with the blood of Ketar. Tears flowed freely as she bawled off and on until the third day. Then she became quiet and her attendants feared that she may have taken her own life.
Her falchion was inside her room, stored above her headboard, leading many to think she might have used it on herself to join her dead lover. Finally the staff could wait no longer, they gathered outside her room and with the brute strength of three warriors they forced opened her door.
Inside, the room was empty and her falchion was missing. Attendants rushed into the lavatory with worried faces, but the Empress was nowhere to be seen. The only window in the room was locked tight from the inside keeping out the cold, winter winds.
The headmaster ordered the room searched again more thoroughly. Every piece of furniture was opened and pulled away from the stone walls. It was a very secure room, there was only one way in or out of it. Guards were posted at her door day and night.
Looking closely at the Empresses bed the Headmaster's dark eyes lifted to the empty mantle where her family falchion had rested. A sudden and dreadful thought burst into his head.
"Sound the General Alarm! The Empress has been kidnapped!"
Sirens began to warble throughout the Imperial castle. Security troops flooded the common areas, all were armed and under orders to find the Empress. There were hundreds of rooms in the castle and every one was to be methodically checked. The process would take hours to complete.
***
Nykostra felt her way in the cold, dark passage by sticking her hands and feet out before her and going slowly. She cursed herself for not bringing a lamp, but it was too late to turn back now. The secret Soothsayer passage spiraled down around and behind the chambers of the ancient castle.
The passages had been designed by the original architects, thousands of years ago. They were pitch dark and unbearably cold. She had left her room without bothering to put on anything more than her red formal gown which she had lived in for days now. It was wet from her tears and it smelled as foul as her own unwashed self.
None of that mattered to her. She tugged at the leather strap of her falchion's scabbard. She had thrown it over her shoulder before leaving - it was the only item she needed where she was going.
The passage widened and continued to spiral downward as her eyes began to adjust to the near darkness. Some light was coming from further ahead. It flickered like fire light. Torches perhaps. Her pacing increased until she realized there could be people ahead, guarding the entrance to the Soothsayer's den.
She slowed and drew her weapon from its sheath. The curved blade caught what little light came down the passage and she pushed forward with it held out before her and just to her side.
Her cold fingers tightened on the leather hilt as the passage came to a sudden end. Before her was a stone door with a macabre statue carved from black stone of some ancient Votainion god. There were no apparent handles to open the door. This was a secret lair and only the initiated knew how to get inside.
She lowered her falchion and cleared her mind. Confused thoughts were pushing their way inside her head. Fear and loathing that could only be the weaker Soothsayers inside, trying their best to ward her away.
She reached out to them, probing their feeble brains for how to open the door. it was like having a conversation with an insane person. Words drifted by incoherently as she tried to decipher how the door opened.
Finally one clear thought broke through the maddening crowd.
Nykostra touched the black statue's head with her right palm, caressing it ever so gently. The old stone door cracked open and a warm, yellow light nearly blinded her. She waited for the door to open fully before raising her falchion and entering.
Her mind was accosted by the pleas from thousands of Soothsayers as she pressed onward. Her eyes scrunched in pain as they screamed at her, trying
Her falchion was inside her room, stored above her headboard, leading many to think she might have used it on herself to join her dead lover. Finally the staff could wait no longer, they gathered outside her room and with the brute strength of three warriors they forced opened her door.
Inside, the room was empty and her falchion was missing. Attendants rushed into the lavatory with worried faces, but the Empress was nowhere to be seen. The only window in the room was locked tight from the inside keeping out the cold, winter winds.
The headmaster ordered the room searched again more thoroughly. Every piece of furniture was opened and pulled away from the stone walls. It was a very secure room, there was only one way in or out of it. Guards were posted at her door day and night.
Looking closely at the Empresses bed the Headmaster's dark eyes lifted to the empty mantle where her family falchion had rested. A sudden and dreadful thought burst into his head.
"Sound the General Alarm! The Empress has been kidnapped!"
Sirens began to warble throughout the Imperial castle. Security troops flooded the common areas, all were armed and under orders to find the Empress. There were hundreds of rooms in the castle and every one was to be methodically checked. The process would take hours to complete.
***
Nykostra felt her way in the cold, dark passage by sticking her hands and feet out before her and going slowly. She cursed herself for not bringing a lamp, but it was too late to turn back now. The secret Soothsayer passage spiraled down around and behind the chambers of the ancient castle.
The passages had been designed by the original architects, thousands of years ago. They were pitch dark and unbearably cold. She had left her room without bothering to put on anything more than her red formal gown which she had lived in for days now. It was wet from her tears and it smelled as foul as her own unwashed self.
None of that mattered to her. She tugged at the leather strap of her falchion's scabbard. She had thrown it over her shoulder before leaving - it was the only item she needed where she was going.
The passage widened and continued to spiral downward as her eyes began to adjust to the near darkness. Some light was coming from further ahead. It flickered like fire light. Torches perhaps. Her pacing increased until she realized there could be people ahead, guarding the entrance to the Soothsayer's den.
She slowed and drew her weapon from its sheath. The curved blade caught what little light came down the passage and she pushed forward with it held out before her and just to her side.
Her cold fingers tightened on the leather hilt as the passage came to a sudden end. Before her was a stone door with a macabre statue carved from black stone of some ancient Votainion god. There were no apparent handles to open the door. This was a secret lair and only the initiated knew how to get inside.
She lowered her falchion and cleared her mind. Confused thoughts were pushing their way inside her head. Fear and loathing that could only be the weaker Soothsayers inside, trying their best to ward her away.
She reached out to them, probing their feeble brains for how to open the door. it was like having a conversation with an insane person. Words drifted by incoherently as she tried to decipher how the door opened.
Finally one clear thought broke through the maddening crowd.
Nykostra touched the black statue's head with her right palm, caressing it ever so gently. The old stone door cracked open and a warm, yellow light nearly blinded her. She waited for the door to open fully before raising her falchion and entering.
Her mind was accosted by the pleas from thousands of Soothsayers as she pressed onward. Her eyes scrunched in pain as they screamed at her, trying
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