"We believe he's headed to the druid's isle, My Lord." The scout reported.
He adjusted his cape a reminder of to everyone in the throne room of its color and what that meant. He was the Crimson Prince and he needed HIS people not to lose heart just because the enemy they now fought was his brother. "The Druid's Isle is sacred, he disgraces it by going uninvited. We will not do the same." The Prince made his decision.
"But my Lord please reconsider the impact of your decision. He has stolen the staff of kings, the ruling staff and fled the city in the night. He can only of done that if he plans to take the kingdom from you, and even if he fails such an attempt will divide Hyrule is ways that are unrepairable. He has stolen and thus comprimised Nobility, he has violated the Druid grove violating temperance, he means to rob you of the Kingdom in clear violation of loyalty and showing no Love for you my Prince. He will bring war to Hyrule and ruin to the virtues. If it is temperance that keeps us out of the Druid's grove then even Temperance itself aims for balance. Which action causes a greater loss to the balance, arresting the traitor in the grove or not going into the grove?" Said one of the advisors.
The Crimson Prince paced the floor. She could tell by looking at him that he was losing his nerve. That the real reason for this conflict could come to light, and make her life much more complicated. All because Ganondorf thought she did not deserve to be loved, she would not stand such an insult. The Crimson Prince loved her and he was the best of them all. If he loved her than she was worth loving. She simply could not let this conflict with his selfrightous overbearing martyr of a brother ruin their love. It was the greatest of all the Virtues she barely silenced a laugh before it left her lips. She had to firm her standing. "My Prince if I may speak, the more time that is lost while he hides from us, the more he could rally to his cause. Even underserving of it, the staff could force others including the druids to love him, not for his virtue but inspite of it. Those who are loved should earn that love. You should go not into the Druid Grove to defile it but to save it, save it from him. Do not confuse who is our enemy."
"My Lady speaks true words of Wisdom. What of your protector Lord Tyros he nearly succeeded in arresting them before can he go?"
"No the Druid grove is warded somehow he can not enter. Nor can the other's I sent. Perhaps if that ward were to come down, my men could be of assistance."
The advisor spoke up, "I think that sending golemns into the serenity of nature is not wise. It should be living people that go. And the Velvet Lady has the largest non-golemn fighting force there is. What ward prevents enterance?"
Tatyana responded, "My Lord, Arithos. is already working on a way to allow my men enterance. Allow him the time to do that."
The Crimson Prince nodded, "I do this but with much saddness. It is his evil that forces this upon us. The rest of you send messages and runners explain what has happenned. We must convince as many of our citizens as possible where virtue stands on this topic, they will with out a doubt be confused we must act as a standard from them, its what they expect from their leaders and what Love and Nobility demand."
The Lords left and Tatyana wrapped her arm around the Prince's and said, "Thank You." THank you for chosing me above all else, perhaps I am worth something? She would thank the advisor for making the case as she told him to later. He would be thanked very well.
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Gallendriel played chasing butterflies just to the south while Ganondorf spoke to the Grand Druid. "Since you've come here we have refused to listen to your case, chosing instead to remain neutral in your conflict as we always have, as the sun rises on the just and unjust, as the Rain fails and the virtous and wicked so are we too neutral. If you had come for council then we would offer it as we always have, but you have not, you have asked for our support and protection already decided your course of action. The time has come for you to leave, we have heard in the wind that your staying here much longer will bring ruin to this grove. That can not be allowed. This grove is more immortal than Hyrule, it is as immortal as the river and the mountains Hyrule is built on. It must out last this conflict as it outlasted all previous."
Ganondorf tried not to think ill of the Druids, their wisdom and temperance were examples to him, and to see their grove was to witness the spectacular virtue of Beauty. Though at times he felt the entirely lacked the virtue of Love. Still temperance demanded their words be heeded. "Very well Grand Druid. Mervic has finished scribing the manuscripts we should leave to tell the people and work in our own way to resolve this conflict. But allow me to once more tell you what is happening, She has in her the power to destroy all the virtues and Hyrule with it. She replaces Love with Lust, Wisdom for expediency, Nobility for Selfessnes, Beauty for Vanity, and Temperance for greed. And she is making the greatest of us, The Crimson Prince the same as her. It will only be a matter of time before she comes here too."
"All things come in seasons even virtue. Your decision has been made there is nothing more we can offer you."
Ganondorf nodded and motioned to Nicodemues and Mervic it was time to go. Picking up Gallendrial in his arms he embraced her. They made for the floating bridge it seemed the golemns were his only choice. Not too far south there was a gate that could take him high into the mountains close to the valley the golemns were stored in. He would head there.
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The ships stopped just off the coast of the Druid's isle. The river was not very deep but neither were the boats so they could come right to the shoreline. They waited there until sunset. Tyros stood on the deck of the ships watching the sun go down. As it touched the horizon he patiently walked along the deck of the ship and placed a key into the locks of all the collars and unlatched them. The beasts could serve well when properly controlled but were too dangerous to let them walk around with out some degree of control. He had spent most of his life hating and hunting the beasts. After centuries of doing so he realized while their incredible strength and drive made them horrible enemies it also made them useful servents. Like any animal they could be domesticated, even bred and improved -- the filth.
Breading, training and using them kept him valueable to Tatyana. It was shocking to think that for the longest time he was hunting her and trying to kill her. That was before he met her. Just upong seeing her he knew she was not the evil he thought. She was sitting in the woods crying, lost and scared. Werewolves were circling her about to attack. He saved her, and for a time she loved him, even made him immortal. And despite her growing to hate him she still loved her.
