A Paladin's Journey Ch. 15

PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here

"The Heralds broke the unwritten truce with the Elves when they marched on the Emerin and took Elvish lives! How long until the Dwarves are in their sights?" Elaina's emerald eyes blazed as she glared up at Burin. The king slumped back in his throne and rested his head in the palm of one hand, as if he had a headache.

"What does it matter?" He mumbled finally. "If the Titans are truly waking, then what will be achieved by marching north? I would be sending my people to their graves."

Elaine looked at Aran. The set of her jaw and her fierce gaze said; "Do something, or I will."

Slowly, but deliberately, Aran walked forward and began to ascend the dais. "You are weary, Burin," he said firmly and loudly enough for all to hear. "And you grieve, both for your sister and your people. But all is not lost. The night is always darkest before the dawn, yet they will grow darker still before the light comes again." He reached the top step and stopped before the throne. Burin hadn't moved since sitting down.

"The Eastern Gates must be opened, Burin," Aran continued, though this time in a much softer tone, for Burin's ears alone. "And we must rally the Noroth to our cause."

Burin started at that, and stared at Aran incredulously. "How can you know about the Noroth? They are a carefully guarded secret! Is there a traitor among my people, to add to my long list of problems?"

"No," Aran replied. "I sensed them earlier today. I know they are there. I have told no one except for Elaina."

Burin sighed. "You may convince me yet, Paladin, if that is what you truly are." His eyes looked past Aran briefly. "What did you do to my people?"

"I gave them something you have not been providing," Aran said quietly. "Hope."

Burin's gaze found Aran's again, and he stood. The top of his head came no higher than Aran's chin, but he resumed some of his regal bearing, and it made him seem much taller. "The gates cannot be opened, Sunblade," he began in a whisper. "Your people are the reason they were built!"

Aran frowned. "Why? To hide the Noroth from the rest of Ekistair? Surely that's beyond excessive."

Burin grunted. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"It's not the Noroth that necessitate the gates," the Dwarf said in ominous tones. "It's from what they protect us."

Whatever Burin was talking about, Aran had no knowledge of it coming through his vala, and he hadn't sensed anything on the other side of the mountains worth noting, other than the Giants. "Show me."

***

END OF CHAPTER FIFTEEN

***

Please rate this story
The author would appreciate your feedback.
  • COMMENTS
Anonymous
Our Comments Policy is available in the Lit FAQ
Post as:
Anonymous
3 Comments
Jackspeed2uJackspeed2uabout 3 years ago

Re: earthquakes.

To the Author and d5834. You both have it wrong. Yes I’m correcting the author. Ooooh.

An earthquake is a movement of the earth caused by a seismic event. That’s an earthquake by definition.

If something is moving within the earth as in an object that can cause vibrations as the sound of the movement and the banging in the grounds or on a tunnel wall. Detecting these vibrations was how the WW2 Germans found tunnels in prison camps. They used microphones on the dirt surface and listened.

If a rock falls off a ledge and hits the ground hard and your close enough your feel the shake from that.

I stood at the side of a valley and a avalanche was triggered to lessen the hazard. The shaking and rumbling and WTF knocked me over as the ground was so unstable as billions of tons of snow fell away.

So to the point. It was not a seismic event as the story clearly stated that it was not an earthquake as it was caused by the titan coming up through the ground.

So tunnelling up to the surface would make it vibrations caused by the method of tunnelling or motion. Ungoddessly huge vibrations but vibrations none the less.

However that would lessen the effect in the story by sapping you of a work that evokes thoughts of destructive power at its mere mention. So instead of earthquakes you could say “the earth QUAKED insert adjective of epic proportions.”

Or just use earthquake or earthquakes because it’s a bloody good story and not a geology lesson. Shit everyone expects a tsunami with every earthquake these days as well, bloody TV news. Oh and the ‘Richter Scale’ is bullshit and 70 plus years out of date, means nothing and the numbers given by the news are not even off that scale anyway. Geologists who give the news the numbers don’t say write or infer richter scale so the news broadcasters intentionally delete the unit given and insert Richter scale. Because they know better. Don’t report the news make the news.

Also mr author thanks for the story and the new episodes but politely tell people like mr D that it’s a fantasy story with mega long life spans, reincarnation, titans, super powers, Austin powers mojo flowing at will. Earthquakes makes by magical beings will do unusual things.

Ever think the magical places could be protected somewhat from the magical earthquakes. Partial to total immunity dependant on the strength of the alohim around them?

Not being mean but I find it frustrating to have the author defending silly things that are actually mentioned in the book. 1 initial thought of cause, 2 actual cause, 3 abilities of the titan, 4 scope of local and far distant damage was actually listed place by place and level of destruction.

What more do you need? False Richter scale numbers read to you by the person that altered the numbers?

Richter scale abuse YouTube SCOTT MANLEY video about it.

Anonymous oments should be automatically deleted and no longer allowed. If you are too scared to even use your pseudonym then you must be an abusive chicken shit or wanted by the CIA for graffiti crimes in Baghdad or something weird.

AntidariusAntidariusabout 4 years agoAuthor
Re: Earthquakes

Thanks for leaving a comment, D5834, and thank you for your appreciation. Great question re the earthquake. In the next version, I will be elaborating on things like damages, consequences etc, but overall the quake was very localised.

It would have been felt at the Chapel and perhaps even all the way over in Ildernass, but the Emerin forest is a big place, spanning hundreds of miles, so where Aran and Elaina felt severe shaking at the epicentre, places more than twenty or thirty miles away would have felt it to a lesser degree, and even less so the further away they were.

Another factor is that the tremors are so frequent now that they hardly bear mentioning unless they are particularly strong. I hope that sheds some light :)

- Anti.

D5834D5834over 4 years ago
One of the best chapters so far

It's always good to have a new chapter (except when I finish reading and realize I have to wait a while for the next one).

BTW, how much damage did Vasuda's earthquake really do to the Emerin Forest? In this chapter it states the Emerin chapel was shaken heavily but not damaged, and at the end of chapter 14 Tarien delivered a report to Ildernass which apparently didn't even experience the earthquake.

Share this Story

READ MORE OF THIS SERIES

Similar Stories

A Paladin's War Ch. 01 Sen'dara.in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
A Paladin's Training Ch. 01 The Gift Awakens.in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Three Square Meals Ch. 001 An unexpected tip changes a man's life completely.in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Endangered Ch. 01 A young dragon awakens.in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Home for Horny Monsters Ch. 001 Mike inherits an old house. There's a nymph in the tub!in NonHuman
More Stories