In a place far removed from our own, the people have legends of their own, folktales and stories, which they pass down through their generations as we do ours. This is the telling of one such story...

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Rain battered down on the hamlet, darknening the afternoon sky and tearing up the land for miles. Raindrops thundered on the wooden roofs of the houses like so many miniscule hammers. Inside the towns inn, the children of the area sat, squirming, fighting amongst one another, agitated because they could not go outside and play. A weary looking man of indeterminate age sat huddled by the roaring fire, and he turned slightly towards the children.

"Young ones, you seem restless. Come, sit by the fire and I shall tell you a story. A tale of great heroism, and of despicable evil. A tale of love, and of betrayal. This tale is not that old, children, but surely before your time. It involved the late king Theian, who died before most of you were born, I would guess. But, like most epic tales, this one has a humble beginning..."

*****

Shaniloc stepped into the morning sun and breathed deep the sweet scent of the air. He could barely contain his joy, for today he was a man! The day of his eighteenth birthday had arrived, and with it, he would finally stop being a squire, and become a full knight. His step was lightly, and there was an evident bounce in it as he made his way around the castle's courtyard.

He went through the town, cheerfully speaking to all of the people he knew. Most of them couldn't understand why he was so happy at being a knight, but for the most part, they put up with it, because he was one of the most considerate of the squires, actually caring about the welfare of the lower classes.

He wandered through the castle, fidgeting and unable to wait for his appointed time. He ended up back at the lodgings for the soldiers, and went to his bunk. He double and then triple checked to make sure that he was presentable for the king, and then he made sure a fourth time, just to be sure.

The appointed time, was drawing near, so Shalinoc made his way towards the court of the king. He entered early, and as such wasn't surprised when the king had not arrived yet. The room was abuzz with commotion, and he couldn't discern why. From the corner of his eye, he detected movement, and he glanced sidelong to see.

What he saw brought a smile to his lips. The king's youngest daughter, Celion had entered the court. But something was wrong. Her face was pinched, worried. She spoke to the chancellor, and his face went white. He shouted above the din of the room. The king was missing.

Search parties were organized, and the castle and surrounding town were search from top to bottom. There was no sign of King Theian. But there was a sign of him outside the town. A large group of tracks led north, into the cursed Dusken Wood...

*****

The grizzled man coughed as his voice cracked.

"Excuse me, children, but I think I'll get a drink before I continue the story, my throat is getting quite dry." He went to the bar of the inn and the innkeeper gladly gave him a free mug of ale, for keeping the children quiet. He regained his seat and took a sip, before turning back to the children.

"Now, where was I..."

-----------------

This is the first part of the 'tale' that I am writing, hopefully, if it doesn't suck too bad, I will get at least two chapters up a week. Criticism will be appreciated, and I can answer questions as well.

You have a natural talent for writing, huh? I can't wait to read the rest of it. I like it. I like it very much, indeed. Keep it up, Khyros.

That was a fantastic intro. Great work Khyros, please show me more!!

You were always really good at writing in TMW, very descriptive and great at creating the atmosphere. It really puts the pictures into your head, like a true story teller.
Well done, it's good to read some more of your work.

"Ah, now I remember. Shalinoc had learned of the king's dissappearance, and the kingdom began to organize a search for him. What they would find would not sit well, though, for no sane man would want to enter the Dusken Woods of his own free will. After they did some searching, though, they found a man who was willing enough. His name was Rel Sedum, and he lived in a hut near the southern edge of the Dusken Wood. Apparently, he was some kind of guide, and could take them into the woods..."

*****

Rel Sedum looked every bit the type of man who would go into the Dusken Woods without a second thought. Tall and rangy, with skin bronzed from constant sun, his face was hard and angular, and his eyes contained just that small bit of contempt for everyone that he didn't consider his equal, which consisted of just about everyone. He met the party that had come out to meet him at his home, and smirked viciously at their appearance.

Wanting to be inconspicuous, Shalinoc and the others who had come to seek their king had worn long cloaks to cover them, with hoods thrown up to hide their faces. Cotton was even padded in their chain mail to keep it from jingling. But Rel Sedum knew who they were. His mocking laugh filled the air, and asked how people as clueless as they were could even hope to survive in these woods.

