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Long, I know... <3 Feedback on it is greatly appreciated though as I'm submitting this for a creative writing class of mine.
A crimson pair of moons decorated the vermilion sky. The sun had just sunk beyond the distant eastern mountains and now twilight was flowing in from the west.
I brought my sword up against another one of the three men who’d been tracking me for the last set of days. I arched the swing back down as my arm extended fully. The man went down hard as my blade sliced down into his shoulder. The second man rushed me with his large pike. I spun beneath the metallic shaft and brought my blade up into his stomach. His blood poured down my arm as I turned to face the last of the men, he stared at me with horror. For a moment I felt a fluster of pity for him.
Kill him. The voice within me demanded.
I obeyed and took a leap to close the distance before shearing off the man’s head with my blade. I took a look back at his companions; the large man was struggling to get to his feet. I took my blade with both hands and raised my arms into the air before plunging my blade callously into his chest. His body shuttered and then fell still.
Your leg, check it. The voice demanded again. I knelt down and felt the long rip on the back of my calf. It hurt, stung actually, but at least it wasn’t deep. I trudged back to my pack and pulled some long strips of cotton from the front and fastened them around my leg.
Can you locate where they left their horses and gear? I quarried the voice within me.
Yes. They left everything south along this trail.
I nodded and pulled my pack back on and headed south along the darkening trail. Night was almost here and a few of the brightest starts were gleaming in the western sky. It wasn’t very long before I heard the soft whinny of a horse. I took off across the tall prairie grass and found a pair of them hobbled and feeding. One looked up surprised for a moment that I had approached them so quietly, but it calmed when it recognized my human shape. I took the reins wrapped about the pommel of the saddle and then removed the straps from it’s feet. I did for same for it’s smaller companion before mounting.
My wounded calf throbbed so I let it hang out of the stirrup and directed the pair of horses north along the trail.
I want to sleep, will you watch things? I asked.
Yes. I felt him shove my consciousness aside and I fell back into the depths of my mind where my senses were completely cut off. I let my thoughts wonder for a moment and then drifted away in the void.
When I awoke I was laying in a soft bed. My feet were cold…
You took off my socks again.
I do not feel comfortable with clothes.
I know Titan, but now my feet are cold.
Your feet are always cold.
I yawned and took a look about the room. It was small, constructed from dark wood, and had only the single bed and a small washing table. My clothes and the packs were pilled beside the bed. The sword was inside the scabbard beside me. A small window to the right told me that it must be late morning or early afternoon.
Late afternoon, we did not arrive until midnight.
We’re in Sulsberg then?
Yes. This inn is near the south gate.
Horses?
Stables outside the tavern.
I reached over and pulled on my undershirt and boxers. They felt very cold on my skin compared to the warmth of the blankets. A look outside told me that Titan was correct we were certainly in Sulsberg. A pair of large peaks dominated most of the window’s view. The rest of the view was occupied by smaller buildings, most of them houses, and to the north I could see the edge of the infamous clock tower which the people here had build in tribute to the crash of The Air City Costanza.
I pilled on the rest of my regular clothes and left the armor in a pile on the floor. Taking the two packs that I’d acquired from the bounty hunters I started to sort through things.
The first pack had mostly travel food. Dried meats, crackers, a little box of candied fruits, a tin of coffee grounds, and a little bottle of some whiskey. Those were all things worth keeping and I set them beside my own pack. At the bottom was a journal with poor handwriting. I seemed to be a list of names and locations that the bounty hunters had kept in order to remind them of their acquaintances. I tossed it aside. A large hunting knife that I decided to sell and a small pouch with some coin were the last items to be sorted.
I picked up the next pack and found several rolls of parchment with descriptions of bounties on them. One of them was of course my own. Although it was about two years out of date… Looked like those men had been after me for quite some time if they’d been tracking me since Denten.
