
“ Those things have been around for about ten million years now, From the books my sister and i’ve read they popped up after the calamity when the The God of Death lost his mind and killed a lot of people after his mortal lover died, Until those who strong enough and managed to survive his rampage sealed him away, Some say the Ademptio’s were his curse before he was sealed away “
The girl stayed quiet for a few moments before The boy spoke again. “ Um, if you don’t mind me asking, What’s your name? “ The girl spoke as her purple eyes gazed around the room. “ Huh?- Oh um my name….It’s Aria “ The boy sat a box on the bed as he hummed.
“ Aria hm? Pretty “ The boy's words were barely audible as he continued. “ Anyway, here's some clean clothes and shoes my sister picked out for you. Hope you don’t mind that they aren’t the most colorful. They were what we could get our hands on “ The girl opened the box, seeing the monochrome dress and black boots.
The boy left the room and made his way down the hallway, Listening to the ambiance and the faint sounds of his sister and father in the main room.
The boy made it to the main room and was greeted by his sister waving at him and signing to ask if he was alright. “ Yeah, I-I’m fine Iona, I just feel a little hot “ The boy, Dmitri, Was a little startled when his sister’s hand made contact with his forehead. “ It’s nothing bad, It’s just hot today “ Iona looked down at him, The look on her face making it clear that she didn’t care for excuses. “ Dmitri, You should rest for a bit, You’ve been on you’re feet all day after all “ Dmitri’s father spoke as his tired red eyes were filled with concern for his son.
Before he could speak, Dmitri was picked up by his sister and put him on the sofa before Iona went and got a cool cloth and sat it on Dmitri’s forehead, The young man sighing as his sister doted over him.
Almost a half hour later Aria made her way down the same hallway, Her purple eyes gazing at the dimly lit hall. Instead of heading to the main room as Dmitri had she made her way to the large window at the end of the hall.
Her eyes caught sight of the birds in the tree just a few feet from the window as well as a few people on the street outside.
The wonder of the outside world crept into her mind, An familiar yet for an unknown cause feeling of wanting to explore the outside crept in as well, The girl’s fixation was broken by the sound of footsteps, Turning, Aria saw Dmitri walking up next to her, His piercing blues gazing out the window as well.
“ Beautiful, Isn’t it? “ Dmitri asked as he half sat on the window sill. “ Yes, It is, So this is…Starfell? “ Dmitri nodded as he heard the girl’s question.
“ Yeah, It’s a fairly quiet little town, I’ve grown up here my whole life, It’s nice but i’ve never been able to stop the thoughts of one day stepping outside the walls and exploring the world outside this tiny town “ Aria listened intently as Dmitri spoke, Her mind wandering why he hadn’t left to explore yet.
“ My parents were against me leaving alone, Even with the Ademptio’s not really being as bad as they were decades ago, My father is still reluctant, though he’s come around to the idea for some reason, He seemed almost afraid to leave “ Dmitri turned to Aria as he spoke, His piercing eyes having a look of being in deep thought.
Before Aria could speak, Dmitri’s father walked around the corner and introduced himself as Silas, The man’s red eyes almost glowing in the dimly lit hall.
“ It’s nice to see the two of you getting along “ Dmitri turned as his father spoke.
“ You’re feeling better right Dmitri? “ Silas asked as he touched the boy’s forehead with the palm of his hand. “ You aren’t overheated so that’s good “ Dmitri sighed as Silas fussed over him.
“ Dad, I’m fine, Do you really think Iona would’ve let me up if I wasn't? “ Silas let out a slight chuckle at that. “ Fair point “
Aria tilted her head the thought ‘Is this man really Dmitri’s father?, They don’t look alike and like they’re close in age’. She spoke softly. “ I thought you two may have been half siblings since you both look about the same age and don’t really look alike, I do apologize if it’s rude of me to ask that “ Silas chuckled as Dmitri simply sighed.
“ There’s no need to apologize, I’ve heard that quite a lot after Dmitri hit his teens, I’m his adoptive father, My wife and I adopted him when he was a baby “ Silas spoke calmly as he explained.
“ He and his sister are about all I have left…..I promised her I wouldn’t let them get hurt “ Aria’s face dropped as Silas’s tone took on a sad turn.
“ Ah, Apologies I didn’t mean to get all emotional like that “ Aria waved before she spoke “ No, no it’s okay don’t worry “ Silas sighed before he looked out the window, As if letting his mind wander.
