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A Geneforge Trilogy.

Drakon Sssharxx
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Drakon Sssharxx
Kyshakk Koan

Drakon Sssharxx

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I did say about the height of battle alphas and the game discriptions state that a battle alpha is about 10.5 feet (14 spans is what it states and a span is 9 inchs) I'm also a tad inclined to not believe everything in the disciptions bacause this battle alpha is said to weigh 400 stone. Now i am 6 foot and weigh 14 stone and I know a guy the same height that is built like a battle alpha who weighs 18 stone so i find it hard to believe that the battle alpha weighs 400 stone, If you divide 400 by 14 and say that jeff meant to use pounds instead of stone then you get 28 stone which seems to be a hell of a lot more accurate.

 

Hmm sorry I just went on a rant there but I prefer to say that A is about the hight of B rather than A is 3 foot smaller than B because of the approximations in the discriptions.

 

P.S. I just thought about it and I can't seem to remember whether one stone is 14 pound or 16 pound.

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Lilith
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Lilith

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Originally Posted By: Drakon Sssharxx
I did say about the height of battle alphas and the game discriptions state that a battle alpha is about 10.5 feet (14 spans is what it states and a span is 9 inchs) I'm also a tad inclined to not believe everything in the disciptions bacause this battle alpha is said to weigh 400 stone. Now i am 6 foot and weigh 14 stone and I know a guy the same height that is built like a battle alpha who weighs 18 stone so i find it hard to believe that the battle alpha weighs 400 stone, If you divide 400 by 14 and say that jeff meant to use pounds instead of stone then you get 28 stone which seems to be a hell of a lot more accurate.


"Stone" is a pretty common made-up unit of weight in fantasy, and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the real-life unit.
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Chapter 6 – The Changes

 

On the other side of the room on of the drayk guards pulls a key from a rack on the wall and holds it out to Saraph.

“Storeroom P is located at the eastern side of the main docks” Saraph thanks it before walking down the corridor to open the door and step into the main docks. Saraph grips the key tightly in excitement. He walks quickly across the expanse of the docks and finds a series of doors in the wall. Saraph looks at one door which has a black M on it. Saraph looks for the door with a P on which takes longer than it should because they are not in any order. Saraph spots the door to storeroom P and walks forward towards it. He slides the key into the lock and turns it hearing a click.

 

The door swings open and Saraph looks into the rather large room. Along each side of the room stands a line of glowing canisters, there must be about ten in total. Saraph’s face splits with a victorious smile, I brief though goes though his mind asking if the canisters produce side effects. It is quickly squashed by the desire to touch it, to let it alter him, to let it make him stronger. Saraph approaches the firs canister on the right, the closer he gets the stronger his desire becomes. He reaches out his hand and places it on the top of the canister. The glass breaks and the substances rushes out of the canister and into his fingertips, it burns through his body changing his very being. Once it stops Saraph experiments to try and find the changes it bought. As he tries to find what was changed he starts to hear the sound of waves striking the bow of a sailboat. He beginds to hear the workers speak casually on the other side of the docks, Saraph smiles with his newly improved sense. He walks to the second canister to find it repulsive, Saraph moves to the next to find that it also repulses him. Saraph finds that none of the canisters in the room provide any pull to him. He sits in the centre of the room and begins to listen around him. After a short time Saraph begins to feel a pull use a canister again. Saraph realises that they feel repulsive to stop people from being changed to fast. Saraph walks over to the second canister on the right and places his hand upon it gently.

 

Once again the glass breaks and the contents rush into Saraph’s fingertips. They burn though his body altering a small part of his being and once done it fades away. Saraph returns to the centre of the room and waits patiently focusing on what has been altered now. Saraph takes a long deep breath through his nose to feel it burn with the small of essence and dust. His eyes water and he focuses on getting used to such a powerful sense of smell. Saraph once again feel the urge to use another canister he presumes that this one will also improve his senses. He places his hand upon a canister once more to feel it burn through his veins. Saraph collapses to the floor after the contents of the canister are absorbed. Saraph feels the canister is doing a lot more than improving his senses. As the burning sensation dies down Saraph stands up. Saraph feels better than he ever has. He can feel his body has been made more efficient. He has a lot more physical energy and he can feel the essence within him is being consumed more slowly. Saraph smiles and sits back in the centre of the room. He waits patiently for the next canister, He waits longer than the previous times. Saraph begins to make a connection with the amount changed and the time he must wait.

