2643 lines
159 KiB
Plaintext
2643 lines
159 KiB
Plaintext
1
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Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
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Order:Recieve incoming message.
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Computer:Message recieved
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Format:Level F encryption.
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Order:Decrypt on level F bias.
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Computer:Decompressing data, ready for ceasurian shift key.
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Key:Author's Notes to ye who read.
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Computer:Message decoded. Prepare for reading.
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Well if you tripped over this message then you either have extra
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time and needed to do something, hit the wrong keys repeatedly, or by
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some strange cosmic occurance, really want to read the following novel.
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If so I just wanted to get some things straight.
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First, don't bombard the board or it's operator for the next
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installement, or any questions about the novel. Most likly S.A. won't
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have it or any answer. So, if you want to bug someone, just go to
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the message section, choose Science Fiction base, and leave me mail
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c/o Kilo Byte Killer. I'll like to hear your comments,
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suggestions, and even criticisms about it, except spelling and
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grammar, because I know they are bad.
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On that subject I wanted to tell you all about the idea behind this
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novel and where you're getting it. I suggested an online book to S.A.
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back in the days before the ST FoReM, but the only problem was a lack
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of a novel. Well low and behold, I had one pretty much finished sitting
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around on one of my disk. From there it progressed to what you now see.
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Maybe if the FoReM is ever changed you might see it a little better, but
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I doubt Singer will add any of what I'm thinking of.
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The book, as I said, was just laying on one of my personal text disk
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It had been written from scratch back in the months of January and Febuary
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of '86. You have gained a unique view of an author's(amatuer as he maybe)
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ideas and work before it is ever viewed, rejected, or rewritten by a
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editor or the author himself. That's right I just typed it straight out,
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never read more then the previous paragraph to see where I left off.
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Though do to the horrendous grammatical errors present I have started to
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read it for 'minor' touch-ups in the bigger problems. You should be
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able to see a differance starting with chapter 2 part 3.
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Well remember that I want to hear from you on the Science Fiction
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base. Just leave mail to Kilo Byte Killer(that's me), or reply to one
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of the messages already to me. I'll never know the difference.
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P.S. Inside the message you can use K. Killer for short, or as some
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have adopted over my years of telecomm, KBK, can be tolerated.
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Bye for now,
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K. Killer
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Computer:Transimission Ended. Perliminary data has arrived. Veiw
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at leisure. Later transmission will be forthcoming no later then every
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fortnight.
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Enter selection or <return> for menu: 2
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Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
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TIME LINE OF SPACE HISTORY
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1969:Man first arrives on another celestial body.
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1981:Man begins the large scale commercialization of space with
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reusable cargo orbiters.
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1996:The first off world colony is started on the lunar surface.
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It's purpose is to grow needed food, and remove needed materials from
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the industrial rich moon.
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2005:A second base is set up on Phobos, a moon of Mars, in the
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genesis of the colonization of Mars.
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2011:Martian colony is finished and the terra-forming of the
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Martian environment begins. Lunar colony becomes independent of
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Earthly aid.
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2020:Through work and use of small strategic thermonuclear
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devices the Martian terra-forming is proceeding well on it's long
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process.
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2067:A new form of space drugs are introduced that allow men to
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work and live in low to null gravity habitats without physical loss
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for close to a year at a time.
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2080:Many of the Asteroids are settled in a race between
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different governments and corporations. The belt promises to be the
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next industrial center.
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2091:With the new supply of materials from the Asteroids, the
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first artificial satellites are finished for private residence.
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These are the first places were men can live in full gravity off
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Earth.
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2115:Moons of Jupiter are colonized. Jupiter's atmosphere
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becomes the major fuel source for man's generators and fusion
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engines.
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2131:A breakthrough in fusion engine technology makes a
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revolutionary step toward the most fuel efficient engines. A drive
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could now run on a fraction of a percentage of the fuel of it's
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forerunners with the same acceleration.
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2140:Saturn's moons are colonized. Like it's jovian neighbor, it
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becomes a great source of fuel for man.
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2156:Uranus and Neptune are colonized for mining purposes.
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2160:Mars is at a point where specially designed plants can
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survive on it's surface. Man spreads these plants across the world
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to aid of converting the carbon dioxide to oxygen.
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2184:Gravity can now be partially negated or created by man
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artificially. This allows for easier space travel, and colony life.
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2192:Corporations are granted the right to own and govern a
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celestial body. They quickly claim many asteroids and some of the
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moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
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2203:Population of Earth is now at a record 21 billion people.
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The corporations then allow mass immigration to pre-fab colonies to
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alleviate the swelling problem of housing. Few respond to the
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offer.
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2230:As the population starts to get worse and people once again
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start to feel the pressure of over population, the Corporations are
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suddenly swamped with request to immigrate.
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2260:The Martian atmosphere is now hospitable to human life. It
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is predicted that it would finish it's terra-forming process within
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the next 40 to 50 years.
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2286:Physicist announce the possibility of faster then light
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travel. Much emphasis is put on this project in the Corporations and
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Government(now a single power).
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2290:With the loss of public support, research starts to fall
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off. Corporations begin to considering dumping the project, while
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the Government leaders push harder for more funding.
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2297:All Corporations have abandoned their own research on faster
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then light travel, but against the will of the people the government
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continues to push the research funding.
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2310:The Government under extreme political pressure continues
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it's faster then light travel research.
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2326:The Government announces the successful development,
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testing, and flight of an interstellar craft using the faster then
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light drive system.
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2327:10 Interstellar ships are introduced for scouting purposes.
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They have only a short range of 5 light years, but are the forunners
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to today's technology.
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2331:The Corporations holdback on interstellar drive systems
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deeming it unprofitable. The Government introduces a new fleet of 20
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long range(12 light years) scout starships. They also plan the
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terra-forming of eligible planets and moons. Plus the starting of
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support bases to help the expanding survey.
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2338:The Government now has four growing support bases that
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supply ships that have now scouted a area with a 40 light year
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radius. The fleet of 60 scouts and 100 cargo carriers gains an
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addition of another 20 scouts with a 23 light year range. A new
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robotic terra-forming system is also introduced to the scouting
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service.
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2343:With 7 large and growing support bases, the Corporations
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introduce their own very short range cargo carriers to break the
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Governmental monopoly on interstellar shipping. The Government
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claims to have seeded over 60 worlds with robotic terra-forming
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systems within it's 165 light year survey radius.
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2349:The Government's scouts find a world with almost Earth like
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conditions. Simple animal and vegetable life is found. Support
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bases are quickly built in this direction.
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2356:Another Earth like world is found on the bounds of the 300
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light year search radius. Study of data lead to predictions of more
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worlds like this to be found the further in towards the core we go.
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2370:The Government has now expanded it's scouting realm out to
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the 700 light year radius, and the search is now concentrated
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coreward using ships with 43 light year range.
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2394:With a new discovery, the Government has now been able to
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expand their drive system to an incredible 62 light year range. Even
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with the new drive systems, expansion is slowed to a crawl now that
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the overpopulated Sol system is too thinly spread across this arm of
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the Galaxy. Soon man's largest censuses follows the stop in
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expansion.
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2403:The Census now ended shows a total human population of 72
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billion spread across the Galactic arm, this number quickly grows
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with the excess room and growing colony food supplies.
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2445:The new human domain is compared to the old west of America
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with limited government for small sparsely populated area and bands
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of outlaws waiting on trade routes. These pirates take advantage of
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the larger area and begin to pillage outlying settlements. Many
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people pull back in toward the Earth system in what is now known as
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the Great Space Exodus. A minuscule amount of the population decided
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to stay behind in outer colonies. With the greatly reduced prey the
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pirates follow the Exodus in.
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2446:The Government is now forced to arm it's ships and suppress
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this piracy where it was more highly concentrated. Though even with
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this great effort small outbreaks can not be stopped.
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2450:The Government orders the shutdown of yearly space flights
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past the 70 light year population radius, since it needed all the
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ships to fight the piracy and the outlying area was independent with
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it's own farms and automated terra-forming systems anyway.
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2456:The population has now been squeezed back into a 50 light
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year radius by the increased piracy. The Government now declares war
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on this outlaw faction, and they reinstate the draft.
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2462:With the slow, guerilla, ship to ship combat the war has
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become bogged down to the Pirates advantage. In this year the
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Corporations are found to own system shattering weapons in the Earth
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system that would violate their charter. The Government orders the
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immediate surrender of all Corporate weapons and troops, but are
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ignored.
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2463:The Corporations are found to be behind the piracy. With
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this news the human domain braces for war with the recall of it's
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major forces into the inner systems, namely Sol. The Secondary
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Exodus is begun with people being moved closer in toward Earth's star
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with almost all of the transports destroyed en route, it turned out
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to be a costly mistake.
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2464:With the majority of the human population destroyed in the
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first few slugs and guerilla actions of the war, which peaked at
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three weeks, it quickly wound down too a stalemate ship to ship
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battle in the Sol system and rarely the systems around it. As a last
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offensive all ships are called into the Sol system and are never
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heard of again.
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2480:As time passes the closer in colonies slowly see the nova
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like effect in the Sol system and know that they will never see Earth
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again.
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A small group of people did manage retain a few of the older
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less effective starships. They quickly form a reliance or 'Society'
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as they call it. Ruled by a group of former leaders that were
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respected in their own communities, they quickly started up an
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emergency supply program to evenly distribute needed supplies among
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the colonies. This Society basically grew around a hand full of out
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dated starships that should have been museum pieces.
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The outer colonies Consisted of maybe 300 to 400 worlds with
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a total population of 4 to 6 billion. Many of these worlds are so
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far out and small that they start to regress into primitive
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civilizations. Others work on trying to retain what little
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technological knowledge they can while they recover from all the
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losses.
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2600:The Society has turned into an oligarchy ruled by hand
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picked governors. These governors at first were mostly honest, hard
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working people, but with the time of a century they slowly became
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corrupt. Near the end of this century they started to introduce
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media control and peer pressure on the people.
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Many of the outer worlds are now completing their
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terra-forming processes. On some of these worlds small groups of man
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are regressing into an era not unlike those of the dark ages. While
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other worlds are still trying to pull them selves out of this
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devolutionary pit, and retain as much technology as possible.
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2800:The Governors of the Society slowly consolidated their power
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base with the people by following the media control with the
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introduction of drugs to the masses. From here they gained a class
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of zombie worker not much better then a robot to do the increasing
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labor of the late 28th century. To continue the individual power
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growths many governors started to genetically breed and train a new
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class of warriors.
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Some of the colonies that were closer in are now starting to
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turn their spiral downwards around. They start to utilize what
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little technology was left to them and begin to rebuild the past's
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industrialization. While this turn around is going on many other
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outer worlds are still in a swift fall down.
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3000:The Society has been producing it's own small short range
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starships, and the production of other industrialist items. The
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Societies Governors are now genetically altering and breeding their
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warriors into high gravity environments, and training them in the
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operation on certain equipment along with the martial arts. The
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average gravity of the warriors environment is now 1.2 G's.
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The outer worlds are now beginning to start the slow climb
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into the technological realms. They have been starting to build
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small in system drives, but have had almost no success with the
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faster then light drive system technology.
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3200:The Society is now a thriving high tech community. With the
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controlled population they have no need for expansion or growth.
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Their workforce is now like an insect colony with different people
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having different genes for different jobs. The Governors' warrior
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class are now becoming a ugenic army that could crush anything ever
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seen by Earth before. In fact for experience and breeding the
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Governors have forces compete for bets and elimination of the weaker
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strains.
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The outer worlds are just now arriving at the point of
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interstellar travel. At first they just spread the technology with
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their few crude ships, but they start to expand into a small free
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trade system. The lack of ships though limit the performance of the
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new system.
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3400:The Society, in it's snobbish manner, refused and sometimes
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attacked the diplomats sent by the outer worlds, thinking that they
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were barbarians. This brought small attacks from the outer worlds on
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the Societies supply lines. In response the Governors started to
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build and arm ship's that would be crewed with their warriors. The
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warriors, now near genetic perfection and at an average gravity of
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1.9 G's, crewed all ships, plus flew high velocity escorts along side
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them for protection.
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3600:With the protection of the Warriors the Society was almost
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untouchable. In fear of the Society, the outer worlds formed a
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federation of planets for mutual protection. This Federation later
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became a centralized government that had ruling power over the small
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districts, but allowed for much local leeway, because of the time
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required to relay a message through space. The Federation soon
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started to build a military arsenal.
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The Governors now fear the lack of progress in their Society
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compared to the sky rocket of the Federation technology. They plan
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an eventual take over of the Federation through many miniature
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invasions and weakening blows over the next couple centuries while
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the warriors are built up even more. For now the warriors are at
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2.1G's
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3800:The Federation has now matched the Old Society (as it is now
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known) in technology. This progress has forced the Old society to
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pour almost all it's resources into the warrior program which is now
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at 2.3G's. With the Old Society pushing the warrior breeding project
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they hit a limit at this gravity that stops over 75% from progressing
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any further. Despite the clumsiness of the project and the drawbacks
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that have now occurred, the warriors are pushed even further.
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4000:The Federation has suppressed many major confrontations with
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the Old Society. In fact 3 of them were big enough to be called
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wars. The Old Society have now been concentrating on gaining
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technology to support their eugenic army, by raiding Federation
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installations. A more careful approach combined with some stolen
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Federation technology has allowed the Old Society to mass reproduce
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those few warriors that have achieved 2.6G's.
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4201:(TODAY)The Old Society has the rise of a small rebellious
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pocket formed from the small intellectual group present below the
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Governors. The rebels were either killed or exiled to a low tech
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planet. The Old Society quickly began to control and monitor the
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individual thought of those with higher thought processes.
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This story is of one of these rebellious intellectuals. He
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is Markus Furate, a warrior caught in the growing tensions between
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the two largest powers of this time.
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Enter selection or <return> for menu: 3
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Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
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CHAPTER 1
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The morning chill was accompanied by a heavy fog. The Alien sun
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came up over the horizon very slowly cutting through the fog like a
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laser through hull plating. As the sun rose higher into the air the
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morning chill seemed to follow the retreat of the early fog. Frost
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began to gleam it's icy white off the blades of grass as the sun
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provided light for it's shine, and the plant's life processes.
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I had just awaken a few minutes before dawn to find the cabin I
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had previously occupied replace with this cold, but pleasant setting.
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They must have drugged me and dropped me off here not caring what
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became of me. That did not really matter to much I guess, since I do
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not care what happens to them either.
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Getting up I found that this celestial body, be it planet or
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moon, was around a full Gravity, and had a close to standard
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atmosphere. The vegetation seemed like a clone of Earth, so it
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looked like I would not die from starvation or gas poisoning. They
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also had taken my old coveralls and had given me a cheaply made shirt
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and trousers of burlap. That must mean that they dropped me off on a
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world with low tech communities, and this is the local costume. Well
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overall things did not look to bad after all.
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Just then I felt and heard the crumpling of paper in the pocket
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of my trousers. I opened it up and removed the object. It was a
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note written on paper not of the usual kind, but of water stained
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papierous. That must be so I did not stick out. Folded inside were
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two iron rods and a small knife. I took these and placed them in my
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pocket while I proceeded to read the note.
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"Markus 482131:
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You have been duly exiled into a primitive culture of Darmain.
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This world has formed into a feudal system much like those of Early
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Earth Europe. You are to blend in and live a nondescript life, and
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do not interfere with the technological advancement of the world.
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You have been provided with two sticks that can be used as a compass,
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and a map can be seen by holding this letter of exile to the light.
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May your way be the way of the Society.
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By the order of the
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Council of Governors"
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If that was not the stupidest way to exile someone then all my
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knowledge of history could not give you a worse example.
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* * *
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The smell of animal excretions was just an added description for
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this area. The map had taken me to a town that sat on top of a large
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ledge of a mountain. It was about 300m above the base of the
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mountain and had a nice 3m stone wall surrounding the edge. The
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fortress, as it now appeared to be, could only accessed by a
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drawbridge that went to an adjacent cliff at the same basic level.
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As you crossed the drawbridge you found quarried granite like those
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found in old castles, thacthed roofs, cobble stone street, and
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merchants everywhere giving the whole setting that medieval look.
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As I had been coming into the fortress I had noticed that the
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construction of all this would be almost total beyond any
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capabilities these people might have. Like how did they get all that
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finely quarried rock up here, let alone the people to do the work. I
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had noticed a portion of the town actually lies underneath a carved
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niche, but that could not supply that much good rock. Plus the cliff
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that was adjacent to the drawbridge was not nature's, but as I came
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closer it had to be the work of blasting. It just seemed real
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strange that they would build a primitive castle when they still
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could use the high tech equipment, or was it outside intervention.
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As I walked down the center of the market street I noticed
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something very odd. None of the merchants where trying to sell me
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anything. From the looks of it they could barely keep their hands
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off the other people walking up and down the center like I was. They
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were yelling in the german like language of the locals at every
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passerby excluding myself. Finally, in bewilderment I went to one of
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the few booths empty of customers and went to see what they had that
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I might not want.
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While I stood near by looking at the jewelry that this booth
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sold, the owner came up to me in an outrage and said, "You miserable
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pauper. How dare you ruin the integrity of my booth by looking as if
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you were going to buy something. You could not afford the crumbs
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from the bakery shop probably." With this he began to move me out of
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his shop. Now I realized that the clothes I now wore was just burlap
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roughly cut and sown into a shirt and trousers.
