Author's note:

Broken Pieces is the sequel to my relatively successful fanfic called Soul Savers. So If you have not read it, I would suggest you do so before reading this.

A note on Soul Savers: please excuse the first six or so chapters, I was very inexperienced then and made some rather large errors, I'm pleased to say that I managed to counterbalance these errors later on, and in the five months that I worked in Soul Savers I improved dramatically at writing.

And so without further ado I present you with Broken Pieces!

 

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

The Prologue....

enjoy!

 

 

Lord Sentinus leaned over his table, the candlelight casting his face into shadow. He trailed his finger delicately along a map, pausing at a dock, and then moving onwards over a large expanse of water before stopping at a distant land. It was there, far from his clutches and probably hidden away in some large castle, the type that those Albion people were so fond of. He would get it, even if he had to tear the land apart. In fact, he wanted to tear that land apart, he wanted to see the people scream and suffer, he wanted to have power. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Lord Sentinus sighed, “Enter.”

He continued to stare at the map in front of him as the door creaked open then shut, and a nervous voice stuttered in the darkness.

“My…. My lord?” the person asked feebly.

“What?” replied Lord Sentinus, turning around reluctantly to face the clerk standing before him.

“I’m afraid that we have run short on servants….” Said the clerk in a fearful whisper.

“Servants?” laughed Lord Sentinus.

“Slaves,” muttered the clerk bluntly.

“Right you are,” said Lord Sentinus calmly, “Contact our friends, send them to Albion, and tell them we only want the strong and young….”

“Yes my lord,” said the Clerk, bowing his way back out of the room.

Lord Sentinus did not return to his map, instead he moved to his comfortable armchair by the fire and pulled a strange sliver of stone from his pocket. It was pure black, although he had seen it glow bright red once, it radiated power and whispered things in his ear. He twirled it in his dark skinned fingers, listening intently, it had told him much about the world, and it had been the one to tell him of what would eventually become his goal. In fact, it had sparked a war, one which he had helped along until it became a roaring fire of death and destruction. This little shard; for that is what it was, would go down in history as one of the greatest manipulators the world had ever known.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

5 stars for an excellent beginning! Can't wait for more.

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If I fall will you promise to catch me?
If I cry will you promise to hold me?
If I love you will you promise to never break my heart?

Chapter one. Some answers are given, problems arise, and the story continues.....

enjoy!

The captain roared into the night as rain poured down, sinking into the wooden deck of his ship as if it were a sponge. Cannons were firing all around him, and the ship was being rocked by vicious waves. The pirate ships up ahead were firing down upon them, and there were already four new holes in the side of the ship.

“Keep firing! Don’t let them get the best of us!” he roared, sending his crew into even more frantic scurrying as they loaded cannons.

The remaining ship from Knothole floated beside them, firing desperately at the pirates, who were steadily moving closer towards them, preparing to mount. The captain glanced up at the Spire, which stood proud and tall, and from which a vicious red light was shining at the top, but which now was joined by a bright blue.

Something was happening up there, and the captain was sure it would involve a rather large boom. Grabbing the wheel of the ship in his gnarled hands, the captain swung the ship around, twisting it so that it was heading away from the spire. This opened him up to more fire, but he knew he would be dead if they did not move. The crew cried out in fear as the ship was exposed to pirate fire, but they dared not challenge the captain in this desperate time, and continued to fire.

They were fifty meters out from the Spire when a boom sounded and a cannonball smashed through the railings of the ship, sending five crew members into the sea and making the ship rock violently. The captain looked up and saw that one of the pirate ships had followed them out from the shadow of the spire and was firing at them. Before he could think another explosion sounded and a cannonball came at the speed of lightning, tearing through his personal cabin and smashing his expensive bed into the ocean. The captain cursed and screamed out, directing his crew to fire at the ship. Before any of them could respond, a great wind picked up and brushed the sound out of their mouths. A strange silence gripped the seas, and the ships stopped firing, the captain looked up with fear in his eyes. The tip of the Spire was bright with white light, and three pinpricks of blue shone out suddenly before the white engulfed the sky and an explosion ripped through the air. The captain’s hair streamed back behind him and the ship lurched. The air turned searing hot and his eyes were blinded by light. Water smashed into the deck as waves picked up, and suddenly everything went silent.

The captain was sprawled on the deck, soaked to the core and shivering. He opened his eyes to buckets of rain, and noticed something odd. The Spire was gone. There was nothing left apart from a thin pillar of stone that stretched up into the sky. The captain stood up shakily and looked out to sea, noticing that all the ships apart from the pirate ship that had followed them were gone. The captain looked to his deck, and saw his crew lying on the ground and groaning. Three splashed sounded close to the ship, and the captain snapped his head back around. Three bodies floated in the water nearby, and he recognized their shapes and the clothes they were wearing.

“Get up you lazy sods! We have men overboard!” the captain yelled desperately.

His crew did not respond immediately, but by the time they did the captain had already tied a rope around his waist, and was tying the other end of the rope to the railings of the ship. In one smooth movement the captain stepped up to the railings and flung himself overboard, slicing through the water like and arrow before bobbing to the surface and swimming towards the bodies. Rain slapped against his body and the water around him, and salty water filled his lungs but he kept going. The captain heard splashes behind him as more crewmen leapt into the sea to help as he reached the first body. The captain flipped her over, for she was face down in the water, and looked into the wet face of Samantha. The captain remained still for a moment, checking that she was alive, before taking a firmer hold on her and swimming back to the ship.

The crew that remained on board helped him up with the rope tied around his waist, and then they stepped forward to help the other men who were getting the other bodies. The captain lay Samantha on the deck of the ship and nudged her mouth open to let air in. Her mouth was full of water, so he turned her over and let it pour out, causing her to cough and splutter. Her eyes fluttered open for a second before closing again, and she began breathing easily. The captain sighed with relief, and then turned to see the other men pulling the remaining bodies up. Al Dur and Bane were lain down beside Samantha, and were soon breathing again too. The captain stared at them for a moment, and then called out to one of his crew.

“Carry them into one of the cabins…. Preferably one that hasn’t been blown apart,” he ordered.

The crew member nodded, and the captain moved over to the railing, looking out for more survivors. There were none. No more bodies floated in the water; there was only the thin pillar and the pirate ship a hundred meters away. The captain’s eyes drifted to the pillar, and it was then that he noticed something. A small figure stood on the edge of it, frail and skinny. Robes rippled around the small body, and he knew it was Alyss from the green tone of them. Alyss was looking out in the opposite direction, and swayed dangerously on the spot. Suddenly she tipped over the edge of the pillar, and the captain watched in dismay as she fell towards the sea and landed with a smash in the water. Without thinking, the captain ran over to the wheel of the ship and spun it as hard as he could. The ship shuddered and swerved through the water in a great arc, stopping when it was facing the Spire. The captain gave the order for the mast to be unraveled, and they began moving forward. So too did the pirate ship, but it was much closer to Alyss than they were. The captain grit his teeth anxiously as they closed in on Alyss, but they were still fifty meters away when the pirate ship stopped. The captain’s cannons fired at the pirate ship, but it was no use, Alyss had already been hauled aboard.

 

 

 

Silence. The fact was strangely soothing to Samantha. She felt the world around her rocking steadily, and her thoughts drifted to a ship. They must still be on their way to the Spire, she was sure of it, nothing had happened, Mark was still alive, and none of that horrible stuff had ever happened. But in her heart, she knew it wasn’t true. Samantha opened her eyes slowly, bracing herself for something shocking. There was nothing, she was simply in a wooden room, probably a cabin in a ship, and she lay on a soft bed of feathers. Whispers sounded to her right, and she turned her head slowly to see Bane and Al Dur standing and talking to one another in hushed voices. Samantha bolted upright.

“Where is he?!?!” she screamed suddenly, her eyes darting wildly.

Bane flinched, “Who?”

“Mark! Where is Mark? He must be somewhere, we have to get him back!” she yelled, thrashing underneath the blankets that entombed her.

“Samantha…” murmured Al Dur.

“No! We must find him! We have to save him!” she moaned, rocking back and forth.

“Samantha, no!” Bane said firmly, stepping forward and pushing her back down to the bed.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!!!!!!” screamed Samantha.

Samantha brought her arm back and slammed it into Bane’s chest, sending him flying to the wooden wall where he slammed against it and slid to the floor. Samantha ripped herself out of the bed, noticing for the first time that she was still in her bloodstained clothes and the chainmail underneath them was still on. Al Dur stepped forward and Samantha whipped around, drawing her katana, which was now the dull colour of ordinary steel, and pressing the tip against Al Dur’s neck. He drew in breath sharply and froze on the spot. Samantha looked into his eyes properly, and noticed something odd; sadness. Samantha trembled and her katana clattered to the floor. With one fleeting glance at Al Dur, Samantha turned around and ran through the door and onto the deck of the battered ship. Her armor jingled in a pathetic way as she ran to the centre of the deck and stared up to where the Spire had stood. It was gone; nothing was there except a feeble little pillar of black stone. She knew at that moment with an utter certainty that Mark was dead, and nothing would change that fact. Samantha collapsed to her knees, clutching her face in her bruised hands and letting her tears spill through them onto the deck. Her sobs echoed across the ship, and the crew turned their heads to stare at her broken form. Al Dur stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, the touch comforted Samantha slightly, but her pain was absolute.

 

 

 

 

Alyss opened her eyes with a start, trembling all over from cold and fear. She was crouched in a dark room with voices all around her and a thick stench in the air. Shrieks battered her ears and she could hear people moaning out in pain, but she could see no one. A hand brushed her shoulder, and Alyss jumped with fright, whipping her face around to see who it was. A face loomed out of the darkness, old and horribly scarred.

“They’re coming little bird, better fly away now!” cackled the old man before shuffling away.

Alyss shivered, and tears trickled down her cheeks. She was going to die in this dank hole of despair, she just knew it. Footsteps thudded against wood nearby, and the nearby cries and moans went silent, to be replaced with the sounds of scurrying and desperate movement. Alyss was knocked to the side by a man running to the other side of the room as a shaft of light pierced the darkness. She was the only on remaining in the centre of the room, and she could see the outlines of people huddled in the corners, fearful of the people standing in the doorway. There were two men, one was very fat, and the other was of medium build, with a sword strapped to his hip. The fat one wore filthy robes, and both of them had dark skin like Al Dur. The fat man motioned to Alyss in silence and the sword bearing man moved forward swiftly. Alyss tried to move away, but the man pounced down on her, grabbing her arm and dragging her to her feet, Alyss moaned in fear, and received a slap to the cheek.

“This one?” grunted the man, still maintaining a vice-like grip on her arm.

The fat man nodded and moved away from the door. The man holding Alyss dragged her to the door as she squirmed and cried out, his thick stench filled her nostrils and his hand cut off the blood to her arm, making it go numb. They walked down wooden halls that swayed gently with the ocean; they made a right turn and Alyss saw a looming hole in the wall that opened out to the salty air. There had obviously been a fight, and as they made their way higher up the ship she saw bodies littering the halls and blood covered the wooden floor. The man holding her leered.

“See all these men? They’re dead because of your friends! Don’t think the captain will be holding too much favor with you, because he won’t be….”

Alyss whimpered in reply, did this mean everyone was still alive? Or did it mean that they’d survived the Spire but had been killed by these men?

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Alyss. Oh poor Alyss. Mark's dead.

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If I fall will you promise to catch me?
If I cry will you promise to hold me?
If I love you will you promise to never break my heart?

I'm really happy to be writing again, and I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter!

Samantha lay sleeping peacefully in her bed while Al Dur, Bane and the captain sat around a table nearby. It was dark, and a small candle worked hard to light up the gloom.

“So…. Would you care to explain what happened up there?” asked the captain quietly.

Al Dur paused before speaking, “We went up there and…. There were Morte Men….. One for each of us…. We dueled, we won, and we began to destroy the Spire…. Then Mark lost a soul duel with Shadowfiend and the balverine was there and…. Everything was confusing…. Samantha was going hysterical, but we managed to drag her back into the circle we’d formed around Alyss, who was the only one powerful enough to channel our power and destroy the Heart….”

“I still don’t understand what happened after that,” muttered Bane, “All I know is that I helped you bring Samantha back into the circle, and then everything went white and next thing I knew I was coughing up water on the deck of this ship….”

“What happened was this,” said Al Dur, “I realized we were all going to die, so I cast an old Samarkandian spell to shield us. When the Spire exploded we were flung into the sky, I think the force of it must have knocked us unconscious, since I was only touching Bane and Samantha, they were the only ones shielded….. I’m afraid everyone else is-”

“Dead?” asked Bane bluntly, staring into his hands.

“Yes….” replied Al Dur.

“And what about Alyss? What happens to her? She’s still out there!” burst Bane suddenly.

“I saw her fall from that pillar, I tried to get to her, but that Pirate ship took her first, she’s still on it,” said the captain gravely.

Bane stood up suddenly and slammed his fist into the table.

“We need to get her, who knows what they’re doing to her!” yelled Bane.

Samantha turned over in her sleep from Bane’s shout, and the captain and Al Dur went silent.

“We’re following the pirates now,” murmured the captain, “I told my second in command to keep following them…”

Bane sat down slowly, “Where do you think they’re headed?”

“They’re sailing away from Albion shores, the only place I can think that they’re going to is-”

“Samarkand,” muttered Al Dur.

“We’re going to Samarkand then,” said Bane in a commanding tone.

Al Dur ignored Bane’s comment, “What happened to the other ships from Knothole Island, and the other pirate ships?”

“Destroyed by the Spire explosion I assume, we haven’t seen a trace of them so far….” Replied the captain.

A silence settled over them.

“Al Dur?” Bane asked, “What can we expect from these Pirates….. What will they do to her?”

Al Dur sighed, “Assuming that they are indeed heading to Samarkand, I think it’s safe to say that slavery is their trade. No doubt they will sell her quickly, she’s strong and young, as for what they will do to her….”

“Tell me!” snarled Bane, standing up once more.

“Rape isn’t out of the question, after all, as long as the s are in an alright condition people don’t care what’s happened to them….”

Bane’s face seemed to crumple, and he sank down into his chair, his hands trembling.

Bane looked up slowly, “We will find her,” he said in a trembling voice, “No matter what it takes. If we don’t get to them before they reach Samarkand, then we’re relying on you, Al Dur, to lead us through your old country and find her…”

Al Dur nodded gravely, “I’ll help in any way I can, Samantha on the other hand…. She might be difficult to convince.”

Bane nodded slowly, his face lined with fear.

 

 

 

Alyss was shoved through a wooden doorway roughly by the man who had been holding her. In the room was the fat man, now sitting in a comfortable looking armchair. The fat man gave a smile of rotten teeth, and then motioned for the other man to leave.

