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"A Broken Cross" (Lenneth, Isabelle) ------------------------------ The Border Range, Midgard - November 18 - Evening - ------------------------------ Starless darkness stretched above, touched by the tips of high-rising stone towers and eaves. The darkness could hide nothing from Lenneth's eyes; though no light shone into the cavern from outside, the residue of ancient human souls lit her way. Pale buildings, pale ghosts - it was all the same to her. But the force of the undead was also strong here. She had scarcely left Coriander before feeling their presence, far to the south of that miserable town. Isabelle was not ready, but she could not ignore it. Now that she was here, however, the feeling was gone. Lenneth walked across the city square, stone and tile crunching underfoot. The mosaic was scorched and cracked, a contrast to the good condition of the walls and buildings; it had once been an elaborate cross, but it was hardly recognizable now. The etchings on the gate leading outside had been slashed as well. A moment of concentration brought Isabelle's presence to her, and she stepped aside, gesturing to the ground. No better time than the present to start her instruction. "This is a common practice of the undead. The symbol does no harm to most of their kind, but it is a sign of defiance against the gods." Isabelle's eyes wandered to the buildings, and the elaborate frescos adorning their walls. "Why be so obvious about it? Do they /want/ to be found?" "They are arrogant and foolish - all that remains of their /human/ traits." Lenneth started forward and passed through the inner gate, letting her charge trail behind. She kept her hand on the hilt of her sword, but her eyes found no threats in the nooks and crannies of the city street. "Terror is also an important part of their feeding cycle. The myths you humans have developed over the centuries serve that purpose well, and they have adopted many traits that do not come naturally to their kind." "Such as?" "Vampires." The valkyrie paused, testing the air, and the presence she felt. "Something like the being we are about to face." Isabelle blanched and stepped back, then hurried to keep up when Lenneth did not pause. "A /vampire/?" "More arrogant than most, and closer to their former human existence. They can and often do conceal their nature to mingle with the living, but their great weakness is light." "And if we don't have that?" Isabelle asked. The darkness above seemed to deepen. "They are weak to magic, or a consecrated blade. The one I provided for you will do well enough." Lenneth gave the woman a piercing look. "That is where the resemblence between truth and myth ends. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by your own stories." A few moments of silence passed, and something ticked the edge of Lenneth's mind. She knew these streets; something about them, their style, was familiar. They were so perfect and untouched, save for the crosses. Midgard had changed much since her last awakening, so why...? Then it came to her. Lorien. A place of beauty and art, where the wisest among humans had once tried to recreate what they believed the elves had built. A place of dreams, ruled by a human who was in turn ruled by her /own/ dreams. She had come here only once, and too late to save its lovely queen and her citizens. /That/ battle was not one she wished to remember. It had led her into foolishness, and her own defeat at Genevieve's hands - her /only/ defeat. Dear Silmeria... sometimes, she felt in her heart that the loss of her sister was her fault. Perhaps Hrist would agree. "Can I be... hurt by this vampire?" The question took Lenneth by surprise, and it took her a moment to gather her response. "You have no life force to speak of - none of your own. Magic can damage you, but there is nothing to fear from it's other attacks." "And if it kills me?" Isabelle too was fingering the hilt of her sword, but there was no other outward sign of nerves. "Then you will be rematerialized." She should have explained this before - next time, she would have to be more careful about letting her thoughts become distracting. "You cannot be destroyed, as long as I am alive." The human smiled faintly. "That is a comforting thought." Lenneth turned her attention back to their route. Her steps had led her unerringly to her mark; there was a chapel where the street widened and curved to an end. It was a beautiful structure, with stained glass windows and graceful towers so finely wrought that it did, indeed, remind one of elven craftsmanship. But its perfection was ruined by the jagged remnants of broken crosses. She drew her sword with a steely rasp, and her step quickened. This thing, whatever it was, likely knew of their presence already. She was counting on its arrogance - if they had not encountered anything thus far, perhaps it felt she was not a threat. Foolish creature. They passed through the gates and stepped inside. A tingle passed over her, like a touch of static on the skin, and Lenneth set her jaw grimly. What was it - a ward, or a trigger for something a little more dangerous? She paused, Isabelle behind her, but there was only dim candlelight to greet them. And beyond, in the darkness between spots of illumination, the presence she was hunting. "Show yourself!" Breathless silence met her demand, and she marched to the center of the room, eyes fastened to the shadow. "You will gain nothing by hiding." A smoky chuckle drifted out of the darkness. "Enchanting... hair like molten silver and liquid sky. I've never seen its like, my lovely goddess. Will I have the priviledge of weaving it through my fingers tonight?" "Be silent." She brandished her sword in an unmistakable challenge. "I will not listen to such useless prattle." "Indeed...?" Silk rustled and hissed against the stone floor as the outlines of a feminine figure in red approached the pool of candlelight and stood poised at the edge, like a queen greeting her subjects. "You should curb your tongue, Valkyrie, lest /you/ be silenced." "Do not seek to rise above yourself, creature." She shifted into a battle-ready stance. "I assume you are prepared." The vampire's delicate face twisted into contempt, and