"Mortal's Tower" A boy was being stalked.
An angry, grey furred wolf circled and circled.
The wolf charged angrily at the boy, who quickly reached behind him
for his bow, notched and arrow and let go of the tight string. The arrow
whizzed through the air like an angry hornet, spinning as it went. Finally,
it reached it's target; the wolfs paw. The wolf let out a yelp as it
tumbled to the soft damp grass, curled up like a dead insect.
The form of the curled up wolf changed as the sun rose on the
horizon.
The boy, Lavent, was changing, just his feet, from eagle to human. A shaking Lavent helped the wolf, now a teenage boy by the name of Prick, with his staff at his side, to his feet. Prick Mac'Nar was a tall boy, around the age of seventeen. He had endless blue eyes, and jet-black hair, a ruffian smile, and a tough look. A staff proposed that he was a magi. His forehead and hair were glazed with sweat. As for Lavent Drunn, he was an elf. Tall and slender, he didn't look very strong, but if you saw this fourteen-year-old boy take his willow-wood bow, he could pull it back farther than any grown man. His white hair and green eyes shone through to his kind heart. Shy and nice, he was also sweating, from the fight that had just taken place "I'm sorry, Lavent, I couldn't help myself!" Prick said, "I'm still not used to this." "It's really no problem Prick," Lavent answered as he pulled out the long arrow that was stuck in Prick's palm, "None of us aren't used to this." Lavent and Prick were Nightlings. A Nightling is to some people called a were-creature, though they themselves hate to be called that. They change into a creature during the night, lose all of their self-control, and attack everything in sight. No one is really sure how you become a Nightling. It is said you become a Nightling when you are born under a full moon, but it hasn't been proven. There is no telling what creature a Nightling will turn into. It is up to fate to decide. Most likely it is determined by what creature you are most like. Many other people in the small copse in the woods were changing too. A bear, a tiger, even an elephant. This place was known as The Nightland, a refuge for Nightlings of all kinds. Safety precautions were always first thing when making a refuge for Nightlings, for if one of them escaped in the middle of the night, it would tear through towns and cities until the Atynari would come and take it away. In the twelfth elvish tongue, Atynari means, "shadow men". They are strange beings that lurk in the shadows, waiting to take someone or something under its cloak, and suffocate it to death. Where it then takes its prey is unknown. No living person has seen under his or her full body cloaks, but it would probably not be pleasant. Being creatures from Limbo, the death world, they come up to help bring everyone to they're death. Lavent breathed heavily as he wrapped Prick's hand with herbal leaves and long grass. Suddenly, Lavent was pushed to the ground. He spun around to see Bassen Kren, the Nightland bully, staring with his cold greyish eyes. He was around sixteen, short and a little fat with long, tangled black hair that reached the middle of his back. "What are you doing down there Drunn? Taking care of your bad tempered little friend I see," Bassen sneered. "Leave him alone Kren!" Prick yelled as he stood up, "I could beat you like a hammer to a nail!" He sniggered, his friend, Indit Gore behind him laughed a bit also. "What are you going to do Mac'Nar? What are you going to do, turn into a wolf on me?" This was a big joke, for Bassen's Nightling form was a bear, which could crush the small wolf. "What if I do? Right here tonight, Kren. I'll beat the living daylights out of you!" Prick screamed as Lavent pulled him back. "We'll just see about that Mac'Nar!" Bassen yelled after him, " We'll just see about that..."
