Forums · Does /flygon/ like to write?
The sun shines brightly as I wake up to the morning sun. The bright, morning rays glare into my eyes but I quickly adapt to them. Today, I turn 10. In the world of Pokemon, 10 is the age of new beginnings. Today, I get my first Pokemon.
I get dressed and get all my belongings ready. Yesterday, my mother threw me a going away party. I went down stairs and walked into the smell of freshly cooked waffles and coffee. I, personally, don't drink coffee but I like the smell of it. I see my mother sitting down with my father. They looked like the way having a light-hearted conversation. I took a seat and began to eat.
"Why aren't you going to say good morning Arec?" asked Mother.
"That's very impolite of you to not say a word to us, especially when you're leaving today." said Father.
"Oh...I'm sorry...I'm just so excited! I want to hurry up and get finished eating to get my Pokemon." I replied.
Yeah...I like to write...lol
I get dressed and get all my belongings ready. Yesterday, my mother threw me a going away party. I went down stairs and walked into the smell of freshly cooked waffles and coffee. I, personally, don't drink coffee but I like the smell of it. I see my mother sitting down with my father. They looked like the way having a light-hearted conversation. I took a seat and began to eat.
"Why aren't you going to say good morning Arec?" asked Mother.
"That's very impolite of you to not say a word to us, especially when you're leaving today." said Father.
"Oh...I'm sorry...I'm just so excited! I want to hurry up and get finished eating to get my Pokemon." I replied.
Yeah...I like to write...lol
The thief slowly stroked the knife?s blade in his gloved hands. It was slightly cold, even through the gloves, but that was normal for any weapon imbued with water crystals. His yellow eyes wandered from the small table he was watching to another bazaar stand, and then to the small groups of two or three soldiers marching through the bustling marketplace. It was a small inconvenience to his job, but war was war, and when a war was going on (as it had been since 1422, two years after his birth) soldiers would be present. Better the Nastholans catch him stealing than the Arrhennians. After all, the punishment for thievery in Nastholo is a fine, while the punishment in Arrhennius is death.
?Worm,? a voice whispered from behind the table he had been watching. The thief whipped his head around, but only saw the table and the elderly man running it. ?Behind the stand,? the voice whispered again. The thief slipped his dagger up his sleeve, and walked around the elderly man?s stand, being careful not to attract his attention. He looked for the source of the voice, and found it in a young, yet strangely experienced-looking man leaning against the stone walls of the bazaar. His hair appeared dry, uncut, and dirty, a description which, as he looked over his attire, applied to the entire man. He was stroking his short beard with his left hand, and letting a small dagger dangle from the index finger of his right.
?Ah, Keith. Wasn?t aware that you had clearance to come to Nastholo since the last time you were caught,? the thief said.
?Look, kid, I?m free, like the wind. Nobody tells me what to do, and no one tells me where I can-? he paused to spit on the ground, ?-and can?t go,? the man who was called Keith said. ?No, I?m not allowed to be here, but that?s what makes it all the more entertaining.?
?Well then,? the thief said, letting his dagger slip from his sleeve, ?don?t get me into any more trouble than I?m already getting myself into. If we were under Arrhennian law, you would have already made a hobby of death. I?ll do it myself if you get me caught.?
?Hey, hey, kid,? Keith said, backing off. ?Calm down. No one?s going to get you caught.?
?Go back to Nas Fostho. If you can make it there alive, don?t come back. If you don?t think that the Empress herself doesn?t keep track of every single criminal who walks the streets, you?re mistaking. While you might find it amusing to be near that list?s top, I don?t want to even make it on the bottom.?
?Fine,? Keith said, putting his left hand in his pocket. He turned his back and started to walk off, still twirling his tiny dagger on his index finger. ?Oh, I think I dropped something,? he said. Keith withdrew his left hand from his pocket and tossed a tied bundle to the thief. He looked down at the package, and before he could look up, Keith had disappeared around the stone wall.
?I wonder what that imbecile gave me this time,? he droned, untying the knot around the package. The cloth fell off of the crystalline object inside, and he gasped.
?What in the name of Ephos? Keith got it?? He was staring at the circular red crystal in his palm, aghast. He had been watching it for the past hour, how on Saundrol could Keith have gotten to it in the few seconds that he wasn?t looking?
Unfortunately, the thief wasn?t the only one looking at the crystal. The elderly man, who did not remember selling it to anyone, had been startled by the thief?s earlier exclamation and had turned around to look at the scene going on behind him.
?Thief! Thief!? the man called out, waving his arms. He stood up, and grabbed the thief by the collar. ?I hope you didn?t think you could get away with this? thief! THIEF!?
?Keith...? the thief fumed, not daring to move. A group of three soldiers had already begun to walk in the direction of the elderly man and himself.
?You!? one of the soldiers shouted, pointing at the thief. ?Don?t move!?
?Oh, great,? the thief said to himself. He quickly hid his dagger in a sheath on the inside of his shirt; he could not afford to lose it.
?Name,? the soldier who had shouted said, approaching the thief.
?I don?t know,? the thief said, cursing himself in his head.
?Don?t play stupid with me. What?s your name!?? the soldier said, in a more demanding and intimidating tone.
?I already said, I don?t know,? he continued. He was too honest for a thief; he should have said Keith Isson. The truth, though, was that he really had no idea what his name was.
?So you don?t have a name, kid??
?That?s right,? the thief said.
?What do you go by??
?People call me Worm, sir,? he said to the soldier.
?Fitting name for a thief,? one of the soldiers said, and they began to laugh among themselves.
?The stolen property please, Worm,? a soldier said, and held out his hand. Worm deposited the ruby orb into the soldier?s armored palm, which closed around it. ?So,? he said, inspecting it. ?What possessed you to steal this? It does not look like? the conventional thing one would steal.?
?Yes it does,? Worm snapped. ?It?s a gemstone. Very valuable.?
?This orb appears to be magically enchanted, is it not, sir?? the soldier said to the elderly man, who meekly nodded. ?Then you are guilty of two crimes, the theft of the orb itself and the theft of magic, is that not correct, mister Worm??
?That?s absurd! How was I to know the orb was enchanted?? Worm yelled. He had indeed not been told by his employer in Nas Fostho that the orb had magical enchantments attached to it. ?And how would that count as multiple crimes? Magic can?t be stolen!?
?Magical enchantments can be stolen, mister Worm. And because you have committed two robberies, you will be escorted to the prison camp in Nas Enco. Guards!?
?Whaaat! You can?t just send me? off to prison because I stole something!? Worm stammered, beginning to feel faint. A soldier seized each of his arms and he felt himself being lifted into the air. He felt his head spinning, seeing red, beginning to lose consciousness?
(****ING COPYRIGHTED)
Does /flygon/ want moar?
?Worm,? a voice whispered from behind the table he had been watching. The thief whipped his head around, but only saw the table and the elderly man running it. ?Behind the stand,? the voice whispered again. The thief slipped his dagger up his sleeve, and walked around the elderly man?s stand, being careful not to attract his attention. He looked for the source of the voice, and found it in a young, yet strangely experienced-looking man leaning against the stone walls of the bazaar. His hair appeared dry, uncut, and dirty, a description which, as he looked over his attire, applied to the entire man. He was stroking his short beard with his left hand, and letting a small dagger dangle from the index finger of his right.
?Ah, Keith. Wasn?t aware that you had clearance to come to Nastholo since the last time you were caught,? the thief said.
?Look, kid, I?m free, like the wind. Nobody tells me what to do, and no one tells me where I can-? he paused to spit on the ground, ?-and can?t go,? the man who was called Keith said. ?No, I?m not allowed to be here, but that?s what makes it all the more entertaining.?
?Well then,? the thief said, letting his dagger slip from his sleeve, ?don?t get me into any more trouble than I?m already getting myself into. If we were under Arrhennian law, you would have already made a hobby of death. I?ll do it myself if you get me caught.?
?Hey, hey, kid,? Keith said, backing off. ?Calm down. No one?s going to get you caught.?
?Go back to Nas Fostho. If you can make it there alive, don?t come back. If you don?t think that the Empress herself doesn?t keep track of every single criminal who walks the streets, you?re mistaking. While you might find it amusing to be near that list?s top, I don?t want to even make it on the bottom.?
?Fine,? Keith said, putting his left hand in his pocket. He turned his back and started to walk off, still twirling his tiny dagger on his index finger. ?Oh, I think I dropped something,? he said. Keith withdrew his left hand from his pocket and tossed a tied bundle to the thief. He looked down at the package, and before he could look up, Keith had disappeared around the stone wall.
?I wonder what that imbecile gave me this time,? he droned, untying the knot around the package. The cloth fell off of the crystalline object inside, and he gasped.
?What in the name of Ephos? Keith got it?? He was staring at the circular red crystal in his palm, aghast. He had been watching it for the past hour, how on Saundrol could Keith have gotten to it in the few seconds that he wasn?t looking?
Unfortunately, the thief wasn?t the only one looking at the crystal. The elderly man, who did not remember selling it to anyone, had been startled by the thief?s earlier exclamation and had turned around to look at the scene going on behind him.
