"Aside from a few singular cases, there are three types of undead.  First, there
are those spirits bound to this earth by their own incomprehensible sorrow or regret.
These are to be pitied as much as they are to be feared.  They are normally no danger
to the living, and can simply be avoided.


        "Second are lifeless corpses or skeletons animated through evil power.  They
cannot be reasoned with, and they are tireless and perfectly obedient to the whims
of those who created them.  Though they must be destroyed, bear no malice against
them, for it would be misplaced; they are only a tool of the true evil.


        "Third, there are those that are both intelligent and malevolent.  Of them, almost
all choose their fate; to escape death, they willingly prey upon the living.  Have no pity
for them; if left unchecked, they would spread suffering across the centuries.  They
must be eradicated."


                        -- Kahn Marley, vampire hunter


-----------


Ravenspire Studios presents
a Rocketarian Pictures production
in association with Improfanfic


Suikoden: Distant Shores
created by Todd Harper and Illyria


Part Thirteen: Kindling the Flame
by Scott Schimmel


----------


        "So.  How are you feeling?"


        Her face showing mild surprise, Kyrina turned toward her visitor.  "Fine,"
she said, unable to suppress her exasperation.  When she had returned to the
Sindar ruin, Alyssa had once again called upon her talents with the Water Rune
to heal her of the wounds the undead had inflicted.  In spite of that, though, Tavia
and Reid still insisted that she rest in bed.  And Alyssa hadn't bothered to
gainsay them!  Kyrina was fairly bursting with energy now, but they'd threatened
to keep her in bed for another full day if she tried to exert herself in any way.  So
she was lying here, doing nothing.  It was maddening.  A visitor was a welcome
distraction, but she hadn't expected this one...


        Alaric lifted his hand, and his Fire Rune shone faintly.  The candles on
either side of her bed flared to life.  "Glad to hear it," he said nonchalantly.
"It was a pretty bad wound, and then the trip back was pretty long..."


        "I've survived worse.  If there are too many more of those things in the
castle, though..."  She frowned.  "Has Tavia decided on a plan?"


        "If so, she hasn't said anything about it."  Alaric shrugged.  "There's a
meeting tomorrow morning, though, so maybe she has something in mind."
He looked down at the back of his hand, eyes tracing the outline of the rune
he wore.  "If I were stronger..."


        Kyrina pushed herself up onto her elbow.  "Alaric?"


        He shook his head.  "If I could, I'd burn the whole damned building
from the inside out."  Fingers curled into a fist.  "Cleanse it down to the
bare stone."


        "I understand how you feel, but--" she began, concerned.


        "No, you don't."  Alaric was almost trembling, but with a visible effort,
he forced himself to relax, fingers unclenching.  "You couldn't.  But this
isn't the time for that."  His eyes met hers; there was a haunted look about
them that she found difficult to associate with the ordinarily free-spirited
adventurer.  "Half of me wants to head back there right now and clear the
place out or die trying," he confessed.


        "The other half?"


        "Wants to get as far away from here as I possibly can."


        "I can't say I blame you, after that... thing... we faced."  Kyrina cast a
curious gaze toward him.  "Mind if I ask you a personal question?"


        Alaric blinked at the sudden change of direction, and just as quickly
as it had gone, the jovial light returned to his eyes.  "I'm flattered.  What's
on your mind?"


        "Why are you still here?"


        He arched a delicate eyebrow.  "I didn't realize my presence
inconvenienced you."


        "Not that."  She waved a hand dismissively.  "I mean, why are you
and your sister still with us?  You helped us at Bristow like you promised,
so you're not here out of obligation.  We explored that ruin, even if we
didn't find anything, so that's our part of the bargain.  I know it's not for
the money, because we can't afford to pay you.  So why?"


        "That's a good question," he mused, flashing a smile at her.  "But
something tells me you think you've got the answer.  So you tell me...
why?"


        Kyrina was hesitant, but complied.  "It's Tavia, isn't it?"


        The young man nodded, maintaining that same small smile.  "I'd say
that's accurate... but perhaps not for the reasons you think."


        "Then you're not--" she began.


        "No.  Well, a little; she's pretty enough.  But..."  He heaved an
exaggerated, dramatic sigh, and Kyrina's lips quirked into a smile to
match his.  "It seems her interests may lie in another direction.  Though
what she sees in a blocky, steel-plated, taciturn fellow like that is a
mystery to me."


