The Kingdom of the Emerald Hills

Fionnigan came back to consciousness to total and complete darkness. Fionnigan could faintly hear something in the distance. but he wasn't sure what it was. He seemed to be floating, but since he couldn't see anything he couldn't be sure. Fionnigan reached into the right sleeve of his robe and pulled out a small rough piece of quartz.

“By the fires of the phoenix I....” started Fionnigan in a wavering voice.

“Your spells are no good here Hellblazer.” said a voice that seemed to come from every direction and inside of Fionnigan's own head. “You called out to me, and I will show you what you want, what you crave more than anything else in your world.”

“What?” The question was but a whisper coming forth from Fionnigan's throat. The very sound of the voice had brought him to the point of weeping. It sounded of utter sorrow and despair.

“Knowledge wizard. You want knowledge. More than riches, power, or the feel of a woman. You want to know everything. That is why you've given yourself to me, and that is what I am going to give you now.” the voice shrieked with these last words.

Fionnigan felt what seemed to be air rushing past his body as if he were flying. Suddenly in the distance Fionnigan could see a faint sickly red glow. The glow began to grow in size, and Fionnigan realized that he was indeed floating toward the light. Before he could even conjure another thought Fionnigan was surrounded by the sickly red light. It was at first too bright for him, his eyes having tried to adjust to the unnatural darkness they had experienced before.

Once his eyes had adjusted to the strange red light Fionnigan looked around and realized he was standing in a a great city. Fionnigan looked around and began to realize that he was standing in a forum of some sort. He recognized no buildings and didn't know what city this was. As he was standing trying to figure out where it was he was supposed to be a group of five soldiers in chain with spun dome helms were leading an elderly man dressed in black robes into the forum.

The soldiers and the old man were heading directly toward Fionnigan.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where...” began Fionnigan.

The soldiers and the old man continued to come toward Fionnigan without noticing his presence. As they got closer Fionnigan moved to get out of the way, but was too slow in doing so. One of the soldiers passed right through him as he continued to walk past Fionnigan. It was at this point that he realized what had happened and what he had done. He was inside of the wizard's glass. When he touched it, the orb itself must have transported him to a pocket dimension inside the orb.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.

Fionnigan turned to see where the group of soldiers were taking the old man. Fionnigan could see a gallows that was erected in the center of the forum. However there wasn't a gibbet on this particular gallows there was just the base. Fionnigan then noticed the five other men standing on the gallows. They were all dressed in robes, and two of them were carrying staffs. Fionnigan assumed that these men must all be wizards, and so must the old man the guards were leading to the gallows.

“This must be some sort of execution, but why are there wizards instead of a hangman or headsman? What are they going to do to this man?” Fionnigan wondered.

As Fionnigan was pondering this the soldiers led the old man up the steps of the gallows, and to the center of the platform. They stopped the old man, and unshackled his hands only to then shackle them to the very gallows itself. After the soldiers finished shackling the old man to the gallows the five wizards surrounded the old man. A crowd of onlookers had grown to a considerable size by this time, and from the crowd stepped a man in fine clothing carrying a scroll. The man stepped onto the gallows and opened the scroll. He began to read from it although Fionnigan couldn't hear what was being said.

The man in the fine clothing finished whatever it was he was saying and stepped down off of the gallows. As soon as he was clear of the gallows, the wizards began to perform a rite. Their movements and gestures had a strange feeling of familiarity to Fionnigan, but he couldn't think of why. As the mages continued in their arcane ritual a small black circle appeared in the air directly behind the old mage being executed. As soon as the black circle appeared Fionnigan realized exactly what was happening. This ritual was at least physically similar to the ritual that had been performed in Tanglewood in order to keep the portal to the void open.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.

As this realization struck him the bright red light was surrounding him again, and Fionnigan had to close his eyes against the brightness of it. When he opened them again he was standing in a field outside of a wooded area. Fionnigan could see a black dire cat a hundred yards away in the field. The cat seemed to be prowling, on the hunt. As Fionnigan moved closer to get a better look at the cat a great ancient looking dragon appeared in the sky from behind Fionnigan.

The dragon swooped down to the field below, opened it's great jaws and let forth with a spray of fire and smoke. The flames shot straight at the great cat, but it did not falter. As the flames were about to make contact they split in all directions in front of the great beast as if a shield unseen to the naked eye were before the dire cat. The dragon caught off guard by the lack of any effect it's breath weapon had on the cat attempted to swoop up and gain altitude, but the attempt was too late. As the dragon came lower to the plains the dire beast lept into the air, and sunk it's fangs into the neck of the dragon.

