Sanctum/Twisted
May 26, 2016 1:19:35 GMT -5
Post by Zen on May 26, 2016 1:19:35 GMT -5
Raphael
The flames in the forest had died down by the time he'd returned. The searing pain in his chest had come back, but the other knight was nowhere to be found. Under the new moon, it was dead quiet.
The corpses of the soldiers on the ground had all but completely decomposed, leaving only their rusted, gore-splattered armor in their wake. There were some new trees that had grown, and some older had disappeared since his last visit.
"The ruins of Camelot," the knight's voice echoed. Raphael looked around, searching for its origin. "And it was my greed, my lust, my pride that lead to all of this. All due to the once-proclaimed ultimate knight."
A young woman's voice whispered out from the distance, scarcely audible. "...Hello?"
"Who's there?" Raphael called out in response. Maneuvering in his sluggish armor he went after the source.
"I'm just a traveler," the woman continued, although unaware of his presence. She intended only to explain herself. "Can anyone out here guide me to a town of some sort?"
"Pah." Saber's voice echoed. "There's no sign of civilization for hundreds of miles. The woman must not have gotten the news. Such a pity... Had I anything left to lose, I'd bet it on her never making it out of this place alive."
"What do you mean by that?" Raphael rested his palm on the hilt of his sword. "Are there wild beasts ruling here, now? You told me the kingdom's been destroyed."
"There are still people, boy... People you'd want to stay far away from."
He broke into a faster walk towards the woman almost out of instinct. "I should protect her, then."
"Best of luck with that..."
"Is that sarcasm, Saber?"
"I do not make bets, boy, none which I'd ever stand a chance of losing."
The sound of horses creaked in from the distance, from the other side of the woman's position. Young men hollering in excitement came riding in, maneuvering around the corpses and trees.
"...Vultures." Raphael curved his lip in disgust.
"My, my, you do a fine job accustoming yourself to the new Camelot. The only lasting law now is that there are no laws. Chivalry's truly dead, and you're standing upon its graveyard."
"No. I can still save who I can."
"Save? Bah, I've seen you at Conzette Castle. You're a psychopath."
"No. You're wrong. You're also distracting me, so I highly suggest you shut your mouth." He rose his voice, now within the woman's earshot. "You there, come closer. These lands are dangerous."
"Oh!" She looked at him, at first suspecting him of being a reanimated corpse. Upon closer inspection, she relaxed slightly. "Are you a knight from these lands?"
"Of sorts."
"I'd been separated from my caravan for some days now, and I've been looking for a town to rest in."
"You'll find nothing here," he warned, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "Only bandits. A young lady like yourself shouldn't be out in the open at this hour."
"I'd just like nothing more than to find my family again... I still have a gold coin left. Might I pay for your services in escort?"
"No need for payment, I'd gladly do it for free."
"There must be some way I might repay you."
"At times like this..." He looked around at the corpses. "Seeing a living person smile is payment plenty." The trotting of hooves grew louder. "...Get down."
"What?"
"Get down!" He drew his blade and stepped in front of the woman as five men in ragged clothing leapt down on their steeds.
"A knight?" The first to arrive, who had crooked yellow teeth, let out an unsteady cackle. "I figured we killed off all the deserters by now. You, kid!" He pointed a thin finger at him. "You a real knight, or whatnot? Or just a messy old mercenary? Did you pull that armor off of one of these corpses?"
"I don't have to answer to anything, you vermin." He threatened them with the point of his blade. "The lady and I will be on our way, and if any of you rats desire to interfere, I will introduce you all to a fantastic new world of pain."
"Oh, blimey!" Another called out.
"Boy's got a vocabulary!" The first gave a mocking smile. "Maybe he's a knight after all! And the girl, reckon she's a duchess?"
"She's a real something, boss! Hey, why won't we all give her a few somethings, eh?!" The gang seemed to laugh in unison.
"That's enough," Raphael muttered to his companion. He grabbed her arm and ran to the left, but was intercepted by one of the bandits.
"Oy, where're you two going?"
"...Nowhere at all." He swung at one of the horse's knees, causing it to let out a squeal and throwing off its rider. He dug his sword into his rib cage before facing the other four. For one man he did exceptionally well in the skirmish, but as he dispatched another target, two others had grabbed the girl by the hips and lifted her to a spare horse, taking off quickly. He ran in pursuit, but on foot he could never keep up, let alone in full armor. He held out his hand and whispered an incantation, but his magic failed him in this world. He was forced to watch as they ran into the horizon, vanishing behind oak trees and rusted armor. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist to the ground.
"...You foolish boy."
"You set this up, didn't you?!"
"Like I said before, I never make bets I stand the chance of losing. Ah, and speaking of losing... This is the second girl you've lost since beginning you stay here, is it not?"
"..."
"You've still got a second chance, though." The pain in his chest returned. Two of the seals on his hand were now violently glowing. "Yes, you have much power, Raphael. That, coupled with enough frustration to hew a mountain in two. You'll do quite nicely. With your circumstances you can have whatever you want."
"I want her." He replied in monotone. Some light had already left his eyes. "I want her," he repeated.
"Take her. You have all you need. Now apply it."
"I want her."
"Take it. Take it all. Take it all by force."
"I... want..."
"You can have it all. You can beat the bandits. You can have your girl. All you have to do is force it."
