This is an excerpt from a novel I've been working on, still in a very rough state. I normally wouldn't consider this ready to share, but I set a goal of posting at least 1000 words per week, and I don't know if I'll be able to push past my current slump before tonight. It's completely unrelated to PT, but hopefully there will be something in this to enjoy. Feel free to comment, would love to know first impressions, but expect a lot to change before I consider this complete.
Emerald waves crashed upon the white sands, the ever-shifting boundary between land and sea. Just past the sands lay the city of Tulorildril, one of the fine jewels of the small island nation of Maginholm. A tall white tower stood at its center, with a broad parapet at its peak. The rest of the city spread outward from there in several broad terraces. The largest and most ornate structures, including temples to the Seven, stood near the center, at the highest tiers of Tulorildril. With each step downward, the city bustle increased, all the way to the thriving sea port.
People of all races and from all walks of life called the city home. Maginholm was home to some of the most studied scholars in all of Firmament, and Tulorildril was the main trade hub of the small island nation. As the de facto gateway between Maginholm and the rest of the world, travelers passed through the city all the time, leaving with or arriving on the many ships that ran through all seasons.
Edhron Galineth was once such a traveler. He came to Maginholm because he wanted to raise a family away from the ever-present conflict of his homeland. He smiled down at his daughter, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Saray, recently turned seven, had been born on the island.
Town guards patrolled the roads in pairs, each wearing a chain hauberk and a tabard of cerulean edged in white. They carried black metal staves capped in bronze orbs. Like any city, Tulorildril had its seedy elements, but on the main thoroughfares, citizens and travelers alike, as well as their children, could feel safe.
Saray eagerly followed alongside her father. They moved further down in the city, with the shining tower serving as a landmark that would always show the way home. The crisp morning air carried with it the faint smell of the sea. Roads were laid with stone tiles in bright patterns of red, orange, and blue, alabaster pillars lined up on both sides. Edhron led the way down the winding roads until they reached the market proper. A wide grin broke out on Saray's face as she saw all the people, from the very old to some even younger than her. Her father walked past stalls selling delicious-looking fruit and brightly-colored toys. Saray's eyes lit up as they passed a shop with beautiful dresses in the window, but Edhron stopped two doors down.
While her father started talking with a store-keep about having supplies delivered to the temple, Saray looked back toward the dress shop. It wasn't far at all and she just wanted to take a closer look. She slipped off toward the shop and stood in front of the window. They were made for adults, but she tried to picture herself wearing the bright and colorful dresses. Saray danced a little in front of a light blue dress, imagining wearing it to a fancy ball. Smiling brightly, she turned to run back to her father, letting out a surprised squeak as she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!" she chirped, and the man just smiled and waved it off.
Saray looked over to the shop where Edhron had been, but she didn't see him. Alarmed, she looked around, trying to spot his bright white tunic or red sash. Another shopper ran into her, tossing a quick apology before moving on their way. Saray quickly rushed over to the building where she saw her father, but the store-keep wasn't there, either. She stuck her head in the doorway, looking hopefully. "Father?" she called out, but received no answer.
As she turned away, she ran into someone again, an old man who snapped something mean at her. Saray shrank back, only to find herself in the way of someone else asking her to move. The throngs of people rushing to and fro began to feel stifling and a looming sense of danger began to prickle her skin. "Father?" she called out again, worried nobody could hear her over all the people talking. She weaved through the crowd, trying to fight back her panic as she looked around desperately for her father. When she turned around, thinking about going back to the shop again, she couldn't even tell where it was.
The young girl's red and white dress stood out from the crowd. It was attire more befitting a temple worshiper. Saray's skin had a golden complexion and her hair was dark, nearly black. She gasped sharply as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at a man in dock worker's clothes, his skin tinged red from the sun. He smiled down at her, but rather than being reassured, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
"Lost, little one?" the man asked. Instead of answering, Saray clutched her hands tighter to her chest, holding tightly to a silver pendant of the sun. The man laughed. "From the high-roads, are you? Bet your da must be worried sick." She tried to back away, but the man tightened his grip on her shoulder. Despite the rush of people on every side, no one else seemed to notice anything going on. Why didn't anyone say anything?