In the afternoon, Prick hid behind a bush with Lavent. They watched Bassen, leaning against a tree. "Are you sure you want to do this Prick?" Lavent asked. "I'm not backing down to this jerk like last time. He's made fun of me to much for my liking." Prick stepped into view of Bassen. "Well, well. Look who decided to come after all!?" Bassen joked, "Wonder wolf himself, in person." "I'm not going to make a fool of myself this time Kren. Give me all you've got." Bassen ran straight at Prick, yelling. That yelling soon became a growl as the sun went out of view. The bear form of Bassen jumped through the air at the wolf, crouching in a defensive position. Just in time, Prick, the wolf, rolled out of the way and the bear landed with a thud. It was just the right time for Prick to pounce on Bassen's back and tear his neck up. The bear reached for the wolf, but couldn't touch it. Bassen flipped over on his back to squish the small grey form. All this time, Lavent, the rather large eagle, watched from the branches of a sycamore tree. There was an evil looking falcon, standing on the ground near a tree. This was Bassen's friend, Indit. Lavent was so mad at Prick for fighting, he swooped down and landed on top of Indit. The falcon screeched and pierced a hole through one of the attacking eagle's legs. Lavent, injured, pulled the screaming falcon into the air with his talons. Another peck on the foot caused Lavent to drop his prey. Indit fell at an alarming speed towards earth. Right at the last moment, the falcon sped upwards, skimming the upward leaves on the trees. Roars from below in the forest suggested that the brawl between Prick and Bassen was still to be won. Lavent dove straight into the trees to see what was happening. Both combatants had scars on their bodys. There were blood stains covering the ground. It seemed that Bassen was winning though. After awhile, Prick fell to the ground. Exhausted, he pulled himself up, only to slump down to the ground again, eyes closed. The bear stood, waiting for his opponent to rise, but no luck. Finally, the mighty bear raised his giagantic paw, ready to bring it down hard upon the wolf. Just then, the wolf lept up and tackled the bear. Tearing and biting, the wolf wouldn't stop until the frightened bear ran away yelping. Bassen ran up a tree for safety. That's how it stayed for the rest of the night. Finally in the morning, the two animals turned back into humans. Prick, asleep on the ground, was suddenly kicked in the side. It was Lavent. "Look at yourself! You covered with injuries! I told you that wasn't a good idea!" Lavent pointed at a deep gash on Prick's chest, "That won't heal for months! This time you've really done it!" While Lavent was screaming at Prick, Bassen and Indit were conversing up in the tree. "How I hate those two," whispered Indit, "How I hate them." Bassen snapped his fingers, "I have an idea! What if wonder wolf and his little eagle friend did something so evil, so bad, that the Atynari came and. poof!" He clapped his hands together, "Made them disappear." Indit smiled, "What can we do?"
That day went by quickly. By noon, everyone had heard about the clash between Bassen and Prick. Everyone was crowded around Prick, asking about what happened. Being the kind to brag, Prick would tell the story over and over. Changing each time, the story soon came to be far from the truth, telling about how he had made Bassen disappear with his sorcery, which some people believed, for Bassen was no where to be found. Bassen and Indit had been away all morning. No one knew where. Lavent thought maybe they had ran away, to embarrassed by Pricks ongoing story telling.
By the end of the day, Bassen was still hidden from view. The sun went below the horizon and Nightlings roared, screeched, and growled. This is when Bassen finally came into view. Prick was sleeping, Lavent high overhead. Lavent hardly ever slept, for the death of his parents racked his mind, every night. Suddenly, a crash came from below as a bear tore through the foliage and knocked Prick unconscious. Picking up the wolf, he walked out of the small copse, dropping the wolf on the ground. Prick, happy to be out of the woodland prison, ran towards the village nearby. Worried for his friend, Lavent followed. Soaring high in the air the eagle saw the people of the village running into their homes, for safety from this beast that was terrorizing their small town. Growling at a small child, Prick had a sort of smirk on his face. "Mommy! Help me!" the child yelled. His mother came to his rescue, fending off the wolf with a broom, they backed into their cottage. Lavent screeched at Prick. The ravenous wolf looked up at the enormous eagle. The sun rose up, into the sky, but Lavent, not being able to land in time was dropped from his high point in the sky. He was going faster and faster as he sped through the air. Landing on the cobblestone street, his leg lay beneath him. A blood-curling crack could be heard. Lavent let out a cry of pain. "Prick! Help me! My leg!" A woman looked out the door. "Everyone, look! Two were-creatures are to blame for this!" They were thrown out of the city.
They had been walking slowly towards the Nightland, Lavent's injured leg slowing them down. Lavent looked ahead towards their sanctuary, but instead of seeing the small woodland refuge, shadowy figures stood in the view. "Hey," Lavent nudged Prick, "Do you see what I see, or am I hallucinating?" "No, I see them too. It's probably some kids, playing a trick." Prick started yelling at them, "Hey, you kids! Stop playing tricks on us! My friend is injured and I'm not in the mood for games!" Before the friend's eyes, the shadowy figures turned into raging bulls, charging at them. One of the raging bulls suddenly had a scimitar made entirely of fire, stick out from it's side. The deadly blade pointing outward came closer to the Nightlings. Just before the sword cut them, they ducked, the bull still raged on. Prick pulled his staff up. Aiming at the bulls. "Tremortious Blastious!" he screamed. A tremor shook the earth, sending the shadows into a deep crevice that had formed below them. Lavent bowed his head, "Now the Atynari are on our tail. What do we do now?" "Did your parents ever tell you the story of the immortals?" "No, I never really knew my parents, remember?" "Well, anyway. The immortals live in a place called Mortal's Tower, somewhere around Camelot. They can grant one wish to anyone who has found them." "So?" "Do the Atynari go after people who aren't Nightlings, unless it's their time to die?" "No, but Camelot is so far away, and that was just a bedtime story your parents told you. It might not even be true! How could you be certain?" "I'm not certain, but I'm willing to try. We're going to get cause by the shadows if we don't try. If we don't get there, then we won't be any worse than we are now. If we do get there, we could be rid of this curse! Just think about being free to roam at night!" "That's true." Lavent said, "Okay, but I need my leg to be healed. I don't want to slow you down."
