General Art The Newcomer

[Doc]

Okay, see...I meant to have this up a couple days ago...but I kinda sorta got grounded. Heh....

Spoiler

Sapien


The group decided it was time they took rest for a little bit. The time was growing longer, and Alex assumed a day must have passed. He sat down by the fire they built in the small forest cavern. He tried figuring out how much time they had. They had five days before Ebony extended their time. She gave them three more, that means they had eight days. Now seven. What could be done in eight days?

Alex looked up at the others. They weren't talking either. Everyone was contemplating on what they saw, sitting far from each other. Hanna didn't explain why she was crying, but after they all came to her senses she was stone once more. Alex stood up and walked away from the group. His thoughts still echoing about his visions.

He was the cause of everything. The moment Ebony came up to him and said those first introductory sentences, this all was beginning. If only he realized how important they were, how it would snuff out the lives of Laten.

Someone sniffled nearby, and Alex went to go investigate. Nathan was writing in his notebook and studying the base of the thrones. He rubbed his eyes and knelt to examine.

"You okay?" Alex asked. Nathan was startled and slammed his notebook shut.

"Fine. Just writing..."

"You need to get some rest with the others." Alex tried to tell him. Knowing Nathan, the kid would ignore him. Nathan nodded and began walking away. Clearly Alex didn't know him. "Wait...what is bothering you, Nathan?" The kid halted and turned around.

His fearful face never seemed so innocent. "I am scared I made a mistake Alex. The hallucinations...I always repressed those thoughts. They were always there, but I never listened to them. I forgot about them."

"What did you see?"

"I felt something fall on my head...and I looked down to see The Genesis. When I looked back up, everything was dark. I ran...and when I could see again, I was on a ledge. Laten was burning and everyone was being brought forth to be killed. Executed. It was because of me...had I never found that stupid book..." Nathan looked down sadly, choking back a tear.

"It is not your fault, Nathan. You gave us all a chance. A chance to live. You saved all of us. You saved us." Alex comforted him.

The kid smiled solemnly, a tear falling down.

"We are going to live. C'mon, lets get back to the group." Alex lead him back through the thicket of trees to the campfire. They were still quiet. Alex lied himself down on the grass and saw Aaron sleeping on the branch above him. Alex smiled and dozed off into dreams.

A wooden sword struck another and they fell back again. Alex's host watched this all, others surrounding calling out cheers and insults. One of the fighters held his sword awkwardly, the other much more casually and experienced. Alex noticed that one of them looked rather familiar.

The strong fighter raised his wooden sword and hit the other in the leg. He did so again and again, the weak one to slow to deflect these attacks. Each time he was hit, the onlookers would give out a whoop and cheer for it to occur again. Done with playing, the strong fighter swung high and hard for the opponent's head.

The defender raised his own to protect him, but it splintered upon impact. The sword shattered apart, and the strong one tore his shield away from the weaker. An older and clean shaved man came out of a cobblestone building and stopped the fight from proceeding.

The onlookers groaned and ran off, as did the stronger opponent. Alex's host and another young man walked over to the loser.

"Are you okay?" the host asked. His arm reached down to help up the loser, but pulled back when he realized his arm was bandaged.

"Ah, no need to be so afraid of it! Aye, it is true, I am lame. But I am no weak man, none can say that. I can't fight, but who needs to? I consider myself more of a scholar." He said with a strange accent, pushing himself up off the ground. "And who might you two be?"

"I am Flynn, and my friend here is Clayton." The host answered. Alex was happy to finally know the man's name. "And you?"

"Name's Christopher. Christopher Balron." He said, shaking Flynn's hand.


They left camp quickly, leaving the forest cavern and continuing on. Things were less tense now, and the guessing game began once more. Of course, after Drake took his winnings from the last guess. Alex thought very little of the dream. For all he knew, Balron's presence in it was the part that was warped.

The further they moved through the tunnels though, a new sound began. A flapping sound, small and never ending. The group went through a tunnel, and came out on a ledge. Columns of rock grew up out of a dark chasm and nests were built on top of each. No bird lay in them though.

They all filled the air. Hundreds of them, flying about and squawking. Alex peered over the ledge and tried to guess how far down it was, but it was too dark. Across the chasm, another ledge erected, containing two golden thrones.

