The Gathering

[matthewkuch]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aL04kwfB-Zo/Twed4y8a-0I/AAAAAAAAAKE/cZOup11ahk8/s1600/mountains+creepy.jpg


Closed to black_shadow, dracoboy8, and koli

[matthewkuch]

The sun began to peek over the horizon as Gavner drew near to his destination. As he stepped out into the clearing the soft rays of morning sun gently sneaked through the atmosphere. They stung Gavner's pale, exposed skin turning it into a soft pink before his eyes. He quickly drew his hand into his sleeve and pulled his hood up over his head, attempting to shield himself from the sun as much as possible. Creatures of the night did not belong in the day.

Gavner would have camped in the woods for the day, safely out of the sun if this was not so urgent. Walking down the familiar dirt path, now completely unprotected from the sun, Gavner made haste. The only thing separating him from the deadly rays of the sun was his cloak, and even that didn't do much to protect him. Thin layers of cloth could only go so far to save him. Looking up he squinted as the sun on the horizon burned his eyes, but in the distance he found what he was looking for.

Dead Man's Drink was just up ahead, and Gavner was approaching fast. The last stretch of 50 feet seemed like forever, and he almost broke out into a jog trying to get there. The sun seemed to be enveloping him in a blanket of heat making it difficult to breathe and raising his body temperature. His heart began to race and Gavner started to sweat. This always happened within the first half hour of Gavner being in the sun but it was absolutely dreadful each time.

Reaching the door of the pub Gavner entered quickly and shut the door behind him. He stood there for a few seconds to catch his breath, then turned around to observe the people in the tavern. There were a few tables with two or three people quietly chatting at each, but the rest of the tavern was empty. There were several men who lie dead, peacefully resting face down at the bar or on various tables. Their glasses were still in their hands, completely full of The Dead Man's Drink except for one sip which was missing.

Walking in, Gavner sat at a table in the corner of the tavern, but nobody paid Gavner much heed. Strangers always kept to themselves in these parts. Gavner waited at the table and began to draw his finger over the table, drawing curly shavings under his hard fingernail. He remembered the first time he and Black Shadow met, in this very tavern. Black Shadow was the reason he dropped everything to come here and meet. They hadn't seen each other in awhile, so naturally Gavner would make all haste to meet when Black Shadow sent urgent news that he must speak with Gavner.

The door opened and a man garbed in black from head to toe walked in. The man was masked, and the only body part visible was his eyes. A magnificent bow was slung across his back with a quiver of arrows. On his hip, a sheathed sword. Gavner held his gaze at his wood shavings, only observing the man from his peripherals. He made no attempt of acknowledging this man, but waited until he approached the table. When the man was two feet from the table Gavner kicked the chair across from him out and it landed in an angled position, beckoning Black Shadow to sit down.

Gavner waited until several moments after Black Shadow sat down to lift his gaze, then Gavner looked into his solid black eyes with his blazing red irises. A smile curled across his lips, and he could tell Black Shadow returned the greeting.

They shook hands and Gavner said, "It is nice to see you again my friend. Please tell me, to what utmost urgency do I owe the pleasure?"

[black shadow]

Dead Man's Drink always was a special place to Black Shadow. Here he met his friend Gavner. Here he was forced into a bar fight. And here, he would again meet Gavner.

Black Shadow entered into the bar, the music softly playing and the candles beginning to burn down. The place was just as it had been Black Shadow's previous encounter with Gavner. There were dead bodies scattered across the floor, the notorious "Dead Man's Drink" claiming another victim as he took a sip.

Poor fools. Why must you do this to yourself? Black Shadow thought to himself as he scanned the bar for Gavner. The scan took but a few seconds when his eyes met his target. Black Shadow locked his eyes onto Gavner, and without moving his gaze away, he slowly moved towards Gavner. Black Shadow stepped over a body or two, his sense of hearing in hyper drive, listening to the slightest sound of movement in front of him.

As Black Shadow reached the table, Gavner slid a chair towards him, beckoning him to sit. Black Shadow did as he was asked, and as he stared into Gavner's blazing red eyes.

As Gavner asked his question, Black Shadow's head slowly lowered. After gathering his thought for a few minutes, Black Shadow explained to Gavner what this meeting was about.

[dracoboy8]

This is where we part ways, Drake. On your journey you will be tested many times and undergo many trials and tribulations. Stay true to yourself and you will always know which path to take.

Drake walked down a dirt path which led through one of the rainforests of Dheathain. When he first returned from heaven he was in fertile farmland and the day was sunny and beautiful. Seeing as this had been earlier in the day, Drake quickly came to realize the harsh environment of the land he was in.

It was thunderstorming violently, yet the air was hot and humid. The combination of the storm and the humidity made breathing extremely difficult; after a mere hour of traveling Drake was fatigued. Periodically he took breaks, but never for very long because lightning strikes were getting closer. Approximately 6 lightning bolts struck every 5 minutes; this made Drake uneasy. Lightning strikes were never very far away, usually within 2-3 miles. For some reason the lightning bolts seemed to be more powerful than normal lightning strikes.


Drake began to run through the forest on the path, and quickly ran out of breath. He wished he hadn't because he could barely breathe, but all of a sudden he ran into a spot where the rain stopped. This completely baffled Drake because it had just been pouring. Looking around he saw a circle of rain, looking somewhat like a wall around him. He looked up and saw clear sky; a literal hole in the storm. Doubling over to catch his breath Drake gasped for air, but things got a lot worse.

"Do not move, or we will kill you." Drake heard a rough voice say from behind him. Drake remained doubled over, humoring the aggressors and still catching his breath.

"Oi boss, it looks like we have just a lad on our hands." Said another voice which sounded like it was in front of Drake.

"Come out boys," said the first voice, "see what he's got."

Quickly Drake stood up, and was anticipating the arrow that came flying past his face and into the forehead of the man who was coming up behind him. There was now attackers coming at him from all directions, but the closest one was to his left. Stepping left and crouching down a bit he extended his leg and exploded into the man. He bashed the man under the chin with his forearm, knocking him to the ground. The man would soon get up but all Drake needed was enough time to escape...

Shifting his focus to the man attacking from the right he readied himself and kicked the man in the stomach with a powerful side kick. The man doubled over and Drake could hear one right behind him. Crouching, Drake extended his right leg and turned in a complete circle taking the legs out from under the man, and knocking him to the ground. There were more men attacking but it was too late for them. Drake had already cleared an escape route. Now there was nothing but open path for Drake to escape. He was home free! He could easily outrun any opposition, and they would surely lose him in the storm.

Drake sprang to his feet and started for the wall of rain as fast as he could but he felt a sharp pain in his neck. He was jerked backwards and fell onto the ground, sliding backwards on the dirt road. Suddenly Drake found that he could not breathe.

"Hold his arms and legs!" A man shouted out, and soon the order was fulfilled. Drake began to kick and squirm but he could not break free.

"Let him breathe," A man in armor said as he stepped in front of the resisting angel. "Now tell me," The man said. "Give me one reason why I should let you live."

"I do not negotiate with the likes of Evil," Drake said turning his head and spitting on the ground.

The man's face contorted in rage and he punched Drake in the face. Shock seemed to course through the small circle area on Drake's cheek as the blow hit. A stabbing feeling coursed through the base of his neck up to his jaw, continuing up to his cranium and he instantly had a splitting headache. Giving the man a scowl Drake glared at him with rage. He began to hum a simple hymn that he learned in heaven, a hymn praising The Boss even in hardship.

As Drake did this his eyes focused on the trees in the background. He saw a man amongst them dressed in white with a hood coming up over his head. He was rather far in the distance, so he couldn't make out many features of the person. When Drake blinked, the man had disappeared as soon as he had come.

The ruffian grew even more upset as Drake mocked him, and began to beat down on Drake even harder. A ways through the punishment Drake began to notice the ruffians around him dropping like flies. The only one left was the leader who had not noticed this and was still beating down on Drake. Then his gaze lifted and was looking at something directly behind Drake. Fear was instilled into the eyes of the man and he stared at whatever it was in horror.

[Koli]

Koli, throughout your lifetime you will meet people who go against our morals. But you must know that them doing so does not mean that they are lower than us." Jalaphar's deep voice spoke to Koli. "You must never view others below you. That will be the day that you become vulnerable, and that will be the day that your life here ends."

Koli nodded his head in understanding, his white eyes never moving away from Jalaphar's face.

"Koli," Jalaphar said before Koli left the room. "One more thing. You must always help those in need."

The sound of a man in pain caught Koli's attention. A man in pain is a man in need, and Koli knew that. Focusing his sense of hearing, Koli located the source of the cries for help. With his lungs burning from the harsh weather, and his body telling him to stop moving, Koli began to push through the pain.

As he grew closer the cries for help, the rain suddenly stopped and the humidity returned to normal.

Hmm, this is unusual, Koli thought to himself as his amazed eyes found the source of the cries. There were ten men, one on the ground, cuts and bruises all over his body, and nine other men around him. One, who appeared to be the leader suddenly began to punch the man on the ground. Then Koli made the connection, The nine men were against the one.

Koli took note where all the men were, conjuring himself a long staff. He began to sprint at the men, his staff along his forearm and held out behind him. As he reached the men, Koli began to pick them off. Within seconds he had removed all threats, all but the leader. Koli looked at the man, and studying him, looking for a weakness. He put his hand out, creating the illusion of a wolf like creature. The leader's eyes lifted at this sight, with a fear of this illusion evident. Then Koli walked around the man, showing his Eyes of Hero. His eyes slowly turned a bright green, and the man began to become calmed.

"Leave this place, take your men with you. This is your only warning," Koli said. The leader nodded and began to walk away.

Koli then knelt, asking if the man needed any help.

[matthewkuch]

Black Shadow had a very interesting way of communicating with Gavner. His methods were a mixture of sign language and written notes, but Gavner somehow always understood what Shadow was saying.

Shadow explained to Gavner how he had been purchasing arrows from an arrowsmith in Hanquilden, a town known for their medical advancements in the world of Althanas. On his way out of the shop when he heard somebody screaming in the streets. Normally any passerby would have paid this no heed. It was not a rare occurrence to for insane people to roam the streets- the mental asylum was occasionally breached by a patient- but something about this person caught Black Shadow's attention.

"... terrible turns! One point it is raining fire and then it is below freezing!!" The voice raved.

Black Shadow continued towards the voice to find that it was an old man. He walked up behind the senile fellow, who continued yelling, and tapped him on the back. The entity jumped and gave a loud screech as he turned around to face Black Shadow.

"Illusions of warriors and monsters roaming and they actually kill people, magic spells being cast out of nowhere- it will corrupt the whole island!" The man shouted, "The area affected grows as we speak, somebody has to stop it!" Just then two guards from the mental asylum came and seized the man, each grabbing one arm.

He began to shout and squirm even worse as they dragged him off, but turned to Black Shadow and yelled "The tower is the source, the tower is the source! My villiage is down there in Dheathain, help them please!" The the man was dragged off out of earshot and Black Shadow did not waste any time; he sent an urgent message to Gavner and started off to Dead Man's Drink.

