Residual (Chapter Eleven)
Monday, April 20th, 2015 08:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tanadin posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
mindcrackloveI literally wrote this the same day I wrote chapter ten.
I had so much fun with this chapter- I hope you do too. ^^
We learn about Skullblades and Blame continues to have a bad time, but less of a bad time.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Monstrous-Residual-map-526465833
Character status spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Chapter Eleven
Ashwatch, Minecraftia. September 18, year 373. Time instance 483Z.
Vechs wasn’t surprised to find Blame awake at dawn, perched on a rock on the edge of camp, keeping watch.
“Hey.” he greeted quietly, standing next to his friend. “Are you okay?”
Blame shrugged slightly. “I don’t know.” he answered honestly. “I really don’t.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I think so.” Blame sighed and stood, hopping off of the rock. “I hope that this hasn’t been a massive waste of time…”
“Did you sleep at all last night?”
“Not really.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No.” Blame’s eyes were focused towards the trees, behind which the village lay. Vechs put a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey. Try and focus on the now, alright?”
“…I’ll try.” He sighed. “This is rough, Vechs. I’m not gonna lie. This is hard for me.”
“I know. That’s why I’m worried about you.”
Blame nodded. “Thanks, Vechs.” He sat down by the remnants of the previous night’s fire, deciding that he didn’t want to stand after all. Vechs sat beside him.
They sat in companionable silence for about an hour before the others began to awake and stir- first Paul, then Pause and Aureylian. Zisteau walked into camp shortly thereafter- not needing sleep, he had wandered around for a little while after keeping watch most of the night.
“I think I found those catacombs you were talking about.” Zisteau mentioned to Blame. “On the north side of the valley. I didn’t go in, but they looked to be made of some kind of ancient stone with doors I’m not sure how one opens.”
Blame smiled thinly. “There’s a reason for that. I’ll show you how to open them after we’re ready.”
“Food.” Pause grunted, still half-asleep.
“Second priority. You guys start working on that. Meanwhile, Blame, we need to check your bandages.” Paul held up some of the bandage material to prove his point.
“I don’t think I’ve bled into them anymore.”
“We should still change them. Come on.” Paul motioned for Blame to follow him into the tent.
~~~
Blame felt a lot more secure now that he was back in his armor.
He stood before the entrance to the catacombs, fully outfitted. His sides were still injured, but they would likely be okay as long as he didn’t start doing cartwheels or something. His friends stood behind him, hesitant but prepared.
Blame placed his hand on a stone panel and slid it aside, revealing a thin socket. He drew his sword and sheathed it within the stone.
The door rumbled and slid open about a foot. Blame retrieved his sword before pushing the heavy door open the rest of the way. As he stepped inside, braziers on each side of the door on the inside lit themselves. He retrieved a torch and lit it in the flames, stepping a few feet inside before turning back to his friends.
“Let’s go. Don’t touch anything.”
Pause retrieved a torch as well, following behind them to supply light both ahead and behind the group.
The catacombs practically hummed with magical energy.
The catacombs were carved entirely from stone. It was dry and cool inside, and after about twenty feet the carvings started. They were clearly carved expertly, beautifully done in striking detail and care. The torchlight played across them, almost giving them the illusion of slight movement, like breathing. They walked slowly through the hallway, filled with carvings of Skullblades- those with masks like the Sunspines, those with horns like Blame’s own mask, and those with masks possessing fangs that Vechs didn’t remember seeing before but he suspected to belong to the Shadefang clan of Skullblades. There were occasional words carved into the wall, in a script that he didn’t recognize.
Blame stopped when they entered the room.
The room was large and circular, with a domed ceiling. Carvings ran all along the walls and onto the ceiling. There was slightly less writing than there had been previously and this room seemed to radiate more energy than the hallway before it.
“This is where my explanation begins.” Blame said quietly, leading them to the right-hand wall.
Vechs’s breath caught in his throat in awe of the carving that came into the firelight.
