"Beginnings...."This introduction to our story is written mostly from the viewpoint of Mother Ann, the Isle of Ember's healer and midwife. Ember's Family does have more to tell. If you are interested in reading more, please turn to Player Contributions.
DAY: One
SEASON: Late summer
YEAR: 36 of Scion Louie's Reign
TIME: 5 pm, an hour before the sun's setting
--------------------
The Scion's bedchamber is dark. Dark with the twilight forming above the isle's black cliffs outside of it's southward facing window. Dark with the healer's realization that her cures and potions will no longer keep death at bay.
"Dworken, I can only give him ease. I fear it is time. Unless, you can...?" Mother Ann's gray eyes look hopefully at the mage.
"No," he says. "I have nothing left to try. It is time." Taking his friend's left hand into his own, Dworken sits on the bed by Louie's side. "Send for them and hope they arrive before it's too late."
After placing one more handful of aromatic, calming herbs into the bowl-shaped, brass censer, the healer quietly leaves the Scion's room and enters his office. Waving at one of the waiting servants to come closer, she picks up a writing quill and a blank sheet of paper.
--------------------"I've sent the messengers," Mother Ann says, walking towards the water table, its rose-painted, porcelain basin and a stack of soft, clean cloths. "We can but wait."
She joins Dworken at Louie's bedside, placing the cool, damp cloth across the Scion's forehead.
--------------------In silence, Myste and Simeon walk through the double-doored hall, past the Sentinels in Louie's study, who salute their Captain, also in silence. The siblings stand in the bedroom doorway, seeing Mother Ann and Dworken at their father's bedside.
"Come in, come in," the island's ageless healer and mid-wife calls. "It is good you are here."
Myste gently and slowly sits on the edge of her father's bed as Mother Ann stands to make room. Louie's eldest daughter takes a once strong hand in her own. Eyes full of emotion, she searches her father's face. Mentally, she wills him comfort, ease and security.
--------------------Simeon walks to his father's bedside, after briefly speaking with the Scion's guard, offering whatever comfort will be asked of him. The healer clasps his shoulder, then moves to begin repacking her medical supplies.
Moments later a clattering at the doorway announces the arrival of Seyer and Cygnus.
--------------------With a tear in her eye, Seyer gently touches her father's leg, bows her head, and sighs. Myste and Dworken will comfort and love to the Scion while holding his hands. Simeon stands nearby. Cygnus remains in the doorway. Mother Ann bustles around, repacking her supplies. Riddyl, Magnus and Caitlin have yet to arrive.
A prolonged wheeze signals a change in Louie's condition. His eyes flutter and his hands twitch once, twice...
"Louie, wake up, " Dworken calls softly. "Wake up old friend. Your children are here."
Mother Ann hesitates, looking at the bed, then shakes her head slightly and returns to her packing.
Seyer steps back. She looks around at everyone in the room. With a tear in her eye she looks at her father and says, "Father, can you hear me?"
"Dworken?" the Scion croaks, eyes focussing hazily.
The mage stands, appearing to bow over his sovereign due to the stoop formed by two years of frustration working with the healer, trying to save his only friend.
"Dworken? Is that you old friend?" Louie's voice and demeanor visibly gaining strength. Abruptly he pulls his hands out of his comforters' and pushes himself up on the pillows behind his back, straighter and more alert each moment. Peering down the covers, he sees a movement framed between his toes. "Who is that? Who's here?"
"Your children, Louie," Dworken says, looking around, counting heads. His usually steady, ageless gaze missing in a face as stooped as his shoulders. "Most of them, anyway. They are here because I .... we can do no more. Ann called them."
"Ann? Ann's here too?" Louie calls. Peering into his darkness he startles when someone moves, someone sitting next to him on the bed. "You're not Ann. Who are you?"
Jerkily, the mage steps back, leaning against the wall as the Scion rambles. His hands begin a complex pattern of movements. Suddenly a deck of cards appears in his hands and just as suddenly a single card is shuffled out. Ignoring the room's other occupants, Dworken stares at the card, slowly extending a gesturing hand forward. A bubbling movement under Dworken's skin rolls from his hands, up his arms, and presumably down his body.
--------------------Cygnus, looking at his father's confusion and deterioration, strides around the room to Dworken.
