Armanon had not exited the Scrying chambers yet. Months had passed and the Tactician hadn't been seen. Scarce times he had shown his face, scarce moments that Sammael could not account for. He was busy.
Aramon had been busy, in those chambers. The assult had ended for the time being on the Tacticians part. Now was a different time, a time of focus. A time where he needed guidance. He sought out Ahriman.
"Watch the Castle Sammael.." He had told him. Watch he did.
Though in the field Sammael had proven to be worthy of his title. It was in his home, on the field of battles that had strung the course of the cobblestone path that led to his castle walls. It was there he was the shield, it was there that the armor of his will stood strong. A man was not nothing without his will, he was shapeless and without form. But will forged strength that surpassed steel. It was set in the foundations of the very castle.
Ninth Circle. Fallen. Defeated. One by one he had picked them off. Sitting quietly at the gates waiting for the alarms to toll. Kacus had been there, many a times. The two had become a powerful combination of magic and sword.
Eyes closed, mediation. Feel the essance burning inside? Feel the fire ignited by war? Feel the cause of serving someone other than yourself? He was Samurai. He had learned alot in the ages he slept petrified beneath the earthen ground. Where the Hellfire still spit and churned for release. He had learned an important lesson. What it meant to be still. To wait.
If you wait by a river long enough, your enemies will surely float by.
Sammael had waited. Rauve, fallen. The head of the Assassin leader of the Circle was placed ontop the battlements, shriveled from decay that set into the bone and chipped away where the Murasame had hacked at it. Torment, fallen. The Draconian's head sat beside Rauves, also decayed from age. Shlap, fallen. Azuv, fallen. The Ninth Circle. Now Azuv was gone. Banished by a final sweep from his blade. The old quest shop, taken. The Shade overcame. Unconcious. Azuv slept while his boy was drug through the streets by the Samurais iron grip. Tirus followed murmuring silently ancient spells to curse his form. Through the sewers. Decay. Rats. Nothingness. It was there, in mid-air the combat ensued. Tirus struck. The Samurai waited, patiently, in the trapped exsistence hanging ready. Azuv screamed in pain. Finish him. Finish it. The sword fell. So did Azuv. Final Death.
Dominion had fallen. Blinded. The rush. Zedar and Technique. Brothers in arms. Assassins. Kindred in spirit, in purpose. Fury fell. Blood smeared the gory tale of the fight along the walls along the castle grounds. Rauve had fallen as well.
The Samurai waited. He sat at the front gates, still open. Indrrecor. The guardian waited, poised ready for the alarms to sound. Exmagre. The warrior waited, poised to give his life for the front lines. None shall pass.
He learned a lesson while he was petrified. He meditated quietly, sitting at the open gates. Let them come. The Samurai waited.
...............................................................................
We thought him lost to us. As Kacus' body lay lifeless
before us, I delved into the depths of my powers and
could do nothing. What sort of necromancer am I? I
claim to have power over life and death; yet when we
most needed this to be true, I could do nothing. Look-
ing into the faces of my comrades, I felt shame. Kacus
was important to our cause. He had aided in the
defense of our castle walls time and again. I was going
to admit defeat when we heard the voice speak.
"It is not for you to bring him back. He would not be the
same man."
Without losing a step, I pleaded with this voice. I asked
what i could do. Was it this fine soldiers fate to be
destroyed by the weak? Would he get no chance for
vengeance?
"His time is not up. But it is not your worldly magic that
can restore him."
A word in the dead languages was uttered, and Kacus'
eyes flutter open, confused.
"I will return, and when I do, you will have a debt to pay,
Necromancer."
As we could not see this man or monster, we could not see
it exit. It was gone, however. Of this, we were certain.
A debt. I'd not say it to my comrades, but that made me
shiver..
................................................................................
Nimbis had awoken from the healing pool to the emptiness of his clan hall. He flew to Market Square and looked around at the slaughtered corpses of the solderes of the D'sar.Tne a familiar face was lying there covered in blood with an expression of horror. Nimbis was consumed with anger when he pulled the sword out of his dead friends heart. Nimbis realized then that it was Balfour's corpse. The sword was reflecting off the fire in Nimbises eyes. Nimbis knew by the sword that this was the work of D'sar. Nimbis then screamed and launch multiple telekinetic attacks at what buildings were still standing at the Square.
After releasing massive amount of energy. He lunged the sword into a D'sar corpse. Nimbis had collapsed on the floor of his hall, and awoken up to findout out that Farg had slaughtered Shamra, and he has been stripped of his equipment. This pleased Nimbis oh so very much. Nimbis then collapsed again and had a dream that he was attacking Farg with Dew and Duragon. Duragon launched a telekinetic storm at Farg and launched him into a wall. Nimbis finished him off with another storm and Farg went through the wall and into a spike in the floor. Nimbis walked over to him and smiled. The reached down his throut and grabbed his heart and ate it in front of him until Farg finally dead. Then he along with the D'sar rummaged through the old friends corpse with Darkstar smiling at what Nimbis had done. Nimbis ripped off Fargs head and threw it into Darkstar's hands.
"Hang it so the Order of the Tainted Shade will get the message straight from they're powerfull leader. Darkstar nodded and put a spear through Fargs dead head and staked it to Market Square. Nimbis awoke from the nightmare and rushed to Market Square. Luckily there was no spear. He went back to his Clan Hall and told Farg he just had a bad dream and he'd be fine. When Nimbis and Farg knew something wasn't right and something bad soon was going to happen. But they discared it, and went on the daily hunt for the D'sar with Armanon and Silthe, there new leader.
All things come in time. Patience is more than a virtue, it is a valued tool. Methodically, the Shade have been searching the realms for the bases of our enemies. It is not enough to meet them in the field. To find their homes and bring the war to them is more effective and more disarming. I have walked the halls of the crusaders, those fervent madmen. I have seen the secret passages of the Stygian hoards. I've even attempted, to no avail, to breech the walls of the Circle of Prevailing PEace. Today, we have advanced the cause further. In wandering, Tirus has come upon the home of the Satanist's. As yet we have not been able to breech the enchanted woods that surround it. Each direction is a trick. One's eyes cannot see the way. Tirus and a few of the Knights will be concentrating on this problem. I cannot divert all of our forces to the task as yet, though. We must patrol the town. We must find the hiding places of the D'sar and the Shadow Church as well. Success cannot be allowed to weaken us. We must strive to brings Ahriman's Vision to reality. A lot of our strength must be concentrated on the so-called righteous Crusaders. Their strength is great, and their madness makes them fierce. Their defeat is predetermined, but an easy victory over them is not guarenteed. My men....soldier on.