Later that day, they were on their way. They had gone to a village doctor, an elf, who healed Lavent's leg.
The boy, Lavent, was changing, just his feet, from eagle to human. A shaking Lavent helped the wolf, now a teenage boy by the name of Prick, with his staff at his side, to his feet. Prick Mac'Nar was a tall boy, around the age of seventeen. He had endless blue eyes, and jet-black hair, a ruffian smile, and a tough look. A staff proposed that he was a magi. His forehead and hair were glazed with sweat. As for Lavent Drunn, he was an elf. Tall and slender, he didn't look very strong, but if you saw this fourteen-year-old boy take his willow-wood bow, he could pull it back farther than any grown man. His white hair and green eyes shone through to his kind heart. Shy and nice, he was also sweating, from the fight that had just taken place "I'm sorry, Lavent, I couldn't help myself!" Prick said, "I'm still not used to this." "It's really no problem Prick," Lavent answered as he pulled out the long arrow that was stuck in Prick's palm, "None of us aren't used to this." Lavent and Prick were Nightlings. A Nightling is to some people called a were-creature, though they themselves hate to be called that. They change into a creature during the night, lose all of their self-control, and attack everything in sight. No one is really sure how you become a Nightling. It is said you become a Nightling when you are born under a full moon, but it hasn't been proven. There is no telling what creature a Nightling will turn into. It is up to fate to decide. Most likely it is determined by what creature you are most like. Many other people in the small copse in the woods were changing too. A bear, a tiger, even an elephant. This place was known as The Nightland, a refuge for Nightlings of all kinds. Safety precautions were always first thing when making a refuge for Nightlings, for if one of them escaped in the middle of the night, it would tear through towns and cities until the Atynari would come and take it away. In the twelfth elvish tongue, Atynari means, "shadow men". They are strange beings that lurk in the shadows, waiting to take someone or something under its cloak, and suffocate it to death. Where it then takes its prey is unknown. No living person has seen under his or her full body cloaks, but it would probably not be pleasant. Being creatures from Limbo, the death world, they come up to help bring everyone to they're death. Lavent breathed heavily as he wrapped Prick's hand with herbal leaves and long grass. Suddenly, Lavent was pushed to the ground. He spun around to see Bassen Kren, the Nightland bully, staring with his cold greyish eyes. He was around sixteen, short and a little fat with long, tangled black hair that reached the middle of his back. "What are you doing down there Drunn? Taking care of your bad tempered little friend I see," Bassen sneered. "Leave him alone Kren!" Prick yelled as he stood up, "I could beat you like a hammer to a nail!" He sniggered, his friend, Indit Gore behind him laughed a bit also. "What are you going to do Mac'Nar? What are you going to do, turn into a wolf on me?" This was a big joke, for Bassen's Nightling form was a bear, which could crush the small wolf. "What if I do? Right here tonight, Kren. I'll beat the living daylights out of you!" Prick screamed as Lavent pulled him back. "We'll just see about that Mac'Nar!" Bassen yelled after him, " We'll just see about that..."
In the afternoon, Prick hid behind a bush with Lavent. They watched Bassen, leaning against a tree. "Are you sure you want to do this Prick?" Lavent asked. "I'm not backing down to this jerk like last time. He's made fun of me to much for my liking." Prick stepped into view of Bassen. "Well, well. Look who decided to come after all!?" Bassen joked, "Wonder wolf himself, in person." "I'm not going to make a fool of myself this time Kren. Give me all you've got." Bassen ran straight at Prick, yelling. That yelling soon became a growl as the sun went out of view. The bear form of Bassen jumped through the air at the wolf, crouching in a defensive position. Just in time, Prick, the wolf, rolled out of the way and the bear landed with a thud. It was just the right time for Prick to pounce on Bassen's back and tear his neck up. The bear reached for the wolf, but couldn't touch it. Bassen flipped over on his back to squish the small grey form. All this time, Lavent, the rather large eagle, watched from the branches of a sycamore tree. There was an evil looking falcon, standing on the ground near a tree. This was Bassen's friend, Indit. Lavent was so mad at Prick for fighting, he swooped down and landed on top of Indit. The falcon screeched and pierced a hole through one of the attacking eagle's legs. Lavent, injured, pulled the screaming falcon into the air with his talons. Another peck on the foot caused Lavent to drop his prey. Indit fell at an alarming speed towards earth. Right at the last moment, the falcon sped upwards, skimming the upward leaves on the trees. Roars from below in the forest suggested that the brawl between Prick and Bassen was still to be won. Lavent dove straight into the trees to see what was happening. Both combatants had scars on their bodys. There were blood stains covering the ground. It seemed that Bassen was winning though. After awhile, Prick fell to the ground. Exhausted, he pulled himself up, only to slump down to the ground again, eyes closed. The bear stood, waiting for his opponent to rise, but no luck. Finally, the mighty bear raised his giagantic paw, ready to bring it down hard upon the wolf. Just then, the wolf lept up and tackled the bear. Tearing and biting, the wolf wouldn't stop until the frightened bear ran away yelping. Bassen ran up a tree for safety. That's how it stayed for the rest of the night. Finally in the morning, the two animals turned back into humans. Prick, asleep on the ground, was suddenly kicked in the side. It was Lavent. "Look at yourself! You covered with injuries! I told you that wasn't a good idea!" Lavent pointed at a deep gash on Prick's chest, "That won't heal for months! This time you've really done it!" While Lavent was screaming at Prick, Bassen and Indit were conversing up in the tree. "How I hate those two," whispered Indit, "How I hate them." Bassen snapped his fingers, "I have an idea! What if wonder wolf and his little eagle friend did something so evil, so bad, that the Atynari came and. poof!" He clapped his hands together, "Made them disappear." Indit smiled, "What can we do?"
