This first short story I wrote for the
Januari-Februay 2020 Short story contest.
The Theme was New beginnings/Rebirths
My entry:
New Beginning
- XI, 331, 3, 52 - Travel day 15
Sunlight showering down upon a blanked of waves. The bow of the "Aislinn's pride" plowed through the water with ease.
Though the journey had been calmly, the sight of sea days on end made a part of the crew feel travel-weary. Opposing to the sea fast shipman on whose care they placed themselves to travel this far from home.
Given the chance they'd rather travel the whole thousands of miles by land, but, to their despair, there is no way to travel out of Ulthuan without crossing the Great Ocean.
Well protecting the homeland from raids by foot, it acts as a friend and foe for those who, like them, are not born for a life at sea.
"Land Ahoy!" shouted by the spotter at the front of the ship.
Archibalt Grerona and his men managed to hoist themselves up from the wooden deck. With trembling legs the stumbled to the railing to take a glimpse in the distance.
It looked like Asuryan himself drew at the horizon, creating land as they sailed closer. At first a lonely spot of black appeared, slowly growing wider and wider, changing color from black to green.
As the ship approached the shore the shape of vast amounts of trees became clear.
Amidst this, seemingly endless, coast of vegetation one beacon of hope and light rose high. The Citadel of Dusk. Even in the fading light a bright sight of hope.
A sigh of relief rose from the deck as the sound of seagulls was swelling to support the urge of soon having solid ground to stand on.
Not much later the ship boarded the harbor.
"Welcome to the bottom of the world," announced the captain cheerfully "mind the gap, please take all of your belongings with you and you can keep the borrowed buckets!"
This resulted in a wave of laughter amongst the ship men.
To preserve some form of dignity Archibalt led his men across the pier to the closest inn: 'Come on'
"We'll rest solidly tonight" assured Archibalt his men.
"No more rocking in my sleep" confirmed Tyrual relieved.
"Room for five please!"
The Innkeeper handed a key and gestured to the stairs "Second floor, third door on your right. Would sir and his men like dinner served?"
"Thanks, but no thanks. We will be resting until the morning"
No food would be received well at that moment. They hoisted their luggage upstairs
"Tomorrow we'll eat, create plans and gather inventory"
Archibalt looks upon his crew as they settle for the night. Tomorrow will begin the real challenge, this is what the brothers Tyrual and Sinaht Aewarin are looking out for from the start.
These fine swordsmen long for some action, especially after those long days at sea. Accompanied by a scout, Ayluin Balnan, and most important by Jandar Glynnala, the mage assigned to this task.
With the daylight now completely gone the sounds of the lands outside the citadel became clearer.
- XI, 331, 3, 53 - Travel day 16
In the morning they left the inn, well rested and fed. They manned the gates to scout the next chapter of the adventure. A path that few dared to walk before, even fewer ever returned. The Lustrian jungle.
Seeing the doubt on the faces of his men, Archibalt turned to them and said: "The briefing was clear and our intention pure."
No change of expression was detectable on their faces.
"Hoeth will guide and protect us" he added. After those words the company walked away from the wall, down to the harbors and the boulevard.
Archibalt knew that after leaving the safety of the Citadel their fates will lie all but in their own hands.
As the day past they gathered information, inventory and took rest. Doing so, bit by bit, their mood and courage came back.
At noon they went back to the inn. Archibalt set his men around the table: "Rest and eat, guys, for at nightfall we will continue our journey."
Mists covered the path leading from the gate. In the fading light a display of shadows grew longer. In every direction there wasn't more than 50 feet of sight.
Five shadows cross the plain to the jungles edge in secrecy, hardly noticeable. The vegetation closing after them.
- XI, 331, 3, 54 - Travel day 17
Struggling through the jungle, Archibalt is making his way, followed by Tyrual, Jandar and Sinaht.
Alyuin appears in front of them: "All's clear ahead sir!"
A days march is behind them now, most of it they have been traveling by night. Cloaked in a basic invisibility spell they managed to travel with ease.
So far they didn't come across any sign of sophisticated life. Either there is nothing in these parts of the jungle or they're not tent to show themselves.
Archibalt turns to Jandar: "What do you think, Jandar, how much further?"
"I'd say just a couple of miles. It feels stronger as we move deeper in to the jungle"
"You heard him guys," Archibalt rallied his men, "move on!"
He turns around to find that Ayluin is moved on already. Quickly the rest of the company turns up the pace to catch up with him.
After a couple of hours Archibalt raises his hand to sign the company to a halt.
"Something isn't right" he whispers to Sinaht, "Ayluin skipped his last report interval."
"Do you think something has happened"
"It is nothing for him to be lazy or disobedient."
"I will take a closer look."
"Be on your guard!"
Sinaht moves ahead drawing the iconic great sword of the swordsmen of Hoeth. Behind him Tyrual does the same. Looking around to be sure no one can ambush them from the back.
