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Story Tales of the Bard; McIvy

Jeroxia

We demons of our solemn hour
Good
Everything that is written in this thread could be considered as 'common knowledge'. If you want to approach Gerry about his -ahem- improvements of the truth, feel free!

The Dragon's Dance

I:
The evening was bright under many stars and constellations that glistened behind a large moon. Tales of this night would spread across the realm; however, there are but few who remain to tell the truth. Among these is I, Gerry McIvy, bard extraordinaire, and by my word I promise that every letter told is right.

Many warriors, on that bright evening, had gathered. They sat around a flame that had been lit to mildly encourage their fainting hearts to ember. However, all who sat there knew that the battle they were about to engage in would likely be their finale. Their warrior’s call, as so to speak.

Even Kam, spawn of the earth with a cruel axe and arms and legs and body like the trees, felt worry. Her thick brow was furrowed, and despite my encouraging words and songs and playing of the pipes, a smile was not to be found. “Ya speak of victory, small one, but we all kno’ that the fire burns us all.”

I nodded at what she said. I knew how she felt. I felt it too. It was not legible on my expression for I always wear a dazzling smile, even in the face of danger like the blackened wings ablaze. “Hence the flames, lass,” I said, a strum on the strings of my lute. “Hence we burn the flames here that we are about to face. We mock this cretin’s prideful strength by gathering warm around it. We laugh, we grin, we chuckle in the face of this danger it presents. Have courage!”

At my words, the band of warriors from the North and the South and the East and West, they raised, and they clapped and cheered. They banged their blades against the plate of their armour and cast their swords skywards for all do know that the words of Gerry McIvy, bard extraordinaire, are truer than any other.

I saw courage return to the eyes of the Earthspawn, and with everyone standing and cheering, she too stood, towering above the crowd. “Ya, then lead us little halfling!” Kam said. “My axe will mow down whatever might threaten you.”

So, I did. I blew the bagpipe to announce to the beast in the distance that we were coming for it. The strength of my lungs could blow the pipes loud enough that even deep beneath the earth, it could feel its rumbling, shattering sound. “Forward!” I cried, now drawing my blade that was the length of my body and as sharp as my silver tongue. I pushed the pipes to hang from their strap on my back and ran ahead of the band of brave warriors. “For Altera, for us all and our loves at home!”

A cry that was like a babe’s but fuelled by flame and rage met my encouragement from the other side of the field. I had only heard tell of the creature but to see it with my own eyes was a tale entirely different. I could see from even a thousand yards its teeth, lolling tongue and yellow eyes. Its wings spread across the sky and cast a shadow before the moon as the sharp talons of its legs aimed towards us.

Its cry, however, did not go unanswered. I had sufficiently riled up my forces that they uttered a war-like boom that would instil fear into the fields themselves if they could feel such things.

The battle began…

II:
Some stumbled, many fell, but we pushed forth as the dragon blasted its flames across the field and scorched many who were not fit for its flames. I was obviously unwounded and had not yet been burned, but that did not take away from the sense of despair.

“We must stay together! Our strength is in our numbers!” I cried.

A small group of ignites, however, followers of the Lightbringer, dispatched themselves from our group of superior warriors and tried the dragon head-on. They fought valiantly, but to be valiant was not enough. Their leader, a tall man with golden eyes, saw where it was going and before even denting his armour, turned tail and left the battlefield, womanly tears streaming down his expression. It did not take long before the others then were turned to blackened crisps.

I looked to the Earthspawn woman, who was still by my flank, with an expression of determination. Determination I only half-heartedly managed to summon, mind. “Mother of the Earth, our numbers are dwindling!”

She nodded. “Ya! But we can not reaz the big bird, not even with my immenz tallness.”

“I know,” I said as I looked to the approaching dragon, my then-auburn locks blowing heroically in the wind. “You must throw me onto its back. I shall slay the dragon alone.”

“No!” Cried a warrior from nearby. He was a Caparii boy of whom I have fond memories, despite what ended up happening to him. “You must protect us all!”

I shook my head and looked to Linden, as the boy was named. “I must do this or else there will be none to protect!”

Kam did not leave any time for discussion. She planted her Axe in the dirt and took me in her arms. “Do not fail uz, young McIvy,” she said before she swung around. Once. Twice. Thrice she pivoted before indeed releasing me like a discus in the games of strength.

I clutched my sword tight to my chest as the throw’s force made it so the very air was knives. I thought of home as I flew. Of my many lovers, male and female and of the tales they would write about my heroic deeds.

The dragon, clever as it was with its bright eyes, saw me coming towards it and bared its fangs in something that closely resembled a laugh. Fire played at the back of its throat, and it opened its mouth proper.