A skeletal dragon, reared onto its back legs with wings extended back, was carved into the stone. Around the skeleton was a sort of darkness, as if it was made of shadows supporting the bone. The name of the creature was carved, in a script different from that in the hallway, beside it.
“Vallor’roth.” Vechs mumbled, then shook his head. How did he know that? He blinked and realized that it was the same writing that had appeared in the mountain pass into the Dragonlands. Dranonic writing.
“Yes.” Blame said quietly, raising his torch and revealing other figures. “Vallor’roth was one of those who created the world. We don’t know how many of these creators there were, but Vallor’roth was one of them. He created the Skullblades by teaching members of the human race created by Not’kaloronch- Notch, as you probably know him- and crafting them masks made the bones of the fallen members of his brood. He showed them how to be powerful and how to protect themselves from the dangers of the newly formed world and the wild magic oftentimes used irresponsibly.”
“However, Serthias, one of the other creators, had been infected with corruption in the world he originated from. This did not surface for many years, but when it did, the results were devastating.”
Blame showed them a carving of a large dragon, smaller than Vallor’roth, but divided. He stood on his back legs and they saw him from the front, as he looked forward towards them. On the right side-the side closer to the beginning of the narrative- he appeared to be a regular dragon, with three horns marking him as a unique type and a kind eye. On the left, his eye turned angry and evil looking and his body was darker, spikier, and with bizarre markings.
“The corruption ate at him until he transformed into Neltharaku, a monstrous corruption dragon.” Blame moved on to the next carving, of Neltharaku surrounded by other figures.
“The other creators were forced to put him down to prevent their world from being destroyed.” The light from the torches flickered across the carvings depicting figures, presumably the creators, surrounding Neltharaku and firing various forms of energy and attacks at him. One figure in particular caught Vechs’s attention. He moved to get a better look at it.
His eyes widened slightly as he recognized the form. He glanced at Blame, confused, and the Skullblade nodded slightly. “Iilthrid. He becomes important soon.”
The reason for Vechs’s interest was that Iilthrid looked just like him. A shudder ran down his spine as he looked him over. The same hair, the same facial structure, the same determined look in his eyes. There were some obvious differences- Iilthrid had batlike wings on his back, claws on his fingers, and two short horns similar to the ones that Vechs’s monstrous form possessed.
Aureylian looked between Vechs and Iilthrid a few times, however, the others didn’t seem to notice, too taken in with the carving as a whole.
The other figures included, in addition to Iilthrid and Vallor’roth, two humans, a humanoid figure that was difficult to see due to it being high up, a skeletal gryphon, a fiery creature reminiscent of the kirinax they had fought (also difficult to see), two other dragons, a couple of nature spirits (one looking to be made of plants and the other of wind), and some kind of massive sea monster. Off to the side there was a third human, but he appeared to be asleep and surrounded by energies, as if dormant. “These are not all of the creators, we suspect, but these are the ones that the ancient Skullblades recorded. Maybe they didn’t know the others; I don’t know.” Blame added.
Vechs noted that, by one of the dragons, there were carved swirls that reminded him of something, but he couldn’t place what. There was also an hourglass by the dragon, but he couldn’t figure out its meaning.
Memories shifted, but no recognition.
Blame moved on. “Unfortunately, when Neltharaku was slain, his corruption infected Iilthrid without his knowing. It made him much more destructive and he began to subtly sabotage the others’ efforts.” He stepped towards the next scene. Iilthrid appeared to be conjuring flame in his hands with winds whipping around him.
“Vallor’roth eventually confronted Iilthrid, demanding that he explain himself. Iithrid attacked him, turning all the natural disasters and elements of the world he could against Vallor’roth. The two battled for six long days, the chaos and sheer power they created enough to keep the others back for fear of a stray shot destroying them.”
The carving they were at now (about halfway around the room) showed Vallor’roth and Iilthrid locked in combat, but there was a second figure fighting with Iilthrid as well- what appeared to be a…vampire? Blame immediately addressed this.