I pulled out some patching leather, a roll of cotton for wounds, a few healing potions, some poison salve, and a small tin with sewing needles and threads. There were a few more bounty posters and then another bag of coin. Beneath that there was a small collection of some rarer ingredients like Phoenix feathers and Mantis venom, each labeled with the same poor script as in the journal.
I pulled my own pack over and pulled out the empty potion bottles and replaced them with the ones from the other pack. I took the travel food and stuffed it into the back compartment. I then took the bags of coin and started counting them out. About half way through my count Titan interrupted me.
479 total.
Thanks. I replied grudgingly.
I added the coin to my own bag and then placed the rare potion ingredients on top with the hunting knife. I’d be selling those.
I picked up the second pack and then headed out to sell the extra goods. Talk to the inn’s owner, he’ll know who we can sell the second horse too.
We’re keeping one?
I don’t think it’ll be wise to fly in the mountains the next few days. There are some heavy storms moving in from the east coast.
I grinned, Titan could be ridiculously useful sometimes. I stopped in front of the main desk. An older man with a long beard looked up at me from his papers.
“You’re looking much better today sir.” He said with a soft smile.
“Thank you.” I replied and then let my pack slide down onto the floor. “I have horse I’d be interested in selling. Do you know of anyone who’d be in the market?”
“I have many travelers here this season, I’m sure one of them will be in the market for a good horse. Which one do you intend to sell?” He asked.
The smaller one will be best for the mountains. Titan reminded me.
“The larger mare. She’s in good shape, but I think the littler one will be best for where I’m going.”
The innkeeper nodded and pulled a small ledger book over to himself. He ran his finger over the list and then looked up at me with a smile. “I’ll take the mare off your hands for five thousand.”
I could feel Titan considering the price in the back of my mind so I gave him a moment to come up with our answer.
Ask for six.
“I think she’s worth at least six to me.” I told the older man sternly.
He looked down at his ledger books and then back to me. “How many nights do you intend to stay?”
Two, we need to get out of here before people get stirred up about those bounty hunters.
“Only two.” I replied.
“I’ll give you free lodging for both you and the other horse and fifty five hundred.” He said. I was a little surprised that he didn’t have the six thousand on hand.
“We’ll take it.” I said holding out my hand to shake upon it. The man reached up and took my hand and then rung a bell beside him to call one of his workers. An older woman arrived a few moments later and took a key from him before scurrying into the back. She came back a little later and set some coin before him. He counted it out to himself first then stood up to counted it out to me on the counter. Titan confirmed his count and I took the coins from the counter and put them into the bag.
We’re doing quite well for ourselves. I told him off hand. He gave me a grunt of approval.
We headed to the main square just beneath the clock tower and started to bargain off the goods to various merchants. I made a brief stop at one of the little stands selling boxes of cooked rice and meats for some lunch and then headed into the large weapons shop just outside the square.
The shop was two stories tall with a fine rang of exotic and decorative weapons. Exactly the sort of place where I’d finally be able to get my crystalline sword fixed.
“Can I do something for you sir?” Asked a younger man at the counter. So late in the afternoon I was his only customer.
I nodded and set the sword up onto the counter. He blinked and dropped his mouth with awe. “This is incredible,” he declared.
“It’s served me very well.” I answered. “However this…” I pointed to a small fracture that cut across about an inch of the blade, “needs repair.”
“I see.” The man picked it up gently and then gazed at it through the light. He put it back down and then retrieved a small bottle from beneath the counter. He took a dab of the potion with a cloth and then held the blade back up to his eye. With the magnification potion at work we could be see several other fractures parting off from the main line.
He gave me a soft sigh and then eyed me. “It will be expensive.” He stated.
I nodded, “A rough estimate would be nice.” I replied.
“As well crafted as this is… I’m sure my master will need to call in a mage. So you’ll have to pay both they’re fees.”
“I know, when it was originally crafted three mages were required. However I doubt that level of concentration will be necessary for a repair like this.” I eyed the kid a moment. “What would your master’s fee be?”
