The Corrupted Blade - The Story of Rad Quetz

[Rodykitty]

The Lawful Mercenaries.

Ilyana's vote: The Olive Garden

Edited May 10, 2011 by Highlander!Rody

[General Spoon]

Pink Fuzzy Bunnies

[Colonel M]

Keep up with the suggestions.

====

Rad, walking through the emerald forest, gathered some firewood for the group. After gathering a bit, Rad left the cart full of firewood to go deeper into the forest which was a home to a small pond. The pond reflected the dazzling night sky with the moon smiling at it. The soft glow of fireflies completed the atmosphere. Rad gazed at the scenery for a minute, embracing every last detail that the forest offered him to look at.

In his daze, two bandits hid in the bushes. The female bandit had long black hair that went behind her cape that she wore. The man wore a mask over his face and a slick hat that covered his hair. His blue uniform looked almost like a tuxedo to make him appear like a noble of sorts. A cravat covered his neck in order to reveal the least amount of skin as possible.

“So,” the woman asked, “why does our client want to steal something from this nobody?”

“Hmph, you have much to learn if you want to be a master thief.” The male bluntly said. “Just watch and you’ll see why.”

Rad, unbeknownst to the background, took his right hand and made it into a fist. Looking at his fist carefully, he pointed it toward the pond. Rad muttered a chant. As soon as he was finished, the ring began to glow with the surrounding area. After a couple of seconds, the ring made a beam of light that pierced the pond’s clear waters and began creating a figure made of light within the pond. A robed man took place of the moon and star’s reflection.

“Rad,” the figure spoke, “what is it that you wish to speak of?”

“Milord,” Rad began to tell as he was kneeling, “I’m afraid I have some bad news about our situation in this world.”

“I have heard that there are rumors of war,” the figure continued. “It seems peace is about to withdraw from the realm and shower it with blood and tears.”

“You see,” Rad interrupted, “there is something that is... peculiar about this war. It’s starting to bother me.”

“Oh?” the figure questioned.

“The country of Broah has declared war not even a week ago.” Rad noted. “Yet, there has not been a single attack launched anywhere in the realm. Not even in the outskirts of Ylvia. With Ylvia being as weak as it is, why is it that Broah has not unleashed an attack yet? Don’t you too find this a bit peculiar?”

“Mmm.” the figure nodded in agreement. “I can understand how something like that seems suspicious. Then again, would you not see this as a small beam of hope, seeing as you’ve had time to begin training your army. Then again, that could also be a sign of bad news. I know not how to interpret this as of yet.”

“Milord, if I may ask,” Rad began, “why is it that we did not send Dragonia troops along with me? Couldn’t we quell the war easily with Dragonia’s assistance?”

“Rad,” the figure seemed to scold and raise his voice, “you know the rules of Dragonia. We are not supposed to interfere with the humans! They may be a young species, but they are not supposed to be dependant on Dragonia.” The figure paused and seemed to calm down within the process. “Dragonia is supposed to serve as a faction that helps keep the peace. To be used as a last resort. We are not to interfere with the human’s lives because it prevents them from learning anything, Radd. Sending you alone is Dragonia being too generous to the human race.”

“You know, milord,” Radd interrupted once again, “I must confess there’s something peculiar. Almost contradictory, so to speak. You wish to seek the world to have peace, if I’m not mistaken, yet you won’t do so much as lift a finger in order to see it through. Why is it that such a utopia as Dragonia refuses to intervene until the last resort, when innocent lives could be spared by simply having Dragonia step in and help negotiate?”

“Everything I do has a purpose Rad.” The figure sighed in sadness. “While I wish for this world to be forever at peace, that is simply speaking the impossible. For every tree lies a bad apple. I sent you merely as an observant. To study the humans and merely make sure that they would not send themselves to self-destruction.” He paused yet again for a moment, then took in another sigh. “I believe it is time for me to go. Rad, make sure the humans don’t end up destroying themselves and continue observing humans in general. Good day to you, my knight.”

The beam of light retracted from the waters back into Rad’s ring. Rad, furious at the meeting with the king, kept his hand in a fist and stared at the ring. Why did the king not care about the human race? Wasn’t the goal of Dragonia to make sure the humans lived in peace and harmony? Rad decided that he would intake the meeting when he got back to camp. Rad picked up the cart with firewood and started to move back.

“Do you see my dear?” the man said in an excited tone, “this ring holds the key to communicating with the other realm; the utopia of Dragonia!”

“Hmph,” the woman shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, “I see little point to this ring to begin with. What’s so great about communicating with the utopia?”

