The Origins of Kalista, The Spear of Vengeance

Millennia's ago, before the League of Legends was created, before Demacia and Noxus warred for control over Valoran, and even before the Runic Wars; there was the Empire of Shurima. Once spanning over most of the south of Valoran, centuries of internal strife, civil wars and plagues weakened the Empire and sent many of its citizens fleeing. These pioneering immigrants spread across much of the continent,  building the origins of many of the cities that still stand to this day; Demacia and Noxus included. Others even fled overseas, inhabiting the Blue Flame Island, Ionia and even the crumbling kingdom of Burian in the Feral Isles. Yet with much work and political cunning, a young prince by the name of Azir slowly rose through the ranks of the Shuriman Empire, garnering support from all those who would declare allegiance, and crushing all those that didn't. Once Azir had consolidated his control as Emperor over all of Shurima, he turned his gaze towards those that had fled the Empire. Those that, he claimed, were still part of the Empire.

*****

Thud.

The arrow cut through the air, sinking deep into the temple of its unsuspecting victim. The now dead soldier crumpled to the ground, marinating in the blood, vomit and piss that covered the battlefield. A foot passed over him, then another and another; as a formidable looking contingent of spearmen marched through the battlefield, finishing off all those that were still alive. The purple cloaks of the spearmen stood out strikingly, in contrast to the gold lining of their amour and shields. A long blast of a war horn rang out, echoing across the battlefield, bringing the spearmen to a sudden halt.

The battle, if it ever was a battle and not just a slaughter, was over.

The spearmen suddenly drew to attention as a large canine figure strolled into sight from behind them. Clenching a large spear from which protruded some blade closely resembling a war axe, the canine individual was a fearsome sight to behold.  Once finished inspecting the carnage strewn across the battlefield, it turned back to the line of spearmen that was standing in attention in front of it.

"Officer. Give me a status report on the enemy survivors." commanded the gruff canine voice.

A spearman on the far right flank broke away from the line, and laying down his shield and spear on the ground, kneeled and replied.

"My Lord Nasus. We have eradicated any resistance we have come upon. The enemy soldiers, though few in number, put enough of a fight to allow the women and children to escape into the Bubbling Bog. However our scouts are tracking them down now as we speak. Furt-"

"Pull the scouts back" interrupted Nasus with little hesitation.

"My Lord, my utmost desire is to obey your will; however did not the Emperor himself command all his legions, us included, to bring all Imperial citizens back to the Empire?"

"Fool! Do you dare lecture me on the will of our Emperor?"

The officer trembled where he was kneeling on the ground. He knew that his career, and possibly even his life, hanged on what he said next.

"No, my Lord. No." replied the officer in a quivering voice. "I will send word to retract the scouts immediately."

"Good." replied Nasus as he turned and began to walk away, uttering a single phrase quietly under his breath.

"Enough blood has been spilt this day."

*****

3 Months Later

*****

The water slapped and slurped against the wooden planks of the ship, like a sloppy wet kiss of two youngsters. A seagull perched at the bowsprit of the ship, enjoying the view and breeze as the stem of the slip sliced through the gentle waves. In the distance, the faint shapes of islands barely protruded from the horizon. Suddenly sensing movement behind it, the seagull cawed and quickly flew away as a young girl replaced its place at the bowsprit. The slicing of the waves splashed droplets of salty sea water into the young girl's face. Sputtering from the onslaught of the droplets, the young girl wiped her face and quickly tied her raven black hair into a pony tail. Now no longer hidden by her fearsome dark hair, her gaunt face became illuminated as the rays of sunshine played across her face, highlighting her high cheek bones. She stood there for several minutes, soaking in the sunlight and rejoicing in the warmth of its soft caress.

"Kalista!" a voice behind her rang out, abruptly interrupting her.

She turned around to see a young boy making his way quickly through the deck, dodging the sailors as they went about their work. By the time he finally reached her, his breaths were quick and shallow; exhausted by the effort he had just undertaken.

"What is it Jaziun?" replied Kalista quite curtly, unhappy by the rude interruption he had caused.

Finally recovered enough to speak, Jaziun straightened out from where he had been bent over trying to catch his breath.

"Mum says we are almost at the Feral Isles. She wants you to be down in the bulge in a few minutes so that we can all be ready before we dock."

"Get a grip Jaziun. We aren't going to dock by the end of today, let alone even tomorrow. Can you not see how far away the Feral Isles are in the distance over there?" she remarked as she pointed a single finger to the faint islands on the horizon.

"Captain Fortune says we have a strong north westerly wind behind us. Captain Fortune says that the Conqueror's Sea often creates very strong winds that blow ships very fast to their destination." He paused to take a deep breath, before resuming his speedy monologue. "Captain Fortune also says that that's why it's called the Conqueror's Sea; 'cause back in the old days lots of people from the Burian Kingdom in the Feral Isles sailed across this very sea and claimed the lands of Shurima, Urtistan and even Kaladoun, as their own. Captain Fortu-"

"Jaziun!" exhaled Kalista, clenching her fists tight and trying not to shout at him "Please..... Please, stop talking."

Slowly stretching out her clenched fingers, she resumed.

"You can tell Mum that I will be down there in just a minute."

Openly surprised by his sister's frustrated reaction, Jaziun turned and quickly hurried away the way that he had came. Kalista turned back to the bowsprit after he had finally disappeared from sight, and took it all in one last time.

The gentle rocking of the waves.

The creaking of the ship as the wind continued to fill her sails.

The sound of the sailors being ordered here, there and everywhere.

The gentle marriage of sky and water as the sea and clouds faded into one at the edge of the horizon.

The Feral Isles slowly becoming more and more visible.

A chill ran down her spine as she looked closer and closer at the ever increasing isles. Whatever those isles hold will now be our future, she couldn't help think. Chased from our homeland and into the embrace of a strange land which is now all that remains of the once proud and powerful Burian Kingdom. May the Ascendants take pity on us and protect all of us. Myself, my mother and my brother.

Letting out one final deep sigh, she turned around and began to walk away; leaving the ship's bowsprit finally without an occupant.

Is It Well With My Soul?

Is it well with my soul?

When troubles mount up and the skies grow dark, is it to the Lord whom I turn to for help?

When I hate what I see in the mirror

When I cry tears of pain

When I gasp mouthfuls of hurt

When the world comes crashing onto me

When I struggle with the apathy of not giving a damn

Do I turn to the Lord?

Is it well with my soul?

Every time I turn aside

Fapping to porn. Addictive games.

Each time looking a brief ride

To leave my responsibilities and my anxiety

Yet the more I do it.

The more hollow I become.

The longer I stare at that screen

The more I can see myself slipping away

Pixel by pixel

Not because I struggle with my horniness

Nor because I enjoy video games sometimes that I become enraptured in them.

