Bringante, City of Rebels and Blades

Gerik mentally dives inside the meteorite, and finds a message and destiny waiting for him.

Gerik began to breathe faster as his mind connected to the meteorite in his hands. The feeling felt so alien to him, that halfway through he brought up mental barriers. He had connected his mind to his sister’s before, but it was different. Her mind was vibrant, familiar, and warm. The meteorite felt cold, and its endless depths threatened to overwhelm him. Gerik forced his mind calm once again, and dropped his mental barriers. The stone once again appeared within his mind. The mental image of the stone shattered into pieces. The onyx black shards flew past him in slow motion. He could see reflections of himself as the shards flew by, but some of the reflections showed older versions of him. As he contemplated what it meant, the gray emptiness that surrounded him instantly lit up. “Hello son” a voice said. Gerik looked around for the source and found nothing. Gerik took note that his surroundings abundantly changed. What was a gray backdrop became a city. The granite built homes stood sturdily. The sun beat down upon him, but he didn’t feel warmer. The glass shards that surrounded him dissolved into intangible nothingness. “This place looks like home” Gerik thought. He walked around, taking in the sights of this city. He realized soon that this was home. He wandered aimlessly while he reminiscence about being in Bringante, the city of rebels. Gerik imagined the smoke from the forges, the smell of booze, the stories of battle, clink of the many sell swords’ armor as they walked around the city, and the women of the brothel parading down the street. Gerik took a familiar turn and continued down the road. He walked the fringe of the city, and stopped in front of a two story granite house. Clothes hung from a wire, and blew in wind that Gerik couldn’t feel. The front door opened, revealing a tall man. His soft brown skin shined in the sun, his black eyes revealed nothing, his dreadlocks hung neatly to his shoulders, and his clean shaven face held an unbridled smile.

“Dad?” Gerik asked surprised.

“I knew you would come here. These meteorites are amazing” Kael said.

“Dad I don’t understand. I thought you were dead” Gerik said.

“Son, I know you have lots of questions. This is a message that I have left for you. Come inside.” Kael said.

Kael turned around and walked inside. Gerik followed him. Everything was exactly how he remembered. The smell of jasmine filled the house. Gerik remembered that it was his mom’s favorite fragrance. The front door opened into the living room. Kael sat in the recliner that lay a little ways from the kitchen, and Gerik sat on the couch across from him.

After a minute Kael said, “this is a psychic impression I left on this stone long ago. I’m going to tell you the story of the stone and this city.” Kael stood and asked Gerik to follow. They walked out of the front door, and everything exploding into shards again except for Gerik’s father. When the shards settled, the city looked different. Men wearing different colored armor ran through the streets and into combat with warriors wearing resplendent armor. Gerik scanned his surroundings like his father taught him, and reached for his sword that wasn’t there.

“I know you are looking for danger, but do not worry. This is just part of the psychic impression I left within the meteorite.” Kael told him. Kael led the way through the city. Archers shot down from the top of the buildings, and riddled the enemy warriors with arrows. As they walked Kael explained, “a noble named Pale Bringante grew angry with the king, when he commandeered his wife for his own. No one can blame him for being angry with the king, but he should have known what would happen.” Kael and Gerik turned around a corner, and stood before a mansion. When Gerik was growing up, this building was converted into a temple. A long line of men stood upon the stairs of the mansion with fires alit in their eyes, and axes at the ready. Gerik scanned the king’s men at the bottom of the stairs, and saw a younger version of his dad. Gerik laughed hysterically because the only difference between then and now was the hair and muscles. The psychic impression he had followed of his father continued inside, but Gerik waited to see the fight. The men on the top of the stairs held the high ground, and didn’t look like they would relinquish it. Gerik watched as the young version of his dad ran up the steps with his sword before him. Gerik could tell that back then his father wasn’t anywhere near the level of fighting he was today. The younger Kael’s sword burst from one of the warrior’s at the top of the stairs sternum. He continued fighting his way up the stairs, defeating three enemy warriors, and establishing great footing. Gerik applauded his father, and ran ahead to catch up with the psychic impression. Gerik saw the impression standing still. Gerik reached for him, and almost fell from being unbalanced. His hand passed straight through.

A moment later Kael said, “something told me that you would watch the fight at the stairs.”

“I so could have beaten you if we had met back then.” Gerik said. He smiled at the thought of finally defeating his father.

Kael continued walking into the mansion which Gerik figured it, was more like a throne room. A long red carpet led the way inside the building. Great double doors depicting a gryphon blocked the way. Kael opened the door. A breeze must have flown by because the many hanging curtains within the next room flapped in the air. Red and gold curtains hung from the ceiling until it touched the ground. The sound of music carried through the air gently. The notes of music melding with the clash of swords outside created almost an orchestra type affair. Kael and Gerik made their way down the aisle. Ahead of the father and son sat Pale Bringante on his throne, and his lieutenant stood beside him. Pale Brigante’s brown hair fell in curvy locks, his pale blue eyes were cold, he had the build of a bear, and his huge great sword actually looked bigger than he did. His lieutenant was a scrawny looking man with colorful clothes, long blonde hair, and he held a bass guitar in his hands. Gerik studied them both as only a warrior could. He knew right away that Pale knew how to use that sword, and something about the guy next to him put Gerik on the defensive.