After a while Aria listened as Silas spoke. “ Call it a bad feeling though I doubt I'm the only one that’s had it, I feel like something's going to happen. I feel like it’s better to leave before anything actually happens, I’ve seen a fair amount of Ademptio’s lingering outside the wall, the all have some collar on them “
Dmitri spoke up with a slight attitude in his tone
“ That’s why I’ve been saying for the past week and a half that we need to get out before those Things get in, I mean for crying out loud this place is practically a ghost town already, The only ones who stayed are either idiots or have a death wise, Frankly I don’t want to stay and become a snack for those beasts “ Slias tried to calm Dmitri down though that only fanned the flame
“ No! I’m tired of being one of the few people left in this damned place that knows that those bastards are mindless killing machines! Just because the population of Ademptio has dwindled for the past few decades doesn’t mean that everything is all sunshine and rainbows! The longer we stay here the more we’re lobsters sitting in a boiling pot waiting to die! “
Before either Silas or Aria could speak Dmitri stormed off down the hall.
“ Is he usually like this? “ Aria asked after Silas let out a sigh. “ No, Not really, Though….. He is right, We’re basically sitting ducks here, Perhaps i’m just a little nostalgic or reluctant to leave this place, I called this place home for so long when it seemed like i’d never have any place to call home anymore “
“ That’s understandable but your safety and theirs is more important, If those things are as bad as they sound “ Silas walked with Aria down the hall as the girl spoke. “ Yeah, It is, Guess I'm just sentimental and clinging to the shards of the past “ As the two got to the main room Iona was just getting back inside from readying a wagon and some horses.
“ Looks like you and Dmitri already loaded everything “ Spoke as Iona nodded as she slung a bag over her shoulder and walked back outside.
“ They move fast, Don’t even give their old man a chance to come help “ Silas said with a slight chuckle, His dual colored pupils and red irises scanning the main room to double check things. “ I’ll be right back, I'm gonna go make sure i grab a few things, I’ll meet you three outside “ Silas said as he turned and made his way down the hallway.
Aria looked around the room as she made her way to the front door, Her white hair blowing as she opened the door and the chilly morning air hit her. “ Oi, Over here! “ Dmitri spoke up as he half got off, Half fell off of the back of the wagon.
Iona sighed and rolled her eyes with a smile on her face after making sure Dmitri wasn’t actually hurt. “ So if those things are outside the wall how are we going to get past them without getting attacked “ Iona quickly signed as a response to explain the guards patrol at the early in the morning despite the fact Ademptio’s are almost never active at sunrise
“ Almost? I guess that’s better than nothing but there’s still a chance they might “ Dmitri’s eyebrows raised. “ Wait- You know sign language? How? “
“ I don’t know how exactly, I don’t remember much but I cause that’s there at least, I don’t really understand why I remember it “ Aria tried to scan through her mind to see if any of her memories had started to come back but had no luck.
“ I mean that’s good that you know it at least “ Dmitri said as he hoisted himself up to sit on the back of the wagon as Silas finally came out of the house with a small bag.
“ Sorry I took so long, is everyone ready to go?” Everyone nodded as Silas made sure everyone got into the wagon.
“ Do we have a plan of where to go? “ Aria asked as she sat on the bench in the wagon as Silas got the wagon moving. “ Honestly? No, But anywhere is better then a town a few days from becoming a slaughterhouse, I just pray that seeing us leaving anyone with a modicum of sensibility left with follow suit and leave while there’s still time “ Silas said as he kept his eyes focused ahead.
“ So we’re just leaving them with the uncertainty of if they’ll get out? I mean i understand there aren’t many left here but shouldn’t we at least try to get them to leave too? “ Aria’s eyes gazed past the cover of the wagon at the surrounding buildings as they made their way past.
“ Sometimes you can’t save everyone, Sometimes…….Sometimes it’s just better to save yourself from the potential pain “ Silas spoke as they finally reached the other side of the wall, His voice bore no malice in it, Only what sounded like pain and regret.
