Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 18:33:07 -0800
From: Chung Chow aka Dream Knight
TWO WEEKS LATER...
"Massed upon the fields of Camelot,
Their lies a light of truth and hope.
With groups through out the world,
They strive to stop the unwanted kiss.
The people will fight for what they believe,
but what comes is beyond their thinking.
For once we cross the intersecting fate,
One part is half over for the world that stands now.
And we will complete our task and sleep."
~The Four Horsemen~
The War Council gathered in the Round Table of Camelot. Each to their own, representing the sanctions of the armies that slept below. The time was early morning, all eyes trying to keep alive with the weeks that have passed. Friends and comrades that have fallen to the slaughter, the hunger, the disease and the death weight in each in their mind. They wondered if the time has come for the first battle that would claim itself in their history.
Some hoped it would be. They've waited by helpless, knowing that cities have been destroyed. Some hoped it would just all end now. The seals reunited as the horsemen realized it was not their time. Perhaps, just perhaps the Angels found a way to stop this once and for all. One can only hope.
The doors to the room swung open and Dream Knight walked in with a huge rolled up parchment in his hands. Lord KnightMayre, Lucifer and Gabriel followed in suit. Dream Knight had a scowl on his face which told many that this was not going to be good new. He stopped at the front of the table and looked around.
It seemed all were present from the different Sanctions. He nodded with not a word and threw the rolled up parchment on the table. Everyone looked on the table as the parchment rolled out itself from the toss. A huge map of the world unfolded to the eyes of the council. Blue marks littered the map denoting the destruction of each city. There seemed to be more on the map since last it was rolled out. This time, however, brand new marking were placed on the map. Four red X's we marked in four parts of the map. A thin red line cross two X's diagonally and the other two the same way creating a big X.
Everyone looked to Dream Knight in wonder. He just stood there and stared at the map. He finally cleared his throat.
"The four Red X's shows where the first time one of the horseman's appeared when the seals were broken. The thinner line shows their paths."
Xan looked at the map and then back to Dream Knight, "They will all meet at the same place then!"
Dream Knight nodded, "The first crossing, they will meet and continued on. This will happen eight times. After the eighth time, the year is over."
Draygus frowned as he studied the map then his eyes widen as her realized something, "My lord! It's crossing on...."
Dream Knight nodded, "Castle Dramor..."
Gabriel had no expression, "Imagine, if you will.. the destruction of just one horseman... Now imagine the force it brings with all four of them hit the same place."
Everyone sat there trying not to imagine what the Arch Angel of Death has just said. Lady Fyr and Ice sat there and thought about the danger of her sister.
"We have to go! Vesta is there!" LFAI said.
"Yes, this is where it will start." KM said.
Everyone was quiet and every eye fell upon the map.
"How much time?" Sir Poet asked.
"We need to move out now." KM replied.
"Now? In the middle of the night?"
"Aye. The horsemen will get there before we do. That is bad enough."
Draygus cursed under his breath, "I told Gidion I'd send him some force but he refused! He said he had all the men he needed. 50,000 men indeed!"
Dream Knight frowned, "Why did he say that? His Castle and city populace is only 5000."
Draygus shrugged.
Dream Knight sighed and shook his head.
"Very well, this is what we need. Keyanna will head her Regiment."
Dream Knight protested, "Not Keyanna, She just gave birth. I don't want her out there."
Keyanna stood, "No, DK, I will go." she then smiled, "Rayven will be fine in the Starlight Bounds."
Dream Knight sighed, "Very well Keyanna. I'm assigning 50 Angels in your army. I want Lucifer and Gabriel to watch over you then."
Keyanna gave Lucifer and the Arch Angel of Death a worried side glance, "Errrrr...."
"Just so I will know, Keyanna. I don't want to have to worry about you."
"I can do fine me self!" Keyanna pouted.
"I know you can, but I'm not having my God-Daughter motherless!"
Keyanna sighed, "Fine then."
Lucifer smiled, "I have to obey Keyanna... it is my will to do so. Do not worry. You have Angels on your side."
Keyanna looked at Lucifer and then to Gabriel, "No offense, Lucifer, I would have picked two different angels."
Lucifer and Gabriel both grinned.
Dream Knight shook his head.
Lord KnightMayre continued, "Draygus, your Regiment of Dragon to the skies. Sir Poet and Dakoon Blackblade will be the commanding Generals. I need to stay here and tend to the armies here."
Lady Elizabeth stood, "What about DK? Shouldn't he be the commanding General?"
