
Please excuse all the errors and such. It still has to be edited. Well actually it is being edited by my comp, professor. I just wanted those that visit here to know I can do a bit more than paint. I would love to hear what you think. Farewell and be safe. Isobell
Evil Seeks Revenge
Screams of ending strength intertwined with a lower, softer cry of agony and dreadful pain. The clang of sharp cold steel floated on the winds, while the smell of blood and burning flesh filled the air. Gallant steeds pierced the ears with their shrill shrieks of fear and anger as their riders pushed them onward into the cold brutal battle.
The sky was dark with thick gray clouds that swirled and rolled, as lightening flashed across it. Each illuminating bolt would shed light to everything below, showing the mass of evil warriors trying to defeat the warriors of light and hope.
The Prince of Darkness reined the troops that fought against those of good. Though his battle was being forged against all in the realm, it was one warrior that stood out in his mind most of all. He had watched that warrior touch many that were once controlled by his evil. The warrior's soft words seemed to melt away the darkness that fed on them. This faithful warrior had become a twisting thorn in the Prince's side for so long of a time and now it was his turn to destroy the one called Isobel!
The battle was massive on this day. There were werewolves fighting werewolves and vampires against vampires, Dark Knights who slashed at the Knights that possessed true faith and honor. Neither soul nor creature were safe from the destruction and madness the Prince had bestowed upon them. When this battle would end, the bloodshed would have turned the grounds a crimson red and the air would reek of death and destruction.
Amongst the hideous dark battle and gray mist, a majestic steed of shimmering gold pranced and stomped. Its muscles rippled with every movement, while its long mane whipped in the wind with each toss of its head. His long tail trailed on the ground behind him, white in color except the tips that where now crimson from the blood upon the ground.
The rider of this golden steed was none other than Isobel, or known by many as “The Gentle Warrior.” Her long blonde hair whipped from side to side as she slashed and stabbed at the evils that stood in the way of completing her goal. In her hand, she held a two handed sword of bright radiants. The blade was like that of the suns' rays and the cutting edge seemed to burn like a fire's blaze.
As rider and steed continued in their battle a soft, sapphire glow engulfed them both. Everyone in the battle knew that the glow was one of power and blessing. Only the warriors that were smiled upon by the Council of Twelve held this type of aura about them.
The golden steed lashed out with massive hooves, striking down upon the enemy's bones, leaving them in twisted masses as it forged onward. Its legs were dripping with the life giving fluids from the wounds that marred them. Yet the steed kept his stride, twisting and turning, snapping with his sharp white teeth trying to protect his rider.
Isobel looked back over her shoulder from time to time. Her eyes would fill with sadness as she saw many of her friends being slain by the hands of evil. The only thing her eyes would catch sight of was the death and destruction. This time it would be a far better sight she would see. Her emerald eyes locked upon Cain as he battled with another foe. It did not take long for him to sense her glance. With a thrust of his sword into the enemy he turned to look at her. A loving smile crossed his face, showing his white fangs that hung slightly over his bottom lip. The two knew there would always be closeness between them, but they also knew that each of his or her heart belonged to another.
Only seconds passed when they were called back to the battle at hand. A pain shot through Isobel's leg just above her knee. In one smooth motion she turned in her saddle with her sword held aloft. As her eyes met that which caused her pain her blade swung down severing the head of a vampire from its body. Blood rose up like a fountain out of the body that jerked from shock as it tumbled to the ground its nails taking flesh from Isobel's leg as it went. The pain seared through her for only a moment then numbness covered her.
Isobel knew that in the realm of Prodigence; to survive one had to learn numbness. This numbness had to be from body pain and most of all heart pain. Feeling nothing was one lesson the warrior caught onto quickly. The Council of Twelve made sure of that.
Isobel's weight shifted back and forth in her saddle as the two pushed onward, striving for the desert on the other side of the dark lines. She worked her blade from side to side giving a deathblow to any that were near. She could hear snapping and cracking every time her steed's hooves crushed through the chest of those who lay on the ground.
