The Choice Chapter 8
Gatecrashing
By Chris Homer
(There is going to be some action in this one....hooray!)
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It had been a number of weeks since the incident where Valeria had that prophescy. Was Windy back or was it just some nightmare?
Valeria shrugged it off. It had been worrying her for a number of weeks, it wasn't going to bother her now, especially at Kirkis' special time.
The wedding was today, and the Village of the Elves looked near perfect. She reflected on what happened the day before......
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"Oh, stop moaning, Hix!" said Teneggar.
"I am not moaning!" Hix retaliated.
"Yes you are!" Teneggar said.
"Well, if I am, it is because you are prodding me hard with that needle!" Hix screamed as the needle stabbed him once again. Valeria, Teneggar and Sylvinia had done a good job in getting the tuxes and dresses down, and they weren't letting Hix ruining them.
"Well, if you wouldn't squirm so much, I wouldn't stab ya! Now hold still!" Teneggar screamed.
A chuckle from Maas in the background seeing Teneggar take control of Hix as he inhaled, letting her put the last touches on the tuxedo. The young blacksmith was getting used to the quarrels between the two of them. These thoughts were interrupted by Valeria, as one of the bridesmaids, looking absolutely beautiful in a thin white dress.
"Hey, Valeria, can you tell this twit to stop squirming, I'm making more holes than threads in this damn thing!" Teneggar exclaimed.
Valeria laughed and went over to help. At that point, Rubi came in.
"Hey, is it safe to come....." he started, then glanced at Valeria. "Holy......"
Valeria twirled in her dress. "You like?" she said. Rubi nodded dimly. Maas clapped his hand on his forehead muttering 'Oh brother......'
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Valeria remembered the look on the elf's face, not only proof that humans and elves could live together, but that there could be attraction between them. Of course, she herself, wasn't interested. And yet.....
Removing the thoughts, she concerntrated when Kirkis and Sylvinia were getting ready......
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"Oh man! Do I have to wear this thing, Sylvinia?" Kirkis complained.
"Of course. Tradition is tradition, especially for someone about to become Chief of the Elves on the same day as his wedding." Sylvinia replied.
Kirkis sighed. The traditional elven garment was laid out for him. It was lime-green, with a velvet belt and green trousers to match, although slightly darker. The reason he was moaning was because it was much too thin. He would never survive in that.
However, it was just for one day. He would have to survive, for his, and for Sylvinia's sake.
Without another word, he put it on.
"I feel so constrained in this thing!" Kirkis said.
"Aww, but you look so cute!" Sylvinia said.
Kirkis tried to pout, but it didn't come out right and ended up smiling in spite of himself. Despite the Elves recent problems, it looked like everything was coming out right for them......
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So the big day had arrived.
The night before, many of Kirkis' friends from the Liberation army had already arrived. He knew that there were problems now so not everyone could make it. However, the Kobolds were there, including Fu Su Lu who had returned for this day only, to reunite with his friends (and to get a free meal as well), Hix, Teneggar, Valeria and Maas were there of humans forms, the elves of course, but on the evening, a surprise first member came.
Maas was on look out when a boat came in from the sea. Intrigued, he went out to investigate, and smiled when he saw who it was.
"No way!" he said.
"Way!" replied Templeton.
"But....how....what.....why.....where...."
"Well, that just leaves why and when!" said Templeton.
"I mean't what are you doing here, why are you here and where have you been?" Maas said.
"I've been travelling the seas, trying to figure out this world, seeing if there is an end or a new beginning. However, I tire of foolish activity. The rumour was that this world was round and I'm not going to argue with it. Besides, I heard about the wedding and decided this is as good as a place to rest and enjoy myself." Templeton finished.
"Well, come in. I'll get a tent ready....." Maas said.
Since the morning, more people had came. Kirkis was pleased to see Cleo and Pahn come, although Pahn looked quite grumpy. Following them was Camille and.....Sonya? Kirkis was surprised to see a former general acting like the rest of them, but hey, not going to answer questions.
Following from then, Qlon came, as well as Marie, Sarah and Antonio. The Chief of the Dwarves along with Rock also came, along with Melodye, Kasios, Window and Esmerelda. Tai Ho and Kimberley also turned up, hand in hand. Finally, Onil came, still as gossipy as ever. Apparently, since she had left, pigs were cross-breeding, Crowley was a vampire, lightning was caused by the ghost of Flik and liposuction increased fat into the body. Hmmm..........
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Neclord looked on as the gathering was taking place. Sheena was strapped to some lobes and black energy was entering his mind and body, and probably his soul as well.
"Well, Rasputin, our 'warrior' is looking good." he said.
Rasputin turned around, his dark features showing no trace of morality and sanity in his face.
