Posted by: celestine
« on: May 09, 2004, 08:03:04 PM »Chapter 3: Conspiracy
"My Lord, you look distracted. May I share your burden?" Endymion bowed humbly before the powerful dark knight. He knew he was taking a huge risk on his life, interrupting the quick-tempered dark knight.
The room was huge and Anomen sat alone in a huge jeweled chair on a pedestal. His dark eyes looked solemnly at the captain of his guards who had interrupted his thoughts.
"What do you know about Enielle Le'Sien?"
"Legends speak of the lady fondly. The bards sang songs in tribute to the Lady's bravery and accomplishments." The captain paused to think carefully before answering his master. A wrong word would cause him his life, if he angered the knight.
"What did the bards sing of Enielle?"
"Lady Enielle, a beautiful maiden of the elves, powerful and resourceful, surviver of Bhaal's children...”
"Enough! She could not have done anything on her own. Do the legends say naught of her companions?" the dark knight interrupted.
Captain Endymion shivered. Anomen's quick temper gave him his dangerous reputation. The knight was well-known in the church for his devious mind. He would have to be careful with his words.
"I heard that the Lady has a few companions. A druidess, two drows and her siblings; her siblings, Imoen and Sarevok were mentioned in the songs. They were formidable on their own."
"That's all? Were those all her companions mentioned?"
"Yes my lord. From what I've heard, Lady Enielle does not trust easily. Her traveling companions were only those mentioned in the songs."
The rage in Anomen's handsome face was obvious. His dark eyes narrowed dangerously and his hands clenched tightly into a fist. His mouth twitched into a thin line as he took in the Captain's words. It was quite a while before the dark knight spoke again.
"I have her in the fortress, Captain," he smiled coldly at the captain and nodded to himself. Yes. I have the power to do that.
"My lord's power has grown considerably. Our enemies would be no match for you. What does my lord intend to do with Lady Enielle?" the captain bowed again.
Anomen smiled at the question. It was the very same question that he had been thinking. He had taken great pains to summon Enielle and bind her power to him. He had intended to make the elf suffer for her betrayal, and he had intended to make her swallow her pride, to beg him for forgiveness and to serve him as his woman.
Ahh, the sweet thoughts of revenge.
The hate in his heart drove him half mad. His thirst for revenge tipped the faith in his heart and affected his actions. No longer was the rage targeted at his inability to be good and help others. No longer were his thoughts pure and honorable. His God had cast him out of the church after that. Without Helm's power, Anomen was unable to plot his revenge until he met a cult that worshipped Loviatar, the goddess of Pain, Hurt and Agony. The goddess saw the great pain in his heart, and promised him power to avenge him in return for his faith. Anomen had never been sought after by a goddess and the promised power for his revenge was all it took to convert the man.
That was how he became one of Loviatar's dark knights. It did not take long for him to climb the ranks to become one of Loviatar's most powerful knights. The pain and torment in his heart intrigues Loviatar and he became one of her favorites.
"My lord?"
Anomen broke out of his trance and stared angrily at the young captain. He studied the young man carefully. Endymion was young and ambitious. He was skilled with the blade and brilliant with battle strategies. He would no doubt betray him if he ever fell out of the goddess's favor; such was the way in Loviatar's church.
"I want her to be my woman. If you can make her mine, I will petition the goddess to grant you more power."
-------------
Enielle sat quietly in the garden. The mute servant had led her to the back garden. It was a beautiful sight, a huge contrast to the cold lifeless room that held her freedom and she was glad to breathe the fresh air. The flowers were in full bloom, and the air was full of the flowery scent. It reminded her of the elven city in the forest of Tethir. It was where Anomen swore his undying love for her. She missed her lover terribly and she could not understand why her captor would resemble Anomen so much.
In her heart, she had no doubt that the dark knight was indeed Anomen but she also knew that there was something strange going on. Her instincts told her that this Anomen was not the one that had given her his pledge. Her Anomen was not a cruel man, and would never hurt a servant or threatened their lives. Sir Anomen would never treat her harshly. It was not his way to treat a lady. She suspected that Anomen had been bewitched or a spell was in effect on the dark knight.
