No Goblins Allowed :: [STORY] The Phoenix King

I used to write stories all the time, ever since fifth/sixth grade as far as I can remember. I never finished them, but I always held on to them. Including the maps, the notes, whatever I had written (usually about fifty pages) etc.
Now, once I learned about Nanowrimo, I started going through my old stuff for inspiration and I found that several of my maps were very similarly designed, and I instantly thought of taking all the stories I ever had ideas for, and tweaking the ideas to form a coherent series. That got me at least six stories, and the tweaks that I made to them extended series prior to, and after the plans.

Now, despite all that planning, I'm finding new ways to tweak the plot almost everyday, so things aren't as set in stone as I would like, but that's also the fun of it.

An invading horde of undead raids a castle in an unholy brigade. When it becomes common knowledge that the dead are not what they seem, a small band of survivors must discover who is behind this madness, while quelling a violent moral war.

~~~

"There's never any survivors Altimis."

"I know, I know. But, if there aren't any survivors, how do we get the stories? The survivors tell the stories."

"They don't survive."

LINK to Image

(Note: I don't always post following the chapter designations)
POST I: HERE
POST II: HERE
POST III: HERE
POST IV: HERE
POST V: HERE
POST VI: HERE
POST VII: HERE (14.07.14)
POST VIII: HERE (19.07.14)
POST IX: HERE (23.07.14)
POST X: HERE (26.07.14)
POST XI: HERE (28.07.14)
POST XII: HERE (29.07.14)
POST XIII: HERE (01.08.14)
POST XIV: HERE (02.08.14)
POST XV: HERE (03.08.14)

The fog was overbearing the night, the torches in our hands appeared distant to our eyes. Our simple squadron was waiting for reports as to the inhabitants of Houldon. Rumors were raised about necromancers and undead being housed here. Our scouts have been gone since noon, I began to fear the worst.

The dense mist surrounding us, as refreshing as it was, daunted us all the more. It was difficult to see anything, only the bell tower of the church was clearly defined. I was frightened not by the potential battle, but by the reduction of our vision. Would we know who we were even fighting?

A call came from down the road, the sign of the poqui bird. I responded, and ran over to General Wuberg who was tented nearby.

“General! We have received the call. Shall we proceed?”

“We certainly shall Quincy. Alert the men at once.”

“Yessir.”

I left the tent and found that my men had already gathered, they also heard the call. I nodded, and they dispersed once again, haunted by the task at hand. We were all hoping for the call of the falcon. The poqui meant that the town was indeed harboring the undead. The town needed to be cleansed, per order of Wuberg; Daniel Wuberg was in charge of the defense of our nation. My men, and I, were the ones who were given this task. We were none too happy about it, but we were afraid of General Wuberg more. There was much hesitation on our part for sure.

Within minutes we were all mobilized and walking cautiously towards the town. There was a dead silence among us. When we caught up with our scout, he joined our march towards Houldon. The mist appeared to disperse as we neared the town, but only slightly. We could make out other forms with ease, but we were unable to quickly identify whatever it was.

The villagers became aware of our presence and began to flock towards our torches. I wanted desperately to tell them to run, to let them have a chance to hide or even escape; it would cost me my life unfortunately. General Wuberg was a leader of strict order and obeisance. Anyone not following a direct order had better die in the process, otherwise Wuberg would have their head. My men stopped as the villagers neared in their approach. Wuberg's horse ended the silence with a snort, suddenly the murmurs of the townsfolk became all too real to us. Wuberg spoke up.

“In accordance to the laws of the land, the king has granted me power to enforce any means necessary to protect this people. I have thusly ordered that any and all monstrosities be purged, in acknowledgment of their undesirable nature! This law has been supported, in full, by the church of Aloc; more commonly the group known as Valiants! We have obtained knowledge that undead have indeed been harbored in this village! Surrender them that you may live, or may you all burn!”

The villagers were startled by this response, and though we couldn't see who, we could hear varied responses delivering the same message, 'they are not the monsters'. This was obviously the wrong way to respond to General Wuberg, not that they knew that, but he appeared to be in a good mood this evening; if good mood is the correct phrase for describing Wuberg. He bellowed coldly before continuing his message.

“I will offer you one last chance to yield up your dead! Do not test the patience of me or any of my men! We will not hesitate to protect our land! This is your last warning! Yield up your dead, or join them!”

“Look for yourself! These are no monsters!” a female shouted from the crowd. Two figures shambled forwards. My men readied their swords in case of a conflict, the figures held up their arms in response. My men did not ease their hold; I did. Of the two figures there was a man and a woman, the man was missing his left arm at the shoulder, his sleeve freely dangling beside him. The woman spoke up again.

“He isn't a monster. He died defending the town from bandits raiding our village. Look at him! And tell me he's a monster. He's a hero, and he deserves a hero's respect.”

The man walked up to me, his face was solemn and silent. I was distracted by his arm, but I was more taken by his eyes. He had bright blue eyes. Before he turned to look at the others, he took another step closer, which was closer than Wuberg would allow. We all heard the snap of his crossbow and we saw the man crumple to the ground with a bolt embedded into his forehead. The villagers began to shout out, some even produced weapons of their own; Wuberg reared his horse.

“Father!” A child ran from the crowd and knelt besides his parents. The child and the mother were crying over their fallen family.

“They aren't monsters! You don't understand! You're heartless and evil. You're the monster!”

“Say that again child, I gave you two warnings. None of you complied.” He said lazily reloading his crossbow. The villagers were readying their weapons, and my men were raising theirs. I was disgusted, and I had had enough. This massacre needed to stop now, before it erupted into something more.

“Wuberg, stop it,” I yelled as I sheathed my sword, “I refuse to slaughter any of these villagers! They are not monsters or vermin! He had a life! He had a wife! He had a child, and you took it...”

Snap.

I never hit the ground.

I hear footsteps running down the stairs. I turn around to face the doors; but they are locked. I start using the rest of my time searching for something. I am desperate, and I need to know what is going on. Suddenly, I hear the sound of wings above my head. I can't see anything in the dim light, but I know something was watching me from the shadows. I walk over to another bookcase, the books are all scattered across the shelves as if someone had searched here already. I notice a piece of parchment alone on the shelf and I grab it.

“This floor is done. Move on. And then my signature?”

I am not speaking to anybody, just aloud. Why would I have left this note? Why can't I remember writing it? For whatever reason, I don't know, but I said to move on, so I decide I would. I move for the doors again and I try to open them; they are still locked; just the way I left them. I push, and I pull and I try to force them open to no avail. I am stuck here.

I turn around, and find a staircase leading up, nothing more. Wherever I am, there is only one way to go; up. I scan this room once again, feeling that empty feeling. I know I am supposed to do something, but I can't remember what it is. I walk over to the stairs, and a few steps up was another piece of parchment; I quickly read it aloud.

“Don't go upstairs, signed by me again? Why not?”

I look up the foreboding staircase. I notice more notes and hear heavy wings in the distance. Maybe the monsters are upstairs. Monsters? Are there monsters here? Frustrated at my dilemma, I turn around, and I sit down at a table with a chair already pulled out. The seat is warm, and there are a few blank pieces of parchment and a quill. Someone had been using this for some sort of notes; it was probably me.

I move my thumb over the parchment I recently obtained. The first piece is dry, the second piece smears slightly with my thumb; the second note isn't only more recent, it is very recent. I look around this impromptu work space, and I see several books. I find one that is open, and I pull it towards myself turning to the first page. I see, scrawled in large letters and black ink: This is what you're looking for, and then my signature.

Again, I don't remember any of this, but I inch forwards in my chair. I don't know exactly what I am looking for, but apparently this is it, according to me. A me that I can't remember. I am uneasy at my lack of memory, but considering this book is supposedly what I am looking for, maybe it has all of the answers inside. I bring it up, in front of my face, and I begin to read aloud.

The castle gates began to splinter in areas; our barricade was not going to last that much longer. The soldiers began to pile more tables, chairs and any other hefty furniture left behind the doors.

“Altimis! Alert the king! They are at the gates, we're being overrun!”

“Yessir.”

I turned and ran down the foreboding halls. My torch was the only light guiding me through the castle. My footsteps' echoes, my heavy breathing, and my racing heart was not enough to drown the sound of the undead outside the castle walls. The entire scenario was maddening, and there was not much else we could do if the castle was taken by the horde of undead. When I turned to run up the stairs, I paused to look out the window. I wanted to see the devastation for myself.

The village just outside the walls of the castle was ablaze. I could see shadows running about whether they were scavenging or hunting I couldn't tell from this distance. I could not see much else in the black of night, except for the bloodstained walls of the castle. The fire added a vehement glow to this once magnificent stronghold. I turned away from the window and hurried up the steps. I could hear some screaming from down the corridor, my previous location.

I reached the king's quarters, and I rushed inside. The king was startled and drew his sword, lowering it only once he recognized me.

“Altimis, how are our walls holding?”

I stared at this man while I was gasping for a response. Despite being the king, his garb was less appealing than usual. He was dressed for combat in his lightest armor, in the event we needed to make a hasty retreat. This room retained its beauty only in the throne upon which he sat; the other furniture was stripped and used to barricade the doors. Everything that was once beautiful about this castle appeared to follow that pattern.

“Milord, the doors. They are beginning to splinter. The undead. They are about to break through.” I managed to sputter out.

“This is it,” King Nicholas sat down with his head in his hands, “my kingdom is in ruins. I have poured my life into this kingdom, and after all these years it is taken from me, by the hands of the dead.”

“I mean no disrespect milord, we must alert the men to retreat. We must divert to the ramparts. Perhaps from there we can fire upon them from over the parapets?”

“This is true Altimis. We must alert the men. I'll see to it to sound the bells. You get started to the ramparts.”

“But the other men?”

“They know what they need to do, may their souls be blessed if they don't survive.”

King Nicholas ran to the back towards the chapel, I left his quarters and ran down the corridor towards the ramparts. The corridors were still dark except for the light from my torch, and from the burning village outside. The dim light was enough to help me race to the ramparts.

Moments before I reached the ramparts, I heard the chapel bells echo dutifully down the halls. The signal was rung, and the castle would shortly be overrun. I could only hope that everyone would make it safely to the ramparts. I knew that wouldn't happen, but dwelling on that was not correct at this point in time. I pushed open the doors leading to the ramparts, and set the nearby walls ablaze with light. The fire was spreading; slowly, methodically, it was creeping towards the castle.

Though I was eager to await the arrival of my comrades, I couldn't resist the urge to witness the destruction of the town outside the walls. I leaned over the crenelated parapet and saw that the entire town was engulfed in flames. This town was going to be razed completely to the ground. I saw a shadow against the flames moving around. I couldn't see it exactly, but when I thought it was looking at me, I ducked with my back against the wall. I heard the whistling of an arrow that confirmed that the figure was indeed hostile.

I slowly worked my way back to the door, staying low. I heard running and saw a faint glow emanating from down the hall. Two soldiers were running hard to answer the call of the bells. When they were able recognize me they called out, “Have you secured the other doors?”

“I haven’t! Need I?”

“Yes, the eastern wing has been overrun. It’ll only be a matter of time before there are monsters up here as well!”

As the men drew nearer, I turned to look at the other doors. Securing the doors normally wouldn’t have been an issue, except for the short distance of absolutely no cover. In any normal raid, that wouldn’t have been an issue, but vampires are quick. You give them any opening, as slight as it is, and they’ll find a way to kill you. Not to mention that many have hundreds of years of combat prowess. Vampires are deadly foes. The snipers that are almost certainly patrolling the castle walls will have no trouble taking down a straggler or two.

“Altimis, I’m glad to see you are not injured! We need to secure the eastern wing.”

I turned around and saw the very first person I wanted to see right now, my brother, Fletcher. Fletcher and I have been through too much trouble to not run into each other eventually. He was about to pull off his helmet, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the ground with me instead. His companion followed suit.

“What’s wrong Altimis? Snipers?”

“Yeah, at least one. How are you and Emos?”

“We are fine, we heard the bells and ran as fast as we could. We really should secure those doors, why haven’t you done that?”

“Take a look,” I beckoned over to the damaged wall, “must have been from the trebuchet before we destroyed it. There’s no way we can get across without being seen.”

“You’re right, we still need to try. If we crawl along the path we should be able to protect ourselves.”

“Crawl?”

“Yeah, if we hold our shields facing them, keep our heads down and our shoulders up, that creates a sturdy barrier. It’ll take more than an arrow to get through that.”

“I think Fletcher is right Altimis. If we don’t pull down the portcullis, even the ramparts won’t be safe. We need to get over there, soon.”

“I still don’t like it. I’ll wait here for any others, I’ll send them directly to the rendezvous.”

“Right, I'll go ahead and reach the other doors. Emos, you give Altimis the report of the north wing; you know the most.”

“Good luck Fletcher. Here, take my shield and strap it to your knee. We don’t need you to get crippled either.”

“Aye, Emos. Altimis.” and with that Fletcher slowly worked his way towards his goal. When he came to the end of the wall he stopped and pulled off his belt. He strapped the shield to his knee with his belt and lay flat on the ground, he began to crawl.
Emos and I watched as Fletcher crawled across the unprotected walk. We knew he had been seen when we began to hear yells from the ground below, now it was a matter of time to see if the plan would work. Fletcher slowly crept along like a worm along a branch, always keeping his body protected by the shields. Rhythmically, and steadily he crawled.

“Altimis, what have you heard?”

“All I know is what you told me, that the east wing is lost. I doubt the west wing will last much longer. I know that the town is gone, and there are snipers around the perimeter. Did I miss anything?”

“You're a few facts short. There's been rumors that the undead, the ones raiding us, are intelligent. They say it's because of this that we were overrun so quickly.”

“It had nothing to do with the vampires?”

“I'm not saying that, but these zombies are more intelligent according to reports.”

“That explains a lot.”

“There is more. They think he's behind it all. They think he's leading this entire horde.”

“The Knocker?”

“He's not the Knocker, Altimis. His name is Quincy. His name is Lucas Quincy.”

“His name was Lucas Quincy. They say he knocks, the survivors. When he raids a town, he goes door to door, knocking; looking for the last of the townsfolk.”

“There's never any survivors, Altimis.”

“I know, I know. But, if there aren't any survivors, how do we get the stories? I mean, the survivors tell the stories.”

“They don't survive.”

We heard an arrow hit a shield, and we turned to see that Fletcher had ceased all movement. We heard another arrow deflect off of him, but we didn't see anything. Moments later another arrow deflected off of his shield; only, it wasn't an arrow. It was simply a rock. Shortly after, we saw another rock bounce off of his protective armor.

“Rocks? Why are they throwing rocks?” I asked.

“They are trying to confuse him. He can't tell the difference, he thinks he's surviving a bar... NO!”

Fletcher was giving a sigh of relief when it happened. He released his tension, and his helmet suddenly jumped off his head. His body soon followed suit turning over and revealing the gruesome sight. An arrow had found its way to his head through the space between the shield and his shoulder. It flew under his arm and in through the neck, taking his helmet off in the process. I lunged forwards, but Emos held me back.

“No, Altimis! The snipers! You can't!”

He was right. I couldn't go and get Fletcher without also getting hit. Fletcher's body began to slide over the edge into the bailey. I again tried to get up, only to be stopped by Emos again.

“It's not worth it Altimis.”

When Fletcher's leg finally dropped from over the edge, the rest of his body followed.

“Goodbye Fletcher.”

Emos crawled over to the door, and worked his way back.

“Altimis, we have to go. Apparently, western wing is overrun.”

“What? But, King Nicholas, the others? You two were the only ones I have seen!”

“Then we are going to be spending a lot of time together. We've got to move now.”

I crawled over to the door myself and heard the unmistakable groaning of the undead. I closed the doors one at a time, saying goodbye to what was once my home. I needed to pull the portcullis down as well, to prevent the doors from being opened.

“Emos, I need you to cover me.”

“For what?”

“I need to pull the portcullis down. Who knows where the snipers are, hold my shield and guard my back.”

“I can do that, but we have to go after. No waiting around, when we get overrun we only have a short time to get as far away as we can.”

“Understood. I'm ready when you are.”

I looked down where Fletcher's body was on the ground. I might be next, it was up to Emos to decide that.

“Alright. Here I go.”

Together, Emos and I stood up, I pulled down hard, but it wouldn't budge. I hung limply from the iron bars, and it still wouldn't slide down.

“What's wrong Altimis? Seal the doors.”

“It's stuck, how else can I pull it down?”

“The latches on both sides need to be released.”

“I can't reach both at the same time. I can't do it.”

“Forget it Altimis, we need to go now. Besides, the other doors are unsecured. If they're going to follow us, they're going to follow us. We need to move!”

“Agreed, let's move.”

We both got down on our arms and knees and began to work our way over the the north wall of the castle. As fortunate as it was that we were leaving the worst of the attack, I felt so alone now. Emos and I were the only two survivors from the castle, if that. What are two soldiers supposed to do against an army of undead?

When we reached the bastion, we turned to find that the ramparts were still empty. Emos stood at the closed portcullis, while I climbed the stairs to the top of the bastion. I lifted up the loose stone tile and pulled the hidden lever. I could hear Emos lifting the portcullis underneath where I stood.

“Altimis, get ready to lock the bars.”

“Amen to that, I'm on my way Emos.”

I pulled a thin string from out of my satchel. I tied one end around the lever, and I dropped the other end over the edge of the tower. I placed the stone lightly over the lever, so that it would settle in place after. Once we were gone, we were not coming back. I scrambled back down the stairs and grabbed my string once again. I stepped inside the locked stairwell and pulled the outer portcullis down behind me.

We closed the doors, and pulled the second portcullis down behind that. With the little string still in my hand, I pulled hard and I could hear the locks click in place. I flicked the string I had and it dissipated. I turned my back to the door and slowly sat down. That magical string was given to me by Fletcher; I was never going to see either of them again.

“Altimis, we have to move. Who knows how long it will take them to find this.”

“What are we going to do Emos? We're two people? What chance do we have?”

“Whatever the chance, we have a better one if we move now.”

“I'm staying here.”

“No you're not, you're coming with me. You and me, we're going to make it out of here. We're going to... go up to the mountains. Live away from all of this. We will survive.”

“Barely.”

“Altimis, you know Fletcher wouldn't want to die just to see you die as well.”

“But why should I try to survive now? Fletcher's gone now. Why should I press on?”

“We'll have to figure that as we go, but if you give up now, you'll never know. Are you with me Altimis?” Emos held out his hand. I thought long and hard, before reaching up and accepting it. He pulled me up. “Then let's move on.”

We turned around and found three swords pointed directly at us.

“Living or dead?”

“Felix? Is that you?”

“Answer the question Emos.”

“We are alive, we're both alive.”

“We would greatly appreciate it if we can stay that way?” I stated.

“Easy Felix, we heard their conversation. The dead don't talk, you know that.” a female voice stated.

“I don't know what to think anymore, Natalie. Check their hearts, I want them beating.”

“Relax, Felix,” a sword lowered and Natalie stepped up to us. She removed her gloves and reached up to our necks, “I'm sorry about Fletcher, Altimis. It must be difficult...”

“I'm fine, forget about it.”

Even in the very dimly lit stairwell, I could see a tear drop from Natalie's face. It caught whatever light it could as it fell, before shattering on the ground. Another reminder of what I had lost. A few moments later and Natalie wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. I gladly returned the favor.

“Natalie...”

“Be quiet, Felix! We're both alive.”

Natalie, Fletcher and I were the same age when we joined to serve under King Nicholas. We met when we were being trained as guards, and we have worked closely ever since. We rose through the ranks until both Natalie and I were captains, and Fletcher was a personal guard to the king. Even though Fletcher was a personal guard to the king, there was little guarding to be had. The king always spent time in private meetings, and rarely left the castle. It was on the rare occasions that he did leave when Fletcher's rank was necessary. Other than that he was a captain, just like us.

I held Natalie's head on my shoulder and stroked her blonde hair. He hair was braided intricately from the sides to the back; the pattern felt nice within my fingers. Her breath was warm and refreshing against my neck. I was grateful for her caring and understanding, but I was more grateful knowing that there was someone else who would miss Fletcher as much as I would. I put my hands on her shoulders, and looked into her eyes.

“Thank you Natalie.”

“That wasn't for you Altimis.” She looked down ashamed.

“I know, that's why I'm saying thank you.”

Natalie smiled slowly, and then turned back and began to walk down the staircase. We all followed her.

“We have Dria with us as well, she's watching the far door, making sure we're safe to leave. I'm assuming that nobody else coming?”

“No. We were the only ones,” I responded.

“The eastern wing was overrun, and we waited as long as we could before abandoning the west wing.”

“And you double-locked the doors?”

“Yes. Who else is with us now?”

“Oh, Edward. I forgot that we can't see right now.”

“Nobody has any torches?”

“We're afraid to light them. If there are any monsters in these halls, they would see us long before we would see them.”

“Fair enough. How long is this passageway?” Emos asked when the stairs stopped going down.

“You already know the answer to that Emos; we all do. We end up on the other side of Lake Vitior.”

“We'll be traveling through the night!”

“Yes, we will be walking for a long while, in the dark. I do not want any torches.”

“Is that necessary Felix?” Natalie asked.

“I don't know what is necessary anymore. I would rather everyone be angry and safe, than content and dead.”

“Happily dead sounds very appealing.” I yawned.

“Altimis, we are in serious danger here. Using torches would only alert them to our presence if they climbed in somehow.”

“Nobody can climb in Felix.”

“Not easily, but I'm sure it could happen. No torches. Besides, this tunnel is as straight as an arrow. We all know that.”

“If we're traveling through the night what is Dria doing at the far end of the passage? How would she reach us in time to tell us if it wasn't safe? And what would we do if it wasn't; stay in here forever?”

“She volunteered to guard the exit. I'm sure she would let us know as efficiently as possible if it were unsafe.”

“That's more than I can say for any of us.” Edward chuckled.

“It's not amusing, Edward. If something were to happen to her we wouldn't know, and it would be hours before we found out. She's a very brave woman to be helping us all like that.”

“I mean no disrespect Natalie. I am trying to keep our hopes up. If you haven't noticed, the world is beginning to burn.”

“The world has been burning for a long time, Edward. Today is no different, except that now it is affecting you.”

I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Now is not a time to start fighting with each other.”

“I'm not fighting, I'm pointing out the truth. We all know it, we just ignore it. The land has been put into more and more chaos, with raids and bandits. Even King Nicholas was about to do something about it for Desqora. It's a shame this had to happen before he was able to.”

“She's right you know. You don't think, this could have been sabotage, or a blatant attack from another kingdom?”

“Who would do such a thing, Altimis?”

“I don't know. Fletcher was always seeing the King to and away from important meetings. Suppose he was going to do something, and someone disagreed.”

“We haven't heard from the Lord of Chalmolv in some time.”

“Are we really discussing this? Who could do this, raising an army of the dead? Even if it did work, it would just expand to all of the land, and everyone would suffer.”

“I disagree. I think this is an assassination. Just think, everyone knew he went by The Phoenix King into battle. Who wouldn't want to try and kill him, make a name for themselves?”

“That's incredulous! Edward, what makes you think that?”

“Look at what's happened. There have been three attacks all within the last month. Houldon, then Ghakim, then Shosune.”

“Vitior.”

“Vitior if you want to make it four. But notice the pattern; this army of undead has been working it's way to the castle all this time.”

“That doesn't make it an assassination.”

“How not, Altimis?”

“What about all these reports of how intelligent this horde is? They started strong, and they kept attacking. What if this isn't the first kingdom they have conquered?”

“How about we don't talk about this anymore,” Emos intervened, “I like the thought of being able to survive much better than arguing about how we're going to die.”

Everyone agreed. We walked not only in darkness, but in silence also for the remainder of the trip.

As dark as it was in the passage, we all knew it well. The King showed us before that the tunnel was long and straight. There was nothing wrong with it, no imperfections; just a long tunnel. Knowing that didn't make blindly traversing it any easier.

We often stumbled over each our feet, but that was the extent of our mishaps. Walking in silence made me appreciate Natalie all the more; I hadn't let go of her hand. However, it did occur to me that maybe it was her not letting go of mine. Regardless, I appreciated it all the same. It was nice to be among good company, when the world was dark.

Walking in darkness for hours, is daunting enough. Knowing that nothing awaits you at the end of it, is what often drives others to insanity. Fortunately for us, there were five of us and at the end of the tunnel, Dria. Unfortunately, that was it. I'm sure there were others in similar situations somewhere, having the same thoughts. That still didn't make it easier, knowing that the number of those situations were minimal, if any at all. I was the first one to break the silence after several hours.

“What time was the castle besieged?”

“Why does it matter Altimis?”

“I'm just wondering if we should expect daylight or not. As terrible as everything is, daylight would be welcome.”

“I don't know the answer to that. I don't think any of us do. It was dark, the dials only work during the day.” Edward stated.

“Well, I know it was later than seven because that's when mine was finally unreadable. Judging by the chores I would assume the siege started between nine and ten.” Natalie gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

“That helps, heaven knows how long we were actually holding off the horde for.”

“Forty seven minutes.”

“What Felix?”

“The siege lasted just over forty seven minutes. Don't ask me why, but I was told that the last time this castle was besieged, the doors held for fifty minutes before breaking. I had someone count, when they reached forty five the doors began to splinter, I had my men abandon the doors and we just ran.”

“You were in the west wing then, why didn't you secure the doors?”

“When my men saw the damage done to the wall, nobody cared about securing the doors, everyone was worried about making it to the rendezvous. It was a massacre. The first man was hit and fell over the ledge. The next two ran at the same time and were hit simultaneously. They must have had at least two snipers. Natalie, Edward and I made it across by hanging over the ledge, and traversing the distance.”

“I'm sorry, Felix. We lost Fletcher the same way. When I had gotten up to the ramparts, there was only one sniper, but more came when the sniper saw me. Fletcher came up with the idea of crawling across using shields as protection. They threw rocks at him, making him think they were firing at him. When they stopped, he relaxed and they got an arrow in just under his arm. Pushed him right over the edge. I never got to say goodbye.”

“None of us did. But one thing is for certain. The siege lasted about fifty minutes before we arrived here. And you came shortly after that. You probably just missed us hiding in here.”

“Thanks. Factoring in that, it should be about dawn when we get out of here. We might even get to see the sunrise.”

“Don't get your hopes up on that Altimis. Daylight, certainly. But we're going to be in the middle of the forest. The next sunset at best. Sunrise is probably pushing it.”

“Thanks Edward.”

“No need to be snide. We've all had our disappointments, we don't need to add to them.”

“You don't happen to know how long we've been walking do you Felix?”

“Under six hours. We should be arriving any minute at the exit. I know it's a seven hour trip, but I didn't start counting right away, and I'd argue that we're moving faster than when we practiced.”

“Faster?” Natalie inquired.

“Certainly. When we traversed with the King, it was casual and almost entertaining. Now, we are frightened and worried. Despite traveling in darkness, I feel our pace is quicker.”

“I can see that. So it should still be dark, the sun should just barely be hidden when we leave.”

“That's good. The fog will give us cover and if we're lucky, it'll keep this hidden a little longer. Should we discuss a plan of action then?”

“What's there to discuss? This was the rendezvous. It's just us. It's just you, me, Altimis, Natalie, and Emos.”

“And Dria.”

“Thank you Natalie, and Dria. What exactly do you expect us to come up with Edward?”

“Wait, where is Dria?” I asked.

“Somewhere out there, keeping watch. She's here. She has to be.”

“That's fine, but do we leave automatically, or do we hover around the passage? When we leave, do we look for a town, or do we hold to the forest? When we travel, do we prefer the night or day? These are all things we need to think about to survive.”

“But they're not things we need to think about right now.”

“What better time to talk about it, than when we are safe and have time to talk about it?”

“True, I would think that staying to the woods is safest. Who knows if the towns are safe, or even if they exist right now?”

“So much for not thinking about it now, Felix.”

“Well, it will help pass the time Emos. What else are we going to do in here? Sit in silence?”

“Silence was nice. I liked the silence. Again, discussing our death does not appeal to me.”

“This is different, we're planning on how to best live.”

“It's still frustrating. I would prefer silence.”

“Why?”

“It gave me time to reflect on myself. What would've happened if I was in Fletcher's place? What would I have done, what do I think should happen?”

“We shouldn't worry about that Emos. Fletcher died. Wondering what would've happened had you died instead doesn't help us at all.”

“That's not entirely true. Say Fletcher told me to go instead of him, you would've been with Fletcher instead of me. That gives us a different set of skills to work with.”

“You are not considering this.”

“Well, think about it. We all have different skills. We all have strengths an weaknesses. Right now, focusing on what we add or subtract from the group is the most vital information we can have. It could save our lives, or it could pull us apart. This is something we should focus on.”

“I think you're right Emos, I'm an excellent hunter.”

“We all know that, then we have four sturdy warriors.”

“Not exactly. I mean, that is correct, but we all have different specialties. Natalie is a skilled hunter. Felix is not only a warrior, but a strong leader. Altimis is quick on his feet and able to improvise. Edward is a planner and an architect. I dabble with the arcane arts. We all add something to the group, we need to utilize these differences in order to survive.”

“We know all of this Emos. Why do you bring it up now?”

“Besides you asking me, because we need to prioritize as well. If we were ambushed now. What would we do?”

“We would run for our lives or die protecting each other,” Felix said.

“Correct, but that's not what I'm talking about. Who would you defend first? For example, you are a solid leader, but you are unable to properly construct a shelter. You would desperately need Edward with you, if the group were to happen to split up. You see? Altimis, you are as shy as anyone I know when it comes to hunting. If you got separated you would desperately need Natalie to survive, otherwise you would probably starve. I'm not looking for answers, but if something were to happen and the group would split up, who would be needed and where in order to maximize our survival? That is what I am saying.”

Everyone grew silent again, obviously pondering about Emos' words. He had brought up a point, but I feel that this point would put a wedge in the group, rather than keep it together. If we did walk into an ambush, everyone would be worried about their own survival and who would complement it more than actually helping the group as a whole. Maybe that wouldn't happen, but that was what I was worried about. I was going to voice my concern, but now I valued the new silence that much more.

The silence lasted a short while, until we heard a faint rumbling engulf us. It was us nearing the exit. The end of this tunnel leads into a small cavern atop a waterfall. Nothing fancy, but water has it's way of making noise.

“Who's leading us?” Felix asked.

“I'm behind you.” Emos replied.

“Altimis and I are behind both of you.”

“All this time I thought I was last, and Altimis and Natalie were behind me this entire time.” Emos retorted.

“And me.” Edward stated from behind us.

“I didn't know I was in the lead. Now I feel silly. Everyone move slowly now, any time no we'll come across... Oh, here it is. Ow. Edward, stop.”

“I did stop. Emos was behind you.”

“Emos, that hurt.”

“Why did you stop?”

“I didn't want to walk into the wall.”

“There you go, now I walked into you instead.”

“Felix, Emos. There are more pressing matters than this.”

“Sorry Altimis.”

“I think we should send one of us outside, to make sure the area is safe. Then we can all leave and readjust our eyes to the light.”

“Edward, you made the plan, I nominate you go first.”

“I won't deny that nomination, I'll head out at once. I don't know how though.”

“Just push the wall open. Be quiet though, we don't know what is on the other side.”

“Fine by me. Everyone, you might need to shield your eyes. You want to let your eyes adjust slowly.”

We heard the door open, and we could see a lighter shade of black than we had all night. The waterfall was now deafening and we couldn't hear much else. Seeing as we were hidden in a cave, Edward pushed the door open all the way, letting us bask in the early dawn light; whatever of it had made it this far back in the cave. Edward turned back towards us, and gave a nod before wandering off to scout the surrounding area.

As dim as this cavern was, it was still very appealing to be able to see something again. I turned to properly look at all of my comrades since the siege.

Natalie was staring at me, probably doing the same as me. Her blonde hair was pulled into her usual braid. She starts from the side of her head and joins both sides in the back, leaving some strands free to flow. Today her face seem gaunt and pale, more so than usual. I could only assume what the siege has done to her as well as any of us. Her eyes held a burden partially due to lack of sleep, and partially because of the loss of a friend. The life seemed almost drained from her usually bright green eyes.

Her armor reflected whatever light it could find. The iron scales covered her body, her thighs and her upper arms, but the rest of her arms were covered in a light leather. She wore loose and flowing white pants under the armor, and under that she always hid sturdy iron greaves. She wore leather boots to help muffle her feet while she was hunting. When Natalie noticed that I was still staring at her, she smiled and I looked away.

Emos was sitting down leaning against the wall of the tunnel. His light brown hair was covering his ears, and sticking to the back of his neck. His face was atop of what would surely become a short beard. He was wearing a dark violet tunic covering his chain mail. Emos was never one to expose himself, and he considered blatantly wearing armor as exposing himself. We all knew that he was really more worried about how he looked in battle, rather than how he performed. We never knew why, but we believe that he had hopes of becoming a strong, charismatic leader one day. It made sense, but not being of royal blood has certainly put a damper on his spirits.

I finally turned to Felix. Felix was a tall man and a natural born leader. He kept his brown hair clean and short. He, unlike Emos, was more than proud to display his protective gear. Often supporting a complete set of plate armor, just like he had tonight. He believed that you could never be too cautious, and wearing a heavy assortment of armor would deter any attacking foe. Emos disagreed. He believed that keeping your armor hidden would encourage assassins, but that your lack of death would flabbergast them enough for you to disable them. Both valid logic, but the two men were always at odds.

I slowly slid down along the wall, my chain shirt rattling with me. I never caught on to the heavy armor, valuing agility myself. I was a quick thinker, and I liked having as many options available to me as possible. I only wore a half-suit of chain mail, and then I had scaled leggings and iron greaves. I was often criticized for my looks, but my prowess in battle was almost unmatched. On more dangerous battles I might don a plate cuirass, but I have only done that twice in my life.

We heard hurried footsteps, and Edward ran into the tunnel. He closed the wall behind him and was breathing heavily.

“Goodness Edward, what's out there?” Felix asked.

“A horde. I don't know if it's the same from last night, but there are hundreds of undead shambling through the forest below.”

“Where's Dria? Was she out there with you?”

“I didn't see her Natalie. I don't know where she is.”

“What are we going to do now?” I asked.

“Right now we are safe as long as we stay in here. I have yet to meet a living person able to climb into this cavern. And I doubt any undead person would be able to. I suggest we stay here and wait this horde away. They didn't look like they were going to stay did they?”

“No. Just lots of movement, it looks like they are just passing by.”

“Good. We all need rest anyway. When we wake up we can check again, and hopefully will be able to move out. That said, I want all of us to stay in here, nobody leaves this tunnel until everyone is ready to leave. In the case of an emergency, I don't want anyone unaware. Is that understood?”

Everyone agreed. I don't know how much longer I was awake for. I heard everyone shuffling around trying to avoid each other. I was so exhausted that I just slid lower to the floor, and within minutes was lost in sleep.

This group. I know them, I am helping them; they are helping me too. They had lost someone, and they came to me for help. They lost Dria, and they were, are, hoping that I can find a way to help them find her. Yes, I remember now, Altimis and I came up here to find out where Dria was, and why she was taken. The more important question now is, where is Altimis, when I am so clearly alone?

The dim orb of light is really paining my eyes, and I need to see if I can find a better light than this magical orb floating above me. I also realize that I don't know what time it is, I quickly climb the stairs to the second floor of this room. I attempt to look out this window, but the mosaic design is blurring the outside world. Regardless of what is outside, it is also dim only donating minimal light inside.

I don't think there is a sun outside, or even if out of that window is outside. The light from outside never changes. It always stays this dim, all the time; as far as I can remember. I feel like I will go mad due to the lack of light before anything else in this room. I decide that I am desperate to find light enough that I will try another room. Disregarding my note, I finally decide to try upstairs.

I walk back to the table, and I grab my book and my notes. I am not sure if I will need it, but I grab the quill and ink as well as some spare parchment for more notes; I apparently enjoy writing them. Once I am sure that I have everything I need, I turn to go up the stairs. I take a few steps up that dreadful staircase, before I reach another note. I put everything in my arms down, resting it on the staircase, and I read the note aloud.

“You really don't want to go upstairs, signed by me again. Why am I writing these notes, and why can't I remember?”

I hear more fluttering wings, louder this time. I quickly gather my things, and I stumble back to my seat. Apparently, I wanted myself to stay here for some reason. I can't remember why. I feet like it should be easy to remember, but that I just can't remember it right now. I just have that uncomfortable feeling that I am forgetting something obviously important, something extremely vital. Maybe it has to do with Altimis' disappearance?

I sit down back at my desk and spread my plethora of pages out in front of me. The book I am reading is titled, “The Return of the Phoenix King”. The name doesn't stand out to me particularly, but it has the note inside saying it is what I need. I open it again, to where I stopped and begin to read once more.

“Altimis, are you awake?”

“Now I am. What's going on, what's wrong?”

“You've been asleep longer than anyone else. We were getting worried.”

“And hungry.”

“Edward... true. If you are awake, I can go hunting while you all set up camp.”

“We're leaving the tunnel?”

“We don't know for sure yet, but if it's clear outside, we will. We need food.”

“Fine, I'm up. Let's get moving.”

With that, the wall was opened and Natalie left the tunnel. It was brighter than when we had last opened the wall. I must have been asleep for an entire day. With the new light I could see that everyone was crouched and ready to go, I decided that it would be best to follow their lead. As soon as I was steady on my feet, Natalie returned and nodded for us to follow her. We all left silently, and closed the door behind us.

We followed her until we reached the edge of the cavern hidden by the falling water. The sky was just beginning to brighten but was still young. The forest was covered in a thick mist. We all looked at Felix as he was scrutinizing the forest. It was difficult to see through the fog, but one thing was clear, the forest was empty for now. Felix drew in a deep breath before turning to all of us. We knew what he was thinking. Once we left, there would be no way to return. Once we left, we would be unable to secure our safety. He nodded; we were entering the world once again.

We walked under the waterfall slowly. Letting it soothe and refresh our bodies. The water was cold, and it helped wake me up even more. When we were on the other side, we climbed down a few rocks before reaching the point of no return. It was a severely steep wall. It was tall enough that one could slide down easily, but it would take four or five men to even help one man scale the wall. Four or five men that the rock below us couldn't support.

We all slid down without incident and Natalie walked of into the forest while the rest of us were straightening out. Even though we knew we had to find or build shelter, we also knew we had to wait for Natalie to return. We were hungry for one, but if we left, in this mist, Natalie might not be able to find us. We waited in relative silence as the sky slowly ignited in color. We weren't able to see the sun rise, through the canopy, but patches of the sky and the clouds were visible the entire time.

Once the sky returned to its usual blue color, the mist in the forest began to slowly lighten over time. Edward and Felix left to gather fire wood and other natural supplies leaving Emos and myself to guard the waterfall. Not wanting to bore, I walked around clearing out overgrown areas for a fire pit, a small area for a shelter and an area for the firewood. Emos sat on a rock thinking deep. I was always curious as to his thoughts, but now was not the time to talk. We needed to stay as hidden as possible until we could secure ourselves once again.

When I had finished clearing out our camp site, I stripped myself and climbed into the pool beneath the waterfall. It was chilling, but necessary. I focused first on cleaning myself, but then I had a little bit of fun. I followed some of the fish that had come upstream, and I tried to reach the bottom of this pool; I couldn't. After my time in the water, I dressed in my pants and molded myself against a boulder on the edge of the pool. I was basking in whatever light the forest would grant me.

I must have fallen asleep again, because I awoke when water had splashed my face. Natalie was sitting on the edge with her feet in the water, while Felix and Emos were bathing themselves. Natalie was without her armor, and she had on a lavender shirt. Natalie smiled at me, before splashing my face once again. I quickly sat up and hugged her, before pulling us both into the water. When our faces broke the surface again, we were both splashing each other as quickly as we could.

Felix and Emos gave us a wide girth, not wanting to get caught in our game. We exhausted ourselves quickly and jumped out of the water again, leaving the men to their bath. Edward gave us an acknowledging glance before returning to his work. He was building a perimeter using some fallen logs, and several trees as support. I found a pile of rabbits and squirrels next to my armor and shirt.

I gave Natalie another hug, before throwing on my shirt, and going over to help Edward with his task. I don't know how he did it, but Edward was using a combination of rope and nails to hold up random wood he found in the forest. For the bigger pieces he used rope to tie it and hold it in place, for the thinner pieces he hammered scraps of metal into it with a hand-sized rock. It wouldn't stand the test of time, but it was decent wall to last us a day or two.

Once everyone had bathed and was dry again, we built a small fire so we could cook our food. I volunteered to keep look out while everyone was preparing the dead animals. We were going to save the fire for later, so we could eat later, but we feared what a fire would represent in the dark of night. We feared that it would attract some undead, or even just aggressive animals. Despite being our first day in light, we collectively had spoken less than a dozen words among each other. As good as today has been, we knew we weren't truly safe.

The others brought me over some food once it was ready, and I happily ate my meal. As soon as we were done with dinner, we put out the fire and went to work constructing a small shelter. We dragged some of the longer logs and leaned them against the side of the waterfall. That gave two of us enough room to sleep under and withstand some of the weather. I helped finish it by putting some of the grass I had collected and topping that with some dirt and water. It was far more appealing than it sounds. We did this one more time nearby.

Edward was about to start another one, but Felix stopped him and shook his head. Edward turned around and Felix held up one finger. Edward nodded and dropped the log. Felix walked away and passed me. I quickly muttered, “I'll do it.” Felix stopped and turned to me; I nodded to confirm. He kept walking and left our designated perimeter. Everyone else followed him, leaving me alone in the camp. I was left alone to my thoughts for a while; I could see why Emos valued it so. I sat at the edge of the pool and stared into the rippling water.

The clear water allowed you to see the depths of the pool, despite the bottom being over fifty feet deep. The cascading water that disrupted the pool, gave you a very shattered sight of the canopy above. Water was a curious element to study. It's vital to the survival of everything in the world, and yet it acts very differently depending on where it is, what is inside and so on.

The water calmed slightly reflecting my face quickly, before breaking with a large cascading splash. Startled, I sat upright, and I saw that there was a large stone falling to the bottom of the pool. I looked around to see if someone had thrown it; I saw no one. I looked up to see if I could find where it fell from; I found nothing. Suddenly, one of the boulders atop the waterfall moved out of my line of sight. Someone was watching me.

I stood up and tried to follow the mysterious object, but I couldn't find anything. I certainly couldn't follow it, and I didn't even know if it was actually something. What if it was just me remembering everything wrong, a trick of the mist? It certainly wouldn't be the first time that happened to someone, let alone me.

I continued to stare at where I thought I saw a boulder move, but nothing happened. I stood craning my neck, and all I could see was rocks and the forest canopy. There was nothing there. I would've been more worried, but considering I hadn't been attacked by this mysterious thing, I was relaxed by this point. It must have been a trick of the light, or the mist, or just some boulder rolling away.

I sat back in front of the pool and continued to wait. The others slowly trickled back into our camp. First came Edward and Emos, a while later came Felix, and finally just before the sky began to darken, Natalie came back carrying some more dead animals. More rabbits and squirrels, and she had a snake too. The men had grabbed more wood, and began to fill in some of the larger holes that Edward's and my first attempt had left. It made me, and everyone else, more comfortable having a more stable wall during the night.

The sky continued to darken, and the wall was looking better and better over time. For a single days work, it looked very secure. Nobody would want to live behind it, but staying for a few nights would be okay. When we had finished filling in the wall, we were left with one central opening. The concept was simple, one way in; one way out. It made it easier for me to guard as well.

When the night had finally overcome the day, everyone went into their respective shelters, if that is the best way to say it. Natalie and Edward crawled into the one nearest the pool, while Felix and Emos took the farther one. I turned towards the entrance, and stood at the point of entry. The forest looks much bigger during the night, especially with a light fog obscuring your vision. I heard some noise, some cracking twigs, coming from behind me. I quickly turned around with my hand on my sword.

Emos was carrying his clothes and he was making his way to the closest shelter. He leaned his head inside and I could hear the whispers of conversation. After a few remarks, Edward climbed out of his shelter and swapped places with Emos. I chuckled to myself, Emos and Felix would never get along. I turned back to face the vast darkness that would be the rest of my night, I pulled Natalie's bow from over my shoulder, and I leaned the quiver of arrows against the wall. It was going to be a long night.

The mist drifted by as an amorphous pattern. When I wasn't investigating odd noises, I made it my goal to spot how many different shapes I could floating through the forest. When I grew bored of finding clouds, I began to track the moon as best I could. I studied it for a while through the branches when I could see it. The moon was so small, but it produced so much light. It was a wonderful oddity that we could rely on at night.

It made me reflect on the previous night being holed up in the tunnel, in complete darkness. It was difficult walking down the tunnel without light. Even though I knew that it was a straight and narrow tunnel, I kept worrying about running into that random thing. You know that the walls don't move, but when you can't see them, you feel like you're always going to walk into them. Complete darkness is terrifying in it's own right, but being able to barely see is just as terrifying, if not more.

The moon provided me with enough light to see the outline of trees, and that's really all it gave me. The mist also obscured my vision, and that built a solid fear inside of me. Something could be silently moving out in the forest and I wouldn't even know it. Or nothing could be out among the trees, and I would think there was. Either way I was frightened. I was personally praying for my fear to be irrational, though it made me feel like a fool, it made me feel that much more comfortable. Fortunately, my prayer was answered.

The night was uneventful, there was just noises and mist. When the sky began to brighten again, I turned around towards camp. Nobody was up yet to see the sunrise. I turned back to face the suns birthplace, and calmly waited until it rose. The sky was beginning to erupt with color, when Natalie's hand found my shoulder. She sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. I returned the favor, and she laid her head on my shoulder.

The sun was a brilliant painter today. The oranges and yellows were weaving themselves among the maroons and red. The clouds were ablaze with light, color and hope. The sky remained unaffected by the plague below. The sky was a reflection of all the dreams and prayers of those affected by this horrible world. The world has fallen, but the sky is what makes us look up; the sky is what gives us hope. That and the person leaning on my shoulder. I gently squeezed her, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead.

When the sky returned to it's normal blue, Natalie stood up and left me for the pool. The lightening forest was much less foreboding; the mist was beginning to disperse once again. I heard footsteps behind me and found that both Felix and Edward were awake, probably coming to relieve me. Felix put is hand on Edwards shoulder, and Edward shook his head. Felix scowled momentarily and then beckoned me over to the small shelter.

I handed Felix the bow, and showed him where I had put the quiver before removing my armor. I walked over to the shelter and ducked inside. I was tired and cold, and being able to sleep for a while would help me relax; it would calm my nerves and release me of the pain inside my soul. I would take any distraction that I could. I left my armor by my head and used it as a small pillow. I rolled on my side and closed my eyes, but the sunlight was too bright of me. I removed my shirt as well and folded it over my eyes.

Before I laid down again, I heard Natalie whisper. “Would you like company?”

“We shouldn't really talk right now.”

“That's fine, I can leave.”

“You can stay. I don't mind.”

“I'll wait for you to sleep, you deserve some company after last night.” she whispered as she crawled inside next to me. I laid down again, but instead of my chain pillow I found Natalie's arm. It was still moist, but it was soft and smooth and much more comfortable than metal. She wrapped herself around me, and she became my blanket. Her shirt was damp as well, but it was oddly warm. Her breath was steady and welcome. It gave me something to focus on as I tried to trick myself into sleeping.

My mind was racing ever since Fletcher was shot, the look on his face ingrained in my mind. Natalie's presence calmed me as I began to drift away.

“NO!”

I could see Fletcher relaxing his body after the barrage of rocks had ceased. His spine lowered and his arms shifted slightly.

Snap.

I heard the sound of the arrow releasing from it's owners bow. I could only stare in the eternity it took for the arrow to reach it's target. The arrow entered in between the shield and his body, just under the arm. It flew through his neck, just beneath the chin and left his head entirely. The helmet rode the arrow a short distance before the weight dropped it to the ground.

Fletcher was forced onto his back from the impact, blood gushing from what would be a fatal wound. At this point, time stood still, except for me and Fletcher.

“Altimis? Altimis, save me.” I lurched forwards no longer being restrained by Emos. I couldn't find the strength to stand, so I crawled all the way to Fletcher's side. His face was contorted with pain, and the life was draining from his neck quickly.

“Altimis, save me.” he sputtered painfully.

“I can't. I don't know how?”

I held his head in my arms, and I held him close. His life was coloring my arms, and his face was whitening unnaturally fast. His brown eyes were losing their light.

“Altimis. Please. Save me. Save... me please.”

