Chapter 37, in which the
Adventurers fight themselves, and the Brotherhood ends
Biali
"Now
you can explain me what is happening?" Lima said taking deep breaths
trying to relax and forget the images of the two dragons he had slain.
"I mean I can’t match it. Dragons, Vega, books, a Zathroth-follower guild.
What is the connection?"
Tujex
"Only
thing I know is that these Dark Star people have control over just about any
creature and access to just about any magic. As to why they don't want us to
get to that library... I have no clue" Tujex said, turning to Red Un as he
finished. "Do you know exactly why they don't want us to get to that
library?" he asked the half-dwarf.
Red Un
Red Un sat
down on the carpet.
"First of all, they ain't Zathroth-worshipers. I dunno if they worship any
gods at all. Anyways, they've always had this thing about 'protecting' books,
tomes, scrolls, scrawls and just about anything with words written on it. I
guess it's kinda obvious by now that they'll go to any length to protect
it."
He turned to Narudin.
"Anythin' to add?"
Tranquillity
Tranquillity
took a few slow twirls in the air as the waited for Melrod to pick her up. She
could really get used to this sort of thing she thought, rolling over again. If
it weren't for the whole being battered around by air currents and the threat
of falling and painful death it would be sort of fun.
Suddenly Tranquillity found herself staring down at the sea far below her and
shuddered at the thought of falling. "On second thought, maybe I'll just
keep my feet on solid ground for a while." She righted herself and made
sure to stare anywhere but downwards until Melrod swooped her up.
"Well at least you didn't leave me this time" she said just loud
enough for Red Un to hear.
Narudin
Narudin
blinked when Red Un addressed him and then put one hand on his heart and the
other held up towards the sky, index finger extended, and intoned:
"The end always justifies the means."
The Narudin sighed and continued.
"That pretty much wraps them up. They use assassins, dark magic, guard
knowledge from others and hold many dark secrets... I was mostly used as a tool
for most of the time by them, so I do not know much - You rarely impart
anything to tools, however useful they might be."
"They are a very secretive bunch, and indeed do not worship any gods I
know of, though some call Nornur, god of shadows, their deity." Narudin
shook his head. "But I doubt whether it is true. Nornur helped the Gods of
Good in their war against Zathroth, so it is not likely that he favours The
Brotherhood. If anything then only their skill with moving through the shadows
unnoticed."
"Well at least you didn't leave me this time." Came a voice from the
side. The half elf glanced sideways and smiled as he noticed Tranquillity.
"Ah, Lady Tranquillity, glad to have You back on the team" Narudin
chuckled. "I gather that You didn't miss the bit of fun we had just a few
minutes ago?"
Red Un
Red Un
looked embarrassed when he heard Tranquillity's remark.
"Yeah...I've got sort of a knack at doin' that."
Tranquillity
Tranquillity
shrugged, "It's not really your fault of course. I'm just glad that I was
able to make it here somehow." She peered over the edge of the carpet to
the island of ice they were rapidly approaching. "Sooo... do we have a
plan? I mean, how are we going to actually get in to the library?"
Red Un
"Ah,
don't worry, I've got..."
Red Un fumbled around in his pocket and produced the previously-acquired key.
"...the key and..."
He shuffled through the backpack.
"...the book. I know just how to find the library. The real problem is
whatever thing the Brotherhood's gonna try and stop us with this time."
Artios
Artios had
been idle ever since he created that bone dragon. But now as the Brotherhood
had been defeated, Artios continued to read through his book. After he read
through about four pages, he picked up a small blue gem from the heel of his
left boot. "Could this really be the gem?" Artios wondered. "It
must be it, the gem that makes my boots of haste so strong."
Artios placed the blue gem on his left boot. And then removed the book. It
seemed to vanish as he placed it in one of his pockets. "Well then, Sir
Redwick, I guess we should prepare for another fight? I've only been idle in
these previous fights, but now, the time has come. The time has come to show
the Brotherhood."
Artios placed his hands in his knees. "Sir Narudin, could you tell us, or
at least me what the Brotherhood are capable of? Being a former member of the
Brotherhood, you've got at least some insight, no? I'm sorry if you've already
told everyone else."
Tujex
Tujex sat
shirtless on the carpet, the last of his spikes and wings sinking back into his
skin. He exhaled deeply as they completely vanished. "I don't think I'll
ever get used to this transformation stuff." he sighed as he rubbed his
right shoulder which was sore for some reason.
Red Un
Red Un
pointed downwards.
"There it is..."
A small island, covered in snow, with two small mountains and some forests here
and there came into view as they passed over the last of the storm.
"...Vega."
The carpet
descended towards the snowy island.
"Hmm... that's odd..." muttered Red Un. "Seems like there's
people here already."
Tranquillity
"Huh?
What people?" Tranquillity said as she stared over the edge of the carpet.
Red Un
"Well...I
think one of them is wearing... red armour. He looks like a..."
Red Un paused, and gasped.
"...a half-dwarf!"
He blinked. The red-armoured half-dwarf was still standing there.
"Great Durin, what is goin' on here?!"
Lima
Beanie
Lima spoke
to the half-dwarf.
"Know them mister... Thred Kun?"
Tujex
Tujex ran
and jumped off the edge of the carpet, landing in a crouch like position in
front of the armoured half-dwarf. He stood upright, slapping his legs which
somewhat stung from the rather long fall. "I guess I'll never get used to
falling from that high either. You'd think being a half-demon, jumping from up
there wouldn't hurt so bad. Well... I guess it's better than death" he
said, the half-dwarf looking at the rambling half-elf strangely. Tujex snapped
out of his trance and looked down at the dwarf. "Hey guy, you wouldn't
happen to be with those psycho paper guards would you?" Tujex asked in a
friendly tone of voice. "I wonder if he's looking at me like this
because I just jumped from that high in the air, or if I'm in the coldest area
in Tibia without a shirt. I mean, both are pretty weird" Tujex thought
realizing the look the half-dwarf was giving him.
Red Un
"Well,
that half-dwarf looks like...me."
Red Un looked closer. A little bit away from the half-dwarf stood a half-elf
who was, strangely enough, not wearing any shirt.
"...and that half-elf who is approaching Tujex looks a lot like...
Tujex?"
Neither one of them said a thing, they just stood there.
Tujex
Tujex
turned to the approaching elf. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.
"What's really going on here?" Tujex yelled as he examined an exact
copy of himself standing before him. He looked to the dwarf and immediately saw
that it resembled Red Un.
Red Un
"I
dunno, but that one over there looks like..."
Red Un still couldn't understand what he was seeing.
