Tales of Cadence

[Swordmaster69]

Woahhhh. Didn't see that coming Roadie. Great job! I loved that surprise, but it's sad Lukas has to be a traitor. Can't wait for the next chapter!!
_________________


Tales of Glory

Judith Avatar by Dimentio
Tales of Candence Rotating Fanbar by Squidmaster!!!

[Sir Shrek]

Boom, baby - now the **** hits the fan. Can't wait to see what happens next.
_________________


Credit to squidmaster64 for the fanbar.

[KK Twain]

It seems like Raven is very close to cutting off Lukas' head at the end of the chapter. I like the ending to this chapter though, a nice twist that Lukas pulls. Although, that wasn't a good move for improving the cousin's relationship. First Raven doesn't see him for three years, and then Lukas keeps on attacking him and turning against his friends...

Also:

[Roadie]

Thank you for the comments on the chapter, everyone. <3 I always appreciate your feedback, and I'm glad you're all enjoying the story.

And now, today is a very...unspecial day...as you'll see in this terrible Viva! Tales of!



Viva! Tales of! ~Two Years, Two Fanstories (And Too Much Trouble)~

Ilia: Welcome, welcome! Today we have a very special edition of Viva! Tales of!

Raven: And it really has nothing to do with us…

Felix: That’s not true! Two years ago today, Tales of the Bane was posted right here on the Tales of Series Forums-

Raven: Which, like I said before, has nothing to do with us.

Ilia: But it does! “Two years, two fanstories” anniversary!

Raven: That’s…actually nothing to be proud of. More like “two years, two fanstories, too much wasted time.”

Cymbeline: Aw, c’mon, it’ll be fun~

Stephen: Besides, it’s an excuse for us to get together for something that isn’t a questionnaire.

Raven: Goddamn writer…

Skylar: So…two years and two completed fanstories, eh?

Elsynne: Er, weren’t there two other fanstories besides ours and Bane that the writer was supposed to be working on?

Ilia: One was converted to an original story for NaNoWriMo 2008 and the other has been set aside for later so the writer can work on something original for a while. But no one’s supposed to know that fanstory exists, so thanks a lot. So technically it’s only been two fanstories in the past two years.

Raven: But why are we doing this Viva thing if Bane is two years old today? Is it because that story is dead and we need to pick up the slack (as usual), or…?

Felix: Hey, what if we invited the Bane cast to join us? It would be like a big reunion party! We’ve only been with them in a sidequest thing anyway!

Raven: No no no. Let’s not.

Skylar: It would make more sense if they were here, actually…

Raven: I’ll pay you to keep them out.

Skylar: …How much?

Stephen: Now, now. I don’t see any problem with them coming.

Cymbeline: The more the merrier!

Raven: But, um… Well, not all of the readers here have read Bane!

Felix: So?

Raven: They wouldn’t recognize the characters or the inside jokes!

Skylar: Just give it up, Raven. They’ll pop in eventually whether you like it or not. It always turns out that way.

Raven: I won’t give up!!

Elsynne: A-Actually, let’s just discuss the fanstories and such… That’s why we’re here, right?

Ilia: Somehow these stupid things always manage to degenerate into us arguing…

Stephen: What are the good things about Tales of Cadence?

Raven: Nothing. There is absolutely nothing good about this story.

Ilia: I’m sure there’s gotta be something.

Cymbeline: Well, it’s definitely going to be completely posted. <3 So everyone will know the ending!

Raven: Oh, yeah. This thread will finally die.

Stephen: We have a lot of skits, too. More than Bane had.

Skylar: That just means the writer’s getting lazier and lazier.

Raven: What about flaws? Like, how Harriette’s technically a main character now and she’s on the secondary character list? Or how Cymbeline’s about as useful as a lead brick?

Skylar: On the contrary, lead bricks can be very useful. Think of the damage one would do if I could throw it at your head.

Raven: You stupid bastard-

Elsynne: But, but…Harriette is on the main character list.

Raven: …She is?

Ilia: When did this happen?

Elsynne: Well, no one bothers to check the front page, so…

Raven: Excuse me for not having the time to study goddamn fanstory pages.

Felix: If Harriette’s on the list, then why isn’t she here with us?

Ilia: She’s kind of like Max and Chat in Tales of Eternia, right? One of those side characters who kind of randomly joins…

Stephen: I think Cymbeline’s more of a Max or Chat than Harriette, to be honest.

Raven: Whatever. Now what are we going to do? We’re wasting time.

Elsynne: Er…recurring themes in the fanstories?

Raven: ‘Family members are usually pure evil.’

Skylar: You’ve got that right.

Raven: You-!

Ilia: Come on, you’re being melodramatic.

Felix: My family members are good!

Raven: Shut up! You don’t understand!

Azure: Don’t worry, I can sympathize with you. Family members in Bane and Cadence are usually pretty terrible people.

Raven: Yeah, see? Someone else knows what I’m going thr- what the hell are you doing here?!

Elsynne: O-Oh, so it looks like the Bane cast is coming…

Skylar: I told you so.

Raven: Get the hell out of my thread.

Azure: Please be gentle, it’s my birthday~

Raven: I don’t care what day it is! Just get out of here!

Azure: Well thanks for raining on my parade, dumbass. But seriously, I thought you would’ve matured by now. Aren’t you already in Chapter 59 of your story? And your personality hasn’t developed at all?

Felix: Now it is a real anniversary celebration! Where’s everyone else?

Azure: Lost forever, I hope. Besides, who cares about any of them? I was the only important character in the story.

Raven: Important, my ass.

Skylar: You know, he reminds me of what Raven would be like if he was more confident…

Felix: Azure is Raven’s true self!

