[Splat]

My mum had pity! I typed this one up just now, hope all you like it! I think this ones quite good myself at least. I probably won't be able to write anything else for the next 2 weeks with exams and a steadily growing mountain of coursework (and if I do you must all be very nasty and tell me to stop wasting my time and go and revise!) Enjoy!


Chapter 2, Quest and Curse
As Graham prepared Aaron’s body for burial he tried his hardest to not think about what lay ahead for him. The curse on the Orb: every person to hold it when it was still in the hands of the glukkons was dead. Now it was lying on the table in the centre of his hut and his hands were slowly moving over the corpse of its previous bearer, smearing burial paint over its cold skin.
Black paint circled the multiple wounds on Aaron’s body: bullet wounds on his back, ankle, shoulder, head, the large burn up his left side: the marks of death. A network of thin, twisting lines connected these to large smudges over his heart, lungs and forehead: the points of life. Connecting these points was said to allow life to flow back to the wounds, granting a second life in the world beyond; ancient rituals and beliefs they were, but old traditions die hard, and well… there may have been some truth in them.
As much of his blood as possible had been drained – another important but not very pleasant ancient ritual! All that remained was the burial itself.
Graham carefully carried the body outside and lowered him into the hole he’d dug earlier and then, muttering a few words of last respect and such, began to fill the hole back in. Properly, he should put a stone over the top but he didn’t have a fully carved one handy, and he knew that he’d have to get across the forest as soon as possible, so he stood a smoothened section of log on top: a temporary alternative. He would fix a stone when he returned… if he returned…
No! He mustn’t think like that! He had to go whether he wanted to or not. What would his master say if he refused? And the life of the mud below him would have been wasted. Dammit: what was wrong with him? He should be feeling respect for this guy, not bitterness. It wasn’t this guy’s fault that he got landed with the Orb. It would have eventually come to him, Graham, either way. That was why he was here of course! Why he, himself had risked so much to escape years before. He’d never planned on waiting in the forest for so long. Why had his master waited so long to get a carrier?
"The pickings were slim, Graham."
"Wha?"
Graham spun around. The forest was empty…
Great, not only am I about to take on the most deadly quest of my life; I’m now going insane on top of it all.
He was way beyond his prime; he was growing old himself now, growing weaker.
"Not only in body, it seems."
Graham spun round again but the forest was still empty. There was no mistaking it. Someone was hearing his thoughts and making there own mind up about what he meant. "It’s not easy you know!" He yelled at the silent trees, "Every one of them has died, even this guy," He kicked a stone into the almost-filled pit and went on, "It’s not easy to set out with a-a-a thing that could be my death! Step out of my hut for what could be the last time?"
"EASY? YOU THINK IT WAS EASY FOR THE FIRST GREAT SHAMAN TO SIT ON A HILL AND WATCH VILLAGES HE’D BEEN IN HOURS EARLIER BURN AGAIN AND AGAIN? YOU THINK IT WAS EASY FOR THE SECOND GREAT ONE TO SIT DOWN AND MAKE AN OBJECT THAT HE KNEW WOULD KILL HIM? YOU THINK IT WAS EASY FOR THAT GUY IN FRONT OF YOU TO SET OUT TO YOU WHEN HE KNEW EVERY GLUKKON WITHIN 20 MILES WOULD BE AFTER HIM?? YOU THINK IT WAS EASY ON ME TO LEAVE MY HOME AND SNEAK INTO A TOP SECURITY BUILDING TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO GET THAT BL00DY BALL OUT OF HERE???"
Graham choked: "Master?"
The shadowy image of the old mudokon had appeared in front of him: "It’s never been easy Graham, not for you, me, Aaron, Bill or anyone else during this bl00y war. But someone has to do it and the only person there is you. Play your part in the legend of the Orb. I know you can Graham. It’s why I chose you over the thousand others in that place."
"But… so much has happened… you never told me about this then…"
"You knew all of the legend that you do now Graham, and you were more than willing to play the hero."
"Play the hero? That was ridiculous. Even then I knew I was being a fool."
"And you succeeded Graham. Sometimes you have to be the fool to succeed.Sometimes only the fool sees the true path."
"But I’ve learnt so much…" Graham half pleaded.
"You will find that in the run of things, knowledge is often worth very little. Be the fool Graham, just one more time." The image faded leaving Graham to finish Aaron’s burial alone.




Well?