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battlemaster25 -> RE: =AQ= Clash in the West War Stories (6/5/2014 19:58:53)
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The Tale of Nie
Prologue: The End.... At the Beginning?
Scene: Battlefield of the war, late at night. Bodies of demons and 'Emoran knights are strewn about.
The scene was like something out of a nightmare. Corpses were absolutely everywhere, in various states of dismemberment. Crackling fires were strewn about along with discarded weaponry. In several places, the ground was so bloody that the dirt had turned to mud. Knights from both sides had been pinned to trees by arrows and impaled brutally on pikes. Not even the healers had been spared, as the dead moglins would show. Both sides, it seemed, had engaged in terrible slaughter. It was almost eerily quiet, with even the fires seeming subdued. In the distance, next to a withered old tree, a faint, raspy breathing could be heard. Closer examination would reveal a still-living 'Emoran knight laying on the ground.
Her icy-blue hair was cut short and speckled red with blood. Her face was cut and bruised in several places, and her skin was unnaturally pale, no doubt from blood-loss. Her eyes were a deep purple color, though they were tightly shut. Her armor was terribly worn, covered in chips and scratches. In several places, the armor plating had actually been torn off entirely. The most striking feature at the moment, however, was at her stomach. What seemed to be her own sword, that of an 'Emoran knight, had been stabbed clean through her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and tried to remember who and where she was.
Nie. Her name was Nie, she knew that much. She struggled to remember the events that had led her here. She was in so much pain, it was a miracle that she could even form words. With a struggle and a fair amount of agony, she managed to turn her head. Next to her, mere feet away, was the body of a Demon Knight.... or more accurately a human in Stormfallen armor. Nie caught a glance at the dead knight's face, and gasped as a memory suddenly returned to her.
Flashback Scene: Beside the withered tree, some time before. Nie and the Stormfallen knight are facing each other.
The knight in Stormfallen armor was a young woman, around Nie's age. She had long white hair, dark skin, and piercing yellow eyes. The angry glares that both knights sported made it clear that they had met before.... and really didn't get along. After a moment of silence, Nie spoke.
"It's over, Maela. Your troops have been wiped out. Surrender now, and I will make sure you're treated well."
"Ha! Surrender to you!? Look around, your knights are in no better shape than mine! Besides, you think I don't know what Granemor does with their enemies?"
Nie sighed, but it was clear that this was the answer that she had expected. She drew her sword, but still made one last, token attempt at peace.
"Sir Arctus isn't pressing charges for attacking him, you know. You'd still be imprisoned for treason, but it's better than execution."
"Enough! You never learned when to stay silent, did you? We fight to the death, that's how it is."
Without another word, Maela suddenly swung her enormous mace around at Nie's head. Nie hefted her huge metal shield and blocked the attack with ease. Maela saw that Nie was occupied with blocking the mace. Taking the opportunity, she swung her own shield about, sending it smashing into Nie's shoulder. Nie reeled backwards in pain and nearly lost her balance completely. She still had some tricks up her sleeve, however, and suddenly swiped her sword at the air. A wave of powerful darkness magic channeled through the blade and struck Maela straight in the arm, the force of the blow causing her to drop her shield.
The two knights continued their struggle for some time, what seemed like an eternity. They traded hits with relative frequency, but it seemed that neither of them was willing to die. Finally, after more than an hour of dueling, things finally began to progress again. Nie whirled her leg around and kicked Maela sharply in the head. Her ears ringing, Maela stumbled around for a moment. Without wasting any time, Nie swung her sword upwards and knocked the mace out of Maela's hand. Maela screamed in rage and leaped at Nie, tackling her to the ground. She managed to wrestle the sword out of Nie's hand, and drew the sword upwards. As if in slow motion, she brought the sword down into Nie's stomach, viciously impaling the 'Emoran knight. As Maela stood up to collect herself, however, there was a terrible cracking noise, and she collapsed to the ground next to Nie. In Nie's hand was Maela's fallen mace, freshly removed from its owner's skull.