Ilia: Ugh, please no out-of-series references here…

Azure: So it’s already been two years, huh? Why are you all here if it’s Bane’s birthday?

Stephen: It’s a two-year fanstory anniversary thing. Don’t ask.

Elsynne: Because without Bane, Cadence probably wouldn’t be here.

Seraphine: Oh, so we inspired your story?

Raven: God, here come all the freaks…

Cali: Ah, it feels so nice to be out in the open again! I haven’t seen the light of day in a long time!

Kraza: (For good reason…)

Cali: Hey, I heard that!

Christos: Maybe it would be better if we went back home…

Raven: Yeah, he’s got the right idea.

Elsynne: No, no! They can stay if they want.

Felix: It’s like another crossover! We haven’t done one of those in a long time…

Stephen: What about the One Heart crossovers? Those are a lot of fun.

Ilia: Yeah, I know you have tons of fun in them.

Cali: (whimper) We never got to do a crossover with anyone…

Felix: W-What about us?

Kraza: You guys don’t count. We’re all from the same writer, so she’s basically cheating.

Seraphine: It’s better than nothing, right? Besides, this isn’t too bad.

Azure: And if Miss Writer decides to write another fanstory, we’ll all get together again, won’t we?

Raven: God, I hope not…

Ilia: So, uh…how’ve all you been since Bane was finished?

Azure: Pretty good. Jeez, how long has it been? Almost a year since the epilogue was posted?

Seraphine: I know my and Azure’s fates were revealed in our epilogue, so…

Cali: Yeah, the rest of us got nothin’. As usual. We’re no better than regular old chopped liver…

Christos: No one will ever know what happened to us…

Ilia: Ooh, what if we showed off your conclusions now?

Kraza: …We have futures?

Stephen: I don’t think the writer was cruel enough to forget to write yours…just terribly lazy…

Cali: Ah, thank you, Miss Writer!

Christos: No one’s going to understand them-

Raven: Yeah, so let’s forget about it.

Cali: No! I want to know what happens to me!

Ilia: …Yeah, I don’t have the conclusions with me. Sorry ‘bout that. (I was just trying to get a topic that wouldn’t get us in an argument but you all somehow manage to find a way to ruin it…)

Cali: Goddamn it!

Azure: Heheheh…

Skylar: Two years, too much pain…

Cali: You can say that again.

Felix: What about that Tales of the Bane rewrite? Weren’t you guys get a second chance at an ending or something?

Cali: (sniffle) The writer was working on it, but the revised plot got too different from the old one so she used it in that new fanstory you guys mentioned earlier…

Azure: In other words, we have no idea what’s happening with the rewrite. It might be done, it might not… And I’m betting my money on a solid no.

Seraphine: Well, um… What about the Cadence cast? How have you been?

Raven: Same old, same old. A chapter starts, I’m abused either physically or verbally, and it ends with a cliffhanger.

Azure: Ah, yeah, I can relate. That’s how Bane usually was.

Cali: Pfft, you’re such drama queens.

Felix: So the writer hasn’t changed her style in the last two years…

Stephen: My dad always used to say “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”.

Azure: So I guess this system of mental, physical, and verbal abuse is generally accepted by the readers?

Skylar: I know I enjoy the pain of others. Especially people I hate.

Kraza: I concur.

Raven/Azure: Oh, shut up.

Elsynne: They are alike…in a really creepy way.

Cali: So, Elsynne, do you and Raven get together at the end of the story? ‘cause Azure and Seraphine do.

Elsynne: Well, ah, um, it’s-

Cali: So if you guys don’t, that’s one thing Azure and Raven don’t have in common.

Raven: I don’t even want my name used in the same sentence as his.

Azure: Stupid little punk.

Raven: You’re not much older than I am.

Azure: You- wait a second. You’re a half-elf, aren’t you?

Raven: …Yes?

Cali: Ooh, one more thing they have in common!

Azure: …Please excuse me while I go throw myself off a cliff.

Seraphine: No, don’t do that!

Azure: Ah, one thing we don’t have in common. No matter what, someone always loves me. <3 And you only have people who hate you.

Raven: Sh-Shut up.

Felix: I don’t hate you, Raven!

Raven: Somehow, that only makes me feel worse…

Kraza: I think this whole thing’s getting a little off-topic.

Skylar: They usually end up this way.

Kraza: I’m just going to…leave now, or something. I need to get out.

Skylar: Good idea. I think I’ll head out too.

Stephen: I’m starting to get a headache…remind me not to put those two in the same room ever again.

Elsynne: I think I’ll be going as well, before things in here get out of hand.

Christos: What about your dragonling friend here? She hasn’t said a word…

Raven: What’s she doing?

Christos: Just…staring at the sky.

Raven: Yeah, go ahead and leave her. She won’t notice for a few hours.

Seraphine: Oh, um, thank you to everyone who’s supported Tales of the Bane and Tales of Cadence over the past two years! And I’m sure the writer really appreciates everyone as well! Thank you all so much!

Felix: We wouldn’t be here without your thoughtful comments and reviews!

Stephen: Until next time…or the next fanstory…

Cali: Bye-bye!

(( Some time later… ))

Harriette: Phew, I made it… Although it’s kind of quiet in here…

Cymbeline: Hello, Harriette!

Harriette: …Cymbeline? Where is everyone?

Cymbeline: Oh…I guess I lost track of time. They must’ve left already.

Harriette: Remind me to do something terrible to Raven and Felix the next time I see them. They were the ones who got rid of my invitation to this Viva thing…

Cymbeline: Oh, all right. I’ll let them know when I find them.

Harriette: (mutter) …about as useful as a lead brick…

Cymbeline: Oh, Raven said the exact same thing about me a while ago! Great minds think alike!

Harriette: …I’m going to go wash my mouth out with soap.

