This is part three of a fanfic I've been creating about my new pally alt.
It's based on his adventures in Norrath. Other parts available upon
request.
All thoughts, comments, and flames are gladly welcomed. This part is a bit
shorter than the other two parts were.
---
Marrtuk swung the Windblade in a high arc. It struck the orange-furred
brute on the shoulder. Because of the way he'd directed it, the Windblade
bounced off the brute, leaving a deep gash behind. Marrtuk then redirected
the axe in the manner he'd been taught and it scored a second hit, this time
on the brute's neck. It screamed, turned, took one step, then fell to the
ground with a crass.
Marrtuk used the Windblade as a kind of prop, leaning heavily against it as
his lungs sucked in air. He looked around the damp, dark environment. No
goblins, giants, or Iksar wandered within these caves, being afraid of both
the huge brutes that laired here and the nearby demesnses of Dalnir. So it
was a relatively undisturbed place where Marrtuk could battle the dangerous
brutes and develop his battle skills.
He sighed and hung the Windblade on his belt. The weapon's true potential
still eluded him; on occasion it would nearly leap out of his hands,
spoiling his attack. But surely and slowly he was getting a feel for it.
In time, he would be its master.
Marrtuk focused his mind. Slowly, he felt for the magic that was his by a
boon of Mithaniel Marr. His mouth worked the incantation, his hands shaped
the ether, his mind focused the energy. A few of his scratches healed, a
deep gash on his arm closed up slightly. Marrtuk repeated the spell again,
and again, and again, and with each iteration his wounds healed a bit more.
Each spell took a bit of energy from him to cast, but that energy was being
returned at a wondrous rate.
[ "KEI?" Marrtuk looked around at the people crowded close to the
blue-robed blue-skinned elf in the Nexus. "What is KEI?"
It was another froglok, this one in red robes, that answered. "Koadic's
Endless Intellect. It allows your mana to be regenerated very quickly."
Marrtuk absorbed that information. Only recently had he acquired the
ability to cast spells, after deep meditation and communion with Mithaniel
Marr. The could do wondrous things - shield him from blows, provide a surge
of strength, heal his wounds. But each spell took a lot of energy from him,
and after only a few castings - most of which were aborted attempts as he
fumbled the incantation - he found himself unable to summon additional
magical energy. "So, this... KEI... will let me cast more spells?"
"That's a crude way to put it, but yes, that's its general effect. Excuse
me." The froglok stepped up to the dark elf and handed him some platinum.
The dark elf closed his eyes, mumbled a spell, and the froglok and a few
nearby folks briefly glowed with a blue light. Then they ran off, and more
people stepped forward.
Marrtuk frowned and checked his money pouch. He still had a lot of platinum
left over after this shopping binge. But it was not endless, and he
wondered if this was how it was best spent. But it was perhaps worth trying
at least once; he had much to learn about casting spells, and the process
was slowed a great deal by the constant depletion of his mana. Marrtuk
nodded to himself, grabbed a handful of platinum, and stepped forwards
towards the dark elf. ]
After perphaps a score of castings, his wounds were mostly healed. Marrtuk
squatted down on his haunches next to the corpse of the brute, resting,
feeling his magical energy quickly returned. After discovering how quickly
the enchanter's spell had restored his magical energy, he had never gone
into battle without it. While KEI was of precious little use during a
fight, it helped tremendously afterwards, when he healed himself and
prepared for the next foe. It had also helped him learn how to cast spells;
for hours he repeated incantations over and over again, perfecting the words
and gestures as best he could, the mana-regeneration spell enabling him to
try again without needing to pause for rest. Now he seldom fumbled a
spellcasting, although it still did happen. He was no wizard - nor, indeed,
could his feeble healing spells compare to that of a cleric - but he could
get by.
He took off his backpack and fumbled through the various weapons he had. He
stored the Windblade back inside and pulled out a large mallet and a shield.
He'd heeded the advice of his weapons trainer and made sure to keep himself
conversant with all sort of weapons.
[With a bit of trepidation, Marrtuk approached the head of his order.
"Hail, Shin Master Grubbus."
"Welcome back, young Shin." Grubbus turned towards him, his stance proud
and confident. "I hope your training is going well. I have made note of
your progress as best I can, and you are truly following in the footsteps of
Marr with every day that passes. As a paladin of Marr we must uphold His
name and destroy those that wish to bring evil upon our people. Under Marr,
I am able to offer you an additional path for training."
Marrtuk nodded. That sounded like the stalwart defender of Mithaniel Marr.