"...Narudin?"
He looked, and realised something.
"In fact, it looks like all the people up here are also down there."
Narudin
Narudin
looked down towards the gathering of people on the snowy plain. He kept his
calm as he looked down at the disturbingly familiar figures. After a moment, as
they drew ever closer to the group, the half elf spoke:
"I would bet my trusty No. 4 that it's another plot of the Brotherhood.
I've seen their necromancers conjure such beings - perfect copies of their
models, in terms of power, skills and attributes. They were made of shadow
substance, therefore called the shadow simulacrums. The only thing which
distinguishes them from the originals is that they are slightly darker,
especially in bright daylight. I cannot be sure whether these... imitators
are simulacra, but they are surely some kind of trick, another desperate
attempt to stop us."
Narudin sighed, and looked around at his companions.
"If I am correct, this might be the toughest battle yet. Simulacra imitate
the original being perfectly - an even match of skills. Quite ironically, we
will be fighting ourselves... I think we will be forced to fight our
counterparts, otherwise in the resulting confusion we may start attacking
ourselves."
Tujex
Tujex's
ears twitched as he picked up what Narudin and Red Un were talking about.
"I have to fight myself!" Tujex exclaimed as he took a few more steps
back from the creation. "Speaking of it... you do look a tad darker than
I..." Tujex said as he examined his duplicate a little closer. "But
that doesn't mean you're evil... right?" Tujex asked wishing what he said
was true.
Red Un
"Oh
no" said the Tujex-copy. "I'm not evil. In fact, I think you
are."
He and the other copies gathered around Tujex. Red Un realised that the poor
half-elf would not end up in a good way if he had to fight them alone. Therefore
he jumped off the carpet as it skimmed low. He landed on top of the copy of
Melrod, knocking him out.
"Well, that one was easy. HEY MELROD!" he yelled up to the carpet.
"I TOOK CARE OF YOU, SO JUST KEEP FLYIN' THE CARPET!"
Melrod muttered angrily to himself as he lowered the carpet to allow the others
to disembark.
Red Un drew his sword and turned to face a certain half-dwarf, who had also
drawn his sword.
"My my, I do look pretty handsome, don't I?" said Red Un. His shadowy
counterpart smiled evilly and swung his sword in a deadly, if clumsy arc. Red
Un parried it just as clumsily.
Narudin
Narudin
sighed and jumped down from the carpet as it returned near the group of copies.
He fell lightly upon the snow and immediately ducked and rolled backwards as
two swords wooshed above him, the scissor-like movement flying through
the air where his neck would have been. Getting to his feet, he looked into his
own face, into two blue-hued eyes, albeit dimmed as if by a shadow.
"You are a mere imitation, a copy of the original" the half-elf said,
taking out his blades. "You have no memories, no experiences, no life
which you can call Your own. A puppet, no more than a tool. It is virtually my
Duty to end Your misery."
The shadowy copy grinned widely. And horribly. Then it spoke with Narudin's
voice, but with un-narudinish context:
"And what do You have, half-elf? A brief existence to spend, your eyes
shrouded with illusions and shadows. I am immortal! I have your
powers and can use them far better than you do for your petty ideals. To serve
the Masters is the greatest glory. You can not even imagine the graveness of
your mistake when you left the Brotherhood!"
The simulacrum laughed in a fairly evil way, and Narudin cocked his head to one
side, analysing what he had heard. Then he said, the capital letters neatly
clicking into place.
"A brief yet full life is far better than Your bleak, eternal existence in
the servitude of lies. You are a thing of shadows, therefore You are not real.
Without the magical power sustaining You-"
Both Narudins made a short, sharp motion with their arms and a clash could be
heard as two throwing stars hit each other halfway between them, deflecting
towards the sides. On a totally useless sidenote, one flew just above Red Un's
head, totally unnoticed by the fighting half-dwarf, and, heeding to the laws of
comedy, deflected from his sword and passed just in front of Melrod's eyes as
he was landing his carpet some distance away from the group.
The Shadowdancer raised an eyebrow as the shadowy shadowdancer opposite to him
laughed again.
"This may be a teensy bit harder than I thought..." he muttered, and
then both copy and original jumped to each other, blades flashing. The dance
had begun.
Tujex
Tujex
smiled at his counterpart. "Whaddaya say we take this a little farther
that way. This could get a little messy" he said pointing away from the
others. The shadow Tujex cracked his knuckles and began walking beside his
counterpart. They had walked at least a mile before they stopped and faced each
other. "Now that they're safe!" Tujex exclaimed as he swung his fist
at his counterpart. The fake caught his fist and attempted to counter with his
other hand, but Tujex caught that punch. "You're good..." they said simultaneously
as they released each other. They unsheathed their swords, swinging them at
each other.
They swung at each other, using the same moves, in the same order, at the same
time. Sparks flew from the blades as they smashed together, pushing the
warriors back a little with the recoil from every blow. "Take this!"
they both screamed as they infused their swords with demon magic and swung
them. The swords clanged together, red lightning flying from the blades as they
met. The two struggled to overpower the other, but neither one could overcome
his foe. They pushed harder, their demon enchantments beginning to fuse and
turning into a ball of energy that exploded sending both Tujexes flying
backwards. The half-elves hit the ground, sliding a few yards in opposite
directions. "He matches my every move...he knows what I'm going to do
before I do it..." Tujex thought as he stood and readied his sword.
The copy did the same, and the two charged at each other. As they met, they
both snatched a knife from their boot and attempted to slash the other’s
throat. But both saw the other’s move coming and managed to get out of the way,
both attacks missing completely. The two skid on the snow as they attempted to
stop, throwing their knives at each other causing them to strike exactly in the
middle between the two. Tujex was amazed at how skilled his counterpart was,
and couldn't think of anything to do that his counterpart wouldn't be thinking
as well. "What to do? What to do?" he muttered, his clone doing the
same thing.
Tranquillity
Tranquillity
leaped off the carpet and landed with a roll to absorb the shock. She quickly
rose and brushed the snow off herself, then turned to face her simulacrum.
"Oh my god... I so do not look like that. They totally ruined my
complexion... it's disgusting."
Her simulacrum narrowed her eyes and bit back, "Well at least my hair
doesn't look that. The way the light from the snow reflects off your hair is
abominable."
Tranquillity's eyes narrowed exactly as her simulacrum's eyes had then with
twin screams of rage the two leapt at each other, swords clashing, sliding up
against each other and being withdrawn only to clash again with renewed
strength. The two wove around each other, sometimes their bodies touching as
they both tried to land their sword on the others body.