No.

It is because for that short amount of time

Or some days, a long amount of time

I no longer place the Lord as the most important in my life

Instead I replace him, in all his majesty, love, peace and patience

With something that should never be there.

So Lord God.

When the walls come crashing down.

When my friends forsake me

And my family hates me

May I always find refuge in your embrace

May it always be well with my soul

Not so that I can only lean on you in the hard times.

But through both the good and the bad

May the Lord my God, My Saviour.

Be the only thing in my life that I ever need. Ever want. Ever had.

All My Life I Have Wanted To Be In Love

All my life I have wanted to fall in love.

I love the desperation. 

The honesty.

The vulnerability.

The love.

I have liked many a girl. I have even possibly come close to loving one.

Yet I never thought that this would happen.

I never thought I would fall out love.

I never thought that my feelings would sink away.

Each day a little more of the pool in my heart, drying up.

And as much as I hated the pain of knowing that my feelings for her were not returned.

The bittersweet pain of her not even thinking of me in more than just a friend.

I hate this more.

I no longer have no pain to cling desperately onto, like a drowning sailor.

My fingernails digging in with all might as my lifejacket is slowly wrenched from my grip.

As she slowly escapes the aspirations of my heart and dreams.

Instead I now stand at the shores of my heart.

Watching in the distance the beauty of the sea.

Yes, I still see the storms. 

The waves. 

The deadly currents and the sharks slowly circling.

But out there at least I had the occasional glimpse of hope.

Of rescue.

Of my lifejacket. 

Of my aspirations.

Of her.

Instead I now stand here, the waves now crashing at my feet. The sand running between my toes.

I am trapped on a desert island.

Baren. 

Devoid of life.

Devoid of feelings.

But I want to care about her once again.

I want to slowly sink under the waves, with her almost within reach.

Love

Love.

The smile that brightens your face when you see that you have a text from her.

Love.

The lump in your throat when she smiles and looks your way.

Love.

The way that her black wavy hair delicately brushes over her exposed shoulder.

Love.

The twinkle in her eye when she looks at you with some hidden joke.

Love.

The sound of her laugh reaching my ears like a bubbling brook watering a cracked desert.

The Bittersweet Taste of Love

Your beauty is that of myths and legends,

So rare and precious that men would fight over you.

For you have become the essence of all things captivating,

In a way, only you could do.

You have stolen my attention,

Like a thief in the night.

And my knees grow weak,

Every time you enter my sight.

With eyes like jewels,

That lure my gaze.

Your skin so soft,

You never cease to amaze.

I find being with you is like a drug,

An emotional high that never descends.

Every time you glance or at me or give me a hug,

I want it to never end.

Your laugh like the rain,

A pleasant sound to my ears.

Yet I watch in fascination,

As you fill me with all the fear,

Of all the things I could wrong,

When you're next to me, right here.

For I would pronounce my undying love for you,

If only you would hear.

But now as you have ignored me,

My day seems as black as night.

Your light is gone from my world,

Vanishing far away from my sight.

And yet I would cross the farthest ocean,

Just to be by your side,

To hear you say my name.

With me you could confide,

All your secrets, all your pain.

All your hurts you want to hide.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

So here I will eternally bide,

On the other side of the farthest ocean,

Waiting for you to be here,

By my side.

The Closet Door

 I'm sure I close the closet door alot more than I ever open it.

This thought perplexed me as I reversed my car, headed to another monotonous day of work. I was a single 24 year old, who lived alone, didn't have any pets and very few friends. Strangely enough though, the closet door wasn't the only odd thing that had been happening over the last couple of weeks. I found many a thing not where I left it. The TV was on and on mute when I came back home the other day. My chicken sandwich had disappeared from the fridge this morning.

 What could possibly be causing this?

I dwelled on it as I continued my drive to work, and then  suddenly a solution came to mind.

 Screw it. I'm gona find out once and for all.

I slammed on my brakes, bringing the car to  a screeching halt. I did quick U turn and start heading back home. A few minutes later I pulled into my driveway, stopped my car and quickly walked to the door. Unlocking it and closing it behind me, I walked upstairs and into my bedroom only to be greeted by a familiar sight.

It had happened again.

The closet door was open.

I decided to put my plan into action. Closing the closet door first, I hurried over to my bedside drawers and opened the top draw, pulling out a black small bag. Unzipping it, I pulled out my video camera. I turned it on and positioned it on my bed, making sure that it can see the closet. I pressed the record button and then carefully positioned some dirty clothes over it, obscuring it from view, yet making sure that the lens wasn't blocked either.

My plan accomplished, I headed back downstairs, locked the door and hopped back into my car. Sure I was going to be late for work, but this was worth it.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                                                                                

The day passed like any other day at work.

Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. Boss comes by to check on my progress, and starts asking questions. Yes Sir. No Sir. Three bags full sir.

Toilet.

Coffee break.

Repeat.

But what really was on my mind the whole day, was that video camera lying on my bed.

What will the video camera catch on film?

The thought plagued me as the hours slowly and painfully inched by. The hands of clock finally struck five, after what seemed like an eternity, and my day at work was finished. I walked very quickly through the office, needing to get home as soon as possible. I could see out of the corner of my eye that some of my co-workers were raising their eyebrows in amusement at the hurriedness of my pace, but I didnt care. I needed to see what that video camera recorded.

Workcard punched.

Crowded elevator.

Underground carpark.

Car keys in my hand.

Unlock my car.

Engine started.

Pedal to the metal.

My car shot out of the underground carpark and onto the road. I was probably speeding now that I think of it, but at the time, speeding was the least of my worries.

What will the video camera catch on film?

I pulled onto the onramp for the motorway, it usually being the fastest way home.

Fuck.

I had forgotten about the traffic. Cars lined the motorway, slowly inching along every few seconds. Everyone was trying to do what I was doing... Trying to get home.

                                  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun had set by the time I finally pulled onto the street that I lived on. It had taken me a good hour and a half to get home through that congested motorway, and to make things even worse, it seemed like the power was out for the whole suburb.

Stupid electricity companies doing work at the worst times. Typical.

I pulled into my drive, hopped out and almost ran to my front door. Unlocking it and closing it behind me,  I flicked on the light switch. Nothing happened. I let out a heavy sigh, as I remembered that the power is down. Stumbling in the dark, my hands outstretched feeling for the walls, I finally make it to my kitchen cupboards. My hand grasped blindly in the dark, trying to feel for the box of matches and  candles that I knew was there in the top shelf. Or at least, was meant to be in there.

Please. Please, still be here...Aah, got them.

Finally feeling them, I grabed them both and after a few minutes managed to start lighting candles. Leaving one candle flickering by the front door, I lit another one and my way upstairs. To my bedroom. Stepping through the doorframe, I squinted trying to see in the low light whether the closet door was open or closed.

