DarnedNoob here. I know I should know better, but hey, I can try can't I? Welcome to Amulet, an emo yet humorous (at the beginning) fic by DarnedNoob.
In other news, do you guys think I should discontinue Prologue? The storyline isn't too screwed up, but I added too many characters. LOL…I was like, give me some characters for my fic and 20 came from my classmates and friends. So, yeah, that portion is kinda screwed up. I actually have another idea for another fic that doesn't have that many characters…but the setting might be confusing. I dunno. I'm a complicated guy.
"Steve! Here!" A Novice shouted to his Novice friend.
"Yes, Joe?" Steve walked over, hanging his sword on his belt. He thought that made him look cool.
"A whole mob of Snails. Green, Blue, Red, all o' them. Count them if you want, but I'm going in." Joe said, pulling a wooden club out. He adjusted the cap on his head to block the sunlight, and rushed right into the mob.
"Hey, wait up!" Steve shouted. He pulled his sword out, attempting to do a twirl with it. It fell blade-first into the ground, forcefully stabbing into the ground as if it hated it.
Steve looked around. Although there was no one around, or no human other than Joe technically, he still decided to cover up for his blunder. Steve dragged the sword through the ground, ripping up grass and earth. He twisted his blade around ninety degrees and finally pulled it out, letting a collected mound of earth fly into the mob. Some of the Green Snails were blinded, but the rest were unaffected, even angered and more aggressive now.
"What was that for?!" Joe screamed.
"Um…um…battle tactics!" Steve suggested with an innocent smile. He charged, slashing blindly at the Snails. One died and the rest didn't even touch him. Steve opened his eyes.
"Cool."
"Beginner's luck." Joe shrugged, eyeing a Red Snail. He waited for the lunge, then sidestepped and bashed the monster proper. It died.
"Hey, you're a Novice too!" Steve pouted. Joe, despite not looking away from the mob, knew Steve was sulking.
"Cheer up, dude." Joe smiled tightly. "Just kill 'em and once we've so-called 'trained enough' according to the elders, we'll get to Victoria Island."
Steve grinned at the thought of boarding the fabled ship. From what he heard, Victoria Island was a lot bigger than Maple Island, which was huge enough already.
Steve suddenly noticed a Blue Snail creeping up on Joe. "Joe! To your right!"
"Huh?" Joe glanced right, and quickly whipped his club right. The Blue Snail fell, badly concussed. Another smash ended the Snail's life.
"Thanks, dude."
"Anytime."
And so, Steve and Joe, in this fashion, massacred the Snails of Maple Island, preparing for the day they will make their names known to the wide world out there.
A year later, Steve and Joe were patiently waiting for the ship that would bring them to Victoria Island. The tickets were bought, and they were both Level 10.
As both of them waited, Steve flexed his fingers, anticipating the day he would finally have a real dagger in his hands. Not much long to wait. Joe was attempting to twirl his club, thinking of all the elemental Charges he heard a Knight could do.
Finally, the ship arrived, and the two good friends boarded. Neither looked back at the island that had seen them through their Novice years. Both looked forward to Victoria Island, and the challenges and adventures it held.
In about next to no time, the Novices were at the Cab station of Lith Harbor. Steve intended to take up training as a Bandit in Kerning City, while Joe was heading to Perion for his Page training.
They both called separate cabs. Joe was about to step into his cab when a voice said, merely a whisper, "Joe!"
Joe looked back to see Steve facing him. Steve took something from his pocket. An amulet. Joe recognized it. A gift from his family. A cheap bronze amulet, crafted from low-quality bronze by Steve's father. Joe never really liked the amulet.
Steve held the amulet in his hands, breaking it into half easily. He handed one half to Joe.
"Keep this, and remember the weakling who relied on you to gain levels. Your friend."
For perhaps the first time in his life ever since he was four, Joe's eyes went watery. He held the half-amulet, held it tightly.
"Thanks, friend."
With that, Joe stepped into his cab, which promptly drove off.
Steve looked on at the cab, driving off to the horizon, before getting into his. The cab, too, drove off.
15 years later
The rebellion was getting out of hand. All over Victoria Island, and perhaps portions of the Ossyria continent, peasants were rising to overpower their lords. The strong had been ruling over the weak for far too long. It was time for the mice to roar.
On one of the highest points of Perion, a great castle stood, a fortress unlike the buildings and tents of the barren land. It was grand, outshining even the altar of the greatest Warrior, Dances With Balrog.
Into that castle the lone messenger ran, past the great towering gates, past the huge and grand hall, past the hulking guards.
The messenger reached the throne room, kneeling immediately.
"Oh Lord Vereor, the peasants of Perion are starting to grow rowdy. Already they are scaling the cliff of this castle."
Lord Vereor, sitting in his throne, was the perfect picture of calm. Without as much as a frown line, he simply dismissed the messenger with a wave of his hand. The messenger rose, still bowing his head, and walked backwards out of the room.
An advisor moved beside Vereor, whispering into his ear. Vereor nodded. He stood up.
"Battalions 01 and 02 are to be mobilized immediately. Protect the gate. Kill all intruders if necessary."
Some messengers, standing at attention all around the room, immediately ran to various areas of the castle, spreading the order. Soon, Battalions 01 and 02 were at the gates and prepared.
At that moment, the first of the peasants appeared. No less than a hundred arrows sped across, impaling the unfortunate guy. He fell off the cliff, taking another peasant with him.
The next peasant was smarter. He poked his head up the cliff, immediately ducking. Another few hundred arrows sped above him. He was soon joined by a few more people, who constantly looked up and ducked immediately after. A few of the slower ones were struck in the head, falling to their deaths. By this time, nearly all the arrows were used up.
