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The stone by Romal Jacob
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Take care my brethren of the Evil tongue, it will promise the world to you and take you to eternal damnation. Many have fallen to its sweet venom in the dreams of their own righteousness.
- From the scrolls of The Order of the Keepers of the Gate
His head hurt as he opened his eyes to the morning sun. He was started by the face of an ogre, its eyes wide and its teeth glaring, frozen in madness. His years of training made him lunge to his side to where he knew by habit, he would find his sword. "A knight without his weapons is a dead knight", the voice echoed in his mind. The voice of the blade master from the academy years ago. "Take it easy Commander", he heard, "the battle is over". Now he remembered. They had ambushed the Orcs in the night. They had..., the thought froze in his mind as he frantically felt the pouch he was using as a pillow. He sighed in relief as his fingers closed around it. It was too valuable; too many lives had been lost for it, he just hoped it was worth it. He turned around and sat up. He was painfully reminded of the bruises of the previous night's battle.
The orc's head was pinned on a broken spear. A trophy from the successful ambush, if it could be called that. They had got what they came for, but the price they paid was great. Only two of them remained from the original group of thirty. The orcs were from the personal guard of the orc Overlord, U'mar, and had fought with the ferocity and cruelty that they were known for. "We must destroy the stone", he said to his captain. "Can't we use it to strengthen our forces; I've heard stories of the ability of the master of the stone to crush his enemies, The Necromancer confirmed that the Drah Lord Gummesh destroyed our forces at Kammera with the help of the stone". "You did not kill the Necromancer!" the commander exclaimed as he turned around to face the captain. "Of course, I thought that it would be better to get some information from him before ending his life".
"No one can control the blood stone", the captain continued in a relived voice, "the true master is always the blood stone". "The stone is just a source of power they say, it is the will of the wielder of the stone, if he is good then the stone can be used for good", retorted the captain. "May be in a hypothetical situation, but now nothing can be done. Prepare to leave, we have our orders," said the commander in a tone of authority. "Yes sir replied," the captain. The commander turned around to get his gear in order. Heru could sometimes be impossible, thought the Commander. He knew that Heru had ambitions to become the Grand Master of the Order. He just had ideas that were a bit...blasphemous. He suddenly shuddered as he felt a short blade enter his back. His voice got stuck in his throat. "It is a Dreh poison, it will act fast. It is the least I can do for you my brother", whispered Heru in the Commander's ears. As he fell on his back, he saw his brother looking down on him. All that the commander could blurt out was "Why?" "The Order has become corrupt and weak and I will change it, I will use the stone to crush the forces of darkness that remain, I will bring justice and righteousness to the Order," Heru replied as he saw his brother's eyes close for the last time. "And the stone will take you to the pinnacle of greatness, my master", said the Necromancer who stepped out from behind the trees.
Darkness often veils itself in Light
- Book of Light, Chapter 13:4
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