Post by Dragon_Stalker on Feb 5, 2012 23:17:58 GMT -5
Prologue
There once was a young lad who aspired to become a powerful hero. He heard legends and myths of ancient warriors who were able to slay mighty beasts and defend the small villages and towns (even before the castles were ever built). These epics grew greater and more incredible with each masterful telling. There was one story in particular that stood out to the boy...
Chapter 1: The Warrior's Prolegomena
The muscular human had red skin, jet black hair, and blue eyes. His eyes were the color of ice, a fitting color because while in battle his glare could freeze the hearts of the hardest men. This Hero was renown throughout the land as the man without fear. A QUICK glance at this man was enough to reveal that he had seen many battles. The scars on his body were....unnatural, in a way, for only the fiercest and most foul beasts were able to prove threat to his life. Yet, the warrior fought them one by one, time after time, never totally satisfied unless in the midst of a fight of some sort. His fame for slaying monsters spread rapidly throughout the land, so much so that people sought him out anytime there was a threat. It was said, that he fought with the BLESSings of Beautiful Queen Beth, for he never failed to fell a beast.
"We have been most fortunate not to have any dragons in these parts lately," a townsman proclaimed one day, as he sauntered about the town gleefully. "Being LUCKY has nothing to do with it," thought the warrior, knowing it was HE who had driven them out of these lands and into the mountains. If not for the warrior's blood-thirst for slaying dragons, the local Tavern/Hotel, the one run by Salamander Keeper (Silas' great grandfather), would be burnt to the ground.
Yet, the warrior was not overly interested in fame nor recognition. He sought only to be challenged, and to grow stronger. There were few men who could rival his strength or fighting prowess, for he attacked vigorously and with reckless abandon. It was said, that on one particular occasion (well perhaps more than one) that he risked his own life, merely to test the limits of his strength. This is the legend of a stalker...
Chapter 2: The King's Army
The castle walls had recently been refortified after withstanding a devastating siege not many months before. The King (Queen Beth's late father and predecessor) not only wanted to improve the castle's defenses with mortar and brick...he enlisted the help of the mightiest sorceresses and wizards in the land, in order to strengthen the castle with powerful magic. Security was of great importance in these days, so many aspiring knights were being trained in advanced ways of combat. Mercenaries were hired and kept under careful watch by the more loyal captains of his royal highness' army.
The soldiers were divided into various groups depending upon their tactical abilities and strengths. There were two squads (10 soldiers each) that specialized in magic: one for offense, and the other for defense. Two platoons (30 people in each) specialized in archery; both were stationed about the castle walls, but only one at a time. The largest part of the army was a single battalion (500) of soldiers, that were kept within the castle walls unless battle was at hand. There were, in addition to these, two separate squadrons (100 men in each). The first squadron, dubbed "The Crown's Champions" were the finest soldiers in the land. Their sole purpose was to defend the king, and they accompanied him on his every journey to faraway lands. The second squadron, was quite unique. The warriors in this squadron served as spies mostly, but they were accustomed to being sent on errands of a wide variety. Some of these warriors were less trained, but equally as dangerous and mighty as those in the Crown's Champions. Over time, these warrior's became known as the "COps" (Crown's Operatives). Each of these groups of the King's army was lead by the ones most valiant, brave, and capable.
Now the King was accustomed to hearing tales of amazing feats within the halls of his court, so it was no surprise to him to hear rumors of a warrior who had been slaying dragons. Yet, the King was intrigued by the tales of this warrior, Dragon_Stalker, who had made sport of hunting the most ferocious fiends in the realm. "Surely this warrior has some great skill to contribute to this kingdom," thought the King after hearing of his latest adventures. "Summon him at once to these halls, and be sure to send the clerics and shaman with you to test his aptitudes."
