《Frontier of Blades and Walls》Coated in Scratches
Advertisement
Ken gathered his dark hair in a bunch above his head and looped a piece of leather cord around it. It was starting to get frizzy, and he was annoyed. He looked into the sky until he located the source of his frustration, a large, gray mass to the east that covered the heavens.
"God I hate the rain," he lied. He didn't hate the rain, only the humid kind since it frizzed up his hair. "I hope it waits until after I'm back in town to start."
He wasn't afraid to start talking to himself since he was far away from any living creature. In fact, he couldn't even see a plant anywhere near him. He trudged along a rocky trail some few miles to the northeast of Clarenburgh. It was ever so slightly sloped upwards, just enough to make Ken's calves feel like they were on fire. His shoes having no support didn't help either, and his feet hurt like they never had before. Gravel crunched under his feet and sweat dripped into his eyes. He was in hell.
Ken had a different look from his usual attire. His windbreaker was tied around his waist, exposing the company-branded polo shirt he wore to work back on Earth. His leather bag was slung over his shoulder as usual, and he also had a cognac leather sheath hanging from his belt. It hung about ten centimeters down his right thigh, and sitting in it was a knife a centimeter shorter than the sheath. It was loaned to him by Kamisho.
Ken walked up the trail, straining his calves more and more. He decided that it was time to take a break, and he sat on a boulder that looked appealing to his sore legs. He loosened the drawstrings on his leather bag and retrieved a cheap wineskin, which he had bought at the market, from its depths. He took a large gulp, but not too much, and paid no attention to the beads of water dripping off his chin.
Advertisement
"Pwaaah!" He gasped in satisfaction after he swallowed. He then fastened the lid back onto the wineskin and dropped it back into his bag. He closed his eyes and tried to rest and let his calves cool down. After a few dozen seconds, he found that his hand had found its way to the sheath of his knife. He was subconsciously popping the metal snap on and off. Once he was aware of this he stopped and pulled the knife out to study it.
It was weighty in his hand, but not heavy. The blade had a clip point, but much more modest than a Bowie knife's. The finish was coated in scratches, and the edge was worn down and nicked, but it was razor sharp. It had never seen battle or blood, only rope and wood. The blade reached all the way down to the bottom of the handle, which was fashioned from a type of red wood, and it had a metal pommel at the bottom to catch his fingers if they ever slid down too far.
Ken ran the pads of his fingers along the edge, testing its sharpness, and thought back to what Kamisho said when she gave it to him.
"Since this job is directly related to monsters, the Guild is obligated to supply you with a weapon." She sighed. "What we're gonna do, is lend you a weapon until you finish this job. After the job, you can pay for the weapon in full. Deal?" She looked at Ken, and her gray ears followed, waiting for a response.
"Sounds good to me. What if I don't complete the job? Can return the weapon?" Ken asked. He was always on his toes when it came to debts.
Kamisho inhaled greatly.
"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that," she said as she exhaled.
Advertisement
"Have you noticed that you sigh a lot?" Ken had asked innocently. She got annoyed at him for pointing it out and rushed him out of the guild with the only weapon they had that his mine job could ever hope to pay for.
Ken slid the knife back into the sheath at his hip, threw his bag on his shoulder, and started walking again. His hand had gotten oily from handling the blade, so he wiped off the oil on his jeans.
After another hour of walking, Ken came across a sign with two words.
"'Copper mine,' huh? How simple. Guess I'm about there."
After he walked another minute, the top of a cliff face came into view. He assumed the mine was at the bottom of it, and he turned ninety degrees to his left and started walking directly away from the path. He'd be much safer if he didn't come into view exactly where the goblins expected him to, on the trail, and after he was a good distance away, he started to continue on at an angle towards the top of the hill.
Ken was ten feet from the top of the hill when he put on his windbreaker, got on his hands and knees, and started crawling up the hill. He crept up under the shadow of one of the many boulders at the crest of the hill, and the base of the cliff finally came into sight. His eyes leaped to a shifting form off to his right. The sun was over the cliff, so the land around the base was drenched in shadow, and everything else around was so bright that Ken's eyes couldn't adjust right away. The form was moving wildly, and Ken strained his eyes trying to make it out.
He started to hear it before ever fully seeing it. The screams of a boy. Ken was taken aback with surprise, but they had only just begun. The boy screamed even more. Ken had never heard anything like it, so filled with pain, yet gaining determination at the height of their volume. Ken's eyes dilated from the stress, and consequently, he could see what was going on in the shadows.
The boy was standing his ground. He held his sword out in front of him with both hands, even though chunks of his abdomen and forearms were essentially missing, and it seemed like all of his exposed skin was coated in scratches. He stared down three unharmed gray goblins with short arming swords. Two more, of slightly darker color and larger stature, stood with spears by one of the many cave entrances that dotted the cliff face.
All five of the creatures were laughing with glee.
Advertisement
Reincarnated, let's be a pirate.