Dream Knight nodded his head, "No, I need Xan, Lady Fyr and Ice, William De`Monassier and his Spirit Walkers to come with me. We have a special task involved."
William stood and leaned his hands on the table, "What are we going to do?"
Dream Knight looked at William directly in the eyes, "Were going to stare Death straight in the eyes."
William blinked. Lady Elizabeth cleared her throat. "I need to be excused." She walked by KM and whispered into his ear and he nodded in understanding. She quietly left the room.
William frowned and looked back to Dream Knight, "I shall get my people ready."
Dream Knight nodded.
Everyone emptied the room. Keyanna and the two angels walked down the hall.
"I'm not happy about this..." Keyanna said without turning to look at either of them.
Lucifer turned to Keyanna, "Do not worry. Forget for now all that you have heard of my or Gabriel. We fight a different cause now, and we have no choice but to follow Tomas."
Keyanna stopped, "Why? Why out of all the Angels in heaven do you have to listen to what he says? I thought you only answered to your Father? I don't trust you two."
Gabriel and Lucifer stopped and turned to Keyanna.
Gabriel sighed, "What do you have that we don't Keyanna?"
Keyanna shrugged.
"A soul." Lucifer said, "The first War of the Angels were waged because Gabriel here and other angels did not agree with Father's choice to choose you human over us. Me, I could have cared less."
Keyanna crossed her arm to her chest, her other foot tapping, "Yeh? So?"
Gabriel looked guilty, "Well, imagine God granting a mortal to be an Angel."
Lucifer nodded, "So that where Dream Knight comes in."
"Yeh? and?" Keyanna said still no convinced.
"That really pissed me and some of the Angels off." Gabriel said.
"OK, so you said the first war, this must be the second, when you came down here."
Gabriel nodded...
Keyanna started to turn red with anger, "ANGELS! And I thought Bards were annoying, get to the point. Why should I trust ye two?"
Lucifer looks at Gabriel and then back to Keyanna, "Don't you understand? Do you know what it mean to be an angel with a soul?"
"So Dream Knight was touched by the hand of God." Keyanna said impatiently.
Gabriel shook his head in disagreement, "He was given the POWERS God."
Keyanna blinked. For a while she tried to put it together, and then it hit her and she grinned.
Lucifer looked to Gabriel and shrugged.
Keyanna grinned slyly and smiled, "Very well, shall we?"
Gabriel turned and mumbled, "Finally! She gets it!"
"Oh!" Keyanna said once again, "Lucifer, please go fetch my steed and saddle it for me."
"Huh? The stable boy can do that!"
"Oh, but my Father of Lies, I prefer if you do it! It adds such a personal touch." Keyanna winked.
Lucifer frowned.
"I'm sure Dream Knight wouldn't be very pleased with you if I was upset, now would he? He is the god-child of my daughter, which make me a pretty important person to him and..."
"ALRIGHT!" Lucifer said turning and stomping away mumbling something.
Gabriel laughed as Keyanna and him both continued.
Keyanna stood before the door leading to the courtyard and waited. Gabriel blinked.
Keyanna clear her throat. Gabriel frowned and opened the door for her.
"Thank you Gabby dear." she smiled and blew him a kiss.
Gabriel, the Arch Angel of Death stood there with a scowl on his face and said to himself, "Gabby???!?! MORTALS! I swear!"
He then looked up to the sky, "Oops, sorry, didn't mean to swear Father."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Allista, moments ago as Lady Elizabeth, sat in front of her mirror as the door resounded a knock.
"Come in..." Allista beckoned.
William walked in and stood there, "You're not going, Love..."
"I am too." she said stubbornly, "I will not loose you again, and if this is what was destined, then I will die with you!"
"No!" William said looking to the floor.
Allista got up and walked over to William and lifted his chin, "You've spent 522 years roaming the earth to find me. Now that you have, I'm not going to leave you now."
William closed his eyes and flashes of his years flew by him. He remembered when he first married Allista so long ago, and then that dreaded night when she was taken by the beast, killed at it's altar. William tried to save her but couldn't. He himself lied in a dead mass after fighting the beast.
Then he smiled, when his God came to him. He told him he is not to be there in the after life. Instead, he is to roam the earth and find his loved one. To find her in her next life. "You two were meant to be together. And so you two shall be. You William De`Monassier will be a Ka'Dar, a SpiritWalkers. Your soul will be here, with me, but you will live to be with her again."
