JAMF
04-05-2009, 03:04 PM
OK, here is my first ever attempt at writing, and because of that fact, don't mince your words when it comes to criticizing it!
Thank you!
The River Shadow ran as a deep sable scar on the moonlit forests of Wrathdura, it's dark waves lapping at the moss ridden banks in steady breath. Harsh southerly gales stung glittering frost on the sharp lifeless branches of the trees and a thin veil of rain hued the horizon a dim shade of grey. The moonlit woodlands hid a microcosm of night-life. White-furred northern wolves stalked in silent solitude, ears pricked for any sign of prey, and leather winged Bailtren flocked together amidst the trees in supersonic chatter. Along the river, heading south, was a heavy oaken battleship. Drearily it slid down the silent water disturbing little of the busy night time fauna. Atop the ship fluttered a huge sail, gently urging the ship's foul passengers to their destination. Emblazoned on the sail was a scaly white fist against a black backdrop - the mark of the half-human race of the north, the Balrisks. Down the River Shadow it sailed, taking the band of mail-clad beasts on the quest that lay ahead. The main bulk of the battalion hunched in the cabin of the ship, and at the front of the deck stood three silhouetted figures.
'I don't like these parts one bit,' said Grell, eying the grim scenery before him 'I hear that those who travel here see queer things. Ghostly things. Should we not turn back?'
Grell was the taller of the three, and bore the same black-inked mail as his fellow travelers. At his hip was a sheathed long sword and on his legs he wore wolf fur trousers. The scales that made up his hide glistened a deep blue in the reflected moonlight from the water below the boat, and his overgrown fangs cast long shadows over the tattooed marks under his eyes that marked his rank as third in command. His voice sounded like the tearing of paper and the words he formed were spat out through his slit mouth.
'Silence yourself Grell you insufferable coward.' snarled Hrulg through his clenched fangs 'You've done naught the whole journey but flap your mouth about the cursed Shadow! It's but a river as any other. You know as well as I that they are the ramblings the Men folk use to scare their young!'
Hrulg was clad in the same uniform as Grell, but was a good few inches shorter. However, his wider muscular frame and higher rank than his comrade gave him the authority to speak to Grell in such a manner.
'Say what you will of Men,' said Grell 'but there is truth in what they say of the River Shadow. 'Tis a place full of dark magics.' Hrulg shifted in his seat to face the anxious Balrisk and looked on him with contempt.
'Magic?' growled Hrulg 'First ghosts now magic? I should think you were brought up by Men with talk like that. You know as well as I there's no magic anymore. Died out long ago when the south was won.'
'How dare you accuse me of talking as Men do! All I'm say-'
Hrulg interrupted, "I know you don't talk like an officer that's for one. Just don't let the rest of the band hear you talking like that.'
The third of the figures stood silent at the forefront of the deck looking down at the distant mist over the river at the south. His mind seemed far removed from the squabbling of the two whom he now commanded. His back turned to them he gazed on deep in thought. His name was Vark and he had been introduced to the band as the captain for the Emperor's latest inquest into the affairs of the south. Naturally, Hrulg had been furious at this as it was the custom of the Guards of the Empire to employ their second in command after the passing of the captain to assume the role. Nevertheless the Emperor had made it clear that Vark had unique talents that saw him fit to Captain their mission at hand. And Hrulg knew only a fool disobeys direct orders from Emperor Graal.
After some time Grell again broke the silence, 'Some say that the magic lives on. Long ago our ancestors won the south and slaughtered all their mages in the Great Battles, but the magic lives on in the trees and in the soil. They say the Order of Wrathdura have long kept the truth that magic still exists from the Men of the south to keep them from ever trying to reclaim what once they owned.'
'Long has it been common knowledge that The Order are but a group of meddlesome elders, the puppet masters of all that goes on in the north.' said Hrulg 'Even the Emperors limbs are limited to the strings they pull. But in the case of magic there is no conspiracy. Magic died long ago along with the hopes of Men. This is no longer the age of sorcery and battles in this age are fought not with fire or light, but with sword and arrow and shield.'
