Heres something i wrote, i've used the promt for RP's befor buuuttt its actually a story i've been working on since i was 10 only this is the shorter version since my original is hand written and long as heck. but hey, you might like it anyway. Prologue A brief history On the planet of Marisha a single immense ocean covers most of the surface, all in fact but a single continent, Heraldran. This lonely piece of land that is under constant siege by the seas is covered by an ocean of its own , an ocean of trees. Broken only in two places; the north, where the cold is too unbearable for any life to last more then a day, and along the vast range of steep mountains called the “Veraner divide“. Throughout the woods a plethora of small villages rest, each peaceful and independent. Unfortunately no peace lasts forever. In the year 153 of the only surviving records; it is said a foul wind began to blow across the land from the east. It is described as something you cannot see nor even smell, but feel. Change, in all its inevitability, was upon Heraldran and nothing could ever be the same again. At first the changes were small and by all definition, profitable for the people. Bonds began to be forged between the villages until they eventually became a single kingdom. This proud nation was called Dramance, and though it was still built of many small towns that refused to build to near to each other, it stood united among the trees. Unfortunately, change always has a bad side; without even a subtle warning all of the westernmost towns ended all communication with Dramance. Scouts were sent to investigate but what they found was unsettling. A massive wall had been built, dividing the entire continent, and at the center of the great wall, stood an ominous, sealed gate. All at the same time the frigid north began to thaw, and a strange people appeared in the new, white forest that grew suddenly from the snow. These people were called the Mayins; They were a strange people, based around humans, but paler and taller. The Mayins kept to themselves, but an event was approaching that would unite all the people who lived outside the wall of the west, the opening of the great gate. The year was 231 and the people of Dramance had never known bloodshed until it was thrusted in their face by those that came through the gate. A foul people surged out of the gate as a single massive army. These people were later described as rotten men not only because of their hearts, but their very flesh looked and smelled of decay. They were relentless in their killing; moving from town to town slaughtering every man, mother and child without a single hindrance. When all seemed lost and mothers kissed their children goodbye; a small army of Mayin men marched to meet the enemy and, wielding swords made of enchanted adamite, they drove the brutes back; all the way to the gate, and there they hewed each and every remaining man. Those Dramance people who had survived celebrated the end of their fears, but not the Mayin. They remained stone faced, gathered up their weapons and returned to the north. There, each and every sword was destroyed. Years passed and the destroyed towns were slowly rebuilt. Life began to return to the little houses throughout the forest, but there was nothing rebuilt near the wall again, and though the damage was repaired, fear still existed around the wall, like a scar on the otherwise healed nation. In the years following Dramance’s restoration. Swords became a household item, and youth were trained to use them. Grandparents began to tell legends, and stories and legends again. Children were allowed to walk about in the forest, each one with his own cause. Happy days had returned to the world and suffering subsided to story telling. One of the most popular stories says that not all the Mayin survived, and that somewhere in the woods, the sword of one of these heroes must be hiding, undisturbed…waiting. Chapter 1 A less then happy birthday. “16 and nothing to show for it!!!!!!” the sound of Mytharios baritone voice echoed in the looming wood that surrounded him as he ran through the trees. He continued to run, ignoring the sound of twigs snapping as his feet fell heavily on the ground. His mind raced, full of disappointment. To any curious onlooker it would be clear that he longed more than anything for change. Sixteen years and his life was still the same, and Myth couldn’t help but feel hopeless because of it, swept up in the waves of the world, unable to even step out side the life he had become so dependant on. If only he knew change was on his door step… Myth yelled once more, ignoring his cramps as he continued onward until something caught his foot, the world flew upward around him and before he knew it he was face down in the foliage. Spitting dirt out of his mouth he slowly rose to his feet. Laughter spewed from his mouth as he leaned against a nearby tree, his anger finally subsiding. To himself he muttered “well obviously I have changed, cause that’s never happened before.” Another chuckle left his mouth and he began walking again grinning broadly, flashing his perfect teeth. “Now lets see what the culprit is” Myth mused as he leaned down to brush the leaves off whatever had tripped him. He expected a tree root was to blame, but what he found couldn’t have been more different. A sword in a thick leather sheath lay before him a glittering hilt that appeared to be silver, was partially pulled away from the sheath revealing the most perfect blade Mythario had ever seen. /But what was it doing here?