Secret King-A Four Kingdoms story pt1

Four Kingdoms of the Hidden River

David C. Jackson
also readable at www.4khr.com/tsk.html










Prologue
Sixteen Years Earlier

Venlee stood on the surprisingly cold stone floor in a dark and seemingly endless stone walled chamber.  Even in her leather boots, her feet felt as though she was standing on ice.  Her three friends held torches.  By their light, she could see the golden door.  Or what was once rightly called the golden door.  Years earlier, adventurers (including her grandfather) had carefully removed the thin gold plates from the front of the door, and returned to live a rich and prosperous life from the wealth those small plates had brought them. 

Now, she stood on the same spot, but she had what they had only dreamed of:  The key to the golden door. It looked like a small metal club, with pins (like nails) at its violent end sticking out in every direction.  But the ring at its other end (large enough to be worn as a bracelet) revealed its true purpose.  It was definitely a key.  The pins did not stick out in every direction. The 23 pins stuck out in 11 specific directions corresponding precisely to the internal workings of the lock.

She laid her bloody spear on the floor, and pulled the key from her leather backpack.  As she slowly slid the large key into the lock in the center of the door, she had a series of thoughts:

•          The ancients must have interesting artistic sensibilities.  Venlee had seen some of the gold plates.  They appeared to combine to form the image of a tall nude woman.  Venlee now realized that the keyhole was positioned between the woman’s legs.  Sliding a large key into a central hole was like sexing this ancient ruin. She smiled, but she was too scared to laugh.
•          This door had not been opened (and this key had not been used) in centuries.  She needed to move like a very old man romancing an even older woman.
•          She might never be an old woman.  Varli (her friend for over a decade) had been bitten in half by a thing (before they had managed to kill it).  Ingust had gone mad and fallen (leapt?) to his death.  After nearly a dozen trips into these ancient cities, she had become accustomed to losing partners.  It just meant that they had been careless, and there was one less person getting a cut of the gold.  But these deaths had shaken her to her core.  This journey seemed cursed.  This ruin seemed determined to take them all.
•          As the pins on the key pulled wires and moved levers, she thought “this isn’t just a key, it is also a lure.  It is bait. I am the fish. I am caught in this trap, but I may escape with a fortune and my life.”
•          The key penetrated the lock completely, and she began turning it (slowly).  She stopped turning and looked to her left.  She thought, “Are those eyes?”

As the creature moved closer, she could see the large eyes of a beast twice as tall as a man, moving on all fours, with slick moist skin like a frog or salamander.  The creature had a mouth full of large sharp teeth and bearlike claws at the end of massive arms.  Her friends dropped their torches.  Two of them drew swords, and the other readied his spear.  As the creature approached quickly and aggressively, they instinctively gave ground.  They were moving further away from their torches, and were soon in the dark.


The Last Day of Autumn

Jiavar stopped digging.  He climbed out of the waist deep hole he had been carefully crafting and admired his work.  It was an almost perfectly circular hole in the dark dry soil.  It was a man long and half a man deep (so far).  He leaned both shoulders against the nearby wall and took a cool drink of water from a tall wooden cup.  He was proud of himself for achieving such ideal shape and dimensions and he was even prouder of himself for caring.

The wall he leaned upon was (arguably) a greater achievement of craftsmanship than his magnificent hole.  It was made of grayish brown stones, all about .5 high and .5 wide (.5 means half the height of a basic man).  The stones were joined without mortar to form a wall – the back wall of a bank, two stories high and twenty paces wide.  The bank building had been there for over four centuries.  All of the other buildings in the city of Vejor had also stood for centuries, and all had been abandoned (if not quite ruined) for over two hundred twenty years (since the end of the First Age).

Four buildings (the bank, a meeting house, a clothing center and a building with an unknown purpose) faced outward from a square formed by their unadorned back walls. In the center of the square, on a flat rock, Redjun had started a small smokeless wood fire and was heating a ceramic pot filled with water, herbs and mostly the juice of a fruit which looked like a grapefruit someone had painted funny colors.  She sliced the fruit in half, and then squeezed each half into the pot slowly.  She took great care not to get any of the potent juice on her hands, in her eyes or to even inhale its fragrance too heavily.  Between Redjun and Jiavar lay their son Xilaf.  He lay motionless and silent on the soil.  His otherwise naked body covered by a tube of grey cloth running from his waist to the middle of his thighs and another running from under his armpits to just above his waist. Jiavar and Redjun were wearing dark green knee length robes, which were ceremonial, but also very comfortable on an unseasonably warm day.

