The Fall of a Knight

[Triston]

As I walked into the tower I noticed how dark it was immediately, something that was odd, as one of my siblings was surly home.  Ever since Silva’s passing at the hand of a great wyrm the place had seemed a bit gloomier, a bit harder.  One could always hear her in her room on the third story, gently strumming notes on her lap harp and singing a soft song of lovers.  No music filled the halls anymore, and in all likelihood it never would again.  Yet something else was wrong, something far darker that I could only sense.  I walked through the foyer into the back workroom to find my brother Triston in there, sitting besides the forge taping the coals with his kryss.  He seemed almost lost in a world all of his own, and I thought to leave.  Just as I turned he looked up at me and spoke…

    “Nagi, do you remember the night our parents died?”  He asked.

    I was taken aback.  This was the one topic we where not permitted to speak on, under any circumstances.  I was only three when our parents died, and my memories where little to none.  I remembered fire, and screaming.  It was the first battle I had ever seen, and I had preyed it would be my last.  “No brother, I do not.  Do you wish to speak on it?”  I braced myself.  Triston was normally a very calm man, and it took much to push him to violence, but the simple mentioning of this event would send him into a rage in half a wisps breath.  He did not lash out thought, he jut sat there, poking at the coals… Then he began to speak.

    (The scene changes to a grand castle, filled with works of art and many busy servants.  The scene seems chaotic, but orderly, as men rush back and forth as though preparing some great festival, and the women begin moving to inner rooms of the castle.  The words where on everyone’s lips, but nobody believed them…  Invaders)

    Lord Lioness set on his ebon throne, directing his advisors to do this and that, to make the Castle ready to defend itself.  Magic in general was still weak from the shattering of the Gem of Immortality, and the castle walls where thick, if they wanted to take this battlement they would loose many men in trying.  At his feet sat a child, no older then nine, but clearly possessed of the cunning of a prince.  He sat calmly watching the affairs be placed in order, at no point seeming concerned.  His father was Lord Lioness, a great noble under Lord Blackthorn and one of the greatest mages of all time.  There was no concern, just anticipation, anticipation to see his father in action.  It did not take long for the show to begin either.  Just as the last of the men moved into place a sudden surge filled the room, and many purple robed figures where suddenly where only thin air had been before.  Immediately they began throwing fireballs and energy bolts from their fingertips, felling men left and right.  Lord Lioness leaped from his throne, yelling “Flam Kal Des Ylem!”  Immediately half dozen fireballs shot forth, annihilating everything in there paths.  He turned and looked to a bald man sitting besides the throne, clearly nervous but standing fast.

    “Armond, take my son to the safe room with his siblings in the north tower, wait there for further instructions.”

    “Yes milord.”  He answered quickly, scooping the child up and running like the wind.  The young man said not a word, but listened very intently to the sounds of battle as they climbed the hundreds of stairs in the tower.  When they arrived in the highest room they opened the door, and by a fireplace sat an elegant raven-haired women, shooting magic arrows out the window with a nonchalant air.

    “What news Goodman Armond?”  She asked with a tone that made it very clear she was accustom to being answered quickly.

    “The battle has begun Milady.  One of Lord Brittish’s factions, clearly intent on out demise.  They are using mages to gain entry to the throne room. “

    “So be it, I will go engage then, you are to watch the children.  Am I understood?”

    “Yes Milady.”  He said without pause.

    With a wave of her hand she was gone, leaving behind Armond, the young lad, and his three sisters.  Maharat and Nagi seemed scared, but Silva was fine, she knew no fear.

    The roar of the battle was deafening even from the tall tower, and it seemed as though it would never end.  Suddenly a man busted through the door, his long peppered hair flying every which way, and long streams of blood running across his face.  On his left hip sat a purple bag, on his right a red one, and he wore a robe colored deep black, the color of Lord Blackthorn.

    “Armand!  Are the children safe?”  He yelled in a voice that scared the children and took the last of his breath all at once.   It was clear that Uncle Horus has thrown a few of his legendary potions a little too close tonight, and had impaired his hearing mildly.

    “Please Lord Horus, don’t yell, it scared the children.  But yes, they are fine, should we be concerned?”  Armond answered.

    “Yes!  Most concerned!  With the exception of the Lord, the Lady, the Children, and myself every member of the royal family has been slain.  It would seem that our infamy for strong magic’s has been our downfall, as all of the older children involved in the battle where singled out early and slain by mages and assassins!”

    My world reeled.  All of my older brothers and sisters where dead?  To loose three siblings in one night was horrid.  Then it occurred to me…  My cousins, my Aunts and Uncles… they where all involved in that battle.  Almost my entire family, gone.  I looked to the far wall and saw a spear, a weapon of great power wielded by one of my ancestors in some great battle, a weapon that I would now wield…  Faster then I thought I could move I darted across the room and lifted it, then promptly fell forward, unable to hold its weight.  Uncle Horus chuckled, then perked to attention.  Suddenly he jerked the door open, and tossed several purple potions down the stairwell, closing the door behind himself.  The tower shook with the explosion, and our ears rang with screams.

