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 Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:10 pm
The librarian, a bloated grey-skinned "man" with as many arms as he has chins sits perched in the middle of his circular desk like a tick about to pop. Despite his gruesome appearance he waits amiably for you to question him and peruse his vast stores of knowledge.
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 12:20 pm
The Librarian's chins jiggled slightly as he leaned back in his high backed red velvet chair. His beady eyes leered at Nyx for a few moments before he finally answered. "You've been perusing my shelves so much that you almost keep up with my writing of these books, Nyx. I daresay there's not much left I could recommend for you."
He laughed, his chins wobbling amiable and he lifted his hand. A fat green tome slammed into his hand, a small cloud of dust dispersing with a dull thud from the impact of old leather on hammy flesh. "This book is a simple fairy tale, but it makes for an enjoyable read. Actually, this book is special to me. It has a lot to say between its lines." He suggested as he opened the book.
"It tells of a wandering minstrel and warrior, there are some who theorized that it actually foretells the beginning and end of the force we know as Order. He paused. "This is the only book in here that was not penned by me. It was one of my first books."
He handed the ancient volume to her. "Enjoy. And don't tear the pages!"
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:37 pm
Khoui sat for a moment at the door and he watched the bloated spider talking to another exile whom he was not familiar with. His patience began to wear thin as his eyes narrowed slightly. He turned and walked towards the desk and placed his hands down looking up at the man. As he spoke his mouth began to grow and his teeth began to sharpen as hsi mouth twisted to a somewhat disturbing smile.
"Please oh kind and gracious one would you point me in the direction of master Embers territories?" he said with a humble tone as he knew that a temper and sarcasum would get him running around in circles. As it is said it is better to lure flys with honey and not vinegar. His fingers began to tap waiting for an answer he had a great deal of work to do and not much time to actually achieve it. He could feel the others power growing and if he did not act fast he would be left behind and fall prey to someone somewhere...
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:34 am
"I'll take good care of it." Nyx smiled as she accepted the tome. The Librarian's description, brief as it had been, had already piqued her interest. She had been under the impression that he had been the scribe of every volume resting on the library's shelves; a book not penned by him was a rarity indeed. Besides, a fairytale would also be a refreshing and welcome break from what she was used to reading. The hidden meaning it was purported to contain only served to heighten its attractiveness.
Lightly shifting her grip on the book to secure it better, she smiled at Shizuka and was just turning to sally forth in search of her usual desk, when another Exile approached the table. This was another curiousity, and she paused for a moment. She had seen this particular Exile around the Library, though his name was as yet unknown to her. She had no recollection of him at the first Stone Council...of course, having by now come to know of the existence of kingdomless Exiles, as well as ones who had arrived late, this was not unduly perturbing. Still, her interest was mildly aroused.
"Ember's kingdom lies roughly in the center of the central continent," she said softly. What had prompted her to speak, she was not sure, but she knew Firebrand's location from her many aerial trips. "Just south of the Kirunian mountains."
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:00 pm
"Nyx is right, go North." The librarian said with some small amount of derision. "I'm sure that he's there, plotting the destruction of the world and the second judgment, bloody fool." The Librarian grumbled. "Sometimes I hate being neutral, not that I have a choice in the matter." He laughed and moved his leg underneath the desk, although the movement was invisible the sound of chains rattling could not be mistaken.
"The Craftsman was never one for nonsense, I'll give him that." He laughed at his lot with some amount of bitterness. He hunched over his books, his hands moving at a furious pace. "If there's anything else that I can do for you then just let me know. You seem like an intelligent person, and that's all I ask."
((Short, I know, but I really didn't want to drag anything out for too long))
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 5:07 pm
Dunaldra pushed the great doors to the Library and entered, her feet nearly slipping on the floors from standing on the ice. She was amazed by how huge the place was, even with the many twisting and turning shelves of books. The woman exile was also amazed, when she looked up, at the sparkling greens and golds, though she found the source to be the stained glass windows that went around the tower. Her attention was soon drawn, though, by the simple wooden table in which a rather large grey-skinned man was seated, and the people surrounding the tables. The robed woman she instantly recognized as Nyx, and the blue haired one was none other than Shizuka. However, the other dark haired man she did not recognize, but she knew very well he had to be another exile. How else could he be in here?
Running a dark hand through her silver hair, Dunaldra walked away from the cold entrance and made her way over to the desk. She smiled at the two women and said, "Hello, Nyx. Shizuka." before she tilted her head back to the large Librarian and continued. "I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'm looking for something in particular, but I don't know what is its name or where to find it."
