Wryneck's Blade: Nighthand's Next Phase
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 3:35 am
To: Nighthand
From: Reinier
Subject: Gems
I gained a gem from Melzas, but I couldn't activate it. It's a deep purple, so I suppose it would most likely be your specialty seeing as how it's most likely darkness. I'll meet you at the hideout.
~Reinier
Nighthand was soon back in the Hideout, waiting for Reinier.
I wonder… What are these players to me? Gingi, Nall, I can consider them friends… Hijinx, even, could be an ally… But what of these others? Zan, Hacorie, Reinier… They’re filler, soldiers to train for our war…
But this Reinier boy… He has promise. Not that I’d ever tell him that, but still. These gems are practically pure energy, and he can harness it effectively despite having such little training in any form of manipulation…
Lost in thought, Nighthand was almost startled when Reinier entered.
“I like the decoration of a dragon… it adds a certain… finesse to the room… Anyway, I got this gem from Melzas, and well… I can’t work it. I think I need someone who’s amassed a certain amount of powers to activate it. And well, you’ve certainly done a good job of this…”
Reinier pulled his gem from his bracelet. Well, it looked like a gem, but wasn’t much more powerful than any other lump of stone. It DID seem to have some kind of power to it, but it was hidden, nowhere accessible. Like a lock without a key.
But I might be able to make this key…
”Well then, let me take a look at it. I might be able to do something with it… Darkness IS my favorite,” He held out his hand for the gem. Reinier tossed it to him, unexpectedly enough that it took a couple tries to catch it.
He gazed into the Gem.
Its blackness was a match for Nighthand’s eye, deep as night itself. The swordsmage could sense the darkness; he could feel the energy trapped inside the gem. He had an idea of what was wrong… but it would take a comparison to see.
”Alright, now let me see the ice one…” With a sigh, Reinier pulled it out and handed it over.
Nighthand compared the two gems silently for a moment, and found what he was looking for. The piece that was missing.
“I thought so. There's some kind of block; like it wasn't formed completely. It should only take a second to fix.”
Reinier nodded and watched as Nighthand pulled out a small darkness scroll and held it above the gem. Thankfully, he didn’t have to use his hack extensively for it; its instability could have destroyed the gem. His narutal affinity for Darkness was enough. It seemed to melt in to a cloud of black smoke, which quickly formed in to a black orb. He shoved the orb in to gem, which started shaking violently. “Is that nat-” Reinier had been quickly cut off. In a massive explosion of what seemed to be pure darkness energy, and Nighthand blacked out.
~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~
In a flash, Nighthand was disoriented. A second, and he was once again able to see, to recognize his surroundings.
Soul’s Eternal Cry. The Soul Shrine.
The Soul Shrine… A place of power, of serenity… a place where Nighthand went when he needed somewhere to rest. And as much as he needed to rest after all that had happened…
How did I get here?
No answer.
Silverblade?
No answer.
Nighthand sat up, not realizing he was on his back until then. Something was wrong. The familiar bird noises of the field were gone, the trees were still as death. Almost like the field had been frozen, locked in a moment.
Nighthand hurried to his feet, and ran off through the trees. He knew where he was going, he knew the field like he knew the back of his hand. And, he wasn’t sure quite what, but something was amiss.
Breaking into a run, his heart pounding, Nighthand abruptly broke into the central clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks.
The ground was littered with rubble. Here and there, a recognizable bit of stone rested where it lay. His eyes widened at the sight. The statues of the twelve were gone, blown to rubble.
The ground shuddered, and the shadows lengthened as the top half of the central Seraph statue explode.
Nighthand shielded his eyes from the blast. When the most of the dust cleared, he looked on at the assailant. Who could be doing this?
On top of the severed half of the Seraph, perched a character Nighthand was all too familiar with.
”Silverblade…”
“Ah, Nighthand, so nice of you to join me for the grand finale. Your timing is impeccable!” There was an edge to his voice, something broken in the way he talked.
”Silverblade, what have you done?”
“What have I done? Why, nothing you wouldn’t have. I’m simply destroying these chains that hold you. With these statues destroyed, you are free to wreak all the havoc you wish!”
”No…”
“Oh, yes, yes…” Silverblade said. “Now, watch, the grand finale!”
The caricature of Nighthand in front of him raised his hand to the air. Six streaks or paint on his wrist pulsed with light. Nighthand now recognized them for what they were; scrolls, broken down into their essence. The energy, released, followed a will not it’s own. It glowed brightly and streaked out around Silverblade’s wrist. All six of them, representing each of the elements, congealed into the player’s hand, forming a globe. The globe pulsed like six kinds of liquids all mixed together, but never really mixing.
“HA!” Cried Silverblade, and the elements all abruptly fused into one golden light. “Come to me, blade of purity! Goldstorm, Awaken!”
The golden globe elongated abruptly, forming the blade Nighthand had seen once before in his dreams. Goldstorm, the perfect blade, formed completely from the powers of the elements. Once more wielded by Silverblade, once more against him.
“Now watch, Nighthand, for there is nothing you can do.” Silverblade raised the sword above his head and reversed it. He leapt, and thrust his blade straight down. Nighthand, distracted until that moment, never knew the target.
Arra’s statue.
Silverblade drove the sword through her. It shuddered for a moment, and then the statue filled with cracks. The echo of Arra’s dying scream resounded in Nighthand’s head, as the very world around him shattered like the statues before.
