Minor adjustments to include Elena.
====================================================================================
Citizens were already whispering rumors of a street fight that occurred during the night, but fortunately, there was no mention of a Catheran. Kismet touched her cheek lightly, relieved that the cut had healed before dawn before anyone could notice it. However, her encounter with the Kival spy left her uneasy.
The caravan rolled back to the entrance of town, the food replaced with salt, steel, coal, and oil. A Lokem soldier rushed to the entrance from outside the town. He fell to his knees, out of breath with a few cuts and scrapes. “C…Commander! The North Tower! The Kival...”
Garrick exchanged glances with Devin briefly before dashing North. Elena, along with six of his soldiers, followed while two stayed behind and tended to the exhausted soldier. Devin turned to his soldiers who whispered confusingly amongst themselves. “Nakita, Sara, Lucas, and Kismet, come with me. Sivelle, take everyone else and escort the caravan back to the capitol.”
The base of the tower was in shambles. Furniture was broken under the bodies of two Lokem soldiers. Blood stained the stone walls and floor of the tower. All of the cabinets and storage were stripped bare. Garrick rushed to his fallen comrades in hopes for a sign of life. He swore under his breath. Both of them were dead. He furiously kicked a loose board against the wall with fists clenched. “Damn those Kival! They’ve become nothing more than murderers. Harris, Cutter, Mason, stay here and watch the door. The rest of you come with me.”
They rushed up the stairs, passing by the stripped middle floor, and barged through the door to the roof. Attached to the door were two ropes attached to the lids of two barrels. The lids popped off when the door shot open. Oil spilled out of the barrels and oozed down the stairs.
“What the hell?” asked Garrick. He picked up a note attached to the side of the barrel and read it aloud. “ ‘Empire scum, may you burn in hell.’ ”
“Fire! They set the entrance on fire!” cried Harris from the bottom floor of the tower. The three soldiers began scurrying up the steps in a panic as the fire quickly spread across the room. The rush of oil flooded down the stairs at them. Cutter slipped on the oil and rolled violently down the steps, knocking over Harris and Mason. The three soldiers reached out helplessly for something to stop their fall but to no avail. Tormented screams filled the tower as their oil stained uniforms ignited in the flames.
Garrick cringed at the sound of their cries. “Damn it. Damn those Kival!”
“Celeste, please show us mercy,” prayed Lucas.
“The oil…the fire—!” cried Elena.
She didn’t have to say it. They all knew. The roof was stained with oil, and the fire was spreading quickly. It had already claimed three of their lives, but their only means of escape was now ablaze. The tower was far too tall to jump off, and the trees were beyond jumping reach. With every second, the fire drew closer to the roof.
“Can’t you just make a bunch of water and put the fire out, Nakita?” asked Sara.
“Don’t you think I would’ve done that already if I could? Using water would only spread the fire faster. It’s the oil that’s on fire, and water can’t douse it.”
Kismet ran to the tower’s edge to scan her surroundings. A small group of people fled north through the trees. The woods that surrounded the tower were close, but a leap of faith would not be enough to reach it. Entering the tower was not an option and jumping off would surely result in severe injury, or even death, for the most of them. She realized the first thing that needed to be done was to buy some time. She closed the roof door and kicked it in with a powerful thrust from both her legs. The door crashed down the stairs, into the rising flames. The Catheran placed both her palms on the doorway that led to the roof. She channeled her focus into the stone. The stone cracked loudly and began to crumble, collapsing the doorway over the stairwell.
“What the hell are you doing? You just trapped us up here!” yelled Sara in disbelief.
“I’m sorry. Did you want to go down there?” snapped back Kismet, as she continued by melding the stone together.
Nakita quickly crouched down beside Kismet and helped her in sealing the floor. “Now what? The tower will crumble once the supports burn out.”
“We jump for the trees,” announced Kismet.
“Are you crazy? There’s no way we can jump that far,” said Elena.
“I’ll climb down the tower and collapse its side. If I make it fall north, it should take you all close enough to jump onto the trees.”
“It sounds crazy, but I guess we have no other choice,” approved Devin. “I’ll trust you with this one.”
“You can’t be serious. The damned furlicker is going to get us killed!” snapped Sara.
“Do you have a better idea?” asked Devin. “I didn’t think so.”
