Fantasy The Lost Empire

[Dust Bunnies]

"Indeed, I thought the gown I was wearing earlier wouldn't go well with riding." She spoke sweetly to him, looking to his praetorians and bowing her head in a sign of respect to them all. Before she followed Ren out into the courtyard to find out what waited for her. Standing before her a beautiful black mare stood, almost the mirror image to her horse she left behind due to her curse. Slowly, she walked over to her mare, stroking the horse, looking at the calmed creature. "She's beautiful. Just like Onyx... My dear horse."​

 

[The Mechanist]

"That's one of my horses, her name is Luna, after the moon." He said as he joined his centurions. "You can ride her on the way there, I'll be marching with the men." He said as he turned towards the exit, "attention! about face" Ordered Ren, all the men going into attention before facing him. "You've all been briefed and know where we are going, the witches hut is our destination. Be careful and sweep the area, you know how dangerous these woman are, now forward march!" He said as he turned to the exit and began to walk out with his small team, the clacking of armor pieces ringing out into the air.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

"She's a beautiful creature, thank you for letting me ride her, Ren." She whispered to him in a gentle manner, as she carefully mounted the horse. Patting the side of the horse calmly, reassuring her that she wasn't going to harm the beautiful horse. Watching Ren and his men, carefully she rode on behind them. Keeping a watchful eye out. The echoing of clanging metal made her mind ring, and clap every so often, until she stopped the horse and stepped down. Watching all the men march onwards, towards the forest the surrounded the safe kingdom. Quietly, she walked on her own, looking around the paths, making sure to get a good view of everything around her. So no one was following her, or had the intention of hurting her or the horse she rode upon. Elenora flinched with the sound of random movement in the bushes, as a song in the distance seemed to pull her under a trance. Something from the past. Something... So well remembered.

Elenora found herself mindlessly following the song, into a clearing. Where a water front was, the cold winds blowing in her face. Though she wanted to stop her body refused to get her, before she knew it she was walking into the freezing waters. At the waters reaching her waist the music stopped, and she started looking around for Ren or any sign of his men.​

 

[The Mechanist]

As the others continued marching on Ren turned around to check on Elanora to find her gone, "halt!" Ordered Ren as he walked past them, all the men watching, "where is Elanora?"

Sarai watched from atop a tree at Elanora who walked into a pond. "What are you up to...." she wondered. More suspicious of her than she was before.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Looking around the water, Elenora felt the cold seep into her flesh. Before she started for the shores, something was in that air around her. It was heavy, and cold. Though it also had a burn to it, it was almost choking her for air before she watched a group of cloaked women step out from the bushes. Their chants and whispers filled Elenora's mind with terror, upon stepping back into the arms of a board chested man who's beard tickled the back of her neck. His grip held firm on her, as the women walked forward one at a time, the man held her hand out in place. Where only a women took forcefully, and sliced Elenora's palm with a blade of bone. Her cry out snuffed out by the man, before she watched the blood drip onto a pendant of the devil himself. Her heart beat paced, listening to the man speak in Norse, before smelling her freshly washed hair.. "A mirror image, she's like her... Same face, darker hair, even more beautiful." The man gruffed in Norse, before looking over her face once more, looking at the witches begin their chant.

Poisonous words echoed through the forest before, her mind became blank. With the Norseman throwing her into the side of tree, causing her to hit her head. They continued to chant their curses, and it finally settled, leaving a burning symbol on the wrist above Elenora's hand. Only the pain awoke her, as she woke to the Norseman standing there looking over her. Seemingly with an interested eye.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Sarai watched in horro the events unfold, there were too many for her alone to take on. But once the witches had dispersed and the brute was standing over her she dropped down and with drew her swords and approached. "Surrender now, or die a painful death... your choice." Said the master assassin in a threatening voice. This wouldn't be the first Viking she's killed, and she intended it wouldn't be the last.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Elenora stared at the Norseman, before hearing Sarai in the distance, somewhere near but well hidden enough. Her gaze quickly turned to her hand, and just above on her wrist that held a flaming red curse mark. Staring with no aim, or thought going through her head due to the shock she'd felt in those moments before hand. It didn't take long for the man to respond, pulling her up into his grip once more. "You'll let me go, and I'll take the girl... Her curse only lasts when she's with another man, not myself... It was put in place as a prewarning.. So you might s well let me take her... You never know what she could do to anyone now, the witches will forever be in her head..." He laughed in a dark manner.​

 

[The Mechanist]

"My lord will simply break the curse, we have the power of god on our side, were more than ready to handle withches she said as she moved around. After much thought she spoke once more.
"No I'll just kill you insead," she said as a flurry of knives made their way towards him and Elanora. She knew if he was serious about her he would jump in the way.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Elenora felt a sense of fear eat at her upon watching Sarai begin to play with her knives. The hold of the Norseman was still quite strong for her. With the throw of the knives, she felt a pull behind her, and the Norseman covered her. Taking the hit from the knives. His body slumped forward in clear and displayed pain. Looking at the assassin, before glancing back at Elenora. "Sarai, you were going to take that risk that he wouldn't step infront of me? What if he didn't, I'd be dead..." She stuttered in shock.​

 

[The Mechanist]