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Somehow I would have to make money to survive on. I could get a
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job as a mercenary, but I would need to buy gear plus I did not know
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||
if they even had them in this world. I was pretty much convinced
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||
that I would not get a job on a ship maintenance crew, no matter how
|
||
much experience I had. Teaching history was out, since they did not
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||
know much pre-exodous probably, and I was in no position to know this
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world's history either.
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||
I would just have to wait it out and see what came by. For now I
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was wondering where I could just spend the night out of the wind,
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cold and rain. I suppose some of the alleys between the buildings
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inside the huge niche might be at least hospitable. I should have
|
||
some new ideas in the morning.
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||
I went into the section that the carved overhang covered. As I
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entered the sheltered area I found an alley with a nice pile of hay
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near the end. It looked like this was to be my refuge from the
|
||
dawning night. When I approached the pile of hay though, I noticed a
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||
glint of metal from under the straw. Just my luck I would have to
|
||
fish someone's roof thacthing tools out of my future bed.
|
||
Sticking my hand carefully into the stack I quickly found an
|
||
oddly shaped object. Pulling it out I found what looked to be a
|
||
crowbar with an ice pick at the other end. With closer examination
|
||
though I found the pick end had small glass fragments caught in the
|
||
rough surface. It must be some local thieving tool with a glass
|
||
cutter and pry bar all in one. Throwing it away I continued to
|
||
explore the stack for objects which may harm my sleep. In a few
|
||
minutes I had pulled out a throwing knife with dried blood on it, a
|
||
small pouch of assorted gold and platinum ingots, and finally I found
|
||
a wooden shield like object adorned with all types of paints, gems,
|
||
and precious metal inlay.
|
||
Looking over what I had dug out of this miserable old rotting
|
||
pile of hay made me come to a quick conclusion. This was the loot
|
||
from some thief's work, and it looks like he got a pretty good catch
|
||
at that. What I could piece together with this sketchy evidence went
|
||
like this, the culprit had broken into a house or something that
|
||
belonged to someone basically rich, if not nobility, stabbed someone
|
||
while taking this shield like coat of arms, finally taking the
|
||
decease's pouch of money in the exit. After the crime he must of
|
||
stashed here all the evidence until the tension of search was gone.
|
||
My final conclusion was that this had to be returned, since they
|
||
might offer a reward.
|
||
To my right I saw an old roughed up bag. I took the bag and
|
||
placed all this stuff in it. While I was placing the shield
|
||
delicately into the bag I noticed two long shadows, produced by the
|
||
low sun, of people in the alley entrance. I turned and stood to find
|
||
the two figures slowly approach me with some sort of drawn weapons.
|
||
I dropped the bag behind me in the corner of the alley and prepared
|
||
to defend my position.
|
||
The one on my left seemed to ready to charge as he uttered,
|
||
"We'll teach you to steal our loot, right Rogth." With that he
|
||
charged with his short sword, and closely followed by his strangely
|
||
named friend Rogth, who was only armed with a long hunting knife.
|
||
The ineptness that they presented with this group attack was almost a
|
||
joke. As they closed the distance of the long alley, Rogth almost
|
||
got directly behind his friend with that hunting knife. Clearly no
|
||
more then a simple cutthroat.
|
||
As the one with the sword came into striking distance he
|
||
telegraphed clearly his actions. He raised his sword over his
|
||
opposite shoulder in a diagonal stroke for my inside collar bone.
|
||
His blade flashed downward not drawing a drop of blood, but instead I
|
||
side stepped it and grabbed his wrist turning his hand outward to
|
||
make a forced drop of the sword. From here I simply lifted his bent
|
||
wrist and pushed back against him. This move knocked him on Rogth's
|
||
knife, and gravity proceeded to make cut fatal. With the added
|
||
weight Roght dropped the knife and deliberated running in his state
|
||
of mild mental shock. I quickly answered the question for him by
|
||
knocking him out with a quick blow to the neck.
|
||
By this time the sun was just about below the horizon. The
|
||
streets outside the alley were near empty as the light drained from
|
||
the city. I walked to the end of the alley and found what I needed,
|
||
a primitive,large wheel barrel. I proceeded to borrow it from its
|
||
absent owner, and take it down the alley way. I piled the bag, and
|
||
not so healthy thieves onto the bed of the cart. When I backed out I
|
||
noticed the owner of the hand cart looking for it. I quickly
|
||
detoured questions by saying, "Where do I take these two brigands."
|
||
She just brought here hand to her mouth and pointed towards the gate.
|
||
I ran on and yelled back, "Thank you." I wonder how long it would be
|
||
before she noticed I had taken here hand cart?
|
||
At the gate I found some uniformed men carrying polearms, so I
|
||
assumed that they were the local guards. I wheeled my load up to
|
||
them and said, "I just caught these two scoundrels in an alley trying
|
||
to retrieve the loot that they had previously stolen and hidden in
|
||
that specific alley."
|
||
The guard looked at me in a stare of half understanding. Maybe I
|
||
had used some words that are not't present in this specific dialect,
|
||
or maybe I had surprised him and he did not pick up the whole jist of
|
||
what I meant, but as I pondered the possibilities he asked, "You
|
||
caught these two and killed the one yourself?"
|
||
"Yes", what else could I say? He proceeded to examine the bodies
|
||
as a few other guards surrounded me. Then he saw the bag and he
|
||
became interested in what it may contain. He opened it up and pulled
|
||
the shield like thing out in awe. Then signaling to some sentries on
|
||
the wall who went quickly to execute some command. Then he turned to
|
||
me and said, "I think you just caught the master thief Manth, and his
|
||
apprentice Rogth."
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu:
|
||
The On-Going Novel, Chapter by Chapter.....
|
||
|
||
1) New preface by the author-READ THIS!
|
||
2) Introduction to the novel.
|
||
3) Chapter 1, Part 1.
|
||
4) Chapter 1, Part 2.
|
||
5) Chapter 1, Part 3.
|
||
6) Chapter 2, Part 1.
|
||
7) Chapter 2, Part 2.
|
||
8) Chapter 2, Part 3.
|
||
9) Chapter 2, Part 4.(02/18/87)
|
||
10) Chapter 2, Part 5.(2/28/87)
|
||
11) Chapter 2, Part 6.(3/15/87)
|
||
12) Chapter 2, Part 7.(4/06/87)
|
||
13) Chapter 2, Part 8.(4/28/87)
|
||
14) Chapter 2, Part 9 (5/26/87)
|
||
15) Chapter 3, Part 1 (8/04/87)
|
||
16) To be continued.....
|
||
|
||
|
||
Select (Q=Exit)> 4
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
I was escorted to a large fortified villa on a ledge on the other
|
||
side of the mountain. It was accessed through a rather large cave,
|
||
which I reckon had been enlarged by men before the loss of machine.
|
||
The villa over looked miles of forest and farm land from a vista of
|
||
500m from the base of the mountain. What I saw of it was made of
|
||
marble and granite carved straight from the mountain side. The
|
||
guards kindly asked me to enter a waiting room and then left closing
|
||
the door behind me.
|
||
The waiting room I was in was a spectacular garden. It consisted
|
||
of a path which wound through the shallow garden and a few benches
|
||
placed around the room. The wall opposite the door was a huge open
|
||
window with columns holding up the high ceiling here. From here it
|
||
seemed that the plants would get a good amount of sunlight, and water
|
||
from the springs I could here trickling near the door. The room
|
||
overall was a small paradise.
|
||
To entertain myself I looked out on the dark landscape that lay
|
||
below the window and tried to pick out specific details. It was
|
||
pretty hard, because I was just seeing the vague shapes and regions,
|
||
because of my genetically breed special night vision. About ten
|
||
minutes after the sun had past well beyond the horizon opposite this
|
||
rooms view, a fairly large moon past out from under some cloud cover,
|
||
and spread some light through the region. With this added moon light
|
||
and the clean air of this world I was able to discern the landscape
|
||
quite well.
|
||
As I looked out over the landscape and memorized the patterns,
|
||
the door behind me opened with the click of many feet entering the
|
||
room and coming to a sudden stop in what sound like ridged stances in
|
||
armour. Then a young voice came alive and said, "All hail the King
|
||
and procession." With this I turned and looked at what was
|
||
progressing. There were two guards on either side of the door
|
||
wearing full plate armour like that used on Ancient Earth. To the
|
||
side of the door was a rather regaly dressed youth who must have
|
||
announced the king and his fellow blue bloods. Entering the garden
|
||
in haste was a large strong man wearing a light chainmail with a
|
||
great horned helm. The helm was greatly decorated, and a breast
|
||
plate over the mail was like that shield I had found earlier. That
|
||
means that this must be the king and I must of saved his coat of
|
||
arms, or some local symbol very close in relative meaning. I decided
|
||
to treat him with the honor that he expected, by giving him a formal,
|
||
low bow at the waist like I have always learned.
|
||
I could hear him walk towards me as I stayed in this position.
|
||
In fact I could see that he had walked directly in front of me,
|
||
because of his feet standing right under my eyes. Then I heard a
|
||
chuckle and the man in front of me, probably the king, said, "What do
|
||
you call this my poverty stricken son?"
|
||
Hearing this I came back up to a more comfortable standing
|
||
position. The king had removed his helm and now held it under his
|
||
left shoulder. He had a thick beard and mustache of dark brown hair
|
||
to match his long mane in back. He stood about my height of 192cm,
|
||
and there was no way I could tell what he weighed with or without all
|
||
that armour. From the expression of his face he seemed amused with
|
||
something.
|
||
"Is something wrong sir?", I asked.
|
||
He chortled deeply again giving me the feeling that he was
|
||
probably built like this mountain under that armour. Then he
|
||
replied, "Ohio, I like the nerve of this one. What did you say? He
|
||
killed Manth and his apprentice unarmed? Get lucky my son?"
|
||
"No sir, if I may explain. I am trained in the ways of
|
||
weaponless combat along with those of assorted weapons. The form of
|
||
combat is called the Martial arts, which encompasses all forms of
|
||
fighting. If I may ask again sir, is something wrong?"
|
||
"Well tell you the truth I have never heard of any story worse
|
||
then that, and that was the poorest example of kneeling I have ever
|
||
seen. Though to tell you the truth I feel like believing you, if you
|
||
can prove it of course.", he said almost as a challenge.
|
||
"As a warrior I have learned that bowing is a sign to honor
|
||
anyone, like an opponent, an elder, or maybe just a teacher. I also
|
||
learned that a true warrior only kneels in defeat and disgrace to his
|
||
master and victor.", I curtly replied feeling as if I had pushed my
|
||
luck a little to far.
|
||
The smile was evaporating from the king's face very slowly with
|
||
each word. Then after some thought he replied, "Your King is not
|
||
your master and victor?"
|
||
"Have we meet in combat ever?", I replied with a smile on my
|
||
face.
|
||
He seemed to grasp what I was talking about and let out another
|
||
barrage of laughs. Then coming to my side and putting his arm around
|
||
me he asked jolly, "Well warrior how do you have honor without
|
||
armour?"
|
||
"Armour", I laughed, "is worthless to me. I fight best without
|
||
encumbrance. What about you."
|
||
"Armour is my heart and soul. I would be little without in the
|
||
eyes of my lesser's.", and when he finished the sentence I noticed we
|
||
were not speaking the German like local dialect, but pure English. I
|
||
am so fluent in both languages that I never noticed the difference.
|
||
How did he know that I would know this language, and do the guards
|
||
know English.
|
||
"How did you learn English when your people know German?"
|
||
He signaled for the guards to leave. Then after they had exited
|
||
with some hesitation he turned and asked, "May I ask your name?"
|
||
"I am called Markus Furate.", I said.
|
||
"What did the Old Society stop using code numbers or did you just
|
||
derive that name from your serial?", he said in English.
|
||
"How do you know about the Society?", I quickly gasped in
|
||
horror.
|
||
He chuckled again and then started into his story, "I was once an
|
||
Old Society warrior like you. I was a spy and sabature, but in a
|
||
conflict with one of the Governors I got exiled like many of the
|
||
intellectuals who just suddenly disappear. They must of not had a
|
||
record of my exile if they sent you to the same place, but anyway.
|
||
From the looks of it you are probably four generations ahead of me,
|
||
and what a fine job they had done if you ask me. What gravity were
|
||
you breed at?"
|
||
"3.001 G's", I said softly not knowing who might be listening at
|
||
the door.
|
||
He let out a good long whistle then in slight awe exclaimed, "You
|
||
are a lot farther on then I was. I only got to 2.822 G's. In my day
|
||
they said that no one could get past the 3G limit... Wait, what am I
|
||
thinking? It has been close to 60 years since I was exiled. I bet
|
||
you did not know that even with our already long lives we age even
|
||
less in this lower gravity. It has its draw backs to I guess."
|
||
We both knew what he was talking about. The longer you spend in
|
||
the lower gravity the more accustom you become to it. In the end,
|
||
even with lots of exercise, you eventually loose the extra strength
|
||
and you can't return to the old gravity level. If he has been here
|
||
for 60 years then he could not be to much more then an ordinary man.
|
||
Then he started up again, "WHat are you calling me sir for? You
|
||
are the ranking officer here. In fact when the briefing came in I
|
||
knew what you were, and I was surprised to have a person destine for
|
||
governorship when they told me you had blond hair and blue eyes.
|
||
Those still are saved for the Governors, right?"
|
||
I nodded and then said, "I do not want to infringe on your
|
||
territory, so if I could just borrow some money and a sword I can get
|
||
out real quick."
|
||
"You can not leave. When you brought back the coat of arms you
|
||
became a hero, and when the public finds out that you are only a
|
||
poverty stricken youth who fought gallantly while unarmed and
|
||
outnumbered. Ohio, won't you shine in the populace's eyes.", he had
|
||
worked him self up to another good volley of laughs, "I will just
|
||
have to knight you I guess."
|
||
He was hysterical at this point. Then I caught the jist of it,
|
||
he would knight me into his society and by custom make me wear the
|
||
accursed armour. That stuff would get you killed. It did not allow
|
||
for any quick dodges, or powerful strokes without gravity's aid.
|
||
"You are not going to get me into any of that skin tight death traps
|
||
are you?", I asked.
|
||
"You know I once thought the same as you did, but I put the damn
|
||
stuff on and lived with it. What you wear here is all that counts,
|
||
and it just so happens that shining armour counts the most. I did
|
||
not get used to it until the good old arthritis set in. Now I need
|
||
the armour to fend off the blows that I can not block.", he was now
|
||
looking into his slowly opening and closing hand with a twang of pain
|
||
on his face.
|
||
Realizing that I was still here he abruptly looked up and said,
|
||
"I'll call the guards to escort you to a guest room until we get you
|
||
a permanent residence. I'll also have one of those old sages bring
|
||
you some reading material on the local customs, codes, traditions,
|
||
and maybe some political history. Good night, Markus", turning on
|
||
his heels he exited the room allowing the guards to enter.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
The reading material turned out to be quite an experience.
|
||
Normally I had always absorbed the reading material through hypnosis
|
||
and tape. Then when I had finished a book (around 3 hours), I would
|
||
review the material with an instructor to allow my mind to sort it
|
||
into a reasonable organization. I only had to read books when the
|
||
voice tapes were not available, and that only happened twice. Now
|
||
that I had this actual paper book bound and covered with wood and
|
||
cloth I was starting to enjoy this form of information gathering. It
|
||
allowed for your own imagination to take over by editing the text in
|
||
your mind. With this editing you gain more creativity with your
|
||
ideas which was totally avoided in the Old Society. Overall I
|
||
enjoyed the slower process much more.
|
||
This society was based on Ancient England alright. Though not of
|
||
fact, but of legend, particularly the ones dealing with Aurthur and
|
||
his round table. Men would wear armour to show his position. The
|
||
feudal system was in existence in some places, but mostly it was
|
||
looked down on. Chivalry was still dead by the looks of it, but some
|
||
progress seemed to have been made in the ways of Equal rights. Women
|
||
had just as much chance to become knights, and wear armour as men,
|
||
but of course women have less physical strength and that greatly
|
||
limited the number of women knights. In fact as I read on I found
|
||
that the youth's first experience with fighting and training came
|
||
from his or her mother.
|
||
As I read further I noticed to my surprise one parallel with the
|
||
legends that I thought would be forgotten, Magic. It was a subject
|
||
that seemed to be avoided in conversation and public knowledge, but
|
||
it did seem to exist. The wizards were generally shunned and lived
|
||
as hermits with their own political system. Rarely they would
|
||
transact with the normal populace, and sometimes the aid of magic was
|
||
sought by someone in need. Maybe these are also just legends, I
|
||
thought.
|
||
I spent nearly two full days in my guest room just reading over
|
||
all this new material. Every now and then a servant would enter with
|
||
a tray of food and drink. Once the King entered and told me the
|
||
situation. As it turned out I was to be knighted, like in the old
|
||
days, three days from the act of saving the coat, as local custom
|
||
dictates. During this time I was to meditate on the holiness of my
|
||
act, and how my life is to become virtues after this, but the King
|
||
just handed me some more books and winked saying, "Keep up that deep
|
||
thought know."
|
||
On the third day I had to pick out my armour and weapons from the
|
||
castle stores. The armour I had picked out was the closest fit that
|
||
I could come by, in other words they just might be able to make it
|
||
fit snugly on me. The armour quickly took my measurements then went
|
||
off on to his own work.