“Now son just sit back, and watch what happens” Kael told him.

“Wait, what you mean?” he asked. “Oh right I forgot that you are a pre determined message” Gerik thought aloud when no answer came.

Younger Kael and others banged on the double door. The echoes bounced around the throne room. Pale’s lieutenant strummed his bass. He started off slow and built up his tempo. Gerik noticed the bass guitar shimmered with a weird aura. The lieutenant’s fingers raced across the cords unbelievably fast, and five black orbs appeared before him. The orbs stretched outward and came back together in a circle, as if a child was playing with silly putty. Each of the orbs formed a nasty looking creature. Four clawed appendages came out of each of the orbs, their scaly skin as black as ink, lizard eyes in yellow slits, and purple barbed tails waved dangerously behind them. The five shadow gators slinked off under the curtains towards the door.

Kale stretched and said, “Pale Bringate loved his wife as much as any man, so he started gathering men for his cause. He paid mercenaries, gathered other nobles, convinced berserkers to fight for him, and even allied with our enemy nations for help against the king. His hatred for the king poisoned his every thought, and the king returned his ire.”

“He even got berserkers” Gerik thought astonished. Berserkers were legendary warriors who walked the Mad Lands unafraid. Even if you cut off their legs, berserkers would crawl to hack at you. Psychic berserkers were called walking natural disasters. Their powers were so raw and primal that they were a one man army. Gerik thoughts were interrupted when the great double doors crashed into the ground.Fighting could still be heard outside. Some soldiers made their way inside hesitantly, and stood before Pale’s throne.

“I will give you this chance to surrender.” Pale said in his deep voice. He stood and swept his humongous blade before him.

“The king has said that he would forgive you if you knelt and apologized” a soldier in dark green armor told Pale.

Pale roared and threw his huge blade. Gerik couldn’t believe how fast the blade flew out of his hands, and into the soldier’s chest. The sword sunk in deep, and to Gerik’s surprise the dead soldier’s feet didn’t move. Gerik wondered how the man was still standing, and he realized that the sword had sunk into the floor. The great sword was holding the man up!

“Your king will kneel to me!” Pale screamed. As if on cue a shadow lizard crawled from under a curtain, its purple barbed tail wrapped around a soldiers leg, and dragged him under. Another soldier ran to his comrade, when a shadow lizard shot a purple colored flaming ball that put a hole in his chest. The soldier looked down with disbelief and died. Pale saw his chance and ran for his sword. He picked up the sword with the guy still impaled on it, and swept his sword. The gore of the man acted like a lubricant, and he slid off the sword. Pale used his body as an improvised missile, and flung him at his comrades, taking two of them to the floor. Pale viciously brought down his sword on one of them as he tried to stand,splitting the soldier's helm and head. The other man stood, and stabbed out with his short sword. Pale knocked it away with his gauntlet, and wrapped a huge hand over his face. The man screamed as Pale squeezed and crushed his skull. Pale looked around for more enemies and found none. He watched a shadow gator swing its tail and stick its spikes into a soldier’s throat. Pale laughed heartily “is that all the bookish king can mount against me?” Pale paused as he heard footsteps. Pale dove behind a curtain and waited. The soldiers marched inside with their shields, forming a defensive line. Pale’s lieutenant began playing a different tune. The chords sounded off beat, and wrong. The flamboyant lieutenant began to scream words that Gerik couldn’t understand. It sounded like he was speaking a different language. Gerik looked at his dad hoping he would clue him in, but his father did not. Gerik brought his eyes back, and realized that the guy had done something. The soldiers behind the defensive line stopped, and stabbed the guys with the shields. Their formation broke after the betrayal. They turned on each other as the lieutenant played his song of discord. Pale stayed hidden, silently patting himself on the back for finding such a useful pawn. The shadow gators unlike Pale jumped into the combat, spitting their fires, clawing at soldiers, and waving their tails adding on to the chaos. The lieutenant seemed very pleased as he bounced, swayed, and rocked on his bass, until a dagger took his throat. All the commotion stopped. Pale watched as another, and then another dagger struck his lieutenant. The lieutenant choked on his blood and fell over. The shadow gators dissipated into the air, and the soldiers looked at each other confusedly. Pale looked from behind his curtain to see who could have struck him, and noticed a young woman with soft brown skin, hard brown eyes, long black hair, big breast sticking from under barbarian armor, and a bandolier filled with knives across her body. “Why did one of the people from the Mad Lands betray me, and does that mean that my escape….. screw it I’m going to try.” Pale thought to himself. Pale reached into his pocket, drew a meteorite, and used its power. A bright light filled the room, blinding everyone, and a crash shook it. When the light faded, the soldiers noticed that 8 foot tall men with wild hair,crazy looking eyes,wearing loin cloths, and wielding huge weapons rushed in at them.

