Falcon2001

A vagabond with restless eyes A man with his soul in the sky Homeless he trudges along the tracks Searching for life in a different place Some call him bum, others hobo His story none know 'cept himself His heart hides a stranger truth Sometimes nothing is gained by fate A wandering man, a vagabond Nothing tied down, no family home Nothing to lose but his spirit and soul He calmly trudges on His feet are wound in bandages His clothes are ripped and torn His face is weathered by the sun And he still keeps walking on His pack's the color of the earth His eyes like cloudy skies above His skin's the color of the trees And his faded locks are shorn A wandering man, a vagabond Nothing tied down, no family home Nothing to lose but his spirit and soul He calmly trudges on No silence of stone, the calling of bones The need that drives the future on This man's a danger to all of the order And rules that society likes to make He's an outcast, a loner, a maker of paths A man outside of boundaries set by the law The past cannot touch him or set him alight So he walks on alone in the midst of the night

And it does NOT sux0r! Ha! I win, I told you whatever you were writing was not sux0r, and I was right, hell yeah! Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

Oh well, I like cake, but if we HAVE to talk about ranks... As far as I've seen, every person that's actively writing, whether it's writing 600 page epic novels or a short ditty every week or so is promoted come promotion time. The people that don't get promoted are the people that don't write very often (E.G. Jess, Heart Like a Hole, Me sometimes), or show up OAOA, to use Zool's term. At least I think it was Zool, oh well. What I'm saying is that the post increment thing would be nice, but I also like the current system. I've never complained about rank or something, and I haven't heard a whole lot of complaining either. Course the people I talk to are mainly elders and a few pages that just don't care, like myself, but oh well. So there's my two bits. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

I'm writing this song to... I'm writing this song to... I'm writing this song to express A feeling I cannot suppress The ways of the world are obscure And it seems that there's never a cure The things nobody dared to do The way I didn't dare to look at you The dreams nobody dared to dream The wish that never dared to gleam The sun that never dared to shine The seer that never dared to divine The truth that no one dared to see The lies that no one dared to be These things that were never dared to do Dare to dream, I say to you Dare to do the things undone Dare to win the prizes unwon Dare to be the perfect girl Dare to find the treasured pearl Dare to dream the dreams undreamt Dare to straighten what is bent Dare to tell the truth untold Dare to expose the lie so gold These things that no one dared to do Dare these things, I say to you! Stop your falling and find your truth Live your life and enjoy your youth But don't give up, please try again Break the cycle, shatter the chain Dare to dream, dare to fly Dare to ask the reason why Dare to be the flying bird Dare to be the written word Dare to do these things, I say Dare to be, and sieze the day Dare to be stronger Dare to be smarter Dare to be silent Dare to be loud Dare to be something But whatever you choose Whatever is your cup of tea Do one thing: Dare to be.

YAY! Happy Graduation, Porcelain, m'dear! Have a wonderful life, and remember that the nakedness of the human heart is what counts most in this crazy world. But you already knew that. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

*Wanders in with a flamethrower, looking for Oompa-Loompas* Okay, where are the suckers, I got a call of some of 'em in this sector...grr, there's one! *Sprays the little demon thing with liquid flame, and watches it burn* Heh, after that fifth grade play of being a little Oompa Loompa, I'm no longer as...tolerant of the little buggers...that and months of playing Diablo II against evil demon things that really COULD be Oompas in disguise. Or maybe it's their true form. Oh well, I always thought Happiness's melody was the Theme from Worms, but okay, this is really cool too. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

William stood in the library, reading from a book in his hands. "Let's see here...ah ha! Here it is, the Tassan Ivori, or Sword of Roses. It is a very ancient blade with apparently Mystical powers that range from demon banishing to healing, but most appear to be rumors. The most substantiated rumors appear to be it's ability to add to a holy swordsman's skill twofold, turning him into a blademaster almost instantly. Also, it has been recording healing many differing people, so that rumor may also be substantiated. Another easily noted ability was powers of the holy kind, including enhanced damage to demons and undead. Also, it was lost over a century ago, when a renegade bard named Edward took the sword from it's resting place at Daerton Keep and ran away with it. It's current whereabouts are unknown." William looked down at the white sheath. "Well, WE know where it is at least...anyway, it's easily recognizable by the roses engraved on it's hilt. The blade material is white with a tinge of blue in it, which is quite distinctive." He shrugged. "That's all it says."