Cymbeline: Happy “two years, two fanstories” anniversary~
_________________

[Zandra]

lolololol

Raven and Azure do seem alike. Though, Azure seems more loud, and not a smart.

LEAD BRICK
_________________

[Toku]

Aww, cute.

Amusing too, I might add.

There were so many things I liked in there that I can't possibly quote them all but here goes...

[Zandra]

[wolfeyes]

Usually not the one doing this but couldn't resist

I swear though, one day you really have to tell what happened the rest of the ToB group...
_________________


Pathetic attempts at fanfiction

[Swordmaster69]

LMAO. Lead Brick.
_________________


Tales of Glory

Judith Avatar by Dimentio
Tales of Candence Rotating Fanbar by Squidmaster!!!

[Roadie]

wolfeyes: Dang, it says it's a bad link... But one day, maybe the Bane cast's lives will be revealed...!

Much thanks for the comments on the skit, everyone. It doesn't feel like I've been writing fanstories all that long...but it certainly has been a fun two years. Thanks for the support! <3

And don't worry about missing Harriette on the front page. Maybe I should get to work on her titles and techs...? If anyone's interested. Or not.

And oh boy oh boy a crapter. I have a feeling there are some weird typos in here -- I didn't get a lot of time to edit last week for various reasons (and it's just a ****ing long chapter) and I rewrote several passages. But anyway, I hope you enjoy...or something. If it's possible to enjoy something this terrifying.

Oh chapter 60 guys only 7 left and you're free


Chapter LX

Lukas’s body went rigid when he felt the cold, metallic point of Raven’s blade touch the skin of his throat. He took a quiet, shaky breath, his eyes moving slowly from Elsynne to his vengeful younger sibling.

But before Raven could stab Lukas through the neck—part of him wanted so desperately to, while another part told him it was completely wrong—Elsynne grabbed him by the elbow and jerked the weapon from his grip. He watched mutely as it clattered to the ground only a few inches from where they were standing.

“Come on, Raven,” she said as she held his arm even tighter. “Don’t do something stupid like this! He’s still part of your family, regardless of what he’s done!”

“We have to find Rem before the Austrorian soldiers can get to us!” Stephen added, taking Raven’s sword from the sand and tossing it back to him.

Raven hesitated for a moment before he shook himself away from Elsynne. “I’ll stay here and fight this bastard off,” he suggested, shooting another murderous glare in Lukas’s direction.

Ophelia raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think you could be a diversion against all of that, too?” she asked as she motioned in the direction of the ship. “I don’t care how important you are to the royal family. You couldn’t possibly be a decent enough distraction to keep them busy.”

“I could still try-”

“It’s not worth it. Besides, we need you if things get rough.”

Lukas reached tentatively for Raven’s arm. “Edward-”

“Get away from me, you bastard!” Raven spat. He ignored the stunned expression on Lukas’s face and ran back down the hill with the rest of his group.

The dragonlings in the clearing were—to their surprise—relatively calm despite the huge swarm of humans docking ships on their shores. Only their leader seemed anxious, but he forced a massive grin as he cracked his knuckles.

“A few of us will stay behind and run in opposite directions,” he was saying to one of the agile messengers. “Everyone else has already left. We don’t want those humans finding out about our gathering place.”

“He doesn’t seem too mad about this,” Ilia observed.

Ophelia shook her head. “He acts like he hates humans coming here, but he secretly loves the thrill. One ship is nothing to them—it’s all a game.”

“All a game,” Raven repeated curiously. He glanced over his shoulder again, but he couldn’t see Lukas anymore. Was he waiting on the beach for the remainder of his troops?

‘And he already knows exactly where we’ll be,’ Raven thought with an inward wince. ‘It’ll be no problem for him and his damn soldiers to find us.’

A gentle brush against his shoulder interrupted his troubled thoughts. Elsynne stood uncertainly at his side, her eyes wide with apprehensive fear. Raven was taken aback; he hadn’t seen her like this since their first trip to Itona. She hadn’t even been this scared when they began her ceremony in the Sanctuary.

But, for now, he had no time to speak with her or the others waiting impatiently beside him. Cymbeline and Ophelia were already running toward the dry riverbed, leaping effortlessly over clumps of spiny bushes and deep ruts in the earth. Several other dragonlings rushed past them, racing out to the dusty mountains in the distance.

“Arngon! Stay out here when we go to the cave. Keep an eye out for the soldiers and warn us if they get too close,” Ophelia commanded.

The dragonling nodded and veered away from the group, slowing his pace so that he was trailing farther away from the rear of the party.

“I think we need to go inland,” Ophelia continued between breaths. “They said that Rem’s cave was east of their gathering place.”

“But we can’t run like this forever!” Ilia complained. She was gasping for air, but she didn’t halt or slacken her speed.

“You’re going to have to deal with it for a while longer,” Ophelia replied. She turned her head quickly to Cymbeline. “Run on ahead and look for the cave.”

“Yes!” Cymbeline replied before she sprinted ahead. Ophelia waited until the dragonling was almost thirty feet away from the group before she slowed down, taking quick, shallow breaths.

Raven’s leg muscles were burning, but he welcomed the familiar sensation; it reminded him once more of the times he had spent traveling freely as a loner. He missed those days, of course, but he realized with a shock of guilt that he was slowly growing accustomed to the fierce, thrilling adrenaline rush he felt now. The thought of being chased down by soldiers and possibly having to fight them sent another chill up his spine—he suddenly remembered the day when he and Felix were being followed in Itona by Lukas and a small group of Austrorian soldiers. It all seemed like it had happened years ago; he couldn’t even remember how long he had been traveling with this group.