A second man came to join the first, dressed similarly but while the first man had dark hair, this one was blond. The two obviously knew one another by the look they shared. The blond man reached down and roughly grabbed Saray's hand, pulling it away from her chest. "What have you got there?"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Saray finally screamed, as loud as she could. The first man quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shush it, don't try causing a scene!"
"What's going on over here?" came a shout, immediately.
"Mind your own woes!" the first man shouted back, but then the crowds parted, and he let out a curse under his breath. A man and a woman, each in hauberk and tabard. Not just guards, though: the tabards were one half cerulean edged in white, the other half white edged in cerulean. Rather than staves, they wore swords at their belts.
They were sentinels, the Armar.
The dark-haired man immediately released Saray and lifted his hands in the air, but too late. The woman of the sentinel pair rushed forward, and in seconds, the creep was down on his knees, face pressed harshly against the wall. Saray could only stare, amazed that it was over so quickly -- and that her rescuer was a woman!
The blond man slipped back into the crowd, shoving others out of the way. The second sentinel started to chase after him, but paused. Instead, he crouched down next to Saray, putting himself more on level with the girl. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He offered the girl a comforting smile and she saw that his short-cropped hair and eyes were both the same shade of light brown. Gilder, like her, with a warm golden hue to his skin.
"Yes… yes, sir. Thank you!" Then Saray cried out in dismay when she realized, "He took my necklace!"
The sentinel stood back up. He was slightly taller than most, tall enough that he could stretch and see above most of the crowd. His shoulders were broad, though he was soft around the middle. His partner was binding the first man's arms behind his back, while he protested that he hadn't done anything; she looked back over her shoulder and warned, "Kade, don't…."
The man, Kade, ignored the warning and flashed Saray a smile. "Wait here. I'll get it back," he promised. Then he was running, yelling for the onlookers and shoppers to get out of the way. The thief already had a good head-start, but he had no choice but to fight his way through the crowd. When people saw the tabard, though, they moved out of Kade's way.
Looking over his shoulder and seeing Kade in pursuit, the thief grabbed a nearby crate and dumped it over into the street, spilling fruit over the tiles. That proved to be a mistake: startled pedestrians jumped back out of the way, and that cleared a wider path for the sentinel to vault over the crate. His boots hit the ground and he was running again, not missing a stride. The blond man fought his way through the crowd, shoving two more citizens to the ground, but even he realized there was no way he was going to escape like that.
Up ahead was a small arched bridge over a waterway. Spotting his chance, Kade pushed himself harder, trying to close the distance. As the runaway hit the upward slope of the bridge, it broke his stride. Not a lot, but just enough. "Got you!" Kade snatched at the man's shoulder. Still desperate, the thief turned and twisted, grabbing the railing of the bridge. He vaulted over it, into the rushing waters of the canal.
The shirt ripped, but not before the man's weight yanked Kade forward and his head banged roughly into the side of the bridge.
Kade bit back a curse as he got back to his feet, wobbling. He hadn't expected such a desperate move: the canal sloped steeply downward on that side. Kade looked over the edge, then left to right, finally spotting the thief down at the next block, dragging himself out next to the bridge there. He had lost his shoes in the water, and his torn shirt was barely hanging off one shoulder. It would be foolhardy for Kade to jump into the water with leather boots and be weighed down by his mail hauberk. More than that, his chest was burning as he gasped for air. Even from this distance, he could see the blond man's smile, sure that he had gotten away.
Finding a side-road would take too long, giving the thief too many possible escape routes. Instead, Kade focused his thoughts, driving out his racing uncertainties, and spoke the words, "Vuistio Ge!" The words carried power with them, the language of the divines seeping into the mortal world. For the briefest of moments, Kade felt a shudder, as if the world around him rippled. In the space of a second, he found himself no longer on the bridge, but down on the next thoroughfare.
Such power never came freely, he reminded himself as he felt the burn of mana seeping into his body.
There was no way the thief could have expected the move. "How?" he cried out, all of his shock and confusion contained in one word. If nothing else, though, he was persistent. He turned and started running again while Kade labored to keep up. This roadway was not as crowded as the other, and the thief was a smaller, lighter man. Kade's chest was burning, heart pounding.
