Channelknight Fadran

Something stirred. Fadran redirected his attention to another side of Nathrangking's mind, then found himself suddenly being overwhelmed by a wave of emotions. It was like when Queen had attempted to distract him, back when... everything wrong happened. Actually, it was exactly like when Queen was overwhelming him; there was the same source and everything. Which had to mean... "Nath? He was back in Scadrial, sitting by Nathrangking's side. Nath was... awake, but not quite complete. "Where is Queen?" Nathrangking asked. "Uh..." Fadran, not willing to waste time looking, located her with their Bond--a trick useful for hide-and-seek, but nothing else. It only really worked over short distances. He pointed over Nath's shoulder. "She's over there."

Fadran didn't respond... he didn't know how to. He was too... what. Relieved? Nervous? Happy. He was too happy. Thank you. He said finally.

What happened next? Fadran asks himself. I need to find out what happened to Nath... A wave of heat flies across the landscape, setting it aflame. Mighty rains begin to pour from the sky beating back the flames in moments. In a flash, he was in his throne room--a place he had not entered in a millenia. The pillars shatter into a million pieces; the throne is shorn into shards. Crashes, booms, and the surging noise of rage fills the air. The ground shakes, and the very foundation of the Mindscape trembles. In the midst of it all was Nathrangking, a demigod of tremendous power, trembling uncontrollably against a tide of emotion that no person could ever hope to control. Before him, two women appeared. There is an... inevitability about them. The one on the right held an icy spear, whose head is covered in wicked barbs. In the hands of the other, a burning lance sends out an eerie aura which could make even gods tremble. For a moment, Nathrangking stilled the destruction. He breathed heavily, sweat beading his brow. "Mes. Met. I guess the crone sent you to discover why the mindscapes tremble?" Where his voice was once controlled, it was now filled with rage, fear, and confusion. "Go back to her and tell her that I will never cease to tear realm apart until I have my vengeance!" They were unfazed. "Don't be a fool." They answered in unison. Smooth and unforgiving voices echoed over the sounds of chaos and destruction, which seemed muted by comparison. "She knows what you intend to do, and you will be punished if you try." He clenched his weapons in a vise. "Will you stop me? Lecture me? I was old when you were young. You know full well that you cannot stop me. We all have what to atone for, your mistress most of all. My enemy will be judged. He took someone from me. He took her against her will. For this even the gates are too good." Screams from other realms could be heard. Panic appeared in the twins' eyes. "We wanted to stop you, because we know that you are relentless. We care about you, Nathrangking, and we don't want you to be destroyed. She will come for you if you continue of your path." "Let her come; I do not fear her. If she tries to stop me, she will die for her crimes." Their eyes went wide. "Our mother can be persuaded. Don't do this." "I must. Now go in peace." With a wave of his blade, they vanish from my realm. I take in a deep, hateful breath, and the realms cease their disintegration. His a glare of determination, he appeared before the elaborate and enchanted prison gates. I'm coming for you Fox. The ancient gods watch you Winter, because you are mine! "I Nathrangking, the appointed guardian of the gates Gareshusir, Warden of this Eldritch Prison of the Ancient gods, protector mindscapes demand that you open! I command you to obey! Open for your master!" The tongue of the ancient gods set the door alight with power. The chains melted away while the spells upon the door vanished. When the door was open nary a crack, Nathrangking was through. With a thought, stay your course, The doors stop. He stood in an endless expanse in the heart of a realm beyond all realms. The ground is barren, and the sky both icy and burning. Nathrangking raised his voice over the winds which blew, and they slowed for him. "I, the gatekeeper, call before me any who desire freedom." The winds carry his voice for miles and leagues. Shouts, roars, screeches and even manner of cries forgotten to time erupt. Tens of thousands fill the air with a cacophony. He raised an eyebrow as two appeared as though from nowhere. They are in shadow, though the light of the day is mighty. I would pity you, Winter, if I did not desire your soul. "Mars. Ares. Eager are we?" "Why have you come?" One asked. "I offer you a freedom of a thousand years... and all that you must do is find me a certain angel." "What trick is this gatekeeper?" Demanded the other. "You have no power to free us." Behind them, a horde of monsters appeared on the horizon. They ran for Nathrangking, demanding, in their screams, freedom. With a growl of rage, they are all blow away. The lesser creatures are destroyed, at least temporarily, and the others stay their course. "Enough!" Nathrangking shouted. "You dare attack one who would free you? I offer a millenia of freedom to any who will find me one angel. Who dares take this challenge?" He turned to a women flying just a few feet away, a smirk on her face. "Circestran, would you dare find the one I seek? Do any of you have the courage, or should I guess that you are all incapable?" "Indeed... I will go if it means that