Part I: The Adventure Begins
Chapter I: Plans
It was a cool morning. The clouds loomed in the sky blocking out the sun. The surrounding area was a grassy field, and in the centre of the field ran a cobbled road. It was early summer and the countryside was at its finest. The road was deserted, aside from one man who walked slowly along, taking time to absorb the scenery. He was average in height and was slim, but well built. His hair was short and brown, and his eyes were of the lightest blue. He wore a light grey jacket upon his shoulders and the same colour of trousers. On his feet were light walking boots, slightly tattered and torn from extensive use.
Time passed, but the man did not hasten. Instead, he kept his pace and watched the many birds and other wildlife. It was now mid-afternoon, and the clouds were beginning to part, letting the sun leak through. Over the horizon, blue water rose and glistened in the sunlight. The man seemed relieved and quickened his pace slightly.
By late afternoon, a large harbour was visible ahead. It was now very warm, and completely sunny. Countryside changed to village, and soon the man was upon the marketplace. There were now many people using the road, and the town was bustling with life. Then the man approached one of the trade tables and smiled to the merchant there.
"Astral!" said the merchant happily. "What a pleasure it is to see you here today! All day it has been business, and I haven't gotten a chance to take a break. But let us sit down and enjoy some cold tea."
"That would be very nice," replied the man, taking a seat near the table. "I have walked since this morning from Cameron. The countryside is very beautiful this time of year."
"Indeed it is," answered the merchant while fetching the tea from below his table. "I walk out that way as often as I can. I don't have the endurance to make it all the way to Cameron, but it is still enjoyable."
The merchant then poured the tea into two glasses and then joined Astral near the table. The crowd had thinned since Astral arrived, as it was now nearing meal time, and people had gone home.
"So, Derek, how has business been?" asked Astral while sipping his tea.
"Never better," said the merchant enthusiastically. With all the money I have been making, I think I shall go on a little trip."
"Oh?" replied a surprised Astral. "Where would you go?"
"I have not decided that yet." responded Derek. "I have been taking walks down to the harbour every once and a while to scout out my possibilities. A couple have caught my eye, but I have not another person willing to go along with me."
"If that is the reason you are not going, I would be happy to accompany you," said Astral, now getting very interested in the subject. "I have never travelled further than Alexandria, and that is no feat. I will dearly miss the fair countryside, but I think that travelling would be much more rewarding.
"Great then!" said Derek excitedly. "When can you be ready to go?"
"I will be ready anytime you are," replied Astral. "I will have to go back to Cameron to gather my belongings, but then I shall be ready. That will take a day, so maybe two days from now would be a good time."
"That is fine by me," said Derek, finishing his tea. "Two days from now it is. Tonight you can stay with me, and tomorrow we shall go to Cameron. I just hope I can make it all the way," he added with a grin
The War of Illarion - Astral's Story
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The War of Illarion - Astral's Story
Last edited by Astral on Wed Oct 09, 2002 2:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
The War of Illarion
Part I: The Adventure Begins
Chapter II: On the Road
After a long night’s sleep, Astral and Derek woke up mid-day, excited about their upcoming adventure. After a short breakfast and some gathering of a few supplies, they set off under the afternoon sun. It was soon unbearably hot, and they were forced to stop and take cover under a large tree.
“Perhaps we picked the wrong day to walk this distance,” said Derek slowly, still clearly exhausted.
“We cannot afford to delay any longer,” replied Astral. “If we can make it back tomorrow, we can be off before some of the ships leave for the summer.”
“I suppose you’re right,” answered Derek hesitantly. “We best press on then.”
With that he groaned as he slowly stood up, Astral doing the same.
After several more hours, the sun was getting dangerously close to the horizon. Their pace was slower than ever, as the intense heat had now turned very cold. Occasionally the howl of a wolf could be heard emanating from the forest beside the road.
“Can’t we stop here for then night?” asked Derek longingly. “There are many good trees along the side of the road.”
