Unfinished Stories

==Crossing the Line Part 1 ==
"The line has been drawn, and I have crossed over it. There is no going back."
"Kill her"
He knelt over his brother's fallen body, blood spilling from the wound on his head. The girl at his side moving to tend to him.
"Sir....?" he asked, stunned by what he had heard.
Silence. The channel was dead. His Quel'Serrar had disconnected. He stood and took an involuntary step backwards, the girl not noticing as she crouched over his brother.
"Kill her"
The two words echoed in his head. There had been no tone in his voice. Just a direct order. Slowly he backed away. Finally she looked up at him with questioning eyes. Fear gripped him and he stared at her. He whispered her name.
"Nari...... Nari..... "
She moved towards him speaking, but her voice was drowned out by his own screaming in his head. Was his Quel'Serrar standing there in the shadows waiting for him to do his duty?
"Run Nari!" He yelled. Turning on his heel he fled, his mind racing his called for his windrider. Gracefully he swooped down before him. He did not greet the animal, but leapt on his back yelling at him to flee. Panic seized the beast as he sensed his master's distress and he took off flying blindly away from the city.
Relentlessly he charged the animal to fly, unable to put distance between him and the source of his fear. Finally the windrider tired and slowed it's flight desperately mewly like a cub for land to rest on. Kelu slowly came to his senses shaking and sobbing he searched below. Nothing. Nothing but distant stars. Peering around he could barely make out land in the distance, his animal dipped slightly struggling to stay aloft. He called out to the only person he knew that would hear him.
".....Alin'ael......."
A wave of relief washed over him as Alaister's voice responded. Sobbing and rambling he spoke in panic of what had happened.
"Where are you Njos?" The calm voice spoke through his confusion. He responded, he had flown in to the Twisting Nether.
"No! Do not hide there! Get out!" Alaister's raised voice spurred him in to action. Tearfully rallying in windrider to push on they flew to land's edge and collapsed together on an outcrop of rocks.
Anger flashed through him. How could D'Silva ask this of him? The girl was like his own child. Hours he had spent with her encouraging her, convincing her of her worth. Was he really so blind to the fact that his precious Daggers had made such strong bonds?
Voices filtered through his thoughts. Her voice, both of his brothers. Questioning. He was answering automatically not thinking at all.
"Kelu...breath"
"Condor.. I hope you can hear this"
The chatter faded. He looked up from where he lay on the cliff edge. Staring at the stars above. He had been naive. He was second in command in a secret military operation, which involved espionage and dark magiks. She had put the security of the operation at risk. The Blood Knights were now deeply suspicious of them. They could all be tried for treason because of her. How else do organisations like this deal with loose cannons.
"Kill her"
"No," he thought " I will not harm my little naaru." Turning to his tired beast he gently rubbed his nose. "One more flight my friend, then you can rest." Not trusting the comms channels he carefully placed his hand on the orb in his pocket and spoke to his injured brother. "Kanaiichi, take her to Condor's hideaway. Protect her, keep her safe."
==Sleep Well Brother- Kelu's Perspecitve Part 1==
He slid from the bed and peered at himself in the mirror. It had been late when he got home. He been to the cottage to check on Condor and Nari. The ever vigilant Condor was out scouting, he had spent hours talking to Nari going over the insane events of the day. If Condor had silently crept back in he didn't notice.
Blinking at his appearance his eyes were dull, his skin pale. He both looked at felt his age. Glancing at the empty bed he sighed. He knew his beloved was out administering prayer and healing to some poor unfortunate soul, but still he envied them.
" I miss you pen vein" he whispered to the empty room.
Rubbing his head as he paced across the room picking up his comms bracelet and sliding it on his wrist. Blessed silence from it. For mere seconds. Then her panicked voice filled the silence.
"Kelu...Sir" Leaning against the dresser as his stomach tied itself in knots, he replied calmly.
"Nari what is it?" Waiting for her reply he quickly started to dress. Waiting for her to tell him they had been tracked down. Something must have happened to Condor.
"Sir it's Quel'Serrar...something is wrong." He froze. Sagaris. Grabbing his weapons he demanded their location then slammed his hearthstone to take him to the Scryer's Inn. As the green streams of light filled his vision he felt the last shreds of hope draining from him.
She said they were on the left side of the tier. It troubled him, she had refused to even come close to it several days earlier. Even Alaister had seen better than try to persuade her. But she was there leaning over his Quel'Serrar's body. Again he froze.
