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December 19th 2008, 10:07 AM
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well good luck on your story soulman.
I think that this could be a profitible venture, so anyways good luck.
btw combining diablo warcraft and dink is going to be HARD so...

lol here is a story i wrote for a short story project at school done overnight.

it is quite horrible because I was sleepy and tired writing this.

Snow drifts to the ground in the light of a crescent moon on a dark night. A massive fortress looms over a group of men huddled round a crackling fire, attempting to keep warm. The chilling Antarctic wind rips through the
Barren landscape, whipping the lapping waves into a frenzy.
As day breaks the archaeologists emerge from their tents and get ready
for yet another day in the dark depths of the fortress examining its ancient passages and deciphering its archaic origin. When the team was geared up they drove up to the fortress in snowmobiles, carrying their supplies in crates. They entered through the main gate and emerged into the courtyard. The courtyard could be described as a dilapidated garden graveyard, with the stone grave markers scattered arbitrarily about. The plant life was all either frozen or decayed because of the harsh weather conditions it had to live in. Two statues stood at the entryway of the keep, silent sentinels of stone.
The lights were brought in, the generators followed and soon the halls of the fortress stood in a vivid light. Runes carved into the walls attracted the archaeologists to them like a moths drawn to a flame. For days they had been trying to figure out how to get into the center of the keep, scientists of all sorts trying to figure out how to get the chemical balance right in the chemical lock barring entry through the door to the chamber beyond. After what was yet another uneventful long day something remarkable happened. One of the scientists had discovered the chemical combination! And the door had opened!
The archaeologists and scientists delayed their leaving for a moment to look into what they had found. In the center of the room there was what looked to be a marble pedestal with some kind of idol mounted on top of it. The rest of the room was also quite amazing; with runes carved into the wall in a ring around the room somehow glowing a phosphorescent green, but it was growing dark so they began to leave. When they walked out of the keep it was night time the statues now looked sinister and menacing in an evil way as if they bore some kind of hatred and contempt, for the men of science that roamed the hallways of the castle that they were placed to guard.
The archaeologists rushed to get everything ready for the examination of the new room and soon a bright light flooded the place. Almost at once the exited state of the men of science was replaced by one of fear and panic. A few of the scientists went to the idol and one touched it, triggering a trap! They had no time to react, the impaling spikes instantly killing them. As the rest of the people turned to run, the main gate slammed shut, barring any entry or in this case, escape.

Day One.

"Bloody hell!” exclaimed one scientist.
"Holy shoot...” whispered another, the people remaining alive held council on what to do in the current situation. I, John watched the council with disgust as the saw them bicker. How can they just stand there and argue when two men lay dead, he thought. "Fine, we will examine the runes." spat one archaeologist," but I don't think it will get us anywhere"
"Just do it." said another.
"And you, John is it? What are you doing just standing there?" sneered a scientist,” growing roots, are you?" The others jeered and laughed at the remark he made. I was outraged at the remark and replied thusly.
"dang you, how can you just stand there bickering when two men were killed and we are trapped?!" I shouted. The whole crowd of people fell silent at my reply, but the silence was broken by a shout of glee from the person sent to investigate the runes, “Aha!" He burst out" I’ve got it, but ill first need a piece of paper and a pen to record my findings as I translate." We all stared at him as if he was crazy, but then someone handed him a notepad and a pencil and said,
"Here you go, now get on translating, we are depending on you." He gave a quick thanks and went to work painstakingly translating the runes that were such an enigma to us.
While he was translating we introduced ourselves, in this session I learned that the person who spoke out at me was named Ken and he said that the person who was working on translating was his friend, Jorn. Soon the supposedly short conversation became long and drawn out and before long Jorn had finished translating and he said, “Friends and fellow scientists, by studying the runes inscribed on the wall I have come to the conclusion that there might be a way to escape..." before he could continue the whole group swarmed him to take a look at what he had translated.

On the pedestal it's form dark
Lies an idol covered with marks
It grants a wish, only one
To the person who answers the three riddles undone

"Hrm, I don't believe a word of this nonsense". Interrupted one person "how about doing something sensible like trying to break out."
"No let him continue on". Said Ken "now Jorn, what is this riddle it speaks of."
"Ok here it goes..."
One pace to the North.
Two paces to the East.
Two paces to the South.
Two paces to the West.
One pace to the North.
“Well I think the riddle quite easy.” Said Eskei, a scientist.
“Then what is it!” I exclaimed.
“If you would let me speak, the answer is a square” He replied. As soon as he uttered the word square the unspeakable happened, a second line of runes materialized on the wall, this time glowing red.
“Well back to translating, again …” Jorn said. This time instead of going our own ways we stood there transfixing him with our curious gaze. He finished sooner this time because his first time translating gave him experience. Jorn tells us, “Here is what the other line of runes says…”
The first riddle is solved.
And there is a choice to resolve.
After this riddle, doors will appear.
To choose which one leads out is you’re choice here.

