Joined: Sept 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 17 Karma: 15
Darth Aeon « Result #5 on Feb 15, 2008, 11:22pm »
Name: Darth Aeon
Age: Unknown
Race: Precise race unknown, but appears humanoid
Gender: Male
Eye: Black
Hair: Black
Height: 6' 02"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Other Appearance: As a master of the darkside of the force, Aeon dresses in appropriate garb, such as flowing suits of dark colors. His prefered colors are black and blue.
Bio: No one really remembers where Aeon came from or how he learned what he learned, and because of that no one really believes he even exists. It is suggested that he is a relic from the Seventh Battle of Ruusan, left to wander the void after the deaths of his Jedi master and compatriots, broken from the horrid loss. Of course, if that were really true, Darth Aeon, ancient Sith legend, would have to be at least 1000 years old.
Some say that he became Darth Aeon after sacrificing everything for immortality, adopting the appropriate title once he was securely empowered by the darkside of the force.
Powers: As a master of the Force, Darth Aeon would have access to some or all of the Core, Universal, and perhaps even some Light Force abilities. Because of his training in the dark arts, it is also likely that Aeon possesses numerous Dark Force techniques.
Weakness: Unknown. No one has ever met Darth Aeon. At least, no one who's met him has lived to talk about it. As a mortal being, he is likely subject to death by any weapon, poison, or lethal attack.
Time/Era: Modern
Other: Such a fearsome, mysterious entity as Darth Aeon is wise enough to not take center stage, unlike his contemporaries. Those who find him may be in for the fight of their lives, or a quiet afternoon of conversation and a light meal. Afterall, immortality is lonely.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's Story Chapter 7 ((End)) « Result #6 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:26pm »
====== Chapter seven Chagrin's Pass
They had spent the better half of two days hiking through the snow filled pass when Enna stopped them about midday for some lunch. The Hytianni seemed more preoccupied than usual. Finally she told them to stay put, and ventured off into the pass for some scouting. While she was gone Edward turned to Kentrial with a quiet smile.
"We haven't had any trouble since that shadow thing in the woods." He offered. Kentrial glared and grunted at him.
"I…see. I have a question, if I may?" he asked quietly.
"Go ahead and ask, it's not as if I can really stop you." The warrior responded begrudgingly. His tone put the young mage off a little but Edward was not to be so easily deterred.
"I was wondering, what was prince Aaron like when he was younger?" The younger man asked. Kentrial looked at him for a moment and then went back to work, never answering his question. Edward frowned a little, and then turned back to his own work as well.
------
Enna perched on a ledge, staring off at the river they were going to have to cross. It was pretty slow at this time of the year, but she was still worried. Her reflection peered up at her from the distance, staring with alarming green eyes.
A roll of thunder caught her attention. She glanced up in alarm to see a roll of dark clouds speeding toward her in a way she had never seen before. Enna stumbled back, rolling into the nearest shallow cave to her. Just as she lifted her fingers to her lips and whistled a shrill tone that echoed down the pass, the storm struck.
------
When that three toned undulating whistle came through the pass Kentrial reacted more quickly than Edward had ever thought the big man could move. He sprang up, tossed as much of the critical supplies as he could into the deep cave they were camping next to, then hurled Edward himself in. Only moments after Kentrial had rushed in did a wall of snow wash across the mouth of the cave.
Edward stumbled back in shock, breathing a short oath in the name of light. Kentrial sighed and moved to the fire making equipment, building a small fire where the draft would take the smoke outside.
"We're going to be stuck here a while." The warrior said grimly. Edward looked in horror out at the storm.
"Enna… Enna must be stuck out there! Good god, we've got to go try to rescue her!" Edward breathed, starting toward the entrance of the cave. A solid hand suddenly grasped his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Don't bother boy, nothing human can live out there for long. Enna probably wont either." Kentrial said, a darker tone to his grimness. The young mage stared at him for a second, then grabbed a lantern and jerked out of Kentrial's hand.
"All the more reason to go find her! She needs help--" He started.
"No!!!" The older man bellowed, startling young Edward. There came a look into his brown eyes, a wild, dark, bloodthirsty look as he approached the young man.
"Let her die." He rumbled ominously.
"No…." Edward murmured. The whites of his eyes showed all the way around, wide as dinner saucers those orbs were. Kentrial roared with rage at this final denial. Edward yelled with horror as the giant suddenly ripped his giant blade from his back and charged.
Edward threw himself down, feeling the blade skim the top of his hair. He rolled painfully on the rocky ground, grinding his shoulder in a way it was not meant to move. Agony shot up that arm as he stumbled to his feet, backing down the cave. Kentrial whirled, charging at him again.
"Luminous!" Edward cried in a panic, tossing his hand up. Blinding white light filled the tunnel, like bolt of lightning had hit the ground between them. The man heard the warrior bellow in pain as the light struck his open eyes. Edward sighed, daring to close his eyes as well. He was opening his eyes after that brief second, and suddenly saw Kentrial, that great dark shape against the light, barreling toward him.
"No!" He cried, knowing it would be his last as he saw the blade flash through the air, shrieking for his head.
Time stopped with out warning. Warmth blossomed on his chest, defying the chill of fear and snow. Light oozed from under his robe and to his amazement, the wooden amulet slowly raised itself from beneath that cover.
Suddenly Edward could see the shadow around Kentrial, and knew with certainty that it had been growing there for a long time.
"Yes, young child of the Stars. The shadow struck its last blow at the battle of Evening. In revenge it planted it's seed in the young King Aaron, and through the king my servant, the brave warrior Kentrial. Till this moment I stood powerless to do anything. Thanks to your bravery, and your yet untainted life force, I can finally clear away the Shadow in my champion. The King, I fear, is a lost cause. The Shadow Reigns again. This world is lost."
A great and wonderful voice spoke in his mind. It conjured images in his heart and mind of sunbeams and summer. He saw a wondering look come upon Kentrial's face. Then a look of sorrow and pain.
"My goddess… I have failed…" he rumbled like rocks tumbling on the bottom of a river. Tears of shame and horror welled up in his brown eyes, spilling heedlessly over his ruddy cheeks.
"Not all is yet lost, my Champion. Your world is doomed, and the Shadow has spread its taint to other worlds. It falls to you my brave champion. I gift you the means of salvation for your world, for the future that might yet be, when the Shadow's Avatar finally perishes in this world. You must take this child and flee to another world. Save this other land, cousin to your own, and with it save the child. Should you succeed, all might be saved. Should you fail, all will be lost."
"A child of Light and Fire. A child of Earth and Life. A child of the Stars and Being. With these three the world might be saved. Go, with the light." And then the voice was gone.
Kentrial fell to his knees, staring at the ceiling and praying his gratitude, then clutching the confused, young crown prince Devon to him, with all the fervor of a true father.
"The world might yet be saved." Edward breathed, tears of sorrow, joy and awe falling from his eyes.
Before them a pair of golden gates rose from the green grass that surrounded them. There was no hint of snow or mountains. A boundless blue sky, dotted with sleepy white clouds stretched above them.
The gates opened slowly. Before them stood a new world.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's story Chapter 6 « Result #7 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:26pm »
===== Chapter Six
The Shadow's Path.
"What was that thing?" Edward choked. He stumbled to his feet out of the snow, which crumbled off of his long fur-lined coat. It was a good thing the cloth fell past his knees, or they would have been soaked by that moment. The fur on the front of the collar waved with his harsh breaths that tossed clouds into the air.
"That was a shadowling. A lesser one, thankfully, otherwise we would all be dead." Kentrial muttered.
"What in the light's name was it doing out here, Enna?" The lion roared. Enna stared at the body for a long while before she turned to look at him.
"I don't know. But we weren't prepared at all." She responded.
"What do bloody mean you don't know? This is your land! This is where you grew up! You should know about something like this!" The giant man bellowed like an angry bull.
"Oh? And I am supposed to know where the shadow travels and when it does? For all I know it happened while I was dead, and then it would have been your precious King's fault!" Enna snapped back distractedly.
"Don't bring the King into this, you untrustworthy heathen wench!" Kentrial growled. Enna turned slowly back to look at him, unheeding of the gashes in her short jacket and the blood that dripped down her side.
"I am untrustworthy? You who plot behind my back, not once, but twice?" Enna asked.
"I never-" Kentrial began with heat in his face and voice, as opposed to her chill.
"Oh? Then why do you wear that upon you breast, Kentrial? Did you think I would not notice or recognize it? Or did you simply think I would miss what it meant that you did not offer one to me." Enna cut him off with brutal precision. Kentrial spluttered, trying to come up with some excuse.
"And why did you simply watch and allow him to do what he did Kentrial? You knew, didn't you? Of course. You always know. He is the darling prince, and can do no wrong, even know, hmm? You followed him just because your father owed his a blood debt. You repaid it Kentrial, and still you remain slave to his every whim and fancy. What mind you had is rotted with his sweet lies, and still you deny. Even when you see his acts before your face, you had to believe that he was right." Enna sighed and waved him away.
"Go Kentrial. I have no more time for you or your foolishness. I know now. You must believe he is right, because if he is wrong, then so are you." The warrioress looked off into the darkness. Kentrial looked torn between outrage and horror, and unable to speak between the two.
"Miss Enna?" Edward broke the silence, as he was becoming accustomed to doing. He was beginning to recognize that the woman thrived on these confrontations. It seemed she enjoyed taking whatever Kentrial said and twisting it against him to cause the most pain she could. She was damned good at it too. Enna looked at him with a silently arched eyebrow.
"Does this mean the shadow is here?" He asked tentatively. Like all children he had been raised on tales of the creatures who had roamed the land during the Shadow King's reign.
"No, Edward. It means he was here. The land is proud though, and is already healing itself." Enna responded, "Come. We must move camp. The shadowlings will find this place. As you can see, it is easy to scent when one of their own is slain.
"Oh, and Edward?" Enna said as the man turned to gather their supplies.
"Yes, Miss Emma?" He questioned, surprised she would address him on her own accord.
"Thank you for saving Kentrial's life." She murmured so quietly he was not certain he had heard it at first. After a moment he smiled tentatively, only to find she wasn't looking at him. So…the warrior still had a soft spot somewhere for her once-friend? A quick glance at The Lion of Light proved he hadn't heard a word of the exchange. So he had no idea…
Edward smiled to himself as he set to breaking camp.
-------
Kentrial grumbled to himself as he stoked the fire. The snow beneath the keep kept trying to put the damned thing out. The twigs and branches crackled merrily despite his sour mood. Enna was out hunting for their breakfast. Something had gotten into the supplies and eaten all that was edible without being prepared. Which meant they had the medicines and powdered supplies left. Good for them. It meant they would not be depending entirely upon Enna’s hunting skills for all their food. Already the fact they were mostly dependent upon her irked him greatly. Edward sat across from him, studiously attempting to craft arrows like Enna had requested they do. Edward… the lad was a mage. A magicker. Kentrial shuddered. At least the boy was on his side. He was just starting to catch onto the way the boy watched everything, including his companions.
