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Post by longstevo on Dec 19, 2006 17:56:22 GMT -5
The tears fell freely from Enora’s beautiful face, “Why must you leave your city? It’s people? Me?” She sobbed once more and fell into Sirion’s arms. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity before she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. He said softly, “It’s what I have to do. I’m sorry.” She choked back one more sob and threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. “I love you,” she whispered before letting go and leaving the room. Sirion did not go after her. Instead, he sat there and waited. He waited for her to come back, but she never did. So, instead he waited for sunrise, and what might be the end of his life. He was sure he would never see Enora again. Although she did, he couldn’t bring himself to love her like that. Although he was close, he just couldn’t be close to another woman again, not after Emma.
The sun cast it’s first warming rays up and over the distant mountains, and Sirion’s horse pounded the earth on it’s way to the tree line. Ian soared above him with an altitude of fifty feet. The large demon lit lightly to the earth when Sirion pulled his steed to a halt just outside of the foliage. Sirion dismounted and let Ian lead him towards the designated meeting spot. A small clearing lay just inside the wood line, and Sirion followed Ian into it.
The forest was silent, and nothing but a chirping squirrel broke the deafening quiet. “I sure hope you’re right about this…” Sirion muttered, almost to himself. But instead of Ian answering the prince on his own, several rattling sets of armor did it for him. And before either companion knew it, armed men surrounded them. All on foot, they held a variety of swords, but most had a particular symbol etched into their breastplates; the standard of The Knights of Kerash.
The circle of steel and iron closed in on the Ian and Sirion, and not having anywhere to go, were getting ready to defend themselves. A female voice called out, “Stop.” Stepping out the brush and sliding her way into the circle to join Sirion and Ian, Jacqueline presented herself. The prince had forgotten how beautiful she was. But he didn’t speak to her, lest he put himself into a bad position.
“So…if it isn’t the butcher of North Gate…” she quipped.
“Jackie, now listen…”
“Useless words of the guilty, you speak. If it weren’t for the travesty of your crimes, I’d almost laugh. But there’s nothing funny with the murders of five of your own rangers…”
Sirion cut her off, “You’re right. There’s not.” He scanned her knights quickly, and found what he was looking for. “Him. He’s partially responsible for it.” Sirion pointed to Petvan, one of the only three Pass Rangers alive. The youngest ranger recoiled in shock at being called out in front of his new peers.
“You only attempt to postpone your judgement!” cried Jacqueline. “Men! Clap him in irons!”
“Wait!” called Ian, and in one motion came close to Sirion and closed his wings around him protectively. “Nothing will happen to this man until you’ve heard what he has to say.”
Jacqueline’s face contorted in disgust. “Out of the way, fiend. You’re usefulness has ended. Make yourself scarce before I decide to take you into the city as well…”
Ian rose up to his full eight-foot height and flexed his muscles. His back, wings, chest and arms rippled with energy as his body prepared itself for a fight. The knights all took one step back simultaneously. “My end of the agreement is done, yes. And in doing that, I am free of your contract. And now I proclaim that this man is under my protection until you do what I’ve told you to. Hear him out, and if you still want to try him, then I will not stand in your way. But you must hear his story,”
Jacqueline frowned. She knew that even if every one of her knights rushed the vile demon at once, he could still tear them all to shreds. She lost enough men to this creature before, and had no wish to sacrifice more to him. Out of frustration, she sighed, “Very well. Speak.”
And so Sirion did, and told her of his story.
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Post by Swords on Dec 21, 2006 14:59:37 GMT -5
Jacquelin stared Sirion down after hearing his side of the story. She looked to Petvan, who had a slight tinge of nervousness upon his face, then back to Sirion, who remained calm. At this point, she was not sure who to believe.
"Well, Sirion, while your tale is convincing," she said. ",I'm afraid that you must still be held trial at North Gate."
Sirion stepped forward, but Ian stopped him and shook his head. "M'lady, Sirion and I were going to tell you this, but you gave us no chance. North Gate is no more."
"What?" she said simply.
"You remember the army of that attacked this city just recently, yes? Well I was held captive among their ranks, and I know for a fact that the army was much larger, but split up to cover more ground, one group heading towards the North Gate mountain pass." explained Ian.
"And why should I believe you?"
Ian sighed, "You may not believe me, but you will surely believe this."
With that, Ian went into the saddlebags of Sirion's horse, and retrieved a rolled up parchment. When Ian straightened it out, he showed it to Jacquelin. She studied it carefully.
"It is a map of the directions that all the groups left, and where they might be heading." Ian pointed to various spots on the map. "As you can see, that unit came here, to Edinmarsh, that group left toward the South toward the province of Gharkaag, and that one has headed North, passing very close to North Gate."
"It seems as if they are attacking all the major cities, and avoiding the smaller settlements." stated Jacquelin.
"Indeed. And I would be willing to bet that the army that just attacked her is heading for one of the smaller cities, now that they've tried a larger one. I would bet Silvenwater was next."
Sirion whispered to one of his guards, "Send a message of warning to all of our neighbor cities." The guard nodded and was on his way.
"Why would they attack North Gate, then?" asked Jacquelin. "It is not a major city, what is there to gain?"
"I thought you would have guessed, given your fighting experience." said Ian. "You see, that is a very good strategic point. Not only does it give them a safe spot to rest and regroup, but many unsuspecting trade caravans pass through there commonly."
Everyone was silent for a moment as Jacquelin contemplated Ian's words. Finally, she spoke up and said, "Then we must save North Gate."
"We cannot rush into battle. Remember, it is not only North gate that is in danger, for almost all of Mythosa could be at risk. We need to send a message to everyone at risk, tell them to gather up their armies, and even cities away from the danger to do the same." said Ian.
He turned to Sirion, "I know your men tire of war, but if we want any chance of saving North Gate, you need to rally them once more. Send scouts to Silvenwater and its surrounding areas, to confirm if they are truly in danger. If they are, we need to help them."
Everyone was a little shocked at Ian's speech, but slowly they began to get moving. Jacquelin cleared her throat, "What should my men and I do?"
"You?" said Ian. "You can stay with us."
And with that, the fate of Mythosa was placed in the hands of all those gathered in the Edinmarsh forest on that day.
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Post by longstevo on Dec 23, 2006 12:07:27 GMT -5
The word spread quickly by Sirion’s messengers and runners. To the towns of Radima, Maar, Zeldora, Silvenwater and Highwood they carried their grim message and advice. The letters with the King’s seal strongly advised any and all able bodied man to take up arms with the local militia forces and organize for their defense. The noted added that Edinmarsh would be unable to supply armed support for the smaller cities, so the defense of their own walls rested with them.
Sirion took leave of his post as commander, giving the reins to his next in command. He gathered his Knights of Pythias, joined with Jacqueline’s Knights of Kerash, and together, the armored column made haste to North Gate. The trip took longer than expected with the group slogging through the Nightmarshes. But they did not stop in the four days it took them to arrive.
As the armored riders galloped up the highway to North Gate, something seemed…odd. It was quiet. Nothing stirred on the road, no locals meandering around nor any merchants traveling the roadway appeared. One grim sign made itself apparent just before the last turn before being able to see the town.
A merchant’s cart lay tipped over in the ditch. No animals were around, nor people, or bodies, for that matter. Without stopping, the forty knights continued roaring towards North Gate. When they made the final turn, all men stopped at once.
North Gate was no more.
The ground was blackened from a previous battle, although from the appearance, a battle would hardly be a term for the cause of this devastation. Not one single building stood. The barrier wall that once surrounded the city had been torn down. Every single building was reduced to a smoldering pile of planks and boards. Sirion could only shake his head. ‘Not one building stood.’
His lone horse slowly stepped forward on his command as he surveyed the scene. He took note of each ruined structure. The church’s ruins lay scattered as if a crew had taken it apart piece by piece and tossed the pieces as far as they could fling them. The store simply looked like it had imploded. The tavern was simply pushed over and flattened. The “Yar’s Beer” sign lay right side up in front of the mess. And the rangers headquarters…it had disappeared. The foundation was still intact, but not one splinter lay anywhere near the stone. From first glance, one would think that it had been picked up whole and carried off to another location. It was no where to be seen, but had surely been destroyed and mixed into the rest of the ruin. A sign proclaiming “Welcome to North Gate” lay in the mud, scratched and burned. The town had simply been wiped off the map.
But amid all the devastation and destruction, a knight asked such an obvious question, yet it had come to no one’s mind. “Where are the bodies?”
Sirion glanced around, and found none. No bodies? Sirion leaped off his horse, and every other knight followed suit. The forty men, Ian and Jacqueline all scattered throughout what was left of the city and rummaged through every pile of debris searching for anyone, alive or dead. They found no one. This brought a glimmer of hope of Sirion. Maybe the people had escaped or evacuated before the army fell upon the town. As Jacqueline came up to Sirion, she looked into his eyes. The hopelessness on his face was apparent as he asked, “Well now what?” Without waiting for a response, the exhaustion and stress of the last three weeks suddenly all came crashing down on the man, and he collapsed to his knees, fighting to keep consciousness. He failed, and blacked out.
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Post by Windex on Jan 1, 2007 23:28:04 GMT -5
A chill wind blew through the devastated town as the knights knelt, muttering prayers to their blind goddess. Jacqueline bent by Sirion’s side and placed a cool hand on his forehead. His brow was furrowed and sweating, and he moaned softly. She rested an arm on her knee and frowned. She knew Sirion had been through a lot the last few weeks with the battles and the hard, sleepless ride to North Gate, but she feared he suffered from something deeper. He was strong, and his ranger training should have held him in good stead. It hurt her to see him lying helpless on the ground.
Sighing, she bit her lip and looked across Sirion’s prone form to Ian, also kneeling at the ranger’s side. The vampire shook his head slightly and shrugged. There was nothing he could do. The ranger needed to rest. Ian raised his gaze and swept it across the ravaged town. He felt a pang in his heart. Though he had lived here for so short a time, it saddened and angered him to see it thus. Here he had been shown kindness without being judged by the people. North Gate was one of the few places where he had been accepted, albeit with some slight suspicion on Sirion’s part.
His eyes stopped on the ruins of the church and he frowned. Had he seen something? Narrowing his eyes he looked closer. His sharp gaze caught a flick of white on the other side of the church wall. Ian stood and was about to shout out, when a young knight yelled in alarm and shot a hastily stung arrow towards the crumbling stone. The arrow clattered harmlessly against the stone as a white wolf leaped out into the open.
The wolf stood lightly on its paws, ready to jump, but did not show fear. The creature locked its silvery eyes on Ian and dipped its head. Taken aback, Ian frowned. The wolf’s eyes were too intelligent, and it seemed about ready to speak.
Knights scrambled, drawing their swords and nocking arrows in anticipation of an attack. Several let fly with their projectiles, which the white wolf dodged with uncanny ease. Seeing that the wolf did not appear to want to attack and had no apparent allies, Jacqueline raised a fist and called for her knights to hold their fire. Some grumbled about the order, wanting to release their fear and frustrations in a skirmish, however small it would have been, but they held.
Jacqueline pursed her lips, not understanding this new circumstance. She wondered if the wolf was somehow connected to the attack on North Gate and the demon armies. She doubted the thought though. As the wolf looked into her eyes, she felt a sense of peace. The knight took a step forward, shaking off Ian’s restraining hand. Before she could take five steps, she stopped, for woman swathed in a dark green wool stepped lightly out from behind the rubble.
She was beautiful with glowing blond hair and a soft face. Arching eyebrows and high cheekbones gave her an exotic look, but there was an aura of strength and authority about her. The woman barely glanced at the knights arrayed before her as she stopped by the wolf. A small frown wrinkled her forehead as she reached down and smacked the creature lightly but firmly on top of the head. “We do not play games with armed knights,” she said sternly as the wolf bowed its head to her.
She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the tense knights, vampire, and unconscious ranger as calmly as she would an array of pomegranates in a market. She nodded faintly to herself and moved forward, walking through the knights as if they were merely leaves to be trod upon.
Jacqueline moved to meet her, “Greetings stranger. I am Lady Jacqueline, commander of the Knights of the Shield.” She inclined her head in welcome.
The blond woman smiled and raised her chin slightly, “Well met my lady. I am known as Emma.”
Emma nodded in turn to Ian, and glanced down at Sirion’s body. Her smile faded and she took a step back. “How could…” She placed two fingers over her lips and narrowed her eyes. She straightened her spine, and whispered too quietly for the human ear to catch, “I am not who I used to be….the goddess is testing me.”
Ian’s ears pricked at the whispered words, his supernatural hearing catching every syllable clearly. The white wolf howled mournfully and settled itself against Emma’s feet protectively, watching.
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Post by longstevo on Jan 2, 2007 21:58:31 GMT -5
One of the younger soldiers by the name of Joneth watched the scene curiously. A beautiful woman simply appearing amongst a smoldering town was not a common sight. Many of the men gathered around closely to hear what her tale was. Commander Jacqueline addressed that very issue.
“Ma’am. Please state your business here,” ordered the officer, deciding to keep her suspicions at bay for now and appeared somewhat friendly.
“Just passing through…” Emma muttered, glassy eyed. Staring intently at the unconscious Sirion, it was obvious she had taken some sort of interest in him.
Jacqueline opened her mouth to say something else but she froze in place. A recent memory suddenly came racing back through her mind and slammed into her immediate thoughts. She thought back to Ian bringing Sirion to her in the forest, and then being presented with the dilemma of North Gate’s security. Obviously, the town was compromised, but something kept nagging at her in the back of her head.
She thought back to the conversation. “"Why would they attack North Gate, then?" she remembered asking, "It is not a major city, what is there to gain?"
"I thought you would have guessed, given your fighting experience,” Ian had replied, "You see, that is a very good strategic point. Not only does it give them a safe spot to rest and regroup, but many unsuspecting trade caravans pass through there commonly."”
The vampire was right. North Gate was an ideal strategic point in the vast map of the country. Anyone controlling the caravan roads essentially controlled trade and food shipments for much of northwestern section of the region. Cutting off cargo to and from the northern towns would starve them out, softening them for an eventual attack and take over. But something else was gnawing at her.
“You see, that is a very good strategic point. Not only does it give them a safe spot to rest and regroup, but many unsuspecting trade caravans pass through there commonly.”
With the town destroyed and her garrison of knights mysteriously displaced somewhere, hopefully nearby, the safety of the road was forsaken, giving bandits and raiders a paradise of helpless merchants and travelers to prey on. But as important as that was, something else continued to disturb her.
“…does it give them a safe spot to rest and regroup…”
It hit her like a ton of bricks when she realized it. Horrified, she turned slowly to her vampire companion. “Ian…” she whispered, trying to warn him that they may not be alone.
“Hey! What’s that?” Joneth called out. “I saw something in the tree line.”