The boy looked daunted and rang a little bell beside him. A few moments later a man only a little older then me wondered out of the forge room. His eyebrow shot straight up as he noticed the crystalline blade on the counter.
“A repair.” The kid said instantly.
“Unfortunate… This is an exquisite piece. I was not aware that there is anyone in the guild still making these.”
“It was made several hundred years ago.” I told the man.
“Ah, a family heirloom. That explains its quality.”
“It has a fracture.” The kid pointed out, and then rubbed a little more of the magnification potion onto the blade and held it up to the master.
The man eyed it carefully. “Dusicari, only he is talented enough for this sort of work.” The man then took to examining the hilt, and then took a dab of the magnification potion and rubbed it along the length of the blade. He studied it for several minutes and then held the sword out again for my attention.
“There is another smaller fracture here. I can understand if you cannot afford for both to be fixed, but I would gladly exchange my work on this smaller fracture for time to study its structure.”
“I could give you that information in exchange for a discount.”
They’re going to wonder how you know that.
Family heirloom remember, all of its lore has been passed down for generations. Besides, I’ve had it fixed several times guild records will show that.
Very well, just make it sound like second hand knowledge.
“You can?” The man asked with surprise.
“Of course.” I said. “But first I want a quote on how much this will cost.”
The master nodded and examined the sword again. “I’d say… nine hundred for my fees, but Dusicari will have his own prices. I must say thought that he will certainly be willing to make a deal with you just to have a hand in working this.”
I nodded. “Can you contact him now? I do not have long in town.”
“Yes, of course. Demi will you run and explain to the good mage?” The boy nodded and then hurried into the back.
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” He asked.
I nodded and then swung off my pack and produced the large hunting knife. “I’m looking to sell this as well.”
The man took it for a moment. “I could take sixty off my fee.”
“That’s fine. I have a few more errands to run today though, I assume you’ll want the sword for when this mage arrive?”
“Yes sir, he will most certainly want to look at it.”
“You should know then if either of you try and run off with it I’d had a locating spell placed on it.” I gave him a nod and then headed for the door.
“Yes sir, I’ll keep it safe for you.”
I made a few more deals around town. Stocked up on liquor and headed over to the Healer’s offices.
A pair of younger women greeted me in the entrance and solemnly put away their card game. “What can we do for you sir?” The taller dark haired one asked.
“My leg, got into a nasty fight the other day, it could use some looking after.”
She nodded and waved me towards a table like bed in the room to the right. I rolled up my pant leg and unwrapped the cotton from around my calf. She eyed the long yet shallow cut thoroughly. “You shouldn’t have been walking on this.” She reprimanded.
I laughed a little. She’s right.
Ah, but it wasn’t really me walking around on it all yesterday.
You’ve been walking around all day long. I was riding a horse.
“Well, it’s gonna need some salve since it didn’t get tended to right away. I could seal it up for you after that.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Ninety.” She replied.
I dug through my pack and produced the bag of coin and counted out the necessary coin. She took it and left the room for a moment. Just a little later she returned with a jar of strange red jelly and slathered it over the wound. It stung as it got into the opening.
“Let it sit like that, I’ll be back when it is ready to be sealed.”
I nodded and lay down on the table. Not very comfortable, but relaxing after I’d been wondering about on my feet all day. I did like these towns close to the Eastern Range, they were all so well structured compared to the west.
After a little bit of time had drifted by the woman returned with several cloths and bowl with light green cream in it. She took my leg and cleaned the area of the red jelly and then started slowly applying the green cream in layers to my leg. She was very good.
As each layer of green cream formed into tissue she would prepare the next layer. In far less time then I’d been expecting she had finished her work. Not even the slightest hint of a scar remained.
“Very nice.” I commented.
She nodded with a smile. “My family’s blood comes from Leiven, his skill for healing is still strong in us.”
I eyed her for a moment and then laughed. She did look a little like Leiven, with her dark hair and wide green eyes. “I see that.” I replied.