He then remember from that time he woke in his body once again, and the 522 years of roaming the earth. Then he remember the night he came to Camelot and found his Allista again.
William nodded, "Very well, my love."
Allista smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keyanna road ahead of the army and cleared the hill. She gasped and awe at the sight as Dramor came into view. The whole valley seemed to be demolished. The plants and animal rotting on the ground. The only thing that stood was Castle Dramor. Dakoon and Sir Poet rode up next to Keyanna just in time to see the battering rams blow down the castle gates.
Sir Poet cursed, "It'll take about 15 minutes for us to get there!"
Dakoon waved to Draygus over head. Draygus took the sign and spurred his army into haste.
Dakoon turned his horse around and faced the army. He gripped the stone Dream Knight gave to all the commanding officers and shouted.
"Friends!", his voice boomed over the entire army, "Dramor is about this hill! They are losing! We need to make haste! The time is here. This is what we have prepared for!"
Sir Poet rode up next to Dakoon and gripped his stone, "In a few moments, we will gather together, Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Commoners, Royalty. We are gathered here to fight for our lives, together, as one people, as one race. What happened before, what happens after, has no matter now."
Keyanna joined her two friends, "We will be united today. With the faith that we will win. If we do, we will do it together. We will rage against the odds. We will survive, we will win. I know, and hope that you all will know, we can not do this alone. Today we are one people."
Dakoon raised his sword out of his sheath and pointed it to the sky, "Raise your weapons, brothers and sisters! Today is a good day to die! And I will be honored to die with you all!"
The army below drew their weapons and shout in a chorus. The sound shook the valley as the whole army started to sing a war song written just for this occasion. They began to march in haste. They began to sing. They called this War Song "The Year of Hell".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draygus looked below at the attacking armies. He and his brethren swooped down and breath their weapons upon the army that a lone horseman on a hill commanded. All around, not a vegetation grew, the people of the city lied in their top side grave with plague marking their skin. This place was unholy.
Draygus swooped over the castle and dropped Dream Knight, Xan, Lady Fyr and Ice, and the SpiritWalkers on to a tower and flew off. Dream Knight waved back and they all disappeared into the Castle.
"Good luck DK!"
Draygus spotted movement in the air thousands of yards away. He keenly watched the horizon then alerted his kinsmen. "Heads up my brothers! Look at what we have here!"
Firefang flew up next to Draygus, "Wyverns!"
Draygus grinned and licked his fangs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gidion screamed in pain. His arms and leg flailed in mid air as he looked at Vesta's dying body.
"What is going on?! Help!" Gidion screamed hoping someone will hear.
In another plane, one that looked like Castle Dramor's Throne room where Gidion was flailing, Orcus stood over the room like a puppeteer.
"They are so flexible!" Orcus said to Asmodeus as he held Gidion's soul and withered it around like a rag doll.
Asmodeus frowned, "Stop playing with the food, Orcus!"
"But it is amusing!" Orcus said.
Asmodeus rolls his eyes, "Would you get it over with already??"
Orcus mumbled something about him not being able to have any fun. He sighed and plucked Gidion's soul's arm from him.
Gidion screamed.
Orcus took that piece and through it at the Necromancers emerging powerful soul, "Oh looky, they have two of these..."
*Pluck*
Gidion screamed harder as his other arm stopped flailing.
"And they have to legs too!"
*Pluck* *Pluck*
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Orcus laughed and scream trying to match his pity with Gidion's like he was tuning his voice.
"ORCUS! Come on already!" Asmodeus rushed.
"Very Well!" Orcus said and threw the rest into the Necromancer's Soul.
"Is that it?" Asmodeus asked.
"I suppose... we'll wait and see what happens."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gidion fell to the floor, his body a mass of cold flesh. Dream Knight burst into the room with the others.
"Gidion!" Dream Knight shouted and rush to his body. He turned it over and saw the he had died, fright all over his face, eyes still wide open.
Lady Fyr and Ice ran to her sister and cradled her into her arms. Tears fell from her eyes.
"Vesta?" Lady Fyr and Ice said.
Vesta fluttered her eyes opened and smiled weakly, "Sister."
"What happened?" LFAI asked.
"It was the demons. They have come." she said coughing out blood.
Dream Knight looked to LFAI and Vesta.
"Demons?" LFAI said casting a glance to Dream Knight.
"Yes..." she said, "But that isn't important right now... it's too late for me."
"Don't say that!" LFAI said.
Vesta smiled weakly, "Yes. But I need you to carry on the line."
