* ssp47's Corner * Thank you all who have reviewed and have been patient.
Took me long enough, neh? This story is drawing to a close. There might be
a few more chaps and that's it. I'm too busy. @_@
CHAPTER 9: "Destiny"
"Lord Diaz, I have brought the two warriors from the plains of snow."
Rose and Zeig were pushed down to their knees, facing the very tall and clothed form of Emperor Diaz, the leader of men and fighter for liberation. His shoulders turned as he stared at them closely. He flickered his hand and the chains fell from the bodies of the two humans.
"Why have you intruded upon Fort Magad? I can see that you have come a long way." Diaz demanded seriously. Zeig slowly rose to his feet and bowed.
"We both wish to join your army, Lord Diaz, for the liberation of our people."
"I can not easily accept such an offer, no matter how desperate our matters may seem."
"Please understand us Lord Diaz, we do not wish to overthrow your armies to the glory of the Winglies." Zeig protested.
"Be that as it may." Diaz spoke again. "I could recruit thousands of men, even millions. But," He turned around and motioned to the cliff. Zeig and Rose stood by the edge and looked over at the multitude. "We are only mortal. Blood runs through our veins, and our greater numbers are no match for the magic of the Winglies."
"Yes. This army could easily be overtaken." Rose murmured resting her hand on her hip. "Blood and swords are all we possess. We may all sooner dig our own graves."
"You follow me out here to join this army and yet you are with so little faith." Zeig said with energy and irritation. "We have more than just our swords and our blood for war. We have our faith and our thirst for freedom. That alone will give us the immortality to strengthen our swords!"
"Where does your confidence come from?" Rose demanded. "Go, go and battle with your faith and thirst for freedom, but not even the dreams of a man can save him from the grasps of reality or the death of mortality. Go, go and fight. I wonder how long you will survive only armed with a sword and the insanity of a bloodthirsty beast."
Diaz glanced at them both.
"You both have the hearts and strengths of a true warrior. But the warrioress is right, there is no faith save it be by the grace of reality and the Gods."
"The Gods do not give us reality." Zeig said forming a fist. "Reality is only created by the visions of others as with fate. We hold the cards in our fists and yet we are inclined to fear our own power because of the habits of the old ways. If the humans are to be liberated than it shall be so."
"Let us hope for the faith and courage that is in your heart to be gifted to your kin." Diaz said simply. "Rest here for awhile. We could use warriors like you both. We have extra tents in the camp. Stay as long as we have faith to liberate our kin."
"We would be honored." Zeig said with a bow.
~*~
Rose knelt by a frozen river under white trees. Her black hair and pale skin shimmered of her veins of blood like diamonds. It had been a ten days since she and Zeig had joined the Fort. No progress had been made thus far. If anything Rose felt that the armies had fallen weaker.
"What is to be done? What is my purpose here?" She asked silently. She rose to her feet; a stone was in her hand. She could just imagine the ripples it would make if she threw if into the river, but that would only be if it were melted.
It was almost the same for the army. If only they were gifted with magic they could retaliate the Winglies.
"Oh Gods," Rose murmured grasping the stone in her hand. "I can taste the freedom of my people flying through the sky. I can feel it run in my veins. I can see Lord Diaz leading the humans to our liberation. Feel my blood in this stone and bless this army." Rose through the stone from her hands and watched it slowly fall away into the river. The ice shattered and the stone sank through the cold river.
A twig snapped behind her and Rose did not move.
"Why are you following me?" She asked quietly.
"I have no reason." He walked up to her and watched her gaze into the frozen river. " may no sooner ask why you threw a stone into the ice."
Rose shrugged and continued to stare.
"Nothing has changed since we arrived here." Zeig went on. "Why are you still here? You seem to live as if something's driving you."
"I may be. What significance does it hold to you?" Rose asked looking up into his eyes.
"So mysterious." Zeig's voice trailed off and he stared back. Rose looked away and gazed back down at the river. "Do you remember that day we both encountered the dragon?"
"Yes."
"I wonder if we were to find it, if we could make it an ally."
