* ssp47's Corner * Thank you Amanda Swiftgold, Jeriana Sedai for the
reviews! I actually have no idea if Shirley was Diaz's daughter or not, I
just thought it fit well with the story.
CHAPTER 11: "The Calling"
Diaz folded his arms and continued to stare at the two down below him. This was indeed a greater power than he had ever seen. Maybe it was even more powerful than the Winglies own magic. Still reality hit, there was only one of these spectacular orbs and Zeig was only one man.
"This indeed, is truly a trial of our own faith and will." Diaz murmured. Behind him he could hear the clanging of metal to metal. It came in many different pitches; this is how Diaz knew that his guards had returned. He turned around to face the group of arms and his own daughter. She knelt on one knee, her short red hair flowing in the breeze.
"Lord Diaz, I have found an intruder who claims to have a great desire to join the armies for the liberation of human race." She rose on her leg as Kanzas was placed before Diaz and forced onto his knees.
"Hear now, this man shall not be forced to kneel before me." The guards stepped back from Kanzas, who jerked himself up form the snow.
"What is your name, sir?"
"I am called Kanzas." He said more venomously than Diaz deserved. "I heard of you from many sources. You say you are the path to our freedom."
"Yes, I have been known to speak those words." Diaz said calmly.
"And you know why I am here." Kanzas said quickly.
"Yes," Diaz paused for a moment. "I do not know if I can allow you to become a soldier under my command."
Kanzas's eyes flew up in flames.
"And why is this?" He demanded.
"You are too self-centered and your heart is not linked with your body. You fight on your impulses without any heed to the direction of others. I can not afford warriors of your sort to be under my command."
Kanzas's fists formed quickly as he looked from Shirley to Diaz.
"Is that your answer to my request then?" He spat. "You turn me away when we are under the same objectives?"
"I can only see a useless life spent in the glory of blood." Diaz replied quietly. A burning flame of hatred and rejection seemed to spout from his back as he slowly turned around, making sure he held his blazing gaze on Diaz until the last moment. His eyes then went to Shirley, though they did not hold the same heat as they gifted Diaz.
"Travel well sir. We are sorry for this inconvenience."
"Lady do not pity me. If it was meant for me to be placed in this army, I would follow thy words to my destruction." Kanzas then turned away and picked up his pace, jogging through the snow onto the paths of Gloriano.
~*~
"You are still playing with that thing?" Zeig raised his eyes and watched as Shirley walked towards him. He nodded and opened his palm to reveal the spirit of the Red Eye dragon. "It seems almost too simple and yet it may contain more power than that of the Winglies."
Zeig nodded.
"Indeed. I know it does, and it will be our savior for our freedom. We are ready to cross swords with the enemy."
"Do not speak so boastfully," Rose said. Her shadow almost seemed to appear out of nowhere. She leaned against a wooden pillar of the great hall. It was the biggest building in the Fort. "You are still only one man and they are more than many."
"Indeed it is true. Surely only one man can not bring liberation to a whole civilization."
"But then there is the human army." Zeig objected. "I wont be alone."
"Still even with the army of humans, we would only be a mere pawn. You would be the main knight of the army. Could you withstand, alone the strength of the enemy?"
Zeig frowned and placed his orb in his pocket. Rose was always so on top of reality. It nearly drove him mad.
"Well what would you have me do?" He asked in frustration. How could a woman live like this? Bringing other down to her objectives?
Rose opened her mouth to speak but Shirley held up both her hands.
"If anything we will not win this war if we can not unify ourselves first. If we will be fighting battles within our own strongholds, then there is no hope to withstand our opponents." Her voice was so commanding and righteous that both warriors found it hard not to obey her command.
"I am taking a walk." Rose said openly, breaking the silence. Her figure disappeared behind the doors and the white of the world outside the Fort.
"She is difficult and so blatantly open." Zeig said gritting his teeth.
"Rose is a mysterious warrioress," Shirley stated. "But she has made many important notes clear either to our success or to our downfall. I will go and see my father." Shirley turned back to Zeig. "I think you should consider what she has said."
"You know what I think," Zeig turned around to face her and folded his arms. The candlelight of the great hall flickered off his clothing. "I think you are all afraid, even Rose."
"Shouldn't we be?" Shirley asked. "It is our fear that makes us cautious, and we are then weary of our weaknesses."
