Guardians of Aldrina: Dark Realm

New story I'm working on. I have a couple of chapters all ready done so I'll put them up in pieces as I keep writing until I catch up then I'll post updates here as I get them done.


The evergreen forest that hid behind a thin layer of fog was a miraculous image that could only be seen in person or in one of the splendid paintings from an esteemed artist in Queen’s Haven. The brisk morning air brought a chill as they entered the lungs and filled the body with the essence of the wilderness. The sun gleamed just over the horizon as it warmed the valley and all of its inhabitants. The valley gained a strange orange glow as the morning rays bounced off the frozen mountains to the South and reflected a cosmic painting of their own. One of the last lands unscathed by the burning hand of industry and human evolution. King Roland deemed this land uninhabitable and dangerous and thus it was completely avoided as the borders grew larger and the people more advanced.

Of course, this meant it was the perfect sanctuary for those that did not want to be found and those that sought them out. The usual occupants were fugitives and bandits and the bounty hunters sent to bring them justice. In fact, high on a ridge, over-looking the wonderful sight stood a lone warrior, adorned in vibrant red gold armor with elegant trimmings to represent a lion’s mane on the chest. It was the custom attire of a noble sword from the Empire’s capitol city. The young maiden’s long red hair flowed over the back of the armor, creating a feiry mesh of color that only proved more beautiful with the orange sunlight. On her left arm, she had a matching shield strapped. The carving of a roaring lion was apparent struck out from the plate of the shield. A mark of honor and danger in combat. The sword was even more elegant, formed from the steel mills of Stoneport and crafted in the artistic hands of masters in Queen’s Haven. It was truly a weapon of beauty and strength, much like the woman herself.

She was the true definition of a Noblesword. Her slender build was only strengthened by the slight grace of muscle she obtained from constant battles. Her face was young and beautiful with no scars or damages, but her expressions carried the burden of a violent life. Even her stance was straight and proud and yet had a subtle hint of weariness that a body obtains with a noticable absence from rest. She had an image of status to hold up, but the life style gently revealed itself in nearly aspect of her being. If a painting was worth a thousand words, then meeting her in person could tell an entire story.

Her attention was finally removed from the glorious sight of the foggy valley when she heard a twig snap behind her. She peered over her shoulder and moved her hand to cover her eyes. The radiant sun glared off the approaching armor just as intense as it did so off of hers. She brought her hand back to her side when the man wearing matching armor to her own made it to her side. He was far rougher for the wear than she. His face was riddled with various scars from countless, gruesome battles, but most were cloaked by the red, bushy beard. His hair was long and grizzly and his demeanor was that of an elderly man with a bit of a slouch. Even his armor’s gleam was faded and suffered numerous scratches and dents. Standing next to the lovely woman, they appeared complete opposites in appearance, besides the common facial structure and hair color.

“Jade, the camp is packed up. The men are ready to move, on your order.” He spoke calmly and plain, yet there was a hint of respect. All though obviously siblings, Jade and this man were not equal. In the company they served, she held authority over him even if only a little. Jade looked down the hill at the dozen armored soldiers in the trees. With large travel packs strapped to their backs, they fell in line and waited for the order to march. Many looked rough and more like bandits than soldiers, but they knew their duty and performed it to the core.

“Tell me, Tanis. What do you see when you look at this land cut off from the world we know?” The question had caught Tanis off guard. Normally, his sister was very cut and dry and stuck to the expectations of her position. She hardly ever indulged such philosophical inquiries when on a mission. It was like she was two people in one body. At the peace of Queen’s Haven, she was a beautiful, artistic soul with a scholarly mind and often dealt with many suitors, but out here, in the battlefield, she was a respected leader and war veteran that usually had men fleeing from her.

“What kind of question is that, Milady?” He hoped by addressing her with a title, she would remember the situation they were in and the irrelevance of such questions. Tanis hated being this far over the mountains. Genia was a war torn country these days, but even the constant battles of Lords seemed more welcoming than the dangerous frozen tundra of The Shrouded Lands. The legends of creatures far more dangerous than any bandit were abundant in the forsaken ice and no man ever came willingly.

“What do you think of this land? Do you see any beauty, or do you condemn it like all the others that have never cared to actually look at what they harshly slander?” Her voice was stern and demanding. For reasons Tanis could not fathom, it was important and relevant to Jade. Tanis stepped forward, taking a deep breath, and looked into the misty valley. In the distance, he could see a tower of smoke and a faint orange glow from the trees. Bandits or fugitives hiding in the cold, just trying to stay alive for one more day. The air was cold and still. The wind blowing was the only ambient noise. It was nothing like the bustling cities and gorgeous fields of Genia.

