Maple Marauders: A New Beginning.

Yes, hide the computers, barricade the doors and lock me inside with you. Imppala has written his first blog in a year! In MORE than a year. *bows to seek forgiveness*

Sorry, but as I haven’t been exactly active in Maple (Mandos is STILL level 47) and my writer’s block might as well be called writer’s Everest, I had nada to blog. Unless you want weekly whinings about my NS, which I’ll be more than happy to oblige.

This is basically a restart of my earlier fic, Storm Rising. Since I deemed it too hard to start from scratch with two Beginners, I basically threw those chappies far into the unforeseeable future and wrote a new introduction to the fic. The chapter title reflects that *points*

Without further rambling from the author, on with the fic!

MAPLE MARAUDERS: A New Beginning

“Full speed ahead to Lith Harbour! Get us there as soon as possible!” roared Captain Shanks as he dashed down the steps to the hold of the ship.

“Captain!” a hoarse shout greeted him. “We managed to shut it in, but I don’t know how long the doors will last with it bashing them like that!”

As the captain reached the bottom stair, he saw several crewmen valiantly trying to keep the hold doors closed, as they shuddered and groaned under a continued assault coming from the other side. A guttural growl, gradually increasing in volume, could be heard.

“We must not let that thing escape!” Shanks bellowed as he ran to the doors and helped his men push.

Just as the echoes of his last command died away, five huge claws penetrated the thick door, surrounding the captain in a ivory cage. The hand closed, dragging the hapless captain through the hole it made in the door, the captain uttering an inhuman scream before he disappeared into the inky gloom within.

“CAPTAIN!” The wail went up in unison just as the doors blew off their hinges.

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All was quiet in Lith Harbour. Night was settling in and everywhere, people were completing their last transactions for the night and preparing to go home. A group of adventurers were huddled around Pason, trying to wheedle one last trip to Florina Beach out of him. The weapons and armour shop was already closed, Silver and Natasha going out for drinks together before retiring for the night.

“Just head to Ellinia and talk to Grendel the Really Old. He’ll teach you the right skills to becoming a magician, if he thinks you’ve got what it takes.” Phil, after directing yet another mage-to-be to Ellinia, looked up and noticed a familiar-looking plume of smoke in the far distance.

“Feh, looks like the Southperry Ferry agreed to take one last batch of beginners here. Bleeding workaholics…”

Grumbling slightly, Phil straightened his tie as he prepared to welcome them to Victoria Island and teach them where to go to get their desired job.

“Just one more month of this and I can take that vacation in Aqua Road… I’ll get cousin Todd to stand in for me, he’ll probably welcome a change in his job…”

Before long, the plume of smoke revealed itself to indeed be coming from the Southperry ferry. Phil put on his knowing smirk as he waited for the ship to dock. However, the smirk soon gave way to a look of confusion and finally terror.

The ship was going fast. WAY too fast. Making a beeline for the exact jetty Phil was on, it was sailing at full speed, showing no sign of slowing down or changing direction.

Just as the ship was upon him, Phil snapped out of his shock and dove over the railing of the jetty, out of the ship’s way as it collided head on with the jetty. The ship met the jetty with the rending crash of wood finding out it was inferior to metal-reinforced wood, and rather meekly giving way, the ship traveling so fast half of it was aground before it finally ground to a halt. The cabin was ablaze, the fires merrily dancing as they spread all around the deck. Eerily, there was neither sight nor sound of anyone on board.

As all eyes were turned to the wreckage, some of the more civic-minded were prganising bucket chains to put out the fire on board and look for survivors. Even John lent a hand, upending the contents of his bucket (which strangely contained no fish, just a lot of pink flowers) and joining the chain.

However, as they approached the ship, a collective gasp went up. A lone figure materialised out of the smoke, lurching slightly as it clutched the railing like a drowning man to a buoy.

“Ahoy there! WHAT THE RUDDY HELL HAPPENED?!” Teo hailed the figure.

As the smoke cleared momentarily, the figure revealed itself to be a lone crewman, his face in a frozen look of terror. Nobody present ever forgot the expression on his face, or the words he spoke out into the night that penetrated the hush permeating the air around him.

