They all were shocked when he said the words, they all didn't have a clue what he was on about, "what," asked Damo, no one understood what Scarr had said, it all happened to fast for them, could it be that he had found where Rickalas had vanished to. Damo has brown hair with blue eyes, he's wearing his black robes, he carried a long sword that is strapped to his waist and he has a scar going through his eyelids. Damo can be extremely stubborn at times and he doesn't know when to admit he's wrong but his skills with a blade make him a flawless edition to the Guardians.
Scarr turned around to face his fellow Guardians, he opened his eyes and began to speak, "get me a map and I will show you," said he, the lord shouted for his servant who arrived without delay, he didn't look like much of a servant as he is finely dressed and his hair is well groomed. He's not a slave' in fact he chooses to do this kind of work and gets paid a decent wage for doing it. Just remember that there are no slaves on Azurdenea all are considered free and hold equal value. Although there's small fractions who don't follow this, Lord Eanraig then told the servant to bring him a map and so he left left to carry out his lord's orders.
Another person began to ask Scarr a question and this is the one known as Trogen. "What do you mean you have found him, is this a half'pyr thing," he asked, Trogen as long black hair with brown eyes, he's also wearing his black robes, he carried a battle hammer that is strapped to his back and he as an eye patch covering an eyeless socket that he lost in a long distant war, which I may tell you about in another story. Trogen can be the quiet one but overly observant kind, he tends to say a lot of things before thinking and can be quick to judge someone, but he's loyal to his last breath and can be quite cunning.
Scarr looked at Trogen in the eye and smiled, "you will see," answered Scarr, everyone looked at him with a sense of curiosity, a few minutes later the lord's servant returned with a map of the Azzard. The servant passed the map to Scarr who then placed it on the floor, Scarr and the others crowded around it, "he is there, I know it," said Scarr. He wasn't even pointing at the map, he's pointing to the far southwest of Plutopia below the map in the Embleton desert, "he is not even in the Azzard anymore," whispered Scarr, everyone eyed him suspiciously.
Wondering why Rickalas is in the Embleton desert and how he got there, Spiros moved to question him, "but there is nothing beyond the border in that direction," as he began to scratch the top of his head he began to finish speaking, "it is just desert, as far as the eye can see," whispered Spiros, he's speaking to him as if Scarr knew all the answers, but truth is Scarr's just as stumped by all this as everyone else they all looked at the map then back to Scarr.
Scarr began to explain to everyone what he saw in the location where Rickalas resided, "I saw a hidden ruined city. Something else is at work here," as he spoke he began to ponder and speak to them about how and why someone would build an entire city that's hidden deep in the desert yet no one knows about it. Alas he didn't know the solution, "this does not make sense," Scarr whispered, he held his head in his right upper hand trying to surpass a headache from his over thinking, whilst the rest of the Guardians just looked at one another as none of them understood a word Scarr had just said.
Lucyia began to pounder upon how Scarr was able to locate Rickalas, "what did you do, I mean how did you find him," asked Lucyia. Everyone began to listen because Lucyia asked the question they all were thinking, "I have a unique ability," Scarr continued to explain that he can find anyone anywhere on the planet using his mind, it can be difficult to explain. The best description is that it gives him locations in images and can be very energy draining especially if he has never been to the place before, "I was lucky to find him," he answered, the ability he speaks of is known as locater.
They all looked upon Scarr impressed with this ability, they all have known him for many years and not one of them knew about it, "ok that is a mouthful," said Ja'nel, Scarr turned around and put his back to everyone, he then began to speak, "now I am going to go and find Rickalas, on my own," the rest of the Guardians were not very happy but Scarr explained to them that there's great evil there that he's never encountered before, "my lord is it ok if they stay here and await my return," whispered Scarr, the Guardians are all trying to make Scarr change his mind but they know how he can be once his mind's made up.
Lord Eanraig nodded at Scarr telling him it's ok for the Guardians to stay in Mallace and they were pleased that they had somewhere to stay instead of travelling all the way back to Plutopia, "than it is settled then, you all can wait here for my return. I set of on the morrow, do not worry," Scarr looked at each one of the Guardians one by one assuring them that everything will be alright, "I will bring him back safely and thank you my lord for allowing them to stay," muttered Scarr, with it all set, the Guardians staying at Mallace and Scarr travelling to find Rickalas, they all decided to get some sleep.
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As the sun rose in the east on the 15th of Poseidon 1900 ABM Scarr awoke, he put on his robes and began packing his rucksack with food and cooking gear. He's stood by his bed in his room which is fairly small with a wardrobe and not much else. There's a knock on his door, "come in," he said, the door opened and Johnkal walked in closing the door behind him, "what do you want Johnkal," he then walked over to Scarr with an angered attitude and a fearful look. Scarr didn't see that it was Johnkal because he has his back to him, but somehow he knew it was him and he then turned to face him.