At this point, though, giving up wasn't an option. He had made a promise to the little girl, and although not explicitly, he now had a second promise to uphold. The blond-haired man was getting further and further ahead, though. Unless something blocked him, he was going to get away. If Kade was already in this deep….
"Vuistio... Ge!" Kade called out again. As before, reality seemed to shudder, and then Kade blinked ahead. Fighting to reorient himself, the sentinel spun around, holding his arms wide. The thief cried out as he ran right into Kade, nearly tackling the bigger man to the ground. Quickly, Kade grabbed the man by his belt and his shoulder before he could slip away. The newest influx of mana had his nerves on fire.
"Get away, bastard!" The thief grabbed a knife at his belt and slammed it in just under Kade's ribs. With a ringing chime, the blade snapped against the chainmail, but Kade groaned from the heavy blow, his grip weakening. Without missing a beat, the blond man scrambled free and began running back the other way.
Instinctively clutching at his injury, even with chainmail in the way, Kade locked his gaze on the fleeing thief. "Spifui U Reim!" This time the rush of mana he had invited was intense, a searing pain bubbling inside. The air wavered near the fleeing man before throwing him violently to the side. His body slammed into the nearest wall. Two small boxes and the side of a fruit cart were caught in the unseen force, splintering under its power.
It wasn't likely he'd shake that one off.
Kade walked forward, gasping and wheezing, one hand under his ribs. His vision was wavering and his entire body was tingling, starting to go numb. He held one hand up in front of his eyes, turning it left and right to be sure it was really there.
By the time Kade returned to his partner, with the blond man in tow, Edhron had been found, as well as a pair of guards. The guardsmen took the thief off his hands and then he walked over to Saray. She was clinging tightly to her father's hand.
"Thank you both so much! I don't know what I would have done if anything happened." The girl's father was dressed in white with red accents, typical garb for one of the temples in the upper terraces. "One minute she was there, and then the next, she was gone!"
"You overdid it again," Arttoa observed, looking over her partner. She wasn't wrong, either. Invoking that much magic to catch a petty thief was unthinkable, and those weren't the first spells he had cast that day.
Kade managed a warm smile, even though he could barely feel his face, and crouched down. He held his hand out to Saray, her silver necklace in his open palm. "I believe this is yours." Her eyes lit up and she shyly reached out to take the necklace, grinning.
Promise fulfilled, most of the pain mercifully faded away, but Kade was left with a numb, weightless feeling. He could hear the girl saying thank you, could even hear the first criminal insisting that he never intended any harm, but it all felt like it was happening somewhere else.
Someone's hands were on his shoulders… Arttoa's hands. She was guiding Kade over to the nearest wall, and as soon as he touched it, he slid down to the ground, pulling his sheathed sword from his belt to rest it in his lap.
"Guns diu liud cro su pent," Kade chanted, closing his eyes and focusing only on the words, letting them drown out the world around him. "Dae gri cir. Dae fa gri fu."
Saray stared worriedly, still holding tightly to her father with one hand and clutching her necklace in the other. She looked at Arttoa and asked, "Is he okay? What's wrong with him?"
Arttoa frowned down at Kade and then shrugged. Her dark gray skin marked her as char, and she didn't care much for relying on things she couldn't see. "He'll be fine," she promised the girl. "He's just a little reckless, is all."
"Spa diu stens."
"But what is he saying?" Saray started to repeat some of it, but her father quickly put a finger to her lips.
Older and wiser, Edhron explained, "Magic is the domain of the gods. Though it was for a just cause, he needs must atone for begging their power." He smiled and looked to Arttoa. "I had no idea there were any speakers among the Armar. The sentinels' reputation is well-earned, Arma Nuvaes. You can be sure that I'll be sending my gratitude to your order."
Arttoa didn't respond. It would be rude to disparage the offer, but she didn't know how to say thank you. Instead, she just smiled and bowed her head.
"Guns diu liud cro su pent."
