Maelstrom [Archive] - Naruto Discussion Forum

Devroux

01-22-2013, 08:20 PM

Prologue

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The tear-ridden face of a young princess stares up at the hooded, robed figure before her. Her body hangs limply as the man holds her up by her hair, a knife held to her throat. Afraid to speak, she can do little more than sob in fear as the knife is pressed harder into her neck, slowly beginning to draw blood.

"I'm sorry," a raspy voice breathes from within the hood. With those words, the man swiftly drags the blade across the female's throat, slicing it open with no visible hesitation. "I truly am."

Picking up the limp, bleeding body, the robed man walks forward into the lake before him until the water rests at his knees. Behind him, the thunderous roar of galloping horses can be heard echoing through the forest as the king's army comes to pass judgement on him. At the rate the sound is growing louder, he doesn't have much time.

He bends at the knees, lowering the lifeless body in his arms down into the smooth water of the lake, resting the princess on top of the water. He removes his hands from beneath her and lets her float in front of him, bringing his hands back and clasping them in front of him, beginning to chant an inaudible hymn.

As he begins his words, a group of knights burst through the edges of the forest out into the opening. Sir Caide, the leader of the army, jumps from his horse and shouts, "Gideon! Stop this at once!" But his attempts are to no avail as the robed man continues his chant, the lake beginning to shine with a bright light.

Suddenly, Gideon drops his hands back to his sides and turns to face the group of knights, the lake continuing to shine. A small soldier, new to the ranks, nervously looses an arrow, which flies through the air seeking refuge in Gideon's right shoulder.

Caide, stunned, snaps his fingers and a few of the soldiers surrounding the new recruit seize his weapon and force him to his knees as punishment. Their captain and the rest of the men turn their attention back to Gideon, almost fearful of what will happen to them.

"You could have easily denied that arrow," Caide speaks. "Why did you not?"

"I must atone for my sin somehow," Gideon replies, giving a saddened laugh in addition to his words.

"You know as well as I, Gideon, that the king will accept no less than your head for what you have done here."

"Yes, I know." The robed man raises a shaky hand to his face and removes the hood, revealing his worn out face. Thin and beardless, the old man's defining feature is his pure white hair that adorns his head. "My apologies, but he'll have to accept just this."

Caide unsheathes his sword, beginning to walk towards the castle's arch-mage. He stops halfway when he spots the lake behind his target beginning to swirl counter-clockwise, the princess' body being quickly swept into the funnel of water.

"What have you done, Gideon," Caide asks, fearful.

The robed man steps forward out of the lake, speaking as he walks. "I have taken the life of the princess. That is all you need to know." He continues forward, patting the captain's armored shoulder as he passes. The rest of the army parts, letting the sorcerer go on his way in attempt to save their own lives.

Before long, the mage is out of sight and the knights stare awestruck towards the vertical maelstrom of water that has begun to rise from the lake. Hundreds of feet across, it begins sucking bits of earth from around the men into the void and casting a bright light out over the lands around it.

Some of the knights begin to kneel over in pain, clutching parts of their bodies in agony. Caide, however, stands still, clenching his jaw and enduring the pain without showing weakness. The left side of his jaw burns as if the flesh were being pulled from his body, but as the unharmed men can see, only a symbol is burnt onto the pained men's bodies.

A crest of three black dots forming a triangle appears on the men before the pain disappears as quickly as it came. However, most of the men had already passed out by the time the pain had subsided. Caide merely bent over, his vision fading fast as he watched the wall of water wrench the world asunder.

The earth split, cracks filled the air itself, and the knights were pulled into the maelstrom with everything else. Caide, barely conscious, watched as long as he could before being sucked into the pit himself, the rest of the realm soon following behind him.