He coughed, and thick maroon was all that would come up. His body was struggling to breathe, until finally he began to writhe without oxygen. I began to sob, struggling to hold his head in my hands; suddenly I was back against the wall with Emos. I was watching it all again.

Fletcher's face was retaining all of his fear from being hit, he was afraid to die. I could see his mouth moving. Though I was unable to physically hear the words, they rang like bells in my head. I watched his body struggle to breathe and then his legs convulse until they began to slip over the edge. Slowly, I saw his body fall, but this time into darkness. I leaned over the edge and reached out my hand, and I was pulled into the void as well.

The darkness was all encompassing; the darkness was the madness of us all.

“ALTIMIS! SAVE ME!”

A piece of roasted rabbit was waiting for me outside. I could smell it before I woke up. The scent permeated into my shelter, smoking me out of my resting place. I removed my shirt from my eyes, and I put it on properly. The sun had disappeared behind some clouds for the time being, but it was still bright out.

I left the shelter to attend the meal that had started without me. Emos was standing guard, but everyone else smiled as I approached. Felix handed me a large piece of rabbit when I sat down by the fire. Natalie was cooking up two more rabbits above it. The delicious scent filled my nose and made my mouth begin to water. She looked up and laughed at my ravenous eyes. My mouth was drenched in whatever sauce she put on the rabbit legs, and I could feel it dribbling down my chin. My face was a mess.

Emos let out a shrill cry, “GAH! Ambush,” but by then it was too late. Before any one could react, there were arrows in the air. I heard the thud before I felt the pain of the arrow entering my legs. I looked around and saw that the others had arrows in their legs. The pain slowly increased, as I began to figure out what was happening. I tried to get up and grab my gear, but the arrows were lodged deep into the ground. Considering the skill and uniqueness of the ambush, I'd say that the arrows were immobilizing all of us. I suspected that several vampires would come through the walls to finish their task.

As if on cue, a band of four vampires walked casually into camp, one of them stopping to drag Emos in with them. One of the vampires walked by each of us, looking deep into our faces. When he came to me, I could smell the scent of the dead on his body, and on his breath. His face was pale, but otherwise normal. I struggled to move my legs and he smiled, revealing a row of exquisite white teeth.

“Are you a vampire?”

“Of course miboy, years older than you I'd imagine. Are you enjoying our skills?”

“Not entirely. Are you going to stare me to death, or are you going to do something?”

“Feisty. You've fire in your veins boy. I shall enjoy my feast tonight.”

When he had inspected everyone's face he turned back to his group. There were three female vampires waiting for his orders, all dressed in dark or black leathers. Their armor was rather intimidating being adorned with spikes and horns of different assortments. From what I understood, vampires favored intimidation and theatrics. They tended to be dramatic and found entertainment in whatever way they could.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that one of the vampires in the group was Dria! I was shocked to see her among the undead, but she was unmistakable. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her cold gray eyes were unforgiving. What truly gave her away, was an intricate tattoo on her right arm. Nobody knew what it was, what it symbolized, or even how to best describe it. It was a pattern of some sort, that decorated her arm. That's all we knew about it.

I looked around to see if anybody else had recognized Dria, and I saw Natalie looking at me. She gave me a look of restraint, desperation; was she silencing me? Did she know Dria was a vampire this entire time? Was Natalie a vampire herself? I didn't know what to think at the moment, but I knew that I trusted Natalie, or at least I thought I trusted her, so I kept to myself. I began to pay attention to the conversation the vampires were having, they were arguing over who would eat which of us.

“But Fidel, it has been months since I have had young blood.”

“Rabiah, Vixen deserves the young blood. She hasn't fed for days. It will benefit her more.”

“Dria, you take that one,” he said pointing to Felix, “and I'll drain this one,” he said standing behind Edward. “Rabiah, I would like you to stand guard for now?”

“I will stand guard Fidel, I feasted the day before, I cannot drink more yet. It would spoil my savory meal.”

“Fine, Rabiah you take him. I hope we are done? I grow hungry.”

Dria stood by the entrance to our camp, while the vampires approached their respective victims. I wasn't paying close attention to what my companions were saying, but I know that I wouldn't let them die before me if I could help it.

“What's wrong with me? Are you scared I'm going to fight back?”

Fidel chuckled. “Miboy, you are immobilized, you are unarmed. How do you plan to fight back? Are you going to stare me death? As for why you are untouched,” he came over and stood on my hands, and leaned in close to my neck, smelling me, “your blood is precious, and we need it fresh. We shall dry you tonight in a feast. Would you like me to explain?”

When he drew close, I slammed my head against his. He withdrew quickly, and gave a quick backhand to my face. It felt as though someone had clubbed me with a rock.

“You will hang from your feet, allowing the blood to rush to your head, and we shall bleed you like a pig. Slowly, so that you can feel hopeless, as the life drains from your veins. I cannot wait for tonight miboy. Tonight, you feed dozens. Tonight, you serve a greater purpose than yourself. But now,” he said walking over towards Edward, “I feast!”

He held Edwards throat tightly, and he drew a bloodstained dagger from his pocket. He drew a line across his throat as he struggled to breathe. Fidel was laughing, watching the blood ooze out slowly from the wound. I could see Rabiah doing the same to Felix, I feared the worse for Natalie, but she seemed to have the best of them.

Vixen, had tied her arms together, and was sniffing her wildly. She threw her face down on the ground, and ripped open the back of her shirt. She pointed at a large scar that spanned her left shoulder to her upper arm.

“Fidel, we might have trouble. Ahh, my sweet. You are part of a triad, I see. I am so sorry. Send my regards to your companion.”

“You can tell me yourself, you hedge-born whelp!” before anybody could respond, Dria had thrust a dagger of her own deep into Vixen's heart. Fidel turned around whipping his dagger at Dria, but she had already jumped away. I turned to see Rabiah knocking an arrow, only to be flattened by a rolling stone. I looked atop the waterfall and saw group of men cheering for the hit. One of the men was rapidly descending the cliff, eager to join the battle.

“You traitorous witch! What have you done? You think you can defeat me? Then come, we shall duel!” Fidel was screaming, wielding a serrated blade. Dria lunged at him from a tree branch with a short blade of her own, along with her arm dagger. Though the clashing steel was agonizing to hear, the ferocious battle between two vampires was amazing to see.

Vampires are dangerous predators. I don't remember exactly why, but when you become a vampire, you don't age, and you become stronger and faster. Again, I don't know why, but they also have to drink blood, fresh blood, once a month. If they don't, they lose themselves to blood lust and go irrevocably berserk. Vampires were often used as spies in times of war, valued for their skill, stealth and power.

The scariest part about vampires, is that there are no distinguishing marks that differentiate a vampire from a human. They look the same, they act the same. There are only very few differences between vampires and humans. Vampires have immense potential, and they don't bleed when they are injured. Those are the two differences between humans and vampires. That, and that vampires need to drink blood.

I was lost as far as who to trust now, but I wanted to get away from the sharp blades for sure. I painfully pulled the arrows out of the ground. I struggled to move my legs, but the arrows had somehow paralyzed them. I don't know if it was poison or just tactical planning, but my legs were useless as of now. I felt a pair of hands pulling under my shoulders, I struggled at first, but gave up when I realized that I couldn't move much else but my arms.

“Calm yourself, we are your allies.” a familiar voice said. The shrouded man who had pulled me away from the battle, left me leaning against the edge of the pool. He went to bring Natalie here as well. Emos was back here as well, but Felix and Edward were left alone. I turned back to our mysterious ally, and found that he had joined the battle with a long sword. In an unfair duel, surely they could win.

Fidel fought viciously, and was very agile. Even though this mysterious man had joined, it was still mostly just Dria fighting Fidel. The dynamics of two against one certainly made Fidel more awkward in his movements, but it was clear that he was more skilled than either of them. However, they had managed to corner him against the wall and the side of the waterfall, and it looked like he was going to lose.

The mysterious man lunged in with his sword, but Fidel simply stepped aside breaking his arm and grabbing the sword in the process. With a simple motion, he deflected Dria's attack, and used the man's own sword to stab him in the back. He left the sword in it's grave and the man fell to his knees. Dria had managed to stab Fidel in the arm with her arm dagger, but Fidel had grabbed her by the throat and threw her on the ground besides the slouched figure. Dria crawled until her back was against our pitiful attempt at a wall.

“I certainly hope you have some last words Dria. I would not be able to steal your life without some glorious end. What shall they be.” He taunted her stepping forwards. He held his blade in her face, the point embedded against her neck. She gasped and smiled smugly.

“Make sure, that when you kill someone, you kill them.” with that, the slouched figure suddenly lunged at Fidel. He used the sword protruding through his gut, to slice into Fidel and to give Dria the upper hand. She quickly jumped up and sent her arm dagger into an unbalanced Fidel's heart. He clutched at the wound, and fell down abruptly. He twitched drastically, before stiffening. The deed was done. Dria reached out to help her partner up off the ground. He turned away from her and she pulled the sword out from his back with a sickening noise. I had to turn away.

Natalie began to rub my back, knowing that I was struggling to keep my wits about me. This is the very reason I can't hunt animals, or prepare the recently deceased animals. Cooking long dead, or skin-free animals was fine, just not the gutting or killing, or any of that business. Natalie was carefully massaging under my shoulders, when the man came over and crouched in front of me.

“This will help you Altimis, but it's going to hurt.” he said as he reached down with his unbroken arm and pulled the first arrow out of my leg. I screamed loudly enough to miss the sound of the second arrow ripping out of my leg. “Those vampires had deadly aim. It's a shame they weren't working for us. Can you stand, Altimis?” the man asked, he reached his hand down offering it to me. I grabbed it and helped myself carefully up. Once I was steady, and was sure that I wasn't going to be sick, I opened my mouth.

“Why did you help us? Who are you?”

“Help you? We were brought here, Dria showed us where the ambush would take place. Besides,” the man said taking down his hood, “what else are brothers for?”

It was Fletcher. I pushed away from him, tripping over a rock. I fell hard onto my back, and began to crawl away. This was not the response that Fletcher expected, if he really was Fletcher.. I could see it in his eyes, the fear, and the pain of rejection.

“Altimis? What are you doing?”

“Stay away from me!”

“What?”

“I saw you die. I SAW YOU DIE! I don't know what you're doing here, and I don't know what your plan is, but you're not my brother! Stay away from me!”

Natalie reached out to soothe me, but I backed away from her as well. “You all stay away from me!”

I had finally backed up against the wall, and I leaned my head in my hands and began to sob; I felt confused, I felt betrayed, I felt alone. I was alone. I didn't know who to trust anymore, I didn't know what to do. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, and I reached up to it in gratitude. It's owner knelt down besides me, and whispered into my ear; it was Dria.

“You deserve an explanation Altimis, it would probably be best coming from me, if you would have me?”

I looked up at her, and found that her facial expressions were not as cold as they were minutes ago; I could see kindness and love in her eyes. Natalie was standing next to Fletcher and they were both watching me. Other people were tending to the others of our group. I nodded through my tears, and relaxed as best I could. I sighed and stared at the ground ready to listen. Dria delicately held my hands before continuing.

“Unfortunately, we have to speak while we walk Altimis. We do not have the luxury of time on our side. The Amri'Chan are on their way, and your two friends aren't going to make it. We need to bind your wounds, and we need to move now.”

I nodded once again, and she stood up and walked towards the others. Fletcher helped me up.

“Altimis?”

“I need more time. I'm sorry, but leave me alone.”

“I can do that,” he said walking after me, “but what about Natalie? You can't just ignore her, think of how she feels right now.”

“I don't care how anyone feels right now, but me. I'm sorry to say it, but what about me? Sometimes, it is about me.”

“That's selfish Altimis.”

“Well, what else am I supposed to do? Dria is a vampire, Natalie knew that. Dria and her group just killed two of my friends, how does that make me feel! You're dead, and yet you're standing here in front of me, having a conversation! You're dead! And you're here! Talking to me. Saving me. Saving us. You saved us. And I thank you for that, now leave me alone!”

“Fine!”

I walked over to those who were helping the others. I was uneasy about having these others help us. Given Fletcher's status, I was sure they were undead as well, but they were helping us for the time being. One of them was a wizard and he had cast a spell of levitation underneath Edward and Felix. They were both dead. Emos had a splint on each of his legs, as did Natalie. They offered to support my legs, but I refused; I was well enough for now, and twice as stubborn.

“Alright, is everyone ready?” Fletcher called out to the group. The general consensus was yes, but Dria walked over to me one again.

“You'd best splint your legs Altimis. We have a rather grueling trek. Not too long only a few hours, but mostly uphill.”

“I think I can manage. Are we going up to the Maid of the Mount?”

“Yes. Our garrison is housed inside.”

“Inside? There is no inside to the Maid of the Mount.”

“You just haven't looked enough.” She said smiling at me. “We're ready Fletcher. Let's move!”

Maid of the Mount, that's where I am, I think. Now that I think about it, I really don't think I'm in the Maid of the Mount. This place is connected to it, but not within it. It gets confusing because teleportation gets involved. I could be anywhere. The waypoint though, that is housed at the Maid of the Mount. So they are trying to get here, wait, no they were here already, and I have helped them. Are they going to help me too?

I feel terrible because I have lost Altimis, and I don't know where he is. He could be upstairs, but for some reason I have been telling myself to stay downstairs. I don't know why, but I keep finding these notes. Is there something dangerous upstairs?

No, it can't be dangerous, otherwise it would've eaten me by now. However, there must be a serious reason why I've wanted to keep myself downstairs, and also why I can't remember any of it. Maybe, the two are connected? Maybe, if I go upstairs, I will remember what happened. Maybe, if I remember what happened, I will understand what is currently happening. Maybe, if I understand what is currently happening, I will want to forget all over again. Maybe, I've been through this several times.

No, I must stay downstairs for now. But I am still searching for something, and I have apparently searched this entire floor. According to me I should both go upstairs and not go upstairs, this is all very confusing.

I decided that I am going to go upstairs. I need to find Altimis, I think he is what I am looking for. I can't go downstairs and he is obviously not in this room. All I have is this book that says it's what I'm looking for, but I really don't know; I don't remember. The book!

I walk back to my desk, and sit down. I once again flip to where I was in the book. This book is about those whom I'm trying to help, maybe it has the answers I seek. I'm looking for Altimis, and this is following Altimis, so I'll understand by reading it. It makes perfect sense! Mostly.

I don't know what I'm looking for exactly. All I know, is that I wanted myself to read this. It's very confusing to not remember anything, why don't I remember anything I wonder?

If I don't find what I'm looking for, I can always go upstairs later. I turn back towards the stairs. They are clean except for some pieces of parchment. Notes; I'm sure I left those there as well, but I would check those later. Now, I want to read, and to try and understand what I am supposed to do. I don't remember, and I want to.

Everyone trudged slowly out of our campsite. Fletcher took the lead, with Natalie at his side. They were followed by the wizard with Edward and Felix. Emos was guarded by the three other men in Fletcher's group. Dria and I were coming up last. Upon leaving the camp, we turned left following the cliff face of the waterfall.

“Are you ready Altimis?”

“I've been waiting. Yes. I am.”

“Then, I must ask you, what you know first. It will make it easier if I know what you know.”

“I don't know what I know anymore.”

“Then tell me what you think you know.”

“The undead are raiding our land. They besieged the castle. Fletcher died and is back, I don't know how. I know that you are a a vampire and that Natalie knew it, and maybe others did too. Edward and Felix are dead, and we're going to, into, the Maid of the Mount.” I paused.

“Is that all?”

“No. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You saved us. I don't know why I'm even talking to you now, I feel betrayed. But you offered me answers, and I can trust that. For some reason I trust that you will give me what I'm looking for. And with that hope, I know that I'll be saying sooner rather than later. So, thank you.”

“You are welcome Altimis. I will do my best to explain my end of the story. I don't know exactly where to begin, so I will start by stating that not all of the undead are the same.”

“How does that work? What happened with Fletcher?”

“How familiar are you with the soul Altimis?”

“I don't know. Everyone has one.”

“Mostly correct, but it's a start. I guess I will start with me then. Do you know how people become vampires, or even why?”

“I do not.”

“Have you ever wanted to live forever?”

“Heavens no! Why would I want to?”

“And that's why you're not a vampire,” she chuckled. “To become a vampire you must partake a blood ritual. It is a powerful and ancient magic that contains your soul, and houses it in your heart. Nobody knows exactly how it works, most magic tends to be this way, but the soul limits us in life.”

“The soul limits us?”

“Not exactly, but yes. The soul is what gives you your humanity. It limits the extent of your physical and emotional capabilities. The soul is what causes our bodies to age, it is what gives us a limit to our strength and endurance. It makes us human. It is what makes us enjoy the passion and emotion of day to day tasks. Without it, you live forever, there is no limitation to your strength except for that of nature and you become truly emotional. You become a connoisseur of passion.”

“What do you mean no limitation to strength?”

“There is no exact definition here, but I am stronger than you, by a landslide. Your body has a way of telling you when enough is enough, but my body never reaches enough. I could lift what my physical body could lift, even if it kills me. You cannot lift more than you are used to. Your muscles require work and taming, mine do not.”

“It makes sense.”

“As for the soul, it is housed in the heart and after this ritual it begins to feed off of fresh blood. Again there is no strict definition, but usually within a month we need to replenish our supply of blood to sustain our soul.”

“If you don't sustain your soul, you lose it.”

“Correct. A living body without a soul, becomes purely instinctual, cannibalistic; only running on survival instincts. Just look at what happens to a dead body without a soul.”

“It becomes a ravenous monster, capable of taking simple orders. I feel that they are stronger too. The castle fell rapidly compared to the attempts of any living army.”

“Incredibly strong, remember. Incredibly fast. More so than us vampires, if their bodies allow.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well, think about it. With vampires, we still have our souls, they are just restrained from within. That gives us a very slight limitation. The soulless of the undead, have absolutely no limitations.”

“So in theory, you don't live forever, but are just aging incredibly slow?”

“Correct. Now, as you might have noticed, there's only two real ways of killing a vampire. Destroying the heart, or removing the brain. The body doesn't function without a brain, and the vampire loses everything without a soul.”

“That makes sense, you also don't bleed. Is that because the soul feeds on the blood?”

“In a sense, yes. Once the ritual has been completed, the soul is sustained entirely by blood. Fresh blood.”

“Why only fresh blood?”

“It goes back to an oversight of the ritual's creator. The original intention, was that vampirism was the ultimate act of love. That the vampire would need to be sustained only by willing donations, if you would. Over time it has been discovered that the magic behind isn't as strict as the creator thought. Any living person is a target for a vampire. Dead blood is nothing to us.”

“Can the ritual be changed?”

“No. Well, yes. But it takes ancient powerful magic to create a ritual. Magic that has been lost for centuries.”

“Can you ever change back?”

“No.”

“Do you ever regret your choice?”

“My choice was mine to make, and I made it. I wouldn't have done so if I was going to regret it later in life.”

“Fair answer, what is your connection with Natalie. The other vampire mentioned some kind of triad. Is she a vampire?”

“No, vampires need blood within a month, so they must feed regularly. Sophisticated vampires travel with others willing to give their blood to them. Ravenous vampires live by the thrill of the hunt. Over time it was discovered that a pair was not able to sustain the vampire for long without slowly killing the volunteer. Blood only replenishes so quickly.”

“A triad means three. Does that mean three volunteers, or two volunteers and one vampire?”

“The latter. With two, one can alternate monthly, allowing ample time to replenish their blood.”

“That's horrible though!”

“It is ironic that you say this Altimis.”

“Ironic? How so? Drinking the blood of another seem rather horrible to me. How do you bypass that?”

“As I mentioned before, vampirism started as the ultimate act of love. Living forever, with someone willing to sustain you. The reason that vampires trap their souls in their hearts, besides the obvious benefits, has much symbolism as well. Vampires are extremely emotional beings, and without the emotional constraints can be very wild. Vampires tend to be the epitome of emotions, to each their own.”

“And what is yours?”

“Love. There are three main emotions. Anger, like Fidel. Love, like me. Wild, I do not know of any that you know. With anger comes haughty, prideful vampires; but with love comes kind, passionate vampires. Wild brings ferocity and tamelessness; the thrill of the hunt. There are other emotions like sadness, but you never hear of those; they don't survive for long. For me, I realized that I always felt alone, that I always needed someone. That is why I eventually confided in Natalie.”

“What happened then?”

“She reacted very similarly to you, at first she was horrified, but she became curious and shortly after even offered to supply me with her blood. She realized, that I, in spite of my ageless body and increased endurance, need to be taken care of like a child. I needed love to be sustained. It is difficult for me to explain, but you have felt a yearning for love before, have you not?”

“I have, yes.”

“Amplify that feeling. So much that it hurts you. Then amplify it more, until it would destroy you. That is the best description I can give of a vampire. Our souls live off of blood, but our bodies live off of emotions. It is a stranger feeling than you can imagine.”

“If Natalie is part of your triad, who was the third person?”

“Your brother, Fletcher.”

“Ah, that's why you three were together all the time.”

“Yes. As with humans you grow together, and with vampires even more so.”

“I can understand that. How does that work now, with Fletcher being dead now?”

“It doesn't. I am one person short of a triad now.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

“That was more of an offer than a statement?”

“Oh,” I sighed, “ I don't know. I would certainly love to help, but I'm still confused as to everything right now.”

“Thank you for your answer. What confuses you now?”

“My brother, how is he here?”

“Would you care to guess?”

“I don't know.”

“Altimis, you are more intelligent than you think.”

“We mentioned that the soulless undead, are ravenous monsters, would it do anything with him retaining his soul?”

“Correct. When the body dies, the soul stays with the body for a period of time. It slowly leaves the body over time, roughly three days. When a body is reanimated, if it's within the three days, we can completely tether the soul back to the body. Otherwise, it becomes the abomination that you know as the undead.”

“What do we call them?”

“Whatever you'd like. They prefer their names usually.” she smiled at me. I returned the gesture. “It has become commonplace for necromancers to refer to them as rax or raxes.”

“Okay, I think I'm getting this undead business sorted out. Do you think I would make a good necromancer?” I jested.

Dria laughed. “No, you would not, unfortunately.”

“Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence Dria.”

“You are welcome, Altimis.”

“Are there other kinds of creatures out there? That necromancers deal with, I mean.”

“Of course. Some other things related to necromancy are liches and spirits and werebeasts.”

“Werebeasts?”

“Necromancy is not just reanimation, but of soul manipulation. It is rather tedious for me to explain.”

“I want to know it all. It will probably be vital in the years to come.”

“I hope it won't be years, and give us time. You will learn what you need to learn. I can promise you that.”

“Alright, what is happening now? What happened back there?”

“The castle was besieged by our own.”

“What?”

“Be patient Altimis, all is not as it seems. There is a traitor within in the castle walls, one that you know very well.”

“Who?”

“General Daniel Wuberg. He works with a secret necromancer, Amri'Chi, to form an army of the undead.”

“Why?”

“We don't know. We only know this. The man you used to look up to, Lucas Quincy, was murdered by Wuberg to progress his cause. Quincy was reanimated, and upon discovering the betrayal, escaped. He was fortunate to be alive, but only half. He didn't know who to trust, he didn't know who to go to. He only knew, that the kingdom was in danger, and also that he was the only one who knew about it.”

“How could he? He destroyed all of those towns. Ghakim, Shosune. He attacked Vitior!”

“He was trying to get to Wuberg, Altimis. If Wuberg had betrayed us, what would he do to his king?”

“I was wondering why Nicholas didn't escape.”

“We fear the worst, but Quincy has led us for almost a month, and he is a wise and true leader. He fights for the preservation of the land.”

“Then why did he raze those towns?”

“Those were towns that belonged to the man we know only as Amri'Chi. He is the leader of the Amri'Chan. In simple terms, they are the undead driven by evil, we are the undead driven by hope. We knew that attacking Vitior would be a risky move, but it was out of desperation to stop this madness at once. We came prepared with our finest clerics and necromancers, to revive and reanimate those who still wished to fight for their kingdom.”

“And Fletcher?”

“He was dead Altimis. We reanimated him, but there is no way to bring him among the living again.”

“I understand.”

“Altimis, you do not understand how heavy my heart is for you. And not just for you, but for others as well. We were killing our friends and family that night. But not all is lost. What King Nicholas was fighting for so recently before the siege, was for the laws for the undead.”

“What do you mean?”

“Undead are considered abominations across the land, though as you can see are often not so. They that have the soul of their old self, and often just want to live on in peace. It becomes incredibly difficult at this time with everyone fearing the undead horde. The Amri'Chan.”

“King Nicholas was fighting for his people, even those who were beyond the grave. Did he know about the siege?”

“He did. We warned him days prior of our intentions to get Wuberg, but what was he to do? If he had told you that you were about to be invaded by undead, and that you were too simply let them in, what would you have done?”

“I understand.”

“What do you think others would have done had we showed them their loved ones, as they used to be, only dead?”

“The same as mine, with Fletcher.”

“We are not monsters, and we do not value killing, but we will fight to end the war at any cost. Our goals, do not stop with the end of the war, but also with a bright future for us all.”

“That explains much, but I still don't know what happened at our camp.”

“That is not as complicated as it seems. Although I am one of Quincy's Crusaders, I am also... was also, an agent for the Amri'Chan.”

“While also being a vampire that none of us knew about.”

“Yes, you could call me a triple agent if you like.”

“I think I will. That's very impressive.”

“Thank you for your kind words. When we had finished clearing the castle, and we discovered that Wuberg was nowhere to be found, we panicked. Our next goal was to protect our fallen brethren, and return to our garrison. I was fortunate enough to find Fletcher, and gave him instructions to give to Quincy, while I went off to meet Fidel.”

“You had to give them accurate information as to survivors so that you could keep up appearances. It makes sense.”

“Meanwhile, Fletcher was going to Quincy to inform him of our ambush, so that you would be protected. If you couldn't tell, Fidel was quite the adversary, two other vampires would've been suicide on my own.”

“I noticed. Fidel appeared a skilled foe.”

“Unfortunately, we were faster and despite my stalling, we arrived early. I pray for Edward and Felix in their safe return to life, but I can only be thankful for Fletcher, for arriving as early as he had. Something, I think we all should do.” She said draping her arm over my shoulder.

“I agree. Thank you Dria. Thank you for your honesty, and your explanation. I have a few more questions if you care to answer.”

“Anything Altimis.”

“How does being undead work? Do they need to eat?”

“No. The undead are sustained purely by the aether. They are essentially living beings, but it is a false life, that cannot be replicated.”

“How do you mean?”

“There will never be generations of undead. The difference between false life, and true life is too great to create life. In all other instances they are living beings. However, eating and sleeping are not necessary. They are sustained entirely by the magical essence around the world, but can keep up appearances just like I would.”

“What about you? Are you considered false life?”

“I am not dead, so no. I am very much alive, just almost soulless is all.”

I stopped walking, and embraced her for the moment. “You act as though you have one. Thank you.”

“Thank you Altimis. You increase my hope for a bright future. For all of us.”

“One day maybe, for now let's look forwards to any future at all. If I may have a word with my brother?”

“You should. Go. Speak with him and Natalie. You know it is difficult for you, but it is more difficult for them, Fletcher mostly. I will be fine here.”

I quickened my pace, to catch up to the head of the group. I hadn't noticed, but we were climbing upwards now. I was winded from talking with Dria. I progressively made my way past Emos. When I finally passed Edward and Felix, I could see Fletcher and Natalie just ahead of the wizard suspending our fallen comrades. Even though I was short of breath, I ran the rest of the way to my brother. He and Natalie stopped to turn around when they heard my panting.

I wrapped my brother in my arms, and gave him all the love and acceptance I could offer. My brother was here again, and we were together again, all of us. Before I began to sob, I reached over and pulled Natalie into our snug group. The three of us, in the very sight of war, have found each other safe in a way. I was overcome with thankfulness, for my brother and his safe return, even though it wasn't as I had expected. Things would certainly be different, but nothing can sever the bond a man shares with his brother. With tears in our eyes, we continued onwards to the Maid of the Mount.

“I'm glad to have my brother back.” Fletcher stated.

“Do you regret it? Not that you entirely chose it, but if you had the choice?”

“I would've. I was worried you wouldn't accept me, back at the camp. If I came back, but was rejected by my brother, my only family, I don't know what I would have done.”

“I'm sorry. But what would you have done in my place?”

“Are you serious, Altimis? I love you, you will always be my younger brother, and I will always care for you. Dead, alive, or somewhere in-between. Remember that.”

“I didn't mean to anger you.”

“You didn't. I'm sorry. It's just this is beyond comprehension right now. I'm getting used to the times too, Altimis. I am certainly glad to be able to spend time with you again. I thought I was gone forever, but when I realized I had gotten a second chance, I was more worried that I would be rejected. Now, I'm just worried if it would have been better if it never happened at all.”

“I know. That's awful. I'm sorry, Fletcher.”

“I won't be able to have children of my own, but I'll be able to watch you and your family grow.”

“I know.”

“But looking back on that all, if you can promise me that you won't wed, I think I can love you.” he laughed.

“Forever alone?”

“Forever alone! Aha! That's right. Hear that Natalie? He is no longer searching to wed!”

“I heard, and I'm sure I can win him over, Fletcher. You do forget that I'm alive and well.”

“No! You can't make a man break his promise to his brother.”

“I don't recall any promise.” I jested.

“I don't either.”

“But...”

“Her hair, is like gold in the breeze. It... It's so alluring.”

“Well, I guess I'll just have to enjoy you lovers from a distance then,” Fletcher leaned closer to my ear, “You do love her right? You two haven't been fighting while I've been gone have you?”

“I don't think asking me in front of her is very fair,” I grabbed her hand, “I would have to say yes though. Given, of course, that she is standing next to me.”

“Stop Altimis, you shouldn't even joke about it.”

“True.”

“True. Nevertheless, I'm glad we're back together, the four of us. I would have missed you both too much. Jesting aside Altimis, has Dria informed you of everything you wanted to know?”

“I think so. It's all a mess to take in, but I think I understand it; what I know I mean. I also wanted to say thank you Fletcher. Thank you for everything.”

“I wish I could accept that, but I will wait until we get Edward and Felix safe before...”

“No, I don't mean just that. I mean everything. Everything we shared growing up. When I saw you die, I was sad mostly because we never really talked anymore, except in regards to castle maintenance and the like. I was afraid that our last words would remain unspoken. So thank you for being my brother, a good brother. And coming back to help me is included.”

“That I can relate with Altimis. I had that same fear. When I was lying on the walk just after getting hit, there were only three words I said. The last three words I thought I'd ever say.”

“Altimis, save me?”

“No. No, I knew that it would've meant the death for you to come and help me. I said 'Altimis, I'm sorry' and I meant it. You should have never had to see me like that.”

“I tried to help but Emos held me back. It was killing me that you were still alive those few moments after being hit. When you started to convulse and slide over the edge, I said goodbye.”

“We all know that goodbye is just another chance for hello.”

“Not always.”

“Of course always. There is never an end to life Altimis, the soul lives on forever. In whatever form, or where they congregate nobody knows; but the soul will always persevere.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so. From all we don't understand in this world Altimis, understand this. Even with magic, nobody can live forever. But spirits and liches can almost do it. Do you know why?”

“I do not.”

“Because that is magic that relies heavily on the soul.”

“How do they work exactly?”

“A spirit is a soul bound to the body when the body is no loner capable of sustaining it. Most notably as ashes. The spirit will remain a spirit as long as any of the ashes remain. Potentially forever. A lich is very similar. The soul is bound to an object and as long as the object remains intact, the soul could live forever.”

“Aren't those almost the same then?”

“Correct. All liches are spirits, but not all spirits are liches. One major difference is how they move around. Spirits, because are bound to their old body cannot take control of another body. A lich can. The lich is bound to an object and not a body. So, when you hear the stories of spirits possessing people, those are all liches. Spirits and liches act similarly in every way, except that one can possess and the other cannot.”

“Why would one ever want to be a spirit when they could be a lich, instead?”

“I don't know for sure. But if you had the option of possessing anyone, and forever to live, you don't think you would be tempted to do it; for better or for worse?”

“I can see that. It makes sense. Was I the only one to not know how popular necromancy was? Everyone else seems to know everything about it, except for me; why?”

“I knew about the basics of it since Natalie and I found out about Dria. I learned a thing or two from my death, but mostly pertaining to me. I only know the very basic information that I found in the castle library. I guess you just never had a reason to know before. Otherwise, you would've looked earlier too.”

“It's all very intimidating being the weakest link in the chain though. I feel like I am so far behind everyone else.”

“You have nothing to worry about Altimis. As much or as little as everyone knows, we are all living day to day right now. And with that, action is all the matters. Do your best, have no regrets, and you'll do just fine with us knowledgeable people.”

“Speaking of us, how many are there up at the Maid of the Mount?”

“We have a few hundred able-bodied men and women. I don't know compared to the size of the Amri'Chan, but for now I'm comfortable with what we have. Speaking of the Amri'Chan, did you leave Dria alone as the last?”

“Yes, she said I should come an talk to you.”

“Well, we have talked. And now is not the time for conversation, it is the time for safety. You go back with Dria and help keep watch again. We have almost an hour left, we don't need any surprises.”

“Yessir!”

“Humorous Altimis.”

“Fletcher. Natalie. I bid you well.”

I stopped and sat down on a rock as I was about to pass it. I had a minute to myself as everyone passed me on their way. The taiga was littered with golden light, as the sun was shining bright and strong. The cool breeze was relaxing my tired muscles. When Dria approached I stood and she sat down. She placed her pack on the ground and began to shuffle through it, revealing odd trinkets, tools and artifacts.

“Are you hungry Altimis?”

“Yes. Wait, no. Maybe. What did you have in mind?”

“Not blood, if that is your worry.”

“Then, yes. Yes I am hungry.”

She held up her hand holding an assortment of berries. I cupped my hands and she poured them in.

“Where did you find these?”

Dria chuckled. “Altimis, Natalie and I are like sisters when it comes to living in the wild.”

“Natalie didn't find any berries.”

“I doubt she came this high up the mountain while she hunted, if she even came up the mountain at all.”

I nodded and I put several berries in my mouth. Dria ate some as well, before attaching her bag to her belt. I helped her up with my free hand.

“Thank you Dria, these are delicious.”

“You are welcome Altimis. Let's move on before we fall too far behind.”

“Why did you eat some?” I asked as we started walking again.

“What do you mean why did I eat some?”

“Berries. I thought you lived off of blood?”

“No. I need feed only once a month, otherwise I eat normally. Unlike the undead, I am still living.”

“Did it take you long to adjust?”

“Not as long as you might think. If you teach a man how to survive, he will do anything to accomplish that, even if he makes mistakes at first. Fresh vampires know what needs to be done, and tend to be overzealous. It's when you understand the art behind it when you relax, slow down, and enjoy life a little more.”

“Is that why you became a vampire?”

“It is difficult for me to say. It isn't easy for me to explain. I was in love with a man. But he was in love with another. As far as I understood, vampires had a certain allure to them. Do they not,” She had paused and was obviously looking for my opinion. I stopped and took in her entire figure.

Her face was pale overall, with warmed cheeks. Her gray eyes were cheery, and black hair was free-flowing in the breeze just above her shoulders. Her armor was as intricate as the tattoo on her right arm. The cuirass and leggings were both black leather and they both sported multiple pockets, buckles and rings. She left her arms bare except for a left gauntlet and pauldrons, both of which were spiked and black. Her gauntlet was the one that was also her arm dagger. Her leather boots were guarded with some spiked greaves; again, both of which were black.

The most intricate aspect of her armor was that she had joined thin black cloths to her armor mostly along the joints. Whenever she ran, or was fighting in battle, they waved valiantly creating an awe of elegance about her. Vampires truly turned their lives to art, and Dria was no different. She was after an intimidating yet elegant presence, and she had succeeded. I focused again on her face and smile before answering.

“Knowing you're a vampire I don't want to say this, but if I didn't know you were a vampire I would say yes. You are certainly alluring. A deadly allure at that.”

“And by that, do you mean unaware of the feeding?”

“Yeah, that's going to take some getting used to. It's nothing against you, but you know that I'm never one to hunt.” We started to walk again.

“I wanted to become a vampire to impress this man, to become fast and strong, to become beautiful, but he never seemed to notice me.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you. It was at this time that I confided in Natalie, and shortly after, your brother; and we became a triad.”

“That sounds like a pleasant group. I consider them part of my triad as well. And together we make quite a quartet!”

“I am grateful for the offer, but it is not the same without my second donor.”

“Do you live in fear of losing your triad?”

“Yes, but no. I fear losing those I love, I do not fear starving for lack of resources.”

“You act with an incredible sense of wisdom and a hint of nobility. How long have you been a vampire?”

Dria chuckled. “Ah, not as long as you think. I have only been a vampire a few years now.”

“Only a few years, but you're incredibly talented!”

“It does not require centuries to learn an art, but I will take your confusion as a compliment.”

“I'm sorry. I meant no offense.”

“Do not be sorry. I am privileged to know that your think that highly of me. And I am honored to know that we did not lose ourselves in our first impressions.”

“What was your first impression of me?”

“You appear to be ignorant to the matters at hand, but in reality you are deep and understanding.”

“You figured that all out today?”

“Not entirely, but your performance today has been more than entertaining.” She laughed.

“That's mean! That's worse than me thinking you couldn't be talented without centuries of practice.” I jested back.

We both laughed, and continued to steadily climb the mountain. Eventually, the trees turned to shrubs. Then slowly, the shrubs turned to rocks. Finally, the rocks turned to cold and we began to huddle closer together to ward off the chill. The clouds drew in over time, and began to darken with a silver lining. When the snow began to fall, Dria and I embraced each other as we walked.

The snow was starting to pile on everyone and their gear. Some of the undead men were brushing Edward and Felix off every once and a while. Before long, the Maid of the Mount was before us. Nobody knew who did this, but almost a month ago, there used to be a short spire atop the mountain. Then, one day, it was gone and this was in it's place; somebody had chiseled it in the middle of the night.

Fletcher led the group to just in front of the maid. We all flocked together keeping each other warm. Fletcher stepped away from the group, and knelt before the statue.

“Oh merciful maid of mine, take us to a place divine!”

I looked around us, and the snow and the sky had been replaced with dust and a cavern respectively. Everyone began to dust themselves off, I decided to ask the obvious question.

“Where are we?”

“I don't know. Quincy wouldn't tell me.”

“Quincy?”

“Who do you think made this place? When Quincy first realized what was happening, he knew he need to create a safe area for the good in humanity. I doubt he created this entire place, but he was definitely behind the Maiden and the teleport.”

“Where do we go from here?”

“From here, they'll take Edward and Felix to the necromancers, the rest of us should go to Quincy. He would like to meet you all, he did allow a special group to go and rescue you after all.”

With that, the group as it was went their separate ways, “Oh, and be on your best behavior.”

“Nothing! I found nothing to help me in this book so far! How can this be the book that I'm looking for? How is this supposed to help me?”

I angrily close the book, and I convince myself that I need to have a look upstairs. I grow tired of being told what to fear, without knowing why to fear it. I want to know; I want to find out for myself. Part of me does at least, the other part of me wants to run and tell the poor souls who just came here, to turn around. They had to fear the monsters.

“The monsters! Why do I keep talking about these awful monsters!”

There are no monsters here, there is nothing here! I am all alone. There is that flutter of wings I keep hearing from upstairs. Are those the monsters? I need to find out this time, and I march steadily to the stairs. Getting to the stairs was not the problem before. Climbing the stairs was the problem. It was climbing the stairs that I had warned myself about many times before; I don't know what I am supposed to do.

I stand at the bottom of the stairway, looking up. The room is dimly lit in the first place, and the door to the next level is hidden in the shadows of this already dark room. In between the door and the threshold I can see light, dim light, but that proves there is something upstairs at least. Something doesn't tell me what however.

I cautiously bring my feet up each step, staring down the door. I tell myself that at the first sign of movement, I run back to my desk. I notice that the light through the door is flickering, whether by movement or fault. I decide on the latter because I really want to go upstairs.

I reach each note in succession, there are three in a row; one right after the other. All hastily scribbled, all brief and mysterious; all wanting me to turn back, as if I knew I was going to ignore the first few.

“Please don't. If you go upstairs you will discover the truth. The truth will break you. Fear the monsters. All signed by me? Interesting.”

I blatantly ignore these notes, but I have this incessant worry about the monsters. I haven't seen any monsters, but what if these are monsters that can't be seen? What if these are monsters that were invisible, or any equivalent? I reach the doors without incident, and I grab the handle.

The flutter of wings stop, and I hear a heavy thud. The doors begin to shake violently. I turn around and run down the stairs. I could hear a malelovent shrieking, probably of rage, all the way down. I return to my book, I need some answers now. And if not, I need to warn this group to stay away. The monsters are after me now, maybe they had already gotten to Altimis.

I was walking down a barren corridor with Natalie and Dria, following my brother. Emos went with the others to help with Edward and Felix. We had been walking down this corridor for some time now, it was all the same. The torches were always the same length apart, the stones were gray, with a strong green color. The hallway appeared to last forever, and there was no doors, no deviations, just one long continuous corridor. I was happy, because Natalie and I were holding hands. However, Fletcher was beginning to get annoyed, and he started mumbling under his breath.

“I must have done something wrong. This didn't happen the first time. Should have known better.” Finally, he turned to the rest of us, “Well, we're... Oh, we're here!” He said pointing to a door just behind us, to our right. It was a dark wooden door, that appeared to have been red at some point, back when it had paint covering it. I looked back at Fletcher, but he was pressuring us to open the door.

I turned back around, and I saw that the room where we had left about twenty minutes ago, was not even a hundred feet behind us. I looked again at where we were going, and what used to be an ongoing corridor, was now a wall with a choice of turning left or right. Perturbed, I followed everyone though the door. I was upset at this form of trickery.

“Fletcher? What's going on here?”

“That doesn't matter right now. In short this accommodation was defending itself against you. You and Natalie are new. Long version will have to wait. We are looking for red doors, they tend to jump out at you.”

“You mean, what used to be red doors.” Dria chuckled.

“Amusing Dria, but yes. We are looking for what used to be red doors. Thank you for the clarification.”

“How do you mean defending against us? This is a castle is it not?”

Dria pulled me aside. “This is a magical tower. Until Quincy works you into the magic of it, it will be extremely difficult to navigate. That is all you need to know right now.”

“Okay, that clears all my thoughts right now. Fletcher,” I yelled, “we were looking for red doors?”

“Yeah!”

Dria had happened to pull me aside just outside of a red door. “I found one, right here, what's wrong with this one?”

He ran back with Natalie towards us. “Good work.”

We followed Fletcher and Natalie through the door and found ourselves in another corridor.

“Hmm.” Fletcher was mumbling to himself again as he began inspecting the walls. We all cautiously followed him. After a few feet, I had had enough and stopped Fletcher.

“Can you please tell me what's going on?”

“Good work again Altimis! Everyone this way.” He said opening a door that was behind me. I turned around and saw that it was indeed a red door. I was very confused, and I also uneasy at the lack of answers. I didn't even know if this place was dangerous or not.

“Not too far from here, just one more door and we'll be there. Natalie?”

“What about me?”

“What? Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out what's next.”

“What's next? What's that supposed to mean?”

“I can't tell you, otherwise it'll take us longer to get there. Nope, follow me.”

“No! Dria, you've been here before. You tell us what's going on, now!”

Fletcher came running back chuckling to himself, opening the red door behind us.

“Come on you two, it's time you get introduced to the man who saved your lives. I present to you, Lucas Quincy, leader of Quincy's Crusaders!”

We stepped in the door and found ourselves in a large dining room. There was only one person sitting at the end of table long enough for ten. The man had an ashen face, but brilliant hazel eyes. He had no hair on his head. He had a small scar in the center of his forehead. He was wearing a dark red tunic, but dark blue leggings. He smiled widely and stood up to greet us with arms outstretched.

“Dria, Fletcher! It is nice to see you again. Altimis and Natalie, the same for you, however this is your first time seeing me like this. With that I need you both to come here and eat a little something I made for you. Nothing fancy, just necessary to help you enjoy your visit that much more.”

He pulled out two chairs one one side of the table, and two chairs on the other side. Natalie and I helped ourselves to one pair of chairs, while the others took the other pair. Quincy sat at the head. He was still smiling wildly.

“This pie was baked with the berries from my garden here.” He said gesturing to the pie that was in front of us.

“You have a garden, in here?”

“Not entirely, but mostly true. Once you two finish your pie I'll show you around our garrison.”

“This maze is our garrison?”

“Why not, it impedes invading forces like you wouldn't believe.”

“We would like more specific answers please,” I muttered.

“Altimis, I want to greatly help you, and to use you to help save our land, but in order to do that you need to trust me. You need to trust me now, and trust my cooking. Don't try to think about it, it will only make you more frustrated. If you wish to help progress the cause of truth, then you have to start by showing it. Otherwise, you have wasted all of our time.”

“The pie is delicious Altimis, you should try some.” Natalie poked me with her fork. I looked down at my plate to see this green gelatin oozing from my pie crust. I looked around and saw that everyone else was enjoying their pie except for me. It certainly didn't look as appetizing as they all made it look. I closed my eyes, dug my spoon in, and brought it to my mouth. It tasted like a simple apple pie.

It wasn't just simply apple pie, it was amazing, it was delicious, it was divine. I quickly ate the piece of pie that I had been given. I ate bite after bite of delicious, sweet goodness; all that the pie had to offer.

“This pie is delicious, Quincy!”

“Please call me Lucas. I am no longer your captain Altimis. I left that world behind. And for your information I used to be, and still am, a fantastic chef in my spare time. Don't sound surprised by my exquisite cooking.”

“Altimis has difficulty realizing that some people have natural talent Lucas.” Dria jested.

“We're not going over this again are we?”

“I might need to hear about this Dria, anything interesting?”

“Nothing interesting, just amusing. That's all.”

“I didn't find it that amusing.”

“Of course not, it's about you. We all hate knowing our own faults, but yet, it's overcoming these faults that make us all the stronger.”

“Are you saying we don't want to encourage our strengths?”

“Not necessarily. You need a balance of everything, but think about it logically. If you are naturally good at something, you don't need to spend as much time practicing that to become proficient at it. If you are truly terrible as something, practicing it more and more is what gets you proficient at it. Numerically, it is better for you to leave your strengths where they are, than for you to leave your faults where they are.”

“Is that how you became a good chef?”

“Yes. It is. Do you know how many times I burned pies similar to the one I served you today?”

“No, maybe two or three?”

“None. I made this perfect pie today, picked from my garden. Do you know how many times I've burned pies over the years?”

“Hundreds?”

“More. Much much more. Practicing is the only way we can progress ourselves efficiently. But enough philosophical banter. Is everyone done with their pie?”

We all nodded. I don't know that anyone had even left any crumbs on their plates; I know I didn't.

“Very well. As promised, I will show you and Natalie around our garrison, Fletcher and Dria you may follow us if you'd like.”

Lucas stood up and ran over to large double doors at the end of the dining room. He put his hands on the handles and pulled the doors wide open. He revealed a bright light hovering just out of sight of the door. We all stood up to see what specifically about this castle had him so excited to be here. Standing in the doorway revealed an immense landscape, covered in trees and mountains and lakes and grass, everything. In front of us, only a short walk, was a large tower that climbed high into the sky.

“Ladies, gentlemen. Welcome to the Tower of Eternity!”

“Before we go through anymore doors, are we going to have trouble like we did getting around before?”

“No, now that we've all eaten, I guess we can explain. The Tower of Eternity is a magical place created centuries ago. It has magical wards to defend itself against invading forces, if there were ever invading forces. There were only two teleports to get here, I, with the Maid on the Mount, made a third.”

“What's the food have to do with anything?”

“Once you've eaten from the garden within the Tower, the Tower recognizes you as one of its own, and allows you to explore unhindered. Otherwise, for each person who hasn't, the tower creates a trap to hinder and bewilder them. Fortunately, you were given some easy puzzles given that you had two escorts that had been here before. But know that there is a plethora of other puzzles in store. Puzzles that you can't know the answer to beforehand. If you know what to do, it'll do something else.”

“How did you know about this place, in order to link a teleport here?”

“How does anyone discover a place? I stumbled upon a way point and I was brought here. This place was magnificent; I wandered for days before I had eaten of the garden. Fortunately, I was dead to begin with. Come let us walk together.”

We followed him out into the brightly lit chamber. The horizon was nowhere in sight, and the doorway was simply a doorway in the middle of a vast landscape. I was in awe.

“What is happening in this room?”

