Dead End

Chpt.1

Dead End Chapter One
Ûndeгlinףs = dwarves
Dõgמּ = orcs
Ëlvæd = elves
Humans = Humans
I


The Dõgמּ sat quietly in waiting… For days they had stalked their prey and were not about to let their first and only attempt to capture him slip by. Flat against the damp, frigid dirt they pressed themselves in an attempt to remain completely hidden. The ten of them had traveled countless miles to carry out that task and planned to finish it at all costs to avoid angering their lord again.
The Ëlvæd approached hastily; the smaller Dõgמּ shifted their curved scalpels to their fingertips to allow quicker movement while the larger Dõgמּ soundlessly slid to their knees. Overhead a cloud burst open pouring rain upon them all, obscuring their target from view. They abruptly stopped their preparations and looked towards Òóm Solidsheild, their War Chief, for instructions. With a flitting dash of his hand and an upward slash he conveyed the new orders to the rest of the party.
Peering from under green gnarled bush, and strikingly healthy pines and oaks, the group waited for the signal to attack. Minutes passed slowly and the Dõgמּ stared into the new fallen mist for a trace of the pale young Ëlvæd. In the downpour they waited never moving even as their joints stiffened. Òóm began to worry… If he failed Lord Mrrönk again, Òóm and his men would be exiled and his title of Solidsheild would be stripped from him. Worriedly he searched the shower for any sign of life.
At last a hooded figure hunched and weather worn slid from the stale mist striding a white steed of unsurpassed splendor. It stalked past him waving its head in anxiety, snorting from time to time. In the Dõgמּ’s well practiced hand gestures he signaled his party to begin with their plan. As the cloaked figure passed, Òóm and five of his men moved onto the path behind the Ëlvæd as his other five men stepped, and dropped, before it.
“Halt!” yelled Òóm. The figure continued moving…
Fine if that’s how he wants it, so be it…, thought Òóm as he brandished his oversized blade. He jumped forward slicing the shroud through the chest as his men dropped lifelessly at his feet, blood soaking the ground around their motionless corpses… The cloak contained a flour sack with metal greaves for feet.
He whirled around in bewilderment to look upon the face of a man of unearthly beauty who glowed pale in the mist and held a long white steel blade to Òóm’s throat.
“Good day to you, fine sir Dõgמּ” he whispered, “I just happened to over hear you and your men as I approached. Seeing as the Ëlvæd don’t like orcs I wondered what it was you would be a’ doing here. It turns out, though, that my instincts were right enough, and that you were here for the figurine. Well as my good Lady Elïnå would of course not allow the figurine to fall into the hands of a servant of the fine, outstanding, loathsome Lord Mrrönk, I… Am afraid I can not let you have it.”
The grin that crossed his face made even a hardened Dõgמּ, like Òóm Solidsheild, wince.
“How…? What…? No creature can fall eleven elite Dõgמּ like that… Not even the Ëlvæd have ever succeeded in killing three elite Dõgמּ that quickly… It’s just, just, just… not… possible…” uttered Òóm in the midst of his immense confusion.
“Not probable, my dim-witted sir, but entirely possible because, as you have seen, I’ve done just that. Good-day to you…”
Òóm’s memories quickly flashed through his head in an uncomforting manner of the likes of which he had heard happened to those just before they die.
“Λqủeina ọř a-ήά…” sung the pale mortal.
Òóm fell out of perception as the mist and rain subsided and the fearsome crescent harvest moon reappeared above him. He careened backward dazedly looking into that yellow-toothed glow of the reaping moon as his vision was lost from him…



Running, running,
In the night a running!
Dashing, dashing,
Through the shadows a dashing!
Flying, flying,
As the night sky wheels over head,
I see the truth of the moon.
He laughs at us
Calls us names,
Then betrays us by shadowing himself,
As we step on the edge of the top stair…
Tumbling, tumbling,
Through my mind a tumbling!
We stand to continue our run
Dashing down the hallways
Forget the second staircase and go…

Falling…
Falling…
Falling…

Stand to the applause
The madness is creeping in
We stare at the moon and he stares back
With that awful yellow grin.
A blade from the sky
Comes passing through
The pain unbearably real
For the first time we realize
Hell, this might actually
Be bona fide…

We go screaming…

Screaming,

Screaming,

In a blackened hell a screaming…!



Tissen woke with a start in a room of fire. He could hear his brother screaming from outside. Without thinking Tissen tossed himself out the window next to his bedside table in an attempt to avoid the scorching flames. He landed on the ground with a tremendous thump and a loud crack that had to be his shoulder. The fall from the second story of his ancestral home set him senseless to the world around him. Large hands lifted Tissen into the air, the way his father had when he ran to him in the night as a boy, crying because a monster was under his bed. Colors and shadows pin wheeled over head as he was tossed against something hard and heated conversation filled his ears.
“You shouldn’t a waken him…!”
“Damn you! We would’a left if you had just let him die ya fool…!”
“Please, please don’t take him from me. You’ve taken everything else, not Tissen, no, please!”
“Hold the dumb bastard down so he don’t get in er way…!”
“You both’ll be in some hurt now…!”
“We’ll bash your brains out fur tis…!”
“Shoulda let im die ya damned fool…!”
Nothing quite made sense and only one voice seemed familiar to him. Thinking was too painful so he just lay back and let the words wash around him. Someone jerked him up by the collar of his night clothes and hit him hard square in the nose. He could feel the salty, wet blood trickle down into his mouth but could quite get a fix on what hurt. In the end he decided everything hurt so there wasn’t much point in trying to pin point this new aliment.
“Please! Leave my brother alone…!” wailed someone near by.
“Err… Shut the hell up you dumb brat!” screamed a much older and slightly muffled voice.
It was all too fast and everything was filled with red and flickering lights. Tissen woke up enough to try to crawl closer to the hard surface he was originally throw into but found nothing but a continuous lawn.
“Look at im crawl boys! Look at im, it’s pathetic”
Another kick landed against Tissen, this time somewhere on his right side; though he was still to groggy to figure out what exactly was hit. His fingers brushed something sharp on the ground that caused even more pain to emanate from his hand… He gently reached his hand back out to find the blade of a knife in the grass. He turned it in his hands till he found its handle. Unnoticed by his tormenters he slid it under him and pulled his face out of the grass. The air was musty, filled with soot and the smell of blood. In Tissen’s pain induced bewilderment he sat up against a near by tree, not quite sure yet of what was taking place around him. He raised his head to find a skull staring into his eyes. The air around it seemed to vibrate with heat and oozed colors as if a paint paled of every shade of red, orange, and yellow had been smashed against a canvas; an armored human skeleton was plastered onto the front of it.
“Let’s kill de pig and git it ovar with…!” roared the skeleton drawing his sword.
“Please… Please… Not my brother…! Please… Kill me instead! “
Again the foot swung at Tissen. Abruptly everything cleared and the skeleton was replaced by a massive fat guard, like the ones who had been harassing the town of late on “the King’s Orders.” Tissen twirled around screaming an odd war cry and shattered the glowing black knife into the guard’s shin. As it pierced the soldier’s flesh the handle erupted into a blackish green blaze and ejected the knife’s blade through the shin of Tissen’s would-have-been-murderer. The flesh burned from Tissen’s hand and the guard’s shin collapsed inward, the bones jutted through the skin at odd angles. No blood was shed… The guard fell beside Tissen, horrid olive green eyes rolled upward and a pained grimace streaked across his face. Tissen looked down at his hand to find a shriveled crisp of fingers jutting from the complex figure of bones and fried flesh that must have originally been his palm. Tissen’s eyes began to close as he collided violently with the ground, complete chaos surrounding him. Before everything completely blurred from focus he saw his brother grip his charred hand and sob…
“Hold on………”




