[Closed] ~Relic of the Past...

~Day 1.

Prolog.

He woke up when the disaster struck, about an hour after ash-fall.

His well worn tent was rippling in the hot winds. Ash fell downwards, there was a dark cloud above. In the distance, from the general direction of Lornius...Lorenor spotted the destruction where it originated from. ...A disaster has occurred... Lorenor thought to himself. He turned to look towards the remains of the Ixian Knight's castle in Corone. Once, that was home. Now it was one of the many ancient forts that was no longer occupied.

The ash fell downwards and it burnt much of the world. Lorenor had endurance training, it hurt him to be struck by the ash fall.

Chunks of it in varying sizes splattered down on the ground igniting various things and setting the world on fire.

Lorenor thought back to his mentor's words. Nenkulor Shima. He was a mysterious old prophet, a follower of the old ways. His prophecies rang true. At the time of his passing, Nenkulor foresaw the coming disaster. We had to prepare...damn... Lorenor shook his head and readied his armour and gear. He was always a heavily armoured fellow, well prepared for whatever eventually would come. Now, Nenkulor was gone. Gone, but not forgotten... Lorenor thought to himself. As he prepared his gear, he relished the solace he'd found himself in. Despite the world's end...he felt strangely peaceful. Come what may... I am ready. Lorenor's armour, signet, and cloak all bore the symbols of the Ixian Knights. Though the faction was no more, Lorenor still clung to the old ways. The Hero, Sei Orlouge, had saved Lorenor from a path of destruction...

He took his tent down and left the campfire there. Since things were burning anyway, he decided not to put the campfire out...there was no point. I have to see for myself how bad the destruction is.. Lorenor thought. The old Paladin looked towards the Ixian Knight's castle. The last thing he situated correctly was his well-polished gauntlets. He tightened the straps and prepared himself to journey where the wind would guide him. The blazing hot winds...Lornius is no more... A voice said in hi mind. Nodding to himself, Lorenor finished gathering his belongings. Lastly, were his majestic sword and shield. He strapped his gear in their proper positions, and readied for the next phase of his journey. It was at that point that he felt someone arriving from behind. Survivors...? Perhaps.

^Enter here. (Lorenor was positioned fairly near to where Gavner was in our thread. Near the remains of the Ixian Knights castle. He had a tent that he was putting down, so just arrive at that point ALL bunnies approved.)

Kirin drew a raspy breath. He'd been trying to find the elves, hoping for food, or shelter, or even a guide to point the way--but instead, the world had exploded. He didn't remember much after that.

He'd woken up almost completely covered in ash, pinned beneath a fallen tree. Only adrenaline and desperation had allowed him to free himself. Even now, his head spun and blood streamed from the splintered gash in his thigh.

He's losing resources he can't afford to, here.

Kirin has to keep moving.

By the time he staggers into a small clearing--everything was a clearing now, hah--he's almost unconscious, driven only by the need to keep moving. Stopping here means death. Falling means death. Kirin can't afford that. He has people waiting for him. He needs to find a shelter, at least. He can see an old castle, rising above the bowed trees, and makes for that.

He's not going to make it there, though. His leg has stopped aching entirely; he can't feel it at all, which is probably a bad sign. He needs to... he needs to...

He hears movement. Not the rustling of falling ash-on-foliage, or the creaking of stressed trees bent beyond their capacities, but purposeful movement.

It doesn't even occur to him, as he pushes forward and bursts into the clearing, that whoever it was might be hostile. At this point, Kirin has nothing to lose, anyway.

He limps to a stop and waits for the figure there to turn to face him, well aware of the startling figure he makes, covered in dirt and ash and blood, too-skinny and ragged.

The bald man appeared to glow through the ash fall.

His armour glistened in the darkness, also a byproduct of his aura.

Something appeared nearby...no someone.

