Tales of An Undesired Truesilver
Posted On: Mar 15, 2015 13:35:10 GMT 7
Post by Michalla Truesilver on Mar 15, 2015 13:35:10 GMT 7
Chapter 0 - The Battle of D'Arnise Keep
Year of the Voyage (1398 DR), around the last tendays of Eleint (The Fading)
A small stone fortress stood strongly on a vast plains at the southern nation of Amn. People called that fortress with D’Arnise Keep. No one would think it was almost toppled down by an army of undead, if there were no refugees or corpses near its wall.
Several people with plate mail and cape bearing symbol of a right-hand gauntlet, held upright with palm forward, were helping the refugees, despite being greatly overwhelmed by the helpless ones. Several other people with similar appearances were patrolling around the fortress.
As the dawn approach, two figures with cleric vestments came out from the Keep’s gate. A blue-haired young woman with bandages over her left shoulder and arm was seen between them. Her name is Michalla Truesilver, or simply called Kayla. As she walked following the other two, Kayla couldn’t avoid the devastating sights. Regrets filled her thought, especially since she was partly responsible for causing this mess.
Or so she thought.
Kayla grabbed her dislocated shoulder softly. It still hurt a bit, but it’s more than enough as a reminder of her blunders.
-----
Inside the mysterious darkness that even engulfed the light, Kayla was strangled by strange leathers that got her when she recklessly tried to help Lady Incendie, who was already strangled by the same thing earlier. Of course, Kayla didn’t know their presence beforehand. However, it’s still a foolish and reckless action of her, for approaching Lady Incendie’s location in the darkness. It should be obvious that danger was lurking in that kind of situation.
-----
“Hm? What should we do if we were at disadvantage?” a woman with silver hair asked. She held a rapier while standing with a swift gesture, leaving no opening on her stance.
Kayla tried to swung her sword at that woman, but the latter easily changed the course of the former’s more massive blade with her thin rapier.
“Well, the most obvious answer is to get out from that situation as soon as possible. However...”
Kayla tried to swing her sword once again. Her blade did not meet its target again. This time, however, it was parried only a few inches away from that woman’s body.
“...that was close,” said the woman while taking a few steps back.
After making a gap between her and Kayla, she took a stance again, although it was a bit different this time. Unlike the previous one, her current stance left several openings. “I will show you the answer; prepare yourself.”
At that moment, Kayla knew that she must do her best, either to protect herself or to strike first before that woman moved.
-----
As she walks through the masses of refugees –and corpses- the urge to help those poor souls become stronger. Alas, there is nothing she can do. The clerics will stop her immediately if she changed her course.
Even if they did not stop her, what can she do for them? The limited miracle of healing that Torm bestowed to her would not suffice to heal their wounds. Trying to comfort them with words? That will not help much. They did not need comforting words; what they need is something that could helped them for getting out from this ordeal.
Kayla knew what they might need. She also had the chance to do that. However, it was her too who jeopardized that chance.
Or so she thought.
-----
Kayla tried to cut down anything that strangled her and her companions. Trapped in such situation made her panicked, unconsciously or not. She swung her sword aimlessly in the middle of darkness. Her sword hit the creature once, but barely scratched it. She did not plead for Torm’s guidance nor strength; one of her biggest mistake.
Lady Fhauri tried to help Kayla with almost no avail. It was fortunate that Brother Domine was free, thus Lady Incendie’s doom could be averted. Sir Frostbeard and Miss Aria were also seemed struggling in the similar situation, although the latter fared better than the former.
It would be obvious that this situation was too dangerous for her group if allowed to stay any longer. Pleading for Torm guiding her hand directly would took too much time, since she didn’t know for how long her body could withstood the stranglehold. Therefore, she only prayed the Loyal Fury to filled her blade with His might and guide it to the enemy.
Fortunate for Kayla, Torm blessed her and His might was more than enough to obliterate the creature. She also saw both Lady Fhauri and Miss Aria eliminated the one who attacked Lady Incendie. The only creature left was the one which strangled Sir Frostbeard. Lady Incendie, who had just woke up, tried to help Sir Frostbeard, although her halberd bounced back by that creature’s body.