It had seemed like hours of fighting and killing when Isobel and her steed broke through the mass. Isobel reined her steed to face the horrid battle they had just faced. She took a moment to look over the battlefield, reflecting on how many of her old friends would survive this dreadful day. She knew many would not live to see another night. To keep her sanity she pushed the thought into the furthest corner of her mind. Instead, she thought of those who would live to tell this story to their children. In years to come this battle would only be a memory in the realm of Prodigence. Taking a deep breath she sheath her sword and reined her steed again. Only this time the two of them would leave the battle behind them.
The golden steed reared slightly as he spun around and broke into a high stepping run across the open wasteland. The sand was thrown high into the air by its feathered hooves, as each stride created a muffled thud against the sandy ground. The warm wind whipped across Isobel's face giving her a moments comfort. She remembered her days at home riding her own horses across an open field on a summers day. What had happened to her normal life? One day she is an adventurous girl and now a warrior struggling to survive.
Several miles had passed when the two arrived at the edge of the Dark Oak Woods. This was a dense forest mostly inhabited by evils, but on this day all those were in battle. It was made up primarily of large very old oak trees, that twisted and bent, and their low hanging branches looked like arms reaching down toward the earth. Among the oaks, sickly trees of different varieties stood. They continued life trying to grasp some light beyond the oaks. continue their growing but many had given up on life and now stood leafless. Thorny brier bushes huddled in masses at some points looking like an evil fencing placed about to keep all intruders out.
Drawing back on her reins, the steed slowed his run to a majestic walk. Isobel's heart fluttered with strange uneasiness as a cool breeze floated out of the woods and brushed her face. A slight shiver traveled through her body and all her senses were alive. The woods held an eerie darkness that would make a stranger turn away. Everything was quiet and still, not like the horrible battle she had left behind her.
Taking a deep breath Isobel tightened her legs into her steed’s side, he responded with a graceful walk as he managed his way through the dense forest. Isobel's palms were sweating against the leather of the reins, as her heart pounded out a warning for her to keep on her guard. She wasn't sure what she was looking for but she knew it had to be something unusual, something that would lead her to the one responsible for all the pain and suffering.
Isobel had gone some distance into the dark forest, when the eerie trees stepped aside, giving way to a clearing. In the middle of the circular clearing there was a large hole with ebony granite steps leading down into the darkness of the soil. A mystifying, faint green mist rose up from the hole as if it were a witches cauldron brewing over a high flame. Isobel nudged her steed toward the swirls of black and green. At the top of the steps, the steed stopped, his head tossed with unwillingness or perhaps he sensed what laid in store for the two of them should they descend into the darkness. His large dark eyes held a sense of foreboding.
Isobel leaned to one side of her saddle and looked down into the darkness. The leather squeaked and crackled as her weight shifted to one side, sending the noise down into the hole where it was then sent back to her but only more eerie in sound.
"I know boy, I don't want to go down there any more than you do, but the fate of Prodigence is left up to us." She whispered softly.
Isobel leaned back into her saddle and gave the gallant steed a gentle pat on the shoulder. She could feel a slight quiver in the tense muscles of her steed, which made her fear rise up in her throat more definably. She swallowed hard several times before the tension was released and allowed to settle in the pit of her stomach.
With a slight tightening of her heels, her steed stepped, obeying her command. His stride was extended and he descended the steps, taking three or four at a time. It’s steel shoes clang out as they struck down against the hard granite causing an echo to break the silence. The vibrating sounds made it seem like several riders were descending instead of a lone warrior. Its long, flowing, white tail trailed the stairs behind him, making it resemble a rippling wave upon an angry ocean.
At the bottom of the stairs, Isobel drew back on the reins; the steed stood silent awaiting Isobel’s next command. His ears twitched forward to back, listening for the slightest sound of trouble. Isobel's emerald eyes scanned the odd damp surroundings. She could see skulls formed the faint lighting, with candles stuck down inside of them. The tiny flames danced with the air causing strange shadows to illuminate on the floor and ceiling. They were placed neatly in a row down a seemingly long, endless corridor.
copyright 2006
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