by Victin on Thu Nov 01, 2012 9:03 pm
Sicon, check this. Also, how do I upload my text into NaNo? (.doc isn't allowed, and I gotta go. I'll let editing for tomorrow)
TALES FROM THE END
0 – PROLOGUE
Four-hundred thirteen years ago, it was the end of the world as we know it. Not only society, but Earth itself collapsed. Mountains tore to the ground. Lakes dried and the sand from the shallow earth was scattered by the winds. And the land spat fire and ashes. It was chaos. But humanity still stands. Not as it did before, but it is there, divided by extensive pieces of land.
And the wonders of technology still stand. But where technology ends and magic starts is not known. As far as people are concerned, there ever was the ability to inventory objects and to summon them. The ability to see how healthy you are, and what are your powers. The ability to create a new object, by fusing together two from your inventory and paying a price.
And yet, each story, from each person is worth to tell. The monsters, the beasts, the spirits everyone has to face on its daily life are all tales worth to be told. But this is your story. The story of a boy named William Langlet. A story of a boy, in the middle of a desert wrapped in legends, legends of mythical treasures and unspeakable creatures. Your story.
I – HIDDEN IN THE SANDS
WILLIAM
You wake up, covered in sand. You slept outside the tent. Actually you haven’t even set up the tent last night. You take the sand out of your mouth and look at the sun.
Fuck – You think – It’s over midday. I slept too much.
You stand up and look for the sides. You see a pile of sticks and other things you burned last night. You get a small piece of burnt piece you left in the bonfire you made last night. You stare at it for some time. You remember not only last night, but most of your life. But you don’t want to think of it stuff like that now. Taking a deep breath, you sit down and stops to check what you have.
Two sets of clothes aside the one I’m wearing, my weapon, my tent and my supplies. Yup. Everything is here. Oh, and… Yeah, I still have it. Well, better get going.
Standing up, you set off for the direction you were going to yesterday. And that means you have no idea where you’re going, since you’ve never learned how to see the cardinal points. You cover your head with your hood and go forward.
After a few hours of walking, you notice, from the top of a dune, a structure coming out of the ground. You can’t see it exactly, so you decide to get closer. Upon going in a bigger dune, you can notice that it only has one large building, rectangle shaped. Most of it is covered by the desert, including the door, but you think you can entry through a window, or even by a hatch in the roof, if it has one.
Wait, what’s that? – You notice a black shape close to it. It seems to be trying to dig the door out. Oh, great. Someone. Now I have to… - You hear a familiar bark, one you have heard many times in your life. Great. Desert wolves. I think that I’ll have to save whoever that person is now.
You start running as fast as you can. There are nine wolves. I don’t need to engange in Battle Operandis. The wolves get closer to the person, and he doesn’t notice it, even with the constant and loud barks. You sighs and raises your hand in the air. You focus your powers, and fire is made at the tip of your fingers. The flames take shape, and you shoot a fireball at them. The person notices the wolves, already in front of… her. A small child! Damn it!
Your fireball hit a wolf before it can hurt the girl, but the others soon notice you and a few start going into your direction. You quickly dodge the first one who tries to bit you, and sends one to your right with a swift punch. Then, you blast other two with another fireball, yet a more powerful one. The explosion sent them away, and you take the opening to attack the one who stayed behind. The girl is trying to hit them with a stick. She doesn’t seem to be properly attacking the wolves. She’s just hitting them with a staff she had in her hand. Actually, it isn’t even a staff she’s holding: it looks more like a branch. And she is just shaking it around, trying to scare them away. You take a deep breath, and charges your power. You creates an arc of orange lighting that hits the five wolves close to her. Three of them fall to the ground, while one jumps at your back, taking you to the ground. You hit him with your elbow, and then with a right hook. You shoot another fireball at the ones close to you, and notice that the one who were attacking the girl are now attack yoo. You dodge them as they jump at you, but one manages to bite your leg. You shock him, until he stops. As this one frees your leg, you jump to the side, avoiding the attack from the other animals. Upon having them all in the same place, you focus your power in your both hands, and shape a sphere with it. The energy flows, and you blast them with a powerful fireball. The explosion throws them away. A few of them are killed. The others are heavily injuried, and they run away.
You inventory the bodies for lunch later, but you doesn’t bother to check the loot you got. Then you turn to the girl. She’s dressed in a black robe. She holds a branch of some kind, and she has a white flower in her hair. Her skin is more tanned than yours, and her hair is black as the night. Well, at least she doesn’t seem hurt. But I am.
Hey, girl, what’s your name?
She doesn’t answer.
What’s your name?
She doesn’t answer. You sights – Well, I guess I won’t get her to talk so soon.
Can you write your name in the sand?
She looks deep in your eyes. Then, turning to the ground, she starts to draw something with her stick. What the hell is she writing? Does she even knows how to… Oh, ok. It’s upside down. Let me see… It reads…
So your name is Octhavia? Well, that’s an unusual name, I guess. Care if I call you Thavi?
She doesn’t answer for a second, but then she nods in agreement.
Ok then. How old are you Thavi?
She makes a five with one hand and a three in the other.
So you’re eight? You’re really young. Are you alone or do you have someone with you?
Again, she keeps silent. Damn. I guess this means a ‘no’. I’ll have to take care of her for now. Damn it. You look at the sky. It’s far past midday. I guess I’ll have to stay here, wheter I want it or not. Going close to a window, you break it with a small fireball.
Come here. Don’t be afraid. - The girl slowly goes closer to you – Here. Let me help you get in.
You get her in, as carefully as possible. Then, you get yourself into the building. You see that the girl is already checking the place. She turns on the lights. You are surprised it still works. But then you notice that there still are bodies around. It musn’t have been abandoned for much time. I guess I should give them a proper funeral. But first…
You are in a big room. It has three corridors, each one in a different direction. You can see five bodies lying around. There are a few signs, reading: Dorms, Cafeteria, Workroom, Basement. Nothing too different from what you expect of an abandoned base.
Hey girl! – She stops poking one of the bodies with her stick, probably searching for some goodies, and looks at you. – Come here. I don’t bite. - She slowly came at your direction. You sat, and she did the same.
You said you were eight. I’m fourteen. Well, the last time I checked I was fourteen. I don’t know how long ago that was.
The look in her face doesn’t change at all.
What do you like? Do you have a favorite color? I like both purple and blue. And you?
An ankward silece starts to fill the room.
Uh… Well, I’m a Knight of Flame. What are you? – The girl stands motionless. Oh, great. She doesn’t talk, she doesn’t defend herself. She mustn’t know anything. Where did I get myself into?
Do you have any weapons?
Octhavia eyes shined. She nodded in disagreement. Finally something. But that just means I’ll have to get her some weapon. I hope that doesn’t cost much.
You stand up, and so she does. Thavi starts running around, searching for loot. You look at her for some time. Then you look at the broken window, as the sun pass through the sky. It would be so easy to go away. She probably will only bring trouble to me. Or at least she will get some of my resources and then I will never see her again. Why did it have to happen to me? And why right now?- You hear a noise, and notices she just tripped on herself. You laughs, and Thavis stands up alone, and gives a quick glance at you. - I can just go by the morning. Or whenever I finish helping her. – You sighs.
Octhavia starts to pile some stuff around. She probably doesn’t have space in her inventory, so she takes some stuff away to give space to others, but only for making a huge pile of stuff, including some good loot from the bodies. You go over there, and you analyses the pile, and starts thinking of what could give a good weapon for her, while she keeps piling random stuff around.
Dolphins are some of the smartest animals, yes, but by human standards… Let's say you should praise the god that forces them to stay handless and underwater.