I have the chance to tear out your eyes." Circestran lunged for his throat. Nathrangking grabbed her with lightning speed. "Open!" He called, then leaped out as the door inched open. He slapped the door when they were through, and it instantly sealed itself. The spells and chains returned. The defenses returned at double their previous force. Nathrangking sighed, looking back at the one he had taken. "Circestran, how long has it been since they threw you in?" "You tell me, husband. It was your treachery that cost me those eons." Nathrangking said nothing, making Circestran sigh. "How long has it been since you visited my prison? I loved, you you know. Despite everything. No matter what I had done. Nothing changed our love. Two millennia means a lot to ageless immortals such as us. What happened to you? Where is your fire? Even when you dragged me before the ancient, gods your fire was there. Now look at you! That fire has gone out. You must not become me. Promise that you won't change. Swear it, or I shall destroy you." His heart clenched as he looked over at the woman whom he had once loved. The iron in his heart did not melt, though, even if he allowed emotion to show in his posture. I loved her once. He thought. She betrayed everything... but now I need her. Ancient gods preserve me that I do not so quickly have to throw her back into that place. "I need your help. We have very little time. She knows that I'm here, and she will try and stop me. I need the huntress of the damned once again." Her eyes filled with tears. "I cannot. Once, I would have died for you. Now you ask that I become again, on this plane, that which had me thrown into that place. Ask me anything else. Please." "I...." Nathrangking was interrupted by a pillar of amethyst fire, which burst from the ground several yards away from where he and Circestran stood. A smug, scarlet-haired youth emerged and banished the flames. His tunic and breeches were as blood, and his eyes iron. His voice was like glass, shattering in an inferno. "Mother wishes to speak to you. I have orders to kill the monster and bring you to her. Do the right thing and listen." He released his hold on Circestran. "Mita, go back to your mother and remind her that if the council wishes to call me to task, they may. She has no power to stop me; none of you do. My wife and I are going, and you are going to leave my realm." Bolts of lightning crashed down around the youth at his command, splintering the ground. Nathrangking looked at his wife for a moment, then allowed the slightest hint of the love that I felt for her resurface. When he returned his gaze to Mita, his eyes are a bit wide, but he has not moved to leave. Nathrangking's love is replaced by rage as Mita stood, frozen in place. It filled his voice with fire, and Nath began to shout in the language of creation. "Begone!! May your fires consume you!! Leave this place!!" Violent flames ignited, and Mita started to shout. His body faded away as the realm pushed him out. He turned to Circestran to find her mouth hanging open. When their eyes meet she began to laugh. The sound is sweeter than a honeyed river. Tears began to pour from her eyes as she is bent over in hysterics. She stopped when she did not see him laughing. "There is that fire of yours. You defended my honor by igniting a god who won't actually burn. That is why I love you so much; you always did have a temper." Her face became serious again as lines of worry appear. "You know that you just declared war on her. She will destroy you." He looked at her and I struggled not to cry. "How I have missed, you my queen of light! Once he puts himself out, It will be war, but you and I have unfinished business. Let us go from this place." He willed the realm to bend around them, and they are gone, staring into each others eyes as the reality is rewoven. They reappeared in Shadesmar, the Fellowship nowhere to be seen. Nathrangking turned to Circenstran. "Find him, Queen of Light, but do not fight him. He is a dangerous foe whom we should battle only together. Call for me, and I will come." Circestran nodded in agreement. She closed the gap between them, then rose to her toes and deliverd a kiss to his lips. It was a short one, but it caused Nathrangking to sigh. "Stay safe. If you die before we reunite, I will find your spirit and make it wish that I had killed it." She quickly turned away, and took to the sky before Nath could respond. The universe tore. For a moment, all of power, time, space, and the fabric of existence lost its meaning before she vanished. Nathrangking shed a tear. "The ancient gods preserve, you my love." He reach deep within himself, ignoring the emptiness where his mindscape had once been and reached for the bond connecting him to Fox. He drew it close and his body shattered. In agony he raced through the realms. Time was meaningless, and what felt like a million years passed in little more than the blink of an eye. His body sags as he felt the drain on his powers. The space between realms deposited him into a forest clearing. Fox was there, as shocked to see him as he would be in her situation. "I came back," Nath said, "as I promised that I would." Fadran mentally shrugged. I don't know. I just figured that... you were the best person to take care of this. And Queen... I'm really sorry, I--I don't know what happened. You don't have to forgive me... you don't even have to talk to me. No matter what, though, you'll always be my friend. Alright?