“Take care.” She said standing up and gathering the clothes up off the table.
“I will, thank you.”
I left feeling unexpectedly happy. It was good to see that Leiven’s children were still in the world and doing good.
Your amazingly sentimental.
You already knew that.
The mage is over at there now. Let’s go see if he’s strong enough to fix that sword.
I headed back over to the two-story shop and rang the bell at the empty counter. A moment later the master came out from the forge room. “You’re back.”
“Yes, the mage arrive yet?”
The man nodded and then called back into the doorway. A few seconds later a shorter man with an immaculately cut red coat stepped out to greet me. “I’m Dusicari, it is very good to meet you Mr…?”
Tenin. Titan informed me.
“Mr. Tenin.”
“Ah, well I would be very happy to work on this sword of yours. I hope twelve hundred is an expectable fee.”
That’s quite a deal… Titan said sounding a little shocked.
“Oh yes, very much so.” I replied enthusiastically.
“Good, good!” Dusicari exclaimed, he reached at for my hand and shook it firmly. “My dear friend Tesla is in town, she will be so excited to see it.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Tesla?”
“Tesla, she is a very powerful mage, I’m sure she will be thrilled to see this, she is quite interested in crystalline swords.”
I nodded. We should be careful; if she is powerful enough she may suspect something of us.
If we need to we’ll just leave, no need to stir things up anymore before we leave for the East.
“Also,” the master brought up suddenly, “We are very interested in the form of this sword. You said you knew it.”
“It’s a tetrahedrally bonded carbon.” I replied.
“Diamond!” The mage beside him said instantly, his voice full of awe.
“Correct, my father had it fixed when I was very young, that is what they discovered.”
“Tesla will be so pleased!” The mage skittered out from around the desk and towards the doorway. “I’m sending her an invitation now, I’m sure she will accept.”
I stood back feeling a little bewildered. “I did not know my blade was such a rarity.”
“I have never seen one.” The master replied. The mage Dusicari turned about and placed a finger towards his forehead.
“I have only heard of them. The art for making such blades… It is not lost, but hardly anyone has need of something now. So few are the troubles that haunt our world when compared to our ancestors.”
I had to agree with that. I really could be the only person on the planet who actually required such a blade.
“Let us begin our work.” The master waved Dusicari into the back and watched them go with a sigh.
“If Tesla shows, please feel free to tell her where we are.” Dusicari said eagerly leaving me behind in the main shop.
This is bad, if the crystalline sword is so rare now… Another few hundred years and we may not be able to find someone to repair it.
We could always take it to Baalbek.
You hate that journey.
Well then next time you can fly across the ocean.
Titan gave me a rude growl and then suddenly stopped. I turned to the opening door of the weapon’s shop and stared.
An inhumanly beautiful girl stood in the doorway. She was small and very muscular. Her honey colored hair curled and rolled down her chest. A very elegant translucent golden colored dress attempted to cover her flattering chest and hardly even reached her knees. I had not seen such a woman since my fight with Rosent almost two hundred years prior.
Titan suddenly shoved me aside and I watched as he made contact with her.
“Your Tesla.” The voice that came forth from my body was harsh and rude. It was Titan’s voice, not mine after all, and I saw the girl take a step back.
She eyed us for a moment and then reached up to her chest. I watched in surprise as she ripped a pair of golden blades straight out of her chest and held them before her defensively.
“I’m not here for a fight.” Titan told her, “Dusicari is inside there.” He said pointing rigidly at the forge room.
“I recognize you.” She said, that caught us both off guard. “I’ve recognized you many times now.”
I suddenly pushed Titan out of the way. “What do you mean?” I asked.
She blinked and straightened up a little. Slowly she slid the twin blades back into her chest. They dissolved into her as if both she and the weapons were made of water.
“In 2013 I saw you in the village of Vale.” I eyed her and shook my head, but she continued. “In 2090 you were on a boat with me called Marsie, it was headed for Lanus. In 2180 I saw you after the destruction of Rumari.” It was her turn to eye me. “And now here in 2301…”
I shook my head at her. “That’s impossible, I’d have to be immortal, and you’d have to be immortal.”
