Darklands: Swords of Dune

A Story by Abishai100

A fantastic and magical land-adventure involving swordsmanship, hope, darkness, and forms of description!

A fable fanfiction inspired by my favorite fantasy-adventure story-series Shannara (Terry Brooks). Hope you like it,

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I'm inviting you to a fable-storytelling land of great intrigue and fantasy but also of danger and darkness. The realm is called the Darklands, and it's navigated by fantastic sages and wise village kings and wandering priests negotiating life in a sea of troubles, mostly created by the evil Horde, and perhaps they can all be helped by the skill(s) of a fantastic nomadic mercenary (swordsman) named Alanon, and I'm going to tell you this tale of human proportion in a transformed 'old' Earth. My name's Amlan, and I'll be your pagemaster!

In these great 'Darklands' of Earth roamed the great 'characters' I'd already mentioned in the 'prologue' of sorts, and these are truly unusual men/women of mystery, magic, imagination, and child-like courage, but they wander the fabled but 'troubled' Darklands in search of a semblance of peace and sanity, for the land's troubled by forces of evil, requiring these 'beautiful minds' to re-create forms of strength as they explore...and dream!

The great sage-wizard Merlin informs some of these wandering philosophers and ideologists that there needs to be the intervention of a terrific or fantastic 'swordsman' who might challenge the land-devastating influence of the evil/sinister 'Horde' which uses cannibalism and power-staging to simply oppress the human mind and all of its flowery/floweries. Merlin has to explain in his ominous voice and dark robe, using his 'smoky cauldron' for the convention, that this 'swordsman' is the only 'true hope' the Darklands can boast if they're to wrought real dreams from this pit of deformity!

MERLIN: We fight for the honor of our Darklands princess (Desi), whom we may 'cast' as a damsel for a swordsman-hero.

A special meeting occurs among the leaders or young adventurers from a handful of villages. This meeting takes place at an abandoned Darklands castle, which had been obliterated/ravaged by the invading forces of the evil Horde which simply overran the dominion-house/castle and bloody murdered all the 'citizens' and kidnapped the women and children (most likely for food), and at this meeting at the abandoned castle, the adventurers agree to roam around the lands in search for their 'destined' swordsman-hero (who may fight the Horde for the honor-hand of their 'dutiful' princess-lady Desi)!

Now, let me clarify, my audience, as your narrating storyteller (Amlan --- me!) that this described evil 'Horde' is simply and just that --- evil. They resemble creature-like humanoid 'monsters' from the depths of fear, covered in fear, covered in fur, having claws and elongated teeth and large heads and a deformed demeanor. This Horde takes those who 'foolishly' challenge them and sacrifice these 'false-heroes' in their bonfire of vanities. This evil 'Horde' basically haunts these haunted Darklands with the certain confidence/presence of 'barely ugly' disorientation!

However, to the great breathing-relief of the poor souls of this certainly troubled dominion Earth known as the Darklands, a fantastic swordsman (mercenary) has arrived, and his name's Alanon. This unusual man of skill and unusual if very daring courage, has the 'uncanny' ability to use his mighty and swift steel (custom-made!) sword to create great circular and diagonal and up-and-down motions of defensive (and offensive!) strikes designed to simply unnerve and disorient his ghastly and unfortunate adversaries. Alanon has promised to dispel the evil Horde using his terrific sword, if they keep their promise to 'gift' him the lovely marriage-hand of the princess-damsel Desi!

ALANON: I've managed to perform the miracle, princess!
DESI: You're an outstanding warrior and mercenary, Alanon.
ALANON: Surely, you're in love with me now!
DESI: Maybe, Alanon.
ALANON: The lands-villages have ensured me a 'peace' destiny with you!
DESI: I don't know what we'd do together though --- a princess and a mercenary.
ALANON: We'll live in one of the great resolved settlements, free from that Horde.
DESI: How'd you destroy this Horde, Alanon?
ALANON: I used two swords; I decapitated the gargoyles one-by-one; they didn't navigate.
DESI: So, you used sword-skills of navigation-direction to disorient and destroy!
ALANON: Exactly, my love-princess.
DESI: We're not married yet, Alanon.
ALANON: We can be wed and I can retire my sword for a life of kingdom(s).
DESI: We'd surely be famous.
ALANON: Exactly!
DESI: What's the catch, Alanon?
ALANON: There's always a catch in the Darklands --- ours is inevitable patience.
DESI: Patience?
ALANON: To celebrate our triumph and enjoy destiny, we must think of patience to forget!
DESI: Forget...the Horde.
ALANON: Exactly.
DESI: You're as 'charming' as you are daring, Alanon.
ALANON: Perhaps I seek to become as dutiful as I am bold...for you, Desi.
DESI: Alright.
ALANON: Thus begins our 'new life' of wrought happiness in the Darklands.
DESI: Some day, they'll tell of our dark road, and such a tale may inspire beautiful sport.

ALANON: Perhaps even wizardry and doctorates!