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gaeleth:stories:son_of_a_witch [2019/01/29 00:27]
khavikanum
gaeleth:stories:son_of_a_witch [2021/09/28 15:50] (current)
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 He dreamt of snow, on a high mountain pass, with glaciers in a valley below him... He dreamt of snow, on a high mountain pass, with glaciers in a valley below him...
   
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 Aegan leaned up against the ramparts, the rising sun at his back.  The peak of Mount Rilan soared into the clouds up above and ahead of him, and immediately before him were the open grounds of the Mages' Academy. ​ The large fortress was virtually unassaultable,​ standing as it did on the steep side of a mountain, with only one wagon-navigable trail up to Lok Magius, as the dwarves called it. Aegan leaned up against the ramparts, the rising sun at his back.  The peak of Mount Rilan soared into the clouds up above and ahead of him, and immediately before him were the open grounds of the Mages' Academy. ​ The large fortress was virtually unassaultable,​ standing as it did on the steep side of a mountain, with only one wagon-navigable trail up to Lok Magius, as the dwarves called it.
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 The instructor continued to see without seeing, until her gaze returned to Aegan and Eriel. ​ "Stay right here." The instructor continued to see without seeing, until her gaze returned to Aegan and Eriel. ​ "Stay right here."
   
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 "Oh, ho, my boy!" ​ Master P'​Arkon smacked his hands onto Aegan'​s shoulders, squeezing them fondly. ​ "Good job," the instructor growled, shaking the smith with surprising strength. ​ "Good job." "Oh, ho, my boy!" ​ Master P'​Arkon smacked his hands onto Aegan'​s shoulders, squeezing them fondly. ​ "Good job," the instructor growled, shaking the smith with surprising strength. ​ "Good job."
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 She skipped gaily down the hall, gaily maintaining illusions that few could see through. She skipped gaily down the hall, gaily maintaining illusions that few could see through.
   
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 Eriel was waiting for Aegan the next morning, when he strode out of his rooms. ​ He was hungry, desperately needed to visit the jacks, so he only nodded quickly at her as he stalked by, heading for the jacks. ​ His hunger would have to wait, though, until he saw to Master P'​Arkon. ​ Aegan hoped that, with a war going on, the kitchens would be working at all hours, and not just for regular meal times. Eriel was waiting for Aegan the next morning, when he strode out of his rooms. ​ He was hungry, desperately needed to visit the jacks, so he only nodded quickly at her as he stalked by, heading for the jacks. ​ His hunger would have to wait, though, until he saw to Master P'​Arkon. ​ Aegan hoped that, with a war going on, the kitchens would be working at all hours, and not just for regular meal times.
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 The smith nodded, and turned back to Krevlikair Arthmodine and spoke in Vridaran. ​ "I would like a sword, then, as well as armor, elder sir.  If the rocs are active, then I'd prefer to be prepared whether the dwarves patrol the roads or not." The smith nodded, and turned back to Krevlikair Arthmodine and spoke in Vridaran. ​ "I would like a sword, then, as well as armor, elder sir.  If the rocs are active, then I'd prefer to be prepared whether the dwarves patrol the roads or not."
   
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 Only one road supplied Lok Magius -- the mages' academy -- with all its food, luxuries, and supplies. ​ The academy was situated on the east side of the mountain, on a slight pinnacle of rock, with only a narrow bridge connecting it to the mountain itself. ​ On the other side of the bridge from the academy, a number of towers of various types of rock stood as silent guardians to the bridge, each tower constructed of a different type of stone. ​ The dozen towers of different heights and thicknesses were the original mages' academy, until Lok Magius, the Fortress of Magic, had been finished by the dwarves of Rakore. ​ The road continued through the towers, and then turned south to wander along the south face of the mountain, slowly dropping, and occasionally switching back and forth to ease the grade of descent. Only one road supplied Lok Magius -- the mages' academy -- with all its food, luxuries, and supplies. ​ The academy was situated on the east side of the mountain, on a slight pinnacle of rock, with only a narrow bridge connecting it to the mountain itself. ​ On the other side of the bridge from the academy, a number of towers of various types of rock stood as silent guardians to the bridge, each tower constructed of a different type of stone. ​ The dozen towers of different heights and thicknesses were the original mages' academy, until Lok Magius, the Fortress of Magic, had been finished by the dwarves of Rakore. ​ The road continued through the towers, and then turned south to wander along the south face of the mountain, slowly dropping, and occasionally switching back and forth to ease the grade of descent.
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 She took a deep breath, and began to teach him magic as best she could. She took a deep breath, and began to teach him magic as best she could.
   
