Last Updated: 12-02-03

Lost Souls

This is the sneak preview only and has been cut.

"Lost Souls" is an idea I originally had for an RPG, but I might just end up writing the story by itself. It's my favorite story idea, although it's also the one I have the least defined, at least in the beginning. I'm having trouble deciding the order of events. So below is a quick synopsis of the beginning, plus a description of the story's important background legend concerning Phoebe and the War of Light. (And which I might write as its own story)

LS's main character is Erik, a boy from a village, Trellin, near the border of a war between his country of Kesta and Rinault. It's pretty safe to live there because it's snuggled in a small valley between two mountains. In fact, the valley used to be its own country before all of Kesta was united in the War of Light; up a little further from Trellin is a an old fortress guarding the pass into Trellin, called Trell Castle.

No one goes there anymore because it's a cursed fortress. In the War of Light, the fortress was overrun and everyone hiding inside was slaughtered. Ever since, people say they place has been haunted.

Naturally, Erik and his best friend Hector get sent up there at night on a dare to retrieve one of the old swords from the armory. While there, they meet a real ghost, a girl who calls herself "Psyche" because she can't remember anymore who she was in life. Only Erik is able to see her. In exchange for helping Erik find a sword, Erik promises to help free her spirit so she can move on.

It's not as easy as it might seem. Her soul is trapped by an ancient device built by a soceror from the War of Phoebe who used his victims' souls to power his devices. Psyche's soul is the only one left. Even worse, before they can do anything, a nearby battle spills into the valley and the fortress! The crystal containing Psyche's soul is destroyed, but the device gets activated. Psyche disappears, and Erik quickly destroyed the device. Psyche reappears, very weak, and with a bad premonition of danger.

As it turns out, the little bit of power given by the device was just enough that miles away, another prisoner escapes her cell. The mysterious Phoebe, heroine of the War of Light, who has been imprisoned in crystal for hundred of years, reawakens, and like Psyche, bears warning that the evil sorcerer, the Lord of Darkness, Erebus, is returning!

Unaware that Phoebe is already working to prepare for the Dark Lord's return, Erik, Hector, and Psyche start on their own quest to defend Kesta from the impending threat.

Characters:
Alex Solen, the hero
Theo, his best friend
Erebus, the villain, Sorcerer of Darkness
Nyx and Nox, his two creations and servants
Phoebe, the heroine

Act One:

In act one, we meet the brave Alex and his loyal friend Theo. They live in a relatively peaceful city, so far untouched by the fighting that has been spreading between all the city-states of Kesta.

It all changes when their city is attacked by the Dark Horde of Erebus, which is lead by the dark sorceress Nyx. They are forced to escape with the other survivors and join the growing movement to unite the city-states against Erebus.

Alex and Theo are natural leaders and earn the respect of their compatriots and the task of leading the fight. However, few city-states are willing to cooperate with each other, confident that each will be able to defend itself. All that changes one day, however, when Nyx attacks a small town, drawing the resistance's army to defend it. They protect the town and even capture Nyx, but while they were distracted, Nyx's male counterpart, Nox, sieges and captures the heavily fortified Trellando Castle and kills everyone inside, soldier or civilian. The shock is so great that the city-states realize they must work together.

Meanwhile, the captured Nyx, for the first time, is seeing the people she's been fighting against. Alex learns that Erebus created Nyx, and that she considers him her father. She also believes that her only purpose is to fight, but now she is learning that there are other reasons to be alive. She is shocked to see Nox's brutality and Trellando and even helps bury the dead there.

Erebus and Nox eventually come to rescue Nyx; she feels this is proof that her father loves her, but really, Erebus only wants his killing machine back. Nyx returns to Erebus, but as a favor to Erik for sparing her life, she allows him and his friends to escape.

When they next encounter Nyx is battle, she is completely different. She is now as brutal as Nox, and scoffs at Alex when he tries to remind her about what she learned about living. Nyx firmly believes that she is a creature of darkness, a creature of the night, but in a passionate speech, Erik tells her that that night is not all darkness.

Alex cries, “Nyx! Listen to me. Come with us… we want to help you!”

Nyx, “Be quiet! I have nothing to do with you.”

Alex, “What power does he have over you? Why do you continue to stand by his side?”