Oh, does it sound familiar? That's not really a surprise. After my death, God, bored by watching the worlds, choose to send me to a new world. I wonder does he know this is an over-used trope? Oh well, I will be alright. For now, let's find my first event. I'm sure it's around here somewhere. "It's like a trope wrapped in a cliché." "It's great and despite the ''over-used trope'' actually original." "Refreshing, dare I say pretty original too." "One hell of a plot twist." MAY CONTAIN BLATANT FANSERVICE. 15+ Suggested.
8 120Hush | on hold
"Your name?"When I stayed silent, he repeated himself. "Your name?""Jeyri." I let out quietly."And last name?""Rae...""Jeyri Rae..." He crouched down next to me and moved the hair from in front of my face, "I dislike when things get difficult, I end up doing things I'd much rather not do. Do you want to know what happened to the last person who made things difficult for me, hmm?" He asked, leaning into me. Is he talking about me calling the cops? He pressed his gun against my head and frowned, "You get it don't you?"I nodded quickly. "Good... And if you tell anyone what you saw today, I'll know." He pressed his finger against my lips and smiled, "So hush."
8 101Mark of the Mountain [formally : the masked queen (drottingr)]
Lyssia - the masked Drottine of Ilvana - has to discover the strength of her own voice and uncover the dark secrets that threaten to undermine the safety of her people while maintaining her own secret, a struggle that may force her to choose between her kingdom and her life. * * * * * * * * * * Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge! * * * * * * * * * * Armed with an uncontrollable talent for premonition and a dangerous secret that could cost her her life, Lyssia - the masked Drottine of Ilvana - has to learn to survive in a land designed to weed out the weak. Lyssia always thought her survival at court depended upon her identity as the greatest pretender of all. But when Magnor - the newly crowned King of Dunival - arrives unannounced and threatens the tenuous peace between their two kingdoms, Lyssia soon realizes that he carries secrets even more dangerous than her own. As Lyssia struggles to discover the true intentions behind Magnor's visit, she is faced with an impossible choice: Sacrifice her secret - her freedom - her life to save a dying land... or allow Ilvana to be overcome by what lies hidden in the shadows. Can Lyssia find the strength to stand and fight for her people, or will the lies she has hidden behind her entire life prove too strong to be overcome? * * * * * * * * * * A kongdomr of warriors, though rusted their swords A kongdomr of voices, raised in hopeful song A kongdomr of drakuns, forsaken, forgotten A kongdomr of masks, neither young nor old A kongdomr of faces, expectantly raised To this new chance, a new age A new Drottingr Ilvana of legend Rise, Warriors, Rise * * * * * * * * * * CAST, DEFENITIONS, PLAYLIST CAST Ilvanian (the three-pointed mountain) Lyssia (Lys) - Drottine of Ilvana, heir, present day 22YO Dizean - Kongr of Ilvana, Lyssia's father Azerian (Az) - Lyssia's maternal cousin, present day 22YO Carryn - Lyssia maternal aunt, Azerian's mother Roakev (Ro) - Lyssia's paternal cousin, present day 24YO Eindre - Lyssia's paternal uncle, Roakev's father and Drengr Nimeah - Eindre's wife, Roakev's mother Seaka - old Lach and Lyssia's former caretaker Bjarke - Master Skald, employed the Kongr of Ilvana Aturnel (the guardian) - highest mountain point on Ilvania-Listoria border Thivness (the wildness) – dangerous, impassable cliff between eastern forest and sea Vatn – Lesser mountain named after the lake found at its feet Arvid – Lyssia’s Dubkir horse, named after her great grandfather Sikurd – Roakev’s Dubkir horse, named after an old hero from a Lay Isi - girl Lyssia meets on road to Steiner Mart Diyana - Lyssia's songbird, also Rilken's wife Ofrid - Lyssia's maternal cousin, close to Roakev's age Reeza - Lyssia's older maternal cousin, has a oat named OdilHoney - good natured mare rode by Lyssia Hanne – village representative’s niece celebrating her wedding Ardbon - Karl involved in Steiner Mart fight Liefer - Karl involved in Steiner Mart fight, his son’s name is Nurik Rilken - the last Drakun Kongr of Ilvana Steiner Mart - Eda-Yute Mart held every year in Steiner Field, also called the crossroads Gavin Brinson – young western Jarl, not allied with Halvor, his family crest is a raven Sidne – Gavin’s wife, very pregnant and very helpful Halvor - outspoken jarl from western stead Sorev – Halvor’s son, family crest is a bear in mid-maul, one of eight Jarlsons present, but the only one hailing from the west Fulrik – sonless western Jarl allied with Halvor Calvin – one of the Jarlsons atttending the peacemeet, the oldest and tallest of the lot Angar – eastern Jarl in possession of the Dubkir herd, family crest is a shield painted with bright green and yellow stripes Dubkir heir – Angar’s son…when will Lyssia learn his name? Ingar – former Kongr of Ilvana and Lyssia’s grandfather Scyftan River – the unofficial