Upon the King's command, 10 soldiers from the "Crown's Operatives" were sent on a recruiting mission. These men were accompanied by a wise shaman and also a particularly cunning sorceress of their time, Isis (the witch). This small band the King's representatives ventured off to the last rumored location of the warrior......The Abandoned Mines! It was rumored, that the warrior had subdued many dragons that had been roaming freely about the lands, and had confined the remaining ones to this very location. It was to this area, hidden deep within the mountains of Fenris, that the witch lead 10 of the King's best. They marched through the forest with great care and haste. There were orcs and wild boars threatening to attack, and though they were easy enough practice for these hardened soldiers, time was off the essence. The witch devised a plan to reach the mountains even faster, by adopting a stealthy journey through the thick woods.
"Nos exsisto occultus in obscurum ut nos permetior illa silva."
(May we be hidden in darkness as we traverse these woods)
A flash of blinding light Illuminated the woods for a brief moment...but when it subsided, the small band of soldiers could be seen by no one or no thing.
"The brightest light casts the darkest shadow," the witch said with a grin on her face.
The journey to the mountains went quickly with the aide of the witch's most recent cloaking spell. The woods was beginning to thin out, and the base of the mountains could be seen up ahead. What creatures resided in the bowels of the Fenris mountains? Isis knew, but these territories were seldom traveled even by the exploratory "Crown's Operatives." Hands never far from their hilts, the soldiers pressed onward and upward towards the precipice of the mountains.
Chapter 3: The Dragon's Guard
As the soldiers progressed higher and higher, they began to pant heavily, as if they had just run for miles. The air was thinner up here, preventing oxygen from being processed in muscles quite as efficient as it would at lower altitudes. Huffing and puffing, the small band of the King's men drew near to the entrance of the Abandoned Mines, the newly found home of the dragon kind.
Isis stood upon the highest peak, surveying everything around her. She instructed the men to lay low for the time being...if the warrior was to be found in these parts, he would eventually appear somewhere near the dragon's home. So the soldiers, shaman, and the witch, sneaked a little ways back down the mountains to the timberline. They would set up camp at the edge of the wooded area, where they could remain more hidden. With their camp set up, and the dragons' lair less than a click away, they began to wait...
The first hour seemed to last for an age, yet nothing stirred on those mountaintops. The next hour crept by slower than the first, and the soldiers started to get restless, when all of a sudden...
A deep and fierce sound bellowed from the depths of the cavern that was so loud it shook some of the leaves from the trees nearby. The cool breeze turned into a gust of wind, and the air was noticeably more warm than just moments before. The soldiers stared intently at the entrance to the mines, and at that moment...
The flying behemoth catapulted upwards into the air, and began circling in the sky around the soldiers' camp. It began descending gradually, getting nearer and nearer ...until eventually it would be in position to attack.
"What are we going to do, Isis?" asked one of the men. "That's the biggest dragon I've ever seen! How are we supposed to kill him?"
"Be quiet!" said the witch, holding a finger to her mouth as she spoke. "Our mission is to find the warrior, not to slay this beast."
A raspy voice spoke from nearby....."It appears we share this in common."
The soldiers turned around quickly, revealing a man with silver hair and bright blue eyes. He wore armor that had a scorched look; it was obviously thoroughly used. The man had strong features and his eyes had a focus about them that was terrifying.
"No one will be killing that dragon today.", said the warrior.
"Is that so?" remarked the witch.
"Indeed it is. I've been keeping an eye on you and these men for a few hours. You aren't the first fools who've ventured this far to become dragon fodder. I assumed your intent was to slay a dragon, so I thought I might intervene and save your life."
The beast continued its descent, and was uncomfortably too close for several of the soldiers. They drew their weapons..
"Stay those weapons!" commanded the warrior. The men looked at him incredulously, as if to ask "Who are you to tell us what to do?" The witch looked at the men and gave them a nod; their swords soon returning to their hilts. The warrior walked through the midst of the camp, and into a small patch of open terrain where he could be easily spotted.
"What is he doing?" said a soldier.
"Silencio!" With the flick of her wrist, the witch silenced the soldier who spoke out.
"THIS is the one we're searching for. We must make ready our test. Shaman, prepare to measure the warriors aptitudes and strengths... I want you to measure them when he's in the peak of combat. Soliders! Pay careful attention to his strategy, the King wants a thorough report!"