Thank God.

The closet door was closed. Just as I left it. This, at least was a good sign. Heading over to the bed, I pulled of the clothes and looked for my video camera. It was also just where I left it. It was still even recording. I stopped and then saved the recording, and then I hit play.

I was glued to the screen, expecting to see some ghost to appear on the video recording.  A minute passed. Nothing happened. Then two, then three. I started fast forwarding it. Still nothing.

Maybe there was nothing after all.

Then suddenly something flashed across the screen in the video recording. I held my breath in anticipation , but  the fast forwarding was too fast and I couldn't see anything but a blur. I immediately rewound it and pressed play, and what I saw made my body freeze in terror.

A man had walked into my bedroom, opened the closet door, got inside, and closed the closet door.

HOLY FUCK!

Screw ringing the police! I have to get out of my house.. NOW!

Still holding the video camera, my legs lept into action. I raced out of my bedroom and down the stairs. Almost skidding on the floor, I turned while running, heading for the front door.  And then I froze.

There was a man blocking the door.

In his hands lay my metal baseball bat. A grin escaped his lips as he uttered but a single sentence.

"Did you think you were alone in the dark?"

The Mansion [Part 3]

We all stood there, staring at the bloody handprints.

Shocked.

Dumbfounded.

Matt was the first to break the silence. "That's it guys. We are getting out of here first, then we're gona call the police."

"Wait, we can't just leave that little girl.... She needs our help!" exclaimed Aroha, as she hurried over to Maria, enveloping the now crying beauty in her arms.

"Did you see a little girl, though? 'Cause I sure didn't. So let's just go now, okay!" spat out Randy.

"You bastard! Are you a calling me a liar?" shouted Maria, her shock quickly turning to anger. "I know what I saw!"

"Calm down guys!" I shouted over the top of everyone. "Let's just sort this out, and a make a decision. Together."

Surprisingly everyone stopped bickering, and looked my way, waiting for what I had to say next. I slowly rubbed my temple with my fingers, desperately trying to collect my thoughts and say something that would help.

"Look guys.." I continued "IF there is a little girl in there, and we leave now to go back to my place and call the police, it might be too late for her by the time the police arrive." I paused, then resumed. "How about we try get inside the Mansion, find the landline phone while keeping an eye out for this girl, and then call the police from the landline? Or does someone have a better idea?"

We discussed back and forth for a few minutes every option. Some accused others of being spineless cowards, others of being delusional drunkards, but at the end everyone agreed, some grudgingly, that we would go with my plan.

We split up initially, everyone circling the Mansion trying to find some open window or unlocked door that would allow us to sneak in, without having to forcefully break in. We soon found though that there was no such door or window. We reconvened and decided to smash a window, climb through it, and find the phone from there. Tane managed to find a nice rock that did the trick, and a few minutes later, we were all inside.

We all took in our surroundings. We were in a large library, bookshelves covering every part of the wall. We had a look around, but there was no phone. We checked the next room, and the one after that and still, there was no telephone. So we decided to split into two groups as to find the phone faster. One group, comprised of me, Kate, Randy, Aroha and Hayato, was going to keep checking the downstairs rooms, while the other group, comprised of Matt, Tane, Maria, Patricia, were going to check upstairs.

Minutes dragged by as we frantically looked around, hoping and praying to see that telephone, or some sign of that little girl. We entered the next room, a large lounge by the looks of it. And then we saw it. On a small coffee table in the corner of the room.

A phone.

Randy raced over to it, picked it up, put the phone to his ear. He reached down to dial, and then froze.

"What's wrong Randy?" Kate called out. Randy didn't reply. I followed Randy's gaze. The rotary dial of the telephone was covered in blood. And below it, lying on the carpet was a hand.

A mangled sawn off hand.

At the sight of so much blood, Randy wavered and fell to the floor, causing a loud bang to echo around the large lounge. He had fainted.

Before any of us could get to him though, we suddenly heard a noise. A noise that was coming from behind one of the couches. We had awoken something.... And now it was coming for us. I don't remember what the others did, but I stood motionless, my whole body frozen in fear. My eyes glued to that couch. The noise continued. It was coming closer. A hand emerged from behind the couch, the palm pushing hard against the carpet floor, as if holding someone up. The fingers on the hand extended out in opposing and unnatural angles. Someone had gone through the struggle to break every single finger in a different direction. An elbow soon followed the arm, and then a shoulder. And then a face...

It was a little girl.

Or what was left of a little girl.

Her nose had been cut off... Her earlobes, bitten off... Both of her eyes were almost completely swollen over by massive bruising that surrounded them. Parts of her scalp showed through, from where her long black hair and had been torn off. And I will not even describe to you what state the rest of her body was in, for such cruelty and malice has no place in the world of the living.

And even though it was the most horrific thing I'd ever seen, I yearned to run over to her side and pick her up. Comfort her, tell her everything was going to be okay. Tell her that she was still a beautiful little princess. Yet I did not move, nor did I speak, for the horror that my eyes beheld was paralyzing.

She must have looked at all of us, hurt by the looks of horror and disgust that we could not hide. But all I remember was locking eyes with her, those eyes brimming with pain and suffering that I could only begin to imagine. And as her bruised lips moved to utter something, I sank to my knees and began to weep.

"Help... Me...." the little girl gasped.

The Mansion [Part 2]

To be honest the trip there was quite uneventful. Sure some of us slipped over due to the slimey clay and got their arses dirty. Others somehow managed to find the deepest part of the bog, sinking past their knees into the dirty filthy water. Squeamish Maria even managed to convince Randy to piggy back her across the bog, though me and Matt were really hoping that Randy would trip, sending them both face first into the bog. I would have loved to have seen that. Anyways, we all crossed the bog eventually, and after a decent amount of hiking up the steep inclined hill, we made it. We all stood under the cover of the manuka trees that bordered the edge of the bush, drinking in the sight that lay before us.

Perfectly mown grass lawns stretched before us, intercepted by what looked like to be vegetable and flower gardens, and behind that - the Mansion. To be honest, it truly was a mansion in every sense. There was a massive tiled courtyard that surrounded the main entrance, decorated with tables, chairs  and even barbecues in a perfectly symmetrical design. All the doors and the frames of the windows and sliding doors appeared to be made out of solid mahogany wood, which in turn colour complemented both the tiled courtyard and the rest of the house's exterior walls. There seemed to be so many windows, that I never even tried to guess how many rooms lay within. All in all, I'd say that the Mansion covered at least 600 meters squared, if not more.