"Yes, but he is not quite ready yet. We need a warrior of already current power." he said.
"And also a bride to continue my quenching thirst and your lust for dark power." Neclord said.
"Is the wedding taking place now?" Rasputin said.
"Yes, I think it's time we paid them a little visit." Neclord said with an evil smile.
"It has been a long time since I've been to the real world. 'Bout you? Is the light a problem?"
"Not really, I've gotten used to it. Without that blasted sword anyway, they can't defeat me." Neclord said.
Rasputin nodded. "Shall we?"
"Yes."
A dark mist surrounded the room. It was the mist of evil, appearing where the two villains were once.......
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"Hey, stop fidgetting!" Cleo moaned. "Pahn, don't be such a pain! If you can defeat Teo in one on one then this shouldn't be a problem."
Pahn gave her such a glare that Cleo shut up immediately. However, she would kill him if he fidgetted again.
By now, everyone was in their seats. Many elves and dwarves had put aside their differences and were seated. Yai Ho and Kimberley sat together, Cleo and Pahn also as mentioned, Sonya and Camille sat with Maas and Templeton, whilst the others were scattered randomly.
Soon the music perked up and down came Teneggar, who was in a pink dress, looking ever so cute. A few smiles and ahhs went through the crowd, despite the fact that she was 15. Tenegaar looked to be blushing, as she was throwing the flowers.
Kirkis and Hix were already there, along with Stallion, who had worked a long time looking at tradition and marriage in the Elven way, so was today the religious master, along with Rubi as the best man.
Then the music came again.
Valeria as the bridesmaid in her lovely dress and Sylvinia looking extremely pretty in a traditional elven white dress, similar to humans, and Kirkis gulped looking at her.
Yes, things were good.
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Stallion was wearing traditional Elven clothing, except in turquoise, to correspond with the position he was holding, to wed the two elves. He had gone through the preliminaries, in tearabout speech, and was about to utter some words which Kirkis would remember for the remainder of his years.
"If there is anyone here who wish not to see these two wed, speak now, and forever hold their peace."
"WE HAVE JUST CAUSE!" A booming voice from the back.
Kirkis turned around and saw two black figure. The one of the left was tall, his face unaturally white and a mystical aura around him. The second one had no such aura but was of pure evil anyway, and Kirkis and many of the visitors recognised him immediately.
"No way, it can be? NO!" Kirkis whispered.
Neclord smiled evilly, a blood lust in his eyes as he looked around the room.
"So pure, so delicious, I would take all of the female entrigue to dine with me!" he laughed. "But we are here for business." He eyed Valeria who was standing up, her sword drawn. "Feisty and beautiful? Maybe you should be my new escort!" He turned to Tenegaar. "On the other hand, youth has advantages, and because of a pesky sword, I never finished with you, anyway, did I my dear?" He sniggered evilly.
Most of the Liberation Army had drawn their weapons at this point, but Rasputin calmly shot his arms upward.
"It's a shame I have to use this, the 28th Rune, the uknown rune, the shadow rune!" He screamed.
A dark mist surrounded him and started to expand. It soon covered the entire colongramate of the Village Of The Elves. Many of the innocents fell immediately, but the members of the Liberation Army remained standing.
Neclord fired in with his wind knife attacks, slicing at the flesh, falling warriors. Already, Templeton, Maas and Kimberley were down.
"ARRRGH!" screamed Tai Ho and swung his spear at Neclord, irate for Kimberley's pain. Neclord sidestepped the swing and mumbled quickly.
Neclord cast a fire spell upon Tai Ho, his clothes burning to in-modesty. However, the pain was a bit much as well. He passed out with Kimberley the last thing on his lips.
Since his resurection, Neclord had gotten more powerful than ever. He controlled most of the elements and their magic, bar healing, as he wsan't a healer, he was a destroyer, and without that blasted sword, he was hard to hurt anyway.
However, he was weaker via the last battle and could still be hurt, which he found out when Hix and Teneggar unleashed their Warrior Attack. Tenegaar cast some magic onto Hix's sword, and a circle of flame came over Neclord. He felt pain, but it quickly subsided.
Unfortunately, another one of the abilities granted to him was teleportation. He moved in shadow, behind Tenegaar, where she never expected him to be, and quickly jerked her neck back, snapping it and letting her fall.
When Hix saw this, tears sprang to his eyes. This vampire would not get away with it. He was part of the party which defeated Neclord the first time, and by hell, by his sword of the same name, Tenegaar, he would try again.
Hix was a much better swordsman than before. He had been practicising at some of the schools and Kwanda Rosman had been teaching him some methods of defense, so he wasn't as clumsy as he used to be. He timed the swings carefully, and connected a number of times of Neclord. Wounds appeared, but Neclord seemed to be such as right as before.
