black and white

draft

The amila forest was dark and quiet the weather too warm for even the crickets to rub there legs togeather. The darkness was broken in one clearing, the field fashiond into a tent city to hold a 100 men. One large canvess field tent in the center of the mass stood tall above the others a lantern clearly lighting the inside.
Inside the tent three men in maching tunics and breeches stood around a wooden table with laid out map and lantern resting on it.a small marble figure of a nude women with her arms crossed seperated the lantern form the lain out map.the clear youngest of the three In his second decade streached and ran his hands threw his curly blond hair.
"darrius why are we so commited to going to this ascencion? my rangers have no care of necromancers or there city"the young man spoke directly to the man across from him the largeast of the three with a black ponytail braided behind his back.
"bryce, none have ever been allowed to enter Kirin Tull before,and now we have been welcomed to there city to witness there most sacred ceremony."darrius explained calmly before the third party at the table,clearly in his fiftyth years tapped his brown moustacheand gave his input.
Darrius is right.none have ever seen the necromancers asencion. not there schools or there keep in over a century.the rabble has always had there guss thoe. I remember a traider who once told me its when they have an orgy and the men give the birth."he mused looking up at the canvas roof finally noticing there bewildered looks he added "of course I dont believe that to be the case.
both men silently shook there heads smiling when darrius adressed the moustached member
"bellial I never understand your ways sometimes" if you couldent heal the men and still swing a mace id have you put out to the goblins for your lunicy!"all three men chuckled at the joke but brice piped in
"oh yes cause the gobblins are really looking for senile old men the basterds would bay a ransome to be rid of him!with this the group of men bent with laughter and when all was done he adressed them more soberly.
"Ok men get some sleep we meet with mages from amanta tomarrow and escort them the next days journy." with his word bryce and bellial salouted with there fist to there chest and walk out the tent mentioning a dice game.
now alone darrius picked up the statue and looked over the figures curved body thinking somberly to him self.amarra one day I will desirve the love of a godess,and by what ever means it takes to wash away the sins of the unclean.
The figurine shone noticably brighter that its polish.

* * *

Melkki waited out side his training hall fidgiting with his red robes that symbolised his third year of training. he looked up to the hall as large as the two story mannors of kirin tull where he was raised.he had to muse to himself where the for foor wide stones that made up its wall made buy the hands of the living or the dead.both he finally decided.
"work yourself to death,resurrect and repeat." he joked to himself not able to stifel a snicker.
Your a funny guy melkki" a soft voice claimed behind him turning him on his heels to find a girl in her first year blue robes of 14 years old.,melkki thought to himself dirty blond hair and blue eyes and frecals youd be cute if you wernt such a pain in the ass.embarras melki reacted by yelling
"vinita do not ever,i mean ever come from behind me like that again! i swear your brains are liquid." but she just looked up to him smiling his visiage sofened.but it sofened too soon.always too soon
"whats the matter melkki no parent or sister to pick on so you yell at a little child?"melki turned his head to the left to see rolf A boy a year his elder in green robes and about fifty pounds heavier standing his ground fifty feet away a green handled hand leingth knife in his hand.melki reached into his robes and produced the same knife save a black handle.melkki looked down at the knife his aster the channeling tools for casting spells. His personal weapon.and setting eyes back on rolf it was about to go to work.
seeing the look in melkkis eyes vintina backed up. melkki began to feel manna he could sence rolf doing the same thing.rolf was going to strike but insulting melkkis family was almost a death sentance. Rolf clearly forgot who he was talking to and malkki was going to remind him.
Rolf leveld his aster twards melki and released the built up energy and manna as just that a a spinning cone of force theat hurled twards melkki ,but it was too late. melkki Snapped his asterpoint up releasing his energy and a pelvic bone of a deer tore itself out of the ground blasting into rolfs cone dispercing it .as the bone hit melkki released the second burst of energy sending a grey slime into rolf ribs witch burrowed and absorbed into the pores of his skin.once insind rolf was on the his back the slime inside surrounding his ribs bending them and cracking them.despite being tired melkki smiled inside and out.
"ass vintina yelled into his face as she ran to rolf pulling her aster out and easing his pain dissipating the slime inside him.nelt at his side vintina told him
"You shouldent have mentioned his parents, its not his fault there dead. And you know he cant summon or see spirits. So he cant even talk to them."
Rolf looked her in the eye threw his wences and tried to get up spitting venom
"i wouldent talk to them eather if I where them. Hes lucky they gave him that cobord to sleep in above the traing hall.then rolf looked back spat in melkkis direction and walked away.

