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Dark Prophecy (an "Of Sound Mind" Storyhour) - FINALE! 3/29/05
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<blockquote data-quote="SolidSnake" data-source="post: 2124044" data-attributes="member: 102"><p><strong>Chapter 11</strong></p><p></p><p>I appologize for the delay between posts but finals have consumed my life. Thank goodness its all over! Now I can turn my attentions back towards catching up in my logs! I hope you enjoy.</p><p></p><p>__________________________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p>Yatsen charged the self-proclaimed ruler of the tribe, the pain evident in his eyes as he rushed forth swinging his wakazashi. Unbalanced by the throbbing headache that was consuming his sanity, the lethal blow that he might have dealt became a mere gash. The tasloi screamed in rage as it wrapped its hands around the crimson stain that slowly spread out from his claw. Its green eyes turned towards Yatsen and narrowed dangerously.</p><p></p><p>“You will pay for that human!”</p><p></p><p>A wave of power tore the space separating the young man and the tasloi asunder, hurling Yatsen backwards. Saburo watched as his friend lay motionless on the ground, much like Akira. Screaming in anguish, Saburo swung his naginata in a wide arc, hoping to end the fight quickly. The sorcerer-king; however, proved to be more agile than Saburo had originally anticipated. The blade sailed over the tasloi’s head as it dove backwards into the mouth of the dragon’s carcass. Saburo cursed aloud as he realized what the tasloi had done. Fighting with a polearm in such a narrow space would be impossible and give the smaller Shadow-spawned creature the advantage. Saburo quickly discarded the weapon, drew out his dagger and pursued his foe.</p><p></p><p>“You will never defeat me worm,” a voice called from the narrow tunnel ahead.</p><p></p><p>Saburo stifled the multitude of responses that came to mind as he crawled through the once great dragon’s gullet towards the soft blue light ahead. The tunnel opened up into the creature’s abdomen approximately ten feet from the mouth. It was barely large enough to stand in the small space and Saburo gasped at what he saw. The sorcerer tasloi hovered over Ren’s still form, his eyes transfixed upon Saburo as he entered. The source of the soft blue light that illuminated Doushi’s carcass was now obvious: a pulsating sapphire. A myriad array of colors danced in its facets and for a moment Saburo forgot where he was and even what he was hoping to do. His headache began to intensify. A familiar voice spoke to him once again:</p><p></p><p><em>You are my Chosen one. I will grant you your every wish. Make me proud…my son.</em></p><p></p><p>Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the sorcerer.</p><p></p><p>“Let her go,” Saburo commanded.</p><p></p><p>“You are in no position to bargain human. The girl is mine. The power is mine. Soon, the Emperor will bow before me! Now KNEEEEEEL!”</p><p></p><p>Green electricity shot from the tasloi’s eyes and surrounded Saburo in a maelstrom of power. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. His vision blurred as he fought to regain his footing. It was then that he noticed it. The pain evaporated for a moment and time seemed to slow. As the energy around him intensified he realized that the blue gem embedded in the decaying flesh flared at the very moment the tasloi conjured his dark magic. <em>Akira was always right. Doushi is dead, but he wouldn’t stay dead. His spirit has not passed beyond the Veil!</em></p><p></p><p>“How did you like that human,” the tasloi asked with a sneer.</p><p></p><p>Saburo just began to become aware of the fact that he was no longer wreathed in green power. He tried to move his body, but he couldn’t; his strength had left him. Smoke rose from the numerous burns that covered his torso. <em>If I don’t do something quickly I’m going to die.</em></p><p></p><p>“You were right all along. You are the stronger of us,” Saburo gasped.</p><p></p><p>“Now was that so hard to admit,” the sorcerer chuckled.</p><p></p><p>“Maybe one day I will see YOUR power.”</p><p></p><p>The tasloi’s laughter instantly ceased and his brow furrowed.</p><p></p><p>“What did you say,” he hissed dangerously while taking a step towards the now smoldering Saburo.</p><p></p><p>“It’s obvious to anyone that you won only because you were helped. You could never truly claim that this was your victory as it was Doushi’s spirit that enabled you to defeat us,” the young man continued.</p><p></p><p>Saburo felt the strength return to his hand and he slowly began to palm the dagger he had dropped earlier. The tasloi moved closer to him.</p><p></p><p>“I am the greatest mahoutsukai the Empire has ever known! The Emerald Magistrates will soon enforce the law of Doushi! I will be his Champion and all the Great Clans will submit to my will! It is the Age of the Tasloi…your kind will be slaves.”</p><p></p><p>The sorcerer seemed to become aware of the fact that his ranting had drastically diverted his attention from the task at hand. He lowered his raised arms slowly and pointed at Saburo.</p><p></p><p>“My name is Thimdrul. I want you to remember this name; for you will tell your ancestors it was I alone who sent you to them. Now perish just like the re-“</p><p></p><p>Saburo didn’t even give Thimdrul time to finish as he closed the distance and planted the dagger under Thimdrul's left arm. The boy’s eyes locked with tasloi’s as he felt the its body go slack. The sorcerer’s eyes widened and blood began to ooze from the side of his mouth.