They half-jogged, half-ran for a while longer before Cymbeline came back over the crest of a small, jagged hill ahead of them. Ophelia finally slid to a halt and the others stopped gratefully behind her. Raven could hear his companions panting quietly behind him, but only Harriette seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

“I’m fine,” the girl muttered breathlessly when Elsynne asked her if she wanted to rest. She put a hand to her damp forehead and brushed her hair from her eyes.

Elsynne looked at her younger sister sympathetically. “Running is hard for her anyway because she needs me to guide her,” she whispered to Raven.

“I thought she’d have good endurance because of all her combat training,” he replied.

“You try running over a landscape like this with your eyes closed,” Harriette snapped quietly. Raven shrugged even though he knew she couldn’t see him.

“There’s a small cave up ahead, but I’m not sure if it’s the Spirit’s cave or not,” Cymbeline announced to the rest of the winded party.

“We should check it out anyway, just in case. We don’t have a lot of time to stand out here in the open,” Ophelia said.

“Please, let’s walk,” Harriette said; her statement sounded more like an arrogant command than a mere suggestion.

“I’m not sure-”

Cymbeline stood on the tips of her toes, gazing out over the barren landscape. “I don’t see any of those soldiers coming yet.”

“I don’t think it would hurt,” Stephen added. “Cymbeline said the cave was relatively close, right?”

“Her definition of ‘close’ isn’t exactly on par with yours,” Ophelia said reluctantly. “I really don’t feel comfortable with just walking…”

“We can walk fast,” Harriette said. She took her older sister’s hand and, without waiting for Ophelia’s reply, began moving ahead, skipping lightly over rocks and piles of dirt.

“That girl’s behavior really bothers me,” Ophelia hissed, falling into step between Raven and Stephen. “She’s been the one urging us on the entire time, and now this…”

“We’ve been going nonstop for a long time with little sleep,” Stephen said. “Moving at this pace for now will be fine. The soldiers are all being kept busy with the dragonlings anyway.”

“I don’t feel like running anymore either,” Ilia chimed in, fanning herself with her free hand. “I hate this dry heat. It reminds me of that terrible city in Lavinia.”

“Chaldene’s a lot worse,” Felix said. “The weather here isn’t all that bad.”

“Shut up. You’re used to the heat.”

“Hey, where’s this cave you saw?” Raven interrupted, staring furtively at Cymbeline.

The dragonling hesitated for almost a minute as she put a finger thoughtfully to her chin. Raven felt his heart sink. ‘Of all the times she gets stupid-‘

“Right there,” she said suddenly, pointing directly ahead of them. Raven followed her gaze saw what appeared to be a giant, rough boulder in the distance, surrounded by a field of dirt and dark, leafless trees.

“…That’s a cave?”

“That’s a cave!”

“You should be able to see the entrance, Raven. You too, Ilia,” Ophelia said, nodding to them.

Ilia squinted. “Yeah, I think I can see it. That hole on the southern face of the rock, right?”

“Er…” Cymbeline frowned.

“Yes, I’m sure that’s it,” Ophelia assured her with a quiet sigh.

Raven looked back over his shoulder. He could only see an eerily silent, lifeless expanse of brown fields and hills behind them—the dragonlings had already scattered, and the Austrorians weren’t visible.

‘Yet,’ he added silently.

At Harriette’s command—which even Ophelia was too tired to ignore—they continued in silence to the cavern. Ophelia seemed restless, even uneasy; Raven could tell she wanted nothing more than to start running again, but with a harried glance at an exhausted, frustrated Harriette, she forced herself to walk.

The silence lasted only a few short minutes. Sounds of fighting exploded in the distance, far off but muffled in Raven’s ears. He peeked back again and this time he could see soldiers moving like ants near the end of the riverbed trail. He swallowed uneasily and wondered how the burly dragonling leader and his own companions were faring against the troops.

“They’ll be fine,” Cymbeline said abruptly. Raven turned and saw her a few strides ahead of him, smiling widely with her hands clasped behind her back. “They’re all strong, you know?”

“Yeah,” he answered, lowering his gaze to the ground.

Harriette heaved a sigh beside him. “Are we nearly there?”

“It’s not too far now,” Stephen replied, unable to hide the relief that filled his tired voice.

“I really hope Rem’s there. We can’t go back to our ship yet with the soldiers so close to the shore,” Felix said nervously.

“But what if Rem isn’t there?” Ilia dared to ask.

“We can only hope he is,” Elsynne said. “That’s all we can do for now.”

Raven looked up again, waiting for Ilia’s response, but her usually vibrant face was expressionless again.

No one dared to speak again for the remainder of the walk; they only listened with wordless dread to the brutal shouts of the soldiers and growls of faraway dragonlings. Raven wanted to try and pick out Lukas’s barked commands in the crowd, but the voices of the Austrorians seemed to coalesce in his ears; it was near impossible to discern one from another.

“Finally! We’re here!” Ophelia said as they approached the shadowed entrance of the cavern. She broke into a run and put her hands against its warm, rocky surface, her tense expression softening with visible relief. Raven followed everyone inside, his heart racing as he turned back in the direction of the riverbed. The soldiers appeared to be dangerously closer now.

“Wow, this one isn’t as deep as the others,” Felix said as he stepped into the cave. He stopped in the middle of the hollowed-out room and spun around. “We didn’t have to go underground or anything!”

“That means we can’t hide in here if the soldiers come. They’ll find us right away,” Ilia said with a shiver.

“We’d be trapped like rats if we tried something like that,” Harriette pointed out. “We won’t if we’re in a shallow cave like this.”

Elsynne released her younger sister’s hand and stepped into the center of the cavern with Felix. She tilted her head back and gazed up at the ceiling; motionless shafts of sunlight filtered through a small opening and illuminated the dim area so that she didn’t need to use her light magic.

