"I know what you did last summer" (literary contest)

dear members,

tell us about how adventurous/fascinating/unexpected your character's summer was. we are dying to hear about it!

please take the time to read the conditions of this event before posting, these can be found here

 

Spoiler

the summer night

it was an unusually cold and lonely summer night. full moon was shining in the sky that was clear from clouds. something strange was in the air and the young elf girl estemielle could feel it. she couldn’t quite point her finger at what it was, but she felt it and it made her shiver. as a level 1 healer she didn't have much battle experience and she was suddenly coming to regret, that she had left so late from iris lake where she had been studying the disappearance of the local elpy population. the elven forrest was usually a peaceful place, but today there lurked a shadow behind every bush and boulder.
“that's nonsense”, she said to herself to gather composure, “what could possibly happen?”

reassured by that she pulled her cloak tighter around her and walked on towards her home that was built on the outskirts of the elven village. the road through the elven forrest was long and windy, but she took her time knowing, that soon she would reach her warm and bright cottage.

without a warning a cold icy wind-gust came and blew her hat off. she bent down to take her hat from the forest debris and put it back on when she realized that she had heard something. she stood for a moment, not understanding what it was. it slowly dawned on her what she had just heard. it was the sound of a war drum. it was a silent and threatening “dum-dum-dum” and it was slowly creeping nearer...

estemielle stood for a minute. thoughts were running through her head. what to do? should i cry for help, or run to home? the creepy “dum-de-dum” was getting closer.
all of a sudden she had no power over her legs anymore and she started to run. on and on. mile after a mile, but the drums were still getting nearer. it was already too late, when she discovered that she had strayed from the known path and was in the middle of the elven woods with no idea where exactly...

she was becoming desperate. drums were nearer and nearer. her whole body was covered with sweat and she was horribly terrified, but still she ran. finally she could already see them. they were coming and there were many of them. monsters with yellow shining eyes, green skin, and nails sharp as needles. they had swords, fists, spears and they were dressed in armor and running towards her with a speed she had never seen before...

she started to weep. tears ran along her cheeks. but she ran on. suddenly she fell. estemielle's body rolled down a small hill and stopped after a couple of meters in a heap of limbs and fabric. her body was now covered with bleeding cuts and wounds and it made the monsters roar in bloodthirst.
“oh please, somebody, help me!”, she screamed.
no answer.

the orcs had by now caught up with her and as she lay sobbing they had slowly encircled her, leaving no way for escape. their grinning faces were so scary, that estemielle had to close her eyes for a second. only to open them again to face her death. the leader of monsters took his lasts steps towards her. he drew his axe and was ready to land the finishing blow.

all of a sudden something black and huge jumped out of the bushes behind estemielle. it was a lonely black wolf. no. a black wolf with a huge wolf pack trailing close behind him. a packleader of werewolves with his friends for help. with one bite he broke the throat of the nearest orc. the battle was bloody, but the level 6 green monsters had no chances of winning against level 9 wolves and soon enough they learned of it. after couple of minutes the fight was over. noone escaped and no prisoners were taken. wolves gathered into one group.

“thank you so much for saving my life!” said estemielle and to her surprise the wolf leader answered: “who said that we came here to save your life?” and then the forest was filled with only a scream and the sound of a wolfpack enjoying their meal.

charname: estemy (with a level 1 alt called estemielle)

 

