Remnant's Past- The Fall of Stoneholt

by Beaux Riley

  “What are you…?” Kilo held her staff up to the woman, ready to fight. The paladin saw the woman coming closer and closer, until she could be reached by touching the staff.

  “You know what you’ve walked into.” Said the woman. She grinned evilly at Kilo. The paladin could feel a heat coming from her and realized who it was. The woman seemed to catch fire, her body producing flames all around, enough to bring enough visibility to the entirety of Stoneholt. Kilo could now see the ground littered with small bones. Apparent worry could be seen from Kilo’s face. She had never expected to see a Char, at least not without others to help fight alongside them.

  “You…everything we’ve been searching for. Right here and now… The Char.” Said Kilo. She remembered right then how Kimura had taught them the skill of imbuing their weapons with the elemental force they possessed. The enemy that began to swell with energy quickly vanished in a burst of flames. Kilo looked about as her weapon glowed. Fire emerged from all directions and Kilo jumped aside, pressing herself against the wall. The sight of a woman completely engulfed in flames appeared right before Kilo. The paladin struck at the visage and her weapon went right through it. She fell forward and quickly regained her footing. The image became solid and laughed mockingly at Kilo.

  “This is it, the best Kimura trained? To think we hid from you. We should have killed them in that forest and saved the trouble.” Said the fiery woman. She waved her hand and summoned a wall of fire, dragging it in Kilo’s direction. The paladin could not dodge in time and shielded her face. She cried out as the same feeling of elemental flame burned at her. The memories of the library in Maiden’s Point came flooding back and she groaned in pain. Kilo raised her hand in the Char’s direction and funneled as much Light as she could muster. To her surprise, the flame elemental was actually harmed.

  “So does my would-be assailant have a name, or incorrigible bitch satisfy you?” Kilo asked mockingly. The paladin felt burns that could only harm one’s soul. Her skin tingled all over. She repositioned her weapon, ready again to attack.

  “Not that it matters, but my name is Sinesca. As one of the Char, I will waste no more time with the filth of Zahn’s brood. It was your people who lost me my family and I will return the favor.” Sinesca said insidiously. She burst into flames, her pale green eyes turning white as her skull could vaguely be seen throughout her transformation into this form. For a moment, Kilo thought those eyes were familiar before she tensed up and prepared for another assault. Sinesca waved her arms around frantically, forcing her length to increase dramatically. The whip-like extensions of her arms struck around Kilo until the Char wrapped her whips around Kilo’s staff. She pulled and nearly yanked the weapon from the paladin, but instead pulled her right to Sinesca’s location. Kilo let go and in midair she casted the Light right at Sinesca’s face, blinding the flame manipulator momentarily.

  Kilo struck at Sinesca with her hand fully imbued with Light. Another moment Kilo expected her attack to fail, but the fist met with the Char’s cheek and partially pushed Sinesca from her enveloped form. Kilo watched as Sinesca spat out blood that steamed on the ground. She gripped at Sinesca’s deep black hair and Sinesca rose up her hand right at Kilo’s face. A blast of fire sent the paladin falling back with her staff, crying out in pain. Kilo’s left eye had been burned by a different whitish flame. Kilo gripped at her face and felt her eye burn terribly. She kicked about and Sinesca coughed, laughing at the paladin flailing in pain.

  Kilo managed to scream out as she saw nothing but darkness from the left side of her face. Blood ran down her forehead, dripping from her silver hair. She tried her hardest to stand as Sinesca also struggled from being struck so hard.

  “Eye for an eye, they say.” Sinesca yelled at Kilo, relishing in her agony. Sinesca’s own right eye had been bruised shut. She once again enveloped herself and rushed out to Kilo. The paladin’s good eye was tear-filled and she had a harder time focusing. She realized that the fight was no longer in her favor. She waved her hand, forcing several gusts of wind within the enclosed city. Sinesca flew up to the second floor where Kaydren’s overlook was. She saw Kilo was fighting blindly against her now.

