Post by shawn30 on Jul 3, 2009 15:48:37 GMT -5
Title: "Tomb of the Dark Ones"
Chapter 3/?
Written by: Shawn
Summary: Countess Venom carries out her deadly orders. The Knights and Rangers reach an agreement as they tour the treachery of the Highlands. Governess Divatox has a visitor...
Category: Action-Adventure/Romance/Drama/Mystery
Rating: MA
Timeline/Spoilers: None. This is my AU-verse. I consider it a hybrid of sorts, similar to the worlds of King Arthur or Dungeons and Dragons: a medieval land of magic and mystery Expect the unexpected.
Characters. Tommy, Kim, Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Aisha, Rocky, Adam, Katherine, Tanya, Zedd, Goldar, Zordon, Dulcea, and Rita - I will honor the heart and souls of the characters as we know them, tempered only by this new world that they inhabit. Some of their names will be changed slightly, but trust me, you'll have no trouble at all knowing who they are.
Special Note: While those here at Fanfiction.net and my Yahoo Group will see the full story, I'm creating a very special addition of each chapter that can only be found in the Tommy/Kim story section of the "Perfect Chemistry" forum. I've updated my FF fanfic profile and you can find the link there.
Authors Notes 1: All will be revealed in the story. Trust me.
Special Thanks: To Liz and Missa, my wonderful amazing art creators who inspire my imagination in this universe. And to Vivian for her insight and help in the fantasy world I'm trying to create. You're priceless.
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"I have often sung to drown my sorrow, but seldom to express my happiness. Crying for joy, and singing for joy, were alike uncommon to me while in the jaws of slavery. The singing of a man cast away upon a desolate island might be as appropriately considered as evidence of contentment and happiness, as the singing of a slave; the songs of the one and of the other are prompted by the same emotion."
~~ FREDERICK DOUGLASS, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."
~~ Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Politics
"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."
~~ Andrew Carnegie
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Castle Ironsfyre
Home to the Duke and Duchess of Mecha
The Highlands
The land of Eltar
Late Night
A tense, ominous mood settled inside the legendary castle.
From the long, broad stone balcony above the regal-decor of the main dining floor, a group of well-trained, battle hardened mercenary swordsmen stood as proof of the enhanced security measures implemented by the royal family as rumors swirled of a possible offensive. The silver and black clad masked warriors took their posts at opposite ends of the hall near the twin red carpeted staircases that led to the dining hall below.
"Six long seasons ago I entered our family into a blood pact with Governess Divatox. To be certain, her fierce ambition and unstoppable drive were astounding leadership qualities. Furthermore, she possessed a spark that made you feel she could steal the sun out of the sky and clench its fire to nothingness within her fist. She was clever and fearless... a soul without a moral core, and had no problem playing on the end of the King's leash so that one day she could choke him with it. So with the offer of absolute power, new lands, and freedom to do as we pleased beyond our wildest beliefs, I joined 'The Ring' with eyes wide open," Duke Mondo stated with a echoing flair to his booming voice, courtesy of the massive dining hall. Long, oil-lit torches adorned the ancient gravel walls of this fortress, providing a natural glow to the ceiling-high red Mecha Empire banners hanging from the rafters.
Around Duke Mondo this cold evening at the long dinner table sat his wife, Duchess Machina. His son, Prince Gazket, and his wife, Archerina. The royal family of Mecha, gathered this night to discuss their future. "We were the secret society... the hidden third government in this world, loyal to no one save ourselves. And for a time all went according to plan. The other six members divided the Highlands equally, while Governess Divatox ruled the whole and kept the King in place. We amassed fortunes we would never live long enough to exhaust, and stayed out of each other's way. Business was good to say the least."
With his steely gaze locked on the jeweled goblet being refilled with his favorite Elf wine, Duke Mondo reclined his large, portly physique. Rich in immense wealth and girth, even as he favored his family, he eyed them all with a small wedge of suspicion. "But as the Ring's silent influence grew, so did Governess Divatox's lofty aspirations. From my personal vantage point, there comes a time where you have to take a step back and watch events unfold. For the Governess, she has pushed and pushed until notice of her actions have begun to spread. And while fear is good for business, rumors of unspeakable arcane horrors are not. She wasn't content with our lucrative operation as it was. She wanted more... and sought the dark arts to obtain her goals. To that end, I can sense a dark cloud of impending doom looming over the Highlands. That is why I have tendered my resignation from the Ring."
Gasps were heard around the table, none more shocked than from the Duchess herself. For her husband to have taken this drastic course of action meant he knew more than he shared with her. A chilled tingle swept over her. "Surely you jest? Governess Divatox's reach stretches too far these days. She won't let us go."
"Not to mention our empire depends on the mining colonies she controls," Prince Gazket noted with a predatory glare at his father. "Leaving the Ring at this time could prove costly for all involved. What if the other members took us to war?"
"War, you say?" Duke Mondo tempered his smirk before downing his goblet until it was empty. With the back of his hand he wiped his face, and then gestured for the attendants to begin clearing the table. "Son, if King Zordon learns of what the Governess has allowed to take place in the Highlands, the Ring will be no more. Even if all the members private forces combined, they wouldn't be able to stand against the Grand Army of Eltar. So no, I do not fear war with the Ring, or Governess Divatox." His gaze darkened as he seized the attention of everyone in the room when his large fist pounded the table. "I fear a world war! I fear Governess Divatox is ignoring the ramifications if rumors of Lord Baron Rancore's forces operating in the Highlands are true. And I fear that our dear Governess has gone mad with dark magic. She is a treacherous being that I no longer want any part of. Unnatural death surrounds that wench."
Sensing the winds of change wasn't something that escaped Princess Archerina. Not only within the family's relationship to the Ring, but between father and son as well. She knew well her husband's ruthless greed and hidden motivation to upend his father and rule the empire himself. She was fine with that... for as soon as he claimed the throne, she intended to ensure he claimed a headstone right next to his father. "Without the mining colonies, what will we do for iron and steel?"
Duke Mondo leaned back, craning his thick neck about. He was a businessman first and foremost. But beneath that, he had no mercy for anyone that stood in his way. "I feel Governess Divatox has outlived her usefulness. Mechanical engineering and not magic are the wave of the future, mark my words well. In ten seasons time the world will rely on what we build today, so we must remain vigilant in staying our course. Whatever we will need will be provided by whoever takes the Governess's place when she is no more. The only true question is who do I use to slay her?"
Suddenly the balcony above the dining hall erupted with chaotic screams. The violent clash of sword and steel could be heard, but not seen... until the dining table itself was presented with a new offering from above.
The severed head of a mercenary guard, his eyes locked open, forever frozen in the guise of death.
"GUARDS!!! GUARD!!" Duke Mondo shouted while drawing his jeweled dagger from his belt. When his eyes lifted, the sight that greeted him froze his heart cold. "...the Ghost."
Leaping onto the smooth black marble railing, Countess Venom sneered down at the royal family. Youthful and lovely, her silver hair was as much her trademark as was her terrifying presence. Enveloped in dark attire, her twin swords drenched in fresh blood, she somersaulted off the railing, landing dead center on the dining room table.
Prince Gazket drew his sword, confident as the twin staircases soon filled with mercenary swordsmen. "I thought you were dead!"
"I am delivered." Racing down the length of the long table, she advanced upon two guards, flying over both with a perfectly executed leap. She parried the deadly lunge of one swordsman, slicing his throat from ear to ear, before jamming both swords behind her as the second attempted to attack. Her blades stabbed through his belly, killing him instantly. She withdrew her swords, eying the rest of the guards approaching fast.
"Kill her!! Kill her now!" Duke Mondo ordered while ushering the Royal family out of the way.
Countess Venom engaged three warriors, her speed far superior to anyone they'd ever fought before. The clash and clank of steel on steel resounded until at last she threw both swords with deadly accuracy, driving them into the chests of two of the mercenaries. She leapt over the the third, reached for his head in mid-air, and upon landing broke his neck with such force that bone tore through skin, drowning the front of his clothing in crimson. The lifeless body slumped to the floor with a thud.
Walking slowly to retrieve her swords, she grabbed them, ducking just before Prince Gazket's blade severed her neck from her shoulders with a wild attack. With her guard raised, they vigorously battled back, and then onto the staircase itself. Neither could gain an edge on the other, their motions lightening swift as they warred up the stairs. The Prince saw her as no more than a skilled woman, his male chauvinist persona ever evident. He sliced sideways, missing her, but connected with a fierce backhand blow that caused her to lose her footing and almost fall off the side of the staircase.
Prince Gazket narrowly missed her neck with a ferocious slash, and then felt the cold steel of her twin blades crossing his neck. He had no time to react. "I assure you, Countess. Your next trip to the Underworld will be the last!"
"Then prepare a place for me. For I won't see you soon." Her blades met at his Adam's apple, beheading the crowned Prince of Mecha. The dismembered object rolled down the stairs, trailing blood until it reached the bottom floor.
Duke Mondo watched in stunned silence, and then a violent roar tore from his chest, "MURDER HER!! A FORTUNE TO HER KILLER!!"
Countess Venom, trained since birth for this very purpose, viciously annihilated everything in her path. Swordsmen attacked from all sides, and were met with her deadly unorthodox fighting style. She leapt around the hall, using every angle, and anything to her advantage. She was death personified, a blur of raging fury. In her mind, the Governess's arcane teachings flooded her senses. Even when she questioned them, those thoughts faded to the back of her mind. Her life belonged to Governess Divatox.
She had no other reason she knew of to exist.
The dead, broken bodies began to litter the marble floor all over the luxurious dining hall. Swordsmen attacked Countess Venom two and three at a time, attempting to use their superior height and strength to their advantage. It didn't work. She massacred all who opposed her until every single piece of furniture dripped with crimson... until the last mercenary swordsman fell at her feet, his heart clutching onto one of her blades. "It is finished."
Countess Venom watched the heaving, snarling Duke Mondo as he was held by two of her assassins. "Governess Divatox sends a message."
Swallowing harder than he ever had before, Duke Mondo watched her slowly approach him. "What is her message?"
Leaning into him, her warm breath fanned his ear. "Resignation accepted."
Countess Venom drove a dagger into his chest several times while his wife screamed for her husband. She turned sharply to the widow. "Duke Mondo has ordered the deaths of over one hundred innocent people. He has several mistresses and countless bastard heirs all over the land. Tell me... will you truly miss him?"
Duchess Machina stared at the young woman, and then her husband's bloated, bloody carcass. Years of pain and betrayal forced her hand. Her survival instinct kicked it. "Will the Governess allow me to work with her?"
"... yes."
"Then so be it. The Empire of Mecha is at her command."
"Wise choice," Countess Venom left her with, walking away... her footsteps stained in blood.
******