PART 8 of *golly gee whilickers... you almost voted for Andrew...*
A mysterious old woman peered over the sleeping figure of Serena. She
held in her hand a mixture of miscellaneous herbs that had been crushed
together into a fine powder. The woman lightly shook the powder from
her hand over Serena. Each grain grabbed the surrounding light from
the torches as it floated through the air above Serena. The old woman
began to chant.
The words came out in the olde tongue, a language seldom heard of
anymore, let alone spoken. As the words slipped from the old woman's
mouth, the powder began to glow brighter and the room darker, as if all
of the light was being drawn into the dust.
The magical dust settled onto Serena, covering her from head to toe in
a fine carpet. Serena's breathing slowed.
Standing behind in the shadows, a lone figure stood. She did not
believe herself to have been discovered, but she had. The old woman
knew everything. After all, it was her game. But she let the
mysterious ninja alone and even shifted to allow a better look at the
task she was performing.
A flicker of light appeared in the air above Serena. It gathered
electrical currents around it and began to open. The flicker quickly
grew into a circle roughly the size of a wall-mirror. It was known as
a dream-gate.
The old woman threw the remaining dust she had into the circle. It
contorted, as if under some intense pain, before settling back to its
original shape. Now, it held the unconciousness found within Serena's
mind.
The ninja gasped, then caught herself and cautiously drew herself back
into the recess offered within the shadows. She knew that she had
erred and that meant she would probably die here. But the old woman
she was so intently watching did nothing. Perhaps the ninja hadn't
been caught... she settled back down comfortably and continued to spy
on the events.
Within the dream-gate, the elements found within the air swirled and
gathered together to form a mural.
There was a couple sitting on a grassy hill. Food lay all around, but
most of it had been at least partially eaten. The girl in the picture
was obviously Serena, right down to the golden pigtails and twin odango.
The male had his faced turned, but even so it was obvious he enjoyed
his company. The man positively glowed.
The ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and the perspective changed
to that of Serena's. She was falling into the darkness, screaming and
reaching for the hand offered her by the young man she was with.
The ninja gasped. She knew the young man from the training school and
had heard how he had received high honors and been adopted directly
into the City Guard. His name, if she was not mistaken, was Darien.
Why was he in the queen's memories? His majesty, King Kashue would be
most interested to hear this.
The old woman saw nothing that she didn't already know. In truth, it
had partially been her work that had brought her here. Darien, on the
other hand, was an unwanted guest. A pest. But he only prolonged the
game, and provided everything continued well, it shouldn't present a
problem and would only make things more interesting. The woman pulled
back the cowl behind which she hid. A creature with skin the color of
midnight and eyes red as blood breathed deeply. The air in the castle's
catacombs was cold and, especially within the crypts, stale.
The Yoma heard a shuffle from the pillars behind her. She had forgotten
about her guest. Even demons were prone to some mistakes...
'Oh well,' thought the Yoma. 'Just another intruder that needs to be
taken care of...' Her eyes glowed a furious red.
"You may come out of the shadows, my dear," stated the Yoma. "You
should know that those are my domain..."
The ninja stepped from the shadows and stood directly in front of the
monster. She bowed formally, but with her eyes riveted towards the
creature for any movement.
"I am Kasumi of the Onryou Ninja Clan. I am here under the direction
of King Kashue of the Southern Kingdom. I will not die here."
The Yoma laughed. "Of course not... you will simply be my messenger..."
Kasumi felt a great burden lift from her and then she was looking down
at herself. She watched herself turn and walk into the shadows, but
couldn't do anything to control it...
The gardens were nearing. Andrew's heart pounded in unison with his
footsteps. His pulse beat in his ears, and his breathing came in
ragged, quick gasps. A cracked cobblestone was all it took to shatter
Andrew's hopes as his foot caught the corner of it and he tumbled to
the ground.
Behind him, the footsteps of Lord Falken slowed as he found his prey
now trapped and unable to escape in time...
Andrew fumbled backwards and tried to reach for his sword, but found
it wasn't there. His eyes scanned frantically for it. It was a few
yards to his right. He had to get his sword-belt fixed someday... if
he lived to see someday.
Falken was approaching rapidly, readying his sword for the final cut.
The cut that would end Andrew's life...
A shrill, sharp noise split the air. Falken looked towards the city
and frowned. A pillar of blue light had appeared from the sky, but
disappeared just as quickly. Andrew took the opportunity to dive for
his sword. He flipped himself over and sommersaulted to the right.
At mid-dive he grabbed his sword and by the time he landed his roll,
had the sword out and the scabbard discarded on the ground.
Andrew stood to his height and moved into stance, blade before him.
"Now, let's see what that sword of yours can really do..."
Underneath the castle and main city of the Southern Kingdom existed a
maze of labyrinths and corridors, cut directly into the limestone and
rock of the mountain that the city had been built on. These tunnels
all led to a central location behind the city; a cave, filled with
provisions. The cave was large enough to hold the occupants of the
entire city, should it ever fall. It looks as if the city had fallen,
and from the looks of it, the whole city hadn't made it.
King Kashue ceased his pacing and frowned.
"So the Terindyan kingdom is the one responsible for the attack."