    “I believe we have been found.”  Horus said with a sly grin, and then began casting a spell.  Suddenly a blue oval opened, and through I could see the family temple, buried layers upon layers under the Castle.  We all went through and waited.  From down there we could only hear the feint rumbles of the battle clashing above.  Just as the battle sounded like it was reaching a crescendo, it suddenly fell very quiet.  Then, as though out of the air itself my mother and father where there, both bleeding badly, and very pail.  In an instant Armond and me where there, and Horus was casting healing spells.  Although there wounds where now gone, they where still very pail from loss of blood and mana, and looked as though they would loose consciousness at any moment.  My mother held me closely and wept, something I had never seen her do, and my father simply sat there, clenching and unclenching his fist as though trying to return feeling.

    “Horus, you have mana enough to open a gate of traveling?”  My father finally asked.  His color had returned some; maybe this would end well still…

    “I do brother.  Where shall we go?”  He asked, looking through his red pouch to find the appropriate runes and reagents.

    “YOU, Armond, and the children will be leaving.  Your Sister and me will be staying.  Do not argue with me, it is the only way to save the children.  You will take them to the new mining town of Minoc, there are few supporters of Brittish there, and you should be able to hide well enough.  Armond, you will watch after the children, raise them as I know you are able, I have faith in you.  You will need to change your name though, or they will find you through scrying.  Too many of there men have fallen to weapons crafted by your hand, you are not popular.”  He laughed; it was such an odd sound.  I could not remember the last time my father had laughed.  The last few years had been harsh, and his demeanor had become very harsh.  Now he almost looked happy, relieved.  “They know of this place, but lack a rune.  It seems the traitors felt no need to mark one here, and the halls leading here are filled with traps that will slow them.  We will use the time to magically summon some corpses of an appropriate size, and then we will set the place ablaze.  We will then go and meet them, and slay as many as we can before our mana is lost.  Then we shall destroy them with our bare hands.  They will loose many taking this room.  By then you will be long gone and well hidden.  You will of course need to disappear Lord Horus, as they may find the children through you.  You may rejoin with them in a few years once we are long forgotten.  Now bring me my children, I must say good bye.”

    “Let me stay father!  I have mastered the third circle now, and am very good with my dagger!  I can help, and I promise not to get in the way!”  I cried, unable to accept this escape at my parent’s expense.

    “No, no my son.  You must leave.  Ask yourself, if everyone dies tonight, who will get revenge?  No, you will leave, and you will train.  You will be a great warrior one day, and the enemies of you family will fall from before you like dew into a fire.  This I foresee, this you shall make real.”  I think this was the first time my father had ever given me approval, the first encouragement from his lips.  My father was not unkind; he simply expected excellence, and nothing short.  Excellence was a hard goal for a nine-year hold, no matter his giftedness.  I nodded, kissed his cheek, and returned to my mother’s arms.  Slowly, one by one he made a prediction for each child, and when Silva, his favorite in all of our eyes, stood before him smiling he just smiled back, leaned forward, and whispered something in her ear before pushing her to her mother.

    “You know how to acquire funds Armond?”  He asked.

    “I will see to it before my disappearance, I assure you my lord.”  Said Horus

    “Mommy?”  A small female voice piped in.  It was Silva, sitting in the corner looking at the symbol of Lord Blackthorn.

    “Yes my little siren?”  She asked, trying to keep the timber of her voice solid.

    “When they come, will you yield to them for any reason, even when you have surely lost?”  She asked, with a look of the direst need on her face.

    “Never my nightingale, not even if they bring forth the full power of hades.”

    “Good, then that is how I shall remember you, and that is how I shall live my life.”

    “Wonderful sweetheart.  Cast the spell brother, they are looking for the entrance to the tunnels already, we must prepare.”  With that Horus began chanting, and suddenly there was a magical portal, showing a small mountain bustling with worker even in the dead of night.  I turned and saw my parents, standing calmly arm in arm meditating, working up their mana for what would be there last battle.  I never saw them again, but bards opposed to Lord Brittish sing to this day of their battle, Silva included.  It was said that as the battle was drawing to a close, my father could cast no longer, and drew his long sword and charged.  When he we disarmed and they attempted to capture him, no weapon of theirs killed him, but instead it was an arrow fired from my mother’s own bow.  She then drank a potion of the strongest poison and calmly walked into the burning temple, never to be seen again.