"Jandar, what about our cloaking?"
Visibly annoyed he reacts: "What about it?"
"Is it still active?"
"Of course it is!"
"Did you notice anything about it the last couple of hours?"
"Nothing..."
Rustle in the vegetation made an abrupt end to the conversation.
"Sinaht?" asks Tyrual hopefully, "any clues?"
Nothing
Then there is more rustle all around. Something is moving just out of sight.
Archibalt, Tyrual and Jandar turn back-to-back-to-back. Tyrual with his sword at the ready, Jandar with his hands stretched to cast a spell and Archibalt with his ax and dagger.
Waiting for some form or shape to break the line of vegetation.
Again Nothing.
Then as if struck by lightning Tyraul falls to the ground. Even before Archibalt can register what is happening he feels a sharp pain in the side of his neck. Just before he loses consciousness he sees a feathered dart hitting Jandar.
- XI, 331, 3, ? - Travel day ?
Deep, deep in the jungle, amidst pyramids and spawning pools, Archibalt and his men wake up from a long terrible slumber. Tied to stone statues surrounded by hordes of blue and red, teeth and scale.
Five statues standing in a circle at the bottom of a great trapped pyramid. Skinks and Sauri swarming around the company of strangers. All hissing and growling but keeping their distance.
At the stairs a skink appears and the crowd grows wilder, raising limbs and roaring load. The skink raises his hand. As like out of one mouth the lizards shout a name: “ Xiliquncani!” after that a silence came across the wide square. At the top of the Stairs an other shadow take form, greater then the skink, a chair floating at the very end of the stairs. On it was a Slann, awakened from his meditative state.
“Who dares to trespass the Jungles of Lustria?” these words were not spoken, for the lips of the Slann did not move, but all five heard it.
“My name is Archibalt,” Archibalt replied, “we travel by the order of Phoenix King Finubar in the name of Hoeth.”
“What do puny pointy-ears want from our lands? Gold?”
“We purely are looking for wisdom, o great amphibian! We search the world for knowledge and unknown secrets. Your lands run with Old magic.”
“Old magic! Who are you calling old!?”
“I did not want to offend you,” reacted Archibalt quickly, whilst adding doubtfully “…. Sir?”
“We know you are the only one who could show us the plans of the Old Ones” stepped Jandar in.
“You could not comprehend the knowledge about it all,” this time the Slann added out lout, “you pointy-ears think you’re so great and all knowing!”
“Show us and we will know” bagged Jandar.
“Why do you seek the will of the Old Ones after abandoning your creators for so long?”
“We sense a cataclysmic disaster coming,” admitted Jandar, “and we don't know what to do or expect. Do we need to fight it or is this the inevitable end of times?”
For the first time Xiliquncani waited a minute to respond, like He needed time to think and way the options.
“You sense but are not able to see, we see but do not feel the need of Action” He continued, “let me show you what is about to come”
He lifted his finger and the tight ropes of the five of them dropped immediately. He raised his hand and the Elves lifted of the ground floating upwards the stairs. When nearly at the top Xiliquncani turns his chair around and the Elves floated behind him in to the chamber at the top of the pyramid. Once inside the doors where closed and sealed.
In the darkness of the room the Elves could here the Slann getting into his meditation. After a few minutes his chair lighted up, the glyphs all around on his chair became fluorescent blue. It started weak but turned unto vibrant blue. A second change was happening, the glyphs turned from blue to red to green, and back to blue. This sequence repeated itself over and over. Then the glyphs grew bigger and bigger, still changing colors, until the room was filled and all darkness was puahes away.
At that moment the flickering colors stopped and there was a cosmos of colors remaining. At the roof of the room a bright light appeared, moving across the room. In it's wake two blazing tales of fire.
Then everything went dark again.
The next moment sounds of battle emerge, swelling and then fading away.
At last the cosmic colors are back again and this time several lights are floating in this space. Not as bright as before but calmer, more comforting lights. They look like orbs floating each on it's own, like rather big drops of heaven. Each drop containing life, in it's own climate and culture.
At the centre there is a person bright in appearance, firm in his golden throne.
Next moment the darkness is back, surrounding all present.
After a few seconds the doors open again and the Slann and Elves leave the chamber
Archibalisis the first to break the silence: “ what is the meaning of all this?”
Jandar turns to Xiliquncani: “is there any hope? Any way out of what will happen?”
“No there is not,” he replies, “what you have seen will come to pass”
“Then all hope is Lost!”
“For the living is no hope, for there is only misery and destruction.
But there will also be a time of a new beginning. Hope that not all is lost.”
Grrr, Imrahil
> Back to Index <
. The story being composed entirely of journalistic entries is pretty innovative, and did it much justice. Every entry as the story went on progressively got more suspenseful, and made me more invested with the characters actions and their fates at the story’s conclusion. With such an unorthodox structure, I applaud the author for achieving this.
)
