DarrenReid
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 24
Dear All
Sincere apologies for the delay in the release of the latest part in the story. hope everyone enjoys,
Darren
The Half Broken Crown - Part Six
(c)2006, All Rights Reserved
by Darren Reid
In Loving Memory of George Reid
Leena smiled slightly at this, of all things, smiled and continued forward, not saying another word on the subject. Alraeic's blood started to boil, frustration building up in the confines of his skull. Still, he let it pass uneventfully. The image of Leena's smile endured in his mind. It was a happy image, one that he did not mind concentrating upon. When he saw it, time seemed to draw by and even the memory, or more specifically the sight, of his two new companions could not unnerve him. By the time the image began to slip from his mind, his and Leena's destination had crested a distant hill.
The city of Aeraania did not, as Alraeic had half expected it to be, dominate the surrounding country side as so many other cities in the world seemed to. Instead, this one seemed to grow awkwardly out the side of the flowing hills around it. A thick, well constructed wall surrounded almost the entire city, the image of perfect security ruined only by a still obvious catapult wound which had half collapsed the south facing wall. Mounds of stone sat at the bottom of this wall leading up in haphazard fashion towards the wide breach. From their current vantage point the damage could have been only a few days old, or a few centuries. Regardless, the damage was very real and it was telling that such vulnerability existed in the city’s defenses. It was too common a sight now to see once majestic cities falling into disrepair; especially in the backwoods and border countries.
The rest of the city seemed to crouch back and hide behind the mammoth walls, rows of squat little houses that held Aeraania’s merchants, citizens, criminals and nobles. Even the central tower seemed to sulk away from the outside world, cowering behind the collapsing outer walls. Smoke was billowing indiscriminately from thousands of chimneys, blackening the sky overhead.
The great plains were merging into the flowing hills that marked and surrounded Aeraania. Farms were becoming more and more common as the pair marched through country side. More than once Alraeic saw small villages and towns scattered throughout the hills, each of which he carefully avoided, steering Leena away from the sparse settlements. He did not necessarily expect an attack, but with his troop annihilated protecting the Lady Leena had become a far more difficult and dangerous job. The pair marched, almost in silence for the rest of that day, the great city looming ever larger in front of them. In spite of the brisk pace they set, darkness began to set in long before the pair began to cross the last hill between them and the crumbling city. Leena’s face had grown harder and colder as the day had worn on. As the light of the sunset began to fail her face was as hard as Alraeic had ever seen it before.
From this distance it was quite clear to Alraeic that the extent of dereliction of the city’s walls, quite possibly the city as well, was far worse than he had originally believed. The breach in the south wall stretched deep into the structure of the barrier causing innumerable cracks and fractures throughout the rest of the masonry. The east wall, the other wall visible to Alraeic from this distance, also showed signs of disrepair and damage. In particular a thick, black moss appeared to have enveloped much of that wall, bulging out from the cracks between the thick slabs of stone and masonry, threatening to suffocate the city.
A shiver passed silently through Alraeic. Aeraania had indeed fallen upon hard times. For a city wall to be in such a condition, in this location in the world was nearly unthinkable. Slyly, Alraeic turned his fatigued eyes upon Leena. Every fiber of his being ached with weariness; his muscles, bones, heart and soul. It felt to Alraeic as if some great weight was being pushed down upon him from the heavens, that he would never know true, peaceful rest again. Alraeic could have dwelt on the matter, on the feeling, for the rest of the day. And no doubt he would have had it not been what he saw when he faced Leena.
From the profile, her face seemed gaunter, paler than he had ever seen it. Her wide, beautiful eyes still glowed but were framed by wide circles of exhaustion. Her cheeks were so pale that they were beginning to turn a pale blue color. A gust of wind picked up Leena’s hair, sending it out in long, concaving motions behind her. She looked like a queen, in spite of her obvious fatigue.
“Alraeic, if you intend to continue staring at me I am going to have to start charging you.”
Leena stopped walking and turned her pale face to Alraeic, meeting his eyes with her own. Stopping with Leena, Alraeic struggled to compose his face, hide his surprise, shock and, worst of all, the growing smile he could feel lurking under his cheeks. Another gust of wind shot through Leena’s hair, though this time the strands flew more wildly, with less purpose.
