Fallen Heroes and other storylines

[Mix Thorngall]

Grey Wings (1/4)

So long ago...

The fallen one awakened with a strange pain... like if her whole body were being boiled in a cauldron! She tried to open her eyes, and also felt them burning after seeing a deep cave nearby... Ayesha screamed loudly, and rushed to hide inside that cave before melting down to sunlight!

After getting deep enough, her burns slowly started to heal. She tried a light healing summon, but it had no effect. Then, she tried to brighten the place with some kind of holy beam she used to handle, but an elemental fireball blew out of her hand instead, crashing at the wall of the cave.

Ayesha did it again, but this time she kept the flame at her hand like a torch. The fallen one looked at herself... a rusty and weak armor, covering a dirty bloodstained and broken robe, replaced her celestial war garments; the Demigod Sword was no more with her, and she had greyish and damaged wings instead of her usual shining ones. She looked like Yzabel having a bad day...

- "So... you dared to curse me... sister? I swear I will... be back... and you... will regret... dumping me out... ouch... I will bring you... Mepherel's... head... and I gonna... make you... to eat it raw, damn! Aggh... hurts..."

The fight for the Fire, the curse and the sunburns completely drained her out, and she fell unconscious. Ayesha the Fallen slept, just for a few thousand years, before getting up in an ancient land of necromancers and vampires, where a great war was in place... Baron Greywing, the Master of Gargoyles, was besieging the Blood Queen Lyrith to enslave her vampire breed and become the absolute ruler of the nightly kingdom!

[Mix Thorngall]

Grey Wings (2/4)

She finally came out from the cave, hiding her restored but still darkish wings. Not so far from there, she met three fighters armed with spikes, holding a rageful gargoyle attacking everything around! Soon, the beast ripped through the opponents and charged against the awakened one! They crashed, but the gargoyle was damaged and got stunned, while the strong Ayesha quickly recovered from the strike...

- "What?! Do you even know who I am? I have not come to get pissed off by any winged crap!"

The fallen one got a nice chance to test her abilities, hurling out a huge blaze against the stunned beast, roasting and throwing it away. The fighters got closer to her, completely amazed...

- "Er... should we thank you, my lady? We have never seen such strength in any other than our Mother Queen Lyrith, so... maybe the last one has awakened, as said in the prophecy!"

- "The last of our pure-blooded Vampire Queens, the one who will free us from the dreaded demon known as Baron Greywing! He pretends to slay or enslave our whole race, and his gargoyles are getting him so close!"

Ayesha was not what they expected, but she thought it was better to have a little bunch of dark allies to start over...

- "Right, then... I have slept for a long time, but now I have arrived to fight! Know me as Queen Ayesha of the Fire, night warriors... Now, let's shelter, dawn is approaching! Take me with your leader!"

The harmed gargoyle got up at last, stared at Ayesha and fleed away to heal his wounds with the daylight... now the Baron was warned of a very stronger foe than Lyrith herself!

The gargoyles retreated to petrify and heal, while many corpses of vampires started to melt down. The few remaining ones went back to fortify their master lair, taking advantage of the gargoyles' cooldown. But maybe the next strike would be the last one!

The lair was inside a hollow peak, partly protected from sunlight. Ayesha got into the forge to watch around... she found a piece of armor really alike her former celestial war suit and a nice light western sword, and started to work enhancing them.

The fire red armor was not fully suited yet, but she put it on, as it already was better and more fearsome than her stained one... the dark valkyrie, Ayesha the Fallen, was born at last!

[Mix Thorngall]

Grey Wings (3/4)

Ayesha arrived to the Throne Hall to meet the Blood Queen. It seemed a great fight happened in, as many night warriors and a few gargoyles were still laying dead... Lyrith was harmed and exhausted by the fight, while her sorceress Rina was trying to heal her and her knocked sister, Dejanira. A little girl was behind her, completely frightened.

- "My respects, Mother Queen... Really I have come just in time, huh?"

- "Agg... who are you? You saved a few of my... fighters, but you are not one of them... what are you seeking here?"

The valkyrie flamed up her left hand, and Lyrith smiled seeing it, as it could mean her last hope had arrived.

- "As you think... I am Ayesha, the last of your... sisters. I think we can get rid of that Greywing fiend together, if you allow me to join!"