Dancing night
Over sightless day
Transfixed stares bar the way
Madness grows in the heart
Life’s shallow breath falls
Reviled
Death to those
Who love in grace
Hell with those
Who embrace their fate…
Love for love and nothing more…
Love the love that you adore…
Love for your life not yet lived…
Love after age is safe in crypt…
Darkness is as darkness does…
Let not life’s last breath
Fall unloved…



The haze began to clear and it was apparent that dawn had just arrived. Tissen lifted his head from the bed he had been laid in. It was cold and musty but sufficient. His head was reeling and the bandages on his arms itched ravenously on his hand… Tissen stumbled to roll over in his bed to get a look at the damage. He thought back on to last night as he undid the bandages and viewed the carnage wrought upon his hand by the… flames…? He seemed to recall that the knife he had stabbed the guard with had caught fire… Black raging flame had erupted with the blade… Tissen had heard of magic before… Many of the old stories the wanderers use to tell in the pub contained magic. Many feared it now a days and thought of it as a satanic art, practiced for torture and wickedness… Had Tissen really used magic….? All he had wanted was to get the guard off of him. Not torture or destruction… He was just scared… In any case there was no use worrying about it now. After inspecting his hand he rapped it back up in a spare bandage laid by his bed side.
He got up and took a moment to steady himself and get his baring. Tissen was in a small hut with a lamp and three identical cots, not including his own. Each had a battered figure placed in them… Tissen stepped outside but could move no further. Most of the village was burnt to the ground and many were bandaged and being attended to. The village was in such agony and everyone was so preoccupied with repairing the town that no one noticed him emerge from the hut. A group of strong young men were repairing a salvageable house. Tissen quickly found his brother, a strong youth by the name of Adam, who was struggling to balance a gigantic wooden beam in his arms. Tissen hurried over and grabbed the back of the beam and supported it with both his arms.
They worked for a few hours and then the company stopped for a breather. Neither Tissen nor Adam talked as they sat down to the little bread and wine that was available for them. They sat in and understood silence enjoying the company of one another. Neither Tissen nor Adam wanted to remember the events of last night and neither wanted to discuss it. They sat quietly eating the moist bread placed before them as the rest of the workers assembled in a pack and whispered anxiously looking back at Tissen and Adam… Adam was too exhausted to pay any attention but Tissen grew worried, yet again thinking of how badly magic is feared and hated… Seemingly from no where, swords were drawn and the party advanced towards Adam and Tissen. Adam stood up quickly and quietly raised one hand.
“I don’t know what my brother did but after all I went though last night I will not take the chance of losing him again.”
“He’s possessed I tell you… You saw what he did to that guard… You were there, as was I!” yelled Brett the tailors son.
“Maybe magic isn’t a gift of Satan!” retorted Adam.
“Who are you to say that!? The church says magic is evil!”
“Yet the church does magic?!”
“How dare you insult the church’s sacred arts!”
“If their magic is expectable then why is it that, what Tissen did is not?!”
“How dare you!” screamed Brett swinging his sword at Adam.
Adam landed a punch in Brett’s face leaving him sprawled upon the ground bleeding. The others ran at Adam to meet the same fate. Tissen began to run as Adam threw the men out of there way and crashed a path through the crowds. The two brothers charged full speed ahead. They cleared the town quickly and headed north. Tissen cried as he recklessly sprinted off head spinning from his efforts from the night before. He looked down at his crisped hand, bandages now lost from the efforts of today. Lost in his ludicrous fury and distress he stumbled on crying his heart out. Adam looked back occasionally but primarily led the way. Adam was a good ranger and was well practiced in the arts of tracking and hunting and was particularly skilled in navigation. He new the roads around here and had a very rational mind. Already he was planning their next move because there was no way he would lose his brother now. Tissen was all he had left…
They stopped for the night and rested. Adam had expected the village to exile them after Tissen’s performance from the previous night. He had grabbed all the money he could from what was left of his home and any his two friends could spare this morning. He planned to travel north some more then take the road east and head to the port city of Ghaleen. On the way he hoped to pick up a halberd at Zan, a neighboring village. Many of their necessities would have to be stolen but that was only because of lack of recourses. Adam actually looked forward to the change of atmosphere and to have a little adventure in his life. Frankly living in a village is too simple and boring to be long enjoyed. He had always wanted to be a soldier and being his brother’s bodyguard was a great way to get started. Even with all the odd news of late, Adam really didn’t fret over the fact that they had no food, shelter, money, water, or supplies… It was just a better way to start off his adventure…!
Tissen was not so optimistic… He could not understand the quick and fearful exile of him and his brother or the soldier’s rash destruction and pillaging of their town. Tissen was lost to the fact that his own friends and neighbors had chunked him out of society… He also couldn’t understand what had happened last night… Had he or had he not used magic…? How was it that he did so…? And why did it scorch his hand so badly…? Was he really possessed…? Was all magic really bad…? Tissen had so many questions all he could do was sit with his brother around the newly made fire. What was happening to his world…?