Redjun took another fruit from the pile of eight or nine at her feet and began cutting it. 

“Is the hole rounded?” she shouted over to Jiavar, “They say a squared hole is horrible luck.  A squared hole is a grave!”

“Look.”, said Jiavar.  She walked over to Jiavar as he continued digging.  She smiled.

She said, “He will be a king, even a maker of kings when he awakens.” 

The hole was now 1 deep and so they carried Xilaf to the edge of the hole with Redjun carrying him by his shoulders and Jiavar carrying him by his feet. Having seen only twelve years, Xilaf was an easy burden.  They swung his feet over the edge of the hole and then Jiavar climbed down (they had a small wooden ladder) and they lowered him into the hole and laid him gently upon the soil. ( A word about the soil.  If you looked closely you could see tiny specks of red and blue and green and purple in the dark brown dust.  Some imagined that the reason nothing ever grew in this soil was the specks.  Others said even more fantastical things about the fantastical city of Vejor and its soil and its buildings.  But no one living in the Second Age had any certain knowledge of such things.)

Jiavar reached under his robe and grabbed a small bag which was hanging between his legs.  When he was sure he had grabbed the correct bag, he pulled it until the string around his waist broke and then he opened the bag and presented four large gold coins to Redjun who reverently placed them in Xilaf’s right hand and closed his fist around them.  Xilaf opened his eyes, blinked, and very very slowly said, “xinaaahdji maloooffiion”  but he was making no sense as he had eaten much of the fruit and drank deeply of its juice.  His heart was already slowing.  His breathing nearly stopped. His mind, if reachable, was far far away.  His parents poured water over him by travelling back and forth to a nearby well and filling the hole bucket by bucket.  Then they added the warm potion Redjun had mixed and watched as Xilaf drifted into a deep and peaceful sleep.

It was two hours before sunset and they were still in Vejor, but Jiavar was not terrified.  He was fearful.  It was said that people who were in Vejor after sundown simply dropped dead on the spot, or went mad.  Jiavar was unsure, but did not want to find out.  The sight of one of the many roads out of the ancient city was certainly calming.  They reached the spot where they had left their clothing, money and weapons in the street.  They carefully inspected the items to make sure they didn’t belong to anyone else.  (It was unthinkable to take someone else’s property while in the confines of the city so they had to be certain.  Even those who made their living as thieves would not engage in such unimaginably inappropriate behavior.)

They removed their robes.  Redjun had long smooth black hair, round dark eyes, full lips and smooth lustrous skin which was light tan with a slight orangish tint. She had only increased her body mass by 10% since attaining adulthood 14 years ago.  She was .97 tall.  Jiavar was 1 tall and could pass for her brother if not for his darker skin tone and short red hair. 

They put on their normal clothes, armor and weapons.  Redjun slid a tube of flexible white fabric over her head and adjusted it around her upper torso.  She pulled on a pair of green colored pants and simple heavy cloth shoes.

Redjun’s armor was simple and light as they didn’t expect much trouble on the way home. (The northern area of the known world was peaceful and civilized these days and violence was more likely to result from arguments than from organized banditry or civil unrest).  Scraps of common metal discarded from the production of various other items had been pounded into plates as thin as a leaf.  These plates (some as small as a coin, others as large as your hand) were attached to a rectangle of rough heavy cloth by string running through a few holes in the top of the plates which were overlapped so that each plates attachment was covered by the plates above it. The metal covered cloth was as wide as Redjun’s shoulders.  She stuck her head through a hole in its center and it hung down to her kneecaps in front and mid thigh behind her. She placed her robe in her leather backpack and placed the backpack on her back under her scrap vest. 

Of course, she should have packed and put on the backpack before donning the armor, but she was a bit distracted. 

