The Roses are born

(ooc : This is supposed to have been roleplayed... as my final rp scene in which Sylus may have an active hand in anything.) (ooc : as you can see its not turning out that way. SO here is my retirement... in a role) 

The knights stand quietly in a non descript field... roses have grown everywhere... from everything... and the entire field is bathed in satin moonlight. They have come from everywhere ... from all walks of life, from all different races and creeds. they came for one thing.... they came... To save you. Sylus appears before them and smiles MY friends. Today marks the dawn of a new era. An era of darkness and war... and yet an era of heroic and much needed purity as well. I will not longer simply walk the lands... helping whoever I can. MY influence has become to great... and the elder gods have deemed it time for me to take followers and retire back into the mists. he sighs and looks down I will miss you all... and I wish I could fight beside you on the fields of battle... but im confident in those gathered. In the days to come.. you must grow stronger... gather in numbers... and help begin prepairations for the oncomming darkness. WHo knows how long we have... but lets make our time valuable. Stand before me now... My Roses. One by one they stand before him... kneeling and being touched lightly on the forehead... while rose petals fall from the heavens upon them. Silently Sylus whispers as he has ordained the last of them... his daughter... who he saved for last Zariel... you have made me so proud. Your will and resolve grows every day just as your heart does. You are my shining star my dear. And with you I will always be. Stand and be recognized Knights... and go into the world... as warriors... as diplomats... as advisors... but mostly... Go as Brothers and Sisters... Go as family. and you will never fall. one by one they leave...and soon he stands alone. Letting the illusion of the roses fade he sighs and sits back quietly... his troubled eyes closing. Go easy on them solomon... or they will kill you He smiles at his words.. knowing his blessed knights will never fall. The dark eyes open... red swirling within them and an evil laughter erupts from his lips Sure I will... Ill take good care of them. Quietly he leaves... the enormous bat wings taking him airborne. This is gonna be great. Sylus

Ransom

Angelica stood in her clan hall, wandering around. She was close to the Market Square. She heard a whimper and a shuffle. Quickly she moved to the Square to see what the noise was. She looked around and saw nothing. Then she looked down and saw the little Halfling, Eleni. She was beaten and bruised, hurt badly. Quickly Angelica tended to her wounds. Angelica asked, "What had happened? " to which the badly injured Eleni replied, "Jhinta took a girl... I tried to stop him but I failed... ". Angelica asked Eleni to describe the girl. Eleni described a young girl of Elf decent, with blonde hair and green eyes. Instantly Angelica knew who the girl was. It was Bethia, she had seen her at the Knights of the Rose gathering earlier. Angelica felt a tang pull at her heart. As she sat with Eleni and tended to her, darkness swept over the Square. Jhinta had arrived. Angelica met his eyes and stood up. Eleni follow Angelica's lead, ready for a fight. Jhinta had come to brag about what he had done - and discuss a ransom. Jhinta asked for eight thousand platinum and negotiations between his people and the Knights. Eight thousand platinum, Angelica reasoned, was nothing for the life of the young Elf. The negotiations on the other hand, would be a problem. She knew the other Knights would not approve. Reluctantly, Angelica agreed. Jhinta demanded half of the platinum now, and half when he took Angelica to see Jhinta. Angelica hesitated, and Eleni quickly objected. She said that the other half would be given to Jhinta only when Bethia was safely away. Jhinta quickly agreed. So Jhinta left the square. Angelica and Eleni exchanged a look when suddenly - Angelica was gone.

Seline's journal pg 14

Two days later, I met this Samoth. A dedicated Cyricist if I ever were to describe dedication to - insanity. He foamed at the mouth and tried to intimidate me by threats of torture - acted the complete raving maniac...I left rather than hear any more of his ravings. Annother couple of days past and I finally was able to speak with Queen Simbul. I explained the problem with the key and dilemma about destroying it in the first place. She gave me an example of one of the Seven that did destroy a Gift from Mystra. Weak example considering that the one destroying the item..was one of the Seven. However, it gave credence to my belief that if it has to be returned to the weave....One of the Seven are the best choice for doing so We stopped at the High Way Inn for a bite to eat, and to watch one of her companions in a match in the nearby arena - one Darrigaaz sadly he was outmatched, but it was a good competetion. After the fight ..who should show up but Samoth himself: then the real battle began but one of wits and words rather than spell and sword. He opened by calling me a coward for leaving..I parried with telling him that I don't have time for raving lunatics but if he could stay civil we might have a talk... Then he tried a feint with threats of danger to me, I evaded them them with some information on the protections on the key namely that if injured I cannot get to it. It is protected from me being forced to get it. Seeing a percieved opportunity, he lunged with threats against my family and loved ones of harm in order to force me to reveal or give up the key. I shattered his attack with the blyth reply that as I am an orphan, I have no true family and the only one I LOVE is Mystra. Scrambling to recover he tried to redirect the attack with warnings of Possible damage to those I know and to the people of this realm. I reposted with informing him that In the event the key were used there would be DEFINATE damage to all. With a final flurry he then tried to overpower me with threats that with me gone..no one could get the key, I sidesteeped and blocked with the information that with me gone no one would know who HAD the key, and the knowledge of where the key is and who has it is what would only be lost. Even this event I had planned for. Seeing he had met his match he finally acquiesced to a draw. And revealed his true intent..to also ensure that the key was not used, but was destroyed. Altho it is His intent...it is not necessarily the intent of the unnamed one he works for. At least he never said one way or the other. I grabbed at the opportunity - and got him to pledge to guard me...to ensure the safety of the key. Who would have believed..an alliance between one of Cyric and one of Mystra? Uneasy as it may be, and I feel that at the first opportunity he will try to wriggle out of it, yet we have one. Altho, as soon as the key is taken care of I fully expect him to try to kill me... More to come -- with the Grace of Mystra.

