NeverEnding Story - Darkforum.com - Dark Stories, Dark Art, Poetry, Photography, Debates and Discussions

Kain424

Because I think that they're fun, I have begun a new Neverending Story. Feel free to join in and create new characters and additions. I have created a wide world with this opening, and have purposely left a lot more open for everyone else's admissions.

All the usual rules apply, I would say, so check out the N/E Story Help thread for comments and questions on this Neverending Story.
-------------------------------------------

As the tides crashed against the rocks below the cliffs, and the waves splashed softly onto the sand at the shore nearby, eight ships, one from each of the surrounding Kingdoms, bobbed restlessly on the waters. In each ship, a crew sat nervously, waiting for their vassals to return with news of either coming war, or coming peace between the Eastern Kingdoms.

High upon the rocky cliffs stood a castle, ancient, but still standing as strong as the days when it sat first finished, all those centuries ago. Inside the castle, a meeting of the vassals was drawing near its end, and yet tempers flared still.

Hygar, vassal of King Alphasic, who ruled over Drayna to the south-east, was in a deadlock with Captain Bensen, vassal to King Forlus, ruler of Oscinus, also to the south-east. It was an ancient feud, perhaps more ancient than even the castle in which the discussion roared furiously. There were lands along the river that split the two nations evenly that had been fought over for hundreds of years. The matter had gone beyond that, however, in the years since the issue had first been birthed. It was now a matter of national pride, and neither side would give up any hold. Five of the other nations’ vassals had come to terms with one another, and now turned to mediate between these two bitter rivals.

The sixth vassal, a woman named Hyrda, who hailed from a woman-ruled nation to the west, known as Caria, had remained silent during the entire conflict. Her ambitions left to the unattended issues that would be left as ‘scraps’ on the bargaining table. There was an island, sitting between her nation and that of the nation of Oscinus, spot in the middle of the Blue Sea. On this island were ores and materials that could make her nation great. She was waiting toward the tail-end of this meeting, when all other matters had been settled, and this matter deemed unimportant, to lay claim to the island. She sat, cleverly, and watched with amusement, as these men, sadly ignorant of the great island’s greatness and too focused on their riverfront feuds, threatened more war against each other.

Another man, who led the most powerful of the barbarian nations to the north, also sat among them. He had not arrived by ship, instead coming earlier by horseback. He, too, has sat quietly for much of the meeting, only sneering angrily at those who referred to him as “barbarian” or “uncivilized”. At last, when the two bitter enemies were seemingly coming to terms with one another, the barbarian spoke, his voice deep and cruel.

“There is an island,” the barbarian, who called himself Tak, spoke to them. “It lies south of here, and is useless to you all. I desire it for strategic purposes.”

Hyrda almost jumped at the mention of an island, but needn’t speak for her desire for the island. Sir Gregor, vassal with knighthood status, spoke instead.

“What does a barbarian know of strategy?” Sir Gregor spoke, his face mocking the large barbarian.

“I know that none of these agreements, made here tonight, will last come autumn,” Tak said, calmly, reaching up to pull the hood from his head. He had weathered, yet handsome features, his hair dark and his eyes emerald green. “You men talk of civilization, yet look ahead, to the times to come. All of you will disavow these treaties, and let loose war among your kind in the coming months. You know nothing of trust... You call me barbaric, and yet my people have not been at war for two years.”

“Your people raid our borders and slaughter my people monthly,” Captain Bensen shot at the barbarian ruler. “You could set the moon to it.”

“We war not with each other,” Tak responded cooly, “but with those who would fire arrows upon our cities from their ships. Your ships. You attack us for sport, we attack for food and supplies that you deny us by killing our innocent!”

“You attack for retribution,” the Captain responded. He glared daringly at the barbarian.

Tak smiled at the man from the sea-going nation of Oscinus. Good sailors the men were, but always against them was their poor swordsmanship. Tak glanced about at the others, silent, as if they were all expecting the barbarian from the north to draw his blade. In truth, Tak would want nothing more than to quench his blade’s thirst, but his fellow tribesmen had sent him here in hopes of peace. Tak sat back and continued smiling.

Hygar, as if sensing the room’s ease back into whatever form of relaxation that had existed before the outbursts, spoke. “I also want this island,” he said, adjusting himself and pouring some wine into his goblet.

