The Chronicles
so if some people can leave comments on this i would really like some hard feedback on what to improve. or could have some more detail, what could improve, or do something please let me know how I can improve it and sorry about how long it is but its ok.
warning: I had to copy and past everything so prose messed up all the formatting and I tried to change it back to normal but i may have missed something sorry>
Chapter 1
The sky was bloodshot red. I read reports that this is the deepest crimson red the sky has ever been in the history of the empire. That's what I would like to say, if the empire was anymore The priest looked out across the expanse, across the red sky with the bloodshot moon and the rusty dunes. Having no official features to the dunes they just looked a muddled color orange, something that he knew all too well being the color of one’s own destruction. As the priest looked across the expanse a lone rider rode in the night before the evening rains hit the ground. A bolt of lightning struck not far from the Rider as he was about to turn away. The rain started to fall, he saw the person trapped in the rain start to melt along with his steed leaving nothing. The rains around here were a black, black color. Every evening, instead of normal water, dark death poured from the sky. A deadly poisonous rain. By morning the black poison was sucked up again for it to rain on the world one more time the next night. The priest looked away so as not to see the death of that man. He sat down at his desk and took out the scroll one more time and thought ‘I wonder how those three are doing? Are they all right?’ Looking down at an empty page of parchment following the edge one last time with his quill before returning to writing.
****
Kanic looked down at the scroll he was reading:
Turn left at the south dome, head 30 seconds and oggle for water’s edge. For nih death brigade! learn of the right empire, help kalilies see orcs kills. Ever restful over the hill.
‘Damm it.I can’t make heads or tails of this stupid thing who writes a riddle like this you stupid? Although if I’m being honest I believe that Kela would love something like this. It's a challenge for her but hello she's not here anymore at least…,’ thought Kanic.
Kanic looked over to his traveling companions Sefl and Jena. Sefl was laying on the ground looking at the rock he was carving and Jena was in her normal attire propped against a tree one that had been long dead. She had little garb on, her boots went up to her knees then stopped, but then there were two rings of fabric wrapped around her legs. Two strings on either side all the way up to cover a little bit above her lower waist stomach area. Then an angle garment wrapped around all the way up to the lower half of her armpits to wrap around her and down to her elbows, other than that she had no other garments on. She looked like she wasn't wearing anything but her companions knew she was. They still didn’t know how she could live without covering up more.
Kanic then spoke “I believe we should head back there’s something at the dome of sorts there Has to be another dominant darn thing that I can’t understand seriously what the hell this is stupid but I guess after 2000 years... are you to even listening to me, you idiots.”
Jena got up and per usual Kanic blushed. Jena looked over at him.
“What?”
“Nothing go wake up Sefl or at least get him off the stupid ground, we have to get moving.”
It always astounded him how beautiful she was, but then again her beauty was also what helped her kill many people. a few more things were exposed then she counted on men who could not take it. In the end, it did kill her opponents. Most of them died because of blood loss to the noses and others died because well she killed them although she killed them in the worst possible way, not a very pleasant way either one that you and I don’t wanna mention.
Jena moved and she got up to kick Sefl.
“Hey you**** Kanic is saying to back track, well now move you gruby little** ****** ***** *** *** *** *** *** ***** ***** ****** *** ****** **** ****** **** ***** *** *.l
“ Ok, I am moving just shut it you *****.”
“Now let’s go to ‘the mind of the day and let us see what we can find thought the knight’.”
“what? That makes no sense.”
“Sefl, I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense. It was on the paper and the parchment is over 2000 years old. I don’t know, maybe ink blotted it or maybe it’s, it’s, it's, I don’t know what it is. Whatever it is it’s stupid but we got to follow it. Let's go find this thing that is supposed to save our world. now that we don’t know if it’s for saving the world. They were just supposed to help with us trying to get some lighting back on his feet. We come upon goblins everywhere. Ogres, goblins, druids god this place is the worst. I haven’t had a decent bit of meat in ages-".
