Post by mammona on Feb 26, 2008 22:02:38 GMT -5
The harsh, icy wind blew across the rocky tundra. The land of Khaz Mordan had was as it always had been - a cold, wind-blasted landscape in which blizzards and hail were a regular occurrence. The wind cut like a knife, stinging the eyes and biting the skin. It was a harsh, unforgiving landscape, where one could die if unprepared. And many had.
Still, life perseveres where it can. A myriad of organisms eked out a living in the snowy forests. A group or boars foraged about the frozen ground, selecting brittle pine cones with their wide, snuffling snouts. Suddenly, the lead board raised its head, ears perked. It glanced around, seemingly in a razor-edged frame of mind. It looked this way and that, snout moving as it smelt the wind, again and again. Eventually, it seemed to decide that it was nothing, and lowered its head to feed again.
At that moment, an arrow sped from the undergrowth, punching through the creature's thick neck, killing it instantly. A small spray of blood hit the snow, leaving a contrasting red stripe upon the white ground. The rest of the boars scattered, disappearing amongst the frozen foliage. A moment later, two figures stepped into the area. They were trolls, a male and a female. They were ice trolls, able to withstand the bitterly cold environment without much discomfort. The male, a hulking, muscular hunter, nodded to his companion, who stepped forward to skin their most recent kill. She knelt down, when a loud bang sounded.
The female troll fell straight backwards, blood spraying from the wound in her throat. She landed upon the icy floor, her voice a sickening rattle as she struggled for breath that would not come. The male was at her side in a moment, pressing his giant hand to the wound, trying in vain to staunch the blood that spurted in a thousand directions. It was no use. The female reached up ad stroked his face with a blood-soaked hand. She tried to smile, but before she could, she was gone.
Zulah bent over the body of his mate, laying his forehead against hers. Tears leaked from his eyes, and were frozen almost instantly. His massive shoulders rocked with sobs as she held her close, feeling the last vestiges of warmth drain away from her. He raised his head, and focused his eyes over to where the shot had come from. He saw the retreating form of the assailant as it disappeared from view.
Zulah's gaze turned hard. He stood up slowly, and gathered his weapons. He paused to deliver one last kiss to the forehead of his mate, and moved off into the forests, a giant spectre that haunted the woods, with eyes colder than the snow, now thinking of only one thing.
Revenge.
He headed north.
Still, life perseveres where it can. A myriad of organisms eked out a living in the snowy forests. A group or boars foraged about the frozen ground, selecting brittle pine cones with their wide, snuffling snouts. Suddenly, the lead board raised its head, ears perked. It glanced around, seemingly in a razor-edged frame of mind. It looked this way and that, snout moving as it smelt the wind, again and again. Eventually, it seemed to decide that it was nothing, and lowered its head to feed again.
At that moment, an arrow sped from the undergrowth, punching through the creature's thick neck, killing it instantly. A small spray of blood hit the snow, leaving a contrasting red stripe upon the white ground. The rest of the boars scattered, disappearing amongst the frozen foliage. A moment later, two figures stepped into the area. They were trolls, a male and a female. They were ice trolls, able to withstand the bitterly cold environment without much discomfort. The male, a hulking, muscular hunter, nodded to his companion, who stepped forward to skin their most recent kill. She knelt down, when a loud bang sounded.
The female troll fell straight backwards, blood spraying from the wound in her throat. She landed upon the icy floor, her voice a sickening rattle as she struggled for breath that would not come. The male was at her side in a moment, pressing his giant hand to the wound, trying in vain to staunch the blood that spurted in a thousand directions. It was no use. The female reached up ad stroked his face with a blood-soaked hand. She tried to smile, but before she could, she was gone.
Zulah bent over the body of his mate, laying his forehead against hers. Tears leaked from his eyes, and were frozen almost instantly. His massive shoulders rocked with sobs as she held her close, feeling the last vestiges of warmth drain away from her. He raised his head, and focused his eyes over to where the shot had come from. He saw the retreating form of the assailant as it disappeared from view.
Zulah's gaze turned hard. He stood up slowly, and gathered his weapons. He paused to deliver one last kiss to the forehead of his mate, and moved off into the forests, a giant spectre that haunted the woods, with eyes colder than the snow, now thinking of only one thing.
Revenge.
He headed north.
