The Forsaken (standard:fantasy, 6862 words)
Author: Ambrosious	Added: Feb 16 2001	Views/Reads: 4214/2995	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Typical sword and sorcery, chapter one.

In the spacious chambers of the palatial house, a woman screamed out in
the throes of childbirth. Lord Protector Kurlz paced the floor outside 
the birthing chamber. It hurt him to hear the pain his wife was 
experiencing. He looked at the barred door for the thousandth time and 
thought once again about entering the birthing chamber. For the 
thousandth time, he dismissed the idea. His top aide, Kenning, paced 
with him, taking every step Lord Protector Kurlz took. 

“Surely it should be over by now?” Kurlz asked of his aide. 

“Your majesty,” said Kenning, “if there was trouble, the medic would
have been called. Why don’t we retire to your study and go over this 
years tribute figures?” 

“I wouldn’t be able to think just now. I will stay here until the end.
You can go, however.” 

“I’ll stay with you, if you don’t mind sir?’ 

“Stay or go, it makes no difference to me,” stated Kurlz matter of
factly. 

The halls shook once again with an ear splitting scream and once again
Kurlz came close to barging through the door of the chamber. His wife 
moaned and yelled her protest at her body being put through such 
torture. He heard every vile curse and epithet. His heir must be 
causing quite a bit of hurt in coming forth from her womb. Back and 
forth, the two men strode the length of the hall. 

“Auuuuuurrrrrggghhhhhh!” screamed Lady Protector Kurlz. The pain she was
being subjected to was indescribable. To think that she had thought of 
the nine months carrying this child as painful! She would give anything 
to feel that pain yet again. 

“Feel the burn in your belly, and push it out,” instructed her midwife.
Bella had been bringing life into this world for twenty years before 
now, and had everything under control. 

The room the two ladies were in was more elaborate by far than most
birthing chambers Bella was used two. Two beautiful tapestries were 
hanging on the wall on either side of the chamber door. A wash stand 
stood next against the opposite wall. The window above the wash stand 
looked out into the private garden, located inside the castle walls. 
Lady Protector Kurlz lay upon down blankets and silk sheets on a grand 
mattress in a huge four posted bed. Drapes cut off the glare of the 
afternoon sun and cast a long shadow over the granite floor, into the 
private chamber reserved for lavatory functions. The Kurlz family crest 
hung upon the east wall, and the battle banner hung upon the west wall. 


Bella was brought back to the task at hand by another scream for her
Lady Protector. Bella looked at the birth canal with great pleasure. 
The heir of the realm was making an appearance. The hair of the babe’s 
head appeared at the entrance of Lady Kurlz’s canal. Bella stooped over 
and retrieved blankets that she had placed on the floor in preparation 
for this time. 

Outside the castle walls, life went on. The 29th House and the birth of
a new heir did not affect that many of the common folk. In fact, maybe 
the economy would turn around with the news of the birth. Many doubted 
this to be the case, as nothing the 29th House and it’s current Lord 
Protector turned out right. It was like a curse had gripped the land in 
it’s icy claws and now refused to relinquish the land from it’s own 
miserable ness. 

Great prophets and wizards had made the journey to the capitol city of
Tuukston to witness the birth of the new Lord Protector. It was rumored 
that this Lord Protector was supposed to fulfill part of the Myclex 
Prophecies and become some kind of national hero. A hero was sorely 
needed right now. With the Eye flaring up last year, resulting in wide 
spread droughts and sicknesses of the skin that the Mages couldn’t 
heal. The world was in trouble and there was even talk that the world 
was entering the Death Cycle. If not, certainly the 29th House was. The 
kingdom and the mages, wizards, and prophets held their collective 
breath, as the labor continued. 


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