Legend Reborn

Subject: Legend Reborn Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:48 am

Bill knelt in prayer at the alter of Golma, as he had done every night since he had returned home to the Aetherius. The chapel was quiet tonight, with few priests or scholars to be found. Of course, this didn't surprise Bill in the least. Tonight was a night of remembrance, and of celebration. Tonight was the sixtieth anniversary of the defeat of Drakath, Prince of Chaos.

Bill continued to kneel in front of the alter long after his prayer had been finished. He allowed his mind to wander through his old memories. He remembered his friends: Azk, Selena, Arata, Xavier, Nami, and all the others he had come to know...

"Golma bless you all." Bill whispered, though his voice echoed through the near empty chapel. "Rest easy, my friends."

Bill looked at the alter, the symbol of Golma in particular. It was no accident that he had wound up back where his adventures had all began. Perhaps it was fated, that the last surviving member of the Twilight Knights come here, and record the group's extensive history.

The warrior sighed and stood up, glancing over at the few priests that remained in the temple. Each of the priests wore a look of sheer boredom on their faces. Bill smirked.

"Why don't you fellows head down to Swordhaven?" Bill asked, his voice causing the young priests to jump. "I hear they're having a grand celebration."

The priests faces lit up in excitement. Their duties often prevented them from venturing into town. Just being able to go to Swordhaven would be a treat in itself!

"But...what about you, Brother William?" one of the priests asked.

Bill smiled. "I'll stay behind and watch the chapel. I'm too old for parties or celebrations anyway."

Several of the priests chuckled at Bill's joke. It was no secret that the warrior was Half-Drow. Even though he was ninety-two years old, Bill looked as youthful as he had sixty years ago.

"Go, with Golma's blessing." Bill said as the priests made their way out the front doorway. The door shut behind them, the sound echoing all throughout the chapel.

Bill sat down at a nearby pew and closed his eyes. The silence of the empty chapel was deafening, but Bill didn't care. He was tired.

*****

Several hours passed before Bill was awoken from his slumber by the familiar sound of knuckle rapping on wood. Bill stretched and stood up, making his way over to the door.

Bill slid the large door open a crack, and peeked at the man on the other side. He was a young lad, dressed in dark robes. His face was hidden by the shadow of his hood.

"Greetings." Bill greeted. "How may this humble servant of Golma aid you this day?"

The man was silent. He slowly scanned Bill.

"You are William Ebonheart?" the man asked.

Bill blinked in surprise. He had only discovered his surname a few years ago. How was it then, that this man he had never met before knew it?

"That I am." Bill replied, cautiously glancing around the surrounding forests.

The man looked at Bill, then looked up to the moon hanging in the sky.

"Aren't you a lycanthrope?" the man asked.

Bill eyed the man with shock and suspicion. Only his closest friends had known about his affliction.

"I was," Bill answered. "But thanks to Golma's grace, I was cured. Who are you?"

The man smiled underneath his hood. All of his information had been accurate, then.

"Who I am is of little consequence, but who you are, dear William, is something else entirely."

The hooded man rushed forward, slamming into William and knocking him off his feet. The man reached into the folds of his robes and produced a wicked looking dagger. The man fell on top of Bill, pinning him down and holding the dagger to his throat.

"Now!" The hooded man commanded. "You're going to tell me what I want to know!"

Bill spat at the man. "You can go to hell!" Bill retorted.

The hooded man shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Mind your manners, William. Just tell me what I need to know, and I'll let you go free."

Bill saw the lie for what it was. This man had no intentions of leaving witnesses.

"Tell me...where can I find the Ring of Poison?"

Bill's eyes widened.

"You're one of Talona's worshippers, aren't you?" he asked.

"The ring." the hooded man reiterated. "Where is it?"

Bill chuckled. "I know where the ring is," he admitted. "But the information is useless! The ring was destroyed long ago!"

"It is of no consequence." the hooded man growled, growing frustrated. "I'll give you one last chance! Where is the ring?!"

Bill smiled. His heart was pounding. This was it, he knew. The end of his road. A thought suddenly popped into his head. A thought of Arata, and Selena, and Azk, and all the others.

He would soon be on his way home.

The hooded man roared, and slid the dagger across Bill's throat. Bill spluttered and gasped, trying to breath futilely. His lifeblood spilled out before him...

"My master will be displeased with the information you have given me," the hooded man spat. "But perhaps learning of your death will brighten his mood."

Bill didn't hear him. Bill hardly saw him.

The only thing Bill could see was a crushing blackness.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Sat Dec 18, 2010 3:38 pm

:O So...this is what has happened after all of the adventures with the Twilight Knights! Poor Bill :( This is very interesting! What made you think of this?

Subject: Chapter 1: Dreams Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:00 am

Evelyn ducked behind a large rock as an arrow whistled over her head. Shouts and screams erupted from just up ahead, a sure sign that the two forces had joined in combat against each other. The warrior gripped her crimson blade tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She had never experienced combat before, at least, nothing like this.

"Damn it all!" the woman next to Eve shouted.

"How did they see us coming?" the man in the black trenchcoat asked, peeking around the boulder they were using for shelter.

"Isn't it obvious?" the woman said, her eyes revealing her irritance. "That...that damn diviner...he saw us coming a mile away!"

Eve's breathing quickened. Her hands trembled as fear began to take over her mind.

A hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Tesu's smiling face.

"Don't worry, Eve." he said, trying to calm her frayed nerves. "We were born to do this."

