[Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

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CrazyBernie
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[Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

Post by CrazyBernie »

*** PREFACE ***
So this one was... what, five years in the making? It's a bit of a prologue to Book I, and one that I worked on before LtF: Frozen, but it sorta fell by the wayside and has been languishing on my Google drive, about 75-80% finished. Well since I'm not doing much travelling right now, and I'm not very busy in the office (always scary, and I can't very well play Fallout:NV or Dying Light while I'm here), I decided it was time to clean off the dust and finish something I started. :shock:
******************


Lewis pulled the tattered blanket tighter around his body. There was no pillow, and the bed was nothing more than a few planks of rough hewn wood attached to the wall. The swaying of the room made it difficult to get any sleep. Occasionally lightning would shine through the porthole, providing the only means of illumination. Even with the light, his brooding stare saw nothing.

“What have I done?” The look of horror on the man’s face made Lewis want to cringe. Having successfully replaced the Crux of Ages on its pedestal broke the spell that was controlling the Chancellor. However, it appeared that while he was under the control of Gramuk’s power, he still retained all memories of his actions.

“I have brought great pain upon the citizens of Thaermore; it is a wrong that I cannot right.” He looked at Lewis, eyes brimming with tears. He approached the fighter and grabbed the arm that still held a sword at the ready.

“You have done a great deed, but I fear it is too late for my country - too late for me. For this I must ask your forgiveness.” He then embraced Lewis, with the sword sliding smoothly into his chest.

“Flee this land while you still can,” the Chancellor whispered softly with his last dying breath. It was difficult to hear him over the commotion of the guards rushing into the hall.

“Great, just great,” Lewis muttered. He pulled his sword from the dead man’s falling body and threw a flask of demon oil into the path of the guards. As arrows flew past his head, he muscled the Chancellor’s oversized chair up to a window. Tearing down a thick rope from one of the many hanging curtains, he tied a quick knot around a chair leg and jumped out the window.


After hiding out for a few weeks in Aridell, Lewis bought passage on the last ship leaving Thaermore using some of Gramuk’s treasure he managed to retain during his flight from Bastion Spire. The ship was packed, but with a little extra incentive he managed to secure the cramped first mate’s cabin.

“Fifty gold? Isn’t that a bit much for a quick jaunt up the coast? In the ship’s hold, no less?”

“Aye, would-be traveler. But that be my price, take it or leave it.” Captain Egnar of the Grisled Seabird was a crusty fellow who had the look (and smell) of someone who did not bathe very often, save the spray of the ocean waters or rain when stormy weather was encountered. He scratched a scar on the side of his face with a rusty dagger.

Lewis leveled an annoyed stare at the man. Pulling a large gem out of a pouch, he tossed it to the captain. “I think you can do a little better than that.”

Snatching the gem out of the air and taking a quick look around to make certain no one saw the exchange, Captain Egnar gave him an evil, gap-toothed grin. He turned and bellowed to a deckhand, “Tell Jimmy he’ll be sleeping under the stars tonight!”


“Damn hold wouldn’t have been any worse,” Lewis muttered to himself. He rolled over, facing the ships hull and finally closing his eyes. Exhaustion finally overcame discomfort as he slipped into a dead sleep.

******

A sudden violent lurch of the vessel threw the warrior off his small bunk and into the opposite wall, knocking several books off a shelf. Ow! Despite the sudden predicament, Lewis couldn’t help but wonder how those books had managed to stay on the shelf in the first place. Wait, sailors that can read?

It took several moments as he gathered himself up off the floor to realize that something was amiss. The ship isn’t moving! He glanced out the porthole and still the dark stormy waters slapped up against the side of the hull, while angry clouds threw down sheets of rain in an attempt to wash everything away. Did we make landfall? Another lurch slammed his face into the porthole, smashing his nose and making his vision swim. What the hell was that shadow?

Eyes watering, Lewis snatched up his scabbard and made his way on deck. There were several sailors that were running around in confusion, some of them looking overboard, others checking the riggings for damage. The captain was up on the quarterdeck, yelling commands and trying to get his crew under control. Seeing the fighter, Engar motioned for him to come up the steps.

“What the hell is going on, Captain?” Lewis rubbed at his nose.

“Run aground in the middle of the ocean we are, lad.” The captain itched his scar again. “And nary a pebble or grain of sand in sight. It be bad, very bad.

How does he not get an infection from that blasted knife? “So.... what’s the plan of action?”

His question was met with a shrug of indifference. “Ye could follow their example.” He gestured toward a group refugees that had also bought passage that were huddled on the main deck in what appeared to be engaging in some sort of prayer, led by a priest from Aridell.