“Iilthrid’s mate, the first vampire, formed by his experiments with mixing bat and human genetics, took his side and risked herself to defend him after the sixth day had passed. Unfortunately, this turned the tables on Vallor’roth, and he fell in battle against them. He took Ao’barra, the vampire, down with him, however…He fell on the island now known as Skullbit, home of the Shadefangs.” The next carving showed Vallor’roth collapsed on the ground, with Iilthrid hovering above him and being struck by some kind of energy from the dragon with the hourglass from before as well as the skeletal gryphon and one of the humans.
“Once the dust had cleared, three of the other creators- whose names are lost, other than Dalshenar’balthen- gathered the last of Vallor’roth’s lifeforce and used it to force Iilthrid into a kind of dormancy, as they could not bring themselves to destroy another one of their kind. They placed him deep within Minecraftia until such a time that the corruption could be purged from his soul. The mate of Vallor’roth was slain by superstitious skettisren in what is now Sunspire shortly thereafter, leaving the brood of Vallor’roth in the care of the Skullblades. This hunting of the dragons by skettisren, pigmen, and humans eventually led to the dragons’ withdrawal into the Dragonlands.”
A dark dragon, this one not skeletal, was shown dead, surrounded by young jungle trees and creatures that looked suspiciously like creeper-human hybrids similar to Doc, minus the cyborg half.
“The Shadefangs took up Skullbit as their home to guard the skeleton of Vallor’roth, which sank into the earth after his death. A powerful magical aura gathered around the place- the spirit of Vallor’roth had remained, to guide the people he had crafted and shaped, that he had loved and formed. The Sunspines remained at Sunspire to honor the sacrifice of Tatlakorra, who had died leading the skettisren away from her eggs. The Ashenhorns watched over Ashwatch, the valley in which the eggs of Vallor’roth were hidden.”
“The valk’vanor, the children of Vallor’roth, only hatch every few hundred to a thousand years. All Ashenhorns feel the pull of the Bloodshadow- a physical apparition, a projection of Vallor’roth’s soul- a week prior to it first touching the sky. Where it rises and how high determines how long it will be before the quickened egg hatches.” Blame stopped before a carving of the night sky, with the moon overhead and a vaguely dark circular shape near it. There were smaller carvings of variations of this and several different star charts, all of which were totally incomprehensible to the group at large.
“All Ashenhorns stand vigil through the night of the Bloodshadow making its first appearance. It rises every night until it covers the moon. The moment the moon is entirely red from the Bloodshadow is when the egg will hatch. When the valk’vanor hatches, members of all three clans gather to witness the event.”
Next was a carving of the lake with Skullblades- all Ashenhorns- ringing it, all in the same position; sword point a few inches into the ground, both hands clasped over the hilt, standing straight and still while looking ahead. Oddly enough, in the carving, there was a small island in the center of the lake with a single dark egg upon it within a nest. There was no such island in the lake outside.
An interesting thing to note.
Blame led them to the final carving in the room, right next to where they had originally entered. It appeared to be of a large number of Skullblades from all three clans, prepared for battle, with a dragon overhead. It was shadowy like Vallor’roth, but only its skull was visible through the shadow, as opposed to its entire skeletal structive.
“A valk’vanor works with the Skullblade clans, bringing them to times of wonder and prosperity. Unless, of course, the Ashenhorns fail in protecting the egg or the hatchling before it can take care of itself. They can be corrupted and they can be raised to do nothing but evil and destruction. Valk’vanor are powerful and should never be trifled with.” He turned and looked back at his friends, who all looked awestruck.
“What happened to the other creators?” Aureylian finally asked, her voice in a whisper.
“They were either killed or fell dormant. They are clearly not active anymore, other than the occasional whisper of power or guidance, like how Vallor’roth’s spirit guides the Skullblades. The fate of the others is not recorded here.” He made a motion towards the back of the cavern. “There’s another entrance that leads deeper into the catacombs, but I won’t take you down there. You shouldn’t be in here at all, but it was necessary for you to know how the Skullblades came to be and the fate of Vallor’roth. The specifics and secrets of the Skullblades, however, will remain just that. I’d rather not anger Vallor’roth by sharing.”