"-I’ve just been eating some stupid leftover pieces of whatever the hell is out here. Whatever gets poisoned by the rain and doesn’t make it to cover. Like come on do you want to keep eating poisoned orc meat? Filthy, it's disgusting, it, it, it, it leaves a very sour taste in your mouth. I know that’s not the thing I should be talking about, but it’s orc meat, we never did like it. There is nothing else and I know it’s like animalism. So just shut up and get going the quicker we get this done, the quicker will figure out why we’re going on this fucking journey and get home to the Salath Plains”
Kanic started to walk northeast or at least that’s where they thought they were going they can’t exactly tell anymore, but they were backtracking so. Soon after Sefl followed him and soon after that Jena followed.
****
By the time they reached the dome, it was morning. The bloodshot sky’s rain had turned the ground a now brilliant black. There was a dome and the dome was made entirely out of a single block of sandy Graystone no one knows how old this dome is and can’t be broken no matter what. when many have tried, but many have failed to breach it. So many gave up for the dome is all that remains of whatever it was made out of. Most days you can’t find anything other than sand or hard rock called Granite around, weird metal rods, etc. Those are plagues on the world and still, no one can find enough resources to survive. Other than the dome there was nothing expanse of a desert; a black desert stood before them.
Kanic moved to the dome but Sefl jumped up On top of it and started yelling.
“See me I am Jena”
Kanic I was looking down his pack when he said that but when he was finished he looked up and said,
“ you don’t look anything like Je…”
Sefl had taken off all his clothes and stood up. There, completely and utterly naked, just yelling at the top of his lungs that simple little sentence. That angered both Kanic and Jena. Kanic was about to say something when Jena stepped in and she yelled,
“Get the *** *** ***** down Now Sefl.”
Sefl got off of the dome. Jena hit him in the rear then she kicked him in the front and as you can imagine he fell down flat holding his very sensitive area. All the while Jena was berating him on how stupid he was. Also that is not what she looks like for one thing she actually has clothes on. Kanic looked over there and then looked at Sefl and realized, ‘you know what, forget it’. Yes Jena had clothes on, but unfortunately, they were not as covering as she must’ve thought they were. As Jena was berating him she accidentally leaned against the dome and it cracked. Kanic looked up, Jena looked at the Dome, and Sefl was still crying about his sensitive area. Jena looked at Kanic,
Kanic looked at Jena.
“That was not meant to crack unless it’s a door, cupboard, or something.”
Kanic got up and walked over to Jena.
“Push”
“What?”
“I said push, not that push, I meant push the wall, does it open anymore?”
Jena pushed the wall and it cracked even more until the stone went all the way in and fell. She looked down into the hole and all she could see was blackness then…
PLOP!!
As a rock hit something far below the surface, it wasn’t just a dome it must’ve been a tower at one point. One that found its way to the surface. a tower that has been long since been buried by the ages of the Sands. Jena looked at Kanic and Kanic looked at Jena and then they both look straight at Sefl. Sefl was getting dressed and looked at them and said.
“What?”
They look back at each other and then they look back at Sefl and grinned.
“Oh no, I don’t like that face no, no what are you planning?”
****
“Just so you know how I was roped into this plan to begin with?”
Sefl was hanging from a rope slowly being dropped down the tower far beneath the ground. Something was down there, something that needed to be seen, it had connections to the puzzle.
Sefl was pulled up.
“ Well, did you find anything you fool?”
Jena asked.
“ No, I didn’t, Can you please pull me over the edge. I don’t want to fall down and die, fool.”
Kanic looked at him.
“ Apologize to her and I will. Don’t apologize to her and I drop this rope and you fall to your death!”
Sefl looked at Jena then looked at Kanic.
“ OK, I’m sorry Jena for everything. Now can you please put me up? I don’t think I can hold onto this for much longer?”
