Reprisal - My Novel

[quote=jhoijhoi]Jebus McAzn said that my posts were normally essay-length. That's primary because I can't help myself, and secondly, because I love to write. I was reading another poster's story here in the Off-Topic forum, and I thought, hell, why not. Here's a slice of Reprisal, co-authored by my sister. Feel free to criticise at will ^^ Now that I read over it (after a long period of neglect), it's not as good as I remembered it to be. * - * - * - * - * - * Reprisal Written By J.A.L Thone PROLOGUE “... for if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?” - Unknown Author It was past noon; the sun high in the sky, the heat radiating off the overturned soil in hazy waves. The sparse scattering of clouds gave respite from harsh light, however brief. The trampled grass was dry and brittle, and the once peaceful meadow was not the way it had been, only days earlier; now ravaged and desolate. There was not a movement to be seen across the valley besides the odd patch of burning pitch, the flames dancing to a music of their own and where the wind played with stalks of tall, seed-heavy weeds. The cobblestone castle, only metres away, stood almost mockingly, the heavy iron gates open and the archers in the towers watching with their bows drawn in the eerie silence. “Addsett!" The cry startled some crows that had begun to feast on the entails of a soldier's open stomach, "Peace. I declare peace! Allow us to safely retreat!” King Gulford Raiet yelled across the body-strewn battlefield, his voice echoing off the ridges and trenches. His army standard flickered in the wind, held up by the flag bearer; or rather, impaled in the boy’s stomach. The coppery smell of blood tickled his nose, and King Gulford knew his blonde beard was heavy with the blood of his victims. His broadsword rested against his knee, rusty from the fighting, poisonous slime encrusted around the pommel. His armour was dented in places, the bent metal rubbing across the chainmail underneath, aggravating the bruises on his skin. The king hefted himself up and peered over the dirt mound in the general direction of where he expected the reply. His army General lay on the ground beside him, outwardly hardened, but devastated by the loss of his men. The man’s double-sided axe was chipped, and his gloves were nearly worn all the way through. Despite his weariness, he waved a blood-stained white rag in the air. A golden crown soon surfaced amongst the trodden mud and blood of No-man’s land, and King Harrison Addsett smirked down at his rival, “You willingly admit defeat, Gulford, King of Azuryl?” They were surprisingly close enough to make out the minute details of each other's well known faces. Gulford's greying blonde hair, drenched in blood, weary green eyes; Harrison's dark hair seemingly not a strand out of place, triumphant eyes so dark brown it was almost hard to distinguish the pupil from the iris. But most important was the smug grin of satisfaction on King Addsett's clean face that rubbed King Raiet the wrong way. And the knowledge that Gulford had shamed his ancestors with the loss of this battle. The war between the Azuryl and Cruciot kingdoms had been waging before the scribes had started to record history. The beaten king shook his head wearily, “How can I not? First you murder my only son, and then slaughter my army. I’ve had enough. I concede.” Harrison smiled, “Who said that I murdered your son?” “The mercenary confessed on the rack.” Gulford paused for a moment, “He stopped screaming when the executioner poured molten lead in his eye sockets.” “But you believed him?” There was a hint of laughter in the Cruciot king’s voice. Gulford floundered for a second, a reaction he seldom committed, “Are you saying you didn’t have a hand in my son’s assassination?” “Well, maybe I had my pinky finger dipped daintily in the pie – ” General Bane held his king down as the man tried to leap up, “Sire, calm yourself, he’s only goading you into coming out – a good archer could take you out with a single arrow.” Tears were streaming down Gulford’s face, “He admitted it, he killed Casius, my boy.” “And no amount of fighting will bring him back, my king.” John Bane looked Gulford in the eyes, “Your death will not being him back.”[/quote]

[quote=Rudmed]Oooh I like it. Though this thread is not dead...yet. Though we may have some new blood coming in! [url=http://www.mobafire.com/league-of-legends/forum/off-topic/the-creative-corner-4500]Not dead yet![/url][/quote]