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~` Illusions `~

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CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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~` Chapter Six `~

An eternity of darkness, living deep within the forest’s heart: no man had lived to tell of it, but many had tried to conquer the foul arena of agony.

Anthoni and Maxwell bolted through the brush, pulling the tired horse behind them. After escaping the wolves, they had encountered a second issue, far worse than mere beasts that fought on the whim of their stomachs.

Trees collapsed behind them and they heard the crashing trunks splinter and crack in the distance; they had no time to spare. Anthoni muttered a few curses under his breath before he let go of the reins silently in the dark. Maxwell had no idea of what he had done until he heard their horse grunt, then yelp, and finally fall in a heap in complete silence, accompanied by a lowly thud.

“What the…?” he gasped out as he stumbled over a log, hidden by the dark. “What did you do, Anthoni?”

“I had to do it, Maxwell. May He deliver this curse from my soul, but it had to be done.” Maxwell heard Anthoni sigh a short prayer before grabbing his arm and pulling him against the base of a tree. “Quiet now,” he whispered. “Fighting these creatures alone, in the dark, is a death wish. We will have to outthink them, instead.”

“How hard can that be?” Maxwell asked in a laughing tone.

Anthoni’s hand covered his mouth, and then they heard the moans of several beings pass by them. Another tree fell in their wake before they moved out of ear's range.

“What’re they?”

“These… creatures,” Anthoni began, “are giants. Do not be fooled by their stupid appearance, for their strength certainly makes up for what they may lack in thought. We should be careful to fight them all in the darkness, because they, however, can hear with great accuracy.”

03-Jan-2009 04:27:13 - Last edited on 03-Jan-2009 19:32:27 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“But then…” the younger soldier mumbled. “Why couldn’t they find us right now?"

Maxwell’s question was answered by the malicious pounding of feet in front of them. Diving onto the ground, Anthoni pulled his young comrade with him, barely avoiding the brutal fists of the enormous beast.

“Garu tag!” it shouted in the night.

Anthoni did not speak, but merely laid there; one hand rested on his shield, the other held Maxwell firmly against the ground. A crackling sound came from behind them, and they heard the giant release his grip on the tree trunk. Lifting its head up to its full extent, it crashed through the canopy, releasing a vicious wave of light onto all three beings; it was no use hiding anymore.

Flashing steel came from Anthoni’s waist as he leapt onto his feet and drove the tip into the monster’s great leg, sending it stumbling a few yards away. The skin was thick, like leather, and the sword drew but a little blood from its entry point; its wielder, with great difficulty, ripped it from the hide and stood in a battle position.

The giant was tinted gray, but mainly tanned. Large eyes, blackened by years of solitude stared down from the heavens, and a large bushel of orange hair stood straight atop its head. Crooked teeth finished off the dismal sight, along with a stream of drool falling from its mouth.

It studied the two men, and then glanced at its own body. In one hand, it held a large hammer; in the other hand was nothing but a giant slab of bark, ripped from its longtime home. Along with this, a crudely-made pair of pants hung loosely from its waist, but nothing covered the giant layers of fat that dangled higher above.

“Quickly, Maxwell,” Anthoni muttered. “Rise and draw your blade.”

His soldier did as he asked almost immediately, but he could tell that he was shaking in absolute terror at the sight of the beast. Never before had Maxwell seen a creature of such magnitude, and he had never witnessed a battle with a thing like this.

03-Jan-2009 04:30:03 - Last edited on 06-Jan-2009 01:14:14 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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A shriek bled from the giant’s mouth as it slapped down the bark towards the two travelers. Instinctively, Maxwell’s shield rose to defend himself, but the enormous covering that plummeted in their direction was mysteriously batted away. Confused at what had happened, Anthoni took it as a sign of grace from above and simply slashed at the giant’s leg again with the sword, drawing a bit more blood than he had originally.

“That won’t work, I’m afraid.”

Maxwell looked up, distracted by the mysterious sound that had broken through the battle, only to be knocked away by Anthoni’s arm as he raised his shield. Down from above came a giant hand, grasping for what little life existed below; they had no chance in the fight if they did not do something.

White light rocketed from the brush behind them, piercing the giant’s chest with incredible force. In reaction, the beast stumbled backwards and pulled his reach from the much smaller men, confused at the attack that had been dealt. Another wave of light came from the darkness, striking the giant in the face and sending him tumbling onto its back. Realizing the opportunity, Anthoni dropped his shield and ran forward with his blade. He hopped on top of his larger foe and quickly maneuvered himself in front of its eyes. Frowning, he forced the blade down into the forehead, delivering the final, fatal blow of the creature’s life. Blood oozed from the side of the sword’s entry point, but then all movement ceased; it fell into death’s grasp.

