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Feel the Silence

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Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
~ Latest Add: 01/22/14, Page 96-97 ~


Hi,

For those who don't know me, a little bit about myself:

Around here I go by Smeeze. I've been around here for so many years I've lost count. I grew up on these forums and learned to write here, and I hope that I can carry those skills into the world and continue to pursue opportunities as a published author and screenwriter.

Writing-wise, I've written countless stories. The ones that remain today are the very old (and amateur) Gods Trilogy, the Death Tournament series, and parts of the Saga of the Dungeon (Sot*). They were all written during high school and before. This is my most recent, and hopefully best-quality story. It will be the last story I write on these forums. I've been working on it since my sophomore year of high school and still have a long way to go, so I'll be around for awhile yet.

In real life, my name is Bryana, I'm 21, and a girl. I'm a senior in college studying creative writing, film (screenwriting mostly), and global health.

I hope you enjoy the story. Its characters mean a lot to me, and I hope that they'll come to mean as much to you.

~ Smeeze ~

26-May-2008 21:20:32 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2014 03:52:47 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Table of Contents:

I - Page 1, 4, 5, 7-9, 11, 12

II - Page 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 20

III - Page 22, 25, 26, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35

IV - Page 35-39

V - Page 39-42, 45-47, 50, 51

VI - Page 51-59, 62-63, 65-67

VII - Page 70-72, 74-79

VIII - Page 79-84

XI - Page 85-88

26-May-2008 21:20:37 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:15:33 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
And if we feel the silence
Holding this all inside
Everything means more now than
Words could explain
And if we feel the silence
Leaving this all behind us
When it's gone what will you say?
-- Feel the Silence, Goo Goo Dolls

"And in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It's about love and memory."
-- The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien

26-May-2008 21:20:51 - Last edited on 26-May-2008 21:35:03 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
I


Lucas awoke before the first explosion. Only a half-second before he could hear it wailing through the night sky, his eyes snapped open, and he knew what was going to happen. Some sixth sense told him, even though for that split second there was total silence: like the calm before the storm. He stared up at the blackness of his tent and smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile, but an insane smile as the fear gripped him, like nervous laughter. Ice rushed through his blood and his head pounded, all for that fleeting moment. He was terrified.

Then the night exploded.

The earth heaved, tossing him sideways, as bright lights flared outside. He tried to stand, tripped in his bedroll, and kicked frantically to get free. The orange blast that had illuminated the walls of his tent abruptly disappeared, and the sudden blackness was blinding. Silence settled like a cloak, and for a moment he was paralyzed, kneeling on the ground as though praying.

Then came the second blast. Lucas was thrown from his bedroll and managed to find his feet. Screams bit through the air as the earth settled again; they were high pitched and eerie, as painful as the wounds of those who made them. He fumbled for his clothes in the dark and counted the seconds until the next explosion.

One…two…then it hit. In the midst of pulling on his leather chest plate, he flew sideways into the wall of the tent and felt the fabric flutter down around him as it collapsed. He swore viciously, crawled around, and found his pack. Then he snatched up his sword and slashed his way free. The scene that greeted his eyes stole his breath away.

26-May-2008 21:20:55 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:15:45 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The camp was on fire. Everywhere he looked, tents went up in streaming gouts of flame. The smoke swirled thick about him, stinging his eyes and searing his throat. He gagged, staggering forward into the mass of soldiers that ran aimlessly around the camp. Many of them were half-dressed; some tugged on armor as they went; others managed to escape their tents fully armed. Some of the people were on fire, dashing around in a panic or rolling on the ground to put out the flames. The horses had broken free and he had to dive sideways to avoid a shrieking stallion that galloped past, its mane smoking and dark chestnut fur singed.

He heard a distinctive whining sound in the air and looked up from the ground where he lay just in time to see the fireball streaking through the night sky like a comet. Then it plummeted into the chaos and the earth rocked once more with a deafening explosion. Lucas rolled over, covering his ears and whimpering. He looked up when the earth was still, and saw nearby a man cradling his charred arm to his chest. Temporarily deaf, Lucas could see the man’s mouth open in a scream, but heard nothing.

“They’re coming!” The words seemed far away, as though coming from the end of a long tunnel. “Weapons!” The soldiers around him were yelling desperately as the battle-horn sounded.