Kashue had known it to be true, but hadn't wanted to believe it. Such
tactics were not called for, even in war. There exist some rules, a
small semlance of humanity for one to hold on to, even in battle. The
rules are not spoken of, but exist in the minds of anyone who dared to
call themself a human being. To go against these rules meant to be
going against one's humanity. If humanity no longer exists within the
soul, then what is left? An empty shell, inhabited by a monster.
"You are sure?" asked the King.
"Yes your majesty," replied Kasumi from her knelt stance. "They intend
to attack us, and even know of this secret place. I would advise that
we leave."
"I must consult with my staff first. If the Terindyans have already
forcibly ignored the rules of war, then we are no longer dealing with
our fellow humans, we are now dealing with monsters." Kashue called
for a guard to gather his advisors and staff for a meeting. Then he
turned back to the ninja before him. "Thank you Kasumi, you may go."
He resumed his pacing.
"Yes your majesty... but one more thing," spoke Kasumi. Inside, she
was screaming at herself to stop.
"The young lieutenant known as Darien, sir. The old witch that resides
at the castle as the king's advisor viewed the lady Serena's thoughts.
I watched as she did so, and saw the visions of the lady Serena. Where
I thought I would see you, your majesty, I instead saw the young lieutenant.
She called out to him to rescue her sir..."
The king stopped once again. "You are sure?"
"Yes, your majesty."
The king's brow furrowed and he frowned. If he was to have Serena for
his own, then he would have to be rid of the young man that stood in
his way. If he had already come as far as to recruite the help of a
demon, then he must see it through. "It would seem then that I have
enemies both inside and outside. Thank you again Kasumi."
The ninja nodded and disappeared into the air.
A soldier came into the room. "Sir, your strategists and advisors have
been called together and await your appearance."
The king walked out of the room. He would not lose this war even if it
meant losing his own humanity in the process -- and he would also defeat
the Terindyan.
=================================================================
Chapter 9 of *heeheehee... wouldn't you like to know...*
The dark blade screamed just over Andrew's head as he ducked to avoid
it. Falken reversed his swing and brought it down at knee-height.
Andrew jumped backwards just as the blade flew beneath his feet.
Cartwheeling to the side, Andrew dodged another blow from the expert
swordsman. He didn't know how much longer this action could be kept up.
Falken turned once again to face Andrew, flinging his cape behind him.
The mid-afternoon sun glinted from his armor. Sensing Andrew's weariness,
Falken redoubled his efforts on finding a weakness in Andrew's defense.
Slash, thrust, lunge... the attacks were launched with such ferocity
that Andrew found it difficult to keep up. Andrew buckled under the force
of an overhand chop and fell to his knees. Falken brought the blade
down in another arc. Andrew launched himself backwards just as the blade
scratched across the front of his armor. Falken's blade slid into the
stone flooring.
Andrew's eyes widened as his armor glowed a faint purple where Falken's
blade had touched it. The purple aura slowly began to spread to the
rest of his armor. As it began to spread, his armor also began to
dissolve. Andrew quickly threw the armor off and shed it onto the
ground before him. Falken smiled evilly.
Andrew let his sword arm rest momentarily as he studied Falken's dark
gaze. Falken stared and remained where he stood. A light zephyr blew
across the courtyard. And the two men stood in opposition.
"We must act now my King!" shouted a courtitian at the table.
"I agree. My liege, the Kingdom of Terindya has already split its
forces to both attack our capital and to maintain the battle at the
front. If we send in a small party, we may be able to overthrow their
castle like they did ours!" shouted another man in reply.
A commotion blurred around the table.
Kashue cleared his throat and all was quiet. "I have taken your advice
as my court advisors from the beginning of my ascension to the throne
of this kingdom. I will once again let this matter be decided by the
vote of the majority here. Thus I propose this: those in favor of
sending a small party in to attack the Terindyan castle, please raise
your hand."
The vote at the table was unanimous.
"Very well then," said Kashue. "I shall ask that you please assemble
a list of the men you feel best fits the job. I want it tomorrow,
until then this council is adjourned."
Kashue left the room and walked into a stone hallway. Torches provided
the only light. The people of his country wouldn't be able to stay
held up within the walls of this stone prison for much longer. They
needed sunlight. Kashue determined he would end this war as quickly as
he could.
Kasumi detached herself from the shadows and fell into step directly
next to Kashue. Kashue didn't flinch, he had expected her.
"My liege," said Kasumi, slightly bowing her head. "Your scouts have
returned from the forest. They found the lieutenant Darien unconcious
in some bushes about a mile from here. He should be arriving shortly."
"Take him to the conference room when he arrives," said Kashue without
missing a step. "And inform me of his appearance at that time."
Kashue silently cursed under his breath. How had Darien, such a promising
young man under his direction, been previously associated with the woman
he was to marry? Kashue hated the prospect, but somehow he would have
to eliminate this man from her past. She must not be allowed to remember,
not after all he had sacrificed to make her his...
Andrew was steadily losing more and more ground to the barrage of attacks
thrown at him. Falken was leading him away from the garden, purposely
avoiding the difficult terrain. At the moment, he had Andrew at the
disadvantage and he didn't want to risk changing that.
