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Shakan'Dar · 08-13-2007, 04:40 AM

The Duty of Love

Eldan had no idea how long he’d been walking through the forest for. It was cold, dark, and wet. This was not a good combination in any situation. When he’d started out, the forest had been pleasant. Light had streamed through the canopy in beams of glittering emerald light. Now, there was a faint light that seeped through the canopy. It was more of a grey than a green now. The canopy thrashed with wild abandon, and the wind howled through the trunks. It almost sounded like a moaning for him to turn back, but he couldn’t do that.

He staggered as his green cloak snagged on a branch. He freed it and continued onward, travelling at a slow pace. His cloak was more tatters than anything else now. He cursed as his scabbard also caught on some undergrowth. It was thoughts of Tyanna that kept him going forward. He drew his short sword and began to hack at any branch that dared to
cross his path, his determination turning to anger. As his anger raged on the outside, a nagging worry pulled at his very soul. Would he be in time to save her? Was he even looking in the right place? These thoughts only served to increase his determination.

The trees began to grow closer together, and he found it harder and harder to continue on. Sound seemed muffled in this part of the forest, the dry crunch of his feet on fallen leaves not a crisp sounding as it had been before. Breathing seemed harder. The air was thick and moist here, almost stifling, but at the same time, chilling to the bone. Suddenly, he felt the faint touch of wind on his left cheek. He turned towards the direction the wind had come from. There was definitely a breeze coming through from that direction, so he forged onwards, his course adjusted to head towards the wind.

As he drew closer to the wind, the trees thinned slightly. It had to be the right place. Soon, he could see a break in the trees ahead. He stepped out into a clearing. The thrashing wind and pouring rain stopped almost as soon as his foot hit the ground of the clearing.

The silence was deafening. The clearing was covered in short-stemmed delicate purple flowers. Towards the centre of the clearing, rising on a thick stalk, that was twice as high as the purple flowers, was a golden flower. Its petals were opened wide, and it had a deep scarlet centre.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as memory flooded back to him.

************************************************** *************************

Tyanna lay on a bed, her golden hair arrayed around her head. It framed a delicate mouthed face. Her skin was pale, and slicked with sweat. She looked up at him with eyes full of sorrow. She reached out a hand to him, and he took it.

“I don’t have much time left, my love. I’m glad you could make it. My dearest wish was to see you one last time.”

He bent over her and gave her a tender kiss. “I rode as quickly as I could,” he said. His face firmed, and he took on a look of grim resolve. “By chance, on the way, I heard a tale of a flower that is said to be able to cure any illness,” he said, as Tyanna’s eyes took on a faint glimmer of hope.

“Go, my love,” she said. “I know that this is something you must do. I will see you again, love, in this world or the next.”

They embraced as they both wept together.

************************************************** *************************

A tear slid down Eldan’s cheek as the memory faded. He wiped it away and strode to the center of the clearing. He stooped to pick the flower, but as he was about to pluck it from its stem, he turned, sensing rather than hearing the menacing creature that attacked without warning from behind.

It crashed into him and they both hit the ground. Eldan grunted as the air was driven from his lungs by the impact. There was a moment of scuffling and tangled limbs, and then both combatants were up. There was a ringing sound of steel as Eldan unsheathed his blade.
The creature before him snarled, its eyes glinting murderously. It was humanoid in appearance, but it was heavily muscled, and had matted grey fur. Its face was a snarling snout, and its mouth was bared, with razor sharp teeth. It had long sharp claws on each of its fingers, and it raised its hands, the claws clicking together with anticipation.

The beast made the first move. It bounded towards Eldan with an unexpected speed for its size, the clawed hands slashing horizontally. Eldan barely parried them with his blade, and then they were locked, the claws trying to force the blade aside, and the blade trying to hold the claws back. Inch by inch, Eldan’s blade was pushed aside, until Eldan gave a hearty kick into the creature’s stomach that sent it reeling backwards.

The creature seemed to be only further enraged by this, and it renewed its attack with doubled vigor. This time, Eldan kept space between him and the beast, and he returned blows as often as he parried them. His blade seemed unable to damage the creature’s claws at all. He tried to think of some way he could strike at the creature’s body, but as he was absorbed in thought about how to strike it, he left himself open in a careless parry, and the claws slashed his arm. Eldan cried out in pain, and the creature licked its lips, reveling in the bloodshed.
Eldan knew he couldn’t fight it for much longer. He had to end it now.

Suddenly, he thought of an idea. He swung his injured arm in a horizontal arc, and blood flicked off his arm, and into the creatures eyes. It raised its hands reflexively to cover its face, and that gave Eldan the opening he needed. He thrust his sword into the beast’s chest, and buried the blade almost to the hilt. He gave the blade a twist, as the creature howled, and it fell as he removed his blade, sending purple petals fluttering into the air as it hit the ground, dead.

Eldan tore a strip off his cloak and tied it around his injured arm. He turned to collect his prize, and to his dismay, he couldn’t find it. The golden flower had been right in the center of the clearing. That location, he realized, was now occupied by the creature’s corpse. He heaved, and finally managed to move the corpse. The remains of the flower filled him with an almost unquenchable sorrow.

He fell to his knees with a cry of anguish, picking up the crushed flower. Its nectar pod had been split open, and all of its healing juices were crushed from it. A single drop struck the ruined flower, and he looked up at the sky, where there was not a cloud to be seen.

