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The Crystals of Malia
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The Crystals of Malia |
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Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN 
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The two women rode their tall war horses with straight backs, the man at their side hidden within the deep folds of his cloak. The women are dressed in bright chainmail, with breastplates shining brightly in the afternoon sun. Broadswords ride smoothly at their well-shaped hips. The robed man is slightly unsteady on his horse, his light robes cover him completely and he carries a staff across his saddle, which has a large emerald at it's top. The man lifts the hood from his face, letting the sun fall on his pale skin, he points ahead to a distant castle and says, "There is what we are looking for, we must go there, I can see it." The two women nod, loosening their swords in their scabbards, and tightening straps on armor. When the reached the gates of the great castle, the two women jumped off their horses and walked to the iron-strapped wood gates and knocked on the doors with their gauntlet clad fists. The heavy booming could be heard easily through the huge wooden beams of the gate. From the other side a scratching could be heard, and a when the door opened, a rezel stood their, a human type creature with great leathery wings, and claws gracing each of it's fingers and toes. The rezel opened its mouth, showing off two tiny fangs and said to the warriors and the man, "Who are thee that knocks so courageously on my castle door?" "We are on a quest," the taller woman replied. "Well, your quest ends here!" Screamed the rezel as it leaped at the women. The women's swords were out of the scabbards before the monster was halfway there. The twin blades moved liked greased lightning, and the beast was ripped between the two cruel edges before it had time to scream, and it feel to the floor in a mess of blood and gore. The man walked up to the women, "I am glad I am on your side, Alwyne and Aldegunda..." and he raised his hand and the carcass before him disappeared into a spinning black portal. "I feel something evil here..." the man said, "let's go find it." The trio strode down the hallway, the women dispatching any guards quickly and easily with timed thrusts and slashes. Their swords reeked with blood, and the walls were spattered with it. The man stood behind the two women as they carelessly slaughtered the castle guards. Then he stopped and stood stalk still and said, "Get up against the walls! HURRY!" And the three leaped at the walls pressing themselves up against it as a blast of pure magic ripped down the corridor. After it had passed, the man made his way up to the front of the group, he threw back his robes, and held his staff in front of himself as a protective white glow enveloped himself and the women. One of the women tapped him on the shoulder, "What was that from, Myre?" she asked without a trace of fear. "It was mage magic, very powerful magic, very evil magic. Their is something very evil in this castle..." Myre said with hushed voice. The trio strode deeper and deeper into the moldy depths of the castle, a miasma of evil rising from below so that even the women, who were not as magically attuned as Myre, could sense it. And then finally after a spiraling descent into the bowels of the castle, the came to a heavy iron door. The door was pitted with rust, and it would not budge under the combined strength of the two powerful warriors. Myre with a blast of magic pushed the door back grinding and screeching all the way. And there in the chamber, next to some infernal machine, stood a creature, black wings wrapped around it's hideously powerful frame. It turned and looked at the party with a lurid grin. It's wings spread, and the great muscles of its chest and wings, rippled underneath the pale flesh as it took to the air. "Ahh... welcome mage, welcome ladies" the thing said with an airborne bow. "Your little jewel is the perfect power source for my engine of destruction here, I thank you for finding it for me." The thing laughed diabolically, "Simple fools! Do you think you can stop me? I'll feed your souls to this machine!!!" He said with a final cackle. Myre stood firmly, gathering the power to him as the two woman drew their huge swords and moved to flank the hideous flying monstrosity. The creature laughed harder, and gathering it's own power formed to swords of pure magic, one for each hand and a good fathom long. The light was pulled to the blades and destroyed, they were voids in the hell of this chamber. And laughing diabolically, the creature flew straight at Myre. Myre leaped to the side with magic heightened agility, launching a beam of liquid fire at the monster. The fire missed the beast and melted a hole in the iron wall. Aldegunda leapt at the creature sword flashing, a quick blow to the