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A Light Forgotten 15: Eirwen

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A Light Forgotten:

Chapter 15: Secrets and Stratagems.


Fairest Sybella, I often wonder why our love was fated not to flourish. For all the success life has gifted me, I can't help but dwell on the failings I've seen. I can't help but dwell on you. I can't help but wonder where I'd be had fate twisted me down a different path? Would I still have these reddened hands? Would I still know all that I do now?

I am not a kind man. I lack something very fundamental to most humans. For that, I doubt I would have been true to you. For that, I excel at the profession I was chosen for. For that, I have bested men who are known to be legends while my own name remains illusive. I am an assassin and I could probably rightly be called a monster.

My life is in a strange place at the moment. Random occurrence and coincidence have let me learn the true nature of God. I am in the most peculiar position. I, a humble pawn of my king, now understand things that perhaps shouldn't be known at all. I, a man who has lived his life knowing everything he needed to, now find myself completely at a loss as to what to do.

All the while I find myself at sea with pirates, the ship provided to me having been wrecked and my crew drowned. I am set to meet with a demon with a vendetta against man over delicate matters for my king. Meanwhile, back at home a talented favorite protege of mine has run afoul of my king. With everything around me turned on its head, my mind seems to go to you more often then before. I'm not entirely sure why, but maybe it's a sign. Having seen what I have, nothing would surprise me any more.


Hewett Proctor put down the ancient book, having read it from end to end. He stared blankly ahead. He was not an easy man to faze. He was a trained assassin. He was the best there was. He had killed more people with his hands than most people even knew. He'd certainly killed more than he'd claim to know.

Yet reading what he just had, he couldn't help but be stunned. He didn't know what to say. It all made sense. It was all so clear to him he was at once baffled at how no one had ever seen it before. At the same time, he pondered if he shouldn't burn that book and conceal that knowledge forever. Knowledge could be dangerous. This knowledge, this power, it was more than he wanted in his hands.

The assassin's thoughts couldn't be further from the mission he had been assigned. Arcelius Dargan had sent him to meet with the demon necromancer Casmire to recover some relics from his private collection which were thought to be needed for young Miss Medora's Project Revivify. To his king, this was vital. To Proctor, it hardly seemed to matter in that moment. It just seemed so small.

There wasn't much that would have shaken Proctor at that moment. No, he was lost in his spinning thoughts, unsure what he should do. When a massive cannon ball pounded loudly through the wall of his cabin, that proved enough to get him to stir. If barely. He stared at the damage blankly for a moment, not understanding it. When the sounds of more cannons firing nearby sounded, he became a little more alert.

He rushed out of the cabin quickly, stowing the book in a coat pocket, racing up onto the deck of the White Phoenix. The deck had become a battlefield. Pirates were engaged in sword play with one another all around as the thunder of cannons filled the air. Hewett looked toward the other ship which flew a crimson pirate flag. It hardly seemed real to him, but the White Phoenix was under siege.

"Mister Ethelwin!" a voice started, a voice called. It was the aged quartermaster, Orvelle, rushing toward him, armed with a rifle type relic. "You should stay below deck where its safer!"

The old man aimed and shot a two enemy pirates in quick succession before Hewett could reply. "Who are these men?" he asked, still standing at the doorway.

"Bloody Serpents. The worst sort of dog, but nothing the Temepest crew can't handle!" Orvelle replied as she took more shots.

"Is that so, old man?" a voice questioned. Hewett turned slightly to see an imposing, muscular bald man with a scar across his face equipped with at least five weapons visible on his person.

"Tandy, you scurvy dog!" Orvelle growled, raising his gun at the man. "You really think to make an enemy of the Temepests!"

Hewett remembered the name Tandy from the stories the young captain had told. He was surely out for revenge.

"You're pretty little captain ain't here to save your skin, old man," Tandy started with a deep laugh. "Without her, you Tempest fools are nothing!"

"Do you really want to test me on that?" asked Orvelle with a scowl, cocking his gun and firing it without warning.

