eragoen
Knight at Arms
Hey - this is just a rough story I wrote out. This is the first draft, and it's basically the first part of a small story I'm writing - nothing grand, something I wrote around 4 months ago. It's not great - but I thought I'd put it up on the boards for your judgment. Any criticism is welcome!
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The stress of the summers heat was apparent in each and every denizen of Tindrem. From the old man who's brow was laden with beads of sweat, to the old mutt that lazed in the shade of a stall. The buzz of market chatter and gossip mimicked the sound of mosquitoes, of which there where plenty in the capital of the Tindremic Empire. The great fortress of Arx Primoris dominated the skyline, towering over the splendid and prospering city. Life went on in the great city, but little did the content residents know of how their lives would be changed beyond their comprehension that fine, Summers day.
Lira cautiously crept around the corner of the magistrate's building, keeping to the shade to avoid the searching eyes of the Nobilitas guard. She went over the notes she had memorised the previous night in her head. Her mission from her mentor was clear - dispatch the Noble Triadius Fraxus. He was a corrupt and pompous man, who lived off the peoples hard and honest earnings. She had also heard rumours from the folk in the sinking city that he practices dark magic, which she dismissed as mere gossip. Kneeling down, Lira hid behind one of the pillars holding the building up. The lictors where gossiping about some obscure topic relating to local politics. Lira darted from her hiding spot, across to the gateway leading to the grand courtyard belonging to Triadius. Red lilies dominated the garden, their scent drifting to Lira. She was almost in the courtyard, until she heard one of the guards shout.
"Oy! that's royal ground! trespassing is a crime, punishable by public hanging. By law you are under arrest!"
The guards ran forward, clumsy in their heavy plate armour. For Lira, time slowed. She noticed the left one ran slightly behind the other. His sweat visibly dripped off his forehead, his brow crinkled with anger and concentration. They both carried long voulges - pole-arms engraved with red Tindrem symbols. Examples of poorly made, mass-produced weaponry most likely. She took a few steps back as to mislead the guards. Drawing out a throwing knife from her belt, Lira aimed her arm at the left guard, and let the knife fly. Her training had paid off. The knife pierced through the man's eye, and lodged itself into his brain. The Nobilitas guard collapsed to the floor, blood gushing from his face, his body convulsed for a moment, then lay still. The second guard stepped back in shock, almost tripping over the cobbled road.
"You...you're a Sarducaan...." he mumbled as he saw Lira's face from under her scarlet hood, his eyes visibly widening in shock from under his heavy helm.
"I did not plan for this to happen. I have a mission, and any obstacles must be eliminated." Lira stated. It pained her to do this.
The soldier gathered himself, his voulge positioned on the offence. "Under Tricapita law, your fate is sealed. You will pay for you're insolence!"
The guard charged forth, vociferating battle cries as he neared her. Lira stood casually, then as the soldier drew back his weapon in a predictable position, she expertly sidestepped the guard, drew her makhara from its sheath and decapitated the soldier with a swift backhand chop. Blood poured from the guards neck as his corpse fell to the ground with a sickly thud. Tiny streams of blood travelled down the cobbled street, winding their way through the small cracks and crevices in the stone, on a journey of their own.
Lira wiped her bloodied hands on her scarlet cloak, but she could not wipe the guild she felt for killing two innocent men away. She stood in the courtyard panting after the exertion as rain started to pour down in its efforts to try to wash away this afternoons horrors. The heavens closed over - beams of light disappeared. The rain caused her cloak to stick to her body, her hair clinging to her face. Had the gods shunned her away for her murders? She shook the though out of her head. I must carry on, she told herself. She may face her judgement for her deeds, but someone must meet their fate today more than her.
She pulled her knife out of the soldiers eye, gore clinging to the metal. In one hand, the viciously curved makhara was held and in the other, the throwing knife hidden in her sleeve. She stealthily crept into the large pleasure room of Triadus. The smells of cooked meats, wines and all sorts of wondrous foods rushed at Lira at once, overwhelming her. Her eyes came to rest upon the man himself. his plumb belly rested on the table, the remains of food he had eaten scattered around him. Two women sat by his side, pleasuring him and giggling. Slaves for twisted men, most likely of the second lowest caste, Lira thought to herself. She spat in front of her in disgust. Filthy, corrupt men like Triadus deserved to rot with the worms. The two girls looked up and, seeing an armed, blood soaked figure in the doorway, they were sent screaming and crying in panic out of the room. Triadus looked up at the figure, his face twisted in a malevolent and arrogant smile.
"Still alive, Lira?" he stated comfortably, putting a robe on to cover his nakedness.
"You... you know my name?" Lira was taken aback.
"Enough of these games, Lira. You have come to kill me, have you not? well, I shall not hinder your progress. Go on."
Lira was startled. Nevertheless, she aimed her knife at his chest, and let it fly. The blade was about to hit true on its target, when some force reflected it, sending it spinning back towards Lira, stabbing her in the shoulder with an inhuman power. She was knocked back and fell to the floor. Lira faded in and out of consciousness, but she heard the heavy steps of the man that she had tried to assassinate. He knelt down, and chuckled. Lira looked up at his face, and tried to retaliate against his presence with a well aimed blow to the face, bruising his eye. His arm grasped Lira by the neck in a steel grip, his rancid breath triggering Lira to gag in disgust.
"Listen to me now and listen to me well, Lira. You will never interfere with my business again. If you try, well... lets just leave it at that - I think you know the answer. Now go back to your master, leave this place."
His face changed again and chuckling, he snapped his fingers and vanished. Lira tried to rise from her place, but the pain overpowered her. She felt some strange power forcing its way into her mind, buckling her defences. She gave in and, all at once, she felt a great sensation of foreboding and everything around her turned to darkness in an instant.
