The Story Of Requiem

The Story Of Requiem by Red Blizzard

Where did it all begin? The clan, the people, the history. Where did it all come from?

Ch. 0: Prologue

Seth paused behind the remains of a shop to gather his breath. Outside, the clatter of footsteps told him where his enemy was. Another night, another location, and another battle. This time it was the streets of Akiba. Blizzard had sent him there for a recruiting mission for Requiem, and there he was, fighting for his life after a battalion of Chaos Rippers ambushed him there. What was worse, Fire had warned him before he left for Akiba that the Order, a former allied clan turned traitor, was supposed to be active there.

Drawing out a throwing knife, he peeked out from behind the thin brick wall of the shop. Across the street, a Chaos Ripper stared back, grinning insanely, a purple chaos eye latched onto the side of his face. All three eyes blinked at him. Seth wrinkled his nose in disgust and tossed his throwing knife at it. The Ripper ducked away from the incoming knife, sped across the street, and was on top of Seth in a flash. Scrambling to his feet hurriedly, Seth tried to draw his sword from its sheath by his side, but had to dodge away the next instant as the Ripper aimed a wild slash at him with its tainted claws. Seth heard a ripping of cloth and felt a warm trickle stream down his left shoulder. Ignoring the pain, Seth backed up against the opposite wall of the destroyed shop as the Chaos Ripper advanced on him.

Then...darkness. Seth dimly heard a crash, but could see nothing. An icy coldness crept down his back, making his flesh crawl. Then it was over. As the black fog cleared from Seth's eyes, he noticed two things. First, the Chaos Soldier was gone; in its place was a smouldering crater. And standing beside him, emitting a cold aura, was a huge Knight dressed in red and black armor. There was no doubt what it was, from its Guardian armor covered in Doom symbols to the gaping hole in its chest where its heart should have been, to the red eyes glinting from beneath the spiked helmet perched atop its shoulders. It was a Remnant, one of the mighty warriors that fought in the name of the Guardians of Doom. Not for the last time, Seth was glad that the Remnants were on his side.

"Ummm...hello..." Seth began uncertainly. The Remnant didn't respond. Not sure if that was a good thing or not, Seth decided to introduce himself. "My name is Ergent Seth."

"I am Cort." The Remnant replied, not bothering to say any more. It didn't have to. Across the street, two more Chaos Rippers were on their way. One of them had the usual set of finely sharpened claws, while the other cradled a chaorrupted crossbow in its arms. Seth groaned and picked up his sword. The pain was still there in his shoulder. He didn't need to look to know where the last Ripper's claws had torn through his thin regulation Grey Requiem Stealth Suit. He wished he could have been given the thick armor of a Guardian instead of just a light silk tunic for scouting.

While Seth was still thinking, Cort was on the move. Unsheathing a massive black claymore from his back, he tore through the first Ripper like a pair of scissors running through tissue paper. The second one panicked, fired wildly, missing, its bolt bouncing off the Remnant's Guardian armor harmlessly. Then Cort was upon it. Seth was so busy admiring Cort's swordmanship during that brief encounter that he almost didn't notice the fireball whistle past his head. Whirling around, he was confronted with a White Mage, bearing the symbol of the Order. It conjured another fireball and tossed it at the Remnant. Cort turned, allowing the fireball to sail straight through the hole in his chest and out the other side. Then he charged.

The fury of the Remant was burning cold. It was well known that the Guardians of Doom despised anything having to do with good. In the months past, they kept an uneasy peace with the Order only because of the deft leadership of Fire, the former head of the Order. However, no that Fire had left the Order for Requiem, his old clan went underground, using their powers of light to wage war on all clans regardless of affiliation or allegiances. Cort's wrath was terrible to see, as cold, red energy built around the edge of his massive blade. In a few steps it would all be over.

Grinning, the Mage raised his arms above his head, a light orb in his hands. A blinding flash, Cort stumbled backwards, unable to see. The sky was lit up as if it were noon, and Cort hadn't bothered to put on either sunscreen or shades for the night battle. The mage strode forward with a triumphant smile, conjuring a bolt of light, then froze. Its small, robed body was lifted off its feet by the tip of Seth's sword. For a moment, everything was motionless, the mage hanging in midair, Seth still standing with his arm outstretched, sword in hand, panting, glad that he was barely able to reach the mage in time before it could finish off his ally. Cort looked at the whole scene through blurry eyes as he lay on the ground recovering from the flash earlier. Then, a single drop of blood ran down the edge of Seth's sword, splashing onto the ground and staining it crimson. As Seth tossed the lifeless body aside, he shook a shower of blood from his blade, then sheathed it.

The Remnant got back to his feet, still blinking the light out of his glowing red eyes. Not for the last time Cort was glad that he was on Requiem's side. In the distance, the clatter of more footsteps were heard. Seth smiled grimly, remembering where he was. This was war, caused by the fight between Good, Evil, and Chaos. Requiem, being a neutral clan, was free to choose any side it wished, and it had chosen to side with the Remnants. And even though they were powerful, the evil Guardians of Doom could not wipe out good completely. As long as evil existed in the world of Lore, there had to be good in the world as well, and as long as both existed, there would be war.....



Ch. 1: Genesis

In the beginning, there was only the Angel. He spoke to all, his one black wing fluttering, his black armor shining, his promises gilded. He promised to take everyone there, to the Door Within. Many people believed him, and joined him in his quest. Among them was the Priest, an honest man who stuck to his virtues and remained loyal to his leader. The Angel noticed this, and made Priest his right-hand man. More people joined. Nathan, the quiet one, who spoke little but made every word count. Asterisk, who did not care what other people thought, but held his own council. Dye, who always voiced his opinions whenever words were needed the most, and fought whenever swords were needed the most. And Blizzard, the Red, who joined early, only to be cast into a deep sleep days later, not to awake for an age. Eventually, over a hundred people joined the Angel's clan. The clan was named the Alleble Knights, in honor of all who quested for the Door.

