Antagonist's Anarchy: Desolation in the Daylight - Chapter II (Open)

[dplax]

Old Man

Faces turned towards him. Recognition flashed in more than a pair of eyes. Whispers of "he's back", "he's returned" rippled through the crowd.

The guards should have known not to follow him outside the safety of the prison walls. A stone hitting the younger of them square on the forehead was the first warning sign. Shortly blows rained down on them, and even their swords and armour could not do anything to protect them from the masses, who had waited only for this opportunity to strike at a visible presence of their controllers. Their dead bodies were lifted above the shoulders of several strong men, and paraded round the main square.

The old man was not far away. He had moved with the crowds to the main square of the town. He found himself lifted by helping hands onto the remains of a stone pillars from where he could see the masses gathered around the ruins of the temple.

"Some of you recognise me, others don't. Those who don't shall soon know my name!" His voice bore no resemblance to the broken remnants it had carried inside the prison walls. "I had been a captive. Thrown inside the walls of the prison. Encaged so that I was forgotten! Encaged by the man you called your Lord! My injust imprisonment was but an example of his corruptness! You all know what I represented, what I fought for! Well I'm back and ready to fight for these same values yet again!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd and the old man stepped down from the broken pillar, landing surprisingly nimbly at the top of the steps to the temple.

[Legolas]

Ydalon

The knife caught him glancing back, striking his right forehead with an audible thud. He staggered, then fell to his hands and knees, his thoughts scattering. The commoner's knife landed on the road behind him.
Instinctively, a circle formed around the stunned boy, a corridor between the people marking the path of the weapon's flight. Still clutching the rock, motionless, head bowed to the ground, Ydalon struggled to draw the breath those around him were holding. His forehead was pounding, swelling, changing from it's not quite healthy pale complexion to red, then a sickening blue, black and purple.
Speculation ran wild around him, and there was shouting going on down the corridor, the probably knife-thrower caught by uncertain figures. An old man was speaking far away, drawing eyes and attention, confining the uproar to those nearest to the lad.

When at last he crouched and turned, when he collected the knife and rose to uncertain feet, there was silence. The boy made a cut in his palm, slicing through skin just beside the sky-pebble he held. He faced the corridor, and spoke quietly.

"That," he muttered, "was ill done."

Sitting bloated and purple on his heft-kissed forehead was the image of a meteor.

[DrowArchmage]

Jason slowed as he relized that the smithy was in ruins. He hoped he could find decent armor and weapons somewhere before heavy fighting broke out. He looked to where the old man was standing and gaped. It wasnt possible, he was dead, he had seen him die hadnt he? Memories flashed through his head, the images blurring together and voices becoming nothing more than a mumble.

What happend? How in the hells did he get into the middle of this group of what appeared to be angry townspeople? Nothing made sense, he had to find something to drink, maybe a good ale....yes, that was it. He walked off to where he thought he had seen a tavern.

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

"Only time will be able to tell whether my worries shall come true. Torture has been known to cause psychological scars that no magic or healing can ever heal."

At Nivram’s words, Telryn couldn’t help but grimace. Torture was low. Fighting to Telryn wasn’t distant, and to him was acceptable. One-on-one, fair, that was fine. But chaining someone up to cause them pain, without them being able to do anything? Was anything worse?

“Those bastards are dealt with now. I’m afraid ‘revenge’ won’t be yours, but as they rot as corpses you can still live. I know which one I’d rather be. And I hope that if any psychological scars do appear, you can find a way to-”

He was cut short by the activity of the priestess’.

“Come, we must leave. It would appear that stars have fallen from the sky; a grave omen, but a troublemaker has stirred up the crowd. There is rioting outside and the prisoners have escaped. There will be fighting in the streets and this is the first place they shall strike now the temple is gone. Unless order is restored… I worry for these people.”

As she sped out of the room, Telryn started to move. Or rather, roll off the bed he was on, landing on the floor face down, one hand holding his torso up. Struggling to his feet, he grunted “We gotta move. It’s gonna get nasty.”

[dplax]

Nivram

Nivram half expected to wince with pain, to have the torment return when he sat up and gently lowered himself to the ground from the bed, but the pain was thankfully a mere shimmer of what it had been.

Still his joints ached, his legs throbbed.

"The two of us must look a sorrowful bunch, Telryn. All bruised and scarred as if fresh from war...Lead the way out of this place...my eyes were unable to open when we came here and I know not the way out."

[Legolas]

Ydalon

In the silence that followed, the boy rubbed his bruise, groaning at the way it smarted.