Lorenor saw that the fellow was really hurt, there was a strong scent of blood and burning, exposed flesh. Shit...he's hurt bad. Lorenor was compelled to help Kirin out. It was in his nature to assist those that needed help.

Lorenor immediately turned towards Kirin and maneuvered towards him, through the falling ash.

Lorenor had specialized in endurance training, as well as the old teachings of the Paladin arts. Them daft sort of folk.

He hoisted his shield up above his head and maneuvered towards Kirin. Covering them both. Sei...would want me to help... Lorenor assessed the severity of the lad's injuries. Shit, he's really a mess...bleeding out. Lorenor covered himself and the fellow with his shield. "I'm going to help you out kid." Lorenor explained. "Fortress nearby is Ixian ruins. It's a holy place we will be safe there for the night while I figure out the extent of your injuries."

Lorenor's body had a particularly mysterious golden glow.

It seemed to have a calming effect to those around him...

...I hope it affects that kid the same way. Lorenor thought to himself as he maneuvered with Kirin towards the castle proper.

Kirin huddled under the shield, curling into himself in an attempt to be as small as possible.

"Thank you," he rasped, his voice hoarse from dehydration and long disuse. He didn't protest as the other man steered them through the forest, grateful for the support and shelter from the falling ash. For once, his racing thoughts had calmed, leaving Kirin feeling a sense of...peace, almost. There was no need to be wary of his savior.

Before long, they had made it to the castle, and Kirin leaned heavily on the other as they ascended the steps into the vast entry hall. There, Kirin sank gratefully to the ground, leaning his spinning head back against the cool stone of the wall. The short trip had taken more out of him than he'd expected, and he found himself panting and exhausted. When he could, he tilted his head to look at his companion out of the corner of his eye.

"What's... your name?"

Lorenor listened to the boy for a moment.

The question was a complicated one with a simple answer. "I am called Lorenor." The old Paladin said carefully. "Let's treat your injuries I see you have cuts all over and bruises." Lorenor stated carefully. He then proceeded to place is back pack on the floor.

After searching through some supplies he'd accumulated he'd removed his medical kit.

An Ixian was always prepared.

Sei taught him that.

Lorenor maneuvered towards Kirin with some bandages and other supplies. It was simple and crude, but it would work to help disinfect the boy's wounds.

"We should be safe if we stay here for the night." Lorenor explained. "The ash is still coming down pretty hot."

Lorenor looked up at the ceiling of the old castle for a moment or two.

Then he focused. "I'm going to bandage you up will take some time." Lorenor explained. "Your more serious injuries require treatment."

Lorenor proceeded to bandage up the boy's wounds with clean, moist wrappings. He also worked carefully to clean the boy off the ash that covered his clothing and skin. It was almost romantic. For a brief moment he thought of his lover, the vampire named Urei...that was a long time ago though.

And he'd not taken up a mate since those days.

A short time later he'd fully bandaged up Kirin's wounds. Once that was done, he studied his handiwork to make sure there was no exposed injuries. "You're lucky I found you out here." Lorenor said with a smile on his face. He nodded at that point.

"In my youth this castle was a vibrant place, but even after the defeat of the Ixian Knights...this land still holds power." Lorenor explained earlier that they were on holy grounds. As he stood there for a moment or two he nodded towards Kirin. "Are you hungry? I have some food and rations." Lorenor himself did not need food. But he was certain that the younger fellow was probably starving...

Kirin lay back against the wall and watched the other man--Lorenor, he'd said--approach. He wanted to be wary, but... he was too tired and injured to even consider defending himself, and Lorenor could have hurt him at any point before now with ease. He would just have to trust in his companion--an odd sensation, for sure, but one Kirin would have to live with for now.

He allowed Lorenor to clean and bandage his injuries, fighting back the embarrassment that came with being cared for like a child. Kirin wasn't used to being someone's center of attention, not like this.

Tentatively, Kirin sat up and stretched, feeling the gentle tug of the bandages. He dipped his head in gratitude.

