CRIOS Book Chapters

he Fisher and the Master

This account now follows the story of a young fisherman of the Common Men and his friend, a sword master. Fate had prepared many things for them, and here you may find out the start of the adventure of “The Fisher and The Master.”

Wake up, sleepyhead! Breakfast’s ready and you promised that today you’ll outwit the Sea King!” came a voice from inside a house. It was the Sixteenth Day of the Third Month of the 3213th Year. “Dan!” called the voice again. “Alright, alright! Can’t you wait, Strode? You know I chased Sea King from dusk to midnight!” answered Dan, who felt as if he never wanted to stop sleeping. “Sorry, Dan, but a fisherman’s life is really tough,” came Strode’s voice again, but this time he was already in Dan’s room. “You have to start out as soon as you can. You’re the only fisherman of Edisa, and we’re depending on you for our seafood. It’s an important part of our meals, you know. We don’t breed those-what do you call them-chickuns? Anyway, only Cresa breeds them, the best, too, and I ate up all of the chickuns they gave me. I even tried eatin’ the bones.” Strode laughed. “I’m going to make sure you try one, Dan-huh? I did it again! I always wander away from what we’re supposed to be talking about. Anyway, I know your hungry, so let’s hurry up! I’m also starving, and the only thing I’ve eaten up is your time.” Strode walked down again, and Dan had now woken up fully. He hastily put on his undergarments and his favorite green jacket. “What’s for breakfast?” asked Dan as he went down the wooden stairs. “The fishes you caught, as usual, and I prepared something special for you,” Strode replied. Dan sniffed and he smelled the familiar scent of fried fish, and a new, unfamiliar scent, which smelled very good. He ran as fast as he could to the table and almost bumped into Strode. “Easy, Dan!” he said after avoiding Dan. Dan saw in the table a big, fried, birdlike body. It was reddish brown in color and it looked roasted. “What’s this?” Dan asked, still smelling the pleasing aroma. “Chickuns. Like I promised, I’m making sure you try one. Sit down already, so we can start eating. I boiled another one into a stew. Enjoy your breakfast, Dan.” Dan immediately sat down and tried eating the `chickun` but was unsuccessful. “How do you eat it?” he asked. “I was going to tell you that when you suddenly grabbed it. Put it down for now. First,“ Strode grabbed what seemed to be its legs, “-you pull this off and eat the part you’re not holding.” He tore off the meat with his teeth. “Come on, Dan. Grab the other one.” he said unclearly while chewing the meat. Dan took a bite and savored the taste. “This tastes good! I have to eat more!” And he quickly ate the `chickun` leg. “Just like what I said, Dan." Strode replied, “But don’t fall to its spell, or sooner or later it’ll all be gone before you know it. Take your time and sip some stew and eat some fish.” Dan put the bones down and got a bowl. “A bowlful of it, Strode. As for the fish-“he said as he looked at the fried fish as if he was tired of it, “I think I’ll pass today. The only thing I’ll have to do with fish today is catching and not eating.” He sipped the `chickun` stew noisily and also felt satisfied. “Tastes just as good as the chickun itself.” He said to Strode. “I told you, they’re the best,” Strode replied. “Thank The Mystic Ones that my friend turned out to be the chickun breeder of Cresa. I’ll set up your boat for you. I’ll be at Lake Ind in case you want to find me. I reckon by the time you’re finished I’ll be there already. I’ll get your pony, Scale, ready for you. Enjoy your meal. You’ll need it to catch up with Sea King!” and he left the house without another word, singing to himself. It took Dan about ten minutes to finish his breakfast. Much later, he took a bath, dressed up and got his spear and nets. “Chickuns are good,” he thought, “but fishes are still Edisa’s pride. I’ll make Cresa crave for my fishes. Only Sea King will remain uneaten. He’ll be my trophy.” He went outside. Though he had taken a long time to eat, the morning was still young. And he looked at the view of the beautiful valleys of Rahas, for his house was on the highest hill in Edisa. He looked at the fresh sunrise on the east which gleamed a light yellow and made the faraway waters of Lake Ind sparkle like a yellow diamond. On the far west, the Bay of Rahas was calm under the cool and young blue skies of a beautiful morning in Rahas. Dan took a deep breath of the fresh morning air and looked at his house again. It was quite small, and the room of Dan protruded out of the roof, giving him a full view of Rahas. Beside it was the stable where he kept a small pond for his fishes, Strode’s donkey, Ree and his own donkey, Scale. He went inside the stable and saddled up Scale. “To Ind, as usual, Scale,” he told his pony, which was guided outside by Dan. Then, he got up on Scale and rode down towards the village of Edisa and into Lake Ind and the sunrise. He could make out a small dot faraway. “Thanks for the Chickuns,” he thought. “I’m getting Sea King today.”