Her entire body wracked with pain, Nie pulled desperately at the blade in her stomach for a moment, trying to remove it. Gradually, however, she faded into unconsciousness.
End Flashback
Yes, that was how it had happened. She remembered every detail of the fight with astonishing clarity. In fact, she wondered how long she had been unconscious for. Shouldn't she have been dead by now? And what had happened before, to lead to the battle? Who was this "Sir Arctus" that she had mentioned? She strained her mind, trying to remember back to how it had all began.....
End of Prologue.
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Chapter I: One Knight, Two Knight
Flashback Scene: Granemor, immediately after the war had begun. General Herous is rallying the troops.
It seemed like every 'Emoran knight on Lore had gathered outside their city's gates, prepping for war. The distinctive clanking of metal filled the air, as knights donned their armor and passed around weaponry. The Koofu chittered anxiously in their pens, no doubt knowing that they would soon see battle. Interestingly, this sentiment seemed to be shared by many of the knights as well, who were chatting aimlessly amongst themselves. It was in this group that Nie herself stood, although one might not immediately recognize her. Her armor was freshly-polished, and there was not a scratch to be seen on her face. She was nervous, she'd never experienced all-out war before, just small skirmishes. A hand reached out and tapped her on the shoulder, and a voice spoke.
"Well, if it isn't 'Sir' Nie. I'm surprised you had the guts to show up."
Nie turned to face the newcomer and scowled in displeasure. It was none other than Maela, dressed in the standard 'Emoran knight armor. When Nie replied, her tone was irritated beyond belief.
"Do you want something from me, Maela? I'm in no mood for your nonsense."
"Ooh, the little knight is feeling grumpy today. I'll leave you to your business, try not to run away while I'm gone."
Nie growled loudly in anger. Maela laughed nastily, clearly enjoying the effects her taunts were having. Nie was about two seconds from punching Maela's lights out when a loud sound rang out. Any reasonably-trained knight would recognize it as the sound of a hunting horn, announcing the arrival of a band of knights. Nie looked over to where the horn had originated from, and saw an enormous army of armored figures approaching. The dark, brown-ish color of their armaments made their identity quite clear: Pria Knights of Rennd.
The leader of the group of Pria knights approached the assembled 'Emorans, and another figure emerged to greet him. It was General Herous himself, looking rather grim. The leader of the Pria knights removed his helmet, and General Herous spoke.
"Soldiers!"
His deep, booming voice echoed across the entire area. Instantly, all of the 'Emoran knights went silent and turned to face the General.
"For those who do not know him, I would like to introduce Sir Tathlin of Rennd. A fine warrior, if I say so myself."
"You flatter me, General, but I'm afraid that now is no time for pleasantries."
"Hmph. Indeed not. War has come to our parts again."
At this, Tathlin signaled to his knights, and they formed ranks right next to the 'Emorans. General Herous spoke again, now addressing the entire crowd.
"Last night, a battle took place at a village in western lands. It was a terrible slaughter, none survived."
"Our evidence suggests that it was the demon forces of Stormfallen who instigated the attack. This is a clear violation of the ceasefire between our realms."
"To make matters worse, our former ally Cerin has sided with the Demon Queen in this matter."
"In short, the war with the demons has returned full-force. My troops will be marching west within six hours. General, can I count on your men as well?"
"Indeed you can, Sir Tathlin. I intend to see this out to its bitter end."
Tathlin seemed to be pleased with the General's response. However, something about Herous's attitude struck him as a bit strange. He brushed off his concerns and returned to the matter at hand. He began barking orders at his troops, forming them into various divisions and organizing specific formations. General Herous started to do something similar with the 'Emoran knights. However, he suddenly seemed to realize something and spoke up again, so that the entire army could hear him.
"One more thing, soldiers! In addition to our attacking forces, we will need volunteers for a more dangerous operation. We need to know about the movements of the demon armies. To this end, a small scouting force is to be sent deep behind enemy lines. I recommend only the bravest of you to volunteer. I won't lie, you likely won't return. If you have the heart for it, say 'I' now."
