[Thread made while assuming TS 3.0 enforced Original Sin is already live because Amy doesn't have enough gold to purchase it right now... Either way, I finally came up with an idea to play with using Keyless, so here we go..]
Amy was carefully walking forward. Her husband gently helping her walk while the two of them talked about baby names. It was a blissful time, a blissful memory.
Amy felt a comforting presence near her. A small glimpse of magic in the midst of the dark world, a magical presence that made her feel more at peace than anything else.
It was always there with her. Always too far to be heard, always barely visible even within her dark world, but still there nonetheless... There with her as she kept walking. There with her as she started running... Also there with her as she lost her husband and her unborn baby.
It was probably the only thing that stopped her from going mad... It didn't stop the tears from flowing down her glass-filled eye sockets though. It never did.
"Amy." Amy felt a hand gently shake her shoulder, "It's time to wake up, dear."
... The presence was gone now. Amy could no longer see its magic on the corner of her dark world... She uttered a silent prayer to lady Rhiannon, thanking her for keeping her sane within her dreams.
"Thank you, mom." Amy slowly sat up, rubbing off the tears that fell from her eye sockets. A daily ritual to her at this point, her mother-in-law didn't even comment on it anymore.
Amy reached for her walking cane, it should be right next to her...
"Here, dear." Her mother-in-law helped her get it, "I think you might have kicked it in your sleep." Amy didn't know how to feel about the new way her mother-in-law was calling her. She supposed they were closer now after that talk, but she was still unused to it... Nonetheless, she made no effort to try stopping her.
Either way, it was frustrating how a simple restless sleep could make her so helpless. She couldn't even find her cane by herself... The cane he made for her.
"Thank you." Amy just forced herself to smile. There was no point in complaining about her mother-in-law's kindness... Besides, she knew that they'd be together for a while. If she came to wake Amy up, it's because Amy was late.
She let her mother-in-law help her get changed, and then held her hand as they walked out of the tent... A bit frustrating, sure, but it was faster than getting changed and moving by herself.
Then, she was brought some food... Amy thanked her mother-in-law again and started eating... And once she did, she realized it.
It's that time of the month already. She was hungry. She needed magical flesh again... Always the worst time of the month.
Amy glanced around the camp, seeking light amidst the darkness... Barely anything to be seen. They had basically no meat to speak of, I can't eat it... The children need it more than me. Amy figured that the next few days were going to be rough. It's not the first time she was plagued by that horrible headache and feeling of weakness, but that didn't make it any easier to handle.
The days passed, the headache came, and so did the weakness... Each day was harder than the last; she really needed to eat.
She knew that, but... It seemed like they were facing a drought right now. No meat to be found anywhere... What they had in stock had already been consumed.
It took about a week for some of their hunters to return with an animal that Amy could see... Finally.
"How long has it been since you last ate, dear? You don't seem that well." Her mother-in-law asked.
Amy was about to respond when she heard other people within the camp cheering, glad that they were finally getting rid of that crippling headache. Some of the children's voices were there too... "Not that long, three or so weeks. I can wait, mom."
If her mother-in-law saw through the lie, she did not acknowledge it, "Alright... Just take care of yourself, okay? You know you matter to us." She stated.
... She definitely saw through it. Amy thought to herself, "I will." Yet she just lied again... Someone like her wasn't worth giving priority to.
Another week passed. No more meat was found since. Amy was growing desperate, she couldn't move her body well anymore, and it wasn't just her head that ached now, her whole body was in constant pain.
"So...? How long has it actually been?" Her mother-in-law asked one day. Amy had almost fainted while walking out of the tent this morning... It was obvious that she was in a terrible condition, and the cause was just as obvious when considering how little meat they managed to get for themselves recently.
Amy sighed, she knew she wasn't going to lie her way through it this time, "A month and a half."
Her mother-in-law gasped, then proceeded to hug Amy tightly, "You are getting the next meal, understand? I'm not taking a no for an answer."
Amy knew it was pointless to argue, but she did it anyways, "I'm not the only one who is hungry right now..."
"You're definitely the one who is closest to death, Amy. Give up and eat... As soon as we get some meat that is." Her mother-in-law sighed... They all knew that things were not good right now... But that's just how their life worked. Sometimes things just didn't go well, and they had to prioritize saving those closest to withering away.
"... Alright, got it, mom." Amy gave in. It was a pointless battle, and arguing with her mother-in-law would just make her headache worse anyways.