“Nonsense,” Captain Bensen laughed. “The island should belong to a sea-going nation. I claim this land.”

Hyrda glared over at the barbarian, who gave her only a momentary glance. The beat of a man had ruined everything. It was all that she had been sent to gain for her land, and she had failed. Unless...

“Nay, you wicked men!” Hyrda suddenly shouted and stood. It was the barbarian who first mentioned the land, but in truth, I also have come to gain this land. I ask that you all allow the barbarian and myself equal share of this land.”

“What is this?” Sir Gregor asked, moving from his lean on the wall to an upright posture. “The woman wishing to share with the barbarian? This is incredible!”

“Women cannot rule or fight–“ Hygar began, but stopped short and he found a ready blade at his throat. The room became instantly silent.

“Perhaps what you lack in guile, we more than make up for, Hygar of Drayna,” Hyrda said, sheathing again her small dagger. “You mean know of nothing but show of arms. Now, Tak, what say you?”

Tak smiled genuinely at the woman. He found her traits to be most admirable. Moving his eyes over the distrustful men, and then finally back to Hyrda, Tak began to nod.

Jordyn · 06-07-05

Noticing the large barbarians nod, she smiled slightly hoping it as a subtle means of support, and sat down in a defiant pose.

"So, we can't fight or rule, interesting boast from one who has such noble, but unproven boasts, so prove it!"

She sat back feeling more confident watcy89 the three imposing figures listening, their attention baited.

I'll wager, a pound of gold, that a chosen warrior of my choosing, being a female can and will defeat your best choice. In an even battle of skill and ability."

"And if she wins?" A dark, and until now silent figure in the corner, spoke up. "What if another bidder was to bring an offering to this table?"

"Simple, the winner gets the island, the warrior gets the gold and we can negotiate with them for rights to the island."

She smiled brightly sitting back, listening to the murmur of discussion this suggestion had set off, and old arguements were set to simmer, discovering an alternative to pointless arguements.

"So, men can work things out quietly, they just need an offering of violence?" she leaned back chuckling to a lightly robed figure that approached from behind...

lusankya · 06-08-05

I just write from where it leaves off, right?

___________

"I like your style," the insinuous voice of the Magus Vulpus Hallcove whispered in Hydra's ear. She tensed momentarily, her hand going to the dagger at her side, before she realised that his intentions were not harmful. "If you wish, I can promise you all you seek, without the need for violence - for a price."

Hydra glanced around. The other vassals in the room had slowed their movements. They had not entirely stopped, but it was clear that whatever conversation she was having with the mage would appear to their eyes to take but a moment.

"How would you give me this? And for what price?"

"We of the Kana have our ways," Vulpus said. "As for the price, we wish to study the crown of your Queens. Promise it to us for one year, and you may have your island."

Hydra bit her lip in thought. The Magi of Kana were dangerous. What their land lacked in population or land, it more than made up for with the power of its magick. Because of their strict breeding program, which was meant to create the strongest mages, they believed that any influx of foreigners would weaken them. It was this, and this alone, that prevented them from expanding and taking over the world. She knew that any offer from the Magi was likely to be a double-edged sword, but at the same time she realised that his offer was too good to be refused. If she brought home all that Queen Adelaide had asked for, rather than the much smaller amount that she had hoped for, Hydra could gain more power and prestige than she could possibly imagine.

"How can I guarantee that the crown will be returned intact?" Hydra asked.

"You have my word," said Vulpus. "If you wish, I could take a blood oath."

"I would like that," said Hydra. A blood oath was a powerful guaruntee, especially from a Magus. "And..."

"If the Queen dies, then we will return the crown for the new Queen's coronation," Vulpus preempted her question. "Of course, it will be in our interests to protect the Queen from harm while we have the crown. We will do everything in our power to keep her alive."

So the Queen would be protected as well - that clinched the deal. "I accept your terms, Magus," Hydra said.

"I am pleased." Vulpus slipped back into the shadows and time resumed its normal pace. To the rest of the room, the conversation had been so swift that even Prospecta, the sister of Hydra who stood behind her, had noticed the exchange.

_____
Have a very nice day
-Lusankya

Kain424 · **The Set-Up -** 06-11-05

The presence of magic-bearers always made a situation more tense. Seeing, if only for a fleeting second, one mage speak to the woman, Tak knew that an agreement had been made between the two. The woman seemed to carry a silent burden after that instant, one which few, if an, of the others could have noticed. Tak, however, was not like them, having been raised in the wilds of the north, where only the most primal of instincts helped a man through the treacheries that life occasionally sprung.