A whistle of cold wind through the branches sent shivers up his back. A chill played its fingers down his spine. Finally he heard the crunch of feet that signaled the return of Enna. The woman said nothing to them, simply tossing the rabbits at their feet. Thankfully they were already skinned and prepared. All the two had to do was cook them. Kentrial thought privately that Edward probably would have been completely unable to eat if Enna had left that task to them.
He shook his head silently as he set about spitting them. It was unlikely she had done it out of pity for the boy, he thought. It was more likely she just didn't want to have to waste the meat he would have inevitably cut off by accident. And he had to admit that the woman certainly was skilled with this sort of thing. Still, it was a grudging acknowledgement. Again his thoughts moved to the uncharitable thoughts about the woman.
"Kentrial." He was broken suddenly by his thoughts by her voice. The large warrior started when he found her crouched next to him. She seemed to take no offense at his reaction like he expected her to. Damn but the woman confused him! Her alternations between hot rage and icy condensation left him confused enough, but now she was speaking civilly to him?
"What?" he managed gruffly. Her emerald eyes bore into his soul uncomfortably, as if she searched for some sign of something.
"How does that wound feel?" she inquired patiently as she motioned to the shoulder where the bear-shadowling's claw had grazed him at that last moment before it fell.
"It does." He grunted. There was no way he was going to admit to her that it burned like hell fires.
"I see. Then the blow did have some shadow taint to it. You should use the blessing of your mother goddess to clear it away." She responded, rising to her feet and walking away just like that. He scowled.
"Pah. I don't need a blessing." He grumbled just as he tore into his rabbit. No sooner than where he and the boy done eating than did they find she had already packed their belongings and broken camp.
"Come. We must head through the keep to get into the pass." Enna said softly, padding ahead of them on her tanned leather boots. Kentrial heaved himself up, grumbling under his breath. Every step longer on the travel with her seemed to increase his ill feelings toward her.
Sooner than he would have liked he found the solid oak doors towering above them.
-----
The keep. This place was the source of many legends of both the Hytianni and the Humans. Those doors had defied time and weather. Despite time that would have crumbled the very stones, the doors gleamed like they were new, much less to say about the building around it.
It was a place of the old magic. Everyone who stood before its gates knew that with no prompting. It was a place of truth and warning in one. Before it lay the pass of chagrin. A long time ago, before the shadow had even become a thought, a battle had been fought here. No living memory recalled what it was about, nor who participated. All that was left was the lingering feeling that some great betrayal had been perpetrated, and many had died.
Most people believed the keep and the pass were haunted. Everyone knew that the keep had been built as a memorial for the lives lost, as some sort of atonement. No one was quite sure if the offering had worked. The fact was that it was a place of great mystery, and they were about to venture inside.
Enna stepped forward and pushed one of the doors gently. Despite the massive size of the slab it slid open easily. A breath of sub artic wind rushed past them to scream down the stone halls. It took much more effort, and the aid of Kentrial, to shut the door once it had been opened.
"Welcome to the Keep, gentlemen." Enna said softly, leading them down the plush carpets that had not aged in centuries despite the disappearance of their crafters. It was not far before they reached the largest room Edward had ever seen. Not a single one of them could fathom what this room had been used for, but Enna had her suspicions that it might have been a dining hall for thousands of people. The fire in the great hearth crackled merrily as always. As long as civilizations could remember, that fire had burned. In generations it had invoked the image that the people who had lived here had just gotten up and left. It was as if the great keep was waiting for the arrival of its inhabitants, who would return at any moment.
What ever had happened to the people, they had taken every bit of furniture with them, save for the giant carpets that seemed melded to the floor. Enna and Edward set about creating camp, while the grumbling Kentrial muttered about finding a place to pray in piece and headed off to do just that.
No sooner than had the grumpy man left than did Edward turn to Enna.
"Miss Enna-" he began.
"Enna, Edward. Just Enna." The woman reminded him for the millionth time.
"Right. Miss Enna," he continued anyway, "I was wondering. What was Lord Kentrial like before? When the two of you traveled with the king?" He questioned. Enna paused for a moment to ponder the question.
"Different. Much different. He was younger and happier. Such a sense of humor he had! Even in the worst of times he had a joke or two to lighten our days. Even then he believed Aaron could do no wrong. At the time I thought the same. Anyway, Kentrial was a big lad even then. From what I understand he grew up on a farming estate. His lord father was a warrior of long line, and believed that noble or not his son should experience what hard labor was like." Enna smiled softly at the memory.
"When I met them Aaron and Kentrial were fleeing the kingdom. Aaron's uncle had been usurped by his brother, who we later found out was the new avatar of the Shadow king. At the time, Kentrial was simply running with Aaron because his father had owed the pervious king a great debt. Since both their father's were dead, Kentrial believed it was his duty to discharge that debt. Of course, it didn't hurt that the two had been best friends since they were small." She tossed her curls out of her eyes and chuckled quietly while she tied one of the packs shut.
"He was a bright boy…full of joy and laughter. For some reason he always thought Aaron was smarter than he. Well, I can see why. Aaron was always smart in the scholarly way. Kentrial, though, was far more world wise. His father had done him great justice in training him as a warrior, as well as teaching him about the way of life. I think Aaron probably never would have made it as far as the forest if it had not been for Kentrial. We…we were all very close. Great friends." Her smiled faltered into melancholy for a moment.
From around the door, not ten feet away, Kentrial finally walked off. He had much to think about.
-------
The halls echoed their footsteps hauntingly. Each trudging adventurer felt the weight of long faded laughter on his or her shoulders. Not a single one of them felt that they weren't trespassing on something far above their heads.
Each of them sighed in relief when the doors of the other side came into sight. Edward sighed loudest of all. He could feel the magic in this place, and knew that it was far more powerful than anything humans could ever understand. It was not something for them to meddle in. The doors were a welcome sight indeed, even if they were carved in dark oak and carved with runes of some sort.
Suddenly Edward stumbled. A wave of dizziness washed over him. He passed a hand over his eyes and shook his head to clear it.
"What was that?" he turned to ask Enna, only to find she was not there. A quick glance to the side showed him that Kentrial too was gone. Panic started to rise in his chest. What in the light? Where had they gone? Before he could take two steps he heard a woman's voice call his name. Relief flooded through his bones, nearly dropping him to his knees in relief.
"Enna?" he questioned as he turned back toward the doors. But it was not Enna that stood there. Before the doors a figure in full gleaming armor stood. The armor gleamed like no substance the mage had ever seen. At first glance he thought the figure to be a man, at second he realized the armor was crafted and fitted to fit a woman. He had never seen the like of this either.
"No Edward." The woman informed him. Slowly she drew her helm off. From below it a braid of brilliant golden hair tumbled to swing at her back. Her face stopped his breath. She was beautiful. A fae! An elf! The thoughts flew wildly through his mind. Indeed, her eyes were wide and exotic, colored in a shade of blue that had long since ceased to exist in the human race. But no… her ears were not pointed, what ever the rest of her appearance said, she was no elf.
"W-who are you?" he gasped. A look of sorrow crossed her face, turning her full lips downward.
"I am general Ellanaor of Llywnelmanior, Kingdom of the Light." She said and those words echoed of some pain not yet forgotten.
"What do you want then?" Edward asked slowly.
"I come in the name of the Lady of the Stars, as her avatar I speak to you, and I wish to tell you. It has been a long time since one of the gifted has stood before our doors and braved the path beyond. Our people have forgotten their past, their glory and their burdens." She spoke. With a start Edward realized she spoke in some ancient language he should not have been able to understand…and yet he some how did. Perfectly, even, as if he had been speaking her language all his short life.
"This pass was once the sight of great importance. Here was the path between the two greatest cities of Mankind's existence. But all was not well. The kings of the two kingdoms each claimed this pass as their own, struggling and disputing who's laws and levies held sway here. It was a bitter argument, for all the pointlessness of it. Both sides were convinced they were right." Before them images started to flash. A lordly king in red and white, an equally commanding lord in blue and black, both of them standing straight and proud.
"From this dispute others grew. The people of the two kingdoms each wildly supported their beloved kings. Even in that time, there were evil people. Dark people who craved the death and pain of thousands of their fellow people. It was these people who conspired to create a great tragedy. One of these evil men was the prince of our kingdom. He convinced King Ellwyath, king of the other land, to send a peace party to his father. In this peace party, as a gesture of trust, the King sent his young son, no more than thirteen winters." The seen played before Edward's eyes, as if he was standing there in person.
"To our king the traitorous prince sent word that the Ellwyath had sent forth a secretive war party to attack. The King responded by sending his own soliders and his trusted general to wipe out the party. We did as we were bade. Upon arrival we found what we expected-- a war party. The dark prince had enlisted magi to aid him, and they had masked the peace party in the guise of hardened warriors."
"We rode in and slaughtered them all, amazed at the ease with which they fell before us. It was not until all was done that our own mages discovered the deception. The soldiers of Llywnelmanior had spilt innocent blood upon the pass. We were tainted, doomed to dishonor and barred from the Haven for our crimes, however unknowing."
"In our sorrow we returned to the king to inform him of what happened, only to find that our people had gone to war with out us. We arrived in time to see the last of a horrendous battle. Both kings had been slain. The dark prince ruled all."
"Again we fled, back to the seen of our crime. Now we spent our time and our hearts building graves for the people we had murdered, for the glory that had once been our homes. We buried them, and built this mausoleum to honor both they and the fallen light of our people. With this done we left back for Llywnelmanior. There were but a few of us that had survived the winter and the labor. Those that were left numbered in a handful."
"We mourned not for our fallen companions, because their hearts and souls had gone into the being of this, our monument. Because of their sacrifices great magic had been bestowed into it. The rest of us had but one last mission."
"We rode to the gates of Llywnelmanior, unnoticed in our grime and faded uniforms. Darkness had spread its cloak over our land. The people were completely gone. We rode into a kingdom of ghosts. Shadowlings had taken the land. We met no opposition as we gained the castle."
"That was when we discovered that the dark prince had made a pact with the gods of darkness. He had become something more dreadful that a demon. We called him the Shadow King. Just as we confronted the dread lord in his own throne room, the goddess of light came to us."
"'You are my champions', she spake, ' I bless you in the name of light. Cut the crown from his brow if you wish to slay thy enemy. Bury him in his garden, and upon his breast lay a branch of yew, a sprig of evening tide, the symbol of righteousness. If thoust do as I say, brave warriors, you must immediately flee this place and seal the gates of the keep behind thee. Within he shall remaineth sealed, till three hundreds of years have passed."
"We did as she said, and slew the foul being, but not with out loosing many of who remained. In his garden we buried him, following her directions and imbuing it all with what magic we held. From this point we traveled back to the keep and sealed the doors shut. Upon these doors in front of which we stood, we carved our warning and our story. With this, our final mission done, we retired to the great dining hall and joined our lost people in endless feast."