 

The canisters once gain a strong pull for Saraph, he stands up and walks over to the last canister on the right side. He extends his hand and breaks the glass, the contents rush into Saraph’s body and begin to change him. Saraph once again collapses as the contents are fully absorbed into his body. Saraph waits patiently as the burning changed his body. Saraph doesn’t find the sensation painful anymore and once the sensation stops Saraph pushes off the floor to stand up, he finds himself flying through the air and a natural reaction shaped into his body takes over. His body twists and faces the wall he is heading towards, his arms outstretched to absorb the impact. As Saraph reaches the wall his arms bend absorbing Saraph’s motion and bringing himself to a stop. He drops lightly to the floor feeling the strength coiled hin his slight muscles. He pulls back his robe sleeve to look upon his muscles to find them only slightly larger but solid as a rock, the little fat in his arms had be changed into muscle and strengthened.

 

Saraph sits patiently in the middle of the room waiting to see what the next canister holds in store for him. He waits thinking upon the people at the docks and realising that they must have used around the same amount of canisters. Saraph’s head makes the link between the glowing, waxy skin and the canisters. He looks down at his hands to find them ordinary, he looks over his body closely with his improved eyes but cannot find a trace of any visible changes other than how defined his muscles are. He smiles happy that he doesn’t glow and that he is still capable of concealing the extra power within him. He stands up when he feels a pull to the next canisters he walks over to it and breaks the glass a little harder than normal, still not used to his new strength. The contents burn though his veins changing his body once again, Saraph looks within him and can feel exactly what it is changing. He feels all his muscles are being altered once more along with his brain now. Saraph blacks out.

 

When he wakes up he feels like he has been born again, his head feels clearer than ever, he moves his hand in front of his face to find that it moves with blinding speed. Well, Saraph can see every detail of it as it moves but nobody else would. Saraph’s brain processes everything in his body with precision he stands up smoothly and quickly able to see everything his eyes pass over. He hears every sound in the hall beyond and smells every smell all at the same time. His brain processes every sense at the same time. Saraph smiles happy with his physical abilities, he has never been strong or athletic and now he is stronger and faster than he ever dreamed of. Saraph feels powerful and capable of anything, he looks over the three canisters left in the room and wonders what other physical attributes could be improved.

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Drakon Sssharxx
Kyshakk Koan

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I decided that it would be interesting to add a second main charicter, so I thought who better than Saraph's own sister? Enjoy!

 

Chapter 7 – Charlotte

 

Charlotte receives the news about her brother when her father returns home that night. Upon hearing the news of her brother, Saraph, she immediately strides into his room. She sees Saraph’s pack made up and his hunting knife on top. Charlotte always liked Saraph’s hunting knife, he had made it from an old knife and the femur of the first dear he managed to kill. The handle has been polished smooth with use and the knife blade has been sharpened. Charlotte was planning to set off tomorrow morning with Saraph to hunt, it seems that she will be going alone now. She walks forward and picks up the knife before returning to her room and organising her own pack, she picks up her knife and looks over it once before putting it back down and placing Saraph’s knife on top of her pack. She undresses and gets into bed, her mind thinking about what Saraph is doing and where he is going. She falls into a restless sleep.

 

Charlotte wakes in the morning, she looks out her window to find it is still dark. She gets dressed into tight fitting but moveable cloths and fastens Saraph’s knife to he calf. She slings her bow and quiver over her back and begins her stretches. After five minutes she opens her window and climbs through so as not to disturb her mother and father. She walks to the road before breaking into a gentle run towards the forest at the base of the mountains. After about ten minutes when her body is moving freely she starts practicing her rolls and jumps to make sure she is ready for when she needs them. After running for about an hour she passes by some travellers, they look tired and travel worn. They are thin and look underfed and hold few possessions. Charlotte keeps running and by the time the sun rises she is halfway to the mountains. She stops running as she passes by a small stream. She cups the water and takes several big gulps, after she is refreshed she fills her water skins and continues down the path at the same pace as before.

 

Charlotte is used to running and has run for most of her life, she must have paced the entire area within twelve miles of her house. She is proud of her ability to continuously run for hours on end. At about midday she arrives at the base of the mountains and the start of the forest. She continues running for another ten minutes until she cannot see the exit. She stops and closes her eyes focusing on her other senses listening to the birds in the trees, smelling the moss and lichen and feeling the small breeze through the trees. A brief disturbance of air is all the warning Charlotte needs, she rolls forward snapping her eyes open. Once upright again she sinks into a low crouch, pulling Saraph’s knife from it’s sheath and spins around to see a wild mountain lion. It is crouching on its back legs ready to pounce. Charlotte looks it in the eye waiting for it to make the first move. It pounces, claws out reaching for Charlotte’s neck. At the last second she rolls sideways while dragging Saraph’s knife down its right flank and severing the main tendons in its back leg. Once upright she looks over the mountain lion to see it maimed she walks over to it and thrusts the knife though the back of its head putting it out of it’s misery.

