Eberron Book One Stories
Page 13
Rivals
She walked down the streets of Rekkenmark, cursing the biting wind. Winter never seemed too far away in the cold hinterlands of Karrnath, but for the city to be this cold was down right rediculous. It was late and the city was all but deserted, its citizens retreating to what warm fire they could find.
The cold had descended rather suddenly the day before. She originally payed no attention or heed to it given the norm of Karrnathi weather, but tonight’s dead cold proved that this was no natural storm. She could taste the magic on the air and she recognized his signature almost immediately. Thankfully most of the children were already inside, they wouldn’t do the foolish thing children do in the winter storm. They wouldn’t tatse the falling snowflakes, and find the taste of blood instead of water. Or see the dark images buried in the memory of the blood.
Some of the citizens will dream of death, and carnage and horror tonight, there may be a panic in the morning, but she would be long gone. She knew why he was here. It was time for another challenge, he had come up with the next event, and he did love to make an entrance.
It wasn’t hard to find him, he enjoyed his work too much and would have a front row seat to his mayhem. She reached the top of the nearby church, a recently converted church of the Blood of Vol to the Soveriegn Host.
"How do you like the weather?" he asked as she approached, despite his attempts, he could barely hide the snarl in his voice when was truly excited.
"Unique, Blood Snow, with a touch of nightmare, very you."
He turned, a wild grin played on his face. "You honor me. I do this just to impress you."
She smiled, a charmer still after all these years, even if he is completely insane. "Careful you don’t set the bar too high, I would hate to be disappointed on the next challenge proposal. Speaking of which, what have you decided?"
He bowed gallantly, "Oh you’ll like this one. I figured we’d try something a lil different. The last few challenges have been so rough on both of us, I figured we could use a small break."
She raised an eyebrow, this was different, he always revelled in doing the challenges head on, maybe they are finally getting a touch too old for this. She quickly pushed away the thought, the game was the only thing that made life fun. Suddenly and quickly her mind was alive with images. They had reinitiated the bond, she could see the challenge clearly, and smiled. He was right, they had never tried this before, oh this could be very amusing. The bond was always intimate, she saw him preparing for this evening. Most suitors use flowers, candy, maybe a trophy, he conjured nightmarish blood snow, what a romantic. He was hiding something though, he never hid anything, the bond was broken.
"You’re keeping secrets from me." she teased. "We hadn’t even decided on the wager yet."
"Knowledge, one secret for another."
Her eyes narrowed, she didn’t like where this was going.
"I win, I share with you a small bit of information I have come across that you’ve been looking for. You win, and you share that tiny bit of information that you have secreted away in thet mind of yours."
She held her emotion, she knew what he was offering her, but the risk of what he wanted, if he found it. "Done." She heard herself saying before her mind could finish deliberation.
He smiled, his eyes twinkling, and vanished into the thickening snow storm. Somewhere in the distance a child started screaming, then more.
"Damn," she said to the wind, "I thought this challenge was suppossed to be a break."
She turned to leave, as the sounds of dozens of screaming children awoke from nightmares of blood, death, and him.
Redemption Saga - Part 1
Twilight
[[Minsc?]]
[[Minsc, wake up.]]
[[Minsc, wake up!!]]
[[TWILIGHT!]]
Minsc jarred out of the darkness, his eyes focusing on the metallic face looking down at him. “What happened? Where are we? Was I dead?”
[[No.]] Latch’s mental voice seemed distant, as if something Minsc had done had frightened him. [[You were asleep.]]
“What? That’s impossible. Warforged do not sleep.”
[[Our minds are connected, remember? If you were disabled, the link would have been broken.]]
“What are you saying Latch?” Minsc stood up looking straight into the other Warforged’s eyes. Though other races can’t see it, there are ways to tell when a Warforged is lying. Minsc had spent enough time with Latch to learn to tell.
[[You were dreaming. I didn’t see everything, but you were having some pretty intense dreams there. I have spent years connected to Edea, I know what it is like when someone has a nightmare.]]
Minsc looked away, knowing that Latch wasn’t lying to him. Images, broken and chaotic flooded his memory. He pushed them away, he had to focus on something else. “How long was I out?”
[[Two Days. I think Bishop meant to immobilize both of us, that was when you passed out.]]
* * *
It had been a few days since they crossed the border into the Mournland. They had slipped out of Stronghold with no one noticing. They didn’t even ask for help, Minsc and Latch agreed that this was something only they could do. They are Warforged, and they had to face their own kin alone. The others wouldn’t understand.
Latch had begun to worry. He was far older than Minsc and had more developed personality traits, a quirk the older models had.
“I know where I am going Latch, you need to worry less.”
[[Face it, we’re lost.]] Minsc had begun to get used to the mental connection that allowed Latch to communicate with him.
