The Sword of Truth

[Wolfsister]

Cara stalked through the maze-like corridors of the People's Palace in D'Hara. Her boots made a hollow echoing sound as her immediate vicinity fell silent as on-lookers watched her make her way amongst them.
Cara didn't pay any heed to these people, who averted their gazes, either from respect or fear. She preferred the latter.

Her Agiel hung loosely by the chain at her wrist, the small red rod capable of bringing grown men to their knees with a single, light touch. She was dressed in her red leather today, a grim expression on her face as she made her way to the Garden Of Life where Richard had summoned her.

She frowned as Ulric and Egan joined her. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be near Richard!! Protecting him!!" She was angry that they would neglect their duty to protect their Master. Ulric and Egan just fell in step with her and said nothing.

As they neared the doors to the Garden of Life, Ulric leaned closer to her ear and muttered "Don't struggle," then she felt their large, powerful hands clamp down on each of her upper arms.
"What-" she began to ask, but Ulric's hand came over her mouth, effectively cutting off what she had been about to say.

As she entered, she did begin to struggle when she saw the scene being played out in the Garden of Life. Richard Rahl was kneeling before his father, Darken Rahl. The father he had killed.
"Cara, give me your Agiel," Richard's voice was hollow and when he turned his gaze to her she could see his grey eyes misted with pain. "Give it to me," he intoned, he stared at her, as if to will her to read his mind.

She stared blankly at him, angry that he would get himself in such big trouble, and when she hadn't been there to protect him. Darken just smiled.
She tugged away from the Richard's body guard's arms, and stepped up to him. She spun her Agiel into her hands and watched as he nodded, holding out his hand. "Give it to me,"

She nodded herself and gritted her teeth, "Fine Richard, you asked for it," and then she stabbed the short red rod into his hands, twisting slightly and delivering him a tremendous amount of pain.
She listened with dull ears as he threw his head back and roared with pain. She watched as Darken Rahl's concentration snapped and noted how fast Ulric and Egan could be when they had to....

She watched as they attempted to take the Dark Wizard with nothing but their own hands.....

 

[Wolfsister]

*bump*

If you're interested... look at the OOC thread:
https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=367076&highlight=Sword+truth

 

[The GrandMage]

Das'nath

Das'nath neared the Garden of Life, strolling softly throughout the halls of the People's Palace. Things were getting better nowadays. Not everyone was with the program, but many were getting there. The reign of the House of Rahl had come back into the light. The Mord-Sith were no more. All that remained were those who had already been created. They had taken on a role as Lord Rahl's personal bodyguards, as well they should. He, of all people, knew there could never know any other kind of life.

At least now, though, they had a change to live for themselves. He stopped as he came upon the doors, looking in on the scene unfolding. "No, you fools! Steel against steel!"

 

[Wolfsister]

Both Ulic and Egan turned as one before they reached Darken as they heard Das'nath's voice. They looked at eachother, their usually impassive expressions grim, and then looked at Richard. Then they shook their heads slowly as if to shake cobwebs from their minds.

Darken smiled, but he made no move to either take them down or indeed didn't seem to concentrating on anything other than the pain Cara was putting his son through right now.

Richard threw his head back and screamed as she slammed her Agiel into his outstretched hands. She barely noticed the new arrival, so intent on Richard was she.

Slowly, the pain clouding his grey eyes, Richard staggered to his feet, the Agiel giving Darken the distraction he needed. "Cara..." he stammered and she took that as a sign to lift her Agiel from his reddened and blistered skin.

"Magic against Magic" she whispered and watched as her Lord Rahl stood facing the shade of his father. She turned to Das'Nath, nodding absently to him and slowly edged away from Lord Rahl. She was by no means being a coward, she sniffed. Magic was the Lord Rahl's business, not hers. She shuddered, thinking of his power, of magic.

He turned his light grey eyes to hers, now dark and dangerous from the power that now flowed through him, "Leave, now, take the others..." he said softly, dangerously.

He was going to take care of Darken and he didn't need them anywhere near them...

Cara understood, but hesitated. It was her duty to protect the Lord Rahl, but... he was the magic against magic and they were the steel against steel. She whirled on her heel and ran past, dragging both Ulic and Egan with her by their tree trunk sized forearms. She stormed past Das'nath, taking him with her and the now appeared First File slammed the door to the Garden of Life closed.

The crackling of lightning and the sound of thunder booming could be heard from the other side of the heavy wooden doors. Cara crouched directly infront of them, ready to dispose of anything that burst through the doors that didn't resemble her Lord Rahl.

She growled impatiently and held a death grip on her Agiel, her gaze slid to Ulic and Egan, who had stationed themselves on either side of her, "What were you thinking! What happened in there?" she hissed at them.

They both remained impassively silent. The Lord Rahl would explain when he finished with 'Father Rahl'.

