Shadow of the First Sin

We landed on a wooden platform overlooking the entire town square. A magical projection loomed above us so everyone could witness the ceremony, even from a distance.

The cheers were deafening. Some hailed my name, while others chanted, “Archmage Theros!”

Silas wore a sour expression, feeling unnoticed. He clutched his lute tightly and lowered his head in defeat. I knew how much this moment meant to him; it’s every bard’s dream to stand before such a crowd and hear them chant your name even before their performance. The only time Silas had experienced such euphoria was back in the fey kingdom, where his songs echoed through the Silverleaf Forest, and the tale of Silas the Bard spread wide. But it had been seven years since then, and just as the world gets to know you, it often forgets you moments later. Even now, they chant my name and celebrate my existence, but who knows what will happen tomorrow? One wrong move, and their love could twist into hatred. The presence that brings them security now might breed fear later. People fear what they do not know or cannot control. For now, they have me on a leash, bound by the Fatebound Vow, but what will happen when I’m free of that leash? Will they show the same level of acceptance, or will they try to entrap me again?

It felt nice to receive such a warm welcome, but I do not deserve it, nor do I want it. To receive such love would mean I had to give the same amount of it back, and I am simply not capable of such selfless love. My love is only for those who see me as Valerian, not just an avian. They chant my name as Valerian of Elyria, even though I am one of them, a Valerian of Eldoria; but I fear they will never accept me as one of them. These chants are wasted on me. It is my friend Silas who should receive them, for he lives for them and dreams of such a life. And I will do everything in my power to help him achieve his dreams, for he is one of the rare souls who deserves it all.

“Silas! Come on, show the world who Silas the Bard is!” I shouted over the roar of the crowd.

“And what am I supposed to do? Nobody cares who Silas the Bard is. Why should they? I lived in a barn and wasted ten years of my life doing nothing. When I finally dared to chase my dream, I wasted another seven years getting drunk and sleeping in my vomit in a ditch. If it weren’t for you, I might have wasted my whole life there until everyone forgot I even existed. Maybe dreams just aren’t meant for people like me,” Silas said sorrowfully.

“Talk to them, sing to them! Your dreams are only as real as you make them! How will the world get to know you if you don’t want to be seen?” I urged, seeing the conflict in his eyes. He seemed at odds with himself, unsure of what he wanted.

Come on, Silas, show the world who you truly are. Be the sun you always were. If you don’t see your life as having purpose and beauty, how am I supposed to see mine?

Anxiously, he paced back and forth, clutching his lute tightly, taking deep breaths and muttering to himself. But then he walked past me and faced the crowd.

“Boom-Boom Sound!” Silas screamed melodically as he strummed his lute, a purple aura enveloping him.

With a steady rhythm, he played the lute, tapping his foot and shaking his head. Gradually, the beat increased, forming into a melody I hadn’t heard in a long time.

“I am the Merryman, the jester of the night...” he sang, then paused as the crowd went silent. “In a world of shadows, I dance with delight...” he continued, stopping again as whispers spread like wildfire.

“Is that him? Is that really him?” one voice broke through the thousand whispers.

“The bard who sang among the fairies?”

“Where has he been all this time?”

As the voices blended together, Silas kept singing, and once again, silence ensued.

“With laughter as my armor and jests as my sword, I roam through the darkness, a troubadour adored.”

The crowd went wild, dancing and singing along as they learned the words. Tears streamed down Silas’s face as he choked on his emotions, barely getting through the song. But once he calmed himself, he turned the formal ceremony into a concert! He performed song after song, some familiar and some new. He must have written the new ones during his adventures and his time stuck in Buckleberry, for they were quite melancholic. Silas played for about an hour until Forleen touched his hand and cast a spell that silenced him. His lips moved, but no sound came out. I laughed, remembering a similar thing happening in the fey kingdom when the queen summoned a stone snake that rendered him speechless.

“Thank you, Silas, for your performance, albeit long but truly heartfelt,” Theros said, ushering Silas to join the rest of us in a straight line. “Good folk of Vixen’s Veil, it is my honor to present to you a peculiar group who has invoked the Fatebound Vow to escape their punishment. Rare are those who are familiar with the vow, and those who are must have lived a long life. They have agreed to help us in our fight against the Dragonsworn Conclave. As many of you know, the mages we have sent did not return, and these brave souls would rather lose their lives against our enemy than face imprisonment in Heaven’s Hold! They might be considered criminals by some, but to me, they are heroes who deserve to be honored as such, for there is no guarantee of their return! Luna of the Seamist family, bring forth the Binding Chalice!” he commanded.

Luna gracefully approached, kneeling before the old man, raising her arms above her head and offering an old, wooden chalice.

The chalice was simple in design, made of dark brown wood, without etched ornaments or embedded crystals. It looked plain, like a cup you could find anywhere. I could tell it was old, for the wood looked worn and the edges were cracked.

“O, Chalice of Binding Fate! By my name, Theros of the Ashencrest family, and the blood of Pyrath, Lord of the Flame; I beseech you to entwine the fates of these condemned souls to their oath, binding them even unto death!” Theros’s voice boomed like thunder. “The rules of the deal are: you are to leave for Dragonspyre, a different world from ours, and create a gate connecting their world with ours! You are to save any mage of Vixengaard you come across and eliminate all those who stand in your path! Only upon connecting the two worlds will you be rid of your oath and free from all charges you have been sentenced to! Silas the Bard, do you accept these rules?” Theros asked, standing in front of Silas.

“I do!” Silas answered confidently.

Theros pulled out the ornate dagger he had used to draw blood when Lyra was bound to me. With a swift cut, he drew blood from Silas’s palm and let it drip into the chalice. He then walked to Orion and Kaela, asking the same question. Both agreed, and their blood was added to the chalice. At last, he stood before me.

“Valerian of Elyria, do you accept these rules?”

“I do,” I replied as he cut my hand. Moments later, a faint smoke covered the wound, healing it.

“By your willingly given blood, your oaths are now bound and shall not be broken until fulfilled. With this sacrifice, I declare the Fatebound Vow complete!”