Brell Serilis

[Theren Sa'Riik]

(Otherwise titled I am a slacker and haven't written in too darn long)

Theren stretched her arms lightly, knowing that this day would stretch on in her memory and seem like a lifetime, if she survived it. The day of change for her was here and what lay ahead was effected by others; this destiny was not to be hers alone. Fayerd and Treenani kept glancing at each other as they waited for the councilor’s return. Theren took the time to rest and gather her wits and strength, breathing deeply to center herself and to dim the raw emotions attempting to break away, like waters over a dam. She could taste every emotion as it danced across her tongue. The fear, the hate, the anger, the sadness… they all warred within her searching for the chance to be the deciding factor in the days events. Theren steeled herself, refusing to let them hold sway over her, emotions were a deadly companion that led to the edge of panic too easily.

When the councilors walked back into the chamber, M’Kari nodded to them as they took their seats. Theren tried to read their faces but knew none of them well enough to judge what they had decided. Fayerd walked back to stand beside her, as Treenani paced lightly, waiting for, what he assumed would be, a sure victory for his family.

M’Kari moved and stood before Theren and Fayerd, he knew the decision the council had made, and though it surprised him, it only held that his entertainment this day would be increased. “The council is split”, he announced shortly, not drawing out the statement. “The only decision that will come of these days’ events will be formed at the hands of the Champions as offered here. Treenani, Fayerd, prepare your selves for battle.”

Theren looked towards her Father first; he looked slightly taken back at the council’s decision. His show of surprise boosted her strength; maybe this wasn’t as hopeless as it seemed earlier. Looking too Fayerd her hope increased more, he looked calm, as if he expected this fight to come today, or else he resolved himself to defending her and not warring with words. Taking a deep breath and raising her head high she met M’Kari’s gaze, showing no fear she even smiled a bit and nodded.

The High Priest gestured for everyone to follow him as he moved down the halls to the arena, as they moved he fell in step with Theren and looked down at her. “Ready to see your destiny unfold child?”

Keeping her head straight and gazing only at the hallway before them she formed her answer slowly, “My destiny can not be shaped by you, or anyone else, I have charge of my own future, no matter what you may all think.” Her earlier thoughts betrayed this, but she hoped he could not know of her earlier doubts.

The Priest leaned forward and spoke quietly, “Innoruk choose our paths, and I think He has chosen to bless me with a prize this day.” He laid a large hand on her shoulder and she could feel his power trying to ease its way into her soul.

Shivering against her will, she turned to look up at him, “Or he chose to curse you with failure and will continue to as you will never own or possess me. My spirit shall never yield to a man the likes of you.”

“Spirits can be broken once the body submits willingly to the proper tutelage. Surely with your knowledge of passions you know this is true.” His eyes darkened as he spoke to her and Theren felt that death might be a release from the torture he had planned for her.

M’Kari urged her over to the observation area where they would sit side by side and watch the impending duel and she watched as Fayerd and Treenani stepped into the area below her. They entered the arena and Fayerd started to stretch, all the while watching Treenani closely. Treenani kneeled in prayer and runes of his spells encircled him as he prepared them for battle. Fayerd’s eyes moved across Treenani, trying to estimate which spells he would use against him. Treenani was a superb swordsman as well as a gifted knight and he was sure there would be a surprise or two in store. Treenani rose and met Fayerd’s gaze, acknowledging his opponent easily.

They both turned to salute M’Kari and the Priest spoke, “You have chosen this battle each in your own way to honor Innoruk, and may his blessing be with you both.” He paused and looked at Theren before turning back to the combatants, “Know this… Our Lord and Creator Innoruk has chosen this day to take into service one of his fighters. There will be no return to this plane for the loser of this battle; your soul shall rest eternally within the haven of Hate as a slave to serve there. I shall accept no failures in this battle, and not only does her soul hang in the balance, but both of yours.”

Theren gasped at his announcement, it meant that if Fayerd lost, he was truly sacrificing his life for her. She started to speak, to tell him to leave the field and she would fight for herself but he looked up at her and shook his head then spoke confidently, “I have no choice but to follow the path lain before me. I am honored to be part of a day such as this and hope that all fighters within the Temple remember, and honor, what this day meant for those who fought it.”

Fayerd’s words rang through the Temple as he projected; he wanted his men to know that this battle was entered willingly and with pride. Too long had the Knights of Innoruk held simple fighters in disdain and acted as if their service was less for their lack of magic. He often thought that the reason the rogues that served chose to separate themselves from the temple was not their desire to be inconspicuous and secretive, but more to separate from the prejudice of the magic born.

Treenani listened to Fayerd’s word and snarled. This upstart would not live through the day; his self-righteousness would no longer hamper his ambition. Knowing his soul would rest in hate eternally and once again he could shift power where it belonged in the Temple of Innoruk only made this battle sweeter. Thrice the bonus would be held at the loss of his Daughter who was a mar on his name. The Sa’riik family would thrive in power this day and this night he and his wife would celebrate. He nodded at M’Kari to let him know he was ready.

The Priest listened and watched; once both fighters stood at the ready he lifted a hand to signal the beginning of the battle. Fayerd moved forward slowly and shifted the handle of his Truncheon of Doom in his hands, not many fighters used this weapon and he hoped its effect would surprise the Knight.

Treenani began to chant soft words, feeling the power flow through his veins he began to cast, but at that moment Fayerd sprang forward smashing the hammer into his shoulder. He grimaced and suddenly felt the effect of the damage, his body slowed and it took great effort to swing his blade. Having fought slowed in battles before he knew the spell the warrior had cast with his weapon, his mind slid through his spell line up quickly and knew just what to do. Changing his spell casting immediately he took another blow from the great hammer, then saw Fayerd step back to swap weapons as the hammer was not doing a great deal of damage but the slow would be enough to cripple most fighters. That gave Treenani just the time he needed, he wove a magic shadow and stepped behind it, moving around the arena to come in behind Fayerd, slashing with Innoruk’s Curse down and let it taste his opponent’s blood.

