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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
| + | #REDIRECT [[ADanceOfAngels]] |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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| − | == Fate of Broken Stars ==
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| − | | |
| − | The calm between storms.
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| − | | |
| − | Alexsei has been inside Whiteshield. In its fringe. He knows what is waiting for them.
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| − | It has been four days. Cael's magic permeates the camp now. Things are faster. Better. As soon as he begun to take care of it, the organization improved in ways only a Chosen of the Sun could - finding routes, places, people... all minute mistakes that slowed things down, and correcting them.
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| − | | |
| − | New dead still arrived, however rarely, from the villages closer to the camp. The Celebrant had passed close enough to the place, and despite the fact she used most of the villages she torched as... ''raw material'', some were always left. Those that run, and that Garm did not find and eat. There was peace behind the watchers of Whiteshield, but it was the peace of a grave.
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| − | | |
| − | Five new ones had been found today - they had run, but did not last, and died in the cold wilderness.
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| − | | |
| − | They had to be attended to.
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| − | | |
| − | The graveyard of the Windian camp was down below - birds rest on the earth. Far above, the Windian camp stands, sinuous stars, and a more safe raft, leading wingless people like Alexsei up and down. Far above, he could hear the songs of the Last Windmills, the Watchers on the Whiteshield side. Windians flew far above, in training and patrol.
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| − | | |
| − | This far down, only the graves, and the sound of the nearby brook...
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''The whispers of the dead float on the wind, ignored and unheard by those unwilling to listen. This place... this place is heavy with their whispers. They feel the urge to tell you of themselves, of their stories... I Remember. This is my duty, and my commitment. ''
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| − | | |
| − | The wind rushes through his hair, dark tendrils of raven feathers brushing against his face as he peers once more at the heavy leather book in his hands. The wind, the graves... And the sound of a quill on paper.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Gerhalt Skoll. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Maesilin Derenils. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Lusterio Derenils. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Alsernon Brengs. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Marisa Selphis. ''
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| − | | |
| − | As he scribes each name in the book, he utters a short prayer to Saturn for the safe passage of the departed one's souls to Lethe. He takes the time to look at each grave, saying the names aloud to commit them to memory, to prove that they existed, that they were not merely a pinch of dust to be buried and forgotten.
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| − | | |
| − | He closes the heavy book, and his violet eyes close for one more moment, the breeze caressing him as if thankful of his presence.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Go on in peace with your eternal sleep, Children of Creation. Go safe in knowing that even though you have departed, and even though no one is left to mourn you... I will remember your names, and the fact that you were part of this great Tapestry. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''I will remember you. ''
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| − | | |
| − | * Alexsei feels it, once again.<br><br>Coming. Danger. Fast. Very, very, very fast!
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' His quiet mourning his interrupted by the familiar pang of his heightened awareness of the strands of fate. ''Danger. Now! ''
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| − | | |
| − | He does not think. In a flash of purple Essence, the precious time is back in its book bag and a Ceremonial staff crafted of Starmetal materializes in his hand. He spins around, barely disturbing the soil as he takes on a defensive stance, his hair a cape of ebony accentuing the graceful movement.
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| − | | |
| − | Violet, red and black, the Guardian of the Dead makes his stand.
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| − | | |
| − | ''This is a sacred place, and a sacred moment. I will not allow them to be troubled more. ''
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| − | | |
| − | His voice is firm, bolstered by the wind as he becomes their ambassador, the chosen speaker of the dead.
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| − | | |
| − | "Who desires to breach in the sacred rest of the Departed?"
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| − | | |
| − | * Out of Nowhere, come the Feathers. Too many of them. Filling the air, falling all over Alexsei.<br><br>A figure comes, faster than the eye can follow, landing on the water of the brook, splashing everywhere. His skin is the darkest hue of violet. It is translucent like a marble, and inside one can see dots that are many broken stars. Stardust is the insides of the marble, seen on his hands and face. His eyes are like a hawk’s, place oddly in his face, and white. Clear, undifferentiated white. His hair cascades down his back in a deep midnight hue, and at times seems to become as feathers. Two great wings of amethyst crown his back, and its feathers drip ashes and dust every so often. He is covered in a glossy silken robe, heavier than it looks, covered in elaborate mandalas, within them, if one looks for long, the imagery of stars burning out...<br><br>"... hello, Blackbird."<br><br>"Remember me?"
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' The feathers barely miss him, and he falls back slightly to remain balanced, maintaining a defensive stance.
