The Cycle

Slowly opening his eyes, Koell raised himself to a sitting position within the hidden sanctuary that Ganat had left him upon his ascension to immortality. Before him stood Geseg, and kneeling beside him was Fenaly, a look of concern clearly displayed upon her face.

"Forgive our intrusion, Koell, but we heard screaming and followed it here. You were having a nightmare so terrible that you cried out in your sleep, and we came to see what was happening," the stoic ranger finally spoke.

Koell slowly stood up, sweat still glistening on his skin and fear still within his eyes. "I wish it were that, Geseg; a nightmare. But something inside me makes me believe that it is more than that. Leave me be, I must contemplate upon this. I appreciate your concern."

Fenaly rose to her feet, worry etched upon her brow, and followed Geseg back toward the mystical barrier that would take them back to the Fortress of Light.

Trying to clear his mind, Koell entered into a meditative trance and mentally called out to Ksilyan, hoping he would be heard. "Great Weaver, I beg of you, hear my plea and answer my prayer. Look to the Tapestry and tell me what I have seen." Sensing a powerful presence nearby, Koell broke his trance and opened his eyes. Before him stood the Weaver himself.

Falling prostate before him, Koell softly spoke, "I thank you for hearing me, Great Weaver."

Ksilyan interrupted him by saying, "I know why you have called upon me, Koell. I have felt a great trembling in the tapestry, and I fear that the dream you had was no mere dream. There is a terrible evil threatening the realm, and unless it is somehow stopped, it will destroy the realm and bring utter chaos around us. I cannot let it be."

"You must fight this evil, and then destroy the one behind it. Only then will the realm be safe from total obliteration. Go now, Koell. You were granted this dream for a reason. You alone will be able to face this darkness." With that, Ksilyan vanished from sight, and Koell was left alone with his thoughts.

Letters were dispatched to the allies of the Light: Sir Gelltor and his knights, Sarvulis and the White Tigers, and other individuals that had secret alliances with the Dawnbringers. The first response came within the week. Sarvulis had replied that he was unable to send any support as he was preoccupied elsewhere. Soon after, more letters bearing similar replies began to trickle in, until the only group unaccounted for was the Knighthood. Their answer came thirteen days after the first message was sent in the form of Gelltor and several dozen knights riding to the gates of the Fortress of Light in full battle regalia. Flags wafted in the wind bearing St. Augustine's crest upon them and murmurs of wonder escaped from their mouths as the Fortress doors opened to them.

As the knights rode through the massive wooden doors, Koell greeted them. They dismounted and let the horses be taken away by the pages. They were then ushered into the war room to discuss the coming battle. Plans were drawn and strategies were made, and after the meeting, Koell saw his guests and allies to their quarters for the night, and went to seek guidance in meditation.

Arriving in the shrine dedicated to Dawnbringers long since passed from this world, Koell walked solemnly to the centre of the room and knelt on the stone floor. "Spirits of the Light, hear my voice. Speak to me now and guide me on this path I now take." Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to slip once more into a deep trance.

Across the vast chasm of space and time, Ganat sat in quiet reflection within his magical forest in the realm of the gods. He felt the air crackle with mystical energy and opened himself to the forces around him. In his mind's eye, a scene of great carnage began to take shape. A great battle was raging in front of the Fortress of Light, and he saw Koell charging across the battlefield, the Dawnbringer held high above his head, his blade and eyes blazing with holy fire. As the scene unfolded within Ganat's mind, he saw two events unfold simultaneously. In one, he saw Koell attack a creature of untold evil, only to have his charge cut short and be stuck down by a bolt of lightning composed of pure evil, and in the other he saw himself push Koell from the path of the spell, only to have his own spirit utterly destroyed in place of the augurer.

Opening his eyes from the disturbing vision, Ganat was faced with the reality of his destiny. Steeling his mind, he resolved to accept his fate if that is what it took to defeat the coming darkness, but he would still try and find another way for things to happen.

Gathering his energy, Ganat willed himself to appear in a vision to the still meditating Koell, and delivered a message into the augurer's mind as clearly as if it had been spoken aloud.

'Much is at stake here, and the coming battle will be very costly. You yourself must not fight, Koell. I have foreseen a great tragedy that will occur should you take the field. Command the army of the Light from the walls of the Fortress, but do not enter the fray. I shall lend whatever aid I can, but you must heed my warning.'

Ganat appeared to look around nervously within Koell's vision, after a moment he spoke quickly and urgently into Koell's mind, 'The darkness has arrived and is gathering strength. It moves against Windy Bluff. Gather your forces and order them to make haste to the city. If your forces strike the enemy before they can ready themselves for battle, you might defeat them before there is a greater danger. Now go, and may the Light guard your steps.'

