BoldItalic
First Post
There was a good crowd of townsfolk on Thrumness point, despite it being a cold day with a likelihood of rain. Two contestants would be competing for the Kingship of Luin today; Inannunot and another man, dressed in sorcerer's robes, whom he did not know. Ayam Newtrall, an elderly druid who would be the referee in the contest, explained the rules. In the unlikely event that both succeeded in the challenge (unlikely in that, in the last thirty-something years, no-one at all had succeeded, let alone two at once) whosoever first set a dry foot on Luin within the prescribed hour would be declared the winner. When everything was understood, he asked them both to identify themselves formally.
When Inannyunot announced himself as ₼₼₼₼₼₼₼₼ son of Donald BlackHair, there was a collective gasp from the onlookers and mutterings of "It's him!" and "He's come back!" and "He's got a nerve" and "Where's your magic carpet, mate?" Evidently some of the crowd had not forgotten the way his supposed father had won the contest half a century ago. It was going to be hard to win back their popularity - Tippy thought he might speak up for his friend later in the day, but right now was not the time for speeches.
His rival named himself as Ballnard Weird-Fingers, Sorcerer at Large, which drew a gasp from Tippy. The very man he had been sent out to find, was right here under his nose. What kind of a coincidence was this?
"The best kind," muttered Skald, who was scrying the proceedings through the all-seeing eye that she shared with her sisters. "The planes of time are sliding and the future is contained within the past," she added unfathomably.
A mysterious stranger in a hooded cloak detached herself from the crowd and stepped up beside Ballnard to wish him luck with a chaste kiss, which he returned fondly. She seemed vaguely familiar but Tippy didn't pay her much attention as he was watching the sky anxiously. Clouds were massing, the wind was getting up and the sea was getting rougher. He was worried that if there were too much of a head-wind, Inannyunot might not reach the island at all before his spell expired; Archie would be on hand to rescue anyone who fell in the sea but it was risky all the same. He shook his friend's hand, gave him the Blessing Of Isis and walked back to stand with the other spectators. People edged away from him slightly but he pretended not to notice.
At Ayam's command the two contestants set off apace. They both had the same idea and cast Fly spells at almost the same time. For nearly ten minutes, as they sped out towards the island, the race was neck-and-neck. A few wind-tossed seagulls rose towards them, screeching at this intrusion on their space, but luckily they stopped short of actually attacking. Even a trivial peck, if it drew blood, could end a man's concentration and send him crashing into the water. But all was well and they both reached the margins of the island almost simultaneously. It would be a race to get down onto dry land but they had to be careful - landing in a puddle and getting wet feet would be the end of one's chances.
Suddenly, Ballnard's spell ended and he dropped like a stone, plummeting headlong to earth. Inannyunot circled, feared that his rival would be killed and he did not wish that on anyone. But the clever sorcerer used a Feather Fall spell at the very last moment to touch foot on the island before his rival, standing on an outcrop of rocks and laughing merrily. Inannyunot was defeated!
Ballnard claimed the Isle of Luin and Inannyunot conceded gracefully. True, the sorcerer's prize was little more than a barren rock, deserted apart from a flock of goats, but it was the prestige of the title 'King' that he had sought; for this, it transpired, was the only way he could win the hand of the mysterious lady in the hooded cloak.
As the pair shook hands, something unexpected happened - a woman emerged from a cave behind a rock and ran towards them at great speed, but strangely making no sound of footfall on the bare earth. Was she some evil hag? Perhaps the island was not so uninhabited after all? But no, it was Char-Ging! Gleefully shaking her collecting bag, she demanded thirty-three years of back taxes from the new king, compounded at 5%, amounting to over three hundred thousand gold pieces. But Ballnard knew her of old and, with a mere flourish, turned her into a goat. The resident billy goat, whose name was Gruff, soon knocked her into line and she was forced to stay on the island, eating prickly gorse leaves, for a very long time until Bar-De-Door eventually came by to rescue her. Even then, it was only because he wanted something.
