Lightning cracked and rushed from Luthers fingers toward the dwarves. Grumpy moved quickly placing his white shield bravely forward. The magic of the shield reflected the attack back to the dragon mage.
The demon knew he could not win, not and keep his purpose, so he fled as fast as he could. He collided with a wooden man.
The tree man spoke as a breeze across his leaves, "you were with the other organics, the girl. Where is she?"
"Yes, good sir, I can take you to her. View my mind and teleport us. We shall find her. Time is on our side."
The explosion of fire almost threw them to the ground. Luther had ended his struggle with the dwarves and was coming for him, "quickly friend I am the only way to her."
He teleported the demon out of the darkwood and to the camp of zyr. Time indeed was on his side. across
The organics had escaped, before the Grand Pumba arrived. There was a great deal of argument stating they should have just killed them, they were responsible for the destruction of the lantern and the chaos of the city. However, he did not believe that. Especially the one. He found an innate favorability to her, as though there was an innate unseen connection. She could not be the villain he knew it.
He must find her, and study the connection and understand it. Yes, it was simply to study and understand. Though, it was true he would enjoy looking upon her again. He would enjoy to be near her again. In his pondering, he began to wonder if she felt the same connection, if she would look forward to seeing him again. It seemed crazy but it was as if before he saw her his database was incomplete but the variable which was missing was unknown to him until now.
The variable, her, completed his equation. He must find her again.
He would convince Polaridin to take him from city 01 and from the outside he would find her. He would complete the equation.
The goblins worshipped these nightengales as their gods, or messengers of their god. And the nightengale armor had a holy symbol on it that matched the sketches in the captains book. And the goblins had made him their chief.
So in order to find this fountain of lucky water all he had to do was order them to take him there. They took it all as a holy edict and matched out into the wild. They were headed for something called the shadow path or the shrouded way, the trail of the nightengale.
From his days with the agency he knew of nightengales. Best thieves in the world, they had unnatural luck always able to slip through unoticed. Tapping the source of that luck would lead to treasure and success beyond imagination.
It was obvious something else had been there. Traps sprung and broken, dead nightengales litter the ground and dragon bones in piles. The goblins, a superstitious lot, does in droves leaving him alone.
The leading man easily worked to the center of the temple. Though as luck would have it, there was only a dry fountain and no treasure. He searched and searched again until he found just a few drops pooled in a crack between rocks. He dipped his finger in and let the drops run down into his mouth.
A female voice strained through the chamber, "my link to the world closed when the skeleton key removed, luck has run dry. Return it to me."
Ah a quest then, perfect for the leading man.
All he needed was a clue as to who did this. As luck would have it, he saw a dagger on the ground that was just that.
The following in a non cannon apocraphal work by genevan bards to celebrate the dawn of the keeper, genevas most holy holiday. When I found it I wanted to share it.
All the Genevans in Atlanta love the light a lot,
but Malekite who lived just west of Geneva did not.
He hated the light -the isles whole mission.
Please Don't ask why No one quit knows the reason.
It could his one wing wasn't attached just right.
It could be perhaps his gauntlets were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes to small.
But whatever the reason, his wing or his gauntlets might.
He stood there in his Empire hating the light.
Staring down from his throne,
At the the Genevans happy home.
For he knew every Genevan in Atlanta below
Was headed to a temple their prayers to bestow.
"And they are offering sacrifices." He said with a shear,
"The dawn of the keeper its practically here."
Then he howled his one wing beating,
"I must find a way to Keep the dawn retreating."
For tomorrow he knew all the Genevans Would awake bright and early, leave all their wares.
And then oh the prayers. Oh the prayers prayers prayers.
That's one thing he hated, the prayers prayers prayers.
And then they did something he hated most of all.
Every genevan down in Atlanta. The tall and the small.
Would stand close together with temple bells ringing.
They'd stand hand in hand and start singing. There can be miracles when you believe...
The more Malekite thought of the hymn of hope sing
The more he thought "I must stop this whole thing.