summer meeting with desparion

Spoiler

summer usually tends to be hot, and this time it was not different. i was sitting at the edge of the river and gazing lazily on the sky. before me lied already rotting and stanching corpse of some minor bremnon follower. bloodstained grass waved gently as the hot wind scuffed its blades. i’ve put my hand into the prat and pulled out few shiny adena coins.
‘not so much for a judge’ laughed some familiar voice from behind.
‘and why are you here, grunt?’ i’ve asked without turning my face away from the sky.
‘you’re the one lazy judge, eh?’
i’ve sighted.
‘kingdom has no commissions, law has become cheap lately’ i’ve answered.
‘somehow, acron has a lot of commissions and you are here, counting every adena and doing some petty jobs’
i must admit, i’ve hated this kind of talk, comparisons… if it wasn’t my best mate, he would have been burning in the fires of damnation. however, these words pierced me like an arrow. it wasn’t because they were uttered in some vile manner, but because they were god damn true. i’ve always turned my back to some serious jobs, and killing a minion of bremnon was a routine. “enough to pay the bills, enough to survive” that was my rule. i personally felt strong despise towards all of the judicators who boasted about their luxury.
‘tell me’ i’ve started, ‘what do you want from me right now, gadriel?’
i’ve sent him a glance and saw a smile, a smile that was at the same time crafty and honest. i knew what kind of news he had brought, as he always smiled like this.
‘if i’m not wrong, mate’ i’ve stood up, ‘there’s going to be lots of hacking and slashing, am i right?’ i’ve asked waiting for an obvious answer.
‘heard about desparion?’
i’ve nodded.
‘you see, the dead were rising from their graves lately’ said gadriel.
‘what does it have to do with desparion?’
‘he’s back, kabanito’ replied my friend, ‘he’s back’
‘don’t you joke like that, desparion is long dead and buried in…’ i’ve cut in half of the sentence as a town guard rushed towards me.
he grabbed my arms so firmly that i felt his gauntlets piercing trough my leather armor. his eyes were bloodshot and filled with madness and fear mixed together. my mate, whose strength was far greater than mine grabbed him by his head and dragged away from me.
‘what are you thinking, to assault royal judge like that?!’ i’ve yelled.
yes, yes i know, hypocrisy everywhere, but i hoped these words would bring him back to the senses. i was wrong, infuriated guard stabbed gadriel’s plexus with his sword’s handle and rushed towards me. trust me, he was faster that normal, there was something that was driving him insane. and i felt this insanity was aiming to hurt my pride. still, i’ve managed to evade all of his swings and thrusts.
‘shadows shall bind you’ i’ve muttered and dived beneath his swinging blade.
shadowy tentacles poured of his own shadow and held him.
‘the pulse!’ shouted my friend, ‘he’s as cold as ice!’
‘undead?’ i’ve said to myself and came closer.
i’ve touched his neck, it was cold! no heart beat, no heat, no reason in eyes, nothing except the void and some dark aura pouring out of him. i could not wait any longer, shadow binding might broke in any time so without hesitation and second thoughts, i’ve pushed my rapier through his throat.
‘may your soul find peace beside the throne of gran kain’ i’ve muttered and stepped back.
shadows had loosen and guards body smashed the ground. was this desparion rumor true? surely it was as in a while a priestess joined us.
‘oh darn… so he’s dead already’ she whispered, but her voice was loud enough that i could hear the words.
‘dead for the second time, to be exact’ i’ve answered.
‘you!’ she pointed at me.
‘me?’ i’ve turned my face to rising gadriel, ‘gadriel, did you see any “you”?’
she giggled. i would have never thought that this kind of joke might be funny to someone else. i’ve looked at her again and noticed that her giggling face has already changed into surprised.
‘you are the judicator right?’ she asked.
damn, her voice was so gentle, i’d like to hear her singing in the tavern rather than that filthy worn out voiced elvish swordsinger. well, i guess priesthood is forbidden to join the tavern’s drinking parties, on the second hand… everyone knows, how priests like to “occasionally” abandon their celibacy. well i’d have nothing against having some fun with her, and so do gadriel… at least i think so.
‘do you need my services, sister?’
‘please visit highpriest orven, there’s a big commission and only your kin can manage to fulfill majesty’s request’.
well the old proverb says “pecuna non olet”, so it might be worth the trouble, especially that my “pecunia” was nearly extinct. all in all we’ve ended up in einhasad temple in front of his holiness orven. we were acknowledged that strange things happened in the cemetery of kings. as long as single ghosts were nothing extraordinary, an organized army of the undead was, at least, strange. accordingly to scouts’ reports a necromancer desparion, appeared to be bored with his flat six feet underground. we received some blessings in which power neither of us (or at least me) believed.