A large fireball struck the ground next to the boulder, shaking the ground and rattling the warriors.

"Damn it all!" the woman roared again.

"They know we're here! We need to move!" the man in the trenchcoat shouted. "Swordhaven's armies can't hold them. Evelyn, what should we do?"

Eve looked at the man. What should they do? More like what COULD they do! The forces of Chaos were proving to be more resilient than thought. In a matter of minutes, it was likely that Chaos would break through Swordhaven's trap. They needed to work fast.

Eve peeked around the boulder and scanned the battlefield, which was fast becoming littered with corpses. At the eastern end of the field, Eve saw what looked like a trap door. All the reports had said that the enemies' fortress was located underground. Perhaps...

"We make a break for it!" Eve said.

"What?!" the others asked in surprise.

"No way!" the woman said. "That's suicide!"

"We'd never make it!" the man in the trenchcoat argued.

"It's impossible..." Tesu said.

"We've got to try!" Eve shouted above them. "This is much bigger than us, don't you understand? Lore is at stake here! True, we may die. But we took an oath when we agreed to become the Twilight Knights! We must defend order and balance at any cost!"

The others looked at each other for a few seconds, then steeled their gazes.

"We're behind you!" Tesu said, gripping his blade.

Eve peeked out from the boulder once more, then leapt out from behind her cover. She ran as fast as she could, leaping over the prone bodies of the deceased, thinking of nothing except reaching that trapdoor.

The other knights followed her lead and provided each other with cover when necessary. They skidded to a halt just outside of the trapdoor. Eve was on top of the doorway, trying to pry it open.

"What's the hold-up?" the mysterious woman asked, slaying an approaching Chaos soldier.

"The door's locked!" Eve cried. "I can't force it open!"

"Looking for this?" a malevolent voice asked.

The group looked to the side. A being hidden in the shadows was leaning on a tree, casually holding a magnificent key.

"If you want it, you'll have to take it from me!"

The Malevolent Shadow jumped forward, unsheathing a dangerous-looking blade. Tesu rushed at him, but the Shadow spun around him, slashing at him.

"Tesu!" Eve cried.

The Shadow continued towards Eve, finally rushing towards her, and plunging his dark blade deep into her stomach.

Eve clutched the blade, the pain overwhelming. She fell to her knees, and let her vision fade...

*****

"Eve? Evelyn, wake up!"

Eve groaned, and cracked open an eye. She sat up, and brushed her auburn hair out of her face. Her mother sat next to her, and looked her over.

"Are you all right, Eve?" her mother asked. "You were making a racket."

Eve looked down at her stomach. No blade was protruding from it. She glanced around her. She was in her small house, sitting on her familiar bed. Not in the middle of a corpse-strewn battlefield.

"Yeah, I'm all right." Eve said. "Just a really intense dream, I guess."

Eve's mother smiled at her. "Well, you're safe now. Come on, I just finished making breakfast."

Eve's mother stood up and walked out of her room. Eve sat in her bed for a few moments more, rubbing her eyes.

"What a dream..." she muttered. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up, stretching as she did. She walked over to the small mirror that sat in her room and observed herself. Eve was considered by many of the residents of Sayle to be quite attractive, with long auburn hair and bright blue eyes. She brushed her hair back with her hands in a futile attempt to straighten her now-frazzled hair.

Eve eventually gave up, walking out of her room and to the kitchen, where her mother had laid out a plate with fresh eggs and freshly baked bread.

Eve's mother turned around and smiled at her. "I hope you don't plan to go out like that." Eve's mother joked.

"And what's wrong with my appearance?" Eve asked, carrying on the joke.

"Look at you!" Eve's mother laughed, waving a hand at her. "Hair a mess, wearing nothing other than a nightgown...and on today of all days!"

Eve's face scrunched up in confusion. "Huh?" Eve asked, taking a bite of the warm, fluffy bread.

"Did you forget?" Eve's mother asked in surprise. "Today is the three-hundredth anniversary of the defeat of Chaos! Normally you're so excited. You love reading about battles and things like that..."

Eve's eyes widened. Today was the festival?

She scarfed her bread as fast as she could, then began working on her eggs.

Eve's mother eyed her daughter with a small grin. Ever since Eve was a child, she had always been excited to go to the Festival of Harmony. The retelling of Drakath's defeat, and the Legend of the Twilight Knights were her favorite part of the festival.

Eve set her empty plate on the table and dashed back into her room. "I'm all finished! Thanks, mom!" she called.

Once she was back in her room, Eve quickly stripped from her nightgown and threw on her favorite tunic. She slipped her sandals on her feet and raced for the door.

"Thanks for breakfast again, mom!" Eve said, just as she was about to sprint out the door.

"Eve, wait!" her mother called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna go find Tesu!" Eve replied quickly. "Bye, mom! Bye, dad!"

"Your father is in town working on-" Eve's mother began. Before she could finish, though, Eve shut the door and was off. Eve's mother chuckled to herself, then picked up Eve's empty plate.

"She's spirited, all right..." Eve's mother said to herself.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Wed Dec 29, 2010 2:47 am

cool section bill. ^_^
hmm, was that only a dream, or is something terrible going to happen at the festival? Suspect

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:21 am

Interesting beginning :P I like it a lot so far! I take it Tesu is Tasu?

Subject: Chapter 2: Festival of Harmony Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:38 am

Tasu sat under the shade of a small oak tree. His fishing line was cast in the water, and he held his fishing pole casually with his hand. Tasu relished days like today. It was warm, but not overbearing or humid. Clouds dotted the sky, but they were white and fluffy, with no chance of blotting out the sun. The waves of the sea lapped up on the shore, making a small "splashing" sound as they did.

