TokeBernbole
04-28-2009, 11:55 AM
Chapter 1: The Dark
Karrah was a blinding ball of fire. It was the brightest thing that existed. Yet it had a sense that it was natural, pure and clean. What he looked at now was quite the opposite in every way. While the sun was the brightest, this was the darkest. It lay across a half a mile of dusty lifeless ground; it spanned another half a mile into the sky. This solid black wall contained them, trapped them in their little world. It resembled fog but only aesthetically.
In reality, hurricane force winds would not affect it in the slightest. This unnatural plague on the land corrupted anything in its vicinity. The pitch-black dimmer than night abysmal wall towered into the sky standing as solemnly and mysterious as ever. It zigzagged fluidly along the land for kilometers in either direction.
As he looked to his left, he could imagine the lay of it as it encircled their whole world. What could lie beyond and deep within its enigmatic surface? Rikter didn't think he'd ever know the answer to that one. But he sat upon his rock and pondered, as he often did.
He laid out the whole scene in his mind while he closed his eyes. Two trees, back left, he heard the rustling from them. An open field with slightly yellowed long grass. A man-sized bush with five pronged green leaves and thick clusters of budding cola.
It was beautiful, vibrant and well enough away from the taint of the Dark to be unaffected. It had a slightly pungent, skunky odor. In a couple months it would have buds at the tips of the branches. It was a full, healthy Sarin plant that he kept well pruned. In an arc behind him were evergreen trees he had planted years ago and now provided ample cover for the privacy he desired.
He sat upon a giant black slash dark blue boulder. It stood a tad above waist level and was just big enough for one person to lie on. Blue veins crisscrossed it and seemed to run all the way through it lighting up when sunlight shown. Upon half the boulder bold green vines clung tenaciously as if absorbing some sort of strength from it. The other half of the boulder showed the force of the void like wall before him. The withered, yellowish brown remains of the plants attempts at striving forward.
At times the plants seemed to prevail against it yet it was losing the battle now. Right now, it was on the mark he had made as a child in the direct center. It was such a beautiful rock and he considered it his. The top surface was surprisingly smooth and flat. The evergreens kept it hidden even in the winter months. No one liked to come this near to the Dark anyway so he was largely undisturbed when he came here.
The sun was shining high in the clear blue sky as he looked up. It was probably around mid-day and he had no pressing matters to attend for the rest of the day. He spent his time in contemplation of the cold unfeeling wall that affected everyone's lives so drastically.
In its uncaring way, it was slowly trying to kill them off. They could only rely on what they had immediately around them while being left to wonder what existed out there. What other people existed or worse, the hideous beings they told about around campfires. He hoped to one day find that out.
The top of the boulder he sat on was completely flat and very much large enough for him to stretch his body out on. As he usually did, he lay back and relaxed looking into the sky. Time seemed to disappear momentarily as he lie. He saw himself on the rock in his mind's eye along with other features around him.
His short sandy blonde hair lightly tousled in the wind, the almost grey hazel eyes and pointy inquisitive eyebrows staring blankly at the expanse of blue sky. One thing that didn't seem right caught his attention. It was what he would imagine the sound of someone trying to sneak up silently behind him.
The surprising thing was the low level of the sound that he did not understand himself hearing even while he was springing into action. But to his utter dismay he could not move and much to his fright he found himself in total blackness.
Terrified he tried to move, to see or even scream but he was helpless. The sound came closer and closer. It stopped for a short yet very long moment causing Rikter to gasp in a breath. He heard a thump on the ground, which he realized must be someone leaping. Up onto the rock upon which he lay. Frenzied he still couldn't seem to move as the force struck him and knocked him from the boulder into the cold dusty ground below. The wind whooshed from his lungs as a weight on his back drove the air out. Unable to breathe, he quickly sank deeply into a dark oblivion.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Light flashed into his eyes as he bolted awake. In his sitting position, he saw the Dark ahead of him but the startling nature of the dream caused him to question his whereabouts. Then it all hit him like a hammer and he realized every moment of the strange dream that he had experienced.
