Remnant's Past- The Fall of Stoneholt

by Beaux Riley

  Remnant’s Past

  The Fall of Stoneholt

  To the only one who stood beside me in the darkest of times,

  Dialys, you are my Light.

  Table of Contents

  Prelude- The visions of a child

  Chapter 1- The Chase

  Chapter 2- The Fall

  Chapter 3- The Zirris

  Chapter 4- The Lesser Archivum

  Chapter 5- A meeting in the tavern

  Chapter 6- Zimae

  Chapter 7- A long three years

  Chapter 8- Bait...

  Chapter 9- Shadow of his former self

  Chapter 10- The Truth is learned

  Chapter 11- Storm

  Chapter 12- The City of the Dead

  Chapter 13- Family Reunion

  Chapter 14-Preparing the Ritual

  Chapter 15- Unexpected allies

  Chapter 16- A story from Averia

  Prelude- The visions of a child

  A lone girl walked about her library, with hair as white as the pages in the books she kept, and eyes as brown as the wood shelves that held them. She stood out to others in her small town of Maiden’s Point. Not only because of her odd features or large glasses, but that she was a half-elf.

  She was someone who had nothing in life given to her. Lizoke Adestrin grew up on a poor farmstead. Her family’s land desperately needed workers that her adopted family could not afford. With dirty clothes, unkempt hair and having to wear large spectacles due to her poor vision, she couldn’t help but feel sad at her life. But in one visit to the great capital city of Saebel, her father was given audience to the revered King Grand Secorim, a man praised for his selflessness. She remembered holding her father’s rough hands as she walked the great red carpets, seeing soldiers in the brightest of armors that made her see spots. She never forgot his face when her father bowed deeply, gesturing her to do the same.

  Her father was speaking to King Secorim, a man with a great brown and lush beard. He wore simple clothing, and she could have mistook him for anyone who worked in the palace. As her father let her go, she could see down a hall far to the right of where she stood. The doors of gold beckoned her. She saw no one looking at her and made her way into the hallway. The carpets smelled of berries, a scent that she rarely had the pleasure of enjoying. The designs of lions and other beasts donned the sides of the magnificent red woven creation.

  It was as she turned back, seeing that she had unknowingly left a trail of dirt on the floor, which made her heart sink. Lizoke was fearful that she would be disciplined and ran through, pushing the doors with all her might. She saw something amazing. A massive library of books and literature, which lined the entire room before her, from the floor all the way to the ceiling. She closed the doors quietly behind her and walked the first row of books to her right. There were columns separating the room, all smelling different. Some new books had the scent of wood that meant they were new, others were old and musty with a thick line of dust.

  It was then that she saw one book on a shelf to the very far back right corner. She, only being four feet tall, had to climb, leaving a trail of mud on the otherwise pristine shelves. Lizoke reached as far as her small arms could extend, until she grasped for it. The book fell with her to the ground. Its binding were that of green and gold. On the cover, there were symbols that she couldn’t read. In fact, she couldn’t read much at all beyond the few books her father had in their broken down barn, which were tattered and missing most of its stories. She opened the book to see pictures, thankfully for her, of elves that resembled her likeness, only standing proud in armor, fighting beasts she’d never laid eyes on. It was then that she heard a voice calling out to her.

  “Lizoke!”

  “LIZOKE!”

  “Lizoke?” Said Kilo, a woman of pale face and silver hair, looked her in the face. She waved her hands at the daydreaming woman. Lizoke had, again, entered her own world after reading the books in the library.

  “Sorry, Kilo. How can I help you?” Said Lizoke, as she drifted back from her dreams of being a child.

  “What are you reading?” Kilo asked, looking interested at the red tome that covered half of Lizoke’s table.

  “This? This is a great story. Have a sit and listen.” Said Lizoke.