At the same moment they both withdrew and stepped back to face each other.
"Well not ba..." they both started before leaping in midword. Their
blades clashed in the air and were withdrawn. Tranquillity brought her blade
darting in low, but her simulacrum skipped over the blade and brought her own
swinging downward at Tranquillity's crouching form. Nimbly Tranquillity
side-rolled and came up with a knife in hand which she made a quick toss with
at her simulacrum's throat. The simulacrum spun to the side, letting the blade
pass her by centimetres and appeared at the end of the spin with a knife of her
own which was flicked at Tranquillity who sidestepped it and charged.
"At least my hair doesn't look like something died in it"
Tranquillity panted as she brought her blade swinging down. The simulacrum
parried with one hand and drew a dagger which she thrust at Tranquillity's
stomach. "Not that it matters for you though." Tranquillity thrust
her hips back to put them out of range of the probing knife and elbowed the
hand holding it hard enough that the blade was dropped. "What do you
mean?"
The simulacrum jumped back and grinned wickedly. "You know exactly what I
mean." Tranquillity pinned her with a glare for a moment and then
fake-stepped forward. With a flick of her wrist an explosion rune landed in her
hand and was quickly fired off at the simulacrum who did the same. Both angled
their blades and deflected the magic up into the air where it went sailing into
the air before eventually exploding while the two below watched. Slowly they
brought their gazes level with each other. Both nodded their respects to the
other as they circled in for another round.
"This is going to be harder than I thought" muttered Tranquillity to
herself.
Red Un
Red Un and
not-quite-Red Un circled each other, slowly. The shadowy half-dwarf grinned
evilly at his non-shadowy counterpart.
"So, how is Jenna these days?"
"Wait a minute... Narudin said you had no memory, no mind!"
"Oh, that foolish, effete, think-he's-better-than-us shadowdancer with his
fancy swords thinks he knows all, does he?"
The sinister copy swung his sword again, and Red Un only got out of the way
because he slipped on an icy rock and fell on his back.
"But...to make such a copy of both body and soul would take tremendous
power! Who...?"
The red-armoured shadow didn't answer, he just raised his sword above his head.
Then his eyes opened up a bit as he realised something.
"Now this seems awfully familiar! Too bad for you that there isn't any
thunderstorm, eh?"
Far away, looking down at the fighting from the top of Vega’s only small
mountain, stood an old, wrinkled man, bent forward. His face was hidden by a
black hood, but a sinister smile could be seen.
Artios
"Sigh,
why does it always seem like everyone is ignoring me?" Artios thought, and
then he jumped down from the flying carpet. Landing not too many meters away
from his shadow. Artios quickly rose up and looked into his copies eyes.
"Hm, well, doesn't it seem like we've got a necromancer’s creation before
us? I can make such copies too." Artios said.
"He's going to copy my every move. My bone dragon will help me."
Artios thought. But since his copy had no bone dragon, he reacted as Artios
would without a bone dragon. Or at least that's what Artios thought.
Artios looked into his copies eyes, and his copy did naught but look back.
"He cannot have a bone dragon too...? What is he going to do?" Artios
thought. And then, just a mere moment later, Artios bone dragon struck into
another bone dragon, just above Artios and his copy's head.
The bone dragons that seemed a bit confused, started attacking each other with
different elemental magics. But both of them were immune to their own magic as
they realized only a few seconds later. And they started to attack each other
with their claws and fangs.
"So, you've got a bone dragon too?" they both said at the same
moment. Artios shook his head, and turned his back to his copy. Knowing that
he'd never attack a man from behind, he felt quite safe. He got a bit closer to
Red Un, and he stopped just a few meters from him and said; "Sir Redwick,
we won't stand a chance against them. We will have to kill whoever summoned
them." Artios made sure no one else heard his words. Before Red Un got to
answer, Artios turned back to his shadow. "Now, you will hopefully act
differently" Artios thought. Artios knew that he wouldn't have to fight
his copy, but he had to find whoever summoned him. So Artios drew his sword in
case his copy would attack him. His copy did the same. And they just looked
into each other's eyes.
"I guess my copy is rather suspicious now" Artios thought. He tried
to scan the area, but he just couldn't get his eyes off his own.
Red Un
The Red Un
who wasn't Red Un was momentarily distracted when Artios called out their name.
Red Un didn't hesitate, and simply kicked his evil twin in the legs. The
shadowy being fell to the ground.
"Why you little..."
But Red Un was already on his feet and had picked up his sword. He tried to
stab his copy, but he rolled out of the way, and got on his feet as well.
"Hah, I'm just as 'nimble' as you!"
"Seems so. Lis'n, it will take forever for us to kill each other. Why not
settle this the dwarven way?"
"You mean..."
"Yeah! A drinking contest! I happen to have some bottles of beer in my
backpack."
"What a coincidence, so have I."
It was a strange scene, two dwarves sitting down in the snow while fighting
went about around them, pouring up a mug of beer each.
"And no magic rings!"
"Of course not. Hrmh."
Mategerold
Elwyn
hopped off the carpet and muttered something as he fell. His fall gradually
slowed as he neared the ground, and he began speaking before he landed.
"If you truly are a perfect copy of me, in mind, body, and soul, why do
you serve the Brotherhood, and yet I do not?"
"The Brotherhood is everything and all. I owe my life to them. Now I will
kill you for them."
"Fool. You are no longer me. You serve evil, while I serve good."
Narudin
The two
figures whirled, danced and rolled, weaving their blades in deadly patterns.
Yet each brilliant attack was foiled by an equally brilliant defence. Thus the
half elf and his shadow twin spent the next few minutes fighting with no winner
emerging. Finally both jumped away, panting heavily.
"This is ridiculous" said Narudin and sighed before jumping back
towards his still grinning counterpart. They clashed again, both shadowdancers
accelerating their pace of trading blows in order to tire the other. The air
was filled with the sounds of clashes of steel hitting against steel at an
impossible frequency, and then only a long, tortured screech of metal as the
pace increased once more. Both of the fighters arms were a blur, thrusting and
parrying the others attacks.
The spell was broken by an explosions to the side. The combatants detached
themselves from each other and watched both Tujexes fly in opposite directions
after clashing their blades.
"Bah, I've forgot to ask him about that strange transformation he went
through when fighting those dragons" muttered Narudin, looking at the
awesome display of power. A little way to the right he saw two Tranquillities
also locked in a deadly struggle. All around, he saw his companions fight their
evil counterparts, except for a small place of peace where two half dwarves
seemed to be getting drunk...
