howdy, this is the second part about Willhelm. Its sort of a sequel to the other part I wrote some time ago. I would greatly appreciate any comments on it, as it is a work in progress. Heed my warning, its a tad long. ;)
EDIT: Ive corrected some grammar issues and made it easier to read. :) Enjoy! :D
***
“Gather around children, and I will tell you the tale of Willhelm the wizard.†The old man was worn by time, his hair grey and his eyes tired. He rested in an old rocking chair which creaked every time he swung it back and forth. He had become slightly hunchbacked in his later years, but still he held is head as high as he could. You could almost imagine the once proud swordsman he used to be.
The children, of all ages, gather quickly around the old man, they all knew that his stories always were something extra. The room was lit by candles and a big fireplace. The warm light kept them all on edge as the shadows danced across the walls.
“This was back in the day when I served with the 5th swordsmen regiment of proud Hochland.†The old man looked around into the eyes of all the children.
“We were called the Emperors swords, and what a proud bunch of lads we were. None could match our skill with the blade, or our skill with the ladies.†The old man chuckled before continuing.
“Anyway, the times were dire in the old empire. We were beset by enemies on all sides, orcs, beastmen and the traitors who followed the foul chaos gods. At night the houses were locked and the gates were shut. No traveller dared travel the roads at night. Only the bravest kept watch. At this time, almost all of the empires forces were gathered to repel the oncoming chaos incursion.â€ÂÂ
The children all looked in awe as the old man mentioned chaos.
“I was with my regiment in the south of Ostland. We were dispatched under the command of General Lucius Von Koppmann, and we were to meet up with the forces from Ostland to engage the hordes of chaos. We met the foul creatures on a large plain and took up defensive positions on the far side of a river. Our artillery started bombarding their ranks and that forced them to advance upon us."
"The fight was not an easy one, the maddened northerners fought with equal fear of our blades and the wrath of their gods. My regiment was engaged and I stood shoulder to shoulder with my comrades as we defended the riverbank. The enemy lost many soldiers in the fierce stream but kept coming.†The old man suddenly stood up pantomiming out a duel with some unseen foe. His cane, which had been resting on the side of the rocking char, functioned as his sword.
“I dodged left and blocked a vicious blow with my shield.†The old man let out a war cry and stabbed in the air. He sat down again and had to catch his breath for a moment, the children in awe of his still relative skill with the blade. â€ÂÂThe battle was won, but not with horrific losses on our side, none of the foul enemies lived, and we burned their broken bodies afterwards. I was one of the…â€ÂÂ
The old man was cut short by one of the smaller children. “But what about Willhelm the wizard?â€ÂÂ
“What? Who? Oh, of course, I’m just getting to him.†Lied the old man who would have rather ranted on about himself.
“At this point there was a young man in the small town of Waldenheim deep inside the heart of the forest back in Hochland. His name was Willhelm.â€ÂÂ
All the children smiled as the old man mentioned his name.
“His father had died defending the town some years earlier against a large band of rampaging beastmen. But thanks to him, and many of the other men from the town, the beastmen was stopped and the town survived. Willhelm was very proud of his father, and he did not feel sad because he had died in the battle."
"This was because every evening he spoke with him, and asked him for advice. But how could someone speak with the dead? I’ll tell you how, Willhelm was a wizard, and a very powerful one given regards to his mere age. He had been noticed for this by another wizard who had been visiting the town. A wizard called Heinrich, but this wizard also perished against the beastmen.â€ÂÂ
“There are tales from ages old, when all villages had a spirit-whisperer who would contact the dead and ask them for advice and council. These individuals were highly respected for their special powers. But as time went on, people became more and more afraid of the spirit-whisperers and of the dead. This most definitely had to do with the war of the vampires who saw the undead legions gathered under the lead of the cursed Vlad Von Carstien. A mighty vampire lord from the plagued realm of Sylvanina, long may he rest.â€ÂÂ
The old man made the mark of the hammer across his chest, before continuing.
“So, the spirit-whisperers where shunned by normal folks, and were forced to live a hermit life in the wilderness. And many were burned as heretics at the stakes of the sigmarite priests. But Willhelm never told anyone of his unique gift, and lived a normal life with his family in Waldenheim. But as time went on, the beastmen was once again stirred from their camps in the forest by the coming of chaos, and yet again went on a rampage through Hochland. They burned many villages and were heading toward Waldenheim. As I told you earlier, the larger part of Hochlands army was away in Osterland at this time so no aid would come in time to save Waldenheim. "
"One night Willhelm was awakened from sleep by a ghost appearing in his room. This was the ghost of the wizard he had met in his younger years. The ghost told him about the beastmen army, and that it was closing in on the village. There was not much time. The ghost led him through the woods and to the place where the battle between the beastmen and the hochland army had taken place seven years earlier."
"Willhelm took up position on a large rock in the middle of the field and the ghost whispered arcane words into Willhelm's ears and as Willhelm spoke these words the ground began to stir and soon the dead army clawed its way back to the world of the living!â€ÂÂ
The old man sat quiet for some seconds to let what he had just said sink in, the children’s eyes were focused on the old man. His chair creaked.