A few voices rang out, volunteering to join the scouting mission. General Herous looked slightly disappointed, as if he were expecting more. A couple more knights volunteered. To Nie's surprise, another voice called out next to her.
"I!"
It was Maela, who grinned smugly at Nie as she did so. It was clear that she thought that Nie was too cowardly to ever do something so dangerous. Perhaps she might have been right. Nie looked down at the ground, pondering something. Would she really let Maela get the better of her? General Herous looked at all of the knights who had volunteered, and cleared his throat.
"Is there anyone else? .....No? Then please join-"
"I!"
Maela's eyes widened. That was the absolute last thing that she had expected. Nie, that spineless weakling, volunteering for such a dangerous task? She looked into Nie's eyes and saw a sense of determination that hadn't been there before. Grudgingly, Maela nodded her head in respect. General Herous, who wasn't used to being interrupted, regained his composure.
"Ha! Excellent. I think that will be enough for a scouting party. As I was saying, please join Sir Arctus at Stormfallen's borders tomorrow morning."
End Flashback
Nie pondered this latest memory in some detail. So this was how she knew Maela, but why didn't they get along? Why did Maela regard her as a coward? She also knew that Sir Arctus was the leader of the suicidal scouting mission, and that he would later get attacked by Maela. Why? And for that matter, how did Nie herself end up leading an attack force against the traitorous Maela? There were more corpses on the battlefield than there had been volunteers. In some ways, this latest memory had raised more questions than it had answered. Nie hoped that she would be able to recall more. She felt her life slipping away every moment.
End of Chapter.
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Chapter II: Fragments
Flashback Scene: Stormfallen Border, early morning. Nie and the rest of the volunteers meet with Sir Arctus.
Arctus did not look like a particularly imposing figure. In fact, he was quite short, being nearly a head shorter than Nie, who wasn't huge herself. However, his small stature made him quite speedy, and he was wickedly clever in combat. He had dark skin, which contrasted with his thick mane of light-gray hair. His eyes were a deep green color, and were constantly narrowed, as if he was analyzing every situation. Nie remembered seeing what looked like a long scar across his neck, but attention was never drawn to it. He spoke up, addressing the group of volunteers. His voice was gravelly and hoarse.
"If you're here, then you already know what we're doing. Our primary goal is to discover how the demons plan to attack. We will split into five groups. If you discover any information of note, send one member of the group as a messenger immediately. That way, if your group is compromised, the info will still make it back. Act as stealthily as possible, but be ready to fight at a moment's notice. It isn't a matter of 'if the demons discover you', but a matter of 'when'. Messengers, it is your duty to make it back to Granemor, no matter how many demons are after you. Anyone else that remains, meet up back here in twelve hours. Any questions?"
"No Sir!"
"Good. Let's get this done."
Within a few minutes, the knights had been split off into groups and headed into Stormfallen territory. Nie, of course, had gotten stuck with Maela. On the bright side, at least Sir Arctus was there to keep them from fighting. As they crept across the land, Nie noticed that Maela was acting rather different from how she normally seemed. Instead of her normal condescending glare, she had an anxious expression, and she was acting rather fidgety. Nie wondered if it was fear, or perhaps something else. Sir Arctus had undoubtedly noticed as well, because he suddenly spoke.
"Sir Maela, is something the matter? You're quaking in your boots."
"It's..... nothing, sir. Just a little stress."
"Hmph. If you say so. I need you to be focused on the present."
For perhaps the first time ever, Nie felt sorry for her rival. Whatever her issue was, it was obviously more major than "a little stress". Nie didn't dwell on the matter for long, however, as they drew ever deeper into demon territory.
End Flashback
This particular memory was fascinating, but didn't really answer any of her questions. Nie was rather frustrated and desperate by this point, she knew that she was down to her last few minutes. The pain had all but subsided, leaving only an odd numb feeling. In the back of her mind, she felt a sort of black void, gnawing away at her consciousness. It was only then that she fully realized the terror of her situation, dying alone and forgotten. Something, however, suddenly distracted her from her misery. A distinctive, repeating pattern of beats. Footsteps in the distance, she was certain of it. She prayed that the newcomers would find her.... and that they were friendly. It would be a moment before they arrived, however, and Nie had suddenly recalled another memory.
