That Time I got Reincarnated as a Wall

Oh, what a world it would be if walls could talk. The stories they could tell from such a limited perspective. The wonders and miracles they must have witnessed from construction to destruction. Only a world of magic, myths and legends could possess such a thrilling concept as that. Sadly, worlds like that only exist in movies and TV shows. That’s what I used to think, at least. Hi, my name is Brick And Mortar and these are my memoirs. I am the last standing wall of Castle Draníam. Yes, that castle. The home to most of the legends of Trebor.

Legends such as the very beginning of the royal family when King Draníam discovered the Lightning Spear that fell from the sky. Then there is the story of the foundation of the Elgan Knights. How about the story of when my brothers and I were first built by the wizard, De Clare? That is one I am quite fond of. I am sure you are wondering most about the end of this fine castle, though. When the dragon attacked and went on a rampage throughout the land. The event that led to Emperor Oren taking over after killing the dragon, and claiming the world for himself.

I have taken it upon myself to tell the story about what really happened only a few months ago before the last bit of De Clare’s magic expires. My hope is that this story will spark the flames of rebellion against that evil man on the throne. A story of how the kindest dragon I have ever known has been turned into this symbol of chaos and destruction. You see, Oren doesn’t know that there is one last witness left from that day. He surely doesn’t believe that walls can talk, much less write and reveal this secret.

Before I get to the main story, it would be rude of me to not give my own story. How has Brick And Mortar come to be? Where am I from? Why can I speak and write? What in the world are movies and TV shows? Well, I am not from this world. I was actually born in a place called Ohio. I wasn’t a wall, of course, but a person much like the people of this world. I lived a good and simple life. In the world I am from, people loved entertainment. It was a way to escape from life and be distracted for a short time.

Entertainment could take the shape of books, like you have, but also as visual story. It would be similar to your plays but in individual homes. I will be honest when I say that I often dreamt of coming to a world like this. Where magic and dragons existed. It was one of my favorite genres. Amusingly enough, there was actually a sub genre about being placed in a different world from your own. Sometimes it would be through a portal. Other times it could be through reincarnation. The main character would be introduced to this new world at the same time as the audience so you would get to learn about the world with them.

Sadly, this is nothing like that. My audience is not where I am from, but you all here. When I mentioned all of the stories at the beginning, I didn’t need to explain them because you grew up learning them. You naturally understand this world because you live here. How interesting it would be for an outsider to read this and have no clue about our world and culture. I am sure they would read various meaning into this story through their ignorance. I know that happened a lot with historical texts in the world I am from.

Oh, right! The story! In my world, I was coming out of a movie theater where I was watching a fantasy film. As I was leaving, I was hit and subsequently died. I didn’t get to see what hit me but I thought I was simply waking up on the ground. I was unable to move and so I began to panic. Soft words began to soothe me and I would later learn who helped me in that state of fear. It was De Clare.

To this day, I still have no idea who that wizard actually was. He was far more than what the stories say. He knew more and saw more than I could ever explain. Partly because I do not understand, and partly because when I try to talk about them, words don’t come out. De Clare knew who I was before. He knew who my siblings were. He said that to make walls that truly protect, they needed to know loss. I came to find out that before each of us were walls, we were all in a different world where we had lost family members at some point in our lives.

Why and how we were chosen, I have no idea. De Clare kept everything a mystery. In the early years, we would tell stories about the worlds we came from to pass the time. I would often complain about being in a land of magic and becoming a wall. I didn’t get to adventure or be over powered in this new world. I was a wall. A wall that could talk, sure, but still a wall.

One day, De Clare showed up looking very sick. He told us that he would die soon and that his magic wouldn’t last forever after that. For a man that seemed to know everything, he wouldn’t tell us when. All he said was, “Soon after the last star is eaten.” Eaten?! What in the world could that even mean? It just made no sense and we haven’t seen De Clare since.