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:14 pm
Khoui smiled and moving away from the desk ran his hand over his face as it hit his chin the young mans face had changed completely. It was now that of an older gentleman, a long black moustach curling down his face. His hand washed over his hair as its length began to grow in his hands and soon was down the length of his back. He gently began to brush at his clothing as the skin tight black cloth began to grow and shape. It folded and flapped at his touch and soon was that of a long flowing robe.
He tilted his head back and coughed a few times as his voice changed and got much deeper than before. "Thank you my dear Librarian, you are always helpful indeed as was that book of artifacts you allowed to me to grace over earlier.." his gaze shifted over to the young lady that had also assisted him. "And as for you, M'lady my name is Khoui.." his words slowly silenceing as there was a hissing and tapping noise that began to rattle from underneath his robes. Soon he jumped back a bit as a long serpentine body lifted him up as he slowly lowered back down.
The clicking of the centipede feet on the hard wood floor as he moved closer to the door. "I do hope that we see more of one another in the future, our services may always be of some use." his eyes dropped to the other young one who has walked in the door as he gave her a soft smile. "Enjoy your time in the Library misssss" his tounge hissed a tad as the doors opened slowly as his continued out.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:04 pm
Sapphire Kasumi Dunaldra pushed the great doors to the Library and entered, her feet nearly slipping on the floors from standing on the ice. She was amazed by how huge the place was, even with the many twisting and turning shelves of books. The woman exile was also amazed, when she looked up, at the sparkling greens and golds, though she found the source to be the stained glass windows that went around the tower. Her attention was soon drawn, though, by the simple wooden table in which a rather large grey-skinned man was seated, and the people surrounding the tables. The robed woman she instantly recognized as Nyx, and the blue haired one was none other than Shizuka. However, the other dark haired man she did not recognize, but she knew very well he had to be another exile. How else could he be in here?
Running a dark hand through her silver hair, Dunaldra walked away from the cold entrance and made her way over to the desk. She smiled at the two women and said, "Hello, Nyx. Shizuka." before she tilted her head back to the large Librarian and continued. "I was wondering if you could help me with something. I'm looking for something in particular, but I don't know what is its name or where to find it."
"So, why don't you tell me in more detail what you're looking for, Dunaldra, I'm sure that I can be of some service to such an avid learner. It''s why I'm here, after all." He said as a genuinely warm smile spread across his bloated features. He leaned forward expectantly. He genuinely liked Dunaldra, Nyx, and Dessande. Those three were probably the only three who the Librarian had ever taken a liking to. Toucan was fiercely intelligent but had little interest in knowledge for the sake of knowledge, everything had to be put fervently to use.
"Well?" He asked, cocking a pudgy eyebrow.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 7:22 pm
Dunaldra smiled slightly to his smile to her, but her eyes dragged away and her smile faded away. She thought hard on what she wanted to say, how to describe the creature correctly, finally she just went out in said, "Well, I only saw it once. Just after the first meeting of the Stone Council. In fact, I was right in front of this building when I did. It was huge, probably twice my height or more. And... It had chains wrapped around his arms and legs, simply disappearing into the ground. it was so skiny you could see the bones coming off the skin. It carried a huge sword, and he his face was covered but... but blood dripped down from where his mouth would have been."
Dunaldra felt her hands ball into fists on their own, her body working even though her mind was working to get the right words out. In the end, she let a smile grace her lips as she finally finished, "Well, that's all that I can say. Perhaps you know what I speak of?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:36 pm
The Librarian reeled back as if he had been slapped in the face. His eyes grew wide and his smile fell away and was replaced by a look of pure terror. He raised a hand to his fat throat, unable to speak for almost a minute before he finally managed the words.
"Oh...Dunaldra, You don't know what you're getting yourself into. I-" He looked at her face, at her pose. He smiled in an almost paternal way at her determination. "I can see that you're not going to back down. You're in possession of the most admirable kind of courage, Dunaldra." He sighed heavily, his whole body shook from the strain of it. "I have a book, and you can read that..." He raised his hand and a thick black book flew from the shelves and into his hand. He slid the book across the desk towards her. It read "The Origins of Karon".
"I would rather tell you this, though. So you understand the true horror of it..and decide from there whether or not you really want to pursue these answers. Particularly with the craftsman. Don't flinch."
He reached out, and touched her forehead. A wave of images flew forth.
