Keras Nyspar's Story

The shadowlancer shifted his body forward, slightly springing himself from the wooden frame post of the stall that he decided to lean on. The polished armor appearing black, the mage watching the scene of an obese man falling over dead at the stall directly in front of him. The scene stirred up quite a response, even bringing in two Bardusken guards to investigate. Hand resting on the pummel of Retribution, a two-handed runeblade with a sizable emerald the size of a child's fist embedded into the hilt, the silent watcher started to walk away.

The last person that Keras had observed talking to the poor man was a plague doctor, and he is certain that he was the one responsible for the death. Signalling two other shadowlancers nearby, one elven like himself and the other being a human female, Keras had decided it was time to move on. He wasn't going to chase down this particular person, mainly because he simply didn't care. It wasn't an Elf that he killed, so it was the least of his problems.

"You three. Stop right there."

Keras and the two others shadowlancers stopped after moving a good ten feet from where they were previously standing. The two guards had stopped them for questioning.

"Where do you three think you're going all of a sudden?" The same guard barked the question out at them, wanting an imediate answer from them.

The human shadowlancer, whom went by the name of Aliza, decided it was best to speak out for the trio. "Nothing, sir. We were just brows-"

"Shut up woman. I wasn't asking you for your opinion." The first guard interrupted her, setting both an annoyed look upon her face as well and slowly set the catalyst for her anger to rise upon. Reaching for one of her hidden crossbows, she quickly caught a glimpse from Keras, a silent No, and she slowly withdrew her hand away from the weapon.

All three slightly annoyed at the rude response coming from the guard, the other, Marilos, tried to finish Aliza's sentence before she was cut off. "Look, we're not here to cause trouble. We were just browsing through the goods offered outside of our little section."

The second guard chimed in. "Oh, look, we got ourselves another easterner-"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Keras cut off the second guard, keeping the other two from lashing out and starting a fight with the guard. Right now isn't a good time to start a fight, he thought to himself. "Guards, sorry about not being any help right now, but we really need to be going. You insulting us isn't going to help your case, as not only did you lose what little respect we had, but now you're just wasting our time. Good day."

Keras motioned to continue on their way back to Lady Elsah and to report back to her that there is an assassin within the fairgrounds. However, these two guards have started to make this difficult for them...

Pushing aside the guards, Keras and the other two shadowlancers disappeared into the crowd, leaving the two obnoxious guards behind, it didn't take them long to get to Lady Elsah, whom was currently speaking with a certain monk, the Seer known as Hammon. Approaching the two, Keras gave out a quick nod of acknowledgement to the monk, an ally to shadowlancers. With his two partners flanking both the monk and Elven Lady, Keras whispered over her shoulder, loud enough for the seer to eavesdrop onto.

"My Lady, we need to get you to safety. There happens to be an assassin here. The monk will be safe as well," the hushed voice carried out, dampened behind the cowl that Keras was known to wear in public.

Drop.

A single drop of water splashed down onto the breastplate of his armor, the shattered puddle the size of a pupil within an eye scattering in all directions. Then another drop.

And another.

Looking up, Keras mumbled something to himself, obviously not in the shared language that the majority of commonfolk knew...

◄♫♪♫►

Suddenly, the lumbering armored statue of an Elf sprang to unnatural life, barking out orders in the elven tongue to his two comrades. Pointing here and there, those who were slightly versed in the mysterious tongue were unable to keep up with everything that Keras had said within a mere minute.

May Ious place favor upon us.

"Marilos! Return back to the elven quarter on the eastern wall and help the others move the crowds to safety! Send some others to help Aliza with the overhang! MOVE!" Keras barked at the male shadowlancer in elven, with only a silent nod as a reply and him sprinting off down the cobblestone path towards the elven caravan. "Aliza, you're the quickest of us. Get to the overhang and help the town guard with extending it. Marilos will be sending you some help shortly!" the Elf called out to the female shadowlancer, again given a silent nod in acknowledgement and who began to sprint off towards the eastern wall to help the town guard.