Jena and Kanic pulled him out and he fell over the rail but not before he took a stone with him and it landed on his chest cracked open.
“ Ow Ow OW OW. That hurts”
“Wait, what's this?”
Jena Picked up a box. The box was hand-carved and had a whole bunch of characters on it. Stuff that they didn’t really understand anymore except for one the ancient symbol for Key which was 鍵. Jena bounced up and down and ran over to Kanic who was packing.
“Kanic look, it's the key. I found the key!!”
Kanic looked up and saw Jena’s flawless face and beautiful, green eyes, and her happy smile.
He looked at the box and took it out of her hands and opened it. It opened and showed them a glass Monagle and a book. Kanic took out the book. It had letters then next to those letters were different letters, translated to letters. The reason why the scroll didn’t make any sense was that the letters were jumbled and to get it correct you need to unscramble them.
“Jena this is wonderful”
He placed it back in the box then the box in his bag. Jena started to move away but was stopped when Kanic’s hand grabbed her arm and turned her around. Kanic then took her by the face and kissed her on the lips. He released and turned around heading out across the ground.
“Ok Sefl, Jena, let's go. We are one step closer. To our goal.”
Sefl walked next to Kanic and they went ahead leaving a shocked Jena blushing in a mess. This was the first time her heart had ever felt like this and this is the first time she felt flustered.
She looked at them and yelled.
“Hey wait for me” and left still blushing as red as the sky.
Chapter 2
The priest looked at the potato he was cutting. Lost in thought, he cut himself.
“Ow!”
He moved to the saltwater and was about to dunk his hand in when the door opened. He looked up.
“Oh hi, Elvia. What are you doing here? last heard you were over by the genesis dunes?”
Elvia stopped in front of him and held his hand close to her chest. A bright light emitted from her hand. She looked up at him. She had very long pointy ears reaching four inches in length, customary for an elf, jewelry hanging from them, she was wearing a simple green robbe made of pinesorthen, covering everything but her upper chest. Her eyes were brilliant, sea blue. And such a lovely smile.
“There, it's all better!”
The priest looked down at his hand. His skin was back to its slightly red color.
He smiled and went back to chopping his potatoes.
“You want to join me for dinner, I can tell there are guards out there they can join if they want. I have the room”
She looked at him.
“Sorry we must break for the border, the old city has a hive infesting it, the elven lords want me to sanctify it, but if you could spare some rations I would not say no.”
The priest placed the chopped potatoes in the pot and turned on the pilot with a small spell. He turned around and moved over to a crate and handed it to her.
“There's enough for ten meals for five people. ”
She bowed to the priest and moved over to the door, before she opened it she looked back.
“Have you heard anything from them?”
He looked at her and he knew who she was referring to, but he shook his head.
She opened the door and went out, closing it behind her. He went to the window and saw her carriage drive away.
“Hurry home you three.” he prayed
“So have you gotten anything?”
Kanic was looking at the parchment with the riddle but in the last five hours, he had not deciphered any of it. He put away the monocle.
“no, ****. The word ‘turn’ could translate into anything. There are six different letters or numbers for the letter ‘t’, so it could be either talk or even 6758. And another three if it was a capital And if it's uppercase then there has to be another key. ”
Sefl moved up and handed Kanic a carved steed. His latest creation has four legs, a head, and a thin body.
“And, what is it for?”
“Don't know but it is bad, it could be used to jam in someplace. Keep it. you never know when you could use it. Ah, here is Jena back from her food mission.”
They both looked at Jena who was coming back with two things.
“Ok, I was able to get orc meat and this is a graphite rabbit. It has very little meat; it looks like it has already started to turn to graphite, but we could use the graphite for anything.”
She noticed the carving.
“What's that?”
“My latest failure. Something is not right it has got to be the body if only these stupid dreams would be clearer. Then we could know what it was, but no.”
“Why do you even carve? your resume never actually spoke about that?”
