《The Five Lords》 Chapter 1 I dreamt of the rain. The same rain that filled my entire childhood. The same cold rain that showered down on the alleyways that I hid in, sloughing the grime off the walls and into whatever small crevice I would have been hiding in. I dreamt of the same drops of rain that poured like stones, the same stones that were thrown at the many beggars, like myself, living in the winding narrow streets of Aquillum. I found myself walking down the same paths I used to walk and beg in, the same narrow winding passageways I used to evade any furious shopkeepers who would desperately search for the sewer child who stole their wares. I walked and walked, until I found myself in the heart of Aquillum, the city of the Iron Hawk. The plaza held a tribute to the guardian of the realm, a statue of the Iron Hawk atop a evergreen tree, its eyes glaring, piercing the mist and ever on the look for foes hidden beneath the leaves and branches of the forests below. But as I set foot within the plaza, I felt as if the gaze of the Hawk was upon me, its sight as cold and disregarding as the rain that fell relentlessly. Though not quite as cold as the blade that drove itself through my back. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to rain today as well¡± ¡°Bah, when does it not rain here. The Iron Hawk himself will take flight once more before the rainclouds ever empty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just worried we¡¯re going to be forced through another march in this rain. Sean nearly fell off the trail last time.¡± It¡¯s loud as ever¡­. ¡°You should worry about yourself more. Instructor Hearst was not pleased with you yesterday. Hell, even I was a bit shocked. How do you even fail to remember those basic reconnaissance protocols?¡± ¡°Fuck off, the last time we went over that it was 2 years ago back when we were still being evaluated. The fact that you can still remember all that is weird.¡± ¡°Hey, just remember that it won¡¯t be me that gets kicked out because they didn¡¯t study hard enough.¡± ¡°What time is it right now that you two are arguing like two cocks in the same henhouse?¡± I groggily sat up from my cot, looking over at my two roommates, Adam and Trest. Trest looked back at me with a slightly apologetic smile, evidently guilty that he woke me up. Meanwhile, Adam simply grunted. ¡°Late enough for all of us to get ready.¡± I stood up in our cramped room, and reached for the water pitcher, only to find it empty. I groaned slightly, it meant that I had to be the one to leave the warm confines of our barracks to fetch water from the well. Adam looked over and, seeing me holding the water pitcher, he smirked and showed me a cup of water, half full, which he promptly downed. Motherfucker. I shot him my best death glare and prepared myself to go out to the courtyard. I looked out the window and saw the rain that the two had been talking about when they so rudely woken me. It was a thick and heavy rain, coming down in sheets and nearly obscuring our view of the courtyard. Even though our compound was well up high in the mountains the fall rains came down often and heavy.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Though, thanks to that we enjoy a rather plentiful harvest in what little arable farmlands we possess. I felt a slight aching sensation in my chest, and rubbed the old scar that was there, slightly beneath my left collarbone. I was lucky to have survived that blow that day¡­ A slight nudge on my shoulder from Trest broke me from my contemplative mood and I walked out the still quiet barracks, ready to be hit by the uncomfortable weather. The stairs creaked as I went down to the courtyard, and then I rushed out to the well, trying to get my water before being drenched too thoroughly in the rain. Just another morning in Aquillum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All the Recruit-Wards of the Aquillan guard are expected to be in proper combat uniforms, which simply meant thick leather attire, by the 6th bell toll from the water clock. While most other regions used sun dials, our weather was ill suited for such a device, and as such we made do with the horrible clanging noise that emitted from the clocks. Adam winced each time the bell clanged. He always complained about the damn things, claiming that they would deafen him sooner or later. I smiled to myself as he sighed loudly, that¡¯s what he deserved for making me fetch water in the rain. ¡°ATTENTION!