He could not blame her for hating him, he was only a shadow of what he once was. He no longer felt greatness in himself. It was disheartening to feel your whole life you were meant for something great, had a huge destiny to fulfil and now thats no longer true. He did not need it though, he had her. And while she had other lovers and conquests none had staid with her like he had. Its because he was useful he found a purpose. And for that purpose he could remain close, smell her scent, hear her voice look on her body and occasionally feel her skin. She was all he wanted all that matterred.
The last man was uncollarred as the sun sunk in the west. "Wake them." He said as a command and two uncollarred men went below each deck to open the coffins. The Lady wanted to be sure this was solved quickly so she sent were wolves and cold ones, as the elves called them, in number to do what Tyros could not.
He then nodded to Arithos. He hated the man as he hated all of her toys but he needed the wizard to get into his prey. The wizard stood on the front desk of the ship rolling up the sleeves of his rob and adjusting his sash. They always have to look so pretty, no value in function. "Just go elf." He said realizing that he was once an elf so using it a curse should hurt his own feelings. But, he had not been an elf for a long time.
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Arithos stepped onto the rocky shore and step by step made his way into the grove. The thick soft green grass cushioned every step. As the night was rapidly approaching some of the plant even began to glow. The beatiful trees stretched for their branches and then drapped their leaves over the narrow walk ways. Everyting was perfect, butterfiles danced to the sound of the wind between the rocks and for a moment he forgot why he was here. Then he remembered her face, and how not even the beauty of this place could compare with her. He wanted ot be with her, wanted to touch her again. She said that if he did this he could have her again, and that was worth risking his life for, that was worth killing for, there is no price he would not pay.
He only made it a few more steps until one of the druids just walked out of the trees. "More univited guests." The druids were serious about their privacy, few elves outside of their order ever saw the grove and none come who were not invited. They stood in Hyrule as a symbol of something outside even the rule of virtue, a reminder that Hyrule has to live in balance with the land King Hyrule had found them. A reminder that somethings should not be touched and not be defiled. He broke the crystal and as the black liquid touched the ground that all changed.
As the potion he had made, largely a mixture of Tatyana's own blood magnified by his own enchantments, spilt onto the ground death raced out in all directions. Grass dired turned yellow then brown then curled up and fadded to dust. Expanding out in a violent circle the ring of death took the light from the flowers. The trees contracted and shrank until all the water was gone from them and hard rock skeletons were all that remained.
Druids were all quickly arriving trying desperately to undo what he had done. But they were not fast enough the worst was yet to come. Growls and snarls filled the air as a pack of hairy drooling ugly beasts rushed past him leaping onto the druids shredding them with their teeth and claw. One lept for the throat of the druid who had confronted him to be met with a fireball thrown from the druids hand. The beast screamed as the druid calm as the great river itself bowed his head and began to pray. Swarms of locus appears as from no where and attacked the beasts. It did not seem to hurt them but certainly broke their ranks and charge. Gave them something to attack besides the druids.
This was not part of the plan, he was to lower the ward and the traitors were to be captured not the druids slain. He had to find Tyros and stop this. Lightning cracked the sky and struck a group of the beasts sending them flying. Thorn bushes sprung from the dry ground ensnaring the beasts, and Arithos. It hurt to move. Wiggling more than an inch causes a large thorn to stab into his flesh and pour his blood on this once sacred ground.
Then the cold ones came. They flew through the air in tufts of smoke and mist. Then would land and physically break the Druids. He saw one lift a druid over his head and tear him in half at the waste drinking the blood as it rained down upon him. They moved through the thorn bushes as if they were not there at all.
It was Tyros who cut him free using those strange curved swords of his. Before the mage could even say thank you Tatyana's general, as it would seem, marched over the the praying druid. He was being held on both sides by cold ones. Tyros looked down upon him in his simple robes and laughed. "Your faith could not stop us, where is he?"
"You are not alive. Nature's embrace has not place for you. When one dies one should die." Was the druid's response.
"You will be well aquianted with death before the night is over druid. Tell me where is Ganondorf."
"He was right we should have listenned. Though it appears we had not the power to hold you back. I wonder if anyone does. I will tell you nothing. All things die, if my flower no longer blooms I am ready for the winter."
"Of course you do not fear death, but you fear undeath. The twisted perverted state that we are. How terrible for you to have to become one of us."
"You wouldn't. You have no sould. I plead with you show mercy."
"Tell me! where is Ganondorf?"
The Druid closed his eyes for a long moment considering his options it would seem. Then with courage and resovle that exemplified the virtue of Nobility he grasp his holy symbol to Demeter hanging from his belt and declared, "FOUL CREATURES OF DEATH! THE LADY OF NATURE REBUKES YOU AND COMMANDS YOU TO FLEE FROM THIS SACRED GROUND! YOUR UNHOLY SHELLS MUST DEPART." Green light shoot from the holy symbol illuminating the entire grove and causing the two cold ones next to him to flee in what would seem to be terror. Strange how in some ways they seemed creatures born of terror.
Tyros himself seemed to be frozen but uttered words as commands, "Mage, the symbol."
Arithos did not know what to do. The druid had envoked the sacred name of the mother of the forest and it caused the creatures to flee. The could not enter the grove until he made it possible, was he on the wrong side? Who am I fighting for? Then of course he knew, Tatyana. For Love. He quickly cast an enchantment which caused the holy symbol to fly from the druids hands.
"Well done mage." Tyros said as beasts leaped on the druid and pinned him down. Tyros slowly walked over to him, "You will tell me all I need to know when you awaken." With that Tyros bit into his neck like he was an animal, like he was one of the wolf spirit beasts he controlled.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
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