Seeing that, Kayla hastily charged to strike this last enemy, and made another grave mistake.
-----
The Kayla could not remember what was just happened a moment ago. She remembered that she charged the woman. But, the next thing she could remember was she sat on the ground with her sword lying a few feet from her. The woman was pointing her rapier toward Kayla’s neck. They did not move for a while.
“You were almost get it, Kayla. Unfortunately, you swung too wide. Are you too eager to defeat me, that you hastily plunged yourself to attack?”
Kayla only bowed her head, as if she admitted it. That woman pulled and sheated her rapier while walking away from Kayla.
“Always give it your all in any kind situation; that is the answer for your question. No need looking for a more complicated answer, especially for you,” said her while still walking. She stopped after a few steps and turned around with a serious look on her face. “However, a rash decision and overeagerness mostly won’t yield a good result,” said her firmly.
They went silent for a while, before that woman broke the silence with a long sigh.
“That's one of your main problem, unfortunately,” she added.
-----
Kayla swung her sword too wide for compensating her lack of strength. The creature died by her sword, but a loud cracking sound could be heard from her left shoulder.
Fortunately, she was able to withstand the pain for that immediate moment. Unfortunately, she was unable to hold the pain anymore when Lady Fhauri and Lady Incendie checked her shoulder, making both of them treated her wound while the rest were scouting ahead.
In the end, her overeagerness only brought more harm than good. It might be only for a while, but she still halted the group’s progress.
If only she remembered something much sooner, it would not ended like this.
-----
“Then, what should I do?” Kayla asked.
That woman put her hand on chin while closing her eyes. It looked like she found difficulty in answering the question. She went quite for a while, before she came up with an answer.
“Try to plead for Torm’s guidance and strength whenever you are going to do something,” she said firmly.
“...are you sure that would be enough?” asked Kayla.
“Well, it probably won’t always work, but at least it could calm you down. That’s the most important point.” She paused for a while, before letting out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I wish I could give you a better answer.”
-----
Kayla and the group stood outside the cave. The sun was already quite high, and the battle at the Keep already begun.
Or rather, the Keep was able to withstood from the Undeads army’s until now, fortunately. It was all thanks to Brother Domine’s suggestion to Lady D’Arnise before they depart. Kayla couldn’t imagine what would happened to the Keep if he didn’t give that suggestion.
They must act quickly before the Keep fell. But, how? The only thing Kayla knew was relying on Sir Frostbeard’s tracking skill to find the army’s controller.
However, Lady Incendie, Lady Fhauri, and Miss Aria suddenly ran toward a same direction. Brother Domine immediately chased them, in case they were running straight to enemy’s ambush. In the meanwhile, Sir Frostbeard was still trying to track the controller. Kayla decided to wait for Sir Frostbeard’s cue, since the controller took higher priority right now.
In the end, Sir Frostbeard also headed toward the same direction. Ultimately, they found the enemy’s main camp, with a pair of hobgoblins controlling skeletons inside. By the time they arrived at the encampment, sounds of horses could be heard nearby, as if someone was preparing to leave the location immediately. It seemed those were real culprits, but the hobgoblins and skeletons must be eliminated first before the group could approach them.
Brother Domine instructed the rest of the group to eliminate the hobgoblins while he held the skeletons. Seemed like a sound idea, although the one who could slip past the skeletons wall was Lady Fhauri. She managed to hit one of the hobgoblins with her crossbow bolt, but not enough to kill it. Miss Aria tried to jumped over the wall too, but her feet slammed one of those skeletons and hindered her movement. Sir Frostbeard charged the skeletons, hoping to clear Miss Aria’s path.
-----
“N-no, that is not true. What you have said is more than enough for me, Tanith.” Kayla hurriedly replied the woman whom she called with Tanith. As usual, she felt uneasy whenever Tanith apologized to her. “Besides, he always told me there are many things that I must figured out by myself...”
Tanith only replied with a faint smile. “Well, if you say so,” she added while giving out a sigh. “I guess that concluded tonight’s practice. Have a good rest, Kayla.”