“Get down!” hissed Jacqueline, but she was too late. She had only got down to one knee when she looked up, and saw a terrifying wave of mutant soldiers bursting forth from the forest, bearing down on their position…
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Post by Windex on Jan 3, 2007 0:22:40 GMT -5
At Jacqueline’s sharp warning, Emma whipped around towards the tree line and froze. The monstrous creatures spilling out of the forest brought chills to her spine as she took a step back. Jacqueline shouted and began rallying her knights to make a stand.
Emma staggered a step as Ian flexed his wings, sending a powerful gust of wind outward. The vampire stepped forward and stood over Sirion, ready to fight despite the lingering wounds of the battle at Edinmarsh. As the knights jostled into position, Jacqueline stepped up to Emma and placed a hand on her shoulder, “This is no safe place lady. Leave here and flee as bets you can.” The knight glanced back at the approaching horde, “For we may all be dead before the night is through.”
With a final shove, Jacqueline pushed Emma away and stalked forward to lead her men. Emma huffed and set her jaw. She stomped up to the line of knights, planted her hands firmly on her hips and peered between their armored shoulders. One young knight frowned when he saw her and pushed her back against her protests, “Stay out of the way girl!”
Emma shot the knight a glare and set off to find a better vantage point. She pursed her lips when she saw that the demon army had stopped an arrow’s shot away. They stood, crouching in a jagged line. Spittle dripped from their jaws as their leader raised his black sword high in the air. On cue the twisted creatures began stomping, raising their voices in inhuman howls.
The knights shifted nervously, armor clinking, as they watched, fearful of what was to come, yet anticipating it at the same time. They looked to Jacqueline, waiting for her signal.
The demonic crescendo reached its height as the black sword slashed downwards. The creatures roared and began to run, loping across the ground in great strides. The knights set their shields and adjusted their grips on their swords. Jacqueline signaled for a defensive pattern just as Emma ran up to her, panting softly. “Wait! You’ll all be killed,” she yelled, concern etched on her face.
Jacqueline frowned as her slammed the visor on her helmet down. What did this girl care for these knights? They were nothing to her. The knight commander had suspicions about this girl, but she could ill afford to do anything about her now as the demons rushed in. She only frowned and turned, preparing to engage in battle, and heard Emma shout in frustration behind her.
The demon creatures were almost upon them as one young knight said a final whispered prayer. Sir Joneth gritted his teeth and tensed, raising his sword to parry the oncoming attack.
The din of the creature’s shouts parted as a clarion voice called out, “May the Mother take these unearthly beasts back to the foul depths from whence they came! Cleanse this earth of their presence! Mother, I ask this of you!”
As the final syllable was uttered, the ground parted between the battle lines. The demons skidded to a stop and flailed about as their front ranks fell into the chasm. Both demons and knights stared down uncertainly. Everything was silent for a moment as the earth stopped moving, then suddenly thick vines reached up and grabbed at the demon army. Thorns ripped at their mottled skin as they screamed in agony, tearing and crushing them to death before dragging their bodies into the ground.
The knights watched wide-eyed as the last of the creatures disappeared into the earth. With a groan the earth sealed itself, a poof of dirt flying upwards in a small cloud as the edges met.
Joneth swallowed hard and looked behind him in the direction of the voice and saw Emma standing, chin down on her chest with a soft silvery glow fading around her. The other knights had turned and were looking at her curiously. A few even knelt, touching a knuckle to their forehead in a sign of respect. With a whispered thanks to her goddess, Emma raised her head and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. She glared out at the knights, Jacqueline in particular, and hissed, “Fools.” The white wolf, still at her side, yipped its agreement.
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Post by Swords on Jan 3, 2007 1:16:44 GMT -5
Ian studied Emma from afar. This woman possessed a considerable amount of power, he could tell, and they were lucky to have her there at that moment. He also noticed that she was somehow related to Sirion. Fate had somehow brought the two together, but for what purposes, he did not know. Though Emma had vanquished over two dozen of the beasts, Ian knew that there were many more lurking around the town.
The vampire approached Jacqueline and said, "I advise that you heed this woman's words and leave this place. Those creatures were not the only ones stationed here, I can feel it."
Jacqueline frowned, but decided that it was probably best for her and her knights. She nodded and said, "Knights, we must off. Let us return to Edinmarsh and gather a larger force, so we might reclaim North Gate."
The men and women began to leave as Jacqueline mounted her horse, to leave, Sirion in tow. Ian, thought for a moment, and called out to them, "I shall scout the areas of Silvenwater, to see if Rozzan's forces have headed in that direction."
Jacqueline turned around and nodded, "Good. And don't worry about being welcome there, I'll send a knight to the city to tell them of a great black vampire that is coming to aid them." The last sentence was said with a slight hint of mockery, but Ian waved it off.
Ian spread his wings wide, glancing skywards. Just as he was about to depart, he looked at Emma, who had been standing to the side the entire time.
"What of you? Are you going to go with them?" he asked, motioning towards Jacqueline and her knights.
