Stories anyone? (Continued)

[sylent]

Ok, I have just been working on a small piece of literature recently, and I wanted to share it here...
I thought about a lot of storied that I have read, and most are from the perspective of a human. I thought it might be interesting to try writing something from a different creatures (demi-human race's) perspective... so here goes:



“Well, what do you want to know?” asked Handel.
“What were the cities like?” replied Aghart.
“What do you mean, they were vast, and there were zounds of humans within them, but what were they like? I guess you could say that it was busy, and frightening. I imagine it would be difficult for you to understand. It is something you have never seen before.”
“One day, I shall see it” said Aghart dreamily.
“Perhaps you shall, who is to say…” Handel trailed off, as if recalling something. He stared into the flames, watching the fire. It flickered, lighting the room slightly, and keeping the two comfortable, with its pleasant warmth.
“In my time in the city, I saw all manner of things – Some frightening, some oddly beautiful. The human buildings are wondrously crafted, created by innumerable hands. They are not so much beautiful, but rather…” Handel paused, searching for the right word. “… Captivating. I have no desire to live within such a building, but at the same time, I find myself very curious as to what goes on within.”
He paused briefly, and saw Aghart staring at him, his attention totally undivided.
Handle continued his narrative. “You see Aghart, they don’t live in caves as we do. They haul stone and timber into any area which they desire, and build a shelter. These shelters are much like those of the elves, they are much more…” – again he sat searching for the right word – “…unnatural. You have seen the elvan huts, they blend in; they look as if they are apart of the forests. The human buildings are not at all natural. They are coloured, some white, others black.
“Truly a sight to see, but in my opinion, not very nice… As I said – oddly beautiful.”
“What about beasts, do they not attack?”
“Oh no, human cities have armies, whose purpose is to protect. The humans therefore, have little to fear.”
Handel paused, as if contemplating the prospect of having nothing to fear. They both sat thoughtfully for a few moments, entranced by the fire’s beauty.
He was suddenly jolted out of his entranced state, by a high pitched whistle. Instantly he shot into action. For what cause the whistle had been blown, he did not yet know.
“I must go. Run along to the main cave, and you shall be directed from there.” With that, Handel and Aghart darted off along the narrow rocky tunnel that led to the central dwelling. The whistle was a device used by the gnomes to warn of incoming danger. Both of them knew this, and treated it very seriously.
When they came to a fork in the tunnel, Aghart wordlessly moved off to the left, while Handel continued to run along. He headed for the storage room, where he would find his hide armour, and his hammer and sling. Once he acquired these items, he continued to the entrance of the cave. As he moved along, another gnome caught up to him and ran alongside him. It was Gauron, an old friend of Handels.
“What is this about?” asked Handle, who was breathing heavily. He was not particularly unfit; breathing heavily was a common trait among gnomes.
“Svarts.” Answered Gauron. “I was near the front guard when the alarm was raised. Some of the watchers saw a large band of them heading our way.” They continued along the trail, until they reached a small gathering of gnomes, apparently deep in discussion.
Weapons were in hand, poised and ready, but voices were kept low. A few of the gnomes more learned fighters and illusionists were issuing commands. The nervous tension in the room was infectious, and Handel, despite having been in the same situation many times before, found that his stomach was churning, and he found that he was clutching his hammer tightly.
He placed it in his belt hook, and approached Jardak, who seemed to have taken charge of the situation. Jardak was one of the wisest among the tribe’s gnomes, and was much respected, both for his wisdom as a leader, and his skill as an illusion weaver.
“What’s the plan, and is there anything I can do to help?” asked Handel.
“We have laid down some basic protective spells, and are preparing for some close combat. We spell casters are hanging back a little, helping out where we can, I would suggest you move to the front, where your skills will be more useful.” There was no hint of unkindness in his voice; he was merely stating fact. Handle understood this, and did not argue.
“Very well then.” He replied.
He moved a little further along the tunnel. It widened out a little more, and he could see some trees by the faint light of the moon. They sat intently waiting, searching for movement in the shadows. There was no need to venture into the open, there was safety in the cave, and they didn’t have to watch their backs.
The Svarts probably wouldn’t attack in any order. Their strength was in their numbers, and if their numbers were high enough, they could cause serious trouble. They were small creatures, somewhat humanlike in appearance, only much smaller. Their skin was a distinctive pinkish colour, and they had large heads, which were not in proportion with the rest of their bodies. They were not often seen during the day, and tended to reside in the higher parts of the land. They lived underground, in burrows, which they presumably dug, although some were known to live in caves.
The gnomes rarely had any trouble with the Svarts because they kept out of each other’s way. This was probably because there was not really any benefit from confrontation. Handel thought the intelligence of the Svarts somewhat questionable, and held them in low regard. They had never been seen using magik, and this alone made them inferior to the gnomes. The Svarts fought in close quarters, and were not known to do particularly well in that area anyway.
The presence of the Svarts near the gnomes encampment was therefore quite unusual, and Handel wondered what motivated them.


It's not near any conclusion, and I am not sure where it is going, but I am really enjoying writing it at the moment.

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"Watch your back"

[AzureWolf]

hey keep writing its good! i actually have read a few good books about demi-humans point of views try reading bodyguard of lightning by stan nicholas. and pls check out my post about forgotten realms story im trying to get comments on it about what i should do to make it better change it...etc

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"I was born of darkness. My fathers eyes closed before mine opened. I am not of this world or the other, and I have the right to be what I am..."

[sylent]

ok, I will check it out, thanx for the comment too.
I haven't really read anything from that perspective, so it is sorta experimentation for me...

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"Watch your back"