Tales of Teir: Discovering Beyond the Discovery Options

[redsrock]

Tales of Teir

Foreword

Before the tale actually begins, as the author of this story I feel it is necessary to give you a brief introduction to the events that have taken place in the near past. Firstly, the entire story will revolve around the massive landmass in the northern part of the world of Teir. Four regions mark this landmass, and they are: Illacor, Valgaria, Blik, and Shienk. The tale shall begin in Illacor, but for the most part it will take place in Shienk, the land east of Illacor.

Here is a map of the northern landmass with all four regions identified:

Link-MAP

As you can see, Illacor is the only place with rivers that are named. This is for a reason. The main character of the story is unaware of the names of places in Shienk, so I think the reader should be as well. However, for the sake of the story I have included several names, just so thing aren‘t too confusing for you. And now…for the ‘current events’.

Illacor has just recently named a new King to the throne, actually roughly two and a half years ago, but that is fairly recent given the fact that the former King had last some sixty years. The new King’s name is Vorenicus Avrovil, and up until now his reign as King has gone relatively smooth. It has been well documented that the Nothren of Illacor are enemies with the Haakian of Shienk. However, the two sides have gone without war for more than twenty years, mostly in part because of some shrewd diplomacy between the former Illacor King.

Now that has changed, and the two have had a few words with another, or at least King Avrovil and the Emperor of Shienk, Junias Caultic. The two disagree on an area in the northeastern part of Illacor, fairly close to the city of Karuun in which the story starts out at. King Avrovil believes it is rightfully Illacor’s, but Emperor Caultic insists that the land was stolen from Shienk hundreds of years ago. The King says that such a remark is ridiculous since it happened so long ago, while the Emperor says that he is the only one in Shienk’s history brave enough to take back the land that is “rightfully” theirs. This sounds simple, but do you honestly think it is ONLY about land and nothing else? I’ll let you decide on that for yourself.

This quarreling of words have gone back and forth for some two years now, with no fighting taking place whatsoever. But it’s only a matter of time until the final hand is dealt, and both sides collide. And now the story begins. I hope you enjoy it…..




Chapter One: A Problem Before the Problem

Standing next to the city fort, in the middle of Karuun, I was talking with my good friend Fevlin. We had just finished making our daily rounds through our small and secluded town, making sure our soldiers were on patrol, as well as looking out for any wild animals that may have crept into town from the forest in the east and north. I am the Captain of the Karuun army, which us mainly comprised of volunteers. I wouldn’t say my job is too hard, but I definitely wouldn’t say it is easy either.

Of course, some of the people here in Karuun don’t believe that. They think I was named Captain just because my father was the former Governor, before he drowned drunk that is. Because of my father’s questionable way of life I’ve always been touted the same person, even if that is totally wrong. I am not my father, and I’ve proven that these first three years of my service by protecting Karuun from any dangers, rebuilding what was once an extremely weak militia into a larger and more skillful group of soldiers. But some people don’t want to see that. No, they’d rather remember the bad things so they can have something to complain about.

“You’re right, but can you blame them, Cyric? I mean, your father was a fairly bad person.”

Fevlin is one of two people that I can really talk to about anything. That was one reason why I wasn‘t getting angry at him for calling my father a bad person. The other reason was that he was right anyway. My father really was a bad person, and I can accept that. My mother was a wonderful woman, but she died when I was just an infant. My father had seen other woman of course, but none of them stayed more than a night, if you know what I mean.

“Yes, but when will they forget him and realize what kind of man I am? It’s starting to aggravate me. Three years now I’ve been nothing but great for this city. And what do I have to show for it? Nothing. I get no credit whatsoever, and I am not appreciated at all.”


“Well, you got me and Ollie,” he laughed. “Voren and your sister as well. I guess that counts for something.”

I rolled my eyes and said, “Great, four out of five-thousand people think I’m a good person. And where is Ollie anyway? He was supposed to have joined us this morning.”

“Who knows. Probably getting drunk at the tavern or smoking his sugarshoot again. Or maybe both, I wouldn’t put it past him.”

