A Short Story By Kiln The Wanderer, First Fan Fiction...be gentle... Options

[Kiln]

Momentarily Kiln talked to the guard about living conditions in the prison but the topic quickly turned on the journal and where he had gotten it. Before they talked any longer Kiln asked the man his name. The man told him that his name was York and he had been searching for his father for years trying to find what had happened to him.

It was not his real father as he was adopted and did not know his parents.
Obviously Kiln had no idea what had happened to the young dark elf's father...or did he?

The guard told him that his father had kept a journal for a long time but he was arrested and his journal was left at home, while in prison they took his father a new journal, it was small and red like the one Kiln carried with him.

He explained that he had tried talking to his father but the brutal way the guards had taken him had left him without memory of years of his life, "He didn't even recognize me." York sighed

Kiln was confused but then thought for a moment and realized that maybe Tiren was York's father, and he asked where he had lived. York told him that his father had been arrested in the Imperial city and moved to a prison elsewhere but they would not release where.

Kiln talked to York even longer and he learned exactly what had brought him to Morrowind. York had joined the Imperial guards so he could view the transfer records of his father and track him down, but he found that the lower ranks weren't allowed to view the files so he would have to get promoted several times.

Trying anything to get promoted, York volunteered to serve in one of the worst places anyone could serve, Solthseim. While on Solthseim he managed to find the records for his father by pure luck.

Unfortunately for York his term was not yet up and he would be forced to serve as a guard on Solthseim for two more years. So he began to do anything within his power to be discharged from active duty. York wouldn't tell Kiln what he had done but it couldn't have been too bad as York laughed about it when he recalled the event.

So he traveled to the port where his father had been released and stayed hot on his trail for some time until suddenly people saw him less and less. Some said he had been adventuring into the wilderness and killing the Dagoths and freeing slaves from bandits.

Kiln was very confused, he had lived in Morrowind all of his life but he did not recall hearing anything of Tiren. York was about to continue telling him something but one of the guards yelled at him and he left.

Kiln had forgotten to ask him one thing that had been bothering him, why had Tiren been imprisoned?

Chance had led York to Kiln, but Kiln was completely unsure of what would happen next.
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Yup I like this one, what do you guys think?

[Soulseeker3.0]

I like it too you get some back round and all that mysterious stuff.

[Kiln]

Kiln wondered how a simple blow to the head would've destroyed Tiren's memory, it must have been some beating he took but why would he be freed in Morrowind if he had committed a horrible crime?

His cell was small and the bathrooms in the cells consisted of a small water bucket. He had eaten the horrible mystery meal they had served him and now he was feeling sick.

He leaned over and became uncontrollably sick, expelling breakfast onto the floor. It was terrible in prison and when someone came to clean the cells they did it one at a time to avoid a revolt. Just because your cell was dirty didn't mean it would be cleaned. The cells were only cleaned on designated days and today was not one of them.

The smell of the prison was becoming less noticable though. The prisoners were led into the courtyard once a day to exercise, during the exercise though the guards formed a large group around the arch in the wall to prevent escapes.
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Sorry to leave off so suddenly, I will write more later today.

[Soulseeker3.0]

'k

[minque]

my my....updates! nice really nice, lots of (nasty) details....oh I like it....you update very often...that´s good

[Kiln]

The courtyard was filled with men just talking and moving around. The rock throwing games were the most common and guards patrolled the courtyard. There was no grass or trees or anything around pleasing to the eyes, just brown dirt.

The rock throwing game looked interesting but something else caught Kiln's eye. It was the group of men that was being led out of the courtyard outside of the fort's walls.

Kiln asked the man that occupied the cell across from him why the men were being led out of the fort, the big Breton told him that prisoners with exceptional skill at something may be chosen my the warden for a special service.

The man led Kiln away from the rest of the prisoners and explained to him that if someone with certain skills was noticed then he might be hand picked by the warden to undertake a task. Word had apparently flown around the ward that the tasks are things that the guards aren't able to do by law so they have prisoners do them instead.

