The Dead Don't Forget

Entries for the competition about writing a short story about where the Ethereal Amagnae go when they fade out and what they see there.
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Razatharia
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The Dead Don't Forget

Post by Razatharia »

I've never entered a competition here before, so hopefully this is right Here's my entry for Competition 2 (short story) :D


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She spent most of her time doing what any other flightless bird might; scratch and peck at the ground in search of food. But unlike most Amagnae, she was not fully of this world, and when the void called, she could do nothing but answer.

Incomprehensible whispers pulled and tugged at her, urging her to follow. The world around her became pale and colourless as she faded from it, chasing the call of the beyond. Sound became muffled, as if everything were underwater, and the weight of gravity no longer held her bound.

The Ethereal Amagnae began to float softly, and she set to work, letting the whispers guide her. Around her stretched an endless void that was neither light nor dark, and scattered within were sparks of incomprehensible colours, each with their own silent call.

She drifted towards the nearest flicker, and its voice became clear. It spoke no words, but she felt its woes, its reason for clinging to a world it was no longer a part of. She opened her beak and spoke back, catching the attention of the lost soul. Her voice made no sound, but she was heard. The corporeal world was not made for her voice. But here...

The spirit cried silently over all the things it left behind, and she patiently consoled it, until it was finally ready to go. She watched without sight as the flame dwindled and guttered out, no longer anchored to the physical world, and thus free.

She moved through nothing until she reached the next spark, this one much darker than the first. It was not stuck due to grief, but instead it clung to the physical realm out of rage. This was a spirit that would not rest until a wrong was righted, or perhaps until something inflicted revenge on whatever caused such an anger.

Helping this soul would not be an easy endeavor. But the void demanded her service, and she was up to the task.

She wove a voiceless song for the spark, encouraging it to sing back. It took some convincing, but the spirit eventually opened up to her about its fury, about the ones who treated it unjustly. Its descendants were suffering, and it refused to calm down until they were no longer plagued by whatever had taken its life in the first place.

They came to an understanding. She borrowed its worldly visage, using it as a mask as she dipped partially back into the corporeal world. Spirits could rarely interact with anything physical... but her? She was of both worlds, and was more than happy to carry out the will of the dead. To bring balance and solace to the afterlife.

She was an Ethereal Amagnae, and it was her duty to right the wrongs the dead didn’t forget. She was a herald of change and retribution.

She was Karma.



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“Did you hear about the illegal creature fighting ring that was discovered and shut down?”

Karma sat on the windowsill, staring at nothing as she rested. Her Magi was speaking to another over some tea.

“Yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about that lately. I can’t believe the nerve of some people... Breeding creatures just to force them to fight to the death, what kind of person is that cruel?”

“Apparently a bunch of the people who were apprehended wouldn’t shut up about the place being haunted, babbling nonsense about ghosts and stuff.”

“Ha... The ramblings of madmen, I’m sure. I’m just glad it’s being dealt with accordingly.”

If Karma had lips, she might have smiled. But as it was, she stared ominously at the two Magi, looking more at the lively sparks burning brightly in their place than the physical forms they inhabited. She silently wished them a safe journey when it came time for them to move on.
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vividmirage
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Re: The Dead Don't Forget

Post by vividmirage »

This story is so clever! Your writing style is really compelling, and I love that the amagnae's name is Karma :)
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★ hi, i'm mirage! any pronouns; active on chicken smoothie & pixel cat's end as well
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★ (or any idea how half the creatures in my keep ended up in my possession lmao)
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Razatharia
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Re: The Dead Don't Forget

Post by Razatharia »

vividmirage wrote:This story is so clever! Your writing style is really compelling, and I love that the amagnae's name is Karma :)
eeeee thank you! I really appreciate the kind words <3
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