Coronian Nights: Episode 1 (Open to Kaiser)

[Falcon Darkflight]

The Corone air was thin and almost crisp as the sun’s scarlet crest cut above the pine trees, showering the farmed land below with scattered pillars of morning light through the broken branches. The sounds of a small river lapping at the soil edges of the farmhouse bank amongst the early morning birdsong created a peaceful atmosphere that was rarely ever experienced anywhere else on Althanas, and the only other sound that stirred was the splashing of crystal stream water from the shallow end of the channel where the clear water cascaded over a set of small rocks.

“…It’s peaceful here. Reminds me of the few solitary moments I used to get in the courtyard of the old ‘Dragon’s headquarters back in the day…”

The voice, slightly broken by a rough, gravely tone, contained an element of satisfaction as it echoed throughout the oak panelled cottage door. There was a clang as a soup ladle jutted against the side of an iron cooking pot, and through the window a pair of familiar green eyes peered through, scanning the grassy lawn ahead for those damned squirrels that had been taking the fresh nuts all morning.

“…I swear to god, if I ever catch one of those furry little bastards…” The man moaned, sipping a spoonful of the creamy brown mixture he had been brewing with such absolute care and attention all morning. He winced as the hot liquid touched his lips.

“…Taste’s like crap. I need those goddamned nuts, but the furry bastards keep getting them. Damn those furry bastards…”

Canen Darkflight looked through the window out towards the sunrise, placing the ladle on the table for a moment to appreciate the crimson dawn. Since he had built himself a new home in Corone, much had changed. He had discovered a love of home cooking, learned to appreciate the local literature and had gotten up early every morning to watch that scarlet ball of flame soak up the sky. Yet, even in this time of peace, something still seemed to be missing. He looked back towards the interior of the kitchen area, to the mantelpiece where the spoils of his great journey were all aligned neatly. He peered into the polished metal side of The Valiance, rubbing the side of it gently with a rag before examining the blade’s edge with a careful finger.

As he ran the finger down the cool side of the sword, his memory wandered. It was as if he was sliding an index finger down a timeline. All the people he had met. All the lives he had taken. The experiences he had, the places he’d been. It had all been such an overwhelming part of his life, travelling, fighting for forgiveness. He had long since accepted that Nocturnis was never going to come back to him, that Gideon was gone. It had been an extremely difficult time for him but somehow, someway, Corone had brought Canen a home again. Some sort of life that he could live in peace, without fear of being lynched by angry nomads or technologically advanced soldiers.

His finger stopped at a nick in the blade, the first chip he had ever noticed in it since he had received it. Rubbing furiously at it, Canen frowned. He had always liked his sword in pristine condition. It was his religion. Or, it had been. Now, those weary green eyes looked upon the chip in the blade and simply turned away without the will to restore it.

“I don’t use the damned thing anymore anyway. Is that what you were going to say Canen?”

The second voice startled him for a moment, but Canen soon realised he had been talking to himself.

“….Perhaps I’ve chosen a life I’m just not fit for…”

[Kai]

“ Hey, been a while huh, I heard you have been lazy recently so I decided to give you an invite, you know, shape you up a little bit. I don’t know your money situation but I have an idea which might help you out, yes a business proposition, now get of your lazy monkey ass and go to the address enclosed below, you won’t regret it

Yours Truly, Sera Cradle ”

Kai Blinked, for some reason every time he read that letter a feeling of doom swept over him. Not to mention he didn’t know anyone named Sera Cradle, unless it was that evil Neko he had met a while back.

Kai closed his eyes bringing up the memory of not one but three allies he had made

The first, Sera, a Kunoichi Neko that was utterly cruel to him and evil, honestly nothing spells evil more than attacking a guy just after he had just finished taking care of a little business against a tree; it was just wrong and evil.

The other was Jesty, a headache he really didn’t want to be put in the same room as. She was a nightmare, sanity flee’s from her presence leaving chaos and mallet induced destruction in the wake of the goofy jester, and this time Kai doubted he was exaggerating.

Which he can be a little guilty of

The Last was Maverick, who in honesty, the incident had been his story; he was a walking brick wall, slow but powerful, ex-militia if Kai remembered correctly. He had Warned Kai to stay out of his business, which kai intended to do, however with his luck the Monkey just ended up walking into the mess regardless of trying to leave.

That had happened some time ago, and in truth he had met Sera a couple of times after that incident, but never really long enough for him to think of her as anything but that “Sadistic Neko Bitch” yes he really admired her … ok maybe not.

This brings us back to the present

Kai pinched the top of his nose, he knew what was going to happen, he just knew that the three of them were going to be saying there salutations to him within the next hour or two. This would be like that time long ago when he was in a cavern, he had predicted exactly what was going to attack next, Kai had won a few bets at the time too, but either he was psychic or he was a good student at predicting the obvious.

Well here he was, in some town about a few miles away from the major city of Radasanth itself, it was your average looking town, dusty streets along with large wooden houses, with a unique theme of at least one house on top of the other. A cathedral bell tower pokes over the rather flat roofs of the buildings and on such a fine nice sunny day, Kai had to wonder where the hell that puddle had come from.

Crazy Corone weather!

Incident of stepping into deep puddle aside, Kai brushed a hand through his brown hair, as he took another glance at the address, which told him that he had to take a left and then a right, then straight … ok those were simple directions, hopefully he won’t end up in a different dimension when he takes that right … It has happened before … to everyone at least once … right?

“Hay Mister! You got a nice tail!” Yells out a cheery spunky voice from behind him, if he were to turn around he may have fallen victim to an overdose of Cuteness, however the voice itself sent dread through the Silvet, there was only one creature evil enough, cute enough to do this.

“ Oh please no, not now, it’s to early to hit the beer! ” cries out his minds voice!

[Falcon Darkflight]

Although he couldn’t admit it to himself at this late a stage, Canen was a broken man in his most peaceful hour. Perhaps he had become too institutionalised during his time travelling with what was left of the handful of friends he had collected on the way. As he sat staring forlornly at what was only supposed to be a minor imperfection in the blade that had served him so well over the years, Canen realised that even a small crack couldn’t be painted over and ignored so easily.

“I wonder what everyone is doing.” He murmured, brushing the hair back from his eyes as he wrapped a steady hand around the hilt of his life partner, swinging it carefully to and fro in a gentle rhythm. He closed his eyes as he did so, allowing the weight of the blade to take itself through on the next pass each time. The natural feeling he felt whenever he moved with it locked in his grip returned, as if it were a very extension of his body. It was a natural feeling for Canen and was one he had gotten used to through the years.

“We suffered a lot of damage in the raid…”

“No shit?”

The familiar smell of pinewood drifted into the memory on the crest of a wave of burning embers, filling the open air with a disgusting concoction of fumes only usually associated with torched fortresses. As the cold night air whipped away at Canen’s black greatcoat, Kaiser could only look on in disbelief as the glowing coals that had once been the Red Dragon fortress gave a sullen glow from within the shattered timber and broken stone ramparts.

“Canen…would now be a bad time to ask if you managed to save that steak for me?”

“...Shut up, Kai.”

As the voices died down to an awkward silence, observing the final moments of their great headquarters that had cruelly met its demise at the hands of the Castigars and their powerful summons, another voice crept into the memory. It was so vivid, so real.

“Brother, where do we go from here…?”

Suddenly, with a flash, Canen’s eyes jolted open and all of his senses kicked into life. He was rushed by the sensation of cold steel plied between his hands, the sweet aroma wafting in from the stove containing his home made walnut soup, the droplets of sweat brought on by his sudden awakening. As he realised slowly where he was, he sighed to himself and dropped The Valiance to the floor in semi-disgust.

What is wrong with you Canen?

[Kai]

Kai could not put it off any longer, he had to turn around and face death itself, his green eyes then came across golden eyes, ones that had the strength to cause any opponents face to instantly implode. A nose so squishy it could repel sword blows like a massive rubber hand, and … wait who the hell is she!

Kai raised an eyebrow at the stranger, a small girl with long golden straight hair, a cheery smile, kai may have over exaggerated, but she did have that god awful cuteness factor. She could not have been older than 12 years old by Kai’s estimation, but that did little to actually tell kai who this was and … no wait, it can’t be can it?

“Hai Kai, Long time no see!”

She spoke with a bubbly cheery factor, ok Kai calm down she is cute, but cute can’t actually make your head explode, not even when she is wearing that cute yellow sundress, it’s impossible and you’re over-exaggerating, at least Kai thinks his head won’t pop.

That or he got a Cute save roll or something

“Urm, do I know you?” Kai asked while pointing at the girl, who looked hurt, pouted and rose a finger to her mouth.

The cuteness!!!

“You don’t remember?” she sounded like she was going to cry, infact her eyes were watering as kai finally gained some kind of immunity to that cuteness that would make the devil itself run like a little girl… Urm a frilly little girl!


Kai sighed and scratched the scar under his left cheek, calling up as many memories of people he had met over the years, a length process granted all 419 of them. Let’s see she kind of looks like that girl I met back around 67 years ago … but that can’t bee.

‘hmm, golden hair and eyes … eyes are familiar, so are the bat wings, and … wait … give her a mallet, white face paint and dress her up as a jester … oh snap’

“Jesty?” Kai said as a question and at the same time a complete guess, but that sense of doom was building up again. She smiled and jumped up once, a pink bubble appeared under her and she proceeded to jump up and down as if the bubble was a trampoline, which it seemed to be functioning perfectly as.

“You do remember, and I didn’t have to show you mister sledge hammer either!” she exclaimed cheerfully, but kai began to question who the hell would give a twelve year old a sledge hammer, and was also wondering how many more days had left to pay up its insurance, or if there covered for ‘cute demon girls with blunt objects’

Kai was about to ask something when suddenly the little bundle of sugar bounced of the bubble, popping it, whilst launching herself for kai, the action was so surprising for Kai’s mental state that the action did not register in his head until he was thrown off balance in a tackle hug and fell onto the floor.

“Hey!” Kai yelled but didn’t say anything else as his nemesis skipped up the road and waved back at kai

“Come on, sera is waiting for ya!” then she ran off ahead leaving kai to silently pick himself off the floor and dust his clothes while letting out a sigh.

“With that girl around, I doubt anything will be exactly normal…”

He then shrugged and lightly walked after the girl, he had to smile, she actually wasn’t that bad, not someone you could hate or loath, just someone who get’s you paranoid, she definitely has ADD, or maybe ADHD, of cause Kai had to wonder what ADD or ADHD even meant, but that’s another story.