Disclaimer: I don't own Dungeons and Dragons
A/N: This is just a little story serving two purposes, to tell all my readers who see me submitting a new story I'm not dead and I'll be working on updating my other things sometime this summer, and to write a story because I'm interested, it's kind of the intro to my first campaign, a bit of back-story. Duh.
Dungeons and Dragons
Oracle of Time
"Chris, are you done putting those books away yet?" a voice asked and I looked over my shoulder to see Errol floating up to me. I promptly ignored him, turning away and balancing on the ladder as I tried to slip another book onto one of the top shelves.
"I asked, are you done yet?"
"You can bloody well see I'm not done putting the stupid books away yet!" I exclaimed, feeling the ladder wobble beneath me. "Go away you stupid spirit!"
"Is that anyway to talk to me?" he asked and I saw him handing off of the bookshelf looking me in the eye. "I was just asking."
"Stupid keeper…" I muttered and put a book away through his head.
"Hey, that's not nice!" he said and floated to my side. "Can't you get done with that any sooner?"
"What, what else is there to do?" I asked.
"I don't know, but I'm so bored!" he exclaimed.
"Then stay bored you idiotic ninny of a time spirit!" I exclaimed right back, and watched his face tear up. "That's right, go ahead and cry you baby!"
"You're so mean Chris," he sobbed. "You're so mean." I ignored him, put the final book away and climbed down the ladder. I walked over to a nearby table which had a few more books on it and picked one up, put it under my arm and walked towards the library exit.
"I'm going away now, just keep crying," I said and walked outside the door, shutting it behind me with a loud thud. The moment I was outside I let out a sigh of annoyance and adjusted my classes a bit and fixed my plain brown skirt. Errol was a spirit, an annoying one at that. He wasn't bad all the time though, just as long as he had something to do.
"Chrissie!" a pair of voices exclaimed and I felt myself hugged by two pairs of small arms.
"If it isn't Erin and Beth, what brings you two to the temple today?" I asked with a smile, looking down at their smiling faces.
"We brought some fresh bread from our momma," Erin replied. She smiled at me.
"Yeah, momma wanted to give another offering," Beth said. "She wanted to make sure time smiled upon her."
"Obviously," I replied with a smile of my own. "That's the second offering this week. And even before that, how could time not smile down upon her? She brought two very beautiful girls into the world that keep time's guardian very occupied and entertained."
"But it's because the baby is due soon," Erin said seriously. "And momma really wants it to go well."
"That's right, I almost forgot. How big is your family now?" I asked.
"It's only us!" Beth said with a giggle. "Us and momma and papa. I hope we get another sister."
"But I wouldn't mind having a brother," Erin said. Beth made a disgusted face and I started to laugh.
"I think the two of you have gotten bigger since I saw you," I said with a grin.
"But you saw us just two days ago!" Beth exclaimed. "Chrissie you're silly."
"I know that," I replied. "So, can you two stay for a bit and share the bread or do you two have to run along home?"
"We have to go home and help momma," Beth said. "But momma told me to tell you that I'll be the one to get you when we need your help."
"No, she said I could do it," Erin said. "Momma said I could come get Chrissie!"
"Nu-uh!" Beth exclaimed and stuck her tongue out. "I get to do it!"
"You both can do it," I said. "You can both come and get me when the time comes, okay? No fighting, I don't like it when anyone fights."
"Okay," they replied, both looking a bit disappointed. "I guess so."
"You'll get your sister or brother, so don't worry little ones," I said. "Hurry off now, I know you don't want to keep your mother waiting."
"We won't. Bye Chrissie!" they said and ran off out the front door as quickly as they had come. I looked towards the altar, which was propped up on four small hourglasses and saw a basket which did indeed look like it had bread in it.
"I smell fresh bread…" Errol's voice drifted up from the door and he flew through it towards the altar. "It smells really good too."
"What do you care, it's not like you can eat," I said and approached the altar as well.