He caught a movement at the edge of his sight and brought up his crossed
swords, arms still burning from the fatigue of recent combat. They caught the
double chop just at the hilts, and Narudin looked into the murky blue of his
shadow simulacrum's eyes.
"You are weak" the copy snarled, applying steady pressure with his
own swords. "You have always thought yourself worse, inferior to those
around you. You cannot lie to yourself!" The shadow Narudin laughed.
"You hide behind Your "values". All lies! Lies that you try to
hide your weakness with, your inferiority! You do not even see that you
endanger the very group you want to protect!"
The two swords descended slightly towards Narudin's head, as the shadow copy
poisoned the half elf's mind with its venomous words.
"Am I weak?" he thought. "Am I a danger? Do I hide
behind lies, do I lead a life of illusion? What am I worth? Do I even deserve a
capitol "I"?"
Strength
was sapped from the shadowdancer’s arms as all his failures swept in front of
his eyes. Twenty years of slavery, of vile deeds, his stupidity, the death of
his step parents, his mixed heritage, the disappointment with his father, grief
of his mother....
"i... i... i..." Narudin's voice faltered, but then he looked around
and other thoughts found their way to his mind. He had prevailed. He had
escaped, found his way, paid for his deeds. He had built a new life, not an
existence, but a Life, and though the Brotherhood had managed to continually
try tearing it down, he still prevailed. He had made... friends...
"I shall not give in to Your foul tongue, spawn of shadows" Narudin
finished, calmness returning to his voice and a steely glint to his eyes. The
blades stopped lowering themselves and started pushing back the shadow copies
blades. "You were very close there, nearly over the brink" continued
the half-elf, now level with his opponents eyes once again, "But You went
a step too far. And You have assured... Your... FATE!."
With that Narudin pushed back the simulacrum with unnatural strength, sending
him sprawling to the ground. The shadow Narudin quickly got to his feet, a look
of mild disbelief on its face. Narudin didn't press his advantage, but let the
clone get up.
"You are good at copying, my shadowy twin. But can You create? Do You have
a fire inside You that can bring Your swordsmanship to new levels? Can You even
care for anything? Other than the magically imbued fanatism for the
Brotherhood, You can not. You are imperfect. Flawed. And thus You shall
fall."
Narudin brought up his blades.
"You are not a perfect copy. The skills, the body, the instincts, even the
mind and way of thinking - perhaps. But You have no soul, lest a god created
You. And if it did, than the soul is too twisted to help You."
The simulacrum snarled, and readied his swords.
"Music, play!" Narudin laughed and both combatants leaped. Ones eyes
murky and dark, the other's glowing with their own inner fires...
Sarra
Zoldan
Walking in
from the stormy mist covering the ocean, Kish took in the scene in front of
her. Copies of all the members of the party were dancing to and fro, combating
each other... except for Redwick and his copy, who were sitting on the ground,
drinking beer from a number of flagons.
"Dwarves... or half-dwarves for that matter..."she muttered.
At her current pace, she soon reached the area of the combatants. Gazing around
the surrounding area to find her own shadowy copy, she didn't notice the
growing shadow covering her body until the last second.
Making a pushing movement forwards with her feet, she turned in mid air,
skidding backwards across the snow for some ten yards, just distant enough to
avoid the shards of flying dirt set off by the shadow's owner.
The person who just tried to crush her was not her copy... or at least didn't
seem to be by its looks.
The copy was a man, some 180 centimetres tall, maybe 130 pounds. His hair was
raven black, his eyes green, reflecting Kishs' own.
Dressed in a stiff apprentices robe, with an open cut in the front, revealing
dark red trousers and a black tunic, the shadow smiled lightly, a mirthless
smile.
Kish returned the favour.
In between breaths, Kish was holding her sword in her right hand, her left hand
empty. Her eyes were a study in unholy fire as she crouched low, placing
herself in a point of low balance, bedding for agile movement and quick
recuperation.
Her opponent reached out and took a long staff out of thin air. The staff was
made of a dark wood, with a small golden butt and a gold-clad crystal
headpiece.
The shadow smiled again.
"Your beloved Proteus Star. Better fit for a weapon than a piece of
worthless armour."
The voice of the shadow was thin, but still very human. Kishs’ voice however,
was hissing hoarse when she spoke.
"I should have figured you would make a weapon out of it. You never
understood the basic concept of armour... even such as light as mine."
The shadow grabbed the staff with his right hand just over the butt, taking a
few rapid steps and sent it flying in a sweeping motion towards Kish.
Kish leaned back low, deflecting the blow with her sword, sparks flying as the
two connected. The blade didn't leave a mark on the staff.
As the staff came around, the shadow versatiley flipped it over and pushed the
butt towards Kish, aiming for her face.
Kish nimbly leapt out of range, and countered with a throwing knife, missing by
an inch as the shadow dodged it.
"So..." Kish said "...why are you my copy?”
Lima
Beanie
Lima Beanie
was amazed, and thrilled.
"Now where am I... erm my copy."
Then he saw a figure peeking from a pine, then hid back.
"Got you."
He made a wide turn passing by the side of battle.
I may not have heard of Dragon Lords but I have heard of this
simulacrum, they may think as me. But I have an advantage. I improvise
everything, it may be hard yet because he may be as unpredictable as a rat, so
I must be aware.
Now he got himself in front of him
"Hi there you must..."
He barely escaped from the firesword slash.
Unpredictable, as I said.
"You asked for it."
In a fast move of the hand the explosion rune he had in one glove fell to his
palm and he fired it as fast as he could. The fire was sent the pine tree
flying to a nearby hill, there was too much dust and he distinguished a crater
and in the middle...
"A sphere? ...GOD!"
He jumped backwards as he saw a dark blow in middle of sphere, but nothing
could evade a Sudden Death.
The dark missile hit him right into the leg. The blood froze and Lima felt his
heart stop.
He remembered words from Loria.
The best spell for deciding a battle within seconds. The spell tries to
interrupt the opponents heart beat, leading to his instant death in most cases.
"ex...u...ra.........VITA!"
He felt replenished.
"I must be more careful."
"Utamo Vita" both said at same time. "Oh no..."
Lima thought that the more mana he wasted the more fast the shield would wear
off. Then he remembered the two Dragon Lords he consumed. "Ouch, this will
take a little bit..."
Then he thought of his obsession of using the magic strikes. "Yeah,
idea."
Then he drew his firesword and charged towards the simulacrum, then jumped as
he made a flame strike, he did it again, he kept doing that for some minutes
then both spheres vanished. Ok, spell wore off. Again!
"Utamo Vita." both voices said.
"Sooner or later mana will end, what would a druid be without mana?"
