One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Here is where ongoing, thought out, or finalized works can be posted for the viewing pleasure of the entire forums. Please, remember to give constructive criticism to anyone asking for an opinion.
User avatar
Kaome Sky Deathand
Assessor of the Black Tontine
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:14 am
Location: Lingering at Life

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Mon Jan 26, 2009 2:16 pm

Kaome looked to Brother Bush and offered a simple shrug.
"Summon the beast, take those that volunteer or those that have displeased us most....I have not the time to quibble about beasts that aren't even here as they should be..."
Stepping outside the Chamber of the Abyss, the Deathand drank in the open halls once more.
"...it's not as if the war started yesterday." he muttered.

Turning back to face the two Brothers, Kaome made a gesture towards the door to the Chamber of the Abyss.
"Be sure that closes, then settle this....." With that, the mantle about his shoulders played out around him, or behind him like spreading black wings or a living shadow. An aura, brooding dark and ugly, as if made up of all the nameless horrors of a nightmare. This thing seemed alive with churning, writhing torment, clinging to him-although whether it is part of him or him part of it, it could not be said. Its presence however was very real, as much as fear or hate or cruelty are real. In but a single moment he was gone.

- - -

He stood at the top of the Scar now.
The last hour or so of daylight slipping into the horizon. The mantle churned and writhed around him, caught in some strange wind that nothing else seemed affected by. He cast his eye over the army coming for him, noticing the shapes further to the back, unable to hide behind the dust cloud rolled up by the sheer number of warriors. Giants. It was no surprise, there was more than one clan that the Deathand had become an enemy of. He cast his thoughts aside and turned inward of the wall, seeking out certain individuals. From his vantage point, the task took precious little time.

Sighing, the Deathand decided to head inside the Parapet.
To find his council...
Cruor Vult

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion,
simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.

Soon we shall be One...joined in the Word.

User avatar
VZBushkiller20
The Kan Codifier
Posts: 178
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:22 am

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by VZBushkiller20 » Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:43 pm

With a sigh, Brother Bush turned to the younger man. "Go, tell your master I will be there shortly. I have not yet finished with my business here." The younger brother left, silently, and Brother Bush found himself alone in the Abyss. He shuddered once, before entering the previous chamber. His grandfather's statue stared down at him. "The Deathand's business is finished..." the Great Kan began. The doors to the Abyss started to close. The Guardians remained silent as the ancient magic worked, but their faces showed some life. "...but the Great Kan's is not...Grandfather."

The doors finished closing and one of the statues returned to his eternal slumber. The other did not. In a slow, gravely, voice the statue spoke. "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU SEEK, MY SON?" His stone head turned slightly to stare into the Great Kan's eyes. A hero of the Cult's past and a leader of its present, the two met each others' gazes with pride. "Grandfather, the final battle is upon us. I am being called to summon Elifor...despite my great misgivings. I fear that not even my magic will be able to control that beast's will. I seek whatever aid I can."

The statue nodded. Light began to join together at his feet. Brother Bush gasped as he saw what lay by his grandfather's base. "TAKE THESE GIFTS, MY SON. MAY THEY SERVE YOU WELL." With those words, he settled back into his frozen form and the fire disappeared from his eyes. He was once again lifeless stone.

"Thank you...Grandfather."

The Great Kan left the Chambers behind him. He bore the reigns of his grandfather's legendary horse in his arms. Across his back hung his grandfather's banner.

But all those paled in comparison to what hung by his side. Mar'Zhal was no more. In its place was Malachi-Esh'Or. The Sword of the Angels of Fire and Light...the Blade of Hope...his grandfather's sword.

"From shadow to light...May this fire guide me through the endless shadows." He muttered, before disappearing into the darkness.
Image

Image Image ImageImageImage

Lawrence-Ember-Mirage-Skywings-Jasmine

Hydrolisk
Keeper of the Keys
Posts: 408
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:25 am
Location: Canada

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Hydrolisk » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:55 pm

Rheem was not ready. Despite his superior armour, his serrated steel axe, great kite shield, and the hundred soldiers or so of the infantry company he led, he was not ready. Not to fight against the Order of Secrets, nor to fight with the Army of the Huron of which he was conscripted into. He was not ready to lead and fight, no matter how many praises his commanders gave him. None of it was worth fighting this, to destroy a remnant of an ancient empire.
. But defiant to his wishes, there lay it. The smallest army of the once greatest empire. Now, making a last stand upon an unimaginably large fortress. It was perplexing, to say the least. But there Rheem was anyway, leading his tiny company of one hundred. Rheem and the Hundred Companions, he would think to himself. What a joke. Who would have thought that Rheem could have ever have made it from a simple knight-lord of a tiny county to the leader of a company within perhaps the largest army to walk the upon the earth? It was ridiculous.
. But still, there his company was, ready to take the first rain of arrows. At the very least, his followers knew how to defend themselves with there own square shields from the inevitable hail of arrows. And at least if they served their purposes as meat shields well, the giants and their great trebuchets behind them would be able to avenge them. Still, if Rheem were to die, he would be able to see if the giants were ever successful, except from the heavens above that may not even exist.