Flashback Scene: Stormfallen, mid-afternoon. Things have gone very wrong in Nie's group.
The suddenness of the scene was shocking, after the fairly calm memories before. A large group of demon knights had encircled the party. Nie was held tightly in the grip of two of the demons. Sir Arctus was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely and writhing in pain. Several of the demon knights were murmuring amongst themselves, though Nie could not understand what they were saying. A few of them were laughing coldly. How had they ended up like this?
The answer was Maela. Maela was standing over the wounded Sir Arctus, an enormous mace held in her hands. She stared disdainfully at him for a moment, then turned and approached the captive Nie. Nie realized that Maela hadn't been afraid earlier.... she was waiting for the demons to ambush them! Nie immediately confronted her, her voice shaking with anger.
"When did you betray us, and why?"
Maela responded by kicking Nie hard in the gut. She would've keeled over in pain, if it weren't for the two demons gripping her arms. After a moment, however, Maela deigned to answer the question.
"Three years ago, I learned the truth about Granemor's benefactors. My brother was a knight too, until he fell. They took his corpse and turned it into a monster."
"So you joined the demons. Betrayed your country and sold out your own comrades. You'll get no sympathy from me."
"Don't you dare judge me! You're complicit with that necromantic filth!"
As she said this, Maela moved to strike Nie with her mace. However, she changed her mind, seeming to think that Nie deserved more suffering. She gestured for another demon knight to step forwards. This particular knight was enormous and mean-looking even by Stormfallen standards. His features were cruel and skull-like, and he carried no less than six different swords on his person. Maela addressed the knight.
"Sir Wraith, do me a favor and keep our little knight occupied. I have to report to my superiors."
The demon knight, Sir Wraith, chuckled menacingly and flashed a large grin.
"With pleasure. Hopefully she won't die too quickly on me, that wouldn't be any fun....."
As Maela turned and walked away, the two demons released their grip on Nie's arms, and she fell to the ground. Wraith drew one of his swords, an enormous black blade, and stabbed it into her back. The wound was not deep, but it was immensely painful. Slowly, he removed the blade and repeated the process. It was clear that Wraith was having far too much fun with torture. The next time he went to drop the blade, however, Nie acted. She suddenly caught the sword in her hands and wrenched it from the demon knight's grip, climbing to her feet. Wraith let out a hearty laugh and taunted her.
"Ha! Is the little knight going to duel me? This should be good."
"Not for you."
Nie concentrated for a moment, focusing her inner darkness, just as all 'Emoran Knights are taught. A powerful wave of darkness magic exploded outwards from her body, and she rushed headlong at Sir Wraith. With an inhuman amount of strength, she smashed him to the ground and carried on. As the dazed Wraith tried to gain his bearings, Nie hefted the wounded Sir Arctus over her shoulder and then made a run for it, sprinting faster than she ever had before.
End Flashback
Nie grimaced as she recalled all the details of that particular encounter. It was a shame that she didn't know more about Maela's story, but at least she'd filled in the gaps. The demon knight Sir Wraith was a twisted fellow, she was rather glad to have escaped from him. Her pondering was interrupted, however, by the arrival of the footsteps she had heard before. From the sound of things, they were swarming throughout the battlefield, no doubt searching for signs of life. She tried to look around and catch a glimpse of the newcomers, but most of her body was completely paralyzed now. Again, she felt a wave of darkness threatening to consume her, but she continued to resist with all of her might. She wondered how much blood was left in her body, it couldn't be much. She heard the grass crunching behind her, and a voice called out.
"Sir! We've got a live one! Granemor, by the looks of things."
There was a loud rustling sound as the knight in charge rushed over towards where the soldier had called out. The commanding knight stepped into Nie's view, and her heart sank. Green boots. It sank even lower when the figure kneeled down in front of her, and she caught a good look at his face. Frogzard armor, unnatural chin, there was no mistaking him. Cerin himself was staring at her.
End of Chapter.