“My Lady, accept my apologies,” Alraeic began, steadying his voice as best he could, “I cannot help but worry about the hardships you believe you will face in Aeraania.”
Leena regarded Alraeic coolly for a moment. Her eyes flicked up and down, taking him in at a glance. Her face was dangerously still, betraying no emotion. For a moment Leena opened and closed her mouth hesitantly, choking on words she didn’t know she wanted to say. The moment passed. A sly smile spread across Leena’s face, lighting her complexion and obscuring her exhaustion.
“My hardships, Alraeic, are my own to face. Have I not already warned you about attempting chivalry around me?”
At this Alraeic could only smile. Turning, he hoisted the rough sack that hung over his right shoulder, ignoring the clash of armor pieces inside. Leena watched as Alraeic turned and began to walk, sparing a few seconds for herself before she began to follow in Alraeic’s hulking shadow. She walked like this for some time as the sun began to descend over the horizon lines of rolling hills. To the east lay the Great Plains that they had left behind and already that land was covered in darkness.
Although he walked only a few feet in front of her, Alraeic felt completely alone as he marched. Glorious silence filled his ears and the dying embers of the day lit his way forward. Aeraania was now beginning to fall under the cloak of night, the cracks and flaws of the city hidden by the night’s encroaching shadow. The less discriminate the city appeared, the more Alraeic’s heart relaxed, ignoring the burden he was carrying. The air was beginning to cool, loosing the humid quality that had prompted Alraeic to strip himself of armor and heavy clothing. Other than the leggings, he now wore only a simple black shirt that was still stiff and hard in places from the blood it had absorbed. This thick chest plate and the few other pieces of ornamental armor he carried were now wrapped neatly in his supply sack, wrapped protectively in his scarlet, blood stained cloak. Had not it been for the great sword that hung from his left hip there were almost suggestion that Alraeic was what he was. Taking in a long, deep breath of the still air of the approaching night, Alraeic allowed calm to pass over him for the first time in days.
“She’s holding back from you.”
The voice that spoke was weak and willowy, like smoke on the wind.
Alraeic shot his head round towards the sound of the rasping voice, instinctively letting a hand move towards the hilt of his great sword. Before him stood not a figure but the half transparent shape of the shadow creature. It was facing Alraeic deliberately, its hollow, lifeless eyes staring unflinchingly into Alraeic’s own.
“Is there a problem, Alraeic?” Leena enquired from behind him.
Realizing that he had come to a stop and was, as far as Leena would be concerned, staring into an empty space, Alraeic stumbled forward, returning his head to the horizon in front of him without ever letting his eyes fall from the specter drifting contentedly beside him.
“No, my Lady,” Alraeic called in as steady a tone as he could manage, “I thought I saw some movement.”
“And did you?” Leena’s voice was falling away, she was meandering again, her attention already focused on something else.
“No, just a shadow.”
“Good.” The last word was dreamy, distance and distracted. Alraeic would have doubted that Leena even remembered he had paused, had he not known the lady better. Regardless, he very deliberately kept his face facing towards the destination. His eyes never moved from the gaze of the shadow creature.
Silence drew out between the Alraeic and the phantom as they moved together. From under his hood Alraeic watched the shadow creature, the T’Eranoc, assess and study him. The half flesh, half bone face of the creature contorted and moved as it assessed him, as if seeing Alraeic for the first time. A cold chill worked its way down Alraeic’s spine at the cold regard the creature gave him.
“What would you know of such matters…T’Eranoc?” Alraeic spat through clenched teeth, never letting his head or body turn as his instincts demanded to the creature. The shadow creature’s features did not alter at the tone of Alraeic’s voice. Instead it continued to stare at Alraeic with an empty, haunting gaze.
“Suffice it to say, human, that about such things as deceit and betrayal I know more than you give me credit for.”
The flesh that only half covered the shadow creature’s skull began to bulge and ripple, moving sluggishly across the creature’s face. As the flesh rippled and pulsed over the face it left a simple, bloody trail behind it. The creature’s eyes narrowed slightly, locking its gaze firmly onto Alraeic’s own.
“Be that as it may,” Alraeic growled, “I do not believe you could speak the truth to me, even if you wanted to.”
