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AtticusKiai

AtticusKiai

Posts: 775 Gold Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
How often is it a story appears on the forums that's not solely about stupid noobs?

How often is it that someone's writings on the internet truly engages me and leaves me hungering for more?

How often is it that I hope that someone I've never met becomes an author for the rest of their life and makes books and books for me to enjoy?


I really don't know, but you answered all of those by yourself.

When I read stories on the Runescape forums, I'm just looking for time to waste while farming, fishing, or the like. But I truly enjoy it when I see things like this.

My highest praise to you as a simple reader.

24-Oct-2006 02:25:14 - Last edited on 24-Oct-2006 02:27:18 by AtticusKiai

Roshinda

Roshinda

Posts: 6,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
==========
Pure of Heart
==========

He held the goblet to his lips with both hands firmly grasping the handles, and let the warm dark liquid it contained slide down his throat. The double handled Cup of the Covenant was large; the basin was bigger around than his head, though comparatively shallow, and the thick stem was only three inches long. It was an impressive sight, made of highly polished silver that belied its great age. Intricate etchings in an ancient script covered every surface of the chalice, and another was added each time the ceremony was performed, as it had been done for centuries.

The ram had been slaughtered, the incantations had been recited, the Covenant had been partaken of, all was in readiness. Zaros would soon choose his new High Priest.

Talc handed the Cup back to a robed priest of the secret faction of Zaros, then wiped the sleeve of his blood red robe across his mouth. He had been the second to drink of the Cup, Chaz, the man standing opposite him in the black hooded robes, had been the first to drink the warm blood of the slaughtered ram. Now all that remained was to wait for the signal. Maybe then he would know why he had been told to fight this stranger to the death.

While he watched, Chaz reached up with his right hand and pushed the jet black hood back from his face, where it settled around his shoulders. Talc froze with shock and confusion at what he saw. A narrow, pinched face. Pale, nearly translucent skin. A shock of flaming red hair above piercing blue eyes that looked right through Talc. He had not seen his enemy before this day, yet the face he saw was all too familiar. It was like Talc was looking into a mirror.

25-Oct-2006 02:32:06 - Last edited on 25-Oct-2006 02:34:02 by Roshinda

Roshinda

Roshinda

Posts: 6,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"Adgredior." Talc was so stunned by seeing his own face on another that he didn't hear the signal to begin. A ball of fire slammed into his chest and Talc went stumbling backwards. As he fell he mumbled a few words under his breath and tree began to appear out of the ground behind him, catching his fall. The tree continued to grow, taking Talc with it while he patted his smoldering robes.

'Of course!' he thought suddenly, 'The Prophesy!'

The Prophesy of which Talc was referring to spoke of twins born to a dying mother, one of whom would become the High Priest. It was the way High Priests were always appointed.

'Of course, it all makes sense now.' Until that moment he hadn't known the reason he would fight today, but now everything was clear. Zaros had entered both himself and his brother through the drinking of the blood, and he would try them both to determine who was most pure of heart. One of them would win, and the other would die.

Talc felt the merest twinge of regret at the thought that he must kill his own twin to become the High Priest, but being honoured with the esteemed position would be more than worth it. Still, even though he had never met his brother, the sudden realisation that he had to kill his own flesh and blood made the task more difficult than if it was a stranger.

'Pity,' he shrugged, 'I never even knew I had a twin.' Raising his hands straight out to either side, a small ball of vibrating energy formed in the palm of each of his hands. In a fluid motion Talc clapped his hands together above his head, and when the balls of energy connected a bolt of lightning shot downwards with deadly accuracy, aimed straight for Chaz's heart.

25-Oct-2006 02:32:15 - Last edited on 25-Oct-2006 02:35:42 by Roshinda

Roshinda

Roshinda

Posts: 6,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
It missed its target however. One of the branches of the tree Talc had conjured had wrapped itself around his foot while he had been busy thinking, and jerked him out of the tree. He lost focus and the spell fizzled harmlessly. Talc cursed as he hung upside down by his ankle. How could he have been stupid enough to let his guard down like that? He burned the branch that was binding his leg and dropped to the ground in a crouch. The tree he had conjured earlier sunk back into the earth behind him.

