Deaths FlowerThe Hollows name?
Part One: How Alvena met Death and was gifted a FlowerHow the sister found Death? How her encounter with Death and her hallow affect her life? The Hollows powers?
A long time ago, there lived a girl called Alvena Peverell who had three older brothers. Once, the brothers had left, never to return. For a long time, there was no word from them, much to the grieve of the parents. Their hearts filled with sorrow, they ignored their daughter, who became lonely. Finally, 4 years later, a letter arrived from the youngest brother and Alvena read it. Her parents hearts were filled with joy as they read their sons words, Alvena however was not happy with what she had learned. Her brothers had received great gifts from Death and ditched their home forever afterwards. And while they went to find their luck, Alvena had been alone, without a friend in the world.
This letter caused a very daring idea to arise in the girl. And as the moon rose at the night of her twelveth birthday, Alvena left her home and set out to find Death. So she wandered around England for nearly a year, and asked everyone she met if they knew how she could meet Death without dying first, but not one of them had a good answer. One day, finally, Alvena came across a small village. It was already dark, so she went into a small inn to stay the night. Inside there were only two other people, the innkeeper and a tall men who sat silently at the bar, carefully watching the innkeeper. The girl sat down next to the men and decided to ask the cloaked figure if he knew how she could meet Death. The man did not answer immideately, as tough he was thinking very hard. But finally he said that she would have to die. Alvena had expected the answer and was about to ask the innkeeper for a room to spend the night when the man continued to speak.
"Why do you want to meet Death, child?“, he asked, as the child had sparked his interest. Alvena looked at the men for a moment before deciding to tell him the truth: „My three brothers met Death once and received great gifts from him, so I wish to do the same.“ And as the men heard those words two silver sparks appeared in the darkness of his hood and it seemed to Alvena as if he was staring right into her soul. The men was plotting. For a short while he stayed silent. Then he asked slowly and expectantly: „Death does not offer his gifts lightly child. What gives you the idea that you are worthy to receive such an honour?“ A smile graced Alvenas lips and she told the man, „Once I find Death, I will ask him for a quest or something. And if I compleate it, I get my wish and go unharmed.“ Again, the silver sparks glowed inside the darkness and the man said to her, „And if he handed you the key to his realm, would you be able to find your way to his home to give it back to him?“ Without much hesitation Alvena said that she could. And as she said this, the sparks in the mens eyes glowed brighter then ever before. He thought he trickt her into her demise. Then he stood up and held out his hand and inside it appeared a black key. Just as this happened, the innkeeper grabbed his chest and fell to the ground. And the man handed the key to the girl and, as he claimed the innkeepers soul, he said „Prove it, child. Any door will do“. And with this words he had taken the soul and disappeared.
For a while Alvena stood still with the key in her hand and wondered what to do. But then she made up her mind and went to the inns front door. She carefully put the key into its keyhole and after finding that it fit, she turned it around inside and opened the door. Behind it she found a grey path surrounded by darkness that seemed to go on endlessly. The girl took a deep breath, took the key and entered. And as she closed the door behind her, it vanished and turned to darkness.
For what seemed like many hours the girl followed the path and became more and more tired and hungry. But just as she worried the path would never end, she saw a town on the horizon. She made it there and found a place to rest and some food in an abandoned building. But as she woke up, she found herself surrounded by shaddows. They called her name and drew shaddow wands and swords. Scared, Alvena tried to run through them, but found that she could not. The giant shaddows came closer and closer and started attacking her. To her horror the shadow weapons did very real damage. As she could not fight very well, she dodged and run from place to place in fear. Eventually, she had been hit several times and was going to give up as she was surrounded so closely that she could not move anymore. But then she noticed that the chandelier above her that had been damaged in the fight and so hung very lowly and saw a last chance. Quickly, she jumped as best as she could and grapped it. It fell to the ground with her and buried her and the shaddows beneath itself and parts of the ceiling. Using the momentary confusion, Alvena got up and run away as quick as she could in her harmed state. The shaddows soon started to follow her, nearly catching up, but as they reached the towns borders, they were forced to stop. Alvena however still continued to run until she could not see the town any longer.
After she had followed the path for a while longer, the darkness seemed to get closer and closer to her. Soon, she could see nothing but darkness, her body was hurting, and her heart filled with an odd melancholy. So she sat down, not feeling strong enough to carry on. But as she sat there, she noticed a ball of light that seemed to fly past her. Feeling the wish to follow it, she stood up and started to move into the darkness, all other things vanishing from her mind. She followed the glowing ball for a few minutes before it disappeared and she found herself lost in the darkness again. For a while she wandered in search of the light, the melancholy coming back. And after a while she felt trees and found that she had stumbled upon a forest. She decided to enter and after walking a bit into it found it full of the light balls. Bewitched by them she stared, seemingly unable to move. She stood for a long time and did not realise her bad state and health. But as her legs gave in and she fell down, she felt something odd on the ground. She took it absentmindedly and held it up against the light of the balls. To her horror it was a human skull. This sight frightened her so much, she regained her senses and remembered her goal. Terrifyed by the thought of staying any longer and being killed by thirst without even realising, she found the strength to continue on her way, fighting the melancholy and pain. Closing her eyes to shield herself from the deadly light balls, she felt herself through the forest on hands and knees. And not too long after she found the stone-texture of the path. As she stepped on it, the darkness started to cease and as she crawled along, the path ahead became visible once again.
And she saw, maybe a minute away, a huge black gate. Behind the gate Alvena could see a mansion and her heart filled with hope. This, she thought, had to be Deaths home. With her last strength, she walked up to the door and opened it with the key. Quickly she entered the property and walked up to the front door where she knocked. And just as the door opened, she fell into unconsciousness.
The girl awoke in a large bed, not feeling hungry or thirsty anymore and her wounds healed. Carefully she stood up and looked around. Soon she left the room and found Death inside a gray office. He had not wanted to help the child at first, but felt that he should uphold his word. And since the child made it to his house with the key, despite his traps, he would allow her to have her wish and go free and unharmed for now. Alvena walked up to him and he looked up. „I brought the key back“, Alvena said to Death,“Now you have to give me my gift.“
Death sat silent for a moment, wondering how the child had survived and reached him against his own expectations, and then asked the girl „What do you want child?“ The girl though for a while. Eventually, she said „I want to be well known. And a friend... I want you as my friend, maybe. And you help me become well known, right?“ Again, Death sat silent for a while, then, in defeat, he took a grey flower from a vase on his desk and handed it to her.
Slowly, he said „Take this flower with you. Just put it in your hair and I will be by your side to guide and acompany you.“ And as soon as Death had spoke these words, not without feeling upset by the childs choice, Alvena felt the world around her move and the next moment she was back on Earth, in a large town.
From then on, Alvena often summoned Death to her side and found him to be good company and a good guide. Because while Death did not seem to like their arrangement much, at least at first, he did his duty well and took the child serious. And so Alvena learned from Death about many things that he felt she needed to know about and already at her young age became known as a brilliant but strange doctor. Death could easily tell her what was wrong with a patient close to death and he often knew how to fix it, giving the girl instructions. There were very few things Death could not fix, even some seemingly deadly illnesses, and he would tell Alvena his tricks.
For many years Alvena travelled the lands with Death often by her side. And as time passed, Death also became fond of the girl and eventually they came to think of eachother as family or close friends. He would start to tell her at times to join him in his duty or enjoy tea with him at his home. He had, he admitted to himself, gone a bit soft after befriending the child. However, not just Death had changed due to the company. Alvena had too. Her idea of time, her way to think and speak and her looks all changed a great deal and became unsettling to other humans.