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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2013 14:34:51 GMT -5
"Death is coming..." A voice whispered. It was barley audible to Amber, and as such easily forgetable. She was floating through soft clouds without a care in the world. The setting sun bathed the sky in an array of pink an orange. Amber had been at complete peace here. There was no trouble, no world's being destroyed. Only the feeling of the wind as it guided her. But with the wind came the voice once more.
"Death is coming..." Slightly louder this time, the voice made her pause a moment. How could there be death in such a place like this? As if to promote this thought a flock of birds appeared beside her. They were birds that Amber had never seen before, with white bodies and an almost black colored head. Their were hints of blue in their wings as they glided along side her.
As if noticing that she was starring, the bird next to her flapped its wings and did a backwards spin in the air. It brought a smile, laughter, and delight across her face. "Death is coming!" The voice spoke as if it was right behind her.
Feeling a sudden chill down her spine, Amber glanced backwards. The setting around her changed at that moment. Alvi flew behind her, his arm outstretched trying to grasp her foot. Amber was confused. Why was Alvi trying to catch her? Why was he trying to bring her back to that place?!
"Amber!!!" He shouted, and with a start Amber awoke. Eyes blinking open she sat up straight in the chair. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was being trapped by that... Glancing down Amber looked down at her leg. While her body had been healed, something was amiss. Part of her right leg was gone. Only a stump that went from her torso to where her knee cap was existed. Everything below that was gone.
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Bartimaeus wished he could help the kid. But he wasn't good with this stuff. There was a reason he had not been a father. He didn't know how to connect with kids, let alone teenagers! There was no time to think about that right now though. Something was happening.
Even with Aiden helping him up, Bartimaeus struggled. His body protested his movements. It needed rest and time to recuperate and here he was pushing himself again. "Got no choice! I have to help." Bartimaeus told himself.
"Kid. Don't let go of me alright." Taking a deep breath, Bartimaeus closed his eyes and began to hum. Singing the song of transport, Bartimaeus let the magic take hold of him and drain his energy. As it did he and Aiden began to "disappear". As they blinked out of visual appearance, they suddenly shot forward. The magic had a hold of them now, taking them out of the medical tent and outside. There Bartimaeus a man rushing a hooded figure. Guessing that one of them was the cause of the commotion, he inspected the man further. He had a beard, long hair, and ruffled appearance and carried a sword in his hand. Recognizing that sword, Bartimaeus suddenly realized who that man was!
"O...Orion?!" Bartimaeus said in surprise. As a result he lost control of the magic and together they blinked back into existence. They crashed to the ground about halfway between the medical tent and where the head of the destroyer was.
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Orion rushed towards the hooded figure. Summoning his sword he expected to see the darkened weapon in his hands. To his surprise there was no darkened weapon. Instead the Sword of Storms had appeared in his hands. Not really having to much time to think about the matter, Orion rushed to meet this hooded figure in combat. When he got close enough he swung for the head of the Head of the Destroyer.
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Post by Sprow on Dec 16, 2013 22:57:16 GMT -5
Rekka had to weave out of the crowd before finally returning to where Amber was. At first, Amber looked to be asleep. As she got closer, however, Rekka took pause. Was her eye deceiving her? Was she imagining things? Getting closer, Rekka covered her mouth. Where Amber was what looked to be asleep now, a part of her friend's right leg was missing! Sure, she couldn't see the leg under the blankets but the shape and bulk of the leg was clearly cut off at the knee cap. 'Oh my god!' Rekka thought with horror. Had Amber's situation been that bad?
"Oh...Amber..." Rekka said, trailing off. As if her friend had heard her, Amber began to stir. When she woke up, she looked around in confusion. Rekka tried to wave to get her attention but it seemed as though, in her disorientation, that Amber hadn't noticed her. What she did notice first, sadly, was what was wrong with her leg. Rekka went awfully quiet then, looking down at the ground for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Amber. I didn't realize how bad your situation was..."
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As Damien turned away, he continued the fruitless search for Aiden. No matter how hard he tried, the teenager was just nowhere to be seen. It worried Damien. What if something bad had happened to him? What of the kid's family? Surely, he had to have gone and visited them to see if they were okay? What if they weren't? Would Aiden have run away? That seemed like a possibility. Aiden wasn't known for thinking clearly whenever he was upset about something.
After making it to the end of the tent, Damien realized that if there had been a time where Aiden had been in here, he was gone now. Turning around, that's when it happened. He spotted Aiden! The young dragoon was carrying some sort of middle aged man. Then, right before his very eyes, they disappeared!
"AIDEN!" Damien exclaimed, rushing through and weaving around what people were in the way. If he used a portal, he'd risk someone getting stuck or split by his portals. He'd probably reach where Amber and Rekka were in his haste.
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Aiden wasn't sure what this guy wanted them to do but at the elder's instruction, Aiden simply nodded. "Alright!" had been his response. The teenage Wilder almost gave a start when he saw himself suddenly turn transparent as Bartimaeus let out a strange hum. The hum seemed to be giving off some sort of energy. It made the hair on the back of Aiden's neck prickle.
Suddenly, they shot out of the tent and out into the open. When they got there, Aiden caught sight of what looked to be one of Damien's former bosses. One of the heads of the Destroyer, it seemed. Then, the middle aged man said a name. Looking down, in the direction Bartimaeus was looking in, Aiden gave a start! He knew exactly who that was!
"Orion!" Aiden exclaimed. Why was he charging the head by himself? Wasn't he worried that he'd get hurt? Then, the pair of them suddenly dropped to the ground in a heap. "Oof!" had been all that Aiden had been able to utter when he suddenly hit the ground. Shaking his head, Aiden got back on his feet before looking over to Bartimaeus.
"I gotta help my friend before he gets himself killed!" Aiden told him before turning toward Orion, whom had already made his way over to the female Head. "Alright...let's see if I'm still a Wilder!" Aiden stated, extending both of his hands at each of his sides. A bright light was emitted and in each hand appeared two thing swords that hadn't been used in the Wilder family for an extremely long time. It was believed such swords wouldn't ever be able to be summoned again. They were Jean Wilder's swords if anyone knew their weapon and hero lore.
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The woman laughed impishly as Orion rushed her. What she knew from Ivan, he looked nothing like his supposed description. The boy wasn't wearing any dark armor. Nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary. While the youth made to swing at her head, the woman dodged the attack, giggling.
"You're going to have to do more than that, Orion~! So tell me, where's your little friend?" she teased.
With a twirl of her hand, out came what looked to be a scythe. She took this and swung at Orion's navel with the intent of just slashing his skin. The difference about her and Ivan was she enjoyed toying with her enemies. She was the type to torture them before finally killing them if she found them to be worthy enough.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2013 19:07:08 GMT -5
Orion should have known better then to rush in and attack an opponent. The woman had dodged easily and even taunted him as well! Surprised to see that she knew his name, Orion brought his sword around in another slash. Little did he know there was another surprise waiting for him. As his sword came around the side the woman summoned what looked to be some sort of scythe. A slash aimed at his navel made Orion change his intent. Instead of attacking, he had to switch to defense.
Lacking the swordsmanship skills to change his weapon into a defense, Orion was forced to rely on his abilities. Orion had to fall back in order to dodge the attack. Literally falling on his back, Orion used a maneuver that had been drilled into him when he was younger to turn his falling back into a backwards roll. Coming back to his feet Orion paused. He wasn't going to go rushing in like that again! He almost got cut!
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Too far for their words to reach them, Bartimaeus forced himself to a sitting position. "Wait boy!" He said as Aiden informed him that he had to help Orion. What was with these kids? Didn't anyone teach them not to go running into a battle. That was how a person got killed!
Feeling the strain of having used his magic, Bartimaeus breath came out in labored puffs. He felt obliged to stand and help them. There was his pupil! Why he was here, Orion didn't know. But as his Master, Bartimaeus couldn't let him or Aiden get themselves hurt. There would be plenty of time for figuring out why he was here later.