After Black Shadow was done explaining he and Gavner sat back in silence for a few moments. Gavner was very curious to see this tower the man spoke of but Gavner had a more political interest in this mission; exploration. No member of Gavner's clan had ever stepped foot on Dheathain; it was a cursed island. Other clans had ventured to the island but only several survived to return. The sun's rays were 5 times more powerful and would knock a vampire unconscious if he stood in it for merely 30 minutes. The weather was harsh and unforgiving, and the inhabitants were deadly. If Gavner could chart the island he would be famous among the clan, and well on his way to becoming the youngest vampire prince of the clan.

"Well Shadow," Gavner said, "when does our ship leave?"

[black shadow]

There were few people on-board the ship for Dethain was not a place commonly traveled to. The voyage was well known for having pirates and strange storms that appeared out of nowhere. The captain would tell of his previous travels to and from Dethain nightly. With his great black beard and captain's hat, he would speak of pirate raids he heroically fought off or storms he barely managed to escape. Black shadow bought none of it, the stories so overly exaggerated that no one could.

The few people who did travel to Dethain were merchants hoping to obtain some sort of loot to trade. The hostile terrain would certainly cause for many of these men and women to never make it home, but those who did would become rich. This was a risk they were willing to take. It amazed Black Shadow that so many people would be willing to risk their lives for money. This thought disgusted him, he did not understand the point of money, why everyone wanted or needed it. You can survive just as easily without anyone. After all, that is how he has lived the last few years.

Black Shadow stood from his hard wooden chair. He stumbled from the rocking of the boat, his legs having to readjust to the rocking of the ship on the rough open sea. Black Shadow reached for the chair and held himself up. When he felt comfortable enough to walk again he approached the ladder to the deck. A sailor noticed him and began to speak.

"You there, where is your friend? Vir Fortis want to speak with him," the man said in his deep voice.

Black Shadow stood almost confused, not knowing who Vir Foris was. He shook his head unknowingly and turned to the deck. The day was cool, and there was a light breeze in the wind. Clouds covered parts of the sky, a perfect day. Black Shadow looked forward to days like this. He leaned up against the railing, his mind drifting away from the ship. The first thing that popped into his mind was his daughter, Espoir. Her image appeared in his head as if she was really there, and a slight smile spread across his face. Black Shadow loved Espoir from the moment he first laid eyes on her.

One year earlier, Black Shadow and Gavner embarked on a quest to end the feud between the dwarven kingdom of Fortin Perpetuum and the elven kingdom of Verum. While on a ship beginning their quest Gavner was attacked due to his vampiric status. The two were forced to kill everyone on board. Black Shadow's sharp hearing picked up the sound of a baby crying. This is how he found Espoir, and Black Shadow just could not let her die.

Black Shadow allowed his mind to wonder, not having a care in the world for what went on around him. Sailing always allowed him to clear his mind, take a breath, and get away from all the chaos. The sweet smell of the sea filled his nostrils. Through the journey this has become one of Black Shadow's favorite smells. He closed his eye again and listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the ship's haul. It was a peaceful day, and Black Shadow was enjoying it.

[dracoboy8]

Drake, pain is merely a state of mind that everybody undergoes in his lifetime. It is merely a roadblock put in place to protect those who are of the world. As an angel your legacy will last forever; you need not worry about pain. Do not fear it, but overcome it. You can out think any state of mind. Pain is no different...

Drake's body ached all over from the beating he had just suffered. With bruises on his body and blood seeping from his nose Drake stared into the zenith without seeing what was above. His mind was wandering the brink of unconsciousness until his eyes came to focus on the hooded man who was staring down at him. Not only was the man was garbed in a white robe and hood, but he also had white irises.

Pain was throbbing throughout Drake's entire body an he began to cringe. He squeezed his eyes shut and his face contorted. This eased his pain a bit, but it soon returned as he opened his eyes. The hooded man placed his hand on Drake's shoulder and looked into his eyes. Drake gasped as the man's eyes slowly turned green and began to glow. There was something about the color that just bewildered Drake. All other thoughts exited from his mind as he focused on the confusing color of the man's eyes. He soon became very relaxed, and the ground seemed as if it were an extremely comfortable mattress that one would charge a very high price for. All stress and tension seemed to melt away from his body and he felt almost sleepy.

The man extended a hand towards Drake and offered to help him up. Drake snapped back to reality, but he felt calmer than he had felt in a very long time. Taking the man's hand Drake stood up, completely unaware that he had just been beaten almost to unconsciousness.

"Thank you," Drake said gratefully, "I am Drake. What can I call you by?"

The man did not speak a word, but drew in the grainy dirt with the end of his staff.

KOLI

[Koli]

"You can always tell when someone needs help by the look in his eyes." Jalaphar said to Koli. "What is wrong, Koli?"

"My parents, I keep having thoughts of them, pictures of what they might have looked like. I think they are still alive." Koli answered.

"No, Koli, Your parents could not have survived."

"How do you know?" Koli asked, his voice becoming uneasy.

"Come with me."

"I am drake. What can I call you by?"

Instinctively Koli did not wish to speak so he took the staff he conjured and wrote his name in the dirt. The boy looked like he was going to speak again but before he had the chance a man's voice rang out through the clearing.

"Thank the Lord, we are saved!"

Both Drake and Koli looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a larger man with thinning hair and torn clothes. Coming out into the clearing, the farmer looked very hopeful. "You can help us!"

"We have been having a serious monster problem with our village." The man said. "They destroy our farms and raze our homes which are not close to the town. They are multiplying much faster than ever and we will soon be overwhelmed. Would you be able to help us?"

Without even thinking of the situation Koli nodded his head and started towards the farmer who turned and indicated to follow him. Koli saw that Drake was starting to follow him and he held out his hand in a halt position. He somberly shook his head with seriousness in his white irises.

"Koli," Drake said, "I insist on coming with you. You helped me, and now I will help you. No questions asked."

Koli let his hand drop to his side but continued to shake his head. If anything happened to the boy it would be all Koli's fault...

[matthewkuch]

"Xczunge!" Gavner cursed out loud. He hated the sea, and this long voyage was killing him. "I swear this bloody ship will be the end of me!"

Throughout the week that Gavner and Black Shadow had been on the ship there was nothing to do at all. Gavner's friend loved the sea, but it made Gavner restless. He could stand the first few days, but after about four he started feeling absolutely terrible. He was now hunched over a waste barrel with a splitting headache and an extremely upset stomach.

Groaning, Gavner wiped the sick from his mouth as he withdrew from the barrel and slunk back to his sleeping section. The passenger deck was filled with sleeping areas of which only a very small fraction were occupied. Plopping down in his hammock Gavner stared at the ceiling. He tried to sleep, because he found that sleeping was the easiest way to pass the time. This was all in vain because his condition kept him awake.

He heard the footsteps of a large man approaching and looked through the darkness to see what was amiss. A sailor was walking towards Gavner's hammock. Since Gavner had not the strength to rise and see what the man wanted, he just lay in his hammock until the figure was towering over him. Between the oil lanterns and the bits of light leaking in through the top deck Gavner could see that this man was tall and burly with hair of shoulder length.

"Sir, are you the other vampire on deck?" The man said in a deep voice.

"I am," Gavner managed to croak out.

"Vir Foris wishes to speak with you. I am afraid his last moments draw near." Gavner thought for a few moments. He did not know this Vir Foris, but Gavner was not one to leave his kin alone in his final moments.

"Very well," Gavner said, "where might I find him?"

"He is in the hammock farthest to the starboard side. I suggest you hurry sir." The sailor said as he turned to depart.

Gavner stirred and forced himself out of his hammock. Stumbling over shoes and trash on the floor Gavner made his way to the starboard side of the ship and saw a filled hammock. Most people were up on the top deck at this time but the sun was lethal to vampires, and so they stayed under. Approaching the hammock Gavner heard ragged and shallow breathing coming from the lump in the bedding.

"Vir Foris?" Gavner said as he approached the vampire. Vir turned his head with great effort and looked up at Gavner.

"Come closer, my boy." He wheezed. Gavner knelt down beside the hammock and looked at the dying vampire.

"You requested my presence, sir?" Gavner asked in his weakened voice. He was making every effort that he could to remain stable and not cradle his throbbing head.

"Indeed. Tell me, what is your name?"

"I am Gavner Nahs, General of Clan Anoterish. What might I address you as, sir?" Gavner replied.

"Ooh a general, how nice." Vir replied. "I am Vir Fortis, Prince of Clan Durus." Now Gavner felt stupid as the information set in. Clan Durus was one of the only clans in Dheathain. This was one of the most renown vampire war princes of the clan.

"Sir, I am at your service." Gavner said as strongly as he could.

"Please, call me Vir," The perishing prince said. "Now to the task at hand. I am going to die before this voyage comes to a close and I want you to send a message to my clan in Dhethain. With me gone, the clan needs another prince to fill my place. Tell the other princes that my vote goes to Sammy Yirvik. He may seem small, but he is wise far beyond most in the clan."

"Very well sir," Gavner said. "It pains me to see you in a condition such as this."

"Thank you for the favor Gavner. For your kindness I have a small token to show my appreciation..."

[black shadow]

Black Shadow heard light footsteps approaching him and turned to see who it was. It was a surprise to him as he saw Gavner approaching. The sun was at its peak, the time when it would be most deadly to Vampires. Black Shadow shot Gavner a concerned look. After over a year of friendship Gavner needs but a look from Black Shadow to know what he is thinking.

"Don't worry my friend." He said as he pulled down on his cloak, revealing a skin tight black material. A look of curiosity replaced Black Shadow's look of concern. "This a suit made of 'statur solis'. It is a skin tight suit that protects me from the sun."

Black Shadow motioned Gavner to approach the edge of the railing. Gavner approached the railing and began to explain what had happened earlier. He explained the situation with Vir and how he obtained the suit, and he showed Black Shadow a vial of an anti-seasickness potion. Black Shadow nodded and was happy that Gavner found a way to stay in the sun.

Black Shadow turned his gaze to the sea once more, where something caught his eye. He focused his sight, watching the object. From the distance, Black Shadow could make out a ship of some sort. He looked to Gavner, and motioned with his hands as if he was using a telescope. Gavner rushed to find him one, returning to Black Shadow within minutes. Black Shadow stretched the telescope and aimed it in the same direction as the ship he noticed, and had not taken his eyes off of. He searched the ship for anything to determine friend or foe. Then his eyes fell upon it... The flag of The Black Sails Armada. Black Shadow quickly shut the telescope and turned to Gavner, a worried look on his face. Gavner took the telescope from Black Shadow and looked through the telescope. The two locked eyes for a few seconds, then they both rushed to the captain's quarters.

[dracoboy8]

The farmer led Drake and Koli into the center of the small village. There were mostly residential buildings but there was a large building in the center and several other buildings presumed to be stores. Drake and Koli were looking around but Drake jumped just about four feet as a loud bell rang from behind him and Koli. The farmer was now ringing a large bell which was in the center of the town. Villagers came rushing to the square and gathered in a circle around Drake, Koli, and the farmer who was still ringing the bell. When a very large group had amassed the farmer stopped and walked over to Drake and Koli.