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Post by longstevo on Jan 3, 2007 22:44:00 GMT -5
Emma looked towards the knight commander, then looked back towards Ian. She simply shrugged. “I’m not sure,” she said. And that was the honest truth. She looked longingly at Sirion, still lost in his unconsciousness. For a minute, she recalled their happy, innocent youth. She thought of how simple things were, and how fate had twisted their lives together, only to rip them apart shortly after. Part of her want to rush to his side, to hold his hand until he woke, and be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes.
But the more rational side told her otherwise. Just walking away was the only easy thing to do. She was given a mission to complete, and personal feelings were not to get in the way. She clenched her eyes tight, squeezing back a tear she felt well up. She watched several knights load her former lover into a wagon they had procured from the village and fought the urge to go to him. Before she could think otherwise, she turned to flee the town, but her path was blocked by her companion, the white furred wolf. Frowning, she stepped to the side, but the canine rose to his feet and sat down immediately in front of her. “Why you…” she began to scold at the wolf, but something in those intelligent eyes made her stop. She looked back quizzically at her friend, “Are you telling me…” her voice trailed off when the wolf yipped. She cast a lingering gaze back at Sirion...
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Strange thoughts filled the ranger’s brain. Many of those images were from his past. Childhood memories with him frolicking in fields of grain swept before him. He thought of adolescent moments where he was beginning to learn the ways of the sword. Memories of the recent past too did not fail to appear. William, Ian , Enora and the king all made their way into his consciousness. But suddenly, a memory from one of his more favorite times in life appeared.
The soft, sweet face of Emma floated by. In his mind, he reached out to touch her. But instead of coming closer, she faded away. He called to her, but heard only silence. A white wolf suddenly appeared. Curious, he couldn’t recall any encounters with a white wolf. Nonetheless, he reached out to the wild creature, longing for any link to the real world. To his surprise, the mind reeled with the feelings of warm fur. Strange. Once more, Emma’s figure floated by in his black world. He called to her again, and this time she responded.
“Come back to us,” the soft, melodic tone of her voice echoed in his mind. “Come back,”
“Emma…” he struggled to moan. Letting go of the wolf, he reached towards her, and felt the soft, warm feel of a woman’s hand in his. He looked more closely at her in her dark green wool cover. “Sirion,” her voice was like sweet creek water on parched lips. He needed that voice, he needed her. Slowly, ever so slowly, the black in his world faded, giving way to the bright, vibrant green of the forest, the same green that fell over the shoulders of the woman in front of him.
Emma, the love of his life, stood before him. Or did she? As the world slowly continued to meld around him, he opened his eyes wide, attempting to clear any blurring that may be misleading him. But as his vision cleared, so did the apparition in front of him. This woman was definitely real. But was it who he thought it was?
“Emma?” he asked, voice shaking, “Sweetheart…?” A tear rolled down his face as his throat choked up. She smiled at him and placed a calming hand along his jaw line.
“Yes dear, it’s me,” a single tear rolled down her face as well. Without wasting another second, they both lurched forward and clutched each other in their arms, holding tightly, swearing in their respective minds never to let go again…
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Post by Windex on Jan 4, 2007 0:54:26 GMT -5
Emma pushed herself away, holding back tears. When Sirion reached out a concerned hand, she stepped back and covered her face with her hands. “I….I can’t.”
Sirion sat back, a small winkle forming on his brow. “But Emma, how…” he stopped, throat tightening with emotion. Swallowing he began again. “It’s been so long. I still love you. You know I do.”
She did not answer right away, but slowly lowered her hands and looked at her lost love with wet eyes. She drew a deep breath and sighed. “And I love you. I always have, never doubt that. It’s just….well, it’s complicated.”
At the display of emotion before them, the knights shifted uncomfortably. It was not their place to intrude, and they began shuffling away to finish preparations for the trip to North Gate.
“It’s complicated? What is that supposed to mean? I love you, you love me. What’s so hard about that?” Sirion huffed in frustration. Here he was with his greatest dream fulfilled and he could not let her dash that. His dreams had been filled with this moment for the past thirty years, and here she was, right before his eyes. If she loved him so much, then why did she pull away? Emma’s face darkened slightly as she drew herself up to her full height, “Do not question me.” Authority emanated from her small form. It was obvious that she was used being in command and not having her word questioned.
Sirion grunted. She had changed since their last encounter so many years ago. She had always been strong-willed and outgoing, but now she seemed something more. There was a power about her, a power that Sirion did not understand.
“Emma please,” he bit back a retort, and reached out a hand to her. “I love you and I don’t mean to anger you. I have waited for you.” It frustrated him that he had to humble himself for the sake of her temper, but he could not risk pushing her away.
She snorted and stared at his outstretched hand, not making a move to take it. “Waited for me? With that chit Enora?” She shot a glare at him and flipped her blond hair over her shoulder.
Sirion’s jaw sagged. He was speechless. How could she possibly know about Enora? “Emma…I can explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain. I will always love you, but this,” she waived her hands in a frantic circle, “can’t go any further.” Despite the cold look on her face, Emma’s eyes melted, betraying her emotion.
