Kalyna, also known as the Fiery Spider, is the feisty spymistress of the Aanin, a secret society created to fight the deep injustices of the world of Demoscus.
The daughter of one of the most infamous thieves of the land and a fire-witch that ran away from the court of Agni, she was picking pockets and climbing walls before she could barely speak. And when she started to speak, some of the first words she learned were words of magic.
It was a chaotic, but blissful childhood, interrupted by a sudden tragedy, as many lives are in Demoscus.
It was during a simple job. A heist in a small lord’s mansion. She and her mother were hired to entertain the guests of a small party, performing magic tricks and dances, reading poetry and serving
food and drinks, distracting the guests just enough so that her father could sneak safely into the study upstairs and empty the lord’s coffers.
They had done many similar jobs before, although that was the first time Kalyna joined her mother officially as a performer. Now 10 years old, she had trained enough for her parents to trust her.
It all went as planned, the cute kid and elegant mother charming all the guests with their charisma and party tricks.
“Oh, you are so skilled, it feels almost wasteful to have you performing for such a small audience,” said one of the guests, a middle-aged woman with a gaudy blonde wig and white-powdered face.
“In fact,” the courtier continued with her slightly hoarse voice: “I’m sure such skills could only be learnt in a palace court… no lowly actor could recite in firetongue with such elegance!” she continued in a mocking tone, as she suddenly approached Kalyna’s mother and grabbed her hair. “Show me your red hair, traitorous witch! I know where you learned your tricks, as I saw them performed before!”
A fire-witch is a lifelong occupation. They are not allowed to leave the Firelord’s palace, to marry or have children, entrusted as both bodyguards and entertainers for the high court of Agni. Escapees are hunted ruthlessly, with generous bounties posted widely, as they know not only the secrets of fire-magic, but the secrets of the people and the hallways of the palace.
Thus, Kalyna’s mother was always prepared for situations such as this. But that night, the curse of Demoscus was finally upon her.
Instead of apologizing and defusing the situation with charm and humility, as she had done before, she was taken by a sudden pride, a spark of flame beyond her control. Kalyna’s mother grabbed the wrist of the middle-aged lady and easily forced her to release her hair. “Do not touch me, old hag,” she said slowly, with a surprisingly low tone.
Unaware of the danger, the wig lady continued, rubbing her pained wrist: “I knew it, you are a witch!
Oh joy, we are going to get such a huge reward, maybe even move closer to the Palace! Here, help me grab her, she is just a small woman…”
Then it all burst into flames and smoke. In the fiery chaos, the last words Kalyna heard from her mother were “I’m sorry, but we can’t escape the curse, my love. Thanks for the time you gave me.”Kalyna survived, whisked away at the last minute by a stranger’s hand, but never saw her parents again, or knew what true end befell them. All she knew from that moment on was that the curse of Demoscus had destroyed her family and her happiness, and she could not accept it. Why endure such a cruel destiny? To be fated to destroy what you cherish the most?
That was the curse of Demoscus, a punishment that every soul born in this world had to endure, a payment of the sins of a past life, required so that the spirit could become pure again.
Pure injustice, thought Kalyna, to pay for a crime you didn’t commit, in a different world and different time… Injustice that she would, in time, remedy.
Thanks to her skills, despite her young age, she managed to survive easily in the streets, protecting herself and other unfortunate kids that found themselves in similar straits.
She used the methods learned from her parents and trained a small troupe of street urchins.
They tried their best to remain in the shadows, saving resources and moving to a different town every time they became too (in)famous. And as they grew together, they developed into more than a street gang, but a full organization, with a strict code of honor and guiding objective, to reduce the injustice in the world.
That was the birth of the Aanin, a secret society that frees prisoners, steals from corrupt politicians, and shares the embarrassing secrets of the powerful. And that ultimately will steal the essence of humanity from Earth and give free will to all of Demoscus.