"People of Rabinrast," the farmer shouted. "We are now saved. These two men are heroes, and they have come to rescue us from our monster problem!" Koli and Drake looked at each other and the people gathered around the square began to murmur.

"What makes you think we believe this? How do we know they are heroes!" An angry villager shouted.

"This one in the white fought off ten men at once, I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Lies!"

"Victor can never be trusted!"

"This is a waste of time."

The villagers began to leave and the farmer, Victor, began to realize that stopping them was a lost cause. Turning to Drake and Koli he said "It's okay, you guys can stay with me tonight. I know we are safe now if the monsters attack again."

[Koli]

"Never give up an opportunity to help someone. You never know, that could be what saves their life." Jalaphar said to Koli. Jalaphar's teachings always made sense to him. Maybe it was the way that Jalaphar said everything, in a simple manner. All he knew was that the teaching came to help Koli at times.

"You must always be ready for a fight, even if you don't expect it." had been used countless times by Koli. It did not matter where he went, Koli was ready for a battle. Even when he was 'safe' in the monastery, Koli would be ready to conjure a sword at a moment's notice.

"All evil has good. Whether you choose to see that good or not rests in your hands."

Koli lie on the sack stuffed with corn husks that was fashioned for him by the farmer. He had not spoken a word since he met Drake and he was silent everywhere he went. He now lay in his makeshift bed with his eyes closed, listening for a sound outside. He listened for the slightest sign of struggle but none came. Koli waited for about ten minutes or so with no sign of anything being wrong, then it hit him.

A feeling that something had gone terribly wrong shot through his chest and all of his limbs. The intensity of the feeling forced him to sit bolt upright. Immediately Koli was on his feet shaking Drake awake.

"Huh-wha!?" Drake groaned as he woke. Koli motioned for Drake to follow him and sped out the door before any questions could be asked. Koli was soon in the square with Drake on his heels. They came into the town square to find that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Drake looked at Koli, but it was difficult for Koli to read his expression.

Underneath that expressionless face, however, Drake was actually admiring Koli. Drake was admiring Koli's insight for the future, and wondering how much he could learn from the priest...

[matthewkuch]

"What, what do you want? What is so urgent that you must interrupt my mid-day nap?"

The captain had been in his quarters with a sign on his door that read 'Do not disturb!" Naturally the captain had crew members to watch the door and make sure the order was fulfilled, but when Gavner and Black Shadow would not let it go the sailor had no choice but to reluctantly admit the two men. As soon as the door opened the captain jolted awake and rambled something about a war, but then realized that he was in his quarters.

"Sir, we have sighted a hostile ship on the horizon. which is bound to intercept us." Gavner said, wasting no time.

"Listen son, I have been on these waters ever since I was a wee lad. We can out-sail any ship that comes our way."

"Sir, I do not believe you understand the gravity of the situation." Gavner urged.

"Son, I am fifty-four years old. You are, what, eighteen? Nineteen? I am much more experienced in this field than you."

"Captain," Gavner said ignoring the comment about his age. "This is no ordinary ship. It was flying the Black Sails Armada banner."

The captain's eyes grew wide and one of them twitched. "Aye, they're back for me!"


"All hands on deck!" The captain shouted, bursting out of his quarters in his striped pajamas and night cap. "Passengers report to lower deck and await further instructions."

"Sir," Gavner said stopping the captain. "Black Shadow and I insist on helping."

"Very well, you can start by bringing me my uniform."

Black Shadow rushed off to the captain's quarters as a crew member asked Gavner to assist with the unfurling of the sails. Kicking off his boots Gavner flinched and expected to feel pain in his bare feet, but none came. He had forgotten the suit that Vir had given to him. The vampire prince had said the suit covered the vampire's body with a protective material that blocked all rays from the sun from his skin. The suit was also very unique in the sense that it would secret a special gas over the vampire's face, hands, and feet that had the same effect.

Leaping up onto the mast Gavner sank his sharp nails into the soft wood. He climbed up the massive support and reached the sail at the top. While he was up there Gavner looked out over the horizon and saw that the ship was now a small spec on the water. He no longer needed a telescope. Gavner descended from the mast and found the captain to be giving orders like a very experienced sea man. Commanding the crew in his uniform, the sea dog looked to be twenty years younger.

"Captain," Gavner said, "what did you mean by 'they're back for you?'"

"Aye when I was younger I came across the Black Sails Armada but once. The battle was vicious but in the end our ship had less damage. We broke free and sailed away to tell the tale."

"We will sail away to tell this tale as well."

[black shadow]

"Captain, if we don't turn this ship we will not survive!" One of the crew members shouted over the sounds of men hurrying to complete tasks and ready for battle. "Their ship is has more firepower, we don't even have a cannon!"

"Silence! we maintain course, do not steer the ship astray." The captain answered in his firm and decisive voice.

"Yes sir." The sailor said beginning to help another.

"Aye, I'm afraid he may be right. We might not survive this fight."

Black Shadow listened to the captain speak these degrading words. He knew this battle would be tough, but he had all confidence in this crew. Black Shadow turned back to the Black Sail's ship. It was fast, and closing in on them. The sun set quickly as the ship closed in. By this time the sun had already become halfway below the sealine. There was a beautiful orange sky and the ocean was still. There was not a wave above twenty feet tall in sight. There was a beautiful shine from the light of the sun that rested upon the top of the water. It was like a painting, only this was real, and one of the most beautiful scenes Black Shadow had ever watched. He easily forgot about the approaching ship.

Black Shadow snapped out of his trance by the sounds of a cannon. Black Shadow's senses went haywire, a sharp ring filling his ear as the cannonball hit the ocean, the smell of gunpowder, all filling his mind at once. It was dark, at least an hour after he first laid eyes on the sunset. Gavner placed his hand on Black Shadow's shoulder. Shadow nearly threw Gavner overboard, but the sight of his friend saved him a night of mourning.

"Black Shadow, come, we have to help the ship." Gavner said. Black Shadow ran down to the edge of the ship, where multiple cast iron hooks were thrown and the Black Sail's ship began to pull the merchant ship closer. A few pirates loaded onto the merchant ship corralling the crew. Then the captain boarded, walking with his head high.

"You all belong to me now. surrender and I will let you live. Resist... and you all die." The captain said. Then a voice came up from the crowd.

"Over my dead body." it was the captain.

"Let that man through." The pirate captain ordered. The crew made a path and the captain walked into the circle. "Ah, Captain Jack Callaghan, we meet again. You know, you won't get away again."

"You must not have remembered the last battle." Captain Jack said with a smirk on his face. "Howland Pyle, this battle will go into the history books."

"So it will be a battle then? So be it." Howland said as he ripped his sword from its sheath.

[dracoboy8]

"Koli, what's wrong?"

Drake silently observed the mysterious figure who had saved his life. The hooded figure continued to gaze off into the darkness, and Drake was wondering what he was thinking. Koli's expression was not visible through the extra shadows cast by his hood, but Drake had a feeling it was confusion.

"If you have a bad feeling, we will wait out here. Okay?" Drake said to Koli. The entity nodded and stood attentively.

Who is he? Drake wondered to himself. He must have been a part of something greater once before... Just as I am...

[Hey Gabriel,] Drake said telepathically calling to one of his mentoring angels. [Do you know anything about Koli?]

Drake stood in silence for several minutes. He did not expect an immediate answer, so he began to enjoy the crisp air of the night. Looking at the bell in the center of the town square Drake noticed frost on the brass structure. It was clearly very cold out. Drake hoped Koli was warm enough.

[I will see what I can find out,] Gabriel replied.

Drake heard a soft howling noise off in the distance, something was not right...

[Koli]

"Koli, remain focused. If you lose focus in a battle for one second, it may be the end of your life." Jalaphar said.

"Yes High priest." Koli replied, regaining his focus.

"Please Koli, call me Jalaphar, I am not higher than you. Now, watch my movement, see how I attack, react, do not think about the attack." Jalaphar instructed as he attempted to stab Koli with his sword. Koli watched and stepped to the left, his foot just behind Jalaphar's foot, and elbowed Jalaphar in the back. "Good good, that's exactly what You must do.

Koli remained silent, keeping to his thoughts. Suddenly the howling noise was closer than before. Koli began to look around the square. Everything was now locked in dead silence. The calm before the battle.

Leaping for the bell, Koli landed just as screams could be heard from the suburbs of the village. Every inch of his body told him to run to them as fast as he could to help. Pain seemed to be a magnet to him so he could help whoever was hurting. Distant struggle and the sound of agony brought Koli to the realization that they were beyond saving. The sharp cry of the cold bell rang out throughout the village; enough to awaken even the dead. It was eerie as a painful call, but invigorating as the urgent call of a savior. The battle against the monsters had begun.

[matthewkuch]

Vicious battle was consuming both ships. Most of the fight was on the merchant ship, but some of Callaghan's crew had managed to push their assailents onto the Black Sails Armada ship. Each side seemed to be evenly matched but Gavner could tell that he fight was taking its toll on Captain Jack's men. The crew was not used to the pirates' ferocious fighting style; they were tiring quickly. Gavner realized that he had to do something more if his side was going to be victorious.

Gavner was up on the mast of the merchant ship. Captain Jack had stationed him here with Black Shadow up in the crow's nest, not only to provide cover for his friend but also to keep enemies from damaging the mast beyond repair. "I need you fresh and rejuvenated in case we begin to tire too badly," The aged captain had said. Gavner did not want to argue with the captain so he reluctantly had waited here for the duration of the battle. Every now and then he would let go of the mast and squish a pirate below but that was the extent of his action.

"That's an hour lads, bring out the guns!" Somebody yelled from below. The pirates all cheered and several retreated. Some of Callaghan's crew followed to attack and some waited to catch their breath.

Gavner hung onto the mast and it registered to him what was happening. The enemy had realized they could not defeat the merchant ship without a reasonable profit unless they had additional help. If they had continued fighting the way they were, they would undoubtedly win but their body count would be to high. Noticing this Gavner shouted to the crew to get down but it was too late by then.

Cannon fire above deck amplified the commotion tenfold. Canister fire, explosive shots, and fragments were flying everywhere. Sailors were being killed or wounded left or right and Gavner could not simply wait on the mast.

"Captain," Gavner shouted to Callaghan, "we will be mauled if those cannons are not taken out!"

"Aye lad," the captain shouted back, "get your lazy rear to my cabin and retrieve the explosive shots from my chest!"

Happy to be making himself useful Gavner dropped from the mast and dashed for the captain's quarters. A few of the pirates had jumped back on the merchant ship and one of them caught sight of Gavner. The assailant tailed the young vampire until both enemies jumped a foot in the air from a nearby explosive cannonball that missed them by feet. While the sailor was in a daze Gavner took his opportunity and slipped off into the captain's room. Not bothering to use the handle Gavner smashed through the door and searched for a chest the captain had spoken about.