Red Un
Red Un and
his shadowy counterpart were both getting excessively drunk.
"Y'know... y'r not schuch a bad... perschon after
all..." said Red Un.
"Yeah...but......" responded not-Red Un. "...I
schtill gotta......kill ya..."
"Right...but
first...since we're both... the schame... I believe we both need to
... relieve ourselves, y'know? Empty the bladder, scho to
schpeak..."
"Figger yer... right."
"Okay, you'll go first..."
"Schure thing!"
The drunken half-dwarf that wasn't Red Un got on his feet slowly. He started to
walk over to a nearby tree to relieve himself.
That's when he slipped on a patch of ice, staggered and happened to get between
Narudin and his sinister copy.
There was the sound of a head being cut off. The shadowdancers barely noticed.
Red Un got on his feet.
"If there'sch one thing I can bet on..., it'sch me own bad
luck..."
Lima
Beanie
In the
middle of the confusion Lima saw one of the two drunk dwarves get up and go to
a tree and then slipped and got in middle of the way of a sword of one Narudin.
"WATCH OUT SIR!"
The head rolled.
"RED UN!"
Lima was crying and furious as he saw the other little dwarf chuckling.
"You will pay..."
Red Un
Red Un backed
away from the furious Lima.
"Hey hey......that wasch the EVIL half-dwarf! Schee,
I haven't got that... dark glint in m'eyesch, right?"
Narudin
The
shadowdancers once more clashed in a flurry of sharp steel, a skirmish which
seemed to be just as pointless as the previous ones. Equal in skill, none could
gain a tangible advantage. Narudin finally decided use one of his aces and
flexed his muscles in a way that sent a small, enchanted ceramic globe into his
hand. He was worried to see his shadowy counterpart do the same, and both threw
it against the earth at the same time. The pure, brilliant light from Narudin's
orb met a blast of complete darkness from his shadow twin’s globe.
Narudin blinked as the short period of darkness passed over him, negating
itself with the bright light, which undoubtedly had also affected the dark
Narudin. On instinct, he sent his swords into a standard attack-parry motion to
stop any incoming attacks. Much to his surprise, the blades did not meet metal
but bit deeply into yielding flesh. He could here his twin also shout in ...
triumph?
The sound of metal hitting metal finally resounded, if a bit muffled.
The normal level of light returned and both shadowdancers saw a most gruesome
sight - They were standing, blades connected at a dwarfs... or half-dwarfs neck
height. The head was not on its customary place, but sailing through the air.
Narudin's moment of panic quickly subsided as he noticed the eyes - dark and
murky, still wearing the signs of astonishment. This was not THE Red Un.
All this passed through the half elf's head with lightning speed and Narudin
focused back to his opponent, who was still looking at the falling head.
"When Your opponent is equal in skill, find advantages."
Narudin, still applying pressure to the connected sword, swung his other in a
quick and deceptive arc, aiming for the simulacrum's head. The targeted shadow
copy noticed it at the last possible moment and ducked.
"Where there aren't any advantages to find, make them Yourself."
The half elf used the energy of his swing and jumped up, landing on the
decapitated shadow Red Un's shoulders. It was an unsteady support, but it
didn't have to last for long - Just for long enough. Narudin's simulacrum let
out a cry of triumph and sent his blade in a upwards swing, aiming to catch the
shadowdancer from below. Narudin knew he could not block it in time from this
angle, nor did he try. He calmly watched the blade come closer and leaped
forward, somersaulting over the surprised shadows copy's head.
Narudin slashed down with both blades as he passed over the simulacrum's head
and a clang resounded as he met a parry. The half elf grinned. Just he
had expected. Just as he had planned.
Landing behind the shadow Narudin, the half elf let go of his swords. The
pressure being relieved from his blades, the simulacrum was slightly
unbalanced. Before he could retract his hands, Narudin caught hold of them and
sharped backwards, painfully twisting the arms behind the shadow copy's back.
The simulacrum refused to let go of his blades, though the slightest pressure
applied by Narudin sent waves of agony through him. The whole sequence took no
more than a few seconds, from decapitating the shadow half dwarf. The half-elf
contemplated for a moment, and finally said:
"I really hate doing this, contrary to whatever you may think. If You
think at all."
That being said, Narudin pushed downwards. Two loud cracks melded into
one as the shadow simulacrum screamed, letting go of his swords. Narudin caught
them before they fell, made a 360 degree turn in one spot in order to gain
momentum and slashed across the shadow copies neck.
Nothing happened.
Narudin calmly threw the shadow blades to one side and pick up his own swords.
Then he turned towards Red Un and Lima, and walked towards them. Behind him the
head, twisted into a strange grimace, slowly tilted to the side and fell from
the neck, dramatically rolling to a stop a couple feet away.
Red Un
Red Un
looked a bit surprised.
"Narudin? I thought'cha wash... gonna kill yer
sim...schim...swim...copy. But I can schee two of ya..."
Red Un shook his head.
"Oh! Think it'sch time for......a quick soberin' up..."
He walked over to the coastline and dipped his head into the cold, cold water.
It didn't stay down for very long.
"AAAAAH! I hate quick soberin' ups!"
The uncomfortably sober half-dwarf peered over the snowy fields.
"Hmm...there's gotta be someone behind these not-quite-us..."
Tujex
Tujex's
copy had taken to his demon form and was using an insane amount of energy in an
attempt to end this match quickly. Tujex ducked and dodged with he best of his
ability, dodging the balls of dark energy that the fake threw at him.
"This is how I set up my desperation move!" Tujex exclaimed as he
watched his fake bring his hands together ad fire a blast of dark energy. Tujex
flipped backwards, sliding on the ice until he was out of the attacks way. An
explosion sounded off, as the blast left a crater in the ground. "Here it
comes!" the fake called as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Final
Explosion!"
A red aura surrounded the fakes body as he began laughing. "There's no way
you can dodge this!" he screamed, his eyes glowing brighter than ever. The
fake let out a loud scream, sending a wave of dark energy over the battlefield
that would've killed the others if Tujex hadn't led the fake away. Tujex
through his hands forward, unleashing his inner demon. He threw up a shield
that caught the explosion and pushed back. Tujex's arms strained to stay up and
hold the barrier, but the force the blast was hitting him with was making his
arms weaker and weaker.