They were standing in a field filled with silvery grass the fluttered softly in the wind. The Librarian stood next to Dunaldra, although rather than the bloated spidery creature who now sat at the circular desk he was a portly gentleman with a pleasant gleam in his eye and a thick blond mustache that fluttered out from under his broad nose. He wore a handsome cloak that fell around his large form, and he stood tall on his own two feet.
"This is a memory. My...current form is the side effect of the Judgment. Neutrality was my sin. Come." He smiled, the same broad smile but this time planted on broad pink cheeks. The effect was somewhat more pleasing than on the creature he had become. "This way."
He grasped her hand gently and led her over a small hill that stood just before them. The moment that they began to crest it they could see the smoke billowing up from the other side. Then they surmounted the edge, and the City Pure came into view.
Tall marble spires and columns rose into the sky, elegant white buildings that told of a beautiful purity and grace flowed remarkable into one another so that the city almost looked like a single massive structure. It looked like an awesome and welcoming haven for every living thing...
...and it was burning.
Furious tongues of fire roared throughout the elegant city that lay in the valley below them. It sounded like a monster that could not be satisfied as it devoured everything. Buildings collapsed under the incredible heat, toppling slowly at first and then crashing loudly to the ground with deafening and sickening cracks. Other sounds began to drift from underneath the sound of the dying city. Screams. Screams of pain and anguish from the millions of souls who had not made it out of the city in time.
Other sounds, too, became more evident. The sound of slow thunder, and of metal. Small stones at their feet began to dance about on the ground. The Librarian pointed.
"Look to the East. The human army approaches." He said somberly.
The human army, every soldier clad in a beautiful matching silver and gold set of armor, marched in rigid formation from the east. Their spears looked like a vicious forest that had somehow uprooted and was marching across the earth. Their round shields were like ten thousand suns as they reflected the white fire from the great star above. Banners of white and gold fluttered on some, giving the army a look of purity and grace.
Horses clad in equally extravagant armor rode alongside. Thousands of them, each of them trotting alongside the seemingly endless sea of helmets.
"Ah, there were the devices that ruined our city." He said, pointing grimly. Massive black cannons rolled in, towed by four horses apiece. Their barrels were fully twenty feet long and pointed at the sky as they rolled forward on spiked wheels. The ends of the cannons were wrought to resemble roaring lions' heads, and were gilded elaborately. "They discovered an explosive powder by smelting black ore...the weapons were...horrifying...Oh, Dunaldra, I never thought I would make myself watch this again." He seemed close to tears. "And there...is Karon." He pointed.
At the fore of the human army a knight in the purest white armor carried a broad black sword. The knight was fully covered, their mask gilded to resemble the roaring lion's head much like the cannons, only there was an emotionless metal grill between the gaping maw, covering his face. He held the sword aloft, as if it weighed nothing. A heavy red cape fluttered out from underneath a broad mantle of some great beast that the general had no doubt slain at some point in his life. He rode atop a gallant white horse it's armor was gold plated so that it looked truly royal as it trotted forward.
"And here we see you, and some of your fellows. I'm sure you'll recognize the man who is leading you into this battle." He sighed and waved at the army that was just now approaching from the West.
They were much smaller. And they appeared to be much more rag-tag and yet much more beautiful at the same time. Every individual was garbed in beautifully wrought armor that was as unique as its wearer. Every one led a contingent of perhaps a hundred soldiers on foot in equally beautifully crafted armor. A myriad of colors and banners were dotted throughout. Wings flapped as soldiers riding on all manner of flying creatures swooped and rose above the army. Including one massive flying red serpent. "That would be Ember's creation..." He said, pointing. Giant armored beasts marched alongside this army, a few even bearing cannons similar to the one wielded by the much larger and more organized human army.
There they were, almost every Exile that now lived on the desolate new planet. All of them standing proud in their armor. Mythee still clutched the same sword that she still possessed, as well as the same armor. Her cape flowed as if by a divine wind. Ember stood like a furious torch, glowing brightly. Jikrae stood serenely in his black armor, calmly waiting for the battle.
Riding atop an enormous black horse, rode the Craftsman. He was just ahead of the others. Gone was his brown coat, cast aside in favor of a scant piece of armor that only covered his left arm and shoulder blade. His silvery beard was much shorter, falling perhaps a foot from his face, and gone was its silvery color. It was jet black, as were his eyes.
