** An Ancient Scroll Part 1 and 2**

I am sharing a story I started for my online gaming world, everquest 2. It was a roleplaying story for my character that I play with. Introducing her to the online crew I joined. It's five parts so I will be placing one a day. Hope you enjoy it, if not, well tough cookies. :p I hope you do enjoy the story. :) I'll put two stories here.

Written: Nov. 2004. All town names are exclusive rights of EQ2.
_________________________________________________________________

Journal Note 1

One sunny afternoon I got up to the sweet smell of fresh goods baking in the nearby bakery. I slowly lifted myself out of my bed smiling at the sun beams heating my face for a new day. Getting out of bed I walked towards the window to open it up further to let the smell flow thru my tiny apartment.

I sat by the window looking down into the streets smiling at all the early risers shuffling along the market court buying their goods. I pondered on what the day would bring me, would I hunt? Would I go around the city asking for work or would I craft for the day?

I decided on hunting instead, I needed to get my experience skills up and would need to do a full day of hunting, and what a better day to do that than today. A day where the sun warmed my face and the breeze of the wind was passive. I got up from the window sill and went to the door to retrieve the daily crier, a daily scroll that reported the every day life of my town. I loved reading it early during my meal keeping me informed on the daily happenings of Qeynos.

Placing the scroll on my table I prepared my meal, sat down and started to open my daily life vein of information. As I opened the scroll up a piece of parchment fell out onto my lap. Inquisitively I stared at it wondering what it could be. “Hmmm,” I grabbed it off my lap and noticed the piece of parchment had seen better days. It looked like it had survived one hundred wars and then some. Upon inspecting it some more I noticed words were scribed onto it….no they looked burned on its surface. I continue to decipher the burnt in text with a mixture of fear and anticipation on what it could be. This is what was scribed onto it.


"In the distance a medley of sounds are heard. The beat of battle drums and howling send chills thru ones spine.

You must find your next clue to this cryptic message."

To be Continued..

_________________________________________________________

Journal Note 2:

“Hmmm…,” What did it all mean I thought as I stared blankly into the parchment that was in my hands. I hoped that staring into it intently would offer me some kind of clue, but to no avail nothing hit me, no magical spells, or semi-invisible spewing symbols, not even weird spooky voices.

I put the piece of paper down, giving up on deciphering the cryptic message in the parchment. I finished my meal and began to dress for the day ahead looking forward to a new adventure of challenges and broadening my skills.

I grabbed a boat ride from the docks into Qeynos harbor, enjoying a fit run thru the towns, finally reaching the large gates of Antonica. What an impressive place this was to me, being a refugee from a land no longer known. I continued on the large solid gates running thru the fields of Antonica as I passed fyrebeetles, and scarecrows. I thought this would be an ideal area to continue my training in battle; I waved to the farmer a good morning and started my lessons in warfare. One by one I called forth a fyrebeetle to do battle with, concentrating on each kill,as the day grew I also grew weary as I continued killing them. In my carelessness attempt to taunt I hit the nearby Scarecrow, I was taken off guard but was able to gain my fortitude, hitting it with one of my magical spells as I melee with my weapon.

He was a worthy opponent, making my fight with it a tough one but worth the extra effort I had to put into the fight. As I laid my last strike into its straw like body he went down releasing an eerie sound from his wilted body, it was nothing I had ever heard before, suddenly a chest appeared. I rejoiced at the anticipation of some exciting treasure to be held. Slowly I picked the padded lock trying to bypass any traps that were known to accompany most chests. As it popped open I quickly winced back trying not to be hit by any spells, lucky for me there were none. Steadily I approached the old wooden chest, still leary of any other traps that it may have.

As I peered into it I found only a small scroll tied neatly with leather straps. Picking up the scroll I smiled, “Could it be part of the parchment I had earlier?” I prayed that it would. As I rolled it open a piece of a bat wing fell out, dry and preserved “well how strange,” I thought. I began to read the scroll and this is what it said;

“The Lands are plagued with dark disease…
Find the dark tower on the hills of Antonica, where the bells tell their tales.
Keep thy eyes open for evil which swoops from the skies.
There will be your next clue.”


To be continued..