Ballnard and Inannyunot flew back together to Thrumness point, where Ayam announced the victor. The new king of Luin beckoned to his lady friend and, to great applause from the many witnesses present, she gladly consented to marry him. She was, as you might have guessed, none other than Terri House-Trainger. She had loved Ballnard ever since he first fell into her lap in a tavern long, long ago in a previous lifetime but she couldn't break her promise of marriage to a duke for anyone less than a king, could she?
Tippy now had a problem. He wasn't the only one ...
When Inannyunot announced himself as ₼₼₼₼₼₼₼₼ son of Donald BlackHair, there was a collective gasp from the onlookers and mutterings of "It's him!" and "He's come back!" and "He's got a nerve" and "Where's your magic carpet, mate?" Evidently some of the crowd had not forgotten the way his supposed father had won the contest half a century ago. It was going to be hard to win back their popularity - Tippy thought he might speak up for his friend later in the day, but right now was not the time for speeches.
His rival named himself as Ballnard Weird-Fingers, Sorcerer at Large, which drew a gasp from Tippy. The very man he had been sent out to find, was right here under his nose. What kind of a coincidence was this?
"The best kind," muttered Skald, who was scrying the proceedings through the all-seeing eye that she shared with her sisters. "The planes of time are sliding and the future is contained within the past," she added unfathomably.
A mysterious stranger in a hooded cloak detached herself from the crowd and stepped up beside Ballnard to wish him luck with a chaste kiss, which he returned fondly. She seemed vaguely familiar but Tippy didn't pay her much attention as he was watching the sky anxiously. Clouds were massing, the wind was getting up and the sea was getting rougher. He was worried that if there were too much of a head-wind, Inannyunot might not reach the island at all before his spell expired; Archie would be on hand to rescue anyone who fell in the sea but it was risky all the same. He shook his friend's hand, gave him the Blessing Of Isis and walked back to stand with the other spectators. People edged away from him slightly but he pretended not to notice.
At Ayam's command the two contestants set off apace. They both had the same idea and cast Fly spells at almost the same time. For nearly ten minutes, as they sped out towards the island, the race was neck-and-neck. A few wind-tossed seagulls rose towards them, screeching at this intrusion on their space, but luckily they stopped short of actually attacking. Even a trivial peck, if it drew blood, could end a man's concentration and send him crashing into the water. But all was well and they both reached the margins of the island almost simultaneously. It would be a race to get down onto dry land but they had to be careful - landing in a puddle and getting wet feet would be the end of one's chances.
Suddenly, Ballnard's spell ended and he dropped like a stone, plummeting headlong to earth. Inannyunot circled, feared that his rival would be killed and he did not wish that on anyone. But the clever sorcerer used a Feather Fall spell at the very last moment to touch foot on the island before his rival, standing on an outcrop of rocks and laughing merrily. Inannyunot was defeated!
Ballnard claimed the Isle of Luin and Inannyunot conceded gracefully. True, the sorcerer's prize was little more than a barren rock, deserted apart from a flock of goats, but it was the prestige of the title 'King' that he had sought; for this, it transpired, was the only way he could win the hand of the mysterious lady in the hooded cloak.
As the pair shook hands, something unexpected happened - a woman emerged from a cave behind a rock and ran towards them at great speed, but strangely making no sound of footfall on the bare earth. Was she some evil hag? Perhaps the island was not so uninhabited after all? But no, it was Char-Ging! Gleefully shaking her collecting bag, she demanded thirty-three years of back taxes from the new king, compounded at 5%, amounting to over three hundred thousand gold pieces. But Ballnard knew her of old and, with a mere flourish, turned her into a goat. The resident billy goat, whose name was Gruff, soon knocked her into line and she was forced to stay on the island, eating prickly gorse leaves, for a very long time until Bar-De-Door eventually came by to rescue her. Even then, it was only because he wanted something.
Ballnard and Inannyunot flew back together to Thrumness point, where Ayam announced the victor. The new king of Luin beckoned to his lady friend and, to great applause from the many witnesses present, she gladly consented to marry him. She was, as you might have guessed, none other than Terri House-Trainger. She had loved Ballnard ever since he first fell into her lap in a tavern long, long ago in a previous lifetime but she couldn't break her promise of marriage to a duke for anyone less than a king, could she?
Tippy now had a problem. He wasn't the only one ...
