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Eldora
03-07-2010, 04:28 PM
A Work in Progress

Chapter One
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Someone, please! Help me! Calantha prayed silently as she hid behind a boulder struggling to catch her breath. She was too busy gasping to say the words aloud, and it would only have revealed her location to the fiends who were after her. Why was all of this happening to her? What was so important about a common little farming village like hers, that the dark lord would stop at nothing to destroy it and kill everyone living there? She didn't even know what his intentions were, nor did she care to. All she knew was that her village had been attacked by fiends, and to her knowledge no other had escaped alive. Not that she'd had time to go back and look for survivors. She had been on the run from them ever since.

Calantha was no great beauty by anyone's measure. In fact she was rather homely, with an oval-shaped face and angular features that seemed at odds with each other, like a childs drawing of a face rather than a real one. Her eyes were the dull shade of green that one might find on the forest floor, and her long brown hair, even braided as it now was, was nothing to be proud of. Her skin wasn't pretty and fair, but tanned from her many days tending the field. And it was tending the field that had saved her that morning, as she looked on in horror at her burning village. It had been all she could do to run and not look back. She could still hear their screams...

With little money to feed them, and with no prospects of marriage, her father had all but decided to sell her to a noble family as a servant. Not that she would have minded that. She had long ago been resigned to the fact that no man wanted her, and as a servant she could live in relative comfort as long as she did what was asked of her. No lady of the house would be jealous of her or accuse her of anything dishonorable. Though she regretted that she would never know love or have children, she was content with the thought that, if she was lucky, she could watch as the family of the noble house grew, and feel a part of it. Somehow, she had never felt a part of her own family.

But now, even that hope was gone. If Calantha escaped these... whatever they were... alive, no one would even want her as a maid. Once word reached them that the town she came from was destroyed, she would be seen as cursed and tossed back out into the street. These were dangerous times, and it served the people well to be suspicious and even supersticious. But she didn't have time to worry about that now. She would cross that bridge once she got to it. First, she needed to survive this.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she jumped up and sped through the trees once more, her legs still burning with the effort of her previous run. Maybe if she could reach the next town, she would be alright. Maybe. Or maybe they would destroy that one as well. No, she had to loose them somehow, in a way that wouldn't put anyone else in danger. But how? She had been on the run for two days, and nothing she could do seemed to shake them off her trail. It was by sheer luck that she had managed to survive thus far without them closing in on her. For now, all she could do was keep running and pray for a miracle.


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Sir Arnon of Delucia had heard of unusual monster activity around the town of Oakbough, and was even now riding out to investigate the matter. His roan stallion Zephyr gallopped steadily, seeming to know its master's wishes with only the least of promptings. They had ridden these dirt roads through the Grey Forest dozens of times before, so Zephyr knew the trail like it did the plains back home. Though Sir Arnon was on this trail now of his own will, you could not call him a knight errant. He was actually more or less at the beck and call of Lord Orimer, the liegelord of Delucia.

There had been some vile rumors of late concerning Lord Orimer, and Arnon took no pleasure in silencing those who spoke against him, but it was one of his many duties as knight under him, and his pact of fealty to the lord necessitited that he do whatever he asked. As for the lord himself, Arnon found him to be a decent enough man, though one who kept mostly to himself. He had met the lord only a few times, as their correspondance usually came in the form of letters with his seal - marching orders, most of them. But in between those orders, the knight was free to do as he wished. Such was the case now, as it was of his own volition that he went to investigate this matter. It was odd how monsters seemed to be more active these days than they once were. Tales of them attacking in daylight used to be rare. Now, it seemed they no longer attacked randomly, but almost with a plan, almost with a purpose. Though of course he knew these thoughts to be ridiculous, it bothered him nonetheless.

Sir Arnon patted the back of the stalion's head. "We're nearly there, Zephyr. You've ridden well this morning. What say you take a rest, hm?" As if it understood him, the horse slowed to a trot and veered off the dirt road towards a brook that babbled and bubbled quietly some few yards away. A break would do them both some good, he figured. It would give Zephyr a chance to rest and himself a chance to stretch his legs. He dismounted and patted his old friend's flank a couple of times, a signal between them that Zephyr was meant to stay there and that Arnon would return in a moment. He'd had Zephyr ever since he was a young squire, his mentor Sir Leopold having given it to him as a gift. Since that time, he had barely spent a moment away from the horse, to the point that master and beast both seemed to always know what the other was thinking.

