LINESII- Into the Darkness- Part II
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
JosefStalinator
Я буду снова здесь
And you shouldn't do him until he updates his own NES 
Eastern Merhai, Lorgi Fortress
Siege of Lorgi
A rumble was felt in the stone and wood walls of the fortress, as its walls trembled at the Fairhelt assualt. The last bastion of Merhai forces in the way of the invading army to the soft underbelly of the Merhai capital and industry. A sturdy fortress built during the wars in the South, when Gorin fought Lengel so many years ago.
It was placed such that no army wishing to conquer Merhai could leave it untaken. It was placed at the river, so that a large force could gather there if need be, and strike out a vunerable supply lines if left untaken. It was defensible upon the hills near the river, and no army could hope to take it with any great number of defenders upon its walls.
Yet, there weren't any great number of defenders upon the walls. The Merhai army was crushed first by Gorin at the disatrous Battle of Two Rivers, where the Gorin Bajo-Oni laid waste to the Merhai armies, and then by the invading Fairhelt. Only a paltry force of archers, with one or two Wooly Ramids inside defended the great fortress. These were men that could not have escape to the east when the larger armies of Fairhelt overran the meager defenses of the Merhai.
Now, even the great fortress Lorgi was a pebble to be swept aside by the Fairfelt armies. The fortress could have held for months and months with a proper force defending it, but no force could have been raised in Merhai. The former prospering republic was crippled by its losses in the south, and now the fortress that should have held off Fairhelt advance for many more precious months, was going to fall in three days. At least, by the men inside's estimation. They had held off the much larger Fairhelt army for two weeks with arrows and stones, having to retreat into the second section of the fortress when the Fairhelt breached the first section.
"We're finished," spoke one Merhai archer miserably, looking out a slited window to watch as the many Wooly Ramids of the Fairhelt pushed against the barred door to the inner most section of the keep. Another tremor was felt through the fortress as the Ramid's did their deadly work.
"Ya got that right. I just hope that they'll take mercy on us and take us a prisoners than kill us," one dirty soldier said, looking at the ground forlornly. A third soldier, the last of the bunch, spit at the ground at his fellows remark.
"I'd rather die a free man than their prisoner," he spoke passionately slamming his fist into his thigh to illustrate his point.
"I'd rather not die," shot back the fearful man, "We'll get no help here, and I don't doubt that they'll torture us and kill us for delaying their forces for so long! The Lengels in the south certainly can't help us, with the Gorinese being the primary thing on their plate! The situation is helpless..."
A silence fell on the room with that, each man silently agreeing with the man, although wishing for different outcomes. Praying silently to the spirits for saftey and help.
"Maybe the Council will manage to raise an army and attack them here?" remarked the first man again.
"This place? They don't have any money to buy food or supplies, what makes you think could raise any army? And even if they could, why would they send it here? The enemy will take the fortress soon, and then it'll be suicide to send any army against it."
Once more silence descended upon the room. The rumble of the Ramids strikes on the final gate continued for several long moments. Suddenly, it seemed to stop, and a great panic was going through Fairhelt army.
"What's happening? What is going on?" asked one man, looking through the slit at the outside. The Fairhelt were trying to organize their army as the rear guard of the army feel to a rain of arrows. The supplies were taken as a force out of view struck the Fairhelt army from the rear, trapping the enemy Ramids inside the Fortress as Fairhelt infantry attempted to engaged the unseen force.
"An army attacked the Fairhelt from behind! Its a miracle! Perhaps the Council did gather an army!"
The three men, surprised by the miracle, but not out of their wits, quickly moved to the wall, grabbing as many arrows as they could. Once they got to the wall, they saw the rest of the Merhai force firing arrows down into the Fairhelt throngs in the fortress interior. Rocks and broken masonary from the fortress were pushed down upon the enemy, adding to the confusion caused by the attack.
The three men looked to see a great cavalry army firing arrow after arrow into the lightly armored Fairhelt masses. The Merhai had never used cavalry before, and the standards flying in the wind came from only one place. The Iron Face Rebels had not abandoned their allies in their time of need.
They had sent an army, perhaps small, but in secret and in suprise. The day was not yet decided, but out of the darkness, a hope grew. If the fortress Lorgi held, then perhaps, the Republic of Merhai would rise greater than before.
Before, the alliance had been merely one of paper and convience. Now, it was entirely different. It was an alliance forged in battle, writ in blood, and confirmed in brotherhood. The Merhai would never forsake the Lengel again, and never would Lengel arrow pierce Merhai flesh.