?Thief! Thief!? the man called out, waving his arms. He stood up, and grabbed the thief by the collar. ?I hope you didn?t think you could get away with this? thief! THIEF!?
?Keith...? the thief fumed, not daring to move. A group of three soldiers had already begun to walk in the direction of the elderly man and himself.
?You!? one of the soldiers shouted, pointing at the thief. ?Don?t move!?
?Oh, great,? the thief said to himself. He quickly hid his dagger in a sheath on the inside of his shirt; he could not afford to lose it.
?Name,? the soldier who had shouted said, approaching the thief.
?I don?t know,? the thief said, cursing himself in his head.
?Don?t play stupid with me. What?s your name!?? the soldier said, in a more demanding and intimidating tone.
?I already said, I don?t know,? he continued. He was too honest for a thief; he should have said Keith Isson. The truth, though, was that he really had no idea what his name was.
?So you don?t have a name, kid??
?That?s right,? the thief said.
?What do you go by??
?People call me Worm, sir,? he said to the soldier.
?Fitting name for a thief,? one of the soldiers said, and they began to laugh among themselves.
?The stolen property please, Worm,? a soldier said, and held out his hand. Worm deposited the ruby orb into the soldier?s armored palm, which closed around it. ?So,? he said, inspecting it. ?What possessed you to steal this? It does not look like? the conventional thing one would steal.?
?Yes it does,? Worm snapped. ?It?s a gemstone. Very valuable.?
?This orb appears to be magically enchanted, is it not, sir?? the soldier said to the elderly man, who meekly nodded. ?Then you are guilty of two crimes, the theft of the orb itself and the theft of magic, is that not correct, mister Worm??
?That?s absurd! How was I to know the orb was enchanted?? Worm yelled. He had indeed not been told by his employer in Nas Fostho that the orb had magical enchantments attached to it. ?And how would that count as multiple crimes? Magic can?t be stolen!?
?Magical enchantments can be stolen, mister Worm. And because you have committed two robberies, you will be escorted to the prison camp in Nas Enco. Guards!?
?Whaaat! You can?t just send me? off to prison because I stole something!? Worm stammered, beginning to feel faint. A soldier seized each of his arms and he felt himself being lifted into the air. He felt his head spinning, seeing red, beginning to lose consciousness?
(****ING COPYRIGHTED)
Does /flygon/ want moar?
OMG...i think i can pwn j00...
can't remember everything I wrote but I'll try...
The school bell rings and all the students leave to go home. Thirty minutes pass and the only student left is Jacob McDay. His mother was late. This isn't the first time this has happened. Recently, Jacob's father and grandfather passed away in a fire and his mother hasn't been the same since. She took up drinking and began to be forgetful. Jacob decides to wait another 30 minutes before he starts to walk home.
Next thing he knows 30 minutes turns into an hour and so on. The sun begins to go down and Jacob finally decides to start walking. The walk isn't a long walk, Jacob only lives 4 blocks away.
Jacob starts walking home and along the way, the day turns into night. Jacob begins to get bored and he starts pretending. He looks up into the sky and pretends that he was an astronaut and he flew to the moon. He pretended he was a pirate and fought vicious skeletons and beasts. A few minutes later, he passes a pond. He hears a few croaks and moans and smiles. Jacob really likes frogs but didn't want to get side tracked so he continued to go home.
Still walking, Jacob sees a can on the ground. He was still bored, so he decided to kick the can until he got home. He kicked the can once, then he heard a rustle in the grass. Jacob paused to see if it was something, but the rustling stopped. He kicked the can once more and a dog jumps out of the tall grass and begins to chase Jacob! Jacob drops his lunch box and runs as fast as he can. He was relieved that his house wasn't too far away, but the dog was still chasing him.
Jacob continued to run and he saw his house. A light was on and he thought his mother probably feel asleep drunk. The dog finally gave up chasing Jacob and turned around. Catching his breath, Jacob pauses before crossing the street. He was almost home. Looking both ways, Jacob saw that the road was clear, and he began to cross, but then he hears a ROAR come down from the street, then a light...
Jacob awoke to his mother next to him. His mother was crying and he looked around and saw that he had nothing but wires hooked up to him. He looks at his mother and her face was very pale.
"Mom?" Jacob says weakly.
"Baby, I'm so sorry, every thing's going to be okay..." sobs Jacob's mother. "I didn't mean to hit you..."
can't remember everything I wrote but I'll try...
The school bell rings and all the students leave to go home. Thirty minutes pass and the only student left is Jacob McDay. His mother was late. This isn't the first time this has happened. Recently, Jacob's father and grandfather passed away in a fire and his mother hasn't been the same since. She took up drinking and began to be forgetful. Jacob decides to wait another 30 minutes before he starts to walk home.
Next thing he knows 30 minutes turns into an hour and so on. The sun begins to go down and Jacob finally decides to start walking. The walk isn't a long walk, Jacob only lives 4 blocks away.
Jacob starts walking home and along the way, the day turns into night. Jacob begins to get bored and he starts pretending. He looks up into the sky and pretends that he was an astronaut and he flew to the moon. He pretended he was a pirate and fought vicious skeletons and beasts. A few minutes later, he passes a pond. He hears a few croaks and moans and smiles. Jacob really likes frogs but didn't want to get side tracked so he continued to go home.
Still walking, Jacob sees a can on the ground. He was still bored, so he decided to kick the can until he got home. He kicked the can once, then he heard a rustle in the grass. Jacob paused to see if it was something, but the rustling stopped. He kicked the can once more and a dog jumps out of the tall grass and begins to chase Jacob! Jacob drops his lunch box and runs as fast as he can. He was relieved that his house wasn't too far away, but the dog was still chasing him.
Jacob continued to run and he saw his house. A light was on and he thought his mother probably feel asleep drunk. The dog finally gave up chasing Jacob and turned around. Catching his breath, Jacob pauses before crossing the street. He was almost home. Looking both ways, Jacob saw that the road was clear, and he began to cross, but then he hears a ROAR come down from the street, then a light...
Jacob awoke to his mother next to him. His mother was crying and he looked around and saw that he had nothing but wires hooked up to him. He looks at his mother and her face was very pale.
"Mom?" Jacob says weakly.
"Baby, I'm so sorry, every thing's going to be okay..." sobs Jacob's mother. "I didn't mean to hit you..."
Oh well. I might as well post my entire novel so far since I'm not that far into it. Any critique or "stop writing it it sucks" comments will be appreciated. I want to know if it's good enough to keep writing.
PART I: The Battle of Nastholo
The thief slowly stroked the knife?s blade in his gloved hands. It was slightly cold, even through the gloves, but that was normal for any weapon imbued with water crystals. His yellow eyes wandered from the small table he was watching to another bazaar stand, and then to the small groups of two or three soldiers marching through the bustling marketplace. It was a small inconvenience to his job, but war was war, and when a war was going on (as it had been since 1422, two years after his birth) soldiers would be present. Better the Nastholans catch him stealing than the Arrhennians. After all, the punishment for thievery in Nastholo is a fine, while the punishment in Arrhennius is death.
?Worm,? a voice whispered from behind the table he had been watching. The thief whipped his head around, but only saw the table and the elderly man running it. ?Behind the stand,? the voice whispered again. The thief slipped his dagger up his sleeve, and walked around the elderly man?s stand, being careful not to attract his attention. He looked for the source of the voice, and found it in a young, yet strangely experienced-looking man leaning against the stone walls of the bazaar. His hair appeared dry, uncut, and dirty, a description which, as he looked over his attire, applied to the entire man. He was stroking his short beard with his left hand, and letting a small dagger dangle from the index finger of his right.
?Ah, Keith. Wasn?t aware that you had clearance to come to Nastholo since the last time you were caught,? the thief said.
?Look, kid, I?m free, like the wind. Nobody tells me what to do, and no one tells me where I can-? he paused to spit on the ground, ?-and can?t go,? the man who was called Keith said. ?No, I?m not allowed to be here, but that?s what makes it all the more entertaining.?
?Well then,? the thief said, letting his dagger slip from his sleeve, ?don?t get me into any more trouble than I?m already getting myself into. If we were under Arrhennian law, you would have already made a hobby of death. I?ll do it myself if you get me caught.?
?Hey, hey, kid,? Keith said, backing off. ?Calm down. No one?s going to get you caught.?
?Go back to Nas Fostho. If you can make it there alive, don?t come back. If you don?t think that the Empress herself doesn?t keep track of every single criminal who walks the streets, you?re mistaking. While you might find it amusing to be near that list?s top, I don?t want to even make it on the bottom.?
?Fine,? Keith said, putting his left hand in his pocket. He turned his back and started to walk off, still twirling his tiny dagger on his index finger. ?Oh, I think I dropped something,? he said. Keith withdrew his left hand from his pocket and tossed a tied bundle to the thief. He looked down at the package, and before he could look up, Keith had disappeared around the stone wall.
?I wonder what that imbecile gave me this time,? he droned, untying the knot around the package. The cloth fell off of the crystalline object inside, and he gasped.
