Destiny's Embrace: Fighting the call

Unrelated stories that take place in a setting besides Star Wars...

Moderators: VagueDurin, Nichalus

Post Reply
The Rev.
Posts: 4652
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2003 8:09 am
Location: Back in the desert!!!

Destiny's Embrace: Fighting the call

Post by Shaggy »

It was the same dream again. The same dream, every night since he had turned sixteen. It always started before the tower that was clothed amidst a tempest of rain and thunder.

A horrible sound drove him against his will through the enormous doors that seemed to gape open to receive him. Pursued, he stumbled upon a stairway that took him into the seemingly never-ending heights of the tower. The sound seemed to close in, like a beast gaining upon its prey. Fear spurred his legs to faster speeds as he fled up the stairs. In nightmarish fashion the very shadows seemed to grasp for him, to call for him, like some unseen malignant force willed them. After an eternity he reached the top, panting from his fear and exertions. With a great effort he burst open the doors to the top, and was greeted by the sight stars and a large fire. It was kindled in the midst of the tower roof, enormous in size and alive like the shadows on the stairs. It greeted him with roar with delight and prepared itself for something, slowly fading in intensity.

There was something in the center of the fire, a metal object, old, jagged, and evil. Paralyzed, an invisible force dragged him to the edge of the fire. The clouds rumbled, as if the coming event unsettled the heavens themselves. Both of his arms were forced out from his sides and his shirt was ripped from his body. The metal object, in the form of a sword, rose and turned toward his bare chest, appearing as if it was weapon forged in hell by the dark lord himself.

Then the rumbles of the clouds became words, like those spoken only in the lower levels of the dark place. The shear power of the words forced him hard to his knees as the sword seemed to move without need of a hand to guide it. “Intz schenew maldath un’tun enxtumn d'orgoth. Hencheion en rutock te ‘gorlench.” Said the voice from the darkness. Then the sword came close enough to singe his hair and but did not strike. The fire arose once again into an inferno and the face of evil shown in the fire. He tried to veer his gaze away from the face but found that he could not. Then it spoke again.


“The armies of darkness await the wielder of the sword. Take it and rule the world!

Without his command, his hand reached for the sword and took hold of it. The fire erupted into a column that extended into the heavens. The sword began to conform to his body, metal and skin becoming one. The pain was unbearable as it moved up his arm and over his shoulder. The pain was like a white hot needle being pressed against a baby’s raw flesh and as it came up his neck laughter filled his ears. The pain consumed him face and he screamed.

Jonathan sat straight and was in a cold sweat. He quickly gathered the sheets covering him to his face and breathed a sigh of relief. The dream had plagued him for two and a half years. He had only told two people of this dream, his best friend David, and his mentor Ulric. These were the only two he trusted enough to confide in. His father was usually to busy to listen, what with the negotiations going as badly as they were. The war had finally come to an end. The two neighboring lands had been at war for twelve years now. Too much blood had been shed and too many innocent lives lost. Unfortunately for Jonathan and his father, their small kingdom had suffered greatly from the war. Their neighbors both came to the conclusion that Jonathan’s father had chosen the other side so both had waged war upon them. Now after all this time, they had decided to have his father as a mediator for their peace treaty. The first deliberations had not gone smoothly and a break was called. The delegation would resume in a month so his father was taking them home. The king’s caravan had stopped for the night and it was close to sunrise. Jonathan slowly put on his clothes and walked out to meet his horse Drago. He was a horse bred to carry kings. He stood taller then most and his broad shoulders, could carry three grown men if need be. His black coat with white blaze was difficult to see in the fog.

It was oddly foggy for this time of year and anyone else would have been apprehensive, but he paid it no mind. He came up and put a hand on his Drago when it tore itself away from his touch. It pulled against its reigns hard and was acting like it had gone mad. It continued to pull until Jonathan cut the reigns with his dagger he carried in his boot. His horse turned to flee when Jonathan heard the sound that caused Drago to run.

It sounded like a distant thunder, but Jonathan realized only too late that it was cavalry. He turned to run yelling for his father and the guards to awaken and take up arms. Some arose quickly and came out to meet their attackers only to be cut down before they could draw their swords. Jonathan fled for his father’s tent screaming for his father. The king came out, sword drawn and ready for battle. His father was in his late sixties and was not the man he used to be. He turned to meet the attackers yelling for Jonathan to take his horse and run.

“You are all that is left of our line. Quickly as you can, run my son!!!”