After what seemed like an eternity of bargaining, he agreed to take them into the forest to search for the king. Even though he agreed to work for them, he never ceased his mocking and laughing, because it was who he was. At one point a question was raised about forest wildlife, and he just raised an eyebrow and laughed, saying that they wouldn't attack people, before beginning his trek through the dense brush.

They walked for hours, following the trail into the woods, and Shalinoc began to take a distinct dislike towards Rel Sedum. The man just rubbed him the wrong way. They seemed like polar opposites to him, but he had a grudging respect for the man. The feeling, however, was not returned. Rel Sedum particularly enjoyed teasing and embarrasing Shalinoc, because he seemed to have the least skill in the woods than anyone there. It was true, for Shalinoc spent much of his time at the castle in the library, or in the courtyard drilling with the other squires. In fact, in his life, he had never ventured too far from the town at all, and Rel Sedum seemed to relish rubbing his inexperience in his face.

They stopped late at night, after following the tracks as far as they could in the dim light, and set up a small camp. They had no fire, or any other way to give away their presence. Shalinoc couldn't sleep. He felt something was wrong, so he got up and walked around the edge of the camp. Something in the brush moved. Cautiously creeping closer, he saw the wolf. And where there was one, there was many. He ran back, stumbling, screaming at the top of his lungs. Knights scrambled to their feet as wolves began to race into the small clearing, howling and growling lowly. Shalinoc drew his sword and began to charge at the wolves, but something caused to him stumble and halt.

One of the others hoods had slept back and he now saw their face. Her face. Princess Celion had followed! He didn't have time to ponder this further, as a stinking, hairy weight crashed into him and knocked him to the ground. A wolf pressed down on chest, it's slavering jaws just inches from his unprotected throat...

*****

"Throat..." the story teller paused. "I think it's time for a short rest, it smells like dinner has been finished." At the children's clamoring, he spoke again. "After a good meal, I'll finish the story, don't worry" And they filled the inn's table as dinner was served. After eating in what seemed like only a few seconds, the children took hold of his arms and pull him back to the seat by the fire and demanded more story.

"All right, all right. The wolf was at his throat..."

Great Story Nick, Very well written, i cant wait to read the whole thing.

"The wolf held Shalinoc down, it's jaws just scant inches from his exposed neck. He saw it tense to tear the life right from him, and he did the only thing he could..."

*****

Shalinoc thrust his left hand up into the wolf's mouth right before it reached his throat. He felt it's breath on his skin, and then it bit down and wrenched it's head to the side. He screamed, and his own blood poured down over his face and into his mouth. He twisted his body, and tipped the wolf to the ground, tearing his flesh more in the process. He stood uncertainly, but his sword stroke was clean and strong, propelled by his strong right arm. He quickly glanced around, seeing fighting going on all over camp, before he ran to Celion's side. He stood over her, sword at the ready, in case any wolves made it close to her. They didn't, and he sank down and sat from weariness as the last was dispatched.

They began to check to see who had been killed in the attack, and found their numbers greatly reduced. They then set to aiding the wounded. Shalinoc glanced down at his savaged hand when they mentioned wounds, but didn't consider it worth their attention, so he held his hand behind his back, clenched into a fist. From behind him, he heard Celion gasp. His eyes widened. He forgot she was there! He wrapped his hand in his cloak and started to walk away, but her hand on his shoulder stopped him. Without a word, she raised her hood back up before anyone could notice she was there, and she tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve to wrap his wound.

Her actions brought back memories, for you see, Shalinoc had spent the last few years living in the castle, as befit a squire of Euralia. In that time, he had grown friends with the young princess, which is why it was so shocking to have her show up deep in this accursed place. He wanted to tell her to leave, but it was too late, she could order them to let her stay, and truth be told, he didn't really want her to go. He noticed Rel Sedum staring, and he had no way of knowing what he had seen.

