Post by Xyex on Dec 30, 2004 0:57:19 GMT -5
I'm posting this to Fictionpress.com but figured I may as well put it here too. And don't worry this one will actually be worked on fairly regularly and will get finished. ^^
Chapter One - The End Begins
The sun had just crested over the Ornan mountains to the east of the village Xirix been calling home lately. Ulom was a small village nestled at the base of the Ornan mountains somewhere within the Lodo Forest. He knew it was on the trail between Tiiam and Vorgof but wasn't sure where exactly and didn't really care. There were only about a hundred people in the village. Not that Xirix talked to them that often. He kept to himself but pitched in when needed so they left him alone in turn.
It had been almost two years since Xirix had found himself in Ulom. He'd never expected to remain in the village that long but a combination of factors kept him around. The main one was that no Daemon had been to Ulom in twenty years. Another reason that had slowly come into being was the Village Elder's granddaughter, Eorina. She'd caught his eye his first day in Ulom thanks to her bright red hair and sparkling green eyes.
He ignored her easily however, he wasn't looking to make friends let alone anything more. He was merely trying to stay under the radar of the Daemons and in turn live a little longer. Eight years had passed between his failed assault against the Daemon Overlords and his arrival in Ulom, his spirits broken. He'd done the one thing he'd promised himself he would never do, he'd accepted defeat. He, Xirix Zen, son of Uuvar Zen, and one of the most powerful Mages alive, had caved to the rule of the Daemons.
Xirix sighed from his perch atop the town totem, his aged eyes gazing about the forests around Ulom. He spent each and every night atop the totem, and Eorina spent hers at the totem's base. He hated to admit it but she'd grown on him in just a few months time. She'd broken through the cold shell that had formed around him and found the old Xirix. Or at least, what was left of him. Now he was content just to settle down in Ulom and start a family, and maybe put his skills to use.
He stood, his long robe unfolding from itself as it worked to cover his six and a half foot frame. A gust of wind blew through the village and ruffled his short cut and wild black hair. Turning he looked behind him toward the east, his gray eyes scanning for what his nose told him was there. "No..." he said softly, his gaze moving slowly and steadily across the mountains. "I should never have stayed..."
Eorina looked up at the slightly deep but smooth sound of her lover's voice. "What is it dear? Is something wrong?"
"The inevitable has happened... I feared this..."
"Daemons?"
"Coming down the trail from Vorgof..."
"Vorgof? Then... they are Diablo's men."
"Or Diablo himself." Xirix said as he leapt from the totem and seemed to drift the thirty feet to the ground and land softly. He turned toward the north end of the village and began to walk at a steady pace.
Eorina caught up to him quickly and walked with him in silence for a long moment. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" she asked, eyes cast toward the ground. He glanced over to her and was, as always, stunned by her beauty. It was times like this when the twenty seven years that seperated them were evident to him. Her face so youthful and innocent still and his old, worn, and scarred.
"It would be better for everyone if I did." he said after a moment.
"I wont let you." she said moving in front of him to block his way. "You can't just keep running away!"
"Why not? It's kept me alive this long, hasn't it?"
"You call this alive?" she nearly cried, her eyes misting up. "You're so closed off to everyone, even with me still, after all we've shared... This isn't living..." Xirix shook his head slowly and pushed passed her continuing on his way toward her Grandfather's home. She was silent for a long moment before taking a step forward and calling out. "Stay here, with me! Please!"
Xirix stopped in his walking, frozen for a moment. No one had ever asked him to stay before. Always it was the other way, they would demand he leave before the Daemons destroyed them because of him. "You don't know what you're asking..."
"I'm asking you to stay with me." she said softly. "It's not that hard... just... don't run again."
"I would be putting everyone here in danger." he said closing his eyes. He so wanted to stay with her like she asked. He would give anything for that, for a chance at a real life. Even if it was one under the rule of the Daemons. But he couldn't have that. He'd ruined all chances of that almost ten years ago. He'd challenged them and lost. They thought he was dead and that's how he wanted it. If he stayed and was found...
The two of them stood in silence as their shadows slowly lengthened and the wind blew through their hair. "I'm sorry... I can't do that." he said at last. "I can't endanger everyone like that. They've taken care of me... I have to protect them and this is the only way. I'm sorry Eorina." As a tear rolled down her cheek he started toward her Grandfather's place again.
"Oh... Xirix..." she breathed pulling her robes tightly about her and watching him enter her Grandfather's home. He wouldn't stay and she couldn't go. It would be her duty to run Ulom when her Grandfather died... and she couldn't leave him alone either. She still had not moved from her spot when the town bell began to sound ten mintues later announcing the arrival of the Daemons.
As the villagers awoke and poured from their homes gathering in the town square Eorina watched as he Grandfather emerged from his home and walked down the dirt road toward her. He was an old man with thining white hair and a long white beard. His blue eyes sparkled with a liveliness that the wrinkles on his face refuted. Clutched in his right hand was his staff that signified his position as head of Ulom.
"Is... is he..." Eorina began but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
The old man nodded. "He left the back way." he said, his voice old, weary, and wise. "He was right Eorina. If he had stayed it would have been a death sentence for everyone. He loves you too much to do that to you."
"I know." she said gently as she turned and followed him to the sqaure.
As they reached the square the sounds of hoof beats echoed through the morning air. Everyone turned and looked down the trail to the village gates which stood open so the Daemons could pass. Suddenly six large black stallions came galloping out of the woods. Mounted atop each was a man cloaked in tattered black robes.