Kismet dangled from the edge of the roof. She latched her feet onto the side of the tower with her claws. Focusing her energy, she softened the stone and slid down the outer wall of the tower. As she descended, the stone grew hotter and hotter. She reached a gap half way down the tower. Her foot slipped, followed by her hands. The Catheran found herself staring at the sky, at the soldiers on the roof who leaned over the edge and stared back at her. The stones of the wall became nothing more than a blur of grey.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: Strangers in the Night, Scene v2
Next: Falling, Scene v1
Monday, July 20, 2009
The North Tower, Scene v2
A Second Home, Scene v2
Made a few necessary adjustments. No actual change to the scene really, just a small addition of a character. Main change is marked in a different color.
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It was not until sunset when the soldiers had finally reached their destination. A group of Republic soldiers stood at the entrance to the town to greet them.
“Devin! It’s been a long time. Glad to see you made it,” said the large soldier standing in front with a booming voice. His armor had the markings of a Lokem commander.
“As are we, Garrick. As are we,” replied Devin with an exhausted smile. He extended his greeting to the soldier beside Garrick. “Elena, I swear it seems you never age a bit. You still look as young as the day I met you.”
“You say that every time we see each other,” she chuckled.
The caravan entered the fortified walls of the border town of Koln. The soldiers handed the wagons over to the Republic. The exhausted soldiers were covered in mud and their uniforms disheveled along with their hair. Garrick let out a boisterous laugh. “Seems you’ve had quite the march. Come, we’ve arranged a stay for all of you at the towns finest—What is this, Devin? You actually brought that damned furlicker with you?”
“By order of the Silver Guard. It’s not as though I enjoy the complications she brings me.” Devin looked at all the turned heads and low whispers of onlookers. “I apologize for any problems it’ll cause, but please bear with it.”
Garrick sighed heavily. “Alright. But if so much as starts anything, she’s walking home.”
“Fair enough.”
Garrick wrapped an arm around Devin and began leading him further into town. The soldiers followed closely behind them, chattering amongst themselves and observing the busy market place. Kismet watched everyone stare at her nervously and point fingers, mumbling to one another.
“So tell me, how was the road? It seems you were caught up in the storm,” asked Garrick.
“It definitely could’ve been better. The past two days were rather miserable, but we did run into an old friend,” replied Devin.
“Hazalin,” muttered Garrick sourly. “Let me guess. He wanted the food.”
Devin nodded. “But only three. He never was a greedy guy.”
“But you made it with all of them. How’d you get out of it?” chimed in Elena.
Devin gave a sly smile, his words filled with a fatherly pride. “We were originally with twelve wagons, but Raze had the back three filled with boxed rocks instead of food. It seems she predicted this would happen. Lucky for us, Hazalin used a strategy that prevented him from being able to check the wagons.”
Garrick roared with laughter. He shook Devin with amusement. “Oh how I would’ve loved to see the look on his face. I must say that’s quite some woman you raised there. She’s really proving herself to be General Atraea’s daughter. The both of you must be proud.”
Devin couldn’t help but smile. Every moment he spent or thought about Raze, he couldn’t help but feel remorse. But it was also Raze who saved him from wallowing in a pit of depression. Raze had become his light in the darkness…his pride and glory.
“Who wouldn’t be? She’s a living prodigy.”
“Hah! I guess I can’t argue with that.” The group reached a very large inn four stories in height, six rooms wide and two rooms deep. The only place in Rokan that compared was Heaven’s Perch. “I’m sure you’re all exhausted, so I won’t take any more of your time. The cargo should be loaded and ready to go by noon tomorrow, so feel free to rest in. You’ll be staying here, at A Second Home. We reserved the entire first floor for you. There’s a dozen rooms, each with two beds, so you’ll have to pair up.”
The owner greeted them with a smile. The small rim of grey hair left on his balding scalp accentuated the small wrinkles of age that were beginning to form on his face. “General Devin. It is an honor to host your stay here in Koln. I’m Owen Peterson, the owner of A Second Home. I hope you’ll find our inn suitable to your standards.”
Devin gave him a reassuring smile. He gazed at the large sign, decorated with a delicate floral pattern. “It certainly looks exceptional. Easily one of the nicest inn’s I’ve seen.”
“Your words are most kind. Please, come in.” Owen opened the doors and gestured the soldiers in. He snapped his head to Garrick when Kismet passed by. “Commander, you never told me they had a Catheran with them.”
“I apologize Owen. I didn’t expect it, myself. Please, just bear with it.”
“She’s going to end up scaring all my customers away. And people will hear that I housed a Catheran for the night!”
Garrick patted the innkeeper’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but there’s no other option. Who knows what would happen if she roamed the streets on her own. It could cause a panic. If anyone ever questions the idea, just tell them it was by my order.”
Owen stared at Kismet and let out a long, drawn-out sigh, cursing his luck.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: A Starving People, Scene v1
Next: An Impossible Pair, Scene v1
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The North Tower, Scene v1
Oh my, it's a longer post!
