Eric Greydawn
Kensai
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Eric Greydawn shuddered. The hated armor was off, finally. For once he would be able to survive without the armor eating his life energy.
How can you cast me aside? I know you, I am a part of you. You know you cannot live without my help!
He turned and glared at the armor. "Silence. You know what you have done to me. Were it not for certain intervention by my friend, you would have me dead by now."
You would not be dead. Had he left you where you were, I would have eventually healed you.
Eric shook his head. "Yeah, eventually, as in after every wild thing in that forest had a chance to come gnaw on choice body parts. You don't care about me. You don't care about anything but infecting the world with your evil. It stops now. I can survive without you now. I have learned the secrets that will hopefully heal the wounds YOU inflicted."
You know, you really do sound mad. Arguing with yourself like that. Yes, yes, I know. You are arguing with me, but do you REALLY think people outside this room will realize it? You are marked. I own you, and there's nothing you can do about it. You WILL be back for my power.
Eric laughed mirthlessly. "Not this time. I am done with you. I will find a way to break your power, and break you. You will cease to be. I have other things in this life to attend to. I have neglected a duty that I am honor bound to perform, all in the cause of seeking out vengance."
IT WAS VENGANCE FOR YOU! You craved my power! I GAVE you that power. You hunted the tribe of Dravir that slaughtered your family! You destroyed the bandits that looted their camp. I GAVE YOU THAT POWER!
"Yes, then you would have left me for dead!" Eric turned back towards the armor. "If Letalis had not found me, and helped me, I would be dead now." He approached the armor, his voice dropping to a low hiss. "I will destroy you. I will destroy you and make something good of the scraps. I will find a way."
FOOL! The armor screamed, a metallic voice that was audible even to those outside this hidden armory. A voice that sent shivers down the spine of even the bravest of men there. YOU CANNOT UNMAKE ME! I was forged in the darkest pits of the netherworld! You craved my power when you were broken, weak, and ready to die. I GAVE you that power! You will not, you CANNOT destroy me!
Eric turned and strode towards the doorway without a second glance. The black and crimson armor remained on it's stand. The black and crimson blade, known as Greydawns Vengance rested on a stand next to it. As he walked out, he waved his hand and the armory room fell into darkness.
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"Dear, your food is getting cold. You really should eat now, while it's still warm." Lady Greydawn peered at him from across the table. "I am grateful that you have returned, and still in one piece. There is something that is troubling me though. Several of the townsfolk say they heard a strange voice coming from that special armory you had built. They say it sounded incredibly evil. Is there something you haven't told me?"
Eric shook his head. "No, lady, there isn't anything you need to concern yourself with. There is no issue there, merely some refuse that must be dealt with eventually. I will not be leaving you, or this town ever again. The defenses here are weak, and it's going to take a lot of work to get this place built up to the point that it will be fully safe."
Lady Greydawn frowned. "I really wish you wouldn't focus on those things while at the table. You always do this, and you always end up letting your food get cold. You KNOW I worry about you eating enough, and about your health, since you are just too darned stubborn to think about it yourself."
Eric chuckled and resumed eating. "Actually, Artemis, I have an idea on that point. Some of the texts that your foster father showed me are pointing the way to some unusual magic that may be of great assistance in protecting the village. I need to go out and view the perimeter of the village first, and take stock of the environs as a whole."
Artemis laughed. "Good, but you better wait until after you have eaten." She stood up and walked back towards the kitchen. "By the way, someone said the Kappa have been acting up along the pathway towards Shadow of the Wind Village. You really need to do something about them eventually too. You know how they are. Waylaying travellers, doing mischief. Gods know, those soft heads must allow in way too many ideas."
Eric stabbed a bit of roast boar. "Always with the trouble. One of these days I am going to recruit some other people to help with these tasks. I don't mind fighting them, well, when have I EVER minded a fight? Still, something will have to be done. I just hope they don't get the idea to team up with the Tengu, or bad things may happen."