Silent stars and clearing meadow
Silent lamb and shatter sword
Convenient day to walk and sing
For stars of heaven often croon
Of tattered tale
And nursery rhyme…
O’ Life’s forgiving breath doth die…


In the morning Tissen woke to the smell of roasting Liegger, a delectable deer like creature, that Tissen had not tasted since his great Uncle McGreen died five years ago… Neatly stacked next to the firewood was a pair of crude but useable homemade spears. Adam sat turning the Linger over the fire staring at Tissen and smiling comfortingly… Tissen walked over to his brother and plopped down beside him staring into the sky.
“Does it hurt…?” asked Adam never taking his eyes off the cooking beast.
“Huh… oh my hand, no not really… Actually I can’t really feel it, it’s just obnoxious… It works but it’s smaller than the other one… it can’t bleed though, which is a good thing, I guess. And if I hit it, it doesn’t hurt or break… it’s sturdy and hard… and it still moves, just looks a little… um… gross…” said Tissen…
“I’m sorry brother. I should have, done more… I don’t-”
“No… it’s not your fault… I don’t know who to blame, but maybe it’s best that way… It was NOT your fault…” intruded Tissen.
“Well maybe not, but still, I should have done more… ha… But after what you did to that guard they’ll most likely return to arrest you, How did you do that…? I mean, I’ve never seen anything like that in my whole life, and I’m five years older than you…”
“I don’t know… it just was kinda like, I don’t know, I was in so much pain… I just wanted it to stop! So I let it all out… and screamed… and stabbed at the bastard…! Then I don’t know… my hand hurt so bad… and I felt… like I had given up part of me…”
“What was it you screamed…? Like right as you stabbed him…?”
“Oh I can barely recall last night much less what I yelled as I stabbed the guy… wait… I… I… KILLED SOMEONE!?!?”
“What…? That just now hit you… Yes I’m afraid you do have death on your hands… Not to be funny or anything but it’s quite visible to anyone…”
“I… I… I actually ended someone’s life…?”
“Well yes. Now get over it… He would have ended yours and I feel the world is far better off with you than him…!”
Tissen stared at his hand blankly… Until now it had never really hit him. He was a murderer, an outlaw on the run from the King’s Law. Tissen stood up at the same time as Adam… Adam handed him a leg of the Linger and took another for him self. They both walked away to sit on opposite sides of the camp.
“Bämor… That’s what you said…” remarked Adam, back still turned to Tissen.
“What? Bämor…” Tissen whispered. He felt a tingle run down his arm and touch his fingers but nothing happened.
“Ãgoriãn Bäl Mǻntana!” roared Tissen throwing his hand forward as a bloody pentagram appeared on his hand! The road burst into flames as a jet of brilliantly red fire erupted from his palm! Adam yelped and through himself over a near by stump to avoid the inferno! Tissen howled in agony as his arm split open and blood poured over his shirt sleeve. A lone gash appeared in his arm, drenching his clothes in blood. Everything his blood touched was burned, including him…! Tissen closed his hand stopping the flames but not the blood. He clasped into the dirt, his face smelling the age of the sand and the freshness of horse manure. Dots sparkled in front of his eyes. He looked down at his shirt to see no blood stains… besides the open gash on his arm there was only the scorch marks on the road to remind him of his recent accident. His head fell back to be caught by Adam who stroked his brother’s hair, both of their faces tear stained and aggrieved.


“O’ light of dawn my soothing day
Lead the way to Heaven’s gates
Show the world they not need rhyme
Give the world its pain and crime
Sing not I do sadness and woe
Sing I do O’ my baby dove
Young child embraced is mine
My love
Sing songs to uplift your cares
Sing of dreams
Of hearts to fail
Sing my lord
A distant rhyme
Sing my lord not of crime
Sing to please those in our way
Sing for love’s fell beacon waves…
Love’s fell beacon waves…
O’ love’s fell beacon waves…”


