Descent into Darkness - A Short Story

[Ryan]

Descent into Darkness - A Short Story
Part One

It was the age of chaos for the land called Elwynn. For throughout its forested hills and glittering streams, blood flowed across the land as the tyrant known as Khan ravaged the elvish people and cut them down in great swaths. The numerous elves which had populated Elwynn for years fled before the human ravagers who now ruled the land. Into thick forests of dark caves, wherever they could find refuge became home. Others who wern't so lucky were rounded up into great slave parties, and marched off over grueling trails to labor camps. Those who were too old or weak to serve in the camps were marched off to other unknown destinations. But in the distance, the black smoke billowing from the hills indicated that those unfortunate souls would never return.

So it came to pass that darkness spread across Elwynn, and the elves fell from their seat of dominance and humans re-populated the countryside. Magic disappeared, and in its place great machines of war and industry took root. But still the elves were held in bondage, forced to change the face of their homeland in order to support the humans. But others yet remained hidden in the shadows, hoping to leave this land forever. One such group was the family of Browntree, which consisted of the elder Hubrin, his wife Luya, and their daughter Kira. Despite the hardships they faced, they kept up their hopes of salvation, hiding in the shadow, living through scavenging, and praying for deliverance from their oppressors.

Hubrin was a well-aged forest elf, who before the war had the fair looks of most immortals. The same could be said for his wife Luya. But war and famine will change even an immortal. So that both of them now looked sick and weak. Even their young daughter Kira became famished and sickly. But still they clung to their hope and remained hidden. Years passed by, who knows how many, but still the Khan continued his extermination of the Elwynnese elves and still the Browntrees hid in shadow.

As fate would have it, the salvation the Browntrees prayed for never came. Instead, darkness continued to engulf the land and humans continued to dominate it. Indeed, the situation actually became worse as more and more humans populated Elwynn. The small family was forced to flee to more and more forsaken locations to avoid human contact. Eventually the three were forced to flee to the unpopulated region of Mount Balor. Unfortunately for them, it was in-between the two great rivers of Elwynn and lacked any large amount of water. The dry and arid mountaintop caves became the Browntree's new home.

Within a year of living at Balor, as the bleak winter set in, Hubrin died of sheer exhaustion and famine. The sickly Luya, now a mere heap of skeletons, refused to eat in her misery and sorrow, and instead gave her food to Kira and stored the rest in the caves. An action which would later benefit their young daughter, as by the time spring came, Luya had also died, leaving the young elf to fend for herself. Burying her mother under a pile of stones at the crest of the mountain, she lived by hunting and on the food her mother had carefully stored in the caves. But the day her mother died, Kira stopped praying for salvation and swore a path of revenge. Revenge at all costs.

Note: This is not a participatory story where people can jump in. It is intended to be Elwynnese/Lac Glaceian/Infernal legend and is a work in progress.

[AngelGuardian93]

I will watch and wait in anticipation.

[Sebastien Alexandre]

OOC:
Man Osman, I know youd been mean to the elves... but man.... you sick, sick, bastard! :P

[Ryan]

Descent into Darkness - A Short Story
Part Two

The isolation and desertion surrounding Balor remained relatively the same as the years wore on. A small well dug into the ground and hunting/gathering allowed her to keep up with ample sustenance. And thus Kira maintained her introverted lifestyle, hiding always, in the caves of that mountain, avoiding contact with the humans and even her own kin. With the death of her parents, she swore off the old gods of elven kind, saying to herself that they were useless. What need had she for deities that didn't protect her people, her family, from tyrants? So instead she began to turn towards the dark arts. Practicing at first simple majiks that had previously been forbidden to her as a child. But she was not yet wisened enough to learn much more on her own, and new she would have to seek a mentor somewhere. Someone who could teach her the dark majik.

