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Dravis - The Fallen Paladin

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IronCretin:
From the transcriptions of the trial of Dravis.  For treason against Her Majesty and the murder of Sir Tharius Fiscale, a knight of the Death Shrikes.

"Dravis, please rise.  You stand before your Queen and fellow Shrikes to be judged.  The sentence will be torture and death, for a guilty verdict of either crime.  There is no punishment greater, for if there were, you would certainly be sentenced for it.  This court has read the journal of Tharius, and will start with the events that occurred with you in his presence.  He says you forced entry?"

"Yes my liege.  I shed myself of armor and scaled the wall.  There was no other route, for the gate was closed, and none would respond to our calls."

"And you believed you had the right to force entry to the castle itself?"

"What would you have me do?  I had no other option if I were to fulfill the Queen's bidding."

"Hmmm, yes."
The Minister of Justice runs a hand down the side of his face, causing a rasping sound, as his grey whiskers resist the motion.
"And the villagers?  What of they?"

"I trust Tharius' observations were adequate."

"Humour us Dravis.  This is your fate we are to decide, remember this."

Dravis sighs audibly.  He looks skyward and his lips move, mouthing mute syllables.

"Dravis?"

His attention snaps to the court again.
"They were bleeding.  I caught glimpses of their arms.  Swollen, blackened, almost as if they had been seared.  The flesh under their arms looked to be blistering."

"And why did you leave Tharius?"

"I had no choice, after the first week he grew less and less responsive.  He would only eat and drink.  I tried talking to him, but, well, he was all but catatonic.  How can you work with a man like that?  I loved Tharius, as I do all my fellow Shrikes, but he was weak.  He was young and, at times, I daresay, impudent."

"You desecrate his name, Tharius was a warrior and you would do well to learn from him!"

Dravis' eyes flare, fired with disgust for the twisted truths presented to him.
"A warrior because he died??  I shall tell you what became of your warrior."
A silence falls upon the courtroom.  A chill settles upon the great hall, and a fog seems to seep in from nowhere, slowly, pervading the room, draining away the voice of all those but Dravis.  All eyes lock with his and he begins to recount his tale.