* * *

Melkki sat with his back to the oval topped oaken door of the training hall for some time lost in thought.he reache into the top of his belted robes and pulled out a bendant worn around his neck and tok it off to look at it. Two circles of black and white coming togeather to make a third circle of gold.
Delccars crest the symble of the god of life and death.some god melkki thought to himself. Where was his god when he cryed to him at night. Where was his god when he spent three straight days inside the keep of kirin tulls church living on the feet of the altar untill the eldars carried him away in his sleep.no hell power delcarr with his prays when delcarr awansers them now and then.
The sound of footsteps brought melkki out of his trancelooking up to see susan iman walking up to him her head bald and her robes black and white on each side showing the hidden youth in her walk.approach him and sat down with him leaning on the doorn
"thinking had about the past again?"she questioned him rolling her head to look at him softly.
"no just wondering at the splended power of my god.blessed be his name instructor."melkki couldent have spoke with more hate if the god was bowed before him.
"ive told you call me susan and its only natural to question dellcar after you parents died.no summoning is ever perfect the circle of protection was flawed."Her words where ment to seem reassuring but rang hollow
Her words stung him more because it wasnt even a true accident they where trying to summon a spirit and instead let in a lower demon.his father and mother fought to combat it but to no avail a wyrm from the lower plains collapsed his house,killed his parents and several others before escaping tounnaling threw the ground and to this day its not know if it was ever defeated and sent back to the lower plains or if it was still out there."
susan cleared her throat ans said "you know ill still take you in if youd like?"then she paused as thoe she expected an awanser other then the one she knew was comming.
Melkki looked at her and smiled at the women he would live with if it didnt feel so much like abandoning the memory of his family.stood up extended his hand to her to help her up and the walked in. All the while never saying a word to the two shades of a man and women looking at him with sadness drawn on there face and love for him in there hollow eyes.

* * *

The sun was at it mid point over kirin tull and melkki had three thing on his mind.rolf weeping like a pup.his rumbling stomach.and the kadaver on the table in front of him.he tries to focus on the first image but instructor imans voice kept cutting in. He looked up at the class of fifteen red robes all with the same dull face.he looked up at the instructor cutting a deep wound into the kadaver and then using her aster to slowly close the room
"not dificult for a group of sixteen year olds to master!" she exclaimed and then she looked to melkki"melkki please try it for the group!"
still tired from the energy expended with rolf Melkki looked down at his cadaver the baker he grew up going to buy bread from for his mother. Then he picked up his aster off the table and stabbed it deep into the shoulder ripping him to his bicep the melkki touched the tip of the the aster to the wound and closed his eyes focusing on the mana flowing threw the room and focusing it to the tip of the aster. The wound began to quiver and shake.melkki threw more energy into it.the wound would not budge. then darkness enveloped melkki.
Melkki awoke to an empty class save susan laying on the table the kadaver had been on.
"what did you eat today melkki?" she asked with deep concirn in her voice.
I had an apple from the tree behind the hall.he replied sitting uptrying to regain his composure.
Susan looked at him darkly"melkki I dont need to tell you that manna and energy is our lifeblood from the priest to the shepard. But over exerting a spell can kill you,it has many before you. Thats what this training is for not only to teach you how but to get you used to learning more powerful and complex spells.yo-"she was interupted by a black vaugly man shaped shadow of dense smoke flying threw the oak door.melkki could feel the power coming from it as the shade approached susan
"did you let her know"? the shade nodded in return and then dissapatedas it floated back tward the door".
"that shade was a strong mage once." melkki stated a little shaken
"thanks ill tell my mom you thought so." and with that statment and susan in better spirits melkki walked twards the door as valintina came threw with a turky leg and strawberrys in a basket.this stopped him in his tracks as she just smiled and asked "picnick?"
melkki looked back to susan who just lookd away smiling

