 Merentha: Armageddon Chapter 3 Chapter 5  |
Chapter 4.....Rijer muttered a curse. This was not good. He had defied Simoriah's orders to stay away from Haven. Most of the refugee locals were already transported away from their homes, and were taken to WhiteStorm. Simoriah had told him to stay away from Haven for a simple reason. It was Asmar territory. The area was literally covered with Asmar like leaves on the ground in fall. .....When Simoriah found out what he was doing, she would either kick him out of the Queendom or kill him herself. He was going to rescue Cory. The runt Centaur was taken prisoner, he knew it, and Simoriah had refused to send warriors to rescue him. A quick memory flashed in his head of a runt Centaur being stabbed in the chest with a sword and falling overboard into the cold ocean. He shook his head. It wasn't true, why didn't they believe him? Rijer had to save his friend. Or die trying. .....To the right of him stood the Imp, Rima. Rima's snug dress was torn and ragged. Her hair was a mess, her face was dirty. Her eyes looked meaner than ever. Bakeneko was not with them, the small faerie had disappeared. The two thought he was with Cory, however, Rima could not sense either of their presence, or else she would have gated to them. Together they were a good team, and so far many Asmar had fallen to them. .....But they were getting weaker. Rima's mind wasn't what it was days earlier, when she was well rested. Rijer was having trouble concentrating. They had no place to hide, no place to run. The end was coming near, and Rijer felt it. .....Suddenly, Rima scowled loudly. "Asmar...eight, coming from the north." .....Peering through dozens of trees as best he could, Rijer faintly saw the warriors. "Oh great..." he said as best he could without yawning. .....Thinking for a few moments, he frowned deeply. Rima glanced at his face. "They're almost here, Rijer. We need to hurry." ....."I have an idea...a dangerous idea," Rijer said in a hurry. "When I say go, you open a gate to where ever the Asmar haven't gotten yet and hop in quickly. I will join you shortly." ....."What will you be doing?" concerned seeped through Rima's normally hard voice, as if she would never see her friend again. .....Rijer grinned at her. "No time to explain." He glanced back towards the north, and saw the Asmar only a few yards away. "Open the gate, NOW!" .....Rima concentrated deeply, her exhausted face straining. A portal appeared in the room, flickered briefly, then steadily became bigger. Limping into the portal, Rima disappeared in a swirl of light. .....Rijer screamed in a burst of fury. "Singe thy flesh, burn thy skin!" he yelled in Farsi, his native language. Pure evil flooded through his heart. He almost screamed in agony, but he was paralyzed from the spell. He felt a burning sensation on his chest, and saw black flames leaping over himself. Once he was able to move again, demons came in a screaming fury. The demons flew around the eight Asmar warriors. .....Rijer glanced down and saw his sash from the Lands of Jewel burning itself. The once bright colors were now a scorched, blackened rag. Glancing back up, he saw three Asmar were having their skin slowly ripped off, while another two were having demons seep into their chests and come out the other side in a flurry of blood. One Asmar was screaming and swatting at the demons while they stabbed him with tiny pitchforks, causing geysers of blood to erupt from his skin and armour. Another two Asmar stood paralyzed as demons hovered around their head. .....Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, Rijer half limped, half trotted into the portal a moment before it vanished. He swirled around in a bath of multi-colored light, then fell on his side in two feet deep snow. He was immediately freezing cold. He shuddered at what he had just done. His soul had made contact with pure evil. He had never felt that before. Sure, Rima wasn't the kindest being in the world, but she was not exactly pure evil. She knew how to control it, how to harness it to help her. .....Rijer glanced around, seeing he was in the snow plains north of the Aerioth town. Rima was lying in the snow a few feet away, and was not moving. Rijer ran over to the Imp. Her tattered dress was not much warmth in this cold world. Picking her up, he started to look around. He didn't know where he was, or where to go. In the distance he saw a faint sparkle, and started to walk as best he could towards it. .....His teeth chattering loudly, icicles forming on his armour, tail, and hair from sweat and blood, the black Centaur walked on in the deep snow. His legs were burning with cold. His body was freezing from the wind. He felt like he was going to collapse. .....A sharp growl suddenly came from all around him. He snapped as best he could to attention. Another growl echoed at him. He turned just in time to see an angry snowbeast slash at him. Claw hit armour, and a screeching sound briefly