This all occurred in a few short seconds and as it dawned on him something uneasy inside him caused him to roll off the side of the boulder. After he hit the ground, he squatted and rolled away while turning and standing. As he was turning he heard what he saw next, a woman in mid-air just about to flail onto the rock where he once was.
She slid across the surface and tumbled over the other side. Apparently, she had been trying to tackle him. Another bitter thought came with that, that she would probably have then strangled him. She landed nimbly on her feet and watched him warily through heavily squinted eyes.
Her clothes were little more than tattered pieces of fabric only just covering key areas. Her hair was a wild dark brown tangle and she looked like she hadn't bathed in months. Dirt smudged her face not quite hiding the fact that she was beautiful. The frantic look on her face was of panic and despair like someone without hope yet alive simply to survive.
He yelled," Stop! Who are you?" At the sound of his voice she staggered back in pain holding her hands over her ears.
Perplexed he took a half step towards her but her head snapped up, as did her guard. The way she was standing in a half crouch as if she was trying for stealth made him think of an animal he saw on an ancient tapestry. It was small with a fur-covered body, hair like strands on its cheeks and a long flexible tail. Her hands were clutched like the claws of the long dead creature.
The woman continued watching him warily as he thought about what to do. She did not seem to be a native of this area. Her clothing was made from a material he had never seen the likes of before. It looked smooth and shiny in the sun and it had a light airy quality about it as the wind fluttered it. Her unkempt dark hair made her look alluring in an amazonic sort of sense. Her body looked toned and hard but still had much of the softness of femininity that aroused his interest even with the inherent threat to his life.
Rikter decided to take a step forward," Please, listen to me; I don't want to hurt you." At the sound of his voice, she hissed at him and clawed the air in warning for him not to approach.
She backed away from him, pausing to glance over her shoulder. When she saw the Dark she jumped as if startled with a frenzied, panicked look across her face. In her mind he must stand between her and getting as far away from that agonizing wall of Darkness.
However, why did she come here if she feared it so much? Did she come just to get him? Why?
Rikter, confused, watched as she circled slowly around him. Once she had a clear path she took off at a run. She was headed for the wilds. That was a dangerous corner of Arendia; though by the looks of her she could handle herself. She ran nimbly crouching low to use the tall grass as cover. Soon enough she disappeared over a grassy hill. Rikter decided to follow her.
He went slowly so she wouldn't know he was following as he tracked her footsteps. The prints were light and small like someone trying to walk nimbly with stealth. She was heading across the sparse vegetation here to the dense thicket of forest ahead. She was good at stealth; he would keep his eyes and ears open.
Looking up at the sky made him realize it was getting a bit late. He was somewhat shaken by what had just happened. His dream had saved him. Who was that woman? Something nagged at his mind about the whole situation. It was the way she had been squinting and the effect his voice had on her. She had cried out in pain at the sound. And when he thought about it, she was intriguingly beautiful. He had seen a desperate intelligence within her brown eyes. It was hidden behind a mask of wild fright.
Wary of ambushes he gripped the small dagger sheathed at his hip with his left hand as he approached. He could still see the path made by the woman through the brush. Twigs broken on the ground and snapped branches that were only noticeable at close look. Slinking through the forest, he watched his surroundings carefully.
The grog's were known to traverse these woods and did not take kindly to humans. They were kept under control but traveling alone in the forest wasn’t suggested.
As he entered more deeply it thickened and the trail became much more obvious. Where was she going? Wicked things lurked here, insidious things. He had only his dagger and his wits for protection. Each thing he stepped on seemed to echo through the valley and even his heartbeat seemed loud enough to give him away.
It was perplexing; he had never seen a woman in such a state of sheer distress. It perked his interest and at the same time, she had a desperation in her lonely eyes that made him want to help somehow.
Well that's a bit of a teaser. I have a lot more written after this as well as a plot beyond that. It would only allow me 10000 characters or I woulda went further.
