Fan Fiction ❯ The Sword of Paratyne ❯ Shadows of Evil ( Chapter 1 )

Hey! This is an original novel that I have been working on for a while. I hope that you enjoy it!

Chapter 1

Shadows of Evil

"Being a Marot has its advantages." Syrna thought as she snapped the neck of her assailant.

"I don't know a sword through the stomach works just as well." Caranot commented. Syrna had forgotten that her human brother was a telepath and had let her mental guard down.

"You're as annoying as a Myrnai that hasn't eaten in ten days." Syrna exclaimed. Caranot just laughed. He loved to torment his sister. "At any rate," Syrna continued," You should be concentrating on fighting, not bugging me."

"Sorry." murmured Caranot while striking off someone's head.

All this trouble had started about a year ago when Syrna had found that dirty old sword in her trunk. Caranot had commented earlier that day that the trunk, " Looks a little too tall for it's inside…" She opened it up and took out all her stuff. She searched the bottom of the trunk several times until she found a small knob she hadn't noticed before. When she pulled on it the bottom came up revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside was a painting of a mountain, a manuscript in a strange language, and a sword without a sheath. It was a simple sword, taking after the style of the samurai swords of the old human kingdoms on Earth. However, the blade itself was quite intricate. Runes had been carved along the blade and near the hilt had been set a design of a mountain with three stars over top. She marveled at its beauty and surmised that an elven smith had made it of old.

She did not know the name of mountain in the painting but it did look familiar. As for the manuscript she had a friend at the temple she trained at that might be able to help her. His name was Da' Kelt and he had become quite a master of languages, both dead and alive, over the years. Maybe he could decipher it.

The sword she liked, so she thought she'd keep it and see if Da' Kelt could tell her about the runes on the blade as well. She knew runes but these were of mysterious origin and she could not read them.

She decided that if she was going to keep the sword that she should try its edge against something. She started small with things like logs and bricks. Soon she was slicing through steel. There was one last test to put it through. She had a lump of palar; a substance even harder than diamond made with magic, that she had bought many years ago and decided to use it as the last test.

After a small snack, consisting of 2 whole chickens and a turkey, Syrna was ready. She gripped the handle tight, took a deep breath, cleared her mind and struck. She was amazed as the blade went though the palar like it was nothing. She stood awe struck for a moment, tucked the sword in her belt and decided that now would be an excellent time to visit Da' Kelt.

* * *

" It is unlike anything I have ever seen before." Da' Kelt mumbled staring at the sword's blade and running his fingers over the runes, "And yet it seems so familiar."

"I know." Syrna said," I felt the same way when I first saw the runes."

"I shall have to study them further if you wish them to be deciphered. If you could leave it with me for a couple of days I could probably decrypt them."

"I have this if you think it will help." So saying Syrna drew the manuscript from a pouch at her waist.

"Of course it will help! The larger the sample of a language I have the easier it is to translate. Come back in two days and I should be finished."

* * *

Two days later Syrna returned to the temple to speak with Da' Kelt. The minute she entered his chambers he burst out with, "I am so glad you've come just now! I think that I may have just figured out what the runes on the sword and in the manuscript say!"

"AND!"

"Well I realized shortly after you left that I HAD seen those runes before so I hurried down to the library to the rare section and took out this book." He then showed Syrna a beautiful leather-bound book with golden writing inside. The same as was on the sword and the manuscript. " It came with a rough translation so I used that, applied it to your sword and manuscript and got this."

This sword was used to defeat the Great Darkness. It was forged in Mount Kalea by the skillful hands of Paratyne Martuku. Wielded by these same hands it was the only thing that saved this world from eternal darkness. The history of The War of Great Deeds follows as told by Paratyne Martuku….

"Wow.", Syrna muttered.

"Yeah." Da' Kelt concurred.

"So I have a sword that was used to save the world"

"Yes, treat it with the uttermost care and reverence."

"No worries. I will treat it as if it was my life."

"It may very well be. From what I understand from the manuscript the sword forms a bond with the one who wields it. They become as one, each making the other stronger."

"Cool."