overpowered the howling of the wind. With Rima in his arms, and his swords sheathed at his sides, he had no choice but to run. He ran, and was almost overcome with exhaustion when he saw the gates. .....The gates were a grand sight to Rijer. The gates were closed, and beyond them stood the city. Two gate guards were standing on the other side of the gate, chatting to each other. He slammed on the gate with a fist, not feeling any pain in his numb hands. The sound made the gate's chain rattle, and the two guards turned around and raised their swords. At seeing the half frozen Centaur and Imp, they quickly unlocked the gate and helped the two to the town. .....Durst and his wife, a local couple, let them stay. Durst's wife gave Rima a new shimmering crimson red dress. They stayed there a few days as their wounds healed, and their exhausted fled. As they were alone, Rima glanced over at Rijer. ....."Your soul is flooded with evil. Your mind is in chaos..." she shuddered faintly before continuing. "You casted demonfire, didn't you?" ....."I did. The good part is that those eight Asmar will remember me until the day we slay them. The bad part is, well, let's not get into that." Rijer explained. ....."Where do we go now?" Rima asked quietly. ....."I only know of one place to go, and it will not be pleasant." Rijer shuddered visibly. "I don't know if you should come along." .....The Imp frowned at him. "I am going there with you, no matter what you say. Would you rather I go back to Haven and die?" ....."Well, since you insist..." returned Rijer. .....A few days later, the two were preparing to leave. They walked outside, and the two were almost immediately frozen to the bone. Rijer thought about the conversation with Simoriah a few days ago. She had told him not to return to Haven, as it would be useless to take revenge. Not only that, but taking revenge would either get him killed, or make him act as an aggressor when Jeweled Knights were the defenders. .....The poison had almost fled her system. It was a strong poison, one that made her very tired. Rijer had explained to the dwarf that he was not going to take revenge. He was going to rescue his friend, with or without aid. Simoriah had sighed at him, and had explained for the 20th time that Cory was dead. Rijer had been on that boat along with quite a few other Jewels. They were attempting to negotiate with the Asmar. During the middle of the negiotations, the Asmar brought a bound runt Centaur onto a plank, where they stabbed a sword into his chest from the back. The Centaur had then fallen into the ocean and wasn't seen again. .....The crew had believed it was Cory. The runt was wearing his armour, had Cory's swords sheathed at his sides., had Cory's sash! Rijer did not believe Cory was dead, and everything thought his friends death had caused him to go insane. That was when he had insisted that he was quite sane and ready to mount a rescue party to get Cory back from the Asmar. The Knights had laughed at him, and talked about how he was a few bricks short of a full load right in front of him as if he did not exist. .....Rijer shook his head and sighed deeply. The past two weeks were horrible. None of the Jewels looked up to him. They treated him like the newest squire. Rima glanced over at him and saw frustration in his face. ....."You ready?" Rima asked in her normal rough tone. ....."When am I never?" Rijer returned, and nodded to her. .....She concentrated deeply, and a portal flickered into life. The two walked into it, the colors no longer scaring the Centaur. They landed on their feet in the throne room. Simoriah sat in her usual chair, looking much better than a week ago. Seeing the two, the dwarf screamed "Guards! Guards!" and two guards ran into the room wearing jeweled armour and a blade with a hilt of gems. ....."I do not come to hurt you," Rijer told her, ignoring the guard who pointed the sword at him. ....."Then why do you come? Your mission has failed, I suppose? Most likely because Cory is already dead!" Simoriah snapped back at him, anger seeping into her voice. ....."I failed because I only had the aid of one. The aid of a true friend. Not someone who laughs when they need aid the most," Rijer yelled at her. .....The dwarf gasped in shock. The words stung her, they seemed so true. She had laughed at him, along with the others, called him not worthy of performing any missions. She had refused to aid him, to comfort him. Then she remembered. "What you wanted is not possible. Cory is dead, Rijer. Why don't you believe any of us? You saw him die with your own eyes. The death has hurt everyone, yet you refuse to acknowledge it." Simoriah returned. .....Rijer just looked at her, his face not that of anger or annoyance. ....."Worst yet, after I, yes I, Simoriah!, told you not to try to take revenge-" the dwarf started. ....."I was not on an act of revenge!" Rijer yelled at her, and the guard inched closer. ....."