•          She was distracted by the memory of Venlee. When Redjun first emerged from her own hibernation years ago, she and her friends wandered the countryside aimlessly until she met Venlee and her heroic band of adventurers.  Redjun prospered as a cook, carpenter and follower of the brave quintet of treasure seekers.  One fateful winter’s day, they camped in sight of the northern wall of the southern ruins. (Unlike Vejor, which is a ruin in the center of the known lands, where no creature creeped or plant grew, the ruins on the edges of civilization were overgrown with strange brush and populated by horrors (including huge and highly territorial creatures with fangs and claws)).  The heroes climbed the wall while the followers (including Redjun) made camp a safe distance away.  A few days later, shortly after dawn, Venlee came staggering back towards the camp. Her left arm was broken and her legs were bleeding from massive bite injuries.  Redjun and the others tended to her wounds as best they could, but she did not survive.  The followers divided her possessions amongst themselves.  Redjun chose her expertly crafted leather backpack and its contents.  Including the dagger which fit perfectly the scabbard that formed the base of the pack.  Items which, over a decade later, still gave her daily service.
•          She was distracted by thoughts of Xilaf.  She knew that when she awoke the next morning, her son would not be singing goofy improvised songs as he made a breakfast of oats and apples for her.  She would not see him again for many years.  But when she did see him again, he would be an adult, enjoying the adventure of life in a world which was rapidly rediscovering lost arts and expanding its knowledge and hope.
•          She was distracted by her need to get out of the ancient city by sundown.  Time seemed plentiful, but there was no need to take unreasonable risks.

As Redjun and Jiavar passed under the arch that marked the edge of the city, they relaxed and began chatting about the future.  From the goods they hoped to sell at the market the next day, to the feast of hen and ale they would prepare when Xilaf found them a few months or a year after his awakening. 

But there would be no feast like the one they imagined.  Before Xilaf awoke (even before the end of winter) would come momentous events.

Events which would be known as the End of the Second Age.




The Great Mystery

Many years passed.  The sun rose and set.  Seasons came and went.  The Second Age had ended but the Third Age had not yet begun.  For over ten generations, simple folk like Redjun and Jiavar had lived in the shadows of the ruins of a greater civilization.  The tall stone buildings of that civilization, the deep and intricately engineered underground passages, and the stories of the lives lead before them added wonder and awe to the simple lives of the people. Simple lives spent farming on small pockets of fertile soil, making clothing from the plants which grew around the land, building houses made from stones and sturdy wooden logs. Thriving and multiplying on a temperate peninsula which reached southward into a possibly endless ocean.

Now, the people were nowhere to be found.  Cobblestone roads and gravel paths led to clearings where towns once stood.  But the clearings were empty, As if the buildings had been carefully deconstructed and the wood, stone and glass had been hauled away.  Even the foundation stones and the holes they sat in were gone and grass and small plants had begun to return. 

Ancient buildings remained.  The entire city of Vejor was as it had been for centuries.  To the north, warm blooded creatures prowled the forgotten streets of Soflmo and dark eyed reptiles slept hidden from the midday sun in its stone theaters whose stages had long been silent. Piles of silver coins, jeweled bracelets and other treasures lay hidden in the chambers beneath the ground.  But in the vast countryside between the two cities There was no evidence that humans ever lived in or near the forest except:

•          The Northern Inn.  This massive complex of kitchens and dining rooms connected to several dozen small bedchambers was built by the ancients. About 1 days walk north of Vejor it and 3 others like it (to the East, West and South of Vejor) still remain.  The inn sits locked and empty along the main road.
•          The Castle of Changlon. 3 days north east of Vejor the Castle sits open but unoccupied on the plains west of the mountains. (there are 3 other castles in the land (which give the land its nickname “the land of the four kingdoms”) but more on that later.)
•          Four or five small farms.  Isolated, protected by geography and devoid of human life.  These farms still have crops growing wild and a few animals (cows, chickens, bovalons, pigs and horses) wandering about.

An empty world was waiting to be filled.  The great mystery remained.  What happened to all the people of the second age and the towns and homes they created?  For that matter, what happened to the lords of the first age and why are their magnificent homes and buildings abandoned?  But this isn’t a story about mysteries.  This is a story about an adventure.  And this adventure begins on the first day of the Third Age.

