7Seconds
09-15-2008, 03:41 AM
Found this when I was cleaning out an old box of collage crap. Its part of a short novel I had to write for a creative writing class years ago. This part is the only intact portion of the project, as the six following chapters and epilogue are partially/completely corrupted. Yay old 3.5 disks! Any ways enjoy...or not.
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Prolog
A distant blast disturbs the perfect silence of the cave. Rocks tumbling from there resting places, clattering to the floor. Distressed whimpering filling the charged air. As some where deep beneath the earth shadows flit back into the murk, more gliding forward to replace them. Moving here an there, circling an embattled dark elf child. One black form rises from the ash of one of its own. Pausing only a moment as its eyes blaze with unnatural rage. The mass launches its bulk towards the child, fang filled mouths agape.
A near silent hiss and a cruel, twisted gesture meets the massive charge.
With a flash of gray, and an outraged cry from the very air, rays lashes outwards from the stretched fingers of the boy. Poised to strike at each abomination, dead center through there gapping maws. Ready to bore down there throats, devouring everything they touches. Leaving only so much dust behind to mark the passage.
For an eternal moment the two forces hang as they are caught between the beat of a heart. Ancient rage, pure, unceasing, and hungry. Eldritch might simple in form, perfect in function, unleashed like the sundering of some great dam.
Then the two meet. The old magick eating and eroding. Fangs and claws ripping, tearing, and gnashing. The battle ends as quickly as it started. The beasts now so much dust scattered about like sand on a beach, save a single fang embedded deep into the still childes mauled form. The silence again exerting its perfect rule over the ruin left to this deep, dark place.
Soundlessly, crimson seeps from the fang filled wound on the boys arms forming a small pool around his body. Throbbing like that of and oars mans drum returning the child to the waking world. Breaking the stillness of this would be grave with a groan he stumbles back to his feet. Leaning against the jagged rocks of the cave wall for support. He reaches into his spell satchel with grim determination, rummaging for something. Finding what he sought inside the pouch, the boy pulls out a simple gold band.
Drawing a deep breath the boy slides the smooth ring onto one of the fingers of his near dead arm. Nothing… The boys heart sinks in his chest as he slumps back to the floor. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, the child reaches up and gently glides his finger across the smooth surface of a glowing amulet hanging from his neck. Closing his eyes for a few moments afterwards, then letting out a soft sigh.
Opening his eyes with a wincing the boy fishes out a small black flask from his satchel. Drinking deeply from the viscous fluid contained within. Feeling some what relived he begins to observe his surroundings once more.
Moments latter in the distance, a pained snarl breaks the oppressive silence. Glancing in its direction the boy exhales slowly. Focusing his attention on a shadow some paces off he slowly exerts his waning will animating the patch of nothing, calling it to himself the shadow slowly covers the boy crawling up his legs moving ever higher as it was bidden to cover the trembling child like an old blanket.
As the shadow begins to creep over his face chilling the exposed flesh, his eyes droop, then finally close. Darkness and silence consuming him once more as he fades into the black.
…
“SHI VATHAR…” the boy cries. Pulling himself back to his feet, the final wisps of shadow detaching themselves from his body bleeding back into the darkness.
“Nili!“ The woman roars. Cutting the wailing child off mid plea. “ I’ll not hear another word of it.” The words tumbling out of her mouth like a sheet of glacial ice. “These caves are no place for children! And to make matters worse your retherial did nothing to prevent this!”
Reeling around the enraged empath confronts the trembling retherial. “And You….You…” she coldly hisses, barely controlling the urge to turn the hapless servants rapidly beating heart into a lump of ash along with the rest of her body.
“I have failed you Nal‘Lanli” the young woman meekly pleaded. Clasping her hands above her breasts as she continues, “I beg you spare my family for my failure in allowing this.”
“You…” Clenching her jaw the irate mother continued through clenched teeth. “If you ever allow my son to come to harm again I’ll have your eyes for spell components.” she finishes, adding a savage back hand that catches the startled servant across the jaw.
Crying out in pain the young woman falls over clasping one hand to her bruised face. A small bead of crimson trickling down from the corner of her mouth.