“Berserkers” a soldier cried out.

“Run away” another cried.

The battle resumed more chaotic than before. Gerik finally laid eyes on the women and said“wait mom is wearing the same kind of clothes that the berserkers are wearing.”

“Oh by the way if you saw your mom, and are wondering what the hell…. Yea she is a berserker” Kael said. He smiled with pride and adoration for the women he loved. Gerik watched as his mom and father met within the tumult. Kael swung his sword for her head. She ducked expertly and stabbed out with both of her daggers. He desperately fended her off, and stabbed the berserker beside her, killing him. She screamed with hatred assaulted him with vicious attacks scoring minor hits. Kael growled and returned the favor. Gerik couldn’t take his eyes off of them. These were his parents fighting to the death. If one of them had scored a killing blow on the other, he wouldn’t be born. The thought scared him, and he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. The berserkers seemed to be winning. Gerik watched as a berserker was cut down by a sword, only to stab the man while he lay down, getting his killer killed in the process, and then crawled off to do the same again! The tide turned back for the kings men, when constant reinforcements pushed their way in. Gerik scanned the room for his parents, and noticed that they had found different opponents. The battle finally came to a conclusion as Kael disarmed his wife, and brought his sword to the nape of her neck.

“Finish this Ajam” the woman said.

“Ajam?” the younger Kael asked.

“It means outsider. Now finish me so that I may fight alongside my ancestors” she told him.

“I won’t do it” Kael replied, and removed his sword from her neck.

“I’ll kill the b***h if you can’t” a soldier said, and took a step forward.

The woman glared at him dangerously, and grew surprised when Kael stepped in front of her. “You touch her and you die. Did you not realize that she saved us all when she killed the musician over there?” Kael said aloud for everyone to hear.

The man mumbled under his breath and walked away.

“Do you protect me because I’m a woman?” she asked.

Kael looked into her eyes and said “I could care less if you were man or woman. I’m just returning the favor.”

She chuckled; both Gerik and his dad thought that it was the most beautiful sound they ever heard. Kael walked over to the musician with the woman right beside him. Kael checked his body like the other soldiers had done, but Kael checked the guitar. Kael saw something black inside. It blended in well, and the only reason he saw it, was because of the flash of light it reflected. The woman handed him one of her daggers, and Kael cut the strings that blocked his way. The black meteorite flashed purple in his hands.

“Why did you kill him anyway?” Kael asked.

“We don’t believe in such trickery, and I refuse to fight beside it” she told him. She pulled her daggers out of her victim's body, wiped them clean, and stuck them back into their positions.

Kael couldn’t help but laugh. It sounded so absurd to him.”Tell me your name” Kael said.

“I’m Taini, outsider and you are?” she asked.

“I’m Kael”

“Do you know what your name means?”

“No, I do not”

“It means mighty warrior, though it doesn’t fit yet” she said.

Kael smiled along with her, and said “not yet huh.”

“Don’t worry I will help you” she told him. She came close grabbed him by his shirt, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Kael was surprised for many reasons, but it didn’t stop him from ruining the moment. Gerik turned to face the psychic impression of his father, took one good look at his face, and sighed. “My old man is such a perv” he thought. He smiled and couldn’t remember when the last time he felt so happy.

Everything around Gerik shattered into the glass like shards except for his father. His father turned towards him with that beaming smile of his. “Sorry you had to see all that. When I was leaving the psychic impression, I tried my best not to leave anything out.” Kael finished with that smile. “Well the rest of the story follows as this. Pale escaped, your mom and I got married, had kids, but when you touched the stone when you were still young something weird happened. The purplish flame turned blue, and wouldn’t respond to my mind anymore. I forced you to learn how to play the violin was because I knew that the stone would be yours one day.” Kael told him. Kael’s lower body turned into glass, and slowly broke away into nothingness.” This is Nzingha’s and your last lesson from me. It isn’t your power that makes you dangerous. It’s how creative you can get with them.” Kael explained. The rest of his body soon became the meteorite and shattered into pieces. “I love you both very much” was the last thing Gerik heard.

Gerik came out of his meditation with tears streaming down his face. Gerik looked to his left, and saw his sister crying also.

“Did you see it too?” he asked.

Nzingha sniffed and held him in her arms. She reached out for his mind, their minds became in sync, and they consoled each other.

Author's Note

Hope you like the newest addition to my world.:)

Reviews

[SamBug]

Very creative. Great chapter. Can't wait to read more.

[karmic]

Nice chapter. I don't think his father is a perv, he is just misunderstood.

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

This chapter has a quality that is easy to get lost in. You gave the characters a lot of depth with the details. Great job.

[Tina Kline]

Very impressive and creative write. I do like it a lot.