"But before I passed I swore upon the light that should the prince ever return, I should warn the people descended from the few survivors of our people. Hear me well, young mageling. The Shadow King has returned. I have given you the secret to sealing him, but also-- If you should succeed, return to this place. Go to the third floor and press upon the stained glass window in the third hall. From here, enter the third door that will appear. Inside you will find the key that can return our people to their proper glory."
"Heed me well, young man, for fates depend upon that knowledge." The great general drew to an end. Edward nodded slowly, his eyes wide with awe. A smile graced the general's lips as the image faded from before him.
Suddenly he found himself back in the hall, with his companions on either side of him. Nothing had changed, no time had passed. Neither of the warriors beside him seemed to have noticed or seen what he did. Edward silently saluted the doors as they passed beyond them.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's Story Chapter 5 « Result #8 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:25pm »
===== Chapter Five
Beginning Anew
"Do you have to leave? We barely got any training at all!" Devon whined. Enna crouched before the child and looked him in the eye the way equals did.
"Yes. The world needs something from us, Devon. We all have a purpose, and being a true warrior means doing things you don't want to do, because that's what's right. It means not bowing to the wills of others. It means, young warrior, to follow your heart." She told him. Little did she know that those words would guide the young prince in years to come, or that he would pass those same words of wisdom on when the time came. She did not miss the awe in his young eyes, and could not help but smile.
"Run on little warrior. Your father needs your strength." Enna said softly. The young prince obediently ran on, pausing at the side entrance to wave a last goodbye to the warrioress.
Seconds later Kentrial and Edward exited through the main doors. Enna observed them quietly. Her eyes fell upon the amulets they wore across their chests. A stab of pain shot through her heart. Quickly she turned away, not wanting them to see the reaction those familiar pieces of oak invoked in her. Everyone knew that those tokens were a blatant sign that the men did not trust her.
"Come spirit brother. We must away." Enna said, launching herself onto the horse's back. The horse whickered, wheeling and stomping. He was as ready to be away from the place as she. The men had barely gotten onto their own horses when she let out a wiled whoop.
"To the wind! Let us ride!" she cried. The stallion responded with a cry to match her own. As they galloped away Edward was given an insight as to just what this venture was going to be like.
-----
"Excuse me Ms. Enna. Might I ask a question?" Edward tentatively broke the three-day silence. The Hytianni looked back at him with an arched eyebrow. While the others were already saddle sore, she showed no sign of discomfort. Already man peasants had mistaken the woman as Centaur, for how she moved with every movement of her horse.
"You may ask. I cannot guarantee an answer." Enna replied. Kentrial snorted, but Edward forged on anyway.
"You call your horse, 'spirit brother'… I was wondering…is that his name?" He had been wondering since the start of the voyage.
"No. His name is Vex. I call him spirit brother, because he is my spirit brother." Enna paused and sensed his unanswered question.
"No, young Edward, Hytianni are not exactly human. We are the children of Gaia, and all animals are our brothers and sisters. Their spirits resonate with our own. Sadly, in recent times, many of our siblings have grown weak and stupid. There are not many that match us in spirits any longer. We treasure these rare siblings, and care for them as our family. Vex is one such brother." She explained as she shifted her weight easily to adjust to the horse's change in gait.
"I see. So, he's…smarter than either of our horses? This is some sort of mystical bond?" Edward asked. Enna laughed, and Vex made some sort of strange wuffling nose that sounded awfully close to a chuckle.
"Yes, he is smarter than both of your horses combined. No, it is no mystical bond. It is the same as any bond between siblings. We can argue, disagree, and fight. We might not even like each other, but we are still siblings in a world where there are so few left." Enna replied with a small smile.
"You humans think anything unlike your own ways is either mystical or the work of devils. It is sad. The lore of my people talks of days when humans lived in tribes, not kingdoms. When your race was eager to learn and far more concerned with honor and values. There was no prejudice. It is a sad thing to see just how far the shadow has dragged your race." Enna sighed mournfully.
"Yet, I find it funny how your people view me. As a small child, I thought the humans were the stuff of fantasy and legend." She chuckled quietly, not wanting to inform the suddenly proud young man that she had equated them with goblins and orcs, or that she wished they had stayed mythical. Enna watched out of the corner of her eye as his chest puffed out proudly. She saw Kentrial looking amused out of the corner of her other eye and bottled a laugh of her own. A laugh was a gift, and one she was not willing to give these humans.
"Look, the town is just ahead. We'll be stopping in the inn here over night." Enna said softly.
-------
The tavern was remarkably clean for it's sort. The lighting was just as dim as all the other buildings like it, but it didn't smell as strongly of unwashed bodies and stale ale. One of the wenches got them at small table out of the way of most traffic, where they wouldn't be stared at her. Enna offered her gratitude in the shape of a silver coin slipped into the girl's hand. The startled but grateful look of the girl was good enough to Enna.
After the three of them had tankards set before them the tavern grew suddenly quiet. Enna snuck a glance out from under her hooded eyes, wondering what the source of the disturbance. A tall man had stepped onto the raised floor that served as a stage in this tavern. In one hand he lazily held a lute. He was lanky and dark skinned, with the look about his eye that marked him a gypsy decedent. The man wasn't dressed outlandishly or outrageously like many of his sort did. Actually, if not for his muscled physique and extraordinary eyes, he was quite average looking.
Enna frowned. What was all the excitement about, then? He opened his mouth, and then Enna knew. Glory flowed into her heart. Hope, laughter and light danced through her veins. He sang of fire and passion. He sang one of her people's traditional songs. Glee sprang to her eyes, lighting them with their own fire. A smile stretched across her face.
She did not notice the strange looks from her companions as her foot started tapping. Both men were shocked that the solemn woman showed such joy at a song. When the song faded the man switched to another, a song that had the feet of every man woman and child in the room tapping along. No longer could Emma stand it.
The warrioress surged from her chair with such power that the chair would have toppled if it hadn't hit the wall. Even as she landed her feet where matching the rhythm the drums should have been playing. She whirled to the sound of the flute that she remembered. Fire burned in her veins. Her short hair tossed in a tempest around her face, which was composed in rapture. The bare feet pounded the floorboards, her hips swung and swayed in patterns almost too quick for the human eye to follow.
Every eye was trained on her and the player. The bard looked pleased, instead of enraged like many would be, having their show stolen from them. No, he understood unlike like those others that this woman appreciated his music like no other. He knew her dance would remain fixed in the memories of all who witnessed it that day, and with it would remain his music.
She moved like the embodiment of wind and fire, leaping twisting and soaring like only a spark on a flame could. It was a show of physical prowess that no human could ever hope to match, and she didn't seem to be aware of that fact. There was no malice in the show. She was not attempting to prove just how inferior humans were. No, she was simply dancing as her people always had, and that made it even more beautiful in a way.
The music picked up. Suddenly the bar was rollicking as almost every patron started to clap their hands and stomp their feet in the rhythm the drums should have been playing. Magic graced the tavern, and for a while time ceased to have any meaning at all. Fire rolled in the blood of every person as both dancer and musician put their souls into the music. Sweat rolled down their dusky skin, outlining the muscles of the dancing Hytianni. Both of their eyes closed in rapture.
Again she leaped with the last soaring notes of the song, stretching and yearning for the sky. When she came back to the ground the song was over, but it continued to beat in the hearts of the people around her. Enna finally came aware of herself again, staring around the tavern as if she were surprised to see the people there…like she had expected to see something else entirely. An entirely different expression wrought itself across her face. Pain. It was an agony at which the humans could only wonder. She turned and met the eyes of the bard.
~"Welcome, Soul Sister."~ the voice flooded her mind, and again her heart leaped.
------
"So, let me get this straight. He's like you, but he's not like you." Kentrial arched a thick red eyebrow at her. She sighed in exasperation and rattled something off in her native language. Edward thought it sounded suspiciously like an oath.
"His people are cousins to my people. We are of the same nature. You call his people 'gypsies' we call them the Vytianni, people of the fire." Enna explained for perhaps the fifth time.
"That still doesn't explain why you invited the fool along!" Kentrial returned. Finally anger sparked in her eyes.
"Maybe it's because I have a desire for company I can trust." She snapped at him. Both parties were silent in the wake of that verbal blow. Hurt warred in the air. Enna turned away.
"He can't come anyway. He has family here." She sighed, "It is so like you humans to begrudge even a little time with siblings of the soul. You can't even begin to understand what it is to be completely with out brothers and sisters of the spirit, because you have never felt what it is to be Hytianni. How can I even describe it to you? It is like… it is like… when you humans fall in love. When you exist only for that person, but with an entire people. We feel each other; we are part of each other, like your twins. And all of my people are dead." She snarled. She had forgotten just how fresh those wounds were, but now they were open again. Still, she had revealed too much. Now they knew why the betrayal had injured her so badly, and they were sure to remember. She could see it in their eyes.
"We're leaving. You can come or stay. I no longer care." She growled, gruff in her pain. With her mind she called out to Vex. He hurried over, worried for her.
~"Come, soul brother, I can stand this place no longer."~ She whispered her pain to him and he bowed his head in understanding. The Hytianni swung upon his back, not bothering to see if the humans were following. Enna and Vex galloped into the sunrise, trying to outrun their pain.
-----
The forest was quiet. A balm to her wounds. Behind her she could hear the horses of her companions. Neither had said a word since her outburst two days again. She didn't mind. The closer they got to the place where she had lived most of her life, the calmer she became. It was a homecoming, even if there was little to come home too.
"Beware, soul sister. Humans have forged into the ancient lands of the Hytianni and claimed it for their own. The forest fights them, and wins, but its anger has become a dangerous thing, even for our own kind." The Vytianni had warned. Enna kept one ear out for trouble. It had gotten colder in the evening. Far colder than it had any right to, this early in the autumn. Vex scented moisture on the wind.
"We're going to have to set up camp early." Enna said to the silence behind her. There was no response. She did not expect one. It took them a few minutes to find a suitable clearing. The wildlife had all but taken over. Thankfully, Enna knew this place as well as any could, and she knew what to look for. Clearing it out was little problem. But the Hytianni had once claimed the land, and the forest remembered that pact.
They had only just finished pitching the tent when the first snow started to fall.
"What in the gods names?" Kentrial broke the silence. Enna decided not to answer. He wouldn't like the reason. Off in the distance a wolf howled. Enna glanced up. A flake of snow slid upon her cheek and melted against that warmth. The acrid cold of it bit her nostrils as they flared, taking in that scent.
Soon the world around them was a stretch of white, with the occasional peek of green and brown through the blankets of snow.
"Miss Enna?" Edward's young voice broke the reverie the snow had lulled her into. She sighed, letting the strands of that calm slip through her fingers like sand.
"Yes, boy?" she responded as she watched the woods.
"What was that song you danced to, back at the inn?" he questioned quietly.
"The first was a song of war. The second was our traditional camping song. We played it, long after our people had settled out of their nomadic ways. It became a tradition. The people of the entire village would dance to it, every summer festival." She let out a long breath and her green eyes stared at him over the sharp angles of her cheekbones.