She eyed me for a moment then walked carefully around me to the forge in the back saying nothing as she went.
Leave.
I obeyed, feeling more then eager to get out of the girl’s line of sight. She had been completely right, I’d been in all those places around those dates.
Please tell me she’s a mind reader.
No. When those blades came out I could feel a little bit of mage like power, but as soon as they were back in she felt as human as any other…
She’s obviously no human if she’s been alive that long.
I know. I think we’re going to have to deal with her before leaving.
I agree.
We took off back to the inn and headed straight up to the room to get some rest before heading out in the morning to fetch the sword and figure out a plan for taking care of this Tesla girl.
Titan
While Dartanus slept I worried about the strange anomaly we’d encountered. She had seemed so obviously human, but the instant she’d pulled those swords out I’d felt the intense sear of some kind of power I did not recognize.
I mulled over what I knew of her. Golden blades – gold was a heavy and rare element. It was subtle, very pliable, also a poor transformation agent. Yet it was loaded with energy and carried electricity well. It could make more sense if the gold was some sort of illusion; perhaps the blades themselves were an illusion.
She was female; it was very rare anything would lend power to a female. Except of course in the case of oracles and healers… Her body was toned, tough, muscular, suggesting she did not simply sit around and make predictions or tend to the sick.
I attempted to recall her from both our memories, but nothing arose.
Dusicari had made the suggestion that she was a mage. He was very infatuated with her, suggesting that she was either just very beautiful or very powerful.
The age suggested that perhaps she was a healer, or had such powers within her domain. Yet she did not act or move like a healer. Nor would a healer be interested in weapons, in fact most of them had a great distaste for them.
I mulled through hundreds of possibilities and felt incredibly confused by the time Dartanus awoke.
He rolled from bed and dressed quickly. He took less then half an hour to clean and polish his old armor and then dress himself completely. Then we headed out of the inn and over to the stalls to grab the smaller horse and head back through the light morning traffic to the weapon’s shop. The young man from the day before recognized us excitedly and hurried into the back.
The master came forth and presented us with the sword. Dartanus held a light conversation with him and inspected the sword. Both the fractures had been repaired magnificently.
“That Tesla woman is an incredible mage, she offered her hand at this… I’ve never seen a mage make a fire that hot before.” The master commented, that of course caught my attention.
Ask him about her blades.
“Did you see her weapons?” Dartanus asked.
The master nodded, “Yes, I’m a little bewildered by them, gold hardly seems like it would be a feasible metal for fighting. Not to mention how she summoned them.” The man looked a little giddy and then shook his head.
“As to payment, Tesla did all the work really, Dusicari does not require payment because of this.” Said the master smith.
Dartanus grinned, “Really…?” he pulled out his bag of coin and set twelve hundred upon the counter. “For you then, his payment.”
The master accepted it graciously and then gave Dartanus the sword. “I hope it serves you well enough that another man will have a chance to study it.”
“Me too.” He murmured sliding it into his sheath.
We left town along a northern route with the horse. I directed Dartanus to a particular overhang along the trail that over looked most of the city. He tied up the horse to a small tree and then allowed me to slide into possession of his body.
What are we going to do about her? He asked.
We don’t know enough about her and she knows too much about us… Unless she follows us, I was thinking it would be wise to simply leave her behind.
That’s unlike you… I thought you’d be dying to kill something by now.
I might be, but I’m not going to walk right into something we know nothing about.
So why are we hanging out here watching the town.
I’m trying to find her position so we’ll know if she comes after us… It’s useless, unless she takes those swords out I can not separate her out from the other humans.
I reluctantly returned control to Dartanus and watched from my distant view in his mind as he journeyed towards the mountain town of Vale.
At midday Dartanus hobbled the horse and took a rest beside a small stream trickling out of the forest we had entered earlier. He stayed absorbed in his own thoughts while he ate.