Withdrawing himself from Koell's mind, Ganat vanished from his forest in a flash of blinding light, and appeared moments later before the elven king deep in the heart of Erinswood. 'It is time to test the loyalty and resolve of my people' Ganat thought to himself, and began to address the ruler of the forest people.

In the Fortress of Light, people were scrambling everywhere. Warriors and knights hurried to put their armour on, and mages and clerics were in deep trances, preparing their minds for the coming battle. Koell left the House of Spirits and entered the War Room silently, and was greeted with a messenger from Windy Bluff. The town had dispatched the runner to request aid, for they were under siege by an army of dark forces. Koell made his way to the raised platform in the centre of the room, and held up his hand for silence. When the cacophony had subsided, he began to speak.

"Doubtless, you have all heard the message from Windy Bluff. They are being attacked, and while we must go to their aid, I must inform you that you must do so without me. Ganat came to me in a vision and warned me of this. If I take the field, I risk a greater threat we face today. I wish you well, and may the Light protect you all. Let the Light of Dawn shatter the Darkness which plagues us!"

As the assembled forces began to ride from the fortress and make their way westward, Koell climbed up the highest tower and walked out onto the parapet. Making his way to the observation platform, Koell pressed the viewing end of the spyglass to his eye and watched the army ride into the distance. When the soldiers were too far away to be seen, Koell made his way back into his private room and once again sought guidance through meditation.

Hours later, he was roused from his contemplative state by the sound of hoof beats echoing through the air. Making his way to the entrance to the fortress, Koell was shocked at what he saw. Of the fifty or so soldiers that rode out, less than two dozen had returned. Of the few that did make it back, not one was without injury, and some were near death from their wounds. Gelltor was the last to enter through the massive doors, his armour cracked and a slow stream of blood seeped from the gap. He greeted Koell with a haggard look upon his face.

Sparing no time for minor details, he informed Koell that when they arrived at the town, a beast of unsurpassed evil attacked their flank, and slaughtered many of the soldiers. They fought as best they could, but were overpowered, and eventually had to flee back to the Dawnbringers hall to regroup. Just then, a cry rang through the hall from the lookout high atop the parapets of the fortress, warning of a large army making its way toward them.

Anyone fit to stand was outfitted with armour and weapons, and quickly they all rushed up the winding stone stairs and formed a line atop the high wall, ready to repel the coming attack. Located above the line of defenders, Koell paced back and forth upon the observation platform, narrowed eyes scanning the tree line for signs of movement. Anticipation lead to uneasiness, and the leader of the Dawnbringers began to worry about the coming battle. Ganat had warned him that he personally must not engage in combat, lest he would risk bringing a greater tragedy upon the realm, but he was worried that the small force assembled on the walls would not be enough.

He didn't have long to think about it however, for within minutes after the last man was ready upon the wall, the trees surrounding the clearing before the fortress seemed to part and an army of evil poured through like a wave upon a beach. Vampires and ghouls, wraiths and shades, zombies and shadows all poured from the forest and slammed into the Dawnbringers' hall with all their might, causing the very mountains to shudder with the impact. The evil beings screamed in agony as the sky was turned black with arrows, and hundreds of the attackers were slain, but as soon as one of the invaders hit the ground, it was replaced with another one of the countless assailants emerging from the trees.

Wave after wave of the unholy soldiers charged at the fortress, only to be cut down right as they reached the wall. When Koell saw the attackers carrying long siege ladders to the battlefront, he called for long pikes to be brought up to push the ladders from the walls. Thousands of the evil warriors had been slain, and yet still they continued to assault the fortress walls. A grim realization suddenly came to Koell's mind: with every one of the evil beings they killed at the base of the wall, the pile of bodies rose higher and higher. Whoever was truly behind this army was sacrificing these attackers, so that eventually, they would be able to climb the bodies and step right onto the top of the wall. The pile of slain invaders was already one third of the way up the wall. At the rate the undead were pouring from the trees, it would only be a matter of an hour before the fortress was breached and the fight was brought inside the outer walls. He yelled for his like to assem! ble with him. Revtal, Phyre, Fenaly and himself stood between their own troops and the attackers upon the parapet. They gazed at each other and uttered ancient words. Several large explosion followed as pure energy was emitted by the four. The plain was once more rid of the evil. Hundreds of corpses littered the ground.

As Koell opened his mouth to call for mages to begin burning the corpses with their magic fireballs, he was stopped short by a tremendous war cry from behind the attacking army. The remaining attackers in the back halted their assault and began charging toward the source of the deafening battle cry. Not one of them made it back to the tree line, as the entire army fell in a wave, slaughtered by countless arrows streaking from unknown archers. When the last of the assailants had fallen, a lone figure emerged from the trees. Surrounded by a shimmering aura of divine power, the only distinguishable feature was his long, fiery red hair. In one hand he wielded a magnificent silver hammer, and in the other, a gold bladed sword. Ganat had brought the elven army all the way from the forests of Erinswood, and walking beside him was the once great leader of clan Dawnbringers, Sandoz.

