Delang
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Posts: 13
(7/23/02 2:42 pm)
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A story I published on Caster' Realm a while back....
“Cycko!! Get up!!”
I knew exactly who it was and why she was waking me up. “Kan, please go back to bed. It’s not even daybreak.” I turned over and grabbed my pillow and stuffed it over my head. Then I felt a nudge on my shoulder. “C’mon Cycko!! Pleeeease!!” I turned over to see the person I wanted to choke. Kandria was my best friend. A friendship frowned upon by most, her being a dark-elf and myself, a human.
“Kan, please. It is dark out still, you are going to wake up my father, and it’s colder outside than even most barbarians prefer!! Now go back to sleep….zzzzzzz” I heard an abrupt “Hmph!” Just as soon as I though I had won this battle and start to doze off, I heard a giggle. My eyes bolted wide open! “No Kan, DON’T!!!!” Too late… I heard the chant, saw the flash, and then I felt my inside heat up like a bon fire. “Still cold, Cyc?” That was the last straw. “You are so dead!” She disappeared from the window, leaving nothing but the echo of roaring laughter. “Cyc, what are you doin’!?! It’s too early for this nonsense!! Go back to sleep!!”
“Sorry Father!! I was getting ready to go to training today! I have to go! See ya tonight!” Saying all that, I got my training tunic, my yellow sash, and started out the window after Kandria.
“Not so fast!! Come here, boy!” As I was caught offguard by my father’s booming voice, I tripped halfway out the window, landing on my head in the dirt. Once again, laughter from the bushes. Turning red with anger I shot a glare to the bushes and she quieted…somewhat. “Coming Father!!” I rushed back inside through the front door to see my father, up for the day, making tea. I though for sure, a scolding was coming. To my surprise he was smiling. “She really gets to you, eh?” With a hidden blush, I looked down. “Just teasing boy. But there is something I wanted to talk to you about. I’m glad you are leaving early for training because I need you to come home at dusk. There is something I need to talk to you about.” I looked at him puzzled, but all I saw was that grin. “Nothing you should worry about. Just get home at dusk. We are going to have dinner at the Jade Inn. You got it?” I nodded. “Alright, give me a hug and get going! You don’t want to keep her waiting do you?” Acting like his last comment wasn’t heard, my father limped around the table to meet me. I hugged him, and bolted out the door.
It really pained me to see my father’s injury. It wasn’t right and it wasn’t fair. Yet, I was proud. He was one of the greatest warriors in Freeport and probably Antonica too. He was a hero. It was a few years ago when I had first starting my training that he was almost killed. There are probably a handful of people that could have endured what he did and lived to tell about it. I was away traing with the masters of Qeynos. Years ago, the lands were threatened by a dragon; the result of a powerful spell gone awry. None knew the source of the magic, but a dragon in these parts of Antonica was not natural. It was a giant, green dragon…..a dragon with no name. No one had ever seen this creature, and almost all dragons in Norrath were well documented, as there were so few and dangerous. Lady Vox of Permafrost, Nagafen in the great dungeon of Solusek, and others. But there was a common agreement between dragonkind and the rest of Norrath. They mind their own business and we mind ours. And there were never any real problem.
Except this green dragon.
He appeared out if thin air and started terrorizing the residents of Oasis and started making its way north to Freeport. The army of Freeport mobilized its forces and marched to confront the beast. After a half a day’s battle the remaining half of Freeport’s forces returned. At the time, my father was a commander in the Freeport Military. Returning to his command post, he entered the building where the generals resided. “What do you have to report?” one of the generals asked, not even raising an eye from the maps he was studying. “Sir, no army, by any means, is capable of defeating this foe!” Coming from from anyone else, they would have been kicked right out of there and shunned for cowardice. But as it was my father, a very respected commander by both soldier and officer, all of the generals looked up at my father in disbelief. Wearing armor half charred by dragonfire, my father said, “Come. Come see for yourselves.” Walking out of the military building and climbing up to one of the posts to the wall around Freeport, they saw a horrid sight. The army camp set up outside was full of soldiers carrying the wounded and injured back from battle. As the men laid the wounded down for medical attention, they started sprinting back to get more of the fellow soldiers. Calls from all of the camps were heard, “Cleric!! We need a Cleric!” constantly like an echo. White robe clerics were rushing out to aid the injured. A few men screamed from the realization that they were missing limbs. Women cried at the lose of their men. One the generals, newly promoted, sniffed, obviously torn at the hideous site, and looked away. “Ok, let us retire and discuss the matter.” Back at the military building, officers were arguing back and forth about different strategies. My father watched quietly as debating escalated to shouting. Having had enough, my father stood up. “Gentlemen!!” The tone of my father’s voice, commanding but not loud, quieted even his superiors. “I’ve seen enough bloodshed today. Arguing will get us nowhere. We must act and act quickly. The dragon advances and we are bickering about the best strategy?!? I have said it before. And I will say it only once more. But this time I want you to listen to me. No army, by any means, can defeat this foe!! Do you understand?” The room was silent and my father was attacked with blank stares across the room. Shaking his head in frustration, he continued. “You guys didn’t, by chance, notice that this beast took out half our forces IN LESS THAN A FEW HOURS?!?” Those last six words had everyone in the room wincing and even made some people in the camp area start up. “Do you have a better idea, Widge?” “Yes I do” and started for the door. “Where are you going??” My father turned and looked at everyone slowly as he said, “I know most of you distrust magic. But we can’t do this alone. I’m going to the mages for help.” Grumbles and groans from almost everyone but not one objection.