“The is room is the Simularium. Each person sees something different. However, it takes some skill to utilize. We will be using this as our transportation throughout the Tower. We have three main quarters. There is the Santarium, the Scoprium and the Somnium. That is the healing ward, the library, and the living quarters respectively. We have just left the Somnium, nobody is ever allowed into the Scoprium, and we shall proceed to the Santarium to see your friends.”

“Why is nobody allowed in the Scoprium?”

“For safety.”

“It's a library?”

“It's a dangerous library. There is no discussion, we are going to the Santarium. Follow me.”

Lucas turned around and walked back through the doorway we just left. Considering we knew nothing about where we were, except for Dria, we followed Lucas. We found that we were in a different room. The walls were formed with yellow stones, similar to the green one we had seen earlier. We were in a central place with the choice of seven corridors.

“The left corridors, go to the healing ward, the right corridors lead to rooms. The middle corridor leads back to the Simularium. Here, necromancy is on ward two. Healing is ward one. Experimentation is on ward three, it is in the Santarium for safety purposes. You can not believe all the explosions!”

We followed him down the second corridor, and found many bronze doors. Lucas was carefully reading each door, until he finally opened one and let us in. Inside, we saw Emos watching over Edward and Felix. Each of them had a necromancer overseeing the procedure. Apparently, they had just finished and left as we came in. They whispered a few words to Lucas before turning the corner.

“They will need a few minutes before they awaken. Otherwise, they will be well.”

I walked over to look at our fallen friends. Their bodies had been healed; all that was left was a minute scar across their neck. Their eyes were open, but there was no sense of life in them. Their skin was pale and ashen, much like Fletcher's. I walked over and stood next to Emos.

“They're going to be okay. They had more difficulty with Edward than with Felix, but they said everything will be fine.”

“What exactly happened?”

“I can only tell you what I saw, but after they said a chant, they each disappeared. Shortly, after I saw an aura of light slowly engulf the bodies. The necromancers reappeared and began weaving the light all throughout the body. The specifics I don't know, but I trust that they knew what they were doing.”

“How about with you? Are you doing right?”

“Yes. I only came out of curiosity, I wasn't injured. None more than you I should say.”

“Do we just wait now?”

“Yes.”

I walked back to Lucas, and asked him to follow me into the corridor just outside; we closed the door behind us.

“What is it Altimis?”

“I really need to know what's wrong with the Scoprium.”

“It is a library. Inside you'll find everything, that's dangerous enough.”

“What is everything? How is that dangerous?”

“Everything. I mean everything. You step one foot inside that library, you'll never leave.”

“With the knowledge of everything at your fingertips, would you ever want to leave?”

“Of course. Everybody thinks they want to know everything, but once they do, they realize their mistake. Nobody willingly wants to know everything. Nobody deserves that as their punishment.”

“How is it considered a punishment?”

“Why are you so curious?”

“I don't know. For some reason, I feel drawn to it.”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“No! It is forbidden! No one is to enter the library! No one ever leaves the library! Stop asking!”

“Lucas?”

“What? I refuse to answer any more questions!”

“I'm glad to see you again. I'm glad you survived and chose to fight for your country.”

“Me too. I'm glad you understand the gravity of our situation. Come, let us rejoin your friends. Surely, they are up by now.”

We reentered the room and found Edward sitting on the edge of the table, and Felix was talking with the others. They were looking paler than they had when they were lying down, and dead. It's strange what the body goes through with a magical reformation. When Felix noticed me, he came over and welcomed me into his hold.

“It is good to see you again Altimis.”

“I'm glad to see that you are walking again, among the living if you want to call it that.”

“Ha, it is strange, having died and become reborn. I don't know what to make of it.”

“Make something grand my friend. Make it worth while.”

We were cut short by Lucas who had obviously had an agenda on his mind.

“I'm glad to see that everyone is up and about. We will have time to enjoy our company later, for now we have a country to save.”

“We've only just come back,” Felix stated.

“The enemy will waste no time in stealing the land from us, we should expect no mercy from the living, nor the dead. Please, I mean no disrespect, but my concern is for my country.”

We all left the room and began to work our way towards the Simularium. Edward appeared to be brooding behind the rest of us. I slowed my pace, and walked next to him. His face was heavy, and he was obviously holding some burden on his shoulders.

“Edward, are you alright?”

“Yeah. I'm glad to be back.”

“That doesn't mean that you're alright.”

“I know.”

“Do you hurt anywhere? They mentioned that they had difficulty when it came to tethering your soul back.”

“No. I'm okay, I'm just tired. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, go spend some time with Natalie! Don't let her get away Altimis. She won't wait for you forever!”

“I will, and I won't.” I laughed nervously. I was still uneasy about Edward. Something was definitely wrong with him. I didn't want to bother him, and so I hurried up to Natalie. We were once again in the Simularium before Lucas spoke again. He said, “Somnium,” before turning around and ushering us back through the door.

I don't know what others saw while they were in the Simularium, but I saw a barren landscape, a desert almost, with a large tower protruding from the earth. It was dominating, and intimidating, and there was a powerful blue light permeating away from it in all directions. I was in awe of it's magnificent beauty, when my gentle thoughts were broken by a horrible shrieking.

I turned around to face the noise, and found that Edward was clawing madly at the air. I rushed over and put my hands on his shoulders, only to have him elbow me in the nose.

“Stay away! Don't hurt me!”

“Edward! It's Altimis, what's going on?” I asked holding his shoulders tightly.

“Altimis, is that really you?” He inquired before softly feeling my face. “Thank you! Oh thank you! I... I'm sorry, I can't see. I don't know what happened, but I can't see?”

“Well, I can Edward, here, come this way. Follow me.”

I turned Edward back towards the door, the others were watching us, from the doorway. Everyone was curious as to the possible problem when we arrived.

“Nothing wrong, just a problem with the Simularium.” I mentioned, leading Edward into the crowd.

He turned to me and nodded. “I don't know what was going on, but I couldn't see anything. It was so dark. Thank you Altimis.”

“Speaking of you Altimis, you need to go back to the Santarium. Your nose appears broken. At the Santarium they can heal that with a snap of their fingers. Dria, you know your way. Can you make sure he makes it back to the Somnium's Throne room?”

“Certainly Lucas. Altimis, come with me.”

“Can I go? He is my brother?”

“You don't know the way, you've only been there once, compared to many times.”

“I meant as well. Go along with them.”

“He'll be fine Fletcher, it's nothing serious. It will only affect his looks. Maybe his pride too if he doesn't heal it.” Lucas along with everyone else laughed. I didn't notice how much my nose was bleeding. I reached up my hand and realized that what I had taken as sweat, was actually blood flowing down my face. Before I had time to react, Dria had a cloth over my nose and was tilting my head back slightly; she was also guiding me back to the Simularium, again.

I could see the others turn and follow Lucas, before reentering the vast landscape that was my Simularium. I caught a glimpse of the awe inspiring tower again, with what limited sight I had with a thick cloth over my face. Suddenly, I realized that Dria was with me.

“What do you see in here Dria?”

“Right now that isn't important. Altimis, get down.”

“Get down? Where?”

“Here. I want you to sit here.”

She sat me down, and removed the cloth from my face. I gave her a big smile; she laughed. I looked down to see what I was sitting on, because I had never noticed rocks in my Simularium. As I expected, I wasn't sitting on anything; I didn't expect to still be sitting down. I was sitting down on something invisible, my haunch was floating above the ground.

“How am I sitting, what am I sitting on?”

“You are interacting with my Simularium. With permission others can interact with your Simularium.”

“Are you going to tell me what I'm sitting on?”

“I am not.”

“Do I want to know what I'm sitting on?”

“It appears you do.” She chuckled again.

“You know what I mean, is it dangerous?”

“No. You are safe Altimis.”

“Then why aren't we going to the Santarium?”

“I assumed this was the most opportune time to talk to you alone. Have you given anymore thought to my desire?”

“Your desire? Do you mean you offering me to be part of your triad?”

“You misunderstand Altimis. It is not me who is asking you to join me. I am asking for your permission. It is me asking if I can join with you. In that, it is not my offer, but my desire.”

I hadn't thought about it too much, but I understood why she was asking now. I was on my way to the healer anyways, what is one more wound to heal, especially as minor as a cut on the shoulder. What intrigued me was Dria's method of asking. It made sense that it was her wish, rather than her offer.

“How do you know you would like me as part of your triad? What if I don't... taste right?”

“That is the original purpose of why I am stopping us here. You are bleeding now, do I have your permission.”

“Oh, yeah. You can take what you have now. I am still not sure about about my being permanent.”

Dria wasted no time between my answer and wringing her cloth into what appeared to be an invisible glass; she was once again utilizing her Simularium so I could only imagine what she was using. She didn't have much, but there was enough to have a bit of a swirl to the glass. She looked at me, delicately raised her glass, and said, “Thank you,” before allowing the blood to flow from her glass to her mouth.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but nothing extraordinary happened. Her veins and arteries began to pulse drastically a few moments before settling down again. She placed the glass down and breathed deeply. She exhaled slowly and made eye contact with me. Her stare was kind, but penetrating. I was uneasy, but I felt that I needed to give a definitive answer; I knew she was looking for one. I decided to educate myself a bit more before giving my final say.

“Well... was it to your taste?”

“I do not wish to sway your decision, Altimis. This is your decision to make. Consider your comfort, not my senses.”

“What about a trial. You do it once, and I'll let you know if I want to do it again?”

“No.”

“Why not? That sounds like a good idea to me?”

“This is a commitment, Altimis. I do not wish to harm you even once if I think it will be in vain.”

“But it is all about your life too!”

“Do not concern yourself with me, there are others I will be able to ask. I just chose to ask you first.”

I don't know what it was about what she said, but whatever it was, it struck me deep. When I was lost and didn't know who to turn to, she was the one who gave me answers. Not to mention that that was after she had just saved us as well. I knew that I owed her, and that I needed to do something for her. I didn't know what that would be, but this was a perfect opportunity.

She mentioned before that she was a vampire of love. She had the desire to be wanted more than any other feeling in the world. So much so that it hurt her, to not be wanted. I certainly couldn't relate to the proportions she spoke of, but I knew those feelings on a lesser scale. The loneliness, the heartache, the gut-wrenching agony of rejection were the feelings I had succumbed to years ago. All before I met Natalie.

Before my years of service in the castle, I had pursued another young woman named Caitlyn. We both shared many interests, we had visions of our future together, but our paths to that future could not have crossed any less than they did. We rarely saw each other, and when we did, it was usually to recalculate our paths once again. We both cared for each other greatly, we loved each other, but our expectations of each other and our actions did not coincide. I often spent my free time fishing, and I would ask her to join me. It would lead to a disagreement and eventually we just stopped trying to spend time together.

We would always try to help or please each other in whatever way we could. She enjoyed gardening, and some days I would go out early to pick the fruits or the vegetables as a surprise. Then later she would be grumpy because she wasn't able to relax her way, even though it gave us more time together. She would sometimes pack my fishing gear, and pack me a jar of extra worms. She didn't understand that I wasn't looking for preparedness or organization, I was looking to spend time talking and enjoying each other.

It left me, and probably both of us, extremely moody. I was admired by the townsfolk, but ignored at home. The entire town saw how close we acted, but not how far apart we really were. I was torn between living for the moment and planning for the future. I wanted to do so much, but was limiting myself in order to spend more time with Caitlyn. The more I did according to her plans, the happier she was. However, the further I was from my goals. I wasn't achieving much.

I was disheartened, discouraged, and depressed. Whenever I tried to talk to Caitlyn, she listened, but then mentioned about how everything would be worth it in the end. She listened, but never understood. I was left broken, and slowly lost my happiness. With nowhere to turn, I began to rely too much on my rising emotions and became a beast of a man. I was constantly hurtful, belligerent, and depressed.

I had lost all hope of a future. Lost in my dreams, I never found time to sleep. When I did find time to sleep it was littered with restlessness and nightmares. Many nights I found myself in sleeping in my boat, in the lake, listening to nature. Hearing the crickets, feeling the breeze, enjoying the passive motion of the water. When even that was not enough to rest my soul, I left. I told Caitlyn why, and I left the town.

I couldn't stay in town; there were too many friends, and there were too many memories. I was truly alone. I traveled across the land working the difficult jobs where I could, begging where I couldn't. I finally settled in Vitior, where I ran into my brother. We eventually decided to train ourselves in combat and were selected to be part of the kings guard, along with Natalie and others. All of that pain that I had felt, was nothing compared to what Dria must have gone through.

I stood up and walked over to Dria, and I grabbed her hands with mine. I looked deep into her gray eyes, and I smiled; she smiled back.

“Does it hurt?” I asked.

“It's very painful.”

“You don't make a very good comforter.”

“Ah, sorry, a miscommunication. But yes I would rather you expect it to be terrible and have it feel better, than you expect it to be great and have it be painful. If you are uncomfortable, I can...”

“It's okay, I'll do it Dria. I want to help you, and I'm honored that you had the courage to ask me. I would be more than willing to help you, for as long as I can.”

“Thank you Altimis. You are very sweet.”

“Thank you.”

“I believe there was another miscommunication, I meant you taste very sweet.” She chuckled. “Now, lie down here.”

“Wait, why? Are we starting now? I thought you fed yesterday?”

“Of course not, I said that only to hold a more advantageous position at the time.”

“Okay. Now the second question, where am I supposed to lie down again? I can't see what you're pointing too.”

“True, close your eyes, and let me guide you.”

“Why should I close my eyes?”

“Because then you trust your sense of touch rather than your sense of sight. Your sight is the one deceiving you currently.”

I closed my eyes, and let Dria guide me to wherever she wanted me. She placed my hand down on the top of what felt like a table. I slowly climbed atop making sure I wasn't too high up or too far down; I didn't want to fall off. Once I was settled on the table, I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the clouds. Dria's bright face finally appeared in front of me.

“I am assuming you want the same as Natalie, your shoulder?”

“I didn't know I had a choice. What are my options?”

“Your wrist, and throat, but those are dangerous and typically lethal. Your shoulder or your forearm are popular along with your thigh and the bottom of your foot.”

“The bottom of my foot?”

“Yes, don't choose that one. That is for those who are not as mobile as we need to be.”

“Sure. I'll let you have my shoulder.”

“Then I will need you to remove your shirt, and you need to roll on to your left shoulder.”

I quickly sat up and took off my shirt, then I turned onto my shoulder. I forgot to close my eyes; I had a little scare when I remembered that I was lying on an invisible table. I must have tensed up, because I heard Dria sigh.

“Forget everything Altimis. I need you relaxed, you will be fine, you need to trust that.”

“I do. It doesn't make it easier though.”

“I can help with that. Just breathe deeply, exhale slowly. You are safe.”

I felt Dria's fingers slowly stroking my back; It almost tickled, but it was soothing nonetheless. I began to focus on my breathing, and concentrated on Dria's calming touch. Breathe in, breathe out; breathe in, breathe out. I didn't realize it with my shirt on, but the table was comprised of an intricate design. I obviously couldn't see it, but I could feel a pattern on my skin. Dria began to use both hands, and started massaging both of my shoulders; her hands were warm, and strong.

I felt sharp pain shooting through my left shoulder. Dria had started to puncture my skin, but she continued to massage my back all the same. I began to see red lines appearing underneath me. My blood was filling in the design of this table. It was interesting seeing my blood fill grooves in an invisible table. I was curious to see what the design was.

“You may get up now Altimis.” Dria said, after she finished massaging my back. I felt like a new man.

I quickly sat up, and cautiously dropped off the edge of the table. I turned around quickly to find an intricately designed heart formed by my blood, hovering a height above the ground. The design looked very similar to Dria's tattoo.

“A heart?”

“A heart.”

“This is what is on your arm as well.”

“Yes it is.”

“I never expected a vampire to be so emotional.”

“Vampires are beings of pure emotion. I assume you mean caring, kind, loving?”

“Yeah.” I mentioned as I saw the blood suddenly seep into the table. Dria was holding a glass underneath the table and the blood was slowly siphoning into it. “Is there any ritual for drinking the blood?”

“No, as long as I drink the blood while it is alive and fresh, I will be replenished. Thank you Altimis. This means more than you know.”

“I know. I don't know by how much, but I know that it means more to you than I can understand.”

At this Dria smiled, and the last of the blood had siphoned into her glass. She pulled it from underneath the table, gave me an acknowledging look, and raised the glass to her lips. Again, her veins and arteries began to pulse rapidly as she drank from her glass. Sip after sip, her body acted as if in a trance. When the last of it was gone, she licked her lips, and her body subsided.

She placed the glass on the table and leaned heavily on the table. She was breathing rapidly, and her shoulders were heaving. Concerned, I walked over, and put my hand on her shoulder; her breathing stopped.

“Are you okay?

“Yes I am. This is normal, sometimes.” She said placing her hand on mine. I noticed a slight puddle floating atop the invisible table. Not a puddle of blood, but a puddle of tears. I knew something was wrong, but I also knew that Dria didn't want to talk about it. I gently rubbed her shoulder, and she straightened herself up. She turned to me wearing a smile, and she handed me my shirt.

“Put your shirt on Altimis, we're going to the Santarium now, your face is a mess.”

“What about you? Your face is a mess too.” I said, referring to some blood on her cheeks.

Dria walked over to me, smiled and took my shirt from my hands. “At least I can do something about it.” She smiled as she wiped her face clean with my shirt. She returned my shirt to me once again. “As I said, put your shirt on Altimis, we're going to the Santarium, and your face is a mess.” Before walking out of the door she turned around again and laughed. “I only hope they can do something about it.”

IT'S DUMBLEDORE!
Pfft, like I'd spoil it prematurely.

I remember now, Fierun. I sent them to Fierun. They had a simple task, one that I gave them. I was their leader, but where are they now? Where am I now, are we still together? I desperately need to look for them, because I remember that we were looking for someone, and I am now looking for something. We can help each other in these tasks, if only I know where they are. I need to go upstairs to continue looking, but I also need a weapon to defend myself against the monsters.

Determined to go upstairs, I scan for anything I could use as a viable weapon. My only choice is to use the leg of a chair, the chair itself being too unwieldy for me. I place it sideways on the floor and I break two of the legs off, one for each hand. More determined than ever I quickly run up the stairs.

I am about to open the doors, when I notice something I missed before. A small note that had been slid under the doors. Did I just miss it before, or did someone leave it from under the doors? Curious, I pick it up and read it aloud.

“Do not leave the books down there at any cost. Signed Lucas Quincy. The book, of course!”

I almost forgot the book. I go back for the book, but I instead wonder why it had mentioned books, plural. I look at the other books I have at the desk with me. Each one has a title of a character that I have been reading about. Each one has the tile of one of my friends. I am torn, I can't carry all of these books, and my weapons at the same time; I need to choose.

I gather all the books, being diligent in my note following, and I pocket my clubs as best as they would stay. I carry the heap of books back up the stairs, and I arrive again at the doors. I take one last look for notes; none, I found them all. I inhale deeply, tense my muscles and I forcefully open one of the doors.

What is ahead of me is a very disappointing scene. A room almost identical to the last lies before me. The only difference is the layout of the scattered books, otherwise, they are identical. I start over towards the table, but I stumble and, overcompensating, a book slides from the top of my pile. It stops three steps from the door, before the door slams shut. I try to open them; locked.

Frantic, I bring the rest of the books to the table and check all of the titles. I conclude that I had dropped my book. I dropped he book titled, “Lucas Quincy: 486 to 511”. I am not too worried about that as much as I worry about why this room, too, is empty. I had heard the monster before, but now where is it?

I am perturbed and alone. I sit at my new desk and empty my pockets. I open the book I had previously been reading. If I can't find any answers up here, reading further might give me insight as to the whereabouts of my friends.

By the time we arrived back in the throne room, everyone else was gone except for Lucas. Lucas was alone on his throne staring at a map of the land. As Dria and I approached, his eyes lifted, and he rose to greet us.

“Welcome back, Altimis. I'm glad to see you so perfectly attended.” He said embracing me.

“Thank you Dria, you are dismissed, unless you'd like to stay.”

“I would, if you do not mind.”

“By all means. Altimis, I would like to say that we have an intricate plan for our next advance, but alas it is simply this. We trap Wuberg.”

“We trap him? How?”

“We hope that he still wishes to keep his appearances to the living, and that if we have a noticeable amount of undead housed in a city, a city that he does not control, he will be forced to handle it. Your task, is to make sure that happens.”

“How do you suggest I do that?”

“Well, we know of two towns that are allied with him, one of which is Fierun. If you take your group and start spreading rumors around the merchants that travel to and from, eventually word will get back to Wuberg. I do not know how long this will take, but my hopes are no longer than a week.”

“That sounds, simple enough.”

“True, but remember, Wuberg is not to be taken lightly. He is dangerous, and willing to end anyone who tries to stop him. I know from experience. Despite needing your presence to alert Wuberg, we also need you to remain hidden in order to ambush him. I want Wuberg alive, for inquiry. This is most vital.”

“Understood.”

“This plan is dangerous, but it is the best we have so far. I would like civilian death to be minimal, but I am more worried about capturing Wuberg, above all else. Otherwise, the kingdom might be lost.”

“I understand Lucas.”

“Good now go join your group, Dria can show you the way. You leave first thing in the morning.”

“If you don't my asking, Quincy, what are you going to do?”

“The same thing I do every night, Altimis. Try to recover the world.”

“Don't you ever sleep?”

“I don't need to. Good thing about being dead. Sure it shortens my life span, if one can call it that, but right now time is not on our side. The more rapidly things get done, the better.”

“Do you ever get lonely, staying awake all night?”

“Don't we all. I have my reasons, but I need you well rested for the morning.”

“Yessir.”

“Good night Altimis. Good night Dria.” He said before returning to his map.

Dria beckoned for me, and I followed her. We turned back into the main junction, much like the one in the Santarium, and went down the first corridor. The green walls and the red doors were beginning to get overbearing. Dria, opened a door, and we both walked into an empty room.

“What are you doing Altimis?”

“How do you mean? I was following you, where is everyone?”

“This is my room, where I sleep; alone.”

“Yes. Yes! Oh, no. Sorry. I forgot that we're not camping anymore.”

“Yes, we have our own rooms now. It is nice being able to relax alone. Your room has your name on it. Good night Altimis.”

“Good night Dria.” I stammered, embarrassed, as I left. I closed the door behind me, and began looking carefully at the doors as I walked by. Many of the names I didn't recognize, but occasionally I found one of our group. After about fifteen doors, I found the door with my name. I opened my door with a hefty push, and I found that Natalie was inside waiting for me. I was surprised, but also comforted; a mix of emotions.

“Altimis?”

“Yes, what? Hello! I'm sorry. I thought this was my room again!” I said closing my eyes.

“This is your room. What are you doing?”

“I just had a similar run in with Dria, about the wrong room and all.”

“I mean, why are you closing your eyes?”

“I expected the worst walking into a room, with a woman caught unaware.”

Natalie laughed. “The worst? And I wasn't unaware, I've been waiting. It is safe for you to open your eyes. I want to talk with you at some point.”

I opened my eyes and found that Natalie was indeed dressed in her usual garments. A flowing red blouse with a matching pair of beige pants. She sat down in a chair, and offered for me to sit down. I looked around and saw no other chair in sight.

“Altimis would like to sit down.” Natalie said aloud. She pointed behind me, and I saw that a chair had appeared enough for me to simply sit down; I sat down. I realized that Natalie and I were still very far away from each other, so I stood up and brought my chair over to hers. I sat down again.

“Is everything okay Natalie?”

“Do you mean everything with me, or everything in the world? Certainly I'm fine, but I think the world has seen some brighter days.”

“I know what you mean.”

“But I wanted to more talk to you Altimis. Not about anything, us. Just you and me. Like we used to.”

“I wouldn't mind that at all. It's been weeks since we've been able to truly talk to one another.”

“Exactly. How have you been? This past month has been ridiculous.”

“I honestly don't know. This entire month I've been worried that I would have to face my friends again. And now I do, but it's not what it seems.”

“Mmhmm.”

“And this last week has thrown me head over heels into the middle of a war, on the side I would have least expected to be on. I mean, we've been betrayed by humans, decimated by raxes, ambushed by vampires, saved by raxes and vampires. Now we're going to be supported again, by humans.”

“Raxes?”

“Dria said necromancers call undead with souls, raxes.”

“You've been talking with Dria much lately too. Is everything well with her?”

“I honestly don't know. She's been very kind to me since the ambush, trying to atone for the ambush I'm sure. She really doesn't need to though, I'm not angry or upset or anything; she saved us after all.”

“Is that all? I'm worried about her Altimis. Is there anything else you can tell me?”

“What happened to just about us?” I laughed.

“It never worked out then either did it?”

“No, it did not. She was a little upset over losing Fletcher.”

“Losing Fletcher? But he's with us now?”

“She already told me about you and Fletcher being part of her triad Natalie.”

Natalie blushed. “I'm sorry Altimis. I hope you aren't offended.”

“I'm not, considering how remarkably well I took Fletcher's reanimation, I don't blame you.”

“So she's worried about her triad, that could be why she seems rather distant.”

“She's not worried about her triad anymore, she asked me about that too. I told her I would be more than willing to help her for as long as she need me to.”

“You gave her your blood? The same as me?”

“The same as you. My left shoulder. It didn't hurt as much as I had thought it would.”

“That happened tonight while you were gone I'm assuming?”

“Yes, why?”

“Like I said, I'm worried about her. She seems to be distant from me lately, and I think something is wrong.”

“I do too. After she drank my blood, I noticed that she was crying. I asked if everything was fine, and she mentioned that it was normal for a new feast.”

“It's not.”

“I know.”

“I'll talk to her later, and see if she will answer me. Tonight, should be more about us. How have you been doing? I know it can't be easy adapting to this new world as rapidly as you have had to.”

“I know. I am certainly struggling. Everything is evolving so fast. I'm scared, very scared. I know I don't show it, but I know too that I can't show it. It's more confusing than anything, but that's the most frightful part about it. We're in the middle of a war. We didn't know it until a few days back, I didn't at least, but now we have to think of everything as fast as we can, and that's when people make mistakes. And when people make mistakes in war, people die.”

“Not always, Altimis. Many times over mistakes are made. But not every mistake leads to death.”

“True, but it is much more likely to in war. I'm scared, because I don't want to lose anyone. I already lost Fletcher, we lost Edward and Felix. I don't want to lose anyone else.”

“But Altimis, they came back...”

“Even if they do come back. It's not the same!”

“It is the same, they walk they talk. They breathe. They do everything they did in life. They are the same people.”

“It's not the same! They can't have a family. I understand that they are the same people, but they can only live half lives. If they don't have a family yet, they'll never have one of their own. How is that living? How is that life?”

“They love what family they have, more than anything. Death cannot stop that. It's a shame that they will never be able to have a family of their own, but think of all that they can do, for others. They can ensure that there is a future for us, when they themselves thought they were lost. The world has given them a second chance, at a price they cannot deny. Would you want a second chance?”

“But the price. If I knew that I could live the rest of my life with my loved ones, I would. If I didn't have any loved ones, I wouldn't. Why do you think so many raxes have followed Amri'Chi? I think there are two reasons. The first, is that they fight because they feel that they won't be treated the same unless everyone is the same. They fight in hopes that everyone will be the same as them, they think that will end their pain.”

“Of course that's why they fight. Why else?”

“They don't have anything to live for. No family, no friends, just a life without meaning.”

“That doesn't mean they would join Amri'Chi.”

“It doesn't, but when someone calls you a monster, and doesn't give you a chance, it makes you mad. Some prove them wrong, others prove them right. There are two reasons they are fighting this war: freedom, and retaliation. Those goals are not inherently evil, but their methods are.”

“You think that the people we are fighting are those who have just given up hope?”

“I would say a majority yes. Probably almost all of them.”

“What about greed?”

“Greed is for those who do not have hope.”

“Power?”

“The search for power is for those who do not believe in themselves. They must prove something.”

“I guess. I think there is good in everyone. They just need to know how to find it.”

“Everyone?”

“Everyone. Nothing is impossible, anyone can change. They need the will and the chance.”

“They need the support too.”

“Not always. As you mentioned, some choose to prove others wrong; some choose to prove others right. All they really need is the chance to change.”

“But if you give them the chance, they will take advantage of it.”

“But if you take away their choice, they will hate you for it.”

“Life is a dangerous game, then. Anything can happen.”

“That doesn't stop with death though. And it doesn't mean everything is bad.”

“True. I mean, we're not bad. We're simply two lost souls in a world full of other lost souls.”

At that, Natalie jumped up pulling me with her. “I can change that. Hmm, I think this will do. Music please?”

Out of nowhere, I could hear the music of all manner of instruments. Natalie began to dance along to the rhythm, having her clothes flow behind her elegantly. I stood and watched as her body fluently danced around me; skillfully, methodically and cheerfully she asked me to dance. I stood fast, but eventually joined her when the song switched moods.

Together we danced to the music, laughing and enjoying our time together. Her hair tickled my face, so I stroked her cheek bringing her hair over her shoulder again. She smiled brightly and held me closer as we began to swirl around the room, lost in the magical fiddles.

Around and around we spun, full of emotion. The breeze was enough to chill my face, and our smiles were enough to light a castle. Her hands, always in mine, were joining us together; we were one. We moved together, as one being.

Our legs lashed out across the floor, like fire among the forest. Covering the entire room, filling our heads with a delusional smoke. Our bodies meshed together, like two pieces of a puzzle having already been solved. The warmth spread from heart to heart, each beat of the drum was our heartbeat. Our souls were found together, no longer lost among the world. The room began to glow, as our friendship continued to grow. We danced on, and on, into the night without parting ways or taking rest.

When the music subsided, we were left together; two beings who had become one, finally found themselves again. Her breathing was rapid and deep, her heart was racing and strong, and her hands were smooth and soft. Her face was bright with a smile, and laughter was truly filling her soul. Her green eyes were arrows piercing mine, and together we leaned in; my lips took rest upon hers.

For a time we were disconnected from the world. I felt nothing but the wondrous warmth of another against my skin. My body was numb to all feelings, and my mind dull of emotions; it was just me and love apart from the rest of the world. The light of my life slowly dimmed allowing me to return to reality. Natalie and I were aware of each other once again.

As our moment ended, I pulled away and smiled again. She leaned her head against my chest, and together we stood in a romantic embrace. Natalie yawned, and held herself up again. She looked longingly into my eyes saying, “When the world brings you down, you sometimes just need to appreciate what you have. Then you feel better again.” She took my face in her hands, and we kissed again.

She backed away, bidding me a good night before leaving me to my thoughts. Tonight was perfect. We were safe, and we were happy. I could rest easy, especially after dancing for however long we danced. Now that Natalie left, my body began to ache; partly for it's partner, partly from exhaustion. I satisfied that by lying down in my bed; I was asleep almost immediately.

I awoke to find Fletcher was shaking me from a chair. I was groggy, so I must not have gotten much sleep.

“What are you doing here Fletcher?”

“I'm waking you up, it's time to go?”

“What? What time is it?”

“I don't know, but we just had a report that revealed that our pathway is clear to go to Fierun. We should head out soon, before another patrol comes by.”

“Am I the last?”

“That seems to be a pattern with you?”

“Yeah it does. I'll get up, I'm just exhausted. I am so tired all of a sudden. I never slept this much at the castle.”

“Meet us in the Simularium, from there we'll find our way safely to Fierun.”

“How long of a journey will it be, so I can pack?”

“Only a short distance.”

“How does that work?”

“Different teleports. There are three linked to get from there to here. But there are maybe ten that are linked to get us out of here to wherever. The nearest one to Fierun, is almost in Fierun. A patrol just walked by, we should leaving shortly. I already told you this! Meet us in the Simularium, I already told you that as well! Just hurry up!”

Fletcher left me barely awake in my bed. I rubbed my eyes, and yawned as large as a lion's roar. I rubbed my shoulder. Despite hurting very little during the extraction, it was sore now; tolerable, but sore. It also might have had something to do with my current exhaustion. I donned my usual armor, and I slowly dragged myself out the door. It was going to be a long and difficult journey regardless of how short a distance it physically was. I wasn't looking forward to it.

By the time I had gotten to the Simularium everyone was growing impatient; everyone but Natalie that is. Natalie seemed to be just as tired as me, thankfully. I was surprised to find that both Felix and Quincy weren't with us. I spun around wildly to make sure, and they definitely weren't among our number.

“Where's Felix and Quincy?”

“If you were there last night...”

“I was getting my nose fixed!”

“True. But Quincy is staying behind to mind his crusaders, Felix is his second man. Just because your dead doesn't mean your life's work doesn't hold any value.” I nodded. “Anyways, he mentioned that we can travel to the way point from here. Is everyone ready? Do we all have everything we need? It will probably be two hours before we reach Fierun.”

Everyone mumbled their understanding, Fletcher did not look enthused by our response. He gave a menacing scowl, before smiling brightly. He beckoned for us to gather around him, and he held his hands in the air.

“It could be dangerous, but let us hope that is not the case. Bluj wowuh. Fierunoth thou chzh puh.”

It was raining outside; brilliant.

The journey, as was expected, was uneventful. Our moods were as dreary as the rain, our spirits were as low as the sun, and our speed was sluggish at best. Nevertheless, after a few hours of trudging through damp undergrowth and slippery slopes, we found ourselves without the town of Fierun. It was a depressing sight, due to the weather. The torches were out and only several lamps dimly lit the streets. We pushed on into the heart of the town.

We came into the tavern to find it mostly barren of people. There was a young couple drinking at the bar, and a large barkeep entertaining them; then us. I found it odd that the torches were out inside here, and before I could get a better understanding of the tavern, the barkeep bellowed loudly at us.

“We're closed today. Go down to Rabbernak's! They are open in this kind of weather.”

“We would really like to wallow here if you don't mind? It's raining viciously outside.” Fletcher mentioned.

The barkeep's face softened, and he beckoned for Fletcher to come up to the bar. We started to follow, but Fletcher waved us off. He sat on a stool and whispered with the barkeep. We all waited with anticipation as to whether or not we could stay inside, away from this dreadful weather. That, and whether there would be any trouble already.

We watched both of them nodding occasionally, and gesticulating mildly with their hands. Finally, the barkeep motioned for us to come over.

“Welcome to Joshua's Mead Hall! You are all welcome here anytime, please follow me for a selection of drinks!”

He opened the door to the cellar, and he led us down stairs. The cellar had more than just wine for merriment, it had people hiding as well. Joshua, the barkeep, told us once the lights were on we could talk all we wanted, before bringing Fletcher upstairs again. He closed the door, and moments later the cellar was lit as bright as day.

“Thank goodness, I hate the dark. Here, come here you all, let's dry you off.” A voice called behind us. I turned around to find a spirit hovering above the ground. His hands were welcoming us towards him. “Hurry up, don't be shy. I'll get your dry faster than you can blink. Come on, come now. I'm assuming you all know each other, you travel together after all.”

I walked over once I saw the others do the same. When we were all an arm's reach away from him, he waved his hands above our heads, and my clothes were no longer wet. They were dry, and they were warm. After that, everyone scattered to mingle with the others in the cellar. There was only two or three dozen people total, but enough to make a decent gathering. I, never having seen a spirit before, decided to stay an fraternize with this one.

His figure was bright, and ethereal. You could see every detail about him though he was faint and transparent.

“Thank you. That feels much better. What may I call you?”

“Dominic, good sir. May I ask your name, and affiliation?”

“Affiliation?”

“He means, are you dead or alive.” Dria whispered in my ear. I didn't notice that she had stayed as well.

“Oh. Altimis. And I'm alive.”

“Can't deny the truth behind that answer! Nice to see you again Dria! I was unable to recognize you with your drowning clothes.”

“Always looking for a man to help me, you know that Dominic.”

“Tis true. I hope you all enjoy your stay. I must return to my duties keeping watch over the tavern.”

“You're duties?”

“Yes, I saw you come in. I'm keeping watch over this tavern. We don't want any unwanted visitors.”

“Unwanted visitors? Do you mean...”

“Warmongers, scoundrels. Many of the sort, Altimis. Let the man return to his duties, let us stay within. Thank you Dominic.”

“The same to you my friends.” Dominic responded before vanishing into the air.

“What are you doing? What's going on, you're hurting me.” I asked as Dria was dragging me into an isolated corner. Her nails were digging into my arm, and I think she was drawing blood.

“Altimis, this is war right now. Do not offer any information that can be condemning. We don't know who is fighting for who. And it is not our task to.”

“What? I thought this was our goal?”

“That is relative to the individual, and a spy can say anything. Trust me, I know.”

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“Mingle, but do not reveal your intentions. You never know who is watching.”

“Wait, didn't Dominic turn invisible? How do you know he isn't listening to this entire conversation?”

“He is.”

“I am.” Dominic's voice was quietly heard.

“You still have a lot to learn Altimis, discerning when a spirit is listening is one of them. Take over from here Dominic, I can tell that he's dying to talk to you.”

Dria left, and I looked around until Dominic slowly eased into my view.

“Yes, yes I was listening. And a good thing too Altimis. We cannot talk safely here, would you mind following me into the attic?”

“Uh,” was all I could get out, before I was suddenly in a different room.

“Altimis, you have to understand that not everybody is on your side.”

“That's true I guess. How am I supposed to know?”

“You're not, that's the point of spies. Spies make it increasingly difficult to tell who is who.”

“Why'd we come into the attic? Is this how you guard the tavern?”

“Of course not. I brought you here for secrecy.”

“What did you want to tell me about?”

“Nothing. Well, I can tell you that this isn't exactly an attic.”

“What?”

At that Dominic whipped around and slashed his arm in my direction. I saw a gust of air flying at my face, that dug deep into my throat before dissipating. A slow trickle began to stain my hands as I struggled to breathe.

“No way in, no way out besides my teleport. Up here, it will take anyone looking more than three days to find you. If not, we'll gladly welcome you to our home when I report this information to Wuberg.”

Dominic faded from me view laughing maniacally, as I began to struggle to live. I began banging on whatever I found, trying to make noise. My efforts were in vain. My body was weak, and with one arm I could barely scratch at the floor. My vision began to blur, and finally darkened altogether.

I was alone in an attic, my darkness was complete. I couldn't move. I was simply existing while my body was finishing its death. I could hear voices, but I couldn't understand anything. Is this what it is like to be dead? I could hear the voices of those nearby me, but not understand them. It's like they were talking in another language. I heard laughter, hideous laughter, but it was fading fast. I assumed that was Dominic leaving my vicinity, now I was completely alone.

I began to hear more voices, more noises to misinterpret; they were getting louder. I was unfamiliar with the ethereal realm, but it felt like someone, or multiple people were nearby. I struggled to do something, make a sound, move, anything. I heard an earth-shattering drumming rhythmically beating. It started softly at first, then grew louder. Finally, I felt warm. It's not that I was cold before, but suddenly it was like I was walking in the grass in the middle of the summer sun.

I knew this feeling, I have felt it before. This was love, it was comforting me. I didn't know who was next to me, but somebody who loved me very much was next to me. That means Natalie had found me! I was safe, relatively speaking. I was going to become what Fletcher and Edward and Felix were, but I was going to be alive.

Over a short period, the warmth that was embracing me, turned to ice and began to sting. Strange, I didn't know that I was able to feel pain in the ethereal realm. It made sense considering I could feel warmth and love, I just didn't expect it. Beyond the pain, I also heard another strong drumming, a pounding so fierce. It grew louder and louder and the pain became more unbearable. This was maddening, it was ruining me! I felt like I was dying.

I opened my eyes, and I saw the familiar rafters of the attic. I wasn't dying, I was not-dying. The pain was because I was returning to life, not the other way around. I looked and found that it wasn't Natalie, but Dria who was by my side. I tried to move, but nothing but my eyes were working properly. I feel like I weighed more than the tavern itself. I couldn't hear anything, but I could feel that my throat was burning, and that there was a brilliant light formed just under my chin.

Dria was holding something under my chin, and her face was set firm. The pain increased, steadily, until finally I could feel my body again. The pain was unbearable, but I was able to move. I began to wince and writhe with the pain, and Dria removed the wand that she was holding at my throat.

I began to panic, but the pain quickly subsided and Dria helped me up.

“Where... where is everyone? Where is Natalie?”

“It's just you and me Altimis. Nobody else is up here.”

“So it was you?” I stammered.

“No, Altimis. Before you do anything, I believe you should sit down. You will be unsteady for a little while.”

I sat down on a bale of hay, and held my head in my hands. I felt my throat and found it just the way it used to be; together and free of scars. Dria walked over and knelt in front of me. She grabbed my hands and held them tenderly. She was looking brightly into my eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“I don't know. What just happened?”

“We just sent a welcoming letter to Wuberg.”

“What?”

“Remember I used to be a triple agent, I worked closely with Dominic for a long time. He is not one among our number.”

I scratched my chin on my shoulder, confused.

“The barkeep is another agent working for us. This tavern is the home of the Amri'Chan in Fierun. We came here to find out how bad it really has gotten, and to expose ourselves just enough to raise suspicion. Dominic found an opportunity to sabotage our group, and confirm the destruction of Fierun all at the same time.”

“So, he was working for the Amri'Chan the entire time?”

“Yes, and he thinks he's killed you.”

“How didn't I die?”

“Two things. I poisoned you, when I grabbed your arm, I apologize. Then, this wand restored you as good as new.”

“You poisoned me!”

“Poison is relative. I introduced a foreign concoction of chemicals into your body in order to cause a desired effect is more accurate. Poison is the relative word for this definition. I slowed your blood flow, and increased your bodies air retention. You could not breathe, but your body still had air. You had an open wound that was not bleeding as much. I gave you a poison to fake your death, that is all.”

“Dominic said nobody would find me here for days. How did you get here?”

“I was following him. He teleported you, I followed the trail. Because the trail was still fresh it brought me here.”

“Is everybody worried? How long was I out for?”

“I doubt anybody knows we are even gone.”

“How can I trust you? I almost died here being alone!”

“I saved you, twice. You can choose to trust me or not. I'm not going to force you.”

“You... You are the only one up here? Nobody else knows we're up here?”

“Correct.”

“So it was you next to me this entire time. And when we were talking earlier, it wasn't difficult for you to tell me, it was difficult to word your story without making me feel guilty.”

“Altimis...”

“You love me. You turned into a vampire for me. All these years, and you were waiting for me. And, in the Simularium! You were crying due to the over-emotion of love. You were so overcome with happiness at my choice to help you!”

“Altimis...”

“I'm sorry Dria. I am truly sorry. If this is true, how come you still wait?”

“This is true. Again, this is difficult to say. I love you. Why do I wait? Because you and Natalie are not betrothed. I do not mean that I wish any harm upon you two, I do not; but that I want you to be happy. If that does not include me, then so be it.”

“No Dria. You know I care about you as well. I want you to be happy too, I am just blind sometimes.”

“We all are. Everyone experiences this, but they do not know it.”

“I'm sorry Dria.” I offered her my arms, but she denied them.

“Please... no. We must return before we are missed.”

Before I could react, we were once again in the cellar. I was alone in the corner, and Dria was interwoven among the crowd.

I sat by myself, trying to avoid everybody. It's rather intimidating being in a room with strangers knowing that any one of them could want to kill you. I spoke only to the most persistent, and only gave them my name; I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to do that. After maybe an hour or so, Joshua yelled down the cellar that the weather had cleared up and we began to forge our way outside. I wasn't sure why, but I slowly followed along, behind the crowd.

The sun was up, and it warmed my face as I stepped out of what could have been my grave. I turned and waited for the remainder of my group to congregate around. When we were all together, Fletcher motioned for us to follow him, and we did. We walked all the way down the street to Rabbernak's. Upon arriving, Fletcher went straight to the barkeep and asked for a room. We followed the barkeep upstairs, and he gave us the key to the room at the end of the hall.

“If you need anything, knock three times. That's how you get me.”

Fletcher nodded and ushered us into the room. The room must have been expensive, because it was actually two rooms. It was large enough to comfortably sleep us all, which was surprising, but it was also very bare. I guess it could have been cheaper than I originally thought. Fletcher was the first to speak.

“Altimis, do you realize what happened back there? Do you know what could have happened?”

“Yes.”

“Without applauding his mistake too much, it was the distraction we needed Fletcher. Wuberg is coming now. I think this is exactly what we were looking for.” Dria responded.

“That very well may be true, but he needs to remain undetected, otherwise this will all fall apart. We need this to work, Altimis you have to remain here until Wuberg comes!”

“Or until we let you out.” Natalie said. “We promise we won't leave you here forever.”

“I have to stay here for two or more days? That's not fair, am I supposed to sleep all day?”

“No, come here Altimis.”

Fletcher brought me over to the wall. It was bare, and otherwise uninteresting. He raised his hand, and he knocked thrice. Upon the third knock, the wall disappeared revealing a statue similar to the Maid of the Mount; the exact statue from the Maid of the Mount. Fletcher beamed and I inquired from my curiosity.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Well, you can stay here and be miserable, or you can go back to the tower and do some good. You said yourself that you'll have nothing to do all day, so why not do something productive?”

“I think I'd rather stay here. We came as a group, and we should stay as a group. As little as I can do now, that's still enough for me to justify my staying here.”

“Fine.” Fletcher said, knocking on now an invisible wall; it became visible again. “You stay here, and we'll let you know how you can help. In the meantime we need to plan our ambush. We don't know how much time we have, I'm hoping more than a day, because today is halfway over. We'll need all of tomorrow to make sure everything is pristine. Joshua mentioned a scout named Timothy. Do you know anything about him Dria?”

“Yes. He's a weresquirrel that provides us valuable information about the movements of the undead. I've worked with him many times. He's very reliable, and very trustworthy.”

“A weresquirrel?” Emos asked. “Ingenious! That's incredible.”

“How does a weresquirrel work?” I asked.

“He's a primary squirrel, with a secondary human.”

“Does that mean, the body of a squirrel, with a soul of a human?”

“Mostly. Werebeasts are more complicated than that, but for a basic knowledge that will suffice.”

“What if I want to know more?”

“You'll have a lot of time to yourself to figure these things out for yourself Altimis. I'm sure you'll use it wisely. Anyways, Timothy will be able to scout unhindered for vital points to ambush Wuberg from.”

“Where do we find him?” Fletcher asked.

“Down at the lake just outside of town, shall we go there for our planning? It might help to scout the town.”

“Everyone but me. I'll stay here and watch your stuff,” I muttered.

Dria was the first out the door, followed by Edward and Emos. Fletcher and Natalie stared longingly at me before following the others. I was alone with my thoughts again; I noticed this was becoming a trend with me. The door closed behind them, and I was left to myself and my incredible imagination. I fell asleep.

When I awoke, it was dark out, and I heard the door closing; someone was sneaking in. I opened my eyes and grabbed my sword, but found the room still. I counted my friends: Dria, Natalie, Emos and Fletcher; Edward was missing. Curious, bored, and awake, I decided to follow Edward and see where he was going; who would be awake at this time of night anyways. I silently slipped out of the room carrying only my sword.

I waited a few moments to hear the door close downstairs, before I descended the staircase. I took a peek out of a window to find that Edward had taken his midnight travels to the east, towards the outskirts of town. I quietly left the tavern, and began to stealthily tail Edward. I found that he wasn't only leaving the center of town, he was leaving the town entirely. Was he a spy that we so greatly feared? Was he going to report us to Wuberg?

When the town turned into brush, and the brush finally turned into forest Edward stopped and knelt down on the ground. I hid behind a tree and kept watch from a distance. Edward held his head in his hands, and from the distance I could hear faint crying. I determined that Edward wasn't a spy, but troubled, and I left my place to interact with him. He turned around frightened, drawing his blade.

“Who's there? Show yourself!”

“Edward, it's Altimis. I'm your friend, what's wrong?”

“What's wrong? Everything's wrong! Everything! The entire land is going to burn, and I have to live and watch it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at me Altimis! I'm a wreck. I'm a monster, I can only live a half life. I didn't want to come back, and yet here I am.”

“You would rather be dead, than alive?”

“I'd rather be dead than this!”

“What's wrong with what you are?”

“Of course you wouldn't know Altimis. You have everything in your favor. You have Natalie, your brother came back. What do I have? Nothing. Even if I do find someone, what good is that going to do me? I have nothing to live for.”

“Of course you do. You're alive now. You have your friends. Live for them.”

“You don't understand! I didn't want to come back. You took that choice away from me! I am forced back as this monstrosity. Unable to live with myself, unable to kill myself. I'm living a tortured life Altimis! That's even less than the half-life Fletcher has. How is that fair!”