They were not able to have children earlier in life and Jonathan’s birth was trouble. Jonathan’s mother had died giving birth to him because she was older and her body could not handle the strain of child birth. Since then, he had watched his father grow weak in body but his mind had always stayed sharp. Jonathan had always loved his father and had grown accustomed to the life of a prince even though his father had never spoiled him. Their kingdom was not a rich one but Jonathan had never gone without. He loved his father dearly and the last sight he saw of his father was that of being trampled by the massive hooves of the riders. The riders did not even stop to see who they had killed and as he stood there it dawned on him that the riders where there for him.

Jonathan flew onto the saddle and moved the horse as fast as it would go. He fled into the near by woods with his attackers on his heels. He could hear the arrows whizzing by his head but he kept the horse moving. Back and forth he would go between the trees and over rocks. He kept this up for about twenty minutes but his attackers never faltered. *”There is some evil that keeps these raiders after me. My father’s horses are the fastest in the land and these attackers are gaining on me!”*

Everything came to a halt when the first arrow found its mark of his left shoulder blade. It hit with such force that it almost knocked him off of his horse. The end of the arrow could bee seen coming out the front of his shoulder and the sight also cause him to loose consciousness but he continued to spur on the massive steed. His focus was broken again when another arrow caught him in the right leg. The pain jerked him down to his right side. Jonathan came up in the saddle and was nearly decapitated as a branch caught him in mid chest flinging him off his horse. He hit the ground with a thud and the air was pushed out from his lungs. He laid there motionless, unconscious. His attackers came up, searched him and found the medallion that marked him as the prince of Erac. They took it and left him there for dead.

And then the dream started again.
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

The forest was unusually quiet that morning, where birds should have been singing only silence prevailed and all around her life seemed to stop. It was almost as if the very trees themselves were in mourning. Long ago she had heard once of a forest, an ancient forest full of magic and wonder. A forest in which the trees could whisper, talk to each other, or even move... But that was of course pure superstition. Isis Sinclair didn't really believe in all that, but the somber mood of the woods surrounding her kept reminding her of it. She tried to push those thoughts aside, but she couldn't dismiss the terrible feeling in her heart. Something was amiss, but whatever it was it didn't concern her.

What did concern her was the rumbling of her tummy. It had been days since she last ate real food, and the roots and bark she'd been chewing on lately just didn't seem to fill her up. The price of being a vagabond, I suppose, she thought quietly to herself, there just never seems to be enough money in the world. It was hard to turn a profit out here in the wilderness and the last town she was in ran her out after cleaning her pockets... Sure the items in her pockets belonged to them in the first place but that was beside the point. You don't just throw a poor girl to the wolves with nothing but the clothes on her back, that's just not decent.

Either way she was feeling hungry again and much to her misfortune her stomach was a harsh mistress. Which brings her back to her immediate concern, the sudden lifelessness of the forest around her. Just where the hell were all the animals? She gritted her teeth, I'd sell myself to the clergy for a hare.

A sudden rustling caught her attention and she immediately stopped in her tracks. Listening carefully she tried to discern where the noise was coming from... There it was again, just beyond the bushes to her left. Creeping along quietly she carefully picked her way across the forest floor towards the origin of the sound. As she closed on the bushes she loosed a dagger from the sheath at her hip and prepared to pounce. Counting to three she leapt into action, springing up over the bush to land on nothing.

"Grr, not a hare," she muttered in frustration, "just the wind."

But then something caught her eye that brought a smile to her face. A man was slumped up against a rock and by the looks of him he was rich--and dead. If he was rich then he'd have a lot of valuable stuff, and if he was dead, well then he wouldn't be needing it anymore. Scrambling to her feet she rushed over to the body and looked him over. Rummaging through his pockets she quickly stuffed anything that looked even remotely valuable into her purse. Then a sudden light glinting off the surface of something shiny drew her attention. A ring adorned one of his fingers and though she didn't recognize the symbol engraved on it she was sure it'd catch a pretty fair price at the local market.

Reaching for the ring her hands drew up short when the man suddenly let out a low moan. "Oh poo, he's still alive," Isis said, her shoulders slumping. She briefly considered taking the ring and then leaving him there, but she couldn't do it. She may be a thief, but she was not cold-hearted. This man needed help or he would die, and as much as it pained her she couldn't live with his death on her conscious. Unfortunately for him she wasn't much of a healer.

"Wake up, stranger," she said loudly, giving his cheek a firm slap to startle him awake. "No use lying about lettin' your blood bleed outta ya."

She watched him for a moment and when he didn't respond she began shaking him gently. "Hey! I said wake up!"
"Ol' Doc doesn't hide, he hibernates." -- Doc, Star Wars: The Old Republic

"What do you call it when you kill someone and take all their stuff?"
"Adventuring!" -- Tallis and Hawke, Dragon Age 2.
The Rev.
Posts: 4652
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2003 8:09 am
Location: Back in the desert!!!