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The paintings on the walls were bathed in the light of the braziers, burning in their placements in the room. Incense smouldered, the blue smoke curling and diffusing into the air, spreading the scent of jasmine, sandalwood, and dragons blood through a breeze already redolent with the delicate scent of bamboo and cherry blossoms. Light from the braziers flickered and gleamed off the array of weaponry placed in their stands along walls that were graced with writings of a philisophical and martial nature. The center of the room was spread with a number of bamboo mats. Elders of the village, deep in meditations, were sitting, silent, reflecting on everything and nothing.
Eric Greydawn rose, and padded silently to a small brass gong that stood to the side of one of the weapons racks. Lifting the padded mallet, he struck twice on the gong, signalling the end of the meditations, then strode back to his own mat to sit before the elders. Arranging himself suitably, he gazed for a long time at each one of them, gathering his thoughts, seeking the correct path to navigate this particularly tricky stretch of discussion.
"Masters, Elders," Eric began, "it is vital that we erect the shadow veil around this village. You have long protected the treasure, but you all have grown weary while those who would defile the village have become bold in their actions. Hitochii Tomaru has become impatient, and he will be coming for the treasure, of this you can be sure. I know not what form this will take, nor even when it will happen, but as surely as the sun rises, he is coming. It was you, Honored Elders and Masters, who have taught me much of what I know, and it was your guidance that has led me to this awareness. Now that you have meditated upon this, surely you see the truth of what I say."
Eric watched as these august leaders nodded, agreeing. He continued now, pressing his point. "I know your fears regarding the veil, but allow me to reassure you. If one is worthy, the veil will lift, and he will be able to come. But without the proper enlightenment, a person shall not be able to perceive the village, let alone enter. This then would become our safeguard, and it would fall upon the elders and masters to teach the skills of the guardians of the village to the next to come after me. Remember this, Honored Masters, when I viewed the treasure, I understood that which had eluded most of your youth here, and to that end, you have named me guardian of the village. I shall spread this enlightenment to those who are worthy, if all goes as the gods intend. I will also place myself in a position outside the village at all times when I am not resting to ensure that I discover the person who shall become worthy."
"Eric," Toyotoma, Artemis Greydawn's adoptive father spoke up now. "Gather the things that you will need. There will be a great trial for you in the pursuit of your treasures to erect the shadow veil. The items are not kept here, but will require you to range all over lore. Before that happens, however, you must undertake another trial. You must break the evil that you bore to this village several years ago. You must break the evil that still whispers in the darkness of that armoury. Unless that evil is broken the shadow veil will fail."
Eric nodded. He had expected this. "I am prepared to seek out the means to that end. I can tell you now that the first part of my journey will take me across the sea to the mainland, where I must journey south of the mining area known as Lymcrest. There is a person I must seek. I have spoken of him before. An individual known as Letalis. He may have found the information I need to break the evil that resides here. He and I had been seeking this knowledge for some time, but we were required to seperate to attend to our own duties as fate demanded. Perhaps by know he has learned something I have not."
Eric bowed now, as the elders and masters rose and filed out of the room. Eric then turned to his own reflections, remembering the circumstances of his departure from Letalis when he had chosen to come to the village and honor his commitment to his then betrothed, Artemis. It was that which led to his bearing once again, the great silvery green nodachi, a betrothal gift that had been sent to him from Artemis' family when the betrothal was arranged many years ago.
Eric had been readily able to prove his commitment to honor his betrothal, and was happily married to the lady in question, and strove daily to prove his honor and commitment to her. Now though, he would have to leave the village, perhaps for an extended time. This now became his dilemma... did he depart on his own, to seek what he needed, or did he risk bringing Artemis with him.
So deep in thought was Eric that he did not hear Artemis until it was far too late. A dagger thudded into the mat less than an inch from his left ankle. "I hear you are leaving to take care of matters. You KNOW I am not letting you leave without me."
Eric looked up and grinned. "It seems the prospect of the impending travels agrees with you Lady. Perhaps I should agree now and save the argument that would be sure to follow swiftly if I said no." Eric rose and put his arm around Artemis' waist. "Let us then go and prepare, my wife, for the journey will be difficult, and we will need to make a great many preparations."
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< Message edited by Eric Greydawn -- 5/11/2011 22:36:18 >
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