Without a moments hesitation the child throws himself between the two dark elf women. Spreading his one good arms out to his side. He exclaims, “Vanshi! Its not her fault! I…. I….” he starts to stutter. “I drugged her… She… was unconscious before I even left the palace” he manages, trying to keep his mother’s gaze and failing.
Glaring daggers at her injured son, the woman demands, “ And how did you manage such a feat child? What did you use and how???”
Hesitantly the boy answers, “Black bloom paste.” Glancing over his shoulders remorsefully at his beaten retherial before turning back to face his mother’s wrath.
Coldly the woman brings her staff up and across, catching her sons wounded arm with a glancing blow. Causing him to stumble backwards, yelping out in distress. She then hisses, “You poisoned her with black bloom?! You expect me to believe that. You expect me to believe she had nothing to do with this! When even an infant would know what happens if you eat black bloom and it can’t be mix with other things.” Glancing back over to young woman on the floor she brings her staff back across to strike the helpless girl hissing, “You useless…”
Sagging back to his feet, the young dark elf interposes himself between the blow and his servant. Crashing back to the ground as he takes the brunt of the blow across his shoulder. Crumpled on the ground as he was, grasping his wounded arm. Tears streaming down his cheeks, the boy half sobs, “Its true! she had no knowledge I swear it by the name of the chained ones!”
Regaining her composure, the dark elf’s mother looks down at her son half amused and says, “Fine I’ll play along this time. Explain to me exactly how then that she was made to ingest black bloom with out her knowledge and this will end here.” Arching her brow at him as she finishes.
“Well… well… I” he pauses and looks away into the gloom of the surrounding cave.
“Well, what?” she orders.
The boy quickly says, “I concealed it…” his voice trailing off
“My patience with this game is wearing thin little boy. You concealed it in what?” she says presses.
Crumbling under his mother’s demand he meekly continues, “I concealed it.” Pausing momentarily has he begins to blush. “I concealed it on my lips” he finishes, turning his face away trying to hide his embarrassment from both women.
Taken back by the boys confession the older woman pauses momentarily. Then with a small smirk forming at the corner of her mouth, the anger fades from her eyes and voice softening. The woman asks her son, “That does not answer my question young man. How did you drug her with the flower?”
Blushing furiously the small child finally stops fighting and yells, “I kissed her! There I said it!” The rose tint spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears as he begins to pout.
“Hmm, what am I to do with you little boy.” the older woman chides her son. Then moving over to the fallen retherial the little boys mother kneels, clasping the girls now swollen cheek tenderly in her hand. She continues, “It seems I owe you more then one apology little one.”
“For all you've done for my family, you owe not…” the girl tries to interject before the woman can finish.
The woman softly finishes as she shakes her head, “No, I think I do, as does my son. I am sorry for striking you out of turn, and for the torment he put you through.” With that she gently kisses the girls forehead closing her eyes as she does so in a moment of concentration. “Now up with you, on your feet” she coos. Standing up withdrawing her hand, revealing perfectly health skin where a bruise once was.
The young woman reaches down and gently helps the boy to his feet as she stands. Keeping her hands on his shoulders to help him remain standing.
“As for you young man. If you insist on these adventures of yours, then your going to have to learn to tend your own wounds. I am not going to drop everything and come to your rescue every time you go and get your self in trouble.” The woman half fibbed. “And I see no better time then now for you to start learning” she finishes, squinting at her battered child. “you also owe Malsana an apology, and for that you will cover all her chores for the next week. While she takes a holiday, wounds or no. You will not neglect your studies in the mean time ether. Additionally you are forbidden to leave the palace for the next year.”
Resigned to his fate at hearing this, the boy glances down at the broken thesk fang imbedded in his arm and sighs a “Yes mam.” Then quietly mumbling to him self, “At least I have the reagent now…”
“Now gather round , my wards are about to fall. I will be gone from this place before they do.” she quietly orders, adding, “One more thing.” as she turns the nine palestrains standing guard. “Not a word of this to anyone. Especially his father, do I make my self clear,” the nod in response. Then turns to her son, “And if I ever find out your kissing girls again for the next thirty years I’ll sew your mouth shut. your only twenty two years old for the love of all.”