¡± All the Recruit-Wards snapped into position as the Instructors came down from their separate building. The grizzled Head instructor, with his salt and pepper hair and broad shoulders could be seen first, eyeing the Recruit-Wards with his hawk like blue eyes, seeing if anyone was in ill form. Instructor Hearst was following right behind him, steel grey eyes and equally steely grey hair and neatly trimmed mustache visible even in the heavy rain. He looked over at Trest disapprovingly, evidently Trest¡¯s lack of knowledge was still fresh in his mind and by the looks of it he seemed quite eager to remedy it. The other Instructors soon followed, strangely all wearing their dress uniforms, long black leather overcoats with steel grey trimmings and buttons. Even the Head Instructor and Instructor Hearst was wearing their uniforms. Despite the strange situation, all the Recruit-Wards stood stock still, quietly awaiting to be addressed. Discipline before all else was the motto of the Head Instructor, and he made sure that no one ever forgot. I shivered slightly, the image of those unruly few from the first days as Recruit-Wards being force marched through the mountain passes for 12 hours without stop was enough to make even Trest behave in front of the Instructors. The Head Instructor began talking in his loud and carrying voice. ¡°Many of you will no doubt already know of what I am about to speak of. Many of you have no doubt already heard from the traveling minsters about the situation regarding the Meeting of the Five planned for this year. Well, I am here to say that those rumours are true. Our Lord demands we set out in force for the capital.¡± Immediately, the entire courtyard filled with whispering and many nudges. Some of the Recruit-Wards began grinning to each other, no doubt eager to see the capital, while others wondered what this could possibly mean. The Head Instructor continued, ¡°Normally, we would not take you lot with us. I certainly would not take you with us. You are still inexperienced, and lack many of the crucial skills needed to serve as proper Iron Guard. Remember that your actions speak not for yourselves but for all of you. Any hint of misdemeanor and I will personally see to it that you are driven out. You are to be rested for today. Spend this time to ready your equipment and prepare for the journey to the capital. We leave in two days. Dismissed.¡± ¡°SALUTE!¡± The loud clack of boot heels meeting boot heels rang through the morning air as everyone burst into conversation. The Instructors filed out, heading to the Lord¡¯s keep. Everyone was simply excited, and Trent and Adam soon came over to me, eye gleaming with anticipation and excitement. Trent burst into a wide grin, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be able to meet some capital ladies?¡± I laughed as Adam grimaced and replied, ¡°How many capital ladies do you seriously think are going to be interested in a poor Recruit-Ward?¡± Trent replied sheepishly, ¡°Hey, can¡¯t blame me for hoping.¡± ¡°What do you think this is all about though? We¡¯ve never set out in force like this towards the capital. How is this not an act of aggression towards the other lords?¡± Adam wondered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but such matters are for the Lord to decide, and we to obey. Although, I do imagine that this isn¡¯t without reason. After all, the Raven always makes the last move.¡± I turned towards the armory as I finished. Trest smiled as he saw where I was headed towards. ¡°Adam let¡¯s get our things ready. You and I both know that you¡¯re going to take all those damnable tools with you, and that you¡¯re going to force me to help you. Anyways, do you think its true that the ladies in the capital can breathe fire?....¡± I entered the armory as Trest dragged Adam off back into the barracks. While I did need to organize my own belongings as well, I had something that I wanted to do first. Something I always did when I woke up. The armory is always dusty, no matter how long the doors are open and the room is swept. The smell of grease used to protect steel and leather always lingers as well. I went over to where my sword is kept every night and picked it up. As always, I ran my hand over the scabbard, where my name, the name the Lord of the Iron Raven, Lord Corvus had given me, is embossed. Astus. Chapter 2 ¡®Maybe I should go help pack up¡¯ I swung my simple bastard sword around, giving the practice dummies several blunt thwacks. The sword blade is dulled, purposely so that no one accidently takes their own heads off during practice, which happened once before according to Instructor Hearst. ¡®I do have a lot of stuff I want to take with me. My leather armor, my cleaning kits¡­and I do have to make sure that Trest and Adam don¡¯t get into a serious fight as well¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was because I had a lot of things on my mind, or perhaps it was because of the rain making the dummies wooden arms slick my blade glanced off it and threw me off balance. After a few moments of stumbling to regain balance I sighed and rested my sword on my shoulder. ¡®But more importantly¡­why did I dream of that night again. It¡¯s been nearly 6 years, and I don¡¯t feel any pain anymore so why?