Lore: Upon The Heels of War

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:26 pm

"I know." Blade said right back. His glare could make a hole in the table as he stared at it. "But it's what the people believe. Before, I believed it myself, but then Siren told me about... I hate him for it."

"But Blade..." Mizuki began to say after being silent, the memory clear but the pain of it fading. "I wouldn't have you then..."

"Yes you would! I'd just be his!" He pointed at Soran dramatically, his outburst made Mizuki flinch. The fell silent as two servants took away their plates and replaced them with new ones. Mizuki didn't care to know what was on the plates, she just took a bite without tasting. Blade ignored the food entirely.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:43 pm

Soran's green eyes twitched at Blade's words. He had absolutely nothing to say in response. The scent of the food laid in front of him was offensive to his struggling stomach; nothing he'd forced himself to eat felt like it got down past his asophagus. It was possible...if they hadn't been attacked by the angels, would he and Mizuki have already... It was so hard to imagine children of his own. Right now, though, he felt like he was choking on the atmosphere of the room. "Is anyone hungry?" he finally asked, propping an elbow on the table and resting his chin in his palm expectantly.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:31 pm

A week passed and the family stayed at the Queen’s palace living in the lap of luxury. They spent their days in each other’s company, wondering the streets of Ighten and acting much like a reunited family. It was the morning of the seventh day when all the happiness was about to change.

That morning Rai had woke early. She climbed out of her bed and ran to the window to look at the rising sun. With a childish grin she looked back at the door that led to her parent’s room. She thought about running in and jumping on them to wake them up, however something caught her eye.

It was a thin figure on a limping horse, which was wondering slowly up towards the palace gate. The soldier dismounted and almost collapsed. He pulled with him two swords. One an Elven long sword and the other a Ongorethian katana. He carried them with both hands, held out as if they were relics of great importants.

The palace guards watched him carefully, following him as he climbed the many steps that led to the double wooden doors. On the front of the doors was carved the insignia of the Kingdom of Ighten. The half-sun and half-moon which were divided where the double doors met. The guards quickly opened the door for him as his weary form struggled to keep its balance.

He refused help from any guard that came forward. He would be a soldier, just as the ones who had given there lives at the Border. He wouldn’t take help where they had none. He made his way down the hall that seemed infinitely longer than he had last remembered. Down at the end of the hall were the double doors that led to the throne room.

He pushed them open himself, not waiting for the guards to get the door for him. He gave a great push and the doors groaned, moving a side. Where it took two men to move the doors he was just one. He stumbled forward, glancing up as he carried the swords across the room to the throne.

“My Queen!” he called out, and once he was to the middle of the room he collapsed. He had used all of his energy that he had left to push those doors open himself. He fell to his knees, kneeling in the center of the room. He placed Tenele’s swords before him, bowing more to rest than anything else.

After watching the man cross the courtyard and enter the palace little Rai knew something was a miss. She ran to her parent’s room and pushed the door open. She ran to there bed and leaped on it, probably causing a slight bit of pain for anyone she landed on.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:40 pm

Soran jolted awake as a small but extremely focused weight jammed down on the more delicate parts of his anatomy. "Ahw!" he groaned, doubling over on his side and pressing into Mizuki in the process. "Rai...I need those for stuff," he snapped when he found the composure to speak. But then he noticed the expression on her face. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Sinead rushed to her throne room as soon as she heard the news that a soldier had returned. It was only one, and that was already a bad sign. Her heart raced as she entered the room and rushed to his side.

"My soldier, you have done well. You need rest, but first, please tell me of what has befallen my men?" she said, touching his shoulder.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:45 pm

Mizuki was nudge awake by Soran's pressing into her, she smiled taking it as something else before registering Rai's presence.

"Oh...Rai," She made quick to get low into the blankets. "Good morning, hun." She blushed lightly, glancing at Soran to find him wincing in pain. 'Oh dear...' she thought, guessing what had happened. In the room across the hall, Blade snickered in his sleep.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 10:58 pm

“A bloody man just come into the palace. He was dressed like those soldiers. He looked really bad,” Rai said quickly.