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 They wiled away the afternoon, walking along the road down the mountain. ​ Occasional patrols or wagons passed, and at one point, a detachment of nearly a hundred soldiers went marching up the mountain past them. They wiled away the afternoon, walking along the road down the mountain. ​ Occasional patrols or wagons passed, and at one point, a detachment of nearly a hundred soldiers went marching up the mountain past them.
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 Eriel was afraid that the swaying motion would dump Aegan off to one side of the beast, but the two dwarves that were belted onto the beast'​s long saddle easily held the heavy human in place. ​ As they passed a shattered wagon loaded with sacks of grain, the driver clucked at the hippotaun, and it lurched into a faster, smooth-gaited canter. Eriel was afraid that the swaying motion would dump Aegan off to one side of the beast, but the two dwarves that were belted onto the beast'​s long saddle easily held the heavy human in place. ​ As they passed a shattered wagon loaded with sacks of grain, the driver clucked at the hippotaun, and it lurched into a faster, smooth-gaited canter.
  
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 Captain Loren Razorbraid rubbed the stubble on her two-day beard, and once again contemplated letting it grow out fully. ​ It would never grow more than a half-inch in length, but shaving it was a chore she had little luxury for since the war had started. Captain Loren Razorbraid rubbed the stubble on her two-day beard, and once again contemplated letting it grow out fully. ​ It would never grow more than a half-inch in length, but shaving it was a chore she had little luxury for since the war had started.
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 "Aye, Loren." ​ He saluted with a clenched fist that rang off his master-crafted plate-and-mail. "Aye, Loren." ​ He saluted with a clenched fist that rang off his master-crafted plate-and-mail.
   
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 Fear held him down.  It kept his eyes closed, and his mind distant. ​ Aegan was afraid of consciousness,​ but his disciplined,​ ultra-rational Vridaran mind refused to allow him to sit idly in the darkness of his skull forever. Fear held him down.  It kept his eyes closed, and his mind distant. ​ Aegan was afraid of consciousness,​ but his disciplined,​ ultra-rational Vridaran mind refused to allow him to sit idly in the darkness of his skull forever.
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 The young smith dimly wondered why all the dwarves were staring at him, and coughed up the last of the blood in his airway. ​ He croaked out with his thick accent, "Does anyvone here know," and he hacked up a bit of something he didn't want to think too closely about.. ​ "Vhat '​cargdin'​ mithral is?" ​ He coughed, again, covering his mouth with his fist, and relishing the heat of his breath on his hands. The young smith dimly wondered why all the dwarves were staring at him, and coughed up the last of the blood in his airway. ​ He croaked out with his thick accent, "Does anyvone here know," and he hacked up a bit of something he didn't want to think too closely about.. ​ "Vhat '​cargdin'​ mithral is?" ​ He coughed, again, covering his mouth with his fist, and relishing the heat of his breath on his hands.
   
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 Anna Helldove paced in a small circle within her small cell.  The ceiling was only inches over her head, and the bed was sized for a dwarf. ​ She had already tried to take a nap, but she had been forced to lay at a diagonal in order to stretch out, and that left either her head or her feet trapped up under the small bed. Anna Helldove paced in a small circle within her small cell.  The ceiling was only inches over her head, and the bed was sized for a dwarf. ​ She had already tried to take a nap, but she had been forced to lay at a diagonal in order to stretch out, and that left either her head or her feet trapped up under the small bed.
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 Loren'​s eyes went wide with shock, and she sputtered for several seconds, unable to formulate words. ​ "​DWARFENDALE!"​ Loren'​s eyes went wide with shock, and she sputtered for several seconds, unable to formulate words. ​ "​DWARFENDALE!"​
   