The captain lived in a tidy set up with a desk in the center, a bed on the right, and a bookshelf on the left of the room. No chest. Gavner ran to the bed and turned over the mattress. There was no sign of any chest or special containment units. Hurrying to the desk Gavner began to rumage through the drawers. He found a trunk underneath the set of drawers on the right side of the desk. Pulling it out Gavner upened it up to find several articals inside. Most of what was inside seemed to be maps and pictures, but among them was a single knife and a quiver filled with arrows.

Grabbing the quiver Gavner slung it across his back and started back to the battle. He sprinted to the mast and leapt up ten feet up the large wooden pole. Using his hands and feet to pull himself up he reached the mast in no time. Shadow was busy cutting down foes one at a time with arrows. Gavner delivered his precious cargo as the cannonfire below began to increase. It would take a lot to pull through this battle in one piece.

[black shadow]

Black Shadow was running out of arrows fast. With every shot fired, he became more and more conservative, firing only upon men who had the upper hand on some of the merchant ship's best fighters. He began the battle with almost two hundred fifty arrow and now had less than thirty. When Gavner left the mast and headed towards the captain's quarters, some Pirates decided to climb the mast, trying to reach Black Shadow.

He removed another arrow from his quiver and fired it at the men below. The steel tip pierced its target square in the eye, sending him tumbling back down the large oak mast. Two other men were forced to jump off from the fall, and three more decided to join in on the climb. Black Shadow began to quickly let arrows fly until he reached back to find that he had one left. The thought of him not having an arrow scared him, but he knew he had no choice. He notched the last arrow and aimed it to the men below.

Gavner almost found himself dead for the second time in the day. His face was inches from Black Shadow's arrow tip, and Shadow had nearly released it. He put the arrow away and helped Gavner into the crow's nest, cannons firing left and right.

"Here, take these. Target those cannons, if we don't take care of them, then we will certainly lose this battle." Gavner said handing Black Shadow the quiver of arrows. Gavner's facial expression turned to that of awe as he watched Black Shadow take out the cannons with ease. He took out three cannons in the matter of five seconds, hardly even looking at the target. Black Shadow readied another arrow and turned to fire at the next cannon, elbowing Gavner in the face. He turned to give Gavner an annoyed look on his face, but saw him fall over the railing and barely catch himself.

"Sorry, I'll go and kill some more bad guys." Gavner shouted, sliding down the mast clenching his nose.

Black Shadow fired a few more arrow, taking out a few more cannons. then the sound of splitting wood came to Black Shadow's ears. the mast had been struck by the final cannon that was left. The wood pole began to fall, and Shadow was at the top of it. He focused, placed the final arrow on his bow string, jumped , and fired. The arrow soared through the air and hit its target. The cannon was disabled and the battle was even again. Now Black Shadow was faced with a new challenge: not die upon impact with the ground. He turned his back to the ground, landing on his upper back and rolling twice. The impact nearly nocked him out. He lay there, unable to move.

[dracoboy8]

Before he could think Drake was in the outskirts of the village to help. Koli had run up ahead and was obliterating monsters. They were coming in groups of three or four at a time, all different shapes and sizes. Some came in forms of Minotaurs with double edged executioner axes, others came as werewolves. Some were skeletons, and several of the monsters seen were even dragons. There was no specific type that came, but they were not stopping their advance. No matter how big or powerful the monster was, Koli always felled it in a swift single or double motion.

It is as if he knows every weak spot of all the monsters... Drake thought, He takes them down almost instantly.

With Koli leading and Drake close behind they made it to one of the houses which the first cry was heard from. More and more monsters were coming in from outside the perimeter of the town, but they seemed to be ignoring this house. "You go in and protect the city, I will help those in need out here." Drake said to Koli.

Koli gave a short not and disappeared without wasting a second. Going into the one-roomed house Drake found several people wounded. There was a man, two boys and one woman who were all injured. There was a small girl who was weeping in a corner of the house; she seemed to be unscathed. Drake began to tend to their wounds with the medical supplies in his bag and tried to assure them that they would be okay. One of the two boys had been critically injured in the abdomen and was losing blood fast. Drake wrapped up the open wound with bandages but he was turning a pale grey color. The boy and his family were all in shock from what had most of happened, then Drake saw it. On the table there was a teenage boy, presumably the age of about seventeen or eighteen. He had blonde hair and his eyes were gazing off in to space at something far beyond the ceiling. His facial expression was as plain as could be and his mouth was slightly ajar.

Suddenly the youth seemed so different from all others Drake had encountered. Through his experience, Drake had not experienced the death of a teenager before. It was very morbid, and very disturbing.

[Drake,] Gabriel said, [you are never going to believe what I found...]

[Koli]

The monsters seemed to be retreating now; they were no match for Koli. Originally his brotherhood had been established for two reasons:1 to keep order over the town it resided in, and 2 to provide protection for the town. Monsters always ravaged the countryside and attempted to pillage the town at night as in this scenario. The first techniques that were taught to any monk were monster fighting techniques.

Naturally with almost 30 years of experience in killing monsters Koli destroyed every enemy in sight. Now they seemed to be retreating. He found himself in the town square with for or five militia men helping him fight monsters as the monsters turned tail and fled. Koli rang the bell to signal all villagers who were still alive to gather after the attack. When a good portion of the town had arrived shaken up but unharmed, Drake arrived. Koli hoped that Drake would understand his lack of words, and so he did.

"Villagers of Rabinrast," Drake said in a loud voice for all in the town square to hear, "We must now find all of the wounded and the lost so that we may assist them in their recovery."

None of the villagers suggested otherwise so Koli and Drake began to help transport people to the town square. Some were in great pain and others were deceased. When counted there were four casualties and thirteen wounded. Koli used his Eyes of Hero on each of the wounded to ease their pain as Drake and the medical technicians of the village bandaged up the patients. When all was said and done a man from the medical staff turned to Koli and Drake.

"Thank you two for all you have done," the man said. "I should have never doubted victor."

[matthewkuch]

Gavner landed on the deck after letting go of the mast and readied himself to obliterate all enemies. The moon was sinking lower over the body of water and the night was growing old. Gavner had not killed or fed tonight, and he was hungry for battle. He leapt for a nearby pirate and tackled him to the ground. Pinning his shoulders to the ground and kneeling on the human Gavner's teeth were mere inches away from the man's throat when he heard an additional cannon shot. Gavner noticed; however, that this shot had come from below.

"Vir!"

Jumping to his feet Gavner left the lucky foe and ran for the lower deck. As he made it to the porthole Gavner looked in to find chaos. Passengers were scrambling around to get belongings and some were even stealing cargo. People were shouting and crying out for help, and that was when Gavner sighted the hole in the ship. There was a new cavity blown in the boat which was slightly larger than the size of a cannonball. Several people were on the floor with large chunks of wood in them.

A wave of relief washed over Gavner. That cannon blast had not been near Vir; there was still time to save him. "Vir Fortis," Gavner shouted through the commotion. "Your Majesty, where are you?"

Gavner ran through the crowd of people to Vir's hammock, but his heart sank when he reached its spot. There was no hammock there any more, and Vir was nowhere to be seen. Gavner ran to a stack of barrels and leapt up on them. Looking over the crowd he could not find the vampire prince anywhere. Gavner assumed the worst, that he must have been among those injured in the blast.

"Everybody out from below deck!" Gavner shouted to the crowd. He did not want anybody else to be injured from cannonfire. Instead of rushing to the porthole that led between decks, all of the passengers began to run for their possessions. "You fools," Gavner shouted while trying to push passengers towards the door. "If you do not leave now you will be dead!"

With his sensitive hearing Gavner now detected orders being given from the other ship.

"When I give the order fire at will!"

Gavner ran to the passage between decks. "You Idiots, get the heck out of here!"

"Three, two, one..."

Gavner leapt up on to the top deck just as the final order was given.

"Fire!"

Gavner looked down to give one last order of evacuation but it was too late. The words had not so much as left his mouth when the inside of the wall exploded. The cannons of the Black Sails Armada ship had all fired and destroyed the right side of the ship. Giant splinters and shards of wood flew in all directions, and worse; into the passengers. Chunks of wood and shards of metal scathed every passenger below deck.

Gavner felt greater disappointment than he had ever felt in his entire life. Disappointment in himself that he could not have gotten any others out. He should have grabbed people and carried them out. Esentially, Gavner's own wishes to save Vir had gotten in the way of the passengers. What kind of a leader was he?

A pirate was sprinting for Gavner from his right side, but the vampire was too distraught to notice at the time. The enemy punched Gavner forcefully in the side of the head that the child of the night was thrown back and landed face to the moon. Gavner planned on evading the pirate by rolling out of range of his attack but before a dark figure came up behind the foe. As the assailant raised his weapon to deliver a blow, the figure from behind grabbed his head and broke his neck. He then picked the pirate up and threw him over the edge of the ship.

"Nobody messes with my generals!"

[black shadow]

Black Shadow took a few breaths. The pain in his back shot through his spine, almost pulsing to a beat. He had to get up, this wasn't the citadel. If he died, there was no coming back. He placed his left hand on the deck and forced his way up, stumbling from the pain. THe sounds of the underdeck cannons rang in his ear, and he knew that this battle would soon be over. Black Shadow looked for Gavner and spotted him, another vampire standing over him, helping him up.

"Let's get out of here." The captain on the pirate ship shouted. His men began to climb over the boards and back onto their own ship.

Oh no you don't Black Shadow though as he grabbed his sword, the pain in his back now gone, and jumped from one ship to the other. Three of the pirates saw him and attacked at once. Black Shadow took a step to the side, causing one pirate to kill the other that the first did not see. He then attacked low at the third pirate, swiping his feet from underneath him and stabbing his chest when he slammed into the ground. Black Shadow turned to the first, sword in mid swing. Black Shadow slashed up blocking the pirates attack, then kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back and fell off the edge.

"That's enough!" The captain said. "We settle this in a one on one. Pick your best fighter, whoever wins gets to be free, loser..." The captain began to smile. "Dies."

Captain Jack Callaghan stepped onto the ship and into the ring or merchants and pirates. "It will be me than." he said.

Captain Howland Pyle's smile grew even larger. "It will be a pleasure killing you, Captain."

[dracoboy8]

[So you know how most people have a guardian angel?] Gabriel said to Drake. [Koli does not have one.]

[Well what does that mean?] Drake replied telepathically.

[It means he never sins.]

[Wait, I thought that was impossible.]

Drake noticed that Koli was giving him a strange look. Drake snapped out of his trance-like state and looked at his friend attentively. Koli raised his eyebrows and continued to stare.

"Oh, it's nothing," Drake mumbled. "I'm fine."

[Very difficult but not impossible,] Gabriel replied. [Koli has sinned before in his life, but he has not sinned in over twenty years. You are traveling with somebody who has an extreme amount of self-discipline and willpower.]

"Come Drake, come Koli. Let's go back to my house where we can get a good night's sleep," Said Victor. "The battle is over and you deserve it."