But still thoughts of revenge filled her mind. And so practice of the dark arts faded from her mind as she instead practiced skills she could use - sword fighting, archery, blade throwing and physical perfection. As an immortal, she feared not time, and indeed lost track of it. She was a young adult - by elven years - when she finally felt it was time to seek her prey, the Khan of Elwynn. Packing lightly, and armed with the simple weapons she had fashioned herself; sword, longbow and dagger, she left for the city of Ardashirshahr.

The journey was easier than she had imagined. The days of her childhood with burning cities and the piles of elf corpses burning had given way to the meager human society that now flourished throughout the land. To her surprise, elves were now mixed in with the humans. Although there was still racial seperation and the elves were still relegated to menial jobs as the lower class of society. No longer were they a prestigious people. They were a defeated people, forced into everlasting servitude. But she could do nothing for them, and so continued her journey onwards.

The city of Ardashirshahr was a great mass of black granite and dull-yellow clay. The spires of several mosques towered above the rest of the city, their ceramic-tiled minarets failing to gleam in the sunlight, having been coated with a layer of black dust from the constant industrial fires fueling the city. The Khan had built his great empire from this place, and had also led his great war against the elves from here. Hundreds of thousands had died to build this great powerhouse of a city, which was now brimming with humans, elves and other travellers. Kira continued to find it odd that she should gain access to the city so easily, and again to find more of her own kind living therein.

Entering the city disguised as a servant, she carefully made her way to the Khan's great fortress. A giant rampart of stone and steel, the fortress had been built to withstand even the hardiest attacks. Kira was not stupid. She could clearly see that if the Khan were to be defeated, he would have to be killed by subterfuge, not a direct assault. Rounding the back of the great building, she came upon the servants quarters. A sprawl of dingy wooden huts loosely connected to the back of the fortress. Piled high around them were many crates and wares, wagons and supplies, all destined for some sort of service in the fortress. Grabbing some food from one of the crates, she made her way to what looked to be the kitchen. Hopefully in the bustle of busy servants, her disguise would hold.

[Ryan]

Descent into Darkness - A Short Story
Part Three

The fortress was a labyrinth of long dark passages leading between large rooms with immense doors made of iron. The height of the ceiling stretched for some distance above Kira's head, so that the uppermost parts of it remained obscured by shadow and spider-web. Chandeliers lighted by long red candles seemed to be dangling on their chains from the darkness itself. The entire place reeked of death and disease, emphasised by the gloomy atmosphere and sickly people occupying the fortress.

Her first instincts told her that she should make her way towards the throne room. Maintaining her disguise as an entertainer and servant, she hid her weapons under her clothes and held aloof a plate of food brandished from the kitchens. Walking humbly like the other servants, she blended in with the other subdued slaves who made their way to and from the throne.

After several minutes of aimless wandering, she realised that she was lost within this maze of corridors and would spend the whole day searching for the throne room if not pointed in the right direction. Thus she spotted a young-looking elf servant and queried "I am but a new servant here. Please tell me where the throne room is." and the servant, obviously young and not suspecting her foreigness, answered "Follow the middle corridor, it leads straight to the centre of the fortress, and therein lies the throne." And at these words he quickly trotted off before she could thank him.

The central corridor showed no distinction from the multitude of others, but she followed it nonetheless, noting minor markings so that she could get out again later. It seemed as if aeons had passed before she finally reached an area where the corridor began to expand ever wider, eventually yielding before a large wooden door inflected with ornate bronze murals and lighted by two towering sconces on either side. Below those sconces were guards, one on each side. Rather portly humans who had obviously been taking their fair share of the goods coming and going from the throne room.

Kira approached the guards without err, but retaining her subdued attitude and holding the plate of food before her. "I come to deliver this food to the throne." said Kira to the guard on the left. The human approached her and grabbed her by the chin. "You're new around here, aren't ye?" he snorted. "Yes" she responded without flinching. "Well ye've got to learn to show us some more respect. We're the royal guard after all eh." And at that the other guard approached her and they helped themselves to some of the food from the plate. "Pay yer respects to us and we won't give ye and trouble eh. That's a good girl." And at that they stuffed their mouths and quickly opened the door just wide enough for her to go through.