Too late now for thought. The Army of the Huron was entering the pass, into the death that awaited.
. Dusk fell, and now they would be blind to the arrows. They would only hear it whistling towards them, perhaps the twang of the bow string. Doubtful.
Image

User avatar
TheDeathstalker
Keeper of the Keys
Posts: 476
Joined: Fri May 30, 2008 11:17 pm

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by TheDeathstalker » Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:22 am

Orran hated having to do it, but needs be what they must in times of war. Truthfully he would rather deal with the Order of the Robe than the White Thorn, but these women had a touch when it came to crafty imbuing. While he was the one who came up with the idea of separately imbuing the head and the shaft of his bolts, they were the only ones who would touch the project, and so he was here, amidst a whole army of women who could do horrific things to him with just a thought. Yes, now would be a good time to keep his powerful imagination all to himself.

"You owe me, brother," spoke Leria, doing the creepy appear out of nowhere thing she was so fond of in their youth. Taking the bolts with a smile he turned, hoping to get out of there as soon as possible, but he already knew he wouldn't. "You'll be on the Wall with the Deathand, won't you? I've seen what he becomes in the thick of battle Orran. Keep your distance lest the darkness consumes you too..."

He stopped, sighing softly. "Leria, I'll be fine. I've got these, so it'll be like you're right next to me. And anyways, he's on our side, remember?" They both faked a smile as he left, the coming battle hanging heavily on both their minds.

*Woosh, Scene Change*

Nearing the wall again, Orran passed Quel, giving the Leader of the Lance a quick salute, and letting his mind wander upon the worry that was so dominant in the young man's face.

A flash of blood, a foul stench of death, and a weight so oppressive it's as if Hell itself had wrapped you in chains. The beast had been sent with wrath, for it knew the time was short.

"Oh Shit!" was all he could say before his knees buckled, and his stomach lurched. By the time his constitution won out against the fear, Quel was gone, but it made no difference. Orran knew that he could not stop Elifor from returning, it was all he could do to pull himself together enough to return to the Wall without tears still running down his face.

As he looked out upon the field, and the last remnants of the sun's rays fell across it, he managed a small smile, almost laughing to himself. No matter how well armed, or numbered they are, there's no way they're ready for the Hell that's going to be unleashed upon them on the morrow.
And though you come out of each gruelling bout,
All broken and beaten and scarred,
Just have one more try—it’s dead easy to die,
It’s the keeping-on-living that’s hard.

User avatar
Dragon_Sentinal
CAPS LOCK INCARNATE
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:31 am
Location: The Hall of the Tome
Contact:

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Dragon_Sentinal » Tue Jan 27, 2009 5:30 am

(Alright, just a few little things before I get to the good stuff. 1 I'm not an author.. I'm a bookworm, but I'm horrible when it comes to writing and I'm also somewhat shy about sharing my work, but I feel obligated to join a.. so Bonzai! and I really hope it's not too bad. 2 I can't really think of a good way to play Sent out because of how I've presented him in the past... sooo I'm really open to suggestions on that, and I'd be perfectly happy to let Kao take him if he desired to. 3 No one's really given me an idea on how magic works, Personally I like to think of magic as something raw and chaotic that comes from inside people, you can teach it to a certain extent but a true mage has to pull out that power they feel welling up inside of them and shape to their personality. But If you don't really like that, I can go back and change it without a problem. 4 I really hope it's not too long/short or too detailed. 5 ... uhhh now I'm just stalling)


Ahito grumbled, he couldn't stand it, why was he stuck ferrying these useless objects back and forth, "War is upon us" he thought to himself "I can fight, I should fight, why does he insist on me doing these useless chores!". During his outburst his arm had lit on fire as it was prone to during moments of rage, "UGH why can't I control it" he practically screamed, his rage and his fire both becoming hotter and hotter until he took them out on a nearby wall. He scooped up the spell books and ran hoping no one had seen his outburst, "I will fight" he told himself "Even if he denies me, I will fight". As he ran he clenched his arm to his chest out of frustration, out of pain, out of sorrow.

