Prelude to Stormlight Archives

[I No.4127467]

>inb4 you tryhards claim you can write a better prologue than this and bash it because its fantasy; It may not be Grapes of Wrath but it's still very enjoyable to read

Kalak rounded a rocky stone ridge and stumbled to a stop before the body of a dying thunderclast. The enormous stone beast lay on its side, riblike protrusions from its chest broken and cracked. The monstrosity was vaguely skeletal in shape, with unnaturally long limbs that sprouted from granite shoulders. The eyes were deep red spots on the arrowhead face, as if created by a fire burning deep within the stone. They faded.

Even after all these centuries, seeing a thunderclast up close made Kalak shiver. The beast’s hand was as long as a man was tall. He’d been killed by hands like those before, and it hadn’t been pleasant.

Of course, dying rarely was.

He rounded the creature, picking his way more carefully across the battlefield. The plain was a place of misshapen rock and stone, natural pillars rising around him, bodies littering the ground. Few plants lived here. The stone ridges and mounds bore numerous scars. Some were shattered, blasted-out sections where Surgebinders had fought. Less frequently, he passed cracked, oddly shaped hollows where thunderclasts had ripped themselves free of the stone to join the fray.

Many of the bodies around him were human; many were not. Blood mixed. Red. Orange. Violet. Though none of the bodies around him stirred, an indistinct haze of sounds hung in the air. Moans of pain, cries of grief. They did not seem like the sounds of victory. Smoke curled from the occasional patches of growth or heaps of burning corpses. Even some sections of rock smoldered. The Dustbringers had done their work well.

But I survived, Kalak thought, hand to breast as he hastened to the meeting place. I actually survived this time.

That was dangerous. When he died, he was sent back, no choice. When he survived the Desolation, he was supposed to go back as well. Back to that place that he dreaded. Back to that place of pain and fire. What if he just decided . . . not to go?

Perilous thoughts, perhaps traitorous thoughts. He hastened on his way.

[Anonymous No.4127470]

FFFFFFFFFAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRT

[I No.4127474]

>>4127470
The place of meeting was in the shadow of a large rock formation, a spire rising into the sky. As always, the ten of them had decided upon it before the battle. The survivors would make their way here. Oddly, only one of the others was waiting for him. Jezrien. Had the other eight all died? It was possible. The battle had been so furious this time, one of the worst. The enemy was growing increasingly tenacious.

But no. Kalak frowned as he stepped up to the base of the spire. Seven magnificent swords stood proudly here, driven point-first into the stone ground. Each was a masterly work of art, flowing in design, inscribed with glyphs and patterns. He recognized each one. If their masters had died, the Blades would have vanished.

These Blades were weapons of power beyond even Shardblades. These were unique. Precious. Jezrien stood outside the ring of swords, looking eastward.

“Jezrien?”

The figure in white and blue glanced toward him. Even after all these centuries, Jezrien looked young, like a man barely into his thirtieth year. His short black beard was neatly trimmed, though his once-fine clothing was scorched and stained with blood. He folded his arms behind his back as he turned to Kalak.

“What is this, Jezrien?” Kalak asked. “Where are the others?”

[I No.4127478]

“Departed.” Jezrien’s voice was calm, deep, regal. Though he hadn’t worn a crown in centuries, his royal manner lingered. He always seemed to know what to do. “You might call it a miracle. Only one of us died this time.”

“Talenel,” Kalak said. His was the only Blade unaccounted for.

“Yes. He died holding that passage by the northern waterway.”

Kalak nodded. Taln had a tendency to choose seemingly hopeless fights and win them. He also had a tendency to die in the process. He would be back now, in the place where they went between Desolations. The place of nightmares.

Kalak found himself shaking. When had he become so weak? “Jezrien, I can’t return this time.” Kalak whispered the words, stepping up and gripping the other man’s arm. “I can’t.”

Kalak felt something within him break at the admission. How long had it been? Centuries, perhaps millennia, of torture. It was so hard to keep track. Those fires, those hooks, digging into his flesh anew each day. Searing the skin off his arm, then burning the fat, then driving to the bone. He could smell it. Almighty, he could smell it!

“Leave your sword,” Jezrien said.

“What?”

Jezrien nodded to the ring of weapons. “I was chosen to wait for you. We weren’t certain if you had survived. A . . . a decision has been made. It is time for the Oathpact to end.”

[I No.4127483]

Kalak felt a sharp stab of horror. “What will that do?”

“Ishar believes that so long as there is one of us still bound to the Oath-pact, it may be enough. There is a chance we might end the cycle of Desolations.”

Kalak looked into the immortal king’s eyes. Black smoke rose from a small patch to their left. Groans of the dying haunted them from behind. There, in Jezrien’s eyes, Kalak saw anguish and grief. Perhaps even cowardice. This was a man hanging from a cliff by a thread.

Almighty above, Kalak thought. You’re broken too, aren’t you? They all were.

Kalak turned and walked to the side, where a low ridge overlooked part of the battlefield.

There were so many corpses, and among them walked the living. Men in primitive wraps, carry ing spears topped by bronze heads. Juxtaposed between them were others in gleaming plate armor. One group walked past, four men in their ragged tanned skins or shoddy leather joining a powerful figure in beautiful silver plate, amazingly intricate. Such a contrast. Jezrien stepped up beside him.

“They see us as divinities,” Kalak whispered. “They rely upon us, Jezrien. We’re all that they have.”

“They have the Radiants. That will be enough.”

Kalak shook his head. “He will not remain bound by this. The enemy. He will find a way around it. You know he will.”

“Perhaps.” The king of Heralds offered no further explanation.