Firmament
Before the SEVEN, all was Sand. NYMPHE Became, and brought Water. ATLASSE Became, and brought Earth. Rain fell upon the Sands to fill great lakes and vast oceans. Soil and stone fell upon the Sands, raising land and towering mountains. Sand remained to mark the boundaries between. AURA Became, bringing Air, Cold, and Dark. CALDOR Became, bringing Fire, Heat, and Light. They shared the Heavens, thus creating Night and Day. Ever separate, they began an eternal dance with one another. CORPUS Became, bringing Flesh and Life. CINIS Became, bringing Ash and Death. The gift of Life was empty, without purpose. The gift of Death was empty, without substance. And so They combined the two gifts and together created Mortality, and from it came all that lives. QUOD Became, or perhaps always Was, and brought the Unknown, Dreams and Mystery, Deceit and Wonder, And Time's Beginning. |
The Sentinel
Chapter 01: Pride of the Armar
Part 1
Wordcount, 2633Emerald waves crashed upon the white sands, the ever-shifting boundary between land and sea. Just past the sands lay the city of Tulorildril, one of the fine jewels of the small island nation of Maginholm. A tall white tower stood at its center, with a broad parapet at its peak. The rest of the city spread outward from there in several broad terraces. The largest and most ornate structures, including temples to the Seven, stood near the center, at the highest tiers of Tulorildril. With each step downward, the city bustle increased, all the way to the thriving sea port.
People of all races and from all walks of life called the city home. Maginholm was home to some of the most studied scholars in all of Firmament, and Tulorildril was the main trade hub of the small island nation. As the de facto gateway between Maginholm and the rest of the world, travelers passed through the city all the time, leaving with or arriving on the many ships that ran through all seasons.
Edhron Galineth was once such a traveler. He came to Maginholm because he wanted to raise a family away from the ever-present conflict of his homeland. He smiled down at his daughter, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Saray, recently turned seven, had been born on the island.
Town guards patrolled the roads in pairs, each wearing a chain hauberk and a tabard of cerulean edged in white. They carried black metal staves capped in bronze orbs. Like any city, Tulorildril had its seedy elements, but on the main thoroughfares, citizens and travelers alike, as well as their children, could feel safe.
Saray eagerly followed alongside her father. They moved further down in the city, with the shining tower serving as a landmark that would always show the way home. The crisp morning air carried with it the faint smell of the sea. Roads were laid with stone tiles in bright patterns of red, orange, and blue, alabaster pillars lined up on both sides. Edhron led the way down the winding roads until they reached the market proper. A wide grin broke out on Saray's face as she saw all the people, from the very old to some even younger than her. Her father walked past stalls selling delicious-looking fruit and brightly-colored toys. Saray's eyes lit up as they passed a shop with beautiful dresses in the window, but Edhron stopped two doors down.
While her father started talking with a store-keep about having supplies delivered to the temple, Saray looked back toward the dress shop. It wasn't far at all and she just wanted to take a closer look. She slipped off toward the shop and stood in front of the window. They were made for adults, but she tried to picture herself wearing the bright and colorful dresses. Saray danced a little in front of a light blue dress, imagining wearing it to a fancy ball. Smiling brightly, she turned to run back to her father, letting out a surprised squeak as she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!" she chirped, and the man just smiled and waved it off.
Saray looked over to the shop where Edhron had been, but she didn't see him. Alarmed, she looked around, trying to spot his bright white tunic or red sash. Another shopper ran into her, tossing a quick apology before moving on their way. Saray quickly rushed over to the building where she saw her father, but the store-keep wasn't there, either. She stuck her head in the doorway, looking hopefully. "Father?" she called out, but received no answer.
As she turned away, she ran into someone again, an old man who snapped something mean at her. Saray shrank back, only to find herself in the way of someone else asking her to move. The throngs of people rushing to and fro began to feel stifling and a looming sense of danger began to prickle her skin. "Father?" she called out again, worried nobody could hear her over all the people talking. She weaved through the crowd, trying to fight back her panic as she looked around desperately for her father. When she turned around, thinking about going back to the shop again, she couldn't even tell where it was.
The young girl's red and white dress stood out from the crowd. It was attire more befitting a temple worshiper. Saray's skin had a golden complexion and her hair was dark, nearly black. She gasped sharply as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at a man in dock worker's clothes, his skin tinged red from the sun. He smiled down at her, but rather than being reassured, she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
"Lost, little one?" the man asked. Instead of answering, Saray clutched her hands tighter to her chest, holding tightly to a silver pendant of the sun. The man laughed. "From the high-roads, are you? Bet your da must be worried sick." She tried to back away, but the man tightened his grip on her shoulder. Despite the rush of people on every side, no one else seemed to notice anything going on. Why didn't anyone say anything?
