I am a writer...not a very good one, but a writer none the less. Right now I am writing a co-op story with a friend of mine. Here is the first couple of entries. I hope you enjoy: Gad Hammerthane was feeling uneasy. He did not like feeling uneasy, a fact he often would let his mentor Kai know. But right now Kai was not with him and he kept his comments to himself. He walked through the bustling market of Caer Mestolas, taking in the sights and sounds, casually glanceing at a slip of parchment with a name written upon it.
"Excuse me miss," Gad asked a young girl working a vegtable stand, "I am looking for a Trag Manoth's mechine shop."
The young girl looked up from her wares and pointed down the street to a large yellow and black sign.
"Thank you miss." Gad flipped a coin to her and continued down the street. Heading for Manoth's shop and the job that laid before him.
Gad Hammerthane passed the the large yellow and black sign that marked the two story building as Manoth's Machine Shop. He paused momentarly to hear the thunder of a distant cannon. He shook his head. He and Kai had seen the troops amassing as they had sailed into a outcropping of rock some distance from the city. He had not thought much of it, but the cannonfire was too close now for comfort. Hopefully he could get this job done and get out before something bad happened.
He stepped into the shop, taking a moment to breath in the air. It was a mixture of grease and sweat and Gad loved it. He moved up to a work bench where a young man was work on somekind of engine.
"Excuse me, I am looking for a...Trag Manoth. Is he by chance here?"
"Aye, that would be lad," came a burly voice from a pile of twisted metal and gears, "What can I do for ya?"
Gad out streched his callous hand as Trag got up from his chair, whipped his greased hands on a cloth and returned the gesture. "I am here in asnwer to your ad sir. About the mechanic who was experienced in Ulberg airship engines."
"Ah yes, the Drifter kid! It is a plesure than. Max, my head mechanic said that there had to be someone in the Drifter Wastes who could help us. I must say it was a shock when I got your post from Drifter Town. You lot like to keep to themselves i hear."
Gad smiled, "Well we try at least. Now, where is the little devil? It's been a while since I had my hands on an Ulberg engine."
"Well you might never want to touch one again after this sucker," Trag said as he scratched his beard, "Just follow me to the back."
But they never made it to the back. A thunderous boom rocked the building, followed by the earsplitting crack of breaking stone. Gad was thrown back by the explosion, crashing against the wall near the door as the back of the building collapsed before him.
He cursed as he lifted himself from the floor. He had been lucky, the rest of the building had collapsed, killing everyone inside. Only he had been thrown to safety. He called out for Trag and his workers, recieving only the roar of the fire. He swore again as he stumbled from the flaming building and into the street.
"Burning sands!" The street was alive with activity. A massive hole had been blown in the north wall, right next to the shop. Hundreds of Ulbreg soldiers were trying to storm the city while the Caelians tried despreatly to repel them. Gunsmoke hung heavy in the air, as did the screams of the wounded and dying.
Again gad cursed under his breath. The city would not hold for much longer and he had little time to escape. He quickly wrapped a scarf around his mouth and pulled his goggles down around his eyes. He happened one more look at the battle before he took of down the street, into the haze of smoke...
Gad had never seen the personification of Chaos before. Kai had often talked about the personification of inanimate objects or of ideas before, but Gad had always thought it more of a metaphor than something real. Yet, here it was, real Chaos. Almost as if it lived and breathed. No matter where he turned there seemed to be more and more of it.
People were running, grabbing whatever they could, whether it was thiers or not. Guns were being fired on all sides. The gunsmoke continued to hang thick in the air. Already Gad had seen 5 more holes blown into the city walls. Ulbreg and Caelaan Soldiers clashed everywhere. It was only a matter of time before the city was over run. But Gad raced on, pushing past people as he tried to make it to an exit...any exit.
Up and down allys he went, finding no way out and always two steps in front of either Ulbreg soldiers or the lawless scum of Mestolas making the most of the mayhem. He did not stop running till he came to a small square on the south side of town.