“The army arrayed in lost regiments and took up positions to meet the beastmen. And as the two moons reached their highest peak in the sky above the army silently advanced, led by captains long dead. Willhelm had practiced the use of necromancy, the most foul art of magic, not for his own sake, but to save those he loved and cared about."
"This did not change how the world would look upon him sadly." The old man shook his head.
"The battle raged through the night and as the first rays of sun touched Willhelms skin there was no beastmen left on the field of battle. Once again the Hochlanders had triumphed!"
"Exhausted he collapsed on the rock and fell into a deep slumber, because it is not easy to channel such large amounts of magic, and it had tired his limbs. His army stood in attention before a fierce gust shattered them and leaving them as nothing but piles of old bones."
"When he awoke he was in his own bed, with his mother by his side. She had a look of concern on her face and it was obvious that she had been crying. She told Willhelm to get dressed and then led him to the centre of town. They told him that they were thankful for what he had done, but now they would have nothing to do with him, anymore. They banished him from the town, but in return for saving the town they did not alert the authorities.â€ÂÂ
“So Willhelm wandered into the forest with only the ghost of the wizard as his companion. He could not understand why he had been treated so badly for what he had done. After weeks of solitude he began to hate the world of the living and cursed them in the name of his long dead father."
"He swore to take revenge upon the citizens of Waldenheim. Why would they bask in the light of his victory and let him stand in the dark? If he was not welcome to live amongst them in life, he would make them pay by forcing them to walk with him in death. So exactly one year after he had defended the town from beastmen, he returned to the field of battle, summoned his army once more and razed Waldenheim to the ground. The place is still today haunted by the ghosts of the plagued citizens who cling desperate to their once lovely town and so regret how they had treated Willhelm.â€ÂÂ
The old man fell silent and stared at the children. His chair creaked. They all looked spooked and some of the smaller ones were on the verge of crying. He had not meant to scare them, but thats the way the tale went.
“You are just a stupid old man, with made up stories and should not tell them to small children!†A young lady walked in to the room with a lantern in her hands.
“You should be ashamed of yourself! Scare small children like that, no, its time to sleep now, come along now all!â€ÂÂ
The old man smiled. “It’s just the way the tale goes, I’m sorry my dear.â€ÂÂ
The young woman sneered at him before walking out the room, pushing the children in front of her. The old man turned his rocking chair towards the fire. The flames dancing across the wood, warming his face. He knew that the story was true. He had met Willhelm, and barely escaped with his life. But that was a story for another night, he thought to himself as the orphanage fell silent.
EDIT: Ive corrected some grammar issues and made it easier to read. :) Enjoy! :D
***
“Gather around children, and I will tell you the tale of Willhelm the wizard.†The old man was worn by time, his hair grey and his eyes tired. He rested in an old rocking chair which creaked every time he swung it back and forth. He had become slightly hunchbacked in his later years, but still he held is head as high as he could. You could almost imagine the once proud swordsman he used to be.
The children, of all ages, gather quickly around the old man, they all knew that his stories always were something extra. The room was lit by candles and a big fireplace. The warm light kept them all on edge as the shadows danced across the walls.
“This was back in the day when I served with the 5th swordsmen regiment of proud Hochland.†The old man looked around into the eyes of all the children.
“We were called the Emperors swords, and what a proud bunch of lads we were. None could match our skill with the blade, or our skill with the ladies.†The old man chuckled before continuing.
“Anyway, the times were dire in the old empire. We were beset by enemies on all sides, orcs, beastmen and the traitors who followed the foul chaos gods. At night the houses were locked and the gates were shut. No traveller dared travel the roads at night. Only the bravest kept watch. At this time, almost all of the empires forces were gathered to repel the oncoming chaos incursion.â€ÂÂ
The children all looked in awe as the old man mentioned chaos.
“I was with my regiment in the south of Ostland. We were dispatched under the command of General Lucius Von Koppmann, and we were to meet up with the forces from Ostland to engage the hordes of chaos. We met the foul creatures on a large plain and took up defensive positions on the far side of a river. Our artillery started bombarding their ranks and that forced them to advance upon us."
"The fight was not an easy one, the maddened northerners fought with equal fear of our blades and the wrath of their gods. My regiment was engaged and I stood shoulder to shoulder with my comrades as we defended the riverbank. The enemy lost many soldiers in the fierce stream but kept coming.†The old man suddenly stood up pantomiming out a duel with some unseen foe. His cane, which had been resting on the side of the rocking char, functioned as his sword.
“I dodged left and blocked a vicious blow with my shield.†The old man let out a war cry and stabbed in the air. He sat down again and had to catch his breath for a moment, the children in awe of his still relative skill with the blade. â€ÂÂThe battle was won, but not with horrific losses on our side, none of the foul enemies lived, and we burned their broken bodies afterwards. I was one of the…â€ÂÂ
The old man was cut short by one of the smaller children. “But what about Willhelm the wizard?â€ÂÂ
“What? Who? Oh, of course, I’m just getting to him.†Lied the old man who would have rather ranted on about himself.