At this last remark Vark lost his concentration and pricked up his black pointed ears to the conversation behind him. He did not move, however, and kept his back to his commanders but he did listen closely to each word that was being said.
'It just seems odd,' Grell said, 'The Men know not to stray from the deeps of the South. It has been many years since we have had any other race challenge our dominion. So why have we now to go to the south to them?'
Hrulg continued 'They have been getting cocky it seems. They are venturing further into the midland and setting camp. We have been instructed, by our Emperor himself, to take twenty of our best and remind them who owns the midland.'
'Maybe they have reason to be cocky' Grell said 'Maybe they have learned the old ways and are creating new mages, gathering armies and drawing us close so they can attack as they did in the ancient days.'
Hrulg raised his voice and the dull murmor of voices stopped as the other Balrisks in the cabin heard their second in command's angered voice. Some of the grunts peered through the windows get a closer look at the ruckus on the deck.
'You paranoid fool!' Hrulg rasped 'You and this talk of magic is making my head hurt. Soon we head for the Blackened Seas and I shall be queasy enough and I would not like to have my condition made worse by your constant goings on of fairy tales and night time verses!'
Vark spoke his first words of the entire journey. Silence yourselves.' He said in a calm, self assured voice 'We are to do as the Emperor ordered. Magic or no, we are to deal with the settlement in the south western realm of Trasihk.'
Hrulg shot Grell a smug grin, and Grell gave his second in command a venomous glare.
Seeing this, Vark added 'However, Hrulg, I should not be so hasty in dismissing the words of our Relg here when it comes to magic and sorcery.'
Hrulg looked at the officer who had so quickly found himself at the head of the Emperor's elite battalion and thought he saw flame flickering in his lead commander's eyes.
He questioned 'Why not?'
'Because,' Vark said in a hushed growl 'He is right.'
Away in the distance a wolf howled.
Thank you!
The River Shadow ran as a deep sable scar on the moonlit forests of Wrathdura, it's dark waves lapping at the moss ridden banks in steady breath. Harsh southerly gales stung glittering frost on the sharp lifeless branches of the trees and a thin veil of rain hued the horizon a dim shade of grey. The moonlit woodlands hid a microcosm of night-life. White-furred northern wolves stalked in silent solitude, ears pricked for any sign of prey, and leather winged Bailtren flocked together amidst the trees in supersonic chatter. Along the river, heading south, was a heavy oaken battleship. Drearily it slid down the silent water disturbing little of the busy night time fauna. Atop the ship fluttered a huge sail, gently urging the ship's foul passengers to their destination. Emblazoned on the sail was a scaly white fist against a black backdrop - the mark of the half-human race of the north, the Balrisks. Down the River Shadow it sailed, taking the band of mail-clad beasts on the quest that lay ahead. The main bulk of the battalion hunched in the cabin of the ship, and at the front of the deck stood three silhouetted figures.
'I don't like these parts one bit,' said Grell, eying the grim scenery before him 'I hear that those who travel here see queer things. Ghostly things. Should we not turn back?'
Grell was the taller of the three, and bore the same black-inked mail as his fellow travelers. At his hip was a sheathed long sword and on his legs he wore wolf fur trousers. The scales that made up his hide glistened a deep blue in the reflected moonlight from the water below the boat, and his overgrown fangs cast long shadows over the tattooed marks under his eyes that marked his rank as third in command. His voice sounded like the tearing of paper and the words he formed were spat out through his slit mouth.
'Silence yourself Grell you insufferable coward.' snarled Hrulg through his clenched fangs 'You've done naught the whole journey but flap your mouth about the cursed Shadow! It's but a river as any other. You know as well as I that they are the ramblings the Men folk use to scare their young!'