¡¯ The entirety of the barracks was still noisy, bustling with activity as everyone prepared themselves for the long journey that some of them had been anticipating. The few that knew about this before seemed awfully smug, hanging out in the balcony talking to each other in loud, self-satisfied voices. Seemingly they had heard of these rumors from when they snuck out to the pubs late at night, though how they could sneak out under Instructor Hearst¡¯s eyes was beyond me. Supposedly, however, something had gone wrong in the capital. Drakenhold was never the bastion of safety that it supposedly appeared to be, but the sheer speed at which this news was spreading seemed rather¡­off. Even to young Recruit-Wards such as myself. In fact, I¡¯ve never seen Instructor Hearst looking so¡­grim. Usually he had a semi-delighted smirk about his face as he drilled us on everything from combat drills to scouting doctrines. Yet today he had been completely stoic. He almost seemed unnerved. I sneezed as a cold wind blew against my wet hair and clothes. Well its time to head back in. I just hope Trest hasn¡¯t been stepping all over my bedsheets like he usually does when he gets all excited. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lord Corvus of the Realm of the Iron Raven stood silent as he listened half-mindedly to the grim reports coming from his Scout Captain. He had called for all his staff today, yet only half had come in time, some coming in as the report was still being given. Efficiency was crucial, yet the terrain, as usual, did not cooperate. Several of his men, in particular those in charge of communication with the neighboring Realms had yet to arrive. ¡°-and we have verified the message from Drakenhold. The King has summoned the Five to attend a special meeting, regardless of how close the timing is to the Meeting of the Five.¡± ¡°THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS¡± shouted a stout and thickset man. His black beard was filled with spittle as he expressed his absolute displeasure. ¡°THIS KIND OF THREATENING BEHAVIOUR GOES AGAINST THE TREATY OF THE SIX. HOW ARE WE TO KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A PLOY TO SABATOGE OUR COMING PLANS WITH THE URSINE?¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Corvus sat silently as the other men murmured, some in agreement and others in discontent. He looked around for those who had come. His Scout Captain, thin and gaunt from his hurried travels to and from Drakengard and neighboring villages sat down next to the man who had just shouted, Lord Umbric Stormclaw, commander of the 3rd Rain pass. The other Lords of the Rain Passes were there as well, Lord Sturnn, and Lord Terron. Aside from them however, few who mattered were here. As Corvus stood up the room went silent. ¡°We must not assume anything yet Umbric. The other Lords have not yet made their moves, and it is crucial that we wait out the coming chaos. I do have to agree though, that this timing is incredibly strange, and your worries are not unfounded. The Drake¡¯s have always been frivolous and capricious in their treatment of others, and it would not be the first time that a near violation of the Treaties has been seen.¡± Corvus paused as he looked over the war map that lay over his council table. Even in times of peace he had it out, always vigilant for subtle changes in the balance of power. The Realm of the Crows had always weathered threats wisely, and he would make sure it stayed that way. The map was centered on Drakenhold, the throne capital where the Drakes lived and ruled. From it the Realm of the Iron Raven stretched into the West, encompassing the steep and rainy mountains and canyons. To the south of the Ravens stretched the forest filled Realm of the Ursine, the residence of the Copper Bear. Even further south the harbor cities and river villages of the Silver Shark stood. To the East of Drakenhold were golden plains and bronze fields, the conjoined Realm of the Golden Lions and Bronze Bulls. All five Lords were called to Drakenhold. All Five lords to answer to the King of Drakes. Corvus looked up at his men. While he was silent his Guard Captain and Head Instructor of the Recruits had joined him. They nodded silently as his gaze swept over them. ¡°Whatever it is that the Drake King plans, we must be prepared to meet them. We march in force. Lord Sturnn, Lord Terron, Lord Umbric, I expect your men to be here in 3 days¡¯ time. You need not bring your garrisons, but I require at least 100 household Knights from each of you. Scout Captain, rally the Lords who have not arrived. Dismissed.