Fiction The Inventor

“I think it would be best to move” Scetto ventured as the clouds started to gather above them, but Ardaris stood still, just staring at Anerhet’s lifeless body, unmoving. The darkness was nearly complete, Scetto and Tzaqor started to recede back to the entrance to the buried tower for shelter. They were nearly inside when the gale kicked up, knocking them to the ground, and they lost sight of everything when the mist rolled in.

After an indeterminate time clinging to the ground as the wind shrieked like a banshee, when it stopped as suddenly as it had begun, the mist dissipating simultaneously. Ardaris stood entirely still as she had before the wind began, staring ahead, seemingly oblivious to the massive army gathered behind her. At the front stood the same twenty foot tall giant as had been at Lahmia, staring down at Ardaris, just as before, covered in rusted plates, with horns protruding from it’s head.

“Kneel” It rasped at Ardaris, still she stood immobile, silent. The creature refused to take silence as an answer. “Kneel” It commanded again, but still the vampire stood entirely still. Slowly, Tzaqor and Scetto stood up, drawing the attention of the monster.
“Aah, so that’s where the rat went, finding more vermin to accompany it!” It turned back to it’s army. “Kill the Rat and Lizard, seize the Vampire.” It commanded, and instantly members of the Army started forward. One grabbed Ardaris’ arm, and in movements too fast for the eye to follow, she span, driving her arm into the creature’s elbow, shattering it, followed by cupping her left hand to the back of it’s head, and driving the palm of her right hand into its brow, crushing it’s skull.
It was dead before anyone had registered that she had moved. It crumpled down at her feet, and its master stood impassive, unfazed by the loss. “Kneel.” It commanded. She smirked,
“Oh, but certainly I couldn’t soil my armour by kneeling in the dirt, I just got the dust off of it!”

The creature didn’t dignify her response with a reaction, “Kneel, or die.” it proclaimed with finality. The vampire laughed out loud, the air around her hands starting to flicker with blue flames, coalescing into a longsword and kite shield. “Last time I was given that threat, I sent the speaker’s head home in a box of scorpions. So, where should I send yours?” The creature growled, and stabbed at Ardaris, but before the spear connected with the vampire, she knocked it aside easily with her sword. She reached out with her shield arm, her shield disappearing into nothing, as she grabbed the shaft of the spear.
There was a bright flash, and suddenly a burst of smoke obscured the two figures.


The creature stood before Scetto, the one that had tried attacking Tzaqor dead at their feet, and the skink was swearing vehemently about the fact that he didn’t have a proper weapon. The thing started to attack, but a meaty fist smacked down on its head, shattering it’s neck from the force. As it fell down, they looked up at Gurzgrat, smiling broadly, with Anerhet’s limp body slung over one shoulder. He beckoned for them to follow, but Scetto gestured for him to wait, and disappeared into the smoke. After about half a minute of waiting, the Skaven walked out of the smoke, carrying Ardaris. They then proceeded to run away, following Gurzgrat, as he seemed to have an idea for where to go. Eventually he led them to a wagon, which they piled into, and the ogre hopped into the driver's part, and urged the horses onwards. Now that he wasn’t running for his life, Scetto leaned back, grateful for the respite from sprinting everywhere. Now that he wasn’t running away from the clouds and had time to think, he had to wonder at two things; Where has Gurzgrat gotten the wagon from, and how did a thirteen foot tall ogre sneak past that army?


Gurzgrat was happy, he had helped his friends, and they shouldn’t need to split up again. now he could focus on getting help for his friends. Suddenly the lizardling poked his head beside him, looked at him, waiting for his full attention, and when he did, he spoke in heavily accented Riekspiel, “Not halfling”.


Ardaris could vaguely hear Scetto talking in Riekspiel about Skinks and Skaven, and as she regained her senses, wondered what she was doing on a wooden floor. She started to sit up, and nearly slipped back down again, but managed to catch herself before she did. Looking around, she saw Scetto, Tzaqor and an ogre staring at her.