Adam ripped off the sleeve of his shirt and did the best he could to close up the gash in his brother’s arm. It wasn’t bleeding but Adam new it would get infected if it wasn’t covered and cleaned. He lifted his petite fifteen year old brother onto his shoulders and walked to the edge of the woods. He decided to stay a little ways into the woods to keep himself hidden from view. Things had gotten too complicated too fast for Adam to figure out alone. Growing up in a large wealthy community with loving parents he had never really had any problems before; at times like this he would always turn to his father to fix things… or when Tissen was skipping out oh his share of the work he looked to his mother. Tissen was in shambles, had odd powers, and was sporadically using. Adam’s parents were dead all because some drunk guards got mad at his father for telling them off at the pub, and him and his brother were wondering the country side alone without shelter all because Tissen saved himself from a mob of angry drunk guards. Tissen did freak everyone out but it was still Tissen.
Their family had lived in that town since Adam was three and had close relationships with all of their neighbors. Excepted the Dellons but they were often over looked and kept to themselves most of the time. The whole family was a bunch of poor alcoholics and most people couldn’t stand them because you could hardly make out what they were saying through the jumble of cursing and slang the majority of the family used. The youngest daughter, a brunette sixteen year old girl, was the only decent one of the bunch. She drank but went to church and did her share in the town. She was very involved in education and tutored many of the local school aged children. There was still no public schooling even after a new tax was added twenty years ago to help fund internal education of Morrain. The King was a greedy arrogant foul who held power only because he over paid his gigantic army. Adam would miss the little town…
Adam had gained a lot of ground so far considering he was carrying his brother in his back, when he realized he’s left the spears he had made last night back in camp. The set Tissen down by an easy-to-find tree and hurried back to collect their few belongings. Sometimes Adam was such and airhead…
Adam arrived where he had left his brother, to find the “bandage” he had put of his brothers arm laying on the ground. Tissen was gone. Adam screamed in frustration not able to take anymore of this aggravation. He left his brother alone for about and hour to come back and find his homemade bandage waiting for him on the ground and Tissen nowhere to be seen. Something fell out of the tree above him and landed on his shoulders. Adam screamed again and chunked the thing into a tree to hear a familiar yell. Tissen lay on the ground massaging his back and looking at his brother in a reproachful manner.
“Well at least your arm’s better…” said Adam huffing and plopping down next to Tissen.
“It hasn’t healed but it’s not bleeding… What in hell’s name was that…?!”
“How am I suppose to know you twit!?” snapped Adam.
“Well… I don’t know… You’re older so I thought maybe you had some idea what it was…”
“You’re the one always in the books you should know better than me… and why did you have to hide on my and scare the crap out of me again… I don’t want to lose you…”
“I know… but you just kind of plopped me here and stalked off… Where is here anyway…?”
“We’re two point eight miles south and one point three miles east of our target…”
“What…? Oh… I hate it when you do that… So what’s our target o’ grand leader!?”
“Zan… I want to get a halberd…” spat Adam, making a point to keep the last part unheard.
“And where is this money coming from might I ask…?”
“I’m prostituting you…”
“WHAT?!”
“No just kidding… It was a joke! Don’t look at me like that. God kid sometimes you take things too seriously…”
“Excuse me for having my hand roasted alive by and inflamed knife or for splitting my arm open as I lit a road on fire…! I think I have a right to take things seriously!”
Both brothers turned their backs on each other again, steaming over and worrying about the future. Adam then spun around and grabbed Tissen by there hair.
“What’s wrong with you!? Who are you!? What have you done to my brother!?” screamed Adam, spraying beads of spit and tears all over Tissen.
Both of them broke down and fell backwards into the dirt to stare at the sky though the trees and sob. Thing had happened too fast and were too bizarre for them to handle… They lay there for an hour trying to get their heads on straight and then another four hours in silence thinking… Tissen thought about the fire incident of that morning that seemed like months ago. Adam thought of the guards beating his brother and hitting him for getting in their way. And how they had all charged off ranting and raving about the flaming knife… They just sat there trying to work out what had happened but they couldn’t… The longer they sat there the more lost and confused they felt… Nothing added up and they felt like there world was spinning backwards. It certainly seemed so… What should they do…? What could they do…? By some unspoken agreement they turned around and helped each other up and began walking… this time they made a point to divvy up the goods and take a spear each. They headed northwest and on towards Zan.
Every now and then they would turn towards each other and give an encouraging smile each and then walk on in silence. For once Tissen was just a confused as Adam. They got back on the rode and passed a buggy going the other way. There was a small band walking the same way they were on the other side of the road but Adam and Tissen didn’t pay them much attention. The gang eyed the pair cautiously than continued walking down the road. The gang completely stopped once they were past the two travelers they turned to look them over. Something about these two random travelers interested them. Tissen felt uneasy… He pulled his sleeve over his deformed hand. The whole gang began chatting animatedly as they saw what Tissen was trying to cover up. They had a feeling there was something special about these guys; their leader wanted to know what it was…
“Come on…” said the tall dark skinned man in front of the group. He pulled out his knife and began walking towards Adam and Tissen.
“What now… Boss Reg wait… Maybe we should just follow them…?”
“Come…!”
With the last command they all pulled out their knives and moved toward. Adam looked back just as they moved with in the range of the tip of his spear.
“Yes…?” asked Adam positioning his homemade spear right in the view of the crowd.
The group throw themselves on top of him stabbing with their knives! Adam, in his bewilderment, drove his homemade spear into the crowd cleaving though the shoulder of an attacker. The group fell to the side and regrouped as Adam plunged his spear into the mass impaling one through the chest. The attacker screamed and flailed his knife violently trying to ward off any other oncoming attack.
“Ѕгǻє!” shouted Tissen thrusting his hand forward, launching the throng of attackers into the air. A vicious series of pops radiated from Tissen’s normal hand. His fingers collapsed backwards with a grotesque crack but he did not flinch. From deep inside him a voice radiated:

FEAR ME FOR I AM YOUR MASTER!
BOW TO MY FEET AND ALL BE AFRAID!
FEAR ME FOR I AM YOUR MASTER!
OR IN THE FIRES OF YOUR MIND DOTH DIE!

Fireballs began to flick from his hand as he approached the group he had flung across the street. His hand continued to crack and twitch as he fired flaming orbs at his prey… Then his wrist swung sideways of its own accord and he dropped to his knees… the pain finally setting in… Tissen’s mouth flopped open. His eyes began to water, and he finally realized that the magic hurt… or whatever it really was…


Sing…
Sing…
Sing chorus…
Quite bland…
Sing…
Sing…
I’ve dropped my hand…
The lute falls out…
The flute comes in…
And lost we are still…
To the songs real tune…
Faiths not enough…
When there’s no faith to hold on too…
In the end…
We’re all the same…
In the end…
Our death unites us…
Making us whole again…


Tissen woke on the floor of a cold stone room. His brother was holding a rag to the side of his face… attempting to stop the cut on his face from bleeding. Tissen sat up to find his arm in a sling and both arms in casts. His ankles were bolted together by a strange pair of shackles. They weren’t connected to anything so Tissen was still free to hop around. There was an odd droning in his head that made it hard to think, and even harder to remember what had brought him here… He moved over to the cot Adam was sitting on and stared at the floor.
“Why’d ya try it…” inquired Adam.
“I didn’t… It just came out. I didn’t mean too. I just wanted to help…” clamored Tissen.
“What do ya think ur spear waz fur smart one…” retorted Adam.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Dat kow… Been like tis since them give us somtin ta drink…”
“What…? Who gave us something to drink…? When…?”
“The guys who fixeded ur arm… Ya hit’em couple times, yell’n sometin bout ta devil… They slapped ya hard, I jumped up and knocked one out of the cell and ten theys lefts… Came backs whiles later and gave me somtins strong to drink… I was sos thirsty I just drank it… Yours didn’t smell sos bad…”
“Have you drunk anything since?”
“Ya, And more they give me… They’s comes back …”
“He’s alright isn’t he?” came a voice in Tissen’s head.
What the hell…? Thought Tissen as his brother went blabbering about how awful the drink tasted.
“He hit one of the guards and took the keg of “medicine” that we were giving the two of you.”
What… who is that where are you!?
“I don’t know what I am to you… but most people call me Boss Reg. I’m a mind reader if the two of your’s medicine hasn’t worn off yet… In his case I’m hoping it hasn’t. He’s a violent one and if it has than it’s just more evident how stupid he is. Noth’n up there to read.”
What the f*** have you done to us you bastard!
“Gave you “medicine” like I said.”
Really… and pray do tell what was in the medicine?
“Strongest brandy I’ve ever heard of being whipped up. And some added stuff of my own. So you wouldn’t go blowing stuff up again…”
Who the f*** are you? God damn it! Show yourself!
“Temper, temper… You’ll never get what you want like that. Maybe if you asked nicely I might come have a chat with you.”
You bitch f***er stop playing games with me! It’s not funny! I’m trapped who knows where with my drunk ass macho man bother and you’re in my god damn head playing mind games with me! Not to mention I’ve been exiled from the place that has forever been my home and here you are, some, some, snot nosed pompous fool trying to tell me to calm down! You can do to hell for all I care!
“No home, some sort of magical powers, uncontrollable anger, and a knack for getting your self into tight places… You sound pretty interesting to me.”
SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I can’t take this anymore! Glaring down at the cold stone floor he pictured himself flowing into it. And so he did… mentally at least. His mind filled with the image of the stones and Boss Reg’s voice trailed off. Not sure exactly what he had done he assumed that it was the wall saving him from Reg’s taunting. He looked at his brother to find him careening forward. We caught him just in time to lay him back down on the bed; once down Adam tossed his head to and fro groaning. Tissen held him steady and rubbed his hand through Adam’s hair trying to sooth him. Eventually Adam settled down. Then he threw up all over Tissen.


