Alchor's Tome

[jackofallgeeks]

The book which lay before him was enormous, with a thick hard-leather cover and steal bindings. Arcane sigils which he could not make sense of were etched into the cracked leather, and a sturdy lock-latch lay over the front of the great tome. But the lock was unhooked, and the latch unhinged. He went to open it, slowly, hesitantly, and at his touch a vision flashed in his mind. For a moment he was suspended high over a vast land, looking down as though he were an eagle. Great stretches of plains and forests rolled before him, crashing against solid, unmoving mountains. He could see what seemed to be a great kingdom, and small villages spread out around it. To the south was a wide blasted land, where the trees grew gnarled and black, and the very land looked dead. For only a moment this vision burned into his mind, and then it was gone, leaving him gasping. His fingers shook as he curled them around the cover's edge, his heart pounding with both fear and anticipation. He lifted it but a breath's span and the book shot open by it's own power, the multitude of pages flipping past as though caught in a strong wind. The pages glowed, and he was consumed by a harsh blue light. More visions came. A great harbor at the blue seacoast, swarming with both sailors and pickpockets. Deep within the mountains, a great beast spewed fire into his darkened lair, red light glinting off untold treasures. High atop a cliff stood a figure, his black cloak billowing in the mountain-top gales, his hands outstretched, glowing with dark energies. A mighty castle engulfed in flames, the the surrounding town left in ruins. Two armies, one clad in white the other in red, charge towards each other with a deafening cry. Two aged old men sitting in a vast starry void, playing a game of chess with pieces that bleed. He slammed the book shut, his arms aching from effort, his head spinning as the visions lingered on the back of his eyes. The runes of the cover glowed brightly with mystic energy, slowly fading away. He could see things at the edge of his vision, things which vanished when he looked directly at them. The very air seemed to crackle. There is power in these words.

Comments

I liked it...

[serenabuny.livejournal.com]

But the last sentence needs to be the same tense as the rest, "was" instead of "is". "with all his might" Very cliche. "Two aged old men sitting in a vast starry void, playing a game of chess with pieces that bleed." I really like this! That's an cool image!...

w00+ yeah!

[jackofallgeeks.livejournal.com]

-nods- Grammar was always my strong point in school, believe it or not. I knew you would point that out, and as one artist to another, I ask you only think about why I broke that rule in the last line.

Good point on the 'with all his might' phrase -- I'll change that.

And yes, that was my favorite image too! In particular the 'with pieces that bleed' part. You have no IDEA how hard it was to hold back on writing it for so long (in the piece)! All in all I'm very pleased with this piece -- and I'm surprised it came out so long!

[violetmay.livejournal.com]

^_^ Sounds like the start of a novel to me.... now, place your character in this world and let it run with itself...