Vechs nodded absentmindedly, eyes trailing over the carvings again. He took the torch from Pause and went back to the carving of Iilthrid that looked so much like him- the one with flame and wind, as it was larger and closer to their elevation-, Aureylian following. The others were asking Blame questions, but Vechs wasn’t listening.
“He looks like you.” Aureylian said quietly.
“I know. That’s why it’s drawing me.” Vechs whispered. “Why does he look like me? I know it’s only a carving, but these people were so skilled…it’s no coincidence, Aurey If only these things were in color...” He reached out and traced the carved lines, forgetting what Blame had said about not touching anything.
A rumble ran through his mind, followed by a flash of bronze and blue as the past hit him like a speeding minecart.
The magic of the place was powerful.
Images of Iilthrid- black hair, blue eyes ringed with purple around the pupils, black bat wings, dark red horns- flashed through his mind, of his battle with Vallor’roth, of the creation of Ao’barra, the battle with Neltharaku, being shot with the corruption but thinking nothing of it at the time, helping along the natural disasters that occurred, urging on volcanos, laughing at the devastation…as soon as the images entered Vechs’s mind, they were gone, leaving very little for him to remember them by.
He was snapped out of it when Blame yanked him away from the wall.
“I told you not to touch anything.” the Skullblade snarled. “You’re lucky to be alive, Vechs!” He shook his friend violently. “That could have overwhelmed your mind and blasted you to pieces!”
Vechs was shaking, feeling a little mentally burned. He couldn’t remember any of what he had seen except for that first flash of Iilthrid.
“He looks like me.” he whispered quietly before passing out.
I had so much fun with this chapter- I hope you do too. ^^
We learn about Skullblades and Blame continues to have a bad time, but less of a bad time.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Monstrous-Residual-map-526465833
Character status spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Chapter Eleven
Ashwatch, Minecraftia. September 18, year 373. Time instance 483Z.
Vechs wasn’t surprised to find Blame awake at dawn, perched on a rock on the edge of camp, keeping watch.
“Hey.” he greeted quietly, standing next to his friend. “Are you okay?”
Blame shrugged slightly. “I don’t know.” he answered honestly. “I really don’t.”
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I think so.” Blame sighed and stood, hopping off of the rock. “I hope that this hasn’t been a massive waste of time…”
“Did you sleep at all last night?”
“Not really.”
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No.” Blame’s eyes were focused towards the trees, behind which the village lay. Vechs put a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey. Try and focus on the now, alright?”
“…I’ll try.” He sighed. “This is rough, Vechs. I’m not gonna lie. This is hard for me.”
“I know. That’s why I’m worried about you.”
Blame nodded. “Thanks, Vechs.” He sat down by the remnants of the previous night’s fire, deciding that he didn’t want to stand after all. Vechs sat beside him.
They sat in companionable silence for about an hour before the others began to awake and stir- first Paul, then Pause and Aureylian. Zisteau walked into camp shortly thereafter- not needing sleep, he had wandered around for a little while after keeping watch most of the night.
“I think I found those catacombs you were talking about.” Zisteau mentioned to Blame. “On the north side of the valley. I didn’t go in, but they looked to be made of some kind of ancient stone with doors I’m not sure how one opens.”
Blame smiled thinly. “There’s a reason for that. I’ll show you how to open them after we’re ready.”
“Food.” Pause grunted, still half-asleep.
“Second priority. You guys start working on that. Meanwhile, Blame, we need to check your bandages.” Paul held up some of the bandage material to prove his point.
“I don’t think I’ve bled into them anymore.”
“We should still change them. Come on.” Paul motioned for Blame to follow him into the tent.
~~~
Blame felt a lot more secure now that he was back in his armor.
He stood before the entrance to the catacombs, fully outfitted. His sides were still injured, but they would likely be okay as long as he didn’t start doing cartwheels or something. His friends stood behind him, hesitant but prepared.
Blame placed his hand on a stone panel and slid it aside, revealing a thin socket. He drew his sword and sheathed it within the stone.