“Now for the riddle”. Jorn said
With flashing sword and booming cry,
With darkness staining land and sky,
The army comes, prepared to die.
Soldiers fall in glistening dress,
As battles are joined without egress,
Save comfort in the earth's caress.
“This is such a nice riddle”. I said with a yawn “but it will have to wait until tomorrow or it to be solved I say, because I am tired and fatigued after the day’s events” said I
“Yes I agree”. Said Ken. Soon after he said that many yawns followed and everyone agreed that they would resume their escape tomorrow.

Day Two…

I woke to the grinding sound of generators being powered up and was greeted with a good morning from Ken. There was a group gathered at the corner of the room discussing the riddle, outside a storm was brewing. “dang”. I muttered when I looked out of an opening in the wall into the snowscape below, “that’s quite a drop.”
“Yeah I know, there is no chance of getting out that way”. Replied Ken. Outside, black clouds gathered in the sky. “The clouds are gathering.” Said I
“Black clouds, with darkness staining land and sky…” mused Ken. By now rain was pouring down from the sky and lightning was striking the ground.
“Lightning, the soldiers that fall in their glistening dress, rain… comforting in the earths caress… I’ve got it!“ Ken shouted. “the answer is rain!” as he said his answer a third row of runes appeared on the wall and doors opened on all sides of the chamber. “Traitor!” I yelled in anger as one person I recognized as Eskei ran off with the idol, into one of the new doorways that had opened.
“dang”. Said Ken “We should launch a search party to get him.” We all agreed to his suggestion and soon a party of five people descended into the darkness with only a flashlight to guide them.
“Well there they go, the crazy fools.” I said “ill go after him too, but first give me a light.”
“Here”. Said Jorn “And ill tell you the riddle too, if you find the idol.”

A strange earthen house,
That brings nought but disdain.
And yet those who stay there,
Never do complain.
I gave him a quick word of thanks and followed the search party into the obsidian depths of the fortress...
After a few minutes of walking down the passage illuminated by the dim aura of my flashlight I heard footsteps coming in my direction. “Who is it?” I stuttered, the footsteps faded in the distance. As I stared down the black void of the hallway before me, the footsteps returned. As I turned to run a voice called out to me in a frightened tone, “Is that you John?”
“W who is it?”, I said in the bravest tone I could muster at the moment.
“It is only I, Ken.” He said in a relieved tone.
“Where are the others?” I inquired.
“I don’t know, Jorn went off on his own I think.” He said in unsure tones, as if he couldn’t believe what he told himself, “I took a quick sleep and when I awoke he was gone.”
“Well we better get to finding the others, I think it’s best if we split up to find them.” I said
“I guess…” Ken said in a hesitant tone, as if he knew something that he wasn’t about to tell me, or was too afraid, too stricken with horror to tell me.
“Then lets be going now.” I said, as he walked down the hall, his form fading into the thick darkness. I stood there gazing at the spot where he stood for what seemed to be hours, but was actually minutes before I went my own way down the obsidian depths of the fortress.
Deeper into the fortress I trudged hopelessly, a dank musty smell becoming prevalent here. This deep into the fortress the dark was like a solid form, like a wall absorbing the fading light from my flashlight. Suddenly fatigue hit me and I dropped to the ground like a stone, I needed rest or else I wouldn’t survive this venture much longer, so I just lay curled up into a ball on the floor and closed my eyes and sleep took me into its caressing arms.

I ran, I ran from the creature chasing me, its face covered by a blank mask. Gliding along the wall like a shadow it hunted me, I could feel it getting closer, closer, creature of evil. My strength failing I turned around in a last stand against this monster… Darkness was all around me, I could hear voices chanting in monotone a strange tongue an ancient language perhaps? The darkness broke and I could see hooded figures gathered around a pool of water trying to channel their combined energies to invoke something, magic perhaps? In the water people were straining against chains that bound them striving to be free of the waters freezing touch. The chanting became more intense, more driving, picking up momentum and gathering speed. A darkness began forming above the waters which were now boiling, a sudden realization came to me, they were sacrificing the people for a kind of summoning, the now screaming people a tribute. As each person died their souls escaped as a light that was instantly absorbed by the dark cloud, a void in spacetime, a dimensional tear. The energies required for this must be enormous I thought.
As I looked on in dread, a being emerged from the void, its face featureless, its body a shadow, its limbs bone. It turned its face toward me, its featureless visage freezing me in raw terror.

