DarkStorm
07-27-07, 01:00 AM
The Cartographers
A House of Sora Production
[Dramatis personae]
Aiden (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=69393&postcount=1)
Alaina (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=71276&postcount=1)
Kara (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=6181)
Sun Zu Shang (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=69977&postcount=1)
"I can see what you see not.
Vision milky, then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone,
Whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be,
Shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind,
Cast down into the Halls of the Blind."
-Diablo I
[hr]
Autumn, 2001 DW
Donnalaich, Dheathain[hr]
Aiden stood at the window, gazing silently down at the street below. The hustle and bustle of the Crystal Square did little to hold his attention as he leaned absently against the wall and watched through the streaked glass. After the last few weeks, he couldn't really blame himself for his lack of focus. He watched, only vaguely interested, as a horse and carriage made its way down the road, the crowd parting only reluctantly before it, and swallowing its path as it moved away. It all seemed so completely pointless.
Sighing, Aiden turned from the window and walked a few steps, before turning and walking back. It was all he could do to keep from putting his first through the glass window, or the wooden wall. It wasn't that he was angry, or even upset. He just simply couldn't hold still. He wanted to do something. He needed to do something, anything! He felt himself involuntarily slipping away into an insanity induced by his own ignoble inaction.
He burned to start his work, to do Irdaet's will. At the thought, Aiden's mind turned back, once more recycling the last weeks. He had gone over them in his own mind more times than he could now count, trying to make sense of them. His wife Alaina, and daughter Fate had been captured by his age old nemesis Ishadin. In an attempt to save them Aiden had led his son Chance and his friend Lillian after them. When the final, imminent showdown had occurred, Aiden himself had been slain, and his son captured. Though his destiny had been deterred by Irdaet, an Immortal and firstborn of the Fell, Aiden's son was still missing.
"Why are we still here? What is it he told me to wait for?" Aiden growled to himself, referring to Irdaet. The last thing the Immortal had told him, before sending him back to the world of life, was to wait in Donnalaich. He had been in the Fae Capitol for days now, and nothing had changed. Nothing had happened. Impatience and fear for his son was clawing inside the man. He could think of nothing else. When he closed his eyes, he could hear the young boy screaming somewhere, screaming in the dark.
Turning, Aiden's fist smashed against the wall with as much force as he could bring to bear. Instantly, his knuckles were shredded, skin ripping open against the grainy surface, blood spilling out in a scarlet splash to cover the wall. When he pulled back to swing again, he found his arm held fast. Turning rapidly, he found himself face to face with Sun. The woman's rich bistre eyes were filled with concern, and her chestnut hair hung over one eye. Her jade armor glinted dully in the Autumn light spilling through the window. Beside her, Alaina watched him as well. They both held his arm, Alaina held on to his elbow with both her hands, and Sun's iron grip, forged by long use of the bow, held his wrist with all the strength of a sprung bear trap.
"Stop it Aiden!" Sun hissed. "Breaking every bone in your hand will not find you your son!"
Opening his mouth to shout something scathing in his anger, Aiden was cut short by a loud rapping on the door. Moving with a fluid grace that hadn't been possible before his rebirth into a full-blooded Fell body, Aiden snatched up his Damascus Torch Spear and hefted it straight at the door. Nodding to Alaina, he watched her position herself behind the door and pull it open. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sun's bow strung, an arrow knocked and ready to fly. But when the door had fully opened, Aiden sighed and lowered the spear.
"Caleb! What did you find out?" Aiden asked eagerly.
Caleb shook his hairless, tattooed head. "Nothing at all. The only people that knew who I spoke of refused to talk to me. This Ishadin of yours is long gone from here."
Aiden turned back to the window, and watched as a random Draconian made his way into one of the many Crystal Shops. The waterfall of the Cearnaigh Criostal raged, kicking up mist and reflecting the light of the dying Autumn sun. The sight brought back memories of the trek Aiden, Lillian, and Chance had made just weeks prior. The Fell ground his teeth quietly. Behind him, Caleb shifted uneasily, fingering the twin pistols on his hips. Looking back, Aiden realized why the man was nervous. Sun still pointed her bow at him, a Shatterhead arrow ready to fly.
"Why so jumpy, guys?" Caleb asked, his eyebrow lifted.
"I have died once this month, no need to repeat the experience." Turning to the window once more Aiden added under his breath, "No telling if Irdaet would give me a third chance." Aiden motioned to Sun however, and the bow lowered in response.
They had recruited Caleb FreeBorn's help as soon as they had arrived in Donnalaich. The word that traveled from Human lips to Human ears said that if information needed to be bought or sold, Caleb was the one to take your requests to. It had proven true. Already, Caleb had refined their search, and exposed not one, but two of Ishadin's additional hiding places, though both proved to be woefully abandoned.
"We can still follow the Fallien lead." Caleb suggested. Opening his mouth to continue, he fell silent as another knock sounded on the door. This time, a spear, a bow, two guns, and a throwing knife were leveled at the door. They hadn't been expecting anyone else. Looking down to make sure the door was unlocked, Caleb stepped back toward Aiden so that everyone would have a clear line of fire. In a falsely cheerful voice he shouted, "Come in!"
The door inched open.