A second man came to join the first, dressed similarly but while the first man had dark hair, this one was blond. The two obviously knew one another by the look they shared. The blond man reached down and roughly grabbed Saray's hand, pulling it away from her chest. "What have you got there?"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Saray finally screamed, as loud as she could. The first man quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shush it, don't try causing a scene!"
"What's going on over here?" came a shout, immediately.
"Mind your own woes!" the first man shouted back, but then the crowds parted, and he let out a curse under his breath. A man and a woman, each in hauberk and tabard. Not just guards, though: the tabards were one half cerulean edged in white, the other half white edged in cerulean. Rather than staves, they wore swords at their belts.
They were sentinels, the Armar.
The dark-haired man immediately released Saray and lifted his hands in the air, but too late. The woman of the sentinel pair rushed forward, and in seconds, the creep was down on his knees, face pressed harshly against the wall. Saray could only stare, amazed that it was over so quickly -- and that her rescuer was a woman!
The blond man slipped back into the crowd, shoving others out of the way. The second sentinel started to chase after him, but paused. Instead, he crouched down next to Saray, putting himself more on level with the girl. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He offered the girl a comforting smile and she saw that his short-cropped hair and eyes were both the same shade of light brown. Gilder, like her, with a warm golden hue to his skin.
"Yes… yes, sir. Thank you!" Then Saray cried out in dismay when she realized, "He took my necklace!"
The sentinel stood back up. He was slightly taller than most, tall enough that he could stretch and see above most of the crowd. His shoulders were broad, though he was soft around the middle. His partner was binding the first man's arms behind his back, while he protested that he hadn't done anything; she looked back over her shoulder and warned, "Kade, don't…."
The man, Kade, ignored the warning and flashed Saray a smile. "Wait here. I'll get it back," he promised. Then he was running, yelling for the onlookers and shoppers to get out of the way. The thief already had a good head-start, but he had no choice but to fight his way through the crowd. When people saw the tabard, though, they moved out of Kade's way.
Looking over his shoulder and seeing Kade in pursuit, the thief grabbed a nearby crate and dumped it over into the street, spilling fruit over the tiles. That proved to be a mistake: startled pedestrians jumped back out of the way, and that cleared a wider path for the sentinel to vault over the crate. His boots hit the ground and he was running again, not missing a stride. The blond man fought his way through the crowd, shoving two more citizens to the ground, but even he realized there was no way he was going to escape like that.
Up ahead was a small arched bridge over a waterway. Spotting his chance, Kade pushed himself harder, trying to close the distance. As the runaway hit the upward slope of the bridge, it broke his stride. Not a lot, but just enough. "Got you!" Kade snatched at the man's shoulder. Still desperate, the thief turned and twisted, grabbing the railing of the bridge. He vaulted over it, into the rushing waters of the canal.
The shirt ripped, but not before the man's weight yanked Kade forward and his head banged roughly into the side of the bridge.
Kade bit back a curse as he got back to his feet, wobbling. He hadn't expected such a desperate move: the canal sloped steeply downward on that side. Kade looked over the edge, then left to right, finally spotting the thief down at the next block, dragging himself out next to the bridge there. He had lost his shoes in the water, and his torn shirt was barely hanging off one shoulder. It would be foolhardy for Kade to jump into the water with leather boots and be weighed down by his mail hauberk. More than that, his chest was burning as he gasped for air. Even from this distance, he could see the blond man's smile, sure that he had gotten away.
Finding a side-road would take too long, giving the thief too many possible escape routes. Instead, Kade focused his thoughts, driving out his racing uncertainties, and spoke the words, "Vuistio Ge!" The words carried power with them, the language of the divines seeping into the mortal world. For the briefest of moments, Kade felt a shudder, as if the world around him rippled. In the space of a second, he found himself no longer on the bridge, but down on the next thoroughfare.
Such power never came freely, he reminded himself as he felt the burn of mana seeping into his body.
