Floating through his dream world, Schist looked upon the viridian leaves in envy. Deer and rabbits danced between the dapples of light in the brilliant forest of his sleep. He knew that as soon as he woke, a real forest of even more spectacular colour than this one lay beyond the terraces, towards the centre of Ya'ru. It was almost surreal for the excited youth.
Only until recently, he had no place to call 'home'...
Perhaps he would find someone there who would talk to him, someone who could show him how to write his name, someone who could teach him to control his magic.
Someone, to be family.
His life before now seemed pointless. There was no danger here, there was no worries here. Everyone seemed friendly and at ease. No longer was living about a quota or minimum requirement - it was about finding himself. He would be willing to belong to anyone who cared for him...
"My friend.... I can be your family."
Schist's heart stopped. The forest around him suddenly looked far shadier than it should. The baritone voice echoed around the dream, as if the speaker were standing in front of him - yet not a trace of him was to be found.
"Remember me? Don't worry kid... I can help you."
It was the voice he heard only the night before. It was a sleek, deep and calming voice... but it seemed layered over a sinister undertone.
"Who are you! Why are you talking to me!"
"I cannot say who I am. What I will say, is that I can teach you."
For a second, Schist processed what the voice had put forward, but quickly dismissed it. It was playing tricks, whatever it was. The smooth tone seemed inappropriately casual, like some of the dirty salesmen Schist had seen on the streets of Karkun during his occasional visits.
"As one of the rising guardians, you need a master who can understand and train you. Otherwise, your uncontrolled energy WILL be a risk to whoever you care or love for. "
Images of the inferno reached back from his memory, the result of his mistakes when he lost control. It brought tears to his eyes to think of something as catastrophic as that ever happening to Ya'ru, or any of the natural forest he had ever seen or dreamed of...
"...Wait, guardians?"
"What I ask of you is to prepare yourself, and to not trust anybody. I will soon have what I need to train you, and I believe you are willing to learn of your limits..."
The dream world seemed dimmer, less active. Schist could no longer see any living animals, and the trees felt as if they were beginning to die. The former excitement was drowned out by worry... What if the voice was speaking truthfully? Schist's curiosity piqued though, a doubting question that had to be asked.
"What would you get out of training me?"
"Trust in me, you have stirred up more anger and hatred to feed off than any petty feud. Do not mistake me for being good; I have my own ways of dealing with living."
"I can sense you are waking. Remember what I have said - you are a risk to everyone but me. When we have more time, I will answer your questions then. Trust me."
A blackness began closing around Schist's vision as the feeling of rocks and lapping waves disrupted the dream environment. His conscious glided back to earth, unsure and disturbed from what the voice had spoken of. Already his memory of the dream was turning fuzzy as reality flickered into his vision, leaving him with taunting questions left unanswered.
---
Drifting across the solitude, a single bird glided across the great western desert - it's plumage matching that of the coal black clouds above. Other than a slightly purple shimmer to it's feathers, only a slash of blood red beneath each eye provided colour, making the bird almost invisible from below. The fabled 'Charon' birds were known for this quality - They were impossible to see until you were already hit.
Dunes of stagnant sand, no longer shifting due to the lack of wind, lay across the land below. A line of railway spread across the sands offhand, but did not bother the Charon bird, in search of prey. Observing below, it's eye gleamed with subtle intelligence as it spied a grey imperfection in the dulled beige sand.
Pulling down, it aimed with it's hooked beak, unlatching grim claws on it's scaly legs as it began accelerating downwards. With a *Thunk!* it smashed into the sand, part of the imperfect grey object in it's claw.
Disappointed, it dropped the worn bone, a thigh from a corpse left long ago. Humanoid in shape, the skeleton had barely been disturbed from it's resting position, apart from a leg moved slightly aside by the bird. Shaking the dust and sand from it's feathers, the Charon bird closed it's two metre wing span and inspected the skeleton.