Yet although they were powerful, with their bright armor and swords earning them respect wherever they went, they also felt a presence. Here and there, a whisper, a shadow that lingered in each person's mind. A great fear. The Angel was unfazed. He made alliances with other clans, both good and evil, promising them aid and support in times of strife. Many people believed him, his great wing fluttering, his broad sword shining. But the shadow could not be ignored. A rumor of Guardians who worshipped evil and Doom, who destroyed all in their path, who, as word-of-mouth had it, could not be killed.

The Angel finally felt the shadow fall on his shoulder, felt the presence enter his mind. His promises were broken, no aid was sent. Clans lost Grasp of the light, and fell into darkness. It was at this time that the Priest, who was always a follower of the light, suggested that the Alleble Knights remain neutral, neither bowing towards, nor shirking away, from the darkness. The Angel agreed. The Alleble Knights, left the light, dithering, swaying, uncertain and promising nothing. The Angel spoke of leaving the quest for the Door. He and his broad sword would no longer fight for the light, but for Death, and the Reapers who took people's lives without question.

Priest was left with a shell of a clan. People were leaving, abandoned by the Angel, they now abandoned the clan. The Alleble Knights was poised to join the many others who were biting the dust at the time. Something had to be done. In an emergency meeting, the faithful few who remained elected the Priest as their leader. Unsure, untried, and not wanting anything of power or responsibility, he was now charged with leading the remains of a once great clan. The task seemed hopeless...

Ch. 2: Renovatio

Blizzard woke up. He wasn't sure where he was. Tried to blink the dusk out of his eyes, then realized. It was dusk. He got up and looked around.

He was standing in a graveyard. arrayed before him were row after row of tombstones, each on a simple, white block of marble with a name and date on them. Ten per row, ten rows. A hundred all told. Blizzard walked up to the first name. Jeffrey, April 15 - July 10. An Alleble Knight. The next name. Cerulean, June 5 - July 15. An Alleble Knight. Then Robot. Then Kevin, and Doomlord, and White Knight. The names went on and on. All Alleble Knights. One hundred names. Right then and there, Blizzard knew that he had been asleep for a very long time, and that not all was well.

The Alleble Knights base was quiet. Priest sat in an armchair by a softly crackling fire, deep in thought. Arrayed throughout the room and the rest of the Tavern that the Alleble Knights used were various members of the clan who remained. All were silent and motionless. All five of them. Dye sat closest to Priest, standing upright and at attention. Beside him, Nathan sat on a mat facing the wall, meditating. next to him was Skell, reading a book, but staring at the same page for the past hour. And upstairs, not making a sound, was Asterisk. The door opened. In came Blizzard, drenched with rain. The downpour roared through the doorway, flooding the wooden floor. Nobody bothered to look up, bothering Blizzard.

"Ummm...hi guys!"

Silence.

"Hello?"

Dye stirred. "Priest, another one has come." The leader of the clan looked up from where he was sitting. Blizzard was still standing in the doorway, the rain drumming in the background.

"Welcome, to what's left." Blizzard took off his shades and surveyed the scene. The Tavern was damp, musty, and, with the exception of the few meager flames in the fireplace, dark.

"What happened to the clan?" Blizzard asked. "And where's Angel? What about the quest for the Door?"

"The quest has failed. This clan has no purpose. Outside this door is a graveyard." Blizzard nodded. "That graveyard is dedicated to the fallen members of the Alleble Knights. Thanks to war, famine, and plague, we have lost one hundred young souls. We are all that is left." Priest sighed and turned back to gaze into the flames of the hearth. It was a grim time for clans in general. None of the Alleble Knights's allies were faring any better, and many were faring far worse, with numerous clans having already died off. A foul plague was in the air, striking people down without warning, shutting down their minds, leaving them lying gasping for breath where they last stood. Even the notorious Guardians of Doom had disappeared from sight as their ranks were cut down by the plague.

Blizzard entered the small Tavern, taking off his wet cloak and leaning a katana and a guitar against the wall.

"So, the Alleble Knights is finished?"

Priest sighed again. "Like I said, we no longer have a purpose."

Dye stirred from where he stood. "Priest, that's not true. Even if we can no longer find the Door, there are other things to be done in this world. Chaos is spreading. Light is gaining strength daily. The darkness is being barely held at bay. If we get this clan back on its feet, we could easily benefit one side or another."

"No," Priest said. "We are a neutral clan. That means we don't side with one faction or another. And what can we accomplish with only five people and a dead clan name?"

"Correction. Make that six people, and we will have a new clan name." Blizzard swept into the room. "Why not reorganize the clan, leave behind all traces of the past, and move forward? We can start by deciding on a new name right now. Or do you want to see this clan go down the drain?"

Priest spoke. "My responsibility is to ensure that this clan survives, by any means necessary. That was the task given to my by the Angel before he left. And because the rest of you have elected me leader, I have no choice but to follow through with my promises. This clan has yet to fulfill its promise, but I will make sure that we gain honor for ourselves!"

Everyone in the Tavern stirred. A new life had been injected into the clan as it began to busy itself. It was a Renaissance; Renovatio; Rebirth. Everything, from clan ranking to the clan name, was redone and remade. The chosen name was Requiem, the Deathsong. The chosen emblem was the eye, staring out of the darkness, bringing light to the dark and dark to the light. And the eye was blue, representing the only link to the past, back when Angel had first taken a liking to people with blue eyes as part of his quest for the Door Within.