        "Yes," she agreed sarcastically.  "Why settle for that when you
could have the disturbingly androgynous?"


        He laughed at that.  "Touche."


        "I thought maybe you were just staying because you'd fallen for her."
The sardonic grin never left her face, but her voice grew a bit more solemn
with those words.


        "Well, I wouldn't object if she should come to her senses," he retorted
with a wink.  "But I'm not about to die of heartbreak if she doesn't.  Pretty
girls are not so uncommon.  But," he added, suddenly taking a serious tone,
"Tavia's more than that.  You heard how she inspired the cadets after La
Lanterne left?"  At Kyrina's silent nod, he continued.  "That's what's special
about her.  She's got the ability to not only care about a cause, but to connect
with other people.  To inspire them to believe.  When enough people believe,
they can accomplish great things..."  His gaze locked with hers, and she
was startled by the intensity she read in his eyes.  "Alyssa and I have
traveled a long way from our home, through all of Lierstam and half of
Heresha, but we've never met anyone like her before.  Never.  The closest
was the master we trained under, but even that was a matter of iron
discipline and conscious effort.  Tavia leads naturally.  Maybe that's why
she's worthy of bearing a True Rune."


        "It always comes back to the rune, doesn't it?"


        Alaric shook his head.  "I know runes, and it's the other way around.
It's not the rune, even a True Rune, that makes her special.  It's her who
makes the rune.  Tavia would be the same person without it... although
it will probably make some things easier for her," he acknowledged.


        "I agree," she assured him.  "I don't know whether the cadets would,
though.  I think she's getting a little tired of hearing how wonderful it is
that she's bearer of that rune."


        Alaric smiled ruefully.  "Let's hope she'll bear the adulation with equal
grace, then," he suggested.  "But even without the rune...  maybe Lys and
I aren't exactly immediately concerned with Heresha or your cause, being
outsiders and all.  We're not really followers by nature, either.  But if Tavia
can use our help... well, I guess all I can say is that we think she's a person
worth believing in."


        "Hmm."  Kyrina regarded the male twin neutrally, her expression
betraying nothing of her thoughts.  "That sounds remarkably selfless for
a self-professed treasure hunter," she pointed out.


        If he took offense at the implication, Alaric's broad grin didn't show
that.  "Oh, I wouldn't say that.  At minimum, we've got a roof over our heads
and plenty of food.  And, of course, among the people Tavia attracts, if the
past is any indication, there will be a remarkable profusion of pretty girls."


        "You're incorrigible, Alaric Mytelene."  Kyrina eyed him warily.
"That wasn't an oblique come-on, was it?"


        "To you?  No... not that you're not beautiful," he hurriedly assured
her.  "But somehow, you remind me of my sister.  It must be the wit."


        She smirked.  "Should I take that as a compliment, or as an insult?"


        "I'd never insult my sister where she can't hear," Alaric said, and
winked.  "It's not as much fun that way.  And speaking of my sister, she
threatened me with all sorts of dire punishments if I disturbed you for too
long, so I'll bid you good night now."


        "Dire punishments, hmm?"


        "She implied that she might go so far as to sing," he related
with a perfectly straight face.


        Kyrina laughed.  "Well, we couldn't have that."


        "Indeed...  You've never heard her attempt to sing.  And I stress,
attempt."


        "So much for never insulting your sister where she can't hear,"
Kyrina noted dryly.


        "Telling the truth isn't an insult," he retorted with a grin.  "Anyway,
good night..."


        "Good night.  And thanks."


        Standing just through the doorway, Alaric glanced back over his
shoulder.  "I think I should be thanking you," he said, just before the
door closed behind him.


----------


        "So now you all know the story," Tavia said wearily.  Stepping back
from the table she'd appropriated from the dining area, she absently began
to pace the width of the room.  Lierni frowned meaningfully, but Tavia ignored
her; it wasn't as though she were addressing the troops.  This was just a
small council:  Li, Reid, Kyrina, and Baren on one side of the table, the Mytelene
twins, the cat-man Kaleen, and Alouette on the other.  Daniel Hightien stood
outside the door -- to make sure they weren't interrupted, he'd said, though
Tavia suspected he'd just wanted the best chance to listen in.  Still, even
counting Daniel, it was only the ten of them.