The blade of what had been a dagger lay in one hand, whilst the other had a tightly closed fist of bone around something insignificant. A collapsed leather water-skin lay by the hip, heavy and parched, while uninteresting nomadic fur and leather adorned the skeleton, covering the pelvis and upper torso. Nearly ready to abandon the find, the bird's attention was grabbed by slight pulses of energy radiating from the closed fist of bone.
Jumping awkwardly over the sand, the bird stood over the fist, and pecked it softly. The Nomad's bones seemed reluctant to move, clutching onto the object fiercely. Poking the fist a little harder, the bones were forced apart, revealing a pulsing jet firestone, about the size of a pebble. Eagerly looking at it's discovery, the bird pried the stone up into it's beak.
It was oversaturated with energy, far to much for the stone to hold alone. Some was leaking into the bird's maw, the rest dousing over the skeleton. It wasn't much energy, but still more than any stone should ever be giving off without a spell caster. Absorbing the invisible waves of power, the bird's appetite dimmed, the skeleton's ribs making for a nice perch. No longer hungry, it preened slowly, satisfied with all it's needs.
About fifty metres away, the train line stretched across from horizon to horizon, defying the neutral, bland desert. Starting with just a black dot, soon a roar of chugging machinery and huge plume of charcoal smog took over the air. Realising the approaching danger, the bird focused on the ambient energy drifting around it.
While unable to touch the stored energy in the gem itself, the radiated energy was usable to the bird, letting it quickly collected enough to carry out it's motive.
"Shimmer"
The word's meaning was brought into action, the purple glaze on the bird's plumage turning clear and translucent. It stood fast over the bones, the pebble clasped in it's beak, hoping the train would not notice.
The train itself was still very far away, beyond clear details, but already a huge wave of anger, desire, and hatred spread out ahead from it. In a second, the Charon bird felt as if a rock had hit it's gut, an overwhelming amount of energy spilling from somewhere in the train. While it was not uncommon for a vehicle to leak some of it's coal charges, the bird had never felt so suddenly attacked like this.
The overflowing energy was powerful enough to force itself into the firestone, causing it to reach critical limits - purple fire blossomed out into the bird's throat, burning it.
Dropping the stone in pain, the bird was overwhelmed by the ambient waves forcing into it's body, it's muscles spasming in an attempt to rid of excess energy. Although the only sound came from the train's muted clanks far away, white noise and static rebelled inside the bird's mind, scattering thoughts. The desire to rip, destroy and kill leapt to mind as the dark energy took over.
With unseeing eye's, the bird flapped and staggered desperately to remove the malicious fire inside, the shimmer on it's feathers turning from a mild blur to a high pitch buzzing shield as the aura speed up to use power. Gusts of wind expelled in random directions as the bird began to attack the air in a furious rage, the evil nature of the energy corrupting it's soul.
Tripping onto the skull of the corpse, it clasped the collar bone with it's beak, assigning it the first idea that flew into it's head.
"REBIRTH!"
For a short second, the Charon bird sighed relief as the spare energy flowed into the bone, causing it to glow a deep purple. The energy radiating through the air conducted across the bird into the bone, effectively spreading it into the skeleton. However, the rebirth of a human would require more energy than that leaking from the train and gem.
With sudden realisation, the bird felt hunger rip across it's body as it fed the rebirth spell - There was no way it could live through such an event unscathed.
Gripped by the spell, the bird let out a final screech, it's own body disintegrating in a glaring eruption of light. The light and air power that made up it's blood and soul flowed into the skeleton, diluting the evil energy conducted in earlier. A magenta pink puddle of aura spread over the Nomad's bones, pushing away sand and grit.
The flesh solidified, veins grew like weeds across bulbs of organs, tan skin stretched across the body. Scars and calluses from the day of death reappeared as if no time had past since rebirth.
The resurrection was complete.
Wavering, the Charon bird's skeleton collapsed to the ground, beside the firestone. Only a veil of aura held the last of it's body, kept alive only by the dark energy pouring from the train and stone. Finally, it dropped into a blind trance, clasping the stone for it's last minutes...
