Nathan admired the man's devotion and strength a greater friend he could not hope for, and yet he had many. Lana and even Jillian's love and devotion not just to him but the light lifted and supported him helping him do things he could never do alone. To think he almost lost Lana caused him to shiver. He would do his best to protect her, he loved her more deeply than he thought possible. His life required a devotion and sacrifice to the light that was absolute. He thought there would be no room in his life or heart for love of another. He was glad to find that the truth was actually his love for her and she for him somehow magnified his devotion to the light and his capacity to do it.
They went about their orders.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I can not find Keshala but the rest are with Dessad and 6 werewolves including Owen. They are back from the front lines it looks like they are just waiting for something. Owen goes back and forth between that camp and the packs engaging the lightning sworn. He just left a few moments ago." Katsumi reported. Nathan nodded, "Thank you. I know its not easy to sneak up on werewolves you should be commended for your skill."
He drew his sword knelt next to Soskai and Rowenna. He prayed that Hajama grant him and them the bravery to face this challenge as he has down before. He prayed that the truth be strong enough to win this fight for souls. He prayed he be strong enough to fight that fight.
Placing his sword between them and firm in his grasp he nodded to Lana who used a spell to wake them from their sleep. As their eye opened he acted instantly "THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE." Reciting the life equation he placed the sword to the skin of each. Power seemed to pulsate from his words and faith through the sword into them. The convulsed and the omega sign in their eyes faded as they fell back into a sleep. Hope had been restored they had been saved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAHHHHHHHH
"
"Screamed Darkness millions of miles away. He had been pushed out of the vessels. Someone had forcefully removed his hold. It was impossible. It meant his hold was not perfect. Now more than ever he needed the amplification the staff could offer and he needed Nathan dead. No more games. "Tatyana Tyros COME TO ME NOW!!!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He forced his power throug the vessel Keshala to the point that forced her blood vessels to pop under the skin. Bruising and blood blisters dotted her entire body but he was able to snap the chains around his ankles. Spinning to the floor he landed on his feet and charged at the guard. Disarming him and tearing his throat out with one violent motion he took to spider climb running along the wall to disorient and leap upon the next guard. Forcing the raw energy of the threads through the vessel he cut the threads holding the metal grate in place causing it to fall into another dimension, then lept out the hole into the next level. He could feel a large blood vein pop in the vessel's chest. The vessel would not last long. He had to get the staff piece to Desaad before it expired.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using all three of the vessel's mouths he barked orders, "Lucilla 250 yards from here Jillian is waiting guarding your old pack. Find her and kill her." Lucilla was transforming and running before he finished the words. Nathan would could for these vessels too. "Dessad, when the Seeker of truth comes over that ridge focus entirely on him. The rest of you wolves protect Ara's body her powers as a mage may win us the day. And if any of you gets a chance to kill that Lana girl take it. Besides that just defend me. Something else is coming to handle the situation."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the sun setting behind him Nathan approached brave and confident the day would soon be his. "Hello Darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again." He said raising his sword to the heavens. The Vessel Ara case a ball of fire toward the seeker with Kaeden in human form and Lana following him. The spell from an evil source disintegrated harmlessly when it reached 10 feet from Nathan's position.
"Kill the girl." Duncan said and the wolves charged foaming at the mouth for blood. Lana cast a fireball of her own followed by a lightning bolt catching the tightly gathered pack all at once. Fur and bones and blood began raining from the sky.
Duncan lept with power beyond his own taking the form of a leap kick at Nathan. Kaeden stepped in and took the blow causing him to be knocked back by the unnatural strength even feeling some ribs break. Duncan pulled him up by the hair and went for a neck breaking strike. Nathan shield rushed Duncan pushing him back making him drop his friend.
Nial was preparing to cast some spell in connection with Ara. Just before it was cast Katsumi appears as if from no where covering his face with a rag. The bard fell to the ground and what must have been a much weaker form of magic missile struck Lana square and true causing her to tumble down over dune.
Kaeden and Duncan resumed their battle and Nathan had the time to project his Life equation. As he opened his mouth to speak, only a high pitch ringing could be heard. After a moment he realized it was the only thing he could sense. After another moment, he realized it was himself screaming in pain.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A werewolf appeared as if from no where taking Jillian by surprise taking her off her feet and to the ground hard. She thought fast enough to parry the bite by shoving her armored forearm into its mouth. The beast shredded the armor with its powerful jaws and tore it from her arm. Before it could strike again the confessor help pelted it with a rock in the head. Lucky Shot! Jillian thought to herself but used the distraction to roll out from under the beast.