Tasu leaned back and sighed in contentment. "Perfect day for a festival." he muttered to himself.

Tasu was shaken from his lethargy by the twitching of his line. He grabbed his pole and gave it a quick tug, hooking the fish that had taken his bait. The fisherman yanked hard, pulling his hook and the fish attached to it right out of the water.

The fish landed on the shore with a soft SLAP!, and began to flop around, seeking the sea. Tasu stood up and walked over to his latest catch, scooping it up from the ground and examining it. It was a Knucklehead Trout, a fish that got its name from the ivory patch that grew on its head. The ivory was rare, and scrimshaws from towns all over Lore desired the material.

Tasu made a very good living selling the ivory he procured from these fish.

The fisherman was just about to unhook his latest catch, when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Hey, Tasu!" Eve called, running towards him.

Tasu smiled as his good friend approached. He lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey, Eve." he said.

Eve skidded to a halt, clearly out of breath. She leaned over, breathing heavily.

"You should work out more, Eve." Tasu taunted. "We're not even a mile outside of Sayle!"

Eve looked up at her friend and grinned. "Oh, shut up, Tasu."

Tasu chuckled. He knew Eve had probably sprinted all across Sayle looking for him. She always got so worked up on the day of the festival.

Once Eve had recovered her breath, she stood up straight and examined her friend. Tasu was a handsome young man, with fair skin and icy blue eyes. His oddest trait was easily his hair, which was azure in color.

Eve grinned at him. "So, Tasu..." she began. "You know what today is?"

Tasu laughed. "Let's see..." he thought aloud. "You've been running all over Sayle...there is clear excitement in your eyes..."

"It's the Festival of Harmony!" Eve said, her smile beaming.

Tasu couldn't help but laugh some more. "I figured as much." he said. "You weren't this excited when I gave you that ivory pendant for your birthday last year."

Eve quickly felt around her neck. Her eyes widened and her cheeks blushed in embarassment. She had been so excited about today, she forgot to put on Tasu's pendant.

"Ah, don't worry about it." Tasu said, playfully shoving Eve's shoulder. "C'mon, let's head into town. I can sell this Knucklehead and get us some money for the festival tonight."

*****

The town of Sayle had been a small village when it was founded, but since then, it had grown into a bustling community, thanks to the discovery of the Knucklehead Trout that nested just off the shore of the town. Sayle's history was also a factor in the town's growth. The town had been the home of the famous Twilight Knight Arata, who, after leaving the Twilight Realm with his love, Leyla, settled here, and became a member of the group called the Company of the Bladed Crescent. A statue was erected in the town plaza in Arata's honor after he single-handedly turned the tide against a horde of goblin invaders.

"Tasu, who's your favorite Twilight Knight?" Eve asked as the two friends walked into town.

Tasu was silent for a moment, in thought. "Hmm...probably William." he answered.

"Really?" Eve asked.

Tasu looked at her. "What?"

"Oh, it's nothing..." Eve said, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "I just pegged you for an Arata fan."

Tasu chuckled. "A sword that can cut through most anything is pretty neat," the fisherman said. "But a sword that drinks blood and heals you? I'll take that any day. What about you?"

"My favorite?" Eve asked. "Um..."

"What? You like them all?" Tasu teased.

Eve grinned at Tasu and shoved him.

"My favorite would have to be...Azkikr, probably." she answered. "But I do like them all!" she quickly added.

"Azk?" Tasu asked.

Now it was Eve's turn to look at Tasu. "What?" she asked.

"How come?" Tasu asked.

"I guess it's because of the story of Azk and the Pagans." Eve answered. "He killed an Agares single-handedly!"

Tasu snorted. "Please!" he said. "That's probably just a myth. Agares' are supposed to have rock-hard skin and lightning like reflexes. I'll bet that story was made up after Azk passed."

"Well, you only say that because-" Eve stopped short as she accidentally walked into a man. The man turned around and looked at Eve. He was an older man, with greying hair and a wrinkling face. Eve recognized him as Brother Hodges, once the local drunk of Sayle until he "saw Hakama's light", as he often said and became a priest of Hakama.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Brother Hodges!" Eve apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going and-"

"Dear girl, I have been looking all over for you!" the priest said, glancing all around him. He grabbed Eve by the arm and pulled her to the side of the cobble street.

"Hey, what are you-" Tasu tried to ask.

"Get over here, young man!" Hodges commanded. "This concerns both of you!"

Confusion was evident on the fisherman's face. He decided to obey, slipping next to Eve.

The priest glanced at the passersby, then brought himself close to the two friends.

"I don't have time to explain myself." Brother Hodges whispered. "You must leave Sayle, immediately!"

Eve and Tasu blinked in surprise. Leave Sayle? Why?

"You must leave!" Brother Hodges said again. "Go somewhere safe, like Swordhaven or Lolosia! Anywhere! Do not tell anyone where you are heading; I don't even want to know!"

"Brother Hodges," Eve asked. "What's gotten into you? What do you mean 'leave'?"

The priest glanced all around him. "Doom lies on the horizon." he said, though it seemed he was talking more to himself than the two young adults in front of him. "He who was thought dead is not dead. He who was thought banished is not banished!"

"The stones!" he suddenly cried, causing Eve to jump in surprise.