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| − | | |
| − | Standing in waters of the brook, a being whose very presence inspires respect. His feet shift slightly, and Epilogue sings in his hand. His face hardens as he examines the man in front of him, a vision of awe and fear at the same time.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Whoever that is, he feels incredibly''' ancient'''. And... he seems to know... ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Me? Blackbird? ''
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| − | | |
| − | "I am afraid I don't, sir. I have a long memory, but I am not certain we have been acquainted yet."
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| − | | |
| − | ''A threat from the past, perhaps? I have to stay on my toes... ''
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' "You.... do not remember me? Oh."<br>
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| − | The white eyes narrow. The amethyst wings cross through the water and rocks. Things die.<br>
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| − | "I have changed... ''much'' after all."<br>
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| − | "But you... you have not changed a ''bit''!"<br>
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| − | "Just the face I kill in my dreams."
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| − | | |
| − | His features change then... slightly... and induce... memory. Of this life. In Sijan. The undead Horde. Illun. The necromancer who wished to take so many of the First Age graves. He remembers. The Necromancer stood atop of them all. Shadows came to life around her, and her Great Dead. And with the Necromancer... a mortal. A bodyguard. Sporting the best weapons the Necromancer could give him, sustained by her power.
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| − | | |
| − | Alexsei passed through the man like he was so much wind.<br>
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| − | And brought the end of the Necromancer, to that threat to Sijan. One of many...
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| − | | |
| − | The avian features return.
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| − | | |
| − | "The Blackbird of Sijan."<br>
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| − | "You took my great chance of glory away. You took mistress away."<br>
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| − | "I would love to do the same to you. But I got all this power, and it came with a price."
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| − | | |
| − | He begins walking towards Alexsei... and he is Always There. Everywhere. Nowhere. "This price is a message from Sifu Ten Thousand Virtues, for when Wayang eats your eye. It is : ''Keep the Bier out of the North. ''"
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''So this is who you are. And that is how you know this name. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''Sijan. ''
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| − | | |
| − | Few knew about his time there, in the Convention of Wood. The battles. The perpetual war with the creatures of the Black Chase. Iluun and Gaijutsu, his companions. Blood spilled, friends lost, victories and defeat, purification and desecration.
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| − | | |
| − | He recalls the servants of the Necromancer. Mortals promised great things and following her willingly, throwing all their might in her following. Those were the worst targets, the ones that were not forced to serve in the undead armies, but rose against their living brethrens out of choice...
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| − | | |
| − | He remembers this battle. the armies of undead massing around them, Gaijutsu cutting a path among the zombies and nemissaries alike as Iluun supported him with sorcery. He remembers the corridor they digged for for him, holding the walls of the massing forces like Sorcerers splitting a great sea, and his running in this temporary trench to reach the leaders of the troops. He remembers the lady's bodyguards massing around him, waiting to cut him down to prevent him from reaching her.
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| − | | |
| − | He cut them down then, one by one, a macabre dance of black silk and Starmetal, the loose threads flailing around him, like tendrils of violet essence reaching for the Heavens.
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| − | | |
| − | That was his mistake, then. He should have seen their souls to Lethe. He should have sent them properly... But he didn't, and now this one was twisted beyond recognition.
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| − | | |
| − | Oh, he had seen war. And he swore that he would not allow such conflicts to perpetrate with the strength they did, back there.
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| − | | |
| − | His eyes fill with... regret? As he gazes upon the twisted form of the messenger. The mention of Ten Thousand Virtues bothers him immensely, even though he expected the traitorous Chosen to resurface one day or the other, given his connection to recent events. He inwardly curses the name, the one that turned his back on his duty and on Creation, seeking its End since times immemorial. This one, this Messenger, twisted and broken, was one of his apparent disciples, a pawn in his game to unravel the Threads and unmake the Tapestry of Creation.
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| − | | |
| − | ''But he would not allow it. ''
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| − | | |
| − | "If you do remember me, Deadwalker, you must also remember that I will not bow down to the threats of your people. I am sorry I sincerely sorry failed you, back in Sijan. I should have made the end clean and swift, but I did not. As for your message... Your infamous master may be one of the people I truly fear in this world, Messenger..."
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| − | | |
| − | "But if he wants to stop me, he shall have to come and cut my thread himself."
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' His eyes are bleeding tears of blood. Alexsei had not noticed that before, but he was as he arrived.
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| − | | |
| − | He begins to beat his wings, and fly up.
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| − | | |
| − | "That, Blackbird..."
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| − | | |
| − | "... I will be '''honored''' to do for him!"