After rolling my eyes I told Fevlin to head to his quarters inside the fort, while I went to fetch Ollie from wherever he was. Ollie was a good friend of mine as well, possibly even greater than Fevlin. But about three months ago he started to drink, and I mean heavily. The sudden death of his mother is one of the causes I am sure, but that is still not an excuse. As of now he hunts in the forests and sells his findings to the local merchants, but whatever silver he makes he just drinks it away nowadays. I want to get him into the army so he can actually make something out of himself, but Governor Jedic won’t let me until I can prove he is fit for the job.

What of the main reasons the Governor won’t let him on board is his addiction to sugarshoot. Sugarshoot is a common blue plant located in the mountains west of us. People grind it up and then smoke it through a pipe, and blue smoke emits from the pipe. And despite it smelling sweet, those who smoke it tell me it doesn’t taste nearly as good as you would imagine. It is not yet illegal, but smoking it is greatly frowned upon. I’ve never tried it myself but I’ve heard it messes with your mind, makes you see things that aren’t really there and makes you do things that you wouldn’t normally do. I don’t see why people smoke it if it doesn’t even taste good, but I guess it’s just one of those things.

I entered the local pub and looked around the crowded bar and just barely spotted Ollie sitting at a table alone in the opposite corner from where I came in. He was of course smoking the shoot, and also had five empty bottles on the table, no doubt some kind of alcohol. Something about him made me worry. His head was in his hands and he just looked so depressed, and that just wasn’t like him at all. He was one of the more lively persons in Karuun, especially when under the booze.

Voren Geri, the pub owner, was cleaning some drinking glasses behind the counter. He was a Mogtran male, hailing from the country of Lyr, which is far to the southwest. Like all Mogtra, Voren was a tad bit taller than seven feet and had muscles nearly the size of my head. Thankfully for us he was a peaceful Mogtra, like all of his kind for the most part. When the Mogtra migrated to here they had been attacked by our people who thought they were monsters. But they quickly established themselves as respected members of our country, and have remained that for over thirty-five years now. Voren himself is over one hundred years old, which was considered middle-aged for most Mogtra.

*A picture of a Male Mogtra. Voren doesn’t necessarily look exactly like this because obviously he would be wearing some kind of clothing, but at least you can get a general idea of what the Mogtra look like: http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/8826/picture046ao2.jpg

I walked over to him but he saw me before I could tell him to keep quiet, Voren has always been a loud talker, and I didn’t really want Ollie to know I was present. “Ah, Captain, how ya’ doing this fine evening?” he yelled loudly, his furry brown mane flapping at his sides. Thankfully the room had already been loud and barely anyone seemed to have heard him.

“Shh, keep quiet for a second will you?” I laughed after holding a finger to my lip. Then I took a quick glance at Ollie and asked Voren, “So how long has Ollie been in here today?”

“Since noon I’d say,” he responded while chuckling and looking down at his glasses. Of course that also meant he was looking down on me since I was just a tad over six feet. “I take it you’re looking for him?”

I sighed heavily and replied, “Yes, I am. He was supposed to have helped Fevlin and I during our daily rounds, but he never showed up. He looks…depressed in a way. Anything wrong with him that you can think of?”

He squinted his eyes at Ollie across the room and then looked back down at his glasses. “Not that I can think of really, I-” His furry hands stopped moving and his eyes suddenly lit up. “Actually, yes, there is something. Apparently he asked Miss Cezelia for her hand in marriage last night, and she of course said no.”

“What?” I yelled in surprise, for Miss Cezelia was my little sister. She was only twenty-three, me being twenty-seven. That was another thing people dislike about me, that I am so young yet I am already the Captain.

Apparently I had yelled a little too loud, because a few tables were looking in my direction. “Can we talk in the back?” Voren nodded his head and then told one of his workers to keep an eye on the counter while we were gone. He led me back through the kitchen and into a room where all the food was stockpiled.

“Ya’ heard me right, Captain, he asked her to marry him,” he said, trying his best to hold in the laughter.

“Why in the world would he do such a thing? He knows Cezelia can’t stand him!”

“Well let’s think about it, Captain. What does Ollie tend to do all day?”

I sighed again and leaned against a large box, holding my hand against my head because I could already feel a headache coming on. “So he was drunk when this happened?”

“Yup!” he said, this time unable to hold in the laughter. “I’m sorry, Captain, but I find this funny. On the other hand, I would be high surprised if he actually is depressed because he was rejected. Ollie drinks and smokes a lot, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid. Surely he cannot be sad about it, since he knows that he was messed up in the mind when he asked her anyway. I think it is actually something else, but perhaps you should speak with you sister first.”