Just then, there was a collective roar, followed by collective screams. The battalion turned back, remembering that there was a set of stairs leading up to the castle. Apparently, the rebel peasants at the cliff were distraction, to prepare for the main force storming the staircase.
Calm as ever, the two battalions' commander shouted an order. The disciplined troops split into two groups, the smaller picking off the peasants scaling the cliff, the majority heading to the stairs.
The small problem at the cliffs was quickly solved. The Warriors of the smaller group ran forward, skewering any hostiles they saw. The peasants, seeing this, ran out of their hiding spots to combat the soldiers, only to be struck dead by the Archer's arrows. A well coordinated attack. The rebels were killed with minimal causalities.
The other group was having slightly more trouble. Having caught the soldiers by surprise, the rebels quickly fired off some of their wooden arrows through primitive bows. A few of the arrows found gaps in their armor, piercing through and killing the troops. The other soldiers trudged on. However, a few stayed behind, aiming their bows. The stationary archers searched their quivers, before realizing that the last of their arrows had been used at the cliff. Nearly immediately after that, almost all of them were shot through the head or chest with wooden arrows.
Back at the frontlines, a few Bandits in service of Lord Vereor had infiltrated the ranks of the peasants, and quickly killed off the archers before they could do any more harm. A few lowly Clerics attempted to revive their fallen comrades before being killed by Assassins hiding behind the Bandits.
The Warriors of Lord Vereor were holding the rebels back wonderfully, Pages holding shields to defend the Spearmen at the back, who stabbed at the peasants forcefully through the gaps in the shields. Priests stood behind the Spearmen, healing fallen troops and fueling the Dragon Knights' attacks.
At the very front, Crusaders and White Knights ran forward, killing rebels here, there. Among the White Knights, there was a particularly brave Warrior. He killed without thought, except to protect the Lord Vereor. He was Joe.
After his parting from Steve, he had followed Steve's ideals, to help create and maintain a place where the weak would be protected, helped, by the strong. He believed Lord Vereor would do exactly that. Who hadn't heard of his greatness? He had created law after law, condemning those who bullied the weak. He had recruited workers from the peasants, giving them a salary and allowing them to raise and feed their children.
As such, Joe fought particularly hard, protecting he whom he had decided would be the builder of a great future, a utopia for anyone of any stature. He knew not why the peasants of Perion would rebel; he just knew that they were a threat.
Soon, he came across a powerful Chief Bandit, who, it seemed, had sided with the rebels. A mask covered half his face, and an eyepatch covered one eye.
Joe wondered why such a powerful individual would side with the rebels, before he proceeded to attack the Chief Bandit. He was an immediate threat to Lord Vereor's safety.
The Chief Bandit dodged Joe's lunge, circling him warily.
He should be attacking by now. Joe thought. That's weird.
Joe reached out with his blade, which the Chief Bandit quickly dodged, before he flicked the blade to the left. Amazingly, the Chief Bandit foresaw that trick, and ducked, leaving the blade to cut air.
Joe withdrew his arm, before lunging again. This time, he ran forward, charging at the Chief Bandit.
The Chief Bandit simply sidestepped, grabbing the blade and throwing Joe away.
Joe recovered his footing, hand still on his sword, and blade still in the Chief Bandit's hand. He pulled at the blade, throwing himself forward. This way, he either killed himself with the impact or he killed the Chief Bandit.
The Chief Bandit seemed to notice that. It was evident in the sudden spark in his eye. He simply stood there, allowing the sword to stab through him.
Before the Chief Bandit fell, he pulled something out of a pocket, leaving it to drop on the floor.
Joe saw it, and gasped.
He reached out to hold the piece of bronze, matching it with the piece in his pocket. It formed a full circle. An amulet.
After the battle had ended, with the castle's troops winning of course, Joe had sneaked out of the celebrations. He knew that he was going to spend a few days in prison for escaping guard duty, but he couldn't give half a damn anymore.
Walking along the streets of Perion, Joe could see peasants, common folk, all trying hard to make a living. Those who didn't rebel, that is.
The peasants were working hard, Joe could tell. Their sweat, their roughened skin. And yet they lived in poverty. This was unlike what Lord Vereor had promised. Had he not pledged to create a city of peace, of joy, of wealth? What is this wasteland Perion and its inhabitants had become?
Joe looked around. All across Perion, it was the same sight. The poor trying to make a living, attempting to feed their families. None of the guards patrolling the area helped. Some even tortured the peasants, stealing their food, their crops, their hard work. Was this the utopia Lord Vereor had promised?
Joe took two cheap pieces of bronze out of his pocket. He placed the two pieces together, matching to form the amulet Steve had held so dear. So this was what Steve fought for. Joe finally understood.
A group of soldiers, mostly Bandits and Assassins, had arrived, bent on searching for their escaped guard.
Joe walked towards them, putting his hands up.
The soldiers cuffed him, dragging him back to the castle.
"Is this the guard?" Lord Vereor questioned the leader of the soldiers.
"Yes, Lord." The Bandit answered. "He's the runaway."
"The runaway. I shall give you a chance, soldier. You shall have to lodge in one of my houses though, for a week, before I allow you back on duty. I understand you may have some troubles. I shall give you that one week to rest in comfort."
Like shit you will, Joe thought to himself. What Vereor actually meant was "Rot in jail before I send you back to guard duty."
As the soldiers led Joe to the prison quarters, they passed Lord Vereor. As Joe brushed past, he reached in his pocket, barely making it due to his cuffs. Joe then proceeded to draw a shining steel dagger.
I dunno, I like leaving the endings hanging like that. Works for me.
And, FYI, I will be starting on another series no matter whether Prologue dies or not. That will be set in Runescape though. If Prologue dies, I create another story in Maple too.