A Bloodline Returned

[Sora Bloodbane]

Many years had past, so much time lost. Lazar long since gone, and good thing too as Sora had been off on her own, lost in a world of torment from her captor and that good for nothing male Drow. That was one good thing that damned Drow, Ladriz, had done. He was skilled enough in poisons to have used it on that fool Laz. If she ever ran across his path though, she would be sure to kill him, slowly. Funny thing now isnt it? This comes as Sora had heard that her beloved Draconian had died. And that infernal Drow was to keep that from happening.

Sora was home, back to her family, well, would have been if any were still around. Though changed, no longer the innocent sweet vampire she once was. Oh, one could find traces here and there. But no, for the most part she had become a killer, just as her captor seemed to have wanted. And why not? The one male she had chosen to care for was gone. One could say it was he who had kept her balanced. The last she had heard of him, was tales of his so called death. Going out in a fight, as he would have liked, and had talked about it for her to know it could have been true enough and not just rumor.

"Die Sora Darkrose!" Came the call from a guard in town as the female ran by. The burly over armored man chased after her. All the while, she laughed, ridding her beloved Velvet Blood. Nudging her mount with her knee. He quickly took a sharp left, ducking down a small alley and disappearing, leaving the guard bewildered for a bit before he wandered back to his post. Both her and her steed popping out in her home town of Impalnith. Now where her new estate resided as it should have been. Though it was not the biggest, it suited her well enough. And she had decorated it for her comfort.

Moving past the female guard stationed in front of her house, she gave and got in return a quick nod. Velvet knowing just where to go as the gate to the stable area opened. Once within the stable, she slipped off the steeds back, gently patting his soft nose. In return he gave a little nudge and grunt. Moving off to the doors, she let out a sigh, entering her home. It was nice to be back in her home lands, just, the ones she loved were gone, family, Raider.

Walking up the stairs to the second floor she tossed her bag onto one of the tables in the study area. A few books and scrolls tucked inside. New things to learn of her homelands she had missed while away. Moving off to her bathroom, something newly decorated with toiletries. Slipping off her red desert shift, letting it fall to the floor, she slipped into the now filled tub. The hot water covering her body. A sweet rose scent wafting up to ease her. Letting her eyes close, her hands resting on the sides of the tub, she let her mind wander.

Where had everyone gone, maybe things pulled them away as they had her. Yet she was dragged by that evil male. And Raider…With that, she shifted a little in the tub, her emerald eyes opening slightly, unfocused as she stared forward. She was now what her brothers and sisters were. Like all vampires should be. Oh of course she was nice to a select few who she had known from before. But there she sat, evil as could be. For now her plans would be to sit and wait for a little bit, see where the lands were heading. Who she could allay herself with for the time being. Evil was going to make its way back, it already was, creeping in slowly.

She tried to relax a little bit more before getting out of the tub, a thick towel wrapped around her as she left the bathroom, crossing the hall to her private chambers. A large pile of pillows in the center of the room for lounging with a bed off to the left corner. Chairs and dressers on the same side, against the wall. Her coffin set off to the right. She could sleep in either the bed or it. Today, she chose her coffin. Moving to it, the towel dropped to the floor as she slipped into the large stone bed. The silks inside were her own touch of comfort. Resting her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes, the lid closed save for half a inch on one side. Drifting off to sleep, she let herself fall into dreams of the past, being safe within, least one would hope.

[Raider Beoulve]

The full moon rose high in the sky just like any other ordinary night, but this night was different it was the night of a blood moon a rare occurrence that had not happened in many many years. A farmer and his son rode slowly on the road back to their home, the days events lasting longer then they originally had planned forcing them to brave the scarcely traveled road at night. The father looked towards his son and pointed up at the moon," See there my boy! This is the first blood moon you've ever seen isn't it? They say it is terribly bad luck to be out on the night of a blood moon. That the barrier between our world and the world of darkness is weakest on nights like tonight. Luckily for you your papa doesn't believe in that poppycock!"

