Chapter One x: Knight of Despair
Around the same time the Crown Prince of Haddas found out of the fate of his family, the Castle of Dias resisted the attempts of burning ruin with desperate vigor. It was at this time when hope began to stir, amidst this darkness, as if there was a glimmer of light trying to prove that there were those who cherished the darkness, yet also had a human heart knowing of the emotions of compassion and conscience.
The son born in the darkness of the Nightmare; the child of the demon Vladamir; born in such deep darkness that he was physically blinded by the evil of his father. His name was a curse upon the lips of the people of the Shale. Weak for showing mercy on his enemies, his name…was Noir.
The scent of ash and burning flesh covered the city like a moth eaten blanket, the sounds of screams and cries for mercy countered with maniacal laughter and the sounds of metal tearing through weeping people was a soundtrack of the pain of Dias. Barbarians and brigands swept through the streets quickening the rate of death in the area with their rusted blades and axes.
A young child, just a little girl, came dashing down an alley, her expression one of pure fear. She barreled past a figure who melded into the darkness unseen. The girl reached a dead end at the end of the alley and turned to face the road, her back against the wall, those in pursuit of her stopped, fully knowing her location. They began to walk toward her, but the man in the shadows stepped in front of them. The brigands halted momentarily, recognizing the man's face.
"Get out of the way, boy! That girl is the princess of Haddas! We already killed her double, but we've been ordered to kill the real one!"
"…No." The man said with a sigh, brushing his raven black hair out of his blankly staring milky white eyes. The brigands growled angrily, taking a step forward in unison. "Boy, you are meddling in the affairs of something much grater than the weak son of the Master! If you do not get out of the way, we have no qualms of cutting you down!"
The young man frowned grimly. "The air smells of blood, but tonight my own shall not join it. Nor will any more of the young girl's" A black tome appeared in the man's hand, the book open and emitting a dark aura. The young man's other hand was held out toward the closest brigand. "Nosferatu" His whispered spell drifted across the ears of the man in front of him.
The man paled as he recognized the spell, trying to back up in fear, but the dark magic began to take root at once. Dark light surrounded the man as he clutched at his neck, unable to breathe. A couple heartbeats later, he was on his knees and a few more after that, he was on the ground, his face turning blue from suffocation. At the last moment the spell dissipated, leaving the man gasping for breath that had been taken from him moments before. As the others helped the man to his feet, the young man rushed past them, the young girl in his arms vanishing into the darkness hidden by the young man's black cloak.
"Damn that Noir! He's got the princess!"
"We gotta go after him!"
"…you go first; I'm not going anywhere near that book of his!"
The young man called Noire did not stop running until heard the sounds of the city began to fade. He set the girl down, wheezing for breath, clutching at his chest in agony. His breaths came shallow and fast as he slumped to the ground next to the girl. After a few painful minutes, his breathing rate slowed, calming himself down little by bit.
"…mister?"
The young man froze and he turned to face her, his nerves taut like the string of a bow. "…what do you want?" his voice was distant, almost cold.
The young princess hugged her knees to her chest, looking at him with wide eyes. "Why did you help me? You're one of the bad guys!"
"…where are we?"
"You didn't answer my question!" The princess pouted the expression completely unseen by Noir.
"You answer my question, I'll think about answering yours." His right hand dug into the sandy dune, coming up with a handful before letting it slip between his fingers and fall to the sand below.
"We're just outside of the city gates. For all your heavy breathing when we stopped, you didn't run very far…"
"My strength is in my mind, not my body, brat!" He scowled, folding his arms across his chest, glaring blankly in the girl's direction.
"The name's Gabriella, weakling! Show some respect! I'm the princess of Haddas! You hurt me, and my big brother will punish you!"
"I am a weakling, I'll admit that, but I'd prefer the name…Aile. And punish me? How old is he, two?"
"He's nineteen, as of today! And you STILL haven't replied to my question!"