To be continued...
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The stress of the summers heat was apparent in each and every denizen of Tindrem. From the old man who's brow was laden with beads of sweat, to the old mutt that lazed in the shade of a stall. The buzz of market chatter and gossip mimicked the sound of mosquitoes, of which there where plenty in the capital of the Tindremic Empire. The great fortress of Arx Primoris dominated the skyline, towering over the splendid and prospering city. Life went on in the great city, but little did the content residents know of how their lives would be changed beyond their comprehension that fine, Summers day.
Lira cautiously crept around the corner of the magistrate's building, keeping to the shade to avoid the searching eyes of the Nobilitas guard. She went over the notes she had memorised the previous night in her head. Her mission from her mentor was clear - dispatch the Noble Triadius Fraxus. He was a corrupt and pompous man, who lived off the peoples hard and honest earnings. She had also heard rumours from the folk in the sinking city that he practices dark magic, which she dismissed as mere gossip. Kneeling down, Lira hid behind one of the pillars holding the building up. The lictors where gossiping about some obscure topic relating to local politics. Lira darted from her hiding spot, across to the gateway leading to the grand courtyard belonging to Triadius. Red lilies dominated the garden, their scent drifting to Lira. She was almost in the courtyard, until she heard one of the guards shout.
"Oy! that's royal ground! trespassing is a crime, punishable by public hanging. By law you are under arrest!"
The guards ran forward, clumsy in their heavy plate armour. For Lira, time slowed. She noticed the left one ran slightly behind the other. His sweat visibly dripped off his forehead, his brow crinkled with anger and concentration. They both carried long voulges - pole-arms engraved with red Tindrem symbols. Examples of poorly made, mass-produced weaponry most likely. She took a few steps back as to mislead the guards. Drawing out a throwing knife from her belt, Lira aimed her arm at the left guard, and let the knife fly. Her training had paid off. The knife pierced through the man's eye, and lodged itself into his brain. The Nobilitas guard collapsed to the floor, blood gushing from his face, his body convulsed for a moment, then lay still. The second guard stepped back in shock, almost tripping over the cobbled road.
"You...you're a Sarducaan...." he mumbled as he saw Lira's face from under her scarlet hood, his eyes visibly widening in shock from under his heavy helm.
"I did not plan for this to happen. I have a mission, and any obstacles must be eliminated." Lira stated. It pained her to do this.
The soldier gathered himself, his voulge positioned on the offence. "Under Tricapita law, your fate is sealed. You will pay for you're insolence!"
The guard charged forth, vociferating battle cries as he neared her. Lira stood casually, then as the soldier drew back his weapon in a predictable position, she expertly sidestepped the guard, drew her makhara from its sheath and decapitated the soldier with a swift backhand chop. Blood poured from the guards neck as his corpse fell to the ground with a sickly thud. Tiny streams of blood travelled down the cobbled street, winding their way through the small cracks and crevices in the stone, on a journey of their own.
Lira wiped her bloodied hands on her scarlet cloak, but she could not wipe the guild she felt for killing two innocent men away. She stood in the courtyard panting after the exertion as rain started to pour down in its efforts to try to wash away this afternoons horrors. The heavens closed over - beams of light disappeared. The rain caused her cloak to stick to her body, her hair clinging to her face. Had the gods shunned her away for her murders? She shook the though out of her head. I must carry on, she told herself. She may face her judgement for her deeds, but someone must meet their fate today more than her.
She pulled her knife out of the soldiers eye, gore clinging to the metal. In one hand, the viciously curved makhara was held and in the other, the throwing knife hidden in her sleeve. She stealthily crept into the large pleasure room of Triadus. The smells of cooked meats, wines and all sorts of wondrous foods rushed at Lira at once, overwhelming her. Her eyes came to rest upon the man himself. his plumb belly rested on the table, the remains of food he had eaten scattered around him. Two women sat by his side, pleasuring him and giggling. Slaves for twisted men, most likely of the second lowest caste, Lira thought to herself. She spat in front of her in disgust. Filthy, corrupt men like Triadus deserved to rot with the worms. The two girls looked up and, seeing an armed, blood soaked figure in the doorway, they were sent screaming and crying in panic out of the room. Triadus looked up at the figure, his face twisted in a malevolent and arrogant smile.
"Still alive, Lira?" he stated comfortably, putting a robe on to cover his nakedness.
"You... you know my name?" Lira was taken aback.
"Enough of these games, Lira. You have come to kill me, have you not? well, I shall not hinder your progress. Go on."
Lira was startled. Nevertheless, she aimed her knife at his chest, and let it fly. The blade was about to hit true on its target, when some force reflected it, sending it spinning back towards Lira, stabbing her in the shoulder with an inhuman power. She was knocked back and fell to the floor. Lira faded in and out of consciousness, but she heard the heavy steps of the man that she had tried to assassinate. He knelt down, and chuckled. Lira looked up at his face, and tried to retaliate against his presence with a well aimed blow to the face, bruising his eye. His arm grasped Lira by the neck in a steel grip, his rancid breath triggering Lira to gag in disgust.
"Listen to me now and listen to me well, Lira. You will never interfere with my business again. If you try, well... lets just leave it at that - I think you know the answer. Now go back to your master, leave this place."
His face changed again and chuckling, he snapped his fingers and vanished. Lira tried to rise from her place, but the pain overpowered her. She felt some strange power forcing its way into her mind, buckling her defences. She gave in and, all at once, she felt a great sensation of foreboding and everything around her turned to darkness in an instant.
To be continued...
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