"They're such sweet kids," Errol said, hovering above the basket. "I hope the delivery goes well."
"I've done plenty of deliveries before, I'm sure this one will be no different," I replied.
"We can only hope for that my little avatar," he said. "We can only hope."
"I'm not little," I hissed, "Get away from that altar too."
"Why? It isn't like I can touch the bread and soil it or something."
"Just get away from it."
"You really are moody today. Tell me, is it your time of the month again?" Errol asked.
"SHUT UP!" I exclaimed. "Must you be so annoying?"
"It is, it's that time of the month," Errol began to sing.
"By the gods you're a royal pain in my…"
"Now, now, you don't want to use such harsh language," he said. I snatched a loaf of bread from the basket and took a bite into it.
"I'm almost glad I can't eat, that way I don't have to worry about getting sick off of food," he said. I glared at him as I sat down on the cool marble floor.
"Why can't you just go away?" I asked. "You know, leave me alone, maybe go and look at the artifact room for a bit?"
"Because you'd get lonely," he replied and floated next to me. "Even though you hate to admit it."
"I do hate to admit it and I won't admit it," I said. "You're nothing but a stupid idiotic spirit…"
"If you say so Chris," he replied. "If you say so."
"That's right, I do," I agreed and promptly took another big bite of bread.
…
It wasn't even two days later when Erin and Beth came running into the temple looking for me. I was in the artifact room examining one of my favorite items when I heard their small voices calling in the main temple room for me.
"Chrissie!" they shouted. "Chrissie where are you?"
"I'm here," I replied as I dashed out into the temple.
"Momma's in pain, you have to come and help her!" Beth exclaimed. I nodded and looked at Errol, who was floating on top of the altar, pretending to sleep.
"Come on," I said. "You're coming along."
"That's just gross, that's woman's stuff. You go have fun," he said with a disgusted face. "Hell if you can make me go."
"Fine then, stay and be bored," I said, taking the hands of Erin and Beth and feeling them pull me towards the door. "Stupid spirit."
"Come on, we have to hurry!" they said. "Momma wasn't looking too good…" We headed out the entrance and down the few steps of the temple towards town.
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," I said calmly as we started walking, or more so it was me being pulled along by them as fast as they could. "Your mother is going to be all right." I looked back towards the temple. I could have sworn I heard Errol say as we were leaving how bored he was. I'd chastise him later for not wanting to see something this exciting; the beginning of new life, but now wasn't the time.
…
"Thank time," I whispered as we entered their small house. "How are you feeling Maggie?"
"I'm ready as I'll ever be to get this child out of my body…AHHHHHH!" I rushed forward and took her hand as a contraction washed over her. She looked at me in pain. "It hurts so bad milady."
"Don't worry, you will be fine, you've done this before and on a much tougher scale, remember?" I asked, nodding towards her daughters, who were wondering what they needed to do. "Okay, both of you need to help me collect some things so we can bring your new sibling into this world, okay?"
"Okay Chrissie." They nodded and put on a brave face, but I could tell they were worried about their mother who was in a lot of pain right now.
"Come on you two, let's hurry, the baby's coming soon."
…
It was late at night when I finally was allowed to emerge from that small house into the cool night air. The sounds of a small baby girl filled the air only minutes ago before both mother and daughter fell asleep, with Erin and Beth sleeping in their own beds now that I tucked them both in. I saw the lamps, the ever burning lamps I had created for these people hanging on the doors and posts. The tavern was lit and I could hear a faint singing coming from inside of it along with cheering and clapping.
"A bard must be passing through tonight," I said with a smile, looking back at Maggie's house before heading down the street back towards the temple. This town wasn't much, but it was my home, my point of origin if I had to explain it. They were my strongest believers and my closest friends. Everyone here was a member of my family in a way, from the one noble to the west of the town to the lowlife pickpockets that showed up from time to time. I adjusted my glasses and peeked into the tavern window. There was a bard in town tonight, and apparently he was doing very well performing for the simple people here.