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| − | | |
| − | The Amethyst wings curl.<br>
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| − | Ashes fall from them, forming elaborate patterns in the air.<br>
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| − | The assassin should not have talked, simply killed.<br>
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| − | But he had to. He had to let Alexsei ''know''. And now...<br>
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| − | The assassin is ready.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''And so you move. Let us finish what should have been done, back there in Sijan. ''
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| − | | |
| − | He holds his hand in front of him, and dashes to one of the nearby trees, his senses bolstered by the rush of the Battle Maiden. Wings. Must counter the advantage... His swift steps bring him to his destination, and with a great leap he begins his ascension.
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| − | | |
| − | As he jumps, he forces himself to recall the footwork of one of the katas he learned under Laisdach in Yu-Shan, commending every move of his feet to memory before he firt touches the trunk. Closing his eyes, he lets his momory and ''feel'' guide him in his ascension, his limbs now operating as if he was in trance. Each step of the dance-like motion finds a branch, a knot, a twist - every possible point of balance useable to propel himself upwrad. He twists and turns, twirling as every single movement of his feet pushes him towards the top of the great tree.
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| − | | |
| − | He pivotates as he reaches a suitable branch, his right feet sliding soundlessly across the surface of the tree as his body finds the necessary equilibrium to balance himself on the great appendage. He opens his eyes then, hodling one hand forward as he slides Epilogue, now broken down in seven sections, behind his back.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Resting Souls, help me in my struggle - Be my sword and my shield against one of the defilers. ''
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' Alexsei comes to the top of the tree, and the Starbreaker continues to ascend. His Wings begun to move in impossible ways. They cut patterns in the air. Alexsei sees the patterns, and recognizes them as what they are not. The patterns are anathema to fate, but not in the way of something outside of it. He begins to break it.
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| − | | |
| − | To break all the fate around him.
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| − | Feathers unfurl. Violet light explodes. The stars break all around him, some of their dust falling... and some, whirling around the Starbreaker. Fate screams in the voices of dozens of Maidens.
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| − | | |
| − | He says something. Alexsei does not listen.
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| − | | |
| − | In the center of the broken Fate storm, Alexsei can barely even place him... as it expands... and expands...
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' The feathers unfurl.
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| − | | |
| − | From within a storm of broken stars, they come. Six of them.<br>
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| − | Six deadly daggers of the purest Amethyst.<br>
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| − | Slicing through Fate.<br>
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| − | Through all of Alexsei's senses.<br>
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| − | Out of mind, out of sight,<br>
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| − | Relentlessly towards his heart.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' His senses are overwhelmed as the pattern breaks, covering his opponent in a blanket of interference. And because of the fate lash, he spots the thrown weapons... Too late.
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| − | | |
| − | They come at him, then, and he struggles to remain on even ground, to keep things from slipping out of his hand. Channeling the Essence of Endings into Epilogue, he resumes his dance on the branch of the tree.
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| − | | |
| − | He brings the weapon up to meet the blows, one by one, the violet aura tracing a pattern that spells the Mark of Saturn as they cut the paths of four of the feathers coming his way. Two more come his way, and his face twists in a mask of determination.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Spirits in Rest, I am your Guardian! Do not let me fail! Please, lend me your support! ''
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| − | | |
| − | His prayer still on his lips, he leaps back in an attempt to step out of the way of the remaining feathers. It was his duty, his sacred task. He could not allow himself to fail.
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| − | | |
| − | ''He would not fail. ''
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| − | | |
| − | His blood stain the wood of tha branch, and he falls... again.
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| − | For a moment, his mind forms an apology, a sorrowful plea of forgiveness to all the fallen he could not defend, even in all his good intention. Again, he found himself on the verge of the fall, one hand holding his wound as he feels the flow of blood rising in his throat.
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| − | | |
| − | ''And yet I have to live... You will not take me down. Not now, not yet. I am sorry, sleeping spirits... I am sorry. But I will return. ''
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| − | | |
| − | His thoughts turn to the ring he wears, his thoughts rushing to formulate the thought as quickly and concisely as possible. "Ryshasa... I need your help. I am... I am in danger, and I don;t believe I can... survive... on my own..."
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| − | | |
| − | ''Follow my lead, beloved. Follow your instincts. ''
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| − | | |
| − | "I will... not go down yet... Messenger. Tell... your master... I send my regards."
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| − | He puts a hand to the tree, his senses focusing on the unbroken threads around him. He takes a second to follow the way the stands lead, where they form a stronger knot he could use as a shield, and, bracing himself, drops down the tree with as much grace he can muster in his state.