“Step closer girl, I want a look at you,” ordered the man in a raspy tone.
Alyss took two steps forward, but couldn’t bring herself to go any further.

“Scared are you? If I were you I’d be running to my feet in an attempt to save your own life.”

Alyss stared at the man coldly with an odd lump in her throat.

“But then again,” the man continued, “I suppose it doesn’t matter either way.”

The man leapt to his feet and, with surprising agility for one so large, lunged towards Alyss. Alyss screamed and darted for the door, but it was locked. The man grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around, breathing his foul breath down her neck.

“Now you’re going to pay for what happened to my crew!” he snarled.

Alyss whimpered, and hot tears slithered down her cheeks. The man flung her to the ground and launched himself at her with a filthy look in his eye. He took a handful of her green robes in his hand and examined it.

“Valuable….” He murmured, “Better not ruin it then eh?”

The man reached for her breasts with a hungry look, and Alyss squirmed as his fingers groped her. In a flare of anger she grabbed his outstretched hand and launched a bolt of electricity down his arm. The man cried out in pain and withdrew his arm quickly, cursing as he did so and glaring at her angrily. Alyss stared back up at him coldly and noticed something in his eyes; fear. The man drew a deep breath and stood up, turning away from her and heading to a desk in the corner of the room. With trembling fingers he pulled a drawer open from within the desk and pulled out a thin pistol, Alyss breathed in sharply when she saw it and backed into the corner, but the man began moving forward steadily.

“Albion witch…” he muttered feverishly, “Rare and valuable….”

The man deftly opened the gun and removed the ordinary bullet, replacing it with a strange purple orb before pointing it at Alyss.

“And I’d better not ruin it eh?” he said sharply, before firing the gun.

 

 

 

Samantha stood at the bow of the ship, leaning over the railing and staring into the sea in silence. Bane and Al Dur stood further away on the deck, watching her and talking in whispers.

“How long is she going to be like that?” asked Bane anxiously.

“I wouldn’t know, grief is a long and terrible process. Even though I feel sorrow for the deaths of everyone, she was most hard hit, she had a relationship with Mark after all,” explained Al Dur.

“Alyss is gone too, and I’m not a walking vegetable.”

“But there is hope yet for Alyss, Mark however is gone, we saw it with our own eyes…”

“We need her help to find Alyss! If she stays like this-”

“Then she stays like this, we can’t help it, and interference will cause more harm than ,” said Al Dur sharply.

They both lapsed into silence, which was only broken when a crewmember called out from ahead.

“Ship ahead!” he shouted.

Al Dur craned his neck to see the ship, but Bane leapt up to the mast, climbing up the rope like a spider until he reached the top and looked out to sea. It was a ship like any other and it was heading the same direction as them, but a strange flag flew at its mast, one which Bane had never seen before. Bane made his way back down to Al Dur, who was strangely white.

“Do you recognize that flag?” asked Bane.

“Yes,” murmured Al Dur, “It is the flag of a mercenary ship; and a famous one at that. I’ve not seen it since my days living in Samarkand, and if Alyss is on that ship then it can’t be .”

“What is their motive?” asked Bane desperately.

“It varies, sometimes they’re only hired for basic destruction, but often they’re used for slavery. I’m betting that if they’re so desperate to pick up Alyss from the middle of the ocean then they’re on a slaving trip. The captain never said which direction they were coming from, they could have been coming straight from Albion, it’s often used as a slavery pick up country because barely anyone wants to travel to Samarkand to stop them”

“Then we have to catch them,” growled Bane.

“We will, but it will be close, I’m certain that if they’re heading for one of the major docks it will only be if they’ve got special clearance, because usually the security is tightly packed. Once they get in we’d be hard pressed to touch them without being branded criminals by the guards.”

“Why is security so tight?” asked Bane.

“Civil war,” grunted Al Dur, “Samarkand has been fighting itself for decade; in fact it’s the reason Garth and I got out of there together. Both our fathers had been killed and our town was destroyed…. We were the lucky ones….”

Al Dur’s face turned grave, and his eyes became distant.

“Great, stepping out of one war and into another,” muttered Bane in a dull voice.
“It appears so, although this time our numbers a dwindling rather than growing….”

 

 

 

Titus was crouched behind a crumbling sandstone wall with sweat gleaming off his forehead. Explosions sounded all around him, and the screams of his own men filled his ears. Titus took a swig from the water skin at his belt before spinning around. He dove away from the sandstone wall, rolling along the ground as he entered enemy sight. As he rolled Titus learned the feel of the sand, and when he pulled himself upright, he slammed his hands into the ground. Sand whipped up around him, throwing him out of sight and speeding towards the masses of enemies. The sand covered them and smothered their faces, choking them and digging into the pores of their skin. A wind picked up and the sand was sent into a cyclone, tearing flesh from bone and sending blood spraying in all directions. Titus pulled his arms away from the ground and the sands roared to a halt, falling slowly like mist and leaving a large pile of sand and blood.

Titus stood up slowly and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. He looked around with a grim expression, taking in the half destroyed buildings and piles of bodies littering the streets. The desert sun bore down on him, and the road stretched out for miles before him. He set off wearily, leaving the ruined town that they had spent so long defending behind.

 

 

Alyss woke with a dry throat in a strange room. She was sitting in a hard wooden chair in a room with no windows and one door. The door was made of wood, and she stood up swiftly before walking over to it and summoning fire in her palm. She was about to launch it at the door, but as she did so a blinding flash of pain cut through her chest like a knife and she screamed out, collapsing to the ground and groaning in agony. The fire went out swiftly, and she sat up with a headache pounding her brain. She looked down at herself and could feel bandages wrapped around her chest where the strange purple bullet had hit her. The pain had come from there, and something felt horribly wrong. She summoned another fireball, pausing for a moment before moving to throw it at the door. Once again a searing pain went off in her chest before she could throw the ball of fire, and she screamed out in agony. Panting, she sat up again with tears streaming down her face. She stood up and leaned wearily against the wall, noticing for the first time that the world around her was rocking, and she was still at sea.

The room was bare, with one small bed, a table and a chair. Sighing, she moved up to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked so she walked over to her bed and collapsed into it. Everything had gone terribly wrong, and for all she knew, everyone she cared about was dead. Her throat was still dry, so she swallowed a few times but it did not help. She stood up slowly and went to the door, lifting her fist and slamming it against the hard timber.

“I’m thirsty!” she yelled, “Get me something to drink!”

There was no answer, but she could swear she heard a muffled chuckle. She slumped back down in her chair, smacking her lips to get her saliva going and trying not to think of who had put the bandages on her in the first place.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Ok, because I figure you want critique and not blasé comments I'm going to be honest from now on and tell you everything I think when i read your work.

The last entry, the attempted rape was a little predictable. I did assume or think of it before you spoke of it. The character descriptions and action scenes are great always very descriptive and easy to imagine. The fat man, slaver also a little predictable. It seems a used idea of leery wimpy fat man with large big slaves. Does he have one of those hats, they all seem to wear? The one with the tassel?

idea and show of emotion from Bane, also Samantha but I would think if I lost my soul mate I would be screaming or something after it hit me they weren't coming back. But that only my view.

I hope my critique was useful as I'm only trying to help you to become a better writer as I assume you're trying with me. If any of my comments are rude, just tell me off and I'll go back to be blasé.

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If I fall will you promise to catch me?
If I cry will you promise to hold me?
If I love you will you promise to never break my heart?

Thank you for the criticism, I really do value it more than outright compliments.

You've got me there, the attempted rape was predictable, but I feel it was necessary, it's what would have happened in real life anyway...

Samantha has slipped into shock, so screaming doesn't seem right to me.

None of your comments were rude, criticism is required if anyone is ever to improve at anything, and I definately want to improve

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Have to agree with this part that Faerie posted...

Faerie_child:

The last entry, the attempted rape was a little predictable. I did assume or think of it before you spoke of it. The character descriptions and action scenes are great always very descriptive and easy to imagine. The fat man, slaver also a little predictable. It seems a used idea of leery wimpy fat man with large big slaves. Does he have one of those hats, they all seem to wear? The one with the tassel?

And another thing that I saw was...Alyss finally seems to be in control of her powers. So why didn't she just...Idk, fight her way out onto the ship deck? I mean sure, her being kidnapped and all moves the plot but you could have had her get over-run or something before being shot.

Anyways...that's all I can think of right now. Keep up the work.

So there was a bit of a gap between chapters there and I'm afraid it might happen again, since I have rather a lot of work thats about to hit me full on, and I'd rather be prepared for it and forget about you guys for a couple of weeks than continue writing for a while and then die when it strikes me....

enjoy!

The winds roared and the rain flew, sending waves of water crashing against the bow of their ship. Bane, Al Dur and Samantha were holed up below deck in one of the cabins, clutching onto furniture that had been nailed to the ground so that they didn’t go smashing into walls. Samantha had barely spoken a word since she had broken down on the deck three days earlier, and it was only half heartedly that she gripped onto a nearby bed post. Al Dur was growing more worried about her every day, but Bane’s thoughts remained fixed on Alyss, and nothing else. Samantha had not yet changed from her bloodstained clothes, and her chainmail jingled underneath her dress as the ship sway violently. Suddenly, the room lurched as a massive wave hit the bow, and Samantha lost her grip on the bed post and went tumbling to the other side of the room. She smashed against the wall and cried out in pain, clutching her stomach as blood began pouring through her clothes. Al Dur let go of the wooden beam he was holding and stumbled over to her side, kneeling down and holding onto her so that she was not thrown about by the movement of the ship.

“Bane! Get over here!” He barked.

Bane moved over to her side at his command and looked her over.

“Get her chainmail off, we need to see what’s happened,” he muttered.

Al Dur drew a dagger and cut the top half of her dress off before pulling the chainmail over her head. He grabbed the shredded part of her dress and used it to cover her chest, and then examined the wound. There was a long gash running over her stomach, and hitting the wall must have opened it up.

“Where did you get this?” he asked her.

“Spire…. Fight…” she gasped, struggling for air.

“Easy, easy,” Al Dur murmured, “Help me get her onto the bed.”

Bane and Al Dur grabbed her arms and legs and hauled her over to the bed. Al Dur grabbed the bed sheets and tore them in half before handing them over to Bane.  Al Dur leaned closer to her and examined the wound more.

“Might be a bit of infection, you should have told us about this earlier….” He murmured.

Samantha remained silent; Al Dur sighed and grabbed one of the bed sheet halves from Bane. He pulled a bottle full of clear liquid from his robes and let a drip fall onto her wound. Samantha screamed when the liquid hit her wound, and Al Dur held her down as she writhed on the bed. Once she had calmed he wrapped the sheets around her stomach as a bandage, then used the other half of the bed sheet as a makeshift shirt for her. When this was done Samantha was breathing heavily.

“Samantha…” murmured Bane, “We need to talk….”

Samantha just shook her head feebly, still trying to regain her breath.

“Samantha this is important!” yelled Bane suddenly.

“N-no!” cried Samantha, “I’m not listening to you!”

“Samantha we’re talking about Alyss here!” Bane screamed desperately, shaking her around the shoulders.

“Bane! Enough!” snarled Al Dur, grabbing Bane on the arm and pushing him against the wall, “We wait until she’s ready!”

“You know what? Both of you shut up!” yelled Samantha suddenly from the bed.

Bane and Al Dur went silent and watched her carefully.

“Bane,” she said in a trembling voice, “Get out.”

Bane glared at her, and then turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Al Dur stood there, looking at her intently, waiting for her to say something. Samantha sat there; staring at her hands, and then broke down crying. Al Dur sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

“What should I do?” she sobbed, “I don’t even know if I can still be alive if they’re all dead…. If Mark is dead…. Am I dreaming? Am I in some kind of hell?”

Al Dur remained silent.

“It’s not as if I don’t care about Alyss,” she continued between sobs, “But Bane…. How can I help him when it’s scum like him who keep killing my boyfriends?”

“I think,” murmured Al Dur, “That you need to accept that he’s changed.”

“No one changes! He killed Jonathon, and then the person he used to work for killed Mark, how can I trust him?”

“You could just do this for Alyss….”

“I don’t want to do anything for anyone! I just want Mark back!”

“You know as well as I that he will never return…”

Samantha sniffed and nodded tearfully, then broke down into more sobs. Al Dur stood up and walked to the door.

“In any case,” he said slowly, “We need your decision soon….”

 

 

 

Alyss was woken the next day by a rough looking sailor who led her wordlessly up to the deck, the sun was glaring down on them, and the light hurt Alyss’ eyes. The ship was docked in a city Alyss had never seen before; most of the buildings were made from sandstone or dry mud, with colorful roofs and strange symbols etched into them. All around people dressed in strange robes with swords at their hips walked, but the guards consisted of men and women, a strange concept to one from Albion, where guards had to be male. The strangest thing was that they were all dark skinned, with not a fair skinned person in sight. The sailor pulled some shackles from within his robes and clamped them over her wrists, these shackles were then connect to chains, which were in turn connected to a long line of slaves in front of her. A cry sounded out over this ship and the line began to move slowly. As they stepped from the ship to the docks, Alyss tripped over her robes and cried out, falling to the ground suddenly and dragging two other slaves with her. The line halted instantly and everyone turned their heads to stare at her. The slavers all began moving towards her as she tried to pick herself up with tears lining her face.

“Stand up ***, or you’ll be flogged!” snarled one slaver, pulling her up roughly.

“I didn’t-”

The man smacked her in the face, cutting her off.

“Don’t talk unless permitted! Got that?” yelled the man, raising his arm again.

“Arlof! Leave her!” commanded a voice to their right.

Alyss turned and saw the fat man who had tried to rape her, he was dressed in much grander clothes this time, as if he were about to go to a ball.

“Unchain her, she’ll be taking part in a special auction!” he yelled, walking towards them swiftly.

The fat man grabbed the keys off the other slaver, who was scowling at Alyss, and unchained her. Alyss rubbed her wrists to get the blood back into them until a vice like grip clamped onto her upper arm. It was the other man from before, who had taken her to the fat man; he led her wordlessly down to the docks, stepping past the line of slaves that had begun to move once again. Alyss struggled to keep up with his long stride, and ended up being pulled most of the way. The fat man followed them, and as they walked through the streets of the strange city, Alyss saw him stop and talk to many passing guards. Eventually they reached a small courtyard in the centre of a collection of buildings that was filled with people. There were fountains everywhere and strange plants Alyss had never set her eyes on before. Most of the people wore grand robes, with gold trimmings and expensive dyes, and they were chatting amongst themselves, paying no attention to Alyss being dragged up to a small wooden platform. The fat man walked up to her and whispered in her ear.