"You fight like a demon, sir knight," spat Andrew.
"I was about to say the same of you, boy," replied Falken calmly.
The two men stood and stared at each other for a moment. Even Falken
had to try to catch his breath. Andrew leaned heavily on his sword,
and sat on the ground. He watched Falken carefully, but there was no
sign of an attack. The two men had been locked in combat for over an
hour and neither had so much as even drawn blood.
Without any warning, Falken lunged forward. His blade hissed and
screamed through the air as it came for Andrew's chest. Andrew's eyes
widened as the blade came closer and closer. This was the end, he
couldn't move out of the way in time.
An explosion sent pieces of the castle wall showering into the air.
Andrew was launched through the air from the force of the thundering
explosion.
"What now?" screamed Andrew as he regained his balance and stood.
The entire half of the wall had been blown inward. Pieces of stone
still fell from the sky and smoke rose from the charred bits that lay
all around. Smoke layered thickly about the destruction.
"Falken, we must depart! His majesty wants us to report immediately!"
commanded a cold voice.
A silhoutte detached itself from the smoke and strode forward. Andrew
gasped... a mage? What was a mage doing here? Mages rarely left the
mountains where they trained. And even then, they never bothered in
the affairs of the common folk and only slightly more with those of the
royalty.
Falken cursed under his breath. "Calahan!" He turned to face Andrew.
"This is not over yet boy. We'll meet again."
The mage muttered a spell and waved his hands through the air. A small
tear appeared beside him, from which a trident emerged part way. The
blood-red trident tore at the small opening. A small demon emerged
from the newly widened hole and stepped out. The mage muttered a few
more words and the portal suddenly changed to reveal a castle courtroom.
Falken sheathed his sword and stepped into the gateway, which closed
immediately after him.
Calahan the mage smiled grimly at Andrew. "And for you my boy, I bid
you adieu. However, rather than taking leave of my senses and forgetting
my manners, I will leave you with a playmate. Try not to play too
rough." Evil laughter filled the air as the mage disappeared once
more into the smoke.
Andrew stared at the smoke where the mage had disappeared. And then he
heard cackling. He lept back just as a three-pronged trident lodged
itself into the ground where he had been standing. Andrew scanned the
courtyard. Standing a few yards away stood a small imp. It hovered
slightly above the ground, flapping a pair of wings leisurely. A sick
grin twisted across its face, revealing a jagged row of sharp, blood-
stained teeth.
Serena stood alone at the summit of a mountain. The landscape all
about her was dark, as if seen through tinted glasses. Clouds littered
the sky, forming a formidable barricade to block off the sunlight.
Serena voiced her thoughts aloud: "What is this land?"
"This is our home," voiced a reply from behind her. Strong, but loving
arms enveloped her from behind. Serena gasped in shock, then relaxed
as she realized how familiar the hold felt. A head nestled into her
shoulder, and warm lips brushed up against her neck. Serena cooed in
response and turned to face the mystery behind her. Deep blue eyes
stared deep within her, attracted not by her looks, but by the soul
within her.
"Darien," she grinned.
The green eyes hesitated for a moment, and the smile fell from his face.
The grip he held on Serena's shoulders began to tighten.
"Darien, I can't breath. Itai!" she screamed out in pain.
The grip became stronger and stronger. Serena's eyes began to close
as she slowly slipped into unconciousness. She clenched her teeth and
forced herself to look at her beloved, a tear running down her cheek.
The face was no longer Dariens, but Kashue's. Dark green eyes stared
at her, but failed to see past the outer shell of her looks. She
screamed with the last bit of air in her lungs.
A rose suddenly flew threw the air. It cut through Kashue, slicing
from the top of his head and burying itself in the ground behind him.
The body of the would-be King fell in two, releasing Serena from it's
grip.
Serena looked in the direction the rose had come. Standing on a small
group of rocks several yards away stood a figure clothed in a tuxedo,
wearing a domino mask, and holding a rose in his hand. A name came to
her lips... a name she hadn't uttered or heard for over a year.
"Mamoru..."
And then she was falling through the air. The mountain disappeared;
the fields, the stream, everything was gone. Just complete blackness
as she slipped into oblivion. She fell... and fell... and fell...
and landed on a soft mattress. Serena shot up. She was dressed in a
silk nightgown, and had been tucked under several layers of the warmest
goose-feather blankets she had ever seen.
"What are they trying to do? Cook me?" asked Serena aloud as she flung
the blankets from her. She swung out of the immense bed and walked
over to the window, flinging it open and allowing the cool breeze to
blow past her.
And then she noticed the city. This wasn't the Southern Kingdom! The
events flooded back. She had been kidnapped and talked to the King of
Terindya. And who was that old woman? There was something wrong with
that woman.
The door behind Serena opened, causing her to turn on her heel. She
clutched her thin nightgown about her as the room's temperature suddenly
chilled.
Three guards rushed into the room and scooped up Serena by the arms.
"You're presence is demanded by the king, m'lady," said one guard
formally.
"Let me go!" yelled Serena, kicking and contorting to remove herself
from the iron grip she found herself in.