?What in the name of Ephos? Keith got it?? He was staring at the circular red crystal in his palm, aghast. He had been watching it for the past hour, how on Saundrol could Keith have gotten to it in the few seconds that he wasn?t looking?
Unfortunately, the thief wasn?t the only one looking at the crystal. The elderly man, who did not remember selling it to anyone, had been startled by the thief?s earlier exclamation and had turned around to look at the scene going on behind him.
?Thief! Thief!? the man called out, waving his arms. He stood up, and grabbed the thief by the collar. ?I hope you didn?t think you could get away with this? thief! THIEF!?
?Keith...? the thief fumed, not daring to move. A group of three soldiers had already begun to walk in the direction of the elderly man and himself.
?You!? one of the soldiers shouted, pointing at the thief. ?Don?t move!?
?Oh, great,? the thief said to himself. He quickly hid his dagger in a sheath on the inside of his shirt; he could not afford to lose it.
?Name,? the soldier who had shouted said, approaching the thief.
?I don?t know,? the thief said, cursing himself in his head.
?Don?t play stupid with me. What?s your name!?? the soldier said, in a more demanding and intimidating tone.
?I already said, I don?t know,? he continued. He was too honest for a thief; he should have said Keith Isson. The truth, though, was that he really had no idea what his name was.
?So you don?t have a name, kid??
?That?s right,? the thief said.
?What do you go by??
?People call me Worm, sir,? he said to the soldier.
?Fitting name for a thief,? one of the soldiers said, and they began to laugh among themselves.
?The stolen property please, Worm,? a soldier said, and held out his hand. Worm deposited the ruby orb into the soldier?s armored palm, which closed around it. ?So,? he said, inspecting it. ?What possessed you to steal this? It does not look like? the conventional thing one would steal.?
?Yes it does,? Worm snapped. ?It?s a gemstone. Very valuable.?
?This orb appears to be magically enchanted, is it not, sir?? the soldier said to the elderly man, who meekly nodded. ?Then you are guilty of two crimes, the theft of the orb itself and the theft of magic, is that not correct, mister Worm??
?That?s absurd! How was I to know the orb was enchanted?? Worm yelled. He had indeed not been told by his employer in Nas Fostho that the orb had magical enchantments attached to it. ?And how would that count as multiple crimes? Magic can?t be stolen!?
?Magical enchantments can be stolen, mister Worm. And because you have committed two robberies, you will be escorted to the prison camp in Nas Enco. Guards!?
?Whaaat! You can?t just send me? off to prison because I stole something!? Worm stammered, beginning to feel faint. A soldier seized each of his arms and he felt himself being lifted into the air. He felt his head spinning, seeing red, beginning to lose consciousness?
?Greetings, Empress Oceana,? the tall, gaunt, white-skinned man rasped. ?I trust that you are in good health??
?Chancellor Efson,? a cold and calm voice said from behind Empress Celia Oceana?s light brown face-veil. The young Empress turned her light, gold-lined throne to face the elderly Arrhennian Chancellor. Chancellor Efson gasped as Empress Oceana rose from her throne, removing the veil from her face. She was tall, almost as tall as Efson himself, and her sand-colored hair practically touched the elaborately designed marble floor.
?I had no idea that you were so young,? Efson said, examining her girlish face and figure. She was no older than eighteen seasons.
?I assumed the throne due to necessity,? Celia said, ?as you are aware.?
?The assassination of Celia Oceana the First cannot be blamed on every single Arrhennian, Empress. The guilt of that crime lies with the assassin alone,? Efson snapped.
?Very well,? Celia said, draping her veil over her face. ?Speak of your purpose here.?
?As you wish,? Efson said. ?The armies of both Arr Sohora and Etyolhos are currently at the walls of Nastholo. Your forces are unprepared for battle. I am here to make you an offer.?
?How can you be so sure that my armies aren?t ready for battle?? Celia said, obviously shocked. ?In fact ??
?We have many spies in Nastholo, Empress. As you of all people know, we are in a war, and espionage is a tactic that the Arrhennian Empire is well known for using.?
?Very well,? Celia said, defeated. ?Speak of this offer.?
?Your people are all in danger. On my signal, Arrhennian soldiers will charge from the mountains and attack Nastholo. Your feeble Imperial Guard has no chance of holding off the armies of two cities.? Efson smirked as he saw through her veil Celia?s face falling. ?I am offering to save the lives of every man in your army. While Arrhennian troops will not attack civilians, there is no guarantee that they will not be mistaken for soldiers or harmed in accident. You can prevent the spilling of the blood of your people by surrendering to me now.?
?S? surrender?? Celia stammered, staring at Efson.
?The Nastholan Empire will lose the city, and your people will be forced to evacuate. And you, Empress,? Efson said, grinning, ?will be the main attraction at the next public execution at the Nastholo Coliseum.?
?So you come here to tell me that I must die to save my people,? Celia said sadly. ?I knew that this day would come. As young as I may be, I am no fool.?
?So you will surrender yourself??
Celia approached Efson, removing her veil. ?Chancellor, I said I was not a fool. To underestimate my own people would be extraordinarily foolish.?
?Ah, so once her own life comes into the equation, the Empress of Nastholo decides to let her people die,? Efson said, laughing. ?How noble, little girl.?
?You don?t know what you?re talking about,? Celia said, smiling. ?I am no coward. I never once planned to surrender.? She drew an elaborate turquoise-colored sword from a sheath on her hip, and, in one swift movement, had the tip of the blade pointed at Chancellor Efson?s neck.
?I honestly hope that you jest,? Efson said, smirking. ?Otherwise, you are the epitome of a rash, young girl, Empress or not.?
?Chancellor Efson,? Celia said, grinning, ?Do you refuse my challenge? If I lose, and am killed, then your ?offer? will have been upheld. I will be dead.?
?Interesting,? Efson said, drawing his own sword while backing away from Celia?s blade. ?And if you win??
?Then you would be dead, and I shall announce to your armies that you were defeated in a duel. What happens then will be entirely up to fate.?
?It will not happen,? Efson said. ?I am sixty-four seasons of age. I have had fifty seasons of training in the art of swordplay. You can not have possibly had more than five seasons of training. It is inconceivable that you should win.?
?Then why haven?t you accepted?? Celia grinned. ?You want me dead, and if what you are saying is true, then I am offering you my life! What is there to fear??
?I could be falling into your trap.?
?Trickery? You don?t think that I am honorable enough to compete in a duel without fowl play??
?And I should trust you??
?Why should you not??
?You are my foe!?
?I may be your foe, but I still have morals. Now have at you!?
Worm was still unconscious when the guards loaded his body onto the locomotive car.
?Think he?s another Arrhennian spy?? one of the guards said.
?Well,? the other started, ?he was stealing a magical enchantment.?
?He doesn?t look Arrhennian,? the first guard said, a perplexed look on his face.
?Neither did the last few. Just because he?s Nas Homoan doesn?t mean that his allegiance doesn?t lie with the Arrhennian Empire.?
?I guess,? the first guard said. ?He didn?t seem like a spy though.?
The second guard climbed into the locomotive car. ?Get in, Dragomir.?
Dragomir nodded, and stepped into the small prison car. He removed his helmet, and his rugged blonde hair poured out over his chiseled face. The door to the car shut, and he could feel the wheels beneath him begin to clamber over the metal tracks. ?Hey Yogron, why do we have to go with him??
?To ensure that he doesn?t escape,? Yogron said to Dragomir.
?How is he going to escape from this prison car?? Dragomir said, the familiar perplexed look washing over his face. ?I don?t think even I could, and I?m completely armed.?
?He?s an Arrhennian spy, I?m sure he could think of something.?
?What makes you so sure that he?s a spy??
?Instinct,? Yogron grunted, and turned away.
?Well my instincts tell me differently,? Dragomir said to himself. ?There?s no way he could be a spy.?
Suddenly, Dragomir heard a loud bang outside of the locomotive. A few seconds later, there was another bang, and the entire car shook. He felt the wheels stop crawling along underneath him, and felt the car collide with the one in front of it.
?Yogron!? Dragomir yelled, standing up. ?What?s happening??
?It seems like we?ve been ambushed,? Yogron said, standing up. ?Take the spy. We need to get out of here.? Dragomir nodded, and leaned down to pick up Worm. There was another bang and crash, and as the floor of the car shook and Dragomir fell to the ground, Worm?s eyes flickered, and shot open.
?What was that!? he rasped, standing up and fumbling in his shirt for something. ?Who are you??
?Come on!? Dragomir yelled, motioning for Worm to follow. He drew a heavy, spiked war hammer from his waist and demolished the door of the car in one blow. ?I guess I could get out of here if I tried,? he mumbled to himself, jumping out of the car. Yogron and Worm followed suit quickly.
?What in the name of Ephos?? Yogron was staring in front of them. ?Dragomir. Spy. We need to move back. We have to get back to Nastholo and warn the Empress.?
?You?re right,? Dragomir said, staring at the enormous Arrhennian army advancing towards the walls of Nastholo. The locomotive, completely destroyed by Arrhennian catapults, stretched almost all of the way to the city.