The father had scarcely finished talking when right in front of their cart a giant gate of darkness erupted onto the road scaring the farmers horses so much they just froze in place unable to move, almost unable to breathe frozen in place by the sheer magnitude of the dark energy being emitted by the evil portal. The son screamed but nothing came out the father shouted but it was like the portal just absorbed their fear and grew stronger for it. Demons of all shapes and sizes began to spill out on the road eyeing the two poor farmers for what they were to them. Their first meal in the world of the light. The farmers stared towards what they were sure was their end when out of nowhere a one armed one eyed extremely large blonde haired man erupted out of the portal with a giant glowing red maul on his back dragging a drow in battered midnight blue armor through the portal with him. Once he had the drow securely on the other side of the gate he sprang into action unsheathing his maul and laying into the demons. The poor farmers watched in awe as the blonde haired man fought like a man possessed felling demon after demon taking their attacks head on and shrugging them off like they were nothing. The demons shear numbers took their toll on the blonde haired warrior as more and more spilled from the chaos gate. It wasn't long before they had him surrounded. The large warrior shook his head and shouted," I've come to far to die here today! To many good people have died to get me here! I will not dishonor their memories by falling this close to the finish line!"

He began to grit his teeth and his scarred muscles began to bulge. An aura of magical energy began to surround him,"Grahhhhhh!!! Ultimate polymorph!!!!"
He exploded with magical energy his skin turning a deep hue of orange and as he did he erupted into the demons ripping a hole through the front of them leaving a heap of dead bodies behind him as he cleaved his way back to the front of the chaos gate and the still unconscious midnight blue armored man. Stopping when he was next to him and swinging a massive magical cleave of his maul pushing the horde of demons backwards and disorienting them. He gently shook the man on the ground," Ladriz.....I have no right to ask more of you my friend you've done more for me then I deserve, but please I need you now. We're to close to not finish this! We have to hold this gate long enough for Destin to seal it from the other side! Please we can't let his sacrifice be in vain." The drow stirred groaning a bit then sitting up on a knee," Where the....." He stopped and coughed up a mouthful of blood," Where the hell are.....ugh.....I remember now.....why didn't you leave me back there Raider you idiot! You wasted all that energy carrying me up that giant ass mountain! Now look at you struggling to stop this rabble......You the one who slew the keeper of the chaos gates!"

"I saved you because that's what friends do! like it or not you would have done and have done the same for me in the past! And I lost an arm and an eye in that fight cut me some slack!"
"You and your petty sentiments Raider.....but enough talk help me up so we can end this nightmare and I can finally get paid by that emerald eyed harpy whom I wish I never would've met!" Raider reached down and helped Ladriz up as he took a ragged breath and muttered something about never taking another protection contract from a vampire before unsheathing a large broadsword and a war fork. The two men stood shoulder to shoulder as the demons continued their onslaught fighting together so fluidly they were almost one being. They stood there ground for an hour with more and more demons spilling from the gate. Raider dodged a jagged spear and smashed a centaurs head with his wrymslayer as Ladriz decapitated two lamias. "Raider....what the hell is taking blondie so damn long!" As if almost on queue the chaos gate finally began to shrink behind them. "See Lad! I knew Destin wouldn't let us down! You think by now you would have more faith in him! Let's just hope he can make it through the gate before it closes!"

Ladriz shook his head Destin didn't have the heart to tell Raider but there was only one way to permanently seal the chaos gate and that was with a human sacrifice. He wasn't coming back he had made the ultimate sacrifice for his friend and now Ladriz had to fulfill his part of the bargain and do the same. Ladriz reached into his pouch pulling out a black potion bubbling with energy ripping out the cork he drank every last drop. His body erupted with dark energy creating an aura of darkness so powerful around him it leveled all the demons still remaining, sent the farmers and there cart flying, and sent Raider careening backwards. It took Raider a second to regain his senses and when he did he watched on with horror as Ladriz held both of his weapons in front of him flooding them with demonic power then shot a massive demonic energy beam through the remaining demons annihilating them! Raider's voice caught in his throat as he yelled out to him," La......Lad what the....what the hell are you doing! What the hell is going on!"

"I'm doing what has to be done Raider! There is only one way to seal this gate since we forced it open from the other side using the blood of the keeper of the chaos gates! It requires the opposite of a normal chaos gate summoning it requires a willing demon sacrifice on this side and a willing human sacrifice on the other......since we knew no demon would willingly help us me and blondie concocted this potion to trick the gate into thinking I was a demon, and before you do your usual ohhh look at me I'm Raider I have to save everyone speel know that I was doomed the second I drank this potion. I have only a brief time before the darkness inside of me tears me asunder so please don't try to stop me let me fulfill my duty. Besides blondie has already fulfilled his and he would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't as he so elegantly put it take care of the easy part."

Raider took a ragged breath trying to hold back his despair," Wait!!! Destin's dead.....he said he could come across before the gate closed and we could finish sealing it from this side!" Raider thought back to the heartfelt goodbye he and his childhood friend had shared Destin's words still burning in his heart," Raider I want you to know it has been an honor living and fighting beside you all these years my brother....all the battles we've faced all the sorrows we've shared and all the joyous times. Words cannot describe how much I care for you my friend I will always have your back no matter what happens on this side remember that. Now go me and Ladriz promised to get you back to Sora all those years ago and we are close to fulfilling that promise we have no time waste!" Destin had hugged him the first and last time the two men had ever done so. Tears began to stream down Raider's face and he sprinted towards Ladriz," Damn it Ladriz! Why! We could have found another way! My life is not worth two others! Whyyyyyyy!"

Ladriz just grinned as he trotted towards the chaos gate darkness still permeating from his body," It's simple and you already said the answer earlier that's what friends are for. Besides you saved yourself you carried me all that way in the world of darkness after I could go no further so don't give me that sniveling by all rights I should already be a dead man!" Ladriz stopped in front of the chaos gate and stared at the Large Draconian man sprinting towards him desperately trying to make it in time to stop him from what he must do. He just laughed to himself and thought that's Raider always attempting the impossible always trying to fight the inevitable. He thought back to how they had first met when Sora had hired him to protect him on his random misadventures and all the memories they had shared they may have started as polar opposites but like it or not Raider had softened him showed him how to care for others besides himself. He had that effect on people Ladriz smiled," Farewell Raider find Sora get married have lots of little dragon vampire babies. Me and blondie will be waiting for your goofy arse on the other side. Oh and remind Sora she still owes me a crap ton of coin when she gets there as well!" Ladriz put both his hands out and fell into the chaos gate right as Raider made it to him barely missing grabbing his hand as their fingers brushed against each other. As soon as Ladriz's body made contact with the chaos gate it snapped shut closing around him like it had never been there.

Raider fell to his knees sobbing loudly face upturned to the crimson moon," Destin........Ladriz......no.....no.....why.....whyyyyyyyyy!!! You hard headed bastards we could have found another way! There had to be one! So what if it would've taken us a little longer anything is better then this anything!"

[Raider Beoulve]

Raider sat on his knees face still upturned sobbing to the moon until the farmer and his boy walked past all the dead demons and stood before him. "What the hell....." The farmer stopped for a second to compose himself," What the hell.....just happened....I've never seen anything like that......felt anything like that.....we owe you and your friend our lives." Raider looked up with his one good eye his face covered in tears his armor battered and beaten his body a bloody mess," You owe us nothing good sir....that gate was our doing but it was the only choice we had to escape the land of darkness. I have no right to ask this of you and nothing to give you in return other then this old maul but please if it is payment enough could you take me to the nearest inn?" He held the massive wrymslayer up for the old farmer to take the maul still radiating with power," I can't take this....you need it! A warrior without a weapon is not much of a warrior. Me and my son would be honored to take you to the nearest inn free of charge its the least we can do! Besides you gave me and my son a story that our childrens children will be telling."

Raider stood up and cleared enough demons from the road for the cart to pass then hopped in the back. After they had been on there way for awhile and Raider was certain the danger had passed he slowly drifted off to sleep, the first good sleep he had enjoyed in years. He awoke to the farmer gently shaking him," Here we are good sah! I know the inn keep here and I have already talked to them and arranged for you to stay as long as you need free of charge! The inn keep is a sucker for my wife's minced meat pie so it didn't take much convincing!" The old farmer laughed and helped him out of the cart Raider smiled digging in his pouch for anything of value he could give the old man for his kindness. He rummaged and he rummaged until he finally pulled out a gold locket with a tattered picture of a silver haired emerald eyed female vampire in it. He gazed at the picture thinking about how many years in that god forsaken hell hole he had done the same that picture being all that had kept him going. He gently took the picture out and held it to his heart before placing it in his pocket and handed the old man the locket," Please sir I cannot let your kindness go unpaid. Take this locket and get what you can for it I insist I have the picture that's all that matters to me, and besides I plan on having the real thing before long and I'm never letting go this time!"