I remember it was Kate who made the first move. She must have stepped forth, her feet scrunching the perfectly trimmed grass, but to me it had always seemed like that girl glided on the air. The way she moved and turned...a dancing angel in our midst. The way that she flicked her long black curls, causing the sunlight to frame those deep blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to dance and smile whenever I saw them. She was my dream girl.

Kate turned around, surprised that no one had followed suit. "Come on guys" she giggled "Last one there buys next week's beer!" And with that, she raced off in a sprint towards the Mansion. That definitely did the trick. Within a matter of seconds we were all sprinting over the grass lawns, none of us wanting our wallets to be lighter next week.

Out of the eleven of us that sprinted across the imaginary finish line and onto the tiled courtyard,  it was Hayato and Patricia who tied for last place. "I guess that means we're having the double the amount of free beer next week!" I shouted to both of them, giving Matt a sneaky wink at the same time. Hayato immediately started cursing in Japanese, very unhappy at such a thought - which only caused us to break into fits of giggles and laughter.    

                                                                                 

"It's okay Hayato" I called back to him, struggling not to break in laughter again. "We don't drink that much...". That proved to be to be the last straw, as we all burst laughing again, the truth usually being far from that. Laughter is thankfully infectious and it was only a matter of seconds before Hayato was laughing alongside us, our lungs gasping for air.

"Well, I guess no one is home, or we would know by now I think" proclaimed Randy, pushing his ever slipping glasses back onto his nose. "He's got a point, guys" replied Tane " If there was, we would have been chased off by now by some guy with an air rifle, or some stupid freackin son of a-"

Tane was suddenly interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream that came from behind us. We all turned around, startled and freaked out by the terror that the scream had expressed.

 It was Maria.

She was standing rigidly still. Her body frozen in fear. Her mouth still open, as if her bloodcurdling scream had frozen in her throat. Her eyes leaking tears. Her right arm stretched out, pointing with a trembling hand. Pointing at one of the many sliding doors of the mansion.

Time slowed as my eyes followed her trembling pointing hand, hoping this was all some sick prank. But what I saw still haunts me to this very day. Leaking down the glass sliding door was two bloody handprints. Two long bloody handprints that seemed like they had been clawing at the glass.

"Girl...." Maria gasped "There was a little girl there."

Stephen King's 2 simple tips to becoming a writer

The Mansion [Part 1]

When I was a teenager (which was only a few years ago, if you know what I mean) I used to chill the bush that surrounded my house with a bunch of my mates. You have to understand, this was Kiwi (aka New Zealand) bush. It's not nice open space between trees, with grass and pine needles covering the ground. Instead the trees are dense and close together, vines growing over the wet slippery clay - as there is virtually no top soil.

Anyways me and my mates would usually kick back a couple beers, and occasionally goof around in someone else's property while the owners were away. More than once we got chased off by some freackin mongrel mutt that fancied taking a bite out of our arses. But that never discouraged us, as we'd just go another property the next time. We were the lords of the land. At least that's we thought, until everything changed.

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon, and the end of our last year in high school was in sight. In celebration of this I bought a couple of extra packets of beer to our chillout that afternoon. Time started to pass quickly, as it  always does when you're having a good time, and before I knew it - it was almost time for everyone to go their seperate ways. Just as the first of us were getting ready to leave, someone yelled out "Hold up guys. Let's not leave yet. Let's go to someone's property."

The voice belonged to Maria, the hottest and at the time most intoxicated girl in our group. She was a straight up gorgeous platinum blonde that wore usually only tanks tops and short shorts, which fitted her curvaceous figure like a glove.

"We've done them all" replied my best friend and wingman, Matt Caerdon "It's just boring now."

Loud discussion broke out amongst the group, everyone wanting to voice their own opinion on the subject. But amongst all the noise and discussion, it was the quietest voice amongst the group that caused everyone to be silent. A quiet voice that uttered only five words.

"We haven't done the Mansion."

The silence hovered over us all for what seemed like an eternity as we all contemplated the idea. You see "the Mansion", as we called it, was a large mansion (who would have guessed) at the furtherest edge of the bush. Not only did it physically look daunting, but getting there was even more daunting as  you had to cross a small bog and then climb a very inclined slope that was crammed with trees reaching up to the sky above. Only a couple of us had ever bothered to do it before, but none of us had trespassed there before. Funnily enough, the Mansion had always seemed a too grand and proper of a place to goof around, or at least to me it did.

The silence was broken as Maria raised her beer bottle and let out a massive "Hellz yeah!". Not everyone was as keen on the idea though. Randy, the usually quiet nerd of the group, and the one who had originally suggested the idea too, was unusually vocal in his support for the idea. Maybe he's finally trying to get his chance with Maria, I thought. The Maori twins (as I called them), Aroha and Tane, were in favour of it  as well, along with Hayato (the foreign exchange student) and Matt Caerdon.

The rest of us, including me, were undecided on it - with a few completely against it. So in the end it was put to a vote, with the majority getting their way and the rest had to tag along. The votes were cast. Hands shot up and down in favour of the different options, but it soon became clear that only one option was ever going to win.

It was settled. We were going to the Mansion.

2. The Verdict (Part 1)

"Let me out. Now!"

The words rang out through the Conclave of the Sceptre. They echoed down dusty passageways and through dimly lit hallways. The words were coming from one of the rooms nearly at the top of the Forum. Those where the rooms where the noble and the famous were often accommodated in.

"Lady Abina. Please, stop yelling." begged the little ystin.

"Get away from me, you creep. Just you wait until my father hears about this. Then he'll have you diced up and fed to his pets. Now, let me out" she paused, waiting for the fury little ystin to give in to her demands "NOW!"

"Please milady, please stop screaming. You have nothing to fear. We are not here to hurt you, rather we are here to protect you"

"Protect me from what? I got here all by myself, without a single injury, bruise or fight. And as soon as I enter this wretched city, I got seized and locked away in some dungeon, stuck with some bug looking creature."

"Milady, this is no dungeon. This is one of the best rooms that the Forum of the Sceptre has to offer. You will want for nothing here. Your every need will be accommodated for."

"Every need? Every single one of them" Lady Abina looked closely at the ystin, trying to discern if she was being lied to.

"Yes milady" replied the ystin with a great smile. Happy that he was finally getting somewhere this rash Imperial lady "Your every single need."

"Good. Then let me out..... NOW!"

The ystin finally gave up. “ By the Watchers, I swear that you are a hopeless woman. Enjoy shouting at the top of your lungs with only you to hear.” And with that said, the ystin turned and walked to the locked door, it's body leaning down on its two front claws while its four remaining legs shuffled behind. The ystin raised its claw and tapped the door. Twice. The door jerked open and a large karuuni stepped into sight, armoured and holding large spear. The lady Abina, scared of its size and appearance,  took a step back out of fear.

“Yes sir?” spoke the gruff karuuni, towering far above the ystin.