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next few days were filled with the loud noises of preparations. Carts and wagons were being brought out of store houses and then filled with grain and other provisions, horses were being outfitted with new horseshoes and being groomed, and the blacksmiths were busy sweating and hammering out the dents from armor. Minstrels and bards attempted to make quick coins from the busy crowds, yet none had any to spare, and their songs and gossip were quickly buried in the hurried confusion. Everyone was busy in one manner or the other, rushing from here and there to provide refreshments, deliver important messages, and Guards attempted to maintain at least some sense of public order. I strolled down the Central Market street, hoping to escape the hubbub going on in the barracks. Apparently, someone had placed a fragile bottle of rather strong-smelling alcohol in the wrong bag, and it broke open spoiling several belongings of a rather unfortunate individual. The brawling was getting a bit too intense, so I left with a notebook in hand, hoping to seek some quiet in the upper floors of Aquillum. I passed by the guards who stood by the entrance to the upper levels and sat down under a tree in a little overlook positioned so one could see almost the whole city. I would have never been allowed here before, a scruffy little orphan would sully the poor eyes of the upper-class merchants who lived here but being a Recruit-Ward did have its perks. The cool mountain air brought down wafts of mist from the tops of the mountains, almost like silk drapes slowly falling down. The breeze gently shook the trees, and the entire dense forest swayed to and fro, appearing almost like fur dancing to the gentle tune of nature. One could almost ignore the noise coming from the city below and drown lush view of the mountains of Aquillum. The walls of Aquillum fit perfectly in the view, high towering defenses built in the heart of a mountain pass to deter any invaders hardy enough to even pass through the mountains to begin with. Built with tough black stones, the walls blended in with the dark green treetops. A fortress floating atop a sea of dark green, with mist and rain descending upon it. I looked down at my lap, and saw that I had unknowingly, by habit, opened my notebook and begun drawing the majestic view. The grand sweeping mountains, the shifting breeze of nature all depicted on my notebook¡­as barely intelligible scribbles and squiggles. What a waste of paper. The sudden loud shouting from below grabbed my attention away from my horrific artwork, and I could see a regiment of mounted heavily armored knights. They all wore black plate mail, and I could see the front standard waving back and forth, proudly displaying its insignia, a lightning bolt grasped in the talons of a hawk¡¯s foot. There were two more similar blocks of knights coming in from different streets, but all headed towards the same place, the Lord¡¯s keep. The Knights of the Rain Passes had arrived. It was time to set foot for Drakenhold. Chapter 3 The Rain Passes are named as such due to the sheer volume of rain that falls in them. Every month there would be several days where the rain falls nonstop, creating new rivers that threaten to flood the entirety of the passes. Some would question the importance of these flooded ravines, yet they are of the utmost strategic value. Each pass is blocked by water mills, three massive wheels churning in each of them. Gigantic fortress bridges made of black stone and iron protect these wheels, and each one is used for a different purpose. The first Rain Pass holds the Iron Bridge, so named not due to its materials, but rather due to the copious amount of metals it can manufacture using the power from the vast quantities of water that flow through it. The Second Pass holds the Wooden Bridge, and the Third Pass holds the Grain Bridge. All three bridges are protected by a garrison of 500 Storm Guard each, and each are loyal to the three Lords of the Rain Passes, Lord Sturnn, Lord Terron and Lord Umbric. All three are sworn to the Lord of the Iron Raven. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lord Corvus stood quietly, his men running around busily preparing the final stages for departure. His warhorse stood nearby, a gigantic destrier, its hide as black as midnight. Its armor was painted black as well, and it had a dull grey trim, the colors of the Iron Raven. The standard bearers mounted swiftly, hoisting the massive flags that are their duties up high, displaying the Raven in flight, its claws clutching a sprawling scroll that read ¡®Sapientia est victoria, Scientia est potentia¡¯. ¡°In wisdom, victory. In knowledge, power¡±, Corvus muttered. Often the Ravens of the mountains were praised and feared for their seeming knowledge of everything, yet in this occasion Corvus wished that were true. He was going in nearly blind into the capital, with only the knowledge that the other Lords were planning to do the same as he had done, to march out in force and meet the Drake King. Common sense dictated that such an action would result in open hostilities, yet the thing no one but the Five Lords knew was that the Drake King himself told them to bring their men if they so wished to. Why he would bid them to do so Corvus truly wished he knew why. A faint coughing sound broke Corvus from his reverie. He looked to his side, and saw his Scout Captain, still thin and gaunt, his wiry black hair greasy and his dark brown eyes deeply sunk in their sockets. ¡°My Lord, your men have all rallied to your call. We are fully prepared to begin the march towards Drakenhold.