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Post by Imryrr Armunn on Sept 11, 2007 3:14:47 GMT -5
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I watched as mother carried something in her hands. She had that rediculous grin on her face, but moreso, when she glanced at me, she seemed to have something to hide from me.
Father wasn't home, yet I heard his study door being opened. Opening my parents' bedchamber, I watched as mother walked from father's study. Her hands, empty, and my curiosity peaked.
A brief exchange of words and she was casting her spell to travel for magery supplies. I took the opportunity and went into the study. Still, unsure if it was locked to me. The door opened easily and I stood in it's entrance. My father's study seemed very much in order, unlike the bedchamber that mother resides in. The chess board caught my eye. Pieces possitioned....I made my way to the board, just off to the side was a rune marked in the Common tongue for easy reading. Something mother made for father. My eyes surveyed the chess board. A new game? But, this one was odd. Not right. One piece stood alone. As a hint of a meaning became clear, I smiled. Wondering what your move should be, father?
Reaching over carefully, I picked up the opposing King and tucked it away inside my belt-pouch.
The etching on the rune beside the chess board was fresh. I could still smell the burn from the stone. Unrolling a ready scroll, I chanted the words written and was no longer in my father's study.
With weapon & shield at the ready, I glanced around. A waterfall...a jungle....a cave. Two people on horseback ran out of the cave, blood streaming from fresh wounds. The woman fell from her horse, dropping into a pile of bones. Without aid soon, she too would join the collection. The man jumped unsteadily off his mount and ran to the woman. He held her in his arms. Such a pitiful display.
The man then looked up at me and pleaded for me to do something. I opened my pack and checked my supplies. As I pulled my bandages out to gage how long they might last me, I heard him sigh in relief. I wonder why.
Walking past the man and his dying lady, I stepped into the recesses of a dark dark cave. Before my eyes could adjust, something lept at me and I reacted, albeit slowly due to the stiffness in my legs. I brought up my shield and the beast was deflected. Tossing it off, I saw....a bear. A simple bear made the pile bones outside? No. No simple bear. There were grunts further inside the gave. Grunts that seemed like some sort of speech but I could not make it out. Nor could I see because this extraordinary bear was making another leap at me. By darkness, it was strong! A most worthy foe indeed.
It took such a long time to dispatch this single beast. It could tear apart the lords of the ogres easily. Yet finally it lay at my feet. It's fur would go nicely inside Armunn Keep.
A short walk and rounding a corner I found the source of the grunts. Troglodytes. I've seen their pictures in mother's sketch book along with the words, "These are fun. Cat likes them".
A few minutes and several dead Trogs later, a couple of my guildmates joined me on this practice. They attacked in numbers against us. I leaned much that day. A very good day. Father would like these. I shall have to encourage him to use the rune mother left as a gift. And if he does not survive....then that problem will be solved.
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Post by Tarothin Armunn on Sept 11, 2007 7:36:56 GMT -5
Tarothin frustrated more at himself then the helpless creatures he destroyed in his training. More and more he was getting better at grabbing attempted attacks made at him in one of his claws. More and more he was remembering the moves he had once done without so much of a thought.
But frustrated he was for it was taking too much time then what he had thought it would. With a heavy stroke of one of his claws the air elemental dissipated leaving the dirt particles to fall to the ground.
They die too quickly for me to even practice.
On recalling back to his keep and walking up to his study he noticed the new dark fur by the fireplace drying out.
I wonder what more Ditto can clutter into this room he thought to himself as he walked into his study and shut the door. After spending so many days now on his return solely in this room, he almost instantly knew that something was amiss. Scanning the room he noticed what it was.
The chess board had a rune on it... and missing the white king.
I wonder... taking the rune off the board he read a scroll to recall him to where ever it took him.
Finding himself near a waterfall seconds later he heard sounds coming from a cave. He couldn't quite recall if he had ever been here. Ducking down slightly as he passed under the lip of the cave mouth he went further in. His eyes quickly adjusted to his night vision.
Large hulking creatures turned to regard him before letting out a roar to charge. On they came.
It was quickly learned that the blows that they landed past his defenses were weak. His flesh regenerated what damage they caused before they were able to slip past another. But as they took claw after claw, he had finally found new training dummies.
"They are resilient. I'll give them that."
There was always two to three of them at the same time. Very seldom did he need to bring forth the negative energy within himself to drain that which still remained in the dying bodies at his feet.
Then after going in further he noticed where someone got that fur. A dark bear joined the attack. At first not paying it any attention he was bit hard.
Interesting was all he said as he let the three hulking beasts pound on him as he focused all his attention on the dark bear. Minutes later the bear and the three beasts were dead at his feet.
His body fully regenerated before he felt the next blow of another hulking beast. "I guess I could play with these humanoids for a while."