His barrier began to crack, spreading outward from the centre towards Tujex's
hands. "There's only one chance...I have to do this right!" Tujex
thought as he let one hand off of his barrier, allowing the whole thing to fall
as he snatched the Noish's Promise from its sheath. The explosion consumed him,
making the fake think he had finished this battle. The fake lowered to the
ground chuckling. "There's no way he could survive that. And even if he
did... he can't take two." Tujex swung his sword, causing a gust of wind
that blew the smoke about, revealing that he had somehow survived the blast. A
green aura pulsated from his blade as his eyes took the same colour. "Why
hasn't he morphed back yet? There's no way he can still have the energy to
maintain that form" Tujex thought, his expression showing his shock.
The fake laughed and cracked his knuckles. "My creator made me perfect,
knocking out your one flaw. Your power supply is very limited, and any powerful
attack leaves you seriously drained. That doesn't happen to me, my demonic
power is endless!" Tujex growled and charged the fake, slashing with all
his might. The fake merely ducked under the blade and punched Tujex in his
stomach. He removed his fist and with a roundhouse kick he sent Tujex flying.
The half-elf fell hard in the snow, thoughts racing through his head. "Can
I really beat him?" he thought as he forced himself up from the
ground. Tujex's only apparent weakness was his inability to control his energy.
But that's when something struck him. He stood upright, holding his Noish's
Promise in one hand and a placing as throwing knife in his teeth.
Tujex
rushed with incredible speed, sending his knife into his fake’s side, and
snatched it out as he flipped back. He landed and smiled, his knife now back
between his teeth. In his hand was the Noish's Promise, and in the other was
the fake’s Noish's Promise. The fake stared in awe, amazed at how Tujex had managed
to move in so close and get an attack in. Tujex readied himself, his wings
sprouting from his back and horns from his forehead. "There's no way you
can know this style," Tujex said, smiling as much as he could with a knife
in his teeth. The fake smiled arrogantly, walking towards Tujex. "Well
show me what you and that style can do. I might not know it, but believe me...
there's nothing you can throw at me that can do any more damage than
this." The fake pointed to his knife wound which rapidly closed.
Tujex smiled and lunged at his copy, slashing wildly yet precisely. The fake
dodged and blocked the blows, the wounds he received from the attacks closing
before he deflected the next swing. "See! Even with three blades you can't
stop me!" the fake yelled out over the sounds of the blades slashing
through the wind. "That wasn't my plan!" Tujex screamed as he swiped
at the fake, causing a gust of wind to blow him back. The fake staggered and
slipped on the ice behind him, falling hard on his back. Tujex took this chance
and immediately jumped into the air, looming over his opponent as he fell
towards him with rapid speed. "Demonic X!" he screamed as a red flash
filled both of their eyes.
When it faded Tujex found himself lying on the ground beside his opponent, both
of the swords jammed into his neck and the knife buried to the handle in his
heart. Tujex pushed himself from the ground, spitting as he walked, not
noticing the blood that was in it. He snatched his blade from the copies throat
and walked over to the others who had finished before him. The land the two had
battled on was scarred, left barren by the demonic energy that sucked the life
from it as it made contact. Neither snow nor grass was left, just the earth as
well as a few craters. The snow would cover it up within the next few weeks,
but for now it was the sign of Tujex's battle.
"Hey Narudin you got another knife I can borrow?" he asked as he
looked back at his dead clone.
Narudin
"Well,
obviously the Brotherhood… or at least I think that it is obviously the
Brotherhood" Narudin said in response to Red Un's statement. "And if
it is the Brotherhood, then their reserves are seriously depleted, at least in
terms of man power. We virtually slaughtered all their forces at the siege at
Elvith's cave and disposed of their elite masters in the air battle above the
Nordic Ocean. In fact, that leaves only the Leader of Leaders, perhaps with his
most trusted advisors... Yet still, simulacrums are one of the most powerful
types of magic... to create something real is the toughest challenge
which magic stands against. Divination is just messing with time and space,
Illusion is creating only the images, Abjurations only call up short-lived
barriers, Enchantments meddle with the mind, Evocations depend on calling into
existence energies for a very short time, Necromancy infuses new life into old
forms... Transmutations, that is the magic of changing things and conjurations,
that is creating are the most power-consuming schools. Where did the power come
from...?"
Narudin fell quiet in a thoughtful way, the silence punctured by a series of
explosions quite far off to the north. The half elf turned to watch, his keen
eyes discerning too forms in the distance, both looking a bit... demonic?
Another explosion took a part of the landscape with it, and then a second one
shortly after. The shadowdancer looked in amazement as Tujex slowly approached
them a few minutes later, battered, yet alive and with non-shadow eyes and
casually asked him for a knife. The half elf blinked and then held out his
hand, a knife appearing in it almost magically.
"Hmm, I think You'd do well with a No. 7. Nice and straight, though a bit
clumsy when it comes to throwing. Ideal for stabbing and OK at slashing."
Holding out the knife, Narudin looked towards the barren land where Tujex had
came from.
"Remind me never to fight with you, Sir Tujex. Are You, by any chance,
related to the demonic race? Or possibly use necromantic magic, as only demons
and necromancy can cause such wounds to the land..."
Sarra
Zoldan
The shadow
smiled at her question.
"What makes you think I'm a copy?"
Staff flying. Parry. Quick underhand thrust. Parried. Starclad piece flying.
Dodged. Staff's butt thrusting. Dodged and parried. Overhand swing. Dodged.
"The real carrier of that spirit died a long time ago. I killed him with
my own hands, so I should know." Kish said heatedly.
Roll and kick. Last second dodge. Overhead staff swing. Dodged. Quick thrust
and slash. Dodged and parried. Return swing... no, overhead swipe!
Kish grunted as the butt of the staff hit her on the shoulder with decent
force. The shadow chuckled at her predicament. Shifting grip on the blade, Kish
threw herself back at the shadow.
"If you are who you say you are, why aren't you using your abilities to
incinerate me? One of the spiritkind wouldn't be using staves and swords to
fight." Kish continued, while making an overhead swipe followed by an
elbow blow. Parried and dodged.
The shadow chuckled again and sent the Proteustipped staff flying in an
underhand arc. Parried.
"Yes, I suppose that if anything would give me away as a copy and not my
true self... then again, don't I look a little bit different, hm?"
Feinted thrust, real thrust. Dodged. Parrying a staffswipe. Double swinging
slash. Dodge and last second parry.
"You look the same to me."
Slash and parry. Overhead staff swipe. Dodged. Second swipe.
Jumping up and taking a second step on the flying staff, Kish made a somersault
over the shadow's left shoulder, extending a long clawlike object from her
sleeve, its tip digging in half an inch into the shadow's shoulder.
Landing on her feet behind the shadow, she quickly rolled forwards, got to her
feet and wheeled about in one swift motion.
The shadow stood glaring at her with eyes filled with hatred.