Johnkal began to nervously bite his lip as Scarr began to speak, "why have you come here," asked he, looking deep into Johnkal's eyes eagerly waiting for his answer, "you can not go on your own, you need someone to watch your back," Johnkal muttered. A smile hit Scarr's face and he could feel all his worries slipping away from him. Scarr then turned around to continue his packing. "No Johnkal, I need to go alone," he then proceeded to explain to him why he couldn't accompany him, "I am sorry my friend," Scarr whispered, the evil in the desert corrupts people's souls and as such Johnkal isn't strong enough to withstand it.
213Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSKMUWoxZH
Johnkal, Niklaus, Trogen, Spiros, Damo, Kelsia, Lucyia, Ja'nel, Rosarlea and Lord Eanraig are all stood outside the city gates saying their goodbyes to Scarr. They're all stood side by side in front of him while he walked over to Johnkal and said goodbye to him first, just after Scarr winked at him and Johnkal smiled. He then said his goodbyes to the rest of the Guardians, everyone started to feel sad because their leader's about to leave them. Scarr tied his rucksack and his twin swords to the side of his horse, after that he walked over to Lucyia and gave her a hug.
He then proceeded to whisper in her ear, "do not worry, I will find him, I promise you," Scarr had begun noticing over time how close she and Rickalas are and that she would be finding it tougher than anyone. Scarr moved towards his horse and climbed onto it, his horse has black and white fur,"I will return when I have found him, I promise you all. Goodbye," he spoke before turning his horse into the direction he's heading, he gently kicked the side of the horse which made it gallop forward. He's riding towards a tree line on the horizon and the trees were named the Western Forest.
He started looking about his surroundings and he saw to the south of the Azzard the Hollow Mountains which ran along the edge of the Embleton desert from the gap of Plutopia to the end of the Azzard and into another realm, he then looked behind him and saw the city of Mallace where he left his most trusted friends. He felt a strong sensation in his stomach of worry and pain and all he wanted to do is find Rickalas as quickly as possible so he gently kicked his horse again to make it go faster. The trees were getting closer and closer and he noticed that the suns are beginning to set in the west and before he knew it the world was covered in darkness and he felt alone.
He entered into the trees and found a great camp site and as he tied his horse to a tree he untied his rucksack put it on the floor and he began to make a campfire which he succeeded in. Scarr then started to cook some soup with the vegetables that he had brought from Mallace. When he had finished cooking, he poured some soup into a bowl and began eating. As he was eating he heard the snapping of a twig just outside the camp, "I am being watched," he thought. He put his bowl carefully down to the ground, walked over to his horse and removed one of his swords quietly from the sheath and promptly went to investigate.
As he vanished into the trees he scouted the perimeter of the camp for over ten minutes but it's too dark to see anything, when he turned around to go back to camp he saw a man stand up out of the vegetation. He didn't t see Scarr because the man has his back to him, so Scarr creeped up behind him and he placed his sword on the man's shoulder. "Now I have my blade to your neck, tell me who you are and what you are doing here," Scarr whispered, the man's wearing long dark robes with a hood over his head, the man slowly turned until he's facing Scarr.
Scarr could not see what the man looked like in the darkness but he got a strange feeling of enormous power emulating from the hooded man, but at the same time he is only a man like himself although Scarr's a faceless vampire also known as half'pyr, "sir my name is Ki'lak I was just passing through the forest when I noticed your fire," Ki'lak explained, pulling his hood down so Scarr could see his face although it's dark and he couldn't see very well, "I have been travelling all day and night and was only wanting to see a friendly face," Ki'lak said.
Scarr felt extremely guilty of pulling a sword out on a man just looking for shelter, he didn't know him so he wasn't sure whether to trust him, but he did anyway and sheathed his sword, "forgive me Ki'lak, you can not be too careful these days, please my camp is this way you may rest there if you like," Scarr said, as he led Ki'lak into the camp Scarr's face hit the light from the campfire and Ki'lak could see what he looked like. "I understand Scarr, I thank you for your hospitality," Ki'lak muttered.
Scarr turned around in a blinding fury while he whipped out both his blades and held them in a cross motion to Ki"lak's neck, he looked deeply into his face and eyes and he knew he had never seen him before, "how do you know my name, I have never in my nine hundred years of life met you, explain yourself or fall where you stand," Scarr shouted, Ki'lak just stood there he didn't even flinch, Scarr's eyes burned bright with rage and is beginning to get impatient, "sir, forgive me, I never recognised you in the dark but I do know you," Ki'lak spoke.