The guards fought with their fiesty charge for a few moments, before
finally losing control of her. They surrendered their grips and
contented to walk to either side and behind the formidable lady.
Serena straightened herself up and held herself with all of the regal
bearing she could muster.
Serena was led by the guards to the end of a hall, where they stopped
in front of a room. One of the men opened the door, and led Serena
inside.
The room was enormous. A marble fireplace sat against one wall, warming
the room. Tapestries and paintings adorned the rest of the wall. An
ornately-carved closet stood against another wall. Candle-holders hung
from the walls, shaped in a multitude of different animals. Each animal
held forth a candle in outstretched arms. The room was an amazing
display of craftsmanship that deserved to be called no less than a museum.
And despite all the amount of decoration, all was overshadowed by the
chamber bed filling the center of the room. The posts were carved down
to the smallest detail. Each told a different story from the beginning
of this world. The four posts held an immense curtain, which operated
as a canopy over the bed.
Laying in the bed was an elderly man. He seemed frail and withered,
yet commanded a presence demanding immediate attention.
"Usagi..." coughed the old king.
Serena looked quizically at the old man. Somehow, he seemed familiar.
That voice, so kind and full of hope, had spoken to her before, but
when she did not know. Everything was crumbling around her. Who was
she: Usagi or Serena? Who was it that existed within her body? Her
thoughts swam in the questions she came across. Everytime she began to
think, and felt she was getting somewhere, a wall would block her path.
Where was she from? When did she get here? What connection did the
young lieutenant have to her past?
The king had beckoned to her to come closer to him, but she had been
lost in thought and had not noticed. The guard behind Serena pushed
her forward rudely. She managed to keep a balance, and allowed the
momentum to carry her towards the man at the throne.
"Usagi," the king whispered. "I don't know what has happened to you,
or how you feel. But I am sorry..." The old man trailed off as he was
overtaken by a fit of coughing. Serena held him up and cradled his
frail body.
"I am sorry," he continued. "I have not thought ahead. I have not
thought of the consequences. The gods have never allowed me a child,
and when you appeared in this kingdom, I felt that they were giving me
a chance, an opportunity to right the wrongs that I have done to this
people by giving you my throne. You are innocent and caring, two
qualities that most monarchs do not possess..." He once again trailed
off into a fit of coughing. His whole frame shook with the bursts of
each cough and a nursemaid quickly ran over to help him. He ushered
her away as the coughing resinded.
Serena tried quickly to digest what had just been told her, but had
scarcely done so when the king began speaking again. "My child, my
time here is quickly passing. I have spoken with my court and they
know that you are to reign over this kingdom in my stead. However, I
do not wish to impose this task on you. If you wish to leave my
kingdom now, I have asked that you be escorted to the border. However,
if you choose this path, I ask that you never return here."
The look of utter confusion had managed to glue itself to Serena's
features. The king took notice and called for the guards to "escort
the Lady Usagi back to her room where she can mull over her choices
before making a decision."
"Oh, and my beloved Usagi... goodbye, I loved you as my daughter..."
Serena allowed herself to be escorted away by the guards. She didn't
know what to make of any of the situation. Her mind was turning flips
in her head...
Darien's eyes fluttered open. A bright sun shone into his face. He
blinked and sat up. He almost lost his balance as he gasped in astonishment --
"How did I end up in a tree?"
The last thing Darien could remember was being attacked by the mage.
But where was he now? A bright light had enveloped him, and apparently
brought him here.
The sound of steel against steel brought his attention back to the time
at hand. Darien dropped himself from his perch and took bearing of his
surroundings. He was in the royal garden, or so he guessed. His eyes
scanned over the scene before him. The castle wall had collapsed, and
dust was still settling.
Steel clashed again. Darien peered into the dust.
Andrew jumped to the side as a pike flew through the air, embedding
itself into the ground where he had just been standing. Sparks shot
through the air as Andrew parried away another polearm thrown his
direction by a small imp that hovered above him.
Andrew bent down and picked up a chunk of stone at his feet. He hurled
it at the creature with all of his strength. The imp flew to the side
to avoid it, but hadn't been expecting the counterattack and found that
it couldn't move fast enough as the stone clipped one of its wings.
Darien shouted across the field. "ANDREW!"
However, Andrew had turned on his heel and run from the courtyard and
out into the city streets. Darien watched as the imp tore a small portal
open in front of itself and ducked into it.
Andrew ran as fast as his legs could carry him across the city in hopes
of making it outside of the gates before the imp caught him. It watched
its prey with a red gleam in its eye.
Andrew found himself running into dead-ends and walls everywhere. He
thought he knew the city, but for some reason nothing was as he remembered
it. He finally slid to a halt before another dead end. There was
something wrong, and he knew it had to be the imp. And as if on cue,
a hole opened up before him and the imp stepped out, gazing at him and
smiling crookedly.
The sound of steel rang out as Andrew drew his sword from its sheath.
His attacker reached back into the hole behind it and pulled out a
sharp spear. The imp spun the spear easily around in its hands -- an
attempt at making its prey uneasy. Andrew knew otherwise, however.
Never under-, not over-estimate any opponent. The second rule of
combat he had been taught. The first? Stay alive. And that is exactly
what he intended to do...