When he hit the ground, Chaz was ready for him. Still oblivious to the fact this ceremonial fight was to choose the High Priest - or that he was fighting his twin - Chaz didn't have the same determination as Talc, but he still wanted to win. However, in is favour, he wasn't distracted by the same secret knowledge so his thoughts remained clear. For now.

He unleashed a torrent of thousands of needle-sharp spines at the red clad figure crouching before him. Talc's eyes widened and he moved his arm in front of his face, attempting to ward off the onslaught of projectiles. Most of them he managed to deflect harmlessly to the ground, but he wasn't quick enough to stop them all. A hundred tiny needles imbedded themselves in Talc's face and arms and torso, shredding the delicate skin. Beads of blood appeared where the needles punctured his skin and dripped down his face.

Talc winced with pain and let out a low groan, but he didn't let his mind dwell on the pain. In a split second he made his decision. The spell would take a great deal of concentration to execute successfully, so he would need a distraction to buy himself some time. What a good thing he knew the perfect distraction. He began muttering incantations, and from a few feet away he could see Chaz doing the same.

Watching Chaz's moving lips, Talc calculated when his brother's spell was nearly ready, and chose that moment to fling back hood and reveal his face.

25-Oct-2006 02:32:22 - Last edited on 25-Oct-2006 02:37:00 by Roshinda

Roshinda

Roshinda

Posts: 6,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"Hello brother, are you really sure you want to kill me?"

Chaz recoiled in shock when he saw who it was he was fighting. Both boys had been raised independently by the priests since birth, and had not even been aware of the fact they had a twin. Talc wished he could stop and enjoy watching his brother draw the same conclusions he had reached himself at the beginning of the fight, but he had a spell to prepare. It would take every second that the revelation of his identity had bought to ready it. He would not fail.

"Diabolus fecit, ut id face*em!" Talc shouted, pointing at Chaz. A cloud materialised above Chaz's head, thick and ominous with a slightly green tinge to it. Viscous droplets began to fall from the cloud like drops of oil. The first droplet that landed on Chaz's skin hissed as it made contact, and steam rose into the air. Another drop fell, and another, and Chaz began to scream in agony. He tried to run but roots had materialized out of the ground and bound him in place.

His skin began to bubble and foam, falling away to reveal the muscle beneath. Chaz writhed in pain while his skin melted off. A stench similar to that of burning flesh permeated the air, intensifying with every drop that fell. The pain caused Chaz to retch, but then he gritted his teeth and forced his shaking legs to stand, though the drops kept falling.

The spell he had been reciting before being interrupted had nearly been completed, it would only take a few more seconds to finish it, if he could concentrate enough. Beneath the sneering Talc the ground began to rumble and a separate. The shaking ground caused Talc to lose his balance and he stumbled backwards into the opening rift. Too weak to be able to keep the crevice open for long, Chaz stopped the spell and the earth sealed around Talc, trapping him up to his midriff.

25-Oct-2006 02:32:29 - Last edited on 25-Oct-2006 02:38:17 by Roshinda

Roshinda

Roshinda

Posts: 6,271 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Summoning the last of his fading strength, Chaz closed his eyes and began to spin in a circle. Panting with the strain of shifting the earth beneath his feet he began spinning faster, tearing out the roots that held him fast. Gasping for breath Chaz stumbled towards his brother. The exertion had caused his eardrums to rupture and blood was now trickling out of Chaz's ears.

Stopping before Talc, Chaz coughed, and when he regained his breath he spoke in a grating whisper, vocal chords ravaged by their exposure to the air. "What - makes you - any - different - brother?" he gasped, raising his hand to the level of Talc's chest. Chaz did nothing more than touch him with one outstretched finger, but that was enough to effectively stop Talc's heart. Then there was an explosion and Talc was no more. Chaz collapsed in a crumpled heap.

Zaros had chosen.

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End
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25-Oct-2006 02:32:44 - Last edited on 04-Nov-2006 23:39:04 by Roshinda

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