The dragon buffeted it's great wings and shot straight into the sky, and then began to wheel about in great loops and corkscrews. All the while the great beast was still hanging onto the dragons neck and kicking at the great monsters chest and neck with it's hind legs. Then as sudden as it had come before again came that blinding flash of sickly red light, and again Fionnigan had to shield his eyes from it.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.

The light began to die down, and Fionnigan opened his eyes again. As he did so the woods surrounding King's Point began to come into focus. Directly in front of Fionnigan stood a man in the red and black robes and keffiyeh of the Saracens. As Fionnigan's eyes completely focused on the scene in front of him he could see Sir Delphos moving toward the unsuspecting Saracen. Sir Delphos reached out with his hand and placed it on the Saracen's shoulder. The Saracen turned and shoved his sabre through the dark knight a look of pain and surprise painting the anti-paladin's face.

The Saracen withdrew his blade, and a face familiar to Fionnigan stepped forward. Seal wrapped his great arms around Sir Delphos and began to speak. Sir Delphos turned to Seal and spoke.

“What are you doing?” the dark knight asked. Fionnigan could now hear everything around him for the first time since he had been pulled into the orb.

“I'm taking you home, old man. I'm taking you home.” Seal replied. As he was speaking Seal and Sir Delphos began to vanish in a teleport.

Before the sickly red glow of the orb consumed Fionnigan's vision again he could see his liege Squire Tuk striding toward Sir Kenta. Then the light of the orb was all around him and it felt like it was also in his mind and spirit. Then Fionnigan was unconscious again. Before he blacked out Fionnigan thought he could hear the sound of chimes in the distance.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.

His arrival went unnoticed.

Sutra had choosen a spot along the forest line hugging the large manor.

He had come to check on how his knight was faring. Last he remembered, Sir Delphos was in a feverish stupor that puzzled even his squire's ability to heal or reanimate the fallen.

Figuring it would be polite to knock instead of teleporting all around someone's home, Sutra reached the front door and lifted the knocker and pounded the door three times.

He waited for a servant or the mage himself to answer.

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The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do service for his sovereign, is the jewel of his kingdom. -Sun Wu

Fionnigan awoke in a clearing surrounded by thick forest. The sound of water lapping at a nearby shore floated to him through the woods, and he could hear birds singing in the trees. Fionnigan stood and looked around. The woods themselves seemed very familiar to him. He was standing in the Gilded Forest on the edge of the Lake of the Plains. Fionnigan knew this spot, this was where the cabin he had shared with Katherina had stood. As the memory struck him with full force he turned, and saw the cabin.

Fionnigan moved toward it slowly in a haze. This felt like a dream, but it also felt far too real to be anything of the sort. As he approached the modest cabin the door opened, and Katherina emerged from the cabin. She was as beautiful as she ever was dressed in a linen gown with a velvet corset her black hair cascaded down over her alabaster shoulders.

Fionnigan fumbled for words, but found none close at hand.

“Hello my love.” Katherina said

“Hello. What happened to me? Am I dead?” Fionnigan asked.

Katherina smiled the crooked smile that always brought Fionnigan joy.

“No my dear. You are not dead. You are dreaming, but your mind is open to the astral plane. You peered into the Wizard's Glass, and because of that your spirit has traveled here temporarily. You will wake from this in a moment, but right now there is someone else who you must see.” replied Katherina.

“Who?”

“Your father.”

“My father?”

“Yes follow me.” replied Katherina

Katherina put out her hand, and Fionnigan walked toward her and grasped it, their fingers entwining. Katherina led him around the side of the cabin to the long stretch of open land that bordered the edge of the lake behind his old home. As they rounded the side of the cabin Fionnigan began to hear a sound he hadn't heard since he was a young man, the sound of the hammer pounding steel on an anvil. As they turned the corner of the cabin, there hammering at an anvil was his father. The man looked younger than Fionnigan remembered his father being at the time of his death. He stood strong bringing the hammer up and then back down in powerful strokes upon the anvil his close cropped reddish brown hair wet with sweat, the muscles of his back and shoulders rippling with every strike of the hammer. This was how Fionnigan had remembered his father looking when he was a boy, young and strong as a hill giant.

“Poppa.” Said Fionnigan as he approached the blacksmith.

The man turned and the great beaming smile that had been ever present when he was growing up was on his face.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.