Chapter One
Fire and Water

Xilaf opened his eyes.  He could feel the warm moist soil on his back, and see the clear blue sky above.  “I’ve probably been breathing air for about a week”, he thought.  He climbed out of the hole (using mostly his arms because his legs were still a little shaky).  He was happy and excited.  He looked at his hands, legs, arms and chest.  He appeared to be about 20 years.  He was 1 tall and a little thicker than average in chest and shoulders. He was basic ( basic means: light tan skin with a slight orangish tint, rounded brown eyes, full lips, small facial features, slim build (although he was a little thicker as previously noted) and typically smooth black hair) except that he had short red hair.

In the center of the dusty lot formed by four tall stone walls, Xilaf saw Bodlee adding wood to a growing fire. She had removed the tube of white cloth covering her upper torso and was using the heat from the fire to dry it.  She was basic (which for a woman also includes small but obvious breasts) except for 2 dramatic features.  One was a large tattoo of the symbol for the word “fear” in the old language on her back (the old language had symbolic adjuncts for many words).  That tattoo was black, green and blue and sort of resembled two hands crushing a head between them.  The other feature was her skin itself which was almost as white as milk.  This made the tattoo really stand out and was a common combination.

Xilaf had once met Bodlee’s grandfather, the originator of the tattoo.  He was a large man, 1.1 perhaps, and he had arranged his immersion tattoo and color change in the shop in Vejor which is know for such things.  The original tattoo was “Warrior without fear” (three symbols) on his chest.  His children were all born with the tattoo somewhere on their bodies (although some were darker in skin tone). On Bodlee’s father, a much more cautious man, the tattoo seemed ironic. Bodlee only inherited the word “fear” although that is better than her brother who is rumored to have “without”.

There were four other sleep holes in the square.  Bodlee’s awakening had been the first, about an hour earlier.  Meiknut had been next, and he had gone for water and was now returning.  Xilaf was third, and in the next few moments, Basmin and Wulffan awoke and immediately began talking about how they resembled their respective mothers in size and shape. They all had long drinks of water, and then Xilaf decided to try something.

Xilaf knew that adults could communicate without words, even over long distances.  He closed his eyes, and sent a mental message to Bodlee.  She turned, blushing, smiled and shouted “Thank you, Xilaf”.  Then she sat on a large stone, a look of grim concentration took over her expression.  “Everyone please gather around me for a moment”, She said loudly.  Basmin, Wulffan, Meiknut and Xilaf all walked over to her near the fire.  “While receiving a message, I have become aware of something.” she said, “it seems a lot of people and places we used to know are gone.”

Bodlee explained the images she had seen, and they all closed their eyes and saw images of their own.  Familiar places without people or homes, familiar faces saying goodbye.  They were confused and concerned.  They sat in silence for a moment as they tried to understand.  They all slowly realized that there were no images of corpses or coffins or disaster or death.  Their concern slowly shifted towards relief. 

Moving Forward

A sleeper who awakens into adulthood, and then immediately seeks out his hometown and family and old familiar places is (traditionally) ridiculed, mocked and shamed (mostly ridiculed) for years (or even a lifetime).  Their hometowns had vanished, but it didn’t change the fact that their focus should be on the future and the present.  Specifically, they should focus on getting clothing, food and supplies, getting out of Vejor before sundown and getting on with their lives and/or adventures.

Bodlee asked, “Is everyone drinking enough water?  We should also get dry and loose around the fire”.  Meiknut commented,” I’m pretty loose”.  Bodlee suggested, “Try to touch your toes with your right hand.”

Meiknut could not bend far enough to touch his toes, and moreover, his right hand was clenched into a fist and he could not open it.  The others noticed that their right hands were also clenched.  They began to warm themselves, jump up and down, and twist their bodies back into full function.

Basmin opened her right hand to reveal five gold coins. 

“Zzzzz!”, She exclaimed, “ I am ready to buy some shoes, some clothes, and maybe some armor.”

“Maybe some armor?”, Wulffan asked. 

“I would think ‘definitely, some armor’”, added Meiknut. 

“Well”, Basmin replied,” everyone will probably want to be my friend.” 

They all laughed and agreed that a little armor was good, just in case.

They each found themselves with a fist full of money.  And, after exchanging stories and memories, they walked to the north east corner of the square (where there was a wide gap between the two buildings) and walked onto a minor street in Vejor.  They felt strong and were excited about the coming days and nights.

