wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 27 Jun 2013 06:15 PM |
[CHAPTER 1]
The soldier before me fell, lifeless before he hit the ground. As I stood up and removed my sword from his fatal wound, the sounds of battle seemed to be sharper, more prominent. I shook my head, then ran back into the jungle.
I then realized, he was my first kill.
I must tell Darren, I thought. My brother was always better than me at everything, but he would still be proud of me, even if he'd already gotten his kill first. A second thought sprang to my mind. But what if he isn't? What if he just laughs and says that he'd gotten his already, that I would always be his little brother? No, he would be proud of me, I assured myself. He was even proud when I tripped during a training and sprained my ankle.
A gunshot fired nearby, and it shook me out of my stupor. Even after the shot was gone, it still took me a second to remember that I was at Stronghold II, fighting off a foreign army. I continued to run toward our lines.
If I had been more observant, I would have noticed the enemy soldier hiding in the bushes, that I would have been able to shoot him before he jumped me. However, my thoughts led me astray, and before I knew it, he was on top of me, struggling to slide his sword out of his sheath.
I yelled in pain as the soldier's weight slammed into me, then I struggled to pull him off. But it was no use. The soldier had his sword out, and was preparing to stab when a shadow came over the both of us. Two hands grabbed the soldier by his back and threw him off of me.
The soldier slammed into a tree, but he more nimble on his feet than I realized. He jumped to his feet and drew his sword, but he was not faster than my unknown savior. A gunshot rang out, and the soldier fell to the ground.
"Patrick," a voice said, "Get up." As I did so, I recognized my savior. "Darren", I sighed in relief. My brother had saved me.
But the reunion wouldn't last for long. "Patrick, you should have known better. He was hiding in plain sight." my brother lectured, "If I hadn't been nearby, you would have been dead."
"I know brother," I said apologetically.
He shook his head, then a cheer came up through the various greenery that made up the jungle. I started in surprise.
My brother looked out, then smiled. "We've won Patrick. The enemy has fled."
I sighed in relief. The four hours of fighting had been worth it. "Come now," Darren gestured, "Back to the fort."
Both of us then ran toward Stronghold II's large walls, and eventually passed through the gate into the fort.
Passing through the gate, we then received our field ration, then found a spot to relax and eat. We ate in silence, but as I started to finish off the ration, Darren spoke.
"Patrick," he said, "do you remember our parents?"
I stopped eating. "What?" I asked.
"Do you remember our parents? Like what they looked like, or if they were even Arcadian?" Darren asked intensely.
I looked down at my food, the small portion left looking unappetizing. "The orphanage never told us, remember?" I reminded him.
"I know, I know," Darren said sadly, "But, do you remember seeing them at all? Even in your dreams?"
I shook my head. But then I smiled sadly. "Well, if they could see us now, they'd be proud," I assured him. He did not respond. He merely stared at the sun dipping toward the horizon, his face emotionless.
"You done with your food?" he asked, then stood up suddenly.
"Yes," I said, handing him my leftover portion. He then walked away toward the mess tent.
I frowned. Darren had been moody lately. He didn't speak as much as he used to, and he wasn't getting enough sleep. At least once a night, he would toss and turn in his sleep. He hadn't been eating as much, and even the ration we received now he'd only eaten half of it.
But we've accomplished so much! I thought. We'd gotten into The Arcadian Guard, passed the Initiate test, and been granted Tier One. Darren had even been hinted at by an officer that he would soon receive Tier Two. Why is he acting like this if there's everything to be happy for? Even though we'd been left in front of a seedy orphanage in the Outer Rim of the Arcadian Galaxy, me a baby and Darren a three year-old boy, we'd sacrificed everything to get here. And now he's unhappy, not even thinking about the things that we do have.
I sighed, then I heard an officer order everyone to their bunks. I stood up, and watched the last bit of the sun's ray dip below the horizon. Then I trudged to my barracks in the fort.
In the morning, I woke up, and began to get ready. However, I felt that something was wrong. Very wrong. I pulled on my uniform and slipped on my boots, and was just leaving the barracks when it hit me. I looked back into the barracks, and Darren's boots were still on the floor. Darren would always wake up before I did. Why would he skip it now? I walked into the barracks, a sick feeling in my throat. I looked into Darren's bunk, and he was not there. Perhaps he forgot his boots, I should bring them to him, I thought.