"Thank you, Lorenor. I am Kirin. I appreciate that you would do this for me. Do you know why the sky is on fire?"

At the mention of food, however, Kirin lit up. He was starving, a little closer to the truth than it should have been. Food tended to run scarce for the street rats in Corone, and Kirin had been hunted out of the city for days now. He tried not to seem overly enthusiastic as he accepted.

"Yes, please, I'm starving. Anything you care to share would be wonderful."

Lorenor would admit that he was not the finest medic on the planet, but he did the best he could.

Spending time around the healer folks of the Ixian Knights...one picked up tricks.

When he cleaned the last of Kirin's injuries and bandaged it carefully up, the lad accepted the invitation for dinner.

Lorenor nodded. He went to his trusty packs and removed several containers of rations, though he himself didn't need such food. Out of habit, he kept rations around for others who would potentially need them. He handed Kirin a waterksin and some food, mostly meats and such acquired from game in Concordia Forest.

Lorenor sat down on the floor of the castle watching Kirin eat.

The question the youth asked, lingered in the air between them for a moment. "There was a volcanic eruption. In the direction of Lornius...I'm not entirely certain what happened though." Lorenor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Ashfall has been coming down for a few days straight now."

There was no end in sight... Lorenor thought for a moment.

As he sat there he too gathered some of the meat rations and began chewing on a jerky. Though he was not hungry, he was nervous about the situation at hand. The world was burning and there was very little he could do to stop it.

Lorenor looked at Kirin as the boy ate. "You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago." Lorenor could not help but think of the vampire Urei. He did not know why such feelings were being stirred up from the past...

Lorenor was a physically fit individual, he wore heavy armour. Carried a great-sword and shield, all etched in the marks of the Ixian Knights. His eyes were glowing blue lanterns, they were uncertain at that moment though. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. I have often considered restarting the Ixian Knights in Sei's absence." Lorenor was making small talk, he was not uncomfortable or anything like that, he just didn't really know what to talk about.

"Your ears...are you an Elf by chance?" Lorenor suddenly asked. He didn't mind that the boy was likely Elf-kind. But he knew more dangerous folks would attack the lad on sight. Lorenor would be willing to protect the boy...

Kirin hunched his shoulders a bit, feeling the weight of Lorenor's gaze on him. He leaned back against the wall with the proffered food, delighted to find real meat along with the dried grains.

"I'm a half-elf. My mother was human--I don't know who my father was, but he fucked off long before I was born. Probably a sailor, or something. It doesn't really matter, anyway."

He tore into the food eagerly, barely remembering to mind his manners. As soon as he could pause long enough to take a breath, he asked carefully,

"The Ixian Knights--they used to hold this castle? What was their purpose? Who were they?"

Kirin watched Lorenor's expression, looking for any indication of what the older man might be thinking. Presumably, this man had been a member of the group--which meant that the crests on his shield and weapon were likely that of the group. Beyond that, though, Kirin couldn't recognize them. Not that he'd recognize much, outside of the Empire's jurisdiction. Not yet, anyway.

Lorenor thought about how best to answer the boy's question. "We followed Sei Orlouge and his family for many generations. Those were good days...We...-I- had a purpose. Before Sei found me I was a wretched follower of N'Jal. Blindly following orders, the night Sei found me we were after a certain relic. The mission went south, I was in possession of a certain book." Lorenor explained. "That doesn't really matter at this point anyway, I discovered it was a forgery." It still angered him at points that the followers of N'Jal were going to leave him out to dry...he shook his head. He didn't like contemplating the past too much. "I fought alongside Sei that night."

He vaguely recalled being able to defeat the same companions he was once loyal to. Lorenor looked up towards Kirin. "Sei offered me freedom from N'Jal." Lorenor recalled the long period of Reformation that he'd undergone. "The freedom cost me five long years..." He thought about what it was like being in isolation for five years...in that cell. When he'd emerged from the darkness at the end, he'd emerged something different. Something free of N'Jal's taint. He felt loyal to Sei ever since...