Throughout Vejor, hundreds of men and women began a similar journey, following the small streets of the outer regions of the city towards the main roads which lead to the city’s heart.  Beyond the city, a few people awoke on small farms, mountain caves (where ore is mined and turned to metal), and inns. 

The Shop of Yafra

Yafra, a basic man who was a little slimmer than most and 1.05 tall, had awakened inside a building on the main road circling the center of Vejor. Instead of a fistful of gold, he awoke clutching a small key.  Now he and his partners were using their keys to open the huge doors on the front and sides of the building.  The cavernous building was tall enough to have an echo.  It had enough floor space for a game of run-ball (although the floors were stone which wouldn’t be very safe for tackling).  It was a single room with massive stone walls and a dozen huge square windows in the stone ceiling.  The light from the early afternoon sun filled every corner of the building, and rows of wooden tables (each with plenty of space around it) made the room feel a little less empty. Each table was covered with weapons, armor, clothing, rope, cloth, packs and other gear and equipment for sale.

Within a few hours, a hundred people were milling about in the space.  They were trading coins for goods, covering their dull white undergarments with clothing and metal, and  chatting ceaselessly. The room was filled with the clatter of silver and the buzz of conversation.  Basmin walked over to Yafra.  “Where are the best shoes for women?”, she asked.  “Follow me”, he said.  And so, without so much as a goodbye, Basmin walked away from the group and disappeared into the crowd.  Meiknut, who had announced his plans to become a “merchant/king” agreed to meet the rest of them at the Northern inn later.  He set out to find peaceful supplies while Wulffan and Xilaf (who were both planning adventures among the dark and distant ruins) went in search of gear fitting that profession.  Bodlee followed them, even though she had plans to become a healer.  At a table near the back of the room, they met Leehemm (a large man wielding a very large double headed axe) and Derze (a basic woman struggling with a common metal spear as long as she is tall). 

This is what they bought:
•          Xilaf
o          Xilaf was thinking about his future adventures in the ancient cities.  He knew he might me attacked by creatures with claws and fangs, so his first priority was to outfit himself accordingly.
          Blue Metal Spear (He spent 10 silver coins on all of his gear, 4 of them on this spear.  The shaft and head were separate. The shaft could be used as a walking stick or club.  When the heavy spear head (surrounded by spikes) was added, it was a formidable weapon).
          Quiet Sleeves (How does one make “Quiet” sleeves?  You take bits of metal a little larger than coins, you wrap them individually in heavy cloth (with a bit of fluff to make them extra quiet) and stitch or glue them sealed. Then you take the cloth covered medallions and sew them to the outside of heavy cloth sleeves.  Then you add a second layer sewing medallion to medallion (to fill in gaps).  The result is a bite proof arm (Or at least bite resistant).)
          Quiet Leggings
          Common metal cup
          Mask (just a metal mask with leather straps to protect his pretty face)
          Leather torso cover
          Oversize heavy cloth pants
          Mid calf height boots with wood reinforced soles (not metalized)
          Metal Ring Collar
o          There was also the danger of being attacked by thieves and other bastards once they left the city.  So he wanted to buy some “wear now armor”
          Thin common metal breastplate
          Thin common metal thigh plates
o          Adventurers needed other more mundane supplies for getting in and out of ruins: Torches, rope, climbing spikes, pry bars, digging equipment, fire starting kit.
o          And of course the basics for life in the forest.
          Tent
          Cooking kit, dried fruit
          Extra pants, Several shirts, cloth boots, hooded cloak
          Soap
o          Some other items seemed useful or caught his eye
          A wood working kit
          A book about something
          A Heavy cloth backpack and cloth low pack to carry it all
o          He had spent 10 silver which = 1 gold (also written 1j) .  He had 3 gold coins remaining.
•          Bodlee
o          A scrap vest
          Overlapping metal plates stitched onto a shoulder width strip of heavy cloth protected her from her shoulders down to her knees (in front) and from her shoulder blades down to the middle of her thighs (in back)
o          A blue metal sword
o          A bunch of medical stuff
o          Several books on healing
o          Birth control kit (all the women bought these – a small bottle of potion and several (usually 9) bite sized pieces of soft wood from a Kyartiazbna tree (but you don’t bite or eat them))