"The Doom that lies in the Stones...Doomstones...shadows grow, evil awakens..."

Tasu placed his hands on Eve's shoulders and began to slowly guide her away from the priest's rantings.

"You must leave at once!" Hodges shouted after the fast fleeing friends. "If you perish, all is lost! Flee! Flee Sayle at once!"

Once Eve and Tasu were out of earshot, the two looked at each other in confusion. Doomstones? Shadows? The dead who are not dead? The banished who are not banished?

"You don't think Brother Hodges is drinking again?" Eve asked Tasu.

Tasu shook his head. "I can't say for sure." Tasu said. "He didn't seem drunk, though. He seemed scared." Tasu looked back toward the priest, who was being apprehended by the local guard.

"We must flee!" Tasu heard the priest shout. "Nothing but doom lies in Sayle!"

Tasu looked back at Eve, who was clearly shaken by the priest's rantings.

"Hey, it's all right." Tasu said. "C'mon, it's only a few hours until the festival. Let's find some food and get ready to celebrate!"

Eve smiled. If anything could make her feel better, it would be the Festival of Harmony.

*****

By the time the festival area had finished setting up, the sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon. The festival area was set under a large tent in the center of town, next to the statue of Arata. Vendors had set up shop under the large tent, selling a number of bizarre and exotic items from the farthest corners of Lore. People played music and danced, children ran around pretending to be the Twilight Knights while other children pretended to be Drakath's chaos. At the end of the tent, a large wooden plateform had been set up.

Eve's mother and father walked amongst the various merchants and shops, eyeing anything of interest, which was fine with Eve. Eve and Tasu had spent nearly every Festival together since they were children.

A full hour had passed before someone had taken the wooden stage. Eve didn't recognize this man. He wore lightly colored robes with an odd insignia emblazoned on them, though it was nothing Eve recognized. Normally, Brother Hodges would have taken the stage and told the story of Drakath and the Twilight Knights, but...

Eve shook the thought from her mind. Brother Hodges had become disturbed.

"Good evening!" The man greeted, his voice carrying across the festival area. "My name is Bedra Christophe. Brother Hodges, unfortunately, could not make it tonight. But the stories of old must be told, correct?"

The people in the audience clapped and cheered.

Christophe smiled, then raised his hands to quell the cheering.

"Before we tell the tales of old," he said. "I would like to tell a new tale."

Eve leaned toward Tasu. "A new tale?" she whispered, confused.

Tasu shrugged. "It must be a special show this year." he whispered back. "It is the three-hundredth anniversary, after all."

Eve nodded and sat back, content with that logic.

"This is the tale of the Sacking of Sayle." Christophe said. "It was a terrible tragedy that happened not so long ago. An invading force swept into the small community without a sound, and without warning..."

"The Sacking of Sayle?" Eve asked.

"The invaders were brutal, slaughtering the inhabitants to the man!" Christophe cried, waving his arms about as he did. "The guards were powerless to stop the bloody assault, for the invaders were too crafty and far too powerful! But there was a bright side to this assault! This was the cementing of Lord Korrec's power!"

"Do you know how long ago this bloody massacre took place?" Christophe asked. The audience was silent, not sure what to make of this tale anymore.

Christophe began to laugh. "It was on a night just like tonight!" he cried.

"What in the Nine Hells are you getting at?" one man shouted from the audience.

Christophe smiled evilly at the man, then snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, several armored men appeared out of thin air! Their armor covered them head to toe, and was painted onyx black and pure white. The armored figures rushed forward, tearing into the audience with swords, daggers, maces, and even their bare hands.

The audience screamed. Those that had not been caught in the initial attack began to flee the area.

"Let it be known all throughout Lore that Chaos has returned!" Christophe shouted. "Harmony has been undone! Down with the false gods! Down with Hakama! All hail Talona! All hail Yami! All hail Empousa! All hail Geddon!"

As soon as Christophe finished, a large fireball slammed into the middle of the crowd, tearing through and burning the large tent. Shouts and screams could be heard further into Sayle. The full force was swarming into Sayle! These...things!...were only shock troopers!

Tasu reacted purely on instinct. He jumped to his feet, grabbing Eve and pushing through the screaming crowd.

"Tasu, wait!" Eve cried. "My parents-!"

"There's no time!" Tasu shouted.

"But-!" Eve tried to argue.

Suddenly, an armored figure leapt in front of Tasu, brandishing it's sword menacingly. The armored man growled like an animal, it's gaze never leaving the two.

Suddenly, the creature dashed forward, swiping at the fisherman. Tasu let go of Eve's hand and rolled, his heart beating faster and faster.

"Tasu!" Eve cried.

"Go on without me!" Tasu replied, just barely dodging another wild swing. "Get to the beach! I'll be there soon!"

"But-"

"Go! NOW!" Tasu roared.

Eve's heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest. Blood and flesh flew in the air, covering the air in a thick, sickly red mist. Eve ran through the mob, stumbling over corpses and once slipping in a pool of blood. She climbed back on her feet as fast as she could, her life flashing before her eyes.

As Eve ran through the crowd, a burning pain suddenly arose on her back. Eve howled, then spun around, her eyes widening in fear. An armored creature had taken notice of her! It's small dagger was dripping with a crimson liquid.

Eve tried to run, but the creature was faster. It grabbed the girl by her long hair, and pulled her close. It tilted Eve's head back, exposing her neck.

The creature hissed in obvious delight. It brought the dagger to Eve's throat and...

BLAM!

