When Kingdoms Fall

[Chuckanator]

Henrey then awoke from the commotion. He then picked up his saber from the ground and turned around, only to see Paresies. Henrey then walk over to him with a sign of relief. "Paresies, you've found me. Thank God, I thought I was hopeless. You will not believe where ended up. I had a run-in will Jack, lead Knight of The Dark Templar. And defeated him on the shores of...well, it was like I was in a realm or something. I know Blood Cove is all but a story from those dirty blasphemers, but it seemed so real, I didn't know what to say. But in the end, it all went away in the wind. Anyways, where are the others?"

[Catalyst]

Listening for and hearing the explosion was Liston's signal. The Red Backs set a course for Syllestia.

Not far, they came up on an encampment. Liston held up his hand, signaling the others to halt.

Listening intently, he could make out conversation.

Motioning for the group to continue, they moved into a clearing to see two men.

One man's body and clothes were smoking.

"What foul magic is this?" Liston asked in shock.

[T-Bone]

OOC: Nice change Catalyst and Chuckanator.

Paresies was about to answer Henrey but then heard a voice, so he looked and saw Liston! Liston was very famous in Syllestia. Paresies still didn't know he was being hunted so he ran up to greet him but recieved a punch from one of  his men. He got back up quite confused.

"What is going on!" Paresies yelled out.

[Catalyst]

"You are under arrest for treasonous acts against the crown of Syllestia. Place him under arrest!" Said Liston, motioning his men forward.

Two Red Backs moved to to a flanking position on Henrey.

"What do we do with the Roman?" one asked.

Liston turned in the direction of the man, evaluating him. "Slay him."

OOC:

You can kill some of the Red Backs, but not Liston or Vinton. Make it a good fight though, they are accomplished soldiers and outnumber you significantly.

[Chuckanator]

"Alright, said Henrey "Let me tell you something, I have fought many wars, saved many, and killed many. And I’ll be d**ned to the fires of Hell if I shall have my blood spilt by your swords." Henrey then rolled back past a Red back and tripped him with his left leg. Another swung his down at Henrey, but he blocked it with his sword that was held in his right hand and with left hand; he grabbed a small but thick stick from the ground and smacked the Red back in the head, knocking him out on the ground. Henrey then turned around and ducked from the first Red back he knocked down as he swung his sword at him. He then smashed his sword with great force down on the Red back’s sword. Henrey then pushed the Red back into liston and Vinton, knocking them into a frenzy of rage. Henrey then looked at them with a laugh and looked at Parasies and said, "Quick, let's get out of here!"

[T-Bone]

Paresies didn't want to run! He wanted some answers, he wanted to know why his Kingdom had betrayed him, but all his common sense told him to get out of here, so he and Henrey ran, ran for their lives. Paresies kept running until he couldn't any longer then he stopped and leaned against a tree.

"I do not Know where the others are Henrey. Nameless.. the old man that was with us, and I in were in the jail then this Jack fellow broke us out, then an explotion happened and Nameless jumped on my back and I woke up here. It was like I was transported here by one of his spells or something."

Paresies got up and said "We must find a place to go." He then looked at the map to find a hint on where he could go next.

[Chuckanator]

   "Well," said Henrey gasping for air, "I don't know what to tell you,..... but if....you say that man back there..... betrayed you, maybe he has them....... trapped, or..... maybe their lost, but we need........ a plan or something so we......... can get some answers. Henrey then caught up to his breath. But for now we need to either hide from them over night or keep running, you decide but you better hurry, they didn't look happy we I pushed them into each other.

[T-Bone]

OOC: Guys we need to get back together somehow  so we  can make the story progress. I'm going back to Lomar so try to meet up there,but get everybody who's gonna be on the mission together.

"Let's go to back Lomar to try to find the others , the guards will not like it when they see me coming back so we need to be stealthy, when we get past the main gates we can pass as pesants, but we can't let any guards look us directly in the face. We first must find shelter and get some sleep though, I have a feeling we will need it." Paresies said.

Paresies and Henrey looked around for awhile until they came to a nice secluded, yet comfortable place in the bushes. It took awhile for Paresies to get  settled in but when he did, he fell right to sleep.

[Catalyst]

Liston was furious that he had allowed his guard to be down. He was astounded that he had permitted himself to be knocked over so easily.

He vowed to never again allow a similar lapse in judgement.

After an initial damage assessment, the Red Backs were back on the chase.

One young Red Back lead them astray of the trail. He was promptly sent back to Syllestia for remedial training.

Frustrated beyond description, Liston took up the tracking personally, cursing himself for deciding to bring such green recruits on this "training" mission.

He would make Paresies pay for this. He would have to kill him now just to save himself the embarrassment!
 

[Scrasamax]

"Those two certain bounded with energy." Smoltz said in the safety of the Crow's Nest, Jack's personal hide out and stronghold in Lomar. A small fire crackled on the hearth, sending up a few wan emberflies. "Indeed they did," Jack said, sipping a nice port wine from the bottle. He sniffed it, good bouqet, nice body. Jack had a taste for wine, good wine that he really shouldnt be able to afford. "But I remember when I was that young myself, rearing to go and slash purse strings and swing on chandeliers, and woo princesses..." Jack said with a wry smile.

