Eberron Book One Stories
Page 10
Penance
She opened her eyes and gasped. It had been many years since she felt this energy, far too many years. "Could it be?" she wondered. A deep sense of dread and hope filled her. Her mind felt slow and sluggish, she had slept for far too long. It was difficult for her to have any real influence of her surrounding.
She had grown used to merely opening her mind and checking to see the state of the world. Looking for any signs of changes, or hope. Any sign that would show that the sins upon her heart perhaps could soon be cleansed.
No, she could not hope for atonement, the crime upon her were too great, she would forever pay for that betrayel. She remembered the horror of that night. They came without warning, dozens of them right in the heart of their home. They were led by their own, corrupted friends and family who knew not what they were doing. Controlled from within by those horrible shrieking spawn of madness.
Then there were the mad-kin, abominations of everything natural, pwoerful creatures. The strike was calculated, planned, they knew ther weaknesses and exploited everyone perfectly.
Bishop barely had time to warn the others as the various halls fell. The armory, the library, the artificer's lab, all fell quickly from the onslaught of the attack. The guild pulled back into the council room. The fought hard, they were buying time. She knew what they were after. Loyal members were ordered to take the artifacts and run, hide, destroy them if they could. They dealt the invading force a horrible blow, but it was too late. Dozens laid dead, only Bishop and she remained. She watched as Bishop valiantly used the last of hsi life to defend the vault. He burned for his defiance.
Her mind went blank, the smell of burnt metal and Bishop's screams haunting her. She dreamed, dreamed the truth, the betrayed that led the invader's armies, uncontrolled, not possessed, a true villain in their midst. She dreamed of the last guild member, the weakest amongst them, so she thought. She saw the betrayers destruction. She awoke and found them all dead, foe and ally alike. She wept, she mourned, and she honored her lost comrades.
The betrayer was dead, but her sins were still fresh. She mourned, mourned for her lost friends, mourned for her lost hope, and mourned, for she bore the blood of the betrayer, she was the daughter of the guild's destroyer.
She swore penance, she swore to forever watch, guard, and protect. It was not enough though, she was the only one left who knew the secret of the guild, it's weakness. She had to remove that knowledge, and so she made the decision.
Her body walked the halls of the guildhosue, loyal, obedient, empty. She watched from her prison, watched, slept. Days, weeks, soon years would pass. The world moved on, the guild became forgotten, still she watched, and she guarded.
The old familiar energy awoke from within. She stretched her mind, and felt them, felt the familiar warmth. The guild was alive, the guild was finally alive again! She wept, wept for the memory of those lost, wept for the memory of her closest and dearest friend, and wept for herself, for her heart, from its prison watched, filled with hope.
So her body moved forward again, new master's to serve.
"Welcome Guildmasters, I am the Caretaker."
Awakening
The other had gone above to meet the Lady Cannith and request the rest of their payment, Fallin however felt the need to stay behind. The sensations were getting more and more prominent the more time they spent in Passage. Something was coming , he was almost sure of it, This feeling troubled Fallin, he had always had preternaturally fast reflexes, aiding in his dancing and combat, but this felt as if someone was drawing out his instincts. Making them last for a indeterminable amount of time.
Fallin restlessly roamed the village. He couldn't shake the feeling something was watching him. Something cold, alien, yet oddly familiar. 'Enemy' his instinct suddenly told him, and Fallin started to run. The enemy was near, he was sure of it. His mind flooded with images he had seen before, a dangerous enemy was nearby and it was close to it's prey.
Fallin reach the edge of town just in time to see Luna freeze in her tracks. A strange woman was still some distance away but Fallin knew that this woman had somehow ensnared Luna's mind.
"Let her go!" He yelled out as he ran to Luna, picking up the gnome and turning to face his enemy. What he saw frightened him, he did not know why. Around the woman was an aura, not any normal aura. It was the shape of a figure, a monster, the likes of which he had never seen.
No, he realised. He has seen it before, in the fringes of his muddled dreams, as if some long forgotten memory was coming to light. Quori, he mouthed, his mind burned, he felt his power surging.
"You!" the woman said and cackled. It was not common nor Elvish she spoke, but Fallin knew the words. "You are the Dream Guardian, hand over the Dream Child and we shall make your end quick and painless." It was not the woman who spoke, it was the aura. Fallin started to take a few steps back, even at this distance he could feel her power, he was no match for her, not if he wanted to protect Luna. He had to think.
"Who are you? What do you mean Dream Child, Dream Guardian? What do you want?" He was stalling, thinking of the fastest and safest way to bring Luna to safety.
The woman smiled, and he was sure the aura grinned as well, an overwhelming feeling of malevolance washing over him. A deep seated fear took route, the image of the creature growing bigger, more solid as Fallin stood, frozen, staring.
"We, are, your, destruc...."
"NO!" Fallin heard himself and Luna yelling out, their voice united. For a brief moment, he felt a connection between the two of em. A flood of emotion came out from with him. Fallin felt the it empower him.
"NO!" he called out again, filling his voice with the pure raw emotion, the air in front of him wavering, catching the stranger by surprise and launching her backwards. Fallin turned, and ran.
He knew he had stunned the would be assassin, but not for long. He had to find the others, together they stood a chance. He felt this, voice he realised, continueg to empower him. He ran faster than he ever could, he felt as if his feet barely touched the ground as he ran. "Faster" it said to him and he listened, moving like a silent breeze, practically gliding.
He reached the center of town and saw the others, they had been fighting as well. "Good, we can make a stand" he thought to himself.
"No, much to do, we must protect her." the voice within said. Quickly he saw a viison of Luna's room, her lying in it, and he, over her...changing. He wasn't sure what the vision meant, but he knew he coudl trust it.
"More follow! Beware the woman, she is dangerous!" he said without pause. His friends would have to forgive him, he knew he had little time.
Inside he quickly took the semi-concious gnome to her room, placing her on her bed as he forsaw. The voice in his head urged him on, he had to touch the gnome's mind. Fallin hesitated, he knew there woudl be no turning back.
He placed his hand on the gnomes head and opened his mind. Immediately a bright light engulfed his vision. Pure light, not gentle, it was harsh, determined, it was alive!
The voice he realised, it was the voice, that raw emotion which fueled him. It was alive, and old, very old. It was, within Luna. He was unsure how, but somehow the voice came from Luna as well as from him.
"They can sense me, they will find her if you are close to her."
"I don't understand."
"You will soon, it is yoru birthright, as it is hers. You are not complete, but also not ready. The time will come to fully awaken, until then, we must draw them away from her."
"Why!? Who is she?"
"She is the dreamchild. She is me, as I am you. You are the dreamguardian, your path is to run, while hers is to walk."
Fallin understood, the change, it was a way to draw them from Luna. He looked upon her, and in some strange way, felt as if he gazed at his closest sister. The light receded, and he saw himself. He felt himself like some great beacon to any willing mind. It was a challenge, to any and all who dared.
"I am the dreamguardian." He understood, seeing his own hands, and the claws of the voice, seeing his own face, into his eyes, and the eyes of the other.
They hoped the others would understand, they knew they would find them again. They knew they would find the dreamchild again and fully awaken. Until then, they would run, and fight.
"We are DreamGuardian. We are Dreamchild. I am Fallin, and I am the Lost One."
"We have awakened."
