Stan Walker
07-24-2005, 05:03 PM
"How can you see into my eyes like open doors? Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb."
The woman swathed in emerald robes, was on her knees begging for her life. Her tears fell framing her ebony features while the ivory mane of hair flowed down her shoulders, some of it caked in blood. The warrior struck her again, she screamed. Chains bit into her wrists as she struggled to get away, praying for her beloved to help her.
"Stan..please! Help me!"
The warrior laughed and with one fluid movement a well muscled arm struck her across her brow. Her head lolled to the side as fresh tears streamed down her face. Flames flared up licking the ceiling of the once darkened cavern as more approached her, their flowing charcoal robes dragged across the dust laden cavern rock in sequence, soldiers on a death march. Not dirt but the chalky alabaster specs of the bones of victims long forgotten. They sickly looking men, eyes sunken in surrounded her in silence. The woman’s eyes grew wide, lips tracing the word "No", but unable to utter a sound as their magicks surrounded her tearing at her soul, her very life’s essence. It permeates her, flowing though every pore in her body leaching onto whatever it can, still she screams silently.
I can feel it, all of it the flames scorching around her, the pinpricks of hot pokers piercing throughout her, her needing me. I'm the one to save her, I'm the one that loves her, she’s mine to protect dammit, why can’t I save her?! Then I am there, right next to her. Even with the catastrophe happening around me my body still recognizes her scent, the feel of her essence. I waste no words throwing myself in front of her; the swirling mists of magic envelop me, riding my own power as waves of pain crash through me like the angry oceans punish the rock during a storm. I manage a scream as it tries to pull at my life’s essence, yet there is none to be found. I am already dead, a walking corpse. The dark warrior unsheathes his sword, charging me, challenging me. He buries his great blade into my shoulder. I bellow out it pain once more, eyes glowing with my own inner fire. I set that fire free into the hearth of the mages, one bursting into flame; the others scatter like the dogs they are. My attention then focuses on the grim warrior, still wearing a besmirched grin. I want to knock those teeth straight down his throat. No.. I don't, I want him dead. I want them all dead, they mean nothing to me. They took from me the most precious thing I could ever hope to have, my redemption. Now they will pay. Fresh pain bites into my shoulder as the warrior digs his blade deeper into my flesh, I move in a blur, grasping his wrist that holds the blade tightly and smashing into his elbow with my left forearm. I feel and hear the joint give way with a load "CRACK". The warrior mews in pain as I pin that same arm broken or not behind his back, my other hand grasping at his hair pulling his head to the side to expose the soft fleshy area of his throat. I bury my head into that area, incisors piercing his flesh effortlessly. I taste it then, the crimson vitae spills down his gullet as I drink his life from him and god help me I love it. I can almost taste his fear as he knows this is the end and relish it, bathe in his suffering; it is a small bit of solstice I take.
"Without a soul, my spirits sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it back home."
His corpse falls with a wet thud from my arms collapsing on rock. My eyes immediate scan the area for more threats to me and mine. Nothing. I spin so quickly and rush to my wife, who is kneeling, partially suspended by the bonds that hold her; a gloved hand caresses her face ever so gently. I kneel before her, as I did the day I proposed to her and lift her chin whispering softly.
"I'm here Etianna…I'm here"
She slowly lolls her head upward, her face caked in tears and blood.
"Beloved..I knew you would find me..I knew.."
I place a gloved finger to her lips shushing her words and lean in to feel her touch once more, head cocked to the side I brush my lips to hers, the feel is indescribable. It is the definition of love, love bottled and given allowed to be held, touched, seen and felt. Redemption in its purest form. My body stiffens as I feel something warm spattering down my face and I realize they are crimson tears of my own. All this from one brief brush of lips, one tender caress.
"I would go to the ends of any world for you. You're the woman I love..your my wife." I whisper back.
Our moment is cut short, by the sound of approaching footsteps. I turn away from Etianna just quickly enough to see the Tsoo encompassing the room from all sides.
"We have to get you out of here…"
I grab at her bonds, pulling and straining, yet they won’t break free. More Tsoo trample in, they are getting closer. I yank and the bonds with all my strength, muscles straining, cursing myself for not being strong enough, I have demolished similar material with but I mere thought. Why! Why won’t they break!