He rode through the currently sparse streets of the village of Edisa. He stopped at the village’s sword house and dismounted from Scale. As he walked along the path, a young man walked out of the doors. He was holding a wooden sword. “Fera, Vage!” exclaimed Dan. “Ulu Fera, Dan. What’re you expecting today?” answered Vage. “Sea King in my desk,” replied Dan. “You’ll need lots of energy for that! Stay here for now and eat breakfast with us,” said Vage. “Father, did you say Umu Fira? What does that mean?” cried a voice from behind the doors. Vage’s son went out to greet Dan, too, as usual, but he had not yet heard them say Fera. “Awake already, Pete? Well, Fera to you! It’s just a casual word we Common Men invented to mean `Good Morning. ` And Ulu Fera means `Good Morning to you, too. `, alright?” replied Vage. “How’s little Pete?” said Dan. “Still dreaming big,” said Vage, patting Pete on the back. “He wants to be a fisherman, just like you. Talk to him, Pete!” Pete ran to Dan and said, “I want to catch fish too, Mr. Dan.” Dan laughed. “Well of course you will, Pete! One day you will catch fish, but be prepared to work hard,” he said. “I promise to work hard!” cried Pete. “Alright then, Pete,” said Vage,” but you can’t become a big fisherman if you don’t eat your breakfast. Go inside now and wait for me.” Pete obediently went inside the house without another word.

Vage turned to Dan. “Come in. We’re having eggs and some hot Edisan Elixir,” he said. Dan shook his head and smiled. “I’ve already eaten, and I have to be on my way,” said Dan. “But thanks for the offer.” “Good luck, then! I’ll expect Sea King in your hands,” replied Vage. “He’s as good as caught! Well, thanks for the offer again! See you later,” said Dan as he mounted on Scale again. And he rode once again along the path.

As he slowly rode down the green and grassy eastern path to Ind, he looked at the left and saw the beautiful Western and Eastern hills of Rahas, and between them the fertile Green Valley lay peacefully, covered with the pale yellow light of the rising sun. Behind him, the Bay of Rahas remained as calm as ever but a sight he never noticed much got his attention. On the right, unnamed mountains stood just like the Western mountains, but they did not have the peacefulness of it. They stood ominous and challenging, marking the boundaries of Rahas. What was beyond them, Dan began to wonder. He knew that there were the worlds of the Naiths, the Vorgs and their bigger counterparts, the Greater Men there; but what they looked like he longed to see, for he loved traveling as much as fishing. He was itching to steer Scale towards the mountains and see the rest of Crios, but before he even tried doing it, he noticed that he was already close to Ind. After a few minutes, he caught sight of Strode, who was sitting by a tree. He made Scale go faster and stopped at the nearby shack he used as his fishing house. He dismounted and left Scale there, then with his spear in his hand and his net on his back, he ran to Strode.

When he made it to the tree, he saw that Strode was asleep. “As usual,” he said, and he scooped a little water from the lake in his hands and threw it in Strode’s face. Strode woke up immediately. “You threw too much today, Dan. You want to drown me?” he said, coughing but smiling as droplets flowed down his wet face. “Did I? Sorry then, but of course I’m not trying to drown you! Anyway, now that you’re awake, I hope this time you spotted Sea King before you slept!” replied Dan.

“Oh, this time I did spot him early. I saw him at the left part of the lake, still quite bored or tired from your chase. But I think he’s not there anymore, wait let me check. He looked at the lake with his sharp eyes. A few seconds later, he spoke again. “I think this time he’s really tired, he’s still in the same spot! You’re definitely in luck today, Dan. Your waking up early paid off. Now go and catch him!” Dan took off his jacket and prepared his spear. “Today’s the day, then. Wish me luck!” and he ran and stopped right before the waters. “Must be careful, or I’ll scare him away again,” he thought. And he dove in carefully.