"Now what?" Alex asked.

"I see something over there by the thrones. We just need to get to it." Pratt answered.

Aaron was the first to get moving. He leapt through the air and grabbed hold of the closest column, the twigs of the nest falling to the ground. Alex and Drake followed behind closely. They moved in silence, fearful of what might lay for them in there.

Alex climbed to the top of a column, out of breath. "I can see it." Aaron said further ahead.

"Well, what is it?" Jazz asked.

"A bow. A golden bow. I call dibs you guys." He called to them, still quiet.

"A bow! Yes! I knew it! Pay up everybody! I will take that in cash!" Adrian shouted gleefully. Alex began laughing between breaths until he heard it.

A squawk from the shadows. The room began shaking and Aaron, who was standing dangerously on top of a column, fell down into the shadows. "NO!" Alex shouted, barely falling himself. The noise's origin flew from the chasm, chasing the birds away.

A giant bird with white feathers and a hooked beak came up and stared at Alex. Its red eyes blinked at him, and then a third in the center of its forehead appeared. Alex drew his sword and pointed it at the thing. It looked at the weapon then spoke. "Are you the White Hero?" The bird asked.

"Wh-what...you talk?" Alex asked.

"Yes, my boy. Oh, and your poor friend." The bird's tail swung up and placed Aaron back on the pedestal he fell from. "Now can you answer me?"

"He is the White Hero!" Hanna called out.

The bird laughed joyfully. "I knew I would be seeing you soon. That dreadfully awful woman kept destroying the town and I knew that you would come."

"How do you know who I am?"

"A little birdie told me. I am called Sapien. And I believe you are here for the Goddess' bow? I figure I should have to test you...but my birds know all! And I trust them. Go ahead. Take the bow. I have worked hard these years to keep it in perfect shape."

Sapien laughed again in a high pitched screech as he saw Aaron grab the bow and admire it. "So sorry, its just that I thought the girl would be accepting the bow. A woman has used it in the past." Aaron's face turned red, but he hardened his expression to show that it made no matter.

"We should get going now." Drake explained awkwardly.

"Don't be in such a worry, strange haired one. It has been long since I have seen any human life." Sapien leaned in closer and whispered. "To be honest, birds provide very little intelligent conversation."

"We really need to go, bird guy." Jazz assured.

"Nonsense! You shall all stay for a meal! Trust me, my birds retrieve me the finest of food. Now come down, supper shall begin soon!" Sapien exclaimed before jumping from the pedestal and spreading his bright crimson and gold and white wings. His feathers shined bright, revealing the depth of the chasm, until the giant bird disappeared through a tunnel at the bottom.

 

[TatlTails]

So... Now they're having dinner with a giant bird.

v'-'v Stranger things have happened.

 

[Doc]

Yall are awesome.

Spoiler

Dinner Guests


After Sapien had fled, Aaron suggested they climb down each of the pedestals. He went first, and said that it was pretty easy. Alex realized that Aaron never looked so young. He was only seventeen. Not much younger than the rest of them, but he was still a kid.

Shaking his head of the thoughts, Alex began his trek down the chasm. He inched himself slowly. Heights was not a thing he was fan of, the night they rescued Nathan was different. That was fueled by adrenaline.

Alex looked up to see how the others were doing once he reached the bottom. His sight was drawn beyond his friends though. The ceiling of the cave was solid rock, yet birds were flying out through it, blue rings of light spreading as they passed. The birds weren't odd ones like Sapien, they all were different. Most were just the common blue jay or seagull. But they were intelligent all the same.

He was snapped out of intrigue by Hanna. She motioned for him to follow. He didn't even realize that they had come down. The large and rounded tunnel was a short one. There were holes where either the birds slept, or where they had pecked through the dirt for a small meal.

At the end of it they were met by a grand hall. A great stone pedestal was erected at the head of a long table. There was a large amount of space between the two, so Alex assumed there must have been a chair between them at one time. The avian birds flew to and fro, assembling a platter of berries and nuts. Not much of a dinner.

"Ah, my guests. Please take a seat!" Sapien exclaimed flying down from above. "I hope my little birds have gathered a meal to your liking." He said, shooing off the tiny creatures and landing on the pedestal. The room had a quiet stillness without the loud flap.

