Disclaimer: Still don't own Drakengard
Authors Notes: Chapter seven is complete, and I'll post it when eight is done, just eight is being a small pain as I don't know exactly how to start it, but I know how I want the chapter to be. So yeah, it is annoying.
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Chapter Six
Falling Castles of Sand
'Wake up,' it sounded like the ocean. Roaring over the turmoil of this horrid nightmare that had captured Gwenyth, pulling her under torture and haunting words she could just make out. But even with that order to awaken, Gwenyth could not escape the nightmare that bound her so.
She struggled, trying to call for help but not a sound escaped her, and she was pulled under the pain even more. It seemed hopeless, but Gwenyth wasn't in this alone.
A roar, sounding like crashing waves and thunder booming out in the distance, and it felt like liquid lightning flashed through her frame, it was the only way the young woman could describe it before she bolted awake, gasping for breath and in a cold sweat.
"Oceaus?" Her voice was unsteady as she tried to calm her fluttering heart and mind. For several moments there was only silence before a soft 'ah,' as the kraken found she had escaped and settled down. His rage calming like an ocean after a storm. 'Are you alright?'
Gwenyth nodded her head, even if the kraken couldn't really hear her, nor see her, he could feel her emotions and hear her thoughts. "Yes," she whispered, sounding still a bit unsettled but outside of that she seemed fine. "What .. what happened?" She asked as she shifted, getting out of bed, ignoring her dead left arm, and fumbled about with her right for her robe, as there seemed to be a chill in the air all a sudden.
'It… I had hoped you would not have to face this,' Oceaus responded after hesitating for several moments. And he sounded remoursfull. Frowning, Gwenyth pressed the Kraken for answers and they came, sluggishly, but he answered.
'It is a form of .. dead spirit. A Wraith, of some sort. Able to walk into another creatures soul and haunt their dreams… and they readily attack pacts thinking it's an easier target.'
Cold dread started to fill her. She for some reason deep down in her gut, did not like what Oceaus told her, and looked up after finishing tying the knot on the robe. "Anything else, Oceaus?"
She felt the kraken hesitate again before; 'What you felt .. was an echo. It wasn't you that was targeted.. but it ensnared you nontheless.'
"And?" She once more pressed.
'They know of you.'
Pausing, and looking startled, Gwenyth blinked cerulean eyes in alarm. "They?"
'I've said enough for now, you need to move Gwenyth. Pack suplise and anything needed. A weapon too, whatever you can master. It is no longer safe for you.'
Gwenyth gave an unlady like snort. "I'm protected as well as anyone could be Oceaus, why would I need to fear?"
'Because Gwenyth,' Oceaus started softly, almost sounding like a gently scolding father and it made the blonde woman scowl a little more, 'the guards are most likely already dead. You have precious little time. I am not scared of death, living for such a long time. But you little one, I think do not want to die just yet.'
And Gwenyth found herself starting again at what Oceaus said, and part of her stunned and disbelieving mind agreed. She had no plans to die just yet.
'Then arm yourself Gwenyth, for I am unable to be of aid for you in this battle.'
Pretending to never notice she gulped in fear, the woman felt Oceaus pull back from contact a bit, allowing her to think without feeling pressured by the giant beast she had made a pact with.
Quickly sheading the robe and nightgown, Gwenyth pulled on a simple tunic and pants that, under the advising of the kraken, had •borrowed from one of the men in the castle. She had nothing in her room to arm herself with. Unless she thought she could bedazzle anything malivolent with jewlery and shiny objects. Though she doubted that could work.
She felt foolish, but there was a part of her that was afraid. What if Oceaus was right? It would probably be best if she left here anyways, it had been hard enough to explain the tattoo upon her arm and why it was as if dead without giving away she had made a pact.
Gwenyth knew what they did to people that they thought were witches. She did •not want to be burned at the stake.
Pausing at her door, Gwenyth hesitated, then quickly back tracked to the small desk by her bed and hastily searched it for something. Once she found the item, a leather pouch of sorts, Gwenyth with much paitence managed to get it untied and open. With that set, she set it down and started plucking small golden trinkets while breaking others to get at small gems and such, then placed her findings in the leather pouch, managed to tie it again with the use of teeth and hand, and placed it around her neck to keep it safe from pick pockets.
Feeling a bit safer with something like money now with her, Gwenyth once more hurried to her bedroom door and opened it a crack before peering out of it. She didn't see anyone walking the hallways. That was good. Closing the door, she made one last preperation, she tackled her footwear. And tried to keep her grumbling over the boots soft and under her breath.
Once finished there, the young woman cautiously and near silently opened her door and slipped out when the opening was wide enough for her to fit through.
