The Changing Of The World

Chapter 1 - The Calling

The wind blew gently across the surface of the waters bringing small relief from the heat of the sun which was beating down on the shore.
Insects buzzed through the air and the sound of seabirds could be heard clearly above the gentle lapping of the waves on the sand.
He stood facing northwest staring out across the waters. The sun shone brightly upon his white armour making him appear to be made of sunlight from a distance.
"Its time to go." said a woman walking upto him from the treeline behind him. "What is that makes you stare out to sea like that everyday?" she asks when he makes no response.
He continues his vigil for a moment longer then turns to face her.
"I can't exactly explain it ... its as though I'm being called." he says and takes one last longing look across the waters before turning and making his way up the shore to the small party awaiting him.
The woman looks in the direction he was staring for a moment, then with a heavy sigh turns and joins the others.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The Red Doubloon rocked gently against her moorings but the dockhands took no notice as they continued loading cargo crates onboard walking with practuced ease up the gang plank with their loads upon their shoulders.
"Look lively there!" yelled a man in a bright red doublet with gold buttons. He turns as he hears someone calling to him.
"Cap'n." calls a young boy running down the dock "Cap'n."
"Well?" demands the captain.
"No sign sir." the boy pants trying to catch his breath from running in the searing heat.
The captain looks toward the ancient fortress city and then out to sea and finally at the sun blazing down on them all. Shaking his head he turns toward the boy again who is now standing next to him at the railing of the ship.
"They 'ave another quarter turn o' the glass then I'm setting sail, I 'ave a deadline to meet and I'm sure as 'ell not missing it for no Sunspears." he states as he tosses the boy a coin.
The boy catches the coin mid-spin out of the air and quickly bites on it making sure that its genuine. Satisfied, he turns pocketing the coin and begins the run back into the Gandarra knowing the captain would no longer need him.
"Ankaro!" yells the captain looking once again at the working deckhands.
Almost immediately a well built man with a weathered face and dark brown skin glistening in the sunlight appeared next to the captain.
"Yes Cap'n." he said.
"We set sail in a quarters turn o' the glass so get those lazy dogs moving faster, I want that cargo loaded."
"Yessir!" Ankaro says and turns shouting at the deckhands to work faster.
The captain stands watching for a moment longer then turns and begins to walk across the deck of his ship toward the hatch to the lower decks when he notices a woman standing at the other railing looking outwards toward the sea. He growls to himself and makes his way over and stands beside her.
"Told you to stay below decks." he states matter of factly.
"It is hard to stay in the gloom down there Captain Nahnkos when my Goddess is would rather I was up here soothing the pain of those deckhands you are seriously pushing too hard." she replies turning to face him.
"'Ow I work those I pay is nothing to do with your Goddess and so I ask that you return below decks, we set sail shortly." and with that her stalks away and down the hatch below-decks.
The woman takes one last look toward the sea then follows.
Ankaro having watched the exchange from the opposite railing turns and continues yelling at the deckhands as the last crate is brought aboard.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"He knows he is being called." states Egil Fireteller.
"So you keep saying! But when will he enter these lands?" demands the Necromancer.
"Dwayna has not graced me with that vision and so I cannot say." replies Egil.
"Bah! You and your Goddess are useless to me!" and with that the Necromancer turns and storms off into the snow covered land without a concern that there is an ice storm brewing.
Egil turns back to the fire blazing despite the dropping temperature and stares deep into its flames.
"The pieces are moving and only one set of players is aware of the other." he says softly, his words being carried from him by the wind.
"All is as it should be. My priestess has secured passage and will be in place to bring them all together. Remember Egil, you are not to interfere, everything must be as it is meant." said a gentle female voice carried to himon the wind.
"As you wish Dwayna." and then he knew that the Goddess had departed.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The stone glows and emits heat despite the snw it rests in. Lava flows beneath the surface, swirling round as though alive.
"The Seer knows more than he is saying Master." the Necromancer says to the stone uncomfortable near such heat.
"He knows only what he is shown but you may be correct Avarr." answers a rumbling growl of a voice from within in the stone.
"Shall I return to his Perch and tear the information from him?" Avarr replies eagerly hoping the answer will be yes.
"No. I have another task for you. Seek out a Dwarf called Duncan The Black and convert him to my cause." the voice answers. "Now go! There is something I must attend to that is more important than talking to a fallen Norn."
Avarr knows from experience that he has been dismissed and as the inner fire of the stone lessens he also knows that the connection has been closed.
Of all the races for him to have to seek out it has to be a Dwarf. He hates dwarves more than he hates his own race. Knowing that the dwarven race is split into two major factions it is obvious that this DUncan The Black must belong to the Stone Summit Dwarf's and as such only one of their kind will be able to tell him where to find him. He must travel to speak to Dvalinn Stonebreaker.