Lucas staggered to his feet, head spinning frantically. A dark river appeared to be flowing over the hilltop from the west, but as they neared the firelight of the camp, he saw the glint of steel and realized it was the hordes of soldiers. They poured into the chaos, and the first clashes of weapons rang crystal clear over the explosions. Over the clamor he heard the loud notes of the horn, calling them to battle.

26-May-2008 21:21:00 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:15:54 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
He fumbled at his neck, fingers wrapping around the silver chain at his neck. “Saradomin, give me courage,” he murmured. “Zamorak, give me strength. Guthix, protect me.” Then he grabbed the sword at his belt and wrenched it free. It was heavy, so much that his meager muscles could barely lift it. As a soldier came running at him, his armor dyed in the red and white of Kandarin, Lucas swung it awkwardly around and chopped at his knees. The man stumbled and fell. Relief coursed through Lucas for a brief moment, then faded as he saw his own men were quickly losing ground. Everywhere around him the blue-and-brown soldiers were falling. Blood sprayed around him, splashing across his face, and he quickly wiped it from his cheeks. A head rolled to his feet. Nauseated, Lucas kicked it and watched it tumble in the other direction. The explosions came quicker now and he could make out the faint outlines of the mages at the top of the hill. The gray sky was lighter with each minute that passed; dawn was fast approaching.

He faltered at the next blast, but kept his feet, only to be knocked from behind and sent sprawling. He rolled, saw the wild, bloody face of his attacker, and let out a yell, batting at the man’s sword as he stabbed. Then he flung his own sword upward and watched in horror as it vanished in the soldier’* gut. The man collapsed over him as blood gushed from the wound. He screamed again and shook the body off his blade. On his knees, he doubled over and vomited.

“Private!”

He was lifted to his feet by a rough grip on the back of his shirt. “Yes, sir!” he gasped, turning around to face whoever had helped him. He recognized three blue stripes on the man’s sleeve; he was a captain.

“We’re charging the hill!” he yelled. “Get up there!” And he shoved him roughly in the direction of the mages. For a moment, Lucas was frozen with fear. Run toward the mages? Wasn’t that asking to get killed?

26-May-2008 21:21:05 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:16:03 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“I said go, Private!” bellowed the captain. Lucas began to jog unsteadily through the wrecked camp, detouring to avoid the small knots of fighting between burning tents. His mind worked furiously. He was terrified of what might happen if he came face to face with one of the mages. He did*’t know how to fight; he would be killed in an instant. Another flaming comet raced overhead and crashed somewhere behind him, far enough away that he stayed upright. The terror he felt was paralyzing: it made his every movement sluggish. Spots were flashing before his eyes and the world was spinning. He couldn’t think straight anymore, and when another soldier in red and white dashed down the hill toward him, he was too slow to react properly.

Lucas* sword came up as if in slow motion, while his opponent’s sword moved with lightning speed. It slammed into his gut, colliding with army-issue leather armor, and sent him reeling drunkenly backwards. Pain spread quickly through his abdomen and he was hunched over as he clambered back up the hill. The adrenaline was pumping now, almost enough to overcome his fear. He heaved his weapon in a wide arc that collided with the other soldier’s shoulder, slicing through his armor and tunic. There was a spurt of blood in Lucas’ eyes as the soldier toppled backwards.

Lucas stared. Had he just killed a man? Again? He pushed the thought from his mind, desperately understanding that he needed to focus. He squinted up the hill, trying to find out what was happening. In the growing dawn, the entire battlefield was awash in pale gray; the only other color he could see was stark crimson, rolling down in rivers, pooling in the hollows of the earth, splashed across each blade of grass.

26-May-2008 21:21:10 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:16:14 by Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The entire scene spun around him. His body felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds, and his stomach was churning angrily. Lucas closed his eyes, willing the dizziness to pass. But it was too much to overcome. He fell to one knee, breathing heavily. His attempt to stand failed and he realized he was falling, sprawling in the bloodstained grass on the hill. Then everything went black.

The battle raged on as Lucas lay on the grass, oblivious to the fighting around him. Many hours later, when the sun was high in the sky and the blood began to crust dark brown on the grass, two soldiers in brown and blue uniforms stood over the body. One nudged him over with his toe. Lucas groaned loudly.

“Yup, he’s alive.”

“Get him to the medic, that wound looks nasty.” Then he was hoisted onto the man’s shoulder and carried away.

26-May-2008 21:21:16 - Last edited on 06-Jul-2013 18:16:23 by Crystal Smee

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