08-13-2007, 04:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
Shakan'Dar Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 18 Posts: 254 Rep Power: 4	The Duty of Love Eldan had no idea how long he’d been walking through the forest for. It was cold, dark, and wet. This was not a good combination in any situation. When he’d started out, the forest had been pleasant. Light had streamed through the canopy in beams of glittering emerald light. Now, there was a faint light that seeped through the canopy. It was more of a grey than a green now. The canopy thrashed with wild abandon, and the wind howled through the trunks. It almost sounded like a moaning for him to turn back, but he couldn’t do that. He staggered as his green cloak snagged on a branch. He freed it and continued onward, travelling at a slow pace. His cloak was more tatters than anything else now. He cursed as his scabbard also caught on some undergrowth. It was thoughts of Tyanna that kept him going forward. He drew his short sword and began to hack at any branch that dared to cross his path, his determination turning to anger. As his anger raged on the outside, a nagging worry pulled at his very soul. Would he be in time to save her? Was he even looking in the right place? These thoughts only served to increase his determination. The trees began to grow closer together, and he found it harder and harder to continue on. Sound seemed muffled in this part of the forest, the dry crunch of his feet on fallen leaves not a crisp sounding as it had been before. Breathing seemed harder. The air was thick and moist here, almost stifling, but at the same time, chilling to the bone. Suddenly, he felt the faint touch of wind on his left cheek. He turned towards the direction the wind had come from. There was definitely a breeze coming through from that direction, so he forged onwards, his course adjusted to head towards the wind. As he drew closer to the wind, the trees thinned slightly. It had to be the right place. Soon, he could see a break in the trees ahead. He stepped out into a clearing. The thrashing wind and pouring rain stopped almost as soon as his foot hit the ground of the clearing. The silence was deafening. The clearing was covered in short-stemmed delicate purple flowers. Towards the centre of the clearing, rising on a thick stalk, that was twice as high as the purple flowers, was a golden flower. Its petals were opened wide, and it had a deep scarlet centre. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as memory flooded back to him. ************************************************ ********************* Tyanna lay on a bed, her golden hair arrayed around her head. It framed a delicate mouthed face. Her skin was pale, and slicked with sweat. She looked up at him with eyes full of sorrow. She reached out a hand to him, and he took it. “I don’t have much time left, my love. I’m glad you could make it. My dearest wish was to see you one last time.” He bent over her and gave her a tender kiss. “I rode as quickly as I could,” he said. His face firmed, and he took on a look of grim resolve. “By chance, on the way, I heard a tale of a flower that is said to be able to cure any illness,” he said, as Tyanna’s eyes took on a faint glimmer of hope. “Go, my love,” she said. “I know that this is something you must do. I will see you again, love, in this world or the next.” They embraced as they both wept together. ********************************************** *********************** A tear slid down Eldan’s cheek as the memory faded. He wiped it away and strode to the center of the clearing. He stooped to pick the flower, but as he was about to pluck it from its stem, he turned, sensing rather than hearing the menacing creature that attacked without warning from behind. It crashed into him and they both hit the ground. Eldan grunted as the air was driven from his lungs by the impact. There was a moment of scuffling and tangled limbs, and then both combatants were up. There was a ringing sound of steel as Eldan unsheathed his blade. The creature before him snarled, its eyes glinting murderously. It was humanoid in appearance, but it was heavily muscled, and had matted grey fur. Its face was a snarling snout, and its mouth was bared, with razor sharp teeth. It had long sharp claws on each of its fingers, and it raised its hands, the claws clicking together with anticipation. The beast made the first move. It bounded towards Eldan with an unexpected speed for its size, the clawed hands slashing horizontally. Eldan barely parried them with his blade, and then they were locked, the claws trying to force the blade aside, and the blade trying to hold the claws back. Inch by inch, Eldan’s blade was pushed aside, until Eldan gave a hearty kick into the creature’s stomach that sent it reeling backwards. The creature seemed to be only further enraged by this, and it renewed its attack with doubled vigor. This time, Eldan kept space between him and the beast, and he returned blows as often as he parried them. His blade seemed unable to damage the creature’s claws at all. He tried to think of some way he could strike at the creature’s body, but as he was absorbed in thought about how to strike it, he left himself open in a careless parry, and the claws slashed his arm. Eldan cried out in pain, and the creature licked its lips, reveling in the bloodshed. Eldan knew he couldn’t fight it for much longer. He had to end it now. Suddenly, he thought of an idea. He swung his injured arm in a horizontal arc, and blood flicked off his arm, and into the creatures eyes. It raised its hands reflexively to cover its face, and that gave Eldan the opening he needed. He thrust his sword into the beast’s chest, and buried the blade almost to the hilt. He gave the blade a twist, as the creature howled, and it fell as he removed his blade, sending purple petals fluttering into the air as it hit the ground, dead. Eldan tore a strip off his cloak and tied it around his injured arm. He turned to collect his prize, and to his dismay, he couldn’t find it. The golden flower had been right in the center of the clearing. That location, he realized, was now occupied by the creature’s corpse. He heaved, and finally managed to move the corpse. The remains of the flower filled him with an almost unquenchable sorrow. He fell to his knees with a cry of anguish, picking up the crushed flower. Its nectar pod had been split open, and all of its healing juices were crushed from it. A single drop struck the ruined flower, and he looked up at the sky, where there was not a cloud to be seen.