The Siege of Lorgi was over, at least for the moment. The battle of all Merhai had began, and those Merhai upon the walls continued to bombard, waiting to open the doors for a charge upon Wooly Ramid back into the turned backs of the Fairhelt as they struggled to turn back the Iron Face wave.
All the while, the Iron Face standard flew in the wind, a symbol of Freedom for the desperate Merhai. A word upheld, and an alliance saved, all by the flag swaying in the wind.
*****
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Orders Yathai:
Expand navy, boosting fishing and interisland trade. Station coastal sentries on the southernmost islands to watch for possible barbarian incursion. All in all, relate peacefully with them, and try to win them over to Mantea by cultural assimilation. After all, nationhood is way cooler than barbarism.
Expand navy, boosting fishing and interisland trade. Station coastal sentries on the southernmost islands to watch for possible barbarian incursion. All in all, relate peacefully with them, and try to win them over to Mantea by cultural assimilation. After all, nationhood is way cooler than barbarism.
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
I hope you get the update done relatively soon Iggy. I would hate to wait 3 months after being so hyped.
*Slaps Luckymoose*
Even if this update proves too complex to finish this weekend, I'll still finish it next weekend. There's no reason that I shouldn't finish it reasonably soon (barring some very severe occurrence), I'm no longer training for the Canada Winter Games, and I'm on top of my work. All I've had to do is ignore all of my RL friends.
Odd, as I was typing this up the first time a power outage happened again... I'll be saving extra tonight.
Even if this update proves too complex to finish this weekend, I'll still finish it next weekend. There's no reason that I shouldn't finish it reasonably soon (barring some very severe occurrence), I'm no longer training for the Canada Winter Games, and I'm on top of my work. All I've had to do is ignore all of my RL friends.
Odd, as I was typing this up the first time a power outage happened again... I'll be saving extra tonight.
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Aw we still wuv you Iggy.
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
If I send a PM of questions I need for a story will you answer it tonight?
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Well please answer it. 
To Kill a King
"How do I want to die? Oh, that's easy. Eighty, in my bed, with [salacious text removed]."
-Prince Karzt
It wouldn't do, it wouldn't at all. Absolutely not.
If the old king had been younger, he would have bolted and jerked his body straight up, probably in some kind of cold sweat. He would have sat in that position and stared, unblinking, into the bed curtains. As it were, he was old and decrepit, and so he stared at the ceiling and sweat collected on his wrinkled brow.
After a while, he pulled himself up, bones creaking every inch of the way. How he hated being old. He pushed aside the bed curtains and got out of bed to the desk conveniently located right next to his bed. He dug out some paper and a quill and began writing.
Can't let Aagi be king. Absolutely not.
The stupid succession laws were in his way. Why, oh why did the king always, always, always have to be a Oneist? It wasn't written anywhere, and Aryie was religiously tolerant, but whenever he timidly approached the area, his nobles always responded in kind.
"It's just not done!"
"That is scandalous!"
"You can't do such a thing!"
Karzt knew, though, why they wouldn't. They planned to take away the divine right, planned to control his crazy son themselves, may the One bless him.
There had indeed been a period of time where Aagi seemed to improve. He had matured, stopped seeing things for the most part, and even appeared as if he were indeed brilliant, just misunderstood. Karzt still remembered when his heart had swelled with pride every day, just because his dear son's mind finally seemed to function properly.
No more of that. Not while I am about to meet the One. It was agreed: he had to spend his time thinking pleasant thoughts. It wasn't running away from his problems, they had purported. He brushed his left hand against his right cheek, feeling the claw marks there. It was a bit too late to forget.
He finished writing, and the deed was done. He allowed himself a smile and a twinkle to appear in his eye, and then he went back to sleep.
I'll have to get that officially recognized, he thought, and then he drifted off to sleep.
--
The next morning, Prince Zekat was the first one to go to his father's bedside, just like he was every morning. He had grown rather fond of his father of late; perhaps it was the fact that he was about to die. His hand brushed over the door and he pushed it open with nary a sigh. He saw his father's shadow on the curtains, still sleeping by the looks of it. He was about to sit on the customary stool near the bed and read a tome, as was his custom when he arrived before the king awoke, when he noticed a sheet of paper on the desk.
What's this?
He picked it up and scanned through it with his eyes. He blinked quite a few times when he was done, and then read it more slowly. He let it drop to the floor with a loud rustle, stood up abruptly, and left. He knew what he had to do.
--
A clattering of boots. They tipped, then tapped. To Prince Aagi, the sounds were delightful. He giggled to himself. He was doing that a lot too. He had regressed quite a bit and had grown feral and juvenile.