Noir got to his feet, stretching his arms in front of him. "Well, brat, I'm still trying to figure that one out. Do you know where your brother is, Gabriella?"
Gabriella shrugged. "He said something about Thyra…"
"Where is it?"
"East"
"Good. I'll take you there, and then take my leave. Because of you, I'm probably going to be branded a traitor. The only other thing for me to do would be to turn myself in…"
"Aisle…huh? Aile! Men are coming! They're scary!" She cried out. Noir whirled around; trying to pinpoint the location of the men, but the sand muffled their footsteps. "Gabriella! Be my eyes! Tell me where they are and I'll hold them off!"
"You're facing them! Why do you need me to be your eyes?"
"My vision is…lacking, as in none at all. Now be my eyes or both of us are dead!" Noir held his hands in front of him, the sand in front of him pulsing darkly. Out of the circle of darkness a ghostly figure of a man appears, brandishing a blade menacingly.
Gabriella gasped her hands over her mouth in shock; she had heard of the dark arts of Summoning before, but had not seen it with her own eyes before. She remembered what he had said and called out. "The closest baddie is in front of you, to the left a bit!"
Noir, under alias of Aile, commanded the phantom to go in the direction that Gabriella told him. Without pausing, he summoned another phantom. "Next!"
His first phantom attacked the man first, slashing with a rusted sickle like sword, catching the man across the chest. The man tried to counter with his axe, but the phantom danced out of the way, charging in to finish the job.
It was two against five, and the odds were in the greater number's favor, though they would soon learn to fear the abilities of the Summoner under the name of Aile.
Just when the tides turned, a well aimed arrow found home in Noir's shoulder, just below his collarbone. With a grunt he tore out the wooden shaft, turning his attention to the direction of where the arrow had come from. Dark energy swirled around him like an angry swarm; he pointed his arms in the direction of the archer and practically roared as he felt the power of the dark magic flow through him, he was a conductor and his magic was his music. "NOSFERATU!"
Again he had the life of his victim in his hands; he could sense the pulse of his target the energy and vitality of his foe being drained and flowing into his own self. When he felt the pulse of his foe weaken, his spell ended before a life could be taken.
Gabriella yelling at him to turn to face her direction, his blind eyes questioning, she was shouting at him to look out, and a heavy shove from behind caused him to stumble, tripping over his own feet, and fell to the ground. He rolled onto his back, preparing a quick spell, but a heavy foot came crashing down on his chest, crushing the breath out of his body
"So you're a turncoat, huh?" The man who caught Noir off guard laughed. Noir desperately tried to get free, felt his ribs starting to give in to the pressure. The man continued to gloat his victory. "You put up a hell of a fight, taking down four of my men! After I'm done with you, I'll kill that girl next!"
Noir felt the man shift, getting ready for the final blow, but it was not to come. He heard something whirl through the air and hit home, the pressure increasing somewhat as the man fell on top of the Summoner. Noir struggled for what seemed to be an eternity, but eventually rolled the heavy man off of him. He gratefully inhaled a deep lungful of air, not caring how his ribs ached. He reached around him for his book, but his hand brushed across the dead man, finding the cause of his death as it faded away. As a last ditch attempt to save its caller, one of his remaining phantoms threw its blade at the man, the blade piercing the man's spine.
"I-I've got your book, Aile…" his acquaintance the princess spoke. Noir felt the familiar weight of the tome press into his hands. He nodded gratefully as he staggered to his feet, waving his arm with a mutter, dispelling his surviving phantoms.
"Thanks for being my eyes, Princess. If you had gotten hurt, you brother supposedly would have punished me, the frail weakling…" He stated flatly, beginning to walk off.
"Even if you were dead he'd still punish you!
"….."
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"…Thyra"
"Thyra is to the EAST, dummy!"
"Dummy? How old are you, three?"
"I'm TWELVE!"
"Two, twelve, its all the same to me, you brat…!" He changed direction and stomped off in the opposite direction, east. Six paces into his walk, he felt a dizziness overcome him, and noticed a pounding in his head that had gone unnoticed earlier. He shook off the feeling of nausea and continued on, the Princess following him.
