Chapter 2
An eerie silence filled the gathering hall
of the Great Shrine, as the Planars sat along the immense circular table,
neither of them saying a word. In the middle of the empty circle was Lady
Asuna, shackled at the wrists and feet, the chains bolted to the floor. Rather
than a look of panic, fear or even sadness, the Planar-Lady stood quiet, her
eyes closed.
"These are… numerous accusations that are weighted against you."
Scyens spoke, his voice echoing along the marble-ornate walls. "Do you
understand?"
"Yes…" was all the Alabaster Maiden said, never raising her eyes to
meet those of any of the other Planars.
"You broke the First Law of the Planars by revealing yourself to the mortal
Karyana, and not only that, but you spoke to her." the Planar-Scholar
continued. "And not only that, but you placed a suggestion in her
mind…" The white-skinned Aspect of the Moon kept quiet as Scyens added
more notes to the list of accusations.
Deep in her mind, she knew she had done what she thought was right. She had
spoken to Panyus before Raemu sent his messenger to bless the founding father of
the Shrine and his troops to aid them in battle. She knew what would happen to
her chosen star should the Aspect of War bless her; instead of an emissary of
peace, Karyana would have been made into a Warrior-Goddess, thus losing herself
in battle. Such a feat would have caused people to fear her wrath and clinch
the favor of the people towards the Planar-Knight's teachings.
She did not want this. Though history is written with the blood of conflicts
and the pen of victors, Asuna could not tolerate seeing the mortals fight
amongst themselves over petty things as land, riches and power. Was it not
their role to balance the world? To give all living beings the means and ways
to live their lives without strife and suffering?
"The last accusation is perhaps the hardest for us to bear." Scyens
continued. "You blessed the mortal girl with the gift of Astrea, the voice
of the stars that only we, of the Council, are able to speak. And with this,
had it not been for her pure-hearted wish, the power you allowed her to summon
would have been enough to decimate this Shrine in a mere instant! Such a
disaster would have cost the lives of thousands!"
"You are simply basing your accusations on theories and speculations,
scholar." Prolectae spoke as she rose from her chair. "I know the
White Dancer better than you ever will."
Raemu clenched his gauntlet-covered fists and looked at the Aspect of
Motherhood. "Then what do you know that the Council does not?" he
asked, his grey eyes not leaving the voluptuous woman's for a second.
Prolectae ignored the Planar-Knight and
looked at the Council before focusing her gaze on the shackled Planar-Maiden.
"Here we stand, a court of Planars, to judge one of our own… who is also
the mother of a mortal that we, as Aspects of Existence, blessed." she
proclaimed. "It was through us that she became who she is. Scyens, you
taught her and young Demyan the lore of Medierth and the powers to weave the
flow of energy that holds this material realm together."
The Planar-Mother than looked towards the empty seat which was reserved to
Xelnos. "It was because of Xelnos that she was created in the first place,
as we denied this maiden's love for Reveen, the first Magelord and former
Planar-"
"Are you still defending your own, woman?" Raemu commented. "We
know that Reveen was your son… and not only that, but you have brought the
mortal Karyana to your Plane of Meditation and not only blessed her, but
granted the same gifts to the two entities that served as safeguards to her
life!"
Though Prolectae was hushed by the Planar-Knight's accusations, it was Panyus
who replied, rising from her seat as all but her and Asuna now stood.
"Enough of these trials and tribulations." she began in a stern tone.
"If fingers should be pointed, then we are all to blame. Raemu blessed the
dwarf Onyx Kinslayer with the power of Rune-forging, which he was not supposed
to learn of until he had greyed in beard. The human Alban Ma Leon was also
blessed by Raemu, as the sword he wields still shines against the forces of
darkness. Scyens met with the entity known as Laurinya and the mortal Demyan,
while Prolectae granted salvation to the dying Dun-elf Sayeth, creating new
flesh, blood and heart, now named Allision Emberheart."
Looking towards Progeny's throne, the elderly Planar rose a bony finger and
continued. "And even the Childlord, who ordered all of us not to interfere
with the life of the mortal Karyana, has done so again and again. Though his
command was law, many of us have placed in these mortals our own personal
conflicts."
A stir of whispers was heard throughout the Gathering Hall as Panyus seated.
After a few moments, Progeny rose from his throne, the gathered Planars ceased
their hushed comments.