"Damn it, man! Isn't there anything you can do to save him?" he asks, grabbing the mage's arm and shaking it.
Seconds seem centuries before Dworken acknowledges Cygnus. His tear-tracked face ponderously lifts, turns left, then stops above the hand of Louie's eldest son. Cygnus can now see, and feel, round and oblong bubbles moving under Dworken's skin, rolling from his hands, up his arms, ......
"Myste! My dear, it's you! And Simeon, and..... ," Louie rattles, the thinning haze revealing well-known faces.
..... His shoulders, his neck, his scalp .... Dworken's tears drip onto his pupil's hand. Searing pain shoots through Cygnus's hand and arm as he jumps back and away from his teacher. Pungent, white smoke curls curls up from the blackening skin. The mage does not seem to notice as he turns back to focus on the card once again.
--------------------"I will always be what you raised me to be," Myste says, a matter of fact.
Searing pain shoots through Cygnus's comforting hands and arm as Dworken's tears drip onto his pupil's hand. He starts to yell out but bites it back in, and through, his lip. Pungent, white smoke curls curls up from the blackening skin. He heads over to the water basin near Mother Ann to cool his skin.
Simeon looks to his father. "Father, my King, what would you have of me?" He stands proudly, always the soldier, his emotion hidden.
"Do?" Louie asks. "Do what you have always done. When I am gone, protect my heir." He smiles and pats Myste on the cheek then looks around.
"Cygnus! Where are you?" the Scion quavers. "Where are my children? Dworken, you old goat, where is my heir?"
Dworken appears not to hear his friend's demand, his entire focus on the card. Once, twice a clawed hand reaches forward, grasps air, and draws it in. For a third time, the hand reaches out, .......
Caitlin strides into the room as the world darkens again. It is almost night.
.... it grasps air, ....
"Seyer, is that you tickling my toes?" her father asks.
.... and draws it in. Cinders fall from the ceiling. A wave of heat blasts through the room. Magnus falls, as if jumping from a great height, into the Scion's bedroom, holding a child to his chest and hefting a young woman over his shoulder. As they land, the child begins to scream at the top of its lungs.
--------------------Cinders fall from the ceiling. A wave of heat blasts through the room. Magnus falls, as if jumping from a great height, into the Scion's bedroom, holding a child to his chest and hefting a young woman over his shoulder. As they land, the child begins to scream at the top of its lungs.
Simeon's sword clears its scabbard before the newcomers even hit the floor. Seyer stares in shock and disbelief at the trio's abrupt and dramatic arrival. Still holding the wailing child to his breast, Magnus stands up to his full height.
"My liege...Father, I am truly sorry for this, but I must help these two." Turning towards the assembled family he asks, "Anyone care to assist me? I know not the current state of health of either the woman or her child."
Recognizing the Sheriff, Simeon stands down, then motions to one of the Sentinels rushing through the door past Caitlin when he hears that the woman and child need help. Simeon turns back to Magnus, angered. "I will talk to you later."
Magnus smirks at Simeon's remark, but says nothing. He gently lowers the woman to the floor, and looks at the child to determine any injuries. "SHHHHHHHHH...little one, all is fine now. Your mother is fine. You are safe here," he sooths, smiling to help calm her down.
Footsteps clicking oddly, Dworken moves away from the wall, closer to his friend. Tears flowing, robes beginning to smoke, he places the deck of cards back into its hiding place.
Seyer seeing the mother and child, shakes out of her shocked state. She rushes over to the mother and child and asks, "Brother I will help you, what do you need of me?"
With a glance back towards her father, Myste stands from the bed and walks toward the child. Simeon turns back to his king. Caitlin runs to her father's bed, checking him for harm. Fortunately, only a handful of cinders reached the bed covers. They are easily extinguished.
Magnus looks at the child and her mother, using his knowledge of medicine and healing. "I appreciate the help, my sister. I'll need blankets and pillows. They are likely to go into shock. I also think it might be wise to remove them from this room. I don't think father needs to witness this."
Magnus turns and looks at his adoptive father, a momentary look of concern and pain flitting across his usually impassive face.