It had only been a few short years since he joined the Order, well met up with them anyway. He somewhat fell into their lap, and while the offer to leave was always on the table, he knew how that would turn out. While his past was somewhat unclear, his magical aptitude was not. He was inducted into the Order of the Robe and quickly rose through the ranks, until a brother requested he be personally trained. It was the happiest moment of his life, the idea that one of the great brothers wanted to train him personally, that is until he met his new master...

Ahito would never understand Master Sent, He was a brother free of a caste, one given a title by the Lord Deathand himself yet he lived his life in a room that resembled a dungeon cell more than anything. Ahito came to the wall in the grand library holding the bag of potions he was tasked with fetching from the White Roses. Even the location of his chamber seemed unimportant to Ahito, The entrance wasn't even sealed as a swift knock on a sigil was all that was required to gain entry, the only deterrent being the knowledge of who waited inside and the rumors that surrounded him.

He brushed the sigil with the back of his hand, his mind wandering, always back to the thoughts of war, the Order of the Wall donning their armor and manning the parapets, how preparations and medicines where being rushed to and fro by the Order of the White Rose, and how he wished he could be in that chaos. Ahito's mind was brought back to the harsh reality, he was kneeling in front of his master, presenting the potions, he waited for what seemed like an eternity before he heard the raspy voice "The white one is a salve for burns... put it on your arm if you wish, and then deliver these spell books to the Robes" he said, pointing at a small stack to his right.

Brother Sent was an oddity among oddities in Ahito's mind, he kept his body covered in a dark blue cloak from head to toe, with only several silver sparkles to distinguish him, it always gave him a comforting yet disturbing feeling, as if he where gazing at the stars and they where gazing back. His movements, that is when he moved at all seemed shaky and frail and his eyes had an unnatural glow to them. Finishing applying the salve to his arm Ahito gladly excused himself to preform the next of a seemingly endless supply of meaningless tasks.

As his apprentice left Sent stopped the maelstrom of text swirling around him, A meeting of the council would soon occur, nothing good could ever cause a meeting and nothing good would ever result of one. As he closed the tome he whispered "Eternity can wait right? ... it's not going anywhere fast" and he was reminded of the chains extending from it by a loud rattle, they bound him, heart, mind, and soul to it as it was bound to eternity. He swept his hand in a circle across the stone floor, and let it engulf him.
I weep, I weep at my own idiocy, my favoritism, for the end of an era, the fall of a giant, I weep for the lost souls who rested upon it's shoulders, who found themselves beneath it's girth, for those who stand over the fallen behemoth refusing to let it die, I weep, for all who found safety and comfort in it's shadow and for all who depended on it's watchful gaze, in this world full of malice, in this world full of suffering, chaos and hatred... I weep
Image

User avatar
Kaome Sky Deathand
Assessor of the Black Tontine
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:14 am
Location: Lingering at Life

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:08 pm

((Um...VERY well done there Sent. All I will say is, play him how you feel best. Don't be afraid to feel slightly overpowered, being around all those books and lore means you probably not only be a good tactician, but a seasoned mage as well....if you want an idea, how about this...there are many people that keep and collect books of power however, there are less than the number of fingers on my hands that MAKE them.))

The Deathand stood not at the doors to the council chamber, having decided to make one final stop.
Deep beneath the Scar, the Deathand stood at the fulcrum point of very powerful and very ancient magics. It was here that he let the darkness of the earth hide one of the last surviving creatures from the war of the Ban oh so long ago. It rested, as it was forced to do, its outer and inner eyes shut to the world, its mind locked in slumber, its body lashed in chains. There in the cold depths, the Deathand knelt in front of the great monster and bowed his head in thought.

For a long moment silence held him in its grasp.
Abruptly, Kaome stood and rested a hand against its scaled head.
"Don't ever wake up..." he whispered into the darkness.
As if in reply, a deep growl emanated from the baroque leviathan.

Kaome closed his eyes and let the mantle play about him.
His eyes opened to find the door to the council chamber.
He needed their voices now more than ever.
Cruor Vult

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion,
simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.

Soon we shall be One...joined in the Word.

