Rebirth

[wowy319]

Lithranol knelt near the long-since burned out embers of a campfire. To the average passer-by, it looked almost as though he were in prayer, or mourning.

But there was purpose to it.

Taking out a piece of well-crafted Vellum with strange writing upon it, lithranol smiled. He had spent the last of his gold on this particular scroll, but money was no object. Not when it could bring back a friend. Or three friends for that matter.

Taking a pouch of ground steel and iron, he poured it out to form a circle around him. using the burnt wood and embers of the fire pit, he traced the league's symbol in the circle, then stood in the center. He had done pretty well. But there was no time to admire the circle. it was a thing of purpose, not of art.

He held out the scroll and spoke.

"With magicks of steel and iron, I build a circle of power!"

What appeared to be the fires off a thousand forges made up the circle of power, and illuminated the three arrows sketched on the ground. It was almost ready. Lithranol opened a book. it seemed to be just like any other, with the exception of one thing. Two holes were cut into the pages to allow room for two vials of red liquid. Pulling them free, he returned the book to his backpack, and withdrew a third vial. Merrik's body had been retrieved from the pocket dimension, which gave him access to one of the most important pieces to the ritual: his blood.

It was time to raise the fallen.

Lithranol poured each vial into a seperate arrow, in neat and orderly circles. He then pulled a worn tome from his backpack, one which contained the history of the world within its pages. A strange, heated wind blew the book's pages open to a particular incantation. It was now or never.

"To Whom the Earth has swallowed thou bodies...
To whom the wind has stolen thou ashes...
With this circle of our guild, we call forth you to aid us once again.
Your bodies are gone... in spirit you remain.
Take up that which was taken, and come forth.
As I rise from the ground, so shall you."

Closing his eyes, lithranol reverently closed the Dit'al-rul and stood.

[Daegoon]

For several seconds, there were no signs showing that the incant worked; the wind was still, the clouds were following their paths and the moonlight was brightening the spot.

Without any signs from the surrounding trees or leaves on the ground, a gust of wind started to blow over the spots the blood were poured. The clouds converted their paths that covered the moon and yet the ritual location was still visible with light. Particles of sand started to swirl over the three locations. The outer boundaries of the triangles started to glow as they spin with the circling wind. As the triangles started to spin faster, they started to shift their locations on the ground. The triangles started to turn around the circle, slowly increasing the distance between them. Faster and faster the triangles spinned, the clouds overhead swirled around themselves flashing in a blinding light. Suddenly with ear piercing sunders, bolts of blinding energy striked each triangle causing each one to come to a violent stop.

On closer inspection the triangles started to grow and change shape, each one different then the other. It comes apparent the shapes were the body outlines of Merrik, Qur’ral and Fri’ale; each shapes just a line on the ground. When the outlines were completed, each one was striked again by a blinding flash of energy that lasted for many minutes. When the light asides and the clouds started to flow with the natural winds, the bodies of the three council members were laying still on the ground. Each one covering the triangle that was filled with their blood, their chests raised and fill as they breathe the air of the new world.

[Sibbie]

light slowly flooded from cloudy vision. Swirling, all like a bad nightmare fading away. And then a burst of cold air, a feeling of freedom without pain. He felt somthing, somthing with life. It was the ground. Merrik slowly opened his eyes.

He seemed to be muttering some things as if released from a bad nightmare. "Cerberus..." he muttered as he began to come to.

"where am I?" Merrik whispered as he began to focus on the bright sun.

He slowly sat up. "Lithranol? but...but im dead, the white lady...she shattered my very soul. I can still feel her cold grip." Merrik said after stumbling around for a few seconds trying to regain a sence of balance.

"It was like my exsistance was paused, when I fell to the hard ground, my vision blured as Curberus rushed to my lifless body. And then like glass my soul shattered, but I was not gone...just frozen, in a dark empty prison." Merrik said as he curiously looked around.

"And this is the gift I get for being a council member, the LoF's power seems to grow each and every day..." He said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Lithranol, you have more than proven your worth, I do believe I have alot of news to catch up on." He said.

He knew that he did not want to speak with Iornwing the second he was risen, he needed to think things over. So he stepped back.

"Thank you Lithranol..." he said with a tear

[wowy319]

Lithranol watched the ritual with a sense of joy and awe. He had seen magic before; he had seen old, frail men with but a few breaths left raise the dead and annihilate fighters far superior to them... he had seen a man rip the soul from another's body without so much as a yawn. But this was something beautiful. This was restoration, body and soul. Tears poured from his eyes as energy exploded all around him, the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sight he had ever witnessed.