William shrugged. "Fine by me, but you do realize that we have no idea what we're going into here, right?" Gyr laughed in reply. "A little danger never hurt anyone...now lets have a look at that sword, eh?" The two of them walked off, while underground, Stick stirred slightly. The time was coming soon, the journey.

William spread the map out on his desk. It was roughly two feet square, with frayed edges and slightly faded ink. The writing was all in Elven, but the characters were simple enough to make out for William, who understood a fair amount of elven script. Pouring over it, he isolated several things and had marked them out with a magical pen that would disappear with a word. The first was the lake, which he had recognized, much to his surprise, to be the lake next to the Pen Keep. He assumed that naturally, the catacombs shown beneath there were all part of the same section, and he had discovered a secret world underneath the Pen! William sighed and took another drink of apple juice, then coughed a little and went back to searching. He had isolated several of the landmarks, and was building a seperate map inside his head, for him to follow. He had realized long ago that he had to go down below the earth, and somehow he would find himself a weapon worthy and capable of his skill and expertise. The dormant Sword of Roses hung sheathed at his side, the white steel inlaid with a slight mottle of blue. He marked out a pathway through the catacombs to the village of the Dark Brethren, or the dark elves below the surface, where he hoped to find some guidance and direction to his search. Pausing, he frowned again, looking at a specific area on the map. Here the ink was faded, and what appeared to be an elven character depicting either a source of water, or of danger, depending on the suffix...but the ending was blurred and unintelligible. William had attempted to find away around it, but found no other ways that weren't marked as unstable or extremely out of the way. William shrugged and mentally remembered to check that part out thouroughly. Sighing, he rolled the map up and stored it in the scrollcase, then went over to the closet and started packing. The clothing he pulled out was fairly atypical for the normally somberly dressed Lord. Instead of darker colors, he pulled out a pair of loose white cloth pants and a black belt with a stylized dragon for a buckle. He also pulled out a large roll of cloth bandages, and proceeded to wrap both of his arms, including hands, with the white cloth. When he was done with that, he put the cloth in his pack and pulled out a white loose overcoat. His clothing was chosen for maximum movement efficiency and ability. After that, he wrapped his still slightly tender ribs and torso with the bandages and half-buttoned the shirt up. Into his pack went most of the essentials, including food and water. Finally ready, he attached the scrollcase and the Sword of Roses to his belt. Finished, he turned to the door, and was confronted by Gyr, who was sitting there twirling a familiar silver pendant and ready to travel.

Gyr looked at Will squarely. "The swords name is the Tassan Ivori, or Sword of Roses. It is a fabled blade known for its intense hightening of the senses and the fabled holy powers contained within." Gyr picked it up and weighted it in his hand, then turned and hurled it at a pagan charm hanging on the wall. The sword flew through the air, bounced off the wall, and landed with a clatter on the floor. Gyr walked over and picked it up. "It's magic is somehow being bound by something. The edge and body of the sword is still protected, but beyond that..." Gyr shrugged. "It's nothing more than a really nice sword." William took the sword back and slid it into his sheath, then took the scrollcase. "Oh well, I'll think of something." With that, he turned on a heel and walked out of the room.