The light inside was blinding. As if stepping from the darkness of space directly into the sun. Gold glittered everywhere, strewn about as if it were dirt. Amid it all a great throng of people flocked about the centre of the room, where a great table was situated. At the head of the table, but obscured by people standing about and large ornate statues, was the throne of the Khan. She made her way forward, cautiously untieing the weapons under her clothes, the food still perfectly balanced in one hand.

As she rounded the great throng, following other servants to the table of feasting humans, she still could not see the Khan. His visage entirely hidden by his advisors and men of importance. When she reached the table, a tall but slim idiot of a human stopped her "Leave that food her, girl." he demanded. "But I've been ordered to bring this food to the throne. It's the finest fruit in all Elwynn." she said, pointing to the shiny fruits occupying the platter in her hand. "Very well then." he retorted, and stepped out of the way.

As she approached the throne, the visage of the Khan slowly became visible. To her shock it was not the great warrior she had expected. Instead, a fat and greying old man of a human sat on the throne. His stomach held back only by the strength of his belt. His advisors flocked and catered over him, pampering the lush decadence of a man so self-absorbed in his own superiority that he noticed nothing else. She carefully approached him. This was certainly not the warrior her mother had spoken of. Never would such a warrior let himself fall into such disgrace.

Before realising it, she was at the throne and before the Khan of Elwynn. She was awestruck and unsure what move to make next. Her plan had been to strike at a great warrior and run for her life, or die trying at the least. But this fat man was not worth the effort. Where was the warrior she needed to wreak revenge upon? What would she do now? As if in response to her thinking, the Khan spoke to her. "Girl, what is the matter with you? You are a servant, not a noble."

She abruptly awoke from her daze. "I'm sorry, my Khan" she responsed "I was just awed by meeting you in person. Please sire, this fruit is for you on orders from the kitchen. The best in Elwynn." The Khan greedily took the fruit and stuffed his mouth with it, widening his growing abdomen. But Kira was again awestruck and stood in a daze again. "Really child, are you truely so honoured to meet me that you cannot speak? What is the matter?"

"I beg your pardon, sire. But I am a new servant here. Are you truely the great warrior who conquered all Elwynn and built this great fortress?" asked Kira. The Khan began laughing at her, at which time the other advisors began laughing as well. "No, no, child. I'm afraid you are still thinking like an elf. How old are you, child? 87 perhaps? And still a teenager by elven standards. No, you forget we humans do not live so long. The great Khan who built this fortress was my great-grandfather, who has long been dead." Kira was even further awestruck, and didn't know what to say. Luckily, she didn't have to, for the Khan had more to say. "No, if you are through wasting my time by teaching you underlings history, return to your duties and tell those idiots in the kitchen to fetch me more fruit."

Kira bowed and left the throne room. Passing out of the fortress the same way she came in was simple, and soon she was in the outskirts of Ardashirshahr. The Khan was dead. Not by her hand, but by nature. Her revenge had been denied her. But if she could not revenge upon the Khan, then she would find a different way to exact justice. Her role in this city had come to an abrupt end, and now it was time for a new destination with a new plan. Kira took what little belongings she had and left Ardashirshahr, heading north to Eliria, the old city of elvenkind.

[andelarion]

This is really good... Why haven't I seen this before?

Well done, Ryan. Really, really good work

[Bill3000]

*nitpick*

Micras Elves arn't immortal.

[AngelGuardian93]

Who says? You? PAH! *our* elves are. :P

[Braden Indianensis]

Ooooh, what NOW?!

[Kaiser Meskan II]

I'm Kaiser. Do you want me to decree it?

It's what it was in Menelmacar.

[Gman Russell]

I don't care if J.R.R. Tolkien came back from the dead and declared it, they ain't mortal when they deal with me! *rebels*