 

She looks around, the path is five minutes to the east and nobody is likely to stumble across this area. She begins to set up camp, first she creates a small hunting shelter and then a campfire. She skins the lion and hangs the skin up to dry, once finished with that she cuts out the bladder and proceeds to spread the lions scent around the camp to deter other animals from disturbing her overnight. With her camp set up she begins to cut the meat off the lion and wrap it in dry leaves with a sprig of rosemary stuffed in the centre. Once having stripped all the useful parts from the carcass she drags it away to keep away scavengers. She gets two strips of meat and tears them up spearing them onto a stick she proceeds to cook it. With dinner cooked and eaten she thinks of the many times Saraph accompanied her on these trips and was amazed at her ability to fight lions and various predators while he was forced to hunt deer and rabbits. She smiles at the pleasant memory. She spends an hour sat down digesting her dinner before she leaves the camp in search of tracks to hunt tomorrow. After a couple of hours she spots a faint set of tracks and returns back to her camp and prepares for the night. She eats and sets traps and warning signals before settling into bed and falling asleep.

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Chapter 8 – Disaster

 

Charlotte wakes up as the sunlight breaks through the canopy of branches above her. She picks up Saraph’s knife and places it back in its sheath before walking over to the lion skin hanging over the branch. She runs her hand over it to find it dry and useable. She lies it out on the floor and cuts it into sections, She cuts a series of ong thin strips and proceeds to bore holes through the edges of the other pieces. After all the holes are bored she begins to use the long strips to join the pieces together to form a small pack which she places al but one piece of meat into. She starts the fire going again before cooking the meat she kept out. Once she has eaten she smothers the fire and shoulders her newly made bag. She sets out towards the trail she found yesterday. As she runs she hears faint sounds coming from the direction of her town. She stops and focuses on the sounds to hear faint screeches of creations and even fainter screams of people. She changes direction and runs flat out back towards her town keeping her ears open to the sounds. As she breaks through the edge of the forest and onto the flat plain that separates the forest and the town she can see smoke rising from many wooden buildings.

 

Charlotte stops and crouches low observing the town. She can see huge towering creations ripping apart the building and throwing the townsfolk ten to twenty feet through the air. She can see smaller red creations launching balls of fire at the thatched roofs and wooden buildings. She looks away from the town and to the sides observing the landscape. She spots a tall winged creation standing on two legs, it is taller than the creations tearing apart the building and it looks even more fearsome. Charlotte retreats back into the cove of the trees. She observes her town being ripped apart and being powerless to help, she collapses at the base of a tree with tears running down her face. She cannot look away from the destruction and she realises that her parents are probably dead. With this thought comes fresh tears but still her eyes are fixed on the village. She sees a pair of large creations escorting a man in red robes away from the village. The man is slumped and looks pitiful. The creations stop before the large winged creation that looks like he is in charge of the attack upon Charlotte’s town. The man cowers before the winged creation as it raises its hand. A ball of golden light flies from the winged creations hand and strikes the man in the chest. The man is thrown back several feet and lands in a pile on the floor, he doesn’t move again.

 

Charlotte looks back to see that the entire town has been razed to the ground. She stands up with tears streaming down her face and turns about. She runs back into the forest and keeps running north. She runs and runs unable to think about anything. After hours of running she has to stop at a stream to refresh and fill her water skin again. Once done she returns to running to the north. Soon the trail slopes upwards and she knows that she will have to return to the main road to cross over the mountains. She continues to run throughout the day and by nightfall she is in the middle of the mountain pass. She leaves the road to set up a camp where she will be well hidden and goes to sleep. In the morning she eats before smothering the fire and continuing to run. Overnight she had a dream about Saraph and her father’s words telling her that he is being taken to Dillame by a shaper. She decides that she should head there, wherever Dillame is. She hopes that she can meet a friendly traveller that will tell her the way. For now she continues to run down the road to the exit of the mountain pass. She is the furthest away from home she has ever been. As she realises this fresh tears stream down her face, she has no home now.

 

By midday she reaches the exit to the pass and finds that she is at the start of a large plain, she cannot see anything but flat open land. She can see that the road splits into many directions. She stops and performs a quick rhyme to decide which direction to go, her hand stops on the northern road which, admittedly looks most travelled. She sets off along the northern road and paces away the time. She stops to eat at midday before continuing until nightfall where she sets up camp before eating, shortly afterwards she falls asleep.

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Chapter 9 – First Mission

 

Saraph leaves the storeroom after using the last three canisters. The first one toughened his skin until it was as strong as stone. The second strengthened his bones as strong as steel, and the third increased his muscle mass. Saraph crosses the entire expanse of the docks in three great bounds taking up a whole of two seconds of his time. He smiles, not exactly a smile but more of a smile than a grin. He opens the door at the western edge of the docks and walks slowly down the corridor and past the drayks. He steps into the main meeting room to find the leaders all seated and in deep discussion. Upon Saraph’s entrance they go silent.