wing, making the creature fall to his feet, but he did not stumble. The creature turned and flung Aldegunda across the chamber with an easy blow of it's clawed hand. This enraged Alwyne, who plunged her sword deep into the horror's chest. Laughing, the horror withdrew the blade and cast it across the room. Myre, Aldegunda and Alwyne now encircled the monster, Alwyne had drawn two long knives and Myre held his staff, glowing with sheer energy, and all three were cloaked in Myre's magic. The three sprung as one, blades slashing, staff smashing on the creatures horned skull. And then as it lay there dazed and confused, Myre plunged the emerald staff tip into the beast's head and forced all his power through it. The beast stood, magic gushing from it's eyes, ears, and mouth, and then it exploded in a cloud of blood and gore. A dark, ethereal shape drew from the puddle of remains, the spirit of this dark thing moved up and out of the gore and it laughed diabolically as it disappeared on an unseen breeze.... Aldegunda and Alwyne walked up to the machine, and slashed at it with their heavy swords, ripping it in two easily. From its shattered remains came a wailing more horrible than any earthly sound and then dim, shadows seeped through the remains and floated away, their spiritual moves open in anguish. Unperturbed by this horrific sight, the woman gathered from the shattered remains the single shining jewel. The group left the castle for the bright, clear day above. Taking the shining, blood red jewel and placing it on a stone, Myre split it carefully in half with his power. Each woman took up a half of the stone and taking gold chains from their necks, fastened the jewels to them and put the stones around their necks. The women's eyes opened wide and their hair began to stand on end. Then the women stepped back and looked at themselves. Myre chuckled merrily, "Isn't the power of the mage quite exhilarating?" The two women nodded dumbly as the power crept through their limbs... The two ladies woke up hours later with Myre standing over them. “Good morning!” Myre exclaimed cheerfully, “How does it feel to see the world through magic tainted vision?” Alwyne replied slowly, “It is strange, I see cords of…. Light… moving between all things…” “Ah…” said Myre, “That is the energy of life flowing between the things of this world. I will teach you to block this out eventually, but what do you see Aldegunda?” “I see the same world that I saw before, but I hear many things, I can hear the beasts, I can hear the dragon’s call!” Aldegunda said, thoroughly amazed. “You are a Beast warden then. This is good, I am glad the Crystals of Malia work. I picked you from your tribe because you are the fiercest of warriors, more fierce than even the men! I will need your help, I need your power and strength, that is why I gave you a Crystal of Malia. “That creature you saw you will see again. That machine you destroyed will not be the last you see of it’s kind. There are more… many more. The creature’s name is Hexarek, nobody knows from whence he came, but he is a known evil. He is only a pawn to a greater evil though… a far greater evil. You saw how this creature shrugged off the most vicious of attacks, and not even the destruction of that hideous body utterly destroyed him. His soul is still free, and when he creates with his own dark power a new form, he will be all the more powerful. Those evil machines, though, is what we must find and destroy. These horrible machines absorb the very soul, the very life of humans! They draw upon the limitless power of the soul and use it to create a rift between worlds. “You do not know the horror’s of these worlds! Humans are slaves, souls are damned for eternity to walk mortal planes, and demons stride the very hallowed ground and strike down all that are good and pure of soul! It is to horrific to explain, it is terrifying!” Alwyne and Aldegunda were unfazed by Myre’s ravings. Not a glimmer of fear gleamed in their eyes. Aldegunda spoke coldly and calmly, “We care not about these horrors, Myre. You had best train us, and get us going on our search for these machines.” “Patience,” Myre said, “All in good time, but first I must tell you the final factor behind our quest.” Myre gestured to his staff, and the half stones lying on the smooth flesh below the women’s necks. These are Crystals of Malia, they give those without magic it’s power, or in my case amplify that power. These are the engines that drive the infernal machines of Hexarek. These are what we search for, and Hexarek has the last one, three of them there are, and we have two. These stones make him powerful, powerful beyond my reckoning! But we can defeat him, for we have done it once, and now we are more powerful!” “Now I will try to train you in your respective talents, would you come to me first Aldegunda?” Aldegunda came to Myre without a trace of fear in her eyes. Myre gently placed his forefingers on Aldegunda’s temples and pushed images of how to