“You’ll notice that we cleaned your robes while you were unconscious…. Try not to ruin them, they’re sort of a selling point, oh, and thank you for the charming necklace….” The man grinned and walked up to the front of the platform, “Ladies and gentlemen! I have called you here in this private courtyard for a very special treat! I have travelled the lands of Albion, searching for one such delight, and managed to find one of utmost value!”

The fat man motioned to Alyss’ captor, who pulled her forward roughly.

“I present to you,” continued the man, “An Albion sorceress!”

A collective gasp rose up amongst the crowd.

“There are many myths concerning Albion magic, including the popular notion that it is more powerful than ours, well what better way to test that theory than to have one who channels this power at your command? She is already fitted with an obedience orb, the owner will have complete control over her and she will be most valuable to any who knows how to harness her power correctly! Shall we start the bidding at say…. One thousand pieces?”

 

 

Al Dur stared intently at the city on the horizon. They were barely an hour away from it, and already a burning feeling of nervousness was boiling away in his stomach. He shook his head and stepped into the centre of the deck, where Bane was sparring with thin air. Bane and Samantha’s sword had returned to the normal colour of steel after the Spire had been destroyed, he had explained to them (separately, since they were still angry at each other) that their shards had expended their power when destroying the heart, although whispers could still be heard from them. Al Dur’s sword however, was still glowing blue, due to the fact that he had merged his old shard with his new shard earlier at Knothole Island, so there was still energy there. Al Dur stepped towards Bane slowly, avoiding any sword strokes that went out a bit far.

“Care for a match?” he asked.

Bane turned around, sweat gleaming off his forehead.

“Sure, I need to improve my sword skills; I’ve gotten a bit too used to knives I think…”

Al Dur nodded and drew his blade while Bane calmed his breathing. When they were ready, Al Dur charged forward. Bane leapt to the side, spinning around and swinging his sword down at Al Dur, who had stumbled forward. Al Dur twisted himself around, bringing his sword up and blocking Bane’s blade before swinging his leg up and kicking him in the stomach. Bane doubled over, and Al Dur slammed his knee into Bane’s face, sending him sprawling back onto the deck. Blood trickled from Bane’s mouth as he stood, and a fury burned in his eyes. Bane snarled and leapt forward, jabbing at Al Dur, who swept Bane’s sword to the side. Bane swung his left fist at Al Dur, catching him unaware and sending him stumbling back. Bane swung his sword overhead at Al Dur, who could do nothing but step to the side and watch as Bane’s sword sank into the deck. Bane tugged at the sword, but it wouldn’t budge, Al Dur moved forward, swinging his fist, Bane let go of his sword and caught Al Dur fist, twisting it around until he heard a crack. Al Dur yelled in pain, and Bane pulled his arm towards himself, sending Al Dur over his shoulder. Al Dur landed on the deck with a thud, and Bane pulled his sword out of the deck, swinging it around and pointing the tip at Al Dur’s neck.

“Losing you touch?” he grinned.

Al Dur growled, “Not likely.”

Al Dur launched his arm forward and blasted the sword out of Bane’s hand before reaching up and grabbing his forearm. Pulling with all his might, Al Dur managed to bring Bane crashing to the ground. Al Dur leaned over Bane and summoned a fireball, letting it hover in his hand, and held it over Bane’s head in a threatening fashion. Sweat gleamed off of Bane’s brow as Al Dur slowly moved the fire closer to Bane’s skin, until finally Bane cracked.

“I yield!” yelled Bane.

Al Dur extinguished the fire with a pop and burst out laughing. Still heaving with laughter he helped Bane up and dusted him off. Bane moved off to get his sword, and Al Dur looked across the deck to Samantha, who was standing there silently. Al Dur walked over to her tentatively, not knowing what to expect.

“Samantha-?” he began.

“I’ve made my decision,” she murmured.

“And?” he asked anxiously.

“I don’t know,” she said emotionlessly.

“How can you not know?” asked Al Dur.

“I don’t know, I just can’t make a decision, every time I consider helping Bane…. It all comes back!” she moaned, breaking down into tears again, “Why can’t I do this? I used to be able to make these kinds of choices, to think clearly, but now…. Now it’s just-”

“Enough! Samantha, are you coming with us or not?” Al Dur snapped.

“What do you-?”

“Well will you stay on the ship while we search for Alyss, or will you come down and help us find one of your own friends?”

“I don’t-”

There was a hiss of steel, and Al Dur’s blade whipped through the air. Samantha reacted through instinct and drew her katana, bringing it up and blocking Al Dur’s blow.

“Forget about all your emotional attachments, all we need you for is your blade!” said Al Dur carefully.

Al Dur forced her katana to the ground until its tip was stuck in the deck of the ship, and then smiled.

“Am I getting through to you?”

Samantha stared up at him with tear tracks lining her cheeks, and her bottom lip was trembling.

“I…. yes…. You’re right….” She said slowly, almost to herself.

“, now you should go prepare your things, I doubt we’ll be returning to this ship for a while now, it’ll be difficult to find Alyss.”

Samantha walked back through the passages below deck, thinking hard. She wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing, but then, she wasn’t too sure of anything these days. Half her brain was thinking, the other half was still in shock from the death of Mark. She went back to the old room that the Soul Savers had stayed in on the way to the Spire. She hadn’t returned there since that day, and she could see all of their packs neatly lined up. She walked over to her own, which was placed right next to Mark’s old pack. Seeing it almost brought her back to tears, but she reached down resolutely and picked up her pack. Temptation won in the end though, and she ended up picking Mark’s pack up as well. She sat down in one of the musty old beds and lifted his pack up to her nose, breathing in his scent. She could remember it, she could remember that night in Rookridge, when he had tended her back to health, and what had happened afterwards… her thoughts drifted, and while she sat in a dreamlike state, more tears dripped from between her eyelashes, though she didn’t notice.

It was a different pain from the one when Jonathon had died; she had been far more connected with Mark, even though she didn’t want to admit it. Obviously there was the fact that they had slept together, and Jonathon had never gone nearly as far. She began to analyze her relationship with Mark compared to Jonathon. Was it right that she do this? Then again, had it been right to side with Jonathon instead of Mark, even after all that Mark had been through to return to her? All that time with Mark that she had wasted, fretting about with Jonathon….

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Al Dur’s voice floated into the room.

“We’re almost there Samantha, make sure you’re ready.”

She heard Al Dur’s footsteps fade away, and decided to search Mark’s pack for anything that might be valuable. There wasn’t much, just some basic provisions like food and water. There was one thing that caught her attention; it was a ring, made of brass and far too small for one of Mark’s fingers. She held it, and then delved once again into the pack. At the bottom, she found scrunched up bits of parchment, she grabbed all of them and laid them out on the bed. She took the first one, and read the scrawl of writing on it.

‘Samantha, I love you so much, and I think we should be together-'

The rest of the writing was scribbled out hastily. She picked up the next one.

‘Samantha, you make life worth living, and that’s why-'

Once again, the rest of the message was scribbled out, the notes continued in this fashion until:

‘Samantha, you are the love of my life, will you be with me, forever?’

Tears welled up in Samantha’s eyes once again when realization dawned. She held a ring in her hand, a cheap one, yes, but it had been meant for her, the notes made that clear. Mark had been waiting to ask, but he had waited too long, and now his hopes would never come true. Samantha slipped the brass ring onto her finger and stared at it for a long time, finally, she pocketed the finished note, picked up her own pack and left the room.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Sorry for the delay, I got like a million assignments to take care of at the moment and I have no idea when I'll be able to write next...

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

I don't think many of us mind since its well worth the wait to read your stories.

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Xbox Live gamer tag: Reaper z94 (will kill 4 feud)

you wanna know where I am? Where I am huh? Well mabye the question is where are you, my friend? think about that!!!

Ugh, so I've managed to get a few of those pesky assignments out of the way, but until the holidays come I'm afraid I won't have much time to write, but in any case I have a chapter for you here, which I hope you all enjoy! So....

Enjoy!

“Three thousand five hundred gold pieces!” yelled one man, raising his arm in the giant crowd.

With every bet, Alyss grew more and more anxious. Who would be the one to own her? As the minutes passed, the price grew higher, and the bidders more restless.

“Seven thousand three hundred and twenty-five!” shouted one man.

“Seven thousand three hundred and thirty!” yelled another.

“Eight Thousand!” yelled a new bidder

The previous bidder turned a bright red and turned to the man who had yelled. He growled angrily and then launched himself at the man. They wrestled on the ground furiously, and people crowded around them, jeering or urging them on. The fat slaver was delighted, and couldn’t hide his happiness as he pretended to attempt to calm the crowd.

“People! People! Order please!” he yelled, almost bursting out laughing.

“Halt in the name of Lord Sentinus!” a voice boomed over the courtyard.

Everybody froze on the spot and went silent. Alyss turned her head to stare at a group of soldiers who actually wore armor and were making their way through the crowd. At the centre of the group was a man dressed in silk black robes, he was dark skinned like the rest of the people in the city, was of medium height and had silvery hair that went down to his shoulders. They made their way right up to the wooden platform, and the man with the silvery hair stared intently at Alyss while one of his guards spoke to the fat man. The fat man’s expression quickly turned angry.

“How dare you! Do you know how much-” the man spluttered.

“Silence!” barked the man with silvery hair, “Before I buy her, I want to know that she is what you say she is…. Command her to do something…. Now!”

The fat man glared at the silvery haired man, and then turned to Alyss.

“Show us…. Something…” he said through clenched teeth.

Alyss drew herself up angrily, glaring at the man.

“Burn in hell!” she spat.

Instantly her chest erupted with pain, and her heart felt like it would explode. She cried out and collapsed to the ground, as she slammed against the rough timber fire exploded from her body, sending the fat man and the other slaver flying through the air. Alyss looked up wearily with strands of hair covering her eyes, she saw the silvery haired man staring at her again with a gleam in his eyes. The man snapped his fingers, and the guards moved in and grabbed her. Another guard moved up to the fat man, drew his sword and stabbed him ruthlessly in the chest. When the man was dead, the guard bent down and grabbed an amulet that was hanging around the man’s neck. He snapped the amulet off its chain and handed it to the silvery haired man as the guards dragged Alyss away. Alyss tried to fight against them, to unleash some Will or even just to kick and struggle, but her body wouldn’t follow her commands, and every time she tried little shards of pain ripped through her chest. The crowd parted silently for them as the sun reached its peak in the dust filled sky.

 

 

The captain waited anxiously as a guard from the foreign city boarded the ship.

“Who is the captain of this ship?” barked the guard.

The captain walked forward, “That would be me.”

“Do you have your papers?” asked the guard.

“Papers?”

“Authorization to dock here…” explained the guard.

The captain’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly. In Albion you could dock anywhere as long as there were no stolen or illegal s on board, and to require authorization to dock somewhere was a new concept to the captain.

“I…” he stuttered.

“No need for that,” said Al Dur suddenly, walking up from behind the captain.

Al Dur pulled out a disc with a strange engraving upon in and allowed the guard to glance at it. Realization and fear dawned on the guard’s face, and he nodded briefly before stepping off the ship and waving them through.

“What was that about?” asked Bane.

“The skill of forgery is something any warrior should learn…” Muttered Al Dur.

The dock of the city was enormous, and they were directed to a free spot by guards waving at them from the wooden walkways. Bane looked around anxiously for some sign of Alyss, but the crowds were so enormous that it seemed a hopeless task. Bane, Al Dur and Alyss stepped off the ship; the captain would remain onboard and wait for their return. They began walking briskly down the wooden walkway, heading towards the cobblestone streets where a huge market was set up. In the centre of the market a wooden podium was set up, and on that podium people were lined up while a strange man shouted to the crowd.

“That is a slave auction, I’m willing to bet that Alyss is one of those people,” said Al Dur slowly.

The people on the podium had brown hoods over their heads, and as they got closer they could hear the man shouting things to the crowd.

“Would anyone like to top two hundred gold for this fine example of an Albionite worker?!” the man screamed at the crowd.

No hands rose up into the air, so the man reluctantly shouted “Sold!” and moved onto the next slave. Bane and Al Dur watched intently while Samantha looked around without interest, unconsciously playing with the ring on her finger. The next slave was obviously not Alyss, but Bane and Al Dur continued to watch because they believed she was one of the slaves in the line further back. Samantha sighed and stared down at her ring, stroking it slowly, deep in thought. A shoulder slammed into hers, and she stumbled back angrily.

“Oi! Watch it next time!” she snarled.

A dark skinned man with silvery hair that went down to his shoulders glanced at her, and then nodded apologetically before walking on. Behind him a procession of guards followed, and in the middle of their group was Alyss, walking in a fashion that would seem calm if her face was not distorted with fear. Alyss did not see Samantha, but Samantha certainly saw her, she gave out a shout, and leapt forwards, slamming through the group of guards and grabbing Alyss’ arm. Before she could pull her out of the group of guards an arm wrapped itself around her neck and slammed her into the ground. Samantha looked up blearily at five swords pointed at her head. With her head spinning, she coughed violently and winced when all of the guards went flying into the air. Feet thundered past her ears and she saw Al Dur and Bane chasing after the fleeing guards and Alyss. Samantha leapt to her feet and ran after them, watching the action take place. Al Dur slammed into a guard, thrusting his sword into the man’s stomach and throwing him aside. Bane ran on, sweeping through the guards, slicing them as he ran past with daggers; they all staggered back as he went past. Alyss was now being dragged by the silver haired man, who wore an expression of fear. Alyss was moving her mouth silently, but for some reason, no words could come out. Bane launched himself at Alyss and the man angrily, pointing two daggers directly at the man’s face. There was a bang, and Bane was smashed back through the air, flipping helplessly before landing spread eagled on the ground.
Bane looked up blurrily, the silver haired man stood there with one of his arms outstretched. He shoved Alyss to the side, sending her to the ground where the earth rose around her in ropes, tying her down in a cage of dirt. The man walked forward calmly, staring intently at Bane.

“Another one mayhap?” he asked himself quietly.

Bane snarled, “Give her back!”

The man tutted, “None of that young man, I’m afraid if you’re going to have that attitude, nothing can be done for you.”

Bane growled and leapt to his feet. He brought his arm around with a fireball at the ready, swinging it towards the man. The man swung his arm up and hit the fire away as if it were a pebble; he launched his arms forwards, sending sand and dirt rushing towards Bane. Bane dove to the side, watching as the sand flew past with enough speed to tear someone’s skin off. Bane launched himself forward, charging at the man, as he ran he used a force push to propel himself into the air, landing behind the man. Bane grinned as his dagger plunged into the man’s back. The man cried out and turned around. Strangely, his face was calm, and a feeling of confusing swept over Bane. Confusion was replaced by pain as something slammed into his stomach. He looked down and saw a jagged rock lodged in his gut, with blood dripping down the sides. The man shoved Bane to the side, laughing as he slumped into the dirt. He grabbed Alyss’ hand, and the earth ropes melted away; he pulled her down the street wordlessly as Alyss continued to attempt to scream with silent tears trickling down her cheeks.

