Divine Intervention

"The world may not be what it once was for me, reality or dream, things have changed and I shall not rest until I discover what has happened!" Nebaska proclaimed to the lands. He sat down on the bench situated in the town square of Windy Bluff, fidgeted for a moment or two, got up and set off towards the park. With his hammer in hand, he bashed and pounded the park animals until his adrenaline wore off, then he rested in the centre of the park. His friend from a reality gone before approached him and sat next to him.

"Sometimes things are not always what the mind perceives them to be my little clerical friend, of course, sometimes they are" Draegar said as he stood up. "Sometimes they are!"

"Before you go old friend, tell me what's happened! Why does my mind split such as it does? Tatianna, my beloved Goddess is no longer who I thought she was, you yourself have changed from the ranger I once knew, the large minotaur who used to carry all those rare old weapons, weapons that no longer exist... What's happened to this world?"

"To put it simply Nebaska, the world has moved on" he said as he chuckled and drifted away.

Nebaska scratched his chin, looked down at his feet and started thinking aloud. "If Tatianna no longer is the Goddess of Light, who is?"

"If the Keepers does not, or never has existed, who praises Tarin and leads the life of the truly holy and good?"

The wind breezed past Nebaskas face and a leaf fell to the ground. It hit the ground and a small flash erupted in front of him, startling him and sending him sprawling against the little spring that trickled nearby. Smoke came forth from where the leaf had landed and a small flower sprouted from the ground, its petals bloomed in deep shades of the spectrum, ranging from deep purples to the bright glow of the twilight white. Nebaska gasped, bent forward and gently stroked one of the petals of the plant, never in his life had he seen such a thing of such beauty. The plant uprooted itself at his touch and transformed into a deep red rose as he picked it up. Another breeze blew past his face and he heard the merest of whispers carried by it "Springtime is here Nebaska, look to the light".

Upon awakening in his quarters within the guildhouse of the clerics, Nebaska went to the town square, shaking his head to rid himself of the dream he'd just had. He stood for a moment in the place he'd found much solace for the past few years then shrugged and walked off. He wandered around the town park, killing the odd rabbit that blocked his path and then returned to the town square to class bless upon himself and some of the others that had gathered.

"So after she'd said that, I whipped my knife out from it's sheath and slit her throat! Hur Hur Hur!" laughed a giant of a man, his muscles gleaming, his chest rising and falling as he retold stories of his "glory" days. The man looked down and Nebaska.

"I be me, Nebaska Rose, Child of the Light" retorted Nebaska, his low tolerance to fools breaking through his fuzzy thoughts of the day. The burly man growled at the half-elf, bunched his hand into a fist and rammed it full-force into the small-statured cleric. Nebaska was sent sprawling with the force of the hit and banged his back on the bench. Anger flared deep within Nebaska's soul, he leapt to his feet and started towards the burly warrior. That was until a voice spoke to him.

Nebaska stopped dead in his tracks and looked around, anger making him shake, fear and loathing making listen intently.

"'Tis I, Malus Remmin. Your life is not what it was my friend. You no longer feed off those who live, no longer have the turmoils of your split life. My prowess was combat, magic was beyond my skill and depth, but it is not beyond you Nebaska, listen to your inner-self and don't be a fool. I have been gone from these realms for many a year, your concussion held you back from the life you should be living also. The past is the past, it is all true, yet the future is bright. Don't forsake me and the other Keepers by corrupting your soul."

Nebaska nodded slowly whilst the warriors cheered each other on. The smallest of the warriors started to walk to Nebaska, wanting to check if more punishment could be dished out. He raised his fist to strike the stunned cleric when a burst of magic shot from the heavens. The heavy metal armour the warrior sported caught the magical flame, multiplied it and burst into flames. The warrior screamed and fell to the ground as the magic coursed through his body. His brother, the man who had hit Nebaska yelled, but this was all background to the cleric, his mentor HAD existed, his life was different now. The world certainly had moved on. Whilst Nebaska pondered aimlessly about the meaning of it all, the bulky warrior had given up hope of saving his brother and lunged at Nebaska for pouring this accursed strike upon his younger brother.

"I'll tear you from limb to limb you devil-worshipping little tike" he yelled at Nebaska who looked as fazed as ever. The warrior advanced on Nebaska before stopping dead in his tracks. He reached for his sword, unhooked it from it's scabbard and pulled it out. The sun glimmered from base to tip and settled at the tip for a second. Nebaska still just sat and watched the scene unfolding before him with amazement, still unable to comprehend the fact his life was about to end. The warrior chanted a little war-cry under his breath, stepped forward on his right foot and lunged for Nebaska with his sword.

I, Nebaska Rose, Child of the Light, walked over to the man who was about to attack me and stared at him, mystified as to why he could no longer move. I reached for his sword and gently slid it out of his stiffened hand, placing it on the ground behind the fountain in case he should unstick at any moment in the near future. I looked at him for the first time since entering the town square, for the first time since all this commotion had happened, for the first time since he had struck me across the face. Blood still dripped from my nose and lip so I cast a couple of healing spells upon myself which took away the bleeding but did not cease the pain. I reached over to the warrior, prodded him in the ribs, pulled my hand away from him and watched a small trail of blue sparks fly from his body to mine. The things I had been told behind the secret bookcase of the Guildhouse came back to me.

