Eternal
“Very well, you and what remains of your people may come back to the true temple of Dendrin if he sees fit to forgive you for your transgressions. Glen, get the rest of this miserable lot back here and I’ll prepare the ritual.”
“It will be done.” Glen says and gathers some of the Blades to help him.
“As for you, what is your name?” you ask the heretic.
“Remi, Shadow Master.”
“Remi, you’re going to be held outside, I don’t want your heretic ass befouling the temple until it’s time to throw you into the portal.”
The two Blades holding him take him away and you head off to go get yourself prepared.
“So what do you think about the potential invasion business?” Talia asks.
“I’m going to deal with this first and worry about that afterwards, but I don’t think there’s anything to it. Just rumors.”
“I agree. I’m surprised that you’re giving the heretics a second chance though.”
“I’m not. Dendrin is. Well maybe he is, for all I know he’ll still see them as potential troublemakers and do away with them. I’m wondering who is killing them though, because while I don’t think its Brenda behind this, I’m not convinced that we’re necessarily safe. For all we know after they’re done targeting these heretics they could be coming after us.”
“Wait, so do you think it was good idea to allow them to join?”
“As I said I’m putting this in Dendrin’s hands. Whoever has been targeting the heretics will most likely show themselves to us a lot sooner. Besides I’d rather they did, since they’re also performing acts that weren’t sanctioned by this temple or masquerading as shadows.”
As you gather up the components needed to perform the ritual from your room, you hear a lot of noise coming from the ground floor. An alarm has been raised. It would seem that the assassins have decided to show themselves right now. You quickly run up stairs and find mass chaos and
“We’re being attacked! I was standing outside watching the Blades guards the heretic and then all of a sudden five shadows materialized right beside the three of them and killed them! I didn’t even sense them! None of us did!” Gannon remarks.
“I was inside, but he’s right I didn’t sense anyone cloaked. You have the best abilities in such matter, did you sense an intruding presence of any kind?” Talia says.
“No…but how many did you say there were?” you ask.
“At least five! Maybe more!” Gannon answers.
“Odd, I’m only sensing one hostile presence in the area. Where are the rest of the Blades?”
“Most of them are still out with the heretics, I’ve had the temple doors locked tight so whoever they are can’t get in, but we’re going to have to fight this one out. We’ll all go out there together in a show of force and…”
You raise your hand up and shake your head.
“No Talia, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I know who the attacker is.” You say and head towards the main temple doors.
“Wait where are you going?”
“I’m facing the attacker myself. They deserve that much.”
“Wait! You can’t go out there alone! We don’t know how many there are and…”
“As I have said. There is only one, they’re just really quick and probably using some sort of mirror image. Trust me. Better yet, trust in Dendrin.” You tell Talia with a smile.
Talia says nothing else; her mouth opens to do so, but realizes that you won’t be swayed by anything. Instead she just looks a bit upset.
“Talia, whatever happens, know that I love you.” you say before exiting the temple and closing the temple doors again.
You walk down the steps and on to the soft ground and look around at your surroundings. To the left you see the bloody bodies of your two Blades and Remi. One clean cut to each of their throats.
“Cyrus, you might as well come out. I know its you.” you say.
Within a few moments a figure materializes in front of you and it is ideed Cyrus. He’s much older looking now of course, but it’s him. He’s also much paler, unnaturally so. You notice his right hand is also sporting a couple missing fingers. Whatever he’s been up to has taken a toll on his body.
“Remember the days when you couldn’t cast a simple cloak spell without tiring yourself out.” Cyrus asks. “Now look at you with your superior extra sensory abilities. You even knew who it was.”
“Well, given the heretic’s story and the fact that I could only sense a single attacker, I sort of figured it would be you. Why have you come back Cyrus?”
“It was not my intention I assure you. I merely wanted to punish the rest of the heretics. I had thought that their plan to come here was going to finish the job for me, but I was surprised to learn that you have decided to show them mercy. When did this happen? When did the great Shadow Master become so lenient against those that have defied him?”
“It was decided that the heretics are going to be judged by Dendrin himself. If he sees them as a threat or unforgivable then they will presumably die for their crimes. If not then they will be accepted back. I see no leniency.”
“Oh no? That was more of a choice than I got.”
“Well perhaps you are right…perhaps you should also get a chance to come back. Did you want…”
“What I want is for YOU to hand over the rest of the heretics or kill them yourself! They are traitors and deserve to die!”
“Cyrus, you’ve dispensed enough of your brand of justice on them. So much so that they’ve run to back to us pleading for help and willing to submit to Dendrin’s judgment, is that not justice?”