The hug tightened again, "We really do care for you, dear... You are important... Never forget that." Amy knew it... And she hated it.
A few hours after that, Amy saw something... It was strange... Amy was sure that there was nothing there just second ago.
And she didn't hear anyone spellcasting... Why was she seeing anything?
Amy was wary... But the hunger spoke louder than her sense of self-preservation... If there was magic there, there might be meat there too.
Amy touched the strange magic in front of her... And then, there was silence. The noises of the camp were all gone, Amy was alone again.
Except... Amidst the silent darkness, there was light... Many lights in front of her... She understood it immediately. She was somewhere away from her family's camp, and there was a lot of magic near her.
But also... Her wariness came back, and she realized something that didn't quite make sense, How did I know that the magic was going to take me to a different place? Why did I think that this magic would lead me to meat?
She was manipulated. She understood this much... Had she fallen on a trap? Was she someone's captive right now?
She wondered if she was in a cage right now... To test it out, Amy tried walking... Carefully, one step at a time. Slowly hitting her cane on the ground to feel the path ahead of her.
The sound it made was soft... And she heard rustles... It was nothing like the crystallized land of Zalra, it was closer to... "A forest...?" She muttered to herself.
It didn't make any sense... But her ears did not lie to her. She could not hear her family, and the sound the cane made was not the same as it did in Zalra... She was transported somewhere else.
... And yet, nobody came to talk to her. She did not understand it... Who had kidnapped her? For what purpose? Why would they just leave her to her own devices?
Amy's body trembled. She almost fell down to the ground as strength left her, she was barely able to recover her balance by using her cane to steady herself... I need meat. Anything else could wait. She needed to eat.
Amy tried approaching one of the sources of magic nearby. This one was the closest, but it was a bit too high up for her... When she got close enough, she asked, "What are you?"
Surprisingly, she got an answer. She hadn't know if it was living or not, but the answer made it clear... The sound of flapping wings, and of leaves being rustled... A bird. There were magical birds here.
This one had escaped... It was okay; there were other magical sources nearby. They weren't moving, and they did not seem to be scared of her, at least not until she got too close.
She approached the next one... Slowly, carefully... Not silently, as her cane was too noisy for that, but she tried staying far enough and to not say anything, so as to not scare the next one.
If this is really a bird, and this is really a forest... Amy started chanting a spell in the quietest tone she could... Grow. Grow and secure the bird. Bring it to me.
Amy felt herself in even more pain than before... Using magic in her state was tantamount to suicide, but she was not getting that thing without magic, so she continued.
Slowly, Amy could see the magic leaving her body and towards the general direction of the supposed bird... It landed on the supposed bird's surroundings... And it answered her. The magic moved and quickly surrounded the supposed bird, then proceeded to move it closer to Amy.
She could hear pained cries from the little thing, "I'm sorry, little one." She muttered as it was brought closer to her... Strangle. She chanted the next part of the spell.
It was quick. She heard the sound of something breaking, and now the supposed bird was no longer in pain... It was raw, she wasn't even sure of what it was, but it was in front of her... It was magical, it was meat, and she needed to eat.
Amy held the soft being with her free hand and bit the raw flesh... It was the most delicious meal she had ever had in her life.
She continued eating it, biting it again and again, tearing the raw flesh apart with her teeth like a wild hungry beast... Something that could describe her pretty well right now.
And then, suddenly, she was no longer surrounded by magic sources. She started hearing the noises of the camp again... Was she hallucinating just now?
No... She may no longer be surrounded by magic sources, but there was still one in her hand... And she still hungered for more.
It didn't take long before someone noticed what Amy was eating. They approached her, confused, how had she gotten her hands on that? Their supplies were dry... And they too were hungry, yet there was barely anything left to share.
By now, Amy felt like her headache had mostly subsided, and her body no longer felt like it was tearing itself apart, so... She was able to have a proper conversation. She explained what she went through... The strange inexplicable phenomenon where she was apparently kidnapped by someone who did her no harm and presented her meat when she needed it the most.
Amy really wished to attribute that to lady Rhiannon's blessing, but she did not feel like it... Whatever happened today was probably not benign.
Both her mother-in-law and her father-in-law were part of the people who heard her out... Amy could hear some skepticism in the voices surrounding her as she ended her tale, but her parents believed her. They believed her and told her, "Never let yourself be manipulated again by this thing. Don't go into its portal again... Please." then they hugged her.