When Merrik stood, he was unsure of whether or not to embrace him, or give him some room to recover. He couldn't think of what to say, so he went with his gut. He embraced Merrik, glad to finally have his friend and comrade alongside him once more.

Sometimes, words weren't needed.

[Daegoon]

Being ripped out of the plain of light, shocked and heavy, Fri’ale opened her eyes as she no longer felt warmth, but a cold ground. Bending a knee, Fri’ale sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Wh…” trying so say something, her throat was slightly sore and was unable to form words yet.

A few seconds passed until her vision returned and her throat cleared. Dazed and confused, she looked around to see Qur’ral a few feet away from her in one direction still laying on the ground and a scorch mark in the opposite direction. Looking forward, she notched a familiar face with a blue mark embracing another, “you… Thank You.” Picking herself up, she made her way to Qur’ral.

Sitting next to Qur’ral, she removed his helm to reveal his face. “Br… husband… get up.” Placing her hands under his back, she sat him up and placed herself behind him.

His eyes twitching… Qur’ral gasp as he tried to catch his breath. “Where…,” Qur’ral said as he forced his eyes opened. Foggy, the last thing he recalled was his breath shortening as his vision failed on the sight of his friends running on the dark ground. Right as his last breath left his body, he found himself in front of a large silver gate and being in the arms of his wife.

But now he was cold, his vision still foggy and being prompt up by someone. Lifting his arm, he reached behind to feel the warm breath of Fri’ale. A single tear ran down his face. Standing up with Fri’ale, the two of them looked upon Goldencloud and Merrik with a smile.

Qur’ral’s vision returning and his breathing slowing, “Very well done… what happened, is it done.”

[wowy319]

"Yes. The White Lady is dead, and the threat of plague has been removed from Athairis... But Thurwynd is gone. He gave me the spear and told me to find Vance before he died... I'll devote evrything I can to make good on that promise."

Lithranol smiled. It was good to have old friends back; the past was the past, and both Fri'ale and Qur'ral had done what they had to to preserve the balance. Lithranol could not hold that aginst them any more than he could a fish for swimming. Life would begin anew, for both the League and Athairis.

"It's good to see you... all of you."

[Sibbie]

Merrik embraced young Goldencloud back.

"We have all been through so much, who knows whats next..." Merrik said as he let go of Lithranol.

As the young warrior moved over to the other two, Merrik took a step back away from the three.

[Daegoon]

A grim smile took his face, “Thank the ancients, she… I failed. But Goldspear… he should be the one standing here now. I can only hope he finds peace in the lands that lay beyond our own.” Looking at Merrik, he noticed that he took a step back.

“I can only image the anger you have towards me… us now. But I knew I chose correctly when I made you a councilman. But now I can only hope you can understand and forgive my actions as I once forgiven you.”

With a raised eyebrow, Fri’ale listened and stepped forward to Goldencloud and placed her hand on his shoulder and looked at Merrik, “the both of you deserve to hear the reasons and much more… if you wish.”

[Sibbie]

"I have many loyalties, and I soon may decied where they are. But I will never forget your kind act of forgiving me." Merrik spoke to Iornwing then turning to his wife.

"I also think a little bit of an exsplanation is in order. Please do tell." Merrik said as he looked back at her.

[Daegoon]

Looking at Merrik, Fri’ale nodded her head. “You deserve more then just a little… you deserve to hear the entire thing. So… I’ll start from the beginning. I found her on an island as she was searching for something. She said she was looking for a cure of this world. I voiced my fears and before I knew it, I was working for her. I went through many hard tasks… but none were harder then hiding my actions from the league… I had to keep it a secret, but I left something behind for Qur’ral incase my life ended, for I knew he wouldn’t let anyone else but himself being the next.”

Lifting his head, Qur’ral started to talk. “When I first met the White Lady… I had the full intent of gaining as much information as possible on her and the plague. But when I found out about Fri’ale’s death, I was obligated to join her… and it was a good thing that I did… otherwise she would’ve have forced me to work for her and things could’ve ended up much different. By joining her; I was able to keep my mind and have a say in what I did.”