“She is all yours. I'm off to tell the Sceptre that they have no hope of cooperation from this  lady...” the ystin paused “Pah. Has the manners of a gutter woman if you ask me.”

The feathery karuuni stood to attention as the ystin walked away and then proceeded to slam the great oak door closed. What sounded like a bolt, was placed across the door, causing a small screech to be emitted from the rubbing of the oak door. And then there was silence.

Lady Abina, no longer having anyone to scream at, walked over to the bed lying in the corner of the room. She sat down, and  let out a heavy sigh.

Now what, she thought to herself.

How do I get out of here?

A heavy silence overcame the room, one that would not be interrupted by anything trying to make noise. And as Lady Albina lay on her bed, desperately trying to form an escape plan, the silence lulled her into a deep sleep.

Many people would say that a problem shared is a problem halved. However today, Lord Elushsir, Head Chairman of the Sceptre, would disagree. Today was the tenth Forumday since the summer solstice and tradition dictated that on any Forumday, anyone could present a case to the Sceptre as long as the case involved the people of Rudain as a whole. So far, the spice merchants had put forth their case, asking for more protection to be granted by the Sceptre, as their caravans were often falling prey to bandits and Aluyca Imperials. The fisherman and farmers of the coast had  presented their case, reporting that their land was slowly being taken over the sea - which no one believed. And the head of the Sacellum of Ichohn was about to present his case, asking for military backing in his hunt to burn and kill Murkilid cultists.

Lord Elushir let out a sigh, rubbing his temple between his fingers. Murkilid cultists having nothing to do with the affairs of the Sceptre, he thought. Deal with th-.

"My Lords of the Sceptre" someone called out from the crowd surrounding the Forum podium, interrupting Lord Elushir's self musings."We have an important case for the Sceptre that needs to be addressed immediately".

The owner of the voice came into view as he finally reached the front of the crowd. He was an old karuuni dressed in the garb of the Seaside Watch, his once large and powerful body worn down through the countless solstices he had seen.

The representative of the Ichohnites, disgusted at the thought of his case being postponed, was quick to respond. "My Lords of the Sceptre" he rebutted "Surely the matters of the Sacellum of Ichohn are far more important than that of the less-than-honourable Seaside Watch."

The representative paused as if waiting for a rebuttal, but receiving none, he continued. "So, as I was say-"

"You would be wise to heed your words, Ichohnite." boomed Lord Elushir, his voice silencing all those whispering in the crowd. "The Seaside Watch carry out an honourable duty, one which the safety and security of Rudain relies on. If, you do not believe so, perhaps we could arrange for you to join their ranks. Maybe then you would be convinced of their importance and honour."

The Ichohnite representative stepped forth aggressively - his eyes flared in outrage. "Never has a humble servant of Ichohn been treated so....With such contempt" he yelled.

"And maybe it was about time that someone did then" replied Lord Elushir.

Upon hearing this, the crowd burst into fits of laughter and giggles. Even a smile leaked onto Lord Elushir's face as the Ichohnite representative stomped off the podium, his face bright red from embarrassment.

"Quiet!" roared Lord Gaelin of the Sceptre, smashing his wooden gavel down repeatedly on the desk in front of him. The crowd fell silent, none of them wanting to be singled out by Lord Gaelin, for he had a reputation for conscripting those that did not obey him. Lord Elushir, quite unimpressed by the Lord Gaelin's behaviour, looked back to the old karuuni who had silently remained standing there since he had first arrived.

"Present to us your case."

The Solution to Writer's Block

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Tom Clancy's Writing Advice

Is reality stranger than fiction?


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Bagels and Indecisive Women

She sat on the chair, her eyes reflecting an internal struggle. Should she take 4 or 5 packets of bagels. She could not decide. She leaned down and turned to me and said "Is Scott coming tonight?" I was busy writing. I had to stop to think about her question.

"I think so" I replied "He usually comes to Friday night meetings. I think he quite enjoys the food to be honest. Not that I can point the finger, for I enjoy it as well."

She decided to take five lots of bagels in the end. She walked across the lounge and into the kitchen. Pausing at the  oven, she picked up the recently boiled kettle, and poured herself an invigorating cup of hot water. Having satisfied her thirst, she turned to the bench - her eyes devouring the moorish muffins she made yesterday. Before I knew it she was sitting down at the table next to me, fully enjoying the simple pleasures of life - a drink in one hand, a muffin in the other.

And she turned around and looked at the bagels again.

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The Boy who fell asleep in the Woods

One afternoon, a boy went out to take a stroll through the woods that surrounded his house. He started to feel really tired, so he sat down in the shade of a large oak and closed his eyes, and he fell asleep.

He woke up a quite a few hours later. The sun had set, and it was dark. Very dark. He got up and started hurrying home, wondering if his parents had started worrying about him being out so late. He finally reached the edge of the woods, and there was his house. But something was strange. He couldn't quite put his finger on it until he realised that it was very dark, yet the house lights weren't on. He didn't think too much of it though, and just kept on running. He got to the front door and realised that it was already ajar. This was where he started to get worried. 

He slowly opened the door and looked inside. Not being able to see anything, he fumbled for the light switch. Finally he found it. He switched the lights on, and he gasped at what he saw. The lounge & kitchen was trashed. Chairs were broken, tables lying on their side. Practically everything was on the floor, broken into pieces. 

"Mum? Dad?" he called out, hoping that this was just some bad joke.

No answer. Silence remained. 

Deciding to check out the rest of the house, he tiptoed through the destroyed lounge, trying not to disturb anything. He reached his parents bedroom door. His hand reached out to twist the doorknob, but he froze. The doorknob had blood on it. Alot of it.

He turned the bloody doorknob and opened the door to his parents bedroom. He stood in the doorway. Frozen. Frozen in fear and shock by what he was seeing. Laying on the floor were his parents. At least if you could still recognise them, that is. Their bodies had been hewn apart, bit by bit, joint by joint, so that what remained was pieces. Half a finger here, another kneecap there. However the abhorence of this scene was that all the pieces had been place back in order. Some sick twisted thing had hewn their bodies into tiny pieces, and then tried to put them back into order. Like some disgusting version of puzzle.

The sight of it al was too much for him. He bent over in disgust, and emptied his stomach of his half digested lunch. Suddenly there was a noise from behind him. Someone must have heard him vomit. He turned around, ready to bolt, but he was too late. A fast moving wooden plank emerged out of the darkness behind and hit him square on the back of his head. He was knocked out cold. Completely unconcious.

He woke up with a gasp. He looked around, trying to see where he was. Suddenly, he realised. He was sitting in the shade of the great oak. The sun had set, and it was dark. Very dark. Just a dream he reassured himself.

It was just a dream.