A harpoon like weapon collided with the rifle just as it was to fire averting the course of its fire. The weapon was then whipped back into place at the tip of some bizarre modified relic. It was part of a pair, both of which were being held by a man with the dark skin of the Western Continent. Tandy appeared to Hewett much like a beast; raw power, reckless strength, all force. This man however, from how he carried himself, was clearly a true warrior.

"That wasn't necessary Zaki," Tandy bluffed. "This washed up old codger ain't goin' to seriously get the drop on me."

The warrior said nothing, and instead left immediately to rejoin the fray. After a few moments of watching the man kill, he had Hewett's respect. The Tempests were well trained, but he was making quick work of a lot of them. in battle prowess, this man was about on the same level as the Captain, though there was no indication that he possessed the mark.

"You see that, Orvelle! Zaki alone could rip this entire miserable crew apart without your Captain!" Tandy bragged. "Face it! The White Phoenix is mine!"

"I won't let you have it!" the old man shouted as he drew a dagger and rushed the captain. Tandy pulled a handgun and with a single bullet, pierced the aged sailor between the eyes. He let out a roar of laughter as the corpse hit the deck.

Hewett was a little amiss as to how to react. The Tempests were good, but the bear like captain with his voracity and the one called Zaki with his effortless skill tipped the scale in the Bloody Serpents favor. As powerful as he was, direct confrontation really wasn't his style. He wasn't entirely sure he could match Zaki in footwork either. He wasn't as young as he used to be. To make it even worse, the fierce captain was looking at him now.

"What're you looking at fancy boy?" the pirate asked mockingly. "Aren't you going to get in on the fight? Or is you too chicken?"

"I..." Hewett started, forcing his voice to become higher. "I'm not with them. I'm a Maytland man of business who found passage with them after my navy vessel shipwrecked. I'm abundantly wealthy. If you see me back to shore I will ensure you are rewarded with considerable riches!"

"Is that right?" Tandy laughed. "Well you sure as shit don't look or smell like no pirate." He laughed some more and then grabbed a man from his crew even bigger than he by the collar, pulling him out from the fight. "You there! Escort this man back to Red Victoria and throw him in the brig!"

"Aye, sir!" the huge, gorilla like pirate replied in a dim voice before grabbing Hewett by the waist and effortlessly lifting him from the ground.

As Tandy went to fight the massive man's opponents, Hewett was forcibly taken away. This would make things easy. He'd lie low in Tandy's prison for a bit, until this fight died down. Then he'd make his escape to the island to meet with Casmire while the pirates weren't looking. Pulling the wool over the eyes of some dim pirates hardly seemed like it would be much trouble.

The large man returned with Hewett to Tandy's ship by way of some ropes. His strength was impressive, but this was a simple, uncoordinated man. Nevertheless he took the assassin from one ship to the other likely more quickly than he could have managed the feat on his own. He then escorted Hewett below the Red Victoria's deck to a holding cell. Something about the cell surprised Hewett though. It wasn't empty.

No, there was a man in it dressed in the robes of a priest. With him was a woman with fiery red hair. Seeing them, especially the priest, had Hewett wondering if he shouldn't rethink his strategy. Smiling he made the one the fly decision to do things a little different.

"Darkness, I and you are one and you are one with all. With you and with me and with my enemy sear a bond in time between up that rends everything within to useless matter," Hewett said in whispers.

"Whatcha think ya mutterin' ya-" the giant pirate started to speak.

Hewett adjusted his glasses and then very suddenly cocked his head to the side, looking the giant man cleanly in the eyes. "Obliterate," was all he said.

Black fluid immediately began to gush from the massive man's nose, ears, mouth and eyes. He then fell dead to the ground. Hewett brushed off his shoulders as he moved toward the holding cell.

"What in the-?" the woman in the cells shouted in shock. "What did you just do? Who are you?"

"Never mind the details," Hewett said. "I'm here to free you." He put his hands on the prison bars and uttered another spell name. "Decay." The solid metal bars turned to some sort of black fluid and fell apart.