“They need to die! THAT is Dendrin’s justice! Justice that wasn’t being pursued until I took matters into my own hands. You know. I accepted a lot. I accepted the fact that you were a better warrior than me. I accepted that you were the chosen one of Dendrin. I even accepted it when you killed my Dravin. I accepted exile and a life of wandering. But never once did I think you weren’t up to the task of being a good Shadow Master, until you failed to finish off the heretics. And now, you’re accepting them back into the fold? This is a bigger blasphemy than what Brother Theo pulled! If you continue to protect them I will see to it that you suffer the same punishment!”
“So now you know better then Dendrin?”
Cyrus is exasperated by your remark and takes a moment to form his new arguments inbetween his huffing and puffing.
“Do not twist my words! And you stand there as if YOU know Dendrin? Hah! You don’t even fucking believe in him! Yes, I know you. I know that you’re just playing a role that you don’t even believe yourself! Even back when we were just fresh out of training I always sensed that your heart and soul was never truly dedicated to the cause! Your whole life has been a fraud!”
Your calm demeanor begins to crack at this remark.
“Not dedicated? After all the countless battles I’ve engaged in personally and the leadership roles I’ve taken to keep the shadows alive and you question my dedication? Cyrus, I’m not going to deny that you are right in that I wasn’t always the strongest of faith. I’ll stand here and shout it in front of the fucking temple and throughout this forsaken swamp that I was practically a heathen most of the time. But people change. I changed. Perhaps I have been a fraud for most of my life, but are you just so damn jealous and bitter that it wasn’t you?”
Cyrus gets in your face, but you make no defensive move. You don’t even flinch. Though several of the shadows and Talia are watching from the temple. You sense they want to move in, but you wave them back without looking in their direction.
“YES! YES I AM SO DAMN JEALOUS! WHY WAS IT YOU?! WHY WASN’T IT ME!? I WAS THE LOYAL ONE! I WAS THE ONE WHO ALWAYS BELIEVED! I (Sob) WAS THE…(Sob) Why, why, why didn’t he ever speak to me again?” Cyrus crumples down to the ground and breaks down in tears. You crouch beside him.
“Cyrus, I don’t have an answer. Dendrin does what he wants because he’s more powerful than the rest of us. That’s the cynical answer and that’s the answer I’ve believed for years. I probably still do a little bit, but in recent years I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe there is a plan of some sort even if I don’t understand all of it. If there wasn’t Dendrin wouldn’t have chosen me at all and guided me in the unique way that he does right from the start. Cyrus, you can come back to us too. It isn’t too late. You don’t even need to submit to the ritual, I know that you’re more dedicated to Dendrin’s true teachings than anyone.”
You smile and extend your hand to help Cyrus up. He wipes his face and looks at you for a moment. He attempts to smile back, but it turns into a pained expression.
“Sorry Shadow Master, but I can’t play second fiddle anymore. At least I’ll be remembered for this!” he says grabbing your hand to pull you forward and with lightning speed he plunges a dagger into your heart.
The last thing you hear as your body collapses to the ground are several screams followed by a lot of yelling. Then everything goes black and you feel numb.
“Am I dead?” you ask floating in the void.
“Well it’s not good.” You hear Dendrin say.
“I don’t imagine it is. I suppose you’re going to say I should’ve listened from the beginning and that Cyrus was going to be trouble again.”
“No, it worked out better this way.”
“What, you wanted him to kill me and take over?”
“Not at all, in fact Cyrus didn’t live long enough to enjoy killing you. He was riddled with bolts by the Blades who were just returning when this happened. Though I think he could’ve easily avoided the attack and he actually let them kill him…just like you allow him to kill you. Why? Were you finally tired of life?”
“No…I just…I dunno I was really attempting to get through to him. I knew it would probably fail, but I had to try. When his eyes gave away his intentions, I knew that he wouldn’t be happy unless he killed me. He was either going to succeed or fail, but I decided to put it in your hands. Seems hard to believe that I’d do anything like this.”
“Well as you said in your speech to Cyrus, you changed. Unfortunately Cyrus never did, though I say unfortunately for him. You’ll be fine. Off you go and thanks for believing in me.”
With those last words from Dendrin you suddenly wake up exactly where you fell. You find yourself surrounded by shadows and Talia weeping over your body, though she stops when you appear to be alive again.
“He’s alive!” Glen shouts and tells some of the others to back off.
“Look! His chest wound is gone as well! Truly this must be Dendrin’s work, to bring our Shadow Master back from the dead like this!”