Karrah was a blinding ball of fire. It was the brightest thing that existed. Yet it had a sense that it was natural, pure and clean. What he looked at now was quite the opposite in every way. While the sun was the brightest, this was the darkest. It lay across a half a mile of dusty lifeless ground; it spanned another half a mile into the sky. This solid black wall contained them, trapped them in their little world. It resembled fog but only aesthetically.
In reality, hurricane force winds would not affect it in the slightest. This unnatural plague on the land corrupted anything in its vicinity. The pitch-black dimmer than night abysmal wall towered into the sky standing as solemnly and mysterious as ever. It zigzagged fluidly along the land for kilometers in either direction.
As he looked to his left, he could imagine the lay of it as it encircled their whole world. What could lie beyond and deep within its enigmatic surface? Rikter didn't think he'd ever know the answer to that one. But he sat upon his rock and pondered, as he often did.
He laid out the whole scene in his mind while he closed his eyes. Two trees, back left, he heard the rustling from them. An open field with slightly yellowed long grass. A man-sized bush with five pronged green leaves and thick clusters of budding cola.
It was beautiful, vibrant and well enough away from the taint of the Dark to be unaffected. It had a slightly pungent, skunky odor. In a couple months it would have buds at the tips of the branches. It was a full, healthy Sarin plant that he kept well pruned. In an arc behind him were evergreen trees he had planted years ago and now provided ample cover for the privacy he desired.
He sat upon a giant black slash dark blue boulder. It stood a tad above waist level and was just big enough for one person to lie on. Blue veins crisscrossed it and seemed to run all the way through it lighting up when sunlight shown. Upon half the boulder bold green vines clung tenaciously as if absorbing some sort of strength from it. The other half of the boulder showed the force of the void like wall before him. The withered, yellowish brown remains of the plants attempts at striving forward.
At times the plants seemed to prevail against it yet it was losing the battle now. Right now, it was on the mark he had made as a child in the direct center. It was such a beautiful rock and he considered it his. The top surface was surprisingly smooth and flat. The evergreens kept it hidden even in the winter months. No one liked to come this near to the Dark anyway so he was largely undisturbed when he came here.
The sun was shining high in the clear blue sky as he looked up. It was probably around mid-day and he had no pressing matters to attend for the rest of the day. He spent his time in contemplation of the cold unfeeling wall that affected everyone's lives so drastically.
In its uncaring way, it was slowly trying to kill them off. They could only rely on what they had immediately around them while being left to wonder what existed out there. What other people existed or worse, the hideous beings they told about around campfires. He hoped to one day find that out.
The top of the boulder he sat on was completely flat and very much large enough for him to stretch his body out on. As he usually did, he lay back and relaxed looking into the sky. Time seemed to disappear momentarily as he lie. He saw himself on the rock in his mind's eye along with other features around him.
His short sandy blonde hair lightly tousled in the wind, the almost grey hazel eyes and pointy inquisitive eyebrows staring blankly at the expanse of blue sky. One thing that didn't seem right caught his attention. It was what he would imagine the sound of someone trying to sneak up silently behind him.
The surprising thing was the low level of the sound that he did not understand himself hearing even while he was springing into action. But to his utter dismay he could not move and much to his fright he found himself in total blackness.
Terrified he tried to move, to see or even scream but he was helpless. The sound came closer and closer. It stopped for a short yet very long moment causing Rikter to gasp in a breath. He heard a thump on the ground, which he realized must be someone leaping. Up onto the rock upon which he lay. Frenzied he still couldn't seem to move as the force struck him and knocked him from the boulder into the cold dusty ground below. The wind whooshed from his lungs as a weight on his back drove the air out. Unable to breathe, he quickly sank deeply into a dark oblivion.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Light flashed into his eyes as he bolted awake. In his sitting position, he saw the Dark ahead of him but the startling nature of the dream caused him to question his whereabouts. Then it all hit him like a hammer and he realized every moment of the strange dream that he had experienced.
