Veni, Vidi, Vici: Chapter I
Title: Veni, Vidi, Vici
Summary: A runaway child, who only sought to be loved and accepted, ended in a world she was unfamiliar with and before she knew it, was risking her life to save this very world from its oncoming doom.
Genres: Adventure, Romance, Tragedy
Rating: T
Pairing: F!Warden x Alistair Theirin
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Warning: (Somewhat) AU, Gore, Spoilers
Status: In-Progress
Chapter One
“Deus dormit
Et liberi ignem faciunt
Numquam extinguet
Ne expergisci possit.
Omnia dividit
Tragoedia cara
Amandaque
Et nocte perpetua
In desperatione
Auroram videre potest
Manet tempus expergiscendi.”
- Somnus, Final Fantasy Versus XIII
---There was a low, rumbling sound that came from the night sky, signifying of an approaching storm. It didn’t take long until the droplets of water fell from the sky and drenched the once dry empty streets. The pitter-patter of rain was usually a comforting and calming sound but it was anything but that right now. If ever, it only made her feel worse, her mood going down the drain even more.
The wind gave off a soft howl and she listened to it with a blank expression, fiddling with her cellphone absently. The wooden bench she sat on was uncomfortable though it would have to do as she waited patiently for the bus.
1:30 A.M., the time on the bright screen of the phone showed. The last bus would be coming soon, three minutes from now, she guessed.
Jaclyn habitually looked at the far end of the road to her left side, where the bus would be coming from. Like she had expected, she saw nothing. The night was dark and cold with nothing but her occupying the empty streets. Normally, she would have feared for her safety, being alone at a very late hour, but her fear was overcome with gloom instead. Her eyes were red from all the crying she had done a long time ago and they slightly ached. She blinked rapidly once she felt herself shedding tears once again. She adjusted the wool scarf wrapped around her neck, burying half of her face on it.
She felt so useless, unwanted, as if her existence was nothing but a waste and of naught.
Her chest started feeling tight again and a sob almost escaped from her lips. She took deep breaths instead and although it almost did nothing, it did help.
It’s fine. It’ll be all right.
Her fingers started feeling cold and clammy though she paid them no mind as she stared into thin air, silently wondering if this was for the best. Wasn’t she running away from her problems?
A wry laugh comes out from her throat. She’d rather die than suffocate all her life in that wretched place. This was fine.
It’ll be all right.
“Meow.”
She flinched and almost let out a screech at the sudden sound, her eyes visibly growing wide and heart beating rapidly in surprise. She quickly looked to where the sound came from and let out a relieved sigh.
It was only a cat. The cat was sitting calmly not far from her. For a moment, she could only stare at it, wondering where it came from. The feline stared back at her, as if scrutinizing her with morbid curiosity. Ah, but it was just a cat. It wasn’t possible. It let out another mewl, this time approaching her and was already brushing its head against her left leg.
“Well, hello there, little fella. What are you doing here?” She murmured silently as she brushed her fingers against its black fur. Her eyebrows furrowed once she felt its fur dry, not wet like she had anticipated. She took a look outside the bus shelter that covered her from the rainy weather.
It was still raining.
“That’s strange…”
The cat paid her no heed, however, as it continued to purr in contentment at the attention she was giving it. Her confusion instantly disappeared once it jumped on her lap, surprising her but didn’t push it away. It looked up at her, showing eerie glowing gold eyes. She found herself gazing at them and found it hard to look away, as if she was hypnotized.
“Pretty,” she commented as she scratched the back of its ear and it purred back in approval. She noticed the lack of collar around its neck, which she found even stranger. It looked too groomed to be a stray and its fur was smooth, not lanky. And those eyes…if it really was just an ordinary stray cat, my, it was truly a beautiful cat.
“Are you here to keep me company while I wait for the bus?” She asked.
It merely blinked up at her and then let out a curt mewl as it pawed on her right knee. Without a warning, it jumped off her lap, landing silently on the cement floor. She merely watched it with silent disappointment, wondering if she scratched it too hard. It turned to her, blinking its eyes. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was beckoning her to follow it. A mental image of a maneki-neko crosses her thought. What a weird thing to even think of at the moment, really.
The cat started pawing on her boot closest to it, mewling rather persistently when she made no move to follow it.
Her eyes looked back at the road, checking to see if the bus was coming, and then looked back at the screen of her phone to check the time.