 

 

 

Al Dur and Samantha were fighting the guards left behind, Bane had run past them and wounded most, but none were dead, and many of the city guards had joined in on the fight, mistaking Samantha and Al Dur for criminals. It seemed that all the guards knew at least some form of magic, although they weren’t particularly powerful. Samantha parried a blow with her katana before swinging her left arm around. Her flaming fist struck the guard on his face, burning his cheek and making him cry out. As the man groaned, Samantha plunged her sword into his gut, removing it quickly and spinning around to land it on another blade. She slid her katana down the sword and locked it at the hilt before remembering that she wasn’t a soul saver anymore and she wasn’t fighting Morte Men. Grinning at her foolishness, she brought her knee up, slamming it into the man’s groin. The man gasped in pain, and Samantha ripped the sword out of his hand. Without thinking she swung her katana at his neck, removing his head cleanly off his shoulders.

 

 

Al Dur slashed down on one of the guards, hitting the man’s sword so hard that he stumbled back.  He whipped around to block a blow, and then swept his left leg underneath his attacker, sending him to the ground. Al Dur sank his sword into the man’s body, watching as blood spurted out in all directions. Al Dur pulled his sword out of the man and turned around just in time to see a wall of flame flying towards him. He hated to do it, but he gave in to his hereditary powers and swung his arms up. As the flames hit him they melted away to water, soaking his clothes and making him splutter. The guard who had summoned the fire stared at him with his mouth agape, and further away Samantha and her opponent were doing the same. Al Dur ignored them and quickly launched a fireball at the guard in front of him. The still gaping guard flipped backwards as the fire hit and crumpled into the ground in a smoking heap. Samantha broke away from her shock and slashed at her opponent, cutting his stomach open and spilling its contents to the ground. Samantha and Al Dur backed up towards each other, surrounded by guards on all sides. Sword tips glinted at them and Samantha lost track of how many guards there were.

“Want to do a bit more of your mystery magic?” she hissed at Al Dur.

“I only use it in extreme circumstances,” muttered Al Dur.

“Well excuse me for mistaking this to be an extreme circumstance!” she snarled back.

“Look! I didn’t decide to have any of these filthy powers in the first place, I just-”

A boom sounded through the night air, and chunks of rock sprayed them. As the dust cleared and they opened their eyes they saw that all the guards to their right were gone, and their bodies were lying spread eagled on the ground meters away. A crater had formed nearby, and in that crater was a cannonball. Samantha and Al Dur looked up in shock to see the captain’s ship floating nearby in the harbor, with the captain yelling at them from the deck. Samantha flicked her wrist to the left and launched the remaining guards into the air with a force push before running to the water’s edge with Al Dur hot at her heels. A gangplank was hastily slammed down onto the cobblestone ground, and Al Dur and Samantha leapt aboard. The captain directed the ship forward, using Samantha to create a wind for their sails.

“Where’s Bane?” Yelled the captain.

“I don’t know! He went after Alyss!” shouted Al Dur.

The city was in an uproar with the death of the guards, and more soldiers were spilling out onto the streets with pistols aimed at the crew of the ship. The crew fired their cannons at them viciously, blasting guards and civilians away with ease.

“There!” screamed Samantha, pausing from creating her wind, “Bane’s on the street!”

Al Dur scanned the crowd, gave a nod and then leapt into the water. He hit the choppy harbor water with a splash and swam to the cobblestone streets. He pulled himself over the barrier and leapt onto the street before running to Bane’s unconscious form. Blood was seeping from his stomach, and a jagged rock was lodged there. Al Dur glanced around nervously and then made a strange motion with his fingers, causing the jagged rock to pull itself out of Bane and then clatter to the ground. Al Dur grabbed Bane’s arms and hauled him up, pulling him back to the water. Al Dur looked up at the crowd and spotted guards running towards him, he looked back at the ship, but they were unwilling to fire because there were too many innocent people in the crowd.

“Get that damned ship over here!” he yelled.

Over the screaming of the people running about, Al Dur could hear the guards shouting orders as they drew closer. The ship began moving towards them, guided by Samantha’s wind, but it was going too fast.

“Stop you fools!” shouted Al Dur.

The ship kept coming, picking up speed, why wasn’t Samantha paying attention? Al Dur gave an almighty heave and pulled Bane to the side just before the ship slammed into the stone water barrier on the edge of the street. Wood cracked and the ship groaned as a hole was punched into the ship’s front. Al Dur groaned as wood flew through the sky, but steeled himself and continued pulling Bane towards the ship.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

countdowntoxmas:

Bane, Al Dur and Samantha stepped off the ship;

Slight error. Alyss should have been Samantha in one paragraph.

Other then that, keep up the work.

Oh dear, it's been a while hasn't it? Deepest apologies, been busy lately what with all these assignments and a big oral competition coming up, I'm doing all I can though, and just managed to finish this chapter.

Enjoy!

Bane, Samantha, Al Dur and the captain sat around a table in a dark cabin. They had hauled Bane aboard quickly before sailing away, battered and bruised from the dock and along the coast until they were fifty miles down. There they stopped and anchored, preparing to rest while the crew rebuilt the hull of the ship. Now was a time for talk and answers, particularly from Al Dur.

“Tell us what is going on Al Dur,” muttered Bane through clenched teeth.

Bane was sitting in an awkward position with bandages wrapped around his stomach; it was hard to tell whether or not his expression stemmed from physical pain or anger, although it was possible that it was both. Al Dur stared at the table before him, completely silent.

“Speak!” snarled Bane.

Al Dur looked up, “You deserve an answer, considering what you’re about to face, but I am uncomfortable with the situation…. You do not understand….”

“Then help us to understand….” Murmured Samantha; staring at Al Dur coldly.

Al Dur glanced at her, and then continued, “I told Mark this once before, although he did not realize the implications…. The famous Garth was my cousin, but he was more than that… he was my brother in arms… Samarkand’s history extends back beyond the far reaches of my mind, with many twists and turns. It is an ancient land, and from ancient things often springs power, the Spire is a example of this…”

“Damned thing near destroyed us all!” said the captain suddenly.

“Yes…” muttered Al Dur, “What I’m saying is that from this land strange powers came to the people. Instead of powers based around set rules it was all about manipulating nature, changing it to suit us and our own needs. This magic is destructive at best, for with it, someone could technically do anything, although to reach that stage would be difficult, and it has yet to be done. Garth and I were close, and as we learnt more about this magic and witnessed others abusing it, we grew worried.”

Al Dur paused.

“And then the war broke out… Lord Frigal Sentinus was and still is a strong ruler in Samarkand, and planned to invade Albion. His intentions were unclear and suspicious, and the majority decided against it. So he and his followers lashed out, destroying buildings and taking over the countryside. They grew powerful, but a resistance emerged, and for sixty years they have been fighting. Garth and I left when our village was burned to the ground and our fathers were killed, we wished to fight back, but realized that the only way to do so was to travel to Albion and attempt to defend it. We arrived and waited for the armies to come, but they never did. We waited for a few years, and then decided that they weren’t coming for a long time yet, so we split… We were adept at Samarkandian magic, which you saw me perform today, but we wanted to learn the more structured Albion magic, for we knew that only death resided in the Samarkandian kind.”

“So what does that creep want with Alyss?” snarled Bane.

“The silver haired one?” asked Al Dur, “Why, you were staring at Lord Sentinus himself. I would scarcely have believed it, but I was too busy fighting to show any shock. You got a firsthand demonstration of his power I suppose?”

“Yeah… how unlucky me…” Bane muttered darkly.

“You understand then, how dangerous it would be to enter this war? A war where the bullet and the blade play small roles and magic is king? Samarkand is a desert country, and whether by storm or by magician it is not unknown for the sands to rip flesh off bone…. If we are to save Alyss, we must be prepared…” explained Al Dur.

“So where will he take Alyss?” asked Bane.

“If my memory serves correct, his fortress is far inland, in the centre of the desert. When he moved against the other rulers of Samarkand, they were quick to drive him away from the coast, where he might be able to get ships and set sail for Albion with an army. That does not stop him going to those towns himself, but he wouldn’t be able to bring an army unless he wished to invade the city, and he will, in time…”

“So we go inland, we don’t even have to go back to the city, we just hop off the ship and walk-”

“It doesn’t work that way, we need desert supplies, otherwise, you’ll die of thirst and your skin will peel back off your flesh, and trust me, the latter will occur first,” muttered Al Dur.

“So how do we get back to the city?” asked the captain.

“You’ll do it,” Al Dur said gravely, “I’ll give you a list of things you need, you go down and buy them, and they haven’t seen your face remember, so you won’t be suspicious….”

The captain sighed, “I have no idea why I’ve stuck with you crazy idiots for so long… I’ll do what I can, just give me the list.”

 

 

Alyss’ eyes were still locked on Bane’s unconscious form when she was dragged around a corner. Guards ran past them, yelling and shouting orders to one another. In her mind she was struggling, but her body wasn’t responding, all it did was ache from some unknown force. The silver haired man gripped her hard on the arm, digging into her leaf green robes and cutting off circulation to her wrist, Alyss moved along silently, struggling as her right hand gradually went numb. They rounded another corner and suddenly found themselves facing the gate that lead out the city. Guards stood at the gate despite the commotion happening in the centre of town. The silver haired man cursed and pulled Alyss into an alley. He reached into his clock and pulled out the necklace Al Dur had given Alyss, which had been taken by the slaver.

“I’m assuming this is yours?” he asked slowly.

Alyss couldn’t respond, even if she had wanted to.

“You may nod or shake your head,” he said impatiently.

Alyss slowly nodded her head.

“How does it work? You may speak!”

Alyss gasped with relief as she was finally able to open her mouth and use her voice. Without looking at the man, she called out at the top of her lungs.

“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP-”

Alyss was slammed against the wall behind her and the silver haired man’s hand clamped over her mouth.

“You will tell me how it works!” he snarled, his eyes boring into her skull.

“Protection… charm…” she gasped.

“… Now I am commanding you to follow me closely, I think you know what will happen if you don’t, so don’t say a word until we get out of the city!”

Alyss just snarled back at him, he grunted and stepped away from her, looping the necklace around his own neck before strolling out of the alleyway. Alyss tried to remain still, but even as the thought crossed her mind her chest heaved with searing pain. She doubled over, clutching her chest as she staggered after the man. As she rounded the corner of the alleyway horrible sounds reached her ears; squelching sounds and cries of pain. When she reached the road she gasped in horror; the guards were dead, blasted aside and ripped to shreds. Blood lined the road, and in the centre stood the silver haired man, holding his arms out and staring at the destruction with a blank expression. It shocked Alyss how fast he had committed the act, but before she could think any further, he began walking, forcing her to do the same. The man swung his arm forward, and the gates were blasted open, revealing a desolate sight to Alyss’ eyes. There was desert…. Lots of desert, stretching as far as the eye could see. Alyss moved forward fearfully, the large expanse of searing hot desert made her nervous, but she couldn’t turn back for fear of the strange pain erupting in her chest. She followed the man outside where he was waiting for her beside a carriage drawn by two horses and driven by a man dressed in white robes.

“Get in,” the silver haired man said simply, before jumping into the carriage himself.

Knowing that the pain wasn’t worth it, Alyss stepped up into the carriage with grim resolution.

 

 

 

Alyss woke in a bed softer than any other she had experienced. In fact, she could have sworn she was sinking into it very slowly. She opened her eyes to a luscious room with expensive furnishing and sunlight streaming through large windows to her left. Her chest throbbed painfully from the bullet wound inflicted on her days earlier, and for the first time she removed the bandages wrapped around her. To her surprise there were no marks at all, just a little patch of red skin where the bullet had hit. That bullet had done something to her, she was sure of it, and it had something to do with the pains that gripped her whenever she disobeyed an order. She couldn’t remember much about the carriage ride, apart from the fact that it had been unnervingly cold inside compared to the desert heat outside, and she had managed to fall asleep before they had reached this place, wherever it was. Alyss let her head sink back into her pillow, feeling her chest throb once again, though the pain came from a different source. She missed Bane terribly, and while the knowledge that he was alive brought happiness, the fact that they had come so close to being together again brought her close to tears. She tried to control herself, she had to be strong, and there were other matters at hand, like how Bane had found her in the first place, who this silver haired man was and where she herself was. Alyss groaned and massaged her temple, trying to clear her mind of the past week’s events… it was strange to think that barely a week ago they had been heading to Knothole Island with the captain and Mark and everyone else… she missed them all terribly, and didn’t even know if they were alive or not. A sharp knock on the door disturbed her thoughts. Alyss made no sound, but the door slid open anyway, revealing the silver haired man standing in the doorway.

“I trust you find that bed comfortable?” The man said in his delicate tones.

Alyss kept her mouth shut, not wishing to have more pain erupt in her chest.

The man chuckled, “I know why you are afraid. Those who do not understand the properties of an obedience orb are often nervous when experiencing the pains of disobeying, so I should probably enlighten you if I am to make any use of your skills….”

Once again, Alyss didn’t utter a word, but now it was because of suspicion.

“So here’s the explanation,” continued the man, slowly stepping toward her, “The slaver shot you with an obedience orb, a rather peculiar object that bounds the victim to the will of the one wearing the amulet connected to it. I happen to have this amulet, and you are bound to my will, which is why you were unable to struggle against me yesterday.”

“Why do you want me?” Alyss spat suddenly, disregarding his kind manner.

“I’ll take a moment my dear, to introduce myself and explain my situation, only then will you get your answer,” the man said calmly, “I am Lord Frigal Sentinus, although I go by Lord Sentinus to my subjects. You find yourself in the middle of Samarkand, a place I’m sure you’ve heard of, a harsh desert country that punishes the weak, and so only the strong, such as I, survive. This land is currently torn by civil war, one that I am partially responsible for, although we won’t go too heavily into that. Our land is a magical one, and so our people are magical as well, but that magic is destructive, and I need someone with the ordered kind of magic, the magic from Albion, to help me… I need you….”

“And what makes you think I will help you?” snarled Alyss.

“Why the obedience orb lodged in your chest of course, and unless you want to kill yourself in the process I don’t think you’ll get it out…” Lord Sentinus chuckled.

Alyss sighed, “So what end of the civil war are you on… I mean, what are you fighting for?”

