Concerning Friendship
Posted: Mon May 17, 2004 12:44 pm
"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
-Anais Nin.
--
He had very few of them. Friends, that was.
And those he considered to be, he swore his loyalty. He was prepared to do anything it took to help a friend in need.
Emerald gaze peered down on the Templars of Sanctuary's End from above. He'd been hidden against the shadows of a tree, black bodysuit cloaking him from view quite effectively. The thin blade upon his back was firmly pressed against his spine as he crouched atop a thick set of branches. He could hear them chuckling. Jesting with one another. A small smile curved the man's lips, orbs squinting just slightly to get a better look at their faces. Or, what was visible of them rather. The two guards were heavily armored, bearing rather massive looking weaponry in hands of steel. He shifted positions, though only slightly... to creep closer so that he might hear their exchange.
"Can't believe Eros actually asked us to look over this thing. Just a cheap little stone. Noone wants anything to do with it...", the first guard spoke.
The other turned to look at his partner on watch, laughing. "Aye. If it had been anything important, I'm sure someone would have come for it by now. Especially if it is as evil as Eros spoke of. No Demon Lords, yet!", he chuckled softly... leaning up against the wall beside the gate.
"Hmhm..."
The second guard raised his eyebrow, turning to look at his partner. "What did you say?"
"Nothing... didn't say a word."
A stone fell upon the pathway just several feet shy of the guards. They both turned to look at the cloud of dust that had stirred... then at eachother. The first guard crept forward, as the second stood watch... lifting the massive blade from his burly shoulder. Donovan's gaze followed the first, then regarded his partner. Two on one.
He liked those odds.
Soundlessly, he dropped from the tree in a crouch in front of the Temple Guard. The massive man's eyes opened wide in surprise. Donovan's head snapped upward, emerald eyes locking on those of the Knight. With a grunt, he laid a forceful blow to the man's exposed chin... sending his massive form sprawling. The second guard started toward Donovan, but was quickly forced into a defensive backpedal as a knife soared right at the eyeslots of his helmet. This gave Donovan the opportunity to draw his sword, advancing on the Templar. Swords met with a ringing of steel, and he gritted his teeth... pushing against the massive Gatekeeper. A gauntleted hand reached out swiftly, mesh fingers gripping Donovan tightly by the throat as the Knight growled.
"Who are you?", he barked.
In that moment of hesitation, Donovan drove the palm of his hand upward at the jointed section of the man's armor... his elbow snapping with a sickening crack. With a shout, the Knight faltered... and Donovan aimed his foot toward the armored knee of his opponent. His intention was to cripple. Not to kill. Much to his surprise, the massive Guard caught his leg at the ankle. The armored Knight seemed to be considering his next move for a split second, as his opposite arm was unusable at this point. More hesitation. Using the momentum of the Guard's upward pull on his ankle, Donovan threw his body into a backflip, foot catching the Knight in the face and knocking his helmet clean from his head. With a groan... the Templar fell back into the wall, slumping to the ground.
Donovan would land in a crouched position, the thin blade still held tightly within his hand... poised to strike. Eyes narrowed, and he watched the Templar. One hand steadied his body, and he glanced over his shoulder... eyeing the other who'd still been sprawled out on the ground. Now was as good a time as any. He sheathed the blade, hurriedly making his way to one of the fallen guards. After fishing through his belongings for several moments, he located a set of keys. Plucking them from the unconscious guard, he made for the gate of Sanctuary's End.
The key was inserted, and the gate opened with a soft 'click'... leading the way into a darkened hallway in the temple. Glancing upward at the raised ceiling, he closed his eyes briefly... a momentary flicker of uncertainty. Was he doing the right thing? He shook his head, and his jaw set firm. Hasty retrieval of the object was critical, if he was to escape under cover of darkness.
It was at the end of this main hallway that the man came to a skidding halt... eyeing a small, illuminated platform. Mounted within a glass case was a tiny jewel, rested upon a velvet cloth. He approached slowly, emerald eyes turning to mere slits as he studied it closely.
He looked down at the jewel for several moments, silent. He felt the pang of temptation as he stood in front of that which he'd come for. A ghostly whisper in the wind caressed his ear... causing him to shudder.
"So little... yet so incredibly---"
Shouts were heard from a distant hallway in the Temple. His heartbeat quickened, adrenaline causing his hands to shake. Damn it! He'd been heard. Donovan raised his hand, bringing it down to shatter the glass encasing around the nightjewel. Blood trickled down his wrist, and the jewel was gripped without any real regard for the velvet cloth that balled in his fist. Turning quickly on his heel, he sprinted back down the hallway.
"Don't let him get away!", he heard one of the men shout.
Too late.
He broke the exit, hurdling over the fallen bodies of the Temple Guards. Branches whipped to the side, and gravel kicked up from the ground as he bolted at full speed down the path. Adrenaline would carry him a safe distance from the Temple before he rested against a tree... chest heaving. Emerald orbs shifted down to the jewel in the palm of his hand, and he smiled. She would be most pleased.
