The Adventures of the First
Bard
Episode #1
*This story is in now way related to
any real characters and is purely fictional besides the settings*
The living tissue surrounding him was scaly and
cold. The type of sickening cold which would fizzle your courage into a
little ball of grey matter. This was something that Serdad knew and his
keen senses allowed him to think straight. This gave him something special,
which nobody else possesed. To control your fear is to control the world,
which is what he did. Serdad had his own words which controlled his life
which he remembered hearing when he was sixteen. He had been walking slowly
into the forest pondering the wonders of life, when all of a sudden a ring
of iron screamed into the air. His hands swung behind him as to hit anything
behind him, though he soon found out even the strongest man couldn't do
anything. The icy grip wrenched into his right clavicle sending a burning
pain that flowed through him like the rum him and his father used to make.
He felt a claw slit into his third lumbar vertabrae and all of a sudden
he was out like a rock. The blackness which engulfed him, urging him to
follow which he did.
The next thing he knew, was lying on his back
on a hard dusty surface in a room with plenty of others injured in battle.
The men and woman sitting around him were touching him lightly on his wounded
areas. He felt a stinging, tingly feeling where the wounds were located.
I slowly sat up wondering where I was and
who these people were. I had somehow managed to sit up even though
I could barely feel my legs. Slowly as I rose to my feet, people stared
closely at me. Obviously they had never seen one such as myself. The feeling
of somebody watching you is not a very good one and when I knew they
were looking at a strange fellow whom had never been seen in their lands,
I spoke, in clear elven tongue, asking where I was and who these
people were. They seemed not to understand me so I looked at some
of the dark brown, wooden signs which hung from the walls of the decrepit
building. Ahhh...of course it was of Elanthian dialect. The buidling had
not been fixed for years and I could see signs of rain storms from the
light colored wood. The men I saw were cringing in horrible pain most of
them tuckered into a little ball because of the pain which tormented them.
Then there were the smaller and less robust people walking around and apparently
healing the wounded. This is a new land to me, I have nae seen none
so like it. I turned toward the exit and walked slowly as if not knowing
what to expect.
The outside was what puzzled me the most. To
the south I could see a large arch shaped door and a sign which I could
not see since I was too far from it. The waning light from Xibar shone
brightly, lighting the path to the rest of Elanthia. The town was very
large filled with many different races, Elves, Dwarves, S'Kra Mur,
and all the others. The path was very dusty and occasionally I would step
in a mud puddle obviously left by the rain storms for which Drogor must
have caused. There was a large jade colored mansion which stood tall in
the town, centered slightly, and from what I could tell it seemed to be
a meeting place of some kind. I headed towards that area passing the
huge Lemicus Square Docks and the large gates of the shipyard which creaked
of rust and age. The wind whistled past my ears, making my shiver.
I had but a small wolfskin cloak, some leather
boots and gloves, no protection except my sharp dart which I was exceptional
at throwing, and my lyre with it case engrossed with an albratross. My
lyre was my only instrument that I took with me, for I am a Bard,
a poet and a musician. From where I come from most are of the Bardic profession
yet people were different here. The mandible on these people were exceptionally
large compared to the people on my village. They must have been changed
by their god.
As I slowly tip-toed to the large iron gates
covered with vines and leaves, the owls hooted, and a strange dim, waning
light was coming from the doors. The fresh green grassy type plant softly
crunched under my toes as I continued towards the gate. When I reached
it, I realized I must jump over it. "But wait," I thought,
what about that creature I encountered, what if it comes back. I reasoned
with myself that I was in town and nothing was going to happen related
to monsters. The horrible part was the drunks who lined the cobblestone
pathway leading to the front doors of the mansion. Slowly as to not scare
even a flea, I turned the doorknob to the enormous wooden doors...
To be continued . . .
Back
to Story Index