The girl's screams calm into teary snuffles as Myste gently embraces her and checks for apparent injuries. Except for some bruising and smokey smudges she appears to be healthy. The mother's right arm, face, hair and clothing are badly burned. She is unconcious and close to shock.
"Excuse me," a Sentinel says as he reaches for the child. Two more appear next to the woman, ready to remove the injured from the Scion's bedroom. Seeing the giant warrior looming above, the little girl again screams, piercingly, jumps out of Myste's arms, over her mother and behind Magnus. Her small hands hold to the fabric of his shirt in desperation.
Turning back to his king Simeon asks, "My lord, I will do as you say, but you must tell me who the heir is."
"Your brother of course. I've got something here for him," his father replies patting a small lump under the covers and chuckling. He sees Caitlin appear and joyfully smiles, "Caitlin, my dear. I'm so glad you're here."
"You shouldn't be Scion, though," he shakes his head. "Marry the Count. He needs a strong woman. Have you talked to ........?"
Hands knot into fists as the Scion of Ember suddenly strains forward, pain wracking throughout his body. Seconds later he relaxes, falling back into the pillows behind him.
Simeon asks once again, "My lord, you must tell me who is to be heir."
Looking directly into Simeon's eyes, momentarily lucid, Louie says, "Riddyl. Where is he? Where is your brother?"
His breath wheezes. The moment passes. Dworken steps up, wet-faced, shoulders hunched, lumps bulging from his forehead. Louie smiles through gasping breaths.
"Friend!" ...huugh... "Is the scamp" ...aaaahh... "late again?" ...huuuugh... "Still" ...aaaahhhh... "chasing" ...hhuuuuugghh... "that" ...aaaaahhhh... "barmaid?" ....hhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhh...
The old man's breath ceases. His body sinks further into the pillows. A misty thread rises.
Clenched jaws fail to strangle Dworken's hoarse rattle. Collapsing, he falls face down across the vacant body of his closest friend, clawed fingers ripping into green velvet, robes smoking.
--------------------The mage appears to be deep in grief, exhausted from his unsuccessful battle to once again extend Louie's life. Caitlin sinks to her knees at her father's bedside, and weeps over his hand, clasped tightly in her own.
Seeing the giant warrior looming above, the little girl again screams, piercingly, jumps out of Myste's arms, over her mother and behind Magnus. Her small hands hold to the fabric of his shirt in desperation.
Simeon turns to the two guards who inadvertantly scared the little girl. "Leave her. All of you, go, find Riddyl, and guard him with your life. But, bring him here. Myste, I will hope to see you soon, as we have many things to discuss."
"NO!!" Cygnus shouts in disbelief. Jerking his bandaged hand out of the healer's wrinkled ones, he starts running. Running at full speed, plowing through the Sentinel's and out into the Scion's study.
The Captain of Ember's Rangers turns to the now peaceful body of his father. "It will be as you said, my king. Good bye, father." Simeon pauses, then reaches to take the small lump under the sheets that Father had patted earlier.
"Make Way! Make ...." Cygnus shouts. His words begin to metamorphose into the deafening sound of thunder, "..... Waaaaaawwwwbbbbbooooo...."
Simeon feels cold stone and warm metal the size of your fist.
PING! A loud chime rings in his head. Simeon's arm jerks as a bolt of unexpected Power flashes upward and by reflex strengthens his grip. The lump's wooden attachment clips Dworken's lumpy forehead. A blue-white flame sparks skyward.
"....oooOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!" An intense green light fills the room as the floor shakes, paintings and decor bounce, windows blow out, and Sentinels drop unconscious.
--------------------Deafened by the blast, you can not hear the mage's roar as you unbalance, but from your kneeling position beside Caitlin you do see his face; mouth wide, sharp-toothed, hair in blue-white flames, skin-stretched, smoking tears dripping onto robes and sheeting.
Dworken's shadow on the stone wall grows, monsterously. Dworken grows into a monstrosity. Clawed hands thrown wide on hairy arms, two sharp horns burst through his lumpy forehead as his face fluxes into an animal shape. The lumps simmer as room temperature abruptly rises and his robes ash as Dworken glows black-red. The old man's body rapidly shifts, expanding in size and bulk until he towers. Leathery wings erupt as the mage arches backward.
You begin to sweat.