Then, when his body was fully in the lake, he took a deep breath and swam down the now warm waters of Ind. He saw the figure of Sea King, the biggest fish in Rahas. Its whole body was as long as the distance from Dan’s chest to his feet. Quietly he swam to the parts behind Sea King’s watchful eyes and prepared his spear. He was going to grab Sea King and thrust the spear inside its mouth. Many times before, he was unable to catch it, mostly because when Dan caught it, it would struggle free with a force that was a bit too strong for Dan, and sometimes it escaped even ere Dan could catch it or he loses breath when he catches it. This time, however, he could still hold his breath and was still strong from the `Chickun` breakfast. Also, Sea King was probably tired and he was in a good position to strike. And after a split second, he thrust himself forward and wrapped Sea King tightly in his arms. But as he prepared to shove the spear in its mouth, its eyes suddenly glowed green. And it opened its mouth not to let the spear in but to let a voice out. “Come with me,” said the fish suddenly. Dan let out a gasp. He lost breath, and his consciousness slowly faded away until everything went black.

he Secret of Sea King

Dan left his house to go fishing in Lake Ind, just like a typical day. There was an unusual event, however, as Sea King suddenly spoke to him there, and as he lost consciousness. Did he die? Certainly not, as this account has only begun. The rest will be revealed as Sea King’s secret is unveiled.

Dan woke up. As he last remembered, he lost consciousness while attempting to catch Sea King in the water. He thought he had drowned in the waters of Ind, but for some reason, he wasn’t. He was, instead, in a grassy field, and he was sitting by a tall tree. He thought Strode had rescued him and brought him outside, but Strode, his shack, and even Lake Ind wasn’t there. All he could see were the grass fields stretching on a seemingly endless path. He looked around. Perhaps he had died and gone to Paradise? But he still had his normal clothes, and he was still quite wet. He looked around. Nothing else was to be found. He was about to walk away when he suddenly heard some singing voices.

The day of reckoning hath finally arrived.
For ages we waited and strived.
But now, rejoice, o men who fear,
For the heroes of the Common Men are here.

And when he is united with the three races,
They shall vanquish the evil in all places.
And the traitor of the deities, who slumbers still,
Shall perish from this world along with his dark will.

After the singing voices went silent, he heard two more
voices. He heard a conversation between them.

“Is he truly the one?”

“His heart is pure and the ancient scrolls have foretold it.”

“Foretold about what?”

“The arrival of a humble fisherman of the Common Men. It is
said that he would make contact with one of the Mystic Ones.”

“I see. What about the other one?”

Dan listened more closely. They were apparently talking
about him. But who the other one was, he had no idea.
And so he listened to the voices again.

“The swordsman? He is also written in the ancient scrolls.
‘Tis said that a master of the sword, an acquaintance of the One,
will accompany him in the journey.”

“So this is indeed the moment of hope we have long awaited.”

“Yes. We must all rejoice. But we must not leave him lingering
on in confusion. I shall speak to him.”

When Dan heard these words, he felt excited and anxious. He was going to see the Mystic Ones, the ancient spirits said to have created the world of Crios. He was expecting to see a majestic looking being dressed in the finest of garments or a gigantic deity that would tower above him several feet high. Neither came true, however, when the Mystic One finally appeared to him.

Standing before him was what seemed to be a man dressed in a simple white robe with his long black hair floating in the wind. His face did not look threatening or majestic; rather, he looked like a kind gentleman. Judging by his size, he was probably even taller than the Greater Men, but not as tall as what the Common Men would consider gigantic. He spoke in a kind voice. “Daniel Elorima, son of Tiral Elorima of Edisa. How are you?” said the Mystic One. Dan was speechless of awe. “For years you have tried to kill me,” he said. At this Dan was forced to speak, but he could only stutter. “Me? Kill you? I would n-never pursue-one of the M-Mystic O-Ones! I have n-never seen one! B-but if I h-have d-done anything wr-wrong, I ask your forgiveness!” And he bowed so low and kneeled down. But rather than being angry, the Mystic One smiled. “Rise, Daniel Elorima. And worry not, for I have accepted your apology. But it was not your fault. Who would have known that the large fish called Sea King, which Daniel Elorima, the fisherman has long been pursuing, would actually be one of the Mystic Ones?”