Drake took one last look around the dark town square and took in the scene. People were gathered around the injured and the fallen trying to comfort each other. Some would return home tonight without a son or a daughter, or with a wounded child or parent. Such things weighed heavily on Drake's heart and he wished he could help more. As he left he noted once more the frost on the brazen bell that had alerted so many people of the attack that night...

[My advice Drake, make allies with this man. You could learn so much from him.]

A valuable ally Koli would be; and befriend him Drake would.

[Koli]

Koli lay on his mattress of corn husks as he stared at the ceiling thinking; again. Normally he had trouble sleeping, but tonight he was simply not tired. Memories plagued him, not substantial enough to be dreams but not to insignificant as to vanish after a few seconds of. Although most passed after 5 minutes at the most, there was one memory that he could not shake. The memory of a monk in the brotherhood who became a priest. Among all of the priests in the brotherhood, he was by far one of the best in his prime. After he made it to the top he was among the holiest of all priests; nothing could get in the way of him and the truth. Then the clash with the demon changed everything.

Demons rarely showed themselves to people but when they did it was a serious issue...



"Koli what is wrong, my dear child?" Koli heard his mentor ask from across the room.

Koli was six years old and was in a learning session with Abbas Amo, the best teacher in the brotherhood. Somehow he always knew when something was wrong. Amo was the one who took care of him ever since he was small, teaching him how to live and take care of his needs. After Koli learned how to carry out the basic tasks of life Amo began to teach him the ways of the brotherhood; reading and writing were essential.

"I can see that you are troubled... What has been on your mind?"

[matthewkuch]

"You have to be more vigilant than that child, or you'll never live to command an army!" Vir said with a smile.

"What do you mean child sir, I'm thirty-eight years old!" Gavner relplied. He had been blooded when he was eighteen and vampires aged at one tenth the rate of humans. He was thirty-eight but he had the appearance of a twenty year old.

"You may be thirty-eight, but I am eight hundred and fourty three years old. Compared to me you are a mere infant." Vir said with a smile. Extending his hand, the vampire prince helped Gavner up.

"Your Majesty, I thought you were sick. How did you manage to join the fight?" Gavner asked.

"I am sick my boy. I was simply needed up here," Vir said. "I have little strength, but what little strength I have I will use."

"Would you like the potion you gave me?" Gavner said producing the vial of anti-seasickness medicine.

"No, I found some in my supplies. That is what temporarily rejuvenated me." The prince said. "Go and join the fight, my boy; I will follow."

Turning around Gavner noticed that the fighting had ceased. The remaining sailors were gathered around a duel; Gavner could not make out who was fighting but he assumed that the fight was important. Suddenly he noticed that nobody was on the merchant ship and it was slowly sinking; the pirate ship had been pulling away. There was now about fifteen feet of clearance between ships. Running to the edge of the ship Gavner leapt, clearing the distance between the two masses. Landing on the pirate ship, Gavner still could not make out the two attackers so he rushed to the mast. Climbing the large wooden beam hand over hand, Gavner reached the crow's nest and found Black Shadow spectating the fight intently.


"That's not..." Gavner began, realizing that the two captains were fighting. Black Shadow nodded his head somberly and Gavner realized that Jack Callaghan was most likely in the last fight of his life. Gavner had an immense amount of faith in his captain, but the pirate captain was clearly the superior.

And yet, as the duel raged on Jack seemed to be prevailing over his stronger adversary. It was almost as if the elderly captain had been given an extra boost of life as he forced his opponent onto the defense. Upper slashes followed by jabs and side assaults had almost taken the enemy by surprise several times. The pirate captain, Howland Pyle, had almost been run through several times by his opponent. He could not keep up with the newfound energy and intensity that his foe had gained.

By this time Gavner still did not see Vir. Looking to his right he saw that the merchant ship was now over 100 feet away and half of it was underwater. Straining his eyes in the sunset, Gavner's heart sank as he spotted the vampire prince on the elevated end of the ship watching the battle. Gavner could not understand why Vir had stayed; the prince would not be able to rejoin him. The general then realized that Vir had never intended to join them. Vir Fortis, the vampire legend of Clan Durus, planned on passing from the world at sea on a sinking merchant ship.

Shifting uneasily, the pirate crew began to cheer on their captain as they noticed him lagging. Some shouted words of encouragement as others simply yelled phrases like "Ey Cap'n!" and "Yaar!" The captain seemed to be getting angry. Desperate to get out of defensive mode he began to kick at Callaghan's stomach but the merchant ship's captain had predicted this already. He dodged every single assault and counterattacked, grazing Pyle's shoulder.

"Ahh, That's enough!" The pirate captain shouted.

Letting his rage consume him, Pyle blocked an oncoming sword blow and slashed at Callaghan's sword hand. The merchant dropped his sword and grabbed his wound, doubling over as a natural reflex. Pyle was not done, however. Being beyond the point of partaking in a fair fight, the pirate captain kicked the merchant captain in between his legs; sending him to the deck. Jack knew that he had lost the fight, that the seconds of his life were now limited, yet he made a struggle to rise. Pyle lifted his sword and dealt the final blow; the blow that would end Jack Callaghan's life.

But events do not always yield the expected results...


As Pyle brought down his sword, Vir Fortis landed beneath the strike. Being an ancient vampire with prince blood, Vir's abilities and attributes had developed far beyond those of Gavner's. Vir probably had over ten times the strength and speed Gavner had, his nails were as strong as diamonds, and his endurance was superior to that of any living thing. Gavner was afraid to see what Vir could have done if he was not ill. Catching the sword on the back of his nails, the vampire prince deflected the blow and glared at the pirate captain.

"Under my rule you would be put to death for your deceit," The vampire said nobly. "I Vir Fortis, War Prince of Clan Durus, hereby charge you with dishonorable conduct in a significant duel and sentence you to death where you stand."

Never before had Gavner seen a vampire prince give a death sentence on the field. Simply the way that Vir was standing intimidated all who looked upon him; his eyes blazed green with rage as his face held calm and cool. Wind blew through his long grey hair, slicking it back and giving him a grave appearance. Friend or foe would unanimously be in consensus that this being of nobility was supreme in authority to all.

"Burn in hell from whence you came, spawn of Satan. Tell your father that he cannot have me just yet." Pyle said.

The arrogant captain raised his blade to smite the vampire prince as he did Callaghan, but this was Howland's last assault. With the prince possessing over fifteen times the speed of a human, the sword transferred from Pyle's hand to Vir's in a blur. Pushing the captain in the chest he stumbled backwards into Vir who had already moved behind the pirate to intercept him. Like a cat toying with a mouse, the vampire prince pushed Pyle from behind stumbling him forward again. This time appearing several feet in front of the captain, Vir Fortis ended the fight. Utilizing nearly all of his supernatural strength and speed available to him in his weakened state, Vir kicked the enemy in the chest with all his might.

There was no sight of movement whatsoever. One moment the captain was at the mercy of the vampire prince's foot, and the next he had appeared slammed against the mast of the ship. He had not flown through the air, nor could anybody detect him as a blur. He simply was one place one second, and another the next. Extending his arm, Vir whipped the sword at Pyle in the same manner he had kicked him and it appeared in his breast. The sound of a thousand cannons rang out deafening everyone on deck; a sonic boom. Everyone stood back in awe at what they had just experienced. Vir turned to the crew of the pirate ship and roared in rage.

Some crew members dove overboard as others crumbled onto the ground in utter terror. Crew members from the merchant ship began to frantically tie up those who had remained, and Vir Fortis collapsed on the deck.

"Your Majesty!" Gavner shouted as he jumped from the crow's nest and descended the mast in a flash. Reaching Vir in under twenty seconds Gavner held the prince in his arms, looking into the face of his fallen kin. "Sir, you did it!"

"No, we did it my boy." Vir said weakly. "It seems I have exceeded the amount of energy I had to give."

"No no no no no no no," Gavner said frantically, "we can fix it. You are going to be okay, tell me you are going to be okay!"

"We all have a certain amount of time in this world, Gavner." Vir said, "I expected to pass on the voyage to Dhethain. An unknown meaningless passing, but you gave me one last battle to be known by; thank you for that."

"Vir..." Gavner said softly, tears forming in his eyes. "You can not leave."

"But I must, my dear child." The dying vampire said, his breaths growing shallow. "A vampire who holds on to things of the past will never be strong for the future. Celebrate the past in remembrance, but never mourn the past for it cannot be changed. Learn from the past and push forward and you, my boy, will become one of the greatest vampires of all time."

So Vir said with a twinkle in his eye, and passed from the world of Althanas nobly; a fitting death for a prince.

[black shadow]

"It will be three-hundred gold to dock your ship here over night, two-thousand for a week, six for a month." The Dock Master said to Black Shadow. He nodded and led the man below deck with Gavner. When they got below deck, The man's jaw dropped in awe. The entire room was filled with gold, hundreds of thousands of gold piled everywhere.

'We will be here for about a week. If we run late, we will pay you after we return." Gavner said, placing a pouch of two-thousand gold into the hands of the dock master. The three walked above deck, keeping the man from focusing on the gold. "Now I know exactly how much gold is in here, and if there is any gone when we get back..." Gavner said, pointing at the dead ship captain, hanging by a sword against the mast. The sword was a long sword about four feet long, stabbed through the captain and into the mast. there had become a game on the ship to see who could remove the sword from the mast. So far no one had achieved the goal.

"y-y-yes sir." The dock master said, moving quickly to escape the ship.

Gavner and Black Shadow looked at each other and laughed. (Black Shadow silently of coarse)

"I see you killed Captain Howland Pyle, what a feat." A man said, walking down the docks towards them. "What brings you here?"

Gavner and Black Shadow looked at each other and Shadow nodded. "We are on a quest to find and destroy a tower we have been informed about." Gavner said.

"Ah, the Great Tower of Tempestatibus. Follow me." The man said, turning away from the two and walking into town. Black Shadow hesitated, but decided to follow the man.

[dracoboy8]

Drake lay on the mat of corn husks, silently gaping at Koli. Before Drake had been in The Order of the Angels, he wandered around aimlessly for eighteen years. The half-angel preferred not to think of this time; he referred to it as the dark ages when he was living in sin. Drake was ashamed of this part of his life; several times along the journey he would try to lead a sinless life with no avail. The angel could not even lead a sinless life but Koli, a full blooded human, had not sinned in over twenty years. Humans were always looked at as an inferior race among the angels and supernatural beings, but maybe there could be exceptions...


"Drake, Koli," Victor said to the two adventurers as he slid each of them a bowl of oats over the table, "the town counsel requests your presence. Is that okay? I can always tell them that you refuse."

"No," Drake said after a brief glance with Koli, "we will see them. When is the meeting?"

"In the next hour," Victor said. "Please take your time."

[Koli]

Elurieus's heart was racing as he looked out at the sun. He raced down the dirt path from the cellhouse, the building that held most of the monks' dormitories, to the stronghold. The stronghold was an enormous church with five square-shaped towers rising out of the roof, four medium sized in each corner and one large one in the center. Made for lookouts, each tower could hold up to four archers and mostly hid the inhabitants from view of anybody on the ground. The center tower, however, was a special structure. It held great secrets, and only the High Priest of the brotherhood could enter- along with any others that he granted access to.