The group buried the dead, even the wolves. Who knew what would be attracted by the proximity of fresh corpses? And so they traveled further into the dark wood, following the scant tracks they could find in the pitch darkness. All through it, Shalinoc smiled sardonically at the figure of Rel Sedum, pressing on through the dense foliage. He had been wrong. This brash, loud, utterly confident and arrogant man had been wrong, and Shalinoc felt elated.

Rel Sedum noticed this, but he was trying to keep his pride intact, and even though his anger was building, he thought that this 'child' wasn't worth his effort. So he continued to lead them in silence, even though no other member of the party could see any trail, he definately knew where they were going. Hours he led them through the night, not allowing rest for the tired travelers, because in these woods, no one knew what could happen.

Shorty, Rel Sedum called a halt. They had arrived at the end of the tracks. A ruined building stood in the middle of a heavily forested area, what appeared to have once been a manor of good size, but was now crumbling. Details could be made out by the beams of moonlight that were so bright under the dense canopy that they could clearly be discerned shining downward to the earth. Rel Sedum motioned the group forward, unclasping the battle axe he carried from his back and hefting it in his hand...

*****

"Hmm...the storm grows worse..." The wind outside had risen, and the rain had increased. The land itself seemed to be crying out in pain against the storm that ravaged it. "There was a storm just like this one..."

Just to let you know that I am reading this Nick, and I'm enjoying what I'm reading. I would've read it sooner, had my internet connection not gone bye bye and my house mate had not said "let's go play snooker Ads." The snooker game won out over two hours of sitting at home humming to myself.

Yeah, good stuff Nick. Very well written. Well structured characters thusfar. I like the story tell way that you're telling it that adds a certain mystery. "Is it real? Is it fiction?" It's good stuff.

"A storm like the one that rages outside now broke out, and Shalinoc and the others made their way into the ruined manor..."

*****

Rain began to fall in fat drops as they made their way through the crumbling gates into the entry hall of the decrepit building. Dust floated in the air, disturbed by their passage. Beams of moonlight entered through the windows, and the motes of dust seemed to dance like faeries. A musty smell pervaded the entire area, seeping from the very walls and floor. Through the center of the room, fresh footsteps were visible in the dust. The party's path was clear.

They made their way through the hall in slow, tense movements, because they didn't know anything about the men they were following. They tread through the dust, cloaks held over their faces so as not to sneeze, cough, or otherwise give away their presence. The wide antechamber gave way to a large double door, leading into a dimly lit hallway, the walls crumbling, and in some places, allowing access to the raining clearing. The torches in the wall sconces were fresh...they were close.

Shalinoc stayed near the rear of the column, where he felt more comfortable. Celion huddled near the back as well, trailing behind the knights, who paid no heed, caught up in their task as they were. They both cast furtive, sidelong glances at one another as they walked, like guilty schoolchildren who shared a secret. A smile tugged at his lips, but he suppressed it quickly and returned his attention to the business at hand.

Shalinoc never noticed the hands reaching out of the one of the gaps in the wall until Celion let out a surprised yelp as the hands grabbed her. Struggling futiley, she was clenched in rough, grimy hands as a man stepped forward from the wall. His expression was vicious, and he smiled as he held her too him. His face changed though, for the worse, once he realized the body against him was lithe and feminine, and not a knight as he presumed. His smile widened as he pulled back her hood and exposed her beautiful face. Oh, what fun he could have with a woman like this!

His expression changed again, to one of puzzled shock as Rel Sedum stepped from the very same darkness from which he came. He spun, and threw the princess to the ground. He hesitated, but once he saw the axe in Rel Sedum's hand, he reached for his sword. He was far too late. Rel Sedum's enormous war axe smashed into his face, cleaving his head in two.

Reaching one hand down, the other behind his back, Rel Sedum took the princess' hand and helped her to her feet with a roguish grin. Shalinoc bristled as he saw her smile demurely back as Rel Sedum reached out with hem of his cloak and wipe a bit of the bandit's blood from her face.