  Sinesca waved her hands in circular ball. An orb of fire formed with eyes that stared back at her. She threw several of these orbs in the direction of Kilo, birthing mindless soldiers who struck at the paladin. Kilo continued to defend each one that would jump at her and fall, only to destroy them with her Light-imbued stave. The paladin continued to defend herself from Sinesca’s tricks until the Char finally stopped and backed away. The darkness returned to Stoneholt. Kilo heard nothing but the faint sound of the rain outside the entrance. Realizing that she had to keep Sinesca moved away from the unconscious Light user.

  “Fight me yourself, coward!” Kilo yelled into the air. The echoes of Sinesca’s laughter filled the halls as the Char taunted her target. Kilo prayed she could think of something to escape this potential tomb.

  As Kilo turned her head back and forth, she heard something growl from behind her and as she turned, it struck her.

  ***

  The storm did not let up in the slightest. The lightning had subsided temporarily as it moved east towards the open plains and a great deal of nothing. In no way did Asa feel that the weather was on his side, but he was thankful that the thunder was gone at least for now. Leaving Zerick behind did not sit well with him. Regardless of how stubborn he was, the paladins could have never been responsible for the atrocities that occurred at the temple. Caliya kept her gryphon closer to Asa for a multitude of reasons. Worrying if the unhinged paladin would try to pull something on her watch, she ensured he never left her sight.

  The ride from the temple of Midian was silent for the riders. The storm’s rain occasionally spray into Asa’s hood as the gryphon shook and pushed forward. Then as they saw Stoneholt Mountain in the distance, below them were the familiar flags of Saebellians. Asa immediately recognized the symbols to be from the Zirris. His heart sank as he realized that his father was almost guaranteed to be among them. He called out to Caliya, who could barely hear the paladin.

  “Princess!” Asa yelled as loud as he could. Caliya turned her head, covering her forehead with her right arm so she could see Asa. The Princess waved her hand in acknowledgement of him. “I need a faceguard, quickly!” Caliya didn’t understand Asa’s request. He was already wearing the long hood the paladins all had in their unique outfits. Asa only stood out being that his clothing was clearly not elven. Why he needed to so suddenly conceal his identity, was a question she’d ask later. The elf pulled her gryphon close to Asa’s own. She reached out and threw to Asa his strange request. The paladin held it close as they flew over the Zirris army.

  In the distance they also saw the army of the Ela’syn approaching the mountain. Asa noticed it strange that the bridge was gone, even though it had clearly still been standing as they passed it going to Midian. The gryphons shook occasionally to free themselves of all the rain they’d been soaked with.

  As they began to descend, the storm finally lightened itself up. The harsh downpour became nothing more than a sprinkle and revealed the long awaited sun as the birds landed beside the Ela’syn army who had stopped about a hundred yards from Stoneholt. Caliya was pulled from her bird by her father. Illoke pulled her in for a hug.

  “My daughter, I worried for you on those beasts you insist to ride.” Said Illoke. Caliya pulled away from her father embarrassed and not trying to encourage his over protective behavior. “It would seem that ‘One Zight’ Secorim has honored my call.”

  Caliya didn’t understand immediately who or what the One Zight comment her father proclaimed, though she was sure that she’d learn that sooner or later. Caliya stood beside the King while Asa kept behind them and wore the mask he’d asked for moments prior.

  “Now that they have arrived, master paladin, I believe it is time we spoke with your father.” Illoke turned to Asa as he spoke. Asa knew that he couldn’t leave this topic in sil
ence. The Paladine’s secrecy had to be revealed. Without a cause, there would be no way that Saebel would join in the hunt for the Char.

  “I’m not sure I can face my father.” Said Asa. Illoke walked over to the lone paladin and quickly saw several figures coming towards Asa. The looks of Angaea and Cray approaching made Asa a bit less scared. His heart was feeling strange, as though it was being grasped at.

  “Knight Lord. How are ya holding up? What happened with Kimura?” Cray asked looking around for their teacher’s familiar face. Asa shook his head. Caliya lowered her head, as she heard Cray’s inquiry. “No…it didn’t…” Cray removed his helm and threw it down. He cursed loudly. Angaea put her left arm to her face, trying to hide her tears.