"What sort of terrible sorcery is that?" the priest questioned in awe.

"It's essentially the same spell. Or same principle at least," said Hewett. "The first I control by looking at things and works best on organic materials, in this case that lout's internal organs, while the second is by touch and works best on the inorganic."

"I've never seen magic that can do that," said the woman, still in shock.

"Then you've been stuck on the mundane," said Hewett, shaking his head. "But it's no matter. Let's depart."

"We appreciate the effort to free us, sir," said the priest. "But this... we do require some answers."

"I was going to wait out the fight before taking my time to escape, but seeing the two of you, it seemed this was a more fun solution," he said. "I don't like the captain of this ship very much, you see."

"I'm there with you on that," said the woman with a small laugh.

"The captain of the ship that this crew is attacking is much preferable and I happen to owe her a bit of a debt," Hewett said. "I think it would be fun for us to find her and get her to come back to her ship."

"I don't see the point. How does one pirate compare to another? Aren't they all the same?" the woman said with a short growl.

"We know that's not true, Leandra," said the priest. "I think we should listen..."

"Excellent. Your services in particular will be needed, as currently the other captain is in a den of the undead," Hewett said like it was nothing.

"Undead?" the woman and the priest started in near unison.

"Yes," said Hewett. He looked at the woman. "Now, you. Are you skilled?"

"I am a captain of the Maytland Magic Knights!" the woman shouted, clearly frustrated. Hewett was shocked at this bit of knowledge. His luck was quite great.

"Even better," he said. "Then it should be very easy." He lifted the large man's sword and handed it to the woman. "Come. Use that, but do try and avoid unnecessary fights with the pirates as we make our escape. We'll need to save our strength for the ruin."

The woman took the sword reluctantly and stood. "I don't think I like you very much," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm to fight undead...?" the priest muttered weakly. His face revealed youth and lack of conviction. He was a novice.

Hewett smiled. "Yes. But don't worry. Your light rips through their decayed flesh without effort. There's really no simpler thing for one of your trade."

"Who exactly are you?" the lady knight demanded furiously. "I won't fight with you until I know!"

"If I said I was a simple man of business from Maytland, would you believe me?" he asked with a smug laugh.

"Of course not!" the woman replied at once.

"Alright then," said the man, readjusting his glasses. "I am Hewett Proctor, leader of the Corliss Assassination Squad."

The Maytland knight's jaw dropped. As it well should, Hewett supposed. She didn't seem fit to reply for a long moment.

"And why should we follow you then?" asked the priest, finally finding a firm voice.

"Because the alternative is waiting here in this cell with this corpse and those broken bars for your pirate captors to return," Hewett replied with a smirk.

"You fiend!" the woman called Leandra replied. "I should run you through right here!"

"Would that be wise?" Hewett asked. "You see, this far at sea, the politics between our kingdoms don't matter. It's us and its the pirates."

"He has a point," said the priest after a moment of thought.. "Alright. If it means freedom, I'll follow you for now."

"Excellent," said Hewett. "And you?" He looked to the woman.

"I will kill you," she said with a proud growl. "But I will wait until it would be opportune. For now, I'll do as you say."

"Then it's settled," said the assassin as he prepared to make the escape. "Let us get started then..."

------------------

Brendell Trine felt hopelessly uneasy. Scarlett had been killed almost immediately. Shortly after that, they had been swarmed by an entire army of undead, and in the ensuing chase, the group had been split apart, separated by a massive section of ceiling collapsing. Most of the Tempest crew had remained together. Only the crew priest, Trent Redmond had ended up in the other group.

Having Captain Temepest there was somewhat reassuring, though Brendell would be lying to say she wasn't freaked out by the undead creeps they had encountered. The fact that they could be lurking in any dark corner terrified even a tough, confident woman like her. She truly hoped they'd regroup with the others soon.

"I hope they're safe," Enoka started, as the group continued through the dimly lit, all too quiet surroundings, looking for any sign of their friends, undead threats or the treasure they had come for.

