Redemption

Criminal Activity

The life that Sprizen Akkamara knew has crumbled around him. His sins have torn his love away from him. As he lies in the shadows of his former self, he struggles to find ways to redeem himself in the eyes of his love. When the council is attacked by the Children of the Eternals cult, a familiar face shows itself to Sudea, and the two are forced to work together once again for the good of their nation.

For nearly two years, Sudea, and Sprizen Akkamara have lived under two different rooves. The loss of their son drove Sprizen to lash out against those responsible, and exact vengeance. In doing so, he left Sudea in her time of grief. She could not be with Sprizen in the mindset that he was in then. She told him to piece himself back together before speaking to her again. For nearly two years, they only even saw each other during council meetings.   One day, the council was attacked by the Children of the Eternals. Sprizen, and Sudea were the only two who could take up arms against them. Amongst the chaos, and dark green fires of the attack, a familiar face, and weapons made himself known to Sudea. Ekrivan Baanus, shunned templar of the First Pillar has found power elsewhere. His chained blades lashed out at Sprizen. Sudea threw one of her axes to deflect the blade. Another flew at her. She countered that strike with her other axe.   "Ekrivan, old friend." She said into the flame. Emerging from said flame to catch the Doom Steel blade which he had pulled back to him, the draconin figure replied, "Sudea Haedros. Or is it Akkamara now?" Sudea answered not. Sprizen flew above the chaos, and identified Ekrivan as the leader of this attack. As he came down to strike at this foe, the chain wrapped around Sprizen's arms, and pulled him to the ground. Ekrivan, standing over Sprizen tried to drive his blade through Sprizen's head. Sprizen broke the chain, and brought his own blade up to counter. He pulled the attack to the side, and from his heart, came fire in his breath, singing Ekrivan's face, forcing him to stand, and allowing Sprizen to do the same. He pulled an arcane strand from his side, and shaped it into a spell that would wall off the cult from the council. With one hand, he maintained the spell. With the other he shaped another to send a projectile into the wall closest to the council members, and shouted for them to run.   As the council members escaped, Ekrivan recovered, and would attack Sprizen once more. As Sprizen tried to dodge, the Doom Steel blade slashed across his side. Sprizen placed his sword in one of the arcane strands that surrounded him, and the blade was engulfed in flame. He shouted for Sudea to make sure the councilmen could escape. She nodded, and left through the hole in the council chamber's walls, to escort them away from the danger.   In the council chambers, Sprizen now faced Ekrivan, and a dozen cultists. He knew he could not win this fight without casualties. After seeing for a second time what killing does to he who bares the sword, he refused to commit the same sin. He shaped one of his few remaining arcane strands, and quickly shaped it into a ball of fire. As he released it into the air, towards the ceiling, the burst of energy pushed Ekrivan and the cultists away, allowing him to spread his wings, and shoot straight up, and through the hole which he had made. The Children of the Eternals had taken the council chambers of Akkara, and in doing so, have taken Doh'garus. Sprizen returned to his home to find cultists surrounding it. They he was forced to withdraw before they could spot him.   On his way to the council housing, he heard Sudea calling him from an alley. He turned to see her, and the entire Doh'garus council hiding in the shadows. When he entered the alley, the first thing he said was, "You seemed to know that man. Do you?" Sudea pulled Sprizen to the side and told him how yes, she knew Ekrivan, or at least used to. He was a former lover of hers. A member of her Pillar Warrior squad. One day, fairly early in the war, Ekrivan turned his power against civilians while fighting the insurgents. This act cost him his divine power. He was shunned by the Pillar Warriors, including Sudea. Now it seems he has found a much darker patron to pull his power from.   It became clear to both of them, they would need to work together just one more time to reclaim their nation. They both knew they could not do so on their own. They couldn't call on Fafnia's might, or the Pillar Warriors, as to do so would require access to a telimagic orb. All nearby telimagic orbs were controlled by the Children of the Eternals. They needed much more local assistance They both had ideas who could assist them. Sprizen had ties to a certain templar in Horoth's name, who's songs sang of vengeance, and triumph. Sprizen would call upon the Battletone Bard, Skolas "Firebrand" Zareth.   Sudea knew where to find the nearest Horoth's Siegebreaker deployment fortress. They would find Skolas first. If the cultists were attacking the Siegebreakers' fortress, they'd need the extra power to aid them. Sprizen knew that Skolas would be where the fighting is. He flew over Akkara, quickly scanning for any golden flaming flashes of divine magic. Soon, he saw said flashes, and found Skolas. Sprizen explained what was happening, and how he intends to stop it. Without hesitation, Skolas joined Sprizen. They returned to the alley where Sudea, and the council had put up defenses. Sprizen showed Sudea that he had found Skolas, and that they now can go to find the Siegebreakers' fortress.   