~The Next Day~ Gyr sighed and set the scroll case down on the table, rubbing his eyelids a little with his fingertips. "Well, the script is very, very old, but I've managed to translate most of it. The title," he pointed to a larger sentence in the flowing elven script, "reads The Catacombs and Environs of the (untranslatable), including the lairs of the Dark Brethren and their allies" Gyr looked at William levelly. "I don't know where on earth you found this, but it refers to homes of the Dark Elves, a race of elves that live underground away from the sun and moon, the most primal providers of Elven energy. In fact, the royal crest of the elves includes both Sun and Moon. The Dark Brethren instead draw their energies from the cold darkness of the void and from the life-force of the earth. This changes them irrevocably in ways that nobody truly understands, but all I can say is that they are rumored to be extremely dangerous." He tapped the case on the desk. "Also, I figured out how to open it. Oladia is the keyword." As he spoke the word, the top of the scrollcase opened up, allowing for access to the map. " Turbina closes it," he said as the case closed. "When the case is closed, it's almost indestructible, due to the runes that are inscribed in here." He pointed at a set of runes that wound around the case at the top and bottom. "This can easily withstand magical forces that would rip a person apart." Gyr proferred the case to William, who took it. Gyr sighed then and picked up the sword. "This is going to take a while to explain.

William looked at the old man sharply. "And what would you know about that, old one?" The older man with the purple eyes laughed, a strange cackle that somehow chilled William. "I know much that you don't, and that's the way things always are and always will be. But I'll tell you this: You'll never be as powerful as Cioden if you can't find your own weapon. Nightshade is not fit for a master such as you, its spirit is too dark and chaotic for one such as you." "Then what should I do, old man?" William asked, now more interested than suspicious. "There's a map in the library that you should look at, William, and then you'll find what you're seeking. By the way, nice job on the roses." William looked back at the flowering roses. "Yes," he said, turning back to the old man, "But they're not quite...what the?" the old man was nowhere to be found. William glared around a little, his hand on the hilt of Nightshade, but no-one attacked him or anything of the sort, so he shrugged. ~Approximately 6:30 PM~ William sat back in the comfortable wooden chair and thought about the days events. Well, that old man sure was strange, and his eyes...wow, I don't think I've ever seen purple eyes. Oh well, things will work itself out, no reason for me to go chasing after rumors and fairy tales. He took a long drink of his cider and sighed appreciatively. I should go to bed, he thought, then suddenly an image of a beautiful woman with long dark hair and eyes that a man could lose himself in popped into his head... William shook himself. Selene! Why am I thinking of her? He hadn't thought of his ex-lover since he left that village three years ago. Standing, he laid down a few silvers for the food and drink, then headed back to his apartments. ~Approximately 7:30 PM~ Actually, that's what he intended to do, but somehow he found himself in front of the massive steel-bound doors to the library, fairly surprised at his location, but not intending at all to stop. Pushing the doors open, he quietly shut them behind them and strode forward to the magical transport, imagining the third floor in his mind's eye. Silently he levitated up to the third floor and stepped out, looking around. Something was calling him. He walked among the tall wooden shelves, feeling his way across. Kinda makes me wonder exactly what the hell I'm doing...well hello! Will suddenly stopped in front of a shelf full of scrolls. Looking at them, none of them looked particularly important, but he took them all out and put them on a table. Glancing over them, none of them pulled at him the way they did back on the shelf. Grumbling slightly about screwed up intuition, he walked back and was almost pulled off his feet toward the shelf again. "There's nothing there, damnit! It's just an empty shelf, whatever you are." A reply wasn't expected, but the shelf pulled at him again. William looked closely at the shelf again, and noticed that the back was a tad bit closer up than the ones below or above it. Hmm...I wonder what this is...let's see here... Will pulled out his pocket knife and wedged it in one of the sides, prying it out slowly. After a few minutes of prying and levering, the entire backboard came out. Gently lowering it to the ground, William looked around and reached into the open space. His fingers felt something, and he grabbed it and pulled it out. Looking at the object in his hand, William recognized strange elven script running across the outside edge. Turning it around, he looked at it, but the dialect was too old to read. He shrugged and put it in his pocket, remembering to ask Gyrfalcon to translate next time he saw him. He was about to walk off when he felt another pull toward the shelf. Turning around, he reached in for a second time, reaching around. His searching fingers encountered an object about 5 feet long and wrapped in what appeared to be a dilapidated burlap sack. Taking care not to disturb the wrapping, he drew it out of the hiding place. The brown material disintegrated in the light of the lamps, revealing the object beneath the wrapping. William held a sword in his outstretched hands, a sword of excellent craftsmanship and style. The hilt was ornate, with tiny etched rose vines draping the crossguard and ending in two intertwined white roses in the middle of the crossguard on both sides. The handle was wrapped in white leather, and it ended in a compasspoint clutching a clear crystal. The blade was long and sharpened on both sides, with a quarter-inch bloodchannel running down the entire length. The edge looked - and was - razor sharp, and the steel was tinged a color of white with a tinge of blue mixed in. William held it gingerly, then felt that now-familiar tugging again, this time much gentler. Reaching in with his free hand, he withdrew a scabbard with silver elven script running up and down its length, much like the scroll case. Sliding the blade home, he attached the scabbard to his belt and put the backboard back in place, and then replacing the scrolls. William strode out of the library with a new weapon, and, unbeknownst to him, a new purpose.

