Revision [9764]
This is an old revision of TheRaid made by BillHamilton on 2009-10-17 12:31:44.
Date: 627 CE - Early Summer
Location: A rural fishing village on the southern coast of Greece.
Images danced through Alaistar's mind as he relived the day, smiling, in his dreams: waking with the break of day to a warm meal prepared by his mother, his mother taking him by the hand and walking down to the shore, Alaistar calling and waving with all his might to his father, whose small boat had already been bobbing on the waves for hours. Alaistar's father waved back with a broad smile and returned to shore with baskets of fish and hugs and kisses for his wife and child. As Alaistar's mother hoisted a basket onto each hip Alaistar's father handed Alaistar a large fish to carry back to the family hut, laughing as the slimy thing slipped from Alaistar's small grasp. Alaistar's father lifted an enormous basket overflowing with fish onto his own shoulders with a grunt and began walking for home. Alaistar quickly snatched the fish from the sand, hugged it with two hands to his chest and ran to catch up with his parents.
For the next few hours the village bustled with energy as the villagers traded with one another. Alaistar and the other village children giggled as they played hide and seek - chasing each other through the crowd. As the sun neared its peak in the sky the energy of the village seemed to slowly evaporate and during the hottest part of the day everyone retreated into their huts. As the midday meal simmered over a small fire Alaistar's parents played games with him. They would rest until dark when the villagers came together and socialized around the evening fire.
The story Mistress Kore told the children that night began to replay itself through Alaistar's dream. Visions of ancient warriors and sensual goddesses played in Alaistar's mind, but before the story could finish once more a woman's scream brought Alaistar out of his dream.
Alaistar awoke to the cries of his mother. A large man dressed in metal held her roughtly at the elbow and was trying to pull her from the home. Alaistar tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes, unsure if he was still dreaming. Another cry came from Alaistar's mother and Alaistar saw her spit in the man's face and then kick him in the groin as the man tried to clean his eyes. The man collapsed in a heap as mother moved back into the home For the first time Alaistar saw that there were two men fighting on the ground. Alaistar's father wrestled with another armored man. His father struggled valiently, but the other man was much larger and it was clear, even to the small boy, that the fisherman would soon lose to the soldier. Tears welled in Alaistar eyes, but the boy only stared from his sleeping mat, paralyzed.
At the man began to bludgeon his father with metal-clad arm, Alaistar's mother entered the fray, using two hands to bring her weaving stool crashing down onto the back of the large man's frame - ending the fight. Alaistar's father pushed the limp body to the side leapt to his feet, his arm moving instinctively to staunch the flow of blood from his head. Both of Alaistar's parents move toward Alaistar. Alaistar's mother pulled the stunned boy from his mat and took him into her arms. Alaistar eyes began to over flow but no sound came from the boy. Alaistar's father led the way to the door of the hut, pulling a metal poker from the cooking fire as they moved.
As the famly neared the door the first man pulled himself to his feet and charged the famly - brandishing his sword. Quicker on his feet than his armored opponent Alaistar's father dodged the first blow and thrust the poker into the man's eye with a sizzle and a pop. The man collapsed again grasping feebly shaft of the poker. Though Alaistar's mother attempted to shield the boy's eyes from the gore Alaistar stared transfixed. As Alaistar's father bent down and hefted the abandoned sword awkwardly in his fist another soldier crossed the threshold.
With his sword poised high for a strike on Alaistar and his mother, Alaistar's mother turned her back to the man an effort to shield her son from the killing blow. Looking over his mother's should Alaistar watched as his father jumped into the path of the falling blade, never raising his own sword. With a spurt of blood, the metal sunk deep into his abdomen. Alaistar's mother whirled back to face their attacked and screamed at the sight of her husband dropping to his knees. Alaistar felt his mother's arms loosen and he fell to his feet. "RUN Alaistar, RUN!" she screamed as she shoved Alaistar to the door and launched herself at the man who slayed his father - digging deep into his eyes. "RUN, Alaistar!" At his mother's order Alaistar felt power flow back into his limbs and he ran into the night.
Moving through the village the world around Alaistar seemed a blur. The village swirled in chaos. Villagers ran in every direction - some turned to fight their attackers, but those that did were quickly cut down. With most of village huts on fire, the night was powerless to hide the carnage. Alaistar moved away from the huts and into the darkness of the trees. Without though he ran to the beach. As he crested the highest dunes Alaistar froze once more - finding himself blinded by new light.Torches pepper the coast and when his vision clears Alaistar can see a dozen rowboats lining the shore. In the distance two large ships bobbed on the ocean. Alaistar stood in awe at these large ships that dwarfed his father's own fishing boat.
With the thought of his father Alaistar looked back towards the village and began to move back into the darkness towards home. After taking on a few steps Alaistar felt rough hand wrap around him and jerk him into the air. Crying out Alaitar tried to fight, but his arms were pinned hard against his own chest and his legs could find no purchase.
Through his tears Alaistar saw that he had been carried into the light and was moving down the beach. When they reached the shoreline Alaistar was thrown hard into a rowboat. As his head bounced off the wooden gunwale Alaistar saw the faces of his parents in his mind's eye before he slipped into darkness.