“Nice work, Anthoni!” Maxwell shouted in glee. However, before he knew what had hit him, a blunt object soared from behind and sent him stumbling into unconsciousness.

03-Jan-2009 04:31:18 - Last edited on 06-Jan-2009 01:53:58 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Anthoni hopped off of his fallen opponent and raced to the side of Maxwell’s body, studying his injury; it was not as bad as he had thought, and only a small lump formed on the backside of his head. His attention, though, then turned to the forest from which the object had come, and he saw a faint shimmering of silver light emitting from the darkness.

“Come out,” he ordered, not stopping his examination of the dark forest that surrounded him.

Then, the light vanished without a trace. Under the cover of almost absolute blackness, it had fled into the woods. Anthoni gazed all around him, noting the sizable difference of the light that came from above and the deathly blanket of shadows that surrounded him.

A white light appeared to his right.

Anthoni’s mind roared in full pursuit, flooding with adrenaline, and he grabbed the shield off of the ground. Raising it within seconds, it knocked away a blast of unknown strength into the trees to his right. His sword pointed in the direction the blast originated, but he saw no one.

“You have great strength,” a voice called out from seemingly everywhere. “Also, you are wise, even though taking on a giant with but a weak blade and a useless shield is what some call suicide.”

“Who are you?” Anthoni asked cautiously, lifting his shield to cover most of his face, save his eyes.

In an instant, Anthoni fell onto his stomach, landing full-force onto the rounded edge of his shield. The impact had been devastating in his weakened state, and he could barely move without a pounding pulse emitting from the depths of his brain.

03-Jan-2009 04:31:41 - Last edited on 06-Jan-2009 01:56:03 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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A silhouette then appeared, surrounded by a silver glow. As Anthoni drifted in and out of consciousness, he heard the figure say: “My name is Tiulo, and you are now my captive.”

--

Daylight burst forth from the horizon, glaring down onto the unsuspecting camp below. A slight wind had picked up during their sleep, but, for the most part, both Landon and Jacob were not disturbed in the night. Jacob had slept near the fire, where he felt at peace, while the older advisor that accompanied him fell into his makeshift bed, drifting off into a dream before even touching the blankets. Both had needed the rest, and now they were ready to move forward to Veskile during the day.

While Landon doused the smoldering coals with a small bucket of sand and dirt, Jacob took the liberty of packing away the tent and blankets back into his sack; they would need them for the return journey to Revenske. Jacob noted that it was about six in the morning and that, if they moved swiftly, they would reach Veskile by nightfall and be able to find Brexton the following day. Satisfied by his reasoning, Jacob whistled a soft tune and went to work packing everything away.

“Jacob,” his older friend started. “I think we should find a path and take it through the woods, instead of merely diving into the hellish place. Don’t you agree?” Landon turned his eyes to Jacob, who was almost finished with his task.

Jacob stopped for a moment and pondered the situation: they could find a path, which may take a few extra hours, but it would definitely help them in the long run as to fatigue; or they could go straight through the wood to Veskile, which would make them prey to several monsters, but they would reach their destination all the quicker. The decision would be a major one, and Jacob throught strongly on the subject before standing and replying.

03-Jan-2009 04:32:04 - Last edited on 03-Jan-2009 18:01:49 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“I think that would be best,” he firmly suggested with a nod. "Although it may take longer, I’d rather camp overnight a second time than meet some cursed demon deep within the forest. Wouldn’t you?” Jacob laughed at the small joke and then lifted the bag onto his shoulders.

“Ready to go?”

Jacob smiled and signaled that he was ready; adding to the motion, he stated, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

--

Kind Rezod doused his face with cool water before watching his reflection grow calmer and calmer in the deep dish below. The previous hours had been hard on the man, and he felt as though he had aged more than he had in the past few years. ‘A power that could rule all of man,’ he thought to himself. ‘If I had that, then I’d-’

“Sire!”

Rezod turned to the knight who had interrupted his thoughts and a scowl crossed his face before he asked, “What do you want?"

"Korinth Hidal,” the knight began, “has asked to see you.”

The king’s face lit up at the sound of his scholar’s name and he quickly readied himself for the meeting: he fixed his crown, wiped his face clean of any excess water, and then lifted a heavy robe onto his back.