For years and years I've put up with this thing.
I must stop the dawn from coming."
But how?
Then he got an idea, an awful idea,
Malekite got a wonderful awful idea.
"I know just what ill do." Malekite laughed in this throat.
And he made a quick logar-esqe cape and a cloak.
"What a great evil trick." The one winged grinned.
"With this cape and this cloak, I look like the rider of wind."
"All I need is a Pegasus..."
Malekite looked around.
But since Pegasus were scarce their were none to be found.
So he called his consort Samantha. Then he took some blue thread
And cast a polymorph off the top of his head.
Then malekite said, "giddap."
And the mount started down
Toward Atlanta where the genevans lay a snooze in their beds.
All their Windows were dark. Quiet filled the air.
All the genevans were all dreaming sweet dreams without care.
When he came to the first temple on the square.
This is stop number one the old malekite mogath hissed
And he climbed to the roof empty bags in his fist.
Then he slid past the wards. A rather tight pinch.
But if logar could do it, so could vegeta.
Then he found the little gold shrines all laid in a row.
"These shrines," he grinned, "are the first things to go."
Then he slithered and slunk, with his smile again,
Around the whole isle, he killed every paladin.
Altars, and incense, cannon and shrines,
Holy symbols, tithes, and sacrifices in no time.
He stuffed them all in bags of holding.
Then one by one, on the sacrifical bread he cast molding.
He grabbed an altar and started to shove,
When he heard a small sound like the COO of a dove.
He turned around fast and he saw a young priestess.
Little elaina mogath, who truth him the leastest.
Malekite had been caught by his tiny daughter
Who'd got out of bed to pray at the altar.
She stared at the one wing and said, "logar why,
Why are you taking our altar why?"
But you know that old angel was so smart and so slick
Ht thought up a lie and he thought it up quick.
"Why my sweet little servant," the fake mogath lied,
"There incense on this altar that won't burn on one side.
So I'm taking back to Olympus my dear.
I'll fix it up there. Then ill bring it back here."
His fun fooled the child. Then he patted her head and sent her to bed.
And the one speck of food he left in the house
Was a crumb even too small for a mouse.
Then he did the same thing
To all the other light temples
Leaving tithes much to small
For the other gods coffers.
It was a quarter past sunrise...
He took the isle to the sea
All the genevans still a snooze.
When he loaded his chariot, with glee
Packed it with up with their tithes, their shrines, the paladin souls.
The altars, their bells that would toll.
Thousands of miles down, to the shores of styx,
He rode with his load to dump with a kick.
"Pooh pooh to Genevans" he was vilishly humming.
"They are finding out now that no dawn is coming!
They just wake up, I know just what they will do
Their mouths will hang open for a moment or two
Then the genevans in Atlanta will all cry boo hoo"
"That's a noise," grined the one wing"that I simply must hear!"
So he paused and placed a hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the morning glow
It started in low then it stated to grow.
But the sound wasn't sad!
Why that sound sounded glad!
Every genevan down in Atlanta, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any paladin at all!
There can be miracles if you believe,
Though hope is frail its hard to kill.
He hadn't stopped the dawn of the keeper from coming.
It came!
Somehow or another it came just the same!
And malekite with his feet wet in the styx,
Stood puzzling: "how could it be so?
It came without temples, it came without a shrine!
It came without paladins, or symbols it came right on time"
He puzzled until his puzzled was sore.
Then he thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe the Dawn," he thought, " doesn't come from the isle.
Maybe the Light...perhaps...he could never defile!"
And what happenned then...?
Well in Atlanta they say
That vegetas small heart
Grew three sizes that day!
And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight,
He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light
And he brought back the souls! And raised with isle with his rope!
And he, malekite himself ...
Sang the hymn of hope!
