First and foremost this tale is dedicated to my lovely
darling
Princess LadyRae with whom I am admittedly smitten
. If it were not for her affection and kind and gentle persistence, I would never have reposted the story that led up to this. Secondly this tale is dedicated to my very dear Draconia, radiant
of the Dragons Realms, who's friendship means more to me than she will ever know. Hugs and smooches for you lovely friend.
This is a continuation of a tale that I previously reposted for my
Princess, so some of the circumstances will not seem to bear significance to anything if you have not read the previous tale. This is also a rather dark tale, so I reccommend that you keep that in mind before you decide to read it, and I hope it will not be found offensive by anyone...
New hope and rebirth....At what cost?
Trel'ham wakened from a troubling dream, the cloying scent of fear was heavy in his chamber. Stifling the shivers that coursed through his body, he cast aside his apprehension, gathering his splendid raimants about himself. The air seemed heavy, different somehow, and he had trouble drawing breath. He placed the hand carved silver amulet with its strange burnished black orb as its centerpiece around his neck. It was the symbol of his Master's power and his station as head Chamberlain. His throat parched, Trel'ham took a sip of the stale dirty water from the bowl on his bedside table, before summoning the courage to unbolt his door and peer out into the dank torchlit hallway. His skin prickled and the hair on the back of his neck stood out as he cautiously left his room, making his way down the dim hall toward the descending worn stone staircase leading deep into the darker reccesses of his Master's lair. The dream had troubled him deeply, but he could recall no images, only a sinister malevolent presense reaching out, wrending him from his wretched slumber. Trel'ham could still feel its bone chilling embrace overpowering his mind, compelling him, he couldn't even be certain that his actions were even his own. He wanted to scream, he tried to scream, but the wail of fright was frozen in his constricted throat. he could only whimper as his numbed leaden feet drew him further down into darkness.
The cold blackness was receeding, being gradually disperced by a haze of grey swirling mist. Within the strands of serpentine fog, indistinct featureless images seemed to draw near and then fade away before the shapes could take form or be grasped before they were gone. What was this place? there was no....no....anything....? Only awareness....Awareness of what?
Much to Trel'ham's relief a trio of Demon Knights, his Master's bastion guard passed by seemingly unaware of his presense. Their ebony armor blending so well with the shadows that only the rustle of their equipment betrayed their passing. Trel'ham never wanted to be anywhere near these grotesque abominations. he had winessed the brutal rampages of these heartless, souless monsters while his Master looked on with morbid fascination and ferile benevolent approval. Unable to resist, Trel'ham finally came to a damp algae covered block wall whose offset flagstones were undulating and shimmering from a source of internal light. It was like looking at a calm pond after casting a stone into it beneath a full moon floating in a coal black sky. The walls rippling effect became more pronounced and searing bright light pierced its center, spiraling outward like the arms of the galaxies of stars that were beyond human sight, which his Master had shown him. Its turbulent pulsating surface seemed to draw inward on itself into a single burnished black point bearing an uncanny resemblance to the stone embedded in the medallion on his chest which he absentmindedly carressed with a trembling hand. The onyx orb expanded and the portion of the wall before him became opaque, then translucent, revealing an interior ward that Trel'ham had never known existed. The portal opened suddenly, its stone lined edges seemingly made of churning liquid.
"I wouldn't touch that"! A faint powerful voice echoed within his skull with a rumbling force that filled him with dread. Trel'ham thrust his hand back down to his side, having been a mere hands breadth from touching the stones turgid fluid like rim. "Unless of course, you have no further need of that appendage". Cold hard laughter clutched his bowels like a vice, nearly causing his bladder to fail him.
"Took you long enough"! His Master's voice was deep and resonant, carrying with it a quality that never ceased to inspire fear and intimidation. "Come now, don't be timid. I'm in a condescending mood tonight and I want you to witness this"! Trel'hams's Master was standing in the center of the oddly shaped chamber with his back towards his Chamberlain. Well he wasn't axactly standing, it was more like he was floating just above the polished floor, the toes of his boots not quite touching the intricate patterns engraved in its glazed surface. His arms were outstretched and his long white streaked raven black hair was feathered out, as if fluttering in a strong breeze that didn't exist. The golden clasp that normally bound it into a long ponytail lay in a smoldering bubbling pool beneath his feet. Tendrils of sparkling energy writhed and slithered, arcing along the contours of his body while serpentine tongues of flame skittered along his torso and limbs, but did not consume him. As if compelled by some unseen force Trel'ham entered the chamber, moving toward his Master. He was immediately overwhelmed by the presence and steanch of death, and the oppressive ferile energy which charged the air. Gruesome carved statues lined the walls, serving as pillars supporting a high vaulted ceiling. A magnificently hewn alter stood before the Master, upon which lay a corpse, mangled beyond recongition.
As his master chanted in some strange dialect that Trel'ham had never heard, he watched in utter disbelief and awe inspired contrition as the twisted limbs realigned themselves. Exposed, crushed and shattered bones knit themselves back together, and torn and severed tendons and ligaments rejoined. He watched as shredded flesh repaired itself, leaving no scars, and before him lay the body of a beautiful woman.
"Surely the damage is beyond even the capabilities of a Greater Restoration spell my Master"? He inquired reverantly, "Not even a Ressurrection spell could restore her life".
"Ahhh... There is a spark of intelligence within even your simple mind", his Master stated matter of factly. "I thought so".