"Princess, are we there yet?"
"Now who's the two year old?"
"…Hold on. There are people ahead…they mean trouble."
"Huh?"
"I can smell the darkness on them…It seems as though they are no longer those of the living…"
"They're headed to Thyra!"
"Then we follow"
Gabrielle whimpered and shook her head. "Nu-Uh! Dead people are scary!"
Noir frowned. "If you are not able to go under your own power, then I shall carry you"
"You can't! Weakling!" She ran ahead to prove her superiority, in her mind at least.
"…I seriously don't know why I saved her…All she's good at is insulting me…" The ache in his head increased as he walked after her, dizziness soon to follow. It would seem that the arrowhead was still lodged in his shoulder, and that he was responding negatively to the poison coating…
The prince's group had finally reached the village of Thyra a couple hours into the night, the crickets singing their lullabies and the owls hooting their melancholy calls. The heavy air of despair and loss hung over the young prince Lissom, his shoulders slumped and his eyes on the ground. Accompanying him was his milk brother and best friend, Helio, and Lithia-the young Pegasus Knight who was of the land of Haddas' greatest ally, Zephyr. Keeping a close eye on everyone was the Captain of the royal knights of Haddas, Clifton, whose eyes drifted over the travelers that he and the prince were escorting. The travelers bid the captain and bowed to the prince deeply before turning and rushing to their homes and families. "Sire, may I suggest that we go to the inn…? You look like you need some rest" Clifton looked at his student, who just stood where he was, staring blankly at the travelers greeted by their loved ones with open arms.
"I believe I am fine, Captain. You are dismissed to do as you wish." Lissom stated rather coldly, turning and walking to the edge of the town, gazing in the direction which they had come from.
"But si—"
"I said that I am fine!" Lissom turned to face the Captain with a half wild look in his eye that abated a second later. "It's just that…I need to be alone for a while. You get your rest, Captain. That is an order not to be disobeyed."
"…yes sire" With a sigh of defeat, Clifton turned and walked over to Helio and Lithia. "We're to rest at the inn, by command by prince Lissom" He told them.
Helio shrugged, his red hair looking like flame in the moonlight. "I don't really feel like resting, after today's events…but it's not like we'll be attacked, right?"
Lithia nodded curtly in agreement. "Allow me to put your mind at ease. Allow me to circle above the village on Gardenia. If I see anything, I shall call it to your attention. I should be able to do this without complaint by the prince for I am not one of Haddas' soldiers, therefore his commands are nullified in my case."
Clifton inclined his head, but his expression was puzzled. "I have meant to ask…Lithia, why are you here? I thought you were going to Raja to undergo the trial of the Falcoknight…"
"I saw those ships dock at Diaz as I was about to leave, and curiosity compelled me to stay. Until then, I had not recognized a Shale flag before…by the time I tried to warn the Knights, it was too late. Gardenia nearly got shot down by ballistae" She shuddered at the memory, closing her brown eyes briefly. She whistled softly and her mount trotted up beside her. Without waiting for a reply, she jumped into the saddle and launched up into the sky, her Pegasus beating its pure white wings powerfully.
Helio and Clifton walked into the inn and were completely caught off guard by a squeal of delight. "Oh! Oooooh! Cliffy!" A girl tackled the Captain in a hug. The girl laws almost of age and her energy seemed boundless. She saw Helio and glared angrily. "Who are you? I don't know you!" she growled.
Clifton shook his head with a sigh. "Helio, this is my daughter, Rhaea. Rhaea, this is one of my soldiers, Helio"
Helio bowed politely. "An honor to meet you, m'lady" He said respectively in a teasing, yet polite manner. Rhaea gasped, blushing brightly as she fled the main entrance, vanishing from their sight. Clifton chuckled, amused. "She's quite shy around strangers, but her skill with a bow is like nothing I've ever seen…"
"She doesn't look strong enough to even hold one…"
"She's much, much stronger than she looks, just like her mother, rest her soul…"
"How did she…?"