        Reid's voice tore her out of her reverie.  "Have you decided what we're
going to do yet?"


        "What is there to decide?  We take the army to the castle, and crush
the foul things."  Baren rapped the table for emphasis -- a light blow, by his
standards, but it shuddered ominously beneath the impact.


        "It's not that simple," Alyssa said.  "If the governments of Heresha and
Lierstam are both watching that castle, it's not likely we'd be able to move a
few thousand troops in all at once without being noticed... and definitely not
if we have to fight a pitched battle once we're there."


        Kaleen nodded thoughtfully.  "And truly, the terrain would not be
favorable for your army.  Most particularly at night."


        Tavia agreed.  "You see?  One of the reasons we wanted the castle
in the first place is because it's so defensible.  Unfortunately, that makes
it more difficult for us to evict whatever's inside so that we can claim it
for ourselves."


        "So it is not after all simply the politics that kept the governments
away for so long, non?"  Alouette chuckled mirthlessly.


        Kyrina smirked.  "So it would seem."


        "In any case," Tavia interrupted the banter, "if we can't take the
army by siege, we'll just have to try another way."


        "There's another way?" Reid wondered.  "You can't mean--"


        "Going through the front door," she affirmed.  Turning to Kaleen,
she asked, "You said you never had trouble getting in, right?"


        He nodded, ears twitching in agitation.  "That is so.  I believe that,
whereas whatever is directing the undead might shut the gate before
an army, it will allow an individual or a small group to enter freely."
His lip curled into a snarl.  "So that it and its minions may hunt."


        Tavia nodded.  "Good, I was counting on that.  A small group
it is, then.  I think six of us should be able to escape notice--"


        "SIX?"  Alouette surged to his feet.  "Are you mad, mademoiselle?
Non, I beg your pardon, but...  Perhaps you cannot send six thousand,
but surely--"


        Shaking her head, she replied.  "We need a group that won't draw
too much attention, that the monster will let into the castle, and that
moves quickly -- this old fortress is already beginning to get crowded."
She sighed.  "I don't like having to do this any more than you do,
Alouette, but we need that castle, and we need it soon."


        Another scrape of wood on stone, as Alaric stood.  "I'm going,"
he said quietly.


        "I'm not sure that's a good idea--"


        "I'm going," he repeated, stifling Kyrina's objection.  "Now that I
know what to expect, I'll be fine, and we'll probably need this anyway."
He held up his right hand.  "Fire's good against most of them, better
than anything else we've got."


        "My brother's right.  Besides, we have other reasons."  Alyssa
rose to stand by her twin's side.  "I'll try to keep everyone in good
shape."


        Tavia nodded to Alyssa.  "I was going to ask you to go anyway.
And, Kaleen, I know you're not a member of this army, but you have
the most experience with fighting the undead we'll find there.  Would
you be willing to go along?"


        Pressing one hand to his chest, the cat-man dipped a shallow,
fluid bow.  "It would be an honor, O Fountain of Astute Judgment."
To one side of him, Lierni rolled her eyes.


        "Thank you.  I'd like Reid and Baren to fill out the group.  We'll
need some strong fighters."  Baren swelled with pride; Reid merely
nodded thoughtfully.


        "But that is only five," Alouette pointed out.  "Perhaps
mademoiselle has forgotten to name yours truly, non?"  He
assiduously buffed his fingernails on his coat.


        Tavia winced.  "Actually, no.  The sixth member is me."


        Reid frowned at that, but Lierni beat him to the response.  "That
is not one of your better plans.  A leader should not endanger herself
any more than is necessary.  In addition to which, you have duties
here."


        "I can't order people to fight when I'm not willing to do the same,
Li," Tavia reasoned, with a brief shake of her head.  Glancing at Alouette,
who was visibly pouting, she hastily added, "And I've taken that into
account.  You're staying because you're a good organizer and you'll be
able to keep everything in order.  Plus the cadets will know you."  Even
if they didn't particularly like her...  "Kyrina's staying because she's the
most skilled in woodcraft, and because any of Senrou's men who turn
up will trust her.  And Alouette is staying because he's the general's
grandson."  It wasn't much of a reason, but apparently it was enough
to salvage the White Falcon's pride... assuming that there existed a
force great enough to make a permanent impression on that
monolithic entity.