“Ah yesss. The human hass returned.” The head drakon states.

“My ssuperior has given me ordersss to relay to you while you were abssent.” The drakon pauses. “You are to esscort one of our important generalss to the ruinss of Poryphra. There are mapss upon the table there where you can plot your course.” The drakon points to the table. “The man you will esscorting iss Velerak, he wass a guardian for the shaperss but he sympathisess with our cause. He is to aid the reinforcement of Poryphra which we expect to be the target of an asssault from the shaperss within the next few weekss.”

 

As the drakon speaks a man steps out from behind the drakon’s chair. He towers head and shoulder above Saraph and his body is large and muscular. He wears heavy plate and a vicious looking sword hangs from his belt.

“You would have a pup escort me? He looks barely able to hold a butter knife than a sword.” The large man complains loudly.

“A man who has trained in the use of magic would not choose to wield a sword on the field of battle. Just like a man who has been trained in the use of swords would not forsake one to burn his enemies with magic.” Velerak looks abashed as he sees the wisdom behind the words. He takes a moment to evaluate Saraph’s power and begins to complain again.

“You give me a boy that may be wise but uses it to divert away my complaints. He would be swatted like a fly by a shaper ambush!” Velerak’s summery of Saraph’s powers came back as a false value due to Saraph concealing his abilities. Saraph is enjoying playing with the man after examining his strength.

“Once again you forget that a book may conceal its power with a cover, so may a man.” Velerak once again is forced to think upon Saraph’s words before replying.

“Only a coward or a thief conceals his power. Show your secrets or I shall force them from you!” The drakon chuckles slightly deciding that it is time that he put a stop to the argument.

“Ssstop!” Velerak stops walking towards Saraph but leaves his hand on the hilt of his blade. “I asssure you that he will be sufficient to the task of esscorting you. During the journey you do as he ssays and only when you reach Poryphra may you asssume your command.” Velerak bows and accepts the drakons assurance. Saraph looks over the maps before leaving the room.

 

Velerak walks silently behind Saraph clearly annoyed at being forced to follow Saraph’s orders. Saraph walks back to his room and retrieves his pack and Zephyrus’s saddle. Saraph fastens the saddle onto Zephyrus and ties his pack onto the back of it. He walks to the main doors the leave the mountain to find the guards have been informed of Saraph’s duty, the doors swing open to reveal snow-capped mountains and pure white plains.

“Get on the saddle.” Saraph tells Velerak. Velerak looks at Zephyrus and the saddle clearly calculating something.

“Ha you think that your pet can carry both of us? This is exactly what I meant about your youth, you are inexperienced and you just proved it once more.” Saraph laughs.

“You just proved your haste to strike down my plans. I know that a wingbolt can carry a single man. Whilst you fly I will be running below.” Velerak takes his turn to laugh now.

“You cannot hope to keep up.” Saraph smiles

“Watch me. Now get on and tie yourself in.” Velerak shakes his head but doesn’t complain as he gets into the saddle. Saraph tells Zephyrus where to fly and begins to run west down the mountain path.

 

Before long Zephyrus catches up and Saraph increases his speed to match Zephyrus. His legs blur with the speed they are moving and Velerak just sits slumped in the saddle. Saraph begins to enjoy the sensation of the wind caressing his face as he blurs past the landscape. The mountains that sit on the boarder with Burwood Province draw ever closer and Saraph can see the mountain pass he needs to cross before heading north. Saraph begins to get used to his new speed and strength he begins to experiment by attempting to perform the flips and rolls his sister used to perform on hunting trips. He finds that his body flows perfectly through each position flawlessly as he rolls and flips along the faint trail to the mountain path. By nightfall Saraph is at the bottom of the mountain pass, he begins to ascend the steep incline with no change to his speed.

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Chapter 10 – A Big Shock and a Sudden Stop

 

Saraph reaches the middle of the mountain pass about an hour after he began the ascent. Suddenly Saraph hears a high pitched screech from above, Saraph feels a sharp pain at the back of his neck. The screech cuts off into silence, Saraph slides to a stop and looks upwards. He sees Velerak, sword drawn with blood running down the blade. Swiftly and precisely he cuts himself from the saddle and climbs up into a standing position on the saddle, Saraph can see that Zephyrus is falling to the floor limply. Just before Zephyrus hits the floor Velerak jumps from its back and rolls as he contacts the floor. He comes to a standing stop ten metres from Saraph and looks him in the eye.

“It is time to see how much of a filthy rebel pup you are.” Saraph takes a deep breath centring his mind for the conflict.

