56 replies to this topic

[Holy Kensai]

No problem. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

[Sothe]

Sorry I haven't updated it again. I have half of my update written, but I haven't finished it yet. Mainly due to Kinethesia never getting on his computer. Hear that? Sue him.

[Kinesthesia]

HAY! That is so not my fault. I blame my laptop being borked. .__.

[Sothe]

[Sothe]

Okay, I can't wait for Kinethesia anymore. I gotta start writing an update or this story's gonna die...

[Fire Blazer]

Why do you need Derek anyway? D: He's been inactive lately, both on the forums and on AIM and MSN and stuff, it may just be best to get something out for the time being, at least until you can talk to Kinesthesia.

[Sothe]

[Holy Kensai]

Is... Is it dead?

[Sothe]

Oh, no no, it's not dead. I'm just taking a while to write this update. So far I have about 1/4 of the update written. I am still working on it, no worries.

[Dath]

Only 1/4th? Jeez...how long have you been working on it?

[Sothe]

Not long. I wrote the fourth I have done about a week ago, but my real life has so far prevented me from being able to write much after that. I'm going to work on it more tonight, though. With luck, I'll make some good progress tonight.

Edit:

To be precise, I have 576 words written, and I plan on this update to be in the range of 2300 - 2600 words.

EDIT: I'm up to 1,900!

[Sothe]

I have got to sound like a broken record by now, but...I swear...an update is seriously actually coming! I just...need inspiration to actually write it down. I have half of this story written in my mind, but I need to...write it down...hopefully soon...

[Holy Kensai]

I'll believe it until I see it.

[Sothe]

Update time. In my opinion, it was a weird, awkward, and maybe not so good update. I could have done better, but...here:

Matt maneuvered through the woods skillfully, dodging the snagged brushwood and such with simplicity. His face had an adamant appearance to it, and he seemed to know exactly where he was heading. “They prob’ly headed back ta’ the cabin, so we’ll head there an’ wait for ‘em. If they’re too stupid ta’ come, then by all means, we ‘ill go on alone.” He said spitefully while he slowed down a slight bit.

Endu smiled and ran, following Matt, and managing to keep up pretty well. “Okay. I’m pretty sure they headed there, too.” He said, as he too slowed down. He looked at Matt curiously. “What is it?” He asked.

“What’s in yer hand?” Matt pointed at a crest that the boy was holding.

“This? Oh – I found it in that compound. I thought it looked cool, so I kept it.” Endu held it out for Matt to observe. Endu watched the man touch it softly, murmur a little, and then keep running. The boy put it back in his pocket.

“Let’s go, we don’t want ‘em to beat us!” Matt shouted as he ran ahead as fast as he could, or so it seemed. Just as Endu thought he had pushed his maximum capacity for running, he sped up again.

Endu was pushing as hard as he was physically able to, and actually managed to make his way to Matt without too much struggle. The boy took a deep, long breath. “What are we going to do next? I mean, after we get paid?” He asked softly and quietly. He then brushed his hair out of his face, and slowed down in order to keep up with Matt’s stride, which had also slowed.

“Um… I dunno. I s’pose I’ll look for a new job, maybe think about hirin’ a new recruit or two. We need more fightin’ power. A washed up mercenary, actin’ well past the age of forty at twenty four, three kids an’ an old man ain’t exactly the best fighters around…” He said roughly. Even when there was nothing to be rough, mad, sarcastic, or cruel about, that was what Matt still was. He was hot and mad and rough and cruel no matter what he was talking about. Either one of the four or a mixture was him. Of course, don’t forget sarcastic either. Any of those are him.

“Yeah… I guess new people could be good for us. Any ideas?” Endu asked with a curious look in his eyes, as he reached back into his pocket and took the object out, fiddling with it. He took three deep breaths, ran his hands through his hair, before picking the pace up to a sprint again to match Matt’s unpredictable changes in stride, putting the emblem back in his pocket.

“Yeah… Yeah, I have a few ideas. First of all, I got a friend named Scott. He could help, and I heard his wife was murdered, so he got nothing better ta’ do now. Maybe I can help him get some revenge, too; I kin’ go ta’ town lookin’ for another.”

Endu stopped running slowly, and watched as Matt slowed down at first, then completely stopped, himself. “Scott…you mentioned him once or twice I think…” Endu said ruefully as he fingered the emblem, which had again found its way out of his pocket.