        A momentary silence fell.  "Very well," Lierni stated neutrally;
Tavia could tell she hadn't bought the excuse.


        She forced a confident smile.  "Don't worry.  I can take care
of myself well enough, and I'm not exactly alone..."


        A deep, booming laugh issued forth from Baren.  "Ha!  Of
course nothing will happen, with Baren One-Eye watching over her!"


        "Indeed," Kaleen agreed.  "With the protection of one of the
Children of the Wind, she shall surely be safe, so long as nothing
more dangerous than a blind and lame vole should approach her."


        "We'll see who sends more of these monsters back to the
grave, O Abode of Many Fleas," Baren mocked.


        "So we shall," the cat-man agreed, imperturbable as ever.


        "Are you quite sure of this decision?" Lierni asked Tavia
sardonically.


        She couldn't help but smile.  "Let's go," she decided.
"We'll spend a night on the trail, so we reach White Cloud during
the day.  That will make it an easy walk..."


        "Actually," Alyssa mused, "if that's the case... it might
be best to visit Bristow first."


        Alouette shot a puzzled glance toward her.  "Bristow?"


        "We'll want some medicine... and I believe there's a
Runemaster in Bristow."


        "There is," Tavia began, "but they don't often have anything
to sell... oh."  Alyssa nodded, confirming her realization, and she
smiled.  "Well, I think that sounds reasonable enough, even if it
does add to our travel time..."


----------


        Night brought a terrible chill to the mountain pass that threatened
to freeze their blood in their veins.  Baren confidently assured them
that there was no chance of a storm, but that was small comfort to
Tavia.  She huddled beneath a blanket, inching closer to the flame
Alaric's rune had brought to life.  Even in the depths of winter, she
was sure it had never been this cold on the farm.


        Much to her annoyance, the chill air seemed to affect Reid
not at all.  He sat opposite her, staring down at the light purple
tracery of lines that newly glimmered on his left hand.  "Still
nervous?" she asked.


        He looked up.  "Nervous?  No...  Are you sure I don't have
to do anything special with this?"


        Alyssa rolled her eyes.  "Just fight the way you always do,"
she told him, absently adding another log to the fire.  "You probably
won't even notice it."


        "That's what I'm afraid of," he replied morosely.


        "Relax," the other twin said.  "It may be called a Killer Rune,
but it won't do anything by itself.  It enhances your ability with
weapons, that's all.  You've still got to decide to take action."


        Tavia nodded reassuringly.  "We'll need every edge we can
get, and you're the only one we could take into Bristow to have it
attached."  She shot an apologetic glance at Kaleen and Baren.


        "A warrior of the Wind Children needs no such trickery," the
barbarian proclaimed dismissively.


        "Anyway," Tavia assured Reid, "you can always have it removed
later."


        "I know."  He sighed, staring grimly into the crackling flames.
"I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, though."


        After that, there was little left to say.


----------


        In the afternoon sun, White Cloud castle possessed more
grandeur than foreboding.  The stones, where they had not collapsed
inward, gleamed golden with reflected light.  Kaleen led them right to
the gate, with Reid and Baren stalking warily behind him.  Tavia and
the twins brought up the rear.  They paused at the gate briefly.  The
castle was silent.


        "As usual," Kaleen rumbled.  "So long as we approach, they
remain hidden."


        "I guess that rules out leaving?" Alaric asked.


        "One minute after we turned, they would emerge from the
castle.  One minute after that, we would probably have been
trapped or slaughtered outright."


        "I thought you would say something like that."  He took a
deep breath.  "In we go, then."


        Tavia nodded.  "It's time to finish this."


        The group filed into the castle.  The interior was dark, but
not pitch-black as they'd expected; pale blue-white circular plates,
set at intervals high into the walls, radiated a soft light.  Baren
curiously reached up to finger one of them, and found it cool and
smooth to the touch, except for a shallow chasm where a shape
had been carved into the surface.


        "Glowstones," Alyssa explained.  "They're all drawing power
from a rune somewhere.  It's a pretty showy way to light up a room,
let alone a castle..."


        "I guess Tir Eselyn and Lierstam were really serious about
wanting to outdo each other."  Tavia moved forward toward the gloom
of a corridor.  "If it means we won't need the lamps, all the better."