The rain began to fall more quickly, intense winds starting to pick up.

"Come and stick with me. I'm going to get you to safety!" Keras finally called out to the monk and Elf. Keeping one hand out in front, ready to push others out of the way, he began to start down the same path that the other two had taken, with both the monk and lady Elf close behind him.

◄♫♪♫►

The trio were almost in reach of safety. They had a good twenty or so feet between them and the wall, Keras keeping both Elsah and the Seer close behind him. They had a couple more alleyways to cross, and then...

But things had taken a turn for the worse. A sudden gust of wind rolled through the alleyway they were crossing. Of all of them, it had to be that one in particular. The gust was strong enough to knock apart the trio instantly, and with enough strength to knock the armored Elf off balance as well!

Keras had taken a pretty rough landing, but it wasn't something that could keep him down for long. Lifting himself up, now soiled from the muddied walkway that he had landed halfway on, he tucked his legs under himself, tilting his body towards the wind, he quickly scanned for an observation of what in the bloody hell just happened.

Luckily, the one-eyed seer wasn't affected from the sudden gust as Keras and Elsah were. He happened to be protected from the building eight feet away as the wind rolled through. But he was still struggling nonetheless. His satchel, full of artifacts no doubt, was giving the aged man some difficulty in trying not to get pulled by the winds. However, as he turned to his right, fifteen feet away laid a familiar body- the body of Lady Elsah, limp and trapped under debris from a nearby splintered stall.

However, he could see a woman, another gypsy, kneel down besider her and tried to recover Elsah and take her to safety. But instead of carrying out the deed, she had stopped and disappeared for a few minutes. Where the hell is she going?! Keras had thought to himself, only to have that question quickly answered. She returned, with a small object in her arms, but she ran past Elsah's limp body...

Lady Elsah, please forgive me.

Turning his attention to the monk, who was losing the struggle against the wind, Keras had quickly assessed one plan of action. Sure, it might be risky, but it would certainly assist the monk with his little problem...

The Elf unsheathed his blade, the runeblade Retribution, and quickly hurled the blade in the man's direction. Keras was strong enough to accurately, and easily, hurl the blade through those eight feet of uncertainness, but with the wind's strength now helping him for the time being, the blade had embedded itself into a crack located in the side of the building's foundation, and was within an arm's reach from the monk to support himself to.

Keras charged towards the monk, uncertain when the wind would change direction again. Making the dash, he situated himself on one side of the monk, Retribution on the other. "Seer, stay low to the ground! The lower we are, the harder for the wind to knock us around! We're going to get to Elsah's body and get us three to safety... AND HOLD ON TIGHT!" Keras yelled to the monk, as he grasped himself around the Elf and the satchel, pressing his back into the flat of the blade, using it as support when another strong of gust of wind came through, tugging at Keras. The wind had shifted again, but it had also died down in this one particular spot for a small amount of time.

◄♫♪♫►

Looking at the monk, Keras yelled "RUN!" and with the winds somewhat calmed in this minute of the storm, Keras pulled his blade from the foundation. With the monk pulling what had seemed like renewed vigor and energy, Keras followed closely behind him, both running towards the limp body of Elsah, seeing another man pulling her from the debris, obviously trying to get her to safety, as if he was ordered to do so.

Reaching the man, Keras and the monk ducked down behind the pile of wreckage, startling the man, making him lose his balance and fall over. Noticing the badly injured foot, he had sneaked a peek at the last spot they were in, only to see a collapsed building in place of where they would have been, if they didn't move when they did. Giving his attention to the man, Keras asked for the woman's body. The man obliged, and in turn, the Elf handed him his blade, motioning to use it as an improvised crutch.