~The (Intermission!) Cretin~

IronCretin:
It was a dark and stormy night,
And the first mate said to the captain,
"Tell us a Story!"
And the captain began:
'It was a dark and stormy night
And the first mate said to the captain,
"Tell us a Story!"
And the captain began:'
"It was a dark and stormy night. . . "

~~~~~~~~~~
"On the twelfth day of the Fifth Rising I decided that neither I, nor Tharius, could do anything to help these villagers.  It was a lost cause.  I must state, that I had no intention of abandoning my quest, rather I thought it best to consult those versed in curses that have plagued this region.  Forgive me your majesty, I mean not to insult your kingdom, but every diamond is flawed, and your kingdom is no exception.  However, I dislodge myself from the path at hand."

"I told Tharius of my intent to leave, but he was fearful.  He was young, inexperienced, and had not been exposed to such situations.  He was practically newly born babe, for he was not alert, not as a warrior should be, and consistently remained despondent.  Surely he would jot things down in his diary, but only with me to wet his quill.  I sha'n't say he was maddening, nor in the grips of the disease, he seemed to be. . . in shock.  I spoke to him of leaving, coming back later. . . He nodded, dumbfounded.  In hindsight. . . it was not just shock, but I knew not then, and so, when the opportunity presented itself, I left.  I would've taken him with me if he weren't so misbegotten!  Nay, perhaps that is too strong a word. . . but I felt enraged by his inability to act, for himself, for our honour, for the QUEEN."

The hall was silent, held in rapture by the commanding presence of the narrator, Dravis.  He stood tall in their gaze, all but immortalised in that brief moment of passion, of emotion.  His garb cast flecks of dust into the air, swirling around him, enhancing his aura.  The fog swept slinking tendrils around his feet as he continued.

"I left him there, yes, whimpering in the fields of grass.  I tried to convince him to come, and for a moment I saw a glimmer of urgency in his eyes, but it passed, and they clouded over again, like a winter's day.  He made no motion to follow as I bolted through the grass.  The blades whipped my flesh, and stung my eyes.  Three of them followed me, but abandoned their chase as I made it to the edge of the grasslands.  I climbed the hillock upon which the castle sat, and found my horse.  He had wandered into the common and was grazing contentedly at the soft grass.  Tharius' horse was with him, and she whinnied at my approach.  I left her there, on the common as I rode back here, to gain the advice of the clergy and the wizards."
 
Dravis fell silent, gazing at those gathered in tribunal before him.  The Minister of Justice, again, ran his hand down the sound of his face, the rasping breaking the heavy silence.

"And yet you never arrived here Dravis?  Do you spin us tales?  Feed us lies in an attempt to appease us?  If so, you are failing."

"I speak the truth minister.  For on the sixth day of leaving the highlands, I heard Tharius, in my heart, cry out, in fear, in anguish, in agony.  His last strands of sanity were wearing thin, and I knew if I were to continue riding here, that I would lose him, for there was at least 3 days left in my journey.  And so I turned back, and did not rest, and did not stop, or pull my halter, until I had sight of the highlands, and then I drove my horse harder, until he did breath blood, and his saliva foamed from his mouth.  That is what I thought of Tharius, that is how I valued him.  And what took me six days of hard riding, I returned in four, and you doubt me?!  Look me in the eyes Minister, look me in the eyes and call me a traitor!"

The Minister held Dravis' glare until his eyes grew dry, and his gaze faltered.  He adjusted his sleeve, as if it required his immediate attention.  He attempted to speak, to assert his control, but he fumbled the words, his mouth dry from anxiety and embarrassment.

"I rode into the highlands searching for my comrade, the whimpering babe I left behind.  They chanted, loudly.  There were no drums, no percussion, just their voices, high on the wind.  I heard it as I approached the castle.  Tharius' horse was gone.  I left my horse resting, and rested myself, sharpening my blade, and catching my breath.  Preparing myself for what was to come."

~The (Quick Break) Cretin~

IronCretin:
"The autumn air grew cold as I walked towards the grasslands.  Clouds masked the waning sun, and my muscles grew tight.  My heart quickened at their chanting, and I prepared myself for what horrors that, soon, may make themselves known.  I stepped from the grass into a clearing.  The grass had been matted down in a circular shape, and the villagers stood, their faces pointed outwards from the center.  And in the center sat Tharius, cross-legged, his eyes flaming, literally alight with flames.  He was smiling, wide, his genial smile bastardised by their song and their possession of him.  In his hands he held his journal and he was scrawling in his journal, however there was no ink on his quill, and so his actions made no mark.  I called his name and he looked up at me, confusion and grief distorting his face."
" He cried out like a petulant child, 'No, No!  You mustn't interrupt, you mustn't!  We must complete the reckoning, we must cleanse, we must sanctify the land, we must, we must.  I am a witness, I am a chronicle, I am a witness, I am a chronicle, we must cleanse, we must complete the reckoning!' He rose, his body wracked with spasms.  He had removed his garb and he stood there naked, the lines of the grass cut into his flesh.  His whole chest was blackened, and blistered.  He was burning within, and as I watched, his skin began to peel, began to give way to flame and tumours grew and popped before my eyes.  I was sickened.  It was then that the villagers all turned towards me, all looked at me, into me!  It was horrid, and I cannot describe the violation which I felt.  I stepped back, unsure of their intentions.  And then they started walking towards me, unrelenting, without a sound.  The first got close to me and just clubbed at me with his arm.  No balling of his fist, with no momentum, he just flailed his arm towards me, and it bounced off of my armor.  I knew not what to do, but still they came, with a vacant look in their eyes.  I turned only to find that the grasslands were engulfed in flame and at that they seemed to grow fearful, gesticulating as if in reverence.  They backed up into the circle and only Tharius stood tall, only Tharius met my eyes with what may be recognition. "
" He taunted me, goading me into doing his purpose 'You sense it don't you Dravis?  You sense it, yes, I can tell.  He's coming, He's Coming!'  I could no longer tolerate this abomination, and so I charged towards them, cleaving into the mob of villagers with my sword.  They fell like lambs in the slaughter, and my bloodlust clouded my vision.  Once I had entered the circle, they began to overwhelm me, but there was nowhere for me to retreat to.  The flames leapt at my back, and my armor grew hot.  I sweltered as I wielded my sword against the throng of peoples marching relentlessly towards me.  And as the last fell I heard laughter, Tharius' laughter."
" 'You have done it Dravis, as I knew you would.  See, I called you here, I needed their blood spilled on this ground, on my sacred ground.  I could not have come here without it, and so I lured them here, and they called to me, empowering me, believing in me, and their actions did more, it drove you to your bloodlust.  And now I have been released, I have come Dravis, and you have delivered me, just as I knew you would.  Just as I willed you to!'  And Tharius was no more, for his flesh burst, split down the center, and from it rose a creature of which I cannot describe.  Flames constantly wept from its eyes, and its fingers were long, curling like sharpened knives, fresh from the furnace.  His mouth gaped before, issuing black smoke, a vortex, sucking me in.  His form was shrouded in darkness, yet eminated a light the likes of which I have never seen.  My eyes ached holding his gaze, and he stamped his hooves, leaving smoldering circles in the flattened grass."

~The (Writer's Block) Cretin~

IronCretin:
"The beast looked skyward, screaming, and his cry reached into my mind, molesting it with small rubber condoms.  I could not help but cry out like a pre-pubescent girl.  This seemed to amuse him, for he let forth the titter of a child and started cooing me, as though to a baby.  "Who's a wittle swordsman?  Is it you?  Is it you?  Oh yes it IS!  Gootchie-Gootchie-Goo!"  My legs turned to gelatin, and I collapsed.  I slowly began to devour my legs. . . As I did so, the mob closed in around me and drew from their scabbards small child's toys to taunt me with.  "Who wants da bunny?!"  They pinched my cheeks, leaving them tender and reddened.  Content that I was flesh, they began to tickle my tummy, one even pressed a bottle to my lips.  I suckled. . . "

"For some bizarre reason my armor was gone, perhaps because the author has lost his mind.  He can feel it. . . turning to slurry, he drinks it, like a slush puppy.  It slurps.  Slurps.  Slurps.  Someone pats my back and I burp."

"I can no longer talk like this, for no grown man would admit this to a tribunal.  I soiled myself. . . repeatedly. . . My sword transformed itself into a large ice cream cone. . . I dropped it and began to cry, seeing it there on the ground, melting.  The ants soon found it and began to devour it. . .  The demon laughed, and then turned into my mommy.  I soiled myself. . . again.  I cannot understand what's happening.  Life seems to be out of control. . . It's as if this is some work of fiction. . . and yet. . . The fluffy bunny seems real. . .  Why?  WHY!?!??! Why do you taunt me with This. Fluffy. BUNNY!?!?!?"

Ummm. . . yeah, LoL.

Well, that's where it'll end here. . . I've written more to this tale. . . ummm, sans this final piece.  Probably better recognised as an abomination. . . LoL, but no one really seems interested, so I thought I'd end it here with something comical, to see if anyone was paying attention.  Thanks to all those who read through it all thus far (if anyone has).  I'm still updating the serious part  in my own time, but not on here. 

~The (Cherry Monkeys Smell Good) Cretin~

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