Inside, Shalinoc knew something was wrong...something about this...something about this man, the whole situation. But what, he could not put his finger on. As the others began to continue their walk, he felt pangs of anger seeing Celion clinging to Rel Sedum, but he turned back. He stood over the body, examining it for a time, before he rejoined them.

*****

"Shalinoc was curious about what was going on, more so than any one else in the group, but he still couldn't discern what was going on" The storyteller paused for dramatic effect.

Ooooh, intrigue~

I had to go back to re-read the earlier chapters to F5 my memory (refresh. Sorry, poor joke.) I think I can see where this is going, but still I could be wrong. It's definitely got me hooked though.

Keep on writing Nick, and I'll keep on reading.

"Shalinoc followed the group of knights as they walked through the darkened halls. From the distance they had traveled, he could see that they were nearing the center of the mansion. The king had to be nearby, he just had to..."

*****

The darkness of the corridors they traveled through seemed stifling, and Shalinoc found himself glancing back over his shoulder almost constantly. Princess Celion had left the back of the column where he was, and had slowly strayed towards the front, where Rel Sedum lead the party. Shalinoc clenched his fists and had to focus his will to stop himself from shaking with rage.

A few minutes later, Shalinoc was shocked out of his internal reverie, but a shriek from the front of the column. Snapping his head up, he bolted and ran forwards, pushing slower knights to the side as he rushed past them. He barely stopped himself from careening over the edge of a hole spanning nearly the entire hall by throwing himself backwards. Caustic laughter sounded from somewhere around him, but he couldn't tell where, disoriented by his fall. Gaining his feet, he saw Rel Sedum standing near the edge of the pit, laughing wildly. And princess Celion was again on his arm.

Shalinoc grimaced and muttered under his breath as his turn to carefully make his way past the pit came. He didn't see why they should all follow what Rel Sedum said...after all, he was just a woods guide, not a knight. He wasn't even a squire! The man had no qualifications, but people flocked to him. Shalinoc shook his head. One voice would mean little against the many, Shalinoc believed.

Around a corner, two men stood, engrossed in conversation, a door between them. The knights made quick work of them before they could even make a sound. Their bodies were thrown in the now convenient hole in the floor of the previous corridor. Kicking in the locked door, they found a small room, and four more brigands. In a few short minutes, the brigands lay glassy eyed in a spreading pool of their own gore. Huddled in the corner was a small figure, it's clothing tatters of once extravagant finery. They had found the king!

Shalinoc was the last to leave the room, examining these corpses as well...oddly, every one had the same emblem emblazoned on their upper left chest...a white wolf. That meant something, but he couldn't remember what. Troubled, he quickly walked out of the room to catch up with the rest. A distinct look of distaste came to his face when he made sure to walk around the trails of blood where the first two brigands had been dragged to the hole.

As he reached the hole, he saw Rel Sedum waving his axe like a conductor waves his baton, telling the knights to cross the hole. His axe...this was the first time Shalinoc had gotten a good look at it. It was a piece of art, really. A moderately long shaft, leading to two wide, mirror polished blades. Each of the blades had several holes in it, by the shaft. Something was inserted through the holes...Shalinoc leaned as close as he could to see what they were. Wolf's fangs. Something in his mind clicked as he saw them. He understood now.

The white wolf. Rel Sedum was The White Wolf. The legendary bandit who was said by the superstitious to be invincible in battle, and impossible to fool. The same man who had mysteriously terrorized the kingdom for years. The axe...the axe was what gave it away, more than anything else. Shalinoc could remember clearly the axe being described with great detail in a tome he had once read in the Castle Library.

They had been betrayed. All of them. No doubt he had planned to kill them all, and demand ransom for the king...but when he realized the princess was there, he changed his plan. That accounted for the look of shock on the face of the man he had himself killed. Shalinoc smiled grimly and stepped forward. He extended his arms...and pushed Rel Sedum into the hole in the floor. Suddenly, a shriek of pure pain rang through the air, and he saw Celion brush past him in a blur, and leap into the hole...

*****

"Shalinoc screamed, a sound of utter disbelief and grief, and attempted to follow as well, but strong arms gripped him and held him back, no matter how hard he struggled. As began to turn to strike at those restraining him, a tremendous impact struck him in the back of the neck, and the darkness fell in on him." The man sighed, and continued his story.