“I would like to talk with Ollie before I do that.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You know how argumentative he gets when he’s drunk or messed up in the mind. I suggest you walk Ollie to his house, talk to Cezelia to see what actually happened, and then confront Ollie about it when he’s in a more stable set of mind.”

I grinned and patted Voren on the arm, “It’s a good thing you’re so smart, Voren. Thanks.”

“No worries, Captain. I am here to serve,” he said sarcastically and then took a bow. We both laughed at that for a few seconds before returning to the front. Ollie was at the counter asking for another drink. The young woman keeping an eye on the counter was about to sell him another bottle, but I stopped her.

“I don’t think so, Ollie, you’ve had enough for tonight. Let’s go home, it’s already nightfall.”

He looked at me for several seconds with a set of extremely droopy eyes, opened his mouth to say something, and then passed out on the floor. I sighed and rolled my eyes once more as a crowd starting to form around his body. “Get back!” I called out to them.

“Will you look at that, Ollie passed out,” Voren said with another chuckle. “You know, Captain, he’s about the same size as you. How about I pick him up and take him to his house? You better talk to Cezelia to see what happened.”

“That’s awfully nice of you, but what about your pub?”

“Don’t worry, Sari can hold the fort down until I get home. Besides, closing time comes in about thirty minutes. Things start slowing down right around this time.”

I thanked him and then left the pub, leaving our tiny market area and heading straight towards my sister’s home. Like everyone’s home, hers was located in the north and northeastern part of the town, and right beside my own. Her house was actually a bit nicer than mine, only because she actually decorates it and keeps it spotlessly clean. I don’t really care, I’m only in it to sleep and eat anyway.

“Coming!” I heard her yell from within the house once I had knocked. She opened the door and looked rather surprised. “Cyric? It’s going on eleven o’clock, is something wrong?”

“Yes, I think so. It involves Ollie. Can I come in for a little bit?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. He didn’t do anything stupid did he?”

“Well, that depends on what you would call stupid. Do you call stupid getting drunk and then passing out in a public tavern?”

“Oh my…yes, come in. Do you want something to drink or eat? I just fixed some bala-bread if you want any.”

“No thinks, I’d like to wrap this up quickly so I can go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be busy.”

We both sat down at her kitchen table, inside a rather small area but big enough for two people. “I hear Ollie asked you to marry him. Is that true?”

She rolled her head from side to side and gave me a goofy grin. “Yes, he came knocking at my house at a quarter past midnight last night. He started yelling something and I could tell he was drunk. I cracked open the door and told him to shut up and go home, but he kept on yelling. He asked me to marry him, but like I said…he was drunk. So why are you asking this?”

“When I walked into the pub Ollie was sitting in the corner by himself, looking downer than I’ve ever seen him. Voren told me what happened, and now I’m trying to find out what’s wrong with him. I was hoping you’d have some information.”

“Wait…you don’t think it has anything to do with me rejecting him, do you? He was DRUNK, Cyric, and I’m surprised he would even remember what happened! I don’t agree with Voren one bit.”

“Voren never said he thought it was directly involved with you, Cezelia, but you should have seen Ollie sitting in the pub. He looked so down. I know something is bothering him, other than his mother’s death. He’s been drinker more and more each week. I’d like to think it’s just the addiction that so many people get, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s something more. I just wish I knew what it was. ”

“Yeah, well I wouldn’t worry about it. Ollie is nothing but a useless drunk and you know it. I don’t care if he’s your friend, Cyric, you do too much for him. If you don’t do anything about his drinking or smoking he’s going to do something bad.”

I really wasn’t in the mood for a lecture, so I gave Cezelia something she hated. “Alright, mother…”

“Really funny, Cyric. Mother would tell you what I’ve just said. You’re a good officer, you really are. But Cyric is going to be a burden to this town if he keeps getting away with things.”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m gonna talk to him tomorrow and hopefully I’ll get to the bottom of whatever is going on. Goodnight.”