Dominion over all the surrounding land in terms of height, the towers upheld roofs that were a lackluster black. Bland grey stone held the roofs atop the towers which sprouted upwards from the same black roofing of the enormous stronghold. The main building itself was made of grey stone with many balconies and plain glass windows. Old wooden doors littered the stronghold, some in random walls leading absolutely nowhere, others leading to balconies and stairs. Large and wooden, the main door faced North which symbolized how a monk should always keep his morals straightforward. Surrounding the stronghold were gardens as well as walls. Flowers and herbs grew in beds around the stronghold as large luscious fruit clung to trees and vines that grew in the yard. Beautiful green, trim grass grew in the yard with all of the other plants. The monks cared for all of the vegetation as if it were their essence of life.

Surrounding the yard, about a quarter mile away from the stronghold stood a grand wall to mark the stronghold's position. The wall was over fifteen feet high with two different gate entrances on each side. Monks were posted at each gate in intervals for all hours of the day and night so that visitors and guests were always attended to. The wall was not meant to keep anybody out or in, but simply to mark the presence of the stronghold. To the East, between the stronghold and the wall, was a small coniferous forest that stretched on for miles. Training grounds for the monks littered the yard and the forest. Monks were trained to the highest attainable skill in martial arts, and were adept with every type of weapon in the world. They were also highly practiced in wilderness survival and medical care, as well as psychology and even blacksmithing. Monks who were in the brotherhood for their whole lives were able to master all of these things to better serve the community and the world by assisting all who needed help and protection.

Elurieus stopped and looked to his right as the conifer forest was bathed in the beautiful shades of pink and orange of the late evening. The colors from the sun tickled the thin tips of the tenable, tame grass and gave the grey gloomy stronghold walls a tinge of beauty as they cast themselves upon the walls.

"Do not be late for the dusk ranking ceremony," father Growin's voice echoed in Elurieus's head, "this time if you are late you will not rank up."

"Yes father," the monk replied. He had been just about to leave the training grounds thirty minutes before nightfall. "I won't let you down."

The priest pulled out a dagger and grabbed the young monk's hand before he rapped the boy's hand with the side of the blade. "Will not, Elurieus, you say 'I will not.' You are a monk, and you will not use contractions. It is not our way."

"Yes sir."

Elurieus rushed through the wooden doors and down a deserted hallway, trying to make it to the ceremony room as fast as possible. He turned the corner and began to hurry down the hall. The doors to the sanctuary were open and the voices of children were coming from the holy of holies, playing and having fun. During this hour it was not uncommon for the youth of the brotherhood to gather in the church sanctuary and share fellowship.

Far off at the end of the hallway through an open door, Elurieus could see a quarter of the sun over the horizon- he could make it to the ceremony on time! The monk started for the ceremony room, which was at the end of the hallway on the right, but he was stopped short. On a bench outside of the sanctuary was a child, no older than five years old, alone with his head buried in his hands. The child silently wept, out of sight from the world as its inhabitants carried on. The sight squeezed Elurieus's heart, making him feel like crying as well.

The monk walked over to the bench and knelt down in front of the child as he wept.

"Hey buddy," Elurieus said, "what is wrong?"

The child looked up, his chubby face glistened with tears. He sniffled and remained silent.

"It is okay, I am here to help."

He looked down at the ground. "The other kids said that I can't play with them because I am too little.." The boy looked up at the monk with his big white irises. "I want to be bigger."

Elurieus thought for a second. "Well when you are bigger, you do not have as much fun."

"But I am the littlest one here. Nobody wants to play with me."

"Well I will tell you what," Elurieus said taking off a silver ring from his right hand, "I want you to have this. Whenever you get lonely, hold this in your hand and it will allow you to relive any memories that you want any time that you want to." Elurieus placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. This was worth being late to the ceremony for.

This is why I am here, Thought Elurieus as he dropped the ring into the little palm of the boy.

"Koli are you ready?" The priest heard Drake call to him from the other room. "We have to get going to the town hall meeting or we will be late."

Koli opened his eyes and looked down at the silver ring in his palm. Slipping it onto his right ring finger he stood up as the memory became a thin whisp that soon faded away.

[matthewkuch]

Gavner sat atop the starboard railing dangling his feet over the side of the boat. Darkness lay thickly over the boat and the surrounding body of water as the vampire waited, alone in the middle of nowhere. Not a single star shined in the sky, nor was there any moonlight to spy the waters by. There was a lack of wind, resulting in total stillness. Some thirty feet below, the water met with the side of the boat. Complete silence hung about the air as the boat floated stationary in the middle of the ocean.

“Alright lads, we’ve had a long day,” Captain John Callaghan said earlier as the sun sank low, “Tie up the sails and get some sleep. The Dheathain nights have no wind, and as a captain I think it would be unfit to make my sailors row the night after the battle that happened today.”

Gavner stared out into the distance, not being able to tell where the sea met with the sky. He wasn’t paying attention to that, a trance-like state enveloped his mind, but he wasn’t thinking of anything either. A vast nothingness occupied his thoughts as his mind was incapable of thinking at that time. Somebody placed his hand on Gavner’s shoulder, and the vampire didn’t bother to look and see who it was; likewise, the creature of the night knew he would turn to find the familiar stare of his best friend. Black Shadow gave Gavner’s shoulder a comforting squeeze, and then the creature of the night heard his friend climb onto the railing and sit next to him.

The two stared out into the darkness for a time, neither able to say a word to one another. Nothingness began to develop into thoughts, and all of a sudden Gavner could not stop thinking about the fallen vampire. He closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly, cringing at the despair that now plagued his chest.

“I did not really know him that well,” Gavner muttered, beginning to search for the horizon once more. “He was not of my clan but he still saved me. I suppose that we protect our own because we have nobody else.”

Gavner once again felt the hand of his friend on his shoulder.

“I suppose that even heroes fall, eventually.”

For the next three days the crew worked overtime to make it to Dheathain and, with the expertise of Captain Callaghan of course, arrived on the coast by the morn of the fourth. The skipper seemed to lead with a renewed vigor, and knew everything about the possible courses to the mainland. He knew when there were sharp rocks or obstacles that might impede the voyage, as well as when they might sail through questionable waters with the danger of pirates. Callaghan also seemed every bit qualified to command a war vessel as well, as he prepared and gave instructions to the crew on how to operate the cannons below the deck in the case of an attack.

“I’ve witnessed my fair share of battles and it seems that I’ve stretched my luck as it is. I will be taking no more chances. If any other vessel is sighted, assume it is hostile and prepare the guns.”

Early in the morning, about an hour before sunrise, the crew docked in Dheathain. Black Shadow and Gavner began to take measures for the ship’s care while they were gone and the vampire was speaking with Callaghan when a man came and inquired about their journey.

"Ah, the Great Tower of Tempestatibus,” The man said after Gavner described their quest, “Follow me.”

Black Shadow began to follow the man and Gavner bade the captain farewell. “Thank you for everything, captain.”

“Do not worry Gavner,” The captain said, “I will have her in top shape when you return. Oh, and another thing-” he said turning to the crew and giving a signal, “We can’t let you leave without giving your prince a proper sendoff!”

When Gavner looked towards the exit of the ship, the entire crew had lined up forming a tunnel down the unloading ramp. The captain stood in front of the ramp that led into the port and drew his sword, pointing it into the air. Drawing their swords, the rest of the crew angled theirs together forming a point over the tunnel.

“Vir Fortis!” The captain shouted.

“VIR FORTIS!” the rest of the crew repeated.

“Best of luck to you on your journey.”

[black shadow]

The man led the two through the worn down roads, littered with the bodies if the monsters from the attack just hours before. The townspeople had already begun te cleaning of the bodies but had yet to complete the tedious task. Black Shadow's senses were at an all time high upon seeing the creatures, all of which were new to him. There was a trail of blood leading off into one alley, and as the three passed by the lifeless corpse of man sat leaning against the wall.

Black Shadow knew there was something wrong here, but as much as he wanted to help, that was not why they were here. The man led Black Shadow and Gavener to a building near the center if the village. Its stone walls showed many years of wear and te building was not even a hint if its former glory.

"Ask te front desk about te tower. They 'an help you wit your, uh... Quest." The man said as he opened the door. Once Black Shadow and Gavener entered the building the doors shut and left them alone. Black Sjadow rounded the corner, spotting a woman sitting at a desk. Standing talking to her were two men, one appeared to be an angel, or at least half if one, and the other a monk.

There was something odd about the two, and this caused Black Shadow to become suspicious. Black Sjadow hurried to the trio, hoping they would not leave before he ha a chance to speak. Gavner followed behind him, noticing the men aswell.

[dracoboy8]

Drake smiled and stretched his arms, yawning as he stepped out into the crisp atmosphere of Dheathain. The warm rays of the morning sun hugged the half-angel's cheeks and exposed flesh. Drake closed his eyes as he spread his soft, feathery grey wings that nobody else could see, letting them soak up the sun's light. He opened his eyes and they continued through the town square. Bodies of monsters still littered the street, the foul odor of their fluids that ran in the streets started to fill the air as the convoy passed through the square. When they reached the other end of the square, they came across the largest, and quite possibly the most ornate building in the village that had large darkly stained heavy wooden doors.

The building in its entirety was roughly five stories high, and looked almost like a smaller scale church- or at least it looked small to Drake who was mainly familiar with Corone style churches- that dubbed as a castle. The first two stories worth of height were held in a large, plain rectangular-based four walls that ended in a platform. Up at the top of the platform were murder holes for archers to shoot out of and be protected. This was where the castle look came from. Looking up, Drake even saw a large vat on each side which he presumed could be filled with boiling oil to dump over the side on unsuspecting assailants. From the platform rose a three story tower with keyhole windows that people could look out and possibly attack. Drake recalled seeing a picture of a similar shaped window in a book of ancient Corone architecture that described the keyhole as a magically protected window that would allow sorcerers to launch magic attacks from but not let magic attacks enter the window.

"Well, are you ready, Master Drake? Master Koli?" Victor proudly said to his two guests.

"This guy thinks far too highly of us," The half-angel muttered to Koli. "We are ready when you are, Victor."

Drake and Koli followed the man through the doors and into a warm foyer. To the right was a large oak counter with a middle aged, very attractive, brown haired woman who had soft, hazel eyes standing behind it. She was a half a head taller than the half-angel himself was, her face being more of a round shape than anything. Her jaw did not naturally protrude past her lips, nor was her face completely flat. Her cheekbones stood out ever so slightly, giving shadow and definition to the areas that were lest outstanding. Rather small, her nose was centered in her face giving the woman an almost perfect sense of facial beauty. She was wearing a black, soft yet tight strapless dress that complimented her breasts, which were perfectly proportioned to the rest of her slender body, and additionally gave definition to her backside. Long, wonderfully maintained hair flowed from her head and over her left shoulder, guided to rest below her collarbone. The woman took her hair and began to stroke it, running her fingers from both hands through it as she looked at Drake and Koli's entrance.