        They crept forward, slowly and as quietly as they could
manage, expecting one of the undead abominations around every
corner.  Nothing greeted them but disorderly rooms, filled with dust
and mostly broken or scarred furniture, and long, dim hallways.


        "Where are they?" Tavia whispered as they skirted across a
room that looked to have once been a dining hall and gathered around
a door.


        Kaleen pulled at his chin.  "Indeed, we should have encountered
some resistance."


        "Whatever's controlling them is probably in the throne room,"
Alaric stated.  "They're egotistical that way.  Maybe we should just
push through to there as quickly as possible?"


        "There is no throne room," Reid reminded him.


        "No throne room?"


        "It was built as a diplomatic outpost, remember..."  Reid
glanced up at the ceiling.  "I suppose the closest thing to a throne
room is the council chamber.  They signed a treaty there, and--"


        "All right," Tavia said.  "That will be our goal for now."


        "Let's just hope it's this easy all the way through," said
Alyssa.


        That was when the first bony talon burst through the wooden
door, which had apparently rotted through.


        Alaric glared at his sister.  "You had to say it, didn't you?"


        "I hate being right," Tavia decided, as a trio of shambling
corpses appeared in the door through which they'd entered the
room.


----------


        Tavia skipped backwards, avoiding a clumsy swipe, and
countered.  Her blow had little effect on the undead revenant,
however.  Devoid of pain, it pressed onward toward her until Baren's
massive frame slammed into it from the side, shouldering it away
from her before it could make another attack.  "I will handle this
one!" he roared to her.  His spear lashed expertly in and back,
probing at the revenant's weak spots.


        She slid backwards to allow Kaleen, engaged in a duel with
another of the monsters, to dance past.  The cat-man whirled and
dodged with a form that was as graceful as it was effective.  His
scimitar flashed in a tight arc, lopping off one of his opponent's
hands.  Unhesitating, the undead pushed on toward him, and he
continued leading it in the dance of blades.


        Behind Tavia, Alyssa's crossed jo sticks intercepted a
blow from a rusty longsword grasped by an animate skeleton.
Before it could pull back for a second attack, she bent backwards,
supporting her body's weight on one leg while the other rose in a
powerful kick, separating the chipped ancient skull from its
skeletal body.  Its bones hung suspended in midair for a
moment, then crumbled to dust.


        Cognizant of his weapon's relative disadvantage
against revenants, Alaric, too, had been targeting the skeletons.
He wore an expression of loathing that seemed out of place on
the normally good-natured treasure hunter, and Tavia remembered
the misgivings Kyrina had expressed.  But he seemed to be
handling his emotions well enough; his staff whirled with an
unexpected viciousness, cracking bones and splitting skulls,
but he remained in control of himself.


        In fact, Tavia was painfully aware that she was the one
who contributed least.  Unlike typical sai, hers had sharpened
edges; that made them more deadly on the battlefield against
human opponents, but they lacked the blunt force to shatter
bone as the twins' weapons could.  At the same time, they
lacked the sheer mass and cutting ability of Kaleen's scimitar
or Reid's longsword.  And though Baren's spear might
normally be a poor weapon in this situation, even with its
reach advantage, the barbarian's incredible physical power
enabled him to use it to rip the undead apart -- a feat of
strength that Tavia could not match.  She was beginning to
think that Lierni had had a point.


        But she wasn't about to just give up, either.  She
ducked in next to Reid, utilizing her speed to strike at the
creature's unguarded flank.  Her sai locked around either
side of its upper arm, immobilizing the limb for a moment
as it struggled against her with unnatural strength.  She
would have lost the struggle soon, but that didn't matter;
that moment was enough time for Reid to take advantage
of the new opening.  Nodding to her in thanks, Reid
swung his longsword, and the arm Tavia had locked was
severed at the shoulder.  It twitched and writhed for a
moment as if it were still attached, but quickly stilled.
Tavia discarded it and leapt away from an axe blow
directed at her by a skeleton which had slipped past
the twins.  Baren, having disposed of the revenant, swung
the haft of his spear like a staff in a mighty two-handed
blow, destroying her attacker.


        "How many of these things are there?" Alaric called.
His breath was ragged from exertion, but he fought on, as
frenzied as ever.


        "I believe we could make it through the door in a few
moments," Kaleen replied.  "But I am certain that these
are far from the only creatures inhabiting this castle..."


