Runes

[Arik]

The adventurer looked at the thin slices of rock. Crude designs had been etched into the stone; on one piece of rock, a grinning face (perhaps a skull) stared blankly at the world around it. On another, the Aldvarian words I am the guardian between two worlds were etched.

The old man holding the bits of stone grinned suddenly. "Three gold pieces! Three gold pieces!" he chanted, like a child reciting a poem. "Three gold pieces a rune!"

The adventurer stared at the bits of rock.

The old man's face did not change, even when the adventurer's face twisted with rage. "I am no fool!" roared the young warrior. "And no one lies to me!"

The adventurer's hand shot out, seizing the bits of stone. The old man cried thrice with horror as the adventurer ran down the hill.




Blalak dealt his foe three blows to the arm; a hideous scream filled the air. "No human shall invade my lair!" cried the goblin king, and with that, he stabbed the adventurer in the heart.

The adventurer opened his eyes; he was standing in the center of Hawklor, and people were wandering around, and Blalak was gone.

An idea surfaced in the young adventurer's mind. Slowly, he removed things from his pack, until he saw the runes of stone.

Nineteen slices of rock were intact. But the twentieth lay in shards and gravel, shattered by its master's death. Forever broken.

[Arik]

The Runes of Life have never been explained, and are thus interesting topics in fan fiction. Anyone who has a story about the Runes is welcome to post it in this thread.

[Arik]

Another story about the Runes:

When the Vorenthan arrived, the Thrakaans were unprepared. They simply met the Vorenthan's challenges and taunts with "We shall slay you if you invade this city."

But the Vorenthan would not listen; and soon the ground's frosty moonlight shone blackly upon the blood of both Aldvari and Vorenthan.

Nine days passed, and still both armies fought, among the now-ruined towers of Thrakaan, the towers upon which Syr had fought Vaalaar the Cruel, the great demon-lord.

Then the Aldvari began to die more thickly; and most of the corpses from then on had no inky eyes.



After the twenty-third day, the Aldvarians called: "Take the Runes: we care not!"

So the Vorenthan seized the bits of glowing stone.

But the Runes have minds of their own, and they do not like the touch of certain hands.



Upon the ground walked Kirotax; he was a young adventurer, seeking monsters to slay.

Kirotax saw, lying in the brown grass under the burning sun, a fragment of rubble; he picked it up.

It was a box, and within it were twenty glowing runes etched deep into stone.

[Arik]

Until February 27th, I will be holding a contest similar to "A Winter Contest." At the end, I will announce the three best stories.


The Rules:
-Your story must involve the Runes of Life, and (obviously) take place in Sryth.
-Your story may take up multiple posts, but you may only enter one story.
-Once you have posted your story, you may not edit it.
-Your story must be at least 4 paragraphs in length.