Kiln's attention had been grabbed. The man said that prisoners who survived and completed their tasks usually had an unnoticed escape a few days afterwards.
With all the money that Kiln owed his only chance of getting out by the end of the month might be to get noticed and picked by the warden.

So when they returned him to his cell and served dinner he bragged to the officers about his exceptional swordsmanship skills. The guards laughed at him and taunted him by repeatedly asking why he hadn't fought the guards. Kiln simply told them that he wasn't a fool and he would never fight that many guards at once.

The guards laughed and shrugged off his bragging but he continued to persist and annoy the guards, even going so far as to make up stories about times he had killed famous swordfighters.

Finally he got what he wanted, one of the guards challenged him to prove his skills in the courtyard tomorrow afternoon and Kiln accepted. The fight however, was to the death.

Kiln felt the weight of his decision take it's toll, he had killed few people in his entire lifetime and they had been shoddy swordsmen. Kiln was afraid and since the guard looked young maybe he didn't have much skill as a swordsman.

Regardless of his fear he would fight the man tomorrow in the courtyard, it was his only chance of being noticed by the warden. Kiln was too afraid to read the journal right now so he just lied down and fell into a deep sleep.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 19 2005, 05:05 AM

[Kell-Reevor]

I also like your easy to read writing style. Very interesting story so far, and it seems like it might be a long one. Will be looking forward to an update.

[Soulseeker3.0]

very interesting Kiln

[Kiln]

Yup the short story is pretty much out the window...
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It seemed as if he had just fallen asleep and it was morning roll call already. They called everyones name and woke them up for breakfast. The guards that woke him this morning gave him a wicked grin and wished him luck in the fight today.

How had he forgotten? He was to fight a guard today during afternoon exercise.
The officers who would likely disagree with holding the fight were taken out for a nice dinner at Balmora so they wouldn't find out about any of it.

Breakfast was the same every day and the taste got old quickly but at least it started to taste better. All through his meal he thought of how he would beat the brute of a man but it would be impossible to see his strategy until the actual fight.

He was taken from his cell a few minutes after eating breakfast.

"The man you will fight today has been allowed to practice with a sword and he wished for us to allow you to do the same." a guard told him

"Thank you." Kiln said relieved

"Don't thank me...thank the man that'll be killin ya later." The man laughed

Kiln didn't find it funny because it could be the cold reality setting in. He didn't know how his opponent would fight and he was pretty afraid to lose his own life.

He entered the courtyard where a few dummies filled with hay were hanging. He felt dumb practicing blocking and jabbing with a straw figure but anything to hone his skills before the fight.

He practiced letting an imaginary blade slide off his chestplate by quickly lifting his right arm out of the way and turning his chest away from the blade. He hoped that using this in actual combat would confuse and intimidate his opponent. After grueling practice he was sent back inside for possibly his final meal.
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I think I just found a way to make the story short...

[Soulseeker3.0]

LOL good luck to Kiln

[Kiln]

Warning: This one is long...
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Kiln ate as if he would never eat again and the guards even gave him a second plate of the horrible food which he was starting to get used to. The taste is bad but it's the smell that gets ya, that's what all the guards said but of course they didn't eat the prison food.

It was time for the afternoon exercise now and time for the big fight. Kiln was led ahead of the other prisoners into the courtyard. There was a huge ring of rocks in the middle of the courtyard and he was forced into it.

Guards gathered as their representative walked into the ring and the prisoners cheered on Kiln and said their goodbyes, it was clear that the prisoners believed he would die but he was not discouraged. One man stood out away from the others on neither side of the ring but he stood in the middle.

He was the officer that gave people their tasks. He began announcing to the others, yelling over the crowd,

"This is to be a fight to the death by honorable challenge from our fellow officer Precinius to the imprisoned thief Kiln. Kiln has accepted his challenge." The man said

Kiln gulped in a full breathful of air, the guard was no doubt intimidating to him but the fight would have to happen regardless.

