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Thread: Dissonant Mana

  1. #11
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    I count myself as one of the lurkers on the forums, and I really like this! Don't lose inspiration, please keep writing

  2. #12
    Mushmom
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    Finish this now!
    Quote Originally Posted by Katforks
    pineappleing pimentos.

  3. #13
    Phantom Watch Omar Ranger's Avatar
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    Leave me alone saph! ;-;
    Spoiler!

    Spoiler!

    Quote Originally Posted by kaglover1 View Post
    But now I'm like screw that, I'm skipping to the part where Bella finally combines with Edward

  4. #14
    Lambda Chi Alpha FrenchConnexUK's Avatar
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    I say finish this too.
    Not back. Front.

  5. #15
    Phantom Watch Omar Ranger's Avatar
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    Out of popular request here is the next part.
    Chapter 4

    As I walked through the bustling city, the scorching heat from the sun above me was causing beads of sweat to drip down my forehead. The numerous skyscrapers hardly helped in keeping me away from the heat. My heavy metal armor had spots where the heat can escape to cool me down, but it didn’t matter. Everywhere around me was hot so that only made it that much worse to be clad in armor with my huge black battle axe clanging against the plate covering my back. The heat wasn’t the only bothersome thing that day.

    The city was bustling with so many adventurers and families that I couldn’t go a few steps without bumping into someone. It was like trying to navigate through some sort of moving labyrinth, only with a massive amount of body odor coming from half of the walls.

    As I navigated through the people on the sidewalk I watched other adventurers taking the main road either through some cab or their mount. It was kind of funny to watch a giant pig keep up with a taxicab. Those things are pretty fast. Now what was very rare, even on crowded days, was to see a hog with long, silver hair. Those only belonged to people who were powerful enough to tame them and rich enough to afford them.

    People were hustling and bustling, merchants shouting to sell potions and some shiny new armor or weapon they had. It was all chaotic. Luckily I eventually found my way out of this madness when I reached the outskirts of the city. From there the people, buildings, and most importantly, the noise almost completely vanished. I was reaching my destination, the Phantom Forest.
    The Phantom Forest has had its share of horror stories in the past. Adventurers going missing, strange footsteps the size of a tree, horse tracks that were on fire, rumors of a man with a pumpkin for a head, and even little purple creatures that deceive explorers by disguising themselves as sacks of gold. I knew about the little purple… “leprechauns” but I didn’t see them as bothersome. They’re very generous when you kill them and they drop their pots of gold. Regardless of these horror stories, I was confident in my abilities and kept moving forward. I’m a Crusader. What do I have to be worried about?

    Of course there were many dangers to be worried about in the dead of night like this… For example a tree being sliced in half right before my eyes and stumbling down my direction. A loud “TIMBER” would have been nice. With skills that were a result of years of difficult, bloody, and almost decapitating training I pulled out the axe that was sheathed behind my back and sliced the tree in half with a skilled Power Strike. Small pieces and a few chunks of the bark flew through the air as dust collected in front of my vision. Although it was hard to see, I could recognize that weapon from a mile away.

    “Oh sorry Mike! I didn’t see you there,” a familiar voice was apologizing as he scratched the back of his head and pulled his pole arm back behind him.

    “No worries Kev. I’m still alive aren’t I?” I walked past the stump of Kev’s latest victim and bonked the young Dragon Knight playfully on the head. “Isn’t the master going to get angry with you since you’re breaking your form to try those silly swings of yours? He teaches you those skills for a reason you know.”

    “I know, I know… Sometimes I feel that I should have become a fighter like you did. They’re fast, skilled, and can deal blows faster than I can count, but I think that if I can do that with this pole arm then no one can mess with me.”

    “Keep dreaming! You Dragon Knights carry those giant pole arms thinking you can win any battle with that power. It’s not all about the sheer power you know. You have to be fast! Speed always wins.”

    “Ha ha! Watch me Mike. My skills with this pole arm will rival masters.” Kev was always a dreamer. He looked up from the orange handle of his weapon to see the double-headed onyx blade of his Karstan. The look on his eyes was always one that looked to the future and that was something of him that I admired.

    “Well that’s enough daydreaming, Kev. Your speed sure is improving but you still aren’t done improving.” Our unofficial master, even though he hates being called “master,” was a tough man. He was a powerful Dragon Knight, a much higher level than Kev or me, and although he doesn’t like to admit it, he is a good friend. He had a darker complexion than Kev and about the same as me and he usually hid his hair under a skull helmet that he favors as his training headgear. Kev tended not to wear headgear and let his light blue dyed hair just rest comfortably on his head. I didn’t know why though, a helmet is very helpful in a fight, especially when trees fall around you half of the day.

    Kev sighed and quietly walked back to his bag to sort out his items. Saph finally stood up from the stump that he was sitting on and picked up his deep black pole arm with the steel blade and sat part of the handle on his shoulder. “Well Mike now that you’re here we can finally get started with the real training.”