“ Why do you think that it's a hobby? something to pass the time.”
As Kanic and Sefl talked Jena listened and was chopping up the orc meat. She then made a fire and started it using sand. She had a pot and placed it on, then placed the orc blood in it and started to cook with the cover on. air holes were in the top of the pot.
She then went behind a rock and came back a few minutes later. She was holding a jug and poured the contents into the pot, recovering it. She waited a minute then threw the meat in.
“So they just come to you and you create, you have no control?”
“Yep, I can't tell when something will be built. Until the time is when I finish it. I almost had it before we had to move out last time. They are both duds now.”
“So I can use them for whatever.”
“Yep”
“Hey, moron's dinner is ready.”
They looked over at Jena. She was holding two bowls steaming with food in it. They took them and started to eat. First, they drank the broth, then they ate the chunks of meat by hand.
They both said in unison.
“Good as always Jena.”
She smiled and moved to eat hers. She looked up when she heard crackingSefl was breaking up the graphite. He was being so careful with it breaking it along pre-existing cracks. And taking the hilt of the knife to break it more. When he was done he packed it in one of the buckets and scrawled играファイag on the bucket, which translates to graphite.
“I am going to retire for the night, or morning, whichever one it is.”
“Careful, the rains will begin soon.”
Sefl waved them off.
“Yeah I got it Kanic I will be careful. night Jena.”
Jena looked up and said only two words.
“night shithead.”
Sefl retired to the rock on the outskirts of the camp. And immediately they could tell he was out cold. Jena then moved in closer to Kanic and spoke with him a little.
“So anything on it,” asked Jena
“no, there has to be more but if we keep following the waves of the sand. Then we should come to the next clue: a ravine, a part of the old providence of king Gorldelff. If we can find something like a book but made of a shiny stone we should find out what to translate it into.”
“Ok well, Kanic I am going to bed. You should too.”
“Yeah, I will.”
****
Sefl walked through the forest. Its red and black needled trees cast very little light though the canopy. It had been a long time since he had seen trees that were not rotten or dead. He happened on to a small village, one that was long since attacked by orcs, and goblins there were lots of elvin bones that were picked clean. So clean theory shined from what little light made tyit to them. Sefl could not bear to see so he turned to leave but before he took a step he heard a crying child. Sefl followed the noise and saw a partially alive orc general go after the child. He stood almost 8 feet tall, his back to himself. He drew his sword and walked up to the beast in his left hand, a sword in his right, a carving of a wolf. He threw the wolf and yelled to kill the beast. The wolf turned into something real, a pure black wolf with red streaks. He jumped at the orc and sunk his teeth in. When the orc turned, the dog pulled and ripped its arm off the huge thing falling to the ground, flesh torn and blood everywhere. Then sefl walked by and taped his sword to a second ladder the orcs head thudded to the ground and the dog left. Sefl walked up to the child. And held her. Rocking her in his arms, her ears were long and the only other amazing feature about her was her eyes, they were a brilliant sea blue.
“Child, what is your name? Mine is Sefl.”
The girl stuttered. When answering.
“M-my n-name i-is e-elvia.”
“What a lovely name, it is not safe here. Can I bring you to the elven lords for safekeeping? hm?”
“s-sure.”
“Ok let's get out of LordElvorvian’s Forest.”
“Oy, fuvker, wake your stony ass up, we have to move.”
Sefl woke with a start and forgot the dream almost immediately.
“I feel like I just forgot something that I needed to remember, But I don't have it. Anyways, let's get moving. I won't ask where I will just follow.”
Kanic started to walk and Jena followed. They were at least twenty feet ahead when Jena looked back and called.
“You coming Sefl?’
“Yeah, I'm on my way.”
She turned around and caught up with Kanic.
Finally, a confused Sefl followed suit. However he was left with a single question, a question he just thought of but did not know the answer to one that came to him. One that he had no answer to.