She then realized this was not just any werewolf. She recognized it-- Lucilla. Owen had been working for Darkness. She did not have time to think past that as the beast was charging the defenseless confessor. She notched her bow with a silver tipped arrow and fired. The shaft flew true and struck the beast in the ribs. But it was too late. Lucilla tore into the confessor with a fierceness and brutality unmatched. All Jillian could do was keep firing. She shot again, and again and again.
By now, Lucilla had nearly a half dozen arrows sticking from her and blood watering the sand yet she did not appear to slow down. Silver did hurt these thing. She thought as she offered an earnest prayer. Lucilla was charging back now. Jillian felt the urge to panic but her prayer to Hajama kept her stance strong. She took the time to aim a shot. The aiming would take too long leaving her exposed and defenseless to an attack she considered for the briefest of moments dodging and then trying to set up for another shot. Then Nathan's words ran in her head, To take no action or to refrain from no action due to fear. That is our gospel that is our oath. She stood and release the shot.
The momentum of Lucilla's charge barreled her over knocking the wind out of her. The 300 pound beast on top of her helped keep the breath from her lungs. She tried to lift Lucilla off but could not. Then she moved. Jillian sat up and saw the arrow jutting out of the left eye of Lucilla perfectly placed. She then saw a haggard Rowenna leaning over it. She must have pushed her off of me.
With shock and horror they watched as Lucilla reverted back to her elven form pierced by multiple arrow, the look of hatred and disdain still upon her face. Rowenna barely breathing said, "Keshala is in the tower. She almost has the staff." Then the exhausted ranger slumped down on the sand, "Go I'll be ok after a minute, you have to tell Nathan."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lana carried the rock tucked under her left arm. After her fight with Miriska she could not cast the same spells or as many as before and she thought to save them now. She forced her wounded body up the dune and saw Dessad in this faded crimson robe staring at Nathan as he shook on the ground uncontrollably. Ara had held Katsumi in place and was preparing to cut her throat, Lana was out of time. She jumped up and struck Dessad on the back of the head with her rock causing him to cascade down the dune she had just climbed.
Ara turned her attention from the held Katsumi to Lana giving her a shocking grasp. Luckily Lana recognized the spell and moved away before it could take full effect but the shock still sent her to the ground dizzy. Ara stood over her the Omega symbols in her eyes and flipping through a spell book to cast another spell. Lana could not survive another one she tried to sit up but found herself unable, instead she prayed.
Through her prayer she heard the words truth and compassion and Hope. She opened her eyes to see Nathan standing tall and statuesque raising the seeker sword to the now star filled sky. The sword emitted a light that bathed them all in warmth. It was unlike the warmth of the Deseret around them. It was a comforting warmth that spoke to the very inside of one's soul. He had found her hope and it was him.
Ara, and Duncan fell to the ground unmoving but breathing. He did it. Of course he did. There is nothing he can not do. No man could deserve her love or be loved by her more.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owen could smell Nathan and Lana. He saw from a far dune Dessad falling and then Nathan project some light in waves across the embattled group. It was what he did not see that bothered him. No Lucilla. He caught her scent on the wind and followed it. It was only another hundred yards or so he ran as fast as he could until his heart broke. He saw an elven Lucilla coverred in arrow strikes blood drained out from her into the sand and sitting next to her restringing a bow was Rowenna. Hatred and rage pulsated with in him. You took my only friend from me. In a moment of clarity he realized Rowenna was not one to attack friends, but Lucilla was. Darkness or Dessad may have ordered the attack and Rowenna was defending herself. Rowenna may pay for this crime but not now. First he had to strike at Dessad while he was still weakened, it would exact his revenge and ensure that bastard never hurt him again.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyros and Tatyana came into Lord Darkness's chambers rushed by his calling. He snapped at them. "You are too slow fools. I have lost the vessels and risk losing the staff. Sleep."
Tyros replied, "My lord?"
Darkness rose from his throne and struck Tyros across the left side of his head sending him sprawling to the floor out cold. He turned to his bride and grabbing her throat threw her into the stone wall doing the same to her. Then he entered their dreams.
The world moved much slower outside the dream giving him time to give them orders. They all three stood in an empty black room with just a raging fireplace behind Lord Darkness.