The masked man continued his explanation. “You see my dear, there are fairy tales that there was an island that man kind could see. This island was home to mythical creatures that aided the humans in building our world. Our employer wishes to obtain this item. As for the reasons why, I’m not quite sure. I bet it has something to do with communicating with the King of Dragonia.”

“We should hurry,” the woman tugged at the man, “our target is moving back to the campground. We can possibly handle him, but we can’t handle him and six trained people on top of it. We must strike while he’s alone.”

The man smirked and made a menacing laugh. “That, my dear lady, is the reason why I have a plan. Just stick with it and, assuming everything goes to plan, we have a 99% success rate of stealing the ring.”

Rad got about halfway to camp before he saw a figure in the darkness. A man about six foot stood in front of him leaning on a tree. Unfortunately, Rad couldn’t identify the man aside from the garments he was wearing.

“Hello, Rad is it?” The gentleman said with a questionable-yet-knowing tone.

“And if I am?” Rad asked curiously.

“I’m afraid that we have some business with you,” the man replied. “Don’t take it personally of course. I’m going to give you a fair warning. No harm will be induced to you so long as you willingly give us the ring.”

“The ring? Why do you want the ring?” Rad asked.

“I’m afraid our employer has requested us to obtain your ring,” the masked men stated, slowly gesturing Rad to put the ring in the palm of his hand. “We can do this either the easy way,” he continued while slowly raising his voice and speaking more menacing, “or the hard way!”

Rad pulled out his sword and aimed it at the masked man. The masked man merely laughed and continued his speech. “Oh no Rad, I know how you fight. You won’t strike first. You’re a knight. You wait for your opponent to make the first strike unless you’re given orders or your life is in danger.” Rad took his right foot and edged it forward. The masked man pulled out his rapier and pointed it toward Rad. Its hilt seemed to be made of pure gold and was studded with various gems. All Rad could think was for an ordinary thief, he sure knew how to deck himself out! “So then, will you strike me first knight? Or will I have to cut your hand off just to get the damned ring from you?”

Rad then thought calmly about the situation. Wait, he thought, I could’ve sworn I heard sound coming from two directions. Rad knew the masked man was the one voice, but the other was unable to be picked up from any direction. Rad decided to make a strike for the thief. He charged and swung his sword across the masked man’s body, but it went right through him! “Shit,” Rad swore aloud, “I should’ve known this was a hologram!” Rad spun around and attempted to eye out the masked man. Not being able to see him, Rad steadied his sword in front of his body. Rad decided to re-face the hologram and see if he could attempt to spot out his hunter by listening to him again.

“I see you’ve picked up on my trick Rad,” the masked man chuckled. “Most impressive, though I’m not too surprised. Askian technology is a wonder to most people, but it seems that you’ve encountered this before. I had to scramble my voice a little to give a challenge.” Rad couldn’t hear a second voice this time. He knew the person in front of him was real. “Come now Rad, let’s see what you got!”

The masked man didn’t charge forward, but started to run around to the left of Rad. Rad picked up his Great Sword and swung it to attempt to catch the masked man. The masked man dodged nimbly and continued his tactic. The masked man lunged with his sword toward Rad, who quickly blocked it with his sword. At that moment, the female thief closed on Rad and whacked him with the broad side of her axe against the back of his head. Rad opened his eyes wide for a second and dropped his sword away from him, then fell on his back. The masked man and the woman put away their weapons and closed onto the collapsed warrior. They first checked the pulse to make sure he wouldn’t immediately wake up, then the masked man searched in Rad’s right hand. The man pulled off the ring and stowed it in his pocket, then chuckled once again.

“What shall we do with the body?” the woman asked quietly.

“Watch and learn,” the man stated. He reached into his coat and pulled out a circular device. He pressed a button and it started to tick. After a few ticks, the man slammed as much might onto Rad’s forehead as he could with the device exploding as soon as it made contact with the bald forehead. The masked man turned to the woman and chastised her on what he did. “This should erase the memory of us taking the ring from him. Any further back and it might cause too much of a catastrophe.” The couple picked their gear up and ran off, leaving Rad unconscious on the forest floor.

Edited May 11, 2011 by _M_

[eclipse]

ASAKIAN. Sheesh.

[General Spoon]

I guess I could settle for "The Olives" if that works for others. I know that somebody has suggested "The Olive Garden".

