The Gift Scroll

[tulkas]

Please don't take this thread as though I was giving up on "The Story". I just want something entirely serious.

This story has no plot in my mind, but will follow the same idea of "The Story" The only thing I have is that you somehow include, though not in every post, the title, or the Gift Scroll. As for now, I have no idea what it is.

OK
HERE WE GO...

In the land of Zodiac...The Isthmus of Zodiac to be specific, There was a country called Vroenguard. The capital of Vroenguard was a city known as Valor. This City was great. Large in size yet, it thrived on primarily the smallest businesses, as there was so many of them.
In with many other buildings in the lower part of the city, there was a small house. Yet hardly a house at all. More of a hut to describe its size and appearance. The roof was straw and it was dwarfed by the size of the buildings around it. Yet in this night, it let off a brilliance above all the other buildings...The roof was ablaze! Yet it was not from the inside, it was of outside the wall....

Valor was being invaded!

...Yeah we'll see if this one flies... I hope it does!

[karenee]

Maren rolled over and rubbed his eyes as the shouts of soldiers on the wall disturbed his slumber. A roar and crash as something broke through his roof, setting the straw ablaze in its passage, brought him to complete awareness with a sudden jolt. He jumped to his feet, stamping at the flames for a moment before realizing his home was doomed. The path to the door was nearly cut off.

He paused for only a moment to snatch something from beneath his sleeping mat. The object caught the light of the inferno and blazed like a beacon in the eerie glow of the street before he stooped over it and muffled its light in his shabby rag of a cloak, hurrying into the shadows as the street erupted into panic-stricken chaos.

[tulkas]

In the street, it was literal panic. Meran was part of it he knew, yet he didn't like it. He had known this was going to happen, but he hadn't wanted to believe it. Now that it was happening, it felt like a dream. He needed to save it. That's all that he thought of.

He stumbled and caught himself. He began to cough. More buildings were on fire now. He new only one way out of the city, but he was pretty sure it would be closed. Meran knew he had to get out though.
"Over the wall," he thought. Yes, he had to get over the wall in order to save it...

[sarahpenycat]

Cluching at the precious item, he began making his way towards the perimeter of the city. All the while a strange sensation grew in him. A weight began to press on his chest, as if he was still in the midst of the fire he had just narrowly escaped. Ignoring the feeling he trudged on. The mass of humanity fleeing the blaze ground to a halt. Taller than most of the of the crowd by at least a head, Meran peared into the darkness but only the flickering from the distant blaze illuminated those before him. Barely able to breathe now, Meran stopped and knelt down in the doorway of a shop. He looked back at the inferno and knew that he would have to reach the wall by another route. Suddenly, a sweet breeze washed over him and the weight was lifted from his chest. Gulping in the air, not understanding but knowing that something greater was at work Meran clutched at his cargo and set forth again.

(Side note: I've never done this before so forgive any mistakes...it looked like fun though.)

[karenee]

(Eh, glad to have any newbies! It isn't that hard... you just keep the story going like you would want it to in a book you read.)

A massive explosion blew the wall inward, just ahead. He staggered back, clutching his bundle convulsively. Too little time remained. A rush of dark forms poured through the gap, slaughtering the frenzied population without hesitation. He was cornered. There could be no passing through. Behind him the fire closed in. A soldier saw him and ran forward, sword raised.

Meran ducked behind a broken wall and unwrapped the Treasure with shaking hands. He had not been trained in its use, yet he could not allow it to fall into the hands of King Vitak or Grundaer, who now attacked his brother's stronghold without consideration for the people he desired to rule. He had waited too long, hoping the brothers would come to an agreement, and now he would have to risk everything to save it.

Pure light poured out, overwhelming the dull glow of the fires and illuminating the square with sharp brilliance, the battle stopped. Jaws dropped, all turned to see the source. As Meran raised the Treasure to his head, a shout went up.

"The Crown! The Emperor's Crown!"

With a roar, the soldiers charged toward this new goal.

[Child of Immanuel]

"Stop!" shouted Meran. His accursed voice was trembling, but he kept going. "Would you attack your crowned Emperor?" A few of the soldiers slowed, but the majority kept on.

[karenee]

Seeing he would have to use the crown or die, Meran closed his eyes and settled the circlet on his forehead. A tingling sensation swept his body as he looked to the sky and prayed a quick prayer for wisdom. On the day the mysterious stranger had crowned him, he had been told to escape the city and go to the Forest of Fletchar to find one who would teach him to rule. What he was about to try was based on legend, only. Would it work?

He opened his eyes to a new world. There lay the square, littered with bodies and debris, and the soldiers, still charging forward through the stunned populace, but he could now see the intentions of every face he looked upon. Most were trapped in a near mindless state of surprise, and the rest were swept with greed, desiring the crown for themselves.

