Love's Eternity
From Spiritwood Wiki
Love's Eternity
The mournful howl of a lone wolf caused an involuntary shiver to course down the woman’s back. Turning her head, she glanced in the direction of the seemingly starving predator and unconsciously touched the hilt of her sword. Night’s like this always made her nervous. Turning her attention back to the trail she rode towards the city of Trinsic, Alyssia Kanath sighed. “It’s too quiet tonight Thundermane.” She spoke softly to the dark stallion she rode. Despite any nervousness she may have, the war-horse walked steadily and with little concern. The Thunderlord found herself lucky to have such a well-trained steed.
Then without warning, the woman’s sensitive ears picked up an odd noise. She couldn’t distinguish it at first, the low hanging mist and odd direction of the wind causing the sound to fade almost the instant it reached her. Halting her horse, she sat perfectly still…once again resting her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“Help me! Oh for the sake of all that’s holy! Help me!”
That was all she needed to hear. Grabbing the stallion’s reigns, she jerked them quickly in the direction of the desperate plea. Thundermane sped off at full gallop through the dark Forrest…
The pleading person was closer than she had originally thought. It wasn’t long before Alyssia broke through the brush into a small clearing. Silver moonlight bathed the clearing in enough light for the Thunderlord to see a man, terrified and cowering against a tree. Behind the tree was an equally terrified pack horse, too scared to even run for it’s life. The man whimpered and clutched at something around his neck, seemingly begging for his miserable life.
Then she noticed, standing in the center of the clearing stood a man. He was a large man, dressed in old and tarnished plate armor. A tattered purple cloak hung lifelessly from his broad shoulders and matted hair fell from beneath his helm.
“You there!” Alyssia called out, drawing Havoc from its sheath, the blade making a loud scraping noise as it released itself. “What’s this about?”
“Oh gods! Help me! It’s going to kill me!” The man whined pathetically, seeming to curl up even more…as if he could melt into the gnarled tree behind him.
It was then that the knight turned to face Alyssia.
Thundermane’s eyes rolled back in his head, the stallion rearing on its hind legs and releasing a whinny of fear at the sight. “Passions alive!” Alyssia Gasped. She called out commands to her horse to calm him…all the while staring at the visage before her…
This knight…was no longer alive. And hadn’t been for some time. The parchment colored skin was stretched tight around it’s skull, cracking and flaking off in many areas. Yellowed teeth protruded from the jaw, as his lips had long ago rotted away. Stringy hair fell over his shoulders from under the plate help atop his head. The only method of seeing the creature had…were two pinpoints of red light floating within it’s blackened eye sockets.
With an unearthly cry the undead monster unsheathed the two handed sword that was hanging from it’s hip and advanced once again on the now screaming man, ignoring the astonished Thunderlord.
“Help! Help! Get back! You can’t have it! It’s mine!” The man screamed.
“Oh no you don’t!” Alyssia cried, leaping from her horse and advancing upon the skeletal knight. In a full run she placed herself between the two, Havoc’s Silver blade crackling with energy. “Leave this man creature!” She called out to it, sounding much more confident than she felt. “Go back to your rest!”
Once again the knight gave a howl of rage and raised the huge two-handed sword he wielded. He swung it directly at her head.
“Oh hell…” She muttered and dived to the left, rolling to safety. Alyssia crouched, preparing for another onslaught from the undead monster. Curiously however, once she was out of the way, it once again began advancing upon the terrified man. “Hey! You!” Alyssia stood, narrowing her eyes. “I’m the one you have to be worried about!” She leapt at the knight, Havoc flickering wildly in the moonlight. With inhuman speed the undead creature brought it’s sword up and parried, the sheer force behind his blow once again knocking the woman to the ground. “You know…I’m getting REALLY tired of that…” She growled and stood again, brushing herself off.
Once again the knight advanced on the man.
Again Alyssia flew to the attack, this time using her body as a battering ram. She leapt full force at the knight’s back, causing the creature to stumble forward. Rolling off she brought Havoc to bear and began a series of swings, all expertly blocked and countered by the now enraged undead. Alyssia dived as the massive blade once again swung at her head. She knew that she wasn’t strong enough to parry any attacks made by the creature, especially with it using such a massive sword. So she focused on just avoiding the attacks all together. Around and around they went, trading blows and Alyssia sputtering insults at the beast in hopes of furthering it’s rage. Perhaps if angry enough it would falter and give her the opening she needed.
“Take that you monster!” The man cried out to the creature. “She’ll destroy you!” He taunted, still clutching at the trinket around his neck protectively.