The ranger lowered his gaze, still stung by Emma’s knowledge of Enora. “No….no that’s not good enough. There are so many questions that I need answered! Where have you been? What happened to you? Why…”
She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “All in good time. When you need to know, I will tell you.”
“No! Tell me right now,” his eyes flashed impatience. Angrily he adjusted his tunic, jerking the cloth harshly. “Are you planning on leaving me again?”
Silence reigned over North Gate as Emma looked away, arms folded. The sound of knights patrolling and the impatient tap of Jacqueline’s foot was all that could be heard in the devastated town.
“Emma, tell me.”
She looked back at him, face tight. The ranger could not tell if it was emotion or anger splashed across her face. He stared into her eyes and said levelly, “Tell me why.” He needed to know if she was leaving, and he needed to know why. He raised an enquiring eyebrow, “Why?”
She clenched a fist and snapped, “I am alive by the grace of the Mother goddess and I exist only to serve her will. She granted me life, and she will take it back just as easily.”
Sirion shrugged, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Emma huffed as if was obvious. “I’m dead Sirion! Not dead like him,” her finger stabbed at Ian, “but I am not like you anymore.”
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Post by Windex on Jan 4, 2007 1:39:01 GMT -5
Sirion was confused. How could Emma be dead? She looked normal, and he had even touched her! He did not understand what she was saying, as his befuddled expression said.
Emma, seeing his confusion, decided to spell it out for him. “Dead. D-e-a-d. Is that so hard to comprehend?” Immediately after she said it her heart was filled with regret as Sirion’s face flushed with hurt.
She tilted her head slightly to the side and spread her hands, palms up. “Look Sirion. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I spoke before I thought. I…I’m sorry.”
He just shook his head. “You’re not dead. You’re standing here, in front of me. How can you be dead?”
Was it to be that just as his dream came true, she was to be whisked away again? He couldn’t bear it. He had fortified his heart against the pain for decades, but at the sight of Emma, he had let it fall. It would be unbearable if she left again.
Emma sighed softly, tsked, and cast her eyes downward. “I have always served the mother goddess, you remember?” she said softly, barely loud enough for the ranger to hear. “Sure, my service to her was small, just helping wounded animals, tending the forest and such. That last day, as I kissed your cheek,” she raised a hand to brush his cheek, eyes filled with memory,” I went into the forest, as I always did. But that day was different. I made a sacrifice for the goddess, the likes of which I will not speak of.”
Sirion took a breath to speak, but she raised a finger for silence. He dipped his head in compliance and held his silence as she continued.
“I died that day, totally and completely. My spirit stood before the Mother; I was in her hands. She judged that my service to her worthy, and she sent me back to me body to be her priestess and serve her will. There was one requirement though. I could not return to my former life. I had to leave you, I had no choice. Oh, I watched you from the trees as you searched for me, but I could not betray my goddess and go to you, even for love.”
Emma lowered her head and sucked in a deep breath, “I left North Gate and set out on my path to serve the goddess. The years passed and I became lonely. The goddess gave me Syrah,” she motioned to the wolf, “as a companion, for which I am ever grateful.”
She looked Sirion sorrowfully. “You see? I cannot abandon my goddess. She has granted me life and has given me the power to do great good. I cannot jeopardize that. It is I and others like me that hold the balance of good and evil. If I were to go to you, the balance would be tipped and evil may prevail.”
Sirion frowned, “But can’t the goddess find someone else? Can’t you leave and another take your place?”
Emma smiled slightly. “It doesn’t quite work that way.”
The ranger studied the ground and scuffed at a rock with his boot. “So, that’s it?”
“Not really,” Emma replied. “This…body serves other purposes…” she stopped at Sirion’s raised eyebrow and taken aback expression. She huffed, “Nothing like that you fool! I will not speak any further on the topic,” she crossed her arms in a manner that did not allow argument.
The ranger studied her. “Well….what now?”
Emma shrugged and bent to scratch the ears of Syrah.
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Post by longstevo on Jan 5, 2007 1:34:16 GMT -5
Sirion only stared. This wasn’t Emma. This wasn’t the woman he had longed for for many years. It couldn’t be. The last five minutes between them tore his soul down, reducing his being to shambles. He wanted to cry, but he knew it would accomplish nothing. This woman, this…thing, standing before him was nothing more than a hollow shell of what he used to know. Slowly but surely, he began to cut all emotional ties with the most joyful part of his past. The strong feelings that came along with those memories slowly ebbed away, and those memories became nothing more than pictures in his head. For he knew the true fate of his lost love, and she was dead.
And on the inside, so was Sirion.
Sneering, he turned to walk away, but paused. He stepped towards Emma before whispering, “Whatever your reasons may have been, just know that I have not witnessed a more selfish act in all my days.” Emma opened her mouth to speak, but Sirion cut her off, “Go then. Go and serve your Mother, and forget about what we had. For you’re right. You are not who I remember.” He spun on his heel and stormed off.