"If I remember correctly, it wasn't too friendly towards your presence." Rose said looking up to the trees. "Why to you wonder such?"
"Where else can we find magic powerful enough to withstand Winglies? Human magic is no threat to their power."
Rose shrugged.
"Are you beginning to loose your faith?"
"I am trying to find the forces to strengthen it so that liberation does not seem like a mere dream to the hearts of mortal men."
"Indeed. Your search may lead to your destruction. It is not in human nature to venture out alone." Rose turned away and began strolling off.
"But look at yourself." Zeig caught up with her and walked along her side. "You yourself venture alone, and yet do you not find yourself human?"
"I am the exception." Rose said pausing in her stride. She turned and faced him with serious eyes. "I am not like you nor am I like any human that walked under the rule of the Winglies. I am free, unlike many, I have never felt the chains of bondage."
"I am free." Zeig said slowly.
"But your master still lives, until you are liberated you are still chained to his grasp. Do you object to this?"
Zeig rubbed his neck and his eyes fell to the snow.
"You are cold, frozen just like this forest. You say you have never tasted bondage but you seem to walk under chains of depression and sorrow."
"I," Rose turned away again and lifted her hand to the sky. "I only am searching for my purpose and my destiny."
"And you hope to find that here?"
"Yes." Rose said with a nod.
"We are not as different as I thought." Zeig said.
"That may be."
Her stance shifted to the snow as a tremble in the earth forced them both to the ground. Rose cast her eyes up and beheld the same dragon that Zeig had encountered. The sun reflected it's bright ruby scales like flames in a fire. She quickly rose to her feet as it slowly past them, unaware of their presence.
Zeig rose quickly and stood in awe.
"It is headed towards the Fort." Rose murmured. Zeig's eyes widened and he clasped his sword out of his belt.
"We have to prevent its actions towards the Fort." He spun around and ran through the snow, his feet sinking in slightly. Rose drew her rapier and stared at the blade.
* "I wonder if we were to find it, if we could make it an ally." "Where else can we find magic powerful enough to withstand Winglies? Human magic is no threat to their power." *
"This ma be my road to my destiny." Rose murmured. She sheathed her rapier and took off after Zeig through the snow.
CHAPTER 9: "Destiny"
"Lord Diaz, I have brought the two warriors from the plains of snow."
Rose and Zeig were pushed down to their knees, facing the very tall and clothed form of Emperor Diaz, the leader of men and fighter for liberation. His shoulders turned as he stared at them closely. He flickered his hand and the chains fell from the bodies of the two humans.
"Why have you intruded upon Fort Magad? I can see that you have come a long way." Diaz demanded seriously. Zeig slowly rose to his feet and bowed.
"We both wish to join your army, Lord Diaz, for the liberation of our people."
"I can not easily accept such an offer, no matter how desperate our matters may seem."
"Please understand us Lord Diaz, we do not wish to overthrow your armies to the glory of the Winglies." Zeig protested.
"Be that as it may." Diaz spoke again. "I could recruit thousands of men, even millions. But," He turned around and motioned to the cliff. Zeig and Rose stood by the edge and looked over at the multitude. "We are only mortal. Blood runs through our veins, and our greater numbers are no match for the magic of the Winglies."
"Yes. This army could easily be overtaken." Rose murmured resting her hand on her hip. "Blood and swords are all we possess. We may all sooner dig our own graves."
"You follow me out here to join this army and yet you are with so little faith." Zeig said with energy and irritation. "We have more than just our swords and our blood for war. We have our faith and our thirst for freedom. That alone will give us the immortality to strengthen our swords!"
"Where does your confidence come from?" Rose demanded. "Go, go and battle with your faith and thirst for freedom, but not even the dreams of a man can save him from the grasps of reality or the death of mortality. Go, go and fight. I wonder how long you will survive only armed with a sword and the insanity of a bloodthirsty beast."
Diaz glanced at them both.
"You both have the hearts and strengths of a true warrior. But the warrioress is right, there is no faith save it be by the grace of reality and the Gods."