“Widge? What brings you to our conclave?” The high wizard looked at my father with interest. “I think you are well aware of my reasons. We need your help. It is obvious that the military alone can’t defeat the dragon.”
“I’m glad one of you came to your senses before the entire town was wiped out. However, we are having our own issues with the beast as well. I’m not sure if we can offer much help.”
“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t. You are a warrior.” Flushing, my father got up to leave. “Wait, I apologize for being so rude but we are a bit frustrated as well. I will try to explain. We have been observing the dragon and the battle from here try to figure out a weakness to defeat this creature. From what we can figure out, this creature has none. We have never”
“That’s impossible!!” Widge retorted. “No one is invincible, not even a dragon. We have to think of something.” He sat there with the wizard for about an hour or so, thinking up different ideas. Everything from an earthquake to hurling a mountain at the dragon. But for some reason or another, nothing they came up with seemed viable.
Suddenly my father’s face lit up. “I got it!!” No sooner did he finish his last word, then horns of alarm in the city sounded. The dragon was here.
“Quickly!! I need an enchanter and a druid. Have them meet me at the city gate immediately!” The high-mage raised to retort but before he could start… “Get them now!! Don’t argue. Just GO! Now!!!”
At the city gates, the dragon could be seen in the distance. Widge waited no longer than a minute. “We are here sir! What is it you need?”
“Ok, druid, I need you to make me move as fast as the wind and give me a force field of the strongest nature. You, enchanter. I need a haste spell cast on me. M y weapons must move with blinding speed. Do you understand?” Both nodded. He turned to his army. “Everyone! Listen to me! I have a plan that may defeat this foe!!” Cheers from across the field drowned his ears. “But I must ask something of all of you. Stay here! Do not advance! If the Dragon comes, then you fight with all your might!” Not a word was spoken from the crowd. Just confused stares.
“Ok, now.” The druid and the enchanter begane to cast, one spells after the other. After they were finished, Widge bolted for the dragon, weapons drawn. They men and women were astonished! Widge got closer and closer, knowing what he must do. Finally he approached the dragon and took his stance. The dragon kept on walking like there was no one there. At last the dragon was almost on top of Widge. Then, with lightning speed, the dragon’s head whipped around and scooped up Widge in his mouth and swallowed him whole. He never even missed a step.
Every citizen screamed in terror! The High-Mage screamed, “That fool! We are lost now!” The dragon advanced, increasing his speed to a run. Then he jumped in the air and took flight.
Everyone in town just stopped what they were doing….everything. People stopped panicking, stopped running and fleeing, stopped dead in their tracks. Even the children stopped crying. Everyone knew what was coming. The end. There was no way anyone could escape the wrath of a dragon in flight. Not a building in town, not even a stone could withstand the awesome heat and power of dragonfire.
He circle for a few moment getting ready to begin his decent, just as soon as he begane to dive, the dragon began to contort and convulse violently. Then suddenly the the beast came crashing to the ground right in front of the camp on the field and began thrashing about. The crowd didn’t know whether to scream in terror or to cheer. Then the dragon stopped. He was dead. Everyone began to approach slowly.
A sword ripped throught belly of the beast then sliced it wide open. Widge nearly fell out and dragged himself a few feet from the dragon. His leg was shattered from the crash. Otherwise he just needed to catch his breath. He defeated the dragon. Alone.
The town held a festival a week later to celebrate victory. It was just in time for I returned the same day. After hearing about the heroism of my father, I was shocked! So much had happened while I was gone. A dragon invaded the town, killed half the citizens, and my father became a crippled hero. Since the towns’ military force was cut in half and most of those remaining could not return to duty. The reminder of the town’s people formed a militia to keep the town secure. I decided to continue my training here in Freeport to look help after my father.
More to come….(maybe) Tell me what you think…I know I left it wide open, but that’s ok….I’m allowed. It’s MY story  My email is scrappy@lvcm.com. If you guys like it then I will write more. If not, then I won’t
By Delang Submited on 12/13/2001
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