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| − | | |
| − | He whirls upon himself as he lands, his blood an offering to the land where the dead rest. He takes a sharp breath, and dashes for the cover of the woods, for the shield of strands he so desperately needs.
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| − | | |
| − | ''I... cannot.... fail! ''
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| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' The storm of Fate around him vanishes as he comes closer. Laughing.
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| − | | |
| − | "The Blackbird of Sijan... Alexsei Krauser... I survived all those years, I sold my soul for power... and you fall THAT fast? Come ON!"
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| − | | |
| − | The predator glides down.<br>
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| − | Claws dig into the tree Alexsei had just perched onto...<br>
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| − | And break it.<br>
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| − | He is there then, swinging a piece of a large tree around.
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| − | | |
| − | "I could take this and crush you to death, little Sidereal. I was ''made'' for it." a sharp movement, and he sends the trunk away, falling dramatically over the river. "But I was made to fight a much stronger man. Age has weakened you, old man... but me... I have come to the top now! And you..."
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| − | | |
| − | "''I can see you! ''"
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| − | | |
| − | Another flurry of feathers. Four of them, clearer now, but just as sharp....
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' He feels the blades going at him, and he thanks the Maidens for his heightened awareness. Turning around in a flash, he weaves a spider web of purple light, removing their threatening paths from his fate and protecting his life.
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| − | | |
| − | "When I was... a young pupil... Our masters taught us that... gloating is better when the job is actually ''finished''."
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| − | | |
| − | He rushes for the deeper woods, his steps guided by the flows of the Pattern, his awareness of them replacing his eyes and ears.
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| − | | |
| − | ''If I can only... hold on for a little bit... I can make it... Please... Ryshassa.... ''
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' He saw the violet light. Stronger and stronger. The Windians far below would come, but he was faster than any and all of them.
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| − | | |
| − | He was bleeding the Blackbird dry, he could see it.
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| − | | |
| − | "It is, Blackbird."<Br>
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| − | "It is."
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| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa hears Alexsei's call -- and runs. She speaks no words, simply drops what she is doing, any conversation she might have been having. Sprints through the halls of the Zephyr on hastily slippered feet, her belladonna-shaded over-robe billowing behind her. Passes by faces bewildered and confused by her sudden rush, offers no words of apology or explanation. Runs, following the beacon of Alexsei's mind-voice. Runs, seeking the distant flame of her lover's heart.
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| − | | |
| − | The healer bursts out through the entrance into the cold morning light. Closer now. Closer. The slippers are awkward, and she kicks them off purposefully, calling upon her Essence to suffuse her skin with hardiness that belies its pale fragility. On the rough snow-dusted ground she runs, ivory kimono bunched against her thighs, the chill temperature but a vague consideration in her adrenaline-charged mind. The golden serpent-twined shaft of the Caduceus cuts a path through the air close behind her, obedient and oblivious to her concern.
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| − | ''Please, beloved! Fight to live! I will not fail you, but you must hold on! '' She can feel him, his life-force dwindling, far below where her bare toes tread upon the chill earth, far below the cliff upon which the Zephyr is parked and nestled. But how she will get there is insignificant compared to whether she will get there on time.
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| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''All things must eventually come to an end. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''But by Saturn, '''not this day. ''' ''
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| − | Alexsei continues his rush through the woods, passing branches and shrubs, stumps and plants in a desperate attempt to escape his pursuer, and put natural defenses between them. He had to survive, for himself, for his goals, for Creation... And for Her.
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| − | | |
| − | Ryshassa's words filter through the ring on his finger, bolstering his will and determination. Biting through the pain and the exhaustion, he lets her voice fill him with a strong survival instinct, his hand tightening on Epilogue as he continues to dive deep in forested ground.
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| − | | |
| − | ''The Blackbird of Sijan. The Threadcutter of the Black Chase. Feared enemy of the dead and their servants, and devoted soldier in the wars against their corruption. ''
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| − | | |
| − | ''And another name, one he had sought to leave behind after Sijan... ''
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| − | He strives to remember those days now, days where he had to hang on to life like he was now. Days spent bleeding and running and fighting, days spent hanging on to life to make sure many more would also have this priviledge. He was a trooper then, and that is what he needed to remember this instant. He had to recover this bite, this edge he used to had and locked away in fear and regret, never to be looked upon again.
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| − | | |
| − | But for the sake of all he held dear, for the sake of his loved ones, for the sake of Creation, he had to remember.
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| − | | |
| − | And, by all means, he would not die on this day.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' More of the feathers flew, clearing the underbrush. The Starbreaker flickered - he was in front of Alexsei, then behind him, pushing him back to camp... smiling.
