{"sf1_id":913427,"sf2_id":"7ejRO59e","title":"The Emerald Blade (Bards Tales #1)","author":"Niyol Raindancer","words":605,"posted_at":"2015-09-22T09:35:00.000Z","tags":["Poetry"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/913427-the-emerald-blade-bards-tales-1","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/7ejRO59e","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/44/34/4434974c-677c-4575-a29f-f50daf546d98","description":"","content":"Upon autumns wake, the forest a crimson gold,\u0026nbsp;\n\na shiver sent through the gale, rustling the skeletal\u0026nbsp;\n\nbranches that were ripped bare. A pale moon\u0026nbsp;\n\nshown bright unto the night of cold stars.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA whistling echoed through the night,\u0026nbsp;\n\na tune heard only by a warrior as he passes\u0026nbsp;\n\non by. the old hunting trail that he strayed onto\u0026nbsp;\n\nwhen leaving the path. He walked and walked\u0026nbsp;\n\nuntil he found, an ancient shrine built to to withstand\u0026nbsp;\n\nNature's wrath. He dismounts his steed and continues\u0026nbsp;\n\non foot, until he finds \u0026nbsp;the entrance does he learn\u0026nbsp;\n\nits way was blocked by a pile of ash and soot.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe draws out his sword, for fear of it be a curse,\u0026nbsp;\n\nto waken a creature of darkness in which he must\u0026nbsp;\n\nfight, but alas nothing happened, so he took a torch\u0026nbsp;\n\nand brought forth light. He moved past the ashes,\u0026nbsp;\n\nand pushed away the door, and into the shrine\u0026nbsp;\n\nof Balor did the young warrior find himself in.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDeeper and deeper did he go, deep into the shrine's bowls.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wasn't quite sure where he was, but he zigged and he zagged\u0026nbsp;\n\nthrough the labyrinth like walls. Urns upon urns were found stalked here\n\n\u0026nbsp;and there. Ancient books long since forgotten, until at last he came\u0026nbsp;\n\nupon a set of doors, he had to find the key in which would let him pass,\u0026nbsp;\n\nhe searched and searched, but try as he might no key was to be found,\u0026nbsp;\n\nand so he wasn't able to pass. He sat down just for a minute, to gaze upon\n\n\u0026nbsp;the large wooden doors. When thus he learned its secret, the key was\u0026nbsp;\n\nto speak in ancient tongue long since forgotten.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Bex wah thy zul, ahrk vos zey rahn\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe words echoed as the man stood and waited,\u0026nbsp;\n\nwhen suddenly a rumble was heard, he wasn't sure\u0026nbsp;\n\nwhat awaited. He drew out his sword, for a clash and a\n\nroar was heard.The ash pile by the shrine door stirred and\u0026nbsp;\n\nshifted, forming a large crypted beast, it began to sniff its way\n\n\u0026nbsp;through the maze, the ash and soot becoming furred.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe beast caught the scent and rushed on forward, as the young\u0026nbsp;\n\nwarrior walked further into the shrine, to find a sword, which\u0026nbsp;\n\nin which was made of green metal, which looked like jade,\u0026nbsp;\n\nbut alas it was emerald, a shimmering green stone. That\u0026nbsp;\n\nreminded him of the trees in spring time, or of the Kings emerald\u0026nbsp;\n\nthrone.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWith a growl did the beast make its presence known. The male\u0026nbsp;\n\nwith a fright grabbed the sword and pulled it from its stone,\u0026nbsp;\n\nstaring into the eyes of the beast lost and alone.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe beast roared and the beast hissed,\u0026nbsp;\n\nhe seemed rather pissed. The man took the sword,\u0026nbsp;\n\nwith a \u0026nbsp;sling and a wave, clang and clash did the mighty\u0026nbsp;\n\nblade. The beast howled and wailed in pain\u0026nbsp;\n\nall seemed in vane. The beast let out a roar\u0026nbsp;\n\nof defeat, disappearing into the mist, the man\u0026nbsp;\n\nstanding there the sword still in his fist. Victorious\u0026nbsp;\n\nwas he and an emerald blade he now possessed,\u0026nbsp;\n\nA goddess of Nature came worth, and said.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\"The sword you have is blessed, with\u0026nbsp;\n\nmy ancient divine powers, \u0026nbsp;carry this sword\n\n\u0026nbsp;young warrior, and every tree plant and even the flowers\n\n\u0026nbsp;are at your beckoning,\" \u0026nbsp;And with that the deity was gone,\u0026nbsp;\n\nstanding where she once stood was a young fawn. The\u0026nbsp;\n\nfawn led the way,showing the warrior the way out, taking\u0026nbsp;\n\nhim upon a different path, a different rout. Safe and sound\u0026nbsp;\n\nwas the young warrior, as he now carried with him\n\n\u0026nbsp;the Emerald Blade\u0026nbsp;\n\n  \n  \n\n"}