the orb

***edit feb 07- see finished version in my gallery***

i wrote a story for this one be warned, it's a bit gory, and possibly crap, but hey, ya gotta try these things

details: photoshop cs2 with wacom tablet. about 30-40 hours (it's detailed) all original, no refs. all copyright dypsomaniart 2006, including this totally wicked story

"What is that thing?"
"It must be some kind of troll, maybe from the great mountains, you hear some strange stories about creatures up there."
The leutenant looked dubiously at his commander "It doesn't look like any troll i've ever seen, sir."
"whatever it is, leutenant, it's no match for a thousand trained soldiers. quiet down the men and select fifty of your best,
that should be sufficient."
The leutenant turned with a salute, and the commander was left alone on the wall overlooking the odd couple approaching.
the woman was dressed in odd clothing, with some kind of armour or ornament about the arms and legs, and carried two strange weapons
that looked like some kind of club or axe.
Tall and slim, she was very beautiful, and she walked with a smooth balanced grace that suggested a warriors training.
the creature that accompanied her though, was a fearsome beast. It's torso was humanoid, though much heavier than a man, but it's body
was that of a snake, with six hard bony looking legs ending in wicked talons. And the terribly face was something from nightmares.

"Greetings madam,"he called down as they came within speaking distance of the outer wall "i am commander of this garrison, what is your business here?"
Her voice was smooth and quietly powerful in reply, "i believe you have something here of great importance to me. I have come for the Orb of
ocacles."
"You mean the Sacred Moonstone? I'm sorry my lady, me and my soldiers are commanded to guard the stone here until it can be safely transported
to the kingdom"
"I think not commander, i'll ask only once more, give me the orb, or your lives will be forfeit"
this comment brought a few sniggers from the soldiers assembled in the courtyard below.
"I'm sorry my lady, but i cannot allow that" he turned from the wall "leutenant, kill the beast and bring the girl to me for questioning."

the pair stood relaxed outside as the portcullis began to rise.

when it reached head height the tight group of soldiers moved beneath it and out into the open ground, moving into a crescent formation to surround
the travellers.
then all hell broke loose.
in the space of a heartbeat the creature had leapt up and covered the short distance to the men, and before they had even raised their weapons, it
tore into them with bloodthirsty abandon.
limbs and bodies flew through the air, the creature a blurring mass amongst the desperately fighting men.
and all the while the woman walked steadily toward the open portcullis.
The commander watched in horror atop the wall, it was all happening so quickly, already it looked like more than two dozen men were down, the creature
in a killing frenzy.
"ALL MEN TO ARMS!!" he shouted at the men milling below, already soldiers were drawing their weapons after hearing the screams from outside, and shortly
every soldier was preparing for battle.
but the battle came to them first.
The demon stood filling the castle entrance, dripping blood and gore from the unfortunate fifty men, tossing the dismembered head of a soldier from hand
to taloned hand.
Every fighting man in the castle was packing into the courtyard, pushing the crowd tighter as the men nearest the beast backed away, forming a loose empty
crescent around the formiddable sight.
the woman picked her way delicately around the creature to stand in front of the men, fearlessly facing the wavering swords.
"This is your last chance commander! all i want is the orb."

He looked down into the courtyard, nearly a thousand men, fully armoured, battle hardened soldiers. out there the creature had taken them by surprise,
taken a cheap shot and caught them unaware, now though, looking at the glinting steel shrouded mass of men, packing the entire courtyard,
against this one creature, they couldn't lose...

"ATTAAAACK!!!!"

The men surged forward, pushed by the weight of numbers behind them. but none wanted to be the first to attack the creature, and the woman still stood
in the way. they edged closer.
the woman lifted the strange clubs and pointed them both out into the soldiers.
"she's got a death wish- what's she doing- it looks like she's protecting the demon-" the commander was mumbling under his breath. tensely waiting and
watching from above.
There was a sudden whirring sound like nothing he'd ever heard before, and the womans weapons spewed out from their ends what looked like rapidly
flashing lights.
but these were no lights.
she was calmly turning slowly around the arc of men surrounding her, the deadly weapons magically ripping whoever they were directed at to shreds.
their armour was useless against this deadly fire, the mens midsections were simply exploding in violent sprays of blood and guts.
some tried to flee, but it was too late, they were packed in too tight, the deadly weapons inexorably mowing down two or three rows of men in every
smooth sweep.
it didn't take long.
the whirring chatter suddenly shut off and there was a deafening silence.
the woman stood there, smoke dribbling out of the ends of those brutal black weapons, slightly flushed and with a slow smile settling on her features.
the courtyard was a red and pink mass of broken flesh. blood flowing around the deadly womans ankles.

the commander gave a strangled sobbing cry and collapsed to the walkway overlooking the carnage.
"Fetch that" spoke the woman in a cool tone, and the demon skittered nimbly across the piled corpses and climbed spider-like, straight up the wall to
pick up the vacant eyed, mumbling commander by the back of the shirt and carry him to her.
"Where is the Orb?"
he didn't reply, or seem to notice. she slapped him hard across the face.
"Where is the Orb?"
he stared around vaguely, then pointed to a large door into the keep.
the demon gave a mighty shove that broke the locking bar, and the doors swung wide to reveal a large darkened room.

there, midway into the room, standing atop a stone altar, was the Orb of ocacles.

the woman made her way into the room, her eyes quickly adjusting to the dim torchlight. a guard was standing at either side of the altar, and the demon
still dragged the now hysterical commander behind him.
"Shut him up" she snapped back at the creature. the guards watched in horror as their commander was picked up and hurled against the wall of the keep
with bone shattering force, then the demon leapt at them.
"DO NOT DAMAGE THE ORB!" cried the woman, with tension in her voice, but the demon new his duty, and he secured their magical bounty before smashing
one guards face into pulp, and seizing the other around the head with a powerful claw, "It's been a pleasure" croaked the foul creature, then with
a wet pop, crushed the mans skull.

the woman began to laugh softly, their search was over, the Orb of Ocacles theirs at last.
Finally they had a chance. with the power of the orb back in the hands of her master, they could fight off the terrible invaders enslaving their once
peaceful homeworld. she
felt like a great weight had lifted off her. she smiled over at her lifelong companion and friend, "thankyou" she said, he beamed back at her
in his toothy way, still dripping blood,but carefully cradling the orb as it hovered glowing between his callused palms.
they were both grinning rather sillily as they began the short journey back to their hidden spacecruiser.
it had been a good day.