Finally I've got the story caught up, and can introduce one of my favorite of my builds:
Banished!--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The blazing sun slowly descended behind the rocky cliffs which marked the horizon. Its red hot circle matched the burning lava which spewed and burst in all directions. Only a small path of searing grey rocks led through the boiling lava, and around the edge of the cliffs. On this path lay a man in ragged cloths, torn from being dragged along the path for so long. He scarcely moved for at least a minute but then he raised his head and listened intently.
A moaning sound could be heard, coming from the other side of the cliffs. The man drew a sword and hoisted himself up while leaning on it, revealing himself to be William Navarre – not that any was there to have it revealed to. None that could be perceived at least.
Navarre stood for a second, apparently listening to the noise, but in reality thinking of all that had occurred since he had been landed on the Island of Lost Souls.
First, he had lost one of his faithful captains in landing. Then, despite his desire to stay near the coast (in a vain hope that a foolish ship would pass near enough to be hailed) he had been forced inland, for his one companion, Ralincler, had disappeared and Navarre traced his footsteps into the depths of a black tree forest. Navarre considered that being alone on the island would make survival even more unlikely, so at all costs he began to track down his companion. From thence all had gone wrong. After fighting multiple beasts and escaping many traps (from quicksand to pits haunted by deadly serpents) he had been dragged, quite unconscious, by a mad creature to the very gate of the underworlds (Navarre, however, was unaware of where he was). Here the creature left him on the same path he was now on, with deadly and already scorching lava on either side and half a dozen beasts guarding the way he had come from.
When he had regained consciousness he had dragged himself as far as he could, being able to stand only with great difficulty, especially as the heat was worse that way. Occasionally he would faint from his wounds and the heat, but now that the sun was down he was standing, listening to a strange humming sound while being well-nigh burnt to death as well as being extremely thirsty. But he had only one choice; to continue pressing forward in the hopes that he would reach somewhere, at least, where he could rest from the heat.
So Navarre torturously made his way round the bend in the rocky cliffs, carefully keeping his eyes glued to the winding path, for a false step meant a painful death. Suddenly he heard the whistling noise cease and he jolted up so quickly that he nearly lost his balance. What he saw scarcely helped him regain it.
A tremendous stone skull opened before him, a black cage on one side of it, and a lava fall on the other, while guarding the path directly before it stood a man in a dark red garb with a cape which flowed in a newly sprung up stinging breeze. His brown hair and cloth mask covered most of his face and in his hand he held a staff with a yellow gem mounted on the top.
“William Navarre, ‘tis time you find out what it is to be returned tenfold! If your father made me go through infinite pains to regain a body, I will make you go through the very underworlds in order to permanently complete this! All this time have I waited, I have been controlling all around you these last months, think not to escape me now! But all I need is you to pass into the worlds below for my body to be mine forever, and that will happen here.” The man gestured round. “Don’t you know that you have approached the very end of this world? Here, in the center of The Island of Lost Souls, Roawia ceases and the underlands begin, so here you cease and I begin!”
“Who are you?” Navarre asked, but to answer his own question he closed his eyes and remembered: once, a few years since, he had heard this voice on the queen’s island. This he remembered distinctly, but letting his mind reach back still further, till his very youth, he thought he discerned it again.
“You shall pay for this, Neavile Navarre,” the voice seemed to scream, “you shall never forget it!” And then it vanished and ceased, in more ways than one.
Navarre opened his eyes again, all this having flashed quickly through his mind. Using all his remaining strength he plunge his sword into the path and held for his life, “You shall find it harder than you think – I shall not move.”
The man laughed in scorn and brought his staff upon the ground with a cry, “Ideu da stiven!”
The whole place seemed to whirl round and round at this and a fierce wind struck Navarre, raising him completely in the air while he held his sword tightly till his whole strength barely availed to keep him from flying off.
“Si de lau!” cried his antagonist, and the lava flew circling into the air behind Navarre.
“I shall return, Argyll!” Navarre said, and he slipped his hands down to his belt. It grasped firmly on what he desired and with a gasp he pulled forth a short knife.
“I am no longer Argyll,” returned the man, his eyes narrowing as he raised the staff.
“You will not forget me!” Navarre jerked his hand backwards with the knife and in a second it flew straight at the other man’s staff. But at the same time Navarre lost his hold on his sword and with a cry he disappeared into the seething lava.
“Seal,” growled the other but that instant Navarre’s knife reached his staff and the gem within it shattered into splinters. The man glanced up at it in horror. “Seal the portal!” he cried. But his power was broken with the gem and seal the entrance to the underworld it would not. Still, this meant very little, for never even the fiercest and bravest were known to have escaped even with the portal open…
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Hope you like both the story and
the build.