“Let her in, then,” he solemnly replied as he headed back to his throne.

Creaks a moans escaped the old doorway as the young woman hurried into the throne room. Seeing how exasperated his servant had become, he ushered the guards out of the room with a hard look and then asked, “Korinth, my dear; what is wrong?”

“Milord,” she began, taking a deep breath. “Where did you send him?” Korinth raised her eyes and looked as if she was going to plead with the royal crown, but she instead dropped to her knees and repeated her question, “Where… did you send him?”

“Who?” the king asked with a gruff voice.

03-Jan-2009 04:32:58 - Last edited on 03-Jan-2009 18:03:35 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Korinth fixed herself and forced her body to stand, which proved difficult as she had ran more than two miles to gain an answer. “Tiulo Grendage.”

Rezod was flabbergasted; no one had spoke the name in years, and he was surprised that Korinth has discovered him. Trying to look innocent, he replied lazily, “Who…?”

“You know who I’m talking about!” the young woman exclaimed, pointing at the large man. “Don’t try to hide the issue from me; it’s important!”

King Rezod was taken aback by her reaction, but then gave a low laugh and replied, “No one has spoken of Tiulo in years, Korinth. I’m surprised you even know it.”

“He knows of it, my liege.”

“What do you mean?”

Korinth raised her eyes with a menacing glare and spoke: “The power - he knows of its location, and only he knows of it.”

“That’s impossible!” Rezod screamed, raising from his seat. “He was banished from this land far too long ago! I would have heard of his searching long before now!" Regaining his composure, the king fell back into a slump and finished, “… What does he know?”

“Everything.”

The king’s eyes grew wide at the realization and he sat there in silence, stunned by the revelation. “What do you want to know?” he finally asked.

Korinth repeated herself: “Everything.”

“Ah,” the king said, still rearing from the last onslaught of knowledge. “Well, prepare yourself.”

Korinth nodded and stood firm, waiting for the king.

“About twenty years ago, near the time you were born, a plague came upon our land. The land would not supply us with life any longer, and our animals began to fall ill and die. No food was able to be grown, but this would become the least of our worries as time went on.

“Men and women soon fell to this disease as well, and no one would survive it. At this time, Tiulo Grendage, the one you spoke of, entered the city and began to sell… cures… to the populace. Everyone who took the cure would find themselves healed, but everyone also grew wary of the newcomer.

03-Jan-2009 04:33:53 - Last edited on 03-Jan-2009 04:39:22 by CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“’He is not to be trusted,’ they would say. People soon began to ignore the man, even going so far as to allow themselves to die without taking his life medicine. It eventually came to a point that he was brought in on charges of treason and malicious intent, and I was the one to see him.”

Rezod paused and relaxed himself before continuing.

“At this time, magic became scarce in our lands and it was only used for entertainment. No true wizard would be allowed to use his skills in the art of combat, as it was found to be far too much of a hazard. Instead, they were forced to go into seclusion and hone their skills - alone. I, too, supported this removal, for many had fallen to a poorly-aimed strike of magic, including my own father.

“I found out that Tiulo was a mage, as well, and swiftly ordered him to leave. I, along with others, determined him to be the cause of such famine, and decided that he was too much of a problem to live within the walls of Revenske, or any other city I held under my rule. With his last words, though, he swore that I would rue the day of his banishment. But, nevertheless, the city soon healed of its own will, and only a few years after his leave. Since then, I have not heard of him at all.”

As Rezod finished, Korinth thought intently. ‘What would Tiulo want with this power? Revenge seems like the obvious answer, but I have heard of magicians and know that they are not always what they seem to be. Perhaps Tiulo was here to prevent something? Or someone?’ She continued for a few moments, but then decided it was too early to tell what truly happened. Instead, she asked the king, “Would you allow me to search for this power as well?”

03-Jan-2009 04:34:29

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Rezod stood in a rush and studied the girl in front of him. “Only,” he began, “if you went to Veskile and accompanied Jacob and Landon in their quest. Relay to them the information you have gained, and bring back this power... for the good of Revenske and all others.”

Korinth nodded and gave a sign of respect to her lord. Turning swiftly, she walked from the place and out into the countryside, focusing solely on finding the young knight and elderly advisor that she was to journey with.

-- End of Chapter Six --

03-Jan-2009 04:34:51 - Last edited on 03-Jan-2009 04:39:50 by CaptChekaka

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