Gladiators (not open for all, sorry)

[poohlive]

Garret swam to shore. He kept looking back for archer's settling up at the top, but they had not assembled yet. He was thankful for that, he easily reached the underside of the ravine, and crawled up to the top. The man and the woman had jumped farther downstream, and were swimming ashore as well. He sighed as he looked back at the front door.
Flooding outside were guards. Garret had a look of chock as they began running towards him. He didn't have time to do much else, he grabbed a horse of a passerby and began galloping into the city center. Passing the two companions he yelled out.
"LITTLE ROSE, SUNDOWN!"
He hoped one of them knew of the small tavern by the city walls. In an instant he was gone, with half of the king's men on his tail. For the most part they had only taken to running, and could do little else except watch him leave. A few of them, however had decided to pick up horses. He was now on a race for his life. Garret couldn't stop somewhere in the city, trying to hide from them...
This search wouldn't be a simple one. They would hunt him down, death of the king was treason, assasination. He wasn't an assasin, simply a fighter, a rogue if you will. All he wanted to do was plant revenge of a spiteful king. Was that too much to ask.
The arrow flew by his head, nearly missing him. Apparently it was. He turned a sharp right, and began to run into the forest. If the marketplace couldn't stop these clowns, perhaps a league or two in the forest would change their minds.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Kita

The pain in her arm was quickly turning to agony after the jump jarred the shattered bones even more. Shivering from the cold of the water, combined with the pain in her bady, she was begining to go into shock and she knew she would need help, and soon. She had heard the mans directions, and knew the tavern well, but right now, her need was more to be away from here, to a place where she could deal with her arm. Clutching the stone, she told her brother where to find her, relieved to see him, and the horses.
Leaping into the saddle, Brakus, following her lead, they raced for the trees, and hopefully, safety.

 

[Ravenloft]

Valdimer Elsworth:

Several hours had passed, Florin's body was taken carefully from the arena to be Cleaned and made to look some what human once more... Valdimer had come to realize one of the gladiator's had spirited off with the family sword. Without the sword the ceremony that would make him king could not proceed, for in that ceremony, the sword would officially be passed to him. Not only passed to him physically, but its magic bound to his spirit, making him the soul envocker of its power. To all but the one it was bound to, its would mearly be a blade of supurb craftsmenship, nothing more... But in his hands... In his hands it would make him something more than human!

"I want the murderous thieves found... And brought to me!" He barked at one of his guards, after the man had the unfortunate duty to inform his soon to be king that they had escaped. He had almost commanded them butchered, but for the thought that they might hide the blade. Ironic, a tool of death being their only hope for continued life.

 

[poohlive]

Garret ducked as he walked past another huge boulder. Inside the musty cave millions of sounds reflected off the walls, making a dazzling display of wonder and merriment. It was a nice private place he liked to visit when the city was too rowdy. He concluded that this was rowdy.
The candle was placed in the center of a rather large area. He had taken the time to flatten it, and even furnish it with a few things, books, a bed, even some rations if he needed to spend a few days in here.
Garret took off his cloak. It was ripped in several places, shit, and this was his best one too. He would need to make a trip to the tailor's as soon as he could. Something nudged him in the backside. Annoyed, Garret took it out.
The sword.
He had almost forgotten about the sword. A beautiful piece of weaponry. He had never seen anything like it. It was black, blacker than any steel he had ever seen. He saw a small family crest on the one side, a beautiful picture to match the blade. The hilt was in and of itself a wonderous creation. He held it in his hands comfortably, waving it around at an invisible foe.
For being so big, it handled like nothing. He should have been waving around a piece of paper instead of this sword. He would have to keep this around for a while.
Perhaps Badgunville across the sea would have a good price for it. He could use a good sword, it's true, but not as much as he could use some of his own land. Maybe even a serf or two to help him make harvest. A wife as well, a family to keep to himself and let the little ones grow up.
This sword could be the key to his own happiness. He held the future in his hands, a destiny.
That crest certainly looked familiar. Garret rushed over to one of his books flipping through pages. He was certain he had seen it somewhere before.
(I could make something up, but if you would like to tell everyone a little bit more about the sword, take it away Ravenloft. I do little to stand in the way of genius)

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

Being in the hands of a pure soul... Well, more pure than the Elsworths at any rate... It was refreshing. What was it now? Thirteen generations in their corrupted hands? Not that time mattered much to me or mine any longer... Not since I had forged my soul into this grim hell of black steel... What a fool I was... What a sad fool... As the young soul slashed me through the air, I remembered the voices...