“Will we have to wait like we usually do?” Raven asked, leaning back against a wall. It felt just a little cooler inside, and the shade was refreshing after running in the merciless heat of the sun.

“I’m not sure…we don’t even know if Rem’s still here,” Elsynne said fretfully. “What should we do?”

“We wait,” her sister replied.

Raven felt a sense of unease settle over the overcrowded room. He was suddenly very aware of every noise and minute disturbance; the scruffy shift of Felix’s boots against the floor, Ophelia’s harsh breathing, Elsynne’s awkwardly loud sigh. He could practically feel a tangible mount in pressure—and temperature—as the seconds ticked by.

And then, like a dam, the tension broke when something crashed heavily against the rocky wall outside.

“Damn it!” Ophelia jumped to the entrance so quickly that Raven thought she would hit the wall herself. The others waited beside her, weapons drawn, as a figure staggered weakly through the opening. Cymbeline lifted her head, lips parted slightly as recognition dawned over her features.

“Blood,” she said, her tone spiked with fear. “Arngon!”

Arngon’s tall silhouette appeared outside, a startling black against the dazzling sunlight. He moved slowly, a hand tightly clenching his hard-muscled arm. When he finally came into the darkness of the cave, Raven could see an arrow protruding from between his fingers.

“Damn,” Ophelia whispered again. She yanked the arrow from his limb and beckoned Cymbeline to her side. “I’m guessing you were caught by the soldiers?”

Arngon nodded, his rigid arm relaxing when Cymbeline applied a small amount of black magic to his wound. He glanced at her appreciatively before he turned back to Ophelia.

“If they hurt him, they must be getting closer,” Harriette observed. “What if they saw him come here? Then what?”

Ophelia glanced at Arngon, who shrugged. “I don’t know,” she muttered, smoothing her frazzled brown hair. “I really don’t know what to do anymore.”

“If Rem doesn’t appear…there’s nothing we can do about the black magic, is there?” Elsynne asked desolately. “And then…then…”

“Summon the Spirits,” Felix suggested.

Ilia gave him a sour frown. “What good will that do? It’s not like they can find Rem for us. They didn’t know where he was yesterday when we summoned them.”

“You never know. Besides, if the soldiers do come, the Spirits can help us. Right?”

Raven drew his sword and brandished it dangerously. “I want to be the one who fights that bastard, Lukas.”

“Revenge?” Ophelia asked casually.

“No. I just want to be the one to kick his ass. I’ve been waiting for this forever, and his little stunt back there was the last straw.”

“Fair enough,” Ophelia said with a small smile before she shifted faintly to face Stephen and Cymbeline. “Well, you heard Felix. Try summoning the Spirits. Let’s see what they have to say.”

The three Spirits materialized in a ritual that seemed too familiar to Raven now—the soft glow of the ethereal light, a flash, and the appearance of semi-transparent bodies hovering over their heads.

“Why are you summoning us again like this?” Fiametta asked impatiently, pulling at strands of red hair.

Ilia rolled her eyes and suppressed a frustrated sigh. “Oh, come on. It’s not like you’re busy or anything.”

“Eh, true,” the Spirit said, folding her arms over her chest. “What do you want this time?”

“Are you still trying to find Rem?” Avani questioned softly.

“…Sort of,” Stephen replied after a brief pause.

“Oh, well, you have bigger problems to worry about right now,” Fiametta said, giving them a strange smile.

“What’s a bigger problem than Rem disappearing?”

“Just listen.”

Raven strained his ears over the dull shuffle of boots and shoes across the floor. He could hear shouts outside; they sounded even closer now than they had before.

“The soldiers are headed this way,” Stephen said dryly. “If we run outside now they’ll definitely see us. They’re going to follow us wherever we go.”

“I’m sorry,” Elsynne muttered, her voice strained. Raven turned and saw her slump against the wall, defeated.

“No,” he said. “No. We have to fight them. We don’t have a choice.”

Ophelia’s eyes widened. “Raven, are you insane? We could never hope to fight off that many soldiers, even with the help of the Spirits.”

“Hmph,” Fiametta huffed as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“They’re getting closer,” Felix said urgently, fingering the rapier at his side. “They’re moving a lot faster than I thought they would!”

“I’ll go with the soldiers,” Elsynne offered, pushing herself weakly to her feet. “I’ll go. Can someone else form a bond with Rem to seal the Sanctuary?” Her gaze flickered and met Raven’s. “Could you do this for me? Please?”

“I don’t know if it would work, but…” Harriette brooded.

Elsynne’s eyes were locked on his. She didn’t even blink. “Please, Raven. I need you to do this for me. It’s the only way. Please.”

Raven could feel the others staring at him as well. He felt trapped under their gazes, but…

“No,” he repeated. This time, his voice was stronger and more commanding. “No. I won’t do it.”

Elsynne was stunned. “Raven, please! This isn’t the time for doubts! Please, I really need you to do this for me!”

“How can I form a pact with Rem if you’ve already got one with him?”

She stopped and cocked her head questioningly to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not going to form the pact with Rem. You are. You’re the only one who knows how to perform the ceremony,” he said. Raven straightened himself up, ignoring the helplessness in her gaze. “I mean, I could probably do it if I really tapped into that…that other presence or whatever, but…it’s not up to me. I didn’t unseal it in the first place. This is your responsibility, Elsynne.”

“But the soldiers…”

Raven stepped forward and held out his hand. “Come on. You have to do this yourself. You can’t let something like this stop you now when you’ve come all this way. I promised to protect you, remember? I’m a mercenary—I don’t go back on my promises, especially if there’s money involved.”

The entire cavern was completely silent. No one spoke, not even the Spirits; the only sound they heard were the shouts and cries of the soldiers outside.