"We're almost there! Stick together, and stay low to the ground, and we'll be fine! Let's move!" Keras slumped the limp Elsah over his shoulder, his right arm securing her legs, staying in the back to keep a watchful eye on the two others. They had to go at a slower pace, but they were oh so close to the eastern wall. A good ten feet or so now...

A boost of renewed energy and strength overcame Keras as he measured how close they were, and he piled forward, grabbing hold of the injured man with his not-so-dominant left arm and picking him up, charging the last couple of feet to safety, with the monk doing the same with his satchel of artifacts. Nobody knows what the body can do when a sliver of obsolute hope breaks through a wall of despair.

As the four approached the wall, they could see that the overhang was nearly extended, and a group of helpful hands welcomed them aside. Two guards had taken the injured man and Elsah, whom Keras did see breathing finally, and a familiar face had approached Keras and the monk. It was Aliza.

"Thank the Revered that you made it, bloodfriend Hammon. And the same goes to you, Kera." She said with relief in her voice, however it had faded when she watched the body of Elsah being carried away. "I hope she will be alright... Anyways, I need to secure the supports for the overhan-"

As she rushed past them towards one of the supports, the wind had grabbed a hold of her, as if it had an invisible, non-existant tentacle wrapped around her, and pulled her away and into the full force of the storm. This was almost instantaneous, and was completely unpredictable, so nobody was able to help her. However, the support stayed in place, despite the strong gust of wind picking up and carrying off a fully equiped and armored shadowlancer.

Observing this, Keras' heart fell. Watching a respected friend, a sister whom he had known for a good while, a shadowlancer at that, being pulled away to certain death was enough to have anybody wish it was them that endured that instead...

Backing away, the monk already away looking for where they had taken Elsah, Keras tried to forget what had just occurred right in front of him. But nobody can save everyone, no matter how hard they tried, and Keras had just saved not only himself, but two close allies and a complete stranger from certain death...

Keras had spent the rest of the day through the night and into the very early morning cleaning his armor. After what had transpired, the shadowlancer had requested to be alone for the night, as part of a night of silence, to mourn for the loss of his fellow brothers and sisters. He had stripped most of his outfit away, only to have his uniform-of-sorts to be temporarily replaced by simple trousers and a a pair of sandals, showing his unique features, prominently his dark, ashen skin. He had 90% of the armor cleaned and polished, and he was just started to work on the breastplate until a knock came from the door.

He was spending the night at the local blacksmith's house, that had survived the onslaught of events from the past few hours. Sure, it was bare, not elegant as the elven architecture from the east, but it had sufficient use and was gladly offered by the blacksmith's family.

"Excuse me sir, but I believe this is yours... And thank you for saving me back there."

It was the man from earlier, the one who was trying to recover Elsah's body during the storm. The very one with the crushed foot and had been given Keras' blade to use as a temporary crutch. Keras looked up from his work, and let out a sigh of relief to see the blacksmith was able to walk, however he no longer had both feet. Instead, where the crush foot once was, now stood a bandaged stump, assumed to be cauterized to seal the wound, and a mechanical prosthetic, obviously of dwarven design.

"I took the liberty of forging you this blade as well, but it's nowhere near the level of craftsmanship of your blade. I forged it earlier today as a token of thank you for saving my life from that storm. I didn't think that the dwarves were that fast at forging this new foot of mine, either," showing his new mechanical stump as the last of the sentence rolled off of his tongue, as well as placing the runeblade alongside keras' polished gear. "I may be the best blacksmith in Bardusk, but I will be honored to learn from you and how you treat your metal. Would you mind teaching me?"