----------------------------------------------------------------

As they arrived at the dock where they were to board the Red Doubloon they found it empty. The ship had set sail without them.
"I told you we would be late if we helped that woman!" said the woman, her foot length robe blowing in the breeze from the sea.
He didn't reply or even look at her. He just stood and stared out to sea in a north-westernly direction.
"Fine! You were right! We couldn't have just left her to be ripped apart by those bugs." she sighed. Looking back at the rest of their party she had a sudden thought.
"That was the only captain going that far north. What do we do now?" she asked.
Without moving a muscle or looking away from whatever it was he watched from afar he replied.
"Legends say there is an ancient way to reach the lands, or atleast a part of the lands, we are trying to reach. We must goto the Halls of Chokin and seek council from the keepers of the knowledge within." and with that said he turned on his heel and started back down the dock towards the rest of his travelling companions.
"Come Starkreen, we have a long journey ahead of us and I feel that we may be running out of time." he said to the robed woman as he walked away.
Starkreen turned and followed him knowing that she would get no more from him now.
As they rejoined their friends she watched him carefully. He had changed but she could not quite explain how or why. Whenever she questioned him about this feeling he has been having he only say "It is the Calling."

Wow, that is great.

Another storyteller. So many stories to read. I CAN'T DO IT ALL!!!

wow i guess every1 in the alliance has a pretty good writer in him/her.

Chapter 2 - Dark Energies

The air was still, devoid of even a breeze to stir the knee length grasses. Silence, total utter silence, not even the insects that inhabit this area would chitter as they usually would on such an evening.The sky, clear, clouds having long departed leaving the full moon to shine down upon the land with its eirie silvery glow.
She stood naked atop a large stone tomb, head raised to the heavens and arms out-stretched to either side, the moonlight glistening on the thick dark liqiud coating her breasts and stomach.
Slowly the moon turns red making the land look awash with blood as it's light bathes down. Tombstones become crimson pillars and the once white flowers at the foot of the tomb upon which she stands glow a rich blood red.
She reaches down and picks up a wickedly shaped blade the length of her forearm with her right hand. With her left she reaches into a small cage and grabs hold of the rabbit within drawing it out as she returns to a standing position.
Mumbling dark words of power she draws the blade across the throat of the rabbit and drops it to land on the tomb with a subdued clatter. Raising the torn throat of the animal to her mouth she
drinks deeply of the life giving liquid flowing freely with the last beats of it's heart.
Just before the moment of death she withdraws her mouth from the wound and casts the lifeless, limp body aside where it lies ignored by the scavengers nearby, atleast until it is safe to ventured forth.
Fresh blood now runs freely down her throat, across her breasts and down her stomach reigniting the colour of the drying blood already there.
The moon turns black, like coagulated blood, and as she finishes her dark prayers she collapses to her knees upon the cold black stone.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"I don't care who the hell you are! Tell me where she is now!"
The man, obviously in his mid-forties and used to people being impressed when he stated his office, cowered and broke out in a nervous sweat. The man stood before him was terrifying. From the
moment he had entered the village and demanded to see "her" it was obvious there was going to be trouble.
"I won't ask again, I'll beat it out of you if you don't answer me NOW!" yelled the agressor. He stood just over six foot tall, his slim but strong build clearly visible through his leathers. his long ankle length leaf brown cloak and sturdy looking black boots were covered with dust from the road, he had obviously travelled some distance.
"I .. I ... I d-d-d-don't k-k-k-know." stammered the fear filled oficial. " She c-c-c-comes and goes as s-s-s-she sees f-f-f-fit." he finished stammering.
"She went to pay homage to her God." came a small voice from behind him. Turning the traveller sees a small girl, no more than eight summers in age. She stood there bravely looking him in the eye while
wringing her hands infront of her, obviously from nervousness and not fear. She wore a knee length dark brown skirt with a dirty white blouse which seemed to have been torn along the cuff just above her lefthand.
"And where would that have taken her?" he asked in a more kindly tone.
"The old boneyard." she stated " If you wait she will be back soon enough."
At that moment the moon in the clear sky turned a rich blood red.
"Please sir .. don't hurt my papa. She should be nearly finished and be back within the hour." said the gril with a pleading yet defiant look in her eyes.
"Very well child, I shall leave your father be, but in the future it would be wise of him to answer a question promptly when asked to avoid such situations" he sighed heavily and glared at the girls
father who was still cowering in fear."Your girl here is a brave one, I take it she gets that from her mother's side of the family."
He turns away from the father and daughter as the girls helps her father to steady himself and begin to move off towards the gathered crowd of villagers. Heading toward a well situated in the centre of
the village he seats himself on the rim and hoists the small wooden bucket up.
"Don't drink that!" yelled the girl running back towards him. "It's poisonous during the black moon." she continued pointing upto the sky. Surely enough the moon was now black.
Standing up from his seat, never taking his eyes of the moon, he sees that it is slowly lightening again towards a blood red, the transistion from blood black to blood red was gentle and easy whiel
the transistion from blood red to the moons own silverly pale white was almost instant.
"Thank you." he says to the girl and decides to wait in silence until 'she' returns.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Avarr swished his long black robes back and grasped at the amulet hanging from the silver chain around his neck. The energies he could feel flowing through the ether were tremendous and oh so much darker than his own.
He wouldn't be able to speak with the Stone Summint Dwarves while such energies influenced him, they would think him weak or addled.
Murmuring a quick spell and casting a small piece of bone onto the snow at his feet he summons a grotesque disfigured being. Flesh hangs from mangled bones, blood seeps across the exposed mucles and sinew and the stench coming from its rotting presence was gutt-wrenching.
"Goto the Stone Summit in the caverns found in the northwestern region of Drakkar Lake. Tell them I will arrive a week tonight. My work is at a crucial point so I cannot attend now." he says to the
summoned creature and turns from it towards his own cave.
The creature, as if knowing that it had been dismissed, turns and lopes off to do it's masters bidding.
"Gah! Whoever is drawing this much power terrible indeed," he says to himself, "but definitely someone who will, must, assist us in the war to come!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------