“Monstrosity? Even now you still believe in your Valiant beliefs. Even when it doesn't benefit you? Especially when it hurts you?”

“Whatever state I'm in doesn't change my views. I saw the undead as monstrosities in life, in my own undeath I see myself as a monstrosity.”

“Is that what you truly believe? Torn between living as your own worst enemy, or dying as a hypocrite? Is that why you saw only darkness in the Simularium. You wanted the eternal rest?”

“Yes. I would assume so. And you can see my predicament. I'm unable to live with myself, but I'm equally unable to kill myself. I'll need some help, can I trust you?”

“What are you saying? I'm not going to kill you!”

“I wasn't asking. Draw your sword.”

“No.”

“I will not relent. Draw your sword Altimis.”

“Edward, think about what your asking me. Are you willing to risk my life for yours?”

“I have, and I know you will defend yourself. This is your last warning.”

I threw my sword down on the ground. I wasn't going to fight Edward, I wasn't going to kill my friend. I knew he was having difficulty understanding his new world, but I didn't know he was having this much trouble. He drew his blade, and bowed his head. It was clear he had made his decision, just as I had made mine. He raised his sword and took two steps towards me; that was as far as he got.

An arrow pierced his skull, knocking him back a step. His sword dropped from his hand, and he reached out to feel the arrow. He let loose a roar before grabbing his sword and turning back towards me. Another arrow suddenly pierced his heart, forcing Edward down to his knees. He looked as if he was about to say something, but the life left his eyes before the words could leave his mouth.

His body slumped over slowly, and he fell face first into the dirt. I heard footsteps behind me fast approaching. I knew it was Dria from the wicked arrows, but was still surprised to see her.

“Altimis, we need to get back to the tavern now. You shouldn't be out here. Timothy, keep watch. I'll be back. Altimis, follow me.”

Dria held my shoulder and dragged me away until I could get my feet underneath me. I was unsure whether she was upset or not, but it was clear she didn't want to talk to me. Our entire walk home she didn't say a word. Upon arriving at the tavern, she ushered me into the room quietly, and left again without saying anything. Fortunately, everyone was still asleep and they didn't awaken.

I sat down on my bed, but I was unable to fall asleep. I sat alone for hours, completely awake. I was hoping that Dria was going to return but she never did. I figured she was avoiding me; I didn't know why. As the first light began to peek from under the curtains, Dria barged in the room waking everyone. A little squirrel was on her shoulder.

“Good Morning everyone. We should get started in our preparations at once. I have some good news, and some bad news, we can talk more while we prepare.”

Everyone jumped out of bed, and dressed in their clothes. They were leaving their armor behind in order to appear less suspicious. Slowly the group filed out of the room, and I was left alone with the squirrel. It was a curious little thing, and it began to come closer to me.

“You are going to stay here Altimis. I'm to ensure that.”

“Are you going to stop me if I try to leave?” I asked the squirrel.

“No. I'm here to keep you company.”

“With all due respect,” I paused trying to remember his name, “Timothy, it is more uncomfortable for me to talk to a squirrel than it is for you to talk to me.”

“Very well. I understand.” He said saluting me. “I will be outside if you change your mind. Don't leave, stay here, stay safe. Don't ruin the mission.”

“I won't. I'll see if I can possibly sleep anymore. If not, I'll just lie hopelessly on the bed in silence.”

“Altimis, we all have experienced those days. Don't let this one get to you.”

“How do you know?”

“I'm a squirrel not a fool. Our lives are all filled with trouble at some point or another. Just be thankful you have your friends to help you.”

“I am. I truly am, but I don't know what's happening anymore? Dria was a vampire! Fletcher's dead! Edward tried to kill me! What's Emos going to do?”

“What he's supposed to. That's what we are all here to do Altimis. What we're supposed to do.”

“Yeah. I'm going to stay here and watch everything.”

“I can stay and talk about other things, if you'd like?”

“Like?”

“Well, uh,” he said stuttering. He began rubbing his chin with his little paw. “Have you ever wondered how to carry acorns in your mouth?”

“No. I'm not sure if that is going to help me Timothy.”

“Oh, but you get such an exercise!”

“No!”

“What about Dria?”

“Not her either. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do about Dria.”

“But, y...”

“No! No thank you Timothy.”

“Aye sir!” The squirrel saluted one last time before climbing on the window sill. He turned towards me one last time, “She really loves you, you know.”

I threw a pillow at him and he jumped out the window. I heard him muttering curses about a close call. It would have been incredibly funny seeing a squirelly talk like that, if I hadn't been so miserable.

I threw myself back on the bed, reflecting on what happened hours ago. Poor Edward, torn between two decisions unable to make either. Being a religious man he saw both himself, and the act of ending his life an abomination. He had no other choice than to ask for his death from another. I couldn't give it to him, so Dria killed him instead.

Dria knew how to get work done; she was very diligent in whatever task she was given. I don't know what to think of her actions last night. Did she hear our conversation? Did she know she was showing him compassion by ending his life? Or, did she kill him only because he was attacking me? I might not ever know, because she was avoiding me now.

This mission was going less than smoothly so far. Edward was dead, I almost died, I was also currently the pariah of our group. I understood why, and I agreed. Knowing that doesn't make it any easier though. I felt alone, helpless and wronged. I haven't done anything wrong, but I was unable to do anything right staying here.

I wanted to sleep some more, but I wasn't tired. I felt tired, but my body was too busy to sleep. My mind was loud with thoughts, and my body was aching for action; I was a lost cause. I was almost tempted to call Timothy back up here and inquire about his acorns, but I wasn't much for talking right now. I simply stayed in my bed, and brooded. I was brooding.

The rest of the day passed by with my head under my pillow. I was unsure as to how much time passed before I saw anybody, but Fletcher was the first person to come back. He sat down on my bed, almost rolling me out of bed; I sat up instead.

“Altimis, the rest of the group is finishing the preparations. I wanted to take this time to talk with you.”

“I don't feel like talking, Fletcher.”

“I know you're going through a lot right now, it's not right for you to face it alone.”

“But I'm choosing to. You have a job to do, right now, I'm just staying out of the way.”

“We know about Edward, Altimis. I'm sorry that that had to happen to you.”

“Everything is happening to me!”

“Altimis, it certainly is. But that is nothing to be upset about.”

“Upset about! I almost died! Twice! If it weren't for Dria both times, I'd be dead! It doesn't seem like I can do anything proper!”

“Altimis...”

“Three times even! The ambush at the waterfall. If it weren't for Dria we'd all be dead. It seems that everyone else knew about Dria being a vampire, except for me. Why was I left out of this!”

“Altimis...”

“And then here, with that spirit! If it weren't for her, none of you would have found me. I would be dead, bleeding out in the attic of an inn.”

Fletcher was done interrupting, so I continued.

“Finally, with Edward. I thought he was a spy, so I followed him. Yes, I went out when I wasn't supposed to. I followed him, and he almost killed me. He probably would have too. I wasn't going to fight him. Dria killed him instead! I couldn't even do that! What am I here to do? Ruin everything?”

“Altimis, I'm sorry!”

“What's there to be sorry about? We took away his choice, and he was living a tortured life because of it. Wouldn't you want the same end?”

“No.”

“Oh,” I muttered quietly, slowly calming down, “sorry. I forgot Fletcher.”

“What would you want in my situation?” he inquired.

“I don't know. I don't know much anymore. Everything is changing too quickly. I can hardly keep up. It's bad enough that we're having a war, it's just more difficult that now we might be killing our own in our own way too. Some of them that is, how can you handle what you are?”

“It doesn't matter what I am, it matters what I do with that.”

“How can it not matter?”

“Everybody has a choice Altimis. That's the way life works. I can be treated as poorly as any, I choose my own actions. Certainly, I wouldn't have chosen to live like this. Nobody would. But I can choose how I live now that it's happened. Everybody can. You can't always control what happens to you in life, or death for that matter, what you can control is how you respond to it.”

“But he didn't want to come back?”

“And we all understand that, now. However, he didn't understand that there are other options. For him he couldn't grasp the beauty of a second chance, despite the cost. He thought that there was only living in agony, or dying in hypocrisy. He was unable to realize the other options he had available. It is sad that this was the case, he was a very good friend.”

“He was going to attack me. He did attack me. He was going to kill me.”

“That was his choice Altimis. Just as it was your choice not to defend yourself. He chose to end his life, but he couldn't take it himself; he was trying to force his choice on you. That is all. This war has driven many people to madness Altimis. They have their beliefs, but war changes that. You no longer have a firm set of beliefs when it's your family and friends your fighting. You see the world in a different light when anybody can be your enemy. Look at what happened with Dominic.”

“It's already a dangerous world, some people are just too trusting, some people are too curious. Some people are not enough.”

“I'm not saying that Altimis. I don't want you to change. You are holding on to an innocence that this war has yet to take from you. That innocence will be needed to restart the world once this war is over. Don't lose sight of that. Don't lose sight of who your are, or who you were. You, and others like you, are the reason we are fighting to end this war.”

Fletcher took me into his arms and we held each other, brother and brother, for a long time. It was beautiful, that moment. Free from trouble, and distress. Free from war, and death. Free from worry, and lies. My brother was more of a man than he used to be, when he was alive. He was there for me, and he wanted me to know that very much. Death, and life, were two sides of the same coin; Fletcher was the same person, he just works differently than he used to.

“I need to go rejoin the group Altimis. We still need you to stay here. I wish that wasn't so, but we need you to keep out of sight so we can capture Wuberg.”

“I understand.”

“See if you can rest, now. If you sleep long enough, this might be over next time you awaken. Is there anything you need from us? Supplies, food, anything?”

“I believe I am fine.”

“Very well. Farewell.”

“Farewell.”

Fletcher left the room, leaving me with silence once again. I was filled with hope this time, instead of fear. My brother was a man filled with hope. He saw an end to this war, he saw a purpose for me, and he saw the light of life. He was doing his best, despite being a pariah to the world, to make sure the world was a better place. The world could do anything to him, and he wouldn't let it bring him down. I needed that attitude as well if I wanted to survive this war. Before I knew it, my mind was lost to the blank of sleep.

I awoke, but it was dark, and I was really cold. The room was empty again, but I could hear shouting outside; that was possibly the reason for my awakening. I looked out the window, but was unable to see anything by the few lamps lighting the street. I donned my armor, and grabbed my sword. I was about to open the door, but I heard footsteps running up the stairs. I backed away and I hid myself in the corner as best I could. I wasn't hidden, but I would be able to ambush any hostile person to enter the door.

The door opened and everyone in my group flooded the room, everyone but one. Natalie was in tears, and Emos was winded. Fletcher slammed the door behind him, and I revealed myself to everyone. Dria was missing.

“What's wrong? What happened? Where is Dria?”

Fletcher was the first to speak. “We had him. He was ours, we turned his men against him, and we caught him.”

He paused to take a few deep breaths. “On our way back here, an assassin buried an arrow straight through his heart, got my arm a bit too. Apparently, Wuberg has been dead for sometime.”

“Yes, and where is Dria?”

“She gave chase after the assassin. She didn't get far. She scaled the side of a building, and found herself in an ambush.”

“What?”

“We ran up to help her, but by the time we had gotten there, they were already gone,” Natalie sputtered. She ran over to me and cried on my shoulder; I gently stroked her back. “They teleported or something, but I can't follow traces like Dria can. I don't have the magic she does, and Emos doesn't work with teleportation. We have no idea where she is.”

“We need to go after her,” I said, “Do we have any leads at all? Did Wuberg say anything?”

“Not before being shot. His last words were some mumblings about the glory of Amri'Chi. Fanatical nonsense and the like,” Emos revealed.

“We sent Timothy to search the woods in hopes that it was a short teleport, but he came back with an ill report. We are at a dead end. First Edward, now Dria!” Fletcher said. Fletcher sat down on the edge of his bed, obviously disheartened. He threw his fist into the wall.

Emos, struggling to breathe, was shaking his head while leaning against the wall. Natalie was not herself. She was crying violently, and all I could do was hold her and offer support.

Everyone might have been tired, and wearied from a failed ambush, but all this resting gave me a clear head. I remembered our first meeting with Lucas Quincy and his explanation of the forbidden library. It had the knowledge of everything within it, everything. I recalled the first time I saw the libray looming in my version of the Simularium. I knew where we would get our lead.

“I know how to find her,” I muttered, “But Lucas isn't going to enjoy cooperating very much. We need to use the Scoprium.”

Of course! That's why we came here! I knew we were searching for somebody, I knew it was Dria. Now, I only need to figure out where everybody is. I feel like someone has been missing this entire time, but I haven't been able to locate them, and I just recently made it upstairs to here.

So we were looking for Dria, why wouldn't I be looking in the book about her? I remember that the book I am currently reading had a note, from me, saying that the answers were within; I had yet to find any answers inside this book. It told me all that I already know; we are looking for Dria, and we came to the library. What do I do with that information?

I open the book titled, “Dria Mason: 492 to 1445”. I scour the pages looking for keywords. I diligently search for several minutes before giving up and slamming the book closed. It is now that I truly notice the title; 1445? It is the year 511 as of now, so she must be safe in order to live out her life. If she is okay then we must find her eventually. I decide to look for my missing companions instead.

A brief scan of this room reveals no new information. It is messy, it looks extremely similar to the previous room, and it is just as dimly lit as the previous room. This dim light is maddening, I swear it is going to kill me. I look closer at these tables, and find that there is much spare parchment and many, many notes. I collect them all and pile them on the desk in front of me.

The notes appear to be journal entries, or at least take that form. They all belong to me. Entries that catch my attention are the ones that mention these monsters, called psions, that run the library. They make sure nothing leaves the library. I apparently have been here before, and I documented how to call a psion. I also noted the books I read the first time I came here. I come across a folded note, with some message scrawled on the top.

“Here is the truth Lucas Quincy. You will not like it...”

My hand trembles over the note. I know that my previous written notes had left me with more questions than answers, but this one seems to hold weight with it. It seems different than the others. It is heavy and seems to consist of several pieces of parchment. I am almost too afraid to open and read the note, almost. My curiosity and my lack of knowledge inspires me; I indulge.

I push the other notes away, and make room for this note on the desk. I mark my place in “The Return of the Phoenix King”, and push it aside as well. I am going to read this note, and I will not be distracted.

I unfold the note, and I read it, twice. I begin to cry, as the truth slowly settles with me.

==xx==

I was staring at the largest tower I had yet seen. A powerful blue aura encompassed it, emanating somewhere from the roof. I was back in the Simularium with everyone who was able, including Quincy. The tower I was staring at, was the library, the Scoprium; the holder of everything. I needed to go inside, Quincy wouldn't let me.

“It's hopeless Altimis! The knowledge of everything is in there! You'll never be able to leave, that is if you're even able to locate what you're looking for!”

“It's our only option. We have lost everyone able to help us in our search, the knowledge of where Dria is, is in there somewhere.”

“How do you know where?”

“I don't, but according to you, there should be a book on that as well.”

“Now is not the time to be snide Altimis, people's lives are at stake! For heaven's sake, do you even realize that?”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

“I don't think that you do!”

“I do!”

“Really? Are you certain? This library is forbidden for a very serious purpose! It is not that I wish to hinder you, it is not that I wish any more people to die. This library is the very bane of the world. The knowledge of everything that ever was is in there, but that's not the problem. The knowledge of everything that ever will be is also in there. Wherein lies the problem.”

“There is not problem for me Quincy.”

“Of course there is! Very powerful magic is in place at this tower. One that will not be defeated so easily. You are taking this much more lightly than you should!”

“No Quincy, I'm not. I know that without the information hidden somewhere in there, many more people will die. I know that I lost a dear friend not even hours ago, and that I can find her because of information in that tower. I know, that I have ruined too much of this war for my friends to let this be another mistake. And no enchantment, or magic is going to frighten me away. No magic is going to stop me. I fear what will happen if it tries.”

“Fine,” Quincy gave up, exasperated, “you and I will enter the tower. Only,” he said when Fletcher started to object, “you and I. The Scoprium is a dangerous place. Not as in it is deadly, but in that it is tempting. If I let everyone inside, the chances are greater that we might lose someone to it. Is that understood?”

“Yes Quincy, we will wait outside.”

“Good. Altimis, I hope this is worth it, because I fear the worst will come to us. The weight of the world feels heavy today. We will go to the Scoprium.”

Quincy pulled me over to the door, before turning around.

“Nobody, under any circumstances is allowed to follow us into the Scoprium,” he turned to me, “After you.”

I looked inside the door, and found a large room with a single pedestal and a single staircase. I stepped inside, and Quincy quickly followed. He closed the door behind him, and locked it with several locks, before returning to me.

“You know they are going to try and get in.”

“I know. I would have done the same had you entered before me.”

“Well Altimis, let us begin the search. Shall we begin upstairs?”

“But wait, what's on the pedestal?”

“The rules. Would you care to read them?”

“Have you?”

“I wrote them.”

“You wrote them? Did you create this tower?”

“No. Heavens no. I have been inside once before. I don't remember much. I remember the terror, the fear. I took notes, so many notes. These rules are what I remembered.”

I nodded and picked up the parchment that was there. It was very short and it read like this:

The Scoprium is protected with a Time Lapse, including this room. If you would like assistance, clap three times and someone will come to assist you.

“A time lapse, what does that mean,” I asked, returning the parchment to the pedestal.

“One thing, that branches off into several. You must be the same age that you were upon entry, to leave.”

“How can we do that?”

“We're inside a library that can tell us how to do just that. I think we'll be able to find out.”

“Is that why you don't let anybody in?”

“Not entirely, no.”

“But, if you knew this this whole time, and you've been in here before, that means it can be bypassed.”

“We are here for one reason Altimis. The more we discover, the more we will lose. Shall we proceed?” I nodded. “Good, then let us climb to the first floor.”

“Wait, couldn't we ask for help, so we know what floor to start on?”

“Good idea. How do we ask for help again?”

“Clap three times, I think.” I clapped my hands three times. The sound echoed viciously throughout the room. Suddenly, we could hear the fluttering of wings, and we looked around this enormous room. We saw a large bat-like form flying around the ceiling and we decided that we had better not stick around to become it's meal.

“You mentioned terror?”

“Upstairs! Now!”

I didn't need to be told twice. I ran as fast as I could up those stairs, Quincy was following close behind. There were many, many stairs to climb before we finally reached the doors to the next room. The monster continued to follow us, slowly clawing its way up the remainder of the stairs. I quickly opened a door and let Quincy inside. The door appeared to close on its own, not that I was complaining.

I heard shrieking from the other side, and the doors began to shake vehemently. Quincy and I backed away and took in our new surroundings. This room was exquisite. It was larger than one could imagine and it was packed with many books. There was a series of stairs and platforms around each bookcase allowing access to all of the books, and there was a single staircase around the perimeter leading up to the next floor.

There was also this bright glowing light hovering in the middle of the room. The light itself was bright, but the light it gave off was dim due to the immense area it was trying to fill. I looked at Quincy, and then back at the room in awe; where was I supposed to start? I sat down at a desk and found a pile of books already sprawled out. They had titles such as, “Morrow: 1393 to 1445”, and “Isaac Fitton: 471 to 511”.

I didn't know who Morrow was, he wasn't even born yet, but Isaac Fitton was our local executioner at Vitior. It was a shame that he died this year, but it made sense. He was killing all of the necromancers whenever they were found. Certainly, they would kill him in retaliation first. Many of these books were about people, some mentioned a land in general and had no dates. This library knew what was, what is, and what was too become; no wonder you couldn't leave with any of the information.

I pushed the books away, and began to peek at the bookcases for any hints as too their contents; there was none. Quincy was already on one of the lower platforms perusing the books on a bookcase, I decided to copy him with another shelf. I climbed to the very top of a bookcase and began to work my way down. I quickly found that each book was in no particular order, and that finding one specific book would have been impossible without assistance.

“Quincy! Do you think they might have assistance on this floor?”

“Do you want to risk it, you woke some monster up last time?”

“Finding anything without assistance would be nearly impossible, I'll clap softer this time. If it's magic, it should work regardless of how loud I clap.”

“Fair enough, let's get started to the next floor anyways, just to be safe. I have no plans to become dinner.”

We climbed down to the floor and stood at the base of the stairs. I softly clapped my hands together, and an exceptionally loud clapping resounded from my hands. Both of us, hearing this enormous echo, began running up the stairs before we even heard the fluttering wings. When we reached the next floor the doors closed with an impossible ease, and locked. They shook violently again, but that monster wasn't getting inside. We were in another room like the last, almost identical with the exception of books being out of place.

“Much good that did us, now we can't get back down. Hope we didn't miss anything downstairs.”

“Me too. I wonder what those things are doing here? They seem to be everywhere, but they only come when we summon assistance. I get that it's magic that does it, but does it have to be that loud to awaken those monsters?”

“Who knows, these rooms are large enough to require a church bell to reach every corner.”

We split up again, and I went straight to the desk. Sorting through the books revealed one titled, “The Tower of Eternity”. I quickly opened it up, and found that it had five sections; one for each of the rooms in the Tower of Eternity, and one for the “Reference”. The rest of the pages were blank.

“Quincy, look at this? I found something.”

“What is it?”

“It's a book about the Tower of Eternity, but it's empty except for the first page.”

“What's the first page say?” He asked peeking over my shoulder, “interesting. I wonder if it works the same as the Simularium?”

With the the book closed itself and began shrinking down to only ten or twenty pages. The title now read, “Tower of Eternity: Simularium”. I opened it up and found several pages all about the Simularium, and how it worked, and even some pictures. I closed the book and placed it back on the desk.

“Reference,” I asked the book, and it began to transform again. This time it grew and grew adding pages to it's collection. The book quickly doubled its size, then doubled itself again; it didn't stop after that. Once the book was taller than the size of a man, it stopped growing. Quincy and I exchanged laughs before climbing onto the table. I pushed the book off the table, and Quincy guided it to the floor. It landed with a hefty drum. When it was on the floor I could finally see the cover.

“Tower of Eternity: Scoprium Reference.”

I opened the front cover, and the pages listed books in alphabetical order, and reference the floor, corner and shelf it was in. I sighed when I realize that the first page ended with Aaabarul: Floor Seven, North corner, Shelf 23. “This is going to take forever Quincy.”

“It certainly is. You manage this, and I'll start searching the shelves again.”

“Fair enough. Maybe the Scoprium book has less pages, and information on how to work the library?”

“Maybe, but you should figure that out. I'll keep looking.”

“Scoprium,” I stated, “not reference.” I added quickly. The book shrunk considerably down to a more maneuverable hand-sized book. I picked it up and lifted it onto the table again. Once I seated myself I opened up to the first page.

“Tower of Eternity: Scoprium. History of, rules, assistance, psions? The page numbers show that history of is the largest of the four sections, and probably least useful to me. Probably assistance, it sounds promising at least.”

I turned to the page relating to assistance and found that it provided some assistance to the use of the Scoprium. How to find books you are looking for, how to leave your current floor, how to leave the library. All of these made reference to some psions that lived in the library. Curious as to these psions, I flipped back to the first page and then back to the section about psions.

One of those hideous, large bat-like creatures was there staring back at me. It had one large eye, a toothless mouth and short feet to stand on. There was one on each floor, and to summon them you had to clap three times. Those weren't monsters chasing us, it was the psions answering our call for help.

“Quincy! I found something, and I need to do something. You must not be alarmed!”

“Why don't I like the sound of that?”

“I found something. About those monsters!”

“What did you find?”

“I know how to find the book we're looking for, but you're not going to like it.”

“I didn't like coming into this forsaken library in the first place, go ahead.” I clapped three times bring to our ears the sound of drums, and the fluttering of wings. “Altimis! What are you doing?”

“Trust me, I know what I'm doing!”

I saw the great beast flying around the bookcase as it drifted closer to my person. I saw Quincy ducking for cover, trying to avoid being seen. The psion neared the ground and slowed itself with it's mighty wings; it landed heavily still. I stood up from the desk and found that it stood taller than me. It folded it's wings neatly to it's form and stared at me distantly.

“Amri'Chan, please?”

It blinked once and let loose a loud shriek, before taking off in a blast of air. It flew behind a book case and we heard silence once again for a few moments. When it returned, there was a book following it, floating just behind. It returned to me, landing as heavily as it did before. It presented me with the book. I bowed slightly, and took the book and sat down at the desk. I didn't notice it leave as I was too entranced with this book.

“Altimis, what is it? What does it say?” Quincy asked rushing over to me.

“The History of the Amri'Chan. It's hardly a difficult read. I think this might be what we're looking for.”

“Well, read it! Get on with it Altimis!”

I flipped open the cover and read the first page. I opened to the chapter on it's location and the first sentence had what I was looking for.

“The Amri'Chan is housed secretly beneath the forest of Lesuma. The entrance is hidden by the delta at the ocean's edge. It says that the pass phrase for entry is, Black is the dawn of the Azure Son.”

“The Azure Sun? I've never heard of that, the sun is yellow, red at best! What is it?”

“No, the Azure Son, not the sun. The Azure Son, as in not a daughter.”

“That is confusing, but we have the information we wanted. Now let's get out of here.”

“We can't though, can we.”

“You can't, not with the information you want. I, however, can.”

“How can you?”

“Altimis, how else do you think I knew how this library works? I've been here before and told myself to never let anyone inside. I left myself notes about monsters and, well, monsters mostly.”

“The Psions you mean?”

“Well, now I know that.”

“So we can write the information down and take it with us?”

“No. we can't. The psions cannot let any valuable information out of the library. That means world altering information. However, we can leave notes for ourselves on how to leave the library.”

“What do you mean, 'How to leave the library?' I really don't like the sound of that.”

“Call the psion down, give me the book, I'll show you what I mean.” Quincy was furiously scribbling down notes at the desk. I clapped three times and the sounds of cannons greeted us loudly. The psion came as quickly as he left and landed, again, before me.

“Please wait here?” I asked it running over to Quincy.

“Just a few moments Altimis, then you can go, and I'll be just behind you.”

Quincy was furiously writing down on parchment, when he accidentally knocked over the inkwell. “Oops, can you get that for me Altimis?” He asked as it rolled under the table. I crouched down to pick it up. “Thank you Altimis.”

He folded up two pieces of paper. On one he wrote, 'Here is the truth Lucas Quincy. You will not like it' and on the other he wrote, 'Altimis, please read, do not go upstairs'.

“I thought I wouldn't be able to leave without losing the knowledge we've gained. We need to know where to find Dria.”

“Trust me Altimis. You are unable to take valuable information out of the library. What I have written on this note is not valuable information. Ask the psion to leave the library, he will not agree. Show him this note, and it will steal your knowledge and let you leave the library. You must read the note otherwise you will never be able to leave, not that you'll remember that. I'll catch up to you, don't worry. Do not read the note until you are beyond the doors. Remember, any new worldly information you gain has to be lost in order for you to leave.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am positive, I'll meet you downstairs when I have accrued all of the information.”

I turned back holding the note in my hand. I stared at the psion, and breathed heavily.

“I would like to leave the library.”

The psion shrieked and gestured at the note in my hand. I opened it and showed it to the psion. He scanned it quickly and glared at Quincy. It nodded.

“Altimis, kneel down, and don't read the note until you are beyond the doors. It will steal your memories of this place and you will be free to leave.”

“What about my age?”

“They feed off of time. Essentially they will eat your time from entry to this point. That time will be gone, and your knowledge acquired within that time gone with it. You will be free to leave. I promise you.”

I was not thrilled about having this psion steal my knowledge, but I had no other choice. I knelt down and bowed my head. I braced myself for the worst, but I didn't remember.

“I would like to leave the library.”

I rose from my knees finding this large monster in front of me. Frightened, I ran through the first open doorway I could see. I quickly closed the doors behind me, before I realized that I had a note in my hand.

“Altimis, please read, do not go upstairs? Of course I'm not going upstairs, there is a monster up there,” I opened the note and began to read. “Altimis,we came in here looking for Dria, but monsters got in our way. Do NOT go upstairs, they are chasing us downwards. Leave as quickly as you can, I am outside waiting for you, you are the last one inside. Run. Lucas Quincy. Quincy was here with me? I think I remember that.”

I was trying to remember more details about why I was in the library, but I heard a thunder from upstairs. The monsters were making so much noise, I decided that I didn't want to stick around. I ran down the stairs as a faint shrieking could be heard. I ran faster when I heard the doors behind me open as well. The monsters were coming.

I found that the doors before me were open and I ran through it and closed them as well. I wasted no time in descending these stairs. I was in a room that was different than the previous rooms. There was a single pedestal in the center of the room, there was a piece of paper on it. I wanted to know what it said, but my previous note told me to run from the monsters, so I ran. I found the door, and unlocked it and ran outside; I closed the door behind me.

Fletcher, Natalie and Emos were all waiting for me outside. All of them were asking me questions. “Altimis? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Where is Quincy?”

“I'm not hurt. Where is Quincy? He told me he was already outside.”

“How could he have told you he was already outside, if he was outside?” Fletcher asked.

“He wrote me a note, see?” They scanned the note before bombarding me with more questions.

“Quincy never came outside, so he must be inside. Did you get any information?”

“Of course I did. There are dangerous monsters in there. I barely made it out alive myself.”

“Did you find anything about Dria?”

“No, the monsters attacked us! We weren't able to get very far. Can't you read the note?”

“Don't get angry with us Altimis. We were waiting out here, while you went into the library. You returned empty-handed and without Quincy. Of course we are going to ask questions.”

“Sorry Fletcher, I just don't remember much.”

“How can you not remember much? What do you remember? What did you do in there?”

“Well, I was on the ground, and a monster was above me. I barely made it out the door. I ran the rest of the way downstairs with this note in my hand. That's all I remember.”

“What floor were you on?”

“I was on the third floor, why?”

“You don't remember how you got there?”

“I... I don't remember. Why don't I remember? Did... Did the monsters get me? That must be it. They must have stolen my memories! Oh no! What happened?”

“What's the last thing you remember before what you just described?”

“Quincy told me that it was hopeless to go inside. That I would never be able to leave. Then I woke up with a monster flying around me.”

“A time lapse, of course,” Emos muttered.

“What does that mean?” both Fletcher and I asked.

“Among other things, in order to leave, you need to be the same age as when you entered.”

“How did I do that?”

“You were inside a library with the knowledge of everything, you must have found out how.”

“Then why wouldn't Quincy, follow me?”

“Who knows? Maybe you didn't tell him how, maybe you weren't able to tell him how, maybe the monsters got to him. However, I feel that this note might be more misleading than is actually intended.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know how time lapses work, to an extent. You lose all the time you spent in the protected area, and any new knowledge you discovered within that time with it. Altimis, must have given up his time, in order to leave.”

“That explains why I can't remember anything. But some things were removed that happened outside the library as well.”

“That was to ensure that by the time you arrived at the exit you would be the appropriate age. I think given this note, Quincy found what you were looking for, told you to leave, and gave you this note to make sure you didn't return. I figure that Quincy probably has a way of communicating with you.”

“You think? I don't have anything except this note. It could be encoded, but that's it. I don't have anything else.”

“Let me see the note, and let's adjourn at my quarters. I'll find out what this letter means, and if not, hopefully Quincy will be with us by then. Agreed?” everyone nodded, and turned back towards the door. “Somnium.”

We all entered the door leading back into our living quarters, and followed Emos back to his room. He let us in, and we discovered that, though the layout of the room was the same, his desk was littered with alchemical appliances. We each drew up a chair for ourselves, while Emos bent over his table.

We sat in silence as we watched Emos scribbling on other pieces of parchment. Occasionally, we we see a flash of light as he cast a spell at it. He even brewed a quick concoction, and doused the note in it. With each different attempt, we heard his sighs of disappointment growing louder. Eventually, he just ended up growling at the note.

“This is pointless! This is just a regular note! What was Quincy thinking!” he yelled slamming his hands on the desk.

“Calm down Emos, I'm sure there is something we can do.”

“What? What can we do, Natalie? We have a note with no information and Altimis can't remember anything important! I know it's there! I know it! But where?”

“Calm down Emos, Quincy and Altimis make a smart pair, something will turn up. Let's get some rest and wait for Quincy in the mean time.” Fletcher stated again.

“Yes. I suppose. I'll keep this note Altimis, in case I think of something I missed. Now, we just wait and see what happens.”

I left the room, and found my own. I was tired and felt like taking a rest before doing anything else. All the running I just did, plus whatever running before I could remember must have exhausted me. I took off my armor, and my boots and I lied down in my bed. Before I could even close my eyes, I heard a knock at my door.

“Altimis, may I come in?” it was Natalie.

“Of course. Is there a problem?”

Natalie entered my room quietly, closing the door behind her.

“I hope you know, we don't blame you for anything. You've done well, and you deserve... What's that?” she asked pointing to the ground by my bed.

“What's what?” I asked sitting up. I looked at where she was pointing, and there was a note folded as small as a coin. “I don't know. Let's look at it.”

Natalie picked it up and unfolded it. She began to read aloud.

“Everyone, If you are reading this, then I will never be able to leave the library. The psion knows that I have deceived him, and will not allow me to leave; he did not know how I deceived him, thus Altimis was able to walk free. Felix shall be your new commander, he will take care of you all. Dria is safe, and she is hidden underneath the forest of Lesuma. Go to the river delta at the ocean's edge, near there to find the secret entrance. The pass phrase is 'Black is the dawn of the Azure Son'. I love you all, fight for your freedom, fight for your right, fight for your love. I bid you farewell, Lucas Quincy.” I hadn't noticed, but Natalie was crying silently. “Altimis, he sacrificed himself, so we could find Dria. He's going to be stuck in that tower forever now.”

“That's horrible. He used me so that I could get the message back to you guys. And I forgot everything. He made sure I would forget, and then he gave me the will to run away. We have to go back for him!”

“We can't. Knowledge from the tower has left the tower, the world has forever changed. Now, there is no way for him to redeem his deception except that both of us be stuck in the tower in his place.”

“And me,” said Fletcher pushing the door open, “I wasn't eavesdropping, but I heard enough to know that Quincy is never going to leave. And I also know where to find Dria. Okay, I was eavesdropping. Would you sacrifice three so that Quincy could live, and Dria would die?”

“I don't know, it's not fair that anyone had to sacrifice themselves.”

“It isn't fair, that is correct. But it was his choice Altimis. He chose to make sure we could find Dria, and he chose to do it at the expense of his life. This is not your choice to alter. He wants this to happen, so it should happen.”

“It's true Altimis, we should hurry and save her. Make his sacrifice not be in vain. I'll get Emos and we'll set off at once. Who knows how long she will be alive?”

“We're just going to leave Quincy up in the library?”

“We have no other reasonable choice. We can all go up in the tower. Then he leaves and we get stuck, or we could all leave the tower with nothing, and Dria would die. Altimis, Quincy was already dead. He could live a half life fighting this war, or he could sacrifice himself to save another. He chose sacrifice so that another could live out their life. That is a sacrifice that must be remembered, that is a sacrifice that must be honored. There is no discussion, you can help us if you like.”

“I'll go hand this letter to Felix, and I'll meet you in the Simularium, Fletcher. Altimis, don't be angry. We are doing this for Dria, we need clear heads.”

“I know, I don't need to be happy about it.”

When we were all gathered again at the Simularium, Fletcher had a map in hand.

“Now, that everyone is here, I'll say what I need to say. The way point is practically on top of where we are looking to go. We won't have to walk more than ten minutes from where we appear. Everyone ready?”

“How are we going to look for Dria?” I asked.

“We will split up. Two of us look for Dria, two of us look for Amri'Chi. That's the best I can give us right now.”

“Natalie and I can look for Dria; you and Emos can look for Amri'Chi. It only seems fitting to me.”

“That is okay with me. Does everyone agree? Are we all ready?” We all nodded. “Good. Here we go. Bluj wowuh. Osolioth thou chzh puh.”

The sun was out, and the beach was roaring loudly. Fletcher was pointing down the beach a ways. You could see where the delta was, and it wasn't too far off. The smell of the salty water was overbearing, and I was eager to get away from it. I silently urged everyone along so we could get moving looking for Dria.

Being able to enjoy the beach would have been nice, but my mind was distracted by many other things at the moment. Rescuing Dria was most important, but my thoughts kept racing back to Quincy being alone forever in the tower. I was becoming the crux of many important decisions, and people weren't letting me know until after the fact.

Dria never told me how she felt about me, instead choosing to suffer in silence. Many people knew Dria was a vampire, but I didn't know until it almost killed us. Nobody let me know that we needed a distraction in Fierun, and I almost died. Edward never told us to never bring him back, and we did. And Quincy didn't tell me he was using me to save Dria. I understand that he couldn't, but it appears to me, that I am the least informed of the group, constantly.

“Emos, will provide us with some cover!” Fletcher shouted over the waves. “This will only cover our general appearances to better blend in. We have to act confidently to truly hide our intentions. The longer we look like we know what we're doing, the longer we remain undetected.”

“That's it? That's our plan. Wander around like we own the place?”

“Dria is our reconnaissance, she is our shadow. Without her, we are lost. We need to find her fast, and this is fast. I promise you it will work Altimis. Just act the part. If you get into trouble, weapons are your last resort, try to keep your cover for as long as possible.”

Emos was whispering some incantation and gesticulating slightly. When he finished a faint light glowed around us, and began to be absorbed into our bodies. Our skin was paling, and our figures were distorting. Our physical characteristics remained the same, but the looks were altered significantly.

I looked over at Natalie. She still had the blonde hair and green eyes she always did, but she bore a large scar over her forehead. Her chin was longer than usual, and her cheeks more gaunt. Her clothes were different colors as well. She looked at me and laughed aloud.

“Your cheeks are so puffy Altimis. You would wish you were dead if you could see them.”

Fletcher and Emos both looked at me as well; everyone began to laugh. I smiled, and I sighed heavily. “You look wonderful too Natalie.”

Approaching the entrance, our faces returned to their somber state; and our attitudes quieted down. We found a small alcove in a bunch of boulders just beside the river delta leading out into the ocean. On one of the rocks was drier than the rest of the rocks here. Fletcher put his hand on that spot, and he said boldly, “Black is the dawn of the Azure Son.” The rock was suddenly gone, and replacing it was a long staircase down. We looked at each other, and together, we descended into the madness.

The staircase was long and narrow; it dug deeply into the earth. At the end of the staircase we found ourselves in the middle of a corridor; we could go left or we could go right. Without thinking I turned right, and Natalie followed me; Emos and Fletcher headed left. We didn't say anything, but we were all thinking the same thing. Good luck.

The halls were very empty with the occasional straggler. Something was going on, but what was it? We were hopelessly lost in a maze of tunnels. There were no signs, there was no clue as to where the dungeon was, there was no help for two people looking for their friend. We found ourselves at another intersection, and quickly turned right again. We were surprised to find a large decorated man patrolling the hall. Afraid to look suspicious we continued down the hall hoping we looked like we belonged.

“What are you two doing here! Why aren't you headed to Vitior?”

“Vitior,” I replied, “we are new and they told us they wanted more experienced men at Vitior, sir.”

“Who told you that?”

“I don't remember sir, but he threatened that if we don't send him better replacements, he'd throw us in the dungeon.”

“Ahahaha, sounds like old Harrison is in a mood again. Don't be afraid of him, he's just as afraid of this war as we all are. Where are you two headed now?”

“He told us to guard the dungeon, to send the others to Vitior. He said that even two fresh bodies can guard the dungeon.”

“True, but we still need to keep an eye on those prisoners. You two can recall three of the guards, but I want four guards down there at all times. Do you understand?”

“But, Harrison sir.”

“I'll talk to Harrison, and let him know my orders. Now turn around and head towards the dungeon. You do know where the dungeon is don't you?”

“No sir. This will be our second wrong turn if it isn't down this way.”

“Sometimes I wish I were in your position. Turn around and take your first right. After that stay straight until you hear the screaming. Then you'll know you're in the right place. Remember, send up only three of the guards.”

“Yessir. Thank you sir.”

“I told you we were going the wrong way!” Natalie shouted as we departed. When we were alone again in the halls, she continued. “How did you think of that?”

“Why else is this place deserted? He asked why we weren't at Vitior. They just lost their second in command, they are going to defend their head commander.”

“Why would they go to Vitior, does that mean Amri'Chi isn't here? Is this all a waste?”

“It could mean that. But that's not important, right now we need Dria. We can figure out the remaining plan once we regroup. Here's our turn, now just straight to the dungeon. Wait, what if there are other prisoners?”

“I'm sure there will be, but what does that matter now?”

“Should we free them too?”

“No, we can't. Our mission right now is to remain hidden. We can't do that if we have multiple people with us. I'm sorry to say it, but if there are other prisoners they need to remain imprisoned for now.”

“That's not right.”

“It's for the good of the land Altimis. We have a specific goal that we need to accomplish that we can't accomplish if there is a prison break. If we fail now, there might not be a future. Altimis, do not worry. They will be safe.” A loud wail broke our conversation. I wasn't sure safe was the word I would use to describe prisoners. Especially, not during war.

Natalie and I pushed open the studded double doors, and we were finally inside the dungeon. We were approached by two guards.

“What are you doing here, state your intention?”

“Harrison has sent us for more men to go to Vitior. We were told to guard the prison and send three of you in our stead.”

“Why would he do that, that doesn't make any sense?”

“He would rather have more skilled men in the front lines. We're new and he would rather us guard the prisoners.”

“I don't understand, we just got here ourselves. Are you sure Harrison wanted us?”

“You can ask Harrison yourself. I don't know about you, but I don't like him. He scares me.”

“He scares us all. I don't want to anger that man at all. I'll head out with Irros, and Gerald. You two guard the prison with Samuel and Soiro. Come on men, let's show Harrison our skill in battle!”

The three guards grabbed their weapons, and rushed down the stairs. They ran out of the prison closing the double doors behind them.

Natalie and I passed by several cells on our up to the balcony. The prisoners in the cells were quiet, but we could hear crying from over the walls on the balcony. I could see the guard on top egging someone on below, probably the other guard. I heard another scream; they were torturing someone. When we reached the top of the balcony, we looked down and found a man torturing Dria.

She was stripped to her under garments, and her arms and legs were chained to a table. The man responsible for torturing her, was holding a large knife. The guard was laughing loudly in his chair. The guard next to me gestured downwards.

“She's beautiful isn't she? She's fresh, a spy that used to work for us. We were enjoying ourselves trying to get some information out of her.”

“I know her, I recognize that tattoo anywhere. She killed my family.” I lied.

“Yeah, she has done a lot of damage in her time. Do you want to have your way with her?”

“I would. Revenge would be sweet after all this time.”

“But of course, send Samuel up when you go down into the pit.”

I turned and walked down the stairs. I found that they also continued downwards, down where Dria was being tortured. I cautiously made my way downstairs, timing my journey. I was excited that we would soon have Dria by our side, but I needed to keep my guise up until Natalie could dispose of both of the guards. I unlocked the door, and opened it slowly; Samuel was waiting for me.

“Whatever you do, don't kill her. I was just starting to have some fun with her,” he said handing me the knife. The door was closed and locked behind me, I walked slowly over to Dria. I sat down in the chair, and I touched her tattoo. Her breathing increased rapidly, and I could hear her whining; I forgot that she couldn't recognize me.

The other guard had been tracing her tattoo with the blade, he left deep bloodless wounds in her arm. Her arm twitched slightly, and I stood up again from the chair. I leaned over Dria, and I put my hand on her shoulder while holding the blade up to her neck. She closed her eyes, and leaned her head back. I had to pretend to torture her until Natalie could dispose of the guards.

“It's been a long time, do you remember me?”

“No, I don't.”

“Let me remind you.” I drew the blunt side of the blade across her stomach in an the shape of an 'X'. Dria chuckled softly to herself.

“I'm sorry I don't bleed. It must ruin the moment for you. Finding the fire of your vengeance and failing to return the favor.”

I didn't say anything.

“What, is this annoying you? You expect to torture me with a weak will such as your own? Ha! You're pathetic.”

“Stop it.”

“You know how to make me stop. Kill me, then I will stop. You know it, you know it's true. You've spent all this time looking for me, and now I'm at your mercy. Yet, you are at my mercy. This is too precious.”

“You don't know what you're saying.”

“Of course I do, I just don't know who I'm insulting.”

Natalie opened the door and tossed in Dria's gear. “Altimis.” I said standing up again and releasing her chains. I squeezed her hand, and helped her sit up. Her face was still contorted in pain, her arm must really hurt.

“Altimis? I knew it was either you or Fletcher. I couldn't tell for sure. Your face is a mess, like usual.”

“You knew?”

“The same way you knew one of us when you were dying. Is anyone else here?”

“Yes. Fletcher and Emos are with us as well, looking for Amri'Chi.”

“Well, be thankful Natalie is as skilled an assassin as I am. You need to work on your torture.”

“I don't think I need to work on that, no.”

“Well, the next time you're being watched, don't flip the blade around. Then I wouldn't have to insult you so much.” She smiled and she embraced me warmly in her arms. “Thank you. How did you find me? I thought I was going to be lost forever.”

“I went into the Scoprium with Quincy. He sacrificed himself so we could find you. Now we need to find Amri'Chi.”

“That's easy. Amri'Chi stays in his throne room. It's above the dungeon a few floors up. I can get the others and bring them there if you get there yourselves.”

“You are staying with us, Dria. Your body can't take too much more. Do you even know how much blood you have?”

“You are true. They have been leeching me; I will need to feed, however. I apologize.”

“We need to take care of that, Altimis keep watch. Dria, we'll need to hurry.”

“Understood.”

Natalie pulled her shirt down, revealing her shoulder, and she lied down on the table. Dria scavenged through her gear and pulled out a glass and a small blade. I saw her start to massage Natalie's back. I left the pit and climbed the stairs to the main floor. I closed the doors and I barricaded it with a wooden beam, and two locks. I didn't notice it before, but these doors locked from the inside.

I ran back to the pit and found that Dria was just filling up her flask with Natalie's blood. I didn't want to interrupt, so I waited until Dria's glass was full. I helped Natalie get herself straightened out. She raised her hand to her forehead.

“I hope this is a quick fight. I don't think I'll last if it isn't. I feel more dizzy than normal.” She mumbled.

“What is the point of barricading the door from the inside?”

“What?”

“There is a secret passage here Altimis, why else,” Dria said, finishing her glass.

“Amri'Chi?”

“Yes. He has a stairway that leads from his quarters to here.”

“We can use it to ambush him, could we not?”

“If we can find it.”

“Even if we don't use it, we should block it off so that he can't escape using it. This war can end now.”

“Where would you hide a secret passage?” Natalie asked,

“Well, Amri'Chi seems to be one for shows, so I would check the balcony first.”

“I'll check the balcony, Natalie check down here. Dria, search the middle floor. I feel that he would have some exit hidden as well. You don't barricade a dungeon from the inside without a reason.”

We split up, and I ran up to the balcony and began to inspect the walls. I didn't know exactly what I was looking for, but I just looked for any irregularities. I ran my finger along the mortar of every stone block until I found dust. I followed the dusty trail until I discovered that it outlined a door. I found my secret passage, but no way to open it. I began to look for levers or buttons, and I found that I could pull the torch; I pulled the torch.

“I found a lever, but it doesn't trigger anything!”

“There is a door down here that just opened.”

“I found a door up here as well, but there is no way to open it.”

“Altimis, your door leads to Amri'Chi's quarters, Natalie your door probably leads outside. That is why the door barricades from the inside.”

“So now we can free the prisoners!”

“No Altimis, what if they are discovered?”

“What if the dead guards are discovered? I'm freeing the prisoners.”

“Altimis is right Natalie, as of now we have no reason not to free the prisoners. I'll start right away. Altimis, find a way to block your door. Everyone listen up,” I could hear iron doors opening beneath. “You are free to go, but I need one of you to stay and assist us with something.”

I heard murmuring while I struggled to barricade the door with the two chairs available to me. I wasn't paying attention to what was said, only that my two chairs weren't going to stop this door from opening. I rushed down to the cells and found that the stone beds were maneuverable. I enlisted the help of two prisoners to help me drag several beds in front of the door. Once four of the beds were stacked in front of the door, I dismissed my helpers and returned to Dria, who was supporting Natalie.

“Are you ready Altimis? We're going to go and raid Amri'Chi. The prisoners are on their way out, save James here. He will barricade the dungeon once we leave.”

“I'm ready, how about Natalie? Will she be okay?”

“I'm just nauseous right now, from giving too much blood. I'll be fine in a few moments.”