“Such an untrusting little creature,” the shadow hissed, drifting towards Alraeic, “but you know that I speak the truth on this matter. Deny it to me, deny it to yourself, but in the darkness of your heart you know what I say to be nothing but truth.”
Alraeic regarded the shadow creature coldly, pushing the inescapable truth of its statements to the back of his mind. He would not, could not give into what this…creature had to say. In vain Alraeic sought words to throw at the abomination besides him, but none came. Instead he continued to stare down at the phantom that was, and wasn’t there, that existed in reality, but only in the reality of his own mind. For the sake of all that was good…
“Alraeic, come over here!” The sound of Leena’s harsh, commanding voice immediately broke Alraeic’s tragic train of thought. Without thought he pivoted away from the phantom, his eyes refocusing keenly upon Leena. He would not let that creature win, would not listen to its foul lies; lies that he knew to be truths. Alraeic stared at Leena for only and instant before turning back quickly to face the shadow creature. Glancing over his shoulder, the space where the T’Eranoc had been drifting was now empty. Panicked, Alraeic darted his head around quickly looking for any sign of the creature. None remained.
“Alraeic!” Turning again, Leena caught, and held, Alraeic’s gaze. Resigning himself, Alraeic begrudgingly slowed his pace, allowing the lady to catch him up.
“My apologies my lady, I believe the light is playing tricks on my eyes.”
“Yes, be that as it may, we must rest and set up camp for the night.”
Alraeic looked down Leena through cold, harsh eyes that clearly betrayed his shock. Leena looked back up into the tall warrior’s face, forcing her eyes not to settle upon the deep lines of anxiety and exhaustion that were written across it.
“But my Lady, if we continue at our current pace we could be at Aeraania in little over three hours.”
Leena forced herself to offer some semblance of a smile to her last bodyguard. He did not, after all, know her true mission, or the importance that was attached to it. And he certainly didn’t know the importance of creating a grand entrance for one’s self in order to begin her mission. A pretty face, to be sure, but Leena doubted her companion had much in the way of imagination.
A true grand entrance was a task rendered almost impossible by the annihilation of the troop, but if she had to publicly flog him to do it, Leena was determined that the powers-that-be know she had arrived. And that would be her first victory. A small victory, but an important start, none-the-less.
Sincere apologies for the delay in the release of the latest part in the story. hope everyone enjoys,
Darren
The Half Broken Crown - Part Six
(c)2006, All Rights Reserved
by Darren Reid
In Loving Memory of George Reid
Leena smiled slightly at this, of all things, smiled and continued forward, not saying another word on the subject. Alraeic's blood started to boil, frustration building up in the confines of his skull. Still, he let it pass uneventfully. The image of Leena's smile endured in his mind. It was a happy image, one that he did not mind concentrating upon. When he saw it, time seemed to draw by and even the memory, or more specifically the sight, of his two new companions could not unnerve him. By the time the image began to slip from his mind, his and Leena's destination had crested a distant hill.
The city of Aeraania did not, as Alraeic had half expected it to be, dominate the surrounding country side as so many other cities in the world seemed to. Instead, this one seemed to grow awkwardly out the side of the flowing hills around it. A thick, well constructed wall surrounded almost the entire city, the image of perfect security ruined only by a still obvious catapult wound which had half collapsed the south facing wall. Mounds of stone sat at the bottom of this wall leading up in haphazard fashion towards the wide breach. From their current vantage point the damage could have been only a few days old, or a few centuries. Regardless, the damage was very real and it was telling that such vulnerability existed in the city’s defenses. It was too common a sight now to see once majestic cities falling into disrepair; especially in the backwoods and border countries.
The rest of the city seemed to crouch back and hide behind the mammoth walls, rows of squat little houses that held Aeraania’s merchants, citizens, criminals and nobles. Even the central tower seemed to sulk away from the outside world, cowering behind the collapsing outer walls. Smoke was billowing indiscriminately from thousands of chimneys, blackening the sky overhead.
The great plains were merging into the flowing hills that marked and surrounded Aeraania. Farms were becoming more and more common as the pair marched through country side. More than once Alraeic saw small villages and towns scattered throughout the hills, each of which he carefully avoided, steering Leena away from the sparse settlements. He did not necessarily expect an attack, but with his troop annihilated protecting the Lady Leena had become a far more difficult and dangerous job. The pair marched, almost in silence for the rest of that day, the great city looming ever larger in front of them. In spite of the brisk pace they set, darkness began to set in long before the pair began to cross the last hill between them and the crumbling city. Leena’s face had grown harder and colder as the day had worn on. As the light of the sunset began to fail her face was as hard as Alraeic had ever seen it before.