"Enough." he began, looking solely at Lady Asuna. "It is true
that we have all exceeded our roles as Aspects of Existence, and we have, in
mutual approval, brought this chosen mortal to the world in hopes of easing the
pain of one of our own. However… in over-stepping our own rules, we have lost
control of our own. We are the ones responsible for the battle that took place
on these grounds, and are all responsible for the toll of mortal lives.
Therefore…"
A large hourglass, filled with golden sand, appeared next to the throne, almost
towering over it. The sand was held upwards, a single plate of what seemed like
brass keeping the contents from spilling into the lower glass container.
"Until all the sand in this hourglass has flown out, all will obey my
decree: no Planar will aid these mortals in any way!" the Childlord
commanded before pulling the brass plate away, a trickle of sand starting to
pour down.
-----------
Xelnos made a menacing smile as the shadow that had sneaked into the Gathering
Hall repeated Progeny's words. "So, he thinks that by merely stopping them
from interfering, he can stop me… what a fool." The Planar-Demon spoke,
rising from his throne of bones. "He should have worded his decree more
carefully. Though no Planar can aid these mortals… he never said that any
Planar could not hinder them!"
The obsidian colossus looked towards Pison. "The foolish Childlord has
just given us dominion over their Chosen's fate. I'm sure you would love to
seek revenge on her for your… failures."
The mercenary took a moment to think, before rising from his own, smaller
throne. "Indeed. If you allow me, I will make her suffer until she
willingly walks into the Underdeep, to spill her own blood in despair!"
The Aspect of Destruction laughed sadistically. "Oh, how demented you
are." he said in approval. "Yes... Make her come to me. Have her
dance like a cordless puppet to her own dirge of suffering! She will be the
downfall of the Planars, for her screams of pain and sorrow will be the chains
that will condemn them all!"
Pison looked at the ghoulish pendant that dangled from Xelnos' neck. He could
feel her. Alphea. Her tortured spirit was in there, screaming for release. He
knew, but could not bring himself to take arms against the Planar on his own.
"That mortal… she will be the end of all Planars…" the demonic
assassin uttered to himself, kneeling before the creature he feigned to call
'Master'. "Her blood… will ring the end…"
-------------------
Two days had passed since the ceremony had ended, and Allision was tired. The
young priestess was still sore from the hours of dancing, and she needed rest.
"If I had known there would be so much work…" she spoke to herself
before yawning. "I would have stayed in bed…"
Though the ceremony had been an absolute success, and the people had returned
to their homes with renewed strength and hearts brimming with hope, the magic
of the event had quite literally spilled out of the Shrine's halls. While the
moon had started to wane in the night sky, the celestial globe had shown fully
on that night, and it seemed as if the stars were following every step the
priestesses had executed.
The teachings of the Alabaster Maiden once spoke that, on occasions of great
celebration, a single priestess' graceful dance could heal a score of soldiers
and inspire them into wondrous acts of bravery. On that night, almost two
scores of dancers had woven such a powerful manaweave that the Shrine's damaged
walls had seemingly mended themselves, and the grasp of Frostreach had started
to fade, leaving an almost unnatural warmth that spread all the way to
Bolestra. Even the city seemed to mend itself �" at a slower pace
than the Shrine. Even as the "Veil of Dancers" �" the ceremonial name
for the elaborate choreography that lasted all through the night, flowed on,
the work of the villagers, mages and priests was still going, and Allision had
to help.
Still, it was quite the experience to see the people uniting to rebuild their
homes. While it would take months to rebuild everything using the meager tools
and resources left after the conflict, the villagers were more than happy to
see houses built, fields mended and walls reinforced through the power of the
Veil.
Though Alban was used to working hard, the strength he was given by the
Planar-Knight slowly started to wane. He knew that the gift would only last
until the battle was over, but the Veil seemed to make it last just long enough
to aid the villagers. Even now, as his entire body ached from lifting stones,
chopping trees and managing supplies, he was happy to help.
Onyx was also worn out. Having spent the entire day forging, he had almost
sweated every drop of water in his body. Had it not been for the hospitality
of the people, he wouldn't have bothered so much in making new tools and
weapons.
Karyana was probably the busiest person of the lot, as she had to keep an eye
on the Bolestran children. She had spent almost all day showing them cantrips
and easy tricks, as well as telling them stories, most of which she invented,
while some were mostly memories from Kaina or Laurinya's times. She couldn't
keep up with all of them, and couldn't help but wonder how many of them asked
about Chime. Though the almost cat-like familiar had a good time with the
children, it soon became apparent that the children wanted a Chime of their
own.
