A Sargoffian Christmas

Today at work is the "Holiday Luncheon" at the Wildfire Restaurant in Eden Prairie. While company-related events in general are usually not all too exciting, I normally don't mind them. In this case, I get free food from a restaurant I've never been too, I get to spend part of the day away from the office, and I get to go home after the luncheon. So it's not all too bad. I also found out today that I get a holiday bonus here. I didn't even know we got them. My bonus isn't too much, especially because I've only worked there 3 months of the year, so obviously I won't get as much as those who have been here all year. But it's still a little extra cash, which is always nice.

I've decided to post the current version of chapter one for The Lords of Sargoff. This is almost more of a preface, as it would only be about 2 pages long. In the previous chapter one that I had posted, I had mentioned Lord Hamrin, but he's actually in this chapter. This is sets the stage for events to be explained later. Chapter two would actually start several years after this chapter. Let me know if it makes the rest of the story sound incredibly uninteresting. :) This is, of course, not anywhere close to final. A lot of work is left to be done. But I've made a lot of progress on the overall storyline so far.

LotD: Star Wars Toys that Never Made It. Good for a laugh! :)

Chapter One, The Lords of Sargoff

The room was dimly lit with several candles mounted on the walls, and creature-like silhouettes of shadow danced on the sides. A deep basket on the floor emitted a faint green light from its contents. Stretched to the ceiling were shelves full of books, none of which were labeled on their spine. One shelf contained bright colored liquids in small glass tubes. Paintings and small statues, most of different types of creatures, covered a majority of wall and table space. A statue of a two-headed dragon looked as if it was about to strike a small human whose sword had been cast aside, with an expression of horror on his face. Any visible wall was of dark stone, slightly darker than the stone of the ceiling and floor.

In the middle of the room sat a man in a black chair of sleek marbled stone. He wore a dark blood-red colored robe and a twisted smile. The man’s smooth dark red hair shined in the candlelight, and yet it appeared to nearly glow of its own accord. His open palm held a small round black rock with a thin green line around it, and he seemed to glare at it with a certain amount of loathing.

Though the man appeared to be no older than his mid thirties and in good health, he moved at the speed of one much older. He did not seem to have much physical energy, but his eyes burned with desire to escape; there was no fear in them, but they were filled with a sense of purpose.

He stretched out his other hand and turned that palm face up as well; he curved his fingers inward, and a small white ball of light slowly appeared between them and spun wildly, and then vanished after several seconds.

The door to the room opened suddenly, but the man did not remove his gaze from the round black rock.

“We have collected them, my Lord Hamrin,” came the voice of the man who had entered. He too wore a red robe, but of a much duller color.

“All fifty?” Lord Hamrin replied, his voice dark and stormy. “I hope they are as I wanted them to be.” The man at the door shuttered in fear, then attempted to regain his composure.

“Yes, my lord. All seem to be possible candidates.”

“Good. Now send word to those who would care about this theft, and to all surrounding areas: show up on the castle grounds one week from today, or choose to never see your loved ones alive again.”

“Yes, my lord. What is your plan for them?”

“Don’t worry on the details. Throw the prisoners in the dungeons and make sure they are treated with the respect they deserve, and spread the message I have given you to the countryside.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The man left the room and closed the door behind him. Lord Hamrin continued to stare at the rock and created a white ball of essence with his other hand, but this time the essence did not disappear. He slowly moved the rock toward the floating essence, until he held the rock directly in the floating ball’s center. The green line around its outside began pulsating brightly with green light. Lord Hamrin grinned widely and placed the rock into the basket on the floor to his side. Forty-nine identical rocks with pulsating green lines had already rested inside the basket.