Forum Thread

Sign Ups

*The sun began to rise over the kingdom of Telmar. The birds began chirping for attention as they flew through the trees and the city. The suns have landed on Maddy's eyes and she slowly began to get up. She looked around her bedroom and looked down at Tani, who slept so peacefully next to her. Tani still had scars from the fire 2 years prior, but Maddy could barely notice them as she looked at Tani, who flew in the morning sun. Maddy slowly leaned over Tani and kissed her cheek before getting out of bed and walking to her dresser to get ready. When she was dressed, she walked out of the room but then saw something. Down the hallway sat a little girl, who was curled up in a little ball, weeping into her knees. Maddy slowly walked towards her and upon reaching her, Maddy slowly began to reach down to her. But then, the girl grabbed Maddys hand and looked up. It was Talla. Her emotionless eyes looked into Maddy's soul and caused Maddy to run back to her room, where she locked the door and ran to Tani*
Tani! Wake up! We have to-! *Maddy moved Tani but saw her clothes were soaked in blood and a dagger layed in her chest. Tani looked at Maddy and spoke with Bentons voice* You could have saved them.. *Maddy screamed and fell backwards into the town. It was now night outside and the town was set ablaze. As she looked around, she saw Cloaks swarming the city, killing all in her path. Then, suddenly, she tripped over Dylan's body. He too looked at her and spoke in Bentons voice* You could have saved them..
*She stood up and began to run, with tears in her eyes until she ran into something. She looked up and saw a post, where she saw the bodies of Sage, Gwen, Luke, Star, Barry, Leaf, and Blossom hanging from it. They all then looked at her, with black eyes and Benton's face. They then all simultaneously yelled* You could have saved them!! *Maddy began to scream and she saw Talla, who grabbed her by the throat and began sucking the life out of her once again. But this time, she intended to finish the job*

*Maddy woke up screaming in the middle of the rainy night. She was drenched in sweat and both her head and heart were pounding. Sage rushed into the room and looked at Maddy, who nervously reached out for her wheelchair but instead fell out of the bed. Sage ran over to Maddy, who looked at her fearfully and began to push herself away. She began to yell with fearful tears in her eyes and she took out a knife which she held out as she distanced herself from Sage* Get away from me!!! Get away!!

Cunning green eyes stare down at younger brown haired girl. She was terrified, that was obvious on it's own. Her kingdom, while it was slowly repairing itself, had many broken warriors. Some were more damaged then others.

Seeing Maddy like this never failed to hurt Sage, but it wasn't an uncommon sight. Sage had grown use to these panic attacks. Sage releases a breath through her nose and raises her hands up. "Maddy, it's okay sweetie" she says calmly. Slowly, she advances towards the girl, pausing only when Maddy got more nervous. "It was just a dream, everything is okay" she assures softly. "Come on now, deep breath in-... And out."

She had a soft spot for Maddy. Her hardened expression quickly melted away and turned more sympathetic as she drew closer to the girl. Sage never had any kids, but she thought of Maddy as her own. She extends her arms out, both to show surrender and vulnerability, and to offer the terrified girl a hug.

---

Elsewhere, Leaf was tending to the garden at the back of the house. This garden wasn't just for food, but also for medical herbs and spices and other helpful plants. Blossom was in the house organizing and restocking the jars and bottles that were solely for medical use. After the last war, which neither of them wanted to repeat, they had settled in together and they were happy.

Star was fixing up one of her shelves in the house by torchlight, one of the sides kept slanting and anything that went on that shelf fell off. It was starting to get pretty tedious.

---

While everyone else was doing their things, Luke was sleeping in his house. After the last battle with the Cloaks he was in, he had been told to take it easy because of his blindness. Although that didn’t stop him from doing other things. But he never had any other plans during the night. He was dreaming about the battle that he was in, and how he had become blind and only darkness came after that. He quickly woke up in his sleep and felt around him, remembering he was in his bed. He sighed, then continued sitting upwards, doubtful of his ability to fall back to sleep tonight.

Barry was outside training with his knife under the cover of darkness close to the woods slicing quickly at a tree like it was an enemy. Since the last battle, he felt guilty for not doing much, even though he had been wounded beforehand. He wanted to get better to be able to protect people and not just be someone who got in the way of the fighting. He was getting pretty good at the sharp blade, even though it wasn’t the best weapon of choice.