He spoke with purpose, "Nathan the seeker of truth has found a way to undo the equation. All I have built could be lost. He has freed the puppets from my control. I have one that I am moving to the staff now. He must be killed so that his secret dies. . ." Looking at Tatyana's beautiful perfect body he considers for just a moment, "No, my dear lets do this one your."
The dream became a series of Dessert dunes with Nathan leaning over a wounded Lana. Darkness woke them from the dream having dream walked them there.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan laid his hands on Lana and could see the miracle of Hajama work healing to her broken body. Kaeden was administering healing as best he could too. Lana sat up and point to the south, Nathan turned to look. It was Jillian running up, "My Lord." She said out of breath. "It worked, they are waking up." She gasp falling to the ground exhausted by combat and sprinted in armor. "Keshala is in the mountain tower." Sicking up from exertion she then continues, "She almost has the staff."
Kaeden spoke up, "That's not the only problem. He was looking north and they all saw moving toward them the Mythryl clad Lord Tyros." Nathan acted quickly, "Lana you and Jillian take them back to someplace safe give them time to wake up. We'll need their help in all of this I think so don't leave." She nodded came to her feet and began casting levitate on the limp bodies, and dispelling Katsumi's being held. "Kaeden the tower get Keshala." He refuted the order, "I should stand against him give you time to get to Keshala only you can release her."
Nathan met the refused order with compassion, "Your heart is great my friend, but you can not stand against Tyros, and I can not move as fast as you to get to Keshala. You doubt the strength of her faith, remind her of it and she will free herself. Now Go." With no more hesitation Kaeden took his Pegasus form and wings spread wide ascended into the starry night racing over the giant scorpions keeping guard and to the rock tower.
Nathan turned his attention from the friend he hoped to see again to the Katana blades coming down at him. Raising his shield he deflected the blows despite their force. He called lighting down with his sword onto the attacker. The lightning reflected off the armor creating a sea of glass from the sand around his feet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owen returned to the place where he saw Dessad fall. He saw lighting crash from the sky onto Lord Tyros whose flurry of blades looked to kill Nathan before too long. Nathan had never meant him harm and was kind enough, but this was also no longer his fight. He ignored them and focused on finding Desaad. Only, Dessad was not where Lana left him and his scent went cold. He smelled something sweet, something wonderful, something that was inviting and even arousing covering all of the scents in the area. A column of flame raced across the dune tops above him from the fight of the two men. I am not dieing here. He thought as he raced back to the pack.
Back at the pack they had retreated from the battle lines as the Blue Dragon screamed across the sky. This can not be won. I will not risk my life nor the life of my people for Darkness. He spoke to them, "This is over. Tyros himself has taken the field. We are to move east to the shore." The pack obeyed with out question as they did to an alpha. He was not sure where to go after the shore but it was a direction. Dessad and Darkness would come looking for their back and when they did he would have to be ready.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jillian and Lana could still see hear and feel the earth shake from the battle Nathan and Tyros were having. Lana helped lay the survivors down comfortably as they start to awaken. "Jillian look after them." She said opening her spell book. Jillian spoke up, "Where are you going, our orders are here, you've cast too much today you can't hope to help."
She said only, "And what did Nathan do for me when it seemed he could not save me?" She read the incantation and flew back toward the earth trembling battle.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Everything else had fallen apart but he would at least get the staff piece. He forced life energy into the vessel through the threads. Covered in the blood of the vessel and of his enemies Darkness forced the vessel forward.
Slowly he shuffled to the staff. He reached for it and just as his fingers grasped it, a blade came down severing the arm two inches above the wrist. With a jerky motion he turned to see Kaeden sword drawn forcing himself between Darkness and the staff. "Keshala can you hear me?" He said in vain. Darkness thought he heard Keshala inside his own head responding but by brute force of will he suppressed it. "What will you do horseman?" Kaeden reached for her laying his hands on her healing the arm to a stub. Darkness responded by grabbing Kaeden by the throat and lifting him off the ground. The vessel's organs began to fail exploding with too much power. Kaeden readied his sword and Darkness plunged the vessel's chest up on it. Forcing speech through the puppet he continued, "If I leave Keshala dies. You can not stop the Darkness, It is always there no matter how bright you think your light burns, the shadows always remain waiting to take the room once the fire burns out."The vessels' strength gave out and the arm holding Kaeden broke causing him to fall to the floor. The vessel started to fall backwards its legs turning to mush. Darkness forces them up like pegs and attempted and jolting walk resting against the ledge of a window. Kaeden continued to speak to her, "No your wrong. You know that the truth has already liberated other's you've captured. There maybe a lot of Darkness in the world and some people may find it easier to extinguish the light of good with in themselves then to use it to ward the Darkness of the world around them, but that is not you Keshala. You know that there is compassion and goodness in everyone. And no soul walks so far in the shadow that it can not find the light. Believe in your faith and believe in the miracles you once so easily saw. Do you believe?"