While several of the other shadows begin to cheer, fawn and act generally awe stricken, Talia merely holds you tightly happy that you’re still alive. As you hug her back, you’re glad to be alive as well.
“It will be done.” Glen says and gathers some of the Blades to help him.
“As for you, what is your name?” you ask the heretic.
“Remi, Shadow Master.”
“Remi, you’re going to be held outside, I don’t want your heretic ass befouling the temple until it’s time to throw you into the portal.”
The two Blades holding him take him away and you head off to go get yourself prepared.
“So what do you think about the potential invasion business?” Talia asks.
“I’m going to deal with this first and worry about that afterwards, but I don’t think there’s anything to it. Just rumors.”
“I agree. I’m surprised that you’re giving the heretics a second chance though.”
“I’m not. Dendrin is. Well maybe he is, for all I know he’ll still see them as potential troublemakers and do away with them. I’m wondering who is killing them though, because while I don’t think its Brenda behind this, I’m not convinced that we’re necessarily safe. For all we know after they’re done targeting these heretics they could be coming after us.”
“Wait, so do you think it was good idea to allow them to join?”
“As I said I’m putting this in Dendrin’s hands. Whoever has been targeting the heretics will most likely show themselves to us a lot sooner. Besides I’d rather they did, since they’re also performing acts that weren’t sanctioned by this temple or masquerading as shadows.”
As you gather up the components needed to perform the ritual from your room, you hear a lot of noise coming from the ground floor. An alarm has been raised. It would seem that the assassins have decided to show themselves right now. You quickly run up stairs and find mass chaos and
“We’re being attacked! I was standing outside watching the Blades guards the heretic and then all of a sudden five shadows materialized right beside the three of them and killed them! I didn’t even sense them! None of us did!” Gannon remarks.
“I was inside, but he’s right I didn’t sense anyone cloaked. You have the best abilities in such matter, did you sense an intruding presence of any kind?” Talia says.
“No…but how many did you say there were?” you ask.
“At least five! Maybe more!” Gannon answers.
“Odd, I’m only sensing one hostile presence in the area. Where are the rest of the Blades?”
“Most of them are still out with the heretics, I’ve had the temple doors locked tight so whoever they are can’t get in, but we’re going to have to fight this one out. We’ll all go out there together in a show of force and…”
You raise your hand up and shake your head.
“No Talia, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I know who the attacker is.” You say and head towards the main temple doors.
“Wait where are you going?”
“I’m facing the attacker myself. They deserve that much.”
“Wait! You can’t go out there alone! We don’t know how many there are and…”
“As I have said. There is only one, they’re just really quick and probably using some sort of mirror image. Trust me. Better yet, trust in Dendrin.” You tell Talia with a smile.
Talia says nothing else; her mouth opens to do so, but realizes that you won’t be swayed by anything. Instead she just looks a bit upset.
“Talia, whatever happens, know that I love you.” you say before exiting the temple and closing the temple doors again.
You walk down the steps and on to the soft ground and look around at your surroundings. To the left you see the bloody bodies of your two Blades and Remi. One clean cut to each of their throats.
“Cyrus, you might as well come out. I know its you.” you say.
Within a few moments a figure materializes in front of you and it is ideed Cyrus. He’s much older looking now of course, but it’s him. He’s also much paler, unnaturally so. You notice his right hand is also sporting a couple missing fingers. Whatever he’s been up to has taken a toll on his body.
“Remember the days when you couldn’t cast a simple cloak spell without tiring yourself out.” Cyrus asks. “Now look at you with your superior extra sensory abilities. You even knew who it was.”
“Well, given the heretic’s story and the fact that I could only sense a single attacker, I sort of figured it would be you. Why have you come back Cyrus?”
“It was not my intention I assure you. I merely wanted to punish the rest of the heretics. I had thought that their plan to come here was going to finish the job for me, but I was surprised to learn that you have decided to show them mercy. When did this happen? When did the great Shadow Master become so lenient against those that have defied him?”
“It was decided that the heretics are going to be judged by Dendrin himself. If he sees them as a threat or unforgivable then they will presumably die for their crimes. If not then they will be accepted back. I see no leniency.”
“Oh no? That was more of a choice than I got.”
“Well perhaps you are right…perhaps you should also get a chance to come back. Did you want…”
“What I want is for YOU to hand over the rest of the heretics or kill them yourself! They are traitors and deserve to die!”
“Cyrus, you’ve dispensed enough of your brand of justice on them. So much so that they’ve run to back to us pleading for help and willing to submit to Dendrin’s judgment, is that not justice?”
