Old storyline; locked

Airien struggled towards the light, slowly, fighting through the pain and fire. It seemed to take a life time and then, bliss, peace. And Airien tried to get closer to the peace and bliss...

Xu couldn't fight in a war, whatever his condition. He sighed, and quietly crept out of the building. He got to the front door, and charged his fists with magical energy, ready to fight if the Wolf didn't go completely...

Selena felt Airien's pain. She pushed away the pain, kept it at bay. Unfortunately it meant she was feeling it all, but at least she wouldn't collapse from it. She pulled Airien into her own mind, and soothed it from the pain. She banished all traces of the flaming memories from Airien's mind, and then took away her fingers from Airiens temple.
She hoped it had worked.

Airiens breathing regulated she slipped out of unconsciousness and began the muddy climb to wakefulness...
She sat up. Turned on Bandon and slapped him, hard. "Thats for not bringing along a shield like I said."She told him

Bandon's face jolted. It was a good thing that he could not feel pain or that would have hurt. "Sorry, but I could not carry all the equiptment. Besides the horse got killed as well remember?" Bandon was pleased that she remembers from her time. And he sighed relief. "Thank the diety's that you are alive." Was all Bandon said...

"Diets had nothing to do with it. I also seem to remember you being able to carry a barrel of ale with you all the way there. Enough of this." Airien retorted. She then turned to Selena "Thank you. It does feel wierd though having memories of two separate lives. I will get used to it. Now I believe we were planning on getting rid of the Golden Mask, or shpould I say, Optimarus? We could get hold of an army, it will be more difficult than before." With th last sentence Airien threw a withering look at Cibhi, "Because there leader was executed, however I am sure some of you may realise who I am talking about, they hav eno love for Optimarus or the third nation, should we need an army they can help us."

Xu swung open the Doors ans Braced himself. But, nothing happened.

"Oh.." he said to himself, and he walked out of the fortress...

Bandon was thinking. "Well we could use geurrilla tactics like hit and run or we could sneak in and assassinate him. We could wait and I could bring in the galloping hordes. You must remember those guys, sharing the same fate as me? Anyway this fortress is nigh on inpenetrable. Just get the ballistas up and running and this could be our base of operations." Bandon walked out the room and climbed to the top of a watchtower.
There at the top was a defunct ballista with it's skeletal operator on the floor. bandon flicked his hand and the skeleton rose and started to repair his charge...

Optimarus wiped the scrying glass. So...They planned to attack him? It seemed the spies had leaked at least a little information. But not the major thing. That was safe.
The observer had said at most 2 days. Well, that was all right. He was safe.
But...The men were restless. Time to give them a bit of a field test.
He ordered the army to send a detatchment enough to take a well-defended castle to the fortress.

"Seiges, he just loves extending killing..." Airien sighed "No, we need a good army not a half-rotted horde of pillaging half-wits. I will send a hawk, I hope you left one in good condition, give Optimarus a taste of his own Rangers."

Bandon returned to the room. "They are not pirates and besides more than one of me would be great. i can take alot of damage so can these guys. I am making a call. They still owe me a favour. There are hawks in the observatory. Most are dead though so just pick one. Wait... I can sense something. Excuse me please." Bandon rushed out of the room and got the ballista's running. He then ran out into the graveyard and brought up some skeletons. "Get weapons and meet me in the courtyard! Move!" Bandon yelled at the undead.
He went back inside and summoned the skeleton champion. "You, I am putting you in charge of the defence of this fortress. You must make sure that the guards are ready for a bit of seige warfare. Also destroy the bridge! dig in ditches for defence. Go!" The champion saluted and carried out Bandon's wishes. The fortress was at it's best defence now...

"Wait! I need to find them personally, they won't listen to a message unless it comes from me personally because I am the one who wants their help! If, if I don't come back, assume the Golden Mask found me before I could find them!" Airien cryed. She then rushed out of the room, grabbed her travelling cloak and ran down to the stables. She grabbed her roan horse which was still saddled, mounted and kicked its flanks. The horse galloped out of the courtyard where skeletal warriors were assembling and down to the bridge, it leapt over the barricades that were beginning to be constructed and galloped away off, towards the mountains of Grenendia...

Izath finished and reduced his golden aura.

"It seems that I have much to learn about my new powers." He said. Salvanar agreed. "The power of a star. That kind of power corrupts, Izath, make sure you remember that." Izath nodded before flowing away through the halls.

Optimarus was musing in his throne room when a messenger arrived.
"Lord...one of the scouts spotted a girl leaving the fortress. He sent a small squad to tail her. I assume you wish us to kill her?"
Optimarus nodded. "Ye- Actually....No. Bring her here, unconcious. Hit her on the head periodically to be certain. I have questions that require answering." The messenger bowed, and left to do his master's bidding.
Optimarus sat in his throne.
One and a half days. One and a half...

Xu jumped out of the way as a Mad Woman on a horse almost ran him over.

Hey then noticed how slowly he'd been travelling. He summoned a Dragon, (The same one in Chapter 1) and flew off in the direction of the Horse...