A mysterious old woman peered over the sleeping figure of Serena. She
held in her hand a mixture of miscellaneous herbs that had been crushed
together into a fine powder. The woman lightly shook the powder from
her hand over Serena. Each grain grabbed the surrounding light from
the torches as it floated through the air above Serena. The old woman
began to chant.
The words came out in the olde tongue, a language seldom heard of
anymore, let alone spoken. As the words slipped from the old woman's
mouth, the powder began to glow brighter and the room darker, as if all
of the light was being drawn into the dust.
The magical dust settled onto Serena, covering her from head to toe in
a fine carpet. Serena's breathing slowed.
Standing behind in the shadows, a lone figure stood. She did not
believe herself to have been discovered, but she had. The old woman
knew everything. After all, it was her game. But she let the
mysterious ninja alone and even shifted to allow a better look at the
task she was performing.
A flicker of light appeared in the air above Serena. It gathered
electrical currents around it and began to open. The flicker quickly
grew into a circle roughly the size of a wall-mirror. It was known as
a dream-gate.
The old woman threw the remaining dust she had into the circle. It
contorted, as if under some intense pain, before settling back to its
original shape. Now, it held the unconciousness found within Serena's
mind.
The ninja gasped, then caught herself and cautiously drew herself back
into the recess offered within the shadows. She knew that she had
erred and that meant she would probably die here. But the old woman
she was so intently watching did nothing. Perhaps the ninja hadn't
been caught... she settled back down comfortably and continued to spy
on the events.
Within the dream-gate, the elements found within the air swirled and
gathered together to form a mural.
There was a couple sitting on a grassy hill. Food lay all around, but
most of it had been at least partially eaten. The girl in the picture
was obviously Serena, right down to the golden pigtails and twin odango.
The male had his faced turned, but even so it was obvious he enjoyed
his company. The man positively glowed.
The ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and the perspective changed
to that of Serena's. She was falling into the darkness, screaming and
reaching for the hand offered her by the young man she was with.
The ninja gasped. She knew the young man from the training school and
had heard how he had received high honors and been adopted directly
into the City Guard. His name, if she was not mistaken, was Darien.
Why was he in the queen's memories? His majesty, King Kashue would be
most interested to hear this.
The old woman saw nothing that she didn't already know. In truth, it
had partially been her work that had brought her here. Darien, on the
other hand, was an unwanted guest. A pest. But he only prolonged the
game, and provided everything continued well, it shouldn't present a
problem and would only make things more interesting. The woman pulled
back the cowl behind which she hid. A creature with skin the color of
midnight and eyes red as blood breathed deeply. The air in the castle's
catacombs was cold and, especially within the crypts, stale.
The Yoma heard a shuffle from the pillars behind her. She had forgotten
about her guest. Even demons were prone to some mistakes...
'Oh well,' thought the Yoma. 'Just another intruder that needs to be
taken care of...' Her eyes glowed a furious red.
"You may come out of the shadows, my dear," stated the Yoma. "You
should know that those are my domain..."
The ninja stepped from the shadows and stood directly in front of the
monster. She bowed formally, but with her eyes riveted towards the
creature for any movement.
"I am Kasumi of the Onryou Ninja Clan. I am here under the direction
of King Kashue of the Southern Kingdom. I will not die here."
The Yoma laughed. "Of course not... you will simply be my messenger..."
Kasumi felt a great burden lift from her and then she was looking down
at herself. She watched herself turn and walk into the shadows, but
couldn't do anything to control it...
The gardens were nearing. Andrew's heart pounded in unison with his
footsteps. His pulse beat in his ears, and his breathing came in
ragged, quick gasps. A cracked cobblestone was all it took to shatter
Andrew's hopes as his foot caught the corner of it and he tumbled to
the ground.
Behind him, the footsteps of Lord Falken slowed as he found his prey
now trapped and unable to escape in time...
Andrew fumbled backwards and tried to reach for his sword, but found
it wasn't there. His eyes scanned frantically for it. It was a few
yards to his right. He had to get his sword-belt fixed someday... if
he lived to see someday.
Falken was approaching rapidly, readying his sword for the final cut.
The cut that would end Andrew's life...
A shrill, sharp noise split the air. Falken looked towards the city
and frowned. A pillar of blue light had appeared from the sky, but
disappeared just as quickly. Andrew took the opportunity to dive for
his sword. He flipped himself over and sommersaulted to the right.
At mid-dive he grabbed his sword and by the time he landed his roll,
had the sword out and the scabbard discarded on the ground.
Andrew stood to his height and moved into stance, blade before him.
"Now, let's see what that sword of yours can really do..."
Underneath the castle and main city of the Southern Kingdom existed a
maze of labyrinths and corridors, cut directly into the limestone and
rock of the mountain that the city had been built on. These tunnels
all led to a central location behind the city; a cave, filled with
provisions. The cave was large enough to hold the occupants of the
entire city, should it ever fall. It looks as if the city had fallen,
and from the looks of it, the whole city hadn't made it.
King Kashue ceased his pacing and frowned.
"So the Terindyan kingdom is the one responsible for the attack."
