The Last of the Old
The lightning struck vigorously, trees were burning at it's powerful blade. The sky was dark, as dark as soil. The usual velvety night sky had vanished, and was replaced with a immense, lifeless wall, yet it was streaming out with huge burst of electric pulses, flying out of the sky, and falling down to Gaia. The Stanton household were all perched in the living room, all drinking hot chocolate beverages, all except for one. Will Stanton was upstairs in his bedroom, sitting on his bed, talking to his ex-master, Merriman, and the Drews. His room was quite neat, yet some clothes were on the floor, or ontop of the drawers. Some chairs were placed around the room, and on four of them were placed the children and the Lord of the Old Ones. "Will, I know that this position is a firm one, but the prophecy states that you must be the one who leads the Light to victory against the Dark. You are the Last Lord of the Light. Do you accept?" Simon and Barney turned their heads towards Merriman as he spoke this, but Jane stared constantly at Will, observant of his emotions. Will looked around the room, from Merriman, to Barney and Simon, and last to Jane. As he looked at her, she turned her gaze away, embarrassed. He turned back to Merriman. "I accept."
Another tree struck on fire. There were branches everywhere, ablaze and ignited. Trees were on every side of the Stantons' house. Two lights were on in the residence, one in Will's miniature room, and one from the front room. The Stantons were still squatting in their seats, some talking to one another, some just sitting there. "How long do you think it will last?" asked Barbara. She held her cocoa in her hands, both were gripping onto her mug. James replied to her question, when he noted that no-one else answered her. "I don't know. I don't think anyone knows." Abruptly, Merriman came down the stairs, wearing a drawn out, grey attire. After him came Simon, wearing a green, woollen fleece, then Barney came, also wearing a fleece, but it was crimson. Jane marched down the stairs, displaying a dress, or some kind of garb. Last came Will Stanton, the Last Lord of the Old. They walked towards the door, Merriman was first, and Will last, forming a small line, so that the most powerful members of the group were at each end. "Where are you going at this time of night, and in this weather!?" inquired Stephen. He had come back from the Marines for the Easter holiday, to spend time with his family. He did this almost every year, and he came back on most holidays, even Bank Holidays. He was based in Portsmouth, in the Second division. "We're just going out," replied Barney. Merriman growled back at him, then to the family. Mr. Stanton looked at him suspiciously. "As Stephen said, in this weather!?" Merriman sighed. He raised his arm at the Stantons, who were sitting at their seats and only some of them were drinking, most of them had finished their cocoa. They stared blankly at him. He muttered some words at them, then opened the door to the great winds.
"What did you do to them?" asked Simon. Merriman turned to him, and then turned back. Will answered for him. "He just froze them, only for a short while, but they don't know what happened." He looked at Jane, which he had been doing a lot in those few days. He turned away to his usual direction. Barney turned to his brother. "Freaky," he said. Simon spun quizzically to his brother. "Freaky? The past few years have been freaky, Barney." They looked at each other. Barney nodded in acknowledgement. They walked for almost five minutes, always glancing around dubiously. It seemed that only Merriman knew what they were going to do, or where they were going to go. Even his right hand man, Will, didn't know where they were going. He knew only to trust his master. Suddenly, a figure, tall and broad, approached them. Merriman turned in caution, then as he saw the man's face, he straightened, and embraced him. "Captain Toms," he said. He opened his arms wide, reaching towards his friend. "Merriman, my friend. How are you?" They gripped each other, and patted each other on the back. "I'm fine, Captain," declared Merriman. "I know why I'm here, Merry. And I know why you are." Merriman hesitated, then spoke. "Good, that saves us some time."
They marched towards the burning trees, which were clumped in a enormous pile. "This is it," declared Merriman. "You must be knighted here, where the trees burn." He recited a poem, like clues to the future. "The knighting of the Old in front of the burning line," he echoed the poem from the back of his mind. Will turned to his old Master. "What do I have to do?" Merriman looked at him, bent down on one knee, and spoke. "You must walk into the fire, followed by the apprentice assigned to you." He could feel Will tremble in fear, shaking. He turned to the Drews, mainly Jane, who was in the middle of both of her brothers. She turned away and walked hence. "Jane..." started Will, but Merriman raised his hand, as to stop him from carrying on. Merry walked towards Jane, but as he closed in on her, she tramped faster, as if in chase. Merriman caught her arm, and as she felt him, she struggled, trying to get out of his grip. Tears dripped from her eyes, her mouth crippled. "Jane, why do you fear the fire? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" She blushed, embarrassed. "No...." She turned her head to look at Merriman. He smiled, and held out his hand. She clutched it, and they walked back to the ignited trees. Captain Toms greeted them as they came back. He turned to Jane, and spoke softly to her. "I know how you feel, I was knighted also with my master. I was so afraid." He tried to sympathise with his young companion, and then he rotated to his usual stance. He took out his pipe, and filled it with some substance, probably tobacco. He lit it, and took a long puff. Will walked towards the fire, burning blissfully. He uttered quietly to his apprentice, "Just trust me."
He reached out for her hand, and gripped it tightly. They walked towards the ablaze trees, and it seemed that they burnt in the fire. Barney and Simon both gasped, and ran towards the fire, screeching. Merriman held out his arm, to stop them. "They are fine," he consoled them. It was a touching moment, both in fear and hope. Fear that both Will Stanton, a good friend for some time, and Jane, their sister, was dead. But also hope, hope that what their Great Uncle Merry was telling the truth, and that they would emerge from the fire, and that they would not be hurt.
