The Fall Of Alras

[Ozzyoverlord 26]

He sprinted with all his might along the paved path, his leather boots crunching in the snow. Conrad's breath turned to mist in front of him as more and more snow fell from the sky, mixed with the ash of burning buildings. The city was burning. Alras was burning. A quick skip and Conrad severed the head of a zombie blocking his path. He continued on without breaking step, heading for the next set of inner walls, the last ones standing.

He could just see the gates now, raised and men pouring through them, civilians and soldiers alike. Conrad's heart leapt at the sight of his friend, Shas'O Kais as he hurried along with the crowds through the opening. Conrad spared a glance behind him and saw a half dozen men behind him and beyond that, a horde of the living dead. He willed himself to move faster, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

"Hold the gate!" He shouted.

To his horror, the portcullis began to lower. No, it simply fell. There was no longer even a man at the winch, they had simply released it and let it drop. The spikes impacted into the ground, embedding themselves inches into the stone. Conrad slammed into the gate, clutching at the bars.

"Open this damn thing! There are still men out here!" His pleas were returned only by Kais who echoed him. Standing on either side of the gate, their eyes locked. They both knew it was pointless to try and dislodge the gate, let alone raise it high enough to slip under. By that time, the pursuing creatures would be upon them.

"You damn cowards!!"

"I'm sorry." Kais murmured, nearly drowned out by the roar of flames and screams of the dying.

Conrad's eyes hardened and his hands moved to his sword. "Not your fault. Go on. No matter what, I'll live. Promise me the same."

"I swear." They clasped their hands through the bars, locked in a steely grip, both knowing just how easily such promises could be rendered null.

Behind Conrad, a sergeant called for the group to form a battle line. A pause, and then Conrad turned, unsheathing his blade, the light of the flames dancing off it's polished steel. He did not look back as Kais left, sprinting after the remaining forces heading for the palace.

Conrad stepped in beside the men, all hardened soldiers, ready to accept their fate.

"Fight hard and die well." whispered one man.

"Suicide is not a part of valour." Conrad retorted.

The man had no chance to reply as the first of the zombies reached them. Many fell to the first swing of blades, the others simply collided with the men in a wave of rotting flesh and snapping jaws. All discipline was lost, every man fought for himself. Martial training turned into wild swings and kicks and punches, desperately trying to get free of the mob. Conrad swung a wide arc, cleaving a zombie in twain and slicing open the chest of another, its organs spilling out onto the snow.

Two men already lay dead, their chests torn apart and being feasted on. Conrad stumbled back from the melee. There was no victory here, this courtyard, the whole city, was lost. With one last look towards to the palace and a prayer for his friend, Conrad sprinted down an alley, the last man screaming as he was overwhelmed.

Conrad ran past the burning houses and shops, through the pools of blood and fields of corpses, and finally to the edge of the city, and the edge of the miasmic cloud. The acrid stench assaulted his nose immediately, making him gag. Drawing his tunic over his mouth and nose, he plunged into the miasma, nearly blinded and stumbling as his eyes watered. He lost all sense of time, his only focus being straight in front of him. Suddenly he burst through the cloud and onto the main walkway, falling to his knees and coughing wetly.

Staggering to his feet, Conrad turned towards what remained of Alras. He could see the red glow of the fires just above the walls and turrets, illuminated against the night sky. Conrad felt limp and weak as the magnitude of what had just happened dawned on him. There was no stopping the corruption. Every city would fall like a stack of cards. In the face of the miasma, there was no defense. They could slay monsters but not the air. And what of Kais? What of his dearest friend? More and more escapees emerged from the cloud and moved past him. What else could Conrad do but join them in their flight? He would survive... as he always did, whether he wanted to or not.

The morning sun had begun to crest over the horizon...

[Taiga 764]

-He Stands in a Corner, watching the City Die Slowly.-

-He chuckles and walks away.-

"Have fun, my children.", were the words he had muttered.

[susitsu 871]

((This is very well done, good job. Probably the best post Ive seen detailing the fall of a city yet.))

Athaera came running towards the lightning, alone at the moment, but he had to hurry to at least help as much as he could. His training with his fists had paid off and he was able to fight fluently in even full iron armor. He put on his armor the instant he heard the lightning, knowing something must be happening.

