Under A Darksun: PART I SEGMENTS 1-124


log in or register to remove this ad

Picture Time Mania vs a Dretch in the alley
 

Attachments

  • mania vs dretch.jpg
    mania vs dretch.jpg
    27.9 KB · Views: 228


Nice pics. :)

Unfortunately, in two days I am going to loose internet access for a few months, so I will be unable to follow the story... :( Aw, well, perhaps I will check from some internet cafees sometimes.
 



UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 061
“Cosa”

“You foolish young boy! How dare you use my last healing skin! Oh- I can’t stand this! Rotten stinking boy saves me then uses my last skin!” The old man stands over a green covered Mania. The old man kneels down and touches the green covering him. “Hmmm…harding pretty good. Should almost be ready to come off. Wake up you stupid kid!” The old man raps him on the chest with his staff. The first several pokes are soft. With nothing happening, he sighs through his nose harshly then stands up. He is not so soft or kind this time. A loud thud is heard and the green skin darkens and cracks.

“Oh boy- I don’t have this kind of time!” He swings again but there is a sudden burst of activity and the shell, now hard, breaks as Mania raises his hand quickly redirecting the staff to strike the rooftop. Panicked by the hard shell covering him, Mania thrashes about. The old man takes a few steps back and leans on his gnarled staff. A whimsical smirk on his face. Mania breaks off and peals away chunks of the skin. Healthy skin is visible underneath where there once were deep cuts and bruises. He rolls over and becomes physically ill.

“Done boy?”

A few more spasms and coughing fits later, Mania rolls his eyes in the direction of the voice. “Old man..?”

“Yes, I would appear to be old. And yes, a man also. You are correct young Mania. I look like an old man.”

“Cut the sarcasm…. leave that to me….ugh….what happened?”

“You looted my personal items and used my last pycho-ectoplasmic skin of Healing is what happened you twit! Hee Hee weeeze hee hee course you needed that after fighting the Tanar’ri Dretch. You fight well for a boy.”

“I’m 18. I’m no boy old man.”

“Age is not a fixed figure. I have a friend whom is over 100 years old. Human even. Very active. ‘course he has to be. Hamanu wants him dead in the worst way. As for being a boy, a man has his head on straight. You, boy, do not.” The old man shuffles back a few inches figuring on a possible swipe at his legs by the frightened young man.

“Whatever..”

“Hmmm…. I came to do two things for you. One was to thank you. It is not everyday a civilian takes on a templar and her punks. Even if it were a test…”

Mania rises his head “…test…? Talk straight with me old man. It’s been a long day and appears to only be midday.”

“Yes, well we have been watching you for a while. Quite a while actually. You interest us greatly and our allies even more so. Our enemies are only now coming to know you exist.”

The young man picks now nearly black bits of skin from his near blonde hair. “Watching me? Who’s we?”

“The Veiled Alliance boy. The Veiled Alliance.”

Mania stops in mid motion…”..You are a member of them?”

“Well yes, for the next few hours anyway. See here boy- I’m trying to warn you of great danger.”

“Too late. I already know. The city was under attack by short fat pale stinky …things…with sharp claws. Remember, you saw one old man or has your memory begun to fail you?”

“Humph. I had no idea you would be this stubborn or ungrateful. I guess we were wrong. Have a good day young Mania. I would stay off the streets for a while. Better yet- go into hiding.”

“Wait!” yells Mania trying to get to his feet to follow the old man whom is amazingly agile for someone of advanced age. Breaking off the last of the ectoskin from his feet, Mania chases after the old man.

“I can not wait for you. We talk as we walk.” The old man looks about for a few moments then exists the building at ground level with the puzzled Mania behind him.

“Anyhoo- I came here to thankyou and to warn you. You need to hide boy.”

“Hide? Why?”

“Listen to me boy. Listen good. We were asked to watch over you a bit by good friends of ours. In doing so, your name and activities have been recorded….”

“Watching me? Keela..?”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t go further with her boyo. She has union soon. After that you would have been put into chains for the templars. May sound good at first, a few young nude women of power lusting after you but it would end. They would grow bored with you and look for new boy toys. At least that’s what I would do under the circumstances.”

“You would want a new boy toy? Mania answers sarcastically since he is running out of patience with the old man. He takes a side step away when the old man merely smiles at him and shrugs his shoulders.

Due to new nervousness, Mania blurts out –“Danger old man. You speak of danger.”