Scarr's eyes filled with more rage as he brought his duel blades behind his head and prepared them to end Ki'lak's life, "you take me for a fool Ki'lak, if that is even your name," shouted Scarr, he thrushes the duel blades from behind his head towards Ki'lak's neck, " I don't believe in coincidences, your life ends here," Ki'lak isn't even scared, even as Scarr's eyes burned brighter with rage but he did reply rapidly, "Scarr wait, I hail from Warican," Ki'lak spoke calmly, Scarr's face expression changed and he quickly pulled the duel blades back, "and sent by the princess to find you, it is important that you see her," he finished.
The blades stopped motionless just touching Ki'lak's neck, Scarr being more calmer re-sheathed his swords, "please sit Ki'lak and forgive my recent outburst it was very rude of me," Scarr calmly spoke, they both sat down on a log each by the fire. "So Ki'lak tell me, why does princess Alcmene want to see me, we have not seen each other in over a while," Scarr asked pouring some hot soup into a bowl and passing it to Ki'lak.
Ki'lak knew the tale of Scarr and Alcmene the second because it was well told around Warican, but like many stories this is also for another time, "not by your doing you have not seen her and she would not tell me, she would have found you herself but her father forbids her leaving the city," Ki'lak said eating the soup Scarr passed him after he finished speaking, while Scarr's also eating his own soup. Scarr proceeded to say that her father banished him from the city for an unknown reason even after he saved his city from total destruction.
Scarr finished his soup and looked towards Ki'lak as he spoke, "so will you come with me to Warican," asked Ki'lak, even though he longed to see the princess with all his heart he knew at this time Rickalas must come first. "No, I am sorry Ki'lak but I must find my friend first," Scarr replied, Ki'lak looked disappointed that Scarr could not return with him to Warican, but he accepted it. "Ok Scarr, may I join you to help speed up finding your friend," asked Ki'lak politely, Scarr knew that he couldn't allow him to join him, but it may be better that he entered Warican with him by his side.
Scarr contemplated it for a moment before he finally answered him, "yes Ki'lak you may join me but it is a very dangerous place I am going and I must ask you to wait for me in Ghunwah," After they had finished their meal and had a good long talk he got some blankets out of his rucksack and he put them on the floor, he told Ki'lak to get some sleep and that he's taking the first watch. Ki'lak climbed into the blankets and fell straight to sleep. Scarr stayed awake to watch the camp to keep away the unfriendly residents of the forest.
Hours passed and there was no sound from the forest except the sound of animals he half expected a dangerous predator to jump out from the complete dark trees. He kept one sword close by just in case. After six hours passed Scarr woke Ki'lak to take the last watch. He isn't happy that he had been woken up, but he knew he had to take the next watch, he got up without a fuss and Scarr took his place and went to sleep.
******
On the 15th Poseidon 1900 ABM Rickalas awoke on the warm desert floor of the Embleton desert, he stood up, his head throbbing which he grabbed with his hand while realising his palms bleeding and his heart's beating at a fast pace. He looked all around trying to figure out where he is but he had no idea and all he saw were the ruins of a long forgotten city. He couldn't make out the buildings because most of them were in half and most were completely destroyed, also the city's vast and it went on as far as the eye can see. He had no memory of anything of yesterday or anything from before that and he doesn't even know who he is.
He started walking towards a temple at the far end of the city, as he looked down at the sand he saw that it is riddled by bone fragments of fallen warriors while other bones were nothing but dust, he knew by what he was seeing that a war happened because the bones were riddled with weapons and armour. Rickalas got closer to the temple, he looked around, he still had no idea where he is or how he got there, all he remembered was places and faces but no names. He arrived at the temple and pushed the dusty doors and he entered into a dark corridor. Excitement gripped him has he carried his feet down the corridor, both sides were full of doors, but he's heading for the stairs on the other side.
He began walking down a dark corridor, he has no idea what waited on the other side, fear gripped his heart and still he carried on walking. He arrived at the stairs and saw a light at the top, he carried his feet up the stairs and when he got to the top, he found himself in a grand hall. At the very end of the hall is a wide open window going from the floor to the high ceiling of the grand hall and he also noticed at the end of the hall there's a large archway which he approached. When he got there, he remembered something, he realised that there is an archway just like this in Plutopua inside the throne room.
He walked through the empty archway and stood in front of the high window and as he looked outside, he saw tombs on either side going up in two straight lines with one stood out on its own in between the two rows on the end. He just stood there for hours trying to remember who he is, but he couldn't remember anything, so when it got after nightfall, he put his head down and went to sleep.
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