Steem Monsters Rare Card Fantasy Story Contest! // Week 4 - Tyrus

in #steemmonsters5 years ago

Still managed to write a tale for Tyrus! At the deadline... but here it goes!

Flavour text:


I am the guardian of the kingdom, the carrier of Light. No evil shall enter Khymeria during my watch!


The Battle


I could see the concern on the old summoner's face. He didn't believe I was ready, I thought.

For over 10 years, I had been his shadow.

Since very little I favoured books over toys, and was fascinated by the realms of magic and conjuring. I'd spend the days wandering around the library, and trying to get my hands in any fantasy book I could.

“You should be playing with your friends outside, instead of stuffing your head in those damn books!”, my father would say. He was a palladin, a huge man, strong as a bull, and eager for me to follow his steps. Unfortunately, I was more like my mother: short, fragile... I could never be a warrior, let alone a palladin. So, despite my father's efforts to change my mind, at eleven I was accepted at the academic's guild, where only two years later one of the senior summoners took interest in me. I remember him staring at me for a long time in one of the leisure times between classes, and when I was already feeling unease, he called me.

“Come here, lad”, He shouted, pointing his hand at me. And when I got nearer, before I had a chance to speak, he just told me: “Do me a favour, and hold my staff for a second, will you?”.

So I did. And when a faint glow appeared in the top of the staff, he smiled. “I knew it. From now on, you'll be my apprentice.”


He told me later that that glow meant a calm spirit and a pure heart, conditions that were essential to the summoning process. “I've seen many young ones wanting to become summoners. Some don't have the necessary skills, but even for those who do, becoming a summoner is hard work; and most don't suceed. I had my eye on you for a while, and now I'm sure you are skilled... let's find out if you have everything else a summoner needs.”

And since then, I folowed him. He pushed me harder than what I thought it was possible. I knew the training was hard, but never like that. “It wont be so calm when you're facing a whole army, or a raging beast”, he used to say, “And if you can't keep a stillness in your heart, you're no more summoner than a piece of wood. You'll die, and your army with you.”

I was a dedicated student. I endured all the harsh words, the days of deprivation of sleep, or any kind of rest, and I felt ready. But those had been times of peace... until now.


The week before, a messenger arrived from one of the outer towns. One of its outposts had been razed to the ground... no survivors. A small army was stationed in the town already, but a summoner was requested. And so we went. Maybe it would finally be the day my skills would be tested, I thought.

But as we were about to reach our destination, the summoner's words proved right, the ones that were echoing in my mind. “It wont be so calm when you're facing a whole army, or a raging beast”.

When the ambush came, we barely made it alive, and the old summoner was badly injured. Remembering those minutes, I couldn't believe how fast he was, conjuring golems, rasing shields, casting spells... as I almost didn't react; if it were only up to me, we would have been killed.

The divine healers took care of him, when we reached the town. That had been two days ago. The wounds were deep, but he would live.

And now, there I was, facing him, looking at his concerned face as his eyes jumped between me and the knight was telling us the dreaded news.

“The ones that ambushed you were but a minor part of a huge group; probably the same that razed the outpost. It seems the rumours are true, Khymeria is being invaded... and they'll reach the town in two days, if they they are not stopped before.” “We can't let that happen. It's impossible to take everyone out of here, our only hope is to stop them at Barad-Ur outpost, the last one standing between them and the town, and fight them on the open field. Summoner... we need you. And your apprentice. The are a few hundreds, and probably outnumber us 2 to 1. With the help of the elementals, we stand a chance. Can you helps us, in your current state?”

The old summoner looked at me one last time, before answering. “I doubt my capacities now, but my apprentice is here too. We will be ready... there's no other way.”

“Thank you. I'll come for you in an hour, we must go to the outpost today. Farewell.”

Would we be ready? … would I be ready?

The summoner spoke.