He rolled on the grass with his friend, and stared up at the big blue sky. It was a beautiful day, with just the slight bit of wind.
"Look," he said to his friend.
"What is it?"
"That cloud looks like the king!" He laughed.
"is that so?" His friend was always skeptical, but he was nice.
"Yeah." They laid there for a bit, basking in the sun's rays. Aagi's bones were throughly warmed, and his fancy princely clothing all ruined, but it was worth it. He loved his life of idleness.
Suddenly, though, his father appeared. He was old. Aagi didn't know how he had gotten to be that old, but surely he would never be as old as that old fart. He laughed to himself. He was his father, and Aagi loved him with all his heart.
His father, though, appeared not to have shared the same sentiment. His mouth was set in a hard line, a slash across his face. He looked to his friend for support, but he had disappeared in his typical way. Hard to keep track of, that guy.
His father was waving his hand around, and for the first time, Aagi noticed that he was carrying steel. His mouth was moving, but Aagi didn't hear anything. His father unsheathed the blade, and he found that he could hear his father now.
"Aagi, my dear." he said. He went closer and put his arm on Aagi's shoulder. He dropped the sword and hugged him. Aagi felt damp. He didn't know that it had begun sprinkling. He looked over his father's shoulder and saw his brother. He hadn't noticed his brother visit him in the Palace Gardens either. How splendid the gardens were, he hadn't really noticed before either. He noticed how well it complemented the finally completed monuments. Maybe it was the effect of his whole family being there, for once.
They stood like there for a while, the father and son in an embrace while the other son stood with his hands in his pockets.
Aagi's head began to hurt, starting from the top. He whimpered, a pitiful sound that only got louder and louder as the hot pain spread around his head. It erupted into a moan, than a shout, then a full on piercing scream. He hadn't noticed when he'd started lying down, but there he was now, his feet thrashing, kicking rocks and pebbles off the ground, raising dust. He couldn't see either. It was the most painful thing he had ever felt in his life.
--
Zekat read the letter one last time. His poor father had died before he had ever had the change to legitimize it.
...I declare, as King of Aryie, a faithful Oneist, that my heir, Prince Aagi, will assume the throne as planned. However, because he is non compos mentis, my other son, Prince Zekat, will rule as regent until he is fit to rule by himself...I expect the crowning of Aagi to begin as soon as possible after my death...
He crumpled the letter up and threw it into the fireplace, where it was incinerated.
I hope my brother enjoys being king. The coronation ceremony was indeed a success.
"How do I want to die? Oh, that's easy. Eighty, in my bed, with [salacious text removed]."
-Prince Karzt
It wouldn't do, it wouldn't at all. Absolutely not.
If the old king had been younger, he would have bolted and jerked his body straight up, probably in some kind of cold sweat. He would have sat in that position and stared, unblinking, into the bed curtains. As it were, he was old and decrepit, and so he stared at the ceiling and sweat collected on his wrinkled brow.
After a while, he pulled himself up, bones creaking every inch of the way. How he hated being old. He pushed aside the bed curtains and got out of bed to the desk conveniently located right next to his bed. He dug out some paper and a quill and began writing.
Can't let Aagi be king. Absolutely not.
The stupid succession laws were in his way. Why, oh why did the king always, always, always have to be a Oneist? It wasn't written anywhere, and Aryie was religiously tolerant, but whenever he timidly approached the area, his nobles always responded in kind.
"It's just not done!"
"That is scandalous!"
"You can't do such a thing!"
Karzt knew, though, why they wouldn't. They planned to take away the divine right, planned to control his crazy son themselves, may the One bless him.
There had indeed been a period of time where Aagi seemed to improve. He had matured, stopped seeing things for the most part, and even appeared as if he were indeed brilliant, just misunderstood. Karzt still remembered when his heart had swelled with pride every day, just because his dear son's mind finally seemed to function properly.
No more of that. Not while I am about to meet the One. It was agreed: he had to spend his time thinking pleasant thoughts. It wasn't running away from his problems, they had purported. He brushed his left hand against his right cheek, feeling the claw marks there. It was a bit too late to forget.
He finished writing, and the deed was done. He allowed himself a smile and a twinkle to appear in his eye, and then he went back to sleep.
I'll have to get that officially recognized, he thought, and then he drifted off to sleep.
--
The next morning, Prince Zekat was the first one to go to his father's bedside, just like he was every morning. He had grown rather fond of his father of late; perhaps it was the fact that he was about to die. His hand brushed over the door and he pushed it open with nary a sigh. He saw his father's shadow on the curtains, still sleeping by the looks of it. He was about to sit on the customary stool near the bed and read a tome, as was his custom when he arrived before the king awoke, when he noticed a sheet of paper on the desk.