The demons, and their perverted promises. Power, more power than a man could posess... It would all be mine... If I forged them a blade... I was seduced by their promises... So I began to forge the blade... Every clap of hammer against steel, a damnation to my soul... And I gladly hammered my hell into shape and form. In that night, the promise of power sung in my blood... I was possessed with it, driven by it... Then... When I was so near... So near... They took it away from me, ripped the unimaginable singing power from my blood... "The blade must be cooled in the blood of your blood... Your daughter... Serra..." The demons spoke, their voices the rattle of death itself...

"I will not kill my daughter!" I cried out. There was silence for a moment. The emptiness left from the loss of their demonic gifts, an ache within my stomach... As though I had not eaten in weeks. I doubled over from the sudden wash of weakness. "Give us the blood of your daughter or suffer for eternity..." They rattled from all around me, in my head. "No..." I moaned weakly.

With a violent hiss, I felt the demons rip into me, into my soul. I could do nothing... I was mearly a man then... They bathed the sword in my blood, as they would have my daughter, my soul was sealed into the dark void of the blade... And here I have remained for ages untold...

I was indeed gifted with the power they had promised me... For what little good it does me, as I am now... And the demons... Damn them, as if my robbing me of my mortal frame was not enough... My power must be fed with blood... At least in the hands of the Elsworths, blood came in abundance... Would it be so with this one?

It had been a very long time since I had used my powers for anything resembling comunication, but there was something in the manner with which this one gripped me that compeled me to try. Starting slowly, I willed myself to glow a faint red, letting it grow and highten in brightness until my blade looked as though it had just been brought out from a kiln. It seemed the gentlest way to express that I was more than I seem to the lad. Out and out speaking would surely make the lad think himself mad.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Kita

Racing through the trees on horse back brought Kita to the end of her endurance. The agony in her are was more than she could bare, and conciousness escaped her. The last thing she saw was the ground coming up to meet her as her world turned black.

Blake

Blake had been gathering wood for his fire when he saw the trio racing past, and saw the girl fall from her horse. The two men she was with had kept riding, not seeing her fall, and Blake knew that left where whe was, if she was still alive, she would quickly fall prey to hungry wolves. Rolling her over, he assesed the damage. Her are was badly broken, but no unmendable, other than that she seemed fine. PIching her up gently, he carried her back to his camp hidden in the trees, laying her out on his blanket and reaching over fer his pack. setting her arm would be better while she was out cold, and there was less chance of her making to much noise. As he pulled her arm, listening to hear the bones click back into place, she moaned, but didn't wake. A small blessing he thought. She was a pretty thing, and he had to wonder what she could have been running from at such a pace. His question was soon answered when a squad of the kings troups came crashing through the trees, following the trail left by the two men and her riderless horse. Covering her over with his blamket, he sat and watched her sleep for a while before returning to the task of gathering fire wood for the night.

 

[poohlive]

Garret closed the book suddenly. His palms had begun to shake slowly. His entire body broke out into a cold sweat. The comfortable lair didn't seem so comofortable before.
It could have just been the rantings of a crazy man. Surely, it could have. He had read things that were so far gone, it was a wonder they ever got onto the page, but somwhere he just couldn't accept it. This sword was evil, in the true sense of the word. It had been forged in the rape of innocense, and continues to destroy all it comes in contact with.
He looked at the crest more carefully. It was blood red, he hadn't noticed that before. the sword was perfectly black, flawless but the crest itself was an entire red seal.
He tossed it to the other side of the room. It made a dull sound in the cave, echoing off for a distance. Perhaps it was best if he sold it sooner than he thought. He was always good with a quarterstaff anyways. A sword is a sword of course of course.
Garret rubbed his hands together, it had gotten colder in the cave all of a sudden. His mind began wandering to souls being torn apart, lives being lost for that one piece of metal. He had been so proud to own it too, it would be the key to all of his dreams.
Could he honestly make his dreams come true with a weapon that had been built by so many nightmares. No, he couldn't. There was only one thing he could do.
Destroy it.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

The fool, how dare he cast me aside! ...No, patience is paramount here... In time he will come to understand what he has in his posession... In time... I let the crimson glow of my blade fall dormant once more, waiting for the lad to hoist me in his hands again.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Kita

As Kita regained her conciousness, her body and mind screamed with the pain. Her arm had been set, but by who?
Looking about, see noticed a man returning with his arms full of firewood. Not knowing if he was friend or foe, she clasped the stone and reached out for Valin.

"Hey Bro, Please tell me your alive and not getting your ass kicked again"

She rested back on the blanlet, in no condition to be going anywhere, and greatfull to this stranger, who ever he was.