Suddenly, Neclord chanted something. A white mist came down and enveloped Hix. He shrugged it off. "What kind of attack was that?" Hix scoffed.
"Just you watch." Neclord replied.
Suddenly, Hix saw an image of Tenegaar, bloodied and beaten, by a series of savage wolves. All his friends in front of him, Cleo, Pahn, Kirkis, Maas, The Hero......dead.
It was all too much for one young boy. He screamed and flooded with tears.
Neclord smiled. The spell of fear and what one fear's most is the most powerful weapon he had been supplied. He grabbed Hix by the throat, immediately diminishing the spell, but Hix was in no condition to fight. He closed his eyes for the death blow.
"Hey, vamp. Your a bit of a ladies man. Try me out!"
Neclord turned around to see Cleo standing there, a mixed look of anger and comedy over her features.
"Try me." she smiled. Neclord dropped Hix, no longer a threat and ran to Cleo.
Almost immediately, a fist shot out to his face. Neclord felt no pain, but the impact shook him a little. Pahn flew in with multiple blows around the body. Cleo followed in with her sword at close range. Neclord swiped, but Cleo somersaulted back and shot an arrow, pierching the old flesh of the vampire. Pahn kicked, but was caught. However, he reversed, and rose his other foot hitting bone and flesh on the head with an insiguri kick.
Pahn rushed at the vampire whilst Cleo cured both Hix and Teneggar. Pahn hit his powerful Boar Rune at Neclord, striking many time. Neclord was in pain and in trouble.
"Cleo, wanna try out the new Unite?" Pahn said.
"Sure why not?" she replied.
Pahn rushed grabbed Neclord and threw him in the air. Cleo on the other side, her sword drawn. Suddenly, Pahn rushed in with another Boar Strike. At the same time, Cleo struck multiple times with her sword (NOTE: I know she is an archer, but her weapon is a sword, so I've decided to use her at close range as well as long), making many wounds in the vampires body.
Neclord was feeling pain. More pain that he should have been.
"Rasputin! Help!"
Cleo turned, almost forgetting about the other 'man.' She saw that Rasputin had dealt with many of the Liberation Army, Camille had just fallen, and now Sonya was getting a beating. Stallion had fallen, and Sylvinia was trying to cure him whilst Kirkis was bombarding Rasputin with spells.
Nothing was fazing him however. It was like he was unstoppable. Rasputin had repeated his mist attack several time and struck out with martial art blows even Eikei wouldn't have survived. He seemed to know what they were going to do as well, even before they did!
Valeria ran out striking with the Falcon Rune, but again, no effect. Impossible! The Falcon Rune was one of the most, if not, the most deadly attack in the book. Rasputin yawned and struck out with a fist to Valeria's head, sending her to a tree, knocking her out.
"Looks, all this has been fun, but I've got a world to conquer." And his rune flashed again.
"Devil's Advocate!"
Suddenly, a rumble shook the earth, more so than the Hero's hell attack. Suddenly, blasts of fire and shadow magic engulfed all the remaining members of the Liberation army. Before long, the land was filled with tortured screams and pain, much to the delight of Rasputin.
As the smoke cleared, only two fighters of the Liberation remained standing. Rubi and Pahn, with Kirkis still conscious, but down.
Rubi and Pahn were both seriously hurt but couldn't do much about it. Rubi screamed and started to cast Shining Wind from his Cyclone Rune, but didn't have the strength.
Neclord had been healed and stared at the carnage around them.
"Looks like we've made an impression, Rasputin." Neclord sneered.
Rasputin smiled evilly. The two that were still standing made a gesture to them.
"You'll.....never.....get.....away with this." Pahn stated.
Rasputin idly shot two fists rising at the two of them, striking them both in the head, knocking them unconscious.
"Well, I was surprised. No-one has ever been able to withstand my DA attack. I think these two will make fine warriors for us." He cast a spell, enclosding the two of them in crystalline shields.
"Anyone else?" Rasputin sneered.
He looked down at Kirkis. "He could provide a useful acquisition as well." And cast the same spell.
"Now, the females......" Neclord sneered. His eyes fell on Sonya.
"This one." He said. Without a word, Sonya was also cast in the spell.
Without another word, the two of them, along with the four captives vanished.
And then, a small voice was heard.
"Kirkis.......no....."
Sylvinia had remained conscious thanks to Kirkis protecting her from the spell. She cried bitterly at how her greatest day had turned into her worst nightmare.
She saw the carnage around. Before mourning, she had to get down to the slow business of healing everyone, and then, it was time to contact the Hero.
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