-Two Worlds II- (Chapter Twelve: In the Land of Shadows and Sun)

["Cilia" <cilia@xxxxx>]

Title: Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness
Series: Royalty
Book: 4
Chapter Twelve: Into the Land of Shadows
Author: Cilia
Author's e-mail: cilia@xxxxx
Pairings: Well duh!
Distribution and Archiving: List archivers and anybody else who has my stuff
can go ahead. Other's please tell me if you chose to archive this.
Disclairment: Joss owns some and I own some. But hey I think I write better
then he so he can just pucker up and kiss it for all I care.

Summary: Nine years have past in the Old Realm since the deperture of
General Elisabeth Anne Summers after the Battle for Necirs and the following
Search for Willow. Now Willow Summers, her wife and Leader the Alliance
Council must bridge the gap between the worlds to seek out her out, the
darkness is rising and the Last Hero of Necris is needed now more then ever.
So the final story in Royalty Epic begins.


-Two Worlds II: The Heart of Darkness-
Cilia

Chapter Twelve: In the Land of Shadows and Sun

This was the day things started going strange and I?ve never told anybody
this but I?ve always felt bound by the rules of honor?
-Litni Speed

Litni tossed and turned on her small cot, she heard the clashing of weapons
and the screams of dying soldiers. She swung her feet out of the bed and
gathered her cloak around her form; she walked towards the flap of the tent
and pulled it open. The sight that greeted was one of carnage, the sky was
red with fire and she was looking up on a dark fortress. She screamed and
bolted out of her cot, flung open her tent?s flap only to find the clear
night sky and the mountains staring back at her, she turned around gathered
her weapons and clothes and checking on Tare before leaving the tent.

Willow snuggled closer to her wife as they sat in front of the fire. They
had just walked down from the pass two days prior and now they were camped
on the banks of the river that flowed down from the mountains, the dragon
still flew over head, beckoning them to follow to whomever has summoned
them.
?Wills do you believe there is some force behind our powers?? Elisabeth
asked as she stroked Willow?s hair.
?Wha?? Willow asked, completely focused on the feel of Elisabeth?s hands in
her hair.
?When we were walking across the mountains, Cordelia told me about this
thing she called the Background of Being and how it gives all of us our
powers,? Elisabeth explained as she played with a lock of red hair.
?Not implausible, what else did she tell you?? Willow asked.
?That there are beings, the primal ones, like us that are connected more
directly to the background and then there are beings like her, the
Guardians, that guard us,? Elisabeth explained.
?Kind of like a failsafe if one of us goes nuts?? Willow asked.
?Kind of, she was kind of reluctant to admit it, or even tell me what made
her different from us, but maybe it?s just another belief, I mean it?s not
the first explanation I have heard,? Elisabeth said while pondering the
meaning of this.
?If you are thinking that she could have stopped your mom at Necris, stop
it now,? Willow said and sat up.
?I wasn?t? honest,? Elisabeth defended.
?I know you, you are thinking that maybe if Cordy had done her duty and
stopped Joyce at Necris you would have made it to me in time,? Willow said
now fully awake.
?But she didn?t did she, she ran off to fight with you and?? Elisabeth
started and her voice rising.
?Ahem,? Tark said as he stepped into the fire light, the fire casting its
light across his chiseled features.
?Tark, what is it?? Elisabeth asked as she turned away from Willow.
?It?s Litni, she?s gone,? he explained.
?What?? Both Elisabeth and Willow exclaimed and jump to her feet.
?Tare said she took her weapons and her trail leads towards the dragon,?
Tark explained.
?Oh crap,? Elisabeth muttered. ?Go find Cordelia quick, Willow I need you
to prepare to defend the camp,? she ordered and then went to retrieve her
sword.
?Shouldn?t I??
Elisabeth spun around and grabbed Willow by the shoulders and looked at her
firmly.
?No, if the Dragon gets pissed, or something happens, you will be our
backup,? Elisabeth said and pecked Willow on the cheek.
?Good luck,? Willow said with a small smile. Elisabeth nodded and then
turned around to find Cordelia waiting for her.
?You called?? the Ranger asked.
?Litni has gone to? meet the dragon,? Elisabeth explained and Cordelia just
nodded.