?Spy. You can-?
?Are you referring to me?? Worm said, staring at Yogron. ?I?m not a spy. If I was a spy, you would both be dead right now, and I would be among the army advancing towards Nastholo.?
?Kill us?? Yogron chuckled. ?How??
?With this,? Worm said, pulling his knife out of his shirt. ?And I don?t really think now is the time to be laughing. We have to sneak past an entire army.?
?Stop fighting,? Dragomir said. ?We could attract unwanted attention.?
?Right,? Worm said. ?So, what?s the plan??
?Plan?? Yogron said. ?There isn?t one, unless you count distracting them with you so we can get away and warn the city.?
?Don?t listen to him,? Dragomir said, stroking his chin. ?I imagine that we can sneak around the prison car on the locomotive, and then go through the passenger cars that lead back to the city. We can?t be more than twenty stretches away from the city. We should be able to get back long before the army gets to Nastholo with sufficient time to warn the Empress.
?It?s likely that scouting parties have been sent ahead, and there are probably a few groups of Arrhennian soldiers inside the passenger cars gathering resources. If the three of us are able to fight together, we will most likely be able to overcome scouting parties of five or less if we have the element of surprise. We should try to avoid larger groups.?
?How?d you just come up with that?? Worm said, astonished.
?Dragomir here can make up plans like this,? Yogron said, snapping his fingers. ?Smarter than he lets on. It gives him an advantage against people who judge his intellect by his brawn.?
?We should start out now. I imagine if we wait any longer that we might be too late,? Dragomir said, cautiously removing his chain mail.
?What are you doing?? Yogron said, looking at Dragomir with disbelief.
?I imagine he?s taking his armor off to allow him to move faster and prevent the loud clanking that would undeniably draw a few eyes to the passenger cars,? Worm said.
?Oh,? Yogron said, frowning out of contempt for Worm. ?I suppose I should do the same thing,? he said, removing the heavy chain mail. His thin and lanky build was even clearer once his armor was removed, and Worm had to suppress a laugh at the clear contrast that Yogron and Dragomir had to each other.
?Let?s go,? Dragomir grunted, turning his back on Worm and Yogron. Yogron followed Dragomir?s lead, pushing Worm to the side, and the two vanished from Worm?s view. Should he follow them, the two men who he had never seen before and didn?t have any reason to trust? The thin one, he couldn?t catch a name, had been extraordinarily unpleasant; the large one, Dragomir, seemed to be the exact opposite.
He walked around the corner of the prison car, and ran a bit to catch up with them.
?Say,? he said, looking at Dragomir, ?if I helped you, you would forget about Nas Enco??
?The prison camp?? Dragomir said, turning his head to look at Worm. ?Minor thievery doesn?t warrant a torturous prison. I was against taking you there in the first place.?
?If you prove that you aren?t an Arrhennian spy,? Yogron said, ?then the charges will be dropped.?
?What right do you have to consider me a spy?? Worm exclaimed.
?Never mind that,? Dragomir said. ?If you prove that you want to help Nastholo by alerting the Empress of the impending Arrhennian army, then we will drop the charges.? Worm was silent as they walked along the rows of prison cars, keeping an eye out for sentry groups.
?Here we are,? Dragomir said, eyeing an open-doored passenger car. ?Yogron, you go first,? he said, motioning Yogron to go inside the passenger car. Yogron nodded, and stepped up into the open doorway.
?The lights are out,? Yogron said, frowning. ?The impact of the boulder to the locomotive must have knocked out the crystals.?
?It?s fine,? Worm said, leaping up into the car. ?I?m used to the dark.?
?The rest of us aren?t,? Yogron sneered.
?Don?t be so harsh,? Dragomir said, climbing onto the pitch-black car. ?We either band together now or get discovered,? he said, ?and either killed off the bat or taken prisoner.?
?Of course,? Yogron mused, ?now all we have to do is navigate an entire locomotive in the dark before an army arrives at the gates of Nastholo.?
?Stop complaining,? Worm said angrily. ?Just follow me and it?ll be fine.? Dragomir nodded, and Worm started to walk down the darkened locomotive car, as expertly as if he had memorized the layout of the car beforehand.
?Come on,? Dragomir said, pulling Yogron by the arm to follow Worm.
?Now it doesn?t look like anyone?s been here yet,? Worm whispered, ?but I could be mistaking. We should tread lightly from here on out.? Dragomir and Yogron both nodded, and Worm slowly opened the door to the next passenger car. The three men slipped through the passageway as quietly and stealthily as homoanly possible, and shut the door of the second passenger car behind them.
?Only about twenty more to go,? Yogron said with a sigh.
?Don?t worry,? Worm said. ?All passenger cars in these locomotives are exactly the same. We can take the exact same routes through all of the cars as we did the first one.?
?Let?s hurry,? Dragomir said. ?We must protect Nastholo and the Empress.? Yogron nodded, and the three ran forwards through the second passenger car, proceeding through the locomotive as quickly as possible.
?So, Dragomir, was it?? Worm said, panting. They had sprinted through eleven passenger cars, and the group had come to a unanimous decision to slow down for a minute. Dragomir nodded. ?Where?ya from??
?Zhalda?s Split,? he said, smiling. ?It?s a nice city, surrounded by water, always nice in a desert like East Osslyon.?
?Ah yes, Zhalda?s Split,? Worm said. ?I believe I?ve been there before, beautiful city.?
?Yeah,? Dragomir said, reminiscing. ?What about yourself??
?I don?t know,? Worm said, frowning.
?What d?ya mean, you don?t know?? Yogron said. ?How can you not know where you?re from??
?Same way I don?t know my name,? Worm said. ?I forget the first five or six years of my life. It?s strange.?
?What happened to your parents?? Dragomir said, astonished. ?Wouldn?t they have been able to remind you of? you know, your name??
?Never knew?em,? Worm said, quietly opening the door to the next car.
The three walked silently through the next couple of passenger cars, when Dragomir opened the door and announced, ?We?re there.?
Worm closed his eyes; the light of the desert burned his eyes after he had been in the darkness of the destroyed locomotive for so long. He heard Yogron and Dragomir jump out of the car, and he followed suit. They looked back, and couldn?t see the Arrhennian army at all in the distance.
?Good,? Dragomir said, turning his head to the walls of Nastholo. ?Come on. We cannot falter now.? He began to run towards the gate, followed by Yogron and a slightly exhausted Worm.
The group made it to the gate in little time at all, and Dragomir ran up to the gate guards.
?We come to warn the city of an advancing Arrhennian attack force,? Dragomir said. ?We must have immediate audience with the Empress.?
?What?? the guard Dragomir was addressing spat, in utter shock. ?Arrhennians??
?Yes, we have little time, let us into the city!? Yogron yelled.
?We cannot do that. If what you are saying is true, we cannot open the gates to the city at all. Word will be sent to the Empress.?
?No!? Dragomir yelled. ?You don?t get it! They?re almost here!?
?Which is why we cannot let you-? blood suddenly started to run from the guard?s mouth, and he fell to the ground. Worm withdrew his dagger from the guard?s neck.
?Get the keys,? Worm said to Dragomir, ?before the other guards notice. We can sneak in from the smaller gates to the west.? Dragomir nodded, he obviously understood that desperate times called for desperate measures. As the three ran, Worm started to speak.
?We?ll enter in the military district,? he said, running along the side of the wall. ?We can quickly run to the Grand Gate and try to reason with the guards to the palace. Once we?re in the palace, it?s all climbing stairs from there.?
?Have you been in the palace before?? Yogron said, suspiciously eyeing Worm.
?No, just studied maps,? Worm said. ?I always knew a situation like this would turn up,? he added sarcastically.
They made it to the gate into the military district, and Dragomir quickly inserted the key and slammed the gate open. Once they had all hurried inside, he slammed the gate behind him. ?Let?s go,? Dragomir said, starting to run in the direction of the Grand Gate. ?Time is running out quickly.?
Worm and Yogron both nodded, and quickly followed him. Worm noticed that the eyes of civilians, civilians who would all die if they didn?t make it to the palace in time, were glued to the group.
?We?re almost there!? Dragomir exclaimed, looking forwards. The Grand Gate, and behind it, the palace, stood ahead. ?Come on!?
The three of them reached the Grand Gate in unison, and Worm immediately said to the guards, ?Open the gate. We have news for the Empress.?
?W-what?? the guard said. ?What news??
?The news is for the Empress, not you,? Dragomir said. ?Open the gates. See these symbols? They?re the emblem of the Nastholan Army. We aren?t intruders. Now let us in!?
The guard nodded, speechless, and stuck his key in the gate. He opened the wrought-iron Grand Gate, and as Dragomir, Worm, and Yogron ran into the palace yard, shut it just as quickly.
?Almost there,? Yogron panted, running past the guards to the palace door and into the middle tower of the palace. It was a gigantic, circular room, the emblem of Nastholo engraved onto the stone floor, and a round staircase circling the entire tower up to the top.