Lorenor shook his head for a moment as the painful memories of his past were recalled. "The Ixian's...we followed Sei. His word was decreed by a relic called The Tablet of Destiny." Lorenor recalled the old tablet with much fondness. A piece of history it was...until some idiot wrecked it shattering it into a million broken fragments.

In the process they destroyed everything that the Ixian Knights were about...

Lorenor looked at Kirin. "I'm sorry your Father abandoned you and your family." Lorenor was never really good at small talk, but he was trying and he rather enjoyed Kirin's company. In his mind, he saw his lover, the vampire Urei once more. Urei...where have you gone...? Lorenor thought to himself. He highly doubted the powerful Vampire would have gotten himself killed. They had always been a mysterious and powerful lot, those Vampires.

Lorenor leaned back and took a pull of some water from one of the waterskins he kept in his packs.

It would not be safe to venture out in the middle of the night, but in daybreak, they could travel and go where ever they needed to. "We'll stay here for the night." Lorenor offered. "Concordia is not safe at night..." Plus, the old Paladin wanted to get to know Kirin more.

"You speak as if you lived through all that, but... generations? How old are you? What was the Tablet of Destiny?"

The bits of history were fascinating, nothing like the dry, Empire-mandated lessons Kirin had heard once upon a time. Those spoke only of the glory of the Empire, and a brief, scathing bit on the uprising of the rebels--but here in Corone, just outside his home, he was learning of an entire group, people who had shaped history.

If he wasn't mistaken, a living piece of history sat in front of him.

"Sei sounds like quite the man. Will you tell me about him?"

He waved off Lorenor's apology about his father. There was nothing he, or indeed anyone, could do, and Kirin had long given up caring about his heritage. He would be what he could make of himself, and where he came from had little to do with that.

He stood and stretched, feeling the deep ache of healing muscles and the gentle pull of his injuries. Warmth suffused his now-filled stomach, and he settled down against the wall again with a feeling of deep satisfaction foreign to the restless young man.

"Why isn't it safe? What is out there? Other than the ash. And the Elves, I guess."

Kirin drew his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them, watching his companion's brilliant blue eyes.

The question hit a chord with something inside of Lorenor.

How old are you...? The words repeated themselves over and over. He searched for as honest an answer as he could find. "I was a soldier fighting during the Demon War of antiquity. That much I DO remember but only bits and pieces of it. As time has progressed I remembered some of the story but lost frustrating amount of it during my time as a servant of N'Jal. There are documents and records that place me in active service during the Demon War. I was a ranking officer at the time." Lorenor was trying to explain the weight of history as best he could...for an Immortal it was a different sort of a burden.

Lorenor rubbed his chin carefully, he was deep in thought. "The Demon War was many generations ago but your reckoning if I'm not mistaken several hundreds of years. At the very least anyway. It's difficult to tell certain events anymore." His memory was fractured by N'Jal's taint and it was always a difficult matter reflecting on the past. Thoughts, feelings, emotions. It was in flux...almost as if there were multiple pasts and multiple versions of himself across Time and Space. That...was likely not far from the truth either. Lorenor shook his head, he was already thinking in circles.

It was difficult for him to relate to Mortal folks on some points...

"The Tablet of Destiny was a powerful relic that Sei found during one of his adventures." Lorenor narrowed his eyes for a moment as he visualized the ancient and priceless item. "It's structure contained a prophecy that lead to the creation of the Ixian Knights...and eventually...our downfall." Lorenor was choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to affect the boy's free will to choose his own path in life. "For every light in the world...in the universe...there is a shadow. Remember that, my boy." Darkness and light were of two opposing forces. Even now they were locked in eternal conflict. "The Ixians were group of Heroes...trying to save people and right a lot of wrong things going on at the time...the agents of darkness rose up against us and we lost." Lorenor sighed for a moment.

