Spring 26, 492 AV
OOCI have recently been made aware that I get no xp for these flashbacks, only lore... but I'm still going to write them all! ..so give me lots of lores, plz
The sound of steel on steel rang out across the courtyard as the two combatants faced off against each other. The older and clearly more experienced of the pair swung again with an overhead strike. The younger raised his shield just in time to block, avoiding the fatal blow. He laughed as he danced away from his more skilled opponent taunting him further. "You're holding back on me, aren't you Uncle?" The uncle responded with a mighty charge and the nephew braced himself. Their shields crashed against each other and try as he might, the boy could not hold himself against the strength of the older man. He was thrown from his feet and landed hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. "Your father used to say the same thing to me, Liam, when we were kids. And I took him down just like you." Liam's uncle, Ulwin, laughed and reached down to help the boy up. "I guess its a little unfair now though, isn't it?" Liam shook the dust from his clothes and retrieved his shield and sword, "I'll take you down one day, old man. You just wait an see."
The pair walked back to the center of the courtyard and began sparring again. In between blows Liam voiced his thoughts. "Uncle," Clang, the sword rang against his shield as he blocked again. "What was-" Liam ducked a swipe at his neck, then kicked out at Ulwin's legs. The old man jumped back and braced himself as Liam rushed with a flurry of blows, blocking each with his shield, then brought his sword around to knock Liam's aside. Liam stepped back, taking a defensive stance. "What was my father like?" Ulwin slashed down at the boy and Liam twirled out of the way just in the nick of time, then slashed across at his uncle's legs.
Ulwin struck at Liam with a overhand chop and Liam brought his blade up just in time to block. Sparks flew as steel struck steel and Ulwin shoved hard against Liam's blade knocking him back a few feet. "Your father?" Ulwin kicked Liam in the chest, knocking the boy to the ground. "Your father was the best man I've ever known." He rose his sword and swung down for the killing blow. Liam rolled to the side and jumped to his feet, slashing at his uncle and scoring a hit. A thin line of blood appeared on his uncle's leg and the old man laughed uproariously. "Good job!" Ulwin unleashed a flurry of blows at Liam, which he was only able to block half of. The other half struck home as his uncle thwacked him with the flat of the blade on both sides of the ribs.
"Your father may not have been the most famous of knights," Ulwin continued as Liam struggled to keep his feet beneath him after the rain of blows, "But he upheld the Tenants to the letter. And he helped uproot of sect of the Black Sun operating right here in Syliras." Ulwin casually blocked a strike against his midsection, then another aimed for his shoulder. As if he wasn't trying the old man brought his sword up again turning it as it clashed with Liam's and flipping the weapon right out of the boys hands. Liam bent to retrieve his weapon as his uncle quietly muttered to himself. "Actually... I'm beginning to think that had something to do with what happened."
The pair continued to train for some time, though it was clear his uncle was distracted for the duration of the lesson. Later as Liam sat in his room reading a book of history his mind began to wander.
"Born not of nobility, but from more common barbarian stock, it was said the entire bloodline infused their rise to power with an unparalleled bloodbath that resulted in increasing dominance of Suvan over Alahea..."
Liam sighed. History was so boring, and he couldn't get his mind off what his uncle had said. Actually... I'm beginning to think that had something to do with what happened. What did that mean? Did the Black Sun kill his father? From what he had been told Liam's father was killed by simple bandits. There were no marks, no sign that the Black Sun or Rhysol had anything to do with his father's death. But the look on his uncles face that remained throughout the entire day told Liam that it must be something more. Shaking his head to clear his mind he looked back down at the page.
"Alahea was a strongly centralized Empire, governed by an Emperor or Queen who had absolute rule, though rarely did they step into the day-to-day affairs of their subjects. This was perhaps one of their weaknesses, and in all actuality it was often the Court Mage who held the most power in the Empire, especially if they happened to be the stronger wizard."
Liam snapped the book shut. He could always read up on this later, but his eyes would not focus on the words anymore. What if his father hadn't been killed by simple bandits. What if it was the work of the Black Sun, or some other evil sect. The Syliran knights had man enemies, and perhaps they had finally caught up to his father. What if they ever came to finish the job, what if Liam was supposed to have been killed too? With that troubling thought plaguing his mind Liam fell asleep, and his dreams were filled with dark omens of things to come. |
by Liam on February 25th, 2011, 3:38 am 
