Adair Posted August 7, 2015 (edited) A Free-build for the Guilds of Historica, and a continuation of the story of Adira Magdeburg. Please check here: http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=112694 and the ones before it for backstory. The setting sun cast long shadows across the street, painting what was not in shadow in a fiery glow. Adira ground to a halt, her lungs screaming, waiting for Havers to catch up. Soon the sound of uneven foot-falls sounded behind her, along with the higher notes of wood on stone, and Havers was beside her, breathing heavily. “Captain, I assume you have a course of action in mind?” His words came between breaths. Adira nodded, clasping her hands behind her head. “The town chapel... He'll be there.” Not waiting for Havers to reply, Adira set off again toward the center of the town. Slowly the dirt roads gave way to pavement, and the streets became narrower. As she ran, a sense of foreboding settled upon Adira's mind. She tried to ignore it, but it kept asserting itself. There is still a chance the mummy was lying... we might get there only to find the local priest, going about his business. Yet even as the thought presented itself Adira knew it was not true. There was no lie in that mummy's eyes, it is Sirhan. Tall buildings surrounded them, many of them quite strange in their style. The curve in the street that would lead them to the open square in which the chapel was placed grew closer and closer before them. Finally Adira turned, and stopped in her tracks. Her heart sank, and a cold finger of terror crawled up her spine. A small group of people, and mummies, surrounded the chapel steps. Adira's gaze passed over the Mummy general and several of his elite soldiers, one holding the local priest at sword-point. The one Mummy Lord in black stood on the steps, and beside him stood Sirhan, still wearing the mask, but now decked out in a magnificent suit of golden armor. Anger boiled up within Adira's chest, and she drew her sword, but then her eyes alighted on the two figures at the floor of the steps. One was a hooded man, holding a knife to an orc's neck. The orc looked remarkably similar to... Udgr. Sargent Udgr's eyes were hazy as he looked up toward her, but when he saw her they widened with a look of despair. “Adira?...” A guttural, raspy laugh echoed down the street as the Mummy General stepped in front of the bloodied orc. “My return is unexpected? Well that's too bad. I hope I didn't interrupt anything.” His voice lost all humor instantly. “Drop. Your. Sword.” A hush fell over the street. Adira could hear the ragged breathing from her left where Havers stood. All eyes were on her. Haver's voice was desperate. “Don't give in. You would be just playing to their schemes! For all we know the orc could be one of them as well...” The clang of metal against stone echoed around the square. For a moment all was silent. Then the same raspy laughed cut into Adira's mind, and the General took another step toward her. “Your pliability surprises me, Lady Navabi. I shall give your colleague, Sirhan, more credibility in the future. Now as for you and your friend here, Havers, was it? I want you both to...” A sudden thud yanked Adira's attention toward the chapel steps, just in time to see Udgr leap onto the hooded assassin's prone form, and cleave the man's blade into it's owner's head. Chaos ensued. Havers charged the temporarily distracted Mummy who had been advancing on him, plunging his cutlass into the creep's neck. An elderly wood-cutter Adira hadn't noticed before sneaked up behind the Mummy general and stabbed him in the back, only to get cut down himself. Adira grasped the hooded man's knife and flung it toward the other Mummy who was guarding the priest, embedding it in his neck. A sudden gasp drew Adira's gaze back toward where Udgr had been standing. The orc stood there, staring at her with unseeing eyes, the end of a curved blade protruding from his chest. Sirhan stood behind him, his gleaming eyes staring strait at her. Adira's heart stopped. She barely noticed the Mummy Lord in black advancing toward her. Udgr... A flash of color flew through Adira's line of vision as Havers attacked the Mummy Lord with flurry of cuts and slices that made the creature take a step back. Adira was momentarily distracted, and when she looked back Sirhan was on the church steps, still staring at her. Anger, like a volcano, began to rise in Adira's heart, along with something even more bitter. The hatred burned in her soul unlike anything she had felt before, and before she knew it she was picking up her blade and starting forward. A slow smile curled Sirhan's mouth. Then the Mummy Lord was retreating down the street, along with the wounded General. Sirhan's gaze flickered toward them before moving back to her as he followed them down the street. There was no malice in his eyes, only a lazy satisfaction that infuriated her beyond words. Havers pulled up beside her, panting hard. Together they watched the three of them retreat slowly down the street. Neither said a word. Suddenly Adira remembered Udgr. Turning on her heel she ran back and dropped to her knees beside the still body of the orc Sargent. Desperately she felt for a pulse. The orc's wrist was as lifeless as his eyes, clouded over and staring off into space. Numbly she held his hand, her finger still waiting vainly for the sign of life that would never come. Something in her mind snapped, though she couldn't care what, and she looked up. Havers was standing beside her, graciously silent, and the priest was beyond him, glancing around nervously. Seeing her eyes