Tiiiime is on my side. Yes it is. The demon thought as he observed the city. The three dwarves he travelled with were full of rage after what had happenned and they felt helpless as wounded as they were. They were leaving city 01 despite it being at its most vulnerable. He could not possess the golemns, at least not yet, so he needed the dwarf bodies to continue. But could he leave Zyrs enemies stronghold when he had the oppertunity to destroy them?
The dwarves had the right idea, destroy the lamps and let the chaos magic do the work. If he could plan this right, his ride out would remain free of danger and the city would die.
Speaking through docs mouth he gave orders and doopy grumpy and bashful obeyed. One by one they worked through the city. Grumpys shield of reflection protecting bouncing back blows, and doopys hammer bringing down lamps. He was only concerned once when they got surrounded too far from the lamp post, but it worked to bait in dozens for when bashful snuck up and destroyed it unseen. The golemns all fizzled out as their protection gave way.
He felt victory was just a matter of time, and time he had. Yes it is. Until a very confusing thing happenned. The golemns attempted to parley, they sent a dwarf looking golemn forward. "Please master dwarves we beg mercy. Our city is in chaos and ruin. The voice of Apocalypse is gone hundreds of our comrads are dead. Our religion to malekite has been taken from us, all we know is the last thought from the lantern was to forsake malekite and we have. We are at your mercy and we beg only to have the right you enjoy, the right to live."
He knelt before the demon and the demon considered what he had just heard. They no longer served Malekite, broken and confused sheep. Their destruction, while profitable now seemed a waste by comparison.
"Your salvation rests in my grip. My master wishes to end this war as he wishes to end all war. in the end every knee will bow and every tounges confess, but you may join the fold by choice. Let vegeta be your lord and we can destroy the god who forsook you."
Stepping out from an impressive invisibility spell was Polaridian Tel al Mordin. "We reject the offer, what else you got? My current favorite is I erase you all with a wave of my wrist and go on with my day."
It was time. Her great victory close very close. While she agreed with many of Emperor Sithis teachings, she knew his great lie -- it was not strength that gave power, but will. The will to do what needed to be done. She had that. Sacrificed her family of Dark Sisterhood, betrayed her master and killed Scorpio, and Astrid. Her beloved Astrid was lost to her now. The hard sacrifice was over. What will was needed for the remainder paled by comparison. All she must do now is kill the remaining sith who may chose to be loyal to Emperor Sithis over her. She was numb to killing family, The shock wears off after the first few times.
That was not true. The death of Astrid stung her deeply. It was because she had loved her that it hurt so deeply. Perhaps that was why she let her die. She wanted to hurt herself today, just to see if she could still feel.
Standing at the door to the sith sanctuary well hidden under city 01 where Emperor Sithis had placed his Golemns, she focused on her pain. Closing her eyes, the pain was the only thing that was real. She took a shot of moon sugar. The shot was an old and familiar sting she used to try and calm the pain. It did not work....I remember everything. I killed the only person I truly loved just to test if I was numb. What have I become?
The doors swung open easily and she strode in wearing her Nightshade armor. They greeted her warmly. why wouldn't they? I'm their friend.Start with the helpless, poison another and work my way through. Do not stop until they are all dead. It did not matter. Everyone she knew went away in the end.
When it was finished she brought in Astrid's ashes and just held them. She looked over the sanctuary the last Sith. She looked back to the ashes and asked her friend, "What have I become my sweetest friend? Everyone I know goes away in the end. But I would give it all to you to come back. You could have it all." She looked over the silent tomb she had consecrated to her own malice. "My Empire of dirt." Resisting tears she continued, "I'm sorry. I let you down. I made you hurt." The ashes gently fell from Raven's grip as she walked toward the throne built to house the spirit of Malekite. Ash by ash the remains of her love slipped through her fingers. She turned and sat on the throne made of twisted steel and bone--The liar's chair.
All alone and victorious she looked over her kingdom in her mind and found only broken thoughts which she could not repair. Getting lost in her own mind she embraced he thoughts and memories buried far beneath the stains of time to where her feelings disappeared.