Dan was stunned by what The Mystic One said. He found the courage to say, “How is this possible?” The Mystic One walked towards him slowly and spoke again. “Well, let me tell you my story. I am called Graphinaritusin. As you may notice, all of us Mystic Ones are called with long names. I would explain to you why, but we have not time for those matters. To continue with my story, I fell during the creation of the world before Crios. I broke the law of the Mystic Ones when I was overcome by the same pride that overtook Thaenosurutrephim, or Thaenos. I am sure you know about him, or am I wrong?” Dan shook his head. “I know the history of Crios. My father told me about it in my youth.” Graphinaritusin looked at the sky and began speaking again. “Good. That means I need not tell the history anymore. Going back to the story, I was turned into a fish, unlike Thaenos, for he was greater than me. My pride left me as soon as I fell from the heavens. But hope still remained, for my kin promised me that when evil would come to oppress one of the worlds we created, the destined hero will make contact with me and I would return once again to being a Deity. And evil did come in Thaenos, so I was removed from the other world and brought here instead. And I was put in Lake Ind, where it was said that the hero of the Common Men, a fisherman, would make contact with one of the Mystic Ones. I knew that that “one of the Mystic Ones” was simply me, but I wondered who the fisherman was. And I waited and waited for many years. Many fishermen tried catching me before, but I knew they were not the one since I did not sense the purity that was supposed to be possessed by the One. And so I evaded capture many times and made a name for myself, which I know you know very well. Sea King.” Dan gasped silently. The Mystic One still looked towards the blue sky. “I liked the name. But I still waited for many long years until you came.” Graphinaritusin looked at Dan again. “Yes, you came. Do you remember when you first came to the Lake Ind as a fine fisherman? You had been training there for a long time. I decided to catch your attention and you did try to pursue me. You tried-” His speech was cut short. Dan spoke again. “I am truly begging your pardon, my Lord. I cannot control myself sometimes from doing something. But I would like to ask, why did you not reveal yourself the first time I tried catching you?” Graphinaritusin walked towards him and sat beside him. He told Dan softly, “It is quite simple, young one. You see, though you were indeed a fine young man, in our eyes, you were still too young. Too young to journey away from your home and face the dangers ahead. And so I waited and kept evading capture until this very day. I sensed that now you were ready, so I decided to finally speak to you. And you know what happened.”

Graphinaritusin stood up and walked away from him again. He waved his hand and a white body appeared beside him. “Here is the one who will accompany you in your quest. He is well trained, so you will not fail.” The body slowly got less bright but it was still unclear. As the body slowly took form, Dan thought if this was a Common Man he did not know. But when he could make out the face, he let out a gasp of happiness. It was Vage.

He ran to him and hugged him. “Vage!” he said as he hugged him tightly. But Vage, instead of being happy, looked as if he had just woken up from a trance. “Where? Huh? What? Where am I? Who-Dan?! What is happening? What are we doing here? Are we dead?” Graphinaritusin held Vage and told him, “Be still, Vageron Wulder, son of Athelin Wulder of Edisa. You are not dead. Let Daniel Elorima explain to you.” Dan made him sit down and told him about what Graphinaritusin said. “And you are going to be my companion,” he added as well. Vage replied, “I will stand by your side, Dan, but this is a most perilous journey. Can we do this?” Dan smiled at him. “For a long time I have dreamed of journeying beyond Rahas. I dream of seeing all of the three races. And this is a fulfillment of my wish. We will follow our fates. Very soon we will not be alone, for we are soon going to be assisted by the three other races.” Vage hesitated, but finally accepted it. Then, Vage and Dan both stood up and told Graphinaritusin, “We accept this task.” He smiled at them once again. “Very well. I shall now return you to your homes. Daniel Elorima, you will return to the lake. Time does not pass here, so you need not think that your friend, Strode Rillin is worrying about you. And Vageron Wulder, you will return to your home again. Do not forget to bid your old companions goodbye and do not forget to go together. Two individuals from each race have also been visited by some of us. You may decide which land to visit first. But your objective is still to go to the Unholy Lake. And thank you very much again, for because of you I was forgiven. Farewell, my young friends. I shall expect us to meet soon.” He waved his hand and they saw no more of him. A swirl of wind came to them and lifted them, and they floated away and fell asleep.

he Journey Begins

Dan was appointed the task of destroying Thaenos in an unknown place. He found out that Sea King was actually one of the Mystic Ones hidden in disguise, a fallen deity named Graphinaritusin. Accompanying him was his friend, the Sword Master Vage. Now, they must prepare themselves from the most dangerous task in Crios.