“Or ye can do as I, and prepare to repel the attack.” He put one hand on the ship’s wheel.

Attack?? “What are you-”

The ship lurched suddenly once more. Lewis lost his footing and tumbled toward the starboard railing. He nearly fell over the side, but grabbed onto some rigging just before making the dive. As he pulled himself back to his feet, a large, dark shape loomed overhead and the warrior instinctively dived out of its shadow. The object came crashing down across the quarterdeck, smashing through the rails on either side and obliterating the ship’s wheel. Shards of wood flew about, one slashing Lewis’s shield arm. Screams from the main deck filtered through the thunderous sounds of wood breaking.

Regaining his footing once more, he spied the Captain burying his dagger in what appeared to be a gigantic black tentacle. “Go back to the hell you came from, you damned beast! I’ll send you there-” The Captain’s verbal jab was cut short as the tentacle suddenly snapped upward. The old sailor flew off into the darkness of the storm.

A tremendous roar was heard over the shearing winds and boisterous thunder. A large sphere of dark flame hurtled toward Lewis and he couldn’t leap aside fast enough. The magical energy tore through the quarterdeck, and the shock-wave sent him flying toward the main deck. His body slammed into the ship’s mast, knocking the air from his lungs. Where the devil did that come from?

Time seemed to slow as Lewis tried to get up. His limbs couldn’t coordinate, and balance was impossible as the ship took on water and began sinking at the stern. He struggled to take a breath, but the air refused return to his lungs. As his vision began to darken, he saw a pair of glowing eyes appear from the depths of the shadow. They were larger than a man’s head and had a blood red color that appeared to shift toward orange, as though the irises were a fire burning around the pupils, pupils that seemed even darker than the shadows around them. A huge set of clawed fingers crushed the railing as the eyes drew closer. Claws? Then that was a tail, not a tentacle! What is this thing?

Another ball of fire appeared, but rather than flames of darkness, this one burned brightly. Great, this is it. I should have negotiated a better price for this cursed trip. However, instead of coming down to engulf and incinerate Lewis, the new flame flew upward, into the shadow and striking it with a flash of energy. The light illuminated the creature for the briefest moment. Was that a wing? The beast’s roar was deafening. Another flame streaked toward it, and the roar turned to a snarling screech. A strong wind began to buffet the deck, tossing debris everywhere before fading.

A figure appeared before Lewis, cloaked head to toe in black garments, save a pair of almond shaped eyes. The figure struck him in the chest, and an electrical energy surged through his body. Air finally rushed back into his lungs. A moment before he lost consciousness, he heard a familiar female voice: “You’ll not die this night. There are events yet to transpire that require your presence.”

******

Lewis sputtered awake, spitting sand out of his mouth. He shielded his eyes from the bright morning light. Where the blazes am I? What was that she said? Something about swapping some gifts?

He found himself lying on a small rocky beach. Nearby was a lifeboat, run aground on the rocks. Well there’s the how, now I just need the who, what, where and why. He slowly pulled himself to his feet, checking for injuries. It also appears I’ve been healed. Great, I still have my pouch! He checked the pouch, and it had all of his coin as well as the gems he scored from Gramuk. Good thing, because I’m starving. Battling giant sea monsters and almost dying sure can work up an appetite. He began to make his way along the coast, toward what appeared to be a walled city in the distance.

Need to find somewhere that I can take a nice long rest. Who knows when I’ll get dragged into saving the world again. Either that or I’ll be given some task to collect those strange gears.

****

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Last edited by CrazyBernie on September 29th, 2015, 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Randomizer
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

Post by Randomizer »

That's the problem with cruise lines, there's no refund for interrupted travels and no guarantee that you will make your planned destination. :)

It's great to see Lewis back in action?
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blatherbeard
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

Post by blatherbeard »

Glad to have you back bernie, even gladder........more glad? to read this stuff.

Keep it comin!
The armies joined in a bloody battle on this fine day, then storm clouds broke, and it rained.

So they all went home.---Story knots within blatherbeards Beard.
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Painted Lady
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

Post by Painted Lady »

Well, well - CB is back. I thought you were gone for good after BW blasted you to smithereens in Book III. That was a pretty cute little stunt he pulled in deference to your love of dynamite.

Nice to see some of your fan fiction again. Stay in touch!
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Re: [Fan Fiction] Lewis the Fighter - "Reflections"

Post by SpottedShroom »

Painted Lady wrote:Well, well - CB is back. I thought you were gone for good after BW blasted you to smithereens in Book III. That was a pretty cute little stunt he pulled in deference to your love of dynamite.
You can totally save Bernie in Book III! Has no one posted a walkthrough?
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