Kashue had known it to be true, but hadn't wanted to believe it. Such
tactics were not called for, even in war. There exist some rules, a
small semlance of humanity for one to hold on to, even in battle. The
rules are not spoken of, but exist in the minds of anyone who dared to
call themself a human being. To go against these rules meant to be
going against one's humanity. If humanity no longer exists within the
soul, then what is left? An empty shell, inhabited by a monster.
"You are sure?" asked the King.
"Yes your majesty," replied Kasumi from her knelt stance. "They intend
to attack us, and even know of this secret place. I would advise that
we leave."
"I must consult with my staff first. If the Terindyans have already
forcibly ignored the rules of war, then we are no longer dealing with
our fellow humans, we are now dealing with monsters." Kashue called
for a guard to gather his advisors and staff for a meeting. Then he
turned back to the ninja before him. "Thank you Kasumi, you may go."
He resumed his pacing.
"Yes your majesty... but one more thing," spoke Kasumi. Inside, she
was screaming at herself to stop.
"The young lieutenant known as Darien, sir. The old witch that resides
at the castle as the king's advisor viewed the lady Serena's thoughts.
I watched as she did so, and saw the visions of the lady Serena. Where
I thought I would see you, your majesty, I instead saw the young lieutenant.
She called out to him to rescue her sir..."
The king stopped once again. "You are sure?"
"Yes, your majesty."
The king's brow furrowed and he frowned. If he was to have Serena for
his own, then he would have to be rid of the young man that stood in
his way. If he had already come as far as to recruite the help of a
demon, then he must see it through. "It would seem then that I have
enemies both inside and outside. Thank you again Kasumi."
The ninja nodded and disappeared into the air.
A soldier came into the room. "Sir, your strategists and advisors have
been called together and await your appearance."
The king walked out of the room. He would not lose this war even if it
meant losing his own humanity in the process -- and he would also defeat
the Terindyan.
=================================================================
Chapter 9 of *heeheehee... wouldn't you like to know...*
The dark blade screamed just over Andrew's head as he ducked to avoid
it. Falken reversed his swing and brought it down at knee-height.
Andrew jumped backwards just as the blade flew beneath his feet.
Cartwheeling to the side, Andrew dodged another blow from the expert
swordsman. He didn't know how much longer this action could be kept up.
Falken turned once again to face Andrew, flinging his cape behind him.
The mid-afternoon sun glinted from his armor. Sensing Andrew's weariness,
Falken redoubled his efforts on finding a weakness in Andrew's defense.
Slash, thrust, lunge... the attacks were launched with such ferocity
that Andrew found it difficult to keep up. Andrew buckled under the force
of an overhand chop and fell to his knees. Falken brought the blade
down in another arc. Andrew launched himself backwards just as the blade
scratched across the front of his armor. Falken's blade slid into the
stone flooring.
Andrew's eyes widened as his armor glowed a faint purple where Falken's
blade had touched it. The purple aura slowly began to spread to the
rest of his armor. As it began to spread, his armor also began to
dissolve. Andrew quickly threw the armor off and shed it onto the
ground before him. Falken smiled evilly.
Andrew let his sword arm rest momentarily as he studied Falken's dark
gaze. Falken stared and remained where he stood. A light zephyr blew
across the courtyard. And the two men stood in opposition.
"We must act now my King!" shouted a courtitian at the table.
"I agree. My liege, the Kingdom of Terindya has already split its
forces to both attack our capital and to maintain the battle at the
front. If we send in a small party, we may be able to overthrow their
castle like they did ours!" shouted another man in reply.
A commotion blurred around the table.
Kashue cleared his throat and all was quiet. "I have taken your advice
as my court advisors from the beginning of my ascension to the throne
of this kingdom. I will once again let this matter be decided by the
vote of the majority here. Thus I propose this: those in favor of
sending a small party in to attack the Terindyan castle, please raise
your hand."
The vote at the table was unanimous.
"Very well then," said Kashue. "I shall ask that you please assemble
a list of the men you feel best fits the job. I want it tomorrow,
until then this council is adjourned."
Kashue left the room and walked into a stone hallway. Torches provided
the only light. The people of his country wouldn't be able to stay
held up within the walls of this stone prison for much longer. They
needed sunlight. Kashue determined he would end this war as quickly as
he could.
Kasumi detached herself from the shadows and fell into step directly
next to Kashue. Kashue didn't flinch, he had expected her.
"My liege," said Kasumi, slightly bowing her head. "Your scouts have
returned from the forest. They found the lieutenant Darien unconcious
in some bushes about a mile from here. He should be arriving shortly."
"Take him to the conference room when he arrives," said Kashue without
missing a step. "And inform me of his appearance at that time."
Kashue silently cursed under his breath. How had Darien, such a promising
young man under his direction, been previously associated with the woman
he was to marry? Kashue hated the prospect, but somehow he would have
to eliminate this man from her past. She must not be allowed to remember,
not after all he had sacrificed to make her his...
Andrew was steadily losing more and more ground to the barrage of attacks
thrown at him. Falken was leading him away from the garden, purposely
avoiding the difficult terrain. At the moment, he had Andrew at the
disadvantage and he didn't want to risk changing that.