Despite the threat of monsters and brigands, Sir Arnon did not think twice about leaving the stallion alone. It was a smart horse, and in the battles they had seen together had fought as bravely as the knight himself. It was well able to take care of itself for a few moments while Arnon walked the forest to ease his tense muscles.

He was just thinking what a pleasant day it was, and figuring in his mind the time it would take them to get to Oakbough, when he heard an unusual sound that made him stop in his tracks to listen...

Night_Mare
03-08-2010, 12:39 AM
She stared at the monitor intently. Anna Porter had never known words to fail her so spectacularly. Her books were known for their soft wit, and usually dashing heroes. But this new draft. Anna rubbed her bloodshot eyes. They were an unusual shade caught somewhere between brown and gold. They were too wide and big for her dainty face leaving her looking like a somewhat possessed baby doll. Her thin angel-white hair was twirled up the back of her head baby-fine wisps escaping.

Her small chin was held between her albino-pale fingers. An exasperated breath escaped her too-generous mouth. "Come on, Arnon. Calantha, one of you give me something to write about!" It was habit now to speak to her characters. Her teeth worried the edge of her chapped lip. Note to self: buy some more chapstick. "Desmon!" Her eyes lit up. "Oh, Desmon! What a wonderfully kind villain you are giving me something to write with!"

Her pale fingers settled on the keyboard softly:

"Watching from the shadows the fallen knight Desmon was pleased with his distraction. The ex-Sir Desmon had been caught dabbling in what the Church dubbed Black Magic. Of course, society could not have a Rogue Knight on their hands so the Church brutally ex-Communicated him.

The man's too-long fingers played on the edge of his table. Far-sight was a gift. One that came with his so-called 'Black Magic'. He was no where near Arnon. But the creatures under his command were..."

Anna wanted to scream in frustration. She deleted the last two paragraphs. She pushed back from the glowing computer screen to rub at her eyes. Usually the books wrote themselves. The characters took over more often than not. And it wasn't a difficult thing nowadays. They'd just come out with a total immersion software. A software that Anna's agent had bought and Anna had not yet used. But now she was tempted. Oh, so tempted to use it. "No! I will not sink to that! Only second-rates would have to put themselves in their own world. Besides, Benjamin says it hasn't even been on the market for normal people yet. The testing isn't finished!"

She turned around only to be confronted with her enormous bookshelf. Everyone from herself to a famous mystery writer was on there. Anna's books (there were ten in total) spanned part of the top shelf. Anna's agent, Ben, had bought them and then given them to her. But Anna didn't read her own work after it was published. She felt odd reading words that she had planned out so carefully ahead. "Should've known. Desmon is a villain he wouldn't be so nice as to give me much to work with"

Her golden-brownish eyes settled on the Total Immersion Software. "Damn" Anna swore softly but that didn't stop her from setting the system up and turning it on with a whir. She followed the intructions on the screen and picked the title of her book: "A Work in Progress". Of course she'd change the name before she had it published but Anna always named the books she was working on with that title. Without fail.

Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the software told her to. Next thing she knew she was opening them in a world much like the one she had written about. What Anna did not here was the sudden buzzing of her computer which was unable to keep up with the advanced software. What she didn't know was that the short in the system effectively left her square in the middle of her own world.

What she did know was that she was staring straight into the chocolate horsey face of Zephyr. A horse that she had only described through her computer. He made a "whuffling" noise. Anna did the first thing that came to mind. She shrieked to Holy Heaven.


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Desmon, the fallen knight which Anna had tried in vain to write about was in fact on the edge of a town. Well, close to one actually. The villager who just would not die would be headed this way soon. His far-sight gave him the ability to see that. He would meet her. Soothe her. Have her believe he was on her side. Was Calantha her name? Yes something along those lines.

