The Gates of Adventure

[khanna]

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Dim light flows from the dangling torches on the walls of the training room. Many wood and straw dummys stand in rows to allow training for various arts of dagger and sword combat. Each statue has red sashes tied on them to show where your weapon should strike.

Among these and the stone walls one dark elf works her dagger over one of them in the pursuit of training both her mind and body. She faces the dummy and closes her eyes. She allows all through and feeling flow out of her body, allows her ears to listen around her in the dim light, and allows her nose to smell the musty air of the cellar. And then in a split second, and if one were able to follow the movement, one would be able to see the grace of the Dark Elves, she pulls the dagger free from her sheath and strikes the dummy, plunging her dagger deep into it. When she opens her eyes she doesn't even have to look to know the strike was true. She pulls it out of the straw and sheathes it once more.

"Very nicely done." Draklor remarks breaking the silence of the still room. "However, to kill a person is a much more difficult task than is killing straw." He muses.

Draklor, by all accounts is a rogue of sorts. He makes his way through bribes and information in the city. He is quite young and handsome, as Elven standards go, and also fancies Khanna.

"Quite." she responds to the male as she turns to face him.

Once she does she sees his crude crooked smile while he leers at her form encased in tight Dark Elven leathers that seem to show all of the right features.

"What business have you with me, or are you just here to leer once more?" She asks.

"I want to make sure I seed the correct proportion of the right areas before your leave, Khanna." he says flat out with an ever wider smirk this time.

The bold comment fosters a look from Khanna. Oh how easy it would be to score a hit at the throat of this crude elf she muses to herself, however a part of her liked the comments from this one.

"You would be wise to watch your tongue. To not do so, may result in getting it cut out." Khanna replies without a hint of emotion that shows that his comment had an effect.

"When are you going?"

"In the morrow."

"You know you don't have to leave, with your skills you would serve both Gran Kain and Shilen well in the city." Draklor comments.

His words rang true. There would be many houses in the Dark Elves city who would pay for a good assassin to help with their bribes or to kill others from other houses.

"You know well, as I do, that there is very little for me here. Since that "incident" I have felt a void of emptiness. This adventure is for myself as much as for the adventure itself." Khanna confesses.

The incident referd to is when Khanna was very young and not yet schooled in the arts of magic, or fighting. So she could only watch on as a group of light elves walked upon Shilen's Garden and brutally slew her mother.

"Come." Draklor bade her while holding his hand out for Khanna's.

She walks with him to his house and to his bed where they have the evening together. In this short amount of time nothing else mattered except for the pure feeling of bliss.

Early in the morning Khanna gathers her clothes from Draklor's chamber while he sleeps. On her way out she notices an enchanted ring on one of his stands, she steals it before making her exit from the house and the Dark Elven city.

((This is the first part in a series I'm writing. This is going to be about Khanna's perspective on the various cities of the humans and regions in the world, So I'll add to it over time. I hope they provide a decent read when finished. ))

[Olorae]

Moving this to Dark Scrolls. Good read so far!

[khanna]

thanks. I didn't know where I should have posted this.

[khanna]

((So I finally got around to writing the second chapter to this story. heh. I plan on adding more to it as well as i write it. I've been writing this for a while and am finally happy with it. I've tried to keep it true to the regions of L2 and their monsters. If you see a screw up, please let me know so that I may fix it. enjoy!))


Wilderness

Khanna takes hesr final steps out of the long rocky passage that leads out of the Dark Elven village. She takes a look at her surroundings both to note where she is and also to see if any measure of creature stirs. Outside of the well protected city there lurk many dangers. Once satisfied that she is alone she reaches back into her pocket and produces a folded map of the region. She decides to travel south through the swamp to Gludio. She folds the map and starts on her journey alone.

******

Draklor awakes to find himself alone in his bed. He allows himself a chuckle. He dresses himself whiles reflecting on the night before. While he doesn't understand Khanna's need to leave, he does unsderstand her past. He decies not to dwell on it any longer.

He reaches for his enchanted ring on his end table by his bed. He stops in mid reach when he realises it's not there. First he's puzzeled then his bewilderment becomes one of amuzement as he figures out what had happened to it.

"Looks like we'll be meeting again, my dear." He whispers with a large smile spread across his face. After all he simply can't let that ring go.

******

The snap of a twig jolts Khanna from her sleep. She quickly surveys the land around her trying to find the mannor of creature that made the noise. Other than the inital twig, there is no sound comming the darkness of the marsh. Not even the wind dares to blow. It's as if the whole of the swamp is holding it's breath. An eerie feeling crawls up the dark elf's spine and sets the hairs on the back of her neck on edge.

Khanna rouses to her feet without making a sound while at the same time sliding her dagger from her sheath, still scanning the darkness for any form, be it beast or other. Still she sees nothing. She allows her body to relax a bit. As soon as she does so an icy coldness touches her body.

She leaps the opposite direction and swipes with her dagger hitting nothing but air. Again she feels a coldness touching her body. Is it another, or the same one? She can't tell in the blackness of the swamp, but with each touch she feels her body become weaker, as if her own spirit is being pulled out piece by piece.

Knowing that her attacks weren't doing any good, and her inability to see in the pitch blackness of the swamp she considers the ring she stole from Draklor. Still unsure of what the magical properties are she decides to take a chance. Even if the ring didn't work in some way she was going to die anyway. What did she have to loose? She slips the ring onto a finger and closes her eyes to channel it's magical properties. The demons of the swamp still attacked and it took all her control and focus to not jump at the chill touches.

