Monday, June 24, 2019

137 - “I Can Choose” - Thissraelle - A Tale of Heroes

Here's how you can read the story a week (two scenes) ahead of everyone else!

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Thissraelle sat in the pub seat, dumbfounded, immobile.

She’s here.

She lifted her hand and ran it through her stringy wet hair, pulling it back, away from her face. For the past week, they’d been wandering all over Twynne Rivers, looking for her. Thissraelle had changed her plans, shifted her goals, and risked her freedom to find her.

She’s here.

Confusion gripped her, frozen in place. Why can’t I stand? Why can’t I go talk to her?
She looked up at Eddiwarth, with a pleading look. You can go. Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her...

He looked at her, uncertain. “What’s wrong?” He held out his hand to help her up.

What should I say to her? She hates me. She won’t talk to me. What should I do? She heard another rumble of thunder from the storm outside. What am I doing here? What’s happening to me? She dropped her head into her hands and shivered, feeling cold, alone, afraid.

She heard another crack of thunder, not as distant, as if it were more insistent. It sparked memories. Memories of rainstorms. How many stormy nights she had spent as a child on the balcony of her tower watching the lightning and the thunder play in the clouds over the city as the wind blew droplets of rain onto her face. She remembered the one night a few months ago, when she built her courage, braved the storm, and escaped her cloistered life, flying away from her tower and her family. She thought of her dream, only a few days ago. She had been flying through storm clouds. She hadn’t been afraid then, only confused. Where am I? Where am I going? Am I even in control? She had stopped and spun herself around to see if she could. Yes, it seems I am. I am in control. I can choose where I go. Her own words rang in her head.

I can choose where I go.

She blinked and raised her head. I can do this. I can choose where I go. 

She looked up at Eddiwarth’s outstretched hand, and his expectant face. I can choose where I go. 

She took his hand and stood. Pain lashed from her ankle and up her leg, dropping her back onto the chair, her face in a harsh grimace.

No. I can do this. I can choose where I go. 

She leaned into the table and lifted herself up on her good leg. Eddiwarth jumped to her side to help support her by the shoulder. She hopped a few times to get her balance. She reached for her cloak on the chair back, and realized she was wearing his. “Here. You can take this.” She started to take it off.

“No, that’s fine. We have to hurry.”

She nodded, then added,  “We have to reach out to Granthurg; tell him to come to the cathedral.” She hobbled, turning toward the door, leaning on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I tried. I couldn’t get very far. That’s when I found Karendle.”

Thissraelle nodded. Leaning on his shoulder, she took a step, and winced through the pain. She hopped on her good foot, then took another step, and cried out. “I can’t walk! I can’t do this! My ankle...”

Eddiwarth held her shoulders, helping her balance. “Can’t you just heal it?”

She stopped cold and stood, dumbfounded again. Eddiwarth shrugged. Suddenly, she laughed as the realization washed over her. Of course I can heal it. She looked down at her swollen ankle, held off the floor by her slightly bent knee. She kept giggling as she summoned warming will inside of her.



Outside, a man strode past the pub, past the Guild Hall, and stood in the rain, before the cathedral. He lowered the hood of his cloak, unclasped it, and tossed it aside. The robe underneath was a dark black, cut and lined with golden piping, in the emblems of a master wizard of the Guild. Another man stepped from the shadows across the street to stand next to him. He, too, took off his cloak to reveal robes of a similar cut, but a deep red. They smiled and nodded to each other.

The wizard in black raised his hands, swirling them in the air over his head. Out of the dark and angry clouds flew a flowing mass of creatures, drakes, a blur of wings, tails, claws, snaking necks and screaming maws. They circled around the cathedral, following the mage’s sweeping arms.

The wizard in red raised his hands and pointed them at the cathedral spires. With a blinding flash and deafening crack, lightning leapt from the clouds to strike the central spire, ripping it into heavy shards of stone and wood. The pieces tumbled away, clattering down the roof and onto the street below. The structure under the spire began to crumble, collapsing into the cathedral interior.

A huge winged beast dove into the skylight, breaking through with a crash. More of them, small and large, flew in behind it. Another flew over the courtyard, hacking and vomiting flames into the windows.

The two wizards nodded to each other. The one in black gestured to the doors with sarcastic politeness. The man in red smiled, then they strode up to the porch and into the cathedral.



The End of Part 10



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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!

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