-for it was suicidal, you went to one of your shady friends-" Simoriah continued. ....."You know nothing of Rima." the black Centaur sighed as he said it. ....."-for help in something that isn't possible! Worst yet, your presence now glows with that of evil." .....Rijer sighed again. "Even if he was dead, that is not the only reason I went there." ....."And what is the other, hm? Revenge?" Simoriah grumbled at him. ....."Our friend," he glanced at Rima, "has also been taken captive by the Asmar. I would not abandon him to them. If a friend of yours was taken captive, what would you do? Would you sit there and know he would die, or would you try to do something?" he said back, still not showing anger. .....Simoriah frowned. Another was involved in this act? This changed things a lot. She thought Rijer was going to take revenge for Cory. She also assumed that he truly thought Cory was alive. She sighed and closed her eyes and put her hand over them. .....As Rijer saw the dwarf close her eyes, he nodded briefly at Rima. She nodded back to him. The guard saw this action, and stepped yet closer to both of them. Swiftly, Rima chanted a phrase and Rijer disappeared into thin air. The guard, taken by surprise, froze for a moment. Within seconds, Rima was gone too. ....."Queen Simoriah! They are gone!" yelled the guard. .....Her eyes flashed open instantly. "What?! Where did they go?" ....."Th-they-they disappeared into thin air!" the guard stammered back. .....The Queen frowned. Rijer was obviously desperate to get both his friends back. "You are dismissed. Both of you." .....The guards stood in puzzlement for a minute, then nodded and left the room. .....Rima and Rijer had fled the Jeweled Castle and went to the entrance of the Nymph Forest. Quickly opening a gate to WhiteStorm, the two entered it. They stocked up on supplies, and again headed off to Haven. .....Simoriah stood there in front of a huge mirror. She was dressed in her battle armour. The armour was pitch black chainmail which had the Twelve Jewels that made up her kingdom scattered across it. Her helmet was made of blackened metal and had a crown of the gems. Her boots were made of black metal plates, spikes sticking out at her heels and toes. Her gloves were black leather, a circle of gems on the back of her hands. .....Her sword was amazing. It was made of the hardest metal in all of Merentha, and sparkled in the dim light. The blade was razor sharp, and had the twelve jewels inbedded in the side of the blade on each side. The handle was wrapped in black leather, and had a spiked ball on the end. .....On her left arm was a shield. The shield was circular with a spiked ball sticking out of the middle. Around the spike was the symbol of the Queendom of Jewel. A small backpack was on her back. .....Behind the battle ready dwarf stood two guards. "Ready my boat," she commanded to the guard on the right, and he quickly fled the room. Just over an hour ago she had announced to her Queendom that the Jeweled Knights were going to deal a blow to the Asmar. Earlier that day, right after Rijer had left, she received word of several masses of ships collecting near the eastern coast of Cardania. .....She had sent two ambassadors out. One was to go to Xenora, and the other to Hiemelia. Xenora would help defend Cardania, Simoriah knew. They would defend their homes while the Knights battled it out. However, Hiemelia would sit up north and laugh at them. The Kingdom of the North had territory to guard them. The winding twisting roads would get the Asmar lost for hours if not days. If the Asmar got to the North, Hiemelia would assume they were weakened by the two crumbled Kingdoms that had tried to defeat it. .....The Hiemelians would suffer with the rest of them, she was sure. It would take all three Kingdoms to repel the force, but that would not happen. The citizens of Hiemelia believed they could handle the Asmar on their own, and that was not a healthy belief. .....Simoriah walked out of her room and down the hall. She walked down the stairs, the various maids and servants looking at her as if she was insane. She walked on to the Jeweled meeting room. A rack of sashes, a board, and a list of the Jeweled Knights were there. She walked over to the rack and pulled two sashes off. She put one on herself, and wrapped the other up and slipped it in her backpack. .....She glanced around the room, seeing many Knights of various races. "I have called all of you here for a pressing matter. The Asmar are invading Haven. They will soon invade Cardania or Atheria soon. Neither of the Kingdoms seem aware of the threat that they pose. ....."We will be sailing out to Haven shortly, where we will rescue any prisoners held there. Those who do not wish to go may stay here, and guard our city incase the Asmar decide to attack," Simoriah said. No one opposed her orally, but many did not like what she wanted them to do. .....They quickly set sail, half of their army setting sail. .....The group of ships approached