Matt studied the boy’s eyes as he touched the odd emblem. ‘Hmm.’—He thought to himself—‘…I think I recognize that…’ He looked back at the boy. “Um, I think I did too. I ain’t sure…he been a friend since I was a lad.” Matt said steadily.

They ran up to the cabin, after almost a solid hour of running and talking. As Matt expected, the others were waiting for them.

“Who blew the Goddamn place up?” Matt asked. No one said a thing. “Who?! Dammit, I asked you a question!” They all looked at him, at each other, and back at him. Matt’s hair had a bit of blood in it from the battle, which apparently made the soldiers afraid of him.

Finally, the subordinate soldier raised her hand. “We did. We didn’t want Dain to escape. She said slowly. She jumped back when he turned towards her and started to advance in her direction.

“You. So…you almost killed me, then. Good. Now, I have an excuse to…KILL YOU!” Matt jumped in their direction. His sword blow was parried by the commander soldier. He swung two more. One was parried; one cut the soldier’s arm. “You can’t win now. That’s yer sword arm.” Matt laughed out loud.

“Go ahead. Kill me, then.” The soldier fell to his knees, awaiting death. Matt didn’t kill him.

“No…no, I won’t give you that satisfaction. Now where’s my money?” Matt held his hand out and waited for the woman to hand him his money. He counted it. “Ten short,” he said. “Endu, go. Go to town, or something.”

“Okay.” Endu got up and almost started to walk away, when he realized Sierra was gone. He took a sword from his saddlebags and walked away, following her footsteps. He didn’t care much, but he knew Matt would care if she never came back.

“Okay, now let’s settle this.” Matt said after Endu was out of sight. “Ten…ten silver short…you shortchanged me. Now, I can kill you. I like that.” Matt smiled tenaciously.

Matt swung a heavy slash with his sword, the girl soldier stood in the way, blocking it with her shield. Matt cursed and swung three slashes. One was parried by her sword, one was blocked by her shield, and the third was yet again parried. Matt cursed again. “You’re better than your chief!” he shouted. He half swung, but when she went to block it, he ripped her sword out of her hand with his offhand. She screamed, but it was too late. Her last scream ever ended with a vicious tear in her side from Matt’s sword. He turned and finished the male soldier, too.

Endu ran through the woods, trying to find Sierra. She must have left long ago, because she was far ahead. Endu had almost given up when he saw her standing in the streets of the capital city of Janger…why would she have gone back there? It didn’t make sense. Endu walked out of the forest and into the city. Sierra was frozen stiff. What was up? He looked. Oh…that explained it. The princess Matt had mentioned was parading through town on a palanquin, no one was moving, and most were bowing.

“Sierra!” Endu called out. Sierra came over and stood beside him, then bowed when they got close enough. Endu didn’t bow. The princess stood off of her carriage and moved towards Endu in a long-legged stride.

“Why aren’t you bowing?!” Sierra asked in a hushed tone when she saw Endu standing straight.

“What? Oh. Matt said it was a bad idea to bow to any ‘downy lipped blue blood.’” Endu chuckled. Matt hated royalty and/or nobility, and he made it a point to let anyone, including kings, know it, and he taught Endu to hate them, too at a young age.

“Who are you? You do not bow.” The princess observed. Endu jumped. He hadn’t seen her until then. The princess giggled. “Who are you?” she repeated.

“My name is Endu.”

“Well, that’s half your name. What’s your full name?”

“Endu.”

The princess pouted shortly. “No. That is your first name. I am Princess Brooke Italia. That’s two names. What is your name?” she repeated. She had no intention of repeating herself again.

Endu froze up. How could he explain? How could he tell a perfect stranger he didn’t even know who his father was? That he didn’t know his last name?

“You heard him. He said his name was Endu, and that’s all.” Matt stepped out of the forest.

“…No last name?”

“Did I st-st-stutter?” Matt said. He was getting cruel, and it could cost him problems.

“No. No, you didn’t. You’re O’Connell, right? The mercenary.” The princess asked quietly.

“Mm-hmm.” Matt said shortly.

“Why did he not bow?” the princess asked, jerking her head gently at Endu. Her long black hair blew mildly in the warm summer wind. She had a kind smile.

“Why would he? Who are you? God? Is that it? No. You’re a blueblood, and that’s all!” Matt said hotly. He ignored her kind smile, getting annoyed at her behavior.

“You bow to us ‘bluebloods’ in the kingdom of Janger.” The princess said.