Something tickled in the back of her mind when her gaze slid to Das'Nath. She knew of him, knew him by sight, actually admired his handiwork. But that didn't mean she liked him, not for what he had put her Sister's through....

 

[The GrandMage]

Das'nath

Das'nath turned, and planted himself right in front of Lord Rahl's bodyguards, Egan and Ulric. He shook his head slightly, and threw both hands forwards, slamming into sensitive pressure points at a rapid pace. He stepped back as both men fell forward onto the ground. "I can't believe what I just saw in there. Are you two complete idiots!? You don't deserve the honor of protecting our Lord Rahl! I should see to it that you're both replaced immediately! Attacking a spirit, what is wrong with you? What if I had been an assassin working with that demon from the past? Cara was busy and you two race off against an enemy a child could tell you have no hope of defeating. You should have stationed yourself by Lord Rahl and Cara, and watched for physical dangers, helping to move Lord Rahl away from that phantom if he got too close, not abandoning your duties to a fool's errand!"

He turned, shaking his head in disappointment. He looked over Cara, and glanced back towards the closed doors to the Garden of Life. He looked back to the Mord-Sith and grunted. "I can't believe the way things have fallen, can you? We finally get a Lord Rahl worth defending, and these meatbrained fools are all we can afford to give him for protection? They're just lucky the Mord-Sith are around to keep them from making a mess of things."

He glanced down the halls, and back at the doors. "If that bastard's spirit is about, some of the others may be feeling remnants of the Bond. This could be a dark moment in the ranks of D'Hara."

Das'nath began limping down the hallway, drawing his daggers as he went. A dark day indeed. Not everyone was happy with the policy changes of the new Lord Rahl. Feeling the old bond might prompt them into doing something incredibly stupid. Like rebelling against the best thing to happen to the Empire of D'Hara since Panis was killed.

 

[Wolfsister]

Cara glared at Das’nath. Now she knew that she would not like him. True enough, it had been the bond with the previous Rahl that had clouded the elite bodyguard’s minds, but that was no excuse for such severe punishment. She watched in silence as the two heavily muscled men fell to the ground.

She shook her head. Severe punishment? What in Light was she thinking? She straightened from her battle crouch in an unconscious gesture of authority, she was Mord-Sith. She lived for severe punishment!

Then her lips curled into a sardonic grin as she registered Das’nath’s words. She inclined her head towards him as he swept past her and she spoke in a murmured yet still clear and strong voice, “Those meatbrained fools will stop whatever comes through that door that isn’t spirit nor our Lord Rahl” She did not think she needed to point out which man she was speaking of, “Now they are flat on their faces sleeping with the night. For a trainer, I would think you knew when to punish and when not to,” she tilted her head slightly, eyes still fixed on the heavy wooden doors of the Garden Of Life. She managed not to shudder each time she heard a result of the magic being used beyond those doors.

She watched with eyes that seemed to notice everything around her and pursed her lips as she watched what her Sisters continued to call one of the most powerfully hated men in their ranks limp down the hall way.
Running from the front line? she thought to herself. The new rule of Richard Rahl already seeping through her bones and giving her the ability to at least think what she wanted.

Then, all of a sudden from the room beyond the doors there came no sound.
Silence…

 

[The GrandMage]

Das'nath

Das'nath chuckled softly at the words of the Mord=Sith. Sleeping? Really. What good would knocking them unconscious do? No, he'd simply laid them out. They'd be dragging themselves to their feet in a minute, ready for action, but sore enough to hopefully remember what he'd said. There could be no mistakes. This was a new era, and more now than ever vigalance was required. He came to a stop as he heard the sounds stop, silence ringing through the hall. He turned, looking at the doors to the Garden of Life.

He felt for his Bond. Could it be over? He hoped so.

 

[Wolfsister]

Everybody in the corridor leaned expectantly forward. The First File fingering their swords, ready. The groaning Ulic and Egan picking themselves from the floor. Cara’s mouth twisted into a grim line, as though she tasted something bad.

The doors opened slowly at first, then with a loud bang, they crashed open. The new Lord Rahl stalked into the hallway. Richard stood there, surveying those around him, the magic running through him still clouding his grey eyes. His gaze froze on Cara, then he grinned.

Cara suddenly relaxed, the Agiel swinging lightly on the fine golden chain at her wrist when she let go it. She stared right back at him and snorted in disgust. Giving him a hard annoyed look she put her fists on her hips and pursed her lips.

Richard gave her a sheepish look and rubbed the back of his neck. Then the hard look came back to his face and he said, for all to hear. “Nobody enters or exits this room unless they are with me,” then he walked wearily down the corridor, the doors swinging shut behind him as various soldiers took their previous posts before it.