An ogre! The odd looking trio were sitting around a campfire, just staring at her. She started to stand up, but nearly fell off the wagon when she lost her balance. Tzaqor went to help her off the cart, but she waved him away. Hopping down from the wagon, and leaning on it for support, she looked at the three questioningly and Scetto explained how they met.
“Oh, also” The skaven picked up a letter, “A bird turned up with this, I think it’s for you, it dropped it on you while you were out” Ardaris looked at the seal of the letter -a wolf swallowing a star- “It’s for me.” she said, starting to open the letter. She pulled it from it’s case, and started reading, while the others waited to hear what it said. She folded the letter, and put it back in it’s case. “Well, what does it say?” The skaven asked, Ardaris raised an eyebrow at him “Come on, you know you can trust us!” Scetto insisted, Ardaris laughed, and passed the letter back to him, which he opened and the other two read over his shoulder.

T.Z.

I heard you were in Cathay, I have something for you, I’m currently in Kwiju, but am leaving to meet you. By the end of the day you should be about halfway to Shanho, If you keep heading towards the Seafarer’s Way I should meet you two days from now.
It will be worth any delays or inconveniences.
Meet you there.

Until then,
Jekal.


The Trio looked at each other in confusion, “Who’s Jekal?” Ardaris heard the ogre ask, and watched as the other two shrugged. “Must be a friend” Scetto remarked. Tzaqor nodded, then asked “What T.Z. stand for?” The Skink asked, in accented Riekspiel -Scetto had been teaching him and he couldn’t wait to shock Ayltenq and Uaxhedin with it. It wouldn’t shock Boqtlan, he’d just assume the skink had snapped during his time away from the Island- again, the other two had no idea.

Two days later, as they were walking along, an indistinct shape appeared above the horizon, rapidly moving in their direction. As the thing came into focus, the skink, skaven and ogre all realized with shock that it was actually a large balloon like object, and it stopped above them, lowering a platform to the group, with a short human, who was extremely wrinkled, with neat, shortly trimmed gray hair. He was grinning wildly at the four of them, and leapt off the platform while it was still three feet off the ground.
“Tehara! How long has it been?” Ardaris winced,
“You always manage to make me feel old, Jekal, it’s been longer than I care to think.” The man -Jekal- barked a laugh, and turned to her companions, “A skink!” He switched to fluent Saurian, “Are you a Priest, or attendant to a Slann, have you ever operated an Engine of the Gods? Or a Solar Engine? Or-” Ardaris cut him off, stating that he was a skink chief, and before he could barrage Scetto with questions stated that he was Clan Eshin. “Oh,” he said, switching back to Riekspiel “How is it that you manage to find the most boring members of the most interesting races?” Gurzgrat straightened when he said this, taking offense at the perceived slight to his friends, and before Jekal could belt out dozens of questions regarding the ogres stature, she said, “The letter you sent said you had something that would be useful?”
Tzaqor looked utterly dumbfounded, “You say the big flying thing not what this is for?” He sputtered in Riekspiel, and Scetto winced at his poor vocabulary. Jekal looked confused, “ Of course not, that’s old news! You’re right, Tehara.” He turned back to the platform, “This way!”

The platform quickly carried them up to the airship, and he led them to a large room, where, in the center was an object obscured by a thick sheet. He stopped beside it, and turned to the four of them. “This is my greatest creation” he stated with finality, “And it is not to be talked about to anyone!” He glared into their eyes, until each one nodded. Just before he unveiled it, Scetto stopped him, and unbuckled one of his swords, putting it outside.

The entire council of Thirteen screeched in rage when they lost the chance to see it.

Beneath was a model of the planet, with both moons, “It uses the winds of magic to predict the movement of Morrslieb.” Tzaqor couldn’t restrain a hiss of disbelief, and Jekal nodded in acknowledgement of his surprise. “I’ll prove it. Watch what it predicts for today, and compare it to what you see.” Ardaris nodded. She narrowed her eyes as it played out it’s simulation of what it would be like that night. “How far forwards can it predict?” she asked.