“Dan! Dan! Breathe! Come on, now, breathe!” Dan coughed. He opened his eyes. He was being held by Strode. He was a few feet away from the spot where he thought he had drowned. Strode was shouting, “Breathe! Breathe!” And he finally sat up. “Don’t panic, Strode, I’m all right. But you will not believe what happened to me. I’ll tell you about it later. For today, I will not go fishing. There are important matters to discuss. Let’s go.” Strode sighed. “You had me worried badly! I thought you drowned there! And unfortunately, Sea King’s gone. No trace of him anymore.” Dan did not look sad. “It doesn’t matter. Come, we must go home again.” Strode hesitated, but Dan finally convinced him to go back to Edisa. And so they rode on their ponies and slowly made it back to Edisa. It was already about late morning as they walked. The sun had already fully risen, and now it cast an uncomfortably hot light. Nevertheless, they went on. Finally, they made it back to the main village of Edisa. It was now crowded and noisy. Dan rode his pony to the village sword house. He ran inside and immediately shouted, “Vage! Are you ready? We must gather first in my house!” There was no answer. Dan called again and again, but still no answer. Dan thought he was away, so he turned to leave and look for him somewhere else. But just when he was almost outside the house, Vage’s voice came from inside. “Don’t leave yet, Dan! Wait for me; I haven’t said my goodbye to my family!”

And Dan went inside again. “What kept you?” he asked. Vage replied, “I already said, I haven’t said goodbye yet. It’s hard for my family to accept, especially my beautiful Phinella and Pete. They’re begging me to let you journey alone. I told them I can’t, since I was assigned and promised to help you. I can’t blame them, since just a day from now we’re already leaving. Well, there’s a first time for everything. Did you say we’ll go to your house first? Well then, wait a moment.” Then Vage ran back inside. Dan waited outside. A few seconds later, he heard Vage and Phinella’s voice.

“Are you leaving now? I thought it wasn’t until tomorrow!”

“No, not yet. I’m just going to Dan’s house. We have to talk.”

“Haven’t you thought about it yet?”

“I have, and I must go with him. It’s not just for Rahas. It’s for all of Crios.”

“But why not leave him alone? He’s a brave man, he can do it, can’t he?”

“The Mystic One, the great Graphinaritusin, gave me the task of accompanying him. Please understand. I promise I’ll return.”

“You promise? Promise that you won’t die along the way?”

“I promise. I’ll take care of myself.”

Then Dan heard Phinella crying.

“A-alright, th-then. I’ll prepare your things f-for you.”

“Thanks for understanding Phinella. Don’t worry. I love you, and I would do anything
after the journey to see you again.”

A bit later, Vage walked out again. “It’s tough for her,” he told Dan. “Let’s go.” Vage brought out his pony, Blade, and mounted on it. Dan and Strode got on their ponies as well. Then, they rode on to the hill where Dan’s house was. They made it there quickly, and when they reached the top of the hill, they dismounted and left their ponies in the stable. Inside, Dan made Strode and Vage sit down. He got some tea for them and he sat down with them. Then, after a gulp of tea, he began talking. “Alright, now that we’re here, we must become organized about this quest of mine.” Then he told Strode the story of what happened between him, Vage and Graphinaritusin. After Dan finished, Strode took a deep breath and told Dan, “So that means you’ll be leaving here without knowing what lies ahead. You’re going to leave your quiet life here to go on a the most dangerous mission in Crios?” Dan sighed. “You must understand, Strode, that this is for Crios. You know about Thaenos, right? His awakening is at hand, and his destruction is now my responsibility.” Strode asked, “Can you two alone do this?” Dan shook his head. “No, of course we can’t, but we will get the help of the three other races.” Strode then bowed his head low in deep thought. After a few seconds, he looked at Dan again. “Alright, then. I’ll take care of the fishing for you.” Dan then stood up and hugged him. “Thank you, Strode. You’re a real friend. I won’t fail you.” Then he sat down again and turned to Vage. “First thing tomorrow, we will gather in Lake Ind and head for Welsa. From there, we will make our way to the other land of the Common Men, Vlahas. The rest, we will decide later. As for provisions, Vage, you’ll bring water. I’ll bring some cooking gear, salt, fish and some Chickuns-that is, if there are still some.” He looked at Strode. “Don’t’ worry, I got lots of them from Cresa.” Dan continued, “And we’ll need protection as well. I’ll bring my handy spear, and Vage-” but he was interrupted by Vage. “I’ll bring the Great Blade. It has rested for a very long time, and none can wield it unless his purpose is pure. I wonder if I can handle it, it’s an unstable weapon.” Dan said, “I’m sure you can. Let’s all get a good sleep tonight and hope it isn’t our last here. Unless there are some more concerns, everything’s ready.