The Craftsman reached over his shoulder, drawing a large sword slowly from its scabbard. It gleamed as he let it hand almost casually at his side.
"The war has been going very badly for us at this point. We have lost our city. This was our final stand, just before the judgment." The Librarian said bitterly.
The two armies faced each other for several moments, the burning home of the Gods in the background. Then Karon and the Craftsman, almost at the same time, raised their blades, and leveled them at the opposing army.
There were two noises. The sound of running feet accompanied by the cheers and roars of shouting voices. And roars of the cannons as they ignited. Black oily smoke belched from the Golden Lion's heads as they were leveled with the Gods' army. There were brief flashes of white, and then the projectiles collided with the Gods. Both were running at the other, weapons drawn, spears lowering. Every now and then a mushroom of flame would erupt, and troops would go somersaulting into the air.
The two armies were close now. So close. The Gods were all at the front, Ember was just slightly ahead of the rest. Karon, of course, led her charge. Then they clashed.
It was chaos. Needless to say. The flying cavalry tucked in their wings and dove on the enemy troops who were waiting to fight. They dropped exploding payloads on the enemy that made no noise, but when they fell there were suddenly very large empty spots where there had been soldiers.
A massive cone of flame consumed a large formation of soldiers. Ember was at its apex, extending his hands.
Vicious, thorny vines erupted from the ground and flayed the soldiers alive, Amelia stood grimly in her elegant green armor.
Thunder laced the ground, and several of the cannons were reduced to metal shrapnel that killed the men around them. Jikrae's eyes blazed with red lightning as he stared at the roiling clouds above him.
From that same storm a tornado touched down, Zephyr was wildly waving her arms about, conducting the black cone as it devoured soldiers like meat.
Water stormed throughout the soldier's feet, freezing and locking them into place as Dessande calmly slaughtered them all by hand.
The ground heaved like a wave, jagged rocks erupted from the ground in all directions, pummeling hundreds of men to death. Ior's fist was planted in the ground.
Soldier's in white armor were condensing particularly hard around a pair of figures who fought viciously back to back. Every sword stroke from the pair would knock dozens of troops away like they were rags, and yet they kept spilling in on the two. Mythee's cape and the Craftsman's black beard were hard to mistake. The two alternated sides, switching with violent thrust that kept the enemy guessing.
Then there was Karon, the powerful knight calmly marched through the enemy ranks, driving his men deep into the enemy's formation. Even Gods fell to the enormous black blade as Karon wielded it with both hands. He was unstoppable.
The Librarian rested a hand Dunaldra's shoulder.
"We're going to need to get closer to this, I'm afraid. Do you want this to continue?" He asked calmly.
((Very sorry for the length, but this is part of the plot that I've been planning for a very very long time))
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 10:38 pm
The sand maiden felt bad after the reaction the large man gave after her question. Was she really going into something so deep and dangerous? Yes, she realized the creature was a powerful monster, but she only wanted to know what was it called and, perhaps, why it exsists. Dunaldra had intended only to reach out and read the book about 'Karon' that the Librarian had pulled off the shelf for her, but she never imagined that he would actually show her what had happened. So, she had wanted to flinch when the grey hand reached out to her, but she held herself back as the world around her changed and a new image came to her.
Her first surpise was that she found herself standing in a field of silver grass. It gleamed in the sunlight, and it was almost addictive to look at. However, her second surpise was when she turned to listen to the Librarian speak. no longer was he the large man that sat at the wooden desk, but a tall rather handsome man. She motioned to speak, but only numbly followed when he grabbed her hand and led her along the grass to something.
While they headed up the hill, Dunaldra saw the stone structures of what would be a city. She was rather excited to see what kind of city could afford to be made out of marble, but she frowned when they made it up the hill. It was beautiful, alright, but the whole city was set into flames. She could see one of the great columns begin to crumble and fall to the ground, destroying whatever buildings were under it's path. The woman wanted to cover her ears as the screams of pain came from the city, and flashes of her own people dying came to mind. She could not help but to reach up with one hand and cover her mouth.
Who could harm such perfection, and kill all these helpless people? Her heart reached out to the Librarian, who seemed even more touched by what was going on. It was their past, but he was the only one who remembered it. Again, she wanted to speak, but the Librarian told her to look to the East at the humans approaching. Their army looked enormous, and their gold and silver armor shone so bright that she almost covered her eyes one moment. She thought it was almost magnificent the craftsmanship that went into the armor. However, she gasped when he pointed out Karon to her in the human army. He seemed the most magnificent out of them all, his armor crafted to look much like a mighty lion. As their leader, though, he is supposed to be the most spectacular of them all.