•          Wulffan
o          Xilaf’s equipment (They had discussed and agreed on their shopping choices) except
          Quiet pants instead of cup and leggings
          Wooden spear with a common metal head rather than blue metal
          Full helmet and metallic shoes
          Blue metal dagger
          A couple of dresses
          Cloth working books instead of woodworking
          2 Other books
•          Derze
o          A black-metal dagger for 1.5j (Common metal is cheap because it is common.  Blue metal (which is actually silvery and not blue) is the name for a higher grade of metal which is usually stronger, sharper and lighter.  Black metal (which isn’t black) is the strongest, sharpest and lightest of them all.)
o          A low cut white mini dress
o          A black cloak
o          A blue-metal slip plate
o          A quiet girdle
o          Strapped “wooden” shoes (These shoes made with soft pliable wood soles and cloth strips wrapped tightly around the feet are a favorite among dancers and assassins (and others who want to move quietly and/or gracefully))
o          A hardwood necklace (not jewelry but protection)

•          Leehemm
o          A thick common metal barrel with matching shoulder protector (very heavy armor)
o          A helmet (open face)
o          Pants, thigh plates and high boots
o          A two headed axe with a blue metal head (carried by Derze)
o          Quiet Sleeves
o          A cooking kit and 2 man tent (carried by Derze)




Fully Grown

As they left the store and began heading north on Grahnlin Road, Xilaf examined the women.  As his mind matured during hibernation, he came to understand many elements of adult behavior.  Now he was feeling joy, attachment, desire and even fear in ways he had only visualized.

Derze

Derze was wearing a black summer cloak.  She didn’t have her head in the hood, or her arms in the sleeves, so when the wind blew, it billowed behind her like a cape.  A warm wind blew almost constantly, revealing her in her short white dress with her slip plate and Dagger at her side.

Xilaf noticed her skin most of all.  From the top of her dancer/assassin shoes to the hemline of her dress (which revealed all of her thighs and almost her bottom), her legs were bare and virtually glowing with softness, moisture and warmth.  Her arms were also bare, and her dress was cut very low revealing the top of her belly, the left side of her right breast, and (of course) the right side of her left breast as well. 

Xilaf admired her boldness.  As a tactic, being so bare, in a world where combat with sharp weapons was a near certainty, was bold (or foolish, time would tell).  As she walked along, in front of the group (not really a leader, just the person carrying the least gear and walking at the fastest pace) she seemed fearless and heroic. 

Xilaf feared her foolishness and unpredictability.  When he asked her what occupation she was pursuing, she said, “I plan to determine which field is under served and move into the economic vacuum that results” which sounds really smart, but could also mean “I have no real plan”.  He believed her to be wise and flexible, but it was still too early to tell.

Bodlee

Bodlee was wearing her scrap vest and knee high leather boots.  It was a very practical ensemble.

A scrap vest has three belts (one under the arms, one above the waist and one below the waist) which buckle on each side to fasten the front of the vest firmly to the back.  It is usually worn over heavy cloth clothing for added protection. 

Bodlee had not buckled her vest and was almost nude beneath it.  She wore nothing above the waist.  When she leaned forward, she briefly revealed her perky breasts and smooth belly. Even better, when she turned or twisted, the back of her vest swung or flapped revealing her bottom, which was plumper than the other women and more enticing. As an undergarment Bodlee was wearing a ribbon (a long strip of smooth bright red cloth (about as wide as her hand) wrapped around and between and underneath and around her upper legs, hips and waist. Parts of the ribbon adhered firmly to her body, while other loops were intentionally left to slide around sometimes revealing patches of skin which Xilaf found utterly fascinating).

Xilaf liked Bodlee. He enjoyed talking to her. He found her presence comforting.  He could imagine her sewing his wounds and pouring potions on him after his adventures.  He didn’t like the fact that he would have to spend weeks away from her boldly pursuing his destiny among the ruins.  Or that they could easily find themselves on opposite sides of the land pursuing completely different paths in the future. 

Xilaf was happy she was with them for now and tried not to worry about the future.

Wulffan

Wulffan had received what Xilaf’s uncle once referred to as a “double portion of womanly goodness”.  Nearly invisible to women and children, men were immediately taken by the modest extra width in the hips, the slightly exaggerated curves, and movement which was more loose, rhythmic and feminine. 

Even in full quiet pants and a long cotton shirt underneath a metal breastplate, Wulffan was distracting and arousing him.  He imagined her dancing (wearing far less) slowly and seductively. 