--
"I... It's... so bright..... is this the... the great beyond?"
She opened her eye's, greeted by the dismal clouds that killed the sky. In a flash, memories raced at her, falling to the sand, giving up to the gnawing hunger, the cracking thirst, followed by the shining light... Beyond all reason, she was alive. Sitting up, a headache began to sweep over her, but her attention was immediately stolen by a shout.
"Who the hell is that!? Quick, get a man out there! Seize it!"
Glancing up at the strange vehicle on rails, a guard with darkened chain armour pointed at her from a door about 50 metres away. Inbuilt thief instincts took hold, boosting her up onto her feet. Before she turned however, a face appeared behind the guard.
A narrow face, sharp, brooding with rage. She could see the flames of dark energy splay out from him in her mind's eye, the pure evil reaching out from across the distance as if she were next to him. She did not need words for her to feel exactly what he wanted.
"Give. me. my. Scythe."
In that single second, she realised her danger. Breaking the gaze, she grabbed her stolen firestone off the ground, weird bird skeleton attached, and fled without her dagger, deeper into the dunes of the desert. She would have to think another time.
Yes, I will get started immediately, although it won't help that I am going to a theme park tomorrow. Anyway, I hope this will be the awakening of a long overdue writing-hibernation.
This is great! I love fantasy writing, but rarely read fantasy I like. I really enjoy what I've read so far, you are an excellent writer. This could easily be a book; I would read a large novel of this story. Please continue writing and posting, and if you have a website or something with other writing I'd like to see it. After seeing your thread on minerals, and your thread on math, I have to say you are an A+ poster. =)
I agree. Create a novel. I would definately buy it. Maybe you could convert it into whatever format is in ipod apps and sell it there.
Signed Cainiscool1
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Life's too short. So Notch made us Minecraft. So we can live again and again.
It has been a while... Butn im still enjoying the story :smile.gif: I would be happier if you would write some more ASAP. Im sure everyone else here would be too :smile.gif:
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Life's too short. So Notch made us Minecraft. So we can live again and again.
Just to let you know, the app minecraft pro has this story included in it. I also highly suggest publishing this as a novel because many people would buy it.
Just to let you know, the app minecraft pro has this story included in it. I also highly suggest publishing this as a novel because many people would buy it.
So, I can pay $1 to read this story or come here to read it for free... hmmm... decisions.
note: none of the money from the app goes to anyone that created the materials shown in the app.
ie: if you make something to celebrate Minecraft, the app creator might use it to make money without your permission.
I am literally just about to start the next part.
Hopefully my productivity will increase as the holidays are nearing.
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
I used to have toes
In other news, I have a short (Two week?) holiday to enjoy away from school! Hurrah!
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
Only until recently, he had no place to call 'home'...
Perhaps he would find someone there who would talk to him, someone who could show him how to write his name, someone who could teach him to control his magic.
His life before now seemed pointless. There was no danger here, there was no worries here. Everyone seemed friendly and at ease. No longer was living about a quota or minimum requirement - it was about finding himself. He would be willing to belong to anyone who cared for him...
Schist's heart stopped. The forest around him suddenly looked far shadier than it should. The baritone voice echoed around the dream, as if the speaker were standing in front of him - yet not a trace of him was to be found.
It was the voice he heard only the night before. It was a sleek, deep and calming voice... but it seemed layered over a sinister undertone.
"Who are you! Why are you talking to me!"
For a second, Schist processed what the voice had put forward, but quickly dismissed it. It was playing tricks, whatever it was. The smooth tone seemed inappropriately casual, like some of the dirty salesmen Schist had seen on the streets of Karkun during his occasional visits.
Images of the inferno reached back from his memory, the result of his mistakes when he lost control. It brought tears to his eyes to think of something as catastrophic as that ever happening to Ya'ru, or any of the natural forest he had ever seen or dreamed of...