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Her leg was gone! Slowly everything came back to Amber. The house, the man who had tried to help her, the eventual fade into unconsciousness. It had cost her part of her right leg. How was she supposed to walk? How was she supposed to dance? How was she supposed to survive with only one working leg?
Amber had never thought about how important a leg was to a person. Now though she could think of many things she would never be able to do again because of what had happened. Tears slipped down her face now. The shock of what had happened was leaving and now the reality was hitting her. It was hitting her hard.
Not even recognizing Rekka's presence, it took a hand on her shoulder for her to recognize Rekka. Seeing her friend Amber broke. She couldn't hold back the cries then. They came of their own accord. She felt hideous, and ugly. Throwing the blanket over her lower half in anger, Amber was unaware that at that moment Damien had approached them and a kanji letter began to glow on her hip.
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Post by Sprow on Dec 19, 2013 2:48:06 GMT -5
The woman gave an amused giggle as she watched Orion try to avoid her attack with her scythe. It had been a wonderful display of the falling back and rolling maneuver. Now that he knew what he was dealing with, Orion seemed to keep himself at a distance. However, their fight was far from over. Although, the woman was fairly certain that Orion wasn't about to go charging in like he had anymore. She certainly taught him a good lesson due to the close shave he just had.
A dark grin on her face, she spoke again. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" she questioned him further, tauntingly. She was, after all, the very woman that kept appearing before Damien now and then when Orion and Damien first met.
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Aiden was relieved to feel the swords in his hands again. It had been a long time since he last used them. It had been a time when Brian had been teaching him how to fight. A time when they, as brothers, had actually gotten along. It had to have been the only time Brian seemed to acknowledge Aiden as his younger brother. One of the times where Brian showed that he knew Aiden existed before the Dojo claimed all of his attention.
'So, I'm still a Wilder despite the change that overcame me...that's good,' Aiden thought. After all, what change came over him had effected him somehow. Aiden wasn't sure if it effected his own DNA and blood. Where he was a Wilder, the change could have made it impossible for him to summon the swords. Every Wilder that could summon the weapons and armor of old had to be related by blood to the original Wilder family.
A sudden voice pulled the youth out of his thoughts. One word that had been used that annoyed him had caused Aiden to take pause as he turned to face where Bartimaeus was. "I'm not a boy!" Aiden retorted grumpily. He hated whenever someone referred to him like he was some sort of kid and not a young man. His biggest pet peeve was being called a kid. Thankfully, Bartimaeus hadn't called him that just yet but had only referred to him as a mere boy.
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Rekka figured that Amber couldn't hear her at that given moment. Amber was getting over the shock that she had lost a limb. Rekka could understand that. After all, Rekka went through the same reaction when she had lost her eye. No doubt, Amber was wondering how she was going to manage without that limb she had lost. Rekka had wondered the same things. It took Rekka years to get over the fact that she was going to have only one eye for the rest of her life. She could not change what had happened to her so she had to live with it. Now, poor Amber had to live with the loss of a limb. Honestly, Rekka never wanted anyone to ever experience what she had to experience. Granted, the loss of a limb was different to that of an eye ball but in a sense but it was the same in the sense of losing a body part.
Silently, Rekka had walked over to her friend after speaking to her. Amber was still out of it. Grief looked like it was overcoming her. Gently, Rekka placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. It was at this point that Amber had finally realized Rekka was there. Amber broke down in tears and threw the blanket onto her lower half in her anger. Taking sympathy for Amber's predicament, Rekka hugged Amber tightly. She could understand how it felt since she had felt the same way when she had lost her eye. Even to this day she was self conscious of the fact that she had a missing eyeball despite covering the old wound with an eye patch.
"I'm so sorry, Amber!" she stated just as her forehead began to glow during the arrival of Damien. Damien was forced to stop at where he arrived. Aiden and that man were gone out of thin air. There was no possible way that he could follow them. Little did he know that the pair had wound up exiting the tent just outside and were where Orion had been. Just like Rekka's, Damien's forehead was glowing too but his kanji letter was different than her's. Damien's stood for water where as Rekka's stood for fire.
It was then that he heard the crying. Hearing the mention of names, Damien looked over. It was then that he took notice of Rekka embracing the woman that Orion had saved. What were they crying about? Not only that but that woman's forehead was glowing again! 'Is there something glowing underneath that blanket by the hip?' Damien wondered. He wasn't about to go lifting up blankets covering someone's lower half. That was the sort of thing that got men slapped. Now that he happened to be looking down that way, only then did he realize what had happened. The other woman had lost part of her leg.
"Er, forgive me. I know this must be a difficult time but...why is your forehead glowing and why is there some sort of light coming out from under that blanket?" Yes, Damien was not good when it came to mentioning things and he certainly wasn't good at finding the right things to say during such awkward moments.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2013 19:07:19 GMT -5
Bartimaeus had thought that he had lost Aiden. The lad had quick feet and was easily ten feet away from the bard when the words reached him. Hearing his retort, Bartimaeus was pleasantly surprised by his response. Well at least the kid had stopped! "Well don't go charging in blindly like one and I won't." Bartimaeus told Aiden.
Forcing himself forward, it took a few moments before Bartimaeus reached Aiden. Orion, who was reluctant to charge in blindly, attempted a slash against the hooded figure. Bartimaeus couldn't hear what the woman said, but from the look of anger on Orion's face, the taunt was clearly working. "How many times did I tell that boy that if he lets emotions cloud him, he'll get himself killed!" Bartimaeus thought.
It was as if Orion had completely forgotten all the training that Bartimaeus had drilled into the youth. His form was sloppy. His attacks came in rushes and in rages that his opponent easily deflected, dodged, and even countered. Heck, it was a surprise that Orion had yet to get himself hurt!
"Help me get over there!" Bartimaeus told Aiden. Using the young man to help him forward, Bartimaeus leaned on Aiden to close the remaining distance between them and the battle. "Listen to me friend. That man is going to get himself killed if he continues fighting like that alone. Your fast. I've seen it. I need you to distract that woman long enough for me to use that spell I used to appear behind her. I'm thinking I can grab her from behind long enough for you to use those swords of yours. What do you think?"
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Leaning against Rekka, Amber was absolutely miserable. As Damien arrived on the scene, Amber's miserable feeling just turned worse. She hadn't even noticed his arrival on the scene. Surprised by his appearance, Amber took what he said and thought that he was speaking of her missing leg! As if it were another dagger piercing her heart, Amber turned red in embarrassment. Feeling very small at the moment, her cries came harder as she buried herself in Rekka. She had no idea that Damien was asking about her glowing kanji letter or the one that appeared on Rekka's forehead. She just wanted him to go away!
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Post by Sprow on Dec 24, 2013 4:07:58 GMT -5
Aiden huffed as he crossed his arms when Bartimaeus responded. "I wasn't charging in blindly! I can see!" he retorted, clearly missing the point that the bard was trying to make. Thankfully, he appeared to be obeying the bard's words in remaining put. As Bartimaeus reached him, Aiden returned to his normal stance, looking at the bard quizzically. He tilted his head in curiosity as the bard told him to help bring him over toward the battle. "Alright!" Aiden stated, not sure what this man could do but went with it anyway. Supporting Bartimaeus, Aiden brought him toward where the battle was, closing the distance between them.
When they got there, Aiden looked over at Bartimaeus when he spoke after a short moment. Seeing Orion fighting made Aiden antsy. He didn't want anything to happen to his friend, after all. The bard wanted him to distract the woman so that Bartimaeus could grab her from behind. With luck, the bard would catch the lady off guard enough to cling onto her so that Aiden could use his swords on her. The young Wilder gave a nod of understanding.
"Sounds good!" With that, Aiden released the bard and ran over to the fight. The woman had been countering and blocking what attacks Orion had. Neither appeared to have landed their mark. For the woman's sake, it seemed as though she were only playing with Orion rather than actually trying to land a hit on him. She kept verbally teasing him too, playing on his anger that he was showing her.
"Hey ugly!" Aiden called to her, sticking his tongue out at her before blowing a raspberry. It had been the insult that caught the woman's attention. It wasn't hard to figure her out in terms of how she'd react. She was vain, as Aiden had guessed, so being called ugly had been quite enough for her to turn her attention onto him. In response, she lunged for Aiden who just barely dodged her scythe.