---

*Maddy's heart was pounding as she held her knife out towards Sage. As she came to her senses, she saw her caring eyes and her extended arms. She felt her arm slowly go limp as she came back to reality, causing her to drop the knife. She buried her head in her hands and continued to break down, causing Sage to move closer and embrace Maddy in her arms*

The storm thundered down on the old leaky roof sorely in need of repairs, water cascading down onto the well trodden roads. Pouring down with a vengeance, it made even the hearth shiver and wood shrivel up. But the brightly lit bar, a lighthouse in the tumultuous downpour, it was nothing but merriment and cheer. Tankards flowed and cheers arose, rambunctious laughter spilling across the floor. Though most of Telmar was tucked way in their sheets and whisked away in a personal wonderland, some even passed out on oak tables and alcohol soaked floors, the tavern was still alive as the few still nursing their drink mournfully asking for a refill. Rolling their eyes, Hyolyn plucked the glass out of a patrons hand. "We're cuttn' ya off." They huffed with a bit of a smile. "Rest up, we'll brew up a tonic come mornin'." A sad little merp escaped the very very drunk customer before slumping on the table. Sighing, Hyolyn made their rounds around the tavern, picking up empty glasses and gently cutting patrons off. Sighing, they glanced outside where water lapped at the door, the roaring fire keeping the cold at bay. The torrential rain reminded them of home, right shoulder throbbing at the memory. Turning away, Hyolyn sighed and returned to the kitchens to help prepare for closing.

---

A familiar feeling suddenly hit Sage. She shut her eyes and tries to suppress it. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fight away the feeling of despair. Misery loves company huh? It was all too familiar. This feeling of helplessness. This feeling of loss. The last time she felt suffering like this was when she was forced to kill Balin.

She has seen much suffering in her life. But it seemed to amplify when the Cloaks appeared. They forced many people to make impossible choices, and ruthlessly slaughtered many. Seeing the outcome of the devastation never failed to hurt her. While Sage remained strong through it all, there were times where her tough demeanor would crack. She may have the blood of an ancient being within her, but she was still human.

Tears slip down Sage's cheek. She stays still for a moment. Both waiting for Maddy to calm down a bit more and to regain her composure. "It's alright" she says out loud to no particular person. "Another bad dream I presume?" She asks Maddy gently. She releases her and turns her head away from Maddy so that she could discreetly wipe away her tears. "It was only a dream, it's not real I promise."

A small part of Sage wants to scold Maddy. Sage knew that Maddy was blaming herself. She saw it with many people close to her. Like Gwen Sage reminded herself bitterly. There was a time to mourn and a time to be tough. Sage expected Gwen to know the difference. Gwen seemed to think that her absence from her army wasn't doing much, but Sage had witnessesed it herself, the army was suffering greatly. Not one person could teach someone to fight as aggressively as Gwen. There was a time and place to scold both girls, but now wasn't it. "What's bothering you dear?" Sage asks instead.

---

*Maddy fell silent when Sage asked her what was wrong. She began to hear Bentons voice whisper to her* It will be over soon dear *Maddy shook her head and through a harsh, breaking voice she uttered out words that she knew Sage wouldn't believe, but would at least maybe cause her to back off for now* Nothing. Just a dream.. *Maddy looked at Sage and saw the skepticism of her gaze. She close her eyes and let out a deep breath* like you said. Just a dream

There is a breif moment of silence between the two. During this silence, Sage debates whenever or not she should press the matter further, and decides against it. She would confront Maddy about this properly once Maddy was in the right state of mind. Now, after she just woke up from a horrible nightmare, was not the correct time.

Sage sighs and gently helps Maddy up. "Let's get you back into bed" she says while lifting Maddy back onto her bed. She silently wheels Maddy's wheelchair close to the bed so that Maddy could lift herself onto it if needed. She frowns while she works, too distracted by her thoughts to say anything else. She snaps out of it upon looking at Maddy a final time.

"I know you don't want to hear me continue to press you about this, but you should really speak with Tani" Sage tells Maddy softly. "Now more than ever, you both need eachother."

---

*Maddy put her hand on the chair and began to lift herself onto the bed. Since her fight with Talla, she had slowly began to feel her strength wither away to the point where it was hard for her to even lift herself up. However after a minute of struggling, she finally managed to lift herself on to the beg, she turned her body around and looked down at her legs for a few seconds. She quietly muttered something to herself* Please, move

*There was nothing. Not even a jolt of nerves. Defeated, she grabbed her legs and lifted them up onto the bed before getting under the blanket and watching as Sage told her to talk to Tani. Maddy gazed at Sage for a few moments before silently letting out a breath of air through her nose and nodding her head subtly before shifting to her side to go back to sleep. As Sage left the room, Maddy continued to hear the voices of Benton and Talla as she slowly began to cry herself back to sleep*

The sun had begun to rise over the land. The ground was still wet from the rainfall that had occured just hours ago. Slowly, the kingdom was coming to life. Shops were opening, a few early risers were milling about. The patrols were racing around the lands while the rest of the army trained tirelessly.