"...Wait, guardians?"
The dream world seemed dimmer, less active. Schist could no longer see any living animals, and the trees felt as if they were beginning to die. The former excitement was drowned out by worry... What if the voice was speaking truthfully? Schist's curiosity piqued though, a doubting question that had to be asked.
"What would you get out of training me?"
A blackness began closing around Schist's vision as the feeling of rocks and lapping waves disrupted the dream environment. His conscious glided back to earth, unsure and disturbed from what the voice had spoken of. Already his memory of the dream was turning fuzzy as reality flickered into his vision, leaving him with taunting questions left unanswered.
---
Drifting across the solitude, a single bird glided across the great western desert - it's plumage matching that of the coal black clouds above. Other than a slightly purple shimmer to it's feathers, only a slash of blood red beneath each eye provided colour, making the bird almost invisible from below. The fabled 'Charon' birds were known for this quality - They were impossible to see until you were already hit.
Dunes of stagnant sand, no longer shifting due to the lack of wind, lay across the land below. A line of railway spread across the sands offhand, but did not bother the Charon bird, in search of prey. Observing below, it's eye gleamed with subtle intelligence as it spied a grey imperfection in the dulled beige sand.
Pulling down, it aimed with it's hooked beak, unlatching grim claws on it's scaly legs as it began accelerating downwards. With a *Thunk!* it smashed into the sand, part of the imperfect grey object in it's claw.
Disappointed, it dropped the worn bone, a thigh from a corpse left long ago. Humanoid in shape, the skeleton had barely been disturbed from it's resting position, apart from a leg moved slightly aside by the bird. Shaking the dust and sand from it's feathers, the Charon bird closed it's two metre wing span and inspected the skeleton.
The blade of what had been a dagger lay in one hand, whilst the other had a tightly closed fist of bone around something insignificant. A collapsed leather water-skin lay by the hip, heavy and parched, while uninteresting nomadic fur and leather adorned the skeleton, covering the pelvis and upper torso. Nearly ready to abandon the find, the bird's attention was grabbed by slight pulses of energy radiating from the closed fist of bone.
Jumping awkwardly over the sand, the bird stood over the fist, and pecked it softly. The Nomad's bones seemed reluctant to move, clutching onto the object fiercely. Poking the fist a little harder, the bones were forced apart, revealing a pulsing jet firestone, about the size of a pebble. Eagerly looking at it's discovery, the bird pried the stone up into it's beak.
It was oversaturated with energy, far to much for the stone to hold alone. Some was leaking into the bird's maw, the rest dousing over the skeleton. It wasn't much energy, but still more than any stone should ever be giving off without a spell caster. Absorbing the invisible waves of power, the bird's appetite dimmed, the skeleton's ribs making for a nice perch. No longer hungry, it preened slowly, satisfied with all it's needs.
About fifty metres away, the train line stretched across from horizon to horizon, defying the neutral, bland desert. Starting with just a black dot, soon a roar of chugging machinery and huge plume of charcoal smog took over the air. Realising the approaching danger, the bird focused on the ambient energy drifting around it.
While unable to touch the stored energy in the gem itself, the radiated energy was usable to the bird, letting it quickly collected enough to carry out it's motive.
"Shimmer"
The word's meaning was brought into action, the purple glaze on the bird's plumage turning clear and translucent. It stood fast over the bones, the pebble clasped in it's beak, hoping the train would not notice.
The train itself was still very far away, beyond clear details, but already a huge wave of anger, desire, and hatred spread out ahead from it. In a second, the Charon bird felt as if a rock had hit it's gut, an overwhelming amount of energy spilling from somewhere in the train. While it was not uncommon for a vehicle to leak some of it's coal charges, the bird had never felt so suddenly attacked like this.
The overflowing energy was powerful enough to force itself into the firestone, causing it to reach critical limits - purple fire blossomed out into the bird's throat, burning it.