"Whoa! Too slow~!" Aiden teased her as he hopped about, leading her to where he hoped the bard could get in and close the distance.
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Rekka, whom had been consoling Amber, did not expect Damien to arrive. When he spoke, Amber seemed to become more distressed. Over her friend's wails, it hadn't been easy to hear what he had been saying. All that she could make out was "forehead" and "under blanket". As Amber seemed to bury herself into Rekka, Rekka tried to figure out what Damien had been saying. Honestly, it sounded like he was talking about Amber's leg missing after mentioning Rekka's glowing forehead. Why the hell would her forehead be glowing?
"Your's is glowing too, you know!"
"It is?!" Damien replied, bringing a hand to his forehead. Before he could, he noticed the change of expression written upon Rekka's face. Had he said something wrong? She looked absolutely furious! Suddenly, Damien was filled with alarm. He had no idea just what wrath he had provoked now that Rekka thought he was pointing out Amber's missing leg.
"How dare you!" Rekka growled. Oh dear, now Damien was in for it!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2014 18:43:05 GMT -5
The sounds of metal being harmlessly deflected against Orion's sword made him attack with an increase an effort. How dare this... This bitch, come here and cause problems. Hadn't there organization caused enough harm already. Orion had no idea who was responsible for the destruction of the city, but seeing a member of the Order of the Destroyer influenced his thoughts on the subject. Orion believed it was her organization that had called the meteorites. Orion was intent on making her pay for such a deed!
As the battle continued, Orion's effort began to decrease as he began to tire. The woman's taunts continued at the same pace. Her own attacks also came at Orion in even vigor. However as Orion tired, his defenses became sloppy. He was forced to move back to dodge the attack time and time again.
When the head twirled her scythe and succeeded in nipping Orion's neck, he had to literally fall back to avoid getting his neck sliced. "Way to close!" He needed to get off the ground though, or in a second this mad woman was going to chop him to pieces!
"Hey ugly!" The shout to Orion's right caught not only the enemy's attention but Orion's as well. Spotting Aiden, Orion blinked in disbelief. What was the bugger doing here?! And calling the enemy to boot!
"Aiden watch out!" Orion called as the woman swung her deadly sickle at Aiden. Getting to his feet, Orion ran towards Aiden and the woman. He had to help Aiden. It was at about this moment that Orion was surprised once more. Suddenly Bartimaeus fizzled into existence directly behind the woman. Blinking confusingly Orion's jaw could have dropped at that moment. What was his master doing here?!
Bartimaeus attempted to grab the woman from behind, trying to grab both of her arms so that she dropped her sycthe. The tactic had dual purposes. First he was trying to disarm the woman and stop her for a moment. Additionally he was attempting to open a path for Aiden to try and attack. "Now Aiden!" Bartimaeus shouted!
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First Damien made fun of Amber's legs. Now he was making fun of Rekka's missing eye. The poor man surely had rotten luck. Amber, with her head buried, had missed Damien's action. Hearing Rekka's response though made her look up. In that moment she did realize that something was glowing on Damien's forehead. Glancing down at the bed sheet, she spotted a soft light coming from underneath the sheet. Lifting it, Amber was surprised to see that Damien actually had been right! She was still pissed about her leg, but she felt bad about yelling at him.
"Rekka I think he's telling the truth." Seeing that Damien might be looking at her leg, Amber quickly replaced the sheet back over her. She didn't want anyone to see her leg.
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Post by Sprow on Jan 8, 2014 12:12:48 GMT -5
Aiden did all that he could to grab that foe's attention off of Orion as he stuck his tongue out at her and made faces at her. When she lunged for him, Aiden had heard Orion telling him to watch out for it. The young Dragoon merely waved a hand at Orion as if to say "yeah, yeah!" before the woman reached where Aiden was. The teenager was rather swift. The blood of the dragon that had been awakened by the elves certainly did him wonders in terms of speed and flexibility.
Orion didn't seem to see things this way and ran to intercept. "I got this, don't worry, Orion!" Aiden had said but there was no use. Orion would take on that elder sibling or something role and refuse to get out of the way thinking Aiden insane. Well, it had been a lucky thing that Bartimaeus chose that opportune moment to grab hold of the enemy from behind.
"See?" Aiden stated before darting around his taller and older friend. "We got this!" Aiden stated as the woman struggled in the bard's hold. She hadn't expected help for Orion to come, not in this form anyway. She had been expecting Damien to appear. Now that he hadn't, she was surprised. She was looking to encounter Damien, not that Damien himself would ever wish to encounter her. Even if Ivan were probably one of the worst out of the Four heads, the woman wasn't that far behind. She was known to torture her prey before killing it.
"Unhand me, you wretch!" the woman growled as she struggled. Aiden unsheathed his swords as he went around Orion. The childish expression he wore on his face was gone then as he approached the now held back enemy. Stabbing right into her might not be such a good idea with Bartimaeus hanging onto her from behind. Aiden would need to ensure he made precise strikes that were pointed away from the bard so the bard wouldn't get gored as well. Giving his weapons a bit of a twirl as he finally reached where they were, Aiden did a series of strikes. He attacked from the front, then the side, then the other side, then from behind. When he had come up from behind, Aiden made sure he had gotten the woman and not the bard. It was the Four Way strike maneuver that hadn't been used for years.
"Man, never could pull that one off until now!" Aiden stated, appearing next to Orion again with his weapons sheathed.
The woman, on the other hand, due to the bard hanging onto her, had been jabbed in four places. Her figure hunched in pain as she glared at Orion and Aiden. Blood seeped from her wounds on all sides as she coughed and spluttered. "Y-You-!" she uttered, crumpling to the ground in pain. It looked as if they might have killed her.
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Rekka was about to rant at Damien in her anger but it had been Amber that pulled her out of it. "H-Huh?" Rekka replied in confusion. Blinking, Rekka looked at Amber before turning her attention onto Damien again. What anger had been there had sizzled out as soon as it had come. If Amber thought so then she would spare yelling at this Damien. Damien had taken a step back in response to Rekka's angry words. Now that she appeared to be calm, he took that step forward again. Rekka hadn't been kidding when she said his forehead had been glowing. From where she was sitting, Rekka guessed that she would listen to Amber.
"If...our foreheads are glowing...and her leg is too...what does that mean?" Rekka said aloud in wonder.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Whatever the symbols mean, I'm guessing they could be linked. Whether to each other or something, I'm not sure...er, my apologies for um..." Damien rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. He had noticed what happened to Amber's leg and had averted his gaze from it. No doubt, that loss was fresh in the woman's mind. No need for her to get offended by someone else looking at it. The poor thing would have to rely on a prosthetic leg to get around from now on. "For...accidentally making you two think I was saying...rude things?" he finished. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to say other than that. Shaking his head, Damien focused his attention back on the matter. Could it be possible that their friend had encountered Aiden? Rekka did say they would know when they met this bard of their's. Damien hadn't seen anyone phase in and out of a tent like that, could it be him? It was a long shot.
"Sorry to cut this short but I saw my young friend leave this tent with some middle aged guy. He phased out of the tent with Aiden! They could be outside somewhere right now."
Rekka looked over at Amber then. What were they going to do? Amber couldn't walk yet, not in this current condition. "If you want to go, Amber, I can be of help..." Rekka trailed off. Best to let Amber decide. "Sounds like something Bartimaeus can do."
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Post by Deleted on Jan 9, 2014 11:25:54 GMT -5
Orion didn't know what to say. How odd that his master would show up here?! And how the heck did he know Aiden?! Orion was filled with a warm and delight he hadn't honestly in a long time. It had been years since Orion had last seen his master. Watching him hold the enemy, Orion wanted to run over there and say hello. It was as if he were a child who had just run into superman or someone of that sort.
Aiden took the opportunity that Bartimaeus provided to unleash an attack that none of them had ever seen before. It was an attack even Bartimaeus had not seen, as he unleashed a series of four strikes. The woman was left stabbed and harmed. It looks like they had done it!