  The visions of a long brown-haired soldier donning armor and robes in the color of black and silver, looked down on a ruined city. In the dead of night, all that he worked for was taken from him. All of his allies, students and neighbors lay dead in their beds. The soldier commanded an army that began to fall, one by one. It was until that moment that he had a choice, a decision and an assured fate for those in the land of Vathra. All would fall, to save a few. With blood upon his chest, he waved his gauntleted hand, and upon that motion, a Wave of Light destroyed the home he once knew. A life extinguished and a continent lost. This was the fate of the Paladine.

  Chapter 1- The Chase

  Kimura couldn't sleep at night. He was scared, not only of the forest he was traveling endlessly, but of the lack of certainty. Days melted into one another, from the lack of real sunlight. The trees graciously provided shade that had begun to drive him to the breaking point. Kimura wanted to believe that he could complete the assassination of the Char, two people of incredible power that destroyed his home. He doubted he could. His brother, Aedrius was encouraging and tried to help Kimura believe in himself and together, they could keep the Paladine going. As members of a small sect within the realm of unique powers, they had it the hardest. The Paladine was wiped from the face of the world, having seen the country that he once called home, sink into the sea. The continent of Vathra was no more.

  Paladins like Kimura, though all elementalists in fact, could sense similar elemental powers nearby. It was this gift that struck both Kimura and Aedrius when the majority of those imbued with the Light fell silent. It was as though a sickly feeling, something that one could compare to having a hand severed and still trying to flex fingers.

  The brothers eventually fell to relying on their gift to sustain their bodies. The Light, a power that they desperately wanted to keep alive, was now keeping them alive. They were not prepared for such a journey. No one was prepared to have lost what they did.

  Kimura sat against an old oak tree. The relief of being able to sit after who knows how many hours of walking was indescribable. He noticed Aedrius decided to take up occupation of a tree beside him.

  "It's ironic, Kimura." Said Aedrius through a growling stomach. He smiled, despite his stomach’s demand for a meal.

  "No, it’s moronic. How have we not found them by now?" Kimura said trying to compose himself. "It's two women. They can't have been any better off than we were, brother. How we haven't come across any sign of them is beyond me."

  The brothers Kimura and Aedrius had travelled nearly twenty miles from Vathra, through thick forest for what had seemed like months, though only weeks had passed them by. Aedrius complained that he regretted not learning the method of manipulating water like Rhorik, at least once a day, and it always made Kimura laugh. Rhorik had less than a fifth of the followers that Zahn had during the Awakening of the Elements. It was always in the back of Kimura's mind that Rhorik might have had a part in the sinking of Vathra, but he'd let those thoughts rest when his stomach gained his attention. Kimura felt they were not prepared for such a journey. The continuous fact that the sisters were out of their sights and Zahn not predicting the brothers having an extended hunt left them on the point of starvation.

  There was in existence, a massive forest with little treaded paths by people which linked Ethra and Vathra. Kimura believed this more than likely lead to the reason the two continents never
commuted. The brother had been finding their way through the forest by signs left on trees. Cuts made by a sharp blade marked a path that slowly lead them through the trees and eventually out of the forest. They didn't know who made the path, but were thankful that it existed at all.

  The Light, as Kimura had realized it, could sustain them in such a way that they didn't die from starvation, but were constantly tired. In his eyes, it was an acceptable trade off, until they went mad from starvation. Even the Light could not prevent that. It was strange, however. Kimura could occasionally hear the voice of Zahn Kaeott in the back of his mind. He threw it off as a hallucination but wanted to believe that he was being watched over by his former master. The Light didn't, however, prevent them from feeling the pangs of hunger. Aedrius once fought a bear and nearly got himself killed. The brothers had bear that night.

  Bloodstained and dirt ridden, they emerged weeks later atop a clearing to the forest, high enough to see Vathra's borders, if it weren't lost to the sea. They finally came upon a dirt path that could easily be missed. This gave them the option to tread into actual sunlight and out of the shade of the trees they had been so intimate with, or to travel further staying out of sight. Kimura finally broke the day's long silence with Aedrius and spoke.

