Haraash Saan
First Post
Once again the soft voice rasped, “There is no one elsse here but you and I Ssir Gerard. And ass I ssaid, you have nothing to fear.”
It was the viper that had spoken! Turning slowly and somewhat incredulously I said, “Forgive me my scaly friend. You startled me.”
I should have guessed. Several other animals I had encountered on Anka Seth seemed blessed with speech, in fact my magical education had revealed that all manner of things had the gift of tongues, but no matter how many times I heard animals speak I could not quite get used to it.
“My friend serpent, how is it that I may help you? I believe you are a gift from King Thuurland the second?” I continued, quickly regaining my composure.
“Indeed I am Ssir Gerard. I am called Ninfuss Nex and am only one ssmall part of the gift that the King hass granted you.” Replied Ninfus Nex, his emerald green eyes seemed to twinkle as he spoke. “I offer my sservicess, ass I have to many before you in the Order of the Wyrm. I come to insstruct ass well ass to sserve.”
The King had indeed singled me out for a very special gift. The Order of the Wyrm was a most prestigious group. Essentially, as Ninfus explained, “The lawss of the Order are ssimple: Protect the Kingdom, Protect the Faith and aid your brotherss in need.”
There were only twenty four members of the Order at anytime, I only knew of one other that Ninfus Nex had mentioned, Sir Aeron de Ellesmere, one of Baron Mendus’s other knights.
“There are many wayss I can sserve you my Lord, but to be mosst effective I need to be closse to you.” As he said this he glanced at the aggressive stance I still held, “Perhapss if I wrap mysself around your ssword it would be mosst appropriate?”
“Um, yes, certainly, if you think it best.” I stammered, overcome by the enormity of the Kings gift.
As Ninfus Nex slithered around the guard of Eldritch Light, curling himself around it as he went he told me of some of the services he could provide.
“On your order I will sspit my venom upon your sswordss’ blade sso that any opponent sstruck will feel ass if they had been bitten by me. But be wary, I tire eassily and can only produsse a limited amount of poisson each day.”
He continued, “Ssecond when you presss your ssword point againsst the throat of your foe I will be able to tell you the truth of their wordss. And finally I will be able to offer you my knowledge and thoughtss if they can be of any help.”
“You must make haste to Guerney City to be officially welcomed to the Order! I will be here when you need me.” said Ninfus Nex, and with that he wound himself once more around my hilt before appearing to become one with it. His pale green scales were now the colour of the steel of my sword, only his emerald eyes sparkled as if they were gems. Ninfus Nex was now a most unusual ornament for my sword hilt.
There was one other object in the box, a green brooch of a snake that was intertwined around a silver staff that acted as the brooch’s pin. I carefully secured it to my doublet, and proceeded to the Drunk Duck. If ever there was a time that I needed Astrid’s delightful brew it was now.
I spent several hours contemplating all that I had just learnt, before Moxadder approached with an expectant expression etched on his face.
“Gerard,” he began, once again ignoring my title, “you can read lots of languages can’t you?”
I sighed, wishing he would leave me be.
“What’s this say?” he said as he thrust a dagger toward me.
Recoiling a little from the close proximity of the blade, I took it by the point and inspected it. It was no ordinary dagger, that I could see and I was no weapon smith. It was beautifully crafted, interlocking leaves of steel formed the guard and it was very well weighted. No doubt it could be thrown a distance accurately but also had enough weight to deliver a murderous stab.
Most curious, for I was curious now, was the writing that was on its blade.
“On the Third day Geirr, the steadfast one, killed two thousand men, and had his tower reduced to rubble around him but still he fought. His foes then tried to woo him with offers of wealth and peace and maidens if he would surrender and tell to where his people fled. Geirr was not tempted and slew himself at the setting of the sun of the third day.”
It was inscribed in the old formal tongue, used during the Convocation, Old Gerechian. Not a common language and usually only used in formal procedures or in the names of the children of old families. Tasmar Maron Devlis, the loner from Ravenswood with the dolphin Elwing that guided us to Sorcerer’s Isle, was one whose name was in the old language.