‘Who was he traveling with again?’
Chapter 3
The priest was laying on his bed.
The beed in question was a long slab of dark granite with specks of white moving though it a pillow made with 3 shapes the first a square then rectangle then square filled with bones from orcs and dangerous creatures. and feathers. For support. It's covering a brilliant yellow, dyed fabric. The sheets were just some repurposed robes. The bed rose above the ground by almost a foot and half the slab being almost a foot thick supported by an iron frame of the most basic design.
He was tired and wanted to rest, but he had a strange feeling, something was wrong. He got up and put on his dark robes. As he walked to the window the robes swayed with his feet. They moved to the side when he got to the window and opened it. There in the distance was a single dot. Then another and another and another. Then a larger one. He tried to see anything closer but without warning, an arrow drove itself into the back of his chair, nearly missing the priest's ear. But it took down his hood. He put it back up and went to the desk, not removing the arrow which had found its way through the wood. He wrote a few sentences.
’Sending for help, under attack Dragor temple of the High city. Send quickly, head priest.
He put down his quill and folded the parchment . He looked up and it was pitch black in his room except for what the outdoor light threaded through. He placed his left hand on the parchment and uttered the words.
“Kelfor de cofle”
He then placed his right hand on the blank piece of parchment on the table.
And spoke two words
“Pacelve ten”
The text was pasted on the parchment and then folded and moved to the left hand. This process was repeated ten times. He took the eleven pieces of parchment and went out of the room he moved up the stairs just outside his room. They were smooth and had large oval dents in them where countless people walked through the ages and went to the top. There were a few birds there, before he tied them he looked at the approaching horde. They were goblins and orcs, plus a few other creatures he couldn't identify. He tied the parchment to four birds and one lizard. The necklace on a bird before it flew read the ‘Casevinan empire’.
The home of the vampire army. He moved and went down the stairs to the main gate. There were two men there and they greeted him.
“High priest.”
“You saw, of course, you did here take the remaining ones and go with the dogs. Spread them out, move.”
“Right sir.”
The dark-robed guards left running across the plains. He looked at the approaching army
“I can slow them but not stop them.”
He held up his hand and yelled.
“Jecorvai nec zenivieal corstaloave”
‘Who was he traveling with again?’
Thought Sefl. He was worried because he didn't know who they were, did they want to take him to their prison? No that is not it. If it was, he would be in chains, maybe he was guiding them. He decided to speak up.
“Hey, where are we going?”
They turned around and nodded then the female spoke.
“Thought you don't want to know, but we are going to the ravine of king gorldfell.”
“Wait, why would they go to the old ba…”
WHAM!!
“Augh, Jena, what was that for? I am recovering.”
“Let's go! We want to make the ravine before the rain.”
Sefl looked confused
“What raveine?”
But Jena had already caught up to Kanic. They were moving along.
“Who was that?”
Someone was in his mind, not just him.
****
The owl flew over the mountains, its bright white feathers glistened in the snow covered peaks. As it glided over the land it passed by a tower built into the mountain. It was long abandoned, but it still had a corpse in it overlooking the land. She moved more swiftly. All of a sudden she came into view of a big black castle that stood on the peak of a mountain. She did not land in the courtyard with the other birds who were delivering mail. She headed up to a big window set into the northern side of the castle, she flew in and landed on a large support beam almost 100 feet above a stone table, around that table sat over 100 people, and at its head in the far back of the hall from where the owl was there sat in a stone throne, a large man. next to him were 2 aides, and a young girl. Behind him stood another 3 aids who had cloaks over them. She hooted to announce her arrival, but they didn't listen. They were bickering loudly amongst each other. She flew down and landed on the shoulder of one of the cloaked men.
“Hm?”
He moved and looked at the bird. Then moved forward. And whispered to the man in the stone chair.
“My Lord, an owl has arrived with a letter.”
The Lord looked over at the bird, but waved it off.