His head hurt, he knew the boy was curious but it was difficult for Lorenor to recall certain things those days. Lorenor touched his hand to the side of his forehead. "Sorry kid, thinking about the past makes my head hurt a lot...it's a big mess sometimes. Either way though...I'm glad I found you when I did. It's my nature to help folks who need it." Lorenor said casually. He liked the boy before him, the kid had an energy about him...was a rather pleasant one too.

Lorenor pondered for a moment longer. "Outside besides ash-fall there's critters and beasts in Concordia that have gotten ticked off cause of the ash-fall. Like I said earlier, it's not safe anyway. We'll go out in the morning when the sun is up again...though we won't be able to see it cause of the cloud." Lorenor had been through many disasters in his long life, but the volcanic eruption was really one of the worst...

Light and Dark. Kirin could understand that well enough. He'd walked that line every day for most of his life, after all. More than most, he understood the careful balance between the two. Get too far on one side, you couldn't do anything to protect those you loved. Get too far on the other, you lose them for entirely different reasons. He gave Lorenor an understanding grimace.

"What about this event? Will it shift things for darkness? Or is it a dark event, and will light rise up after it? Can we be sure nothing will try to come in here? How long will the ash fall?"

He stirred uncomfortably, aware of the knives on his person and how pitifully small they seemed against the explosion that had blotted out the sun. There wasn't any way he could fight this. He couldn't go fix it. There was... there was nothing he could do. Right?

Lorenor listened to the good kid speaking for a bit.

His own mind was struggling with the weight of the disaster. Lots people all around the world needed help right then. But the Gods saw fit to place Kirin in Lorenor's path. [i]One last good deed to be proud of. Maybe...? No that's not it.[i] Lorenor tried to understand why he'd saved Kirin when he had. Things inherently have meaning don't they...? When Kirin was done talking, Lorenor looked at the boy for a long moment.

He needs answers...what do I tell him here...what would Sei do? Loenror listened to the sound of the ash-fall outside the fortress for a long moment. Then he spoke again. "I don't know, kid. Before Lornius erupted there was a man I knew. A prophet of sorts...not very different from Sei. That prophet said this disaster would occur. We're meant to just survive and keep going. That much I do know." Lorenor wished he had more answers.

He stood up from the floor at that point and nodded at Kirin. "How long will it last...? Difficult to say. Hours, days, years...centuries...? I have no idea. All I know is that we must survive." Lorenor pulled out some manuscripts from his packs. Nenkulor Shima, the prophet, made Lorenor write down the last of his teachings. He wrote it down word for word, in perfect penmanship.

There were five tomes written all together with Nenkulor's teachings. He opened the first tome and began to read to Kirin. It seemed somehow natural, appropriate to continue the memory of Nenkulor the prophet. "The first sign, will come in the canopy of the sky. Then to the land of Lornius, there a great disaster shall befall. Life on Althanas..." And so Lorenor proceeded to instruct Kirin in the ways of the old prophets.

Kirin listened, fascinated. Something the man had said nagged at him, though.

"Lorenas? We're meant to survive and keep on, right? Surely there's something we can do to help, even if it's just the two of us?" He knew, at least, that life would survive. But Corone, the people on it now--surely not all of them had to die. Kirin wasn't the most compassionate of people, he knew that, but Corone was, for better or worse, his home. He had people he cared about here. Gods, disgustingly, he found that he wanted to... help.

My, but he was getting soft in his age.

"Those tomes--they're what the prophet said? What all is in them?"

Lorenor listened to the man's questions.

There was a momentary pause as he read the first bits of the prophecy that regarded Lornius' destruction.

Nenkulor's prophecy rang true more often than not...the man was truly gifted with the art of seeing...alternate possibilities he called them.