Looking at Goldencloud, “I did what I did to keep the balance… but it torn me up on the inside…”

Looking back at Merrik, “what I told you about my armor was correct. I changed it to remind myself of the league’s rules and my goals. The writing reads, “if you cross the paths of the bloods, you shall cross the path of my blades. Goldencloud can decode it and tell you that is the truth. After every encounter, I kept in contact with the White Lady informing her of the group’s actions and what I learned about the Solarian’s cure. But I did try to drop clues to you and others about my involvement and I even helped the Solarian’s in keeping the cure alive. As you might or might not know, I had my hands on the flower of destiny. But I kept it save from the White Lady. For you see, if the carrier died with it in their possession, it could’ve been searched off of them. But with it in my hands… those working for the White Lady wouldn’t have searched me. Oooo and what I said about not trusting Vipor or the Solarian Guard… that was and still is true. I don’t trust either one of them.”

Looking up, Qur’ral went on. “I didn’t told you or Goldencloud because I needed the both of you to be angry with me if and when you found out. You see… I… the world couldn’t have afford hesitation and with anger running through your veins, you would’ve been more likely to fight me to the death. I also didn’t ask you to join the White Lady with me because the both of you are still young in the league and the fact was, I didn’t wanted to lay such a heavy burden upon you. It was more difficult for me then you can even imagine. And finally the final battle… when I was myself, I didn’t touch either one of you. I was the entire time, placing the league above the White Lady and then I was killed. But then… then I was raised as an undead with a spirit. My heart did everything to stop myself from fighting against you, but my mind was corrupted and I fear I raised my sword against you and if that is so… I am deeply sorry… but I can’t remember.”

With a heavy sigh, “If there is anything else you want to know about… by all means… ask.”

[wowy319]

"You did what you had to to preserve the balance. While I did not agree with the path you chose, I understand why you did. That's what the League does, and I won't argue with it. To be honest, I'm just glad to have this whole plague mess over with."

Lithranol took out a piece of parchment that had been torn in half long ago. six years ago, for that matter. The letter Mallowyn had sent his father. "Everything that I've done... would never have happened were it not for finding this letter. It's funny... I owe the beginning of my adventuring career to the very thing that fills me with loathing." He folded the torn halves, and placed them in his pack.

"My quest started out for vengeance... I wanted nothing more than to make the Blood Diamond Guild suffer, simply for the sake of revenge. But that isn't what I want anymore. The Blodd Diamond Guild must be destroyed not because it will satisfy a promise for vengeance, but because they pose a threat to the recovering world. I habve thought out how I might go through with this plan, but the ideas are still in their infancy. It would be selfish of me to ask for your help, as you all have your own lives to live, and your own rebuilding to do." Lithranol smiled once more, a feeling of accomplishment and pride filling his heart.

"I promise you... I will never forget your teachings."

[Sibbie]

Listening Merrik stepped back softly.

Once the two were finished Merrik walked quietly away.

[Daegoon]

No surprised by Merrik’s act, both Fri’ale and Qur’ral nodded at him as he walked away. “It is a difficult path to follow; the path of light and responsibility,” Fri’ale openly said in a sadden calm voice. Looking at Qur’ral, “we must go. There is no rest for us.” Looking back at Goldencloud, “thank you again” she said before she turned and walked off into the dark.

“and that is just her style,” Qur’ral said as he watched her walk off. Looking back at Goldencloud, he placed his hand on his shoulder. “Remember what you have learned and hang on to those journals, you’re the best individual for the job. I’ll keep in contact, but for now… my duties are leading me elsewhere. I owe you much.” Dropping his hand, Qur’ral looked toward Fir’ale who was just out of sight, “Should you see Merrik again before me, please relay this message for me. What ever he decides to do, tell him that he will always be remember by the league as a hero despite his past and that I hope he’ll keep his title.” taking a step back, Qur’ral Slung his shield over his back his back, placed his helm on his head covering his marks and walked off into the dark.

From the dark Qur’ral added one more thing for everyone in the area to hear. “and remember... with honor and light, it is always a good day to die.”

[wowy319]

Lithranol smiled knowingly. There was much work to be done; there were many people to see, and many tasks to be accomplished.

And he had a plan for all of them. He sheathed his daggers and walked down the path to Antenon. He had said his goodbyes, and he had battled his inner demons. The Blood Diamond Guild was still out there, and his mind had already begun formulating a plan. It was as though everything that had happened led up to this... and it very well might have. Destiny or not, the plan had already begun.

Right. It was time to get to work.