“Let her deal with it.”
She pointed to the girl slightly to the left of the man identified as the Lord. So as the aid got up he went to the girl and she pointed to the window. The aid went to it and cast the bird out. He turned in the background but stopped when he heard the bird's talons click on the sill.
He shooed the bird back to go to the courtyard. She didn’t listen, instead she heard the bickering and moved into the hall one more time. She glided and landed on the table in front of the Lord a few feet and some people away from him immediately stopped their bickering and shouting. To look at the pure white owl with blue eyes. She hooted.
“argh , ye bloody pigeon move your filth off this table ya dumb bird."
One of the men on the side threw a plate at it and it hit the bird. After that bickering started again. This time the bird was angry; she moved her head to the aid then the Lord. And looked straight at him and started to change.
Lord Dracla, Lord of the northern mountains and the vegan vampires, who partake in meat but not human blood or meat, was looking at his people and they were squabbling about resources again. Ehren, an aid came to him for a message. ‘I don't want to deal with this bird.’ he thought. And sent it away, a few minutes later the bird landed on the table. And hooted the Lord just rolled his eyes. And one of his people threw a plate at it. The bird must be mad, he chuckled to himself. He was going to burst out until he saw the bird’s eyes, and he froze in absolute fear. There are few things that can make him cower in fear: only 4 people and one of those people can command creatures of Hell. He was not looking at just any owl, it was a… before he could think anymore he started to watch his eyes transfixed on the bird. As it took a new shape its bright white feathers turned oily pitch black, its eyes turned a crimson red. And its talons grew sharper. The bird’s legs grew slightly longer. The beak that grew out it lifted a foot and moved to him before the foot landed he knew it was going to break the table, the table was of a rare stone that was nearly indestructible over the 50,000 years of its time here the table had never seen a scratch. Until now.
The bird had turned into a demonic owl. When the foot landed it cracked the rock making a booming noise immediately all the people present fell silent and looked at the bird. She moved to Dracula whose hood had fallen revealing scars across his face and his red eyes filled with fear. His short nose was no more and his hair was a pure black color.
The girl moved a dagger to cut the bird. Dracula took his long fingers and sharp nails and wrapped them around her, stopping her hand he moved her arm back he used his other arm to take the letter from the bird's leg.
She then moved back and headed to the one who threw the plate at her. At first, nothing happened so the man relaxed but when that happened. She struck. Her sharp beak could be heard across the room as it went through skin and bone to reach the brain. The blood poured from his head and the beak making strange noises as it scraped against the skull. As the bird was doing this. The man was screaming for help. But no one moved an inch and those close to him fell off their stools landing on the floor moving back. The man screamed until the bird opened her beak, shattering the top of his skull. This revealed a squishy liquidy brain that had a hold of little veins on its pops revealing a bloody outer shell as the blood moved through the brain and covered the bird’s beak and sunk into all the nooks and crannies of that squishy substance. She took a tiger grip on the brain and pulled the sound of tearing flesh and seeing cords snap, veins move and useless breaking Ripping the man’s brain from his head. Leaving a lifeless corpse Behind. that fell to the floor staining the stone floor in dark red blood. She looked up and surveyed her surroundings. She started at the dead corpse then turned her head 360° as she was turning the brain in her beak squished and flail about as it dropped fluids and blood on the table she saw the people all around her puking or scared shitless. She took out her wings and shifted her stance from this she took flight and flew to the window as she was reaching the window she started to eat the brain. As soon as the brain was out of sight she shifted back to a snowy owl. And headed for home. she disappeared into the blizzard that had ascended into the mountains.
****
Sefl looked up to see the suns moving in their elliptical order. It was blazing out. He would guess 160° if not 190°F. He collapsed and the gray ground beneath him cracked at his sudden fall. Far ahead were Kanic and Jena still moving so he tried and failed to get up; he fell back and looked out at them.
