| Journey's Beginning; The Nemesis Chronicles: Prologue | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 10th May 2007 - 07:04 AM (372 Views) | |
| SneakyRodent | 10th May 2007 - 07:04 AM Post #1 |
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Claws of the Horned One founder member
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The evening shadows lengthened in the forest around Middenheim as the sun slowly slipped beneath the horizon. The creatures in the trees above and greenery below were as busy as ever – some burrowing away as they prepared for sleep, other nocturnal animals breaking cover as they began to forage for food. The Wood Elf Lileth Wrensong loved this time of day the most. It was a merging of two worlds; one bathed in sunlight, one wrapped in darkness; each beautiful in its own way, but only existing together for this shortest of times. Unlike at dawn the bark of the trees at dusk still maintained the warmth of the day, and Lileth took full advantage of the radiated heat as she lounged atop a thick branch overlooking the forest path. Her back was against the tree trunk, her legs stretched along the limb – but although the pose appeared idle to the point of indolence, the Wood Elf was as alert as any sentry could be. Her eyes flitted from creature to creature, her keen, gracefully pointed ears picking up the dozens of familiar sounds as the shadows lengthened into true night. Lileth was clad in the greens and browns of her kind, wrapped in a cloak that afforded such a level of cover that the clumsy Empire citizens that frequented this path would pass right underneath her without ever noticing she was there. Even the short bow that she held across her lap was carefully stained to prevent reflection of either sun or moon light, and the arrow tips of the missiles in her quarrel were equally inconspicuous. A long hunting knife was strapped to the Elf’s right leg, and a small water skin and food pouch carefully attached to her belt. Lileth was four days into her one week posting in this part of the forest; she, like the others scattered throughout the trees, were under orders to watch and carefully record any increased traffic along the path. Something big must be afoot, though her superiors had not indicated what. Somewhere out there within the miles and miles of trees, her beloved would be waiting for her return. A brief smile passed Lileth’s lips as she thought of him. Her combat mentor-turned-lover was no doubt even now training newly recruited scouts in the finer points of forest warfare. She missed him, but understood duty and accepted it without question, albeit reluctantly. The smile disappeared from Lileth’s face as quickly as it had appeared. Beneath her, off the path itself but not too far into the forest, a shadow was lengthening far too much to be due to the sunset alone. Puzzled, the Wood Elf gently reached behind her and drew an arrow. It was strange; the forest creatures continued their tasks as if ignorant of the presence of the stranger. That immediately ruled out any human, whose burgeoning gait immediately sent all but the dumbest of animals running for cover. For the same reason, this could be no Beastman. Another Wood Elf perhaps? There was one way to find out. Lileth gently gave voice to the challenge, a mimicry of an owl that only a true Wood Elf would recognise as being different from the real thing, and respond in kind. The shadow froze in place. Lileth’s heart began to beat faster. Not a Wood Elf then, but something that looked like it could detect the difference between her call and that of the real thing. The Wood Elf slowly notched the arrow to her bow, and drew back the string. If whatever the thing was moved just a little more forward she would be able to drop it with impunity. At this range it would be impossible to miss. Yet still the stranger held back, as if somehow determining the imminent ambush. Lileth remained stock still, able to maintain her pose for a good deal longer if necessary. Finally, the shadow began moving forward again. Lileth strained her eyes to identify it. It was clad in a black cloak, and across its back was strapped what looked to be a large metal casket. As the figure advanced, the Wood Elf caught sight of the tail that followed the intruder. Lileth recognised this just as the figure stepped onto the path, and slowly and deliberately drew back its cowl to reveal a whiskered snout and glittering eyes. Skaven! Reflexively Lileth released her arrow. There was no point in trying to question why the rat creature was here, or attempt to engage it in conversation. It was vermin, and had to be destroyed as such. There was a faint noise behind Lileth’s ear. Instead of her arrow flying into the Skaven below, it merely clattered off the branch and tumbled to the ground. Spinning her head around wildly, the Wood Elf came almost face-to face with a grinning ratty snout. A second Skaven! It too was clad in black, and had somehow managed to scale the tree in which Lileth sat whilst she had fixated on the first. The Elf took in the drawn