[Colonel M]

“Where... am I?” Rad groaned, slowly getting up. Looking around, he realized he was in the forest. Rad attempted to recollect as much of his memory as possible. He remembered that he was training his pupils, then went to go collect firewood. After he was done, he went to contact Dragonia and remembered the conversation with the king. But how did I do it? Rad thought to himself carefully. Sadly, he couldn’t remember how he did it. Giving up on figuring it out, he picked up the cart and returned to camp with the firewood.

“What took you so long Master Rad?” Seamus asked.

“I had to fight off a couple of bears,” Rad lied. He couldn’t tell his students he woke up unconscious without having some recollection of the recent events!

“We figured out a name while you were gone,” Seamus said. “I think you’ll enjoy being called ‘Hail To The Diety’, right?”

“Hm...,” Rad thought aloud, “it has a nice ring to it. Though I try not to think of myself as a Diety. Alright, ‘Hail To The Diety’ it is!”

“I’m hungry,” Ilyana moaned.

“Woman don’t make me shove Spoon down your throat!” Tracer yelled.

“Well then,” Rad interrupted, “I think it’s time we settle down and get some good eatins’. Shall we?”

The group started the campfire and roasted some of the meat that they brought along with them on the trip. The group discussed about recent events that went on and how they were determined to protect Ylvia from Broah’s harm. The group settled in for bed, hoping for a bright tomorrow. Unfortunately, the night still grew long, and another person was preparing to lay waste in the world of Phydoria.

=====

"Hail To The Deity" seemed to make the most sense to name it after our lost friend, Jarly. This chapter is almost done. One more segment to put in.

[eclipse]

Rad gets more amusing as you write. Thanks.

[Colonel M]

The darkness settled in, and Rad and his friends slumbered under the moonlight sky. We zoom to the kingdom of Broah. Blitz, the king behind Broah, was discussing the last of the future’s details with his trusted companion, Captain Bread. It seemed that despite the pleasant sky presented that night, there was a bitter taste in the air.

“Hmph,” Blitz grumbled, “I can’t believe that Ylvia hasn’t pleaded to surrender against me yet. For what I’ve done for their country, the least they could do is let me run their government for them!”

“Your highness,” Captain Bread interrupted, “may I remind you that Ylvia is still a young country. They have decided to try to live their lives without you in their way. Forgive me for asking, but why do you continue to pester these poor innocent lives?”

“You know exactly why, Captain Bread,” Blitz yelled, “my entire kingdom depends on crossing the Deathpeak Mountains and Ylvia will not allow me to send troops over there!”

“Your highness, we’ve been over this plenty of times,” Captain Bread sighed. “You didn’t ask for permission. You demanded it. Now thinking from a logical stand point, no one wants to help someone that yells demands into their ears. You screwed up your opportunity.”

“I know,” Blitz whimpered, “I was only thinking for my country though. This plague is sickening. Every day people are dying left and right, and the only known cure is beyond those mountains! I can’t get across those mountains without crossing Ylvia. I’m only thankful we haven’t been inflicted with the plague.”

“Of course,” Captain Bread said, “though I think we should take another attempt at a more “pleasant” way of asking permission to cross their lands. If they refuse again, then I guess there is no choice left.”

“Until then we work on collecting more allies in case we must go to war,” Blitz stated. “Are the letters ready to be sent?”

“By your ready, my liege.” Captain Bread kneeled. “I shall personally visit Silverex in the morning. Tyranex is a dead end I think, and I have a messenger that will be in Asaki by tomorrow morning.”

“Excellent. You are dismissed, Captain Bread,” Blitz proclaimed. Captain Bread rose, saluted his king, and walked out the doors of the room. As soon as the doors slammed shut, a chilling wind blew throughout the throne room. The wind seemed to separate the bright atmosphere from their wicks and left it with pitch darkness. The king waved his hand, and the royal guard left the throne room quietly. After the last door shut, a figure appeared from the darkness. Of medium height, a cloaked individual stood in front of the king. The figure seemed to have the figure of a woman, though a glaring feature seemed to stand out from her. A third eye was placed right on her forehead, and it certainly wasn’t some silly body art as it blinked with her eyes. The woman extended her arm. In her hand a parchment was held. She slowly opened her hand and dropped the parchment on the king’s lap. Then, just as she came, she went into the depths of darkness. Just as if everything was done in reverse, the lights came back on with her being nowhere in sight.

The king opened the parchment to read its contents. After scrolling his eyes back and forth, he slowly smiled with an evil look on his face. The king hollered for his men to return to the throne room. After what seemed to be everyone present, a small beam of light entered the room. Within the beam was a carving on the floor that looked like a warp pattern. After a few second, a human instantly appeared from the beam of light. The man had a miter had and was dressed in mage garments. With him was a well-decorated staff and a book in his other hand. The man seemed to see many things through his eyes over the years, but unfortunately he held a rather gloom look on his face.