"No you'd be maimed, I know where I'm aiming." She said walking up towards them. "Every good assassin always poisons her blades. Don't worry beard man, I'll keep you alive so my lord may execute you himself." She said as she offered her hand to Elanora, letting the paralysis poison slowly spread throughout the Vikings body. "A shame too, you have great muscles." She teased.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

"Maimed with poisonous blades, that hardly sounds right..." Elenora took the assassin's hand carefully, holding her injured hand tightly in her skirts. Turning her gaze to the Norseman, a dull ache filled her being, looking to his pitiful gaze. Yet, still there was a sense of anger in her about what he had done, what his curse would mean for her fate. Looking at the curse mark, she noticed the bleeding had yet to stop.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Sarai took a stone out from her satchel struck her blade against it, creating a burning fire as well as the release of dark smoke. "This should attract Ren." She said placing it on the ground.
The smoke rose above the canopy of trees in a line allowing Ren to see it. "A beacon men! Move out!" Ordered the prince as they began to get closer.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Looking to Sarai calmly Elenora found somewhere to sit, looking at the man who was suffering. In the truth of it made her feel really uncomfortable, so quietly she waited for Ren to arrive. Because it always seemed with Sarai around there was a sense of tension in the air. Something that held the soul in a terror or tormented darkness.​

 

[The Mechanist]

The sound of clacking armor drew closer to Sarai as Renellius and his men approached. Within moments Rens eye caught Elanora sitting on a stone and he quickly walked up to her. "Where the hell did you go?" He asked demanding an answer, "I was worried about you, don't you know what wild animals live in this forest and..." the Viking caught his attention. Speaking in Norse he turned to the man. "What are you doin here?! You are trespassing on my land, that alone is an act of war!"

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Elenora looked to Renellius her eyes clear with fright when he began demanding answers of where she went, because in all good faith, she had no idea herself. The trance she was under lead her here, and that's where so much had happened. Looking downward, she felt her head throb struggling to find a way to come up with a good answer and response for him. Yet, when words seemed to find ways of spilling out, her ears began to ring. Turning to the Viking when Renellius himself started shooting off a bunch of questions... "I came here for the girl, unlike the last one whom loved you completely I thought I could catch her and make her my bride. Yet, it seems she's under your watch also..." The Viking grunted looking to Elenora's bleeding hand, and ill expression. "The girl can't speak of what brought her here, that's all apart of the curse..." He coughed, watching the young woman shift with a deepened discomfort.​

 

[The Mechanist]

"Good thing I can," said Sarai relaying the details of what happened. Renellius' scowl getting larger with each passing moment till nothing but pure anger was evident in his face. "I see...." turning to the Norseman he spoke, "I hope you've been praying to your gods because I'm about to send you to them." He said pulling out his decorated Gladius.

Spoiler: Gladius

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Eleanora watched on from the side lines, noticing Ren's actions that were impacted by his anger. The Norseman simply laughed watching the prince draw his sword for execution. "She'll never be free, if you kill me... Her days will be lived throughout cursed, damming any man whom comes near her... Like that woman you once held close to your heart..." The Norseman spoke darkly before his head rolled, blood pooling from when his head used to rest on his neck.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Ren wiped his blade on the mans fur pelt, cleaning it of his blood, "barbarian scum...." is what he said before sheathing his sword and looking over at Elanora. "I suppose you wouldn't know anything about lifting curses would you?"

 

[Dust Bunnies]

'"Curses don't come from my time, nor do they exisit where I'm from..." Eleanora told him softly in a frightened tone of voice, finally she had honestly noticed that her hand was shaking. Violently shaking, blood still running non-stop down her wrist. Her eyes were paled, and continuing to pale at a faster rate when the blood didn't stop. Turning her head to see the head away form the body made her shiver. Light tears were in her eyes. Shakingly she held felt her pounding ache from being thrown against a tree come back as she weakly tried to pull herself up, though a loss of balance quickly followed her.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Ren lunged forward and caught her falling form as he quickly hoisted her up cradling her. "Let's get you back to the castle....." he said softly as he began his walk back, his centurion following behind.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

Weakly Elenora held onto him, her body shaking, her fist balled up into his chainmail. Struggling to keep awake due to the screaming in her head. Finally, her mind gave in and she passed out.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Renellius sat by Elanoras bed as she laid there, nurses were constantly in and out of the room to check on her. Had it been a disease Ren would've been content, but this? This was a curse and it drove him to seek outside help. It was a only a matter of time before his Templar contact would arrive and assess the level of this curse.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

She slept for a few hours before waiting in the early evening, looking around with a exhausted expression. Throughout the time of her sleeping, she heard the words of the witches, which caused her to push and pull around in her sleep. Sweat rolled down her brow as she looked over to Ren. "Renellius?" Elenora whispered his name softly under her breathe.​

 

[The Mechanist]

Rens head turned at what he thought was a whisper, "Elanora?" He asked seeing her eyes open.
He got closer to her, "are you ok?" He asked withbworry.

 

[Dust Bunnies]

"I'm sore, and they're in my head when I sleep..." Elenora whispered to him in a frightened manner, sitting up weakly. Gently touching her head she felt herself sway a little, pushing herself up.​