“No,” replied Astral quickly. “At night these parts are filled with wild wolves and other fierce creatures. We have to keep moving and get there before dark. Pick up the pace!”
Astral then sped up to a fast walk, and Derek stumbled along behind him, working hard to keep up.
After another hour, the sun had almost slipped completely out of view, and the travellers were forced to light their torch. The cries of the wolves had grown more and more frequent as time passed. The town of Cameron was just beyond their sight, but even Astral did not know where exactly they were.
Just then a shape appeared in the distance. Noticing it quickly, Astral held the torch up high only to see two eyes shining back at him.
“Get the knife from the bag,” Astral whispered to Derek.
Derek took the knife out of the pack and handed it to Astral, still not knowing what was going on. Wielding the knife in one hand and the torch in the other, Astral moved slowly towards the creature. As they got nearer, it revealed itself very clearly as the figure of a white wolf.
That is when Derek first noticed the wolf. He immediately stopped for a couple of seconds, then picked up a large stick and followed after Astral. The wolf growled and then started to advance towards them. Derek stopped in his tracks, but Astral kept going as well. When The wolf was within leaping distance, Astral lashed out at it with the torch, causing the wolf to stop and growl again. Astral then tried the same thing again, but the wolf was prepared. As Astral’s arm was extended fully, the wolf lunged and bit into Astral’s wrist. Reacting quickly from the pain, Astral shook his arm free of the wolf’s jaws. Also at that moment, Derek jumped in, hitting the wolf with the stick. Stunned, the wolf stepped back, and Astral sliced with the knife, wounding the wolf. It glanced at Astral, and then looked to the sky, let out a terrible howl, and vanished from the road in front of the travellers.
Concerned more about Astral’s injury, neither of them paid much attention to it.
“Are you all right?!” asked Derek quickly, quite concerned.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” replied Astral, standing up and retrieving the torch. He tossed the knife to the side of the road and wrapped his wrist with a cloth. A single drop of blood dropped to the ground as the two men walked away, turned green, and then vaporized into the air. A quiet cry of a wolf was heard from behind them. Still shaken, they turned around, only to find nothing.
After a short distance, the lights of Cameron became visible in the distance. Soon they had arrived at Astral’s house, and after a short discussion about the following day, they were off to bed. Astral sat on his bed while making a bandage that he wrapped around his wrist. He then lay down, and quickly fell asleep.
Chapter II: On the Road
After a long night’s sleep, Astral and Derek woke up mid-day, excited about their upcoming adventure. After a short breakfast and some gathering of a few supplies, they set off under the afternoon sun. It was soon unbearably hot, and they were forced to stop and take cover under a large tree.
“Perhaps we picked the wrong day to walk this distance,” said Derek slowly, still clearly exhausted.
“We cannot afford to delay any longer,” replied Astral. “If we can make it back tomorrow, we can be off before some of the ships leave for the summer.”
“I suppose you’re right,” answered Derek hesitantly. “We best press on then.”
With that he groaned as he slowly stood up, Astral doing the same.
After several more hours, the sun was getting dangerously close to the horizon. Their pace was slower than ever, as the intense heat had now turned very cold. Occasionally the howl of a wolf could be heard emanating from the forest beside the road.
“Can’t we stop here for then night?” asked Derek longingly. “There are many good trees along the side of the road.”
“No,” replied Astral quickly. “At night these parts are filled with wild wolves and other fierce creatures. We have to keep moving and get there before dark. Pick up the pace!”
Astral then sped up to a fast walk, and Derek stumbled along behind him, working hard to keep up.
After another hour, the sun had almost slipped completely out of view, and the travellers were forced to light their torch. The cries of the wolves had grown more and more frequent as time passed. The town of Cameron was just beyond their sight, but even Astral did not know where exactly they were.
Just then a shape appeared in the distance. Noticing it quickly, Astral held the torch up high only to see two eyes shining back at him.
“Get the knife from the bag,” Astral whispered to Derek.
