Jewel & The Blade: Ep. 1 - The Blade's First Breath

📜 Episode 1: The Blade’s First Breath

The door wouldn't stop shrieking. Rusted hinges, probably. A sliver of torchlight cut through and I had to squint against it. Stepping out felt like walking through mud, except it was just air. Shitty air that tasted like blood and old seawater.

My head was killing me—that specific throb you get after drinking too much, when even blinking hurts. Problem was, I couldn't remember drinking anything. Ever. Which was weird, but then again, I couldn't remember much of anything.

There was a name carved into my arm though. Xavian. Done with something sharp, not professional ink work. I figured it was mine since it was on my arm and all.

The guards were making noise—banging their sticks against bars, shouting the usual threats. You know how it goes. Move or we'll move you. So I moved. We all did. Wasn't much choice in it.

They herded us into this massive pit they called a quarry. Dust everywhere, thick as soup. My job, apparently, was to pick up a rock and carry it somewhere else. The rock was bigger than my torso and should've been impossible to lift, but I hefted it like it was nothing. Just grabbed it and walked off with it while everyone else was still struggling with theirs. That should've bothered me more than it did.

I was setting the damn thing down when we heard the loud sounds coming from above. Screams, crashing, something big, angry, and filled with wrath. Rook heard it too—this scrawny guy I'd been working next to. We looked at each other, and ran to the top of the tunnel to investigate.

What we saw escape was something I had only heard of in myths. Imagine a woman half giant snake, with glowing eyes.

I did not stand in fear. I saw the two daggers dropped by others, grabbed them and ran towards the beast with a courage and fire I did not know I had. Or where it came from—I latched onto the back end of the beast, stabbing over and over with skill and strength I did not know I had. Like the knowledge was carved into my bones. I moved without thinking. Slash, parry, dodge.

She had finally had enough, tossed us aside, and started to flee. That’s when the robed being appeared—glowing green eyes like a featureless man, a magical mist curling around him. He did something to Rook.

The guards saw us begin to flee.

I jumped. For about three seconds I was certain I'd just killed myself in the stupidest way possible. Then something caught me—something with wings and feathers and muscles that rippled under my hands. A griffon.

We flew away from that place, the prison getting smaller and smaller until it was just another dark spot.

🔥 Ready for more chaos, craft, and cinematic precision?
Explore all our worlds in one place:

🌐 Website: JunkieBassStudios.com
📺 YouTube: youtube.com/@junkiebass
🎮 Twitch: twitch.tv/junkiebass
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/junkiebass
📸 Instagram: @junkiebass
🐦 X (Twitter): @junkiebass
💬 Discord: discord.gg/BaMS8y3
🎥 Rumble: rumble.com/user/JunkieBass
🌱 Junkie Bass Genetics Twitch: twitch.tv/junkiebass2

🎸 FreedomAndForgiven – Music. Spirit. Legacy.
🌐 Website: FreedomAndForgiven.net
📘 Facebook: facebook.com/freedomandforgiven
📸 Instagram: @freedomforgiven_
🐦 X (Twitter): @freedomforgiven