You smell wrong.

Fadran enters Nathrangking's mind. It is ruined--broken. Like a battlefield, with weapons and flags strewn about, the wind picking up to pelter any unfortunate enough to remain alive with dust and smoke. Empty. "What happened to you, Nath?" Fadran asks, looking around Nathrangking's ruined mind. "What happened?" Fadran relives Nath's memories, finding whatever impressed upon Nath's Spirit to remanifest itself. For a time... Fadran became one with Nathrangking. "Winter... I told you that we were not done. Let her go. I am who you desire most." Nathrangking looks to Fox. "I told you I would be here for you, Fox." Fox gasped. "N...Nath?" "I told you, Fox... I am not going anywhere." He turns his attention to Winter and Autumn. "You must be of the darkness that has plagued Fox. Begone, your power is broken." Winter glared at Nathrangking. "Hm... I suppose I agree with this invader. But I advise all of you to leave as soon as possible. I'm looking forward to spilling some blood today." "I think I'll take you up on that..." The Fox tries to pull away from Winter's iron grip. "Let her leave Winter. Let them all leave. What can they give you that I cannot? I will stay if you let them go to the place of their choosing and you never do anything to them again." Nath turns back to Fox. "Fox when you go, leave your demons behind. I would have been here sooner, but I had demons of my own to exorcise. You alone can defeat them. You are a survivor. You have made it. You control your past it does not control you. It will whisper lies into your ears. It will tell you that you deserve to suffer and that you are weak. It promises to save you if you give in. It can say nothing else for you have survived it and moved beyond it. Desperation makes it speak these words. There is no other way for it to gain control. It took me until now to realize this." "Wait, Nath, no!" Fox protested. "No, you can't give yourself up. Not since... since Alice died... one demon or another has always been in control. There isn't much for me to live for any longer. No one loves me... and I don't love anyone! You're so powerful, and honorable--they need you!" Her voice shakes. "They don't need me." Nath takes a step closer to her, a well of emotion springing up. "I believed as you do now for eleven thousand years, Fox. I failed so many people--so many more than I helped. I ran from this demon... his shadow holding me in a suffocating embrace. I could never escape him. I would close my eyes, and there he was; accusing me. I sealed myself away so that I could escape him and never fail anyone ever again. It did not help. It made things so much worse. I thought that I deserved to suffer, and so I did. How could I ever move beyond this? Alone I could not." A tear fell onto the ground. "As I battled it in this place, I was not alone. You were there Fox. You were there, they were there... Even though my battle was doomed from the start, I fought and fought... and now I can live knowing that the demon exists, but has no more power over me. You are not alone. You are not unloved. You have them and you have me." There was silence, until Winter sighed. "Ah, I gave you all a chance, but apparently you don't value your lives." Winter turned to Fox. "Fox: take your knife. Kill him." Fox gasped, taking a step back away from Winter. "Wh...what?" "Kill the one who calls the wind. He is vulnerable; do it now! He tries to speak to you of love, but he himself has never truly felt it; that is why he deserves to die." Her conflict... Nath could feel it, vibrating through the Mindscapes. Could it be possible that, in such a short amount of time, she had actually come to care for him? Had he done something right, for once? The Fox's eyes flickered back and forth between Winter and Nath. "But... he came." She whispered, "Even if he has made himself vulnerable, he speaks from his heart. He risked himself to help me. He didn't abandon me, like... like everyone else..." Her eyes locked on to his. "He has given me strength." "Do it!" Winter yelled. "Make the choice, Fox, or I'll do it myself." "I... I don't know!" Fox protests, voice choked. "I'm so confused, and, and..." Nath had nothing to say. He only watched with as much love and devotion as he felt. If it was his time to die, then he would have it no other way than by the hand of a friend. Fox stepped towards Nathrangking. "Please forgive me," she whispered, "I'm... I'm so, so sorry, Nath." Nath closed his eyes, and a cry of pain resounded through the air. It wasn't his. Nathrangking opened his eyes in shock and surprise, then cried out as Fox collapsed onto herself. He caught her as she fell, blood seeping onto his fingers from the knife that she had rammed into her stomach. "Fox!" He yelled. "FOX!" "Why?" Winter asked, enraged. "Why, you idiot?" "Don't you dare!" Nathrangking says to Winter. "Don't you dare insult her!" Winter ignored Nathrangking. He was suddenly by Fox's side, removing the knife that still resided in her stomach. Fox cried out in pain; a sound that pulled at Nathrangking's soul and threatened to drive him mad. Fox looked up, laughing lightly. "You... you came back for me." "I did." Nath whispered, but at the same time, Winter spoke. "That's right, Fox. Now come, let's leave this demon before he can hurt you further." "Wait!" Nath cried. But they were already gone. Fadran found himself back in the empty expanse of what was once Nathrangking's vast and mighty Mindscape. There was more to be seen... but it would take time to find. I need to share this with someone. Fadran thinks to himself. Someone I can trust... and someone who can try to help Nath by knowing what happened to him. In other words, there was really only one person. Spirit Bond forged and connection put in place, Fadran began relaying what he had just seen--experienced--to Queen. @Scarletfox @DramaQueen

