Just Stories....
Scene 1
Like silhouettes of black against a cold dark grey mist, two figures battle. Sounds of Iron against hide and claw clash like dulled symbols through the chilled air. Gasps and heavy breathing echo as if contained within a dungeon.
The two shadows are nearly dead. Their movements, like slow moving fog creep to near motionless clouds. Far few stars light the ground yet an evil glow escapes from open wounds oozing from the silhouette that is not human.
From this eerie radiance a once human face, half torn lays opposite the other.
Scene 2
Fendal’s breath is heavy in his chest. He can barely make out the fiend that is relentless in its attacks. Pain throbs as blood escapes from what was once his right eye, but the burning in his arms frightens him most. He moves his sword as if through mud.
His voice weak he shouts as he attacks the creature “Why dost thou pursue me demon?” like a wind his words sound, hollow, crackled between each syllable. Fendal isn’t sure the demon even hears him, but if he is to die he wants to know why.
A counter attack is Fendal’s reply. He parries as best he can but his sword is so heavy. As the demon’s claws dig into Fendal’s armor, clear through to his ribs, Fendal’s sword finds its way into the demon’s side burying itself up to its hilt.
Both figures crumble to the ground with leaded thuds.
Fendal feels his life leaving his body, and in this darkness of darkness it becomes even darker, when Fendal hears a voice saying to him:
“You fight well human, but now you and I are both in death’s grip.”
“Who art thou?” pleads Fendal, his words rasping with pain.
“Listen well for I will tell you only once, I am Granath and I was summoned to assassinate you.”
“Who summoned thee, I must know?” gasped Fendal
“Ah… this puts us both in a dilemma. You are sure to die, and I am soon to leave this plane of existence without revenge on the one who summoned me. What can a dying human offer me for such knowledge?”
Fear of dying and never knowing why over rides Fendal’s thinking. “my soul demon!”
“hmm, you do have a tasty soul…but that is not what I desire, I will give you your life! And the knowledge you request if you allow me my revenge. Do you agree to these terms?”
“Aye, I do!”
“Say my name and beg for me to enter you..”
Fendal’s mind raced but the demon’s name escaped him.” I pray of thee, tell me thy name”
“No! You must remember on your own and say it now! Or I leave you to die!”
Fendal feels his limbs becoming weaker; his mind is fuzzy and chaotic, then like a cloud uncovering the moon “Granath I beg of thee to enter me!”
Like sinking into a slime pit Fendal feels the demon permeate his essence. A sickly oily nauseous feeling. Beyond loathing. Then a hatred for his brother fills him for he now knows that it was he who summoned the demon.
Scene 3
The demon falters, he knows that his time is near. This human is too strong or possessed of magic against him. He tries for the human’s heart once more, ahh he pierces the armor, slides past the ribs….
A silent demonic cry echoes in a soundless void “Nooooo!”
The blade bites into its skin.
How could this have happened to him it wants to know. How did that human Hasendal get his name and summon him?
The blade slides past bone.
In the demon’s thoughts “This is not how it should end for me” ponders the demon in a cool detached way.
“What are my options? Banishment from the netherhells for thirty thousand cycles, that’s not too bad, now if I get stuck on the astral plane….Noo. no That human has my name which means someone gave it to him, Jasentha, or maybe Heelaonk, I will find out
Ah this wee human, he will survive I can see, but let me make him think that he won’t”.
The demon sends an empathetic wave of hopelessness engulfing the human.
The sword pierces the heart.
“Damn that hurts” winces the demon to himself. “well I guess I’ll give it a shot.”
In the human’s mind the demon now projects his thoughts “You fight well human, but now you and I are both in death’s grip.” He’ll buy it, humans are quite predictable.
“Who art thou?”
I really love it when they beg.
Three heart beats.
“Listen well for I will tell you only once, I am Granath and I was summoned to assassinate you.”
“Who summoned thee, I must know?”
I have never liked formal speech or familiar, but on with the game“Ah… this puts us both in a dilemma. You are sure to die, and I am soon to leave this plane of existence without revenge on the one who summoned me. What can a dying human offer me for such knowledge?”
Two heart beats.
“my soul demon!”
It still amazes me that they actually believe they have one of those “hmm, you do have a tasty soul…but that is not what I desire, I will give you your life! And the knowledge you request if you allow me my revenge. Do you agree to these terms?”
“Aye, I do!”
Chump “Say my name and beg for me to enter you..”
.” I pray of thee, tell me thy name”
“No! You must remember on your own and say it now! Or I leave you to die!”
One heart beat.
“Granath I beg of thee to enter me!”
Talk about cutting it close!
Back story
Fendal is heir to the thrown of Amir, an ancient kingdom of arcane arts, sorcery and summoning. His bride to be is Alisha from the neighboring kingdom of Lexia. This marriage will bond the two kingdoms together.
Hasendal is Fendal’s brother of two years younger. He despises his brother, for in his opinion Fendal is a heretic in his disregard for the arts. Hasendal believes that only he will make the kingdom great again.
Hasendal summons the demon “Granath” to assassinate Fendal so he can take the thrown.
The demon “Granath”, like all summoned demons, was brought to this plane against its will by an extremely powerful spell known as the “Naming”. If the demon does not comply it will either remain on this plane indefinitely or cease to exist in demonic form for many eons.