Kayla stood while picking up her sword. “Thank you for tonight's practice, Tanith.”
“You have a really good brother, don’t you? Don’t forget to thank him too, later.”
-----
Realized that she was currently powerless to make much different in the battlefield, Kayla decided to make way for Sir Frostbeard by eliminating the skeleton that attacked him, by using Torm’s light. At the same time, Miss Aria leaped the skeletons and immediately cleaved one of the hobgoblins into two. The last hobgoblins tried to attack Miss Aria with no avail, and shortly after, its head was crushed by Sir Frostbeard’s warhammer.
The remaining skeletons crumbled to dust immediate after the last hobgoblin’s death. The camp was clear now, but the real masterminds were already too far to be chased. Brother Domine tried to shot them by using arrow, but his effort ended in vain. Sir Frostbeard tried to do somethin, but it was too late; they had already fled to the northern Faerûn.
-----
The more she remembered it, the more she felt that she only contributed a little to none in this battle. It was too little if compared with her mistake which hindered the group. Had the other not found the undead’s command center, the Keep would be gone for good. Kayla was fortunate because the rest of the group managed to do their part properly. She must be grateful for that fact.
-----
“H-huh?” Kayla seemed struck with Tanith’s words.
“Please, it’s impossible for you to came at me with such specific question. It was your brother who told you to ask that to me, wasn’t he?”
Kayla blushed and tried to answer, with no avail. She could not finish her words properly.
Tanith chuckled seeing Kayla’s behavior. “Whatever. Just don’t forget to thank him later, okay?”
“Y-yes. I will...”
“Ah, right. I almost forgot. I have been told that you are still unable to let go your worst habit. Before you go, I want to remind you once again; do not-”
------
“Sister-of-arms Truesilver?”
The call interrupted her thought. One of the priests was looking at her.
“You will have your wound treated first before you meet the leader. Please come inside the tent.”
“Oh, thank you. I apologize for being such a burden.”
“Do not mind it, sister-of-arms. Please come inside and have your wound treated immediately, as the leader already waited for you at the main tent.”
Kayla nodded and looked back at the Keep once again before she entered the tent...
Year of the Voyage (1398 DR), around the last tendays of Eleint (The Fading)
A small stone fortress stood strongly on a vast plains at the southern nation of Amn. People called that fortress with D’Arnise Keep. No one would think it was almost toppled down by an army of undead, if there were no refugees or corpses near its wall.
Several people with plate mail and cape bearing symbol of a right-hand gauntlet, held upright with palm forward, were helping the refugees, despite being greatly overwhelmed by the helpless ones. Several other people with similar appearances were patrolling around the fortress.
As the dawn approach, two figures with cleric vestments came out from the Keep’s gate. A blue-haired young woman with bandages over her left shoulder and arm was seen between them. Her name is Michalla Truesilver, or simply called Kayla. As she walked following the other two, Kayla couldn’t avoid the devastating sights. Regrets filled her thought, especially since she was partly responsible for causing this mess.
Or so she thought.
Kayla grabbed her dislocated shoulder softly. It still hurt a bit, but it’s more than enough as a reminder of her blunders.
-----
Inside the mysterious darkness that even engulfed the light, Kayla was strangled by strange leathers that got her when she recklessly tried to help Lady Incendie, who was already strangled by the same thing earlier. Of course, Kayla didn’t know their presence beforehand. However, it’s still a foolish and reckless action of her, for approaching Lady Incendie’s location in the darkness. It should be obvious that danger was lurking in that kind of situation.
-----
“Hm? What should we do if we were at disadvantage?” a woman with silver hair asked. She held a rapier while standing with a swift gesture, leaving no opening on her stance.
Kayla tried to swung her sword at that woman, but the latter easily changed the course of the former’s more massive blade with her thin rapier.
“Well, the most obvious answer is to get out from that situation as soon as possible. However...”
Kayla tried to swing her sword once again. Her blade did not meet its target again. This time, however, it was parried only a few inches away from that woman’s body.
“...that was close,” said the woman while taking a few steps back.