“We’re not lost. We have to keep going this way and we’ll find their camp.” Minsc didn’t stop walking, preferring to talk as they walked. Warforged did not get exhausted and they had walked for nearly 2 days straight, since they crossed the barrier. The Mournland was a place of madness. Minsc could feel innately that the entire region was just, just wrong. He wanted to keep moving, spend as little time in this place as possible.
[[How do you know Minsc? I’ve trusted you for 2 days in this place.Especially since I allowed you to connect directly with my mind. We’ve learned a lot about each other Minsc, I know why you feel so driven to save her.]]
Minsc flinched. Latch was right; their connection was a broad two-way street. Even Latch was surprised how well connected they had become, a side effect of both being Warforged in the link.
[[In all that time, I have never felt what you felt. I don’t know how it is or why it is you think you know where you are going. Tell me Minsc, how do you know where we are going?]]
“Yes, tell him Twilight.” The strange Warforged’s voice immediately sent the two of them into defensive stances. Minsc made a quick appraisal of the new arrivals.
The one who spoke was a Warforged made of a pure white metal, strange etchings carved into all of his armor plates. The other one was a hulking brute, even by Warforged standards. Though lightly armored Minsc immediately recognized that the second one was a brawler like himself.
“Who are you?”
“Tsk, Tsk, Twilight. How could you forget your own family?”
[[What is he talking about Minsc? Who is this person?]]
“Yes Twilight, tell him who I am.”
[[You can hear me? How is that possible?!]]
Minsc knew that if the white Warforged could, he would have smiled broadly.
“Such simple powers are nothing to the Prophet of the Warforged God. Come now Twilight, don’t tell me you’ve even forgotten the God you serve?”
“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” Minsc yelled so loud that it made Latch wince at the intensity reverberating through their connection. “My name is Minsc, and I serve no one!”
[[Tell us who you are!]] Latch asked quickly. He could feel a strange deep anger rising in Minsc and knew that he would outright attack this seemingly powerful enemy if he didn’t do anything.
“My name is Bishop. I am servant and Prophet to the Warforged God, brother to the Warforged God’s Chosen, and I am your uncle Twilight.”
“That’s not true.”
“Twilight….”
“No that’s not true!”
[[Minsc?]]
A sudden calm fell over Minsc as he looked at Bishop, remembering all his interactions with the devious and malicious Warforged.
“Go to hell you fraud.” Minsc disappeared in a blur, flashing behind Bishop, but before he could grab him, the large Warforged grabbed Minsc and began to squeeze. The strength of the Warforged was unnatural.
“Thank you Macabre. Such a shame, Twilight, I had hoped you would still be useful, but I see you remembered more than you should have.
[[Let him go.]] Latch had used his ability to bend light around him and snuck up on Bishop. He held a knife at the Bishop’s throat; a second one was at Bishop’s back. Latch was ready to drive both into Bishop at a moment’s notice.
“Your friend is quite skilled Twilight. Your father may forgive me for destroying you if I can replace you with someone like him. It makes sense, since you are such an obvious failure.
Minsc’s eyes narrowed, knowing the dark task he was originally sent out to accomplish, the one he was able to pull himself back from before he irrevocably destroyed his life.
“You couldn’t even do a simple task. Your father would most likely praise me for my good judgment.”
[[Shut up.]] Latch could feel the anger in Minsc rising.
“Something so simple and you failed. You had something to do.”
[[I said shut up!]] The fury in Minsc was starting to overwhelm Latch, he pressed the daggers tighter against Bishop.
“Wasn’t there something you had to do? Something you failed at? You’re useless. Pathetic.”
Latch tried to move, but the anger was too much. Minsc’s senses overwhelmed him.
“Wasn’t there someone you should have killed!”
A dazzling light pulsed out from Minsc, sending Macabre and Latch to the ground, stunned from the impact. Minsc however, simply stood there, his sense taken over by rage, as pure silver fire poured out of him like floodwaters. It washed over the entire ground, leaving behind no mark.
Bishop was satisfied. Minsc did indeed come back with a taste of the Silver Flame’s true power, though perhaps not as much as Bishop would have liked.
Minsc looked through the rage at Bishop, he desperately willed the power flowing out of him to attack him, to burn him, to do something, but it was a raw wild beast, completely out of control.
Latch recovered in time to see the spectacle, but didn’t waste more than a thought before rushing to attack Bishop. He folded light around him again, trying his best to block out the strange and powerful sensations which rushed at him from Minsc’s mind.
“Not this time.” Bishop raised his hand, the strange power of his etchings reached out, like pure madness and snuffed out Latch and Minsc.
Latch watched as he fell, unable to control his body anymore. He felt Minsc, to his surprise, fall unconscious.
“Well, two gifts to placate my brother, a new toy to break, and the return of his prodigal son.”
Latch watched as Bishop walked over to the limp form of Minsc. “Welcome home Twilight.”