He looked over his shoulder and shook his head. Ulic and Egan shadowed him as they always did, but at a slightly slower pace. Cara walked right beside him, on his left shoulder. “Don’t you want to know what happened?” he asked her.

She shook her head, shrugging. “You are the magic against magic, we are the steel against steel” she gave a sharp look over her shoulder. Both men did not seem in the least bit affected by it. She muttered darkly to herself. “Next time you go anywhere, you will take one of the Mord-Sith with you!” she commanded.

Richard just nodded absently, it had been a few months since meeting Cara and he had had enough time to get used to her commanding tone. At least he appeared to listen to her. He stopped in front of Das’nath. Fingering a the silver wristband on his right arm, rubbing a thumb over the symbols carved there he nodded to him.

Cara scowled, “Das’nath. Mord-Sith trainer” was all she said by way of introduction. Richard’s eyebrows rose. He had always supposed that the Lord Rahl had trained all the Mord-Sith. Guess he was wrong. Then an easy smile came him, “I am afraid you are out of a job Master Das’nath.” His voice coming easily, though a bit tired and somewhat weak.

A soldier came up and whispered in the General’s ear, the commander of the First File. He nodded and cleared his throat. “There is a riot in the palace, they are calling for Father Rahl. We would take …” he coughed, “… care of them but you told us…” he was unable to go on. Admitting that he could not take care of a riot within the walls of his home was as close to admitting he could not do his job.

Richard nodded. “Father Rahl? He is dead.” His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion as were his dusty grey eyes. He wove his fingers through his hair and nodded again, “Take me there,” he looked at Das’nath and nodded to him. It was either an invitation or a dismissal, he would have to decided.

The party walked through the windy passages of the People’s Palace and came to the large square within the city’s walls. Many angry people stood there, milling around, confused. They had sensed the return of Father Rahl, they wanted to know where he was, what he was doing.
Richard held up had arms and shouted across the head of the people drifting about before them, “People of D’Hara…”

Cara stood easily beside him, slightly in front of him while Ulic and Egan stood on either side of him. If there was trouble, they would take care of it, no matter what the current Lord Rahl had decreed, if he was in direct danger. She would kill, her own people if she had to.
The agiel swung up into her hand once more…

 

[The GrandMage]

Das'nath

Das'nath only raised an eyebrow at Cara. Still calling him a Mord-Sith trainer? He had done that for a long time, though. But still, every since Lord Rahl's command there would be no more Mor-Sith, he had been working his way into other things. But still, he was not going to come out and say that, now.

He simply feell in as Lord Rahl moved, falling behind the two guards. He was, after all, only following the Lord Rahl. He was not of high enough rank to be any closer to him than any of his bodyguards. Besides, his limp held him back. And, back here, it might not be noticed if he fell a bit behind.

 

[darkphoenix1]

Sukumara

She wandered through the woods, broken, knowing only that she was somewhere beyond the great border and not much else. Her long raven hair fell in tangles around her and cuts and bruises covered a better portion of her body, the worst of her wounds causing her to limp. She shouldn't be alive right now. The words echoed through her head endlessly. She shouldn't be alive. That she was was an unmistakable turn of luck (good or bad she couldn't decide) and a fact that went against every rule of nature and most of magic.

'But are you sure you're really alive?' a dark, wryly amused voice whispered in the back of her mind. 'Are you sure it's not just some illusion?' Another illusion. KuMari growled, chasing away the voices, waving her hand in a gesture of great annoyance and almost falling down, instead stumbling into a great oak tree. "No," she said aloud, fiercely, not quite sure as to what she meant herself. "No."

She winced at the dull pain in her ribs and pressed a hand to her chest as if to stop it. And that brought to attention other, worser pains. "God damn you!" she whispered aloud though she knew the adbuctors, the Dark Sisters who'd adbucted her likely could not hear. "God damn all of you!" she shouted, this time louder, including now the Sister of the Light who'd taken her in, who'd not protected her.

The wind blew suddenly, a flair of her often erratic powers, a storm rising. Her hair whipped around her, stinging a face pale and gaunt with hunger and pain of torture. Unbearable pain. Pain she could do nothing to heal. 'Oh, but you can,' the dark voice whispered again. 'If you tried, used one tenth of the power at your fingertips, the power of dark...' "No!" she screamed, blocking her ears, eyes like glittering shards of ice slamming shut.

"I won't listen to you, won't ever." But her voice cracked as she said this. "I've dealt with pain before, I can deal with this." And she clenched her teeth, straightening with great effort and taking first faltering steps. "I *will* survive." A rustle in the bushes, the chittering sounds of animals and she touched the knife at her side. If the wild things don't finish me first

 

[Wolfsister]

Richard drummed his fingers on the side of the chair and frowned. It was at least a few hours after the riot had begun and now was only just beginning to dissapate. He sighed and stood once again.