The door rumbled and slid open about a foot. Blame retrieved his sword before pushing the heavy door open the rest of the way. As he stepped inside, braziers on each side of the door on the inside lit themselves. He retrieved a torch and lit it in the flames, stepping a few feet inside before turning back to his friends.
“Let’s go. Don’t touch anything.”
Pause retrieved a torch as well, following behind them to supply light both ahead and behind the group.
The catacombs practically hummed with magical energy.
The catacombs were carved entirely from stone. It was dry and cool inside, and after about twenty feet the carvings started. They were clearly carved expertly, beautifully done in striking detail and care. The torchlight played across them, almost giving them the illusion of slight movement, like breathing. They walked slowly through the hallway, filled with carvings of Skullblades- those with masks like the Sunspines, those with horns like Blame’s own mask, and those with masks possessing fangs that Vechs didn’t remember seeing before but he suspected to belong to the Shadefang clan of Skullblades. There were occasional words carved into the wall, in a script that he didn’t recognize.
Blame stopped when they entered the room.
The room was large and circular, with a domed ceiling. Carvings ran all along the walls and onto the ceiling. There was slightly less writing than there had been previously and this room seemed to radiate more energy than the hallway before it.
“This is where my explanation begins.” Blame said quietly, leading them to the right-hand wall.
Vechs’s breath caught in his throat in awe of the carving that came into the firelight.
A skeletal dragon, reared onto its back legs with wings extended back, was carved into the stone. Around the skeleton was a sort of darkness, as if it was made of shadows supporting the bone. The name of the creature was carved, in a script different from that in the hallway, beside it.
“Vallor’roth.” Vechs mumbled, then shook his head. How did he know that? He blinked and realized that it was the same writing that had appeared in the mountain pass into the Dragonlands. Dranonic writing.
“Yes.” Blame said quietly, raising his torch and revealing other figures. “Vallor’roth was one of those who created the world. We don’t know how many of these creators there were, but Vallor’roth was one of them. He created the Skullblades by teaching members of the human race created by Not’kaloronch- Notch, as you probably know him- and crafting them masks made the bones of the fallen members of his brood. He showed them how to be powerful and how to protect themselves from the dangers of the newly formed world and the wild magic oftentimes used irresponsibly.”
“However, Serthias, one of the other creators, had been infected with corruption in the world he originated from. This did not surface for many years, but when it did, the results were devastating.”
Blame showed them a carving of a large dragon, smaller than Vallor’roth, but divided. He stood on his back legs and they saw him from the front, as he looked forward towards them. On the right side-the side closer to the beginning of the narrative- he appeared to be a regular dragon, with three horns marking him as a unique type and a kind eye. On the left, his eye turned angry and evil looking and his body was darker, spikier, and with bizarre markings.
“The corruption ate at him until he transformed into Neltharaku, a monstrous corruption dragon.” Blame moved on to the next carving, of Neltharaku surrounded by other figures.
“The other creators were forced to put him down to prevent their world from being destroyed.” The light from the torches flickered across the carvings depicting figures, presumably the creators, surrounding Neltharaku and firing various forms of energy and attacks at him. One figure in particular caught Vechs’s attention. He moved to get a better look at it.
His eyes widened slightly as he recognized the form. He glanced at Blame, confused, and the Skullblade nodded slightly. “Iilthrid. He becomes important soon.”
The reason for Vechs’s interest was that Iilthrid looked just like him. A shudder ran down his spine as he looked him over. The same hair, the same facial structure, the same determined look in his eyes. There were some obvious differences- Iilthrid had batlike wings on his back, claws on his fingers, and two short horns similar to the ones that Vechs’s monstrous form possessed.
Aureylian looked between Vechs and Iilthrid a few times, however, the others didn’t seem to notice, too taken in with the carving as a whole.