"I'm sure they are," said Brendell, forcing a smile. "It's Eirwen and Trent we're talking about. They can't just be written off for nothing. And they got the little girl and those mercenaries with them too."

She glanced over at the captain. As strong and respectable as Rhodanthe was, it was clearly eating at her. Only moments after having lost a friend, she had been separated from not only the one she loved but also her closest friend. There was no true way of knowing if any of them were safe.

"Let's not worry about them when we don't even know if we'll survive this," said Wally. "Let's not forget that they have Trent. We don't. We really have to stay on out toes if we want to get out of this place with our heads."

"You're right, Wally," Rhodanthe spoke, more spirited then she had been. "Worrying about Eirwen and the others will get us nowhere. We just gotta press ahead and find that treasure."

"Sounds like a plan to me, Captain!" Brendell started with a smile, glad to see her Captain recovering, if only a little. If the Captain had her confidence, Brendell could find hers.

"Well, with that settled," Wally spoke with a calm laugh. "Where exactly is this treasure supposed to be?"

"Harkan's gold is hidden away in a hidden chamber near the top," Enoka diligently replied.

"Well that's a convenience I'd say," said Wally, nodding. "If the objectiver is to go up, our paths are bound to cross with the others before long."

"Yeah! That's right," Brendell started with a nod. She felt at once more at ease. This didn't last long however. A horrible shriek sounded nearby. She turned around slowly to find herself staring at the most terrible of undead she had seen yet.

It wasn't even clear if this one had ever been human. it was the size of several men. It was a giant composed of grayed, decayed flesh, it shrieked and wailed as it gnashed its rotten teeth. Its eyes were empty and it reeked of blood and decay. On its shoulder was a human shape.

"Who are you?" Rhodanthe demanded, noticing the humanoid atop the giant.

The figure jumped down. It was a beautiful girl- no, an alarmingly effeminate boy. He had porcelain skin and long pointed ears. His eyes were red and his hair was long and black. He was clad from head to toe in heavy black armor lined with bone white spikes. Massive wings emerged from his back.

"Foolish humans, when will you ever learn not to come to this place?" the boy spoke. "Your willingness to throw away your lives is almost depressing."

"I'll ask again! Who are you?" Rhodanthe shouted, drawing her massive blade and pointing it. The boy didn't even blink.

"Explaining anything would be but a tiresome exercise. You'll understand everything before long," the boy said in a bored voice. "Once you're a part of my undead army, we'll be connected."

"You're controlling them?" Enoka shouted. Brendell didn't know what to think. This demon boy was the necromancer?

"I suppose this one has a brain," said the demon. "Though so do the most basic of animals really."

"Lightning! Water! Wind! I call upon you all. I channel through you the strength of the mightiest hurricane! You are the foundation for the ultimate blade with which I shall rend this enemy in two!" Rhodanthe quickly spoke, not needing to hear anymore. "For Scarlet and everyone else we may have lost! Ultimate Cyclone Slasher!"

Rhodanthe leapt high in the air, forcing her sword down in a powerful downward arc at the crest of her leap. A disc of compressed wind and water with lightning coursing through it appeared and sped from the blade toward the demon. Brendell watched as the boy's body was split in two. The severed halves both then reduced to dust.

"Could it really be that easy?" asked Wally, his gun raised as Brendell's was.

"An impressive spell," the same cocky voice started from nearby. Brendell turned around to find where it was coming, only to see the demon boy re-materialize right behind them from a mass of dark energy. "You're stronger than most. But its quite presumptuous to assume I'm really there."

"What?" Brendell shouted. "What do you mean you're not here?"

"I can appear freely anywhere in my domain, you foolish mortals," said the demon with a laugh. "What you see is but an illusion! My real body is at the highest point of this place!"

"Then I'll have to find it!" Rhodanthe started coldly. "We'll see if it slices open as easy as the illusion."

The demon laughed. "You might prove amusing, human woman," he said. "Come to me, if you think you can!"

"Be waiting for us, you bastard!" Brendell shouted, pointing her cannon at the illusion.