He  He got up and started hurrying home, wondering if his parents had started worrying about him being out so late. How could I have slept for so long, he thought. Finally, he reached the edge of the woods, and there was his house. Something was wrong though. The lights were off.

No, it couldn't be, he thought. He was sure that it all had just been a very bad dream. A very bad nightmare. Realising that the last thing he remembered in his 'dream' was been hit in the back of the head, he slowly rose his hand. Time slowed as he raised his hand to feel for the bruise that prove whether it was just a dream or not.

It was just dream, he thought. Or wasn't it?

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Joss Whedon

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Some more great writing advice from George R. R. Martin

So funny, but so true!


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John Steinbeck's writing advice

Some of the best writing advice that I've read! But don't take my word, read it for yourself! If you're interested in the source of this, this was from a letter that John Steinbeck wrote in 1962.

 

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1. Herald (Part 2)

Smash. The mug flew through the air, eventually crashing into the wall just behind its original target.

“Ha! You missed me you stupid crab” a voice of man boasted, resonating around the tavern.

“Ok ka tt ka ta tito cad tatso” replied the crablike creature in a series of clicks

“You expect me to understand your incoherent clicks. Pah. You mirelurks really are as dumb as they say.”

The man raised his head slightly above the table that he was taking shelter behind.

Woosh. Another mug flew by his face, missing by less than an inch, but managing to spill its contents all over the man's garment

“That’s it you piece of crustacean. You really want to fight, so come on. FIGHT ME” he shouted as he jumped up, expecting to come face to face with his mirelurk opponent. A look of surprise washed over his face as he saw no opponent in front of him.

“Umph. Coward of a crab. They really are as pathetic as I thought they would be. Wouldn't even fight an old man.”

“That is correct. They won't fight an elderly man. Seasand, escort him outside” announced the tavern keeper as he stepped in front the man

“Seasand? Seasand...who the bloody hell is--”

The man was suddenly interrupted as a giant pincer grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the air. The pincer belonged to Seasand the mirelurk, who had patiently been waiting behind the man as the tavern keeper talked to him. Still keeping the man trapped in its pincer, the mirelurk walked across the tavern and proceeded to throw the man through the doorway and into the dirty mud below the tavern steps.

“Pah..... pah” sputtered the man as he scraped off a layer of mud that had entered his mouth. “So... you mirelurks really are as strong as they say” he said, admiring the creature that now stood in front of the tavern's door, completely blocking if off. With four legs that protruded from a large torso and large arms that ended with pincers that could sever a mans head with ease, the mirelurk was a fearsome sight indeed.

“Let me parley with this man for a moment. Go inside and enjoy a plate of shellfish on the house. If I am in need of your services again, I'll call you.” came the tavern keeper's voice from inside. The mirelurk turned and went back inside, but not before letting of a stream of clicks that the man assumed were meant to be offensive against him.

“So, by what name are you called?” called out the tavern keeper as he stood out of the tavern's door and started walking towards him.

“Pssh” the man shrugged as he stood to his feet. “I have been called many names, especially by the ladies – if you know what I mean.” He winked, while giving the tavern keeper a friendly elbow. “But my friends here call me Llyr.... And your name?”

“Well Llyr, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Verius Hurea Thiul Ligustus. My fam---”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance Verius Hurea Thiul Lebustus” interrupted Llyr, as he pulled off a mocking bow

“Ligustus....Not Lebustus my dear fellow. Ligustus. Nevertheless, as I was saying before, my family has run this tavern here in Rudvain for the last 200 years. We are also beginning to set up other taverns in the other cities of the Free League such as Yylus, Burian and---”

“Cut to the chase Verius. What do you want from me?”

“Aah. A decisive man. I respect that. This is my proposition to you. We go back inside the tavern, have a couple of drinks, and you tell me your story about how you ended up here in Rudvain. You see I have always been a bit of an aspiring writer, and therefore I would thoroughly enjoy talking to a man, who at the ripe of 49-50, picks fights with mirelurks without even being drunk. So... What is your answer?”

“Now you're talking, mate” grinned Llyr as he started making a beeline for the tavern door.

“One more thing Llyr” said Verius

“What?”

“Don’t pick another fight in my tavern, especially not with that mirelurk. Is that agreed?”

Llyr paused on the tavern steps, contemplating Verius's words, before turning around to face Verius, a grin plastered over his face

“Sure.”

“...and so that is how I ended up here, in Rudvain.” finished Llyr, before sculling the last contents of his mug.

A content smile spread across Verius's face “Well, that was quite the tale. Thank you my friend, for recounting it to me.” He suddenly hesitated, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration

“Wait...Wait a second. Forgive me if I am wrong, but you never told me what clan you are from. Or is my memory wrong?”

Llyr took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out in a pensive sigh. “No. You are right. I forgot to tell you.... My full ti-” he hesitated, then resumed “ My full title is Llyr of Kraash.”

“Kraash.... Kraash... Hold on. The Kraash? As in the great forest of Kraash?” He uttered in astonishment, finally recognising the name.

“Sadly. Yes. Unless you know of some other forest named Kraash?”

“No. No, of course not... I am just completely bewildered. The only human clan that ever roamed those woods were supposedly wiped out, victims of some genocide from an invading Awolk colony.”

Upon hearing those words, Llyr's eyes suddenly fell to the table as if a heavy burden had just been placed upon his shoulders. Verius looked at him, trying to make eye-contact, yet Llyr's gaze avoided him as if he was stared down at something more than just his empty mug.

“Llyr” Verius softly called, trying to break whatever reminiscing was taking in Llyr's mind, yet no acknowledgment or response was made. “Llyr....?” He repeated, receiving the same silent answer as before. “Llyr.” he finally shouted.

Llyr's head suddenly jerked up, his eyes taking in his surroundings, as if he had just been somewhere else. His eyes locked with Verius's, confusion momentarily clouding his face before he smiled, recognising the bar tender's face.

“Enough talk about me” said Llyr “Tell me some news about Rudvain. What are the spice prices like here?”

“Spice prices are starting to rise dramatically as both spice caravans & cargoes are becoming and less and less frequent. The Scepter has sent ambassadors to both the spice caravan and cargo routes to inquire as to why spice shipments to the Free League have become rarer. Some in the city claim that it is the fault of the Alvaca Empire, that they once again are trying to interfere with the Free League, but I believe such rumours are simply frauds. The Alvaca Imperials have not marched on the Free League for over 500 years, and they are even weaker now then before.”

“Pah. Those pompous Imperials aren't a threat to anyone outside of their tiny empire. They would never interfere with the dealings of the influential Free League, that I can assure you”

“I do agree with you there Llyr. But the Imperials are not the ones who have me worried. Far stranger things seem to afoot. Local fishermen are reporting that the ocean waters are slowly rising every day. This season of the Sun has just passed the record for the hottest that the Athenaeum has on record. And amidst all of this, rumour has it that the Muerkilids have started meeting in secret once again..... But my lips betray me, I probably shouldn't have told you this much.”

