Post by Rashaskool on Jun 29, 2015 22:00:05 GMT
2. War on all fronts
Katherine surveyed what remained of her tent and sighed. Her red hair hung about her shoulders untidily and the dirt of many days travel was starting to stain her pale features, violet eyes transfixed on something not still there as she remembered the events of the previous night...A flash of blue light flew through the side of the camp as Nerash called orders out loud through the chaos. Dust was billowing up as animals reared and fled, the terror amplified by the dark magic.
Belladonna turned to see Katherine at her right hand side, as she always was, deflecting bolts of energy that had no right to exist. She and her captains were calm as always but her troops fell around her in droves.
“Katherine, go and help Nerash, we're pulling back while we still have some life in us.”
“Mm. But what about yourself?”
“I'll be fine, you go, I'll meet you at the alter when it is time.”
“when it is time?”
“You will know when it is time my child, now go, I have matters with which to attend.”
As Katherine sped off Belladonna turned back, her cloak picking up around her as her feet gently lifted from the ground. She floated higher still, power gathering around her in a dazzling white gleam before she simply vanished leaving only dust in her wake.
Katherine tore her eyes away in time to dodge the first ray of light only to watch helplessly as the second sped toward her, too off balance to change her own direction. A split second before it hit green kayju tore through the blue and she was up, ready to face her foe.
The paladin was crouched on the ground, one arm behind it, black tendrils reaching up from the ground and running into the base of its robe. Blue veins glowed along its slender arms and its veil fluttered around its head, its silence giving it a sinister malevolence.
She flung her first jolt of power towards it, a weak green missile, only to test its strength. The Paladin barely moved, simply shrugging the energy off its shoulder before leaping skyward.
Blue rained down on Katherine as she held a steady shield above her head, her own kayju wavering slightly with every hit. She gritted her teeth and breathed out, focusing solely on what she needed to do.
She turned as her foe landed softly behind her and dashed towards it, drawing her blade as she did so, aiming to sever the creature at the waist. At the last moment she swung hard, only to slice through thin air as the Paladin sailed above her simultaneously sending a burst of power towards her back.
Katherine reacted in a split second, dissipating the energy with her own, noticing that her foe's assault was growing weaker. Allowing herself a moment's breath, she turned to again face her opponent, bringing her sword up just in time to block a feverish attack. The creature wielded a staff built purely from its own power and was attacking at a rate that Katherine found hard to keep up with.
Katherine noted the Paladin was obviously running out of energy and this was its last furious attack, one that even she was finding impossible to keep track of. It's assault was finally rewarded when a blow struck her in the chest, knocking her flat against a wall as she looked up into the Paladin's covered face. It raised it's staff above it's head and Katherine closed her eyes, at peace with a death that never came.
“Surely the great Katherine was not bested in a duel of arms?”
Katherine opened her eyes to the sight of the cocksure battle-mage and, her voice cracking with emotion and exhaustion, managed to curse Nerash before passing out.
*************************************
She had woken up to an empty camp. Only she and Nerash had escaped the chaos as far as she knew. And Belladonna, surely, wherever she may be. Their great army bested in an eve by assailants unknown to her and uncaring of her task. She was the honor bound to her queen and being apart from her was unnerving and distressing.
Nerash stumbled into the tent and collapsed on the bedroll furthest from the entrance. Katherine started toward him mouth open, half forming a question before he cut her off. “Nothing out there is worth watching that we can't sense to begin with. I need sleep anyway, I've been searching for stragglers while you rested up and it's your turn to make sure I'm alright for a bit.”
“And did you?”
“Hmm?”
“Find any stragglers.”
Nerash turned over on his bedroll and sighed. “Bits of them”, he replied and would say no more.
Katherine sighed and stepped out into the blurred morning sunlight. She blinked past the shadows to the top of the hill where she had last seen her liege. As the sole remainder of the Queensguard she felt she was failing in her duty. As Belladonna's only living relative she felt she was failing as a sister.
Wherever you are, Bella, stay safe.
She exhaled and strode off into the woods, away from the previous nights carnage some four miles behind her and towards the stream that her unit had been collecting water from as they passed by.
As she reached the water she stripped bare, creating a film of power around her to heat what was passing through it. As she bathed and felt the blood and grime melt away she was struck by an odd sense of peace. The ripples around her shimmered in a way that entranced her.
The sounds of the forest became clearer to Katherine and her worries melted away. Her sister was safe, her country was not without hope. Kurdani would stay strong. These were the echoes on the wind and they gave the warrior peace when peace was all but lost.
**************************************
Nerash blinked awake as dusk dimmed the light within the tent. Katherine wasn't with him but he sensed nothing sinister nearby. The taint left on his normally ever ready mind was dulling his powers but he had enough to shake the weariness from himself.
The tent flapped open and Nerash turned towards the intrusion of evelight, cursing the sight of the hillside. The dust danced in the red beams that cut through the trees and Nerash focused on the magic that he knew came with it. He drew the power in and focused on ridding the blackness from inside of him.
Hours later darkness had taken over the outside world and a heavy chill crushed down upon him. He saw Katherine in the corner, wrapped up and snoring softly with a burnt out oil lamp discarded by her side.
He forced himself up and pulled on his great cloak, determined to find someone or something hidden amongst the debris. His mind turned to Crimson and he shuddered. He would not let himself think like that. She was alive as the battle had ended and she would still be alive now. They had only been split up when Katherine had fallen and she had promised to meet him at the river when the embers of their great fire had burned out.
The flames on the hillside spluttered and choked but they were still there. As long as Nerash had that he had hope. She would find him if he couldn't find her.
**************************************
Belladonna watched from the treetops as a figure stepped out of the tent into the darkness, trudging back to where the flames had been lit. She had called for the oil to be poured only as a last resort, a beacon for the other cohorts. The Vanguard had fallen and they needed to know to retreat.
She had sent Crimson on horseback to the capitol to warn of their failure to stay the paladins. She had only wished she could have told Nerash of her plans before she left. She wanted to go down to her sister and comfort her, to her captain to console him. Her power could only sustain her like this for so long before she had to return.
She instead watched and waited for him to return to the tent before casting her wards. Be safe. Be strong. We will meet again my captains.
As Belladonna faded back into herself Nerash looked up to where she was. He bowed his head, as was the custom, and carried on up the hill. One for sorrow. The magpie rustled it's feathers and flew off, leaving the great tree bare once more.