Trel'ham nearly piddled himself with glee, this was high praise, high praise indeed and he basked in the safisfaction that his Master's compliment had given him.
"You're quite right you know. Unfortunately, much darker and less widely known powers are required to bring her back". Trel'ham had never heard these tones in his Master's voice before. "But it is a price that she and I must pay, to give her back her life"! Though barely audible, his Master's voice was full of passion, remorse, and resignation. Before Trel'ham could ask who the lovely maiden had been, his Master began uttering strange gutteral incantations in another unfamiliar language.
There were other disembodied awarenesses here, among the swirling fog and mists. Vague memories and reccolections. A hazy, shifting almost recongnizable shape formed, and awareness felt love for it. "Love", awareness considered, strange and yet, familiar. The more awareness concentrated on love, the more the image that awareness was focusing on took on shape and then features. Yes, love was definately associated with this vaporial figure, so she concentrated even harder on bringing this form to clarity. "Hmmm...", awareness refferred to itself as "She", there was no puzzlement this time. She knew that She was, and that She loved this evolving image. It was a handsome being, but it seemed to be encased in some sort of shiny substance. The being smiled at her. She knew that She was strong and powerful, but that smile from this being made her feel... weak... vulnerable... pleasure... need... The sensations flooding her awareness were wonderful, even somewhat scary... But She knew that She truly loved this being.
The ghoulish effigies engraved in the floor began to glow as Gael'eSin's booming basso voice rose higher and higher. Trel'ham was certain beyond any doubt, that his Master was uttering incantations in at least four different tongues and dialects simultaneously, even though he knew that such a thing was impossible. The efficacy of the highy charged energy streams and the intense heat from the flames that engulfed his Master but did not harm him drove Trel'ham back against a wall. Shadowy wraiths rose up out of the glowing engravings on the surface of the polished flagstones surrounding the alter, enveloping the lovely nubile woman who lay upon it. After a few moments her body began to tremble, and Trel'ham mashed his fists against his ears as his Master's voice rose to a painful crescendo. The blazing enery and flame that ensconced Gael'eSin coalesced, arching forward, striking the woman just above and between her breasts, flaring outward, forming a shimmering cacoon around her. Muscles spasming, her hands clenched into fists, and her feet and toes flexing against the padded bonds that secured her to the alter, she lunged violently upward. Trel'ham feared that the maidens spine would snap in two as she hung, seemingly suspened in the air above the alter with only her bonds binding her to terra firma. Finally her chest heaved as she drew in breath and then eyes wide and seeing, she exhaled with a wail that seemed to last an eternity before sagging down on the alter exhausted and alive.
Gael'eSin slumped to his knees having expended nearly all of his considerable powers accomplishing the complex sequence of long lost and forbidden spells. Alarmed, Trel'ham tore his eyes away from the lovely sleeping woman, rushing to his Master's side.
"Don't worry about me you simpering rodent", Gael'eSin croaked. "Cover her quickly and release her bonds"! Trel'ham hurriedly did his Master's bidding. By the time that he had finished unfastening the straps that had bound her wrists and ankles securely, Gael'eSin was already carefully lifting her up in his arms and making his way toward the portal.
"Come along, we have much to do"! Trel'ham was amazed at his Master's recuperative abilities as he hurried to catch up with him. The portal closed behind them as they passed through, seeming just like any other section of the wall. Trel'ham had the feeling that he wouldn't want to have been in the way when the portal was deactivating.
"And before you annoy me with your prattling, she is my daughter"! The revelation was staggering to Trel'ham.
"And the fool responsible for her death will pay"! Gael'eSin's voice was barely a livid whisper, laced with horrible menace, and dripping with venom. "Dearly"!
The image began to change shape, grieving, her awareness reached out to grasp it as it resolidified. She experienced joy when She realized that He was still there, but something was not right. He was lying down, sort of, and the smile that lit up her awareness was gone. He seemed injured... anguished... in pain... Something was protruding from the side of his shiny shell... no, armor, it was armor... The thick curved hook was pinning him down and there was red around the place where it was sticking in. She ached inside terribly because of this and She gazed deeply into his eyes, startled to realize that He too was gazing into hers at that precise moment. She knew now that She had not been alone, and that He loved her dearly as well, but He had been afraid to tell her so. Memories began flooding into her awareness, and She new that She needed to get back to him, but how could She? She remembered a violent battle... Her love struck down but still alive... There had been a terrible pressure, a weight that seemed to be crushing her, and they could not help each other... Only gaze lovingly into each others eyes.
She knew that She had a name... it was... it... seemed like music when he spoke it... Yes it... Her name is Sav... Something was pulling her... Dragging her away... Nooooooo... She screamed out in the silence... My love... My name... Is Sav... but it was gone, as he was gone, like the wispy mists. She was plummeting through a dark abyss, then as if passing through a shroud, She could see into a strange, dimly lit room. There was a man there, wreathed in fire and lightning. He stood before an alter of some kind, and on the alter lay the body of a beautiful woman. Her body... She, knew it, as she passed into it. Then there was pain, indescribable pain, but she knew that she was whole again before she fell asleep.
Waking from a fitful slumber, Ceer'Ghan rose up thrashing in his bed screaming, "Saavoooniaaa....Savonia"! He had felt her, he knew that she had been here.
Smitten by
[This message has been edited by The.Relic (edited 03-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by The.Relic (edited 03-19-2001).]
[This message has been edited by The.Relic (edited 03-20-2001).]