Letting her go from his hands, Bartimaeus watched the woman fall to the ground. They had defeated her! At least they all thought so! Bartimaeus hovered over her, listening to her enraged words as she looked at them all in pain and scorn.
Orion watched Bartimaeus crouch down and whisper something in her ear. With only human ears, Orion could not hear what he told the woman. Aiden, if he paid enough attention, might catch the end of what Bartimaeus told the woman. --------------
Amber listened to Damien's apology, and for the first time felt that he actually meant it. Hearing him fumble for words to apologize gave Amber a smile. It seemed he was flustered! As the subject turned to the strange glowing marks on them, Amber couldn't help wondering what it meant. She had never seen or heard the likes before! Why were they glowing like that! "I wonder if what he says is right?"
She thought about his comment. There was not much time to sit and think about it though. Damien had to find someone named Aiden. Having been out of the loop all this time, Amber had no idea that they were looking for Bartimaeus or Aiden. She assumed that the bard was probably just somewhere else in the tent.
Hearing that he wasn't here, Amber listened to Rekka's statement. She appreciated the offer of her to help Amber accompany her, but Amber knew she would just be a burden if she did so. "I need to rest. I'll be alright here. Why don't you go ahead." Amber did not want to burden Rekka, and she was not about to let her friend know that was the reason why she did not want to accompany her.
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Post by Sprow on Jan 10, 2014 22:59:46 GMT -5
Aiden watched as the woman was released, her injured form fell to the ground in a heap. She coughed and spluttered, barely able to move considering the injuries she had sustained from Aiden's attacks. Honestly, he was expecting more of a fight. This seemed far too easy. Aiden didn't sheathe his weapons yet. Bartimaeus, as soon as the woman had slumped to the ground, had spoken to her. Aiden tilted his head, giving the bard a questioning look.
"Why did you say that?" Aiden questioned him curiously.
The woman remained unmoving for the time being.
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Damien certainly had been flustered. Now that things looked as though they had been resolved, he was able to make an inaudible sigh of relief. He didn't need drama during a time like this. Thankfully, the other woman had caught on and caused the other to simmer down. Damien was grateful for it. After the apology, he could see that one of them appeared to be accepting of the apology. Well, at least it wasn't a large blunder. He patiently waited to see if either of the two women was going to get up. He could only watch as Rekka spoke to Amber. Then, Amber responded by simply stating that she had needed to rest and that Rekka could go and investigate.
"Alright...if you're sure..." Rekka had trailed off before getting to her feet. She didn't realize that Amber had felt as if she would only be a burden. "I'll be right back!" Rekka told her before setting out of the tent.
Damien lingered for a short moment. "If you'd rather rest, I can leave a portal open for you to see what's going on outside." Not even waiting for an okay from her, Damien simply waved his hand as a portal tore open in front of him, in front of her bed as he stepped through it. Amber could see outside where the others had been. Rekka blinked, having turned just to see that.
"Oh, you can do that? Nice!" Rekka stated as she gave Amber a brief wave before turning around to find Aiden and Orion, then what looked to be a familiar figure that had yet to stand back up. Aiden had his back turned to the portal so only a head of blue hair was really all there was to signify that he was at least a Wilder. His height signified that he was a young one too.
"Orion?" Damien had noticed Orion first before walking over to find Aiden with swords out. Just where the hell did the kid get those from? "Aiden?! Where have you been?" Damien questioned him, Aiden just waved Damien's words off for a moment, his attention focused on the bard still. No one seemed to notice the crumpled woman for the time being.
Rekka wandered over as well, looking at the hunched figure. Was it Bartimaeus? What should she say?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2014 19:59:33 GMT -5
No one noticed the crumpled woman. Why would they, after all they had killed her. Bartimaeus had thought as much as well. He whispered in her ear, "I will not let you run a muck in the universe. I will stop you and that elf at whatever the costs." That was what he had whispered to her. Unaware that a portal had ripped open behind them, it had been Damien's words that had caught all of their attention.
Orion was the first to notice Damien. Turning around he spotted his friend and another step out of the portal. It was the woman they had met on the way here! The one whose friend they had pulled out from under that house. Orion had temporarily forgotten all about looking for Damien and Aiden when he had spotted the destruction that awful woman had been causing. Then the arrival of is old master had just been too much! He had totally forgotten Damien in the moment.
Spotting them both as they entered Damien's words had focused on Aiden. Bartimaeus was still on his knees next to the woman as he glanced at Damien. This was his first time spotting the teenager. He had no idea who he was, but he recognized the other figure that was coming up from behind him. It was Rekka!
Suddenly feeling a pang of guilt. He had run off just when all of this was starting to happen. It was good to see that Rekka was alright, but where was Amber? "There you go being a bad friend again. Rushing off when people need you." He thought to himself. Bartimaeus was used to running. He did it a lot. He hadn't meant to do it to Rekka and Amber as well.
"Rekka..." He said, calling to get her attention. "I'm sorry I..." Bartimaeus's voice trailed off as a scythe cut his head clean off. His head rolled to the ground and his body fell the opposite away. It seems that the crumpled body they thought was dead had not been dead at all.
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Post by Sprow on Jan 15, 2014 1:13:46 GMT -5
Aien, at first, thought he had heard the bard wrong. When he was sure that he had heard him right, Aiden had questioned him on it. It sounded like something Damien, Orion and himself were encountering. An elf, a tainted one, had broken the wall that protected the elves and caused a lot of destruction. How had this middle aged man heard of the elf? Damien furrowed his brow when Aiden chose to not answer him. Following the teenager's gaze, Damien looked over at someone that was hunched over one of the Four Heads. Damien knew it the moment he laid eyes on her. Was she dead?
His attention, then turned to the man that had been bent over the woman's crumpled form. The man that he saw had been the one with Aiden at the time when the youth had fazed out of the tent with him. Who was he? While Damien had pondered about it, Rekka walked over and looked at Bartimaeus. The bard had taken notice of her and Rekka looked over at Aiden awkwardly. She felt that she owed Bartimaeus an apology. It had been because of her that he had run off in his anger. If she hadn't angered him when she had exploded, he wouldn't have left. Right now, she wondered if he would even let her speak to him.
Then, Rekka heard Bartimaeus call out her name. Turning her head to look over at him, Rekka could see the apologetic look upon the bard's face. It seemed things would be alright as Bartimaeus continued to speak. Then, it happened so fast, Rekka took a moment to realize what had just happened. Right in front of her, once again, another friend had lost their head! Another friend had just lost their life right in front of Rekka! Eye widening, Rekka took another moment to go from shock, to dismay and then anger. "NO, BARTIMAEUS!" she cried. When her anger had peaked, Rekka's symbol appeared on her forehead and tendrils appeared about her body to form the half armor she normally wore. In her hand, she held her father's sword.
A fire had erupted immediately on Rekka's person. The moment it happened, Aiden, whom had been near her at the time leapt back in surprise. "WH-WHOA!" he exclaimed before seeking refuge behind Damien and Orion as if they could keep the flames at bay. Well, honestly, Damien easily could being a water elemental but right now he was busy being just as surprised by what had just happened. He had let out a surprised gasp seeing the man before them get his head lopped off. Now, the woman was standing once more with scythe in hand!
There was a shout and the girl that had accompanied him, Rekka, had suddenly formed armor on herself as well as flared up with flames. It had caused Damien to even take a step back as Aiden jumped away from the flames. Of course, the flames hadn't touched any of them but it was enough to make one jump back in surprise. Rekka was furious as she made a lunge for the woman with a scythe with her father's sword in hand, seeming to have extended itself with flames as she slashed at her once.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2014 0:45:40 GMT -5
"Death comes to us all. It will even come for me one day. It is through the brush of death that we are reminded of our own mortality. It this fact that causes us fear. Remember Orion, we all fear death. Yet it is death that allows us to enjoy living."
Bartimaeus told a five year old Orion. Having been playing in the palace gardens, Orion had by chance come across a dead bird. Having only heard about death in story books, Orion had never really grasped or understood death. He had never witnessed it. So, as any child might, he cradled what he thought was a harmed animal.