 

[poohlive]

He stared aimlessly at the sword. Why did he have to pick it up? It was only a sword, nothing more than metal and some leather. Perfectly hand crafted yes, but it was made from the blood of innocence.
He bent down to pick it up, and instantly took two steps back. It would simply lay there for a while, yes. He could fin out what to do with it afterwards, for now it would stay where he could see it.
He doubted if the sword could move on it's own, but from what he had read there wasn't much that he doubted too seriously anymore.
"Can it even be destroyed?" he whispered to himself.
Of course it could, it was made of physical things, in the real world. It would be more absurd to ask if one could destroy a house or a clay pot. Everything lived and died. He would simply make this thing's life shortened, and end the evil it might cause.
"...or I could still sell it," although the thought of selling it now seemed only a distant memory. He wanted to keep it here, or have it destroyed.
Sundown would be nearing in a few hours. Garret didn't want too, but he had promised those fighters that he would meet them at the tavern. He wanted to take the sword, but he also didn't want to leave it here alone. With him, if he were to be mugged it could be stolen. Or if a few guards happen to catch him, it could go into the wrong hands alltogether. Here the same thing could happen, but with him there was at least something he could do about it.
No, no one knew of this cave. It would be more wise to let it be. Besides, if he wanted it with him, he would have to touch it.
Garret sat quietly, looking at the sword, waiting until it was time to leave.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

"HhhhhhhDo you intend to stare at me all nighthhhhhhhh?" The sword intoned its unnatural voice flowing into the air as though it were metal being drawn from a sheath... And trailing off in the same manner.

 

[poohlive]

Garret jumped to his feet. He looked around anxiously, his hand immediately drawn to the hilt on his side. The hilt was empty though. Was there someone else here? He did hear something, didn't he?
Perhaps it was his imagination. Garret cringed slightly, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the room, and then making it's way back to the sword on the ground. Always back to the sword.
If he didn't know any better....
No, that was simply impossible. But, was it? In the story, the man had heard the sword speak, or voices from the sword. If it were truly evil, the sword must harbor something inside it. This thing could talk.
Garret took a step closer. There was something static in the air, a certain clairvoyance which he hadn't noticed before, but it was here now, stuffing him. He felt the air become lighter.
"Hello," he said as calmly as he could, although even the echo hinted at the shakiness in his voice.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

"Hhhhhhhso, you acknowledge me. How much have you learned about me, and my past ladhhhhhhh?" The sword spoke again, its blade pulsing with red unearthly light.

 

[poohlive]

A part of him didn't want to admit it. Caves had their ways of giving off odd light, and perhaps with the right kind of wind he could even be amused to hear voices. Yet, even with all of these things, he knew it was the sword talking to him. A sword of evil. He should just place it in a sack full of rocks, and throw it into a river. He knew he couldn't do that though, it was impossible.
"I know of you," Garret said. A stange feeling came over him, was he actually talking to this sword? Whatever plans it did have, they were to be evil. How could he in good conscience be talking to this thing by knowing it's purpose.
He had nothing else to do though. The sword was lying in the middle of the floor, what honestly could he do?
He wished he had just been smart and left it at the arena.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

"Hhhhhhhthen you know I am forever imprissoned within this hell of cold black steel... And that blood feeds my powershhhhh." The swords openly spoke now. The red pulsing hue of its blade becoming a solid glow once more.

 

[poohlive]

Garret looked down at the sword in pure defiance.
"STOP TALKING TO ME!"
It was time to leave. He knew it, why was the thing so forward about it's presence. There was no use for this. Garret didn't want it anymore, powers or no powers it was still a sword. A sword couldn't hurt anyone on it's own.
Swords don't kill people, people kill people.
Evil kills people too.
Garret grabbed a piece of cloth. He breathed in deeply as he placed it over the hilt. With a sharp twich it was easily sheathed. Garret drew out a sigh of relief as it was placed somewhere partially safe. Maybe it couldn't talk either.
"I will find a way to get rid of you," he said calmly, "Don't think you will be able to control me like you did those weak souls."
Garret grabbed his horse and headed to the edge of town. It was nearly sundown.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

As Garret rode, bludsbane hung at his side. About midway to the edge of town Garret spotted a group of guards on patrol. Suddenly the sword spoke directly into his mind, and it was as though the metalic rasp of its voice was a painful drag of steel within his ears. "Hhhhhhhguards... I could alert them to your presence you know... Or you could listen to mehhhhhhh" The sword offered.