  "If I were hiding from a predator, I'd go where other people wouldn’t dare tread." Kimura said bluntly as he pointed at the dirt path. The path itself ran into an open chasm with a clear sky, though it allowed one to travel without being seen. To the north, they saw a great mountain that would force them to travel around either side, while to the east was a great open plain that was too far to see any settlements.

  "So we either get heat stroke travelling across the miles of empty land or get eaten by something in that chasm. Fine, I've already killed a bear this week, let’s see what else I can eat." Aedrius' humor was hard to distinguish from all seriousness, as they had both been delusional at certain points, and that bear had been a welcome meal, as Kimura remembered it.

  "We won't die from the heat, Aedrius. It's the trees above we can thank for that." Said Kimura.

  "I believe that we'll end up travelling a desert after this. Maybe a couple mountains for good measure. Hell, a volcano before bed sounds good to you?" Said Aedrius sarcastic. Kimura tried to not acknowledge his brother and his complaining until it was really relevant.

  The two began down the path and found that there was mountain on both sides in an enclosure that the length of was several hundred yards straight. Getting into a conflict here meant no space to dodge a strike, as there was only enough room to open one's elbows before touching rock on either side.

  Kimura held out the orb to enlighten the passageway. It was warm in his hand. The orb flashed a brightness down the corridor and illuminated it entirely. He feared awakening anything that might be residing in this path, but was fortunately clear. Aedrius walked closely behind Kimura, with a hand on his dagger and the other on Kimura's right shoulder. They traversed for what seemed like an eternity down this thin path, until the two emerged outside and were confronted by a man in white, pointing a long wooden pole at them.

  "To find this place is no easy task. What brings visitors to our humble temple?" The strange bald man said more of a statement than a question. He was light skinned, standing about as tall as Kimura and was quite thin. His largest distinctive feature was his blue eyes. Kimura put away the beacon and raised his hands. Aedrius still palmed the hilt of his blade, warily.

  "We seek something other than knowledge. We are after two people. Our business as to why, is our own." Kimura tried to respond as respectfully as he could to the mysterious guardsman.

  "Do you think we made a mistake?" Aedrius whispered to Kimura.

  "We’ll see soon enough, brother." Kimura whispered back.

  The stranger paused a long moment. Then silence drew in, allowing the brothers to hear the soft breeze sift through their clothes. They felt at peace after a long while of travelling.

  "You two are the first people we have seen in many years. Your clothing suggests you aren't from Saebel or Averia. No, not elvish nor would you obviously be dwarven. Where do you come from?" The man asked calmly. Aedrius groaned with little patience.

  "We come from Vathra. Specifically Lossetta. I'm Kimura, this is my older brother Aedrius." Kimura finally lowered his arms and the sense of threat began to diminish.

  "The last we have seen of anyone treading through the Gineb forest was nearly twenty years ago. Elves of great power; we felt their ability to communicate through the forest. You may not be elves, but your presence feels identical to theirs. Do you know of them?" The man approached the two brothers and sat upon a large rock near them, seemingly passive.

  "The Ela'syn abandoned their ancient home but we never knew where they travelled. It would do us good to eventually seek out King Dawnsent." Kimura then had a second thought.

  The elves were extremely distant after Zahn demonstrated the potential power of the Light. Whatever he did to provoke an entire race of people that were once friendly to us...Maybe the King saw us as an abomination to their way of life. I can't say I blame the Ela'syn for their fears, but something else, something terrible motivated them to leave...

  Kimura looked back up, seeing the disposition of the keeper that spoke with change immediately.

  "Come with me," The mysterious man stated. "I am Lin Kin, the keeper of the gates here in Midian."

  "Midian... is that fortress behind you?" Aedrius pointed curiously. Lin nodded smiling.

  "Come speak with our leader. We can offer you a place to stay during your search." Lin offering them a place to lay their heads, rather than sleeping in a tree or a cave, was indeed welcoming. Lin offered his hand and both brothers shook it as they were motioned to follow Lin.

