The Tale of Orion Sample

THE TALE OF ORION

Prologue-

The wind whistled through the air, stopping only to mingle with the deafening cracks of thunder and flashes of lighting. In the middle of this storm there lay a boy, face down, in the mud, repeating one word. " Gawain." Small pieces of his tunic clung to his pale skin. He crawled through the smelly mud, clinging to every last inch of life he had. In a raspy voice, he again whispered "Gawain.", and then he fainted and saw no more.

PART I
ORION, THE WANDERER

Shapes. Shadows. Voices. The boy was awake.

When he came to, he found himself in a small room. The scent of liquor pulsated throughout the tiny area. The small bed he was on was hard and a bit to small for the boy. He tried to get up out of the hard bed, only to shriek in agony. He ran his hand down his bare back, and realized his soft, pale skin was marred with scrapes, scars, and dried blood. Dirt covered his shoulder length red hair. He did not know how he got the scars, where he was, or even his own name.

Knock. Knock. Knock

Someone was at the door. They did not bother to knock, they simply threw open the door.

In stepped a short, stubby man with thinning brown hair and green eyes. " Boy!" he grunted " Now, I been gracious ter ya' and letting ye sleep here cuz I know ya been a hurtin, but enough is enough" The boy stared at the man, confused and surprised. " How I long I been here?" he whispered. " Ya been sleep fer two days straight m'boy. Ya were lyin' face down in the mud a night er to ago. Then ya woke up and wundered in 'ere. Ya barely got to the door 'fore ya passed out again. I put ya up in a room, and ya slept fer two days. But enough is enough. Ya been takin up this room in m'bar for two days. Can't have ya an here any longer. Get out o' here boy." The boy's mouth hung open in shock. " Now" he asked. "Yup." said the man. " Get up. Get UP!!" The boy got up and ran out of the room, past the hall of sleeping areas, through the bar, and out of the building. He ran straight into a tall, armored man. " In the name of EXCALIBUR" he shrieked. Suddenly, it happened....... the boy remembered. Why he was where he was. What he was searching for. And his own name.......... ORION.

PART II
ORION, THE SEARCHER
Orion's memory shot into motion. He flashed back to a summer, two years ago, in his homeland of Monte Cristo. The crisp breeze wafted the smell of cakes and meats and wines through the town. The sun poked out from behind the hazy summer sky. Orion was setting down on the porch of his small home , gazing at the clear sky, when the beautiful view was abruptly interrupted by a great red flame in the distant forest. This could only mean one thing in Monte Cristo. The Steward was dying. This Steward, Trewan the IV, was one of the most beloved ever. He had guided his people from a poor civilization groveling for food and water, into a rich country in just 20 years. And now he was in his final hours. No sooner had this news eached Orion than a man walked up to him. He was dressed in a plain white hooded robe, with a badger( the symbol of the Steward) on the back. He was one of the Stewad's vicens, four of his greatest representatives. "Orion", the man said in a most somber tone, " The Steward requests your presents immediately. Come with me". Orion stood up, and, confused, walked to a carriage. As the vicen led the carriage toward the Steward's home, a wave of befuddlement swept over Orion. Why him?

Steward Trewan's house was a simple three room green house nestled in the sandy beauty near the Culwell Creek. The door was a sleek red color, with rusty hinges that creaked as Orion pulled open the door, which gave way to the kitchen. The vicen lead Orion into the Steward's bedroom. He was stretched out one a spacious bed. His once vibrant was bleached and pale. His hair had grown thin. His breathing was heavy. Orion wondered how someone who had excellent health a few weeks earlier could sink so far. "Come" whispered Trewan. " I cannot give you the chance to speak, for I feel my life slipping away, and this I must tell you. There was once a prophecy, made by Jorak, a well respected fortune teller. It said this:
Darkness reigns
A storm comes
of which few know
It stands on a brink
and ponders where to strike
Whence it strike you
must
strike back
With the sword of Excalibur
Wrought of bravery
Molded of honor
Sheather in chivalry.
And the one
Of whom Regin's
Blood flows.

" You may not have heard of Regin. He was a great king of old, who created Excalibur. It is said the world will be saved by one in whom his blood flows. You may not know, but you are related to Regin. I would have picked your father had he still been alive, and if your mother was not bedridden, she would be on this venture. But instead, I must send you. Yes, you must leave your mother".

"No!" cried Orion- his mother was indeed bedridden, and he always looked after her.

" I understand you are upset" said Trewan " But what few know is this. An evil empire has been formed. It is called the Alliance of the Viper. It has been formed to take the sword of Excalibur and use it for evil. But, no one can touch Excalibur unless a knight of the round table hands it to them. Almost all of them are dead. Except Gawain. He is asleep in a cave somewhere in Camelot, waiting to be awaking. You must find and awaken him first, lest the Alliance of the Viper take this world as their own."