The man had handed Keras a dagger, sporting a unique design, a reversed pointing blade, curved towards the handle and extending past it. The Elf stopped cleaning, and took the blade from the man's hands. Spinning it in his palm, flipping it over and around his fist and onto the back of his hand, the blade still spinning. Flipping the blade one more time, this time grasping the handle and accepting it. "I like the style and level of craftsmanship you put into the blade. It's balanced for the most part, just a quarter ounce too heavy on the back side. Nonetheless, it's flawless as I can tell. Thank you, and yes, I can teach you a couple tips and tricks on how to further your skills," Keras taking the blade and setting the blade down next to him. "However, I have a meeting to get to in a few hours, at sunrise, and I'm required to be present. But after, I'll teach you. Right now, I have to finish cleaning my armor. Have a good rest and thank you for the blade, again."

The man stumbled back through the door, out of the room that the Elf was occupying, still getting used to having a metal foot for the rest of his life. Keras had grabbed for the cloth and rags that he was using to clean the armor, and returned back to work. His blade, Retribution, was slightly damaged, but he'll make repairs later in the day as it was still functionable to take life.

Sleep holds no place for tonight. The dead must be held in our minds and hearts. However, I shall not dwell on their deaths, but learn that they had died so we can continue, so we can live on and tell others of their legacies...

Keras had two hours before having to get ready for the meeting at the Lord's manor...

Dúlin looked around at the remaining people in the Lord Mi’zral’s meeting hall. There was an elvish Lady who ran the gypsy caravan she was slightly injured from yesterday but otherwise fine. He looked at the Dwarf seated next to her. Dúlin wasn’t sure what he was but he was glad for the gift, a cloak that made him nearly invisible in the night. It was a … useful gift. Moving on he saw a gypsy girl she was normal almost to the extreme but she had strange eyes that would have unnerved him if he cared. Next to her was the hunter who had saved his life. He still owed the man and he would repay it if it killed him, he hated debts. Dúlin’s eyes passed over the Shadowlancer he didn’t like soldiers of any order they tended to hunt people like him.

He looked straight at Lord Mi’zral “My name is Dúlin and I have a question for you, you said the seer Hammon entrusted you with the secret of the eye? Well I have the eye in question” Dúlin said as he pulled the eye out of his pocket and held it to the light. “And I was given this by Seer Hammon as he died. He asked me to return it to the Order in Kryn.” Dúlin spoke as he pocketed the eye once again. “Since Lady Fey Goddess of fate has seen to it that the eye landed in my hands I will personally return it.” Looking to Lisha Corrhay and tilting his head he spoke “M’Lady since I need to return this eye and your headed to Kryn I will be joining you, if you’ll have me.”

Dúlin looked away from Lisha Corrhay and at the whole group gathered around him and waited for someone to speak.

As Alazius stood in the hall, he glanced at the other three people that also received gifts. He saw the doctor he aided the previous night receive the strange cloak. Light shimmered across the ebony fabric as he pondered what possible purpose he would have for such an artifact. Alazius noted the ill expressions that resonated from the noble’s eyes as Dulin accepted the cloak. The ranger decided to keep an eye on him.

Alazius examined the elven knight as Lady Elsah approached him. His black armor shone with a metallic hue while his eyes echoed a scarring tragedy that Alazius recognized all too well. When his blade vanished, Alazius raised his eyebrow in fascination. He had seen the use of magic a handful of times in his lifespan, both trivial and abundant. To him it was a tool that he lacked the knowledge to use – an accepted ignorance to himself – a tool that could be used for good… or for evil.

His grip on the shoulder strap of his pack tightened.

Finally the two nobles came to Alazius. Their superfluous and extravagant clothing stood in sharp contrast to the handmade leather and wool garments that sheltered him from the harsh elements for so many years. Liufr sat at his feet with his tail wrapped around his canine legs and glanced between the strangers and his master. Alazius silently reached down and scratched him behind the ears as they spoke.

“No thanks are necessary, sir,” said Alazius, inclining his head, “I simply did what I thought was the right thing – an obligation for us all. Besides, I could not have accomplished it without the aid of Liufr. He is the one who pulled you out from beneath the wagon, Ambassador. However, I will accept your gift, and will make sure these arrows are used only in the direst of circumstances.”

