Dark Storm's Desk

[Dark Storm]

Finally getting round to doing this, should really not have taken so long. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy what little I have to offer for now until I can expand on it at a later stage. So sit back, relax, and peruse at your own leisure. I hope you will enjoy it. Thank you.

Tale of the Week

Winning Submissions

TotW 121- Did you see my bread?

My Submission

My Teacher He spoke, patiently, like a parent to an insolent child, of wars and battles, anger, and violence. He spent, with abject pleasure, time to explain the intricacies of the body, the heart and lungs, the blood, and bones. He imparted, with practical demonstration, each crumb of knowledge, of beheadings and hangings, murders and treachery. He incited, with dark intent, a lust within my soul, the gold and fame, the power and pleasure. He took, with every sibilant word, my innocence from me, the morals and scruples, the honour, and conviction. He left, within my very being, a great hunger, for freedom and rights, for peace, and love. He spread, like a stain upon my mind, his pain and malice, confusion, and hurt. He brought me, at great cost, to the height of my career, to kill and save, to steal, and give. He is now, what he once was, yet I, I am the one who has changed, I am both victim and criminal and he is both judge, and juror. He is nothing, I am everything. I, the start, and he, the end. Like night and day, dark and light. Different, we are, yet the same, also. For I am life, and he, he is my teacher, death.

TotW 123- The Architect of Defeat

My Submission

The Architect of Defeat I yearn for love, for peace and pleasure To while away my time in leisure In lands of green, of warmth and sun My faith renewed, my life begun Upon my heart, this weight I bear How will France, my country fair? I need no girl to bring me home The thought of Paris, is enough alone I carry wounds upon my back And weariness, I’ll never lack Yet my love will wait for me Between Toulon and Normandy This howling gale, cuts through my soul The endless winter takes its toll Yet beat on, my heart still does A cadenced march to La Marseillaise I know not the makers plan Shall I die upon this land? Before my dreams come to be Will I lie here for eternity? The wine of life warms my bones I no longer stand alone My brothers battle side by side And with them, I duly ride I lead them on, through land of ice And with death, they daily dice But still their courage keeps them strong And valour takes them further on I feel my body begin to fail By now I know, I will not prevail Now left am I, with no chance of retreat I, the architect of my own defeat

TotW 124- A game of shadows

My Submission

The Night I sit here. In a moment of clarity, eyes to the night. A thousand stars bewitch my forlorn gaze, a flame of desire alights within me, oh, what I would give to be there. What I would give to be weightless, without thoughts, worries, weighing me down. Up above the atmosphere within the shadows of space, confined only by the furthest reaches of my imagination. I dream of the day when I can touch the very depths of the sky, and embrace the constellations as equals. For I will have done what they have done, I will have attained joy. They laugh at me, they mock me, cruel games played on an unsuspecting child. What do they know? Those cowards, they have never felt the mad rush of happiness, brought forth by the joy of love. Love of a longing. I love the stars, the facets of light set in a pitch black ceiling. How I desire to be there. Yet how can it be, I am no bird that flits so seemlessly through the sky. I am no cloud that scudds across a summers morn, I am a boy. I cannot even begin to believe I can achieve what my heart is set on. I have arms not wings. Skin not feathers. So here I must sit, my eyes reaching to where I can not, and, for the moment, I am content I suppose.

Other Submissions

TotW 120- The Revenge of Christmas

TotW 126- Eternity lasts forever

After Action Reports

A red sun rising

A Red Sun Rising

My first attempt at an AAR, still very much a work in progress however I am going to continue with it sometime in the near future.

Extract- Chapter 1

A Red Sun Rising Fast like the wind, Silent like a forest, Intrusive like the fire, Immobile like a mountain. Under heaven and earth, I alone am feared Chapter 1- A new power I, Takeda Shingen, Daimyo of the mighty clan Takeda bear witness to this false land, one of lies, deceit and the blackest of treachery, upon the imperial seat in Kyoto sits our grand Shogun. Yet he is a puppet, a puppet played by the hands of our worst enemies, those who would strike at us from behind, those without honour. In this year, 1545 I hereby swear to drive them from our great nation, to restore what was once lost, I shall sit upon the seat of the Shogunate and create an empire that will last for a thousand year. That is my legacy and it shall be done. I walk through my lands. As I do each year, and I see the crystal clarity that Spring brings, I see the faces of my people, weathered by the long winter, that has now disspated from our land. Snow is naught but a distant memory, and the new sun that cuts across Kai, brings a new hope to my people. I stand upon the steps of my castle, gazing upon my city and it's inhabitants. From where I stand I can see change, carts Dwindle down the dusty road bringing artifacts from lands unknown, calls from masons practising their art upon bare rock, moulding the very stone with the tools of their trade. I can see the fields, the farmers lovingly tending their crop, they do not give any care for the goings on of the world but for their own patch, and I envy them for it. Carefree in a world that is so turbulent. Further afield and I see my greatest triumph, my greatest passion, pasture upon pasture devoted to the rearing and training of our famed horses. Each one just as much a citizen of Kai as I am. They are the finest Japan has ever seen, trained by the finest men too ever walk upon this fair land. They are our future and they shall take us to the Shogunate. This thoughts are soon twisted within my mind, how can life be so carefree when at this moment my brother is facing battle. In his hands lie the fate and the honour of my family. He is the last redoubt between our clan and total destruction, he is untested in battle, twenty years of age and has yet too feel the thrill of the fight, he has yet too hear the screams of anguish upon the battlefields, of men who have fallen and the woe of those who have lost all, he has yet to see the fear in a mans eyes as you extinguish the flame that courses through his body. Yet I have faith in him. He is a rider, a swordsman, a leader and a Takeda and he shall reign victorious over his foes. As I look upon this Land, I see a new dawn, a new hope, a red sun rises over Japan and we, the Takeda are the ones to lift it. - From the personal memoirs of Takeda Shingen

Silver Shield Articles

Articles and interviews for 'The Silver Shield' site publication

Coming soon...

Other Pieces

Other 'bits and bobs' I have written around the forums...

Checkmate- A poem

Historical Fiction- Roman Battles for 'The Roman Struggle Rpg'

A rather long Role-Play story in the 'God Save The King' forum rpg (Joint work by myself and Stildawn)

[Dark Storm]

updated

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Some good stuff

I like your AAR, it's off to a solid start Could do with an update though

[Dark Storm]

I know lol, I really do need to get round to it Thank you

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

Looking forward to it

[Heiro de Bodemloze]

This looks really good! Reminds me that mine could do with some polishing...

+rep

[Dark Storm]

Thank you

[LegolasGreenleaf]

Nice. Very nice. Love your works.

[Dark Storm]

Thank you very much