"She passed on giving childbirth to my sweet little angel" Clifton's expression was tender, yet pain remembering his beloved's passing flickered across his face. Clifton then went to the innkeeper, and conversed with the man in a low voice that could not reach Helio's ear.
After the two seemed to come to an agreement, the Captain turned to Helio. "We've got the whole top floor to ourselves. Choose a room you like, and then get a good res—" He was cut off by the village's warning bell. He and Helio's hands went automatically to the hilts of their blades.
"The prince is still out there!" Helio exclaimed.
The Captain nodded and the two ran outside, into the middle of the street. Lithia swooped down and hovered in the air above them. "There are things out there! People who have died but still walk are coming this way!"
Clifton's eyes widened. "Monsters…blast it! We've no time to fortify our position!"
Helio went as white as a sheaf of paper. "M-monsters? But how…?"
"Never mind that! We must find and protect the prince!"
"…I'm right here" Prince Lissom ran up to them, his eyes narrow with anger. "There is only one way that this filth could walk these lands…the Relic of the West, the Tear of the Sun, was destroyed!"
"I-It cannot be!"
"It can and has been, Captain. Make sure the villagers are safe; Lithia and I will hold them off until you make sure of the safety of the people" He stated and turned toward the southern part of town, breaking into a run with his iron lance in hand.
Clifton looked at Lithia. "Make sure he's safe" Lithia raised her slim, yet deadly lance in salute and took off in pursuit of the prince of Haddas.
"Everyone, stay indoors until the threat has been dealt with!" Clifton bellowed for all to hear, his experience in gaining attention of his men paying off. The villagers, who had strayed outside, hurried back into their homes, peering out the windows in fear mixed with curiosity.
Helio looked at his Captain "Why did you agree to let Lissom take up the front lines?"
"Do you know of the Tear of the Sun? What it was?"
"…no?"
"It was King Uthur's right eye. He had lost his eye during the Nightmare. The Tear of the Sun is an incredibly powerful relic that repels all that is unholy. It can be hidden as an ordinary eye with the correct spell"
"What does Lissom have to do with this?"
"Not many know of the twin of the Sun Relic, the Tear of the Moon. Do you remember when Lissom got injured in the archery tourney, his left eye miraculously recovering from a gash of a glanced cut of an arrow?"
"No, you don't mean…!"
"Yes, Lissom's left eye has been replaced…by the Tear of the Moon. The Moon Relic is not as powerful as the Sun Relic…but its power makes Lissom more than a match against the Unholy"
Lissom charged out of the town, muttering to himself under his breath, touching the pupil of his left eye. Normally, if a normal person would try this, they would only succeed in poking their eye out, but Lissom's left eye could hardly be considered 'normal' he blinked his eyes and his whole left eye turned brilliant silver; a magic circle written in a black ink could be seen on the Tear of the Moon. His vision changed subtly; his replacement eye which was not an eye had been magicked to work like one. When in this state, his vision was covered in a thin transparent layer of silver, eliminating the shadows and revealing all manner of sorts of hidden things.
His lip curled in disgust and anger when he saw the hideous creatures before him. He recognized some of them as his own friends, but now they were friends no longer, as he scanned the walking dead, his eyes were drawn to one individual. He felt his heart tighten and fill with rage.
Leading the force of the Monsters…was the fresh corpse of his own father.
*sigh* Chapter Two is done…finally. Not as good as Chapter One, but it will have to do for now. What do you think of the new characters…? Noir is fun to write, and fun to draw, though his personality certainly is a bit cynical…Read…Review…and have a good nap. I know I will. *yawn* Sorry if this chapter was a little on the boring side ^^'
I DO NOT OWN FIRE EMBLEM
^-double underline-^ This is SERIOUS!
…if I did, then the world would end.
Seriously.
Seriously AND Truly.
No one understands my humor. Hmph!
Salvo, Signing OFF!