Derek took the knife out of the pack and handed it to Astral, still not knowing what was going on. Wielding the knife in one hand and the torch in the other, Astral moved slowly towards the creature. As they got nearer, it revealed itself very clearly as the figure of a white wolf.
That is when Derek first noticed the wolf. He immediately stopped for a couple of seconds, then picked up a large stick and followed after Astral. The wolf growled and then started to advance towards them. Derek stopped in his tracks, but Astral kept going as well. When The wolf was within leaping distance, Astral lashed out at it with the torch, causing the wolf to stop and growl again. Astral then tried the same thing again, but the wolf was prepared. As Astral’s arm was extended fully, the wolf lunged and bit into Astral’s wrist. Reacting quickly from the pain, Astral shook his arm free of the wolf’s jaws. Also at that moment, Derek jumped in, hitting the wolf with the stick. Stunned, the wolf stepped back, and Astral sliced with the knife, wounding the wolf. It glanced at Astral, and then looked to the sky, let out a terrible howl, and vanished from the road in front of the travellers.
Concerned more about Astral’s injury, neither of them paid much attention to it.
“Are you all right?!” asked Derek quickly, quite concerned.
“Yes, yes, I’m fine,” replied Astral, standing up and retrieving the torch. He tossed the knife to the side of the road and wrapped his wrist with a cloth. A single drop of blood dropped to the ground as the two men walked away, turned green, and then vaporized into the air. A quiet cry of a wolf was heard from behind them. Still shaken, they turned around, only to find nothing.
After a short distance, the lights of Cameron became visible in the distance. Soon they had arrived at Astral’s house, and after a short discussion about the following day, they were off to bed. Astral sat on his bed while making a bandage that he wrapped around his wrist. He then lay down, and quickly fell asleep.
Last edited by Astral on Wed Oct 09, 2002 2:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
The War of Illarion
Bravo. Good show M'lord, I look forward to how it concludes.
The War of Illarion
Part I: The Adventure Begins
Chapter III: There, Now Back Again
The morning began early, and the two men were up at sunrise. Despite their lack of sleep, they wanted to make sure they got back to Alexandria before nightfall. After nibbling on some biscuits for breakfast, they packed some food and were off.
The hike started off uneventful, but quickly turned eerie when they reached the spot of the previous night’s attack. They found the knife that Astral had used to kill the wolf, but now it was stuck deep into the ground and had turned slightly green. Now feeling uncomfortable about the situation, the travellers walked hastily away from the site of the attack, keeping very alert.
After they began to feel comfortable again, they slowed to a nice pace, not too slow and not too quick. It was now about noon, and the sun was high in the sky, making the temperature rise steadily. The two were exhausted, but their experience the previous night gave them the motivation to go on. After another hour or so, they could bear it no longer. They sat down under a large tree and took out the food that they had brought.
“I don’t think that we’ll have any problems making it back before dark tonight,” said Astral. “Plus, the woods around Alexandria are less dangerous. But as long as we keep up this pace, we will not have to challenge that knowledge.”
“Agreed,” replied Derek, who was in the middle of devouring a biscuit.
“Alright then,” said Astral, having finished his biscuit. “Let’s get going again. Only a few hours left.”
The men then got up and resumed their previous pace. Before they knew it, the sparkle of the sea came soothingly over the horizon. Relieved to see the harbour, their pace slowed slightly. They started to take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery, as it would be their last chance for quite some time.
“I will surely miss it,” said Astral longingly. “The flowers, the forests, the birds, the fields…”
“But I am sure that where we are going has wonders matching this,” said Derek reassuringly.
“I am sure it does,” replied Astral, slightly more cheerful.
Within an hour, the tall masts of ships and buildings of Alexandria came into view. Hesitant to leave the scenery behind, the traveller’s pace slowed even more. It was many more hours before they reached the city, but they did not seem to notice or care, they were too busy enjoying the countryside.
They stopped at Derek’s house for dinner, as it was about that time. After packing his things, double checking, triple checking, and quadruple checking, he was ready.