</p><p></p><p>“No-o…it can’t be…I was promised…I was chosen…”</p><p></p><p>“What I have done is dishonorable Thimdrul,” Saburo said as he lowered the tasloi to the ground. “I failed to introduce myself before the combat. My name is Saburo. I want you to remember that name. I want you to know that I am a simple sake-maker’s son; not a great samurai or a powerful shugenja. Explain to your ancestors that you; the great Thimdrul, were defeated by a simple distiller.”</p><p></p><p>Thimdrul’s response was a gurgling sound and the look of despair in his eyes immediately before the breath left his body.</p><p></p><p>Saburo fought through the pain, forcing his body to obey. Lifting up Ren, he carried her out of Doushi’s corpse into the main Hall. He rummaged through his companion’s packs and could only find two doses remaining of Utsuke’s healing root. <em>Ren deserves the rest</em>, he thought as he gave the plant to Akira and Yatsen.</p><p></p><p>The revived companions debated long and hard as to what to do next. The sapphire continued its mental assault on everyone’s mind despite their efforts to resist it. Many attempts by Yatsen were made to destroy the gem, but it was harder than steel or stone. It was merely by chance that Saburo remembered the dramatic episode that had embarked him on this path to begin with: the Wyrmcall. He explained that the ringing was enough to shatter porcelain and even kill a man. Akira had his doubts, but agreed that they could not allow Doushi’s spirit to roam free for very much longer. It was clear that the tasloi were not brought by their own volition; but rather engineered to do so by the will of Doushi. As both Ren and her brother Kenichi were in no condition to travel, the men constructed makeshift cots to drag them down the mountain. Everyone was willing to endure the trek, as they knew they had been through the worst of it. The journey was long and arduous, but eventually the companions prevailed against the elements to reach their destination. Winter was upon them, so it was no surprise that they were not greeted with much activity. Akira was; however, worried that no patrols had stopped them by now.</p><p></p><p>“The first thing I’m going to do is take a long bath,” Yatsen declared as they reached the outskirts of the village.</p><p></p><p>“Why don’t you take the gem up to the tower Saburo while Yatsen and I carry Ren and Kenichi to Utsuge,” Akira suggested as they walked towards the Wyrmcall. “We can inform the Prefect immediately afterwards; I just want to put this whole affair behi-,” The ranger paused in mid sentence.</p><p></p><p>The group had reached the cobblestone plaza that housed the Wyrmcall. It had seemed strange that no one was there to greet them, no patrol to interrupt their journey…not even children playing in the streets. They had made nothing of it until now. Standing in a ring around the tower was the entire village. Most of them wore no protective clothing against the weather, but stood immobile and unflinching in the howling winds; bright azure eyes starring vacantly ahead.</p><p></p><p>“Give us the gem,” they said in unison as they moved to surround the group.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SolidSnake, post: 2124044, member: 102"] [b]Chapter 11[/b] I appologize for the delay between posts but finals have consumed my life. Thank goodness its all over! Now I can turn my attentions back towards catching up in my logs! I hope you enjoy. __________________________________________________________________________ Yatsen charged the self-proclaimed ruler of the tribe, the pain evident in his eyes as he rushed forth swinging his wakazashi. Unbalanced by the throbbing headache that was consuming his sanity, the lethal blow that he might have dealt became a mere gash. The tasloi screamed in rage as it wrapped its hands around the crimson stain that slowly spread out from his claw. Its green eyes turned towards Yatsen and narrowed dangerously. “You will pay for that human!” A wave of power tore the space separating the young man and the tasloi asunder, hurling Yatsen backwards. Saburo watched as his friend lay motionless on the ground, much like Akira. Screaming in anguish, Saburo swung his naginata in a wide arc, hoping to end the fight quickly. The sorcerer-king; however, proved to be more agile than Saburo had originally anticipated. The blade sailed over the tasloi’s head as it dove backwards into the mouth of the dragon’s carcass. Saburo cursed aloud as he realized what the tasloi had done. Fighting with a polearm in such a narrow space would be impossible and give the smaller Shadow-spawned creature the advantage. Saburo quickly discarded the weapon, drew out his dagger and pursued his foe. “You will never defeat me worm,” a voice called from the narrow tunnel ahead. Saburo stifled the multitude of responses that came to mind as he crawled through the once great dragon’s gullet towards the soft blue light ahead. The tunnel opened up into the creature’s abdomen approximately ten feet from the mouth. It was barely large enough to stand in the small space and Saburo gasped at what he saw. The sorcerer tasloi hovered over Ren’s still form, his eyes transfixed upon Saburo as he entered. The source of the soft blue light that illuminated Doushi’s carcass was now obvious: a pulsating sapphire. A myriad array of colors danced in its facets and for a moment Saburo forgot where he was and even what he was hoping to do. His headache began to intensify. A familiar voice spoke to him once again: [I]You are my Chosen one. I will grant you your every wish. Make me proud…my son.