I turn to shield my loved one from the oncoming danger. The first two lunge in, their large forms baring the same blades as the fallen warrior. I will my blood inside my body to harden, like rock I will it, like steel, I will it. I feel my body tensing obeying my demands as the first warriors blade smashes into me breaking the blade off at the hilt. I grab him by the skull on either side, leading in with a shuffle sidekick to the other whom hasn't cleared his distance to me entirely. Another bone splitting sound echoes in the cavern as his ribcage gives, and I twist the cranium I'm clutching in one quick jerk to the side, snapping his neck then letting him drop. My fangs are clearly bared, my body poised for the next attack. Yes they will all die by my hand this eve. My eyes betray me as two now turn to twenty, twenty turn to one hundred. The Tsoo surround me, rushing me with one great attack. I bite at them, claw, punch, kick. I can feel my own body weakening, my flesh being rendered as I am overpowered. I fight as a trapped lion, desperately trying..and failing. I am outnumbered, I am overrun. Pommels strike against my skull; my thoughts lose focus over their goal. My invulnerable form falters for a split second and that is all it takes. Their blades find their way into my core, slicing my organs. A primal roar escapes me in the pain. I am broken. I watch yet I cannot move. My irises follow them as they continue to punish my body, cutting it, bludgeoning it. Then tossing it aside as rubbish to get their true prize…my wife. Again she protests against them, but they go unheeded. They take her from her bonds effortlessly, and carry her away whilst I lay there…alone.
"Wake me up! (Wake me up inside). I can’t wake up (Wake me up inside). Save me! (call my name and save me from the dark).
Wake me up! (bid my blood to run).I can’t wake up (before I come undone). Save me! (save me from the nothing I’ve become)."
Another scream tore through me as I bolted upright in the musky cellar in Bone Squad's HQ. My control temporarily lost sends my pain, my anguish, my rage down that invisible metaphysical link, to all those that have gifted me with a taste of their blood willingly they can see what I have just witnessed. Rage pouring out my physical form as well as I smash through the frame of the metal cot, and sear the mattress to shreds. Then slamming a fist into the concrete wall. Eyes burning as molten rock. I try to get control of myself, tell myself over and over it was just a dream, the same dream you have every night. But the beast, the one inside me that makes me what I am craves more. It craves blood..it craves vengeance. It will not be sated by my pleas. It pulls at me as if on a leash, up the steps in one leap and crashing through the door of the cellar, then out the first window it can find out of Bone Squad HQ. Out into the cloudy moonlit night to claim my it's vengeance.
The woman swathed in emerald robes, was on her knees begging for her life. Her tears fell framing her ebony features while the ivory mane of hair flowed down her shoulders, some of it caked in blood. The warrior struck her again, she screamed. Chains bit into her wrists as she struggled to get away, praying for her beloved to help her.
"Stan..please! Help me!"
The warrior laughed and with one fluid movement a well muscled arm struck her across her brow. Her head lolled to the side as fresh tears streamed down her face. Flames flared up licking the ceiling of the once darkened cavern as more approached her, their flowing charcoal robes dragged across the dust laden cavern rock in sequence, soldiers on a death march. Not dirt but the chalky alabaster specs of the bones of victims long forgotten. They sickly looking men, eyes sunken in surrounded her in silence. The woman’s eyes grew wide, lips tracing the word "No", but unable to utter a sound as their magicks surrounded her tearing at her soul, her very life’s essence. It permeates her, flowing though every pore in her body leaching onto whatever it can, still she screams silently.
I can feel it, all of it the flames scorching around her, the pinpricks of hot pokers piercing throughout her, her needing me. I'm the one to save her, I'm the one that loves her, she’s mine to protect dammit, why can’t I save her?! Then I am there, right next to her. Even with the catastrophe happening around me my body still recognizes her scent, the feel of her essence. I waste no words throwing myself in front of her; the swirling mists of magic envelop me, riding my own power as waves of pain crash through me like the angry oceans punish the rock during a storm. I manage a scream as it tries to pull at my life’s essence, yet there is none to be found. I am already dead, a walking corpse. The dark warrior unsheathes his sword, charging me, challenging me. He buries his great blade into my shoulder. I bellow out it pain once more, eyes glowing with my own inner fire. I set that fire free into the hearth of the mages, one bursting into flame; the others scatter like the dogs they are. My attention then focuses on the grim warrior, still wearing a besmirched grin. I want to knock those teeth straight down his throat. No.. I don't, I want him dead. I want them all dead, they mean nothing to me. They took from me the most precious thing I could ever hope to have, my redemption. Now they will pay. Fresh pain bites into my shoulder as the warrior digs his blade deeper into my flesh, I move in a blur, grasping his wrist that holds the blade tightly and smashing into his elbow with my left forearm. I feel and hear the joint give way with a load "CRACK". The warrior mews in pain as I pin that same arm broken or not behind his back, my other hand grasping at his hair pulling his head to the side to expose the soft fleshy area of his throat. I bury my head into that area, incisors piercing his flesh effortlessly. I taste it then, the crimson vitae spills down his gullet as I drink his life from him and god help me I love it. I can almost taste his fear as he knows this is the end and relish it, bathe in his suffering; it is a small bit of solstice I take.