¡± ¡°Good¡±, Corvus replied curtly. He was not pleased that the two Lords of the Plains both acted so heatedly and rashly. Had they not already declared their willingness to set forth with their own forces he could have potentially persuaded the other Lords to agree on a more peaceful measure. Instead both Lord Leoric and Lord Tauros have mustered their men and set forth, forcing the other Lords to do so in kind so that should hostilities break out they would not be caught unawares. ¡®Perhaps the Lords of the Plains caught hint of my own plans¡­¡¯ Corvus thought as he tapped the hilt of his sword. The timing and the manner with which the current events were flowing troubled him. It was all too convenient, too perfectly timed to be a coincidence, yet it was not within the nature of the rash and bullheaded Plain lords to act as such. ¡®It would mean that there would have to be a third actor in all of this. The only question is, who?¡¯ ¡°Derrick¡±, Corvus spoke softly, calling the Scout Captain by his name. The Scout Captain seemed surprised for a moment, his eyes widening for a brief second before he leaned closer to Corvus. ¡°How many days are the others from arriving at Drakenhold?¡± asked Lord Corvus. ¡°The Lion and the Bull march together, 5 days distance from the capital. The Sharks are riding their ships north and will arrive in 6 days. The Bears departed a day before us and will arrive in 5 days.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Corvus rubbed his chin as he mulled over this new information. The distance from Aquillum to Drakenhold was significantly less than any of the other Realms, but the terrain itself would cause significant delays, especially with the amount of provisions and men he was gathering. Had it been 3 years prior he could have gathered his men closer to the capital at Ferusium, but the fortress was in a state of severe disrepair after repelling the large-scale raiding parties from beyond the Iron Mountains. Shaking his head Corvus dispelled his worries for the time being. He mounted his horse and looked towards the three Lords of the Rain Passes who had gathered near him. Lord Corvus of the Iron Raven gestured towards his signalmen. They breathed in deeply, a blew out a loud note from their massive war horns. The time was nigh to march for the capital. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As mere Recruit-Wards our location in the procession was towards the back. We were to defend the more insignificant supplies that we brought, scrap leather and iron for mending boots and saddles and whatnot. Despite the menial task we were given Trest and most of the others still had the excitement from several days before, if not more. They were joking to each other and discussing what they would do in the capital once given free time. Adam was silent, his eyes closed as he seemed closed off to the world. Tranquil, calm and collected.....is how I would describe him if his face didn''t have a slight green shade about them. That and the fact that he kept swallowing every 5 seconds, as if he was trying to hold something in. To be fair I couldn''t blame him for being slightly queazy. The cart that we were riding right now had the worst sense of balance, clearly a result of hurried work. It lurched and swayed and trembled as it slowly moved over the gravelly ground. I sighed as I pulled out my cleaning kit, a simple rag and some grease. Although my normal training sword would be full of dents and nicks along the edges, the blade I carried with me right now was far superior. I smiled as the gleaming steel blade reflected the sunlight back at me, shimmering as I turned it slowly. While my training sword was made from iron, this one was made from the steel from the Iron Bridge. Out of all the Realms in the kingdom, only our Realm had the capacity and ability to create steel in such large quantities to the point where even a Recruit-Ward such as myself could have a blade made from it. I indulged in its radiance a bit further before I set myself to clean it. A smooth tapering tip, with a central groove, the sword was simple, but elegant. The hilt was made from hardwood wrapped in black leather, capped by a Raven emblem pommel. Beautiful. "Seriously, how much do you love that sword to be cleaning it religiously every day?" I raised my head to see Trest grimacing slightly, attempting to acclimate to the swaying motion of the cart. I grinned sheepishly, sheathing my sword and putting away my things as I replied. "I can''t help but to appreciate it you know? It''s the only thing I have that is worth anything, and it''s probably going to be the only thing I have to be of some worth." Trest looked at me quietly through his dark brown hair. He sighed as he sat down, leaning against the wall. "Have you ever thought to enjoy the small things