Jacqueline finished untying the wagon from the two horses it had been tied to, for with Sirion awake and able to ride, they had no use for the extra weight. She stood up with a grunt and looked at the approaching ranger. “Are you well?” Sirion took a deep breath and nodded, casting only a momentary glance back at Emma. “Yes. Let’s be off.”
Within ten minutes, all forty knights were suited and mounted up. Jacqueline called the riders to her and quickly ran down quick details of their hasty ride back to Edinmarsh. They would ride hard for the remainder of the day and rest for the night near a creek leading to the Vermillion River. The armored column began to rumble away, shaking the ground. Ian rose up into the air to scout away for the knights. Emma watched the group make their way back down the road. A single horse cantered up to her. Sirion sat on the back. “So, do you travel with us, or make your own path?”
She looked up at him and was shocked at the absolute lack of emotion in his eyes. He was speaking as if he were addressing a peasant. At first, she was somewhat relieved, for his healing process appeared to be coming along quickly but deep down, her heart ached with sadness. But she could not let him see that. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring up at him.
He waited a moment before saying, “Very well,” and withdrew his hand. “Fight your own battles,” His horse began to trot away to follow the rest of the column. She watched in silence as he joined the rest of his men. For a minute, she looked on quietly before a second horse trotted up in front of her.
“My lady, do you join us?” Commander Jacqueline stared down at her with half a smile on her face.
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Post by Swords on Jan 7, 2007 6:44:42 GMT -5
Ian was long gone before the others had left. He had left to survey the areas surrounding Silvenwater, and the city itself. The city lay just a hair's breadth away from the Hagswood forest and the Ambian River. It was a small city, more of a frontier town than anything else. However there was a secret, known to few, about Silvenwater; one that Ian had knowledge of.
The Silvenwater most people knew was basically a facade, for deep within the Hagswood forest was a much larger city, one that its citizens wanted to keep isolated. The city, called Arcanus, was a veritable utopia that wanted little to no contact with the outside world except with Silvenwater. Anyone caught sneaking in was captured, drugged, and sent on their way, away from their precious haven.
Ian knew of this place because Vincent did. Prior to that fateful assignment to North Gate, he and his brother made extensive plans of getting on the 'trusted list' of many of the nobles (this was when Vincent was NOT going to amass a large army to trample over Mythosa), Arcanus was on of their targets. Though they had never gained admittance, knowledge of its existence was good enough to help him at this point.
As Ian flew around the South side of Hagswood, he spotted two large figures in the distance. As he neared the things, he could tell exactly what they were. They were the enormous tents that Rozzan herded his "troops" into. He knew then that Silvenwater was in danger. But wait, something was off, something was different...
It struck him like a crack of lightning: there were two tents. Before there was only one, and that was more than enough to hold all of the creatures. Why, now, was there another? Had another section of Vincent's army regrouped with him? That is impossible, he thought, they wouldn't be able to sweep through their designated area *that* quickly.
He then remembered the assault on Tyr Aegas, and all of the prisoners they took. Piecing the puzzle together, he knew the answer to his question. They were adding to their already larger army by converting those unfortunate prisoners into the vile mutants he had come to despise. The greater purpose for that, beyond controlling Mythosa, Ian had no clue of.
This was bad. Not only was Silvenwater in danger, but now Zeldora was likely to face destruction as well. If things went as badly as Ian thought they would, Rozzan's newly created beasts would likely attempt a double assault on the small cities of Silvenwater and Zeldora.
And with Vincent's knowledge of Arcanus came great danger for that city as well.
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Post by Windex on Jan 7, 2007 16:17:07 GMT -5
Emma stared up at the knight commander sitting casually astride the horse. She cut a regal figure with her chin held high, every inch a noblewoman. There was a time when Emma would have been humbled by one with such strength and noble bearing, but those days were long past. She of course had a healthy amount of respect for the knight, but she would not be mocked.
The priestess sniffed and titled her chin to the side, “I don’t care for your tone my lady.”
Jacqueline’s smile tightened. “You aided us greatly today priestess, but that does not mean you are in charge.” The saddle creaked as she leaned forward. “I would watch my tongue if I were you.”
Emma rocked on feet, “Why should I come?”
The knight sighed and weaved the reins around her fingers. “Frankly,” she said staring down at her hands, “I don’t care if you come or not. In fact it might be best if you don’t.”
Jacqueline was concerned about the effect Emma’s constant presence would have on Sirion. He needed to be at the top of his game to fight well, and he could not do that with his former love around. The knight had seen the ranger’s pain and anger caused by Emma in such a short time, and her permanent presence would cause too much conflict. The camp would not run smoothly, and the younger knights would be poorly affected by Sirion’s dour mood.
“So this is it? You’re staying?” the knight questioned.
Emma looked up and spread her hands, “Isn’t it against your doctrine to leave an innocent in danger?” alluding to the demon army still somewhere in the forest.
The knight laughed, “I don’t know if you are an innocent, and from what I saw earlier, you can take care of yourself.” She turned her horse towards the column and looked back over her shoulder. “Follow if you wish. I am done with you.” Kicking her heels, she sent her horse galloping to the head of her knights.