“I think it is a true waste that is fitting for the scum that flee to it like dogs.” It was not the answer she was looking for. Jade frowned at her brother’s response and turned to face the soldiers at the bottom of the hill. Perhaps, Tanis was right and her dreams for this land was nothing but fantasy that hid the fact it was disgusting and void of any real life. She slowly made her way down the hill, partly due to her disappointment, but mostly due out of fear of losing her footing and sliding down the white grass. Tanis followed suit and with less care in his footing than Jade.

“All right, men! They can’t be far from here. Let’s get back on their trail!” Her soldiers went to attention, saluting her as she walked past and yelling ‘yes, ma’am’ as she mounted her horse. The steed was nearly twice Jade’s size, but she managed to place her foot and swing up with ease. Tanis was not as graceful and struggled to heave his leg over the massive horse. When he finally managed to, it took so much force that his foot swung around and kicked into the side of the horse. The horse reared up and tossed Tanis to the ground.

“Blasted monster! Why in Argow are they so large?!” Tanis cursed as he raised himself up. Some of the soldier smirked and laughed to themselves until Tanis shot them a dirty look. Jade released an aggravated sigh and turned her jet black horse in the direction of the smoke tower they saw earlier.

“Honestly, Tanis, it’s not that difficult. When you finally get yourself together, bring the men. I will scout ahead.” Before Tanis could protest, Jade gave her steed a swift kick and it took off into the forest. Tanis glared at the large horse that was now watching him closely. Then the idea came to him. He turned back to his men with his own smirk.

“Get over here and help me up this damn beast.” The soldiers hesitated for a moment before they scrambled about to get their superior onto the horse. This resulted in a lot of laughing and cursing.

Meanwhile, Jade marched her horse in the shadows of the forest. She looked through the gap in the trees to see the bandit camp was across a gorge. If they were going to get to the bandits, they’d have to find a way across. The easiest way was to find a climbable route down into the gorge and back up. She tugged the reins to the left and the horse slowly moved out of the trees and towards the edge of the gorge. It began walking along the path as Jade leaned over to look for ridges along the wall they could climb down.

She should have seen it coming. Jade couldn’t help but to think how stupid she was being as she felt her body cutting through the chilly air. The only thing she could see was the cloudy blue sky and the large black body falling just above her. The horse’s cries was the only thing breaking the awkward silence, Jade had managed to maintain her screams. The air was replaced by freezing powder all over her backside. Her head made contact with a solid object, probably a rock hidden under the white blanket, and the last thing she saw was the black mass still cutting through the air.

I want to read more, it's interesting. Please keep going. ^^

Thanks! I'm really enjoying writing it. I'm really hoping this will be the first full-length story I actually finish. All ready have the series planned out. Unfortunately my laptop's charger broke so I have to save some extra cash and get a new one so for now its just parts of what I all ready have saved on my work computer and then I will have to take a break until I get my laptop back up. Speaking of which, here is the last bit that I have:

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Jade could feel the snow pulling against her armor. The sound of voices filled her head. She forced her eyes open and saw her feet gliding through the snow. Two men dressed in fur stood over the body of the horse and started carving into it for meat and the hide. The horse made no noise, it was all ready dead. She realized her arms were lifted above her head. Jade looked up and around to see another pair of men dressed in similar fur outfits were dragging her away from the scene.

The one carrying her right arm reminded her of Tanis. He was a large, burly man with a wild black beard and long black hair that reached his shoulders. There was a scar over his eye, three claw marks. He had had a nasty run in with one of the many dangerous creatures in The Shrouded Land. The other one, on her left arm, was a considerably smaller young man that was struggling to carry an even amount of her weight with his partner. He was still rather handsome, probably a newcomer to the wintery wastes. His blonde hair was still slicked back with whatever material he used in Genia. He was, for the most part, clean shaven by the standards of a bandit. He had a strong jaw and, Jade noticed as he awkwardly glanced down at her, beautiful blue eyes that reminded her of the clear ocean view at Queen’s Haven.

“Well ya pick up ther slack, Bontir? Ya may be Serilan’s britha, but ‘t don’t mearn ya haf ter werk lest dan us.” The burly man’s accent was rough and choppy. He was uneducated and likely exiled to this land at a young age for a silly crime. It wasn’t until King Roland took the throne that the death penalty was more rightfully used. Bontir shot him a nasty look and smiled.

