The Tale of the Forgotten - RP - Page 39

July 6, 2008, 9:26 PM

Enraged by the audacity of his adversary to challenge his magnificent Empire, he could hardly control himself. Barely visible waves of energy were emanating from him through sheer anger alone, blasting away the surface beneath him. Although teeming with vexation, he brought himself to appear calm before the face of his enemy.

"Don't you see? This is futile. You have such power, yet put it to piteous uses... what do you gain from it? Gratification for helping others? Delusions of selfishness! You are walking a path of self-gain - wasting your divine abilities. Join with the Empire, with me, and together we can remake this sorry excuse of a world into one so much better... the old world. You know of what I speak, Kailal. Our world was once brilliant... glorious... we can have it back."

Almost as instantly as he had finished, his attention was inexplicably drawn to Julius, although now accompanied by another, was facing two opponents that Taharka recalled vividly. This could be dangerous, he thought as his mind explored the superfluous possibility that Julius may yet re-acquire his memories, far sooner than was hoped for. As if by some strange affection held for the knight, Taharka swept with a flash of lightning to Julius' position, directly behind him, still facing Vex.

"If you accept my rarefied offer, I will spare you and one other, under the condition they follow too. I needn't remind you of the consequences should you choose to remain here, do I?" he cackled softly... hauntingly.

July 7, 2008, 12:21 AM

As he patiently awaited for his orders to be carried on, Julius allowed himself to drop his guard as he took all the attention away from Taharka and Vex. Fool he was, for this would surely cost him. Taharka soon transformed into bolt of ferocious divinity, and amazingly, the dematerialized form of energy gathered behind Julius and merged, transforming into Taharka anew. Julius noticed, for the shock of psychic waves suddenly triggered his awareness. Suddenly, Julius began to feel an inexplicable surge of anger flowing through his veins. Eyes widened, Julius grasped the hilt of his weapon tightly and rose it above his right shoulder as he took an offensive stance; his left shoulder, now aimed to his targets. He bent his knees a little, loosening his joints, muscles relaxed; his mind was completely focused on both Zeria and Arthvader.

Deep within his mind, voices, voices chanting a melodious requiem, one that told a story of blood and betrayal. Those very same specters appeared before his eyes, yet no one could see them. They are traitors, show them no mercy, not an ounce of leniency to these stray dogs...Julius heard the command echoing within his brain, alerting his instincts. Blood pumped up, adrenaline fueling him with new found strength; strangely it seemed that Taharka's powers found a way to lay on Julius some sort of mental control, one that Taharka could easily manipulate at whim.

His eyes were now radiating, not a reddish aura, but a divine emerald glow -aligned to the elemental power of Wind- as he readied his weapon to launch an all out assault. Finally, as wild fire, Julius heard the command, and he sprinted towards Arthvader and Zeria. The knight ran madly, sword in hands, giving out fearsome battle cries.

Before shortening the distance any further, Julius leaped high, the winds emanated by Taharka's Wind Gem lifted Julius higher than any normal human could ever possibly jump. Almost as if he were one with the ravaging gusts of wind, Julius came rushing down and landed between Arthvader and Zeria. Without much hesitation, Julius spun like a tornado, and swung his blade along, performing a full circle swing. Not caring if his attack was successful, Julius launched two more following assaults; one was a bone shattering kick aimed to Zeria's torso and the other was a stone cracking left punch aimed to left side of Arthvader's jaw.

Regardless of being successful or not, Julius would finish by pulling himself away from danger with a somersault jump which would make him land next to Taharka.

July 7, 2008, 7:01 AM

"As you wish, Julius." Arthvader said to Julius as he began his pursuit of Zeria. "I'm sorry we have to meet under such circumstances, Zeria, but, life has a weird way of twisting reality. Prepare yourself." he said just as he was about to deal the first strike. Suddenly, Julius landed between both Arthvader and Zeria, delivering a full circle swing towards them. With little time to react, Arthvader blocked the attack, although one of his weapons was knocked off his hand. Julius then followed up with a punch to the left side of Arthvader's jaw. Arthvader managed to guard the attack by grabbing Julius's fist with his free hand. "Julius, just what is going on here? First, you tell me to capture Zeria. And then, you came and attack the both of us. What's wrong with you?" He asked Julius. Julius then jumped away from both Arthvader and Zeria, landing next to Taharka. 'Julius, why? What made you change?'

July 7, 2008, 2:55 PM

Zeria gasped and her entire body froze at the loss of the knight's helmet. It was like the entire world had slammed down around her into an icy hell.

"No..."

She backed up, tears welling in her eyes and her body shaking.

"No......it can't be true...!"

Sorrow built up in her lean frame, sparkling in the crystal tears she shed.
~How can this be?! Not Julius! Not him!~
Arthvader had even showed up and shown loyalty to him as well. It wasn't that she hated the loyalty, it was that Arth was fighting on the same side as Taharka. All at once, her raw emotion burst forth in a combination of rage and sorrow, love and self-loathing...and she rolled away from Julius' attack. Then charged for Julius, avoiding Arthvader and preparing to deliver a blow to disarm.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!"

She swung...............but both blades clattered to the ground and she dropped to her knees, only a mere 3 feet from Julius. Tears and blood mixed on the ground. Long, silky red hair spilled around her shoulders from a broken tie. Her chest rose and fell with each sob.