The guests found a chair and sat down awkwardly, none sure if they should eat any of the food before them.

"Well! Are you all gonna sit there like mice and stare or will you eat? My birds will be awfully hurt if you choose to reject the work they put into it." Sapien announced. Drake was the first to grab a berry and eat it. Then the others followed suit.

"Thank you very much, Sapien." He replied.

"Oh, no need to thank me. Now I want to know all about you. I have gathered my own information, but that only pertains to Laten. Surely all of you must have had a life before this drab town?"

Nobody answered him.

"Lighten up! If this is not a topic any of you wish to discuss, then tell me your plans against this Wicked Woman."

"You are looking at it." Alex said bitterly. He decided to leave off the part about how it was to eat berries and nuts with a giant bird.

"The weapons will not be enough. And you only have...what, five left?" Sapien looked to a bird that stayed behind. It made a high pitch tweeting sound and nodded. "See, only five. You should go back and help the people."

Alex almost dropped the nut he was opening. Only five days? He thought it was six.A day makes a difference. "We got a map. And Alex said they were powerful enough. They feel powerful." Adrian explained.

"Well, of course they are powerful! Don't you know where they come from? Forged by gods, wielded by great heroes, soaked in the blood of the wicked. I still remember the lass that took the bow. I was no bigger than the birds here then. And what have you all found so far? The bow, the axe, the trident, and sword?" Sapien asked quizzically. "I am curious, White Hero, how is it you obtained the sword? My late master described the guardian as the worst beast known to man."

"It is not really important." Alex tried to tell the bird.

"Not important!? A battle like that must have been a great one! I always do enjoy a great victory tale. There are so few I get to hear from the fighter himself."

"Uh..there was a man. An old man, and he gave me the sword...."Alex explained, trying to come up with a lie as he told it. But no lie would come and the truth came flowing out. Everyone sat quietly, waiting for an alternate ending to the story.

"A man?" Sapien appeared irritated. From the lack of a good tale or that the sword was given away, Alex could not say. "Who might this man be?"

"Christopher Balron." Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid Alex thought.

That did it. The great bird spread its giant wings out. "Christopher Balron! You serve Christopher Balron yet have the audacity to come here and beg for the Goddess' weapon! Heroes!?! Pfah! More like monsters. I cannot let you take those weapons, in the name of the lost gods." Sapien announced, diving forward and flapping wildly.

The platters on the table exploded out, and the wood splintered off. Alex fell backwards on his chair as the others moved out of the way. He rolled on the hard ground and heard the great bird give off one of its monstrous shrieks. The others came pouring out of small holes in the walls and began pecking at any loose skin.

Alex swatted one away, thinking that it was all too familiar to when they were in the damp and watery cavern. Alex ran towards the tunnel before Sapien blocked the path with his large wingspan. "We aren't evil!" Alex was saying, but his voice was drowned out by the screeching and flapping.

Sapien opened his mouth wide and flew forward close to the ground. Alex dove out of the way, nearly being swallowed by the great mass. He looked to the others, finding that they discovered a different tunnel. Alex hurried after them while Sapien flew up into the air.

He ran through the narrower path in the back. A shadow fell behind them. Alex glanced backwards to see Sapien hurdling through the hole. His wings pushed back to fit, the momentum of his build up giving him enough speed. The tunnel was getting smaller and Alex felt the bird nip at his pants.

A wall came up before them at the end of the tunnel. Nathan was in the front but didn't stop. He kept running straight forward showing no signs of slowing. Alex thought him as insane as Sapien, until he disappeared. Alex charged forward as well, closing his eyes as he braced for impact. He stumbled forward and slammed into something hard.

Alex opened his eyes to Pratt, and when looking behind him, a blue ring was fading away on the wall. "How---did you---did you know?" He asked Nathan.

"A hunch."



-------

Dagger went up to the dim wall. It would be impossible to see if you didn't know exactly what you were looking for. The dome Ebony had set on the town kept biting at him. The moon above shone half way, and a cold north wind bit into his side. "A bloody dome to keep your damned lover safe." He said bitterly.