You can both go now.” And Strode and Vage bid him goodbye and left the house. That day, Dan had a light lunch and prepared his things. He packed his spear, his cooking gear, the provisions and other things inside a big rucksack. Then, during the night, he had `Chickun` stew for supper and after a few minutes, he went to bed, hoping this was not his last night in Edisa.

Dan woke up early the next morning. It was now the Seventeenth Day of the Third Month of the 3213th Year. He immediately took a bath, wore his traveling jacket and cloak, and ate a simple breakfast of vegetable stew. Then, he carried his rucksack on his back and proceeded outside. He locked the door with a simple wooden lock and went to the stable. He put most of his luggages on Scale. Then, he brought it outside, locked the stable and mounted on Scale. The sun had not risen yet; the sky was still a dark blue. He took a deep breath and enjoyed his possibly last moments on the hill of Edisa. After a few moments, he proceeded down the hill and made his way to Ind, like any other day. However, he wasn’t going fishing, he was going to meet with Vage to go to Welsa, a place he knew well but never visited before. In no time, he arrived in the empty streets of the village of Edisa. He passed Vage’s house and knew that by now Vage wasn’t there, he could wake up much earlier than Dan. And so he continued on along the path to Ind. As he passed this road, he once again looked at the unnamed mountains to his right and now he was quite excited now that his dream was about to come true, for this time he had an acceptable excuse to leave Rahas and travel to the rest of Crios. Only one thing was disheartening him, the thought that this journey could claim his life. But he was confident that he would make it alive, so he stopped thinking about the thought. Not much later, he made it to Ind. Vage was sitting beside his shack, examining his special sword, the Great Blade. He did not notice Dan until he greeted him.