Her heart sounded unaturally loud in her ears as her breath came a bit to quickly. Aprehension filled her. What if Oceaus was wrong ... but worse, what if he was •right?
Gwenyth didn't want to stick around to find out, not anymore.
Slowly creeping down the stone hallway as quietly as one can when in boots.
Down the hallway, past a corner, through another hallway, around another corner, through a room. Quietly past a sleeping guarding, another hallway, more turns, and finally, the armory.
Testing the door, Gwenyth found it was unlocked. Pushing it open the rest of the way, she peered into the semi dark room. The only illumiation seemed to be a single candle that was down to the last hour line of wax.
Silently she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her, hoping nothing and no one had seen her enter the room. And with that, the young woman started to look over her choices for protection. She passed the heavy swords that would require even a grown man to handle with two hands. And the lances and spears that were lining the walls. She didn't even glance to the war hammers, war axes, maces and flails as they were too heavy for one hand, or were too dangerous for inexperienced people.
Gwenyth paused long enough infront of a pile of armor to choose a helmet that fit her, and some other small pieces of metal that easily fit her, without being too big or heavy. Looking up from completely covering her left arm in chainmail and armor, to keep it safe, Gwenyth spotted the short swords and long daggers. Ironically the daggers were longer than the short swords, but their cutting edge wasn't as good. But ..
Without hesitating, the young woman hurried over, grabbing a sheathed dagger, she fumbled a bit before managing to get it attached to her belt, and then did the same for another, before taking up a short sword also. So even if she lost the sword or one of the daggers, she was still armed.
Just as she finished arming herself, an alarmed cry came from the kraken, 'Gwenyth, they come! I can feel their evil oozing forth from the ground and sky! Run! Run to me Gwenyth!"
Starting badly, the fair skinned human almost dropped her third weapon. But she managed to keep hold of it and recovered before sprinting to the door, eyes growing wide with fear. For just because she had sharp things to protect her with, did not mean Gwenyth was ready for combat yet.
Pulling the door open when she reached it, she barely slowed down enough to prevent crashing into the door or walls as she flew out of the armory, the metal wieghed her down, but she was still swift enough on her feet to make it through the labyrinth of halls and rooms when she heard the first sound that something was wrong.
A scream of fear and pain, that was silenced as quickly as it came. And Oceaus roared at her in her mind to hurry. She'd never felt him in such a state before, even worse than when she had awoken from that induced nightmare that had happened in what felt like hours ago.
More screams came, and some battle cries, but those too were silenced as quickly as they bit into the air.
Running down the stairs as quickly as she dared, Gwenyth did not dare to look over her shoulder, and once she had cleared the last step, she sprinted again. Praying that the thump thudding in her ears was that of her own heart and not the thudding of footsteps running after her.
She felt like a coward, a weakling. Some pathetic child running from a shadow she could easily defeat by casting light onto it, but still she continued to run, terror gripped her heart and prevented her from doing anything else but run, and loathe herself for doing so.
Through the doors she burst out of the castle, quickly, she spun around and forced them shut, hoping they locked when she did it, she ran again, heading to the stables as she heard the slam of many bodies against a wooden door. It sickened her but maybe it would buy her the time she so dearly needed.
Ragged breath and shuddering heart showed her body was getting worn down by this running. The soreness in her body also showed that, but she managed to keep upright and moving as she came to the the stable holding the few horses that were owned by her father and the Knights he employed.
The place smelt of hay, dung and horse, but it wasn't overly unpleasent. Though it was something Gwenyth wouldn't mind avoiding in the future.
But she wasn't heartless. Using her sword she cut at the rope keeing the horses in the stalls and watched them flee one by one from the stable as they knew something was wrong. Their body language just screamed it as they paced back and forth, stomped or whinned at times with wide eyes and ears pressed flat against their skulls.
In the last stall was a brown mare, and it was the animal Gwenyth chose to ride. Waisting enough time to snatch a blanket, she tossed it over the plainly colored equine's back before pulling herself on and kicked it soundly. Giving a startled whinny, the horse reared slightly before charging forward, bolting out of the stable and dashing over the ground with quiet some speed.
And just as Gwenyth thought she had escape, an explosive racket came from behind, and spooked the horse into running faster. Risking a glance over her shoulder, Gwenyth saw that half the castle had seemed to just collapse, and shapes were swarming out of the rubble. Her heart wrenched as she realised there was no one left alive in her old home.
'Mother .. father..' she thought, eyes watering as she found herself alone in the world, save for Oceaus. Letting out a sob she looked forward, trying to push the pain away, but it would not budge.
And miles away, deep in the ocean, Oceaus mourned with his pact at her loss.