"And if I remember correctly, it was you who slashed the purse strings of the Captain-Marshall of the Red Backs and in the same night lifted no fewer than 70 purses without getting caught." Piers said, leaning back against a heap of blankets and recently 'acquired' horse barding. "Well, Moniego challenged me to a thieves duel, and he only lifted 15 purses and was technically caught twice."

"And it was a year after that when you used the Chancellor's crystal chandelier to swing out of his window after stealing the jewels from his crozier of office." Smoltz said. The men laughed, Jack wiping a tear from his eye. "Yes, and it was even better when he bought the jewels back without recognizing them."

"As for princesses..." A feminine voice spoke, "We all know that Jack knows more than he ought to about the bedchambers of the worthy daughters of the nobility."

"Are you going to hold that against me Agnes?" Jack asked as the woman, a contortionists and house breaker par excellance walked up and took a seat by the fire. "I wouldn't hold it against you so much, except that you make us common born girls feel ugly." She said, giving him a cool look. "It's not that," Jack said raising his hands in his defence, "Its that princesses bath all the time and they smell so nice." His grin was that the cat that ate the canary.

[T-Bone]

Paresies awoke the next morning, fresh, and ready to hit the road. He woke up Henrey and said "We do not have any food or water, it is with my horse in a local stable in Lomar."

They hit the trail to Lomar once they rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and streched their muscles. They were always darting around and looking in the shadows for any Red Backs or Lomarias.

After a long time of walking they finally stopped to rest.

Paresies was about to start walking again when he heard some voices laughing. He listened for a second and heard the voices more clearer.

"The guards at the gate."  Paresies whispered. " Follow me."

They crept in the bushes until they could see the guards. Paresies looked for a place that was  not covered by armor on the the guards bodies. He quickly came to see that the neck was wide open.

Paresies went over Henrey and whispered "Get your sword out and sneek up behind one of the guards and stab him in the neck."

They each crept up behind one of the guards and dispatched of them quickly. They then hid them in the bushes where they were sure no one could see them and climbed over the gates.

Paresies was getting very, very thirsty and with not a drop of water in sight he was desperate. He then saw a house come into the distance, "Come quickly, if we're lucky this place might give us some food and water." He said to Henrey as he started running towards the door. He then knocked on it wildly.

 He was expecting some nice old people to answer the door but he would have never thought that who answered the door would have actually answered the door. Paresies looked at Henrey who was right next to him then looked back at the door. "Jack?"

[Scrasamax]

"I told you they would find their way back." Piers said to Jack. "Only because you you cast a spell for them to find their way here if they decided to come back." Jack retorted. "Anyway, you two look terrible."

"they look like they've been sleeping in trees and fighting with cougars. Look at the blood on his tunic. It was a wonder that the guard didnt try to take them into questioning again." Agnes said, obviously dissapproving of the duo.

"Come off it, Agg. They are all right. Now maybe they might tell us what is going on before galloping off again." Jack said.

[T-Bone]

Paresies and Henrey walked inside, feeling the warmth of the fire instantly. Paresies sunk down to the ground, his legs weak, and said. "Do you have any information on this map?" as he handed the map to Jack.

[Scrasamax]

"Interesting," Jack said, looking at the map. "So how is Vinculus doing then? Last I saw of him he was living quite well in Syllestia. Had a bit of a penchant for Roman wine and wearing crowns of laurels on his head."

[T-Bone]

Vinculus might've been the old man in the alley that gave him the map, Paresies thought.

"I do not know." he stated honestly, if this Vinculus was the old man he still  wouldn't know.

"It may seem silly for me to ask such a strange question about a map but I came across this map in an alley while an old man who might have been Vinculus. He was trying to give me this map but I wouldn't trust him. He then showed me a collection of all these fascinating jewels and coins and then I knew he wasn't joking. He gave me the map and said that my life would be filled with great sorrow but I'd be rewarded with great rewards and praise, and me and my friend here," he pointed to Henrey sitting down, half asleep, "and Name...." Paresies had forgotten all about Nameless. He decided to shove all the thoughts away until he had finished. "Sorry about that freezup. Any way my friends and I were all sent on a jorney to save all the Kingdoms from destruction, and he told me to go to the King of Lomar for advice but he arrested me so now I have nowhere to go. Can you help us?"

[Scrasamax]

"An old man, dirty as week old rubbish, that would be the real Vinculus. Sometimes I have to keep on my toes about the people who wander into my area. A few are after a little less honorable goals." Jack said. He took a drink of spiced wine. "And sometimes Vinculus hits the wine a bit too hard and tells the wrong people the wrong things, if you follow me."

"Go ahead Jack, stop beating around the bush." Agnes said with a scowl as she brought a wash basin for the tired men to clean themselves in. She also had a spare change of clothes for each, simple linen tunics. simple, but also free from incriminating blood stains. "Bushbeating is becoming a forgotten art, everyone is always so serious, always straight to the utterly important and rubbish on anything else."