Lord Sentinus’ eyebrows creased, “That is a matter you needn’t worry about now, all I’ll tell you is that once we have fought our way to the docks and claimed them, we’ve won…”

“You want me to kill people and you won’t tell me why?!”

“I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter, now get up and follow me, I want to test your power….”

Lord Sentinus gave a strangely calming smile and walked away from her, when he was out the door she saw him motion with his hand and a servant girl walked in carrying a bundle of fresh clothes.

“You can keep the robe if you want, but I think you’ll prefer wearing these clothes for this exercise,” Lord Sentinus called to her.

Alyss eyed the bundle of clothes with contempt and slowly began easing herself out of the deliciously comfortable bed.

---

1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

God, it's been one hell of a week at my end of the world, I shouldn't be making excuses for my long abscence, but that's mine anyway

hope you enjoy!

Samantha, Bane and Al Dur continued along the road that seemed to stretch into infinity for the sixth day, pausing only occasionally for a sip of water from their numerous water skins. Barely a week ago they had said bye to the captain and his crew, watching with a strangely empty feeling as his ship sailed away, possibly back to Knothole Island or even Bowerstone. Thoughts of her home country filled Samantha’s mind, and along with them came fresh thoughts of Mark. The recent activity and fighting had kept her mind busy, but now that they had days, possibly weeks ahead with nothing but silent travel, she could tell where her mind would be wandering. Al Dur walked at the front, his shimmering white robes reflecting sunlight and keeping him cooler than Bane and Samantha, especially since Bane was wearing all black.

The road ahead was a shimmering line, bending in odd shapes and giving all of them a heavy sense of vertigo, only Al Dur seemed even slightly resilient to the heat, and Samantha marveled at his strength of mind. The heat continued to bear down on them, and as the day grew old, Samantha could swear that images where appearing up ahead, created by her tired mind. Up ahead were little brown dots shimmering in the heat, after a few hours it became apparent that she was not the only one seeing them; Bane and Al Dur had noticed and were picking up their pace. As they made their way steadily toward the dots it became clear that there was a town up ahead, a town with water, and people, and an inn with soft beds to sleep on. The journey had been silent, and remained silent as they neared their destination. It was mostly Samantha’s fault, and she knew it, her silence made Bane and Al Dur nervous, for they knew that her silence stemmed from an aching grief. Of course, her pain had subsided since Al Dur had talked to her on the ship, but it was still there, as constant as the ring on her finger.

They were barely a hundred meters from the town when something whizzed by them and slammed into the ground close to Bane. They all jumped back from the fireball that had landed on the desert floor, clearly aimed at them. Samantha looked up warily to see people in dark robes standing atop and around the buildings, all looking at them. Shouts echoed across the desert, and a volley of fireballs flew high into the sky.

“RUN!” roared Al Dur, launching himself forward at a sprint.

Samantha and Bane ran after him as the fireballs slammed down around them. Samantha’s hair flew into her face, and she could just make out Bane’s shape as his dodged fireballs left and right. One such fireball flew towards her, and Samantha, still running, jumped to the side, slamming into the dirt on her side and sliding across the ground as a fireball slammed into the area where her body had just been. Ignoring the pain that flared up from her newly grazed leg, she leapt to her feet, diving for the cover of a rock and taking shelter. She glanced out from behind the rock and then leapt into action, jumping up onto the rock and launching herself forward with a rush of Will, flying through the air before landing twenty meters ahead. Al Dur and Bane were behind her now, and she was beyond the point where the flames were landing. Samantha pulled herself off the ground and ran at full pelt, feeling her legs strain under heat and exhaustion as she closed in on the town.

She could see the men on the rooftops clearly now, and they could see her. One man yelled out in a foreign tongue and gestured to her before swinging his arms forward towards her. A fierce wind rose up before her, racing towards her with a speed that seemed impossible. The sand picked up with it, pelting towards her like tiny knives. Samantha cried out when the wind and sands hit her, and she was smashed backwards, flipping back and landing on her stomach. Sand and grit filled her eyes and mouth, and she could feel each grain of sand digging into her skin as she tried to see through the storm that had erupted around her. She tried to wait it out, but the winds did not die, and her skin had begun to burn from the sand. She could dimly hear shouts from behind her, presumably Bane and Al Dur, but other than that she was oblivious to the world around her. Her skin began peeling back, and she moaned as daggers of pain pierced her flesh. All in one moment the winds disappeared, replaced by flames that blasted past her overhead, slamming into the wind and forcing it back. Samantha looked back, and could make out Al Dur’s shape, with his arms outstretched and his robes blown about. The fire passed, and all that could be heard were the shouts of the men in the town.

“Are you ok?” it was Bane, and his hand appeared in front of her face, offered out for her to take it.

Samantha took his hand and staggered upright, using him for support as her own legs fought against her. She looked at her skin, which had spots of red where grains of sand had dug into it. Her hair was full of sand, but she pushed that fact to the back of her mind and looked ahead, blinking to get rid of the sand lining her lashes. Al Dur’s fire was still working, pushing against the outskirts of town and trying to break through the defenses, which seemed to be made up of a magical barrier. Al Dur himself was behind them, grunting with the effort of maintaining the inferno.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be able to open the barrier, so run in as fast as you can and take out their head magician, he’ll be the one who formed the barrier in the first place…” grunted Al Dur.

Samantha and Bane nodded, and Al Dur let out a yell, channeling all the flames into one beam that penetrated the barrier like a knife through butter. Samantha and Bane ran forwards as the flames disappeared, the hole in the barrier remained, but it was shrinking. Samantha leapt at the hole and got through easily, with Bane right behind her, it closed as soon as they were through. Samantha and Bane both sprinted towards the centre of the town as the men on the rooftops fired magic down upon them. Samantha ducked a passing fireball, twisted to avoid an arc of lightning and then dived behind a building to avoid a boulder that was flying towards her. She crept around the back of the building while Bane ran ahead, and grabbed onto a doorframe. She pulled herself up the building, using nooks and crannies for footholds, and eventually reached the top. She pulled herself silently over the ledge and onto the roof where a man was standing, watching Bane run through the streets from his elevated position and occasionally firing spells down at him. Samantha crept up behind the man and grabbed his head, one hand at the top of his head, the other at his chin. In one swift movement she pulled both hands in opposite directions, breaking the man’s neck and killing him instantly before he could even make a sound. Without glancing at the body, Samantha leapt over to the next roof, which was not occupied and then moved to the next. She ran along the rooftops, occasionally shoving a man down onto the street and eventually reached the down centre.

In the town centre, Bane stood with his hands in front of him, surrounded by a group of man with spears to his throat. A man wearing white robes stepped forward and motioned for his men to back down, and he and Bane began talking. It didn’t look right to Samantha, the man talking to Bane was holding a staff that was glowing strangely, and she realized it was him who was forming the magical barrier. Samantha smirked and pulled back her arm, summoning three ghost swords before motioning them forward. The swords zoomed down into the town square, slamming into the staff wielding man’s chest and making him crumple to the ground. The men surrounding Bane broke into an uproar, and Bane was slammed against a build with spear tips pressed against his neck. A flicker of delight crossed Samantha’s mind at the sight of Bane so helpless, but it was gone as soon as it came, and she was already leaping down to the ground. Samantha launched herself forward, drawing her katana and slamming into the crowd of men. They hadn’t seen her coming and fell before her blade, cut down with blind fury. Samantha slammed her knee into one man’s stomach and brought her sword down on his neck before swinging herself around and slicing another man across the chest. She brought her blade up to block a blow just before pain erupted in her back and she fell to her knees.

Bane sighed as his attackers’ attention was directed away from him. It had been a nightmare, when he’d reached the town square all the man from the buildings ran after him, jumping down quickly before cornering him. Now that they were no longer focusing on him he could breath properly, but not for long. Bane drew two long knives from his many sheathes and slipped one between the shoulder blades of a man who’s back was turned to him. The man grunted and slipped to the floor, Bane spun around, sliced a man’s arm and leapt forward, slamming his remaining knife into a man’s skull. He was weaponless now, and some of the attackers had turned back to him. One lunged forward with his spear, Bane grabbed it and ripped it out of the man’s arms, jabbing it back and hitting the man in the face, sending him to the ground. Bane spun around, knocking the surrounding men to the ground with his newly acquired spear before stabbing a man through the chest and letting go of it. Half the men were dead or groaning on the floor now, and one of the remaining men swung his fist at Bane. Bane’s old training came back, and he caught the fist in midair. He twisted the man’s arm around until the man was forced to turn with him. Bane pulled his head back and head butted the man, knocking him unconscious. Bane shoved the unconscious man forward, knocking down another enemy before diving at the last remaining group, which was crowding around something. Bane grabbed one of their shoulders, spun him around and right hooked him, feeling his knuckles bruise as they slammed against the man’s face. Bane shoved the man away and knocked two other men aside to see Samantha on the ground, being kicked ruthlessly by the other men. Bane drew a dagger and lunged forward at one of them, but they’d noticed him, and the men around him grabbed him roughly before throwing him to the ground. Bane was winded and struggled to stand, but the other men held him down.

“We’ll teach you to take out this operation!” one of them yelled, sneering down at him.

The man who had yelled brought his arm back, and fire appeared at his fingertips, burning bright and fierce. Before the man could through the fireball a huge wind picked up, and the flames died. The men looked up fearfully just before a wave of fire slammed into all of them, knocking them aside and killing them. Bane looked to his right to see Al Dur with his hands in front of him, panting from the strain, the magical barrier had broken, and Al Dur had been able to come to their aid. Bane slowly picked himself up and nodded his thanks to Al Dur before going over to Samantha. Blood gushed from a wound on her back, and she was unconscious. Bane gently picked her up, holding her in both arms.

“You got any healing magic Al Dur?” he asked.

Before Al Dur could respond the sounds of clapping erupted behind him.

“Very well done I must say! This outpost has been a huge nuisance to us!” said a booming voice.

Bane looked past Al Dur to see a large black man with dark skin just like the rest of the people in Samarkand. He was wearing armor, which might once have been bright and magnificent but which was not covered in dust. Al Dur’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Is it me, or am I looking at the renowned Titus?” he asked incredulously.

“Aye you are,” chuckled the man, “And I must say it’s been many a year since I saw any people of the fair skin who weren’t being sold in a slave auction!”

“We’re here looking for someone, a girl who was taken here…” Bane said suddenly.

Titus nodded, “A worthy enough cause, though I doubt your chances, this place is full of pretty little white slaves, I’m afraid you might be wasting your time…”

“We know where she is, we just need the means to save her from Lord Sentinus…”

Titus’ eyes lit up, “In that case, I may be able to help you… for a price…”

“And what price would that be?” asked Bane.

“Well, as I’m sure this one knows,” said Titus, indication Al Dur, “I am the Leader of the Tar Jugal, the resistance to Lord Sentinus. We’ll help you find this girl on the condition that you join our ranks, and help end this war…”

Bane and Al Dur’s eyes shot up in surprise.

“Deal!” Bane said suddenly.

“Wait!” warned Al Dur, “you don’t know what we’re getting into!”

“Does it make a difference? If it means getting Alyss back then so be it!” snarled Bane.

Al Dur sighed, “I guess you have a deal Titus…”

---

1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Hi guys, I'm sorry to say that the next chapter will be further delayed due to the fact that my laptop has just commited itself to the nearby mental institute.

I've been working on the latest chapter for a while now but due to this setback I don't know when you can expect it. I'm currently borrowing my dad's computer, but doubt I'll be able to get anything done on it due to... privacy issues...

Thanks for your patience, and thanks for reading the piece of crap I call a story

---

1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

I dont know about your other readers, but I don't mind waiting cause your story's worth it. Take as long as you need. Also its not crap.Want something worth of the title piece of crap, have a look at one of my old pieces, like A oath of Vengence!

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If I fall will you promise to catch me?
If I cry will you promise to hold me?
If I love you will you promise to never break my heart?

It seems that the computer I am presently using won't let me use bold or italic writing, so bear with me for a moment longer, I'm told that i'll get my own computer back from the service center on Monday.

But anyway, through some form of miracle I've managed to get this chapter done, so enjoy!





Alyss was led down a surprisingly dark corridor by Lord Sentinus, who held a torch in front of him. Her green robes were being washed by three servants who had scurried in at Lord Sentinus’ request, and the fresh clothes brought to her fit nicely, allowing her to stretch and move easily, but still keeping her warm by some strange power.
The corridor ended abruptly with a wooden door, and Lord Sentinus pulled a spindly key out from his robes before inserting it into the lock and twisting. The door slid open easily, revealing a large room with a high ceiling and a floor of sand in the middle. It was drafty in this room, and it felt like it was underground, trapping the cold of the desert night in with it while the land baked up above. Despite her strangely warm clothes, Alyss shivered and followed Lord Sentinus’ lead as he walked to the centre of the room.

“Three trials to test your power,” whispered Lord Sentinus, although his voice still echoed about the room, “Show me the extent of your abilities and I will be pleased. I give you permission to do anything you feel necessary to overcome these trials, aside from harming me or escaping of course.”

Alyss gave a sharp nod and stepped into the center of the room as Lord Sentinus backed away, taking the torch and it’s light with him. She was thrown into darkness, the only light being Lord Sentinus’ torch, which was becoming an ever smaller *** of light in the eternal night that was this room. Alyss shifted on her feet, which were bare, and felt the grains of sand crackle under her skin. A sudden wind howled around the room, and cool air brushed her face, just before something began to growl. Alyss breathed in sharply, trying to guess where the growl had come from, but the room was silent once more. She backed up a few steps, scattering sand with hurried footsteps before bumping into something behind her. It was hard and had bristling hair, and a sharp growl pierced the silence. Alyss jolted and span around, bunching her hand into a flaming fist which lit up the darkness and swinging it toward the creature. Her arm swung through empty air, the creature had disappeared. Her breathing was coming in ragged gasps now, not from exhaustion but from fear. She spun in a circle, using her flaming hand to light up the empty room. Once again; nothing. She sighed with frustration and turned to Lord Sentinus, about to ask him what the bloody hell was going on, but was cut short as something slammed into her back. Alyss fell forward, hitting the ground with a crunch and feeling her arms and legs graze. She was getting tired of these games, and turned around sharply to stare into nothingness. Lord Sentinus watched silently, his face impassive.