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| − | | |
| − | Smiling.
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| − | | |
| − | "I had ngihtmares with you killing my friends."<br>
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| − | "I saw your face on every punching dummy I had."<br>
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| − | "All... these... years..."
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' The words of the grotesque bird-man stike true, as Alexsei remembers killing the servants of the dead. A slayer, cutting them down for the sake of greater good. He saved innocent from the madmen's powers and influence... But who would save the madmen from themselves?
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| − | | |
| − | As the feathers come towards him, singing in the wind and along the threads of Fate, memories overwhelm him. So many lives lost, so many lives he took - the reason why he wanted to leave that past behind him. But the Past will not let him rest, not leave him be, not let him escape. It was his shadow, following his every move, ready to appear at every corner of every street of every city. As the feathers scream towards him, he realizes he has to unite his being, to accept all he is, to allow himself to be his true self without holding back, or worrying he will never be accepted, or remembered, or loved.
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| − | | |
| − | When the bolws come, he channels the Essence of Saturn, and in turn each of his selves meet with the blow. One feather for each of the parts of Alexsei Krauser, each time parried in purple essence that bleeds like blood from the smoth surface of Epilogue. Each one met by one source of his being.
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| − | | |
| − | ''One for the Slayer. '' <br>
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| − | ''One for the Teacher. '' <br>
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| − | ''One for the Dreamer. '' <br>
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| − | ''One for the Martyr. '' <br>
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| − | | |
| − | Together, as one, they will triumph.
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| − | | |
| − | And with Her help, he will live.
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| − |
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| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' The sheer drop from the cliff to the forest below looms ominously at Ryshassa's relentless approach. She does pause, this time -- a short, shuddering breath as her toes teeter at the very edge. A mere reflex, left over from a mortality so distant now from her being.
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| − | | |
| − | It is a long, long way down.
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| − | | |
| − | It is too much to simply comprehend it. She can only '''do''', and the sound of Alexsei's voice in her mind is more urgent with every second. Another surge of Essence, and her slight, slender form is further bolstered to endure what shafts and shards of matter may pierce her body as she falls.
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| − | | |
| − | For fall she does, her arms spread wide as she lifts the violet over-robe, emblazoned with the sylph-like images of butterflies on tulips, to catch the air in the cloth as the greedy pull of gravity claims her.
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| − | | |
| − | "Alexsei!" she cries aloud, her mind-voice echoing the syllables torn from her mouth by the screaming winds of her descent. "I am coming for you!"
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' He came closer now.
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| − | | |
| − | Dispelling all of the underbrush with his bare hands.
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| − | | |
| − | And then, his claws went straight to Alexsei's head, to grab it...
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| − | | |
| − | "Screw professionalism. I am going to crush you in my hands."
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' And in that moment, only for a short, fickle moment, he feels whole again. Like forgotten dreams resurging into memory after staying so long under the surface, enlightening the mind with precious insight.
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| − | | |
| − | But the moment cannot hold forever, and he is still trapped. Trapped between a hostile environment and an even more hostile adversary, one that spent years preparing for this moment. And, as he backs away into the forest, drawying his last ounces of strength to pull himself away from this deadly vise, the Chosen of Endings cannot help but realize how one sided things often are.
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| − | | |
| − | He had cut the man down years ago. He never learned the man's name. He had never paused, never reflected again on his deed, never turned back. He faced him, severed his thread, and walked away. He forgot about him, and he went on with his life.
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| − | | |
| − | But this man never forgot. He was brought back, and seethed for revenge. He wanted HIM dead with all his being. For him, he was not just another face in the crowd, he was the Blackbird of Sijan. He was the one who took everything away from him. To the Starbreaker, Alexsei was a reason to stay alive.
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| − | | |
| − | ''You and I are the same, killer. Both working for our ideals, both shedding blood for what we believe in -- and both condemned to be forgotten. ''
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| − | | |
| − | A scream comes from the air, from his ring, from all around - and his minfd sings, his heart explodes, his being resonates. Ryshassa. ''I am here, Ryshassa. Just... just a little more... just a little longer... ''
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| − | | |
| − | He would do his best to hold on. The stakes were too high, and the responsibility too great. Surrounded in a web of his own fate strands, weaved years ago in the City of Th Dead, he continues to push back, meeting the gaze of his opponent with the cold determination of one whose purpose is to oversee departures.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' The Starbreaker pushed back, then...
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| − | | |
| − | "Just fall already!"