"The Gods do not give us reality." Zeig said forming a fist. "Reality is only created by the visions of others as with fate. We hold the cards in our fists and yet we are inclined to fear our own power because of the habits of the old ways. If the humans are to be liberated than it shall be so."
"Let us hope for the faith and courage that is in your heart to be gifted to your kin." Diaz said simply. "Rest here for awhile. We could use warriors like you both. We have extra tents in the camp. Stay as long as we have faith to liberate our kin."
"We would be honored." Zeig said with a bow.
~*~
Rose knelt by a frozen river under white trees. Her black hair and pale skin shimmered of her veins of blood like diamonds. It had been a ten days since she and Zeig had joined the Fort. No progress had been made thus far. If anything Rose felt that the armies had fallen weaker.
"What is to be done? What is my purpose here?" She asked silently. She rose to her feet; a stone was in her hand. She could just imagine the ripples it would make if she threw if into the river, but that would only be if it were melted.
It was almost the same for the army. If only they were gifted with magic they could retaliate the Winglies.
"Oh Gods," Rose murmured grasping the stone in her hand. "I can taste the freedom of my people flying through the sky. I can feel it run in my veins. I can see Lord Diaz leading the humans to our liberation. Feel my blood in this stone and bless this army." Rose through the stone from her hands and watched it slowly fall away into the river. The ice shattered and the stone sank through the cold river.
A twig snapped behind her and Rose did not move.
"Why are you following me?" She asked quietly.
"I have no reason." He walked up to her and watched her gaze into the frozen river. " may no sooner ask why you threw a stone into the ice."
Rose shrugged and continued to stare.
"Nothing has changed since we arrived here." Zeig went on. "Why are you still here? You seem to live as if something's driving you."
"I may be. What significance does it hold to you?" Rose asked looking up into his eyes.
"So mysterious." Zeig's voice trailed off and he stared back. Rose looked away and gazed back down at the river. "Do you remember that day we both encountered the dragon?"
"Yes."
"I wonder if we were to find it, if we could make it an ally."
"If I remember correctly, it wasn't too friendly towards your presence." Rose said looking up to the trees. "Why to you wonder such?"
"Where else can we find magic powerful enough to withstand Winglies? Human magic is no threat to their power."
Rose shrugged.
"Are you beginning to loose your faith?"
"I am trying to find the forces to strengthen it so that liberation does not seem like a mere dream to the hearts of mortal men."
"Indeed. Your search may lead to your destruction. It is not in human nature to venture out alone." Rose turned away and began strolling off.
"But look at yourself." Zeig caught up with her and walked along her side. "You yourself venture alone, and yet do you not find yourself human?"
"I am the exception." Rose said pausing in her stride. She turned and faced him with serious eyes. "I am not like you nor am I like any human that walked under the rule of the Winglies. I am free, unlike many, I have never felt the chains of bondage."
"I am free." Zeig said slowly.
"But your master still lives, until you are liberated you are still chained to his grasp. Do you object to this?"
Zeig rubbed his neck and his eyes fell to the snow.
"You are cold, frozen just like this forest. You say you have never tasted bondage but you seem to walk under chains of depression and sorrow."
"I," Rose turned away again and lifted her hand to the sky. "I only am searching for my purpose and my destiny."
"And you hope to find that here?"
"Yes." Rose said with a nod.
"We are not as different as I thought." Zeig said.
"That may be."
Her stance shifted to the snow as a tremble in the earth forced them both to the ground. Rose cast her eyes up and beheld the same dragon that Zeig had encountered. The sun reflected it's bright ruby scales like flames in a fire. She quickly rose to her feet as it slowly past them, unaware of their presence.
Zeig rose quickly and stood in awe.
"It is headed towards the Fort." Rose murmured. Zeig's eyes widened and he clasped his sword out of his belt.
"We have to prevent its actions towards the Fort." He spun around and ran through the snow, his feet sinking in slightly. Rose drew her rapier and stared at the blade.
* "I wonder if we were to find it, if we could make it an ally." "Where else can we find magic powerful enough to withstand Winglies? Human magic is no threat to their power." *
"This ma be my road to my destiny." Rose murmured. She sheathed her rapier and took off after Zeig through the snow.