The farmer finally took the locket after some more insisting by Raider and headed on his way patting his son on his head and saying," Son from this day forth I will never underestimate anything ever again." Raider watched the kind mans cart disappear into the distance before limping his way into the inn. As he came through the door he got many long glances and a couple of by the gods that man smells and looks like death! He took his room key from a visibly frightened inn keep assuring him he had nothing to worry about and that he would be gone in the morning and trudged up to his room. He took his battered armor off and treated all his wounds as best he could before sinking into his bed and passing out. He awoke to a loud knocking on the door," Sah! Sah! Are you still alive!" a frightened voice yelled," It's been three days!" Raider sprung to his feet and ran to the door a little to quickly his body throbbing with racks of pain. When he opened the door there was a tiny cleaning girl standing on the other side she looked him up and down staring at the scars all over his exposed upper torso then meekly said," I'm sorry to dist...." She stuttered then continued," I'm sorry to disturb you sah but the inn keep wanted me to make sure you hadn't died on us....he also wanted me to pour you a warm bath and bring you a hot meal." Raider smiled gently at the girl," Thank you very much and I'm sorry for frightening you all its been a very long time since I've gotten to sleep in a bed or gotten to sleep much at all for that matter. The bath sounds amazing I plan on searching for someone today and if I find her I can already hear the scolding I would get for being such a disheveled mess!"

Raider ate his meal then seconds and thirds until the inn keep thought he would eat them out of house and home. He then took a nice long bath washing all the blood sweat and gore off of his body. The inn keep was nice enough to give him some plain clothes to wear since his armor was in such bad shape. It took some convincing but he finally managed to talk the inn keep into keeping his armor for payment. It was damaged but not beyond repair by a master blacksmith it was the finest suite of armor Destin had ever made weaving runes and enchantments into it as well as any master dwarven smith. Even damaged it was worth a small fortune he hoped the inn keep headed his words and took it to the dwarven market like he had advised. He headed out of the inn trying to regain his bearings and figure out the best place to find his love. it surprisingly didn't take him that long there were rampant stories about a silver haired emerald eyed vampire wreaking havoc in the country side. Once he found the location of her home he headed that way as he approached the villa he was set on by her two guards they wouldn't listen to him and kept stating he was lying saying Raider had died years ago and he was an assassin sent to harm there lady. Finally he lost his patience and swiftly and quietly knocked both of them out then drug them to two beds and tossed them into them. Shaking his head and thinking by odin's beard why can't anything ever be easy. He followed his nose knowing the scent of Sora's perfume anywhere until he came upon what he was sure was her bedchambers. He slowly opened up the door seeing the coffin and shaking his head he had thought he had convinced her to quit sleeping in those damn things years ago. Only moments after glancing at the coffin the lid exploded off of it! With Sora right behind it laying into him trying to bury a dagger into his throat. Raider quickly countered catching her dagger arm but wasn't fast enough to block her fangs he managed to keep them from his neck but she buried them in the shoulder of his good arm. The second the blood hit her lips she stopped fighting and jumped back she fell to her knees looking up at him her emerald eyes a mix of confusion," No this can't be.....your blood....it tastes just like his.....its not possible he's.....he's dead....I know he's dead.....he went in battle like he had always wanted.....what type of foul sorcery is this! What type of cruel person would do this to me! There are lines you don't cross even with your enemies! Tell me the name of your master I will make him pay.....I will make him pay in ways the gods can only imagine for this!" Before she could hop up Raider jumped over to her and drew her in close with his one arm hugging her tightly doing nothing to fight the tears streaming down his face.