This is kind of written like the Metallica song, which kicks a lot of butt, btw. Anyway, I've been listening to this song a lot lately, and I kinda got the chorus stuck in my head, so I came up with a new song, just with the same title. Also, I've been toying around with a guitar line that I can envision having a song attached to it, and this works well. Enjoy, and no, you can't have fries with that. Nothing lasts forever, and you're about to die Your last words, forgotten, and no-one will cry So still your breath, cross your heart And pray to whoever you want to God won't care so shut your mouth And come with me to the other side Hey, it's Sad but True! Nothing's left to lose And your life is broke in two Sad but true! So cross with me and fade away Into the black burning dawn You might try to run away But I cannot be conned Hate me first then chain yourself To the tree that eats the sky Hey, it's Sad but True! Nothing else to give And your soul is broken, too. Sad but true! So face your life and wonder why I'm the only one left here You're a disgrace, so open wide And swallow the truth whole Satan's feet give you the boot And hell will open wide Sad but true! There's nothing more for you to say And my time has now come Why don't you just go away Before the rising of the sun? So turn your back and feel it out The cross is on it's way Sad but true! I'm the judgement calling down, Face the hammer's mighty crown! I know it's Sad but True! Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta Edited by: Falcon2001 at: 5/27/02 2:41:47 am

I like the message in this, keep up the good work Rashash! In everything and nothing, life rules eternal. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

Heck yeah, keep up the good work Justin!

William heaved forward, slashing diagonally. The huge black axe travelled through the log like a hot knife through warm butter, and seconds later the second slash from the axe sliced horizontally, cutting the log again. There was a muffled thud as the three log segments all fell to the ground and Nightshade resumed it's normal form. "That's quite a swing you've got there, neighbor." William looked over at the stranger, an old man with white hair and a peculiar smile on his face. He shrugged at the old man. "Always training." The old man walked over and looked at the fallen sections. "But you're not as good as Cioden, y'know. And you'll never be, either." Sliding the sword back into it's sheath with a click, William looked at the old man with interest. "Why not?" The old man looked at him with piercing violet eyes. "Because you're not evil, in fact, you're damn near the opposite."

CAKE! LOTS AND LOTS OF CAKE! And ice cream too, definately. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

William plummetted toward the ground, his throat constricted and heart racing. This is it, I'm finally going to die, he thought, his mind strangely calm. Then the sun seemed to explode, and he fell into the light. Not yet, Will, there is much more for you to do. I cannot allow you to destroy yourself just yet. There was a tearing feeling, and suddenly he was face down in a clearing. Looking around, he recognized the ever-present writing desk and inkwell and realized he was in the garden of the Pen Keep. Dragging himself to his knees, he wept tears of rage at whoever thwarted his efforts, and then soon slipped quietly into unconciousness. Behind him, a shadowed figure watched expectantly.