“They need to die! THAT is Dendrin’s justice! Justice that wasn’t being pursued until I took matters into my own hands. You know. I accepted a lot. I accepted the fact that you were a better warrior than me. I accepted that you were the chosen one of Dendrin. I even accepted it when you killed my Dravin. I accepted exile and a life of wandering. But never once did I think you weren’t up to the task of being a good Shadow Master, until you failed to finish off the heretics. And now, you’re accepting them back into the fold? This is a bigger blasphemy than what Brother Theo pulled! If you continue to protect them I will see to it that you suffer the same punishment!”
“So now you know better then Dendrin?”
Cyrus is exasperated by your remark and takes a moment to form his new arguments inbetween his huffing and puffing.
“Do not twist my words! And you stand there as if YOU know Dendrin? Hah! You don’t even fucking believe in him! Yes, I know you. I know that you’re just playing a role that you don’t even believe yourself! Even back when we were just fresh out of training I always sensed that your heart and soul was never truly dedicated to the cause! Your whole life has been a fraud!”
Your calm demeanor begins to crack at this remark.
“Not dedicated? After all the countless battles I’ve engaged in personally and the leadership roles I’ve taken to keep the shadows alive and you question my dedication? Cyrus, I’m not going to deny that you are right in that I wasn’t always the strongest of faith. I’ll stand here and shout it in front of the fucking temple and throughout this forsaken swamp that I was practically a heathen most of the time. But people change. I changed. Perhaps I have been a fraud for most of my life, but are you just so damn jealous and bitter that it wasn’t you?”
Cyrus gets in your face, but you make no defensive move. You don’t even flinch. Though several of the shadows and Talia are watching from the temple. You sense they want to move in, but you wave them back without looking in their direction.
“YES! YES I AM SO DAMN JEALOUS! WHY WAS IT YOU?! WHY WASN’T IT ME!? I WAS THE LOYAL ONE! I WAS THE ONE WHO ALWAYS BELIEVED! I (Sob) WAS THE…(Sob) Why, why, why didn’t he ever speak to me again?” Cyrus crumples down to the ground and breaks down in tears. You crouch beside him.
“Cyrus, I don’t have an answer. Dendrin does what he wants because he’s more powerful than the rest of us. That’s the cynical answer and that’s the answer I’ve believed for years. I probably still do a little bit, but in recent years I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe there is a plan of some sort even if I don’t understand all of it. If there wasn’t Dendrin wouldn’t have chosen me at all and guided me in the unique way that he does right from the start. Cyrus, you can come back to us too. It isn’t too late. You don’t even need to submit to the ritual, I know that you’re more dedicated to Dendrin’s true teachings than anyone.”
You smile and extend your hand to help Cyrus up. He wipes his face and looks at you for a moment. He attempts to smile back, but it turns into a pained expression.
“Sorry Shadow Master, but I can’t play second fiddle anymore. At least I’ll be remembered for this!” he says grabbing your hand to pull you forward and with lightning speed he plunges a dagger into your heart.
The last thing you hear as your body collapses to the ground are several screams followed by a lot of yelling. Then everything goes black and you feel numb.
“Am I dead?” you ask floating in the void.
“Well it’s not good.” You hear Dendrin say.
“I don’t imagine it is. I suppose you’re going to say I should’ve listened from the beginning and that Cyrus was going to be trouble again.”
“No, it worked out better this way.”
“What, you wanted him to kill me and take over?”
“Not at all, in fact Cyrus didn’t live long enough to enjoy killing you. He was riddled with bolts by the Blades who were just returning when this happened. Though I think he could’ve easily avoided the attack and he actually let them kill him…just like you allow him to kill you. Why? Were you finally tired of life?”
“No…I just…I dunno I was really attempting to get through to him. I knew it would probably fail, but I had to try. When his eyes gave away his intentions, I knew that he wouldn’t be happy unless he killed me. He was either going to succeed or fail, but I decided to put it in your hands. Seems hard to believe that I’d do anything like this.”
“Well as you said in your speech to Cyrus, you changed. Unfortunately Cyrus never did, though I say unfortunately for him. You’ll be fine. Off you go and thanks for believing in me.”
With those last words from Dendrin you suddenly wake up exactly where you fell. You find yourself surrounded by shadows and Talia weeping over your body, though she stops when you appear to be alive again.
“He’s alive!” Glen shouts and tells some of the others to back off.
“Look! His chest wound is gone as well! Truly this must be Dendrin’s work, to bring our Shadow Master back from the dead like this!”
While several of the other shadows begin to cheer, fawn and act generally awe stricken, Talia merely holds you tightly happy that you’re still alive. As you hug her back, you’re glad to be alive as well.