“She will be okay as long as we stay together. She has given me blood twice within a month. She will be weak, but we can protect her.”

“What are we waiting for, let's go and end this war.” I stepped outside the dungeon followed by Natalie and Dria. James closed the doors behind us, and replaced the barricade. We began our journey to find Amri'Chi, and to end the war of the undead.

This story that I was following was maddening. I know now that I will be stuck in this library forever. I know that my friends have used my sacrifice to further my cause, rather than wasting it. I am glad for that, and sad as well. It will be possible for my friends to visit, but they would never remember. I am alone forever.

Finally, realizing that I am never going to leave, I decide to learn as much as I possibly can. I grab the book that has been my entertainment, and I equip myself again with my clubs. According to my understanding of this library, I can go up as much as I would like. Going down, however, I need to trade the knowledge I accumulate on the higher floor before I am able to descend once again. I have no intentions of returning to these lower floors.

I want to see what it was that was at the top of this library. I need to see was is on the roof. Before entering, there was a definite rooftop bearing a strange blue aura; what is that aura? I want to see it for myself, to learn from it, to touch it. I am certain that the talk of monsters, is that of the psions, but I hold my clubs dearly just in case. If I run into too much trouble, I can always return to these lower floors. Again, I have no plan to come down here again, unless it is absolutely necessary.

I climb the stairs steadily, determined to learn. I reach the next floor and unveil its extreme resemblance to the other floors. The floor after that as well. I fear that the rest of this library will be dull, but I find myself pleasantly surprised by the next floor. The next floor is untouched. It is the same design as the others, but the books stand on the shelves. I am curious to look through these books, but I desperately want to see the roof more.

I continue my climb and discover that the next two rooms are similar to the last. They are untouched, unscathed, untainted. These floors are curious, but the next floor I find more curious. The shelves in the next floor are almost bare, I don't know why. I don't stay to investigate either; I continue onwards to the roof. I wonder how much longer I would have to go.

The next floor reminds me of the first few floors I can remember. It is more than full of books, the shelves the tables, and the floor. This room obviously contains piles and piles of books from the previous floor. Again, I ignore the books and continue onwards to the next floor diligent in my search for the rooftop. As I approach the top of the stairs I see that it is a trapdoor instead of the usual double doors. I grow excited, the next door I open would cure my curiosity.

I decide to take a rest here, and read. Before I answer my own questions, I need to know if my friends survive. I need to know if the war is over. I need to know everything.

We were standing outside Amri'Chi's quarters. We were unable to locate Fletcher or Emos, but we decided that Amri'Chi was too important to let escape. We stood outside with our weapons ready, and we all nodded in agreement. I opened the door revealing a large and spacious room; Amri'Chi was inside as well as Emos and Fletcher.

“Oh joy! More guests have arrived, finally! Do come in, I've been expecting you.”

We entered the room and found that we were alone, there was nobody else with us; Amri'Chi was defenseless. We discovered that Fletcher and Emos were both in a stasis and unable to move. Amri'Chi was sitting in his throne, a hood was covering his face. He was dressed in a red and blue robe embroidered with silver and gold. He was calmly sitting, watching our movements. Dria let loose an arrow aimed at his head; the arrow bounced harmlessly of an invisible barrier.

“Please do try and prolong this visit. I hope you will enjoy your stay. How may I help you three?”

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I am entertaining my guests, or myself? I don't know the difference. Why, what does it look like?”

“I mean with the war.”

“No fun I see. What does anyone do with a war. I am gaining an advantage. I am changing the world. I am making it to my liking.”

“What is to your liking? An army of the dead? That truly is a kingdom of failure. Your world would never grow.”

“Failure? Failure! Ahahahah HAHA! No, nonononono, you do not understand failure. This world, is broken. This world is flawed, and nobody ever stops to notice.”

“Broken? You call this world broken.”

“No, I know it's broken. Tell me, in which world can one die and none other take notice? In which world can one expand the nature of the undead and none other take notice? In which world can a simple man like me, lead a rebellion without hesitation? Your world. This world of mine, is perfect, pristine, flawless.”

“What is your plan with your world. Ruling the undead until they die themselves. Your kingdom will not grow, and will ultimately fail.”

“This world of mine, isn't for me, it is for another. I have no sense of failure or success. I know only my orders! A loyal soldier if you will.”

“A loyal soldier? Are you not the head of this entire army?”

“Wrong again! Oh this is precious!” He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. It was Isaac Fitton, Vitior's executioner.

“Isaac Fitton! I thought you sounded familiar!”

“And yet you sound surprised. Why is that?”

“You are in charge of the local executions. You are also in charge of the undead army!”

“I tell you again, I do not lead this army. My master has run this army from the first day; I merely began it. He has planned this for ages, centuries. The Phoenix King shall rise again!”

“The Phoenix King? You mean King Nicholas?”

“The Phoenix King, yes, no yes, wait...no. King Nicholas has been dead for quite some time. He has provided quite the nice body for my master. But to you, yes King Nicholas.”

“So, you were put in charge of executions to better help your cause. How long has King Nicholas been dead, months, years?”

Isaac furrowed his brow. “Seven years. I have told you, my master has planned this for ages.”

“Who is your master?”

“The Phoenix King, haven't you been listening? You must pay attention when you are about to die.”

“I feel that you are mistaken Isaac. We have no intention of dying.”

“My name is Amri'Chi. I am the Immortal God of this new world. I give life, I give death, I create, I destroy. I am the creator of my master's world. You have no choice but to obey me. Die.”

“No. I refuse. You will be dying tonight, along with your dream of your master's world.”

Isaac Fitton stood up from his throne. “Your bodies will make masterful drones for our army. That is a message not only for you, but for every being. For the living, from the dead!”

The ground around us began to stir, when we looked back Isaac was gone. Arms began to reach out of the ground, about a dozen or so zombies were rising from the ground, eager to please their maker. Dria frantically went around trying to stab them, but only their arms were currently free. Their bodies were protected by the mix of rock and dirt.

Suddenly, the ground that had been there, was gone. It was now three of us versus over a dozen mindless undead zombies. Dria wasted no time in stabbing two in the heart before working her way to Fletcher and Emos; they were defenseless in their stasis. Natalie attempted to shoot a zombie with her bow, but she was unable to draw the string. I tried to get over to her, but a hand reached for my leg and pulled me down.

I struggled to hold onto my sword, and swung my blade swiftly. The zombie's head followed my sword, but his body continued to claw at my legs. Frightened, I stabbed the zombie; I was aiming for the heart. When my blade pierced its heart it took one last thrash before releasing my leg. I stood up quickly, ending another zombie on my way up.

Dria was fighting off three more zombies, but six more were surrounding Natalie, and she was falling fast, unable to properly defend herself. Another zombie fell to my blade after a brief introduction. I stumbled towards Natalie over the uneven ground, but I tripped and dropped my blade. I heard Natalie scream, when I felt the wind get knocked out of me from hitting the uneven floor. Desperate, I grabbed a loose rock and threw it as best I could at the zombies.

I crawled over to my sword as fast as I was able, and struggled to hold it and catch my breath. I stood up to find that Dria had finished off her three zombies and had broken up the last group. Natalie was lying down on the ground, blood was staining her clothes. Three of the zombies were still attracted to Natalie, but the final two shambled after me. Still catching my breath, I swung weakly at them, but missed.

One of the zombies grabbed my arm, and I resorted to punching it in the face after dropping my sword. I flailed madly to get the zombies away from Natalie. I was struggling to defend myself, and Dria certainly made that fight easier for me. She kicked away the zombie that was latched onto me, and punched her arm dagger deep into its heart. Two more zombies attacked Dria, leaving the last zombie for me.

It lunged at me, and I ducked underneath it, flipping it onto its back. It landed on top of Natalie and she began to scream again. The zombie quickly grabbed her hair and began to pull it harshly into it's mouth. I grabbed its shoulders and beat it violently to make it to let go. It gnashed its teeth at my face, and I headbutted it in response. It rolled over bringing me onto my back, but within reach of my sword as well.

I grabbed my sword and I swung it fast and true. It bit into the zombies heart, but I knew I also hit Natalie as well. The last zombie was quickly killed by Dria, and she ran off behind the throne. I grabbed the zombie by the arm and slowly pulled it off of Natalie. Pieces of her hair followed the zombie. I could hear Natalie whimpering from her wounds, I only hoped that they weren't serious; I was horrified by what I saw.

Natalie's right thigh was gone to the bone, and her stomach had a deep wound as well. Her face and neck were covered with deep scratches and a few bites. Most of her hair was missing and thrown about the ground around her; she was missing the majority of her left ear. She was struggling to breathe and when I found the strength to kneel, I grabbed her hand.

“Natalie? Natalie, can you hear me?” I asked, my face was drowning in tears; I knew that she could not survive.

“Yes.” She struggled to say. Her breathing was harsh and she sounded winded.

“I'm sorry Natalie. I'm sorry. The ground, I lost my footing and fell...”

“Stop!” she managed to say before screaming in agony. She squeezed my hand hard, and wheezed heavily for a few breaths. Her body relaxed and she smiled. “It's not your fault… You did your best. Hurgh… … You ahh… you need to understand.”

“What? Understand what?”

“Love.”

“Love? I do understand that though?”

Natalie coughed, and wheezed before continuing, “If… If you do… Don't let them bring me back.”

“What? No, Natalie!”

“Don't! Ah!”

Natalie contorted again struggling to breathe. She grasped my hand even tighter than before. Her breathing increased rapidly, but they grew short and raspy. Her eyes were glossy and distant, but calm. She looked firmly into my eyes, and struggled to pull herself onto my lap. I helped lay her head on my leg, and her eyes grew dreamy.

Her breathing slowed to a stop, and her body relaxed forever. I held her head in my hands and sobbed aloud; Natalie was dead. I pulled her body up, and held her close. I knew she was dead, but I knew also that she could feel all of my emotions as well. I felt alone, and hopeless. This war was taking its toll on me, and my family, and my friends.

Then, I heard laughter. “Black is the dawn of the Azure Son.” I lowered Natalie to the floor, and stood up once again. I turned to face Isaac. He held a large smile on his face; he had won.

“That was very clever of you, blockading my door. I can see that my job is done. This gaggle of heroes lies broken at my feet. Your hearts grow disheartened everyday, your minds unwinding into madness.”

I silently approached him, dragging my sword along the ground. I stumbled slightly, using my sword to prevent me from falling. Isaac laughed some more.

“My master will be pleased, you cannot stop me!” I felt a rush of vertigo and fell into the uneven floor. It was all I could do to raise my head enough to glare at Isaac. He began to approach me. “Death is his goal! The Phoenix King shall rise again! All hail the king!”

He stopped and turned to his throne. Then Isaac ran for the door, and I was too weak to run after him; he was going to get away.

I roared in agony. Isaac was correct; my spirit had been broken. I had long been losing my faith in success, with the death of my brother, the death of Edward, and the capture of Dria. My beloved Natalie had died in my arms, leaving me hopeless in this nightmare. I cried aloud, affirming to Isaac that I was a lost and broken foe.

Finally, I heard the loud snap of a bow. An arrow flew straight into the back of Isaac's head. He fell forwards onto the ground, laughing the entire way. He slowly turned himself on to his side, and Dria ran up to him, and pinned him to the ground.

“Long. Live. The King!” Isaac began to laugh maniacally and Dria punched him in the heart. Isaac died laughing, his last testament to the futility of our attempt to end the war. Exhausted, depressed and lost, I passed out.

I awoke in the Santarium, surrounded again by the yellow stone walls. I sat up from my bed, and almost instantaneously a necromancer had entered my room.

“It's nice to see you awake Altimis. It is recommended that you rest now.”

“Where's Natalie?”

“She is in the Santarium.”

“NO! She does...”

“Do not fear Altimis, we have received her request. It will be honored. You should rest now, you are still recovering from trauma.”

“Trauma.”

“Yes. When healing you we entered into your consciousness to heal your mentality. You are deeply troubled. That is also, how we came to know about Natalie's request. You should rest.”

“You know I can't.” I said pushing past him.

“That I do, I understand. Stay safe. Felix is waiting for you.”

“Thank you.”

I walked into the main corridor, and walked into the Simularium. As expected, I found the library in the center of an elegant landscape. I quickly turned around and walked back towards the door.

“Somnium, please.”

Upon entering the Somnium, I found myself to the throne room. There I found Felix, Fletcher and Dria. The Tower of Eternity seemed to be as empty as the base of the Amri'Chan. It was unnerving feeling what I did, but I continued on and pushed those thoughts out of my mind. The others were somber, and they were all dressed for war. They were obviously waiting for me.

“What's next?”

“The very same that the Amri'Chan have feared, we attack Vitior.” Felix replied confidently.

“But they are expecting us?”

“What else do we have? Of course they are expecting us. The Phoenix King will be there, and the castle is weakened from our last attack. The time to attack is now. The less time they have to prepare...”

“We had more of a plan rescuing Dria, and look how that turned out? Do you really expect better results?”

“Altimis, we cannot guarantee safety. We are in the middle of a war. You cannot win a war without taking risks.”

“This is your risk? Send an army blindly at a castle?”

“A castle that we overtook days ago. Also, we have Emos leading a small group to infiltrate the castle from the inside.”

“A small group, just like our last task?”

“Altimis! This is no time to question authority!” Fletcher interjected.

“Fletcher, he is more than welcome to express his concern. This is not a tyranny. No, not exactly a small group, almost fifty soldiers. They will be sneaking in through the waterfall exit. The rest of our army is leading an assault against the castle. While that is happening, I want you, Fletcher, Dria and Emos all to search for the Phoenix King. This war stops now!”

“We sealed the door the last time with the double portcullis. How will Emos and his men get in?”

“I will scale the walls and lead them in.” Dria responded.

“Yes. Flanking them should cause confusion and allow you and Fletcher to sneak in with relative ease.”

“That sounds like an unnecessarily complicated plan Felix. I don't like it, but what choice do we have? I will fight.”

“Good, you have several hours to rest and prepare.”

“Several hours?”

“Emos and his men can only move so fast while staying alert and oriented. You yourself know how long that passage is.”

“How are they getting in there anyways?”

“Levitation. Emos and several others are levitating the men as fast as they can. Ingenious really.”

Suddenly, a squirrel climbed up on top of the map sprawled across the table.

“Sir?”

“Yes Timothy?”

“The survey was successful, sir. They have sabotaged the castle. The walls have been reinforced beyond reason.”

“What kinds of sabotage?”

“Typical traps, sir. Pitfalls mostly. They are storing some men underground in ambush. They are hoping to flank us in surprise.”

“Do they know or our plans?”

“They have made no preparations to protect themselves from a rearward advance. It appears they believe that that entrance is unobtainable. We have two scouts there incessantly, we'll know if they suspect something.”

“Good work, Timothy. You have been most helpful, thank you.”

“Thank you, sir. Shall I return to the field?”

“Please do. In fact, everyone is dismissed.”

“Yessir.” We all responded and left the throne. Fletcher retired to his room, Timothy disappeared, and Dria was following me to the Simularium.

“Altimis?”

“Yes?”

Dria once again threw her arms around me. It was a welcome gesture that I reciprocated.

“I don't know that I can repay you, but I am eternally grateful for your rescue. I cannot express in words your loss.”

“You don't have to. I understand.”

“Is there anything I can do for you.”

“This a good start.” We laughed. “Don't die Dria. Don't make Natalie's death in vain.”

“Believe me, she will be honored as was Lucas.” She said as we entered the Simularium together. I stood in awe of the Scoprium once again, knowing that one of my friends was stuck in there forever. I wondered why I was so drawn to it. I have seen the Scoprium in here each time I have entered it, but I did not know why. I was also surprised by a visitor as well; it was Natalie.

“Altimis, are you returning to the Santarium?”

“I think I'll stay here for a while. This seems to be a better place to gather my thoughts.”

“May I stay?”

“No. No thank you. I would rather be alone. I do have a question for you, however.”

“Of course, anything?”

“Why are the undead always destroyed by their heart?”

“You haven't figured it out by now?”

“Is there a reason?”

“Of course. Necromancy, before it's corruption was a magic of love.”

“Love?”

“Yes, love. Why do you think necromancy first came to be? How did that thought cross someone's mind?”

“Someone wanted to have an eternal army?”

“No. When Fletcher died, what was the first thing that came to your mind?”

“That I would do anything to have him back.”

“Thus necromancy was born. The first necromancer was one who had lost someone in his or her family. So powerful was their loss, that they attempted, and succeeded to bring them back from the dead. It wasn't until years after it spread that others decided to use it for benefit rather than love.”

“I would not have guessed that on my own.”

“That is no fault of yours. It is hard to tell when we see it abused every day. But then, so isn't it with love?”

“Thank you, Dria.”

“You're welcome. I will be in the Santarium if you wish to talk later.”

“Maybe. I might spend more time here than that.”

“Very well. Be sure to rest, we have a large battle on the horizon.”

“You too.” I turned around as Dria left the Simularium. Natalie was sitting on a boulder waiting patiently for me. She was as beautiful as ever, and her body was perfectly restored. Her face was bright and almost glowing with radiance. Seeing her once again, brought tears to my eyes. “Natalie? How is this happening?”

“This is the power of the Simularium. It is a powerful and ancient enchantment. You wanted to see me again, and the Simularium has brought me here.”

“Are you the real Natalie, or is this imagined?”

“Is that what really matters now? You must have some more important questions in order to bring me here.”

“Why? Why didn't you want to come back?”

“Altimis, I cannot tell you that, and I am sorry. We both know that we have been there for each other more than anyone else in the world. And I thank you for that, I do truly. But I would rather live half of a life with you, than to live the rest of a half-life with you.”

“I don't understand why though?”

“That is something I cannot tell you. You must find that out for yourself. I have made my decision. I am pleased to know that I have had such an impact on your life, and I hope that I continue to do so as a memory.”

“I don't want you to be a memory.”

“I don't either, but somethings just have to be let go. I can't live with you knowing that I am holding you back. You know that that wouldn't be fair to either of us.”

“Holding me back?”

“What would you do if I came back Altimis? Waste away by my side? Never having a family of your own? Your family would end with you and your brother, Fletcher. Your legacy would be lost. Is that something to live for? Or your continued dreams; a chance for growth and longevity. Isn't that something to die for?”

I opened my mouth, but refused to speak. Natalie was correct, but I didn't want to admit it; I wanted her back. Natalie stood up and embraced me warmly. We stood in each others arms for a while, in silence. It was calming, and soothing. We were alone together again; I was happy for this moment. This peace in the war.

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome. Go now. Live your life. Give yourself and your family something to live for.”

“Natalie, there is something that I didn't tell you, before. It hurt me once, I won't let it hurt me again.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Good bye. I love you, and I love the time we spent together. I will always remember you, and good bye.”

Natalie smiled as she pushed me away. “It has been an honor Altimis. Good bye is just a chance, for another hello.”

I turned and left the Simularium with a new-found courage. I knew that whatever I needed to do, I was going to succeed. This war was going to end by my hand. I was going to do everything in my power to stop this unholy war. I walked confidently to my room there, and I lied down to sleep. I needed rest for the forthcoming battle, I was going to need every last bit of energy that I could.

When I awoke, Fletcher and Felix were waiting for me in their armor. I quickly donned my armor and prepared myself for battle. My armor felt light and my spirits felt high. Today was the day we fought for peace.

“Are you ready, Altimis?”

“I believe I am. Is there anything else I need to be aware of?”

“I will lead a third of the army, and you both shall lead two others. When the time comes for you to leave, I will retain command. Dria is already on her way to release Emos and his men. I have a way point to our nearest camp to Vitior. It'll be a short march, but a long battle. Once we leave, we won't be able to return until after the battle. Are you sure you are ready to leave?”

“I am sure.”

“Good. Take these flags both of you,” Felix handed each of us small yellow flags, “when you're in the castle, hold these to show your allegiance. Our men will not accidentally fire on you.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, let us go.”

Once we took the way point to our base, Felix kept us by his side while he prepared the camp for the march. He brought us throughout the camp, as he was encouraging all the men and women willing to fight for his cause. The camp was quickly cleaned up and everyone was prepared to march, but Felix held them up for a while more.

“Men and women! Living and dead! And anything else willing to fight for us! Today, we fight for out country! Today, we can end a dangerous war! Today, we fight for our lost ones.” He paused as though finished, but cheering from the army encouraged him further. “We have lost many valuable people in this war, but most importantly, we have lost the incredible Lucas Quincy himself.” The army turned silent as Felix continued.

“Quincy was the first to fight against the will of the Amri'Chan, and he was the first to collect us together as Quincy's Crusaders. He valued everyone equally, and in so doing sacrificed himself to save another. He was a noble man, with a pure vision. A vision of peace, a vision of promise, a vision of everlasting life. We are here today to make that vision come to pass!” The army roared in agreement; Felix continued.

“Let us march onwards, onwards to Vitior! We fight in the memory of those we lost, in hopes of what we can become! On this day we rise to become champions, each and everyone of us, in our own hearts! We have worked diligently for our cause, and now it is time to reap our rewards. I say this now as your appointed leader. Friends, follow me into battle, and we will find ourselves a new tomorrow!”

Felix rallied the army, and we marched off in the direction of Vitior. During the march I was thinking of Edward, and Natalie and Lucas; three people that had been claimed by this war. Fletcher and Dria as well, but they were both fortunate enough to come back to me. I only wondered how many others were lost to the greed of this Phoenix King.

As we neared Vitior, Felix mentioned to Fletcher and me, that he wanted us to take our two squadrons and guard our flanks. We knew they were going to flank us with hidden infantry, and he wanted capable leaders to hold them off. Arriving just outside what used to be the town of Vitior, a ghost-like version of King Nicholas appeared. Felix halted his men.

“You dare challenge the Phoenix King?”

“We choose to fight for freedom. Freedom to live and die by our choice, not become servants to your twisted perfection.”

“That wasn't what I asked. I am the Phoenix King, I have never lost in battle and I do not plan to do so now. I ask you again, you dare challenge the Phoenix King?”

“We have worked too hard, and lost too many to lose heart at your empty words. It is in the midst of battle that this war will be won. We will end victorious, we will reap what we deserve. You may call me the Reaper King, and let that draw fear into the hearts of your soldiers.”

“At arms then! The undying man against an unstoppable man. The Phoenix King and the Reaper King. This battle will be one among legends, but the victory will not be yours!”

The vision of King Nicholas vanished into a puff of smoke, and we were left bewildered. He was obviously trying to discourage us, we were unsure as to it's success. We turned to face the army and they were looking on towards their leader. They were not put down by the ways of their enemies, and they were not discouraged now. Felix raised sword, and pointed it towards Vitior; the army roared and, the battle began.

The ground began to shake, and the castle gates opened. A small army marched out to greet us. Our army had more warriors by a large margin, but I doubted that they had sent their entire army. I held my men back as Felix led his men on; Fletcher also held his men back. Felix and his men met with the others and blood, on both sides, started to spill.

It was difficult watching the battle from a distance, as short as it was. I didn't have to wait long before I had my fair share of battle. The ground began to shake once again and the earth around us suddenly disappeared. What used to be earth was now a horde of mindless zombies, clawing at the nearest victim. The part of the army that Fletcher and I controlled sank into this slight pit, and we began to frantically fend off these monstrosities.

I must admit, I was not expecting this trick again. It was worse this time, because the disappearing earth revealed a drop enough to slightly injure a man. Fortunately, most of us landed on zombies. Unfortunately, most of us landed on zombies. It was startling, suddenly falling into a pit full of monsters, but we quickly gathered our wits and began to fight back.

I wasn't afraid of these mindless beasts because of their savagery, I was afraid because their numbers were so great. This horde greatly outnumbered our army, thankfully they were not as intelligent as normal foes. I wielded my blade adeptly into and through many zombies, ending their tortured undeath.

The close quarters made fighting more difficult. I soon lost the ability to fully swing my blade as both the living and the dead crowded around me. I did not want to accidentally hurt one of my own. I sheathed my sword, and drew two daggers. I began to pierce and kick any zombie that decided to come within my reach.

“Use your daggers!” I shouted as loud as I could. I doubted that anybody heard me, but I began to do my part in eliminating this zombie horde. I heard some howls coming from the direction of the castle; werebeasts were coming. The Phoenix King was more prepared than he looked. I continued to push my way through this army of undead, I was hoping to reach the high ground once again.

A zombie grabbed my arm, and I quickly sliced through it with one dagger, while punching it in the face with my other dagger. I felt a strong hand on my leg and another one on my ankle. Together they pulled, and I fell backwards onto the ground. I began to fear greatly for my life. I had fallen down in the middle of a pit of zombies, how was I going to get up?

I struggled frantically, kicking wildly, trying to free myself from my captors; the zombies held tight. One of them was headless, but the other one was well enough to start pulling itself towards my thigh. I sat up and stabbed it in the head with one of my daggers. I used that to pull it closer to me and stabbed it through the heart with my other dagger. Two more zombies reached down to claw at me.

I was unable to kick myself free of the original zombie, but I began to flail as the other two zombies reached for my face. Fortunately, I stabbed one in the heart, but the other zombie grabbed my arm and was trying to crush my fingers. I cried out in pain just before the zombie let go of my arm. I looked up and found that someone had taken off its head. Perturbed, it let go of my hand. Thankful, I grabbed my dagger again and sliced the last zombies arm off.

Free of my containment, I stood up again pushing the zombie down. I shook my hand tenderly, before moving from zombie to zombie. I was slowly creeping upon my goal of returning to the outside world. I was almost at the beginning of the ramp, when I was beset by two werebeasts and their holder. He released them, a werewolf and a werebear, and they both charged at me. Unable to properly react, I held my arms up and jumped aside. They came back at me immediately, but I had enough time to throw my dagger at the holder.

I didn't expect that to do much, but it distracted him from pulling out his bow. The werewolf bit into my arm, and I grabbed it by the throat and swung it around as best I could. I pummeled the werebear with it, before I released it aimed at its holder. I used this to run up to and pounce on the holder. I stabbed him quickly through the heart, but the werebear bit deep into my ankle.

Unwilling to let it shred my leg, I used my other leg to kick it sharply on the nose. It released my leg enough for me to pull it away, but it sliced my thigh with it's claws instead. I rolled along the ground avoiding further mauling until I found a loose blade. I grabbed it quickly, it held the werebear at bay.

I swung violently at me with it's claws, and I held my sword defensively. The blade dug deep into the fleshy paw, but was also knocked out from my grasp in the process. Fortunately, I unsheathed my sword to fight with.

The werebear stood on it's hind legs roaring loudly, before lunging at me again. I jumped to the side, but met with another larger werewolf. It grabbed hold of my sword arm, and would not let me swing. I knew the bear was just behind me, and the fear in my body began to overcome my hope.

I grabbed onto the wolves snout with my other hand and twisted mercilessly. It held fast, snarling. I looked back at the wearbear ready to charge me once again. I quickly grabbed the ear of the werewolf and propped my thumb in it's eye. I gave one more vigorous twist and the werewolf released almost instantaneously.

I was unable to turn around fast enough, but I was taken down by the werebear. The claws did not penetrate my chainmail, but it still flattened me to the ground. I did my best to turn myself over, to find the werewolf fast approaching. The werebear slammed my stomach with it's claws. I felt as though I was going to be crushed under it's weight.

A stray arrow caught the werebear in the face and it roared loudly. Two arrows followed suit, and the werebear looked up angrily. I used this time to slide underneath it, to retrieve my sword. I heard the werebear roar again when I grabbed my sword, and I swung quickly behind me to dig deep into it's back. I stabbed it deep through the back before the werewolf bit my ankle again.

I kicked it in the snout, and it released my leg just enough for me to kick it again with my other leg. Then, I then wrapped both of my legs around it's neck and brought it down to the ground. Safely pinning it to the ground I stabbed the werewolf in the head. I turned to face the werebear; it was dead.

I limped over to the bottom of the ramp, excited to finally reach the high ground again. I killed a few more zombies on my way up, and I turned around to observe the battle. It was hard to tell which side was winning based on sheer numbers. The two armies looked about even now. I utilized my new-found space to pull out my sword once again. Now I was back in my comfort zone, as comfortable as I could get being injured in the heat of battle.

I looked towards the castle, and found that Felix had easily defeated his army, and was finding his way back to us. His archers began to line the edge of the pit and pierce the enemy with arrows from the higher ground. The falling soldiers allowed everyone space to properly fight. I lost track of Fletcher when the ground first disappeared, but I worked cautiously over to Felix.

“Altimis, we just heard word from Dria. Emos is about to join the fray.”

“Good. Then we can sneak into the castle with the confusion.”

“Right. You get near that castle, I'll handle these men now. You and Fletcher both, take care.”

“Yessir!”

I put several other zombies to rest, before I finally chanced upon Fletcher. He had control of the ramp and his men was defending it at all costs. The zombies were stuck in the pit, and none were getting out. I worked my way over to him, maneuvering through our army.

“Fletcher! It's time to go!”

“Alright men! Keep up this formation! Nothing gets out! Felix will be taking over momentarily!”

Together we slipped away from the pits, and fought over to the castle gates. They were closed, but they were slowly opening again. Screaming could be heard from within the castle. The gates began to open and another army of flooded outside to meet us. It was refreshing to fight against lucid foes, but much more dangerous. We took advantage of the narrow gateway, and I had whatever archers I could riddle our enemies with arrows.

More and more people filed out of the castle ready for battle. They were holding firm at the entrance, where Fletcher and I needed to get past. I rallied whatever men I could to cut into them with a wedge. I urged a group of men to run at them from the side, and we fought our way deep into the heart of the mob.

Having split the army from the castle, I used the resulting confusion to slip away and sneak into the bailey. I had no real trouble seeing as most of these people were looking to escape rather than attack. Our wedge formation frightened them dearly.

I raced across raising the yellow flag I had been given, and I waited just outside the door to the interior of the castle. Fletcher caught up with me soon enough; we opened the doors and entered together.

The castle was worse off than I remember, the walls were certainly worse for the wear. Fletcher and I both fastened our yellow flags to our armor, leaving our hands free. Now that we were finally in the castle we needed to meet the others, and find the Phoenix King. We worked our way through the castle with ease, checking each room as we went. The castle was empty; everyone was out in the battle.

We finally came across our ambush group finding their way down to the battle. They noticed the yellow flags and directed us to Dria and Emos. They were searching the throne room for anything hidden. They were startled when we entered, but relaxed upon our recognition.

“Anything?” Dria asked.

“This castle is empty except for us.”

“That doesn't make any sense, he wouldn't abandon the castle!” Fletcher roared.

“It's lost, he's gone.”

“No, it's not. He's here. He has to be here.”

“He's not Altimis, the castle is empty.”

“No, he's here. Amri'Chi mentioned that death is his work.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“He didn't care that this castle was overrun.”

“Because he isn't here!”

“No, just listen! He doesn't care which side wins the war. He just cares that there is death involved. He did not starting a war for a specific purpose, he's trying to destroy the entire world any way he can. He has to be here in order to find out which side left victorious so he knows how to further his plan.”

“I don't understand.”

“Amri'Chi, told me that death is his work. But, he can only continue his work if he knows how. If we won, he would know that he can't rely on his army. If he won, he would just gather a larger army and strike again. In that sense, he must be here.”

“He could have left a scout, Altimis.”

“No, too unreliable. We could have killed him whether we won or not.”

“Altimis is right, Fletcher. If he only cares about death, then he would do anything to create it; as long as people die. He needs to know whether he can continue with this undead army, or whether he needs to find a new army. He is here, but where?” Emos voiced.

“The dungeon is the only place we haven't looked.” Dria stated.

“The dungeon has no escape. One way in, one way out. Why would he hide there?” Fletcher asked.

“He's not worried about escaping.” I pointed out.

“That worries me, because that's the only place he can be right now.”

“Well then Fletcher, let's go find him. He'll have more answers for us.”

“It still doesn't feel right, Dria.”

“There's only one way to find out.”

We left the throne room, and traveled down to dungeon. The bowels of the dungeon were welcome to receive us. The dungeon doors were wide open, eerily calling to us. Fletcher went first, drawing his sword. When he passed the threshold, he grew rigid before crumpling to the floor. Dria ran up to drag him out, but she too crumpled to the floor. Emos and I were frightened, but we cautiously pulled them out from the dungeon, trying to not pass the threshold ourselves.

When they were safely out of the dungeon, their bodies relaxed. Emos went over and examined the dungeon doorway; I examined my companions. They were alive but nauseous, and they were surprised to be on the ground. Emos returned to my side, muttering to himself.

“They're fine Altimis, it's an aether void.”

“An aether void?”

“An enchantment. It nullifies anything related to the aether. The undead lose their connection to the aether. Them and anything modified by aether.”

“So, Dria and Fletcher, or any undead. They can't go into the dungeon. It's just me then?”

“Both of us.”

“One of us needs to stay here and watch Dria and Fletcher as they recuperate. You're better at a distance, and the dungeon is close quarters. I'll have to go forwards alone.”

“We can wait Altimis. We know he can't leave except by us. Once Dria and Fletcher are well enough we can both go in together.”

“No. I'll do it alone. We don't know what he is capable of. Seeing this now, makes me worry about why he's hiding in the dungeon. Besides, if it is an aether void, your magic won't work. If something goes wrong, what are you going to do about it? If something does happen, I want the least amount of casualties possible. I go alone. You get everyone away from the castle as best you can.”

“Are you sure Altimis?”

“What else do we have?”

“We can send reinforcements.”

“I can do this. You make sure no one else dies. Nobody else dies today! The Phoenix King will cease to reign terror on our land.”

“Good luck Altimis.”

“Don't worry about me. You take care of them.” I gestured towards Dria and Fletcher. I turned to face the dungeon. I stepped inside, retained my stature and proceeded down the dreary stairs. My weapon was ready, my mind was sharp, my body was calm.

My journey in the dungeon was daunting. It was silent, empty, and intimidating. I checked each cell I passed to make sure it was clear, before continuing on. The silence was letting my thoughts run wild, my ears were ringing. My mind was racing, and my fears were growing. With each empty cell, I grew more and more worried. If the Phoenix king wasn't here, then what would happen? The war would go on.

My thoughts were cleared when I found myself in the darkest part of the dungeon. Solitary. The room was completely dark, the stairs led into an empty abyss. It was the very last room of the dungeon, I almost didn't bother looking. I stood at the top of the stairs looking down for an eternity. I was about to turn around, but I heard a chuckle. I heard slow, purposeful clapping from down in solitary. The most secluded place in the castle, the most intimidating and the most maddening, was the place I was going for my final confrontation.

I raised my sword in a protective stance, and slowly descended into madness. My world grew dark, and the clapping continued. I reached the bottom of the stairs, and the clapping stopped. I looked around trying to adjust my eyes to my surroundings. I shouldn't have bothered, a dim light lit, floating above a table in the center of the room. I saw him again, in the body of King Nicholas. The Phoenix King was sitting behind the table. He motioned across from him at a chair. I stood my ground.

“Altimis. I am not saying anything until you sit down.”

“I said no. I will not comply.”

“Come now, we can be civilized, can't we?”

I glared at him. Even now he was trying to hold all of the power. I was fighting with myself over what to do. I did not want to empower him at any cost, but I also wanted answers. I was torn between the two choices, but it was his wording that bothered me. He knew this war had taken the worse out in everyone. He was playing with my mind, and that was what I could not allow. I remembered what Fletcher told me. The war was being fought for people like me, for my innocence; I was going to have to let them down.

“No, we are beyond petty conversation. You will pay for your crimes.” I said pointing my sword at his chest.

“You dare challenge the Phoenix King? I have never lost a single war, and you hope to defeat me? I am almost amused Altimis. Very well.”

He threw the table at me, and I stopped it with my foot. The room was empty except for the overturned table, and two chairs. I kicked mine aside to better clear the room. The Phoenix King was at the other end, breathing heavily, and holding his sword as well. The dim light gave his wicked blade an ominous presence. The floating light began to flicker on and off. It was then that the Phoenix King attacked.

Due to the flickering light, his movement was jagged, but my timing was pristine. Our blades clashed, and occasionally ignited a spark to light the room in a flash. The sound of our blades echoed increasingly in this room and throughout the dungeon. Left, right, right, down, I was on the defensive parrying every blow in succession. He raised his leg to kick me. I blocked with my free hand, and used this opportunity to send my sword at his face.

Now on the offensive, I kept pace with my sword and advanced my position. I was slowly working him towards the wall, but even that became an advantage to him. With my next swing, he dodged back, pushed off the wall and immediately lunged at me swinging. Unable to parry due to imbalance, I stepped out of the way. With his free hand he punched my shoulder, immediately everything changed.

I was atop the castle on the ramparts. Emos was behind me, and Fletcher was a short distance away struggling to breathe. I was going to run over to help him, but Emos held on to my arm. He pulled me harshly back and threw me against the wall. He pinned me to the wall with his shield and drew his sword, the same sword as the Phoenix King. Instinctively, I kicked him, and he awkwardly fell over.

“Emos, what are you doing?” I yelled. When he was once again on his feet, he lunged at me with his sword. I held up my shield, and punched him in the face with my free hand. I stepped aside while I drew my sword and we began our warring dance.

I heard the whistle of an arrow shoot over my head, and realized that there were still snipers down at the ground level. I crouched down, and Emos followed suit. We were aggressive in our lunges, boldly waving our shields before us. The sharp drumming of our steel resounded down in the bailey. Emos over extended and I ducked below his arm jamming my shield underneath his elbow, and applying extraneous pressure from above.

His arm snapped, and he dropped his sword. He roared loudly, before tackling me with his shield held high. I rolled back with him, and kicked him over the edge of the ramparts. I watched him fall down to the ground, next to my brother. Except that Fletcher was missing. I looked around the entire bailey and found him nowhere. I looked up in time to see Fletcher swinging his blade, that wicked blade of the Phoenix King, at my head.

I rolled out of the way struggling to stay atop the ramparts. His blade dug deeply into the stone, and I could feel tiny shrapnel berating my face. I got a close look at the blade; it was the exact same as the Phoenix King's. It was a long and thin blade of darkened steel, with serrated edges starting midway. Fletcher repeatedly swung at me and I rolled away from each strike. Finally, Fletcher pinned me with his foot, and I closed my eyes bracing for the attack.

The Phoenix King was just behind me, and my shoulder was pained. I cringed from the pain in my head, my mind was on fire, I couldn't think.. He turned quickly and began his advance, barely giving me enough time to catch my bearings. I was struggling to keep up, my shoulder was sore, my head was throbbing, what was going on? One of his attacks slid down to the guard and I trapped it with my gauntlet.

I used this time to beat my oppressor in the face with as good a fist I could make in my position. I knocked him several times before he kicked my knees. Fortunately, my knees were the best protected part of my body; they still hurt, and I lost control of his blade. He quickly responded with another jab with his free hand. He hit my forearm, and this burning sensation crawled up up arm.

I was in the middle of the woods, and Edward was rushing at me carrying the wicked blade. I backed myself up to a tree and allowed him to swing at me. I swung my sword downwards and ducked beneath his attack. He had expected me to duck, and so he brought his knee up to meet my face. He did not expect my sword to meet it first, and his knee split open. His blade ate deeply of the tree, and I swung my blade up quickly through his left arm.

I followed through elbowing him in the face, and tackling him to the ground. It was my turn to be flipped onto my back, as Edward used momentum to his advantage. I landed in a small pool of water, and Edward removed his sword from the tree. He struggled over to me, roaring in anger. I pulled myself out of the water and quickly turned to meet my foe. Our blades clashed in front of our faces as we both tried to muscle each other back.

I put pressure on my sword with my gauntlet, while he proceeded to pound my forehead. I responded with a sharp kick to his injured knee and he crumpled from the pain. I swiftly brought my blade down upon his head, and kicked him down. I then stabbed him through the heart, to be sure. I looked up soon enough to hear the snap of a bow. The arrow flashed before my eyes. The arrowhead was that wicked blade.

I was knocked to the ground, on my back, and the Phoenix King laughed triumphantly. I was unsure exactly what was happening, but he was controlling my memories somehow. He was using a hidden blade in his fist to attack me mentally as well as physically. Knowing what to expect from his free hand, I would have to avoid his unarmed strikes just as much as his sword. Unfortunately, it didn't look like this was going to be the time to do it.

He stepped on me with his boot, and he leaned in close. He jabbed at me with his arm. I dropped my sword and I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him down to the ground as well. The familiar burning sensation met my shoulder, while I turned his hidden blade on himself, sinking it deep into his thigh. If we were going to play mind games, we were going to do it together.

I was back in the throne room of Amri'Chi, only it was Natalie instead. She was just as horrific as how the zombies left her, only she was wielding the wicked blade. The Phoenix King was playing on my worst memories, me watching my friends die. I was unsure as to the reasoning behind this, but I knew that if I lost again, my mind would be hurt again. I prepared for the pain, and I knelt to the ground.

I was not going to fight Natalie, especially not an undead Natalie. I knelt down to the ground and accepted my loss. Natalie slowly shambled over to me, wielding the evil sword, and she raised it high over her head. The swing down wasn't as daunting as I had thought, but the pain afterward was.

I writhed on the ground from the throbbing in my head, the Phoenix King was doing the same. I stood up as quick as I could, dislodging his hidden blade. He was clutching as his head as if someone had just stabbed him in the eyes. He was groaning heavily and was having difficulty standing up. Whatever I had done, it was affecting him greatly.

I grabbed my sword, and swung at his body. He deflected it with his arm, and I returned the favor by punching him in the chest with his hidden blade. His neck snapped back harshly as if I had punched under his chin. He fell backwards and began to reel again. I continued swinging at him, and he struggled to deflect my blows, until he slipped and fell down to the ground. I was about to punch him again, but the hidden blade turned to dust in my hand; I held my blade up to his neck instead.

“You are foolish boy, thinking I could so easily be beaten. Black is the dawn of the Azure Son! Death, doom, and destruction; this is but the beginning!”

“Who are you?”

“Emperor Jahangir Samad, The Phoenix King. The Azure Son. We are one and the same.”

“Jahangir Samad? Those are your titles?”

“I am the Phoenix King, I shall rise again!”

“Who are you to me?”

“I am no one!” With that response, he threw his neck into my blade. I tried to pull it back quickly, but I was too late. Blood poured from his neck, and he smiled maniacally. He fell backwards, where he rested until his body drained of life. Soon a brilliant wisp of light pulled from his body, and began to float upwards. The Phoenix King, of course; he was a lich! Gasping for air, I turned and began to run out of the dungeon. I might have defeated his body, but his spirit would live on.

I forced myself along the lonely path of darkness. I fought for air, as I raced through the dungeon. The corridor brightened as I neared the exit, and finally I was in the castle once again. I ran down the corridor, until I was greeted by fresh air once again. I slowed down outside, giving way to the throbbing in my head, the stress on my knee, and the lack of energy from my body. I cried in agony as I collapsed to the ground.

A small group had gathered around me, and I felt someone gently lifting me up to my feet. Dria was in front of me, holding me up. I leaned into her, and we embraced for a long while.

“Are you alright Altimis? What happened?”

“He got away. We had a quick duel, but he ran away.”

“Where did he go?”

“He died, but he's a lich, we can't follow him. That's why he calls himself the Phoenix King. I couldn't stop him. I tried...”

“Altimis, it's okay. We are victorious. The castle is ours, the war is won. Come, you have to meet your new king.”

Dria helped me walk over to Felix and Fletcher. They were overseeing the reanimation of some of the fallen.

“King Felix, we have word on the Phoenix King.”

They both turned around astonished. Fletcher ran over to me and held Dria and me tightly. Felix slowly walked over and urged Fletcher aside.

“What news can you give us Altimis?”

“He got away.”

“Is there any more that you can tell us?”

“He... he told me his name. We battled in the dungeon. He was poisoning my mind, but I poisoned him back. When he fell, he said three things. Jahangir Samad. He said the Phoenix King and the Azure Son are the same. He said this was just the beginning, and he killed himself. He's a lich though. He'll be back.”

“Altimis. You are very brave to have gone in there alone, and to have defeated the very man who was thought to be unconquerable. You should not take that accomplishment lightly. He very well may return, but we will be ready then. For now, we celebrate! Altimis, please come with me. Dria, I'll take him from here.”

Felix escorted me over to the front of a small tent on the battlefield. He whistled quickly to gather the attention of the survivors.

“Everyone! We have news from inside the castle! The Phoenix King has run away,” I could see the shoulders of everyone listening, drop drastically, “but, there is a bright side to this end! This young man had battled him in the very heart of the castle! Deep within the dungeon! This young man defeated the Phoenix King and caused him to run away! We previously hailed him as undefeatable, we previously hailed him as unstoppable, and yet here is the man who not only defeated him, but caused him to run!”

Everyone began to cheer, I looked down at the ground. Felix continued on. “We will have to prepare for subsequent attacks, but not today! Today is the day, we remember the ones we lost! Today is the day, we celebrate our victory! Today is the day, the dawn of a new day! We will only rise higher as we unite; man and woman, child and elder, living and dead! Together we have accomplished the impossible! Together we can rebuild this world! A world without fear! A world without worry! A world of equality!”

The crowd cheered again, and Felix held up my arm. “I would like to start my reign as king, by honoring this man! This man fought bravely in the face of danger! He faced the impossible and he overcame! He helped us win the battle today! He not only brought us hope, he struck fear into the heart of the one we feared most! Without him, without the sacrifices he made, we would not have been victorious today! Altimis, take a knee.”

I didn't deserve it, but I knelt down. Felix was the new king, I would serve him just as loyally as I had King Nicholas. He lifted his sword high above his head.

“Altimis, for your bravery in battle, your success where others have failed, your purity in this corrupt world, I wish to bestow upon you an honorary title, as a knight among my own. Should you accept you shall be known as Sir Altimis, the Adamant. For unyielding devotion to your friends, your family, and your country. Do you accept this title?”

“I do.”

“I hereby dub thee, my knight,” he said, touching my shoulders with his sword, “You may rise Sir Altimis, the Adamant! Be recognized among the people!”

Everyone cheered, and applauded. I somberly looked over the crowd, the hundreds of people who had gathered to fight for our cause. Each one was willing support me, each one was heartily agreeing to my knighthood. I smiled; for the first time in a long while, I smiled. I waved my hands and walked over to join the crowd. Felix continued by knighting several others, including Fletcher and Dria; Emos too, but he refused.

Felix finished off with what would immortalize him through the legends. “Everyone! Every single one of you is a hero because of today! A hero is not judged but what he does, but rather how he does! We all stood against our worst fears, we endured the lies, the hate, and the persecution! Not only that, we endured it well! We are all heroes today, and let us celebrate together!”

After his speech, we finished gathering everyone together, and burying the dead. When the sky grew dark, we set fire to the pile of spare wood we found. We all celebrated around the fire enjoying the glory of victory. Several men had stolen the instruments from the castle and began to play. The more energetic people began to dance to the music. It reminded me of Natalie.

Natalie and I had been perfect together. We were always there for each other, we always supported each other. Natalie and I would've had a family together if it weren't for this awful war. Instead, she died. She refused to come back, knowing that she would hold me back. She knew that I would never grow. It was then, in that moment, that I understood her true intentions.

I stood up from besides the fire, looking for Dria. I walked around, interrogating others until someone pointed me in her direction. I found that she and Fletcher were eating some of the food we had prepared. I walked over to them, and made sure to not make eye contact with my brother as I talked with Dria. I was sure, that he knew as well.

“Would you care to dance with me Dria?”

“I would Altimis. Thank you.” She said as I helped her out of her seat. Fletcher was coughing on some of his food. I glared at him, but Dria comically stated. “Watch out there Fletcher, wouldn't want to become a headless zombie would you?” Fletcher laughed aloud twice, before coughing rigidly again. I guided Dria closer to the fire, near the music. I turned to face her and I brought her close. We danced along to the fiddles and lutes, feeling the beat of the drums.

We spun around, and danced wildly among the others. Dria had pulled her hair down and was letting it fly freely behind her. The fire was warming us as we stepped distinctly around it. The breeze was cooling us as we drifted away. The music led us on and we lost ourselves to the melody. The musicians slowed the music, allowing some love to fill the air.

“Dria, I want to thank you, for everything.”

“You have no need Altimis. I am always willing to help.”

“That's what I mean. Natalie and I, for as long as we've been together, have always just been friends. Good friends, the best of friends, but that was it. We always dreamed of having a family, but we also knew we were too young.”

“I am sorry for your loss Altimis.”

“As am I. With her last words to me, she asked me to not be brought back, and I have been wondering why since then.”

“She made her choice Altimis. Not everyone wishes for a second chance.”

“That is true, and now I know why. She knew she would hold me back. She knew I would waste away besides her, and she didn't want me to ruin my life. She knew that if she came back, I would never learn, never progress, never make the right choice.”

