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~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

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She saw that many of them were sick, the same sickness that had taken their friends in the jungle. Here they staggered about as part of the mob, their faces flushed, foaming slightly at the mouth. Some lay in the gutters, covered with trash, moaning piteously.
“We have to get to the castle!” Rivera repeated. “Right now that’s all that matters.” Then she led the way, urging her horse forward. “Out of my way!” she called shrilly, waving her blood-soaked blade in the air. The guards in the crowd had noticed their arrival, but couldn’t push through the people to reach them. Krystal was bumped on all sides, almost jostled from the saddle, but managed to hang on despite her horse’s agitation. It whinnied and bucked, pawing screaming people out of its way.
“Help us!” pleaded one woman, clawing at Krystal’s legs.
“Are you here to save us?” cried another.
“The castle is burning!” shouted a man.
“Where is the Emperor?”
“Who are you?”
“Help us!”
When a brave soldier fought his way to the front and raised his truncheon angrily, Krystal cut him down without a second thought. He fell back into the crowd in a spray of blood, eliciting a roar from the mob. “Make way for the rightful queen of Varrock!” roared the troops behind Krystal, and the chant was taken up by the people. “Make way!” they shouted, and slowly parted. As soon as they had space, the army moved quickly, turning and charging past the main fountain down the main street toward the flaming castle. Krystal rode alongside Rivera, who turned and grinned at her.
“It’s time!” she exclaimed, and urged her horse faster. The gates to bar their way this time were much smaller, iron grates, and Krystal and Rivera slammed into them together, knocking them down. Behind them, the crowd bellowed its approval, and for a moment, Krystal was reminded of the crowds that had gathered in the arena to watch the duels.

15-Mar-2009 16:47:59

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
They wanted to see blood; they wanted to see death. But these people had a reason, she told herself firmly. They wanted vengeance for the wrongs done to them. And Issavan would pay, if he hadn’t already. Somewhere in this castle her friends were waiting, fighting, and hopefully, the Emperor was already dead. She could just imagine Kzahar'(c)s blade slicing through the meaty neck, Maston’s mace crashing into the thick chest…
She shook her head to clear the images. She was out for blood and vengeance, too, but she had a different mission to focus on. Somewhere in these walls was Bond, waiting for her, waiting to be rescued. That was her part.
Rivera’s army had waited years for their chance. They had trained, they had rode as outlaws through the forests of the south, and they had hidden while the world fell to pieces around them. Rivera was right * it was time, and they met the challenge with ease and grace. As Issavan’s castle guard poured out of the palace, they spread out in practiced formation. It was not a battle, but a slaughter.
Krystal dismounted from her horse and drew her other sword, so that she held one in each hand. Rivera saw and followed suit. “Sure you shouldn’t command your troops?” Krystal asked.
“I think they can handle it,” the other woman replied with a small smile. “Let’s go find Bond, shall we?” They slipped away from the battle and into the main hall of the castle.
*~*~*~*
“Do you know where you’re going?” Krystal panted, running alongside Rivera. Many long minutes had passed, and she had followed the other woman through a maze of twisting corridors, until Krystal had no sense of direction at all.
“I have an idea!” Rivera skidded down a side hallway, and Krystal stumbled trying to follow her. “I studied maps of this place when I was younger – Father wanted me to be familiar with the place. All ‘suitable’ reading material for his little girl had to do with the castle.”

15-Mar-2009 16:48:30 - Last edited on 15-Mar-2009 16:50:37 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Krystal wondered how she could speak so calmly of the father she had murdered. Did this woman even have a heart? Krystal felt a flicker of rage and indignation as she remember that she was still being accused of this murder! But she said nothing, just trailed the other woman, praying she was right. Suddenly, she heard a clamor from up ahead, at a fork in the hallway.
“Stop!” she hissed, grabbing Rivera’s arm.
They slid to a halt and readied their swords. “Yours or his?” Krystal whispered.
Rivera listened intently to the clamor, trying to hear their voices, but all she could make out was the clash of arms. She shook her head. “Must be both, it sounds like fighting.” She crept forward, and Krystal followed, peering over her shoulder.
“Kzahar!” she gasped. Her friend was surrounded by three of Issavan’s guards, and he was barely fending them off. He was almost unrecognizable, as his shirt hung off him in tatters, and his body was streaked with soot and blood. He weaved drunkenly back and forth, parrying loosely, to the great amusement of the guards.
“Here is one of the great warriors of the world!” they teased maliciously. “Can’t even stop a bunch of guards!” To prove the point, one of the guards lunged forward, knocking the blade from Kzahar'(c)s grip. The fallen warrior backed into the wall and slid downward when his legs failed to support him.
“Come,” Rivera said, tugging on Krystal’s arm.
“What?”
“We have to go that way. The dungeon is down there.” Rivera pointed in the opposite direction. She could see smoke curling in the air, and knew the fire wasn’t far behind. “We have to get down there before the fire blocks our way.”
“No, we have to help Kzahar!” Krystal began to move forward, but Rivera held her back.
“We have to get to Bond. Isn’t that why you’re here?”