I, with all the strength in my body, pushed sword ahead of me so I became like an arrow shot. There might have been flames in the beast’s mouth, but in my heart there was an inferno far more potent than any fire it could muster.

It breathed death on me, and I felt the blade turn red-hot in my hands and noted how my skin strained under such immense heat, but I shrugged it off with ease. One cannot burn that already burns with hope and passion and love, after all.

Flames licking mine body and blade of my sword like fresh from the furnace, I shot across the sky. Meteors would be named after what I looked like that night.

It opened its mouth for another try of its breath, but that was its fatal mistake. I flew into its mouth, holding the blade ahead, and with my heat and pure strength of love, I came out on the other side of its skull, burning away its brain and its life.

I grabbed one of its horns and held fast as it plummeted to the earth. The battle was over, and since I jumped off at precisely the right time, I was not hurt at all and all my troops applauded me and celebrated me for the rest of the night...
 
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Jeroxia

We demons of our solemn hour
Good
Gerry and the Court of Heavenly Justice
I
The room was grey, as was everything in the Grey Lady’s court. She was sat on her throne-like chair, scales on a table in front of her, blade next to it, and her toneless gaze on I, the accused before her.

To her right was the harbinger of doom, the greedy one that would take the victim to his tormented hells as soon as he could; Skraag. To her left was the other, the one who always sought to take back to life the soul who had fallen; Shalherana. They respectively smiled at the accused, though one a little creepier than the other.

“Present yourself and your case,” said the Grey Lady in a most neutral manner.

“The name is Gerard McIvy,” said I. “And my case is to plead for another life as I have done naught to harm in my time.”

Skraag immediately laughed. “You are a liar, McIvy. A liar of the filthiest kind,” he growled as he licked his lip. “I love it.”

“Let him speak, perhaps his case is just,” said the Grey lady, laying her pale hands on the table. “Please do explain what you mean by having done no harm in your time,”

“I have never done harm to ones who haven’t sought to harm me, for one?” started I with a pause, and since I wasn’t immediately interrupted, I continued: “Besides this, I have yet to ever not dedicate myself to the court of love. Lady Sallana, if she might be here, would confirm this. I am a-”

The Grey Lady raised her hand and offered a wry smile. “If this might be so, let us bring her here to speak. We shall not take any of such statements for granted. That is not the way.”

As the lady spoke, a feather fell from the ceiling of the courtroom and landed next to me. It was pink and like a plume of a giant bird. Before it came to rest, though, it shifted and became the most beautiful form I have ever seen. A form that words, even mine, cannot express.

Sallana, lady of love, she spoke with a tongue like a melody that ears cannot comprehend: “Gerard McIvy, indeed, Is a devout follower of my way, Lady of Grey, and it comes to such, and he no longer gets to spread my love, I would plea he not go with Skraag to his hells, but comes to my garden where he might sing and write poetry and feel love for the rest of the days,”

“Thank y-” started the Grey Lady as Skraag, ever-mad, eyed Sallana with nasty fury.

“Was I done, bitch?” said Sallana, sudden temper. This shut up the Grey Lady, not easily startled by rage, and let the goddess continue: “Not only is little Gerry a devout follower, he is also a protector of the realm below. Is it not true he has risked his life to rescue hundreds, if not thousands of people? Has he not offered his life to tether himself to this plane so he might help others. He was the apple of my eye and of my picky heart, and out of love even greater than most can express, Gerry chose his love for the realm and its people over any other, even mine! And if he is not sent back- I will- I will-”

At this point, the court hall rumbled, and the stones to my left shifted into the form of a dwarf, hammer in hand. “Did ae hear my favourite halfling was being judged!? And why were I not invited! I have some things to say by mountain and hearth!”

The Grey Lady brought the palm of her hand to her face while Shalherana chuckled in glee. “Korog, you were not invited because you have nothing to do with this case.”

“Yes, Ae do!” said the stone born. “Now, let me expl-”

He did not get a chance to explain because by the honour of my bardship, I swear that the heavens themselves descended on the courtroom. Two women, one blonde with a shield and spear, and another with flaming red hair and golden eyes stormed through the doors. They were followed by a chuckling man whose clinking coin bag had a pleasant rhythm to it and a stern lady with a bow, antlers on her head. Then from the shadows and the mirrored windows appeared two darkened forms, the same wicked glee as Skraag, and all of them had something to say…
 
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Jeroxia

We demons of our solemn hour
Good
Part I of Gerry and the Court of The Grey Lady is up. I am having a little too much fun with these.
 
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