[Fan Fiction] "Past"

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CrazyBernie
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[Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by CrazyBernie »

It was my first encounter with one of the mysterious and oft whispered about Order. Such a group was openly declared fictitious; no self respecting ruler or military commander would consent to the existence of a secret sect that remained hidden and could strike without warning. Crimes purportedly committed by The Order were simply chalked up to the criminals attempting to cover their tracks and create general unrest with the common-folk. Even I had my doubts about the rumors, until that fateful evening...

The night was warm, but a light breeze carried the cool fragrance of spring through the window. The guardhouse, which doubled as a mess hall, was occupied by seven others beside myself. We were "enjoying" a meal of cold blawmanger and watery ale; it had been a busy afternoon and we were all late getting to dinner. There was little conversation as most of us were weary and not looking forward to the long night patrolling the grounds. The brazier hanging overhead was not due to be refilled for another hour, and in the dim light I almost did not notice the dark form that leapt in through the window. I only had time to shout "Intruder!" as I stood up and stumbled back over my bench, nearly knocking myself out as my head slammed against the stone floor.

The uninvited guest was garbed in all black, face covered with both hood and mask. Armed with just a short, very thin blade, he paused for a moment. Most likely he was taken aback at the large number of guards at this odd hour. As I fought to remain awake, the closest guard - Lieutenant Baird - had already drawn his sword and was advancing. He opened his mouth to order the figure to halt, but never had a chance to utter the command. In a blur the intruder stepped forward past his defense and made a quick stab to the side of his neck, dropping him like a heavy iron gate.

Three more guards rushed in, cornering the assailant. One stepped in and swung a heavy two-handed sword, which was easily evaded. The sword struck the chain anchoring the brazier, which fell and conveniently landed on another guard's head. As the newly unconscious victim hit the floor, hot coals were spilled everywhere and the room became even darker. The coals reflected in the eyes of the figure, giving him the appearance of an other-worldly being.

Indeed, he moved like a ghost among the guards. Sweeping through the room like an incarnation of death, his attacks were fatally efficient. Not a single move was wasted, and very little energy expended. The heavier weapons that each guard carried were easily turned aside, and they were no match for the smaller weapon's speed and ability to strike. He ducked under a swing and stabbed under an arm, hitting a vital point. Spinning and deflecting an axe, he thrust into the spine, instantly paralyzing the recipient.

In a brief moment, there were no more guards remaining upright, save one. I finally commanded full control of my senses, and drew my sword. The attacker wasted no time and came straight at me. To his amazement as well as my own, I parried his strike and counter-attacked. Glad was I for spending a year's salary on the enchantment I had placed on my sword the week prior. But I was only barely able to keep up. I leaned back as a quick swipe scored a hit across my left cheek; my own weapon caught the edge of a hood, tearing it back. A tumble of brown locks was released... it was a woman!

That moment of hesitation nearly cost me my life. I felt the small blade as it slid into my chest and pierced my lung. Apparently I spoke my thoughts aloud, for I noticed the surprise in her eyes. As I slowly crumpled to the floor she followed me down, hand steady on the hilt of her weapon. I heard the faintest whisper of "I'm sorry," and then she was gone, her sword still in my body. As the world slowly faded from view, I heard Father Alexander's voice telling me, "Hold on, Private Morgan! Stay with me!"

Amazingly, no one died that night. Apparently the attack on the guardhouse was a distraction while some valuable artifacts were stolen from the treasury. Every guard was merely immobilized, even Baird made a full recovery. Father Alexander healed all of our wounds, and gave me the weapon responsible for the handiwork. He mentioned that if she had removed the sword, I would have likely drowned in my own blood before he arrived. The sword was not enchanted, and the wizards from Shadowmirk were unable to detect residue from any sort of magic that might have been used. Eight guards had simply been felled by a single woman who was exceedingly skilled with the usage of a short-bladed weapon.

To this day I have two reminders of that fateful first encounter with a member of the Order: the scar on my cheek and the sword she left in my chest so that I might live. All these years I have kept her sword so that I might return it to her, supposedly the only active female operative - rumored to be the most feared in all the Order. Return the sword and ask her the question that's been burning in my soul for so many years: Why did you let me live, Lilith?
Last edited by CrazyBernie on June 25th, 2009, 11:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
Randomizer
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by Randomizer »

This explains so much and so little. At least we get to see the event that explains some of the other Lilith stories.

Keep up the story telling.
dare49devil
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by dare49devil »

'OH OH. I'm liking it all come togetherrr. But opening moreee. =P'

-And..'One stepped in an swung a h'

-an should be and*

-Not being a prick or anything, just letting you know.
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CrazyBernie
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by CrazyBernie »

I'd like the stories to be able to fit in the Eschalon universe without breaking any of the current/future game storyline/timeline. This of course requires a certain level of ambiguity... >.< That's why the first several pieces of fan fiction I wrote were posted by BW... I sent them in for approval. Now I just shoot him an email and post them at my leisure. ^_^

I've got no problems with someone correcting any mistakes I've made... I've been writing everything in Google Docs for simplicity's sake, but it only has a spell checker. Therefore, when I'm attempting to make edits when I really should be in bed, I tend to miss things here and there... :roll:
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BasiliskWrangler
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by BasiliskWrangler »

So far nothing CB has written contradicts Book 2 or Book 3, however he has introduced ideas that are not directly part of our previously written world lore. I'm sure some of what he has written will make it into the upcoming games, especially since he is helping create some of the in-game books that you will come across in Book 2.

However (this is just to cover our own butts) remember that this is still considered fan fiction, not canon. If Book 2 contradicts anything Bernie has posted here, you must assume we are correct. 8) :wink: :D
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by Painted Lady »

I think you have a genuine talent for story-telling. You draw the reader into your world immediately - which is not an easy thing to do. Great stuff.........
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CrazyBernie
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Re: [Fan Fiction] "Past"

Post by CrazyBernie »

Well it's good to know that my self-gratification writing is entertaining to others as well... :mrgreen:

I usually have a rough outline of where I want to go with a story, then I just write from the point of view "what do I think would be cool?"

I'd say my best writing occurs when I'm "shooting from the hip." Sometimes the ideas just flow out and I run with it, before they get away. Just the other day I emailed BW with some background information for a character I was working on in one of my stories, and what was supposed to be just a quick summary ended up being a very detailed background. I just couldn't stop typing.

Other concepts stick around in my head for awhile but are a bit more difficult to express the way I want to. For instance, I have this killer story for a collision of the Starcraft and Warcraft universes, but I just can't get myself to solidify enough information to write it. Of course, part of the reason is that I need to research the two universes more so that there's good cohesiveness in what I do. However I'm confident that at some point I'm going to sit down in front of my computer and go nuts on it, so for now I just jot down notes in a notepad that I keep.

As it stands at the moment, Lilith's next "chapter" is going to have to wait a bit. In the meantime, I have some other works to post... ^_^
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