/ the thought entered his mind. Without another though he lifted it from the ground and carried it to a nearby tree. He sat down in a gap between its extensive roots and began to inspect the blade more thoroughly. The metal sparkled as he slowly removed the sheath. When it was completely off he held it upright before his face. The surface was so well polished it worked like a mirror showing myth the face he had grown so tired of seeing. He had sandy blonde hair, messy from lack of care, that folded along his narrow face. His bangs stopped above the two, brown caterpillar like, eyebrows that complimented his soft blue grey eyes. Before looking anymore Myth spat on the reflection, “Thanks a lot dad! had to give me your face didn’t you!” he grumbled as he resheathed the blade “and now your gone again, just like you have been for 10 years!” At that he leapt to his feet, clenching the sword tightly in his hand. Only then did he see the pillar of smoke rising from some distant fire. “HOME!!!!!” Myth didn’t even wait till he had said the whole word before bolting the direction of the smoke. Tears welled in his eyes as the thought ran through his mind /worst birthday ever/. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The forest began to thin as he approached his town. Ash and rubble filled the air around him, making him cough, but he kept running until….he saw it. What was once the crowded and boisterous town he had grown up in, was suddenly no more than a ghost town. Dead bodies lay hewn along the crumbling walls of destroyed buildings, only two structures remained intact one was a small barn where a horse still whinnied as if calling for help, and the other, caked in grey ash was… “home!” Myth yelled, and dashed to his crumbling doorway. “Mother!” he called once, twice, then three times, until faintly from the kitchen he heard his name. slowly he walked in, blood was splashed along the surrounding walls and small cooking knives were scattered across the floor dripping thick black liquid that slightly resembled rotten blood. “Mythario” he heard his name again from the far side of the room. In the corner a mangled body had propped its self against the wall. “MOM!” he ran to her side and saw the extent of her injuries, along with many wide gashes there was a rusty sword impaled between her ribs. “Mother who did this?!” he gasped as he knelt beside her, ignoring the blood soaking into his pants. She opened her mouth and croaked her last words. “Son, I’m proud to be your mother and I love you, but you must stop them, go to Gibranth and find someone to help you, the country must be warned, tell them…the black gate has opened” at those words she collapsed. Mythario choked back his sobs and rose to his feet. He trembled and said, “I will go, so that you may rest in peace,” then turned and walked out of the building. As he left the doorway, the roof collapsed -a burial for Anna, mother of Myth Beren-. Myth began to cry openly now, but did not turn around, he walked towards the small horse stable to quiet the creature. Engraved on the stable’s wall was “Koronto -king of the wood” /So it is him/ Myth thought to himself, and he pushed the door open. Koronto stood right in the doorway, already saddled and ready to go. “Finally, a stroke of luck” he murmured then swung himself onto the horse. Then patting its neck he whispered in the horses ear, “to Gibranth.” without warning they were off, flying northward through the ruins, and then the thick forests beyond. Trees whizzed past, hanging down from overhead like great spidery hands, looming in on Myth’s already uneasy mind. But he remained determined, straddling his horse as they both silently soared though the black night, speeding to Gibranth. As they rode a trail of tears seemed to remain suspended in the air behind them, glittering slightly in the dim moonlight. Mythario did his best to remain stone faced, to be strong for his mom, and for his town even though inside his insides seemed to all contract, trying to squeeze a sob out of him like trying to squeezing the last drop of water out of an all but dry sponge. Still even with his insides screaming for mercy, nothing hurt more then his head, since leaving into the wood a splitting headache pulled on myths last cords of self restraint. It’s the kind of head ache you get when you lose someone dear to you, and believe me, you don’t know what it feels like till you’ve had one. But if you haven’t you’ll have to do your best to imagine, as the pain is indescribable. Still, with all the pain, and all the misery Myth remained unbroken, like a great dam, the only visible sigh of his turmoil was the steady stream of tears that streak his face. Time passed and finally the woods began to thin, and lights and sound could be faintly seen and heard in the distance. It was Gibranth. Gibranth was a notorious town inhabited by constantly coming and going mercenaries, thieves, hunters, and assassins. Best described by the fact its only permanent residents were the owners of the bar and inn, if both weren’t such large building the town wouldn’t even have a name. Mythario had no clue how he was going to find help in such a place but his mother specifically said “Gibranth” so