- "If that's right, why do you pretend to help us? Most of my Queens are too selfish and pride to bear a hand... Anya fleed alone to prey south, Amelia is nowhere, the greedy Amaranthine went all out hunting Necromancers to grow her dark magic, maybe coupled with her beastly Adele... and that hatred Selene, who even tried to kill us all!"

- "Because it won't be for free, my lady... I will lead your armies myself if we defeat the Baron, that's the deal!"

- "Nice... really you act like... a real Vampire Queen, my dear... Right, you Ayesha... Queen of the Fire!"

The sun was setting again, and the winged nightmares began to awake... Soon, it would be over... but a huge crash was heard in the basement of the lair!

- "Greywing... has broken in! Run, for your lives! Aaaargh!!!"

Soon, the gruesome demon entered the Hall with three of his gargoyles. With the head of a vampire succubus in his hand, flaming wings and claws, and chewing some blood... Baron Greywing was ready to rumble!

- "At last I meet you, mother of the suckers... Abide your Master or die, vampires!"

The fallen one smiled, picked out her sword and taunted Greywing with her flaming left hand. The Baron grabbed a dragon leather whip and made a sign... and his soldiers charged against Ayesha and the vampires!

The sorceress quickly dodged the charge and stroke back with a fireball, taking back the fierce foe. But these ones seemed stronger, maybe because their boss was enraging them! Lyrith was hit and knocked, but she got up and fought back like a beast, ripping the gargoyle with her fire claws. Such bad manners for a Queen, Ayesha thought...

The third gargoyle was defeated harmlessly by the valkyrie, while Greywing went directly against her! An accurate flying charge ended with Ayesha rolling on the floor, with a painful wound from a whip lash. She tried to stand up, wrapped in the Baron's laughter...

- "I do eat fire witches like you for dinner, my dear! Come on, I supposed you could do it better!"

[Mix Thorngall]

Grey Wings (4/4)

She got up at last, but first she had to help her wrestling queen for a while. The gargoyle screamed painfully when Ayesha pierced it with her sword, saving Lyrith from a deadly claw stab! The Queen somehow raged at her for interfering in her fight, and tried to show she did not need her help by hardly flaming out the gargoyle harassing Rina, trampling over him.

- "Great! That's the spirit, your Majesty! Now, the big one... ouch!"

Again, the Baron was over the valkyrie, hitting with his nasty whip. And one of the gargoyles stomped Ayesha's back, dropping her. Greywing landed, and took his swift weapon back, aiming to her neck!

Ayesha rolled and dodged the killer blow, and quickly grabbed the whip, strongly pulling the Baron!

- "Nice whip, my friend... may I keep it?"

A huge flame from her hand lighted the leather, reaching and burning out Greywing's hand holding it! She took the fire-powered whip and violently lashed the surprised Baron with it, until he was dropped out of combat. Then, she took her sword to finish the job...

- "Your siege has ended, demon... say your last words!"

Ayesha was about to behead the monster, but her Queen had another nasty idea... she rushed like a beast, ramming the valkyrie away... and she strongly bit his neck, draining his demon blood!

Doing that, Lyrith reaped most of his strength and power, leaving him undead. The Baron became a mere vampire demon, still powerful, but no more a match for any of the Queens. As a side effect, the alive gargoyles got self-aware at last and fleed the place. The vampire Greywing was no more able to control them...

- "Right, throw away this weakling, my child! Victory!"

Ayesha was so unpleased with that... instead of letting her deliver a swift death to Greywing, that Lyrith preferred to humiliate and curse him forever. Although fallen, she still was a honorable warrior...

The vampire Greywing was rejected from the castle. He could not get back to his stronghold, as his once enslaved gargoyles would take revenge on him, so he sought for another one, buried underground in the faraway eastern lands, to await a chance to resurge as the next Vampire Lord!

For the next centuries, Ayesha and Lyrith tried to silently gather all of the vampire armies under their command. Although always refusing to go against Selene in the frozen highlands, the Queen of Fire spent many time finding Amelia and the others. She was unsuccessful at first in merging their forces but she managed to get them nearby...

And then... the Blood Wars started!

[Mix Thorngall]

The Scroll 5: The Gate of the Scroll (1/4)

Anand, the eldest of the Sisters of Danu, and also the first of the mystic Sylphids or Morrigna, was tempted long ago by Macha to grab the dark power of the undead. She enrolled in a grim spellcraft which sacrificed her Light attributes and made her in par with most high demons...

