The Warhorse of Balrok

This was originally a short story for my creative writing class in Grade 8. I've made some changes to it since then, but this was the first story I did on the planet of Myth. This world is similar to the typical Dungeons & Dragons world, with magic and swords and such. I really enjoy this planet! I have a few stories set here, including this one (The Warhorse Of Balrok), The Apprentices, and Into Myth. I might put these other ones on Wattpad eventually.

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A Brief Setting Synopsis: Myth is a planet in the Unabais (the other universe that most humans don't know about). Myth is extremely isolated, even to the rest of the Unabais. Whereas the other Unabaisian planets are more modern, like Earth, Myth is more medieval.

There's a wide variety of magical creatures and people on Myth, and instead of humans, the common, uninteresting species are called mythins. Very handy to remember that. It'll show up often. Mythins are basically the Myth version of humans and can be wizards or elementalists (a person who can control air, fire, water or earth), but that's rare.

This story is set on the continent of Kahtaer, which is closer to the knights-in-shining-armour fighting dragons environment. The demons, led by Balrok, terrorize everyone on Kahtaer. They unofficially rule the place. Kind of like a bully on the playground. You're afraid to make a move that'll displease your tormentor.

Well, I think that's everything important that won't be very obvious in the story. Happy reading!

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Prologue

Cahtyl ran harder, her lungs burning from the strain. After escaping from Balrok's castle, she needed to get as far away as she could before his army found her and dragged her back by her hair.

Balrok. Even thinking his name made her shudder with fear, with anger, and with pain. The dreaded King of the Demons was feared by practically everyone in the land of Myth, even a great warrior with the power of fire, such as Cahtyl herself.

"At least... I was a great warrior... before he took me away." She thought to herself. Her electric blue eyes had once held so much life and strength, but now they were fractured... and dead.

She had been kidnapped by Balrok ten months ago. Those filthy, horned monsters with bat wings and skin the colour of fresh blood had simply invited themselves to the castle where Cahtyl lived as Lady of the Shadowlands. Her disposition then, was nowhere near shadowy. The demons had tied her up and gagged her without a word, then plopped her on the back of a horse and shoved her into what Balrok called his "receiving hall."

There, she'd been forced to stand in a man's ragged tunic and leggings in front of the crudely carved red rock that the Demon King called his "throne". He inspected her like a horse, saying she was tall, slightly muscular, and had long fingers. He even went so far as to inspect her teeth! Apparently, they were, "a bit crooked." The whole time Cahtyl endured and glared at him. But when a demon soldier tried to touch her long black hair, she snapped and bit his hand, making him shriek like an animal and step back.

In her time there, she'd been forced to mate with Balrok. She bore him twin children. A small boy and girl. Each with Cahtyl's black hair and pale skin. But with the glittering scarlet eyes of a demon. She only had time to name them before the demons took them away. Cahtyl almost cried just thinking about it. Sleeping out of exhaustion, with the babies nearby, those heartless barbarians had snuck in, lifted her children from their makeshift bed, and quietly snuck out. In the morning, Cahtyl had used her fire elementalism to burn everything in her path while she escaped from that slime's fortress.

Now, she ran from the flaming castle, her breath coming out in ragged panting. While she knew the fire wouldn't affect the demon's flame resistant skin, it felt good to have a little bit of revenge. For now.

Someday, she would finish what they started. And she wouldn't be alone. Thinking about her lost twins, Cahtyl Tes Raven, Lady of the Shadowlands, whispered to herself.

"Neina Nazandra. Talnerr. I will find you."