She was young, but not too young for her father. He told her mother to leave, and like an obedient woman she did. She froze the memory it was too much. The little girl in the memory looked up at her. Through this mirror of decades the child said wrapped in pain and loneliness, "I am Raven Carmen Esmerdeen. You are someone else, but I am still right here."
The sith wept with the child and wrapped her in her arms, safe in her own mind she cried, "What have I become, my sweetest friend?"
The little girl Raven pulled away and looked a full circle around her seeing the carvan now as the sith left it with parents burning. Raven said to the Sith, "Everyone I know goes away in the end. But do you save me?"
The Sith replied, "If you do what I did you could have it all. My new Empire..." Raven looked up her last innocent gaze before Esmerdeen stole it from her gripping the Sith to a heart she was surprised still managed to beat, "...of dirt. No I'm afraid even I will let you down, I will make you ... hurt."
Then Raven leaned down and looked the little girl in her tear stained eyes and said, "If I could start again, a million miles away. I would keep myself, I would find away."
"You look troubled Dark Lord. Did I not fulfill my promise? Your greatest desire in exchange for your help. Power and the destruction of your enemies is now at hand. With your actions today the end of Malekite is assured and you have the keys to the Sith Kingdom." The angel Khan spoke calmly and evenly, as he always did.
Raven removed herself from her meditation and looked upon the creature with silence.
"But power is not truly your greatest desire is it? It is forgiveness." Raven stood silent her bones shaking, "And after meeting and testing Captain Morgan you believe its possible."
After the longest moment of silence, contemplation, realization, relief, and hesitance Khan spoke, "I know how you feel. As you now are I once was, as I now am you may become.
When you try your best, but you don't succeed When you get what you want, but not what you need When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep"
She was tired, so very tired. Tired of always running, and doing what was necessary, tired of having nothing and no one. She had always got what she wanted but never once had she got what she needed-- a chance.
Pointing to the blowing ashes upon the ground Khan continued,
"And the tears come streaming down your face When you lose something you can't replace When you love someone, but it goes to waste Could it be worse?
The Light will guide you home And ignite your soul And I will try to fix you"
Falling to her knees Raven bleed tears her all powerful self hatred speaking, "There is no salvation for me."
"But if you never try you'll never know Just what you're worth
Let the Light guide you home And ignite your soul
I will try to fix you"
He reached down and with the hand of an angel he wiped the tears from he face. "Tears stream down your face When you lose something you cannot replace Tears stream down your face And I..."
She interrupted. If forgiveness was possible she wanted it. Then she vowed.
"I promise you I will learn from my mistakes Tears stream down your face And I...
Light will guide me home And heal my soul. And I will try to fix me."
Balthier was not exactly clear on the specifics but he was pretty sure these goblins had made him their chief. he spoke goblin but this was a strange dialect.
He sat on a strange bone and stone throne and was presented with a sceptor of sorts. It was made from a petrified spine and skull of some sabretooth cat. They paraded daughters adorned in feathers and blood before him. He laughed and said in common. "Cats yes, dogs no thanks." They looked confused but then started chanting something about a bird.
They then paraded out an idol. It was not just an idol it was a suit of armor, it was then Balthier realized they weren't saying bird, they were saying nightengale. And it is their god. "Oh this is interesting, very interesting."
The clans of Gritorn and Bosmer were defeated. The proud greens and the deadly blacks alike over run and unprepared for the onslaught that met them. Never would they have thought a force or any combination of armies could best a single one of them. The thought that entire clans could be defeated, until recently, defied imagination. Tasked by the Savior to guard the western border from the forsworns forces they made their stand in the vast marshes and swamp lands. For days the battles rang on until both Gritorn and Bosmer were exhausted fighting their immortal opponents.