“And what does that mean?”

“She was right. My entire life, I have been focused on Natalie. I have neglected others in my path. She knew me better than I did, and with that knowledge she gave me a second chance.”

“I do not understand Altimis?”

“Natalie gave me the opportunity to be with you Dria. She knew you loved me, you told her about me. I was that man you became a vampire for. Fletcher knew as well, but nobody told me. It was something that I needed to realize on my own. Natalie knew this and knew what it would take to make us happy. She is letting me recover from my greatest mistake.”

“You're greatest mistake?”

“Missing you the first time. You have done so much for me, and waited so long. Both Natalie and Fletcher saw it, I was just blind. I want to apologize, and start anew. I know what you have gone through for me; allow me to start making you happy as well. We can take on the world together, as a family. Our family.”

“Are you asking for us to be betrothed?”

“I am.”

“But, I am a vampire. I will live centuries longer than you ever will.”

“I think I know a way around that.”

Dria stared deep into my eyes, a smile slowly appearing on her face. Her eyes glistened and radiated light. She wrapped her arms around me, and we kissed besides the fire. I could feel our heartbeats join as one, and the warmth began to permeate deep down into my soul. We danced on into the night.

The war was won! My friends had triumphed over many trials, and they had defeated the evil Phoenix King. He ran away in the end, but his plans had been foiled; my friends were safe. The war that I fought to end, has ended. My sacrifice was not in vain.

I closed the book, and set it down on the steps next to me; I breathed a sigh of relief. My hard work over this past month had paid handsomely. I would never see the effects of it, but the world I fought to protect would. I would have to accept my loss for the greater good of the world. That was more than acceptable to me.

I looked upwards again, towards my newest goal. On the other side of this trapdoor was the rooftop of the library. Now that I had finished my book, nothing was stopping me from discovering what was above me now. All I knew was that there was a powerful enchantment in place, how and exactly what, was what I wanted to figure out.

I stood up and stretched my legs. I left the book on the step beneath me, and I pushed hard against the trapdoor. It was heavier than I had expected. It took me three tries before I was finally able to push it open; the first two tries I didn't have proper footing to swing it open enough. I could see the blue light above me, and it glowed enough to project and eerie blue hue on the surfaces above. Determined to learn, I climbed outside.

It was louder than I had expected; I never knew magic to be noisy without it being intentional. There was an incessant and fluctuating tone to this enchantment. That was what I first noticed. Next, I noticed that this powerful aura was focused around a strange metallic sphere. It was entirely smooth, sleek and reflective. It was hovering around a pedestal, and it appeared to be generating this enchantment.

Finally, I noticed many different iron chests laid around the perimeter. They were built entirely out of metal and appeared to be over-sized coffins. Curious, I opened the closest one to me. Inside revealed a strange blue liquid, with a figure floating inside. I reached inside to find that the liquid was cold, but harmless. I felt the persons arm and neck and found no pulse; this person was either dead, or held in some sort of stasis.

I went around to each box in turn, there were seven of them, and opened them. Each one had the same strange liquid engulfing a body. Perturbed, I looked outwards over the small crenelation. Outside of the blue hue, I could see for miles. The landscape looked beautiful and full, the view from up here was perfect.

After basking in the blue light and enjoying my vantage point, I turned inwards once again. I began to scrutinize this strange metal orb; it appeared to be a perfect sphere. It was floating atop a relatively plain pedestal and it was producing the blue aura.

The strange aura was positioned such that the top half of the sphere was on the outside, and the bottom half was inside. The aura itself went straight up a distance, before forming a large dome around the entire library, but the very center of it was pulled down as if the orb was weighing it down. It almost appeared as if the orb was the keystone of this enchantment.

I walked over to it until it was within reach, and discovered nothing new. I touched the orb and found it warm to my hand; it was almost hot, but not uncomfortably so. I tried to move it, but it was firmly held in place.

After several failed attempts of moving the orb, I noticed a faint light floating towards me from a distance. I couldn't tell who or what it was, but I could tell it was a spirit. It was floating over the blue shell of an enchantment, until it came to rest just above where the orb was. It slowly descended in through the center, where the enchantment wasn't. The spirit finally reached the orb and disappeared inside.

Moments later, the spirit emerged on the inside of this enchantment, inches away from me. It hovered around me, gracefully orbiting my body. I was uncomfortable with this spirit, and how it wasn't revealing itself. I slowly worked my way back towards the trapdoor; it was closed. The spirit floated in a halo as I struggled to open the trapdoor. Unnerved, I clapped three times, but found no result. No psion came to release me back to the library. I was stuck.

I turned back to the spirit and I slowly floated towards one of the boxes. I cautiously observed it as it went into the box. Moments later two arms reached out and pulled their owner over the edge of the box. He had bark brown hair, and his body was entirely drenched. One hand was over his eyes, shielding his face from the liquid; he was looking straight at me. This was the spirit of a lich.

“No, this isn't right. Nobody is supposed to get up here. There is enough information downstairs to last a life time. Why did you come upstairs?”

“I was curious, so I skipped everything. I came here first.”

“Interesting, that means I should take some more precautionary measures. I don't want people to remember this, so I should put it on a lower level. Then they can't remember, that's brilliant! Thank you!”

“Excuse me?” I asked, completely confused.

“This orb, nobody is allowed to move it. Nay, nobody is supposed to move it. It's very valuable, it's how I get in and out of here.”

“You can get out of here?”

“Of course! I built this place.” The man said walking over to me. “Of course I'd make sure I could actively use my creation. In and out whenever I please; with my memories might I add.”

“How? This is a time lapse. That's impossible!”

“Only improbable with magic. It's quite easy, I'll show you.” He urged me forwards. I foolishly obeyed, eager to return to my world. When I drew close, he grabbed my neck forcing me to my knees. I could feel a trickle flowing down my back, the pressure on my spine was unbearable. “Long. Live. The King!”

Snap.

I never hit the ground.

Author:	altimis [ Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:53 am ]
Post subject:	[STORY] The Phoenix King
I'm bored, and this area seems sooo far dead, that I figured I'd try to get some more love down here. November is my favorite month ever. Mostly it's because of holiday season (Halloween preceeds, my birthday and Christmas proceeds it), but NaNoWriMo helps hold the attention to November, for me at least. I decided I'll sare my Nanowrimo stories bit by bit for whomever ventures down here to enjoy. A bit of history behind this story... Spoiler I used to write stories all the time, ever since fifth/sixth grade as far as I can remember. I never finished them, but I always held on to them. Including the maps, the notes, whatever I had written (usually about fifty pages) etc. Now, once I learned about Nanowrimo, I started going through my old stuff for inspiration and I found that several of my maps were very similarly designed, and I instantly thought of taking all the stories I ever had ideas for, and tweaking the ideas to form a coherent series. That got me at least six stories, and the tweaks that I made to them extended series prior to, and after the plans. Now, despite all that planning, I'm finding new ways to tweak the plot almost everyday, so things aren't as set in stone as I would like, but that's also the fun of it. This thread is for The Phoenix King (NaNoWriMo 2012), and I hope you guys enjoy it. I'll try to post links to whenever I post a new portion here (in case, you know, people decide to talk and/or discuss and/or ask questions in between). That brings me to, if you have anything to say, feel free to say it; questions, comments, critiques etc. The Phoenix King aims to redefine what has become classic horror tropes in order to freshly utilize them and to keep you on your toes as to what can happen. The front and back covers... Spoiler An invading horde of undead raids a castle in an unholy brigade. When it becomes common knowledge that the dead are not what they seem, a small band of survivors must discover who is behind this madness, while quelling a violent moral war. ~~~ "There's never any survivors Altimis." "I know, I know. But, if there aren't any survivors, how do we get the stories? The survivors tell the stories." "They don't survive." LINK to Image The Phoenix King Updates wrote: (Note: I don't always post following the chapter designations) POST I: HERE POST II: HERE POST III: HERE POST IV: HERE POST V: HERE POST VI: HERE POST VII: HERE (14.07.14) POST VIII: HERE (19.07.14) POST IX: HERE (23.07.14) POST X: HERE (26.07.14) POST XI: HERE (28.07.14) POST XII: HERE (29.07.14) POST XIII: HERE (01.08.14) POST XIV: HERE (02.08.14) POST XV: HERE (03.08.14) EDIT: I guess it becomes obvious where I gathered my screen name from.

Author:	altimis [ Fri Apr 25, 2014 10:10 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Prologue - Prologue: The fog was overbearing the night, the torches in our hands appeared distant to our eyes. Our simple squadron was waiting for reports as to the inhabitants of Houldon. Rumors were raised about necromancers and undead being housed here. Our scouts have been gone since noon, I began to fear the worst. The dense mist surrounding us, as refreshing as it was, daunted us all the more. It was difficult to see anything, only the bell tower of the church was clearly defined. I was frightened not by the potential battle, but by the reduction of our vision. Would we know who we were even fighting? A call came from down the road, the sign of the poqui bird. I responded, and ran over to General Wuberg who was tented nearby. “General! We have received the call. Shall we proceed?” “We certainly shall Quincy. Alert the men at once.” “Yessir.” I left the tent and found that my men had already gathered, they also heard the call. I nodded, and they dispersed once again, haunted by the task at hand. We were all hoping for the call of the falcon. The poqui meant that the town was indeed harboring the undead. The town needed to be cleansed, per order of Wuberg; Daniel Wuberg was in charge of the defense of our nation. My men, and I, were the ones who were given this task. We were none too happy about it, but we were afraid of General Wuberg more. There was much hesitation on our part for sure. Within minutes we were all mobilized and walking cautiously towards the town. There was a dead silence among us. When we caught up with our scout, he joined our march towards Houldon. The mist appeared to disperse as we neared the town, but only slightly. We could make out other forms with ease, but we were unable to quickly identify whatever it was. The villagers became aware of our presence and began to flock towards our torches. I wanted desperately to tell them to run, to let them have a chance to hide or even escape; it would cost me my life unfortunately. General Wuberg was a leader of strict order and obeisance. Anyone not following a direct order had better die in the process, otherwise Wuberg would have their head. My men stopped as the villagers neared in their approach. Wuberg's horse ended the silence with a snort, suddenly the murmurs of the townsfolk became all too real to us. Wuberg spoke up. “In accordance to the laws of the land, the king has granted me power to enforce any means necessary to protect this people. I have thusly ordered that any and all monstrosities be purged, in acknowledgment of their undesirable nature! This law has been supported, in full, by the church of Aloc; more commonly the group known as Valiants! We have obtained knowledge that undead have indeed been harbored in this village! Surrender them that you may live, or may you all burn!” The villagers were startled by this response, and though we couldn't see who, we could hear varied responses delivering the same message, 'they are not the monsters'. This was obviously the wrong way to respond to General Wuberg, not that they knew that, but he appeared to be in a good mood this evening; if good mood is the correct phrase for describing Wuberg. He bellowed coldly before continuing his message. “I will offer you one last chance to yield up your dead! Do not test the patience of me or any of my men! We will not hesitate to protect our land! This is your last warning! Yield up your dead, or join them!” “Look for yourself! These are no monsters!” a female shouted from the crowd. Two figures shambled forwards. My men readied their swords in case of a conflict, the figures held up their arms in response. My men did not ease their hold; I did. Of the two figures there was a man and a woman, the man was missing his left arm at the shoulder, his sleeve freely dangling beside him. The woman spoke up again. “He isn't a monster. He died defending the town from bandits raiding our village. Look at him! And tell me he's a monster. He's a hero, and he deserves a hero's respect.” The man walked up to me, his face was solemn and silent. I was distracted by his arm, but I was more taken by his eyes. He had bright blue eyes. Before he turned to look at the others, he took another step closer, which was closer than Wuberg would allow. We all heard the snap of his crossbow and we saw the man crumple to the ground with a bolt embedded into his forehead. The villagers began to shout out, some even produced weapons of their own; Wuberg reared his horse. “Father!” A child ran from the crowd and knelt besides his parents. The child and the mother were crying over their fallen family. “They aren't monsters! You don't understand! You're heartless and evil. You're the monster!” “Say that again child, I gave you two warnings. None of you complied.” He said lazily reloading his crossbow. The villagers were readying their weapons, and my men were raising theirs. I was disgusted, and I had had enough. This massacre needed to stop now, before it erupted into something more. “Wuberg, stop it,” I yelled as I sheathed my sword, “I refuse to slaughter any of these villagers! They are not monsters or vermin! He had a life! He had a wife! He had a child, and you took it...” Snap. I never hit the ground. Chapter 1 - Chapter One - Part 1: I hear footsteps running down the stairs. I turn around to face the doors; but they are locked. I start using the rest of my time searching for something. I am desperate, and I need to know what is going on. Suddenly, I hear the sound of wings above my head. I can't see anything in the dim light, but I know something was watching me from the shadows. I walk over to another bookcase, the books are all scattered across the shelves as if someone had searched here already. I notice a piece of parchment alone on the shelf and I grab it. “This floor is done. Move on. And then my signature?” I am not speaking to anybody, just aloud. Why would I have left this note? Why can't I remember writing it? For whatever reason, I don't know, but I said to move on, so I decide I would. I move for the doors again and I try to open them; they are still locked; just the way I left them. I push, and I pull and I try to force them open to no avail. I am stuck here. I turn around, and find a staircase leading up, nothing more. Wherever I am, there is only one way to go; up. I scan this room once again, feeling that empty feeling. I know I am supposed to do something, but I can't remember what it is. I walk over to the stairs, and a few steps up was another piece of parchment; I quickly read it aloud. “Don't go upstairs, signed by me again? Why not?” I look up the foreboding staircase. I notice more notes and hear heavy wings in the distance. Maybe the monsters are upstairs. Monsters? Are there monsters here? Frustrated at my dilemma, I turn around, and I sit down at a table with a chair already pulled out. The seat is warm, and there are a few blank pieces of parchment and a quill. Someone had been using this for some sort of notes; it was probably me. I move my thumb over the parchment I recently obtained. The first piece is dry, the second piece smears slightly with my thumb; the second note isn't only more recent, it is very recent. I look around this impromptu work space, and I see several books. I find one that is open, and I pull it towards myself turning to the first page. I see, scrawled in large letters and black ink: This is what you're looking for, and then my signature. Again, I don't remember any of this, but I inch forwards in my chair. I don't know exactly what I am looking for, but apparently this is it, according to me. A me that I can't remember. I am uneasy at my lack of memory, but considering this book is supposedly what I am looking for, maybe it has all of the answers inside. I bring it up, in front of my face, and I begin to read aloud. Chapter One - Part 2: The castle gates began to splinter in areas; our barricade was not going to last that much longer. The soldiers began to pile more tables, chairs and any other hefty furniture left behind the doors. “Altimis! Alert the king! They are at the gates, we're being overrun!” “Yessir.” I turned and ran down the foreboding halls. My torch was the only light guiding me through the castle. My footsteps' echoes, my heavy breathing, and my racing heart was not enough to drown the sound of the undead outside the castle walls. The entire scenario was maddening, and there was not much else we could do if the castle was taken by the horde of undead. When I turned to run up the stairs, I paused to look out the window. I wanted to see the devastation for myself. The village just outside the walls of the castle was ablaze. I could see shadows running about whether they were scavenging or hunting I couldn't tell from this distance. I could not see much else in the black of night, except for the bloodstained walls of the castle. The fire added a vehement glow to this once magnificent stronghold. I turned away from the window and hurried up the steps. I could hear some screaming from down the corridor, my previous location. I reached the king's quarters, and I rushed inside. The king was startled and drew his sword, lowering it only once he recognized me. “Altimis, how are our walls holding?” I stared at this man while I was gasping for a response. Despite being the king, his garb was less appealing than usual. He was dressed for combat in his lightest armor, in the event we needed to make a hasty retreat. This room retained its beauty only in the throne upon which he sat; the other furniture was stripped and used to barricade the doors. Everything that was once beautiful about this castle appeared to follow that pattern. “Milord, the doors. They are beginning to splinter. The undead. They are about to break through.” I managed to sputter out. “This is it,” King Nicholas sat down with his head in his hands, “my kingdom is in ruins. I have poured my life into this kingdom, and after all these years it is taken from me, by the hands of the dead.” “I mean no disrespect milord, we must alert the men to retreat. We must divert to the ramparts. Perhaps from there we can fire upon them from over the parapets?” “This is true Altimis. We must alert the men. I'll see to it to sound the bells. You get started to the ramparts.” “But the other men?” “They know what they need to do, may their souls be blessed if they don't survive.” King Nicholas ran to the back towards the chapel, I left his quarters and ran down the corridor towards the ramparts. The corridors were still dark except for the light from my torch, and from the burning village outside. The dim light was enough to help me race to the ramparts. Moments before I reached the ramparts, I heard the chapel bells echo dutifully down the halls. The signal was rung, and the castle would shortly be overrun. I could only hope that everyone would make it safely to the ramparts. I knew that wouldn't happen, but dwelling on that was not correct at this point in time. I pushed open the doors leading to the ramparts, and set the nearby walls ablaze with light. The fire was spreading; slowly, methodically, it was creeping towards the castle. Though I was eager to await the arrival of my comrades, I couldn't resist the urge to witness the destruction of the town outside the walls. I leaned over the crenelated parapet and saw that the entire town was engulfed in flames. This town was going to be razed completely to the ground. I saw a shadow against the flames moving around. I couldn't see it exactly, but when I thought it was looking at me, I ducked with my back against the wall. I heard the whistling of an arrow that confirmed that the figure was indeed hostile. I slowly worked my way back to the door, staying low. I heard running and saw a faint glow emanating from down the hall. Two soldiers were running hard to answer the call of the bells. When they were able recognize me they called out, “Have you secured the other doors?” “I haven’t! Need I?” “Yes, the eastern wing has been overrun. It’ll only be a matter of time before there are monsters up here as well!” As the men drew nearer, I turned to look at the other doors. Securing the doors normally wouldn’t have been an issue, except for the short distance of absolutely no cover. In any normal raid, that wouldn’t have been an issue, but vampires are quick. You give them any opening, as slight as it is, and they’ll find a way to kill you. Not to mention that many have hundreds of years of combat prowess. Vampires are deadly foes. The snipers that are almost certainly patrolling the castle walls will have no trouble taking down a straggler or two. “Altimis, I’m glad to see you are not injured! We need to secure the eastern wing.” I turned around and saw the very first person I wanted to see right now, my brother, Fletcher. Fletcher and I have been through too much trouble to not run into each other eventually. He was about to pull off his helmet, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the ground with me instead. His companion followed suit. “What’s wrong Altimis? Snipers?” “Yeah, at least one. How are you and Emos?” “We are fine, we heard the bells and ran as fast as we could. We really should secure those doors, why haven’t you done that?” “Take a look,” I beckoned over to the damaged wall, “must have been from the trebuchet before we destroyed it. There’s no way we can get across without being seen.” “You’re right, we still need to try. If we crawl along the path we should be able to protect ourselves.” “Crawl?” “Yeah, if we hold our shields facing them, keep our heads down and our shoulders up, that creates a sturdy barrier. It’ll take more than an arrow to get through that.” “I think Fletcher is right Altimis. If we don’t pull down the portcullis, even the ramparts won’t be safe. We need to get over there, soon.” “I still don’t like it. I’ll wait here for any others, I’ll send them directly to the rendezvous.” “Right, I'll go ahead and reach the other doors. Emos, you give Altimis the report of the north wing; you know the most.” “Good luck Fletcher. Here, take my shield and strap it to your knee. We don’t need you to get crippled either.” “Aye, Emos. Altimis.” and with that Fletcher slowly worked his way towards his goal. When he came to the end of the wall he stopped and pulled off his belt. He strapped the shield to his knee with his belt and lay flat on the ground, he began to crawl. Emos and I watched as Fletcher crawled across the unprotected walk. We knew he had been seen when we began to hear yells from the ground below, now it was a matter of time to see if the plan would work. Fletcher slowly crept along like a worm along a branch, always keeping his body protected by the shields. Rhythmically, and steadily he crawled. “Altimis, what have you heard?” “All I know is what you told me, that the east wing is lost. I doubt the west wing will last much longer. I know that the town is gone, and there are snipers around the perimeter. Did I miss anything?” “You're a few facts short. There's been rumors that the undead, the ones raiding us, are intelligent. They say it's because of this that we were overrun so quickly.” “It had nothing to do with the vampires?” “I'm not saying that, but these zombies are more intelligent according to reports.” “That explains a lot.” “There is more. They think he's behind it all. They think he's leading this entire horde.” “The Knocker?” “He's not the Knocker, Altimis. His name is Quincy. His name is Lucas Quincy.” “His name was Lucas Quincy. They say he knocks, the survivors. When he raids a town, he goes door to door, knocking; looking for the last of the townsfolk.” “There's never any survivors, Altimis.” “I know, I know. But, if there aren't any survivors, how do we get the stories? I mean, the survivors tell the stories.” “They don't survive.” Chapter One - Part 3: We heard an arrow hit a shield, and we turned to see that Fletcher had ceased all movement. We heard another arrow deflect off of him, but we didn't see anything. Moments later another arrow deflected off of his shield; only, it wasn't an arrow. It was simply a rock. Shortly after, we saw another rock bounce off of his protective armor. “Rocks? Why are they throwing rocks?” I asked. “They are trying to confuse him. He can't tell the difference, he thinks he's surviving a bar... NO!” Fletcher was giving a sigh of relief when it happened. He released his tension, and his helmet suddenly jumped off his head. His body soon followed suit turning over and revealing the gruesome sight. An arrow had found its way to his head through the space between the shield and his shoulder. It flew under his arm and in through the neck, taking his helmet off in the process. I lunged forwards, but Emos held me back. “No, Altimis! The snipers! You can't!” He was right. I couldn't go and get Fletcher without also getting hit. Fletcher's body began to slide over the edge into the bailey. I again tried to get up, only to be stopped by Emos again. “It's not worth it Altimis.” When Fletcher's leg finally dropped from over the edge, the rest of his body followed. “Goodbye Fletcher.” Emos crawled over to the door, and worked his way back. “Altimis, we have to go. Apparently, western wing is overrun.” “What? But, King Nicholas, the others? You two were the only ones I have seen!” “Then we are going to be spending a lot of time together. We've got to move now.” I crawled over to the door myself and heard the unmistakable groaning of the undead. I closed the doors one at a time, saying goodbye to what was once my home. I needed to pull the portcullis down as well, to prevent the doors from being opened. “Emos, I need you to cover me.” “For what?” “I need to pull the portcullis down. Who knows where the snipers are, hold my shield and guard my back.” “I can do that, but we have to go after. No waiting around, when we get overrun we only have a short time to get as far away as we can.” “Understood. I'm ready when you are.” I looked down where Fletcher's body was on the ground. I might be next, it was up to Emos to decide that. “Alright. Here I go.” Together, Emos and I stood up, I pulled down hard, but it wouldn't budge. I hung limply from the iron bars, and it still wouldn't slide down. “What's wrong Altimis? Seal the doors.” “It's stuck, how else can I pull it down?” “The latches on both sides need to be released.” “I can't reach both at the same time. I can't do it.” “Forget it Altimis, we need to go now. Besides, the other doors are unsecured. If they're going to follow us, they're going to follow us. We need to move!” “Agreed, let's move.” We both got down on our arms and knees and began to work our way over the the north wall of the castle. As fortunate as it was that we were leaving the worst of the attack, I felt so alone now. Emos and I were the only two survivors from the castle, if that. What are two soldiers supposed to do against an army of undead? When we reached the bastion, we turned to find that the ramparts were still empty. Emos stood at the closed portcullis, while I climbed the stairs to the top of the bastion. I lifted up the loose stone tile and pulled the hidden lever. I could hear Emos lifting the portcullis underneath where I stood. “Altimis, get ready to lock the bars.” “Amen to that, I'm on my way Emos.” I pulled a thin string from out of my satchel. I tied one end around the lever, and I dropped the other end over the edge of the tower. I placed the stone lightly over the lever, so that it would settle in place after. Once we were gone, we were not coming back. I scrambled back down the stairs and grabbed my string once again. I stepped inside the locked stairwell and pulled the outer portcullis down behind me. We closed the doors, and pulled the second portcullis down behind that. With the little string still in my hand, I pulled hard and I could hear the locks click in place. I flicked the string I had and it dissipated. I turned my back to the door and slowly sat down. That magical string was given to me by Fletcher; I was never going to see either of them again. Chapter One - Part 4: “Altimis, we have to move. Who knows how long it will take them to find this.” “What are we going to do Emos? We're two people? What chance do we have?” “Whatever the chance, we have a better one if we move now.” “I'm staying here.” “No you're not, you're coming with me. You and me, we're going to make it out of here. We're going to... go up to the mountains. Live away from all of this. We will survive.” “Barely.” “Altimis, you know Fletcher wouldn't want to die just to see you die as well.” “But why should I try to survive now? Fletcher's gone now. Why should I press on?” “We'll have to figure that as we go, but if you give up now, you'll never know. Are you with me Altimis?” Emos held out his hand. I thought long and hard, before reaching up and accepting it. He pulled me up. “Then let's move on.” We turned around and found three swords pointed directly at us. “Living or dead?” “Felix? Is that you?” “Answer the question Emos.” “We are alive, we're both alive.” “We would greatly appreciate it if we can stay that way?” I stated. “Easy Felix, we heard their conversation. The dead don't talk, you know that.” a female voice stated. “I don't know what to think anymore, Natalie. Check their hearts, I want them beating.” “Relax, Felix,” a sword lowered and Natalie stepped up to us. She removed her gloves and reached up to our necks, “I'm sorry about Fletcher, Altimis. It must be difficult...” “I'm fine, forget about it.” Even in the very dimly lit stairwell, I could see a tear drop from Natalie's face. It caught whatever light it could as it fell, before shattering on the ground. Another reminder of what I had lost. A few moments later and Natalie wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. I gladly returned the favor. “Natalie...” “Be quiet, Felix! We're both alive.” Natalie, Fletcher and I were the same age when we joined to serve under King Nicholas. We met when we were being trained as guards, and we have worked closely ever since. We rose through the ranks until both Natalie and I were captains, and Fletcher was a personal guard to the king. Even though Fletcher was a personal guard to the king, there was little guarding to be had. The king always spent time in private meetings, and rarely left the castle. It was on the rare occasions that he did leave when Fletcher's rank was necessary. Other than that he was a captain, just like us. I held Natalie's head on my shoulder and stroked her blonde hair. He hair was braided intricately from the sides to the back; the pattern felt nice within my fingers. Her breath was warm and refreshing against my neck. I was grateful for her caring and understanding, but I was more grateful knowing that there was someone else who would miss Fletcher as much as I would. I put my hands on her shoulders, and looked into her eyes. “Thank you Natalie.” “That wasn't for you Altimis.” She looked down ashamed. “I know, that's why I'm saying thank you.” Natalie smiled slowly, and then turned back and began to walk down the staircase. We all followed her. “We have Dria with us as well, she's watching the far door, making sure we're safe to leave. I'm assuming that nobody else coming?” “No. We were the only ones,” I responded. “The eastern wing was overrun, and we waited as long as we could before abandoning the west wing.” “And you double-locked the doors?” “Yes. Who else is with us now?” “Oh, Edward. I forgot that we can't see right now.” “Nobody has any torches?” “We're afraid to light them. If there are any monsters in these halls, they would see us long before we would see them.” “Fair enough. How long is this passageway?” Emos asked when the stairs stopped going down. “You already know the answer to that Emos; we all do. We end up on the other side of Lake Vitior.” “We'll be traveling through the night!” “Yes, we will be walking for a long while, in the dark. I do not want any torches.” “Is that necessary Felix?” Natalie asked. “I don't know what is necessary anymore. I would rather everyone be angry and safe, than content and dead.” “Happily dead sounds very appealing.” I yawned. “Altimis, we are in serious danger here. Using torches would only alert them to our presence if they climbed in somehow.” “Nobody can climb in Felix.” “Not easily, but I'm sure it could happen. No torches. Besides, this tunnel is as straight as an arrow. We all know that.” “If we're traveling through the night what is Dria doing at the far end of the passage? How would she reach us in time to tell us if it wasn't safe? And what would we do if it wasn't; stay in here forever?” “She volunteered to guard the exit. I'm sure she would let us know as efficiently as possible if it were unsafe.” Chpater One - Part 5: “That's more than I can say for any of us.” Edward chuckled. “It's not amusing, Edward. If something were to happen to her we wouldn't know, and it would be hours before we found out. She's a very brave woman to be helping us all like that.” “I mean no disrespect Natalie. I am trying to keep our hopes up. If you haven't noticed, the world is beginning to burn.” “The world has been burning for a long time, Edward. Today is no different, except that now it is affecting you.” I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Now is not a time to start fighting with each other.” “I'm not fighting, I'm pointing out the truth. We all know it, we just ignore it. The land has been put into more and more chaos, with raids and bandits. Even King Nicholas was about to do something about it for Desqora. It's a shame this had to happen before he was able to.” “She's right you know. You don't think, this could have been sabotage, or a blatant attack from another kingdom?” “Who would do such a thing, Altimis?” “I don't know. Fletcher was always seeing the King to and away from important meetings. Suppose he was going to do something, and someone disagreed.” “We haven't heard from the Lord of Chalmolv in some time.” “Are we really discussing this? Who could do this, raising an army of the dead? Even if it did work, it would just expand to all of the land, and everyone would suffer.” “I disagree. I think this is an assassination. Just think, everyone knew he went by The Phoenix King into battle. Who wouldn't want to try and kill him, make a name for themselves?” “That's incredulous! Edward, what makes you think that?” “Look at what's happened. There have been three attacks all within the last month. Houldon, then Ghakim, then Shosune.” “Vitior.” “Vitior if you want to make it four. But notice the pattern; this army of undead has been working it's way to the castle all this time.” “That doesn't make it an assassination.” “How not, Altimis?” “What about all these reports of how intelligent this horde is? They started strong, and they kept attacking. What if this isn't the first kingdom they have conquered?” “How about we don't talk about this anymore,” Emos intervened, “I like the thought of being able to survive much better than arguing about how we're going to die.” Everyone agreed. We walked not only in darkness, but in silence also for the remainder of the trip. As dark as it was in the passage, we all knew it well. The King showed us before that the tunnel was long and straight. There was nothing wrong with it, no imperfections; just a long tunnel. Knowing that didn't make blindly traversing it any easier. We often stumbled over each our feet, but that was the extent of our mishaps. Walking in silence made me appreciate Natalie all the more; I hadn't let go of her hand. However, it did occur to me that maybe it was her not letting go of mine. Regardless, I appreciated it all the same. It was nice to be among good company, when the world was dark. Walking in darkness for hours, is daunting enough. Knowing that nothing awaits you at the end of it, is what often drives others to insanity. Fortunately for us, there were five of us and at the end of the tunnel, Dria. Unfortunately, that was it. I'm sure there were others in similar situations somewhere, having the same thoughts. That still didn't make it easier, knowing that the number of those situations were minimal, if any at all. I was the first one to break the silence after several hours. “What time was the castle besieged?” “Why does it matter Altimis?” “I'm just wondering if we should expect daylight or not. As terrible as everything is, daylight would be welcome.” “I don't know the answer to that. I don't think any of us do. It was dark, the dials only work during the day.” Edward stated. “Well, I know it was later than seven because that's when mine was finally unreadable. Judging by the chores I would assume the siege started between nine and ten.” Natalie gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “That helps, heaven knows how long we were actually holding off the horde for.” “Forty seven minutes.” “What Felix?” “The siege lasted just over forty seven minutes. Don't ask me why, but I was told that the last time this castle was besieged, the doors held for fifty minutes before breaking. I had someone count, when they reached forty five the doors began to splinter, I had my men abandon the doors and we just ran.” “You were in the west wing then, why didn't you secure the doors?” “When my men saw the damage done to the wall, nobody cared about securing the doors, everyone was worried about making it to the rendezvous. It was a massacre. The first man was hit and fell over the ledge. The next two ran at the same time and were hit simultaneously. They must have had at least two snipers. Natalie, Edward and I made it across by hanging over the ledge, and traversing the distance.” “I'm sorry, Felix. We lost Fletcher the same way. When I had gotten up to the ramparts, there was only one sniper, but more came when the sniper saw me. Fletcher came up with the idea of crawling across using shields as protection. They threw rocks at him, making him think they were firing at him. When they stopped, he relaxed and they got an arrow in just under his arm. Pushed him right over the edge. I never got to say goodbye.” “None of us did. But one thing is for certain. The siege lasted about fifty minutes before we arrived here. And you came shortly after that. You probably just missed us hiding in here.” “Thanks. Factoring in that, it should be about dawn when we get out of here. We might even get to see the sunrise.” “Don't get your hopes up on that Altimis. Daylight, certainly. But we're going to be in the middle of the forest. The next sunset at best. Sunrise is probably pushing it.” “Thanks Edward.” “No need to be snide. We've all had our disappointments, we don't need to add to them.” “You don't happen to know how long we've been walking do you Felix?” “Under six hours. We should be arriving any minute at the exit. I know it's a seven hour trip, but I didn't start counting right away, and I'd argue that we're moving faster than when we practiced.” “Faster?” Natalie inquired. “Certainly. When we traversed with the King, it was casual and almost entertaining. Now, we are frightened and worried. Despite traveling in darkness, I feel our pace is quicker.” “I can see that. So it should still be dark, the sun should just barely be hidden when we leave.” “That's good. The fog will give us cover and if we're lucky, it'll keep this hidden a little longer. Should we discuss a plan of action then?” “What's there to discuss? This was the rendezvous. It's just us. It's just you, me, Altimis, Natalie, and Emos.” “And Dria.” “Thank you Natalie, and Dria. What exactly do you expect us to come up with Edward?” “Wait, where is Dria?” I asked. “Somewhere out there, keeping watch. She's here. She has to be.” “That's fine, but do we leave automatically, or do we hover around the passage? When we leave, do we look for a town, or do we hold to the forest? When we travel, do we prefer the night or day? These are all things we need to think about to survive.” “But they're not things we need to think about right now.” “What better time to talk about it, than when we are safe and have time to talk about it?” “True, I would think that staying to the woods is safest. Who knows if the towns are safe, or even if they exist right now?” “So much for not thinking about it now, Felix.” “Well, it will help pass the time Emos. What else are we going to do in here? Sit in silence?” “Silence was nice. I liked the silence. Again, discussing our death does not appeal to me.” “This is different, we're planning on how to best live.” “It's still frustrating. I would prefer silence.” “Why?” “It gave me time to reflect on myself. What would've happened if I was in Fletcher's place? What would I have done, what do I think should happen?” “We shouldn't worry about that Emos. Fletcher died. Wondering what would've happened had you died instead doesn't help us at all.” “That's not entirely true. Say Fletcher told me to go instead of him, you would've been with Fletcher instead of me. That gives us a different set of skills to work with.” “You are not considering this.” “Well, think about it. We all have different skills. We all have strengths an weaknesses. Right now, focusing on what we add or subtract from the group is the most vital information we can have. It could save our lives, or it could pull us apart. This is something we should focus on.” “I think you're right Emos, I'm an excellent hunter.” “We all know that, then we have four sturdy warriors.” “Not exactly. I mean, that is correct, but we all have different specialties. Natalie is a skilled hunter. Felix is not only a warrior, but a strong leader. Altimis is quick on his feet and able to improvise. Edward is a planner and an architect. I dabble with the arcane arts. We all add something to the group, we need to utilize these differences in order to survive.” “We know all of this Emos. Why do you bring it up now?” “Besides you asking me, because we need to prioritize as well. If we were ambushed now. What would we do?” “We would run for our lives or die protecting each other,” Felix said. “Correct, but that's not what I'm talking about. Who would you defend first? For example, you are a solid leader, but you are unable to properly construct a shelter. You would desperately need Edward with you, if the group were to happen to split up. You see? Altimis, you are as shy as anyone I know when it comes to hunting. If you got separated you would desperately need Natalie to survive, otherwise you would probably starve. I'm not looking for answers, but if something were to happen and the group would split up, who would be needed and where in order to maximize our survival? That is what I am saying.” Everyone grew silent again, obviously pondering about Emos' words. He had brought up a point, but I feel that this point would put a wedge in the group, rather than keep it together. If we did walk into an ambush, everyone would be worried about their own survival and who would complement it more than actually helping the group as a whole. Maybe that wouldn't happen, but that was what I was worried about. I was going to voice my concern, but now I valued the new silence that much more. Chapter One - Part 6: The silence lasted a short while, until we heard a faint rumbling engulf us. It was us nearing the exit. The end of this tunnel leads into a small cavern atop a waterfall. Nothing fancy, but water has it's way of making noise. “Who's leading us?” Felix asked. “I'm behind you.” Emos replied. “Altimis and I are behind both of you.” “All this time I thought I was last, and Altimis and Natalie were behind me this entire time.” Emos retorted. “And me.” Edward stated from behind us. “I didn't know I was in the lead. Now I feel silly. Everyone move slowly now, any time no we'll come across... Oh, here it is. Ow. Edward, stop.” “I did stop. Emos was behind you.” “Emos, that hurt.” “Why did you stop?” “I didn't want to walk into the wall.” “There you go, now I walked into you instead.” “Felix, Emos. There are more pressing matters than this.” “Sorry Altimis.” “I think we should send one of us outside, to make sure the area is safe. Then we can all leave and readjust our eyes to the light.” “Edward, you made the plan, I nominate you go first.” “I won't deny that nomination, I'll head out at once. I don't know how though.” “Just push the wall open. Be quiet though, we don't know what is on the other side.” “Fine by me. Everyone, you might need to shield your eyes. You want to let your eyes adjust slowly.” We heard the door open, and we could see a lighter shade of black than we had all night. The waterfall was now deafening and we couldn't hear much else. Seeing as we were hidden in a cave, Edward pushed the door open all the way, letting us bask in the early dawn light; whatever of it had made it this far back in the cave. Edward turned back towards us, and gave a nod before wandering off to scout the surrounding area. As dim as this cavern was, it was still very appealing to be able to see something again. I turned to properly look at all of my comrades since the siege. Natalie was staring at me, probably doing the same as me. Her blonde hair was pulled into her usual braid. She starts from the side of her head and joins both sides in the back, leaving some strands free to flow. Today her face seem gaunt and pale, more so than usual. I could only assume what the siege has done to her as well as any of us. Her eyes held a burden partially due to lack of sleep, and partially because of the loss of a friend. The life seemed almost drained from her usually bright green eyes. Her armor reflected whatever light it could find. The iron scales covered her body, her thighs and her upper arms, but the rest of her arms were covered in a light leather. She wore loose and flowing white pants under the armor, and under that she always hid sturdy iron greaves. She wore leather boots to help muffle her feet while she was hunting. When Natalie noticed that I was still staring at her, she smiled and I looked away. Emos was sitting down leaning against the wall of the tunnel. His light brown hair was covering his ears, and sticking to the back of his neck. His face was atop of what would surely become a short beard. He was wearing a dark violet tunic covering his chain mail. Emos was never one to expose himself, and he considered blatantly wearing armor as exposing himself. We all knew that he was really more worried about how he looked in battle, rather than how he performed. We never knew why, but we believe that he had hopes of becoming a strong, charismatic leader one day. It made sense, but not being of royal blood has certainly put a damper on his spirits. I finally turned to Felix. Felix was a tall man and a natural born leader. He kept his brown hair clean and short. He, unlike Emos, was more than proud to display his protective gear. Often supporting a complete set of plate armor, just like he had tonight. He believed that you could never be too cautious, and wearing a heavy assortment of armor would deter any attacking foe. Emos disagreed. He believed that keeping your armor hidden would encourage assassins, but that your lack of death would flabbergast them enough for you to disable them. Both valid logic, but the two men were always at odds. I slowly slid down along the wall, my chain shirt rattling with me. I never caught on to the heavy armor, valuing agility myself. I was a quick thinker, and I liked having as many options available to me as possible. I only wore a half-suit of chain mail, and then I had scaled leggings and iron greaves. I was often criticized for my looks, but my prowess in battle was almost unmatched. On more dangerous battles I might don a plate cuirass, but I have only done that twice in my life. We heard hurried footsteps, and Edward ran into the tunnel. He closed the wall behind him and was breathing heavily. “Goodness Edward, what's out there?” Felix asked. “A horde. I don't know if it's the same from last night, but there are hundreds of undead shambling through the forest below.” “Where's Dria? Was she out there with you?” “I didn't see her Natalie. I don't know where she is.” “What are we going to do now?” I asked. “Right now we are safe as long as we stay in here. I have yet to meet a living person able to climb into this cavern. And I doubt any undead person would be able to. I suggest we stay here and wait this horde away. They didn't look like they were going to stay did they?” “No. Just lots of movement, it looks like they are just passing by.” “Good. We all need rest anyway. When we wake up we can check again, and hopefully will be able to move out. That said, I want all of us to stay in here, nobody leaves this tunnel until everyone is ready to leave. In the case of an emergency, I don't want anyone unaware. Is that understood?” Everyone agreed. I don't know how much longer I was awake for. I heard everyone shuffling around trying to avoid each other. I was so exhausted that I just slid lower to the floor, and within minutes was lost in sleep.