Xilaf thought Wulffan liked and admired him.  The way she seemed to value his opinions and her plan to stay with him made him feel valuable and wise.  She listened a bit more than she talked, however, with Bodlee and Derze in the group, that was true of everyone else.  She seemed smart, happy and friendly (like the other women) and he felt they had a good team.



A Brief Stop at Kitiliwan Bank

Grahnlin Road, A road made of huge flat stones fitted together like puzzle pieces, was wide enough for five horsemen to ride side by side.  It became a stairway of sorts as the land rose, and ended at a huge circular paved area which served as both a fork in the road and a gathering place.  Five roads began atop the circle.  Each was marked by its own symbol. 

“I’ve been here before”, Said Xialaf, “The tree road leads past Kitiliwan bank.”

“And, of course, out of the city”, added Leehemm.

“It will be good to put away some of our funds, rather than wander the countryside with our full inheritance”, said Derze, and so they took the road marked by the symbol of a tree and headed for the bank.

The Kitiliwan bank had a style of architecture found throughout Vejor.  It was a single cavernous room with a very high windowed ceiling which let in plenty of light.  All of the furnishings had been removed and there was nothing but a bare stone floor.  On the back wall, in the center, there was an opening where a heavy metal door had once been.  There, a narrow corridor opened into a dark windowless room.  Wulffan and Derze used their fire kits (Stone, metal and kindling) to light their torches.  Derze moved into the stone passageway while Wulffan lit Leehemm, Xilaf and Bodlee’s torches with her own and they all entered the room beyond the dark hallway. 

As expected, on the rooms back wall was a row of metal shelves with small metal boxes placed at regular intervals.  Some of the boxes had lids on them.  Others had lids next to them.  Xilaf took 1 gold and 5 silver coins and placed them in one of the empty boxes.  He then covered the box with its lid and made a note of the numbers on the lid so he could be certain which box was his.  This bank, which was once patrolled by guards with razor sharp swords, now operated on the basis of honor.  And, since everyone respected the city, no one would tamper with his coins but him. 

The group left the bank and continued north.  At each cross road, the road they choose became narrower until they were traveling 2 abreast, along a brick covered path under an arch that marked the edge of the city of Vejor. 


Blood and Apple Juice

The Northern Inn is a place of food and drink, dancing and storytelling, comfort and rest.  However, it is a ten hour walk north from Vejor through woods that are often unfriendly and uncomfortable.

Our party had walked a hundred paces beyond the arch (where the road angles slightly East) when they noticed 5 people wearing scrap vests carrying blue or common metal swords standing near the road ahead.  As you know, no one steals or fights within the city of Vejor out of respect for the ancient tradition.  So, people lurking just outside the city limits are often up to no good.  These men were no exception.  They were watching our party approach, putting on their helmets and drawing their swords. “Varcha, see if you can knock down the guy in the barrel”, said one of them.

Wullfan stepped between Xilaf and Leehemm, put on her helmet and drew her dagger.  Derze handed Leehemm his axe, dropped her pack, put her slip plate in place across her chest, and drew her (expensive) dagger as well.  She stepped into place behind Leehemm as they had planned.  Bodlee felt exposed as if by an icy breeze.  She had buckled her armor as soon as they were out of the city, but her bare arms and lower legs, and the hair rustling on her uncovered head were suddenly very apparent to her.  She stepped behind Xilaf, drew her sword and thought, “Perhaps the first wounds I heal will be my own.”  She smiled (but she didn’t even think of running away).

Xilaf was already holding the base of his spear (the head was in his pack) which he planned to use as a defensive club.  He sort of wished he’d bought a sword.  In the friendly confines of the shop, the long blue-metal pole had seemed sufficient, but now he wondered.

The 5 enemies jogged towards our heroes, however 2 of them were faster and arrived first.  One swung his sword at Xilaf’s exposed head and the other tried to push Leehemm over.  Xilaf dodged the swing and took a step forward.  Leehemm stepped back (he didn’t have room for a full axe swing) and punched his right hand forward sending the head of his axe into the top of the enemies scrap vest knocking him backwards (his vest protected him from the sharp edge).  Xilaf swung his pole at his attacker and struck him solidly in the back of his head.  His helmet flew off, and he fell forward on his face.  Bodlee tried to stab him, but missed, and he ran off towards the forest (wisely) and out of the battle. A third attacker tried to stab Xilaf in his back, but Wullfan knocked the blow off course with her large dagger and then tried to stab him in his face (but missed).