What the hell. Where’s the bus?
She looked at her phone and back at the cat that looked at her silently, tail swishing behind it.
A resigned sigh escaped from her lips and she stood up while she grabbed the huge messenger bag she brought with her. Well, since the bus wasn’t here yet, she might as well follow the cat. As long as she didn’t wander too far from the bus stop it’d be fine. The cat was immediately on its feet and ran out of the bus shelter. She followed it, quietly wondering if she had gone insane. It had stopped raining, fortunately. It was odd since she thought it would turn into a terrible storm. She didn’t have time to ponder on that thought as the cat started mewling once again.
The night was eerily quiet now as she followed the cat. The only sound she could really hear was the echo of her heels as she walked on the cemented sidewalk. The shadows around her seemed to be stretching out to her and all of a sudden looked sinister. The lamppost towering over her flickered on and off and her heart started thumping in fright.
The cat was nowhere to be found, too, causing her to panic inwardly. Her eyes started darting back and forth as she observed her surroundings. There was nothing but her in the lonely streets, yet she felt like someone was looking at her, eyeing her like a prey. She slowly pulled out a flick knife she hid in one of the pockets of her coat. She flipped it open, the tip of the blade glinting when the dim light of the lamppost hit it.
A strange hissing sound caught her attention. Her whole body went rigid and stiff, eyes growing in alarm and fear. She turned her head quickly to where she heard the sound come from. She saw nothing but a dark corner, untouched by any of the dim-lit lampposts. Her lips quivered when she felt movement from there, involuntarily taking a step back.
“W-Who’s there?” She demanded with a stutter, silently cursing herself for stuttering. If someone were to attack her, she hoped she remembered all those painful wushu training lessons her parents forced her into taking.
There was only a rustling sound, not from the trees, but of feet. There was also the sound of metal clanking and another violent hiss that had her recoiling back. Her grip on the knife she held tightened as she heard heavy footsteps approaching her. A strong scent of decay filled the air and she almost wretched once she smelled it. She coughed, swallowing whatever contents that she was about to spew.
“What the hell is that -”
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as a silent scream formed on her mouth. She almost stumbled as her wide eyes stared at whatever was standing before her. An inhuman guttural growl echoed around the place, mixed with menacing hisses that she thought could only be heard from horror movies.
Three creatures stood a few feet away from her and there were unlikely humans because of their demonic-like appearance. Their skin was decaying and oozed of a unfathomable foul scent. They were wearing metal armour that reminded her of the medieval times or videogames she would play once in a while. There were splotches of black stains and what seemed to be molds on their armour, whether they were stains or not, she did not know. Their faces were something she could never forget and would possibly leave her sleepless for nights. Their eyes were white and bulging and they had fangs that were yellowed and had acidic-like saliva dripping from it.
She was petrified in fear, unable to move or react in spite of the alarms in her head that told her to do so. She was in danger, she needed to run away.
The creature who appeared to be armoured more so than the other two let out a hideous snarl and without warning, came running towards her, a crude, savage-looking blade in its hand. She finally snapped out of it and she made a run for it, shrieking in fright as the blade almost hacked her. Her measly flick blade was no match to the blades they carried with them. She knew her only option was to run away. Their footsteps were heavy and loud though fast in spite of the heavy-looking armour they wore.
“Someone help me!”She screamed heavily.
But there was no one around. No one could hear her in spite of the houses around the area. Tears had already shown itself to her and she didn’t even bother wiping them away in fear of her life. She felt a clammy gauntleted hand grab her arm and forcefully pulled her back.
They caught up to her.
She was going to die.
“Let go of me!” She shrieked hysterically, flailing in an attempt to push the monster away. But its grip on her was too strong and she finally let out a terrified sob, her eyes wide with fear and terror.
Please.
Someone.
Help me.
There was a sudden bright light that surrounded her. The monsters squealed loudly, seemingly to be inflicted with pain. She felt herself falling and only noticed that a hole underneath her had formed out of nowhere. Gravity clawed at her, pulling her down. She could hear the pained screams of the monsters, as if something had attacked it. She wasn’t able to see what had caused it to scream in agony as the darkness pulled her even deeper into oblivion.
The last thing she remembered seeing was the haunting golden eyes of the cat that watched her from above until she could no longer see.
“Your journey starts from here.”