    “Hm? You didn’t have to wait for me. You could have gotten started earlier if you want.”

    “No we need you for this. We’re all going to do something a little different.”

    I stared at him with a confused look for a moment before asking, “um… What are we doing?”

    “We’re going up higher towards the keep. Into the Crimsonwood Mountains,” he said these words with such a calm composure that I almost choked on air.

    “What? Are you sure about this?” I could barely think of the reasons we would go further than the very base of the keep, “how far are you planning on taking us?”

    “The top.”

    “WHAT?”

    “You can stay if you want. Still I wonder what will happen if instead of that we went over to say… the dragon nest? I bet those big baddies at Leafre would love to have another little crusader try something,” it was easy to tell he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

    With a long sigh I looked up at the sky and mouthed why me?

    “So are you coming?”

    “Ugh yes. I’ll come.”

    “Good. Tim’s coming too.”

    “Wait are you sure? Didn’t he barely become a white knight?”

    “Yeah and he’s already advancing faster than you. Now let’s go.”

    I wondered for a second what exactly he meant before looking at a few of the nearby trees that I thought was chopped down by Kev. Scorch marks were visible on some of the trunks while others had a slight coat of ice that didn’t melt left. One tree gave me a small static jolt when I touched it. “Wow… Controlling all of the elements one at a time? I really need to train more…” With a sigh I started walking behind Kev as we made our way through the forest. When I looked over to Saph’s direction he walked as if he was more concerned about another matter. It didn’t take me that long to figure out there were other reasons for his sudden surprise choice of visiting those cursed mountains. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking of most of the time but now he was as easy to read as a book. What was more surprising is the fact that something is actually getting to him. Nothing gets to him! Everything about him is probably as tough as steel and it’s just as hard to get to him mentally.

    We continued to march through the maze of the Phantom Forest, a few random ghost-like monsters flying by us and quickly dashing away to the nearest withered bush or tree. Some of the trees they’ve hid behind seemed to turn towards us as if they were watching our every movement. The forest made me feel as if I was being watched from every corner. I hated coming here even with Saph’s constant persistence but now I just silently keep a level head and walk on as if it doesn’t bother me anymore. I bet he knows that it still does. He’s not one to miss details.

    But this time… There was a difference in the feeling that I got from the forest. It felt as if there was something staring at me as if it was trying to burn a hole in the back of my head. Every couple minutes I turned around to see the pitch black of the forest behind the few dead, gray trees. I sighed and shook off the feeling as just being a hallucination from the nervous feeling deep inside my gut. It was no use. I still felt that presence. Every step it got worse and worse until sweat started collecting on my forehead. By that point I was being clumsy while I walked and kept sending nervous glances at all directions. Kev was looking back at me with a confused look. “Are you alright Mike?” he turned around to face me.

    “Whatever Mike is feeling I can sense it too…” Saph’s deep voice was quieter than it was before and his footsteps became quieter and more careful. We looked up at him to see him pull out his Karstan that he enhanced with the best kinds of scrolls. We slowly followed behind him, weapons unsheathed, until finally Saph stopped. Kev didn’t realize this and walked smack into Saph’s armor, making Kev stumble back and fall on his ass. Saph was unfazed from this and continued to look at one direction. “Saph at least give us a signal when you stop…”

    “Shut up. I hear something,” this time Saph was more focused than I’ve ever seen. It’s surprising. I’ve seen him take down the Headless Horseman without really breaking a sweat. It was almost like a casual thing to him. This time his expression was dead serious. His grip on his pole arm was tightening to a point that you can hear the leather being stretched at his knuckles. There was one foreign sound from a distance, so quiet it could easily be missed, and Saph immediately shoved the two of us down to the ground while shouting at the top of his lungs, “GET DOWN!” He stabbed his weapon’s pole down into the dirt while shouting a massive, ear-popping Dragon Roar. Kev and I quickly covered our ears and ducked to avoid having severe hearing issues. Saph’s attack was so powerful that it even uprooted the closest trees from us. It blew back whatever it was that made the sound and when Saph finally stopped he was almost out of breath.

    “Holy crap Saph… That’s one hell of an attack,” I got up and shook off the dirt and pieces of tree bark that landed on me.

    “Yeah… I can’t use it… too much,” Saph’s sentences were broken as he took deep breaths between his words, “it… takes a lot… out of me…” He reached into his pouch and pulled out a green potion that he got back in town. He took a swig of it and stood up a little straighter, “that helps.” His voice was still hoarse as if he just sprinted an entire mile.

    “Why use that move, Saph? What’s out there?” I asked while I scanned the area that Saph’s target was previously located.

    “Kev! Get ready. That thing is going to come back. Use what I taught you,” Saph was in no condition to fight yet, it seems that move of his wasn’t something he completely mastered yet.

    Kev followed Saph’s orders and prepared his weapon. “Can I use that Saph?”

    “Only if you can’t handle your target. You haven’t mastered that technique yet, it can be taxing on your immediate supply of mana.” I stared at Saph and Kev with a confused look until I noticed a blue aura was being emitted from Kev’s hands. He ran it across his pole arm up to his blade and shouted “Snow!”

