Lore: Upon The Heels of War

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:48 pm

Blade nodded with a fierce determination. "We will watch him closely and bring him back." he said. He looked to his father and silently communicated to him with the same green eyes. He was thinking, 'We need him, please don't be mad...'

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:21 pm

Sinead nodded. "You may do as you see fit. Mizuki did a great service to me by bringing news of the war. If possible I would like to see her come through this unharmed, so you have my blessing." With that she turned back toward her throne room. She was distracted with her own losses and concerns, and truthfully this was too small a matter to draw out in light of the larger problems at stake for her country and two of her dearest servants.

That left Soran and Blade standing alone in the hall. "Let's go," Soran said, mostly because something needed to be said. He came up beside Blade and nodded to him, and they moved onward toward the dungeons. The guards in the palace all seemed to have been alerted, by whatever system they used, that the two had free passage, because they all stepped aside and even guided them down to the underground area where Sid was sitting alone in one of a line of cells. Soran blinked as they approached him. Aside from a little dirt, the man looked mostly unharmed. It was far from what Soran had expected in light of the news that Vladimir had interrogated him to some length. Sid was sleeping, apparently quite comfortable with his back slouched against the dust floor and his head propped on the cement wall. His arms hung lazily at his sides and he was snoring quite loudly, mouth half-open.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:26 pm

Upon seeing Sid, Blade almost turned up his nose with a royal dignity, but he stopped, he's been undignified before. They guards opened the cell door for them and Blade stepped in. Still, his wings were out to intimidate. He kneeled in front of the sleeping prisoner and grabbed his chin between his forefinger and thumb, like he was examining his face.

"Sid Borden," he said loudly to awaken the man.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm

Sid snorted ungracefully awake and opened his eyes, not quite focusing on the face in front of him. "I thought you went after the girl," he mumbled, mistaking the man for Vlad."

Soran was standing off to the side and actually pressed his fingers to his forehead, in disbelief as usual at how much Sid let his guard down in situations like this.

A few seconds later, Sid finally seemed to register the face in front of him. "Gee, Rhen, I didn't know you cared," he muttered, swatting the hand away from his chin.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:38 pm

Blade glared at him and shook his hand, backing away a few inches. "I am not Rhen. I am Blade, Prince of the Dark Angels. Son of Mizuki and my birth father Gabriel... but my real father is Soran Nightblade." He stood with a dignity and grace that would seem otherwise impossible for the massive size of his wings. Glaring down at Sid like he was a low life-form Blade spoke again,

"We need you to rescue my mother and sister from a necromantic sorceress under the jurisdiction of the Witch Queen."

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:54 pm

Sid put his arms up behind his head and studied Blade. It looked exactly like Rhen had looked when Sid first met him, but as he studied the boy now, he knew that it really wasn't Soran. The angel still had that boyish strength coupled with pride and naivete that Rhen had lost fighting at Sid's side a long time ago. Blade's eyes lacked that hard, cold edge that Soran's had. Sid didn't know whether to love or hate that about him. And then there were the wings... He hadn't noticed them at first, but now that there was breathing room between them, he couldn't help staring at them.

"Well then, the pleasure is all mine," he said sarcastically, his peripheral vision picking up now on Soran's presence off to the side of the cell. "Any more smiling relatives you want to introduce me to?" he said, a little bitterness rising into his tone.

"That's about it," Soran said, unable to feel anger toward Sid. He'd left him in this dungeon for a week to be tortured or abused as the queen pleased, and his conscience wasn't up for an argument.

Sid seemed confused by the resigned tone in Soran's voice. It made his expression lighten a bit. "He's awful pretty," he commented, and was rewarded with a weak grin from the rogue. Was that pride in his eyes? "Well I'll be damned," he said, but didn't explain his surprise. "So what's this about damsels in distress?" he said, fully awake now as he looked back at Blade.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:04 pm

Blade's eye twitched at the near made joke of his mother's capture. As reflective response, he snarled and a small silver dagger was thrown in the blink of an eye near Sid's face, embedding itself in the stone wall. Around his wrist, his silver beaded bracelet adjusted itself to fix the missing link. He was quick to anger and impatience.

"Joke not Arken pawn. My mother and sister could very well be killed by your Queen and I will hold you responsible for their deaths." A dangerous edge to his voice, but though his eyes glaring in anger, there was a hint of pleading in the green depths. "Tell me what you know of the Arken camp in Darkwood."

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:10 pm

Sid finally frowned. "Why are they there?" he said, looking displeased as if there was a serious problem with that. "Shea is making her rounds of the encampments closest to the border in preparation for the war. Darkwood is the largest among them; it will be heavily secured until she leaves the area."

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:12 pm

Easing only a little, Blade's voice softened slightly. "My mother's a seer, I can only assume they want her gone to keep her from reporting their activities. Why they took Rai... I know not."

