The Fall of HOPE
P r o l o g u e
The Fall of Kyre
[Kyre is Roxana's father]
As the forces of the Fell cried out, as the rain battered on the shields and helmets and breastplates of the people of Aether, as the night stroke with lightning strike after lightning strike, Kyre knelt down close to the ground, worried about his little daughter, Roxana. How she had escaped from his tent he knew not, but he knew one thing: if she stayed with him, she would die.
“Roxana, get back to Fedwin! He will take care of you!”
“No daddy! I want to stay and fight!”
I looked right into her eyes, wiping away her dark brown hair and said, “If you stay with me this night, you will die. This is a fate that I will not have for my only child! Get back to the tent—to safety!”
“No.” Roxana said simply.
“I don't have time-” he started to say. She shook her little head and pointed to the sky.
“Claero clayuum.” she said. The sky cleared, the lightning stopped, and the rain disappeared.
“What in the Light?” Kyre swore, looking at his child. Her eyes were glowing, a dim white light.
“Aersa verim deas due lar.” [this is only mildly based on Latin] she uttered, pointing to the sky and moving her hand in a flowing motion. Her words seemed to echo somehow, and I looked at where she was looking. A giant beacon of light in a spherical shape was firing lightning bolts at the other army, and then it suddenly stopped. Kyre turned to look at his daughter and saw her lying on the muddy ground, an arrow through her leg.
“FATHER!!” she screamed, pointing behind Kyre. He looked over his left shoulder, already rising his sword towards the Fell soldier. It swung its sword at him and he blocked the blow, feeling the weight of the attack sink his right knee into the mud. He swung the sword upward, twisting it and sending the Fell's sword into the air. He stabbed it through the chest and then kicked it off and wiped the sword on its tunic quickly.
“Stay with me Roxana. Stay here, with me, focus.”
“I'm trying daddy..” she whispered. Kyre nodded, feeling angry and tired and frustrated and on all-consuming worry. “I'll save you.” he whispered. Vaguely he noticed his troops retreating to a fallback position and several tall, large Fell stepping up behind him. He turned around and swung his sword in a wave at neck level, beheading each of them.
I will save you. Kyre thought in desperation. He turned back towards Roxana and picked her up in his arms carefully. He ran quickly over the muddy terrain back to where his camp was and quickly found the mage.
“Heal her.” Kyre said. “I have a battle to win.” he whispered, staring at his daughter. With a supreme effort, he turned away and walked back towards the battlefield, weaving in and out of the tent forest. The battle wasn't going well for them, he knew, but he needed specifics. Where was it going badly? How bad was bad?
Roxana's face kept flashing in his head. He turned back towards the camp as something snapped loudly. Loudly enough for him to hear it. He turned back towards the battlefield and then swore loudly and continued on. [He's having a lot of inner tribulation. He has a duty to lead and defend his men, but as a Father his Paternal side is kicking in. His daughter is in pain, possible death, but he can't stay with her. He's choosing duty over family. Do you think you'd do the same?]
I know it needs work, and that's what I'm doing right now. I also know that I could've written it a lot better--I'm also working on that. Bear with me.
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