After making a gap between her and Kayla, she took a stance again, although it was a bit different this time. Unlike the previous one, her current stance left several openings. “I will show you the answer; prepare yourself.”
At that moment, Kayla knew that she must do her best, either to protect herself or to strike first before that woman moved.
-----
As she walks through the masses of refugees –and corpses- the urge to help those poor souls become stronger. Alas, there is nothing she can do. The clerics will stop her immediately if she changed her course.
Even if they did not stop her, what can she do for them? The limited miracle of healing that Torm bestowed to her would not suffice to heal their wounds. Trying to comfort them with words? That will not help much. They did not need comforting words; what they need is something that could helped them for getting out from this ordeal.
Kayla knew what they might need. She also had the chance to do that. However, it was her too who jeopardized that chance.
Or so she thought.
-----
Kayla tried to cut down anything that strangled her and her companions. Trapped in such situation made her panicked, unconsciously or not. She swung her sword aimlessly in the middle of darkness. Her sword hit the creature once, but barely scratched it. She did not plead for Torm’s guidance nor strength; one of her biggest mistake.
Lady Fhauri tried to help Kayla with almost no avail. It was fortunate that Brother Domine was free, thus Lady Incendie’s doom could be averted. Sir Frostbeard and Miss Aria were also seemed struggling in the similar situation, although the latter fared better than the former.
It would be obvious that this situation was too dangerous for her group if allowed to stay any longer. Pleading for Torm guiding her hand directly would took too much time, since she didn’t know for how long her body could withstood the stranglehold. Therefore, she only prayed the Loyal Fury to filled her blade with His might and guide it to the enemy.
Fortunate for Kayla, Torm blessed her and His might was more than enough to obliterate the creature. She also saw both Lady Fhauri and Miss Aria eliminated the one who attacked Lady Incendie. The only creature left was the one which strangled Sir Frostbeard. Lady Incendie, who had just woke up, tried to help Sir Frostbeard, although her halberd bounced back by that creature’s body.
Seeing that, Kayla hastily charged to strike this last enemy, and made another grave mistake.
-----
The Kayla could not remember what was just happened a moment ago. She remembered that she charged the woman. But, the next thing she could remember was she sat on the ground with her sword lying a few feet from her. The woman was pointing her rapier toward Kayla’s neck. They did not move for a while.
“You were almost get it, Kayla. Unfortunately, you swung too wide. Are you too eager to defeat me, that you hastily plunged yourself to attack?”
Kayla only bowed her head, as if she admitted it. That woman pulled and sheated her rapier while walking away from Kayla.
“Always give it your all in any kind situation; that is the answer for your question. No need looking for a more complicated answer, especially for you,” said her while still walking. She stopped after a few steps and turned around with a serious look on her face. “However, a rash decision and overeagerness mostly won’t yield a good result,” said her firmly.
They went silent for a while, before that woman broke the silence with a long sigh.
“That's one of your main problem, unfortunately,” she added.
-----
Kayla swung her sword too wide for compensating her lack of strength. The creature died by her sword, but a loud cracking sound could be heard from her left shoulder.
Fortunately, she was able to withstand the pain for that immediate moment. Unfortunately, she was unable to hold the pain anymore when Lady Fhauri and Lady Incendie checked her shoulder, making both of them treated her wound while the rest were scouting ahead.
In the end, her overeagerness only brought more harm than good. It might be only for a while, but she still halted the group’s progress.
If only she remembered something much sooner, it would not ended like this.
-----
“Then, what should I do?” Kayla asked.
That woman put her hand on chin while closing her eyes. It looked like she found difficulty in answering the question. She went quite for a while, before she came up with an answer.
“Try to plead for Torm’s guidance and strength whenever you are going to do something,” she said firmly.
“...are you sure that would be enough?” asked Kayla.
“Well, it probably won’t always work, but at least it could calm you down. That’s the most important point.” She paused for a while, before letting out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I wish I could give you a better answer.”
-----
Kayla and the group stood outside the cave. The sun was already quite high, and the battle at the Keep already begun.