But now the quest was no longer a quest. It was an ultimate goal. Requiem was out to take the world by storm, to bring the best of the Light, the Dark, and even the Chaos together into one, neutral clan that was going to become a world power. A month later, the transformation was complete. There was a new clan on the block.


Ch. 3: Promises Unbroken

Blizzard strode through the streets proudly, shades masking his red eyes, a guitar strapped to his back. He passed by Taverns and Inns that bore faded signs reading "CLOSED" or "CLAN DISBANDED" across their rotting wooden doors. Blizzard ignored these signs, instead showing off a fresh black leather jacket that proudly bore the Requiem insignia, the Blue Eye.

In the past week so much had changed. Newcomers to the clan, such as Skell and Jacob, brought an air of rejuvenation to the clan, which was mostly populated by old geezers such as Dye and Asterisk who had been around since the creation of Lore. Skell was a youth from a Jungle Island in the Southern Seas. Shortly before Blizzard had Awoken, Skell had arrived in the clan base with a pet toucan on his shoulder. He brought with him a profound knowledge of the Door Within and information from other ancient texts. Jacob had spent his childhood in a circus, and came to the clan in an odd way shortly after Blizzard's return. One day he appeared in the doorway, sunlight streaming through behind him, with a great big goofy grin on his face. The first thing he did was introduce himself, then hit himself on the side of the head. Immediately he was regarded as a bit eccentric, but he spoke often, and helped to liven the mood at the clan base.

Reorganization of the clan had proceeded fairly quickly, as Priest streamlined the decision process in order to get reforms into action as quickly as possible. The first to go was the title of 'Elder Guard'. What did the Elders have to guard anyways? And why call them Elders, when the oldest person in the clan didn't have a single grey hair on their head? In place of the old rankings were simple, straightforward titles such as 'Captain' and 'Lieutenant'. They were self-explanatory, and lent more power to their names because of their widespread use. During this process of reconstruction, many old-timers came less and less to the clan base. Logan, a hard-working veteran and Elder Guard turned Captain, did not appear at all after the change in ranks. Many suspected that he died quietly in the comfort of his home from the plague, and was forgotten there. Asterisk wore his Captain's belt more proudly, but was still increasingly morose due to unknown reasons.

After internal reorganization, Blizzard went to the city of Wa-Kia in order to renew the clan's alliances with the clans that were left in the world of Lore. Impressions had to be made, broken promises had to be fixed, and before war could be had, powerful allies were needed. Yet so many clans had fallen in the past few months. Blizzard passed another Inn, bearing the fading insignia of Gens Nex. No light shone through the dirty, cobwebbed windows. The streets themselves were deserted, devoid of life save a few stray dogs. He paused before a large building titled 'Archives'. It would be a good idea to see what had happened since he had last fallen asleep. Blizzard went in.

A man with dark circles around his eyes greeted Blizzard in a sleepy voce from his spot at a dusty old desk. "Welcome to the Grand Archives of Wa-Kia. Here, we have stored all the information on each clan that has ever existed. How can I help you?"

Blizzard took a quick glance around him. From floor to ceiling, stacks of yellow parchment were piled high on fragile wooden shelves. Ignoring the man at the desk, Blizzard walked off to the section highlighting the history of the Alleble Knights. He took out the stack of information on the clan, and replaced it with a new, thin stack of parchment that discussed the formation of Requiem. He then settled down to read the list of clans that had allied themselves with Requiem. There were promises to be unbroken.

Ch. 4: Grasping Ideas

Allies
Voldemort's Revengers
L.O.R.E.
The Elements
Evolution
Pactagonal Outcasts
Knights of the Great Order
Olympians of Lore
Whispering Shadows
White Light Society
Paladin Lightbringers
Team Pinoy
The Order
The Order of San Carlos
Executioners of Torment
Dragonslayers of Lore
Gughaourghthdeiaounzd ov thooummm

From behind his shades, Blizzard raised an eyebrow at the last name on the list of the Alleble Knights's Allies. He was in the Grand Archives of Wa-Kia, looking up the Alleble Knights's past in order to get a grasp of Angel's policies. Hopefully, he would be able to use this information to better help Priest lead Requiem in the future. However, Angel's policies were everywhere. He had many friends and many enemies, and had broken many of his promises to come to the aid of his friends in times of hardship. Blizzard picked up another roll of parchment and began to read.

Grasp Membership
The Alleble Knights joined the Council of Grasp, known colloquially as either the Council or merely Grasp, in order to further their relationships with many of their allies and to build relationships with new clans. However, they frequently left the Council when an unnamed clan declared war on members of the council, and finally left Grasp for good after an agreement with an unnamed clan.

The passage was short, but it told him two things. First, it showed that Angel had not only broken his promise to individual clans, he also refused to honor his agreements with clan councils. Second, it showed that a mysterious outside force was powerful enough to challenge a prestigious clan council such as Grasp, and intimidate a leader such as Angel so much that they were willing to leave the clan council for their own safety. But what was this force? Blizzard checked the clan list again, glaring at the smudged name at the bottom of the list. Could that be the mysterious force that Angel had come to an agreement with? At the front desk, the old man who ran the archives was clueless. After examining the text with a magnifying glass, he was able to conclude nothing.

"Why not ask the leader of the Council?" the man told Blizzard.

"Who is the leader of Grasp?"