Then I saw it. The envelope. Lying on his pillow. At this moment, my blood ran cold.
I opened the envelope and unfolded the note inside. Instantly, I knew that Darren had written this. The writing was his. The contents of the note sent me crashing on the inside.
"My brother, I have left the Guard. I am no longer apart of the Imperial military. You will most likely never see me again. I am so sorry. - Darren"
I stood, emotion causing me to become motionless. Suddenly, I saw another piece of paper in the envelope. This one must have been left by accident. As I read the seven simple words on the piece of paper, my hands shook, and chills wracked my body.
"Vaktovian Army Corps. Darren Polmarck, Level One." |
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| 27 Jun 2013 06:16 PM |
| Exited for chapter 2! Nice job. |
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Vatreus
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| Joined: 02 Mar 2013 |
| Total Posts: 2874 |
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| 27 Jun 2013 06:28 PM |
Very creative.
- Head of CoS External Affairs |
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Arcainek
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| Joined: 03 May 2012 |
| Total Posts: 6070 |
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Abillityx
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| Joined: 26 Feb 2011 |
| Total Posts: 3938 |
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| 27 Jun 2013 06:36 PM |
| Very good. I have a feeling that Castellnus is Darren, because he recently left for VAK. |
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Vecrow
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| Joined: 17 Oct 2012 |
| Total Posts: 6763 |
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Roullette
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| Joined: 03 Jan 2013 |
| Total Posts: 132 |
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wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 27 Jun 2013 09:45 PM |
| Chapter 2 coming tomorrow afternoon. |
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meepo44
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| Joined: 06 Jun 2010 |
| Total Posts: 921 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 12:13 AM |
... I love writing storys. But i never finnish em. I hope yours is good wraith. If i do write one it should be interesting. Probably wont. Just saying i might. |
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wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:18 PM |
[CHAPTER 2]
Deserter. Traitor. Heretic.
Those were the words that echoed through the Stronghold like a whispering bell. Even four days after my brother's departure, my comrades still spoke of him in lowered tones. I don't understand why they thought of him this way. Darren had a lot of friends in our unit.
And yet, they forgot who he was, they forgot his strive to do well, they forgot him entirely.
It was until I was drilling in the courtyard of the SH II with other soldiers, when the idea came to me. I could simply ask the Commissar, who was our commanding officer, to bring Darren back. Perhaps a search team could bring him back to Stronghold II, and I could convince him to stay here.
After we were dismissed from our drills, I headed toward his office. Doubt and nervous thoughts swam through my mind. What if he says no? I asked. What if he kicks me out of the Imperial military? These thoughts and more plagued my mind as I reached his into the gray office. I walked up to the door, doubt corrupting my confidence at what I was about to ask, and I knocked.
"Enter," the officer said. I stepped inside.
"Hello Polmarck," the Commissar said,"Have a seat." He gestured to the steel chair in front of his desk.
I sat down. The Commissar leaned back in his chair and intwined his hands together, his eyes on me.
"So," he asked,"What is the meaning of your visit to my office?
"Sir," I stated respectfully,"Do you know that my brother, Darren Polmarck, has deserted us?"
"Indeed," he said, then he frowned,"You still have not answered my question. What is the meaning of your visit to my office?"
"Sir," I said, "Perhaps we could bring my brother back?
I mean," I revised, Appoint a group of soldiers to find him then bring him back. I am sure that I can convince him that he is needed here."
The Commissar stared at me for a long minute, then shook his head.
"No," he said,"I am unable to do that at this time."
"But sir," I pressed,"Could you just send me to-"
"Enough," he said, then he looked directly into my eyes.
"Polmarck," he asked,"Do you know where your brother has gone?"
"Yes sir," I answered,"A place called the Vaktovian Army Corps."
"Precisely,"he stated,"And that is why we cannot get him back."
I was confused for a minute, then I asked,"Sir, what do you mean we cannot get him back?"