Having always been fond of birds and the music they sung, Orion wanted nothing more than to see this bird sing for him. Bringing it to his master, Bartimaeus, he hoped that his teacher could fix him. It was then that Orion learned about death. The memory of this incident had been lost to Orion over the years. Even when he took the life of an enemy for the first time he had not remembered it. Yet as he fell to his knees when his master was killed, the memory came to him in vivid detail. He heard the words of his master as if they were being said to him right then and there.
Little did they comfort him, for he cried out in sudden anger and anguish. His master was dead! Killed right in front of him by that bitch! Sword of storms in his hand, Orion reeled on the woman. He looked for her, but she was gone! Vanished as if she had never existed! All that was left was a maniacal laughter that slowly grew distant as if the woman was slowly getting farther and father away.
Orion screamed at the top of the lungs. He screamed at the world and the cruelty of it all! Nothing mattered to him in that moment. No one else existed besides himself and Bartimaeus. He did not spot Rekka, Aiden or even Damien. They could have been doing god knows what and he wouldn't have noticed. Being the nearest to Bartimaeus he slowly picked up his body and held it in his arms. The tears had already been flowing from him by then, and they continued to flow now.
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Elsewhere death continued. The Order of the Destroyer, as Lakari had requested, went out and began to attack. They killed and battled any who they ran into. For after all Lakari had only asked one thing of them. "Take the world. And do it quickly." And that as exactly what they did. The armies and defenses of the Land of Dragons had little to protect against the might of darkness. Not with the very home and center of the world's defense, the Wilder Family, having been attacked by a meteor shower.
Unlike in the survivor's camp outside the city, the other camps, villages, and cities, did not stand a change against the army.
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Unaware of pretty much anything that was happening in the outside world, Amber sat on her cot. What on earth was she going to do about her leg. She had a slightly better mental grasp on the fact that she was missing a leg, but she still had not a clue about what she was going to do about it.
The healers had told her that her options were limited. They did not have the magic to grow limbs. She would need an earth mage to do such a thing, and their kind did not know such magic here. For now the best they could do was to attach a wooden foot. It would be more for show than anything else, but it would allow her to stand. However she'd need a cane to walk with it.
So that was how it ended up that Amber now had a wooden stump where her real leg should have been."Looks like my career as a soldier is over. What the heck am I going to do now?" How odd that given everything her first thought was hat she couldn't be a soldier anymore! Of everything that happened today that was her biggest worry?!
"You should be ashamed of yourself! Look around you. Look at all the suffering, all the people injured. How many families died in that meteor attack. How many parents lost children or vice versa."[/i] Reminding herself of this helped Amber to pull herself out of her own self pity. It gave her courage and strength to focus on something else. She was reminded of Bartimaeus then. She hoped he was alright. She'd feel terrible if something bad had happened to him and the last thnig he remembered was her yelling at him. She'd make sure she'd tell him she was sorry when she saw him again.
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Post by Sprow on May 2, 2014 16:05:28 GMT -5
It had been a crushing blow. As Rekka tried to attack the woman, all there was left was a maniacal laughter in her wake before she disappeared. Rekka's attack never hit her. "Damn you!" Rekka snarled. Only then did she realize someone was just as bothered, maybe even far more bothered, that Bartimaeus had died. Regardless, despite her confusion, Rekka threw down her father's sword in her frustration. Slumping to her knees, she looked long and hard on the ground. She could hear Orion nearby, sobbing while he held Bartimaeus's body in his arms.
Oh, it had been a crushing blow, alright. One of the only two friends she had, had just died. Killed, once again, right in front of her eye. Just like the previous times, there wasn't anything that Rekka could have done about it. Her fire around her was going wild, making Aiden and Damien nervous. It seemed to extend outward from her as the realization hit her even more.
"Shit!" Damien exclaimed as the flames nearly licked them. Extending a hand out with his palm, he had no choice but to let out a stream of water burst forth from his hand. Unfortunately, the end result was Rekka being doused in the water he used. Where the water did shock her, Rekka soon forgot about it as she sat there. She couldn't get angry again. Instead, steam just simply rose from her.
Damien let out a sigh before looking over at Orion. There wasn't anything any of them could have done. Aiden tentatively made to take a step toward Orion. Damien grabbed him by the shoulder and shook his head. "Let him let it out. Otherwise, it will fester." Aiden lowered his gaze, feeling sorry for his friend. It seemed the one eyed girl too knew the same person as Orion did. Who was Rekka, though? How did they know the same person?
Rekka couldn't bring herself to look upon her friend's now dead body. She couldn't look at the scene before her of Orion cradling Bartimaeus's headless body. They were alone. Amber and Rekka were alone on this journey now. Bartimaeus, the one solid figure of their journey who had saved their lives more times than once, was gone. Now what were they going to do? What could they do without him? Rekka wiped at the tears that fell from her face. Where she knew he had been a crucial member of their trio, she was more so saddened that their friend was gone. It had been a very crippling blow. Reunited for a split second only for Bartimaeus to die right in front of her. What was she going to tell Amber, who just lost her leg? Were they cursed? It certainly now seemed like it.
Rekka eventually just covered her face as she silently cried. She didn't care who saw her or what else might be coming their way, if it did. She couldn't take it anymore. There were too many that died for Amber and Rekka. Now, it was just them. What was a couple of girls, with disabilities like their's going to hope to accomplish now?
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"What are we going to do, Kane? The king and queen is dead!" a woman spoke. There were two knights that had survived the meteor shower, now walking amongst the first aid tents and refugees. It had been pure chaos and yet, somehow, they managed to pull through. Compared to the girl next to him, Kane was a towering figure. Unlike most of those that protected this world, he lacked the blue hair coloring. His hair was a dark green in color and his eyes were that of violet. The woman next to him, was at least only five feet tall and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She had a streak of blue in her hair signifying that she was of Wilder heritage.
"We're not at a complete loss." The woman looked at Kane in confusion.
"What do you mean? Our people were just attacked by god knows what and it looks very much so like the apocalypse has come! If that's not a complete loss then I don't know what is!" she fumed. Kane just ignored his companion's outburst.
"You're forgetting that there's still royal blood out there." The woman looked back over at Kane in disbelief. "Yes, I know, the brother of the king id dead...so is his eldest son. However, there is yet one more." he finished.
"You've got to be kidding me! That Wilder isn't going to help us any, he's just a child!" the woman exclaimed. Kane ignored her as he continued to wade through the crowd of despair. Just recently, another attack had taken place. Kane and his companion had been fortunate enough to survive even that. Kane, in his mind, couldn't die yet. He had to find that young royal before anything else happened and protect him. They had to sustain what they could. In his eyes, only a Wilder of royal blood could save the world.
"Say what you will, Leia but it's all we have right now. Just because someone's young doesn't mean that they will not become something or have knowledge already." Leia scoffed at this. Unlike Kane, she wasn't as optimistic. It would be some time yet before they would happen upon the group.
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"We should bury him. He deserves a proper burial." Damien had said this after a while. Aiden gave a nod of agreement while Rekka finally took notice of her surroundings. It were almost as if she had finally noticed them all for the first time despite having met them already. Wiping at her face to get rid of the tears, Rekka slowly nodded.
"...Yeah...you're right."
Aiden, since he was probably more likely to get through to Orion than Damien would, walked over to Orion's despairing figure. It looked as if Orion had lost his family too. "...Orion?" Aiden spoke to him gently.
"Orion, we should bury him...can you...hear me?" Aiden asked him.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2014 18:53:38 GMT -5
By the time Aiden had approached Orion, the young man's crying out had stopped. He simply sat there now, as if his mind were a million miles away. He still clutched Bartimaeus in his arms, and it would probably take a crowbar to take his body away. When Aiden suggested that they ought to bury him, Orion did not answer in words. Instead he rose, and began to walk.
He could not speak in that moment. If he opened his mouth to speak he knew that he would begin crying once more. Bartimaeus had been the closest thing to a real father that Orion ever had. His biological father had never shown him the time or care. It had been Bartimaeus, his instructor and mentor, who had been that father figure.