“Rest easy mate. I am no Imperial sympathesir nor am I a Murkilid cultist. Though..., I'd imagine that an Imperial or a Murkilid would say the very same thing.” Llyr smiled, an ironic grin spread over his face. “But getting to the point of why I am here, do you know of any work that is up for grabs in this city? I'm somewhat a jack of all trades, and can pretty much do anything that is needed... So?”

“Well... Rudvain has few job niches in which an accomplished individual could make some profit, but currently with the spices running out, I'd say that your best hope was to get a job with the Sceptre. They constantly send out expeditions to faraway lands, so they are always looking for skilled individuals to guard them on their journey.”

“Mercenaries, in other words”

“Mercenary is such a derogative term. We, here in Rudvain, prefer to call them 'Soldiers of Fortune'.”

“Hmph. You can call them whatever you want. It doesn't change what they are..... Nevertheless, I think it would be suitable work for me. It wouldn't be the first expedition I've guarded as it traveled into some unknown land. Now would you would you be good enough to guide me in the right direction”

“Consider it done. I was going to be closing up the tavern after how long last night was anyway. Meet me in around 30 minutes at the marketplace, and I'll lead you to the place and even get you a meeting with your soon-to-be employers.”

“That would be great. I truly appreciate your help. Is there someway I can help you out in return?” They both rose to their feet, as Llyr prepared to leave.

“Not now. But maybe...Maybe another day.” Verius hand rose from his side, stretched open in an expectant handshake. Llyr's hand completed the handshake, as they both let out a small grin. They had helped out one another, and as side consequence had started to establish a friendship between one another.

“Fresh fish. Fresh fish going cheap” called out a large creature from behind it's stall

“Hot bread. Hot, tasty bread going for 1 ounce of spice” shouted back a fat lady from the opposite side of the marketplace. The market was crowded with it's usual morning customers, all jostling around trying to get the best bargains before everyone else did.

Amidst all this busy hecticness, Llyr wandered aimlessly throughout the busy crowd. His eyes searched randomly through the crowd, searching.

Stupid Verius. He said he'd be here to meet me. I knew I-

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the market crowd suddenly started condense, as if making a passageway for someone to get through. Llyr strained his neck, while stretching on tippy toes, trying to see who was passing through. Failing to see, he started to elbow his way through the dense crowd. Finally making it to the edge of the crowd, he finally laid eyes on what everyone else was so enraptured by. Marching in front of him, was a ragtag group of what seemed like soldiers, many of them limping along due to their wounds, while a few others carried what seemed like an unconscious woman.

Strange. They don't seem like soldiers. Must be some patrol of some sorts....

Turning to a large karuuni squatting next to him, he asked “Who are they? Soldiers?”

“Ha. They aren't even close to soldiers. They are the Seaside Watch. You're unlucky in you get drafted into them.”

“Interesting. What happened to them?”

“Rumour has it that they come upon frenzy of wildlife eating all the survivors of a shipwreck down at Scuttle Cove. That unconscious woman was the only one they managed to save. No one knows who she is though. So they're taking her to the Sceptre, so that they can question her when she comes to.” replied the karuuni, as it swatted a fly away with it's long tail.

“Llyr. There you are. I finally found you.” called out Verius from behind them.

“Well, I've been waiting here for over an hour. And now you finally show up. Hhmph.” Llyr sighed “Well, are you going to take me to my future employers?”

“Patience... Yes I will, but I believe that we will want to hear this tragic story of this unconscious woman first of all. This might be your chance to get some work. Plus, she is going to the Sceptre as well, we may as well just tag along.”

Smash. The mug flew through the air, eventually crashing into the wall just behind its original target.

“Ha! You missed me you stupid crab” a voice of man boasted, resonating around the tavern.

“Ok ka tt ka ta tito cad tatso” replied the crablike creature in a series of clicks

“You expect me to understand your incoherent clicks. Pah. You mirelurks really are as dumb as they say.”

The man raised his head slightly above the table that he was taking shelter behind.

Woosh. Another mug flew by his face, missing by less than an inch, but managing to spill its contents all over the man's garment

“That’s it you piece of crustacean. You really want to fight, so come on. FIGHT ME” he shouted as he jumped up, expecting to come face to face with his mirelurk opponent. A look of surprise washed over his face as he saw no opponent in front of him.

“Umph. Coward of a crab. They really are as pathetic as I thought they would be. Wouldn't even fight an old man.”

“That is correct. They won't fight an elderly man. Seasand, escort him outside” announced the tavern keeper as he stepped in front the man

“Seasand? Seasand...who the bloody hell is--”

The man was suddenly interrupted as a giant pincer grabbed him by the waist and pulled him into the air. The pincer belonged to Seasand the mirelurk, who had patiently been waiting behind the man as the tavern keeper talked to him. Still keeping the man trapped in its pincer, the mirelurk walked across the tavern and proceeded to throw the man through the doorway and into the dirty mud below the tavern steps.

“Pah..... pah” sputtered the man as he scraped off a layer of mud that had entered his mouth. “So... you mirelurks really are as strong as they say” he said, admiring the creature that now stood in front of the tavern's door, completely blocking if off. With four legs that protruded from a large torso and large arms that ended with pincers that could sever a mans head with ease, the mirelurk was a fearsome sight indeed.

“Let me parley with this man for a moment. Go inside and enjoy a plate of shellfish on the house. If I am in need of your services again, I'll call you.” came the tavern keeper's voice from inside. The mirelurk turned and went back inside, but not before letting of a stream of clicks that the man assumed were meant to be offensive against him.

“So, by what name are you called?” called out the tavern keeper as he stood out of the tavern's door and started walking towards him.

“Pssh” the man shrugged as he stood to his feet. “I have been called many names, especially by the ladies – if you know what I mean.” He winked, while giving the tavern keeper a friendly elbow. “But my friends here call me Llyr.... And your name?”

“Well Llyr, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Verius Hurea Thiul Ligustus. My fam---”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance Verius Hurea Thiul Lebustus” interrupted Llyr, as he pulled off a mocking bow

“Ligustus....Not Lebustus my dear fellow. Ligustus. Nevertheless, as I was saying before, my family has run this tavern here in Rudvain for the last 200 years. We are also beginning to set up other taverns in the other cities of the Free League such as Yylus, Burian and---”

“Cut to the chase Verius. What do you want from me?”