  The brothers were led into the massive hidden fortress. It was built with dark blackish gray stones and had a natural cobblestone stairway that the fortress was built around. The stairway spanned only about a hundred meters until they reached a level with several passageways. The fortress was extremely clean, as Kimura noticed it. People dressed similar to Lin had been sweeping and tending to their home in such a way that it seemed to be a daily task. Kimura then remembered his small cottage in Vathra, just south a few miles of Burnish.

  Lin occasionally looked eye to eye to his other brothers and they would immediately go back to their tasks as though Kimura and Aedrius were no threat. This only slightly bothered Aedrius as he hadn't been in contact with anyone but Kimura for weeks, and also, how these men were so relaxed with two strangers entering their home. Aedrius decided to mull over it later, as they were to meet this supposed leader.

  The three descended the stairway finally and reached two massive doors, protected by guards that wore slightly more armor and held long wooden staves. It was at that moment that Kimura stopped, dead in his tracks. A small bolt of Light emerged from his body in such a way that both Kimura and Aedrius were startled by this occurrence.

  "Upon this step, all shall end here." Kimura whispered to himself. Aedrius put his arm around Kimura, shaking him a bit as Lin Kin turned and looked at the star-struck paladin, frozen and his eyes moving constantly.

  "Kim? Are you Ok?" Aedrius voice trailed off as he watched his brother absorbed into his thoughts.

  This is the last place you'll be.

  Kimura shook his head, unable to understand the thoughts that crossed his mind. He put it off on the hunger taking advantage of his thoughts.

  "I'm sorry, both of you. I'm just a bit tired." Kimura said, not knowing if he was telling the truth or not.

  Lin waved his hand and the guards pulled the doors open to reveal a massive amount of these people eating in what seemed to be a banquet hall. Aedrius and Kimura could smell different meats they'd never come across as well as delicacies they wanted to try. Trying to hold their resolve, the brothers continued to follow behind Lin as he progressed down this large room.

  Two giant tables sat to either side of the three as
they walked down the center of the banquet hall. A single table, enough for about nine people sat north of the four tables they passed. One man stood out, wearing dark blackish gray robes, similar to the stones they had been walking on for a few minutes prior. This man, unlike everyone in the fortress, actually had a full head of black and gray hair and a beard. He looked at least thirty years older than anyone in the entire temple. Both brothers assumed that he was their leader by his demeanor and generally where he sat.

  "Zerick, brother, I bring some visitors from the lands to the south, a Kimura and Aedrius." Lin said in an unexpectedly excited voice. Lin seemed to be genuinely happy to see Zerick, and the old man immediately rose with his hands on the table, where he sat alone. The two exchanged pats on each other's shoulders and with a hand on Zerick's back, Lin directed the leader to the two paladins.

  "It has been ages since we've seen visitors..." Zerick approached Kimura and Aedrius, eyeing them up and down. His eyes flashed a yellowish gold and disappeared when he blinked. "You two have been touched by a power not of this world, haven't you?

  Kimura palmed the Beacon in his dirty clothes. It almost felt like it was reacting to Zerick. "We are paladins, elementalists led by Zahn Kaeott," Kimura paused. "Formerly led by him. He died with the destruction of Vathra a few weeks ago."

  "These eyes can see through you, my boy." Zerick said musingly. "I can tell you aren't lying, but I can also feel that you are in our land of Ethra for a reason other than asylum. Do tell." The statement did in fact make Kimura feel eyes scanning his body. Ever since stepping foot into Midian, he has felt uneasy, when in fact the people were eating and generally kept to their own business, despite having new visitors as Lin Kin had mentioned.

  "Our last orders were to find, and bring to justice two women who possess a power to control elemental fire. They brought an army to wipe out my people and nearly succeeded. During the conflict, our leader instructed us to follow the sisters, as they retreated the battlefield and dispatch them," Kimura scratched his head, embarrassed by his lack of being up front with all the details.