"So, here it is. The King of Burlesia is an imposter, what kind? We don't know, but the King went out on a hunt, and came back and within the hour Burlesia was gearing up for war. Lomar will be destroyed with terrible ease, and then Syllestia, Rome, the outer lands. The King has called on a secret weapon in a biattle I have seen with my own eyes. He used a silver scepter and called forth a brigade of silver clad warriors with green cloaks and swords that cut down men like the harvester's scythe. His power in immense, and if he is not checked, Burlesia is going to drown the world in blood and smoke."

[T-Bone]

"So what are we supposed to do?" Pareseis asked.

[Scrasamax]

"Well, quite simple really. you have to sneak into Burlesia, discover what has replaced it's king and if possible reveal this sham, or if all else fails, you will have to assassinate the King himself." Jack said. "I can offer my assistance, but as a citizen of Burlesia I am honor bound to respect the King and could not lay a hand upon him, imposter or not."

[Catalyst]

Suddenly, outside, could be heard the shuffling of many feet. A window shattered. The door flew open as men stormed in, swords and clubs swinging.

Paresies, knew, instinctively, that the Red Backs had called in more of their "resources." How they found him so quickly, he had no way of knowing.

What he did know was that the time for defense was over. It was now a time for action.....lethal action.

OOC:
Take em out.

[Murometz]

OOC: "take em out"..hehe (that was my favorite line from that ancient Van Damme movie..."Cyborg")...Sorry for the interruption. 

[Catalyst]

OOC: You're dating yourself Murometz.  However I did see it in theaters 

[Chuckanator]

   Henrey then clutched his saber with a firm grip with both hands and yield out, with anger burning in his eyes, "LET THE BLOOD OF THE WICKED FLOW!" Henrey then charged at the crowd of Red Backs with full force and adrenaline pumping through his blood, swinging his saber about in front of him. He then clashed his saber on top of a Red Backs sword and punched the Red Back in his head, knocking him back in front of the others, still pouring in through the door, He then drew back his saber, and impaled another in the side. Henrey then rolled back away from the door, removing the blade from the Red Backs side, and when Henrey got to his feet, he quickly leaped up and slashed at the Red Backs with the bloody saber, knocking another Red Back to the floor with a deep cut across his chest. Henrey then picked for a falling sword from the ground and with the sword in his left hand and his saber in his right, Henrey then swung violently as the Red backs ran past him. Henrey felt like he wasn't fighting alone but like their was someone was with him, fighting at his side as he thrashed the swords about. But then, from out of nowhere, something hit him from some direction in the back of his head, knocking him to the ground. Blood began to run down his head as his eyes slowly closed. His life as a crusader began to flash before him, but then came to a halt. Henrey felt strange. The pain in his head and his hand, from the punch to the Red Back's head, went away, and he felt like he was floating on a cloud and he didn't have anything to worry about anymore. Suddenly, Henrey opened his eyes and all that he could see was white. He felt like he couldn't move, so he closed his eyes and prayed silently, "God, please protected me and Paresies from the Red Backs." And suddenly, Henrey opened his eyes, he was still laying on the ground and felt weak and in pain. He saw as the Red Backs began to surround Paresies, so he said, "God, Help us." and closed his eyes again and laid quietly in front of the door.

[Catalyst]

OOC:    The Red Backs aren't attacking, they sent some dudes in. We’ll just pretend you didn't say red backs a million times and substitute attacker or something.

[T-Bone]

Paresies drew out his sword and cut off one of the man's legs. He then parried an attack from another one and threw him into the burning fire. Shrieks filled the Crow's nest as one of the men attacked Paresies from behind and cut the back of his knee. Paresies fell to the ground helplessly, but he got belly side up when he heard a man plunging towards him. Paresies took his sword and stuck it into the man's gut, and as the lifeless body slid down his sword, Paresies kicked the it into another one of the men. He swung at another one of them but the man parried it and Paresies' sword went flying. One of the men then punched Paresies in the face, plopping him to the ground. Then one of them came running towards Paresies, sword in hand, he was helpless!

[Chuckanator]

Henrey then got up. Blood continued to run down his forhead. He rubbed the blood from his head and clenched his teeth from the pain. He looked all around to see that him Parasies  where surely doomed. Henrey then picked his swords that fell from his hands and said, "You can kick me all around the room, you can skin me alive and boil me in hot oil, but I SHALL NOT FALL untill I spit my last bloodly breath forth."

Henrey then raised his swords, ready for anything, when suddenly the ground began to quake. Then, in the middle of the room, a large, black, void portal appeared. the hole was whirling about out of controled, and would suck up anything that was too close. Henrey turned to see the spinning nightmare and said to himself, "God, deliver us...."
And from the portal, a voice called out. "Henrey, come forth, for this is not your fate."
And in an instant, Henrey was lifted from the ground, and was sucked into the portal, which disappeared after it took him.