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:22 pm

"Who? Who took her?" Sid straightened up and made his way up to his feet so that he was at eye level with the other two men. Sid was quite fond of the tyke, and even Mizuki wasn't half bad. "She could be insurance, to keep Rhen from coming after them, or they could be after her power as well..." he brainstormed. "How did they get them?" he asked Soran, "Weren't you with them?"

Soran felt that scream building up in his throat again. "Not with them enough," he said sourly, and the look on his face made Sid regret his honest question.

"I'm sorry," he said carefully. "If they were taken to Darkwood, I don't think they'll live long enough for you to get there. Arken isn't interested in unwilling soldiers, and it doesn't take prisoners." The words were more for Blade's benefit than Soran's. The look on the rogue's face was enough to show he already knew.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 2:32 pm

"Geh--" Blade's throat closed. 'Don't take prisoners?' his mind reeled, staring at Sid in ghost white shock. The black feathers on his wings ruffled further, like hairs standing on end in terror. His hands were at his sides, the fingers arching as if to create a fist. He stood like that for a long time until he finally exploded.

"That undead BITCH!" he screamed, his fist punching into the stone wall, making a crater in the thick stone from the crackling power that was behind its force. His hand was only bruised with minors cuts. "I'll rip her apart when I make it over there!"

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:43 pm

"And how exactly do you think you're gonna do that?" Sid asked, peering at Soran.

"The queen can arrange a portal as far as the border. Beyond that, we're on our own," Soran said. "She also granted us permission to take you with us."

Sid made a wry chuckle. "Oh, delightful, you mean I get to leave this comfy flat and accompany you into the jaws of death?"

"If you stay here, Sinead will kill you," Soran said impatiently.

"Yeah, but it'll be a lot prettier with her than Shea," he smirked.

"This is an order," Soran barked.

"YOU NO LONGER GIVE ORDERS TO ME!" Sid roared at the rogue. "So I'm the enemy captive one minute, and then you want to pick up where we left off when it's convenient? No, Rhen, it doesn't work that way. I've lived without you for twelve years, I can damn well tell when my time's passed!"

Soran stared at him, lips parted. His hands slowly balled at his sides, trembling with effort. The anger fizzled to dust and then regrew into other, more vulnerable emotions that the rogue didn't know how to deal with right now. He felt...abandoned. He swung the gate of the cell so that its iron frame clanged against the stone wall and stormed out of the cell.

Sid's eyes followed the rogue as he walked out and up the steps out of view. Regret quickly replaced the anger in his eyes as the elf walked away. He was as stubborn as ever. He turned his eyes carefully to the angel, studying him in silence.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:54 pm

Blade had listened while glaring deadly at the wall he had just dented extremely.

"This is an order," Soran barked.

"YOU NO LONGER GIVE ORDERS TO ME!" Sid roared at the rogue. "So I'm the enemy captive one minute, and then you want to pick up where we left off when it's convenient? No, Rhen, it doesn't work that way. I've lived without you for twelve years, I can damn well tell when my time's passed!"

And then Blade heard his father leave the cell and stalk up the stairs. Glowering, Blade turned his head slightly in the direction of Sid. Considering his words, Blade said carefully, "Then I, Prince of the Dark Angels, order you." He turned stiffly to the cell door, pushed it open with a forced calm, then stopped. "And mind you, my mother, Soran's beloved, has been taken. His family, taken. If you care an ounce for my father still, or for the safety of my mother and sister... then I hope you help us." Then slowly, he walked towards the stairs, following after his father trying hard to control his rage. He wanted to blow the palace into rubble.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:44 am

Sid watched the angel climb the steps, thinking about his words and still seeing Soran's raw expression in his mind. He was still mad that Rhen had turned him over to Sinead. But then, his militia had nearly killed them all when they destroyed Hepian, and he reminded himself that Soran had debated with his life on the line to regain his freedom from the queen.

Orders mattered little to him; he was condemned to death, what more could anyone threaten him? If he went on this mission, it could be like old times for a short while. And then, one way or the other, he would be put to death. That was the real reason he didn't want to go. It seemed like torture to have his best friend back and then lose everything. But if there was one thing the angel said that made sense, it was that Rhen's family was in danger. If that happened, Soran would be alone again. As jealous as he was at times of the rogue's family, he didn't want that.

"Hey, wait up," he boomed up the stairs, leaving the cell and taking up his stride to catch up with Blade.

Soran was standing down the hall from the dungeon. He'd stopped there because he didn't see the point in going further, but part of him wanted to just find a dark room and scream for a while. He leaned back against the wall and watched for Blade to come back up so they could go. The queen had described how to get to the room where the mages would be waiting to teleport them. But Sid was probably right. By the time they got there, they'd probably be dead, and when they got back, so would Sid.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:37 am

Blade stopped just before he reached the top of the stairs, watching Sid come up with an impassive expression. And yet his eyes glisten with a small ray of hope. He nodded his head to Sid, silently thankful he had changed his mind... for whatever reason he had. With Blade in the lead, they reached the top of the stairs and Blade was the first to see his father leaning against the wall farther down the hall. He quickened his pace to get to him, feeling as though his father may give up.