Next Chapter
Summary: A runaway child, who only sought to be loved and accepted, ended in a world she was unfamiliar with and before she knew it, was risking her life to save this very world from its oncoming doom.
Genres: Adventure, Romance, Tragedy
Rating: T
Pairing: F!Warden x Alistair Theirin
Fandom: Dragon Age: Origins
Warning: (Somewhat) AU, Gore, Spoilers
Status: In-Progress
Chapter One
“Deus dormit
Et liberi ignem faciunt
Numquam extinguet
Ne expergisci possit.
Omnia dividit
Tragoedia cara
Amandaque
Et nocte perpetua
In desperatione
Auroram videre potest
Manet tempus expergiscendi.”
- Somnus, Final Fantasy Versus XIII
---There was a low, rumbling sound that came from the night sky, signifying of an approaching storm. It didn’t take long until the droplets of water fell from the sky and drenched the once dry empty streets. The pitter-patter of rain was usually a comforting and calming sound but it was anything but that right now. If ever, it only made her feel worse, her mood going down the drain even more.
The wind gave off a soft howl and she listened to it with a blank expression, fiddling with her cellphone absently. The wooden bench she sat on was uncomfortable though it would have to do as she waited patiently for the bus.
1:30 A.M., the time on the bright screen of the phone showed. The last bus would be coming soon, three minutes from now, she guessed.
Jaclyn habitually looked at the far end of the road to her left side, where the bus would be coming from. Like she had expected, she saw nothing. The night was dark and cold with nothing but her occupying the empty streets. Normally, she would have feared for her safety, being alone at a very late hour, but her fear was overcome with gloom instead. Her eyes were red from all the crying she had done a long time ago and they slightly ached. She blinked rapidly once she felt herself shedding tears once again. She adjusted the wool scarf wrapped around her neck, burying half of her face on it.
She felt so useless, unwanted, as if her existence was nothing but a waste and of naught.
Her chest started feeling tight again and a sob almost escaped from her lips. She took deep breaths instead and although it almost did nothing, it did help.
It’s fine. It’ll be all right.
Her fingers started feeling cold and clammy though she paid them no mind as she stared into thin air, silently wondering if this was for the best. Wasn’t she running away from her problems?
A wry laugh comes out from her throat. She’d rather die than suffocate all her life in that wretched place. This was fine.
It’ll be all right.
“Meow.”
She flinched and almost let out a screech at the sudden sound, her eyes visibly growing wide and heart beating rapidly in surprise. She quickly looked to where the sound came from and let out a relieved sigh.
It was only a cat. The cat was sitting calmly not far from her. For a moment, she could only stare at it, wondering where it came from. The feline stared back at her, as if scrutinizing her with morbid curiosity. Ah, but it was just a cat. It wasn’t possible. It let out another mewl, this time approaching her and was already brushing its head against her left leg.
“Well, hello there, little fella. What are you doing here?” She murmured silently as she brushed her fingers against its black fur. Her eyebrows furrowed once she felt its fur dry, not wet like she had anticipated. She took a look outside the bus shelter that covered her from the rainy weather.
It was still raining.
“That’s strange…”
The cat paid her no heed, however, as it continued to purr in contentment at the attention she was giving it. Her confusion instantly disappeared once it jumped on her lap, surprising her but didn’t push it away. It looked up at her, showing eerie glowing gold eyes. She found herself gazing at them and found it hard to look away, as if she was hypnotized.
“Pretty,” she commented as she scratched the back of its ear and it purred back in approval. She noticed the lack of collar around its neck, which she found even stranger. It looked too groomed to be a stray and its fur was smooth, not lanky. And those eyes…if it really was just an ordinary stray cat, my, it was truly a beautiful cat.
“Are you here to keep me company while I wait for the bus?” She asked.
It merely blinked up at her and then let out a curt mewl as it pawed on her right knee. Without a warning, it jumped off her lap, landing silently on the cement floor. She merely watched it with silent disappointment, wondering if she scratched it too hard. It turned to her, blinking its eyes. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was beckoning her to follow it. A mental image of a maneki-neko crosses her thought. What a weird thing to even think of at the moment, really.
The cat started pawing on her boot closest to it, mewling rather persistently when she made no move to follow it.
Her eyes looked back at the road, checking to see if the bus was coming, and then looked back at the screen of her phone to check the time.