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 Aegan was in heaven, and in hell.  The hellish part of it was simple: ​ his shoulder, his gut, his calf, and his head ached with pain unlike any he had ever experienced before. ​ Had he not already survived it, he would have said that the pain was indicative of mortal wounds. ​ The one in his gut burned in a way that had him worried, despite the reassurances of the dwarven clerics. Aegan was in heaven, and in hell.  The hellish part of it was simple: ​ his shoulder, his gut, his calf, and his head ached with pain unlike any he had ever experienced before. ​ Had he not already survived it, he would have said that the pain was indicative of mortal wounds. ​ The one in his gut burned in a way that had him worried, despite the reassurances of the dwarven clerics.
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 The brown eyes of a human met the blue eyes of a dwarf, and they shared a quiet understanding. ​ One began to understand the import of his mission, and the other poured faith into the enlightened from a cup that overflowed onto the boundaries of sanity. The brown eyes of a human met the blue eyes of a dwarf, and they shared a quiet understanding. ​ One began to understand the import of his mission, and the other poured faith into the enlightened from a cup that overflowed onto the boundaries of sanity.
   
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 Outside, in the hallway, Anna had had enough. ​ "What the hell is going on, here?" ​ She planted herself, and crossed her arms, refusing to move another inch until someone explained everything to her, her dark eyes blazing with repressed anger and fear. Outside, in the hallway, Anna had had enough. ​ "What the hell is going on, here?" ​ She planted herself, and crossed her arms, refusing to move another inch until someone explained everything to her, her dark eyes blazing with repressed anger and fear.
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 Granif merely nodded, and turned to the rest of them.  "​Let'​s get ye out, an on the dark road tae Rilan. ​ Tis a half-day'​s journey on foot, but I think wit hippotauns, we might kin have ye there afore midnight."​ Granif merely nodded, and turned to the rest of them.  "​Let'​s get ye out, an on the dark road tae Rilan. ​ Tis a half-day'​s journey on foot, but I think wit hippotauns, we might kin have ye there afore midnight."​
   
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 The five hippotauns headed out of Lok Magius a couple of marks after sunset. ​ Three of them bore dwarven infantry whose grim expressions and stoic refusal to understand common had kept conversation to a minimum. The five hippotauns headed out of Lok Magius a couple of marks after sunset. ​ Three of them bore dwarven infantry whose grim expressions and stoic refusal to understand common had kept conversation to a minimum.
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 Anna said nothing, and the elf maid glanced at her, to see the human'​s gaze locked on the table where Aegan had been sitting. ​ Eriel glance at the platter Aegan had been eating off of, to see the whole of that side of the table coated in a clear layer of ice.  Even his chair had half-and-inch-deep black ice coating it. Anna said nothing, and the elf maid glanced at her, to see the human'​s gaze locked on the table where Aegan had been sitting. ​ Eriel glance at the platter Aegan had been eating off of, to see the whole of that side of the table coated in a clear layer of ice.  Even his chair had half-and-inch-deep black ice coating it.
   
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 Outside, Aegan looked out on the city streets. ​ To his mind, being as he was from the Empire, Rilan was really no more than a large town.  He shrugged, and moved towards the small park around which most of the city was built. ​ Across from the Blue Tyven and the small park was a big cobble-stoned area that obviously doubled as a parade field. ​ Lording over the parade field was a stone edifice that was obviously the local governmental building. Outside, Aegan looked out on the city streets. ​ To his mind, being as he was from the Empire, Rilan was really no more than a large town.  He shrugged, and moved towards the small park around which most of the city was built. ​ Across from the Blue Tyven and the small park was a big cobble-stoned area that obviously doubled as a parade field. ​ Lording over the parade field was a stone edifice that was obviously the local governmental building.
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-"​Mrow?"​+ "​Mrow?"​
  
 The two guards in the dungeon glanced down at the gray short-hair at their feet, with a thin collar. ​ The cat meowed again, and rubbed up against one of their legs, purring, its tail straight up except for the curled tip. The two guards in the dungeon glanced down at the gray short-hair at their feet, with a thin collar. ​ The cat meowed again, and rubbed up against one of their legs, purring, its tail straight up except for the curled tip.
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 Maverick wasted no time and disappeared into the shadows even as two more guards, this time with torches, ran around a nearby corner. ​ They looked around frantically while aiding their comrades. ​ But of Maverick there was no sign. Maverick wasted no time and disappeared into the shadows even as two more guards, this time with torches, ran around a nearby corner. ​ They looked around frantically while aiding their comrades. ​ But of Maverick there was no sign.
   
-STORY INCOMPLETE+
gaeleth/stories/son_of_a_witch.1548721667.txt.gz · Last modified: 2019/01/29 00:27 by khavikanum