NationStates Jolt Archive

High above the crashing crimson waters of the Blood Bay, the Lord Reaver of Pantera sat, brooding. The events of the past days were weighing heavily on his mind. This high, the biting autumn winds of Toke cut like a knife, and made the great shadowskin cloak wrapped about Bastien billow behind him like a great black and silver banner, but he loved the cold, and the icy wind in his hair.

The Tower of Winterfell was near three thousand feet tall, with another thousand of sheer cliff below it before the treacherous depths of the Blood Bay were visible. Perched on the wall, a thick arm wrapped about the worn stub of what was once a detailed stone gargoyle, Bastien took another long drink from his bottle of uisge and sighed as the spirits burned nicely through his chest.

Dreadfire and this Dantes would be arriving soon, and it looked to be... interesting, to say the least.

Dressing in the car, Damien arrived at the great Tower. He emerged from the vehicle clad in full battle armor, the kind that only the most elite of Sentinel Stalkers could wear. With the Relic's Sword swaying from his side, and his SBP-90 slung across his shoulders, Damien made his way tiwards the door.

A menacing sight, the Warlord paused to straighten his armor, then continued on his path towads the door. He came alone to the Tower, for he had much to discuss with Bastien, but unfortunatly, this Dantes was interrupting his meeting with the Lord Reaver, which only angered the Warlord Sentinel.

Edmund arrived to the seastone palace dressed in his customary Black trenchcoat, on the lapel he had the Templar symbol pinned.

In the back of the car with his Reaver "Guards" he was forcibly taken to the Front Gate, He knew that Bastien was not a happy man. To make it worse one of the guards told him that Damien Dreadfire had also arrived, and he didnt seem to happy either.

Dantes poised himself for the meeting, he was a six-foot youth and he was about to meet two of the greatest Military minds throughout the lands. It would be interesting to say the least...in the back of his mind, he was unsure that he would survive this.

As Dreadfire emerges from the deep stone stairwell, Bastien turns and smiles, though it seems slightly forced,"A shame we meet as such, Dreadfire. You're to help me judge a fool, and what could prove to be a turncoat."

Grunting, he returns his gaze to the horizon, bringing his bottle to his lips before offering it to Damien,"I want to belive this boy, Dreadfire. I do not know why, but I do..."

Shaking his head irritably, he pulls his shadowskin cloak about himself once more and looks to the stairs thoughtfully.

Edmund climbed the stairs up the 4000 foot stairway, he had been instructed to meet Bastien, and whats worse, Damien at the top.

As he arrived, he was inwardly take aback. The sight of a full armored sentinel, and Bastien was impressive to say the least. Though this wasnt the time or place for pleasentries or cowards.

"Bastien, Damien....It is good to finally meet the both of you, I am only sorry it muts be under a dark cloud of traitors from my land. I have come here, alone, to show you that Tersanctus means none of this, if you see that my life is forfeit, I will willingly die for Tersanctus, but please know you kill an Innocent man."

He took a deep breath, and awaited the response.

Damien removed his helmet, the sun shimmering off of his bald head. Towering at 7 feet, he approached Dantes. Standing directly in front of Dantes, Damien looked down, staring him in the eyes.

Surely Dantes could feel the fire emulating from the eyes of the Sentinel Warlord. He looked Dantes up and down, and then a scowl came across his face. Without saying a word, the Warlord turned, walking back towards Bastein.

Damien sighed, and shook his head.

I'm sorry, Lord Reaver, but I must step aside from this meeting. There is much bloodshed going on, and......

Damein put his helmet back on, and looked into Bastien's eyes. Taking up his SBP-90, he made for the staircase.

These rebel fools will learn a true lesson in pain, when the Dread Fires break upon them.

And with that, Damien left, bound for the front lines.

Edmund was incredulous, the Warlord sized him up and acted as though he were nothing....he wasnt fearful of him at all...as a matter of fact he was almost offended,..but as he left to fight on the battlefeild with the rougue Templar..he was almost amazed.

He looked at Bastien with a determination in his eyes, his Trenchoat flapping in the winds.

"Well, it would seem that our mutual friend has judged me of little importance, Bastien, what say you? Where do we go from here?"

His purple eys flashing in the dying sunlight, Bastien held his silence for long moments, before finally raising his bottle once more and taking a deep pull of the amber liquids.

Tilting his head slightly, he releases the folds of his cloak and allows them to once more billow behind him,"I say, boy, that you shall speak. And I will listen. You will explain what has went on here, and how it was allowed to happen. Choose your words with care, boy. The lives of every person in Tersanctus depends on it."

Quieting, the massive Lord Reaver leans back against the stub of stone and watches Dantes, his indigo-eyes hard as they scrutinize the younger man.

Edmund was taken aback, he knew that this was the moment of truth. Only to this did he hold fear, that his nation and people, might fall under the fury of the Reavers.