 

Saraph is forced to show the extent of his powers as he calls forth essence to shape, He begins the forms to create a battle alpha but Velerak senses Saraph’s intentions and rushes him. Saraph recalls the essence and jumps ten feet into the air flipping around to face where Velerak is now standing dazed. Saraph calls forth a ball of fire and launches it at Velerak who cuts through it with his blade. Saraph lands nimbly on the balls of his feet and runs at Velerak, at the last second he twists around Velerak’s sword and strikes him in the leg with the palm of his hand. Saraph hears a sharp crack as the bone breaks, Velerak falls to the floor but before Saraph can take advantage Velerak repairs the damage with essence. Saraph launches another couple of balls of flame from his palm before rushing Velerak again. Changing strategy Saraph jumps flipping around in the air while unleashing a torrent of lightning towards the guardian beneath him. Once again Velerak falls to the floor but he rolls over and stands up quickly.

 

Clearly having underestimated Saraph’s abilities Velerak scrambles to centre himself and concentrate on where Saraph is. Velerak heals himself once more and prepares for Saraph’s attack. Saraph rushes Velerak again flames blazing in front of him as he manipulates the light away from Velerak’s eyes causing temporary blindness. Velerak feels flames scorching his skin all over his body, he cannot bear the thought of a war veteran being beaten by some newly appointed rebel scum. His anger bursts forth and he surrounds himself in ice exploding outwards. Saraph is caught unexpectedly by the sudden surge of ice, he is thrown back and his concentration is broken. The magic around Velerak fizzles away into the air. Both Saraph and Velerak quickly heal themselves and stare each other down. Saraph flexes his fingers in preparation while Velerak tightens the grip on his sword hilt.

 

Saraph senses Velerak using magic to manipulate the environment around them, as Saraph observes the air begins to look thick and viscous. Saraph prepares to react at a milliseconds notice. Velerak begins to look hazy and insubstantial, he begins to disappear and reappear in different places. Saraph waits patiently sensing the flow of magic around him, when Saraph detects it close behind him he turns and strikes out with his palm. Velerak gets struck in the centre of the chest with the force of three stampeding bulls. He flies backwards though the air and lands on his back. Saraph runs to where Velerak lands and grabs his armour and twists launching Velerak ten feet into the air to land twenty feet away in a crumpled pile. Velerak hurries to heal himself and get to his feet quickly.

“You may have bested me today but next time we meet I will thrust this blade through the deepest recesses of your cold heart and you will see the errors of your ways before sinking swiftly to the fiery pits of hell where you will burn for your betrayal of our just ways.” Saraph rushes at Velerak after he finishes to find that he grabs at thin air. Milliseconds before magic engulfed Velerak and transported him miles across the continent. The magic is used only in desperate situations because it is incredibly dangerous and risky, a stray thought could leave you hand, or even your head, halfway between your destination and your origin.

 

Saraph curses before running over to Zephyrus as he looks upon the body of his only close friend he can see that he was stabbed at the back of the neck by Velerak, the death was almost instant but Saraph’s rage boils at the underhand blow. Saraph tries to control it but the rage at the death of a friend is too great to contain magic flows through his arms and out of his palms, the instant it touches the air it ignites and Saraph cannot control it. The flames flow freely from Saraph’s body scorching every living thing within ten meters. Yet still Saraph cannot regain control the flames keep burning from his body engulfing a twenty metre radius of land, and still Saraph’s rage boils until a league of land around Saraph is burning. Saraph manages to take a deep breath and stop the advance of fire. Another deep breath begins to recall it back into his body. Within a minute Saraph regains control of his body and begins to douse the flames that still burn with ice. Once finished Saraph sees the pile of ash that remains of Zephyrus, he gathers them up by manipulating the energy around them and raises them fifty feet into the air. He leaves them hovering for a moment before explodeing the ball and scattering the ashes to the distant winds. Saraph realises that Poryphra is going to be under siege and that since Velerak was an agent of the shapers they will need his help to repel the attack. He gathers his emotions and calms his mind before he carries on his journey alone to the ruins of Poryphra.

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Chapter 11 – Preparations

 

Saraph runs throughout the entire night and when the sun rises in the morning Saraph can begin to see activity on the horizon. Saraph increases his pace and within half an hour Saraph can clearly see the ruins of Poryphra, although they do not look like ruins anymore. Wooden frames surround the walls with serviles perched upon them. Huge battle alphas drag large heavy bricks towards the walls, a wooden crane lifts the rocks into place upon the wall. The inner wall is already completed and the outer wall is halfway there, by the end of the day Saraph thinks that with the amount of creations working, the wall will be completed.

 

Saraph arrives at the old stone gatehouse and slows to a walk. He passes by a guard and stops.