Then, her eyes were drawn to the West, when none other than her fellow Exiles began to march in. She could spot certain people right away, and she even found herself amongst everyone. Her past self wore an almost antique looking golden armor, embroidery going around it much like the ones on her outfit now. However, she was led away from the sight of seeing herself to the one leading their small group. It was Ember himself, still the fiery being that she saw at the Stone Council, but then one person she did not recognize at first came out. The Craftsman, younger yet probably just as powerful as he was now.
Then, the battles began. Everyone drew their weapons and ran at each other, though it seemed the advantage went to the Exiles. Afterall, their otherworldly powers were much too powerful for the human army. And yet, the humans, especially Kason, continued to fight on even though it seemed like foolishness. Dunaldra nearly jumped when the Librarian laced his hand on her shoulder, saying they needed to get closer. For the first time since they first arrived, Duna actually said something. "Yes, let's get closer." She replied, though whether she was simply too mesmerized to think or if she truly felt she needed to go on, she did not know.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:10 am
The librarian pulled nervously on his gold mustache. "I was afraid that you would say that. Very well." He said as he laid his hand on the small of Dunaldra's back. He gave her a gentle push forward.
They were now in the middle of the battle, swords clashed together with resounding rings that were countered by the screams of those who had been pierced by the weapons. Just to their left the past version of Dunaldra expertly parried blows from three men at once and, in another rapid movement, had neatly sliced their throats, slipping her narrow blade in between the almost nonexistent crevices in the armor. In another moment she was gone, leaving a trail of bodies behind her.
"You did what you had to do." Was all that he said.
A young man led a group of warriors in simple silver armor and brown leather capes with familiar looking runes on them. The young man himself was tanned and deeply muscled, his handsome features were dotted in stubble. His armor was relatively simple, it was comprised of little more than a chest plate and some greaves that protected his forearms. His sword was curved and had an unusually long hilt. It fluttered like a deadly bee between the enemy's sword strokes, cutting them down with ease. He drove the enemy back with his men, all of whom fought expertly as well.
"Beynor." The Librarian said sternly as the rugged man fought his way past the two of them without giving them so much as a glance. "The Craftsman's son."
Beynor was growling under his breath, determined and furious as he pushed the humans back. He was well behind the front now, and deep into the enemy formation, by his foolhardy charge the line in that area began to crumble. Suddenly there was no more resistance, the waves of men simply fell back, and dispersed as if they had been ordered.
Karon stood in the clear area of the battlefield.
The soldiers around them found new targets, they knew not to interfere. Beynor gripped his large scimitar with determination as he glared resolutely into the Lion's Maw. The faceless general stood still, his massive blade drove into the earth in front of him. Fresh blood flowed down from the black metal, pooling in the grass around it.
Beynor leaped forward, covering the area in a single jump he propelled himself into Karon. His foot made contact with the chest plate and Karon reeled, seizing his sword out of the earth beforehand. The blade came up, whirring as it sliced through the air. Beynor's curved blade rang out as it came into contact with the Black Broadsword.
Beynor stepped back, his blade still vibrating, and rushed forwards.
The Librarian looked away.
Karon had moved so fast. There had been a black blur, Beynor's blade went spinning into the distance...Beynor fell to his knees, his eyes wide as he looked up at emotionless grill that looked back at him.
A little ways away, the Craftsman and Mythee were still fighting back to back. Mythee saw something spinning towards them, her eyes widened as she casually deflected a clumsy sword blow.
"Job! Look out!"
The Craftsman turned towards the blade, not before it impacted on his flesh, piercing him through the chest.
For a moment everything was frozen. The men who had been fighting around the two of them stopped, including Mythee. They just stared as the craftsman stood straight, contemplating the red handle that protruded from between his pectorals. He didn't notice the blood that flowed down his stomach as he slowly reached his armored hand up to the handle, wrapping his hand around the blade as if it were a delicate child.
"Beynor...?" The blackness disappeared from his eyes, underneath they were a normal moss green flecked with gold. He looked up. His eyes were wide. He could just see Karon staring down at his son. The blade pushed against Beynor's chest. He could see his boy, barely a man, utter something to Karon.
"I love you."
Karon drove the blade forward without hesitation, finishing it. Beynor was pierced on the blade, Karon stood perfectly still for several second before finally pushing his foot against Beynor's chest and sliding him off of his sword.