Something about this woman made Drake uneasy. This lady's attire was extremely unorthodox- especially for a back woods town in Dheathain- and she seemed almost like a temptress. The half-angel decided that it was probably best to have as little contact with her as possible; consequently, he further observed his surroundings. A wall was about five feet behind the desk, and a wooden door with a brazen knob. in the left corner of the wall Drake was facing was a staircase made of dark wood with a red carpet in the middle of the steps. Drake looked under his feet and saw the same red carpet with golden colored thread making small designs and trim on the edges. The carpet continued to the opposite wall of the entrance, which had another set of large, dark, heavy wooden doors that were not as large as the first set, but were still not average sized. The whole foyer was lantern-lit, giving it an exotic ambiance.

"This is Mae," Victor said, referring to the beautiful woman behind the counter, "She is in charge of the bookkeeping and files, as well as arranging meetings with the council and many other things. The list goes on and on, but you will learn more about her later."

"Aww, you're just a doll Victor," The woman said in a soothing, yet naturally seductive voice, "The council is ready to see you three now." She flashed a flawless smile at Drake and gave him a playful wink.

Oh gosh, Drake thought as they walked towards the other set of doors that led deeper into the building, Satan has his ways.

[Koli]

Koli began to proceed towards the door; however, just as he reached the large wooden port, it gently opened and an older man with a nice hairline stood in the entryway. He was about five foot nine with greying hair that was slicked back. Wrinkles lined his forehead and the areas around his mouth. He wore a long cloak with a fur collar and what looked like horns of great beasts coming from the shoulders of his garment. Knee-high black boots covered his lower legs, and a relatively large nose accompanied his soft, dark eyes.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, there seems to have been a misunderstanding," the man said in a polite, baritone voice. "The council is not ready for your audience yet. Our sincerest apologies."

"Very well," Drake replied with an understanding smile, "let us know when you need-"

The man unceremoniously stepped back into the room and shut the door.

"-us... Well I guess we have to stay here a bit longer Koli." Drake finished.

"Master Drake, Master Koli, I am terribly sorry!" Victor began to bumble, "I am so sorry for the council's being rude-"

"Ahem." Mae interrupted.

"Er... Unavailibility..." Victor finished. "Please, have a seat." He said motioning to a line of chairs to the right of the room that Koli had not noticed there before.

"That is quite alright, Victor," Drake said, "You have been more than hospitable to us."

Koli glanced around at Drake and Mae, removing his silver ring and looking down at it in his palm. He closed his eyes and then replaced it on his finger, enjoying the smooth, cool metal’s gliding down to the base of his phalange.



The retired priest opened his eyes to dee the pale, stagnant light of a familiar place that he grew up in. Koli looked around to find himself sitting in the sanctuary of the very church that he was raised in- the very church that he had sworn to protect the brother hood with his life in at one point. Large colorful transparent stained glass windows in the walls cast colorful shapes on the floor, but the pure light was still disingenuine luminescence, consequently, devoide of energy. Although the air was crisp and clean, a dank vibration saturated the atmosphere. Even the noises in the room, such as speaking or music were monotonous and bland. Not even footsteps gave the crisp, clear echo as they made boring “thud, thud, thud”s. Every breath tasted stale. Every color looked bleak. Every sound was dull.

Up at the front of the sanctuary was a slightly raised platform with a podium. Jalaphar, the head priest of the brotherhood, was standing behind it and holding a council meeting. He was primarily speaking to the council of priests- the high ranking members of the organization who had been selected to make important decisions for the brotherhood- which was in the first row of pews. The rest of the priests and monks who wished to attend the meeting sat in the other pews.

“… and due to the expenses of the organization, even though we are a declared self-sufficient brotherhood, some of the townspeople have been more than happy to give generous donations in return for the protection that we provide. With donations, it is much easier to have a better functioning brotherhood with all of our expenses completely covered. With more funding, we can bring in more training and expertise which will open the realm of our reach to be limitless, expansive, and even omnipotent.”

The crowd sat in silence, processing what Jalaphar said.

“And how do you propose that we obtain these… funds?” One of the priests from the council asked.

“If we continue accepting donations, we will be able to pay for minimal extra expenses, but if we talk to the town about a mandatory tithe…”



Suddenly Koli heard the noise of a door's opening and the former priest found himself once more staring at the silver ring that was on his finger. He looked around and found that two men were entering the foyar- a man with bright red hair who was dressed in a black traveling cloak, as well as a masked man garbed in all black with a bow slung over his shoulder.

Perhaps my being here was not mere happenstance...

[matthewkuch]

As Gavner stepped into the building- which was a rather elegant foyer for a town in Dheathain- instantly his vampric senses sharpened. The creature of the night became slightly more vigilant, as his senses sometimes became heightened when something was amiss. He smelled a mix of a strong bitter wood odor and one of weak mildew. The low lantern lighting dimly illuminated the foyer which first gave Gavner a tropical feel- conforming to the theme of Dheathain's natural climate. The walls were made of rich, deep brown wood and a large arch made of perfectly cut grey stone on the wall opposite the entrance formed the door frame of two large wooden doors. The doors did not have knobs but black iron rings to pull them open. Gavner’s eyes followed the bold red carpet that he noticed under his feet to the doors that led further into the building, but it also led behind a counter and up a staircase to the rear right corner of the foyer.

“Well, it looks like we are not the only ones on a mission,” Gavner said to Black Shadow as they approached the two men.

One of the men was hooded and garbed in a white robe with a shining gold belt buckle. He also had a black shoulder plate on his left side, and most of his face was concealed. A large, thick red cross was tattooed on his face running from the middle of his chin, the crossbar running across his cheekbones. He wore a grave facial expression, and looked very serious. The other person looked more like a boy than a man, as his facial structure looked young. He was rather thin and had blonde hair with glowing blue eyes. He had a black pack with a belt that throwing stars were strapped to.

“Goodmorning gentlemen,” Gavner said putting out his pale hand for the man in the white robe to shake, as he flashed his sharp, ebony black teeth in a wide smile, “Gavner Nahs. It is very nice to meet you.”

The man with the tattooed face nodded his head and shook Gavner’s hand. Nodding in return, the creature of the night’s gaze was lifted up to the man’s face and he noticed the man in white staring back with grave, white irises. Gavner found this rather odd but he showed no change in his facial expression or demeanor.

“And you might be?” Gavner said turning to the teenage blond haired boy.

“Drake,” the teen said offering his hand which Gavner shook, once again smiling. He felt the boy’s eyes on his dark teeth.

Gavner looked over to find Koli and Black Shadow shaking hands and exchanging serious looks. “Can he not speak?” The creature of the night asked Drake.

“Er… I’m afraid not,” the teenager replied, “Likewise with your… companion?”

“Yes, I am afraid we have the same situation with him.” Gavner said. “He is Black Shadow.”

“And he is called Koli,” Drake said motioning to Koli. “ It is very nice to meet both of you.”

“Likewise,” Gavner replied, “The man who led us here said that we must ask the front desk about-“

Gavner began walking behind the desk when a beautiful woman in a tight, black dress interrupted him, as she jumped in front of him, directly impeding his path. She was perfectly proportionate in all aspects, her whole body was entirely balanced and her face was a picturesque image of beauty. Gavner looked down at her and noted that she was about four inches shorter than he.

“Oh no no no,” she said in a high squeaky voice, “Please stay on the other side of the desk, sir, this is a highly restricted area.”

Instantly Gavner wondered what they were hiding. Something was amiss here. His attention was drawn to the lighting. Why was the foyer kept in low light? A plausible reason could be that the city wanted to save lantern fuel, but why would they have paid so much attention to the finish of the foyer if funding was an issue? The low light could have been instituted to hide something. But Gavner had certainly heard the rumors about Dheathain and it would not be anything out of the ordinary that the town was hiding something.

Quickly scanning the area behind the counter, Gavner noticed the door behind the woman with a brazen handle, undoubtedly locked.

“Ahem,” She softly said.

“Oh,” Gavner said returning his attention to the woman. His eyes wandered down to her chest and lingered. The vampire gently rolled his tongue imitating a tiger sound, his top lip rising to reveal his top row of sharp, black teeth. “I am terribly sorry miss,” his voice becoming softer and more seductive as he began to reach out to touch her shoulder “We were just told that-“

The woman’s hand darted up and snatched Gavner’s hand in midair. She grabbed his chin with her other hand and firmly lifted his head so he was looking her in the eyes. “Well you were told wrong,” she said in her higher pitched voice. “Now if you would be so kind as to step back, keep your hands to yourself, and keep your eyes in appropriate areas,” She said softly, “I may be able to address your situation and arrange a meeting with the council for you. Okay?” She finished sweetly. Gavner began to step back, but she held firmly to his wrist and stopped him. “I said okay?” She said in an even sweeter, higher pitched voice.

“Okay…” Gavner grumbled with a scowl, looking down at the ground. Just as he turned away, a wrinkle in the carpet caught the vampire’s eye. Looking at it, he saw that it’s unevenness on the ground left an exposed indent in the floor that looked like the possible corner of a trapped door. Normally it was too dark for a normal human to notice but Gavner’s vampire eyes could see in the dark.

“Ahem,” The woman said again, and Gavner turned away.

He walked back to Black Shadow’s side, ego throbbing, as he noticed his best friend silently laughing up a storm. Drake was holding the side of his index finger of a closed fist against his lips, trying to conceal a smirk and hold back a laugh as Koli’s face remained deadpan.

”She told you!” Black Shadow managed to say to Gavner in sign language.

”Shut up,” Gavner signed back, ”I sense something wrong here.”

”Yeah, because you just got turned down!”

”No, I-“

“Um,” Drake interrupted, “what are you doing?”

“We…” Gavner started, but just as he began, the doors leading to the inside of the building opened, and a tall man with a fur stole appeared.

“Gentlemen,” he said, “We apologize for the inconvenience that you may have encountered. We are ready for you now.”

“Thank you sir, we will be right in.” Gavner said before turning to black shadow. ”You stay back here. Look around and see what you can find,” the vampire said to his friend in sign language. ”I truly sense that something is amiss here. They are hiding something.”

Black Shadow nodded in compliance

"The smell of mold is not natural for such an elegantly upkept building. I saw a trapped door behind the desk, check the wrinkle in the carpet near the base of the staircase."
“Right this way, please,” the man in the fur said to the group.

”Be careful,”

[black shadow]

Black Shadow watched as his friends entered the council meeting room, the gigantic doors closing behind them. He was left standing in the main hall, alone with the woman. She was staring at him; her look of disgust was replaced with a slight look of interest.

This may be what I need. Black Shadow thought as he walked up to her.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" She asked, licking her lips.

Oh brother, the Dark Archer thought, trying to play along. He grabbed the pen off her desk and a piece of paper.