Nyx, “He is my creator, my father! I owe him my very life, my soul… I have no right to leave.”

Alex: “You don’t belong to him… come with us!”

Nyx, “This is my place… where would I go? I am the creation of darkness. I cannot feel as you do. I am created to destroy in his name!”

Alex, “That’s what Erebus wants you to believe. Look into my eyes, Nyx, and tell me you feel nothing except the hate Erebus has taught you. You took pity on us, and spared our lives! You are capable of love and compassion. I’ve seen it in your eyes… I KNOW you!”

Nyx, “You don’t know anything about me! You don’t understand! I don’t belong in a world of light and love! I am darkness... I am the night… ”

Alex, “Nyx! Wait! The night is not darkness by itself. The night is not a time of despair and hopelessness. It’s not something to be feared. The stars and moon are part of the night, sharing their illumination to the earth when it lacks the light of the sun. The stars guides us in our travels by giving us our direction, and the moon lights the path before us. The night sky is beautiful and inspirational. The stars hold a multitude of multitude of dreams and wishes… they are shining jewels showcased in the velvet black sky. That is what you are, Nyx. You are not a creature of hate, but a creature of hopes and dreams! You are the night’s shining jewels, the light that guides us!”

Nyx, “Alex… I don’t… I can’t… I don’t know what to do!”

Alex, “Nyx, please! Just take my hand… let me share your light!”

Just then, Erebus appears, laughing.

Erebus, “Nyx! Stay away from that foolish boy. Do honestly believe all that nonsense of jewels and dreams? What good are they in this world where the weak exist to be crushed by the strong. They are pretty baubles, but they are easily tarnished and broken. Don’t be confused by ornate emotional poetry. They only wish to turn you against me, your creator, the one who gave you life! What is more important to you: the insubstantial poetic musings of a mere boy, or the life I have provided you?”

Nyx thinks about this. “The life you have given me…”

Alex, “No! Nyx, don’t do this!”

A pause.

Nyx continues. “The life you have given me is but an existence. It’s devoid of all those things that make it a life… I can never share in the warmth of friendship or love as long as I live this life, your life. I claim the right to my own life, even if only for a few moments! I shall no longer be Nyx! I shall have my hopes and dreams, even if I must die for them… for I am already dead without them! Alex, take me with you!” She grabs his hand.

Erebus, “Do you think you can take her away so easily! No one shall defy me and remain unpunished…!”

The lights begin to flicker.

Theo, “Quick, Alex! We must leave!”

They race off the stage; end Act 1.

Act Two
In act two, Nyx is no more, and in her place is Phoebe, which is the name Alex picked out for her. She works to atone for all the damage that she caused. She becomes a symbol of redemption and hope.

Her status becomes more lofty and goddess-like when she performs a "miracle." Theo is badly wounded and given up for dead, but Phoebe comes to his side and "calls" his spirit back to his body. Theo wakes up and speaks of a "guiding light" which brought him back from the dead.

Phoebe doesn't feel that it's worth praising; Erebus designed her to steal and channel souls, and she's taken many more souls than she's saved. No one will listen to her and she becomes more of a figurehead than ever.

The final step for her to complete the image was to become a martyr. In a battle against Erebus, Phoebe gives herself up to save Alex. Erebus immediately kills her, then takes her body to be the final component in a machine that will enslave all souls to his will.

Alex vows revenge and confronts Erebus just as he is about to activate the machine. In the center of the machine is a large crystal chamber with Phoebe's body inside acting as physical conduit for the world's souls. Alex & co. defeat Erebus, but are unable to free Phoebe's body from its cell.

Alex laments over Phoebe’s body, which they can’t reach. It seems alive, but it’s just a shell. Alex makes another vow: he will build a shrine around this place, and he will search all his life to find a way to free her and give her back the life she never had a chance to live.

Alex: “I have failed you, Phoebe. I promised you a life, but what did I give you? I made you an idol, a figurehead for the people, whom you served for my sake. It’s strange to think of you as mere statue to look at, but I realize now that’s all you ever were. ‘Phoebe’ was no more alive than ‘Nyx.’ Forgive me! If only I could give up my life that you might have yours! I promise I will find a way to free you, and give you the life you never had.”

Alex keeps his vow; Phoebe's body is untouchable, but the place becomes the Ariccia Shrine.