Vesta didn't want to believe it. It won't happen, not every all these years! She will not see her sister die like this.
Vesta seemed to read her mind, "Sister, listen to me. You know who I am, you know what must be done."
LFAI nodded with tears streaking down. Vesta held FAI's hand with a red glowing gem in clasped. She then reached up and held LFAI's forehead. They both glowed suddenly then Vesta's body slumped.
LFAI looked down to her sisters body, "I will carry on the linage. I promise." She opened her palm and the once glowing gem was now dull. In her anger, LFAI threw the gem against the wall and watched it shatter into pieces. Some day soon she will have to forge her own gem and pass it along.
But for now LFAI held close her sister and cried. The room was quiet as they all gather around Vesta's crumpled body and prayed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keyanna shouted orders to press on. Her army gained the upper advantage, but these people that War lead was fighting like mad. Then it happened. Each soldier killed on the other side shed it's disguise. What slipped out of their human skin as not human. A mutation of some kind was a close as she can explain it.
"DEMONS!" Dakoon screamed.
Keyanna, Sir Poet and Dakoon shouted to press on, keep morale up as possible. Their army fought back with equal force.
The angels saw the Demon's and in response shed their human forms and fought as angels. Protecting more of the people than actually fighting.
Keyanna turned to Lucifer, "Do something about this!"
Lucifer slammed his trident down into a throat of one of those demons and turns to Keyanna, "and what will you have me to do? Say please and tell them to come back another day??"
"Well, aren't they yours?"
Lucifer rode up next to Keyanna and guarded her flank, "Keyanna, don't believe all that your childhood stories have told you. I work alone. You humans grouped me with these hideous demons! I'd just wish for once you all would get it right!"
Keyanna frowned and watched as Dakoon and Sir Poet rode out to help cover up another hole in the west flank.
Draygus and his dragons could not do any damage with their breath weapons. They ended up swooping down and tears the bodies of the demons. Keyanna witness this gruesome site as another dragon swooped down and tore a demon in half. One half landed in a sea of fighting soldiers and the other right in front of her.
"That's sick." she said to herself.
Lucifer peered over and grinned, "I could do worse!"
"I'm sure you can Lucifer, but that will be at a later date. You can show off later!" Keyanna said in distaste.
Gabriel pointed, "Look Lucifer!"
Lucifer looked at where Gabriel was pointing, "Well, what do you know!"
"What?" Keyanna asked, looking there. She saw a black ugly looking demon she has every, or never seen in her life.
"It's Graal!" Gabriel said with a grin.
"Who's Graal?" Keyanna asked.
"Oh, he's a nasty one, Keyanna." Lucifer explained, "Makes me look like Santa Claus!"
Keyanna furrowed her brow, "Who's Santa?"
Lucifer turned to Keyanna, "He's.... oh never mind, you won't understand. Way after your time."
"Wha?" Keyanna said in confusion.
"Don't worry about it Keyanna." Gabriel said, "But if we can take out Graal, it'll drive the demons away."
"Very well, what do I need to do?"
"Signal your dragons and have the fire breathers ready and have that Draygus one get a REAL big rock." Lucifer grinned.
"How big?" Keyanna asked.
Lucifer shot an image into Keyanna mind.
Keyanna frowned, "Lucifer, that's more than a rock, it's a boulder."
"Whatever." Lucifer replied.
Lucifer and Gabriel took their angelic form and flew circles around Graal. Other angel joined in, diving bombing Graal with a holy light. Graal screamed and tried to grope for the angels through their blinding light.
Lucifer pointed to the ground and said, "Begone Graal!"
The ground underneath the Demon General opens and he fell into it. His tentacle grabbed hold of the edges and tried to climb up again. Draygus taking upon the cue dropped a huge boulder, slamming Graal into it.
The angels join in a circle and chanted, blessing the rock. Upon Lucifer's signal, the Fire breathers dived and heated the rock. It seemed to work as the Demons started to flee into their own dimension. Those who were lucky not to fall onto the fighting soldiers blades that is.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Death stood there with his Scythe in his had looking at Dream Knight. Xan and the SpiritWalkers stood strong behind him.
Death bowed his head in respect.
"Go back! It is not your time horseman." Dream Knight demanded.
"It is not done yet." Death replied in a rustic voice.
"It will NOT be done. You have been called before your time."
"But alas, the seal have been broken. This is not my doing. I only obey."
William and Xan stood there facing death as they looked at the corridor they were in. It reeked of death all over the place. Trying hard not to return their dinner to the outside world, they watched and listened.