Author:	altimis [ Sat May 24, 2014 3:49 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
This entire time, I thought I gave you guys the entirety of Chapter One, so I was letting it sink in. Apparently that is not the case... oops. Next part! This is essentially "Meet the Cast" I introduce characters, give them a few traits to start with, and (FUN FACT) the conversation in darkness was a personal challenge of mine to characterize the characters enough that you could tell them apart through the dialogue. I wrote out everything, and if I couldn't tell who said what, I changed it a bit. Also, you'll recognize a lot of names of places (if you follow my YMTC business). The reason being, I recycle everything until something gets written down Part Four: “Altimis, we have to move. Who knows how long it will take them to find this.” “What are we going to do Emos? We're two people? What chance do we have?” “Whatever the chance, we have a better one if we move now.” “I'm staying here.” “No you're not, you're coming with me. You and me, we're going to make it out of here. We're going to... go up to the mountains. Live away from all of this. We will survive.” “Barely.” “Altimis, you know Fletcher wouldn't want to die just to see you die as well.” “But why should I try to survive now? Fletcher's gone now. Why should I press on?” “We'll have to figure that as we go, but if you give up now, you'll never know. Are you with me Altimis?” Emos held out his hand. I thought long and hard, before reaching up and accepting it. He pulled me up. “Then let's move on.” We turned around and found three swords pointed directly at us. “Living or dead?” “Felix? Is that you?” “Answer the question Emos.” “We are alive, we're both alive.” “We would greatly appreciate it if we can stay that way?” I stated. “Easy Felix, we heard their conversation. The dead don't talk, you know that.” a female voice stated. “I don't know what to think anymore, Natalie. Check their hearts, I want them beating.” “Relax, Felix,” a sword lowered and Natalie stepped up to us. She removed her gloves and reached up to our necks, “I'm sorry about Fletcher, Altimis. It must be difficult...” “I'm fine, forget about it.” Even in the very dimly lit stairwell, I could see a tear drop from Natalie's face. It caught whatever light it could as it fell, before shattering on the ground. Another reminder of what I had lost. A few moments later and Natalie wrapped her arms around me, holding me tight. I gladly returned the favor. “Natalie...” “Be quiet, Felix! We're both alive.” Natalie, Fletcher and I were the same age when we joined to serve under King Nicholas. We met when we were being trained as guards, and we have worked closely ever since. We rose through the ranks until both Natalie and I were captains, and Fletcher was a personal guard to the king. Even though Fletcher was a personal guard to the king, there was little guarding to be had. The king always spent time in private meetings, and rarely left the castle. It was on the rare occasions that he did leave when Fletcher's rank was necessary. Other than that he was a captain, just like us. I held Natalie's head on my shoulder and stroked her blonde hair. He hair was braided intricately from the sides to the back; the pattern felt nice within my fingers. Her breath was warm and refreshing against my neck. I was grateful for her caring and understanding, but I was more grateful knowing that there was someone else who would miss Fletcher as much as I would. I put my hands on her shoulders, and looked into her eyes. “Thank you Natalie.” “That wasn't for you Altimis.” She looked down ashamed. “I know, that's why I'm saying thank you.” Natalie smiled slowly, and then turned back and began to walk down the staircase. We all followed her. “We have Dria with us as well, she's watching the far door, making sure we're safe to leave. I'm assuming that nobody else coming?” “No. We were the only ones,” I responded. “The eastern wing was overrun, and we waited as long as we could before abandoning the west wing.” “And you double-locked the doors?” “Yes. Who else is with us now?” “Oh, Edward. I forgot that we can't see right now.” “Nobody has any torches?” “We're afraid to light them. If there are any monsters in these halls, they would see us long before we would see them.” “Fair enough. How long is this passageway?” Emos asked when the stairs stopped going down. “You already know the answer to that Emos; we all do. We end up on the other side of Lake Vitior.” “We'll be traveling through the night!” “Yes, we will be walking for a long while, in the dark. I do not want any torches.” “Is that necessary Felix?” Natalie asked. “I don't know what is necessary anymore. I would rather everyone be angry and safe, than content and dead.” “Happily dead sounds very appealing.” I yawned. “Altimis, we are in serious danger here. Using torches would only alert them to our presence if they climbed in somehow.” “Nobody can climb in Felix.” “Not easily, but I'm sure it could happen. No torches. Besides, this tunnel is as straight as an arrow. We all know that.” “If we're traveling through the night what is Dria doing at the far end of the passage? How would she reach us in time to tell us if it wasn't safe? And what would we do if it wasn't; stay in here forever?” “She volunteered to guard the exit. I'm sure she would let us know as efficiently as possible if it were unsafe.” Part Five: “That's more than I can say for any of us.” Edward chuckled. “It's not amusing, Edward. If something were to happen to her we wouldn't know, and it would be hours before we found out. She's a very brave woman to be helping us all like that.” “I mean no disrespect Natalie. I am trying to keep our hopes up. If you haven't noticed, the world is beginning to burn.” “The world has been burning for a long time, Edward. Today is no different, except that now it is affecting you.” I reached over and grabbed her hand. “Now is not a time to start fighting with each other.” “I'm not fighting, I'm pointing out the truth. We all know it, we just ignore it. The land has been put into more and more chaos, with raids and bandits. Even King Nicholas was about to do something about it for Desqora. It's a shame this had to happen before he was able to.” “She's right you know. You don't think, this could have been sabotage, or a blatant attack from another kingdom?” “Who would do such a thing, Altimis?” “I don't know. Fletcher was always seeing the King to and away from important meetings. Suppose he was going to do something, and someone disagreed.” “We haven't heard from the Lord of Chalmolv in some time.” “Are we really discussing this? Who could do this, raising an army of the dead? Even if it did work, it would just expand to all of the land, and everyone would suffer.” “I disagree. I think this is an assassination. Just think, everyone knew he went by The Phoenix King into battle. Who wouldn't want to try and kill him, make a name for themselves?” “That's incredulous! Edward, what makes you think that?” “Look at what's happened. There have been three attacks all within the last month. Houldon, then Ghakim, then Shosune.” “Vitior.” “Vitior if you want to make it four. But notice the pattern; this army of undead has been working it's way to the castle all this time.” “That doesn't make it an assassination.” “How not, Altimis?” “What about all these reports of how intelligent this horde is? They started strong, and they kept attacking. What if this isn't the first kingdom they have conquered?” “How about we don't talk about this anymore,” Emos intervened, “I like the thought of being able to survive much better than arguing about how we're going to die.” Everyone agreed. We walked not only in darkness, but in silence also for the remainder of the trip. As dark as it was in the passage, we all knew it well. The King showed us before that the tunnel was long and straight. There was nothing wrong with it, no imperfections; just a long tunnel. Knowing that didn't make blindly traversing it any easier. We often stumbled over each our feet, but that was the extent of our mishaps. Walking in silence made me appreciate Natalie all the more; I hadn't let go of her hand. However, it did occur to me that maybe it was her not letting go of mine. Regardless, I appreciated it all the same. It was nice to be among good company, when the world was dark. Walking in darkness for hours, is daunting enough. Knowing that nothing awaits you at the end of it, is what often drives others to insanity. Fortunately for us, there were five of us and at the end of the tunnel, Dria. Unfortunately, that was it. I'm sure there were others in similar situations somewhere, having the same thoughts. That still didn't make it easier, knowing that the number of those situations were minimal, if any at all. I was the first one to break the silence after several hours. “What time was the castle besieged?” “Why does it matter Altimis?” “I'm just wondering if we should expect daylight or not. As terrible as everything is, daylight would be welcome.” “I don't know the answer to that. I don't think any of us do. It was dark, the dials only work during the day.” Edward stated. “Well, I know it was later than seven because that's when mine was finally unreadable. Judging by the chores I would assume the siege started between nine and ten.” Natalie gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “That helps, heaven knows how long we were actually holding off the horde for.” “Forty seven minutes.” “What Felix?” “The siege lasted just over forty seven minutes. Don't ask me why, but I was told that the last time this castle was besieged, the doors held for fifty minutes before breaking. I had someone count, when they reached forty five the doors began to splinter, I had my men abandon the doors and we just ran.” “You were in the west wing then, why didn't you secure the doors?” “When my men saw the damage done to the wall, nobody cared about securing the doors, everyone was worried about making it to the rendezvous. It was a massacre. The first man was hit and fell over the ledge. The next two ran at the same time and were hit simultaneously. They must have had at least two snipers. Natalie, Edward and I made it across by hanging over the ledge, and traversing the distance.” “I'm sorry, Felix. We lost Fletcher the same way. When I had gotten up to the ramparts, there was only one sniper, but more came when the sniper saw me. Fletcher came up with the idea of crawling across using shields as protection. They threw rocks at him, making him think they were firing at him. When they stopped, he relaxed and they got an arrow in just under his arm. Pushed him right over the edge. I never got to say goodbye.” “None of us did. But one thing is for certain. The siege lasted about fifty minutes before we arrived here. And you came shortly after that. You probably just missed us hiding in here.” “Thanks. Factoring in that, it should be about dawn when we get out of here. We might even get to see the sunrise.” “Don't get your hopes up on that Altimis. Daylight, certainly. But we're going to be in the middle of the forest. The next sunset at best. Sunrise is probably pushing it.” “Thanks Edward.” “No need to be snide. We've all had our disappointments, we don't need to add to them.” “You don't happen to know how long we've been walking do you Felix?” “Under six hours. We should be arriving any minute at the exit. I know it's a seven hour trip, but I didn't start counting right away, and I'd argue that we're moving faster than when we practiced.” “Faster?” Natalie inquired. “Certainly. When we traversed with the King, it was casual and almost entertaining. Now, we are frightened and worried. Despite traveling in darkness, I feel our pace is quicker.” “I can see that. So it should still be dark, the sun should just barely be hidden when we leave.” “That's good. The fog will give us cover and if we're lucky, it'll keep this hidden a little longer. Should we discuss a plan of action then?” “What's there to discuss? This was the rendezvous. It's just us. It's just you, me, Altimis, Natalie, and Emos.” “And Dria.” “Thank you Natalie, and Dria. What exactly do you expect us to come up with Edward?” “Wait, where is Dria?” I asked. “Somewhere out there, keeping watch. She's here. She has to be.” “That's fine, but do we leave automatically, or do we hover around the passage? When we leave, do we look for a town, or do we hold to the forest? When we travel, do we prefer the night or day? These are all things we need to think about to survive.” “But they're not things we need to think about right now.” “What better time to talk about it, than when we are safe and have time to talk about it?” “True, I would think that staying to the woods is safest. Who knows if the towns are safe, or even if they exist right now?” “So much for not thinking about it now, Felix.” “Well, it will help pass the time Emos. What else are we going to do in here? Sit in silence?” “Silence was nice. I liked the silence. Again, discussing our death does not appeal to me.” “This is different, we're planning on how to best live.” “It's still frustrating. I would prefer silence.” “Why?” “It gave me time to reflect on myself. What would've happened if I was in Fletcher's place? What would I have done, what do I think should happen?” “We shouldn't worry about that Emos. Fletcher died. Wondering what would've happened had you died instead doesn't help us at all.” “That's not entirely true. Say Fletcher told me to go instead of him, you would've been with Fletcher instead of me. That gives us a different set of skills to work with.” “You are not considering this.” “Well, think about it. We all have different skills. We all have strengths an weaknesses. Right now, focusing on what we add or subtract from the group is the most vital information we can have. It could save our lives, or it could pull us apart. This is something we should focus on.” “I think you're right Emos, I'm an excellent hunter.” “We all know that, then we have four sturdy warriors.” “Not exactly. I mean, that is correct, but we all have different specialties. Natalie is a skilled hunter. Felix is not only a warrior, but a strong leader. Altimis is quick on his feet and able to improvise. Edward is a planner and an architect. I dabble with the arcane arts. We all add something to the group, we need to utilize these differences in order to survive.” “We know all of this Emos. Why do you bring it up now?” “Besides you asking me, because we need to prioritize as well. If we were ambushed now. What would we do?” “We would run for our lives or die protecting each other,” Felix said. “Correct, but that's not what I'm talking about. Who would you defend first? For example, you are a solid leader, but you are unable to properly construct a shelter. You would desperately need Edward with you, if the group were to happen to split up. You see? Altimis, you are as shy as anyone I know when it comes to hunting. If you got separated you would desperately need Natalie to survive, otherwise you would probably starve. I'm not looking for answers, but if something were to happen and the group would split up, who would be needed and where in order to maximize our survival? That is what I am saying.” Everyone grew silent again, obviously pondering about Emos' words. He had brought up a point, but I feel that this point would put a wedge in the group, rather than keep it together. If we did walk into an ambush, everyone would be worried about their own survival and who would complement it more than actually helping the group as a whole. Maybe that wouldn't happen, but that was what I was worried about. I was going to voice my concern, but now I valued the new silence that much more. Part Six: The silence lasted a short while, until we heard a faint rumbling engulf us. It was us nearing the exit. The end of this tunnel leads into a small cavern atop a waterfall. Nothing fancy, but water has it's way of making noise. “Who's leading us?” Felix asked. “I'm behind you.” Emos replied. “Altimis and I are behind both of you.” “All this time I thought I was last, and Altimis and Natalie were behind me this entire time.” Emos retorted. “And me.” Edward stated from behind us. “I didn't know I was in the lead. Now I feel silly. Everyone move slowly now, any time no we'll come across... Oh, here it is. Ow. Edward, stop.” “I did stop. Emos was behind you.” “Emos, that hurt.” “Why did you stop?” “I didn't want to walk into the wall.” “There you go, now I walked into you instead.” “Felix, Emos. There are more pressing matters than this.” “Sorry Altimis.” “I think we should send one of us outside, to make sure the area is safe. Then we can all leave and readjust our eyes to the light.” “Edward, you made the plan, I nominate you go first.” “I won't deny that nomination, I'll head out at once. I don't know how though.” “Just push the wall open. Be quiet though, we don't know what is on the other side.” “Fine by me. Everyone, you might need to shield your eyes. You want to let your eyes adjust slowly.” We heard the door open, and we could see a lighter shade of black than we had all night. The waterfall was now deafening and we couldn't hear much else. Seeing as we were hidden in a cave, Edward pushed the door open all the way, letting us bask in the early dawn light; whatever of it had made it this far back in the cave. Edward turned back towards us, and gave a nod before wandering off to scout the surrounding area. As dim as this cavern was, it was still very appealing to be able to see something again. I turned to properly look at all of my comrades since the siege. Natalie was staring at me, probably doing the same as me. Her blonde hair was pulled into her usual braid. She starts from the side of her head and joins both sides in the back, leaving some strands free to flow. Today her face seem gaunt and pale, more so than usual. I could only assume what the siege has done to her as well as any of us. Her eyes held a burden partially due to lack of sleep, and partially because of the loss of a friend. The life seemed almost drained from her usually bright green eyes. Her armor reflected whatever light it could find. The iron scales covered her body, her thighs and her upper arms, but the rest of her arms were covered in a light leather. She wore loose and flowing white pants under the armor, and under that she always hid sturdy iron greaves. She wore leather boots to help muffle her feet while she was hunting. When Natalie noticed that I was still staring at her, she smiled and I looked away. Emos was sitting down leaning against the wall of the tunnel. His light brown hair was covering his ears, and sticking to the back of his neck. His face was atop of what would surely become a short beard. He was wearing a dark violet tunic covering his chain mail. Emos was never one to expose himself, and he considered blatantly wearing armor as exposing himself. We all knew that he was really more worried about how he looked in battle, rather than how he performed. We never knew why, but we believe that he had hopes of becoming a strong, charismatic leader one day. It made sense, but not being of royal blood has certainly put a damper on his spirits. I finally turned to Felix. Felix was a tall man and a natural born leader. He kept his brown hair clean and short. He, unlike Emos, was more than proud to display his protective gear. Often supporting a complete set of plate armor, just like he had tonight. He believed that you could never be too cautious, and wearing a heavy assortment of armor would deter any attacking foe. Emos disagreed. He believed that keeping your armor hidden would encourage assassins, but that your lack of death would flabbergast them enough for you to disable them. Both valid logic, but the two men were always at odds. I slowly slid down along the wall, my chain shirt rattling with me. I never caught on to the heavy armor, valuing agility myself. I was a quick thinker, and I liked having as many options available to me as possible. I only wore a half-suit of chain mail, and then I had scaled leggings and iron greaves. I was often criticized for my looks, but my prowess in battle was almost unmatched. On more dangerous battles I might don a plate cuirass, but I have only done that twice in my life. We heard hurried footsteps, and Edward ran into the tunnel. He closed the wall behind him and was breathing heavily. “Goodness Edward, what's out there?” Felix asked. “A horde. I don't know if it's the same from last night, but there are hundreds of undead shambling through the forest below.” “Where's Dria? Was she out there with you?” “I didn't see her Natalie. I don't know where she is.” “What are we going to do now?” I asked. “Right now we are safe as long as we stay in here. I have yet to meet a living person able to climb into this cavern. And I doubt any undead person would be able to. I suggest we stay here and wait this horde away. They didn't look like they were going to stay did they?” “No. Just lots of movement, it looks like they are just passing by.” “Good. We all need rest anyway. When we wake up we can check again, and hopefully will be able to move out. That said, I want all of us to stay in here, nobody leaves this tunnel until everyone is ready to leave. In the case of an emergency, I don't want anyone unaware. Is that understood?” Everyone agreed. I don't know how much longer I was awake for. I heard everyone shuffling around trying to avoid each other. I was so exhausted that I just slid lower to the floor, and within minutes was lost in sleep.

Author:	altimis [ Sat May 24, 2014 9:38 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
I take pity on you all enough to give you the beginning of Chapter Two as well. Chapter Two - Part 1: This group. I know them, I am helping them; they are helping me too. They had lost someone, and they came to me for help. They lost Dria, and they were, are, hoping that I can find a way to help them find her. Yes, I remember now, Altimis and I came up here to find out where Dria was, and why she was taken. The more important question now is, where is Altimis, when I am so clearly alone? The dim orb of light is really paining my eyes, and I need to see if I can find a better light than this magical orb floating above me. I also realize that I don't know what time it is, I quickly climb the stairs to the second floor of this room. I attempt to look out this window, but the mosaic design is blurring the outside world. Regardless of what is outside, it is also dim only donating minimal light inside. I don't think there is a sun outside, or even if out of that window is outside. The light from outside never changes. It always stays this dim, all the time; as far as I can remember. I feel like I will go mad due to the lack of light before anything else in this room. I decide that I am desperate to find light enough that I will try another room. Disregarding my note, I finally decide to try upstairs. I walk back to the table, and I grab my book and my notes. I am not sure if I will need it, but I grab the quill and ink as well as some spare parchment for more notes; I apparently enjoy writing them. Once I am sure that I have everything I need, I turn to go up the stairs. I take a few steps up that dreadful staircase, before I reach another note. I put everything in my arms down, resting it on the staircase, and I read the note aloud. “You really don't want to go upstairs, signed by me again. Why am I writing these notes, and why can't I remember?” I hear more fluttering wings, louder this time. I quickly gather my things, and I stumble back to my seat. Apparently, I wanted myself to stay here for some reason. I can't remember why. I feet like it should be easy to remember, but that I just can't remember it right now. I just have that uncomfortable feeling that I am forgetting something obviously important, something extremely vital. Maybe it has to do with Altimis' disappearance? I sit down back at my desk and spread my plethora of pages out in front of me. The book I am reading is titled, “The Return of the Phoenix King”. The name doesn't stand out to me particularly, but it has the note inside saying it is what I need. I open it again, to where I stopped and begin to read once more.

Author:	altimis [ Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:17 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
I really should more diligent in this. Doing smaller bits more often rather than large bits less often. I'll work on that... no promises. Continuing (and finishing) chapter two! Part 2: “Altimis, are you awake?” “Now I am. What's going on, what's wrong?” “You've been asleep longer than anyone else. We were getting worried.” “And hungry.” “Edward... true. If you are awake, I can go hunting while you all set up camp.” “We're leaving the tunnel?” “We don't know for sure yet, but if it's clear outside, we will. We need food.” “Fine, I'm up. Let's get moving.” With that, the wall was opened and Natalie left the tunnel. It was brighter than when we had last opened the wall. I must have been asleep for an entire day. With the new light I could see that everyone was crouched and ready to go, I decided that it would be best to follow their lead. As soon as I was steady on my feet, Natalie returned and nodded for us to follow her. We all left silently, and closed the door behind us. We followed her until we reached the edge of the cavern hidden by the falling water. The sky was just beginning to brighten but was still young. The forest was covered in a thick mist. We all looked at Felix as he was scrutinizing the forest. It was difficult to see through the fog, but one thing was clear, the forest was empty for now. Felix drew in a deep breath before turning to all of us. We knew what he was thinking. Once we left, there would be no way to return. Once we left, we would be unable to secure our safety. He nodded; we were entering the world once again. We walked under the waterfall slowly. Letting it soothe and refresh our bodies. The water was cold, and it helped wake me up even more. When we were on the other side, we climbed down a few rocks before reaching the point of no return. It was a severely steep wall. It was tall enough that one could slide down easily, but it would take four or five men to even help one man scale the wall. Four or five men that the rock below us couldn't support. We all slid down without incident and Natalie walked of into the forest while the rest of us were straightening out. Even though we knew we had to find or build shelter, we also knew we had to wait for Natalie to return. We were hungry for one, but if we left, in this mist, Natalie might not be able to find us. We waited in relative silence as the sky slowly ignited in color. We weren't able to see the sun rise, through the canopy, but patches of the sky and the clouds were visible the entire time. Once the sky returned to its usual blue color, the mist in the forest began to slowly lighten over time. Edward and Felix left to gather fire wood and other natural supplies leaving Emos and myself to guard the waterfall. Not wanting to bore, I walked around clearing out overgrown areas for a fire pit, a small area for a shelter and an area for the firewood. Emos sat on a rock thinking deep. I was always curious as to his thoughts, but now was not the time to talk. We needed to stay as hidden as possible until we could secure ourselves once again. When I had finished clearing out our camp site, I stripped myself and climbed into the pool beneath the waterfall. It was chilling, but necessary. I focused first on cleaning myself, but then I had a little bit of fun. I followed some of the fish that had come upstream, and I tried to reach the bottom of this pool; I couldn't. After my time in the water, I dressed in my pants and molded myself against a boulder on the edge of the pool. I was basking in whatever light the forest would grant me. I must have fallen asleep again, because I awoke when water had splashed my face. Natalie was sitting on the edge with her feet in the water, while Felix and Emos were bathing themselves. Natalie was without her armor, and she had on a lavender shirt. Natalie smiled at me, before splashing my face once again. I quickly sat up and hugged her, before pulling us both into the water. When our faces broke the surface again, we were both splashing each other as quickly as we could. Felix and Emos gave us a wide girth, not wanting to get caught in our game. We exhausted ourselves quickly and jumped out of the water again, leaving the men to their bath. Edward gave us an acknowledging glance before returning to his work. He was building a perimeter using some fallen logs, and several trees as support. I found a pile of rabbits and squirrels next to my armor and shirt. I gave Natalie another hug, before throwing on my shirt, and going over to help Edward with his task. I don't know how he did it, but Edward was using a combination of rope and nails to hold up random wood he found in the forest. For the bigger pieces he used rope to tie it and hold it in place, for the thinner pieces he hammered scraps of metal into it with a hand-sized rock. It wouldn't stand the test of time, but it was decent wall to last us a day or two. Once everyone had bathed and was dry again, we built a small fire so we could cook our food. I volunteered to keep look out while everyone was preparing the dead animals. We were going to save the fire for later, so we could eat later, but we feared what a fire would represent in the dark of night. We feared that it would attract some undead, or even just aggressive animals. Despite being our first day in light, we collectively had spoken less than a dozen words among each other. As good as today has been, we knew we weren't truly safe. The others brought me over some food once it was ready, and I happily ate my meal. As soon as we were done with dinner, we put out the fire and went to work constructing a small shelter. We dragged some of the longer logs and leaned them against the side of the waterfall. That gave two of us enough room to sleep under and withstand some of the weather. I helped finish it by putting some of the grass I had collected and topping that with some dirt and water. It was far more appealing than it sounds. We did this one more time nearby. Edward was about to start another one, but Felix stopped him and shook his head. Edward turned around and Felix held up one finger. Edward nodded and dropped the log. Felix walked away and passed me. I quickly muttered, “I'll do it.” Felix stopped and turned to me; I nodded to confirm. He kept walking and left our designated perimeter. Everyone else followed him, leaving me alone in the camp. I was left alone to my thoughts for a while; I could see why Emos valued it so. I sat at the edge of the pool and stared into the rippling water. The clear water allowed you to see the depths of the pool, despite the bottom being over fifty feet deep. The cascading water that disrupted the pool, gave you a very shattered sight of the canopy above. Water was a curious element to study. It's vital to the survival of everything in the world, and yet it acts very differently depending on where it is, what is inside and so on. The water calmed slightly reflecting my face quickly, before breaking with a large cascading splash. Startled, I sat upright, and I saw that there was a large stone falling to the bottom of the pool. I looked around to see if someone had thrown it; I saw no one. I looked up to see if I could find where it fell from; I found nothing. Suddenly, one of the boulders atop the waterfall moved out of my line of sight. Someone was watching me. I stood up and tried to follow the mysterious object, but I couldn't find anything. I certainly couldn't follow it, and I didn't even know if it was actually something. What if it was just me remembering everything wrong, a trick of the mist? It certainly wouldn't be the first time that happened to someone, let alone me. I continued to stare at where I thought I saw a boulder move, but nothing happened. I stood craning my neck, and all I could see was rocks and the forest canopy. There was nothing there. I would've been more worried, but considering I hadn't been attacked by this mysterious thing, I was relaxed by this point. It must have been a trick of the light, or the mist, or just some boulder rolling away. I sat back in front of the pool and continued to wait. The others slowly trickled back into our camp. First came Edward and Emos, a while later came Felix, and finally just before the sky began to darken, Natalie came back carrying some more dead animals. More rabbits and squirrels, and she had a snake too. The men had grabbed more wood, and began to fill in some of the larger holes that Edward's and my first attempt had left. It made me, and everyone else, more comfortable having a more stable wall during the night. The sky continued to darken, and the wall was looking better and better over time. For a single days work, it looked very secure. Nobody would want to live behind it, but staying for a few nights would be okay. When we had finished filling in the wall, we were left with one central opening. The concept was simple, one way in; one way out. It made it easier for me to guard as well. When the night had finally overcome the day, everyone went into their respective shelters, if that is the best way to say it. Natalie and Edward crawled into the one nearest the pool, while Felix and Emos took the farther one. I turned towards the entrance, and stood at the point of entry. The forest looks much bigger during the night, especially with a light fog obscuring your vision. I heard some noise, some cracking twigs, coming from behind me. I quickly turned around with my hand on my sword. Emos was carrying his clothes and he was making his way to the closest shelter. He leaned his head inside and I could hear the whispers of conversation. After a few remarks, Edward climbed out of his shelter and swapped places with Emos. I chuckled to myself, Emos and Felix would never get along. I turned back to face the vast darkness that would be the rest of my night, I pulled Natalie's bow from over my shoulder, and I leaned the quiver of arrows against the wall. It was going to be a long night. Part 3: The mist drifted by as an amorphous pattern. When I wasn't investigating odd noises, I made it my goal to spot how many different shapes I could floating through the forest. When I grew bored of finding clouds, I began to track the moon as best I could. I studied it for a while through the branches when I could see it. The moon was so small, but it produced so much light. It was a wonderful oddity that we could rely on at night. It made me reflect on the previous night being holed up in the tunnel, in complete darkness. It was difficult walking down the tunnel without light. Even though I knew that it was a straight and narrow tunnel, I kept worrying about running into that random thing. You know that the walls don't move, but when you can't see them, you feel like you're always going to walk into them. Complete darkness is terrifying in it's own right, but being able to barely see is just as terrifying, if not more. The moon provided me with enough light to see the outline of trees, and that's really all it gave me. The mist also obscured my vision, and that built a solid fear inside of me. Something could be silently moving out in the forest and I wouldn't even know it. Or nothing could be out among the trees, and I would think there was. Either way I was frightened. I was personally praying for my fear to be irrational, though it made me feel like a fool, it made me feel that much more comfortable. Fortunately, my prayer was answered. The night was uneventful, there was just noises and mist. When the sky began to brighten again, I turned around towards camp. Nobody was up yet to see the sunrise. I turned back to face the suns birthplace, and calmly waited until it rose. The sky was beginning to erupt with color, when Natalie's hand found my shoulder. She sat down next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. I returned the favor, and she laid her head on my shoulder. The sun was a brilliant painter today. The oranges and yellows were weaving themselves among the maroons and red. The clouds were ablaze with light, color and hope. The sky remained unaffected by the plague below. The sky was a reflection of all the dreams and prayers of those affected by this horrible world. The world has fallen, but the sky is what makes us look up; the sky is what gives us hope. That and the person leaning on my shoulder. I gently squeezed her, and I leaned down to kiss her forehead. When the sky returned to it's normal blue, Natalie stood up and left me for the pool. The lightening forest was much less foreboding; the mist was beginning to disperse once again. I heard footsteps behind me and found that both Felix and Edward were awake, probably coming to relieve me. Felix put is hand on Edwards shoulder, and Edward shook his head. Felix scowled momentarily and then beckoned me over to the small shelter. I handed Felix the bow, and showed him where I had put the quiver before removing my armor. I walked over to the shelter and ducked inside. I was tired and cold, and being able to sleep for a while would help me relax; it would calm my nerves and release me of the pain inside my soul. I would take any distraction that I could. I left my armor by my head and used it as a small pillow. I rolled on my side and closed my eyes, but the sunlight was too bright of me. I removed my shirt as well and folded it over my eyes. Before I laid down again, I heard Natalie whisper. “Would you like company?” “We shouldn't really talk right now.” “That's fine, I can leave.” “You can stay. I don't mind.” “I'll wait for you to sleep, you deserve some company after last night.” she whispered as she crawled inside next to me. I laid down again, but instead of my chain pillow I found Natalie's arm. It was still moist, but it was soft and smooth and much more comfortable than metal. She wrapped herself around me, and she became my blanket. Her shirt was damp as well, but it was oddly warm. Her breath was steady and welcome. It gave me something to focus on as I tried to trick myself into sleeping. My mind was racing ever since Fletcher was shot, the look on his face ingrained in my mind. Natalie's presence calmed me as I began to drift away. “NO!” I could see Fletcher relaxing his body after the barrage of rocks had ceased. His spine lowered and his arms shifted slightly. Snap. I heard the sound of the arrow releasing from it's owners bow. I could only stare in the eternity it took for the arrow to reach it's target. The arrow entered in between the shield and his body, just under the arm. It flew through his neck, just beneath the chin and left his head entirely. The helmet rode the arrow a short distance before the weight dropped it to the ground. Fletcher was forced onto his back from the impact, blood gushing from what would be a fatal wound. At this point, time stood still, except for me and Fletcher. “Altimis? Altimis, save me.” I lurched forwards no longer being restrained by Emos. I couldn't find the strength to stand, so I crawled all the way to Fletcher's side. His face was contorted with pain, and the life was draining from his neck quickly. “Altimis, save me.” he sputtered painfully. “I can't. I don't know how?” I held his head in my arms, and I held him close. His life was coloring my arms, and his face was whitening unnaturally fast. His brown eyes were losing their light. “Altimis. Please. Save me. Save... me please.” He coughed, and thick maroon was all that would come up. His body was struggling to breathe, until finally he began to writhe without oxygen. I began to sob, struggling to hold his head in my hands; suddenly I was back against the wall with Emos. I was watching it all again. Fletcher's face was retaining all of his fear from being hit, he was afraid to die. I could see his mouth moving. Though I was unable to physically hear the words, they rang like bells in my head. I watched his body struggle to breathe and then his legs convulse until they began to slip over the edge. Slowly, I saw his body fall, but this time into darkness. I leaned over the edge and reached out my hand, and I was pulled into the void as well. The darkness was all encompassing; the darkness was the madness of us all. “ALTIMIS! SAVE ME!” Part 4: A piece of roasted rabbit was waiting for me outside. I could smell it before I woke up. The scent permeated into my shelter, smoking me out of my resting place. I removed my shirt from my eyes, and I put it on properly. The sun had disappeared behind some clouds for the time being, but it was still bright out. I left the shelter to attend the meal that had started without me. Emos was standing guard, but everyone else smiled as I approached. Felix handed me a large piece of rabbit when I sat down by the fire. Natalie was cooking up two more rabbits above it. The delicious scent filled my nose and made my mouth begin to water. She looked up and laughed at my ravenous eyes. My mouth was drenched in whatever sauce she put on the rabbit legs, and I could feel it dribbling down my chin. My face was a mess. Emos let out a shrill cry, “GAH! Ambush,” but by then it was too late. Before any one could react, there were arrows in the air. I heard the thud before I felt the pain of the arrow entering my legs. I looked around and saw that the others had arrows in their legs. The pain slowly increased, as I began to figure out what was happening. I tried to get up and grab my gear, but the arrows were lodged deep into the ground. Considering the skill and uniqueness of the ambush, I'd say that the arrows were immobilizing all of us. I suspected that several vampires would come through the walls to finish their task. As if on cue, a band of four vampires walked casually into camp, one of them stopping to drag Emos in with them. One of the vampires walked by each of us, looking deep into our faces. When he came to me, I could smell the scent of the dead on his body, and on his breath. His face was pale, but otherwise normal. I struggled to move my legs and he smiled, revealing a row of exquisite white teeth. “Are you a vampire?” “Of course miboy, years older than you I'd imagine. Are you enjoying our skills?” “Not entirely. Are you going to stare me to death, or are you going to do something?” “Feisty. You've fire in your veins boy. I shall enjoy my feast tonight.” When he had inspected everyone's face he turned back to his group. There were three female vampires waiting for his orders, all dressed in dark or black leathers. Their armor was rather intimidating being adorned with spikes and horns of different assortments. From what I understood, vampires favored intimidation and theatrics. They tended to be dramatic and found entertainment in whatever way they could. Upon closer inspection, I realized that one of the vampires in the group was Dria! I was shocked to see her among the undead, but she was unmistakable. Her long black hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and her cold gray eyes were unforgiving. What truly gave her away, was an intricate tattoo on her right arm. Nobody knew what it was, what it symbolized, or even how to best describe it. It was a pattern of some sort, that decorated her arm. That's all we knew about it. I looked around to see if anybody else had recognized Dria, and I saw Natalie looking at me. She gave me a look of restraint, desperation; was she silencing me? Did she know Dria was a vampire this entire time? Was Natalie a vampire herself? I didn't know what to think at the moment, but I knew that I trusted Natalie, or at least I thought I trusted her, so I kept to myself. I began to pay attention to the conversation the vampires were having, they were arguing over who would eat which of us. “But Fidel, it has been months since I have had young blood.” “Rabiah, Vixen deserves the young blood. She hasn't fed for days. It will benefit her more.” “Dria, you take that one,” he said pointing to Felix, “and I'll drain this one,” he said standing behind Edward. “Rabiah, I would like you to stand guard for now?” “I will stand guard Fidel, I feasted the day before, I cannot drink more yet. It would spoil my savory meal.” “Fine, Rabiah you take him. I hope we are done? I grow hungry.” Dria stood by the entrance to our camp, while the vampires approached their respective victims. I wasn't paying close attention to what my companions were saying, but I know that I wouldn't let them die before me if I could help it. “What's wrong with me? Are you scared I'm going to fight back?” Fidel chuckled. “Miboy, you are immobilized, you are unarmed. How do you plan to fight back? Are you going to stare me death? As for why you are untouched,” he came over and stood on my hands, and leaned in close to my neck, smelling me, “your blood is precious, and we need it fresh. We shall dry you tonight in a feast. Would you like me to explain?” When he drew close, I slammed my head against his. He withdrew quickly, and gave a quick backhand to my face. It felt as though someone had clubbed me with a rock. “You will hang from your feet, allowing the blood to rush to your head, and we shall bleed you like a pig. Slowly, so that you can feel hopeless, as the life drains from your veins. I cannot wait for tonight miboy. Tonight, you feed dozens. Tonight, you serve a greater purpose than yourself. But now,” he said walking over towards Edward, “I feast!” He held Edwards throat tightly, and he drew a bloodstained dagger from his pocket. He drew a line across his throat as he struggled to breathe. Fidel was laughing, watching the blood ooze out slowly from the wound. I could see Rabiah doing the same to Felix, I feared the worse for Natalie, but she seemed to have the best of them. Vixen, had tied her arms together, and was sniffing her wildly. She threw her face down on the ground, and ripped open the back of her shirt. She pointed at a large scar that spanned her left shoulder to her upper arm. “Fidel, we might have trouble. Ahh, my sweet. You are part of a triad, I see. I am so sorry. Send my regards to your companion.” “You can tell me yourself, you hedge-born whelp!” before anybody could respond, Dria had thrust a dagger of her own deep into Vixen's heart. Fidel turned around whipping his dagger at Dria, but she had already jumped away. I turned to see Rabiah knocking an arrow, only to be flattened by a rolling stone. I looked atop the waterfall and saw group of men cheering for the hit. One of the men was rapidly descending the cliff, eager to join the battle. “You traitorous witch! What have you done? You think you can defeat me? Then come, we shall duel!” Fidel was screaming, wielding a serrated blade. Dria lunged at him from a tree branch with a short blade of her own, along with her arm dagger. Though the clashing steel was agonizing to hear, the ferocious battle between two vampires was amazing to see. Vampires are dangerous predators. I don't remember exactly why, but when you become a vampire, you don't age, and you become stronger and faster. Again, I don't know why, but they also have to drink blood, fresh blood, once a month. If they don't, they lose themselves to blood lust and go irrevocably berserk. Vampires were often used as spies in times of war, valued for their skill, stealth and power. The scariest part about vampires, is that there are no distinguishing marks that differentiate a vampire from a human. They look the same, they act the same. There are only very few differences between vampires and humans. Vampires have immense potential, and they don't bleed when they are injured. Those are the two differences between humans and vampires. That, and that vampires need to drink blood. I was lost as far as who to trust now, but I wanted to get away from the sharp blades for sure. I painfully pulled the arrows out of the ground. I struggled to move my legs, but the arrows had somehow paralyzed them. I don't know if it was poison or just tactical planning, but my legs were useless as of now. I felt a pair of hands pulling under my shoulders, I struggled at first, but gave up when I realized that I couldn't move much else but my arms. “Calm yourself, we are your allies.” a familiar voice said. The shrouded man who had pulled me away from the battle, left me leaning against the edge of the pool. He went to bring Natalie here as well. Emos was back here as well, but Felix and Edward were left alone. I turned back to our mysterious ally, and found that he had joined the battle with a long sword. In an unfair duel, surely they could win. Fidel fought viciously, and was very agile. Even though this mysterious man had joined, it was still mostly just Dria fighting Fidel. The dynamics of two against one certainly made Fidel more awkward in his movements, but it was clear that he was more skilled than either of them. However, they had managed to corner him against the wall and the side of the waterfall, and it looked like he was going to lose. The mysterious man lunged in with his sword, but Fidel simply stepped aside breaking his arm and grabbing the sword in the process. With a simple motion, he deflected Dria's attack, and used the man's own sword to stab him in the back. He left the sword in it's grave and the man fell to his knees. Dria had managed to stab Fidel in the arm with her arm dagger, but Fidel had grabbed her by the throat and threw her on the ground besides the slouched figure. Dria crawled until her back was against our pitiful attempt at a wall. “I certainly hope you have some last words Dria. I would not be able to steal your life without some glorious end. What shall they be.” He taunted her stepping forwards. He held his blade in her face, the point embedded against her neck. She gasped and smiled smugly. “Make sure, that when you kill someone, you kill them.” with that, the slouched figure suddenly lunged at Fidel. He used the sword protruding through his gut, to slice into Fidel and to give Dria the upper hand. She quickly jumped up and sent her arm dagger into an unbalanced Fidel's heart. He clutched at the wound, and fell down abruptly. He twitched drastically, before stiffening. The deed was done. Dria reached out to help her partner up off the ground. He turned away from her and she pulled the sword out from his back with a sickening noise. I had to turn away. Part 5: Natalie began to rub my back, knowing that I was struggling to keep my wits about me. This is the very reason I can't hunt animals, or prepare the recently deceased animals. Cooking long dead, or skin-free animals was fine, just not the gutting or killing, or any of that business. Natalie was carefully massaging under my shoulders, when the man came over and crouched in front of me. “This will help you Altimis, but it's going to hurt.” he said as he reached down with his unbroken arm and pulled the first arrow out of my leg. I screamed loudly enough to miss the sound of the second arrow ripping out of my leg. “Those vampires had deadly aim. It's a shame they weren't working for us. Can you stand, Altimis?” the man asked, he reached his hand down offering it to me. I grabbed it and helped myself carefully up. Once I was steady, and was sure that I wasn't going to be sick, I opened my mouth. “Why did you help us? Who are you?” “Help you? We were brought here, Dria showed us where the ambush would take place. Besides,” the man said taking down his hood, “what else are brothers for?” It was Fletcher. I pushed away from him, tripping over a rock. I fell hard onto my back, and began to crawl away. This was not the response that Fletcher expected, if he really was Fletcher.. I could see it in his eyes, the fear, and the pain of rejection. “Altimis? What are you doing?” “Stay away from me!” “What?” “I saw you die. I SAW YOU DIE! I don't know what you're doing here, and I don't know what your plan is, but you're not my brother! Stay away from me!” Natalie reached out to soothe me, but I backed away from her as well. “You all stay away from me!” I had finally backed up against the wall, and I leaned my head in my hands and began to sob; I felt confused, I felt betrayed, I felt alone. I was alone. I didn't know who to trust anymore, I didn't know what to do. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, and I reached up to it in gratitude. It's owner knelt down besides me, and whispered into my ear; it was Dria. “You deserve an explanation Altimis, it would probably be best coming from me, if you would have me?” I looked up at her, and found that her facial expressions were not as cold as they were minutes ago; I could see kindness and love in her eyes. Natalie was standing next to Fletcher and they were both watching me. Other people were tending to the others of our group. I nodded through my tears, and relaxed as best I could. I sighed and stared at the ground ready to listen. Dria delicately held my hands before continuing. “Unfortunately, we have to speak while we walk Altimis. We do not have the luxury of time on our side. The Amri'Chan are on their way, and your two friends aren't going to make it. We need to bind your wounds, and we need to move now.” I nodded once again, and she stood up and walked towards the others. Fletcher helped me up. “Altimis?” “I need more time. I'm sorry, but leave me alone.” “I can do that,” he said walking after me, “but what about Natalie? You can't just ignore her, think of how she feels right now.” “I don't care how anyone feels right now, but me. I'm sorry to say it, but what about me? Sometimes, it is about me.” “That's selfish Altimis.” “Well, what else am I supposed to do? Dria is a vampire, Natalie knew that. Dria and her group just killed two of my friends, how does that make me feel! You're dead, and yet you're standing here in front of me, having a conversation! You're dead! And you're here! Talking to me. Saving me. Saving us. You saved us. And I thank you for that, now leave me alone!” “Fine!” I walked over to those who were helping the others. I was uneasy about having these others help us. Given Fletcher's status, I was sure they were undead as well, but they were helping us for the time being. One of them was a wizard and he had cast a spell of levitation underneath Edward and Felix. They were both dead. Emos had a splint on each of his legs, as did Natalie. They offered to support my legs, but I refused; I was well enough for now, and twice as stubborn. “Alright, is everyone ready?” Fletcher called out to the group. The general consensus was yes, but Dria walked over to me one again. “You'd best splint your legs Altimis. We have a rather grueling trek. Not too long only a few hours, but mostly uphill.” “I think I can manage. Are we going up to the Maid of the Mount?” “Yes. Our garrison is housed inside.” “Inside? There is no inside to the Maid of the Mount.” “You just haven't looked enough.” She said smiling at me. “We're ready Fletcher. Let's move!”

No Goblins Allowed http://862838.jrbdt8wd.asia/

[STORY] The Phoenix King http://862838.jrbdt8wd.asia/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=3375	Page 1 of 2

Author:	altimis [ Fri Jul 04, 2014 12:06 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Woo! I was paying attention this time! Here we are with the beginning of Chapter Three; we start learning about some backstory, and about the world development (how my versions of monsters differ from normal). Part 1: Maid of the Mount, that's where I am, I think. Now that I think about it, I really don't think I'm in the Maid of the Mount. This place is connected to it, but not within it. It gets confusing because teleportation gets involved. I could be anywhere. The waypoint though, that is housed at the Maid of the Mount. So they are trying to get here, wait, no they were here already, and I have helped them. Are they going to help me too? I feel terrible because I have lost Altimis, and I don't know where he is. He could be upstairs, but for some reason I have been telling myself to stay downstairs. I don't know why, but I keep finding these notes. Is there something dangerous upstairs? No, it can't be dangerous, otherwise it would've eaten me by now. However, there must be a serious reason why I've wanted to keep myself downstairs, and also why I can't remember any of it. Maybe, the two are connected? Maybe, if I go upstairs, I will remember what happened. Maybe, if I remember what happened, I will understand what is currently happening. Maybe, if I understand what is currently happening, I will want to forget all over again. Maybe, I've been through this several times. No, I must stay downstairs for now. But I am still searching for something, and I have apparently searched this entire floor. According to me I should both go upstairs and not go upstairs, this is all very confusing. I decided that I am going to go upstairs. I need to find Altimis, I think he is what I am looking for. I can't go downstairs and he is obviously not in this room. All I have is this book that says it's what I'm looking for, but I really don't know; I don't remember. The book! I walk back to my desk, and sit down. I once again flip to where I was in the book. This book is about those whom I'm trying to help, maybe it has the answers I seek. I'm looking for Altimis, and this is following Altimis, so I'll understand by reading it. It makes perfect sense! Mostly. I don't know what I'm looking for exactly. All I know, is that I wanted myself to read this. It's very confusing to not remember anything, why don't I remember anything I wonder? If I don't find what I'm looking for, I can always go upstairs later. I turn back towards the stairs. They are clean except for some pieces of parchment. Notes; I'm sure I left those there as well, but I would check those later. Now, I want to read, and to try and understand what I am supposed to do. I don't remember, and I want to. Part 2: Everyone trudged slowly out of our campsite. Fletcher took the lead, with Natalie at his side. They were followed by the wizard with Edward and Felix. Emos was guarded by the three other men in Fletcher's group. Dria and I were coming up last. Upon leaving the camp, we turned left following the cliff face of the waterfall. “Are you ready Altimis?” “I've been waiting. Yes. I am.” “Then, I must ask you, what you know first. It will make it easier if I know what you know.” “I don't know what I know anymore.” “Then tell me what you think you know.” “The undead are raiding our land. They besieged the castle. Fletcher died and is back, I don't know how. I know that you are a a vampire and that Natalie knew it, and maybe others did too. Edward and Felix are dead, and we're going to, into, the Maid of the Mount.” I paused. “Is that all?” “No. Thank you.” “For what?” “You saved us. I don't know why I'm even talking to you now, I feel betrayed. But you offered me answers, and I can trust that. For some reason I trust that you will give me what I'm looking for. And with that hope, I know that I'll be saying sooner rather than later. So, thank you.” “You are welcome Altimis. I will do my best to explain my end of the story. I don't know exactly where to begin, so I will start by stating that not all of the undead are the same.” “How does that work? What happened with Fletcher?” “How familiar are you with the soul Altimis?” “I don't know. Everyone has one.” “Mostly correct, but it's a start. I guess I will start with me then. Do you know how people become vampires, or even why?” “I do not.” “Have you ever wanted to live forever?” “Heavens no! Why would I want to?” “And that's why you're not a vampire,” she chuckled. “To become a vampire you must partake a blood ritual. It is a powerful and ancient magic that contains your soul, and houses it in your heart. Nobody knows exactly how it works, most magic tends to be this way, but the soul limits us in life.” “The soul limits us?” “Not exactly, but yes. The soul is what gives you your humanity. It limits the extent of your physical and emotional capabilities. The soul is what causes our bodies to age, it is what gives us a limit to our strength and endurance. It makes us human. It is what makes us enjoy the passion and emotion of day to day tasks. Without it, you live forever, there is no limitation to your strength except for that of nature and you become truly emotional. You become a connoisseur of passion.” “What do you mean no limitation to strength?” “There is no exact definition here, but I am stronger than you, by a landslide. Your body has a way of telling you when enough is enough, but my body never reaches enough. I could lift what my physical body could lift, even if it kills me. You cannot lift more than you are used to. Your muscles require work and taming, mine do not.” “It makes sense.” “As for the soul, it is housed in the heart and after this ritual it begins to feed off of fresh blood. Again there is no strict definition, but usually within a month we need to replenish our supply of blood to sustain our soul.” “If you don't sustain your soul, you lose it.” “Correct. A living body without a soul, becomes purely instinctual, cannibalistic; only running on survival instincts. Just look at what happens to a dead body without a soul.” “It becomes a ravenous monster, capable of taking simple orders. I feel that they are stronger too. The castle fell rapidly compared to the attempts of any living army.” “Incredibly strong, remember. Incredibly fast. More so than us vampires, if their bodies allow.” “How do you mean?” “Well, think about it. With vampires, we still have our souls, they are just restrained from within. That gives us a very slight limitation. The soulless of the undead, have absolutely no limitations.” “So in theory, you don't live forever, but are just aging incredibly slow?” “Correct. Now, as you might have noticed, there's only two real ways of killing a vampire. Destroying the heart, or removing the brain. The body doesn't function without a brain, and the vampire loses everything without a soul.” “That makes sense, you also don't bleed. Is that because the soul feeds on the blood?” “In a sense, yes. Once the ritual has been completed, the soul is sustained entirely by blood. Fresh blood.” “Why only fresh blood?” “It goes back to an oversight of the ritual's creator. The original intention, was that vampirism was the ultimate act of love. That the vampire would need to be sustained only by willing donations, if you would. Over time it has been discovered that the magic behind isn't as strict as the creator thought. Any living person is a target for a vampire. Dead blood is nothing to us.” “Can the ritual be changed?” “No. Well, yes. But it takes ancient powerful magic to create a ritual. Magic that has been lost for centuries.” “Can you ever change back?” “No.” “Do you ever regret your choice?” “My choice was mine to make, and I made it. I wouldn't have done so if I was going to regret it later in life.” “Fair answer, what is your connection with Natalie. The other vampire mentioned some kind of triad. Is she a vampire?” “No, vampires need blood within a month, so they must feed regularly. Sophisticated vampires travel with others willing to give their blood to them. Ravenous vampires live by the thrill of the hunt. Over time it was discovered that a pair was not able to sustain the vampire for long without slowly killing the volunteer. Blood only replenishes so quickly.” Part 3: “A triad means three. Does that mean three volunteers, or two volunteers and one vampire?” “The latter. With two, one can alternate monthly, allowing ample time to replenish their blood.” “That's horrible though!” “It is ironic that you say this Altimis.” “Ironic? How so? Drinking the blood of another seem rather horrible to me. How do you bypass that?” “As I mentioned before, vampirism started as the ultimate act of love. Living forever, with someone willing to sustain you. The reason that vampires trap their souls in their hearts, besides the obvious benefits, has much symbolism as well. Vampires are extremely emotional beings, and without the emotional constraints can be very wild. Vampires tend to be the epitome of emotions, to each their own.” “And what is yours?” “Love. There are three main emotions. Anger, like Fidel. Love, like me. Wild, I do not know of any that you know. With anger comes haughty, prideful vampires; but with love comes kind, passionate vampires. Wild brings ferocity and tamelessness; the thrill of the hunt. There are other emotions like sadness, but you never hear of those; they don't survive for long. For me, I realized that I always felt alone, that I always needed someone. That is why I eventually confided in Natalie.” “What happened then?” “She reacted very similarly to you, at first she was horrified, but she became curious and shortly after even offered to supply me with her blood. She realized, that I, in spite of my ageless body and increased endurance, need to be taken care of like a child. I needed love to be sustained. It is difficult for me to explain, but you have felt a yearning for love before, have you not?” “I have, yes.” “Amplify that feeling. So much that it hurts you. Then amplify it more, until it would destroy you. That is the best description I can give of a vampire. Our souls live off of blood, but our bodies live off of emotions. It is a stranger feeling than you can imagine.” “If Natalie is part of your triad, who was the third person?” “Your brother, Fletcher.” “Ah, that's why you three were together all the time.” “Yes. As with humans you grow together, and with vampires even more so.” “I can understand that. How does that work now, with Fletcher being dead now?” “It doesn't. I am one person short of a triad now.” “I'm sorry to hear that.” “That was more of an offer than a statement?” “Oh,” I sighed, “ I don't know. I would certainly love to help, but I'm still confused as to everything right now.” “Thank you for your answer. What confuses you now?” “My brother, how is he here?” “Would you care to guess?” “I don't know.” “Altimis, you are more intelligent than you think.” “We mentioned that the soulless undead, are ravenous monsters, would it do anything with him retaining his soul?” “Correct. When the body dies, the soul stays with the body for a period of time. It slowly leaves the body over time, roughly three days. When a body is reanimated, if it's within the three days, we can completely tether the soul back to the body. Otherwise, it becomes the abomination that you know as the undead.” “What do we call them?” “Whatever you'd like. They prefer their names usually.” she smiled at me. I returned the gesture. “It has become commonplace for necromancers to refer to them as rax or raxes.” “Okay, I think I'm getting this undead business sorted out. Do you think I would make a good necromancer?” I jested. Dria laughed. “No, you would not, unfortunately.” “Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence Dria.” “You are welcome, Altimis.” “Are there other kinds of creatures out there? That necromancers deal with, I mean.” “Of course. Some other things related to necromancy are liches and spirits and werebeasts.” “Werebeasts?” “Necromancy is not just reanimation, but of soul manipulation. It is rather tedious for me to explain.”