"Without a soul, my spirits sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it back home."
His corpse falls with a wet thud from my arms collapsing on rock. My eyes immediate scan the area for more threats to me and mine. Nothing. I spin so quickly and rush to my wife, who is kneeling, partially suspended by the bonds that hold her; a gloved hand caresses her face ever so gently. I kneel before her, as I did the day I proposed to her and lift her chin whispering softly.
"I'm here Etianna…I'm here"
She slowly lolls her head upward, her face caked in tears and blood.
"Beloved..I knew you would find me..I knew.."
I place a gloved finger to her lips shushing her words and lean in to feel her touch once more, head cocked to the side I brush my lips to hers, the feel is indescribable. It is the definition of love, love bottled and given allowed to be held, touched, seen and felt. Redemption in its purest form. My body stiffens as I feel something warm spattering down my face and I realize they are crimson tears of my own. All this from one brief brush of lips, one tender caress.
"I would go to the ends of any world for you. You're the woman I love..your my wife." I whisper back.
Our moment is cut short, by the sound of approaching footsteps. I turn away from Etianna just quickly enough to see the Tsoo encompassing the room from all sides.
"We have to get you out of here…"
I grab at her bonds, pulling and straining, yet they won’t break free. More Tsoo trample in, they are getting closer. I yank and the bonds with all my strength, muscles straining, cursing myself for not being strong enough, I have demolished similar material with but I mere thought. Why! Why won’t they break!
I turn to shield my loved one from the oncoming danger. The first two lunge in, their large forms baring the same blades as the fallen warrior. I will my blood inside my body to harden, like rock I will it, like steel, I will it. I feel my body tensing obeying my demands as the first warriors blade smashes into me breaking the blade off at the hilt. I grab him by the skull on either side, leading in with a shuffle sidekick to the other whom hasn't cleared his distance to me entirely. Another bone splitting sound echoes in the cavern as his ribcage gives, and I twist the cranium I'm clutching in one quick jerk to the side, snapping his neck then letting him drop. My fangs are clearly bared, my body poised for the next attack. Yes they will all die by my hand this eve. My eyes betray me as two now turn to twenty, twenty turn to one hundred. The Tsoo surround me, rushing me with one great attack. I bite at them, claw, punch, kick. I can feel my own body weakening, my flesh being rendered as I am overpowered. I fight as a trapped lion, desperately trying..and failing. I am outnumbered, I am overrun. Pommels strike against my skull; my thoughts lose focus over their goal. My invulnerable form falters for a split second and that is all it takes. Their blades find their way into my core, slicing my organs. A primal roar escapes me in the pain. I am broken. I watch yet I cannot move. My irises follow them as they continue to punish my body, cutting it, bludgeoning it. Then tossing it aside as rubbish to get their true prize…my wife. Again she protests against them, but they go unheeded. They take her from her bonds effortlessly, and carry her away whilst I lay there…alone.
"Wake me up! (Wake me up inside). I can’t wake up (Wake me up inside). Save me! (call my name and save me from the dark).
Wake me up! (bid my blood to run).I can’t wake up (before I come undone). Save me! (save me from the nothing I’ve become)."
Another scream tore through me as I bolted upright in the musky cellar in Bone Squad's HQ. My control temporarily lost sends my pain, my anguish, my rage down that invisible metaphysical link, to all those that have gifted me with a taste of their blood willingly they can see what I have just witnessed. Rage pouring out my physical form as well as I smash through the frame of the metal cot, and sear the mattress to shreds. Then slamming a fist into the concrete wall. Eyes burning as molten rock. I try to get control of myself, tell myself over and over it was just a dream, the same dream you have every night. But the beast, the one inside me that makes me what I am craves more. It craves blood..it craves vengeance. It will not be sated by my pleas. It pulls at me as if on a leash, up the steps in one leap and crashing through the door of the cellar, then out the first window it can find out of Bone Squad HQ. Out into the cloudy moonlit night to claim my it's vengeance.