?Let?s climb,? Dragomir said, beginning the long ascent to the top of the tower. Yogron and Worm followed, both panting, out of strength.
?We?ve? almost? made it?? Yogron breathed, his voice now hoarse and rasping.
?There!? Dragomir said, wrapping his hand around the elaborate knobs of the doors to the Empress?s throne room. He threw the door open, and thundered:
?Empress Oceana!?
Worm?s eyes widened as he saw the young Empress slash with a turquoise-colored blade at a tall, gaunt, dark robed man with a sword in his left hand. The man deftly parried the Empress?s blow, retaliating with a slash to her hand that knocked her sword to the ground.
?Intruders!? the man said, whirling around. Worm looked into his bright green eyes, and then over his white, wrinkled, and scarred face. He was extremely formidable, to say the least.
?Who are you?? Dragomir said, drawing his war hammer from his belt.
?Who am I?? the man said, sheathing his sword. ?Why should I tell such low-lives as you? Do you not have eyes? Can you not see that the Empress and I are in the middle of a duel??
?We don?t have time for this,? Worm said, walking towards the fallen Empress. ?Empress Oceana. We have come from the deserts outside the walls of Nastholo to warn you of an incoming Arrhennian army. They should be nearly at the gate by now.?
?W-what?? Celia said, taken aback. ?They are? they are here already??
?We saw them with our own eyes,? Yogron?s snide voice added in.
?Empress,? the man said, smiling and placing a hand on his sword. ?My orders were for them to stay at the mountains and wait for orders from me to advance. Not to-?
?Silence,? Celia said, lifting her sword from the ground. ?Your ploy will deceive me no longer. Our duel is over.?
?Empress Oceana,? the man said, his smile twisting into an evil grin, ?I fail to see your point. My armies are apparently already at the gates, and you have no time to ready your own army. Why don?t you just let me finish killing you??
?Chancellor Efson, with all due respect, you have lied about the agreement you made with me earlier. Your armies were never told to stand by in the mountains and wait for your word to attack. I believe the ones who brought your fraud to surface,? she said, nodding towards Worm, Dragomir, and Yogron, ?should be your executioners.?
?Executioners?? Efson said. He began to laugh. ?You plan to kill me??
?That?s what she said,? Worm said, pulling his dagger out from inside his shirt. ?Or are you a little hard of hearing??
?And what is this?? The Chancellor examined Worm, looking at his tattered cloth shirt, old black leather pants that appeared to be too large, and a half-broken pair of sandals. ?A street urchin dares to insult me?? Efson said through his laughter, unsheathing his sword. ?Very well, try and poke me with that little knife of yours!?
?He?s all yours,? Dragomir said, nodding, and stepped to the side. ?I think you can handle him?
?Hah, I?d like to see that,? Yogron laughed, drawing a long sword from his waist. ?There?s no way he can handle a Chancellor alone.?
?Thank you,? Celia said, looking at Worm. ?I will go and rally the troops. Be careful, for if any of us survive this, you will be rewarded when all is said and done.? She ran through the open doors, and they shut with a loud slamming noise behind her.
Worm gulped, looking into the fierce red eyes of the Chancellor. They seemed ablaze with fury, lighting his entire contorted, pale face on an invisible fire. He grasped his dagger in his fist, and, swallowing his fear, walked up to face Chancellor Efson.
?You poor young fools,? Efson rasped, clasping his fingers tight around the hilt of his sword, ?first the Empress, and now a worthless urchin, challenging me to a duel? I will enjoy killing you.?
?I think you?ve forgotten about us,? Yogron said, pointing his sword at the back of Efson?s neck.
?No!? Worm exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. ?I may be a thief, but I still maintain all of the honor I possibly can. This is a duel, not a three-on-one brawl.?
?You are foolish,? Efson rasped, his voice as harsh and merciless as the roar of a great beast. ?You do not stand a chance.?
?Dragomir! Yogron! Follow the Empress. Help her in any way you can. I want to put this old man in his place by myself,? Worm said. Dragomir nodded, and he pushed the door of the throne room open, and dragged a struggling Yogron out by the wrist, the door slamming behind them.
?As for you,? Worm said, directing his gaze to Efson, ?make your peace with Ephos now. Before the day is over, you will be a corpse on this very floor.?
?Very brave words,? the Chancellor rasped, grinning. ?One must admire your sheer gall. Now, let us get this over with before my army destroys this very castle.?
?I?d love to,? Worm said, reaching into a pouch on his waist. He latched a metal glove with two hooked knives attached to his right hand, and pointed his dagger at Efson with his left. ?Prepare to die!?
?You should be the one preparing your death,? Efson whispered, charging at Worm, his mammoth blade grasped between his two hands. His black robes billowed as he brought the deadly blade down on Worm. The horrifying sword grew in Worm?s eyes as it appeared to crash down on him, menacing, unforgiving, demonic?
And he placed the palms of both his hands on the broad sides of the Chancellor?s blade, grasping it with all of his strength, pushing it back. He could tell from seeing the beads of sweat roll past his eyes that Efson was pushing the blade down at him as hard as he possibly could, but Worm couldn?t give up now. The fight hadn?t even started. With a momentary burst of strength, he threw the blade to the side and rolled out of the sword?s swinging radius as Efson attempted a horizontal sweep to his legs.
?Can?t get me that easily,? Worm taunted, dashing in towards the Chancellor, ducking to avoid a second horizontal sweep along the way. His eyes flashed with his near-death experience of only a few moments ago, and he roared, digging his clawed right hand into the wrist of Chancellor Efson?s sword arm. His mouth twisted into a satisfied grin as he twisted the dual notched knives in his foe?s wrist, forcing them to penetrate to the other side of his arm. Moments later, he became aware of an earsplitting scream, half human, half animal, that was filling the room. Efson had dropped his sword and was grasping his wrist where the knife blades had penetrated all the way through his arm.
?I?m not done yet,? Worm said, lifting his dagger. With a quick slice, he severed Efson?s sword hand, lifting it into the air on his claws. Sliding his dagger back into his shirt, he ripped the hand off of his claws, dropping it onto the ground. The claws were covered in chunks of Efson?s flesh, his blood drizzling off of the dual knives into a puddle on the ground.
?W? what kind of barbaric fighting is that?? Efson rasped, curled up on the ground in pain. ?W?h?y? is th?is? happening to me??
?Don?t worry,? Worm said, closing his eyes and lifting Efson?s blade from the ground where he had dropped it. ?It will all be over soon.? He stepped over to the curled up body on the ground, staring into his red eyes, now liquid pools of fear and contempt. ?Call the armies off. If you do, I will let you live.?
?H? hah? you think? I value? my life? over? the goals? of the High King?? Efson said, laughing despite his pain. ?You really? are? a fool? kill me now, please? get it? over with.?
?You are the fool, Chancellor,? Worm said, pointing Efson?s sword at him. ?The only person you should look after is yourself. I learned that long ago. Now,? he said, digging the point of the sword into Efson?s neck, ?you will realize the consequences of your flawed principals.? And with a quick flick of the wrist, Efson?s head rolled away from his body, hitting the foot of Empress Oceana?s throne.
PART I: The Battle of Nastholo
The thief slowly stroked the knife?s blade in his gloved hands. It was slightly cold, even through the gloves, but that was normal for any weapon imbued with water crystals. His yellow eyes wandered from the small table he was watching to another bazaar stand, and then to the small groups of two or three soldiers marching through the bustling marketplace. It was a small inconvenience to his job, but war was war, and when a war was going on (as it had been since 1422, two years after his birth) soldiers would be present. Better the Nastholans catch him stealing than the Arrhennians. After all, the punishment for thievery in Nastholo is a fine, while the punishment in Arrhennius is death.
?Worm,? a voice whispered from behind the table he had been watching. The thief whipped his head around, but only saw the table and the elderly man running it. ?Behind the stand,? the voice whispered again. The thief slipped his dagger up his sleeve, and walked around the elderly man?s stand, being careful not to attract his attention. He looked for the source of the voice, and found it in a young, yet strangely experienced-looking man leaning against the stone walls of the bazaar. His hair appeared dry, uncut, and dirty, a description which, as he looked over his attire, applied to the entire man. He was stroking his short beard with his left hand, and letting a small dagger dangle from the index finger of his right.
?Ah, Keith. Wasn?t aware that you had clearance to come to Nastholo since the last time you were caught,? the thief said.
?Look, kid, I?m free, like the wind. Nobody tells me what to do, and no one tells me where I can-? he paused to spit on the ground, ?-and can?t go,? the man who was called Keith said. ?No, I?m not allowed to be here, but that?s what makes it all the more entertaining.?
?Well then,? the thief said, letting his dagger slip from his sleeve, ?don?t get me into any more trouble than I?m already getting myself into. If we were under Arrhennian law, you would have already made a hobby of death. I?ll do it myself if you get me caught.?
?Hey, hey, kid,? Keith said, backing off. ?Calm down. No one?s going to get you caught.?