"I don't intend to get my hopes up," the boy said. He gave another laugh. "And just so you know, I may not be really here, but my flesh golem here... it is as real as things get."

Brendell looked back toward the howling monstrosity waiting patiently nearby.

"Go ahead and try fighting it," the boy said, shaking his head. "if you're lucky, I'll choose you to become a part of it!"

And with that, the demon boy disappeared. The horrible beast roared fiercely and started to rush them with more speed then something of its size should have had. Brendell fired at it instantly, as did Wally. Shots, whether magically enhanced by the sniper or from Brendell's mini-cannons didn't even begin to deter it.

"Tempest crew retreat!" Rhodanthe shouted suddenly, catching Brendell off guard. "Run as quick as you can! Get away from that thing!"

Brendell wasn't one to ignore her captains orders. She, Wally and Enoka began to run away quickly. Rhodanthe joined them after throwing a powerful spell at the beast.

"Good call, captain," Enoka said with a nod as they all ran for their lives, the beast only barely deterred by the captain's spell. "It's made of compressed dead flesh and has regenerative qualities. Without Trent, nothing any of us throw at that thing is going to take it down."

Rhodanthe didn't reply to the crew mage. Instead, she ran toward a small door at the end of the corridor. "In here! Everyone!" she shouted.

All of them rushed into the chamber. It was a small, dank room with a fairly low ceiling. Near the center of that ceiling there was a small hole. The crew didn't even have to exchange words. As the flesh golem pounded loudly against the door, it's wails making Brendell's every hair stand on end, she fired one of her cannons at the hole, making it large enough for them to slip through. Wally then got beneath it, and using his size and strength, he lifted every member of the crew up to where they could climb up to the next floor. Then, just as the beast was about the burst into the room, Rhodanthe and Brendell reached back down and lifted the heavy sniper up as well. It took quite the strength, but somehow, just barely, they got him up before the golem could grab at him.

"Hurry!" Rhodanthe shouted. "It might still be able to get us!"

The hole was too small for the golem, but it had the strength to make it bigger and climb up after them. The crew dashed madly from it to put some much needed distance between them and the horror. As they were running, they stumbled upon a flight of stairs. Climbing it and running even further away, they caught their breath. The beasts wails could no longer be made out. They were safe for now.

"I hope Eirwen is safe..." the captain muttered. Brendell looked down. She wasn't sure how long any of them could stay safe in this place.

--------------------

Trent Redmond let out heavy breaths as he exorcized a vampire. This was about the hundredth he had had to reduce to ash. At least it felt like that many. There was almost no end to the undead forces that were attacking them. He was beginning to really hate it. The fact that he had been separated from his captain and crew made things even worse for him. With this last one at least, for the moment, it seemed like things were in the clear.

"I wonder how the others are holding up without you around," Eirwen Fenix spoke in an uncharacteristically worried voice. "It must be harrowing."

"Oh, but that woman is strong," said the mercenary, Rufus Lestat with a laugh. "From the short time I've known her I can tell, she's the type who will make a way where there isn't one." He shook his head. "And besides, they have the fortune of having darling Nira with them."

"That's right," said Eirwen, nodding. "With her there, there's no need to worry."

"Is that little girl really so good as her big mouth lets on?" asked Broderick Antoly, the other mercenary with them. The third one, Mace, had fallen to the undead in the preceding battle.

Eirwen looked down. She gave a small awkward laugh.

"Oh, it's not talk with that girl," said Rufus with a playful smile. "She's not even human."

"What did you-?" Eirwen started, shaking her head. "She told you?"

"It was just in jest," said Rufus with a smirk. "Unless there's something you're not telling us, Miss Fenix?"

Trent closed his eyes. Something had been bothering him for a while on the subject of the girl called Nira. The name of the hometown she had given had stuck out to him in the most eerie way. He knew he had read the name Agnethe before. It didn't occur to him where originally, but just before they departed he had double checked a collections of ancient scriptures he had once acquired to expand his knowledge of Divine Word.