Wiping blood off her arm, Alyss looked around, on her guard. Another claw slammed into her back, but this time she was ready. Alyss rolled along the ground as she hit it, then spun around and launched off a wave of fire with a yell. The fire lit up the entire room, and Alyss saw the creature, which was made completely from shadow and shaped like a balverine. The fire passed, but Alyss eyes were fixed on the spot where the creature had been. She stood up slowly, trying not to make a noise. Now that her breathing had calmed down she could hear crunching as the beast walked around the room. It was behind her now, she could tell from the direction of the crunches. Suddenly there was a whistling through the air as something swung down at her. She spun around, holding her arms out and grabbing the shadowy arm. Alyss yelled and pulled the creature towards her, slamming her knee into its deformed jaw and shooting fire down its arm at the same time. A beastly howl erupted from the beast, and Alyss raised her arms, motioning with her fingers. Magical swords formed behind her, hovering in the air before zooming down and slamming into the beast, burying their sharp points into its shadowy flesh. The beast slumped to the ground with a pitiful moan, still burning from Alyss’ fire. Suddenly the room was lit with brilliant light, and Alyss had to shield her eyes as they adjusted. Standing in a large circle around her were five warriors, each holding swords in their hands and staring at her.

“Second round begin!” boomed Lord Sentinus’ voice from far away.

The five warriors leapt forward, charging towards Alyss in unison. Alyss snarled and slammed her fist into the corpse of the burning shadow balverine, sending it skidding across the floor with a blast of energy. The corpse bowled over two of the warriors, sending them clattering to the ground. Alyss whipped around towards the other three warriors who were still running towards her, bunching her fists up in anticipation. The warriors drew close, so close that Alyss could see their eyes, which were completely white. These warriors were not human. Alyss launched her arm forward, blasting one of them away with a fireball, and then spun around, dodging one of the warriors blades as it came crashing down to meet her. Alyss grabbed the man by the arm, swinging him around and using him as a shield for the remaining warrior’s blow. The blade bit deep into her monstrosity of a shield, killing it. Alyss shoved the man forward, slamming him into the warrior ahead of her before blasting electricity through both bodies, killing the other warrior. The warriors behind her who had been hit b the balverine had risen, and were running towards her. Alyss flipped around and slammed the ground with her fist, distorting time and slowing it down. She leapt forward, running through the room until she reached the warriors and grabbed one of their swords, swinging it around and slamming it into one of their necks, splitting the man’s head from his shoulders. Alyss felt time speeding up around her, and had only just turned to face the remaining warrior when his hand gripped her neck. The warrior lifted her off her feet, choking the air from her lungs. Alyss flailed desperately, kicking about and waving her arms, but the strange creature before her would not budge. She stared down at its white eyes, certain that they would be the last thing she saw.

No

The word echoed through her head, filling her mind. She wasn’t going to let one of Lord Sentinus’ creatures be the end of her; she’d destroyed the spire for heaven’s sake! The thing before her was nothing compared to her power. A growl erupted from Alyss’ throat, getting louder and fiercer. She felt her skin crackle, pulsating with energy long forgotten to her since the downfall of the spire. She drew her hands into fists, and with one movement she smashed both of them into the warrior’s chest, pushing her feet against his stomach at the same time, sending the warrior flying across the room while she did a back flip and landed neatly on the ground, tense for action. The warrior was sprawled on the dirt, but was already rising; he proved himself to be more of a challenge than his brothers. Alyss gave out a shout and leapt forward, moving at an inhumane speed with aid from her will as winds picked up around her, lifting her off her feet and sending her soaring through the air. She flipped in the air, pulling her hands together as a blade of fire formed in them. She swung the fiery blade down as she landed, cleaving the last warrior in half before he could react. The flaming blade faded away from her scorched hands, as did the bodies of the fallen warriors, which turned to dust and returned to the earth.

“Third round…. Begin!” Lord Sentinus voice echoed across the cavern.

Alyss turned to face the center of the circle, and as her eyes landed on the third challenge, she gasped out loud.

“No…” she moaned, “No, no, no!”





Samantha woke with pain all over her body. Not only had she been stabbed, but those cowards had continued beating her until she’d fallen unconscious. Now she was covered in bruises and supposed that she didn’t look too for it either. She looked around with surprise to find herself in a dark cavern. It was cool and moist, which reminded her of the Soul Savers headquarters, which had been underground. Was she underground? A single torch lit the room, and from its light she could see the bed she was lying on, a single cupboard and the silhouettes of three men who where whispering nearby.

“Would you mind telling me where I am?” she croaked.

The three figures ceased their whispering and walked over to her bed, where she could see them more clearly. Standing before her was Bane, Al Dur and some other man who she could not remember ever seeing in her life. Al Dur saw the questions in her eyes, so he spoke.

“This is Titus, leader of the Tar Jugal; resistance to Lord Sentinus,” explained Al Dur, “We’re currently underground in one of their defense outposts. These outposts are scattered everywhere, and all of them are partially underground.”

Samantha nodded with understanding.

“What I’d like to know,” interrupted Titus, “Is whether or not this young lady will agree to my terms…”

Samantha looked at Titus properly now. He was dark skinned, like Al Dur, had wild hair, a clean shaven face and a battle hardened air about him. All in all, he was a true desert warrior.

“Wha… what are the terms?” Samantha mumbled, her head still aching.

“That you and your friends join our forces, in return for assistance in finding your friend.”

Samantha frowned and let her head sink back into her pillow.

“For once in my life,” she moaned, “I’d like to get something done without being forced into a damn war!”

Bane moved forward, “Please Samantha, we need these people if we are to have any chance of saving Alyss.”

“Bane, shut up!” Samantha snarled as a new wave of pain attacked her head.

Bane went silent and backed into the shadows, glaring at her through frustrated eyes.

“Al Dur… what do you think?” Samantha asked quietly.

“I will do what’s necessary for my home country and my friends. I myself would like to help end the war that has gripped my land, as well as free Alyss from Lord Sentinus,” Al Dur replied in is frustratingly calm voice.

“Milady I want your decision soon, otherwise I’ll be forced to remove you and your comrades from the outpost…”

With the possibility of being removed from the comfortable bed Samantha found herself in before her, there was no question as to the answer.

“I’ll fight with you, but I want this over with quickly. If nothing is being done about Alyss and you end up just using us for your own gain, I will kill you.”

Titus smirked slightly at her words, “I’m sure you will.”

The patronizing tone he used to speak with her angered Samantha immensely. How much did she have to lose and overcome before idiots like Titus stopped treating her like a child? Did he not realize what she had been through? What they had all been through? Losing two people she dearly loved and countless other friends? Drawing her strength, she sat up defiantly, glaring up at Titus.

“Watch your tongue little man, you might very well find that it disappears quite easily.”

The cold tone in her voice sent a chill down Titus’ spine, so much so that he even backed away a step or two.

Lying back down in her bed, Samantha continued in her normal tone, “As I said, I will help you as long as we get something done about Alyss, is that answer enough for you?”

“Yes… yes it is,” grunted Titus, resuming his gruff manner.

“Well now that we have that settled, what are you doing to help us get Alyss back?” Bane asked quickly.

“Well nothing at the moment, there are still a few things we need to sort out.”

“Like what?” growled Bane.

“Like finding out where she actually is,” replied Titus, “We don’t know for sure if-”

“Lord Sentinus took her, and if you really are the best resistance against him in this god forsaken country, you ought to know where he is!” Bane barked; his face flushed with anger.

“Bane!” warned Al Dur.

Bane glared at Titus and then at Al Dur before backing away silently where he could glower at them both from the shadows without having to turn his head.

“Look, we’ll help you find our friend, but you must understand that we are at war, and we can’t have the rescue of some foreign girl be our top priority! Besides, in helping us defeat Lord Sentinus, you grow closer to finding your friend in the process,” explained Titus, “Now I suggest we let this… young lady get some rest.”

With a nervous smile in her direction, Titus left Samantha’s bed, followed by Bane. Al Dur remained, watching her closely.

“I’ve tended to your wounds, but I expect you are still exhausted. I’ve spoken to Titus; we are to move to a larger outpost tomorrow. If you’re still feeling weak I’m sure a horse can be arranged.”

“Thank you,” Samantha murmured, “I can’t wait to be away from this hell you call home.”

Al Dur grinned, “Much the same as my opinion of the place when I was younger, now get some sleep.”

---

1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

ugh, I hate assignments! especially the ones you get during the holidays! Anyway, got my laptop back, so I have bold and italic writing once more. Hope you enjoy!

Alyss swayed on the spot, too overcome with shock to move. Bane was standing before her, exactly as he had looked when she had last seen him. Lord Sentinus had captured him, but how? Had his guards defeated him at the dock city? Did she have to kill him? No, she would never harm him, she’d rather die. Bane was facing her, but not looking directly at her. Moreover, he was simply waiting for something, tensed and with his hand on the hilt of his sword, while the other hand gripped the handle of one of his knives. Lord Sentinus clicked his fingers, and Bane walked forward swiftly and silently, steadily making his way towards Alyss. She steadied herself as she felt tears running down her cheeks.

“Bane!” she gasped, “How did they get you? We have to escape-!”

“The contract must be fulfilled,” Bane’s voice echoed across the room, “No exceptions are to be made.”

“Wha… what?” Alyss muttered, sniffing slightly, “What are you talking about?”

Bane was an arm’s length away from her now, close enough for her to see his blank expression.

“The contract must be fulfilled,” he repeated.

Without warning, Bane drew his sword and the knife, swinging the sword down at her with uncanny speed. Alyss screamed and jolted to the side, missing the blade by an inch.

“Bane!” she screamed, ducking as he swung the knife at her head, “What are you-?”

Bane’s knee slammed into her stomach, and his gloved hand gripped her neck, lifting her up and slamming her up against the wall.

“The contract must be fulfilled!” he snarled, squeezing her neck tightly.

“No…. no! Please!” she sobbed, flailing half heartedly against him.

A cold hand had gripped her heart, spreading rapidly throughout her body and freezing her up. She couldn’t believe it was happening, not this…. Not this… Bane’s unrelenting expression bored itself into her mind, filling it until she could do nothing but scream. Light erupted around them both, consuming them in a wave of heat, blasting Bane back and shoving her against the wall. Despite the light, everything was going dark, and Alyss felt herself slide down the cold wall as strong hands shook her.

 

 

 

Al Dur rode ahead of the group on his horse, scanning the horizon. There had been no sign of any of Lord Sentinus’ troops yet, but Titus had warned them that this place was usually a hot spot for them. Bane and Samantha rode behind with the small group of soldiers who were coming along with them to replace the guards at the outpost they were heading to. These changes of guard happened regularly so that the soldiers had time to rest after long weeks of duty. Samantha was still feeling slightly weak, but she’d recovered immensely well during the night, and had even been strong enough to mount her horse without assistance. Bane was silent as ever, keeping a stiff gaze fixed on the horizon, although not because he was searching for enemies, more likely because he couldn’t stand the sight of Samantha or Al Dur, who had stood against him the night before. Granted, he was happy that Samantha had decided to assist them, but he still wished she would drop her grudges, for her arguments against him were beginning to wear thin on his patience.

The group reached the outpost at noon, when the sun was hottest, and it was with a great sense of relief that they stepped inside the half buried tower, for that was how the outposts were laid out; a single tower jutting out of the ground, but which descended into many levels of living quarters, armories and kitchens. These outposts were situated across the land, which meant that almost all of Lord Sentinus’ movements could be tracked without the need for spies.

Samantha, Al Dur, Bane, Titus and three other commanding officers sat around a table to discuss important matters concerning the terms surrounding the three new recruits.

“So let me get this straight,” said one officer, “We’re going to help them free some slave from Lord Sentinus in return for their assistance?”

“Correct,” sighed Titus.

“But we’ve already got thousands of capable soldiers, why waste so many resources for the sake of three foreigners?”

“Two foreigners,” Al Dur corrected, “I was born and raised here with my cousin Garth, I believe you might have heard of him?”

The three officers’ eyes widened at mention of the name, but Titus’ expression remained blank.

“So… you are of noble blood?” one of them asked in barely a whisper.

“Noble blood!” cried Bane, “You told us you’d lived in a little village which was burned to the ground along with your father!”

“I didn’t think the truth was relevant at the time,” explained Al Dur, “But now it seems the only way to win these men over to our cause. I am indeed of noble birth. My uncle, Garth’s father, was Duke of a great portion of land, and widely respected. He was one of the first to oppose Lord Sentinus, and as a result, he was one of the first to die. I must admit that the reasons for Garth and I leaving were more for our own safety than for academic pursuits, although we did want to learn Albion magic as well.”

“Now you know why I am prepared to go to great lengths for these three, for I recognized Al Dur at once when I saw him at the enemy outpost. I had seen him when he was young at his father’s castle; for even then I was helping his father and uncle prepare defenses against Lord Sentinus. Al Dur was powerful even as a child in the way of magic, I can only imagine how much power he holds now. Rest assured, our efforts to help him will be worth it for his assistance, I believe he may even help us win this war,” said Titus.

“Why… I remember you now! You were only in your twenties then, and I was but a teenager. I remember you visited often, and were always in counsel with my father and uncle behind closed doors. Garth and I wondered greatly about it.”

“So… at the docks, the disk you showed the guards… it wasn’t fake was it?” asked Bane, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“No, it was the sign that shows someone is a nobleman, although I no longer bear the title here.”

“In any case, we have no choice but to help you now,” said one of the officers, “I suppose we ought to get you fitted with armor and assigned rooms, you won’t be moving from this outpost for a few days yet, you might as well get comfortable.”

“The new equipment will be appreciated, although I think Bane would prefer to keep what he has already,” said Al Dur.

Bane grunted in agreement.

 

 

 

Alyss woke in a daze back in her room, startled awake by cold drops of water dripping onto her face. She opened her eyes wider, taking in the full scope of her room. A girl sat on her bed beside her, holding a dripping sponge above her head. She was dressed in a plain woolen dress, the mark of a servant girl, and had fair skin like Alyss. She was obviously an Albionite slave, doomed to an eternity of service to Lord Sentinus.

“Who… who are you?” Alyss asked, slightly disconcerted.

“I’m Georgia… Lord Sentinus sent me in to make sure you were ok madam,” The girl stuttered.

“Georgia… you’re from Albion aren’t you?” Alyss asked in a whisper.

Georgia nodded silently, and continued patting Alyss’ head with the sponge.

“I am too… you probably guessed that… Lord Sentinus is holding me here to use me in his war… I don’t really like killing people, but I guess I’ve got no choice…”

Georgia said nothing and lowered her eyes, unwilling to look at Alyss.

“You can speak to me you know,” Alyss said quietly.

“I’m sorry miss, it’s just that I’m afraid of making Lord Sentinus angry by speaking… I’ve seen him do things….” Georgia broke into a mumble, muttering something about ‘not pleasant’.

“It’s ok; he won’t hurt you just for speaking to me! And I’d be glad to have a friendly face about…”

Georgia looked up and gave a slight smile, “You should start to feel better soon. You’ve already been asleep for a few days, which is still less than most after going through the trial room…”

Alyss’ thoughts darkened at the mention of that room, for it brought up fresh memories of… Bane! Where was he? Why had he been hurting her? Had Lord Sentinus killed him? Had something horrible happened? Some form of alarm must have shown on Alyss’ face, for Georgia’s smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by a look of concern.