the day was already coming to an end i hoped that we’ll finish the task before the dusk. you know taverns, wenches and mead are a great composition. we’ve crossed the gates of aden half past six in the afternoon. our thoughts were wholly absorbed by the vision of glittering gold, half naked girls dancing on the tables and the bitter taste of dwarven brewed beer. as soon as we climb into first hill, our thoughts changed into the “how to survive” questions. legions of the undead were ready to strike and some ragged man marched among them. we, kamaels, have sharp eye and can recognize faces from great distances with ease. i remember the portraits of desparion, and to my greatest fears, i have to admit, it was him. a little bit more bony, more “flesh wounded”, generally – more dead. have you ever thought what’s with these mages running around with desparion’s staves? these staves were just a mere replicas. that one was jeweled with black pearls, covered in dried blood and far more magnificent than those “made in elmore”.
‘bro it was nice to work with ye’ said my friend.
‘you’re welcome’ i’ve replied and hugged him warmly.
then we sheath out our swords. his ancient blade was a nice piece of metal forged in the depths of hell. i felt a little “geyish” with my rapier, but i’ve compensated my manhood with magic, which left my opponents rotting on the ground. hard march on and we’ve felt mana flowing through our feet. last breath before the battle, which outcome might not be predicted, and off we go.
firstly, gadriel charged through the legions of the dead making me path. i’ve jumped out from behind of his back and tried to reach the necromancer. soul empowered rapier delivered a rapid slash. then i saw a smile on desparion’s face. remaining flesh on his chest got torn but he seemed not to suffer any serious damage. i’ve struck him rapidly twice more – nothing. his grin made me mad, i’ve grown furious and in the rage unleashed my true nature. with an eye’s angle i saw that gadriel, outnumbered by the enemy, did the same.
‘ to hell with you!’ i’ve yelled and smashed necromancer’s head.
shadows gathered and believe me or not, but his body got fully restored. he burst out in demonic laughter.
‘this friend of yours’ said the magician, ‘is precious to you, right?’ he asked.
the grin on his face was even wider than a moment before. he pointed at my mate and i saw him falling on the knees. screams of pain were to be heard even in aden, it’s painful to see the helplessness of our proud race. infuriated i struck the necromancer. he hid his staff behind his back and took all the impact on himself. there had to be something in his immortality. think kabanito, think! i knew it was something about the staff… a vessel. suddenly a strike came from behind and i had to put my thinking aside. i’ve managed to evade incoming strike and break through the mindless mob.
‘blessed be thy skin, and blessed be thy soul’ i’ve muttered and touched my paralyzed friend.
magic in an instant cured him, this act enraged the necromancer even more. he started to cast death spikes all around. again we’ve created an ideal battle symphony and scalped another dozens of undead. ultimately we made our way to desparion again. gadriel charged, the impact was so great that the magician lost his staff. the gem on the centre of it was emitting a mysterious black aura, barely visible to the mortal eye. however, we born from darkness could sense it, feel it, taste it… my fellow berserker hold our enemy with all he’s got, and i’ve taken his voice with magic. his secret was next to be discovered. as i touched the staff i immediately recalled what we were taught during anti-magic classes. this staff, or the gem to be more precise, was nothing else but phylactery. a vessel where a magician stores his soul upon becoming a lich. unless phylactery is destroyed the lich remains invincible. i’ve pulled out the gem, and looked once more into necromancer’s empty eyes. this time it was me who was grinning, it was me who had the right to taunt his foe. i felt the power i’d unleashed a while ago is already abandoning me, but with the remaining bits i’ve crashed the gemstone. as the dust flew from between my fingers, desparion began to turn into dust, all of the undead did the same a second after their master’s death.
tired and stained with our own blood, we’ve marched in the last crimson suns rays towards the walls of imperial city of aden. the evil moon started to rise over the horizon of silence as we crossed the gates. i’d like to bind the voice of all of fellow citizens, jut to let my ears rest, but it was a pleasant noise. a noise in the name of the judge and the grunt who saved this beautiful city from destruction.

character name: kabanito