“So, here you are..” said the god. “You’re taller then I expected you to be.” Luno shrugged, what was he to say? He just smiled. The woman on the left took off her hood, and Luno took an involuntary step back. The lower right side of her face was half-rotten off. She smiled at him, “Do not be afraid. One can get hurt in the service of the Lord, but He has necromancers amongst his servants.”
“We are the ones known as the sisters of suffering, and we are the high priests of our Lord.” The other woman took of her hood as well, and nodded, “My sister lost part of her mortal shell in His service, and thus she has been blessed with partial unlife.”
The god held out his hand to Luno, “I invite you now to join my priesthood. Would you accept?” Luno shrugged, “Will I have to run around like an idiot, herding those people out there?” A grating laugh sounded from within the armour. “Only if you choose that path. There are other things one can do in my name. Does the path of the warrior attract you?”
And so Luno joined the priesthood of the Lord of Blades. For years, he trained in the closed off areas of the temple, honing his skills and muscles. He trained in the ways of the sword, in the ways of the axe, and in the ways of the dagger in the night. He was taught the basic skills of magic, and the stillness of mind required for battle. He was conditioned to go without sleep for days, and spent time in a woodland temple where he learned to live off the land.
---
Nathaniel opened his eyes and looked around. Everything around him was dark. He could hear water falling from the ceiling, so he was in a cave. How long had he been out? It had to be quite a while, his body felt weird. He shook his head, and his vision came back to him. A darksight spell? He couldn’t remember casting it. At least now he could explore, and figure out what had happened.
He fell over as he took his first step. That wasn’t meant to happen. He stood up, then nearly fell over again as he saw his body. His hands.. Those weren’t his hands. And his legs had grown, stretched, like the legs of an animal. Standing up to his full height, he estimated he was nearly 4 metres tall. He shook his head again. He had to get out of here.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
A gift from dead gods, 3.
The temple was a magnificent structure. It dwarfed and overwhelmed any other structure surrounding the large plaza. Luno looked around, noting the priests running all over the place, trying to control the masses of people swarming around. One of the priests bumped into him, “Oh dear, oh dear! Sorry sir!” The priest tried to move on, but he grabbed his arm.
“Hold on a moment. Why are there so many people here?” The priest gave him a dumbfounded look. “Ya mean, ya don’t know? This is the temple of the Lord of Blades, the only god who still anwsers!” Luno nodded, and the priest hurried on. The world had gone crazy when the gods stopped anwsering to their followers all those years ago. There was only one now, and Luno wondered if this was a good thing or not.
Making his way through the crowd, Luno joined the masses pouring into the temple. He decided he’d picked a bad time to go here. Nevertheless, the masses carried him on, and into the temple proper. After being jostled around for a while, the masses had finally all entered the temple. Luno looked around. Almost a thousand people filled the hall, the exits at the back guarded by guards in full suits of armour, and several guards around the elevation at the very end of the hall. On the elevation were two pulpits, and behind them a throne with a large, seemingly empty suit of armor. Luno recoiled slightly as he recognised it from the dream he’d had as a boy.
The guards at both entrances parted, and two women clad in black robes walked in. The crowd fell silent, and Luno stared from one woman to the other. Nothing besides their gender was visible beneath their hoods. They reached the pulpits, and one bowed her head. The other spread her arms wide. “People of Rasnach, you are gathered here today, as all days, in the precence of our Lord.” The masses responded, “We are.” “As all days, we chant to our Lord.” “Our Lord guides us.” A light sparked in the armour. The women turned, “Our Lord blesses us with his divine presence today!”
The Lord of Blades stood up from his throne, a harsh light glaring from within the armour. “Amongst you is a man, who has seen me in his dreams. After the service, this man shall stay here.” After the service ended, Luno found he had no choice but to stay. As much as he wanted, he couldn’t make himself leave. Soon, the grand hall was empty, and he swallowed as the god approached him, followed by the two women.
---
Nathaniel reached his destination shortly after sunset. It wasn’t too dark yet, and the villagers had already lit their fires. He greeted the people he passed along the way, heading for the centre of the village, the place he’d meet his employer. He’d have to travel a while before finding a place to sleep though, that kind of this was hard in this town. As soon as he came near the agreed place, he knew somethings was wrong.
Dryads never left the forests. So what was she doing here? And who was that man? The dryad was smiling, “Hello Nathaniel. There have been.. Complications.” The man raised his hand, and he felt the world fade away.
“Hold on a moment. Why are there so many people here?” The priest gave him a dumbfounded look. “Ya mean, ya don’t know? This is the temple of the Lord of Blades, the only god who still anwsers!” Luno nodded, and the priest hurried on. The world had gone crazy when the gods stopped anwsering to their followers all those years ago. There was only one now, and Luno wondered if this was a good thing or not.
Making his way through the crowd, Luno joined the masses pouring into the temple. He decided he’d picked a bad time to go here. Nevertheless, the masses carried him on, and into the temple proper. After being jostled around for a while, the masses had finally all entered the temple. Luno looked around. Almost a thousand people filled the hall, the exits at the back guarded by guards in full suits of armour, and several guards around the elevation at the very end of the hall. On the elevation were two pulpits, and behind them a throne with a large, seemingly empty suit of armor. Luno recoiled slightly as he recognised it from the dream he’d had as a boy.
The guards at both entrances parted, and two women clad in black robes walked in. The crowd fell silent, and Luno stared from one woman to the other. Nothing besides their gender was visible beneath their hoods. They reached the pulpits, and one bowed her head. The other spread her arms wide. “People of Rasnach, you are gathered here today, as all days, in the precence of our Lord.” The masses responded, “We are.” “As all days, we chant to our Lord.” “Our Lord guides us.” A light sparked in the armour. The women turned, “Our Lord blesses us with his divine presence today!”