        "Tavia!  Behind you!"


        Hearing Reid's shout, she turned, instinctively
raising her weapons into a defensive position.  For a
moment, she was perplexed, seeing nothing but the
deeper shadows of the room's recesses, where the
dim light of the glowstones barely penetrated.


        Then she realized that she was far from any of
those recesses.  The shadow itself was like a living
thing, reaching out to engulf her.  Its black form was
featureless save for twin pinpricks of malevolent red.
Her eyes locked onto those points, and she froze as
an all-encompassing primal terror welled up within the
recesses of her mind.  Every instinct screamed at her
to flee, yet the supernatural fear held her body rigid,
unable to look away or even to breathe as the thing
oozed fluidly toward her...


        There was a rush of heat from behind her; then a quiet
roar washed over her as sudden light stung her eyes.  A
curving tendril of flame soared over her right shoulder,
slamming into the shade with a muffled explosion.  The
monster reared back and shrieked, a high, unearthly wail
that nearly burst Tavia's eardrums.  It thrashed in pain as
a second flame curled around Tavia from the left.  Then a
third, a fourth, a fifth slashed at it, and suddenly her field
of vision was filled with flame as the unliving monsters
burned to ash in the inferno.  She was dimly aware that,
at some point, the screeching had quieted.


        The flames guttered out.  Tavia turned toward the
others.  Alaric's rune still shone an angry red that
matched the glowstones in intensity, and traces of flame
played about the hand he held high overhead until, with
a sigh, he lowered it, staggering slightly.  "Alaric!  Are
you all right?" she asked.


        Kaleen steadied him with one hand on his shoulder.
"Most impressive, young one.  But the wise warrior does
not expend all of his strength on a single encounter when
more of the enemy lie in wait just ahead."


        "I'm fine," he said.


        "We should go, before more of them show up."


        Tavia nodded to Alyssa, and the six dashed through
the door that had been guarded by the skeletons.  Up a
flight of stairs they ran, then across a crumbling battlement,
then yet more stairs.  Reid, Baren, and Kaleen, leading the
way, cut down several more zombies and skeletons at various
times without slowing.  Where they could, Tavia and Alyssa
forced shut massive doors and barricaded them with furniture
to slow pursuit.  Alaric concentrated on keeping up, but didn't
complain about the pace.


        "There."  Reid pointed toward another stairway, in
front of which a small group of undead milled restlessly.
"I think that's the one we're looking for."


        "Looks like we managed to reach it faster than they
expected," Tavia noted, ignoring the burning in her lungs.
"There aren't very many guards."


        "Or maybe whatever's in charge wants to take care
of us itself," Alyssa said grimly.


        Baren laughed.  "If it's a fight they want, they'll soon
regret challenging a Child of the Wind."  Bellowing a battle
cry, he ran forward to meet the enemy.


        "Baren, wait--" Tavia began, too late.


        "Strategy was never a great strength of the
barbarians," Kaleen purred.  "Though I must admit, they
are fearless as only fools can be.  Now if you will
excuse me, I feel the need to demonstrate how a true
warrior acquits himself."  With that, he sprang forward
with a roar of his own.


        The other four were only a moment behind.  They
made quick work of the group:  Baren and Kaleen each
destroyed a revenant, while the others eliminated the
lesser undead that had gathered in front of the stairwell.
They drew together, staring up into the darkness.


        "We can't stay here for long," Tavia said.  "More undead
will be on the way.  And we can't turn back without fighting
every monster in the castle."


        "The time for misgivings is long past," Kaleen agreed.
"Let us proceed, and end this threat once and for all."


        "Talk, talk, talk," Baren scoffed.  "Now it's time for
action."  He strode forward, ascending the stair.  With a
nod, Tavia hurried to follow.


        They burst into the highest room in the castle at a full
run, weapons ready, spreading out... and seeing nothing.
Before any of them could voice a reaction, the ringing sound
of metal on metal arose.  In the center of the large room, a
figure appeared without fanfare -- two meters of dull steel
armor, scratched, dented, and bloodstained from countless
battles.  A triangular shield, as battered as the armor itself,
was strapped to one arm; the other hand held a massive
broadsword whose blade was covered with notches.
Beneath the half-broken visor of its great helm, only a
skull's empty eye socket could be seen.


        "So that's it... bloodwraith," Alaric murmured.