“I don’t. I don’t bow to people who kill their friends, to people who kill children, to people who kill women and unarmed men. I don’t bow to those who murder.” Matt spoke of the history of his people, and of Brooke’s. Her father had unleashed his soldiers upon Matt’s people, killed the warriors they were famous for, and left the same week.

“What? What in God’s name are you talking about?! We didn’t attack you! You attacked us…” Brooke shouted.

“Oh, ho, not exactly acting like a court’s lady now, are we?” Matt laughed, spat, and stood back. “Let me give you a history lesson, honey. My people were attacked by Janger’s knights with no forewarning, and no mercy. Our women were murdered, as were our children. Any story your father fed you of us starting it was bull.”

“I see. Then why did my father lie to me?” The princess asked, slowly, clearly hesitant to accept this, but also hesitant to trust her father just because he was her father.

“To avoid you knowing he murdered his only allies left in the world because we outnumbered them by six or so. He killed us all in a surprise attack, immediately after the king of Ithiern and your father exchanged the numbers of their armies...” Matt sighed.

The princess stood there, taking what he had said in. She straightened her back and took a deep breath. She couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Oh.” she said, a little embarrassed. For whatever reason, she believed the stranger more than her father. Perhaps it was the peasant rumors, or that her father was well known for lies anyway.

“If you’ll excuse me, your royal princess-ship,” O’Connell said, half respectfully, half curtly. She nodded and watched him walk away. After he was gone, she stood back atop her palanquin and motioned for the guards to carry her off again.

…

Almost two hours later, Matt had seated himself upon the roof to El’Rich’s cabin, and was watching the sunset. He didn’t seem surprised when the large bull men, half bulls half men, otherwise known as minotaurs, walked up and circled the cabin, but Endu, El’Rich, and the girls sure were. Endu reached out, grabbed his sword from one of the shelves in the cabin, and ran out to meet them. Sierra pulled two fourteen inch long knives out of the saddlebags on her horse, which was resting on the cabin porch, and went out with Endu. Kayla yawned, stretched, and walked out with no weapons at all. El’Rich pulled out a long oak staff and walked onto the porch with the children.

Matt just jumped off of the roof nonchalantly and yawned lazily. He didn’t have a weapon, and showed no signs of going to grab one. He yawned again. “Hey, boys,” he said slowly, coolly at the Minotaurs. “What took you so long?”

“We were delayed! We dealt with it,” the leading Minotaur said loudly. “You are the mercenary captain. Matthew O’Connell. Am I right?” he asked simply.

“Mm-hmm,” Matt said with effort, as if he was annoyed, which he was.

“Right, well, O’Connell, are you ready for our mission? It will be brutal, and you will have to come to our homeland!” The leader said forcefully, trying to intimidate Matt. It didn’t seem to work, which made the Minotaur angry. “I asked you a question!” he snorted.

“I heard you.”

“THEN ANSWER!”

“Okay.” Matt remained calm and quiet. He knew the trick to these Minotaurs. If they sensed you were afraid, they would make you fight them, to play upon the fear. So he didn’t show any emotion at all to these beasts. “Why go to your home? It doesn’t make sense.” He said.

“We want you to meet General Darkeye personally, and have HIM give you the mission.” The Minotaur said simply.

“Oh.” He said. “Well…I suppose I’ll come with you, then! But my crew goes, too.”

The Minotaur didn’t try to argue: he didn’t care.


…

Matt followed the Minotaurs for a three day trip into the Mino Valley, the home of the Minotaurs. Or at least, the original home: The rest were all claimed from Centaur soldiers long ago, in the Minotaur/Centaur war. The Minotaurs had won.

“This is General Darkeye’s hall. He is expecting you.”

Matt heard the guard say it. He looked at El’Rich, Sierra, and Kayla. None of them looked afraid. He looked at Endu. He didn’t either. Matt sighed with relief.

They continued walking into the hall…the hall hade very long hallways, and confusing puzzles throughout. No one came to direct them, so Matt led the way. They finally made their way into the throne room. He looked at them all again…Kayla looked to be afraid. Matt knew that now, they would try to play upon her fear. Try to make her fight them. He couldn’t let that happen, so he would have to do it for her.

To be Continued…

[Holy Kensai]

[Sothe]

Sorry, I have been busy, trying to find a way to juggle my newfound love for anime and writing. I'll do it as soon as possible.

[Holy Kensai]

I don't care when you do it. Just as long as you do it. Forcing it won't help.