Stories : The saga of Vashanna killer angel

Lineage2 tale by 537173293_Inactive, 2005-07-22T10:16:00.0000000. Reads: 1234

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Surrounded by boisterous siblings and loving parents Vashanna lived her life withjoy and anticipation of what gift the next day would bring.  She as the eldest child worked with her father tending their livestock, mending fences and farming . She and her father hunted the cloud shrouded mountains of Thor, her clans ancient god. In her leisure time she fished its clear streams for trout, or practiced the basic crafts of  war together with her father. No self respecting female of her clan was helpless. The daughters of Thor had many tales of shield maidens who not only fought beside their men ,but in many cases were legends in their own right. The peace her clan had known for centuries was about to be broken . For the last several years stories had come from the dwarves ,who traded marvelous weapons , armor and jewelry for the raw materials harvested and mined from the resource rich island. Marauders of all races were on the march. Clans comprised of honorless individuals who's sole desire was destruction and plunder of those weaker than themselve's. These so far had only been stories for Talking Island had known peace for several generations, at least from the human beasts. It was by no means safe as the island had its share of monsters werewolves, giants spiders orcs and many more had been pushed back into the mountains time and again. Only to strike without warning the unwary homestead or traveler. A massive storm had been brewing throughout the day as the thunder heads piled high, the clouds a sickly blue green and the ocean leaden  in color . The farm animals had been skitish all day and Vashanna and her father a towering man and still possessing the massive slabs of muscle from his youth herded the livestock into their barn for the night. With the distant mutter of thunder from the mountain retreat of Thor they went in the cottage for supper. No sooner had the door closed than Thor unleashed his hammer and smote the mountain tops with streaming tendils of fire. The thunder boomed like war drums gone mad and the wind howled like a thousand demons. As the wind blasted thru the window her father staggered across the room to close  the shutters. Thru the window Vashanna could see the waves towering  green mountains topped with the white sea horses racing across their crests. The house shook and groaned beneath Thors fury as he smote heaven and earth alike with his hammer.She and her family huddled together for comfort , for who knew what could happen when the gods played? When suddenly the door to their cottage burst open. Backlit by the lightening wracked heavens warriors represented by all the races charged into her home. Bearing daggers,swords,spears axes, and bows they begin to systematically butchered those she loved . Her younger brother a cherub faced four year old was the first to die, as a hulking orc neatly split him in two with a causal swing of a monsterous battle axe. Roaring his rage Vashanna's father became like the battle beserkers of legend. He charged a dark elf and tossed him as if he were a mere babe into the packed warriors. Grabbing the fallen dark elve's dagger he bowled into the massed group yelling for his family to flee. (To be continued)

As her mother grabbed her younger sister in her arms and whirled to flee a black fletched  arrow punched thru  her back bursting thru Vashanna's  mother and protruding from her sisters back, its jagged head dripping gore.Her mother sank to her knees a silent plea in her eye's to Vashanna as the light left her eyes and she toppled in a heap on her side still clutching her daughter to her breast. The archer a heavily stubbled human grinned and knocked another arrow to his bow. Vashanna stared mesmerized as the heavily barbed arrow head swung towards her. Bellowing his clan's ancient battle cry her father swept up in the rage of a beserkers fury almost seperated the bowmens head from his shoulders with a mighty swipe of his dagger. Her dreamlike state broken she turned to flee, but not before seeing a sword slide into her fathers side and a heavy war spear punch thru his back and sprout from his chest. Her father a warrior known for his prowness in battle against the many mosters in the island performed as the legendary heroes of old. Grabbing the warriors  arm while he was sliding its blood slickened length from his side he wrenched the arm upwards . The arm shattered with a splintering sound, and the nerveless fingers released the sword. He grabbed the blade dripping with his blood and jammed it over his shoulder into the throat of a the astonished dwarf still clutching the spear buried in his body. Thru lips dripping blood he roared VASHANNA FLEE !AVENGE US! Then the mighty warrior toppled with a crash to the floor. Sprinting thru the door into the safety of the night she fled into a world torn assunder by Thor's fury. The wind moaned about her with a eerie sound and the rain began to fall in blinding sheets ocassionally backlit by fickering lightening and booming thunder. As if Thor, Oden & the other gods wept and raged in the heavens for the insult done to their faithful. Her feet knew the paths that she fled over pleading with her god Thor. "Avenge my family and I will be your servant". Ever upwards she flew over the paths fleet as a young doe. With  their lack of knowledge she posessed over the terrain she traveled the pursuers never had a chance of catching her. Almost without realizing it she ended up at a rocky outcropping jutting from the mountains side. In happier days Vashanna and  her father had used the cave behind her many times on their forays into the mountains for game. Suddendly below her when  night turned to day in a blue white flash of lightening her pursuers appeared a merre hundred yards below her. How could this be ? The next flash revealed the answer to her question as a orc mage sketched as sign into the air and the raiding party moved without hesitation into her direction. (To be continued)