“I can see what's on your mind. You think I doubt your skills. I don't; you have learned everything you need to do even the highest summonings.... but you still need a calm mind and heart. And I wished we would have more time to help you train that without a life or death situation, and these odds... but I'm afraid, time of training has gone.”

“I froze at the ambush... I failed you then. But I won't fail you now. ”

He gave a faint smile. “I will stand by you. I'll guide you, I can't be much of a help at my current state. But should you fail, should we fail... we will fail this town and all its inhabitants as well.”


We parted to the outpost shortly after. I could see my master was in a lot of pain, but he tried to hide it as best as he could.

“Rest what you can.” Said the knight, as we arrived. “I've received the report from my scouts. The small army grows, and they will be here not long after first light. We will meet them a few hundred meters ahead, in the open field. There's a small elevation in the terrain we can use in our advantage. If we fail... God help us all.”

I looked him in the eyes. “We will be ready.” I told him.

The next morning, my heart froze as we reached the field. A couple hundred Khymians were ready to fight. Palladins and Warriors, with their swords and spears shining with the rising sun, as Knights came back and forth, forming the ranks.

But in the other end of the field... tall dark figures stood, together with a multitude of beasts. Even huge cyclops!

I felt the hand of the old summoner in my shoulder.

“Breathe, and clear your mind. Our strenght resides in close combat... but our troops have to reach our foes to do it. It's up to us to protect them, Tyrus. Follow your heart... you ARE ready.”

I felm a sensation of calm. And for brief moments, I felt confident. I started the conjuring, and here and there, the golems started to rise, as the Knight commander spurred his steed to the end of the field, and the foot troops followed. First slowly, but starting to pick up pace.

The opposing army started the advance too.

And then the battle cry came. At the commander's voice, the knight's horses picked up pace, and the foot troops started to run.

But the beasts stopped. And when I saw the cyclops preparing to throw the boulders and the archers getting ready to launch, my heart almost missed a bit.

The hand in my shoulder gripped tighter.

“You are a being of light. Protect our souldiers.”


And so I did.

“FOR KHYMERIAAAAA!”

I raised the staff, and as it stomped the ground, a wave of light rushed forward, up to the very first knight. I watched, as the boulders and arrows rained down on the troops, only to drift to the ground without causing any harm.

The shield had worked!

My magic wasn't powerfull to protect them from a second round, thought. Many souldiers fell, but by then the first knights had pierced the attacker's ranks, and the true fight had begun.

For what seemed hours, I stood in the little hill, seeing the battle unfold as I summoned elementals and feral spirits, trying to even the odds. And for a little while, no one knew who would win.

Until they came.

A beam of light came straight from the sky, lifting to life a fallen knight, gaving him a second chance to fight. And as I sensed the warmth in my back and dared to look back and take my eyes of the battle for a split second, there they were.

They were only two, hovering in mid air, glowing in the sun as they healed our troops, inspiring them to fight; I had only read about the angels of light... but they couldn't be anything else.

At the end of the morning, the battle was won. The attacker troops were scattered and fleeing, but the toll was big.

The old summoner could barely stand in his feet by then. But he still had strenght to smile.

“You made me proud today, Tyrus. You still have a long road ahead, but I'll be there to guide you... Summoner.”


From that day, any doubt I had in my heart vanished. I know more battles are coming, but I'll be ready.

Khymeria needs me now. And here I stand.

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Este post recebeu 10.19% de upvote da conta @steemitportugal!
Obrigado por fazeres parte da comunidade @steemitportugal .


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This was a pretty fun story. Glad I stopped by to read it.

Thank you! Still haven't had a chance to read the others, will try to make some time for it during the week!

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Your post was upvoted by the @archdruid gaming curation team in partnership with @curie to support spreading the rewards to great content. Join the Archdruid Gaming Community at https://discord.gg/6yD2Emr. Good Game, Well Played!


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Thank you guys!

Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by Pardinus [português] from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.

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I came to see how you won it was a good story well done.

Thank you! Good luck on this week's contest! ;)

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