《The Land of Irastel》


 Welcome to Irastel

    This will be my first work on this website, now for a little disclamier I have taken insperation from Robert Jordan and Tolken, be gentle! This first part is more or less a introduction of the main world and story line, its a little boring but if people enjoy this I will post what I have left. Please enjoy and leave feedback It would be much appreciated.


    Ages come and pass throughout time, this was the way of the universe, the way it has and always will be, but a New Age had just begun: This was the Second Age, an age of prosperity, peace, and jubilation. This is what the Second Age was supposed to be like. Sadly, everything changed that fateful night in an unsuspecting home deep to the east in the lands of the men, near the mountain that were home to the Orcai.


    James smiled as he sat down in his favourite chair. It was the chair he had carved out of a medium sized oak that had been cut down last spring and sitting in it was delightful. On top of that Robin, my childhood friend of many years and lover, had stuffed and sewn a deer hide pillow for me to rest behind my head. It felt like the buttered subtle skin of his youth. The pillow felt like heaven as he laid his head on it after a hard day''s work with father in the fields, recalling his childhood memories. James came from a humbling farming village that peaked just east of the mighty Mountains of Belgoran named after a Orcai who had settled them thousands of years ago when they had migrated from their homes far past the Belgoran Mountains for reasons that had yet to be discovered.


    There had been a bloody battle long ago when the Orcai had decided to expand through conquest past the mountain looking for plunder and treasure.The men of all the great kingdoms rallied together to defend their homeland of Irastel, they fought the Orcai back banishing them back to their mountain home.


    James smirked to himself remarking the stories that all children had know, the stories of Orcai and men battling for nearly one hundred years. James stretched out in the chair and suddenly felt the tang of hunger and the smell his mother''s cooking seep into the deepest parts of his being and it urged him to go devour the tasty morsel. James had gone hunting two nights ago in the forests near his small home with his father. It was a turkey: nice and plump and good for cooking, and with some of mother''s handy work it would be a feast in the eye''s of the farming men. James walked into the kitchen and saw his mother stirring a large pot from which the delight of the smells came from. James smiled as mother turned and looked at him, she was a tall woman around six foot two with deep brown hair and hazel eyes. Just then James''s father walked in and smiled at his son and wife. The complete disarray of his face gleamed as sweat poured down his cheeks. His breath exasperated and half unable to form word, pronounced:


    ¡° Well, hello you two,¡± he bellowed and it resonated through the home.


    ¡° Hello father, dinner seems to be ready.¡± James said smiling at his father, gesturing at the succulent stew.


    James''s mother only smiled a reply and went back to cooking the delicious meat that James loved so much.


    ¡° Go get the bowls and spoons from their place, James.¡± His mother said in her quiet voice that carried more authority than his father''s bear-like voice.


    James nodded his head and swiftly walked over to the cupboard to retrieve the said items. Once he had done so, he brought them to his mother, and smiled as he began to fill each one with the warm soup.


    ¡° Put them on the table and wait till we are all ready!¡± She said and pointed toward the small table that rested between their common room and kitchen.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Once all had been set up and each member of James¡¯s small family seated they bowed their heads and put their hands together, James¡¯s father began the invocation to Ullr.


    ¡° Ullr hear us, we thank you for a plentiful hunt and safe return, we thank you for what we are about to partake in and that the final resting place of the earth-loved turkey can be Valhalla.¡±


    We each raised our heads once the invocation had finished and began to eat what had been sacrificed.


    Once dinner had been finished and the dishes cleaned and put away each member of the family went to the common room and reclined in their individual chairs. His mother began to sew, his father began to smoke and he began to sharpen the points of his arrows for the coming hunt. His mother smiled softly as she pulled out the pieces of her trade, as a seamstress, and started the beginnings of a thick cap for the winter. James¡¯s father sat down heavily in his chair, letting out a sigh of pleasure; then as he reached down, he grabbed a box that contained his smoking pipe and dried herbs. He his pipe out of the containing socket, the smell resonated with the material and mesh of the inside interior. The box itself was mahogany and gleamed in the candle light. Instances of memories danced at his consciousness. The last thing on his mind was to worry about tomorrow or the upcoming stress ridden days. Coiling the little bit of dried herbs in his palm, he outstretched his hands and made sure he funneled it all into the basin. For his age and generosity, lighting it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. The sight of the hearth not only gave warmth but easy access for his addiction and soothing remedy to his old age.


    James looked down the shaft of his arrow and ran his fingers over the crow feathers attached to the sides and nodded his head . It was straight and it was proven by his wit to fly true however the arrowheads were not sharp enough to pass his inspection. The memories of his first hunt with his father came back to him like a blow to the stomach.