control her new power into her mind. Next he did this with Alwyne, and both were surprised that they could learn so much so swiftly. “It will take time before it is all revealed to you, until then things will suddenly come to you, an instinct if you will, and you must learn to follow it until you know what you are doing.” With the two women satisfied that they could adequately control their powers the trio moved on, mounting their powerful warhorses, they turned them towards the sun as it dropped from the sky in a fury of red and pink. ********** The three traveled long and hard, their horses being well trained could handle a hard pace and the trio moved on still. They had traveled for two weeks across the open plains when Myre reined in his horse an motioned for the two warriors to halt. Sitting with back straight he seemed to listen to some sound no one could hear. And then he threw himself from the saddle and rolled to the ground as a black shape flew right through where he had been only moments before. Myre stood up, but he had dropped his staff when he hit the ground, so he stood before hands extended and looked for the beast that had attacked him. Myre spun quickly and the beast flashed by his shoulder, ripping a great fold out of his robes. Alwyne and Aldegunda leapt off their horses, swords already drawn and held in front of them. Their eyes were hard and fierce, and Alwyne raised her hand to the flying creature and let fly a fireball, which crackled and hissed through the air. The creature saw the moving ball of fire and quickly dodged, but it did not escape unharmed, and its wing was burnt off. It crashed to the ground in a ragged pile of wings and flesh, and Aldegunda stalked up to the mutilated beast, and drew her sword. Grabbing it in two hands, she lifted it above her head and drove its point through the beast’s head and on into the hard clay beneath the monster until the hilt smashed onto the beast’s skull. Aldegunda drew the gore-stained blade out of the beast’s head and wiped its length across the body of the beast. Silently sheathing her blade Aldegunda mounted her horse, with Alwyne following her closely. Myre was left in the dust, indignant of the women’s cool treatment, but also joyous that his students were so strong already. Picking himself up, and dusting himself off he picks up his staff, mounts his horse and moves on after the women. As the group continued on, the trio noticed a dull smudge on the horizon, and as they moved on they saw that it was some kind of cloud bank, and all hoped they would not be rained on that night. Seeing that the sun was coming down in an explosion of reds, oranges, and pinks, Myre decides they should stop for the night. The women made Myre sleep in the dirt, because the tent could keep only two people, but other than that technicality, it was a night of good rest. And after a quick breakfast of vegetables and fruits scavenged last night, they were on their way towards the dark smudge on the horizon where they all sense something. They rode their horses hard, they knew this was what they were after, they knew it to the very fabric of their being. When the trio crested the next rise, before them an abominable sight was spread out. The black smudge was a cloud of smoke and ash, hanging in the stagnant reeking air of that horrid valley. Bodies littered the rocky, dead landscape, hung from the ghostly trees, impaled on pikes, or lying grotesquely on the dirt. An from the middle of this blasted and horrid valley rose a tower, rising out of the black of the dark earth in a shade so black, it consumed the very light around it. It soared into the cloud of sulfur and ash, a claw ripping through the fabric of darkness. It was cruelly perfect, a monument of evil in the desecrated valley, and from this tower, the evil emanated. The three stepped carefully through the body-strewn valley until the came to the iron gate of the tower. Alwyne and Aldegunda drew their silver broadswords. With their combined strength they kicked the heavy iron gate off it’s heavy iron hinges, breaking the pins right in half. The two stalked into the tower swords held at the ready, cold death shining in their beautiful eyes. Myre brought up the rear, staff held out in front of him as he gathered his power, and tried to locate the dread Hexarek in the tower of evil. His concentration was shattered as they entered a huge fire lit chamber. The fire came from huge fissures in the smooth black floor, and hovering over the fissures were beings of human shape. They were thin, their black, cracked flesh pulled tightly over their skeletal frame. Fully half a dozen creatures brought their loping approach to the trio. Alwyne and Aldegunda smiled at these simple foes, bringing their blades to bear upon them, and cleanly cutting the first two down with wide, sweeping strokes from shoulder to waste, neatly severing the body. The women’s blade never stopped moving, and with smooth, fluid motions the other four creatures