From this distance it was quite clear to Alraeic that the extent of dereliction of the city’s walls, quite possibly the city as well, was far worse than he had originally believed. The breach in the south wall stretched deep into the structure of the barrier causing innumerable cracks and fractures throughout the rest of the masonry. The east wall, the other wall visible to Alraeic from this distance, also showed signs of disrepair and damage. In particular a thick, black moss appeared to have enveloped much of that wall, bulging out from the cracks between the thick slabs of stone and masonry, threatening to suffocate the city.
A shiver passed silently through Alraeic. Aeraania had indeed fallen upon hard times. For a city wall to be in such a condition, in this location in the world was nearly unthinkable. Slyly, Alraeic turned his fatigued eyes upon Leena. Every fiber of his being ached with weariness; his muscles, bones, heart and soul. It felt to Alraeic as if some great weight was being pushed down upon him from the heavens, that he would never know true, peaceful rest again. Alraeic could have dwelt on the matter, on the feeling, for the rest of the day. And no doubt he would have had it not been what he saw when he faced Leena.
From the profile, her face seemed gaunter, paler than he had ever seen it. Her wide, beautiful eyes still glowed but were framed by wide circles of exhaustion. Her cheeks were so pale that they were beginning to turn a pale blue color. A gust of wind picked up Leena’s hair, sending it out in long, concaving motions behind her. She looked like a queen, in spite of her obvious fatigue.
“Alraeic, if you intend to continue staring at me I am going to have to start charging you.”
Leena stopped walking and turned her pale face to Alraeic, meeting his eyes with her own. Stopping with Leena, Alraeic struggled to compose his face, hide his surprise, shock and, worst of all, the growing smile he could feel lurking under his cheeks. Another gust of wind shot through Leena’s hair, though this time the strands flew more wildly, with less purpose.
“My Lady, accept my apologies,” Alraeic began, steadying his voice as best he could, “I cannot help but worry about the hardships you believe you will face in Aeraania.”
Leena regarded Alraeic coolly for a moment. Her eyes flicked up and down, taking him in at a glance. Her face was dangerously still, betraying no emotion. For a moment Leena opened and closed her mouth hesitantly, choking on words she didn’t know she wanted to say. The moment passed. A sly smile spread across Leena’s face, lighting her complexion and obscuring her exhaustion.
“My hardships, Alraeic, are my own to face. Have I not already warned you about attempting chivalry around me?”
At this Alraeic could only smile. Turning, he hoisted the rough sack that hung over his right shoulder, ignoring the clash of armor pieces inside. Leena watched as Alraeic turned and began to walk, sparing a few seconds for herself before she began to follow in Alraeic’s hulking shadow. She walked like this for some time as the sun began to descend over the horizon lines of rolling hills. To the east lay the Great Plains that they had left behind and already that land was covered in darkness.
Although he walked only a few feet in front of her, Alraeic felt completely alone as he marched. Glorious silence filled his ears and the dying embers of the day lit his way forward. Aeraania was now beginning to fall under the cloak of night, the cracks and flaws of the city hidden by the night’s encroaching shadow. The less discriminate the city appeared, the more Alraeic’s heart relaxed, ignoring the burden he was carrying. The air was beginning to cool, loosing the humid quality that had prompted Alraeic to strip himself of armor and heavy clothing. Other than the leggings, he now wore only a simple black shirt that was still stiff and hard in places from the blood it had absorbed. This thick chest plate and the few other pieces of ornamental armor he carried were now wrapped neatly in his supply sack, wrapped protectively in his scarlet, blood stained cloak. Had not it been for the great sword that hung from his left hip there were almost suggestion that Alraeic was what he was. Taking in a long, deep breath of the still air of the approaching night, Alraeic allowed calm to pass over him for the first time in days.
“She’s holding back from you.”
The voice that spoke was weak and willowy, like smoke on the wind.