Cibhi was sat at the back of the hall,looking at his potion.It seemed to have...changed...since he'd first poured it.It was no longer boiling,but seemd to be constantly moving and rippling,even when it was still...
Then he saw something.
For a fleeting second,he saw a mountain,and a palace made of ice.
It seemed to only be part of a picture,like the container wasn't big enough...
He pulled out his bowl,poured the liquid into it,and waited.
Nothing happened.
As he was about to give up,it appeared.
A picture,of the Norn Mountains.
But something...was wrong.
The trees had no leaves,where animals would be there was only skeletons,and the buildings and towns were empty.In the sky he thought he saw a black object before the image flickered away.
"Uhh....guys..."He said"I think we may need to go to the Norn Mountains first."

"Whats the matter Cibhi?" Tulak said as he entered. "The others are doing random stuff. Bandon's running ragged trying to make this place inpenetrable." Just then Bandon ran in Screaming "Get down!" He dived and just then a boulder came crashing through the roof. "Damn! Tulak come with me!" Both of them ran out onto the battlements. The ballistas firing everywhere and flashes of white were dancing in between flanks of enemies. Bandon looked up to see ships docked on the island. "Damn! All men! Kill the hostiles! Listen up Tulak, the Galloping hordes are coming from the south. Meet up with them when they arrive. I'm going in!" Bandon jumped off the battlements into the thick of the fighting.

Tulak watched as blood was splurting out everywhere when another boulder flew towards them. Tulak doved and narrowly missed the rock and the collapsing of that segment of wall. "Get the onagers! Get the onagers first!" Tulak screamed at the skeletal army. More arrived when Tulak got downstairs. "You! When I go out, lock the doors! Bolt them up and send down the portcullis." he shouted at the gatekeeper and then he rushed outside...

Xu noticed the Soldier too late. It shot it's lethal arrow, hiting Xu in his side. He fell off the Dragon, who flew into the clouds out of fear. It had hit his chest.

He lay almost motionless on the floor, blood now puring from his mouth. The "soldier" walked over to him.
"My, My. You have failed twice, to two different leaders now. Goodbye, Xu.."
Just as he said "Xu", he fell to the Ground with a Knife in the back of his neck.

Xu looked up,

"Coralie!!" He said, weekly..

Toro had been blown out of the fortress as the boulder hit very close to his room. Koroa picked him up, and with a few wingbeats, were at the top of the commotion. The team, both armed with fire were ready to face the worst.....and not witness that dream again.

Hawke rushed into Cibhi's room.
"Cibhi! There's a war going on outside! I, personally, am not willing to get shot, hacked, or crushed. I'm getting out of here. Are you coming with me?" He said in a rush.

Coralie rushed to Xu.

"Xu!" she Cried, as Xu started to pass out. She carefully removed the Arrow from his side, and bandaged up the wounds with bits of cloth ripped from Xu's shirt.
She then said a special Word, and a Beautiful Brown horse rose from the ground. She placed Xu over it's back, and headed for the nearest city...

"Yes."Cibhi said"We need to go to the Norn Mountains...I think Optimarus? Has something planned there." He stood up,poured the contents of the bowl back into the vial,and put them all in his bag.
"Let's go."

Bandon and Tulak were in the thick of the fighting, constantly ducking and using the dead as cover. the fighting was so packed that the dead could not fall to the ground. 1 of the onagers was destroyed when Bandon saw the king and Hawke leaving. "The king is leaving! Make way for him!" He shouted to a nearby skeletal guard. It nodded and ran off to help Cibhi. Another rock came crashing into the fortress taking down one of the ballistas. "Damn! Where are those horsemen!?" Tulak screamed. Then a horn was heard and the galloping of hooves. 50 undead riders burst out from behind the fortress and came swooping down across the enemy.
Bossimich came riding over to Tulak on his horse sweeping away the nearby enemies. "I did come like I said, you was in a coma though. I bet you did not think I was like dear old Bandon did you?" Bossimich then proceded to gallop towards the last onager. He pulled out his claymore and with a heavy swing it took off a support, sending it to the ground. "Pull back! Retreat! Run for the hills!" was being heard across the enemy ranks. Bandon was having a one on one with the commander of the army.
Bossimich came through with his horse and grabbed the commander by the neck. "I shall put this one in the prison." He said...

OOC: Hope this is ok.

"All the troops were retreating....without a single attack from us!" Toro said to Koroa, almost sad. They flew on to Chibi with Hawke, unknown were the rest were.

The surviving skeletal troops were cheering but most lay on the ground damaged beyond the repair of anyone. Bodies freely dropped to the floor now that the fight was over and the surviving ballistas were firing at the retreating ships. Bandon was kneeling on the floor looking at what happened to his fortress when Bossimich came over. "Look at my beautiful fortress! look at whats happened to it!" Bandon said showing a bit of sadness in his distorted and fractured voice. Many of the galloping hordes were riding around the islet scavenging anything useful from the dead. Tulak came over with an arrow stuck in his arm. "All in a days work." Was all he said with a smile.

Bandon's elite were patching themselves up from after the attack. Some lay dead on the floor but most survived. The skeletal champion came over to Bandon and asked for his orders. "Fix this place up and make more defences maybe dig a moat or something. Scavenge the onagers for anything useful. I shall keep the skeletal forces here for defence. You are now in full command of the fortress. What was your former name?"
"My name was Bellrus the Unwavering." The champion replied in his creaky tone. "Well Bellrus, this fortress is under your command. Make sure to keep it spotless and feed the birds this time! Hordes! My Elite! Follow me! We are leaving."

Bandon walked over to the king. "Where should we go now?