Elsynne looked up at his dark eyes before her stare moved down to his open hand. With a smile verging on the edge of tears, she reached forward and grabbed it. Raven pulled her roughly to her feet, ignoring the faint burn on the tips of his fingers where his skin met hers.

“All right,” he said faintly. “Now, what do you want to do?”

“We have to face the soldiers,” Elsynne responded. “We don’t have any other choice. They’ll get to us before Rem does anyway.”

Ophelia clenched her fists, grabbing the black magic-infused guns at her sides. “We’re going to get our asses handed to us,” she mumbled gravely.

Raven mentally steeled himself for the oncoming carnage of a battle he knew they had no chance of winning. But, regardless of his veiled hopelessness, he couldn’t let them arrest Elsynne—not yet. Maybe he could try to bargain with his cousin and bid for her temporary freedom. She only needed a few more days, and then they could go back to Itona.

‘All together,’ he thought. He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing now.

The sight outside the cave was far different than he was expecting. The Itonian soldiers were standing out in the fields—he had been expecting that much, at least—but several small groups of dragonlings were gathered around them, teeth bared and claws curled dangerously at their sides.

“They’re going to help us fight them off!” Ilia said breathlessly. “We can’t lose now, can we?”

Raven nodded stiffly in response. He quickly scanned the mass of uniformed soldiers, looking for that one familiar face in a sea of people he couldn’t recognize.

He suddenly froze; what if he did know one of these soldiers? Had he studied amongst any of them when he was taking classes in the castle? Were any of them people he practiced sparring with when he was younger? These were his fellow countrymen, after all, whether he accepted that fact or not.

The tension shattered and the fighting began before he could find Lukas. Raven suddenly found himself dodging a deadly rain of arrows, swinging his sword rapidly as several soldiers pushed through the dragonlings and made their way closer to where he was defending himself. Elsynne yelped from somewhere behind him, fending off one of the armed men with a well-aimed light spell.

Raven pushed his way through the crowds, keeping one eye on Elsynne and the other on the mass of soldiers around him. He thought he could see Lukas fighting toward the middle of the group, sandwiched between a small pack of dark-skinned dragonlings, but Raven lost him in the flurry of activity.

Something heavy and sharp came down on his upper arm. Raven spun around and blocked the Austrorian soldier’s bloodied lance before it could cut him again. He parried the strike and pushed the soldier away, ignoring a stab of pain in his side. The man came back to counter his attack, and suddenly soldiers surrounded Raven on all sides.

“Damn it!” He threw up his sword, blocking one strike and missing another. A blade cut into his back, tearing through the skin and spraying the air with a fine mist of red. Raven grunted heavily and dropped to his knees, rolling sloppily away from the group. His blood spread across the dirt as he struggling weakly to his feet when he was far enough away.

“Ha!” A female dragonling jumped beside him and kicked one of the Austrorian soldiers in the chest. She spun around and grabbed the throat of another, fluidly twisting her wrist before she tossed the limp man aside.

“T-Thanks,” Raven muttered, gingerly holding his battered arm.

“No problem,” the dragonling said cheerfully. She placed her hands on his shoulder wound and a wave of cool, dark light emanated from her palms. “There you go. Good as new.”

Raven moved his arm experimentally as she threw another soldier. One more dragonling—a male this time—joined her, and together they tossed aside several of the Austrorians.

“Thank you,” Raven said again, wiping a spot of blood from his cheek. He picked up his sword and swung at one of the soldiers coming up on his left.

“No problem!” the male replied, grappling fiercely with a new opponent. He swiftly broke the man’s wrists and kicked him in the stomach.

“Elias! Aella!” Felix burst through the lines of soldiers, jumping eagerly to the dragonlings’ side. “You’re here! You came back to Eus-Aen!”

The female dragonling’s eyes widened with surprise. “I know you!”

“Hey! Me too!” the male said eagerly.

Raven scowled, still watching the crowd for signs of Lukas. He had completely lost track of Elsynne; he hoped they hadn’t arrested her before he could talk to his cousin.

“This isn’t the time!” he said to Felix and the dragonlings. “Save the chatting for later when we’re not about to be killed!”

A fiery explosion cut off Felix’s quick retort. Raven tilted his head back and saw Fiametta hovering over the troops, surrounded by deadly halos of fire.

“She’s making a circle of flames around us!” Felix said, backing up against Raven. “Look! We’re trapped!”

“We’re safe,” Raven corrected, breathing a sigh of relief. The soldiers couldn’t get through the thick, blazing wall the Spirit had created; the few who tried were burned alive.

“I forgot all about the Spirits,” Felix confessed, wiping the sheen of sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, “and I didn’t think they could do this.”

“You’re both very lucky to have such powerful friends,” the female dragonling said with a brisk grin.

“Aella! You and Elias…” Felix paused for a moment, stepping closer to the pair before he continued. “The two of you are here! But why?”

The couple exchanged a glance and shrugged. “Your conversation with us on Snowcap made us curious,” Aella—the female—replied.

Raven narrowed his eyes. “You know these two, Felix?”

“They helped us with the ship when we were stuck on Snowcap,” Felix replied with a brief smile. “I didn’t think I’d ever see them again, to be honest.”

“We thought it was time to come home,” Elias continued. “It looks like we chose the right time.”

“We saw the soldiers attacking other dragonlings and thought they could use some help. We were surprised to see humans fighting the soldiers, too!” Aella said.

“Edward!” Lukas’s irritated cry broke off Raven’s response to the dragonlings. He spun around, sword in hand, and saw his cousin circling the burning barrier. His movements were quick and unusually careless; Raven hadn’t seen him this angry in years. Why wasn’t he tracking down Elsynne? Wasn’t she their target?

Raven stifled a curse when he realized that maybe they had already found her.