"You see, I can't talk. If I could, not one word would escape my lips that did not include the beauty that stands before me." He wrote. When Shadow handed the paper to Mae, he winked, hoping she would like it. Her face flushed a bright red when she read the paper, and Shadow could tell she was very embarrassed.

"Excuse me," She said, covering her face as she moved to a small door labeled 'employees only'.

Women. Shadow thought, searching for the trap door Gavner spoke of. A quick motion of his hand across the thin black carpet revealed the location of the door to Black Shadow. He slowly opened it, a soft creaking sound echoing through the hall. Shadow winced, hoping no one could hear. With his luck, not one soul entered in search of the source. Closing the trap door made no sound, and Black Shadow thanked the gods for that.

The darkness consumed the room Black Shadow now stood in, his hands barely able to be seen. The cold, damp stone walls were the only thing leading him through the halls. As he moved forwards, faint noises reached his ears. Soft roars, deep moans, and high pitched screeches grew louder and louder as he moved, soon sending Black shadow into a jog, run, and eventually sprint. Light slowly pierced the hallway around a corner, and Black Shadow began moving faster than he ever had before.

[dracoboy8]

Drake looked around as he stepped through the big doors. The room itself was colossal, and everything about it was elegant, never lacking in magnificence. The floor, perhaps the most lacking in beauty, was made of simple, rough hewn grey stone. At the other end of the room was a large, elongated wooden pulpit of a sort- one which judges usually sat behind. Behind the large wooden mass were six men with serious looking faces.

Smooth, light grey stone with beautiful carvings and sculptures made the first twelve meters of the walls of the building. Strange figures, carvings and busts of men and bewildering creatures, most likely unique to Dheathain's cannon, lined the base of the walls, yet there were no windows in the room; subsequently, Drake could not see them in very much detail. About twelve meters up the wall, a large balcony, wrought from dark wood, protruded out over the lower floor. It was beautifully carved, with stars, planets and vegetation- looking as if the vegetation was growing from the wood itself. The balcony sat atop all four walls, and was angled at such a way that it was difficult to see whether anybody was actually there watching. Above the balcony were four beautiful white walls that narrowed as they rose. Had a dove flown in front of the area, one could not notice the entity's existence, save its ebony eye which was the only thing that one may identify the creature by. At the top of the walls rested a cream color ceiling, in the center of which was a large square plot of Windows that light streamed through, dimly illuminating the whole room. Oil lanterns hung from the grey walls as well; however, they were not burning in this area of the building for some reason. The lack of light caused the edifice's features to appear forlorn and dreary.

Behind the elongated pulpit sat thirteen men, each one’s face illuminated by a candle. The man in the fur stole continued through the room, leading the three towards the opposite end of the room. The men seemed to come in different shapes and sizes, the majority of them had grey hair, save for three younger looking ones. One of them had short blonde hair with a goatee, and was sitting in the second seat from the left end of the congress. Another had short, deep black hair and was clean shaven. He was sitting at the very end of the right side. The third one had shoulder length, flowing brown hair, and a longer, angular face; this one was directly to the left of the man sitting in the center. They came to a halt, and their guide spoke once more in his elegant voice.

“Great council of Davensport,” he said, “your guests have arrived.”

Drake raised his eyebrows puzzledly. He had no recollection of being invited anywhere, nor receiving any summons of sorts from this town. Why were they here? What had caused the council, the supreme form of government of this town as Drake would assume, to request their presence? Obviously they wanted something from the four men, but what?

[Koli]

If any common person were to enter such a place as the convoy was led to, he would see nothing but paradoxes. Here he would be, standing in a larger than life government hall which was lavish, ornate, and seemingly the envy of even wealthy cities such as Radasanth, or Eluriand in its former glory, yet it was located in an impoverished town on the coast of Dheathain. It seemed that monsters constantly lay waste to the town, yet this hall was in pristine condition. The town seemed extremely poor; however, it had a port with what seemed to be constant traffic. Everything about this occurrence was out of place.

But Koli refrained from passing any judgement on this place. He had encountered many paradoxes in life, extending beyond situational paradoxes and irony. No, Koli knew better than to fall prey to the wonders and beauty of his environment. Standing seemingly at ease, yet having his entire body in a relaxed position that was poised to move at any moment, Koli relaxed. He would not try to read or profile these men, nor would he try to understand every aspect of their requests; he planned to have an open mind.

“Gentlemen,” said the man seated in the center of the ornate pulpit, “Welcome. The city of Davensport greets you warmly. “

The man spoke in a booming voice. He sounded friendly, but Koli could see otherwise. There was clear contempt in his demeanor, and with his words came a clear desire to serve a selfish motive. This man wanted something from them, and that much was evident. When none of the incoming group spoke, the man continued.

“You are hereby guests of The Grand Council of Davensport, which you stand before, how may we address you three?” The man boomed in his elegant voice.



A mandatory tithe? A mandatory tithe??

Koli jumped to his feet, and he glared at Jalaphar.

Blistering hot rage boiled deep within him. Had Jalaphar himself not warned of this very thing? Time and time again, the very head priest of the brotherhood, reiterated how protection, and good deeds must be given freely, and lovingly from the heart with none other in mind than good will and intentions. Even the idea of this mandatory tithe, this wretched, blasphemous, self-serving notion, was protesting the very core beliefs of not only Koli, but the organization that he swore to protect. But that wasn’t the only problem. Ever since Abbas Amo died, it was almost as if the true essence of the brotherhood had died as well; the teachings were completely skewed, and the motives, as well as the actions of the organization were unrighteous.

“Koli,” Jalaphar said with a tone of contempt, “Do you have something to say?”

Koli’s white irises changed to a shade of deep red, reflecting his rage. The head priest stared directly back into them, and his face instantly softened with empathy. When Koli was enraged, which was extremely rare as it only happened several times in his entire life, his eyes would turn red and cause all who gazed upon them to become empathetic. It was now or never. Koli had been waiting to express his disagreement with the brotherhood’s affairs for over a year now. In fact, there were many instances in which Koli wanted to question the methods of his Head Priest, Jalaphar, but out of respect, he held his tongue. After a time, Koli stopped speaking altogether. He hadn’t said a word in over a year now, and now he had a chance to make everything right. But maybe things were like this because he refused to speak in the first place. Maybe if he had just said something, things would have been different. Perhaps Koli didn’t deserve the opportunity to speak. Maybe he didn’t have the right to change the way things were now. But he had to. If anybody was to do anything, it was Koli. If anybody was going to change anything, it would have to be him.

Koli opened his mouth to speak; everybody seemed to lean in and hold their breath, but something stopped the young priest from protesting. He swore to devote his life to a righteous organization, upstanding and true; he swore to be a part of something that would always lead Koli down the right path, and part of that was respecting the Head Priest, and how he advised. Koli couldn’t bring himself to defy the Head Priest; it was not who he was; however, he could not serve under a Head Priest who was leading him against his morals. There was only one thing to do now.

Koli turned and walked from his pew into the aisle and began to exit the sanctuary.

“Koli!” He heard Jalaphar’s voice call out behind him, “Wait!” The ex-priest stopped in his tracks, and gave a look over his shoulder, his eyes once more white and emotionless.

A look of shock was in Jalaphar’s face. In that moment, everything was clear. All of his transgression, all of his corruption, and his evil deeds- but he didn’t care about any of it. All that he could see was his best friend, whom he had known for nearly all his life, leaving. In that moment, Jalaphar would have changed all of his ways- he even would have stepped down as Head Priest and given the title to Koli- to keep his best friend from leaving.

And some part of Koli, deep inside, knew that.

“Please…”

Koli looked back into the face of his friend, and slowly shook his head.

Goodbye, Jalaphar. Koli thought as he turned and walked out of the sanctuary.

[matthewkuch]

Gavner cast a sideways glance at Koli and Drake. They all exchanged looks, and Gavner nodded before he stepped forward and addressed the council. "Hello, council of Davensport. My..." Gavner hesitated for a moment, "Traveling companions, Drake and Koli... And I, hail from continental Althanas. My name is Gavner Nahs, of Clan Anoterish, and I will be our speaker."

"That is very formal of you," the blonde man with the goatee mused, "but such formalities are not required. We already know all three of you."

Hiding his confusion, Gavner kept a straight face. "So you have been expecting us?" The vampire asked in a neutral tone.

"Why yes," the man replied while stroking his facial hair, "But the more pressing question is, why did you leave our fourth guest, Black Shadow, in the lobby with Mae?"

Gavner was silent for a few moments. Although he was a general, he had never done diplomacy before, so he didn't know how to deal with pressing foreign governments. "The other member of our party, Black Shadow, had… certain matters, to attend to…” Gavner said.

“Oh, yes?” The shaven man with jet black hair on the left of the council boomed, leaning forward, “Matters of what importance?” The man said with a dangerous smirk.

“What can we do for you, council?” Gavner asked cooly, returning the smirk.

“The council hopes that you will excuse its pressing,” one of the men with grey hair and a pointed nose said, casting an impatient look to the younger member, “you all have your reasons, I am sure, which you are entitled to, and that we will respect. Black Shadow may join us whenever he is ready.”

“But, the sooner that Black Shadow joins us, the better. We can give our proposition in full.” A man with very long grey hair and a white mustache said.

“Until then, my dear council,” Gavner said in a very gracious tone, “Please give us your proposition.”

“Yes well, I suppose we can continue a bit without him.” The councilman on the end said.

“Why,” Gavner asked with a hint of impatience, “Are you so concerned with Black Shadow?”

The council was silent for a few moments. Some exchanged nervous glances, and there was a clear air of discomfort. Gavner has begun poking around, which clearly was uncommon. The council did the talking, the council asked the questions; the council held the power. Not the guests.

“Black Shadow is the most valuable to us at this point,” the man in the very center of the council said. When the man spoke, all fell silent. All listened respectfully, but it was almost as if all in the room fell under a spell when the man had something to say, save for the three travelers.

“We have important matters to discuss, regarding his father’s estate.”

[black shadow]

The light revealed a large room, dull and grey with stone, very tall, and very wide. The view Black Shadow could now see brought horror to his mind. Along the walls, on every side, in rows, and stack on top of each other, were various cages of various sizes all filled with the different monsters they had seen attacking the village. They all were in pain, being tortured, and some had parts of their bodies removed and replaced with some sort of Alerian machinery. Arms, legs, and even parts of the body and head were replaced by metal. One, a wolflike creature, had all four legs replaced and on the new legs were spikes. on its shoulder there was what appeared to be a cross bow.

Black Shadow walked to one of the cages and places his hand on the bars looking in. The creature did not even move in his presence, almost as if they were afraid to lash out in fear of punishment. The sight horrified Black Shadow. If this is what the town did, this is why the monsters were attacking, then Black Shadow would surely stop it.

"It's horrifying, isn't it?" A voice came from behind Black Shadow. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and drew his bowstring, aiming it at the figure's face. He was surprised to see then that it was Mae. She threw her hands up in surrender. "Please don't shoot me," She said softly. "I find all of this awful, they should not do this. The attack on the town, it happens because of this." [incomplete]