I stepped inside the door for a moment to listen in. Everyone seemed very entertained by him, I wondered if he could catch my attention as well. I just stood in the doorway, no one was looking at me, except perhaps the barkeep who just gave me a nod to show he knew I was there, offering a beer which I turned down with a small wave and the Elven male near the back seemed about ready to sing again. He plucked a few notes on his guitar and began to sing a low haunting song in Sylvan. I doubted anyone but I understood the words, but the way he sung he didn't need anyone to know what he was saying. I closed my eyes and let the words flow around me, listening to both the tone of the song and how he played his instrument with it. It was simply beautiful.
The words flowed perfectly and his tone was sad and yet hope rang in it. He truly was on his way to becoming legendary if he wasn't already. But then, why was he passing through this small village? Was he here to visit the temple? I shook my head sadly. I had my share of worshippers, true, but no one truly wanted to ever see or think on time from my experience, simply because that was a world of things they were unfamiliar with. Who could truly understand time?
I let out a sigh and exited the tavern, resolving to walk back to the temple once more. I didn't bother to cast a light spell because the moon was really bright tonight and I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. There were monsters, like goblins who did try attacking from time to time. They hadn't recently, simply for the fact they kept getting beaten back by me, but it was always possible. I arrived back at the temple and headed inside towards my room. It was fairly plain, I didn't do much else in there but sleep, the exciting stuff was out in the temple itself, and if I wanted something to do in here I would get a book from the library. Errol was nowhere to be seen, I imagined he was patrolling somewhere in the room of artifacts looking over everything and singing some sort of tune as he did so.
I opened the trunk of my bed to find my nightshift and changed into it, getting ready to go to sleep for the night. Delivering a child is never easy. I washed my face in the small basin beneath a small mirror on a stand and went to my bed, slipping beneath the tan covers, which were light but warm, and closed my eyes. The realm of sleep claimed me and I was once again drawn into a world of strange dreams.
Two weeks later
Something bad was going to happen today. The feelings struck me like a knife as I woke in the morning and would not go away as I began to work in the library again, putting away several more books that had been given to me and others that I had finished reading. Errol also seemed to sense something wrong, because he remained oddly silent but wouldn't leave my side even when I asked him to. He never responded to me either when I asked him to leave, he just gave a shake of his head and floated to my other side.
Even Ursula, a blue dragon who lived in the temple in her own area, my familiar as it were, had emerged from her room, which she nearly never did considering her room was much bigger than the temple, namely a courtyard of sort, and was flying around the main temple area protectively. Any time I emerged she'd stay by my side, opposite of where Errol was, resting on my shoulder when I was sitting down out there or around my neck. She was still very little.
I headed out into the main temple room again and like before Ursula hovered around me on my left and Errol was on my right. Both were silent aside from the hello that Ursula responded to my own hello with.
"Chrissie!" two small voices called out and Erin and Beth ran forward and grabbed onto me. "You have to help us!"
"What's going on?" I asked as Ursula began to growl a little and Errol ran to the entrance.
"The whole village wants to enter," Errol said as he looked out. "They all look scared and frightened."
"Let them in," I replied without hesitation. "Hurry." Ursula went outside to guide the people in and Errol directed them towards me.
"What's going on?" I asked as they gathered around me.
"Our village was attacked…someone who uses magic…we managed to escape…and this is the safest place, please you have to help us," one man said.
"You're our protector!" a woman cried.
"Yes, I will, you know I will protect you with all my power. I must split you up, women and children into the room of artifacts, the elderly too, men, go into the library and stay there. Everyone stay where you're told, you will be safe there. Hurry!" I don't know what was running through my mind as I split up the group of people entering the temple, but to hide them in two places both large areas seemed best. They would be protected there. The villagers split up; several men making sure they knew that they didn't run by choice, but because they wanted to stay close to their families and protect them. I sighed only a bit at that, they still wanted to protect their pride, as scared as I could tell they were.