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Chapter III: Final Moments
Cerin stared at Nie in silence for a long moment. She wondered what he was thinking about, and what he intended to do. The other Frogzard knights had gathered around the area where Nie was laying. Cerin glanced up at them, his gaze clearly indicating that they should remain silent. After a moment, he addressed Nie.
"You've had a rough time, Knight of Granemor. Are you able to speak?"
"....Yes."
Nie's voice was weak and quiet, hardly more than a whisper. Cerin leaned closer as he continued the conversation.
"Can you tell me what happened here?"
"Fought the demons.... Ambush went wrong.... both sides are dead."
"Do you know if more soldiers are coming?"
"You are.... my enemy. Not telling you.... anything."
Cerin sighed quietly to himself. It was clear that this was the response that he had expected, but it still saddened him. Nie, for her part, was still highly loyal to Granemor, and would not freely give tactical information to her adversaries. Cerin seemed like a kind and reasonable fellow, but she couldn't afford for his knights to have an advantage. Compared to the stern-but-fair General Herous, Nie would probably describe Cerin as "soft", although she wasn't certain whether that was good or bad. Cerin stood up and began ordering around his knights, telling them to inspect the battlefield, and prepare for potential reinforcements from Granemor. As he worked, Nie suddenly had one last flash of memory.
Flashback Scene: Granemor, early evening. Nie has escaped from Stormfallen, and is reporting to General Herous.
".....and then I grabbed Sir Arctus and made a run for it. That's how I got back here."
General Herous frowned and stroked his beard, pondering the tale that he had just heard. He was very disappointed that his scouts had failed to gather any useful information. However, his armies had already gained the upper hand in the war, so no real harm was done. He stared down at the young knight in front of him. She was clearly exhausted by the ordeal, but otherwise seemed to be in reasonable condition. After a long silence, he spoke.
"You have done well, Sir Nie. Many knights would not survive a demon ambush."
"Thank you, sir."
"Sir Arctus should make a full recovery, but for now he is incapacitated. I need someone to fulfill his duties."
"You mean....."
"I hereby promote you to the rank of captain. You will lead our thirteenth squadron into battle."
Suddenly, the two were interrupted as a door burst open and a messenger scurried into the room. He seemed to be quite nervous. General Herous stared at the man in silence for a moment, as if waiting for the messenger to say something. The nervous messenger suddenly noticed the General's gaze and produced a report from his satchel. As soon as General Herous took the parchment, the messenger rushed out of the room.
"Hmph. I should probably call him back. Now, what have we here...."
The General read the report in silence for a moment. His brow narrowed as he read, but then it seemed like he had come up with an idea. He folded the report up and turned to face Nie. She looked at his expression, trying to judge what he was thinking, but found no success. Then, the General began to explain.
"According to this report, a band of demon knights are trying to flank our main fighting force. This sounds like a fitting task for a new commander."
"Yes sir, I'll take care of it."
"Glad to hear it. Gather your squadron and head west from the destroyed village. With luck, you should catch the demons off guard."
"I certainly hope so, sir."
"Oh, and there's one more thing. The traitor Maela is leading the demon group in question. Eliminating her is a top priority. Understood?"
"Yes sir. I won't fail you."
End Flashback
Nie sighed resignedly. General Herous hadn't mentioned anything about reinforcements. No help was coming for her. Hearing the sigh, Cerin returned his attention to Nie and knelt down again. He knew that she likely wouldn't give him any information. However, the knight's spirit fascinated him.
"You seem like a loyal sort, young knight. Do you know the secrets that your General hides?"
"You mean..... Necromancers."
"Granemor perpetuates the war for selfish gain. Why do you serve them?"
"Maybe.... selfish.... but keeps people.... safe."
"Perhaps, but it also puts countless knights in harm's way. There is no justice in that."
"Who are you.... to speak for..... justice?"
