Joshua - Shadow Brigadier
Well-Known Member
No, you guys aren't dreaming, and no, this isn't me saying something that won't be happening. I have finally got my rear into gear (with a little help from Serpent Syra - thanks for the great compliment), and starting revising my prize fic, Shadowheart Vendetta.
For those who read it the first time round, expect quite a few changes. For example, I've torn the first chapter up... not literally, but anyway. I've taken the first part of it, and fleshed it out, and used it as a Prologue. And that's what you guys get to see.
So, check it out, and feel free to be harsh. If I need to improve, then so be it. Enjoy!
She sat in utter darkness, her thoughts concentrated solely on the events soon to unfold at her wishes. She ran her hand through her long, snow-white hair, and her violet eyes were almost invisible in the darkness of the room in which she rested.
Patiently she waited, still as death, the only sign of life her slow breathing. She had learnt from previous experience that patience was a virtue she sorely lacked, and it was taking all her effort to wait. She drummed her slender fingers on the arm of her chair, the sound echoing through the otherwise empty room.
Soft footsteps approached, and a smile danced upon her lips. The darkness was broken by a curtain of sunlight encroaching on its boundaries as the door slid open. Her back faced the door, but she could envision the man who now knelt there, whimpering on his knees. His blue eyes would be filled with fear and adoration as he gazed upon her, although they were somewhat veiled by his untidy fringe of black, matted hair.
His voice pierced the still darkness that surrounded her, the sunlight cast down by the shadows. “My lady,” he whispered, his voice filled with reverence, but also with fear. She knew then, that he was going to tell her something she wasn’t going to like.
She rose slowly from her seat, a loud crack echoing through the room as her knees groaned under the strain of movement after a lengthy period of dormancy. “What it is, Simon? This would want to be important, or I won’t be happy.” She whirled around to face him, her velvet black cloak whistling through the darkness.
Simon raised his head, squinting at the darkness from which she addressed him. Try as he might, he could make out nothing more than a pair of sinister eyes, almost invisible in the shadows. He rose slowly to his feet, and addressed her. “As per your request, my lady, the Shadowheart Vendetta is about to begin…”
His drawling voice was more than she could handle, and her patience ebbed away, her temper unveiled beneath its waves. “I understand that part, Simon. Now, brief me on the tournament status,” she snapped at him. “How many trainers do we have? How many arenas?”
He flinched, stepping back and returning to his bowing position. “Yes, my lady. As you requested, we have scoured Johto in search of powerful trainers, and issued invitations to famous trainers from Kanto and Hoenn. I am pleased to inform you that we have managed to gather the five hundred trainers that you requested.”
She allowed herself some small satisfaction, but that waned instantly as Simon paused. “And the arenas?” she snapped.
“We have managed to procure the four arena types you specified, the grass, rock, ice and water arenas. However, we were only able to acquire and relocate two of each of those arenas, rather than the four you requested…” he faded out as she stomped her foot in rage.
“How do you suppose that five hundred trainers are going to each have five battles with only eight arenas? The first round itself will consist of two hundred and fifty matches! Do you know how long that will take with only eight arenas?” she practically screamed at him.
She crossed her arms across her chest, and began pacing. Simon looked up at her, and noticed she had stepped into the light. His gaze swept along her snow-white hair as it shimmered in the sunlight, to her violet eyes, now cold and calculating as she tried to figure something out. His gaze now swept to her chest, where he couldn’t help but notice that her arms, folded under her chest, were propping up her breasts. She paced back and forward, and Simon became hypnotized, his eyes staring at her.
She turned around, an idea at mind, and found Simon staring at her chest, and was disgusted to see drool running out the side of his mouth. She shook her head, and stormed past. “Good help is so hard to find these days,” she muttered to herself.
She swept into the announcer’s booth, panting slightly. He may be somewhat awkward to be around, but she had to give Simon credit, he had done what she’d asked. Each of the eight arenas had been fitted with an announcer’s booth that was eight metres from the ground, where anyone in these booths would be safe from any wayward Pokemon attacks. A sequence of staircases led from the ground to the booth, concealed within a hollow concrete tower.
She stared down at the sea of humanity below them, watching them with a morbid curiosity. A living, breathing sea rested at the foot of the tower, writhing and ebbing as people moved around, trainers boasting to each other about their achievements and Pokemon. She sighed, and reached down to flick the switches to activate the boom microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she spoke, her voice magnified by the monstrous speakers resting at the base of the announcer’s booth. Silence swept over the crowd like a plague, and their heads craned skywards to look at her.
“As you all probably know, I am Karen, of the Johto Elite Four. I have gathered you all here, to participate in this tournament, so that all the world can see which of you truly deserves to be titled a Champion!”
Thunderous applause greeted her words, and she smiled. “Now, so you all know, the first five rounds of this tournament will be a round robin event. Each of you will participate in five matches. The results of these matches will determine your ranking in this tournament. At the end of the first five rounds, however, only two hundred and fifty six trainers will remain, so each of you should perform at your best if you wish to remain in the tournament.”
More applause greeted her, and she was getting tired of it. Without waiting for it to end, she continued. “The first round will begin tomorrow, so I expect to see you all ready to do your best. To find out whom you will be battling against, I suggest you visit the main lobby. You can find out all you need to know there.”
“Now, on a final note, I will also be competing in this tournament. Now, I wish you all the best of luck in the first round, except for the unfortunate person who ends up facing me.” The crowd laughed below, and she allowed herself a moment to enjoy her humour. “Tomorrow, the Shadowheart Vendetta will begin!”