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| − | | |
| − | There was a hundred and one ghostly reflections of his wings in the air. A hundred and one came towards Alexsei, their fate connected with his pain.... a hundred and one, and only one is real.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa plummets from the apex of her dive, building speed at an alarming rate, buffeted by cold, angry winds that threaten to dash her frail-seeming body against the towering cliff face. The rush is both frightening and exhilarating, the wind in her ears roaring like some great elemental beast, the pulse of her pounding heart reaching a frenzied crescendo as the blood surges to the back of her head.
| |
| − | | |
| − | But she does not lose consciousness. She does not look away, even as the forest canopy rises up to meet her, the great coniferous trees stretching up like needle-laden lances to run her body through. By instinct much less than practice, she wraps her arms in front of her face as she penetrates through the snow-laden boughs, leaving the overrobe tangled far above her. Her body hurtles through the branches with such force they snap upon her Essence-hardened flesh, slowing her descent just barely.
| |
| − | | |
| − | She closes her eyes, letting out not even a cry of pain, as she finally hits the ground.
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| − | | |
| − | The earth ripples, nearly erupts with the impact, a great golden light emerging from the point of contact. A brilliant explosion of Essence, merging from gold to rosy hues of dusk to the purple of twilight -- the purple of belladonna blossoming riotously upon her inert form, stretching their gold-veined petals like butterfly wings. The petals take to the air as she rises, a cloud of phantasmal blossom-flies that spread to fill the surrounding air with shimmering sunset shades. She is alive. She will not be broken. Not while her husband suffers so sharply in need of her.
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| − | | |
| − | Undaunted, Ryshassa urges her legs forward, the Caduceus still miraculously by her side. She cannot stop moving. Ahead of her now -- her goal is so near. She sees clearly now the surge of darker, muted violet that marks indelibly the presence of her beloved. And something more, something sinister... an angry, hate-filled, ominous winged presence that is hell-bent on throttling the last ounce of life from his body.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''"No!" '' she screams desperately, as her legs carry her furiously to their deadly struggle.
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| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' He pushes back the blow, somewhat with difficulty. His reserves are running low, and if he was not one who dealt with conclusions every single day, despair would get a hold of him.
| |
| − | | |
| − | But he would not yield. He still had some fight left in him. He just needed to hold for a little more... Only a little more...
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| − | | |
| − | Ryshassa's voice echoes once more in his ears. His thoughts through the ring are more... calm. Resolute. Unshaken.
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| − | | |
| − | ''Yes, beloved... come to me, Ryshassa. I am close... Please, beloved. Just one step further... ''
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| − | | |
| − | As the second attack comes towards him, he lets himself get immersed in Saturn's will. ''Just like back then. I am the instrument of your Judgement. '' For this short moment, he is the end. The images of his killer surround him, and he ralizess he will not be able to parry all of them. Only one matters.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Only truth matters. Then, by Saturn... Let there be '''truth. ''' ''
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| − | | |
| − | Epilogue collapses back into a smooth, full Staff as he traces a symbol in the air, in front of him. From the end of the great weapn, Violet Essence weeps - tears of violet dripping from the silver and bloodston rings, and filling a pattern, suddenly making Alexsei's weapon look like a Great scythe, its blade entirely made of Purple tears.
| |
| − | | |
| − | A Scythe made of Sorrows and Ends.
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| − | | |
| − | Closing his eyes, Alexsei chooses not to parry the attack itself - but the threat that slithers towards him on the strands of destiny. With a swift, graceful movement, he cuts the threads of the attack, preventing this future to come to pass, aborting him before it brings him harm.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Opening back his eyes, he stares back at the one trying to take him down, his eyes shimmering, the deep violet of his irises burning into the assassin's soul as his voices resonates like the heavy whisper of a grave.
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| − | | |
| − | "My end does not lie here this day, Assassin. Your thread has been reattached to this world, but this is a false fate. It will not last. Saturn speaks her will to me, Speaks her will through me. I am her voice."
| |
| − | | |
| − | The name resurfaces, shattering the locks of a past once chained far away.
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| − | | |
| − | "I am Alexsei Krauser, the Black Wing of Conclusion."
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| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' A hundred and one.
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| − | | |
| − | And all fall.
| |
| − | | |
| − | His eyes narrow. That was him, yes. The scythe.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Yes, you are."<br>
| |
| − | "''Now'' I see the man of my nightmares."<br>
| |
| − | "Monster."<br>
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| − | "Killer."<br>
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| − | "Wing of opression."
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| − | | |
| − | He looked up... and saw. They were coming. The windians were coming.