"Sometimes Nebaska, the gods themselves deem one worthy enough to change reality for. The only problem is, you never know which god, be his or her intentions good or evil. Life must go on though, for without these gods who find it necessary to interfere in our lives, we would have no lives for them to interfere with. I am about to show you something very special Nebaska" I recalled the priest saying to me "Something no man that has not had all the appropriate training should be able to see, yet somehow, I think you already know what you need to."

I remembered the room I had been in, remembered the faint glowing outline that surrounded the priest as I followed closely behind him. And of course, I doubt whether I could ever forget what I saw that day. My life would be changed by that sight, this I knew, yet I did not know what to do. It was at that point I had first gone to the town square which in turn, led to my meeting with Draegar.

I looked around at the world, frozen in time, frozen in reality, with me unstuck in the center of it. I heard voices, familiar voices, voices of authority that made the body beg to be on the ground in homage to. In the distance I thought I could see the Dark Lord himself wandering the streets, looking to kill me once again no doubt I reasoned, still, I had stood up to him once in a life, I could do it again. I sat down on the stone bench, awaiting this evil beast to come for me. I sat and waited for what felt like an eternity, still watching this beast walks slowly towards me as if I was as insignificant as the uneducated Nebaska he had slain before. As I sat, the Dark Lord almost at my side, I felt a hand brush the back of my hair. I quickly swivelled on the bench, spilling some of the equipment I had in my basket only to see nothing.

I muttered and rubbed my head in my hands, any more questions like this and I would go insane once again I thought. "I be me, Nebaska Rose, Child of the Light, yet I know not who or what is the light yet but you can be certain I am still it's child." I replied in spitefilled tones, the blasted Evil Lord did not even remember me. I looked straight into the eyes of Seluctruh and was amazed to see not the anger I had expected, but rather compassion and guilt, such feelings I felt were beyond him. Seluctruh chuckled and pulled his red, velvet cape around himself. He looked down at me and patted me lightly on the head making me shiver at his very touch.

"Nebaska... Nebaska. Hmmm... Ahh, Nebaska Rose, the child I killed once or twice?" he asked, compassion and guilt suddenly no longer in his eyes.

"Yes, restored once by Tatianna, the second time I know not what happened. I was there, a vampire who had thrown your accursed hold over me out from my wretched soul-devouring body, next thing I know, I am here. I awakened from a sleep so deep it had appeared as reality to me."

The Dark Lord sighed, slapped me, grabbed me by the collar as I started swaying back and forth and ripped me from the seat up to his eye level.

"You speak words of such bravery young cleric, yet you have no place in this world anymore" he hissed at me. "I am the Lord of the land, my clan is re-established, the Vampires shall rule the land once again Nebaska and you shall help them lead!" As he finished saying this, he bent my head, almost snapping neck and leaned forward to the exposed flesh, teeth glimmering in the day light that remained when time froze.

"Dobre Salore!" echoed through the town square. "SELUCTRUH PUT THAT CHILD DOWN!"

As time unfroze the Warrior who had meant to kill me lunged forward, sword no longer in hand and bashed Seluctruh from behind, sending me sprawling from the Dark Lord's grasp and Seluctruh to the ground. Seluctruh got up with a face I had seen many times before. I closed my eyes and heard a wet explosion, felt myself become covered in pieces of the warrior which made me choke and gag. The stench of rotten corpse filled my lungs so I bent over onto my hands and knees and was sick for a few moments. I felt a strong breeze pass over my head but could not concentrate on what it had been. I grasped for the edge of the fountain with my eyes still closed, lifted myself up and began to wash the wretched bits of corpse from my face, hair and clothes. Once I had cleaned myself a little I crawled under the bench in case Seluctruh should happen to kill anyone else.

Just then Nebaska's eyes were dazzled by an infinite number of sunbeams that seemed to dance in the air before him. They dissolved into a tiny figure that grew to the height of a woman before his very eyes.

"Not this time Dark Lord" she said in a calm and implacable voice. Her violet eyes stared straight into the chaotic burning red ones of Seluctruh and as he stood before her, while the beams of sunlight that encased her body danced around, burning his exposed skin so that he pulled his hood forward and brought his cloak up high, shielding his face.

He whirled about and with a glare towards Nebaska which caused the poor elf to tremble, hissed evilly and ascended to the sky.

Nebaska crawled out from under the bench and bowed before the Lady. She smiled at him and he felt his heart warm with new courage.

"Nebaska, do not forget your past, do not forget all that you were, but remember this, above all things, it is the present and the future that await you!"

Though it was long that Seluctruh held you in his thrall, and though you have been misled by a Light that does not truly shine for goodness, you must learn to trust again," she paused and looked intently at the half-elf.

Everyone else in the square had fallen silent, and he stood, solemnly before her, listening to her every word.

"The important thing, is to hold the hope of new light in your heart! You have been reborn, and stand here, the epitome of renewal and eternal spring. The choice you are to make is there, within your heart, and only you may find it."

With that Maedwynne opened her hands and a rose, the color of amethyst lit by sunshine appeared and slowly its petals unfolded, as she extended it towards the young half-elf.

He reached for it, and held it to his face, inhaling its rich perfume, as his face lit with joy.

Maedwynne blessed Nebaska, and with one last look into his gentle face, she dissolved into a cascade of sunbeams and was gone.

Nebaska remained in Town Square, holding the purple rose close to his breast, his face thoughtful.

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