laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

As the evening drew nigh, she walked the hallways contemplating flashes of faces that she knew at one time. People who had meant a lot to her that were somehow erased from her mind, for what purpose she still didn’t know. Golden light streamed through the tall windows as she quietly strolled. This place was so beautiful and so empty.
Footsteps approached from behind and she turned to recognize the shadowed form, his strong silhouette walked towards her, cape billowing.

“Darling, I have to tend to some business away from the palace but, I’ll be back soon. If you need anything at all, just call on one of the servants. Alright?” He stopped in front of her and grinned. Kailee nodded and he kissed her on the cheek. “Are you alright,” he inquired as he backed.

“Fine. Just still trying to sift through the fog in my mind and remember who I am.”

He smiled. “You’re my beautiful angel that’s going to be cared for and loved forever. I promised you that long ago and glad that I can finally deliver. I’ll be back soon.” He turned to leave.

“Okay,” she quietly returned and watched him disappear into thin air. A monarch’s job was never done apparently. She turned and continued on towards the distant doorway, not even sure where it led until noticing a door nearly hidden to her right. Faintly embossed within the white marble walls, she noted the outline of the entrance and walked over to it and soon found the handle hidden within the intricately carved, stone moulding. Pushing it open, a thick, dirty fog billowed out smelling of sulphur and scented candles. This place was also familiar she thought, as nervous adrenaline pumped and pushed her inside. As the fog filtered somewhat, she noted the ring of candles within the inner sanctum which fronted the black curtained, columned inner circle. Centered, she picked out the faint outline of a reclining couch or bed which also stank of body odor and sweat. Her breathing became hurried as tears welled. She was in the lair of a demon.

She backed as her mind raced until her eyes turned to the left and noticed someone suspended above an altar of bones. Encapsulated in red, arcing light, the body of a woman hung armored in silvery platemail. Her golden hair hung down her bound arms and chest as the head of his captive gazed down to a pile of gear and weapons. Fighting anger and repulsion that she allowed him to touch her, Kailee moved quickly to the altar and noticed in the dim candlelight her own sheathed sword, backpack and leather armor as well as her champion’s battle hammer and shield.
With the realizations pouring in, she looked up to the champion. “Are you alive,” she asked. “Do you hear me?”

Stiffly, the ethereal woman’s finger’s moved slightly and pointed behind her. Turning, Kailee moved towards the bed and found a short, stone dais at the head. Atop the flattened panel, she noticed six inset gems of varying color. She concentrated and noticed the middle one at the top glowing and hoped it was the right one as she touched it and turned her attention back to the woman as the glowing red bindings around her waist, arms and legs dissipated, dropping their prize to the floor. Kailee rushed to the woman and moved some of the golden strands from her face.

“Who are you,” Kailee asked frantically, wishing she could remember.

“Your helper and advisor,” the weak reply. “We have to get you out of here. Hand me my weapons and gather your own.”

“Okay,” she moved to the altar and gathered their gear, then returned to the armored woman and set her hammer and shield beside her. In her hands, she rubbed the leather armor and slowly flashes of donning this very same suit returned. There was another that helped her, a dark elf. Long white hair and orange eyes; the smile, in a castle somewhere.

“Kailee,” the champion pushed herself up. “Get dressed, hurry.”

As she helped the armored warrior to her feet, she unbuttoned her dress and removed it, then pulled on the leather armor and greaves atop her clothing which she found inside the backpack. As she strapped on the sword, she remembered another moment in this room with another. An old friend who was here with him. Flooding in, names and recounted events reminded her of how much danger they were in right now.
Once done, they moved towards the entryway as someone backhanded the champion which sent her flying to Kailee’s right. As he emerged from shadow, Sater turned to eye her in the leather armor, sword still sheathed.

“What are you doing in here,” he angrily eyed her. “Why did you let her go? She’s the one that erased your memory and she’s trying to take you from me now. Don’t listen to this servant of our enemies,” he motioned to the champion as she tried to get to her feet. “She serves the ones that have tried to push you to a destiny that you didn’t want.”
Kailee tried to sift through the lies and deceit as he motioned to the mithril clad knight, casting a bolt of dark energy which caught her squarely, sending her flying down the hallway. Something told her to resist him but, she wasn’t sure.
“I’ve only ever had your well being in mind,” he pleaded. “I love you, don’t believe her lies.”

“How do you know what she told me?”

His dark eyes glowed hotly as he turned back to the champion as she groaned and tried to fight back. “I know what they sent her to do and why. They’ve been using you as their puppet ever since they found you in that room. Deceit and coercion are their ways, making you believe they were your friends all this time when in fact they were trying to keep you from my side. I won’t let that happen.” His right hand rose, crackling with powerful energy and she could feel his rage pouring from his body as he prepped another assault. Her eyes moved down to the helpless champion and she knew something about all this was wrong. All these years with the champion had only been to keep her safe; she believed that.

“Leave her alone,” Kailee stated which prompted him to turn back to her.

“What? She’s been at your side to kill you when they found no more use for you. The moment you turn them down, she was to kill you. Ask her.”

“I can’t if you kill her.” Kailee waited as he closed his fist around the ball of energy, then motioned to the wounded angel. Quickly, she moved down towards the champion as she pushed herself up again and faced the Lord of the Underworld. “Is what he said true? Were you to kill me if I denied them?”

“Yes,” she nodded as ice blue eyes glanced to Kailee. “But, I couldn’t do it. You have a way with people, Kailee and I just couldn’t bring myself to carry out that order. And I won’t. They agreed to allow you your peace when,” she was cut off as another ball of energy slammed into her chest, blasting Kailee backwards also as both women hit the floor.
As she cleared her mind, footsteps approached and she looked up to see him standing over them. His eyes poured contempt at the champion as she watched his face grow cold and evil. She pushed herself up to sit and noticed smoke rise from the shiny armor which had no apparent marks or dents in it.

He sighed as he turned to her. “What is your decision,” he asked as she could feel the energy build again in his hand. Slowly, she stood to face him, putting herself between him and her advisor.

“You manipulated me more than they,” she began as she noticed his reaction soften. “Your wife,” she huffed. “What a joke. I never wanted to be this close to you in the first place. Your palace is cold and empty and there’s no way I could ever call these halls home. You’re desperate to be loved by those who despise you, even your own. They blindly follow because you make them do so. You couldn’t gain my trust the natural way and used magic to make me think things that were untrue. How pathetic. At least with them I had a choice for my future.”

“So be it,” his eyes narrowed. “Then I’m going to take pleasure in allowing you to see your friends die at my hand, then I’m sending you to the emptiness that your family shares and in the end, you’ll be mine anyway.”

Taking a breath for a retort, he backfisted her sending sparks into her sight, then darkness.