- "You arrived at last, my sister Nemain... We must keep the Sword, as one of the deadliest assassins is coming here to reap it!"

- "I know, my dear... but that dreaded Ayesha won't ever reach our stronghold, I swear!"

- "Ayesha? Not really, as with her last breath, our ill-fated Badb whispered into my mind... The fallen one took the Stone of Fal, turning it into Light... and then, she fooled the Paladins to let Badb escape. Unfortunately, the assassin managed to kill her using some kind of poison. And maybe he also slayed Macha inside her stronghold... did you see her murderer, Nemain?"

- "No, I just supposed it, and so probably I was wrong. So... who is really against us, and why?"

- "I don't know yet, but it must be a blessed Light one, as nobody else could have defeated Macha and her dark dragon so easily. Maybe some renegade angel..."

- "The angel of death is now following your steps... These words have been echoing into my head since Ayesha got into the cave below my settlement, but... do you know what they mean?"

- "Nooooo! Goodness, why have you not told me this before? It's the horrible and merciless Aelaydrael-nass, the Rejected! We are all dead meat if that fiend enters our homeland seeking war! Gather all of our fighters, we must defend! And hope Ayesha comes first, we must earn her trust to join us against him!"

Both began preparing their defenses for the siege... Meanwhile, a huge party of Wanderer Paladins was marching against them, commanded by a fair and powerful valkyrie trained by the Master Zadkiel himself...

Ayesha was following the steps of the Wanderers, reaching a little forest not too far away from the fortress of the Dark Morrigan. There were signs of battle, and a dead Paladin laying on the ground... not yet dead, as he began crawling towards her, but hardly damaged and bloodstained. It was the proud Sir Taron, completely defeated by someone...

- "What happened? Who did this? Anand?"

- "Please... help..."

- "Again, Sir Shiny, you need the help of a damned magic wielder? Don't get used to it, my friend..."

Ayesha realized, at last, that former Paladin was not the feared Eladriel, as the proud killer would never beg for her help like that, even disguised... she took the flask with Dagda's holy water and gave Sir Taron some of it, making sure to keep enough for opening the path of the Scroll. His wounds began to heal, but his godly armor was completely wrecked...

- "Much better, mage... a mighty warrior from Heavens came to take over my soldiers to raid Anand but I refused, so she quoted me as possessed by the Sisters and defied me! My soldiers didn't dare to oppose an Angel, but I severely doubted about her intentions, so... here I am!"

- "So, you have learned the lesson, man... and, as you have fought against a light spirit, it makes you officially "dark", huh?"

- "Ah, ya shut up, witch! Maybe I have to rethink everything about light and darkness... but now let's go for her, I want my Paladins back!"

A strong voice echoed from the trees, and a great warrior came out...

- "Count on me, fighters!"

With some Northern-alike horned helmet and an impressing Dragon Shield, the God Lugh of the Danann appeared in his true self!

- "Nice to see you again, smith... and greatly improved! I see you also have many hidden charms, my lord... your help would be so welcome, as we are against some high Light spirits now..."

- "The time has come... Eladriel is all out against the Sisters now, and nothing seems able to stop him!"

- "But... my lord, it was a female warrior who ambushed me and reaped my troops. A pretty and strong soldier, possibly one of the Valkyries, with a bluish shining armor and a blazing godly sword of the same colour..."

- "As if we had not enough with the Rejected one! If you are right, she must be Camilla Alma'annassiya, one of my former sisters at arms who left Heavens so long ago like Eladriel... and her healing and water elemental mastery is a real pain for me!"

Sir Taron stared at her, surprised and wondering how a mere flame witch could know so much about Heavens and their crew...

- "By the way, sirs... I think it's time to end with this pesky disguise and prepare for battle!"

Ayesha got rid of the spell, getting back her flaming red armor suit and greyish wings, and picked out the Wrath. Sir Taron's first instinct was to fight her, but he remembered that Angel nearly killing out him...

- "So weird... A divine angel had almost killed me, and a fallen one had saved me... but I owe you my life, so I will follow you, whatever you are!"

Lugh gladly looked at her, ready to fight...