==================================================================================
Citizens were already whispering rumors of a street fight that occurred during the night, but fortunately, there was no mention of a Catheran. Kismet touched her cheek lightly, relieved that the cut had healed before dawn before anyone could notice it. However, her encounter with the Kival spy left her uneasy.
The caravan rolled back to the entrance of town, the food replaced with salt, steel, coal, and oil. A Lokem soldier rushed to the entrance from outside the town. He fell to his knees, out of breath with a few cuts and scrapes. “C…Commander! The North Tower! The Kival...”
Garrick exchanged glances with Devin briefly before dashing North. Seven of his soldiers followed, while two stayed behind and tended to the exhausted soldier. Devin turned to his soldiers who whispered confusingly amongst themselves. “Nakita, Sara, Lucas, and Kismet, come with me. Sivelle, take everyone else and escort the caravan back to the capitol.”
The base of the tower was in shambles. Furniture was broken under the bodies of two Lokem soldiers. Blood stained the stone walls and floor of the tower. All of the cabinets and storage were stripped bare. Garrick rushed to his fallen comrades in hopes for a sign of life. He swore under his breath. Both of them were dead. He furiously kicked a loose board against the wall with fists clenched. “Damn those Kival! They’ve become nothing more than murderers. Harris, Cutter, Mason, stay here and watch the door. The rest of you come with me.”
They rushed up the stairs, passing by the stripped middle floor, and barged through the door to the roof. Attached to the door were two ropes attached to the lids of two barrels. The lids popped off when the door shot open. Oil spilled out of the barrels and oozed down the stairs.
“What the hell?” asked Garrick. He picked up a note attached to the side of the barrel and read it aloud. “ ‘Empire scum, may you burn in hell.’ ”
“Fire! They set the entrance on fire!” cried Harris from the bottom floor of the tower. The three soldiers began scurrying up the steps in a panic as the fire quickly spread across the room. The rush of oil flooded down the stairs at them. Cutter slipped on the oil and rolled violently down the steps, knocking over Harris and Mason. The three soldiers reached out helplessly for something to stop their fall but to no avail. Tormented screams filled the tower as their oil stained uniforms ignited in the flames.
Garrick cringed at the sound of their cries. “Damn it. Damn those Kival!”
“Celeste, please show us mercy,” prayed Lucas. “The oil…the fire—!”
He didn’t have to say it. They all knew. The roof was stained with oil, and the fire was spreading quickly. It had already claimed three of their lives, but their only means of escape was now ablaze. The tower was far too tall to jump off, and the trees were beyond jumping reach. With every second, the fire drew closer to the roof.
“Can’t you just make a bunch of water and put the fire out, Nakita?” asked Sara.
“Don’t you think I would’ve done that already if I could? Using water would only spread the fire faster. It’s the oil that’s on fire, and water can’t douse it.”
Kismet ran to the tower’s edge to scan her surroundings. A small group of people fled north through the trees. The woods that surrounded the tower were close, but a leap of faith would not be enough to reach it. Entering the tower was not an option and jumping off would surely result in severe injury, or even death, for the most of them. She realized the first thing that needed to be done was to buy some time. She closed the roof door and kicked it in with a powerful thrust from both her legs. The door crashed down the stairs, into the rising flames. The Catheran placed both her palms on the doorway that led to the roof. She channeled her focus into the stone. The stone cracked loudly and began to crumble, collapsing the doorway over the stairwell.
“What the hell are you doing? You just trapped us up here!” yelled Sara in disbelief.
“I’m sorry. Did you want to go down there?” snapped back Kismet, as she continued by melding the stone together.
Nakita quickly crouched down beside Kismet and helped her in sealing the floor. “Now what? The tower will crumble once the supports burn out.”
“We jump for the trees,” announced Kismet.
“Are you crazy? There’s no way we can jump that far,” said Garrick.
“I’ll climb down the tower and collapse its side. If I make it fall north, it should take you all close enough to jump onto the trees.”
“It sounds crazy, but I guess we have no other choice,” approved Devin. “I’ll trust you with this one.”
“You can’t be serious. The damned furlicker is going to get us killed!” snapped Sara.
“Do you have a better idea?” asked Devin. “I didn’t think so.”
Kismet dangled from the edge of the roof. She latched her feet onto the side of the tower with her claws. Focusing her energy, she softened the stone and slid down the outer wall of the tower. As she descended, the stone grew hotter and hotter. She reached a gap half way down the tower. Her foot slipped, followed by her hands. The Catheran found herself staring at the sky, at the soldiers on the roof who leaned over the edge and stared back at her. The stones of the wall became nothing more than a blur of grey.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: Strangers in the Night, Scene v2
Next:
Friday, July 17, 2009
Strangers in the Night, Scene v2
I wanted to re-write it. And yes, it is significantly different.
