Morning Sun

         Tulock looked over the city before him, awed by the sheer size of it. At one point in time it would have had to been built on an island that had survived the torrent of the four rivers that fed the behemoth known as The Mistress, or simply the Miss to most people. However it had filled the island and now with its bridges and towers of gleaming white stone it dominated all five of the rivers, the four that fed into it, and the Miss itself.

If any commerce wanted to go down river they would have to unload and the city’s northern docks and reload onto one of the larger ships going down the larger river. The City of Five Rivers really was the strongest and richest city of man in this modern age.

         The Leather Wing warden looked south to the wonder that was The Mistress and fully grasped why it was named after the Strongest of the Gods of the Five Races. Past the city whose bridges had cut off the four smaller tributaries she was wide enough to be mistaken for an inland sea. The best of swimmers could not cross it safely and even flying over it would take almost half a candle mark. Tulock could do it mind you, but even a strong young man like himself preferred land to be under him in case his wings cramped. 

A Sky Lord could make it with no problems of course; they were Sky Lords after all. Smaller lighter and far more agile than most Leather Wings were in the air it would be no problem for these birds of prey. It was said that they could take wing in the morning and not have to come down till the moon was high in the sky.

         No of the Five races, Man was by far the most versatile, the most creative the most ingénues and the stupidest.

This city was proof of their power and prowess of the world around them. A crest shaped city that had started on an island and now bridging the other four rivers with sections of the city built on each V where two of the rivers meet. Almost unsiegeable, with plenty of water and fish to see them through hard times and optimal defenses it could last for years under siege with few discomforts felt by its inhabitance. Ballista and Catapults pointed towards the sky and ground as well as a small navy to handle encroachment up the Miss herself. Be it by accident or design they had almost built the perfect city.

         Their stupidity was the insistence of dividing themselves in to different “Races” based on looks lifespan, height, and in some cases skin color.

One called themselves “Elves” and much to their dismay had discover how to be immortal. These humans were always fair and slender and were so beautiful even the males had the breast and hips of a young girl. Immortality however brought with it something the elves called the “WI” a waiting decease of sanity that drove them to hedonistic heights until they sought the final embrace of death its self.           

Another part of Man names themselves “Dwarves”. These humans were stout and strong, so strong even there women had beards. There simple lives had granted them longer life spans but they still knew the joy of death. They had further divided themselves based on culture and religious beliefs into Hill Dwarves and Mountain Dwarves; one agrarian by belief, and one who were raiders. Both were strong warriors and the young Orange didn’t see the need to separate themselves.

The Men of the Swamps called themselves “Gnomes” and at least were smart enough to call themselves cousins of the Dwarves. They could and offend would eat any plant, and were known for building great machines that should not work, but often did.

The “Liberi” or “Free” were just Men of short stature, most no bigger than a child of 3 to 4 winters.  They did tend to live simple live but as far as Tulock was conserved it just showed wisdom.

Then of course you had Humans, the race of Man that was not different. Even then there were some of them said that those born with skin the color of leather or soot were somehow less than those born with skin the color of cream.

         Tulock shook his head. Man it seemed always wanted to feel as if they were better than someone else. It had gotten so bad during the Unstomin Empire that they had actually force bread humans to the Beastmen known as Orcs.  Now you had Half Orcs, or Just Orcs and True Orcs, or dear gods what is that, roaming the lands as two footed locus. Half Orcs were a new race of man, and could be reasoned with. Beastmen were the dark gods twisting mankind to dark ends. Half Orcs however might bridge that gap and be part of their brothers once again… if the humans could stop being dumb for that long.

         Tolock sighed. It had been towards the end or the war of the Empires sense his ancestors had set foot on this bank, had looked at the outpost known as the Fort of the Five Rivers.

They had come to stop the spread of evil that was the Unstoma. They arrived to find that the humans here had already destroyed the armies of that empire as well as the blood of the tainted families who ran it. Fiver Rivers threw open their gates when the Leather Wing army approached, welcomed them not as conquers but as liberators.

         “My mother told me they were surprised when we didn’t demand tribute, when we didn’t take their food or land. She told me that according to her mother, and her mother before her that they did not understand us not wanting them or their blood.” Tolock spoke gently to the hawk that fallowed him and called him friend. He knew the animal didn’t understand him, but still he continued. “The elders say the men of the south are not ready for our return. That they are not yet ready to learn the ways of peace and war, the true way of civilization.”

         He turned and looked at the circle of stones. One in the middle with five evenly spaced around it, each big enough to be seats. “The Shadows it would seem, disagree my friend.” He bent down and examined the soil around the nearest stone. The dirt slid from between his orange finders.

“These sacred stones have been here at least a generation, if not longer.” He looked out to the city again. The Grass Lords had been traveling this far south for as long as anyone could remember. The Heard traveled where ever they wished. And the Sky Lords had been hunting this Land for several generations.

         “We are the last my friend… and we are late.” And with that, the first Leather Wing to be seen by the city of Five Rivers in 300 years headed towards the gates.