With that he accepted the box and removed one of the arrows. Alazius traced his finger across the shaft and head, examining the craftsmanship and material. After the examination he placed it in the case and then hooked the container beneath his arm.

The assassin gaining the gift of invisibility, the ranger tracking arrows, and the gypsy an ancient golden ornate box. These were unique gifts that the others have gained, and Keras had observed in silence throughout each passing. However, he had recognized the box that Lady Elsah had handed to the gypsy. Keras had seen her once before - she was the one who had a package in her arms during the storm.

He wasn't fond of the assassin gaining an invisibility cloak, due to the profession that he has taken. The profession to take lives, while Keras was trained to save. He hasn't seen the ranger until this very moment, and he was curious as to what he had done to gain such arrows. The shadowlancer didn't personally know the gypsy, even though they were from the same party, but he was still required to protect her, as per it was his honor and one of the charges placed upon him...

“Take out your greatsword Sir Nyspar.”

The sudden request from Lady Elsah had startled him somewhat, but not enough to make him to project such "emotion". Doing so, he obliged, handing Retribution to her. The blade was still dull and somewhat damaged from earlier events, though his armor shined brighter then ever. This was because he had yet to polish and sharpen the blade.

Keras observed as his Lady unclasped a green jewel from her neckless, pressing it into the blade's emerald. Suddenly, the jewel shattered within her palm, turning into dust, a smile appearing on her face.

“Drop the blade Keras. Don’t worry, just watch.”

He did so, letting his grip loosen from the weapon, the blade dropping blade first towards the ground. But before it touched the ground, it vanished. Replacing where the blade once was hovered a green mist, slowly floating in place, followed with Elsah's hand into his chest.

“Will it to return, and within 3 heartbeats it will be in your hand… you may be the first shadowlancer of your generation to bare such a weapon, use these new found methods wisely in battle.”

The mist floated up towards his hand, where the blade was before he had dropped it. It had taken a form of a blade similar to that of his runeblade, and condensed, Retribution appearing once more within his grasp.

Watching what had just transpired within the last thirty seconds, he said no words of gratitude, his silence was more than enough. Elsah had enchanted his blade, the enchantment known as mistform, an ancient Elven magic designed for keeping possession of personal items of great value.

As the crowd around them began to disperse, he gazed towards at the other three, however holding it slightly longer at the gypsy before turning away. She seemed familiar, yet unknown to him, but Keras had refused to let that bother him. They were asked to stay, but for what reason, Keras couldn't say. His plans would have to wait for now...

Keras was about to speak, having already thought about what words he would use, on how he is highly opposed to having an assassin having the eye in his position. He didn't trust, nor will trust the man, simply because he has hidden the fact this entire time. After all, what else could he be hiding behind that mask? The shadowlancer opened his mouth, words ready to roll off from his tongue, until he was interrupted by another of the gypsy's panicked questions.

"Oh! What about the rest of our party? Have you seen any other survivors?"

Turning towards her, Keras' mind now completely flipped to a new subject of thought. "Don't worry much, it's quite detrimental to your health. I'm sure the others are fine. My remaining shadowlancers should be taking care of them as we speak." Turning back towards the group, he had continued, "I have to oppose to the idea of having the plague doctor having the eye in his possession. He's hiding something from the rest of us, and I... just don't trust him. Artifact or not, something just doesn't feel quite right about him."

Leaning over to lady Elsah, he whispered into her ear, "M'Lady, I am very certain that the plague doctor, is the very assassin that I have warned you about earlier. If he's with our 'party', despite having helpful abilities, we have to be extremely careful with him around us."

Returning back to his proper position and posture, he remembered about his previous engagement, "After we're done here, I need to return to a previous engagement with the local blacksmith and his family, and I also ask for the gypsy to accompany me there, if it's okay with you," he concluded, shifting his gaze towards the familiar, yet unknown, gypsy.