"Oh. It was beautiful." He muttered. Enna nodded slowly.
"Yes. It was." And silence reigned, save for the soft whispering of snow upon snow. Her eyes returned to the dark sky. She knew with the certainty of all children of the earth that this was no natural storm. Kentrial tossed her coat to her. She caught it with out looking directly at him. Of course, she didn't have to. Her elongated eyes afforded her excellent peripheral vision, and it was to miss a giant blob of tan leather flying at your face.
"Miss Enna?" Edward spoke up again as Enna shrugged herself into the warm leather of her jacket. The ends of her wild curling hair tickled the top of the soft rabbit fur on the collar.
"Mmm?" The warrioress responded with a grunt.
"Where are we headed?" He asked. Enna bit back the obvious retort that they were heading toward the gate. Obviously he meant where they were currently angling.
"The keep." She replied. He blinked at her slowly and nodded, murmuring 'I see' under his breath. It was clear he didn't understand the answer.
"That's what we call the abandoned fortress that marks the entrance to the pass." She explained, though she really didn't feel like it. The look of understanding dawning in his eyes almost made her laugh. She stifled that too.
"Miss Enna-" He began again. The Hytianni snorted again and interrupted.
"Kentrial's not here Edward. You don't have to call me Miss Enna, nor do you have to be afraid. What ever it is you're hiding, I will not hold it against you. After all, I do not hold the same prejudices against you your own kind would." A few moments of harsh silence filled the air after her declaration.
"I…see. I was wondering…what are you looking for?" He spoke finally. Enna had to smile. At least the boy was observant.
"It's been twenty years since I was last here Edward. Kentrial was a lad of sixteen years when he rode through these woods. I once had friends in this place. One in particular. I was hoping that he might still be among these trees." She broke off to howl. The sound was not quite the long and mournful cry of the wolves, but it was close enough to pass shivers down Edward's spine. The answering howl made him want to crawl inside his tent.
Enna's teeth flashed in a feral smile. She howled again, but when the answering howl came she frowned. There came a crash from the left, and for some reason Edward could not fathom, Enna swore and oath and ripped her sword from it's hilt.
Edward stumbled back into a defensive position, though he could not see the source of the trouble. He trusted the elder woman's judgment. After all, she had seen more of the world that he ever had.
It was well he did, for at that moment something lumbered out of the woods at them. It's shaggy coat fell from it in patches. Froth foamed at the abbreviated muzzle. There was a strange light in its dark eyes that spoke of some madness. The monster was well over the size of a moose. It was easily the largest creature the young man had ever seen. His horror only mounted as the thing swung back and lumbered to its feet.
A cry of warning died in his throat as Enna darted forward, striking quickly. Her blow surely would have found the creature's heart had it not lumbered back. The sword tip dove in the creature's side, surely piercing the kidney-- but such a blow was not immediately deadly. It bellowed a sound of rage that shook the fresh snow from the leaves. He heard Enna's startled oath and saw her stumble back from the creature.
This time he managed to get his warning out. It was too late, however, as the thing's massive paw collided explosively with the tall warrioress's side. Time slowed. He watched his companion fly back, her body twisted with the force of the blow. Three streams of red, red blood drew across the white snow in a contrast that was so vivid the young man would remember it for the rest of his ways.
Finally he saw what must have alarmed Enna. From the creature's side blood did not run. In its place some sort of black tar oozed. Suddenly another cry was bellowed. For a terrifying moment Edward thought there were two of the creatures now. Then He saw the red haired giant charge into the fray. Kentrial managed to land a mighty blow to the creature's shoulder.
Edward choked as he saw the limb flying off. He had to struggle not to loose his entire lunch upon the snow as well. A sick smell filled the air. Edward watched with revulsion as the spray of black tar sizzled where it had landed. The thing screeched. It was a sound that could not have come from any natural throat. It echoed on and on, bringing with it agony that dropped even strong Kentrial to his knees.
Finally the young man could not take it anymore.
"Enough!" he howled. The man threw his hands up and shouted another word that neither Enna nor Kentrial would have dared try to pronounce. From his fingertips four globes of perfect light shrieked. They impacted the thing's chest with a force that tossed the thing to its knees and ended the wail. Enna wasted no more time. She flew through the snow and drove her sword tip up through the bottom of the creature's jaw. The two held that pose for decades before Enna slowly withdrew her blade and danced back out of the way of the spray of tar.
The creature toppled like a felled tree. It was over
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's story Chapter 4 « Result #9 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:23pm »
==== Chapter Four
Blood Oath
Enna watched from her shadowed corner as the council of war convened. It was ridiculous how all these giant men attempted to squeeze themselves around one small conference table. All of them bellowing and roaring at one another like steers challenging for land. Her arms laced across her chest. The smooth stone of the wall against her shoulders and upper back was comforting. It was probably the only thing that kept her from tossing one of the old bulls out a window.
"We don't have enough troops!"
"The Ussen refuse to aid us!"
"The Kiln will not come either!"
"It is impossible, your highness!"
"Our allies of the last war have all gone into hiding. Those that remain refuse to help!" impassioned advisors yelled and roared. Then, out of the entire clamor, a quiet voice.
"If our old allies will not help us, then we must return to the legends. After all, it was from the legends our first allies came." The quiet voice belonged to a tall, skinny man with lots of dark hair, all swept back from a widow's peek. In the silence wrought by his first statement he stepped forward.
"We have all read the children's story books. Dragons, Unicorns, Ussen, Kiln. All legends. But I ask you, if the Ussen and Kiln exist, why not the rest? Surely one of these races would come to our aid!" he spoke softly with a voice like velvet.
Enna nodded silently in agreement. If the bear folk and the people of the sea would not help, then they must look for allies elsewhere. The men around the table were silent. Finally one of the older looking warriors spoke up.
"I seem to remember an old legend about a Haven. The place where all the legends fled to when men over took the world. 'the gates of Haven reside between earth and sky, land and water. Only he who is a true follower of the Mother can find and open the gate' it said." He rumbled. Enna glowered at him as heads started to nod around the table. Trust the old fools to twist a Hytianni legend. The legends that story spoke of were the true children of Gaia, and they did not 'flee'. Haven was their kingdom and their capital, the place where they had lived for eons. They had simply sealed the gate against humans when the creatures had proved treacherous.
Enna finally became aware that all eyes were on her. Anger rose in her stomach, hot and harsh. So these men, these people, expected her to lead them to salvation yet again? She bit back a snarl. So she would, but not for them. The Shadow King had to be stopped for the good of the Mother. These humans held no delight for her anymore. Their king had killed all the love in her heart, and Kentrial killed any friendship she might have held after. Kentrial… who stood by and watched Aaron subject her to one injustice after another, and made no move to aid her. He too had seemingly forgotten the close bond of friendship they had once held.
Maybe he's in love with Gwyn too. She swallowed the uncharitable thought. The only things worth saving from the humans now were their children.
"I know of what you speak, and I know the way there," she began, her voice only an octave or two above a growl. Immediately the men broke into smiles. As if they had doubted she would lead them! Hah. They were right to doubt.
"But." That one word cracked through their joy like a leaden whip, "I will not take you there." The looks of dismay that crossed their faces brought her another ounce of grim satisfaction. The looks of anger and outrage…she matched with one of her own.
"What? You thought I would lead you treacherous creatures to the very gate of the last Haven? You think I would just hand over to you the last hope of the true children of Gaia? To you? The slayers? The betrayers? When did you earn that right? When have you proved yourself worthy?" she snarled. Every one of them understood what she was talking about now. Many of them blanched, and others had the grace to look ashamed.
"Nay, You take and take and take, unheeding of the fact you are slowly killing all around you. I shall not take you. However, I will go." She finished. Now the looks on their faces were stunned.
"I shall go alone." She held up a hand to silence their immediate and vehement protests, "But I shall take with me the humans of my choice." She declared. Many of the men started to look uneasy now. Aaron actually looked afraid! As if she would choose him! She snorted through her nose.
"I choose him-" she stabbed a finger at the lean man who had interjected the first ounce of reason into the council. He looked shocked. Many of the members of the council started protesting that he was too young, too weak, and too unhealthy, not worthy.
"As if I should take any of you great and worthy warriors? Fine." She spat the word and jabbed her finger at Kentrial. Now every single face in the council except her own looked shocked and horrified.
"I will take him as well. Be ready at dawn. Tomorrow, we ride." Enna declared just as she stalked out of the chamber, leaving chaos and cacophony behind her.
------
Edward son of Darron felt just a bit faint. What on earth had possessed the woman to choose him of all people? Had she suspected…did she know? No…how could she? Hytianni were not known to sense magic. She could not know he was a mage. He took a moment to glance at the faces of his fellow advisors. All of them, including him, had inherited that role. Some of the men looked shocked. Many of them looked aggrieved and outraged.
How could they not, considering that speech she had given on the foulness of humanity? The king was alarmingly pale. Edward hurriedly poured a glass of wine and elbowed his way through the crowd to his side. The king looked almost embarrassingly grateful as he quaffed the stuff.
"Everyone! Out!" Bellowed Kentrial. Edward turned to follow the rest of the men when the heavy hand of the most famous warrior fell upon his shoulder.
"Not you. You stay." Kentrial spoke in a gentler tone. The door closed behind the last of the advisors, leaving the three men alone in the room.
"What could she be thinking?" King Aaron murmured. Kentrial sank into a chair himself.
"Maybe… maybe revenge?" Aaron continued. Kentrial shook his head.
"No, if you think she means to kill me, I doubt that." Kentrial muttered. The man shook his mane of red hair and ran his thick fingers through it, "But aye, I do think this is some sort of revenge. I think she means to do this so that she can keep us both on our toes. And I think it was a deliberate jab at you. Like she was saying 'I refuse to choose you' and shoving it in your face." Kentrial rubbed his cheeks with both beefy hands then rested the palms against his eyes. Edward was shocked. Enna was the last Hytianni! A legend! Many thought she was a saint, considering her miraculous return from death.
"S-surely not! Is it possible she simply wants on of her old companions with her? Perhaps she chose you because she still trusts you?" The young man ventured. Both older men let loose bitter laughter.
"Nah, I doubt that very much lad. I think we've broken her trust surely by this point, and I'll be damned if I can think of a way to patch it again. Heh, she's as sure to trust one of us as she is to call upon Kek to join us!" Aaron laughed.
"Who is 'Kek'?" Edward questioned.
"Ah, Kek. Kek was a Ussen and a good friend of ours. He was the son of the chieftain and the one who convinced his father to aid us in the first war. He was a good friend, he was." Kentrial explained.
"You say…'was'" Edward endeavored warily.
"Aye. He left us to return to his forest the same day Enna…" he trailed off, but Edward already knew what he had been about to say.
"When she died. I see. Then why me?" He questioned, "You two know her the best of all, surely you must have some clue as to her motives!" He exclaimed.
"Once I thought we did… now… now her thoughts are just as hidden from us as they are from you. This Enna… she is not the companion we once knew, and I am afraid that it is entirely our doing." Aaron sighed, face dark with something akin to grief.
"In other words, who in the world knows what's going through that she-devil's mind!" Kentrial exclaimed, lunging to his feet and thudding around the room. The great warrior was clearly agitated.
"Kentrial, sit down. We have things to discuss." The king bade. The warrior reluctantly slid into his seat.
"We'll need to pack. Weapons, supplies and hunting gear… and things for the cold and wet as well." Kentrial started, "We all know that with Enna guiding us there's no telling where we'll end up. You remember what she said to us the first and only time we asked if she even knew where she was going?" the warrior cracked a small smile.
"Aye. 'Only the Mother knows.' She told us!" the King rejoined. For a moment the tenseness in the room fled. Of course, seconds later it was right back to business.
"Of course, we can't pack too much. Only what we can keep on our person, because we're likely to loose all else if this venture is any like the others we've had with her." Kentrial mused.
"Yes…and you're likely to be attacked by every minion of the dark imaginable. I would suggest you get as much equipment as you can blessed before you leave tomorrow. I'd offer you gold, but we both know it'll get stolen or lost before you're two thirds of the way out on your journey." The King half smiled.
"And that brings up another subject. What are we to do if she…if she…" Kentrial trailed off, seeming unable to bring himself to say the word 'betray'. A pained look crossed everyone's face.
"The amulet." The king rose stiffly from his chair and strode over to a small wooden box. From it he drew a simple wooden medallion.
"By gods… I had never thought to wear this again." Kentrial rumbled solemnly as he drew it over his neck. The king silently handed one to Edward, who eyed the thing curiously.
"'Tis an amulet of light boy. My goddess gifted it to me when we freed her temple of the taint. It does what ever we really need it to do. Of course, her idea of what we really need it to do differs greatly from ours. It's only set talent is that if any one of the wearers is injured or…gods forbid, slain, the other bearers shall know it." Kentrial sighed. Edward stared at the thing in a new light. Reverently he slipped it over his head. The weight settled comfortably onto his chest, as if it had always been there.
"We best be going then. There's much to be done before the night is over, and little time to do it." Kentrial finished, as the silence grew too heavy with memories. The three men rose from their chairs. The King clasped Kentrial's arm, and Kentrial returned the grasp. For a long time they stood there, simply sharing the silence of two good friends. Edward hurried from the room, embarrassed to intrude on what was obviously a farewell between two friends that thought they might never see each other again.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's story Chapter 3 « Result #10 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:22pm »
==== Chapter 3
Change
Damn them…damn them both! Enna raged as she stalked the patio like a caged tiger. Her teeth flashed in a snarl. Raging at the current injustice they had done to her. Placing her in the 'best rooms' they had to offer, which translated to 'the rooms farthest away from the royal chambers'. In and of itself she likely would not have minded, save that every man woman and child in the entire palace knew exactly why she had been banished to that lonely tower.
How often had Aaron's fool tongue boasted that he had once been the lover of the last Hytianni? The looks she received behind her back. They feared her, and they looked down upon her at the same time. Whatever acceptance she had earned as the champion of the battle of Evening had disappeared while she had been away.
"How dare they--" Her oath was cut off. Someone was watching her. The rage grew unreasoning as she whirled on her heels, prepared to tear off the person's head with her bare hands. A pare of blue eyes stared back at her from the shadows. Terror and wonder was lit in those orbs…. that were no more than hip height to her. The anger drained out of her completely.
"Ah. A child. Come small one, I shall not harm you. Though it is most fortunate you are not one of your elders." She smiled softly, dropping to her haunches and reaching out a weathered hand to the scared little one. The youngster slipped out of the shadows like he was born to them. The sunlight caught on his golden curls and tossed a halo of light around his head. He was a daring child. There was something of a challenge in his young eyes when he caught her gaze again.
"My… my papa said you're the most dangerous person in the entire kingdom." He announced challengingly. Enna smiled softly.
"It might be. I have no recollection. I am by no means the most dangerous being in all the world, however." She said as she stood up smoothly. The boy looked confused. It was as if he had expected some claim of bravado or some offer to display her might. Her eyes narrowed a fraction. Already life among his people was warping his values from Gaia's true intent.
"Listen young one, would you like to learn how to fight?" she asked suddenly, moved by the spirit of the Mother toward some end she could not yet see. The sun lit all around the shadowed patio on which they stood. They were encircled by the shade and cool stones. A glint in the child's eyes told that he was both shocked and pleased by this sudden offer. He hesitated but a moment, and then responded with a fierce nod of his head.
"Then come little lion, and I shall teach." Enna bade, striding off into the tall grass.
-----
Bright sun glinted off the exposed steel on the two forms in the field. A breeze rippled the tall blades of the see of grass. Kentrial, Lion of Light, stood in awe of the predatory grace he had half forgotten. Once more Enna placed the young prince's feet and instructed him on how to move. His attempts looked as unfinished as his small form did compared to hers. Yet Enna watched and nodded.
"Good. Shift your weight to the left. Farther. Yes. Good. Now tumble!" Her last words barked across the open field, startling the youngster. Enna sighed and shook her head.
"That's enough. You did very well today Devon." She said. The youngster rolled to his feet and looked rebellious at her platitudes. Enna silenced him with the look that could quell rioting citizens and elementals alike.
Three weeks Enna had been teaching Devon. It was a forgone conclusion she knew whom the youngster was. If the fact he was her ex-lover's child biased her against him in anyway she had not yet shown it. Kentrial watched as Devon tore off through the grass. Back towards the castle the youngster ran, Kentrial hesitated before heading off after the child.
No sooner than was Devon out of sight than did the temperamental warrioress explode. A blood chilling keen burst from her lips and throat. The sound would not have been out of place rising from the mouth of a banshee. Her blade hissed out of its sheath as smoothly as a fish through water. Enna battled and Enna danced. Her bare feet found purchase on the rich earth below her while her form twisted, writhed and surged, lashing at the enemies only she could see. Those feet pounded like the drum beats of the wildest of reels.
It could only have been hours that Kentrial sat spellbound. To him it had seemed like the merest of minutes, as his memories came to life before him. The awe he had held for her the first time he had seen her fight swam back to the surface. He remembered how they had come to meet. She had rescued and Aaron and him from a battle in which they were sorely out numbered. Kentrial remembered how the then-humble Aaron had begged for her aid in rescuing his kingdom from his evil uncle. How mysterious she had seemed then. How invulnerable she had appeared.
Then the memories of the following nights rose to his mind. Slowly the warrioress had unfolded before them. Kentrial recalled the look on her face as she had told them the fate of her people. The shadow had come, and she was the last…spared only because she had been hunting. Sorrow had haunted those sharp features. It turned out she was heading for the last temple of her kind in order to gain Gaia's blessing.
The Hytianni, the great warriors of the earth, were all but gone. In a flash he remembered that day, when they had stood before the statue of the most beautiful creature either man had ever seen. Something that had surpassed awe had filled the room as a goddess directly gave her answer to the searchers.
"To King Aaron, thou whilst triumph upon the shoulders of great warriors. In your hands they will place their trust. It is yours to provide comfort and spiritual light. Should you falter, all will be lost."
"To Kentrial, bravest of warriors. You are none of my own, but my sister smiles upon you. She names you champion of her light. Your duty is to protect young Aaron and guide his steps. He shall need your support more than any other's."
"To my daughter. Enna. The Hytianni are not yet lost. Upon you the heaviest burden rests. You must defeat the Shadow for the King and the Kingdom. Should you succeed the Hytianni will be reborn. I am sorry to rest this upon you, young one. If there were a choice I would not gift this curse to you."
And then the presence was gone, leaving all to wonder why the goddess's voice had sounded so sorrowful as she spoke of Enna's future. In hindsight, Kentrial thought he knew now. Finally Enna's blade slipped back into its sheath as silently as it had come forth. Her head was bowed. Her eyes were closed. She looked very much like she had at the end there.
His mind flew back again. Remembering how her hair had flown like a banner in the wind. Her back was straight with pride and strength, defying the many grievous wounds she bore upon her body. He had watched her slowly lower her blade to the ground. Her chin had dropped to her chest and her eyes had drifted shut. The battle was won! A ragged cheer had risen up across the battlefield as the Shadow's soldiers had died with him.
And then after.
He wasn't even supposed to have been there, but he had to see what Aaron was going to do. Enna was fresh from the medic's tent. No force could keep her there any longer. He recalled the bounce in her step and the light in her eyes as she had dashed to meet the newly crowned king. Enna had opened her heart completely to the once-prince, believing her love to be returned. Surely she had wondered why Aaron had not visited her in those weeks she had been confined? Perhaps she had dismissed it, believing she simply didn't remember, having been near death. Maybe she excused it for unavoidable matters of the state.
She entered the grove, her grove, alive and happy. Kentrial had watched as Aaron had awkwardly tried to let her down. He explained it after. He had thought, maybe, if he did it roughly her warrior instincts would respond. The prince had hoped that if he made her angry, she would be okay. Or so he said.
Kentrial watched as Aaron took those first few steps from her. Kentrial had watched as the light went out of her eyes. Her knees had buckled like they never had in battle. Her face had paled in an agony she had never shown, even when being lashed by the Shadow King's blade. He had burst from the bushes, trying desperately to reach her before she hit the ground and it's cruel rocks. He had been too late.
Afterward the physicians and healers had battled for months trying to save her. The claimed it was because she had gone out to early, that she had pressed herself too hard. Kentrial and Aaron had known the truth. Aaron had faltered. Kentrial had not guided him. Together they had lost her heart. Together they had struck the mortal blow the Shadow had never managed. They had killed the last Hytianni.
The day she had passed the heavens had wept. All the way to her home village they had traveled. Some of them had thought it fitting to put her to rest in the place she had been born.
But now she was back. Did she remember those last moments? Kentrial was not sure. Seeing her now, his heart contracted in his chest. This was not the proud warrioress. This was Enna. Enna, standing all alone against the backdrop of the setting sun, looking more frail than the blades of grass around her. Enna… Enna, weeping in the lonely silence, where she thought no one could see.
And the fiery light of the dying sun bathed the earth in red.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's story Chapter 2 « Result #11 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:22pm »
==== Chapter Two Soul's light
"Goodbye." Oh the cruel echo of that word that plagued her when all other sounds had fled.
"Goodbye" The sound that was the object of her dreams and nightmares.
"Goodbye" the source of her torment. The end of her world. Had he known what he was doing when he uttered those last killing syllables? Had he cared when he had killed her so surely, with just one word? The soft tattoo beat of rain above her. A soft sob, no louder than the gentlest of breezes through the wind, broke through the darkness to join it.
Once again the consciousness fled into dreams.
------
Blackness. She should have been used to it by now, but there was something wrong with these shadows. A dozen unfamiliar feelings of which she could not immediately name assaulted her. What was this?