“How the hell did you get past the castle guards?” Blitz demanded.

“At ease, your majesty,” the old man spoke softly. “It is only I, Windell of Asaki.”

“Ah, Windell,” Blitz adjusted his voice to a more happy tone, “it’s good to finally meet you! How is Gen Hui these days?”

“I’m afraid she is no longer with us,” Windell sighed. “She has been pronounced dead.”

“Dead?” Blitz looked distraught. “I am sorry to hear that. Is everything all right over there?

“Yes, the situation is being handled well,” Windell said, “despite the circumstances behind her death.”

“What circumstances are these, Windell?” The king asked.

“She was found with a stab wound to the chest.” Windell gloomily spoke. “It appears she was assassinated in her slumber. Asaki does not know of this as I have silenced everyone in the palace. With what is going on around the world, I do not need to cause an uproar. I have come to tell you about this circumstance. Another reason is to decline your offer once again on joining your war against Ylvia.”

“I understand,” Blitz kindly stated, “you have turmoil to attend to. I’m glad despite that, everything is okay and being handled well.”

“Investigations are being done, but I guess that’s irrelevant to the main reason I came here.” Windell coughed, then spoke again. “While I do not wish to join your war, I would like to at least help your people in their dire need.” Windell reaches from his robes and pulls out a rather large box. “Enclosed is a Rewarp Staff. The staff only has two charges, and it will only work around Deathpeak Mountains. This should help you obtain the medicine needed to cure your plague situation.”

“Thank you Windell,” the king bowed. “There is one last thing I’d like to ask before you leave. Who is running Asaki at this current time?”

“As the Queen’s closest advisor, and because she never wedded another man, I am currently overlooking the kingdom,” Windell said. “I would entrust my grandson to the throne, but he is not ready yet. Even if he was, he has gone missing. Until he returns and shows that he is ready to be a good king, I have been put in place to watch Asaki.”

“Very well then,” Blitz said, “you may take your leave now.”

“Thank you your majesty,” Windell bowed, then rose again. He coughed slightly, then pointed his staff toward the air. With it, a beam of light and a rune carving appeared once again and within a few seconds Windell disappeared with the light and rune.

“This situation could not get any better!” Blitz laughed. “First, the staff to help save my people. Then, the letter that seals my victory in case we go to war. Ah, it’s good to be king!” The king rose his glass, put it to his mouth, and drank. A smile formed from his lips, showing that everything was going according to plan.

Meanwhile, outside of the streets in Broah, Captain Bread stood near the castle gates. A random figure appeared from the shadows with another following it. Another man stood near Captain Bread, though the darkness of the night prevented the two figures from identifying him.

“So what did you hear in the throne room?” Captain Bread asked the two figures.

“It’s more or less what we ‘saw’ than what we heard,” a male voice said. “Gen Hui is dead, and Windell is currently the authority of Asaki. It appears she’s been assassinated in her sleep.”

“Go on,” Captain Bread gestured.

“The king was entrusted with a Rewarp Staff that would only work in the Deathpeak Mountains. Before that, a strange figure came and gave the King a parchment. I couldn’t get the details around it, but it seemed like the king was very happy with what he read.”

“It appears,” the man that stood next to Captain Bread spoke, “that his plan is put into full motion. I’m glad though, he still thinks highly of his people. It’s a pity we don’t know much about that parchment.”

“I have suspicion on what it’s about,” Captain Bread said. “You are free to leave you two. Thank you for your assistance once again.”

“Our pleasure.” A woman voice spoke. The two figures left the scene, leaving the man and Captain Bread in the dark night. The moon glowed upon the castle, giving it an eerie aura. The gentleman finally spoke to Captain Bread after the figures were not seen in sight.

“So Bread,” the man spoke.

“What have I told you about calling me that stupid name in private?” Captain Rread muttered.

“My apologies,” the gentleman sighed. “What do you think was in that parchment?”

“Something that will definitely spark a great war,” Captain Bread sighed. “and I have a feeling you and I will be pulled in it.”

“It seems so, M,” the gentleman nodded in agreement. “If it is who I think delivered that parchment, Ylvia doesn’t stand a chance at winning the war. Not even by a single percent.”

“Let’s hope Ylvia can figure something out quick,” M noted, “or their newly-found kingdom will be no more.”

[Mangs]

This is my favorite fanfiction.