“Have I said something wrong? Oh I knew I shouldn’t have spoken! I should learn to keep my mouth shut, especially in front of such as you…”

“Oh no, it wasn’t your fault… it’s just that… the trial room… something…. Oh god! I have no idea what happened! He was there, I saw him, it wasn’t a trick and he… and he… oh god!”

Georgia’s eyes saddened, “Twas the trial of fear milady, Lord Sentinus will explain it soon enough…”

“The trial of fear?” asked Alyss, fresh tears lining her face.

“I shan’t speak of it yet, Lord Sentinus will want to explain it himself, and I’d rather have my head attached to my neck than on the ground.”

“Oh… what did you mean about ‘especially in front of such as you’?”

“I didn’t mean no offense milady, all I meant was that since Lord Sentinus seems to be so keenly interested in you, I ought not offend…”

“What do you mean?”

Georgia could not respond, for at that moment the door opened, and Lord Sentinus stepped in. As if scolded, Georgia leapt to her feet, taking her sponge and bucket of water and scurrying out of the room without another word.

“Ah, Alyss, to see you awake, I was actually starting to get worried for a moment there…” Lord Sentinus laughed slightly, watching her closely.

Alyss kept her lips shut tight, wary of the fact that the man before her was holding her lover captive.

“Well now, you are being rather resilient… I command you to speak.”

Alyss tried to remain silent, but as the thought crossed her mind her chest broke into spasms of pain. She screamed out in agony and writhed under her bed covers until it ceased and left her gasping while she tried to think of something to say.

“Where is… Bane?” she gasped, breathing heavily.

“Who?” Lord Sentinus seemed genuinely baffled.

“You know bloody well who, he was in that trial place, you made him try to kill me!” screamed Alyss, lashing out at Sentinus.

Once again, pain erupted in her chest, but it passed quickly, and she was soon staring at him once again, gasping for air.

“I’m sorry to have grieved you, but that was not the man of whom you speak, it was an illusion.”

“What?” Alyss gasped.

“Yes, an illusion, all the trials were; three trials to test you in different ways. One to test your courage against the unknown, one to test your skill in combat and the other to test you against your greatest fear.”

“But Bane isn’t my greatest fear!” said Alyss, almost laughing at the impossible thought.

“Maybe not him, but as I understand, the manner in which he was behaving is…”

Lord Sentinus trailed off, watching her with keen eyes.

Alyss thought back to the horrible experience, “’The contract must be fulfilled,’” she murmured.

The sentence sent a chill down her spine, for it touched a very deep fear. The fear that Bane would turn back into the monster he had once been, the killer of thousands… the hunter of her. Lord Sentinus watched her silently with a strange gleam of interest in his eye.

“Overall I am pleased with the result of the trials. You have proven yourself a fierce warrior who, despite a few issues, is extremely capable of leading my men into battle,” Lord Sentinus said, beaming down at her.

“Leading your men into battle! You must be joking! I’m no general…”

“You are too hard on yourself; I believe you are the perfect means of reaching my goal.”

“Which is?”

“Ah but that would be giving away the surprise!” he laughed, “You’ll find out in time. For now I want you to rest up, get over this little experience and get acquainted with your new home! There will be time enough for battles, but now is not that time…”

And he left her there to ponder over his words and over her new discovery. She had not known her fear before now, but it had always been there. She didn’t like the thought of Bane reverting back to his previous demeanor, but she couldn’t deny that it was a possibility. As well as this, she was confused over Lord Sentinus’ manner, for he didn’t seem the type to kidnap slave girls, kill an entire group of guards and lead an invasion. In fact he very much seemed like a kind old man, if not a little insane. She was still pondering these things when Georgia entered the room carrying a tray full of lunch, and it was with a strange sense of calm that she resigned to sitting up and sharing the food with Georgia as they discussed fond memories of their old home country.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Huh huh, getting a little desperate for feedback here guys... just saying!

Anyway, a new chapter, a new adventure... or something like that...

Enjoy!

Samantha shifted in her position next to Bane, feeling grass and weeds pressing against her skin and resisting the urge to scratch her arms. She was lying in the shadows with Bane, Al Dur and another soldier, looking across at the nearby town and waiting for the signal they needed to move. Titus and a band of other men were in a clump of trees on the other side of town, waiting to make their move, and watching just as closely as they were. Candles were steadily being blown out across town as night settled in and the moon began poking its face out between the clouds, and it looked the picture of peace. Or it would if Samantha did not already know what hid among its thatched roofs and cozy families. Little did those families know that in the centre of town, three large barrels full of black powder had been buried in a pile of hay close to the great oak that stood as a silent sentinel in the middle of town. Breathing lightly, Samantha strained her eyes, trying to see past the thick fog that had settled over the town. The soldier to her right shuffled restlessly, eager to begin battle, but he would have to be patient, lest he be demoted by Titus afterwards. If there was an afterwards; Samantha doubted that the little slip of a soldier would last against any foe mightier than a common bandit. They’d been lying there for hours, and Samantha was getting sick of the cold night air and the prickly undergrowth surrounding them, and she was noticing the soldier staring at her, which for some reason was very annoying. She sighed and moved slightly into a more comfortable position, no sooner had she begun to drift off when the barrels at the centre of the town exploded, startling her awake and sending the others into action.

“That’s the signal!” Al Dur roared, jumping to his feet and sprinting off.

Samantha was right behind him, drawing her pistol as she went and feeling her new leather armor stretch properly for the first time in its existence. They’d all gotten new armor except Bane, who insisted on keeping his old fittings, although he did grudgingly accept a white travelling robe, since his black armor made the heat of the desert even worse. They sprinted to the first set of buildings and split into two groups, Bane and Al Dur together and Samantha with the soldier; each group heading towards a different building. Samantha bashed the door in with a blast of will while the soldier stood back, and entered the room with her pistol aimed ahead. They were standing in a small living room and moved forward through another door to a room with a single bed where a married couple slept.

“Clear!” Samantha barked sharply, turning around swiftly and exiting the building.

She heard the occupants of the building wake up and go into a frenzy of panic as the soldier tried to calm them down.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, they’re the only couple in this entire town who weren’t woken by the explosion, leave them be and help me search other buildings before the target escapes!” she ordered, frustration lining every word she spoke.

The humiliated soldier backed out of the building and glanced at her in embarrassment before moving on to the next building. They searched each building while the others did the same, and as they did so a large group of troops who had been stationed further back entered the town, heading for the centre while smaller groups like Samantha’s searched each building. Bane and Al Dur found one man who had been alone in a house and who wore the garments signifying him as a follower of Lord Sentinus; all in black and red. They had surprised him and tied him up, pulling him along as they searched more houses. They made their way steadily to the center of town, where the extra troops were gathered, threatening anyone who dared to leave their homes. There was one large building left along the side of the town square. From each window a man could be seen, firing down magic and bullets toward them. A single mage projected a magical field to protect the troops, and a standoff ensued as each group realized that neither had any advantage in the situation.

Samantha, the soldier, Al Dur and Bane all walked up to Titus, who was watching the scene unfold intently.

“We found this guy hiding in a little hut further out in town, he’s following Lord Sentinus,” Al Dur said gruffly, pushing the bound man to the ground.

Men surrounded the prisoner instantly, and the group walked away with Titus, the soldier hanging around like a faithful dog.

“We need to get in there,” Titus said solemnly, “I know he’s in there, but the defenses are too , we need a small team to-”

“We’ll do it,” Bane interrupted, “Just tell us what to do.”

“You can’t see it, but there’s a magical barrier that they’re projecting against ours, we’ll need some seriously strong magic to break through that… Al Dur?” asked Titus

“I’m up for it, but I don’t think it’ll be an easy task. Our mage is struggling, and he’s one of our best, I’ve seen him in action,” said Al Dur, “I might be able to break through, but I doubt I’ll be in any fit state to continue with you, or even to hold the barrier open for long, just a few seconds.”

“We’ll go in for you, just like last time,” Bane opted, “Samantha and I can take the place down without breaking a sweat.”

“I don’t know about that…” Titus hesitated, “take this lad with you just in case, you’ll want all the help you can get.”

“We’re not taking him, we can handle ourselves,” said Samantha firmly, eying the soldier who had accompanied them with doubt.

The soldier’s face turned red from suppressed anger, but he did not say anything.

“I want you to take him anyway. Make sure you get Forzar alive, we need him to talk.”

Bane nodded once, and then stepped back, staring at the large building hard, as if he could see through it if he looked long enough. Samantha sighed and prepared for the upcoming fight by loosening her sword in its scabbard. The small movement made her accidentally glance at the ring on her finger, and she quickly bunched up her fist, swallowed and then turned towards the building. Behind them, Al Dur was preparing himself for the attack, closing his eyes and meditating for as long as he could, which wasn’t very long. When he was ready, he gave a sharp nod to Samantha, who in turn alerted Bane. They braced themselves and a moment later, Al Dur yelled at the top of his lungs and a beam of light shot from his outstretched palms. The beam slammed into the invisible barrier, which now became visible, and slowly formed a large hole in it. Bane and Samantha leapt forward to the hole, jumping through smoothly and landing on the other side. The soldier was one second behind them, caught unaware by the appearance of the beam, since neither Bane nor Samantha had bothered to alert him.

The men in the windows promptly began firing bullets and magic down upon them instead of the gathering troops further off. Bane and Samantha ducked and weaved through the onslaught smoothly while the soldier yelped and screamed as he tried to maneuver his way across no man’s land. They reached the relative safety of the right side of the house, where there were no windows for men to look down at them from. The soldier was gasping for breath and had to pause, causing Samantha to glare at him icily before turning around and blasting a hole through the wall of the building with a wave of will. Despite the cold of the desert night, Samantha felt hot from adrenaline, although that fact was hidden from all others behind an impassive expression.

They stepped through the gaping hole in the wall into an empty room which looked very much like a kitchen. From the floor above they could hear the sounds of men moving about and shouting orders, but there appeared to be no one on the floor they were on, so they pressed forward, Samantha in the lead. As they walked through the spacious halls, Samantha was dimly aware of the heavy breathing coming from the soldier, who had been nothing but a nuisance throughout the entire mission. They reached the staircase which lead up to the second floor, and could just make out the shadow of a man at the top of them. Samantha slid her katana out of the sheath at her hip, nodded to Bane and then jumped forward, shouting loudly and brandishing her sword in one hand and a fireball in the other. She launched the fireball at the guard standing frozen at the top of the stairs, and he went flying back into the wall with a thud. Samantha leapt up the stairs with Bane right behind her, hearing the startled men leave their positions and run towards them. When she reached the top of the stairs she flung herself over the railing that separated the second floor from the drop caused by the stairs and slammed into one of the men, bringing him down and sliding her katana across his throat in one fluid movement. She jumped up, catlike, and ran forwards, blocking a blow and sliding her blade down the attacker’s sword before flicking it out of his hands. She twisted around and slammed her elbow into his face while simultaneously stabbing the man who had been creeping up behind her in the stomach.

Bane had been one millisecond behind her as she leapt over the railings, but he had chosen the more practical route; going up the entirety of the staircase and ducking past an incoming blow before slamming one of his knives into the attacker’s gut. The allied soldier behind him stared with shock as blood spurted across his innocent face; Bane only spared him a quick glance before stepping forward and blocking a blow with two crisscrossed knives. Bane lifted his knee up into the man’s groin and slit his throat as he doubled over in pain. He laughed slightly, watching the pathetic man slump to the ground, but the laugh caught in his throat as a projectile slammed into his chest and sent him flying into the wall behind him, where he slumped to the ground and fell unconscious.

Samantha snapped her head around to watch Bane slam into the wall, and with horror did she realize who had committed the act. Forzar, the man they had been hunting down, was standing there with his arms outstretched and the scent of Will hanging around him. Samantha jumped forward, ignoring her other attackers, and slammed into the unaware Forzar, bringing him to the ground. She looked into his eyes, which were pure black with no whites, and felt something tight grip her chest.
Fear

She gasped as a blast of will forced her through the air, sending her crashing into a support beam hanging from the roof. She fell to the ground with a thud, coughing as dust and blood filled her mouth.

“I would have expected better from Titus. Instead all I get are a couple of Albionite slaves who don’t know the first thing about magic,” Sneered Forzar, whose voice was raspy and cold.

“We aren’t all Albionite slaves,” the soldier murmured in a feeble voice.

“Oho! Didn’t notice you there lad, ain’t it a bit late for you to be wandering around?”

The soldier’s face flushed, but he stepped forward valiantly… stupidly. He drew his standard issue sword, glaring defiantly at Forzar. Samantha groaned and watched as the idiot stumbled forwards, sword held in front of him.

“I can’t let you hurt her- them…” the soldier squeaked.

Samantha rolled her eyes to the heavens while Forzar laughed, then she realized that Forzar’s hands were crackling with blue electricity. Any moment now something bad was going to happen.

The soldier stepped forward, and Samantha saw Forzar move before the soldier did. She leapt to her feet and shoved the boy aside.

“I don’t need defending you idio-!”

Samantha was cut off midsentence by a bolt of lightning that tore through her body, sending jolts of pain through every particle of her flesh and making her scream out in agony. The men who had crowded around them jeered and laughed, and even Forzar’s thin mouth turned up slightly. There was a crash and a scuffle, and suddenly the pain was gone. Samantha gasped and collapsed to the floor, looking up to see Bane standing over Forzar with a knife in his hand and pointed at Forzar’s throat. Before the men around them could move there was a commotion outside, and the front doors on the ground floor below were flung open, followed by the sounds of many footsteps thundering down the hall. Samantha realized that Forzar had been the one conjuring the magical shield outside, and now that he had been jolted away from the task by Bane’s attack, the shield had faded. Forzar realized this just as she did, and growled in anger before throwing Bane off of him with a blast of Will and launching himself through the crowd of men and out the nearest window. Samantha saw him drop a foot before disappearing in a puff of black smoke. She saw this, stunned, and did not register the fact that Titus’ men were now beating the enemy back, killing them or forcing them to jump out of a window to the hard ground which would at the very least break their legs. Samantha shook her head angrily and shakily stood to her feet, walking over to Bane and helping him up. She let go of Bane and walked slowly down the staircase without glancing at the soldier who was huddled against the wall where she had thrown him, and who was staring at her in shocked disbelief. She was soon standing outside in the crisp midnight air, and the commotion above her was subsiding. Titus’ men came walking out of the building slowly, covered in blood and gore, Titus followed them, his face grim.