"Hooo," he complained. And "Aaa. Gaya."
Perhaps the knife had hit him harder than anyone had guessed, as he went on:
"Hey, aa gaya, han aa gaya."
His finger shot out, moving in a half-circle to point at the crowd.
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, aa gaya!"

Shocked motionless, the people stared. What had the Master sent? Was he swaying because he was dazed? But then why-

A man leapt forward, dressed in undyed linnen and with a half-opened sheepskin vest. His short black hair leaned wildly in all directions, and his armed shot out to the sides. The boy didn't even seem to notice, occupied as he was with his footing and remaining upright.

The man - a local - jumped again, turning in the air to land facing the opposite direction.

"Aa gaya, aaaaaaa gaayaaaaa," he proclaimed, adding "dil churaane main aa gaya
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya"

All at once, the crowd began to wave its arms and chanted.
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane yeh aa gaya"

Another man hopped forward and around, his body in a squatting position as he raised his voice.
"Life is loveable, pyaar nahin saleable.
"Life is loveable, pyaar nahin saleable.
"Dil mera available tere liye"

The sheep guy piped in, pointing at different women in turn.
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya"

The reply was instantaneous, hips moving, people leaping to see over the heads and through the forest of arms.
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane yeh aa gaya"

A group of urchins had found drums, or else they were improvising by beating heavy sticks against Talryr's wooden houses.
"Naya geet hai, naya saaz hai," someone sang,
"Nayi beat hai, haan naya raag hai," added another
"Hey naya geet hai, naya saaz hai." A third.

"Nayi beat hai, naya raag hai
"Mere saath mein zara jhoom le
"Milaake nazar aa mujhe choom le
"Rang jamaane aaya, dhoom machaane aaya
"Chain churaane aaya, pyaar ka tofa laaya, laaya
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya!"

"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane yeh aa gaya"

The crowd smiled broadly, pointed at one another, pointed at the air. They leapt and hopped, spun and twirled and sang. How they sang.

"Jawaan umr hai, haan haseen raat hai
"Chaahaton bhari mulaaqaat hai
"Arre jawaan umr hai, haseen raat hai
"Chaahaton bhari mulaaqaat hai"

The singer was relieved by the butcher, his deep voice rolling over the town
"Jisko dekhiye beqaraar hai
"Har haseen ko mujhse pyaar hai
"Hosh udaane aaya, khwaab sajaane aaya
"Gham bhulaane aaya, mehfilon pe chhaaya, chhaaya
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya"

"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane yeh aa gaya"

As they set off towards the keep, towards lord Gardon's house, as they went to the the prison and tower and ruins and buildings, pallisade and fields, as they danced through Talryr in a cheerful song no one knew the words to, as they dragged the priests along and beat on the doors of their oppressors, still they sang.

"Hey, life is loveable, pyaar nahin saleable
"Life is loveable, pyaar nahin saleable
"Dil mera available tere liye
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya
"Aa gaya, aa gaya, dil churaane main aa gaya
"Main aa gaya, main aa gaya
"Main aa gaya, main aa gaya..."

Somewhere, a flower arched down to the ground, to be caught in a maiden's hand.



OOC: Lyrics to 'Aa Gaya Aa Gaya' (roughly: "I have come") appear in the Bollywood movie Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam

[Ivelliis]

Telryn and Nivram

Nodding at Nivram’s words, they left through room through the only door of the room. Bare-foot, the pair dressed only in their basic clothes, they walked into the corridor.

They were on the second or maybe third floor, Telryn couldn’t remember. To their left was the end of the corridor, a full length, stained glass window staring back at them. Turning right, they walked down the corridor. On the walls were numerous paintings and mirrors. Passing these, Telryn recognized no names or faces, he didn’t even remember seeing them as they were brought to the room to rest.
“It’s just down here,” He said to Nivram, leading him down the corridor.
Not a few steps passed the door, the stained glass window erupted it a cascade of broken glass. A large stone came through the wave of glass, finally rolling to a stop near Telryn’s feet.
“We better move.”

Picking up the pace, which considering their aching joints and bones wasn’t very passed, they ran to the top of the main staircase.
They were obviously on the top, the third, floor. Leading all the way down to the bottom, Telryn could see the front door vibrating, barricaded with a few bits of furniture. The roar of the riot could be heard, even from two floors above, and the door banged again, this time harder. The creak of wood was indistinguishable.