“At this point there was a young man in the small town of Waldenheim deep inside the heart of the forest back in Hochland. His name was Willhelm.â€ÂÂ
All the children smiled as the old man mentioned his name.
“His father had died defending the town some years earlier against a large band of rampaging beastmen. But thanks to him, and many of the other men from the town, the beastmen was stopped and the town survived. Willhelm was very proud of his father, and he did not feel sad because he had died in the battle."
"This was because every evening he spoke with him, and asked him for advice. But how could someone speak with the dead? I’ll tell you how, Willhelm was a wizard, and a very powerful one given regards to his mere age. He had been noticed for this by another wizard who had been visiting the town. A wizard called Heinrich, but this wizard also perished against the beastmen.â€ÂÂ
“There are tales from ages old, when all villages had a spirit-whisperer who would contact the dead and ask them for advice and council. These individuals were highly respected for their special powers. But as time went on, people became more and more afraid of the spirit-whisperers and of the dead. This most definitely had to do with the war of the vampires who saw the undead legions gathered under the lead of the cursed Vlad Von Carstien. A mighty vampire lord from the plagued realm of Sylvanina, long may he rest.â€ÂÂ
The old man made the mark of the hammer across his chest, before continuing.
“So, the spirit-whisperers where shunned by normal folks, and were forced to live a hermit life in the wilderness. And many were burned as heretics at the stakes of the sigmarite priests. But Willhelm never told anyone of his unique gift, and lived a normal life with his family in Waldenheim. But as time went on, the beastmen was once again stirred from their camps in the forest by the coming of chaos, and yet again went on a rampage through Hochland. They burned many villages and were heading toward Waldenheim. As I told you earlier, the larger part of Hochlands army was away in Osterland at this time so no aid would come in time to save Waldenheim. "
"One night Willhelm was awakened from sleep by a ghost appearing in his room. This was the ghost of the wizard he had met in his younger years. The ghost told him about the beastmen army, and that it was closing in on the village. There was not much time. The ghost led him through the woods and to the place where the battle between the beastmen and the hochland army had taken place seven years earlier."
"Willhelm took up position on a large rock in the middle of the field and the ghost whispered arcane words into Willhelm's ears and as Willhelm spoke these words the ground began to stir and soon the dead army clawed its way back to the world of the living!â€ÂÂ
The old man sat quiet for some seconds to let what he had just said sink in, the children’s eyes were focused on the old man. His chair creaked.
“The army arrayed in lost regiments and took up positions to meet the beastmen. And as the two moons reached their highest peak in the sky above the army silently advanced, led by captains long dead. Willhelm had practiced the use of necromancy, the most foul art of magic, not for his own sake, but to save those he loved and cared about."
"This did not change how the world would look upon him sadly." The old man shook his head.
"The battle raged through the night and as the first rays of sun touched Willhelms skin there was no beastmen left on the field of battle. Once again the Hochlanders had triumphed!"
"Exhausted he collapsed on the rock and fell into a deep slumber, because it is not easy to channel such large amounts of magic, and it had tired his limbs. His army stood in attention before a fierce gust shattered them and leaving them as nothing but piles of old bones."
"When he awoke he was in his own bed, with his mother by his side. She had a look of concern on her face and it was obvious that she had been crying. She told Willhelm to get dressed and then led him to the centre of town. They told him that they were thankful for what he had done, but now they would have nothing to do with him, anymore. They banished him from the town, but in return for saving the town they did not alert the authorities.â€ÂÂ
“So Willhelm wandered into the forest with only the ghost of the wizard as his companion. He could not understand why he had been treated so badly for what he had done. After weeks of solitude he began to hate the world of the living and cursed them in the name of his long dead father."
"He swore to take revenge upon the citizens of Waldenheim. Why would they bask in the light of his victory and let him stand in the dark? If he was not welcome to live amongst them in life, he would make them pay by forcing them to walk with him in death. So exactly one year after he had defended the town from beastmen, he returned to the field of battle, summoned his army once more and razed Waldenheim to the ground. The place is still today haunted by the ghosts of the plagued citizens who cling desperate to their once lovely town and so regret how they had treated Willhelm.â€ÂÂ
The old man fell silent and stared at the children. His chair creaked. They all looked spooked and some of the smaller ones were on the verge of crying. He had not meant to scare them, but thats the way the tale went.
“You are just a stupid old man, with made up stories and should not tell them to small children!†A young lady walked in to the room with a lantern in her hands.
“You should be ashamed of yourself! Scare small children like that, no, its time to sleep now, come along now all!â€ÂÂ
The old man smiled. “It’s just the way the tale goes, I’m sorry my dear.â€ÂÂ
The young woman sneered at him before walking out the room, pushing the children in front of her. The old man turned his rocking chair towards the fire. The flames dancing across the wood, warming his face. He knew that the story was true. He had met Willhelm, and barely escaped with his life. But that was a story for another night, he thought to himself as the orphanage fell silent.