“Aah. A decisive man. I respect that. This is my proposition to you. We go back inside the tavern, have a couple of drinks, and you tell me your story about how you ended up here in Rudvain. You see I have always been a bit of an aspiring writer, and therefore I would thoroughly enjoy talking to a man, who at the ripe of 49-50, picks fights with mirelurks without even being drunk. So... What is your answer?”

“Now you're talking, mate” grinned Llyr as he started making a beeline for the tavern door.

“One more thing Llyr” said Verius

“What?”

“Don’t pick another fight in my tavern, especially not with that mirelurk. Is that agreed?”

Llyr paused on the tavern steps, contemplating Verius's words, before turning around to face Verius, a grin plastered over his face

“Sure.”

“...and so that is how I ended up here, in Rudvain.” finished Llyr, before sculling the last contents of his mug.

A content smile spread across Verius's face “Well, that was quite the tale. Thank you my friend, for recounting it to me.” He suddenly hesitated, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration

“Wait...Wait a second. Forgive me if I am wrong, but you never told me what clan you are from. Or is my memory wrong?”

Llyr took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out in a pensive sigh. “No. You are right. I forgot to tell you.... My full ti-” he hesitated, then resumed “ My full title is Llyr of Kraash.”

“Kraash.... Kraash... Hold on. The Kraash? As in the great forest of Kraash?” He uttered in astonishment, finally recognising the name.

“Sadly. Yes. Unless you know of some other forest named Kraash?”

“No. No, of course not... I am just completely bewildered. The only human clan that ever roamed those woods were supposedly wiped out, victims of some genocide from an invading Awolk colony.”

Upon hearing those words, Llyr's eyes suddenly fell to the table as if a heavy burden had just been placed upon his shoulders. Verius looked at him, trying to make eye-contact, yet Llyr's gaze avoided him as if he was stared down at something more than just his empty mug.

“Llyr” Verius softly called, trying to break whatever reminiscing was taking in Llyr's mind, yet no acknowledgment or response was made. “Llyr....?” He repeated, receiving the same silent answer as before. “Llyr.” he finally shouted.

Llyr's head suddenly jerked up, his eyes taking in his surroundings, as if he had just been somewhere else. His eyes locked with Verius's, confusion momentarily clouding his face before he smiled, recognising the bar tender's face.

“Enough talk about me” said Llyr “Tell me some news about Rudvain. What are the spice prices like here?”

“Spice prices are starting to rise dramatically as both spice caravans & cargoes are becoming and less and less frequent. The Scepter has sent ambassadors to both the spice caravan and cargo routes to inquire as to why spice shipments to the Free League have become rarer. Some in the city claim that it is the fault of the Alvaca Empire, that they once again are trying to interfere with the Free League, but I believe such rumours are simply frauds. The Alvaca Imperials have not marched on the Free League for over 500 years, and they are even weaker now then before.”

“Pah. Those pompous Imperials aren't a threat to anyone outside of their tiny empire. They would never interfere with the dealings of the influential Free League, that I can assure you”

“I do agree with you there Llyr. But the Imperials are not the ones who have me worried. Far stranger things seem to afoot. Local fishermen are reporting that the ocean waters are slowly rising every day. This season of the Sun has just passed the record for the hottest that the Athenaeum has on record. And amidst all of this, rumour has it that the Muerkilids have started meeting in secret once again..... But my lips betray me, I probably shouldn't have told you this much.”

“Rest easy mate. I am no Imperial sympathesir nor am I a Murkilid cultist. Though..., I'd imagine that an Imperial or a Murkilid would say the very same thing.” Llyr smiled, an ironic grin spread over his face. “But getting to the point of why I am here, do you know of any work that is up for grabs in this city? I'm somewhat a jack of all trades, and can pretty much do anything that is needed... So?”

“Well... Rudvain has few job niches in which an accomplished individual could make some profit, but currently with the spices running out, I'd say that your best hope was to get a job with the Sceptre. They constantly send out expeditions to faraway lands, so they are always looking for skilled individuals to guard them on their journey.”

“Mercenaries, in other words”

“Mercenary is such a derogative term. We, here in Rudvain, prefer to call them 'Soldiers of Fortune'.”

“Hmph. You can call them whatever you want. It doesn't change what they are..... Nevertheless, I think it would be suitable work for me. It wouldn't be the first expedition I've guarded as it traveled into some unknown land. Now would you would you be good enough to guide me in the right direction”

“Consider it done. I was going to be closing up the tavern after how long last night was anyway. Meet me in around 30 minutes at the marketplace, and I'll lead you to the place and even get you a meeting with your soon-to-be employers.”

“That would be great. I truly appreciate your help. Is there someway I can help you out in return?” They both rose to their feet, as Llyr prepared to leave.

“Not now. But maybe...Maybe another day.” Verius hand rose from his side, stretched open in an expectant handshake. Llyr's hand completed the handshake, as they both let out a small grin. They had helped out one another, and as side consequence had started to establish a friendship between one another.

“Fresh fish. Fresh fish going cheap” called out a large creature from behind it's stall

“Hot bread. Hot, tasty bread going for 1 ounce of spice” shouted back a fat lady from the opposite side of the marketplace. The market was crowded with it's usual morning customers, all jostling around trying to get the best bargains before everyone else did.

Amidst all this busy hecticness, Llyr wandered aimlessly throughout the busy crowd. His eyes searched randomly through the crowd, searching.

Stupid Verius. He said he'd be here to meet me. I knew I-

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as the market crowd suddenly started condense, as if making a passageway for someone to get through. Llyr strained his neck, while stretching on tippy toes, trying to see who was passing through. Failing to see, he started to elbow his way through the dense crowd. Finally making it to the edge of the crowd, he finally laid eyes on what everyone else was so enraptured by. Marching in front of him, was a ragtag group of what seemed like soldiers, many of them limping along due to their wounds, while a few others carried what seemed like an unconscious woman.

Strange. They don't seem like soldiers. Must be some patrol of some sorts....

Turning to a large karuuni squatting next to him, he asked “Who are they? Soldiers?”

“Ha. They aren't even close to soldiers. They are the Seaside Watch. You're unlucky in you get drafted into them.”

“Interesting. What happened to them?”

“Rumour has it that they come upon frenzy of wildlife eating all the survivors of a shipwreck down at Scuttle Cove. That unconscious woman was the only one they managed to save. No one knows who she is though. So they're taking her to the Sceptre, so that they can question her when she comes to.” replied the karuuni, as it swatted a fly away with it's long tail.

“Llyr. There you are. I finally found you.” called out Verius from behind them.

“Well, I've been waiting here for over an hour. And now you finally show up. Hhmph.” Llyr sighed “Well, are you going to take me to my future employers?”

“Patience... Yes I will, but I believe that we will want to hear this tragic story of this unconscious woman first of all. This might be your chance to get some work. Plus, she is going to the Sceptre as well, we may as well just tag along.”

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