User avatar
iblablaman
CAPS LOCK INCARNATE
Posts: 79
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 11:38 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada
Contact:

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by iblablaman » Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:04 pm

Namal followed the Deathand through the Parapet, but when The Deathand opened the door, he felt an indescribable fear coming up from within him. He froze right in front of the door, unable to continue forth past it. Even though he was the Master of Shadow, he was still an Adept, and he thought that what was beyond was not meant for him yet. He relinquished, and walked to where the head of the other Orders were. He would wait there with them, reading a book the Kan Codifier gave him to learn the Shadow teleportation, since he did not learn it before the rest of the Order of Shadows was destroyed. He wouldn't have enough time to master it, but if he survives the battle, he will continue his training with Brother Bush, and possibly remake a new Order of Shadow. He sighed, and went back to his readings until the Deathand came back.
ImageImageImageImageImageImageImage
ImageYes, an egg, just because I can

User avatar
Scarlet
Global Moderator
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:11 pm
Location: Behind blue eyes

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Scarlet » Thu Jan 29, 2009 2:29 am

The Lady. The Rose. Night's Bride. The Mistress of Thorns. The Sword Maiden, the Shield Maiden, the Maiden of the Bow and of the Staff. The Red Countess, the Blackbow, the White Sorceress. Mother of Light and of Shadow, Sister of Life and of Fire, Mistress of Death and Paramour of War. All these and, oh, so many more, had three critical things in common. One, they were all names. Titles. Symbols, in some cases. Two, they all belonged to her, whether in this age or another it mattered not. Three, she hated them, one and all.

Scarlet, Warsinger of the Order of the Rose. Another title, that. Another reason to hate, and why shouldn't she? They were all empty, preposterous things, intended for the vain and the weak, the frail of spirit and the easily led. They were meant to inspire, to cull, to deceive. But they were necessary. The simple-minded of the Order of Secrets, those pathetic ticks sucking at the life-blood of her once beloved empire, practically demanded them. They licked at the heels of their masters, hoping for a snippet of attention, a sideways glance, an impartial scoff. Begging for some semblance of recognition. They lived for titles. Pathetic sheep.

This was not how the Order used to be. It was once a grand thing, intended for the elite of mind, body, and spirit. Only the strong of character and will could ever hope to advance. Now, the Order was sundered. The reverberations of the tolling of Death's bell had long passed and the empire they had built was in its last vestiges, a shadow of what once was. Perhaps it was for the best.

But it was still so damned unfair, so completely unrighteous. Why should she die? She could not imagine a world without her in it. She had been here for so long. Was it not punishment enough that she was damned to an eternity of labor for the fallen Order? She had long since lost any desire to aid, any passion for good, yet still she served. Why now would she be made to face her end? It was so wrong.

Yet she knew she would. There was no hope of survival. The Order had sunk too low and too fast, only a few upholding some flickers of its past glory. There was no other course, and only one could be held ultimately accountable for the failures of the Order of Secrets.

A council had been called some time ago by the Deathand. It was simply another way to dally, for the fools to tell themselves there still remained hope. They disgusted her. She would make them wait. She did not think they had yet realized how low her spirit had fallen, how drained her will, how icy her warmth. She had been gone too long. They would have to adjust. A late arrival would be an insult, and that would serve her well. Besides, she still had to pick out the right attire...

User avatar
Loki
Gypsy
Posts: 1416
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:16 am
Location: In a sea of paper cranes and a sky of paper planes.
Contact:

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Loki » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:24 am

The Scar.. What a damnable sight. Brother Loki detested its existence and his hands curled into fists as he walks on the battlements, directing those to prepare for the armies of Huron. He looks beyond the desert to see the flickering lights that come from Huron's war camps. What a dreadful sight that such a small light can bring the end of an empire in one blow.. Brother Loki takes one last glance and nods away to return to his chambers where he would prepare for the Council's, most likely, last calling.

As he crossed the grounds, he would nod towards his fellow soldiers, although there are some that he detested, and they would return the nod only to realize that he was the High Reclaimer. They didn't even realize him without his regular attire that represented himself and his chosen soldiers, the Crusaders, a once proud sect of the military caste that was chosen by the High Reclaimer to lead the Order to victories and would gain fame and fortune. Brother Loki was chosen as the High Reclaimer and led his armies across the lands to conquer and destroy anything that was a threat to the Order. And out of it, he gained power and respect. Oh, what a price that he paid for such glory, Through the years, he has become greedy and power hungry, only desiring the adrenaline which came from battles upon battles and the fruits of the spoils left behind by his enemies. Such a thing was too true.. Too true, indeed. This began the downfall of his armies and upbringing of his failures, one by one, his armies fell against the armies of Huron and again he would taste the bitter defeat that he would endure once more. This led to the abandoning of the Crusaders and pride that was once Brother Loki's.

Now the Order was falling apart and the once proud empire crumbled to nothing and rejected itself into it's last shell. This damnable bastion that we call the Scar. Brother Loki sneers at the men, only understanding that they would only want the title of being a Crusader, what a foolish thing. Greed is what brought him down his 9 lives, now he must be vigilant in order to save his last chance. As he enters his chambers, he stepped forth and immersed himself in the warmth of his fire. The flames flickered in front of his eyes, and the despair that was left after each crackle.. What a dreadful sight..