The stars were brightly shining, as the Pit Fiend general flew into the defeated dragons camp. He spoke with a voice transported from hell, "Long has the multiverse suffered with war and discord. Until Zyr came the bringer of peace. You fight us but the world should rejoice. For with your defenses down, yonder breaks a new and glorious mourn." He pointed to the eastern sky where the first shades of light relieved the long black of night. "It is your first morning in the service of the One Winged Angel. He who shall bring peace to us all. Fall to your knees!" The command was enforced by Abashi and similar demons striking the knees of the beaten dragons. "Hear the demons singing:"
Then the hellish chorus joined in singing with their evil hiss and hymn they must all know and sang it in the infernal tounge:
Truly he taught us to serve one another, His law is order and is gospel is peace, Chains shall he break for the enemy is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease, Let all within us praise his holy name.
The crowd fell silent and the defeated clans hope for death disappeared. They knew they would be made to serve Zyr, either willingly or possessed compelled and eventually consumed by the demon horde.
Vincence, the leader of the Bosmer clan thought painfull, Perhaps they are right. If we can not stop him who can? And if he can not be stopped he will end all war with his rule.
The Red Saints staff blasted a beam of holy light against the starry night as if he were Apollo himself. The demons scattered from it but it did not matter. The legion of angels conjured and bent to his service now easily slayed the beast with their broken formations. The demons in a matter of weaks he had forced the demons north and found them holed up in an ancient hyrule city. He wanted to spend more time gathering Harmonium forces before he started his campaign against Zyr. Yet, he knew the greatest tool he had to recruit the just to his cause was victory. As he gained just victory over the forsworn the just would find and follow him. Justice begat justice.
For long has this world lay in sin and error pinning. Victory would bring hope and cause the world to rejoice. The Red Saint was here to bring a new and glorious morn.
Exodus held the Balor leader captive with the help of two Harmonium.
"Fall on your knees." The Harmonium told him with a strike to the back of the head just as the Red Saint approached.
The Red Saint began to evoke his blesssing, "On this night divine. I have led the light by faith serenely beaming."
The Demon spat back, "You fight the great uniter, he who shall end all war. It is only his law that matters. Defeat me yes, but defeat him shall not be done. I will never aid you."
The Red Saint knew he spoke the truth and with a single line from the Vega the Balor was dust.
Turning then to his ranks of faithful and conscripted angels he lifted his hand to gain their attention and earn their silence.
Exodus called out the verse:
The Red Saints Law is Just and his gospel supreme, Chains shall he bring and make the unjust our slave, And in his name all unjustice shall cease, Sweet Hymns of Joy in grateful chorus raise we, Let all within us praise his holy name.
The cheers echoed throughout the night. The Holy Night where the Saint continued his campaign to bring justice to an unjust world and started his campaign to rid that world of all things Zyr.
Mordin felt the weight of the world. Whose shoulders would it rest on if not his? His brethren dieing fighting an unkillable enemy, broke his heart. He thought that once galan was in charge the isle would be reasonable once again, but alas he appears just as foolish as Atrayu. Maybe more so, releasing zyr is much worse than anything Atrayu had done.
It had forced him to align with Malekite. While the agreement was very profitable he still had reservations. Malekites strength was failing. Khan seemed to be outsmarting him at every turn. Malekite remained convinced he could kill zyr whenever he wanted and just wanted to properly prepare. That preperation seemed to mean drawing all his strength to city 01 to protect the golemns. And left mordin again to fight alone.
He was not left entirely empty handed. He had traded his knowledge to further perfect the golemns for them mass producing soliders of his design. The golemn sentinel was a work of perfection. Like a beholder with seven stalks all casting a different defensive or offensive spell along with their inherent mobility and immunites turned the course of the war on the blood isles.
Though that victory maybe short lived, the empress with her short sites obsession issued and edict to turn over the golemns or be destroyed. She forced his hand...it was he that suggested to malekite using the spirit bomb to level andrel. He would not be struck first. They would be too busy rebuilding to worry about him. The attack would rightfully be blamed on the golemns and malekite and that is where her fury would go. He could focus on defeating vegeta.
He held on to hope, even if it was a fools hope. He would save the world alone if he must.