Fayerd staggered forward and heard Theren’s soft voice gasp above him, but he could not take the time to acknowledge her as he swung around to face Treenani, only to have him step back into the shadows. Cursing softly, he knew that Treenani would use this tactic until slow wore off, his best offense would be a good defense and a little help from the armor he had quested long for. Moving his back to the warrior trainer that guarded the arena, he softly touched his breastplate and it began to glow. He felt the healing power of the Invigorate spell wash over his body. He could almost feel Treenani’s anger as the realization dawned on him of the healing spell. A whispered voice spoke by his ear “Two can play at that game warrior.” Fayerd turned to meet the voice but only saw the shimmer of the knight stepping back into his portal.

Treenani readied his Drain Soul spell to drain away Fayerd’s health and bring his back to full, but knew that would leave him vulnerable to attack again in this small area. None the less, he trusted in his ability to cast while defending himself and began to utter the spell. Fayerd saw Treenani appear and he moved towards him, right before he reached the knight he felt the spell hit as life drained from him to his opponent. Arching his back at the pain, his face twisted in anger and he swung his sword at Treenani, and then brought his second hand in with a dagger that twisted in Treenani’s side.

Treenani did not counter attack as he readied his next spell, he had trained long and hard to bring this spell, as he began to cast he felt relief as the slow he had woven against him earlier dissipate. Smiling hungrily, he saw Fayerd’s recognition of the change in the battle as his early advantage faded. He finished intoning Blood of Hate in the short time that the Warrior recovered to attack again, and threw the deadly poison directly into his opponent’s bloodstream. His head filled with pride as the damage began to eat away at Fayerd, and then he brought his blade in to strike him down.

Fayerd felt his blood turn but saw Treenani approach; he raised his blades though they felt heavy and willed his body to fight the poison as he countered Treenani’s attack. Flashing light as their blades met he caught the two handed sword between his shorter blades and stepped aside, turning his wrists to parry the stroke, then move in to slash at the knight’s thigh. Treenani sidestepped the blow, dodging it with ease and began to cast his next spell. Fayerd watched closely and stepped in kicking directly to his stomach causing Treenani to fall back interrupting his spell.

Treenani moved with a silken grace his daughter had inherited and stepped in to attack, slashing both hands down he found no resistance as Fayerd had misjudged his parry this time and left himself vulnerable to the overhand move. The warrior moaned slightly as the blade bit deep into his shoulder and felt his life force draining away as it drove into him. Ducking down he dislodged the great weapon and spun out behind Treenani driving forward as he slashed with his trusty Fleshgrinder, watching the fire of the blade’s effect searing through the breastplate of the Knight. “Warriors can still handle magic gifted through other sources, or did you forget.” He spoke and moved away to await the shadow knight’s next attack.

Eyes glowing darker as the passion of battle over took him, Treenani decided that he had enough of the warrior’s game and would play his own, he readied himself and reached a hand out, catching Fayerd in the center of his chest, using his harm touch to drain away the strong warrior’s life. He felt his armor begin to glow as it increased his ability in his magic, then felt the added damage surge forth that he had been training in. Fayerd’s eyes glazed over as he felt the death blow, Treenani stripped his helm away and bent the warrior back stepping behind him and slashing his blade across his throat, letting the Captain’s lifeblood pour over his armor. “Now you will no longer stand in the way of my family’s rise in power. Cherish your time with our maker warrior... Maybe there you can finally feel the strength of true ecstasy in magic.”
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[koljjaric]

*kneels in deepest respect*

You truly have a gift....well worth the wait!!!!!!!!!!!

[Theren Sa'Riik]

Too long of a wait I know <smiles and blushes deeply>
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[Arathena]

(As promised, Theren. )

It was unnaturally cold within the caverns of her people as she awaited the signal, and the drafts settled swiftly into her bones. Never before had she felt old, even though the second century had passed since her initiaton into the House of the Dead. On occasion, elven longetivity had its benefits. And so she paced uneasily along the edge of the pool beneath the falls, though the Lodge was but a scant few minutes away, her armor scraping over itself noisily. Time and time again, the knight's mind wandered from the memories of the vision her Lord and Master had sent her, to memories called by the flowing sheet of water.

The sharp, swift pain of a boot in the side, the flare of rage and hatred that had indelibly marked her calling as a knight of Innoruuk, here in the waters of Neriak. The fear and pain of the claws of the undead, the blessed soothing of holy light, the forging of a forbidden friendship in the stagnant waters of the keep of vampires thousands of miles over the ocean. The chill, dark waters of the first children of Prexus, along with the knowledge of belonging to something far greater than just herself and her faith. The caress of the salt sea air near the Ruins of the Lizard Empire, accompanied by the caress of a rough, swordsman's hand. The hot, sweet pleasure-pain of knowing a man for the first time as the icy river of the divide of Velious rushed past and over her. All these, and more kept the Knight of Hate occupied.

A flare of powerful hatred finally caught her attention, yanking the woman from the snare of memory. A call upon the power of her Lord, in the way that only a fellow knight could manage... from the temple? No words split the air, no vision danced before her eyes, but she had been informed that it was time. Arathena began to run then, one hand holding the sheath that contained the flame-etched flamberge at her back as she hurtled towards the temple of Innoruuk.
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Archfiend Arathena Sa`Riik
Poison Arrow