William leaned heavily on the walking staff he had dug out of his collection of trinkets and treasure. Inwardly cursing his weakness, he limped along towards the Pen's banquet hall. A few feet later, he tripped and his staff went clattering along the cold marble floor out of his reach. Tangled and twisted, his bony limbs askew on the floor, tears of rage poured down William's cheeks as he remembered the mistakes he made and the deal he made. "Will, you need a hand?" Behind him Falcon approached, healthy and active. William hated him unmercifully right then. "Back away, fool!" he hissed, his tone dripping venom. Falcon looked confused. "I just want to help, Will!" William spat at him, crawling toward his staff. "Yeah, just want to help so you can laugh at my weakness, right, Falcon? Well I've got news for you, you idiot! I'll be back soon, and then you won't have me to laugh at, and what'll you do then, eh? Now leave here, the mere sight of you sickens me!" Falcon's face grew confused and he ran off, with Will's voice echoing in his ears. Will looked around a little, then slowly lifted himself to his feet. They'd all pay for laughing at him, when he wasn't here anymore. Slowly he drug himself, not to the dining hall, but over to a different building...the library. * * * Will painfully drew himself up the final step. After using up all his energy to destroy the door barring him from the top, he was at the clocktower's peak. Held up only by his walking stick, he doddered to the edge and looked down, all fear gone. Far below him, the Pen Keep sprawled out below. "So you've finally decided to get it over with, eh?" Will turned around, and saw the pale ghostly figure of Kain approaching, staying to the shadows more of habit then necessity. "Back off, freak!" hissed Will. Kain shrugged. "It's up to you, but whatever you choose, remember, it's your life." Will spat at him then turned back to the edge. "Anything you want me to do when you're gone, with your belongings?" Will almost spat something caustic at him, but then hesitated. Reaching inside his tunic, he withdrew a simple silver carving on a chain. The carving was of a thorny vine bent into the shape of a heart, with a star in the middle. Taking it off his head, he hurled it to Kain. "Give that to Cioden, he'll know what to do with it." Kain nodded and walked away into the shadows. All alone on the balcony now, William muttered to himself a little. "Well, this is it. Goodbye world, you didn't need me, and now I'm gone for good." Thus said, he turned and hurled himself from the ledge, plummeting to the castle below.

*Applauds* Great poem, Seth. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

Yes, this is a very juvinile poem. Oh well. Too bad, this is what I wrote and that's just what it is.

You'll never be god, mom No matter how much you try So why do you piss and moan, mom? You know that it's a pack of lies What's the deal with your complaints And why's rob addiction my fault? Somehow I see holes in your sentences And I am suspecting a plot So you can take a flying @#%$, mom Right at the big silver moon 'Cause there's no way in hell that I'll listen When you tell me to go to my room You won't ruin my social life, mom Just because you've had a bad day You don't understand the limits of your power, mom And you've reached them, okay? So you can just @#%$ off and die, mom If you think you can keep me from life Because if you want a battle, mom, Make sure you're ready for the fight. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

