| Subject: BIC: OK, I sorta got a plot worked out..Took me forever, but I think I have somethin' to roll with *Crosses fingers* Inside..... |
Author:
Tacroy Bladefire
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Date Posted: 19:58:05 08/14/03 Thu
In reply to:
Vi
's message, "Yeah, I don't really want to go to Pioneer, either. If I go I feel like I'm stealing my sister's thunder, and also, I don't want to go into gr 8, I want to go into gr 6 like other kids my age." on 01:43:23 08/13/03 Wed
Reggis walked quickly over to his horse which stood tied to a nearby bench. He untied the reins and and mounted, swinging up into the saddle with ease. He kicked his horse to the head of his guards who were mounting their horses as well, and whirled his horse around to face them. He barked out orders, his sharp voice ringing out on the heavy air, snow flurrying around him. "Serick, take that cloak and find the hounds! Get them on the scent immediatly!" The man named Serick, gave a quick salute and spun his horse around, racing off to the Castle at a gallop.
"The rest of you! Split up and comb this town for any information you can about a tall hooded figure on or around this street and the City Square at the late hours of the night! There has to be someone out there who saw something, however small. Go!" The guards scattered like flies, leaving Reggis to smile triumphantly and spur his horse on, riding up to the Castle in a clatter of hooves.
The Commander of the Royal Guardurged his steed up the narrow streets, beggars throwing themselves to the side as he passed. They knew Reggis all too well, and it was common knowladge that if you didn't move fast enough out of his way, he just run right over you.
As the road began to wind upwards, like a coiling snake, Reggis urged his horse on, the wind from his speed, blowing snow into his eyes. The High Commnader could see Herigon Castle, sitting atop its hill like a giant stone dragon, guarding its treasure hoard.
As the road climbed up the hill, the houses of the citizens faded away, to be replaced by large grssy fields, where livestock would normally have been kept in great numbers. But, as Reggis galloped up the winding cobblestones, and the fields stretched ahead before him, he could only pick out a few desolate cows, which appeared to be more bone than flesh, huddled together, in the frozen paddock. Shaking his head in disgust, Reggis rode up and up, until the road finally leveled out and in front of the High Commander, loomed the Castle of Herigon.
Like the town, the once proud Castle was falling into ruin. There was a time, when people would down in the town, would gaze up proudly at the ancient castle, drawing strength and reasurrance from the soild battlements. But not any more, that age had died long ago.
The Castle of Herigon wasn't large but it had been sturdily built, which probably was the only thing keeping it together. It had built from granite which had been quarried from the mining town of Trisc and then brought in great caravans to Herigon. The stones were beginnig to blacken as the weather and neglect took their toll. The mortar was crumbling and falling away, and, in some places, there wwere huge gaps were the rocks had given up the pretence of strength, and fallen out.
A deep, long trench had been dug around the front and sides of the Castle, and in some distant age, it might have served as a moat, but the water was long gone and now it just look like a giant scar furrowed into the earth.
The massive scarred drawbridge was lowered as it usually was, but Reggis could see the glint of steel armor from the battlements as the sentries paced to and fro, making sure that the people who entered through the drawbridge were in favor of the King.
As Reggis rode straight for the drawbridge, he saw that a guard stood up suddenly on the wall, aiming with a crossbow at him. "Halt!" called the guard, or that's what he started to say, before he realized that it was Reggis he was aiming at. Hurridly, he withdrew his crossbow and dropped ou to sight. Reggis smiled icely. He was feared by his guards for he hated mistakes and those that made them and he punished his guards so ruthlessly, that they could easily be mistaken for his enemies.
The horse's hooves thudded dully on the wood as Reggis rode into the Keep. The giant doors at the end swund open in fronto of him and without slowing, Reggis spurred hios horse on and out into the Castle courtyard. There, a pulled back on his horse's reins viciously, causing his steed to fall back on its haunches in order to stop the breakneck pace. The horse managed to skid to a halt, its hooves clattering on the stone. The High Commander swung out of the saddle and turned to face the guards who had opened the Keep's doors as they came running up to him. One grabbed the horse's reins and led the animal to the stable, while the others saluted furiously to their Chief.
Reggis' eyes flashed. "Did Court start yet?" he asked sharply.
"Aye Commander," replied one of the guards and Reggis swore harshly.
"How long ago?"
"Just half an hour," said the other tentatively. Reggis nodded. "Dismissed!" he barked and turning his back on the guards, strode quickly through the courtyard. He made for the flight of steps leading up to the main entrance.
The courtyard was filled with kinghts racing to and fro, messangers springing up, into their saddles and tearing out of the Castle in a storm of hooves, and mages huddled together in robes of black, gesturing and discusing different spells animatedly. Reggis shook his head in disgust. Next to crime, he hated magic with a fierce passion, brutal in its simplicity, but deadly in his wrath.
Reggis believed that magic was the start of all their troubles. When Ma'alar deserted, magic was what gave him an edge, and made him so powerful and feared. Without magic, a revolt could have been put down easily enough with Herigon's vast army, but instead, the fearsome powers tore and ruined the land, even for those living generations later. That was another eason why he despised the Gyrfalcon so much. Not only was murdering and theiving right under Reggis' nose, he was running around with unlicensed and supposedly deadly magic. Whe he finally is caught, thought Reggis savagely to himself, I'll make him pay.. He won't be able to beg for mercy, because he'll be screaming nonstop. Reggis payed little attention to the people around him, he was too lost in own thoughts of revenge and hate to spare them even a glance. Taking the steps that led up to the entrance hall, two at a time, Reggis strode imperiously through the great doors, pushing them forcefully aside and shutting them with a slam.
His red cloak billowing behind him in a cold draught that whistled through the entrance hall, the High Commander broke off from his dark thoughts just long enough to glance around him at the once beautiful hall that stretched before him, and whose ceiling rose high above his head. It was still beautiful, in its own sad way. The rafters were covered in cobwebs, but the arching walls and just the sheer size of the Castle were enough to preserve a sense of dignity, a reminder of a glorious age, lost in the mists of time.
Niches in the walls gaped sadly at Reggis as he passed like empty eye sockets. Once they held golden vases, suits of legendary armor, and massive gold candlesticks, but they had all been sold in a futile attempt to bring in more money to Herigon's failing economy. They might as well not have bothered, thought Reggis. The money earned from selling the artifacts spent only a few days in the Castle, before it was suckered out and sent ot the nearby towns, where it evaporated like steam, without anything worthwhile to show for it.
Reggis strode through the hall into a circular room whose paint was chipped and peeling and climbed a winding staircase, practically leaping up the stairs. At the top, was a wide corridor and at the end was another set of double doors. As Reggis neared them, tow guards sprang in front of him from wall niches and stood barring his way with giant pikes.
Reggis came to a halt and stared at them angrily and it took the guards only a second to recognize him and his grim features. They hastily lowered their pikes and stepped aside to allow him acess to the doors. "Court's already strated Commander," said one, trying to be helpful.
REggis shot him a glare. "I know that idiot!," he snarled. He walked quickly past them and siezing the brass rings of the doors, swung them open and stalked inside.
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