Just outside of the kingdom, there is a lone figure standing over a grave. Her eyes and cheeks are wet and her limbs look weak. It almost looks like a small gust of wind could easily knock her down. She had visited this grave every day for the past two years. She could walk over here blindfolded if she had to. Her eyes were dazed as she stared down at the gravestone of her former lover. She had plagued her mind with thoughts of him. It had gotten to the point where she felt as if she had driven the sword through his side. She could see it now, stinky and warm droplets of blood hitting her hands. Her sword, driven impossibly deep through flesh and muscle. His eyes meeting her's, wide and questioning. Blood splattering out of his mouth as he dares to take a breath. "Why?" He asks. He falls back and she tries to catch him, to stop him from falling onto the cold ground, as if that would somehow save him. But her hand just passes right through his and he disappears beneath the ground.

Gwen had gone over Dylan's death thousands of times. Each time, she was desperate to find a way to save him. But she could never find a way. It was almost as if his death was nothing but a cruel fate. No, this wasn't fate. If only Gwen had picked up on his plans sooner! That was the way she could've saved him! Gwen's arms begin to shake as she starts to sob at this realization. She leans onto her sword for dear life, before her despair drives her to the ground. She sits on her knees, her head rests on the sword that she had driven into the ground.
"You dumb fool!" Gwen screams. "If only you told me sooner- everything you were planning! Maybe then I, no, we could've done something to save you!" She takes in a shaky breath, painfully gulping down a sob. "Or you could have been a coward and continued to make me hate you so that I would no longer be forced to burden this pain" she whispers. She reaches a hand out and places it onto the gravestone. It felt warm beneath the touch. She doesn't move until she hears footsteps behind her.
"General? Will you be joining us for the morning announcements?" A voice asks.
"No" she responds curtly.
"We understand you are still mourning, but you should be hesitant to defy Sage's orders-"
"Enough!" Gwen roars. She stands up quickly and meets the eyes of a younger boy, her assistant. He takes a fearful step back, unsure of the situation.
"I won't be around forever, somebody has to take my place when I die. You are the one for the job." It was nothing but an excuse, she wasn't fooling anybody. "Consider this to be practice. Did our patrols find any signs of an invasion?" She asks.
"No" the boy responds quietly.
"Then I have nothing to say to the people serving in my army. You can be the one to catch them up. I'll be joining you momentarily." She turns around now to return her gaze to Dylan's grave. "You're dismissed."

With each departing footstep Gwen begins to become less and less agitated. Her body once again becomes more limp. Once again, she crashes back onto the ground, but she has no more tears left to cry. Instead she just stares at the gravestone until she can no longer avoid her duties and is forced to depart.

---

When morning had come, Leaf was sleeping away as Blossom rose from the covers. As much as she'd like to stay in bed with her lover, there were things to be done. So Blossom gets out of bed and works on breakfast. Eggs, some black caps, a bit of orange juice. It's not much, but for them it's enough.

Leaf stumbles out of bed after the smell of breakfast wafts into the bedroom. With a yawn and messy hair she slowly trudges over until she wraps her arms around Blossom's middle.

Leaf: Morning. . .

Blossom: Morning love. . .

(this was supposed to be longer but the original post got lost after the internet went down over here.)

---

Thalia lay in her bed completely bored, she looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression. She fiddled with her necklace humming off-key to a random song, she smiled at how strange it sounded and got up and lazily trudged over to her kitchen for a little water and breakfast. Thalia grabbed a frying pan from a cabinet and fired up her stone oven scrambling the eggs. Just as she finished a small raven flew through an open window, it got perched on a chair. She set a small bowl and plate on the table, she passed most of the eggs on the plate, and tossed the rest onto the bowl. Thalia ate her eggs quickly washing them down with water, the raven pecked at the eggs and left. She grabbed the plates and got up to wash them.

Morning Dew, thy holy eyes shine..
Gleaming through the Daybringer's glare..
Thy beauty brings the prayers to the shrine..
So that a victim might forget the oppressor's stare..

---

The rising dawn brought guests, unexpected to the kingdom... A wagon, trailed behind a strong, powerful horse.. It was unlike any horse seen by any soul within the kingdom's walls, tall and elegant, yet more muscular than even the strongest beast of burden upon the kingdom's soils, maybe even the continent.. The man who drove the horse onwards was surely unfamiliar with the lands, that showed by his simple features... He was not of a local land or sea, but of a city some great distance away.

