Sorrow

[Magnus Greel]

Sorrow

By Magnus Greel

He knelt on a low ridge, taking in the barren terrain from the hills’ outlook of the land. It was not a scene that filled one with such emotion as felt by the being now; the world before him was mountainous, rugged, deserted, and otherwise unappealing to anyone else. Yet, to him, it was home; home sweet home. A place where he lived, conversed with friends, labored, and thrived with his species. It was also recently the site of destruction, of homicide, and of unimaginable loss for its natives. Though it was almost unnoticed, barely stimulating concern among the denizens of the outside world – not even a single plume of smoke drifted from the ruins to present a problem. A moan escaped the mouth of the being, quickly initiating a burst of sobbing and azure in his eyes. A mere glance of his surroundings was enough to push him even more onto the ground in emotion. It sparked flashbacks of the horrors lived here, fresh memories which caused him to dig his hands into the rocky soil and make fists filled with dirt. The day was like any other. Inhabitants did what they could to survive: cultivating the land for crops, trading resources, interacting with neighbors and workers.... How could such a day beget a level of defeat like that? The sudden presence of two unfamiliar creatures began the troubles. No one could have predicted their arrival or reasons for visiting. They came, lacking the numbers for what they intended, yet had easily succeeded, almost effortlessly. Attacks struck the villagers, their effects both immediate and terrifying, along with more composed of potent power from behind. They soon flew from everywhere, many traveling through the air at a higher velocity than the others in a rapid fire. When the brutal assaults came to a halt, the second attacker revealed himself, along with a very sharp and serrated blade in hand. Villagers fled, their kaleidoscopic eyes having flashed between garish hues, symbolizing all the intense emotions felt in the rush. It wasn’t long before the village fell, and the massacre over. The results of the attacks were mixed, ranging from quick but lethal stab wounds to the chest, to complete disintegration and loss of physical coordination. Few villagers had survived, only by willing themselves out of their stunned state and forcing their legs to carry them far away from the carnage. Meanwhile the attackers, possessed by unrelenting perseverance, wasted no time in pursuing those who fled once it was finished, following them to the next town. From there, the survivors brought the grave news, attempting to admonish others of the imminent onslaught. Several heeded the advice, while the majority turned to their bravado in order to establish a stand. At that point the weeping man’s recollections concluded, along with those wise enough to listen. In retrospect, it was better to escape than to take up arms; his kind was no match for creatures like those. There was nothing more to do, only to scurry and pray for preservation… and to dread those monstrous interlopers. Even now it was imprudent to lay and lament over his losses – better to depart now before the attackers came this far. But perhaps one day he would marvel at the invaders’ indifference, and build himself just to be as strong and as seemingly invulnerable as them.

The End

***

This short story depicts the tragedy experienced by one of the original inhabitants of Odina while the Shadowed One and Ancient killed and drove off the natives to establish a base for the Dark Hunters. The being in perticular is actually one of my RPG characters, which is one of the reasons why I wrote it. As for the natives' altering eye color, that was a creative aspect I gave to them in order to detail their appearance, since there is little known about them.I hope you enjoyed the story.

[fishers64]

I enjoyed the story, but I think it should be evident from the story itself what is going on - you shouldn't have to explain it at the end. For such a sad story, I liked the optimistic end that you put to it, which would yield itself well to a sequel, if you like.One thing I would have liked better would be if you put just a bit more detail into the story. What attacks were the invaders using? Did any of the natives try to stop the invaders and fail? If so, why did they fail? Answering those questions would help the reader guess at the source of the person's sorrow, which is probably a good idea in order to get readers interested in the story.