All that now said, the dark elf woman makes a quick gesture, adding a few words. The small group fades into mist, and is gone.
---
Prolog
A distant blast disturbs the perfect silence of the cave. Rocks tumbling from there resting places, clattering to the floor. Distressed whimpering filling the charged air. As some where deep beneath the earth shadows flit back into the murk, more gliding forward to replace them. Moving here an there, circling an embattled dark elf child. One black form rises from the ash of one of its own. Pausing only a moment as its eyes blaze with unnatural rage. The mass launches its bulk towards the child, fang filled mouths agape.
A near silent hiss and a cruel, twisted gesture meets the massive charge.
With a flash of gray, and an outraged cry from the very air, rays lashes outwards from the stretched fingers of the boy. Poised to strike at each abomination, dead center through there gapping maws. Ready to bore down there throats, devouring everything they touches. Leaving only so much dust behind to mark the passage.
For an eternal moment the two forces hang as they are caught between the beat of a heart. Ancient rage, pure, unceasing, and hungry. Eldritch might simple in form, perfect in function, unleashed like the sundering of some great dam.
Then the two meet. The old magick eating and eroding. Fangs and claws ripping, tearing, and gnashing. The battle ends as quickly as it started. The beasts now so much dust scattered about like sand on a beach, save a single fang embedded deep into the still childes mauled form. The silence again exerting its perfect rule over the ruin left to this deep, dark place.
Soundlessly, crimson seeps from the fang filled wound on the boys arms forming a small pool around his body. Throbbing like that of and oars mans drum returning the child to the waking world. Breaking the stillness of this would be grave with a groan he stumbles back to his feet. Leaning against the jagged rocks of the cave wall for support. He reaches into his spell satchel with grim determination, rummaging for something. Finding what he sought inside the pouch, the boy pulls out a simple gold band.
Drawing a deep breath the boy slides the smooth ring onto one of the fingers of his near dead arm. Nothing… The boys heart sinks in his chest as he slumps back to the floor. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, the child reaches up and gently glides his finger across the smooth surface of a glowing amulet hanging from his neck. Closing his eyes for a few moments afterwards, then letting out a soft sigh.
Opening his eyes with a wincing the boy fishes out a small black flask from his satchel. Drinking deeply from the viscous fluid contained within. Feeling some what relived he begins to observe his surroundings once more.
Moments latter in the distance, a pained snarl breaks the oppressive silence. Glancing in its direction the boy exhales slowly. Focusing his attention on a shadow some paces off he slowly exerts his waning will animating the patch of nothing, calling it to himself the shadow slowly covers the boy crawling up his legs moving ever higher as it was bidden to cover the trembling child like an old blanket.
As the shadow begins to creep over his face chilling the exposed flesh, his eyes droop, then finally close. Darkness and silence consuming him once more as he fades into the black.
…
“SHI VATHAR…” the boy cries. Pulling himself back to his feet, the final wisps of shadow detaching themselves from his body bleeding back into the darkness.
“Nili!“ The woman roars. Cutting the wailing child off mid plea. “ I’ll not hear another word of it.” The words tumbling out of her mouth like a sheet of glacial ice. “These caves are no place for children! And to make matters worse your retherial did nothing to prevent this!”
Reeling around the enraged empath confronts the trembling retherial. “And You….You…” she coldly hisses, barely controlling the urge to turn the hapless servants rapidly beating heart into a lump of ash along with the rest of her body.
“I have failed you Nal‘Lanli” the young woman meekly pleaded. Clasping her hands above her breasts as she continues, “I beg you spare my family for my failure in allowing this.”
“You…” Clenching her jaw the irate mother continued through clenched teeth. “If you ever allow my son to come to harm again I’ll have your eyes for spell components.” she finishes, adding a savage back hand that catches the startled servant across the jaw.
Crying out in pain the young woman falls over clasping one hand to her bruised face. A small bead of crimson trickling down from the corner of her mouth.
Without a moments hesitation the child throws himself between the two dark elf women. Spreading his one good arms out to his side. He exclaims, “Vanshi! Its not her fault! I…. I….” he starts to stutter. “I drugged her… She… was unconscious before I even left the palace” he manages, trying to keep his mother’s gaze and failing.