?Go back to Nas Fostho. If you can make it there alive, don?t come back. If you don?t think that the Empress herself doesn?t keep track of every single criminal who walks the streets, you?re mistaking. While you might find it amusing to be near that list?s top, I don?t want to even make it on the bottom.?
?Fine,? Keith said, putting his left hand in his pocket. He turned his back and started to walk off, still twirling his tiny dagger on his index finger. ?Oh, I think I dropped something,? he said. Keith withdrew his left hand from his pocket and tossed a tied bundle to the thief. He looked down at the package, and before he could look up, Keith had disappeared around the stone wall.
?I wonder what that imbecile gave me this time,? he droned, untying the knot around the package. The cloth fell off of the crystalline object inside, and he gasped.
?What in the name of Ephos? Keith got it?? He was staring at the circular red crystal in his palm, aghast. He had been watching it for the past hour, how on Saundrol could Keith have gotten to it in the few seconds that he wasn?t looking?
Unfortunately, the thief wasn?t the only one looking at the crystal. The elderly man, who did not remember selling it to anyone, had been startled by the thief?s earlier exclamation and had turned around to look at the scene going on behind him.
?Thief! Thief!? the man called out, waving his arms. He stood up, and grabbed the thief by the collar. ?I hope you didn?t think you could get away with this? thief! THIEF!?
?Keith...? the thief fumed, not daring to move. A group of three soldiers had already begun to walk in the direction of the elderly man and himself.
?You!? one of the soldiers shouted, pointing at the thief. ?Don?t move!?
?Oh, great,? the thief said to himself. He quickly hid his dagger in a sheath on the inside of his shirt; he could not afford to lose it.
?Name,? the soldier who had shouted said, approaching the thief.
?I don?t know,? the thief said, cursing himself in his head.
?Don?t play stupid with me. What?s your name!?? the soldier said, in a more demanding and intimidating tone.
?I already said, I don?t know,? he continued. He was too honest for a thief; he should have said Keith Isson. The truth, though, was that he really had no idea what his name was.
?So you don?t have a name, kid??
?That?s right,? the thief said.
?What do you go by??
?People call me Worm, sir,? he said to the soldier.
?Fitting name for a thief,? one of the soldiers said, and they began to laugh among themselves.
?The stolen property please, Worm,? a soldier said, and held out his hand. Worm deposited the ruby orb into the soldier?s armored palm, which closed around it. ?So,? he said, inspecting it. ?What possessed you to steal this? It does not look like? the conventional thing one would steal.?
?Yes it does,? Worm snapped. ?It?s a gemstone. Very valuable.?
?This orb appears to be magically enchanted, is it not, sir?? the soldier said to the elderly man, who meekly nodded. ?Then you are guilty of two crimes, the theft of the orb itself and the theft of magic, is that not correct, mister Worm??
?That?s absurd! How was I to know the orb was enchanted?? Worm yelled. He had indeed not been told by his employer in Nas Fostho that the orb had magical enchantments attached to it. ?And how would that count as multiple crimes? Magic can?t be stolen!?
?Magical enchantments can be stolen, mister Worm. And because you have committed two robberies, you will be escorted to the prison camp in Nas Enco. Guards!?
?Whaaat! You can?t just send me? off to prison because I stole something!? Worm stammered, beginning to feel faint. A soldier seized each of his arms and he felt himself being lifted into the air. He felt his head spinning, seeing red, beginning to lose consciousness?
?Greetings, Empress Oceana,? the tall, gaunt, white-skinned man rasped. ?I trust that you are in good health??
?Chancellor Efson,? a cold and calm voice said from behind Empress Celia Oceana?s light brown face-veil. The young Empress turned her light, gold-lined throne to face the elderly Arrhennian Chancellor. Chancellor Efson gasped as Empress Oceana rose from her throne, removing the veil from her face. She was tall, almost as tall as Efson himself, and her sand-colored hair practically touched the elaborately designed marble floor.
?I had no idea that you were so young,? Efson said, examining her girlish face and figure. She was no older than eighteen seasons.
?I assumed the throne due to necessity,? Celia said, ?as you are aware.?
?The assassination of Celia Oceana the First cannot be blamed on every single Arrhennian, Empress. The guilt of that crime lies with the assassin alone,? Efson snapped.
?Very well,? Celia said, draping her veil over her face. ?Speak of your purpose here.?
?As you wish,? Efson said. ?The armies of both Arr Sohora and Etyolhos are currently at the walls of Nastholo. Your forces are unprepared for battle. I am here to make you an offer.?
?How can you be so sure that my armies aren?t ready for battle?? Celia said, obviously shocked. ?In fact ??
?We have many spies in Nastholo, Empress. As you of all people know, we are in a war, and espionage is a tactic that the Arrhennian Empire is well known for using.?
?Very well,? Celia said, defeated. ?Speak of this offer.?
?Your people are all in danger. On my signal, Arrhennian soldiers will charge from the mountains and attack Nastholo. Your feeble Imperial Guard has no chance of holding off the armies of two cities.? Efson smirked as he saw through her veil Celia?s face falling. ?I am offering to save the lives of every man in your army. While Arrhennian troops will not attack civilians, there is no guarantee that they will not be mistaken for soldiers or harmed in accident. You can prevent the spilling of the blood of your people by surrendering to me now.?
?S? surrender?? Celia stammered, staring at Efson.
?The Nastholan Empire will lose the city, and your people will be forced to evacuate. And you, Empress,? Efson said, grinning, ?will be the main attraction at the next public execution at the Nastholo Coliseum.?
?So you come here to tell me that I must die to save my people,? Celia said sadly. ?I knew that this day would come. As young as I may be, I am no fool.?
?So you will surrender yourself??
Celia approached Efson, removing her veil. ?Chancellor, I said I was not a fool. To underestimate my own people would be extraordinarily foolish.?
?Ah, so once her own life comes into the equation, the Empress of Nastholo decides to let her people die,? Efson said, laughing. ?How noble, little girl.?
?You don?t know what you?re talking about,? Celia said, smiling. ?I am no coward. I never once planned to surrender.? She drew an elaborate turquoise-colored sword from a sheath on her hip, and, in one swift movement, had the tip of the blade pointed at Chancellor Efson?s neck.
?I honestly hope that you jest,? Efson said, smirking. ?Otherwise, you are the epitome of a rash, young girl, Empress or not.?
?Chancellor Efson,? Celia said, grinning, ?Do you refuse my challenge? If I lose, and am killed, then your ?offer? will have been upheld. I will be dead.?
?Interesting,? Efson said, drawing his own sword while backing away from Celia?s blade. ?And if you win??
?Then you would be dead, and I shall announce to your armies that you were defeated in a duel. What happens then will be entirely up to fate.?
?It will not happen,? Efson said. ?I am sixty-four seasons of age. I have had fifty seasons of training in the art of swordplay. You can not have possibly had more than five seasons of training. It is inconceivable that you should win.?
?Then why haven?t you accepted?? Celia grinned. ?You want me dead, and if what you are saying is true, then I am offering you my life! What is there to fear??
?I could be falling into your trap.?
?Trickery? You don?t think that I am honorable enough to compete in a duel without fowl play??
?And I should trust you??
?Why should you not??
?You are my foe!?
?I may be your foe, but I still have morals. Now have at you!?
Worm was still unconscious when the guards loaded his body onto the locomotive car.
?Think he?s another Arrhennian spy?? one of the guards said.
?Well,? the other started, ?he was stealing a magical enchantment.?
?He doesn?t look Arrhennian,? the first guard said, a perplexed look on his face.
?Neither did the last few. Just because he?s Nas Homoan doesn?t mean that his allegiance doesn?t lie with the Arrhennian Empire.?
?I guess,? the first guard said. ?He didn?t seem like a spy though.?
The second guard climbed into the locomotive car. ?Get in, Dragomir.?
Dragomir nodded, and stepped into the small prison car. He removed his helmet, and his rugged blonde hair poured out over his chiseled face. The door to the car shut, and he could feel the wheels beneath him begin to clamber over the metal tracks. ?Hey Yogron, why do we have to go with him??
?To ensure that he doesn?t escape,? Yogron said to Dragomir.
?How is he going to escape from this prison car?? Dragomir said, the familiar perplexed look washing over his face. ?I don?t think even I could, and I?m completely armed.?
?He?s an Arrhennian spy, I?m sure he could think of something.?
?What makes you so sure that he?s a spy??
?Instinct,? Yogron grunted, and turned away.
?Well my instincts tell me differently,? Dragomir said to himself. ?There?s no way he could be a spy.?
Suddenly, Dragomir heard a loud bang outside of the locomotive. A few seconds later, there was another bang, and the entire car shook. He felt the wheels stop crawling along underneath him, and felt the car collide with the one in front of it.
?Yogron!? Dragomir yelled, standing up. ?What?s happening??
?It seems like we?ve been ambushed,? Yogron said, standing up. ?Take the spy. We need to get out of here.? Dragomir nodded, and leaned down to pick up Worm. There was another bang and crash, and as the floor of the car shook and Dragomir fell to the ground, Worm?s eyes flickered, and shot open.
?What was that!? he rasped, standing up and fumbling in his shirt for something. ?Who are you??