‘So this is the end,’ he thought.
He looked up and saw...
“Elvana?”
“No, you idiot it me, Jena who the fuck is Elvana?”
He felt himself rise, he blinked and looked to his left Jena was holding him up. She had her arm slung over his neck and his left arm was likewise over her neck. He looked to his right and there was Kanic. He had his pack on the right side along with Jena’s and Sefl’s. He was holding him up the same way Jena was. They started to walk at an even pace so Sefl could keep up.
Jena was the first to speak after some time.
“So who is Elvana?”
She waited and when she got no response she looked over and Sefl was crying. She suddenly realized she should not have asked.
“Wait, no you don't have to answer, don't worry about it, it’s fine you don't have...”
The look he gave her was a melancholy, but joyful one.
“You know you're the first person in a long time who has asked me I never shared it but I believe if I share it then maybe I will remember some more about what happened. All those years ago.”
Chapter 4
The priest looked out the gate at the horde in front of him, there were brown orcs, goblins of all types including lords, hob, champions, kings, and a few emperors. The emperors rose above the rest and were at least 15 feet tall. They stood on the outskirts guarding a single tent with golden banners. The tent could not be seen among the mass of black, green, and brown. The priest moved to the messenger landing where there was a lizard perched on the return side. He shuffled to it, his robes running about him. He got to it and saw it was a demonic creature, so he spoke 2 magic words and one normal one.
“Quaiik zenofel report.”
The lizard moved his head to it and spoke in a gruffled voice to the priest.
“I wish to convey that there are over 500 million soldiers out there. More on the way that would triple this number. My Lord wishes you to send a notice if you would need any more assistance from the demonic clan. This message was sent with an additional message. Would you wish to hear? ”
The priest looked around, the perches were bare and the hall was empty. the priest spoke.
“yes.”
The lizard continued in his gruffled voice.
“The message continues as this, ’son, I know you cut me off but I am here for you, please if you need help send word through this lizard at any time and I will personally come with a score of my demonic demons. And devils. For your assistance. Please let me know. I love you and I would do anything to keep you from getting my burden. Ruling the underworld is not a task for you. Forever your father, king of the underworld, The Shadow.”
The lizard shut up and turned to stone only to be disturbed if he wished a message for it.
The priest took it in his hand and placed it in his robes. He left to sit back in his office and he laid his head down.
Sefl was being supported by both Jena and Kanic. He started to tell them the full story of his past, and why the priest thought of him to be a part of this crew.
****
“Before this I was what many would call a keeper, but my official title was proctor”
They walked along and listened, not interrupting him.
“I don't exactly know when my life began, but I believe it was during the dravornic age, almost 50,000 years ago. I was born into the poorest region of the time. It was a small river village called Necola, Necola was a mill town with no mill and a small population of 17. The closest city was almost a week's journey away, but we won't get into that. For now the main square held all the houses except 2 one located near the river, and was what was left of the mill. And our house is located in a flood zone. We were the dung keepers. My parents kept the dung and shit people had in the rut and every3 years the house was raised by adding blocks under it. I never got used to the smell, and my brothers were the same. We slept in that one room house, but one day I was in the town helping others out. I worked with others to get things done. I was a big help. And the townspeople would give me food for the family. That I would take back to my mother. But one day when I woke up my brothers were not there, I went out to town and saw old man jork. He was the local smith, he did everything related to metal. He was pounding a spear out. I walked up to him watching him. I knew not to interrupt him. He stopped, quenched the blade and lifted his bald head to look at me. Jork was a gruf man with a big beard with a short mustache. The rumors around town say he has live embers in his eyes. He was also really dirty. Once the spear was quenched he took it out. And placed back on the anvil. When He stood up towing above me by almost 5 feet and I mean I was almost 3 foot 5.”
“Morning Sefl, what can I do for you?”
“Morning jork, any idea….”
KA-BOOM!!