Hitting, flailing, turning, burning,
Troubled mind and troubled soul
Soul cuts deeper than the thorns
Yet keep holding on we do…



Tissen sat by his brother for hours. At the last meal serving he had asked the guard for a wet rag to mop up Adam’s mess. The guard seemed nice enough. He smiled politely said sure son and didn’t mind when Tissen yelled at him “I’m not your son! My father’s dead god damn it! I’m not your son!” and things of that nature. He just walked away and returned with a rag gave a soft nod and murmured an “I’m sorry…” through the silver, steel bars. It was boring in the cell, especially without Adam to talk to, so Tissen spent most of his time thinking over the events of the past few days… With all that had happened he’d already lost track of how long it had been since he’d been unofficially exiled. He figured the only real trigger for his new powers was emotion, except in the case of the road which was pure luck or misfortune. Either fit because either way it had landed him with another horrible injury. That was another thing he pondered. Why did it destroy him to use his powers? Not that he was really using them it was more as if they were using him but either way, why did they cause him so much pain? He thought about what he’d learned about magic.
The only real source of information was the church. They were the only ones who still had any sort of records and they kept them well hidden. The only glimpse the public was ever given into the secret archives of the Monks was their sermons on Sundays and Wednesdays. Then all they ever talked about was the evils of devil worship, homosexuality, skipping church, child molestation, magic, and selfishness. An odd mismatch of subjects all viewed equally horrible by the church for reasons they never explained (one or two of them required no explanation), but never was magic explained in detail. Now that he thought of it they never really had told them what magic was. Mostly they said those who use it are the devil’s minions and that it was not the same as the Monks’ divine arts. In the end Tissen figured they weren’t much different except for the fact that they didn’t seem to get hurt. Though Tissen had never exactly seen the monks do anything but heal or give protection so the causes and effects were probably totally different. It was a complex riddle comparing the only form of magic Tissen was familiar or aware of to his own powers. The whole while Tissen had been driving the image of the cold stone floor into his mind, in the assumption that it was a guard to the mind reading, or whatever it was, that Boss Reg had preformed on him earlier. As he ran out of ideas he began lightly chatting with the guard to who seemed to be pleased to have some pleasant company for once.
“Hey out there! You still there?” called Tissen pressing his head into the bars.
“Yep youngling, I’m here. Ya need something?” responded the lightly armored guard pulling his chair giving him a clearer view of the cell.
“No, I was just wondering what we’re here for.”
“Not my call to tell you. I’d like to help yas but it’s not my call. Boss says you’re to be in there till he decides what to do with you.”
“Pleasant…”
“Like I said, I wish I could do something for ya,” called the guard.
“So, you have a family?”
“Had one… A son, two daughters, and a loving wife.”
“Had one?”
“Yep… Son was executed by “His Mighty Lordship” for treason, daughters carried off on King’s orders by a group of armed guards, and wife was burned at the stake of “Unholy witchcraft” by the god forsaken church. And you?”
“Both parents killed by a group of drunken guards… I was almost killed too… My village feared me and through me out… Then Adam and I were assaulted by a couple of men. I assume they were your comrades?”
“Iye… Stiffen and Cocks brought you in and Boss Reg assigned me too this post.”
“Any idea why they attacked us?”
“Possibly… but as prisoners I’m not obligated to tell you anything.”
“Isn’t it law that we’re read our rights and charges when arrested by the Guard?”
“Aye… but after all our “gracious” king has done for me, do you expect me to serve in his guard?”
“What…? If you’re not under the king’s command than whom do you serve?”
“My commander is Boss Reg, leader of the South Fæs Federation.”
“The what…?!”
“You’re a prisoner. I’m not allowed to any more information yet. I’d slip in a couple words to you but my tongs tied… damn oration spells…”
“An oration spell?”
“Yeah… I’ve got a bit of a habit of “conversing with the enemy.” So bad actually that Coksin, our Mage in residence, lip locked me from saying anymore about the Federation.”
“What’s a mage?”
“Vigion ciedus?! Are you that dumb child?!”
“I’ve been a farm boy till recently… work with me here…”
“Ha-ha… Well fine, fine… so Mages… how do I explain this? Uhm… they’re like Wizards only specialize in more than elements… like a bit of healing and some protection and some offensive abilities… that sort of thing. You following me?”
“Not really. What exactly are Wizards…?”
“Quackleberry! You haven’t even heard of Wizards?”
“No frankly I haven’t. Should I?
“The Guard’s been hunting them for years and you’ve never heard of ‘em?”
“Why is the Guard hunting them?”
“Heh heh… Ya pull’n me chain right?” the guard was squatting right in front of me by now, wide eyed in bewilderment.
“I enjoy asking stupid questions… It gives me something to do…”
“Oh phew… for a second there I was a little scared…”
“It’s called sarcasm you dumbass… OF COURSE I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY’RE HUNTING WIZARDS!”
“Clam down son… I guess you must a’ grown up in a fairly secluded place to not know Wizards.” The guard said.
“Well, do you know anything about magic?” continued the guard.
“Not really. By the way, what’s your name?” questioned Tissen.
“Samson Graythorm and yours?”
“Tissen Alenvick”
“HAHAHA!!! Good one! An Alenvick… no seriously what’s your name?
“It’s Tissen Alenvick”
“You got to be kidding me! The Alenvicks have been dead for years. The palace posted an order sometin like sixteen, seventeen years ago that they were ta be killed on sight and the recognizable bodies brought to the palace. It took two years for someum to catch’em but from what I heard they were dead when presented for the reward. It does seem like there was some controversy or what not over if they where the authentic bodies or not… But in the end the rogue got his reward and was on his way,” recounted Samson.
“Well, I may not know anything about that, but I’m sure I’m an Alenvick.”
“Ok, so let’s say you are an Alenvick. How ya gonna explain why you know noth’n bout magic?”
“As an Alenvick, should I?”
“Blie me, ya call yourself an Alenvick and don’t know a thing about’em?”
“I am an Alenvick. But I didn’t know we had any connection to magic. As far as I’m aware I’m the first,” Tissen said.
“From what I heard upstairs what you do isn’t magic but that’s-”
“Than what is it?” Tissen cut in.
“Not sure… They said something bout Alchemic biomortations and Semi-Alchembic Enhancing… no idea what any of it means but it definitely sounded like something worth looking into… they were pretty excited, which is rare in those two…”
“Who were they?”
“Ahhhh, again not allowed to tell ya… God, magic’s an annoyance, helpful, but annoying.”