Oddly enough, Allision had noticed that Karyana's attempt at teaching the young
girls of the recovering city Lady Asuna's ceremonial dance did not have the
expected results. Perhaps it was due to fatigue, but she had noticed that her
friend's steps were a bit clumsy and that she was missing the rhythm many times
during some particularly-important sections. In the end, one of the priestesses
took on the lengthy job of teaching the children what Karyana now seemed unable
to explain, let alone execute.
As the day was coming to an end, the red-haired half-elf walked the walls of
the Shrine, hoping to reach her bed before her legs gave out on her. The Veil
was almost completely dissipated, but the city was on the mend, which gave
everyone hope that everything would return to how it was.
Stepping into her room, she was too tired to change into her night clothes and
collapsed onto her bed. "Finally, some rest…" was all she could
mutter before sleep took her.
Unbeknownst to her, as she drifted into a deep sleep, a black orb fell onto her
bed. In a matter of moments, the room was empty again, leaving a half-undone
bed, an open window, and an eerie shadow in the room.
-------------
Demyan closed the door to Allision's room, letting out a sigh. "It is as I
feared…", he spoke, hardly finding the courage to look at the others.
"Someone… or something used a Shadowsnare."
Turalyon looked down, while Alban and Onyx looked at each other. "What is
that supposed to be?" the ranger asked.
The battlemage shook his head. "It's a dreadful artifact, normally used to
capture powerful warlocks or witches. If someone uses it on a normal mortal,
the Snare would destroy its soul in a matter of hours."
Karyana gasped, a cold chill running down her spite. "No… You mean,
Allision is…"
Demyan looked back at the panicked young woman. "Allision is anything but
a mere mortal. This could change things."
The battlemage looked back at the masked young man. "Indeed. If the
ensnared soul has any sort of magical ability, the amount of time it takes for
the soul to be entombed is increased. In her case, being a priestess of
Prolectae and a half-elf, I would gather she has… ten days, perhaps. Maybe
more, if she wore any sort of magical items."
"So, we have less than ten days to find her… but not a clue where she
might have disappeared to." The dwarf concluded. "But who would be
able to sneak into the Shrine unnoticed, used that…
whatever-the-flipping-name-it-is and disappear without being caught?"
Arius scratched his scalp through his cap. "Well, it couldn't be Pison.
The Shrine's gargoyle sentinels would have come to life. Remember when the
demons brought that battering ram? Those things shrieked so hard that one of
the fiends, its head downright exploded!"
"And if it was an intruder, the soldiers would have noticed…" Father
Korgan added, before letting out a sigh. "Perhaps… there is a traitor in
this temple."
"But… how is it possible? And who in the Planars' names could it be?"
Karyana added, looking that much more worried.
"I wish I knew." the high priest replied, rubbing his chin. "For
now, we should look for any clues left behind."
Demyan shook his head. "I looked in there already. There were no signs of
forced entry, and the windows had been forced open by magic. The only thing I
noticed… was a strange mana-scar."
"A what?" Onyx replied, cocking an eyebrow.
Karyana opened the door and walked in. "A mana-scar is when the manaweave
of someone or something becomes distorted, and it causes strange things to
happen. It could be almost anything…"
Her explanation was cut short when she noticed a shadow on the wall. In fact,
the shadow was far longer than her own should have been, and was at the wrong
angle given the sun's position in the room. "Like… this?" she
uttered, finding the phenomenon to be exceedingly eerie.
The shadow was shaped like an immense scar, long enough to stretch from the
floor to the ceiling and wide enough for a person like Alban to pass through.
As the rest of the group, aside from Korgan, entered the room, the shadow
started to fade and shrink. "What's happening?" Karyana asked,
turning to look at Turalyon, then at Demyan.
"The scar is mending itself." The battlemage answered. "Whatever
magic was used, there's hardly any left, so the residue is fading out…"
Demyan let out a sigh, then examined the ground just as a scrap of what looked
like parchment caught itself on his leg. As he pulled it off his boot and
examined it, he shuddered as he felt the texture of the piece. "Urgh… it
looks like a message… written on a tanned strip of flesh."
The young Magelord examined the script, which seemed almost unintelligible to
untrained eyes. "How can you tell this is a message? It looks like
scratches of blood on paper." Alban commented.