  “There is a great deal of things we have to talk about, Cray. Now…now we all have to face what is to come.” Said Asa. The paladin placed a hand on Cray’s left shoulder. They all showed the same depressed look at the news. Cray breathed deeply and patted his own chest with a closed fist twice.

  “I’m here for you, Asa. Let’s get through this.” Cray said in a more confident tone. The three paladins walked with the royalty of Ela’syn. As the army of elves stood at attention, drying a bit now, they waited at attention. Their impressive unity in standing single file and rows were a perfectly display of an army working as one. Asa wondered sometimes how disciplined the Zirris would be in comparison. Angaea remained a bit behind the four others, trying to clear her face of tears that wouldn’t stop. It was obvious she took the bad news very hard.

  The five approached the oncoming army of Zirris. They marched in on foot with officers that Asa recognized in the familiar royal blue colors being donned on the sides of the horses that the higher ranks rode on. A red colored drape from a very familiar face distinguished the Commander of the Zirris, none other than Stratus Omni himself.

  When Stratus noticed that there were bodies approaching ahead of a standstill army, he chose to ride ahead and greet them. He galloped ahead and only moments passed before he jerked his horse back, hearing it neigh and patted the four legged creature to calm down.

  Illoke called to Stratus with open arms, partially wet from the storm.

  “Commander, thank you for coming. I take it Teravin stayed behind?” Illoke said as Stratus bowed to the King.

  “We’re still building the government. Change has been…rather difficult.” Said Stratus. He looked at the Princess and bowed his head. To the people behind the King and Princess, Stratus gave strange looks. Their hoods were covering any distinct features and Stratus assumed it may be a private guard or something of that nature. Stratus didn’t try to understand the Ela’syn as she should and failed to pay attention to detail on times like this.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Perhaps it’s best that you are here. We need to talk about some severe topics at hand before proceeding.” Said Illoke.

  “I’d say so. Raiding is no small feat, nor should it be taken lightly.” Stratus realized that the six people in this small group stood at the broken gates of Stoneholt. They were thereabouts of a hundred feet, give or take a few yards, away from it. Stratus looked at one of the guards and continued to listen to Illoke.

  “I’ve brought with me someone who can explain to you, our situation…” Illoke had his shoulder shook and turning to Caliya, he saw her pointing to the bridge of roots. The old roots that Illoke had summoned close to this spot had been broken and the bridge destroyed. Reaching Stoneholt was impossible for anyone daring to enter. What brought them to become more curious was the look of the doors that held the city closed, were now wide open. “What is the meaning of this…?” Illoke said to himself.

  ***

  A final flame sprite struck Kilo’s face. She cried out in utter pain. Her face was completely bloodied and her eyes now were both burnt. The paladin could not focus her control over the Light. It released from her weapon and her right hand, erupting the first floor of Stoneholt and destroyed the remaining clone of fire that Sinesca summoned. She dropped her staff and it rolled several feet from her. Kilo could hear nothing but the laughter from Sinesca as it echoed the walls all around her. She dropped to her knees, holding her face, feeling the blood draining from her face.

  “I’m still alive you devious bitch…” Kilo cried out. She tried searching for her staff to defend against anything Sinesca would try to do to her.

  Asa...I'll never be able to see your face again. I have to get out of here. Kimura was right to fear them. What do I do? Kilo thought to herself. She could hear herself breathing deeply. She knew that Sinesca was toying with her. The Char had been in hiding from the Paladine for so long that exacting revenge was something Kilo believed she'd take her time on.

  “Still? Where is that Light you are so proud of, paladin?” Sinesca said mocking her. Kilo finally managed to sift past broken bones and dirt and found her staff. She held it close to her chest and breathed as she felt blood falling from her eyes, as though they were thick tears. She tried her hardest to see, though nothing but darkness appeared before her, even as she tried illuminating the ground where she stood. “What tricks do you have left? Come girl, just give up.”