The darkness of the forest faded. His eyes opened, and he awoke to the feeling of his hands squeezing his bedspread.
The flames in the forest had died down by the time he'd returned. The searing pain in his chest had come back, but the other knight was nowhere to be found. Under the new moon, it was dead quiet.
The corpses of the soldiers on the ground had all but completely decomposed, leaving only their rusted, gore-splattered armor in their wake. There were some new trees that had grown, and some older had disappeared since his last visit.
"The ruins of Camelot," the knight's voice echoed. Raphael looked around, searching for its origin. "And it was my greed, my lust, my pride that lead to all of this. All due to the once-proclaimed ultimate knight."
A young woman's voice whispered out from the distance, scarcely audible. "...Hello?"
"Who's there?" Raphael called out in response. Maneuvering in his sluggish armor he went after the source.
"I'm just a traveler," the woman continued, although unaware of his presence. She intended only to explain herself. "Can anyone out here guide me to a town of some sort?"
"Pah." Saber's voice echoed. "There's no sign of civilization for hundreds of miles. The woman must not have gotten the news. Such a pity... Had I anything left to lose, I'd bet it on her never making it out of this place alive."
"What do you mean by that?" Raphael rested his palm on the hilt of his sword. "Are there wild beasts ruling here, now? You told me the kingdom's been destroyed."
"There are still people, boy... People you'd want to stay far away from."
He broke into a faster walk towards the woman almost out of instinct. "I should protect her, then."
"Best of luck with that..."
"Is that sarcasm, Saber?"
"I do not make bets, boy, none which I'd ever stand a chance of losing."
The sound of horses creaked in from the distance, from the other side of the woman's position. Young men hollering in excitement came riding in, maneuvering around the corpses and trees.
"...Vultures." Raphael curved his lip in disgust.
"My, my, you do a fine job accustoming yourself to the new Camelot. The only lasting law now is that there are no laws. Chivalry's truly dead, and you're standing upon its graveyard."
"No. I can still save who I can."
"Save? Bah, I've seen you at Conzette Castle. You're a psychopath."
"No. You're wrong. You're also distracting me, so I highly suggest you shut your mouth." He rose his voice, now within the woman's earshot. "You there, come closer. These lands are dangerous."
"Oh!" She looked at him, at first suspecting him of being a reanimated corpse. Upon closer inspection, she relaxed slightly. "Are you a knight from these lands?"
"Of sorts."
"I'd been separated from my caravan for some days now, and I've been looking for a town to rest in."
"You'll find nothing here," he warned, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "Only bandits. A young lady like yourself shouldn't be out in the open at this hour."
"I'd just like nothing more than to find my family again... I still have a gold coin left. Might I pay for your services in escort?"
"No need for payment, I'd gladly do it for free."
"There must be some way I might repay you."
"At times like this..." He looked around at the corpses. "Seeing a living person smile is payment plenty." The trotting of hooves grew louder. "...Get down."
"What?"
"Get down!" He drew his blade and stepped in front of the woman as five men in ragged clothing leapt down on their steeds.
"A knight?" The first to arrive, who had crooked yellow teeth, let out an unsteady cackle. "I figured we killed off all the deserters by now. You, kid!" He pointed a thin finger at him. "You a real knight, or whatnot? Or just a messy old mercenary? Did you pull that armor off of one of these corpses?"
"I don't have to answer to anything, you vermin." He threatened them with the point of his blade. "The lady and I will be on our way, and if any of you rats desire to interfere, I will introduce you all to a fantastic new world of pain."
"Oh, blimey!" Another called out.
"Boy's got a vocabulary!" The first gave a mocking smile. "Maybe he's a knight after all! And the girl, reckon she's a duchess?"
"She's a real something, boss! Hey, why won't we all give her a few somethings, eh?!" The gang seemed to laugh in unison.
"That's enough," Raphael muttered to his companion. He grabbed her arm and ran to the left, but was intercepted by one of the bandits.
"Oy, where're you two going?"
"...Nowhere at all." He swung at one of the horse's knees, causing it to let out a squeal and throwing off its rider. He dug his sword into his rib cage before facing the other four. For one man he did exceptionally well in the skirmish, but as he dispatched another target, two others had grabbed the girl by the hips and lifted her to a spare horse, taking off quickly. He ran in pursuit, but on foot he could never keep up, let alone in full armor. He held out his hand and whispered an incantation, but his magic failed him in this world. He was forced to watch as they ran into the horizon, vanishing behind oak trees and rusted armor. "Damn it!" He slammed his fist to the ground.
"...You foolish boy."
"You set this up, didn't you?!"
"Like I said before, I never make bets I stand the chance of losing. Ah, and speaking of losing... This is the second girl you've lost since beginning you stay here, is it not?"
"..."
"You've still got a second chance, though." The pain in his chest returned. Two of the seals on his hand were now violently glowing. "Yes, you have much power, Raphael. That, coupled with enough frustration to hew a mountain in two. You'll do quite nicely. With your circumstances you can have whatever you want."
"I want her." He replied in monotone. Some light had already left his eyes. "I want her," he repeated.
"Take her. You have all you need. Now apply it."
"I want her."
"Take it. Take it all. Take it all by force."
"I... want..."
"You can have it all. You can beat the bandits. You can have your girl. All you have to do is force it."
The darkness of the forest faded. His eyes opened, and he awoke to the feeling of his hands squeezing his bedspread.