The evening sky’s light shaded by the tree cover, It remained silent for quite some time as Dmitri fiddled with a small object and Iona read a book, Silas’s eyes focused on the path ahead until Aria finally spoke as she moved to the front of the wagon. “ So..um...what’s alchemy? I saw Iona reading about it and i was curious “
“ Ah, Right well the gist of it is it’s sort of like the magic some use though like typical magic it has it’s own law and restrictions, Like some times if say you turn a leaf or something into a gold piece it will shortly return to its original form, The details of it can get complicated though one major thing is that in…..normal cases it cannot be used to create life or revive the dead “
“ Normal cases? “ Aria asked as she leaned on the edge of the wagon behind the seat, Tilting her head out of curiosity.
Silas tensed for a moment, His breath catching in his chest as his grip on the reins grew tighter for a moment before he took a deep breath and changed the subject. “ So um..what do you remember? “ Aria was a little taken aback by the sudden change but figured that it was probably best to not to push it, Assuming that it was probably related to a sensitive issue.
“ Honestly aside from my name and a few small things, I don’t really remember anything, I mean as far as I remember I’ve never heard of Starfell or Ademptio’s until you all mentioned them “
Silas made a small hum like sound as he glanced at the map on his lap. “ Yeah, I guessed bout that much, It just seems so odd, I have never met anyone who has had memory loss like you, Most of the time it was just the usual things “
“ I hope you don’t mind that this is going to be a rather long trip, We should reach Agios within a few days, Though we’ll reach Ferio by morning, There’s plenty of food in the back if you get hungry though “ He continued, Only momentarily glancing away from the path ahead.
It was only when Silas turned to get the horses to turn to avoid some rocks that the motion caused his coat to slide off of his shoulder slightly that Aria saw the black vein like markings on his shoulder and neck, Before the girl could ask about them Silas quickly fixed his coat and began to talk about anything that crossed his mind.
Hours had passed by and the sun long since set below the horizon, Stars had filled the sky, The cold eerie silence of night was broken by the sound of coughing.
Silas glanced back to ensure the other three were still asleep as he dumped some water onto a cloth before wiping his mouth and hand before discarding the once white cloth that was now stained crimson into a small box at his side.
His crimson eyes gazed at the night sky as the wagon finally made it out of the forest, Breathing in the chilly night air as he tried to ignore the growing internal pain.
“ Venis, Have mercy on me “ A quiet prayer to the God of Death and Rebirth as the pain finally began to subside, Exhaustion wore at the man mind but his determination to get to Ferio by sunrise was stronger, Crimson eyes constantly scanned the surrounding area to ensure no threats were near as the gates of Ferio came into view.
Silas was quietly thankful that the guards gave no hassle about opening the gates, It was only then that Silas finally relaxed some, After hopping off the seat and making sure everything was secure he quickly went into the inn and got rooms for the four of them before returning outside to wake the others while being followed by the innkeeper.
“ Silas, Mon petit please, Head in and rest, I’ll handle getting the young ones inside, Rosette, Siegfried and I will handle everything “ The older woman said as she steadied Silas on his feet as she saw his pale face.
Silas was about to continue his protests when Siegfried quickly guided him inside before returning outside to help his mother and sister, Dmitri stretched with a yawn as he crawled out of the wagon and sleepily smiled seeing the innkeeper, Alliette. “ Hey Nana “ Dmitri said as he was greeted with a hug from Alliette and a gentle pat on the head from Siegfried.
“ Long time no see kiddo “ Siegfried spoke as he patted Dmitri’s head as he moved to help unload the wagon and assist Aria out of the wagon before taking the boxes inside.
Iona followed behind with Dmitri following behind her, When they got inside the first thing they saw was Silas fast asleep on the sofa, His eyes covered by his hair.
“ I swear it never ceases to amaze me how he can fall asleep ‘bout anywhere, I’m almost jealous “ Siegfried as he sat some boxes in the corner, His broad frame and strength making far easier and quicker getting everything inside.
After Iona, Dmtri and Aria had headed to bed, Rosette came in with a small wooden box in her hands. “ This was on the seat, It smells odd, A mix of a floral like scent but there’s a scent like blood “
Alliette wasted no time in closing the distance between herself and her daughter and gingerly taking the small box into her hands before opening it. The sight of the crimson stained cloth in a bed of Prism-Aster powder made her blood run cold.
“ Is he sick? “ Rosette asked the moment her lavender eyes saw the cloth. “ I am not sure dear, Ziggy dear, When is Aima supposed to return? “ Siegfried took a moment to run a few calculations in his mind before replying to his mother.