“Simon!” called a voice at the top of the stairs. The cells were below ground and the stairway leading up was slightly curved, leaving the doorway at the top out of view.
“Aye Sir?” Simon called back standing up and brushing off his suit.
“Are the prisoners awake?” called the unseen figure. His voice sounded strangely familiar. Though Tissen couldn’t remember where he’d heard it from.
“We’ll get our answers soon enough” the voice from earlier pierced into his mind again.
Get away from me! Tissen screamed in his mind. With all the talking he’d done with Simon he’d forgotten to think about the wall. He stared at the ground again sticking the image above everything else in his mind. This spot of stone had a small crack in the middle. In his mind he saw the crack glow and widen so clearly that it seemed as if it was happening before his waking eyes. The stone shattered in his mind and he hit the ground hard patting as a vicious laughter reverberated through his head.
“Which one is it Simon? The Macho man or the runt?”
“Runt sir!” replied Samson Graythorm.
“Runt am I,” hissed Tissen through the bars, still trying to force the laughter out of his head.
“Shhh… I like you kid, whether you’ll tell me your name or not, and don’t want to see you killed. Just answer his questions and try to be respectful. Reg’s killed more men twice your size in a heart beat than you have people in that little village of yurs. Don’t think cuz your little he’ll spare ya… He kills anyone who he feels is an enemy long before they can cause any harm,” whispered Simon as Boss Reg approached.
“It’s good to see you’re awake. I am-” started Reg.
“I know your Boss Reg, but that really doesn’t matter to me,” announced Tissen. Simon twitched and gave Tissen a nasty look.
“All I want to know are your reasons for attacking me, so I may avoid them in the future, and the reasons behind keeping me prisoner when I have no inkling to what my crimes are.” Tissen continued.
“Either, you are very stupid, you do not know me, or you are very powerful. I pray it is the second one… Stupidity is useless to me and if you were powerful I doubt it would be me holding you captive,” responded Boss Reg.
“Look I really don’t want to be part of your rebellion… I’ve got enough trouble as it is and-” Tissen began.
“SIMON! You told him!?” spat Boss Reg, revolving on the spot.
“NO SIR!” Simon shot back tripping over his chair in surprise.
“How do you know we’re part of a rebellion? How do you know we aren’t just bandits?” inquired Boss Reg turning to face Tissen.
“One… I have no money. Two… Your reaction… and three because I’m a telepath.” The last one was a complete lie but Tissen hoped it would be unnerving.
“Ha… The last one’s obviously false because your mind is unguarded now. Any competent telepath would have been shielding his mind from others. Well, at least you’re not stupid, but unluckily for you neither am I. Well this spoils my previous plan so I’ll move to Plan B. We know you’re an Alchemist and frankly that makes you too valuable to let go. You’ve got under thirty minutes to tell us who you are and how you became an Alchemist or you’ll die,” causally announce Boss Reg.
“I’m a what? You can’t just kill me! Wait! What’s going on?! What the hell is an Alchemist? How am I one? Why are you gonna kill me!? You can’t do this!” screamed Tissen.
“You won’t die… if you tell us. Otherwise the bio toxins in the brandy we’ve been giving you are going to kick in and depose of you. And it’s no use pretending… we know you’re an Alchemist. So, are you going to tell us or sit there gaping? You’ve only got about twenty-three minutes if you want us to go get the antidote,” Boss Reg continued.
“Ahh! I’m Tissen Alenvick from Obi Winds! I’ve been doing magic or what ever it is for some where around a week! My brother and I were exiled from our village after it was burned to the ground by a ramble of drunken soldiers! They were members of the King’s Guard and had been harassing the town fro quite a while. We were through out by the people of the town because I used magic to kill one of the guards who killed my family! I don’t know what alchemy is or how I do it! Please just don’t let my brother die!” screamed Tissen shaking the bars of his cell and spraying tears from his eyes.
“Lies won’t get you any where. The Alenvicks are dead and had no heir. And you couldn’t perform alchemy with out knowing what it was…” said Boss Reg as he walked toward the stair case.
“It’s the truth! Please… please don’t kill us!!! Please don’t let my brother die!!!” it was Tissen’s turn to beg for his brother’s life.
“He is telling the truth. Or at least he thinks he is. My brother-in-law Jeffery Alenvick did have a pair of sons though from what I was told the villagers killed them… I wish to see these imposters,” said a new voice from the top of the stairs.
“Master Digmore McGreen! We’re interrogating a prisoner this is no time for you to intervene,” called Boss Reg from the bottom of the stairs.
McGreen walked down the spiraling stair case with out paying any attention to Boss Reg. He strolled into viewable range of the cell and stopped dead. One of his nephews was sobbing on the ground of the cell and the other one was out cold on the cot. Both the nephew and the uncle stood transfixed. Both had thought the other dead and now they were face to face with one another. Adam gave a moan from his cot and rolled off. Tiesn broke away from the perpetual staring match and ran to his brother. Behind him he heard the cell doors swing open and found his uncle next to him on the ground attempting to help lift Adam back onto the cot. Adam was large and heavy and even with his uncle’s help Tissen could not lift him. Eventually Tissen gave up and fell to the ground sobbing.
“Wiñף Larria” McGreen whispered. Adam floated into the air and with a silent hand gesture; McGreen set Adam back on the cot. Tissen stared at his lost uncle wondering how he could perform exactly what he wanted exactly when he wanted to without any pain at all. Tissen reached out as much as he could with his heart. Trying to will his brotherly love to help Adam.
“Ļeavєëг” said Tiesn dropping to his knees as a scar formed under his eye. Blood poured from the scar as if he were crying the warm putrid liquid. Tiesn’s palm touched Adam as blue light illuminated the room killing all shadows and drying all tears. Tissen smiled as one bloody tear ran down his cheek. Then he fell backwards to the floor still smiling and still bleeding. None of it mattered. His power, whatever it was, saved his brother when Tissen asked it to. Tissen’s stone black hair fell in front of his eyes and his plain tunic and pale pants were blood stained and ruffled. Staring down at his beautiful but bloody, smiling face was probably the creepiest thing any of them had ever seen. A handsome fourteen year old boy with an incinerated right hand, in ragged, old stable boy clothes, lay bleeding on the floor in front of them; his burnt hand still glowing in the warm reassuring light that was beginning to fade from his eyes. He was growing paler by the second and all they could do was stare in horror. Boss Reg ran to get the antidote and some medical supplies. Simon and Digmore stood transfixed to the body of the fallen boy, who chanced everything and gave it all for his brother. The one who knew nothing of what he could do… was the one who did the most.