What's this?
He picked it up and scanned through it with his eyes. He blinked quite a few times when he was done, and then read it more slowly. He let it drop to the floor with a loud rustle, stood up abruptly, and left. He knew what he had to do.
--
A clattering of boots. They tipped, then tapped. To Prince Aagi, the sounds were delightful. He giggled to himself. He was doing that a lot too. He had regressed quite a bit and had grown feral and juvenile.
He rolled on the grass with his friend, and stared up at the big blue sky. It was a beautiful day, with just the slight bit of wind.
"Look," he said to his friend.
"What is it?"
"That cloud looks like the king!" He laughed.
"is that so?" His friend was always skeptical, but he was nice.
"Yeah." They laid there for a bit, basking in the sun's rays. Aagi's bones were throughly warmed, and his fancy princely clothing all ruined, but it was worth it. He loved his life of idleness.
Suddenly, though, his father appeared. He was old. Aagi didn't know how he had gotten to be that old, but surely he would never be as old as that old fart. He laughed to himself. He was his father, and Aagi loved him with all his heart.
His father, though, appeared not to have shared the same sentiment. His mouth was set in a hard line, a slash across his face. He looked to his friend for support, but he had disappeared in his typical way. Hard to keep track of, that guy.
His father was waving his hand around, and for the first time, Aagi noticed that he was carrying steel. His mouth was moving, but Aagi didn't hear anything. His father unsheathed the blade, and he found that he could hear his father now.
"Aagi, my dear." he said. He went closer and put his arm on Aagi's shoulder. He dropped the sword and hugged him. Aagi felt damp. He didn't know that it had begun sprinkling. He looked over his father's shoulder and saw his brother. He hadn't noticed his brother visit him in the Palace Gardens either. How splendid the gardens were, he hadn't really noticed before either. He noticed how well it complemented the finally completed monuments. Maybe it was the effect of his whole family being there, for once.
They stood like there for a while, the father and son in an embrace while the other son stood with his hands in his pockets.
Aagi's head began to hurt, starting from the top. He whimpered, a pitiful sound that only got louder and louder as the hot pain spread around his head. It erupted into a moan, than a shout, then a full on piercing scream. He hadn't noticed when he'd started lying down, but there he was now, his feet thrashing, kicking rocks and pebbles off the ground, raising dust. He couldn't see either. It was the most painful thing he had ever felt in his life.
--
Zekat read the letter one last time. His poor father had died before he had ever had the change to legitimize it.
...I declare, as King of Aryie, a faithful Oneist, that my heir, Prince Aagi, will assume the throne as planned. However, because he is non compos mentis, my other son, Prince Zekat, will rule as regent until he is fit to rule by himself...I expect the crowning of Aagi to begin as soon as possible after my death...
He crumpled the letter up and threw it into the fireplace, where it was incinerated.
I hope my brother enjoys being king. The coronation ceremony was indeed a success.
JosefStalinator
Я буду снова здесь
Is there a point where stories no longer count toward bonuses?
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
Is there a point where stories no longer count toward bonuses?
I hope so.
foolish icarus
Shipwreck
An etymological lesson
Skilv'so The name those long ago people of the north used for themselves and their territory, Skilvso, Spear Forest People, literally, [People of] forest (ranks) of spears/spears in the forest.
Nurmafer When the remnant of the Skilvso army fled to the south, they adopted this name, Nurmafer, Land of Copper, into their vocabulary. Literally, full-of-copper land.
Zuoharra With the mixing of the several cultures, the language has changed significantly from what it was several hundred years ago. The word that has been in use for some time and is now being adopted as the official name of the land and its inhabitants is Zuoharra, Shore of Bronze, literally, bronze place-where-earth-water-and-sky-meet.
Skilv'so The name those long ago people of the north used for themselves and their territory, Skilvso, Spear Forest People, literally, [People of] forest (ranks) of spears/spears in the forest.
Nurmafer When the remnant of the Skilvso army fled to the south, they adopted this name, Nurmafer, Land of Copper, into their vocabulary. Literally, full-of-copper land.
Zuoharra With the mixing of the several cultures, the language has changed significantly from what it was several hundred years ago. The word that has been in use for some time and is now being adopted as the official name of the land and its inhabitants is Zuoharra, Shore of Bronze, literally, bronze place-where-earth-water-and-sky-meet.
Luckymoose
The World is Mine
So you begun the update yet?
Similar threads