"Who knows? All I can say is that he doesn't reveal his true name or true motives very often. He is also the leader of the Order, and he goes only by the code name Fire." Blizzard mused at the old man's words. Ironically, he had also been known only by his nickname. His true name was hidden.

"Where can I find this Fire?"

"He has a clan base, but it is hard to find. If I were you, I would check the Grasp Headquarters instead, which is right here." The man gave Blizzard a map, explaining the directions. Half an hour later, Blizzard was back on the streets of Wa-Kia, tracing his way towards the seat of the Council. Suddenly, a sound other than his own footsteps. Blizzard looked up. Blocking his way were three figures, hooded, muffled, and armed. Each one had a large cudgel in their hand and a short sword by their side.

Blizzard waited patiently. The three figures stood there. "Well, are ya going to tell me what you want?" One figure fidgeted, then stepped forward. It yanked back its hood and pulled down its muffle to reveal the mellow, smiling face of an almost-ordinary man. Blizzard would have lowered his guard had it not been for a pulsing purple chaos eye sprouting from the man's forehead. As it was, Blizzard unsheathed a large katana from his back. Just as he was getting into a fighting stance, the chaorrupted man lunged with his cudgel. The two others followed suit. Blizzard slashed through the first one, then pulled up his sword for a second swing. The second thug tried to block his attack with his cudgel, but was sliced in half nevertheless, two broken pieces of cudgel landing side by side with each half of the body. The third thug pulled out a small, purple orb, muttered an incantation in harsh tones, and raised his arm. Just as Blizzard beheaded the thug, the orb exploded, oozing out a purple goo. Some of it splattered onto Blizzard's katana, gluing it to the body of the third man. Try as he would, Blizzard couldn't manage to separate his weapon from the body. The goo had glued it fast. In the middle of his attempts to dislodge his sword from the body, Blizzard lifted his head. he was not alone.

On either side of the street, more thugs lined up, armed and at attention. In front of him was a short, purple man wearing a purple cape and a slightly rusty purple suit of armor. Blizzard gave up trying to dislodge his sword. Instead, he stood up to face the newcomer and his cronies.

"You fought bravely. Let me applaud you for your splendid fighting! It is not every day that a lone warrior fighting by himself can take down three chaorrupted soldiers all by himself. In fact, I am so impressed that I want you to join my clan." Blizzard raised an eyebrow, glad that his shades hid his questioning eyes from the newcomer. Other than the fact that he had made a grammatical redundancy, the man had failed to introduce himself or his clan.

"And...who are you?" The man's smile widened.

"I am Lord Kobi, a servant of the 13 Lords of Chaos. I am wondering if you are interested in joining me and my clan?" Blizzard paused for a moment in mock puzzlement.

"I think I'll pass. I'm already in a clan."

"Oh? Is that so? Then I would like you to be our allies!" Blizzard was puzzled by this Kobi's attitude. He didn't even ask for the name of Blizzard's clan, he was already sure that he wanted to make an alliance.

"How about...no? I just took down three of your guys without breaking into a sweat. Why would I want to make friends with a weakling like you?"

"EXCUSE ME!!! DID YOU JUST CALL ME WEAKLING?" Kobi was purple with rage, which wasn't surprising considering that he was purple to begin with. However, his wrath was so great that he was stamping up and down like a child who had just had their favorite toy taken away from them. With a swift, complicated, and fancy flourish of his arm, Kobi cried, "GUARDS, KILL HIM!!!" One by one, each guard drew a Deadly Axe of Chaos from their back. Blizzard was surrounded, with his main weapon embedded in purple goo. Ten Chaos Guards versus one lone member of Requiem. You really had to feel bad for them. The Chaos Guards that is.


Ch. 5: The Fire Within

The first of Kobi's guards charged, whirling a Deadly Axe of Chaos over his head, then bringing it down with a loud crash. Blizzard effortlessly dodge the blow, pulled out a hidden dagger from one of his sleeves, and thrust it upwards, cutting through the guard's chin, splitting his tongue, piercing the roof of his mouth, and lodging somewhere in his brain. As Blizzard withdrew his hand, a mixture of blood and saliva poured through the hole in the bottom of the guard's head. But Blizzard had no time to clean his hand as a second guard descended upon him. Drawing out two more daggers from concealed pockets, Blizzard slashed open the second guard's belly. The third guard tangled his feet in the innards of the second one, and both screamed and fell over with a crash. The third guard quickly untangled himself and stood up, but the second guard thrashed about, then twitched, then lay still.

By this time all of the guards were upon Blizzard. Without hesitation, he drew out the rest of his daggers from his pockets, juggling three at a time as he flung them in all directions. He saw two fall, blades sticking through their eye sockets. However, the rest were coming in too fast, and daggers were no use in parrying against axe blows. With a sigh, he gave one last tug at his katana, where it still lay embedded in the body of the first chaos thug. It pulled free. In an instant, Blizzard was backflipping and somersaulting over the heads of the chaos guards. Whirling about, he slashed again and again, trying his best to cut down the remaining guards. Two more guards lost their heads before one guard smote the flat side of his axe against Blizzard's head, sending him careening into a wall. Eyes filled with stars, unable to see, Blizzard tried to ward off any attacks that came his way, but one Chaos Soldier slipped through his guard, brought up his axe, and...

And was blown off his feet by a fireball. All heads turned. Blizzard wiped his shades clean, then craned his neck to see. At the far end of the street, a lone, hooded figure stood, dressed in blue and white. On his back was a claymore, and one of his hands was still smoking from the spell he had just cast. Then he began to approach the group. Kobi stared at the advancing figure, mouth gaping. Drawing back his hood, the newcomer revealed a sharp, clear-cut face, with chiseled features and electric blue eyes that radiated a fiery wrath that was palpable.