“Call back your troops, Lukas,” he said, hoping his angry tone was effectively masking his growing unease. “You can’t fight off this many dragonlings and Spirits.”

Lukas suddenly lashed out at him, and for a moment Raven was afraid that he would try jumping through the flames. But Lukas remained firmly on his side of the barrier, his weapon held firmly in his hand.

“The Heir’s surrounded like this, too,” Lukas hissed, pacing around the fire again. “But her prison is made of earth, not fire.”

“That’s good,” Felix murmured. “She’s safe.”

“Just go, Lukas,” Raven said, watching as the young man paused to pound the toe of his boot into the dirt. “Go home. I promised I’d come back after this was all over. I’m not going back on that promise.”

“Why the hell would I go home empty-handed like that? I’m not giving up that easily!”

“Then leave this troop out of your personal mission! They’re losing to the dragonlings!”

Lukas spat a loud curse. “Damn it…!”

“What if my sister agreed to negotiate with you?”

Raven and Lukas looked up at the same time. Harriette made her way smoothly through the now-silent crowd, her visage completely calm and emotionless. “My sister will speak with you if you lay down your weapon,” she continued.

“Why does she want to negotiate with me?” Lukas asked.

“Will you let her speak to you? That’s all she wants. Nothing more.”

Lukas stared down at the sword in his hand. One by one his fingers loosened and it dropped to the dirt with a dull clang. “Lay down your arms,” he commanded, waving his gloved hand to the troops. The soldiers knelt over slowly and placed their swords, lances, and bows gently on the ground. Raven and his own companions followed in suit, setting their own weapons carefully in the loose sand.

Raven held his breath as the fire barrier disappeared. He moved closer to Lukas, ignoring Felix’s low protests; he knew his older kin, and he trusted him not to go back on his word. He was a true soldier of Austror through and through—Lukas would honor Harriette and Elsynne’s temporary truce.

The armored men parted as Elsynne stepped between the mob, her hands clasped nervously at her chest. Cymbeline, Ilia, and Stephen walked behind her—they too had left their weapons behind, but Raven could see an offensive edge to their stances.

“Well?” Lukas demanded evenly. There was an air of forced calm in his voice.

Elsynne shifted uneasily, still staring at the ground. “I’m making the same offer I made earlier. I want to reseal the cracks, but once I’ve finished that, I will return with Raven to Austror. I will accept my punishment for what happened in Estershore.”

“Elsynne,” Felix murmured anxiously. She nodded to him and he fell silent.

“How can I be sure you’ll uphold your end of this?” Lukas asked, folding his arms over his chest. “For all I know you could be planning something completely different.”

“I will make sure she returns to Austror. I’m supposed to make sure Edward returns too, remember? I can bring them both back myself,” Ilia said.

“I’m not sure…I don’t know how attached you are to this group.”

“I will return to Austror when this is finished,” Elsynne promised. Even Raven couldn’t hold back his own objection when she lowered herself to a respectful bow. “I’ll come back with Raven and Ilia when I’ve completed the reverse ceremony. I really, really will.”

“I don’t know…”

“Lukas, stand down,” Ophelia said quietly. She motioned to the Spirits floating ominously over their heads. “You can’t win against us, several powerful Spirits, and dragonlings all together. You’re a smart man—you know this. Don’t make any unnecessary sacrifices.”

Lukas’s hard gaze swept the small, sand-carpeted plain. The bodies of soldiers and dragonlings alike lay wounded and dying around the living, their blood collecting in thick pools.

“We’ll stay out here until you’ve formed a pact with Rem,” he said after a hesitant silence. “That’s the most I will do for now. I don’t…I don’t trust you. Any of you, really,” he said.

Ilia cringed, but she nodded. “This is the most he’ll give us for now,” she told Elsynne. “Just accept it.”

“I’m okay with that,” Elsynne said. “Rem can prove what we’ve promised once we form a pact with him.”

“If we can form a pact with him,” Ophelia added darkly.

They pushed through the remaining soldiers—luckily, there didn’t seem to be that many left after the attack—and returned to the cool, shady safety of the cavern. Elias and Aella followed them at a short distance, but Raven didn’t have the energy to drive them away.

“The rest of you can go back now,” Stephen said, spinning around to face the Spirits. “We’re through here.”

Evadne shook her head. “No.”

“Er…what?”

“Did you break your pact too, Stephen?” Felix asked, a panicked frown slowly crossing his face. “If you lose your pacts too, we’ll be in a lot of trouble.”

“I don’t think I did,” the inventor replied, furrowing his brow. “Evadne, is something wrong? We’ve finished fighting the soldiers, so-“

“We can’t leave. We have to protect Rem while he’s in this state,” Fiametta said. The other Spirits nodded in agreement.

A gasp escaped Elsynne’s lips. “R-Really? Rem’s here? But…where?”

Evadne nodded to the dragonlings. “Right in front of you.”

“Elias and Aella are Rem…?” Felix asked.

Ilia spun around, her jaw set. “Them? Those two? But they’re just dragonlings. They’re not a Spirit.”

“We can sense it,” Avani whispered. “Rem’s power is coming from both of them. They must be Rem, or they’re at least connected to him.”

“Hold on a second,” Harriette said. She approached the couple cautiously and placed a hand on Aella’s arm. “Hmm…do either of you remember anything from the past? Before you went to Snowcap?”

Elias shook his head. “Just that we lived on Eus-Aen and decided to go to Snowcap.”

“We really can’t remember much before that,” Aella added.

Raven held back a tired sigh, feeling as though he could sympathize easily with them. ‘I don’t remember much either…’

“You know…it really is possible that they’re connected to Rem,” Harriette said, turning to face the others. “They don’t seem to have any memories of a life before this.”