The trip down to the harbour was filled with anxiety and hesitance all jumbled together. When they finally got there, the feelings of sorrow had subsided to that of pure excitement. Neither of them had ever travelled, so they were more excited than they had ever been.
“Now only to find that one ship…” said Derek, preoccupied by the search.
“Where exactly are we going again…?” asked Astral, feeling foolish that he had not asked yet.
For a long while Derek did not answer, when suddenly he blurted out “There it is!” Confused, Astral decided to just follow him and quit asking questions. After a short quick-paced walk, they were stepping onto the plank that separated the ship from the dock. The ship was fairly large; it most likely had two decks below the floor which the plank led to. Astral turned around and took one last look at the countryside before continuing up the plank.
“Ahoy there travellers!” remarked the captain as they boarded the ship. “It’ll be 650 gold for passage to Illarion.”
Derek handed the man the gold as Astral took note of the destination. One of the crewmen then showed them to their quarters, where they deposited their belongings and then went back up on the main deck. They stood near the edge of the ship overlooking the water and looked out to sea, and a few minutes later, the captain announced that all the passengers were aboard and they were ready to depart. Astral looked down to see many people scurrying about on the dock, making final preparations. Then the sails were raised and the ship lurched forward into the open waters.
“This is it,” thought Astral. “The adventure is beginning.” Little did he know about all the things that would make this adventure so full of surprises…
Chapter III: There, Now Back Again
The morning began early, and the two men were up at sunrise. Despite their lack of sleep, they wanted to make sure they got back to Alexandria before nightfall. After nibbling on some biscuits for breakfast, they packed some food and were off.
The hike started off uneventful, but quickly turned eerie when they reached the spot of the previous night’s attack. They found the knife that Astral had used to kill the wolf, but now it was stuck deep into the ground and had turned slightly green. Now feeling uncomfortable about the situation, the travellers walked hastily away from the site of the attack, keeping very alert.
After they began to feel comfortable again, they slowed to a nice pace, not too slow and not too quick. It was now about noon, and the sun was high in the sky, making the temperature rise steadily. The two were exhausted, but their experience the previous night gave them the motivation to go on. After another hour or so, they could bear it no longer. They sat down under a large tree and took out the food that they had brought.
“I don’t think that we’ll have any problems making it back before dark tonight,” said Astral. “Plus, the woods around Alexandria are less dangerous. But as long as we keep up this pace, we will not have to challenge that knowledge.”
“Agreed,” replied Derek, who was in the middle of devouring a biscuit.
“Alright then,” said Astral, having finished his biscuit. “Let’s get going again. Only a few hours left.”
The men then got up and resumed their previous pace. Before they knew it, the sparkle of the sea came soothingly over the horizon. Relieved to see the harbour, their pace slowed slightly. They started to take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery, as it would be their last chance for quite some time.
“I will surely miss it,” said Astral longingly. “The flowers, the forests, the birds, the fields…”
“But I am sure that where we are going has wonders matching this,” said Derek reassuringly.
“I am sure it does,” replied Astral, slightly more cheerful.
Within an hour, the tall masts of ships and buildings of Alexandria came into view. Hesitant to leave the scenery behind, the traveller’s pace slowed even more. It was many more hours before they reached the city, but they did not seem to notice or care, they were too busy enjoying the countryside.
They stopped at Derek’s house for dinner, as it was about that time. After packing his things, double checking, triple checking, and quadruple checking, he was ready.
The trip down to the harbour was filled with anxiety and hesitance all jumbled together. When they finally got there, the feelings of sorrow had subsided to that of pure excitement. Neither of them had ever travelled, so they were more excited than they had ever been.
“Now only to find that one ship…” said Derek, preoccupied by the search.
“Where exactly are we going again…?” asked Astral, feeling foolish that he had not asked yet.