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| − | | |
| − | He heard her voice, the crashing on the woods with it.
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| − | | |
| − | There was a ''Solar'' there.
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| − | | |
| − | ''His goddamn '''wife! ''' ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Well... I have no time to actually kill ''you'' and fend of a ''Solar''."
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''And he will kill me...he will kill me if I fail... except... pehaps... ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | He turns to Ryshassa.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I could kill her, you know. Just like you did to mistress. Kill her, take all you love."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Yess..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He disappears.<br>
| |
| − | A flash of violet.<br>
| |
| − | A claw going towards Ryshassa at full speed, trying to catch her as he goes, to fly away...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You are coming with '''me! '''"!
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa's eyes widen but a second as the winged thing lifts itself from Alexsei and comes clawing at her. But she is not shocked or afraid -- it is ''relief'' that surges through her, for the distraction she has caused. Her eyes can see clearly that Alexsei is deeply hurt, despite all the determination with which he stands clutching his staff of Endings.
| |
| − | | |
| − | To the Starkiller, she offers neither a smile of courageous certainty nor a cry of fear and dismay. It is but silence she gives -- as around her the dusky shades of twilight burst anew, petal-like wings arcing triumphantly behind her, membranous and pulsing with Essence. They shatter into a million petal-winged shards, belladonna butterflies settling upon her flesh and the golden length of the Caduceus as it swings sharply forward to tangle itself in his outstretched claws.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''It will be all right, beloved--even if he takes me--just '''live'''! ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' He got her by her clothes, and turned back to Alexsei one last time.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Oh, and just so you know... the name of the man who will kill you."
| |
| − | "Who will take away all you love."
| |
| − | "Name's '''Arioch, the Starbreaker'''!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | With that, he took her by the collar, and begun to fly away, the Windians already flying down...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa's expression grows sharp as Arioch lifts her by the collar into the air.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "This is the best you can do?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | She looks decidedly unafraid. Almost -- disgusted, the expression strange on her normally gentle features.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You would take me from my beloved? You think you can grind my life to the ground and take your sweet revenge?"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "You think it would be so easy?!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | She seems surprisingly indignant, drawing herself up in his grip as she is suspended in the air, her head held high. "I am frail in form but I am NOT easily destroyed! My heart still beats and it beats for my love of life and the life of my love! I came to save his life and you are distracted by me?!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Well you have done just as I desired!" she cries, her eyes bright with triumph. "He will live and I will not allow you to kill me!"
| |
| − | | |
| − | As she distracts him with her words, egging him on to drop her, her fingers work deftly at the sash of her kimono to free herself from its confines.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''Alone. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''And only because of his own hubris. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | He hisses and rushes forward, ignoring the wounds, ignoring the pain... His chest flares in agony, but he still pursues. His determination is fueled by anger and desperation, and a scream catches in his throat as his beloved wife is taken away by the man he once cut down.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Punished, for his own sins. Her that had never taken a life before. He almost breaks down then, almost gets eaten by his own sorrow... But he will not stop. He will not give up.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Even if he has to run through a thousand miles in the thundra, he will not stop. ''<br>
| |
| − | ''Even if he has to cross mountains and cliffs and chasms that would break a man, he will not stop. ''<br>
| |
| − | ''Even if he has to run for centuries, never sleep, never eat, never rest, he will not stop. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Ryshassa! ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | His soul cries, and the Essence of Endings weeps with the sorrows of a thousand years. But he has not said all he could yet. He will not let this happen. Not after he struggled so much to survive. Not after he spent so much of himself trying to live and be with her. This would not come to pass. This would '''not'''.
| |
| − | | |
| − | And the wounded Chosen pushes on, determined to win back the woman he loves... Captured and suffering because of ''his'' actions.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He witnesses her fall, and he commits the location to memory - and, with all the speed he can muster, he speeds through the wilderness...
| |
| − | | |
| − | ''Towards Her. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Starbreaker: ''' She opens the sash. She is free.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He holds to a kimono as she falls, and snarls.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He ''almost'' goes back for her... but lighting stops him. Dorian Tierney, flying ahead of the other Windians, lighting crackling around him, burning the trees all around as he misses. Arioch curses... and flies away, evading the Windian pursuit masterfully, holding to Ryshassa's kimono...
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' Ryshassa's slender form is nude but for scant lavender lace underneath as she plummets to the icy brook below. The chrysalis revealed, her body so frail and vulnerable in its state of undress that it seems nothing at all the unbreakable flesh that withstood the impact of the cliff dive. She seems but a maiden now, lily-white and pure, a lady so fragile and precious as to be treasured by the man who loves her like a parched throat loves liquid.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Below her, moving faster than his battered body should have managed, she sees Alexsei swiftly approaching -- and reaches her arms out for him as she dives, crying out in joyous love and relief to be reunited with him...