    Our lives changed drastically that day, instead of nobility we where now commoners, and while well off from a small cache of gold set aside, we where shocked with our new lifestyle.  Armond, who took my name, provided for us with the income from his blacksmith wares, and Silva spent most of her time in the woods, playing her lute and making friends with the animals.  Maharat took after Armond and became a smith of great skill, forging truly fierce weapons.  Nagi and myself where to be warriors, and trained day and night, unrelenting in our drive for revenge.  Soon we where all adults, Armond an old man, and he knew that his prime was passed.  He passed the role as head of household on to me, but not without a condition.  If we where to survive we would need allies, and he had found just that.  The Purple Guardians of Honor, a fine and noble guild with a single goal to protect the innocent.  They where opposed to Blackthorn, but even I was at that point, he had turned his back upon the once noble goals that he strove for.  Within a few weeks we where all members of the guild, and loved the organization very dearly, making many friends.

    (Return to present.  I stood speechless.  I had never been told the whole story of that night, but my earliest memories where training outside out small woodland cottage with Triston, feeling a burning need for excellence but never knowing why.  I suppose in my subconscious I too felt the need for vengeance.)

    “Why brother, do you feel the need to relive that night again after all these years?  It is because of Silva?  She knew that she was no match for that wyrm, but she chose to go.  She fought well, and died bravely, you have not disappointed her or father in the least.  You lead this family well, as well as father would, you have attained excellence.”

    He stood silent for a moment before speaking.  “Did Silva ever tell you what fathers last words to her where?”

    “No, she never mentioned it.”

    “He said, ‘When the Dragon comes, go down swinging…” The room was very silent for some time after that.

    “When Silva died, I spent a great amount of time in mourning.  I wandered these halls, then the halls of Olympus, trying to find some meaning to our inability to resurrect her.  Then one day I was sitting in the Library of Olympus, reading over some old military records, trying to keep my mind occupied.  I found an old account of a great battle against the forces of Lord Blackthorn.  The name of the Text was “The taking of Lioness Keep.”  The taking of our home, by PGOH forces…”

    I sat there shocked, unable to speak.  Our brethren had been the ones that killed our entire family, took our home, and our lives with it all.  But what to be done?

    “What do you plan to do about this Triston?”  I asked

    “I will destroy them, as I promised our father long ago.  I am bound by honor to, and I will succeed.”

    “That would serve nothing!  They are our friends!  Our NEW family!  You cannot attack them!”  I was screaming, I was crying.  This was beyond insane, this was lunacy.  “I will contact Ailes!   She will talk some logic into you!”

    “Do what you think is necessary, I will not bend on this.  I have no argument with Ailes, or any of the younger members, only with the Ancients who saw to that tragedy so many years ago.”

    Within a few moments I was able to bring Ailes, and wake Armond and Horus.  We all stood in the foyer as Triston began suiting up.  Ailes’ sister Espior had also come, aberrantly her and Triston had been spending a great deal of time together recently.  Logans Brother Bishop had also come, and he stood quietly in the corner, great axe across his back.  I just hoped that the group of us could talk him out of this fool quest.  If only I knew how wrong that notion was.

    “Have you lost what little is left of your tiny mind!”  Ailes screamed, clearly not impressed with his desire for revenge.  “What is the point of all this!?  It was so long ago, and these are your friends!  You must not go through with this!”

    “I agree,” Said Armond and Horus in unison.  Horus expanded.  “Your mother was my sister, and I loved her greatly.  But our family was in the wrong in that war, both moral and strategically.  We committed several very similar acts, and they finally came back to end us.”

    “It does not matter!  I made a vow to my father as he went forth to give is life for all of ours!  If you cannot respect that then you are a fool.  I will not harm any of you intentionally, but if you get in my way I will fall you as quickly as any other.”  With that he pulled forth a kryss, glowing with a soft red hue.  That weapon actually scared me, and a single stab from it could fell a man if he was unready, but to live through several was unheard of.  Several was a matter of seconds in Triston’s hands.  He stood up, and began walking to the door, his backpack laden with supplies.

    “An Ex Por!  I cannot let you leave Triston!”  Ailes Screamed.  In a whirl of motion her sister Espior twirled her spear, embedding it into her leg and breaking her concentration.  At that same moment the feared kryss was at her throat, not drawing blood, but able to with a heartbeats movement.

    “I will be going with you.” Espior said calmly, pulling her spear out and wiping the blood off on her sister’s cloak.  They then both turned without a word, and began walking to the door again.

    Horus seemed to have other ideas for the ending of this conflict, and tossed a purple potion at the doorway, more to get there attention then anything.  It never made it.  Running forward and drawing his axe in one simple movement, Bishop smashed it midair with the flat of the axe, sending glass and burning sulfur across the rooms into the faces of all present but Triston and Espior.  As the commotion calmed, he looked up to Triston and in his deep and relaxed voice simply said, “I too shall go.”  They walked out unharmed, as nobody dared take another move, not with their numbers.