Jekal looked thoughtful, “A week with perfect accuracy, a month with reasonable accuracy. After a month and a half it can only guess.” She nodded in understanding, and the inventor looked at her, “So Tehara, where would you like us to go?”

Important Characters

Tzaqor- Was the highest ranking Skink Chief of Cuaqtla, rode a Ripperdactyl, taken by Ruagahnn whilst heading to Lustria, currently in the company of Ardaris and Scetto

Jekal Narkel- An eccentric mage-engineer, many of his inventions are volatile, but he tends to try make them safer.

Scetto- Master Assassin, he was 'The Black Terror of Mordheim' but later hid with Thrikth's clan, Skritchvit.
He is rapidly mutating and is the current wielder of the Fellblade that was used to destroy Nagash

Ardaris- A powerful vampire who allied with the lizardmen of Cuaqtla, and left to find allies, died fighting an overwhelming force of Orcs, resurrected by very strong magic

Gurzgrat the Titanic- A very large ogre tyrant, thirteen feet tall, seven feet wide at the shoulder, he has a protective streak a mile wide, and loves the company of those who enjoy food and drink.

Bolisudtai- Elder god of Undeath, and all who are touched by the magic of undeath, Caster, and cast upon

Deceased Characters

Anerhet- A Tomb King who had split off from the rest of Nehekhara and became reclusive, left Kheba, a small settlement on the coast, with the Lizardmen when it was attacked by an Orcish horde. Destroyed by Bolisudtai

 

Thia motley crew keeps me coming back for more! Likable characters, now withan airship! Name one of them Cid Highwind and pitch it as the next final fantasy game! I would play the hell out of that!

 

Yes. It's a golden age without doubt. Pliosaurs and airships. I may never need to leave L-O again.

I almost managed to say "not another character..." But I am liking this guy, so I will forgive. It's good that he has a back story and history with another character rather than being a drop in (and no, I don't need to know his back story, but it'll earn you an easy like if you do it)

The lines you put in people's mouths are brilliant (as usual)and your combats are much cleaner than they used to be (in a messy kind of way)

how the heck do you keep track of your vision?. It's huge. And I'm sure you left a dragon up there somewhere.


Not specific to your story but I am really pleased with the number of writers who are exploring the influence of the Chaos Moon. In a world made up of mostly borrowed elements, it is something unpredictable and unique (As long as you haven't read 'the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant')

 

I think one of my friends would agree with you.

Don't let Wife of bob hear that.

I'm glad you like him. It was uber difficult to come up with something for him to make.

Yay! I'm starting to run out of witticism for Tehara though.

With a lot of difficulty
And the Dragon is getting more plot involvement!

It's kinda a large part of the fluff, and can be used for a lot.

 

Can you vote to break the dead lock in the story comp?

Otherwise we will need to do a limerick-off FTW.

 

We'll see.
Also, an interesting idea that came to me, a crossover between our fluff universes might be interesting, partly to help drag my pieces out of their pit of Grimdark.

 

That is coming close to violating the "don't start a story with a description of the weather" rule from one of the Writer's Wretreat / Crytic's Crypt Checklists.

Ignore @Scalenex for a moment. And keep going. Good, you are getting the hang of it. (I should do a tutorial sometime)

I figured out today what is holding you back from the coveted 5/5 Eggshells.

I don't know what is motivating your characters. Reindeer Games wants Ardaris to kneel. Scetto wants Anerhet to live (again). Ardaris can want whatever the hell she pleases. You need to hold stuff back so that the story isn't obvious and we all get some surprises, but I am sure that you know what the baddies's end games are.

You could probably clean things up by having someone ask "what the heck is going on?" and have someone like Scetto (who has the capacity to know EVERYTHING) just setting the broader scene. Till then we are stuck with lurching from action scene to action scene.

What was the score, BTW? (Rugby Season is a long way away)