“ She should be here in about a day or two, Given that weather stays the same as it’s been, She will not be happy if she finds out Silas has been hiding an illness “ Alliette sighed as she sat the cloth back in the box before closing it, Her lavender eyes glancing at the sleeping man on the sofa.
“ You two should get some rest, I’ll finish getting things cleaned up and getting the lil sleepy sunshine over there in a proper bed “ Alliette silently thanked her son before she and Rosette made their way up the stairs.
As the sun rose, Strands of fair white hair were tinged with a yellow hue from the morning rays, Aria’s eyes meeting the light of the morning peaking through the curtains.
The window view gave a good look at the town below as people went about their morning.
There was a light knock on the door. “ Aria, There’s food ready downstairs if you’re hungry “ Aria recognized the voice as Silas, What had caught her attention was an odd smell that faded just as quickly as it appeared.
She couldn’t quite place what it could’ve been but she had noted the odd metallic scent of it.
As she made her way down the hall she noticed Silas putting some odd pale pastel colored floral scented powder in his mouth, Silas looked almost nervous as he noticed the girl looking at him.
“ What is that? “ Aria asked as she walked a little closer.
“ Don’t freak out, It’s nothing bad, It’s just Powdered Prism-Aster “ The scent of blood mixed with the floral scent of the Powdered Prism-Aster caught the girl’s nose.
Seemingly realizing that Aria had smelt the blood, Silas spoke. “ I beg that you don’t tell Dmitri or Iona about this, I don’t want them to worry about me they already have so much on their minds right now, The last thing they need is stress over something I can handle on my own “
“ They deserve to know, They are your children “ Aria spoke, Keeping her voice quiet to avoid waking the whole house.
“ I don’t want they to worry about me, I’m their father, I’m suppose to worry about them, Not the other way around, So please, Don’t speak a word of this to them “
Aria simply sighed and nodded, Almost sensing that at least at the moment it may not be the best time to tell the others about something she barely understood.
“ It will be some time before Dmitri wakes up, That boy isn’t much of a morning person, There’s some breakfast on the table downstairs if you’re hungry, There’s plenty so i’m sure there’s something you’ll eat “
Silas spoke as he slowly made his way down the stairs, His trembling hand gripping the railing as he made his descent.
“ Why did you put that powder in your mouth? It’s not harmful is it? “
Aria asked as she stayed close to him, Bracing him when he stumbled on the final few steps. “ Prism-Aster is a more medicinal flower so no, It’s not harmful in smaller doses though like any medicine it can be if to much is taken, It sort of functions as both a way to mask unpleasant odors as well as a pain reliever “
The girl listened intently as she and Silas made their way towards the dining room, Silas using nearby furniture to brace himself as he walked.
“ Stupid leg “ He muttered as they got into the dining room, Aria looked back at him as she stood a few feet from him.
“ Is something wrong? “
“ Huh?- oh um- N-No, No I’m fine “ Silas said trying to reassure her despite the fact he was clearly leaning solely on his right leg.
“ Is there something wrong with your leg? “ Aria spoke as she ushered him to sit, Silas was trying to keep a straight face despite the truth of the situation.
“ I-I…Yeah, But please don’t worry, I can handle it, I just can't do much more than walking “
Silas sighed as he silently prayed that neither Iona nor Dmitri had overheard anything, The anxiety of them possibly finding out his secret.
After the two of them ate Silas decided to go for a walk, Aria deciding to join him, The morning being very peaceful aside from the distant sound of people going about their day.
“ I always treasure moments like this in life “ Silas spoke as he sat on a bench overlooking the large field of flowers nearby.
“ Call me crazy, But I mean this all started yesterday but this life already seems like it’s only going to get crazier “ Aria stood a few feet away near the railing.
“ That is just how life goes sometimes, Weird and crazy, Yet also beautiful and precious, Sort of like a flower, Like a flower it blooms and comes in many different varieties, Shapes and colors, Like a flower it is also a fragile thing, Like any flower, Life will bloom and flourish but eventually wither, Only for more blooms to come “
Aria stood there as Silas joined her by the railing, The man taking a moment to enjoy the cool spring air as a breeze passed by.