“Sorry, Gelfric, did you say something? I couldn’t tell if you were speaking or something flew into your mouth.” Gelfric became enraged and actually threw Jade to the ground, almost taking Bontir with her as he tried to hold on, but had to let go of the force of Gelfric’s push. Bontir tried to raise his fists, but Gelfric snatched him with surprising speed for his size and raised his fist.

I'll wait, then.

Oh joy. ^_^

Finally! She lives again, though too little too late I guess if Kisuke is gone.

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“Enough, Gelfric. While my brother may have been out of line, you do speak like a troll.” Gelfric let him go and glared up at the voice. Jade turned on to her side and looked to see who was running the show, struggling with each movement felt like she was being poked with a hot iron brand. A young woman about the same age as Bontir was standing at the entrance of a small wooden fortress. Her pitch black hair came just under her ears and her outfit was made out of some kind of hide, maybe horse. She was unnerved by Gelfric’s death stare and stood her ground, her hands on her hips. She had a weapon holstered to her waist, an axe of some sort. She marched over to Jade and stood over her.

“Serilan, ‘t ain’t fair. He der new guy ‘nd he get mo’ respeck.” Gelfric’s voice changed to almost a plea as Serilan walked around Jade, occasionally glancing at the large oaf. When she finally stopped circling, Gelfric actually seemed afraid as he tensed up.

“What is your name, Noblesword?” Jade didn’t answer. She was measuring her opponent, just as Serilan had been doing. Jade wasn’t sure what to make of her. Now that she was closer, Jade could see the scar across Serilan’s throat. Somebody had unsuccessfully tried to assassinate her. She hated to think what would have become of the failure. Jade also noticed the axe. It was impressive, finely crafted, and military issued. She wondered if Serilan was in the King’s army or if she stole it from a corpse.

“I am Lady Jade Nyroni of the King’s Nobleswords and I command that you release me.” Jade knew it was of no use, but kept her voice firm and strong. Serilan laughed at the thought and knelt down to look Jade right in the eye. Jade could see the weariness in her eyes. Serilan had been out here for too long and the constant survival tactics was getting to her. Maybe she knew her time was coming, which is why she showed no fear to a bounty hunter.

“Release you? My dear, they sent you here to kill me. Why would I assist you in doing so?” Serilan stood up and turned back to her companions. “Take her to the cell and find the others, they can’t be far behind!” Gelfric and Bontir grabbed Jade by the arms again, but this time dragged her to her feet and marched her into the shanty of a fortress. As they approached, the mossy and wet, wooden gate began to slowly open. Inside was even more of a shanty than outside. Poorly made tents of hide and fur littered the pit.

Jade was taken across the camp, avoiding eye contact with the numerous bandits, both male and female alike, that continued to eyeball her like a piece of warm, cooked meat. When they reached the other side of the pit, she was surprised to see they were smart enough to have built around a cave opening. Inside, was difficult to see. The cave was only lit by a few torches here and there. Gelfric tugged on her shoulder to stop her. Jade was barely able to make out the outline of a door as Bontir opened it and Gelfric kicked her on the back of her leg and shoved her onto the cold, hard ground. Bontir quickly locked the door behind her.

The sun peered through the trees and illuminated the small camp. As a twig cracked somewhere, the medium sized, brown dog raised its head and looked around the clearing. Convinced it was just some wildlife running around, it went to lower its head and continue to sleep, but quickly perked up again as its master began to stir.

The silver, shoulder length hair was the first to emerge from the covers of the fur blanket made from wolf and fox. Followed was a healthy and young face. The young man, about twenty or so, had no scars or wear of any kind that was visible. If he was a fugitive in this land, he only recently arrived or was blessed enough to have a quiet life here. The dog ran out of the hide tent and circled the dying fire. It began to relieve itself to put out the smoldering embers as his master appeared in a tunic and cloth pants.

The young man was clean shaven and of an average size. There was no sign of wear on him anywhere, even his clothes were clean and well looked after. He clearly had just arrived to the white sea of powder.

“Good boy, Shadow.” Shadow barked happily as he shook his leg and stood by his master as the young man started taking down the tent. There was another snap of a twig only this time much closer and louder. Shadow searched the tree line again, but still saw nothing. “Don’t worry, boy, it’s probably just deer.”

Even as he said it, the young man couldn’t help but to feel some thing watching him. Given the reputation of this part of Aldrina, he grew more nervous and quickly packed away the tent and the rest of his things and threw his hiking bag over his shoulders. The fine leather felt a little warm against his back. Shadow started to growl. The young man turned knelt down and picked up the sword lying in the snow, next to the fire. It was a bad move.

Heh, I'm back.
Well, sort of.