- "Nice to meet you at last, your greatness Aishannarida... let's end this madness!"

[Mix Thorngall]

The Scroll 5: The Gate of the Scroll (2/4)

A huge and tight bunch of spear trolls and bone guards were crowding the main gate of the grim fortress known as the Xanadu, backed by Nemain's brute strength and Anand's bloodlust spells... even the blessed Paladins were having a very hard time trashing them, and Camilla was compelled to heal her fighters instead of breaking the defenses... the siege was about to fail, but...

- "Look up above, lord Lugh! What's that?!"

- "Doom! Let's rush, or we will lose the Sisters soon!"

The huge light crashed the ground near the Paladins, harming a ton of the undead and taking them back... a shining Angel with a fierce blessed sword, many pairs of wings and boiling hatred inside his eyes, landed at last to end the battle!

The flaming Eladriel began to shred the trolls and bone guards, completely dismissing Camilla and her wounded Paladins... but soon, she was able to join him in the slaughter! Nemain went all out to stop her with the precious sword of Nuada, while Anand focused all of her dark magics to take down the Rejected, severely damaging him, but sadly not enough...

- "Aggh... you are indeed strong, demon! But nothing will... stop... the Light... aaargh!!"

Eladriel was down, and Anand was about to finish him... but Camilla took a hard blow from Nemain in order to flee and heal her master up again! After the buff, he quickly caught the Dark Morrigan off-guard and threatened her neck...

- "Darkness never pays off!"

He swang the godly sword to end his job... but a huge fireball trampled over him just before doing it! The warriors had arrived!

- "But what about Fire, you proudish fiend? Did you miss us?"

- "Ahhh... the fallen one at last! This will be a great fight... but why don't you join us instead of helping these Danann hags? Maybe I can get you rid of your curse with some merciful blessing, you fire witch..."

Camilla stood up, catching her breath. She was exhausted, but Eladriel didn't even care.

- "You are unworthy to bless even a single drop of water, rejected one! I know what you are looking for, lady Ayesha... and I am the guard of the place where you can claim it... Nemain, give it to her!"

The Sister was not really willing to do that, but at last she dropped the sword of Nuada with anger... Ayesha grabbed it, and suddenly a huge green shining column came out from the Xanadu... to point the Gate of the Scroll!

- "So you have completed the Treasure, dark warrior... and you are able now to follow the path of the Scroll!"

Eladriel's eyes poured with greed... he didn't expect the full power of Darkness to be at his hands...

- "Not so quick... great to know the Gate of the Scroll is buried inside your rotting lair, witch... but I won't let it so easy... I call upon my right to duel you for the Uaraqasshaid-yannuri, fallen one!"

So the assassin held his wrath for a while to allow the Sisters to gather them into the buried cave hosting the shiny Gate... Sir Taron rejoined his Paladins, and Anand dispelled her undead guards. The fight was over for now.

The Dark Morrigan guided Ayesha, Lugh, Camilla and Eladriel inside the cave, where Eldarias the Sage, the dwarven Great Wizard in charge of guarding the Path of the Scroll, was awaiting for the challengers...

[spO.oks]

give me some of whatever you're smoking!

[Mix Thorngall]

give me some of whatever you're smoking!

Smoking can severely damage your health

[Mix Thorngall]

The Scroll 5: The Gate of the Scroll (3/4)

They reached the brightful inner hall of the Gate, where the old mage was standing in front of a huge oval mirror with an ivory and jasper frame crafted with ancient rune scriptures...

- "Greetings, fighters. I am Eldarias the Gatekeeper, the guard of the Path, and I see you are coming to cross it, aren't you? Only a few are worthy enough to succeed at this harsh task, so I strongly advice you to take back!"

- "Thank you sir, but I have not come so far to give up now. This is my only chance to get rid of this curse, and I won't waste it!"

Eladriel took out his sword and stood between Ayesha and the Gate with rage, and Camilla stood behind him...

- "You shall not pass! Only true fighters of Light like us deserve such power, you blighted dark witch!"

- "Shut up! I am way old to believe in that stuff, man... Anyone having all the items of the Treasure can get in, but... you still have the right to challenge her! You both must fight evenly in the Arena of Gods, and may only the winner claim the Scroll!"

Lugh was so worried about the assassin Eladriel reaping the full power of Darkness, and raged out his sword against both Angels!