* * *

He told his story well. Though he was tired he made sure not to leave out a single detail. He told her of Tenele’s plan, and how if it hand not been for that plan the army would not have even made a dent in the massive wave of evil that was about to over flow into Ighten. He told her of the Queen’s Maiden that pretended to be the queen to lure the soldiers into a cavern and how her men had fought with more honor than he had ever seen. Though, he was a young soldier and had not been to battle. The men had stood strong and tall and fought until their deaths. Even some refused to die. In the end they were all slaughtered... and she had been taken.

The soldier pushed the swords towards his queen. “Her weapons, my Queen. She said that if anything happened to her... to bring you her weapons... and to give this... to Lord Dracul.” He pulled from his pocket a tattered rose petal leaf. “I have never seen a Queen’s Maiden like her, my Queen.”

He slumped forward as he pressed the petal into her hand. “He took her.” He couldn’t specify who the “he” was. He didn’t know who he was. He guessed he was a general of some sort.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:11 pm

Sinead's eyes widened as the soldier told his story. No...all those lives, destroyed. She looked down at the tattered petal in her hand. The chances that they would keep a prisoner alive this long were nearly zero. On the other hand, Tenele might just be clever enough to find a way to postpone the inevitable...but not for long enough to send someone to her aid. No, not her dear Tenele. The queen fought back emotion, remembering the need to be calm in these situations. This man had endured terrible things, and needed help and comfort.

She took the soldier's hand in hers and touched the back of his head gently with her other hand. A warm light swam out from her hands, surrounding his body and sealing his wounds. "Guards," she said, and two servants appeared on either side of the soldier. "This soldier needs rest. Take him to the medical wing to be cared for."

'You have done well," she whispered in his ear before the guards assisted him out of the room.

"Find Lord Dracul and bring him here," she instructed the remaining soldier.

When he had gone, and she was alone in the room, she sank unsteadily into her throne and cupped her mouth in her hands, eyes tearing up as she mourned the loss of her fine soldiers and her dear, dear Maiden.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:50 pm

Mizuki frowned, not entirely understanding why a bloody man would come into the palace. At first she thought Rai had been dreaming, or had just seen wrong.

"Why would a bloody man come into the palace...?" she asked.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:44 pm

Soran frowned, thinking. "The troops...the troops from a week ago," he said half to himself. No, that couldn't be. That would mean the visitor was the only one left...

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:49 pm

"So soon...?" her blood began to quicken and her eyes went wide. "Oh dear--they were...defeated, then?" her voice was weak with the fear of knowing that an entire squadron but one had gone down completely.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 7:51 pm

Rai tilted her head at her father, wondering what it meant for only one person to come back. "Are the other people coming soon?!" Rai asked, looking at the window in there room. She ran too it, but as far as she could tell no other soldiers were coming down the road.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:05 pm

Soran looked at Mizuki, sensing that their minds were registering the same things. "Well, since we're here in the palace, we may as well follow the situation to its source. Rai, go next door and wake Blade NICELY, we'll get dressed," he said.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:07 pm

Mizuki lay back down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Confusion and fear wrapping itself around her thoughts along with the almost forgotten guilt that it could've been avoided.

Post by **Emora Deen** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:09 pm

Rai was half way to Blade's door when she paused for a moment and turned around, a curious expression on her face when she looked at her parents.

"Daddy? Why aren't you and Mommy wearing clothes?" she asked curiously, grinning from ear to ear. She thought it was silly. They should wear clothes to sleep! "Mommy! Daddy is going to see you naked! Run! You'll get cooties!"

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:22 pm

Mizuki started at Rai's words, then started to laugh. It was a welcome feeling to laugh before dark thoughts completely invaded her mind. "It's alright Rai, I can hold my own against your father's cooties." She giggled. "Go wake up Blade, hun, I'll fight off the cooties."