The warrior called out loud, taunting the dragon in his direction, slowly moving away from the camp. The dragon pursued the warrior, and as it closed-in on the warrior, it reared back it's head as if ready to attack. The warrior turned around to face the dragon at the last moment, and he crouched into a defensive position. His body began to glow with a crimson aura. He raised a single hand towards the beast and...
The warrior snapped his fingers twice in quick succession, and the beast flew upwards immediately. "Go home!" he shouted. The dragon soared back across the mountaintops and dove directly into the cave from which it had emerged just minutes before.
Had the Crown's Operatives witnessed correctly? It appeared as though this man had TOLD the dragon to leave, and it did!!!
"Splendid trick you've learned, care to share what powerful magic you've used to charm something as mighty as a dragon?" inquired Isis.
"HAHAHAhaha! You've got me all wrong, lady. I'm quite dreadfully talentless when it comes to magic. That was merely a warning message I gave to send her away." Seeing the puzzled look upon everyone's faces, the warrior continued. "You see, when you kill enough of their kin, you kind of get a reputation. I once thought it'd be best to rid the world of these beasties, but I'm not quite sure what else I'd fight if I killed them all. This is why I try to protect the females, so they can breed the more powerful male dragons."
"You can tell them apart?" a soldier asked incredulously.
"Well for starters the male dragons are significantly larger, and more fierce. There's no scaring them away, no! Those are the ones worth hunting."
The witch grinned happily as she admired the warrior's fighting spirit. It was like none she had witnessed before. Seeing that she was studying him, the warrior was emboldened to ask, "So if you are not out here to fight dragons, what is it that you seek?"
Isis continued to stare at the warrior, sizing him up from head to toe. Her expression became mischievous as she responded, "You will be coming with us, to see our king, who is most eager to meet you."
NOTES:
Part 1: QUICK, BLESS, LUCKY
Part 2: Hotel
Part 3: Illuminati
Part 4: Glows
Part 5: Blast
Part 6: Empathic
There once was a young lad who aspired to become a powerful hero. He heard legends and myths of ancient warriors who were able to slay mighty beasts and defend the small villages and towns (even before the castles were ever built). These epics grew greater and more incredible with each masterful telling. There was one story in particular that stood out to the boy...
Chapter 1: The Warrior's Prolegomena
The muscular human had red skin, jet black hair, and blue eyes. His eyes were the color of ice, a fitting color because while in battle his glare could freeze the hearts of the hardest men. This Hero was renown throughout the land as the man without fear. A QUICK glance at this man was enough to reveal that he had seen many battles. The scars on his body were....unnatural, in a way, for only the fiercest and most foul beasts were able to prove threat to his life. Yet, the warrior fought them one by one, time after time, never totally satisfied unless in the midst of a fight of some sort. His fame for slaying monsters spread rapidly throughout the land, so much so that people sought him out anytime there was a threat. It was said, that he fought with the BLESSings of Beautiful Queen Beth, for he never failed to fell a beast.
"We have been most fortunate not to have any dragons in these parts lately," a townsman proclaimed one day, as he sauntered about the town gleefully. "Being LUCKY has nothing to do with it," thought the warrior, knowing it was HE who had driven them out of these lands and into the mountains. If not for the warrior's blood-thirst for slaying dragons, the local Tavern/Hotel, the one run by Salamander Keeper (Silas' great grandfather), would be burnt to the ground.
Yet, the warrior was not overly interested in fame nor recognition. He sought only to be challenged, and to grow stronger. There were few men who could rival his strength or fighting prowess, for he attacked vigorously and with reckless abandon. It was said, that on one particular occasion (well perhaps more than one) that he risked his own life, merely to test the limits of his strength. This is the legend of a stalker...
Chapter 2: The King's Army
The castle walls had recently been refortified after withstanding a devastating siege not many months before. The King (Queen Beth's late father and predecessor) not only wanted to improve the castle's defenses with mortar and brick...he enlisted the help of the mightiest sorceresses and wizards in the land, in order to strengthen the castle with powerful magic. Security was of great importance in these days, so many aspiring knights were being trained in advanced ways of combat. Mercenaries were hired and kept under careful watch by the more loyal captains of his royal highness' army.