"Now you've made me angry."
"Good", Kish replied. "That's how I want you."
The shadow took the staff at its butt and swung it in a large, powerful
overhead arc. As it came down, it connected with Kish's left forearm, and
stopped.
Her arm was uncovered, and the staff was connected to a bracer made of a
half-golden material, carved in circular thinthreaded patterns, with Kish's
Proteus Star inlaid in its centre.
"Useless armour, eh"? Kish said to the shadow.
The shadow's surprised gaze went from her bracer to the blade she held in her
right hand, it's point headed for his throat.
With a cry of frustration, the shadow screamed.
"Damn you!"
Just the bare tenth of a second before the blade hit, the shadow dissolved into
swirling pinkish energies, the sound of an Astral Gate spell resounding
throughout the air.
Sheathing her blade and replacing her sleeve over her bracer, Kish made her way
over to the others. She noticed, half-interested, that Redwick had sobered up
pretty quickly.
"So... anyone got a bit of tea? I could really use some..."
Red Un
Red Un sneezed.
"That makes two of us.
Darn cold place, I wish..."
But he was interrupted by a scream of disappointment and anger that echoed over
the island. He swung around and peered at the mountain.
"That way! I guess whoever made those copies must be pretty disappointed
right now..."
He started to run for the mountain.
Tranquillity
Tranquillity
dove for the ground, sword outstretched trying to hit her copies legs, it
didn't work and she came up to parry the blow she knew was coming. The force of
the blow sent a tingling sensation down her arms but she ignored it and jumped
into the fight. Instantly the two bodies were intertwined with each other,
weaving through and about the others attacks and counter-attacks, bodies mere
inches away at some points.
Finally her copy got a blow through with a knife at her stomach, though it was
deflected off her armour. Tranquillity would have ignored it were it not for
the delicate sound of breaking glass. She glanced down and saw red seeping
through her robe. "I forgot I had that" she thought to herself. She
glanced up at her copy who was grinning. Tranquillity clutched her stomach as
if hurt and clumsily stumbled backwards, tripping over her robe. Her copy
approached.
"You are weak and always have been weak. Now is the end." Her copy
brought her blade up for a dramatic kill and brought the blade whistling down.
Tranquillity rolled to the side just in time and the blade missed, burying
itself in the ground. Instantly Tranquillity was up, one hand on her opponent’s
blade keeping it down, the other on a knife which protruded from her copies
neck. She jerked the blade out and dropped it on the ground as her copy began
to fade away, then picked up her copies blade examining it. "I can
definitely see this working" she said as she held up her blade for
comparison. "It might be nice to have two bl... damn." The blade
began to disintegrate in her hand. She headed over to join the others.
Red Un
Someone
dressed in black robes was coming down from the mountain. He waved his hands
and shouted angrily.
"No! You can't come... this is unthinkable!"
Artios
Artios
looked into his copy's eyes. None moved. After a few seconds, Artios got
another one of his headaches. "Gah, not now! It cannot happen now!"
Artios thought. He held his hand on his forehead, but tried to look at what his
copy would do. He noticed that his copy did not have one of these headaches.
"Does this mean that the reason as for why I get those headaches does not
lie within my body nor soul? Or is it a curse? Or perhaps my copy is not that
perfect after all?"
Artios fainted, but woke up only a few seconds afterwards. Artios quickly got
back up on his feet.
"So, how come you didn't kill me?" Artios asked his copy.
His copy did not answer. It was quite obvious that he didn't attack because he
was certain it'd be a trap.
Artios began laughing.
"Very well. Let's see what you'd do if you'd lose your sanity."
Artios said and stretched his hand up in the air.
Artios copy suddenly got furious. And charged at Artios with great anger. He
was under the effects of a berserk curse.
Artios quickly set up a magical wall around him, knowing that he could not
break one easily himself.
Artios’ copy slashed with his sword at the wall and tried to cast many death
spells, and elemental spells. But none harmed Artios.
Artios’ copy ran out of both energy and mana and could merely slash at Artios
no longer. Artios let go of his magical force. "Well, it seems that I'll
be the one to reap your soul. Unfortunately, I was weak. It's sad to know that
it was this easy to defeat myself."
Artios’ copy was totally out of energy. But yet he tried to slash at Artios.
But Artios had no problem blocking his copys weak attacks. Artios decided to
make this short and pushed his copy away with a magic force. Then, Artios began
chanting. And a Dark Sword appeared in front of Artios.
Artios took this sword and threw it at his copy with an intense force. The
Sword exploded on impact creating a great dark explosion and shrouding Artios'
copy in a dark mist. Once the mist was gone, Artios copys body was nowhere to
be seen.
"So, you've all already killed your copy?" Artios said when he saw
that almost all the other copies were dead.
Artios then noticed the man dressed in black robes. "I guess we all now
know who summoned those copies, eh?"
Red Un
"Seems
so" Red Un muttered. The old bent man in black robes approached them.
"Stay away! I have powers beyond your comprehension! I...I..."
He stumbled and fell forward. Red Un went over to him and sat down by his side.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I..." the old man gasped. "I am the Leader of the Leaders,
highest of the Brotherhood of the Dark Star..."
Biali
Lima was
looking at other guys finish with their simulacrums when he felt a burning in
his back. The darker Lima threw him a Heavy Magic Missile.
"Ah, almost forgot, you’re still alive!"
Then Lima remembered how he was almost dead when his copy threw him a Sudden
Death rune.
"If I can throw you two Sudden Deaths, you will die in matter of seconds.
But first let’s take care of the mana sphere shield."
He tried the thunder attack again but the copy knew the words and movements and
cancelled it with an Earth shield he created around him.
"He knows every spell of mine, and I am not good in attacking hand to
hand... Wait a minute, and if I create my spells? If I change a word and
the movement of a finger?"
He tried the thunder spell again, but he changed the word VIS for HUR, suddenly
a small tornado appeared in front of both. It didn't last long.
He kept trying until he made a beam of pure energy that hit him right into the
chest, the sphere almost disappeared, then he made the same attack but now it
was flames and energy at the same time. The snow melted and the trees scorched.
Lima felt his hands burning. The copy was lying on the ground. Lima saw him
breathing. So he made a thunder spell again, he saw his copy shaking violently,
he got set in flames. Screaming.
"Here comes the last blow."
Two Sudden Death missiles flew over the muddy floor. The flaming figure stopped
running and screaming. He coughed, then he fell flat on ground. He didn't move
again.
"At last."
