This takes place a few years after Dead Princess Duet, if you guys are wondering. So, without further ado, I give you One Final Stand Chapter 0.
One Final Stand
Chapter 0
In the midst of the flowing sea of people, a single man went against the current, searching desperately, screaming one name over and over:
Alitranna.
* * *
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She said to him in her sweet, melodic voice. They sat side by side in the starlight, on the rooftop of the city's eastern watchtower, her hand in his, marveling at the splendor of the city that lay before them. Before them was Hallowedwatch, known as the city of justice by all who came by, headquarters of the church of Tyr and a sanctuary for any who asked for refuge. One structure stood out from all the rest, for it was built in the very center of the city, on top of a tall hill. It was a monument to the God of Justice , a brightly glowing, gigantic representation of Tyr's holy symbol: balanced golden scales resting on top of a warhammer.
"Yes, it is," he replied, referring as much to the sight before them as to the woman sitting next to him.
They sat there, dwelling in that moment of tranquility for a long while, leaning back and watching the ever still stars twinkle in the sky as the numerous lights in the city began to disappear, one by one. She turned to face him, illuminated in the starlight, and broke the silence.
"Do you love me, Finiarel?" She asked, turning to face him, her silken black, shoulder-length hair swaying with the movement before being caught in the slight breeze.
"How could I not, Alitranna?" he replied, "How can I not, when it was you who gave my life meaning? Before I met you, I was but a lowly guard, doing my duty for no reason other than that it was expected of me, living every day exactly like the last. Who knows how much longer that endless cycle would have gone, without you in my life? You showed me something I could have never have hoped to see on my own: You made me see what made life so special, you made me realize that life was more than just standing on the walls of our city, looking out for intruders and waiting for the day to end. You gave me a reason to live. No man in his right mind would not love someone who granted him that gift of gifts."
He raised his hand to her face and gently stroked her hair. "Yes, I love you, Alitranna, more than anything I have ever loved, and probably more than anything I ever will. I love everything about you. Your eyes, your smile, your sweet voice that echoes in my ears even in my dreams."
He then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it, then, looking staring into her eyes, said "Alitranna Anterune, will you be my bride?"
* * *
The sky was darker now, for dark clouds formed above the city and rain began to fall in torrents as lightning flashed in the distance. Finiarel kept running long after he had passed the last of the evacuees, and now he was running, cold and wet, through the rain, searching in vain for the one he loved.
He ran on, through the long and winding roads that had once been so filled with people, so filled with joy, laughter and merriment, but now was as empty and desolate as a long forgotten ruin, filled only with the rubble of the closest building. His feet began to tire, but he forced himself to move on, not allowing himself to stop until he found her.
Breathing became harder and harder, his clothes became heavier as water weighed them down, and the cold rain numbed his muscles, but he kept going, knowing that he was nearing his destination. He went around a bend in the road, and he stopped in his tracks.
Before him was Anterune manor, or at least what was left of it. The magnificent gates made of the finest steel lay on the ground, twisted and broken, and the walls that had protected the manor were now nothing but piles of rubble.
He hesitated at the gates, fearing what he might find if he went inside, but something made him move forward, something made him take those few tentative steps past the ruined gates of his love's home. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, and somehow, he knew that he would find her there, whether she was dead or alive.
He walked silently in the courtyard, hearing only the sound of the raindrops and the light splash as he took every step, looking around, seeking her. For a while, he didn't think that he could find her in the large estate, then he saw it- an unmoving figure lying on the ground in front of the fountain. It was hard to tell from his distance, but he could tell that the figure had black, shoulder-length hair. He recognized her in an instant.
He ran once more, tripping as his foot hit a loose stone on the path. His ankle twisted painfully, but he had to keep going, he had to reach her. He grabbed the ground in front of him with his hands and pulled with the remaining strength he could muster, moving him forward. He dragged himself, slowly but surely, towards the figure lying on the ground.
After what seemed like an eternity, he finally made it to her. He sat up and held her hand, calling her name.
"Alitranna, I am here."
She didn't reply, didn't move. He called to her again, louder this time, hoping that the sound of the rain had drowned his voice, wishing that he could once again see her open her eyes, so full of life.
"Alitranna, I'm here, just like I promised." He said once again to her, and once again she did not reply. He sat there, next to the corpse of the woman he loved, and wept. From his lips escaped a cry of pain and sorrow, of tragedy and irony, from the very depths of his soul.
* * *
"Alitranna Anterune, will you be my bride?" He asked her in the moonlight, only a night before the calamity.
She looked at him with her deep brown eyes and a smile appeared on her face as the soft breeze made her hair flutter. She answered him:
"Of course, my love."
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