?Come on!? Dragomir yelled, motioning for Worm to follow. He drew a heavy, spiked war hammer from his waist and demolished the door of the car in one blow. ?I guess I could get out of here if I tried,? he mumbled to himself, jumping out of the car. Yogron and Worm followed suit quickly.
?What in the name of Ephos?? Yogron was staring in front of them. ?Dragomir. Spy. We need to move back. We have to get back to Nastholo and warn the Empress.?
?You?re right,? Dragomir said, staring at the enormous Arrhennian army advancing towards the walls of Nastholo. The locomotive, completely destroyed by Arrhennian catapults, stretched almost all of the way to the city.
?Spy. You can-?
?Are you referring to me?? Worm said, staring at Yogron. ?I?m not a spy. If I was a spy, you would both be dead right now, and I would be among the army advancing towards Nastholo.?
?Kill us?? Yogron chuckled. ?How??
?With this,? Worm said, pulling his knife out of his shirt. ?And I don?t really think now is the time to be laughing. We have to sneak past an entire army.?
?Stop fighting,? Dragomir said. ?We could attract unwanted attention.?
?Right,? Worm said. ?So, what?s the plan??
?Plan?? Yogron said. ?There isn?t one, unless you count distracting them with you so we can get away and warn the city.?
?Don?t listen to him,? Dragomir said, stroking his chin. ?I imagine that we can sneak around the prison car on the locomotive, and then go through the passenger cars that lead back to the city. We can?t be more than twenty stretches away from the city. We should be able to get back long before the army gets to Nastholo with sufficient time to warn the Empress.
?It?s likely that scouting parties have been sent ahead, and there are probably a few groups of Arrhennian soldiers inside the passenger cars gathering resources. If the three of us are able to fight together, we will most likely be able to overcome scouting parties of five or less if we have the element of surprise. We should try to avoid larger groups.?
?How?d you just come up with that?? Worm said, astonished.
?Dragomir here can make up plans like this,? Yogron said, snapping his fingers. ?Smarter than he lets on. It gives him an advantage against people who judge his intellect by his brawn.?
?We should start out now. I imagine if we wait any longer that we might be too late,? Dragomir said, cautiously removing his chain mail.
?What are you doing?? Yogron said, looking at Dragomir with disbelief.
?I imagine he?s taking his armor off to allow him to move faster and prevent the loud clanking that would undeniably draw a few eyes to the passenger cars,? Worm said.
?Oh,? Yogron said, frowning out of contempt for Worm. ?I suppose I should do the same thing,? he said, removing the heavy chain mail. His thin and lanky build was even clearer once his armor was removed, and Worm had to suppress a laugh at the clear contrast that Yogron and Dragomir had to each other.
?Let?s go,? Dragomir grunted, turning his back on Worm and Yogron. Yogron followed Dragomir?s lead, pushing Worm to the side, and the two vanished from Worm?s view. Should he follow them, the two men who he had never seen before and didn?t have any reason to trust? The thin one, he couldn?t catch a name, had been extraordinarily unpleasant; the large one, Dragomir, seemed to be the exact opposite.
He walked around the corner of the prison car, and ran a bit to catch up with them.
?Say,? he said, looking at Dragomir, ?if I helped you, you would forget about Nas Enco??
?The prison camp?? Dragomir said, turning his head to look at Worm. ?Minor thievery doesn?t warrant a torturous prison. I was against taking you there in the first place.?
?If you prove that you aren?t an Arrhennian spy,? Yogron said, ?then the charges will be dropped.?
?What right do you have to consider me a spy?? Worm exclaimed.
?Never mind that,? Dragomir said. ?If you prove that you want to help Nastholo by alerting the Empress of the impending Arrhennian army, then we will drop the charges.? Worm was silent as they walked along the rows of prison cars, keeping an eye out for sentry groups.
?Here we are,? Dragomir said, eyeing an open-doored passenger car. ?Yogron, you go first,? he said, motioning Yogron to go inside the passenger car. Yogron nodded, and stepped up into the open doorway.
?The lights are out,? Yogron said, frowning. ?The impact of the boulder to the locomotive must have knocked out the crystals.?
?It?s fine,? Worm said, leaping up into the car. ?I?m used to the dark.?
?The rest of us aren?t,? Yogron sneered.
?Don?t be so harsh,? Dragomir said, climbing onto the pitch-black car. ?We either band together now or get discovered,? he said, ?and either killed off the bat or taken prisoner.?
?Of course,? Yogron mused, ?now all we have to do is navigate an entire locomotive in the dark before an army arrives at the gates of Nastholo.?
?Stop complaining,? Worm said angrily. ?Just follow me and it?ll be fine.? Dragomir nodded, and Worm started to walk down the darkened locomotive car, as expertly as if he had memorized the layout of the car beforehand.
?Come on,? Dragomir said, pulling Yogron by the arm to follow Worm.
?Now it doesn?t look like anyone?s been here yet,? Worm whispered, ?but I could be mistaking. We should tread lightly from here on out.? Dragomir and Yogron both nodded, and Worm slowly opened the door to the next passenger car. The three men slipped through the passageway as quietly and stealthily as homoanly possible, and shut the door of the second passenger car behind them.
?Only about twenty more to go,? Yogron said with a sigh.
?Don?t worry,? Worm said. ?All passenger cars in these locomotives are exactly the same. We can take the exact same routes through all of the cars as we did the first one.?
?Let?s hurry,? Dragomir said. ?We must protect Nastholo and the Empress.? Yogron nodded, and the three ran forwards through the second passenger car, proceeding through the locomotive as quickly as possible.
?So, Dragomir, was it?? Worm said, panting. They had sprinted through eleven passenger cars, and the group had come to a unanimous decision to slow down for a minute. Dragomir nodded. ?Where?ya from??
?Zhalda?s Split,? he said, smiling. ?It?s a nice city, surrounded by water, always nice in a desert like East Osslyon.?
?Ah yes, Zhalda?s Split,? Worm said. ?I believe I?ve been there before, beautiful city.?
?Yeah,? Dragomir said, reminiscing. ?What about yourself??
?I don?t know,? Worm said, frowning.
?What d?ya mean, you don?t know?? Yogron said. ?How can you not know where you?re from??
?Same way I don?t know my name,? Worm said. ?I forget the first five or six years of my life. It?s strange.?
?What happened to your parents?? Dragomir said, astonished. ?Wouldn?t they have been able to remind you of? you know, your name??
?Never knew?em,? Worm said, quietly opening the door to the next car.
The three walked silently through the next couple of passenger cars, when Dragomir opened the door and announced, ?We?re there.?
Worm closed his eyes; the light of the desert burned his eyes after he had been in the darkness of the destroyed locomotive for so long. He heard Yogron and Dragomir jump out of the car, and he followed suit. They looked back, and couldn?t see the Arrhennian army at all in the distance.
?Good,? Dragomir said, turning his head to the walls of Nastholo. ?Come on. We cannot falter now.? He began to run towards the gate, followed by Yogron and a slightly exhausted Worm.
The group made it to the gate in little time at all, and Dragomir ran up to the gate guards.
?We come to warn the city of an advancing Arrhennian attack force,? Dragomir said. ?We must have immediate audience with the Empress.?
?What?? the guard Dragomir was addressing spat, in utter shock. ?Arrhennians??
?Yes, we have little time, let us into the city!? Yogron yelled.
?We cannot do that. If what you are saying is true, we cannot open the gates to the city at all. Word will be sent to the Empress.?
?No!? Dragomir yelled. ?You don?t get it! They?re almost here!?
?Which is why we cannot let you-? blood suddenly started to run from the guard?s mouth, and he fell to the ground. Worm withdrew his dagger from the guard?s neck.
?Get the keys,? Worm said to Dragomir, ?before the other guards notice. We can sneak in from the smaller gates to the west.? Dragomir nodded, he obviously understood that desperate times called for desperate measures. As the three ran, Worm started to speak.
?We?ll enter in the military district,? he said, running along the side of the wall. ?We can quickly run to the Grand Gate and try to reason with the guards to the palace. Once we?re in the palace, it?s all climbing stairs from there.?
?Have you been in the palace before?? Yogron said, suspiciously eyeing Worm.
?No, just studied maps,? Worm said. ?I always knew a situation like this would turn up,? he added sarcastically.
They made it to the gate into the military district, and Dragomir quickly inserted the key and slammed the gate open. Once they had all hurried inside, he slammed the gate behind him. ?Let?s go,? Dragomir said, starting to run in the direction of the Grand Gate. ?Time is running out quickly.?
Worm and Yogron both nodded, and quickly followed him. Worm noticed that the eyes of civilians, civilians who would all die if they didn?t make it to the palace in time, were glued to the group.
?We?re almost there!? Dragomir exclaimed, looking forwards. The Grand Gate, and behind it, the palace, stood ahead. ?Come on!?
The three of them reached the Grand Gate in unison, and Worm immediately said to the guards, ?Open the gate. We have news for the Empress.?
?W-what?? the guard said. ?What news??