"I'm not sure, but I can try to find out." Fadran finds his Bond with Nath, then carefully tugs on it to see if he can find out what the issue is. @Nathrangking

Fadran tries to meet her eyes, but fails miserably. What have I done?

"You... look like you've been through a lot." Fadran replies. "We can take care of Nath... you should get some rest."

Raid the thread!!! ...though I do like Dr. Pepper.

When people post on your threads and keep them alive.

I no longer no longer love you.

"Heck, no. Are you kidding me? I've only been here for like, five days! I just appeared out of thin air one day because somebody wanted to add me to an RP!" He frowns, scratching his chin. "I have no idea what I just said."

Fadran stands, silent, before Fox. "What happened?" He asks finally. "What happpened with you and Nath?"

Fadran hesitated. What was wrong with Fox? Had Nath really thought that he had failed somehow? There was so much he didn't know. "I really am." He replied at last. "You seem confused. Are you sure you're alright?"

"It's me. Fadran." Fear crept its way into his heart. "Your friend."

Fadran falls silent. ”You mean you... don’t remember me?”

Fadran looks up, gasping. "Queen!" Fadran yells. "Queen! Nath and Fox are back!" He gets to his feet, dashing towards them but slowing down not far before them. Nath was unconscious on the ground, but he seemed peaceful. And Fox... Fadran couldn't be tell for sure, but she wasn't the same alleycat that had joined their Fellowship not long ago. "What happened?" He asked her. @Scarletfox

"Ten days? Ten days until what?"

**FRUSTRATION**

Fadran was no tracker, but he didn't need to be one to see where footsteps lead. He sat down on the other side of the rocks, silent.

Done! Those ones are my favorites as well. I'll get back to you... soon-ish (playing D&D rn).

"Queen!" Fadran called, a tear of his own choking at his voice. "Queen, I'm... I'm sorry! Wait, I--" He wiped a tear off his face. "Come back. Please."

Haha, suckers! See you back home!!! *Runs to house* WTWTTSW you realize the cops followed you?