The beautiful green sea foam pounds the shore line … Dark angry sky's tell of a
storm that is fast approaching … In the distance a small village perched atop a
step cliff … A beautiful elven maiden hair and regiments blowing, stands before
me motioning me to come to her … It is Deanna … my Deanna … She beckons me to
come closer … Her full lips speak my name … Her eyes gaze into mine with both
passion and love … I try to step forward towards her, but am unable to move …
“Hoth … My love .. Please come to me” … Again I try but am held fast by a power
unseen, unable to move, unable to go to my love and embrace her. Her
expression begins to turn to one of sorrow … She no longer gazes at me, but
through me … I call out “Deanna my love it is I” But she heeds me not and
appears not to hear me … Her eyes stare at the ground and she begins to hug
herself and tears start to roll down her face … She sits on the barren ground
and weeps openly.. Her now wet lips mouth my name and I hear her speak through
her weeping to the on coming storm “Do not forget me my love, my life, do not
forget me” … “Hoth”
The vision … the dream … begins to fade from my mind,
but its effects on my body are palpable. The tremors run thought my flesh and
my eyes open to the predawn morning with my body convulsing in my
bedchamber.
Eventually I gain enough control of my mind to repeat the
spell of calming taught me by Araimina. Eventually I am able to regain some
control of my muscles and cause the seizure to subside. I sit up in my bed
dripping with sweat. The sickly sweet smell of blood is also in the air ... My
blood …. I stare out of the stone cut window at the dawn now growing and think
upon my dream.
It has been many moons since I had this dream. And I had
thought that at last I had been able to put her memory to rest … But I am unable
to forget Her … To quell my inner daemons …
I should have been there
with her!
I should never have left her!
Helena deserves her
mother in her life and I have failed her!
Failed them both!
I should… I could … I would … The daemons of my own creation hold court and I am
reduced to a child with no feeling of worth or esteem to speak
of.
Eventually I begin to hear activity outside in the keeps common area.
And my self-loathing thoughts begin to fade as I realize what this morning
holds. No time for this pity Hoth you must be up and about your business. You
must help your cousins and the House for today is the day of reckoning. The
house will set sail for our ancestral homeland. Our work and studies in this
shard complete.
I apply the slave to my wounds and cleanse myself as
best as I can. I put on my best robes given me by Creator and try to prepare
myself for what may be my last sight of Alu-dar’Gallion my beloved home in this
shard. The sun is almost ready to break over the horizon and I see the
activates in the keep are in full swing. Minos are packing all of the equipment
and valuables of the house. Their elven masters give directions and tell them
to hurry, as we will set sail as soon as the ships that Lord Vorgen has sent to
us arrive.
I remember the speech from our Nobel regent Ssinjin
announcing the news of our departure to the gathered crowd.
“My family,nobility, blood, and bloodless of House Lok-ri I bring you greetings from our
Lord and King Vorgen.”
“As you know he has left our beautiful citadel
with his most trusted advisors to return to our ancestral homelands and consult
with the oracles.” “His words now reach back across the barriers of the shards
and speak his wisdom and commands to us.” “ I read his words to you
now.”
“My Family and subjects of the House and subjects of the deathless
empire.” “Having consulted with the oracles and having achieved all that we
could wish for in this shard at this time I command you to leave this place and
return to your rest.” “We have all struggled mightily in spirit and in mind and
in flesh to gain that which we have gathered to us.” “It is now time for us to
consolidate these things and to prepare ourselves for greater challenges that
lay ahead.” “Continue to follow your regent lord Ssinjin for he speaks with my
voice and my authority.” “I have prepared the ships that will bring you to our
homelands.” “They will arrive soon.” “Prepare all for departure and prepare for
a reunion and feasting as we have not had for a hundred years when you arrive
home once again.” “Safe journey.”
“So let it be written, so let it be
dine.”
“Lord Vorgen, Dar Thaelostor, Ruler of the Deathless Empire”
“As the Sea!”
“My family, I share this news with
you out of duty, but now I say that I am indeed grateful to be able to declare
these things.” “We sail in 2 days time.” “Prepare all that you would not lose
and hold dear for the journey … Home!”