The soldiers were divided into various groups depending upon their tactical abilities and strengths. There were two squads (10 soldiers each) that specialized in magic: one for offense, and the other for defense. Two platoons (30 people in each) specialized in archery; both were stationed about the castle walls, but only one at a time. The largest part of the army was a single battalion (500) of soldiers, that were kept within the castle walls unless battle was at hand. There were, in addition to these, two separate squadrons (100 men in each). The first squadron, dubbed "The Crown's Champions" were the finest soldiers in the land. Their sole purpose was to defend the king, and they accompanied him on his every journey to faraway lands. The second squadron, was quite unique. The warriors in this squadron served as spies mostly, but they were accustomed to being sent on errands of a wide variety. Some of these warriors were less trained, but equally as dangerous and mighty as those in the Crown's Champions. Over time, these warrior's became known as the "COps" (Crown's Operatives). Each of these groups of the King's army was lead by the ones most valiant, brave, and capable.
Now the King was accustomed to hearing tales of amazing feats within the halls of his court, so it was no surprise to him to hear rumors of a warrior who had been slaying dragons. Yet, the King was intrigued by the tales of this warrior, Dragon_Stalker, who had made sport of hunting the most ferocious fiends in the realm. "Surely this warrior has some great skill to contribute to this kingdom," thought the King after hearing of his latest adventures. "Summon him at once to these halls, and be sure to send the clerics and shaman with you to test his aptitudes."
Upon the King's command, 10 soldiers from the "Crown's Operatives" were sent on a recruiting mission. These men were accompanied by a wise shaman and also a particularly cunning sorceress of their time, Isis (the witch). This small band the King's representatives ventured off to the last rumored location of the warrior......The Abandoned Mines! It was rumored, that the warrior had subdued many dragons that had been roaming freely about the lands, and had confined the remaining ones to this very location. It was to this area, hidden deep within the mountains of Fenris, that the witch lead 10 of the King's best. They marched through the forest with great care and haste. There were orcs and wild boars threatening to attack, and though they were easy enough practice for these hardened soldiers, time was off the essence. The witch devised a plan to reach the mountains even faster, by adopting a stealthy journey through the thick woods.
"Nos exsisto occultus in obscurum ut nos permetior illa silva."
(May we be hidden in darkness as we traverse these woods)
A flash of blinding light Illuminated the woods for a brief moment...but when it subsided, the small band of soldiers could be seen by no one or no thing.
"The brightest light casts the darkest shadow," the witch said with a grin on her face.
The journey to the mountains went quickly with the aide of the witch's most recent cloaking spell. The woods was beginning to thin out, and the base of the mountains could be seen up ahead. What creatures resided in the bowels of the Fenris mountains? Isis knew, but these territories were seldom traveled even by the exploratory "Crown's Operatives." Hands never far from their hilts, the soldiers pressed onward and upward towards the precipice of the mountains.
Chapter 3: The Dragon's Guard
As the soldiers progressed higher and higher, they began to pant heavily, as if they had just run for miles. The air was thinner up here, preventing oxygen from being processed in muscles quite as efficient as it would at lower altitudes. Huffing and puffing, the small band of the King's men drew near to the entrance of the Abandoned Mines, the newly found home of the dragon kind.
Isis stood upon the highest peak, surveying everything around her. She instructed the men to lay low for the time being...if the warrior was to be found in these parts, he would eventually appear somewhere near the dragon's home. So the soldiers, shaman, and the witch, sneaked a little ways back down the mountains to the timberline. They would set up camp at the edge of the wooded area, where they could remain more hidden. With their camp set up, and the dragons' lair less than a click away, they began to wait...
The first hour seemed to last for an age, yet nothing stirred on those mountaintops. The next hour crept by slower than the first, and the soldiers started to get restless, when all of a sudden...
Raaaaawwwwwrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
A deep and fierce sound bellowed from the depths of the cavern that was so loud it shook some of the leaves from the trees nearby. The cool breeze turned into a gust of wind, and the air was noticeably more warm than just moments before. The soldiers stared intently at the entrance to the mines, and at that moment...
~~Swooooooosh~~
The flying behemoth catapulted upwards into the air, and began circling in the sky around the soldiers' camp. It began descending gradually, getting nearer and nearer ...until eventually it would be in position to attack.
"What are we going to do, Isis?" asked one of the men. "That's the biggest dragon I've ever seen! How are we supposed to kill him?"
"Be quiet!" said the witch, holding a finger to her mouth as she spoke. "Our mission is to find the warrior, not to slay this beast."
A raspy voice spoke from nearby....."It appears we share this in common."
The soldiers turned around quickly, revealing a man with silver hair and bright blue eyes. He wore armor that had a scorched look; it was obviously thoroughly used. The man had strong features and his eyes had a focus about them that was terrifying.
"No one will be killing that dragon today.", said the warrior.
"Is that so?" remarked the witch.
"Indeed it is. I've been keeping an eye on you and these men for a few hours. You aren't the first fools who've ventured this far to become dragon fodder. I assumed your intent was to slay a dragon, so I thought I might intervene and save your life."
The beast continued its descent, and was uncomfortably too close for several of the soldiers. They drew their weapons..
Schwing!
"Stay those weapons!" commanded the warrior. The men looked at him incredulously, as if to ask "Who are you to tell us what to do?" The witch looked at the men and gave them a nod; their swords soon returning to their hilts. The warrior walked through the midst of the camp, and into a small patch of open terrain where he could be easily spotted.
"What is he doing?" said a soldier.
"Silencio!" With the flick of her wrist, the witch silenced the soldier who spoke out.
"THIS is the one we're searching for. We must make ready our test. Shaman, prepare to measure the warriors aptitudes and strengths... I want you to measure them when he's in the peak of combat. Soliders! Pay careful attention to his strategy, the King wants a thorough report!"
The warrior called out loud, taunting the dragon in his direction, slowly moving away from the camp. The dragon pursued the warrior, and as it closed-in on the warrior, it reared back it's head as if ready to attack. The warrior turned around to face the dragon at the last moment, and he crouched into a defensive position. His body began to glow with a crimson aura. He raised a single hand towards the beast and...
Click! Snap!
The warrior snapped his fingers twice in quick succession, and the beast flew upwards immediately. "Go home!" he shouted. The dragon soared back across the mountaintops and dove directly into the cave from which it had emerged just minutes before.
Had the Crown's Operatives witnessed correctly? It appeared as though this man had TOLD the dragon to leave, and it did!!!
"Splendid trick you've learned, care to share what powerful magic you've used to charm something as mighty as a dragon?" inquired Isis.
"HAHAHAhaha! You've got me all wrong, lady. I'm quite dreadfully talentless when it comes to magic. That was merely a warning message I gave to send her away." Seeing the puzzled look upon everyone's faces, the warrior continued. "You see, when you kill enough of their kin, you kind of get a reputation. I once thought it'd be best to rid the world of these beasties, but I'm not quite sure what else I'd fight if I killed them all. This is why I try to protect the females, so they can breed the more powerful male dragons."
"You can tell them apart?" a soldier asked incredulously.
"Well for starters the male dragons are significantly larger, and more fierce. There's no scaring them away, no! Those are the ones worth hunting."
The witch grinned happily as she admired the warrior's fighting spirit. It was like none she had witnessed before. Seeing that she was studying him, the warrior was emboldened to ask, "So if you are not out here to fight dragons, what is it that you seek?"
Isis continued to stare at the warrior, sizing him up from head to toe. Her expression became mischievous as she responded, "You will be coming with us, to see our king, who is most eager to meet you."
NOTES:
Part 1: QUICK, BLESS, LUCKY
Part 2: Hotel
Part 3: Illuminati
Part 4: Glows
Part 5: Blast
Part 6: Empathic