Agnethe was the name of a village in Rannick, the kingdom that had existed long ago in what was now western Corliss, said to have been ruled by the Demon Queen Delyne. It survived and flourished, as all of Rannick did, until the advent of the Great Holy War, during which almost all of the kingdom was reduced to nothing by the forces of Archerd lead by the god angel Athanasius.

"The child is a demon, isn't she?" Trent asked, finally fully understanding it all.

"What? You mean like a real bloody demon?" Broderick started, shocked by this idea.

"Is that true?" Rufus started. "I mean, I knew Nira wasn't normal... but a demon?" He gave a shrug. "What are you going on there?"

"Her hometown, Agnethe is mentioned in ancient holy documents," Trent said quietly. "It hasn't existed for 1400 years."

"What?" Rufus started. "Come on. Little Nira can't be that old."

"Even I'm surprised by this," said Eirwen, her eyes wide. "I thought even demons started to age before long."

"As a mage, you'd know the most about them," Trent said, shaking his head. "I certainly don't claim to understand."

"So you confirm this then, Eirwen?" Rufus asked with a smirk.

The adventurer reluctantly nodded. "I found her at the very bottom of Blagden's Hell, which was the domain she controlled," she said. "Her strength was like nothing I had seen before. She could have killed me easily. For some reason, she decided I amused her and decided to follow me out of that place."

"This is ridiculous!" Broderick shouted. "All this time, we've had some incredible monster tagging along with us, laughing as she toyed with us and watched us squirm? That pisses me off!"

"I think it's fun," said Rufus with a laugh. "I like Nira a lot. I can't believe she's evil."

"Demons are by nature evil according to the scriptures," said Trent in a low voice.

"What do you think, Trent?" asked Eirwen, looking him in the eye.

The pirate priest sighed. "I'm no official priest. I'm just a pirate who learned how to read the Word on his own. For me, camaraderie is more important than some words on a page written millennia ago." He gave a nod. "And Nira has been a fine comrade so long as I've known her."

"I don't like it," said Broderick. "Far as I can see it, ain't no difference between a demon and these beasts that's been trying to kill us."

"Well, it's abundantly clear team spirit is strong with you, good sir," Rufus said with sarcasm laid on thick. "You are the one who let the vampires take Mace, just to save yourself after all."

"Ain't nobody here who wouldn't have done the same," said the mercenary with a snort.

"I'm not so sure. I don't think I see any other cowards here," Rufus said, looking around playfully. Broderick looked ready to pound his fist into the man.

"Stop it guys," Trent started, shaking his head. "I think we have enough shit down here to worry about without picking fights with each other."

Eirwen gave a nod. "Trent's right. We shouldn't waste our time with this. We should try to regroup with Rhodanthe and Nira as quickly as possible." She gave a long sigh. "And Broderick's right about something too."

"He is?" Rufus started, acting more surprised than necessary. "That might be a first..."

"It is a demon attacking us," she said in a heavy voice. "Nira isn't the only one in this place. She told me she sensed another."

"So the necromancer raising these dead...?" Trent started, feeling just a little sick.

"Exactly," Eirwen started. "Which is why we must be especially careful."

"Then let's get moving already," said Broderick with a small growl. "Ain't we supposed to move toward the top of this thing?"

"Yeah," said Trent with a nod. "That's what the captain said at least."

"Shall we then?" Rufus stepped ahead with a smirk. Eirwen nodded and followed. Trent and the other mercenary joined them.

As he walk Trent shook his head. The things he had to put up with. For anyone less of Rhodanthe Tempest, he would never even think of bothering.
Chapter 15 of my dark fantasy epic, A Light Forgotten. Eirwen Fenix's Tale.

Rhodanthe and Eirwen are separated in the ruins with undead horrors. Can they survive long enough to find the pirate's treasure they seek? Will they even have a ship to return to if they do?
© 2012 - 2024 PhilTheTimeWizard
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Sghytm90's avatar
It was an exciting segment. Fun all around. However, I don't understand this: "Smiling he made the one the fly decision to do things a little different." That was a really weird sentence.