The creature flew backwards, hit by a sudden burst of white and black magical energy.

Eve looked in the direction of the blast, bewildered.

"Brother Hodges!" she cried in relief.

The priest stood there, hands raised and a magical spell forming on his lips.

"I told you to leave!" he shouted above the carnage surrounding them.

"I-I'm sorry!" Eve cried, tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Nevermind that now!" Hodges roared, casting another spell at an approaching creature. "I need to get you out of here!"

"To the beach!" Eve said, getting close to the priest.

The priest nodded, then grabbed Eve by the hand and quickly led her out of the doomed town.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Fri Dec 31, 2010 11:07 am

:O Whoa! That was awesome! Mysterious soldiers....

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Sat Jan 01, 2011 1:38 am

Woah! Sick story bill, its crazy!

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Sat Jan 01, 2011 10:19 am

I know right! Poor Sayle... :(

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:23 pm

Yeah, bye bye little town :O

Subject: Chapter 3: Chaos Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:09 pm

Eve sat underneath the tree that Tasu had been resting under earlier that day. Though the moon was high in the sky, she couldn't sleep. From where she was sitting, she could see the black plumes of smoke rising from Sayle...her home. Sometimes, if she listened carefully enough, she could hear the echo of a distant scream. What troubled her most, however, was the fact that Tasu had yet to arrive.

Eve stood up and paced in small circles near where she had been sitting. What if Tasu never came back? What if Hodges and her travel back into town tomorrow and discover his body among the deceased? The thought of losing her closest friend was more than Eve could bear.

She looked over to Brother Hodges, who was (somehow) sleeping peacefully under the tree. He had told Eve not to worry, that Tasu was a young man capable of defending himself. Eve had said nothing to that remark, but silently, she scorned the idea. If what that Christophe man had said was true, then the guardhouse had been the first area hit. Hadn't the guards been capable young men?

Eve stopped pacing and stared at the path leading to Sayle, hoping, praying that her friend would come around the bend. She waited for many minutes, believing that Tasu would appear.

When an hour passed with no sign of Tasu, Eve slipped back to the tree and slowly slid to the ground. She brought her knees close to her chest, and crossed her arms over her knees. She laid her head in her arms, a quietly cried herself to sleep.

*****

When Eve awoke, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. She extended her arms and legs in a quick stretch, then allowed them to fall beside her. She glanced all around her and sighed. Brother Hodges was up, quickly surveying the area for any signs of "the enemy". Tasu, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Brother Hodges, hearing her stir, turned to her. "I'm glad you're awake, Evelyn." he whispered. "We need to get out of Sayle as soon as possible. No telling if there are any more of those things around."

Eve was silent. She glanced at the ground.

Brother Hodges sighed, and knelt down beside the distraught girl. "I know Tasu was your friend." he began. "But he sacrificed himself to save you! We should think of him as a hero-"

"I'm glad you two are safe!" a familiar voice called out.

Eve and Hodges eyes lifted toward the direction of the voice. Slowly making his way over to them was Tasu. His light clothing was stained red, and he had a number of small cuts on his face.

Eve jumped up from her seat and rushed to him, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "By the gods, Tasu!" Eve said, tears streaming down her face. "We thought you had died!"

Tasu returned the hug, immensly relieved that his dear friend had not been killed in the attack.

Eve held Tasu out to arm's length, her smile quickly dissapating.

"Where in the Nine Hells have you been?!" Eve cried. "I've been worried sick about you!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Tasu said, surprised by the sudden mood shift. "I couldn't get out of Sayle until this morning. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Tasu brought Eve close again, then turned to Brother Hodges. "I don't know how, Brother, but you were right. We need to leave Sayle, immediately."

Brother Hodges nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

*****

Tasu had informed the group that whoever had attacked last night had left around dawn that morning. The three decided to head back to Sayle, gather their bearings, then head for safety. No telling if those...things...were searching for survivors.

On the way back to town, Tasu explained to Eve that after getting separated from her, he was able to lose the armored warrior in the confused crowd. not sure what to do, he had decided to play dead, lying in a pool of blood and laying very still.

"That's...That's terrible." was all Eve could choke out.

"That's survival." Tasu replied solemnly.

He had laid there for a few hours before making a mad dash to one of the now-empty buildings. Those soldiers hadn't seen him. They were more preoccupied with their work.

"I saw them...gathering bodies..." Tasu said quietly.

Brother Hodges looked aghast at this. "Gathering bodies?!" he echoed, bewildered.

Tasu nodded, looking to the ground.

As the three entered Sayle, Eve spun around and vomited. It was the stench of fresh blood, coupled with the sight of the plaza that made her sick. Eve had heard stories about warriors and heroes and about battlefields stained red with the blood of their enemies...

But she had never seen it.

The once green grass of the plaza was stained sanguine. Pools of blood filled all the little crevasses in the ground. Flies buzzed above the grass and the blood pools and what few dead bodies were left.

Eve turned back toward the town and forced herself to take a step forward. Tasu walked beside her, while Hodges brought up the rear.

Eve felt sick. She felt angry, and trapped, and utterly helpless. Tasu wrapped his arm around her and held her close.

"Just close your eyes." he whispered to her, trying to comfort her.

Eve obeyed, but only for a few seconds. The overpowering stench of iron filled her nostrils. The buzzing of the flies as they feasted rang in her ears. Her eyes shot open. Closing them didn't help.

"Take her to the town's edge." Brother Hodges said to Tasu. "I'll gather a map and what supplies I can."