With an odd feline grace he arose from his perch. Just seconds left he knew. His pet monsters were chasing the vile villager this way. His sharp aquiline features belied the easy catlike movements of his body. He was not a typical looking Knight. His inky black hair held in a queue was never perfectly manicured. His face was so deeply tanned from the sun that he looked someone had tried to throw mud at him. By far his strangest feature were his eyes. Bi-colored. One the palest of blues, he was blind in that eye. It was the eye he had given up for far-sight. The other was a murky midnight color somewhere between brown black and blue.

He stepped out of his hiding place just in time to catch a fleeing female body. "Don't struggle. Movement only entices them" He said holding her back whens she would've continued to run.

Eldora
03-08-2010, 01:13 AM
"He was just thinking what a pleasant day it was, and figuring in his mind the time it would take them to get to Oakbough, when he heard an unusual sound that made him stop in his tracks to listen..."

It was a scream, a woman's scream, followed by a whinny from Zephyr. Hand where he could easily reach the hilt of his steel longsword sheathed at his side, Arnon hurried back to where he had left Zephyr. There before him stood a dazzling beauty, obviously frightened by something. He found it strange that he had seen no sign of her before, not had he heard any hint of her approach. Instinctively he reached out a hand to try and comfort her. "What is it that has distressed you so, dear lady? Only give it name and face and I will rid you of it. You are in the care of Sir Arnon of Delucia now, so you need fear no misfortune."


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"It was by sheer luck that she had managed to survive thus far without them closing in on her. For now, all she could do was keep running and pray for a miracle."

Calantha fought the urge to scream as she was grabbed by a dark-haired knight and pulled closer to him. As if she needed any more trouble. Well, better him than those fiends. It took her mind a few moments to calm down enough to listen to what he was saying. So that was how they had managed to follow her. She did her best to stand perfectly still, despite her fear and discomfort. She barely dared to breathe at all, except to mouth the words "Thank you."

Night_Mare
03-08-2010, 10:03 PM
"What is it that has distressed you so, dear lady? Only give it name and face and I will rid you of it. You are in the care of Sir Arnon of Delucia now, so you need fear no misfortune." Anna felt slightly ridiculous now. Strangely she wanted to laugh. Arnon was almost exactly as she had painted him and now she was looking him in the face rather that ridiculous horse. She really shouldn't be so frightened, she had seen the caution on the back. Something about how the events that happened would feel real and she must remember to keep one foot in reality.

"Oh." Anna mumbled. Zephyr simply stared at her placidly. Or at least as placidly as a Stallion could. "Your...stallion. He...he's simply so big I was...I haven't been around such a large horse," She sounded breathless and ditsy even to herself. She was aware that she would look slightly out of place, more than slightly if she were being honest with herself. In an age where many women wore dresses Anna was in blue jeans and a T-Shirt. Now that she thought about it, the T-Shirt was too small but she'd hadn't exactly planned on meeting anyone.


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Desmon kept himself still. He had no fear that the monsters would attack him. His pets were far more likely to throw themselves at his feet whimpering fearing that they'd displeased him. But he couldn't have that so he kept still. Eventually the monstrous creatures began to get on his nerve. They stupidly and blindly searched the area but were oblivious to his and the villager's presence. Desmon projected his mental image at them in effect telling them to move along. The monsters scrambled to do his bidding.

To keep it genuine Desmon stayed still for a few seconds longer than necessary. Finally, he relaxed turned his bi-colored gaze to Calantha whom he'd set down but a few seconds ago. "What brings you to this part of the country? Other than, your friends back there of course" He didn't succeed in sounding friendly, though. A man like Desmon it seemed couldn't truly sound friendly, he did sound regal and sympathetic enough. That will have to do for now. He thought to himself.

Eldora
03-08-2010, 10:34 PM
Sir Arnon gave a chuckle. "You needn't fear the west wind, my lady. Zephyr will do you no harm." The pleasant smile on his face fell as he considered it though. No, it hadn't been Zephr that had startled her. The horse hadn't moved a hair since he'd left it. Most likely, she had run into it or had come on it suddenly, meaning she was likely running from something, or someone. He did not want to contradict her however, it would not have been decent. He looked her in the eyes - what an unusual golden shade they were - and wondered what could really be wrong. "If there is any place in particular you need to go, I would gladly escort you there. I was on my way to the town of Oakbough, but I am in no hurry. It isn't right for a young woman like yourself to be out in the woods without at least a weapon.