Coming to a stop at Bartimaeus's sliced off head, Orion turned to his friends. Risking tears he spoke, "Can you help me carry..." He couldn't finish the words. There was no way he could carry both the head and the body. Someone else would have to carry it for him. Walking as if he were in a state of death, Orion walked back to the camp. They would bury him there, among the other burial plots that were being made for those who had died. -----------------
Amber would learn the news of Bartimaeus when Rekka and the rest returned. Hearing the unfortuante news, Amber was filled with sorrow. She had lost another one! Another friend! Another person under her care! And worst of all, there was the fact that Amber felt responsible. "If I hadn't yelled at him he wouldn't have run off!"[/i]
Crying as she was told, Amber said through her tears, "I hadn't meant it! I didn't really want him to leave! I was angry!" Her body shook as she cried. Of their crew Rekka and Amber had known Bartimaeus the most these last few months.
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So it was that as the sun set, four hours later, the five of them stood before a newly dug grave. Orion had dug it himself, starting from the moment they had returned to the camp. He had still not said a word since everything had happened. When Rekka and the other(s) had gone to share the news with Amber he had stayed behind, continuing to dig.
Finally, when they all returned, the grave was deep enough. Standing before the grave he slowly placed Bartimaeus, severed head and body, into the grave. They were all unaware of the dangers that the Order of the Destroyer was posing to the rest of the world at this current moment. They did not know that there were two strangers looking for a lost king. In fact they might have already entered the camp, and none of them wouldn't have had a clue. But to Orion and Amber, in this very moment, none of that mattered.
At last, Orion spoke. "I..." Pausing, Orion had to take a moment to force a lump down his throat. "Bartimaeus was my mentor, my teacher, and the closest thing to a father I ever had." Tears broke loose then, unable to keep them away his words were broken by broken breaths and sniffles. "I... I love you." He melted then, falling to his knees. Orion could say no more.
Amber, who leaned on Rekka to stay upright given her leg, spoke. "I didn't mean it... I didn't want you to leave.... Come back you stupid perverted old man!" She shouted through tears. She was angry at herself and at Bartimaeus. How could she have been so cruel to him in his last moments?! "I'm sorry." She said at last.
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Post by Sprow on May 2, 2014 21:44:28 GMT -5
Aiden could understand how Orion felt. He hadn't revealed to them yet that he had found his mother dead and had his brother die in his arms. Even now, that reality was hitting him while he stood there, waiting for Orion's response. It looked as though he were distant. Nothing could seemingly pull him out of his despair. The only response that Aiden got was Orion standing up and walking toward what was Bartimaeus's head. When he reached it, Orion paused before turning to them all asking if someone could carry the head. He had to be referring to the man's head since there wasn't anything else that looked remotely like anything that Orion would request someone to carry.
Rekka breathed as she pushed herself up. Could she manage it? What if she focused too much on it? 'You can do it, Rekka. You owe him at least that much,' Rekka though to herself. 'But what if I lose it and burn the head?' Rekka thought worriedly. No, it would only be right if Rekka helped. Bartimaeus, after all, was a cherished friend even if Amber and she didn't know him as well as Orion might have.
"I-I'll help." Making her way over, Rekka took a deep breath before bending down and then picking up the bard's head. As she did so, it occurred to her then that she was holding a human head. A friend's head! She did her best to not look at Bartimaeus's head. Even now, his eyes were still open. Still, she couldn't help but shudder. Her shuddering was mainly from the grief realizing that she was holding a friend's head over the fact that she now carried a severed head. Silently, she followed Orion with Damien and Aiden following their lead. Aiden spared a glance in Damien's direction but the older male seemed more focused on Orion and Rekka than anything else. It were almost as if he purposely refused to speak to Aiden for the sake of keeping it quiet out of respect for the other two.
By the time they had reached the plots, Rekka had gently placed Bartimaeus's head on his body so that it wouldn't get lost. Orion didn't say a word, just started digging. Rekka had to break the news though to Amber. Even if Damien or Orion knew her, Rekka felt it would only be right for her to tell Amber the bad news. She was torn between wanting to dig the grave and telling her friend. As if sensing this, Aiden and Damien walked over. It was Damien who spoke.
"It may be best to go and break the news to your friend." Damien could see that Orion wanted to be left alone at that moment. Damien couldn't blame him. Aiden looked like he was going to protest but Damien just shook his head. Aiden let out a low sigh before nodding.
"Alright, I'll go."
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"Kane, aside from the fact he's a child, what makes you think that someone from his sort of background would even make much of a ruler, let alone all of our hope? His father died when he was young, his mother sunk into misery and drugs! His brother ignored him! What you'd be bringing into the light of leadership would be a child with no moral background and could potentially become a tyrant!" Leia continued. She had been going at it ever since she had heard Kane's idea of their last hope. Unlike Kane, who was now technically the captain because of what happened, Leia wasn't as optimistic. In fact, she was rather pessimistic on the idea. What Kane's suggestion sounded like the typical desperate time that called for a desperate measure. All she saw in this was folly.
Kane just walked on ahead of her, ignoring his smaller friend's misgivings. Eventually, she got to a point where Kane had enough of it and needed to make that clear.
"Look, if you're not so keen on the idea, then leave. I've far better things to do than to listen to you nag the entire way." His face had become stern as he looked quite literally down at her. He towered over her easily being over six feet tall. Although he were young, he wasn't quite as young as most being in his early thirties but maintaining a youthful appearance. Leia frowned up at him as she went silent. Hearing no objection from his companion, Kane continued. "I know, to you, it must sound crazy to place our hopes on someone so young with a background like that. However, you cannot deny him what is his. The king and queen are both dead and their children along with them. By right and by blood, he is the next in line. Denying him that right is treasonous regardless of how young he might be or what he might become. What matters is that he be given a chance. Just because he's young and has such a background does not mean that he will become a tyrant. With the right guidance and teachings, there may be hope yet. Besides, he's the only one directly lined to the Wilder bloodline than any other. Only he can wield the power that the Wilder line can."
Leia placed her hands on her hips, making to protest but Kane held up a hand to silence her. "Say no more. I won't hear any of it. If you continue to protest then you're only a hindrance and treasonous. Someone like you should not be in your position anymore if you refuse to do what we must. It's up to us now to find the next in line and protect him. It is our job as knights of the kingdom here. We cannot give up." At this, Leia had let out a sigh before nodding.
"You're right...I apologize for my actions. Lead on." With that, the pair of them continued their way through the camp searching.
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Rekka lowered her gaze as Amber burst into tears. Damien and Aiden remained silent. Where they had returned with Rekka, to give Orion some time to himself while he dug, they were the strangers in this scheme. Neither of them really knew Bartimaeus like the other three. Aiden had met Bartimaeus but only for a short while. He had no idea that Bartimaeus had been his brother's biological father.
"I'm sure he knew that you didn't mean it, Amber." Amber didn't seem to hear Rekka though as she cried. Instead, Rekka lowered her gaze and cried too as Amber did. Their mourning went on for another four hours before finally they were outside, standing amongst the burial plots. Orion had finished digging and now was time for them to bury the old bard. Rekka, out of respect to Bartimaeus and believing he'd want his work to live on, fished for that journal of his that he recorded the stories he had. They were his legacy, from what she did know of the man that they knew nothing much of.
As they stood there, Orion had lowered Bartimaeus into the dug up hole. It was the perfect size and deep enough now. When he had finished, it was Orion that spoke first. Rekka guessed that he should since he seemed to have known Bartimaeus the most at one point in his life. The others were silent, although Rekka and Amber were crying during the whole procession. When Orion had finished, stating that Bartimaeus had been his teacher, mentor and like a father to him, it was now time for Rekka or Amber to say what they needed to as their final farewells. Amber had been the first to speak. As she cried, finishing by begging him to come back, Rekka took in a deep breath.
