This is the second part of the prologue my friend and I are writing. If you didnt see the first one look heere
http://www.writingforums.com/viewtop...=168801#168801
so heres the second part for you
Disclosure
Salem awoke from his stupor with a groggy groan. He sat up and crawled towards a nearby pillar; pulled himself up and leaned against its cold reassuring surface. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and ran them down his face. As he drew away he dimly registered a throb of pain in the flesh of his cheeks. An acrid hot fluid ran slowly down his sickly pale skin; causing his face to smoulder. The tang of burning flesh stung his nostrils. Salem caught a drip of the liquid as it dropped from his chin. “Blood,” he whispered. Black, foul smelling blood. The drop on his palm hissed and dissolved, leaving an ugly scar.
“What is happening to me?” He moaned, raising his hands to his face; new claws glinting dangerously. He dropped his hands in despair and swept a lost gaze over the temple floor. Nathaniel was lying unconscious on the other side of the room, his face obscured by a golden monument. The temple was untouched by the blow that had been dealt to the men, as polished and pristine as ever. Thousands of scrolls lined the walls, their weathered faces keeping the mistakes and triumphs of the past, theories, laws and genealogies. The temple was the only place in the land that remained unblemished amongst the destructive battles that raged below the mountain it rested in. The temple was of uncomplicated design, beautiful in its simplicity. The early people of the land had built it with the purest of marble and gold, making it a place of reverence. It resided upon the craggy face of the mountain that was situated in the middle of the land, with stone steps leading from the wide base. Inside people came to seek council from the monks, though sparse they now were. Nathaniel and Salem were considered the wisest, and so were accordingly seen as the leaders of the people. The problem was that the two men, though wise and powerful, could not unite and please everyone. Salem had tried to fix that; but now some evil had befallen him. He looked at his hands again, and dreaded seeing what other damage had been done.
Over his hands, the shimmering orb caught his eye. Fear jolted him out of his dark reverie and using the pillar as support, he got to his feet. Bright lights danced across his vision. Swallowing the bile that had followed his ascent, he staggeringly made his way over to the orb, its swirling surface returned to hues of blue. He stood before it blocking out the pain from his face. He stared at it longingly, captured by its whispered promises of absolute power. He looked back at Nathaniel. He looked different too. No matter, the power was rightfully his. Perhaps if he touched it, he would return back to his normal body. He reached over for it slowly and placed a clawed finger on its surface. For the second time that day Salem was thrown back violently. His body flew limply, almost serenely until it met horribly with a marble pillar. Sickening cracks resounded in the temple as several of Salem’s bones shattered. Coughing blood, he moaned several obscenities. He assessed the damage. At least one broken leg, shoulder dislocated and sitting at an unnatural angle, fingers shattered, bottom lip torn from his own teeth. He ran his tongue over his teeth hesitantly and shuddered to find that they were pointed. The back of his head was wet and burned uncomfortably from the gash he had suffered.
“This can’t be,” he said through his tears.
“See what you have done, Salem?”
Salem lifted his head weakly and what he saw made him blanch. Above him stood the most pure and beautiful creature he had ever seen. The ethereal man seemed weakened, but in much better shape than Salem.
“Nathaniel? Tell me it isn’t so.”
“The ugliness inside you has been personified. Live with your mistake Salem, I will lead our people. The orb has granted me power, I can feel it in my blood. I will use it to bring our people to glory.”
“No, no, no,” Salem wept, shaking his head. Nathaniel turned and walked away, his body moving with fluid grace.
“NO!”
Salem was up on his feet and trembling out of rage. “Don’t turn away! How dare you! I will lead the people, not you! You are not the only one who has been granted power.”
Nathaniel looked at his fallen friend over his shoulder. His piercing blue gaze only angered Salem more.
“DO NOT PITY ME!” He screamed, “I will rule this land; the people will bow down to me. And if you won’t back down, I will wage war against you.”
“So be it.” Nathaniel whispered, and left the temple. It was some time before Salem limped back to his own village.
Five months later there was a war between two newly formed tribes; the tribe under Salem, called Saelens, and Nathaniel’s followers.
please tell us what you think