    I stood in amazement as the air around me began to get colder. Then suddenly something snapped into realization. “Elemental weapons? But that’s a white knight ability!” Why does Kev have the ability to elementally charge his weapon? I stood back while the air grew thick with mana. It was strange. Every human emits mana when he uses a skill, and the stronger the skill the more mana could be felt from him. And besides that each class had a different feel in their mana. Warriors, mages, archers, thieves, pirates, they all had a different feel in their mana. This time though, Kev’s mana was nothing that I ever sensed before. What in the world has Saph been teaching him?

    Suddenly a figure that was clad in armor and wielding a blood red blade walked out of the wreckage of collapsed trees. Kev immediately charged with incredible speed and dexterity and swung at his opponent with his weapon. The other warrior immediately blocked the attack with his sword and countered with a quick slash. Kev leapt out of the way just in time to avoid the sharp blade that was just inches away from his face.

    The figure’s hand began to glow bright red as he ran his fingers down the length of his blade, making it starts to light up with a bright, orange fire. This new light provided a good look at the threat’s face. “You’re getting really good Kev,” said that familiar face.

    “Thanks Tim,” Kev grinned and brought the blade of his pole arm down while Tim dodged out of the way. Kev swung horizontally at Tim’s direction but was parried by Tim’s sword. The impact of the two blades being possessed by the elements of fire and ice made the very air crack as the extreme temperatures came in contact.

    In almost an instant Tim stepped on the blade of Kev’s pole arm and leapt himself up in the air, landing directly behind Kev. Without a bit of hesitation Kev spun around towards Tim and brought his icy pole arm down into the ground. The temperature around Kev was dropping more quickly now as his grip on his pole arm was tightening. Tim brought up his sword in order to defend the incoming attack, but wasn’t prepared for this one. Kev pulled his pole arm out of the ground to summon ice bergs that smashed into Tim’s armor and sent him flying back. Tim stabbed his sword in the dirt to help him up and then cheerfully grinned, “you got me Kev! You’re getting better every day.”

    Kev relaxed and sat on the ground with sweat streaming down his face, “I still need more practice. These skills aren’t the easiest to master.”

    After I completely forgot Saph was even there, he got up and walked to the both of them. “Good work you two. Next time add Mike, he needs the training too.”

    “Hey Saph!” Tim shouted, “what was that freaking attack that you did earlier for? You’re trying to kill me or something?”

    Saph laughed, “even I need training too right? I’m not the best warrior in the world.”

    I gave all three of them confused looks, “what the hell?” Am I the only one who thought there was actually a serious threat?”

    “You have to be ready for anything, Mike. Enemies can be in every corner,” Saph reached into his bag and pulled out two green potions, tossing them both to Tim and Kev. They both had a swig of the revitalizing liquid and stood back up.

    “You know these new potions that they sell back in New Leaf are pretty good. More cost efficient than those pesky elixirs,” Kev drank down the last bit of it and dropped the empty flask. “The taste is something I can’t get used to, though.”

    I picked myself up and took a deep breath. I still felt uneasy. Even if those three don’t sense it, I still had this gnawing feeling that something bad was near. I shook it off for now and just followed behind the other three.
    Saph looked back at me and calmly said, “Mike you’re not going to get anywhere with those negative thoughts on your mind. Just relax a little and let this all work out.”

    I stared at him with a surprised look; did he just read my mind or something? Did he notice what I did? The Dragon Knight just kept walking with a calm face. I was right, it’s impossible to read him. Besides Saph, I was still trying to figure out how Kev was able to use elemental charges like Tim. There was definitely something going on with Kev’s training that they’re not saying. I shrugged it off for now, sighed and kept walking.

    Author's Note: Kev if you can hear me, I miss you bro.
    Last edited by Omar Ranger; 18th June 2011 at 03:02 PM.
    Spoiler!

    Spoiler!

    Quote Originally Posted by kaglover1 View Post
    But now I'm like screw that, I'm skipping to the part where Bella finally combines with Edward

  6. #16
    Star CVS's Avatar
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    If this had a show, I'd definitely watch this.

  7. #17
    Lambda Chi Alpha FrenchConnexUK's Avatar
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    Beautiful.
    Not back. Front.

  8. #18
    Mushmom
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    Great chapter. Including kev in it made it that much better.

    Miss you kev.
    Quote Originally Posted by Katforks
    pineappleing pimentos.

  9. #19
    My post count is frozen. Megadeus's Avatar
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    When I read of the hooded figure, I immediately thought of Francis of the Black Wings. But then the later chapters had him(?) pull out a black dagger so that killed my guess.
    Well isn't that interesting?
    What's this? You bothered to highlight my sig?You're very bored then, aren't you? Ha. Ha. Ha.

  10. #20
    Pfft Lyrete's Avatar
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    Y u no rait dis anymoar?


    If I can’t have what I want, let me want what I have.


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