Zeig sat down and stared into the flame of a candle. It reminded him of the dragon's power, the heat that almost swept across his armor and through his skin. The orb that went into his palm, he had lost everything, even his fear.
"I lost my fear, my caution and my knowledge of my weakness."
"It is good that you recognize that." Shirley said quietly.
~*~
It had been awhile since Rose had meditated by the fire. She remembered Sari praying to the Gods for guidance. If anyone needed guidance, Rose knew that she did. She knelt before the earth that she had cleared away from the snow. She aligned wood chips into sacred symbols of the ancient Winglies. They resembled moons and stars of different forms. Rose lifted her hand, closed her eyes and dropped a branch, lit with a flame. The chips burned and incense burned from their ashes.
"Sari, I call to you. I pray for guidance. Zeig has received an orb of power gifted from the Red Eye dragon but alone it is not enough and the humans are only mere pawns against the sword of the Winglies. Answer me, wise one. Grant me the knowledge to lead this liberation of my people."
The moon rose into the sky and the light around Rose dimmed and darkness rose around her. It was cold but Rose did not feel it. The fired burned to the ashes and the incense rose about Rose's being. Then the moonlight fell from the night sky and hit Rose's forehead. It then fell into the ashes of the fire. Blue and purple flame arose from the earth and flew high towards the moon but stopped after it rose to Rose's forehead.
A figure appeared from the flames. It was the face of Sari, the wise Wingly that had looked after Rose, and taught her the ways of the ancient world.
"Rose you call for me and I answer. I have heard your cries and the cries of Zeig. I know the power and knowledge you are in most need of, and you shall find it. Follow the blood of the Red Eye dragon to the capture of the souls of the Jade dragon, the Blue Sea dragon, the Darkness dragon, the Gold dragon, the Violet dragon and the White Silver dragon. But take heed to my words, the powers of the dragon souls will only yield to six other humans worthy of their power."
"How am I to find them?"
"You need not look, for when you find the dragon's soul, the knight will be there to wield it. And when all seven are united, cross your swords with the Winglies, let the light of the White Silver knight guide you to victory."
The blue fire dimmed and fell into darkness. Rose opened her eyes and arose on her feet. It was decided now. Her prayers had been answered, her destiny clear. It would begin at sunrise.
reviews! I actually have no idea if Shirley was Diaz's daughter or not, I
just thought it fit well with the story.
CHAPTER 11: "The Calling"
Diaz folded his arms and continued to stare at the two down below him. This was indeed a greater power than he had ever seen. Maybe it was even more powerful than the Winglies own magic. Still reality hit, there was only one of these spectacular orbs and Zeig was only one man.
"This indeed, is truly a trial of our own faith and will." Diaz murmured. Behind him he could hear the clanging of metal to metal. It came in many different pitches; this is how Diaz knew that his guards had returned. He turned around to face the group of arms and his own daughter. She knelt on one knee, her short red hair flowing in the breeze.
"Lord Diaz, I have found an intruder who claims to have a great desire to join the armies for the liberation of human race." She rose on her leg as Kanzas was placed before Diaz and forced onto his knees.
"Hear now, this man shall not be forced to kneel before me." The guards stepped back from Kanzas, who jerked himself up form the snow.
"What is your name, sir?"
"I am called Kanzas." He said more venomously than Diaz deserved. "I heard of you from many sources. You say you are the path to our freedom."
"Yes, I have been known to speak those words." Diaz said calmly.
"And you know why I am here." Kanzas said quickly.
"Yes," Diaz paused for a moment. "I do not know if I can allow you to become a soldier under my command."
Kanzas's eyes flew up in flames.
"And why is this?" He demanded.
"You are too self-centered and your heart is not linked with your body. You fight on your impulses without any heed to the direction of others. I can not afford warriors of your sort to be under my command."
Kanzas's fists formed quickly as he looked from Shirley to Diaz.
"Is that your answer to my request then?" He spat. "You turn me away when we are under the same objectives?"
"I can only see a useless life spent in the glory of blood." Diaz replied quietly. A burning flame of hatred and rejection seemed to spout from his back as he slowly turned around, making sure he held his blazing gaze on Diaz until the last moment. His eyes then went to Shirley, though they did not hold the same heat as they gifted Diaz.
"Travel well sir. We are sorry for this inconvenience."