on him, the man spoke quickly and urgently. “The Mummy King's hordes are all 'round the city, m'Lady. Many citizens have fled, and we'll soon be surrounded if we don't hurry!” “We need to call the retreat, Captain.” Havers said, gently but firmly. “What are your orders?” Adira stared out over square and drew a deep breath. The silence hung. Finally she looked back up into Haver's face, a steely resolve in her eyes. “Gather the men at the Raven's-Brook tavern just outside of the city. The Desert-King scum have invaded Estolad, and they will die in Estolad.” To be continued... The build. Please ignore the random London paraphernalia lying about, and the general modern look of the second house. This is a reused build. Soli Deo Gloria & Sola Gracia! Edited August 7, 2015 by Adair Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jorrith Posted August 7, 2015 Excellent build and well played story! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 7, 2015 Awesome job! Thanks, Graham! Great build! Thank you, Vladivus! Glad you like it! Excellent build and well played story! Thanks, Jorrith! Unfortunately you'll have to wait a few weeks for the next episode, but I'll try to get it up as soon as possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Dee Posted August 7, 2015 Apart from lots of folks living and dying by the sword, this story and its accompanying builds tell quite a tale. The two buildings are nice, especially the chapel, and the action scenes look great. I really like your descriptions - such as the sword clanging against stone, or the beginning sentence. So often amateur writing is just plain bad, but yours is pretty good. Keep it up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robin Creations Posted August 7, 2015 Excellent! I actually really like that second building! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 7, 2015 Apart from lots of folks living and dying by the sword, this story and its accompanying builds tell quite a tale. The two buildings are nice, especially the chapel, and the action scenes look great. I really like your descriptions - such as the sword clanging against stone, or the beginning sentence. So often amateur writing is just plain bad, but yours is pretty good. Keep it up. Thank you, Captain! Yes, I've been practicing for years. Excellent! I actually really like that second building! Thank you, Robin! I hope it fit's the context well enough... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleJohn Posted August 7, 2015 Excellent build, Adair! The buildings are fantastic, and I like how you angled the front of the chapel Nice street too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PacmanRacing Posted August 7, 2015 This looks INCREDIBLE! :0 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 8, 2015 Excellent build, Adair! The buildings are fantastic, and I like how you angled the front of the chapel Nice street too Thank you, LittleJohn! Glad you like it! This looks INCREDIBLE! :0 Very glad you like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dragonfire Posted August 9, 2015 Great build and story! Poor Udgr though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 9, 2015 Great build and story! Poor Udgr though Thanks! Very glad you think so! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gedren_y Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) It's not quite clear, what happened to the assassin to make him fall and release Udgr? Did the woodcutter do something, or was it some rock or arrow that came from outside of the encounter? The build works just fine for GOH. I believe there are similarly constructed buildings in Qarkyr. Additionally the Kaliphlin Times had quite a circulation some time ago. The story is very engaging, and the stakes are very real. Betrayal and death do happen when one is engaged in armed resistance. Edited August 10, 2015 by gedren_y Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 10, 2015 It's not quite clear, what happened to the assassin to make him fall and release Udgr? Did the woodcutter do something, or was it some rock or arrow that came from outside of the encounter? The build works just fine for GOH. I believe there are similarly constructed buildings in Qarkyr. Additionally the Kaliphlin Times had quite a circulation some time ago. The story is very engaging, and the stakes are very real. Betrayal and death do happen when one is engaged in armed resistance. Thanks Gedren! Yes, I'm sorry for not making that clear. Udgr seized the opportunity if the distraction provided by Adira's surrender to over-power his captor and throw him to the ground, stealing his blade. He's awesome like that. And as far as the betrayal, I was saying that it had been brewing almost all of the time my story has been going on, so this is just the revelation. Glad you like it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerkid6 Posted August 16, 2015 Both buildings feature some very pretty architecture, I especially like the bley detailing on the smaller house Very smooth incorporation of an angled wall into the main building as well. Good story too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Adair Posted August 16, 2015 Both buildings feature some very pretty architecture, I especially like the bley detailing on the smaller house Very smooth incorporation of an angled wall into the main building as well. Good story too Thank you, SK! Very glad you like it! Yes, that angle was rather tricky, and I think this is the only angle that doesn't show the huge cracks in the roof area above it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