"Kobi," the man said in a quiet, deadly voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Now Fire," Kobi spluttered, "I can explain. This guy insulted me and..."

"You are attacking a lone man with ten of your guards. Yet your own sword isn't drawn yet. Have you fallen so low that you cannot even draw your own weapon to defend your honor?" Kobi, purple with embarrassment, did not answer. "Take your men away and get out, before I decide to ban you and your rabble from my Council." Speechless, Kobi gave a shallow motion and stalked away, the rest of his guards trailing. Three thugs and seven Chaos Guards were left behind, dead. Blizzard brushed himself off, retrieving his daggers from the bodies of the slain. His katana was still covered in purple goo from the last thug's chaos orb, so he didn't bother to sheath it. Instead, he turned to face the newcomer.

"Hey there. What's your name?" Blizzard took off his shades to get a better look at the man. His white robes concealed an armor blazing with blue runes from an ancient language. Similar runes ran down the blade of the sword on his back. Then the man spoke.

"I am Fire, lord of the clan of the Order and founder of the Council of Grasp. And you might be?"

"Red Blizzard, captain of the clan of Requiem. I was told to look for you for information regarding Grasp."

"Then you have come to the right person. But what is Requiem? I have never heard of the clan name before."

"Well, we used to be called the Alleble Knights," Blizzard Began, but was suddenly cut off by Fire.

"The Alleble Knights? They used to be a very respected clan. Tell me, why has Angel decided to change his clan's name to Requiem, the deathsong?"

"Angel is no longer the head of our clan. I have set out to gather information on the Alleble Knight's past diplomatic dealings, to better help Priest lead the clan and help it return to greatness."

"Angel is no longer the leader of your clan? This is news to me. Come with me to our base. It's not far." Blizzard followed Fire as they both set off at a brisk pace. In less than a minute, they stood in front of a large, marble building with a domed roof and a pillared entrance. The whole structure was reminiscent of Rome's Parthenon. Yet there were already deep cracks in the structure, and here and there whole chunks of marble had fallen away. Inside the building, a long hallway led past rows of huge statues. Blizzard stopped before one of them, a man with a high and noble brow, but with the hint of a sneer on his face. The pedestal read "Elitis". Another pedestal showed a man deep in thought, with short, spiky hair and a single, huge wing spreading out from his right side. "Angel".

Fire led Blizzard to the far end of the hallway, where a freshly made statue, towering over the others, depicted a man with a squat stature, perfectly combed hair, and a pudgy face that showed an attempt to try to appear noble. The overall effect was one of false glamour and gilded glory. The pedestal read "Kobi". Blizzard gazed at the statue with a mixed expression of surprise and bemusement, but then entered a large, circular room. A total of eight seats were drawn up around a large, wooden table that was piled with dust. Fire walked to the other side of the room and took a seat in a large, cushioned chair. He motioned for Blizzard to sit as well.

"This is the chamber of the Council of Grasp, where we hold our meetings. Now, tell me your story. All of it." Blizzard began with Angel's departure from the clan, then described, without going into great detail, the reorganization of the clan and the renaming. Fire listened intently, then sat deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.

"It is sad to hear someone so great fall so low. Yet from the beginning I knew that his quest for the Door Within was doomed to failure. A clan with a single, narrow purpose will not last long, as opposed to a clan with a broad purpose, such as mine. I help people to find their inner order, their own Fire Within, if you will. Our clan has mastered the ability to control our emotions and thoughts, dedicating ourselves to order. After accomplishing this, I looked around and saw chaos among the clans. I created this Council to bring the same order to other clans that I brought to my own."

Blizzard paused, then asked, "Then why do you allow people such as Kobi to come in with his clan of chaos? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of your council?"

Fire answered. "The point of my Council is that anyone can join, regardless of their faction, as long as they seek to make new friends and bring order to the world. Kobi made such a pledge, although he seems to be having a little trouble with following our code. Your former leader, Angel, also found trouble attaining order. It seems he finally lost order in his own clan and left. These days, few clans trouble with order any more, or are too stricken with the plague to be able to lift their swords."

"One last question."

"What is it?"

"Who is Elitis?"

"Elitis is a petty, low-minded, weak little thing." spoke a voice from the doorway in sharp, steely tones. "He attempted to take control of the Council to further his own goals and to turn everyone against the greatest power of all. Because of his failure, he is doomed to walk this world forever, friendless and alone. Take care that you do not fall to the same fate." Blizzard turned around. Framed by the light streaming from the doorway, wearing a bloodred cloak and a horned helm, stood a single, dark figure.

Ch. 6: Greener Pastures

A wave of coldness slid down Blizzard's back, chilling him to the bone. The dark figure in the doorway had a huge, red aura around him that darkened the room and muffled all sounds. Blizzard felt his eyes roll to the back of his head, felt his eardrums threatening to pop, felt dizzy and sick, was about to faint...and the feeling was gone. The dark figure strode into the room, the last strands of his aura gathering under the ragged folds of his crimson cloak. From across the room, Fire narrowed his bright blue eyes as he stared into the gleaming, red eyes that glared through the eyeholes of the newcomer's horned helm. They remained motionless, staring at each other for a moment, then Fire blinked and looked away.

"Lizargeco. Why have you come?" Fire stared at the wall as he uttered these words, not bothering to look in the direction of the person he was talking to. Lizargeco strode up to the table, wiped a thick layer of dust off of the surface and carefully examined it.