"Why...why do you do this to me? Why does this always happen? Why wouldn't you let me stay with you when Lucious' fortress fell? WHY WOULDN'T YOU LET ME STAY WITH THE MAN I LOVE AND CHERISH MORE THAN MY OWN LIFE?!"

July 7, 2008, 5:56 PM

"I do indeed know the world you are talking about. It was the world my people made so to say. The one where they believed that order could exist, with the use of the gems. What fools we were, even if the gems bring a balance of order, there is still evil in man's heart. Of course then there is the curse." Vex says this as he holds his spear pointed up at Taharka. "The curse which my people have bestowed upon us, in retribution for that folly. I stand here before you now as an act of redemption, so that one day maybe this curse will end. As for why I fight aganist this empire, help these people who also stand up to defy it. Maybe because I see it as a way to redeem myself for my own dark deeds. Though it also could be it's just the right thing to do, or maybe it's just that I can't stand ignorant pricks like you."

Vex was breathing deeply now, already feeling drained from the use of his attack. It was a while since he last used that paticular one, so it felt like it drained him far worse then normal. Once again drawing back his spear he looked over to Arthvader and a even more venomus tone took on in his voice. "As for you traitor, you decided to show the true kind of scum you are, and join with the empire! I should strike you down right now where you stand, but I have other matters to take care of." His look shifited back to Taharka, ready for another assult, he stood ready.

July 7, 2008, 6:51 PM

"Haha... the path to righteousness, then? Your obsession with redemption has clearly blinded your morality. I offered to save you - give you the chance you desire, but through petty hatred you throw aside not only your own, but another's life on but a whim! Messianic visions of grandeur are the visions of a weed - a succubus of society. You're better off dead... This fight is over". With that, Taharka spread his magnificent wings, which now radiated a brilliant light, impressing all who gazed up on it, until they unleashed a massive wave of deoxygenised air at Vex, kicking up debris and dirt from the ground - effectively shrouding his vision, and clouding his lungs momentarily.

Slowly... menacingly, he turned and loomed over the now kneeling Zeria, who was clearly emotionally distraught over the revelation that the dark knight she opposed so valiantly was in fact the sole person to have her heart. Dangerously close, Taharka pondered, does this bring Julius to his past. "May the knowledge that he still lives sustain you, girl. Die now, and wallow now in pity at the futility of your efforts." Taharka looked up, facing the sinister tempest that threatened the survival of all within. The walls of which were so close to the centre of the city, all sounds other than the nightmarish whirling winds were drowned. "Not long to wait now, miss." He yelled as his departing words to her.

With a swift flutter of his gargantuan wings he drew back, and upon unleashing a horrifying roar from the bowels of his lungs, he offered his wing for Julius to climb upon.

July 7, 2008, 8:17 PM

Julius managed to gain the advantage in this battle, after all, Taharka was by his side and the tornado spell he had cast was starting to swallow the whole town; it was only a matter of time before all was reduced to mere ruins. As Julius realized that Arthvader's loyalty lied with the empire, the knight halted before proceeding with another assault. With vivid, merciless eyes, Julius stared down to the fallen Zeria, rejoicing himself for this victory. "Arthvader, for an instant I thought you were a traitor, now I have tested you and found out you have no problem in raising your sword against friend or foe. I like that, it will come in handy to please the empire's best interests. Now come our side, with the empire, and let us walk a glorious path. You have passed the trial; now step forward and come."

Julius then shifted his cunning eyes to Vex, who was still as defiant as always. The knight slowly lifted his sword and he threateningly pointed the tip of his blade to Vex. His cold stare sinking on Vex, almost as if Julius were desperately searching for the gem in Vex's possession. Malice, greed, whether it was a hunger for power or to gain a more privileged status in the empire, it was certain that Julius was not going to rest until he lay his hands on one of the gems.

As time passed, the razor like winds and shattering gusts kept obliterating the edifices around the central plaza. Houses were torn from their foundation, trees were ripped from the soil, and statues and monuments kept crumbling into pieces; it was, as Taharka once commented, a complete pandemonium; a hell on Earth.

Motionless, indifferent to the havoc Taharka's Gem was provoking, Julius taunted Vex with his sword, trying to push him to do something reckless. A mistake for Vex could cost him his gem, and Julius knew that his enemy was not going to take that risk; still it was worth to try.

"Vex, all so fair, so just; you are drowning in a poll of self-proclaimed righteousness. What makes you better than us? At least we have a goal, and that is to unify the realm under imperial dominance. What about you? You want to harness the power of the gems, but for what purpose?"

July 7, 2008, 8:43 PM

"I have no desire to harness thier power. If you could call it a goal, then my only goal of late, is to stop people like you from abusing the gems power. Imperial dominence, please in doing that you are supressing people's right to live free! What makes you think you are so grand that you believe, that you can rule people under an iron clad rule? You are a fellow warrior, yet you walk a tainted path now? Whatever happened to those that have strength, to put it to good use? To stand up aganist the tyrants like the empire whose only goal is to opression."

Vex began to scout for anything that could lead him out of this howling nightmare. He couldn't just wait this tornado out, there was no telling when it would end. His only hope, could be his attack he used aganist the golem. Maybe it would be enough to knock one of them unconsious, hopefully Taharka, and that might dispell this tornado.