Seline's Journal pg 13

Friday 13 Myrtul Mystra; sometimes your service gets real interesting!! After rescuing Mirage from guardianship of that item and giving After reliving Mirage of guardianship of that key, and giving After relieving that Sunite of guardianship After rescueing Mirage from having to guard the key, and giving her back her life, free from the key's influence, She now opens her yap even louder - attracting all those influences she wished to guard the key from...and sending them my way. Sigh, perhaps I should have left her to die. No. She was a vessel of the key to start with..and does deserve a life without it's influence. Altho, she surely tries my patience. Couple of days after restoring her soul and bringing her back to life, a "friend" of hers came to speak with me...After I told him why I refused to return the key, he left troubled but apparently satisfied with my decision. Then I met Distortions, Interesting Woodswalker. He also is interested in protecting the key in order to protect nature. We discussed the difference in the realms of nature and magic a bit, and he finally saw that a Mysterian is perhaps the best person to guard the key. We sat and enjoyed a meal - between drunk pirates I had to throw in the river to sober up - during our discussion. His parting warning to me was to beware of one called Samoth, who worked for someone that desired to USE the key. 

Between Brothers [Part 2]

"Icehawk..." "What do you want, Fire?" Ice didn't turn. "I want to know where the hell you've been. People are worried." "Yeah?" Icehawk sneered, "Like who? I can't think of a single person that would." "Like me, ya damn ingrate," Firehawk frowned, "The people of Nytek are looking for you. Eleni isn't looking to happy as of late either." "Psshhh," Icehawk scoffed, "Like she cares!" Firehawk stepped forward, grabbing Icehawk by the front of his shirt and hauling him off the gunning chair. He glared down at Icehawk, snarling. "That woman cares for you! You know it! I know it! Everyone that sees you together knows!" Icehawk returned the glare. "Do they? Do you? I sure as hell don't..." His expression dropped from angry to profound sadness. The voice that spoke wasn't Ice's normal strong voice, but a horribly soft, down-trodden one. "She betrayed me, big brother..." Firehawk blinked, not understanding. "She slept with another man..." Firehawk blinked again. He was lost for words, not expecting this at all. "Sh-... She what?" "You heard me..." Icehawk's voice was still soft. Firehawk released him and looked at him, shocked. "How could she do that to you?" Firehawk was dumbfounded. "Why dont you ask her, I sure as hell dont know. I lo-... I loved her, Fire..." Icehawk collapsed into the gunnery seat and broke into tears. Tundra took the moment to step forward and rub against Ice's legs, trying to comfort his master. He looked at Firehawk, directing a message at him. /He's been like this for a week. I don't know what to do.../ Firehawk nodded at Tundra and looked at his brother. So much they had endured in their lives, yet something like this could never be softened. "Do you need me to do anything for you, little brother?" Icehawk took awhile to respond, "Just let whoever cares know Im alright. I should be back in port in another day or so." "Take all the time you need, Ice." Firehawk turned to leave. "Fire?" He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Thanks for coming for me." "I'm your brother, it's what I'm here for..."

Between Brothers [Part 1]

*BLAM* Another hovering target fragmented under the intense firepower of the Freons rail guns. Icehawk didn't flinch, smile, or anything else, just looked for the next one. Another target was vaporized, then another. Tundra, his Displacer Beast familiar, sat behind him in the gunnery room, watching him, his expression unreadable. He knew full well what was going on, and he hated seeing Icehawk like this. /Ice, you're going to run out of ammunition soon. Dont you think its about time to stop?/ "I already told you, Tundra, I'll stop when I feel better..." /Yeah... Right.../ Tundra sighed and turned back toward the entrance, he headed down to the helm room, checking the sensors and comm crystal for anything new. Nothing was. He was bored mindless. He and Ice had spent more than a week out here in the middle of nowhere, northwest of Westbridge. Ice's grief over Eleni had drove him to pack up and ship out. For a week, Icehawk had done nothing but stare out at the horizon. Tundra had smelled the salt of tears. But in the past two days, Icehawk had been set to his railguns, eliminating target after target. He had eaten little, and Tundra was worried about him. Just then, something faint blipped on the ping screen. Tundra hopped into the chair to look at it. It wasn't as big as an airship, but it was airborne, and heading in his direction. Tundra knew what it was. A few minutes later, the large form of a draconian came into view. Tundra opened the hatch with his tentacles and waited. Firehawk alighted inside, stooping a little to fit his tall frame. "Where is he?" /Where would you think? At the guns.../ Firehawk nodded and made his way into the ship. Tundra padded softly behind him. They entered the gunnery area together and there sat Icehawk, unmoved, unblinking, and still elminating targets as fast as they launched.