* * *

Melkki and vintina settled by the pond that was on the border of the twelve foot stone wall that seperated there city from the rest of the world.to there backs they could see the five training halls for each year of student.to the east of them following the wall past the skeletin guards and the odd zombie they could see the city smoke rising form the chimny stacks to cover the keep of kirin tullits twelve stories in hight and wide enough to hold ten dragons a claim many old men say has happened.
Melkki ate his meat while vintina nibbled on straw berries they sat in silence as thoe the silence was sacred and was only allowed to be broken by skelitons bone clanking.slowly vanintina crept twards melkki and placed her hand on his he didnt look at her but didnt pull away.this made her bold she leand over putting her head on his chest.
"This lasted for several minuites befor she spoke asking "i know what he said was wrong but could you apologize to rolf?" at this melkki looked in her eyes ans her frecaled cheeks began to glow as she suddenly looked awayhe rebutted smiling at the sound of rolfs ribs"why sould I apologize when he made me do it? i should be thanking him it was alot of fun."
You really could have hurt him!" vintina said sitting up and pounding the ground.
melkki never replied but instead lifted a finger and pointed across the pond to the wall.vintinA looked hard and noticed movement a kobold had climbed the wall and was now staring at the skeleton and zombie it had fell betweenmoth staring back at him.the skeleton seemed unsure if it was a threat the zombie unsure if it was edible, both got a responce. The little huminoid jumped up kicking the zombie over and twisting in the air to grab the skeletoms skull and run ten feet down the wall jumping back over the wall taking the skull with it.
Melkki stood up stretched and extended a hand to vintina helping her up before walking hand in hand back to the training hall she smiled slyly joking casually and ribbing him.melkki wanted to continue there fun making him feel care free forever but he had to wonder how vintina would feel if she really knew his goal was to kill rolf.

* * *

Melkki woke up the next morning sitting up on his wool matt looking over to see vintina still sleeping curled up with his blanket wrapped aroung het over and over.he lauhed to himself thinking her cute and looked around his flatit was a small spaceno more then fifteen feet in each directionwith one dresser stuck in a corner that held all his possions.
Stepping out of bed carfull not to wake her he went to his dressar and pulled out his black tunic and brown breeches.He dressed quietly pulling on his belt with several cloth pouches holding herbs and powder made in late night trip to the training hall.bells for the mass to delccar tolled as he strung his pendant around his neck.
"leaving without me?"vintina asked sitting up puhing a matt of curled locks from her frekled face.
"No im just getting up the gates opening today. I want to see the kinds of gust who come."melkki awansered casuallyhis mind dreaming up knights mages and assorted royalty.but what would be expected of a boy who never left the city before
Vintina stood up and began dressing drawing mellkis eyes to her
"what will we tell my father?hell be so angry at me for not comming home."vintina looked to him pleadingly for an awanserit was well known that her father was no one you wanted cross with you espically where his daughter was concirned.he was almost considering letting her handle that on her own then realised after last night he owed her some gratitude.
"Here you spent the night with mein the training hall making this." He told her pulling a pouch off his belt and tossing it to her. She took the pouch and opened it looking inside. In the pouch there was three round crystals and pink powder the makings for a spell to seek out magical traps.
Her face lit up "i cant believe you can make these things.how is it you can make somthing like this but cant fix a scratch.? she was clearly teasing but this still drew a dirty look from him before she took his hand leading him outside to rush into the town for the gate opening.

* * *

Melkki and vintina arrived into the city those not in mass where well ont there way to the gates melkki had vintina buy the hand sprinting threw the crowds and dodging the people and stray animals that flooded the streets.they arrived at the gatethe crowed lining up to see the new arrivals for eldar advinti's ascendance ceremony.the baker was walking the street a skeliten pushing a small cart of bread from wich vintina eagerly bought two loaves.there was a slow silence as elder advinti walked twards the port cullis that seperated the city inners from the gate.
The eldar held out his hands gesturing to the dirt on the sides of the port cullus and slowly two mounds began to form and shape themselves. the earth moulded itself into the shape of a man and swelling to form a eathen golem.with this task done the elder turned to adress the crowd
"we have lived in solitude for nearly a century.the wars of the past are over and in this time of peace we must welcome the world with open arms, the hate and fear our people once invoked.i urge you to please keep the peace with these visitors and support them and there customs as this will be a learning experiance for all.raise the portcullis and open the gates!"
Melkkis and vinitas eyes where gluedas the bars rose by the hadns of the golems and when it weached its peak they removed the bar sealing the door and pushed it open to reveal a lone figure standing in the suns glare.the figure strode forward to show a ten foot stature with a shining hairless head. Holding out arms out wide to reveal arms the thickness of a mans torso with another set of arms where his shoulders should have been.the creature shown four long swards strapped along its back and wore a loin cloth as its only clothing.
Melkkies eyes where glued to the creature approaching walking along the street. Vintina stood breathless waching its long gait twards the eldar who shook its hand and siad a few words between them. The formalities over both turned and walked along the street as the crowd erupted into cheers. melkki and vintina joining in never seeing such a beast melkki never knowing such curiosity untill his curiosiry was broken by a strong hand turning him and a fist colliding with his face.