There was no way the thief could have expected the move. "How?" he cried out, all of his shock and confusion contained in one word. If nothing else, though, he was persistent. He turned and started running again while Kade labored to keep up. This roadway was not as crowded as the other, and the thief was a smaller, lighter man. Kade's chest was burning, heart pounding.
At this point, though, giving up wasn't an option. He had made a promise to the little girl, and although not explicitly, he now had a second promise to uphold. The blond-haired man was getting further and further ahead, though. Unless something blocked him, he was going to get away. If Kade was already in this deep….
"Vuistio... Ge!" Kade called out again. As before, reality seemed to shudder, and then Kade blinked ahead. Fighting to reorient himself, the sentinel spun around, holding his arms wide. The thief cried out as he ran right into Kade, nearly tackling the bigger man to the ground. Quickly, Kade grabbed the man by his belt and his shoulder before he could slip away. The newest influx of mana had his nerves on fire.
"Get away, bastard!" The thief grabbed a knife at his belt and slammed it in just under Kade's ribs. With a ringing chime, the blade snapped against the chainmail, but Kade groaned from the heavy blow, his grip weakening. Without missing a beat, the blond man scrambled free and began running back the other way.
Instinctively clutching at his injury, even with chainmail in the way, Kade locked his gaze on the fleeing thief. "Spifui U Reim!" This time the rush of mana he had invited was intense, a searing pain bubbling inside. The air wavered near the fleeing man before throwing him violently to the side. His body slammed into the nearest wall. Two small boxes and the side of a fruit cart were caught in the unseen force, splintering under its power.
It wasn't likely he'd shake that one off.
Kade walked forward, gasping and wheezing, one hand under his ribs. His vision was wavering and his entire body was tingling, starting to go numb. He held one hand up in front of his eyes, turning it left and right to be sure it was really there.
By the time Kade returned to his partner, with the blond man in tow, Edhron had been found, as well as a pair of guards. The guardsmen took the thief off his hands and then he walked over to Saray. She was clinging tightly to her father's hand.
"Thank you both so much! I don't know what I would have done if anything happened." The girl's father was dressed in white with red accents, typical garb for one of the temples in the upper terraces. "One minute she was there, and then the next, she was gone!"
"You overdid it again," Arttoa observed, looking over her partner. She wasn't wrong, either. Invoking that much magic to catch a petty thief was unthinkable, and those weren't the first spells he had cast that day.
Kade managed a warm smile, even though he could barely feel his face, and crouched down. He held his hand out to Saray, her silver necklace in his open palm. "I believe this is yours." Her eyes lit up and she shyly reached out to take the necklace, grinning.
Promise fulfilled, most of the pain mercifully faded away, but Kade was left with a numb, weightless feeling. He could hear the girl saying thank you, could even hear the first criminal insisting that he never intended any harm, but it all felt like it was happening somewhere else.
Someone's hands were on his shoulders… Arttoa's hands. She was guiding Kade over to the nearest wall, and as soon as he touched it, he slid down to the ground, pulling his sheathed sword from his belt to rest it in his lap.
"Guns diu liud cro su pent," Kade chanted, closing his eyes and focusing only on the words, letting them drown out the world around him. "Dae gri cir. Dae fa gri fu."
Saray stared worriedly, still holding tightly to her father with one hand and clutching her necklace in the other. She looked at Arttoa and asked, "Is he okay? What's wrong with him?"
Arttoa frowned down at Kade and then shrugged. Her dark gray skin marked her as char, and she didn't care much for relying on things she couldn't see. "He'll be fine," she promised the girl. "He's just a little reckless, is all."
"Spa diu stens."
"But what is he saying?" Saray started to repeat some of it, but her father quickly put a finger to her lips.
Older and wiser, Edhron explained, "Magic is the domain of the gods. Though it was for a just cause, he needs must atone for begging their power." He smiled and looked to Arttoa. "I had no idea there were any speakers among the Armar. The sentinels' reputation is well-earned, Arma Nuvaes. You can be sure that I'll be sending my gratitude to your order."
Arttoa didn't respond. It would be rude to disparage the offer, but she didn't know how to say thank you. Instead, she just smiled and bowed her head.
"Guns diu liud cro su pent."