“Can you tell me where the commander of this fort is?” The guard looks Saraph over and thinks a moment.

“Were you not the escort of him? Where is Velerak?” Saraph realises that there is no commander of the fort. They were given instructions to follow until the commander arrived to take over. Saraph looks to the other guard at the gate and speaks to them both.

“Come with me I will need your help.” Saraph focuses on creating a battle alpha. He brings forth the essence from his body and begins to shape it in the way that the books he read said and before long a single muscular battle alpha is stood before him. Saraph instructs it to guard the gate before creating a second battle alpha and giving it the same instructions.

 

Saraph asks the guards to lead him to the citadel. The guards obey the orders and lead him to the front gate which is left unguarded. Saraph walks through the gate and into a long passageway with doors exiting it of either side. A strip of carpet leads straight ahead. Saraph recognises the typical shaper citadel layout and follows the strip of carpet down the passageway. Saraph reaches a stone archway and on the other side a small shaping hall, Saraph curses before turning to the guards.

“Is there no larger shaping hall here?” The guards look at each other briefly before one of them speaks.

“I’m sorry but we must ask where Velerak is?” Saraph rearranges his face into an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry but Velerak was a traitor, he was working for the shapers and attacked me along the way. It is my duty to organise the defences now.” The guard’s faces drop for a moment before they gather themselves and look up.

“This is the only shaping hall we have discovered and we managed to re-supply the essence pool. We are severely unprepared for an assault from the shapers.” Saraph takes a deep breath while he thinks quickly.

“I need you to gather up every lifecrafter here and have them report to me once they have finished rebuilding the walls. Place the men with the best eyesight on the wall as sentries and have a team of five people look for a likely hidden passageway that leads beneath the citadel.” The two guards bow and leave the room.

 

Saraph walks over to the essence pool and observes it while he waits. Little over an hour later one of the guards returns.

“We have done as you requested there are guards on the walls and my partner is personally leading the search for a hidden passageway. The lifecrafters tell me that they will be completed within four hours.” Saraph nods and thanks him before turning back to the essence pool. A thought occurs to Saraph and he spins back around.

“Is there a detailed map of this fort I may be able to examine?” The guard thinks for a moment before replaying.

“I do not know sir. You may be able to find one in the library but most of the records in there were damaged to great extent.” Saraph thanks him and dismisses him. Saraph walks from the small shaping hall and down the passageway counting the doors. At the fifth door on the right he turns and opens it walking into the small library. Most of the bookshelves have collapsed and the room is a mess. Saraph begins to gather the various rolls of parchment that have survived. He unrolls them searching for the map of the fort. Luck shines upon him as he unrolls the third roll of parchment. A detailed diagram of the fort is revealed. Saraph walks back to the shaping hall and pins the map down upon a nearby table. He looks over it and begins to plan a defensive strategy.

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Chapter 12 – The Shapers

 

Saraph gets a quill and ink from a nearby cupboard and begins to make notes upon the map annotating weak points and stronger points of the defences. He calculates the forces that will be needed at various areas and requests a copy of all the men he will have available. By the end of the fourth hour a stream of people parade into the shaping hall and gather in the centre of the room. Saraph looks them over and notes the dry glowing skin and the power that has been forced into their bodies. He has them line up against the wall before walking past them one by one evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and how best he can use each one to defend the fort. After an hour he gives them all a number and tells them that they are to respond to that number. Inside Saraph’s head is a list of each mans abilities and the number associated with them. He returns to the map and picks number five and sixteen to defend one of the weaker areas of the fort. He slowly works through the lifecrafters, assigning them positions to hold and explaining to them the various plans he has devised. Once he knows that the lifecrafters know what they are to do he summons the guards and gives them their orders. The serviles and battle alphas that were rebuilding the walls are armed and given their orders as well.

 

Saraph is happy with his plans and settles into the stone chair in the shaping hall awaiting any reports. During the battle Saraph has assigned himself to stand on the citadel tower and provide magical assistance to the battle. He checks the amount of essence within his body and estimates that he could create a significant number of fyoras before the battle and keep mental contact with them to supply them with orders according to the state of the battle. The guard that was on gate duty enters the hall and comes to a stop before Saraph.

“Sir, we cannot find any hint of the secret passageway you have asked us to find.” Saraph thinks over this, he is almost certain that there is a shaping hall below the citadel.

“Keep searching, even if the battle starts it is your task to find it. Take that map to aid your search.” Saraph points to the map on the table before stating he will be at the top of the tower should any new reports arrive.