The meeting of all of the vassals came to an uneasy end as the sun rose the following day. Agreements had been made, but few there, if any at all, believed that the leaders of one another’s countries would ever hold any agreement in much esteem. The vassals would never admit it, but they knew that the barbarian was right. Come the end of summer, there would once more be war.

As for the island, Hyrda found that the Kana were most interested in keeping their word. In the weeks that followed her arrival back in Caria, the Queen agreed to the terms and sent her precious crown away. No questions were asked as to why the Kana would desire the crown, though suspicions about its many famous jewels and ancient nature were in the many already. In its absence, Queen Adelaide wore a silver crown, fashioned in the shape of roses and bearing a single, great crystal in the center, held aloft only by two strips of silvered bronze. The Carians went to set up mining and foresting facilities upon the island, several high-level mages along as well, overseeing and protecting the women from Caria, and the male servants that performed much of the manual labor. On charts, the island became known as Adelia, in honor of the Carian Queen.

It was not long before the barbarians began to infiltrate the island, their shores in the north temporarily unengaged by unlicensed attacks from the Oscinus. The barbarians hid away in caves, and began their own mining operations, not nearly as extensive as the Carians, but lucrative to the barbarian tribes in the north, who rarely enjoyed such a steady income.

But all never goes well in such situations. There are always pirates and marauders, searching for a pie for which into they might thrust their hands. This time however, pirates were only a scapegoat. Using as an excuse a botched pirate attack on an Oscinus port, King Forlus sent several vessels to blockade barbarian exports from Adelia. King Alphasic sent several commissioned pirate ships to also blockade.

Soon, other nations began to turn their collective figure-heads in the direction of the islands. Where there was blood in the water, other sharks were soon to show. The situation quickly became tense as nations who had signed treaties and agreements, but who were very nearly once again at war with one another, now had navies very near each other and armies ready to cross into another’s territory. What the Carian Queen’s vassal had hoped would be but a “scrap” left on the table, had become a very dangerous pie.

Jordyn · 06-12-05

Hydra sat in her room, overlooking the tiny, going bare island. She sighed and walked across the room to look at the moon dancing on the water. She turned hearing a silent swish of robes and turned with a large smile on her face, the first one in weeks. She needed to know what was happenig to her little scrap. The robed figure pulled back the hood to smile brightly back.

"Mother, i've returned; and the news is most interesting!" She unlatched the robe, letting it fall to the floor, leaving her dressed in a well fitting, leather tunic and some deep green leggins.

"Did you know it was the barbarians all this time." She laughed. "They've been living in the mountains."

Hydra looked at the rosy cheeked girl, smiling as she walked over and began to brush her thick, dark hair.

"My dear, we know it's the barbarians who got their attentions, the problem is we need to know how to survive this.

"But mother, it's that reason that makes it so ineteresting, did you know they met a strange, new type of people in those caves, and it would seem are making some sort of, agreements." She turned and looked at her mother again smiling brightly. "I think it's time the Queen sent an emissary, and maybe work out a deal with the barbarians, perhaps we can fight off those, boring people from the main land." She bounced up and stretched gazing out the window herself.

"I'll go mother, if the queen wishes. I found the barbarians interesting in their primitive ways."

"Tarah, i'm not sure if i want you involved in the politics."

"But mother, you know i can handle myself as well as any man, and kill them twice as fast. I can sneak sneakier than any ol' elf, and i have your witty charm. What more does one need to go talk with a bunch of men?"

The barbarians, i don't think i'd mind it so much, they're not the threat, but these new people, all the turmoil on that side of the island. It wouldn't be the same as you hiding, people would know who you are representing and why. They'd pick you out being so young and."

"I'll never be able to do it if you don't give me the chance." She looked to her mother smiling with that gleem. "Besides expecting another child", she went over and kissed her mother's slightly swelling belly. "You can't do it, and who else would be better able to represent our interests in this island, than we who know it so well?" She walked over to a table by the door and picked up a large, ripe fruit and began to eat it waiting for her mother's decision.

"I guess you do have to meet the world sometime, i'll establish communication with the queen." Hydra walked over and hugged her daughter. "Just promise me you'll be careful?"

"I always am, mom."