“Yes, danger. As my cell was watching over you, your name was recorded several times in a journal. A journal hidden, locked and warded again any seeing it. The Shadows found it. Or we guess that’s who it was. The remains left by the wards were …messy. Anyhoo- someone has the journal. Someone knows the names, ranks and importance of 10 people that made up Cell #4. Your name was mentioned in such a way that the templars will hunt you down just in case you were to join us. After the incident this day, I will guarantee they will seek your head.”

Mania stops, his mouth hanging open.

“Cosa. Call me Cosa. I hate old man. It doesn’t describe me very well but thankyou for the compliment.”
 

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 062
“Underground”

“What could be of any interest in the abandoned area of the city?” Mania asks as he and the old man known as Cosa go into a ruined section of the city. “I even heard they grow rats the size of children in here.”

“Relax. Even as a youngster you ask an awful lot of questions. Just follow me and keep a watch for Templars or any other trouble.”

“Templars don’t scare me.”

“I’ll let Keela know you said that if I should see her again. Now be quiet!” the old man snaps. His sense of balance amazes Mania as he climbs over some debris.

“Nimble for an old man.” Mania climbs over nearly as well.

“It’s not the years- it’s what under the cover. Now be quiet!” He snaps once more. The old man hesitates a moment as if to get his bearings then advances forward. After a few more streets he points to a building in ruin. Quietly they advance into it and towards the back of what once may have been a tavern.

“Careful- there is quite a surprise just around this corner. It’s an illusion so don’t scream out like a girl or anything.” The old man says with a smirk that seems to have a hidden meaning behind it.

Mania, more curious than cautious, peers around the doorway. An undead spirit of an elf wielding a flaming sword leaps out. Mania gasps in surprise and begins to raise his club. The old man puts his hand on the club- “Don’t- that’s Bernalferia. He protects the entrance for me.”

“Entrance?”

“Yes, to the underground.” The old man pushes on a stone and a section silently slides away revealing a 3x3 hole in the floor. “Coming?”

A tunnel leads to a room. Inside this room is a dry basin in the floor. Statues of open-mouthed females with pointed ears and wings surround the basin. The light gives out as the cover moves back into place on the surface. Mania is about to will his eyes to give him sight when a stick held by the old man suddenly begins to glow. “This way” he says motioning to a doorway.

After a few more minutes of walking through what appears to be an old building hidden underground, the old man stops. Says a few words Mania could never hope to repeat, and a hidden door appears. The old man enters and waves Mania to come.

Inside is a neat small room with a few chairs, a table and a shelf. Glowing multi-colored moss grows on one wall. It has been cut and chipped to resemble a large four-legged creature with a horn on its head. “What is that?” He asks?

“Moss boy”

“Duh- I mean what did you make it resemble? The creature looks…nimble and noble.”

“Not sure of its name. I’m still trying to decipher all of the text. I copied it from a book I found in a ruin located in the forest. Make yourself at home. We’re staying here for a few days to allow the hunts to die down before trying to escape the city..” The old man smiles a sly smile- “You up to one more surprise today boy?”

“Sure why not” answers Mania as he continues to look at the Mold Mosaic.

“Well- what do you think?” asks a voice very different from the old man’s.

Mania turns and is open mouthed. Before stands a woman in tight red curls, green eyes, heavy freckles and a beaming smile. Mania can not say a thing.

“Name is still Cosa. Welcome to my sanctuary.”
 

UNDER A DARKSUN
SEGMENT 063
“The Who, What and Whys”

“You..you…you’re…”

“A mage, yes. And A good one by your reaction. Sorry for keeping up the act for so long. It’s embarrassing to admit…but I had fun.”

“NO!…I mean no,… you’re female.”

Looking down at her figure she looks up at him, “Observant aren’t you. I am female. Look, I’m tired and need to rest and study for a while. Feel free to do as you want but don’t leave this area and don’t touch any doorways marked in blue. It takes forever to get the smell of burnt hair out of these underground rooms even with perfume. In the morning we will talk. It is obvious you are clueless and need to be educated.” With that she turns and goes into a room with a doorway marked in blue. It glows as she goes through then dies down.

Mania is so stunned by everything that he misses the cheap shot she just gave him. He can only clearly remember the last few months but these months have been fast and furious. He has been taken as a slave with an elf prince, joined a caravan tradehouse, fought undead gith, fell in and out of love with at least one woman and discovered he hated slavery and repression more than at first thought.