“And now you’re returning to Vale.” A voice said suddenly behind us. Dartanus jumped up and swung his sword out in a wide arch. I felt her before I saw her, the impact of her magic completely uncovered or cloaked was intense, almost like being burned in the rays of the sun.
“You!” Dartanus said as his sword caught one of her golden blades and grinded up against it.
“Don’t push to hard, I’d hate to break something I just spent all night fixing.” She hissed at us. Her appearance was quite different from the night before. She now wore black leather armor with golden thread patterned across her chest in a beautiful design. Her hair was tied back and she looked distinctly less beautiful.
“Break a crystalline sword with that soft gold ornament?” Dartanus said with a laugh.
She smiled, her lips curling back like a growling dog’s. “Gold is a an excellent conductor for energy, I seem to remember that all things rupture when excessive energy is applied to them.”
Dartanus eased his pressure on the blade and reached out a little in his mind for my advice.
Ask her what she wants, we can’t afford to show ourselves yet.
“What do you what Tesla?”
“What do I want?” She ripped her blade away from mind and slung it back into her chest where it disappeared as if it had never been. “I want you to stay the hell away from my hometown monster.”
Dartanus narrowed his eyed at her. “You mean Vale?”
“Yes!” She crossed her arms. “I don’t know what you are, or what your reasoning is… But last time you paid a visit you killed eighteen people and set fire too several buildings. Vale is my home, stay the hell away from it.”
“Or you’ll do what?” Dartanus asked with a laugh.
“Or I’ll kill you! You expect that because you have such a nicely crafted sword you could take on a mage as power as I? I’m giving you a chance for your life!”
Can’t we just kill her yet?
No, I’m interested in those swords, find out about them and then we’ll take care of her.
“Have you nothing to say?” She asked.
“No.” Dartanus replied, “I’m just a little curious about your swords is all. We did you find them?”
“My twins? Past and future, the holy swords made by the goddess Sors and bequeathed to me so that I can guide the fate of this sword.” She put her hands on her hips and slid one foot back. “I’m a god among men, my mercy should be everything to you, no matter your immortality.”
She fancies herself a god? I think we’ve dealt with worse mages then her before.
Duke fancied himself a god as well didn’t he? These mages have no sense respect for our true enemy.
No they don’t. Lets kill her and take those swords, I bet they’d be helpful against The Devourer if they’re as powerful as she claims.
No kidding. With out them she’s most likely just a regular person.
Indeed. Let’s show her the might of those that defy God.
“You don’t look to impressed.” She said suddenly. “So you gonna leave Vale alone or what Tintin or whatever your name is?”
“No I go where I please.” I felt Dartanus reach out for my soul and I forced my ample power into his simple frame. In moments our transformation happened and I watched with glee as Tesla stepped back a look of disgust on her face.
“I knew I’d end up fighting you.” She said taking out the strange gold blades from her chest.
I felt Dartanus grin. “Your not afraid little mage? We we’re the ones that destroyed your kind a millennia ago.”
“I’m no mage demon.” Suddenly she pushed the blades back into her chest and a pair of delicate looking gold wings ripped themselves from her back.
She wants to play in the air. Let us show her whose domain it really is.
An instant after Tesla leapt into the air Dartanus pushed off the ground as well. He followed her easily up into the stratosphere using a mix of magic and a pair of thick black wings which were build into my armor.
“Trying to run?” Dartanus mocked.
Looking back on it, we should have known better, but in the instant he topped the clouds that had rested above us we had entered her domain. Above the dreary winter storm the sun blinded the world with white light.
Tesla knew exactly what she was doing. In the sun our dark powers that defied God were weakened, and she was strengthened.
I felt her magic sear down upon us as soon as we were well above the clouds. Like a lobster being boiled alive we cooked in my armor. Dartanus’ mind went blank and a moment later I realized we were most certainly hurdling back through the atmosphere towards the ground.
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