The back of the wagon sagged with a surprising groan, something large and heavy shifting behind the cover of canvas sheets, designed to provide shelter from the elements.. The sound of shifting armor came from within as two heavily armored legs let themselves down from the hind of the carriage. An impressively powerful man stepped around the wagon, trotting ahead towards the gates of the city. He spoke a few words of a foreign language to the wagon and the man driving it, then approached the gate guards.. The man had impossibly black hair, so dark it seemed to devour the light that touched it. He was decorated with a cape, as well as impossibly thick armor, though it seemed to be made of a light, durable metal and stained to bear the colors of night.. Around his neck, a decorative band was laid, empowered by a pair of lion's heads, crafted of gold, that sat attached at either end of the neckwear.

The man held his helmet in hand, eyes of deep blue scanning the area.. The helmet had a mask of metal affixed to it, as well as a pair of horns, reminiscent of a bull. He strode easily forward, glancing at the wagon behind him and gesturing for it to stop.. He turned back to the guardsmen posted at the gate, offering a friendly smile..

Yet when he spoke, he spoke in an accent that told of violence and warfare.. His words were twisted by the accent, making several words hard to understand..

"Ho, guardians.. I usk for pass-adge for meysalf and mey compan-yen.. If Aye must appale to a heyer rank, Aye will do es Aye em told.."

A scarred face steadily stares at larger stranger. He says nothing, and seems to be starting into Dereks soul before he turns towards his fellow comrade, who has refused to take her hand off her sword for even a second. The two weren't likely to attack, but they decided to show aggression, as to hopefully deter a possible threat.

The man shoots the girl a look that seems to say: were we expecting vistors? She shrugs and steps closer to the wagon to inspect it. She takes her time, looking inside the wagon and underneath it. She even gently pokes a few bags with the tip of her blade, but finds nothing that would cause any suspicion. "It seems to be all clear" she says while walking back into their field of vision. "They can pass."

"Stay with them, and lead them to Gwen" the man commands. To his credit, he lowers his guard a bit to shoot Derek a friendly smile. "We weren't expecting any strangers to visit, but everyone is welcome in our kingdom. Of course, tensions are a bit high right now, so you must meet with our general before getting settled in. We just want to make sure you aren't one of them."

---

By sinner's hand, the fortune told
Away would lead a string of gold
By legend's luck, it was foretold
That death awaited those who fol'd

---

The only true thing that might arouse any suspicion was a large weapon within the carriage, made of the same metal as the guard's armor. It was a single-edged blade made for cleaving at a target, an incredibly heavy weapon to be paired with immensely strong armor. One of the bags had a small hole at one place, but nothing much else. Beneath the wagon was only the signs of travel and wear, the elements had not been kind on this journey..

Upon the inspection of the wagon, the driver of the carriage straightened up, trying to look proper. It hadn't precisely worked, what with the bags under his eyes and the dark rings around even those. There was a dagger at his waist, but it seemed mostly for the rights of being a "threat" to an attacker. Of course, he was so thin, so miniscule that he would be easily overpowered in a battle.. The only threat would have been his guardian, suggesting some kind of contract between the two..

The male guard's words seemed to strike a friendly chord with Derek, an understanding grin flashing across his otherwise stern features...

"Ah, of kers.. Sec-eraty es of utmast impertance when there es a threat."

He gestured to the man driving the wagon, who flicked the reins and proceeded through the checkpoint. He seemed nearly ready to fall asleep right then and there, but through some incredible feat of willpower, he did not.

The woman seemed quite eager to leave her post. She tried, and failed multiple times to hide her delighted smile as she walked alongside the carriage. "Welcome to Telmar!" She chants warmly. It was quite the change compared to earlier, when she looked like she was ready to attack any second.

The woman seemed to talk in rapid session while they walked. She took the time to point out everything they passed by. "...Over there is where some of our best Healers live! If you are feeling sick from your travels Leaf and Blossom will take great care of you!... Over there is the best bar in this kingdom! But don't drink too much, Hyolyn isn't afraid to kick you out if needed. It's best to be on their good side! They have the best gossip! Over there is where poor Luke lives... He lost his eyesight in one battle... Oh! He sometimes makes me think of Barry! He was once an innocent young boy, but now he has a fearsome fighting spirit! ....Thalia lives nearby! She, like Luke, and many people here, has a very rough past. I do pity her. I don't have enough time after my shift to speak with her, she seems pretty quiet and mysterious. I wonder if anyone will get her to open up to them?...Up there, in that big building is our Queen Sage! Sage lives there with Maddy!" The woman pauses by the entrance. She couldn't pass through even if she wanted. The guards guarding the entrance glare at her- she doesn't have clearance to lead them here.