Beloved Ishtar goddess of love and war, hear me now. I repent of the doubt I once embraced and beg your deliverance. Deliver your faithful subject and I shall execute your will. Darkness heard the vessel say, "I believe." and then he was no longer connected to her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaeden saw the omega symbols leave her eyes but then death entered them. Like someone had cut the strings on a marionette she went limp and fell back over the window ledge and out of the tower. He sprinted sprung out the window and transformed into the pegasus shape. It was a quick and sharp dive, he had to accelerate his decent with his wings reaching a velocity he knew he could not fully recover from.
At the last moment, he swept in and caught the priestess preventing her from hitting the ground and cushinging her blow, but he had to absorb most of it. Despite his excellent flight skills he tried to recover the dive and it was too late he was too close to the ground and his feet caught the rocks causing him to tumble. His left foreleg broke as did his face and 6 ribs. He turned to human form to spit up blood. Worst of all it had been no use. The twisted lifeless body of Keshala lay strewn about the rocks.
He crawled over attempting to heal her but to no avail. I have to get back to Nathan, Light be with you priestess at least you died free. Just then a white light began to glow with in her chest until it radiated out of her eyes. It raced down her veins and healed the wounds in her arms, legs and chest even regrowing her severed arm. The light lifted her off the ground and left her standing. She opened her eyes and for a moment seemed lucid of everything. "Praise by Ishtar." She said before collapsing from what must be system shock. Kaeden caught her before she hit the ground and transforming flew her back to be with the others.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyros kneed Nathan in the gut then swept his legs from under him. Nathan knew the next strike would remove his head. The strike hit the armor plate on his back, he missed on purpose.
A velvet voice dipped in honey cut through the violence with soothing tones and a placating force. He looked up stunned and struck breathless by loveliness personified. The dessert wind blew her hair into one smooth silken wave. She wore a sleeveless red corset that seemed to just barely contain two perfectly curved supple porcelain white bosom. The purple in her eyes met his and his gift saw a woman in pain, a victim.
He fought with all of his discipline to keep his urges controlled. Just looking on her caused his thoughts to race and it was as if he could feel part of his brain going to sleep and only the yearning to be close to her remain. Her hips were perfect and she moved with a fluid graced that invited him. An invitation he could hardly refuse. Now oblivious to the fact he was fighting Tyros he stared at her and even found his hand reaching out for her.
He steeled his nerve, this must be some sort of trick. He had heard of Tatyana perhaps this was the spell she cast on others. However, he could not see the harm in embracing this spell. How horrible would it be to lay with her. To have her and to let her have him, it would be worth any price. NO!. I am a paladin of Hajama such thoughts are below me. Perhaps she could be below me. He shock his head and covered his eyes refusing to let the thoughts take hold.
When he could no longer see her, it was her honey dipped voice that continued to stroke his desire for her. "Lord Tyros, I know what we were sent to do but... His goodness his strength was enough to stand against even Lord Darkness. Not just to stand against him but he freed others from his grasp. Perhaps he could free us."
Electricity and anticipation shot through his body as he felt the cold velvetly soft touch of her hand meeting his. She lowered his hands causing his eyes to fall directly down her corset to see more of her perfect breasts than was decent. He forced himself to look up and met her eyes. He thought it must be an illusion he used true seeing. He saw a scared unloved little girl who desperately wanted affection and was being crushed under Darkness's control. She wanted to be free of him but loved him too. No soul can walk so far in the shadow they can not find the light.
"Come with me Seeker, you can save me. Reach down into my core where I've become so numb and Bring me to LIFE." He embraced her, his arm around her slender waist sending tingling sensations through his arm and spine as he felt her waste. He pulled her close to him breathing in her scent and aroma.
"Nathan!" He heard Lana screaming.
He said eyes locked in Tatyana's purple pools, "If there is a chance I can save them I must." His words were no longer to the other girl but now to Tatyana, "I ask you lead me not into temptation."
She smiled her full red lips and whispered in his ear sending air in cool rushes down his neck, "Deliver me from evil." Then she kissed him full and strong and all inhibition faded. Tatyana teleported them and Tyros away.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of the Reign of Darkness
No comments:
Post a Comment