The lightning struck vigorously, trees were burning at it's powerful blade. The sky was dark, as dark as soil. The usual velvety night sky had vanished, and was replaced with a immense, lifeless wall, yet it was streaming out with huge burst of electric pulses, flying out of the sky, and falling down to Gaia. The Stanton household were all perched in the living room, all drinking hot chocolate beverages, all except for one. Will Stanton was upstairs in his bedroom, sitting on his bed, talking to his ex-master, Merriman, and the Drews. His room was quite neat, yet some clothes were on the floor, or ontop of the drawers. Some chairs were placed around the room, and on four of them were placed the children and the Lord of the Old Ones. "Will, I know that this position is a firm one, but the prophecy states that you must be the one who leads the Light to victory against the Dark. You are the Last Lord of the Light. Do you accept?" Simon and Barney turned their heads towards Merriman as he spoke this, but Jane stared constantly at Will, observant of his emotions. Will looked around the room, from Merriman, to Barney and Simon, and last to Jane. As he looked at her, she turned her gaze away, embarrassed. He turned back to Merriman. "I accept."
Another tree struck on fire. There were branches everywhere, ablaze and ignited. Trees were on every side of the Stantons' house. Two lights were on in the residence, one in Will's miniature room, and one from the front room. The Stantons were still squatting in their seats, some talking to one another, some just sitting there. "How long do you think it will last?" asked Barbara. She held her cocoa in her hands, both were gripping onto her mug. James replied to her question, when he noted that no-one else answered her. "I don't know. I don't think anyone knows." Abruptly, Merriman came down the stairs, wearing a drawn out, grey attire. After him came Simon, wearing a green, woollen fleece, then Barney came, also wearing a fleece, but it was crimson. Jane marched down the stairs, displaying a dress, or some kind of garb. Last came Will Stanton, the Last Lord of the Old. They walked towards the door, Merriman was first, and Will last, forming a small line, so that the most powerful members of the group were at each end. "Where are you going at this time of night, and in this weather!?" inquired Stephen. He had come back from the Marines for the Easter holiday, to spend time with his family. He did this almost every year, and he came back on most holidays, even Bank Holidays. He was based in Portsmouth, in the Second division. "We're just going out," replied Barney. Merriman growled back at him, then to the family. Mr. Stanton looked at him suspiciously. "As Stephen said, in this weather!?" Merriman sighed. He raised his arm at the Stantons, who were sitting at their seats and only some of them were drinking, most of them had finished their cocoa. They stared blankly at him. He muttered some words at them, then opened the door to the great winds.
"What did you do to them?" asked Simon. Merriman turned to him, and then turned back. Will answered for him. "He just froze them, only for a short while, but they don't know what happened." He looked at Jane, which he had been doing a lot in those few days. He turned away to his usual direction. Barney turned to his brother. "Freaky," he said. Simon spun quizzically to his brother. "Freaky? The past few years have been freaky, Barney." They looked at each other. Barney nodded in acknowledgement. They walked for almost five minutes, always glancing around dubiously. It seemed that only Merriman knew what they were going to do, or where they were going to go. Even his right hand man, Will, didn't know where they were going. He knew only to trust his master. Suddenly, a figure, tall and broad, approached them. Merriman turned in caution, then as he saw the man's face, he straightened, and embraced him. "Captain Toms," he said. He opened his arms wide, reaching towards his friend. "Merriman, my friend. How are you?" They gripped each other, and patted each other on the back. "I'm fine, Captain," declared Merriman. "I know why I'm here, Merry. And I know why you are." Merriman hesitated, then spoke. "Good, that saves us some time."
They marched towards the burning trees, which were clumped in a enormous pile. "This is it," declared Merriman. "You must be knighted here, where the trees burn." He recited a poem, like clues to the future. "The knighting of the Old in front of the burning line," he echoed the poem from the back of his mind. Will turned to his old Master. "What do I have to do?" Merriman looked at him, bent down on one knee, and spoke. "You must walk into the fire, followed by the apprentice assigned to you." He could feel Will tremble in fear, shaking. He turned to the Drews, mainly Jane, who was in the middle of both of her brothers. She turned away and walked hence. "Jane..." started Will, but Merriman raised his hand, as to stop him from carrying on. Merry walked towards Jane, but as he closed in on her, she tramped faster, as if in chase. Merriman caught her arm, and as she felt him, she struggled, trying to get out of his grip. Tears dripped from her eyes, her mouth crippled. "Jane, why do you fear the fire? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me?" She blushed, embarrassed. "No...." She turned her head to look at Merriman. He smiled, and held out his hand. She clutched it, and they walked back to the ignited trees. Captain Toms greeted them as they came back. He turned to Jane, and spoke softly to her. "I know how you feel, I was knighted also with my master. I was so afraid." He tried to sympathise with his young companion, and then he rotated to his usual stance. He took out his pipe, and filled it with some substance, probably tobacco. He lit it, and took a long puff. Will walked towards the fire, burning blissfully. He uttered quietly to his apprentice, "Just trust me."
He reached out for her hand, and gripped it tightly. They walked towards the ablaze trees, and it seemed that they burnt in the fire. Barney and Simon both gasped, and ran towards the fire, screeching. Merriman held out his arm, to stop them. "They are fine," he consoled them. It was a touching moment, both in fear and hope. Fear that both Will Stanton, a good friend for some time, and Jane, their sister, was dead. But also hope, hope that what their Great Uncle Merry was telling the truth, and that they would emerge from the fire, and that they would not be hurt.