"Sora it is me.....I'm here and I'm so sorry. I've been fighting all these years every day.....every single minute to get back to you I can only imagine what I put you through.....but I'm here now and I plan on making it up to you for the rest of my life!" Sora's bottom lip began to quiver could it be true....it smelled like him it tasted like him...but no it had to be a trick it had to be! She pushed him away breaking his grip," Liar! Raider is dead he has been dead for years! I will not be manipulated by some scheme! I'll ask you one more time one armed man who is your master! Who sent you! This is the last time I will ask!" Raider reached into his pouch and pulled out the tattered picture and handed it to her Sora fell back to her knees her mouth agape taking short shallow breathes trying not to pass out. Only one man could possibly have this picture the picture from the locket she gave him the locket only she knew he had. She began to uncontrollably sob standing up and hugging him tightly gently hitting his chest," You.....bastard....you worried me to death! I died inside again the day I could deny your death no longer! Where have you been what have you been doing! What the hell is wrong with you??!!!! How could you put me through this! How could you....." Her last yell was interrupted as Raider softly kissed her holding her tight kissing her the way he had wanted to for all the years he was gone kissing her the way he had thought about before every battle that he thought would claim his life. It took Sora a second to regain her wits still dumbfounded by the surrealness of the situation. Raider took this change to plop both of them on the bed and lay her head on his chest. She snuggled in just like the old days almost returning to them to a moment then realized she was still mad at him she gently tapped him on the chest with her fist again," You're not off the hook yet! Seriously where the hell have you been!!!!"

Raider laughed softly and smiled he smiled so hard he thought his mouth was going to break then looked at her," What? I told you I would be home later....sheesh....talk about overbearing....since when did it become unacceptable for a guy to disappear for a decade and lose two major body parts." She punched him again softly but couldn't help but laugh she had missed his stupid humor. They laid there laughing together for a few moments before she kissed him again just to make sure she hadn't drank to much blood wine again and was stuck in a drunken delusion. Raider grinned at her afterwards," Sora.....I can't promise you much but I do promise you this....my adventuring days are over I'm ready to settle down I will never leave you again I will never fight in another battle again I'm here this time to stay." Raider dug through is pouch and pulled out a shiny rock crudely attached to a battered piece of steel," This was the best I could scrounge up there really wasn't much pretty where I've been at all this time." He slid the ring on her finger," Will you marry me?" Sora smiled ear to ear," Only if you promise to tell me your story oh and where are Destin and Lad at! They disappeared the same time you did I just assumed you all went together....." Raider cringed at there names but thought about them both on the other side laughing at him for doing so and that made him smile," Its a long story Sora I don't want to get into it tonight we've got the rest of our lives for me to tell it to you. Oh and for the love of Thor please get rid of that gosh damned coffin! You'll never need it again!"

They laid in bed talking and laughing just like old times until they both fell asleep. This day marked the end of Raider's adventures but the start of the greatest years of his life!

[Seph McArthur]

(ooc: Raider, my man...way to make a return splash. That story was well written and quite impressive. Make sure it's not a one time thing. And btw...you still in the Burg up I-81?)

[Sora Bloodbane]

Geeeeeeze I know right, he always does this, ^.^ <3 though he has also left it to end here, in a sense.

But I do wonder, did he realize...umm that someone is not clothed? Would you be scared or not seeing a vampire in the buff coming at you with a dagger fangs and claws? ))

[Kari Delacroix]

(ooc: whoa.. am I seeing that right? I missed a Raider appearance AND a Seph appearance? boys.. boys.. where you been?)

[Guest]

(ooc: whoa.. am I seeing that right? I missed a Raider appearance AND a Seph appearance? boys.. boys.. where you been?)

(ooc: I've been around here and there, however, raising a nearly 3-month old baby boy doesn't leave time for too much else. But that's nothing I'd ever complain about!)

[Seph McArthur]

(And btw...guest post was from me (Seph). Not sure why it logged me off as I was posting it.)

This is me and little man below. Seems fitting to post it here as his name is Odin.

[Sora Bloodbane]

OMG that face!!!

Too much I tells ya!
An yeah, its work but worth it.

[Lord Odin]

Awesome Pic Seph..................................

[Seph McArthur]

You got that right Sora. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've never been so satisfied for being exhausted lol.

And thank you very much Odin. That's one of my favorite recent pictures and I'm sure there are 100 more I could post. He's got so many moods and faces that it makes for great photos.

[Lord Odin]

don't they though, take plenty they grow fast.........................