William lay tossing and turning in his bed in his apartments in the Keep. Right now the only person in the room other than he was Gyrfalcon, silently watching his friend deep in the throes of what seems like a long sleep. "William, It's time for supper!" William turned toward the voice, it's familiarity tugging at his subconcious. He looked around. He was in the middle of a grassy field with mountains surrounding it completely about a mile out. Turning, he saw a small wooden house with a woman smiling at him... William arched up out of the bed, his back twisted the wrong way and a scream issuing from his lips. Gyrfalcon scrambled up, calling for Cioden and the rest mentally and pushing Will back to the sheets. Deep in the streets of a burning city, William ran for his life away from someone who was out to kill him. A man stepped in front of him and Will ran him through, removing his sword as soon as the body stiffened. Running was his only option, haunted by ghostly laughter from all around. He ran into an alley and saw a man with a black axe. The man looked up... Falcon mopped Will's sweating brow with a cold damp towel. All the windows were open and the cold winter air was blowing in, but the afflicted man was still burning with fever. He occasionally muttered things in his comatic state, but one kept issuing again and again, over and over through the mumbled phrases. "Selene...Selene......" Pulling the sheets up, the girl laughed wickedly and smiled at William. Their bodies both glistened with sweat, and her dark hair hung down to her waist in a glittering cascade. Standing, she walked to the window, beautiful in her nudity and sillhouetted in the moonlight. Her green eyes caught his, and they kissed languidly before moving back to the bed... "He's in a comatic trance state," said Cioden matter-of-factly. "He may come out in an hour, or a week, or never. There's no way to tell with these things." Everyone looked worriedly at the pale man laying on the bed. For three days he had tossed and turned like this, with no end in sight. "We may have to accept the fact that he may... "Never come back!" William cringed as the voice cut him to the bone. The masked elder on the tall roan horse accosted him sternly. "You have brought much shame on this town and our clan. You are banished from the lands of the Kumai, and are never to come back again." William looked once more at the masked girl on the horse next to the elder, then turned and rode away, his sword on his back and his mail jingling slightly. He rode down that road, ne'er to return... Gyr stood once more over his friend's bed, a worried expression on his normally placid face. An entire month had gone by, and the normally well-built William had deteriorated to nothing but skin and bones. Daily they attempted to drip broth down his throat, but it was barely keeping him alive. If this went on much longer, he might...Gyr stopped abruptly and strode out of the room. William stood in front of the statue of the Holy Light, his blood dripping down the steps of the cathedral. Behind him, a man with a huge black axe laughed darkly. "You thought that you'd escape your past, didn't you, Hayden? There's no escape from us, and you know it!" William stared up at the angelic figure holding the burning sword in front of him. His lifeblood draining from him, he could barely manage to look up, but he did, until his eyes rested on the flickering candle resting on top of the angel statue. The flame jumped this way and that, and William's eyes were drawn deeper into it's depths, as the bloody axe descended, cutting through spine, bone, and flesh. "Now we're repayed, Hayden." Peredhil sat at the bedside of the now almost dead William Azunost. His deep eyes searched for signs of life and found none save for a feeble breath and heartbeat. Life still flowed through this man, but not for very long. Three months after the fact, and no-one had descended to the caverns since. Peredhil sighed, and a tear glistened under one eye as he walked out to leave William alone with his dreams once more. The candle-flame grew larger and larger, swallowing him completely. He felt the pain growing farther away, and a calming presence filling him. He could not move, but felt he did not need to. "You are William Azunost." the sentence was not a question. William nodded anyway. "You have died, William. Your soul can now enter the afterlife...but you're held back." William thought of Selene, and the mysterious voice seemed to nod, if a voice could do so. "That is the truth, then. I will grant you life, but you will owe me, William Azunost. You will pay me back one day, and in doing so, will change the fate of every soul in this plane, maybe even in other ones. You shall be the Hand of the Light. Do you agree?" Will wanted to nod, but couldn't. The figure seemed to understand anyway. "Then go back to your life, William, and remember the promise you made..." Falcon stood over his friend's almost-corpse. Nobody spoke anymore, so the voice took him by surprise. "W...at...er..." it croaked. Falcon jumped to his feet with a start. "Water..." this time it came a little easier. Falcon looked down, then ran out yelling for everyone and grabbing a small canteen of water from nearby. Pouring a little down the parched throat, he heard everyone else run in. He turned to them, a smile on his face. "He's awake!"

I'm not sure what to say, other than that I feel truly sorry for the subject of this poem, be it you or someone else. I have never known such a life, and I hope to never have to. Great poem. Cioden Darkeye Quill-Bearer - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword President of the Peredhil Fan Club Owner of the Reply Raven - Enemy to all those who never post responses Ashaman - WoT - Blitz II Council - The Hunters - Blitz II Leisure Officer - SFV Ultima - Beta

