Post by strider on Jul 13, 2007 9:00:27 GMT -6
His head pounded with searing pain as he slowly regained consciousness, almost as if a large sledgehammer was beating his head with rhythmic regularity. The loud ringing in his ears was beginning to subside, and he sluggishly attempted to open his eyelids. As they slowly opened, the world appeared in a hazy blur before him. He struggled to focus his eyes, and as he attempted to move, his entire body screamed in a protesting agony. He winced and clenched his teeth as immeasurable pain shot through his entire being.
Ugh… What in Balthazar’s name happened...?
He made a second attempt at moving, and through sheer willpower, the strider managed to fight through the pain and prop himself up. His eyes began to come into focus, and he looked around to survey his surroundings.
He found himself in his quarters back at the main camp, but the room was completely demolished. It seemed like a large brawl had erupted within. The various pieces of furniture were either destroyed or tossed about. Large slash marks, remnants of weapon swings that had missed or were deflected, littered the walls of the room.
Kaaru had absolutely no recollection of what had happened. Despite the sharp pain still shooting through his body, he staggered to the door and exited. He was met with a sight more dismal than the one of his quarters.
The sky was colored with the red hue of the early morning sun. The guild’s main camp had been completely devastated. The buildings were engulfed in roaring flames, and the dead bodies of his guild mates littered the compound. He stood in utter shock at the sight.
Who could have done this…? Were we raided at night…?
Knowing the strength of the guild, it was hard to believe that any force could have done this much devastation overnight. What surprised Kaaru more was the lack of any signs of the enemy. Among the dead were only his guild mates. He looked around, but he saw no casualties from the enemies.
Still in shock, Kaaru staggered around, his eyes darting from one familiar face to another. An inexplicable weight pressed itself on his chest, and he choked, struggling for breath.
How could this have happened…?
Suddenly, his eyes spotted a golden Ascalonian helm ripped in half and splattered with blood.
“Morri!” he yelled out as he dashed over to the body of a red haired woman that lay by the helm. He scooped an arm under the limp body and propped her up. “Morri! Talk to me! Wake up!”
He panicked as he felt a cool crimson liquid drench his arm.
“No…,” he uttered. He looked around and saw a female ranger in black Obsidian armor laying face down a few feet away. “Lil!”
Kaaru’s shock slowly turned to anger. He gently placed Morrigan back down and reached for the wingblade sword she once held in her hand. He gripped the hilt tightly, resolved to seek vengeance.
He walked around the camp, and his will strengthened with each fallen ally he saw. His intense dark eyes scanned around. He came upon the body of a small monk, dressed in pink garments stained with the red flow of blood. He knelt down to brush the hair from her gentle face.
“Angel…,” he said softly. “Who could have done this to you…?”
His rage boiled over, and he could no longer contain himself. He rushed around the camp methodically in search of the attackers, a strider on the hunt. As he came upon the edge of the camp, he spotted a lone figure standing by a cliff and looking out into the distance. He held the sword in his hand firmly and rushed over.
Kaaru stopped a few yards from the mysterious man, the flames from the camp still burning strongly behind him. He looked at the figure before him, and unlike his usual collected demeanor, he felt a small pang of fear and anxiety.
The man before Kaaru was roughly his size. His armor was singed in some areas and splattered with red streaks of blood. His tattered cape flapped in the wind, and he wielded twin katanas still dripping with dark crimson blood. The man’s jet black hair was tied up in a ponytail and swayed with the wind.
“Who are you!?” Kaaru called out in anger. “If you were responsible for this, then you will have hell to pay!”
Without uttering a word, the man turned slightly to face Kaaru with an evil grin. Kaaru’s eyes widened in complete shock, and he stood silent and motionless. He dropped the sword he wielded, not believing what his eyes saw, and he was captivated by fear.
It was a complete mirror of him, except for the dark black hair and the malicious red tint in the eyes. The man who stood before him was… himself.
*****
“No!”
Kaaru awoke with a start, as he sat up suddenly from bed. He was still in shock. He held out his hands and stared at them in the darkness. He was sweating, and his heart was beating ferociously.
Was it all just a dream…?
He sat for a moment and attempted to calm himself.
“Darling, what’s the matter,” a sweet voice said as a warm, soft hand was placed gently on his arm. “By Dwayna, you’re drenched in sweat!”
He panted softly, his heart still racing.
“I think I just had a nightmare…,” he said.
“Shhh… It’ll be okay. It was just a dream,” said the soothing voice as gentle arms wrapped around him. She pulled him back down. “Everything will be ok. Come on. You’re a strider.”
