forums.rs

Forums

Clash of the Incarnations

Quick find code: 49-50-417-59988625

of 39
[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Chapter Five: Under the Scarred Maple


“Come quickly, children!” barked the woman in front of the pack. The young Fremminiks that followed her were dawdling on the way, and she had no patience for it. She had been elected by the chieftain to lead them today, and for that reason only would she even consider taking twelve young Fremminiks into the wilderness to the northeast of Rellekka.

Greta looked ahead, scanning the dead trees before her. The countryside around Rellekka was not the most scenic place in the world, but she knew this place well. Her father had been killed in the battle that took place here twenty years previously, and it was the site of this battle that the chieftain wanted the young ones to see. That was the reason he had chosen Greta for this job.

“Stay close!” Greta commanded again, as a few of the youngsters had once more started to deviate from the path. This was the problem with children their age: they could not focus for more than five seconds. When they went through the Trials, that would all change. However, until then, it was just a problem. There were rarely any dangers this close to Rellekka, but a Fremminik warrior must always be ready for anything.

Greta finally led the group through the last few trees into a large open space. The ground here was broken, its gray dirt and rock tossed about and old chips of metal and wood left carelessly on the ground. The remnants of a major battle lie everywhere, the only thing missing were corpses. In the middle of the field, driven into the ground, were a mass of about fifty swords and spears. They were the weapons of the fallen Fremminiks, left in the battlefield as memory of the sacrifice of noble warriors.

18-Nov-2010 20:52:58

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The woman stopped and soaked in the scene. She still missed her father, but every time she came here she could feel him. In her mind’s eye, she could see him fighting valiantly, swinging his blade and slaughtering these faceless foes that she did not know. It was the same every time; she was lost in another time gone by.

“Miss Greta?” asked one of the young Fremminiks.

Greta turned around to face the little children. "Young ones," she began, showing them the barren ground behind her. "This is the site of the Battle of Iron Horns. Twenty years ago, a foul army of beasts from across the sea marched across our land. They slaughtered all brave Fremminiks in their path, and they drove their filthy legions toward Rellekka."

The Fremminik woman turned back to face the field with the swords driven into the dirt, in memory of the gallant warriors that wielded them. "This was the site of our last stand against the invading droves. Our bravest Fremminik warriors came here to face certain death, and to die fighting to protect Rellekka. My father was among the fallen here. Of the two hundred warriors sent, only a handful returned alive, a dozen at most. And they returned victorious, leaving the foolish enemies lying dead here. However, more than they were left here. Hundreds of brave Fremminiks met their end on this field."

Greta showed them the now-barren field, and an ominous wind blew across it, the dead tree branches waving slightly in the breeze. "The Chieftain wanted me to bring you all here to show you what it truly means to be a Fremminik. He believes that you are ready to see this, the core element of being a true warrior."

18-Nov-2010 20:53:26

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The woman raised her hand and pointed to the collection of swords in the center of the old battleground. "You must be ready to leave your sword like that!" she barked, passion for her father's sacrifice running through her veins and driving her voice through the crisp morning air. “The time is fast approaching when we will all be forced to stand and fight to protect our homeland, our honor, and our people. The time will come when our way of life will be in no way guaranteed. Can you feel the wind tearing at our cities now? I tell you what the Chieftain ordered me to tell you: you will soon be soldiers protecting Rellekka. That is what it means to be a Fremminik.”

The children were watching her with mixed faces, some confused, some scared, but all shocked by her sudden passion. “You are young,” Greta continued. “We understand this. But the swords of some of the young lie here in this battlefield today. When the time comes and the greatest threat is on your doorstep, age is no longer an excuse. There is only the strength of a person, and the important are those that are strong enough to persevere. I hope you understand your task. Be aware that it is as noble a life as you will find in all Gielinor.”

There was nothing but silence that faced her. Greta turned around and looked once more at the swords in the ground, gazing intently on the tall, chipped blade with the unpainted hilt. She silently praised her father, and then she turned back to the group of children. “Let us return to Rellekka,” she said, and started to lead them away from the field.

