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~*~ TDT2: The Blood Debt ~*~

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
*~*~*~*
Blood smeared across the sky in dark scarlet ribbons writhing down to the horizon, where it sprayed crimson around the silhouette of the man as he raised the sword. The blade glowed gold and red in the sunset, but the man’s figure was almost completely black. A flash of light and the blade crashed toward the unsuspecting earth. A jerk from the body at his feet, a spurt of crimson into the air, almost invisible against the background, and he dropped the blade and backed away, bowing his head.
Kzah***s eyes followed the duke’s head as it rolled to Maston’s feet where he stood a few feet away. He looked at his friend with despairing eyes. “It’s begun,” he stated simply. “The blood debt will be paid.” By Issavan and all of his relatives, they all knew.
Maston nodded silently in agreement, unable to meet his eyes. It was begun. There was no going back now.
~*~*~*~ End of Chapter ~*~*~*~

11-Feb-2008 01:10:40 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2008 01:14:11 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~*~*~*~ Chapter Eight ~*~*~*~
Krystal glanced over her shoulder, watching the blood-red sunset through the trees and thinking of Bond. This was her last hope - that they would find him here. If he was not in the hideout, then he was almost certainly gone. The thought that she might never see him again was unbearable. “No,” she whispered, unable to let herself go down that road. She wasn’t giving up on him yet.
Rivera broke the day-long silence at that moment, announcing, “We’re here.” Krystal stared. They were in the middle of the forest, the same as they had been all day. A full-circle examination revealed trees, trees, and…more trees. There was no building, no trapdoor, nothing that she would have expected to see as an entrance to a hideout.
She glared skeptically at Rivera. “I know you told me it was underground, but forgive me if I don’t see how we’ve reached any kind of entrance.”
Rivera returned the glare. “You don’t get to see the entrance,” she shot back. As if waiting for their cue, three men wearing camouflage and swords through their belts materialized out of the foliage, bowing quickly to Rivera.
“My lady, we were not expecting you back so soon, or with –“
“Put a hood on her. She’s coming inside.” The man nodded and the trio surrounded Krystal’s horse.
*Excuse me?” she exclaimed, flinching back as the men motioned for her to step down. Rivera had already dismounted.
“Get off your horse,” she snapped.

11-Feb-2008 01:11:05

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Krystal hestitated, then obliged. One of the sentries produced a black hood from his belt and slipped it over Krystal’s head, then placed his hand on her back to guide her. The other two led the horses as Rivera strode quickly ahead. Soon they reached the barn, Krystal stumbling and swearing, and entered the stables. There the two sentries left them to put the horses away, while the third sentry and Krystal followed Rivera out through the armory into the tunnel.
“I’ll take her from here. Send my father to my rooms, then get back to your post,” Rivera ordered. The guard quickly removed Krystal’s hood, bowed, and jogged away. She watched Krystal’s amazement as she surveyed the tunnel, seeing the doors on either side and where it opened into the main complex. Rivera nodded briskly. “Follow me.”
Krystal trailed her into the main area, which bustled with hundreds of people going about their work. It reminded her of leading Bond through all of it, with him draped over her shoulder, and his excited questions. Despite how much he hated being held here, he had been awed by the hideout and had wanted to know everything. Krystal, however, held back her questions with a stony mask and kept her eyes on the floor. Rolling her eyes, Rivera took her down another corridor, where at the end she unlocked a large door and entered her chambers. The door opened into a small sitting room with a couch and three armchairs around a small table. Doors at the back led into a washing room, a kitchen, and a bedroom.
“Make yourself comfortable. If you want, you can wash up through there.” She waved a hand at one of the doors.
“When do we find out if Bond is back?”
“My father will know. Go, clean up.”