A few moments of silence went by as the two lay in the warmth and comfort of the soft bed. She could feel his heartbeat and was unnerved. It was very much unlike him to be startled by a mere dream, but she had seen him like this before.
“Is it like that time…,” she asked hesitatingly.
There was a long pause.
“Yeah…”
Ugh… What in Balthazar’s name happened...?
He made a second attempt at moving, and through sheer willpower, the strider managed to fight through the pain and prop himself up. His eyes began to come into focus, and he looked around to survey his surroundings.
He found himself in his quarters back at the main camp, but the room was completely demolished. It seemed like a large brawl had erupted within. The various pieces of furniture were either destroyed or tossed about. Large slash marks, remnants of weapon swings that had missed or were deflected, littered the walls of the room.
Kaaru had absolutely no recollection of what had happened. Despite the sharp pain still shooting through his body, he staggered to the door and exited. He was met with a sight more dismal than the one of his quarters.
The sky was colored with the red hue of the early morning sun. The guild’s main camp had been completely devastated. The buildings were engulfed in roaring flames, and the dead bodies of his guild mates littered the compound. He stood in utter shock at the sight.
Who could have done this…? Were we raided at night…?
Knowing the strength of the guild, it was hard to believe that any force could have done this much devastation overnight. What surprised Kaaru more was the lack of any signs of the enemy. Among the dead were only his guild mates. He looked around, but he saw no casualties from the enemies.
Still in shock, Kaaru staggered around, his eyes darting from one familiar face to another. An inexplicable weight pressed itself on his chest, and he choked, struggling for breath.
How could this have happened…?
Suddenly, his eyes spotted a golden Ascalonian helm ripped in half and splattered with blood.
“Morri!” he yelled out as he dashed over to the body of a red haired woman that lay by the helm. He scooped an arm under the limp body and propped her up. “Morri! Talk to me! Wake up!”
He panicked as he felt a cool crimson liquid drench his arm.
“No…,” he uttered. He looked around and saw a female ranger in black Obsidian armor laying face down a few feet away. “Lil!”
Kaaru’s shock slowly turned to anger. He gently placed Morrigan back down and reached for the wingblade sword she once held in her hand. He gripped the hilt tightly, resolved to seek vengeance.
He walked around the camp, and his will strengthened with each fallen ally he saw. His intense dark eyes scanned around. He came upon the body of a small monk, dressed in pink garments stained with the red flow of blood. He knelt down to brush the hair from her gentle face.
“Angel…,” he said softly. “Who could have done this to you…?”
His rage boiled over, and he could no longer contain himself. He rushed around the camp methodically in search of the attackers, a strider on the hunt. As he came upon the edge of the camp, he spotted a lone figure standing by a cliff and looking out into the distance. He held the sword in his hand firmly and rushed over.
Kaaru stopped a few yards from the mysterious man, the flames from the camp still burning strongly behind him. He looked at the figure before him, and unlike his usual collected demeanor, he felt a small pang of fear and anxiety.
The man before Kaaru was roughly his size. His armor was singed in some areas and splattered with red streaks of blood. His tattered cape flapped in the wind, and he wielded twin katanas still dripping with dark crimson blood. The man’s jet black hair was tied up in a ponytail and swayed with the wind.
“Who are you!?” Kaaru called out in anger. “If you were responsible for this, then you will have hell to pay!”
Without uttering a word, the man turned slightly to face Kaaru with an evil grin. Kaaru’s eyes widened in complete shock, and he stood silent and motionless. He dropped the sword he wielded, not believing what his eyes saw, and he was captivated by fear.
It was a complete mirror of him, except for the dark black hair and the malicious red tint in the eyes. The man who stood before him was… himself.
*****
“No!”
Kaaru awoke with a start, as he sat up suddenly from bed. He was still in shock. He held out his hands and stared at them in the darkness. He was sweating, and his heart was beating ferociously.
Was it all just a dream…?
He sat for a moment and attempted to calm himself.
“Darling, what’s the matter,” a sweet voice said as a warm, soft hand was placed gently on his arm. “By Dwayna, you’re drenched in sweat!”
He panted softly, his heart still racing.
“I think I just had a nightmare…,” he said.
“Shhh… It’ll be okay. It was just a dream,” said the soothing voice as gentle arms wrapped around him. She pulled him back down. “Everything will be ok. Come on. You’re a strider.”
A few moments of silence went by as the two lay in the warmth and comfort of the soft bed. She could feel his heartbeat and was unnerved. It was very much unlike him to be startled by a mere dream, but she had seen him like this before.
“Is it like that time…,” she asked hesitatingly.
There was a long pause.
“Yeah…”