 

Saraph runs swiftly through the eastern door from the shaping hall and runs up the stairs. Once at the top of the tower he looks out over the fort evaluating the defences. He smiles pleased with himself and looks out over the distant horizon. It is that moment he spots the shaper forces. From this distance Saraph cannot make out the details but nobody else can even spot them yet. He calls out that they are on their way and that they will be here by nightfall. Saraph spots a few of the guards stand more alert and Saraph waits patiently. As they draw closer Saraph can pick out larger shapes that look like battle alphas. Saraph is confident that the fort has a large enough force of alphas to combat the shapers. On of Saraph’s plans is to hide most of the main force behind the main wall until the shapers begin their charge only to surprise them when the rebel soldiers ascend onto the walls. Before long the other guards can spot the shaper column approaching, Saraph can see all manner of creations within the ranks and can even spot a couple of Kyshakks. Saraph didn’t count on their being any advanced creations and he decides that his creations will have to target them and overwhelm them with numbers.

 

The shaper column stops about a mile away from the forts main walls. They set up camp and wait. Saraph can feel the tension in the air. He reaches out and observes the power of the shapers within the attacking force. Saraph can feel than none of them could pose a threat to him alone but they are matching with the power of the lifecrafters in the fort. Saraph can also feel a lot more shapers than there are lifecrafters. Saraph takes a deep breath before descending the stairs to the small shaping hall. Saraph closes his eyes and focuses on shaping sets of five fyoras. The essence leaves Saraph upon his command and before long Saraph has created a total of twenty fyoras. Saraph reserves some essence within him to keep himself strong for the battle ahead. Saraph extends his mind and inserts it into each of the fyoras heads, Saraph has to concentrate to maintain all the links. He orders the fyoras to remain in the shaping hall and runs back to the top of the tower to observe the shaper camp. The night proceeds in silence as Saraph waits with all his senses directed towards the camp.

 

P.S. Is it possible to sticky this as it does have a lot of posts and veiws?

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Drakon Sssharxx

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Chapter 13 – Report

 

Charlotte has been running for many days. While she runs she begins to form a plan in her head. At first she wanted revenge upon the creations that destroyed her home and family but she realised that she couldn’t do it alone, she needed help from the shapers. She began to form a plan in her mind that once she reaches a city she will sign up as a soldier in the shaper army. On the fourth day of running she begins to see the outline of a large settlement, as she draws closer she can see that it is surrounded by fifty foot walls and the only building she can see is a large castle. As she approaches she slows to a walk. Charlotte can see two guards armed with halberds stood at the gatehouse and though the portcullis she can glimpse the odd building.

 

As Charlotte approaches the gates the guards drop their halberds and stop her. They look her over taking in her rough travel worn cloths and thin body.

“What is your business here and where have you travelled from?” Charlotte looks at the soldier briefly before replying.

“I’m here with news of the town of Rocky Point, it was attacked by large creations about a week ago.” The guard looks her over clearly surprised at her confidence. He pulls his halberd up and signals the other guard to do the same.

“Proceed straight down the centre road and through the citadel entrance. Tell the doorman that Fred sent you.” Charlotte nods before walking beneath the large gatehouse and into the city. She sees a notice board to her right and wishes that she could read. She follows the guard’s instructions and travels straight down the main road through the city.

 

As Charlotte walks though the city she notices how the buildings slowly get wealthier and wealthier until around the citadel they are large mansions. Charlotte approaches the min entrance to the citadel and once again she is stopped by two guards.

“What business do you have to warrant entry to the citadel?” The soldier on the right speaks.

“Fred from the gates sent me here as I have news about the town of Rocky Point.” The guard looks her over observing the various weaponry she is wearing.

“You may pass after you have handed over your weaponry, you will be able to reclaim it upon exiting the citadel.” Charlotte sighs before pulling Saraph’s knife from its sheath and handing over, next she removes her bow and quiver and hands them over also. The guards satisfied that she is unarmed allow her through.

“Take the first right and make your report. It will be forwarded to the right place.” Charlotte nods before entering the citadel.

 

Inside the citadel are gold statues depicting various shapers, the walls are covered with tapestries bearing the shaper symbol. Charlotte is at the start of a long passageway with many different doors on either side. Charlotte knocks on the first door on the right and enters. She is in a small room containing a desk and a large bookshelf. Behind the desk is a woman, she is scribbling down something on a piece of paper before she looks up to see Charlotte at the door. The woman waves Charlotte forward and indicates her to take a seat.

“How may I help you today?” The woman politely asks.

“I am here to report the destruction of the town of Rocky Point.” The woman waves Charlotte to continue while getting a clean sheet of paper and beginning to write upon it. Charlotte explains what happened in as much detail as she can and the woman sometimes asks a question before allowing her to carry on. After about an hour Charlotte is finished and told that her report will be passed on to the right people. Charlotte stands up and walks out of the room and back to the entrance to the citadel. She asks for her equipment back and checks over it before thanking the guards and striding away.