"... I have no intention of ever going there again." This time, Amy was not lying.
Amy was carefully walking forward. Her husband gently helping her walk while the two of them talked about baby names. It was a blissful time, a blissful memory.
Amy felt a comforting presence near her. A small glimpse of magic in the midst of the dark world, a magical presence that made her feel more at peace than anything else.
It was always there with her. Always too far to be heard, always barely visible even within her dark world, but still there nonetheless... There with her as she kept walking. There with her as she started running... Also there with her as she lost her husband and her unborn baby.
It was probably the only thing that stopped her from going mad... It didn't stop the tears from flowing down her glass-filled eye sockets though. It never did.
"Amy." Amy felt a hand gently shake her shoulder, "It's time to wake up, dear."
... The presence was gone now. Amy could no longer see its magic on the corner of her dark world... She uttered a silent prayer to lady Rhiannon, thanking her for keeping her sane within her dreams.
"Thank you, mom." Amy slowly sat up, rubbing off the tears that fell from her eye sockets. A daily ritual to her at this point, her mother-in-law didn't even comment on it anymore.
Amy reached for her walking cane, it should be right next to her...
"Here, dear." Her mother-in-law helped her get it, "I think you might have kicked it in your sleep." Amy didn't know how to feel about the new way her mother-in-law was calling her. She supposed they were closer now after that talk, but she was still unused to it... Nonetheless, she made no effort to try stopping her.
Either way, it was frustrating how a simple restless sleep could make her so helpless. She couldn't even find her cane by herself... The cane he made for her.
"Thank you." Amy just forced herself to smile. There was no point in complaining about her mother-in-law's kindness... Besides, she knew that they'd be together for a while. If she came to wake Amy up, it's because Amy was late.
She let her mother-in-law help her get changed, and then held her hand as they walked out of the tent... A bit frustrating, sure, but it was faster than getting changed and moving by herself.
Then, she was brought some food... Amy thanked her mother-in-law again and started eating... And once she did, she realized it.
It's that time of the month already. She was hungry. She needed magical flesh again... Always the worst time of the month.
Amy glanced around the camp, seeking light amidst the darkness... Barely anything to be seen. They had basically no meat to speak of, I can't eat it... The children need it more than me. Amy figured that the next few days were going to be rough. It's not the first time she was plagued by that horrible headache and feeling of weakness, but that didn't make it any easier to handle.
The days passed, the headache came, and so did the weakness... Each day was harder than the last; she really needed to eat.
She knew that, but... It seemed like they were facing a drought right now. No meat to be found anywhere... What they had in stock had already been consumed.
It took about a week for some of their hunters to return with an animal that Amy could see... Finally.
"How long has it been since you last ate, dear? You don't seem that well." Her mother-in-law asked.
Amy was about to respond when she heard other people within the camp cheering, glad that they were finally getting rid of that crippling headache. Some of the children's voices were there too... "Not that long, three or so weeks. I can wait, mom."
If her mother-in-law saw through the lie, she did not acknowledge it, "Alright... Just take care of yourself, okay? You know you matter to us." She stated.
... She definitely saw through it. Amy thought to herself, "I will." Yet she just lied again... Someone like her wasn't worth giving priority to.
Another week passed. No more meat was found since. Amy was growing desperate, she couldn't move her body well anymore, and it wasn't just her head that ached now, her whole body was in constant pain.
"So...? How long has it actually been?" Her mother-in-law asked one day. Amy had almost fainted while walking out of the tent this morning... It was obvious that she was in a terrible condition, and the cause was just as obvious when considering how little meat they managed to get for themselves recently.
Amy sighed, she knew she wasn't going to lie her way through it this time, "A month and a half."
Her mother-in-law gasped, then proceeded to hug Amy tightly, "You are getting the next meal, understand? I'm not taking a no for an answer."
Amy knew it was pointless to argue, but she did it anyways, "I'm not the only one who is hungry right now..."
"You're definitely the one who is closest to death, Amy. Give up and eat... As soon as we get some meat that is." Her mother-in-law sighed... They all knew that things were not good right now... But that's just how their life worked. Sometimes things just didn't go well, and they had to prioritize saving those closest to withering away.
"... Alright, got it, mom." Amy gave in. It was a pointless battle, and arguing with her mother-in-law would just make her headache worse anyways.
The hug tightened again, "We really do care for you, dear... You are important... Never forget that." Amy knew it... And she hated it.