 

[poohlive]

Garret stopped in midride. The horse's reigns pulled back with a forceful vengeance. He had hoped that being placed into the confines of a sheath would quiet the thing, but somehow it could speak directly to him. He shuttered as he felt it talk inside of him.
He did nothing nor did he ride any further. He simply stood there, looking at the guards. There were too many to attack and live, he could run away, but it was nearly sundown and he needed to be at the tavern.
Garret pulled the horse up to a slow gallop, "I am listening," he spat out of his mouth.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

"Hhhhhhyou've gotten it into your fool head that I am evil... I am a victem as well, trapped in my own personal hell... This sword is my eternal cell, I cannot escape from it. But still, it is better than oblivion I suppose. Keep me safe from the kings fool hands and I will keep you safe. Betray me and I will do all within my power to destroy youhhhh." the sword spoke, its tone in anguish at first, then it grew stern, commanding, threatening.

 

[poohlive]

Garret almost had to smile at this proposal. He had never thought in a thousand years that he would actually give this thing back to the rightful owners, especially since he learned of all of it's powers.
He felt the sword spoke the truth, in some part. Garret believed whatever was inside the sword was a prisoner. Whether this prisoner was good or evil did not do much to sway Garret's feelings either way.
He jumped down from his horse, tying it up at the post. He looked around, the night was fairly quiet for a weekend night at the tavern. He wondered why.
"Sword," he barely spoke a whisper, "If all you ask is that I keep you away from the new king, I will obey."
He stepped inside the bar.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Kita

As Kita lay back and listened, there was no reply from Valin. It worried her that he didn't reply, but he miignt not be in a situation that he could, so she resigned to try again later. The man who seemed to be her host returned to the fire with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Ah, your awake, and looking a little better i see, how do you feel?"

Kita gave him a friendly smile, but not too friendly.

"Like i have been to hell and back. I sure have felt better. My Name's Kita. Thank you for tending to my arm."

His smile was warm, caring, and friendly, but Kita was never one to trust easily, or quickly.

"My name's Blake, and it was my pleasure."

It was then that Kita noticed the sun was begining to set, and she knew she would have to get moving fast if she was to make the tavern my sun set. Getting to her feet, she was still a little shakey, and Blake grabbed her before she fell again.

"I have to get back to the village. There is a man i must meet at sundown."

Blake raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is it that important that you would hurt yourself to get there?"

Thinking that Valin might also be on is way there, she nodded,

"Yes, it's that important."

Blake screwed up is face a little in concideration.

"Well then, we had better make a move. Your horse kept running, but i can take you on mine."

As he lifted her into the saddle, and climbed on behind her, she was a little taken with his gentleness of her. It was not something she was used to, but it was something she liked.

They reached the tavern right on sunset. Her arm was throbbing painfully, but a few shots of the good stuff would help with that. She spotted te big man from the arena standing at the bar, and she made her way to him, Blake close on her heals. She noticed he still had the kings sword.

"I see you got a better trinket from the king than i did."

 

[poohlive]

Garret blinked twice as she said this. If only she knew. He hadn't the heart to tell her though, or the will. He assumed his face told enough. He felt tired and edgy all of the sudden.
She seemed to have met a new adventurer. Out with the old, in with the new sort of thing. He had done it many times himself, but he didn't know it would happen so quickly.
"We seemed to have traded one person for another?" he asked curiously.

 

[Ravenloft]

Bludsbane:

The sword at Garrets side felt through his mind, sinewy unseen fingers plucking through his thoughts and memories for anything that would insure the fool did not betray him. The sifting was nearly imperceiveable within Garret's mind, simply a numb chill feeling in the back of his consious mind.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Kita

Kita cast her eyes at Blake, then back to Garret.

"This is Blake, I currently owe him my life. My brother and the other man have vanished for the moment, i was hoping they would be here."

Looking around the tavern it was obvious that they wern't there and she was a little disapointed, and worried. As she moved closer to garret, teh fragmenet of staone around her neck began to grow warmer, thte closer she got, the hotter the stone became. It didn't take her long to work out why. Any good thiief worth her hide knew of teh legand of the kings sword. By the look on Garret''s face, he knew it too.

"The are going to be looking for us in a big way, especialy since you have that! *she nodded to the sword* Any ideas on what to do next big guy?"

 

[poohlive]

Garret sighed, giving the woman another glance.
"We could kill them all, and end this here and now," the way he was feeling he might have just done it too. He could see she wasn't up to fighitng though, her arm in a sling chose a more prevacious method.
"I suggest we split up and start new lives in cities far far away. There isn't much we can do here anymore. Everyone whom we might think are friends now are more then likely our enemies. The new King no doubt has rich pockets and wants his father's death avenged. It's a danger even now being here at the edge of town."
Garret felt tired all of the sudden. He hadn't slept in over three days, but that wasn't exactly it. A man such as himself could go on without sleep for a week or more, but he felt extremely tired.
Shaking the feeling from him, Garret looked back at the woman. He just wanted this to be over.