Dagger spat into the dry snow and reached up to touch the dome. His hand met the dimness, sending a shock wave of pain through his arm. He cried out, but then looked around to make sure nobody heard his infantile yelp of pain.

He tightened the knapsack on his back and glanced back to the town. The lights were far off and hard to see, but he knew they were there. The young murderer had never seen much more than Laten. Yet here he was, leaving it to go blindly into the world.

In truth, he was growing sick of the foolishness of the great "queen." She is the embodiment of lust, yet all she cares about is that little nuisance. The humans should not have been given five more days. They should be dead in two. They should have been dead a week ago.

But, no. Ebony would never allow her poor sweet Alex to be injured. "No. He shall lead us to victory." She would always say. Dagger had gone to Stoneheart the night before. He asked her to come, but she would not go. Ebony had "proved no reason to not to be loyal." That one had been together with one of those damn Fallen Blade too. But that was a past life.

It made no matter now. Stoneheart would stay, leaving Dagger to travel this world alone. He wasn't scared. He had a plan. A plan that he kept from Ebony, just as she did all of them. The assassin took a deep breath and clapped his hands together.

In a quick movement, he shoved them deep into the dim wall. Light poured from it as pain surged its way into Dagger. He tried not to scream while pulling his hands apart. A hole in the invisible dome opened. He winced once more as he used the last of his energy to pry it wider. As his arms began to give out, Dagger dove forward. The dome closed up immediately, barely being skinned by it.

He lay in the snow for a moment longer before standing up and wiping the melting ice off him. He looked at the green sign labeled Laten nearby. Dagger smirked and laughed a little. "Some dome, you b****."

 

[TatlTails]

Oh... My... Glob. THAT WAS THE MOST DAGGERISH THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE! *glomps Dr.* THAT WAS AMAZING! THANK YOU! *gets off* Sorry. *ahem* The heroes' part was interesting, too. Balron is... bad? In some way? And the bird now wants to kill them. Greeeat.

 

[Myriadviper42]

I'm greatly enjoying this, keep it up.

 

[Doc]

Spoiler

The Fight of Thieves

They had only four days left. Four days to get to two caverns and get back to the colony and prepare them and beat Ebony. It seemed too much to get done in such short time. The others did not wait to question him about what he said in Sapien's presence.

He was forced to tell them the truth, but saying he stumbled upon it, leaving out Nathan and Hanna. Alex was the one who messed up so he didn't want them to suffer for his mistake. They walked more quickly now, wanting to have as much time of rest as possible. They were lucky though. The two remaining marks on the map were close. They just had to walk perhaps a quarter mile to get to the other.

The winter cold was soon wiped away as they continued further. The walls seemed to pulse with heat. Alex wiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead before crawling through a small hole. On the opposite side, pyres burned brightly. The cave was nothing more than that. A cave. The thrones were erected at the end of the hall. However, they were smashed around the corners, as were some of the columns.

Alex kicked a piece of rubble to the side and unsheathed his sword. He left the others behind and went down a hallway. He kept hearing a banging sound and went to explore it. As he passed by a room, he glanced an odditie. Alex went inside and examined it.

A hole. A large hole was smashed through the wall. Alex stepped through it and felt a sudden chill. It was colder in this room and extremely dark. The hole came out to a wall, decorated with weapons and shields all centered around one spot. In the center there was...

...nothing.

The weapon that should have been there was missing. Alex went in search of the rest of the area. Book shelves lined it. Most were knocked to the ground, some were scorched and burned. The sounds of metal ringing vanished and Alex picked up a book.

The Uses of Blood and Flesh. Alex flipped through it, the pictures showing gory and horrible sacrifices drawn in. Alex decided to drop the book. He turned to go back to the hole and ran into Adrian. "Alex. Have you found anything?"

"Just useless books." Alex said, motioning to the pile. Adrian picked up the one Alex was using and began to flip through it.

"Wow!" He laughed. "You know that guy isn't having a good day." Adrian chuckled once more. He kept going until he paused on a page and became serious for a second. Adrian glanced at Alex untrustingly and then back at the book. "Useless books...why don't you look over there. I got this area."

Alex agreed and left Adrian, spying him shove the book in his coat pocket. He decided not to say anything about it. There was nothing they could get done with it.