"Chris, I think…" Errol trailed off as we stood in the temple room alone with only Erin and Beth who were still clinging to me. I didn't see their mother anywhere and I was starting to get really worried about that.
"Erin, Beth, go to the artifact room," I said. They both shook their heads.
"I don't wanna," Beth said.
"Where's momma?" Erin asked.
"I don't know," I replied. "I don't know."
"Is she okay? Where's our sister?" Beth asked.
"I don't know where your mother Maggie is, I don't know where your sister is; didn't your mother arrive here with everyone else?" I asked.
"We started running here when momma told us to run. She said we'd be safe here," Erin said.
"She said she'd follow after," Beth added.
"You two go hide," I repeated.
"NO!" they exclaimed, "We wanna stay here with you!"
I sighed. Those two were stubborn. "If danger arrives in this temple, you will run to the artifact room."
"Okay," they agreed. "But momma…"
"Chris…we really should…" Errol began again.
"I know, I know," I replied. "You two go and hide behind the altar. You must not be beside me when I fight."
"Why not?" they asked. I looked at them with sorrow. They had never seen me fight before, but then again, I had never had a reason until now when their village was all crowded into two rooms in the Temple of Time.
"I could not stand it if you two were to get hurt. You may stay near me, but behind the altar you will be safe, and when trouble comes, at the first opportunity go to the artifact room." I looked at them pleadingly. "Please, you must." I watched them nod and run behind the altar pausing only for a minute to give Ursula a hug. 'I don't want you to see what I may have to do.'
They ran behind the altar and I felt Errol by my side. I looked over at him and he nodded at me before I turned towards him and his spirit began to fill me as we joined together to fight. The staff of time appeared in my hands and my clothing changed to white. The staff of time, at its top, had a half sun made of gold and a half moon made of platinum upon it. Within it was encased a jewel of each kind, ruby, diamond, sapphire, every kind existed within it, orbiting around the inside as a sort of focus for the magic it held. I could hear footsteps entering the temple and I turned towards the entrance to the temple to see who it was.
A man in red greeted my eyes. His hair was grey and pulled back in a tight braid, his eyes held in them hatred and anger and his fist was clenched around a dagger on his belt. I could feel the magical energies radiating off of him. He was strong, but so was I, and once Errol and I combined, we were stronger still.
"Who are you and why did you attack the village near here?" I asked him.
He didn't respond, he merely looked at me with curiosity, as if gauging how I acted.
"What is your name?" I asked.
He still didn't respond to me, he only took a step forward, drawing a dagger from its sheath.
"What is your name?" I repeated, growing slight agitated. "Why did you attack my village?"
"Raul," he said with a bow, his eyes focused on me the entire time. He ignored my other question completely and charged at me with a smirk on his face.
I took to the air the moment he came at me and Ursula flew to my right.
He threw a lightning bolt at me. I dodged to the right and flew in, swinging the staff as I did so. Who was he really and what did he know about me? Did he know I was joined with Errol? Did he know about Errol at all?
He seemed to easily dodge my staff and came back striking my arm with a dagger. Faster than lightning I felt a wall of force hit me and I was thrown back against the altar.
Raul moved his hand a little and from the doorway stepped Maggie carrying her child. She looked reluctant to do so but was pulled along as if trapped by a spell. In her arms her baby slept soundly and though Maggie tried to talk no sound came out of her mouth. Ursula roared and lightning fell towards Raul but he dodged it easily and went at Maggie, taking her in front of him as a shield.
"You do not touch her…" I hissed. "Let her go this instant." I stood up as I said this, Errol's healing starting to work and my shoulder healed.
Raul seemed to regard the children with interest, but made no move and simply watched them.
"MOMMA!" two small voice cried out and Erin and Beth ran forward and I just barely managed to grab onto them in time.
Raul only smiled.
"I told you two to run and hide!" I exclaimed.
"He has our momma Chrissie, he has our momma," Beth said and began to cry.
"Let momma go!" Erin shouted, "Let sissy go!" Raul seemed to hear that and his smile only widened.