“I’ve been waiting for quite some time. I guess I woke up too early for you.” Dan nodded his head. “Actually, I’m later than I expected. We must make it to Vlahas by tonight. I’ve made plans for which of the three races’ homelands we’ll go to. I think we should go to Elaim first. The Vorgs may look grouchy, but they’re actually friendly. We haven’t seen any of them in Edisa, since the people don’t want to make anyone a servant. But I’ve seen them in Cresa, and they’re easy to be acquainted with. I wonder who will be the chosen individuals for the Vorgs?” Vage answered him, “Whoever they are, I’m sure they will be expecting us. Now let us make haste to Welsa.” Vage mounted on Blade and put his sword in its sheath. And they passed through the left side of Lake Ind. Dan looked at the source of Lake Ind’s waters, the river of Essu. It would have been much faster to travel by that river, but its flow was towards Ind, so they wouldn’t be able to travel by the river. And so he decided to pass through Krsa and go to Welsa first. On the way to Krsa, the sun was now slowly rising again, but a few minutes later it was covered by some rain clouds Dan failed to notice. Nevertheless, they continued the long ride undisturbed. Later on, the sky was now fully covered by rain clouds. Nevertheless, it didn’t begin raining until about noontime. Krsa was already visible by that time. It was covered by tall concrete walls, for the people there weren’t very welcoming. The only way to enter there was through a big, guarded gate. As Dan looked at Krsa, however, it began to drizzle. Dan put on his hood and soon the rain got stronger. Hower, they did not let it hinder them. As they rode on, they were surprised to see that they were already at the gate of Krsa, for they did not see it clearly because of the rain. Dan got off Scale and knocked on the gate. Above the wall, some guards shouted to him. “Who are you?” Dan shouted back, “I am Daniel Elorima, a fisherman of the village of Edisa. I am a friend of your chief, Poitel Naal.” The guard replied, “Ah! Master Dan! You are most welcome. And I can see Master Vage with you. Come in! Firlet! Open the gate!” Then Dan heard a click and slowly, the gate was opened. He and Vage quickly brought their ponies inside with them and they went to the only inn there, the Krsa Haven
.
They left Scale and Blade in the stable for Krsa Haven’s guests and went inside. It was a long time since the last time both Dan and Vage entered an inn, and they had forgotten the environment of an inn. It was noisy in Krsa’s Haven, and there were many faces around, some looking suspicious and others looking simple. Dan beckoned Vage to come with him in an empty table. They sat down, and Dan told Vage, “We’ll eat lunch here. After a short rest, we’ll buy more provisions and then we head for Welsa.” Then Dan stood up and went to the innkeeper, Garilet. He greeted Dan. Dan greeted him back and then said, “Two cups of grape juice and two orders of fried fish and do you have Chickuns?” Garilet shook his head. “They’re called Chickens. And we do. Fried, grilled or in a stew. How do you want yours?” Dan thought for a while and then answered, “Fried.” Garilet wrote down a few things in some paper then held out his hand. “That’ll be ten gold coins. If you want, I can take twenty silver coins, forty bronze coins or eighty metal coins.” Dan reached in his rucksack and got six gold coins and eight silver coins. “Here. Thanks.” Dan returned to his seat and waited patiently for the meal. In a few minutes, the grape juice and fried chickens were brought by Garilet to their table. They ate quickly and after buying some more provisions and a short rest, they left Krsa’s Haven. They got their ponies and mounted on them. Then, they rode towards the gate again. Firlet, however, did not allow them to go out when they came. “Chief Naal would like to see you.” Dan told him, “We are in a hurry. Just tell him that me and Vage are going on a quest to, ridiculous as it sounds, save Crios. Tell him a Mystic One, Graphinaritusin, ordered me.” At the mention of Graphinaritusin’s name, Firlet gasped. “I sense no lie in your lips, Master Dan. Lord Graphinaritusin! He is indeed one of the Mystic Ones. I have read about him in my studies. Very well, since you are in a hurry, I will tell chief Naal about it.” And with that he opened the gate. Dan and Vage got out. The rain had weakened, so it was now easier to travel. They rode on once again. It was a quite long journey to Welsa, so they occasionally took breaks to rest their ponies and drink water.

By the time they were already halfway into Welsa, the sun was already sinking. The sky was now a mix of pale blue and pink, and the land was getting colder as they traveled. Much later the moon was already rising, and the sun was no longer visible. “It looks like we won’t be able to reach Welsa early,” Dan told Vage. “Don’t worry, Dan. I think in a few more minutes we should already see Welsa,” he replied. And sure enough, when they passed the last hill of Krsa, Dan saw a faint gleam afar. And as they got closer to it, Welsa, the greatest village in Rahas, was taking form.

Welsa’s tall towers loomed over its magnificent homes, and they were all filled with many torches. Each one had a different colored flame, and from afar they all seemed like beautiful dots surrounding and illuminating all of Welsa. It was also surrounded by great concrete walls, but not as tall and unwelcoming as Krsa’s. They rode towards the red gate of Welsa and a little bit later, they were already there. Just like Krsa, a guard inquired about them. “You have just come to the gates of Welsa. What is it you seek?” came a voice coming from a spot neither Dan nor Vage could see. Dan replied, “We are travelers from the village of Edisa. I am Daniel Elorima, a friend of Strode Rillin, the brother of your chief.” A man walked towards the gate and looked closely at them. “So you are Master Daniel Elorima? But I must have evidence that you really are. Master Strode said Master Daniel has a spear that has Master Strode’s initials in it. Do you have such a thing?” Dan took out his spear and showed it to the guard. On it was clearly written two shapes:

The guard looked at these then whispered, `Clarzaph…The Naithen tongue is one of the tongues Master Strode speaks. It is indeed you. As for you,” he looked at Vage. Vage said, “If I’m not welcome, I’ll stay where you want me to stay in. I am just a friend of Dan here.”