Cara smoothly planted herself in front of him and stood there, blocking his way with her fists firmly planted on her hips. "No Lord Rahl, you know you are not to go anywhere until this settles down," she nodded to reinforce her statement. She and others like her were a law unto themselves when it came to protecting the Lord Rahl, Richard sometimes forgot that, regrettably.

Richard merely nodded absently to her, running his large hand through his hair in thought. His mind wasn't on the situation on hand, but frankly, if it had to do with magic, she did not particularily want to know what he was thinking. She looked towards Das'nath, Richard has insisted he come along to the Great Hall with them. She herself would have preferred leaving him be.

He was in the act of sitting down when he suddenly crashed to the floor. Cara ran to him along with Ulic and Egan. She checked, his breath was shallow and his eyes clouded once again in pain. "Lord Rahl!" she gritted her teeth. She pushed up his tunic to gain a better view of him and gasped. Ulic and Egan shuddered.

This was magic, this was the taint of magic. On Richard's chest was a black circular design with with four snakes quartering it, their head pointed to the middle of the circle. Each snake writhed and moved as if alive, but they appeared no more than normal tattoos. All but one were black, the fourth was black but the tip of the tail looked like it had been dipped in red dye.

Cara growled, for once not knowing what to do. This was magic, she knew nothing of magic. Ulic and Egan did not either, they were as apprehensive about magic as she was. He was hot to the touch and she felt as if her fingers had been burnt when she did.

She slowly shook her head, "Lord Rahl, what is wrong? Tell me what to do." He did not respond...

 

[darkphoenix1]

Sukumara

She'd passed a small village not too long ago. She could still smell the smoke of their fires and hear the peoples' chatter in her ears, feel the way they looked at her. They had been wary, distrustful, had not welcomed her their by sight alone. And so she'd trudged on. Once such a people would have awaited her, celebrated her. Now she sat on wooded hilltops overlooking and feeling so alone, so cursed and alone. And haunted by the faces of those she'd killed along her escape route, unable to control her magic. All they'd been trying to do was help her from the Horde who still hunted her...

Kumari wiped her dirty face, swearing fiercely to herself that she was *not* crying, *could not* be crying, and she threw aside the rest of the deer she'd gotten for dinner. She needed to be sharp to survive out here on her own, and having a full stomach would weigh her dow. Not that her body could accept the extra food right now. Pushing painfully to her feet, she tested her injuries again before moving on. Did they seem better since her rest? How so? Surely she couldn't be giving in so soon?

'Ah, but it is your destiny,' the dark voice whispered. 'You fate to give in, to become part of us. If those of Light had not gotten ou first...' "Shut up," she growled, tearing into the forest again, towards some destination unclear. "You can't turn me. Just leave me be!" How she hated the desperation in her voice. 'But we will. That is *our* destiny. And you cannot run forever, Kumari of Nim.' "I will if I have to. If only to stop your destruction," she whispered in return, hands clenched into fists, not noticing that they sparked with a brilliant light. And she pushed on, led by an indomitable will and a force unseen.

 

[Wolfsister]

Cara gritted her teeth and stared at Richard's bare torso. "What am I going to do?" she asked herself, unaware that she had said the words out loud. Richard coughed, coming too for a little bit and whispered to her. She leaned down towards his mouth to better hear his instructions, for instructions she presumed them to be.

"Go get Zedd, he'll know what to do," his voice was already hoarse from the poison entering and flowing through his body. "Go get him," he whispered again, coughing and managing to sit upright with Ulic's help.
Cara nodded, "I will send someone to go get him. He is in the Wizard's Keep," she gripped her agiel, a small beacon of comfort when he violently shook his head. "You know he won't let anyone but you, me or Kahlan come close to the keep," he coughed.
Cara ground her teeth in exasperation, "I am not leaving you," that was that in her mind.
"Go Cara, I'll be fine with Ulic and Egan. Besides, Berdine is here to make sure that I behave," he managed a small painful grin, "And take him with you, no-one else." he nodded to Das'nath.
Cara looked over her shoulder to him, shaking her head, "I have no need of him," she dismissed the idea. Travelling for weeks with him was undesireable in her mind.
"Cara... you'll need his strength," was all Richard said, but the pain in his eyes was what decided her. She slowly stood, "Ulic, carry him to his chambers, get him the best help D'Hara has to offer and keep him in line while I am away," this last to Berdine, though she wasn't there, Ulic would tell her Cara's instructions.

Ulic nodded and Egan began to gently lift the large man off the ground. The strong D'Harans did not have much difficulty. Richard had already gone unconscious again. She turned to the former Mord-Sith trainer, "We leave at first light," she said harshly, she didn't like having to leave the Lord Rahl in this condition. She stalked past him and followed the two men carrying her new master to his bed...