Had this been any other time Gad would have marveled at the stone fountain, cobble stone and the well kept shops of this particular square, called Solatina Sqaure by the citizens. but today was not a day for admiring. The square was littered with dead bodies. Soldiers as well as civilians lay upon the now crimson cobble stone. There was a pile of goods in the middle of the square, which puzzled Gad for a moment until he heard the sound of breaking glass and a shout from one of the stores.
"Looters!" gasped Gad as he lept behind a few up turned crates and barrels where it seemed some Caelian soldiers had taken refuge during the firefight. Now only the dead rested in this spot.
"Hey, Mal!" cried a voice from inside the shop close to Gad's hiding spot, "Look what I found!" A large Ulbreg soldier came out from one of the stores just as the soldier who had called to him exited the opposite building, dragging a young woman behind him who howled in protest.
The smaller of the two, a squinty eyed Ulbreg with straggly hair, grinned wolfishly as he eyed the young woman. He laughed, a cold cackling sound, "To the victors go the spoils, eh Thomas!"
The two laughed again heedless of the screams now reaching hysteria. Inwardly Gad seethed, he knew these kind of men. He knew thier devices, and he knew thier intentions with that young lady. To do nothing...would be simple. He could simply just crawl away. It would be easy and in his intrests. But to do nothing would be...wrong. He couldn't do it.
He sighed, looking over to a shotgun resting among the dead. He reached for it, loading a few slugs into it and sighed again.
This would not be pretty...
"Get your hands off her scum!" Gad's voice ripped from his throat as he said those words. The Ulbreg's turned at the sound of his voice, startled.
"I said," Gad pumped a slug into the chamber to emphasis his point, "drop her or I swear I'll use this."
Mal and Thomas eyed this young man, they exchanged glances and Thomas winked. "Alright lad, lets not get hasty here. We wern't going to harm her. Just having a little fun."
"I don't want your excuses. Just send her over here." Gad said venomously.
"You want her over there? Fine. TAKE HER!" Thomas shoved the girl forward into Gad's path, blocking him from he and Mal. The smaller Ulbreg rolled to the side, drawing his pistol, while Thomas pulled out his saber, side stepping to Gad's right side.
Mal fired, his bullet aimed for the Drifter's head, "I got him Tom!" He shouted. Those were the last words Malcolm P. Utgard ever spoke. Gad had anticipated his movement, he had shoved the girl to the ground and rolled over her. What followed next was a thunderclap of gunfire catching Mal full in the chest. The scrawny Ulbreg was rocketed backward from the blast into the wall of a building, leaving a splater of blood where his lifeless body had hit.
Immediatly following his shot Gad turned, only to find Thomas barrling down on him, saber held high. He parryed the blow with his shotgun, but the force from the massive soldier knocked the gun from his hands as well as forcing him to his knees.
"You killed Mal!" Thomas screamed, turning on Gad, "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" He swung the sabber down again, aiming for the drifter's face. Gad pulled himself upright, catching the saber in Thomas' hand. He pulled the big soldier forward and in a fluid motion, ripped it from his hand, twisting it around as he plunged it into the man's ribcage.
"I told you," Gad said, panting a little bit, "I just wanted the girl. I'm sorry." There was a gurgling sound as the soldier tried to reply, but only for a moment and then he followed his comrade.
Gad sighed as he looked at the two fresh kills among the already bloody square. His eyes scanned the scene and fell upon the girl, no older than 22, sitting upon the ground with wide eyes and a tear stained face. He walked over to her. She hastlily tried to slide away.
"It's ok. I am not going to hurt you." Gad said in a soft voice. He put out his hands to show he had noting in them, "Are you alright?"
The girl looked at Gad, then glanced at the two bodies and then at Gad again. She nodded.
"Whats your name?"
"T...Tina." she said softly. "My family lives here. We had a store in this square. They..." her voice broke as she let the words tumble out, "They killed them. They killed them all." She broke out in a fresh wave of tears.