He looks up at the sound of barefeet treading their way towards him.
"Finally!" he says aloud as he stands up and waits for her to reach him. "I've been looking for you for months! And I find you in this place!" he exclaims with a wave of his arm to encompass the village
around them.
"If you don't mind I have need of some sleep before I either listen to your tales or deal with the news you bring" she replied walking past him, her skin glistening under the silver moonlight, all traces
of blood gone.
"Do you always go around naked these days?" he asked as she passed.
"Sometimes" she said coyly and walked up a couple of wooden steps
and through the open door of a small wooden shack.
Sighing and shaking his head he turns towards the in the other direction and heads over to the tavern noting that if the village has its own tavern then it must be some sort of centre for the local
villages to gather for trade purposes.
As he enters the building through the crooked and cracked door the smell of stale ale hits him.
"A tankard of your best ale innkeep" he calls to the skinny bald man behind the counter. The innkeep rushes to get him his ale having witnessed how he treated poor Reynard earlier and wanting to be on
the receiving end of anything similar.
"Don't look so scared man!" he says as the innkeep places an overflowing battered pewter tankard infront of him, "I've apparently got a bit of a wait ahead of me so I may aswell have a few ales to
pass the time." And with that he raises the tankard to his lips and takes a long draught. "Not a bad drop that."
"Local brew" says the innkeep puffing his bony thin chest out with pride, "my brother brews it he does."
"And do you and your brother sell it?" he asked.
"Aye that we do but we don't get many merchants out these ways from the big cities like" answered the innkeep.
"I'll tell you what my good man," he begins, "have three barrels of the stuff delivered to The Oaken Tavern in Fisherman's Haven" and he tosses a small bag of coins onto the counter."That should cover the costs."
The innkeep picks up the bag and judges its weight in his hand before opening it to check on the contents. His eyes shoot wide with surprise at the sight of gold coins within the bag and he quickly
closes the bag pulling on its drawstrings and stuffs it down the front of his apron.
"Have the barrels there in the next two weeks and I'll make sure you have a regular order." he said draining the last of his ale from the tankard."Another in there when your ready aswell."
"And if we're asked who ordered the ale what name shall we give?" asked the innkeep as he refilled the tankard.
"Ever Wind,"he stated accepting the now full tankard,"Ever Wind Pro is the name."

drools

another gr8 chapter....why do we have to w8 for those gr8 storys...i want them now...