in life? Get a lady, or indulge in some drinking with us?" The cart went quiet, Adam opening his eyes slightly to look at me and Trest. Trest was still looking at me, waiting for my response. Despite the fact that the three of us had spent a year and a half together in the same room this was the first time we''ve had the time to have a talk like this. Slowly, I opened my mouth. "It''s not that I haven''t thought about doing those sorts of things. I wish I could have gone with you drinking, and maybe find a girlfriend. But I have to uphold my oath." Trest sighed slightly before asking. "What oath? And to who?" "The oath I gave to Lord Corvus when he spared my life." I answered softly. Adam opened his eyes properly at this, giving off an air of confirmation as opposed to one of surprise. He spoke, though with slight difficulty. "I figured as much. Your name, and the way you stare over at the Keep occasionally. That and the scar on your chest always bothered me, but I figured it rude to ask." Trest rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, of course you would knoweverything, but some of us mere mortals do not have such great intellect oh mighty Crow." Adam glared at Trest, opening his mouth slightly before closing it immediately as he turned a rather violent shade of green. Trest, looking slightly satisfied, turned back to me and asked, "So, what happened?" I placed my sword between my legs, holding it upright with both of my hands as I leaned my head against it. "I was a orphan when I was little. My parents never knew me, my father died in the raids from the northerners as a soldier and my mother died giving birth. I was lucky enough to live at the orphange for a short time but even the caretaker there died of old age, and I was thrown out into the streets. I had to do something to survive, so I did odd jobs for the local gangs, delivering things like messages and small packages." A bump in the trail tossed everything in the cart around, especially the contents of Adam''s stomach. I paused as he wretched out everything over the side, loud complaints echoing from the unlucky few behind us who had to walk over the bile. I continued as Trest gestured at me, urging me to continue my story. "Usually the people I deliver my packages to are addicts and debtors, as well as the occasional guard that we bribed to look things over. But one day I had to deliver a package to a few men who had just entered the city. I never saw them before, which I thought was strange, especially since I did most of the deliveries and I know all the regulars. I was happy though, they gave me five silver coins, much more than what I usually get." I gripped the scabbard of my sword hard. Hard enough for my knuckles to go white. "That was 6 years ago." Trest gained a dark look in his eyes, glowering at me slightly. Adam looked at me with a slight hint of contempt. They knew what happened that day, 6 years ago. Everyone knew what happened that day. Lord Corvus''s son was murdered that day. Chapter 4 The Storm Guard are the most elite warriors of the Iron Raven, clad in full steel armor and wielding steel weapons they are a terrifying sight on the battlefield, working in tight cohesive units. Although each one of them is a knight in their own right, they fight best in formations, using their superior weapons and armor to encircle and crush foes. However, their primary deployment method is as heavy shock infantry, breaking apart the frontlines without suffering major casualties. There are only four full units of Storm Guard, three are bound to the Rain Passes and are loyal to each of the Lords there, and the last Storm Guard unit is in service directly under the Lord of the Iron Raven in Aquillum. Each unit has a banner signifying their service, with the names and heraldry of fallen comrades enscribed on a secondary banner that hangs from the same pole. The unit serving in Aquillum is the largest, 1,500 individuals as opposed to the 500 in the other units. While they primarlity serve as honorary guards, they are a force to be reckoned with in battle, being personally responsible for the changing of tides in battles with their mere presence. Other Realms posess forces similar to the Storm Guard, however, the Storm Guard are the only ones to be clad in full steel armor, and is the primary reason why their numbers are quite limited compared to the elites of other Realms. Despite that, they are well worth their cost, having defeated the elite units of the Bronze Bull in a prior conflict despite inferior numbers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Silver Sharks love their ships. They would celebrate the birth of a new vessel, mourn the death of them, and they guarded their ship building secrets jealously. So great is their love of them that they despised every second they had to spend away from their ships. As such, it wasn''t surprising that when the Silver Sharks decided to make way to Drakenhold they rode their