“Really?” said Moxadder, wide eyed by the translation. He then somewhat sheepishly added, “So who’s this Geirr anyway?”
It was not as foolish a question as the Irudeshian had thought. I had knew only that Geirr was a saint of the Thuusian faith.
The next day, even as I prepared to travel North West to Treville to call upon my sister and her new found friends, a familiar gentle voice purred into my mind.
“Gerard?” called Isabella.
“Isabella!” I cried out loudly in my excitement, and then realising my mistake I repeated her name with my thoughts.
“Dear brother I have found my scarf, one of my friends, whilst returning me home, saw it snagged on a branch and fetched it for me.” She said.
“That is excellent news! Even as we speak I am packing to come and visit. It has been too long since I have seen you Isabella.” I said.
We discussed a great many things. I painted her a picture of my most recent exploits and the great battle for Montfort, and she in turn told me that the giants that she had befriended had found a rocky valley deep in the forest of Treville which they now called home. I was alarmed by this news, but she soothed my anxiousness by explaining that she and they had an understanding and that in effect the giants were our allies, providing we did nothing to harm them, they would do nothing to harm us.
In fact, I reasoned, they would be most advantageous if the Dominion was indeed marching South through the mountains and into Guerney.
I told her of Saeff, the bastard son of Sir Gwan of Stowmarket, she told me that regardless of Lady Gyda’s disinterest it would be remiss of me if I did not visit by Stowmarket and deliver the news of her husbands son’s death.
When I mentioned to her that I was to welcomed into the Order of the Wyrm Isabella became quite excited. “Gerard, you will have to postpone your visit to see me! You must make all haste to see the King and receive this most prestigious honour!”
She continued to say what I myself had thought, that perhaps my visit to the spinster Lady Gyda could be more formal and that I should commence courting her. It made sense. Lady Gyda controlled a powerful trading town and it was adjacent to my own lands. It would be an ideal situation to marry her so as to gain a significant land holding in the Barony of Mendus. I hoped I liked her.
So it was settled, whilst it pained me to do so, I did not visit Isabella. Instead, at her insistence, the Hydra and I set off, once more travellers of Anka Seth.
It was the viper that had spoken! Turning slowly and somewhat incredulously I said, “Forgive me my scaly friend. You startled me.”
I should have guessed. Several other animals I had encountered on Anka Seth seemed blessed with speech, in fact my magical education had revealed that all manner of things had the gift of tongues, but no matter how many times I heard animals speak I could not quite get used to it.
“My friend serpent, how is it that I may help you? I believe you are a gift from King Thuurland the second?” I continued, quickly regaining my composure.
“Indeed I am Ssir Gerard. I am called Ninfuss Nex and am only one ssmall part of the gift that the King hass granted you.” Replied Ninfus Nex, his emerald green eyes seemed to twinkle as he spoke. “I offer my sservicess, ass I have to many before you in the Order of the Wyrm. I come to insstruct ass well ass to sserve.”
The King had indeed singled me out for a very special gift. The Order of the Wyrm was a most prestigious group. Essentially, as Ninfus explained, “The lawss of the Order are ssimple: Protect the Kingdom, Protect the Faith and aid your brotherss in need.”
There were only twenty four members of the Order at anytime, I only knew of one other that Ninfus Nex had mentioned, Sir Aeron de Ellesmere, one of Baron Mendus’s other knights.
“There are many wayss I can sserve you my Lord, but to be mosst effective I need to be closse to you.” As he said this he glanced at the aggressive stance I still held, “Perhapss if I wrap mysself around your ssword it would be mosst appropriate?”
“Um, yes, certainly, if you think it best.” I stammered, overcome by the enormity of the Kings gift.
As Ninfus Nex slithered around the guard of Eldritch Light, curling himself around it as he went he told me of some of the services he could provide.
“On your order I will sspit my venom upon your sswordss’ blade sso that any opponent sstruck will feel ass if they had been bitten by me. But be wary, I tire eassily and can only produsse a limited amount of poisson each day.”
He continued, “Ssecond when you presss your ssword point againsst the throat of your foe I will be able to tell you the truth of their wordss. And finally I will be able to offer you my knowledge and thoughtss if they can be of any help.”
“You must make haste to Guerney City to be officially welcomed to the Order! I will be here when you need me.” said Ninfus Nex, and with that he wound himself once more around my hilt before appearing to become one with it. His pale green scales were now the colour of the steel of my sword, only his emerald eyes sparkled as if they were gems. Ninfus Nex was now a most unusual ornament for my sword hilt.
There was one other object in the box, a green brooch of a snake that was intertwined around a silver staff that acted as the brooch’s pin. I carefully secured it to my doublet, and proceeded to the Drunk Duck. If ever there was a time that I needed Astrid’s delightful brew it was now.
I spent several hours contemplating all that I had just learnt, before Moxadder approached with an expectant expression etched on his face.
“Gerard,” he began, once again ignoring my title, “you can read lots of languages can’t you?”
I sighed, wishing he would leave me be.
“What’s this say?” he said as he thrust a dagger toward me.
Recoiling a little from the close proximity of the blade, I took it by the point and inspected it. It was no ordinary dagger, that I could see and I was no weapon smith. It was beautifully crafted, interlocking leaves of steel formed the guard and it was very well weighted. No doubt it could be thrown a distance accurately but also had enough weight to deliver a murderous stab.
Most curious, for I was curious now, was the writing that was on its blade.
“On the Third day Geirr, the steadfast one, killed two thousand men, and had his tower reduced to rubble around him but still he fought. His foes then tried to woo him with offers of wealth and peace and maidens if he would surrender and tell to where his people fled. Geirr was not tempted and slew himself at the setting of the sun of the third day.”
It was inscribed in the old formal tongue, used during the Convocation, Old Gerechian. Not a common language and usually only used in formal procedures or in the names of the children of old families. Tasmar Maron Devlis, the loner from Ravenswood with the dolphin Elwing that guided us to Sorcerer’s Isle, was one whose name was in the old language.
“Really?” said Moxadder, wide eyed by the translation. He then somewhat sheepishly added, “So who’s this Geirr anyway?”
It was not as foolish a question as the Irudeshian had thought. I had knew only that Geirr was a saint of the Thuusian faith.
The next day, even as I prepared to travel North West to Treville to call upon my sister and her new found friends, a familiar gentle voice purred into my mind.
“Gerard?” called Isabella.
“Isabella!” I cried out loudly in my excitement, and then realising my mistake I repeated her name with my thoughts.
“Dear brother I have found my scarf, one of my friends, whilst returning me home, saw it snagged on a branch and fetched it for me.” She said.
“That is excellent news! Even as we speak I am packing to come and visit. It has been too long since I have seen you Isabella.” I said.
We discussed a great many things. I painted her a picture of my most recent exploits and the great battle for Montfort, and she in turn told me that the giants that she had befriended had found a rocky valley deep in the forest of Treville which they now called home. I was alarmed by this news, but she soothed my anxiousness by explaining that she and they had an understanding and that in effect the giants were our allies, providing we did nothing to harm them, they would do nothing to harm us.
In fact, I reasoned, they would be most advantageous if the Dominion was indeed marching South through the mountains and into Guerney.
I told her of Saeff, the bastard son of Sir Gwan of Stowmarket, she told me that regardless of Lady Gyda’s disinterest it would be remiss of me if I did not visit by Stowmarket and deliver the news of her husbands son’s death.
When I mentioned to her that I was to welcomed into the Order of the Wyrm Isabella became quite excited. “Gerard, you will have to postpone your visit to see me! You must make all haste to see the King and receive this most prestigious honour!”
She continued to say what I myself had thought, that perhaps my visit to the spinster Lady Gyda could be more formal and that I should commence courting her. It made sense. Lady Gyda controlled a powerful trading town and it was adjacent to my own lands. It would be an ideal situation to marry her so as to gain a significant land holding in the Barony of Mendus. I hoped I liked her.
So it was settled, whilst it pained me to do so, I did not visit Isabella. Instead, at her insistence, the Hydra and I set off, once more travellers of Anka Seth.