This response definitely made Cerin somewhat upset. It was a shame that he couldn't get this young knight to agree with him. He believed that her loyalty to Granemor had blinded her to the truth. At the same time, however, he could not help but respect her conviction. In another life, she would have been quite welcome among the Frogzard Knights. She didn't deserve this fate, he thought to himself. He could have her healed and interrogated for information, he realized. Perhaps that would be the best tactical choice. After a moment, however, he shook his head. Let the knight die with her honor intact.
Nie had been watching Cerin in silence. A variety of expressions had crossed his face, and eventually he shook his head. Unfortunately, however, she was in no condition to ponder the meaning of such things. The empty feeling had returned in full force, and it was clear that her time was finally up. Her vision blurred, and time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Cerin spoke to her again. In her mind, his voice seemed to be distant and only faintly audible.
"It seems we will never see eye to eye. However, you have my respects."
"......"
"Rest now, young knight. I will keep you no longer."
Cerin stood up and turned away, as Nie's breathing slowed. In her mind, everything had gone completely silent, and she could see very little. Gradually, she closed her eyes. A moment later, the entire area seemed to become slightly emptier. The raspy breathing had ceased. Thus ended the tale of the young knight Nie.
The End
The Crowsister
Chronicle One
Scene: Ruined Village, sunset. General Herous is arguing with Tathlin.
The forces of Rennd had discovered Granemor's connection with the necromancers, and they weren't happy. In fact, the alliance between the two kingdoms was breaking apart completely. General Herous and Tathlin were in the midst of a heated discussion, and did not notice that they were being observed.
The figure watching them was a mysterious woman, standing some distance away. She wore long, elegant black robes, along with a purple scarf which trailed at her feet. Her skin was deathly pale, which contrasted with her dark midnight-blue hair. Her hair was incredibly long, hanging down past her waist. Her face was hidden by an eerie white mask, which seemed to be carved out of bone. The mask was shaped roughly like a skull, and had no nose or mouth. The eye slits were narrow, and revealed the unnatural amber-colored eyes of its wearer. Perched on the figure's shoulders were two crows, and several more surrounded her. In her hands, she held a wicked-looking black scythe, adorned with a horned skull. She was standing completely still, and seemed to be listening to every word that the knights said.
".....on the field of battle, it will be as enemies. And I will show no mercy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Tathlin stormed off to rally his army. General Herous stood still for a moment, mulling over the situation. Once Tathlin was out of sight, the mysterious figure approached General Herous. The General didn't notice her for some time, until she was literally right in front of him. He gasped and stepped backwards, brandishing his sword defensively. The masked figure spoke, her voice an emotionless whisper.
"At ease, General, I am not a threat to you."
"Who are you?"
"They call me the Crowsister, though that is not my true name."
"Hmm. I've heard of you. One of Obsidia's acolytes, correct?"
"Indeed. I offer you my services in this war."
"Why have you come to tell me this? Did Obsidia send you?"
"No. My goals are selfish. In truth, I seek to hasten the end of this battle, so that I might find someone that I lost."
"I'll welcome all the help I can get, but if Obsidia objects, you're out. Understood?"
"Be careful, General. Sometimes, the Hero dies at the end. Pray that you are not that hero."
As she finished this cryptic sentence, the necromancer known as Crowsister vanished in a burst of darkness, teleporting herself onto the battlefield and leaving behind a very confused General Herous. The moment she arrived, a Pria Knight lunged at her with his sword. She deflected his blade easily with her scythe, and then let out a low whistle. An enormous, glowing black crow materialized behind her, caught the Pria knight in its mouth, and viciously tossed him away. It was clear how the Crowsister had earned her name. Now, the question remained, who was she searching for, and why?
End Chronicle
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Chronicle Two
Scene: The Crowsister is fighting on the battlefield, and has attracted some unwanted attention.
It definitely seemed as though the enemy armies weren't happy about the necromancer's presence. She was under attack by forces from Rennd, Deren, and Stormfallen practically every few moments. She whirled about, slashing her scythe through foes, as her summoned crow familiar barraged anyone who tried to approach. Every now and then, she would stop and channel dark magic into a corpse, raising it as an undead, and send it off to fight its former allies. The 'Emoran Knights were confused as to who she was, but she seemed to be on their side, so they didn't bother her.
