Another world

passive

disclaimer: this is a story i wrote in 3rd year, i found my english copy and thought it was kinda nice so i typed it up...then i felt like showing someone because typing it took effort...also: how do i post anonymously? (for future reference) i logged out...but then i was me again when i came back to this forum

Another world- 3rd year…march(ish)..

As the tour group moved safely out of sight I stepped from my hiding place behind the tapestry. I knew my teacher was going to kill me but I had reached an unimaginable point of boredom that had caused me to stop caring. It seemed to me this art gallery contained nothing but abstract art and religious murals, neither of which really counted as my favourite genre of art. I decided to browse some of the smaller halls of the gallery in the hopes of finding something nice (though I was willing to settle for some female nudity)

I wandered in boredom for a few minutes before I found a room that caught my eye. I looked in wonder at the pictures that lined the walls. To my left there were pictures of knights and archers and heroes, each with a small caption, drawn with breathtaking realism. On the opposite wall there hung pictures of Beasts and demons, each more frightening and impressive than the one that proceeded it as my eyes trailed across the display.

After just a few minutes of looking along the walls I was drawn to the large picture at the end of the room. At the point where the lines of beasts and heroes met there was a great picture of a battle on a forest trail. Knights and mail-clad archers stood strong in their paths as legions of beasts leapt from the trees, angrily snarling, with their claws, teeth, or crude weapons bared. After a few minutes of staring at this piece I noticed a small shape at the bottom of the frame. The outline of a small sword was still wet, and had been drawn with some kind of gold, glittery marker. It annoyed me that someone would deface this beautiful painting and I reached out to wipe it off with my finger.

The next thing I knew I was standing with a large sword clasped firmly in my hands and a shield strapped across my back. My clothes had not changed but as I tried to grasp the situation I heard someone call out “We must protect the King! Form a guard around the centre!” I hurried and tried to take in my surroundings. There was a line of tall knights standing in front of me obscuring my vision but just ahead I could see several dozen archers. Behind me was a small crowd of knights wearing decorative uniforms, surrounding a tall man in gleaming armour.

Figuring this was the king (and having realised I was somehow inside the picture)
I rushed to his side with my sword at the ready. Perhaps I was being a bit too assertive considering my lack of skill with a sword and my complete confusion. But ,despite some loss of my grip on reality, I knew I was actually here and I knew there was real danger. I felt I would be safer next to the knights if the creatures attacked as I had seen in the picture. Before I had even reached the kings side I heard a man yell “Ambush!” from somewhere further up the road. I braced myself and tightened my grip on the sword.

“The scouts have fallen, be ready!” yelled the king as the soldiers hastened to defend themselves. “May no man die with a clean sword and every one stand to the last breath!”
The strength and charisma with which he spoke seemed to greatly lift the spirits of his men and indeed, for a moment, made me forget my fear. Then, in a frenzy of roaring and yelling the monsters from the gallery came charging along the path towards us and others still leapt from the trees almost on top of myself and the kings guard.

Before the beasts had even landed they were struck by a hail of arrows and fell limply to the ground. This didn’t weaken their attack however as they were quickly followed by another wave, followed by another, and another, and another. Slowly and defiantly the archers began to give ground and were rushed by the beasts. The knights responded quickly and charged into the mass of teeth with their swords raised. I lost track of that fight as the archer nearest to me was cut to the ground by a huge and menacing beast wielding a jagged sword. Without a moments thought I rushed at him and swung my sword, slicing him deep across the chest just as a well placed arrow struck his face. I felt confident knowing there were still archers to back me up and I turned towards the open guard to my left where beasts began forming beside the trees. Safe in the knowledge I was going to die either way I rushed towards the line of beasts and swung my sword from left to right with all the speed and strength I could muster.

It was an amateurish way to fight but the beasts seemed no better trained and it was the best I could do. The sword was light enough for me to handle but large enough to keep them from reaching me. Though I was fighting well and killing a great many beasts I knew I could not keep this up for much longer and my arms grew tired. No matter how many I killed more beasts continued to pour in from the clearing, determined to slay me and strike for the kings guard. After a few minutes I knew I could not keep this up, my strikes became weaker and less rapid and I felt each was beast gaining more ground than the last before I cut it to one side.

“Now!” yelled the voice I now recognised to be the kings and before I had swung my sword again his guardsmen were at my side, hacking and slashing at incredible speed. The once confident beasts were caught off guard and pushed back into the forest and around onto the path. The remaining archers fired at them as the guards beat them into the open and soon they were fleeing as fast as they had attacked. I fell to my knees then lay forward, more exhausted than I had ever been and barely holding onto my consciousness. I heard the king speak to me softly; “you have done well good knight, you may return”

I awoke several hours later in the main hall of the art gallery to find my head throbbing and a crowd of teachers and gallery staff around me. Apparently the group had come across me when they reached the final room on the tour. I had been shaking convulsively and muttering incoherently. They said I had settled down about two hours ago but they had been unable to wake me until now.

I knew the truth would sound ridiculous. I couldn’t even be sure any of it was real so I just lied weakly when asked what had happened. “I.. got lost. I slipped and hit my head.. I don’t remember anything since then”. The teachers seemed satisfied enough with my explanation so I just closed my eyes and tried to relax.

My arms still felt weak, but at first that was the only indication I had that any of this had really happened. That was, however, until several days later when I noticed a scar in the shape of a sword on my right arm. I recognised it as the symbol I had tried to clean from the bottom of the picture and even years later it would not heal. I didn’t spend much time dwelling on this experience and continued my life as normal, although… with an occasional conceited feeling of being a heroic knight.




-end

yellum

Wow I really like this.

Write more. Please.

daveg

Originally posted by passive
how do i post anonymously? -end

Go to the boards.ie homepage (click on boards.ie in the top left corner). When you get to the homepage you'll see your Quicklinks (welcome passive will be displayed). Underneath that there is an option to logout. Why post your writing ananymously? You deserve credit for your writing.

-- edit -- I just read you peice in full. Twas excellent... well done... please post more. Takes me back to my "deathtrap dungeon" days of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston if that rings a bell with anyone. Well done Passive.

La_Gordy

See if you can do that in 3rd year, your storys have got a long time to get longer and more substantial until eventually you become Terry Pratchet, loaded and then die. Loved the story my love.

yellum

There are only a few places you can post anonymously on boards. Personal Issues and GLB Issues are 2 , not sure are there any others.

BEAT

I loved, loved, loved, loved it!
Please show us more!

joseph brand

I thought it was gonna end with you experiencing your first epilleptic fit, but it didnt.

Very good.