[/I] Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the sorcerer. “Let her go,” Saburo commanded. “You are in no position to bargain human. The girl is mine. The power is mine. Soon, the Emperor will bow before me! Now KNEEEEEEL!” Green electricity shot from the tasloi’s eyes and surrounded Saburo in a maelstrom of power. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. His vision blurred as he fought to regain his footing. It was then that he noticed it. The pain evaporated for a moment and time seemed to slow. As the energy around him intensified he realized that the blue gem embedded in the decaying flesh flared at the very moment the tasloi conjured his dark magic. [I]Akira was always right. Doushi is dead, but he wouldn’t stay dead. His spirit has not passed beyond the Veil![/I] “How did you like that human,” the tasloi asked with a sneer. Saburo just began to become aware of the fact that he was no longer wreathed in green power. He tried to move his body, but he couldn’t; his strength had left him. Smoke rose from the numerous burns that covered his torso. [I]If I don’t do something quickly I’m going to die.[/I] “You were right all along. You are the stronger of us,” Saburo gasped. “Now was that so hard to admit,” the sorcerer chuckled. “Maybe one day I will see YOUR power.” The tasloi’s laughter instantly ceased and his brow furrowed. “What did you say,” he hissed dangerously while taking a step towards the now smoldering Saburo. “It’s obvious to anyone that you won only because you were helped. You could never truly claim that this was your victory as it was Doushi’s spirit that enabled you to defeat us,” the young man continued. Saburo felt the strength return to his hand and he slowly began to palm the dagger he had dropped earlier. The tasloi moved closer to him. “I am the greatest mahoutsukai the Empire has ever known! The Emerald Magistrates will soon enforce the law of Doushi! I will be his Champion and all the Great Clans will submit to my will! It is the Age of the Tasloi…your kind will be slaves.” The sorcerer seemed to become aware of the fact that his ranting had drastically diverted his attention from the task at hand. He lowered his raised arms slowly and pointed at Saburo. “My name is Thimdrul. I want you to remember this name; for you will tell your ancestors it was I alone who sent you to them. Now perish just like the re-“ Saburo didn’t even give Thimdrul time to finish as he closed the distance and planted the dagger under Thimdrul's left arm. The boy’s eyes locked with tasloi’s as he felt the its body go slack. The sorcerer’s eyes widened and blood began to ooze from the side of his mouth. “No-o…it can’t be…I was promised…I was chosen…” “What I have done is dishonorable Thimdrul,” Saburo said as he lowered the tasloi to the ground. “I failed to introduce myself before the combat. My name is Saburo. I want you to remember that name. I want you to know that I am a simple sake-maker’s son; not a great samurai or a powerful shugenja. Explain to your ancestors that you; the great Thimdrul, were defeated by a simple distiller.” Thimdrul’s response was a gurgling sound and the look of despair in his eyes immediately before the breath left his body. Saburo fought through the pain, forcing his body to obey. Lifting up Ren, he carried her out of Doushi’s corpse into the main Hall. He rummaged through his companion’s packs and could only find two doses remaining of Utsuke’s healing root. [I]Ren deserves the rest[/I], he thought as he gave the plant to Akira and Yatsen. The revived companions debated long and hard as to what to do next. The sapphire continued its mental assault on everyone’s mind despite their efforts to resist it. Many attempts by Yatsen were made to destroy the gem, but it was harder than steel or stone. It was merely by chance that Saburo remembered the dramatic episode that had embarked him on this path to begin with: the Wyrmcall. He explained that the ringing was enough to shatter porcelain and even kill a man. Akira had his doubts, but agreed that they could not allow Doushi’s spirit to roam free for very much longer. It was clear that the tasloi were not brought by their own volition; but rather engineered to do so by the will of Doushi. As both Ren and her brother Kenichi were in no condition to travel, the men constructed makeshift cots to drag them down the mountain. Everyone was willing to endure the trek, as they knew they had been through the worst of it. The journey was long and arduous, but eventually the companions prevailed against the elements to reach their destination. Winter was upon them, so it was no surprise that they were not greeted with much activity. Akira was; however, worried that no patrols had stopped them by now. “The first thing I’m going to do is take a long bath,” Yatsen declared as they reached the outskirts of the village. “Why don’t you take the gem up to the tower Saburo while Yatsen and I carry Ren and Kenichi to Utsuge,” Akira suggested as they walked towards the Wyrmcall. “We can inform the Prefect immediately afterwards; I just want to put this whole affair behi-,” The ranger paused in mid sentence. The group had reached the cobblestone plaza that housed the Wyrmcall. It had seemed strange that no one was there to greet them, no patrol to interrupt their journey…not even children playing in the streets. They had made nothing of it until now. Standing in a ring around the tower was the entire village. Most of them wore no protective clothing against the weather, but stood immobile and unflinching in the howling winds; bright azure eyes starring vacantly ahead. “Give us the gem,” they said in unison as they moved to surround the group. [/QUOTE]
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