  “Here’s a trick!” Said a voice coming directly behind Sinesca. The Char had no time to react as the small woman with her two hands grasped at Sinesca’s own eyes and two sources of Light exploded right in her face. Sinesca burst into flames as she cursed. The woman that Kilo had saved managed to sneak up to Sinesca and returned the favor. Sinesca dropped to her knees and screamed, grasping at her face. She turned behind her and the woman began to run and fell down a staircase as she tried to get away from the Char. Sinesca was now as blind as Kilo and realized that she was the one at a disadvantage. The young woman heard Sinesca cursing above her on the second floor and she lit a small orb in her hand while going after the wounded Kilo. She placed her arm around the paladin and whispered to her.

  “I can help, hold on to me and we will get you out of here.” She said quietly. Kilo grunted and shook her head.

  “We can’t let her get away! She must be stopped…” Said Kilo, wondering how she’d achieve this. “Who are you…how can you use the Light?” Kilo demanded to know. The paladin remembered Kimura’s teachings and how on multiple occasions he ensured them that they were the only paladins remaining. Then again, perhaps Kimura was not entirely right. He discovered Serict was still alive and even his brother was still with them in one shape or form.

  The girl brought the orb up to Kilo’s bloody face. Her pale skin was caked with blood and two trails of crimson fell from her face in steady streams. “My name is Zimae. We can introduce one another later, I need to get you out the southwest corridor.” She pulled the protesting Kilo up over her should and began to lead the blind woman through the city. Kilo's staff scraped against the floor as she could barely hold onto it.

  “How do you know the layout of the city?” Kilo asked, now dependent on Zimae for directions. She didn’t have a chance to answer Kilo when they saw the stones beneath them shaking. Zimae saw Sinesca in her Char form flying in the air. She held her arms raised and was chanting something that was making the mountain shake.

  “Quickly, we need to hide, in here!” Zimae pushed Kilo into an empty room, out of side and they hid against a wall. The smell of rot was clear. It reminded Kilo of a tomb that had been recently opened and taking a deep breath of the contents inside. Zimae ripped from her shirt a long piece of fabric and shushed Kilo as she wrapped it around the taller paladin's head. Small indications of blood seeping through the cloth could be barely seen as Zimae kept only a single finger lit with Light. As she looked at Kilo, she saw the damage that had been done. Kilo would never see again. But she had her life that mattered more right now. "We'll need to get you to the best healers within Ela'syn that we can muster." The ground around them shook again, and the familiar guttural sound of stone golems could be heard. Kilo listened intently, it was more than one. Sinesca had to be building at least a dozen.

  The ground from
beneath them rumbled violently and shifted. The two women held each other close. Zimae peered out of the room and tried to see what Sinesca was doing. All she could make out was the woman, completely engulfed in violent flames. A golem was holding her as she waved small glowing rocks around Stoneholt in all directions. Smaller versions of the golem she created were now forming. The roof began to give in and before long, the entrance was broken open by the shear amount of moving rocks. The giant carrying her began to walk slowly to the massive gate entrance. With one free hand it began to smash violently against the walls and each strike make a loud pang with stone against stone. Sinesca yelled out at the golems.

  "Break it down, my child! Get me to Vinesca!!!" She yelled at the golem. Sinesca's body ignited in massive lashes of fire that the golem ignored, as it made no damage to her creation. The golem's slow motions brought it within range of the entrance that it could not fit through.

  "IIII....OOOOBBBEEEEYYY." Its presumed stone lungs managed to speak. Another three or four strikes brought the entrance apart right down the middle. Rubble and stone fragments dropped down in front of the golem as it shielded Sinesca from debris.

  "Go my children, protect your mother!" She called out to the smaller golems. They walked slowly and jumped from the bridge's break off towards the opposite side in one massive leap. As they made this action, they were greeted with the surprised looks of several thousand elves and human soldiers.

  Chapter 13- Family Reunion

  Illoke pulled Caliya aside as the golems rampaged out from Stoneholt. The monstrosities jumped the chasm with ease. In total, the King counted eleven smaller elemental creatures that made themselves known. The elven army pulled themselves into a defensive position with black shields risen against the potential threat. The paladins stood with weapons drawn and they began backing away from the dozen of golems that began to slam their massive fists into the ground, preparing to charge.