Her peculiar manner of fighting caught the attention of one particular knight nearby, who approached her cautiously. As soon as he got too close, the enormous magical crow turned and swooped down at him. Unlike the other knights, however, he was quite speedy, and sliced the summon in two with his scythe when it charged. The crow dissipated into a cloud of dark magic. The Crowsister was tied to her summon, and could sense when it was banished. She turned to face the newcomer. He was quite strange, not wearing the armor of any of the kingdoms. Instead, he wore the traditional Chronomancer's plate, and held a twisted scythe in his hands. The Crowsister spoke, intrigued.
"My, my. You are an interesting fellow. I am impressed. Who are you?"
"My name is Kor. I serve Queen Tyranna of Stormfallen. What is it to you, necromancer?"
"Mere curiosity. None had yet bested my summon. You have earned the honor of conversation. Shall we continue?"
As she finished her sentence, the Crowsister brandished her scythe, and a beam of dark magic burst out at Kor. He leaped to the side and then charged at the Crowsister. He made a move to slash at her with his scythe, only to find it blocked by her own. She thrust out her free hand, and a blast of darkness hit Kor straight in the chest, knocking him away. The Crowsister seemed to be interested in a good fight, and gave him a time to catch his breath.
"Why, may I ask, is a necromancer here on the battlefield?"
"I am present on my own behalf. I seek someone amidst the chaos."
"Who?"
"A knight of Granemor. One to whom I am connected."
Kor regained his bearings and raised his scythe defensively. The Crowsister charged towards him herself, whirling her scythe about, hoping to knock Kor off guard. Unfortunately, he knew exactly what she was doing. Seeing that her offensive strategy left her side exposed, the slashed with his own scythe. It cut clean through her robes, and left an enormous gash in her side. She clutched at it in pain, and Kor raised his scythe for the kill. Just then, the Crowsister whistled, and Kor would find himself slammed to the ground by enormous talons. The crow familiar had been re-summoned. With an impressive amount of strength, Kor threw the crow off of him. He tried the slash the crow with his scythe again, but the Crowsister deflected his blow with her scythe.
"I've just realized that you never introduced yourself, miss necromancer."
"I am called Crowsister. This is not my name."
"I can see why."
The crow caught Kor's arm in its beak, preventing him from swinging his scythe for a moment. The Crowsister slashed with her own blade, and carved a large gash into the chronomancer's armor. The actual injury to his flesh, however, seemed to be shallow. Kor broke his arm free of the crow's grip and immediately sliced his scythe diagonally, banishing the crow again. Then, with an alarming level of speed, he whirled the scythe about at the Crowsister. She tried to raise her scythe to block, but the force of the blow tore it from her hands. Kor bashed the side of the Crowsister's head with the handle of his scythe, and she fell to her knees. Kor held the blade of the scythe to her throat. The Crowsister spoke again, and this time her cryptic tone was gone. She suddenly seemed far more human, as her voice quaked with desperation.
"Not yet.... Please, not yet...."
"Why should I spare you? This is a war, and we're on opposite sides."
"Because I must find her. I must."
"Her?"
"The one that I'm looking for. My sister."
Kor considered this information for a moment. He wasn't supposed to show mercy to his adversaries, especially since she had killed so many of his comrades. After all, would she spare him if their positions were reversed? Somehow he doubted it. He raised his scythe, and the Crowsister closed her eyes tightly behind her mask. She heard the sound of the scythe swishing through the air, and then a thud. There was no pain, though. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The scythe was stuck in the ground in front of her. Kor seemed uncertain of himself, glancing around to see if any other demon knights were around.
"Get out of here before I come to my senses. Next time we meet, I won't be so kind."
"Thank you, knight of Stormfallen."
"Tell me, what is your real name?"
"Vella. Vella Eiren."
"Find your sister, Vella, and then get off this battlefield."
The Crowsister, Vella, scurried to her feet and ran from the area, leaving her fallen scythe behind. Kor sighed to himself, still uncertain as to whether or not that was the correct decision. He hoped that it wouldn't haunt him.
End Chronicle
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