Thread: Vengence (Methos and Darknessembraced)

If his father had wanted to be rid of him he should have killed him when he had the chance. That was the thought that sprang to Vladamirs mind as the palace gates groaned and then crashed open. The king had thought exile and humiliation would put him in his place humble him and force him to beg to return and be granted his birth right. Instead he had arrived at the citys gates to seize it! Few had been with him at first, only his closest friends and followers chose to share his rather furious ride beyond the borders of the kingdom. But in the wilds claimed by no man, hed raised his banner and proclaimed himself lord. A god forsaken wilderness hed been lord of but soon those towns and villages within it acknowledged him, and when raiders were driven off even became rather loyal to their new found sovereign. But he was not content to rule over a kingdom to be carved out of the frozen northern expanses beyond his fathers power. With the passage of a year the dissatisfied masses of the kingdom began to stream towards him. The king had no shortage of enemies and those who felt ill done by his justice, hence volunteers were in no short supply. Around the ever expanding encampment that served as his capital the sound of forges was a constant thing. Armor, swords, spears and arrowheads were produced en mass as an army was slowly being built. Yet where the money was coming from to the fund such an effort was something of a mystery. Some claimed the merchants of the realm had reached an accommodation with the prince and were rather generously financing his efforts. While others insisted that hed discovered in those distant mountains a tremendous vein of the most pure gold, and he never lacked for it. Others stated that hed found some ancient king or dragons horde, long forgotten gold now raised and army for the youthful prince. Word of this fabulous gold had brought every mercenary and sell sword from near and distant realms to his growing horde. These he cheerfully employed to bring a vetran presence to his otherwise inexperienced volunteers. But the seasons would turn another time, and little else was heard of the prince save that he fought far to the north. His tiny kingdom constantly made war and expanded its boundaries with each passing day. In truth he cared little if one clan, tribe or town or another acknowledged him or not but he lead his army into battle, blooding it and letting it get the taste of victory and experience that it needed. For four years the prince had been cast out of his kingdom. Upon the fifth he had returned. He had returned with a most terrible vengeance. Hed ridden without warning from the north, his host swollen with savages, mercenaries and malcontents. Hed descended upon the border cities and those that failed to throw open their gates and hail him as their true king were besieged and brutally sacked. Hed continued south, facing what cities and armies had lay in his path. Hed faltered in several battles but always hed managed to recover and defeat his opponents and emerge victorious. But now the moment of his victory was at hand. The palace gates flew open and with his sword drawn and dripping with blood he charged through the doorway with his guard swarming around him. A murderous cry escaped his lips as he savagely charged the palace guards that stood before him. His sword cleaved through the air, with fierce and forceful cuts, ringing when it struck another blade but persisting until a cry accompanied the sound of his blade biting into flesh. The princes green eyes gazed through the slits in his helm, while blonde locks of hair streamed through the back of his helm. His lips formed a rather cruel snarl as he bowled over a guardsman and cut through another. He attacked relentlessly and his fury seemed to cause the defenders to pause and then retreat. His sword dripped with crimson blood and he stalked through the palace with men streaming in the doorway behind him. His purpose was obvious. Every man within the city knew why the prince had come. The prince had come to seize the crown from a father that would deny it to him. This was surely to end badly for one of them. His lips parted as he yelled Father! Show yourself you coward! Youve sent your armies to defeat me, youve sent your assassins and your champions, but I am still here! I AM STILL HERE!