I suppose you understand what it means now and why I must tell my story. There was a time where the sky was littered with stars. Your parents and grandparents, for future readers, must still talk of their beauty. Now, there isn’t a single one left. No one knows where they went. Well, no one but me. This will be the last story of Castle Draníam. The story of the last princess and the Lord of the Stars.

*Brick And Mortar presents: Princess Santana and the Star Lord*

Once upon at time, there lived a beautiful princess. Her name was Santana Draníam. She was a gifted beast tamer. From her early childhood, she seemed to be able to communicate with animals. All different types of woodland creatures came and spoke with her, and she talked back. Santana would spend hours in the forest, getting to know each and every animal. It was as if they were more her family than her actual family.

This princess came into her own as the queen of the forest. The beasts would roam and protect the lands. She would be told information about enemy armies and new trade routes that would help her political life inside the castle. Such a beloved princess became the ultimate asset to uniting the lands and protecting her people. Her parents were so very proud.

Then one day, everything changed when a piece of the moon fell in the forest. The destruction that ensued was great, but not world ending. Many animals lost their lives and the princess wept bitterly for them. One night, when she was mourning, the first star fell. She watched it outside her window as it stopped and floated right in front of her. The star glowed violet and made a low hum. Santana, mouth agape, asked, “What? You’re talking to me?” Then the star hummed again and she responded, “The crater? There is something there for me?” With one last hum of the star, it floated away towards the forest and Santana followed.

When she came back, she had a pot-sized stone that looked like a miniature moon in her arms and the star floating above her. She held it in her lap and rubbed its smooth surface as she said, “There is life in this stone. It must be some sort of egg.” Santana looked around her room for a suitable place to hide it. She wrapped it in a blanket and placed it under more clothes in her wardrobe to keep warm and well hidden.

The next day her parents left on a trip overseas for business and to continue making alliances around the world. Leaving the princess in charge while they were away was an easy decision. She had practically been ruling and protecting the lands since she was a child. She hoped so desperately that the egg would hatch while they were gone. Santana hated keeping secrets from her parents, but this one had to be done. If it hatched and she found out what it was then she would be able to say that she met the creature out in the forest and not that she was harboring some space creature.

Weeks passed and not even a stir came from the egg. The princess and the star spoke daily. She taught this life form about the world and who she was. When she described the royal family, the star buzzed and flew around to explain something that it was excited about. Santana exclaimed, “You’re saying that the creature inside this egg is like your king? That is quite confusing but fascinating, nonetheless.” She stared off out the window and said, “I wonder what it will look like. This king of stars.”

The weeks turned into months until one day the star came buzzing into Santana’s room, bouncing off of the walls with sheer excitement. “It’s today!”, she exclaimed. The star gave a low hum and Santana got up quickly to take the egg out of her wardrobe and take it outside before something truly magical happened. It was the middle of the day and yet the sky went black. Santana looked up and saw that the moon had moved in front of the sun. Just then, she felt a rumble inside the egg and set it on the ground as cracks started to splinter on its surface.

The cracks became deeper and pieces started to fall until, what looked like, a snake came out. Its head was about as big as the princesses hand and uncurled to be about half her height. Its scales where white and grey, just like the moon. The star whirled around the creature and rested on its head, releasing a low hum. Santana reached out her hand and placed it on the star and it glowed brightly. The creature opened its eyes to be the same shade of violet as the star and spoke, “Princess Santana. I am happy to meet you in person.” She replied, “You just spoke out loud! How do you know my name?”

The creature then began to explain that the star that had been floating around is his herald, but also a portion of his soul. When they all touched, a link was formed and memories were placed inside the creature. He also explained that he was a dragon and that the rest of his soul was spread throughout the stars. Santana spent time asking questions about where he came from and what he was there for. It seemed like he didn’t know. All he knew was that he needed to be with Santana and would protect what she needed protected.