"You two go back behind the altar," I whispered.
"But momma," they said.
"GO BACK THERE NOW!" I said, allowing my voice to radiate command and power. Appearing scared of my tone the stepped back towards the altar but cried as they watched their mother helpless in Raul's arms.
"You let her go," I whispered, taking a step towards him.
I started to run towards him, and as I did, his knife plunged into Maggie's heart. Crimson blood met my eyes, flashes of life came, flowed and ebbed. Pain, I felt pain, suffering, helplessness, the pain. Oh god it HURT! All of a sudden I could hear the baby wail and Maggie crying out for me as she fell to the ground, clutching her child, trying to protect her even as she fell. Raul smirked and the baby stopped mid wail, he had cast a death spell on the child! I ran forward and Raul took a step to the side.
"YOU BASTARD!" I exclaimed, glaring at him. I quickly used my magic to take Maggie and her daughter's body and teleport them to another part of the room with Beth and Erin, to keep them out of this. I heard the sobbing in a far corner and placed a protection spell over the area.
Just before I finished the spell though, Raul shot towards me and the dagger plunged into my shoulder and I had to concentrate with all my might to finish the spell. It was one of the most powerful I had too. I felt Errol start to work on healing me and with the dagger still stuck in my arm I grabbed Raul's arm and brought him closer to me bringing up my staff so I could hit him with one of the sun's rays. I succeeded and a sound like a bell rang out as he was thrown back, dagger and all, into the far pillar and he fell to the ground with a thud. I stood up and fought against the pain I was feeling in my shoulder.
'Errol, aren't you healing this?' I asked.
'I'm doing my best you know. There's poison in this…be ready for a secondary effect I'm afraid. I won't know what it is or be able to fight that until it hits you.'
'Some cleric you are,' I responded with a snarl.
'I've never said I was perfect!'
I ignored any further comments and charged at Raul once more, starting to cast one of my more powerful spells. I flung the cone of cold at him and watched as he not only dodged it but shattered it, flinging the pieces back towards me. I braced myself as the ice cut into me and felt myself brought to one knee as a sharp piece slicked into my dress and ankle. "AH!" Before I could stand Raul case a spell and a Ray of Fire shot towards me which I barely managed to dodge, singing my dress and arm. How was he casting spells without speaking? He must be using a silent spell!
I let out a cry as he slashed me again, and he grabbed onto my arm and flung me back and I hit the wall. It hurt, it hurt a lot.
'Errol…'
'Chris you don't give up now! Think of who is counting on you!' His voice washed over me and I felt warm.
'He's strong Errol…I don't know how I can beat him. I don't even know why he's here!'
'I'm healing you as best as I can, don't give up yet!'
'I only have so much left to use Errol…'
I forced my self to stand up and saw Raul walking towards me looking rather proud of himself. I braced myself on the Staff of Time and pulled several more pieces of ice out of the various parts of my body. The dress was starting to turn red and I felt a little faint. I case true seeing in the hopes I could tell what Raul really was. All I saw was an aura of evil, a purely evil being. That was it? That was all there was to it? He was an evil being and that was it? There had to be more too it, because I should be able to fight back more so against him.
'I don't think I can win right now,' I whispered to Errol.
'You have to. Think of who's depending on you! Are you going to let down the villagers?'
'I don't know what I'm facing. I should be able to defeat him, especially since he is a being of pure evil!'
'What do you suggest? We cannot afford to loose! I cannot afford to loose you!'
'You won't loose me,' I replied sadly. 'I'll just have to disappear.'
'Think of Maggie and the child! Will those deaths be in vain?'
'I felt it, I felt her die.' I said as I watched Ursula launch another line of lightning towards Raul, distracting him, buying me time.
'What is there we can do?' Errol asked. 'I will not fail you; I will not fail my duties…'
'NEITHER WILL I!' I screamed at him.
'There has to be something you can do to win.' Errol whispered.
