Thread: The Swords Lady

"Perhaps" I said quietly, knowing that I had lost this time, slowly I brought my gaze up to his,
"If that is what you want to believe Ratik" I paused and swallowed hard, his words cutting deep, deeper than any blade could ever manage,
"Then run me through, remove me from this plane of life so that you don't have to remember" I finished quietly, keeping my gaze locked with his, If this was the end, then it was the end.

There was nothing left that I could do about it.

I could not move. Her words struck a chord in my mind and again I remembered by the river that night. Shaking my head did little to take it away. Her naked body hovering over me against the winter stars...beads of sweat on her back as my hand swept over her hot skin...her lips intertwined with my own.
Damn you, I said under my breath. The hot water of the river that swam through the little hollow that night seemed so far away, yet, only yesterday. Damn you.
I lowered the sword toward the floor. The chamber was silent even in the torment of what was transpiring outside.
My lips touched her own. It was as if for the first time again. I was taken by the smell of her hair. My hand lifted to her chin and I touched it, pushing her face up to meet my own again. Her eyes dazzled in the red embers of the near fire-pit and they spoke of forever.
My sword clattered to the stone. Lightly, I shook my head.

A small smile reached my lips as his sword clattered to the floor, the rest of the world seemed so far away. I was lost in his gaze, loving what was there, the softness, the care.

The love.

My smile grew as i reached up and traced my fingers along the hard lines of his face, as if trying to make sure this was real, to make sure that he was mine, this time.
"I'll never let you go again" I said softly afraid to break the silence, my own blades dropping to the ground as I through my arms around him and cried happily into his chest, the dangers of the current moment completley forgotten.

Her tears were wet upon my chest as I stumbled from her grasp. The child was on my mind. I don't know why. I had not thought about him as being my offspring since his being put before me a year or so ago.
He flinched as I knelt down by him.
"What have I done to deserve this, father?" he questioned me with eyes that would drive a father to kill for his child. "She!" and he cast a finger at his mother, "Is the reason all of this is happening! Prophecy told of her return to Orcabane to destroy the Lady In The Sword. Are we going to let her do this, father?"
I glanced back over my shoulder at Ziadia, and truthfully, I was angered. Torn I rubbed my fingers through the boys hair. He had his mothers eyes.

"Ratik" I said quietly my voice unusually cold, "Get away from him" I finished bending down and picking up my sword,
"That child is the spawn of evil, DO NOT think of him as your son" Each word hurt me more as I stepped fowards slowly,
"You ordered me to do that a long time ago, and I have, now it's your turn" I stopped walking as I stood over the pair of them, Swallowing hard I shook my head,
"The prophosy fortold that an agent of good" I paused and looked down, "And an agent of evil" I raised my eyes to Ratik, "Would spawn the prince of darkness, that is the child that you are protecting" I paused again tears rolling down my cheeks, "If i didn't have to do this, I wouldn't" Every part of me hurt, I wanted nothing more than for all this not to be true. To be lying in a warm bed with Ratik holding me, our child playing happily in the lounge.

But Alas, that was not going to happen, yet.

Strue fled from the chamber. The distant roar of Untarr came from the corridor behind. He was coming for them.
The Elder Prophet Valuna lunged from the shadows. No one had noticed him there in his witness to the whole episode. A thick dagger was in his hand. With lips chanting the little blade burst to flame. Faces danced in the blue-yellow fire.
"You must die!" he cried and stabbed the magical dagger down at Ziadia.
My fist crushed into the old man's stomach and dropped the weapon at the child's feet. With a shove, Elder Valuna stumbled back to the lip of the fire-pit.
"May the gods curse your souls," came his thin voice and he tumbled over the edge into the lava below without another noise.
Untarr was at the door at that moment. It dawned on them how gigantic he actually was. His eyes were as the mouth of goblits and his feet clawed at the stone with unforgiving scar.
"Ziadia, if I die-" and I stopped short of my sentence. I did not want to die. The spell of Untarr was broken.

I looked at him and smiled gratefully, my swords up and ready. "If you die Ratik, I'll be right along side you" I wispered, my mind thinking of the easiest way to do both the child and Untarr.

"What are we to do Ratik?" I asked quietly, keeping one of my swords pointed at Untarr, the other at the child near our feet.

Untarr shifted on his great muscular legs. With smooth movements, as if animated with pen and ink, he pranced across the chamber. His saucerous eyes flashed orange like mirrors as he neared the firepit that stood between them. Untarr's teeth grinded together in anticipation of ending this whole ordeal.
The Child was crying softly to himself. Collapsed on the edge of the firepit, he was clutching the deep wound. So much blood had flowed out that his strength was taken away.
Ratik was taking note of this. Inside he pained. His heart was tearing in two. Ziadia's hand was upon his shoulder and he almost wished her away. His son was dying.
"Kill them!" cried the minotaur and two dark elven warriors appeared from the shadows off to the right.
An arrow whisped through the air and bounced off the broad side of Ratik's blade. As the elf notched another arrow, the second raced with inhuman speed toward Ratik.
"Get the archer!" Ratik told Ziadia as his sword met that of the elve's in a spray of sparks...

I nodded and moved quickly, my eyes focused onto the archers bow. My hand moved down to my side picking out a dagger from my belt. Without a moment hesitation i flicked it towards the archer. Catching the back of his hand causing him to release his bow. Instantly my swords were drawn and met his with a spray of sparks.

The second elf disappeared with a spell of invisibility. Ratik backed against the wall, sword poised forward ready for the reappearance. Ziadia was near to his side as the child cried in the middle of the floor. The minotaur stood in the end of the corridor. Oddly, he did not move. It seemed that he was searching for the elf as well.
Ratik doubled over with a gut cry. The blade of the elfs sabre slid from his shoulder and clattered to the stone floor. Jerked free of the elfs grasp had released the hilt and was in the process of drawing the dagger on its hip, when the incantation wore off and it realized it was in the open.
Ziadia flinched and the bewildered, wide-eyed elf bounced high and landed far across the corridor with a wide stance ready to attack.
Ratik slumped against the wall as blood gushed from the shoulder wound.
"Its not a mortal wound," he gritted through his gnashing teeth. His hand was clinched over the stab trying to stop the flow. "Worry about the damn enemy, not me!" he shuddered as he knelt and grasped his fallen sword.
The two elves came forward with inhuman stealth. The archer, whose hand was gashed deep, no longer bore a bow. His good hand boasted the glittering blade of an enchanted dagger.
Ratik rushed forward and met blades with the archer. The enchanted dagger cut deep into Ratiks own blade filling the air with the sharp odor of melting steel. With a defined attack, Ratik pushed the elf away. Again and again he swung. His heart pumped all the more and the blood spirted from his shoulder.
Taking advantage of Ziadia's pause, the other elf attacked Ratik from behind just as quickly as he had the first time. This elf was sneaky and tended to be a follower toward his evil causes.
The archer shrieked as he plummeted into the fire-pit at the center of the room. Ratik twisted on one leg and blocked a powerful blow from the second attacker. His strength was waining from the loss of blood. Blades locked, Ratik looked over the shoulder of the elf toward Ziadia....