Sutra pounded on the door one last time before stepping back a couple paces.

He had left the safety of his knight in the hands of the mage only because of the name Delphos muttered in his fevered fit.

'Hellblazer.'

He sighed. Days ago, he would have prided himself in concocting new methods of making someone who had trespassed against him or his own talk. Try as he might, he failed to pool any satisfaction of the thoughts that failed to take flight in his imagination.

He simply wanted it all to end.

'Much is to be done...' he ground.

Closing his eyes, he reached into unexplored depths only recently unlocked. His aether reached out into the umbra that separated flesh from the spirit world. If only he could reach out and try to sense a flicker of his knight's familiar aura.

Nothing. His mind drew a blank.

Sir Delphos was not here.

Sutra scowled at the realization that his trek had taken an undesired twist.

Much could be learned by simply listening to drunken tales at the Tavern at Tanglewood. Next stop: A mug of hot coffee and a clue.

Accepting the new course to be taken, Sutra stepped forward and blinked out of existence.

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The general who advances without seeking fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do service for his sovereign, is the jewel of his kingdom. -Sun Wu

“Hello son.” his father said as he opened his arms for an embrace.

Fionnigan rushed forward into his fathers arms and felt the great man's strong arms wrap around him. Even in this reality his father was as strong as he had always remembered him being. The two broke the embrace, and Fionnigan stepped back away from his father tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I have missed you so much, father.” said Fionnigan.

“I have missed you too, son.” replied his father.

“Why am I here?” asked Fionnigan.

“You're here because you are in doubt, my son. I must tell you that a major battle is coming in your realm, and you will be key to this fight.” said Wilhelm.

“No father I am not. I am not the warrior that you were, and that Banqou is. I have never been even an inkling as strong as either of you.” replied Fionnigan.

“That is not true my son. You are quite strong, but your strength comes from a different place. You have one of the greatest minds I have ever known.” replied Wilhelm.

“Father I failed you. I failed the people of Gryphon's Haven, and I let the legacy of the gryphon riders fade from the lands of Amtgardia.” replied Fionnigan.

“No son, you have not failed me or your ancestors. You still keep to our ways, and you carry the spirit of your people in your heart. You are that legacy, son. You are the heart of the wizard's guild in your new home, and you are still a Hellblazer. You will always be my son, and I will always be proud of you, son.” said Wilhelm.

“All I have ever wanted to do was to live up to my lineage.” replied Fionnigan.

“You have, son, you have.” said Wilhelm.

At that moment Fionnigan suddenly found himself back in front of the cabin facing Katherina. Having had many lucid dreams, most of them prophecies or visions of the future of some sort, Fionnigan was used to the strange ways in which dreams took you places. Katherina grasped his hands and held them in hers.

“I must tell you something regarding what you have seen in the wizard's glass and the upcoming battle your kingdom will face. Do you remember the first vision you had while you were in the wizard's glass?” asked Katherina.

“Yes I was standing in a forum of some sort while a man was being executed using magic. What does it mean?” asked Fionnigan.

“I can't tell you that, but what I can tell you is this vision is one of the keys to understanding what this portal is open to, and how you can defeat the evil that is on the other side. You must inform your king of what you have seen when you regain consciousness. Once you have done that you must prepare yourself for one of the most harrowing battles you will ever face in your life.” replied Katherina.

“But I don't understand what did I witness?” asked Fionnigan.

“You will know in time, my love. I must also tell you that the gypsy you have fallen in love with is also very important to you. You hold back your feelings for her because of what happened to me, and what you think you did to me. I need you to hear me when I tell you that you are not responsible for what happened to me. What happened was an accident. I went with you to stop the death and destruction that was taking place at the tower that day, and I knew full well what the consequences could have been. No matter what the outcome, I was as much ready to lay down my life to stop the darkness from winning that day as you, and if you don't allow yourself to love this woman with the same strength and depth with which you loved me than you will regret it your whole life. Now you must wake, because it is time.” said Katherina.

As Katherina was speaking these last words Fionnigan could hear a banging coming from a far off distance. Fionnigan wasn't sure where is was coming from or what it was, but as she said those last words it grew louder until it drowned out the last thing she said.

Fionnigan opened his eyes and found himself on the floor of his study in his country manor. As he was standing from where he had fallen he could hear someone knocking at his front door.

_________________
"A mind needs books as a sword needs a wetstone, if it is to keep it's edge.”
Tyrion Lannister

I do not suffer fools gladly, and fools with white belts never.

Mortem proditoribus.