Her brow furrowed. Her eyes opened. Yes…that was it. She was hot. There were a thousand aches across her body. Most of all her chest, no- her lungs, cried with burning agony. She surged. The toned muscles of a warrior responded and her palms and knees found the stone above her with bruising force that tossed that slab free.
She sat up, sucking in the precious life giving oxygen her body craved. The skin on her hands tingled distantly. Idly she realized she must have skinned them. Where was she? Memory flooded back to her. She sprang from the box in which she had been imprisoned.
"The shadow!" Her hand found the familiar grip of her sword at her side and wrapped around the weathered leather. A cursory glance of the room showed she was alone, and revealed to her the only exit for the room. Her foot slammed into the thick oaken doors, cracking the rotting beam on the other side.
"Who imprisoned me?" she hissed under her breath. Tossing her night-dark hair from her eyes. Damn. Some one had stolen her hair band. Now the long locks of the accursed curling substance strayed stubbornly into her face. She growled impatiently, tearing a leather thong from her belt and binding the stuff back. Under her breath she snorted. Poets compared her hair to the foam of the sea and the tresses of sylphs and naiads. She called it annoying. The only reason she had grown out the accursed stuff was because Aaron liked long hair.
She slipped her hunting knife free and cut those flowing locks off. Her hair instantly curled, framing her defined cheekbones and bouncing with merriment that defied the deadly gleam in her eyes. Her bare feet padded silently upon the cold stone, feeling not the bitter bite of early spring's chill. A true warrior noticed not such trifling inconveniences.
Finally she found the stairs. With a snarl of impatience she stormed up the steps. A few discarded stands of hair littering the steps the way she had come. She had no fear of the witchcraft that could be worked with it. Most Hytianni were resistant to magic. Her shoulder slammed into this portal. The dragon designed on that bicep seemed to surge, as if attacking the wood itself.
Again the doors burst open. Enna Kaainzashi took her first breath of clean air in fifteen years.
------ Enna savored the scent of spring for a moment, treasuring it as only a warrior of the earth could. She opened her emerald eyes slowly.
The first thing she noticed was that she was standing in knee-deep grass. The second was that there were some farmers a few yards from her, amongst a bunch of sheep…and they were screaming. The words flying from their dirty, slack mouthed faces were largely unfamiliar to her. Something about gods, saints, heroes returning from the dead, and taking revenge for... Grazing… on their lands? Something like that… pure nonsense, all of it.
She snorted as they ran away, and stalked toward the nearest town.
---
The ceremonial beads of her blade clinked lightly together as she walked through the town. Often she got strange looks. Many people withdrew into their homes, hiding from the sight of the stranger. She did not mind. The beads caught the light of the sun briefly, lighting up like tiny sparks of flame. A whisper in her mind caught her attention.
Enna stopped dead in the middle of the street, slowly looking around until she found the source of the whisper. There, a brown stallion. He was just into adulthood by the look of him, and as yet unbroken. A smile broke her harsh features as she approached the corral owner.
"You." She stated simply. The word was the same still apparently, whatever language they spoke. The herder shied away from her. She wasn't surprised, considering that she was taller than many men even now. Surely to this commoner her tanned skin and almond eyes were the stuff of legends. Her green eyes glinted in the noonday sun, like twin gems filled with mystical light.
"I want that horse." She minced her words, saying them slowly so he would be sure to understand. He stammered something and she cut him off with the quick slash of her hand.
"I want. That. Horse." She repeated, dropping twenty-seven gold crowns into his hand, just about what she judged the horse worth. His eyes nearly bulged out of his dirt caked skull. Enna ignored the rest of his protests, walking up to the Stallion. He came to her eagerly, prancing like a colt.
The warrioress smiled and rested her forehead against his muzzle, letting him take in her scent.
~Hello spirit brother. I humbly request your help in returning to the place I am most needed. Will you aid me?~ she whispered into his mind. He whickered, butting her hard enough to knock her back. She stumbled and caught herself with the grace of any dancer. Confusion wrought her face, at least…till he pranced sideways and presented her his back.
"I see!" she laughed. The Hytianna placed her hands on his withers and vaulted herself up.
"Then let us ride!" She called even as he wheeled. The woman kept her balance by moving with him and gripping with only her knees. His hooves pounded into the dirt, racing in perfect time with the beat of her heart and the drum that was Gaia's pulse.
------
"Wha's 'at?" Lionel elbowed Jordan in the side. Jordan grunted and made to elbow him back,
"I dun see n-" he trailed off as the small cloud of dust rapidly became a rider galloping for them. Hastily the two guards dropped their pole arms to block the path.
"Halt!" The cried simultaneously, voices ringing like twin blades of steel. The rider pulled up beside them, then the stranger -- A woman to boot!-- dropped from the horse and onto the ground, bare feet balancing lightly on the dirt.
"What be your business?" Lionel growled fiercely. The woman stared him in the eye, challenging him. He looked away first.
"My name is Enna Kaainzashi, Hytianni of the third rank. I demand to see prince Aaron." She snarled at them. Her accent was a bit weird, but that blade on her hip was unlike anything either young guard had seen.
"Hah! Enna the Brave is dead. Try another one lad-eee!" his challenge turned into a shriek of dismay as she disarmed both himself and Jordan-- and with her bare hands!
"Move out of the way, or I shall move you." She snarled, face undergoing a frightening change. Both men scuttled out of the way as she stalked past. The horse followed them, and the expression on its face echoed suspiciously of mirth.
------
"Your highness, intru-" the alarm from the poor man was cut off as he was tossed headlong into the room. Just seconds after a figure from the king's memory stalked through the door.
"Good goddess of light…" Aaron heard Kentrial mutter beside them. Gwyn stiffened next to him…it was obvious she recognized the woman too.
"Aaron! What trash do you have protecting you? Pah! You call these guards? They lack finesse… If I didn't know better, I'd say Kentrial trained them." The woman announced. Her lean body rippled with muscle hidden only by a cropped vest and soft leather pants, exposing her arms and stomach to the entire world. She was like a weapon herself, steely and uncompromising. As soon as she stepped into the sun all three royals were caught by the glint of her predator's eyes. She seemed surprised to see them as well.
"Gaia… Aaron? Kentrial? What in the lady's name happened to you? You look…ancient." She scowled, "I told you the ale would do this to you." She added, frowning fiercely. The response was so like her that Aaron was immediately put at ease…if still a bit confused.
"Enna? You're supposed to be dead!" Gwyn gasped.
"Hah! I always said hell would spit you back out, you she-devil!" Kentrial spluttered, looking as if he didn't know whether to run screaming or cheer with joy.
"Dead? Pah. How could I die before the battle was won? I promised, did I not? Swore blood oath that I would not rest until the Shadow king was firmly whipped from the lady's earth for another century at least." She responded. Her lip curled in that all-too familiar sneer.
"But… Aaron…he…" Kentrial muttered, glancing at Aaron and his queen. At last Enna noticed. Her heart hardened in her chest. So, Aaron had turned to the rouge while she was gone. The hurt was immense… a sense of betrayal plagued her. Her spine stiffened with anger.
"I see. Meh. Your children will be prettier than a unicorn, and have as much in their empty skulls." She growled, "But I have no care. Populate the throne with idiots, for all I care. The shadow king is my only priority." She felt a certain sense of satisfaction watching the pain go across their faces. Yes, a warrior was a warrior not just with the blade. Her green eyes grew as hard as the gem they were oft compared to.
"Stop gawking! We are at war! The fate of Gaia depends on you, and all you can do is stare like slack jawed idiots?" she snarled moving as if she were going to come closer. Aaron and Kentrial automatically grasped the hilts of their blades. Their white knuckled hands caused the leather on the hilts to creak and groan in agony. Something of her words got through to the king. A sense of guilt surged through him. She was right… he had a duty to fulfill, and it was not to spend time gaping every time Enna did something strange or violent.
"I see." He sighed, running his fingers absently through his golden beard.
"Kentrial, would you be so good as to call the war council? I believe Enna has just given proof to our fears." The king closed his eyes wearily.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Enna's story Chapter 1 « Result #12 on Feb 13, 2008, 11:21pm »
"Aaron!" Her voice was joyous. They had won! Sunlight filtered through the spring time leaves and shone upon his hair. The light created a crown upon his golden hair. His crown… the inheritance that was rightly his and no other's. A new spring leave broke prematurely free from its mother branch, coming to dance between them.
The world breathed. The scent of newness was ripe on the young breeze. That playful sylph tossed and danced upon his hair, twisting it as a lion's mane. The war was won! Her wounds in that last battle had been grievous, but she had lived for the promise of his love. She could feel the rhythmic throb of Mother Earth's heart beat under her bare feet. The same feet, which now, caked in dirt though they were, danced to meet him.
A smile stretched across her lips, denying the blood and bandages that spotted her body.
But he did not turn.
"Enna. I am sorry." His words were like a barrier, cutting her off before she could reach him. Flowers budded against the sweet light green of the sprouting grass. Life was springing back to the world. The dread lord of shadows was dead. Why was he sorry? Confusion echoed in her mind, but fear lived in her heart.
"I love another. I will not be back, Enna. Goodbye." And he walked away. The world swayed. She was dimly aware of the sound her knees made as they thudded in the tender moss. His name dropped from her lips like a half forgotten prayer.
Between them danced a single green leaf.
------
Darkness. Eons of Darkness. Then, suddenly, there was light and with it came awareness. Voices where whispering around her. She knew these voices, the soothing whispers of nature and her children. There was no fear here. She was home. For a time she drifted unsure of her destination. Seasons came and went the leaves turned from green to the brilliant golds and reds of autumn's secret treasure. Then the world glistened with ice and snow and suddenly all was green again.
One day she found herself in a place she dimly remembered. Thousands of people dressed grimly gathered at a great stone mausoleum. The clouds above were the same shade as the granite of the walls. She drifted forward, passing between the people with no difficulties.
The sky split with a wail of thunder and its tears came to join those of the people below.
"And to the earth we commend her. She who fought in our great king's name! She who brought to us the earth's blessing! The last of the great Hytianni and the victor of the great battle of Evening! To the heavens, we return our champion! May the angels treasure her as we did in this life, when she walked amongst us and fought bravely by our king's side to see us free from the Shadow King.
To the gods, we gift back Enna the golden, brave champion of right." The speaker's voice boomed across the field. She recognized that voice…the deep bass that had always invoked in her images of bears and great drums.
"Kentrial…" she whispered. Her voice caressed the great warrior and weaved its way through the crowd. Many would leave that solemn occasion, certain that the great warrioress had been present.
Kentrial, Lion of the Light, wept.
"To the darkness, we loose our greatest friend."
------
Time passed, colors fled before her dozing awareness. Voices cried to her. Sometimes she answered, gifting what was within her power to give. Slowly those voices died away, and she slipped into the darkness once more.
Suddenly she was awoken by a call, a tug at her soul that could not be denied. Across the lands she flew, outracing the winds and tempests. Her hair flew about her, upsetting gates and tossing the burdens of the unwary. Upon the earth her feet beat the cadence of a thousand horses.