Lima picked all the bodies, then put them in a pile. Then summoned a skeleton from
every single HUMAN body he found. He heard a scream of anger. He looked
everywhere but then he looked back where his friends were and saw Red Un
kneeled down talking to an old man.
Red Un
The old man
turned his head towards the assembled adventurers.
"Half-dwarf... you don't know what... you are doing... you... you
can't..."
He looked at Narudin.
"Narudin... why have you betrayed us... do what you know is right...
kill... them... now!"
Narudin
A sudden
rage took over Narudin as he heard the voice. He grabbed the hilts of his
swords, and snarled:
"You dare tell me what to do?! You, who had led the most
degenerated and evil organisation on the face of Tibia?! No, I do not know what
is this "Right" You speak of! I had slaved for You for two
decades, under the power of the bloody geas which had been put on me, powerless
to disobey Your commands! The End Justifies the Means?! I cannot imagine any
End which justifies such Means! But I had broken free..."
The shadowdancer stopped, calmness returning to his face and control to his
voice. His hands still rested on the pommels of his swords, yet they were not
shaking anymore.
"I had broken free, and You failed to destroy me. I am not like You. I am
a reasonable person. I shall not kill my companions. But..."
Narudin glanced at Red Un. "I vote that he gets a chance to tell us what
is the thing we are doing, that we do not know of. Even if he tells us lies...
You can also extract truth from them. I, for one, would gladly hear what
"End" was this old man trying to achieve..."
Red Un
Red Un
shifted his eyes and looked a bit nervous.
"Erm, I vote that we kill him now!"
The old man smiled evilly.
"Oh, half-dwarf... you don't want them to hear... the truth? The... fact
that might... make them all abandon you... here, when you have... achieved so
much?"
"Shut up!" Red Un looked a bit desperate. "Let's leave him here,
he's no threat to us now."
"Well then... why not just let me say what I want to say...?"
Biali
Lima came
rushing to the scene and looked at Narudin with sword in hand. And the old man
in robe lying saying something inaudible to him.
Lima came closer.
"What is he talking about... who is he?"
Narudin
"He
is... an old man. Who had power. Who has knowledge, or at least
information"
The shadowdancer looked warily at the Grand Master before him.
"No tricks, old one. One false move and I am quite sure that not only my
blades will find their mark..."
Red Un
The Leader
of Leaders was still smiling.
"Of course, I wouldn't... lie to you. Especially not when... the truth is
so much more... interesting. What did you tell them... half-dwarf? You wanted
to go... on a noble quest to find... knowledge for all to... benefit from? Or
did you... offer them money? Perhaps some of them..."
He looked at Narudin.
"...came along because they though... they could save the world... from
something terrible... like a Brotherhood?"
Red Un’s initial fear turned into confusion. But he let the old man talk some
more.
"You are all... wrong... the Library of Legends is a... place of great...
evil...where all books... and I do mean all books... are stored. Tomes
written by demons... scrolls by powerful wizards... secrets that would tear any
mortal's soul apart... did you tell them of all this?"
Red Un shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, lemme see now..."
He dug out a dirty, torn and barely readable piece of paper with the word
"TREASURE" written in big letters over a smaller text.
"Yeah, here it is: 'I also know that Red Un cannot be held responsible for
any injuries, deaths, or horrible fates that no sane creature should know of.'
I'm pretty sure that covers it."
The old man gasped in disbelief and anger.
"And they still followed you?!"
Biali
Lima was
astonished.
"So we are on a treasure hunt? One with insane death involved? Let me see
that paper."
ADVENTURING CONTRACT
By sig.........s contract I accept that Red Un will always hav.......t pick on
any treasures (or books) that might be found under the adventure which I, by
signing this contract, promises t...........I al......................cannot be
held responsible for any inj.......deaths........ates that no sane creature
should know of. I a..........ever back down, be heroic, brave, friendly and any
other th.......Red Un....in the future.
"What the? Why is so dirty and has "TREASURE" written in
middle?"
Red Un
"It's
a long story. Now, what're we gonna do with this guy?"
Tujex
Tujex
walked up and kicked the man hard. "Just leave him, he's no threat to us
now. I just wanna read one of those books he was talking about. If there's
something written by demons that can make me stronger waiting just ahead... why
would I chicken out and run because of this guy?" Tujex asked looking to
his half-dwarf companion.
Narudin
"He
is, or at least was the leader of a powerful and dark organisation, Sir
Tujex" Narudin reminded. "One does not stay on such a position too
long if he does not command respect from his followers. Appearances always were
the Brotherhood’s greatest assets... But I do not like the idea of murdering a
seemingly helpless enemy. I say we take him with us, but watch him
closely!"
The shadowdancer cast the Leader of Leaders a stern gaze.
"You have told us nothing much. It was known from the beginning that the
Library contains all forms of knowledge, also that, which is forbidden. These
days even apprentice wizards enchant their spellbooks with some form of
protection spell to prevent unwanted people from reading them, and attempting
to read a book encoded by a master in the Art threatens with much more severe
consequences than a migraine. If telling us about the dangers of knowledge is
all that You can do, then I doubt You have any other arguments to stop
us."
Narudin looked at the old man with a tired gaze.
"What is the End, which justifies the Means? I doubt I shall ever know the
answer, let alone understand it" the half elf, keeping one eye on the
Leader of Leaders, turned to the rest. "Has anyone a better proposition? Sir
Redwick?"
Red Un
The old man
sputtered and suddenly rose to his knees.
"Fools! The Library of Legends are not for mortals! The end times! The end
times!"
He got on his feet and rushed at the unprepared Red Un, grasping the
half-dwarf's neck.
"DIE! DIEEEEE!"
Red Un slowly gripped the old mans fingers and bent them backwards one by one.
Each time there was a disturbing snapping, and a scream of pain. The very skies
seemed to darken as the last Brother of the Brotherhood summoned up all his
power.
Shadowy ghosts danced before Red's eyes, and it felt as if a thousand nails
were inserted into his head.
Thunder was heard and the ground around the two men were split by lightning
bolts from the skies.
But Red Un held it back. He had seen many horrible things, he had lost loved
friends and honoured enemies, he had fought against powerful magic, and, his dwarven
side added, he had wasted gold, beer and what little beard he had managed to
grow in countless of instances to get here. Whatever the old man threw at him,
he could take it.
There would be no End to justify all the Brotherhood's Means.
There was a final disgusting snap of a neck breaking, and then there was
silence. As the momentary night turned back to day, a half-dwarf stood over the
corpse of and old man. The half-dwarf shuffled around in his pockets, and found
a key from a far-away desert.
"Right, whaddya say we find that darn Library?"
<< Previous chapter Next chapter>>