Emma folded her arms and looked down at Syrah. “Well? How much of a buffoon can I be?” The wolf yipped and hopped to the side. “Oh yeah? That much huh?”
She looked out towards the fading column of knights. It was going to be dark soon, and she needed to find a place to rest safely. “Shall we go then?”
Yip.
“Come on. We need to settle in for the night”
Yip, yip.
Emma laughed softly, “Yeah, I agree. This is stupid.”
The wolf whined, then yipped again.
“I'm stupid?” she replied with a small smile. “Maybe so, maybe so.”
Yip.
“Yes you can go eat something. Just be quiet about it….”
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Post by longstevo on Jan 8, 2007 0:39:59 GMT -5
Sirion leaned back unto a tree. Night fell as the troop of knights set up their rough camp near the small stream. Camp would hardly be a word to describe their sleeping conditions, as none of the soldiers had living supplies with them. Many simply lay stretched out on the ground, or set against a tree, using their saddle blankets to keep warm. Three small fires burned throughout their bivouac site, and what little warmth they provided was much welcome, for as the moon rose, it robbed the land of its warmth.
With a heavy sigh, Sirion crossed his arms and stared into one of the fires. Garron Mejere approached and sat down beside him. The captain’s long mustache swung freely from his upper lip, cascading down on each side of his mouth like two horse tails. “Sir…” the loyal soldier began, but stopped when his commander’s gaze didn’t leave the pyre. He raised his fist to his mouth, which clutched a chunk of hardtack he had been storing in his saddlebag. He looked from the bread to Sirion, then back again before offering the sullen man the bread. He failed to move even an inch. It appeared that Sirion was watching something moving deep within the fire, as if a entertainment play was being performed in front of an audience….
Jacqueline watched from a distance and noted the somber mood of Sirion. She approached the two men, knowing full well that talking to the prince would accomplish next to nothing, but figuring she had to try anyway. Kneeling down next to him, she whispered to him, “Sirion. You need to break yourself from this. The men see you in this…mood, and it effects their fighting spirit. If you won’t free your spirit for your own sake, do it for them. For if they do not take look to you for inspiration, their lives are forfeit.”
Sirion’s dead eyes rose from the fire and looked into Jacqueline’s. There was no spark in his face. If it weren’t for the healthy pigmentation, she would have mistaken his face for dead. He gazed at her for a moment, then returned to the fire. Jacqueline quickly became frustrated and stood to leave before Sirion began mumbling, “What is the reason for life…if what you live for, and spend all your life for, suddenly becomes no more?” The female commander turned and stared at him while he continued, “…when the epitome of your life appears after a tremendous absence, only to dissipate in a wisp of smoke. Life becomes worthless…”
Jacqueline snorted at this man’s pity. “Oh Lord, such a weak man you are! How you’ve held the post of prince and commander of an entire army is beyond me. For the past day, I’ve seen you do nothing but mope about feel sorry for yourself,” she had been speaking in a hushed tone so as to not alert any of the men, but she hunched down close to his ear anyway and hissed, “If you do not straighten yourself right, then I was swear we will leave you here in this forest!”
Sirion continued to look into the now-diminishing flames, giving no indication he had heard her. She looked incredulously at Garron, who simply shrugged. She rose to her feet and stormed off, leaving the grieving man to himself…
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Post by longstevo on Jan 9, 2007 1:27:54 GMT -5
The lines of knights stepped off before dawn the next day. Sirion remained quiet and reserved, despite more efforts from Jacqueline to break his funk and bring him back to his men, but it was to no avail. Disheartened, she began to separate her Knights of Kerash from Sirion’s Knights of Pythias. The last thing she needed was their poor morale affecting her own troops. It broke her heart to do so, but her knights marched off a full hour before Sirion moved his own out. Several of the knights parted with heavy hearts, as several of them had befriended men from the other order.
The Pythias knights milled about restlessly as they watched their counterparts move away. The despondence of their leader was starting to take its toll on them. They whispered in silence outside of earshot, casting devious glances at Sirion. Garron Mejere saw what was happening. Sirion was slowly losing his grip of his men. Something needed to be done, before the troops slowly descended into lawlessness.
As the man in charge of the detachment of knights, he knew it was time for him to grasp control. “Men. We stay here for tactical reasons. If we were to come under ambush, it does no one any good to have all forty of us perish. So, until we march, sit tight and maintain security. We move out in one hour.” The men quieted, seeming more at ease with a confident leader above them. The settled down, and set about fastening their armor and preparing their weapon for the long, fast ride ahead of them.
--
It took nearly all day for the two armored columns of knights to reach Edinmarsh. The carnage of the recent battles still littered the fields surrounding the city, though progress had been made. The Pythias knights linked up with Jacqueline’s and rode into the city together.
“Raise the gates! Raise the gates, for our prince approaches!”
The heavy oak gate creaked and rose just enough for the mounted horsemen to gallop through. Sirion, Garron and Jacqueline dismounted, and after the order to the men to stand by, the trio made their way to the castle to consult with the king.
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