Leehemm’s opponent drew his sword back and kept his eyes fixed on the axe.  He didn’t even see Derze as she darted around Leehemm and stabbed towards his chest with all her fury.  The thin metal of his vest cracked, and the point of her blade cut through the cloth beneath, pushed between his ribs, punctured his right lung, cut through his back, flipped the plate on his back upward, cut through his leather backpack (he was worried that someone might steal his supplies during or after the “battle”) and sliced into an apple which he was carrying in his pack.  She yanked it back, and ran around him, (intending to help Xilaf and Wulffan deal with their attacker, but was engaged by the fourth enemy.  He clanked over to her and swung his dull sword at her exposed body. She ducked and stabbed her dagger, still dripping with blood and cider, into his leg. The fifth attacker swung his sword into Derze’s leg cutting deeply into her flesh, or rather he would have if Leehemm hadn’t struck him in the helmet with a full axe swing, breaking his helmet, and cutting his head a little.  Xilaf swung at the enemy behind him, who deflected the blow with his sword.  Wulffan simultaneously stabbed him in the side with her dagger and he ran off.  They didn’t try to catch him (they wanted to stay together).  The man Leehamm had wounded also ran off.

The man who Derze had stabbed in the chest had run away.  The final attacker (stabbed in the leg) was rapidly limping away.  Bodlee was following him and Xilaf was following her.  She shouted, “You are going to bleed to death if you don’t let me treat your leg, I am a healer.”  He slowed and returned to the group as a prisoner.

Bodlee worked fast.  After they had taken all of his clothing and money, she poured a clear potion over her hands and his wound.  She put paste soaked in a blue potion into his wound and then sewed the wound shut.  After a moment his color improved.  He stood up and appeared on the road to recovery. 

“My name is Tinfel, thank you for showing mercy on me.” 

“I needed the practice,” said Bodlee. 

Tinfel walked back towards Vejor and probably went to a bank so that he could afford to resupply himself, and hopefully find some friends with better attitudes.

New Friends and the House of Eight Wells

Derze set the pace.  She had no armor (other than her slip plate) and Leehemm’s axe and pack weren’t heavy enough to slow her down.  So the group was moving quite quickly and soon caught up to 4 travelers who had left earlier.

Yanax, Xitus and Bovard (Three men dressed in identical armor (thin common metal breast and thigh plates, with metal cups worn over their cloth pants)) were traveling with a woman named Urlee (obviously someone in her family tree had been altered because she had smooth straw colored hair, and gently browned skin). 

“Good choice of armor”, Xilaf said to the men, pounding his chestplate and smiling.  “Yes”, said Bovard, “you would think that the mere sight of it would deter bandits, but you’d be wrong.” 

“We were attacked also”, added Derze,”just outside of the city”
“Yes and they ran away bleeding, we scattered them like chickens”, said Bodlee.

Everyone was smiling, no weapons were drawn, and the two parties merged together talking and laughing as they travelled North.

Leehemm sent a message to Xilaf:

LEEHEMM: Suddenly our party has more swords than scabbards! We should try to split up again later.

XILAF: Yes.  We’ll try to break off the original party for dinner at the Northern Inn.

They all chatted about nothing in particular for over an hour as they walked.  They talked of the world, the weather, clothing and plans for the future.  Finally, Bovard said something which attracted Xilaf’s attention.

“. . . if I can find the House of Eight Wells then a fortune awaits. The house was a sort of theater. There are big eight-sided stone tiles in the floor of the room.  A tile with a certain symbol conceals the entrance to the underground city which allowed wealthy, important people” (who all lived underground) “to enter the theater without walking in the heat of the day. I can use that entrance to descend into the abandoned homes and shops of the forgotten city.”

“Do you know which symbol?” asked Wulffan. 

“Of course I do.  That’s the whole point.  After I come back loaded with gold, I’ll buy some horses and then . . .”

As he continued his monologue about his glorious future, Xilaf smiled quietly.  He knew exactly where the House of Eight Wells was.  He had seen it with his own eyes.