The smoke from the fire filled the air and as though he was intoxicated, Brother Loki fell into a dream. A dream of his homeland that resided in the North, far from the reach of major colonies, was the Highlands of Ior. It was a country where whoever was the strongest became the chieftain of his or her people, and Loki kept that title for several long years until a word reached his ears of a power that enticed him into the road of the Order. He was drafted into the Order of the Lance and quickly rose up the ranks, it was then where the Council created the title, the High Reclaimer, and was given to Loki. The images of his ceremony and future battles float away and he opens his eyes and returns to the chamber.

Brother Loki leans back and looks at the wall behind him. It was a wall of his former self, weapons that shook the morale of his enemies. But, there was one weapon that stood out from the rest. Steel and forbidden metals were forged into a single weapon, and that was his, and only to be passed down to his next heir. Created by the gods of war and steel, the Halberd Mok-Ri'gar was once called sacred by his people in the North, was being used by Loki and it's powers has aided him in many battles, and next to it was his armor, it was given to him by the Deathand during his ceremony to be the next High Reclaimer, he used it during many battles and it has proved to become his most precious possession. With this, he was prepared for anything that Huron would throw at him.

Brother Loki stands up and looks out his window to see the Order still preparing for the last battle and he would glance one last time towards the desert to see the flickering flames. He whispers,"The beasts are coming, my brothers.. What shall we do?" He steps back to prepares himself for the Council and exits his Chamber. Towards the Parapet, where his Brothers and Sisters would await their last command.
Let's do what comes naturally
ImageImageImageImage
I'll be waiting in Haven.

User avatar
Rising_Dusk
Chosen of the Intargweeb
Posts: 4031
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:50 pm
Contact:

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Rising_Dusk » Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:44 pm

Lanterns floated about him in an orgy of colors and back and forth of color altogether. They wreathed in and out of reality at their own behest, the only limits to their madness being set by the flaring temper of the one floating at their center. The room had long been stripped of all doors, all entrances, all natural light, and all atmosphere. It is utter emptiness, a void within which normal mortals would be ripped apart by the pressures and draw of the abyss. There is no oxygen, nothing to breath, nothing to hear, nothing to taste, and to all but the keenest of eye, nothing to see. The room is perfectly spherical in nature, with not a single mar upon its surface. There were no cracks, no foundation, no signs of ever being built and by shear virtue that it existed, no signs of it ever being destroyed. For all intents and purposes, the boundary and wall of this chamber is both infinitely thin and extending to the ends of space itself. It is a place that both could never be found and could never be lost. It is one with the universe and the universe existed merely to belie the tomb's existence.

Never once did a word escape his lips, for speech is a sign of treason. Never once did his eyes play across his surroundings, for sight is a harbinger of lust and greed. Never once did his ears trace the reverberations of this mortal realm, for the noise knew only deceit. He had long since lost the need for mortal sensory input, for it was an omen to the end of all things - the loss of the very right to humanity.

He meditated in mute defiance at the Gods.
The room reshaped itself, its bricks and pieces reshaping themselves and wrapping around him. They defied any law of physics, they transcended energies and spaces impossibly twisted in nature. Once more, in a different shape and with unmarred surface, the room had formed. The council had joined, and in his world where time held no meaning, he could wait an eternity for it to begin. The Order had once been a singular, indestructible entity, not an organization. At one point he had held lust for mortal desires, the want to be needed, the want to be strong, and the want to be respected. It had all fallen down upon him in the recent millenia, proving utterly and finally that one must be careful what they wish for. He had by his own means transcended the very world that denied him and become something more, something closer to the things that pervert the deepest and darkest of nightmares.

His body was thin, weak, and vein-covered. It was white, paler yet than the fullest of moons. His hair was even whiter than his flesh, unkempt, but neatly shaped and wrapped to his head, ending before his shoulders. His face and body marred with scars that he could reshape and reform at his own behest, generally referencing whatever arcane magicks he was currently studying or the worlds that they came from. His armor came and went, as it was ultimately unnecessary. He had lost all use for weapons or armor since his Ascension - something so few in this world could claim to have accomplished. What armor he chose to wear was purely for his own decency and respect for his comrades. In general it was black as the night with corporeal blood and sinew binding it together. It lived, breathed, and died for him.

He twitched.
The call had been made and the last meaning to his pitiful existence was about to be extinguished by a world in opposition to the Order.. His Order. He would have to return from his self-imposed exile one last time...