'I cannot win, but I cannot loose either.' I said, trying to calm myself. I watched Raul jump up and try to get at Ursula, but she swerved to the side. 'Hurry master!'
'We have no choice,' Errol whispered, realization seeping into his speech. 'We have no choice there, do we?'
'No choice at all.' I replied and started to make my way towards Raul, who paused in his step, looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, as sad a smile as it was, and he regarded me for a moment before looking over to where Erin and Beth were sobbing. His smile grew wider and before I could say anything, he charged with his dagger towards them.
…
"NO!"
Crimson. All I saw was the crimson blood pouring from my body, seeping onto the few remaining white parts of my dress, the dagger buried deep in my stomach. Raul took a few steps back, as if admiring his work.
"CHRISSIE!" I barely heard the voices of Erin and Beth. "CHRISSIE!" Ursula roared at me, and I barely heard what she was saying. My name? Perhaps. I couldn't tell.
Errol…he was still there. I heard him calling my true name in my head. I felt cold, very cold. I hit the floor of the temple and watched through teary eyes my blood seep out in a pool around me.
'You can't…you can't die.' Errol was still speaking to me. 'I'll heal you, I can heal you…'
'Let me go Errol,' I whispered. 'Don't…'
'I won't loose you,' he replied and I heard tears masking over his voice.
'I'm a fighter to the end,' I replied back, clutching my staff.
'I won't loose you,' he repeated. I smiled a sad smile as I started to pick myself up, bleeding even more so as I did.
'I never said you would loose me,' I replied.
"Well Raul, I suppose…I suppose you're rather p-proud of yourself," I said, gagging slightly on the blood that welled up in my throat. "But you h-haven't won." His smile faded the moment I spread my black wings and the staff began to glow.
THIRD PERSON
The room filled with a strange energy and the sound of ticking clocks echoed around the walls. Chris's body was raised up above the altar and Errol was flung from her, hovering near the children who were wailing with sorry at the loss of their mother and sister, at the loss of their dear Chrissie. Light and energy continued to fill the room and the evil being Raul was flung back against the wall and pinned. Vine like strands of energy surrounded him, holding him against his struggles. The words of "NO!" were thought to be heard from his lips, but the noise of the clocks only grew stronger and drowned out any sound.
The outline of a clock appeared beneath Chris's feet and spread out past the sides of the altar, the hands of time spinning violently. She opened her eyes for a minute, raising her hand out towards Erin and Beth, who looked on with sadness, and Errol, who looked on with sadness, pain and regret. Her mouth moved only slightly as more blood dripped from the side, her beautiful white dress colored red, her hair stained and her wounds deep.
"I'm … I'm … sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible as the sounds of the clocks grew even louder. Bells began to chime and both she and Raul disappeared in flashes of colored light. Errol faded away and the temple began to shake. Ursula ran to the children and grabbed them, rushing them towards the exit in an effort to save them. The screams of the people in the artifact room and library could be heard and then in the next instant, there was silence, complete silence.
Ursula and the children were stopped moments before exiting the temple by some unknown force and turned around, looking at the altar where their precious Oracle had once been.
"Please…" A whisper on the wind was all that remained.
"Momma, Chrissie…" Erin sobbed.
"Chrissie, Sissy," Beth cried. "Momma!"
My Master… Ursula whispered. Master!
…
Time passed, and what was truth became story. What was story became myth, and what was myth became legend. Few believe in the Oracle of Time anymore. Even fewer believe that there was a god of time to begin with. The village and the temple had disappeared, lost to all in the fabrics of time. No one could say what had happened that day. All that was remembered was flashes of light, a pillar of light reaching to the heavens and power radiating that would make all spell casters of any kind jealous.
It is recorded in the legend that no one survived the great incident. Then again, it is also recorded that the incident was false, that it had never happened. Any survivors who would live to tell the tale were never found. In the area rumored to be the original home of the Temple of Time, people have only come back saying they heard one thing whispered on the wind, in a voice as soft and sweet as a child's.
"Please…"