"Damn it all Aaron! Ten years she's been gone. Ten! And now you think the Shadow might be returning? With whom are we to fight it? The druids have fled and the Magickers refuse to have anything to do with us! Half the old races have died out or gone into hiding…with what are we to fight this time?"
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Coriander Rice « Result #14 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:43pm »
Cannon or your own: My Own
Civilian Identity: Coriander Rice. Cori or Andy for short.
Super Hero or Villian Name ( If any. ) :
Hero or Villain: Hero
Gender: Female
Apparent age: 24
Age: 24
Hair: Brown, the shade of polished dark oak.
Eyes: Green with black rings around the outside.
Height and weight: 5'5 and 110 Lbs.
Appearance: Coriander is slim and willowy of build. She's pale because she spends most of day indoors at work. She has no birthmarks, tattoos or other distinguishing marks. Her face is heart shaped with large eyes. Generally she can be seen wearing dark colors (she imagines that they cancel out her pale skin…) of the sweater/slacks variety. She does not wear make up.
Super Powers and Abilities:
Empathy-Telepathy - (Thought-sensing with emotion sensing). Her Empathy is much stronger than her telepathy. She can sense strong emotions, and sometimes pictures with said emotions, from distances up to 100 ft. For her telepathy to work, however, she has to be in the same room with the target. She gains images from both talents, though they are not often clear.
Above Average intelligence - Cori has spent most of her life reading. Everything from ancient histories to plans of war. Most of what she has read has stuck with her and thus she has a large knowledge base to draw from when she is stuck in an unfortunate situation.
Weaknesses ( Must have at least one. ) : Her Telepathy is based on willpower. She cannot read the thoughts of a person with stronger will than herself. Cori can only read the thoughts of humanoids, and while her empathy does not require much energy, her telepathy does. The longer she uses the later the more energy she uses. There is danger that if she uses her Telepathy too long she could get stuck in another person's mind, throwing her into a coma and slowly draining her body.
She has the normal human weaknesses, on top of being slightly sickly and physically weak. Though highly intelligent in book sense, Coriander tends to be forgetful and is highly ignorant of popular trends. She is also is in horrible shape and often forgets to feed herself in favor of a new book or some other quest.
Personalty ( Optional, but I really would rather you included it. ) : Quiet and shy, Cori tends to speak to herself more than other people. She loves plants and animals. Generally she does her best to appear vaguely normal. The young woman is hyper-aware of the fact that her gifts would label her a "freak" to other "normal human beings." This comes, of course, from that hive of all our deepest insecurities and fear- High School.
Background: Cori was born with her gifts, which she inherited from her birth father. At the age of six months young Coriander was orphaned and subsequently adopted by a kind couple with no other children. She was eight when her gifts began to surface. Her parents, well meaning but troubled by their long-hoped for child's strangeness, dismissed it as an over active imagination.
Through her schooling years she quickly learned that the other children were somehow aware that she was different. Alienated from her peers at a young age she grew apart, and thus deeper into her abilities. Eventually she became aware that her gifts caused people to dislike her.
At the age of 13 she tried to block them, permanently. This resulted in a breakdown a year later, in which her gifts became extra sensitive and incapable of being shut down. Soon she began to have trouble distinguishing between her thoughts and feelings and those of others. Almost on the verge of insanity the young woman had a break through. She discovered accidentally how to ground herself and block all outside thoughts again.
Shaken by her ordeal she came to the decision that not only must she not ever try to forsake her "gift", but she must try to help others with it as much as possible.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Hotwire « Result #15 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:41pm »
Cannon or your own: Mine…. Again…..
Civilian Identity: Tamaya Shikoba
Super Hero or Villain Name: Hotwire
Hero or Villain: Hero (( X-Student))
Gender: Female
Apparent age: 16
Age: 16
Hair: Black, cut in a page-boy style and generally slicked back. When not slicked back it tends to curl around the ears.
Eyes: Brown
Height and weight: 5'6 130 Lbs
Appearance: Three inch, slightly curvy horns that sprout just above her hairline. Small black scales along her cheekbones. Only slightly elongated canine teeth. She has a three and a half foot long foot prehensile tail covered in short black fur. Naturally Tanned skin, as she is half Cherokee and half Hispanic. Well muscled, but lean. Generally dressed like a tomboy or punk. Her favored out fit would be her baggy, hip hugging camo cargo pants and a black tank top.
She has three tattoos, two of which are horizontal black lines circling her left bicep. The lines are about an inch wide, and about an inch and a half apart. The third tattoo is just below the small of her back, resting at the base of her spine. It is an eagle spreading it's wings.
Super Powers and Abilities:
Metal manipulation= Ability to control metal. She can soften, melt, or form metal into any shape she wishes.
I.E. She could melt a bullet before it reaches her, or cause it to suddenly become much heavier and drop to the ground.
Mutations: Her tail is prehensile, like a monkey's so she can use it as a fifth limb to a limited extent. The rest of her mutations are mostly self-explanatory.
Weaknesses: Inability to control her gift to a certain point. She must always wear gloves, because if she touches anything with her bare hands then her powers will manifest themselves in a random and generally unfortunate way. Most of the time thing that is in contact with that hand will be coated in a fine lair of metal.
She needs to have metal in the area to manipulate it.
Personality: She's a bit of a loner, and very tough. She has a tendency to curse in a unique mixture of Spanish, English and Cherokee. Being a mechanic she can't be kept away from the cars. There's a wee bit of a temper on her, and it takes a bit to get through her tough skin to find that she really is a loyal friend. Seriously. Really loyal.
Background: Tamaya grew up as the middle child of seven. Her parents lived right next to the New Mexico- Mexico border and were very poor. She was the middle child and thus was often over looked by her parents. Because of this she would often trek across the city she lived in to spend time with her grandfather. Her grandfather was a medicine man and she would help him around the house with the chores he could no longer do in exchange for the stories he would tell her and the small lessons in medicinal lore he would give.
About the time she became seven her mutations started to manifest. Her grandfather was away on a trip and the terrified girl did her best to hide her growing changes. She was frightened to go to her parents with her problem, and thus began wearing baggy pants to hide her tail and baseball caps to hide her growing horns.
When her grandfather arrived back home she went to him immediately. Her grandfather was equally horrified by her mutations, but loved her nonetheless and did his best to help her hide her secret. She ended up moving in with him at the acceptance of her parents.
Young Tamaya's mutations only grew from that point on and grew harder and harder to disguise. She discovered her gift/curse with metal one day while tending her grandfather's plants. She touched a flower that had always been her favorite. Metal spilt from the ground and coated the fragile plant in a perfect covering.
Again horrified, Tamaya took the flower to her grandfather. They experimented some and found that simple cloth gloves would keep her power from manifesting on it's own.
A few years later, at the age of thirteen, the mother of a good friend of Tamaya's fell desperately ill. The family needed money to pay for an expensive operation but had none. The friend, knowing about Tamaya's "gift" came to her in the hopes that she could help. Tamaya, a fiercely loyal girl, took matters into her own hands and devised a plan to get her friend that money.
Tamaya trekked again to the richer side of the city and used her powers to steal a car. She took a pocketful of change, targeted a car and used the metal from the change to create a key to the car. Once inside she manipulated the ignition of the car into starting and drove away.
She would have gotten away with the car most likely, if she hadn't been pulled over by the cops and asked for her license, which she did not have. Her grandfather managed to get her out of the dangerous situation with a great deal of difficulty and took her home.
She did manage to get the money for her friend, finding that she could cause silver and gold to rise from the ground of their own violation. Her friend's mother got the operation and soon afterward her grandfather sent her to Xavier's school.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Hawkgirl « Result #16 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:40pm »
Cannon or your own: Original!!! ((For once!))
Civilian Identity: Shayera Hol
Hero or Villain Name: Hawkgirl
Hero or Villain: Hero, might go villain.
Gender: Female
Apparent age: 25
Age: ?
Hair: Red, shoulder length. Very full.
Eyes: Brown
Height and weight: 5'4 113 Lbs
Appearance: Generally she wears a leotard that is yellow on top, read on bottom. There is a black belt, red and yellow knee high boots, wings, and a mace.
Super Powers and Abilities: flight, hand-to-hand combat skills, and the ability to communicate with birds. She has strong powers of observation as well.
Weaknesses: She has most human weaknesses. Bullets will kill her, ect.
Personality:
Background: Shayera Hol was an undercover detective on her native planet of Thanagar. Several years ago, while pursuing some criminals who were trafficking forbidden technology, she was zapped by a dimensional transport beam. Her molecular structure was ripped apart and sent halfway across the galaxy. When she awoke, she found herself on an uncharted planet called Earth. Using her survival training, she adopted a human identity and learned to blend in with the native population.
Although Shayera hopes to return to Thanagar someday, she has developed a strong bond with the people of Earth. As Hawkgirl, she uses her Thanagarian powers to serve and protect her adopted home. Hawkgirl has the power of flight, lethal hand-to-hand combat skills, and the ability to communicate with birds.
As a trained detective, she has phenomenal powers of observation, deeply impressive to Batman. A great team player, the others consider Hawkgirl one of the guys, making it easy to forget that she comes from another world. Despite her pleasant and unassuming personality, she is a fierce combatant. She can strike with a sudden ferocity that is surprising to even her closest teammates.
Shayera has developed a close relationship with Green Lantern. Though couples who work together can rarely make their relationship work, they've decided to give it a try.
Hawkgirl was revealed to be Lieutenant Shayera Hol, a Thanagarian soldier sent to Earth to study its defense systems, its technology, and its heroes. In a sense, she was a "spy"--something her teammates didn't take too kindly to.
When Shayera's fiancé ("promised one"), Hro Talek, came to Earth in an attempt to stop the Gordanians from attacking their home planet, Thanagar, Shayera's and John Stewart's relationship fell apart. With all the things she hadn't told him, and Hro Talek almost destroying Earth, they parted ways.
After leaving the Justice League following the Thanagarian invasion of Earth, Shayera Hol left to find her place in the world--and eventually found her way to Dr. Fate. She spent a great deal of time there, collecting her thoughts and wondering where to go next. Her time was interrupted, however, when Solomon Grundy was brought back by Chaos Magic; Shayera decided to go and face her former friend to see if she could a way to bring him out of his rage-induced state. She quickly found out, however, that rage was all that remained in her friend.
Taking her mace, made of Enth Metal, Shayera soon learned that it was the only thing that could take Grundy down; the mace was made specifically to destroy magical creatures, during the time when Ichthultu was trying to control the Thanagarians. Knowing she had no other alternative to stop Grundy's havoc, Shayera put Grundy to rest once and for all.
