When my own people cast me out, it was the enemy that took me in.
—from Summary text
The Lay of a Broken Winged Sparrow
is a dormant Aion Fan Fic by author Bladesworn. Set in an Alternate Continuity of Atreia, The Lay follows disgraced Asmodian soldier Jaya Azhdeen, who is unwillingly spirited away to Elyos by a legion known as the Furiae. The title of the fic refers to an old Asmodian song that tends to bring misfortune to those who sing it.
Started in 2009, The Lay was last updated on March 27, 2015; counting up to 25 chapters total.
You can go to the author's website here. There is also a wiki and a companion anthology and one-shot, both set in the same timeline.
The Lay of a Broken Winged Sparrow provides examples of:
- All There in the Manual: If it isn't directly covered by Jaya's story and it isn't spoiler-y,
Bladesworn will gladly answer your questions about the world of The Lay via her blog here. - Alternate Continuity: As stated by the author, Aion canon does not equal that of The Lay.
- Assassination Attempt: Almost immediately after the Asmodians drop a mutilated Pentarus Lockstep into Elyos, an assassin sneaks into Jaya's room. Jaya barely manages to slip out before locking him inside, whereupon he resorts to committing suicide, keeping his master a mystery. This incident leads the Furiae to take a few measures to further protect Jaya.
- Badass Bookworm: Jaya and her twin brother, Jareth.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Jaya wished for misfortune to befall her before reaching the White Barrow, and so she sang a few stanzas of the Lay. Instead, she got the Furiae, and herself into Elyos.
- Becoming the Mask: After understanding that she has been branded a traitor in her homeland, Jaya decides that she will become a traitor in truth.
- Blood Knight: Nicolette "Nico the Butcher" Sethes.
- Crazy-Prepared: Oros has a ton of weapons on his armor on his person.
- Dark and Troubled Past: A lot of the Furiae seem to have one, including Oros, Nico, Kit, and Taion.
- Nico: As revealed to Jaya by Oros, the Sethes was a servant family under House Beltaine—and Nicolette became Liath Beltaine's servent. (Jaya is horrified by the implications.) She only made it out of that after: A.) Ascending, and B.) Oros paying off Nico's debt, out of his own pocket, and in such a public way that Liath would not be able to refuse without public opinion of him suffering.
- Deadpan Snarker: Jaya."And before I agree to anything being laid upon me," I said, managing a word edgewise as I glared darkly at Terekai Nameless, "I will have it explained, in painful detail, precisely what is being done." (from Chapter 11)
- Defiant Captive: When the Furiae are flying Jaya's cage cart to their portal, she tries to deny them a prisoner by attempting to throw herself out. This simply results in a leg wound that Jaya will never fully recover from. She mellows out by one degree, only truly flaring during her meeting with Oros...and Terekai Nameless.
- Driven to Suicide: Jaya initially seeks to die somehow, after being denied it by her liege's father. She gets over it in time, though.
- Enemy Mine: As the Furiae's guest, Jaya has to put up with Oros and Terekai Nameless on a regular basis.
- Fantastic Racism: Par for the course in the world of Aion.
- Fate Worse than Death: Jaya wished to die for failing to protect Raum, and was devastated when she was instead made to live with her crime by Raum's father.
- From Dress to Dressing: After escaping her room and locking her assassin inside, Jaya uses part of her nightgown to patch up the guard that said assassin knifed to get inside. This leaves her in a gown with a rather short bottom.
- Genki Girl: Nico. Likely straddles Stepford Smiler.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Jaya was the captain of Raum's guard, but after the attack and his death, Jaya was stripped of her rank and sentenced to the White Barrow.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Oros.
- Missing Mom: Jaya and Jareth's mother, Ashura Aether-born, was killed by Terekai Nameless.
- Ms. Fanservice: Judging by how Nico is described, with her choice of dress.
- My Greatest Failure: For Jaya, failing to save her liege, "Raum" Carcarron.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Ouroboros Stalks-By-Night.
- Odd Friendship: To her surprise, Jaya becomes friendly with Nico and Kit, the lattermost due to their partnership on translating the Lay.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Nico is normally a very cheerful and sociable woman, one who enjoys things like girl talk and fighting. So her mood completely souring in the sleazy Liath Beltaine's presence tips Jaya off that there's something in Nico's past that she doesn't want to deal with right now.
- Pride: Something Jaya and Oros possess, though Jaya concedes that Oros' pride is "monolithic".
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Ketterine "Kit Brightwing" Delainne; Prince Taion Helios.
- Smug Snake: Liath Beltaine.
- Try to Fit That on a Business Card: Kit's introduction comes pretty close:"I am known as The Voice of Ten Thousand Chimes, High Chantress of the Furiae, Ketterine Delainne of House Delainne."
- Worldbuilding: And hoo boy, is it filled to the brim with it!
- The Original Character cast all have uniquely detailed backstories, as only one in a few ways for the author to flesh out the world of Atreia.
- You Killed My Mother: As a child, Jaya saw Terekai Nameless kill her mother-something that sets her to try and strangle him when he first introduces himself. Jaya of course can't find it in herself trust such a man.