"When he awoke..."

This is very well written Nick. I had an inkling where the plot was gonna turn after reading your second to last post, and while I thought I could see it coming, it was still written well enough to keep an interest. The twist at the end with the Princess I didn't see coming, so I am still intrigued to see where you're gonna take it next.

Keep on working on it mate.

No! The Princess can't go now! It just can't be! It's not right!!!
*Ahem* Wow...some great stuff there. This is one of those tales whereas I can imagine being in it. That's the stuff I love to read. OMG I must see more!

"Light pierced through his closed eyelids, bringing with it unbelievable pain. Shalinoc turned and sat up in his bed, and set a hand to his forehead. Wait, he thought. My bed? He quickly took a look around..."

*****

He was in his bed. His bed, in the barracks of the knights of Euralia...but how? Of course...his memory of being knocked unconscious sprang forth. They must have brought him back here after that...unpleasantness. But if they made it back, that means they avoided whatever traps Rel Sedum might have set for them. He leapt from his bed and made his out of the room. As he walked out the door, he was met with a steely glare...and a lowered pike.

Shalinoc slowly backed into the room, away from the guard and his pike that awaited him outside. He kept stumbling backwards until he fell over one of the bunks in the room. Quickly righting himself, he stood, arrow straight, indignation filling every fiber of his being. He strode forward, quickly crossing the distance between the two men, and he swept the pike to the side with his hand. Pushing his face as close as he could to that of the taller guard, he demanded to know exactly what in the seven hells was going on; And he was told.

He couldn't breathe. He stumbled backwards a few steps before his legs gave out, and he fell unceremoniously to the ground. He couldn't believe it. What the guard had said...no, it couldn't be true! It just couldn't! Shalinoc trembled on the ground. A traitor? Him? No! It wasn't true! He curled himself into a ball and struggled to regain control. After a time, he succeeded, but barely. Still slightly trembling, he stood and asked the guard what the charges were, and they were as he had begun to suspect. Conspiracy against the crown. Celion...

He asked the guard if he was allowed to go to the library, with supervision, of course. It was there that he could always find solace, lose himself amidst the deeds and exploits of heroes past, their legends becoming his dreams. The guard thought for a moment, and then called for a courier, and sent him to the chancellor with the question. The answer came back shortly: Yes, for a time.

Shalinoc trudged his way to the library, followed every step by his guard, who warily eyed him from just beyond arm's reach. Upon reaching the library, Shalinoc went to a bookshelf and selected a book, carried it to a seat, and began to read, trying to drown the rising fears in his soul. He glanced around the library, and a sight caught his eye. A window. He could see through it out into the fields adjacent to the castle. In the center of his limited view, a small rise sat, crested by a single tree. A familiar enough sight. He had sat under that tree so many times, read so many books when alone, and shared so many conversations when he was...with her.

Celion. That hill brought back memories...both pleasant and...otherwise. The last time he had been there had been with her, moths ago, and he hadn't returned since. He sighed as he remembered those events. It was the day that he had done the most difficult thing that he had ever, to that point, had to do...he told her that he believed he was in love with her. Of course, she had simply giggled and shushed him. He never brought it up again. A faraway look came over his features as he looked out the window.

He shook his head and looked back down to the yellowed text in front of him. He pored over the lines, seeking meaning. This particular text was a treatise on chivalry, written by a knight who's name had long ago faded from history. But his lessons remained. Honor. Duty. Nobility. These are the things of a knight. Shalinoc closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. Closing the book and gripping its weathered binding, he sprang into action. For Honor. For Duty. For Nobility.

The book slammed into the gut of his guard, and he bolted from the library before anyone knew what had happened. Tearing through the halls, he sped past puzzled servants and guards, until he burst from the gates of the castle, heading out into open field. Heading towards the Dusken Wood. He reached it far ahead of the pursuit party, who turned back at the wood's entrance.