For those who read it the first time round, expect quite a few changes. For example, I've torn the first chapter up... not literally, but anyway. I've taken the first part of it, and fleshed it out, and used it as a Prologue. And that's what you guys get to see.
So, check it out, and feel free to be harsh. If I need to improve, then so be it. Enjoy!
Shadowheart Vendetta
Prologue – Unveiled Dusk
She sat in utter darkness, her thoughts concentrated solely on the events soon to unfold at her wishes. She ran her hand through her long, snow-white hair, and her violet eyes were almost invisible in the darkness of the room in which she rested.
Patiently she waited, still as death, the only sign of life her slow breathing. She had learnt from previous experience that patience was a virtue she sorely lacked, and it was taking all her effort to wait. She drummed her slender fingers on the arm of her chair, the sound echoing through the otherwise empty room.
Soft footsteps approached, and a smile danced upon her lips. The darkness was broken by a curtain of sunlight encroaching on its boundaries as the door slid open. Her back faced the door, but she could envision the man who now knelt there, whimpering on his knees. His blue eyes would be filled with fear and adoration as he gazed upon her, although they were somewhat veiled by his untidy fringe of black, matted hair.
His voice pierced the still darkness that surrounded her, the sunlight cast down by the shadows. “My lady,” he whispered, his voice filled with reverence, but also with fear. She knew then, that he was going to tell her something she wasn’t going to like.
She rose slowly from her seat, a loud crack echoing through the room as her knees groaned under the strain of movement after a lengthy period of dormancy. “What it is, Simon? This would want to be important, or I won’t be happy.” She whirled around to face him, her velvet black cloak whistling through the darkness.
Simon raised his head, squinting at the darkness from which she addressed him. Try as he might, he could make out nothing more than a pair of sinister eyes, almost invisible in the shadows. He rose slowly to his feet, and addressed her. “As per your request, my lady, the Shadowheart Vendetta is about to begin…”
His drawling voice was more than she could handle, and her patience ebbed away, her temper unveiled beneath its waves. “I understand that part, Simon. Now, brief me on the tournament status,” she snapped at him. “How many trainers do we have? How many arenas?”
He flinched, stepping back and returning to his bowing position. “Yes, my lady. As you requested, we have scoured Johto in search of powerful trainers, and issued invitations to famous trainers from Kanto and Hoenn. I am pleased to inform you that we have managed to gather the five hundred trainers that you requested.”
She allowed herself some small satisfaction, but that waned instantly as Simon paused. “And the arenas?” she snapped.
“We have managed to procure the four arena types you specified, the grass, rock, ice and water arenas. However, we were only able to acquire and relocate two of each of those arenas, rather than the four you requested…” he faded out as she stomped her foot in rage.
“How do you suppose that five hundred trainers are going to each have five battles with only eight arenas? The first round itself will consist of two hundred and fifty matches! Do you know how long that will take with only eight arenas?” she practically screamed at him.
She crossed her arms across her chest, and began pacing. Simon looked up at her, and noticed she had stepped into the light. His gaze swept along her snow-white hair as it shimmered in the sunlight, to her violet eyes, now cold and calculating as she tried to figure something out. His gaze now swept to her chest, where he couldn’t help but notice that her arms, folded under her chest, were propping up her breasts. She paced back and forward, and Simon became hypnotized, his eyes staring at her.
She turned around, an idea at mind, and found Simon staring at her chest, and was disgusted to see drool running out the side of his mouth. She shook her head, and stormed past. “Good help is so hard to find these days,” she muttered to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She swept into the announcer’s booth, panting slightly. He may be somewhat awkward to be around, but she had to give Simon credit, he had done what she’d asked. Each of the eight arenas had been fitted with an announcer’s booth that was eight metres from the ground, where anyone in these booths would be safe from any wayward Pokemon attacks. A sequence of staircases led from the ground to the booth, concealed within a hollow concrete tower.
She stared down at the sea of humanity below them, watching them with a morbid curiosity. A living, breathing sea rested at the foot of the tower, writhing and ebbing as people moved around, trainers boasting to each other about their achievements and Pokemon. She sighed, and reached down to flick the switches to activate the boom microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she spoke, her voice magnified by the monstrous speakers resting at the base of the announcer’s booth. Silence swept over the crowd like a plague, and their heads craned skywards to look at her.
“As you all probably know, I am Karen, of the Johto Elite Four. I have gathered you all here, to participate in this tournament, so that all the world can see which of you truly deserves to be titled a Champion!”
Thunderous applause greeted her words, and she smiled. “Now, so you all know, the first five rounds of this tournament will be a round robin event. Each of you will participate in five matches. The results of these matches will determine your ranking in this tournament. At the end of the first five rounds, however, only two hundred and fifty six trainers will remain, so each of you should perform at your best if you wish to remain in the tournament.”
More applause greeted her, and she was getting tired of it. Without waiting for it to end, she continued. “The first round will begin tomorrow, so I expect to see you all ready to do your best. To find out whom you will be battling against, I suggest you visit the main lobby. You can find out all you need to know there.”
“Now, on a final note, I will also be competing in this tournament. Now, I wish you all the best of luck in the first round, except for the unfortunate person who ends up facing me.” The crowd laughed below, and she allowed herself a moment to enjoy her humour. “Tomorrow, the Shadowheart Vendetta will begin!”