were similarly destroyed. Wiping gore off their swords, the beckoned for Myre to come across the room. As Myre walked across the room, the creatures stirred their arms and legs thrashed. Myre drew back in disgust, and sent a gust of magic wind to knock the creatures back into the flaming fissures. Myre made it easily to the door, but the two women were looking back and their swords cleared the scabbard quickly. The creatures had been lifted by the flames and their mangled bodies were forming back together, the wounds and severed bodies becoming whole again. They hovered in the flames, and then leapt out of them, whole, and ready for battle again. When Aldegunda and Alwyne brought their swords to bear on the creatures, they dropped them quickly as heat ran up the blades. Their silver swords were glowing from the heat of the creatures, and the ladies quickly left these weapons lying on the floor as they gathered their own power to them. With a deafening noise the power burst from them, blinding bars of liquid light streaked across the room, obliterating two of the approaching monsters. Before the two warriors could summon their magic again, Myre had brought his power to bear on the monsters. The light seemed to be pulled right out of the room, and all things became ethereal, they were not rooted in reality anymore. The world shimmered and bent around the four creatures, and then with an enormous sound, as of the tearing of a huge bolt of cloth, the three watched as the very life of the creatures was stolen from them. The warp in reality left, and the lifeless bodies tumbled down to the ground. Myre motioned to the two women and began to move through the tower. The tower’s halls were winding, and completely void of light. After an hour of traveling, slowly winding their way up, the group came to a door of shining gold, inscribed with runes of power and magic. On its posts were mounted human skulls, rubies in their staring sockets. The door moved easily under the gentle push Myre gave it, and the trio marched fearlessly into the darkened chamber beyond. Inside the chamber, a hazy, scarlet light seemed to waver and flow throughout the room. Bodies hung upon the walls, spikes driven through their limbs, their blood coating the floor. And in the hazy light, that seemed to drift like fog, they could see that infernal machine in the center of the room, and there was Hexarek, wings unfurled, and scarlet eyes burning. He stood there in front of the machine, malicious claws hanging near the dark, rough, hide of his legs. Myre, Aldegunda, and Alwyne moved into the room, spreading out until Aldegunda was on the creatures left, Alwyne on the right, and Myre was facing the beast. Hexarek laugh was rasping and deep. “Pathetic mortals… you dare think you can destroy me?” he said as he spread his clawed wings until they brushed the black, porous basalt ceiling, “You cannot defeat me, let alone destroy me!” And then the power flashed from him in an incandescent beam of light. It burst from him towards the infernal machine that stood at his back. And it began to whirl and moan, and it was surrounded in darkness. Myre could feel something pulling at his mind and soul, but soon this feeling left as he gathered his will and grasped his power. He could feel the two women grab their power and he could feel that they were safe also. Putting everything but Hexarek out of his mind he began to stalk forward, staff at the ready and power glowing at its tip. Hexarek’s gleaming red eyes began to glow with some inner heat, and he lifted his head in a bestial roar as it flexed it’s powerful hands, from which came heavy iron claws that gleamed wickedly in the half-light of the chamber. Hexarek stalked towards Myre, his heavily muscled legs moving liquidly, and his body swayed slightly, and all his muscles rippled under his thick hide. Myre’s eyes turned as hard as steel, his green eyes shining like emerald’s in the hazy light. His staff glowed with power, and Hexarek’s eyes glowed with inner fire. Hexarek lunged his iron claws flashing through the air, as Myre dove quickly to the side, letting out a blinding beam of undiluted power at Hexarek, which he dodged, though narrowly, causing a burn on his thick flesh. While beast and man fought, the two women circled in on the battling pair, and with perfect timing and a quick nod from Aldegunda, the two rushed into the fray, broadswords in their hands flaring with power. They brought their swords down upon him swiftly, slashing with deadly ease and grace, up, down, across, thrust, they showed no mercy on Hexarek. Hexarek swiped iron claws at the women, but they dodged with magic-enhanced ease, Hexarek was finally defeated by the constant harrying of the woman, finally he crumpled to the ground, his wounds still bleeding fiercely. Now that Hexarek was downed, the trio walked up to the machine and looked for some way they could deactivate it. Myre wrapped it in ropes of power, which carefully searched the hideous iron