Looking at Nivram, he grabbed him by the arm before dragging him down the first flight of stairs.
“The priestess...said…” Telryn panted as they moved, “The stables were out the back.”

“So what do you suggest?” Nivram asked.

They moved down one of the second floor corridors before Telryn stopped came to a halt. He let go of Nivram’s arm and simply stared forward.

Looking where Telryn was, Telryn could see nothing.

But a window.

A window on the second floor.

“Oh no…” He started, but it was too late.

The beast of a man picked up a seemingly innocent looking table before throwing it through the window. Grinning wickedly at Nivram, he dragged him once again to the windows edge.

“After you,” Nivram smirked.

Hearing the rabble that was the riot finally breaking down the makeshift-door barricade, Telryn simply smiled at Nivram’s comment. Wrapping his arms round him, he took one look out of the window before jumping.

The jagged glass dug into his arm, but the pain didn’t bother him. It was almost euphoric, falling to the ground, staring up at the sky, Nivram an unmoving lump that he held.

Now he just hoped he had jumped far enough.


Landing back first on the hay wasn't what you'd call comfortable, but it broke his fall and that's all that mattered. Releasing Nivram from his his grasp, the man stood up, leaving his "cushion" lying on the straw.

"Maybe we best move. The riot could come around the back of the house any minute," Nivram suggested.

Dragging himself to his feet, Telryn nodded before adding "We should be safer if we get into the street. Then perhaps we can find the others."

The two half-walked, half-jogged into the streets, the breaking of windows and smashing of furniture left firmly behind them.

[dplax]

Old Man

Chaos was the law in the streets, with mobs rampaging throughout the city. As Nivram and Telryn advanced through the crowds, no one payed any attention to them, for who among these bloodthirsty peasants and townsfolk would have paid attention to two looking even poorer and worse off than themselves. Their injuries might have been healed, but Nivram and Telryn had not been left scarless. Far off in the distance an old man was still preaching to the few who had not gone off to sack the Lord's mansion.

About a score of young men came running from behind a corner. Soon the cause of their running became apparent. Several dozen guards, all heavily armed, some with crossbows, others with their bare swords in their hands rounded the corner and formed a solid wall, blocking the street. Within a matter of seconds, similar groups of guards blockaded the other access routes to the temple. A group of a dozen guards, with one who seemed to be the officer judging by better quality of his armour approached the center of the square.

All around the old man dispersed and tried to find whatever shelter they could. The old man, stood unmoving, like a rock bracing itself for a coming storm. Ten feet away the guards stopped and only the officer approached to within a few paces. He took off his helmet. Several members of the onlooking crowd recognised him as the son of the town's lord, the new guard captain.

"Strange finding you in such a position again," he said to the old man, "however, for the sake of the people of this town I am willing to make a deal with you. Stop this unrest and I'll consider not having everyone who is participating in it, yourself included executed. It's your choice, Alexander."

[Ivelliis]

Telryn

As the hordes of peasants ran passed, ignoring them, for once Telryn was glad he was not armed. Looking like they had been dragged through a ditch backwards seemed to be an advantage.

Having no idea where they were heading, he muttered to Nivram quietly.

"Do you have any ideas where the others will have went to? Any taverns that we should try? Or even how to get there?"

Telryn frowned - "It's hard enough finding people with no idea where to look, nevermind with a bloody riot going on."

[dplax]

Nivram

"We did not get much of a chance to see this city and my mind has been occupied with other things than remembering minor details, like the others telling us where they were going," Nivram said sparing only cursory glances to the masses flowing by, "so your guess is as good as mine." He stopped, pointing ahead, where a square seemed to be surrounded by guards. Frantic movement started among the guards and the ring of steel could be heard.

"I do however know one way we shouldn't be going. Looks like trouble ahead."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old Man

The old man laughed at the captain of the guard. A deep, almost choking laugh, which ended in a fit of coughing. "Do you really think that I can stop this? Once you unleash the masses you have to let things take their course. I can't-" He was cut short by a sharp gesture from the captain of the guard.

"That's a pity. You are useless then."

Without any further warning his sword flew from its scabbard and pierced the old man through the chest, burying itself almost to the hilt. There was no shock in the old man's expression, just a hint of a smile as he closed his eyes and died. The captain pulled out his sword and without it to support the dead weight, the body of the old man crumpled to the ground.

The captain turned to his two lieutenants. "It's time to clean up." They motioned to their men. "Kill all who resist."

[ 07-02-2007, 04:43 AM: Message edited by: dplax ]