wow... stunning

Chapter 3 - Blood Will Run

The Red Doubloon had been at sea for five days now. The weather had remained calm with a decent wind blowing in their favour since leaving the port in Gandarra. The sky was clear with only a few whisps of cloud on the horizon. The waves were gently rocking the ship as her full one hundred and thirty five foot plowed through them, urged onwards by the constant warm wind.
Onboard the ratings were busy about their duties, in the galley the evening scran was being prepared, at the bow several sailors were dhobeying, up and down the deck some were on their hands and knees scrubbing the deck while others were in the rigging. The first mate Ankaro was at the wheel keeping them oncourse although it required little work as the weather was so favourable.
Up in the crows nest atop the mainmast the lookout was lazily scanning the horizons knowing there wasn't any land around for many miles. He leant against mast, just beneath the flagpole enjoying the balmy weather and the gentle but familiar rocking of the ship as she travelled along. Using a dirk to pick some of the dirt from beneath his fingernails he pays little attention to the skies.
It was only as the black speck coming from the east changed direction toward the ship that he paid it a bit more attention. He had first seen it an hour past but thought it only a flock of seabirds but now that it had changed direction from a north-westerly to easterly he paid it a little more attention. With the sun beginning its desent towards the western horizon he had no trouble concentrating his vision without the bother of sun-glare. He was certain the flock had not only changed direction but was actually gaining on them.
Below, the rest of the crew were oblivious, he glances down at the first mate at the helm then returns to watch the oncoming flock which in the moment of him looking down at the deck had gained on them significantly. Now that they were getting closer it became apparent that this was either a very large flock of birds or something else.
He intently watches them getting closer and closer when suddenly he recognises what they. They are indeed a flock but not of any ordinary seabird, he turns cupping his hands around his mouth and yells.
"Harpies! Harpies off the starboard side!"
"How far?" yells Ankaro from the wheel in reply.
"'Bout 3 miles and gainin fast" came the answering call.
"Fetch the cap'n!" Ankaro snaps at the sailor closeby who promptly scurries away down the steps from the wheelhousing and through the door leading below-decks.
A moment later the Captain Nahnkos appears on the deck with a looking glass inhand.
"Where?" he barks loud enough to heard from the crowsnest
"Three degrees south of east cap'n" yells the lookout from above,"little more than two miles out."
Nahnkos raises the glass to his eye and quickly finds the approaching flock. After a quick count he lowers the glass and immediately begins barking orders which the crew are fast to respond to.
"Raise the mizzen and sprit sails! Archers to your stations! All hands prepare for battle!"
No captain that sails the seas has never encountered a maurauding flock of harpies at some time. The best tactic is to try and outrun them. The only other option is to fight and such a fight can result in the sails being torn asunder or even the loss of a mast depending on what weapons the damn birds carried.
"Flock o' ten!" he bellows as eight sailors with flatbows line up along the starboard railing fitting the strings to their bows and readying arrows, the barbed heads of which glint in the sunshine.
"We won't outrun them cap'n!" shouts Ankaro still at the wheel. "Take the wheel!" he barks at a sailor closeby who quickly replaces the first mate. "Keep her steady unless the cap'n says otherwise" and with that he runs along the deck to stand beside the captain accepting a spear from a deckhand as he passes with an arm full of them handing them out to certain crew members.
"Where the blazes did they come from, theres no land around for many a mile" said Nahnkos to no-one in particular.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ever Wind sat in a chair by the open fire and appeared to be asleep. The tavern owners cat strolled over and rubbed itself against his boots before jumping up into his lap and settling down to enjoy the warmth of the fire.
The door to the tavern opened and she entered wearing a set of skin tight black leathers. Along the outside of the shins and thighs, outside of both wrists and cresting her shoulders were wickedly looking sharp blades jutting out paralell from the armour. They caught the light as she crossed the room towards Ever Wind.
"Slept enough?" he asks without looking up.
"Yes" she replied matter of factly.
"Ready to get down to business then?" he replied.
"Ready when you are my old friend."
He finally looks at her as she seats herself in the chair opposite him. The cat remains dozing on his lap. He reaches into a small hidden pocket in the breast of his leathers and tosses a small item that catches the firelight and shines brightly as it travels through the air to be caught in one of her delicate looking pale hands.
"When did the call come?" she asks without opening her hand to look at the item held within, knowing what it was and who it was sent by.
"Almost two months ago now. Took me that long to find you. You know you really should keep in touch more." he replied.
Opening her hand she looks closely at the object. It is an inch across its perfectly flat top, narrowing to a fine point at the base. The sides were cut to perfection and even in the palm of her hand it caught the firelight which danced around its facets as if they were their own. On the flat surface of the top of the ruby was delicately etched the letter R caressed by the image of a scythe. A symbol she had not seen for nearly two years.
"Usual meeting place I assume?" she asked.
"As always my old friend, as always." he replied.