ships up the Great River of Angrith. Peasants who came to the waters edge to collect water and start their mornings gaped at the sight of the massive fleet slowly making its way up north. Thirty five was their number, each gleaming silver and blue, and flying the banners of the Silver Shark. While all of them had been cleaned and decorated to their utmost splendour, each ship had it''s own individual flair, a sign of the strong individualistic nature of these captain-lords. Some sported beautiful maidens, their faces serene as the calmest shallows with long flowing silver hair while others had faces that were contorted and twisted with rage and sorrow like the stormiest of raging seas. Some had magnificent statues of Gods, both foreign and dead, imposing yet devoid of meaning to the peasants who stood by gaping in awe. While all of these vessels were impressive, none were as spectacular, nor as finely enriched as the flagship leading them. At its prow was a massive Sharks head, its maw gaping open in a snarl, showing off its multiple rows of serrated teeth. Its cold dead black eyes felt alive, glaring at all those who passed before it. Its silver scales gleamed in the over hanging sunlight, blinding those who dared to look directly at it. The deck was filled to the brim with strong hardy sailors, muscles brimming with strength, all shouting and grunting in unison as they rowed. Two ballistae loaded with massive quarrels gleamed in the back quarters of the ship, and two siphons, no doubt filled with dreaded Liquid Fire, were mounted in the front of the magnificent vessel. However, as magnificent as the vessel was,her Captain could not be matched in his splendour. He stood 2 meters tall, his bare chest showing out from his long padded coat. He was covered in gold and silver and precious stones, rings on every finger, and upon his neck were necklaces fit for kings. He had a long flowing silver beard, the only aspect of him that seemed to have aged over his life, and it too was decorated bay bands of silver and gold. Yet, upon his head, where one would expect a crown of some sort, was only a simple golden circlet, so small, so thin and insignificant one would be forgiven for not seeing it at all. This man is known to many as the man who single handedly sunk and foiled the invasion fleet of the Crimson King, the man who tore his own father apart with his bare hands, and the man who spat in the face of the previous Drake King. The Lord of the Silver Shark, Sanguinor Galadine. It''s been three days since they began to sail up the Angrith. And there were still six more til they could arrive at Drakenhold. Due to Drakenhold being so inland one would be correct to worry about the feasibility of taking an entire fleet upstream. Lord Sanguinor was not worried about such things. The River Angrith ran both wide and deep all the way past Drakenhold, only narrowing at the foothold of the Iron Mountains. No, Lord Sanguinor was not worried at all. He was bored. The wind barely blew, forcing his men to have to row, and there was nothing to amuse himself with beyond the few bards he brought who were already beginning to run low on creativity. He did NOT want to listen to yet another song about his beard.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Why does everybody fixate on his beard? He knew the answer of course, his long silver beard didn''t really seem to fit his somewhat still youthful appearance, and as such seemed out of place. And of course people tend to fixate on such anomalies. But even then, he argued to himself, surely they would lose interest and fixate on my jewellery, or my ship, orat the very least the variousdeeds I''ve done. One of the bards coughed as they attempted to come up with another song, but they fell silent as Lord Sanguinor swiped his hand at them irritably. Bored and irritated. That would be the sum of all of his current emotions. Boredom and irritation. He wished he didn''t have to go to the capital. It was nothing but backstabbing and false smiles, things that one would expect but wouldn''t find pleasure in. The last time he had been forced to attend a meeting in the capital he had been condemned for "inhumane acts of cruelty". The damn hypocrites. Even the Meeting of the Five was not enough to cause him to return to Drakenhold, a point of contention noted by every lord and lady across the land. Despite his ill repute amongst the other members of high society Lord Sanguinor was popular in his own Realm, and for him that was enough. Indeed he preferred the title of Captain over Lord, though his people have turned to calling him Captain-Lord instead. Lord Sanguinor sighed as he sat down at the prow of his ship. He wondered if he should just turn his fleet around and head back home, but the current situation was developing in a way that he did not expect. The current Drake King seemed young and somewhat foolish the last time he had seen him, taking over the throne after the unexpected