A House of Sora Production
[Dramatis personae]
Aiden (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=69393&postcount=1)
Alaina (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=71276&postcount=1)
Kara (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=6181)
Sun Zu Shang (http://www.althanas.com/world/showpost.php?p=69977&postcount=1)
"I can see what you see not.
Vision milky, then eyes rot.
When you turn they will be gone,
Whispering their hidden song.
Then you see what cannot be,
Shadows move where light should be.
Out of darkness, out of mind,
Cast down into the Halls of the Blind."
-Diablo I
[hr]
Autumn, 2001 DW
Donnalaich, Dheathain[hr]
Aiden stood at the window, gazing silently down at the street below. The hustle and bustle of the Crystal Square did little to hold his attention as he leaned absently against the wall and watched through the streaked glass. After the last few weeks, he couldn't really blame himself for his lack of focus. He watched, only vaguely interested, as a horse and carriage made its way down the road, the crowd parting only reluctantly before it, and swallowing its path as it moved away. It all seemed so completely pointless.
Sighing, Aiden turned from the window and walked a few steps, before turning and walking back. It was all he could do to keep from putting his first through the glass window, or the wooden wall. It wasn't that he was angry, or even upset. He just simply couldn't hold still. He wanted to do something. He needed to do something, anything! He felt himself involuntarily slipping away into an insanity induced by his own ignoble inaction.
He burned to start his work, to do Irdaet's will. At the thought, Aiden's mind turned back, once more recycling the last weeks. He had gone over them in his own mind more times than he could now count, trying to make sense of them. His wife Alaina, and daughter Fate had been captured by his age old nemesis Ishadin. In an attempt to save them Aiden had led his son Chance and his friend Lillian after them. When the final, imminent showdown had occurred, Aiden himself had been slain, and his son captured. Though his destiny had been deterred by Irdaet, an Immortal and firstborn of the Fell, Aiden's son was still missing.
"Why are we still here? What is it he told me to wait for?" Aiden growled to himself, referring to Irdaet. The last thing the Immortal had told him, before sending him back to the world of life, was to wait in Donnalaich. He had been in the Fae Capitol for days now, and nothing had changed. Nothing had happened. Impatience and fear for his son was clawing inside the man. He could think of nothing else. When he closed his eyes, he could hear the young boy screaming somewhere, screaming in the dark.
Turning, Aiden's fist smashed against the wall with as much force as he could bring to bear. Instantly, his knuckles were shredded, skin ripping open against the grainy surface, blood spilling out in a scarlet splash to cover the wall. When he pulled back to swing again, he found his arm held fast. Turning rapidly, he found himself face to face with Sun. The woman's rich bistre eyes were filled with concern, and her chestnut hair hung over one eye. Her jade armor glinted dully in the Autumn light spilling through the window. Beside her, Alaina watched him as well. They both held his arm, Alaina held on to his elbow with both her hands, and Sun's iron grip, forged by long use of the bow, held his wrist with all the strength of a sprung bear trap.
"Stop it Aiden!" Sun hissed. "Breaking every bone in your hand will not find you your son!"
Opening his mouth to shout something scathing in his anger, Aiden was cut short by a loud rapping on the door. Moving with a fluid grace that hadn't been possible before his rebirth into a full-blooded Fell body, Aiden snatched up his Damascus Torch Spear and hefted it straight at the door. Nodding to Alaina, he watched her position herself behind the door and pull it open. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sun's bow strung, an arrow knocked and ready to fly. But when the door had fully opened, Aiden sighed and lowered the spear.
"Caleb! What did you find out?" Aiden asked eagerly.
Caleb shook his hairless, tattooed head. "Nothing at all. The only people that knew who I spoke of refused to talk to me. This Ishadin of yours is long gone from here."
Aiden turned back to the window, and watched as a random Draconian made his way into one of the many Crystal Shops. The waterfall of the Cearnaigh Criostal raged, kicking up mist and reflecting the light of the dying Autumn sun. The sight brought back memories of the trek Aiden, Lillian, and Chance had made just weeks prior. The Fell ground his teeth quietly. Behind him, Caleb shifted uneasily, fingering the twin pistols on his hips. Looking back, Aiden realized why the man was nervous. Sun still pointed her bow at him, a Shatterhead arrow ready to fly.
"Why so jumpy, guys?" Caleb asked, his eyebrow lifted.
"I have died once this month, no need to repeat the experience." Turning to the window once more Aiden added under his breath, "No telling if Irdaet would give me a third chance." Aiden motioned to Sun however, and the bow lowered in response.
They had recruited Caleb FreeBorn's help as soon as they had arrived in Donnalaich. The word that traveled from Human lips to Human ears said that if information needed to be bought or sold, Caleb was the one to take your requests to. It had proven true. Already, Caleb had refined their search, and exposed not one, but two of Ishadin's additional hiding places, though both proved to be woefully abandoned.
"We can still follow the Fallien lead." Caleb suggested. Opening his mouth to continue, he fell silent as another knock sounded on the door. This time, a spear, a bow, two guns, and a throwing knife were leveled at the door. They hadn't been expecting anyone else. Looking down to make sure the door was unlocked, Caleb stepped back toward Aiden so that everyone would have a clear line of fire. In a falsely cheerful voice he shouted, "Come in!"
The door inched open.