11-Feb-2008 01:11:23

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Krystal disappeared into the other room. Seconds later the front door opened, and her father stepped inside. He was a tall man, muscular, wearing a long tunic and black pants. He looked tired, Rivera thought. There were deep lines on his face, and it seemed there were more gray hairs since she had left a week ago. He did*’t speak until he was settled comfortably into a chair and rubbing his temples.
“They said you did*’t bring back the prisoner.”
“I couldn’t find him, Father,” Rivera admitted, pouring wine from a tray atop a cabinet in the corner.
Krystal, still in the bathroom, now having scrubbed away the dirt of her travel, listened carefully at the door.
“How could let him get away?” he exploded, glaring at her.
Rivera cowered back. “I found his horse in the woods. He wasn’t with it. I don’t think we’re going to catch him, Father. But –“
Krystal burst out of the bathroom, eyes blazing with fury, and rushed toward Rivera. “You lied to me?” she yelled. She did*’t even bother trying to draw a weapon, but instead launched herself at the other woman, fingers clasping around her throat. Rivera** father was on his feet, tearing Krystal away. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Bond wasn’t here, that he was truly gone. It was a long time before he could pull her away and she struggled furiously, writhing and squirming to get her hands back around Rivera** neck. She wanted to watch the life bleed from this woman, watch her die as painfully as Bond must have.
“What on earth?” her father bellowed. “Rivera, who is this woman?”

11-Feb-2008 01:11:40

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Rivera climbed carefully to her feet, rubbing her sore throat. “Krystal,” she gasped. She staggered into a chair, warily watching Krystal, who stood a few feet away with arms crossed, eyes boring a hole into Rivera. “I – I ran into his friends. Krystal, I had to get us here, we’re not going to find him,” she rasped hoarsely. “Father, we have to help them.”
“Help them?” he echoed, gray eyes flashing. “We’ve been over this, Rivera, we can’t help them!”
“If we help them take Varrock, we can work out the details later. We want Issavan dead, the same as them. They’re on a campaign to wipe out his entire family, Father, I think that’s a cause worth supporting.”
“Except for that special boy who gets to be king! No, Rivera, I forbid it. We stay here. They will succeed or fail, but either way we will attack later.”
Krystal turned her fiery gaze on him. “Excuse me? You think you can just destroy us once we take Varrock Castle?”
Rivera** father laughed harshly. “What makes you think you can even take the castle? The prisoner said there were what, eight of you? You don’t have a chance. You’ll serve as a nice diversion. They think the threat is over, we sweep in with the real army.”
Krystal was practically shaking with anger. “Fine. We don’t need your help. Rivera, thanks for wasting my time. I’m going to rejoin my friends and help them take Varrock.” She stormed towards the door. Rivera half-rose in her seat, then sank back and watched her go. Her desire to help this woman was rapidly fading. Rubbing her neck, she knew she had deserved the attack. But it did*’t matter. She wasn’t giving up now. It was time for Issavan to go.

11-Feb-2008 01:12:14

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Was that necessary, Father?” she sighed. “I really think supporting them is the best thing.”
He snapped, “Give it up, Rivera. We just have to wait a little longer. Why must we help them?”
“Why must we be at odds with them?”
“Because they would leave his son on the throne! I thought you wanted to be a queen.”
She glared at him with hurt eyes. “And would I ever be queen, or would I just be your puppet?”
“You’ve gone soft, Rivera. Maybe it’s a good thing the prisoner escaped – he put these doubts in your head, you know that.”
She rose and flung the door open. “Get out!” she hissed. *Now!”
Her father shrugged, unperturbed. “Be careful, Rivera. You may think we can join sides, but sooner or later you’ll have to figure out where our loyalties lie.” With that, he left. She slammed the door behind him and sank into a chair with her head in her hands.

A few hours later, a single candle dimly lit the room where Rivera** father lay in bed, snoring softly. The door to his bedroom opened a crack, and a small figure slipped inside. The figure crept toward the bedside, staying in the shadows. A floorboard creaked, and Rivera** father sat up abruptly.
“What are you--” he exclaimed, but he was cut off.
There was a glimmer of light as a blade ripped across his throat, turning his yell into a desperate gurgle. Blood rushed from the wound and spilled across the sheets and the man collapsed back, body convulsing before he slid sideways toward the floor. Satisfied, the figure slipped silently from the room.

11-Feb-2008 01:12:24

[#6KCQ4RA8S]

[#6KCQ4RA8S]

Posts: 1,286 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
SATISFYING!
I found a lot out from that chapter. You really are an astounding writer.
Anyway, Smeeze's Review Hall seems to have died. I couldn't find it by searching.
So could you rate my new story? It's just begun, and I need some REAL quality writers to read it. I'm told it's pretty good..
*~Flames and Thunder~*
49-50-685-55663026
Could you please take a look?

11-Feb-2008 01:42:07 - Last edited on 11-Feb-2008 01:42:55 by [#6KCQ4RA8S]

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11-Feb-2008 01:44:02

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