Chapter One - The End Begins
The sun had just crested over the Ornan mountains to the east of the village Xirix been calling home lately. Ulom was a small village nestled at the base of the Ornan mountains somewhere within the Lodo Forest. He knew it was on the trail between Tiiam and Vorgof but wasn't sure where exactly and didn't really care. There were only about a hundred people in the village. Not that Xirix talked to them that often. He kept to himself but pitched in when needed so they left him alone in turn.
It had been almost two years since Xirix had found himself in Ulom. He'd never expected to remain in the village that long but a combination of factors kept him around. The main one was that no Daemon had been to Ulom in twenty years. Another reason that had slowly come into being was the Village Elder's granddaughter, Eorina. She'd caught his eye his first day in Ulom thanks to her bright red hair and sparkling green eyes.
He ignored her easily however, he wasn't looking to make friends let alone anything more. He was merely trying to stay under the radar of the Daemons and in turn live a little longer. Eight years had passed between his failed assault against the Daemon Overlords and his arrival in Ulom, his spirits broken. He'd done the one thing he'd promised himself he would never do, he'd accepted defeat. He, Xirix Zen, son of Uuvar Zen, and one of the most powerful Mages alive, had caved to the rule of the Daemons.
Xirix sighed from his perch atop the town totem, his aged eyes gazing about the forests around Ulom. He spent each and every night atop the totem, and Eorina spent hers at the totem's base. He hated to admit it but she'd grown on him in just a few months time. She'd broken through the cold shell that had formed around him and found the old Xirix. Or at least, what was left of him. Now he was content just to settle down in Ulom and start a family, and maybe put his skills to use.
He stood, his long robe unfolding from itself as it worked to cover his six and a half foot frame. A gust of wind blew through the village and ruffled his short cut and wild black hair. Turning he looked behind him toward the east, his gray eyes scanning for what his nose told him was there. "No..." he said softly, his gaze moving slowly and steadily across the mountains. "I should never have stayed..."
Eorina looked up at the slightly deep but smooth sound of her lover's voice. "What is it dear? Is something wrong?"
"The inevitable has happened... I feared this..."
"Daemons?"
"Coming down the trail from Vorgof..."
"Vorgof? Then... they are Diablo's men."
"Or Diablo himself." Xirix said as he leapt from the totem and seemed to drift the thirty feet to the ground and land softly. He turned toward the north end of the village and began to walk at a steady pace.
Eorina caught up to him quickly and walked with him in silence for a long moment. "You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" she asked, eyes cast toward the ground. He glanced over to her and was, as always, stunned by her beauty. It was times like this when the twenty seven years that seperated them were evident to him. Her face so youthful and innocent still and his old, worn, and scarred.
"It would be better for everyone if I did." he said after a moment.
"I wont let you." she said moving in front of him to block his way. "You can't just keep running away!"
"Why not? It's kept me alive this long, hasn't it?"
"You call this alive?" she nearly cried, her eyes misting up. "You're so closed off to everyone, even with me still, after all we've shared... This isn't living..." Xirix shook his head slowly and pushed passed her continuing on his way toward her Grandfather's home. She was silent for a long moment before taking a step forward and calling out. "Stay here, with me! Please!"
Xirix stopped in his walking, frozen for a moment. No one had ever asked him to stay before. Always it was the other way, they would demand he leave before the Daemons destroyed them because of him. "You don't know what you're asking..."
"I'm asking you to stay with me." she said softly. "It's not that hard... just... don't run again."
"I would be putting everyone here in danger." he said closing his eyes. He so wanted to stay with her like she asked. He would give anything for that, for a chance at a real life. Even if it was one under the rule of the Daemons. But he couldn't have that. He'd ruined all chances of that almost ten years ago. He'd challenged them and lost. They thought he was dead and that's how he wanted it. If he stayed and was found...
The two of them stood in silence as their shadows slowly lengthened and the wind blew through their hair. "I'm sorry... I can't do that." he said at last. "I can't endanger everyone like that. They've taken care of me... I have to protect them and this is the only way. I'm sorry Eorina." As a tear rolled down her cheek he started toward her Grandfather's place again.
"Oh... Xirix..." she breathed pulling her robes tightly about her and watching him enter her Grandfather's home. He wouldn't stay and she couldn't go. It would be her duty to run Ulom when her Grandfather died... and she couldn't leave him alone either. She still had not moved from her spot when the town bell began to sound ten mintues later announcing the arrival of the Daemons.
As the villagers awoke and poured from their homes gathering in the town square Eorina watched as he Grandfather emerged from his home and walked down the dirt road toward her. He was an old man with thining white hair and a long white beard. His blue eyes sparkled with a liveliness that the wrinkles on his face refuted. Clutched in his right hand was his staff that signified his position as head of Ulom.
"Is... is he..." Eorina began but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
The old man nodded. "He left the back way." he said, his voice old, weary, and wise. "He was right Eorina. If he had stayed it would have been a death sentence for everyone. He loves you too much to do that to you."
"I know." she said gently as she turned and followed him to the sqaure.
As they reached the square the sounds of hoof beats echoed through the morning air. Everyone turned and looked down the trail to the village gates which stood open so the Daemons could pass. Suddenly six large black stallions came galloping out of the woods. Mounted atop each was a man cloaked in tattered black robes.