=====================================================================================
Kismet sat at a small table beside one of the windows and looked out at the moonlit streets of Koln. All of the traffic had vanished. Only a few people were returning to their homes from late-night errands. The clouds had cleared and the moon was bright. The stars sparkled luminously against the black night sky while the streets shimmered with a subtle blue. It was a beautiful scene she wished she could’ve shared with Delphi. The longest they had ever spent apart was three days, and it had already been six.
A traveling couple sipped their cups of tea nervously across the lounge, whispering between each other. “Is that—?”
“A furlicker? What is it doing here?”
“Is it safe?”
“I…don’t know. It’s wearing the Rokan colors. Are they using furlickers in their army now?”
Owen set his paperwork aside and approached Kismet. The whispers, the discomfort, it was all too familiar to her. She looked once more at the empty street. It looked so quiet, so lonely, and so peaceful. She rose to her feet and stepped outside before Owen could say anything. “I’ll leave on my own. Sorry for the trouble.”
Kismet closed the door behind her and inhaled the night air. It wasn’t a breath of ‘fresh’ air, as the saying goes. The streets in large towns often reeked of trade goods and waste, but nevertheless, it was peaceful and deserted at night. A hand touched her shoulder as she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.
“If you’re going to walk around, be back by dawn and try to keep a low profile. The last thing we want is to cause a panic.”
Kismet gave Devin a nod. “Thank you, General. I’m sorry for all of the inconvenience I cause you.”
Devin gave her one last look before returning to the inn. She walked away from the inn into the market district, where only a handful of stores were still open. As she continued toward the entrance of the town, the streets became silent and shrouded in the blanket of night. She looked at the empty streets around her, basking in the peace of night. A silhouette of a cloaked figure peered from around a corner a few buildings ahead. Kismet locked her eyes on the mysterious figure, which quickly disappeared behind the wall. She pursued the suspicious person, heading toward the residential district. Reaching a fork in the road, she looked down the roads for signs of the person until a cry came from the distance. Keeping to the shadows, she darted after the voice.
“Let me go!” cried the cloaked young woman restrained by two men.
The third stripped off her cloak and eyed her up and down. “Well, well, well. Would you look at that? Seems we have ourselves a Kival; and a delicious one at that.” He grabbed her chin with a callused hand, examining her face. “Your kind aren’t supposed to be here. Since there are no guards around, I guess we’ll have to punish you instead.”
The Kival spat in the man’s face and spoke sharply with a voice that sounded oddly familiar to Kismet, “You Lokem disgust me.”
He wiped off his face slowly then punched her in the stomach. He twisted her tunic with his hand and pulled her close to his face with a low, menacing laugh. “I was going to be nice because you were so cute, but now you’re really going to regret that.”
He retracted his arm to hit her face. Kismet darted behind him, wrung his arm behind him, and locked him into a chokehold with her left arm. She twisted his face to hers, baring her fangs with a piercing hiss. He released the Kival’s tunic with a choked gasp of terror and brandished his dagger. The Catheran easily avoided his frantic attempts to stab her. He flailed his arms in desperation while his two accomplices turned to his aid. Kismet quickly swung her captive in the way of their attacks, sending them back. Seeing no other choice, the trapped thug attempted to stab Kismet’s arm. She quickly loosened her hold to move her arm out of the way. The thief cried out in pain as he plunged his dagger into his own shoulder.
Kismet left him groaning in pain and gasping for air on the ground. She stepped toward his accomplice on her right. He backed away cautiously, his knife held out in front of him. The second remaining thug lunged at her back. Kismet shifted to the side and gripped her attacker’s wrist. He dropped his knife as the Catheran twisted his wrist sharply. Kismet thrust her arm upward into his, dislocating his shoulder, filling the air with a scream of agony.
The final thug slashed at Kismet, nicking her across the face. She retaliated with a swipe that gouged his arm. She bared her fangs at him with a threatening hiss that sent him fleeing into the night.
Kismet picked up the fallen cloak and offered it to the Kival. She quickly took the cloak and backed into a wall. The Catheran gazed into her face. She looked to be no older than twenty. Her tanned skin, sharp facial features, black hair and black eyes clearly marked her of Kival descent; but nevertheless, she seemed to fall under what people considered attractive.
She stared back with a brave front, but the fear in her eyes, and the trembling of her hands that clung onto her cloak tightly hinted otherwise.