"Lady do not pity me. If it was meant for me to be placed in this army, I would follow thy words to my destruction." Kanzas then turned away and picked up his pace, jogging through the snow onto the paths of Gloriano.
~*~
"You are still playing with that thing?" Zeig raised his eyes and watched as Shirley walked towards him. He nodded and opened his palm to reveal the spirit of the Red Eye dragon. "It seems almost too simple and yet it may contain more power than that of the Winglies."
Zeig nodded.
"Indeed. I know it does, and it will be our savior for our freedom. We are ready to cross swords with the enemy."
"Do not speak so boastfully," Rose said. Her shadow almost seemed to appear out of nowhere. She leaned against a wooden pillar of the great hall. It was the biggest building in the Fort. "You are still only one man and they are more than many."
"Indeed it is true. Surely only one man can not bring liberation to a whole civilization."
"But then there is the human army." Zeig objected. "I wont be alone."
"Still even with the army of humans, we would only be a mere pawn. You would be the main knight of the army. Could you withstand, alone the strength of the enemy?"
Zeig frowned and placed his orb in his pocket. Rose was always so on top of reality. It nearly drove him mad.
"Well what would you have me do?" He asked in frustration. How could a woman live like this? Bringing other down to her objectives?
Rose opened her mouth to speak but Shirley held up both her hands.
"If anything we will not win this war if we can not unify ourselves first. If we will be fighting battles within our own strongholds, then there is no hope to withstand our opponents." Her voice was so commanding and righteous that both warriors found it hard not to obey her command.
"I am taking a walk." Rose said openly, breaking the silence. Her figure disappeared behind the doors and the white of the world outside the Fort.
"She is difficult and so blatantly open." Zeig said gritting his teeth.
"Rose is a mysterious warrioress," Shirley stated. "But she has made many important notes clear either to our success or to our downfall. I will go and see my father." Shirley turned back to Zeig. "I think you should consider what she has said."
"You know what I think," Zeig turned around to face her and folded his arms. The candlelight of the great hall flickered off his clothing. "I think you are all afraid, even Rose."
"Shouldn't we be?" Shirley asked. "It is our fear that makes us cautious, and we are then weary of our weaknesses."
Zeig sat down and stared into the flame of a candle. It reminded him of the dragon's power, the heat that almost swept across his armor and through his skin. The orb that went into his palm, he had lost everything, even his fear.
"I lost my fear, my caution and my knowledge of my weakness."
"It is good that you recognize that." Shirley said quietly.
~*~
It had been awhile since Rose had meditated by the fire. She remembered Sari praying to the Gods for guidance. If anyone needed guidance, Rose knew that she did. She knelt before the earth that she had cleared away from the snow. She aligned wood chips into sacred symbols of the ancient Winglies. They resembled moons and stars of different forms. Rose lifted her hand, closed her eyes and dropped a branch, lit with a flame. The chips burned and incense burned from their ashes.
"Sari, I call to you. I pray for guidance. Zeig has received an orb of power gifted from the Red Eye dragon but alone it is not enough and the humans are only mere pawns against the sword of the Winglies. Answer me, wise one. Grant me the knowledge to lead this liberation of my people."
The moon rose into the sky and the light around Rose dimmed and darkness rose around her. It was cold but Rose did not feel it. The fired burned to the ashes and the incense rose about Rose's being. Then the moonlight fell from the night sky and hit Rose's forehead. It then fell into the ashes of the fire. Blue and purple flame arose from the earth and flew high towards the moon but stopped after it rose to Rose's forehead.
A figure appeared from the flames. It was the face of Sari, the wise Wingly that had looked after Rose, and taught her the ways of the ancient world.
"Rose you call for me and I answer. I have heard your cries and the cries of Zeig. I know the power and knowledge you are in most need of, and you shall find it. Follow the blood of the Red Eye dragon to the capture of the souls of the Jade dragon, the Blue Sea dragon, the Darkness dragon, the Gold dragon, the Violet dragon and the White Silver dragon. But take heed to my words, the powers of the dragon souls will only yield to six other humans worthy of their power."
"How am I to find them?"
"You need not look, for when you find the dragon's soul, the knight will be there to wield it. And when all seven are united, cross your swords with the Winglies, let the light of the White Silver knight guide you to victory."
The blue fire dimmed and fell into darkness. Rose opened her eyes and arose on her feet. It was decided now. Her prayers had been answered, her destiny clear. It would begin at sunrise.