"I am sorry then. I must stop you." Dream Knight said.
"If that is your will, M'Lord.... I have my job to do."
Dream Knight shot a side glance to William as Allista stood back from hold his arm.
William nodded and his two silver thin blade shot out their sheaths. William lead his 20 men into a fray with Death. They circled and cut, stabbed and parried. Death then made his first connecting blow. William flew into the wall with a large cut down his chest. He stood up and grinned wiping the blood from his mouth.
Death's eyes widen, "You, the foes I fight. You are not human!"
William had a smug smile on his face and bowed to Death, "Nae, we live! Yet we do not. We are of the Ka'Dar... We are spirit walkers."
Dream Knight grinned at Death, "Their souls are safe within their God. You HAVE no soul to take from them!"
Death cursed and in a swirl of his dark cloak he disappeared.
"He's gone!" William exclaimed.
"It's ok... I have what I needed!" Dream Knight said.
Xan arched a brow at Dream Knight, "What do you mean? If this was it, what am I here for?"
Dream Knight smiled, "You are the only one that can heal the SpiritWalkers."
Xan understood and nodded.
Dream Knight just kept his thoughts to himself as he watched Xan lay her healing abilities upon the SpiritWalkers. Allista was with William, helping Xan with the healing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Torn bodies litter the battle field when Dream Knight and the rest stepped out of the castle. Tree, bushes everything was dead. Making the Valley of Dramor, once a wonderful valley of forest into a wasteland. The first crossroad of eight.
A curious looking Obelisk was the only thing that stood in the valley. An Angelic Prison Marker, Dream Knight whispered to himself. Good idea brothers.
Keyanna rode up and smiled at Dream Knight, "See! I told ye I can watch out for me self!"
Dream Knight smiled and leaned over hugging Keyanna, "Yes! You can."
Lucifer ran up carrying Keyanna's weapons and equipment.
"What are you doing brother?" Dream Knight asked.
"Keyanna needed help with her equipment." Lucifer said.
Dream Knight arched an eyebrow, "What are you up to!"
"Nothing! It was her!" Lucifer said pointing to Keyanna.
Keyanna just smiled at Dream Knight with a little girls grin.
Dream Knight didn't want to know.
"So what have you found, brother? Did he listen?" Lucifer asked.
"No... not even to me."
"Then what should we do?" Lucifer asked.
"Find the seals and re-forge them. We'll have to do this in three groups. One to stop the next seal from being opened, one to find the already broken ones and the other to stop any further destruction." Dream Knight said.
"Fine! but I am NOT going with her!" Lucifer said pointing to Keyanna again.
Dream Knight shook his head and thought, *I don't want to know!*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The World News The September 1997 Issue
Feature Article: Unexplained Mysteries
"The City of Ruins lied in the Moors of the Dead. Strange how this place was missed. However, I am glad I was the first to stumble on to here. No matter how sacred the Locals warned me this place was. I'm sure it's all superstition. Legends said it was the place with it first started the Year of Hell. Me and my colleagues did a little investigation and only found one solid evidence that it did happen here. A shard of a red gem. The Fire Goddess had said to die here and pass on her linage to her sister. Amazing is this shard. It's beautiful. Another interesting fact is the bones we've found here. It's not humanoid. It seems mutated. Very strange. I will have this examined in the labs to determine it's nature. Strange how myths and legends can affect people. The Locals here claimed those bones to be of Demons! Indeed! The period called "The Year of Hell" was written in the books in the Library of the Gaston Abbey, far from here. Yet these local know of this story. I was even lucky enough to be granted into their sacred library. However, this does not bring me any closer to finding out if the Arthurian Legends were true. To me, it's still myths and legends. Oh well... tomorrow we will start digging in area 34. There's a big Black Obelisks there. The local thinks it is a key to a prison for a demon. I hope we will find a demon! It would make this cock-a-maimie story believable!"
~ From the Journal of Dr. Albert Brockhiemer, Archaeologist *
* This was logged during his Arthurian Research in April 29th, 1997. He died a day later from strange unknown causes. There after nearby villages was hit with a Famine and the Abolonic Plague.
Next Issue of The World News: Why the sudden declaration of war on May 1st in Bosnia after months of cease fire agreement? The Gorilla troops claimed they saw a demon! Get the scoop in the next issue of The World News who brought you the exclusive on Elvis Sightings!
~fin
Dream Knight
E-mail comments and/or corrections to Diana/Wenn & Co