Shocked, he opened his mouth to order everyone to halt, even as the desire to escape this burning ruin and be someplace safe poured through him. As he spoke, the square vanished and he staggered forward into a moonlit clearing. His weak, "Halt!" dropped into the sudden silence and faded to nothing. Tree shadows waved gently against the starry sky, and a soft wind brushed his blistered arms, erasing the unbearable heat that lingered on his skin.

Nearby, a dark pool mirrored the moon. Meran ran forward, discarding his smoking cloak and plunged into its depths. Refreshed and amazed, he lay back and watched the night, trying to understand what had happened. Reaching up, he attempted to remove the crown, but found that it had bonded to his head.

"Once Emperor, always Emperor," he whispered. Could it be true? Had the crown become a part of him as the stories claimed? How had he, of all the men in the kingdoms, come to be chosen?

As his hand rested on the band, he felt it melt down into his skin. Shuddering, he sat up and felt his head again. The crown was gone.

[sarahpenycat]

As he lay in the water gazing towards the glittering sky Meran felt a stillness settle over the clearing. Wanting for the peace of the place to melt into him, as the crown just had, he relaxed in the water. Breathing deeply he simply floated.

A sudden splash to his left caused him to start and in the quickness of movement he went under. Unlike most of his kind, Meran did not fear water. Instead of fighting against the current his body had created he allowed his body to naturally right itself. While he was submerged a small part of his mind saw it necessary to wonder if the scroll would have been harmed by the water.

Upon breaking the surface he looked around and saw a figure standing on the shore and called out, "Peace be with you."

[karenee]

He felt for his cloak on the grass and could not find it.

"Here is your cloak, Your Highness." Soft and deep in the stillness, the stranger's voice called to mind the vast power of an ocean storm, reigned in with the wisdom of the ages.

Meran wrung out the dripping tatters of his tunic and stepped out of the pool, taking the cloak from the pale hand that proffered it. Flinging it around his shoulders, he felt the hidden pocket carefully. A muffled crackle reassured him. The scroll was safe, and still dry in spite of his splashing. Carefully, he held that portion of the cloak out from his body and turned to greet his visitor.

[tulkas]

Meran was struck with awe. He stood at the feet of a great Centaur; The upper body of a man in the place of a horses head. He had not noticed this when he had taken his cloak.
"Who..Who are you?" he asked in his raspy voice. He wasn't prepared for any answer really.
"I Am one who will train you to your duties your Majesty. I Am the one you will know as a friend yet an Elder. I Am the one that will guide you after you have been trained."

All of this was too much for Meran. He sat down, as was his custom when confused. "What... Who. Then what is your name?"
"I have many names," said the Centaur. "some call me Father. Others Friend. And even others, Lord."
"What may I call you?" asked Meran.
"What would you like to call me?"
Meran thought. He knew not who this was, but he had to know. He seemed to know but could not bring it to his memory.
"Abba," he whispered. "You are Abba..."

[karenee]

The manifestation melted away, as the voice echoed in his mind. "Study the scroll, it will guide you. Listen carefully for me to speak, for my voice may not always be as clear as it is tonight. To all those who ask me for wisdom, I grant their petition in full measure.

You are my chosen. You will be known as Meron the Wise so long as you listen to me. Go now, into the forest as you were told. I will send my prophet to instruct you."

Meron lifted his head and stared into the night.

[tulkas]

He fell into sleep. He remembered no dream. He awoke to the place he was when he fell to sleep. He tried to remember what had happened the night before to bring him to this place. It dawned, just as the sun in that moment. He quikly reached into his hidden pcket to find the scroll. He pulled it out. It was small. Bound in a ribon of greyish silver, it was made of animal skin. He had never untied it before. He didn't know what to expect.

"Should I read it now or wait?" he thought to himself. "Now."

He untied the ribon. He unrolled the scroll. He saw nothing inside.

[karenee]

Silently, he rolled the scroll and tucked it back into his cloak. He would seek this prophet. Perhaps he would find some answers there.

Hesitating for a moment, he looked into the pool. Where had the crown gone? Emblazoned on his forehead like silver fire, he saw a star, perfectly formed. The Emperor's mark! It was all true, then. Wrapping his cloak closely about him, he walked into the forest in the direction indicated by his visitor the night before.

In his head a litany began to repeat. "The more you listen, the more you will see... the more you see, the more you will understand... the more you understand, the more you will follow... and the more you follow, the more you will listen." Could this be what Abba had meant when he told Meron to listen?

[cree8ivone]

A large red hawk watched Meron head into the forest. It nodded its head in approval and flew off in the same direction.

[tulkas]

The hawk followed Meran some distance. It flew silently with precision and grace. It perched on a Beach to observe Meran.

Meran was confused. The direction Abba had told him to go was an uncertain thing; many times it was blocked and others, the path was non-existent. He wandered on. Hopeless as it seemed.

The hawk continued to follow. Slowly. Gracefully.

Meran began to become frustrated. He hated having to climb through brush like this.

The hawk began to swoop closer. It was accustomed to flying among trees.

Meran tripped.

The Hawk dived in.