18-Nov-2010 20:53:52

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Greta suddenly tensed, and reached for the sword she wore at her belt. A gray shape leaped into the field with blinding speed, attacking her. She was a hair late in wielding her weapon, and the wolf’s fangs tore through her shoulder. It batted her with its paw, leaving a long scratch along her torso and throwing her away. The children backed away from the rabid beast, while Greta writhed in pain, trying to get back to her feet. The wolf, seemingly forgetting about Greta, turned to the huddling mass of young Fremminiks and started easing toward them, saliva pouring from its jowls.

“Stand back, foul beast!” came a loud roar from outside the clearing. The wolf whipped its head back, startled by the sudden bellow. The children looked as well, and they saw the large Fremminik standing there, staring down the wolf with determined eyes. “I am Thoruk of Rellekka! And you will fall this day before my power!”

Thoruk came bounding into the clearing, his eyes set on the wolf before him. The wolf turned to face him, growling menacingly. Thoruk was a large man of about twenty years. He towered over the small children huddled behind the wolf. The Fremminik was well over six feet tall and weighed several hundred pounds. His body was thick and rippling with muscles, barely contained by his yak hide and leather armor. He wore a berserker helmet, with long brown hair falling out the back and sides just above chin-level. He had brown eyes and his face was not clean-shaven, with the small precursors of a full beard appearing. He had a long spear strapped to his back, ready for battle.

"Thoruk!" choked Greta, still lying on the ground, surprised by the young man's sudden arrival. Secretly, though, she cursed the fates. Why had he been the one to find them?

18-Nov-2010 20:54:18

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The wolf growled again, and it started to slink toward the newcomer. Thoruk smiled, reaching for the spear at his back. Then, his hand stopped, but his smile only grew bigger. He pulled his hand back, empty, and put both out in front of him. "I don't need a spear to throttle you," Thoruk boasted, a gleam of pride dancing in his eyes.

Thoruk did not wait for the wolf to make a move. He charged toward the beast, his powerful strides pounding the ground as he went. The wolf reared back as Thoruk charged, ready to lash out with its powerful fangs. The beast did so, reaching for the oncoming Fremminik. Thoruk made a quick move to the right, slipping by the jowls of the wolf and sliding beside it. He grabbed the wolf by the shoulders and threw his body over it, attempting to pin it with his arms.

The wolf roared and shook its body, trying to wrench free the Fremminik on its back. “You cannot do such a thing to me!” Thoruk bellowed as he held on loosely to the wolf’s front shoulders. As he yelled, however, his already terrible grip slipped entirely, and he was thrown to the ground. Thoruk fell with a thud to the cold earth, the wolf right over him. The Fremminik held up his arms, ready to defend against the piercing fangs of the monster…

Suddenly, a splatter of blood fell onto Thoruk’s forehead. He looked up to see the wolf over him, its head impaled by a spear and blood trickling down, staining its gray fur.

“I am disappointed in you, Thoruk,” came the last voice Thoruk wanted to hear. The newcomer pulled the spear out of the wolf’s head, throwing its corpse away. The man had long black hair with brown eyes, and his face had a jagged scar on the forehead. He wore a full set of the most brilliant Fremminik armor available, with a jade pendant hanging from his neck. He looked down at Thoruk with anger and disappointment.

“The Chieftain,” whispered some of the children, awe-struck at the powerful entrance made by their finest warrior.

18-Nov-2010 20:54:55

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Chieftain Jalthain,” Greta gasped, rising to her feet but still holding her wounded shoulder.

But Jalthain was paying no attention. His cold eyes were looking down at Thoruk only. “How can a son of mine do as you have done?” Jalthain asked.

Thoruk was looking back at his father with the same anger. But he held his tongue.

“We shall discuss this when we return to Rellekka,” Jalthain said, walking away from Thoruk. “Greta, can you travel?”

“Yes, Chieftain.” Greta replied, instantly revitalized by the Chieftain’s demand.

“Good. Let us return to Rellekka.”

------------------

“I cannot understand why you act the way you do,” Jalthain said, sitting in his home. He sat in a wooden chair atop a small dais at the end of the room, the room where he meets with those seeking an audience with him. This time, however, there was no common villager before him. Instead, before him sat the person that most often occupied Jalthain’s gaze of scrutiny: his son, Thoruk.