...and dusk would fall upon the world for as long as he did draw his gluttonous breaths from it.
"I'll come to Florida one day and make you look like a damn princess." ~Hep

User avatar
VZBushkiller20
The Kan Codifier
Posts: 178
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:22 am

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by VZBushkiller20 » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:46 pm

The summoning room of the Order. A great room, its ceiling reaches towards the heavens. A circle of Torches line the walls of the room, while more light the way to the center...the border between worlds, locked in books and blood. A simple podium stands next to the pristine, white altar. Its pages are already turned to the correct spell. Six shadows are created by the torches. Two are a pair of Robed Brothers, Tarsil and Vali, sent to aid the Kan Codifier. One is Sargun. Another, Quel. The other two humans are members of the Order of the Lance, a bladesman, named Ret, and a female tamer, named Oimayas.

A weak wind blew through the summoning room. The torches flickered in its wake. From their dancing shadows appeared the Great Kan, his sword shining brightly in contrast to the darkness from which he sprung. All the people in the room squirmed as Brother Bush stepped out from the shadows. All but one. Sargun. The two members of the Order of the Robe bowed at Brother Bush. The Members of the Lance followed suit. Brother Bush's eyes lingered on the female Lance, sitting atop an eight foot, hunchbacked, golem. Quite...impressive.

The Kan Codifier remained silent, as did the Chief. Not one word passed their lips. Brother Bush gratified his attendees with a nod, and his two robed apprentices quickly maneuvered, preparing the ritual in the thick silence. Their movement did not hide their anxiety. The Lance seemed to shift nervously in their spots. Even the golem, made of the stone itself, seemed all but settled. All were anxious. All but two. Sargun. And the Kan Codifier. No one dared break the silence these two men had created. Or if they did, their words were lost amidst the thick silence that dwelt in the room.

A signal from his apprentices drew the Great Kan's attention. The preparations were ready. There was little point in delay. Brother Bush walked towards the ritual, the torches guiding his way flickering out behind him as he passed. Soon the only light came from the walls and the altar itself. No words were necessary at this point. The Kan Codifier grabbed the book from its resting place, and withdrew from his robes a knife. His apprentice, taking their cue, carefully pour oil onto the altar. Soon, the altar was ablaze. The Great Kan drew the knife across his hand, drawing precious lifeblood to the surface. His blood began to spill onto the altar.

He closed his fist, and turned to face the others. His gaze said it all. Who shall be your sacrifice?
Image

Image Image ImageImageImage

Lawrence-Ember-Mirage-Skywings-Jasmine

User avatar
VZhitogoroshi
Keeper of the Keys
Posts: 407
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:35 pm
Contact:

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by VZhitogoroshi » Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:56 pm

Sargun walked toward the Altar. The Codifier had done an exemplary job. Flame seemed to dance around the Chief, for the room was so charged that all could see his magic. And magic it was, though not in the traditional sense that the Order of the Robe would know of. Most of it was Elifor's, the cloying result of their previous battles, a parasitic force turned to a weapon by Sargun's will. There was also that of the vanquished; the power of those killed by Elifor's fangs or Sargun's lance, a magic that spoke of demise, the fearful energy of the dying.

"There will be no sacrifice. You know of what alternative I speak, brother." Quel's eyes instinctively turned to the Codifier, but Sargun's words were instead directed at the golem. A being of rock with aging eyes, he was not one of the Robe's new machinations but a powerful and venerable beast, who arose from sacred earth when the Order was but a whisper exchanged fearfully in alleyways, and a wielder of the magic one attains when they are around it for so long.

The eyes of Oimaya, the female Lance member who was atop the golem, seemed to roll back in her head. The voice that emerged from her mouth was obviously that of the golem: it's intonations were austere, and each word carefully considered. "Sargun - is it right - to bring back the Old Magicks - in exchange - for a temporary safety?

Sargun bowed his head respectfully. He had little respect for those claiming authority, even the Deathand himself, but this was different. He could not expect to be called by his title by one who had been made before titles, and he could not flippantly address the concerns of one who could survive hundreds of wars unscathed. The worries of stone were thousandfold the worries of man. "Brother, this is the Scar, where the Old Magicks themselves attack and are under siege by the new. If we do not control them, they will control themselves, far less responsibly than the Order itself would."

"But - can - you - control - it?

Sargun first thought was of the beast he was summoning; the second, of the power that circled around him. "Long enough to push back the enemy."

"Then - think - his name - I will - hear you."

Elifor, the name that could strike fear into the hearts of any who heard, and yet it was an empty construct, as most names all. But there was a different name, and it was this that echoed from Sargun's mind to the golem's and into that other world, where Elifor was and did not expect to leave.

He heard.