- "None of the Sisters can aid you now, so please let me join in, my dark lady. Let's fight!"

Ayesha smiled, glad to have the God Lugh again on her side, and grabbed her flaming whip and the Wrath of Altair, taunting Camilla with it...

- "Right... the winners will have the chance to open the Gate of the Scroll with the Treasure collected... but you must keep it until the end of the fight!"

Eldarias held up his scepter, uttering the Spell of the Challenge... soon, both Angels, Ayesha and Lugh were vanished out from the fortress of Xanadu into some kind of round arena floating over the void, surrounded by lighting torches. The floor of the arena depicted a demon and an angel, both holding up the mighty Scroll of Light and Darkness...

- "Nice place to die, fallen one... let's see how long you can last against our might!"

- "Blah blah blah... come here! I will make you eat your bloated words... just after your pretentious shiny sword, freaky bird!"

The voice of Eldarias the Sage could be heard in the faraway...

- "Welcome to the Arena, bold warriors... Only the last challengers standing with the full Treasure will succeed in this fair combat of steel and magic... no Light or Darkness summoning shall aid you in this place, as the Scroll wraps them all!"

[Mix Thorngall]

The Scroll 5: The Gate of the Scroll (4/4)

The water valkyrie charged against Ayesha with fury, while Lugh awaited Eladriel's attack from above... unexpectedly, the little Wrath could withstand the clash of the broad icy sword, while Lugh was ready to strike...

- "I really have nothing against Angels, but..."

The godly sword crashed into the Dragon Shield, greatly damaging it, but Eladriel also got smacked by the hard shield. He got up and spitted some blood... he could not heal as quickly as usual in the Arena, and Lugh smiled seeing it...

Meanwhile, the valkyries were dueling, but Camilla was getting advantage, as her sword and ice elementals were punishing Ayesha's fire and combat ability... the Wrath was swifter and allowed the fire one a free hand to slightly flame up the water one, but it was not enough... maybe if she was able to replace her foe, she could last longer in the ring...

- "Hey, fiend! You gonna let your minion do the job?! Are you not mighty enough to beat a weakling dark witch, you rejected one?"

- "Nice try, my dear... chill her to the core!"

Camilla went all out in icy attacks, and Ayesha had nothing besides dodging them. Lugh knew what was going on, and strongly rammed Eladriel, attempting to get rid of him for a while... he took a hard blow, but he managed to stop the raging angel!

- "Agghhh... What a...!"

- "Shut up, you piece of...! Lady... resist! I am coming!"

The harmed Lugh rushed as he could to help, forcing Camilla to take back, although his great shield would resist only a few clashes more. The warrior lured the water valkyrie to duel and, finally, Eladriel went against Ayesha, somehow stunned by Lugh's last attack...

- "Ouch... Right... I will do it myself... if you like, fallen one!"

The dark fighter, slightly recovered from the cold strikes, swang the Wrath against the Archangel, who was trying to bait her into some kind of Light Defense spell, but... it did not work, and he had to clash the little sword at the last moment!

- "Nice try, but... which part of "no summonings" have you missed, wimp?"

No summonings for him, but he still had rage, strength and a fearsome Light blade! Ayesha was quicker, and her whip was harassing the Archangel with flames, but he seemed nearly unbreakable. However, Eladriel seemed to fear the Wrath, and he often was willing to tank some whip lashes, just to avoid that sword reaching him... the valkyrie could have a brief look to the other side, where Lugh was boldly standing against her overpowered sister. Maybe she had to bear him a hand again...

The last of Camilla's icy blasts trampled over the Dragon Shield, freezing it and dropping the warrior... and her flying charge finally broke it into pieces, hardly hitting Lugh's arm! He barely withstood her wrath, but it was so hard to survive... fortunately, she got too confident, and did not see Ayesha tossing Lugh the magic spear!

Gae Assail arrived just in time to the smith's hand, but he was not able to clash the mighty water blade... instead, both fighters got painfully nailed! The spear came across the valkyrie's armor, also severely damaging one of her wings, and the godly sword got stuck at Lugh's chest! Both collapsed, but Lugh seemed way more harmed...

Ayesha escaped the assassin's rage for a while, seeking to care for Lugh. The proud Eladriel did not mind a bit about Camilla, and just laughed out loud...