What the hell. Where’s the bus?
She looked at her phone and back at the cat that looked at her silently, tail swishing behind it.
A resigned sigh escaped from her lips and she stood up while she grabbed the huge messenger bag she brought with her. Well, since the bus wasn’t here yet, she might as well follow the cat. As long as she didn’t wander too far from the bus stop it’d be fine. The cat was immediately on its feet and ran out of the bus shelter. She followed it, quietly wondering if she had gone insane. It had stopped raining, fortunately. It was odd since she thought it would turn into a terrible storm. She didn’t have time to ponder on that thought as the cat started mewling once again.
The night was eerily quiet now as she followed the cat. The only sound she could really hear was the echo of her heels as she walked on the cemented sidewalk. The shadows around her seemed to be stretching out to her and all of a sudden looked sinister. The lamppost towering over her flickered on and off and her heart started thumping in fright.
The cat was nowhere to be found, too, causing her to panic inwardly. Her eyes started darting back and forth as she observed her surroundings. There was nothing but her in the lonely streets, yet she felt like someone was looking at her, eyeing her like a prey. She slowly pulled out a flick knife she hid in one of the pockets of her coat. She flipped it open, the tip of the blade glinting when the dim light of the lamppost hit it.
A strange hissing sound caught her attention. Her whole body went rigid and stiff, eyes growing in alarm and fear. She turned her head quickly to where she heard the sound come from. She saw nothing but a dark corner, untouched by any of the dim-lit lampposts. Her lips quivered when she felt movement from there, involuntarily taking a step back.
“W-Who’s there?” She demanded with a stutter, silently cursing herself for stuttering. If someone were to attack her, she hoped she remembered all those painful wushu training lessons her parents forced her into taking.
There was only a rustling sound, not from the trees, but of feet. There was also the sound of metal clanking and another violent hiss that had her recoiling back. Her grip on the knife she held tightened as she heard heavy footsteps approaching her. A strong scent of decay filled the air and she almost wretched once she smelled it. She coughed, swallowing whatever contents that she was about to spew.
“What the hell is that -”
She wasn’t able to finish her sentence as a silent scream formed on her mouth. She almost stumbled as her wide eyes stared at whatever was standing before her. An inhuman guttural growl echoed around the place, mixed with menacing hisses that she thought could only be heard from horror movies.
Three creatures stood a few feet away from her and there were unlikely humans because of their demonic-like appearance. Their skin was decaying and oozed of a unfathomable foul scent. They were wearing metal armour that reminded her of the medieval times or videogames she would play once in a while. There were splotches of black stains and what seemed to be molds on their armour, whether they were stains or not, she did not know. Their faces were something she could never forget and would possibly leave her sleepless for nights. Their eyes were white and bulging and they had fangs that were yellowed and had acidic-like saliva dripping from it.
She was petrified in fear, unable to move or react in spite of the alarms in her head that told her to do so. She was in danger, she needed to run away.
The creature who appeared to be armoured more so than the other two let out a hideous snarl and without warning, came running towards her, a crude, savage-looking blade in its hand. She finally snapped out of it and she made a run for it, shrieking in fright as the blade almost hacked her. Her measly flick blade was no match to the blades they carried with them. She knew her only option was to run away. Their footsteps were heavy and loud though fast in spite of the heavy-looking armour they wore.
“Someone help me!”She screamed heavily.
But there was no one around. No one could hear her in spite of the houses around the area. Tears had already shown itself to her and she didn’t even bother wiping them away in fear of her life. She felt a clammy gauntleted hand grab her arm and forcefully pulled her back.
They caught up to her.
She was going to die.
“Let go of me!” She shrieked hysterically, flailing in an attempt to push the monster away. But its grip on her was too strong and she finally let out a terrified sob, her eyes wide with fear and terror.
Please.
Someone.
Help me.
There was a sudden bright light that surrounded her. The monsters squealed loudly, seemingly to be inflicted with pain. She felt herself falling and only noticed that a hole underneath her had formed out of nowhere. Gravity clawed at her, pulling her down. She could hear the pained screams of the monsters, as if something had attacked it. She wasn’t able to see what had caused it to scream in agony as the darkness pulled her even deeper into oblivion.
The last thing she remembered seeing was the haunting golden eyes of the cat that watched her from above until she could no longer see.
“Your journey starts from here.”
Next Chapter