Balthier walked the beach. The water was too salty to drink. 3 days since he left the path, which meant 3 days without food, water or RUM.
The sand was warm though he figured if he had to starve to death at least he'd be warm, besides he was sure their would be hundreds of stories about the adventures of the leading man lost in the darkwood. And that was something.
Standing between two massive feet of what must have been a giagantic statue, He looked up at the sky watching buzzards circle around him. Then he saw hiding behind the trees what looked like a sail. Venturing off the warm beach and into the woods he found the sail attached to a whole ship. It was worn and overgrown, must have been thrown inland by a storm. Entering through a gaping hole in the side he looked to see what there was to see.
A few dead bodies, all look like they were torn apart, a set of chains that were unlocked... Interesting since the twenty other chains held the remains of dead captives. Maybe 10 years dead or so. A small bag or two of gold but of course ...no rum.
He eventually made his way to the captains quarters. The skeleton sat in his chair and stared our the window holding a small parchment in his hand. Balthier went right for his desk, found a log and a medallian some maps and useless junk. He popped the false bottom of the second drawer and found the greatest treasure in all the land.
Drinking his new found riches he read the captains log. It told of a goddess named nocturn. Something to do with shadow twilight and luck. The captian was obviously very devote in his worship and hoped to find a lost temple to her here along the southern coast of the darkwood. He wrote of a fountain poured by her hand that gave the drinker nocturns luck. But what most caught his interest was the skeleton key. It could open any lock...physical or magical or otherwise. In hopes to drink at the fountain it was said many wealthy thieves paid vast wealth in tribute that must now rest in the lost temple.
Closing the book the finished his rum and took the parchment from the captains hand. A map...of course, it seemed the leading man was meant to court lady luck.
After a well deserved nap on silk sheets he set off into the darkwood. He threw away the map, he wanted to test his luck.
The Red saint examined the city of doors as he travelled the streets. It had been a thousand of years since he last journeyed to the cage and much had changed...yet it was exactly the same. All the factions debated and even fought to prove their philosophy. Some made allies among factions who held similar views such as the fraternity of order. The people had changed but the same debates alliances and hatreds existed.
He had only enough keys to bring exodus and himself. Though justice was on his side and there could be no greater ally. He stood before the the Guvners and reported his actions, werebouts over this long time and articulated his request. He had found the section of the multiverse he had been charged with fallen into deep injustice and chaos. Men bullied the gods and stole their power using it to punish the innocent, those who claimed to fight for justice released the true vegeta into the world, and all friendships broke in the pursuit if racial bloodlust. It was not his fault. He was within inches of creating a just world when Tyr interferred. It was no surprise that the pretend protectors of his jurisdiction, which followed Tyr, had created such a world.
They needed to be stopped and justice dealt to each of them. For this the Saint called upon allies, some long forgotten. They found in his favor and produced the required edict.
From their he travelled to the Harmonium stronghold. They welcomed their old brother. Much had changed, with the faction wars and the church of rebirth the harmoniums influence across the multiverse had greatly diminished. Excited for the return of their powerful ally they rallied to his cause. They would take back their place in the multiverse and restore order and uphold justice, starting with the red saint as a center of strength.
They gifted him the armor, the gave him the weapon, they drafted him men. He would bring them justice.
While many things change only two things last forever...the law and the harmonium.
In a land torn by war but blessed with heroes, adventure thrives. In the shadow of the holy Isle of Winds--the Bastin of light, truth, and righteousness in the world--the island of Geneva holds the city of Atlanta, capital to the Island nation. It would take days, maybe weeks to travel the whole country by boat. It is a huge melting pot of racial and cultural richness. A council comprising the Blessed Keeper of the Seals Atrayu, The fearless Vanquisher of Shadows Raquel Al-Shatel, and Defender of the Earth Jerico, rule the islands in peace. To the east a land torn by war is home to man, elf, dwarf and worse. Welcome adventurers - destiny awaits you. This is their story based in a Dungeons and Dragons world.