Cezelia gave me a hug and I left. Fevlin was waiting in the fort barracks just like I asked. I explained to him the situation and he laughed just as Voren did. I wanted to simply laugh it off as well, but then I started to think about what my sister said had. Maybe she was right, maybe Voren would become a burden to the town if I didn’t do something about his problems. It’s not really something I wanted to think about, but I was Captain after all. I couldn’t just keep standing by and ignoring it.


“Eventually I will have to do something if he keeps this up, Fevlin. We can’t have him waking people up at midnight, now can we?”

“True,” Fevlin responded inbetween bites of an apple. “However, what is there to do, Cyric? It’s not like we can follow and watch him all day. Honestly, there‘s really only one thing you can do that will work.”

“Are you suggesting that I throw him in prison?” I asked crazily.

“Well I don’t know, you tell me,” he said, almost in a defensive tone. I guess I was probably and bit too questioning with my own tone. “Do you have any other ideas? Ollie is our best friend, I’m well aware of that. But when he‘s effecting the townspeople that’s crossing the line. And he’s starting to come awfully close to it. Bothering Cezelia isn’t that big of a deal, he’s done that all his life. But when he’s drunk there’s obviously no way of controlling him. Either you do something now or live to regret it in the future. I’m sorry, Cyric, but there’s just no other way.”

I looked at the ground for a few seconds, thinking about what I had just heard. Fevlin was right and I knew it, I just wish I didn’t. It’s like I already said earlier, Ollie has been my best friend since childhood. And also like I already said, he didn’t use to be a drunk. It’s when his mother died that he turned for the worst. But there’s no going back now, because you can’t fix the past no matter how many times you dream that you can.

“You’re right, I think I’ll wait inside his house until he awakes. I need to talk to him as soon as possible. Whether or not you agree, I’m going to give him one final chance. Believe me, I’ll pound that into his head until he can repeat it in his sleep. I can’t keep giving him second, third, fourth and fifth chances anymore.”

“Do you want me to go with you, to keep you company at least?”

“No, you’ve worked hard today. You can go home now.”

“Well, if you don’t mind I think I’ll just sleep here in the fort tonight. I’ve been meaning to work on a new table for our kitchen here, and Lavernius said he’d help me when I get the chance. He’s in there right now so I figure now is a good time.”

“Arlight, then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Cyric. And good luck with Ollie as well while you‘re at it. By Bavlian’s Blade I know you’re gonna need it.”

I hate to keep repeating myself like I’ve already done numerous times, but Ollie drinks his money away. And in doing so he’s been forced to live in the outskirts of the town, in the area where the poor and less-privileged live. He’s not exactly poor by official standards, it’s just that silver usually doesn’t stay in his pockets for a very long time.

When I arrived at his house I knocked lightly a couple of times. Voren answered the door, having to duck under the doorway while coming outside so he wouldn’t bang his head on the wood. “He’s asleep right now, Captain, but he was muttering some weird stuff on the way here.”

“Like what?”

“Something about…I don’t know, I think he said something about not being worthy. Most of it was slurred to where I couldn’t hear him.”

“Thanks for taking care of him, Voren. You can leave now. I’m going to wait here until he wakes up. He and I have some things to discuss.”

“It was my pleasure, Captain. I’ll see tomorrow at breakfast with Fevlin as always?”

“Probably not tomorrow, Voren. I‘m supposed to meet with the Governor first thing in the morning. We‘ll try and stop by sometime in the afternoon if we‘re not busy. Have a good night.”

So I walked inside the home. It was pitch black, save for a small fire in the living quarters that Voren must have started. It was a fairly cool outside with a steady breeze, so the warming fire felt good on my skin. Ollie was snoring like a bear in his room upstairs, so I walked into the kitchen to see if he had anything to drink, besides alcohol I mean. Of course, not to my surprise though, the kitchen was littered with bottles, some empty, some full, some half gone, and some shattered all over the floor. It looked like a twister had made it’s way through his house. Of course, I hadn’t visited him in his home in almost two weeks.

Luckily I found a bottle of pear juice, so I took the bottle and walked down into his cellar where he had a small library. Before his mother died he was an avid reader, especially historical documents about the alienic lands to the southeast. Ollie was obsessed with the Zervegei of Zevroth in the northeastern region of Teir. I’ll admit they are an interesting civilization, but Ollie took his interest almost to another level. Because of him I’ve learned a lot of information about them, even though history shows that they have never visited out lands.

I sat down at a table. On it was a sugarshoot pipe and a pile of what looked to be some blue powder-like material, which I knew was basically sugarshoot crushed into tiny pieces, with a couple of other things mixed in as well. I sat on the other side where I had more room and started to read a book that was lying face down. It was titled “History of the Zervegei: The Battle of Canatalo River”.

I must have fallen asleep shortly after that because the next thing I knew I woke up to a ray of morning sunlight coming in through a window that had been built into the cellar. Birds were chirping outside and I could hear the rustling of footsteps as well. I turned around to walk up the stairs and that’s when I realized Ollie was sitting at the table.

“You finally wake? It’s eight o’clock in the morning,” he said without emotion.

I stretched my arms into the air and said, “You should be talking, Ollie. What was wrong with you last night?”

“You saw it for yourself, is there really a need for me to answer? I got drunk and passed out. It happens all the time, everyone should be used to it by now.”

I wasn’t liking the tone of his voice. It was sort of defensive in a way, but at the same time with a smartalic tone. It was easy to tell that something was wrong. “Don’t get smart with me, Ollie. I know something is wrong, I could tell by the way you were looking last night. Something is upsetting you, and I want you to tell me what it is.”

He just chuckled and took a bite of a yellow bala -fruit he was holding, the green juice shooting out from the bottom and spraying onto his table. He didn’t seem to care, and at that moment I knew that was the case. It was as if he was losing interest in everything. “Cyric…the people here don’t like me. I know what I’ve become, I’m a useless drunk and sugarshoot addict. That’s what’s wrong with me. I’ve become something that I never once dreamed of. But that’s alright, I’m gonna leave soon anyway.”

“What?” I yelled. “Why would you leave?”

“Because I’m not welcome here anymore, that’s why! The only people who have even the least amount of respect for me is you. Fevlin doesn’t care for me anymore, I can tell it in his tone of voice. I guess I don’t blame him, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t stay here anymore. It’s time a move on to another place, maybe make a new name for myself.”

“And where do you plan on going? The nearest city is more than fifty miles away.”

“I haven’t decided yet. Froc sounds like a good option now, I could open up a winery or something with the money I have left. It’s the capitol of Illacor after all, so hopefully I can earn some money quick. Either way it doesn’t matter, I’m leaving tomorrow morning and you can’t talk me out of it.”

“You know, Ollie, this is kind of sudden. I was going to try and get you in my army, after helping you stop drinking and smoking. I-”

“Yeah, well maybe I don’t wan to quit! Dammit, Cyric, stop getting in my business all the time! I know you’re just trying to help me and all that, but it’s really starting to get on my nerves.”

I didn’t say anything else to him, and instead I left the house, never looking back. He didn’t say anything to me either, and honestly that disappointed me. I was hoping he’d say he’s sorry and ask me to come back and talk, like he’s always done. But no, that wasn’t the case this time. And that’s how I knew it was over. I’ll admit that I wasn’t as sorry as I thought I would be. Of course part of that was my anger towards him just wanting to give up and leaving, and another part was that I was still in shock. I really wasn’t expecting him to tell me that he was going to leave Karuun for good.

Maybe he would change his mind and stay. I really didn’t think that would happen, but it never hurts to dream.

[redsrock]

Chapter Five: A Test of Resilience


When Cyric woke up later that night, he was the only one to do so. Everyone else was sound asleep, a great majority of them snoring. Cyric stood up to stretch his arms when suddenly the wagon stopped forcefully, causing Cyric to fall forward, landing on Fevlin and waking him up. Everyone else woke up as well, all of them yelling.

Soon the door to the interior opened and in came five Haakian. “Everybody get out!” One of them yelled, holding one of the strangely curved axes in his right hand. Cyric found it strange that they were able to speak perfect Nothrenic language, even if they were ancestors of the Nothren themselves. “You’ll all be put on Glemyn Flyers and be taken to our city in the northeast. It shouldn’t be a long flight, and then the Artul’ will deal with you with whatever ways he has thought. Hurry, get out!”

Everyone hustled out of the interior and out into the warm night. The leader of the Haakian force was standing in front of beasts with long and wide wing. Their skin was a crimson red, and once Cyric looked at them and the ones leading the wagons, he immediately saw the resemblance. Within minutes everyone was piled onto ten different Glemyn Flyers and the newly assembled caravan took off into the nights. A lot of the men vomited within minutes because of the altitude, something that they had never been accustomed to. Because of the roaring winds it was impossible to have a conversation with anyone, so even though Cyric was sitting right next to Fevlin, he didn’t even bother trying to say anything.

The trip through the air lasted a little more than eight hours, and along the way they passed over mostly forestry, for Shienk was almost identical to Illacor in terms of geography. The only difference was that Shienk had more mountains, especially in the northeast. Finally the caravan made landfall next to a wide river and a large town with tall wooden walls that seemed to be poking holes in the sky. Everyone was taken off of the Glemyn beasts and escorted into the city by the Haakian forces. But before he could enter, Cyric was stopped by the leader.

“I have arraigned a special place for you, Nothren. Come, follow me. Lucky for you it seems you’re going to have a bit of company.”

There was no point in arguing, so Cyric reluctantly followed the muscular Haakian inside the city through a side entrance. He took a glance at Fevlin, who didn’t appear to notice Cyric’s departure. Cyric was about to call out to him, but Fevlin disappeared into the city before he could utter a single word.

********************

Back in Illacor, in the capitol of Froc, King Vorenicus Avrovil was eating supper with his Lords and Ladies when the irons doors to his castle slammed open. A man wearing raggedy clothes came running in, screaming a bunch of nonsense, with several Frocish guards running after him in pursuit. The King could hear the screams all the way in his dining room, so he had his two body guards protect his guests while he saw what was causing the disturbance.

When he left the dining room the man in raggedy clothes was only but a few yards away from him. The man stopped, panting heavily. The guards were about to apprehend him, but just before they could take him into custody he said to the King, “Ka…Karuun has been attacked by Haakian forces, my lord.”

The King offered no emotion, but instead looked at the guards trying to apprehend the man and said bluntly, “Leave the man here with me, and go find Oxayto.”

********************

After entering the Haakian town, Cyric immediately noted the many wooden houses spread around the walled area. Unlike cities in Illacor, this town was not organized whatsoever. It appeared that the houses were scattered in random areas, and each house looked alike. Cyric assumed there were likely shops and other places like that as well, but then again, he wasn’t for sure about anything.

In the northern part of the sizeable village, where the leader of the Haakian was taking Cyric, there stood a massively sized area, one that was gated off from the rest of the city. Situated in this area was an enormous stone fort in the shape of a square. Four looming towers outlined the fort in the corners, while in the middle of the stronghold there was an even taller towers, and much thicker as well. At the top of this tall tower there was a flag. On this flag was a symbol that looked to be a white hand, and a blue circle inside of it.

“Here we are, Nothren. Inside my fortress is where you shall stay. I’ve picked out a specific cell for you to rest in. Because I have plans for you I took the liberty of obtaining our most luxurious cell, if there is such a thing,” the leader said with a chuckle.

Upon seeing the leader and Cyric, two guards standing at the iron gate opened it up. Cyric and his escort entered the gated area, and this is where Cyric saw something he had not seen before because of the height of the walls. Inside the area were seemingly hundreds of long wooden houses. Cyric assumed these to be the barrack homes of the Haakian warriors. Also scattered throughout the area were different statues. Cyric thought that one of them resembled Shaden Caar, Shienk’s first Emperor. But before he had a chance to look closer, he and the Haakian leader entered the citadel itself.

Inside it was extremely dark, the only light coming from a few torches strewn across the black stone walls. On these walls Cyric noticed various symbols written from what looked like white paint. The symbols, just as the Haakian language itself, were foreign Cyric. Rather than try and decipher them, he followed his escort as he led the two of them down a long hallway, then down another, and then down another. Finally they stopped at a single door, an iron door with another symbol Cyric was unfamiliar with.

“Here we are, Nothren. Your companion was brought here just a few minutes ago, but I doubt he’s awake. He was looking rather tired when we brought him in.” He opened the door and then shoved Cyric in. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. In the meantime I suggest you start thinking about cooperating with me this time. If not, then it’s going to be a painful experience for you here in my city of Clohv.”