dagger that her would-be assassin had used to sever her bowstring just as she had been about to fire. The Skaven flicked forward with its blade, but Lileth was faster. She brought her bow around in a quick arc, catching the ratman across its nose with a satisfying thwack. The Skaven’s blade only nicked her arm, and Lileth used the momentum of her strike to twist off the branch and drop lightly to the forest floor. Instantly she was up, discarding her broken bow and drawing her hunting knife. The first Skaven had disappeared from view. Above her the sound of twigs snapping heralded the charge of the furious second Skaven that had carelessly let her escape. Lileth turned to face this imminent threat, but as she did so her ears detected a high pitched whine. A throwing star, hurled from a position that could not conceivably have come from the two attackers she already knew about, dug into her right shoulder. A third assailant! This one stood slowly from a clump of ferns, some twenty paces away. A thud, and the Skaven from the tree was to her left. Slowly turning, knife outstretched, Lileth saw the original enemy stalking up the path itself, still weighed down by the casket on its back. Surrounded, the Wood Elf could only wonder why her attackers were holding off. If only she had her bow! Lileth fancied she could have dropped two of the ratmen before they got to her. But the wounds to her shoulder and arm were throbbing painfully, and with a sick realisation the Elven scout realised just why her attackers were in no hurry to close with her. Poison was coursing through her veins, and her vision was beginning to blur. Tabor! Lileth thought of the one she loved, the one who she knew she would not see again in this lifetime. Pulling her knife back behind her shoulder, the Elf hurled it with the last of her strength at the nearest Skaven. It contemptuously side stepped, and the weapon was gone. As the attackers converged, the end for Lileth was mercifully quick. |
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Grey Seer Skritchit Lord of the Ulricsberg Clan Virulus Holder of 'Best Post' Award 2007 here Took part in the glorious Lords of Decay Revolution of April 1st 2012 The complete works of SneakyRodent can be found here [/size]
(Scrivener on the Scum And Villainy2 characters of me, DamnedPrince and himself) | |
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| Bodacious | 10th May 2007 - 09:00 AM Post #2 |
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Doomwheel Fanatic
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Great story as always. I almost felt bad for the elf in question... almost .Cheers, Bodacious. |
My Blog - My Army Diary - Twitter: @DaanofWar - Steam: DaanofWar
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| Morgoth | 10th May 2007 - 09:53 AM Post #3 |
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The Ancient Evil
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Poetry. Sheer poetry ! Good one Sneaky.
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Greetings from Morgoth Mostly Clan Eshin, occasionally Clan Husk.Proud keeper of the Poking Stick of Doom, known to many a RPG-player ![]()
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| Verminous Fang | 10th May 2007 - 11:49 PM Post #4 |
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A great read! I can't wait to read more about what a skaven would carry in a metal casket... |
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Go forth my brethren, that we shall nibble at the roots of the old world! We are the rats in the shadows. We hold the blades of corruption, aimed at the very heart of the Old World. We are The Council of Thirteen. Second place in the UnderEmpire painting competition! | |
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| General Vorg | 11th May 2007 - 12:35 AM Post #5 |
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Keeper of the Squeeks and the Temple
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should'ta killed her man, coulda made a great story with dat. But a great read all the same squeeks |
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| Queetik | 12th May 2007 - 05:16 AM Post #6 |
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"Master" Assassin
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Wonderful story. A triad carrying a suspicious casket into the woods... can't wait for the story to unfold! |
| The Shadows of the Howling Heights are contemplating a return in 8th | |
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| Plagress | 14th May 2007 - 01:33 PM Post #7 |
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Clanrat
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Very nice ambush. Always keep surprising them. Too bad the elf didn't see what was in the casket. Great read all the way. |
| Life is like a bolt of lightning. Short but our stories continue live on without us even when the world comes unto the end. | |
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Mostly Clan Eshin, occasionally Clan Husk.
