Okay then update time.
Still with Anomen this chapter but I'll be back with Ailana next chapter or the one after I know whats going on now. I've got two endings written one is the wedding and the other is the sad one will prolly post both eventually but not until I get to that point in the story.
Anyway its the 18th of november and it's snowing - What is with that ? I'm in a good mood so enjoy.
Imoen was not sure why Anomen had suddenly arrived at Candlekeep especially as Ailana was not with him, she liked the knight well enough though he still tended to act pompous at time. Imoen was prepared to set that aside as it was obvious that he adored her sister and would do anything for her, in that respect he had Imoens full aproval. Her recent studies of magical arts though had deepened her understand of the world around them, she knew that something was happening in Amn and that Anomens arrival at Candlekeep tied in with this. She wished that she had more powers of divination but there were very few people who possesed those abilities in the country now, looking out the window she wished she could see what was going to happen but knew that she had no idea other than the fact it was going to be bad.
Some hours later Anomen had returned to his room after eating a meal with Imoen and sir Kalon and was trying to compose his mind to sleep, this had been something that he had been finding more and more dificult to do since Ailana had vannished. He had not allowed himself to dwell on his disapointment that Ailana had not been there but he could only hope that she would be there soon. Thinking about her eventually caused him to fall asleep smiling slightly at memories of her.
Flashback ...
Anomen caught Ailana as she swayed and almost fell, she had just teleported them back to the pocket plane after a viscious battle with the lich in Amketheran,
"Thank you Anomen." Ailana said. "Let's get some rest before we try and carry on."
"My love, may I speak to you ? In private. It is a matter of ... of great importance." Anomen said hesitantly
"Come let us go and use the healing pools." Jaheria said and ushered the other three people in front of her and up the steps leaving the other pair alone
"Of course my knight. What is it that you wish ?" Ailana inquired. She did not know what he could have to say to her in private as she thought that things had been agreed between them on the last private conversation between them.
"My lady, if I had my choice then I would not do this here. I would wait, and do it properly as tradition dictates. But I fear if I do not act, the opportunity may be lost. But you have taught me that pomp and ceremony are insignificant beside the honest simplicity of our feelings for each other. I .. I love you Ailana. I love you deeply."
"And I love you, Anomen." Ailana replied not sure where he was going with this line as both were aware of the others feelings
"I have pledged my love and allegiance to you, my lady. I have sworn to stand by your side whatever may come and now I wish for the whole world to know how I feel about you. You deserve more than what I can offer, Ailana ... but even had I the riches of all Faerun to bestow upon you it would not be worthy and so, all I can give you is my heart and my hand. Ailana will you marry me ?" Anomen was nervous about how she would react to what he had just said as Ailana never reacted the way he expected her to. Ailana on the other hand was surprised as despite all that he had said to her about spending the rest of their life together she had never let herself truely believe him.
"Anomen, my love ... of course I shall marry you!" Ailana said not having to think about it for more than a few seconds
"Ailana! You ... you have made me the happiest man in the relms! I want to have a great ceramony to celebrate out love Ailana a wedding to rival that of the richest noble house of Athkatla! All our friends shall attend and join us in this joyous occasion." Anomen said
"That is a glorious idea Anomen but we can not be married until this is resolved." Ailana said gently
"Of course it goes without saying that we must finish the task at hand before we can consecrate our love with a marriage ceremony. But until that time, Ailana, I want you to accept something from me now. Take this ring, it was my sisters. I keep it near to remind me of her. It is not much, my lady, but let it serve as a sign of our love, and a symbol of our commitment to each other. Keep the ring near your heart, my love. It shall bind us together when the forces of the world try to tear us apart. A single kiss to seal the deal, my lady ... your lips as ever taste of sweet nectar, and my skin tingles at their touch! Alas my lady we must set off again lest the others get impatient." He had said, with a final kiss they had joined the others at the healing pools. In everything that they went through after that Ailana had never taken the ring off and even when things had been at their darkest Anomen had had that consilation.
Anomen sat upright there was a sense of wrongness in the place much like that he had felt when they had been hell, something was going to happen and very soon. He climbed out of bed and pulled on his mail shirt and various weapons and hurried out the room.
"Imoen! Imoen!" Kalon was shouting and there were other shouts and screams from elsewhere in Candlekeep, these were mixed in with unearthly growls and snarls.
"Sir Kalon, what is happening?" Anomen demanded grabbing hold of the other knight.
"Demons, they came from nowhere and attacked us. My men and I could not hold the gates and they are no within Candlekeep itself. Now let me go and find Imoen." Kalon said anxious to find her and make sure that she made it out safely.
"Wait and I will help you." Anomen said, he gestured and said a few words quietly and summoned a deva to his side. Sir Kalon looked impressed at the abilities the noble comanded and then led the way down the corridor. They di not have to go far before they could hear Imoen ordering people
"I've fought these things before and they can be killed, if we stay together and concentrate our abilities then we may survive this." The two knights hurried to join Imoen and took up positions behind the mages.
"Imoen are you alright?" Kalon demanded looking at her anxiously
"I am not hurt." She replied with a small smile at how concerned he was about her.
"Imoen do you want me to help with offensive spells or do you want me to try and heal those that are injured?" Anomen asked having already sent his deva to the front as its sword could seriously injure many minor demons with just one hit.
"Conserve your abilites and try and heal tjhose who need it." Imoen told him. With a nod Anomen stood against the wall and waited for the first demons to come close, Kalon joined him as his sword would be of most use when the demons began to overwhelm the spellcasters as would inevitably happen.
With a snarl the first of the demons came towards them, as the mages launched a volley of misiles at the creature it staggered and fell back. As soon as it had disapeared a horde of them came forward, Anomen tried to identify some of them as he saw Cambions, pit fiends as well as many others that he could not give a name to. For some minutes it was a confused mess of spells and blood before it cleared and Anomen stepped forward to offer healing to those who he could help. From the look of it a full half of the mages had been killed and many of the others were injured beyond his abilities to heal completely.
"Anomen it is not your fault, you cannot heal everyone." Imoen said guessing correctly what the look on the knights face meant.
"I know that but all the same I wish that there was more that I could do." Anomen said angrily.
"We are all doing all that we can, and nothing more can be done." Kalon said.
"There are more coming." One of the mages called.
"Here we go." Imoen said already beginning to cast her first spell.
"Please be safe my lady." Anomen said knowing that there was no way that Ailana could hear him.
The demons surged forward and through the last few defenders, and when they left Candlekeep there was nothing remaining apart from the dead and a ruin.
Wow. That's part 10, when I started this I had no idea that it was going to be this long I was expecting a few chapters and that was it.
Plug time. If you like this try my other 2 stories in this category 'What has been lost' and 'Changing lives'. What has been lost is a possible snippet set and Changing lives is going to be much like this one.
Anyway let me know what you think about this one and I'll update soon. Thanks for reading.