The Rebirth
By Hawke Darkblade

Reprinted with permission.
Added 07/19/2002.

He tracked his prey across the hot desert wastes, stepping lightly not to raise dust and alert it to his presence. The sun baked down, and sought its way into the deep recesses of his armour. He had discarded his old gold Yoroi armour in favour of a newer, more resiliant Plate Mail armour. The black armour did not do much to protect him from the heat. It made him sweat through every pore of his body, but he was aware of none of this. He had a singular purpose.

***

Two days ago, he entered the desert wastelands to find the old man who would give him the Moonstone Chalice. The one that would allow him to complete the set he required for the Brotherhood of the Phoenix. He had begun a new path to follow Phoneix, and regain his lost honor. He had tucked away all his feelings into the deepest recesses of his soul, never to emerge again. Or so he had thought.

The old man in the tent welcomed him with open arms, shade, and water. Rare gifts indeed in the harsh wastelands. The old man made a ceremony of the giving, and at long last, he smiled. It had been a long time since he actually smiled. Just as he reached out to receive the gift, the foul beasts struck in force. The Ash Gromnies came out of everywhere, swarming the tent, ripping it to shreds in their teeth, and charring everything with their lightning breath.

With blinding speed, he grabbed for his spear and shield, and fended off two of them as the other slipped past him toward the old man. He thrust his spear through the heart of the first, as he blocked the second's attack with his shield. He was calm, his original training returning to him. The blood lust was gone. Then he heard the scream which shattered his calm, and gave him pause. It was enough of a hesitation to allow the second beast to rip into his leg with its jaws. He snarled at the beast, and plunged his spear through it's head, silencing its attacks forever.

Breaking the jaws of the beast with his spear, he twisted around, removing his leg from its maw. Then he saw the sight he knew he would see. The third beast was gone, and the old man's body lay limp among the tattered remnants of the tent. Why had the beast not finished him off from behind? Perhaps it was Hell sent to make sure he did not complete his quest? Impossible, it was a creature driven by instinct, not by intelligence. But then, no other explanation made sense.

He reached over to check for the old man's breath, but he knew he would find none. He grieved silently, and offered a prayer to Phoenix. As he did so, his eyes snapped open, remembering the chalice. It was gone! The beast had taken it! Fury raged within him! The chalice was within his grasp, and now gone!

He struggled to regain his poise, and vowed to hunt the foul beast to the end of the wastelands and beyond if necessary, until he regained the object of his quest.

He bound his wound, buried the old man, and set off under the baking desert sun.

***

The beast was in front of him, not twenty paces, feasting upon the carcass of dead creature that crossed it's path. It had not found a new pack, it was alone. It had not heard him or felt him close with it, it was too busy gorging itself. He was dimly aware of the throbbing wound the beast gave him at their last encounter. It only stiffened his resolve.

He silently sighted his crossbow at the beast, and fired. The shot pieced into its hide and it howled, but it did not die. It charged him like thunder across the cracked desert, lightning breath streaking towards him. He was ready.

The crossbow discarded at his feet, spear and shield held ready for the onslaught, the beast slammed into him, no doubt to push him over for the final kill. He held his ground, suffered the blow, and struck back, goring the beast. As quickly as it started, it was over. No glory, no honor, just one silent kill.

He opened his pack, and withdrew the legendary Sword of Lost Light. He had not used it for many weeks now, since he had tried to kill himself with it. He had tried to discard it each day, but each night it would be there again, in his pack, mocking him. He kicked the lifeless body onto it's back and slashed open its underbelly with the sword. There, within its stomach was the undigested chalice.

He removed the chalice from the carcass, knelt down and carefully, lovingly, cleaned it with the last remnants of his waterskin. He had found it at last, and nothing save death would make him part with it. Finally his quest was at an end.

As he began the journey back towards the portal which would take him to the Sho capital of Hebian-To, his thoughts turned towards the last few weeks. He had been full of rage, throwing himself at every shadow that stalked Dereth, but each time, something made him turn at the last second, and destroy the Evil entities. Thinking that he would suffer his pain eternally, he set out towards the desert of the wastelands, where he could live out his life in desolation.

He remembered that one night in the desert where the Phoenix rose from his campfire and gave him wonder, and new hope. It gave him a new purpose to live, and perhaps, to regain his honor. He remembered that it lit up the desert night with a fury to match his own self-hatred, and thus, washed away his pain and suffering.

He also rememberd the last words of his two oldest friends and once allies, as they found him on his quest to destroy himself. He had been with them since the beginning of his life in Dereth. They had been brought through the same portal as he against their wills, and they had fought together on many occasions, as he built up his order to the glory it once was.

They had turned towards Baal'zharon, and left the protection of the self-appointed saviour of Dereth, Asheron.

"You are welcome to join us on our new quest to rid Dereth of the real scourge. The weak Gharu'ndim, Sho, and Aluvian population that cannot withstand the might of the Evil which plagues Dereth," one spoke, his mouth twisted in a spiteful grin.

"For if they cannot withstand us, how do they think to withstand the combined might of Evil," the other snarled, eyes filled with hatred.

"My purpose is my own," he shouted at them, spittle flying from his mouth. "I will do as I choose and not be led down a path by others! I have done that once before, and never again! If I so choose to join you, it will be in my own time, not yours! Go follow your destiny, and I will follow mine!"

Those words of hatred still echoed in his head, and still now, he was linked to them. He had sworn fealty to them, before their path had changed, and he could not break that bond even if he was now linked to Evil. Perhaps in this rebirth, he would be able to sever all ties, and return to the path of righteousness.

The portal now lay before him, and he hesitated once, taking a last look around at the cracked wastelands that he had recently called home. He squinted up at the desert sun, felt it's warmth spread through him, and thought that would be the last time he ever felt such powerful emotions as Love, and Fear, and stepped through the portal.

He was wrong...