"I came to watch the Council of Grasp fall." Lizargeco replied in steely tones, his eyes fixed on the side of Fire's head. Blizzard heard a sharp intake of breath as Fire turned back to glare at Lizargeco, his eyes ablaze.

"To watch the Council of Grasp fall? Excuse me, but this Council is nowhere near falling. It has stood for ages, bringing order to the world, and is not about to crumble just because YOU give the word." Fire flung each word at Lizargeco, who merely stared right back. Blizzard was sure that, from somewhere inside the helmet, Lizargeco was smiling with bemusement.

"Let me see. How many members of the Council are left? I don't remember the last time the Council has had a meeting, and judging from the chaos happening daily in the streets just outside, this Council hasn't been very effective in the last few months." Lizargeco spoke each word with deliberate softness. Yet there was still the hint of steel behind each syllable.

Blizzard decided that it was time to say something. "Ummm...who exactly are you, Lizargeco?"

"Wait, you have never heard of Lizargeco?" Fire turned his electric blue eyes on Blizzard. "NEVER? He was the leader of the largest clan in this world.."

"I AM the leader of the largest clan in this world." Lizargeco corrected Fire. "Whereas you WERE the head of the Council of Grasp. You have to accept the truth that the Council is very much dead. Recently, I saw a different council, the United Federation for Allied Clans. I also saw that you applied to it, claiming that Elitis had ruined the Council of Grasp. Apparently you already know that Grasp is falling apart. And I just saw Kobi, a servant of the 13 Lords of Chaos, pass right by this hall with three Chaos Guards in tow, spreading chaos as he went. Wasn't he part of the council?" Fire was incensed, but Lizargeco continued. "Listen to me. Nothing lasts forever, and a good leader needs to know when he is leading a lost cause. You are like a shepherd that continues to drive his sheep towards the same desolate wasteland to feed every day, rather than search for greener pastures. It's time to move on." Fire was about to speak, paused, looked around the chamber. The table, covered in dust, the walls, cracked and dirty, the hallway beyond, with statues falling to pieces, depicting various clan leaders, both good and bad, most of them long gone. The Council of Grasp had a rich history, but where was it now?

"I guess you are right. It is time to let go of the past. I will "move on to greener pastures" as you say, and move on. The clan council was a great idea, but it's time is over." Fire got up, gathered his equipment, and moved for the door. Blizzard and Lizargeco followed him as he walked back down the hallway of statues, then out the door. Once everyone was back under the sunlight, Fire took a great key to the tall gilded doors, locking them shut. He then turned and walked straight out of town, never looking back.

"Amen." Blizzard muttered, watching the blue figure of Fire fade into the distance. He then turned to Lizargeco, who was also watching the retreating figure of the former head of the Council of Grasp. "So, Lizargeco..."

"Please, call me Liz." Blizzard paused. Wasn't that a girl's name? "So...Liz...who are you?"

"What I am about to tell you is secret. Nobody knows this information at all, outside of my own clan. You heard Fire say that I was the leader of the largest clan in the world?" Blizzard nodded. "That clan was the Guardians of Doom." In his mind, Blizzard thought back to the smudged name at the end of the Alleble Knights's allies list. Didn't it have three words in its name? And he was positive that the first name started with a G. "The Guardians of Doom gathered over 300 of the strongest servants of evil in the world, organized them into a single fighting group, and destroyed all who dared to challenge them. We were the largest force ever seen in the world of Lore. But, what I lead now is only a fragment of that clan, a remnant of its greatness. But we do survive as a clan, and no matter how small we are, we are still the strongest clan in this world. Now, I happen to know who you are, Red Blizzard of Requiem." Blizzard opened his mouth, but was cut off. "I know that your clan used to be called the Alleble Knights, led by the Angel. And I know that your clan is also only a remnant of its former greatness. However, I see potential in both you and your clan. Priest is a strong leader, both dedicated to the task at hand and popular among many people. And I have seen what you can do with a clan's internal structure. Now, here is the most important thing I have to tell you. As a former ally of the Alleble Knights, and a friend of many of the members of that clan, I'd like to renew our alliance with..."

Suddenly, Blizzard had a feeling in the pit of his stomach. The kind of feeling that told him that something very bad was about to happen, and that many of his friends were going to be in mortal danger. "I'm sorry Liz, but there's somewhere that I need to be right now." And with that, Blizzard sprinted off towards the clan base.

Priest looked up as a small, ragged figure sprinted through the doorway, a great gash across his chest, a sword in his hand. In an instant, he and Dye were beside the figure as he slammed the door shut and barred it. "My name is Soracraz," the man said through ragged breaths. "Please save me! They're right outside!" Jacob stared through one of the windows, then ducked as an arrow shattered the glass and missed his head by inches. Nathan, Asterisk, and Skell came dashing down the stairs, armed and ready. "There's a HUGE army right out..." Dye put a finger to his lips, silencing Skell midsentence. He listened outside, hearing the heavy clank of armored footsteps approaching the building, then braced himself against the door with all his might as the whole base gave a shudder. Dye turned to the rest of the clan and said, in a voice barely above a whisper, "They have a battering ram."

Ch. 7: Destruction

More clanking footsteps, another resounding crash, and the oak door creaked ominously as the battering ram smashed into it. Nathan, Asterisk, and Jacob all ran over to help Dye hold the door as Priest bent down and began to apply magic to Soracraz's wound. Skell backed up a ways from the doorway, pulled out a yew longbow, and nocked an arrow to it and waited. "Why did they bring a battering ram just to storm our clan ba.." Skell began, but Dye silenced him again. He was listening to the orders being given outside to the various besiegers. Dye prayed that they didn't have grappling hooks, or the second floor would be swarming with skirmishing troops.

Priest decided that now was the time to ask questions, before it was too late. "Soracraz, what is going on?"

"First of all, please let me join your clan."

Priest sighed, then answered, "Fine. Just tell me what's bringing such a large army here to bother the six of us."

"Six!?!?!? I thought you guys were a HUGE clan!!!"

Priest groaned. It didn't comfort him to know that this guy had come seeking asylum in hopes of finding a huge army to help him. Still, there was no point putting on a sad face about it. "Don't worry, my six are the best." The building shook as yet another boom sent Dye and the others flying from the door. But they were back on their feet in seconds, and rushed back to brace the door. Nathan was bringing up tables and chairs to reinforce the faltering oak frame.

Priest turned back to Soracraz. "What kind of army is outside?"

Soracraz began to whimper. "Please don't get mad at me, I didn't know, I just wanted to be safe. But there's a guy called Elitis outside, with a bunch of Shadowstorm guys..." Priest resisted the temptation to swear. The ShadowStorm Elites were a group of aggressive fighters led by the arrogant Elitis, who enjoyed cruelly slaughtering random clans for enjoyment. If he was here, then he must have somehow known that they were weakened, because he wouldn't have dared to attack the Alleble Knights at the height of their power.

Another crash. An iron stud poked its way through the doorway an inch from Dye's head. Skell let loose an arrow, sending it through the hole. Outside, a scream, a thump of a falling body. Harsh orders barked out. Then another crash. The door began to splinter as five more iron studs poked their way through the door frame. Dye signaled for everyone to back away as he unsheathed a huge scimitar from his back. Everyone else did likewise, drawing their weapons as well. Another crash and...they were through.

Two shock troopers, wearing hulking Reaver armor and armed with spiked maces, barged their way in through the smashed doorway. Skell nocked an arrow and let loose, hitting the first Reaver in the neck. It stumbled, then fell forward. Three more Reavers leaped through the doorway to replace the fallen one, trampling over its dead body in their rush to get their first kill. Dye aimed a deadly swipe at the group of reavers, ripping chunks of armor from their bodies and killing two of them. Asterisk dived into the growing mass of shock troopers, wielding his Lightbringer Mace with both hands. Priest heard a sickening crunch and dark blood splattered the floor. The skull on Asterisk's mace grinned as it pulled away from the carnage of three dead Reavers.

By this time however, other troops were pouring in through the doorway. Soldiers bearing huge shields and glowing red shortswords rallied to defend their faltering Reavers, all wearing helms resembling skulls. Despite their resistance, the six members of Requiem were slowly falling back. Finally, Dye cried out "Up the stairs!" and motioned for everyone to follow him up onto the second floor. Asterisk nodded, then turned and smashed throw two ShadowStorm shields to cover the retreat. Priest, who had left his weapon upstairs, was the first one on the second landing, with Nathan following him closely. Skell dashed halfway up the stairs, then turned back to rain arrows down on the advancing ShadowStorm troops from his position on higher ground. Dye surveyed the room for stragglers, then saw Jake, cornered. A man swept into the room as if he owned the world, sporting a billowing, black cape, a high, arched nose, and an arrogant sneer. Elitis. Drawing a black claymore, he turned to advance on Jake, who was curling up into a ball to make himself look smaller. At the last moment, Dye yelled to Jake, "Draw your weapon!!!"

Jake looked up, confused, began "Whu....? Oh, wait, yeah!" Reached behind his back and drew...a giant fish. Elitis raised an eyebrow, was about to laugh, then decided not to as a great big wet fish smacked into his face. Jake, not bothering to look at the damage he had created, dashed through the crowd of astounded ShadowStorm troops and skipped up the stairs without suffering a single scratch. That just left Soracraz, freshly healed by Priest.

He called to Dye, saying "Go! I'll cover you!" Dye nodded, then ran up the stairs. He turned at the top step to call to Soracraz, then watched, blood draining from his face, as Soracraz took a swing at one of the last remaining Reavers, missed, tripped over his own feet from the momentum of his swing, and was smashed into the wall by the Reaver's mace. Dye turned away, not waiting to see the rest of the troops hack Soracraz's remains to bits. In the room below, Elitis was sitting in Priest's chair, barking out orders while cleaning his face. The fish had left a mark on him.

Priest waited upstairs, expecting Reavers to come tramping up the stairs at any moment. But downstairs, Elitis had different ideas. Slowly, all of his troops filed out of the building, gathering tables, chairs, and all other furniture as they went. Outside, the blocked up the entrance, then piled firewood against the sides of the building. Elitis himself did the honors, then, gathering the remaining half of his army, he marched away, feeling good about himself as he continued to clean his face.

Inside the base, Jake asked, "Do I smell smoke?"

Dye frowned, muttering, "Can't be. You're just imagining it again."

"Oh, ok." Jake decided not to say anything about the flames he saw leaping outside the second story window. That was probably his imagination too.

After a moment or so, Skell asked, "Isn't it a bit...quiet downstairs?"

"I'll go downstairs to check," Nathan said, then walked downstairs a few steps, then ran those few steps back up. "They've blocked us in and set fire to the building!"

Ch. 8: Shady Dealings

Blizzard arrived on the scene and stared, shocked. The entire clan building was up great orange flames that towered thirty feet in the air. Not only was the entire wooden structure burning and the glass windows cracking, but a stifling magic kept the flames alive, as they incinerated everything. Inside, Blizzard could hear someone trying to fight their way out the front door, but a huge pile of rubble and destroyed furniture blockaded the entire front of the building. Behind him, Blizzard heard Lizargeco come trudging up, then pause. He didn't need to turn around to know that Liz was just as shocked as he was.

Inside the building, Asterisk was trying to use his Lightbringer Mace to knock down the front door, but something was keeping it shut from the outside. Dye and Nathan were busy shoveling debris out of the way to help, but the flames were closing in thick and fast around them. Jacob clutched his giant fish for comfort, screaming loudly, "WE'RE ALL GONNA DDDIIIEEE!!!"

"Stop yelling my name!" Dye yelled at Jake, shoving him out of the way as he tried to find another way out of the building. There was none. Through the shattered window panes, he could see the flaming debris outside that trapped them inside their tomb. Priest closed his eyes, offering up a prayer to heaven. Were they all really going to go out like this? Just as the clan was starting to roll?

Outside, Blizzard could barely hear Priest's prayer. Then, the entire front of the building collapsed. The fires died down as the magic that fed them was erased, the traces vanishing to the winds. Priest, Dye, Nathan, and the others scrambled out of the building. Seconds later, the rest of the base creaked as it was robbed of support, then collapsed into a heap of rubble. Jake barely made it out of the building in time, and stared down mournfully at his giant, fried fish.

After gasping for breath for some time and just enjoying being out in the open air alive, Priest looked up to survey his surroundings. Immediately he noticed Lizargeco. "Oh..." he began. Liz held out open palms, face up, towards the clan. A universal sign for peace. That was a good sign.

"Hello, Priest. I have come to renew my clan's alliance with your clan." Priest thought back. Since when had Angel arranged for an alliance with the Guardians of Doom? "I would like to express my sympathy towards your clan, having just been fiercely attacked by the ShadowStorm Elites and having nearly died in the destruction of your base. But I can help your clan rebuild and grow strong. Please accept my offer of an alliance." It was a no-brainer.

"Alright," Priest muttered, brushing ashes from his armor. "I know of your reputation, and what you have to offer is very real to me. However, I don't see what you see in our clan. We are still weak, and are even weaker now that we have lost our base. What do you want from us?"

"What do I want from you? I want a strong ally. Someone we can rely on to maintain good public relations with the outside world, so that our clan doesn't have to completely sequester itself from civilization. We have been underground for some time, as you well know. Because of this, we want an active, fairly organized, and preferably neutral ally that would help keep knowledge of both of our clans both hidden and well known." This didn't make too much sense to Priest, but it was a deal that he wasn't about to refuse. God knew what would happen if you refused the Guardians of Doom. And besides, they seemed friendly enough.

"Alright, I accept." The two leaders shook hands. It was a friendship that was meant to last. Priest just wished that nothing bad would come from this.

"Well, thank you for your time. I have to go now. I'll be sending over aid soon enough to help your clan rebuild. I suggest you look for a clan base outside of cities, for the sake of safety. I will see you all at your new clan base very soon, hopefully." Liz turned to walk away. Priest motioned for the clan to follow him, and together, they marched out of town. Blizzard turned to follow, but had one thing left on his mind. He turned around and called out.

"Liz!" Liz slowly turned around. Red cape billowing, red eyes questioning.

"Yes?"

"I'd like to ask a favor of you."

-----

A young man dressed all in black, with silvery hair, walked into a bar in Wa-Kia. He wasn't sure of himself, clutched the pommel of a single, silver short sword by his side. At a nearby table, a man with shades, a black leather suit, and spiky red hair eyed the newcomer. Silver Hair felt the back of his neck prickle, spun around to glare at red hair. Red Hair innocently strummed a guitar. Silver Hair eyed the insignia of a blue eye on Red Hair's shoulder. Heard rumors about the eye, heard that they were always watching, watching out for new recruits, people that would bolster their ranks, make them stronger. Silver Hair sat down at the table with red hair. Red Hair raised his eyebrows, then raised his shades. Stared into Silver Hair's silver eyes with his red ones. Finally, Silver Hair spoke.

"My name is Ergent Seth."

"Red Blizzard. What can I do for you today Ergent?"

"I am looking for a clan to join, one that is strong, active, and knows how to fight. Do you know where I can find one?"

"Welcome to Requiem."

To be continued...

XD, what's the word limit to posts? I have the entire story saved on a word document, so if you feel like scrolling down forever, I can post it.

To be honest, I have no clue. :/ But sure, just make sure to change the font of the chapters so that our members would be able to identify quickly if its the start of the chapter or not.

I readt the first two chapters and i'm like "wait... haven't i seen this before...?"

My eyes hurt x.x

Nice Story! I made my own version although its only the first chapter, if you'd like to check it out it can be found Here

We need to transfer the rest of this.

mmhmm...most epic story ever...

i rather pick this original story since i didnt die ^_^

Of course you would.

Dye wrote:

Of course you would.

ROFL

Nobody wants to see Megan die, not even me. :3

Priest wrote:

Nobody wants to see Megan die, not even me. :3

U will soon when i die

>.>""

*thinks* Maybe.. I should kill Priest in the other story! So you two can be runited in heaven... how sweet... :3

Dye wrote:

*thinks* Maybe.. I should kill Priest in the other story! So you two can be runited in heaven... how sweet... :3

If u killed priest ill kill u too

dont worry megan i have a plan to bring you back

eh heh heh... *hides in his steel cager again* If she comes back i'm screwed!

im a angel remember i can bring back the dead and i guid lost souls

*locks the cage* Just remember to wait till your charecter comes in though...

if that so why are you locking the cage

*tries to get out and breaks the cage* I'm making sure it's tough enough to withstand anything...

oh ok

whithstand aginst what

Dye himself