******************************
From: Reinier
Subject: Gems
I gained a gem from Melzas, but I couldn't activate it. It's a deep purple, so I suppose it would most likely be your specialty seeing as how it's most likely darkness. I'll meet you at the hideout.
~Reinier
Nighthand was soon back in the Hideout, waiting for Reinier.
I wonder… What are these players to me? Gingi, Nall, I can consider them friends… Hijinx, even, could be an ally… But what of these others? Zan, Hacorie, Reinier… They’re filler, soldiers to train for our war…
But this Reinier boy… He has promise. Not that I’d ever tell him that, but still. These gems are practically pure energy, and he can harness it effectively despite having such little training in any form of manipulation…
Lost in thought, Nighthand was almost startled when Reinier entered.
“I like the decoration of a dragon… it adds a certain… finesse to the room… Anyway, I got this gem from Melzas, and well… I can’t work it. I think I need someone who’s amassed a certain amount of powers to activate it. And well, you’ve certainly done a good job of this…”
Reinier pulled his gem from his bracelet. Well, it looked like a gem, but wasn’t much more powerful than any other lump of stone. It DID seem to have some kind of power to it, but it was hidden, nowhere accessible. Like a lock without a key.
But I might be able to make this key…
”Well then, let me take a look at it. I might be able to do something with it… Darkness IS my favorite,” He held out his hand for the gem. Reinier tossed it to him, unexpectedly enough that it took a couple tries to catch it.
He gazed into the Gem.
Its blackness was a match for Nighthand’s eye, deep as night itself. The swordsmage could sense the darkness; he could feel the energy trapped inside the gem. He had an idea of what was wrong… but it would take a comparison to see.
”Alright, now let me see the ice one…” With a sigh, Reinier pulled it out and handed it over.
Nighthand compared the two gems silently for a moment, and found what he was looking for. The piece that was missing.
“I thought so. There's some kind of block; like it wasn't formed completely. It should only take a second to fix.”
Reinier nodded and watched as Nighthand pulled out a small darkness scroll and held it above the gem. Thankfully, he didn’t have to use his hack extensively for it; its instability could have destroyed the gem. His narutal affinity for Darkness was enough. It seemed to melt in to a cloud of black smoke, which quickly formed in to a black orb. He shoved the orb in to gem, which started shaking violently. “Is that nat-” Reinier had been quickly cut off. In a massive explosion of what seemed to be pure darkness energy, and Nighthand blacked out.
~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~::~
In a flash, Nighthand was disoriented. A second, and he was once again able to see, to recognize his surroundings.
Soul’s Eternal Cry. The Soul Shrine.
The Soul Shrine… A place of power, of serenity… a place where Nighthand went when he needed somewhere to rest. And as much as he needed to rest after all that had happened…
How did I get here?
No answer.
Silverblade?
No answer.
Nighthand sat up, not realizing he was on his back until then. Something was wrong. The familiar bird noises of the field were gone, the trees were still as death. Almost like the field had been frozen, locked in a moment.
Nighthand hurried to his feet, and ran off through the trees. He knew where he was going, he knew the field like he knew the back of his hand. And, he wasn’t sure quite what, but something was amiss.
Breaking into a run, his heart pounding, Nighthand abruptly broke into the central clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks.
The ground was littered with rubble. Here and there, a recognizable bit of stone rested where it lay. His eyes widened at the sight. The statues of the twelve were gone, blown to rubble.
The ground shuddered, and the shadows lengthened as the top half of the central Seraph statue explode.
Nighthand shielded his eyes from the blast. When the most of the dust cleared, he looked on at the assailant. Who could be doing this?
On top of the severed half of the Seraph, perched a character Nighthand was all too familiar with.
”Silverblade…”
“Ah, Nighthand, so nice of you to join me for the grand finale. Your timing is impeccable!” There was an edge to his voice, something broken in the way he talked.
”Silverblade, what have you done?”
“What have I done? Why, nothing you wouldn’t have. I’m simply destroying these chains that hold you. With these statues destroyed, you are free to wreak all the havoc you wish!”
”No…”
“Oh, yes, yes…” Silverblade said. “Now, watch, the grand finale!”
The caricature of Nighthand in front of him raised his hand to the air. Six streaks or paint on his wrist pulsed with light. Nighthand now recognized them for what they were; scrolls, broken down into their essence. The energy, released, followed a will not it’s own. It glowed brightly and streaked out around Silverblade’s wrist. All six of them, representing each of the elements, congealed into the player’s hand, forming a globe. The globe pulsed like six kinds of liquids all mixed together, but never really mixing.
“HA!” Cried Silverblade, and the elements all abruptly fused into one golden light. “Come to me, blade of purity! Goldstorm, Awaken!”
The golden globe elongated abruptly, forming the blade Nighthand had seen once before in his dreams. Goldstorm, the perfect blade, formed completely from the powers of the elements. Once more wielded by Silverblade, once more against him.
“Now watch, Nighthand, for there is nothing you can do.” Silverblade raised the sword above his head and reversed it. He leapt, and thrust his blade straight down. Nighthand, distracted until that moment, never knew the target.
Arra’s statue.
Silverblade drove the sword through her. It shuddered for a moment, and then the statue filled with cracks. The echo of Arra’s dying scream resounded in Nighthand’s head, as the very world around him shattered like the statues before.
******************************