The Darkening Cloud

{A fairly dark and bizaare story, discretion advised?}

[b:7f27a]The Darkening Cloud[/b:7f27a]


The great army of Minath was given the responsibility upholding order in the lands of Wyvern. No other army could even compare to the shapely, young, well-trained soldiers that the King himself selected to be enlisted in the army. It was great honor just to be a part of the ranks, no matter what chore was given to you. But the ones who were truly grateful were the ones that served under Mateus.

A brilliant, handsome and charming young soldier, he was appointed General of the Army for his strategist skills and fine swordsmanship. Working with him was, as quoted, ?You felt strong, confident and noble. Even if we stood one thousand men to ten times that of Orcs, we still paraded with grandeur under his command. I served in the army for over 40 years and I have never seen such an effective leader.?

But with great success comes great envy. Other high ranked officials did not feel that Mateus necessarily deserved so many awards and honors. Lt. Hashmal even went so far as to attempt to kill Mateus during the winter ceremony. Mateus swiftly struck down Hashmal, unarmed and even with Hashmal wielding a great sword. Hashmal was quickly imprisoned and is still serving his sentence.

No matter what hostilities Mateus faced, his power and judgment was absolute. Over the years from when he was appointed to lead the army at the age of 25, all of his several dozen crusades have been successful with very little causality up until he was 31. That is when the people demanded new order; new blood to govern them and lead them to prosperity. Mateus was quickly the favorite of the common-folk and went to challenge the royal bloodline.

During that year, traditions and beliefs were shattered. The entire pre-existing royal bloodline was sent to execution by order of the new King. Many opposed and protested, but with the power of all the soldiers of the army and his faithful, Mateus was unstoppable. Other kingdoms also sensed the threat that Mateus was and several assassination attempts were made.

5 years later, Mateus, now a corrupt and cynical man, began a new campaign over the oceans to conquer all territories and vanquish any who stood in the way. Personally riding with his men, they traveled by air, sea and land over Wyvern. From the jungles of Rak Harmya to the forests of Almien, Mateus ordered a signature by the appropriate leader. Few leaders were spared and others were beaten to an inch of their mortality. Many knew he had to be stopped, but few dared to try.

Finally an order rose while Mateus and his men were in the frigid north. They called themselves Knights of the Serpent and with over three thousand men, they rode to Minath and awaited the return of the revered king. These men were from all regions of the world and were of all different races. A dark man named Zeromus led them. A law-abiding soldier, he slowly cared less about law and more about punishment. But he was chosen for his mastery of magic and knowledge and of course, his hatred for Mateus.

Months later the army returned, with little less then seven-thousand men, less then half of what they set out with. Now with treaties of all major kingdoms, Mateus was the true ruler of Wyvern. The lands were filled with turmoil and rage, but nonetheless they were his. Truly corrupt, he sat on his throne, thinking of everything he could until reason and thought became past attachments.

Eventually, Mateus decided upon a new goal. His new goal was to become a god; one with unlimited power. One the people would worship, either from hate or fearfulness. He ordered scholars all over the world to search books and texts for anything that could grant him immortality. Reporting to the Lord with negative results instantly meant death for that being. All of his servants noticed how mad their King had become. He talked to himself, he killed anything for sport, and he constantly stared at objects for hours at a time. He was old now, but he was still the most powerful man ever known. He held onto his power for just another few months.

A year passed after H.R.H?s return before the Knights of the Serpent decided to strike. They confronted the king on a fall night in his royal chambers, where Mateus merely sat, staring at the ground. He looked up absent-mindedly at the polished, armored high-ranked knights who drew their swords and pointed them at him. The first to speak was Exodus, an older man who served under Mateus back when they were both young.

?You have led our lands into the darkest ages. All peaceful ties had been cut, our people are not without sorrow and misery and other kingdoms are slowly spiraling to their death. You have single-handedly destroyed the fine balance of the world.? Faced against 7 of the best swordsmen in the world, a forty-two year old Mateus jumped back and drew his blade, Durandal.

The battle that ensued was short and filled with blood. A swift slash knocked down Alberian Ramut, a fine elven swordsman who departed the world leaving behind three children and a heartbroken wife. Next to fall were Delius and Julius Oshmi with a pair of thrusts, strong brothers who hailed from Blackrose. Mateus parried every swing that came at him from the last four remaining men, but then Zeromus arrived.

He blasted Mateus with a bolt of lightning from his fingertips straight out of the window, as Mateus fell from the high tower in the castle, landing in the streets of Minath moments later. Several commoners came to inspect him; the first thing they all noticed was the fact that he was still breathing. He stood shakily, cracking his knuckles and neck before striking down the crowd around him.

With that, Mateus fled. He ran into the forests surrounding Minath where officials searched for him. He was not found and presumed dead. His several wives and children were sent to exile and banished from the kingdom. As the world of Wyvern slowly restored itself, it was written that time period was aptly named ?The Darkening Cloud?.

[Fredd]

Very good tale, KoD. Easy to read, decent plot. Could stretch out the details in it into a fine short story.

hmmm.....nice story.....maybe i should continue mine.....but the problem with me is i always end up dragging things on for long periods of time cause i add lots of dialogue........

[Narhalles]

What is wrong with dialogue?

post if your read part of my story, you would see, that i add a lot of dialogue.....more so than action........

[Narhalles]

I read all of it so far... keep it up!