Cyana sits in her room shaving away at a piece of Yew. In one hand, she has a wittling knife and in the other she has a totem made of wood. It depicts a short demon with a large round head and a pointy snout. It has three pointy teeth protruding from its mouth and a large tuft of hair swept to the side. To finish the piece, she places the blade in her palm and cuts deeply. She winces from the pain, but the glowing pink blood flows over the statue. The wood absorbs the blood without wasting a drop. After just a few moments, it begins to glow with a strange pulsing energy. Happy with the result, she wraps bandages tightly around her hand. A couple of quick flexes confirmed the bandages were going nowhere. As the totem is placed next to her bed, a rustle comes from the treeline outside her window. Soon, a large mass blocks the view.
"Hello Miss. Do you think you will be heading for the temple today?" said the onion-headed creature that blocked the window. What she sees is the familiar face of Gar, a sapient plant creature that lives in the woods around her house. He is three times taller than her, a fact that used to frighten her, but after years of friendship, she doesn't think twice about it. "Have you finished creating your totem?" said the large plant.
"Yeah! I'm about to head out, but I got the totem in place already. So, I can't really show it to you." Cyana smiled at Gar. "The Yew that you got me had a really nice grain. Easy to manipulate. I was able to make my best one yet!" The slender plant-man smiles as he lifts a small white flower to Cyana. She can't quite make out what kind, but it is beautiful. He places the flower on top of Cyana's head as a gift.
"Please take care out there. I have felt horrible things whenever I get around that temple. I swear it is cursed..."
"Aw, you're worried about me aren't you?" Cyana said sarcastically, trying to bring some levity to the conversation. Gar's eyes locked with hers.
He spoke after a moment, "Yes, I am very worried about you going to those ruins. I do not know what has occurred in those walls."
"It's going to be fine! Really!" Cyana gave a caring smile. "We'll have to finish this conversation later. I have to hurry to that ruin now if I want to make it before dark."
"Alright…" He takes a long pause. "Please keep safe out there. I will be seeing you later," said Gar as he turned around and slinks back into the dense forest. Cyana quickly packs supplies for the trip, and before she knows it, she's on her way.
After hours of walking through dense woods, Cyana finds herself at her destination with plenty of time to spare. She is dead tired, but the exhaustion disappears as soon as she gets a view of the vine-covered temple. Once upon a time, it could have taken on an iridescent quality, but the ages had dampened the luster. Columns surround a rectangular marble building with a slanted slab roof. From her vantage point, it seems to have an odd design above the front entrance, which she now notices has no doors.
Above the opening that used to hold a pair of doors, the odd design was now legible. The engraving is of a thin and unnaturally tall harp with a unnaturally sloped top. It has two long spikes affixed to the top as if they were devil's horns. Below the design, the large fallen doors block the entrance. Grabbing the top ledge of one of the fallen doors, she pulls herself up. Her eyes adjusted to the interior. At the far end, rests the harp.
Sun-rays highlight the strange instrument that is surrounded by the long deceased. Cyana speculates this scene has been untouched for centuries and how such a place could be unexplored for so long, but those thoughts end when her attention is drawn to a large inscription behind the harp. It seems to be sheet music. Some ancient magic makes it fully understandable to her, but before she could get too engrossed in this ancient sorcery, fear enters her mind as her legs start moving on their own.
The strings seem to produce a sweet melody just from the breeze passing through the strings. Like a zombie, she approaches the siren harp. The skeletons crumble to dust as she passes through. The seat invites her to sit and her hands that used to belong to her tremor as they hover over the strings of the cursed instrument. She stares into the sheet music inscription. Pink blood flows down the string as she plays the first note. At first, there was no rhythm, but with each sequential loop of the music, she grew more adept at playing. Blood drips off every string now as she continues playing the beautiful macabre song.
Cyana snaps back from the trance with terror in her eyes. She tries to stop her hands, but they do not listen. The melody starts to echo in her mind as a heat comes from within herself. It was as if someone was starting a fire deep in her soul as her skin became itchy and loose. After a few more loops, blisters begin to bubble in agonizing rhythm with the music. She wants to scream as her flesh begins to slide off her bones, but her voice is muted. Her eyes close as her head grows heavy and only a few moments later, a loud thud is heard as her head slams into the hard stone ground. Her eyes open to see her own body glow as it continues to play the melody. A rising tone plays in her ears as a bright flash comes from her body. The last thing she hears is a boom. Then there is nothing.
Cyana awakens with a jolt. The harrowing melody stuck in her head begins to fade, and only a few moments later there is silence. A blood-soaked totem laid shattered on the floor of her bedroom. She lets out a relieved sigh. After gathering all the pieces and throwing them out, she carves another simple caricature from another piece of Yew. Blood from her palm soaks into the wood. She places the totem next to her bed as a familiar shadow approaches the window.
"So, how did it go, Cyana?"
"Gar, it was so badass!"