For a long while Derek did not answer, when suddenly he blurted out “There it is!” Confused, Astral decided to just follow him and quit asking questions. After a short quick-paced walk, they were stepping onto the plank that separated the ship from the dock. The ship was fairly large; it most likely had two decks below the floor which the plank led to. Astral turned around and took one last look at the countryside before continuing up the plank.
“Ahoy there travellers!” remarked the captain as they boarded the ship. “It’ll be 650 gold for passage to Illarion.”
Derek handed the man the gold as Astral took note of the destination. One of the crewmen then showed them to their quarters, where they deposited their belongings and then went back up on the main deck. They stood near the edge of the ship overlooking the water and looked out to sea, and a few minutes later, the captain announced that all the passengers were aboard and they were ready to depart. Astral looked down to see many people scurrying about on the dock, making final preparations. Then the sails were raised and the ship lurched forward into the open waters.
“This is it,” thought Astral. “The adventure is beginning.” Little did he know about all the things that would make this adventure so full of surprises…
Last edited by Astral on Wed Oct 09, 2002 2:56 am, edited 2 times in total.
The War of Illarion
Part I: The Adventure Begins
Chapter IV: A Long Ride
About an hour had passed and the harbour of Alexandria was slipping out of view. Astral and Derek were still standing on the deck, watching as the land in which they had spent their entire lives was lost over the horizon. The sun was sinking farther and farther by the minute, and eerie colours began to appear in the sky. The clouds combined with the sun’s red and orange glow was an astounding sight.
“What a marvellous sunset,” commented Astral without removing his eyes from the sky.
“Indeed it is,” replied Derek slowly, in awe over the sight.
Only a sliver of the sun remained visible, but it continued to cast bright colours across the entire sky. By this time, the travellers had grown tired, since they had been up since dawn. As the last portion of the sun slipped over the horizon, Astral and Derek headed down to their quarters.
A hesitant ‘goodnight’ was said, and both men were full of anxiety about what it would turn out like. Derek fell asleep almost immediately, but Astral remained deep in thought for most of the night.
The next morning, they arose to a pleasant meal prepared by the crew. All of the passengers were seated on the deck, making it quite crowded. They were now clearly in the middle of the ocean, as there was no land to be seen anywhere.
The day was uneventful, despite the crew’s feeble attempt at entertainment, a pirate act. Then early in the afternoon, something drew the attention of the passengers looking out the back of the ship. Slowly more people joined the already growing crowd, and the curiosity turned to commotion. Giving in to the urge, Astral and Derek got up and ventured to the rear of the ship, trying to get a glance at whatever was causing the commotion.
They soon found that it was another object, quickly growing larger and larger. By this time, the crowd had drawn the attention of the crew, and a scout was sent up to the crowsnest to investigate. When the scout got back down, he whispered something in the ear of the captain, and then the captain approached the crowd of people.
“The object that you see to the rear of our ship is only another ship, no odd sight on this route, so there is no need for commotion,” announced the captain. “There is more entertainment to come, so everyone who wishes to watch the next play, please take your seats.”
“Where are they going in such a hurry?” asked a tall man in the front of the crowd.
“That is not known, or important, we see ships running all sorts of errands out here,” replied the captain, slightly annoyed about the big deal the passengers were making of it.
Still, Astral could not help but wonder what the ship was doing travelling so fast directly towards them. He had a strange feeling about this, and he knew that it wouldn’t go away anytime soon.
Derek seemed to be satisfied with the captain’s explanation, and began to return to his seat. When Astral did not follow, he stopped, turned to him, and called “Are you coming Astral?”
“Oh, yes,” replied Astral, breaking his thoughts. He then turned and followed Derek to the seats that they had reserved.
After waiting for a few minutes, a crewman appeared on the stage and announced that the next play was about to start. Trying to put his mind off the matter of the ship behind them, he concentrated on the play, but soon found that it was not very captivating.
The theme of the play was a man stranded on an island, after his ship crashed and everyone else was killed. Struggling to survive, the man was forced to learn to live independently, and when another ship finally did arrive, he found that he couldn’t go back and chose to live on the island for the rest of his life.