|
||
Then we proceeded onto the choosing of weapons which was much
|
||
more to my liking. Instead of the broad selection of many swords
|
||
which the keeper bragged about I was confronted with a broad
|
||
selection of heavy unwieldy medieval swords. They had nothing in the
|
||
lines of a good modern blade. After I had rejected all the offers of
|
||
the attendant and searched through the countless cases, I came across
|
||
a barrel of old dusty weapons sitting in one corner. In amusement I
|
||
left the attendant behind trying to open a stuck case, while I looked
|
||
on my own. In the barrel were many cheap weapons that they must pass
|
||
out to the farmers or something during war, but one blade stuck out
|
||
of the group. It was a bastard sword with a simple leather wrapped
|
||
hilt. I picked it up to find the balance not that of a sledge hammer
|
||
like the others, but one of elegance. It weighed about 12kg and for
|
||
someone of my strength and weight it handled like an elegant sword of
|
||
the past. It had a blade that had been made in some way that I did
|
||
not even recognize, but it was obvious that the method used was
|
||
second to none. The blade ran approximately 1.5m with a barb about
|
||
.3m from the top of the hilt. As I ran my hand down the finely done
|
||
blade I found to my surprise no inscriptions or carving like on most
|
||
of the others. Greatly satisfied with my stroke of luck I strapped
|
||
it on under my cloak.
|
||
The attendant who had just gotten the case door open rounded the
|
||
corner and said, "Sir, you do not want that cheap old thing. It is
|
||
not a knight's weapon, so if you will give me that, and come look at
|
||
these over here you might find something you like."
|
||
"I like this one.", I said refusing to hand it over.
|
||
"Please sir, it would be degrading for you to carry a sword that
|
||
the lowest of peasants would not take. That is the only sword in the
|
||
militia supply that has never been used. Please, just let me have
|
||
it."
|
||
Drawing the sword I held it in one hand in front of his face and
|
||
said, "The reason no one picks it is because it is to heavy for most
|
||
to wield, but it is just right for me. Also look at the blade. Have
|
||
you ever seen anything like this before?"
|
||
He examined the edge of the blade for a while and then looked up
|
||
in question, "So it's real sharp? A knight has armour that will
|
||
quickly dull such a blade and then you would have nothing more then a
|
||
cudgel."
|
||
"Are you ignorant or what? This blade was made in some way
|
||
neither of us have probably ever seen before. It will cut through
|
||
the best armour as if it were margarine." Then it hit me the. I
|
||
should have seen it there, but it was covered up by the advanced
|
||
metallurgy. This blade was coated with some sort of anti-friction
|
||
finish, and with closer examination it seemed to be worked into the
|
||
metal somehow.
|
||
"What the hell is margarine?", he asked as I examined the blade
|
||
still more.
|
||
"do not worry about it", I said as I walked out of the stores.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 5
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
"I here you gave Jurgen a hard time down in the armory."
|
||
The king had just walked in to my room as I shined the sword and
|
||
polished the leather sheath. He was carrying his short sword which
|
||
was for ornamental usage only, but as his eyes struck the strange
|
||
glimmer this sword gave off in the sunlight, I could see he would
|
||
rather have this old thing. He came over and picked it up off my lap
|
||
to test it out, but when he picked it up he quickly decided that it
|
||
was to heavy for his now mortal body. Handing it back to me he
|
||
asked, "I have never seen that one before where did you find it
|
||
Markus?"
|
||
"It was in a junk barrel for the use of the local militia. I am
|
||
probably the only one on this world that can easily wield this fine
|
||
blade, but what got me was how finally balanced it was compared to
|
||
those sledge hammers you guys use. Then I noticed the quality of the
|
||
blade and I had to have it.", I said.
|
||
"What is it that is coating it.?", the King asked.
|
||
"I have no idea, but it seems to have been worked into the metal
|
||
when it was applied as a finish. The workmanship of it seems to go
|
||
beyond anything I have ever seen."
|
||
"I know why Jurgen disagreed with your choice, and he was right.
|
||
That blade looks no better then a farmer's hoe. The people expect to
|
||
see someone of your temporary stature carry a jeweled weapon with
|
||
fancy gold inlay. So to keep it safe we will both just ignore it
|
||
until your popularity wears out, OK?", he finished sticking his hand
|
||
out like is done in the Federation.
|
||
I shook his hand in agreement and said, "Just as long as I can
|
||
keep it." Then I raised a question over something that everyone
|
||
seemed to be saying in their speech, "What is this big thing about my
|
||
popularity?"
|
||
"Ohio, I guess you wouldn't know would you. The people had been
|
||
down for a few weeks over the missing coat, but when they heard it
|
||
had been retrieved it was like all of ancient America had just gotten
|
||
their star spangled banner back from ancient Russia. You are the new
|
||
local hero to tell you the truth. I do not think it will last much
|
||
longer then a few weeks though.", he finished shaking his head.
|
||
He got up and began to leave the room. When he reached the door
|
||
he turned causing a long shadow to fall over the hallway in the low
|
||
evening sun, and said, "You better get some rest for the armourer
|
||
will be back to make some last minute alterations, and do not bother
|
||
him to much will you.", he smiled, turned and left.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
My knighting was to be held in the main hall of the palace. As I
|
||
entered the hall I saw an architect's dream. The hall was about 50m
|
||
by 10m with a gothic ceiling of about 5m in height. The whole room
|
||
was flooded with light, while in alcoves on either side of the hall
|
||
gardens thrived on the light and spring water from one of the many
|
||
natural springs in this mountain. As I stood in one of the hidden
|
||
alcoves putting on my newly fitted armour I could here the people
|
||
piling in and sitting at the long feasting tables. After I got the
|
||
armour all on, I waited for my cue.
|
||
As I waited I could here the kings procession approaching the
|
||
hall. The people suddenly became quite and shuffled around, probably
|
||
to make way for his majesty. Then his young page came in and said,
|
||
"All stand and hail the King."
|
||
With this some music was played and I could see the king come up
|
||
to to the throne. Then he stood in front of the throne and began his
|
||
speech.
|
||
"We are gathered here today to honor a man who has saved our
|
||
pride and honor. Without weapon or proper training he gallantly
|
||
approached the two demons who had stolen the coat, and he fought his
|
||
hardest against Manth the master thief and his apprentice Rogth, both
|
||
of whom were armed with deadly weapons. We of Excavon need new
|
||
strength to aid us in our future. May I know present to you, Markus
|
||
Furate.", the king finished holding out his hand in my direction.
|
||
I walked briskly to the head of the throne where he indicated and
|
||
stood facing the audience. The hall had been filled to a point of
|
||
over-crowding. The audience was yelling stamping and clapping
|
||
furiously. When the uproar had settled to a mild roar I turned to
|
||
the king for the continuation of the ceremony.
|
||
He signaled for me to kneel. As I did go to my knees he drew his
|
||
sword and held it high in front of his face. When I had arrived at
|
||
my knees and looked up at him giving him the signal to proceed he
|
||
raised the sword and brought it softly down to each of my shoulders
|
||
in that sign of mock defeat. In fact the whole process symbolizes
|
||
how he saves my life by not decapitating me and how I pledge my life
|
||
to him since it is now his. From here he said, "Do you grant thine
|
||
life for your lord?"
|
||
"Yes.", I said with a little bit of irony.
|
||
"Then rise and acknowledge your lord, 'sir Furate'", he indicated
|
||
with his sword. I stood and he began to speak again, "I give you the
|
||
coat of the bear for your naturalness as a warrior and your amazing
|
||
strength.", he handed me the freshly made coat of arms and I bowed to
|
||
show my gratitude and honor for him.
|
||
Then he roared out in laughter and said, "Let the festivities
|
||
begin."
|
||
At the end of that sentence two things happened. First, a volley
|
||
of arrows came through the arched windows of the hall. As the first
|
||
of the arrows hit the random targets about the room, a sentry from
|
||
the gate came bursting through the doors yelling, "We are under
|
||
attack."
|
||
While I quickly removed this restricting armour I looked back at
|
||
the king. He already had his sword drawn and was about to go to
|
||
defend the main gate. Though when he saw me he signaled me towards
|
||
the roof. As he ran on shouting orders I decided what must be done.
|
||
In a few moments the second volley came through the windows.
|
||
This was my mark for action. I quickly took a step and flipped up
|
||
onto the ledge, taking advantage of the worlds lower gravity. From
|
||
here I could see the invading forces who had launched the barrage of
|
||
arrows into the great hall. They were standing in one of the
|
||
terraced gardens just below the window where I now stood. They must
|
||
have climbed the 500m up to that ledge while it remained unguarded
|
||
for the ceremonies. By this time they had spotted me and started to
|
||
fire.
|
||
In a quick upward jump, I flipped over their missiles and landed
|
||
squarely in their unprepared mist. Since they had just shot at me
|
||
with the arrows they could not use the bows against me this close.
|
||
As I pulled my sword off my back and slowly moved toward the garden's
|
||
back wall, I noticed that non of these men were armed besides a
|
||
hunting knife and the bow of course. A few of them were not armed
|
||
and protested the melee while the rest drew the knives. They slowly
|
||
began to advance.
|
||
There had been a standard unit of 20 archers, but 4 of them had
|
||
started to climb back down the rope. Now I was confronted by 16 men
|
||
slowly advancing in on me with thin, sly, little knives that they had
|
||
carried up on their calves during the climb. They seemed to be very
|
||
sure of them selves seeing that they, one outnumbered me, two they
|
||
had leather jackets on, and three I had no armor what so ever. Well
|
||
were they wrong on the last two.
|
||
As they closed the distance I waited for the perfect moment to
|
||
take the initiative. Then, as the time became right, I took a step
|
||
forward toward my left side, jumped in the air, did a forward flip in
|
||
the air flailing my sword , and landed facing the remaining archers,
|
||
and of course dropping the head, that belonged to the one who had
|
||
been in front of me at the beginning, to the ground. Setting my plan
|
||
in motion, I swiftly went to the ropes they had placed here and
|
||
severed each one. As I did I could here 4 distant screams grow even
|
||
more distant. Now they could not escape or get help from below. By
|
||
the time I had finished my closing the retreat avenue, the first of
|
||
the archers had turned and charged toward me. Staying low, I swept
|
||
him with my right foot so he fell towards me, but I followed him up
|
||
with my right foot and with some help from my hands he went flying
|
||
over the side.
|
||
Seeing the charging mass I rolled over my left shoulder to get me
|
||
free of the rush and the cliff. I came up into a kneeling position
|
||
that then yielded into a low stance. The men in the feverish rush
|
||
had pushed one off the cliff themselves and were now turning to kill
|
||
me in the anger of shame. Also in the anger all 13 lost the rational
|
||
thought necessary to win, and became instant beserkers.
|
||
I slammed into the chaotic mass with my sword flashing. With a
|
||
few more steps of advance, I stepped onto one of the attackers bent
|
||
knee and then hopped up to two other's shoulder and head to give me
|
||
height and momentum for a flip across the length of the terrace.
|
||
When the nine remaining attackers turned to see where I had gone
|
||
now they saw the sight that had prompted my sudden move. Standing
|
||
behind me with weapons drawn were 5 of the palace guards. The
|
||
archers lost morale almost instantly. Some of them dropped the
|
||
knives and ran for the now missing ropes, while another jumped off
|
||
the cliff in fear. The guards rushed up and apprehended the
|
||
remaining archers then awaited their orders. I told them, "Tie them
|
||
up and set them on the wall around the garden. If they give you any
|
||
trouble kick them off, and use them for shields if the ground troops
|
||
attack. Also take the arrows and fire down at anything that moves."
|
||
When they had confirmed the understanding of that long order, I
|
||
left to help in the defense of the main gate. As I ran through the
|
||
castle and cave that leads to the city I noticed a strange emptiness.
|
||
Probably because I thinking that the women and children would be
|
||
hiding in here, but then I remembered that they carried supplies,
|
||
knocked over siege equipment like simple ladders, made boiling oil,
|
||
and fought when the defenses was breached. Just while I was thinking
|
||
of the subject a group of children ran out of in front of me carrying
|
||
arm loads of weapons and rolling barrels of supplies.
|
||
When I reached a vantage point I surveyed the situation. The
|
||
invaders seem to have control of the gatehouse, bridge and just
|
||
inside the doors. Even though they were surrounded on this side of
|
||
the wall, a few tried to scale the walls in other places. The
|
||
invaders were clearly outnumbered in the small space of the gate, but
|
||
the defensive point of the gate house seemed to be well held against
|
||
us. The gatehouse at this point was the key, since as long as the
|
||
bridge was down they had reinforcements. Then seeing what was needed
|
||
I headed for the nearest bar.
|
||
I was at a disadvantage from not seeing to much of the city
|
||
before this, but I had little trouble finding an appropriate
|
||
business. I went inside and tore down the curtains that were in the
|
||
windows. Going behind the bar know, I proceeded to transfer the
|
||
stronger spirits to the curtain. Then when I had got about 20
|
||
bottles, I picked up the corners and carried the baggage to the
|
||
wall.
|
||
Standing below the wall I found some children to help me. I gave
|
||
them the curtains and told them tear big strips to wad in the
|
||
bottles. While they got on with the task I opened the bottles and
|
||
gave the children them to fix. As they continued the job I ran down
|
||
the length of the wall until I found a torch. Taking it with me, I
|
||
told the children to carry the bottles up the ladder with me and then
|
||
leave. They did what they where told, and I proceeded in my plans.
|
||
Taking the torch in one hand and the bottle in the other, I
|
||
proceeded towards the gatehouse. Not seeing any arrows flying by I
|
||
assumed that archers were not trained on the wall. I climbed up to
|
||
the roof of the wall and continued on toward the gatehouse along this
|
||
incline. I reached the gate house turret and dropped the bottle to
|
||
pick up the wooden hatch that I had found in the center of the floor.
|
||
As I opened it with one hand I lit the bottle and knocked it in with
|
||
the other. After I heard it hit something and the roar of fire I
|
||
closed the hatch and went for the rope protruded from here. The
|
||
wench below was burning and the rope was about to be pulled up to the
|
||
top of the frame. The frame housed the pulley that lifted the bridge
|
||
for protection. Before the rope came loose from below I tied it to
|
||
one of the merlins that made up the higher portion of the wall here.
|
||
When the rope was secured I went back to the bottles of liquor
|
||
and took them back to the gatehouse, via the roof. From here I lit
|
||
one after another of the bottles and threw them onto the attackers
|
||
beyond the bridge. In panic many of the invaders fled into the
|
||
growing fire to leave the remaining invaders to be easily over
|
||
powered. When our people had pushed them back to the fire I yelled
|
||
to them to get off the bridge and prepared myself to pull.
|
||
I climbed down into the smoking gatehouse and took the remains of
|
||
the rope and worked them into a pulley below this floor, and then
|
||
reworking the rope backup to this level. When I had it I started to
|
||
pull with all my might. At first I just used my arms, but found that
|
||
it would take more to pull it from the rocks. I squatted then and
|
||
started to push against the stone floor with my legs, while my arms
|
||
and back strained on the rope to make it budge. I could feel my
|
||
muscles ripple in spasms as I continued in this task that now seemed
|
||
impossible. Seconds seemed to stretch into infinity as I looked for
|
||
not more outward strength, but my inner strength. With concentration
|
||
I felt a warm sensation flow through me and I could also feel the
|
||
bridge budge from it's wedge outside. From here I slowly pulled the
|
||
rope in hand over hand, until I had pulled the bridge to a position
|
||
so it laid back up against the main doors. Now that it could be left
|
||
alone, I collapsed and felt like I wanted to be in the same
|
||
position.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 6
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
|
||
CHAPTER 2
|
||
|
||
My nostrils flared with the sent of freshly cut pine. The
|
||
relativity new experience stung my nose as I tried to retrieve the rest
|
||
of my senses. The sounds of splitting wood soon accompanied the strong
|
||
aroma of the fallen pine trees. The chopping was a swift rhythmic beat
|
||
with some metal wedge or other tool, but I was definite now of the
|
||
source of the smell. With some pain I opened my eyes to a very bright
|
||
scene that forced me to close them again with a groan.
|
||
Then with a stop of the chopping and the dropping of the rather
|
||
heavy sounding tool being used, I could here the approach of heavy
|
||
booted feet. The wood soles were hitting a smooth concrete surface as
|
||
I could tell. With an intake of air I heard a familiar voice, "You
|
||
finally getting up, are you Markus."
|
||
I covered my eyes and squinted up to see the king covered in sweat
|
||
and wearing a light leather jacket. He seemed to have taken a nasty
|
||
cut on the right forearm, since a thick salve was leaking out from
|
||
under bandages over the limb. He grinned down at me and said, "You
|
||
been out for 2 days solid, but I can't blame you. When you pulled the
|
||
bridge away from that fire, who knows how many lives you saved in
|
||
Excavon form that massive fire."
|
||
Try to speak he stopped me in my first word and continued, "You be
|
||
silent while I tell you the story..., or aren't you going to obey your
|
||
lord?", we both laughed with him carrying what I couldn't handle,
|
||
"After the people got hold of what you did to the archers down on the
|
||
ledge, the firebombs you through under fire, and how you lifted the
|
||
drawbridge all by yourself without any mechanical assistance, it was
|
||
out of anyone's hands. The priest said that you are God's own little
|
||
knight with 'divine enlightenment' as they call it. Most of the people
|
||
accepts that, but despite all the other theories, you are the new hero
|
||
of Excavon."