Or rather, the Keep was able to withstood from the Undeads army’s until now, fortunately. It was all thanks to Brother Domine’s suggestion to Lady D’Arnise before they depart. Kayla couldn’t imagine what would happened to the Keep if he didn’t give that suggestion.
They must act quickly before the Keep fell. But, how? The only thing Kayla knew was relying on Sir Frostbeard’s tracking skill to find the army’s controller.
However, Lady Incendie, Lady Fhauri, and Miss Aria suddenly ran toward a same direction. Brother Domine immediately chased them, in case they were running straight to enemy’s ambush. In the meanwhile, Sir Frostbeard was still trying to track the controller. Kayla decided to wait for Sir Frostbeard’s cue, since the controller took higher priority right now.
In the end, Sir Frostbeard also headed toward the same direction. Ultimately, they found the enemy’s main camp, with a pair of hobgoblins controlling skeletons inside. By the time they arrived at the encampment, sounds of horses could be heard nearby, as if someone was preparing to leave the location immediately. It seemed those were real culprits, but the hobgoblins and skeletons must be eliminated first before the group could approach them.
Brother Domine instructed the rest of the group to eliminate the hobgoblins while he held the skeletons. Seemed like a sound idea, although the one who could slip past the skeletons wall was Lady Fhauri. She managed to hit one of the hobgoblins with her crossbow bolt, but not enough to kill it. Miss Aria tried to jumped over the wall too, but her feet slammed one of those skeletons and hindered her movement. Sir Frostbeard charged the skeletons, hoping to clear Miss Aria’s path.
-----
“N-no, that is not true. What you have said is more than enough for me, Tanith.” Kayla hurriedly replied the woman whom she called with Tanith. As usual, she felt uneasy whenever Tanith apologized to her. “Besides, he always told me there are many things that I must figured out by myself...”
Tanith only replied with a faint smile. “Well, if you say so,” she added while giving out a sigh. “I guess that concluded tonight’s practice. Have a good rest, Kayla.”
Kayla stood while picking up her sword. “Thank you for tonight's practice, Tanith.”
“You have a really good brother, don’t you? Don’t forget to thank him too, later.”
-----
Realized that she was currently powerless to make much different in the battlefield, Kayla decided to make way for Sir Frostbeard by eliminating the skeleton that attacked him, by using Torm’s light. At the same time, Miss Aria leaped the skeletons and immediately cleaved one of the hobgoblins into two. The last hobgoblins tried to attack Miss Aria with no avail, and shortly after, its head was crushed by Sir Frostbeard’s warhammer.
The remaining skeletons crumbled to dust immediate after the last hobgoblin’s death. The camp was clear now, but the real masterminds were already too far to be chased. Brother Domine tried to shot them by using arrow, but his effort ended in vain. Sir Frostbeard tried to do somethin, but it was too late; they had already fled to the northern Faerûn.
-----
The more she remembered it, the more she felt that she only contributed a little to none in this battle. It was too little if compared with her mistake which hindered the group. Had the other not found the undead’s command center, the Keep would be gone for good. Kayla was fortunate because the rest of the group managed to do their part properly. She must be grateful for that fact.
-----
“H-huh?” Kayla seemed struck with Tanith’s words.
“Please, it’s impossible for you to came at me with such specific question. It was your brother who told you to ask that to me, wasn’t he?”
Kayla blushed and tried to answer, with no avail. She could not finish her words properly.
Tanith chuckled seeing Kayla’s behavior. “Whatever. Just don’t forget to thank him later, okay?”
“Y-yes. I will...”
“Ah, right. I almost forgot. I have been told that you are still unable to let go your worst habit. Before you go, I want to remind you once again; do not-”
------
“Sister-of-arms Truesilver?”
The call interrupted her thought. One of the priests was looking at her.
“You will have your wound treated first before you meet the leader. Please come inside the tent.”
“Oh, thank you. I apologize for being such a burden.”
“Do not mind it, sister-of-arms. Please come inside and have your wound treated immediately, as the leader already waited for you at the main tent.”
Kayla nodded and looked back at the Keep once again before she entered the tent...
)> But only on night.. 