“Slippery d,” he cursed under his breath as he walked by.

Bane came out last, supported by the soldier, who had apparently come to his senses. The man glanced at her nervously and left Bane leaning against the doorframe of the building beside her before scurrying off.

“Broken leg?” she asked.

Bane grunted in reply.

“That man is a fool!” Samantha snarled, glaring after the idiot.

“You’re getting harsh Samantha… or maybe you were always that way,” Bane chuckled.

“I don’t have time for idiots like him, or you for that matter,” she muttered.

“You realize he’s just a young lad who happened to have a crush on you right?”

“You realize that I took a serious hit for him right?” said Samantha, laughing bitterly.

“True, but that was your choice to save him, you could have just let him die like a fool… maybe you’ve got a touch of humanity in you after all…” Bane laughed.

Samantha turned her head and looked at Bane seriously, her eyes cold.

“I have more than enough reasons to hate this world… don’t add another one to the list,” she said in a cold whisper, before striding away and leaving him against the door with his broken leg.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

entry. I liked the fight scene it was very descriptive and easy to follow. The characterisation of the mage was also . As always I loved it! Keep up the work!

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If I fall will you promise to catch me?
If I cry will you promise to hold me?
If I love you will you promise to never break my heart?

thankyou! The ' mage' will come into serious play soon enough, keep your eyes out

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Just an update:

Yes, I am still alive, despite what you may think, and I have not given up on this story.

I know it's been a while since I posted, and I have no one to blame but myself for that. I'm working on the next chapter, which is about a third of the way done, and hope to have it finished for you all to see soon.

I just want to say that I personally feel that I'm doing better with Broken Pieces than I did with it's predecessor, and hope you are all enjoying it so far. I've found that I've been able to 'stretch my wings' a bit more with this piece than with Soul Savers, and I hope you all feel the same way.

Regards,

Countdown

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...

Oh I'm sorry it's been soooo long, and in truth, no one is to blame but me, despite the piles of homework my horrible teachers have been giving me and the fact that I am a perfectionist and must achieve as much as I possibly can at school.

Regardless of all that, I finally have a new chapter for you guys, and I managed to start the next one as well.

Enjoy, and tell me what you think!

P.S don't mind the new font, I just wanted to try out something different.

Alyss rode on horseback, staring ahead resolutely while the soldiers, her soldiers, marched behind her. They were marching to some town, Alyss couldn’t remember its name, and all she knew was that they had been assigned to destroy it for some reason or other, but she had a vague impression that something had gone wrong in the town earlier, and she was being sent to fix the problem. She’d now been held captive for exactly a month, and had already been sent on a mission by Lord Sentinus. The only difference about this situation was that instead of attacking a small outpost full of trained and battle hardened warriors, she was now attacking a large town in the middle of nowhere and full of innocents. She didn’t actually need the two hundred or so soldiers that marched behind her, even she knew that, but Lord Sentinus insisted that she prove herself to be a strong leader by leading soldiers into battle, regardless of whether or not she needed them. It had been the same at the outpost, and the men who had been present during that attack and who were a part of her current group were constantly whispering of her feats to everybody around them. They spoke of how she had blasted the solid iron gate away with a flick of her wrist, how she had set four men alight with a single spell, and how she had sliced the head off of the commanding officer with a flaming sword she herself had summoned, among other tales of the brutality she had demonstrated.

Alyss had hated that day, had hated herself, but most of all, she had hated Lord Sentinus for forcing those actions upon her. She had already experienced the pains that came from disobedience, and had come to the conclusion that it was not worth it, that she should embrace her tasks. Thinking it, or even just saying it out loud to Georgia, was much easier than actually doing it, and she’d openly shed tears while cleaving through the outpost, although none of her men had noticed it, all they were focusing on was not being hit by the powerful waves of will emanating from her body.

Georgia had grown to be Alyss’ closest and only friend in Lord Sentinus’ castle. The rest of the staff was nice enough, but all were from Samarkand, and did not relate as well to her as Georgia did. She had learned that Georgia had been a small child when she had been stolen from her mother’s dying arms. All Georgia could remember were flashes of red and loud noises which she assumed were the sounds of her village being burnt to the ground by pirates, who had later sold her off to one of Lord Sentinus’ clerks.

Alyss shook her head to rid it of such thoughts, for she had a task to complete, and time was getting the better of them. It was a few more hours before the town itself actually came into sight, and it was with a strange curiosity that she gazed upon the hastily built walls of scraps the villagers had constructed in defense against them. Word had obviously reached the town of their arrival. She dismounted from her horse; her green robes billowing about her in the desert winds, and handed it to her servant, a young lady assigned to assist her in whatever way possible. The young lady was only a year younger than Alyss, and with the same dark skin as all in this country, but the only use Alyss had so far been able to find from her was as a safeguard for her horse, which she treasured as dearly as she could under the current circumstances.

Glancing behind her, Alyss nodded to the commanding general of the group of soldiers and started forward with her hair flying across her face. The winds whipped sand about, causing Alyss to snarl and spit out clumps of it from her mouth. This whole damned country seemed to be against her, and she was sick of it. It took twenty minutes for Alyss and the rest of the soldiers to reach the village on foot. They would have used horses, but the defenses around the town made such an attack useless. From where they were standing the town looked empty, but Alyss knew they’d been clearly visible to the town for a long time, and the residents were probably already huddled up in the centre of town.

With a sigh, Alyss flung her arm forward, blasting the wall away in a shower of scraps. She watched with hollow eyes as the pieces of metal, brick and timber slammed into walls, roofs and onto the main road, thinking sadly about the fact that she would soon be killing the people who had made the wall. They all marched into town as one, with Alyss slightly in the lead. They passed mud brick houses, stables and a few shabby shops before reaching the centre of town, which was, to Alyss’ surprise, empty.

“What on earth…?” she murmured quietly.

Alyss turned in a full circle, staring intently at the buildings lining the town square. Her soldiers shared her unease, and Alyss grew more and more nervous as the silence grew heavier and heavier. Just as she was about to turn around and order her men to fall back, a shout echoed across the town square. Alyss cried out as a bullet slammed into her right shoulder, launching her into the dirt while hot blood poured out of her wound. Her men were falling all around her, some hit by bullets, others slammed with lightning or fire. Alyss choked back tears and pushed herself up from the sandy ground, lifting her head up to view her attackers. All exits from the town square were blocked off by Tar Jugal soldiers, and more of them lined the windows of the buildings nearby. Alyss bared her teeth against the pain and hauled herself to a standing position, lifting her hands up in front of her and calling forth as much will as she could in her weakened state. The air around her sizzled and streaks of lightning burst forth from her hands, slamming into Tar Jugal soldiers and killing them instantly. The lightning arced in different directions, hitting buildings, Tar Jugal and Alyss’ own men, and generally causing mayhem.

“The witch! Kill the Albionite witch!” shouted a man from behind Alyss.

Alyss froze, and the lightning disappeared instantly. The shout had come from one of her own men, and was quickly joined by other voices, swelling into a huge roar of anger. She turned around in an instant, viewing her own men with fear, and trying to draw up the resolution to do what had to be done. She raised her arms threateningly.

“Don’t make me do this!” she hissed.

The shouts ceased instantly, but the intent remained the same. A wave of unease ran through her men, bringing forth obvious signs of rebellion. The magicians among the men raised their arms while the rest drew swords. Alyss shook her head feebly, trying to comprehend what was happening. Electricity crackled around her fingers, and a bolt of lightning flew free, hitting three of her men and killing them. The men paused for an instant, then launched forward, charging towards her. Alyss fired of lightning, fire, magical blade and anything she could think of. Waves of men dropped before her, ghost hobbes appeared and defended her, everything in her arsenal was deployed against these insubordinate fools.

A shot rang out, piercing through the howls and screams of her men. Alyss fell forward sharply as a bullet ripped through her lower back and in one instant all her attacks fizzled into nothing. Her men surrounded her in a flash, lifting her up and pressing sword tips against her throat. Her eyes opened a crack and she saw all the men who had obeyed her so obediently twenty minutes earlier turn against her. Her vision starting blurring over, and she felt the tickle of unconsciousness nag the edge of her mind. A commotion erupted twenty feet away, but she wasn’t paying attention, all she knew was that she had failed, and Bane could not save her.

A shout sounded two feet away from her, and the swords dropped from her neck instantly. Alyss slumped to the ground and felt feet thundering by her, she looked up and saw her men caught in battle with the Tar Jugal, who now brandished swords, and had formed a circle around her. She couldn’t think of a reason for them to be defending her, but she was too exhausted to think on it. Hands wrapped themselves around her, and suddenly she was being rocked back and forth.

“Oh god, Alyss!” someone murmured in her ear.

 

 

 

They’d been at the town Forzar had used as a base of operations for one week, and since then Bane’s leg had healed with the aid of Al Dur, and proper defenses had been set up around the town. Since the town was close to where they suspected Lord Sentinus’ castle was, Titus had quickly sent the residents of the town to the nearest outpost with a group of Tar Jugal soldiers, and declared the town a new outpost, one that may even prove essential in the downfall of Lord Sentinus. Samantha, who tended to pay little heed in Titus’ words, doubted this greatly, and felt certain that within at least a month the town would be abandoned completely for a more advantageous spot.

They had managed to gain a little information from the soldier that Al Dur and Bane had captured in the initial raid on the town, but nothing that helped them a great deal. Forzar was, Titus knew, Lord Sentinus’ highest ranked magician, unless of course Alyss had taken his position already, and therefore was vital in bringing Sentinus down. With Forzar captured, they may somehow get important information concerning Lord Sentinus’ plans and location. With Forzar dead, a great threat would be removed from Lord Sentinus’ forces, and the night he had escaped was proof enough of that. In order to add more information to what little they already had, Titus had tasked Al Dur and Samantha to go on an intelligence mission, and they were heading to a large town in the East where they might be able to ask around for Forzar.

On the day Alyss was heading towards their base with a contingent of soldiers, Bane had been tasked as lookout on the opposite side of town, and wasn’t there to recognize her for who she was. He did, however, hear the first gunshot fired in the town square, and in one moment he was running across the rooftops towards the noise. He didn’t know what was going on up ahead, but something in his gut told him he needed to be there. And so, with his legs pumping hard and a hand on the hilt of one of his knives, he reached the town square within minutes; what he saw brought him to a crashing halt.

He saw Alyss (for it could be no other person), lying on the ground in a pool of blood and understood what the gunshot had meant. Behind her were at least two hundred of Lord Sentinus’ men, and all of them were surrounded by Tar Jugal soldiers with guns and magicians arms aimed at them. It was definitely Alyss in those green robes, and while he didn’t understand what she was doing with those soldiers, he knew he had to save her.

Suddenly, he saw her stand and raise her arms shakily. Before he could shout out, lightning leapt from her fingertips and slammed into a group of his men, sending them crashing into a nearby wall. Lightning leapt all around her, hitting the Tar Jugal as well as Lord Sentinus’ soldiers. Someone shouted from behind Alyss; someone from Lord Sentinus’ group of soldiers. Bane did not hear what they said, but it caused Alyss to stop nonetheless. He watched as she confronted and attacked them, glued to his spot on the roof, and then yelled out when one of his own men pulled the trigger of his gun. He didn’t know which man did it, all he knew was that Alyss fell once more, and Lord Sentinus’ soldiers descended upon her in an instant.

Without thinking, Bane yelled out, “Protect the girl!”

He jumped down from the roof as his men rushed forward; running towards the Men who were hurting Alyss, the men who would surely die for their crime. Drawing two daggers, Bane balanced the tip of the first between his forefinger and thumb and threw it, watching as the blade sank into the head of first man he saw. He switched the remaining knife to his right hand and leapt forward, slamming into a man whose back was turned and jamming the knife through the back of his neck. Blood spurted across Bane’s face as he ripped the dagger free of the man, and he was dimly aware that the rest of the Tar Jugal had taken up arms beside him, and were now fighting their way towards Alyss too. Bane smiled grimly at the thought, drew another dagger for his left hand and blocked a blow using both blades crossed in an ‘x’ formation. Bane ripped both of his knives in opposite directions, shattering the man’s sword before plunging one of his knives into the man’s heart.

Bane left the dagger and unsheathed another before diving forward, ripping through the mounds of soldiers until he finally reached Alyss. The men who had her at knifepoint turned to him, six in all, and charged forwards. Bane sidestepped the first and tripped him with an outstretched leg, then slit the throat of a second as he came roaring past. The third he stabbed in the gut, just before blocking the fourth’s first blow, kneeing him in the stomach and setting his shirt alight with a wave of his hand. The fifth and sixth came in a pair, tentatively moving forward. Bane laughed at their uneasiness and jumped forward, hitting the dirt well short of them and rolling between them. As he sat upright he twisted both of his knives backwards and slammed them into both men’s lower backs. The men groaned and fell forward with a thump, but by then Bane had already sheathed his weapons and was rushing to Alyss.

“Form a protective wall around us, now!” Bane commanded to the group of men who’d broken through to them.

The men complied and stood in a circle, battling off the rest of Lord Sentinus’ men while their comrades fought on the other side of the thick group of Lord Sentinus’ small army.

“Oh God, Alyss!” he gasped, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

“B… Bane?” she asked in a whisper, her voice coarse and quiet.

“It’s me… it’s me…” he said, his voice trembling.

“You can’t… you can’t be here…” she said groggily, her eyes trying to focus on him more clearly.

“But I am here, and I’ve come to save you,” he murmured, kissing her gently on the forehead.

“No…” she said, more firmly this time, “You can’t… be here… you need to be… safe…”

“I don’t matter, I need to get you safe,” he said quickly, gripping more tightly onto her.

Alyss’ eyes blazed suddenly, and clarity began to seep its way into her mind, “No… Bane, please, he’ll get you… I can’t let that happen… he’ll… he’ll… You need to be in Albion… you need to be….”

Her voice trailed off, and or a moment he thought she had passed out, but then her eyes snapped back open, glowing a fierce blue.

“Give her up, fool! She is yours no longer!” said Alyss, but her voice was not her own. Instead it was the voice of Lord Sentinus, the voice Bane could remember so clearly from the day at the docks.

“What?” he gasped.

Suddenly, her body grew hot, too hot to touch, and electricity hung heavily in the air around her. Bane clutched to her desperately, despite his burning fingers, but he was blasted back by a wave of will which burst forth from her body, extending outwards in a bubble of energy that sent everyone within a fifty meter radius flying through the air. Bane slammed onto the ground and stared at her in shock as blue fire erupted around her in a circle, consuming her hungrily. Then, in a flash of blue light, she and the flames were gone, with only a ring of scorched sand to mark her previous position.

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1 year on the forums and counting! Get it? Counting? Oh never mind...