        "The spirit of a general who lost his entire army
along with his own life," Alyssa clarified.  "They gain
power through the deaths of other warriors."


        "Then the undead...?"  At Alyssa's nod, Tavia pressed her
lips together.  "How do we defeat it?" she asked.


        "I don't know."


        "You don't know?"


        "I've never heard of one being beaten.  They're linked to
the place where they died, so usually they're just avoided."


        "Wonderful."


        "If I may interrupt," Kaleen politely interjected, "it seems
that the spirit has now fully manifested."


        *You are strong, warriors.*  The hollow, booming voice
seemed to come not from the armor but from all around them.
*You shall make excellent additions to my army.*


        "Die!"  Accompanying the shout, a small sphere of flame
soared overhead, slamming into the armor, forcing it back half a
step.  There seemed to be no other effect.


        *I died long ago, foolish one.  Now you will join me.*


        "Such spirited young ones," Kaleen pondered as he slid
forward in a low stance, studying the bloodwraith warily.  "How,
then, could I do any less?"


        "If your old bones need a rest, feel free.  I'll easily do
three times your work as well as my own."  Baren lashed
out at the apparition, which casually turned the spear-point
aside with its shield.  Kaleen's follow-up strike met the
broadsword.


        Tavia and Reid moved as one to flank it, while the twins
circled from the other side.  But the wraith moved with
surprising speed, parrying a blow on one side, then whirling
with its shield to the other to deflect a second attack, only
to return a strike in yet another direction.  The attacks that
did hit their mark skittered off of the armor, leaving more
dents, but doing little to impede the undead juggernaut.


        Reid darted in, ducking beneath a mighty sweep of
the sword.  The rune on his hand burned bright violet as he
swung upward with a punishing two-handed blow.  The
bloodwraith leaned backward, and Reid's longsword
bounced from its plate armor, leaving only a tiny rent in
the metal to mark its passage.  Reid fell backwards as
the shield slammed into him with incredible force,
momentarily stunning him, but Tavia caught the undead's
sword stroke on her sai before it could finish him off.


        Baren took advantage of the opening, driving the
armor back a step, then two.  Alaric and Alyssa moved
to meet it, simultaneously raining a flurry of blows onto it.
Tavia and Kaleen hastened to join in while Reid recovered
his footing.


        The undead monstrosity's hollow laughter echoed
throughout the chamber as it turned with a reaping sweep
of its blade, forcing them to back away.  It stood unfazed
by the frenzy of attacks.  *You cannot defeat me.  You
cannot escape me.  Accept your fate.*


        "Like hell."  Reid's blade clattered against the wraith's,
then slid beneath its shield to carve another gash in its chest
plate.  He felt the influence of the Killer Rune guiding him...
but it seemed the undead general had no weak points for the
rune to exploit to its greatest potential.  His blade was having
more effect than the other weapons, but it still wasn't enough
against the dark eldritch power embodied in the armor.  He
hissed in pain as a counterstroke found its way through his
guard, and backed away before the bloodwraith could take
advantage of the opening.


        "This isn't working..."  Tavia ground her teeth.  "Alaric.
Can you do anything with magic?"


        The male twin shook his head.  "I don't think I've got the
energy to focus strongly enough at the moment," he
answered.  "Besides, fire didn't seem to have any more
effect than steel."


        Which was next to none, unfortunately, Tavia mused.
Alyssa's rune wouldn't help; the Water Rune was wholly
defensive in nature.  She could tend to their wounds, as she
was doing now with Reid, but...


        She had one recourse, then.  Looking at Baren significantly,
she broke off her assault, backing away.  Luckily, the Child of
the Wind interpreted her correctly, and circled to fill her place,
distracting the undead warrior before it could pursue.  She
dropped further back, glancing down, and realized she had no
idea what to do.


        "Um..."  She looked helplessly down at the laurel-shaped
rune she wore.  "You're supposed to be a True Rune.  This
would be a really good time to show it..."  She trailed off as
the lines began to glow softly, projecting the image of a golden
laurel wreath overhead.  "I can't believe that worked," she
murmured.


        With a sound like glass shattering, the image broke up
into thousands of tiny points of brilliant light, which promptly
swarmed Tavia and her friends.  Baren, who had been facing
the other direction, gave a strangled yelp of surprise, and for
a moment Tavia was afraid; then she saw that the flecks were
orienting on the weapons her friends held.  Her own sai were
already coated with radiant gold.