***************************************************
After a few hours he returned to his keep only to find something step out of the shadows. No, correction, it solidified from the shadows itself.
Instantly his hatred burned.
"I see the wraiths have finally showed their true form. Which one were you playing?"
The shadow wraith just stood there watching him, almost as if it waited there.
"Did you play the role of Ditto? Mairsil? Imryrr?" His eyes flared red yet he did remember his word that he would let this dream play out. And he was this close to thinking it could have been real.
The wraith just stood there.
Sighing at his existence, Tarothin turned around to walk through the keeps front doors. Noticing that the wraith followed a step he turned to face it, "I am tired and in no mood for games. At least when you took on the appearance of someone, it was less bothersome."
Tarothin’s stomach growled and for the first time he noticed how hungry he was. Looking back at the wraith, "Go kill a deer and bring me it's haunch to eat."
That was when the wraith made a sound for the first time. Its head seemed to nod and it melded into shadows.
Laughing, Tarothin walked up to his study. "At least it seemed to listen."
Minutes later he started to hear a woman shriek from below. Some noise followed like a clattering of metal on stone and as he turned towards his studies door, he saw the wraith pass through the door to only stand before him. As he started to open his mouth in rage, a large deer leg had materialized out from the shadowy form to fall on the ground still bloody.
There is something much different here, something that he is now focusing on. He can feel its presence strongly, yet it was something he did not feel from the others in this dream.
"What is going on here..."
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Post by Lady Ditto Armunn on Sept 11, 2007 13:32:48 GMT -5
Ditto stood on the battlements, looking off into the distance. The servants had said Tarothin had come home hours ago, but, when she checked on him, his study was empty and the rune she left..gone. After a few hours of keeping herself busy and making sure there would be plenty to eat and ready for husband, she had made her way to the top of the keep. Almost bored enough to clean, she finally saw him. The top of his horns so cute as the light hit them. She saw him walking closer to the keep and so she turned quickly on her heels and ran downstairs for the kitchen.
Entering, she saw Jujual and Hester,assistant to the elderly houskeeper, preparing dough. " Lord Armunn! He's home! Get the meal to the trays. Hester you can help me take them up to him once he's settled."
Hester nodded her golden topped head. She was loath to get near the Dark Knight, but she was not about to get hit with Jujual's broom again.
Jujual's kneading slowed and she straightened herself up to her full height. A coldness ran across the very core of her soul. She turned around sharply to stare at Ditto. "We all gon' die." Was all she said.
Ditto looked up at her. "What are ya talkin about now, Jujual? Here, Hester, take this tray to my bedchamber while I fix the other tray." Ditto turned back to her work of piling and arranging food for Tarothin's large meal. Hester walked out, heavy tray in her hands and started to her destination.
"We all gon' die! WE ALL GON' DIE!" Jujual spoke louder and louder and seemed half hysterical as she fled from the kitchen. "Dem tings! Dem bad juju shadow tings! Dey be here!"
Ditto stopped short. She knew now what Jujual meant. Shadow Wraiths. Jujaul knew of them and had encountered them from a distance before, but never had she reacted this way. Instead of seeking safety inside the keep, Jujual wanted to get out.
She heard Hester's shriek and the sudden sound of the tray and its contents hitting the floor with sharp loud clangs.
Half in panic, Ditto ran to the closest window. No dark cloud. Not on this side anyway. Could it be happening again? Imy wasn't home but.... Tarothin! She had to warn him!
Very few moments later, Ditto ran off the teleporter and threw open the bedchamber doors. All was normal and quiet. She almost began to doubt Jujual's senses and warnings. She hoped to all Chaos that she was about to make her husband very angry with a false alarm.
"What is going on here..." She heard her him say.
She opened the study door in a rush and froze, silent and still.
A shadow wraith stood between herself and Tarothin. The cold darkness of it, eerie and uncaring.
Her eyes widened with complete fear. Not for herself, or the sight of the wraith, but for her heart, her love who stood close...to close to...it. She wouldn't let him be taken from her again. She breathed back the impulse to push the shadow wraith away from Tarothin. She wanted, needed to protect him, but..she was too frightened to make a move, worrying what the shadow wraith might do. It was only an instant since opening the door, but felt an eternity. Trying to steel herself, her face hardened and her lips took on a stubborn, tight pout. Staying still, but, prepared to react if the form should go after her husband. Her voice shaky, she could only manage a single thought to form into a word...
"..T..Tarothin..?"
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Post by Tarothin Armunn on Sept 11, 2007 20:02:27 GMT -5
Daerauko stood there waiting watching the shadowy blend of colors before him. Paying no attention to the female live one behind him in the doorway.