|
||
I slowly asked, "Where am I?"
|
||
He looked around and dug for some words to describe this situation,
|
||
"Uh..., well, this is that room that you stayed in before. It over
|
||
looks the land below the palace, remember? Well we couldn't find
|
||
anything fitting your position on short notice, but this. So I'm
|
||
chopping chopping down a few of the trees, and removing the dirt beds,
|
||
for better furniture. It will be done in about a week."
|
||
That was strange, "Why aren't your loyal servants doing the work?
|
||
They go union on you?", I asked.
|
||
He looked down with an expression that symbolized how it had just
|
||
gotten tougher to find words to describe the present circumstances, "A
|
||
small group of them had been members of the invaders following. They
|
||
had told him the exact time for a optimum attack, and when it came they
|
||
started to kill the other servants who would have protected the palace.
|
||
In the end I ended up having 95% of my house staff to die. Plus a good
|
||
portion of the palace is being used as a hospital for the severely
|
||
injured. While the doctors are down there looking out for the normal,
|
||
they left you for dead in your self induced coma. They would never
|
||
understand how you heal anyway."
|
||
"I was out for 2 days?", I asked in some surprise.
|
||
"Of course you suffered mild smoke inhalation, minor burns on your
|
||
arms and face, and three arrows got you at some point in time. Now you
|
||
understand why they thought you would die?", he was almost shouting as
|
||
he said it.
|
||
The warrior had a self healing 'function' one might call it. With
|
||
all the other genetic wonders built into a body like mine or the king's
|
||
is a form of program in our mind that allows for optimum healing. It
|
||
starts when excessive physical damage has occurred and bed rest would
|
||
otherwise be needed. As soon as physical exertion is ended a sleep, or
|
||
coma, takes over the body. The sleep uses up almost all the body's fat
|
||
in a greatly increased metabolic rate. Then when the body starts to
|
||
get to a minimum safe fat level, and sometimes slightly below, the
|
||
person wakes up to refill his system with the needed nutrients. I was
|
||
now at this stage of the healing.
|
||
Sitting up I found a table filled with freshly prepared foods.
|
||
Looking down at the shirt that had been stretched across my ribs, I
|
||
noticed how much my ribs showed under the fine silk like fabric. With
|
||
some aid I managed to walk over to the table and proceed to gorge the
|
||
food sitting on the table. My system, still partially on the greatly
|
||
increased metabolic rate, kept renewing my hunger as I ate. While I
|
||
sat at the table I also consumed large amounts of salt and followed it
|
||
with close to a gallon and a half of water. After I felt satisfied and
|
||
my metabolic rate had averaged out again, I got up to survey the work
|
||
down to the ex-garden.
|
||
The King had continued with is work as I ate ravenously. He came
|
||
over and sat his tired body down on one of the old garden stools across
|
||
from me. When he looked settled I asked, "Who was it that attacked
|
||
us?"
|
||
"A religious fanatic who calls himself Randolf the superior. I
|
||
think he got a hold of some old books on Hitler and started to get some
|
||
warped ideas. He started out without a country, and he built up a
|
||
small falling that has massed an army and overthrown a few of the
|
||
smaller countries.", he said with a sigh.
|
||
"Hitler had a racial scape goat though. What is he using as a
|
||
lever on the people?", I asked.
|
||
"Something about the weak must die, and as he puts it since we live
|
||
in a mountain we must be weak to hide. I just happen to be the only
|
||
large ruler that he could think of an excuses to attack. He has under
|
||
siege right now, but I think that he won't wait the 5 months that we
|
||
are prepared for here. It was pretty stupid to attack us right after
|
||
the harvest season.", he told me almost as if it didn't matter.
|
||
"One more question before I go back to sleep. How did the ropes
|
||
get tied onto the ledge out there?", I asked with a yawn coming
|
||
mid-statement.
|
||
"Remember that reading material I gave you? The wizards that it
|
||
told about are real I guess. Before it was all rumors and hear say
|
||
about the other guy, but those ropes were put up there and tied by one
|
||
of these wizards.", he was shaking his head in disbelief, but he did
|
||
believe in the end. With that note I slipped back into my restful high
|
||
speed sleep.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
After a few days the king had finished the room off. To one side
|
||
was a fountain of cool water, and a small walled off spring bathe on
|
||
the other. It had a large wooden table in the center with benches on
|
||
the long sides and two large chairs at each end. Looking out across
|
||
the scenic view were two large plush reading chairs and a bed to one
|
||
side. Next to one wall was an array of bookshelves filled with books.
|
||
To top it off he had some of the finest glass available at the time put
|
||
in the open wall.
|
||
When he had finished the room he also announced my premature
|
||
recovery as we agreed on. I had been up for a day helping him with the
|
||
finishing touches, but the people would never believe that I had healed
|
||
to this point, so I would have a fake limp on my wounded leg for a
|
||
couple weeks. Right before I left the room for a public appearance the
|
||
King brought me a crutch to use the first couple days. When it had
|
||
been four days after the battle I stumbled out of my room on an old
|
||
wooden crutch.
|
||
I first visited the makeshift hospital that had been set up in the
|
||
hall. Many of the people in here had never seen me before, so I wasn't
|
||
expecting them to react like they did. I entered the room in my
|
||
dress-up armour and as I rounded the entrance someone shouted, "It's
|
||
lord Furate the bear."
|
||
With the simple utterance everyone who could stand did and many who
|
||
couldn't tried. Seeing this I quickly said, "No, please continue with
|
||
what you were doing. Please you don't have to do this." I kept
|
||
looking around at the praise that everyone was trying to give me.
|
||
The King leaned back and turned his head to tell me in English, "I
|
||
told you that they thought you were a gift from God himself. Just stay
|
||
modest and they won't loss respect." He started to move on to greet
|
||
the men who had been injured during the invasion. I remained in the
|
||
door way and surveyed the seen. Laying around the hall were about
|
||
thirty men who had been severely wounded. A few had lost a limb, while
|
||
most others where suffering from infections caused by other wounds.
|
||
Even in this uncivilized world of medicine, they seemed to have a herb
|
||
that was made into a salve to prevent and treat infection. Could it be
|
||
that they had found a plant that produces antibiotics naturally? It
|
||
didn't matter know just as long as it was available. I proceeded to
|
||
see my public.
|
||
I walked past a few beds with a small greeting that cheered up most
|
||
of the patients. Halfway down the row I got to one bed that a doctor
|
||
was lingering over with an unconscious adolescent in it. The doctor
|
||
was feeling the youths wrist and nodding his head. Then as he let the
|
||
arm back down and started to bring the sheet up I approached quickly.
|
||
Forgetting my limp and dropping the crutch I knelt over the boy and
|
||
felt at his neck for a pulse. I felt none, but his body was still very
|
||
warm. I knew that action must be taken quickly.
|
||
Collapsing the low cot legs below him I lowered him to the ground
|
||
gently. From here I knelt over him and started standard CPR. It had
|
||
been ingrained into us as warriors since age eight, and it had become
|
||
instinct under circumstances. I could here the voices and shuffling
|
||
feet as I started to breath life into the youth's frame. Coming up to
|
||
start the chest pumping procedure I looked around to find the King
|
||
pushing through the crowd. He was distressed from the look on his
|
||
face. Kneeling down on the opposite side of me he grabbed my wrist and
|
||
said in low whispering english, "This is a low tech world, remember?"
|
||
Pulling my wrist back to myself, with a gasp of shock from the
|
||
crowd I said back, "To hell with those codes. What are they going to
|
||
do kill me, or you can do it after I try to save this kids life." I
|
||
quickly went back for two quick breaths. When I came back up for the
|
||
chest compressions the King was getting ready to assist in the two man
|
||
form. After two minutes of doing this a pulse finally emerged from the
|
||
battered body. The King got up and started to push people back as I
|
||
watched him and piled blankets on top of him.
|
||
During the hour that I watched him as he regained a normal pulse I
|
||
talked to the doctor. He happened to be the King's personal physician,
|
||
Huronen, one of the few in the area. As I talked to him over the
|
||
course of the hour I found him to a fairly bright man, but greatly
|
||
uneducated. From what he described to me I surmised that the youth had
|
||
gone into shock and finally heart failure after lack of appropriate
|
||
treatment. If I hadn't come along the young man would have be in a
|
||
hole right about now. As we talked he became greatly interested in the
|
||
method of breathing life as he called it. Not knowing what to say I
|
||
skirted the question.
|
||
The young man had supposedly been one of the servants that didn't
|
||
rebel. When he saw what the rebellious ones had done, he took down one
|
||
of the ornamental axes on the wall and defended the passage to the rest
|
||
of the palace until the guards could get there. From the looks of him
|
||
he had been cut up pretty bad by the time the guards got there, but he
|
||
refused to quit. Huronen said that the king was thinking about making
|
||
him a squire and let him train into a knight. Considering what little
|
||
I know of him, he would make an excellent knight.
|
||
Later when the King came by I made a point of asking about the
|
||
matter. He said, "Yes, of course I will. Didn't I do the same for
|
||
you?"
|
||
"Why don't you make him a knight then?", I questioned.
|
||
"Oh, come now Markus. He may have a lot of courage and spunk, but
|
||
he obviously doesn't know anything about weapons besides that they are
|
||
sharp. He needs training first, which you didn't. So I make him a
|
||
squire and he works his way up the ladder like the rest of the people
|
||
around here.", he said.
|
||
"Well I think that I might want a squire then. You know to pass a
|
||
portion of my skill to. There isn't a waiting list or anything is
|
||
there?", I stated.
|
||
"Don't worry I had already pegged you for a little follower.", he
|
||
said with a small chuckle to top it off.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 7
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
"Compton come here. It's about time you started to learn how to
|
||
fight.", I said.
|
||
Compton, the boy I had saved, had been out of bed for about three
|
||
weeks now. During that time I had built him up from a slight
|
||
convalescent, to a strong youth. As I watched him I noticed he had had
|
||
a fairly good build, and a hint of above average dexterity. With my
|
||
training I suspected that he would become one of the King's most
|
||
effective warrior.
|
||
He looked up from the task of chopping wood which I had set him to.
|
||
Then understanding the importance of the statement he ran across the
|
||
ledge garden we now occupied. Compton stood about 180cm tall and
|
||
massed out at a rough 80 kilograms of weight, not a bad sized youth for
|
||
his age of 15.
|
||
Standing in front of me he was smiling looking around. Then when
|
||
he couldn't find what he was looking for a look of surprise came over
|
||
his face. He asked with a strong sound of disappointment, "Lord, if I
|
||
am to learn how to fight where are the weapons?"
|
||
"Weapons?", I laughed, "You aren't ready for them yet. First you
|
||
must learn Open handed fighting, weaponless fighting , or you may call
|
||
it karate. Then when you are ready you may pick up a weapon."
|
||
"Sir, how may one fight without weapons?", he asked still in
|
||
surprise.
|
||
I had seen this coming when I had heard that squires were normally
|
||
fully trained in 6 months. What inepts they must be until experience
|
||
hardens them. I was prepared to defend my point to my squire.
|
||
"Here if you think you need a weapon to fight take this.", I handed
|
||
him a nice long and finely made hunting knife I had picked up in the
|
||
armory.
|
||
He looked down at the blade then looked back up and said, "What am
|
||
I supposed to do with it sir?"
|
||
"Try to kill me."
|
||
"I couldn't..."
|
||
"You will. Right you little traitor. What are you going to become
|
||
the first knight to hide behind his mother's dress? Come on try for
|
||
it." He was seriously considering it right about now, but common sense
|
||
and honor held him back.
|
||
"Come on,or maybe I'll teach you to use the broom in the cellar for
|
||
the rest of your life.", I taunted. From what I have learned these are
|
||
some of the cleaner dishonoring statements around. They seemed to be
|
||
working well enough when he tried to swing the knife across my chest.
|
||
Seeing my cue I jumped up and kicked him lightly in the nose, and I
|
||
made sure he knew it was light. Then landing I got a hold of the now
|
||
moving knife hand, and twisted to bring him over my hip in a violent
|
||
fall to the grassy mat below.
|
||
"Sorry about the comments, I didn't mean any of them. I just
|
||
wanted to show you how much more effective my way is to those your
|
||
friends are learning. Do you see a difference?", I said while kneeling
|
||
over his prone body.
|
||
He nodded acknowledgement and asked, "Will you really teach me how
|
||
to do that?"
|
||
"That and very much more. When I get done with you that you will
|
||
be the third best fighter on this world.", I reassured him as I let him
|
||
go and sat cross legged next to him.
|
||
"How long will it take for me to master all this?", he asked as he
|
||
sat up.
|
||
I laughed and said, "You'll be learning until you die, and maybe
|
||
beyond."
|
||
"I don't understand all of this, and I don't think I'll try to.
|
||
What do I learn first?", He said with a rather large sigh.
|
||
It was noon when I began to teach him the three basic stances. By
|
||
the time I was satisfied it was well past supper time. For now he was
|
||
confused about how that could help him in combat, but I reassured him
|
||
any times that he was doing good and that some day he would see the
|
||
point of all this. We both went inside for dinner well after sunset.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
As the months passed Compton progressed extremely well. In fact
|
||
his studies went so well that he quickly achieved and went beyond my
|
||
expectations. In the first few weeks the training brought out a large
|
||
untapped reservoir of dexterous ability. Even though he rarely
|
||
comprehended his full lesson, Compton continued to practice with
|
||
diligence.
|
||
On the sixth month of his training I decided to show him the value
|
||
of his knowledge. Another knight, Kohman of the sword, had some
|
||
squires and three of them had been in training just as long as Compton.
|
||
In fact at the minor ceremony that was held for them the King had
|
||
openly invited the youths to compete for the knighthood in two years.
|
||
Kohman, who had taken the three into training because of their
|
||
ancestry, and I agreed on the terms, and he still thinks that his boys
|
||
are ahead.
|
||
Kohman and his following entered the terrace garden that my room
|
||
opened up to with a slight sneer. He had been one of the senior
|
||
knights and still felt that I shouldn't be getting this kind of
|
||
luxuries. He didn't push the point to much, because he knew I was now
|
||
the King's right hand man, and the people's favorite. While Compton
|
||
practiced his lesson I was normally out in the market helping the worse
|
||
off, so my popularity just didn't die out, but it leveled of at a mild
|
||
fanaticism. Kohman made his men sit down near the entrance, while he
|
||
approached me.
|
||
"Sir Furate, is your student ready?", the word student stuck in his
|
||
mouth with some contempt.
|
||
"Yes I guess so. Just bring out your best of the three. It's a
|
||
full contact match without sharpened weapons. They do now the rules
|
||
don't they?", I said looking at them.
|
||
He nodded going back to his squires to tell them what was going to
|
||
happen. I had no need for that or any coaching. Compton knew the
|
||
stupid rules and he could defend himself without any of my false
|
||
barriers of words to hide behind. I signaled for him to come forward.
|
||
He ran to stand in front of me, looking rather shamed wearing the
|
||
simple canvas suit I had made for him compared to the nice leather
|
||
armour his peers wore. I reassured him by saying, "The way you look
|
||
doesn't win a fight, and armour definitely looses it." He looked at
|
||
me, paused a second, and nodded releasing a large gasp of air and
|
||
shaking his joints out.
|
||
Kohman had picked the largest of his students, or should I say
|
||
ex-students since they finished their training early last week. Thats
|
||
if you could call what they learn training. Kohman's champion was a
|
||
little taller then I, and had an average build. He wore a finely
|
||
tailored leather jacket, and he carried a short sword at his side. I
|
||
removed the sword from his belt with minimal protest and gave him a
|
||
wooden sword of about the same length and heft. I bowed to both of
|
||
them as this ceremony called for, but only got a response from Compton.
|
||
I then had compton turn to his opponent and bow to the ignorant fool
|
||
anyway. From here I gave them the signal to begin.
|
||
Compton stood his ground as the aggressor charged onto him with the
|
||
sword raised high over his head. When they were about a meter away
|
||
from each other Compton acted with swiftness. Stepping to his
|
||
advisories sword hand side he kicked him in the ribs. Kohman was in a
|
||
shock as he watched his student double over in the pain of a broken
|
||
rib. I walked over to the hunched shell of a boy and pulled the armour
|
||
away from his chest. It was obvious that he had two maybe three ribs
|
||
fractured. Luckily for him the doctors here do know how to set bones
|
||
fairly well without internal scans, like x-rays.
|
||
I stood up from the crying youth and looked at Kohman. He was half
|
||
puzzled, half confused over the event. I just looked back, shrugged,
|
||
and said, "Guess he needed some more, or BETTER training." That
|
||
statement brought Kohman's hand to his ornately made sword, and almost
|
||
sprung the sword from the sheath. As he contemplated taking my head
|
||
off shook my head and said, "Know would that be very wise on your part.
|
||
Oh yeah. he has three fractured ribs and you better get him to one of
|
||
the doctors."
|
||
He had some his other boys come over and pick up the wounded one to
|
||
carry him away. As they started up the ramp Kohman came to me and said
|
||
in a huff, "I will never forget this disgrace ever, Furate." With that
|
||
he turned on his heals and promptly trotted out. As he left I followed
|
||
him by saying at a yell this word of serious advice, "Hope not only you
|
||
do, but also your students."