Just as the two set off to walk towards the fortress followed by the elves a portal started to form itself between them and the doors. Out of it walked what seemed to be a priest clad in robes and a mage. Demron and his Number One, Saperio. A grin upon his face and small beady eyes caught one's attention as he whispered some words to Saperio. As he did, Saperio began to utter some words and before Ganat and Sandoz several more portals opened and from them hundreds of wraiths poured forth. And then as by magic the gates to hell coalesced together to form one huge gateway. And then from deep within a huge cry could be heard. A claw slashed through the air and caught the nearest ranger and threw him flying towards the mountain cliff. As the body fell from it, a demon set foot upon our dimension and threw his head back in a deafening cry.

The demon roared with rage at the defenders standing atop the fortress, and ignored the countless arrows from the elves as they bounced off its thick hide. Seeing the arrows and other normal attacks fail against the demon, Koell began a complex incantation, and electric currents lashed around his body. Grasping the hilt of the Dawnbringer firmly in his hand, he vaulted over the high wall and as he fell, he began a short spell, which caused his fall to slow and left him floating just above the ground.

Leveling the tip of the Dawnbringer at the demon, Koell losed an enraged yell, and charged straight for the unholy abomination. The demon turned to meet its challenger, and opened its mouth to shoot forth a beam of pure evil energy. Across the battlefield, Ganat looked on with horror as Koell charged straight into an attack that would surely obliterate him. Sandoz also saw the attack, and willed himself to appear directly in front of the charging augurer. He broke into hundreds of strings of light and colour and reassembled between the attack and Koell. His eyes gazing at Koell's, his lips forming the word 'Sorry'.

Using his body as a shield, Sandoz braced himself to defend against the attack. The evil magic slammed into him, and the intermingling of good and evil energy caused an explosion unlike any that had ever been witnessed since the Darkstone was shattered. A blinding flash of light caused everyone to look away from the blast, and when they looked back, Sandoz was lying at Koell's feet, motionless.

Koell heard Sandoz softly call his name, and he bent down to listen to him. "I have done all I can, Koell. This fight is yours now. Bring honour to your clan, and know that I am proud to call you my nephew." With that, Sandoz was engulfed in a magical explosion, and fragments of his spirit were scattered throughout the universe. Many of them fell onto Koell, since he was right by his side, and Koell felt a small portion of Sandoz's power flow through him. Koell slowly stood up, a look of pure anger, rage as well as despair within his eyes.

Snapping his head up to glare at the demon, Koell charged blindly forward, completely oblivious to the massive claw that swooped down to hit him from the side, throwing him ten paces to the side. As he fell, the Dawnbringer was knocked from his hand, and bounced out of reach. Before he could collect himself, the demon was upon him, pinning him to the ground with its massive clawed foot.

From across the clearing, Ganat saw Koell lie helplessly before the demon, awaiting his fate, and drew his Double-edged Blade of Truth. Calling Koell's name to get his attention, Ganat threw the sword in a high arc, its golden blade glowing with a light of its own. As the demon roared in triumph as it prepared to devour the meal pinned under its foot, Koell's hand shot upwards and closed tightly around the ivory hilt of Ganat's blade. Lunging upwards as best he could, Koell plunged the tip of the blade deep into the demon's chest.

The demon howled in rage and pain, as beams of holy energy punched their way through its leathery hide. Koell let go of the sword, and scrambled away from the agonized demon. A deafening roar accompanied a powerful explosion from somewhere behind him, and when Koell turned around, all that was left of the demon was a charred patch on the ground, with the tip of the gold-bladed sword sticking into the ground in the centre of the smoking area.

As the defenders gazed at what had happened, the attackers used the gained momentum to make a final attack upon the fortress. They charged with all the evilness they could muster and slammed into the doors. A huge cracking sound was heard as the door gave way. As they prepared to storm the Fort, out of nowhere came two huge tigers and upon them a gnome and the smallest pixie ever seen, Twaine and Faerylyn. Koell yelled at his mages to Nova the attackers but the deafening cries of the wraiths covered his voice. He looked up to Faerylyn and Twaine who began charging the pack with an unending flow of arrows covering their flanks. They ran into the mass of evil and let loose all the energy they could. A flash of light like none seen before blinded everyone and as their sight came back, everything was gone, Demron and his Mage, a portal closing itself where they once stood, and what should have been a mass of corpses was pure nothingness.

A great cheer of victory erupted from the walls of the fortress and the elves as Ganat slowly walked over and reclaimed his sword from an exhausted Koell. When Ganat picked him up, he noticed something different about the little gnome, a seemingly less of Sandoz's own physical characteristics shape shifting within Koell. What had seemed as being mere power seeping into Koell, as Sandoz died, was the very essence of the elder.

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