There was a lump in her throat, making it hard for her to even speak without choking. "Y-You were...our...best friend. Y-You...saved us...more times than one." Rekka's lips quivered but she forced herself to carry on as the tears welled up and dribbled down her face. "W-We'll...miss your stories...your humor...your oddities...and even your perversion." Rekka wiped away at her face stubbornly with her other hand that wasn't helping support Amber.
"Why did you have to go? What are we...going to do without you, Bartimaeus? Without you...there's no way we can go on like this! How...How are we supposed to-to do this alone? How can we? We can't possibly rally the other worlds without you! It's just Amber and I." Rekka finally couldn't hold her cool anymore. If Aiden hadn't been aware, Rekka would have gone down with Amber in tow. Thankfully, Aiden had noticed Rekka wavering and caught Amber to hold her up for support as Rekka sat down and cried.
"W-We need you, Bartimaeus! Don't you see? You can't die! S-So...get back here! Please, let this be some joke and not reality. If this is one of your jokes, come out now, this is much too cruel!" Rekka sobbed. Sniffling, she became rather incoherent. "Why did you have to go? J-Just like...like dad! I never meant...to yell at you. It was my fault...not your's! You didn't have to...to apologize!" That was it for Rekka. She couldn't speak sense anymore and just fell into nothing but murmurs as she cried.
Aiden looked from the girls, to Orion and the Damien. Who was going to actually bury the man? Aiden couldn't since he was preoccupied with supporting Amber. Damien wordlessly walked over to the shovel. Picking it up, he saluted the grave in the fashion that he knew how. Compared to what others were used to with saluting, Damien's was strange. It required placing one's hand on the breast and turning the hand at an angle. It was a sign of respect.
"You will never be forgotten by those who loved you greatly. May you rest in peace, Sir Bartimaeus." Damien said these respectful words to the deceased before he started to pick up the pile of dirt on the side of the hole and began to bury Bartimaeus. There was no way that Amber, Rekka or Orion could voluntarily do it at this point. The three were in despair. Orion, especially, had fallen to his knees and clearly had enough. Thus, Damien took it upon himself to do the burying. He held a grim expression on his face as he did so. He could hear the sobs as he worked.
All the while, the two finally came upon the group. It was after the burial. Leia said nothing as Kane approached them. "I beg your pardon but do any of you know one that goes by the name of Aiden Wilder?"
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2014 22:23:49 GMT -5
Listening to Rekka's words, Amber almost expected Bartimaeus to answer back. As she looked down at his silent body, his eyes had been closed and his head placed in a way that might suggest it hadn't been cut off, she could almost imagine the bard jumping out of the grave. She waited for it. Heck she hungered for it! She could see the bard now. Jumping out and laughing and rolling around on the floor at the great trick he pulled.
She'd hit him of course, but it wouldn't matter. He'd be back then. He wouldn't be dead. The friendly man who had saved their necks more times then she could count would not be dead then. But sadly fate was a cruel mistress. "Death comes to us all." The words fit the situation perfectly.
As Damien began to do the hard work of putting all the earth back in the hole, a silence overcame their crew. There was nothing any of them could really say. Orion was still in a state of shock. He couldn't focus on anything really. That was until a voice broke through behind them.
Slightly turning his head, Orion glanced around to find a very odd duo. One was a very tall man in his middle ages who seemed to tower over his partner, a woman whom didn't seem to fond of being there at this moment. They had asked for Aiden. Orion, blinking, pointed the youngster out. Who were these two? What did they want with his friend?
Amber too was pulled towards the voice. She wasn't startled by the question, but did look at them blankly. Couldn't they see they were in the middle of something here?! Amber didn't know who these two were, but she was a bit short tempered in the current situation.
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Post by Sprow on May 2, 2014 22:54:03 GMT -5
Rekka was silent, for the most part, but faint murmurs and sobbing could be heard on her end. This was too surreal. Bartimaeus couldn't be gone. He just couldn't be! Even though her mind knew that he had been beheaded right in front of her with there no way of that being faked knowing what her eyes had seen, a large part of her wanted to deny that fact. Just like AMber, she was hoping that it was just some joke of his. He always clowned around. The fact that there was no laughter at their despair, no "I'm here!" announcement just made it all the more obvious that Bartimaeus was gone from them. No longer would they hear his constant chatter on their journey. Just now what were they going to do?
Kane soon realized what they had stumbled upon the moment the others had turned to them. Leia bit her lip, eyes widening at the realization too. As Orion pointed out Aiden, Aiden looked over, perplexed. There was a very awkward silence. As he supported Amber, Aiden could tell that Amber was getting steamed.
"Er...yes?" Aiden had asked, tentatively.
"I...my deepest apologies. I did not mean to intrude. When you have the time, young Aiden Wilder, please come to the medical tent." Humbly, Kane bowed and left for the medical tent. There had been a noticeable coloring of his face out of embarrassment. He didn't really mean to intrude upon that scene. Leia bowed with respect as well before skittering after Kane. They really were an odd duo.
"Uh...oooo...kay?" Aiden stated before looking back over to the others. He went silent again, reminding himself then that they were going through a procession right now. Damien had paused for a moment, as he watched the two head away from the group. It had been only a short moment though before he resumed burying Bartimaeus. It seemed like forever before finally, Damien had finished. Gently, he patted the ground so that it could even out and remain firmly on top of their deceased friend.
Rekka gently took support for AMber again before wiping her eyes. She was okay now. "You should...go see what they...want." As she said this, Aiden looked toward Orion and Damien. It was the sort of look a child gave their parents when they suspected that they might leave. Aiden didn't want to get left behind. Of course, he shouldn't worry since they likely wouldn't do that to him but Aiden couldn't help but worry.
"Go on, we'll be here." Damien gave the younger male a nod. With that, Aiden returned the nod and turned on his heel for the medical tent.
"Should we...follow?" Rekka asked. She was mainly asking Amber that. She could tell her friend was upset about those two interfering. Just what could they want with Aiden? She spared a glance in Damien's and Orion's direction. Orion probably wouldn't go but why was Damien out here? Rekka didn't realize that Damien worried that the two would recognize him.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2014 23:21:07 GMT -5
Orion watched the two as they spoke briefly to Aiden. They seemed to realize that they had stepped upon what was probably the closest thing to a funeral that they would ever give Bartimaeus. The two's apology and retreat didn't seem to bother Orion. In fact his head just bowed down once more as he stayed stiff in his position of being on his knees. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to feel. Heck he didn't want to exist. Not in this moment anyway.
So it was that when Aiden looked to Orion and Damien, Orion did not return his glance. His head remained somber, eyes gazed on the ground. It wasn't that Orion did not care about Aiden. In fact if he had been in a different state he probably would have gone with Aiden. Or at least chased after him to make sure he was alright.
When Rekka asked Amber what they should do, she too wondered that question. She wasn't quite ready to leave the grave site, yet she couldn't help but feel a bit strange about those two. The boy had not shown any insight into having known the strangers, yet he was quick to run after them. Perhaps they should follow. It would be a slow walk for Amber to follow them though. She'd have to rely on Rekka to help her make her way over there.
"I'd just slow us down." She admitted. Perhaps Rekka should run over there just to make sure things were alright and then she could return. Still Amber didn't want to push her friend. Maybe she'd rather stay here too.
Neither of them knew Aiden. He was not their friend. His age, and short height, made her guess that he was a child though. It was her womanly instinct that suggested she follow the child. Just to see if he was alright. She'd leave it up to Rekka to decide. If her friend decided to pursue him, she have no qualms with the decision. She'd support Rekka. If she chose to stay that was alright too.
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Lakari watched the burning from ontop the mountain. So quickly the villages were falling. Smoke and fire slowly made it way across his vision. Ever so slowly the army of the destroyer was coming closer and closer to the heart of where the destruction began, the city and those who had fled it. Soon only they would be the ones left to attack. And once that battle was finished... It would be time to initiate part two of his plan.
"You're running out of time, elf!" The voice in his head laughed manically. It mocked Lakari! "Two days now! In two days your time is up!" Fighting the voice, Lakari hushed it out of his mind. Two days would be more than enough time. It had to be!