The Lord of Blades stood up from his throne, a harsh light glaring from within the armour. “Amongst you is a man, who has seen me in his dreams. After the service, this man shall stay here.” After the service ended, Luno found he had no choice but to stay. As much as he wanted, he couldn’t make himself leave. Soon, the grand hall was empty, and he swallowed as the god approached him, followed by the two women.
---
Nathaniel reached his destination shortly after sunset. It wasn’t too dark yet, and the villagers had already lit their fires. He greeted the people he passed along the way, heading for the centre of the village, the place he’d meet his employer. He’d have to travel a while before finding a place to sleep though, that kind of this was hard in this town. As soon as he came near the agreed place, he knew somethings was wrong.
Dryads never left the forests. So what was she doing here? And who was that man? The dryad was smiling, “Hello Nathaniel. There have been.. Complications.” The man raised his hand, and he felt the world fade away.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
A gift from dead gods, 2.
The morning had gone, and the sun was up in the sky, sending its heat and light down on everyone. Luno adjusted the pack on his back, sweating in his clothes. After 3 days of walking across the land, he’d finally reached his destination, the great city of Rasnach. It was nothing like his home town of Rorr. He smiled, things had to be better here.
He thought back to the beggar he had given some coins this morning, thinking how something about the mans eyes had told him he wasn’t a beggar. But then again, it was none of his business. As he looked about, he noticed a certain panic in everyones eyes. He stopped a man, asking, “Sir, what is going on?” The man blinked and stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t know? Someone destroyed the museum! Everything, gone!” Luno nodded, “Hm, why would anyone do that?” The man shrugged, “They think it was a political thing, so..” He shrugged. Luno thanked him and the man walked away.
Well, seems like this place was definitely different then Rorr. He smiled, and headed deeper into the city, looking for a place to stay. That was the first thing he needed to do, find a cheap place to stay. Then, time to look for money. There had to be some way to make money fast, in a place like this.
It wasn’t long until he found the busy marketplace. He started asking around, and eventually found a place. He looked at the house, it wasn’t big or beautiful, but it’d do. He knocked on the door. After a while, an old man opened the door. He smiled at Luno, “And what brings a young lad like you to my humble home, today?” Luno smiled back, “I’m looking for a cheap place to stay, and I heard you have a room free.” The man waved for him to come in, “Yes, yes, yes! I have a spare room. And I could use the company. Come in, come in! Do you want some tea? We’ll discuss this, over tea!”
A couple of hours later Luno walked back out. His bags were in the spare room, his room now. The man had talked and talked, but at least he was friendly. The room was cheap, that was a good thing too. Slowly, he made his way back to the marketplace, which was getting quiet. He approached one of the merchants.
He studied the man for a moment. He was short for an elf, but he had the same slender build as most of his kind. “Greetings, Sir. I’m new in town, and.. Well, I need money.” The elf turned and nodded, “Eh, not much to do around here. They’re looking for people near the temple though.” Luno nodded, thanked the man and went on his way to find the temple.
---
In the woods near the city, a beggar was cursing loudly. Nathaniel cursed the guard for interfering, cursed himself for not saving more power and cursed the trees because he felt like it. He shook his head, then appologised to the trees. As he neared the tree he sought, he started smiling. Soon, he’d have comfortable clothes again, and a nice hidden place to rest.
With the sword still in his bag, and a good nights rest ahead of him, things were looking good.
He thought back to the beggar he had given some coins this morning, thinking how something about the mans eyes had told him he wasn’t a beggar. But then again, it was none of his business. As he looked about, he noticed a certain panic in everyones eyes. He stopped a man, asking, “Sir, what is going on?” The man blinked and stared at him in disbelief. “You don’t know? Someone destroyed the museum! Everything, gone!” Luno nodded, “Hm, why would anyone do that?” The man shrugged, “They think it was a political thing, so..” He shrugged. Luno thanked him and the man walked away.
Well, seems like this place was definitely different then Rorr. He smiled, and headed deeper into the city, looking for a place to stay. That was the first thing he needed to do, find a cheap place to stay. Then, time to look for money. There had to be some way to make money fast, in a place like this.
It wasn’t long until he found the busy marketplace. He started asking around, and eventually found a place. He looked at the house, it wasn’t big or beautiful, but it’d do. He knocked on the door. After a while, an old man opened the door. He smiled at Luno, “And what brings a young lad like you to my humble home, today?” Luno smiled back, “I’m looking for a cheap place to stay, and I heard you have a room free.” The man waved for him to come in, “Yes, yes, yes! I have a spare room. And I could use the company. Come in, come in! Do you want some tea? We’ll discuss this, over tea!”
A couple of hours later Luno walked back out. His bags were in the spare room, his room now. The man had talked and talked, but at least he was friendly. The room was cheap, that was a good thing too. Slowly, he made his way back to the marketplace, which was getting quiet. He approached one of the merchants.
He studied the man for a moment. He was short for an elf, but he had the same slender build as most of his kind. “Greetings, Sir. I’m new in town, and.. Well, I need money.” The elf turned and nodded, “Eh, not much to do around here. They’re looking for people near the temple though.” Luno nodded, thanked the man and went on his way to find the temple.
---
In the woods near the city, a beggar was cursing loudly. Nathaniel cursed the guard for interfering, cursed himself for not saving more power and cursed the trees because he felt like it. He shook his head, then appologised to the trees. As he neared the tree he sought, he started smiling. Soon, he’d have comfortable clothes again, and a nice hidden place to rest.
With the sword still in his bag, and a good nights rest ahead of him, things were looking good.
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