"I will be ready in an hour" she said as she stood and turned towards the door.
"I'll be here" he said lowering his head again and onc more appearing to be asleep.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun set the fires were stoked higher. Huge branches were flung onto them to keep them burning. The flames reached a good ten foot into the air and threw off an intense heat.
In the centre of the four large fires stood a stone plinth. It almost shone in the dancing firelight, illuminating it from all sides. A stone pillar stood at each corner and four rough well worn steps led upto the dias. A small altar lay atop the dias stained from years of blood letting.
A creature stood before the altar facing northeast. The firelight glistened upon its fur and armour making it seem to almost be made from the very element itself. It extends a large fur covered claw with long white talons at the end of each finger and picks up a two foot long knife laying atop the altar.
"Bring the meat" he growls to another creature standing at the foot of the plinth who scurries off and promptly returns with a semi-concious man, dragging him along behind him as if her weighed no more than a sack of feathers. The man was dragged up the stone steps and bodily lifted and dropped roughly upon the altar. The creature that fetched him retreats to his original position.
"Our Gods once allowed us to tear apart the enemies of our past but they are gone! Our new Gods will allow us to tear apart the world!" he roars to the massed gathering of tooth and claw, flesh and fur. He raises the knife high above his head in a two handed grasp and plunges it down into and through the chest of the man lay prone before him. The man screams in agony as the blade is swiftly ripped through his chest and ribcage and downward through his stomach as easily as a hot knife through butter. He is dead before the blade is removed from the husk that once housed the soul of a Scout of the Vanguard.
The gathered mass roar and growl in appreciation of the sacrifice and drums are beaten to a monotonous feral beat like that of a heart pounding in a chest in the heat of the hunt.
"The meat will be ours for the feasting!" he roars above the din knowing he will be heard by each of those gathered around him.
With one huge claw he reaches into the chest of the dead man and rips out his heart, rich deep red blood flowing through his fur and dripping from his talons. He raises the heart and tosses it into his mouth relishing on the feel of the still warm human blood running down his throat and across his tongue. He chews on the tough flesh and then swallows it to the approving howls of hundreds of his kind.
He turns from the altar and walks down the steps and through the now raucous gathering to his cave.
"The female meat is inside as ordered Hierophant Burntsoul" said another creature, this ones fur was black and so he seemed to meld into the shadows despite the light from the fires.
"Good. You know what must be done Burr Mankiller. Go and see to it." growls Burntsoul as he pushes aside a cloth hanging over the entrance to his cave and enters. Burr Mankiller turns from the firelight and slips quietly away into the darkness, he has man-meat to deal with tonight.
Inside the cave Burntsoul lets the covering drop back into place in the doorway shutting out the light from the fires and only slightly lessening the sound of his fellow Charr celebratory roars and growls. A small fire burns in the centre of the cave giving light which is not necessary for him to see but with which he wants his prey to see him. A human female lay naked upon the furs on the stone floor. She was unbound and her black hair was wild. Her left eye was already black tinged with yellow with bruising and a trickle of blood led from the corner of her mouth down her chin. Her blue eyes were wide with panic and fear as she behld the giant beast infront of her as it removed its armour abd cast it aside against the cave wall.
"Grrrrrrr ... first I'm going to show you our ways meat. Then I'm going to tear the flesh from your bones slowly so you can watch me as I feast upon it" growled Burntsoul as he approached the trembling woman, his excitement for what he was about to do evident from his arousal and made stronger with the utter fear in her eyes as she realised his intent.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Pass! Pass!" called the young girl running as fast as she could from the crowd of gathered villagers watching as the pair of armoured travellers were setting off down the road.
"Go back Lynita" she called softly as the girl came closer.
"You are coming back aren't you Pass?" asked the girl as she stopped in her tracks tears running freely down her dirty cheeks.
"I'll shall return. Now go on, go back to your father." she said sternly but affectionately. The girl stood still for a moment longer then turns and slowly walks back to the waiting arms of her father who for one was glad to see the back of her companion who had so rudely threatened him earlier that day.
The pair continue walking as the setting sun vanishes behind the treetops of the forest.
A mile down the road she stops and looks back in the direction of the village, a forlorn look upon her face.
"Well I never!" Ever Wind states sounding surprised,"Never thoguht I'd see the day that my old friend Passifis The Vile would miss anyone let alone anywhere! Wait till the others hear about this."
"And if they do I will flay the skin from your flesh and make you a minion forever destined to walk around behind me naked for all to see as you rot" replied Passifis with a smirk on her face as she turned and started walking once more along the road.
"Ahhh" sighed Ever Wind as he walks beside her, "good to have you back by my side JoW. Its been too long!"

good chapter peregrin

O.o. I just threatened to flay adrian. That is just too funny.

a w e s o m e!

Jow, you would probably have sex w/ that afterward, right?

HAHAHA...Not funny