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 8
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
A week after the sparing match all of those under Kohman's training and
|
||
command started normal duty. When a squire finishes training he either
|
||
becomes a knight's aid or he takes up duty as a guard in the ready army as
|
||
it is called. In fact there are only 4 official ranks in this society
|
||
being, civilian, squire (or regular soldier), knight, and king. Of course
|
||
there small nonofficial ranks at each of the lower levels, but they are of
|
||
no matter to me.
|
||
I had a little trouble with Compton wanting to finish off his training
|
||
and start regular duty. He kept telling me that the others were ridiculing
|
||
him about, and he was having trouble just ignoring it. So to stop all the
|
||
trouble and get him off me, I made him my aid as was an appropriate
|
||
position for him. After that I luckily heard no more on that subject.
|
||
Around the tenth month of Compton's training I was spending much time
|
||
with the common folk in and outside of the walls. When someone needed
|
||
something built, fixed, or anything else they just couldn't do, I would
|
||
step in and take control of the situation. As my popularity and notoriety
|
||
expanded across the local countryside I found the request for my help to be
|
||
overwhelming. At the end of the first year I took my meager pay started a
|
||
help fund for the people, so that I can slow down and take some time for
|
||
myself.
|
||
Also in the tenth month I started to teach Compton about weapons. When
|
||
he heard about this he excitedly asked, "What type of sword will I learn to
|
||
use?"
|
||
"All of them one day, but for now you will learn about the
|
||
quarter-staff. I even picked one out for you in the storerooms. Of course
|
||
if you want a good one you will have to make your own, so I brought you
|
||
this nice thick dow too.", I said handing him the old stick he would learn
|
||
on and the rough dow he would use later.
|
||
He took them gladly with no complaint. I guess he finally wised up and
|
||
realized that I wouldn't let him use the sword right away. I stood there
|
||
waiting for the line I knew was coming next.
|
||
"Lord, what may I use to widle it down to proper size?", he asked.
|
||
Reaching into one of the pouches I hang at my belt I found what I was
|
||
looking for, and pulled it out. "Will this do?", I asked as I handed him
|
||
the finally made plain handle of a dagger. He took it carefully and looked
|
||
at the blade. The blade had a mirrored surface and a good edge. I had
|
||
picked it out looking for an edge that was sharp, but wouldn't need
|
||
excessive sharpening after things like shaving wood. He took this
|
||
gracefully tucking it into his belt. Bowing very deeply he got up and ran
|
||
for the little cubicle which makes up his room. It all reminded me of an
|
||
old saying, 'Patients makes everything better."
|
||
Compton would take anything he learned about the weapons I allowed him,
|
||
and he would practice until he dropped of exhaustion. More then once did I
|
||
find him asleep on the lawn of my garden terrace. Within three months I
|
||
felt that he had mastered the knife, and staff to a point where he could be
|
||
allowed to carry them on his body.
|
||
At that time I introduced him to the family of simple projectile
|
||
weapons. These simplistic ballistics were shunned by most knights as
|
||
unworthy weapons, and they left their use to the lower squires who weren't
|
||
appointed for training, but joined as enlisted men. Even though their
|
||
title was of squire, they had none of there rights, and actually fell under
|
||
the direct command of the squires. The more I stayed in this system the
|
||
more it seems to differ from that of ancient Earth.
|
||
When I showed Compton how to use the bow, spear, and javelin he
|
||
exhibited some past experience. As he later told me he had been raised on
|
||
a farm and had been taught to hunt his own game with the spear, bow, and
|
||
javelin. In fact this new development helped to move my schedule up by a
|
||
clear two months and onto the final and most effective of weapons, the
|
||
swords.
|
||
Before I introduced him to the sword I had had one made. It was a
|
||
sword made partially in the fashion of the Samauri's swords. It was a
|
||
little longer measuring 80cm on the edge, but the quality and balance of
|
||
the blade was excellent for this area's general quality. In fact to make
|
||
this blade with the local talent it had cost me more then I could afford,
|
||
but in the pinch the King had payed the difference understanding why I had
|
||
wanted the sword. In the end I decided to give it to Compton as a form of
|
||
graduation present.
|
||
To finish off my days after the work and teaching was done over the
|
||
months, I studied the scrolls and books that I could work out of the royal
|
||
sages. With my further study I became almost entranced with the local
|
||
legends and tales of wizards. Some of them were outrageous lies that I
|
||
know couldn't happen, at least not in this universe. While I continued to
|
||
read I found a passing mention of documented cases of magic that seemed
|
||
very authentic and down to Earth. Even though some of the things done
|
||
couldn't be explained they had a sense of truth to them. Finding these
|
||
small passages became one of my afterhours obsessions.
|
||
Finally, after a year and a half of training I felt my student was
|
||
ready to use his knowledge. He had eagerly studied the different swords
|
||
with a diligence I have never seen. I felt that the promise I had made him
|
||
on his first day of training of being one of this world's best fighters
|
||
just might come true very soon. It was time for both of us to move onto
|
||
bigger things.
|
||
I decided that we would go out exploring the various countryside, and
|
||
maybe track down one of these wizards to boot. When I told my student
|
||
about the idea he was so excited that I didn't even have time to tell him
|
||
about the finding of a wizard before he started to make plans and prepare.
|
||
Then after he finally heard the later part of what I said a cold chill took
|
||
over his body and he sat down hard on his cubicles bunk.
|
||
"What's wrong Compton?", I asked still excited about the idea.
|
||
"Nothing except the maybe part about witches.", he replied with a
|
||
scared tone to his voice, "Those people, if you can call them that, are
|
||
mean and evil. You want no part of them Lord, never. They can summon
|
||
demons, and wrench your insides apart with one hand, and who knows what
|
||
they can do with the other."
|
||
"I seriously doubt they can summon demons, and that they are that
|
||
powerful. I just think they happen to be people borne with...", I trailed
|
||
off realizing only one other person even knows what psionics, or PK means
|
||
on this world, so I was forced to rephrase it, "excessive brain power, and
|
||
they can manipulate things with this excess power. Like how I showed you
|
||
to meditate, well they use that clear mind as focus for their powers, or so
|
||
I believe. I thought that maybe your teacher might be able to learn a few
|
||
more tricks in his youth."
|
||
That ended the discussion and severely dampened Compton's spirits. I
|
||
couldn't blame him for being born and raised in a primitive culture. All I
|
||
could do was educate him some so he wasn't as dumb as the rest, which had
|
||
also been going well. As I prepared for the trip I took a roll of paper to
|
||
start teaching Compton beyond the meager amount of math he knew. I also
|
||
packed weapons for my own usage, consisting of my sword, a bow, a quiver of
|
||
a hundred arrows, three throwing knives, and a quarter staff. I took only
|
||
the leather armour with me ignoring the protocol that dictated that I must
|
||
wear more formal wear.
|
||
The day before we left I found Compton packing. Entering the room I
|
||
came up next to him and examined the contents of the bags. It seemed that
|
||
he was bringing along large amounts of food and clothes. I searched his
|
||
bags some more and didn't come up with anything else. I turned to face him
|
||
and asked, "Where are your weapons, young squire?"
|
||
He pointed over to the corner where the old second hand practice junk
|
||
laid. In the middle of the pile was the only true weapon in here, a
|
||
quarter staff. He had taken that dow and had worked on it many hours while
|
||
I did my studies. It made me wonder if the boy slept at all. I looked
|
||
back at him and said, "I think you might want this over all those." I then
|
||
pulled out the sword I had had made for him and laid it out across my arm
|
||
with the handle facing him. He slowly reached out for the leather covered
|
||
hilt, but hesitated as his hand approached the grip. Looking up at me I
|
||
just nodded showing my approval. He took the sword and backed off a step
|
||
to test it's balance. With his appraisal of the blade and joy he faced me
|
||
and bowed in honor. I returned it and said, "We really don't need any of
|
||
that you know.", pointing at the pile of clothes and food.
|
||
I left him to finish his packing and worship his new bauble till
|
||
morning. For now I would have to talk to the King about the local
|
||
geography and what the maps said.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 9
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
As the sun crept slowly into my bedroom I rose from my slumber. That
|
||
would be one of the last nights in a while that I would sleep in a nice
|
||
bed, if in a bed at all. The surrounding countryside provided little in
|
||
the way of small towns or roadside inns. In anticipation of that I had
|
||
brought a water proofed canvas tent. In fact I hoped that my short time
|
||
spent on planning works out properly.
|
||
Getting out of bed I found my attire. Putting on my shirt and trousers
|
||
I made sure that they fit tight over my body. Then I started to strap the
|
||
leather armor on over it. If my clothes had been loose or wrinkled in any
|
||
place, the tight armor would have made it very uncomfortable at days end.
|
||
The sun had filled the majority of my room with it's warming rays when I
|
||
tightened and buckled the last strap of the armor. Then taking my sword
|
||
down I slung it onto my back to finish my final preparations. Everything
|
||
else had been put on the horse last night by some unknown stable hand.
|
||
When I reached for the handle of my door to leave I thought I heard a
|
||
muffled scream from the terrace just below my window. Turning around to
|
||
look I was mostly blinded by the now morning sun, but could make out
|
||
hunched over moving shapes in the garden below. I jumped back up against
|
||
the wall next to the door to that terrace. They must have scaled the walls
|
||
like before during the night, because I'm the only one that had a door to
|
||
that garden, except the little secret door that used to belong to the
|
||
Gardener's room, but that cubicle was now Compton's.
|
||
I sneaked a peak out the window knowing that the glare from the sun
|
||
would block there view at this time of day. I vaguely made out four
|
||
figures coming up the ramp right now, and roughly 15 on the terrace with
|
||
even more still coming over the wall. I quickly estimated the pace of the
|
||
four approaching me, and drew my sword silently to wait for the attack.
|
||
Just outside the door I could here them. They were dressed in a heavy
|
||
chainmail by the sound they made coming up the ramp. When I saw the door
|
||
knob move from one of them testing it, I acted. I took two steps and then
|
||
kicked the door out onto them while yelling at the top of my lungs. The
|
||
first two were knocked over the side of the ramp to land in a throne bush
|
||
5m down. The last two were carrying crossbows, probably to fire when the
|
||
door was opened. One had his cord pulled, but lacked the bolt yet. While
|
||
the other one was still in the process of stringing his. I swung my sword
|
||
in the early morning light with a flash in their dyeing eyes as I
|
||
decapitated the first and dropped it to navel level to skewer the second on
|
||
the point a half-second later. When I pulled the blade clear of the second
|
||
it made a sickening slurping sound from the suction of flesh and blood.
|
||
Looking down the ramp I saw about 20 men running up the ramp to kill
|
||
me. I quickly jumped up high in the air and flipped down near the edge of
|
||
the ledge. I had landed with men on either side of me. Picking the side
|
||
with fewer opponents I plowed into the shocked four standing to my right
|
||
before they could respond. Within seconds I had dispatched another group
|
||
of invaders with this fine blade. Listening behind me I timed the last
|
||
sword thrust on my now vanquished enemy. Then I took a step backwards and
|
||
flipped in the same direction. Twisting in the air I landed facing the
|
||
backstabbers which where to kill me less then a second ago. As they turned
|
||
to face me I swept in and immobilized all seven with a combination kicks
|
||
and slashes that were now controlled by instinct alone.
|
||
When the seven were laying on the ground useless I started to cut the
|
||
numerous ropes tied and bound to the wall. Many of them were pulled taught
|
||
with body wait on the other side somewhere, and more then once did I here
|
||
the scream of a man falling to his death. While I ran across the edge
|
||
mincing up rope ladders I looked down at the other ledges where the
|
||
invaders had consolidated their power. From the looks of it the invaders
|
||
outnumbered our whole force, including every able body, by three to one. I
|
||
quickly surmised that this was the day that Excavon fell to an invading
|
||
horde.
|
||
Turning from the wall I found that the group on the ramp was rapidly
|
||
closing on my position. These people weren't inept archers that were
|
||
attacking irrationally. No, these were twenty trained warriors that still
|
||
had a hold on all rational thought. In other words this might also be the
|
||
fall of Markus Furate, but as I charged into their midst I doubted.
|
||
I had lobbed off one's arm in the beginning of the charge, and run the
|
||
sword through another as I continued through the crowd. Only one of them
|
||
even landed a glancing blow to the back of my calf. I was lucky not to be
|
||
hamstringed. I was now in a corner with a wall behind me and a knee high
|
||
hedge in front. Still on my sword right now was the one invader I had last
|
||
ran into. I dropped him off the blade and picked up his dyeing body and
|
||
threw at the on rushing attackers. When he hit the first row it created a
|
||
domino effect which knocked over all but two of the remaining 18 warriors.
|
||
I picked the one that was closest to me and broke his neck with a flying
|
||
kick. I then landed and swiftly turned to the next attacker who was
|
||
running across his downed fellows without realizing it. I stepped to one
|
||
side, and spinning back around on my right foot I brought the sword into
|
||
his midsection cleanly dividing his body into two.
|
||
I finished the rest of the work swiftly by killing those still on the
|
||
ground before they could recover their feet. Within a minute or so I had
|
||
secured this terrace from the oncoming wave of invaders. In my safe
|
||
position I quickly scanned the other terraces condition. Out of the five
|
||
other remaining ledges, four others were totally under invader control. I
|
||
might of tried to help down on them, but our forces are outnumbered clearly
|
||
10 to 1 or more. It was just suicide under a wave of steal to put yourself
|
||
in that type situation. The fifth ledge was that of the Kings it was
|
||
directly above mine by about 50meters. I imagined that he was still safe
|
||
from the outside, but might be having problems from within.
|
||
Then I remembered Compton. I quickly ran to where the secret door to
|
||
his room lay. Listening to it I could here the sound of splintering wood.
|
||
Opening the door I found Compton holding a pile of furniture up to his door
|
||
while a ramming sound came from outside. I touched compton on the shoulder
|
||
and signaled for him to get out. As he gathered his stuff I pushed on the
|
||
pile he had made, and braced myself against the closest wall. With one
|
||
great push I forced the door past it's frame to become caught in the stone
|
||
block that surrounded the door. It would take them an hour to remove the
|
||
door from that position.
|
||
Taking Compton by the arm I lead him right out to the terrace. From
|
||
here I was stumped on how we were going to escape. I went over to the wall
|
||
to see if there might be any ropes left, but I had done such a good job
|
||
that they all now reside 400m below, or more. Then Compton comes up behind
|
||
me and says, "What are you doing? We should be trying to push back the
|
||
invaders not running. It isn't the noble thing to do.", he continued as I
|
||
took the rope that was sticking out of his pack, "Sir we can't run we would
|
||
loose face. We have to force the invaders back." He started to grab for
|
||
the rope.
|
||
I turned to face him and plucked his hand away and twisted in a hold he
|
||
hadn't learned yet. Taking his jaw I made him look at the amount of people
|
||
present on the other ledges. Then twisting his wrist even more I said in
|
||
fury, "Force back the invaders, save face, defend the King? It's
|
||
impossible. They outnumber us right now by at least 10 to 1, and thats
|
||
including all the little women and children. I might be able to take on
|
||
ten or maybe even twenty, but no one else here can even safely contemplate
|
||
it. Excavon is going to die today, for who the hell knows how many are
|
||
attacking the other side."
|
||
"I thought you served the King?", he said with a sneer of hatred.
|
||
"Look around you. These were the shock troops who were going to jump
|
||
up to that level and kill him. I gave him time to awaken and prepare his
|
||
guards. Now if you don't mind I'm going to save your life a second time.",
|
||
turning back to the wall to tie the rope onto. When I was sure it was
|
||
secure I dropped the rest over the end to see how far it came down to. It
|
||
perfectly reached the level of the next sub-terrace down. I ushered
|
||
Compton down the rope and then climbed down myself. The landing had also
|
||
been a point of entry for a smaller force, so as I predicted a longer rope
|
||
fell over the side to the bottom of the cliff off into the woods. We
|
||
hastily went over the edge of the small ledge before anyone saw us.
|
||
At the bottom we found a freshly worn dirt trail leading into the
|
||
woods. Looking ahead of us I could see the dying campfires just shortly
|
||
into the woods. How come the night sentries didn't see them and report it.
|
||
Then I thought of the last time any ropes were tied to the terrace walls.
|
||
It had been done by some of the wizards they had said. Could these wizards
|
||
also hide a large camp and it's fires?
|
||
Then behind us in the other direction I heard a breaking twig. Turning
|
||
I threw the sword into the source of the sound. Then I saw it was one of
|
||
their guards that had been waiting in ambush, and now he had a sword
|
||
through his breastplate and breast. Putting my foot on him I removed him
|
||
and my sword from the tree behind him.
|
||
Compton had now drawn his blade and started to advance down the trail.
|
||
I caught up to him and let him bring up the rear. In the camp we saw a
|
||
multitude of tents. There were people sitting around it in robes and rough
|
||
country wear. Most of them seemed to be sleeping in heavy tiredness, but
|
||
some seemed to be concentrating on something. I whispered to Compton,
|
||
"These are your wizards."
|
||
I then walked out in to the open knowing that they lay undeffended and
|
||
helpless. They must have thought that all the people would be caught in
|
||
Excavon. I slowly approached them just to make sure there isn't any other
|
||
guards ready to ambush us. As I waved Compton forward I ran into what felt
|
||
like a brick wall. Looking to see what it was when I found nothing. I put
|
||
my fist out to find that there was an invisible barrier between us and our
|
||
prey.