"Let's continue forward. We are nearly there I promised! There are inns close by that you can stay at!" The woman finally pipes down and walks in silence. Although occasionally she shoots Derek a curious look. Her eyes seem to be saying: Why are you here?

---

Fallen black wings,
Take up my lonesome torch
For odd, fearsome things
Hide beneath my porch...

---

Derek offered no such glances, though he occasionally turned his near-shaven head towards the wagon, saying a few words. Every few minutes, the man driving the carriage leaned over to speak in an unfamiliar tongue to his guard. It was a language unlike any other, sharp and difficult to hear from a distance.. The patterns of speech weren't unfamiliar.. Spies spoke in the same sharp, quiet hisses.. Though, the few words that could be heard were entirely nonsensical. These were no spies, these were foreigners to the land. They had no idea of the war that was being fought, nor of the ferocity of the opponent that stood strong in the face of battle...

Derek seemed to be translating the guard's words to the other man, ensuring understanding was met. Upon arrival before the guards at the entrance to the supposed living quarters of the leader of the kingdom, Derek shifted in his armor.. It clattered for a moment, though settled nearly as fast as he did. Upon the continuation of their journey, the driver said something aloud to Derek, not hiding the strange language anymore.

"Darak, Ven trusv.. Vennas decaver ost der Wagon... In-tro-duce ven."

The man held the reins of the horse out to Derek, who took them and stepped a few paces of towards the head of the horse. Then, the previous driver shifted in his seat, vanishing into the canvas. By the sounds of it, he had laid down or sat somewhere to rest.

"Hey says to intreduce hem. That is Sylas Verun, hey es mey cle-int ent compenion.. Aye'em un-sher of hes reysins ta'bey here, thew.."

The woman narrows her eyes at the two. Once again, she rests her hand on the hilt of her sword, but visibly relaxes once Derek speaks in a more recognizable language. "Well, it's nice to meet the both of-"

"What's this?" A voice shouts from across the field. Nearby were the sounds of training. Multiple people were fighting against eachother with wooden swords. Further away, some people were practicing archery. In the distance, more experienced fighters were trying to knock eachother off horses. But all seemed to stop at the sound of a single voice.

Despite her frequent absence from training and her looking noticably weaker, Gwen was still highly respected within the ranks. She had more experience than anyone, and was still as cunning as she was two years ago. She strode forward, her hand gripped the hilt of her sword as she glanced between Derek, her solider, and the large caravan.

"You!" Gwen practically snarls at Derek. "Who are you? Why have you come here?" She asks threateningly. Her hand never once dropped from the hilt of her sword, in fact, upon getting closer, she seemed far more eager to wield her sword. She carefully strode around the larger man. Normally a visitor wouldn't be a threat, but one look at Derek set off alarm bells. No way a guard of that size is coming here peacefully Gwen thinks to herself.

---

Restless child, hail my call
Betray the ones that let you fall
Forget the traitors in your mind
Become the one who leads the blind...

---

Derek lifted his chin rather defiantly at Gwen's approach, his face turning stern. Moments earlier, he'd been wearing a friendly smile, though now..

Now he wore a face of challenge, almost, as if offended by the sudden interruption in conversation. His eyes crossed over Gwen quickly, analyzing this potential opponent. His hands loosened on the reins of the horse, letting them fall easily. His blade was still within the wagon, though a shining, beautifully polished hatchet rested against his right flank, held there by a loop of leather. Two armored fingers pressed against the bottom of the hatchet's handle, slipping it quickly out of the loop.

Thnk..

It fell softly to the ground leaving the blade resting upon one side, out of easy reach.. Derek was now "unarmed," aside from the likely strength he boasted in his own body. Reaching out to the wagon, Derek set his helmet upon it, then shifted to turn fully towards Gwen, his eyes narrowing slightly..

"Yer unawer of mey clan, then.. Aye em a Bes-chun Gelds-men. Aye recogneys yew es a General, em Aye encorrect?"

Derek shifted his feet with a heavy clatter of armor, settling onto one knee with a much louder clash of metal. He bowed his head, a more formal introduction rising from the kneeling position.

" Bes-chun Gelds-men Sen-yer. Derek, General. Aye em on en essen-mint ef Bes-chun gerds-men dewty, es-kert-ing a hiy prier-ety cle-int."