Post by Shaggy »

“Intz schenew maldath un’tun enxtumn d'orgoth. Hencheion en rutock te ‘gorlench.”

Jonathan awoke with a start. he saw the face of the woman in front of him but all he could hear was his own pulse pounding in his ears and the fading evil voice. He realized that he was in fact alive. He was being shaken by the woman and slowly her voice began to fade into his mind.

"Hey! I said wake up!" He felt her slap him and as she raised her hand again, he reached up and stopped her. Once his eyes finished focusing he noticed a young ranger female in front of him. He began to get up and his left arm refused to move.

"Help me up please." Jonathan managed to get out beween his partched lips. AS she helped him sit up he felt the fron of his shoulder and found the arrow sticking out the front. He braced himself and said. "It needs to come out. If it doesn't I can't tell you how to mend it. I can not, in my state pull it out without further injuring myself. You will have to do it."

The cinnamon haired young lady looked at him with astonishment. He put her hand on the arrow head that was extending itself out from his should and he said. "Put something in my mouth so I can bite down on it and then pull, it must come out and there is no other way to do it. Please."
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Isis arched an eyebrow at him, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. I hope I don't pass out, she thought quietly to herself as she examined the arrow. The tip was barbed and it didn't take a wizard to figure out that pulling it through his body would only cause further injury. He was right, though, it did need to come out, but how? Maybe if she broke the stem, there's an idea.

"Okay, hold still," she said, placing a rolled up piece of cloth in his mouth before grabbing hold of the stem of the arrow with both hands just below the feathers. With a quick jerk she snapped the arrow in two and tossed the remains aside. Then she grabbed hold of the arrowhead, careful not to cut herself on the barbs, and slowly pulled it the rest of the way through his body. The man's cries were muffled by the cloth in his mouth, but she could imagine that it probably didn't feel too good to have a piece of wood travel through his body.

As soon as the arrow was free she tossed it aside. "Now what," she asked, clearly uncertain of what to do next...
"Ol' Doc doesn't hide, he hibernates." -- Doc, Star Wars: The Old Republic

"What do you call it when you kill someone and take all their stuff?"
"Adventuring!" -- Tallis and Hawke, Dragon Age 2.
The Rev.
Posts: 4652
Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2003 8:09 am
Location: Back in the desert!!!

Post by Shaggy »

Jonathan's body convulsed in pain but it soon began to subside.

The young woman looked at him and said, ""Now what,"

Jonathan took some small but ehlpful breaths and look around. He could really see anthing that could really help but som bandages that he could make from his shirt but then he heard a faint sound of a river.

"Water, no only for myself but to clean the wound. Also if you have any type of alchol on you that would help. Also when you get back I will need you to build a fire. I need to caterize this wound"

The woman lookeda t hima dns tarted to get up before she turned to leave Jonathan shot out his other arm and said, "There are people looking for me for the wrong reasons, please do not let anyone know I am here and my name is Jonathan. Thank you."
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

As Isis walked away she pondered his last remark. People are looking for him for the wrong reasons? She asked herself quietly, just what have I gotten myself into? Was he a thief? Did he steal something valuable? Or did he murder someone? Maybe someone important? That'd be just her luck to be walking through the forest and stumble upon the most wanted man in the kingdom.

As she hurried towards the river she paid careful attention to where she was going, no sense getting lost on the way back. She found the river, or rather a small creek some distance away from where she found Jonathan. As she knelt to fill up her canteen she paused suddenly. The faint rustling of leaves catching her attention. She quickly ducked behind a nearby brush, covering herself from view of the creek just as a pair of heavily armed men came into view.

She didn't recognize their armor, nor the curved blades they carried, but something told her they weren't here for sight-seeing. She sat there quietly holding her breath as the soldiers searched the surrounding area. After what seemed like an eternity the two men finally turned around and wandered off, obviously satisified that whatever they were looking for was not here.

As soon as they were out of sight she quickly rushed over to the creek, filled her canteen and rushed back to Jonathan. I hope I'm not making a big mistake, she thought as she flew through the brush. Jonathan obviously noticed the sudden alarm in her movements upon her return, but he said nothing at first.

"We have to hurry," Isis said, handing him the water, "By the creek I saw two men, I think they were looking for you."
"Ol' Doc doesn't hide, he hibernates." -- Doc, Star Wars: The Old Republic

"What do you call it when you kill someone and take all their stuff?"
"Adventuring!" -- Tallis and Hawke, Dragon Age 2.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests