Good programs for writing?

[Windlord]

I'm going to be getting a computer in Febuary (which means I will finally be able to write regularly again. My story has been sitting for far too long.) Anyone have any suggestions of good programs that are useful for writing? Is Microsoft Word the best, or is there a better one.

Oh, and btw, thought I would add two more teasers of my story. Enjoy.

First one is comic, second is action.

Vahl woke up to find the rays of the sun shining through the window. He judged it was probably two hours after sunrise. He yawned and slipped out of bed. Prin still lay on the mat, snoring. Bear lay on his back with his paws up in the air above him. Vahl walked over and patted him on the belly. “It’s about time to get up Bear.” He said. Vahl walked over towards the door and opened it. Lying on the ground outside of the door was a large chunk of raw meat. Bear flew off the bed and into the hallway. Vahl laughed. “I can’t say I’m overly surprised. I expect I will have to do much the same thing to get Prin out of bed as well.”
Prin however, was a much more difficult task. Vahl shook him, shouted at him, and no response beyond a few murmurs and then Prin would return to snoring. Vahl even went down and grabbed some food, but it did little better. Finally Vahl settled for the only solution he could think of. He grabbed a pitcher and filled it with water.
Prin came up gasping for breath. Vahl stifled a chuckle. “Wake up you silly ass!” he laughed.
Prin staggered up and glared at Vahl. “What in the-, you little- I’m going to kill you!” he said, or tried to say. The water in his mouth flushed the words out as an incoherent mumble however.
Vahl laughed. “Stop complaining. You knew we would have to get up early.”
Prin’s bloodshot eyes fixed on Vahl’s blurry figure. “I think I’ll go back to bed.”
Vahl hefted the pitcher. “If you want to do it that way, I don’t have a problem.”
Prin muttered something incomprehensible, and then began to change into a different tunic. “What am I supposed to do with the wet tunic? I can’t pack it, or it will mold.” Prin said accusingly.
Vahl grunted. “Tie it to the outside of the packs. If that isn’t good enough for you, you can wrap it in cheesecloth and wash it when we get to the river.”
Prin snorted, but grabbed a bit of string and began to tie it to his saddlebags.
“Not your saddlebags!” Vahl said. “The packhorse.”
Prin sighed, and tossed the wet tunic on the floor. The he looked suspiciously at Vahl. “Didn’t you bring food in here earlier?” he asked.
Vahl laughed. “Yes. It was your share, but since you didn’t want it, I gave it to Bear.”
“What!” Prin shouted; his face in outrage. “I’m paying for this trip, and you gave my breakfast to your dog?”
Vahl looked pointedly at Prin. “You aren’t paying for this trip. The Order is. You just get to hold the purse strings. And besides, I was joking. If you want, go down and get your fill. There is porridge and bacon downstairs. They also have some toast I believe.”

Second is on the next Post.

Peace,

Windlord.

 

[Windlord]

His attention immediately went to the one seat in the room. Sitting in it was the shape of a tall man, his face cloaked in the darkness of his hood. He sat as still as stone. Finally he spoke. It was like listening to the dry hiss of scales sliding over parched stones. Vahl shivered, the voice was colder than the frozen wastes of Ishilm.
“A Deaconess, two Knights of the Griffon, and a Northern Wolfhound. My my, what have we here?” it said. Then the figure leaned forward. Icy cold blue eyes shone out from the depths of the hooded face; eyes not unlike the ones that Vahl had seen before he had passed out. “Well, speak!” It said with a savage undertone.
“Who are you?” Prin gasped. “What do you want?”
The figure leaned back, and its eyes were no longer visible to Vahl. A shuddering laugh came from it. “You answer a question with a question? How interesting.” It said. “But no matter. I know why you are here. I know what you are doing. But, as for you question, have you not guessed? We are the Guild of Shadows.”
Vahl’s heart sank. The Guild had a very unsavory reputation for dealing with prisoners. “What interest does the Guild have with interfering with the business of the Church.” Vahl asked in a weak voice.
The figure laughed again, this time the laugh of an old man. “We have no interest in interfering with your business, not much anyway. Rather, we have brought you here to offer you a proposition of sorts.” The figure leaned forward again, and the face of an old man peered out of the hood. “You are on a mission to the desert lands far to the south. However, you know little about what it is you face. This is no ordinary problem. There is a greater threat than you, or your church realizes.”
“What do you mean?” Vahl asked suspiciously.
“You will not be facing simple peasants roaming the desert in a mental sickness. Although I’m sure your masters told you that the towers were rumors, they are not.” The old man grimaced. “The towers are real, and a much greater threat to us than anything we have faced; even each other. Our seers have revealed to me the true nature of the problem.” His voice lowered. “You see, there are invaders. Creatures of utter and complete chaos are invading our world. They are a grave threat, a grave threat to both the Church, and to us.”
Vahl’s face paled. “Creatures from another world? Do you mean demons?”
“Demons? Fah!” The old man spat. “That is church talk. These are no demons. They are much worse than that. These creatures, they drive men mad by their very presence.”
“That sounds like a demon if I ever heard of one.” Prin said.
“Perhaps. I suppose that in a sense, Demon would suit them as well as any other word you can create for them.” The old man snorted.
“So, what exactly then was the reason for kidnapping us?” Vahl asked.
“That is quite simple.” The old man answered. “Now that you know the true nature of your task, you will be better equipped to deal with it. And besides, I’m sending one of my nightshades along with you. To make sure you get the job done well, of course.” The old man grinned.
“You want a Nightshade to travel with Church Knights?” Vahl asked in disbelief. “You must be joking!”
The old man’s face hardened. “I am not joking. You will go to the desert with him. He is one of the best, you should be grateful I’ve decided to send him with you.”
“What if we refuse to go with him?” Prin said. “It is hardly fitting that we should travel with an assassin. We could risk our very lives if we get caught with him!”
The old man chuckled softly, and then snapped his fingers. At once, a door opened and a man came in, carrying something over his shoulder. He set it on the ground next to the chair. It was the Deaconess Freala. “It is really quite simple. If you don’t go, I will order her killed, along with every high churchman from here to the city of Crom on the southern coast of the ocean. So, as you can see, you really don’t have a choice in the matter.”
Vahl looked over at Prin with a grimace. They both nodded at each other. “Very well.” Prin said.
“Excellent.” The old man said, and then turned to the man beside him. “You can release them now, and revive the Deaconess.”
The man nodded and cut the bonds of the inert figure on the floor. He pulled out a small jug and forced the contents down her throat. She started coughing and choking, but slowly she settled out of it and Vahl could hear her steady breathing. Next the man walked over towards Vahl and out of the folds of his cloak he revealed a key.
Vahl cautiously waited for the man to undo his chains before he leapt up. With a quick flash he kicked the man solidly in the chest and drew out the punching knife from his belt buckle. As he was preparing to slash the man across the neck, a form stepped out of the black shadows, and darkness came over his eyes. He felt himself being pummeled as if by a hundred hands. He tried to see through the shrouds of Darkness, but could not. He closed his eyes and used his ears. He could identify the rustling of the Deaconess Freala’s clothes, the clinking of Prin’s chains, and something else.
He heard something whistling through the air. He held out his arm to block his head, but the blow came lower and hit him in the stomach. He stiffened to keep from doubling over. His hearing sharpened as he grew more accustomed to being blinded. He heard the sound of an arm whistling through the air again. This time when he held out his own arm to block it he felt the jarring impact for a split second. This happened several times, until finally the attacker changing his methods. This time, a split second before he was struck, Vahl realized that the whistling sound was different. He blocked, but as another fist slammed into his stomach, he realized that his attacker had swung both fists at the same time.
“Enough!” a sharp voice cracked like a whip. “This fight is fruitless. You wanted to test us. Now you have, and you must have come to realize that you cannot succeed against us? Now, if you give me your words as Church Knights, then I will set you free and send you on your way. Can you not see? This problem is bigger than both of us.”
Vahl nodded his consent. “I swear upon my oath as a Church Knight, I will not fight the Guild of Shadows anymore on this.” Prin repeated Vahl’s words.
“Very well.” The old man said. “Release them Orami.”
Vahl’s sight returned as the darkness lifted from his eyes. Finally he could see around him again. A short, cloaked figure stood before him. Vahl could sense the deadly calm radiating from him.


Peace,


Windlord.