Author's Notes: La la la. I'm on Deviantart now… La la la…. Oh yeah, major NOTE. Anyone who has read The Curse of the Mercale lately would know that some of the scenes in the previous chapter, as well as this one, have been changed. Deal with it! Ha! Take that! I like them better this way.
Chapter 7: Haze (Drewel's POV)
Have is almost all I see now. Haze and blood and enemies, and the hand of my new mistress. I do not know how I came to this life, or where I was before. The only clues I have are the crown of black steel upon my head, the kingly silver and black armor I wear, the title of Knight that I bear and the name my sorceress calls me… 'Prince of Death'. Something deep inside, something I only know outside of battle and away from my Xera, says that there is much more, and that this existence is wrong, but I cannot define it.
Through the misty haze I watch the looks of horror and disbelief, and a glimmer of remembrance in the eyes of my foes. Maybe years ago, before this time of haze I knew them. Now I watch them all fall to the black steel of my blade. The worst thing is to remember their deaths. The memories assault me before I sleep, and through my emotionless mask, I weep.
Then one day, after several years, odd news came to me at the black castle of my mistress, this set upon an island raised from the ocean floor by my lady's magic. Odd news spoke of a sword bearing woman on horse back coming to the isle. This would not be too amazing, many female warriors came to the place to challenge Xera, or join her, but she has come upon the back of a great serpent. Most unnerving of all was that the serpent was that which was named Forsaken. The World Serpent it was called, for all knew its body wrapped around the world, laying in all seas and oceans and controlling them. Some called it one of Hyne's holy angels.
When word reached the soldiers and Sorceress Xera, a name came with this woman… Crysil Mercale, the Smith of the Divine. The name caused a stirring in me, a need to see the female, and a yearning to be away from my beloved Xera.
"My Knight!" a voice echoed in my head. It was soon that the Red Sorceress appeared, her golden eyes glowing violently.
"This is about the woman the men speak of, the one on the back of the 'god of the seas', is it not?" I asked in annoyance.
"Kill her for me," Xera commanded, her eyes becoming the image of feline fury.
"May I ask why? Maybe she desires to serve you. She would probably be a good ally."
"Kill her, my Prince of Death. Do this and our victory will be complete."
"Of course my lady. Your every wish is my desire," I spoke, taking up my dark sword and placing the ominous crown upon my head.
"Show yourself Xera!" the woman called, not seeming to notice me striding up towards her
Once more I am startled be this woman, but by her appearance this time. Unlike the others that have come to challenge my lady, she bears no armor of any sort. The horse she rides does, and it is a princely beast, yet somehow familiar to me. She, this Crysil, wears a loose shirt, billowing pants and riding boots, all of the purest white and all very shocking against the flesh of the black mare and the angry gleam in those violet eyes. Her chestnut locks flowed free in the wind, yet somehow avoided the edges of her vicious blade in their play. The sword was very formidable, something no woman should be able to pick up due to its sheer size and obvious weight. The midday sun glinted against the razor sharp edges of what one would call, for lack of a better word, her scimitar with something like a bite taken out of it towards the end. With this it seems as if she is an angel of reckoning.
"Those who wish to challenge me face first my champion!" the voice of my sorceress calls from a high window.
The woman smiled at me, albeit a grim smile indeed. "I do not wish to fight you Drewel. You are merely a knight on a celestial chess board. It is the black queen that I want. Let her come to me so that we might both satisfy our puppeteers."
"Well, this Knight stands in your way woman, so you must face me," I spoke, but her voice seemed to have laid a spell upon me. My hands lifted my sword, but they were sluggish movements.
Crysil sadly leapt from the horse, and the beast looked nervously as a great serpent head, the eyes alone of the best, though protected behind a crystal plate, is larger than the island we stand upon. It too is familiar to me. Now my eyes are drawn again to the woman, who is moving to me, her sword raised.
'Fight,' comes the voice of the sorceress in my mind, 'Slay her.'
Before I could control my own body, I ran towards her and slashed with my blade. Her body seemed to move of its own will as well, raising the weapon in her hand to defend herself, and the twisting the weapon and bringing it down to slash my blade, somehow chapping through the dark metal. I could hear a scream of fury from Xera.
"Back away Drew. You should be free," the woman whispered, watching as I dropped my ruined weapon.
'You have failed me. Now be the weapon of her undoing.'
Once more I lost control of my body. Through the haze I can sense the horror of the woman and myself as my hands grabbed her sword. The blade cut my hands to the bone as I pulled it towards me. The haze hid me from pain as I forced the blade into my chest.
"I have failed," my voice, and yet not my own came from my lips, "And only death awaits now…"
Once the blade was up to my chest the haze melted away and I gave a scream. It must have been horrible, because a look of sheer anguish came to her eyes.
"Crysil," I groaned, blood running down her weapon and from my mouth. "Do not blame yourself."
Obviously my mind was returning to me, for her tears seemed to intensify the pain. She wrapped her arms around me after removing the weapon from my chest. Her clothes were stained crimson, a color purer and fairer on her mourning figure than ever on the Sorceress Xera.
"I will avenge this, my prince," she whispered softly into my ear.
"I know my lady," I replied weakly because I could not muster anything more. And never again would I, I realize as dead reared its ugly head.