The disgruntled Haakian slammed shut the door and Cyric turned around. Lying in the upper right corner of the relatively large room, on top of a small bed, was none other than Ollie. Cyric ran over to him, but when he realized Ollie was indeed sleeping, he left him alone. The scars and bruises were gone. That healer must have done a good job, Cyric thought to himself.

As he looked around the room he realized it wasn’t anything like the prison cell he assumed he would be staying in. The floor was stone, but it did have at least a thin layer of dark maroon carpeting. There were two small desks and two small beds, along with a large wooden shelf filled books. Unfortunately when Cyric took a closer look he realized they were all written in the Haakian language.

Suddenly he heard a stir behind him, and he turned around to see Ollie stretching his arms and legs. When the two met each other’s eyes neither said a word for almost three minutes. Finally Ollie sat up on the edge of his bed, cracked his neck, and then said without looking at Cyric directly, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Cyric sat on what he assumed to be his own bed and replied, “When I saw you in the wagon I thought that was exactly what I was looking at.”

“Well…I’m here. What in world has happened, Cyric? Where are we?”

“Haakian forces invaded Karuun and have taken us hostage. We’re in one of their cities now as slaves, and I think the city’s name is Clohv. A lot of us were killed before being taken from home.”

“Like who?”

“Voren and most of our militiamen, among others. The only person I’ve been able to talk at length is Fevlin, and I have no idea where he is now. The others were taken somewhere. I don’t have a clue why you and are here.”

“What about Cezelia?” Ollie asked.

Cyric paused for a second, remembering why Ollie’s jumping off a cliff happened in the first place. “She and the other women, along with the children, were taken somewhere else in Karuun. I don’t know where they are, nor do I know if they are even in this city. I don’t know anything, Ollie. I’m just as clueless as you are. How do you feel?”

Ollie looked at his body for a second and said, “I don’t really remember much. Believe it or not, Cyric, I didn’t actually mean to fall off of the cliff. I…just wanted some attention and I meant to fake like I was going to fall. I guess the drugs had more effect on me than I thought they would. Fortunately for me, or unfortunately, I hit something hard on the way down and I was knocked out. The next thing I remember is waking up here and looking at you.”

“When we were being taken from Karuun yesterday a couple of Haakian put you in the wagon. Then another Haakian dressed robes began performing some kind of magic on you, healing your wounds from the looks of it.”

“Magic, eh? So the Haakian do know magic like we were taught?”

“Yes, they do. You would know that if you didn’t drink and smoke sugarshoot all the time.”

The last sentence came out by accident, and even Cyric himself was surprised by what he said. Ollie merely shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’m not in the mood for lecturing, Fevlin,” he responded sarcastically, calling Ollie Fevlin on purpose. “I suppose since we’ve apparently been taken prisoner I won’t be able to do any of that anymore. Aren’t you glad?” he added, again sarcastically with the last sentence.

“Yes, I am,” Cyric replied, ignoring his sarcasm. “So you don’t feel any pain?”

“I feel soreness throughout my whole body, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it pain; Sort of after doing a day of hard labor or something.”

The door to the room suddenly opened, and in stepped the Haakian leader, along with the robed Haakian standing right by his side.

********************

A knock on the door woke the man up from his sleep. A hangover pulsated through his head like a million drums. He walked over and opened the door, where two of the King’s guardsmen stood before him. “What?” He asked them impatiently.

“Sir, the King wishes for your appearance in the castle foyer.”

The man sighed. “Give me a bit, okay? I ain’t ready, cause in case you didn’t know I was sleeping. I need to bathe and-“

“I’m sorry, sir, but there’s no time. Our majesty wishes to speak with you this instant. We have been ordered to escort you to the castle immediately.”

Again the man sighed. “Fine, at least give me a damn five minutes to dress myself! Just wait here for a few minutes.” Then he slammed the door and hurried into his room.

What in Baar’s name could he want this early in the morning? He knows I always sleep in until noon, He thought out loud as he searched through his closets and drawers for clothing.

It took him a mere few minutes to get dressed and ready. Once they arrived at the castle, the King was sitting at his throne, speaking with several members of his administrative staff. None of them know a thing about politics, and Vorenicus knows it! the man thought to himself, this time not aloud. I’ll never understand why he continues to let these bumbling babbling idiots walk his halls.

“Oxayto,” The King called once he saw the man enter. “Come, we need to discuss matters in my chambers alone.”