The knight swiveled it’s head to bellow at the cowering man, once again it began moving in his direction.
“No! It’s mine!” He cried, once again terrified.
Alyssia hesitated. “What does it want from you!?” She called over to the man desperately. She knew that the fight between her and the creature could last all night. And they were evenly matched. Alyssia’s stamina would last only so long, but the knight never needed rest… If she could find out what it wanted from this man, perhaps that would let her in on a weakness that could be exploited.
“I..I don’t know!” He cried, whimpering as the knight approached. “Just kill it!”
Alyssia looked at the man, instantly knowing his answer to be a lie. “Damnit man! Just tell me what it wants!”
He hesitated. “It wants something of mine!” And then with the monster only a few feet away he cried out. “The locket! He wants the locket!”
At the mention of the item of its desire, the knight let a mournful howl. Such grief was radiated in that cry that Alyssia faltered, her heart constricting tightly. “What locket?”
“This one!” The man produced a large golden locket from beneath his shirt. It’s gem-encrusted face sparkling in the moonlight. Upon seeing the piece of jewelry the monster gave another anguished cry.
Once again Alyssia jumped between them, this time holding up her hand to the knight. She sheathed Havoc and showed the creature her empty hands. Watching her warily, it lowered the massive sword ever so slowly…
She turned towards the man. “Let me see that…”
“What are you doing!? Destroy the monster!? It’s going to kill me!!!”
“I said…” Alyssia growled at the man. “Let…me…see that!” The Thunderlord snatched the locked from around the sputtering man’s neck and examined it, all the while keeping one eye trained on the knight. It was a spectacular specimen of craftsmanship, which was for sure. A master jeweler could only have set the delicate golden filigree and encrusted rubies. Slowly and carefully, Alyssia opened the locket to reveal a miniature painting. Sitting in a plush chair and dressed in a fine gown was a woman. Her raven hair falling over her shoulders like a waterfall. Sapphire eyes that seemed to sparkle with life stared out at her with a fond look. The most gentle of smiles was on her full lips. All in all the woman was almost ethereal in her beauty.
The sudden realization of the situation struck Alyssia like a blow to the head. The Thunderlord snarled angrily and turned on the whimpering man. “You!” She bent down and grabbed the terrified man by his dirty shirt. Pulling the man to her face she growled at him in a deadly tone. “There’s only one thing I hate more than petty thieves…” She punctuated her statement with a forceful shake. “And that’s grave robbers…”
“B..but the monster!” He pointed to the pefectly still knight.
“The only MONSTER I see here…” She hissed. “Is you!”With that she delivered a stunning backhand to the man’s head, knocking him unconscious. Alyssia let him slip to the ground silently where she proceeded to spit on his prone form.
She turned to face the Knight.
He was still watching her warily, his pinpoint eyes glowing fiercely. Alyssia slowly walked up to him, holding the locket in her hands. When she was only a foot away she whispered gently. “She was your love…wasn’t she…”
The knight gave a grief stricken moan and reached his hand out slowly. Fighting back a tear of compassion for the suffering knight, she gently slipped the locket into his guantleted hand. “Return to your rest now knight…” She whispered. “I will take care of the thief…”
He raised his head to look at the woman, gratitude showing in his red eyes. Briefly he rose his fingers to brush at her cheek gently in thanks, the unnaturally cold steel of his gauntlets causing her to shiver. Then the knight turned and began walking unsteadily back into the night, towards the knight’s burial yard deep in the forest.
As he walked away the truth flashed in Alyssia’s mind… For even as life is short…love…is the very definition of eternity…
When he was finally gone Alyssia turned to the unconscious thief and wrinkled her nose. Procuring some rope from her saddlebags she tied the man’s hands and feet together and slung him over his packhorse. Then, she pinned a note to his back.
Dearest Rutger Dag
I found this scoundrel in the forest not far from your fair city. He is a thief and a grave robber. In fact I caught him stealing from the crypt of one of your deceased Paladins. I know you will deal with him quickly. If you have any questions you know where to contact me.
And warmest regards to both you and the lady Reverie.
Alyssia Kanath
P.S. for the hundredth time…I won’t become a Paladin of Trinsic!
With a slap to the horse’s hindquarters, she sent it off into a gallop towards Trinsic City.
“Come along Thundermane” She said to him as she mounted his broad back. “I have a certain person to cherish this night, and I wish to get home to do so quickly…”
With that Alyssia jerked his reigns towards her home, the thought of the forlorn knight forever imprinted in her memory.
--Alyssia Kanath 15:45, 21 Aug 2005 (EDT)