The banging returned. It grew louder and louder. "Hello?" Alex called out down the dark and dismal hall. There was silence for a moment. A moment. A bookshelf exploded in debris and wood, a dark and armored figure falling through it. A long and red scaly creature followed, slamming into the armored one.

The things pulled apart for a second to allow Alex a good look at them. One was a slim snake like creature, but with wings and a more beast like face. The other was a shadow, dressed in armor and holding two dual weapons. One a hammer embroidered with red gems and swirling with flame, the other a long purple staff.

They paid Alex no mind, dealing only with each other. Adrian came running out and called for the others. This drew the two beasts attention to him. Adrian swallowed and dove out of the way as the reptilian beast sent a stream of flame at him. The shadow knight strode towards the dragon and swung the staff at it.

The dragon moved backwards, and wrapped around the knight's body. It tightened and the shadow that once existed underneath the armor deteriorated and faded away, the armor and weapons clambering against the ground. The dragon coiled the hammer and staff with its tail and fled back to the other cavern.

Adrian chased after it, but Alex stayed back a moment longer. The smoke that came up out of the armor concentrated itself and filled the armor again. Inhumanly, the armor began to rise and move itself until it was back in its original form.

The knight looked to the hole in the wall and seemed to notice Alex for the first time. The shadow charged forward at him. Alex slammed into its shoulder with a grunt as the knight pushed forward until they rammed into the wall. It exploded behind him and the guardian stopped immediately. Alex was flung backwards and rolled. He groaned, ignoring the heat coming off the ground.

He sat up and saw the dragon sitting atop a pedestal, keeping its two treasures safe. It shot a stream of fire at Aaron who was quick enough to hide behind another column. Adrian groaned at the sight of the shadow knight. "This guy is still alive!?"

The knight ignored them as before and turned his attention to the thief coiled around the pedestal. It is a never ending fight, Alex thought. They both want the other weapon. The dragon screeched at the knight and shot flame that engulfed it in orange and red. When the fire ceased to come out, the knight stood there unchanged, his armor steaming.

It pulled its arm back and slammed its mailed fist into the pedestal.The column leaned forward as the dragon leapt from it and carried itself with its wings. The knight registered this and bent forward. It hefted up the broken pedestal and swung it at the dragon. It slammed into the dragon's head and it plummeted back to the ground.

The hammer and staff fell with it and Alex saw his opportunity. However, so did Drake. Before Alex could make a move, their leader rolled to the ground and swept the two as the shadow knight was striding over to them.

It looked at the new competitors with the slits of its helmet and charged towards Pratt quickly. "Give me one!" Pratt roared out. Drake, seeing this threw the hammer to the one armed victim. Pratt caught it by the hilt and whirled around, slamming the weapon into the knight's breastplate. The armor caved in and the shadow became smoke once more.

The dragon was waking from its consciousness and the armor began to rattle as they ran out of the cavern and down the long tunnels. Happily, they sped down to the colony they missed so much of. But they missed Laten even more.




"Christopher." Ebony said with a sweet smile. "Did you really believe I would never find you?" The old man refused to look at her. Instead, he looked up at the portrait above the thrones. He knew she would find him, so he figured a final slight was what she needed. It showed the young man with the chest nut hair and olive skin. He was smiling happily. On the columns the other paintings were hung.

"You should not be here, you vile woman." He said solemnly.

Ebony only laughed quietly. "Get over yourself. The Children are long gone. I don't understand why you are so stubborn about them. Now, I want you to look at me."

"...never."

"I said look at me!" Ebony spun him around and forced him to look at her by holding his chin. "Yes...Have you missed me? Have you missed seeing my face?" Balron tried to escape, but her grasp was too strong.

"Your little band of heroes stand no chance. They will die, this a fact. Alex was a lousy choice to give that sword to. He will join me in the end, he is a survivalist." Balron mumbled something. "What?" Ebony questioned, pushing his jaw away from her.

"You are wrong. You are always wrong." Balron spat to her.

The queen of Laten filled with rage. But her scowl soon turned to a smirk. "There is nowhere else to run, Christopher. You will die a slow death, this I promise you." She poked him in the chest. "This time you die."