Glaring daggers at her injured son, the woman demands, “ And how did you manage such a feat child? What did you use and how???”
Hesitantly the boy answers, “Black bloom paste.” Glancing over his shoulders remorsefully at his beaten retherial before turning back to face his mother’s wrath.
Coldly the woman brings her staff up and across, catching her sons wounded arm with a glancing blow. Causing him to stumble backwards, yelping out in distress. She then hisses, “You poisoned her with black bloom?! You expect me to believe that. You expect me to believe she had nothing to do with this! When even an infant would know what happens if you eat black bloom and it can’t be mix with other things.” Glancing back over to young woman on the floor she brings her staff back across to strike the helpless girl hissing, “You useless…”
Sagging back to his feet, the young dark elf interposes himself between the blow and his servant. Crashing back to the ground as he takes the brunt of the blow across his shoulder. Crumpled on the ground as he was, grasping his wounded arm. Tears streaming down his cheeks, the boy half sobs, “Its true! she had no knowledge I swear it by the name of the chained ones!”
Regaining her composure, the dark elf’s mother looks down at her son half amused and says, “Fine I’ll play along this time. Explain to me exactly how then that she was made to ingest black bloom with out her knowledge and this will end here.” Arching her brow at him as she finishes.
“Well… well… I” he pauses and looks away into the gloom of the surrounding cave.
“Well, what?” she orders.
The boy quickly says, “I concealed it…” his voice trailing off
“My patience with this game is wearing thin little boy. You concealed it in what?” she says presses.
Crumbling under his mother’s demand he meekly continues, “I concealed it.” Pausing momentarily has he begins to blush. “I concealed it on my lips” he finishes, turning his face away trying to hide his embarrassment from both women.
Taken back by the boys confession the older woman pauses momentarily. Then with a small smirk forming at the corner of her mouth, the anger fades from her eyes and voice softening. The woman asks her son, “That does not answer my question young man. How did you drug her with the flower?”
Blushing furiously the small child finally stops fighting and yells, “I kissed her! There I said it!” The rose tint spreading from his cheeks to the tips of his ears as he begins to pout.
“Hmm, what am I to do with you little boy.” the older woman chides her son. Then moving over to the fallen retherial the little boys mother kneels, clasping the girls now swollen cheek tenderly in her hand. She continues, “It seems I owe you more then one apology little one.”
“For all you've done for my family, you owe not…” the girl tries to interject before the woman can finish.
The woman softly finishes as she shakes her head, “No, I think I do, as does my son. I am sorry for striking you out of turn, and for the torment he put you through.” With that she gently kisses the girls forehead closing her eyes as she does so in a moment of concentration. “Now up with you, on your feet” she coos. Standing up withdrawing her hand, revealing perfectly health skin where a bruise once was.
The young woman reaches down and gently helps the boy to his feet as she stands. Keeping her hands on his shoulders to help him remain standing.
“As for you young man. If you insist on these adventures of yours, then your going to have to learn to tend your own wounds. I am not going to drop everything and come to your rescue every time you go and get your self in trouble.” The woman half fibbed. “And I see no better time then now for you to start learning” she finishes, squinting at her battered child. “you also owe Malsana an apology, and for that you will cover all her chores for the next week. While she takes a holiday, wounds or no. You will not neglect your studies in the mean time ether. Additionally you are forbidden to leave the palace for the next year.”
Resigned to his fate at hearing this, the boy glances down at the broken thesk fang imbedded in his arm and sighs a “Yes mam.” Then quietly mumbling to him self, “At least I have the reagent now…”
“Now gather round , my wards are about to fall. I will be gone from this place before they do.” she quietly orders, adding, “One more thing.” as she turns the nine palestrains standing guard. “Not a word of this to anyone. Especially his father, do I make my self clear,” the nod in response. Then turns to her son, “And if I ever find out your kissing girls again for the next thirty years I’ll sew your mouth shut. your only twenty two years old for the love of all.”
All that now said, the dark elf woman makes a quick gesture, adding a few words. The small group fades into mist, and is gone.