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Beloved!"
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' ''She's safe. Safe. ''
| |
| − | | |
| − | The pain burns inside him, tearing him apart, making him want to drop to his knees, to pass out, to let go. But he will no allow himself to yet - only his will and determination push him forward, only his desire keep him on his feet. And as he sees her safe, the pangs of pain seem a little bit more... bearable.
| |
| − | | |
| − | He reaches out for her then, answering her call as she falls near him, and he positions himself to break her fall by nestling her in his arms. In a moment, Epilogue vanishes, this time accompanied by the pained voices of the sorrowful dead as it dematerializes from the Chosen's hands. He takes a deep breath, and braces himself for the impact to come.
| |
| − | | |
| − | And come in does, as the almost-naked form of Ryshassa touches his arms and body with a forceful impact. The hit is enough to drop him to his knees, wincing in pain as he still struggles to hold her above the shilly waters of the brook. His breath is labored, his lungs burning, and his world fazing as he almost slips into unconsciousness... But she is there. She is there, and that is all taht matters.
| |
| − | | |
| − | As the adrenaline rush leaves his body, the pains of everything he had endured this evening returning to his body, leaving him shaking in the agony of one close to the Gates of the dead. He does manage to whisepr to her, however, as he holds her slender, shivering form against him with drained arms.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "Beloved... Ryshassa... I... I am so glad... to see you..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He holds her closer, and she can feel the shake in his arms and legs as he gently cradles her. His head feels heavy, and his blood warms his ebony robes - but for now, that is with much love and relief that the Black Wing of Conclusion softly smiles through the pain.
| |
| − | | |
| − | '''Ryshassa: ''' As Ryshassa wraps her arms around her husband, she presses his vital warmth to him, supporting him with her weight even as he collapses to his knees in weariness. His blood stains her bare skin, stark red on alabaster white, but her thoughts are only on him as she kisses him, deeply and urgently, tasting the blood in his mouth, tasting the pain that suffuses him. She draws those angry, bleeding lines of hurt into her very being; the stains on her flesh blossom underneath with dark, ugly bruises, black and blue and violet, as she liberates him of his wounds.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I...it is I who should be relieved... you were so gravely wounded, and still..." Though she has transferred all but a minor cut from his once-ravaged flesh, she can still feel the poison pulsing within, and her face is ashen with worry renew. "Just a moment longer and you could have been killed! That thing, that... Arioch..." She holds him to her more closely, lapsing into silence for the moment, gathering her strength once more to take the poison, shivering with cold and the ebbing adrenaline of her capture and fall.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "...why?" is all she manages to whisper after that.
| |
| − |
| |
| − | '''Alexsei: ''' He takes off his mantle, wrapping it around her shoulders as she so benevolently heals him. He gazes deeply into her eyes, allowing her to be his support, to care for him and take away what nearly killed him.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "It was..." Alexsei's eyes cloud momentarily, memories of the exchange still fresh on his mind. "In... In Sijan, beloved. I... I fought against undead, and a necromancer lady... That was..." He takes a deep breath, and the moment where he cut through the mortal man passes behind his eyes. "He was a servant of this lady. A mortal. I... I cut his thread, Ryshassa. I struck him down. And I killed his mistress..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "I failed him. I failed him by not sending him when his time has come. I... I cut him without remorse, and now he is back, with much hate and contempt. He... wants me dead, and he wats to take what I took form him."
| |
| − | | |
| − | Worry creased his brow as he closes his eyes and winces in pain at Ryshassa's healing. "I... I will need to find a way to fight him, beloved. He will not give up. He will not let go. He is a threat, and he will have to be removed..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | "And I will make sure to ease his woul, this time..."
| |
| − | | |
| − | He gently kisses her on the forehead, his pain slowly dulling and disappearing as his wounds get transfered to his beloved.
| |
| − | | |
| − | "But for now... Let us celebrate this moment, Ryshassa. And the fact we still are able to enjoy it together." His tone is soft yet fiery, gentle as the spring breeze yet passionate like the roaring, raging seas.
| |
| − | | |
| − | And such contradictions make Alexsei Krauser the man he is.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | ----
| |
| − | | |
| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/FifthMovement|Fifth Movement]]
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| − | * - Back to [[GoldenCat/DanceOfAngels|A Dance of Angels]]
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