Sailboats,
Rainy skies,
Lost and hidden tears.
Come to me maiden,
Come to me.
So I may wipe your tears away…
Starlight,
Crystal blues,
Roses,
And the lilies
Everyone as gorgeous as the last.
But one is better than all
I want that one,
Only and alone.
I cry in shadow
Give my heart to her
The prettiest flower who ever sailed.
Cry as she may
She does stand strong
Refusing my heart each day.
Always gone…
Always there…
Forever remembered…
Forever shared…
Lost and cold I am…
Seeing not
Love but the remorse
For she loves he and he alone
Lost is this treasure from me.
Lost is my heart along with it…
No matter how much our loves differ.
Mine is always and forever will be,
With her…


Tiesn awoke in a strange warm bed. Soft silk sheets covered his pale body and a brilliantly red sun shown through the windows surrounding the bed room walls. Tiesn laid his head back down on the pillow and reached up with his hand to massage his aching forehead. As his bandaged hands found their way to his head everything came flooding back to him…
“ADAM!” Tiesn screamed.
“I see you finally awake,” McGreen said, setting down his book and turned in his seat to face Tiesn.
“Uncle…?” whispered Tiesn.
“If you are indeed Tiesn Alenvick than yes, I am your uncle,” said McGreen looking Tiesn over.
Tiesn smiled as he brushed his long, solid white hair out of his eyes. It took him a moment to realize his hair was short and black…
“AHHHH!!! What the hell…?!” screamed Tiesn with a start. He gently figured the long white lock of hair in his fingers.
“Oh… Humm… How do I explain this…? See the fact of the matter is… Uhm… Well… you died…” answered McGreen. Tiesn just sat, mouth half opened head slightly cocked and a hopelessly lost gaze in his eyes.
“See, you over looked the third rule of Alchemy in your exasperation. With your attempt to save your brother you forgot it is impossible to restore human life using Alchemy.”
‘What…?” Tiesn said squinting and giving a half bewildered half questioning smile.
“You over looked the third rule of Alchemy.”
“What in the world is Alchemy?” Tiesn asked getting utterly sick of people expecting him to understand all that was happening to him.
“What do you mean ‘what is alchemy’?”
“I mean what is alchemy?!”
“My brother-in-law taught you Alchemy correct?”
“I don’t even know what Alchemy is!” Tiesn yelled finally sitting up in the bed.
“From what I’ve managed to place you’ve been successfully using Alchemy for a while before coming here. Am I correct?”
“If the magic I’ve been doing IS Alchemy than yes your right. I’m completely lost to how I do it or what it is so stop expecting that I’m an expert or master at it or whatever the hell you people are thinking!” said Tiesn laying back down.”
“Well that seems to create about as many questions as it answers,” said Tiesn’s uncle “Why don’t we see if we can’t figure all this out. Adam showed a great interest in learning to sword fight so we sent him off with Regulous and his eldest son to Formount. I assured Adam that I’d look after you, and as with the tree of them gone it leave you and myself some time to figure this out without much interruption. So let’s start at the beginning shall we?”
“Uncle what is Formount?”
“All will be explained in due time but first your story. Please begin.”
So Tiesn began his account of his life since the supposed death of his uncle. He told about his uncle’s funeral and how the coffin was nailed firmly shut long before the funeral began. He then told of the soldiers coming to the village and taking their long stays at the bar near Mr. Alenvick’s plantation home. Tiesn described to his uncle the way his father and the soldiers had fought and agued at about everything. He told of the attack on his home and of his first usage of Alchemy. From there he described to his uncle of the flight from the town and the rest of the events that had brought them where they were. For a while McGreen just sat there. During the progression of Tiesn’s story he had lit a cigar which he now puffed on gently. He stared at the ceiling occasionally blowing rings of smoke from his mouth as Tiesn stared intently at the sheets of the bed. Both sat in silence on tense and one dreamily pondering the recent news.
“Well…” said McGreen finally, “I will talk this over with Coksin and Madly. In the mean time why don’t you take a look around the village? I’m sure Vinmere, Regulous’s middle son, won’t mind the extra company; there are only a few people your age here. Most are twenty-five or older and most of them are quite care torn and war hardened. I’m sure Vinmere will enjoy having you as an edition to his minuscule band, oh and please do stay with in the city. Any unauthorized exits or entrances to the town are killed immediately. When Madley, Coksin, and I have finished our discussion we will explain what we know to you and give you your options.”
“Ok… Where can I find Vinmere…?” asked Tiesn a little tired and well ready to get some answers.
“I’ll have him stop by after class today to help you get ready when he returns from school. Until then… please feel free to catch up on some much needed sleep,” said McGreen pulling the door shut as he left. Tiesn wasn’t sure exactly when he drifted off to sleep but did so quickly and easily for the first time in quite a while.