|
||
I started to examine this natural oddity. It was rather hot to the
|
||
touch, it was definitely invisible, and it was most likely created by the
|
||
wizards. No wonder they were left unguarded, because they had the ultimate
|
||
defense, a force field. Well I would have to get these people at some
|
||
later date. For now I just think I better get out of here before someone
|
||
notices us.
|
||
We found a large group of horses in an array of large tents. We both
|
||
took our pick from the line-up, and selected appropriate gear. I had never
|
||
ridden a horse before, so it was time for the teacher to become the
|
||
student. Compton showed me the basics of controlling the horse, and told
|
||
me that I would get the feel for the horse the more I rode. I sure hope
|
||
so, because I don't feel to confident about driving this thing right now.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 10
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
Riding for that day and the night following, we put a respectable
|
||
distance between us and Randolf the superior's forces. Of course we
|
||
couldn't be sure it was him, but neither of us doubted it at the least. As
|
||
we rode silently I knew that not only I, but also Compton thought of
|
||
revenge on this megalomaniac.
|
||
The morning after the exodus we took a break to rest, and discuss our
|
||
options. We both agreed on one thing that it was futile to go back to
|
||
Excavon. The scene of the terrace I think finely had sunk into this youth,
|
||
for now he was dead set against going back. A wise step in maturing if you
|
||
ask me. To continue in the conversation I said, "What about Gured about 30
|
||
kilometers east of here?"
|
||
Compton who had known much more geography then I shook his head and
|
||
said, "Rumor has it that they are allies of Randolf now. They were pretty
|
||
small to start with anyway."
|
||
"What would you suggest then?", I asked.
|
||
"Well we could cross the Dannth river about 60 kilometers to the North
|
||
and then a trail comes straight up to the fjord. The trail will lead us
|
||
through the Huren Forest. On the other side of the forest is a rich
|
||
farmland under the rule of King Julik. Our lord was once a good friend of
|
||
his father, but since then I know of no relationship between the two
|
||
factions.", he said much like one of my mentors back in the Old Society.
|
||
"I told you all that studying would come in handy some day. Knowledge
|
||
is the only true power, and you better remember that.", I said with a small
|
||
smile emerging from both of us. I knew too little about the local
|
||
situation to trust our lives to my judgement. We would have to go by his
|
||
memory alone now.
|
||
As he was about to get up and tend to the horses, I grabbed his arm and
|
||
pulled him back down to a sitting position. Then waving a finger at him I
|
||
said, "Where did you think you were going?"
|
||
Studdering a bit in bewilderment he said, "Just to check the mounts."
|
||
"Well it's time for another lesson.", I sayed trying to find a stick.
|
||
"Should I get my sword?", he asked.
|
||
Laughing I said, "Not that kind of lesson. You have to master what you
|
||
already know before you can learn anymore. What I want to teach you now is
|
||
math."
|
||
"I already know how to count and add and take away.", he retorted.
|
||
"That stuff is only a small fraction of math, and while we are on the
|
||
topic what is a fraction?"
|
||
He obviously didn't know. All I could get out of him that was right
|
||
was that a fraction was a part. Then I showed him how he had been using
|
||
them before, like with one half, one third. That day, when he wasn't busy,
|
||
I showed him simply what they were, since he couldn't do to much to them
|
||
without knowing division. To go any further he would have to memorize his
|
||
multiplication tables, which should prove more a challenge then any of his
|
||
other training.
|
||
We spent the rest of the day there and that night to rest the horses.
|
||
That morning we saddled up and started on our way to the Dannth river. It
|
||
took only about 2 and a half hours to get to the bank of the river.
|
||
Compton started to tell me about it, "The river is about 40m across on the
|
||
average, but about 2 kilometers down river we should find a fairly shallow
|
||
part that can easily be crossed."
|
||
I signaled for Compton to take the lead which he generously did, and
|
||
then making sure no one was following us I silently turned to be taken to
|
||
safety by my new guide. The shore side trail had once been wide and well
|
||
worn, but now it was little more then a tiny foot path being washed out and
|
||
overgrown every now and then. The scene swiftly changed into an open field
|
||
on both sides of the river. Looking at the water one could see the
|
||
shallows that he had mentioned. To accommodate for the shallowness it
|
||
seems that the river diverts some of it's water into the forest while
|
||
expanding it's width to handle the excess flow. Across the river just
|
||
beyond the other clearing was a barely visible cobblestone road leading
|
||
into the thick Huren forest.
|
||
We got off our mounts and began to walk them across the rocky river
|
||
bottom. Half-way across a cold wave came over me. I dived to the stream
|
||
bed and said, "Get down.", as an arrow flew through where my chest might
|
||
have been, and into my horse. Compton was behind his horse by now, using
|
||
the mount as a shield. I signaled for him to let the horse go, and follow
|
||
me. He took his staff and sword as I advanced at a hurtling run towards
|
||
the target.
|
||
In a second I was out of the river and on the bank still in motion.
|
||
When the arrow had hit the horse I had calculated the area in which it had
|
||
come from, and now I had spotted the culprit in that general area. Picking
|
||
up my speed, which was already beyond that of a normal human, I closed the
|
||
distance dodging two arrows. When I had reached the edge of the brush I
|
||
jumped into a high speed flying kick. A split second later I had broken
|
||
and torn apart the neck of the archer. Landing on the dead body I drew my
|
||
sword and scanned the area for further enemies.
|
||
It was soon obvious that we were again alone and safe, so I started to
|
||
examine what little information was left. The archer had on a uniform,
|
||
which was soaked with blood at this point, but after I looked at it for a
|
||
while I recognized in shock and horror. It was the official enlisted men's
|
||
uniform of Excavon. This man should have died in the raid just the other
|
||
morning, but yet he had survived too true for my life. Why did he try to
|
||
kill me? Was I considered a traitor now?
|
||
Compton had just arrived and the type of uniform hadn't sunk in yet for
|
||
him, but soon he was in utter shock saying, "Why would he try to kill y...
|
||
How the hell did he get here?"
|
||
Not knowing the answers I shrugged with a look of bewilderment adding
|
||
to my expression. Then looking up from the body I saw the trail he had
|
||
left through the heavy underbrush. It was still flat where he had stepped,
|
||
and if one looked close they could see the machete marks that he had left.
|
||
I got up, signaling for Compton to follow, as I went down the new trail
|
||
cautiously. He had used the machete more freely the more we advanced. By
|
||
now the trail was almost literally cleared for us to pass through.
|
||
About half a mile in I stopped to listen, and heard a faint voice not
|
||
to far off. Approaching closer I heard the activities of a military camp.
|
||
Then I came to the outside perimeter of the of the camp and hide in the
|
||
brush. Looking out onto the scene I started to access their strength. The
|
||
camp consisted of ten small troop tents, and a larger knights tent. That
|
||
meant they had a full force of no more then 30 men, since each troop tent
|
||
holds three men.
|
||
Right now there only appeared to be 4 men sitting around the camp. I
|
||
started to listen to their conversation, "When do we get to eat lunch?"
|
||
"I told you that just twenty minutes ago, you moron. We have to wait
|
||
until later tonight when the patrols come back in."
|
||
"I sure hope we don't find this Furate guy. I saw what he had done by
|
||
himself on that ledge of his. Kohman is probably right about him being a
|
||
demon working for the devil. It's the only way things like that can
|
||
happen."
|
||
The other said, "Watch what you say. He's just in the other tent, and
|
||
you know what he did to the last person who didn't address him by king."
|
||
There was a definite chill of fear on his voice.
|
||
Shrugging the first said, "He's asleep anyway, but that Furate guy he
|
||
actually threw a corpse at a squad of men and knocked them over. It was
|
||
unreal, devilish, pure evil."
|
||
"I think he was just in with Randolf, and those were our guards in some
|
||
of Randolf's old uniforms. Just a plot to get the men disorganized into
|
||
following him instead of King Kohman, after the King died.", the other said
|
||
bowing his head.
|
||
Kohman had taken over the leadership in my absence and the King's
|
||
death. How had he beat off the invaders with a disorganized, small,
|
||
scattered fighting force. It would have been impossible for anyone, even I
|
||
with my strength and training could not achieve such a feat. There was
|
||
only one solution in mind to this problem, but I had no evidence to back up
|
||
the argument.
|
||
Looking back I saw Compton right behind me with his sword drawn.
|
||
Giving him some simple hand signals I told him to wait for my cue to rush
|
||
an attack the 4 guards sitting in the camp. When I was sure he had gotten
|
||
the message I stood up from the bush and said, "Devil? Didn't you once
|
||
consider me a blessing from God? Well I'm neither.", I finished while
|
||
drawing my sword.
|
||
The three who were at the fire quickly scrambled for their weapons and
|
||
got into defensive stances. I then signaled Compton, who launched himself
|
||
at the one that had remained silent, while I proceeded for the talkative
|
||
pair. As I calmly advanced in casual slow steps I found the fourth guard
|
||
going into the larger tent. My pair of opponents were split over what to
|
||
do. One wanted to run, while the other charged me in open aggression.
|
||
Ducking low and to the side I raised my sword, so that the advancing body
|
||
had a leak of bodily organs from it's abdomen. Then the other made his
|
||
decision and turned to flee, and if you ask me it was a wise one at that.
|
||
Compton now in his first real battle downed his opponent to awaken to a
|
||
zombie like state. He had seen death before, but not only was this by his
|
||
own hand, but someone he had once known and respected. He slowly slumped
|
||
down on a nearby log which had recently been vacated. Seeing the situation
|
||
I knew I had no time for him now.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Find out what happens in the next installment soon to arrive on
|
||
GALLIFREY. Any questions, comments, or discussion is invited on the
|
||
Science Fiction base, by the Author Kilo Byte Killer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The On-Going Novel, Chapter by Chapter.....
|
||
|
||
1) New preface by the author-READ THIS!
|
||
2) Introduction to the novel.
|
||
3) Chapter 1, Part 1.
|
||
4) Chapter 1, Part 2.
|
||
5) Chapter 1, Part 3.
|
||
6) Chapter 2, Part 1.
|
||
7) Chapter 2, Part 2.
|
||
8) Chapter 2, Part 3.
|
||
9) Chapter 2, Part 4.(02/18/87)
|
||
10) Chapter 2, Part 5.(2/28/87)
|
||
11) Chapter 2, Part 6.(3/15/87)
|
||
12) Chapter 2, Part 7.(4/06/87)
|
||
13) Chapter 2, Part 8.(4/28/87)
|
||
14) Chapter 2, Part 9 (5/26/87)
|
||
15) Chapter 3, Part 1 (8/04/87)
|
||
16) To be continued.....
|
||
|
||
|
||
Select (Q=Exit)> 11
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
At the knight's tent I cut through the canvas to find a sole figure
|
||
waiting over a still figure on a bed. I made a fake jabbing motion toward
|
||
his groan which brought his guard down to defend, and left his whole upper
|
||
body open for blade I placed inside his throat. To free the blade I jerked
|
||
to the left pulling out that side of the neck. Then I approached the still
|
||
sleeping Khoman to place my heavy foot on his chest and blade at his throat,
|
||
as I pulled away the blanket.
|
||
Under the blanket I found a totally shocking surprise. There was not a
|
||
King, but instead one of his squires. No, make that a knight from the armour
|
||
he was wearing. It was the one squire that Compton had injured in sparring.
|
||
Pushing my foot into his chest I asked, "What happened at the Excavon?"
|
||
He didn't respond so I tensed my muscles in a rapid movement which
|
||
effectively knocked the wind out of him for a second. Then he said, "After
|
||
you fled we re-organized and avenged the King's death, and then proclaimed
|
||
you a traitor." At that point he spit in my face in contempt.
|
||
Wiping it off I replied in cool calmness, "You know I have this habit of
|
||
killing to eliminate danger. I'm trying to cut back, so I'll let you go
|
||
after you tell me what happened. Now I know for a fact that the odds made it
|
||
almost impossible for you to win in that battle, so why don't you tell me the
|
||
truth."
|
||
He just repeated his little statement again and then added, "You fool.
|
||
You know that you have now given my lord time to escape from your evil
|
||
powers. You will never beat a real man. Now let me go."
|
||
I shrugged, lifted my boot and sword, and said, "Sure."
|
||
This surprised him, but he still slowly got up. Though when he turned I
|
||
said, "Before you leave though I would like to give you a little present."
|
||
With that I cleanly sliced his left hamstring in half. While he was falling
|
||
I kicked him a few yards forward, and told him to get on his way.
|
||
Knowing I had more pressing matters elsewhere I left the knight to his
|
||
own escape, and went back to Compton. He had covered his head with his arms,
|
||
and I could hear the faint sound of weeping. Sitting next to him with my
|
||
back leaning against a log I asked without any emotion, "What's wrong?"
|
||
He wept a little louder and looked up. His eyes were soaked and red from
|
||
the massive amounts of tears that had been streaming down his face. I had
|
||
expected him to take death well, but this was different. I wasn't sure how
|
||
well Compton knew the young man, but I was sure they at least knew one
|
||
another. Now all I could do was to bring out the emotions and destroy them
|
||
in my own way. I had no other idea on how to control the situation. Then
|
||
with a moment of thought, and a wipe of his face he responded in a haggard
|
||
voice, "I grew up with him. Did you his name was Tomath. He wasn't so
|
||
bad."
|
||
To start my strategy I told him a little of my past, "What you did wasn't
|
||
that bad.", I paused for some reaction and contemplation to bring on more
|
||
attention, "I had probably killed hundreds of men before I was 18. In fact
|
||
we were forced to grow up in death where I lived.", then I realized I would
|
||
have to explain about the Old Society and Federation for him to fully
|
||
comprehend, "I'm going to tell you something now that only I and the King
|
||
know. You must understand that you can't tell anyone about it."
|
||
His face started to change expressions slowly melting into a small hint
|
||
of interest. He nodded his understanding, so I continued my little
|
||
narration, "Those legends about your people originating from the stars are
|
||
all true believe it or not. A great technological society only known as the
|
||
Government, now long gone, formed this planet from a barren rock to this
|
||
habitable world. They then settled it with your people and nurtured it into
|
||
what you see now, but 1900 years ago they left your world to be defeated by
|
||
their greedy rivals, now also long gone. What was left of these two
|
||
societies were scattered across many stars. Some formed into a society ruled
|
||
by a group of kings, or Governors as they are called. It is called the Old
|
||
Society. Myself and the King were members of a select class there. We were
|
||
the Warriors.
|
||
"We, the Warriors, were breed like animals by our masters, so we would be
|
||
stronger, quicker, more agile, and sometimes smarter then normal. After a
|
||
hundred of select generations these Warriors were able to live on worlds,
|
||
where things were all three times as heavy and every action took three times
|
||
as much effort, as if you would do it here. Thats how I can jump 3m straight
|
||
up with no effort at all. Then they taught us the Martial arts, the art of
|
||
war, as it originated from an old planet called Earth. They started teaching
|
||
the moves that later become instinct before we could even walk. Then at age
|
||
four we begin study for the equivalent of sun up to sun down for you. Then
|
||
we spent time studying other subjects, awake and asleep if you can believe
|
||
it. Also around age eight we all get put on a firing squad and executed
|
||
prisoners, or dissidents. Then at your age we start pulling ship duty, and
|
||
then almost every 1 out of 5 convoys is attacked in some way, so experience
|
||
in combat and other practical skills are honed normally by age 20 to 22
|
||
depending on the amount of training. I finished my training about five years
|
||
ago at age 23, because I was trained in just about every field needed to run
|
||
a ship, crew, and battle. The King also had specialized training as a spy.
|
||
I'm literally a walking killing machine as long as my strength holds out.", I
|
||
said picking at the grass around where I sat.
|
||
"What do you mean as long as your strength holds out?", Compton asked to
|
||
my surprise. Maybe he had started to forget about it already.
|
||
"Normally, when you go to a world that requires less effort to preform
|
||
stuff it starts to eat away at your system. Within a year a person nears the
|
||
point where he can't survive in the higher effort world at all, but must stay
|
||
in the low effort world with a reduction in strength. By now I should be
|
||
only a little stronger then some of the best on this planet, but I was
|
||
implanted with a type of herb, or drug as it is more normally called, that
|
||
last for years, and allows me to stay in a low effort world without the
|
||
side-effects. If I remember right they gave me a ten year dose and that was
|
||
four years ago, so I have about 6 years of strength left.", I explained.
|
||
Sitting silently for a few minutes I let him contemplate what I had said.
|
||
I had walked a fine line of vagueness and techno-shock with that speech, and
|
||
now I had to wait and see if I slipped off anywhere. Then just before
|
||
Compton was going to respond I jumped to a standing position and pulled him
|
||
up behind me. One of the search parties was returning from the North. In
|
||
false security they had made enough sound to alert me to their presence about
|
||
40m off. Securing my sword I jumped back into the brush that lead back to
|
||
the river, and started to make my way along the makeshift trail. I could
|
||
hear Compton fast behind my side.
|
||
We found the river to be exactly the way it had been left. One dead
|
||
horse lying in the shallows and another waiting on the other bank munching on
|
||
grass, happily I might add. I continued across the river to the other side.
|
||
When Compton caught up to me I helped him up to his mount. Ignoring some
|
||
comments made about the riding situation I started to lead the horse through
|
||
the woods at a run.
|
||
An hour later I stopped my trotting pace and began a walk to gain back my
|
||
strength from my exhausted state. Then Compton said, "Sir, we must stop the
|
||
horse seems to be resisting your lead. I think he might have stomach cramps,
|
||
or the likes, since he just ate and ran. Plus, a rest would do us all a bit
|
||
of good."