It wasn't until then that he took in her looks entirely. When he realized that she was wearing a man's clothes, he cleared his throat and turned away. Not out of disrespect, but at a loss as to how to take the fact. She was running from something, and wearing a man's clothes. A disguise, perhaps? If so, an incomplete one. He had heard tales of women who disguised themselves as men in order to avoid dangers on the road. Monsters didn't think twice whether their victim was male or female, but highwaymen, they were another story.

Once he'd made up his mind, he turned back toward her. "Please excuse me, madam. I know it to be none of my concern, but why are you dressed so? You look like a rider, yet you seem to be uncomfortable around my horse. Tell me the truth, and I shall do all I can to help you." It came out almost like a threat, but it wasn't meant that way. He would not dream of letting this woman out of his sight. Not alone, when there were so many unknown dangers in the forest. Even if she refused his company, he would continue to watch her a while, to be sure of her safety. "You can start with your name. I have given you mine."


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"Aside from them, sir, nothing. But they are motivation enough. I believe I know who is behind those fiends as well. But nevermind, I can prove nothing so no use burning your ears with it. Thank you for your help. Only, I do have a question for you though." She looked him straight in the eyes. "How did you know what was after me and how to avoid them? Have you seen those beasts before? Please, if so, tell me where. I must know who is after me." Her voice was almost pleading, but her eyes were steady and burning with a fiery determination. "I must know who killed my family." Little did she know, she was staring the very man in the face.

Night_Mare
03-09-2010, 12:38 AM
"No. No place in particular." Anna said. "There isn't really much place for me to go" She added the last mostly to herself. IF they kept going they'd meet up with Desmon who would have some kind of freak-out and would reveal it was him behind the dastardly monsters. That would introduce the true conflict.

But it would be fun to go along. Anna was listing the pros and cons of her actions when she caught the next words. It took her a moment to string them together into a fathomable sentence.

If I'd known I'd have pulled out a dress...yeah right like I even own a dress Anna took a moment to reply. "I'm Anna Porter. No titles. And I don't hail from these parts" Her introduction didn't nearly as formal as Arnon's. She looked down at herself again. She was rumpled and tired and her eyes were most likely going to loose their focusing ability very soon. So come up with a reason why she was wearing this. "In my country...or area...where I come from..." The starts piled up on each other until even Anna lost track of what she was trying to say. "It's common...well, no not quite common, but usual practice for...a woman to wear men's clothing. But it's not really men's clothing they make a kind especially for women...and...oh it's very complicated."

For a writer she certainly was having trouble with words lately. "J-just leave it be. I shall be on my way anyhow. Wouldn't want to hold a Knight up"


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Desmon might've chuckled. That is if she had not been right in front of him. "I have encountered them only once before. It is pure luck I know how to escape them." Now. Where would be a logical place for him to have seen them. "I meet them once just outside of a town near Oakbough" He added.

"But a woman such as yourself should probably not be travelling alone with such creatures on the loose." He added striving for gallant.

Eldora
03-09-2010, 12:07 PM
Sir Arnon gave a slight nod. She was nervous, but she was telling the truth. That much was obvious. Porter. So she was the daughter of a winemaker, from another land. That part confused him. Was she from a different province or a different kingdom altogether? A place where women wore clothing like men's... Obviously a different kingdom then, but he knew no such kingdom. That explained her nervousness, but not why she was alone, and not what she could be running from. However, if she kept on the road looking like that, no matter the fashion in her homeland, she was sure to come across trouble. Anna, what a lovely name. Simple and beautiful, it seemed to suit her well.

"Well then, Anna Porter," he said with a polite smile, "I wish you farewell on your journey, wherever it might take you." With a swift movement, he took off his brown cloak and spread it across her shoulders. "I would not have you wandering aound looking like that in these parts however. It could easily get you into trouble with the locals. This will at least hide your clothes until you can find something more suitable." He cleared his throat realizing his rudeness. "Not that those do not suit you, madam, but I wonder if you might take the fashon of dresses back with you to your home. You would look most fetching in one, I dare say." Damn, he thought. What has come over me? I seem unable to speak in this woman's presence. It is as if I know her, yet I have never laid eyes upon her before. "Please forgive me, my lady. My tongue seems quite to have run off without my mind this morning." Mounting Zephyr with practiced ease, he took hold of the reigns and began to lead the roan away. "Fare ye well, Lady Anna."