 

Charlotte needs to find somewhere to stay the night but has no money to pay for a bed at an inn. She finds a small barn which seems to be abandoned, as she enters it she realises it is an old servile quarters. There is a small fire pit in the centre of the room and a door leading to a room filled with bunk beds. Charlotte starts a fire in the pit to cook what little food she has remaining from her hunt a week ago. Once she has cooked and eaten her food she rummages around the barn and gathers together what few blankets she can find. She falls asleep on one of the bunks thinking that tomorrow she will apply for a post in the shaper army.

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Chapter 14 – Confrontation

 

Charlotte wakes in the morning as sunlight streams through the holes in the roof. She quickly rolls out of bed and adjusts her weapons, she slings her bow onto her back before leaving the barn. As she wonders the streets she sees a column of soldiers. She walks along following them at a distance while ignoring the disapproving side glances at her choice of clothing. The soldiers march through the streets and arrive at the main barracks for the city. Charlotte can see two entrances, one is the patrol entrance and the other is a more public looking entrance. Charlotte opts for the more public entrance. She walks though the archway into a medium sized room with seats along the walls. A man is sat at the desk, he is clearly one of the soldiers and looks impatient to be marching.

 

Charlotte walks towards the desk.

“Well you’re a fine one aren’t you eh? What brings you to this lowly old barracks on such a fine day?” He clearly overlooked Charlotte’s weaponry. Charlotte gets irritated by his degrading comments and slurred tone.

“I’m here to sign up to become a soldier.” The guard looks at her before bursting into laughter. It takes him a few minutes to calm down before he looks at her again and sniggers. Once he has gained a degree of control over himself he looks at her once more.

“I’m sorry miss but” he sniggers “We don’t allow females as soldiers. You’ll have to find a more womanly profession” He chuckles again and Charlotte has had enough. Her hand blurs to the knife strapped to her calf and rips it from it’s sheath, she jumps over the desk and holds the dagger to his neck. She performs this so fast that the soldier behind the desk can barely make a single laughing sound.

“I’d like to see you beat me in a fight.” She goads to him. She removes the knife from the soldiers throat before walking back around the desk to where she was previously stood. She raises her eyebrow at him waiting for his response.

“You may be able to handle yourself against a rabbit or a deer miss but fighting against a soldier in the shaper army is totally different. We have years of training, and just to let you know I could have you arrested for threatening me just then.” Now that he is not held at knife point his arrogant manner returns. Charlotte takes a deep breath to keep calm before replying.

“If you’re so sure that you can win what’s stopping you from proving it?” The soldier looks over her small body before replying.

“I wouldn’t want to harm such a pretty young girl such as yourself would I?” Charlotte laughs in response and whispers a single word.

“Coward.”

 

The soldier stands up and walks around the desk drawing his sword. Charlotte steps back into the main floor space and sinks into a low crouch ready waiting for him to make the first move. He performs a test step, flicking his sword in a small flourish as he steps forward. Charlotte responds by stepping a pace back and to the right. The soldier takes another step forward which Charlotte responds to the same way as the first. The soldier quickly darts forward and swings his sword towards Charlotte's shoulder, before it makes contact Charlotte has rolled forward beneath his blade and jumped up behind him holding her knife to his neck.

“Dead.” She releases him and takes a couple of steps back offering him a second chance. He spins around and plants himself again taking another test step. Charlotte repositions. He is being a lot more careful with his movements now and Charlotte keeps working around him constantly moving, flowing from one spot to the other as graceful as a tiger. She realises that he is on the defensive and takes a step forward, he repositions backwards. She dashes forward using her knife to push his sword away as she grabs his armour at the neck. She leaps up flipping over whilst still holding on to his armour. As she begins to descend she pushes against his shoulder causing him to overbalance, he begins to fall backwards whilst she kicks the sword from his hands and lands nimbly next to him with the knife once more against his neck.

“Dead again. Shall we continue?” She withdraws the knife away from his neck and rolls away from him allowing him to stand.

 

He gets to his feet and retrieves his sword placing it back within the sheath at his belt. He looks her over once more, all look of arrogance removed from his face.

“Ok miss I’m sorry about before but the policy remains we don’t accept females into the army unless they are spell casters. It was no excuse for my personal behaviour but we cannot bend the rules no matter how talented you may be.” Charlotte looks him in the eye and can tell that he is telling the truth, she sheaths her knife before striding out the room and back onto the street. She doesn’t know what to do next. She wonders through the streets looking into various shops to see their wares when she is approached by an old man. He looks about fifty or sixty and wears tan robes, he is skinny and frail looking but his eyes speak endless wisdom. He waves Charlotte to follow him as he walks away towards an empty looking street. Charlotte is curious about what the stranger has to say and walks towards the empty looking street.

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