Tasu nodded, and started to lead Eve out of Sayle. But she wouldn't budge. She broke free of Tasu's grasp and slowly walked to the large statue of Arata. Written in blood at the base of the statue was the word: "Chaos".

Eve jumped slightly when she felt Tasu's hand touch hers. He gently took her hand, and led her to Sayle's edge.

*****

Brother Hodges met them just a few minutes later, carrying a small pack and holding a map.

"We should make our way to Swordhaven." the priest said. "It's probably the safest city on Lore."

"Swordhaven?" Tasu balked. "That's almost sixty miles away. Without horses, it'll take us two weeks to reach it's front gate. If we had horses, we could cut that time in half."

"Any horses still in town?" Eve asked quietly.

Brother Hodges shook his head. He sighed, and lowered his gaze to the ground. "This is all my fault." he said. "If only I hadn't spoken gibberish to you! I was overcome with Hakama's influence and I couldn't tell reality from the vision."

Eve looked at the priest for a moment before walking over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault." she said.

"No one could've known about this attack." Tasu added.

"Hail, good people!" a voice called out.

The three jumped. Brother Hodges lifted his hands and readied a spell.

Two armed men on horses were walking down the road towards Sayle. Their armor bore the crest of the Swordhaven Guard.

"We saw smoke from the road." one of them said as they drew closer. "Do you need assistance?"

The other guard stared at the town in awe. "By the gods..." he uttered. "Sayle's been destroyed!"

Eve, Tasu, and Hodges nodded solemnly.

"We were planning on seeking refuge in Swordhaven." Eve said.

The two guards looked at each other and nodded. "We will escort you there personally." The guard on the left said. "There are many dangers on the road, these days."

"You go on ahead, Hector." the guard on the right said, dismounting his horse. "I want to stay here and investigate."

The other guard, Hector, nodded and motioned for Eve to take his partner's horse. Brother Hodges grabbed the reins and Tasu helped to lift Eve onto the large horse's saddle. As they began to make their way to Swordhaven, Eve turned back and looked for one final time at the city she had grown up in.

And the black scar it had become.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:46 pm

:O Wow Bill! That was a very good read :) Can't wait for the next!

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:39 am

Sayle be gone, and they defaced Arata's statue. :o
Great story bill. =D

Subject: Chapter 4: A Glorious Rebirth Mon May 16, 2011 7:37 pm

The two armored figures moved silently through the brush and undergrow, careful not to disturb anything. They had been warned by their master to never let their guards down, not when they were so close to their goals. The two soldiers knew there would be no people this deep in the forest, but even so, they obeyed.

After all, where they were going was the bane of their ilk.

One of the soldiers stepped on a small branch, a small snap splitting the air. The first armored soldier, the leader, spun around and snarled at it's partner, it's violet eyes glowing brightly underneath it's mask. The second creature hissed, it's violet eyes also resonating. They were too close to their goal. There could be no slip-ups. No mistakes.

They continued on their path in perfect silence, until they reached what they were looking for. It was a withered old arch in the middle of the forest. To the uneducated eye, it was little more than a ruin of a forgotten time. But to these two, and their master, this arch, this gateway, represented so much more.

The first soldier reached into a pouch on his hip and pulled out a strange orb, with orange, pink, and black mists swirling around inside of it. The soldier took aim and threw it, causing the orb to shatter on the top of the arch. The mists swirled together and seemed to be siphoned into the gateway. The runes on the side of the gateway suddenly lit, and an odd sound was suddenly produced by the gate.

The gateway suddenly roared to life, filling the soldier's vision with an odd world that was perpetually covered in twilight.

The creatures hissed in delight. The great Rebirthing would be soon.

*****

"It's over here!" one of the robed ones called out.

The rest of Empousa's worshippers turned, a sudden surge of excitement filling the group. The masked and armored soldiers escorting them hissed in delight as well. Searching the black forests of Darkovia was never an easy thing to do, especially with such a large number of mortals to protect. The soldiers could handle themselves if werewolves or vampires decided to ambush them, but Empousa's mortal followers were not trained for combat, nor would they harm Empousa's blessed children, even if the vampires sought to harm them.

The man who had called out bent over and gave the stone doorway a shove, unable to move it. Whomever had placed this rock had intended to keep people out...or something in.

The masked soldiers hissed at each other and moved to the door. Working together, the soldiers focused their strength and pushed, shoving the rock little by little. It took a little time, but eventually the stone blocker gave way, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

The group descended into the tomb, Darkovia's eternal moon shining behind them. Within the tomb, rested a single stone coffin.

Empousa's worshippers shook with excitement. "Our blood for your child, O Father..." they all murmured.

*****

Deep within the plains of Skullholme, rests the great Mausoleum, where the kings and tyrants of old rest in eternal slumber. Supposidly holy ground, or so the Priests of Chaos had said. But the soldiers paid the warning no heed. The final artifact, the last of the three Doomstones rested within it's cold stone walls, and they intended to retrieve it.

The soldiers pushed the large, ornate doors open and stepped inside, moving in perfect harmony and perfect silence. The group moved quickly, making sure to keep a watch on anything suspicious.

After several minutes of exploring, the soldiers finally located what they were after. A small, azure orb placed within the ornate carving of a coffin.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, and with a quick swipe of his blade, wrenched the artifact free.

The soldier howled. The time was almost here.

*****

The gateway flashed, and the two chaos soldiers landed perfectly on their feet. The creatures hissed as they surveyed the crumbling landscape.