divide between eastern and western Ilvana Listorian (the five-pointed flower) Andev - Kongr of Listoria Igone (of the green thumb) - Andev's wife, Drottingr of Listoria Thisska - Listorian Drakun, bonded to Igone Linea - Drottine of Listoria, Murel's twin, heir, present day 20YO Murel - Drottine of Listoria, Linea's twin, heir, present day 20YO Ansev - Kongre of Listoria, twin's younger brother Sundric - Kongre of Listoria, twin's younger brother Giall - Jarl that travels to Ilvana with royal party Dunival (the spinning dustdevil) Magnor - recently crowned Kongr of Dunival, present day 25YO Tirne - Kongre-Slad of Dunival, younger son of Rijek, present day 22YO V???? - Magnor’s self-proclaimed “second”…another name Lyssia can’t seem to learn! Deceased Erina - Lyssia's mother, deceased Rijek – former Kongr of Dunival, deceased Anitra – former Drottingr of Dunival, Magnor and Tirne’s mother, deceased The Five Kongdomren - Ilvana, Dunival, Listoria, Sinnet, Nukrevn Aonta...Definition and Cast to be discovered DEFINITIONS Kongr/Kongre - King/Prince Drottingr/Drottine - Queen/Princess Kongdomr (Kongdomren) - Kingdom (Kingdoms) Jarl/Karl - landowner/non-landowner, may be beholden one particular Jarl Lach – healer Fyr/Slad - heir/none Middig/Dreg - master/apprentice Skald - historian and musician Drengr – champion Drakuns - Dragons, the Ancient Ones Bjurn – bear Elke(Elken) – gigantic, majestic elk, native to Ilvana Ban-maudr – “executioner thorns”, found in the eastern forest, very painful and hard to remove Yute - Thanks yearly celebration between cold and growing seasons Urd/Eda/Aon(-Yute) - past/present/future, two weeks each Lay - Ilvanian historical songs Laikari - Listorian historical plays Ridineig - fast-paced dancing tune Drigneig – type of song, a dirge, “opposite” of ridineig Lur - long trumpet like instrument Bowed lyra – larger version of hand lyra, played with a bowed stick Jorki – similar to a pan flute, jokingly called “child’s flute” Drakuns - Dragons, the Ancient Ones Diyana - songbird Wulv – wolf, native to Dunival Wulvken – umm…we’re still not sure Volvstot/wulvstot – “witchbrew/wolfbrew”, dark beer that Magnor brings from Dunival Fovk - fox Vas Morginnen - Good Morning Vas Heill - Good Health Vas Daginnen – Good Day Adhuil - prosperous, prosperity Ami - genderless term of endearment Dunga - insulting way of saying someone is stupid Saedas - sweetness, another way of saying happinessSaedhirte- sweetheart Hviss - an (improper) oath Slegrl – sly Standa – stop An-rivic – be still! Brudpar – “bridal pair”, bride and groom Dubkir – famous Ilvanian horses, half-wild and bred for the hunt * * * * * * * * * * Playlists: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcaiTcdQkK6nXrjYq29srJ7GMsebdd-Sp https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcaiTcdQkK6msFQiYhbaYhZ0VqFJ0mROi Lyssia character portrait by @soretoothproductions!
8 355Questworld Union Of Underworked Adventurers
Questworld has ran out of quests. But the heroes still come. If are one of these unfortunate souls / stubborn fools, then why not consider a seasonal membership to the Questworld Union Of Underworld Adventurers (QUOUA). We provide breaking news, quest guides, tips, articles, workshops and maps to help you actually make a pittance from running around like a madman making dramas out of nothing whilst the rest of the Hive gets on with its boring peace and quiet. Act today and pay up. Our tavern bill is waiting. This isn't a cohesive story as such, and more of a jumbled mix of random articles and utter nonsense. In no way do you have to start at the first scroll. Just dip in anywhere and see if this is for you.
8 73Re:World
What would you wish for if you have one? Power? Wealth? Immortality? Yet he wished for something different. In his entire life, he was mocked, humiliated, and backstabbed. But not this time. He’s was born a human, But they say his worse than the devil. His personality is twisted as it can be. One moment he beheaded someone next his smiling with blood all over him. Why I am telling you this? What is this all about? Hahaha, you’ve done well to listen to me up until this point. Let me tell you a story of a boy named Reiki. Like any other name, it’s plain and simple but to others this name was special. To some, he was their Lover, Enemy, and Savior. This is not a story about him being a saint and helping the entire world achieve world peace nor a story about him being a devil killing everything in sight like you he was only human. But you don’t want to hear the story like this no let me start over. One day Reiki killed his best friend for selling him out and on this day he tried to commit suicide.
8 307The way of life - Edser Fan fiction
This a book about the story of Edser, this is completely fictional. I don't own any of the characters they belong to MF Yapim. This is just how I thought the story would go. Eda and Ferit are siblings who live in Istanbul while Eda has a secret crush on the famous architect Serkan Bolat, see what happens in their life and how destiny will bring them together or not..
8 90