Enielle sighed. She was powerless without her magic and this place was a dead magic area where none of her spells would work. She wished she had taken some combat lessons when Anomen offered to teach her.
The elf wandered around the garden aimlessly until she smelt familiar scent. She followed the flowery scent to a small corner of the garden. It was in this corner, she found several bushes of Crimson Rhodelie in full bloom. She remembered how her knight had shyly plucked a crimson rhodelia and presented it to her, with his pledge of affections. She walked towards one of the bush, and plucked the nearest flower. Bringing the flower to her nose, she inhaled the scent deeply.
You see this flower, my lady? It reminds me of you, beautiful yet powerful.
She replayed the scene which her knight gave her the flower and the words he said to her. How loving he looked. Enielle was deep in thoughts, and she felt a great longing for her lover, and to see his handsome face again.
"I see you've found your way to my garden, my Lady," a deep male voice startled her and Enielle turned around to see the dark knight standing with his arms crossed, wearing a slight smile on his thin lips. He wore no helmet and his tussled hair swayed slightly in the breeze. Enielle was mesmerized by his eyes. His dark eyes caught hers and stared intensely, seducing her. She almost forgot that she was looking at the dark knight until he was just inches away from her, near enough to kiss her.
Alarm bells rang in the elf's head before she could take a few steps away from the dark knight; he caught her arm and pulled her towards him. He caught her slender waist with one arm and the other tilted her chin upwards for his kiss. Enielle resisted, gently at first, still mesmerized by the dark knight. As his lips touched hers, she remembered the danger and pulled away from him abruptly.
She could catch a glimpse of pain caused by her rejection in the man's eyes, before the rage took over.
"You resist me. Why?" there was a tone of sadness in his voice.
"You are not...” the elf stopped, remembering the slap she earned the last time she said the same thing.
"Did you not love me, Enielle?"
"I... I love Anomen. But you... you are different... different from the one I knew. What happened?"
"You want to know? Very well, I will tell you."
(To be continued...)
"My Lord, you look distracted. May I share your burden?" Endymion bowed humbly before the powerful dark knight. He knew he was taking a huge risk on his life, interrupting the quick-tempered dark knight.
The room was huge and Anomen sat alone in a huge jeweled chair on a pedestal. His dark eyes looked solemnly at the captain of his guards who had interrupted his thoughts.
"What do you know about Enielle Le'Sien?"
"Legends speak of the lady fondly. The bards sang songs in tribute to the Lady's bravery and accomplishments." The captain paused to think carefully before answering his master. A wrong word would cause him his life, if he angered the knight.
"What did the bards sing of Enielle?"
"Lady Enielle, a beautiful maiden of the elves, powerful and resourceful, surviver of Bhaal's children...”
"Enough! She could not have done anything on her own. Do the legends say naught of her companions?" the dark knight interrupted.
Captain Endymion shivered. Anomen's quick temper gave him his dangerous reputation. The knight was well-known in the church for his devious mind. He would have to be careful with his words.
"I heard that the Lady has a few companions. A druidess, two drows and her siblings; her siblings, Imoen and Sarevok were mentioned in the songs. They were formidable on their own."
"That's all? Were those all her companions mentioned?"
"Yes my lord. From what I've heard, Lady Enielle does not trust easily. Her traveling companions were only those mentioned in the songs."
The rage in Anomen's handsome face was obvious. His dark eyes narrowed dangerously and his hands clenched tightly into a fist. His mouth twitched into a thin line as he took in the Captain's words. It was quite a while before the dark knight spoke again.
"I have her in the fortress, Captain," he smiled coldly at the captain and nodded to himself. Yes. I have the power to do that.
"My lord's power has grown considerably. Our enemies would be no match for you. What does my lord intend to do with Lady Enielle?" the captain bowed again.
Anomen smiled at the question. It was the very same question that he had been thinking. He had taken great pains to summon Enielle and bind her power to him. He had intended to make the elf suffer for her betrayal, and he had intended to make her swallow her pride, to beg him for forgiveness and to serve him as his woman.