Shutters dark and board
Her majesty highly adored
Modest and worried she sits on her throne
Not really knowing it is there
For in her mind she is one of us
Though we see her as much more
We love her and adore her
Yet she notices not and carries on
Like no one knows she’s hurt
But I see her day after day grow weaker
As she begins to lose their love
But some do love her still
With all their hearts bent to it
They love her dearly
And forever treasure
Her long lost smile
What we want is happiness
But she needs much more
In the end
She really is loved
But none want her end to come
She scuttles away from death
And we would do anything to bar its way
It’s farther away than she thinks
But all wish it to be never
For I truly love her
Whether she knows, cares, or believes
It will always be there
In the end
I’ll always love her…


Tiesn awoke with a start as a well trimmed and handsome boy helped him sit up in bed. The boy had a light silky shirt on that looked very noble and had a brilliant gold embroidering. His black hair was short and tightly with ever hair carefully placed and perfect. If perfection was a reality he had achieved it.
“Tiesn I believe McGreen said, am I correct in believing you are the Alchemist everyone’s been very excited about for the last week or so?” said the boy opening the blinds now that he had Tiesn at least half awake and sitting on the edge of the bed in the shapely tunic and pants that he had been put to bed in.
“Um… I’m Tiesn and I’m supposedly an Alchemist but I’m definitely not famous and most-likely not the Alchemist everyone’s excited about,” said Tiesn still groggy and not quite as eloquent as usual.
“Well if you’re an Alchemist than you’re the one. There’s only one other in the whole South Fæs Federation. They’ve got two in North High Corps but not in South Fæs Federation. So getting a second one has been a big sensation to us. We’re all excited to see what you can do!” exclaimed the boy said the boy ripping the wardrobe open and pulling out five entirely different tunics and legging combinations. The first one was a bright and cheerful white and gold tunic like the one the youth before Tiesn was wearing. The second was an odd but stylish green and black combination with a long draping cape. The third was a ranger’s plaid shirt and pants with a brand new brown leather chest plate and leggings. The fourth was a sky blue robe with a golden short sleeve shirt and short white pants. The fifth was a dark leather vest, a matching pair of black leather leggings and a brown and black tunic. The fifth set was completed with a long black cloak that hung over the end of the bed.
“Which one do you more prefer Tiesn?” asked the young man when he was done laying them out. Tiesn yawned pointing at the fifth set and getting down off the bed. The boy seemed to be in a hurry to leave so he hastily helped Tiesn strip and dress in the new attire.
“Thanks,” said Tiesn giving another great yawn, “Are you by any chance Vinmere?”
“That I am,” said the boy as he led Tiesn from the room.
“Oh well it’s nice to meet you! I’m Tiesn Alenvick as you have been told. It’s nice to meet you.”
The boy actually smiled before he replied, “Well the pleasure is most definitely mine. Oh and please call me Vin I really can’t stand the full name.” He led Tiesn into a new room full of shining and glimmering weapons. Tiesn new Adam would have loved the collection. The boy reached up to a shelf and pulled down what seemed to be a hand crafted ivory bow and a quiver of silver arrows. He unstrung the bow and slid it in with the arrows before placing it over his shoulder. Tiesn notice Adams handmade spears from their earlier travels and noted how they greatly contrasted with the spender of the rest of the weapons.
“So what is your weapon of choice Tiesn Alenvick?” Vinmere asked when he was completely happy with the positioning of the quiver.
“Uh… Well… I really haven’t ever used a weapon before. I mean I’ve hunted with a bow but that’s about it,” Tiesn searched the room till his eye caught something in the far corner. Tiesn walked over to the silver staff. It was skillfully carved and looked just as radiant as the rest of the items in the weaponry. But the staff was not what interested Tiesn. On the same shelf as the staff was a knife. It looked plain at first glance but under closer inspection Tiesn found it had a pure silver handle that was unusually sturdy. The hilt was adorned with emeralds and intricate carvings. Tiesn pulled it down and pulled it all the way out of the sheath to get a full look at the blade. It was abnormally long for a knife and had an air of spender that seemed to radiate from it. Tiesn began to glaze at the blade as it rippled blue. Suddenly a long flowing trench in the blade illuminated blue to reveal, even in the dim light of the weaponry, the etching in the blade.


-§ Alenvick §-

Tiesn smiled as he slid the knife back into it sheath.
“Have you ever heard of destiny Vin?”
“Yes Tiesn I believe I have.”
“Hummm… Than it’s still a possibility that I’m not crazy?”
“Yes Tiesn… I do believe so,” whispered Vinmere pulling out a brown leather belt with a hook for the knife’s sheath. Vin handed it to Tiesn who slipped it into the belt loops of his pants. Tiesn then hooked the knife onto the belt and clasped Vinmere’s hand briefly before they walked out of the room. Vin showed Tiesn to the front door and the set out into the village.

(From here I'm attempting to get the brothers into some sort of position of minor power for them to work they're way up in importants. If you've read this additonal not-part-of-th-story thing than stop here cuz it hasn't been updated... The main characters are going to be two brother peasents who begin on a quest, one to discover the true nature of thier world and the other to become a member of a outcast warrior group who are bent on combating the tyranny of the nations Emperor. Once the Emperor is overthrown they will discover that they made a horrible mistake and that the true evil is that which they used to overthrow the king. From there it will go into a long adventure of how the tow brothers will attempt to undo the wrongs of there world as they get mixed up in the chaos that surrounds the fall of the Empire and the confrontations of the races of dawves, elfs, men, orcs, and the race of machina which have been kept apart for so long by the diligence of the king. All input/advice/words of wisdom/suggestions will be greatly appriciated, read, and responded to quickly and efficently. THX for reading!)