[I No.4127489]

“And Taln?” Kalak asked. The flesh burning. The fires. The pain over and over and over . . .

“Better that one man should suffer than ten,” Jezrien whispered. He seemed so cold. Like a shadow caused by heat and light falling on someone honorable and true, casting this black imitation behind.

Jezrien walked back to the ring of swords. His own Blade formed in his hands, appearing from mist, wet with condensation. “It has been decided, Kalak. We will go our ways, and we will not seek out one another. Our Blades must be left. The Oathpact ends now.” He lifted his sword and rammed it into the stone with the other seven.

Jezrien hesitated, looking at the sword, then bowed his head and turned away. As if ashamed. “We chose this burden willingly. Well, we can choose to drop it if we wish.”

“What do we tell the people, Jezrien?” Kalak asked. “What will they say of this day?”

“It’s simple,” Jezrien said, walking away. “We tell them that they finally won. It’s an easy enough lie. Who knows? Maybe it will turn out to be true.”

Kalak watched Jezrien depart across the burned landscape. Finally, he summoned his own Blade and slammed it into the stone beside the other eight. He turned and walked in the direction opposite from Jezrien.

And yet, he could not help glancing back at the ring of swords and the single open spot. The place where the tenth sword should have gone.

The one of them who was lost. The one they had abandoned.

Forgive us, Kalak thought, then left.

[Anonymous No.4127491]

is this a ruse?

[Anonymous No.4127501]

Pretty lame, really, but if anything ever happened it might be a good YA. why didn't you pastebin it?

[Anonymous No.4127512]

>>4127501
because it fit in 5 posts

>>4127491
only to people who can't see the intrinsinc value of storytelling, and those who bash any fantastical story like Harry Potter because they're bitter faggots who cannot write nearly half as good or engaging stuff

[Anonymous No.4127521]

>>4127512
Well, the storytelling is the problem: it's clumsy, obvious and cliched. That might work in some generic series novel, but it would work best in a simpler medium, like novels aimed at seventh and eigth graders. They'd appreciate a good story, and not have the taste or experience to be put off by amateurish technique. Is it a good, well told story though? does it improve after the chunks of stealth exposition are done with?

Also, i don't think people bash stuff because they can't write that well, or they'd be bashing just about everything. They bash stuff they find boring or poorly done or trite: stuff they feel cheated by. That's why it's important to aim for the right audience.

[Anonymous No.4127526]

>>4127521
Stormlight Archives are incredibly well written and should be compared to Harry Potter in much the same way that Catcher in the Rye should be compared with Rumblefish.

[Anonymous No.4127544]

>>4127526
harrypotter is infinitely better than this trite convoluted muddle of shit i can hardly read it my 6 year old students write better talking about how they spent their summer holidays whats up with you what are you doing who are you trying to impress is this a joke are you being ironic im confused

[Anonymous No.4127560]

Don't let others ruin your fun.

[Anonymous No.4127586]

>Oath-pact

I didn't even read your meandering shit beyond the first post, but this caught my eye while scrolling down and really it just cements this as the most boring, plain garbage ever

What is this, even? Are you trying to come to terms with yourself being part of its tumblr fandom or something?

[Anonymous No.4127621]

Kor'ath grimaced in the dark. He hefted his large battle-blade aright and sank into a battle stance.
"This gay nerd fantasy shit is getting old", he spat.

Like a bolt of black lightning, a fellbeast from org-ronan ripped through the blackness. Luckily, Kronans armor had the el'sewitt's runes carved into its darkmetal plating, and a bolt of fiery lightning engulfed the foul beast, charring its flesh and sending it flying against the wall where it exploded in a cloud of ash.

Korgar grimaced. This was going to be a long story.

sage lol

[Anonymous No.4128273]

>>4127560
ok

[Anonymous No.4128290]

>>4127621
not the OP, but way of kings overall is one of the best fantasy books for me
you would think its just pulpy shit like you just wrote but in fact its got great characters that are built for pages and pages, and despite having shit like power armor and giant monsters and armies the writing is focused on a bunch of slaves dying while being forced to carry a bridge and soak up arrows in suport

its a book about a guy who ended up a slave and is now trying to find hope to survive in the main point of view

and even the point of view of dalanar who is a badass motherfucking warrior or used to be, his is like asoiaf politics, if the world in asoiaf included power armor and rapeblades

sanderson was ok and only stood out because he did interesting worlds until way of kings, but this is a whole new level of quality for him

I just hope he keeps up the quality

[Anonymous No.4128342]

This is a prelude not a prologue. There is also a prologue right after this.

[Anonymous No.4129642]

>>4128342
>prologue
I fucked up in the post but it's correct in the title at least

anyway this is my go-to recommendation for people who are tired of reading and just want something fun or fantasy in general unless the want focus on one character (then Farseer Trilogy), more pulpy goodness (First Law, or Black Company Chronicles), or something huge (Wheel of Time)

[Anonymous No.4129658]

Boring shit about some boring character in a boring fantasy battle that no one gives a fuck about, this prelude's only effect on me is a big "here we go again with this kitschy standard fantasy fare". Why should I bother reading this?

[Anonymous No.4129731]

>>4127467

I like Sanderson, but he is just not the best at writing prologues. Now, Steven Erikson is one fantasy who can really write those, I positively enjoy reading his prologues/preludes a lot more than the main stories.

[Anonymous No.4129767]

>>4129658
you should, because its worth it
Ive read a shitton of bad fabtasy and I agree with the above the prologues in Sandersons stuff are there to showcase the world and maybe try and hook, so its not as good as the real story, in this case centuries later