"Present the men with their weapons! Remember the rules, fighters do not exit the ring and prisoners so not enter the ring! Anyone who chooses to violate these rules will be put to death."

How had fights like this gone unnoticed by the ranks that were not corrupt...maybe there were none as nearly the entire garrison had showed up, excluding the high ranking and honorable officers which apparently were few.

A man brought Kiln his sword and a suit of armor much like that of the other guard's armor. At least this fight was to be fair. Kiln suited up as his opponent got ready.

Kiln stretched out his arm and the guard took his hand and shook it.

"Begin!" The warden yelled

Kiln had not yet removed his hand from that of the other contender, and the man's face changed to a horrid grin. He twisted Kiln's arm with such force it took him to his knees and he spat in his face.

Kiln was so surprised he didn't know how to react. The guard lifted his arms in the air absorbing all of the attention whilst Kiln got back to his feet. The shield he had been given was a great advantage for him, he was quite good with shields of it's size.

Pricinius swung his blade but Kiln lifted his shield and let it flow with the blade throwing his opponent off balance. Taking advantage of the opening Kiln jabbed his blade for his side but the armor was too strong there and the blade slid off.

Pricinius laughed and came at him a second time, swinging and missing. The prisoners laughed at him as he continued to swing at Kiln, his blows were connecting but they were connecting with the shield.

Kiln looked for weakspots in his armor concluding that he would have to strike for the chain parts of the armor where very little was exposed. Percinius swung for Kiln's head but he ducked it and sliced for his leg, barely missing his mark.

The two continued to circle each other in the ring for some time, Percinius realised that he had underestimated Kiln and if he started paying more attention. He jabbed at Kiln but he moved with the blade as he had practiced and once again Percinius stumbled forward.

This time Kiln drew his elbows and hit him in the back with full force, knocking him to the ground. Kiln drew back to land the finishing blow as Percinius arose with a handfull of fresh dirt throwing it into Kiln's eyes.

Percinius swung at Kiln again but he missed and cut in half a torch sticking up from the ground.

Kiln stumbled and felt something hit him in the back knocking him down. The man took his sword and kicked it to the side. Kiln sat on his knees awaiting the final blow.

Percinius smiled a dark smile as he drew back and brought the sword down towards Kiln. Kiln rolled to the side and grabbed the cut torch and stabbed him with the cut part, the diagonal cut had made it the perfect weapon. Kiln rushed towards the guard and jabbed the stake under his arm, bringing him completely to the ground.

Kiln turned away, he couldn't kill him even after what had happened. He heard footsteps behind him, Percinius was making one final move. The sword swung to the left and Kiln moved right, stabbing him once again with the stake and like that, it was over.

The guard was dead and the guards rushed all the prisoners back to their cells. Kiln lied down on the bedroll tired and sweaty. One of the guards congratulated him and told him that the warden requested a meeting with him tomorrow.

Kiln was relieved but killing the man had taken it's toll on him and he did not sleep well.
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I'd like to find out whether people though the fight scene was too long or what...I don't do them often and I'm not sure how good it was.

[minque]

Ahhh you are good at fight scenes as well as the other stuff......very good and sooo frequent updates..yayyyy it´s getting more and more exciting...

[Soulseeker3.0]

good very good, at first I was afrad you would make it a one way battle (him missind KIln and Kiln always fitting him) but instead you made it a good balanced battle.

[Kiln]

I'd like to start this part of the story by thanking everyone who has read my story and especially those who have posted what they think of it, feedback is always welcomed. BTW does anyone know how to perfectly spell that fort guy, Larrius Varro's name? I can't remember and I want this to be accurate.
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Kiln awoke easily the next morning to the roll call, he was getting the hang of the schedule and it came quite easily to him. Breakfast had been putrid the first day he had arrived but now it wasn't half bad to him.