Being bored by the play often, Astral had many chances to glance backwards at the ship looming behind them. All of the other passengers were not concerned and were more into the play than worrying, except for the tall man that had questioned the captain earlier.
When the play finally ended, all of the passengers cheered and encored, but ultimately they seemed relieved. They then returned to their cabins, and that was the night.
Astral lay in his bed, reflecting on the day and still wondering about the other ship. Although he was unsure of that, he was sure of one thing – that the next time there was a play, he would take a nap!
Chapter IV: A Long Ride
About an hour had passed and the harbour of Alexandria was slipping out of view. Astral and Derek were still standing on the deck, watching as the land in which they had spent their entire lives was lost over the horizon. The sun was sinking farther and farther by the minute, and eerie colours began to appear in the sky. The clouds combined with the sun’s red and orange glow was an astounding sight.
“What a marvellous sunset,” commented Astral without removing his eyes from the sky.
“Indeed it is,” replied Derek slowly, in awe over the sight.
Only a sliver of the sun remained visible, but it continued to cast bright colours across the entire sky. By this time, the travellers had grown tired, since they had been up since dawn. As the last portion of the sun slipped over the horizon, Astral and Derek headed down to their quarters.
A hesitant ‘goodnight’ was said, and both men were full of anxiety about what it would turn out like. Derek fell asleep almost immediately, but Astral remained deep in thought for most of the night.
The next morning, they arose to a pleasant meal prepared by the crew. All of the passengers were seated on the deck, making it quite crowded. They were now clearly in the middle of the ocean, as there was no land to be seen anywhere.
The day was uneventful, despite the crew’s feeble attempt at entertainment, a pirate act. Then early in the afternoon, something drew the attention of the passengers looking out the back of the ship. Slowly more people joined the already growing crowd, and the curiosity turned to commotion. Giving in to the urge, Astral and Derek got up and ventured to the rear of the ship, trying to get a glance at whatever was causing the commotion.
They soon found that it was another object, quickly growing larger and larger. By this time, the crowd had drawn the attention of the crew, and a scout was sent up to the crowsnest to investigate. When the scout got back down, he whispered something in the ear of the captain, and then the captain approached the crowd of people.
“The object that you see to the rear of our ship is only another ship, no odd sight on this route, so there is no need for commotion,” announced the captain. “There is more entertainment to come, so everyone who wishes to watch the next play, please take your seats.”
“Where are they going in such a hurry?” asked a tall man in the front of the crowd.
“That is not known, or important, we see ships running all sorts of errands out here,” replied the captain, slightly annoyed about the big deal the passengers were making of it.
Still, Astral could not help but wonder what the ship was doing travelling so fast directly towards them. He had a strange feeling about this, and he knew that it wouldn’t go away anytime soon.
Derek seemed to be satisfied with the captain’s explanation, and began to return to his seat. When Astral did not follow, he stopped, turned to him, and called “Are you coming Astral?”
“Oh, yes,” replied Astral, breaking his thoughts. He then turned and followed Derek to the seats that they had reserved.
After waiting for a few minutes, a crewman appeared on the stage and announced that the next play was about to start. Trying to put his mind off the matter of the ship behind them, he concentrated on the play, but soon found that it was not very captivating.
The theme of the play was a man stranded on an island, after his ship crashed and everyone else was killed. Struggling to survive, the man was forced to learn to live independently, and when another ship finally did arrive, he found that he couldn’t go back and chose to live on the island for the rest of his life.
Being bored by the play often, Astral had many chances to glance backwards at the ship looming behind them. All of the other passengers were not concerned and were more into the play than worrying, except for the tall man that had questioned the captain earlier.
When the play finally ended, all of the passengers cheered and encored, but ultimately they seemed relieved. They then returned to their cabins, and that was the night.
Astral lay in his bed, reflecting on the day and still wondering about the other ship. Although he was unsure of that, he was sure of one thing – that the next time there was a play, he would take a nap!