"We cannot get him back, because that is the one clan we are never allowed to be around,"he explained,"The Vaktovian Army Corps are an outlet into a military called The Vaktovian Empire. Similar to how The Arcadian Guard is a filter to be granted military status in The Grand Imperium."
This only heightened my confusion. "Sir,"I asked,"Why are never allowed to be around them?"
The Commissar sighed, then stared at the wall behind my chair.
"Because,"he finally said,"We have had very intense encounters with them. And by intense, I mean bloody. Whenever The Grand Imperium and The Vaktovian Empire meet on the field of battle, it is worse than any fight that Arcadia can go through."
I was shocked. I never knew that The Vaktovian Empire had such an impact on us. "But sir,"I said,"We're not fighting them to get my brother back, we're simply looking for him."
The Commissar looked at me again."It has been four days since he deserted his post. He has had enough time to get to The Vaktovian Empire. Asking for him back," the Commissar sighed,"would be asking for war."
"Why are the others calling him a traitor sir?"I asked.
"Both sides have had traitors in their ranks that go for the other clan. Arcadian soldiers have left us to join Vaktovia, Vaktovian soldiers have deserted Vaktovia for Arcadia. Both sides call the deserters traitors," he explained,"This is the way it has been for quite some time."
The Commissar shifts the various papers on his desk, then gestures toward the door. "Leave now," he says,"I have work to do."
"Yes sir,"I say,"Thank you for your time." I stand up and walk out into the courtyard of the fortress.
Why would you do it Darren? I thought as I walked across the courtyard. Out of all the clans you would go to, why Vaktovia? Why them? Why not a clan where I have a chance to get you back?
Then, a sad thought took form in my mind. Maybe he left me on purpose, I thought. May be he didn't want to deal with his second rate brother. My head lowered and I began to cry. I did not cry for long.
This sadness was replaced by anger. I'll show him, I thought. I can prove that I'm not just his little brother. That I'm an Arcadian though and though. I'll do what he never thought of doing, graduating the Guard, and becoming a full Arcadian. He won't think I'm second rate after that.
These thoughts of anger made my body tremble with rage. On that day, I swore that while my brother had become a traitor, I would become an Arcadian. I swore that my brother was nothing but a traitor, and that I didn't need him.
On that day, I did the same as my comrades. I knew nothing of my brother, I forgot everything about him.
Except that he had betrayed Arcadia. |
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Arcainek
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| Joined: 03 May 2012 |
| Total Posts: 6070 |
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Vatreus
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| Joined: 02 Mar 2013 |
| Total Posts: 2874 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:23 PM |
Nice Chapter 2, good back story as well.
- Imperial Lord Vatreus J. Nevermoor |
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ShadowSTR
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| Joined: 08 Jul 2010 |
| Total Posts: 24465 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:24 PM |
" I assured myself. He was even proud when I tripped during a training and sprained my ankle" Thegalaxian reference right?
Also I love the story |
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wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:27 PM |
@Shadow
Actually no. I had no idea that thegalaxin had actually done that. |
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ShadowSTR
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| Joined: 08 Jul 2010 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:36 PM |
| Write a book, i want an autograph when u get famous. |
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| 28 Jun 2013 06:42 PM |
That, is very good. Well written with twists and turns. A surprising plot already. Waiting for more.
By the way, bookmarked. |
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wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 08:41 PM |
NOTE: This is not my story. I am not going to be in the story at any time.
Chapter 3 coming tomorrow. |
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Abillityx
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| Joined: 26 Feb 2011 |
| Total Posts: 3938 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 11:01 PM |
| This story you're writing, wraith, is very entertaining so far. Excellent work. |
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Zippa01
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| Joined: 13 Mar 2010 |
| Total Posts: 4275 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 11:07 PM |
| Love it, you should be an author. |
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Zippa01
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| Joined: 13 Mar 2010 |
| Total Posts: 4275 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 11:16 PM |
| I am actually going into the military for TAG with my older brother. |
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wraith730
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| Joined: 28 Aug 2010 |
| Total Posts: 1906 |
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| 28 Jun 2013 11:19 PM |
@Abillityx
Thanks.
@Zip
Glad to have you in TAG! I hope you enjoy it. |
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