((Hello! I'll be starting up a new story for one of my new characters. Please do be kind about the story..Please do enjoy and if you have any tips I'd really love them. Thank you!))
Those Warm Few Days
Prelude
"The air was cool and nothing stirred...all except for the corpse.
The corpse moved silently, it had not been accustom to such conditions before, but this was now his home. This is what he now was.
Sanity and insanity were meaningless now. But insanity was a much closer mindset now...Now that the memories did not lie still... "
Chapter one:
The sun rose over the great walls of the city, its orange glow hit the tinted glass of the cathedral. I sat up in my bed and turned my head to the window. Dawn began to beam though the shabby windows of our house, its rays began to creep up the bed linen as if it was an attempt to stalk us. I followed the warm beams of the sun as they hit my wife. The rays of light hit her golden hair; it seemed to re-radiate the warmth sending a fuzzy glow around the room. I gave a gentle smile while pulling my shirt on. The room was now coming into full light, my eyes scanned the room. It was small but it was well equipped, and wasn’t exactly fit for the aristocracy but it did us fine. I stood up carefully. Beside our bed was a small crib, inside it our little boy. His name was Senri and was only of a year old. Long golden locks flowed from his head, he looked so much like this mother, but he had my nose. I moved swiftly across the room attempting to make as little noise as possible.
“Be careful Venedikt” the voice spoke from behind. I jolted my head quickly. My gaze moved to the bed where Lidia, my wife, was sitting up in bed. Her deep sapphire eyes bore into me.
“It's only a meeting Lidia to see how we should ...progress, no harm will come.” My voice was quiet, but enough for it to heard. I gave a small pressed smile in an attempt to comfort her, worrying had always been her nature.
“Venedikt, things haven’t been quite right round the city. T- There has been rumours.” She tilted her head with concern, her golden locks flopping to one side. “Venedikt, it may be ‘Just a meeting’ and it may be important to you, it is to me too. It is to all of us.” She pushed herself off the bed; she walked towards me, her white night gown fluttered behind her. She pulled herself up beside me and stroked my face. “The Light will provide for us as we seek perfection in ourselves, but we mustn’t force the light to be a shield for our fragile bodies all the time.” Her voice was quiet, conveying her fear but her priestly nature still rang clear.
“I’m beginning to think it’s all this priestly business that makes you so stressed.” I took her hand with mine and brought it slowly down and gave a slight grin. “I know the rumours and I know the risks, you kno-.” Lidia raised her other hand and placed it over my mouth.
“That’s enough, seeing that you can’t be persuaded take my prayer beads. It’d comfort me that you had something of purity on you, should you were brutally murdered” Her lips tightened slightly before she pulled them in a small forced smile. She removed a golden beaded prayer-necklace from her chest and forced it into my hand.
"If it comforts you, then I guess it’s worth me taking them,” I said through an impish smirk before turning swiftly on my heel.
The street was cold despite the calming rays of the sun. It had been true that ever since the return of the Prince that the other cities in Lordaeron had crumbled to an unknown plague, many thought the city could brave what was to come. But even now in the glorious capital many had started to die. I drew my cloak closer to my figure, with my hands inside my cape I rested my hands on the hilt of my blades. I could feel the heavy prayer necklace dangling from my belt.
The cathedral loomed before me. Its white spires towered above the city, with the flags of Lordaeron tapered to them. The great steps before the cathedral were lined with people. On the highest step before the entrance were the Knights and Priests. The Knight's silver armour shone in the sun giving the crowds a sense of their divinity, each of them with the tabard of the hand. The bishop stood in the centre of the step, lengths of pure white cloth lined his figure with the signature blue tabard of Lordaeron.
“People of Lordaeron!” projected the bishop. “This has been a grave time for our nation, with attacks from orcs and now this vile plague comes to our great walls and attempt to break us.”
I peered about the crowd, it seemed smaller than usual. The higher ranking families of the city didn’t seem to be present which was extremely strange. I looked again searching for Lidia’s family, the Murkwoods. They had been one of the oldest and richest business family of the city and a highly devote family to “The Church of the Holy Light”, explaining Lidia’s induction into the priesthood. My attention returned to the bishop.
“We must remain strong in this time. Preparations have already been made for us to leave the city by Lady Proudmoore, for it is expected that this city will experience the most trying times of its existence in the coming week an-.”
“STOP! STOP!” Through the crowd rang a cry. From the crowd appeared a fleet of guards flanking a servant of the royal household. The servant ran to the top of the steps, his garments appeared to be encrusted with blood.
“I-It’s Arthas... The The King has been murder by Arthas!”
Silence rang through the crowd; no one dared speak as the messenger continued.
“The Aristocracy has been murdered by his captains, Falric and Marwyn! AN-And there’s more! The grain! The grain has been cursed! You’ll become one of the! One of the walking dead!”
Utter chaos sparked, screams of terror broke out everywhere. A sense of dread hit me; it was as if something had just clenched my heart. In my mind rang the words “The Aristocracy has been murdered” and then it hit me. Lidia’s family was dead. My eyes darted about the crowd in case there were present; my search was to no avail.
Something had then clicked, that the majority of those present were going to become one of the walking dea-.
“SILENCE!” boomed a voice. The crowds' eyes moved as one to one of the Knights, his hammer held high in the air. His eyes bore into the frightened people, criticising them individually.
“The Order of the Knights will remain at this city until it falls. For the servants of the Light” he looked sharply round to the bishop. “The Knight’s request you make a move to the cathedral North-east of this point. It will be one of the remaining bastions against the threat and allow us to carry out our essential work.”
The bishop simply bowed. His airs had grown cold; it had seemed that this coming threat had snuffed his “motivation speech” and that the preparations to leave the city had been too slow. The crowd seemed restless. In each of my directions I could see the sharp and frightened breaths of every citizen. This was not just fear; it was as if we could predict what was to come and what would become of us. The common pretences of society had been shattered. This was to draw on the savage morals each citizen had beneath the facades of society, to cut their own family down... It was us... Or them.
“We are people of Lordaeron” began the Knight. “We are... Strong...Vigilant and we each have dignity and pureness burning in our hearts. No matter the threat and not matter how bleak the chances of survival are we must remain strong. For without strength we are hollow shells of flesh. That is what makes us different from the dead! That is why none of you will truly be dead! We are of Lordaeron! May the Light be you shield!” With these final words all of the present Knights raised their hammers, they were ready but alas it would never be enough.
Coldness now drifted through the streets, the populous unsure and frightened by the news of certain death. I turned on my heel.
“Mr Payne?”
I turned around, I had my hand on the hilt of my blades, one could not be too careful now. As I turned round the face of the Knight who had spoken greeted me.
“Venedikt Payne is it?"
“Quite so sir, how may I assist you?” I uttered the words quickly; I had no wish to be here now, not now... Not after all this.
“You and your family have been requested to go to the cathedral. Your wife, Chaplin Payne, or Lidia Murkwood will be a valuable tool. As well as you, Venedikt. Your interrogation skills may be of great use to us in the coming days. Your wife will have been already informed of her new calling. I trust you will make your way there as quickly as possible?”
Venom rain in my veins, tools? I was a tool. What happened to the sanctity of human life that this "relgion" taught? It was a shock that they had asked my young family to stay in a land that was going to be shaken to its foundations.
I ensured none of my face said any of these messages, it would be unwise.
“If that is your wish sir, I will obey.”
....The knight simply nodded.
As I stepped over the threshold of my house Lidia was the first thing I saw, her expression distraught. Red lines covered her face were she had rubbed away the tears. She placed a hand on my shoulder.
......“I know.”