It has been this way since a few months ago. Suddenly this pull appeared within this structure. This familiarity in more ways then one.
Why did he feel a pull to a live one? Why did he wish to follow him instead of destroy? To make him that which he wished all around him would be... grey and colorless...
He stood there waiting letting out the whispy words of ... "Guide me..."
***************************************************
Tarothin saw Ditto run in and stop staring, frightened. He raised an eyebrow even more curious then before. Then he heard in a whispy voice, "Guide me." It took him just a moment to realize that it came from the wraith.
Looking puzzled for a moment before laughing harder then he has in a while.
"How strange this dream is Ditto. Is this a member that has yet to realize that his true form is showing? Why play scared for this is just as what you are?"
"Is it Imryrr that need her fathers guidance?"
"Both of you leave me for now, I am warry from my training and wish to be alone."
At that moment the shadow wraith noded and seeped into the cracks of the stone wall.
Ditto stood there still scared and yet confused.
Tarothin glanced back at her. "You wait for?"
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Post by Lady Ditto Armunn on Sept 12, 2007 0:25:18 GMT -5
~
She delayed answering him a moment to slam her hands against the stone the shadow wraith had seemingly blended into. Searching despretly along the stone, but finding nothing.
Ditto turned around to face in Tarothin's direction, her back up against that same wall, half in trying to keep it away somehow and half because her now wobbly legs needed the support. She stared blankly at Taro's stomach for another moment, trying to comprehend ...something ..anything of what just happened, before answering. Her eyes, still dazed, came up to meet his. A calmness swept over her, a sad calm.
"I wait for you, love."
She paused but sensed his annoyance and so continued. "I wait for you to fight. To do anythin other than this cold acceptance of ..of what you think is a game. Attack me, destroy the room, destroy all of DarkCove but do not let whatever is goin on in your mind defeat you by havin you ....what, accept it? Your Tarothin Armunn.".
Ditto's eyes softened, "Your Cloudster. Your never defeated. Ya might lose a battle or two but never defeated. So why start now? If you truely, way down deep truely believe your in some torturous dream world, then strike out at it. But if maybe, even a little bit, ya think ya might believe that you are home, then fight for that. "
Her eyes were glistening with the threat of tears but her voice remained strong and heartfelt.
"Don't you dare just accept it. Don't you give up." She said stubbornly.
Wiping at her nose with the back of her hand, she reached down into her pocket and pulled out the letter she'd written to him over a week ago and presented it to him. " All I can do is ....wait for You."
~
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Post by Lady Ditto Armunn on Sept 12, 2007 0:31:15 GMT -5
~ The Letter ~
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Post by Tarothin Armunn on Sept 13, 2007 10:42:42 GMT -5
He took the note and quickly read it smirking as if reading something funny. After finishing he glanced towards Ditto, "Well? What gift do you have for me then that is so important? Humor me."
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Post by Lady Ditto Armunn on Sept 13, 2007 12:55:22 GMT -5
She studied his eyes hard and pondered for a short moment before reaching down into her bodice. "I suppose that is the nicest your gonna ask for anything right now."
Ditto held onto the folded up parchments. This would be the first time since they were found, that they'd be away from her and she was nervous handing them over. What if he still disbelieved and destroyed them? Clutching her eyes shut tight, she reached out with the folded papers and waited.
As soon as they were in his posesssion, she turned to leave the room.
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Post by Tarothin Armunn on Sept 15, 2007 7:56:09 GMT -5
He recognized the scroll as she handed it to him almost instantly. His heart skipped a beat and for the first time in the gods knows how long, he was shocked.
The old yellow parchment with his hand writing gently laid in his hand.
He watched as Ditto left and couldn't find words to say before she closed the door behind her.
Sitting down he unraveled the scroll to read the contents word for word just to make sure that was indeed it.
Never in any of the tormenting dreams while that place tried to destroy him every sec of what seemed to be an eternity, did there appear this scroll. In the beginning, he always checked to see if it was there where he left it behind the painting. And every time there was nothing. No compartment for something, no scroll.
The wraiths only knew the livings details it seemed. And cared naut for the objects.
Was this all real?
A shadow wraith was just before me... fetching me food even...
A memory perked up in his mind of when he appeared in this supposed dream. Imryrr stating that the wraiths were outside still attacking.
Yet once he was as he was told... summoned, he heard nothing more about their attacks. And then what happened a second ago... That it listened to him??
He shook his head pondering the meaning and on all the things that have happened so far. And that it had to be real. What he held in his hand was that which could summon him if he should be in a different plane of existence.
There were a few things he must do now.
See how far these things will listen, pay attention more to his surroundings, and learn whats been going on in the world since he's been gone.
"Lets see what deadly game I can play this time. What... suffering I can cause."
His eyes flared red.
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