* * *

Vintina screamed as melkki flew into the street landing flat on his back nose gushing.he lifted his head up to see a mountain of a man the town ferrier walking up to him and despite the ringing in his ears he heard a few key words like-Daughter deflower and kill.it was clear to melkki that despite vintinas protest he was out for blood.
Melkki stood up as fast as he could and drew his aster,oblivius to the town elder and the beast mann standing with him.
"oh a fight ye want whelp fine by my reccon!" the man yelled half laughing whipping a foot ling stic of wood carved into a tight spiral.melkki has heard of those before but never seen one it was called a wand.made sense the ferrier would have one being one of the only men permitted outside the ity for trade.
Melkki and the ferrier both drew and pointed at each other simultaniusly releasing there blast.melkys black cloud of toxin being immediatly smashed threw by the farriers white ball of energy.the blast smashed him in the chest dropping him where he stood melkki tried to retaliate but everything he sent was bated aside by the farrier and followed with more pain.
Finally the assault on melkki subsided the ferrier towering over him. Melkki managed to look up just long enough to be spit on before the freeier turned around and stormed away.he managed to get to his feet calling out"ey father in-law no worries I was gentile she hardly bled" this was clearly a mistake.
The mountain of a man turned back around leveling his wand melkki did the same exousted but never backing dow the ferrier dropped his wand and melkki followed gratefull only to feel energy still being absorbed threw the ferrier. then it camea blach bansheeflying from his chest screaming smashing melkki grabbing him and tackling him threw the crowd behind him and threw a shop door.
Melkki was laid out his world spinning and slowly fading with each blink .the last glimpse was of a four armed figure grabbing him by the head laughin saying"strong boy.i thout you where a village of whelps."

* * *

The main in his head was unbearable as melkki awoke to find himself back in his room, vintina crying besinde his bed with instructor iman rubbing her back assuradly.
"Well find you a place to stay vintina.maby your father was just upset, im sure he Will be calmer later.the instructor told her reassuringly then vintina looked up and seen melkki starting to rise. She wasted no time in slapping him hard across the face dropping him back into place leaving him shuttering in place from the thocks of pain. Vintina stood up and screamed at him with a hate he didnt know was possable
You bastard how could you, my father disowned me and you ruined the ceremony and the bakers home!"she began to hit him with a foce suprising for her small frame tears streaming down her frecaled cheeks.melkki sat up jumping to his feet and shoved her hard to the floor bringing a shocked look to vintina and imans face
"im so sick of every man woman and child telling me how wrong I am.im sick to my bones of having to wach my back! of being called orphan and unwanted.im sick of the lies told about me and of hearing if I pray hard enough belcarr would awanser me im sick of this life wich is why after the ceremony I am leaving this place for good.its high time somone seen the outside world.melkki roard to he then ripped his pennant to bellcar off and threw it into her face and walked away.
Once outside melkki realised that his favorite spot to rest and think the pond has become a tent city
Being the largest empty space he wlked twards the tents to find that there where far more gust then he had expected.a hundred men where sitting around fired drinking ale with silver armor showing a sward with a golden hilt and at least the same wore dark green cotton cloth with hoods bows on there back and short sward on there hips and backs. One man sat at a field table his long black hair stood in stark contrast to his silver armor this men cheering him on as he arm wrestaled a large green man with a pig nose wearing a wolf pelt around his waist bone sword seathed to his hip.melkki has only seen am orc in beastary guids never a huminoid in person.