“ No matter what is to come, Whatever it may be, Every moment is special because we’re alive, All we can do is keep moving forward “
After a while the two began walking back. “ So what’s Agios like? I tried to read up of things last night but i didn’t see anything about it “
“ Ah, Agios is a fairly busy town, It is a dukedom and sits a few miles from the border with Algodon, It’s been almost seventeen years since I was there so i can’t speak for how it is nowadays but when I was there it was wealthy and a fairly safe place, Though like most any place it had it’s share of issues “ Aria perked up at that. “ Issues? Like what? “ Aria turned slightly to face Silas as they walked. “ Mostly the typical crime and issues with people at taverns, But I know personally that the duke is a piece of…work, To put it nicely, Many have used the tunnel system underneath the town to avoid that man and his cronies he calls guards “
“ How so? “ Aria asked as she caught herself to keep from falling over a step.
“ He uses people like objects and treats his kids who ‘Do not meet his standards’ like waste, Last time I was there he’d been in the process of arranging marriages for some and being a general horrible human, He tried to use the loophole that because of the proximity to the border with Algodon that he was exempt from the laws on nobility placed by Skyvale’s Queen, Sapphira “
“ Why not find some other path? I mean we don’t have to go there if it’s going to cause issues “ Aria stopped as she saw Dmitri wandering outside.
“ Trust me I am not keen on going there are perks to going with that path, On top of that i..have personal reasons for wanting to go there “
Before Aria could ask anymore questions Dmitri came over. “ I was starting to wonder where you guys wandered off to, Uncle Siegfried said he’d help get stuff loaded up, We should probably head out before noon, At least then we’ll probably reach Merrowridge before the sun completely sets “
“ Dmitri, have some Patience, We only got here last night, Let’s at least stay today, We can head out in the morning “ Silas sighed at the slight pout on Dmitri’s face.
“ Here Aria, How about you go explore and have some fun while we’re here “ Silas spoke as he handed the girl a small hand stitched pouch with some money in it.
“ There’s plenty to do, There’s even a theater, If you need anything i’ll be here “
After Aria had walked a while she finally noticed Dmitri walking a little ways behind her, Looking a little sheepish. “ You know, If you wanted to tag along you could’ve asked instead of following me like that “
“ I-I just um- “ Dmitri stammered as his body tensed.
“ It’s fine just ask next time so i know you’re there sooner, It kinda freaked me out, You don’t have to walk so far behind you know, Plus it will look less weird “ Dmitri quickly jogged to get to where he was beside her, Still slightly flustered. “ Sorry about that “
“ It’s fine really, Like I said, though just let me know next time, But is there anything specific you wanna do? You probably know this place better than I do “ Aria spoke as the two stopped by a large fountain.
“ Well I know that the market has some really good stuff around this time of the year, Usually a lot of seasonal stuff, But they have food carts too “
“ We just had breakfast and you already wanna eat again? Alright than lead the way “ The two set off towards the market, Only stopping when they heard some commotion from an alley nearby, Catching the sight of a person jumping from a nearby shops upper floor window and running straight into Dmitri before he could react.
“ Hey! What’s wrong with you! “ Dmitri shouted at the person as he got up.
The person’s hood came off as they ran off. Before Aria could do anything Dmitri gave chase, Aria quickly followed, Silently hoping he wouldn’t do anything crazy.
When Aria caught up with them she saw the person with their hood down. The girl had pale green hair as well as a set of wings on her back.
“ Dmitri, Calm down it was an accident “ Dmitri huffed and stepped aside and let Aria handle the situation. “ Are you okay? Why were you running like that? “ The girl calmed down and spoke.
“ I just wanted some food and got caught so I had too run “
Aria glanced and saw the bread the girl had. “ Well we can get you some food if you’re hungry, Are you hurt? “ The girl shook her head. “ No, I was able to get down from the window easily because of my wings “ As the three of them made their way to the market, Dmitri was still silently a little annoyed at getting knocked to the ground.
“ By the way, What's your name? If you don’t mind me asking “ Aria asked as she handed the girl some food the three got from a food cart. “ O-Oh um my name is Allegra “ Aria smiled as the three of them sat at a table. “ It’s nice to meet you, I’m Aria and this grumpy man is Dmitri “ Dmitri pouted after he stammered. “ It’s nice to meet you both, Thank you for this, Sorry for crashing into you Dmitri “
“ It’s fine, I guess “ After wandering around the sun began to set. “ We should probably head back, You can tag along if you want Allegra “ Aria said as she led the way back.
“ If you’re sure, I mean it would be nice to sleep somewhere that’s not outside or in a tent “ “ Come on than “ As the three entered the building, Piercing eyes watched them.