"The full story would begin three thousand years ago. When the templar once roamed Tersanctus as an elite fighting force, borne of peasents and rebels that a mere hundred of, defeated an entire Division of the Imperial Army. The Templars grew so great in battle, that they developed an art out of it, capable of turning a soldier into an unquestioning zealot, that would fight to the death."

Edmund paused, hoping that Bastien would understand the relevance. To calm his nerves, he lit a ciggarette.

"Later, as peace reigned in Tersanctus, the Templar, with there ferocity in battle, and Tendency to screw things up in international affairs, were disbanded in favor of a defensive military, and Tersanctus began to stagnate into a nation of scholars and diplomats, often allowing horrible atrocities to happen overseas in the name of stability."

"Thats when, as you remember, I had the Judicator Assembly.....disbanded, so that never again would Tersanctus stand by, while horrible things happeed, or our enemies grew strong."

"While we had the AMD, it just wasnt enough to place fear in our enemies, nor could they truly exist as an Earth-bound Military. So I uncovered the anciet and suppressed knowledge of the Templar, and when you Reavers arrived to train the Elites, I took full advantage to make a military, that even the Reavers could be proud of."

"My undoing in this, was allowing a Templar control of a fleet. I thought that Admiral Grayson could work under the premise of maintaining peace, while being prepared to go to war. In this I profess my guilt. As to Admiral Grayson's motivation in betraying his country, I know not. If he is captured, he shall be executed."

Edmund finished his ciggarette, and awaited the Panteran's response to this. He looked at him with awe, respect, and the fear of what he could do.

For long moments after Dantes ceased to speak, the Lord Reaver sat, his gaze hard as he studied the man who could be his enemy. The thick silence stretched and stretched until Bastien finally raised his bottle once more, drinking deeply and allowing the warmth to seep once more into his chest and soul.

When he spoke, his voice was as cold as the icy winds that screamed across the soaring tower,"What you have shown me, Dantes, is that you are incapable of leading your nation. Your choices are surrender. Immediate, and unconditional. You will submit to a Dual Regency under representatives from my own House, and that of Dreadfires...

When you have shown us that you are capable, we may see fit to return control of your government."

Standing, he draws himself up to his full height, his chainmail glinting in the dying sunlight and the great silver and black striped cloak flowing behind him. Looming menacingly, his brow creasing into a rage-filled frown above his purple eyes, he continues:

"Do this not, and I will persue you for all eternity. I will rape your women, slay your sons, burn your harvests and sow your fields with salt so that never again will they give fruit. I will crucify every child in your nation, and erect a forest of corpses for the ravens to feed upon forever. The very word 'Tersanctus' will be outlawed, and I will wipe history clean of your very memory.

There will be Blood Feud, and I will emerge victorious. I promise you that."

Trembling with supressed rage, the Lord Reaver watches Dantes, his handsome face twisted with fury and... hate?

Edmund, taken aback by the strong words of the Lord Reaver, wasnt about to give over his Nation, but he knew that he could do everything that he said....as a ruler he could not allow his ego to cause his people too suffer.

"I will not lie, Lord Reaver, your words anger me. I came here in good faith, to show you my innocence in the matter, to show you I was not a coward in the face of a difficult situation. Even now Reavers and Templars, die for no cause."

"In this I share your sorrow, but what you ask....is.....what can I say, in the face of such an ultimatum? Die? Allow my people to suffer for the sake of my emotions? Or live, and learn from this?"

"The templar would gladly die for the sake of a freedom, but what does a citizen who merely lives his life care of a government? Its all the same to him..I will surrender Lord Reaver,....and from this experience I shall learn...but I ask one thing of you...the Templar who have been here to fight today....execute them quickly, or allow them to die on the battlefield, any other fate would dishonor them further in the eyes of their bretheren."

Nodding his great head slowly, Bastien's smile was slmot grim,"A wise decision. You will learn from this, Dreadfire. I will ot shame you. You have my word on this. You will rule in name, but you -will- pay heed to the wishes of AMF and Pantera. Stray from us and I swear..." His blazing eyes left no doubt what he meant by his unspoken threat.

"As to your... Templars, that is out of my hands. My Hound will be finishing the last of them within the hour, and those left alive will surely be summarily executed, as a warning...

"Dantes. I will not lie to you. I do not trust you in the least. One foolish craven is much like another to me, fit only to die on my sword. Once, we could have achieved much together, but those you saw fit to lead your elite proved to be honorless cowards. What does that say of your judgement, and what your own trust and honor is worth?"

"Your words are Harsh, Reaver, but that is only because they are true..I am responsible for the Appoitment of Admiral Grayson...therefore for his actions."