"THEY WOULD DARE RENGE AND CALL ME AGAIN? AND WITHOUT A SACRIFICE TO BIND ME? DEATH IS ALL THAT WAITS!" The blood on the Altar was absorbed and disappeared; in it's place was a portal to the other world, a window with which those attending could see Elifor approaching, and he was large, far too large, and surely he was right and death was all that was left -

The golem spoke a word through Oimaya. None of the humans present could hear it, at least not in the normal sense. It spoke to a different ear, one rendered almost deaf through countless generations of atrophy and neglect. But some small portion of it broke through and could be heard, and it spoke of unbreakable chains, the sad psalms of the golems who had been enslaved for millenia and knew intimately the nature of bondage, who through so much terrible training had surpassed their masters in the hated art. Elifor lurched and was dragged closer to the window. He no longer seemed so large or so frighting.

The air congealed as the golem continued to speak. Quel could no longer take the conflict of the forces, and dropped to his knees vomiting. Ret, the other Order of the Lance member, seemed as though he was outside of the room and indeed the world, so calm was his demeanor. He looked at Sargun and spoke - "Offer the golem to the beast, and I'm sure you'd control him forever." The golem did not hear. It was a curious arrangement between it and the girl: neither of them were currently conscious and yet both of them were awake.

Sargun, still looking at Elifor with an implacable stare, spoke to Ret without moving his head. "I would betray the Order one hundred times over before ending such a tenured and valuable existence." Presumably, the Codifier would hear. Sargun had no qualms with this - he would say it again with the Deathand's blade at his throat.

The eye of the storm. The beast was obviously not yet summoned, and the golem still spoke words of power, but there was a curious lull as the forces conflicted. Until Elifor was fully in the world of men there would be time to catch one's breath.

User avatar
Kaome Sky Deathand
Assessor of the Black Tontine
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:14 am
Location: Lingering at Life

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:51 pm

He sat alone in the room.
It was fine, he knew the others would be busy gathering their wargear and ensuring that their own personal operations were going along as smooth as possible. There were beasts to summon, weapons to consecrate, and armor to be fitted for the twenty-thousand or so soldiers within the walls. The Scar, roughly the size of a city was fortified beyond all extremes. Canyon walls to the east and west, a narrow canyon to the north, the sea at the south guarded by the great Noctis Gate. He had issued it locked some time ago, the great chains and massive steel pins securing the Scar against any pathetic attempted attack by water.

Kaome sank into his high backed seat, letting the cushions absorb the weight of himself and his armor.
He drummed his fingers against the arm, pondering numbers and running horrific scenarios in his head where everything went so utterly wrong that the Scar fell in just one day. He drank it all in, every wretched moment of it. After all, he often said to others to prepare for the worst and expect nothing. Taking his own advice, the Deathand played a humorous scenario where Hurons forces turned against him, the entire army slaughtering themselves to a man just yards away from the walls of the Scar.

He chuckled despite himself.
It was cold and dark in the high empty hall.
Cruor Vult

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion,
simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.

Soon we shall be One...joined in the Word.

User avatar
VZBushkiller20
The Kan Codifier
Posts: 178
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 7:22 am

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by VZBushkiller20 » Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:28 pm

The traitorous comment did not fall upon deaf ears. Though his outward facade remained unchanged, inside, Brother Bush grew irritated. And they wonder why the Scar is the only remnants of a once great empire. It fell into the hands of those like Sargun. Those who believe THEIR Order is no more, allowing it to decay around them. What fools!

This entire ceremony seemed...wrong. It reeked of ancient powers, long forgotten...some for good reason. Sargun was a fool. Even if the ritual succeeded, he would still be a fool. It was a foolish idea to summon Elifor back into this world. As the one who bound him, Sargun should know that the best. No blood...no words...nothing to bind the beast except the ancient magick of a construct. "Foolhardy hero." The Great Kan muttered under his breath, not caring who heard him.

"Tarsil...Vali!" He yelled across the room to the two apprentices. They had been staring at the portal with a mixture of fear and wonder. Mostly fear. At his words, they turned to face him. "Go report to the Wall. See what use they can find for the two of you." The two nodded and quickly bolted from the chamber. The Kan Codifier didn't care. He hadn't chosen them for their bravery. It wasn't as though they would be any use if this ritual failed anyway. He gripped the hilt of his sword, before drawing it from his side.

