Shadowkid

[GriplionGremlin]

hey all,

I started to write this a couple years ago and after i got this far I got side tracked and never got back to it. I'd like to do something with it yet not sure where to go with it. Perhaps ya'll can help out.


with out further ado.



SHADOWKID




Prelude




How did it come to this?

That is what He wondered as He and his companions moved thru the ruins of a once great keep. How did the peace and prosperity that the old tales told of die?

He knew not. None of his companions knew either. None living, neither man, dwarf, elf nor halfling knew. It was said that not even the wizards, who could hold off death for countless centuries knew how it happened or who caused it.

None knew for this tale is older than the races of dwarf, halfling and elf. The one race of that time was man and in the culmination of the “breaking” all known records and who were present perished….or so the story goes.

He knew the rumors. They weren’t widely enough known to even be called rumors, yet they never changed no matter where you heard them or from whom. They said there was one survivor. None knew his name. It was said that even He did not. It was also said that this Survivor moved outside of time, never changing. Yet he was not complete, he was alone, damned to walk this world till his riddle was solved. Twice damned they said. First damned for his past. What he had seen, what he had done, what he had not done. Damned secondly for his future. For the trials and suffering to come in the search for his release.

Chapter 1

Janvis awoke with a start.

He had had the same dream again. The memory of the dream faded as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The bitter taste of fear still lingered on his tongue. It had ended as it always ended of late. Walking thru a ruin of a keep he had never been to. This time he had not been alone! That was a first.

The dreams had plagued him since he was six. Times were hard and his parents passed them off as an overly active mind and tried to keep him occupied. It hadn’t worked. For years he could remember nothing of the dreams but the fear. He would wake screaming and in a cold sweat, yet he could tell his worried parents nothing of what he had seen. The six months ago he started being able to remember bits and pieces. At first he could only recall that it was night or at least in a place of deep shadows. Later he came to realize that he was walking in some kind of a building. Over time he came to know it as a ruined keep, but he knew not where it was, what its name was and why it was so important.

His mind snapped back to the present as he heard a twig snap. Someone was approaching. He reached for the plain short sword his father had given him as he died. He felt the well-worn leather of the hilt and tried to prepare himself for the worst. He had been followed for two days now. His follower never allowing it to be seen or heard but some how Janvis had know it was there. It seemed like it was ready to try and take him now. Why had it waited he didn’t know. Was it a part of the raiding party that had attacked his small village? He had thought that his father and the others had finished all of those monsters at the cost of their own lives. Maybe not…

He was afraid. How could he not be? He was but only twelve years old. He was not like some of the other children of his village; he did not have natural talent with either bow or sword. His only “skills” that he know of was his ability to hide and to be able to “know” when he wasn’t wanted around any more. It was said in his village that he could hide in the shadow of an ant. Especially when someone wanted to tease or hurt him. The kids called him Shadowkid and soon only his parents could recall his true name. That “skill” was what had saved him in his village as he hid in the shadow of his father’s barn. And that was what would save him now. Or so he thought…

The sounds were coming closer. Soon he saw movement. It was but twenty feet from him now. He pulled further into the shadow of the boulder he had rested by. As the figure came around a tree Janvis realized it was a man. At least it wasn’t one of those monsters! This man was dressed as any traveler Janvis had seen before. He wore leather trousers and shirt, a wool cloak and calf high leather boots. He appeared to wear no armor and the only weapons Janvis could see were a long bow cased on the man’s back and a long sword on his left hip.

There was no trail here as Janvis had abandoned it days ago, yet the man did not appear to be wandering. When he was but a few feet from Janvis he stopped and squatted. He had stopped at the exact spot where Janvis had lain!

“Come out boy,” he said. Janvis didn’t move, he didn’t even breathe. “Come out, I’ll not hurt you.” Still Janvis didn’t move or answer. “I know exactly where you are, Janvis, I may not be able to see you, but I know exactly where you stand.” As the man said this he looked up, his eyes going right to Janvis’ own eyes.

The man started to pile twigs to make a fire. “Gather some fire wood, boy, there is much for us to discuss.”

Chapter 2

Their campfire was going good now. Janvis had collected enough wood to last them thru breakfast and well into the morning.

“My name is Gravan. I’ve been searching for you my whole life, Janvis.” “How could you be looking for me your whole life? I’m only twelve and you’re much older than that.” Janvis wasn’t sure what to make of this man, this Gravan, but he did know that he was very confused and more than a bit curious as to how he had found him. Gravan smiled a small bitter smile. “No Janvis,” he said, “you are much older than twelve.” “You’re crazy, I’m twelve years old, look at me I’m just a boy!” Gravan couldn’t be telling the truth. That was impossible. He was only a boy, only twelve years old. Gravan just didn’t know what he was talking about.

“You are no more twelve years old than your name is Janvis,” the man said. “Every time I find you, you have a new name, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is your nickname. No matter where you go or how long since I’ve seen you, your nickname always goes with you. Doesn’t it, Shadowkid?” “How do you know that name?” demanded Janvis. “Know it? Ha, I’m the one who first gave it too you. Can’t you even remember that?” Now Gravan seemed to be confused. “Always before when I’ve found you, you don’t recall me right away but by the time I’ve mentioned your nickname you come around. Have you already started to have the dreams again?”

How could this man know of the dreams? Janvis was really worried and confused now. His parents in the village hadn’t been able to explain or understand the dreams yet this stranger, who claimed that he wasn’t a stranger at all, not only knew but also seemed to accept the dreams. This was becoming too much for Janvis. Something wasn’t right here. He could feel it. He knew somehow that he was missing something, something important. But what he just couldn’t grasp, yet.

“How did you know of the dreams?” Janvis asked. “Like I said, Janvis, I have found you before, or maybe I should say you’ve found me, many times before. I don’t recall much of my life before I started looking for you. Pain and suffering mostly.” Gravan looked up into Janvis’ eyes. “Then one day I knew that there was something I had to do. Someone I must find. I didn’t know who I was looking for, but I did know that it was very important that I find him. Somehow I knew where I would find you and it was not easy, let me tell you. I almost died in the search for you that first time.

“Those were very dangerous time then. Times when the monsters roamed freely and few was there who could best them. I was younger then, not much older than you appear to be. I was from a village along ways away from any other city or village. We took care of our own and I was lucky in that I had learned to use the bow and sword by the time I started my search for you. Even more lucky was I that our village wiseman had tested me and found me able to be trained to follow him. Strange things he taught me. Things I did not truly understand until I met you.”