|
||
Nodding my head I agreed, and stopped on that very spot. After tieing
|
||
the horse up to a low branch, I slowly slumped down to my knees. Spreading
|
||
them slightly apart with my feet touching, I began to get a perfectly
|
||
rhythmical breathing back to my body. With in minutes I was rested and felt
|
||
like continuing, but I knew better. Compton and the horse needed some rest,
|
||
so I decided to give Compton a lesson on the multiplication tables.
|
||
Like most people he quickly mastered the zero's, one's, and two's, but
|
||
from then on out he would need much work to understand. We had the three's
|
||
marginally down before dark, but I didn't push him anymore that night. He
|
||
would just have to learn the rest and confirm it at a later date.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
How well will Compton learn his math facts? Tune into this Dbase on
|
||
Gallifrey for the next installment. Mail is encouraged to be entered to the
|
||
Author, Kilo Byte Killer, on the Science Fiction base.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 12
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
The next day we had another discussion on what our options might be. We
|
||
finally agreed that we had better move before Kohman could reorganize that
|
||
party and set on our trails. The major matter of discussion was on where to
|
||
go though. Our original plan of riding into King Julik's territory and
|
||
requesting aid in any shape it came, was now out since Excavon lived and
|
||
considered us traitors. When that news reached Julik we would be in some
|
||
real trouble, so we decided to enter his kingdom, but only as a bypass to
|
||
danger onto the next prospect.
|
||
We both climbed onto the horse and began riding. The forest trail we
|
||
followed was very wide and well worn. The whole width of the trail, about
|
||
5m, was shaded by trees that leaned over the path to make a living canopy of
|
||
green. With the added breeze, the day was pretty nice as a total.
|
||
From what I could remember this forest, the Huren, had a radius of about
|
||
270 kilometers. This large expanse of forest resides in a gap between two
|
||
large mountain range. A branch of the Dannth river cuts a path through the
|
||
dense woods that has been settled and is always well traveled. Since the
|
||
forest is to dense and inhabited by dangerous wildlife, the river and this
|
||
path were the only two ways through. The road, as it should really be called
|
||
with the cobblestone lane running down the center of this dirt path, was less
|
||
widely used, for it was rumored that ghost and ghouls romped along the route
|
||
at days end. In the end it was the perfectly rational choice to take.
|
||
For the next week we followed the uneventful trail at a moderate pace.
|
||
Shooting game and picking edible plants we gained our necessary meal each day.
|
||
Then after the sun had fell and the super done I continued on Compton's math
|
||
facts. He had a tough time of it finishing the multiplication table through
|
||
nine, but on our last night in the woods I felt he had the tables down to
|
||
necessary level of perfection, and could soon proceed onto multiplying numerous
|
||
digits.
|
||
Our last day in the woods we ran into a slight problem as we tried to
|
||
leave. The cobblestone lane ended in an iron gate locked with chain and key.
|
||
To either side of this huge rusting obstacle were stone fences of formidable
|
||
heights. Stepping down from the horse I approached the gate to examine this
|
||
portal.
|
||
Compton shouted from the horse back, "I guess this ruins our day. Maybe
|
||
we can try going back and squeezing through the woods without the horse?"
|
||
I wasn't going to wait that long to impede our good progress. Drawing my
|
||
sword I took a step back and slowly lowered it to the lock itself.
|
||
Concentrating on my goal I imagined what must next happen. Then in a flash
|
||
and glint of steel like lightning I raised the sword and brought it back down
|
||
on the lock in a deft motion that ripped the lock into two large portions.
|
||
Bringing the sword back for my scrutiny I observed what I had believed would
|
||
happen. The blade had not taken any damage, not even a scratch. The true
|
||
test of this blade was not the flesh it had bit, but the power in which I
|
||
could pass through it. It had just passed with flying colors, and broken
|
||
heavy duty lock.
|
||
Resheathing the sword to my back, I kicked the gates open. With a creak
|
||
of the hinges and flaking of rust the door opened enough to let us pass.
|
||
Guiding the horse through the now open portal, I saw the astonished look on
|
||
Compton's face. He had probably expected the sword to break in two on that
|
||
heavy iron lock, but when it burst open he was taken by surprise. As I
|
||
leaped to the horses back, I said to him, "Don't be surprised at anything I
|
||
do anymore, remember I'm an alien." I don't think he knew what I said since
|
||
that word is nonexistent in his world's dialect.
|
||
Outside the gate the cobblestone lane disappeared into three dirt roads
|
||
leading in different directions over the surrounding hill. As I was no expert
|
||
on which roads lead to what demise I asked my resident geographer to be, "Now
|
||
where?"
|
||
He spent some time thinking then said, "I would guess the right one to be
|
||
our best choice. It leads away from all civilization except for a few little
|
||
hamlets, and roadhouses. We should be able to stay there for a couple
|
||
months without the news catching up to us. By then we will think of
|
||
something."
|
||
So I pulled our mount to the right and began to trot down the dirt way at
|
||
a reasonably relaxed speed. When we topped the hill I could see to my left a
|
||
large city resting below in a valley that must belong to King Julik. The
|
||
city seemed to be only mildly fortified, and inhabited by anywhere from
|
||
100,000 to 150,000 people. This was truly amazing accomplishment for such
|
||
low-tech world. I had no idea how the sanitation problems are addressed, but
|
||
it didn't concern me two much since we were heading away from this
|
||
metropolis.
|
||
That night we slept in a barn just outside the first hamlet that marked
|
||
the outskirts of civilization. The owner had offered me, for I was a knight,
|
||
his own bed for the night. To be polite and non-imposing, I just asked if I
|
||
could stay in the barn. He agreed eagerly and showed us around the barn.
|
||
Just after he left us his wife came out carrying two trays of food. Looking
|
||
at the content of the meal it seemed way too extravagant for these people to
|
||
even consider. I bowed to her and said, "I thank you for your obvious
|
||
generosity, but I feel I must repay you in some way." She said that was
|
||
alright, and hurried on out into the darkness back to the house.
|
||
After I had finished the meal I found an axe hanging on a post near the
|
||
rear, and I threw it down to were Compton sat. "Come on we're going to repay
|
||
them for this hospitality.", I said signaling for him to come along.
|
||
Just behind the small house I found a covered pile of uncut wood. Taking
|
||
a piece of wood I took the axe from Compton, and started to cut to wood into
|
||
burnable fourths. In an hour I had done almost half the pile and Compton had
|
||
restacked it. I felt for now this would be a mild compensation for their
|
||
extravagant generosity. Going back to the barn, I gave Compton a short
|
||
review of his multiplication tables. He had all he needed, zero's through
|
||
nine's, down to my satisfaction, so I just let it go and we both went to
|
||
sleep.
|
||
In the morning I woke up early and told Compton to prepare the horse
|
||
while I saw to some business. Going up to the the little house I knocked on
|
||
the door to be greeted by the women with a wide grin. I told her about the
|
||
chopped wood and then thanked her again, and said good bye. The farewell
|
||
wasn't the last words though for she argued with me to get me to stay for
|
||
breakfast, but I eventually convinced her I couldn't, and with a final farewell
|
||
I mounted the now waiting horse and continued down the road in which we rode
|
||
in on.
|
||
Just under a mile further we rode into the village the farm had bordered.
|
||
It consisted of a few homes, a couple craftsmen, a trading post/outfitters,
|
||
and a roadside tavern. The tavern was the place I now seeked. These
|
||
establishments provided services in any culture, time, or tech-level. Those
|
||
services consist of finding jobs, finding experienced personal, getting
|
||
information, and getting drunk. The later I intended to avoid at all
|
||
causes.
|
||
Without thinking or realization, I walked into the bar. Inside it was
|
||
extremely quiet with two or three spots of light cutting through the thick
|
||
shadows of the establishment. The only occupant of the building right now
|
||
was a short chunky barmaid mopping the floors. It never occurred to me that
|
||
this business closes in the morning because of the lack of customers. Then
|
||
to my right, on the door, I saw a sign saying the place opened an hour before
|
||
sunset. Waving to the barmaid who had stopped working, I proceeded to
|
||
leave.
|
||
While I was closing the door I felt something holding it open. Looking
|
||
to see what this obstacle might be, I saw a pudgy little hand. That hand was
|
||
revealed to belong to the barmaid I had just seen. She smiled and said,
|
||
"Sir, please come back in. We can serve you anytime."
|
||
Turning back around I said, "No thank you madam. I will come back later
|
||
tonight when it is more convienant for you." With that I turned back around
|
||
and walked away from the tavern.
|
||
The armor that I now wore was more a liability to me then ever. The
|
||
small crest I wear allows people to identify me from a considerable distance
|
||
as royalty. Somehow I would have to get rid of it and into a less respected
|
||
outfit.
|
||
Walking through the small village I saw the local general
|
||
store/outfitter. It looked to be a barn that had been converted and built
|
||
onto, so one might sell merchandise from it. Finding the entrance I went in
|
||
to see the wares available. The place, already extremely large, was crowded
|
||
to the point that one had to wade through to the counter. As I traversed the
|
||
mounds of commodities I noticed a great variety of objects, furs, second hand
|
||
weapons, wood carvings, survival gear, a little bit of leather jack, and an
|
||
endless assortment of other things.
|
||
The counter was over to one corner with a window out over the town.
|
||
Behind the counter a middle aged, balding man was stumped down on a high
|
||
stool. Only when Compton, who was now following me, tripped over a low rack
|
||
and made a loud scuttling sound did the owner look up to see me. Standing up
|
||
to accomidate us he asked, "What may I do for his lordness."
|
||
"I want to sell the armour. How much would you give me for it?"
|
||
Coming closer he scrutinized the quality of the stitch and material with
|
||
which it had been made from. Then after taking some measurements he said,
|
||
"Sir, I couldn't give you more then 15 weights of gold for the whole."
|
||
In astonishment I asked, "What do you mean 15. It cost nearly 200
|
||
weights to make."
|
||
"Thats probably right, because such size of armour is hard to come by.
|
||
This material can't easily be altered anymore since it has already been
|
||
fitted for your frame, and I doubt I will ever see anyone who could fill that
|
||
design. It would be worth what I could make out of it. Like little handy
|
||
items, but nothing as elegant as armour.", he said with a sever frown.
|
||
Patting the man on the back I reassured him that he was right. Then
|
||
another idea came to me, "How much would you pay for a medium warhorse with
|
||
full gear?"
|
||
He looked out his window and down onto the horse we had been riding for a
|
||
week now. It wasn't the best of mount from what I gather, but it had filled
|
||
the job of transporting very well. I imagine that it could pull a good load,
|
||
and some farmer might want him. I guess I would just have to wait and see
|
||
what I could get for the horse right now.
|
||
The store owner looked back at me and said, "I would have to take a
|
||
better look sir, but I would give you a base price of 30 weights of gold."
|
||
We haggled a bit went out and examined the horse thoroughly, and went back
|
||
in to haggle a bit more. Finally we arrived on an agreement of pay in
|
||
equipment. With this I started to search through his shop for things I might
|
||
need. Some things were 20m of rope, a lantern, some oil for the lamp, a bow,
|
||
about 20 arrows in a quiver, a water flask, some preserved rations, some
|
||
flint and striking steel, and boot knife that was balanced for throwing.
|
||
After I got the equipment together we haggled some more, and in the end we
|
||
agreed on a trunk and 20 weights of silver.
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 13
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
Later that evening I arrived alone again at the tavern. On the other
|
||
side of town I had found an abandoned shack. There I had put almost all my
|
||
stuff in the trunk and had Compton watch my things, while I was gone. Now
|
||
all I had was the clothes from under my armour, my sword, 20 weights in
|
||
silver, and my boot knife in no other place but the boot.
|
||
It was about an hour after sunset and a cooling night. The common room
|
||
of the bar was already full of shadowed whispers as I entered. The door
|
||
slammed shut behind me as a sliver of light feel directly across my face.
|
||
The majority of the common room had gotten menacing quiet with my slamming of
|
||
the door. Taking off my cape to hang on the rack next to the door, I was
|
||
amazed at the tenseness present in the group here.
|
||
Coming right up to the bar, I ordered a glass of ale. When the
|
||
bartender, a short stocky man, brought back the drink I payed him with a
|
||
whole weight of silver. Giving me the change I gave it right back to him and
|
||
mumbled, "You know much about magic?"
|
||
This small little comment seemed to take him by surprise. I wanted
|
||
information and that was one thing a person could expect from a bar. He then
|
||
looked around and saw that no one needed his attention and that we were
|
||
slightly away from everyone else. he then proceeded to talk in a slow
|
||
whisper, "This isn't the place to look for them wizards, but your getting
|
||
close. There was two or three that used to live around here just under two
|
||
years ago, but... well people say Randolf got to them.", I nodded my
|
||
acknowledgement which seemed to start him talking again, "Deeper you go back
|
||
in the less settled area the more you might find. They don't like practicing
|
||
around people, and they're secret about everything to. Lately though more
|
||
and more rumors seem to pop up about them disappearing, and how Randolf's
|
||
been getting them."
|
||
When he stopped I looked down and saw that his hand was twitching in a
|
||
way that resembled the grabbing of money. Finishing my drink I said,
|
||
"Another of what I've been having barman." He quickly brought me another and
|
||
continued his mini-lecturne, "A guy a few weeks ago said that Randolf is
|
||
getting them to help him fight. All but one of these sorcers is falling in,
|
||
and word is that he is the best of them all. Fought off a whole division
|
||
Randolf sent against they say." He had started to nod his head to the point
|
||
where it got pretty tiring just to watch it.
|
||
"Where is this Magi of power?"
|
||
Leaning closer he said, "TUREP"
|
||
With that I thanked him and started to walk to the door. Halfway to the
|
||
coat rack someone stood up in front of me and barred my way. Looking me and
|
||
my semi-fancy dress over he said, "How well can you throw that knife?",
|
||
pointing to my boot knife.
|
||
"I've been bettered many times.", I said thinking about some of the
|
||
others who had a slight edge on me in ballistics.
|
||
He looked at me taking a swig of his ale which mostly went to the shirt
|
||
covering his beer belly, and said, "Give you a weight in gold if you can beat
|
||
me."
|
||
He must have been the town ringer. Many of the people around me were
|
||
bickering about the odds. Then I saw my opportunity, "I don't know I doubt I
|
||
can beat that."
|
||
Looking around with a smirk he said, "Alright I'll give you 10 to 1
|
||
odds." Ohio was he confident in himself and stupid to set odds like that in
|
||
the beginning. I looked questioning and he raised it to 1 to 15 odds.
|
||
"Ok, but I only have 20 weight of gold to put down on this. You know,
|
||
for fair sportsmanship and all." We shook on it and agreed. He put down
|
||
the amount, which was mostly covered by his friends in he interest of making
|
||
a quick profit. Then they wanted my gold. In an offensive nature I said,
|
||
"Well if you don't think I can afford it then maybe I should just go
|
||
elsewhere." That quickly broke up any grumbling about that matter.
|
||
The challenger drew an excellent throwing knife out of his sleeve and
|
||
took aim at the target. Then in a flash he threw it across the 15m distance
|
||
into the target. Vibrating in the wood under the cork, the knife sat in the
|
||
outer rim of the bullseye. The people went ecstatic with joy. A women came
|
||
up and started to hug my opponent with a great amount of joy. He probably
|
||
just doubled her butter and egg money.
|
||
When the roar of the customers wore down I prepared to throw. Looking at
|
||
the target I saw what I had to do. In a flash I took the knife out of it's
|
||
boot holster and slung it at the target. With a thud, not much vibration
|
||
since I throw straight, it landed on the target. Then a second later in the
|
||
still, frozen air a second thud resounded across the room. It was soon
|
||
accompanied by many jaws dropping in disbelief. The bottom half of the
|
||
target, starting at the exact center down, had been split and fell to the
|
||
dusty floor underneath. The knife was still sticking into the wall with it's
|
||
whole 15cm length. After picking up the money I had won, I proceeded through
|
||
the surprised crowd to retrieve my knife. When the knife came free, a
|
||
sizable portion came with it. In pity for the damages I threw a weight of
|
||
gold to the owner in compensation. Leaving the establishment in it's
|
||
silentness I said, "Thank you all for the sport, maybe I'll return some
|
||
day."
|
||
I had been braced for this moment ever since the target split. The one's
|
||
who had lost, about everyone, wanted to beat me until I bleed them their
|
||
money back. As they rushed I closed the front door, which opens outward.
|
||
Then to the side of the door is a fairly heavy metal rain basin. Drawing my
|
||
sword I removed two of the four supports. In a creak of wood the basin feel
|
||
in front of the door to block exit from the bar. That would keep them busy
|
||
while I made a quick escape.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
To get to the village of Turep was a journey consisting of eight days by
|
||
foot. As we progressed further into the backwater area of this planet, the
|
||
fewer settlements we found. Turep was supposedly sitting on the edge of
|
||
civilization from what I could gather as we went. With this seclusion maybe
|
||
we could stay in confidence of not being found by our nemesis.
|
||
I never had big anticipations for Turep, but how I had overestimated it.
|
||
The town consisted of three main buildings. One being the church and town
|
||
hall of course. Second being the trading post, and last but never the least
|
||
was the local tavern. Then many farmhouses and other residences surrounded
|
||
this metropolitan center.