After breakfast the guards opened his cell and led him downstairs into the living quarters of the fort to speak to the warden. When the warden saw him enter he extended his hand and shook with Kiln. The man was nice and polite, he introduced himself as Larrius Varro.

The man said he wanted to speak with him about doing a little deed for him and Kiln agreed to listen.

"In the fight yesterday I saw that you had a decent skill with the blade...I might could use your help. I'd like to make an agreement with you for our mutual benefit if you would be willing to listen." Larrius explained

"Alright, what did you have in mind?" Kiln asked

Larrius explained it as if it were a story it started with a noble lawman who wanted to stop a bad criminal ring but very powerful people protected their organization from the law.

This caused a problem for the lawman and it was not in his power to stop them so sometimes laws must be bent to keep the peace. With every detail it seemed as if Larrius grew more and more insane.

Kiln kept listening even though he was becoming more and more weary of the man. The man explained that the lawman in the story said a little prayer and wished a little bloodbath would happen to cleanse away the bad people. Then he added that the one to answer his prayers was Kiln.

Kiln was officially creeped out, but he continued to listen to the ramblings of the corrupt Imperial.

The Imperial wanted Kiln to help cleanse the bad people from balmora, these people were of the Commona Tong and were causing problems in town.

He informed Kiln that if something were to happen to the bad people in Balmora then he would see to it that Kiln made an unnoticed escape from the prison, Larrius also told him that he will inform the public that they were mistaken in arresting him so he could go about his life without any problems with the law.

Kiln was told to find out who the bad people were and kill them. Kiln told him he would need some time to think it over and he was returned to his cell.

He didn't like the idea of killing people just because an Imperial guard said so but he didn't know what might happen if he refused. Trying to take his mind off of the events he sat in the corner and opened the journal.
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This post is huge so I'll add the journal entry and more on a different one.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 21 2005, 12:56 AM

[Kell-Reevor]

Good as usual.

Very descriptive fight scene.

Sorry, thats all i got for now

[Fuzzy Knight]

Good.. good written fighting scenes too, at least that u can update your story so fast and the story always pretty well written with lots of detailes etc. keep it up!

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job don't know how to spell the guy's name though

[Kiln]

Kiln sat opening the journal to the last page he had read.

"I've arrived at the bank of the river to have a look at my reflection. This will be the first time I've seen my own face that I can remember."

Kiln stopped reading and thought of how strange it must be to have no idea about what your appearance is. Amused with what he had read he continued on.

"When I looked into the water it was like meeting someone for the first time...in a way I had met myself...strange when I think about it."

Kiln closed the journal, as it was afternoon exercise time and the prisoners were taken to the courtyard, Larrius approached him and greeted him,

"Hello Kiln how has have the guards treated you of late?"

He thought for a moment and the guards had in fact been treating him alot better than when he had arrived, had it been because of Larrius' order or was it that he had killed Percinius? He wondered and soon replied to the imperial,

"Better actually I've been treated quite well lately and I was given more to eat than usual."

Larrius seemed pleased and the direction of the conversation changed.

"So have you decided on helping me finish my little story?" Larrius asked him

Kiln wasn't inclined to help him but he agreed to do as he asked. He hadn't actually decided yet but he would lead Larrius along until it was impossible, he figured it would be best not to have the warden to be mad at him.

Varro was quite pleased with his decision and told him that when others were selected to help him, he would be released to eliminate the "bad people" as he called them.

Thinking back he could remember one person that had wanted to be selected for a special assignment. The man in the cell acrossed from him, who went by the name of Jinx had hoped to be noticed for his skills in elemental magics. Kiln mentioned his name and excused himself.

He was off to try out his accuracy in one of the rock throwing games before returning to his cell.

[Soulseeker3.0]

good job Kiln

[Fuzzy Knight]

Great Kiln.. Keep it up!