"You fight like a demon, sir knight," spat Andrew.
"I was about to say the same of you, boy," replied Falken calmly.
The two men stood and stared at each other for a moment. Even Falken
had to try to catch his breath. Andrew leaned heavily on his sword,
and sat on the ground. He watched Falken carefully, but there was no
sign of an attack. The two men had been locked in combat for over an
hour and neither had so much as even drawn blood.
Without any warning, Falken lunged forward. His blade hissed and
screamed through the air as it came for Andrew's chest. Andrew's eyes
widened as the blade came closer and closer. This was the end, he
couldn't move out of the way in time.
An explosion sent pieces of the castle wall showering into the air.
Andrew was launched through the air from the force of the thundering
explosion.
"What now?" screamed Andrew as he regained his balance and stood.
The entire half of the wall had been blown inward. Pieces of stone
still fell from the sky and smoke rose from the charred bits that lay
all around. Smoke layered thickly about the destruction.
"Falken, we must depart! His majesty wants us to report immediately!"
commanded a cold voice.
A silhoutte detached itself from the smoke and strode forward. Andrew
gasped... a mage? What was a mage doing here? Mages rarely left the
mountains where they trained. And even then, they never bothered in
the affairs of the common folk and only slightly more with those of the
royalty.
Falken cursed under his breath. "Calahan!" He turned to face Andrew.
"This is not over yet boy. We'll meet again."
The mage muttered a spell and waved his hands through the air. A small
tear appeared beside him, from which a trident emerged part way. The
blood-red trident tore at the small opening. A small demon emerged
from the newly widened hole and stepped out. The mage muttered a few
more words and the portal suddenly changed to reveal a castle courtroom.
Falken sheathed his sword and stepped into the gateway, which closed
immediately after him.
Calahan the mage smiled grimly at Andrew. "And for you my boy, I bid
you adieu. However, rather than taking leave of my senses and forgetting
my manners, I will leave you with a playmate. Try not to play too
rough." Evil laughter filled the air as the mage disappeared once
more into the smoke.
Andrew stared at the smoke where the mage had disappeared. And then he
heard cackling. He lept back just as a three-pronged trident lodged
itself into the ground where he had been standing. Andrew scanned the
courtyard. Standing a few yards away stood a small imp. It hovered
slightly above the ground, flapping a pair of wings leisurely. A sick
grin twisted across its face, revealing a jagged row of sharp, blood-
stained teeth.
Serena stood alone at the summit of a mountain. The landscape all
about her was dark, as if seen through tinted glasses. Clouds littered
the sky, forming a formidable barricade to block off the sunlight.
Serena voiced her thoughts aloud: "What is this land?"
"This is our home," voiced a reply from behind her. Strong, but loving
arms enveloped her from behind. Serena gasped in shock, then relaxed
as she realized how familiar the hold felt. A head nestled into her
shoulder, and warm lips brushed up against her neck. Serena cooed in
response and turned to face the mystery behind her. Deep blue eyes
stared deep within her, attracted not by her looks, but by the soul
within her.
"Darien," she grinned.
The green eyes hesitated for a moment, and the smile fell from his face.
The grip he held on Serena's shoulders began to tighten.
"Darien, I can't breath. Itai!" she screamed out in pain.
The grip became stronger and stronger. Serena's eyes began to close
as she slowly slipped into unconciousness. She clenched her teeth and
forced herself to look at her beloved, a tear running down her cheek.
The face was no longer Dariens, but Kashue's. Dark green eyes stared
at her, but failed to see past the outer shell of her looks. She
screamed with the last bit of air in her lungs.
A rose suddenly flew threw the air. It cut through Kashue, slicing
from the top of his head and burying itself in the ground behind him.
The body of the would-be King fell in two, releasing Serena from it's
grip.
Serena looked in the direction the rose had come. Standing on a small
group of rocks several yards away stood a figure clothed in a tuxedo,
wearing a domino mask, and holding a rose in his hand. A name came to
her lips... a name she hadn't uttered or heard for over a year.
"Mamoru..."
And then she was falling through the air. The mountain disappeared;
the fields, the stream, everything was gone. Just complete blackness
as she slipped into oblivion. She fell... and fell... and fell...
and landed on a soft mattress. Serena shot up. She was dressed in a
silk nightgown, and had been tucked under several layers of the warmest
goose-feather blankets she had ever seen.
"What are they trying to do? Cook me?" asked Serena aloud as she flung
the blankets from her. She swung out of the immense bed and walked
over to the window, flinging it open and allowing the cool breeze to
blow past her.
And then she noticed the city. This wasn't the Southern Kingdom! The
events flooded back. She had been kidnapped and talked to the King of
Terindya. And who was that old woman? There was something wrong with
that woman.
The door behind Serena opened, causing her to turn on her heel. She
clutched her thin nightgown about her as the room's temperature suddenly
chilled.
Three guards rushed into the room and scooped up Serena by the arms.
"You're presence is demanded by the king, m'lady," said one guard
formally.
"Let me go!" yelled Serena, kicking and contorting to remove herself
from the iron grip she found herself in.