Grubbus had initiated Marrtuk into the order, had taught him of faith and
how to wield a weapon and use it to smite evil in its various forms.
Grubbus had also talked with a fair amount of passion about the threat of
the trolls and had been one of the chief planners of the attack on Grobb.
Marrtuk owed much of what he was to Grubbus.
Reluctantly, he repeated, "Hail, Shin Master Grubbus."
"Welcome back, young Shin. I hope your training is going well. I have made
note of your progress as best I can, and you are truly following in the
footsteps of Marr with every day that passes. As a paladin of Marr we must
uphold His name and destroy those that wish to bring evil upon our people.
Under Marr, I am able to offer you an additional path for training."
Oh Marr, not him. "Dot you truly know me, Master? Do you remember the
discussions we had about the might and honor that Mithaniel Marr
represented? You inspired me to try and be like him, to live my life in a
manner that would make Mithaniel Marr proud. Tell me, please, Master. Tell
me again of the Covenant and the Task."
Grubbus merely looked back at him, not saying anything. After a moment, he
turned away.
Despair welled up in Marrtuk. "Hail, Shin Master Grubbus."
Immediately, Grubbus turned to face him. "Welcome back, young Shin. I hope
your training is going well. I have made note of your progress as best I
can, and you are truly following in the footsteps of Marr with every day
that passes. As a paladin of Marr we must uphold His name and destroy those
that wish to bring evil upon our people. Under Marr, I am able to offer you
an additional path for training."
Marrtuk collapsed to his haunches and stared at the ground, feeling numb.
Whom could he turn to now for guidance?
Gathering his strength, mentally and physically, Marrtuk stood up. "Can you
teach me how to parry an opponent's incoming blow, Master? I believe I am
ready."
To his surprise, Grubbus responded. "You wish to train in parry? Let us
begin the instruction."
And the instruction did, indeed, begin. Despite not being 'aware', Grubbus
had lost none of the skill that had made him the leading champion for
Mithaniel Marr amongst the frogloks. After an intense hour learning how to
watch his opponent's attack and combining offensive strokes with defensive
positioning, Grubbus stepped back into his ordained position and said, "Use
your skills wisely, Marrtuk."
Marrtuk examined Grubbus closely. The eyes, the deep knowing eyes, were
glazed and unfocused. So much wisdom inside, trapped there by the Curse.
Feeling ill, Marrtuk turned away and bounded out of Gukta as fast as he
could jump. ]
The corpse of the brute suddenly disappeared. Marrtuk looked up to see the
brute standing where he'd first encountered it, whole and hale. Grimly
Marrtuk pressed forward. The brute saw him, screech in rage, and ran
towards him with its arms raised. Marrtuk let loose a shout of his own, a
noise of fury and praise to Mithaniel Marr that infused him with strength.
He parried a blow from the brute, used his shield to strike the beast on the
side of its head, and used his hammer to get in two quick blows to the
brute's torso. A good start to the battle.
Some battles had not gone so well. Marrtuk had died several times already.
At first it was a struggle to hold on to his sense of self, the Curse trying
to return him to compliance and complacency. With repeated experience, he
had learned to easily resist that urge. But at a cost - no longer did his
gear travel with him to the place marked as *his* by the Curse. He arrived
naked, and had to travel back to where his 'corpse' lay. It was a delicate
balance - resist too much, and he would not be revived and would truly die.
Resist too little and he would become an automaton.
He would not die this battle. The brute went down easily. Almost too
easily - Marrtuk was reaching the point where these creatures offered no
challenge. He'd have to move on. He'd been making inquiries of other
'aware' people. That had led him first to the dank, dark tunnels of the
Paludial Caverns, then here to Warsilik Woods. Perhaps it was time to move
on to those other places suggested to him - the lair of the Splitpaw gnolls,
or the prisons of Najena.
Soon, but not now. Another brute suddenly appeared - or rather, the same
brute reappeared. No change, no difference made, these dangerous creatures
could never be exterminated, never be driven out. Then again, they could do
no harm; whomever they killed would come back to life. It was an almost
pointless existence.
Marrtuk would have to make sure his existence counted for something.
Eventually.
Storing his hammer and pulling out a short blade, Marrtuk advanced on the
brute yet again.
---
-Richard
Monual Lifegiver
Archon of Rodcet Nife
Silent Tempest
This page is Copyright by Skaarak; Everquest (TM) is property of Sony Online Entertainment
All stories and art work are Copyright@ by the origial owner/writer.
Most, if not all stories, were taken from newsgroup alt.games.everquest (AGE), I recommend that anyone who gets a chance to read it should!