Day Three…

I woke from my nightmare in a sweat, gasping for air. The dream had seemed so real so… I dismissed it from my mind as just a silly notion, I had to get back to the task at hand, I groped around for my flashlight. After a few minutes of crawling in the dark looking for it I found it, I flicked the switch on, there was no light, I did so again and several more times too, but all to no avail. I cursed at myself for not turning it off before I had slept, but there was no time to waste, hunger was already starting to get the best of me, I had to go on if I was to live much longer. Crawling around in the dark, I had no sense of my surroundings and the rough stone grated against my hands making the skin of my palms raw and red. After hours of crawling I saw that my clothes were damaged and my skin scraped, I needed to stop, but I knew that I couldn’t or I would die, my corpse just another ornament for the halls of the dead.
Soon, I came across a place where there were many cubicles going into the walls, I decided to search them for anything that I could need later on. Slowly I went into each one searching every inch of each with my bare hands. The fifth cubicle I searched had a foul odor and I was curious to see what was the source of this polluted air was.
As I groped around I felt a flashlight! The relief that surged through me was purged when I turned it on and the light fell on a corpse, the corpse of Eskei, the thief. His body was mutilated almost beyond recognition, deep claw marks scarred his face and back, but his body was the most gruesome sight of all, the chest was torn open and the innards ripped out and thrown in a pile in the corner. I almost retched at the sight of the pile of offal thrown in the corner. I hastily searched the area for the idol he stole, but there was no trace of it, the pangs of hunger stabbed at me again this time making me double over in pain, I knew I must eat but eat what was the question… My eye fell on the pile of offal again, without thinking I just grabbed a random piece from the pile and started eating. The blood from the organ rushed into my mouth, I drank it down without hesitation, without restraint, the primeval savagery down inside me awoke with a frightening roar, then I just started tearing at the organ, now identified as a heart. I reveled in the blood and gore as I feasted on the organs now eyed as not a stinking pile of offal, but now seen as lifeblood, able to sustain me. While ripping at yet another organ I suddenly stopped, unable to continue. My instincts just told me to get out of here immediately, I listened to them, tearing down the passage with a speed that surprised me. I heard a slight scraping sound along the ground and ran faster than ever, fear fueling my retreat. Soon my strength began to flag and I slowed to catch my breath and to listen for sounds of pursuit, suddenly I felt terror grip me in its iron vice, refusing to let go. Where was my flashlight? I thought, but relief flooded me as I saw the familiar shape resting in my pocket, I switched it on and examined my surroundings.
They were familiar, for a moment I thought that this was the room where we had found the idol, but that was impossible… Then I noticed an orb sitting on the pedestal in the middle of the room, I shined my light upon it and it seemed to absorb it as a sponge absorbs water. I stepped closer to examine the dark orb, I stared into its endless depths, my thoughts absorbed in it entirely, my mind lost in it, my soul consumed by it. I broke out of the spell with great difficulty, almost unable to draw myself from the orb. After I did though, I blacked out.

Day Four…

I awoke in an unfamiliar room lit with torches, yesterday’s energy gone from me, my memory unclear. Before me was a sword, glowing with light, the light gave me a renewed strength, that permitted me to rise I reached out to touch it and to my surprise it jumped from the floor and settled into my hand. It was all quite peculiar. I examined my surroundings more closely and was shocked by what I saw. It was the room in my dream! The pool of water was in the middle of the room. I was curious to see what was in the water so I strode up to the pool carrying my sword before me to ward off any danger. In the pool were the familiar faces of my colleagues I saw Ken’s face, Jorn’s, Eskei’s mutilated body…
An eerie laughing resounded throughout the chamber, a laugh that rends my soul, tears my spirit, and burns my ears to hear. There was a huge gate at one end of the chamber, promising escape. As I ran for the gate, a shadow flitted across the chamber to the gate blocking my escape. When I saw it my eyes happened on the idol, lying on the ground next to the pool. The thing let loose a soul rending shriek and charged, the sword reacted instantly, it let loose a fireball that crashed into the creature sending it flying back. I ran for the idol desperate to reach it for the one wish that will be granted to me if I answered the riddle that Jorn had told me.
A strange earthen house
That brings nought but disdain
But those who stay there
Never do complain.
I had but a moment to ponder the answer before the creature attacked me. Its claws scything towards me in sweeping motions I sent another fireball at it but it came on seemingly undamaged. I knew I had to escape fast because there was no destroying this thing. Then I came upon the answer to the riddle, it was so simple… a “Grave!” I shouted in achievement. The idol glowed Green and surged with energy. I made my wish with no hesitation…

Day Five…

I lay on the snow outside the fortress, the idol on the snow a few feet away. I saw the camp in the distance totally deserted, but what I saw gave me hope. Hope that I could make it off this godforsaken place alive the thing that gave me hope was a lone boat bobbing up and down in the lapping waves. I rose and started toward the boat, just as I did so the idol flared with a darkness that made me cower. It started shaking and cracking shadow leaking from it like oil. I ran with all the stamina I could muster. Just as I had reached the boat I saw yet another apparition appear from the void created by the bleeding idol I hurriedly started the boat and sailed off into the distance.

Epilogue…
I do not know what evil I have released upon the unsuspecting world, but we have a weapon to fight it, the sword of flame from the fortress of darkness. A light in the dark, a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair.
“You tell such good stories grandpa” said a child
“Ha ha, you flatter me.” laughed Jonathan, but he turned suddenly serious. “I hope you have learned a lesson from this story and I hope you will tell this to your kids and they tell it to theirs.”
“Okie dokie.” Said the youngest child and they all laughed.