The Forsaken Ocean - Covenant
//A continuation of the background story for my original character Umi. Posting it under read more since it can be a rather long thing. Written by request. How Umi found the Fire.
It had been six months of only living in shadows, where no words but those of nightmares would speak directly to Umi. Sure, she could hear the spirits calling and the snickers of the villagers. However the only one to speak to the woman was the darkness, reminding her of the pain. The teachings of her father cemented her trust in such cruelties to be truth. Nights became a bittersweet friend.
Finally, there was a voice that cried out of frustration that caught Umi's attention. It was distant but it sounded just as lonely as she was. The entire trauma of losing everything left her sensitive to the suffering of others so she followed what she heard. The voice sounded so desperate to be freed from its situation. Umi didn't even notice she found her way into the mines and there in the deepest tunnel was a glowing little flame.
Blue eyes could see past the physical fire and such imagery scared her enough to try and run but it was no use; the fire now was watching her and flared up, encircling her. It spoke that it was rude to judge another by looks and that she was in no position to cast such judgment herself. It was something Umi couldn't argue with. The fire spoke of truth.
There was some time that passed where they spoke at length of what the other needed. The fire had been trapped there and wanted to be free while Umi desired to no longer fear what she saw, to quiet the voices of the other realms, and to regain her honor. A devious grin crackled along the flame's visage. It would give her such freedom, and power, even help her to start a new life, if it could have her heart and her life.
Such terms were so incredibly agreeable to Umi. She wanted to never romantically love another again and her life was already worthless; the nightmares told her so. Who was she to cling to such useless things? A bond was struck and the fire leaped into her chest. Her heart stopped as the demon wedged itself between the girl's soul and the spirits of the forest. Once a delicate balance had been made, Umi awoke and gasped as her heart restarted to beat.
A new life began immediately as the fire surged from witihn her heart, down her left arm and out her wedding ring finger. It used its power to burn a path into time and space, allowing Umi to travel as she pleased. A new adventure and life began for the woman and for the first time in half a year, she found a small bit of happiness. She finally had a friend.