    It was early in the morning with a slight nip in the air, James was a young boy of only twelve summers. It had been his first hunt with his father and to his delight they tracked a glorious buck through the forest and down a valley, until James had a clear shot at the animal. His father nodded his head and James drew his arrow then notched it, he steadied his breathing; the steadfast boy drew his gaze from an uncertain focal to a pointed and direct viewpoint of his goal: impressing his father. He hesitated at the shot but he knew what needed to be done and that this animal would feed his family for ten dawns and ten dusks. He let the string go and the arrow sprung from the bow with dark intent. The arrow struck true and pierced the side of the beast causing a rupture of blood, and the beast darted away only to collapse a few heartbeats later. The beast did not stop moving as it should have and James¡¯s father sighed softly.


    ¡° Did you sharpen the arrowheads before we left son?¡± James¡¯s father asked looking down at the young boy below him.


    James¡¯s eyes widened and he shook his head slowly and looked at the beat thrashing in pain and misery and let out a breath he had been holding in. James¡¯s father sighed and drew his blade and it gleamed as the light hit it. He handed the deadly instrument to his son and pointed toward the animal.


    ¡° End its misery, slice its throat from end to end, son.¡± He said and crossed his arms waiting and watching what his son would do.


    James took the blade and looked at his father face and then toward the deer that was now bleatingin pain. The sound made James flinch and close his eyes tightly and clutch the blade to his chest. He slowly and agonizingly walked toward the animal still thrashing, still screaming in pain on the ground, and set his bow behind the animal and walked around it so that its magnificent antlers would not gut him. James reached down and grasped the muzzle of the deer and held it still silencing the cries of pain.


    The deer not silent turned its eyes onto this strange being that would surely end its life, it stared at this creature as it brought a gleaming object toward its throat and he began to thrash trying to break the small creatures iron grasp. Then searing pain erupted from its throat but then slowly the pain faded and its became very tired almost dreamily its closed its eyes, while its eyes were slowly closing, it saw in its mind a massive man with a gleaming bow and two axes lead him to lush meadows filled with many of his kind.


    Once the act was done James looked at the now still deer and released it his eyes hard, but small tears leaking down the side of his red face. His hands were covered in the blood of the animal he had killed.

 The faithful night

    James woke with a start as a piercing scream broke through the silent night and more followed suit filled with pain and sorrow.  The smell of burning wood had slightly found his nostrils and he jumped out of bed in a groggy daze. James rushed to his parents room on the floor above clothed only in his cotton leggings.


    James almost ran into his father on the stairs, and to his shock, almost got stabbed as he was holding his old militia sword in one hand and his hunting dagger in the other. He smiled as he saw me.


    ¡° Did you hear that son?¡¯¡¯James nodded his head and looked toward the door .


    ¡°It sounded like it came from the town Da.¡¯¡¯


    He grunted and nodded his head


    ¡°Go get your bow and arrows son, grab your dagger also.¡¯¡¯


    He told me motioning for me to go to my room. James nodded his head and bounded down the few stairs he had climbed and went into his room, throwing on some leather jerkins and wool shirt. Then James grabbed his quiver of arrows that was sitting on a small chair, in his room and secured it on his shoulder.He grabbed his longbow and strapped his hunting dagger around his waist as he walked into the main room of the house noticing his father had his sword strapped to his side and was speaking to mother.


    ¡°We are going into town to see what is going on love. Look, you can hear the screams still and I swear one did not sound human..¡¯¡¯ James¡¯ father looked at his wife in the eyes and kissed her deeply, ¡°stay in the house and hide in the cellar ok?¡¯¡¯ His father said more than he asked.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Mother simply nodded, understanding the situation and then looked at me with a sad expression.


    ¡°Come back to me, or James Smith or you will regret it!¡¯¡¯ She said trying to hold her tears as she watched us walk out of the house into the welcoming hands of the darkness.


    We silently made our way toward town taking trails that ran along the main road, as we had both decided it would be smart to not travel on the main road into town. The smell of smoke was strong in the air as we neared the small town that was only a ten minute walk from our small home. A faint red glow was visible through the dense woods. Father suddenly stopped and crouched low looking straight ahead.


    He slowed his breathing so that he could listen to the sounds of the woods. Just then, not a rock throw in front of us, a twig snapped.James''s heart started to beat faster than the drums that played at Harvest night. We crouched motionless as the unseen person, or creature, continued its path.


    ¡° Deer.¡¯¡¯ Father simply said as we continued a slow and silent approach of the town.


    ¡° Son, if things suddenly get bloody I want you to stay close to me and cover me with those bow skills of yours ok?¡¯¡¯ I felt the sudden impact of what could be happening in our village.


    ¡° Yes father.¡¯¡¯ Was all James could mutter as a response.


    As we reached the edge of town the screams had gotten louder but were now mixed with un human sounding cries of pain and triumph and the smell of blood and burned flesh was in the air as if all the cows in the town  been slaughtered and then thrown into a giant fire to just burn. Father drew his sword and James drew his bow. We crept into our small town..


    Out of nowhere a creature James  had never seen before sprang out from behind the house to his right. On instinct he drew an arrow from his quiver, sighted breathed drew and released, sending it flying into its eye. It made no sound other than its lifeless body hitting the ground. Father was wide eyed as he looked at the hideous creature that was dead before us.


    ¡° Orcai¡­¡¯¡¯ Is what he said and looked at me.