The Craftsman didn't cry. His eyes glazed over black.
The soldiers around him stepped once more when they realized he wasn't going to fall.
The very air seemed to pulse for one quick second and the suits of armor were forced backwards, blood spilling from under the visors. Mythee regarded him silently for a few moments. "Job..."
He heard nothing. He felt nothing.
The Librarian put an arm around Dunaldra's shoulder. "You are about to see the true side of the Craftsman, the man who was once known as Job the Maneater."
The hand that had been softly wrapped around the sword hilt tightened. The knuckles whitened. The Craftsman ripped the sword out with one savage tug. He advanced at a slow walk. The burning city framed his approach as he walked towards Karon, who still stared at Beynor's body as if stunned.
The Craftsman looked like a walking nightmare, his teeth were bared and his black beard was coming loose of its tight braid so that parts of it flared out wildly. He was covered from head to toe in the blood of at least a thousand enemies. Karon barely had time to look up to parry the blow that came crashing down upon his head.
Black blade met with silver, Karon was forced to his knees the blow was so fierce. The moment the two met the force was so strong that a circular plume of dust soil and bodies flew outwards. Karon's knee was forced perhaps 6 inches into the ground. He barely had time to roll away before The Craftsman's sword came crashing down again.
"You're going to suffer eternally." He said with an eerie calm about him as he advanced savagely. His blade crashed down again and again, with Karon blocking every time, but only by a hair. The Craftsman added another line to his grotesque threat every time his blade came crashing down. Karon backed up slowly towards the Librarian and Dunaldra, his heavy blade parrying desperately.
"I'm going to kill you." CLASH
"You are going to know pain unlike anything anyone has ever felt." CLASH
"If I have to damn everyone else." CLASH
"You." CLASH
"Murdered." CLASH
"My." CLASH
"SON!" At this last word his voice seemed to choke. He drove his armored shoulder forward and swept his arm out in a tremendous blow. Karon was flung backwards, his sword arm went wide. The Craftsman followed up with a vicious stab to Karon's face. Karon reared backwards, and the sword point pushed the helmet off his face. Had they been there, Dunaldra could have caught it.
Karon rolled backwards, using the sword to push back up into a standing position.
The Craftsman's arm went slack for a moment. Standing no more than five feet from Dunaldra was a young woman with red-gold hair. She was beautiful and terrible at the same time. Her expression was one of determination as she regarded her enemy. However there were hints of something else. Her lower lip trembled slightly, as if in fear. No...she wasn't afraid.
"She's trying not to cry." The Librarian said slowly. "I was the only witness to the love affair between Beynor and Karon. Who, called herself Karin when she was in the castle with us. I happened upon them in the middle of a most disgraceful act on top of some of my books." He frowned a little bit. "I covered it up for them. Beynor was an idiotic, arrogant fool. God of Pride and Luxury. Karin was good for him. She was strong, determined, passionate, and gentle all at once. Of course no one else noticed because she was just a rather expensive whore who happened to visit Beynor a lot. She wasn't the one who started this uprising but she was eventually seduced by the promises of the Human movement and joined in the fighting. She had studied under The Craftsman and Toucan for several years...and she learned perhaps more than she should have. I honestly don't know much about their early years together...but I know that by the end they loved each other, in a way. Beynor was destroyed when he found that she had left one day...they fought several times on the battlefield..against one another, and at first it might have been play fighting. Then she started wearing the helmet...her name changed...."
He eyed the sword she was carrying. "Don't you ever touch Black Ore, Dunadlra."
Karon and the Craftsman simply stared at one another. He apparently had not known that Karon and Karin had been the same person. "You!" He breathed. His eyes then narrowed. "Your suffering will never end. Never." His sword came down. She didn't flinch, she didn't move. "I loved-"
Her demise ended her sentence prematurely. The Craftsman. Job. Stood with his arm extended straight. His sword had pierced her between her eyes, which now stared blankly outwards. He clenched a black lantern in his other hand. His first one. He looked from Karon to the lantern to his son to the city. Then he sank to his knees, his head held in his hands even as Karon's corpse collapsed next to him.
They were back in the Library. The Librarian was once again a gray-skinned creature with a bloated body and far too many arms. He sighed.
"I didn't witness what happened first hand. The judgment came soon afterwards. It was unremarkable. We just suddenly found ourselves in a dreamless sleep. Except for the Craftsman. He was always clever, despite his brutality. A survivor to the end who portrayed almost no love for his son or anyone else, save one person. Again, never in public." The librarian looked towards the door.
