(edited by Vidar.9257)
Jarl of the Shadow #14 (The End)
Great read! How many episodes are planned? Got any estimations?
Feel free to link the story in the Biographies thread!
Thanks, glad you like it and are following along. I expect probably near a dozen episodes in all. Maybe just shy of that, or maybe more, depending on time, other work, and getting out of the game enough to actually write.
Orange light flickered off shining metal, and Kel saw Lathan’s face hovering just beyond a candle’s flame. Still rolled up in a ball, with furs covering his head, Kel stared out the small tunnel he’d constructed as a breathing tube. Beyond Lathan, the faint blue of early dawn in the mountain monastery lighted the walls.
Episode #4 is up: Jarl of the Shadow: Dawn
I too am enjoying these, very well written. Superb use of imagery. Looking forward to the next episode.
or follow me on twitter @trikktheasura
Trikke <Sorrows Children> [SRRW] — Sea of Sorrows
Lornar’s Pass, so named for the legendary dwarf who is said to have held off an entire invasion of Hill Giants single-handedly. The old dwarven stories fascinated Kel; tales of their uncanny strength and resolve, remnants of their unique architecture, weapons and armor forging, and who, as a race, voluntarily turned themselves to stone in order to battle the dragon Primordus and its destructive minions of fire. Growing up in Elona, the dwarves were a distant mystery. Now, here in the Shiverpeak Mountains, their remnants were everywhere.
Episode #5 is available: Jarl of the Shadow: Passing Lornar
Going to try to pick up the pace on this a bit and get episodes out a little more quickly. Here’s an excerpt from #6, Drifting
Food and drink had settled into the travelers quickly. Kel sat by the fire, wrapped in furs and watched as tiny whisps of powdered snow jumped off the top of a lean-to that Kepp had constructed. The little asura was so in touch with Grenth, that cold affected him very little, yet he still succumbed to his racial instinct to construct things. The norn woman, too, was used to the mountain cold, and she lay next to the tree her hammer leaned against and slept soundly. Kel looked over at the once bulging and rounded flask, felt the mead in his blood, and knew full well if he went to sleep he’d not wake until mid-day. He meditated for a few seconds and attuned himself with the air, moving with it as it danced around the camp and among the flames of the fire, and felt himself reinvigorated. He’d stay this way the rest of the night while the others slept.
Jarl number 7 is available
“I can smell it on you,” the massive Kodan said and leaned toward Kel again. Its large, black nose puffed at him as the bear-man sniffed Kel one more time. “You are close to rebirth, to eleveation toward proper balance that Koda teaches us, but it will cost you your life.” The bear waved its massive paw at Kel dismissively. “At least you will not be reborn as this.” The large creature then turned and strode up a snowy hillside path.
This isn’t just an enjoyable read, it’s also some of the best written fiction I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing. My favorite part of any fiction—the characters—are superb int he this story. I’m definitely following this one!
Isle of Janthir Murderbot; let me kill your face!
Look at my charming hat! <|:D
Number 8 is up on the site
“This has gotten much worse,” Hlif said, looking out over the rapidly shading hills of Borealis Forest, fires scattered among the darkening trees becoming a constellation of suns crowding too small an area of space; volatile in their proximity. A group of norn approached up the path, coming from a fork to their south. One of the men, recognizing Hlif, stopped as the others went on through Snowlord’s Gate and on up the hill into Hoelbrak.
Nom more of the story here
For the norn people, dawn comes earlier than it would for humans; probably due to their tradition of the hunt, and leaving early enough to get where their going and still have daylight to take care of business. They wake with a grumbling and growling noise, too, and Kel had no problem waking with them as a result. Clearly, the noise was to motivate themselves into action after drinking late into the night, like a hard, friendly slap to wake you and anyone nearby because the numbness had sunk deep into your bones. It was a sharing awakening. The norn people liked to share.
Some exciting goings on as the gang gets closer to their goal and start making new friends. Ten is up on the site…
Satiated from a nice, big breakfast, Kel hiked slowly throughout the morning; moving north toward the dragon, and its spreading influence. Approaching the pass, he slowed even more, staring at the dark, jagged spikes of ice that shot up toward the sky, forming massive barrier walls of the fortification established by Jormag’s worshipers. Flanking either side of the structure were two towers that peered over the living ice to survey the hills. A strange smoke or dust drifted off the dark blue shimmering structures and lingered in the air about them, as though looking for something to choke or consume. At the outskirts of the fortification were patrols of norn men and darkened elementals created from the same living ice that jutted up around the hillside. Banners had been stabbed into the ground on stakes here and there that announced the Sons of Svanir territory.
Hey everybody, this story goes to eleven! (Actually, it looks like it’ll go to fourteen, but you’ll have to wait for the volume to go up that high.)
As the group collected themselves after battling the icebrood, Kel approached the shattered ice shard and examined one of the fragments. Its inner life was still present, shifting and moving with the power of the dragon. The surface of the shard, though, was charred black in areas, as though it had been seared by fire. The corrupted ice’s power seemed to be fading nearest its broken ends. Kel knelt down and pulled a large mortar and pestle from his pack, then took one of the smaller pieces, dropped it into the bowl, and began grinding it into a fine powder.
“You’re going to eat that, aren’t you?” Lathan said, stepping up next to where Kel was working.
Our intrepid adventurers are ever closer to the missing spirit, and the Jarl of the Shadow…
“I didn’t always understand it, but I’ve had feelings that touched on it throughout my life.” Kel said, as the four sat around the smoldering fire pit. Having finished a meager breakfast of butternut squash soup and smoked salmon given to them by the villagers some time earlier. The morning was drawing late, and Hlif was becoming frustrated at not making headway toward finding Vidar Aagesson. “I’ve made my fair share of mistakes with rage, hate, and anger, with love, and happiness, too.”
Wait, who dies? The smiley one?
The blurry sight of the norn-cat put Kel on guard. He was unsure if it had become one of Jormag’s minions, or was simply mad. Lathan echoed this sentiment with his sword drawn and shield up. Hlif, however, dropped her hammer and walked over to Vidar. He was crouched low, so she knelt down in front of him and reached out her hand. Slowly, the norn-cat stalked toward her, then stopped just shy of her hand. She leaned forward and stroked the side of his head behind the large, pointed ear.
I wanted to thank everybody who has been following along, and offering comments and feedback. Very much appreciated. Here’s the conclusion of the series, precursors that were as difficult for Kel, Hlif, Kepp, and Lathan to achieve as that staff, sword, or dagger you want.
At Hlif’s request, Kel and the others lingered in the Far Shiverpeaks for several days with the hope that they’d again have counsel with the Jarl of the Shadow, but there was no sight of the norn man. Eventually, they worked their way slowly south, traveling carefully, weakened and disillusioned from their failure. However long Vidar Aagesson remained up in the Far Shiverpeaks, or however long it took the spirit to return on its own to the norn, was something none of them knew.
I must say that I was sad for this story to end. However, you are incredibly talented, and I eagerly anticipate your next literary endeavor.
Thank you!
or follow me on twitter @trikktheasura
Trikke <Sorrows Children> [SRRW] — Sea of Sorrows