A moment later the dark elf felt and incredible warmth around her. The warming sensation started to grow, and grow. It grew til it reached it pinnicle and an explosion of heat came forth. Khanna heard many shrieks from around her as the heat engulfed her foes.

Then silence.

Khanna opens her eyes to see nothing but the blackness of the swamp as it was before. No smell or charred remains were left from the undead that attacked her. the warm feeling dissapated and as the last of the spell left, her legs gave out and she droped to the ground. She decided to rest for a few moments before finishing her treck through the swamp land, while still pondering the magical properties of the ring.

****

Crossing the bridge into the Neutral Zone, Khanna takes in the beauity of the fields around her. She been accustomed to the dark gloom of the lands surrounding the dark elven village, and this area is much changed from the unnatural gloom of that place. She also found that the animals that serve as food is more plentiful and better tasting than that of her homelands. Still she moves on for Gludio is south of her location and she has much more travel time before she is able to rest safely in that city.

As she travels through she notices the beats and monster that live there. they look powerful and strong, but she doesn't dare try to provoke them, for their numbers are greater than her own. She travels on keeping to the shadows as much as possible and keeping to herself. While doing such she spots a wagon traveling south.

Once the wagon stoped, Khanna approaches the wagon's residance. Upon seeing her they instinctivley draw their weapons at the stranger. The people have seen many Dark Elves travel this direction from the northern lands, but the stories of thie dabbleing in the dark arts and the stories of death keep the humans on edge. Such a supersticious race they are, Khanna thinks.

"You may lower your weapons good folk, for i wish not to fight. However, if it is a fight you wish to have, I shall humor you, and cut you down. One by one." she says evenly and with her stride full of confidance, even for one as young as she. She walks til she's a few feet from the people awaiting their responce.

The wagon folk look at each other unsure what to make of this dark elf. Understanding they won't be able to gague this one on her looks alone on of them speaks. He's an older fellow. He walks to the front and speaks. The others relax their weapons a little, but they don't put them down.

"Forgive our reaction, for in the wilds you cannot be too careful." He says with a smile and continues, "So it beggs the question, why have you approached us?"

"I wish to barter passage to Gludio Castle Town." Khanna holds out a small bag of coins that she untied from her belt.

The older man motions for one of the wagon passangers to go and take the coins. This passenger is quite young, but built well for a human and weilds a slender sword. He hasn't much armor other than leathers. Khanna sized him up incase he tries to assualt her. For is any do they will surely seal their doom.

He takes the bag of coins and walks back to the safety of the others. There he spills the contents into his hand. Everyone's eyes widen at the amount of coins in the bag.

"Good Lady, I think we can find room for you on our way to Gludio," says the older man. "My name is--" He is cut short by the responce of the, what appears to be, rich dark elf.

"Your name isn't important. I need only your services to the city then we shall part ways."

With a nod the others motion her toward the wagon and also holster any weapons they have. With a smile she climbs into the wagon and they set off, at a much faster pace than she can walk. She finds a bit of rest and muses to herself at how easily humans are to manipulate when you toss money at them. If all humans are this stupid, she will live well in the cities indeed.

****

Days of travel go by. All uneventful. Most of the time she would help with finding meat for the everyone in the wagon and other menial tasks. She's gotta keep them trusting her after all. She made it a point to not to do too much though. Not because she is lazy, but becasue she doesn't consider herself one of them. The people also tell her about the beats and legend of the area all which she takes in. You can never have too much information.

The wagons rolls up over one of the hills and finally Gludio is in sight. The wagon people rouse her from her sleep to tell her and she can see the walls of the city a distance off. probably not more than a days travel on foot. Happy that she had made it she mentally recites a prayer of praise to Shilien for allowing her to come this far. Also she has a special gift in mind for the wagon folk who helped her on her travels.

Some distance outside of the city, she asks the wagon to stop. She's traveled with them for days, so they learned to trust her. She's shown them her gentle nature. Before the wagon is able to come to a full stop one of the wagon folk find a dagger protruding through their chest. The victom was a woman. She looked to have been a girl that had just crossed into womanhood. the others heard her cry and leaped out of the wagon and drew their weapons. the wagon driver hadn't much luck though as the dark elf thrust her weapon through the driver's throat and unceremoniously yanked the dagger free.

The other two young men stalk Khanna. She feels their eyes on her. She leaps out of the wagon and lands lightly on her feet. waiting patiently for her chance to strike. Suddenly one of the men charge her, his axe held tight. Khanna side steps his chop at the last possible second then plunges her dagger deep into one of his arms making it hard for him to use his axe. She tears the dagger free and the man squeals in pain. Her next blow silences him.

The remaining obstical decides to charge Khanna as she is occupied with stabbing the other man. Hearing the footseps behind her the dark elf ducks and rolls away from the corpse and her dagger just as the sword slices through the air above her. Separated from her weapon and with little armor, she waits.

The swordsman comes in again. He thrusts the sword out this time with hishand and Khanna Intercepts his arm while whirling out of the way to dodge the sword's point and as if in one fluid motion she breaks the mans wrist. the man howels in pain but the dark elf does not stop. She takes the sword in her hand from the broken wrist, reverses it, and jabs it hard at an upward angular poition piercing his heart and a lung. His cry stops abruptly and his body falls to the ground.

Khanna walks over to collect her dagger and approaches the last person from the wagon. the older fellow. He notices her handy work and starts pleaing for his life and asking why. She give him only one answer. a sacrifice to Shilien for her safe travel to Gludio. Quickly she plunges the dagger into his heart before he can utter his next breath.

Satisfied that all has been killed, she collects her coins and any others the dead may be carrying as well as anything that may help her on her later travels. She starts to walk toward the city, wondering what she'll find there with each step.