“Are you okay?” Kismet stepped toward her. She shifted along the wall to further the distance between them, while slipping her cloak back on. The Catheran took another cautious step toward the Kival, but she ran into the night. Kismet watched her silhouette fade into the darkness, a sight that felt all too familiar. When the Kival disappeared from sight, it was then she realized who she was. She had seen that woman before, heard her voice before; that silhouette.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: An Impossible Pair, Scene v1
Next: The North Tower, Scene v2
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Strangers in the Night, Scene v1
Kismet sat at a small table beside one of the windows and looked out at the moonlit streets of Koln. All of the traffic had vanished. Only a few people were returning to their homes from late-night errands. The clouds had cleared and the moon was bright. The stars sparkled luminously against the black night sky while the streets shimmered with a subtle blue. It was a beautiful scene she wished she could’ve shared with Delphi. The longest they had ever spent apart was three days, and it had already been six.
A traveling couple sipped their cups of tea nervously across the lounge, whispering between each other. “Is that—?”
“A furlicker? What is it doing here?”
“Is it safe?”
“I…don’t know. It’s wearing the Rokan colors. Are they using furlickers in their army now?”
Owen set his paperwork aside and approached Kismet. The whispers, the discomfort, it was all too familiar to her. She looked once more at the empty street. It looked so quiet, so lonely, and so peaceful. She rose to her feet and stepped outside before Owen could say anything. “I’ll leave on my own. Sorry for the trouble.”
Kismet closed the door behind her and inhaled the night air. It wasn’t a breath of ‘fresh’ air, as the saying goes. The streets in large towns often reeked of trade goods and waste, but nevertheless, it was peaceful and deserted at night. A hand touched her shoulder as she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head.
“If you’re going to walk around, be back by dawn and try to keep a low profile. The last thing we want is to cause a panic.”
Kismet gave Devin a nod. “Thank you, General. I’m sorry for all of the inconvenience I cause you.”
Devin gave her one last look before returning to the inn. She walked away from the inn into the market district, where only a handful of stores were still open. As she continued toward the entrance of the town, the streets became silent and shrouded in the blanket of night. She looked at the empty streets around her, basking in the peace of night. A silhouette of a cloaked figure peered from around a corner a few buildings behind. Kismet locked her eyes on the mysterious figure, which quickly disappeared behind the wall. She walked in its direction until her ears stirred at the faint sounds of a man’s faint pleas from the residential district. She abandoned the thought of pursuing the suspicious character and followed the man’s voice. She kept to the shadows until she found a father and his daughter surrounded by a group of three men.
“Please, I swear. That’s all I have!” cried the father, his daughter cowering in his arms.
“Sorry pops, but that’s not enough. You’re gonna have to give us more than that.” The man fixed his eyes on the little girl’s silver necklace. He yanked her by the arm out from her father’s arms. “I’ll take this!”
The young girl screamed, “Daddy!”
Kismet darted behind the mugger and locked him into a chokehold with her left arm. She twisted his face to hers, baring her fangs with a piercing hiss. He released the little girl with a choked gasp of terror and brandished his dagger. The Catheran easily avoided his frantic attempts to stab her. He flailed his arms in desperation while his two accomplices turned to his aid. Kismet quickly swung her captive in the way of their attacks, sending them back. Seeing no other choice, the trapped thug attempted to stab Kismet’s arm. She quickly loosened her hold to move her arm out of the way. The thief cried out in pain as he plunged his dagger into his own shoulder.
Kismet left him groaning in pain and gasping for air on the ground. She stepped toward his accomplice on her right. He backed away cautiously, his knife held out in front of him. The second remaining thug lunged at her back. Kismet shifted to the side and gripped her attacker’s wrist. He dropped his knife as the Catheran twisted his wrist sharply. A scream of agony filled the air as Kismet thrust her arm upward into his, dislocating his shoulder.
The final thief slashed at Kismet, nicking her across the face. She retaliated with a swipe that gouged his arm. She bared her fangs at him with a threatening hiss that sent him fleeing into the night.
Kismet offered her hand to the child to help her to her feet. “Are you okay?”
Her innocent eyes examined the Catheran’s foreign face curiously. Her father quickly pulled her away into his arms, his eyes filled with fear. “C-C-Catheran!” he gasped, as he ran with his daughter scooped in his arms. The confused child clung onto her father, and stared at her feline savior until the darkness grew too thick.
First: Kismet vs. Bandits, Scene v1
Previous: An Impossible Pair, Scene v1
Next:
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Just some fan art someone made today!
http://artpad.art.com/gallery/?kmrgsndtbjs (By: "Zetsumeii")