machine, while the women looked with their mortal eyes for some weakness. The women were having no luck, and Myre was wrapped in deep concentration as he moved the delicate cords of energy around the machine. The two woman left the machine in Myre’s hands and went to check on Hexarek, who was stirring on the ground. As the woman turned, drawing broadswords, an explosion rocked the chamber, sending them onto the floor, but Myre was not so lucky. He was blown into the rough walls of the chamber, and he lay up against the wall like a rag doll, blood matting into this thick, curly, dark hair. The women rushed to his side, seeing him injured so brutally by the explosion. They were quickly distracted from the broken man as Hexarek rose from cold floor, blood staining his hide and his eyes cloudy and blurred. He rushed the women, arms blurring with speed as he slashed his iron claws. His tortured soul forced his ruin body to inhuman limits, the blood still flowing from his horrid wounds, he lunged and thrust at the women who dodged, but could not return a single blow. Hexarek stood suddenly straight, his eyes flared one final time and then he lunged at Alwyne, throwing his bulk at her. Alwyne tried to leap aside but was caught by the juggernaut, and crushed to the wall, and the beast crumpled on top of her. Her eyes were closed when Aldegunda rushed to her side, and her breathing was labored. “What am I to do!” she shouted silently. She looked to her horridly wounded friend and then to the powerful mage’s twisted body. She had to do something was her desperate thought. She ran to the horrid machine and saw it’s gears turn, firing blast’s turned the gears and spun the wheels attached to pulleys, and the machine revved on. And the more she saw it turn, the more she hated it’s iron parts, it cold sterility, she hated it, she hated this place, it was hell! Her friend lie there bleeding and panting and there was Myre lying there, looking close to death. Screaming her bitter hatred to the hard walls, she thrust her sword deep into the machines workings, it sputtered an coughed, and then began to shake fiercely. The last thing Aldegunda saw was a brilliant flash of light, and then consuming blackness… *********** When she finally came too, she was lying in the shattered remnants of the cave, a tiny fire burning by her side, and a very battered Myre and Alwyne sat across from, everyone was alright she thought, they had won! She saw the pitch shadow rise from the body of Hexarek then, floating into the rough walls, but she stayed quiet… the crystals were all theirs… [This message has been edited by Dusk Treader (edited 08-02-99).] |
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| © Copyright 1999 Abrahm Simons - All Rights Reserved | |||
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DreamEvil Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 2396 |
Welcome to Passions in Prose.  Fantastic fantasy addition to prose, I'm partial to fantasy though. Please, post more. ------------------ Shall I indulge in flights of fancy hampered by clipped wings? DreamEvil© |
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Alwye
Moderator
Member Elite
since 1999-06-16
Posts 3850In the space between moments |
Kelly (Ruby Dagger at this forum, Aldegunda in the story) and I are very honored to be placed in your writing along with your presence. Like I've told you since we met, you have quite a story writing talent. And you inspired me to start my own story writing. And look now, 15,000 words and still going strong with it. Keep up the great work, Dusk. We all love to read it. ------------------ *Krista Knutson* "I will sail my vessel 'till the river runs dry, like a bird upon the wind, these waters are my sky..." Garth Brooks |
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Dusk Treader
Moderator
Senior Member
since 1999-06-18
Posts 1187St. Paul, MN |
And to think this all started out in a boring chat room, eh? DreamEvil - Thank you very much for your reply, it means a lot coming from you. Alwye - Thanks for the support as always, and if it wasn't for you, I'd never even have discovered my talent. [This message has been edited by Dusk Treader (edited 08-01-99).] |
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leelew Member
since 1999-07-10
Posts 89highmount,ny,usa |
I loved this! Wonderful imagery.More Please! ------------------ "There are none so blind as those who see only with the mind and not the heart" |
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Ruby dagger Member
since 1999-08-01
Posts 76Wyoming, MN, U.S.A |
As a storyteller you know how to be descriptive (and embelish like well-shaped hips). Your writting is the best. Krista and I love to be charactures in your stories. post more!! ------------------ Luv ya Kelly |
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Wesley the Blue Member
since 1999-09-02
Posts 426Forest Lake, MN, USA |
Cool. Very Cool. |
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