The guards fought with their fiesty charge for a few moments, before
finally losing control of her. They surrendered their grips and
contented to walk to either side and behind the formidable lady.
Serena straightened herself up and held herself with all of the regal
bearing she could muster.
Serena was led by the guards to the end of a hall, where they stopped
in front of a room. One of the men opened the door, and led Serena
inside.
The room was enormous. A marble fireplace sat against one wall, warming
the room. Tapestries and paintings adorned the rest of the wall. An
ornately-carved closet stood against another wall. Candle-holders hung
from the walls, shaped in a multitude of different animals. Each animal
held forth a candle in outstretched arms. The room was an amazing
display of craftsmanship that deserved to be called no less than a museum.
And despite all the amount of decoration, all was overshadowed by the
chamber bed filling the center of the room. The posts were carved down
to the smallest detail. Each told a different story from the beginning
of this world. The four posts held an immense curtain, which operated
as a canopy over the bed.
Laying in the bed was an elderly man. He seemed frail and withered,
yet commanded a presence demanding immediate attention.
"Usagi..." coughed the old king.
Serena looked quizically at the old man. Somehow, he seemed familiar.
That voice, so kind and full of hope, had spoken to her before, but
when she did not know. Everything was crumbling around her. Who was
she: Usagi or Serena? Who was it that existed within her body? Her
thoughts swam in the questions she came across. Everytime she began to
think, and felt she was getting somewhere, a wall would block her path.
Where was she from? When did she get here? What connection did the
young lieutenant have to her past?
The king had beckoned to her to come closer to him, but she had been
lost in thought and had not noticed. The guard behind Serena pushed
her forward rudely. She managed to keep a balance, and allowed the
momentum to carry her towards the man at the throne.
"Usagi," the king whispered. "I don't know what has happened to you,
or how you feel. But I am sorry..." The old man trailed off as he was
overtaken by a fit of coughing. Serena held him up and cradled his
frail body.
"I am sorry," he continued. "I have not thought ahead. I have not
thought of the consequences. The gods have never allowed me a child,
and when you appeared in this kingdom, I felt that they were giving me
a chance, an opportunity to right the wrongs that I have done to this
people by giving you my throne. You are innocent and caring, two
qualities that most monarchs do not possess..." He once again trailed
off into a fit of coughing. His whole frame shook with the bursts of
each cough and a nursemaid quickly ran over to help him. He ushered
her away as the coughing resinded.
Serena tried quickly to digest what had just been told her, but had
scarcely done so when the king began speaking again. "My child, my
time here is quickly passing. I have spoken with my court and they
know that you are to reign over this kingdom in my stead. However, I
do not wish to impose this task on you. If you wish to leave my
kingdom now, I have asked that you be escorted to the border. However,
if you choose this path, I ask that you never return here."
The look of utter confusion had managed to glue itself to Serena's
features. The king took notice and called for the guards to "escort
the Lady Usagi back to her room where she can mull over her choices
before making a decision."
"Oh, and my beloved Usagi... goodbye, I loved you as my daughter..."
Serena allowed herself to be escorted away by the guards. She didn't
know what to make of any of the situation. Her mind was turning flips
in her head...
Darien's eyes fluttered open. A bright sun shone into his face. He
blinked and sat up. He almost lost his balance as he gasped in astonishment --
"How did I end up in a tree?"
The last thing Darien could remember was being attacked by the mage.
But where was he now? A bright light had enveloped him, and apparently
brought him here.
The sound of steel against steel brought his attention back to the time
at hand. Darien dropped himself from his perch and took bearing of his
surroundings. He was in the royal garden, or so he guessed. His eyes
scanned over the scene before him. The castle wall had collapsed, and
dust was still settling.
Steel clashed again. Darien peered into the dust.
Andrew jumped to the side as a pike flew through the air, embedding
itself into the ground where he had just been standing. Sparks shot
through the air as Andrew parried away another polearm thrown his
direction by a small imp that hovered above him.
Andrew bent down and picked up a chunk of stone at his feet. He hurled
it at the creature with all of his strength. The imp flew to the side
to avoid it, but hadn't been expecting the counterattack and found that
it couldn't move fast enough as the stone clipped one of its wings.
Darien shouted across the field. "ANDREW!"
However, Andrew had turned on his heel and run from the courtyard and
out into the city streets. Darien watched as the imp tore a small portal
open in front of itself and ducked into it.
Andrew ran as fast as his legs could carry him across the city in hopes
of making it outside of the gates before the imp caught him. It watched
its prey with a red gleam in its eye.
Andrew found himself running into dead-ends and walls everywhere. He
thought he knew the city, but for some reason nothing was as he remembered
it. He finally slid to a halt before another dead end. There was
something wrong, and he knew it had to be the imp. And as if on cue,
a hole opened up before him and the imp stepped out, gazing at him and
smiling crookedly.
The sound of steel rang out as Andrew drew his sword from its sheath.
His attacker reached back into the hole behind it and pulled out a
sharp spear. The imp spun the spear easily around in its hands -- an
attempt at making its prey uneasy. Andrew knew otherwise, however.
Never under-, not over-estimate any opponent. The second rule of
combat he had been taught. The first? Stay alive. And that is exactly
what he intended to do...