The daemon grinned hideously. "Your pathetic lives end here, and the treasure of the ancients will forever belong to my dark master!" with that, he growled and bounded toward the pair like a huge dog, albeit one from the deepest pits of hell. "Begone!" cried Cioden as he pummeled the beast with magic fire. The beast's charge however, carried it through the flames and straight into Cioden, knocking him to the edge of the stone platform. Below, flames licked hungrily upward as if reaching out for an offering. The daemon drew his misshapen leg back for the final kick, but instead it howled in pain as Gyrfalcon's katana cut deep into it's exposed back as he ran past. The daemon spun around, but then quite suddenly was distracted by a motion near the doorway. "Nay, Daemon, our rightful treasure shall be ours!" Standing sillouetted in the doorway, sword burning with black flames, William Azunost, Lord of the lands of Radea had arrived. He swept the sword like a brand, back and forth as if to ward off a spiderweb in a darkened passage. "The treasures of our forefathers shall be ours, and none shall stand in our way! No begone, beast, lest I destroy thee and send thy broken remains back to thy master with my signature engraven on them!" Nightshade erupted into argent flames, and one could almost see a second person superimposed over William, a person with bright white wings and eyes like thunder at midnight. The daemon growled and leapt at the hated being with the burning sword, but William swung Nightshade and drove the monster back. Cioden walked over to stand beside his friend, and so did Gyr, all of them intent on the giant black creature across from them. "Now I drive thee from the land with the power of the righteous, and thou shalt see the true weakness of thy being. Lo! for the morning sun has come, and with it your last breath, foul beast. Now come and taste cold steel, for it is a fitting last supping for one such as thee!" William leapt forward, his flaming sword sweeping toward the Daemon with deadly accuracy. The beast growled and blocked the sword with a huge clawed hand. William looked back at his friends. "Leave, friends! Leave for your sanity's sake. Leave for thy own sake!" He cried, pressing forward against the razor sharp claws with his argent sword. Cioden nodded once and swept out of the room. Gyrfalcon made as if to say something, but was stopped by a harsh glance from William. "GO! Go now, or thou might not have a life to look for'ard to!" Gyrfalcon sheathed his sword, bowed, and left, creating a magical barrier on his way out. Outside, Cioden was sitting on the floor meditating and replinishing his mana supply. Gyr looked at him. "What's going on in there?" Cioden looked at him shrewdly. "That wasn't the William we all know, that was something more...but I feel that it has been there all along. I trust in it's ability to slay the daemon." Gyr just looked at the door, as he heard clashing sounds coming from within. *** William slammed into the magical barrier and slumped to the floor. Within seconds, the beast was on him, vicious claws seeking a vital organ, but the sword flared brighter and William staggered to his feet, growing stronger in the white glow. The daemon looked at him hungrily, and William stared back with eyes that were both his and not quite his. Silently, he ran forward and slashed downward, but this time the sword found flesh instead of bony claw. The daemon screamed painfully as the sword burned it's way through it's arm, sizzling and cauterizing the flesh immediately on it's way through. It's hand gone, the beast spun to attack again, but stopped with his claw an inch from William's throat. The daemon coughed and then black blood bubbled out of it's mouth to drip acidly on the stone floor, then white flames flared through. William stood with the deadly sword up to the hilt in the beast for what seemed like an eternity, then stepped back, leaving the beast standing, somehow still barely alive. "Thy body is torn, and thou art beaten, foul creature. Return to your creator and tell him that the Hand of Light has risen again, and now no evil shall go unchecked." William flared up then, and the blurry image around him flashed into reality for a brief second. Blonde hair flashed above white eyes and pale red lips, and two blinding white wings sprouted from his shoulderblades. Then William was himself again, and the beast toppled slowly backwards into the pit, falling end over end into the fiery abyss as the flames leapt up to meet it. William resheathed the now-black sword, and staggered toward the doorway, opening it with a word. *** Gyr looked over quickly as Will stumbled through the door. He made it three steps, and then fell to his knees and then the ground, unconcious. Gyr and Cioden quickly knelt to pick him up, flipping him right side up, but as they righted him they almost dropped him. Upon his forehead, where once was only pale, unmarked flesh, now there was a starkly black image engraven on his smooth skin. Two wings and a human form, with a sword held hilt-up in his two hands. The entire image was without detail and rather small, but it was strangely illuminated in the dark cave. And there will be one touched by the Light, and he shall become the carrier for the Hand of the Light, and the sign shall be the mark of the Angel