It was easy to find his way through the woods. After all, he'd been this way before, and his memory was quite good. He loped through the brush, jumping and dodging obstructions. For hours he kept up the pace, and the sun was just beginning to fall below the horizon. Panting, he stopped and rested for a while, before continuing onward, into the decrepit manor. Walls that seemed solid in the moonlight appeared so much more ruined by the light of day, as he walked past them, focused on his goal.

A slight scraping on the ground was the only warning he had before he leapt backward and saw a blur of scything steel speed past his face. Regaining his balance, and placing his foot squarely on the ground, he launched himself in the direction from which the attack had come. Before his attack could connect, he stumbled to a halt. Rel Sedum. It was Rel Sedum...and at his side...Celion, stately and regal. Before he had time to ask any questions, the flat of Rel Sedum's axe slammed into his cheek, and he felt piercing pain as the wolf fangs in the blade tore into his flesh.

*****

"In a daze, Shalinoc felt rough hide wrapped around his wrists, and his blurred vision registered that he was moving, even though he couldn't feel it. Through the winding corridors they went, until it all became a blur..."

Excellent stuff Nick. The story is building nicely to a conclusion now (or at least to a set up of something else to happen.) It's well structured and easy to read, and enjoyable to read.

Keep it up.

Wow, it most certainly is turning out to be somewhat fantastic! Keep up the great work there Nick.

"Now children, this continued for what seemed to Shalinoc to be hours, though it was but a few minutes. He was led through twisting corridors by the grasping hands." The man told them, his voice almost down to a whisper

"Just when his vision began to clear, he was brought to an abrupt stop..."

*****

The room slowly stopped spinning. He tried to reach around and feel his face, but the cord around his wrists stopped him. Glancing about, his blood chilled. A guard stood to each side of him, and Rel Sedum stood there, in front of the hearth of the old manor...with Celion on his arm, fawning over him.

Rage, white hot and seething, boiled over Shalinoc. Obscenities and curses filled the air, mingling with Rel Sedum's gentle, mocking laughter. Shalinoc tried to no avail to get his arms free, but noticed that the cords were weakening. He lunged at Rel Sedum none the less, but his guards restrained him.

Before he could resume his stream of foul words, a third bandit entered the room, and went quickly to Rel Sedum's side. After a quick conversation, Rel Sedum smiled broadly, and his laughter returned, this time booming and mirthful. Catching his breath, he glanced at Shalinoc, and his eyes narrowed. Casting a cruel glance at Celion, he seized her arm and threw her to the ground in front of Shalinoc. Apparently, he had gotten what he wanted, for what he said next shocked Shalinoc to the core. 'Kill them both.'

Rel Sedum barked another short laugh, and turned to follow his bandit from the room, as the two guards beside Shalinoc took on a decidedly hostile look. Before they could move, he twisted his body and shoved his shoulder into the guard on his left with all the force he could muster. Turning to his right, he let loose a scream, and strained his body with as much strength as he could gather, and felt the cords restraining his wrists tear into his flesh before finally giving way.

Lunging forward, he tackled the stunned guard, seizing the man's sword in both of his hands and yanking it free as hard as he could. The motion tore across the mans abdomen, and he fell to the ground, shrieking in utter terror as he tried to hold his viscera in. Unprepared for the power of his pull, Shalinoc spun completely around, the tip of the blade sheared into the jaw of the guard he had stunned, leaving him to die in a series of bloody gurgles as he collapsed, uncomprehending.

Spattered with the blood of the dying, Shalinoc laughed. And he laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Rel Sedum, at the door, had turned and beheld the carnage. He smiled grimly, obviously planning to enjoy what he was about to do. He reached back and slowly took his axe from his back and ran his fingers along the flat of the blade, paying special attention to the area where Shalinoc's blood was dried.

Shalinoc grinned himself, though Rel Sedum could not tell why. There was no contest between them, clearly Shalinoc could not win. But he didn't plan to. At least, not in the way Rel Sedum would expect. He turned to his side and helped Celion get behind him, and looked into her eyes, his own showing an odd mix of emotions. He bowed his head to hide his tearing eyes and asked her to forgive him for what he must now do. Before she could respond, he turned to Rel Sedum, and raised his blade in salute.

