The Black Knight of Tyr: The Last

[Killthorne]

The Fugue Plane suddenly appeared in front of him, the grey, thick fog looming over everything like a velvet blanket. There were shapes and things about him, that he did not recognize, and yet it seemed though he did not feel anything to care that they were there. For a time he just walked among the dreary streets of mists and shapes, quietly accepting his surroundings.

His footsteps carried him along a wall of greenish material, which inside were the Faithless, the damned that had no faith in any god. Their bodies looked slowly degenerating, some worse than others, and for the first time, he stopped to have one thought of pity for them.

Blue, warm, irradiating light suddenly appeared behind him. He turned his glance away from the morbid wall of the Faithless, to stare upwards as a heavenly winged woman, green-skinned with celestial enscripted golden tattooes, gracefully floated down in front of him.

Her voice sang stoically to him as she spoke, " Arakiel Killthorne, for your service to the God of Justice Tyr, I am here to escort you to the House of the Triad if you so desire." His eyes filled with joyful tears. The thought of being finally at peace within his Lord's home filled his heart over, and he smiled brightly at the beautiful being. His nod to her made her smile warmly and she she floated upwards into the intensifying blue light that seemed to cover them both. For a moment, Arakiel felt nothing but sudden darkness and the chill of void.

Suddenly, he was bathed in warm blue-tinted light. He felt himself become whole also, as if the Fugue Plane had seemed to dull his being altogether. He suddenly remembered things; his way of being, his mortal life, his past all rushed over him in truth. For a moment he was in awe at the accumulation of events that had occured to him in his life. He smiled to himself almost laughing, but then something struck him odd, and his face went thoughtful and deep. He was dead.


A hand touched his shoulder suddenly. Arakiel turned around slowly, almost peacefully, to see a blindfolded, old, yet well built man, his hair long and white and a beard to match it's length. About the old man's silhouette, there was an aura of faint blue light. His warm smile pierced Arakiel's soul and he smiled back the same.

" Welcome home, my son." The old man's voice was layered in warmth and strong resound, carrying it's feeling deeper into Arakiel's soul. Arakiel looked at the old man with a sad smile, and then looked off into the distance. A deep sigh found it's way from Arakiel's lips.

" Is it relief that I am here, or is it regret?" Arakiel asked himself in his head. The old man, stepped to the side of Arakiel, and smiled sternly, looking off in Arakiel's direction. Arakiel looked over to him curiously a moment, and then back off into space.

With one slight wave of his hand, the old man summoned a shimmering wall of light in front of Arakiel. There before him in the light, images flashed, and Arakiel stood there silent, facing down at the torn and pierced mortal shell he once carried. The light shimmered again, and Arien's face appeared. She was beautiful. Arakiel suddenly felt a deep warmth and aching in his chest. His love. His wife.

The light sparkled and shimmered again, and the faces of two half-elven children appeared. He wept unabashedly. His children, how he loved them. How he would never get to raise them like he wanted. How they brought much joy into his life.

The light began to shimmer upon more images at an increasingly steady but slow pace. Each time, a familiar face would appear, one after another. His tears subsided as he watched, and realized these people were either alive or passed on. He looked to Tyr as the light finally shimmered so fast the images were hard to see.

" I will bring you back if you wish Arakiel." Tyr commanded. " But know that you in your mortal life, have served me well and are welcome upon the House of the Triad."

Arakiel looked back away towards the fading sparkles of light. He remembered his body all bloodied and gored. He then remembered the other times he had faced death. No, he had been given a few chances already. He had failed, he thought.

" You have not failed." Tyr suddenly assured him.

" What do ya' mean?" Arakiel felt a lump in his throat.

" I give you three boons, Arakiel, for your service unto me. " Tyr nodded once, looking at him even though his blindfold seemed to cover his eyes. " If you choose to return, I will grant it. I see your love for your family and friends, and the mortal life, easily with these blind eyes of mine." His warm smile made Arakiel feel at peace instantly. " But if you choose to return, I cannot grant you these three favors."

Arakiel paused for a moment. He looked away again from the old man, and his face plotted his decision. His eyes went unfocused as he caught one thought in his mind. He stared for a moment into space. He would stay.

" I will stay." Arakiel spoke softly. Those words clashed with a multitude of different emotions but one single thing kept him from changing his mind. Honor.

Tyr nodded once again. " And for your boons?" Tyr asked politely.

" Take me back ta' the Prime an' let's finish off some gnolls real quick." Arakiel grinned as his thoughts fell upon his last death.

Magical plate armor suddenly wrapped itself around Arakiel's body, a sword and shield appearing in both hands. Brilliant blue light encompassed Arakiel, he once again felt nothing, a chill of void.


.....



Brilliant blue light appeared on the Plane of the House of the Triad and a man in ornate, enchanted armor appeared, though with splashes of blood here and there, along it's metallic, shiny frame. The armor vanished, and Arakiel's body appeared there, breathing fast, almost as if he had stopped combat a second earlier. Tyr stood there patiently and smiled a slow smile.

" For the second... " Arakiel slowed his breathing and suddenly realized there was no need to breathe.

" I already know what you will ask." Tyr interrupted. He waved his one hand and revealed another small window of light. The light shimmering like hazy stars took the image of a man horribly scarred with infernal markings, and the blood of a devil's.

" I am with him, Arakiel." Tyr faced Arakiel, sternly speaking. " You found it somewhere in your heart to feel pity and kinship for this man's life. I have watched him for a time now. His soul is his own. If he chooses to follow the path of Righteous Judgment, then I will claim him as a son. He has been tempted and given this new path for a reason, Arakiel."

Arakiel nodded to him almost surprised, yet deeply happy. What would Lyon's future hold then?

" And thirdly," Arakiel said with a warm smile as he faced his god....


The End.


(or is it?)

~Killthorne~

[Twiggy]

[GlassRain]

... I... hmm...

nice.. nice.. nice..

[Rufs]

Very well written. I enjoyed it.

[Mizbiz]

I had to wait a while before I commented, I'm sure you will all understand.

A few things that Killthorne's travelog has convinced me of. One, that he is beyond multi-talented. Two, that these write ups reveal how interesting his character Arakiel was, I am sure, that even if without the happy fact that my character was married to him, Arakiel would be one of my favorite charactres in alfa. Third and finally, I am concious of how fortunate I am and have been to have been part of this story, and to know Brian at all.

Thank You,

Marti/MizBiz/Arien Ironstar-Killthorne