The darkness around him was dispelled in a show of fire and light. He pointed Malachi-Esh'Or at Sargun. "What has been started may not be interrupted, but hear this. If this fails, I will not hesitate in banishing that beast once more. Nor you with it. Do you understand me, Sargun?" He said, indifferent to whatever feelings he evoked in the Chief.
Image

Image Image ImageImageImage

Lawrence-Ember-Mirage-Skywings-Jasmine

User avatar
Kaome Sky Deathand
Assessor of the Black Tontine
Posts: 1175
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:14 am
Location: Lingering at Life

Re: One-Shot - Tangent 2 - Siege of the Scar

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:10 pm

The hour had grown late indeed.
The sun had set some time ago and Kaome still sat in the chair. His outer eyes opened, taking in the world again. Slowly he lifted himself into a standing position and faced the massive doors that would lead outside. His skin tingled, his body pulsed with an inner power. The eve of war, hours before a massacre would be unleashed just some hundred feet away. He could hardly stand to wait. He ignored those around him, those that had seen themselves fit to grace him with their presence. He was not blind, he had seen what his Order had become and watched it slip away. Most of them didn't even care for it anymore.

With a flick of his wrist the great doors boomed open.
They had been waiting for this moment. Those still loyal and true, standing there by the thousands in the vast cityworks before him. As the doors opened they ceased their chatter and looked up in wonder. For as was custom, the Deathand would speak to his people, his followers, his soldiers, before letting them revel in their last few hours before the sweet promise of oblivion.
Kaome crossed to the great podium that waited there.
He grasped it with both hands at the top, bowing as the weight of the words he had to speak pressed down upon him. For a moment his head almost touched the base of the podiums flat surface. He drew himself up, and in a voice that rang out into the darkness he spoke.

"My people. Brothers and Sisters of the Order.....For many months now, we have been a broken nation. Shunned, oppressed, and conquered by those we once called comrades! Some weeks ago, I asked for time, and that time was granted by you. You, the strength in my arm, the holders of my dreams." The Deathand gestured with his arms as he spoke.

"We once embarked on the greatest exodus in the history of all mankind, an exodus for freedom. The Order became that freedom! Our new practice changed our bodies. At first, it weakened us, but in fact, we were growing...stronger....In the time you have given me, I have rebuilt our Order, I have rebuilt our strength, and I have rebuilt our pride! Our enemies at the gate shall be re-educated. We will give them new insights into our cause." He paused, the words coming to him in a rush.

"My people...Brothers and Sisters of the Order....this much I vow. The history of these days will be written in blood. By crushing the armies of our enemy, by seizing the weapons they thought to turn against us, we are fighting for our very existence. But if there are those who would deny us peace; refuse us our rightful place in the universe, then we will unleash such terrible vengeance that generations yet unborn will cry out in anguish!" He smashed his fist down, cracking the thick aged wood.

"The enemy may shatter our bodies, but they cannot break our spirit. Even now they advance on our home, to seize by force what they cannot claim by right! They cannot imagine what awaits them. WE WILL SMITE THE INVADERS FROM OUR LAND! Though they sweep over our lands like the sands of the desert; never will we bow before them; never will we endure their oppression; never will we endure their tyranny. We will strike without warning and without mercy; fighting as one hand..." He raised his gauntlet-bound fist. "...one heart..." He placed that fist over his beating chest. "...one soul." He held that hand out again, open.

"We will shatter their dreams and haunt their nightmares, drenching our ancestors' graves with their blood. And as their last breath tears at their lungs...as we rise again from the ruins of our city...they will know, the Scar belongs to the Order! On this day, we stand united once more. On this day, those driven to divide us will hear our voice! On this day, we shall act as one, and we shall be ignored NO MORE!" Kaome smashed the podium to splinters and drew forth his blade.

"Defenders of the Order, NOW IS OUR TIME!" His voice rang out like a rising storm, covering the city with its embrace.
They cheered, they screamed, and yelled, and hailed him for a leader, a hero.
He turned his back on them, sheathing his sword and closing the great doors with but a thought. Glancing at those in the room, he spoke again.

"Unleash the whirlwind of our wrath...our men shall never tire. Beat back the foe..."
He glanced at each in turn. "Send them running..."
He crossed the threshold to another door, leading to a ready room and even deeper places in the parapet. He opened the door with one hand before turning back, casting his head to look over his shoulder.

"Most of you don't even want to be here. You are not the people I once appointed to the places you now hold. The hours ahead will not be pleasant...I suppose..." He let his head hang so slightly. "..I suppose I should have known all along..." He faced the hall beyond the door once more and spoke a final time.
"Go if you want...I will not stop you. Just try to kill something on your way out."

He entered the dark hall beyond the Council room and lost himself to thought.
Cruor Vult

Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion,
simultaneously the source of our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.

Soon we shall be One...joined in the Word.

Locked

Return to “Collected Works”