Ahh, the sweet thoughts of revenge.
The hate in his heart drove him half mad. His thirst for revenge tipped the faith in his heart and affected his actions. No longer was the rage targeted at his inability to be good and help others. No longer were his thoughts pure and honorable. His God had cast him out of the church after that. Without Helm's power, Anomen was unable to plot his revenge until he met a cult that worshipped Loviatar, the goddess of Pain, Hurt and Agony. The goddess saw the great pain in his heart, and promised him power to avenge him in return for his faith. Anomen had never been sought after by a goddess and the promised power for his revenge was all it took to convert the man.
That was how he became one of Loviatar's dark knights. It did not take long for him to climb the ranks to become one of Loviatar's most powerful knights. The pain and torment in his heart intrigues Loviatar and he became one of her favorites.
"My lord?"
Anomen broke out of his trance and stared angrily at the young captain. He studied the young man carefully. Endymion was young and ambitious. He was skilled with the blade and brilliant with battle strategies. He would no doubt betray him if he ever fell out of the goddess's favor; such was the way in Loviatar's church.
"I want her to be my woman. If you can make her mine, I will petition the goddess to grant you more power."
-------------
Enielle sat quietly in the garden. The mute servant had led her to the back garden. It was a beautiful sight, a huge contrast to the cold lifeless room that held her freedom and she was glad to breathe the fresh air. The flowers were in full bloom, and the air was full of the flowery scent. It reminded her of the elven city in the forest of Tethir. It was where Anomen swore his undying love for her. She missed her lover terribly and she could not understand why her captor would resemble Anomen so much.
In her heart, she had no doubt that the dark knight was indeed Anomen but she also knew that there was something strange going on. Her instincts told her that this Anomen was not the one that had given her his pledge. Her Anomen was not a cruel man, and would never hurt a servant or threatened their lives. Sir Anomen would never treat her harshly. It was not his way to treat a lady. She suspected that Anomen had been bewitched or a spell was in effect on the dark knight.
Enielle sighed. She was powerless without her magic and this place was a dead magic area where none of her spells would work. She wished she had taken some combat lessons when Anomen offered to teach her.
The elf wandered around the garden aimlessly until she smelt familiar scent. She followed the flowery scent to a small corner of the garden. It was in this corner, she found several bushes of Crimson Rhodelie in full bloom. She remembered how her knight had shyly plucked a crimson rhodelia and presented it to her, with his pledge of affections. She walked towards one of the bush, and plucked the nearest flower. Bringing the flower to her nose, she inhaled the scent deeply.
You see this flower, my lady? It reminds me of you, beautiful yet powerful.
She replayed the scene which her knight gave her the flower and the words he said to her. How loving he looked. Enielle was deep in thoughts, and she felt a great longing for her lover, and to see his handsome face again.
"I see you've found your way to my garden, my Lady," a deep male voice startled her and Enielle turned around to see the dark knight standing with his arms crossed, wearing a slight smile on his thin lips. He wore no helmet and his tussled hair swayed slightly in the breeze. Enielle was mesmerized by his eyes. His dark eyes caught hers and stared intensely, seducing her. She almost forgot that she was looking at the dark knight until he was just inches away from her, near enough to kiss her.
Alarm bells rang in the elf's head before she could take a few steps away from the dark knight; he caught her arm and pulled her towards him. He caught her slender waist with one arm and the other tilted her chin upwards for his kiss. Enielle resisted, gently at first, still mesmerized by the dark knight. As his lips touched hers, she remembered the danger and pulled away from him abruptly.
She could catch a glimpse of pain caused by her rejection in the man's eyes, before the rage took over.
"You resist me. Why?" there was a tone of sadness in his voice.
"You are not...” the elf stopped, remembering the slap she earned the last time she said the same thing.
"Did you not love me, Enielle?"
"I... I love Anomen. But you... you are different... different from the one I knew. What happened?"
"You want to know? Very well, I will tell you."
(To be continued...)