he knew there must be a way. At that thought the trees abruptly stopped, leaving them in a well lit clearing. Just in sight was the legendary, if not infamous, “Copper tin inn” and “brew and grub pub.” each was full of light and noise. Myth dismounted Koronto clumsily and gabbing the reigns pulled himself up strait to get a better view of the town. Beside the inn was a small run down stable with a faint light flickering from candle light inside the roof looked shabby but sturdy and a foul stench stretched into the street from the overused, un cleaned stalls. Koronto bluntly threw his nose up to it and looked to find another shelter, clearly displeased by the dwelling prepared for him. Noticing this Mythario stroked the horses dark mane and whispered in its ear, “I know its no home but it will have to do for tonight.” Koronto, seeming to understand bowed his head and began to strut solemnly towards the dinky stable. Myth followed a little behind deep in though ‘its no home but it will do for tonight, but, how many times would he say that he has no home now, after he gets this help where does he go? Will he ever have a home?’ Myth noticed his eyes had begun tearing up again and quickly shook his head, but he let the tears roll down his face leaving lines in the soot and grime coating his face. Koronto then whinnied stamping his foot at the door of the least filthy of the stalls. “Alright you proud beast, hold on just a second” he said, slightly amused as he walked to open the stall door. Inside was small but relatively clean with hey strewn across the floor and a bowl of murky looking water in the corner. The horse again displayed his disgust but obediently entered none the less. Myth followed in and removed Koronto’s saddle leaving the horse doubtless more comfortable and draped it over the nearest wall. “there, you can sleep here tonight” he said briskly “its not nice but you’ll live” it then hit him “wait where am I going to sleep!?” Myth dug in his pockets desperately then relaxed as he remembered. His birthday money, 10 Truckets in his back pocket, more then enough for a room and food. Relieved he turned and walked out saying over his shoulder as he did, “looks like your sleeping alone after all, see you in the morning.” It wasn’t much but this glimmer of luck after today felt like the blessing of an angel to him, however his grim expression did not expire as he walked to the doors of the large black box like building of the inn. Without much thought of his appearance myth pushed open the doors displaying a surprisingly bright and clean entrance hall with a counter in the middle of the room. The other walls were lined with doors except the one on the left which held a large staircase that lead to the floors above. On the counter was a large shabby looking mass of hair and clothing which myth presumed to be the inn keeper asleep on the job, his arm stretched across the table with a dainty feather duster dangling from his fingers. Beside his head was a small silver bell that had writing that read ‘for service, please ring bell loudly.’ Myth snatched it up and began shaking in it violently’ an expression of impatience on his filth stained face. The black mass before him grunted then shuddered, and with surprising speed jerked up and stared at Myth, half asleep. After a moment he seemed to gain awareness of where he was then squinted trough his bush like eyebrows, then a gruff voice came from somewhere in his forest of a bearded. “Boy you look like you’ve gone to hell and back, what do you want?” the tone was all but polite, yet friendly none the less, getting over his shock and bewilderment Myth then spoke , realizing just how small he was as he looked into the blue eyes of the giant man befor him. “I-I wish to stay here” he finally stammered. The man looked at him with obvious amusement, “right! well just cause you look like you have some interesting stories to tell I’ll let yah stay for free if you go to my bar tonight, deal?” the man smiled kindly and myth attempted to return it but instead grimaced at the though of telling a crowded room what had just happened. “um yah, uh, okay. Whats my room?” Myth stammered again looking as his shoes. He jumped suddenly as the man before him pulled him up off the ground by his colar and squinted are his face through the mess of hair covering his eyes. "Boy you look like you could you a bit of drink in yah, come with me first" he grumbled and at that slung Mythario limply over his shoulder like a sack of potato's and began walking to a door on the left side of the room. Myth barely had time to imagine what was beyond it when the man kicked the door in silencing the noisy room beyond. It was the bar next door, which evidently was connected. "jerod! get me a mug of beer for the kid." belted the man, but everyone simply stared at the strange boy on his back. "Jerod!" at that the mousy man at the counter lept up and filled a mug. "Now you all welcome this boy er y'all be thrown out!" he bellowed at the shocked men. "Well?!" the men looked confused then grudgingly each muttered a welcome. after the last man in the back said his welcome they all went back to their feasting and the inn keeper at last lowered myth to the ground and winked at him, "have fun." he whispered then walked back into the inn, slamming the door behind him. *************constructive criticism is appreciated :)