The wind howled as it past over the land, kicking up dust and dirt and scattering it along. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Large pieces of the celestial Luc and Nox littered the land around the crumbling keep and forgotten village.

"For Talona..." the two mumbled, their voices distorted and disonant. The leader pointed at a small piece of Nox that had landed nearby, handing his partner a small sack and a pair of calipers. Their master had told them explicitly never to touch the rock with their bare hands.

The second soldiers simply growled and moved toward the shard, while the first reached into his pocket and produced a gold and onyx ring. The first soldier began uttering some kind of incantation. The second soldier swung it's head around and cackled. It then bent down and picked up a small chunk of Nox and dropped it in the sack.

Meanwhile, the ring had begun to glow and vibrate vigorously. The ring rose into the air and began to spin in place. Wisps of black and purple smoke rushed into the ring, causing the ring to glow brighter.

In a matter of moments, the ring stopped, and fell back into the soldiers hand. The soldier hissed and dropped the ring in it's pocket. The second soldier howled, signalling the first that it was time to go.

Time to return.

*****

The soldiers shoved the top of the coffin, allowing it to fall on the other side with a heavy crash. Within the coffin, lay a very old woman, with tangled grey hair on her head and creases and wrinkles all over her face and arms. The followers of Empousa gathered around the coffin, each muttering a praise to their dark god.

"Allow me to go first." said the man who had discovered the tomb. Several grumbled in annoyance, but none spoke out.

The man moved over to the coffin, his elation growing with each step.

"Lady Vanya, Mistress of the Eternal Night and Champion of Empousa," the man said, taking a knife and slicing his hand. "Let my lifeblood replenish and restore you to your former gl-"

The man never finished. With the scent of fresh blood, the ancient vampire's bloodlust was suddenly awakened. The vampire shot forward, planting her fangs deep into the man's neck. She shook her head violently, tearing the man's jugular apart, and allowing the dark red liquid to stain her face and mouth.

The man slumped to the ground, his look of ecstasy stamped on his corpse. Vanya fell out of the coffin, scrambling to lick up as much blood as she possibly could.

As she did, another follower of Empousa stepped forward, slicing his hand as well. Vanya jumped at him, sinking her fangs deep into his neck and draining him dry in seconds.

With fresh blood coursing through her system, Vanya's wrinkles had begun to vanish. Her grey hairs were slowly turning back to their beautiful chestnut color. Vanya looked up at the worshippers of Empousa, her eyes glowing a fierce crimson.

"More!" she cried.

The vampire tore eight more followers apart before she had fully returned to herself. Blood stained every inch of her body. The wrinkles and creases were gone, as was the grey old hair, replaced by a youthful complexion.

The remaining worshippers fell on their knees. "Hail Empousa!" they cried. "Hail Lady Vanya!"

*****

Korrec sat in his chamber, staring into his scrying stone and grinning. The followers of the Blood God had been successful in restoring Vanya to her former glory. Now, all that remained were-

There was a sudden flash of light from behind. Korrec calmly turned around, his grin widening.

His two Enforcers he had sent to the Twilight Realm had returned. One of the Enforcers held a small sack, while the other held an ornate ring.

"Is the Ring restored?" he asked.

The Enforcers hissed.

Korrec laughed. "Excellent."

The Enforcer stepped forward, placing the ring on Korrec's desk. The second Enforcer stepped forward as well, dumping the contents of the sack on the floor.

Korrec's eyes widened at the sight of the black stone. "Remarkable," he muttered. "How such a small thing could cause such a catastrophic creation."

He looked at the two Enforcers. "Bring me the armor we recovered."

The lead Enforcer hissed and turned to leave.

"And the Blade!" Korrec said. "Shimoyuke should be here as well. It will help jog his memory."

The lead Enforcer hissed once more then left, returning minutes later with an old blue leather armor and an obsidian black blade.

"Excellent..." Korrec breathed. "Now! Both of you. Return to your duties. I wish to be alone."

The Enforcers bowed, then silently left the room. Korrec turned to the black stone on the floor, and held the leather armor gingerly.

Korrec reached for a small blade, and examined the armor. The armor had definetly seen combat numerous times. There was a large number of cuts and patching. Just below the armor's right shoulder, Korrec saw what he was looking for.

The dried blood of the Twilight Knight Arata.

The priest scraped his blade across it, causing flecks of dry blood to fall to the floor.

Landing right on top of the Nox Shard.

The dry blood seemed to suddenly liquify and seep into the black rock. The rock shook violently, suddenly losing it's jet black color and replacing it with an ashen grey. The rock began to mold and seem to become almost like clay. Korrec could see the head of a baby beginning to form, along with the arms and legs. Once the body had formed, the eyes, nose, mouth, ears and black hair appeared.

As these changes happened, another one occured. The baby suddenly began to grow to the size of an eighteen year old boy. The creature before Korrec howled, though out of pain or something else was beyond him.

As the changes finally stopped, the creature looked up at Korrec, it's abyssmal eyes glowing murderously. The naked boy stood up, his gaze never leaving Korrec.

Korrec laughed. "It worked!" he exclaimed. "I hadn't thought it possible, but it-"

The shadowy boy leapt on top of Korrec, his cold hands clamped around the priest's throat.

Korrec fought against the boy, throwing the shadow off of him.

The shadowy boy rolled onto his feet, cackling.

Korrec grabbed Shimoyuke, and held it out to his assailant. The shadowy boy blinked, seeming to register some sort of familiarity.