A few hours after that, Amy saw something... It was strange... Amy was sure that there was nothing there just second ago.
And she didn't hear anyone spellcasting... Why was she seeing anything?
Amy was wary... But the hunger spoke louder than her sense of self-preservation... If there was magic there, there might be meat there too.
Amy touched the strange magic in front of her... And then, there was silence. The noises of the camp were all gone, Amy was alone again.
Except... Amidst the silent darkness, there was light... Many lights in front of her... She understood it immediately. She was somewhere away from her family's camp, and there was a lot of magic near her.
But also... Her wariness came back, and she realized something that didn't quite make sense, How did I know that the magic was going to take me to a different place? Why did I think that this magic would lead me to meat?
She was manipulated. She understood this much... Had she fallen on a trap? Was she someone's captive right now?
She wondered if she was in a cage right now... To test it out, Amy tried walking... Carefully, one step at a time. Slowly hitting her cane on the ground to feel the path ahead of her.
The sound it made was soft... And she heard rustles... It was nothing like the crystallized land of Zalra, it was closer to... "A forest...?" She muttered to herself.
It didn't make any sense... But her ears did not lie to her. She could not hear her family, and the sound the cane made was not the same as it did in Zalra... She was transported somewhere else.
... And yet, nobody came to talk to her. She did not understand it... Who had kidnapped her? For what purpose? Why would they just leave her to her own devices?
Amy's body trembled. She almost fell down to the ground as strength left her, she was barely able to recover her balance by using her cane to steady herself... I need meat. Anything else could wait. She needed to eat.
Amy tried approaching one of the sources of magic nearby. This one was the closest, but it was a bit too high up for her... When she got close enough, she asked, "What are you?"
Surprisingly, she got an answer. She hadn't know if it was living or not, but the answer made it clear... The sound of flapping wings, and of leaves being rustled... A bird. There were magical birds here.
This one had escaped... It was okay; there were other magical sources nearby. They weren't moving, and they did not seem to be scared of her, at least not until she got too close.
She approached the next one... Slowly, carefully... Not silently, as her cane was too noisy for that, but she tried staying far enough and to not say anything, so as to not scare the next one.
If this is really a bird, and this is really a forest... Amy started chanting a spell in the quietest tone she could... Grow. Grow and secure the bird. Bring it to me.
Amy felt herself in even more pain than before... Using magic in her state was tantamount to suicide, but she was not getting that thing without magic, so she continued.
Slowly, Amy could see the magic leaving her body and towards the general direction of the supposed bird... It landed on the supposed bird's surroundings... And it answered her. The magic moved and quickly surrounded the supposed bird, then proceeded to move it closer to Amy.
She could hear pained cries from the little thing, "I'm sorry, little one." She muttered as it was brought closer to her... Strangle. She chanted the next part of the spell.
It was quick. She heard the sound of something breaking, and now the supposed bird was no longer in pain... It was raw, she wasn't even sure of what it was, but it was in front of her... It was magical, it was meat, and she needed to eat.
Amy held the soft being with her free hand and bit the raw flesh... It was the most delicious meal she had ever had in her life.
She continued eating it, biting it again and again, tearing the raw flesh apart with her teeth like a wild hungry beast... Something that could describe her pretty well right now.
And then, suddenly, she was no longer surrounded by magic sources. She started hearing the noises of the camp again... Was she hallucinating just now?
No... She may no longer be surrounded by magic sources, but there was still one in her hand... And she still hungered for more.
It didn't take long before someone noticed what Amy was eating. They approached her, confused, how had she gotten her hands on that? Their supplies were dry... And they too were hungry, yet there was barely anything left to share.
By now, Amy felt like her headache had mostly subsided, and her body no longer felt like it was tearing itself apart, so... She was able to have a proper conversation. She explained what she went through... The strange inexplicable phenomenon where she was apparently kidnapped by someone who did her no harm and presented her meat when she needed it the most.
Amy really wished to attribute that to lady Rhiannon's blessing, but she did not feel like it... Whatever happened today was probably not benign.
Both her mother-in-law and her father-in-law were part of the people who heard her out... Amy could hear some skepticism in the voices surrounding her as she ended her tale, but her parents believed her. They believed her and told her, "Never let yourself be manipulated again by this thing. Don't go into its portal again... Please." then they hugged her.
"... I have no intention of ever going there again." This time, Amy was not lying.