" I can't!" said Orion

"I understand" said Trewan " but the greatest weapon is what you shall soon find within yourself. I will have a vicen pick you up in the morning. Goodbye, Orion."

The vicen escorted Orion out of the room. As he opened the door, he heard Trewan's breathing stop. He was dead.

Orion did not sleep at all that night. He wept for Trewan, one of the greatest Stewards ever, and for his motherm who would surely die after he left. He realized that he must sacrifice those close to him to save the next generation, as well as this one. He stared out the window one last time at his beautiful home.

The sunrise came slowly on the cold horizon, warming the land. But in his heart, Orion was shivering. He gave a heartfelt goodbye to his mother, who only responded with a forced murmur. Orion was given a map by a vicen, and led to a small forest outside of Monte Cristo. " You shall head west from here", said the vicen, handing him a sword. " Just in case" he said. It was a short sword with a black hilt on which the Steward's Dwarvish name , " niveus omnius corteous" was engraved. The sword was tucked into a leather sheath. And thus Orion took his first step into the storm that would follow.

Days. Weeks. Months. Orion trudged through the dark recesses of the world. Before he knew it, the blistering warmth of summer transformed into the snow capped world of winter. According to his map, he was in the Cardakian Mountains. To his horror, he was running very low on food. His strength was sapping. But yet he trekked on. Using an arrowhead and a stick, he fashioned a makeshift spear to hunt with, but animal and plant life was far and few between in these lands. Thus many days went on life this. Until one faithful day.....

It started like any other, Orion wearily continued to climb up the mountain, when he heard footsteps from behind. He turned around, and saw a horrid creature charging toward him. He have a yellow face, and his fleshy hands clutched a falchion, which was covered with blood. His jagged army gleamed in the sun. Orion drew his sword, which slammed into the falchion with a loud clang. The yellow faced creature grunted, then swung the falchion back and hit Orion in the face with the dull end. Blood sprayed from Orion's pale face as he lept forward, ramming the creature and following him to the ground. The creature swung the falchion, but Orion blocked the blow. He then slashed the creatures stomach. Black blood shot out as the creature drew his last breath. Orion looked up. More were coming. MANY MORE! He then heard a popping noise. An avalanche was coming. Orion closed his eyes. No mater what, he would soon be dead. But then came a great silence. Then a crack of thunder. Orion found himself in the mud, in front of a certain bar....

END OF PART II

ART III
Orion, The Warrior
Orion slowly got to his feet, praying that he could still walk. He pressed his feet into the cushy mud, slowly trudging through the rainy night. Thought the storm had calmed down, but the rain still poured freely from the dark sky. The only myster still in Orion's mind was how he had suddenly dissapeared from the mountains and reappeared here.... then he realized.... In the name of Excalibur! I have no idea where I am! He then remembered he had a map, however, in was torn to shreds in the storm. He then wept. His mission he FAILED! But maybe not! Orion looked up. As the rain was slowing down, the sun was rising. The sun rose in the east and sat in the west! And so, with a weak smile on his face, and new clothes on his back, Orion sat out for the west.

And so more weeks passed, and Orion wandered, and became thin and hungry, And so it was that the hard ice of winter shattered and became the soft petals of spring. And so it was that Orion was dying as food left from his body. Usually grass was reliable, but in the Sordyvin Forests, where Orion currently walked, the grass was covered with bratroot, a posinous weed that turned all who ate it into mutes. One day at last he saw a mockingbird, and he smiled, for at last he had food. He lay quietly on the ground, waiting for the mockingbird to leave his nest. Once he did, Orion lept to his feet and hurled the spear towards the bird. The spear hit the bird, but bounced off, turned black, disentegrated. A beffudled look swept onto Orion's face as the mockingbird took flight unscathed. Suddenly, yellow cracks appeared in the bird's feather's, and he suddenly exploded in a ball of light. Suddenly, a horrid animal appeared in his place. It had brown fur, and a bony face with red eyes and sharp teeth, as well as a fox like tail. Orion drew his sword seconds before the monster landed. He slashed the monsters stomach, but the monster lunged back, clawing at Orion's chest. He cried in agony, slashing weakly at the monster, mssing. The creature was so close to him, he could smell the stink of his breath as it mingled with the stench of his own blood. Orion heard a faint whirring sound, followed by a flash of light. The wolf wreathed in pain as his fur turned into ash. He gave on last growl, and then exploded. All that remained was a pile of coal. He looked up, and saw a girl. She was thin, and wearing a red robe, with locks of blonde hair and pools of blue in her eyes. She had a staff made of oak, which was still glowing from the spell she cast. She uttered something in elvish, and her staff began to glow. " Ouyn ve pajau talamn na ta rav leoshia tau mathranad ouyn ve pajau, ouyn ve pajau!" And Orion fell unconscous and his eyes saw no more.
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