With that he turned and led Zephyr away at a gallop toward Oakbough. It would not take him long to reach the town, and once he was done with his business there, he could return and follow her. Such an intriguing young woman, so strange yet somehow so familiar.


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Calantha's pride told her to refuse. This was a stranger, after all, and she was capable of taking care of herself. And yet, the man had obviously just saved her life, and he had the look and manner of a knight. No, it would be foolish of her to refuse such good help. "Yes, I am afraid you are right. My name is Calantha Shepherd, and I would welcome some company for a while, although," she sighed, "I haven't the first idea where to go. This is the farthest I have ever come from my home, and everything here seems so strange. It almost seems as if I should have kept on running." What an odd thing to say, and it came out of her mouth before she had thought about it. It was most likely the thought of the man who was after her, the one who had destroyed her village, that made her so anxious to keep moving. But she assured herself that she was safe now. No safer company than that of a knight.

Night_Mare
03-10-2010, 02:34 AM
Anna looked around rather spooked. Maybe she'd just follow him. Yes, that would be good from a safe distance of course. She waited until he was out of sight and then slowly followed the tracks that Zephyr had made. I rather like this new technology. Everything seems so real! Anna was not a skilled tracker.

She was even less skilled in noticing when she was being tracked. Or she would've known about the beast following her. As it was she felt a little strange being alone following the hoofprints of a horse she had screamed at earlier.

Anna spaced out after a moment in the middle of the trail. Oakbough. Interesting. Hadn't she said it was in a different direction? But, he was positive that his bussiness was in Oakbough. She knew it was there that he would meet up with Desmon and part of Anna sensed that she had to be there. Being short Anna's run was much more like a scurry than anything. So the authoress scurried ahead as if afraid the trail of prints beneath her would disappear like so much mist.


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Good. Good. Thought Desmon. "I am called Sir Roland" He said faking. Had he said his real name she would've turned around and ran. No one wanted to be caught with a rogue heretic. Let alone a dangerous one, like he himself was. "The nearest town is Oakbough, mi'lady. Do you wish to go there?" There was a closer town but it had been destroyed Desmon had watched in an amused fashion from the shadows.

"I regret that I do not have a horse with me. I had not expected to meet company you see. But a companion on a walk such as this would be nice"

Eldora
03-10-2010, 03:32 AM
Sir Arnon reigned in Zephyr sharply. Fire. He could see the smoke rising up through the trees. That was no hearthfire, nor even a bonfire. No, something was wrong here, very wrong. It wasn't Oakbough though, it was far too soon for that. Which meant that must be...

"Faybridge..." His hand went instinctively to his sword, though he knew by now that it would do no good. He knew, long before he reached it that the town was destroyed. He spent but a few moments looking over the ruins from afar, but saw no sign of life, so he ventured no nearer. He could tell that there had been beasts, a great number of them, for some of their bodies littered the cobbled town roads. He was so filled with fury that the hand gripping Zephyr's reigns turned white. This was not the work of a raging pack of monsters. Not alone. If only he had known, if only...

Suddenly a set of their tracks he was following veered off from the rest. One of the monsters had gone back, towards the way he had come from. Towards Anna! With a loud command that was more shout than anything else, Arnon rode hard back towards where he had last seen the young woman. He only hoped he wasn't too late to save her. It must have been fate that they had met. Had she not been startled by his horse, he would have gone a different route, but he'd planned on coming back and following her without her noticing so he'd gone off toward Faybridge without realizing it. And had he not come this way, he would already be in Oakbough, not having seen this atrocity.


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Calantha nodded wearily, her trying flight finally having caught up with her. "Thank you Sir Roland. I care not whence we go from here. I am so tired. I have run till I can do so no longer. But must we leave immediately? I wish to rest a while, if it's possible." She felt as if her strength might fail her at any moment and she might collapse. Three days she'd run, with no food and very little rest. Now that the energy of the chase had left her, she had little to spare. She realized just how vulrnerable she was, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could do nothing but trust herself to Sir Roland's care.