|
||
I went right to the tavern, which also like many others was an inn on the
|
||
side, since it was almost dark. In fact the golden disc of the sun exhausted
|
||
it's last rays behind the mountain range just beyond the town as we entered.
|
||
Entering the room I had Compton stow all the gear as I removed my armour.
|
||
Putting my armour in the trunk with the other things, I slung my sword over
|
||
my back and my knife in my boot for a night on the town. As I was leaving I
|
||
gave Compton some problems to work out in long division. They should take a
|
||
couple hours to work out.
|
||
Descending the stairs I saw a dark arch from which a low mumble exited
|
||
from. The room beyond was as I suspected, the common room. A good portion
|
||
of the local population appeared to be assembled here tonight. Through the
|
||
shadowy figures I ducked to get to the bar. Sitting on one of the stools, I
|
||
ordered an ale and steak.
|
||
Waiting for my meal to be prepared, I turned to scan the others inside
|
||
the room. Out of the 30 or 35 people present most seemed to be talking about
|
||
the weather and this seasons crops. A few were on their own slumped over a
|
||
drink of sorts, while others ate dinner like I soon hoped to do. Turning
|
||
back to the bar I waited for the bartender's return.
|
||
About ten minutes later the barman returned with a well done steak and a
|
||
large mug of ale. Pulling out one of the gold weights I had I decided to
|
||
repeat what I had tried before with great success. When he laid the change
|
||
down for the gold I took it all but two weights of silver and asked, "What's
|
||
this I hear about a wizard of sorts in this area?"
|
||
With some shock his smile quickly disappeared. He looked around and
|
||
shoved my extra change back in my direction. With that final action he
|
||
walked off in a hushed haste. Trying to consider what had went wrong with my
|
||
plan, I felt a strange air around me. Instinct turned my head to a booth
|
||
slightly to my right. Inside the booth I saw a young man dressed in fairly
|
||
poor clothes get up and walk out. I didn't get a good mental picture of him,
|
||
but that strange air left on his heels.
|
||
In frustration I gave up and took the steak back up to my room. Ripping
|
||
a piece off one corner I began to chew the tender meat in concentration.
|
||
Giving Compton the rest I slumped back down in the bed and tried to consider
|
||
my options for a back up plan to the one that just seemed to fail. Without
|
||
the townfolks help I might as well look for a wizard in the vacuum between
|
||
stars with this plan. Finishing the steak I fell asleep in mid-thought.
|
||
|
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* * *
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Enter selection or <return> for menu: 14
|
||
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||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
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|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
That morning was slightly cool with a mild cloud overhang. Just after
|
||
breakfast though a rain broke and started to flood the muddy streets right
|
||
out of town. This morning the crowd eating in the common room seemed more
|
||
subdued. I thought it was the rain until I noticed that the majority of them
|
||
were whispering to each other, and glancing fearfully in my direction. This
|
||
was definitely not a result of my royalty I quickly concluded.
|
||
Getting out of that unfriendly atmosphere as quickly as possible I lead
|
||
Compton to the trading post. The street that divided our location and goal
|
||
was almost a river of running water. Carefully crossing it, trying to keep
|
||
our armour under the canvas ponchos I had cut, we gained the other side.
|
||
Open ing the door we found an aging women behind a counter. She had been
|
||
knitting or some other hobby local to this planet before we had come in, but
|
||
now her silver hair looked up upon us. "What can I do you for sir?"
|
||
"Just looking for now. Thank you anyway.", I said as a polite gesture.
|
||
The store had a great assortment of non-perishables organized into special
|
||
categories. To one side was furs and the likes. In the middle sat staples
|
||
for the local community, and on the other side sat crafted items and many
|
||
items that could be used for such purposes. In the very back though was the
|
||
oddities like weapons. If this old women ran the whole store, which I doubt
|
||
with her feeble little frame she could, the weapons were just a side business
|
||
she didn't know anything about.
|
||
Looking in the weapons section I found a good deal of worthless junk.
|
||
Most of it was stuff that petty thieves wouldn't want to use. One sword I
|
||
feel safe saying only had one hit in it before the hilt and blade became two
|
||
entirely different items. One bow was missing the top two or three
|
||
centimeter where the bow string goes. Almost all of the weapons had become
|
||
duller then a butter knife. In amusement I continued to search through the
|
||
pile of comical quality.
|
||
Then putting my hand under a mace to pick it up, I felt a sharp prick on
|
||
my finger. Rolling the mace over I found a dagger. Picking it up I found
|
||
that it still retained it's edge, a rarity in this lot. In my hand it felt
|
||
very familiar almost like a good friend, but I didn't recognize it yet. The
|
||
blade was a bit dusty and slightly oil caked. Pulling a rag out from under
|
||
the counter on which it had sat I started to wipe off the scum. The layer of
|
||
dirt came off easily to show a flawless, perfect blade. Then the gleam of
|
||
the blade in the flickering light told me where I had seen it before, or at
|
||
least it's sister blade. This was made in the same mysterious way my sword
|
||
had been done. The hilt even seemed alike with a simple leather handle.
|
||
This little pin of a blade was even better balanced then the sword for it's
|
||
20cm length. Finding a simple leather sheath next to where it used to sit, I
|
||
proceeded to buy it.
|
||
The old women looked down at the dagger and said, "I guess I could let
|
||
you have it for two weights of silver. It ain't any worth to me."
|
||
Exchanging the proper amounts, I finished the transaction. Shoving the
|
||
dagger onto my belt, I called for Compton to hurry along. He wasn't going to
|
||
buy anything anyway.
|
||
I was glancing at the furs by the door as Compton arrived at my side.
|
||
Then a tugging feeling came to my shoulder. Looking at the sender of this
|
||
signal, I found Compton holding his finger out the shop window. Following
|
||
his line of sight I found a group of men assembled in the middle of the mud
|
||
street. The rain was still coming down strongly, but this didn't seem to
|
||
bother them at all. They must have been standing there for at least ten
|
||
minutes for their cheap canvas clothes had been soaked to their bodies, but
|
||
even this seemed not to distract their attention.
|
||
Opening the front door I was taken totally by surprise. First a surge of
|
||
air rushed from behind me to a point in front of me. Only for a brief second
|
||
did I see the heat waves in front of me. Then with a great force, I was
|
||
thrown back into the store some 5m, into a shelf wall. I felt as if a red
|
||
hot brick wall had ran up and hit me. The heat of the blast peeled off the
|
||
first layer of my armour in charred chunks before the heat dissipated. When
|
||
I tried to jump back up to my feet I felt another invisible wall on top of
|
||
me. While I was straining on getting up a wave of ideas came over my mind.
|
||
It seemed like I was thinking about a thousand different things at once.
|
||
After a few seconds my mind started to feel like it was going to explode from
|
||
overload.
|
||
Suddenly, my mental disciplines from the Martial arts came to my aid. I
|
||
stopped struggling against the wall, and concentrated on clearing my mind.
|
||
Clearing my mind was impossible, but at least I started to absorb the
|
||
multitude of information that was flooding my mind. Soon I was channeling
|
||
the incoming information into my memory like water channeled away from people
|
||
and into a reservoir to the side. With a calm mind, I rolled to my left to
|
||
escape the press, and enormous heat, of the unseen wall above me.
|
||
When I was free of the force, a whole was blown into the floor below my
|
||
old position. Hiding behind the door frame I surveyed the battle scene. I
|
||
estimated about 15 to 18 of those wizards were out there from what I
|
||
remember. Other things were I was unarmed against their style of fighting,
|
||
my armour was ruined and now inhibited my actions. Drawing my dagger I cut
|
||
the straps off my armour and let it fall to the floor. I spotted Compton
|
||
kneeling down below the window while I removed my leather jack. Giving him
|
||
the appropriate hand signals I told him my plan.
|
||
Simultaneously, we jumped through the glass panes in the windows at our
|
||
side and charged. Half-way across the street my mind received a more violent
|
||
assault. The channeling walls were suddenly overrun by a bizarre assortment
|
||
of thoughts. Slowing down to a stumble I pushed on with a hazy goal left in
|
||
mind. The closer I came the harder it was to hold the input back away from
|
||
total control of my mental facilities. I edged further on towards the
|
||
eradication of my enemies, my oppressors, my hatred.
|
||
Not aware of anything except the poorly dressed man in front of me I
|
||
continued on toward my goal. Stumbling along the way with sword held high I
|
||
fought to move my legs onward. Then a third wave of mental agitation hit me.
|
||
Combined with the first two waves I fell helplessly to the ground. As my
|
||
brain started to boil away I struggled for just a second of control. Slowly
|
||
I reached my hand down further and further. Storing up my energy for a
|
||
defensive action, I waited as my mind was on it's way to being destroyed.
|
||
With a mental snap I set up a second wall of sheer mental power in my
|
||
mind. The clearing of my total mind allowed for me to grab my boot knife in
|
||
a lightning flash, and embedded it into one of my opponents before my defense
|
||
dropped. Like a dam disappearing, my mind was flooded with the mental
|
||
onslaught. After that tidal force though I felt a great drop in intensity.
|
||
Slowly, I actually regained my basic mental, and motor functions. Coming to
|
||
a standing position I charged the remainder of the wizards in blind rage.
|
||
My sword, swung heavy, bit into their flesh with great ease. One after
|
||
the other they fell easily to my unyielding blade. With each deadly stroke I
|
||
regained another portion of my mind until finally I realized that only I and
|
||
Compton still stood in the rain. The street was not a river of mud and water
|
||
now, but one of crimson blood. Sheathing my sword I started to walk toward
|
||
Compton, but feel in mid-step. The sleep that came to me was not that of
|
||
physical healing, but something new to me. A slipped into a coma to deal
|
||
with the deep wounds, and long scars of my mind.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Tune in next time to see if K. Killer can actually top this. Remember
|
||
comments are always welcome, just send them to K. Killer. Also I'm going to
|
||
try to keep a little more current then I have been, sorry.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Enter selection or <return> for menu: 15
|
||
|
||
Ctrl and [S-Stop] [Q-Continue] [C-Quit]
|
||
|
||
CHAPTER 3
|
||
|
||
Dry as the waterless desert, was all that could come to
|
||
mind. Searching my body, I found my throat as parched as the
|
||
pages an excellent sage might keep. Then my eyes caught some
|
||
light through their heavy eyelids, and I attempted to open
|
||
them. With much effort I accomplished the task which allowed
|
||
me to eventually see my surroundings. I was in the room in
|
||
which I had rented for me and Compton. With a small whiff my
|
||
olfactories registered the presence of rich aromatic foods.
|
||
I was finally recovering my mind.
|
||
With a little more effort I moved my lips to form the
|
||
word, "WATER", in a low growl of my vocal cords. With this I
|
||
heard scrambling about and soon saw Compton standing over me
|
||
with a water flask. Reaching my stiff hand up I took the
|
||
bladder and slowly reintroduce my system to hydration.
|
||
Quickly, I had gotten to the point of where I finished off
|
||
the bag in no time flat. Throwing the bladder back to
|
||
Compton I got up to limber my lethargic muscles.
|
||
Sitting down at the small table in the room, I began to
|
||
eat the fruit and luke warm roast on the table. Within a few
|
||
minutes I had fulfilled my relatively small appetite.
|
||
Compton arrived back in the room with three bladders of water
|
||
just a few minutes later. Thirstily, I downed one and a
|
||
half. The other one and a half I saved for later, while I
|
||
questioned my nurse.
|
||
"What happened?"
|
||
Stirring a little he began, "Well I started to tear into
|
||
the left side of the group. They didn't offer any
|
||
resistance, so I hesitated. I didn't even see you come into
|
||
action. Then I saw a knife go into one's skull, so I knew
|
||
you where doing something. Then I saw you pile into the
|
||
other side like a drunk, but you took them out easily. Under
|
||
a minute later we stood alone in the street. Thats when you
|
||
collapsed. I brought you up here thinking you had been
|
||
wounded. I had been informed on what to do by the King
|
||
himself, so don't worry. You lay still for three days. Even
|
||
drank two flask of water a day when I offered it to you."
|
||
"Next time double that amount. I almost died of thirst
|
||
this time. Don't blame yourself it didn't seem natural
|
||
anyway. I wasn't wounded though. Those men outside the
|
||
store, if you don't already now, were wizards. They didn't
|
||
even know you existed. Only concentrated on killing me.
|
||
Luckily I work a little bit differently then they do, so I
|
||
had the edge and won."
|
||
Compton obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore.
|
||
That was ok, since I didn't want to tell him anymore, for how
|
||
could he know about mental exhaustion when I barely
|
||
understand it myself. He would just have to except what he
|
||
has seen and that is that.
|
||
For now I had to confer with myself on what to do. I had
|
||
been looking for a wizard, but now that I had killed over a
|
||
dozen of them it will be pretty hard to find one. Most of
|
||
the town probably thinks I am some kind of killer, or will my
|
||
royalty bail me out there. If those wizards had been hired,
|
||
which they probably had since they usually don't work on
|
||
anything more than groups of three, would their patron attack
|
||
me again when the word of failure reaches him. These were
|
||
some of the variables I had to work into my new plan to
|
||
achieve my goal, and what a plan that would be.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|
||
Having bought a horse and tent to add to outdoor
|
||
supplies, we left Turep on a wild rumor. I had finally
|
||
coaxed someone into talking about magic in this area. This
|
||
town had been the center of commerce for a great many of
|
||
these wizards at one time. Many people had reported seeing
|
||
wild and amazing things happen along the base of the mountain
|
||
where most of them live. It was once estimated that close to
|
||
a hundred had lived within 100 kilometers from here. Then
|
||
one day Randolf the Superior's men stalk into town in a small
|
||
force. Then about two weeks later all the wizards seemed to
|
||
march out on the towns main road. Since then they have seen
|
||
the wizards come back a few times. Once to challenge another
|
||
one of their kind who had stayed behind in the woods, but
|
||
rumor has it that they failed and ran. The other time was
|
||
when they had attacked me.
|
||
With some more pushing I had found out about this
|
||
remaining wizard. Her name was thought around town to be
|
||
Zilma, but no one knew for sure. She would come into town
|
||
once every few months to pick up things she needed, but was
|
||
never seen at other times. Some people also believe that she
|
||
was feared by the other wizards, and they would have liked to
|
||
kill her. This wizard's place seemed to be somewhere between
|
||
70 kilometers north along the top of the range to 40
|
||
kilometers northeast 15 kilometers from the base. In the end
|
||
the mountain range top won out over the other by a whim.
|
||
So we set out early that morning hoping to find her by
|
||
late tonight or sometime the next day. We took a trail which
|
||
lead gently up to the top of the mountain straight from
|
||
Turep. From here I could see that she couldn't live in the
|
||
other location, since it had what appeared to be a large farm
|
||
on it. In renewed assurance we continued along the thinning
|
||
trail.
|
||
Around noon we were forced to dismount. The foliage was
|
||
overwhelming for anyone on horseback. Drawing our swords, we
|
||
began to hack away a new path where it appeared there once
|
||
was one. The further we went the more cluttered did the way
|
||
become. More then once did I have to discard or remove
|
||
fallen trees that would have destroyed other's hopes. An
|
||
hour before sunset we came to an rock slope that lead up to
|
||
the next mountain layer. Looking forward to a good climb I
|
||
decided to stay here for the night.
|
||
While Compton set up camp I scouted the surrounding area.
|
||
We couldn't go around this obstacle, and there wasn't any
|
||
easy way up it for a mount. The horse would have to be left
|
||
behind. Without his burden the hill could be claimed by us
|
||
in under three hours I thought. That would be something to
|
||
find out about tomorrow.
|
||
Climbing up a large boulder I looked down on the path we
|
||
had traveled. Then the corner of my eye caught a small
|
||
flickering light. Looking to the southeast I saw a light
|
||
about 45 kilometers out. Straining to see more closely I saw
|
||
that is was not one giant light, but many different close
|
||
groups of light. A few even appeared to be made up of many
|
||
more little lights. Only one thing could produce such a
|
||
sight, an army. On this planet only one person had an army
|
||
that size or larger mobile at all times, Randolf.
|
||
My rage built up to a high as I observed the sight and
|
||
thought about what sat below me. The idea of him overrunning
|
||
Excavon was filling my mind with a loathing for such a
|
||
person. He has many names in many different languages,
|
||
demagogue in a democracy, warlord in militaristic society,
|
||
religion fanatic, but one term stands out for all of them in
|
||
his description, Tyrant. I have seen the work of his type
|
||
before in an oligarchy, and I never want to see it again.
|
||
When I meet him I will do my best to rid this world of his
|
||
presence forever.
|
||
Coming back to camp I found a meal cooking over a new
|
||
crackling fire. Sitting down between the fire and tent I
|
||
examined our location. We were near the top of the ridge,
|
||
and slightly behind this mound of rocks. Though I fear if
|
||
someone looked hard from that camp, they might just spot the
|
||
light reflecting off the high rocks above us. It didn't
|
||
matter I guess, because it would take them some time to get
|
||
any comparable force up here. By that time we could easily
|
||
be over the mountain range into uncharted region.
|
||
I remember nothing of the dinner at all. Ask me what I
|
||
ate or said, I couldn't tell you. I was absorbed in the
|
||
incoming data and it's affect on old memories and
|
||
information. I fell asleep in this same state of awareness,
|
||
and woke up to dawn unaware of the missing time.
|
||
|
||
* * *
|
||
|