"Kelu... ...Breath"
Slowly he approached softly speaking her name. Falling to his knees he carefully ran his eyes over the younger elf he come to love as his brother he methodically tried to take stock of the situation.
Then he was up. The motionless body up on his feet. Sagaris darted from the room screaming. Kelu chased him to the edge of the tier but he was gone. Instinctively he called for his windrider, instead of waiting he raced back to Nari's side falling to his knees again.
"Nari?"
"You need to find him Sir...something is wrong...very very wrong..."
"Nari, what did he do?" She was too traumatised to answer. He called for him, using the private channels for attuned officers. He called for him by name. The channel filled with static and various sounds. Elekk hooves loudly clacking on a walkway. Someone whining hopelessly. A tearing sound jarring his hearing. Then demonic cursing.
He stood, not allowing himself to think and headed back to his waiting mount telling her to "Come on". Part of him didn't expect her to follow. Part of him wasn't sure she was able.
Slowly he as he circled around the city Kelu carefully scanning the walkways and bridges below. A dark figure stood out on the edge of the bridge, smoke rising from it. Carefully he glided down and slid of his mount on to the platform, stumbling to find his feet. Steadily speaking the elf's name he slowly removed his mask.
Sagaris kept his eyes forward watching the people below. A low demonic language falling from his lips. Kelu kept his eyes firmly on him. He watched calmly as his Quel'Serrar removed his tabard and laughed as it burned in his hand. If this was a taunt it had failed. It had been some time since Kelu had worn his own. Only when it was required to display his official colours did he grudgingly put it on. Family was not about symbols and trinkets.
"I..AM HERE AT LAST...THIS VESSEL IS READY" Sagaris' deep voice thrummed through him. Stunned he looked at the elf. Something else was here. This was not his Quel'Serrar. The elf sped off leaping from the bridge.
Frozen, his mind racing, he became aware of the girl standing on the bridge and glanced at her. She stood perfectly still.
"Kelu... ...Breath"
"That's an interesting melody I can hear. I can only hope that things are going your way." Zephyr's voice sang over the comms. Hope. Hope spurred him in to action tracing where Sagaris had fled, telling Nari to keep up.
He was in the tunnel leading out to the forest, where the homeless and forgotten begged for their survival. Sagaris paced up and down kicking and taunting them.
"Stop!" He commanded him. If Sagaris had heard he did not respond but knelt before one of the beggars to continue in his taunting.
Summoning his cloak of shadows Sagaris fell to the ground convulsing violently as his mouth began to froth. Warning Nari not to touch the burned body he carefully turned Sagaris to his side in an attempt to stop him choking. The pair of them kneeling at his side.
Sagaris looked through him with empty eyes. A smouldering purple stench pouring from him. Hale's voice broke through his thoughts. Had he summoned the Daggers? Had he called for their aid? Regardless, they were beginning to rally. Hale knew a lot more about the demonic then Kelu did. Looking back at Sagaris, Kelu heartened as the smoke stopped. But Sagaris just sat up and glared at him. Slowly he spoke the elf's name.
"Are you the one he calls brother?" Slowly he spoke the elf's name.
"ARE YOU THE ONE HE CALLS BROTHER?" The deep voice emanating from the the elf commanded and answer. Unable to move he stared back at him.
"Kelu... ...Breath"
"Aye, that is me." Kelu replied softly.
"He...trusts you...puny old man..he trusts you" Ignoring the insult, his mind raced. He had to do something to stop Sagaris' pain. Thoughts of his brother trapped inside helpless to stop his own body from causing harm haunted him.
Convulsions wracked through Sagaris and he grinned at Kelu maniacally. Kelu watched in horror as the demon inside playfully tossed up Sagaris' dagger and smiling as he caught it in mockery of his Quel'Serrar's mannerisms.
Hale's voice again asking where to head. Kelu responded automatically giving vague directions at best. Bringing his focus back to the demon he demand it name itself.
In disbelief he watched as Sagaris hurled the dagger at Nari, slicing at her ankle. Too late he reacted. Unable to grab at the other elf. Glancing at the injured girl he noted the wound. Not fatal. Ignoring it he turned his focus back to the demon.
"Name yourself" Kelu demanded.
"None of your concern...I am from the past..this vessel's past" the deep voice thrummed.
Insanely the beggars around them still called for spare coin, crying out for pity on their families
"Fools all of you" The demon mocked. Turning on his heel he sped off out of the tunnel towards the forest. Without thinking he sprinted after, abandoning the bleeding girl to mercy of the beggars.