That day went by quickly. By noon, everyone had heard about the clash between Bassen and Prick. Everyone was crowded around Prick, asking about what happened. Being the kind to brag, Prick would tell the story over and over. Changing each time, the story soon came to be far from the truth, telling about how he had made Bassen disappear with his sorcery, which some people believed, for Bassen was no where to be found. Bassen and Indit had been away all morning. No one knew where. Lavent thought maybe they had ran away, to embarrassed by Pricks ongoing story telling.
By the end of the day, Bassen was still hidden from view. The sun went below the horizon and Nightlings roared, screeched, and growled. This is when Bassen finally came into view. Prick was sleeping, Lavent high overhead. Lavent hardly ever slept, for the death of his parents racked his mind, every night. Suddenly, a crash came from below as a bear tore through the foliage and knocked Prick unconscious. Picking up the wolf, he walked out of the small copse, dropping the wolf on the ground. Prick, happy to be out of the woodland prison, ran towards the village nearby. Worried for his friend, Lavent followed. Soaring high in the air the eagle saw the people of the village running into their homes, for safety from this beast that was terrorizing their small town. Growling at a small child, Prick had a sort of smirk on his face. "Mommy! Help me!" the child yelled. His mother came to his rescue, fending off the wolf with a broom, they backed into their cottage. Lavent screeched at Prick. The ravenous wolf looked up at the enormous eagle. The sun rose up, into the sky, but Lavent, not being able to land in time was dropped from his high point in the sky. He was going faster and faster as he sped through the air. Landing on the cobblestone street, his leg lay beneath him. A blood-curling crack could be heard. Lavent let out a cry of pain. "Prick! Help me! My leg!" A woman looked out the door. "Everyone, look! Two were-creatures are to blame for this!" They were thrown out of the city.
They had been walking slowly towards the Nightland, Lavent's injured leg slowing them down. Lavent looked ahead towards their sanctuary, but instead of seeing the small woodland refuge, shadowy figures stood in the view. "Hey," Lavent nudged Prick, "Do you see what I see, or am I hallucinating?" "No, I see them too. It's probably some kids, playing a trick." Prick started yelling at them, "Hey, you kids! Stop playing tricks on us! My friend is injured and I'm not in the mood for games!" Before the friend's eyes, the shadowy figures turned into raging bulls, charging at them. One of the raging bulls suddenly had a scimitar made entirely of fire, stick out from it's side. The deadly blade pointing outward came closer to the Nightlings. Just before the sword cut them, they ducked, the bull still raged on. Prick pulled his staff up. Aiming at the bulls. "Tremortious Blastious!" he screamed. A tremor shook the earth, sending the shadows into a deep crevice that had formed below them. Lavent bowed his head, "Now the Atynari are on our tail. What do we do now?" "Did your parents ever tell you the story of the immortals?" "No, I never really knew my parents, remember?" "Well, anyway. The immortals live in a place called Mortal's Tower, somewhere around Camelot. They can grant one wish to anyone who has found them." "So?" "Do the Atynari go after people who aren't Nightlings, unless it's their time to die?" "No, but Camelot is so far away, and that was just a bedtime story your parents told you. It might not even be true! How could you be certain?" "I'm not certain, but I'm willing to try. We're going to get cause by the shadows if we don't try. If we don't get there, then we won't be any worse than we are now. If we do get there, we could be rid of this curse! Just think about being free to roam at night!" "That's true." Lavent said, "Okay, but I need my leg to be healed. I don't want to slow you down."
Later that day, they were on their way. They had gone to a village doctor, an elf, who healed Lavent's leg.