This all occurred in a few short seconds and as it dawned on him something uneasy inside him caused him to roll off the side of the boulder. After he hit the ground, he squatted and rolled away while turning and standing. As he was turning he heard what he saw next, a woman in mid-air just about to flail onto the rock where he once was.
She slid across the surface and tumbled over the other side. Apparently, she had been trying to tackle him. Another bitter thought came with that, that she would probably have then strangled him. She landed nimbly on her feet and watched him warily through heavily squinted eyes.
Her clothes were little more than tattered pieces of fabric only just covering key areas. Her hair was a wild dark brown tangle and she looked like she hadn't bathed in months. Dirt smudged her face not quite hiding the fact that she was beautiful. The frantic look on her face was of panic and despair like someone without hope yet alive simply to survive.
He yelled," Stop! Who are you?" At the sound of his voice she staggered back in pain holding her hands over her ears.
Perplexed he took a half step towards her but her head snapped up, as did her guard. The way she was standing in a half crouch as if she was trying for stealth made him think of an animal he saw on an ancient tapestry. It was small with a fur-covered body, hair like strands on its cheeks and a long flexible tail. Her hands were clutched like the claws of the long dead creature.
The woman continued watching him warily as he thought about what to do. She did not seem to be a native of this area. Her clothing was made from a material he had never seen the likes of before. It looked smooth and shiny in the sun and it had a light airy quality about it as the wind fluttered it. Her unkempt dark hair made her look alluring in an amazonic sort of sense. Her body looked toned and hard but still had much of the softness of femininity that aroused his interest even with the inherent threat to his life.
Rikter decided to take a step forward," Please, listen to me; I don't want to hurt you." At the sound of his voice, she hissed at him and clawed the air in warning for him not to approach.
She backed away from him, pausing to glance over her shoulder. When she saw the Dark she jumped as if startled with a frenzied, panicked look across her face. In her mind he must stand between her and getting as far away from that agonizing wall of Darkness.
However, why did she come here if she feared it so much? Did she come just to get him? Why?
Rikter, confused, watched as she circled slowly around him. Once she had a clear path she took off at a run. She was headed for the wilds. That was a dangerous corner of Arendia; though by the looks of her she could handle herself. She ran nimbly crouching low to use the tall grass as cover. Soon enough she disappeared over a grassy hill. Rikter decided to follow her.
He went slowly so she wouldn't know he was following as he tracked her footsteps. The prints were light and small like someone trying to walk nimbly with stealth. She was heading across the sparse vegetation here to the dense thicket of forest ahead. She was good at stealth; he would keep his eyes and ears open.
Looking up at the sky made him realize it was getting a bit late. He was somewhat shaken by what had just happened. His dream had saved him. Who was that woman? Something nagged at his mind about the whole situation. It was the way she had been squinting and the effect his voice had on her. She had cried out in pain at the sound. And when he thought about it, she was intriguingly beautiful. He had seen a desperate intelligence within her brown eyes. It was hidden behind a mask of wild fright.
Wary of ambushes he gripped the small dagger sheathed at his hip with his left hand as he approached. He could still see the path made by the woman through the brush. Twigs broken on the ground and snapped branches that were only noticeable at close look. Slinking through the forest, he watched his surroundings carefully.
The grog's were known to traverse these woods and did not take kindly to humans. They were kept under control but traveling alone in the forest wasn’t suggested.
As he entered more deeply it thickened and the trail became much more obvious. Where was she going? Wicked things lurked here, insidious things. He had only his dagger and his wits for protection. Each thing he stepped on seemed to echo through the valley and even his heartbeat seemed loud enough to give him away.
It was perplexing; he had never seen a woman in such a state of sheer distress. It perked his interest and at the same time, she had a desperation in her lonely eyes that made him want to help somehow.
Well that's a bit of a teaser. I have a lot more written after this as well as a plot beyond that. It would only allow me 10000 characters or I woulda went further.