the northern coast of Haven. Almost 30 Asmar ships were positioned not far, but they held their position. Simoriah frowned. If they had to make a quick get away, those ships could cut them off. .....Approaching the docks, they were met with a few warriors. Some of the other Knights engaged battle, while Simoriah shouted "Past them! Quickly!" to the others. She began to run past the battle and was quickly stopped by a tall Asmar with many scars all over his body. .....Simoriah hastily swigged her blade at the Asmar, slashing his face. Seeing quite a few more openings, she nicked him. The warrior reached for his mutilated face before he could even lunge at her, and fell to the ground. .....She jumped over the body and ran towards the square. A few Knights ran with her, acting as a shield. Slowing to catch her breath, she looked over the tree in the Adventurer's square of Haven. The massive tree was covered with cuts and slashes. Simoriah shook her head and began to walk towards the south. .....Before the group reached the forest, a line of Asmar warriors blocked them. Cutting a curse short, Simoriah let a massive battlecry loose. A ranger beside her let an arrow whiz through the air, catching an Asmar in the neck. Blood burst from the wound, splattering those around him. A warrior beside him ran towards the Jeweled Knights. .....6 Knights against 12 Asmar. Not good, Simoriah thought to herself. She walked towards the approaching Asmar. She brought her shield up, while her blade was held before her. With an unearthly screech, sword and shield met. Simoriah brought her arm back and let a massive slash loose, but the warrior blocked it with his shield. She pushed forward with her shield, bumping the warrior back a few steps. .....The five Knights around her charged into battle with the remaining 11 warriors. The results are going to be horrible in the end, the dwarf thought to herself. She rushed towards the Asmar before her, and slammed her shield into his gut. He fell backwards coughing. As she started to approach him to deliver a final blow, a flash of light streaked around her and blinded her for a few seconds. .....When her vision returned, she saw her five Knights standing around while the Asmar lay brutally beaten on the ground in pools of blackened blood. Floating in the air was the familiar Imp, Rima. Rima grinned and nodded her head. .....Simoriah frowned. "Is Rijer around here?" .....Rima nodded again. "In the forest. The renegades there are fighting their own war against the Asmar, and Rijer is helping them succeed." .....Simoriah nodded. "Can you take us to them?" .....Rima nodded for a third time, and motioned to the forest. She floated silently in, followed by the six Knights. .....The black Centaur stood with the thugs and ruffians of Haven. The group was behind a wall made of trees, and the smell of death clung in the air. The ground and surrounding trees were stained red and black from the bloodshed. The group were fighting the Asmar, but they were not going to succeed in the end. With each new wave of the deadly opponents, more of them fell than their enemy. .....Rijer peered over the wall, and saw a group of 15 Asmar walking towards the wall. He groaned. ....."15 more coming!" he yelled to the army surrounded to him. .....The group grabbed their weapons and took position around the small fort. Rijer peeked over the wall again, and was almost nailed in the head with a blowdart. The blowdart whizzed past his ear, causing Rijer to throw himself to the ground. A few more blowdarts followed, but hit nothing. .....Unsheathing his swords, the centaur stood behind the defenders. The Asmar slashed into the wall with their swords and broke through. With a cry of revenge, the renegade army leapt on the Asmar. Dwarves and gnomes and centaurs and satyrs beat the Asmar with their weapons. Asmar in return slashed at them, inflicting massive damage with the razor sharp blades they wielded. .....Rijer galloped towards the battle, and slashed a warrior on the right arm. The armour held, but the warrior was obviously in pain from the blow. Rijer whirled and hit the warrior with both his swords in the left leg, causing the Asmar to fall over from the blow. As he fell, Rijer jammed his blade into the Asmar torso. Pulling the bloody sword free, the black Centaur glanced around. A dozen renegades lay on the ground, while three Asmar survived. .....Rijer charged towards one Asmar who was teaming up on a single Highwayman. His blades impacted with a sickening CRACK as the Asmar's arm was broken off. The Asmar screamed loudly and waved his stump around, slinging blood over Rijer and the highwayman. The highwayman brought his brass short sword around and slashed the Asmar's throat. A gurgle came and the Asmar fell to the ground. .....Rijer glanced up and saw only the renegades standing, but half as many as before. He shuddered. The next attack was going to be very bad. ![](/games3/armageddon/images/merban.gif") |