Alraeic shot his head round towards the sound of the rasping voice, instinctively letting a hand move towards the hilt of his great sword. Before him stood not a figure but the half transparent shape of the shadow creature. It was facing Alraeic deliberately, its hollow, lifeless eyes staring unflinchingly into Alraeic’s own.
“Is there a problem, Alraeic?” Leena enquired from behind him.
Realizing that he had come to a stop and was, as far as Leena would be concerned, staring into an empty space, Alraeic stumbled forward, returning his head to the horizon in front of him without ever letting his eyes fall from the specter drifting contentedly beside him.
“No, my Lady,” Alraeic called in as steady a tone as he could manage, “I thought I saw some movement.”
“And did you?” Leena’s voice was falling away, she was meandering again, her attention already focused on something else.
“No, just a shadow.”
“Good.” The last word was dreamy, distance and distracted. Alraeic would have doubted that Leena even remembered he had paused, had he not known the lady better. Regardless, he very deliberately kept his face facing towards the destination. His eyes never moved from the gaze of the shadow creature.
Silence drew out between the Alraeic and the phantom as they moved together. From under his hood Alraeic watched the shadow creature, the T’Eranoc, assess and study him. The half flesh, half bone face of the creature contorted and moved as it assessed him, as if seeing Alraeic for the first time. A cold chill worked its way down Alraeic’s spine at the cold regard the creature gave him.
“What would you know of such matters…T’Eranoc?” Alraeic spat through clenched teeth, never letting his head or body turn as his instincts demanded to the creature. The shadow creature’s features did not alter at the tone of Alraeic’s voice. Instead it continued to stare at Alraeic with an empty, haunting gaze.
“Suffice it to say, human, that about such things as deceit and betrayal I know more than you give me credit for.”
The flesh that only half covered the shadow creature’s skull began to bulge and ripple, moving sluggishly across the creature’s face. As the flesh rippled and pulsed over the face it left a simple, bloody trail behind it. The creature’s eyes narrowed slightly, locking its gaze firmly onto Alraeic’s own.
“Be that as it may,” Alraeic growled, “I do not believe you could speak the truth to me, even if you wanted to.”
“Such an untrusting little creature,” the shadow hissed, drifting towards Alraeic, “but you know that I speak the truth on this matter. Deny it to me, deny it to yourself, but in the darkness of your heart you know what I say to be nothing but truth.”
Alraeic regarded the shadow creature coldly, pushing the inescapable truth of its statements to the back of his mind. He would not, could not give into what this…creature had to say. In vain Alraeic sought words to throw at the abomination besides him, but none came. Instead he continued to stare down at the phantom that was, and wasn’t there, that existed in reality, but only in the reality of his own mind. For the sake of all that was good…
“Alraeic, come over here!” The sound of Leena’s harsh, commanding voice immediately broke Alraeic’s tragic train of thought. Without thought he pivoted away from the phantom, his eyes refocusing keenly upon Leena. He would not let that creature win, would not listen to its foul lies; lies that he knew to be truths. Alraeic stared at Leena for only and instant before turning back quickly to face the shadow creature. Glancing over his shoulder, the space where the T’Eranoc had been drifting was now empty. Panicked, Alraeic darted his head around quickly looking for any sign of the creature. None remained.
“Alraeic!” Turning again, Leena caught, and held, Alraeic’s gaze. Resigning himself, Alraeic begrudgingly slowed his pace, allowing the lady to catch him up.
“My apologies my lady, I believe the light is playing tricks on my eyes.”
“Yes, be that as it may, we must rest and set up camp for the night.”
Alraeic looked down Leena through cold, harsh eyes that clearly betrayed his shock. Leena looked back up into the tall warrior’s face, forcing her eyes not to settle upon the deep lines of anxiety and exhaustion that were written across it.
“But my Lady, if we continue at our current pace we could be at Aeraania in little over three hours.”
Leena forced herself to offer some semblance of a smile to her last bodyguard. He did not, after all, know her true mission, or the importance that was attached to it. And he certainly didn’t know the importance of creating a grand entrance for one’s self in order to begin her mission. A pretty face, to be sure, but Leena doubted her companion had much in the way of imagination.
A true grand entrance was a task rendered almost impossible by the annihilation of the troop, but if she had to publicly flog him to do it, Leena was determined that the powers-that-be know she had arrived. And that would be her first victory. A small victory, but an important start, none-the-less.