The council opted to stay in the alley. Sprizen, and Sudea agreed with them. To face the Children of the Eternals without numbers, or magic power of your own is not a fight, but a slaughter. The councilmen had neither. It would be just Sprizen, Sudea, and Skolas on this short journey. It would be three days to Siegebreakers' fortress. On the way, Sprizen and Sudea would attempt to discuss how Sprizen knows he is not the man he once was.   He said how he knows he cannot undo what was done. He said how he wants to repent. He wants to turn back into who he was before. He said how to do so, he needs Sudea's help. Sudea told him that she first needs Sprizen to prove that he wants to change, that he wants to become better. She told him that if he aids in reclaiming Akkara in the same way he has stopped so many other threats, then she would return to him. The truth is, she wanted to return to Sprizen as much as Sprizen wanted her to, but she could not look into his eyes without seeing the same thing she saw in Brimbaria two years prior. Sprizen made this promise, and swore that the beast that was loosed two years prior would never resurface.   Upon reaching the Siegebreakers' fortress, they saw it under attack by the Children of the Eternals cult. They would need to sneak in. They waited for nightfall, when Sprizen, Sudea, and Skolas could strike silently, and unseen. As the moon sailed across the sky, south to north, Sprizen, Sudea and Skolas, thinned their numbers. Sprizen would insnare, and incapacitate their ranks. Sudea would use the blunt side of her axe heads to knock the cultists unconscious, and pull them away from the fight. Skolas would cleave every cultist unlucky enough to find himself within melee range. By the time the sun rose, the cultist hoard had been dealt with.   Sprizen was approached by none other than Siegemaster Araal Kurai, who thanked him for the assist. The tone quickly became melancholy, as Araal looked into Sprizen's eyes, and realized immediately what went through his mind. He told Sprizen he was sorry for the loss of Sereth, and that he is sorry about his current status with Sudea. "What's done is done." replied Sprizen. He quickly changed the subject, explaining the situation in Akkara, and saying that the Siegebreakers were needed. Araal turned to his first officer, and ordered in draconic to armor up, and for the rest to do the same.   The carnage Sprizen had witnessed at the hands of Skolas showed Sprizen that he goes down the same dark path. On the second night of travel, Sprizen approached Skolas. "I saw your handywork at the Siegbreakers' fortress." "That was nothing. You should have seen when I singlehandedly assaulted a cultist lair." replied Skolas. "You walk a dark path, Skolas. This longing for vengeance will cost you everything. "Who are you to say, boy? You know nothing of what I lost." "This is true. I have not lost nearly as much as you, but I have lost none the less. One thing I know for sure, is this; The more you lose, the more you want to take. The more you take, the more you want, until you trade what you already have to obtain this. You are left asking, 'Is it worth it?' Is it worth those who surround you, is it worth the love that others have for you, or the love you have for them? I know this because I walked the same path, and it cost me everything. The choice is ultimately yours."   On the third day of travel, the SIegebreakers finally arrived at Akkara. The travel took as long as it did because Sprizen's fear of the zaerta prevented him from mounting like everyone else. He would walk the same way he came. The Siegebreakers wasted no time. They would ride into their nation's capital, and smash the cultists that infect its streets. Sprizen, Sudea, and Skolas would return to the council chamber, to find Ekrivan sitting in Sprizen's seat at head council, and five other high ranking cultists sitting in the rest. Ekrivan simply smiled, and ordered his cultists to attack. Sprizen called upon his arcane magic. Blue arcane strands now surrounded him, ready to be shaped into the spells he would cast.   This display immediately grabbed the attention of the five cultists, who all turned their attention towards Sprizen. Skolas would move to assist him. This gave Sudea the opportunity to face her demons, to face he who has betrayed her twice now. For several minutes, back an forth they went, striking, and countering each other's blows. When Ekrivan was going to make an attack when she was vulnerable, Sprizen used a spell to push the cultists away from him, and used another to throw a small shield of arcane energy to counter the attack. He then turned back to face the cultists. This aid allowed Sudea to force Ekrivan to the wall, and into submission. Skolas forced several cultists to the ground himself. He looked at Sprizen, and instead of striking them down, he used his fist, and knocked them unconscious. He looked back to Sprizen, and said, "The more you take, the more you want."   Sprizen walked over to Ekrivan, and pulled the Eternals' influence, and their power out of his soul. He did the same to the other cultists as well. They had reclaimed Akkara, and by extension, the rest of Doh'garus. He turned to Sudea, and once more said, "I'm sorry for what was done. Please, help me change." Sudea smiled, and ran into his arms. "You already have." she wispered in his ear. In the following week, Sudea would move back under Sprizen's roof. Their love was now healed. Sprizen was redeemed.