Korrec grinned. "you know what this is..." he said. "You know who you are!"

The boy grabbed the blade, a sudden surge of memories filling his vision. Yes, he remembered who he was. He remembered the blue haired copy, Drakath, Geddon...everything came flooding back.

The ashen skinned boy took his finger to the blade, the hellish metal splitting his skin open.

He cackled with delight. "Fuketa..." he whispered.

*****

Anselm grasped the succubus by the tail, throwing it to the ground as hard as he could. He leapt on top of it, placing his foot on the struggling creature's throat.

"This ends now!" the lich roared. "I'm going to kill you! That will stop you! Never again! Never again!"

The succubus cackled, changing it's appearance to that of a lovely Drow maiden.

"But Anselm, my sweet..." Lillandra gasped. "What about me? Our child?"

Anselm grasped the sides of his head and screamed. "You aren't real!" he shouted.

"You aren't a monster, Anselm..." the false Lillandra cooed. "This isn't you."

Anselm's yellow eyes glowed intensely. "Die!!!" he cried, stomping on the creature's throat. He stomped again, then again, then again, and again, until nothing but a bloody pulp remained.

Above him, black storm clouds raged. How long had he been here? How long had it been since he had seen the sun of the Material Plane?

The lich spun all around him, trying to remember that day. It hadn't been long after the destruction of the Millenial Gate that Thanatos had ordered his minions to attack the lich. Anselm had taken a beating (surprisingly, he had felt the pain) but he had been able to beat them back. Since then, Thanatos seemed content to simply drive Anselm mad. Most of the torments, Anselm could handle.

But the succubi...they offered the worst torment.

They would pretend to be Lillandra, they would comfort Anselm, and embrace him. Then, they would get themselves killed in some way, or at least, make it look like they were dead.

Anselm had seen Lillandra die countless times. He had his heart broken countless times.

And Anselm had quickly snapped from the awful visions.

Anselm fell on his knees. "Please, great goddess!" he cried "Show me mercy! Please! I-I can't take this anymore!"

*****

Korrec placed the three Doomstones in the divets inside the wall. He grinned. All they needed now was the incantation and the offering of Life. Korrec began the incantation, splashing water on the stones, then throwing dirt. He grabbed a torch and touched it to the wall, then let it's light shine on the stones. He then quickly doused it, allowing darkness to fill the room.

The stones glowed brightly. Korrec turned toward the door.

"The offering! Now!" he commanded.

Two Enforcers walked in, holding a struggling and fearful teenage girl. Try as she might, the Enforcers were more than able to handle her. They moved her to the stones, then held her steady.

Korrec pulled out his small blade. The girl whimpered and silently cried, knowing this was the end.

Korrec slid the blade across her throat. Her lifeblood sprayed the wall, dying it red.

The Enforcers hissed at each other, each grabbing the body and carrying it out of Korrec's chamber.

The stones crackled with energy. Electricity shot out of each stone, colliding in the center of the wall. A small portal suddenly opened up. Korrec laughed. It was small and unstable, but it would for now.

Now, all he had to do was wait.

*****

Anselm spun around. The sound of thunder and lightning boomed from behind him. The lich gasped. Only about forty yards away, was a small portal of light.

Anselm looked around. Was this another of Thanatos' tricks?

A shriek filled the air. Anselm looked up. The succubi were fleeing from the light. In fact, all the creatures were!

"By the gods, a way out!" Anselm cried. The lich leapt to his bony feet and sprinted for the portal, leaping through the small opening as it closed behind him.

Anselm hit the ground and rolled. He glanced all around. He no longer felt the cold of the Abyss.

He looked to Korrec. "Am I...am I free from that nightmare?!" Anselm asked.

Korrec smiled.

Anselm looked behind him. There, standing next to the doorway, stood a beautiful woman, though her eyes gleamed red in the light. Next to her was a boy Anselm felt was oddly familiar. They each glared at each other, sizing each other up.

"Praise be to Talona!" Korrec whispered. "The Rebirthing is complete!"

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Tue May 17, 2011 2:45 am

Hey, I hadn't noticed this story! Read it all now, sounds pretty awesome Bill. Keep it coming :D

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Tue May 17, 2011 8:25 am

darn... I guess this means I can't vaporize Vanya at the end of my story, huh? (Which will be continuing sometime at the beginning of June, once I'm done with school) Anyways, really great chapter Poppeh! Looking forward to more!

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Tue May 17, 2011 12:03 pm

Oh, I'm sorry, Frozen! I probably should have asked how your story ended. :(

Lol, you can still end your story like you wanted to. After all, most of the stories on the clan about the TK conflict in some way.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Tue May 17, 2011 10:16 pm

nah, I didnt have an ending planned out totally yet anyways. I wasnt actually planning on having it end like that anyways, just incase I wanted to write a second one, kinda hard to explain how she got unvaporized

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Wed May 18, 2011 9:45 pm

Woot! Seems like things are getting interesting! Some of the chapter are pretty reminiscent of ice heart :D

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Thu May 19, 2011 3:44 am

Bringing back the baddest of the bad I see, and anselm.

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Thu May 19, 2011 8:14 pm

Imo the old Twilight Knights are gonna have to play a role in this somewhere. I mean if all the old bad guys are coming back...

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Thu May 19, 2011 8:16 pm

Well it's more like their descendants as the main characters, like tasu is aratas descendent

Subject: Re: Legend Reborn Fri May 20, 2011 12:01 am

Oh yeah, sounds awesome.