        Then her attention was drawn back to the fight by a
burst of laughter.  Baren stood proudly, having torn through
the plate armor with his latest spear blow.  Kaleen's
scimitar, too, fell, striking the bloodwraith's other side,
and as Tavia watched, the steel armor seemed almost to
melt away beneath the enchanted blade.  Reid and the
twins hastened to join in, and the tide seemed to turn.
However fast it whirled, the creature could not fight all six
of them at once, and its armor was no longer much
protection from their rune-enhanced attacks.


        The undead master raised its sword high overhead.
*This force... it cannot be... but no matter.  Now your lives
are ended.  Feel the pain and hatred of those who died in
this place."  An ominous blood-red aura built up around the
sword, then the entire armor.  It continued to swell outward
until finally, it burst, and a torrent of energy, wailing with
the cries of thousands of dead souls, flooded toward them.


        A wall of ice sprung up in front of Tavia just as the
wave was about to crash over her.  It sizzled and steamed
alarmingly, but it held, turning the tide of blood away from
her body.  When the wave had passed, it faded, along with
the afterimage of a sapphire water droplet suspended over
Alyssa Mytelene's head -- the mark of her Water Rune.
Alyssa, Reid, and Baren, too, stood unscathed, protected
by the rune's barrier.  But its protection was not absolute;
Alaric leaned heavily on his staff, barely on his feet.  The
wave appeared to have burnt his flesh.  Kaleen, who had
been facing the bloodwraith immediately before and was
already wounded, had collapsed unconscious, patches of
fur blackened or burnt away entirely.  And the luminescence
was beginning to build again, wreathing the monster's
broadsword in scarlet.


        No.


        Tavia leapt forward with all the speed she could
muster, springing off a surprised Reid's shoulder.  The wraith
saw her coming, raised its shield to block her.  But it was
too late.  She twisted her body, allowing herself to slam into
the metal full force, knocking the undead off balance.  The
downward thrust that followed was short, sharp, and precise.
Her gold-limned weapon stabbed through the visor to impact
the skull.


        *No... pain... hatred... vengeance...*


        Tavia rode the armor to the floor as it toppled, raising
her other weapon.  She thrust it downward, next to the first.
There was a sharp crack from inside the armor.


        *Never... hate...*


        "It's over."  Tavia tore free both weapons and
plunged them downward again.


        There was a soft hiss, reminiscent of a death rattle.
The armor vanished, dropping Tavia to the ground.  Silence
surrounded them.


        The voice that broke it was the last she'd expected
to hear.  "It seems you have prevailed, O Courageous
Young Leader."


        "Kaleen!  You're all right!"


        "Indeed, thanks to this young lady," the cat-man
said, nodding to Alyssa as he stood.


        Behind the two, a revitalized Alaric flashed a quick,
flippant salute at her.  "I knew she was good at something."
He winced as she circumspectly punched his shoulder.
"Anyway... looks like we've got ourselves a castle, thanks
to you.  Congratulations."


        "I guess we do, at that."  Tavia looked around the
spacious treaty chamber in awe.


        "It'll take a while to clean it up, though," Reid
pointed out.


        Alyssa grinned.  "I nominate you for the job."


        "Gee, thanks."


        Tavia chuckled.  "At least the lower levels seem to
be mostly in fairly good shape.  Once we clear out the
broken furniture, we should be able to use that space
while we're working on rebuilding the rest."


        "We'll have to work out some form of supply route,
too," Reid mused.  "Getting food and weapons in will be
important."


        "One thing at a time," Alaric suggested.  "First we
need to bring everyone here."


        "As soon as possible," Tavia agreed.  She strode to
the window and looked out over the battlements, at the
mountains beyond.  "White Cloud..."


        In the light of the setting sun, the castle's reflection
in the lake far below sparkled with promise.


----------


Notes:


        No new characters whatsoever introduced.  Even in
cameos.  I feel so deprived...


        No, seriously, this is still a lot of fun.  Looking forward to
seeing where this story goes.


        Thanks to Kate Malloy for prereading.



Scott Schimmel
* Ex ignorantia ad sapientium; ex luce ad tenebras. *
"You really aren't normal, are you?" - Miki Koishikawa