Edmund looked at the great Panteran standing ominously over him, the raw fury in his eyes......fed him.....Edmund was intaking the energy....he felt what he felt.....any normal man would probably defecate himself at this sight....but Edmund realized that what he wanted...what he worked so hard to acheive....was all destroyed by the fool, Grayson.


Edmund wanted to spill out his feelings about Bastien and Dreadfire. For they had shown him the new way...the way of the warrior...and the alliance he fought so hard for. Gone.

Edmund looked at Bastien, a rage slowly filled hs eyes, and his heart. Revenge would be his.

"Reaver! Does Grayson live? Is he in your custody? If he is, grant me this one more favor, let his death be at my hands! All that I worked for between us is gone now, he has stolen my honor. He has made you speak in tongues too me that I would have killed any other man for. For this, I would see him die by my doing!!

Although Edmund's intentions were pure, and his words true, he hadnt shown up alone like he thought he did. A Nightfall agent from Acumen had been sent too keep an eye on Edmund, to protect him if necessary.

The Agent was indeed skillful as he could even hide on this stairwell, and neither Bastien, Damien or Edmund picked him up yet. In fact Damien had walked right by him and couldnt pick him up.

But the Agent was concerned now as Edmund and Bastien spoke, and so was his command on the other side if his whisper mic, they were listening and they began to type a message to the Agent on his watch display screen.

".......Terminate Executor Dantes...."

The Agent's Stomach turned inwardly...he was being called upon to kill the very man that he was loyal too. "What the hell are you talking about? He whispered into his pack.

"......There will be no surrender to Pantera. Terminate Executor Dantes. And this situation will solve itself. Tersanctus knows nothing of this, and will not submit when Pantera comes knocking....."

The Agent's stomach turned again. He pulled out his dart gun. Pointed at Executor Dantes's neck. And pulled the trigger.

*************************************************

Edmund's rage fumed within him and he looked at Bastien, waiting for his answer, than suddenly he felt a pricking sensation in his neck.....

As he reached for the back of his neck it was already too late, as the powerful neurotoxin was already taking its effect, and the arterial walls began to break down. His stomach filled with blood by the time his fingers reached the small dart. And as he looked at Bastien, his pupils suddenly dilated, as he violently began to vomit blood all over the floor.

Edmund collapsed in Bastiens arms. Unable to support his weight he grabbed onto his cloak, and looked up at his blurry image with bloodshot eyes. His handsome features began to focus, his long blonde hair was so Beautiful......those eyes.....like that of an Angel!...He saw a light behind him beggining to grow.....and the cloak flapping in the wind became wings....his own personal Dark Angel....come to take him from all the pain of the world.

And with his last and dying breath, Edmund looked at Bastien and spoke.


"........avenge.........me....."

OOC: The main story line will still continue, just with a slight twist, and the fact that Im sick of the Dantes Character. SO your cooperation in this twist is appreciated. :wink:

Roaring his displeasure, Bastien grapped the body, drawing a pistol and a longknife from under his shadowskin cloak and shouting for the lock-down. Even as he moved, he could hear the great chains of the sealing mechanism activated, and the steel reenforcments slamming into place all over the Seastone Palace, effetively cutting off all escape and entrance to the Palace.

Giving the body of Dantes a mighty shove, he followed it down into the darkness of the narrow stairwell, emptying his clip into the pitch-black before hurtling forward with only his longknife. The thud of the falling corpse of Dantes is audible as it rolls down the stairs.

The Agent grabbed Dantes's Body barely dodging the Pistol fire of Bastien.
There was only one way out...through him off the edge of the cliff. He would need to parasail.

So with resolve he ran forward only to bump into the Bastien himself, screaming like a maniac, with a knife in hand.

The agent was overwhelmed, this was not a sight that any Man could stand. He defecated himself, and immedeatly fell to his knees.

"Just get it over with" He stammered, his chin shivering.

Though the darkness was thick, Bastien could see the outline of the assasin, broiling with rage, Bastien drew back his longknife and thrust it savagely into the man's collarbone, smiling in spite of the situation as the steel glances violently off of a bone before it snaps.

Taking the man by his hair, Bastien drug him down the steps and into the Great Hall. Stunned faces watched him from where numerous Reavers stood, armed after the call for the Sealing. Bastien's snarl was rage-filled as he gestured,"Get me a fuckin' Crimson Priest. This bastard had best be alive when he gets here. You hear? I want t' know who sent him."

The Reavers hurriedly scrambled to staunch the horiffic wound in the man's neck, others rushing off to shout for a Priest.

The man was in great pain, and scared out of his wits. He heard something about a "Crimson preist" he didnt want to know what that was.

He looked at Bastien. "You have time to save him, just get him to a doctor. It will be several weeks before he recovers, but within an hour he will be dead. If you ask me why I am telling you this, it is because I am loyl to him. But that is all I will tell you."