-Anais Nin.
--
He had very few of them. Friends, that was.
And those he considered to be, he swore his loyalty. He was prepared to do anything it took to help a friend in need.
Emerald gaze peered down on the Templars of Sanctuary's End from above. He'd been hidden against the shadows of a tree, black bodysuit cloaking him from view quite effectively. The thin blade upon his back was firmly pressed against his spine as he crouched atop a thick set of branches. He could hear them chuckling. Jesting with one another. A small smile curved the man's lips, orbs squinting just slightly to get a better look at their faces. Or, what was visible of them rather. The two guards were heavily armored, bearing rather massive looking weaponry in hands of steel. He shifted positions, though only slightly... to creep closer so that he might hear their exchange.
"Can't believe Eros actually asked us to look over this thing. Just a cheap little stone. Noone wants anything to do with it...", the first guard spoke.
The other turned to look at his partner on watch, laughing. "Aye. If it had been anything important, I'm sure someone would have come for it by now. Especially if it is as evil as Eros spoke of. No Demon Lords, yet!", he chuckled softly... leaning up against the wall beside the gate.
"Hmhm..."
The second guard raised his eyebrow, turning to look at his partner. "What did you say?"
"Nothing... didn't say a word."
A stone fell upon the pathway just several feet shy of the guards. They both turned to look at the cloud of dust that had stirred... then at eachother. The first guard crept forward, as the second stood watch... lifting the massive blade from his burly shoulder. Donovan's gaze followed the first, then regarded his partner. Two on one.
He liked those odds.
Soundlessly, he dropped from the tree in a crouch in front of the Temple Guard. The massive man's eyes opened wide in surprise. Donovan's head snapped upward, emerald eyes locking on those of the Knight. With a grunt, he laid a forceful blow to the man's exposed chin... sending his massive form sprawling. The second guard started toward Donovan, but was quickly forced into a defensive backpedal as a knife soared right at the eyeslots of his helmet. This gave Donovan the opportunity to draw his sword, advancing on the Templar. Swords met with a ringing of steel, and he gritted his teeth... pushing against the massive Gatekeeper. A gauntleted hand reached out swiftly, mesh fingers gripping Donovan tightly by the throat as the Knight growled.
"Who are you?", he barked.
In that moment of hesitation, Donovan drove the palm of his hand upward at the jointed section of the man's armor... his elbow snapping with a sickening crack. With a shout, the Knight faltered... and Donovan aimed his foot toward the armored knee of his opponent. His intention was to cripple. Not to kill. Much to his surprise, the massive Guard caught his leg at the ankle. The armored Knight seemed to be considering his next move for a split second, as his opposite arm was unusable at this point. More hesitation. Using the momentum of the Guard's upward pull on his ankle, Donovan threw his body into a backflip, foot catching the Knight in the face and knocking his helmet clean from his head. With a groan... the Templar fell back into the wall, slumping to the ground.
Donovan would land in a crouched position, the thin blade still held tightly within his hand... poised to strike. Eyes narrowed, and he watched the Templar. One hand steadied his body, and he glanced over his shoulder... eyeing the other who'd still been sprawled out on the ground. Now was as good a time as any. He sheathed the blade, hurriedly making his way to one of the fallen guards. After fishing through his belongings for several moments, he located a set of keys. Plucking them from the unconscious guard, he made for the gate of Sanctuary's End.
The key was inserted, and the gate opened with a soft 'click'... leading the way into a darkened hallway in the temple. Glancing upward at the raised ceiling, he closed his eyes briefly... a momentary flicker of uncertainty. Was he doing the right thing? He shook his head, and his jaw set firm. Hasty retrieval of the object was critical, if he was to escape under cover of darkness.
It was at the end of this main hallway that the man came to a skidding halt... eyeing a small, illuminated platform. Mounted within a glass case was a tiny jewel, rested upon a velvet cloth. He approached slowly, emerald eyes turning to mere slits as he studied it closely.
He looked down at the jewel for several moments, silent. He felt the pang of temptation as he stood in front of that which he'd come for. A ghostly whisper in the wind caressed his ear... causing him to shudder.
"So little... yet so incredibly---"
Shouts were heard from a distant hallway in the Temple. His heartbeat quickened, adrenaline causing his hands to shake. Damn it! He'd been heard. Donovan raised his hand, bringing it down to shatter the glass encasing around the nightjewel. Blood trickled down his wrist, and the jewel was gripped without any real regard for the velvet cloth that balled in his fist. Turning quickly on his heel, he sprinted back down the hallway.
"Don't let him get away!", he heard one of the men shout.
Too late.
He broke the exit, hurdling over the fallen bodies of the Temple Guards. Branches whipped to the side, and gravel kicked up from the ground as he bolted at full speed down the path. Adrenaline would carry him a safe distance from the Temple before he rested against a tree... chest heaving. Emerald orbs shifted down to the jewel in the palm of his hand, and he smiled. She would be most pleased.