Without missing a beat, he charged, his sword held low at his side, ready for a huge swing. Rel Sedum saw it coming and held his axe above his head, prepared to bring it down before Shalinoc could strike. Shalinoc smiled slightly and reversed his grip on his sword, putting it in front of him, point extended towards Rel Sedum. The man's eyes widened, but he couldn't stop his swing, not now. It was too late.

They clashed and amidst the sound of air forced from two pairs of lungs, surrounded by a mist of blood, time seemed to stop. Shalinoc could barely see through a haze of red, and his left shoulder was ablaze with unbelievable pain. Rel Sedum was no better off, really, Shalinoc's blade had entered his abdomen right below the ribcage and exited near his neck.

Shalinoc felt his strength ebb, and in front of his eyes, he saw his now useless left hand fall from the hilt of his sword to hang limply at his side. With his remaining strength, he gave his blade a wrenching twist, and was rewarded with a fresh spray of blood as he fell backwards, tearing his own wounds even more as he came to rest in a cloud of dust on the ground.

He gasped for breath, as he saw Rel Sedum fall, unmoving in his field of vision. From out of his vision he heard a heart wrenching sob and the sound of appoaching footsteps. Celion entered his vision...and went to the fallen Rel Sedum. Shalinoc closed his eyes, finally letting his tears fall to mingle with his pooling blood. As the sounds began to fade, and the darkness began to become complete, the last thing he heard was the door snapping open, and heavily booted feet rushing into the room...

*****

"And that, children, was the tale of Shalinoc. Not a noble ending, not a heroic victory, and the hero didn't get the girl. That all happened nine long years ago, and much has happened since that day." The man sadly explained.

"Good king Theian died less than a year later, and despite normal customs, Celion, his youngest child ascended the throne. Her siblings have not been seen since..." He shook his head slowly as he continued. "Her cruelty and vice have earned her the name Celion the Mad, and her blatant militarism has led to Euralia increasing it's land at the cost of good terms with virtually all of it's neighbors. It's simply a matter of time before we are brought low by her arrogance."

"Perhaps it is best that Shalinoc died that day, so that he would not have to see the fall of this once great land...but if he had lived, I have a feeling that he would fight back, in any way he could, no matter how little it may seem." He sighed.

"And now, the storm is cleared, and I must part, for I still have a long way to go before I get to the place I seek." He stood and took his long cloak and wide brimmed hat from the wall by the door, before turning back to the children.

"Remember this story, for there are two morals to it. First, and more importantly, a hero is not made from glorious battles, or magic swords. No, a hero is born when a man chooses to do what is right, no matter what it costs him. And secondly, good does not always win. Sometimes the best it can hope for is to fight darkness to a stalemate, so that the battle can continue again, on some far off day."

With that, the man tipped his hat to the children, took up his cloth-wrapped cane, and walked into the surrounding darkness, oddly without a trace of the limp that he had when the night began...

The next morning, one of the farmers came to the inn, seeming crazed and obviously upset. When they finally calmed him enough to talk, what he had to say shocked them all to the core. In his field, he had found 4 men, all of them Knights of Euralia, bearing the wolf and axe of Queen Celion. And all of them were dead.

A frenzied whisper passed through the crowd, all of them thinking the same thing, but afraid to say it, afraid to admit what they might believe. All that is, but the children. They said it....

Shalinoc...lives.

-----------

Sorry this took so long, I was a bit blah about writing for a while :eek:, but I'm better now. And yes, of course, if you can't tell, this is just a prologue to the main story which I have yet to begin, "The Breaking of Euralia" Look for the first installment soon! :thumb:

About bloody time you finished this, Nick. I'll admit that I am impressed. It's a brilliant prologue and sets up the story to come awesomely. I can only rub my hands and wait for the rest of the story to come along.

Words can't describe how much I enjoyed this Nick, I have to save it to my hard drive. Please don't mind. That was a great start I have to say. I can't wait, (well I can XD) for the main story.