"He was awake in the Chaos and he went about forcing True Ore from chaos itself. You can see the effect it had on him. Nobody could have dreamed that manipulating that much true ore was possible...even for us. But he did it, and then he caught all of us like falling stars, saving us and bringing us back to life here....on his world."
He leaned forward and four of his hands shot out and pulled Dunaldra close to his hideous face. "Be careful...very careful, about who you tell this to. We are his prisoners here, Dunaldra. Karon was his first, and he poured all of his malice and hatred into her. He resurrected her soul and gave her a new body that suited his desires and he forces her to murder and do his bidding. You cannot possibly imagine the wrath that he is capable of. He hides a raw fury that is beyond anything. Anything! In fact I suspect that he was largely responsible for our situation...his power over us would not have been possible before the Judgment and now he controls everything.
Karon is the product of everything that Job, the man behind the Craftsman, is capable of."
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:58 pm
Before she even knew it, Dunaldra had been transported by the Librarian closer to the ensuing battle. Not only that, but she got closer to her past self, fighting against the opposing army. Her hand reached up and covered her mouth when the sword she carried, one one resting on her waist now, sliced through the men's throats without a second thought. Even though her compainion said a word to try and comfort her, the thought of killing the humans so relentlessly was hard to take in. Then again, when your life is threatoned, is there much else you can do?
The Librarian forced her attention towards a certain person, one young man she did not recognize leading soldiers into battle. He soon introduced him as the son of the Craftsman himself, though the thought of the strange man having a son made her doubt. However, when she looked closer, the similarity was undeniable. He fought his way through, until he finally cleared away the men who were blocking his way to Karon.
Without warning, Beynor leaped forward and attacked Karon, his white scimitar clashed with her black broadsword. They stepped back and charged forward. Karon had been faster and Dunaldra nearly missed Beynor's sword flying into the distance. Then, he fell to his knees and stared up at Karon in shock. The desert maiden thought she her the Craftsman's voice in the distance, but she did not turn to look. Her attention was fixed completely on the two in front of her.
A few seconds passed, before Karon lifted his sword and shoved it into Beynor's chest. Even though she and the Librarian stood rather far apart from the two, she could hear the man's last words before he died. Her eyes widened in shock and confusion, unsure how to take the young man's confession. If he loved Karon, that meant that he was really a she. Not that she did not believe in a woman leading an army, but how relentless she was in battle surprised her.
The end to Karon's battle did not come. In fact, it only got harder when the Craftsman himself decided to fight against her. The anger radiated off of his body as he slowly advanced towards Karon, his hands clutching to his sword as if his life was on the line. She could feel herself shaking as he procceded, as if he was coming to kill her as well. Was this who the Craftsman truly was?
Then, the two finally met and the fight began. His attacks seemed like a savaged, and Karon could barely hold her own as he did so. Along the way, the Craftsman muttered threats to her, about how she was going to suffer like no one had ever experianced before. Then, without warning, he pushed Karon backwards and made her fall to the ground, her helmet flying off her head while doing so.
Karon was a marvelous looking woman, a beauty surpassing anyone she had seen. And yet, something about her seemed superior, more cunning underneith her appearance. Then, the Librarian told Dunaldra about Beynor and Karon', or rather Karin's, past. All about how the two had a love afair like no other, and about how they had been fools. Well, Beynor, at least. Karin had been taught under the Craftsman, and that she probably learned far too much from him. Then, she left, and it broke Beynor's heart when she did.
Her attention turned back to the two staring at one another, the anger in the Craftsman's eyes still burning fiercely. Karon began to speak, but he cut her off. Literally. He drove his sword right into her head, and her eyes dulled until they stared at him lifelessly. Then, he stood there and looked around, until he finally fell to his knees and placed his head into his heads, letting the body collapse next to him.
Before she could even say anything, Dunaldra found herself back in the Library, standing at the round wooden desk. She felt her legs give out on her and she clutched the desk for her only support. No, she could not let herself be weakened, even though all of it seemed so overwhelming. There was more that needed to be said. It surprised her when the Librarian's voice came from the mutated man in front of her, for she had gotten used to the human who showed her everything.
The Librarian continued to describe how the Judgement came after that and how all the Exiles were put into a dreamless sleep. The Craftsman stayed alive and how he spent that time trying to forge the True Ore, and the side effect of it all. Dunaldra suddenly remembered a warning he told her, about never touching Black Ore. Her eyes instinctively looked down at the sword attatched to her waist, the one she had requested the Craftsman to make. Was it made out of the Black Ore?