The King told the others to wait at his throne while he and Oxayto spoke. The two ascended up three lofty flights of stairs and walked down a brilliantly decorated hallway until they came to a door, with a golden crest resting in the center. Both of them walked into the room and the King shut the door, locking it behind him. Oxayto, having visited the King’s chambers plenty of times before, immediately sat down on a couch in the corner of the room.

“What is it, Vorenicus? I really do hope this is important,” Oxayto said, massaging his throbbing head.

“What’s wrong with you?” The King asked.

“None of your business. What am I here for now, Caervo?”

The King shrugged off the rudeness and took a seat at his oversized desk. “Karuun was attacked by Haakian warriors yesterday. A lone survivor from attack came in earlier today riding horseback. He says all who weren’t able to make it out were taken as prisoners, heading towards the east. Obviously the caravan is now traveling to Shienk.”

“And?” Oxayto said bluntly. “What do you want me to do about it? I’m not part of your damn army.”

“Have you forgotten who the Captain of their militia is?”

“No, not really. I-“ Suddenly Oxayto stopped midsentence, his eyes lighting up with surprise. “Cyric.”

“Yes, Cyric.”

“He’s not dead is he?” Oxayto asked with a strong tone of concern.

“I don’t know, the man who came here couldn’t give me an answer worth believing in. And actually, he being dead would be better than him being captured. But I doubt that’s not the case, at least not with Cyric.”

Oxayto looked at the ground for several seconds, and then sighed, leaning back far into the couch and massaging his headache again, one that was getting worse by the second. “This isn’t good, Vorenicus. Why would Junias attack now?”

“I don’t know, but I agree with you about Cyric. No one besides you, I, and the others know of his situation. You know what you have to do now, Oxayto. We can’t take a chance of Cyric falling to the Haakian. He must be rescued.”

“I guess so. I don’t really want to, but then again there’s no other option. Cyric is dangerous, which is why he was let go to begin with. I’ll find him.”

“Exactly. We talked about this when he first left the Arms long ago. He was unstable then and I’m sure he is now, since he hasn’t had the proper training. He could be dangerous. I haven’t really kept an eye on him since his father’s death.”

Oxayto rolled his eyes and looked to the wall on the right. A portrait was in the middle, of him and the King holding hands, wearing the ceremonial robes that they both once wore together. Time sure travels fast. He thought to himself. He sighed again and replied, “I was his trainer, Caervo. I’m pretty sure I can handle him.”

“Whatever you say, Oxayto. Just be careful. I hate to say this, but keep your focus on Cyric and him alone. Worry not about the others. We’ll take care of them later. Cyric is the only important key right now. We can’t let him fall to the enemy’s hands.”

Oxayto stood up from the couch and stretched his arms. “That would be your fault if that happens, Caervo. You were the one who let him get away. He shouldn’t have even been admitted in the first place. His mind wasn’t ready. I tried to tell you, but like always you paid me no attention. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“I’ll be rather blunt with you, Caervo. I’m not here to argue. Ever since we disbanded you’ve changed. Drinking late at night, visiting the local whores in the forest. Didn’t know I was aware of that, did you? I have eyes, you know. Many of them. Just because the Arms is no longer in existence doesn’t mean you can act like you no longer have a mind. You still work for me, Oxayto, and I won’t have you blowing your cover. You may not be part of my damn army, but you sure are important to me. You act as if I’m not grateful. You’re wrong.”

“First of all,” Oxayto began. “The Arms is not split, you just choose to think so. For you to even suggest such a thing shows your true ignorance, something I’ve been trying to tell you for a long time now. I don’t even know why I put up with your-“

“Because I control you, that’s why,” The King interrupted. “Your intelligence weakens every day, and you know it. It’s outrageous, Oxayto. And the Arms may still be around yes, but for what cause? Altak will become corrupted soon enough. That’s why you left.”

“That’s irrelevant. You’re just trying to stir things up as usual. You’ve been fairly good to me over the years, but you’re still the same as you were when you were given the throne. You can’t deny that. Maybe one day you’ll take off your crown and realize how pathetic you really are.”

Oxayto began to walk out the door when the King called after him. “I want a report on your findings every evening. Start in Karuun first. You may be able to find some clues on where they Haakian Cyric and the others.”

Without answering, Oxayto walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.