The other figures included, in addition to Iilthrid and Vallor’roth, two humans, a humanoid figure that was difficult to see due to it being high up, a skeletal gryphon, a fiery creature reminiscent of the kirinax they had fought (also difficult to see), two other dragons, a couple of nature spirits (one looking to be made of plants and the other of wind), and some kind of massive sea monster. Off to the side there was a third human, but he appeared to be asleep and surrounded by energies, as if dormant. “These are not all of the creators, we suspect, but these are the ones that the ancient Skullblades recorded. Maybe they didn’t know the others; I don’t know.” Blame added.
Vechs noted that, by one of the dragons, there were carved swirls that reminded him of something, but he couldn’t place what. There was also an hourglass by the dragon, but he couldn’t figure out its meaning.
Memories shifted, but no recognition.
Blame moved on. “Unfortunately, when Neltharaku was slain, his corruption infected Iilthrid without his knowing. It made him much more destructive and he began to subtly sabotage the others’ efforts.” He stepped towards the next scene. Iilthrid appeared to be conjuring flame in his hands with winds whipping around him.
“Vallor’roth eventually confronted Iilthrid, demanding that he explain himself. Iithrid attacked him, turning all the natural disasters and elements of the world he could against Vallor’roth. The two battled for six long days, the chaos and sheer power they created enough to keep the others back for fear of a stray shot destroying them.”
The carving they were at now (about halfway around the room) showed Vallor’roth and Iilthrid locked in combat, but there was a second figure fighting with Iilthrid as well- what appeared to be a…vampire? Blame immediately addressed this.
“Iilthrid’s mate, the first vampire, formed by his experiments with mixing bat and human genetics, took his side and risked herself to defend him after the sixth day had passed. Unfortunately, this turned the tables on Vallor’roth, and he fell in battle against them. He took Ao’barra, the vampire, down with him, however…He fell on the island now known as Skullbit, home of the Shadefangs.” The next carving showed Vallor’roth collapsed on the ground, with Iilthrid hovering above him and being struck by some kind of energy from the dragon with the hourglass from before as well as the skeletal gryphon and one of the humans.
“Once the dust had cleared, three of the other creators- whose names are lost, other than Dalshenar’balthen- gathered the last of Vallor’roth’s lifeforce and used it to force Iilthrid into a kind of dormancy, as they could not bring themselves to destroy another one of their kind. They placed him deep within Minecraftia until such a time that the corruption could be purged from his soul. The mate of Vallor’roth was slain by superstitious skettisren in what is now Sunspire shortly thereafter, leaving the brood of Vallor’roth in the care of the Skullblades. This hunting of the dragons by skettisren, pigmen, and humans eventually led to the dragons’ withdrawal into the Dragonlands.”
A dark dragon, this one not skeletal, was shown dead, surrounded by young jungle trees and creatures that looked suspiciously like creeper-human hybrids similar to Doc, minus the cyborg half.
“The Shadefangs took up Skullbit as their home to guard the skeleton of Vallor’roth, which sank into the earth after his death. A powerful magical aura gathered around the place- the spirit of Vallor’roth had remained, to guide the people he had crafted and shaped, that he had loved and formed. The Sunspines remained at Sunspire to honor the sacrifice of Tatlakorra, who had died leading the skettisren away from her eggs. The Ashenhorns watched over Ashwatch, the valley in which the eggs of Vallor’roth were hidden.”
“The valk’vanor, the children of Vallor’roth, only hatch every few hundred to a thousand years. All Ashenhorns feel the pull of the Bloodshadow- a physical apparition, a projection of Vallor’roth’s soul- a week prior to it first touching the sky. Where it rises and how high determines how long it will be before the quickened egg hatches.” Blame stopped before a carving of the night sky, with the moon overhead and a vaguely dark circular shape near it. There were smaller carvings of variations of this and several different star charts, all of which were totally incomprehensible to the group at large.
“All Ashenhorns stand vigil through the night of the Bloodshadow making its first appearance. It rises every night until it covers the moon. The moment the moon is entirely red from the Bloodshadow is when the egg will hatch. When the valk’vanor hatches, members of all three clans gather to witness the event.”