Author:	altimis [ Wed Jul 09, 2014 1:40 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Woohoo! for paying attention! We leanr a little more about how the world works and backstory. This entire chapter is that way. Part 4: “I want to know it all. It will probably be vital in the years to come.” “I hope it won't be years, and give us time. You will learn what you need to learn. I can promise you that.” “Alright, what is happening now? What happened back there?” “The castle was besieged by our own.” “What?” “Be patient Altimis, all is not as it seems. There is a traitor within in the castle walls, one that you know very well.” “Who?” “General Daniel Wuberg. He works with a secret necromancer, Amri'Chi, to form an army of the undead.” “Why?” “We don't know. We only know this. The man you used to look up to, Lucas Quincy, was murdered by Wuberg to progress his cause. Quincy was reanimated, and upon discovering the betrayal, escaped. He was fortunate to be alive, but only half. He didn't know who to trust, he didn't know who to go to. He only knew, that the kingdom was in danger, and also that he was the only one who knew about it.” “How could he? He destroyed all of those towns. Ghakim, Shosune. He attacked Vitior!” “He was trying to get to Wuberg, Altimis. If Wuberg had betrayed us, what would he do to his king?” “I was wondering why Nicholas didn't escape.” “We fear the worst, but Quincy has led us for almost a month, and he is a wise and true leader. He fights for the preservation of the land.” “Then why did he raze those towns?” “Those were towns that belonged to the man we know only as Amri'Chi. He is the leader of the Amri'Chan. In simple terms, they are the undead driven by evil, we are the undead driven by hope. We knew that attacking Vitior would be a risky move, but it was out of desperation to stop this madness at once. We came prepared with our finest clerics and necromancers, to revive and reanimate those who still wished to fight for their kingdom.” “And Fletcher?” “He was dead Altimis. We reanimated him, but there is no way to bring him among the living again.” “I understand.” “Altimis, you do not understand how heavy my heart is for you. And not just for you, but for others as well. We were killing our friends and family that night. But not all is lost. What King Nicholas was fighting for so recently before the siege, was for the laws for the undead.” “What do you mean?” “Undead are considered abominations across the land, though as you can see are often not so. They that have the soul of their old self, and often just want to live on in peace. It becomes incredibly difficult at this time with everyone fearing the undead horde. The Amri'Chan.” “King Nicholas was fighting for his people, even those who were beyond the grave. Did he know about the siege?” “He did. We warned him days prior of our intentions to get Wuberg, but what was he to do? If he had told you that you were about to be invaded by undead, and that you were too simply let them in, what would you have done?” “I understand.” “What do you think others would have done had we showed them their loved ones, as they used to be, only dead?” “The same as mine, with Fletcher.” “We are not monsters, and we do not value killing, but we will fight to end the war at any cost. Our goals, do not stop with the end of the war, but also with a bright future for us all.” “That explains much, but I still don't know what happened at our camp.” “That is not as complicated as it seems. Although I am one of Quincy's Crusaders, I am also... was also, an agent for the Amri'Chan.” “While also being a vampire that none of us knew about.” “Yes, you could call me a triple agent if you like.” “I think I will. That's very impressive.” “Thank you for your kind words. When we had finished clearing the castle, and we discovered that Wuberg was nowhere to be found, we panicked. Our next goal was to protect our fallen brethren, and return to our garrison. I was fortunate enough to find Fletcher, and gave him instructions to give to Quincy, while I went off to meet Fidel.” “You had to give them accurate information as to survivors so that you could keep up appearances. It makes sense.” “Meanwhile, Fletcher was going to Quincy to inform him of our ambush, so that you would be protected. If you couldn't tell, Fidel was quite the adversary, two other vampires would've been suicide on my own.” “I noticed. Fidel appeared a skilled foe.” “Unfortunately, we were faster and despite my stalling, we arrived early. I pray for Edward and Felix in their safe return to life, but I can only be thankful for Fletcher, for arriving as early as he had. Something, I think we all should do.” She said draping her arm over my shoulder. “I agree. Thank you Dria. Thank you for your honesty, and your explanation. I have a few more questions if you care to answer.” “Anything Altimis.” “How does being undead work? Do they need to eat?” “No. The undead are sustained purely by the aether. They are essentially living beings, but it is a false life, that cannot be replicated.” “How do you mean?” “There will never be generations of undead. The difference between false life, and true life is too great to create life. In all other instances they are living beings. However, eating and sleeping are not necessary. They are sustained entirely by the magical essence around the world, but can keep up appearances just like I would.” “What about you? Are you considered false life?” “I am not dead, so no. I am very much alive, just almost soulless is all.” I stopped walking, and embraced her for the moment. “You act as though you have one. Thank you.” “Thank you Altimis. You increase my hope for a bright future. For all of us.” Part 5: “One day maybe, for now let's look forwards to any future at all. If I may have a word with my brother?” “You should. Go. Speak with him and Natalie. You know it is difficult for you, but it is more difficult for them, Fletcher mostly. I will be fine here.” I quickened my pace, to catch up to the head of the group. I hadn't noticed, but we were climbing upwards now. I was winded from talking with Dria. I progressively made my way past Emos. When I finally passed Edward and Felix, I could see Fletcher and Natalie just ahead of the wizard suspending our fallen comrades. Even though I was short of breath, I ran the rest of the way to my brother. He and Natalie stopped to turn around when they heard my panting. I wrapped my brother in my arms, and gave him all the love and acceptance I could offer. My brother was here again, and we were together again, all of us. Before I began to sob, I reached over and pulled Natalie into our snug group. The three of us, in the very sight of war, have found each other safe in a way. I was overcome with thankfulness, for my brother and his safe return, even though it wasn't as I had expected. Things would certainly be different, but nothing can sever the bond a man shares with his brother. With tears in our eyes, we continued onwards to the Maid of the Mount. “I'm glad to have my brother back.” Fletcher stated. “Do you regret it? Not that you entirely chose it, but if you had the choice?” “I would've. I was worried you wouldn't accept me, back at the camp. If I came back, but was rejected by my brother, my only family, I don't know what I would have done.” “I'm sorry. But what would you have done in my place?” “Are you serious, Altimis? I love you, you will always be my younger brother, and I will always care for you. Dead, alive, or somewhere in-between. Remember that.” “I didn't mean to anger you.” “You didn't. I'm sorry. It's just this is beyond comprehension right now. I'm getting used to the times too, Altimis. I am certainly glad to be able to spend time with you again. I thought I was gone forever, but when I realized I had gotten a second chance, I was more worried that I would be rejected. Now, I'm just worried if it would have been better if it never happened at all.” “I know. That's awful. I'm sorry, Fletcher.” “I won't be able to have children of my own, but I'll be able to watch you and your family grow.” “I know.” “But looking back on that all, if you can promise me that you won't wed, I think I can love you.” he laughed. “Forever alone?” “Forever alone! Aha! That's right. Hear that Natalie? He is no longer searching to wed!” “I heard, and I'm sure I can win him over, Fletcher. You do forget that I'm alive and well.” “No! You can't make a man break his promise to his brother.” “I don't recall any promise.” I jested. “I don't either.” “But...” “Her hair, is like gold in the breeze. It... It's so alluring.” “Well, I guess I'll just have to enjoy you lovers from a distance then,” Fletcher leaned closer to my ear, “You do love her right? You two haven't been fighting while I've been gone have you?” “I don't think asking me in front of her is very fair,” I grabbed her hand, “I would have to say yes though. Given, of course, that she is standing next to me.” “Stop Altimis, you shouldn't even joke about it.” “True.” “True. Nevertheless, I'm glad we're back together, the four of us. I would have missed you both too much. Jesting aside Altimis, has Dria informed you of everything you wanted to know?” “I think so. It's all a mess to take in, but I think I understand it; what I know I mean. I also wanted to say thank you Fletcher. Thank you for everything.” “I wish I could accept that, but I will wait until we get Edward and Felix safe before...” “No, I don't mean just that. I mean everything. Everything we shared growing up. When I saw you die, I was sad mostly because we never really talked anymore, except in regards to castle maintenance and the like. I was afraid that our last words would remain unspoken. So thank you for being my brother, a good brother. And coming back to help me is included.” “That I can relate with Altimis. I had that same fear. When I was lying on the walk just after getting hit, there were only three words I said. The last three words I thought I'd ever say.” “Altimis, save me?” “No. No, I knew that it would've meant the death for you to come and help me. I said 'Altimis, I'm sorry' and I meant it. You should have never had to see me like that.” “I tried to help but Emos held me back. It was killing me that you were still alive those few moments after being hit. When you started to convulse and slide over the edge, I said goodbye.” “We all know that goodbye is just another chance for hello.” “Not always.” “Of course always. There is never an end to life Altimis, the soul lives on forever. In whatever form, or where they congregate nobody knows; but the soul will always persevere.” “You really think so?” “I know so. From all we don't understand in this world Altimis, understand this. Even with magic, nobody can live forever. But spirits and liches can almost do it. Do you know why?” “I do not.” “Because that is magic that relies heavily on the soul.”

Author:	altimis [ Mon Jul 14, 2014 8:16 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Part 6: “How do they work exactly?” “A spirit is a soul bound to the body when the body is no loner capable of sustaining it. Most notably as ashes. The spirit will remain a spirit as long as any of the ashes remain. Potentially forever. A lich is very similar. The soul is bound to an object and as long as the object remains intact, the soul could live forever.” “Aren't those almost the same then?” “Correct. All liches are spirits, but not all spirits are liches. One major difference is how they move around. Spirits, because are bound to their old body cannot take control of another body. A lich can. The lich is bound to an object and not a body. So, when you hear the stories of spirits possessing people, those are all liches. Spirits and liches act similarly in every way, except that one can possess and the other cannot.” “Why would one ever want to be a spirit when they could be a lich, instead?” “I don't know for sure. But if you had the option of possessing anyone, and forever to live, you don't think you would be tempted to do it; for better or for worse?” “I can see that. It makes sense. Was I the only one to not know how popular necromancy was? Everyone else seems to know everything about it, except for me; why?” “I knew about the basics of it since Natalie and I found out about Dria. I learned a thing or two from my death, but mostly pertaining to me. I only know the very basic information that I found in the castle library. I guess you just never had a reason to know before. Otherwise, you would've looked earlier too.” “It's all very intimidating being the weakest link in the chain though. I feel like I am so far behind everyone else.” “You have nothing to worry about Altimis. As much or as little as everyone knows, we are all living day to day right now. And with that, action is all the matters. Do your best, have no regrets, and you'll do just fine with us knowledgeable people.” “Speaking of us, how many are there up at the Maid of the Mount?” “We have a few hundred able-bodied men and women. I don't know compared to the size of the Amri'Chan, but for now I'm comfortable with what we have. Speaking of the Amri'Chan, did you leave Dria alone as the last?” “Yes, she said I should come an talk to you.” “Well, we have talked. And now is not the time for conversation, it is the time for safety. You go back with Dria and help keep watch again. We have almost an hour left, we don't need any surprises.” “Yessir!” “Humorous Altimis.” “Fletcher. Natalie. I bid you well.” I stopped and sat down on a rock as I was about to pass it. I had a minute to myself as everyone passed me on their way. The taiga was littered with golden light, as the sun was shining bright and strong. The cool breeze was relaxing my tired muscles. When Dria approached I stood and she sat down. She placed her pack on the ground and began to shuffle through it, revealing odd trinkets, tools and artifacts. “Are you hungry Altimis?” “Yes. Wait, no. Maybe. What did you have in mind?” “Not blood, if that is your worry.” “Then, yes. Yes I am hungry.” She held up her hand holding an assortment of berries. I cupped my hands and she poured them in. “Where did you find these?” Dria chuckled. “Altimis, Natalie and I are like sisters when it comes to living in the wild.” “Natalie didn't find any berries.” “I doubt she came this high up the mountain while she hunted, if she even came up the mountain at all.” I nodded and I put several berries in my mouth. Dria ate some as well, before attaching her bag to her belt. I helped her up with my free hand. “Thank you Dria, these are delicious.” “You are welcome Altimis. Let's move on before we fall too far behind.” “Why did you eat some?” I asked as we started walking again. “What do you mean why did I eat some?” “Berries. I thought you lived off of blood?” “No. I need feed only once a month, otherwise I eat normally. Unlike the undead, I am still living.” “Did it take you long to adjust?” “Not as long as you might think. If you teach a man how to survive, he will do anything to accomplish that, even if he makes mistakes at first. Fresh vampires know what needs to be done, and tend to be overzealous. It's when you understand the art behind it when you relax, slow down, and enjoy life a little more.” Part 7: “Is that why you became a vampire?” “It is difficult for me to say. It isn't easy for me to explain. I was in love with a man. But he was in love with another. As far as I understood, vampires had a certain allure to them. Do they not,” She had paused and was obviously looking for my opinion. I stopped and took in her entire figure. Her face was pale overall, with warmed cheeks. Her gray eyes were cheery, and black hair was free-flowing in the breeze just above her shoulders. Her armor was as intricate as the tattoo on her right arm. The cuirass and leggings were both black leather and they both sported multiple pockets, buckles and rings. She left her arms bare except for a left gauntlet and pauldrons, both of which were spiked and black. Her gauntlet was the one that was also her arm dagger. Her leather boots were guarded with some spiked greaves; again, both of which were black. The most intricate aspect of her armor was that she had joined thin black cloths to her armor mostly along the joints. Whenever she ran, or was fighting in battle, they waved valiantly creating an awe of elegance about her. Vampires truly turned their lives to art, and Dria was no different. She was after an intimidating yet elegant presence, and she had succeeded. I focused again on her face and smile before answering. “Knowing you're a vampire I don't want to say this, but if I didn't know you were a vampire I would say yes. You are certainly alluring. A deadly allure at that.” “And by that, do you mean unaware of the feeding?” “Yeah, that's going to take some getting used to. It's nothing against you, but you know that I'm never one to hunt.” We started to walk again. “I wanted to become a vampire to impress this man, to become fast and strong, to become beautiful, but he never seemed to notice me.” “I'm sorry to hear that.” “Thank you. It was at this time that I confided in Natalie, and shortly after, your brother; and we became a triad.” “That sounds like a pleasant group. I consider them part of my triad as well. And together we make quite a quartet!” “I am grateful for the offer, but it is not the same without my second donor.” “Do you live in fear of losing your triad?” “Yes, but no. I fear losing those I love, I do not fear starving for lack of resources.” “You act with an incredible sense of wisdom and a hint of nobility. How long have you been a vampire?” Dria chuckled. “Ah, not as long as you think. I have only been a vampire a few years now.” “Only a few years, but you're incredibly talented!” “It does not require centuries to learn an art, but I will take your confusion as a compliment.” “I'm sorry. I meant no offense.” “Do not be sorry. I am privileged to know that your think that highly of me. And I am honored to know that we did not lose ourselves in our first impressions.” “What was your first impression of me?” “You appear to be ignorant to the matters at hand, but in reality you are deep and understanding.” “You figured that all out today?” “Not entirely, but your performance today has been more than entertaining.” She laughed. “That's mean! That's worse than me thinking you couldn't be talented without centuries of practice.” I jested back. We both laughed, and continued to steadily climb the mountain. Eventually, the trees turned to shrubs. Then slowly, the shrubs turned to rocks. Finally, the rocks turned to cold and we began to huddle closer together to ward off the chill. The clouds drew in over time, and began to darken with a silver lining. When the snow began to fall, Dria and I embraced each other as we walked. The snow was starting to pile on everyone and their gear. Some of the undead men were brushing Edward and Felix off every once and a while. Before long, the Maid of the Mount was before us. Nobody knew who did this, but almost a month ago, there used to be a short spire atop the mountain. Then, one day, it was gone and this was in it's place; somebody had chiseled it in the middle of the night. Fletcher led the group to just in front of the maid. We all flocked together keeping each other warm. Fletcher stepped away from the group, and knelt before the statue. “Oh merciful maid of mine, take us to a place divine!” I looked around us, and the snow and the sky had been replaced with dust and a cavern respectively. Everyone began to dust themselves off, I decided to ask the obvious question. “Where are we?” “I don't know. Quincy wouldn't tell me.” “Quincy?” “Who do you think made this place? When Quincy first realized what was happening, he knew he need to create a safe area for the good in humanity. I doubt he created this entire place, but he was definitely behind the Maiden and the teleport.” “Where do we go from here?” “From here, they'll take Edward and Felix to the necromancers, the rest of us should go to Quincy. He would like to meet you all, he did allow a special group to go and rescue you after all.” With that, the group as it was went their separate ways, “Oh, and be on your best behavior.” Finally done chapter three, lets move on to the intro of chapter four! CHAPTER FOUR Part 1: “Nothing! I found nothing to help me in this book so far! How can this be the book that I'm looking for? How is this supposed to help me?” I angrily close the book, and I convince myself that I need to have a look upstairs. I grow tired of being told what to fear, without knowing why to fear it. I want to know; I want to find out for myself. Part of me does at least, the other part of me wants to run and tell the poor souls who just came here, to turn around. They had to fear the monsters. “The monsters! Why do I keep talking about these awful monsters!” There are no monsters here, there is nothing here! I am all alone. There is that flutter of wings I keep hearing from upstairs. Are those the monsters? I need to find out this time, and I march steadily to the stairs. Getting to the stairs was not the problem before. Climbing the stairs was the problem. It was climbing the stairs that I had warned myself about many times before; I don't know what I am supposed to do. I stand at the bottom of the stairway, looking up. The room is dimly lit in the first place, and the door to the next level is hidden in the shadows of this already dark room. In between the door and the threshold I can see light, dim light, but that proves there is something upstairs at least. Something doesn't tell me what however. I cautiously bring my feet up each step, staring down the door. I tell myself that at the first sign of movement, I run back to my desk. I notice that the light through the door is flickering, whether by movement or fault. I decide on the latter because I really want to go upstairs. I reach each note in succession, there are three in a row; one right after the other. All hastily scribbled, all brief and mysterious; all wanting me to turn back, as if I knew I was going to ignore the first few. “Please don't. If you go upstairs you will discover the truth. The truth will break you. Fear the monsters. All signed by me? Interesting.” I blatantly ignore these notes, but I have this incessant worry about the monsters. I haven't seen any monsters, but what if these are monsters that can't be seen? What if these are monsters that were invisible, or any equivalent? I reach the doors without incident, and I grab the handle. The flutter of wings stop, and I hear a heavy thud. The doors begin to shake violently. I turn around and run down the stairs. I could hear a malelovent shrieking, probably of rage, all the way down. I return to my book, I need some answers now. And if not, I need to warn this group to stay away. The monsters are after me now, maybe they had already gotten to Altimis. As a final thought, especially now that we're done chapter three. I would love some feedback on what you guys think of the world, and how the necormancy is portrayed? Also I think it could be fun to see what you guys think is going to happen? I will tell you that the chapter intros become important later on (moreso in the next story though), and they also lead as a mystery for the readers to try and figure out who is talking, and what is going on. They will be explained and hopefully "make sense" to a point. This is a trilogy so some things will be explained throughout. Thanks for reading, and I value any and all input!

Author:	altimis [ Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:06 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Now we're going to start learning more about how the plot interacts with / affects the characters. These parts, not so much, but this chapter is basically saying: bad things happened, what are you going to do about it. The over arching theme of this book is that question. What would you do? Part 2: I was walking down a barren corridor with Natalie and Dria, following my brother. Emos went with the others to help with Edward and Felix. We had been walking down this corridor for some time now, it was all the same. The torches were always the same length apart, the stones were gray, with a strong green color. The hallway appeared to last forever, and there was no doors, no deviations, just one long continuous corridor. I was happy, because Natalie and I were holding hands. However, Fletcher was beginning to get annoyed, and he started mumbling under his breath. “I must have done something wrong. This didn't happen the first time. Should have known better.” Finally, he turned to the rest of us, “Well, we're... Oh, we're here!” He said pointing to a door just behind us, to our right. It was a dark wooden door, that appeared to have been red at some point, back when it had paint covering it. I looked back at Fletcher, but he was pressuring us to open the door. I turned back around, and I saw that the room where we had left about twenty minutes ago, was not even a hundred feet behind us. I looked again at where we were going, and what used to be an ongoing corridor, was now a wall with a choice of turning left or right. Perturbed, I followed everyone though the door. I was upset at this form of trickery. “Fletcher? What's going on here?” “That doesn't matter right now. In short this accommodation was defending itself against you. You and Natalie are new. Long version will have to wait. We are looking for red doors, they tend to jump out at you.” “You mean, what used to be red doors.” Dria chuckled. “Amusing Dria, but yes. We are looking for what used to be red doors. Thank you for the clarification.” “How do you mean defending against us? This is a castle is it not?” Dria pulled me aside. “This is a magical tower. Until Quincy works you into the magic of it, it will be extremely difficult to navigate. That is all you need to know right now.” “Okay, that clears all my thoughts right now. Fletcher,” I yelled, “we were looking for red doors?” “Yeah!” Dria had happened to pull me aside just outside of a red door. “I found one, right here, what's wrong with this one?” He ran back with Natalie towards us. “Good work.” We followed Fletcher and Natalie through the door and found ourselves in another corridor. “Hmm.” Fletcher was mumbling to himself again as he began inspecting the walls. We all cautiously followed him. After a few feet, I had had enough and stopped Fletcher. “Can you please tell me what's going on?” “Good work again Altimis! Everyone this way.” He said opening a door that was behind me. I turned around and saw that it was indeed a red door. I was very confused, and I also uneasy at the lack of answers. I didn't even know if this place was dangerous or not. “Not too far from here, just one more door and we'll be there. Natalie?” “What about me?” “What? Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out what's next.” “What's next? What's that supposed to mean?” “I can't tell you, otherwise it'll take us longer to get there. Nope, follow me.” “No! Dria, you've been here before. You tell us what's going on, now!” Fletcher came running back chuckling to himself, opening the red door behind us. “Come on you two, it's time you get introduced to the man who saved your lives. I present to you, Lucas Quincy, leader of Quincy's Crusaders!” Part 3: We stepped in the door and found ourselves in a large dining room. There was only one person sitting at the end of table long enough for ten. The man had an ashen face, but brilliant hazel eyes. He had no hair on his head. He had a small scar in the center of his forehead. He was wearing a dark red tunic, but dark blue leggings. He smiled widely and stood up to greet us with arms outstretched. “Dria, Fletcher! It is nice to see you again. Altimis and Natalie, the same for you, however this is your first time seeing me like this. With that I need you both to come here and eat a little something I made for you. Nothing fancy, just necessary to help you enjoy your visit that much more.” He pulled out two chairs one one side of the table, and two chairs on the other side. Natalie and I helped ourselves to one pair of chairs, while the others took the other pair. Quincy sat at the head. He was still smiling wildly. “This pie was baked with the berries from my garden here.” He said gesturing to the pie that was in front of us. “You have a garden, in here?” “Not entirely, but mostly true. Once you two finish your pie I'll show you around our garrison.” “This maze is our garrison?” “Why not, it impedes invading forces like you wouldn't believe.” “We would like more specific answers please,” I muttered. “Altimis, I want to greatly help you, and to use you to help save our land, but in order to do that you need to trust me. You need to trust me now, and trust my cooking. Don't try to think about it, it will only make you more frustrated. If you wish to help progress the cause of truth, then you have to start by showing it. Otherwise, you have wasted all of our time.” “The pie is delicious Altimis, you should try some.” Natalie poked me with her fork. I looked down at my plate to see this green gelatin oozing from my pie crust. I looked around and saw that everyone else was enjoying their pie except for me. It certainly didn't look as appetizing as they all made it look. I closed my eyes, dug my spoon in, and brought it to my mouth. It tasted like a simple apple pie. It wasn't just simply apple pie, it was amazing, it was delicious, it was divine. I quickly ate the piece of pie that I had been given. I ate bite after bite of delicious, sweet goodness; all that the pie had to offer. “This pie is delicious, Quincy!” “Please call me Lucas. I am no longer your captain Altimis. I left that world behind. And for your information I used to be, and still am, a fantastic chef in my spare time. Don't sound surprised by my exquisite cooking.” “Altimis has difficulty realizing that some people have natural talent Lucas.” Dria jested. “We're not going over this again are we?” “I might need to hear about this Dria, anything interesting?” “Nothing interesting, just amusing. That's all.” “I didn't find it that amusing.” Part 4: “Of course not, it's about you. We all hate knowing our own faults, but yet, it's overcoming these faults that make us all the stronger.” “Are you saying we don't want to encourage our strengths?” “Not necessarily. You need a balance of everything, but think about it logically. If you are naturally good at something, you don't need to spend as much time practicing that to become proficient at it. If you are truly terrible as something, practicing it more and more is what gets you proficient at it. Numerically, it is better for you to leave your strengths where they are, than for you to leave your faults where they are.” “Is that how you became a good chef?” “Yes. It is. Do you know how many times I burned pies similar to the one I served you today?” “No, maybe two or three?” “None. I made this perfect pie today, picked from my garden. Do you know how many times I've burned pies over the years?” “Hundreds?” “More. Much much more. Practicing is the only way we can progress ourselves efficiently. But enough philosophical banter. Is everyone done with their pie?” We all nodded. I don't know that anyone had even left any crumbs on their plates; I know I didn't. “Very well. As promised, I will show you and Natalie around our garrison, Fletcher and Dria you may follow us if you'd like.” Lucas stood up and ran over to large double doors at the end of the dining room. He put his hands on the handles and pulled the doors wide open. He revealed a bright light hovering just out of sight of the door. We all stood up to see what specifically about this castle had him so excited to be here. Standing in the doorway revealed an immense landscape, covered in trees and mountains and lakes and grass, everything. In front of us, only a short walk, was a large tower that climbed high into the sky. “Ladies, gentlemen. Welcome to the Tower of Eternity!” “Before we go through anymore doors, are we going to have trouble like we did getting around before?” “No, now that we've all eaten, I guess we can explain. The Tower of Eternity is a magical place created centuries ago. It has magical wards to defend itself against invading forces, if there were ever invading forces. There were only two teleports to get here, I, with the Maid on the Mount, made a third.” “What's the food have to do with anything?” “Once you've eaten from the garden within the Tower, the Tower recognizes you as one of its own, and allows you to explore unhindered. Otherwise, for each person who hasn't, the tower creates a trap to hinder and bewilder them. Fortunately, you were given some easy puzzles given that you had two escorts that had been here before. But know that there is a plethora of other puzzles in store. Puzzles that you can't know the answer to beforehand. If you know what to do, it'll do something else.” “How did you know about this place, in order to link a teleport here?” “How does anyone discover a place? I stumbled upon a way point and I was brought here. This place was magnificent; I wandered for days before I had eaten of the garden. Fortunately, I was dead to begin with. Come let us walk together.” We followed him out into the brightly lit chamber. The horizon was nowhere in sight, and the doorway was simply a doorway in the middle of a vast landscape. I was in awe. “What is happening in this room?” “The is room is the Simularium. Each person sees something different. However, it takes some skill to utilize. We will be using this as our transportation throughout the Tower. We have three main quarters. There is the Santarium, the Scoprium and the Somnium. That is the healing ward, the library, and the living quarters respectively. We have just left the Somnium, nobody is ever allowed into the Scoprium, and we shall proceed to the Santarium to see your friends.” “Why is nobody allowed in the Scoprium?” “For safety.” “It's a library?” “It's a dangerous library. There is no discussion, we are going to the Santarium. Follow me.”

Author:	altimis [ Wed Jul 23, 2014 4:08 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
Fun Fact: As I'm going over this here, I'm like "Oh my gosh, and I thought this was good." Not that I think it's bad, but when I wrote it, I thought it was better As I go over the second story, I'm like, "This is definitely better." I'm really excited to start sharing that one (I made a language and grammar and all that jazz), but we have to finish this one first. This story will start to pick up very shortly. Now, that we're at their stronghold, missions will crop up. And soon my favorite parts Also, my favorite character will be making an appearance soon.

Author:	altimis [ Sat Jul 26, 2014 4:01 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
We're starting chapter five. We continue to see how this war is affecting the main characters as they prepare to capture one of the Phoenix King's dangerous leaders.. All of the main characters are roughly on the same page (Altimis having been far behind for the majority of the book thus far). This is the beginning of the end, we're just over halfway through with this post. Also, someone dies this chapter... Don't click here: IT'S DUMBLEDORE! Pfft, like I'd spoil it prematurely. Part 1: I remember now, Fierun. I sent them to Fierun. They had a simple task, one that I gave them. I was their leader, but where are they now? Where am I now, are we still together? I desperately need to look for them, because I remember that we were looking for someone, and I am now looking for something. We can help each other in these tasks, if only I know where they are. I need to go upstairs to continue looking, but I also need a weapon to defend myself against the monsters. Determined to go upstairs, I scan for anything I could use as a viable weapon. My only choice is to use the leg of a chair, the chair itself being too unwieldy for me. I place it sideways on the floor and I break two of the legs off, one for each hand. More determined than ever I quickly run up the stairs. I am about to open the doors, when I notice something I missed before. A small note that had been slid under the doors. Did I just miss it before, or did someone leave it from under the doors? Curious, I pick it up and read it aloud. “Do not leave the books down there at any cost. Signed Lucas Quincy. The book, of course!” I almost forgot the book. I go back for the book, but I instead wonder why it had mentioned books, plural. I look at the other books I have at the desk with me. Each one has a title of a character that I have been reading about. Each one has the tile of one of my friends. I am torn, I can't carry all of these books, and my weapons at the same time; I need to choose. I gather all the books, being diligent in my note following, and I pocket my clubs as best as they would stay. I carry the heap of books back up the stairs, and I arrive again at the doors. I take one last look for notes; none, I found them all. I inhale deeply, tense my muscles and I forcefully open one of the doors. What is ahead of me is a very disappointing scene. A room almost identical to the last lies before me. The only difference is the layout of the scattered books, otherwise, they are identical. I start over towards the table, but I stumble and, overcompensating, a book slides from the top of my pile. It stops three steps from the door, before the door slams shut. I try to open them; locked. Frantic, I bring the rest of the books to the table and check all of the titles. I conclude that I had dropped my book. I dropped he book titled, “Lucas Quincy: 486 to 511”. I am not too worried about that as much as I worry about why this room, too, is empty. I had heard the monster before, but now where is it? I am perturbed and alone. I sit at my new desk and empty my pockets. I open the book I had previously been reading. If I can't find any answers up here, reading further might give me insight as to the whereabouts of my friends. Part 2: By the time we arrived back in the throne room, everyone else was gone except for Lucas. Lucas was alone on his throne staring at a map of the land. As Dria and I approached, his eyes lifted, and he rose to greet us. “Welcome back, Altimis. I'm glad to see you so perfectly attended.” He said embracing me. “Thank you Dria, you are dismissed, unless you'd like to stay.” “I would, if you do not mind.” “By all means. Altimis, I would like to say that we have an intricate plan for our next advance, but alas it is simply this. We trap Wuberg.” “We trap him? How?” “We hope that he still wishes to keep his appearances to the living, and that if we have a noticeable amount of undead housed in a city, a city that he does not control, he will be forced to handle it. Your task, is to make sure that happens.” “How do you suggest I do that?” “Well, we know of two towns that are allied with him, one of which is Fierun. If you take your group and start spreading rumors around the merchants that travel to and from, eventually word will get back to Wuberg. I do not know how long this will take, but my hopes are no longer than a week.” “That sounds, simple enough.” “True, but remember, Wuberg is not to be taken lightly. He is dangerous, and willing to end anyone who tries to stop him. I know from experience. Despite needing your presence to alert Wuberg, we also need you to remain hidden in order to ambush him. I want Wuberg alive, for inquiry. This is most vital.” “Understood.” “This plan is dangerous, but it is the best we have so far. I would like civilian death to be minimal, but I am more worried about capturing Wuberg, above all else. Otherwise, the kingdom might be lost.” “I understand Lucas.” “Good now go join your group, Dria can show you the way. You leave first thing in the morning.” “If you don't my asking, Quincy, what are you going to do?” “The same thing I do every night, Altimis. Try to recover the world.” “Don't you ever sleep?” “I don't need to. Good thing about being dead. Sure it shortens my life span, if one can call it that, but right now time is not on our side. The more rapidly things get done, the better.” “Do you ever get lonely, staying awake all night?” “Don't we all. I have my reasons, but I need you well rested for the morning.” “Yessir.” “Good night Altimis. Good night Dria.” He said before returning to his map. Dria beckoned for me, and I followed her. We turned back into the main junction, much like the one in the Santarium, and went down the first corridor. The green walls and the red doors were beginning to get overbearing. Dria, opened a door, and we both walked into an empty room. “What are you doing Altimis?” “How do you mean? I was following you, where is everyone?” “This is my room, where I sleep; alone.” “Yes. Yes! Oh, no. Sorry. I forgot that we're not camping anymore.” “Yes, we have our own rooms now. It is nice being able to relax alone. Your room has your name on it. Good night Altimis.” “Good night Dria.” I stammered, embarrassed, as I left. I closed the door behind me, and began looking carefully at the doors as I walked by. Many of the names I didn't recognize, but occasionally I found one of our group. After about fifteen doors, I found the door with my name. I opened my door with a hefty push, and I found that Natalie was inside waiting for me. I was surprised, but also comforted; a mix of emotions. “Altimis?” “Yes, what? Hello! I'm sorry. I thought this was my room again!” I said closing my eyes. “This is your room. What are you doing?” “I just had a similar run in with Dria, about the wrong room and all.” “I mean, why are you closing your eyes?” “I expected the worst walking into a room, with a woman caught unaware.” Natalie laughed. “The worst? And I wasn't unaware, I've been waiting. It is safe for you to open your eyes. I want to talk with you at some point.” I opened my eyes and found that Natalie was indeed dressed in her usual garments. A flowing red blouse with a matching pair of beige pants. She sat down in a chair, and offered for me to sit down. I looked around and saw no other chair in sight. “Altimis would like to sit down.” Natalie said aloud. She pointed behind me, and I saw that a chair had appeared enough for me to simply sit down; I sat down. I realized that Natalie and I were still very far away from each other, so I stood up and brought my chair over to hers. I sat down again. Part 3: “Is everything okay Natalie?” “Do you mean everything with me, or everything in the world? Certainly I'm fine, but I think the world has seen some brighter days.” “I know what you mean.” “But I wanted to more talk to you Altimis. Not about anything, us. Just you and me. Like we used to.” “I wouldn't mind that at all. It's been weeks since we've been able to truly talk to one another.” “Exactly. How have you been? This past month has been ridiculous.” “I honestly don't know. This entire month I've been worried that I would have to face my friends again. And now I do, but it's not what it seems.” “Mmhmm.” “And this last week has thrown me head over heels into the middle of a war, on the side I would have least expected to be on. I mean, we've been betrayed by humans, decimated by raxes, ambushed by vampires, saved by raxes and vampires. Now we're going to be supported again, by humans.” “Raxes?” “Dria said necromancers call undead with souls, raxes.” “You've been talking with Dria much lately too. Is everything well with her?” “I honestly don't know. She's been very kind to me since the ambush, trying to atone for the ambush I'm sure. She really doesn't need to though, I'm not angry or upset or anything; she saved us after all.” “Is that all? I'm worried about her Altimis. Is there anything else you can tell me?” “What happened to just about us?” I laughed. “It never worked out then either did it?” “No, it did not. She was a little upset over losing Fletcher.” “Losing Fletcher? But he's with us now?” “She already told me about you and Fletcher being part of her triad Natalie.” Natalie blushed. “I'm sorry Altimis. I hope you aren't offended.” “I'm not, considering how remarkably well I took Fletcher's reanimation, I don't blame you.” “So she's worried about her triad, that could be why she seems rather distant.” “She's not worried about her triad anymore, she asked me about that too. I told her I would be more than willing to help her for as long as she need me to.” “You gave her your blood? The same as me?” “The same as you. My left shoulder. It didn't hurt as much as I had thought it would.” “That happened tonight while you were gone I'm assuming?” “Yes, why?” “Like I said, I'm worried about her. She seems to be distant from me lately, and I think something is wrong.” “I do too. After she drank my blood, I noticed that she was crying. I asked if everything was fine, and she mentioned that it was normal for a new feast.” “It's not.” “I know.” “I'll talk to her later, and see if she will answer me. Tonight, should be more about us. How have you been doing? I know it can't be easy adapting to this new world as rapidly as you have had to.” “I know. I am certainly struggling. Everything is evolving so fast. I'm scared, very scared. I know I don't show it, but I know too that I can't show it. It's more confusing than anything, but that's the most frightful part about it. We're in the middle of a war. We didn't know it until a few days back, I didn't at least, but now we have to think of everything as fast as we can, and that's when people make mistakes. And when people make mistakes in war, people die.” “Not always, Altimis. Many times over mistakes are made. But not every mistake leads to death.” “True, but it is much more likely to in war. I'm scared, because I don't want to lose anyone. I already lost Fletcher, we lost Edward and Felix. I don't want to lose anyone else.” “But Altimis, they came back...” Part 4: “Even if they do come back. It's not the same!” “It is the same, they walk they talk. They breathe. They do everything they did in life. They are the same people.” “It's not the same! They can't have a family. I understand that they are the same people, but they can only live half lives. If they don't have a family yet, they'll never have one of their own. How is that living? How is that life?” “They love what family they have, more than anything. Death cannot stop that. It's a shame that they will never be able to have a family of their own, but think of all that they can do, for others. They can ensure that there is a future for us, when they themselves thought they were lost. The world has given them a second chance, at a price they cannot deny. Would you want a second chance?” “But the price. If I knew that I could live the rest of my life with my loved ones, I would. If I didn't have any loved ones, I wouldn't. Why do you think so many raxes have followed Amri'Chi? I think there are two reasons. The first, is that they fight because they feel that they won't be treated the same unless everyone is the same. They fight in hopes that everyone will be the same as them, they think that will end their pain.” “Of course that's why they fight. Why else?” “They don't have anything to live for. No family, no friends, just a life without meaning.” “That doesn't mean they would join Amri'Chi.” “It doesn't, but when someone calls you a monster, and doesn't give you a chance, it makes you mad. Some prove them wrong, others prove them right. There are two reasons they are fighting this war: freedom, and retaliation. Those goals are not inherently evil, but their methods are.” “You think that the people we are fighting are those who have just given up hope?” “I would say a majority yes. Probably almost all of them.” “What about greed?” “Greed is for those who do not have hope.” “Power?” “The search for power is for those who do not believe in themselves. They must prove something.” “I guess. I think there is good in everyone. They just need to know how to find it.” “Everyone?” “Everyone. Nothing is impossible, anyone can change. They need the will and the chance.” “They need the support too.” “Not always. As you mentioned, some choose to prove others wrong; some choose to prove others right. All they really need is the chance to change.” “But if you give them the chance, they will take advantage of it.” “But if you take away their choice, they will hate you for it.” “Life is a dangerous game, then. Anything can happen.” “That doesn't stop with death though. And it doesn't mean everything is bad.” “True. I mean, we're not bad. We're simply two lost souls in a world full of other lost souls.” At that, Natalie jumped up pulling me with her. “I can change that. Hmm, I think this will do. Music please?” Out of nowhere, I could hear the music of all manner of instruments. Natalie began to dance along to the rhythm, having her clothes flow behind her elegantly. I stood and watched as her body fluently danced around me; skillfully, methodically and cheerfully she asked me to dance. I stood fast, but eventually joined her when the song switched moods. Together we danced to the music, laughing and enjoying our time together. Her hair tickled my face, so I stroked her cheek bringing her hair over her shoulder again. She smiled brightly and held me closer as we began to swirl around the room, lost in the magical fiddles. Around and around we spun, full of emotion. The breeze was enough to chill my face, and our smiles were enough to light a castle. Her hands, always in mine, were joining us together; we were one. We moved together, as one being. Our legs lashed out across the floor, like fire among the forest. Covering the entire room, filling our heads with a delusional smoke. Our bodies meshed together, like two pieces of a puzzle having already been solved. The warmth spread from heart to heart, each beat of the drum was our heartbeat. Our souls were found together, no longer lost among the world. The room began to glow, as our friendship continued to grow. We danced on, and on, into the night without parting ways or taking rest. When the music subsided, we were left together; two beings who had become one, finally found themselves again. Her breathing was rapid and deep, her heart was racing and strong, and her hands were smooth and soft. Her face was bright with a smile, and laughter was truly filling her soul. Her green eyes were arrows piercing mine, and together we leaned in; my lips took rest upon hers. For a time we were disconnected from the world. I felt nothing but the wondrous warmth of another against my skin. My body was numb to all feelings, and my mind dull of emotions; it was just me and love apart from the rest of the world. The light of my life slowly dimmed allowing me to return to reality. Natalie and I were aware of each other once again. As our moment ended, I pulled away and smiled again. She leaned her head against my chest, and together we stood in a romantic embrace. Natalie yawned, and held herself up again. She looked longingly into my eyes saying, “When the world brings you down, you sometimes just need to appreciate what you have. Then you feel better again.” She took my face in her hands, and we kissed again. She backed away, bidding me a good night before leaving me to my thoughts. Tonight was perfect. We were safe, and we were happy. I could rest easy, especially after dancing for however long we danced. Now that Natalie left, my body began to ache; partly for it's partner, partly from exhaustion. I satisfied that by lying down in my bed; I was asleep almost immediately.

Author:	altimis [ Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:32 am ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
The final chapter in the story. Its got lots of action, I can tell you that much. This was one of my favorite chapters to write (I love planning and choreographing battles, just wait until the next story!), and needs no further introduction. Chapter Seven Part 1: This story that I was following was maddening. I know now that I will be stuck in this library forever. I know that my friends have used my sacrifice to further my cause, rather than wasting it. I am glad for that, and sad as well. It will be possible for my friends to visit, but they would never remember. I am alone forever. Finally, realizing that I am never going to leave, I decide to learn as much as I possibly can. I grab the book that has been my entertainment, and I equip myself again with my clubs. According to my understanding of this library, I can go up as much as I would like. Going down, however, I need to trade the knowledge I accumulate on the higher floor before I am able to descend once again. I have no intentions of returning to these lower floors. I want to see what it was that was at the top of this library. I need to see was is on the roof. Before entering, there was a definite rooftop bearing a strange blue aura; what is that aura? I want to see it for myself, to learn from it, to touch it. I am certain that the talk of monsters, is that of the psions, but I hold my clubs dearly just in case. If I run into too much trouble, I can always return to these lower floors. Again, I have no plan to come down here again, unless it is absolutely necessary. I climb the stairs steadily, determined to learn. I reach the next floor and unveil its extreme resemblance to the other floors. The floor after that as well. I fear that the rest of this library will be dull, but I find myself pleasantly surprised by the next floor. The next floor is untouched. It is the same design as the others, but the books stand on the shelves. I am curious to look through these books, but I desperately want to see the roof more. I continue my climb and discover that the next two rooms are similar to the last. They are untouched, unscathed, untainted. These floors are curious, but the next floor I find more curious. The shelves in the next floor are almost bare, I don't know why. I don't stay to investigate either; I continue onwards to the roof. I wonder how much longer I would have to go. The next floor reminds me of the first few floors I can remember. It is more than full of books, the shelves the tables, and the floor. This room obviously contains piles and piles of books from the previous floor. Again, I ignore the books and continue onwards to the next floor diligent in my search for the rooftop. As I approach the top of the stairs I see that it is a trapdoor instead of the usual double doors. I grow excited, the next door I open would cure my curiosity. I decide to take a rest here, and read. Before I answer my own questions, I need to know if my friends survive. I need to know if the war is over. I need to know everything. Part 2: We were standing outside Amri'Chi's quarters. We were unable to locate Fletcher or Emos, but we decided that Amri'Chi was too important to let escape. We stood outside with our weapons ready, and we all nodded in agreement. I opened the door revealing a large and spacious room; Amri'Chi was inside as well as Emos and Fletcher. “Oh joy! More guests have arrived, finally! Do come in, I've been expecting you.” We entered the room and found that we were alone, there was nobody else with us; Amri'Chi was defenseless. We discovered that Fletcher and Emos were both in a stasis and unable to move. Amri'Chi was sitting in his throne, a hood was covering his face. He was dressed in a red and blue robe embroidered with silver and gold. He was calmly sitting, watching our movements. Dria let loose an arrow aimed at his head; the arrow bounced harmlessly of an invisible barrier. “Please do try and prolong this visit. I hope you will enjoy your stay. How may I help you three?” “What are you doing?” I asked. “I am entertaining my guests, or myself? I don't know the difference. Why, what does it look like?” “I mean with the war.” “No fun I see. What does anyone do with a war. I am gaining an advantage. I am changing the world. I am making it to my liking.” “What is to your liking? An army of the dead? That truly is a kingdom of failure. Your world would never grow.” “Failure? Failure! Ahahahah HAHA! No, nonononono, you do not understand failure. This world, is broken. This world is flawed, and nobody ever stops to notice.” “Broken? You call this world broken.” “No, I know it's broken. Tell me, in which world can one die and none other take notice? In which world can one expand the nature of the undead and none other take notice? In which world can a simple man like me, lead a rebellion without hesitation? Your world. This world of mine, is perfect, pristine, flawless.” “What is your plan with your world. Ruling the undead until they die themselves. Your kingdom will not grow, and will ultimately fail.” “This world of mine, isn't for me, it is for another. I have no sense of failure or success. I know only my orders! A loyal soldier if you will.” “A loyal soldier? Are you not the head of this entire army?” “Wrong again! Oh this is precious!” He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. It was Isaac Fitton, Vitior's executioner. “Isaac Fitton! I thought you sounded familiar!” “And yet you sound surprised. Why is that?” “You are in charge of the local executions. You are also in charge of the undead army!” “I tell you again, I do not lead this army. My master has run this army from the first day; I merely began it. He has planned this for ages, centuries. The Phoenix King shall rise again!” “The Phoenix King? You mean King Nicholas?” “The Phoenix King, yes, no yes, wait...no. King Nicholas has been dead for quite some time. He has provided quite the nice body for my master. But to you, yes King Nicholas.” “So, you were put in charge of executions to better help your cause. How long has King Nicholas been dead, months, years?” Isaac furrowed his brow. “Seven years. I have told you, my master has planned this for ages.” “Who is your master?” “The Phoenix King, haven't you been listening? You must pay attention when you are about to die.” “I feel that you are mistaken Isaac. We have no intention of dying.” “My name is Amri'Chi. I am the Immortal God of this new world. I give life, I give death, I create, I destroy. I am the creator of my master's world. You have no choice but to obey me. Die.” “No. I refuse. You will be dying tonight, along with your dream of your master's world.” Isaac Fitton stood up from his throne. “Your bodies will make masterful drones for our army. That is a message not only for you, but for every being. For the living, from the dead!” The ground around us began to stir, when we looked back Isaac was gone. Arms began to reach out of the ground, about a dozen or so zombies were rising from the ground, eager to please their maker. Dria frantically went around trying to stab them, but only their arms were currently free. Their bodies were protected by the mix of rock and dirt. Part 3: Suddenly, the ground that had been there, was gone. It was now three of us versus over a dozen mindless undead zombies. Dria wasted no time in stabbing two in the heart before working her way to Fletcher and Emos; they were defenseless in their stasis. Natalie attempted to shoot a zombie with her bow, but she was unable to draw the string. I tried to get over to her, but a hand reached for my leg and pulled me down. I struggled to hold onto my sword, and swung my blade swiftly. The zombie's head followed my sword, but his body continued to claw at my legs. Frightened, I stabbed the zombie; I was aiming for the heart. When my blade pierced its heart it took one last thrash before releasing my leg. I stood up quickly, ending another zombie on my way up. Dria was fighting off three more zombies, but six more were surrounding Natalie, and she was falling fast, unable to properly defend herself. Another zombie fell to my blade after a brief introduction. I stumbled towards Natalie over the uneven ground, but I tripped and dropped my blade. I heard Natalie scream, when I felt the wind get knocked out of me from hitting the uneven floor. Desperate, I grabbed a loose rock and threw it as best I could at the zombies. I crawled over to my sword as fast as I was able, and struggled to hold it and catch my breath. I stood up to find that Dria had finished off her three zombies and had broken up the last group. Natalie was lying down on the ground, blood was staining her clothes. Three of the zombies were still attracted to Natalie, but the final two shambled after me. Still catching my breath, I swung weakly at them, but missed. One of the zombies grabbed my arm, and I resorted to punching it in the face after dropping my sword. I flailed madly to get the zombies away from Natalie. I was struggling to defend myself, and Dria certainly made that fight easier for me. She kicked away the zombie that was latched onto me, and punched her arm dagger deep into its heart. Two more zombies attacked Dria, leaving the last zombie for me. It lunged at me, and I ducked underneath it, flipping it onto its back. It landed on top of Natalie and she began to scream again. The zombie quickly grabbed her hair and began to pull it harshly into it's mouth. I grabbed its shoulders and beat it violently to make it to let go. It gnashed its teeth at my face, and I headbutted it in response. It rolled over bringing me onto my back, but within reach of my sword as well. I grabbed my sword and I swung it fast and true. It bit into the zombies heart, but I knew I also hit Natalie as well. The last zombie was quickly killed by Dria, and she ran off behind the throne. I grabbed the zombie by the arm and slowly pulled it off of Natalie. Pieces of her hair followed the zombie. I could hear Natalie whimpering from her wounds, I only hoped that they weren't serious; I was horrified by what I saw. Natalie's right thigh was gone to the bone, and her stomach had a deep wound as well. Her face and neck were covered with deep scratches and a few bites. Most of her hair was missing and thrown about the ground around her; she was missing the majority of her left ear. She was struggling to breathe and when I found the strength to kneel, I grabbed her hand. “Natalie? Natalie, can you hear me?” I asked, my face was drowning in tears; I knew that she could not survive. “Yes.” She struggled to say. Her breathing was harsh and she sounded winded. “I'm sorry Natalie. I'm sorry. The ground, I lost my footing and fell...” “Stop!” she managed to say before screaming in agony. She squeezed my hand hard, and wheezed heavily for a few breaths. Her body relaxed and she smiled. “It's not your fault… You did your best. Hurgh… … You ahh… you need to understand.” “What? Understand what?” “Love.” “Love? I do understand that though?” Natalie coughed, and wheezed before continuing, “If… If you do… Don't let them bring me back.” “What? No, Natalie!” “Don't! Ah!” Natalie contorted again struggling to breathe. She grasped my hand even tighter than before. Her breathing increased rapidly, but they grew short and raspy. Her eyes were glossy and distant, but calm. She looked firmly into my eyes, and struggled to pull herself onto my lap. I helped lay her head on my leg, and her eyes grew dreamy. Her breathing slowed to a stop, and her body relaxed forever. I held her head in my hands and sobbed aloud; Natalie was dead. I pulled her body up, and held her close. I knew she was dead, but I knew also that she could feel all of my emotions as well. I felt alone, and hopeless. This war was taking its toll on me, and my family, and my friends. Then, I heard laughter. “Black is the dawn of the Azure Son.” I lowered Natalie to the floor, and stood up once again. I turned to face Isaac. He held a large smile on his face; he had won. “That was very clever of you, blockading my door. I can see that my job is done. This gaggle of heroes lies broken at my feet. Your hearts grow disheartened everyday, your minds unwinding into madness.” I silently approached him, dragging my sword along the ground. I stumbled slightly, using my sword to prevent me from falling. Isaac laughed some more. “My master will be pleased, you cannot stop me!” I felt a rush of vertigo and fell into the uneven floor. It was all I could do to raise my head enough to glare at Isaac. He began to approach me. “Death is his goal! The Phoenix King shall rise again! All hail the king!” He stopped and turned to his throne. Then Isaac ran for the door, and I was too weak to run after him; he was going to get away. I roared in agony. Isaac was correct; my spirit had been broken. I had long been losing my faith in success, with the death of my brother, the death of Edward, and the capture of Dria. My beloved Natalie had died in my arms, leaving me hopeless in this nightmare. I cried aloud, affirming to Isaac that I was a lost and broken foe. Finally, I heard the loud snap of a bow. An arrow flew straight into the back of Isaac's head. He fell forwards onto the ground, laughing the entire way. He slowly turned himself on to his side, and Dria ran up to him, and pinned him to the ground. “Long. Live. The King!” Isaac began to laugh maniacally and Dria punched him in the heart. Isaac died laughing, his last testament to the futility of our attempt to end the war. Exhausted, depressed and lost, I passed out.

Author:	altimis [ Wed Aug 06, 2014 7:50 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: [STORY] The Phoenix King
All this said... I would love feedback from you guys who have been reading this whole time. I know nobody has talked at all during, but I would like to knowwhat you liked or disliked any questions etc. It helps me know a bit more what people look for and certain things that I miss. A question I have for you guys, and I have yet to find the answer online so maybe someone here knows... The title of the character is: The Phoenix King. Do I need to capitalize the 'the' whenever referring to him? I have mixed feelings on it and have yet to get a definite answer. Lastly, were you guys able to guess what was going to happen? Were you surprised? Who was yoru favorite character(s)? I want to know anything at all you have to share. Thanks, so much! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I had fun bringing it to life (with words... you know what I mean).

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