“You are my son, Thoruk,” Jalthain continued. “You are my heir, and yet you cannot rise above these immature ways of yours!”

Thoruk knelt before his father, his gaze locked tightly on the ground before him. He did not dare look up and show his father the rage in his eyes.

“You come from the proud blood of the Fremennik, and yet you are still not one of us!*

*That is because you do not allow me to begin the Trials, Father,” Thoruk replied, keeping his comment from seeming too venomous.

“It is well within my rights to withhold the Trials from you, both as your father and as the chieftain,” Jalthain replied. “The Trials are meant only for those that are ready to become one of us, to accept the duty of being a Fremennik warrior.”

“I am ready!” Thoruk burst out, shooting up to his feet. “None can fight as I do! I'm clearly strong enough to begin the Trials!”

“You are strong, yes, but still you lack the discipline to be a Fremennik. Being a warrior requires more than strength.”

06-Dec-2010 19:30:00

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“I have more than strength! I'm cunning in battle and more than able to think for myself! What more do you want?”

“I want you to be disciplined!” Jalthain roared, rising from his seat. “I want you to understand that you have a duty to perform and that you should work for it and ignore all useless distractions! I want you to fight like a true warrior! Tell me, what happened against that wolf this very afternoon?”

Thoruk lowered his head. “He slipped and got free,” he replied.

“I am not even disappointed in that! What I cannot believe is that, with the lives of Greta and all the children on the line, you dared attempt to wrestle the wolf to the ground rather than simply killing it with your spear! Will you tell me why you chose to try such a foolish action with stakes like that?”

“Well…”

“I already know! You wanted to show off in front of the young children, rather than thinking of their safety! You cared more about being a ‘superhero’ to them than caring for their safety! That is why I will not recommend you for the Trials; though you are twenty years old, you still act like a petty child dreaming of being a hero.”

“I will be a hero!” Thoruk responded, raising his voice back. “I will be the greatest hero the Fremennik have known!”

“The greatest hero we have known?” Jalthain grabbed the jade pendant that hung from his neck. “I knew the greatest! He was my master, and he gave me this pendant before he died in battle protecting this village, at the same battlefield you saw today! He was our previous chieftain, and he saved my life during that battle! So I can tell you already, you cannot fill his noble shoes acting as you do!”

“Then I'll leave!” Thoruk roared, silencing Jalthain. “If I can't be a hero to these people then I will find others to help, others that will call me one of their own!”

“Leave?” Jalthain whispered, looking down at the jade pendant. Then, he fell back into his seat.

06-Dec-2010 19:30:23

[#5AGSIZET9]

[#5AGSIZET9]

Posts: 3,564 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Father?” asked Thoruk in a weak voice. The man before him was so unlike his father that Thoruk’s anger had almost melted away instantly. “Father, are you alright?”

“My son,” Jalthain replied, still staring intently at the jade necklace. “I need to tell you something about my master.”

“Your master?”

Jalthain nodded. “My master… he was a great man, and as worthy a leader as anyone could have found across the world. But, he claimed that he had not always been like that. When he was young, he ran away from this village without giving word of where he was going.”

“He ran away?”

“Yes. He returned four years later, older and far wiser. He explained his reasons for leaving and accepted his punishment for running away. Then, he began to show how wise and strong he had become, and he redeemed himself in the eyes of the village. It was after this that he became our chieftain and my master. He always told me that his time traveling the world was the greatest thing he ever did, for it opened the door for him to mature.”

Thoruk understood what his father meant. “You think that my suggestion to leave was a good thing?”

“Only if you come back. Thoruk, I know that you could be an excellent Fremennik and easily be the chieftain someday! However, it is not just for this that I think you should go.”

Thoruk was stunned. His father had never expressed this belief in him before. Were his similarities to Jalthain’s master really that strong? “Why else?”

“You could take up the mission of my master and become a hero. You see, when he returned, he explained why he left in the first place. He, like you, sought to become the greatest hero the Fremennik had ever known. So he began to seek out and slay a being older than any around here.”

“What was it?”

06-Dec-2010 19:31:13 - Last edited on 06-Dec-2010 19:33:22 by [#5AGSIZET9]

Quick find code: 49-50-417-59988625 Back to Top