Dropping the stone in pain, the bird was overwhelmed by the ambient waves forcing into it's body, it's muscles spasming in an attempt to rid of excess energy. Although the only sound came from the train's muted clanks far away, white noise and static rebelled inside the bird's mind, scattering thoughts. The desire to rip, destroy and kill leapt to mind as the dark energy took over.
With unseeing eye's, the bird flapped and staggered desperately to remove the malicious fire inside, the shimmer on it's feathers turning from a mild blur to a high pitch buzzing shield as the aura speed up to use power. Gusts of wind expelled in random directions as the bird began to attack the air in a furious rage, the evil nature of the energy corrupting it's soul.
Tripping onto the skull of the corpse, it clasped the collar bone with it's beak, assigning it the first idea that flew into it's head.
"REBIRTH!"
For a short second, the Charon bird sighed relief as the spare energy flowed into the bone, causing it to glow a deep purple. The energy radiating through the air conducted across the bird into the bone, effectively spreading it into the skeleton. However, the rebirth of a human would require more energy than that leaking from the train and gem.
With sudden realisation, the bird felt hunger rip across it's body as it fed the rebirth spell - There was no way it could live through such an event unscathed.
Gripped by the spell, the bird let out a final screech, it's own body disintegrating in a glaring eruption of light. The light and air power that made up it's blood and soul flowed into the skeleton, diluting the evil energy conducted in earlier. A magenta pink puddle of aura spread over the Nomad's bones, pushing away sand and grit.
The flesh solidified, veins grew like weeds across bulbs of organs, tan skin stretched across the body. Scars and calluses from the day of death reappeared as if no time had past since rebirth.
Wavering, the Charon bird's skeleton collapsed to the ground, beside the firestone. Only a veil of aura held the last of it's body, kept alive only by the dark energy pouring from the train and stone. Finally, it dropped into a blind trance, clasping the stone for it's last minutes...
--
"I... It's... so bright..... is this the... the great beyond?"
She opened her eye's, greeted by the dismal clouds that killed the sky. In a flash, memories raced at her, falling to the sand, giving up to the gnawing hunger, the cracking thirst, followed by the shining light... Beyond all reason, she was alive. Sitting up, a headache began to sweep over her, but her attention was immediately stolen by a shout.
"Who the hell is that!? Quick, get a man out there! Seize it!"
Glancing up at the strange vehicle on rails, a guard with darkened chain armour pointed at her from a door about 50 metres away. Inbuilt thief instincts took hold, boosting her up onto her feet. Before she turned however, a face appeared behind the guard.
A narrow face, sharp, brooding with rage. She could see the flames of dark energy splay out from him in her mind's eye, the pure evil reaching out from across the distance as if she were next to him. She did not need words for her to feel exactly what he wanted.
In that single second, she realised her danger. Breaking the gaze, she grabbed her stolen firestone off the ground, weird bird skeleton attached, and fled without her dagger, deeper into the dunes of the desert. She would have to think another time.
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
I used to have toes
or else...
Yes, I will get started immediately, although it won't help that I am going to a theme park tomorrow. Anyway, I hope this will be the awakening of a long overdue writing-hibernation.
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
I used to have toes
I agree. Create a novel. I would definately buy it. Maybe you could convert it into whatever format is in ipod apps and sell it there.
Signed Cainiscool1
I'm sorry! Been distracted making awesome stuff for worth1000 here. I still play minecraft too!
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
I used to have toes
It has been ages hasn't it....
You know what, It's time I started writing this again. I'll see if I can get working in a computer room at school.
A simple suggestion on geology here.
~~~
Slaves of the Coal Mine
An interesting Novel to pass the time.
"Look at me still talking when there's science to do. When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you."
So, I can pay $1 to read this story or come here to read it for free... hmmm... decisions.
note: none of the money from the app goes to anyone that created the materials shown in the app.
ie: if you make something to celebrate Minecraft, the app creator might use it to make money without your permission.
For an example, look up Tales of a Wandering Vegabond.