Unable to sleep, he looks at a few books. He hopes to find the picture of the noble creature on the wall. He looks through five books before finding it. In these books were pictures of plants, people and buildings. Nothing that interests him was in these books. The sixth book however has pictures of the noble creature and others that capture his imagination. There is a picture of a small pointed ear humanoid with wings. Few of them are clothed which makes Mania blush a little. However, the look in the eyes suggest nothing evil or shameful about the creatures. They look to be happy creatures that sing and dance. Mania falls asleep with a smile on his weary face. He dreams of these creatures and the parties they must have had.

Up and down
Up and down
Then around
Never on the ground

Mania flies quick and sure
Feeling absolutely no pressure
Looking for fun and pleasure
And some memories to treasure

Then he sees someone of interest
He flies faster without rest
Flies using his best
At last he passes her test

“Would you like to dance and play?”
“Would you like to laugh all day?”
“Would you like to fly in the sun’s ray?”
“I would do anything if you would but stay”

Mania, a fairy you are not
Mania, a pure soul you are not
Mania, a hero I think not
Mania, what good you are I know not

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

Cosa rushes out from her room. “Mania- are you all right!?!”

“Ah…yeah…. just a dream…. just a dream.”

Leaning over to pick up the book from Mania’s lap, Mania sees she wears but a robe only. “Dreaming of fairies were you?” Cosa says with a mischievous smile. “Did you know their last stronghold was near
here?”

“Uh no. These creatures…are real?”

“Were real” She grows very serious suddenly. “Didn’t you read about them at all?”

“I…I can’t read. I was just looking at the pictures.”

She stares at him long and hard. Then seemly coming to a decision, she gets up. As she walks away she talks over her shoulder, “I’m sorry. I just thought you would…. know. I mean with your lineage and all…. I’m sorry.”

“My lineage? You mean my family?”

“Yes. Do you know who your parents are? I mean your real parents. You’re natural parents. Do you know?”

A long silence then a meek “ I was referred to once as a Baneful Child.” Mania curls up into a ball. Even at his late teens he can not stop the tears. He has been fighting this forever. At least it feels like forever to him. “Even then, I felt it meant something…. I can’t explain.”

Wearing proper clothes, Cosa returns with water and a pouch. She mixes seeds and herbs into the water while she talks. “Who said this to you?”

“A tembo.”

She stops as if frozen in time. “Then it will begin soon. You have been recognized and eventually word will get back to him of your existence. Drink this, it will relax you. What I have to tell you will come as a shock but I feel you are ready and the time is right.”

“Your father…. your father is a powerful defiler named Bane. He hides from his more powerful comrades somewhere south of Tyr. His comrades include the likes of Nibenay, Kalak and Hamanu. They are powerful Defilers whom use equally powerful psionics to create new more deadly types of magic. They are terribly evil and cunning. He has been alive for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years.

He has an underground kingdom rumored to be half dungeon. He has hundreds of people and beings trapped within this dungeon. Some even say your natural mother has been magically kept alive within one of these cells. It is uncertain since no one has ever returned from searching for him.

There is a well-hidden prophecy that speaks of a child begotten as you were. This prophesy suggests a child will come that will either destroy the land forever or save it from the Sorcerer-Kings. The Pyreen have been watching for nearly 1800 years for such a child to be born. (see Killer in Kalidnay for more on Prophesy and the book it is within ) When you were discovered, the Pyreen were afraid. If they came to you immediately, they felt you might grow to resent them and their cause and turn on them. But, if they waited too long, you may give up on the world thus condemning it to destruction.

The pyreen and many of their agents have watched you grow up. Unfortunately, this special attention did not go by unnoticed. Not long ago, THE Dragon of Tyr Valley struck your village fearing it was a new Pyreen stronghold. By some miracle you survived. The trauma did shake you up considerably. As I’m sure this is but I feel it is time.”

Mania eyes are blank. He hears the words. They make sense. But how could this be…?

“They….were….killed….because….of me?”

“Not because of you. NEVER think of it that way. The Dragon is an evil creature that acts out of evil impulses. He had no idea of what makes you or the village special. NONE. Look at me- “ She turns his head to meet eye to eye “He had no idea YOU were there or that YOU were special.”

Outside-
She can only hear the turmoil in their voices. It brings a great warmth and glee to her black heart. Her luck was steadily improving. Knowledge is power. She just gained great power. This she knew for sure. Leaving the doorway she crept away. Her wing was healing but very slowly. Still, soon she would be healed and ready to give this power to another. One named Bane.






;)
 


Into the Woods

Remove ads

Top