The middle aged man's hair turned gray and thinned out. His skin paled and wrinkled, his strength wiped. When he looked back up, Ebony was gone. With a slouched back, the skinny and weak elderly man knelt to his knees and prayed.

 

[TatlTails]

...Woooooow. Poor Balron. Yeesh.

 

[Doc]

Spoiler

Balron's Last Wish

The others headed to the colony first. Alex snuck off to go see Balron, to let him know they had done it and would save Laten. He turned and walked through the opening that lead to it. He was too proud to realize that there shouldn't be an opening, it was only a small hole. The entire walk was easier, there was no need to crawl through anything.

He realized something was wrong the moment he stepped into the chamber. Balron was gone, an elderly man awaited for him. Alex unsheathed his sword quickly and pointed it at the intruder. The old man simply chuckled.

"You are cautious, that is good boy. Lay your weapon down to rest. It is me." The old man explained. Alex looked closely, until he recognized the regret yet search for excitement of Balron's eyes.

"What happened to you?" Alex asked while putting the sword back.

"The Wicked Woman found me. I knew she would, the moment I met you, I knew." His expression saddened. "Then I thought I could help you, give you a fighting chance. I hoped that I could be your great mentor. But I was wrong. You stand no chance, boy.

"Ebony is too strong, her brother's give her strength. They are why she is alive and why those weapons are too weak to defeat her. Alex, you must listen to me. Mistakes are what have kept her alive, courageous and brave mistakes. You cannot make these same mistakes."

"We can kill her. She is sealed off from her brothers, they cannot help her!" Alex protested.

"No!" Balron shouted before going into a coughing fit. "No...you cannot. You are young, have your whole life ahead of you. I can take down the dome. Once I die, it will rain down on you and you must flee with the survivors. Laten is lost."

"You aren't going to die! The dome will die with her, not you. Fight to live, Balron. You drop dead and then she wins. I am not going to let her do that, not with what she has done."

"The Wicked Woman has stolen what I took from her. I am much older than I appeared, boy, and will soon be with my friends. Please, Alex, you must run from this wretched town. Live out the rest of your life with your friends and family, stay away from Laten." The old man pleaded.

"I can't." Alex said blatantly. He would not let Ebony win, not after Leal and Maria, not after the town, not after the pain she caused them all.

Balron smiled bitterly. "I expected as much...leave me, and please change your mind." Alex walked away before being Balron called out once more. "I do not want any more visitors. I wish to die in peace."

"What should I tell the kid?" Alex asked, not turning around to face Balron, but just slightly shifted his head to see the old man in the corner of his view.

"Nothing." Balron answered bleakly.

Alex hurriedly went up the steps and quickly walked through the tunnel. He felt betrayed and disappointed, angry and sad, the things he hated to feel. He ran into Nathan on his way, who was grinning brightly. He rarely grinned. "Where are you going?" Alex asked, interrupting him.

Nathan looked back to make sure nobody is following before answering. "I want to show Balron my notes. He usually helps me find connections or help. Maybe he can explain why Sapien tried to kill us."

Alex completely forgot to ask about that, but it didn't matter. He wasn't seeing Balron any time soon. "You can't go talk to Balron." Alex said, grabbing Nathan's arm. "Lets get back to the others."

Nathan pulled away. "No, I am going to talk to Balron." Before the kid could run, Alex picked him up. He was light for an eleven year old, so it was rather easy.

"You can't see Balron anymore. And don't ask why." Alex said, carrying Nathan over his shoulder. He struggled and began kicking. But Alex couldn't tell him anything, it was what Balron wanted.

"Let me go! Balron wants to see me!" Ignoring Nathan's pitiful shrieks, Alex took him to the survivors. He put him down near the others than went back to the tunnel that lead to the secret passage.

"Nobody is seeing him again." Alex said mostly to himself, leaving Nathan with the group. Alex made a fist and punched the ceiling of the cave. Then again. Then again. His hands began to bleed, but the roof was cracking and eventually the tunnel entrance caved in. Alex chuckled dryly. "Thank god Ajax was an idiot."

When he turned around the others were staring at him, waiting for an explanation.

"I want every able survivor ready and equipped. We strike tomorrow." He commanded before walking off.

 

[TatlTails]

Aww... Poor Balron...