~*~*~*~

Litni raced along the riverbank, her feet barely touched the soft ground, in
the distance she could see the blackened mountains that surrounded and gave
the Dark Lands their name. She?d woken up after dreaming the dreams again,
this time nightmares of death and destruction, she knew the answers lay with
the Dragon that hovered over their heads appearing to lead them to an
unknown ally. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. Slowing her sprint
to a stop as she neared the dragon?s resting place she grinned. She was far
enough out of the camp and now it was time to fulfill her secondary
adjective, to protect Willow by eliminating the?
?Spy show yourself,? she shouted and drew her sword.
?I must say: You really are a glutton for punishment Miss Speed,? the
Shadow said as he stepped into view from seemingly nowhere. His white pupils
clearly visible in dim light.
?And you should have stayed in the shadows,? Litni said as she circled him.
?No friends to save you this time,? the Shadow said as he drew one of his
sabers and the circling began in earnest. Litni waited for him to attack,
not wanting to make the same rash mistakes she made the last time they?d
fought only a few days prior. She blocked his first strikes, before finally
pushing him away and taking the offensive. ?To hell with elfin honor? she
thought to herself as she struck, slashing him three times before he could
even bring his sword to bear.
?To hell with rules of combat,? she thought as she jumped up and delivered
a sharp kick to his head sending him tumbling backwards. But he came up on
his feet.
?Well, well you learn quickly,? he commented as he wiped away a dark streak
of what she assumed was blood.
?I don?t lose,? Litni exclaimed as she jumped and delivered a solid kick to
his chest sending him flying.
?Very impressive,? he said as he got to his feet and on the third flying
kick he grabbed her leg and flung her away. ?But not much use if you are
wearing armor,? he said as he sheathed his sword and then proceeded to hit
her and with in a few heartbeats he?d landed numerous blows to her body,
finished off by delivering a upper-cut to her stomach and setting her into
the air. Landing hard on the banks of the river, Litni propped herself up
and reached into her cloak.
?Try standing up from this,? she exclaimed as she pulled out a Drow
crossbow and shot two darts towards him. The Shadow looked sideways to see
the two darts lodged in his shoulder and his vision started to blur. He fell
down next to her on the riverbank, staring up at the star filled sky.
?It?s a fast active sedative. Now it won?t kill you,? Litni stopped to
cough up blood, ?But it will render you incapable of moving for long enough
for me to slit your throat,? she said as she started to get to her feet, but
she had to steady herself on her sword.
?You don?t have it in you,? the Shadow said with a grin.
?What?s your name?? Litni asked as she slumped down somewhat.
?I?m called Poet by my superiors and that will be good enough for you,? the
Shadow said. Litni made another attempt at getting up, but when she got up
the scene was illuminated by a fireball that hovered over its owner.
?You don?t want to kill that young man child,? the owner of the fire said
in a calm and motherly voice.
?By the Goddess,? Litni exclaimed as she fell down to one knee and bowed
her head.


Poet lifted his head to regard the sight before him, his savior, a woman,
followed by the dragon that had kept him tied up with his mission approached
him. She was tall, with fiery eyes and flowing dark blond hair that was
tinted with red. The dragon landed behind her and folded its wings. Closing
his eyes he tried to move and try to purge the poison from his blood, the
first dart popped out and fell to the ground and then the next.
The woman walked passed the kneeling elf and looked down at him with a smile
playing across her features.
?Why do you fight?? she asked as eyes that held controlled fired stared
down into his.
?For the future of my home,? he answered as he tried to get up.
?And to ensure that future you are ready to destroy another?s home?? a new
voice asked. Its' owner was an elf or at least a halfling, with flowing
black hair and large gray that appeared from behind the dragon.
?We ought to kill the dark?un an?take the lass back to da?keep,? the third
voice said, keenly dwarven, but its? owner could not be seen.
?We?ll take them both,? the fire carrier said as she bent down and picked
Poet up and slung him over her shoulder.
?Come with us Litni Speed,? the halfling said as she offered Litni her
hand.
?I??
?Our Lord will explain everything,? the halfling said with a warm smile and
Litni took her hand.
?Bend down my friend,? Joyce said and the dragon lowered her massive head
allowed them to climb onto it?s back.
?I hate dis,? the dwarf muttered as he scrambled onto the back and Litni
couldn?t help but to smile.
?Who are you?? Poet asked as the dragon started to flap her wings, causing
them to rise into the air.
?And what about the rest of the soldiers?? Litni shouted over the roar of
the wind as they picked up speed.
?They?ll find you, but the Lord wants to meet with you two first,? the
woman answered as they streaked towards the mountains. ?As for who I am
young man, well I?m the Lady Sun,? she answered with a smile.

Elisabeth and Cordelia skidded to a halt as they watched the dragon take
off, the fire die and the night regain its grip on the land and they just
stood and stared at disappearing dragon.
?That was?? Elisabeth started.
?I know,? Cordelia nodded. ?We better return and tell the others, we have
a hard march ahead of us,? she said.
?But why Litni and the spy?? Elisabeth asked as she stared into the night
sky.
?Perhaps he gave her the dreams and now wants to make sure he made the
right choice, without us cheering for her,? Cordelia hypothesized as she
scratched a spot behind her ear.
?Can you track them?? Elisabeth asked as she studied Cordelia?s profile.
?Yes,? Cordelia said. ?But you better be make the soldiers ready for a hard
march, since we are running out of time,? she said and turned back to the
camp.
?Running out of time, what to you mean Cordy?? Elisabeth asked as she spun
around.
?In due time Buffy in due time,? Cordelia said as she started walking back
to the camp.

To be continued....

In the next instalment of Two Worlds II! Who is the Lady Sun and who is the
mysterious Lord, also what isn't Cordelia telling Elisabeth about their
mission. Where do Poet's loyalties lie and will Litni be able to make him
see the light or at least try not kill him? All this and maybe some B/W
goodness in the next exciting chapter of Two Worlds: The Heart of Darkness,
coming when only god knows!