she raised her hand. "FIRE STORM!" Lenneth summoned a shield to avoid the blast, but the force of the explosion pushed her back and almost knocked her off her feet. Such power! Even the eldest of vampires did not hold such potential. The heat washing over her was enough to melt mortal flesh and bone. Had even that constant changed in the time she slept? "Is that all you can do?" The creature's voice rang out in a sing-song tone over the echos of the explosion. "Pushed back by such an elementary spell? Some /god/. I suppose I cannot expect much from a being that relies on humans for her strength." Lenneth's shield dissipated. She caught sight Isabelle picking herself up out of the corner of her eye, and felt a brief flash of regret for bringing her to this confrontation without any real experience - she might turn out to be more trouble than she was worth. But it was too late now; hopefully, the human would benefit from it, even if she could not manage much herself. "You are nothing, Battle-Maiden. That pretty face will avail you nothing on the battlefield." The vampire's crimson lips twisted, a dark parody of a smile that was not reflected in her eyes. Black curls trailed over her cheeks like cracks. "You haven't had much luck on these grounds... are you sure you want to risk failure again so soon?" Jaw clenched, Lenneth stared at her opponent silently, sword point to the ground. //How in the world...?// "You know nothing of what you speak, vampire." "And you are standing there like a fool for your own health - is that it?" //This is ridiculous.// Searching the creature's eyes availed her nothing - the undead, however human, were hidden from her eyes. All beings severed from the Wheel of Time shared that one advantage over her; the chains of destiny could not bind the dead... and the /un/dead had no soul with which to synchronize her own. Why did this one remember her deeds in this place? Lorien died at the hands of one... only one. The valkyrie's eyes narrowed, and she raised her sword, balanced on the balls of her feet. She wanted to divine the truth before she killed this one, but if that wasn't possible, she intended to be ready. "What binds you here, creature? What memories chain you to this place?" "I saw you in a dream, lovely valkyrie. Hair like a silver sky, and wings as graceful as a swan's, perched above this fair city. I had never beheld anything so perfect, and I do like beautiful things..." The candles snuffed themselves out, and their fire flickered to life again in the palm of the vampire's hand. "Why come to me now? Why, after all this time?" She sensed Isabelle's questioning gaze, but there was nothing to tell her. Something kept Lenneth rooted to the spot, transfixed. The way those dark curls clung to that neck, and shoulder... Her opponent's smirk disappeared, and her expression darkened until the shadows consuming her face were sharp and angry. "What use are you /now/, valkyrie?" She threw an arm wide, encompassing the city with her gesture. "We're already dead. Be gone from this place! You have /no/ right to be here!" A corpse... yes. Draped over her throne, bloodied curls clinging to cold, snowy skin. Yes. "You are here because..." Lenneth's swordpoint dipped as realization dawned on her, and she snapped it back up. Why had she not remembered it before? "But you are no specter. If you are not bound by your grief--" The fire in the vampire's hand flared, and her slender body twisted as she prepared to throw the spell. "If I cannot remain with my people in life, I will live with them in death. A bittersweet gift, but that is the way of demons." Another smile slowly spread across her face. "That demon defeated you, did she not? Perhaps I will have her luck." Lenneth summoned her shield and saluted the would-be queen, Isabelle taking up a stance beside her. In the quiet of her thoughts, she reached out to her einherjar and said, //There is no point in mercy for the undead. We must set her soul free.// The vampire laughed and sprang forward. "FIRE LANCE!" Lenneth twisted to the side and ran toward the vampire. The spell sizzled past her ear and left the scent of charred hair; she leapt into it's wake and slashed at the vampire queen, feeling grim satisfaction when her attack was met with a shrill scream - and then another, mingled with Isabelle's battle cry. She twisted around for another swing, but her opponent was too fast for her. Sharp nails dug into her cheek and left a bloody gash, and Lenneth shoved her away, into Isabelle's path. "DARK SAVIOR!" The darkness deepened and shrouded the room from her vision, impaling her with shadows and ripping a surprised cry from her throat. She'd forgotten how powerful this thing was! The Queen of Lorien had been unrivaled in the land of the living, and death had done nothing to dull her potency. Lenneth stumbled and caught herself with her sword, finally released from the spell. The vampire was between them; Isabelle dove to the side to avoid another Fire Lance, but the spell caught her and sent her tumbling to the ground. Not good. She straightened with a grimace and advanced on her opponent, everything else pushed from her mind and her muscles taut, ready to leap into action. The queen's gaze snapped to her over a bare shoulder and she turned. "SHADOW SER--" Lenneth sprang into action with a swift upward slash; the spell dissolved into a shriek. But the vampire caught herself and stumbled forward, twisting her fingers into silvery blue hair and pulling herself back to her feet. Valkyrie grabbed her hand, but could not shake her grip free, or bring her sword to bear. Dark indigo eyes stared into hers for a second that felt like an eternity, indecipherable, yet still human. "You're late, Battle-Maiden." It was a thin whisper, just a breath upon her lips. "Always too late." The valkyrie pushed her back grimply and struck with a two-handed swing, severing the vampire's head from her body. The elegant figure dissolved into glimmering dust, and was gone. (Summary: Lenneth and Isabelle confront a powerful vampire in the depths of an ancient city, and begin the cleansing of Midgard.) ------------------------------------ "A Broken Cross" (Lenneth, Isabelle) By Amber Michelle ------------------------------------ |