The shouts of joy rang out from the crowed. “Hail Vorgen!” “Hail Ssinjin!”
“ Hail our leadership!” “We go to our rest!” “As the Sea!”
And then the harried activities began as all
prepared themselves for the journey to come.
But even as the joy was full on us and the realization of our quests end was in sight. The gods of
deaths shard placed one more challenge to its elven lords.
“/shout
Banecircle: The banecircle will become active in 50 hours 59
minutes.”
Our enemies had yet again laid siege to our beloved
citadel.
As I begin my day’s tasks to prepare for departure that
sickly voice shouts out over the walls of Alu-dar’Gallinon.
“/shout
Banecircle: The banecircle will be active in 4 hours 59 minutes.”
As the storm crow announces his next meal is insight so the bane circle shouts out the
impending attack.
I head to the Mino stables to seek my slave so that I
might be able to pack my things and have them moved more efficiency. As I enter
I see BloodBath sitting in the corner as he often does sharpening his crescent
axe. His ears perk up and a sniff sound escapes his nose as he lifts up his head
to gaze at me. “Master Hoth me see you finally get off lazy butt and come to
see me.” The other slaves in the stables start to snort and gaze at me
nervously. From the back of the stables I hear the deep snort and booming voice
of the leader of the Minos Baphomet. “BloodBath be quiet or me kill you!” “You
be nicey to master Hoth or me chop chop and you be dinner for brothers!” “Yes
Boss” brays BB and he stands up with head bowed. “What you need master?” “I need
a less slothful Mino BB but you will have to do!” “Go pack my things in my trunk
and carry them to the sea side store room that our regent Ssinjin has prepared.”
“Yes master Hoth.” “Me be good and do quick.” With this he trundles off to my
chambers to accomplish the task set to him.
I walk out of the stabile and
feel the need to visit our tree of life one last time. Again I see that all
appear to be finished with their packing and storage of their prized belongs and
now many are in deep conversations. The subject of course the many deeds they
have accomplished and the many things they have helped to create. Most sound to
be sad to go but are happy at the thought of finally going home and leaving this
shard and its constant strife and challenges.
I see my beautiful tree of
life. It pulses with energy as I approach and I take solace in its mighty
presence. I sit under its protective branches and consider our journey about to
take place.
I have only been amongst my elven family for a short while
and now I would journey to our home. A home I have never known.
Helena
grows stronger each day and is more independent then ever. She makes me proud
and reminds me of her mother both in the beauty of her mind and her soul.
But I cannot but think of all that I have not done. How can I bring my
inner daemons to this land of milk and honey? How can I suffer and not cause
suffering in my brother and sister elves. Is it right of me to pollute their
peace with my imperfections and doubts? And finally like a dagger the thought
above all others, she is here my love Deanna in this shard. I cannot but feel
that if I where to leave this shard now I would lose her spirit which seems to
reside in this space, at this time, that we had shared together.
As these thoughts whirl in my head I begin to feel uneasy. Is leaving the answer?
Do I not have my own journey to consider? …
Then another feeling of
unease begins to take hold. As I sit by the tree I feel a strange rumbling. The
birds that occupied the tree of life sudden take flight. A scream in the
distance. A shimmering near invisible form of a man seems to pass by me on its
way to the Militia barracks. Again another scream and then I hear steel on
steel. A shout from a militiamen “To arms to arm!” “The enemy is here amongst
us!” Suddenly several human shapes appear near the tree as if from thin air.
They attack those standing there and I see my brothers unprepared for battle
fall to the ground dead. I stand up with a pray and spell on my lips to try to
assist when it happens. Two steely smooth daggers pierce my back and I fell the
pressure, as they are jammed into my flesh. Searing pain follows and my vision
blurs. The spell of healing will not come from my throat as my life energy
drains from me. I start to see the beginnings of a swirling tunnel of death and
behind me hear my attacker's garbled curse in common speech “Die Lok-ri scum”
when death fully embraces me………
To be continued (??)
hoth@stormbringer.net
Updated Feb 2006
Copy write Scott Lindquist