Hrulg was clad in the same uniform as Grell, but was a good few inches shorter. However, his wider muscular frame and higher rank than his comrade gave him the authority to speak to Grell in such a manner.
'Say what you will of Men,' said Grell 'but there is truth in what they say of the River Shadow. 'Tis a place full of dark magics.' Hrulg shifted in his seat to face the anxious Balrisk and looked on him with contempt.
'Magic?' growled Hrulg 'First ghosts now magic? I should think you were brought up by Men with talk like that. You know as well as I there's no magic anymore. Died out long ago when the south was won.'
'How dare you accuse me of talking as Men do! All I'm say-'
Hrulg interrupted, "I know you don't talk like an officer that's for one. Just don't let the rest of the band hear you talking like that.'
The third of the figures stood silent at the forefront of the deck looking down at the distant mist over the river at the south. His mind seemed far removed from the squabbling of the two whom he now commanded. His back turned to them he gazed on deep in thought. His name was Vark and he had been introduced to the band as the captain for the Emperor's latest inquest into the affairs of the south. Naturally, Hrulg had been furious at this as it was the custom of the Guards of the Empire to employ their second in command after the passing of the captain to assume the role. Nevertheless the Emperor had made it clear that Vark had unique talents that saw him fit to Captain their mission at hand. And Hrulg knew only a fool disobeys direct orders from Emperor Graal.
After some time Grell again broke the silence, 'Some say that the magic lives on. Long ago our ancestors won the south and slaughtered all their mages in the Great Battles, but the magic lives on in the trees and in the soil. They say the Order of Wrathdura have long kept the truth that magic still exists from the Men of the south to keep them from ever trying to reclaim what once they owned.'
'Long has it been common knowledge that The Order are but a group of meddlesome elders, the puppet masters of all that goes on in the north.' said Hrulg 'Even the Emperors limbs are limited to the strings they pull. But in the case of magic there is no conspiracy. Magic died long ago along with the hopes of Men. This is no longer the age of sorcery and battles in this age are fought not with fire or light, but with sword and arrow and shield.'
At this last remark Vark lost his concentration and pricked up his black pointed ears to the conversation behind him. He did not move, however, and kept his back to his commanders but he did listen closely to each word that was being said.
'It just seems odd,' Grell said, 'The Men know not to stray from the deeps of the South. It has been many years since we have had any other race challenge our dominion. So why have we now to go to the south to them?'
Hrulg continued 'They have been getting cocky it seems. They are venturing further into the midland and setting camp. We have been instructed, by our Emperor himself, to take twenty of our best and remind them who owns the midland.'
'Maybe they have reason to be cocky' Grell said 'Maybe they have learned the old ways and are creating new mages, gathering armies and drawing us close so they can attack as they did in the ancient days.'
Hrulg raised his voice and the dull murmor of voices stopped as the other Balrisks in the cabin heard their second in command's angered voice. Some of the grunts peered through the windows get a closer look at the ruckus on the deck.
'You paranoid fool!' Hrulg rasped 'You and this talk of magic is making my head hurt. Soon we head for the Blackened Seas and I shall be queasy enough and I would not like to have my condition made worse by your constant goings on of fairy tales and night time verses!'
Vark spoke his first words of the entire journey. Silence yourselves.' He said in a calm, self assured voice 'We are to do as the Emperor ordered. Magic or no, we are to deal with the settlement in the south western realm of Trasihk.'
Hrulg shot Grell a smug grin, and Grell gave his second in command a venomous glare.
Seeing this, Vark added 'However, Hrulg, I should not be so hasty in dismissing the words of our Relg here when it comes to magic and sorcery.'
Hrulg looked at the officer who had so quickly found himself at the head of the Emperor's elite battalion and thought he saw flame flickering in his lead commander's eyes.
He questioned 'Why not?'
'Because,' Vark said in a hushed growl 'He is right.'
Away in the distance a wolf howled.