A Glance Back at Yesteryear: It was a sunny day in Trescent....
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 19294
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...not unlike many others before it. The proud, young Duke rode his black
horse down the tree-lined cobblestone road at an easy, laid back pace. His
ornate chainmail armor shinning brilliantly in the sun as he went along
and
his high cheekboned face partly covered by a fancy, wide-brimmed
feather cap. A horn was blown loud and clean through the vibrant, emerald-green countryside of Trescent. The Hunt had begun! ~Ah, yes! Just what I need!~ Thought Zular ~The wild thrill of the Hunt and the sweet smell of blood after slaughter! Nothing makes one feel more alive! Well....besides maybe one of those delicious corn and lamb-fed shepherds' daughters from the Vale! The young Duke burst into laughter. The evil sound of it echoed through the well-ordered land almost as loud as the horn had.The Blue Forest, as it was more commonly called, was one of the oldest (and last) forests in the duchy. It got it's name from the peculiar deep blue coloring of the ancient evergreens in the heart of the wood during the warmer months (During winter they turned purple or violet). It was closely guarded and maintained. There was a strict head count on all of the wild game of the wood for they were there for the sole purpose of entertaining the upperclasses of Allarian society. Duke Zular Mollari was not alone on his trek to the forest, however. Infact he had quite an assortment of people from both near and far. From his own lands there were of course a handful of fieflords and knights along with twenty spearmen, ten bowmen, and five crossbowmen. There were also the hounds, Zular's private, fearsome breed. From the coastal duchy of Collins there was Duke Barnabas and his son along with several other knights, bearing the standard of the Osprey, the symbol of the rich duchy's power. They made a grand scene as they went along, although no one even dared to stop and admire the processionDuke Barnabas raised an eyebrow at Zular, after hearing him laugh. "Anticipating the Hunt, old chap?" Zular nodded. "Quite."The Blue outline of the forest came into view along with a long stream of smoke rising from the border of the wood. Zular squinted his eyes. ~What the bloody hell is this!?~ He spurred his horse on faster accompanied by his mounted knights. As the young Duke charged forward the source of the smoke became visible. A group of dirty looking peasants were roasting a number of deer from the forest and having themselves a jolly old time. One of the peasants, a man with a long beard and missing left eye, spotted the knights charging their way first. He tried to warn his comrades but was too late. They were swiftly surrounded by the mounted knights with no hope of escape. Zular went into a fit of rage.He jumped off of his horse and ran into the crowd, sword raised. He slashed a young man's arm off and then thrust his sword through his stomach. He pulled the bloody blade out and the man fell to the ground, dead. "You dirty peasants are going to pay dearly this day! Do you not know that even the gods have ordained this wood as sacred and off-limits!? You vile spawn of the dung of the field!" He began to calm down, an idea was forming in his head. He had the peasants round into a tight circle, all twenty of them. By this time Barnabas and the others had caught up to Zular. "We're going to make a little game out of this!" Zular proclaimed, smirking. "I'm a fair sportsman. Release these peasants into the forest, we have a new prey to hunt down today!"A chorus of hurrahs went up from the Trescent knights. Duke Barnabas made no sign or movement, nor did any of his knights. Zular cast Barnabas a sharp look. "What's the matter, Barney old chap? Aren't you ready for a real hunt. Infact, let's make this interesting! Arm these peasants with hatchets!"Barnabas turned his horse around and left the scene, followed by his knights. ~These blood-thirsty Trescentmen can do what they want in their own land, but I will have nothing of it! So characteristic of Zular! He'll never change, I say! He's probably still addicted to Oberon's Ambrosa! The foul magic powder from Malboncton! And there's rumor he hasn't been well since his return several months ago from the Dead Sea... Barnabas's thoughts trailed off as he disappeared over the horizon. ~So characteristic of the fat-assed, lobster-fed bastard.~ Thought Zular, watching Barnabas leave. ~He would have just slowed me down, anyways. What a ninny...~The peasants were all armed with crude hatchets and released into the forest. "We'll give them a head start." Zular said to one of his knights, Tanis Cavaliero. Tanis gave his duke and master a wicked smirk. "Reminds me of the old days, m'lord!"Zular and his men feasted on the venison left by the peasants before entering the the dark bluish shadow of the wood. Another horn sounded, this one a little more ominous. Zular reveled in the sweet air of the forest, also much more cooler than it had been outside the wood. Strange birds sang and hooted all around. It was time to release the hounds. "Release the hounds!" Zular's voice thundered through the forest.Another horn was blown and the hounds were released, yelping and howling. They had already caught the scent. "IT BEGINS! MAY THE GODDESS OF THE HUNT BLESS US!" Zular sped after the hounds followed by his fieflords, knights, and other men. Past streams and countless ancient trees they sped, the cold and damp air blowing against their faces. The hounds' barking and yelping was growing louder now. Zular kept a sharp eye out. And there! There were three of them ducking behind a thicket a little ways ahead. Zular sped his horse on in front of the hounds and all of the others. He could almost taste the blood. A noise caught his ear and he turned his head to see what it was. Right then a low tree branch hit him in the head, sending him flying off of his horse and landing into a deep puddle.SPLOOSH! Everything went black and Zular was running through a meadow again, laughing as he went. He was chasing after a little girl who giggled as she ran ahead of him. She beckoned him to follow. He had no control over his legs, so of course he ran after her. She suddenly reeled around, her face grotesque and pale as a demon's."WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!? WHAT DID I TELL YOU TO DO!? WHERE IS CEDRIK!?" Zular began to tremble and cry. "Please!" He said in a despairing voice. "I delivered Cedrik to the Southern Caves!Your foul drake nearly destroyed me in the process! Why do you torment my mind and my dreams!? Oh why did I ever look into the cursed palantir...!"He felt a sharp pain in his chest, suddenly. He began to gasp. "NO! NO! NO! I DONT BELIVE YOU! LIAR, LIAR!!! I WILL TORTURE YOU UNTIL YOU BEG FOR DEATH! BUT DEATH WILL BE BEYOND YOUR REACH, YOU MISERABLE ALLARIAN! HAVE YOU EVER FELT REAL PAIN!? LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT ISSSSSssSssSsssSS...!" Her face turned black as it morphed into that of a serpent. She lunged at Zular and bit him in the neck with her dripping fangs.If Zular had been able to yell, his cries would have been heard for miles and miles. But his motionless body remained on the forest floor for the time being, as his inner soul was tortured and probed. After several hours he awoke, his eyes wide with fright. He began muttering and mumbling to himself as he started to convulse around on the ground. Tanis Cavaliero gave one of the fieflords a strange look. "What exactly is going on here?"
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3/27/2002 1:23:40 AM
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