“God…. help us…”

As his futile prayer ended, his body was impaled on five claws, and carelessly thrown overboard to splash into the shallows. A new figure appeared out of the flames, its shape vaguely humanoid. However, as the people’s eyes adjusted to take in the newcomer, they found the similarities ended right about there. Standing about twice as tall as a normal man, its arms dwarfed the rest of its body, with each hand easily the size of its own head. Armed with gigantic claws, its face was curved in a perpetual smile of manic glee. However, its most terrifying feature was the eyes. Steely blue slits gleamed with a feral intelligence, with none of the mirth demonstrated in its smile. As the crowd watched aghast, it tossed its head back and roared, before directing its gaze to the people below. Screams rent the air as shock, confusion and panic set in.

Jane stood riveted to the spot, staring at the entity that had shattered the long-standing peace of Lith Harbour. Pure terror had taken away her ability to speak, but as she slowly mustered the resolve, she gave voice the one appropriate name she could think of for such a terrible being.

“De…. mon…” Her legs shook like jelly, and finally gave way, as she sobbed into her hands for the calamity that had visited her home.

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In the outskirts of Lith Harbour, a lone car sat on the edge of a knoll, overlooking Lith Harbour. A girl of not more than twenty sat on the hood of the car, swinging her legs as she relaxed, enjoying the cool night air. A Green Pole Feather Hat was jammed on her shoulder length, blonde hair, and she wore a matching Legolia set, which the playful night wind rustled. A Red Viper was on the hood next to her, together with a quiver of Bronze Arrows, belying her job as a Huntress to any observer. Her green eys had a mischievious glint in them, and she grinned fondly as she turned her back to look at the teen sleeping peacefully in the car.

Looking a full head shorter than the girl, he leaned into the comfortable seat, his Red Pilfer askew as he snored
gently, revealing the colour of his messy hair as dark blue. His Dark Shadow set looked slightly worse for wear, as if he was used to a life of battle.

The girl’s head whipped around as she scrutinised the seaside town in front of her. She had already noticed the shipwreck earlier, but dismissed it as something the townsfolk could handle themselves. Now, she wasn’t so sure. The faint screams filtering through the still night air told her this was no normal accident. Her gaze turned resolute as she spun off the hood, grabbing her bow and quiver and opening the door of the car.

“Vance, there’s something up in Lith Harbour! Come on, let’s go investigate!”

Her excited cries were met by a small groan, as the blue-haired youth stretched lazily.

“Lemme sleep a bit longer…”

The girl’s face blanched, and her reply was deceptively gentle. “And how long do you think you’ll need?”

The youth settled back into his position on the seat, a contented smile playing on his lips.

“Oh, about another ten hours…”

The girl snapped. “WAKE UP!”

Placing both hands on the roof of the car, she vaulted into the car legs first, kkicking the youth out the (mercifully) open door and into the grass. Vance uttered a small eep as he tumbled head over heels, nearly squashing a Green Snail before he rolled to his feet, still rubbing his eyes.

“Come on Vance, let’s get a move on!”

“Fine, fine…” he signed, adjusting his Red Pilfer and checking the Bazlud stuck into his belt. As he opened his eyes, they were revealed to be a strange red, oddly with no trace of sleepiness in them. As he clambered into the car just before it drove off, he muttered, “You never change, do you, Rebecca?”

Imppala: Aaaaaand cut!

Rebecca: What! I barely appeared in this chapter!

Imppala: Sorry. That’s all I can do for this week. You try National Service and see how bad it is.

Rebecca: *strings an arrow* Next chapter better be up soon, ya hear?!

Imppala: Crap! Vance! Help me out here!

Vance: *stares at both parties* …Leave me out of this.

Cheers,
Imppala

Aisaretai demo aisou to shinai
sono kurikaeshi no naka o samayotte
boku ga mitsuketa kotae wa hitotsu kowakutatte kizu tsuitatte
suki na hito ni wa sukitte tsutaerun da