Next was a carving of the lake with Skullblades- all Ashenhorns- ringing it, all in the same position; sword point a few inches into the ground, both hands clasped over the hilt, standing straight and still while looking ahead. Oddly enough, in the carving, there was a small island in the center of the lake with a single dark egg upon it within a nest. There was no such island in the lake outside.
An interesting thing to note.
Blame led them to the final carving in the room, right next to where they had originally entered. It appeared to be of a large number of Skullblades from all three clans, prepared for battle, with a dragon overhead. It was shadowy like Vallor’roth, but only its skull was visible through the shadow, as opposed to its entire skeletal structive.
“A valk’vanor works with the Skullblade clans, bringing them to times of wonder and prosperity. Unless, of course, the Ashenhorns fail in protecting the egg or the hatchling before it can take care of itself. They can be corrupted and they can be raised to do nothing but evil and destruction. Valk’vanor are powerful and should never be trifled with.” He turned and looked back at his friends, who all looked awestruck.
“What happened to the other creators?” Aureylian finally asked, her voice in a whisper.
“They were either killed or fell dormant. They are clearly not active anymore, other than the occasional whisper of power or guidance, like how Vallor’roth’s spirit guides the Skullblades. The fate of the others is not recorded here.” He made a motion towards the back of the cavern. “There’s another entrance that leads deeper into the catacombs, but I won’t take you down there. You shouldn’t be in here at all, but it was necessary for you to know how the Skullblades came to be and the fate of Vallor’roth. The specifics and secrets of the Skullblades, however, will remain just that. I’d rather not anger Vallor’roth by sharing.”
Vechs nodded absentmindedly, eyes trailing over the carvings again. He took the torch from Pause and went back to the carving of Iilthrid that looked so much like him- the one with flame and wind, as it was larger and closer to their elevation-, Aureylian following. The others were asking Blame questions, but Vechs wasn’t listening.
“He looks like you.” Aureylian said quietly.
“I know. That’s why it’s drawing me.” Vechs whispered. “Why does he look like me? I know it’s only a carving, but these people were so skilled…it’s no coincidence, Aurey If only these things were in color...” He reached out and traced the carved lines, forgetting what Blame had said about not touching anything.
A rumble ran through his mind, followed by a flash of bronze and blue as the past hit him like a speeding minecart.
The magic of the place was powerful.
Images of Iilthrid- black hair, blue eyes ringed with purple around the pupils, black bat wings, dark red horns- flashed through his mind, of his battle with Vallor’roth, of the creation of Ao’barra, the battle with Neltharaku, being shot with the corruption but thinking nothing of it at the time, helping along the natural disasters that occurred, urging on volcanos, laughing at the devastation…as soon as the images entered Vechs’s mind, they were gone, leaving very little for him to remember them by.
He was snapped out of it when Blame yanked him away from the wall.
“I told you not to touch anything.” the Skullblade snarled. “You’re lucky to be alive, Vechs!” He shook his friend violently. “That could have overwhelmed your mind and blasted you to pieces!”
Vechs was shaking, feeling a little mentally burned. He couldn’t remember any of what he had seen except for that first flash of Iilthrid.
“He looks like me.” he whispered quietly before passing out.
no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 02:00 am (UTC)G.C. (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 02:40 am (UTC)DRAGONGIRL'S CURSE HAS SPREAD
SOON WE SHALL ALL BE INFECTED
MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA
no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 07:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 07:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 11:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 08:13 am (UTC)(vechs, you really need to stop passing out)
and whyyyyyy does he look like Iilthrid. whyyy
no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 11:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 12:02 pm (UTC)Why the cliffhanger?!
Also, gotta love all the lore :D
no subject
Date: Tuesday, April 21st, 2015 01:43 pm (UTC)I had SO MUCH FUN with this 2600 word chapter :P
no subject
Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 02:57 am (UTC)And yeah, cliffhanger could be worse. (Don't make it worse. Please?)
no subject
Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 03:22 am (UTC)No. Nevermind. Hawk got mad at me when I mentioned it to her.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 03:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015 04:29 pm (UTC)Someone is crying before the chapter is even 250 words in)