“Well, Cymbeline doesn’t have a lot of memories either,” Ophelia said. “It’s just a common dragonling trait. The artificially-made ones can’t seem to retain information as easily as natural-born ones can.”

“I think I understand what Harriette’s talking about,” Stephen said. “Elias and Aella told us that they lived on Snowcap for over a century. Didn’t the Spirits say Rem’s been gone for about that long?”

“That is correct,” Evadne agreed with a slow, lethargic nod.

“The dragonlings said the same thing yesterday, but it might still be a coincidence. Maybe they left around the same time as Rem?” Felix said.

Harriette shook her head. “But it’s a strange coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Neither of them are reacting to this place,” Ophelia said. “If they really were Rem, wouldn’t they do something if they came back here?”

“I’m not entirely sure they would,” Harriette said. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “This is so complicated…”

“Maybe Rem separated himself in the first place,” Ilia suggested. “I mean, what if something happened and Rem needed to get away fast and hide himself? Something might’ve caused him to split his power into two bodies.”

“It doesn’t make sense that they’d stay together, though.”

“That’s true, I guess… But still, you have to admit-“

“We just came back to Eus-Aen because we remembered what your friends told us,” Elias said. “That’s the only reason why we came back.”

“But why now? We talked to you a long time ago,” Felix replied. “This is all too weird…”

Ophelia exhaled loudly and slumped back against a wall. “It’s useless. I don’t care what the Spirits are saying—Rem’s long gone. There’s no point in us being here.”

“But we still need to look,” Harriette said forcefully. “I won’t give up. I can’t give up. We need Rem to reseal those cracks!”

“What the hell is the use anymore? While we all dawdle around here looking for Rem, another city might become the next Estershore.”

From the corner of his eye, Raven saw Elsynne shiver violently at the mention of the destroyed city. She hugged her arms to her body and shrugged back to the darkest corner of the cave.

Stephen turned to the Spirits. “Do you really sense Rem?”

“We sense Rem and several other Spirits nearby…and an abnormally huge amount of black magic,” Avani told him.

“Oh… Wait a second, what do you mean by ‘other Spirits’?”

“Other Spirits, obviously. Chandra and Leander, to be exact.”

Harriette’s expression went from confusion to raw, fearful anger. “If those Spirits are here…damn it, that means Skylar’s here, too!”
_________________

[Swordmaster69]

Beautiful beautiful chapter Roadie. Fight scene was beautiful, cliffhanger was beautiful, everything was. Great chapter. Now Skylar is coming too!?! I really wonder whats going to happen now.
_________________


Tales of Glory

Judith Avatar by Dimentio
Tales of Candence Rotating Fanbar by Squidmaster!!!

[Sir Shrek]

Dear god, Roadie, I'm sorry! I haven't dropped a comments in a while. Heh heh. Lead brick. Teh chappie was amazing, obviously. Fight scene was one of your best, cliffhanger was classic and stylish, and I knew the snowcap dragonlings would return, but as Rem? Way to go.

EDIT: Is it just me, or has Squiddy's fanbar died?
_________________


Credit to squidmaster64 for the fanbar.

[squidmaster64]

tbh I'm seeing both Raven and Elsynne make pacts with Rem... Wow, that'd suck if evil!Raven got it into his head that he wanted Elsynne to stop the reversion of the ceremony. Eheheh. <3

Do want more Skylar/Raven and Lukas/Raven interaction. <3 And I don't necessarily mean it that way, either even though both pairings are quite hot imo incest ftw. (I really like Lukas. Screw Elsynne--he and Raven just need to make up and be friends again... :( )

lol sorry very useless comments. :'(

[Roadie]

Much thanks for the comments on the chapter, everyone. You guys are awesome. <3

Master: I don't think your comments are useless at all. <3 I like hearing speculation/character opinions like that. And as for writing those pairings, might be something I'll look into when I get bored ololol ow I think my brain exploded.


Yeah, lack of extras!updates lately...I've been taking a bit of a break from writing these characters lately, sorry. :') Blame my other writing projects. And senior year's kicking my ass really hard. But here's an awful little skit to tide you all over until the next crapter.


Skit: Brotherly Love, Part I

Lukas: …

Raven: …

Cymbeline: Ooh, a staring contest!

Ilia: Looks more like a glaring contest to me.

Lukas: It’s nothing. Edward’s just being difficult…as usual.

Raven: Shut up! Why can’t you just leave me alone?

Ilia: Come on, you two. Can’t either of you get along for more than two seconds?

Raven: No.

Lukas: I try, but…

Ilia: I can’t see why you two hate each other so much. Elsynne and her sister get along just fine.

Raven: …Are you serious?

Lukas: I…I want to be a good older brother, but-

Raven: You’re not my brother!

Lukas: …!

Raven: So just leave me alone! I’m sick of you always trying to butt into my business all the time!

Lukas: I’m not trying to-

Raven: Go away. (leaves)

Lukas: …(sigh)

Ilia: He’ll come around eventually…I hope.

Lukas: I don’t get it…we used to get along great when we were kids. What came over him?

Cymbeline: Brotherly love.

Lukas: H-Huh?

Ilia: Er, I doubt that had anything to do with his behavioral change.

Cymbeline: Brotherly love will bring him around!

Lukas: Ha, ha…I doubt it.

Ilia: Give him some time to cool off. Then you can try talking to him, right?

Lukas: Y-Yeah…I guess I’ll give that a try.
_________________

[squidmaster64]

Wow, Ilia. Giving Raven up so easily?

I just hope they come around... Or, you know, Lukas maybe dies or something and Raven confesses his--*kicked out*
_________________

Primary Avatar Excellence Theorem: if one has an amazing icon, then it was made by Roadie.
(Clearly, my current is not amazing. :( )