City of IF

[Jyoukage]

Legacy of the Reaver, Chapter one: Isrical



All I can hear is the sound of the wind, the sound of sand scouring the walls of the store I'm in. This sandstorm, months after sandstorm season should be over, has been raging for eighteen days now. Last time, we were raided after fifteen days, the Skrath must be gathering an impressive force.

All of my friends are here.
Walter, sitting under the flickering flame of an oil lamp, reading an ancient leather-bound book.
Benjamin, wiping the sand off of the counter but not looking at what he's doing. He's glancing around his father's store like he feels the Skrath coming.
Jyoukage, shaking sand out of his fur. The young mouse lowers the hood of his cloak, letting his cute little ears stick up. If you tell anyone that I think Jyou is cute, I'll break you in ways that will make your mother cry.
Walter is acting real twitchy today, mumbling about golems talking to each other. I can't even hear golem speech, it's too low for most humans to even detect, but Walter can, and it hurts him. Just as I predicted he puts the book down and starts to rub his temples, Jyou's ears are also swiveling about. The mouse can hear the speech just fine, but doesn't speak the language.

"It, they want you Mordecai, they are chanting your name. Please, please go out there. Make them stop!" Walter cries out, falling to the ground and curling up in a fetal position.
I grab some aspirin off the counter and a bottle of apple juice and give it to Walter. Then I realize, I can't hear the wind. It's dead silent outside. This makes me nervous, there's always the sound of horses, of carts out in the town square, so I go outside to look around.

there's a crowd standing in front of a meteorite in the middle of the square. Between the crowd and the meteorite is a ring of golems. Outside the crowd, the storm still rages. It looks like there is a line drawn in the sand, a line that says 'you shall go no farther.'

"Son" my master says, "what are you doing, go back inside, this is-." The rest of his speech is cut off by the sound of generators coughing back to life now that their self-cleaning filters are clear of sand. I glance back into the store before I close the door, and sure enough, Walter is still curled up, now his nose is bleeding and he appears unconscious.
"Sorry, father, my friend told me that the golems are speaking my name." I walk forward and the ring of golems parts slightly, the crowd also parts before me, letting me through. When I reach the meteorite, resting in it's hot bed of glassy, molten sand, two golems step forward and pick it up. The chunk of 'sky-steel', as the villagers call it, is as big as my torso, but they lift it with ease, these sandstone giants.

I turn around and yell back to my fathers "I am sorry, I do not know what to do, why was I chosen, what was I chosen for?" The people who raised me from the time I was abandoned during Beltane look very grave as they reply. "Son" Felix, Walter's dad, answers, "You must find a way to forge this sky-steel into a sacred suit of armor, there are prophecy's that you must fulfill, but I cannot tell you any more." Thus it is with me, kept in ignorance of my past, and now, of my future.

"how could anyone possibly work with this big hunk of metal, it would take months" I ask.

Felix replies, "there are only a few places that you could get the sacred armor, and you should choose soon, the Skrath will attack us soon."
"I have heard that there are three caravans leaving when this storm stops. One is going North, to the Celenae Empire, your master can provide you with a letter so you can get this worked by the Imperator's armorer himself.
"The largest, and best protected, caravan is headed South, straight through our enemy's territory. after that caravan passes through the Skrath desert, it will then head Southwest through the southern jungles, to Tochtepec, where you can try to get a hold of the Ixil Skylords that live in the cities you can see floating above the jungle.
"The smallest is carrying gems and refined metals east to Blue Anchor, where it will board a ship and sail for the far eastern isles where my people come from."

I just stand there, confused and angry, asking my fathers why. "Why are you sending me off on this quest? Why can't someone else go? You, master, you are stronger than me, and more wise in the way of the world. Or you, Felix, you've fought in wars, you were born to fight, why can't you do this, or your son?" I can feel my eyes tearing up and swipe my hand across my face. My master steps forwards, past the golems, to clasp my shoulder with his great hand.

"Son, you know that we cannot do this easily, you are like a son to us, but it must be this way. The war has to stop, and you can help. Please" my master sniffles after he says this and gulps, looks like he's close to tears as well.

"All right" I say, "I will find a way to forge this armor. Just give me some time to decide." I go back into the general store and slump down onto a chair, feeling like I've just been ran out of town."

"What's wrong, Mordecai?" asks Jyoukage. My friend through thick and thin. Too busy worrying about other people to take care of himself. His concern makes me smile, even though I don't feel happy.
"It's nothing too dramatic, I've just got to leave a bit sooner than I anticipated, that's all" I say.
"What. No, I refuse to let them do this to you, Mord" Ben hisses, flashing his sharp teeth in the cheap fluorescent lighting. "They cannot do this to you, I know this prophesy, and there is no way you can do the amazing things they think you can. You're no hero, and that's what the village elders, your fathers, expect you to be."
"Leave it be, Ben" I say with a sigh, "we all know this day would come, now I have an excuse, and something to do with my life."
"But where will you go, the Ixil are intolerant of us 'simple brutes', you know from Felix and his kith what the Advancers in the far east can be like, and the only one in Celenae who can help you is one of the hardest men to get a hold of. If those are your options, perhaps you are better off finding your own path" advises Jyoukage.

"You are right, little one, I have little choice, but you know as well as I that Celenae is being bled dry by the Skrath. It is hard to fight against warriors possessed of the blood magic, or against necromantic armies, the Empire needs a hero to rally them, they've lost all hope." I reply, "and besides, if the empire falls, who will fix the power lines?"

"If that is how you feel, than I would ask to come with you, Mordecai, you cannot do this on your own" says Jyoukage.
"I would be glad to have the company, even if you aren't the most impressive of bodyguards" I say with a chuckle. "I have made my decision, wish me luck."
With that, I open the door and step out to tell the expectant crowd what I aim to do.

Decision Point, what will Mordecai decide to do?

[Tipico]

i like it, i like it allot, you are a talented righter

as for what he should do he could give a blood rousing speech to inspire his friends and adopted family, but to me that aint his thing ' to me he would say somat simple strong and important and then leave with the golums

[Jyoukage]

thank you, I thought it was rather overbearing and pretentious to write a story in first-person perspective, but I'm glad somebody liked it ^_^;;;

[Crossfire]

Well, there isn't really much choice being given to us.

If Mordecai tells them that he's going to break the line of destiny and live his sordid existence in the village for the rest of his brief section of eternity, he'll be torn to shreds.

As such, the only logical option is to accept his fate, however dark it seems to be...

Excellent beginning. There are grammatical errors, but you'll find them easily in a quick re-read. I look forward to further chapters.
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-Crossfire, Empty Soul, Watcher in the Mist.

Don't get caught...

[Traveller]

I think he should go with the caravan heading through the enemy territory...sounds dangerous, but also has the most potential story wise...good start...keep it up...T.

PS...By the way...this should be in the same thread as your prologue's post...you can change the title by editting your first post anytime but try not to clog up the boards...thanks...

[Advarr]

Good story, but the whole destiny thing comes on to the audience a little fast. Though if that's how you meant it to be that's fine.

I think he should go his own way into another unnamed city that surprises everyone. He should also take along his little companion and friend. I think that makes for an intresting plot.