?The news is for the Empress, not you,? Dragomir said. ?Open the gates. See these symbols? They?re the emblem of the Nastholan Army. We aren?t intruders. Now let us in!?
The guard nodded, speechless, and stuck his key in the gate. He opened the wrought-iron Grand Gate, and as Dragomir, Worm, and Yogron ran into the palace yard, shut it just as quickly.
?Almost there,? Yogron panted, running past the guards to the palace door and into the middle tower of the palace. It was a gigantic, circular room, the emblem of Nastholo engraved onto the stone floor, and a round staircase circling the entire tower up to the top.
?Let?s climb,? Dragomir said, beginning the long ascent to the top of the tower. Yogron and Worm followed, both panting, out of strength.
?We?ve? almost? made it?? Yogron breathed, his voice now hoarse and rasping.
?There!? Dragomir said, wrapping his hand around the elaborate knobs of the doors to the Empress?s throne room. He threw the door open, and thundered:
?Empress Oceana!?
Worm?s eyes widened as he saw the young Empress slash with a turquoise-colored blade at a tall, gaunt, dark robed man with a sword in his left hand. The man deftly parried the Empress?s blow, retaliating with a slash to her hand that knocked her sword to the ground.
?Intruders!? the man said, whirling around. Worm looked into his bright green eyes, and then over his white, wrinkled, and scarred face. He was extremely formidable, to say the least.
?Who are you?? Dragomir said, drawing his war hammer from his belt.
?Who am I?? the man said, sheathing his sword. ?Why should I tell such low-lives as you? Do you not have eyes? Can you not see that the Empress and I are in the middle of a duel??
?We don?t have time for this,? Worm said, walking towards the fallen Empress. ?Empress Oceana. We have come from the deserts outside the walls of Nastholo to warn you of an incoming Arrhennian army. They should be nearly at the gate by now.?
?W-what?? Celia said, taken aback. ?They are? they are here already??
?We saw them with our own eyes,? Yogron?s snide voice added in.
?Empress,? the man said, smiling and placing a hand on his sword. ?My orders were for them to stay at the mountains and wait for orders from me to advance. Not to-?
?Silence,? Celia said, lifting her sword from the ground. ?Your ploy will deceive me no longer. Our duel is over.?
?Empress Oceana,? the man said, his smile twisting into an evil grin, ?I fail to see your point. My armies are apparently already at the gates, and you have no time to ready your own army. Why don?t you just let me finish killing you??
?Chancellor Efson, with all due respect, you have lied about the agreement you made with me earlier. Your armies were never told to stand by in the mountains and wait for your word to attack. I believe the ones who brought your fraud to surface,? she said, nodding towards Worm, Dragomir, and Yogron, ?should be your executioners.?
?Executioners?? Efson said. He began to laugh. ?You plan to kill me??
?That?s what she said,? Worm said, pulling his dagger out from inside his shirt. ?Or are you a little hard of hearing??
?And what is this?? The Chancellor examined Worm, looking at his tattered cloth shirt, old black leather pants that appeared to be too large, and a half-broken pair of sandals. ?A street urchin dares to insult me?? Efson said through his laughter, unsheathing his sword. ?Very well, try and poke me with that little knife of yours!?
?He?s all yours,? Dragomir said, nodding, and stepped to the side. ?I think you can handle him?
?Hah, I?d like to see that,? Yogron laughed, drawing a long sword from his waist. ?There?s no way he can handle a Chancellor alone.?
?Thank you,? Celia said, looking at Worm. ?I will go and rally the troops. Be careful, for if any of us survive this, you will be rewarded when all is said and done.? She ran through the open doors, and they shut with a loud slamming noise behind her.
Worm gulped, looking into the fierce red eyes of the Chancellor. They seemed ablaze with fury, lighting his entire contorted, pale face on an invisible fire. He grasped his dagger in his fist, and, swallowing his fear, walked up to face Chancellor Efson.
?You poor young fools,? Efson rasped, clasping his fingers tight around the hilt of his sword, ?first the Empress, and now a worthless urchin, challenging me to a duel? I will enjoy killing you.?
?I think you?ve forgotten about us,? Yogron said, pointing his sword at the back of Efson?s neck.
?No!? Worm exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. ?I may be a thief, but I still maintain all of the honor I possibly can. This is a duel, not a three-on-one brawl.?
?You are foolish,? Efson rasped, his voice as harsh and merciless as the roar of a great beast. ?You do not stand a chance.?
?Dragomir! Yogron! Follow the Empress. Help her in any way you can. I want to put this old man in his place by myself,? Worm said. Dragomir nodded, and he pushed the door of the throne room open, and dragged a struggling Yogron out by the wrist, the door slamming behind them.
?As for you,? Worm said, directing his gaze to Efson, ?make your peace with Ephos now. Before the day is over, you will be a corpse on this very floor.?
?Very brave words,? the Chancellor rasped, grinning. ?One must admire your sheer gall. Now, let us get this over with before my army destroys this very castle.?
?I?d love to,? Worm said, reaching into a pouch on his waist. He latched a metal glove with two hooked knives attached to his right hand, and pointed his dagger at Efson with his left. ?Prepare to die!?
?You should be the one preparing your death,? Efson whispered, charging at Worm, his mammoth blade grasped between his two hands. His black robes billowed as he brought the deadly blade down on Worm. The horrifying sword grew in Worm?s eyes as it appeared to crash down on him, menacing, unforgiving, demonic?
And he placed the palms of both his hands on the broad sides of the Chancellor?s blade, grasping it with all of his strength, pushing it back. He could tell from seeing the beads of sweat roll past his eyes that Efson was pushing the blade down at him as hard as he possibly could, but Worm couldn?t give up now. The fight hadn?t even started. With a momentary burst of strength, he threw the blade to the side and rolled out of the sword?s swinging radius as Efson attempted a horizontal sweep to his legs.
?Can?t get me that easily,? Worm taunted, dashing in towards the Chancellor, ducking to avoid a second horizontal sweep along the way. His eyes flashed with his near-death experience of only a few moments ago, and he roared, digging his clawed right hand into the wrist of Chancellor Efson?s sword arm. His mouth twisted into a satisfied grin as he twisted the dual notched knives in his foe?s wrist, forcing them to penetrate to the other side of his arm. Moments later, he became aware of an earsplitting scream, half human, half animal, that was filling the room. Efson had dropped his sword and was grasping his wrist where the knife blades had penetrated all the way through his arm.
?I?m not done yet,? Worm said, lifting his dagger. With a quick slice, he severed Efson?s sword hand, lifting it into the air on his claws. Sliding his dagger back into his shirt, he ripped the hand off of his claws, dropping it onto the ground. The claws were covered in chunks of Efson?s flesh, his blood drizzling off of the dual knives into a puddle on the ground.
?W? what kind of barbaric fighting is that?? Efson rasped, curled up on the ground in pain. ?W?h?y? is th?is? happening to me??
?Don?t worry,? Worm said, closing his eyes and lifting Efson?s blade from the ground where he had dropped it. ?It will all be over soon.? He stepped over to the curled up body on the ground, staring into his red eyes, now liquid pools of fear and contempt. ?Call the armies off. If you do, I will let you live.?
?H? hah? you think? I value? my life? over? the goals? of the High King?? Efson said, laughing despite his pain. ?You really? are? a fool? kill me now, please? get it? over with.?
?You are the fool, Chancellor,? Worm said, pointing Efson?s sword at him. ?The only person you should look after is yourself. I learned that long ago. Now,? he said, digging the point of the sword into Efson?s neck, ?you will realize the consequences of your flawed principals.? And with a quick flick of the wrist, Efson?s head rolled away from his body, hitting the foot of Empress Oceana?s throne.
You used fowl instead of foul, in the pre-duel banter between the empress and the chancellor.
The amnesia thing is done to death, so unless you have a really good twist that absolutely requires it, I recommend you change/drop it.
Finally, Worm should have a few more character flaws, something to make him more human. Granted, I like the selfishness you've given him, but he needs something more to bring him down to earth.
The amnesia thing is done to death, so unless you have a really good twist that absolutely requires it, I recommend you change/drop it.
Finally, Worm should have a few more character flaws, something to make him more human. Granted, I like the selfishness you've given him, but he needs something more to bring him down to earth.
| QUOTE (Swift @ Aug 2 2007, 09:59 PM) |
| You used fowl instead of foul, in the pre-duel banter between the empress and the chancellor. The amnesia thing is done to death, so unless you have a really good twist that absolutely requires it, I recommend you change/drop it. Finally, Worm should have a few more character flaws, something to make him more human. Granted, I like the selfishness you've given him, but he needs something more to bring him down to earth. |
It's not amnesia. He never saw his parents, or family, or knew his name, ever.
Believe me, he has character flaws. This is the first part of the story, none of the characters are fully developed as of yet.
Thanks for the critique though.
| QUOTE (Swift @ Aug 3 2007, 03:43 PM) | ||
That's what I mean by amnesia. |
Oh ><
I didn't mean to give him apparent amnesia, because I know that it's done to death and this isn't a soap opera. I should probably change that, xD
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