He run to Alras where he saw what looking like an unholy war happening, it was a dark storm, an eternal night, he ran into the fray helping those he could fend off these monstrosities. After managing to help some people outside, he ran inside to check up on things, see who he could save or help. Inside many people were there, battle ready, and he recognized some people he called friend. There was Cedric, Zolgash, and Thral'Mar, he was worried, many yells were sounding off all around.

He decided to convince as many people as possible NOW was the time to leave, there was no enemy to fight. He had convinced some when the air suddenly started becoming difficult to breath. He yelled as much as he could, constantly, things along the lines of "You can't fight the air, your blades won't make it clean again, you've got to run!" After I had started losing my ability to talk altogether, we decided to leave. We knew it was over at this point, Alras had met it's end in flames.

[Will (TauFirewarrior) 2466]

Kais is running through Alras having been given orders to fall back to the palace he is slashing the monsters that are Invading the once fine city of Alras. He gets past the gate leading up to the Alras church they close he looks back to see his best friend Conrad and a dozen others running towards the gate.

The gate shuts before they can get in Kais yells at the guards "OPEN THE BLOODY GATE NOT EVERYONE HAS GOT IN!" The guard replies "We can't the controls are broken" Kais looks at his best friend Conrad through the gate and says they exchange words then Conrad turns back to the Mobs attacking him.

Kais then turns away to see the Undead mobs have already had over run the wall defences Kais then begins to charge towards the Palace through the countless numbers of Undead mobs Kais then begins slashing at them killing dozens of them just to reach the Palace only to find the bridge to the throne room had been destroyed.

There is a brief pause in the battle before the next wave of Creatures attacks he calls his Falcon he writes and message "Conrad...If you get this I am most likely dead but do not give up hope and please live" He attaches the message and instructs his bird to find Conrad if he still lives.

Kais then turns away from the Palace and begins running through the ruined city killing everything in his path then he jumps over the wall that protects the Alras church and finds dead bodies from the Undead mobs and the mortals who were defending Alras he briefly looks around to look for Conrad's body but he finds nothing.

Kais then runs past the fountain at Alras's main gate to find it had been turned from water to lava. Kais now has left Alras made it to the king’s road then begins to limp off to the Isle of Salvus heavily wounded and bleeding.

[VonEbs 1224]

As I skated across the ice, I could hear the calls of men, slowly drowning in the icy depths. There was little hope for them, the enchanting prevented us from helping them out, and any attemp would see us sinking in the frigid water as well. A ghast floated behind me spewing firey death at a dwarf wielding a battle axe. He was blaster back, but managed to stay standing. Seven arrows then thudded into the ghast, sending it crashing through the ice. After swiftly beheading a zombie, there was a call for general retreat. I skated over the once beautiful ice sheet, which use to glitter in the moonlight, so clear you could see your reflection. Now, it wascaked with craters and pools, some with boiling fireballs still simmering. I finally made it to the gate, when a ghast hit the wall, sending a group of archers tumbling to their death. The sight within the city was unforgettable. People scrambling with weapons and supplies, women carrying small children to the city exit, men aat arms rushing every which way. The librarian was close to tears, realizing the books would not be saved in the chaos.

After hearing several shouts, I perked up my ears and heard the screams of commanders trying to get the men in the city off the ice. Wrinkling my nose at a familiar smell, I noticed people were coughing. I looked towards the moon, as it was rising, and saw the miasma coming over the mountains from Al'Khazar, the once great jewel of Oren. A man named Martin was trying to get all of he civilians to Laurelin.

All of a sudden, a bolt of lightening struck the roof of a nearby house, sending rubble down into the streets. I heard that the gates were closing, and heard the cries of dieing men. I decided that if I did not leave soon, I would die with the city. I took out my soulstone, and said the necessary incantation to teleport to my beloved city. As I neared the end of the spell, a ghast appeared at the end of the street, and blew up the roof of the building a block away. It then aimed at the balcony I was taking cover under. As I teleported away, I heard the crash of rubble around me as the ghasts shot stayed true. From the tree tops of Laurelin, I could see the bright orange pillars of flame standing in stark contrast to the frigid midnight sky.

[steelersfan1221 300]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.