Known Enemies ( Optional. ) : Thanagarians, Brainiac, ect.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Cassandra « Result #17 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:40pm »
Cannon or your own: My own
Civilian Identity: Cassandra Jade Avalon
Hero or Villain: Hero
Gender: Female
Apparent age: Early twenties
Age: 23
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height and weight: 5'4'' 105 Lbs
Appearance: Cassandra is very pale; both from cold and trying not to go outside if she can help it. She dresses in sweaters, long sleeves and pants during all seasons, even summer. In winter she is almost always wearing her warmest waist length leather jacket, actually…she wears that even in the summer. Her clothes tend to be dark in color so as to soak up maximum heat. Cassandra also tends to wear boots incase she might need to start running at any point. The boots are knee high steel toed black hiking/combat boots. There are near permanent bags under her eyes, and her hair is generally a little disheveled. The bags under her eyes make the eyes themselves seem much larger.
Her default expression is one of being lost, lonely, and sad.
Super Powers and Abilities:
Medium - As a part of her mediumistic abilities she has the "sight". She can see spirits, otherworldly beings, and sometimes sense powers. Many times she can "channel" a spirit, or cause it to become strong enough to manifest itself.
As a medium she also acts as an enhancer to darker abilities. Aka a vampire would find himself even faster/stronger than normal when around her. The person/s must be with in a fifteen-foot range of her for this to work.
She can also become "possessed" by a spirit. While possessed by the spirit she gains some super-human abilities, depending on the spirit. Some spirits may cause her to levitate, while others will make her super-strong.
Channeling: As a direct result of her medium powers, Cassandra can channel spirit energy. With this ability, she can store large amounts of power for a very long time. She can then release this power in a huge burst.
Also, Cassandra can manifest spirit energy, sometimes making it solid enough to do damage, or protect.
Cassandra also studies quite a bit of the occult in an attempt to better understand her powers. In these studies she has come to learn quite a bit about the otherworldly creatures, their weaknesses and how to spot them.
Weaknesses: Cassandra cannot control her abilities very well; they work manly around her emotions. The happier she is, the less chance her power will get out of control, the angry or sadder she is, the harder they will be to control. She can attempt to manipulate her ability, but that drains her extremely quickly and there are hundreds of factors that could keep her from having any affect on the target.
The spirits and otherworldly creatures are attracted to her because her powers act like a beacon to them. Many times the spirits will attack her, or otherwise try to harm her. Several times she has been nearly killed. The low temperatures caused by the presence of a spirit keep her almost constantly chill and can increase enough to actually make her hypothermic if she isn't careful.
While being possessed, the stronger the spirit the more likely she will loose control and the spirit will take over. Sometimes being possessed will cause a memory lapse, and other times the spirit may not be welcome, and take forceful control at inopportune times.
She is also highly susceptible to the cold, since she is always freezing anyway. Most of the time she is sick 24-7 365. As a result she is physically very weak, and can be harmed easily if attacked physically.
Personality: Cassandra is quiet and almost constantly in a state of nervousness. She tends to keep her head down and avoid making eye contact. It at all possible she tries not to be noticed, as when something goes wrong she doesn't want to be singled out as the source. And she really does her darnedest to not be touched. At the same time she does her best to warn people, even if they might think her crazy, if they have some issue. In extreme circumstances she has been known to deliberately unleash her powers and let what comes have free reign, but only in the absence of innocents.
Most of the time Cassandra prefers to keep her distance. She doesn't want to fight hand to hand, for she knows she could easily be killed. She's shy, and not exactly the bravest thing in the world, but she will do what she can to help those who need it. She can be seen quietly coughing just about all of the time.
Background: Cassandra was a relatively normal child until the age of fifteen, where in she was in a horrible accident on a city bus. Her mother died, but herself, her father, and three other passengers survived. Cassandra was hospitalized with sever head trauma and was unconscious for nearly three weeks before waking. Since that moment she has been "gifted".
After the accident both Cassandra and her father blamed her for the death of her mother, whom had given the middle seat to Cassandra because Cassandra had wanted to be closer to the isle. CPS removed Cassandra from the home of her father a year later because of his emotionally abusive behavior. Shortly afterward her father killed himself, rendering Cassandra an orphan. Her father's spirit continues to haunt Cassandra, a near constant reminder of her past.
Because of Cassandra's constant nightmares, bouts of paranoia and reactions to the things she was seeing she was bounced from home to home until the age of eighteen, where in she aged out of the system. At that point she finally inherited the money from her mother's life insurance policy, as well as the other things left to her by her parents. She used this to outright buy a medium sized townhouse, and has been living off the rest for the past six years. (Her mother's policy was substantial, but not enough to make her very rich) She does not own a car, nor any other exceeding luxury.
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Re: OC Stuff « Result #18 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:38pm »
Original characters are fine, as are completely new ones. It's more for the time/placing/world than anything. DC it is... I tend to blend them all into one world
Joined: Feb 2005 Gender: Female Posts: 1,604 Karma: 150
Katarina Vedria « Result #19 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:28pm »
Full name: Katarina Vedria
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Race: Human
Faction: Smuggler
Era: All
General Description:
Hair: Blond, Waist length when down, generally up in a ponytail. It is very curly, tending to form into ringlets.
Eyes: Hazel Green, round, and large with long lashes.
Skin: Healthy Tan with a few scars here and there, nothing too noticeable or outstanding.
Height: 5'5
Weight: 110
Other: Physically she is very fit, but on the small side. She has high cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her default expression is an impish grin. Her hands are small and dexterous, well fitted to the pick pocketing she occasionally engages in, or finding handholds in hard to climb places.
Attire/Clothing: Generally she wears brown pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. She always has her gun holster on, no matter what she happens to be wearing. Her laser is on her left hip, because she is left-handed. She wears knee-high black military-hiking boots. There are quite a number of pockets on her vest, pants, and belt, and there are all number of things hidden with in these. All of her clothing is well fitting, not tight and not loose. She tucks her pants into her boots and keeps her shirt tucked in so it doesn't get in the way. Sometimes she wears a black jacket that's just a little too big. The jacket was her fathers, and looks suitably worn with burns, stitches, and the like.
Persona: Not exactly what one would call honest, Katarina is a smuggler by trade. She small, but her attitude wouldn't lead you to believe so. Her ego is pretty large. She likes to drink and to gamble. Kat, as she demands everyone call her, doesn't hesitate to use underhanded methods to get what she wants. Cheating is ALWAYS an option when Kat is involved.
She doesn't really like Sith, or Jedi. As far as she is concerned the less contact she has with them the less chance someone will arrest her. It's her motto that to be out of shape is to die, so she trains herself very rigorously when she's not having fun…. Which is…well…. Not alot.
History: ((Oh boy…. Lets see if I can keep it to a seven paragraph limit ))
Katarina's father was a man known as Pietro Veridain. In a time when writers weren't needed nor particularly wanted, Pietro chose this profession. Katarina never knew her mother. All she knows about the woman is she was once an influential member of a rebel cause, and that she died giving birth to Katarina.
Kat grew up in a number of places. Her father liked to travel, and thus they lived half the time on a space colony, and half the time on any number of different planets. She grew up in various situations as a result. There were several times she lived on planets where humans weren't welcome. Her earliest memory is of being chased down the street by a gang of children on one such planet.
By the time Katarina was fifteen she had lived on twice as many planets and four times as many cities. In this time Katarina had become well acquainted with the darker side of the law. Her father was a good man, but not object to use underhanded means to get past immigration laws. Pietro used to swear that he had been an adventurer of sorts. Katarina grew up on the stories he told her of his youth, but she seldom believed them. As far as she was, and still is, concerned, they were figments of his over active imagination.
Though her father loved her, he was not a particularly good parent. As a result Kat became self sufficient at an early age. She learned the lessons of a harsh life quickly. Since most people were bigger than she, she learned to run instead of fight. Because in some places size earned you your food and power, she learned to steal.
Pietro was killed when Kat was seventeen. She never found who did it, or why. The teen was informed just after the moment of his death by the leader of the space colony that she would be given room and board until she was eighteen, and then she would have to care for herself. From that point Kat made training part of her life, determined to make it a habit that would keep her from ever going soft. Just before her eighteenth birthday Kat stole the ship that her father had shown her how to pilot, and fled the colony, never to return. Soon after she changed her last name so she wouldn't be affiliated with the girl who had run away from the colony.
Other: No Jedi or Sith powers…basically is force-dead. She does however excel in marksman ship, can pilot her ship, and has many years of training in acrobatics and a small bit of training in hand to hand. Most of the time she wont actually get into a fight though, preferring to run away, which she has become rather skilled at.
Joined: Sept 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 17 Karma: 15
Re: Star Wars.... « Result #21 on Feb 13, 2008, 10:16pm »
I always imagined that despite being a Sith, I'd make use of a simple blue light saber. Blue emphasizes maintaining a cool and balanced perspective, which I strive to possess.
Joined: Sept 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 17 Karma: 15
OC: Rosered « Result #22 on Feb 13, 2008, 7:24pm »
Name: J Armstrong, aka Rosered
Age: 25
Race: Human Mutant
Gender: Male
Eye: Green
Hair: Rose red
Height: 6' 01"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Other Appearance: Rosered often wears loose fitting, green clothing to allow for the growth of his armor. While he commonly tears his clothing in battle, he often sports vibrantly colored materials and metallic accessories to emphasize his love for decadence. For unknown reasons, he always wears a pair of worn, grey goggles on his head.
Origin Story: As a teenager, J was... just fine. He was smart. He was the one who would make his family proud. He was going to be a great scientist. He would change the world. But he would also become a mutant.
After discovering what he could do, and losing that secret to others around him, J was no longer the golden boy. He made no one proud. He had the government pursuing him. He had enough money to leave the country, to leave and hide. He left...
And he became Rosered. Now he has returned...
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Power(s)/Weapon(s): Rosered has the ability to generate cellulose, the defensive structure of plants, from any cell in his body. Controlling its growth properly allows for the creation of on-the-spot weapons and armor which conventional attacks have a great deal of trouble breaking through. By layering the armor in the right way, Rosered can make himself invulnerable to all but the most damaging attacks. The weapons grown include spears, wrist mounted blades, and small, short-range projectiles.
Weakness(es): The obvious limitations of biological armor include the energy exhausted in growing the materials. As cellulose is based on sugar molecules, Rosered must sacrifice materials in his body to generate the necessary extensions. Over time this taxes his metabolism, grinding him to a halt. He must eat after every battle to recharge his body.
The plant DNA in his body also leaves Rosered with an extreme vulnerability to excessive cold.
Joined: Sept 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 17 Karma: 15
OC Stuff « Result #24 on Feb 10, 2008, 9:52pm »
My comment is in regard to the concept of the original character. Normally I wouldn't bring this up, but as the Marvel universe is not only established but... historically dominated by impressive individuals... should we instead take up the mantle of a previously developed hero or villain?
Joined: Sept 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 8 Location: Well, there's this ship... Karma: 6
Re: Me thinkst it be a time of change « Result #30 on Jan 4, 2008, 3:48pm »
I vote we simply kidnap a few creative children (preferably at the stage that all children are creative) and raise them to the honest belief that there is nothing better in this world than to roleplay on Draiden Marrow. I think twelve should be enough. That way a reliable base of devotees always manages to post.
Oh, and hello. I've been away from a computer for far too long.
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