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Post by Sprow on May 3, 2014 0:06:35 GMT -5
Aiden wasn't sure about going by himself. For some reason, he felt like he had done something wrong. He couldn't figure out though what it was. Just who were those people and why did they want to speak to him? Did they leave, out of respect, and plan to arrest him later? Aiden admittedly was a trouble maker when he was here in Land of Dragons. The young Wilder was honestly worried. Where would they take him anyway if they were going to arrest him? Wait, did that mean they would rather kill him? That was unlikely but the young Wilder's mind couldn't help but dread the worst.
Honestly, he had hoped either Damien or Orion would have gone with him. 'No, I have to be my own person now and then. I can't grow up if I keep relying on them.' Even still, Aiden looked up to the other two. He felt odd without them being there. Swallowing hard, Aiden had made the trek all the way to the medical tent and stepped inside. The woman and man were there, waiting for him. As soon as he had entered, they went to him.
Rekka looked over at Amber. She knew what Amber meant. Clearly, someone should go with Aiden. He was younger than they were. Granted, Rekka wasn't that much older being nineteen years of age but she was still older than he by three years and it showed. Aiden, although she didn't know him, should have someone go with him. There was no telling what those people had wanted. Still, Rekka felt bad about the idea of leaving Amber.
"I um...well, I'll go. If anything goes wrong, I'll uh...do something." Gently, Rekka helped Amber to sit down. "I'll be right back!" With that, she took off after Aiden.
"Aiden Wilder?" It was the man with the green hair that gazed down upon Aiden. Aiden nervously looked up into the man's violet eyes. He wasn't in his forties but early thirties. Although there was clearly a youthful look to the man, his eyes spoke of countless experiences.
"Th...That's me..."
"Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you." It had been the woman that spoke next. Although her hair was mostly black, there was a distinguishable blue streak that ran through her hair which was up in a tight bun. Aiden, even though she said that, still couldn't help but be nervous. The man was noticeably tall compared to him.
"As you may have already guessed, we are here for your sake and for the sake of the Land of Dragons. I am sorry to tell you that the king, queen and your mother and brother are all dead." Aiden looked back at Kane as if he suddenly sprouted a new head. What did he mean by that? Aiden already knew his family was dead but what did the king and queen have to do with it? As far as he knew, they weren't family.
"Uh...I know my family's dead but...er...what does the king and queen have to do with me?" Aiden questioned him. Leia, then, let out a gasp.
"You don't know?"
Aiden looked back at her, puzzled. Why was she shocked? Did they expect him to feel utter remorse that the king and queen were dead? Sure, it was sad and a tragedy but...what did they have to do with the shocking news? "Know what? I know the king and queen are dead. Sure, that's a tragedy and I'm sorry for the loss of such good leaders but...why would that shock me?"
Leia and Kane then exchanged looks of surprise. It was at this very moment that Rekka had entered the tent after Aiden. Walking over, she stood next to the young Wilder as she listened to what the two knights had to say. They all looked confused. Just what was going on?
Kane let out a sigh before looking back over at Aiden. He didn't acknowledge Rekka's presence then only because he had recognized her earlier. She was clearly a member of Aiden's group, whoever she was. "This...is going to be more complicated than I anticipated then. Alright...here goes it..." Kane stated, mostly talking to himself before taking a breath and then making eye contact with Aiden. Aiden, throughout this whole thing, thought these knights were insane.
"Aiden Wilder, this might yet be more shocking then. The reason why we come to you and have been searching for you, is that you are the sole surviving member of the royal family. The king's brother was your father. Since the queen and their children, along with the king and your brother and mother, are all dead...that means you are now the new ruler of the Land of Dragons."
Aiden looked as if a Tsunami had just hit him then. He wasn't sure if he should be dismayed or happy. If anything, he knew right now that he was completely and utterly shocked.
"Wh...What now?!" Rekka exclaimed. Kane and Leia both gave her a nod. The looks on their faces were genuine. The two certainly weren't lying. Rekka looked from Aiden to the knights and back again. Aiden was shocked.
"I...what do you mean, that I'm the new ruler? I can't rule a kingdom! I'm just a kid!" Aiden exclaimed, there was a hint of panic in his voice. The idea of ruling a kingdom seemed to frighten him.
"See, I told you that he was too young!" Leia agreed with Aiden. Kane gave her a glare before bringing his attention to Aiden again.
"Fret not, that's why we are here. We will protect you with our lives, upon the graves of my friends and family, I swear you this. If I must, I will teach you how to lead a kingdom if you but only allow us to accompany you, your highness." Aiden felt like he was going to be sick. In fact, he had slumped to the side, using Rekka as support to hold him up. This was all just too much! How was he going to handle taking care of a kingdom that just got ruined? How could he hope to achieve anything?
"I-I..." Aiden spoke, weakly. Kane and Leia were both looking at Aiden then. Kane seemed utterly willing to do anything so long as Aiden said yes. Leia, on the other hand, seemed annoyed with the idea. Clearly, she didn't approve of this situation. She hadn't any faith in the idea of Aiden running the Land of Dragons. Who could blame her? He was a kid, no older than sixteen, after all. He still had a lot of growing up to do and a lot of learning along the way. Surely, this was a crazy and foolish idea!
"...Well, this is...something." Rekka wasn't sure what to say on the matter as she gently placed Aiden back on his feet, holding him there pretty much since the kid's knees seemed like they wanted to just give up. After a time, Aiden got over his shock. Still, it wasn't like he could just tell these people know. If anything, he wasn't sure about what he had to do. What would Damien and Orion say or do? Aiden's thoughts went from Damien, who would have likely denied these knights coming along. Damien wasn't a people person. Not only that but he had his reasons. Damien wasn't exactly a good guy before joining up with Orion and Aiden. Orion, on the other hand, might be more willing to have more help along the way. That is, if Orion was in his right state of mind.
"I-I...y-yes...you can come along but...I'm not sure what to do at all and what you might expect from me. I can't abandon my friends right now. We've got things we've gotta do before I can focus on here."
Kane ignored Leia's look. He knew right now that she was giving him a scathing one. In her eyes, a new found leader should focus on the kingdom alone and attend to it immediately rather than going along with friends to god knows where. Kane, on the other hand, was perfectly willing to accept this. "Alright, I accept. I will go along with you. Leia, in the meantime, can take care of things until we can return." Leia, then, couldn't refrain any longer.
"WHAT?! ME?! But-!" Kane ignored her as he smiled over at Aiden. Although he was tall and seemed intimidating, he was actually a kindly person despite the seriousness he could display.
"I'm sure you may want to go to your friends now. Shall we?" Without looking at Leia, Kane headed outside as Aiden and Rekka exchanged glances between one another and followed his lead out of the tent. Leia was left behind, looking furious.
As soon as they were outside, Damien furrowed his brows as he saw the man from earlier approaching. Aiden walked behind him while Rekka picked up the pace and ran over to them. When she got there, she pointed at Aiden and Kane. "He's...got a lot of explaining to do!"
Kane said nothing, just simply owed in respect to the others from where he stood next to Aiden. He looked even stranger standing next to the youth who was marginally much shorter than he was.
"Uh...guys? I'm not sure how to say this but...I'm the...new king of Land of Dragons?"
Damien blinked, looking hard between Aiden and the knight. Surely this was a joke?
"If this is some sort of joke, I'm not in a mood for laughing."
Kane furrowed his brows as he looked Damien in the eyes. Now that he looked at him more closely, Damien looked familiar. Where could he have seen him before? "I assure you, kind sir, that this is no jest. Aiden Wilder is the sole surviving member of the royal family of the Land of Dragons. No other is directly descended from the direct Wilder line." Damien, then, rose his brows before looking over at Aiden. Just what did this mean for them now?
"Apparently, my dad was the king's brother. Since the king, queen ad their kids...along with um..." Aiden lowered his gaze then. It was hard to admit his mother and brother were dead. Kane took pity upon Aiden before looking to them and choosing to speak for him.
"His mother and brother are no longer with us. That makes him the last royal family member."
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Ivan walked over to where Lakari now stood.
"Everything is as you wished it, Lakari."
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