His eyes fixed on the fading figure he chased on in to the forest. Too slow puny old man he thought to himself. He had lost sight of him. Coming to a stand still he waited and listened. Shutting everything out, carefully inspecting each sound of the forest.
"Come out Sagaris." He called hopelessly. He was gone. The comms come to life again, Loki's voice demanding to know what was going on.
"I've lost him" He mourned.
"Him? Bloody who!?" Despite everything he smiled at her way of cutting through.
"Quel'Serrar". No, he wasn't going to give up. He wasn't going to leave his brother to that torture. Summoning his mount they took to the sky, swooping low under familiar tree tops of the forest. This time not searching for precious herbs to aid his brother in battle. This time he searched for him.
"Sagaris!"
"Sagaris!"
"ALIN'AEL!"
==Sleep Well Brother- Kelu's Perspecitve Part 2==
Kelu slowly circled the forest, hopelessly shouting for his lost brother. There was no sign of him. He was long gone. Reining in is mount about to turn back to the city he looked back on final time. Distressed screeching reached his ears as Shiv, Sagaris' black hawk owl circled in to view.
"Shiv, are you a sight for sore eyes...where is he? " Slowly the tired bird wheeled around and flew back the way it came. As he followed it slowly he reported in his position to the waiting Daggers.
Further in to the west Kelu followed Shiv until he wheeled higher towards the top of the rock at at Oshu'gun. Twin pillars of light shone upwards in to the sky. A lone figure standing between them. Carefully Kelu brought his mount in to land and dismissed it. He moved closer to the Demonic Sagaris who was still babbling in the deep fel language.
"Alin'ael......" He spoke the term of endearment in the hope it might reach through.
The demon denied him demanding to know how he had been found. That Shiv had been unknown to the demon, highlighted a weakness, if just a small one. He pushed again and demand the demons name. Again, denial. As if to silence him the demon cast a forcefield around him restricting his movements. And then he began his taunting again.
"Where is the little girl..Bleeding I hope" Kelu ignored the mockery, his focus was on his Quel'Serrar. His mind racing to find a way to subdue him. Sagaris was a stronger more experience fighter, on a good day Kelu would be hard pushed to defeat the younger man and now he was filled with demonic rage.
More taunting, now attacking Sagaris' past his family, a sister. The host began shredding at Sagaris' flesh, slicing in to his arms. The taunts became demand then almost plea. This sister Tamoraa was loved by the demonic presence. Then Sagaris' voice deeper, but Sagaris speaking to him telling him the demon wanted to be free of the vessel.
" Then we get it out .. out of you.. " Kelu spoke softly, speaking to his brother. As the forcefield broke Kelu slowly move forward. Convulsions violently started to wrack through Sagaris, his eyes flaring purple as blood began to seep from his eyes, nose ears and throat. Laughing, more mockery the challenge of combat.
"I would rather kill him than have him live in torture." Growling in frustration Kelu spat the words at him. Sagaris turned his attentions, someone was behind him. Zephyr. New hope flashed through him. The blonde elf stood confidently behind him, unafraid and not intimidated. Quietly through the comms Zephyr requested orders. Restrain him, killing him was their last option.
Zephyr moved behind Sagaris grabbing him and holding him as he struggled.
"Release me fool..this is between the brother and me," Kelu looked from Sagaris to Zephyr. They could hold him here restrain him, but to what end? He would have to be taken somewhere for the demon to be purged. No beast would carry the being in such a fel rage. Kelu nodded at Zephyr to free him. He could weaken him, have the demon vent it's rage on him. Zephyr would be there to recover their Quel'Serrar.
Claws unsheathed Kelu poised himself, his eyes burned gold as the tension built within him. Flexing his fingers bright sparks of light travelled down the blades, a trick Kanaiichi had painstakingly taught him.
Slipping in to the shadows Kelu watch Sagaris circle, he was chanting in the the deep demonic tongue.Too slow. With demonic speed he was upon him, the hit stunning him knocking his breath from him. Snarling Kelu threw a desperate swipe at him then a more forceful blow.
Then he was gone deep in to the shadows. Disappointment and sorrow flooded him.
"Not a sight I enjoy seeing. Your orders?" Zephyr's melodic voice keeping him focused.
"Kill him if necessary. I won't have him tortured like that." Kelu slowly stepped to the edge of the rock.
"Alin'ael!" He called out for his brother. Casting his eyes downwards he saw the dark shape of a broken body. Purple smoke fading from it. His heart sank. Sagaris was not moving.
Category:Story