    (The scene changes, we are now at Castle Olympus.  Espior, Bishop and Triston stand together on the battlements, looking down at the bay a little way ahead of them)

    “Not to discredit you fearless leader, but how exactly do you plan to fell an Empire with three people?  Not that that’s an issue, you where planning on doing it single handedly an hour ago.”  Espior asked.

    “You mean four correct?”  Came a voice from behind.  Out stepped Razak, a younger member of the guild, and brother of Schneider.

    Instantly all three drew their weapons, leveling them upon the lone figure.  He simply raised his hands, palms forward.

    “I am unarmed, and a friend.  I am here to help.  I wish to see the Empire fall just as all of you do; I simply have my own reasons.  But you three are in need of every ally you can get, so why not?”

    “How do you know why we are here?”  Triston asked, clearly with little trust.

    “I am a mage, I have my means.  That is all unimportant; the questions that need to be asked are simple.  How are we to go about doing this, now there is a good question.”

    “One stone at a time if we must…” With that Triston tossed a purple potion at the Guild Stone.  He knew it would not hurt it, but it made him feel better nonetheless.

[Elathiel]

Well, I for one am deeply disheartened by these events. I have called Triston friend, even brother on MANY occasions. However, he is not in the right here and must be stopped, whatever the cost. The fact that he has gained some support is even more distressing, but they will not endanger the Empire! My mace and bow stand ready !!

[Wolf]

The sudden flash of light from Olympus drew the old warriors attention.  Putting down his spectacles, he leans out the window of his small tower and gazes up at the ramparts of the castle.  He sees the figures gazing out from the stonework, their bodies silhouetted aganist the night sky and fading embers from the explosion. By the fading light he sees the determined look on Trsiton's face.  A look of profound sadness crosses the old warriors face.  Recent memories of his own mad ravings play through his mind.  He has seen much in his years with the Empire, he had prayed that this night would never come.  Sighing, the old warrior pulls his scabbard from the wall and places it on the table.  He pulls a scroll from the folds of his tunic.  With it he drafts a short letter to the Emperor.

"M'Lord, his conscience betrays him. Our fears have come to fruition from that fateful day. Though valiant, the house of Lioness had to fall. He will oppose the Empire. He will draw steel and blood for the memory of a doomed family. I know not how to steer him from his course for I know what horror must have been perceived to a boy such as he.  In his eyes we are responsible, though we call him brother.  M'Lord, he will take up arms against us. Though it saddens me to no end, for the sake of the Empire, we must stand against him and those that cannot yet see that which was meant to be. That which we knew at the time to be the only course.  

He seeks vengeance as an apt warrior is want to do. We must be vigilant for I can not bear to bring harm to my brothers, the pain of my actions during my madness is still fierce.  We must convince Triston to see that day for what it was, so that he may grieve and accept its neccessity.  But until that day, we must protect the Empire, for his vengeance will know no bounds left unchecked.  Those that stand beside him will know the torment of raising their blade against their brothers, the anguish of drawing the blood of those you've sworn to protect."

The old warrior places his shaking hand on the table and his head turns once more towards the window.

A single tear rolls unchecked down his weathered face and falls unnoticed to the parchment.

[kodoz]

As Kodoz was revived from death many times after having suffered multiple defeats Kodoz, along with Steel DarKnight, Lizshue, Thiork, and Obelix had vanquished the evil of the ones named Triston and Razak. Kodoz had his own theories about this whole situation, but was unable to prove or disprove any. On the one hand Triston could be truly given facts and decided to act upon them, or he was being manipulated by a seperate foe for some vile reason... but nevertheless Kodoz was worried. Having recently recovered from his situation that Wolf and he had shared he was not one hundred percent sure that Triston wasn't being lied to or manipulated. But only time would tell and much scarred Kodoz wearily casted recall, and collapsed at his home in fatigue and mental puzzles and riddles. *He awoke with a start* noticing his hands were sweating and he was shivering and recalled a nightmare. He hadnt had it for some time, and it was the only one he had ever had. He would be in the midst of battle, and suddenly he would be alone in his state of living, but none of his comrades would be. Kodoz never truly understood why he had this nightmare, but it only happened when strange things were afoot. Kodoz slowly stockpiled his weapons, armors, potions, and orange petals to prepare for the inevitable major conflict, and he was determined to atone for his previous defeats. Kodoz may have put on a boasting and silly attitude but the only reason Kodoz could make up for it was that if he didnt laugh, hed probably cry. Kodoz was very intent on his goal, which was to reason away Tristons madness. After checking Olympus and finding it devoid of life, he gave up and slept once more to be ready for the next battle, and to help Triston and Razak come back to their senses.