Jork took me by the hand and pulled me in, covering me as a shock wave of massive proportions went through the town. It destroyed everything from my vantage point under Jork. I saw houses being ripped apart. I saw people hiding behind Jorks structures, because of how powerful and sturdy they were. However even then I had my doubts as I saw one bend.
Then darkness.
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh”
With a start I took a breath and found the landscape covered in snow. Jork was above me, the man who saved me, was dead. Looking around I saw a snow filled area, I got up and moved when I stood I found I was taller. But I want to be much taller. to test just how tall. I'm not so sure how much time has gone by since the explosion. As I moved through the town I saw the still silhouettes of people. When I looked closer I found they resembled jork frozen in time, not decomposing, no injuries, just silent and still. As I made my way through the streets and still townsfolk, I made sure not to touch them as I made my way home. As I came to the valley and started to climb the stairs to the entrance of the valley. I couldn’t smell the usual fowl dung smell. As I reached the summit, There was no bridge, no door, no house at all. My family, my home, my dung, all gone. Instead I moved to clean up the town. After moving some things I found a lot of structions had fallen to disrepair. I started to dig graves near the bank of the river. My first person was going to be an old woman named Gena. The old priest from the kingdom. She deserved a proper burial. I moved through the town that was now stacks of boards, metal and blocks to where she was, I went in close to carry her to her grave, but jumped back.
Life.
I felt it but she was dead. Or was she? I mean I was in the snow. What woke me? I crouched down and with a stick moved her silver hair away. Gena had only one eye; the other was plucked out when she left the church. Next to her was her pet crow. Gelk. her wrinkles were almost all gone instead what stared back eyed back was that of a semi old lady. About 60 or 70 not a 100 year old hag. Her face was a flawless golden color or maybe that's because the sun was rising. I decided to test a theriery I just had. What if I was the one giving her life?
So I touched her. And slowly I felt life in her. I then touched gelk the same thing. then … nothing.
I sat back and looked at them. I was about to get up when…
“Caw caw.”
“AAARRRGGGHHH”
I looked over and there they were alive. Without any care in the world I took her by her hand and lifted her with no effort. She spoke
“Whoa!”
She looked at me and backed up.
“Who are youuuuuuuu?”
As she said that last part I spined her and hugged her. When I spoke I noticed that though I appear different my voice was the same.
“Oh I missed you aunt gena.”
“Sefl?”
“Yep!”
Then without warning I bawled my eyes out right in her arms. I must have cried for a few hours but I could still feel her hugging me and patting my back. After I was done I stood up tall. And noticed I was slightly taller than her, she was 4 foot 5. She looked up at me.
“My how you've grown!”
I looked down and smiled then we both burst out laughing. We finished and started to move out of that area.
“Gena I believe I gave life to you, your soul, and now you can do the same as me. Let's gather everyone once we wake them and talk. I have much to tell you.”
She nodded and moved through the town he went to and did the same. After 5 hours they had revived 12 people. There was only one left. Jork. Sefl walked to him and touched him…. Nothing , no life flowed to him. He tried again, only harder, still nothing. He moved away. Then
SNAP!
“Ok everyone I know this is strange but you all need to give jork some life energy I can’t break through his tough skin.”
So all 14 of them including Sefl and Gena moved and touched jork then on the count of three they gave them some of their life.
“1...2...3...go!”
Sefl felt the thing that was holding him back shattered and life poured into his soul. Then at the end
“Get away all”
All the people scrambled away from Jork then he shot up like an arrow shooting though the sky. He breathed heavily and looked around, finding himself in snow.
“Welp done with sleep, oh hey Sefl.”
Self held out his hand and Jork took it and supring Jork he was lifted up with no struggle.
“what??”
“I will explain, let's see what happens. I wish to speak to everyone.”
He told them everything that transpired till then,
“Well that is all. Any Questions?”
Several hands shot up.
“Welp, ok then let's answer some questions.”