Before she could ask, she felt hands grab her and pull to to look at the Librarian closely. Then, he gave her another warning, about we're his prisoners and how all his fury had been poured into the creature she had seen long ago. If he could do that to her, why not us as well? That Exile Karon killed was not on her own whim, but because the Craftsman ordered her to do so. If they got on his wrong side, they were doomed. Or, they might even recieve a treatment just as bad as Karon.
"I--" Dunaldra began, though the words escaped her. She did not know how to respond, now knowing why the Librarian had been so reluctant and frightened to tell her about Karon. This was beyond just knowing the name of the creature, but knowing their past and what might be their future if they ever disobey the Craftsman. Take the man in front of her as an example. He only wanted to protect Beynor and Karin, and he was tranformed into the digusting figure in front of her, confined to the Library and his round desk. She had to pity him for his luck.
Taking a deep breath, Dunaldra finally said, "I understand, I'll be careful. Thank you, for everything you've shown and told me. It means a lot, even though the result of it all is dangerous. Somehow, knowing that Karon exsisted told me there was more to our lives and the Craftsman then what was told of us. And... I'm sorry I had to make you go through all of that again." As she finished, she had lifted her hand and placed it on top of the hand grasping her shoulder.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:13 pm
The Librarian frowned at her hand and withdrew them all sharply. "Thank you for your sympathy, but it's really better that I not indulge in self pity. Particularly not from you." His hands quickly returned to the blank tomes in front of him. He ignored her for some time, now that everything had been said. It was quite apparent that he was brooding over something.
"The Craftsman isn't evil. Even I know that. He wasn't the one who did this to me. No, I can't read minds, you just can't hide your thoughts." He said as he stared at her. "I was the first to fall, I spent more time under the influence of Chaos, and this is the result. In fact the Craftsman saved me from my fate...although he did so because he needed me." He sighed. "Just don't trust him. I don't know what he wants, the man is impossible to read."
He pointed to the door. "I think you should go. And remember, Karon was a monster before the Craftsman finished with her. If you want to confront the craftsman on this...if you dare to, then call him. He might offer some more answers...or kill you." The Librarian shrugged.
Two creatures appeared from behind the bookshelves, they were tall and hunched and wrapped in plain black cloaks. However it was obvious from their movements that something other than a human was underneath the black material. "Escort this young lady out." He said calmly, looking at his paperwork.
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Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:10 pm
Dunaldra soon regreted what she said to the Librarian when he drew back his hand, giving her his cold reply. She did not mean to offend him by her words, but it was too late now. Did he truly mean it when he said it was his fault and the Craftsman was right? Can one truly justfy what happened to Karon and to him as well? Or was letting them die just not enough to satisfy his own pain? Yes, she sympathized with the Craftsman for losing his own son to a woman that he himself taught, and that his son had loved. Still, his response seemed so extreme to her. Could there not be any other way?
Her frown grew when he basically told her to get out. Dunaldra tilted her head to look at the black robed men who came out of no where, but would not let them touch her. "I know the way out." She whispered outloud. She turned to walk away, but she stopped for a second and turned around. The desert maiden inclined her head in thanks, though if the Librarian saw it did not matter. She simply turned around and walked out of the building.
Dunaldra walked down the steps, as if to leave, but she stopped at the last one and looked towards the ground. She turned around to gaze at the spot where the Exile woman had died fifty years ago, where Karon had mercilessly killed her. Was this truly their purpose of exsistance? To serve the Craftsman's will without question? And, if they meddled too far into the past or did something wrong, he would punish them? Were they truly just his slaves?
She wanted to know more, yearned for her questions to be answered, but who could answer them for her? The Librarian was out, she had asked far too much from him as is. The Craftsman himself? Perhaps, but at the moment Dunaldra was not courageous enough to take that risk. If he knew what happened, and then she asked him to come right afterwards, he might become angry with her. Even though the Librarian said that he was really not a bad man, Duna found it hard to believe that. Even she, the one who always tried to find the best in people, doubted in someone.
Dunaldra shivered as a cold gust of wind flew by, grabbing her arms as to warm them. If she wanted to think more, this was not the place to do it. Thus, she transformed back into her bird form and flew off into the distance towards home. There, at least, she could think without her people thinking she had gone missing.
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