death of his father. Despite that it seems that he had matured, and matured in the manner that only the Drake''s would, becoming capricious and estranged. Yes, the call for the Five as well as their men seemed like an active provocation, one that goaded the Lords of the Plains too well. Had it not been for the alliance between the Silver Shark and the Bronze Bear, and by extension the Lords of the Plains, Lord Sanguinor would not have bothered with these events. While he was not a master of politics, having only risen to his position by brute force and maintaining it in that same manner, he felt something wrong was about to happen. Something very wrong. He angrily swiped at the nearest bard, they started to sing about his silver beard again. Damn it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I felt myself flying through the air. The gravel ground and blue sky mixed as I tumbled, crashing into the ground. The long trail of wagons and soldiers had stopped while I was telling my story to Trest and Adam, and the moment the wheels stopped moving Trest had grabbed me and tossed me out. I could hear Adam and Trest wrestling around, Trest angrily shouting at Adam to let him go, and Adam yelling back telling him to not be stupid. I spat out a piece of grit that made its way into my mouth and slowly rose up. A small crowd formed around us, well me, Trest and Adam were still in the cart, but the bystanders were gathering, fellow Recruit-Wards, and several soldiers. "THAT FUCKER IS THE REASON I''M A RECRUIT WARD ADAM! FUCKING LET GO OF ME BEFORE I FUCKING SMASH YOUR SKULL IN!" "TREST YOU MORON CALM DOWN! YOU DON''T KNOW IF HE HAD DONE ANYTHING!" I stood up straight, balancing on my toes as Trest angrily dragged Adam and himself over towards me. One of the bystanding soldiers whistled at the sight, some were grinning as they watched. "YOU MOTHER FU-" Trest swung his fist at me, hard and fast. I moved my head back, dodging the clumsy blow before Adam tackled him again, pinning him into the ground. Both of them were panting furiously, Trest breathing in copious amounts of dust and dirt but seemingly didn''t care, and Adam tried his hardest to keep Trest from getting up. Trest muttered murderously, "If what I think is right, and you were involved in that incident I swear I''m going to hunt you down and kill you, Astus." He glared at me, his eyes filled with hatred. I stared back quietly. I don''t know why he was this angry, but I wasn''t going to let him take it out on me, especially when he didn''t know what happened that day. Hell, he didn''t even let me finish my story before he threw me out of the cart. "Trest-" Just as I was about to respond Instructor Hearst burst through the crowd, smashing me and Adam in the head with his fistsand sent us sprawling into the dirt before screaming at all three of us. "HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN WHAT THE HEAD INSTRUCTOR SAID BEFORE WE LEFT? YOUR ACTIONS REFLECT ON ALL OF US! ACT OUT ONCE MORE AND I''LL SEND YOU ALL BACK TO AQUILLUM ON YOUR OWN!" ""Yessir"" Adam and I struggled to get back on our feet as we shouted our confirmation. Trest stood up silently with a dark expression before going back into the cart. Instructor Hearst gave us one dirty look before dispersing the crowd, now leaving dissapointedly as they didn''t get to see a proper fight, as he left. I stumbled. That was twice I got hit on the head, and I would have fallen face first into the ground had Adam not grabbed me. I was about to mutter out my thanks, but he put his mouth to my ears and whispered. "I don''t know what exactly you did, but I can tell what would have happened. Give me a couple days and I''ll convince Trest to calm down enough to hear you out. Until then stay quiet and don''t do anything stupid." He pushed me over to the cart before climbing in himself. I didn''t go back in. I didn''t think it would have been wise to do so anyways. So I just stood there, quietly, leaning against the wooden base of the cart, looking up at the sky and trying my best not to fall over again. Fuck this hurts. My face had several cuts after it kissed the ground, and they stung, causing me to hiss slightly as I washed them out with what little water I had in my water skin. I felt rather indignant. And extremely confused. Trest had exploded, seemingly spontaneously, and he had blamed me for his being a Recruit-Ward? I sighed. This is why I didn''t like talking to others about my past. All of them always reacted the same, staring at me with eyes of contempt and spite. Although ususally none of them had acted as violently as Trest just did. Looking up I realized that it was almost night, one of the reasons why the procession would have stopped. Probably the only reason actually, that and the fact that this location was one of the few that were flat and wide enough to fit everyone. Which meant that it was time to sleep soon. And I didn''t want to go into the cart and see Trest quite yet. Fuck.