The future was always in flux. Choices could be made and at some points...with certain gifts...unmade. Lorenor had heard of such abilities before to manipulate the very strands of fate themselves. Such power eluded the old Paladin for he was a mere follower of the light.

Lorenor decided it best to simply show Kirin the tomes directly. It would be a better way of teaching other than talking about things. "The tomes contain Nenkulor's teachings. More than that they provide a code and a way of life. Simply stated, a different way of living. There are many dark forces in the world. It is part of my duty to rise up against such darkness. Hopefully to help provide a balance to things..." Lorenor was going over things in his own head as he stated the old missions.

He was very certain that Kirin would only partially understand the old man's way of life.

"But yes, the tomes contain a lot of information. I wrote them at the waning portion of Nenkulor's life. Took me a long while but I got that done." Lorenor said carefully. He was basically a keeper of the tomes at that point...something he took very, very serious.

Lorenor sat back on the floor for a moment and considered. Kirin was a good man, there was something in the boy's eyes. I can trust him...that's what counts.

"There's hope, though? Life goes on after this, and Corone survives to rebuild, right? What all did the prophet--Nenkulor, what all did Nenkulor say about the explosion?

Is there anything we can do to help?"

Kirin lifted his chin, refusing to be daunted in the face of the world-ending disaster. He was young, sure, but that just meant that this new upturning of his world would be just another stepping stone of many. Prophecies weren't made for the future, they were made for the now. They were promises of things to come after, to bring hope.

He couldn't think of any situation where hope might be needed more than this one.

He has more questions--so many more questions, he didn't even know divination and prophecy were things that existed before this--but he's cut off by a wave of exhaustion that tears a yawn from him. He's been on the run for days, even before this, and the eruption, injury, and subsequent rescue have left him running on his last legs.

"Sorry-- I'm gonna just... I need to sleep a little. Give me a couple hours?"

Lorenor listened to the boy speak. Poor kid has been running for a long time...I'm glad I found him when I did. Lorenor thought to himself. Once the younger fellow was done talking, Lorenor could only nod. "You are safe here. Take all the time you need to rest." Lorenor said, and he meant that, he would protect the youth with his own life if need be. The old paladin stood up at that point and readied a sleeping bed for the boy. "Here." He handed the lad a pillow and a blanket, very simple in texture...but it would do. Lorenor watched the younger one fall asleep.

He stood there for a long while observing him in his sleep.

He's been on the run for a long time. Perhaps we all have been...maybe this is our divine punishment. Lorenor was old, but he didn't feel exhaustion in the same way the mortal kind felt it. He was Undead in nature...there were differences in blood...genetics. Lorenor watched the boy sleep for a little while longer then he returned to his work. He took several of the more incomplete tomes and he began to write...scribing down the teachings of the mad prophet Nenkulor Shima. As he wrote he kept thinking of all that he had seen in his long life. Many things passed through his mind, thoughts of the lives he'd touched. The enemies he'd made...the friends he kept close. As he wrote something happened...

A specter manifested behind Lorenor. Lorenor turned towards the apparition. "I have been waiting for you for a long time." Lorenor said to the ghost of Nenkulor Shima.

"I will always be with you." Nenkulor said. "You have completed my great work. It is now your to keep." Nenkulor said carefully.

"Will the ash-fall stop?" Lorenor asked...he needed to know...he had to give others some sort of a HOPE.

"Difficult to see. But that is not why I am here...this time." The ghost said to Lorenor.

Lorenor sighed. "This is difficult to deal with...difficult to understand it all."

Nenkulor looked at Lorenor with a very serious expression on his face. "You don't need the Thayne. None of you ever did." Nenkulor said. "There are other routes to power...you KNOW this." Nenkulor continued to talk. "But you and your friend are very tired. Make sure you rest well, it might be the last chance you ever have to." Nenkulor said. He walked towards Lorenor and sat down next to him. "You have many questions. But that can wait, for now I need to prepare you for something..."

And thus, it began.