“So, your herald called you a king. What should I call you? King of the stars?”, Santana asked. “Ah there must be some translation error there but I understand the confusion. I am not king, but lord over the stars. You may call me Star Lord if you would like.”

A few days later, Star Lord explained that he must eat and grow stronger. Santana was concerned since she was a vegetarian. Eating something that she could communicate with never felt right to do so she has always stuck to eating vegetables. She didn’t know exactly how much Star Lord needed to eat and seemed to be wrestling with herself on letting him eat animals or not. That’s when Star Lord said, “Oh, I don’t eat meat either Santana. I would never eat your friends either. If you wish to protect them, I will as well. I actually don’t eat anything found on the planet, but the stars themselves.” “How are we going to get to the stars for you to eat? They are very far away," she replied. “Oh, that is easy. I simply need your help. When we bonded, you obtained a portion of my herald’s powers. All you have to do is hold the star up and call one out of the sky to you.”

Santana held up the violet star in her hand and spoke to the stars just as she would the animals. She asked one of the stars to come to her and the star fell out of the sky and gently landed on the ground at her feet. It was bright white, unlike the first one that fell. Star Lord slithered over and unhinged his jaw to swallow the star whole. His body shown brightly and he grew slightly. “Wow,” Santana exclaimed. “Will you grow each time you eat? You’ll be quite large, if so.” Star Lord simply nodded.

Months passed by and the stars continue to fall. Star Lord continued to grow and rumors began to spread. The worst rumor that was heard was that the king and queen were shipwrecked and died. When that news came, Santana ran out of the room and jumped off of the balcony. As she fell, Star Lord flew by and caught her. They left to go see if this rumor was fact or fiction.

Years passed and stars continued to fall as Santana and Star Lord were out searching. This is when Oren first started showing up at the castle. He had many private talks with the nobles and they started to leave the castle one by one. They laughed and celebrated together about the king and queen’s demise, as well as the princesses absence. It was clear that they had caused the ship wreck and that there was a coup afoot.

Santana returned about twenty years later from scouring the world in search of her parents. Rumors about the existence of a dragon spread like wildfire and only became wilder and more exaggerated. Under the guise of these stories, Oren started war after war. It was easy enough to make Star Lord the scapegoat for all of the destruction that ensued. Santana mentioned that once she heard the rumors, she knew that she had to return to the castle.

It seemed like all of the stars in the sky had all fallen. The only one left was the first and Star Lord mentioned that he couldn’t consume it yet. Oren came to greet Santana and extend a helping hand to get the castle up and running again after being abandoned by all but a few nobles. She knew that was not what he was actually there for but no one could have anticipated what transpired. Once they were alone, Santana asked to drop the act and say what he was really there for. Before she could even turn around to hear his reply, he lunged at her and dug a sword in her side.

The shock faded into peace as they both heard a mighty roar from off in the distance. Star Lord went on a rampage because Oren had killed Santana. He tore apart the walls and the castle to get her. Oren fled and left Star Lord to weep over Santana in her final moments. She forced out, “I…know. I knew… from the first… day. We… share a life. Take. Take what is left and…” Star Lord let out a softer roar and consumed the final star. The first star that had the rest of Santana’s life in it and chased Oren down.

*The End*

I am not sure what happened to Star Lord. I have heard the rumors that Oren killed this evil dragon to become emperor. I don’t think that is true at all. Sadly, I think that Star Lord couldn’t find him in time. I don’t know all the details, but from her final words, it seemed like their life was one life. If one died, the other did. The only thing I do know is that a few hours after Star Lord left, the moon began to move again and the sun came back out.

Oren is an evil man. He started wars all around the world, forcing people under him through fear. He killed off all the good and righteous people. He blamed it all on the most amazing creature in all the world. People, do not let this man rule. Rise up! I am simply a wall. I can only listen and speak. Please, hear the truth and act on it. This is my last act of service to Castle Draníam.