"Tina..." Gad said to her, "Tina, we need to get out of here. The gunfire will have alerted others that we are here. There will be more soldiers here soon. Was there anyone else who survived?" She shook her head. "Then you will have to come with me." she stiffened agian, fear coming back into her eyes. "It will be ok. I am not going to hurt you I promise. Now, do you know a way out of the city?"
Tina stared into his eyes, looking for any sign of dishonesty in them. "There is a small gate just southwest of the square. We can get out that way."
"Good. Can you walk?"
"Yes, I think I can."
"Then lets go. Take my hand and don't let go for anything..."
"Is this it?" Gad asked, looking at a small iron door embedded in the southwest wall of Caer Mestolas.
The Caelian woman, Tina, nodded, "I come through here everyother day. It's usually open, but under the circumstances..." She looked away, brushing a tear as she looked at the fallen Caelian soldiers who littered the ground.
"Well its locked from the inside." Gad replyed as he tried the iron door. He pulled the scarf from around his face and placed his goggles on his forhead in frustration. He glanced around the ground, "One of these soldiers must have the keys. You start looking over there." He pointed off to the left of the gate as he began searching the dead.
Tina stiffend, "I am not touching them!"
"Look, if you want to get out of here them you have to look. Thier dead. They won't harm you."
Tina cringed, but she walked over and started glancing over the dead. She could not help, no matter how hard she tried, to look at thier faces. Her face glanced over at one particular face. She stopped, a scream leapt from her throat.
"What! What is it?" Gad leapt from where he was, his short sword drawn, ready for action, "What is it Tina?"
Tina was kneeling over the still form of a solider. She was crying. Gad, seeing no danger, sheathed his sword as he knelt next to her, "Who is it Tina?"
Tina continued to cry. She could only whisper two words, "My brother..." Gad looked at the young man's wide eyed stare. His throat had been cut. He had died, choaking on his own blood.
With reverence he closed the young man's eyes. Gad happened to notice, just next to Tina's brother were the gate keys. He picked them up, placing his hand on Tina's shoulder as he spoke soflty to her, "Tina, we have to go. The Ulbregs will have heard your scream. They will come and kill us if we don't leave. Come on..."
Just outside the city, nestled in an outcrop of rock sat the Gray Lion, the Sand ship of Gad Hammerthane. It bobbed slighlty in the air, as if it were a ship in harbor. On the bowsprint sat Kai Yen Lo, friend and mentor of the Hammerthane.
Kai, being blind, was not as limited as some people thought he was. He always knew when Gad came back aboard.
"Welcome back. I heard cannon fire and smelt smoke from the direction of the city. I feared the worst for Caer Mestolas."
"But you didn't fear the worst for me eh?" Gad replied as he leaped over the railing on to the deck.
"You are my pupil Gad. I have great faith in you. But you must tell me who this young lady is and how you came upon her."
Tina, who also had come over the railing gasped, "I thought you told me he was blind." She whispered to Gad.
Gad laughed, "Master Kai maybe blind, but he is not disabled. He sees more than you think." Gad turned back to the old Saesoro, "Master, this is Tina Lorona. Her family has been killed with in the walls. The Ulbregs have stormed the city. Mestolas seems lost. Tina will be coming with us for a while. She tells me she has family further south. We will take her there."
"Very well. I will prepare. Come Sej." A mammal that Tina did not recognize leapt from the bow sprint and landed on Kai's shoulder as he walked away.
"You can stay here or take a rest in the cabin. Just relax. We will be underway shortly."
Tina sat on the bowsprint, hugging her knees as the Grey Lion sailed from behind the rocks and off into the desert. She was so tired. So drained. She felt that she was in a dream. If only this could all be a dream. She pulled the black militray coat she wore tighter around her as the sun began to sink into the west. A small tear rolled down her cheek, splatering on the lapel, a lapel with the Caelian crest upon it. A lapel with the name Robert Lorona on it...the last thing she had from a life that had slipped away from her.