15-Mar-2009 16:48:54 - Last edited on 15-Mar-2009 16:51:08 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Krystal fixed her with an icy glare. “I’m here to help ALL of my friends. Why do you even care, anyway? I thought you wanted to be queen of this place. What is Bond to you?”
“I care about him too,” Rivera said with strained patience, as though she was tired of having to explain this.
“He was your prisoner!”
“We were closer than that!” Rivera snapped.
Krystal rolled her eyes. “You should recall that I was with him when he was taken. You kept him captive, when he could have found us again. Do you really think he’ll care at all about you, when we rescue him? He’ll want nothing to do with you!”
Rivera crossed her arms. “He’s a good man. I’m willing to hope he believes in second chances,” she said softly.
Krystal did*’t know how to respond to that. It was quite an admission, coming from a woman like Rivera. It was hard for Krystal to believe her cold companion could care at all about anyone, after all she had seen, but to hear Rivera say something like that…There was a flash of jealousy, as well, but she ignored it, knowing that Bond could never feel anything for Rivera. She would see that soon enough.
Meanwhile, the soldiers were taunting Kzahar again. His head was bowed, arms outstretched to ward off their blades. “Look at the poor little warrior,” they taunted, hooting with laughter, prodding him with their blades.
“Please don’t,” the broken warrior whispered.
“Don’* what?” one snickered, kneeling beside Kzahar. His blade poked at Kzahar'(c)s hand. “Don’t do…this?” With a sudden flash, he wrenched the sword upward, driving the point through the palm of Kzahar'(c)s hand and wedging it in a crack in the wall. Kzahar howled in agony.
Krystal turned back to Rivera. Her eyes were narrowed and blazing with rage, and her mouth was set in a grim line. Her entire body was rigid. “I’m going to help him. If you want to go get Bond, fine. But you will be no better a ruler than Issavan ever was if you let good people get hurt because of your own selfish interests!”

15-Mar-2009 16:49:09 - Last edited on 15-Mar-2009 16:51:31 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
She dashed out into the hall, taking down one of the waiting soldiers with a quick slash through his midsection. The second engaged her for a matter of seconds before he fell to her quick strokes. The kneeling man had snatched up Kzah**** fallen blade and faced her, but he suddenly keeled forward. As he collapsed, shock freezing on his features, Krystal could see Rivera standing behind him, a blood-soaked blade in her hand.
“Thanks,” Krystal said softly. Rivera just nodded.

15-Mar-2009 16:49:21

Douglini

Douglini

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Good stuff, B. I saw there were almost two pages of adds, and I thought it might take me a while to read them, but, as usual, it's so effortless to read your work.
"Varrock was a wreck. In the simplest terms, Varrock had been destroyed."
That's the only real issue I have with the adds. 'Varrock was a wreak' is just as simple as 'Varrock had been destroyed', so the second sentence is completely redundant.
Other than that, great work. Keep writing more. When you've written some more adds, write some more. That way, you'll have two sets done already, which means you'll be free to work on the third and fourth sets, so that you can do the fifth and six ones. Then write some more.

18-Mar-2009 22:23:23

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Thanks for the save, man. I gotta start managing my threads better.
For anyone still around, adds will be very spotty until summertime. School is insane right now, so I can't make any promises. I promise stuff will get sorted out soon enough. Fourth quarter - we're in the home stretch now. Almost over.
Thanks for being patient. I'm really sorry about this.
- B

11-Apr-2009 16:15:57

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