The masked young man turned towards the ranger. "This is written in
Scar-writing. It's the way demons leave messages on the skins of their
victims…"
Karyana examined the parchment. "It's… it's not hers. My father used to tan
leather from cattle hide, so I can tell this is tanned pig skin."
Though the comment relieved them of some of their worries, the written message
was far more grief-striking. "I hold Sayeth's soul. Find me near Graveroot
Forest before the next moon, or there will be nothing left of her." Demyan
read. "Just… who is Sayeth?"
Karyana almost felt her heart stop at the reading of the message. "Sayeth…
she was a Dun-elf… it's Allision's true name."
Onyx frowned. "You're saying we left one of those ash-skins in here,
disguised as a priestess?"
"That's not it." the black-haired young woman explained.
"Sayeth… she saved my life when Pison attacked me. I prayed to the Planars
to save her-"
"-and they did." Korgan commented. "She must have been a
repentant soul for her to protect Karyana, let alone befriend her."
"So… does that mean Pison did this?" Arius added, looking at the
parchment. "But, didn't we just say-"
"It just means that he hired someone to do his dirty work for him."
Alban concluded. "As for Graveroot Forest… it would take at least two
weeks to even make it there. That territory is said to be cursed, and even the
elves of the Emerald Sea are afraid to go near it."
Karyana clenched her fists. "We have to go! Allision helped us, so we need
to be there for her! I don't want… I don't want to lose a friend…"
Demyan let out a sigh. "I wish I could go with you, but Bolestra still
needs aid, and I have to make sure that Citadel's resources are not squandered.
It pains me to say this, but I may have to return to my city."
Alban placed a heavy hand on the young man's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll
keep an eye on her."
Onyx turned towards Alban. "I'm not staying behind on this one! I forged
so much, my bag has run out of supplies!"
Arius looked back at Turalyon. "I suppose we should follow. Karyana might
have powerful magic, but I wager she still needs to learn how to battle."
"Alright. I give you my blessing." Korgan replied. "I can't
leave the Shrine unattended, so I expect you to come back safe."
Turalyon took a moment to think. "Since none of us can properly use flight
or teleportation, and the road south will likely be difficult once the clouds
form, we will need at least an ox-cart and the best mounts we can find."
Demyan folded his arms. "I'll make sure you get the best possible travel.
For now, I suggest you all get ready."
Onyx turned towards Karyana. "In the meantime, I have something special
for you. Mind coming to the armory with me? I need to make sure it's the right
size and fits perfectly."
"What?" Karyana wondered, not sure if the dwarf was talking about a
weapon, an armor or a piece of clothing.
------------
"So, what do you think? Proper fine blade I made, if I say so
myself." Onyx answered, looking at the sword Karyana now held in her hand.
The weapon was shorter than Eclipse was and a little wider, but the weight was
more evenly distributed, and the design was definitely much more
dwarven-inspired.
"Are you sure it's alright if I use this? It looks a little…
brittle." The young woman answered, examining the thin edges.
"Not quite." the dwarven smithy answered. "You see, Twilight is
a very special sword. Made of the finest metals I could find, and even
manawoven to be as strong as the wielder's spirit. It just looks a bit brittle
because you still hurt from everything that happened. Once you find your old
temper back, and start fighting with all your heart, it'll be sharper and more
durable than a dragon's tooth! How about a test? Just think of something
that'll keep your mind focused, and give it a proper swing!"
The young woman held onto the weapon tightly with her left hand, closed her
eyes and focused on the one thing that came to mind: saving her friend. Opening
her eyes, she rose the weapon before her, then spun it quickly before slashing
diagonally. To her and the dwarf's surprise, the slash arc followed the tip of
the blade like a wave crest, then disappeared in thin air.
"Well, that was quite the parlor trick." Onyx commented. "Just
hold on to that thought and you'll even give that rotter Pison a run for his
gold."
Karyana examined the almost-silvery blade, balancing the weapon in her hand
like a rookie would do for a training weapon. "Twilight… I like it."
"Well, that's all well and good, but we need to pack and get going."
Onyx concluded as he starting filling his almost limitless bag with all sorts
of equipment �" even some he didn't even need in the first place.
The young woman grabbed the leather sheath that the dwarf had given to her
along with the weapon and holstered the sword. "Don't worry, Allision.
I'll save you…"
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