But the guard shook his head. “A friend of Master Strode’s friend is welcome. Master Daniel, please forgive us. I know that Master Strode tells you that we welcome anyone. However, lately, queer things have been happening. We can’t be too careful. Alright, now you may come in.” The guard opened the gate of Welsa. He beckoned them to enter. “Allow us to take care of your ponies for now. Will you be staying here for the night? I would strongly recommend that you do. These days, it is unsafe to travel at night.” The guard whispered to them, “I hear that the dark…Thaenos’s awakening is coming. I fear what may happen. Oh, great Mystic Ones, I hope you’re listening. Help us and please send a hero to save us all.” Dan thought in his mind that this man had no idea that the one who was destined to destroy Thaenos was the simple fisherman standing before him. Dan did not mention it, though, and simply thanked the guard. Then, they walked around the streets of Welsa. The people there were talking cheerfully, and not much later, Dan saw the grand inn of Welsa. They saw a huge sign above its door and on it was clearly written, in huge, silver letters, Silver Serpent. It was a large inn. Dan and Vage immediately went inside. They saw that it was a large and spacious inn, and the people there were not very noisy, rather, they were either singing happily or talking silently. They settled themselves in a table. When they sat down, Dan looked at a sign just above the door:

Silver Serpent Inn

Dan read the sign well and told Vage to wait while he goes to find Gratila. Then, he stood up and asked a man in the table beside him, “Excuse me, sir, but may I know where Mister Gratila Creeheit is? You see, my friend and I are looking for a-” The man suddenly interrupted him.

“Say no more.” He pointed to a shaggy bearded man four tables away from them, talking to some people. He wore a fine black jacket covered with glistening hairs and was carrying a heavy looking shoulder bag. “That’s him,” he said. Dan thanked the man and went to Gratila. He called him, but he was quite busy talking, so he did not hear Dan. And so Dan poked him to catch his attention. He turned to Dan.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sir, I was talking to a friend of mine here. How may I serve you?” Dan got fifteen gold coins from his back. “My friend and I would like to rent a room, please. This night only. By tomorrow morning, we will leave.” Gratila took the coins and said, “One night, then. Follow me, sir.” He led Dan out of the dining hall and up some stairs into the second level of the inn, where the rooms were. He led Dan past several doors until they arrived at a green door. On it was nailed a piece of paper. “Vacant” was written on it.

Gratila tore the paper away and got a hammer from his bag. He removed the nail with it and put both things on the floor. Then, he took an eagle’s quill, a new piece of paper and some ink in a container and wrote “Occupied: Mr. Daniel Elorima” on it. Then, Gratila asked, “May I know who the other one is, sir?” Dan replied, “Vageron Wulder.” Gratila then added Vage’s name on the paper. Afterwards, he picked up the hammer and nailed the paper on the door using the same nail. Then he turned to Dan. “Alright, now that I’ve posted your names, you can go in. I’ll leave now, and if you need me, I will be in the Dining Hall.” And he opened the door for Dan, packed his hammer and went back to the Dining Hall below. Dan looked at the room. Two wooden beds covered with fine sheets lay there, and there was a closet between them. The room was illuminated by a flickering torch ablaze with a white flame. The walls were painted with a light shade of yellow and there were two windows beside each bed.

Dan put his rucksack inside the closet and looked outside one of the windows. He saw the great houses of Welsa. Dan felt proud looking at the beautiful village of Welsa. He was thinking, “Us Common Men have a beautiful village to be proud of.” But as he was thinking about the other races, the pride in his heart turned into excitement. If they, the Common Men had a great city, then surely the other races had even more grand ones. Strode used to tell him that even the primitive Vorgs had a town greater than Welsa. While thinking about this, he suddenly remembered his journey and Vage, who was waiting for him. He went outside the room and locked the door. Then, he walked past the doors and made it back to the stairs. He went down and was in the Dining Hall again. He went back to his table, where Vage was waiting. As he sat down, Vage told him, “I already ordered some food for us.” Dan thanked him. Later, Garilet brought them some hot pork stew. They ate slowly now, knowing that they were not in any hurry to leave right now. After eating, they proceeded to their room.

Vage immediately fell asleep as soon as he had lain down on his bed, tired of the day’s journey. Dan, however, lay awake, troubled and curious of what awaited him. His long journey was only beginning and he had only been away for a day, but already he felt as if he had been away for several ages already. He thought about it until he began to feel drowsy. He fell into an uneasy sleep but was undisturbed until dawn.

Dan yawned. He was able to sleep, but he felt that he hadn’t slept enough. Nevertheless, he carried himself out of the bed and put on new clothes. As usual, Vage was already awake ere him and he was no longer there. He saw that he had already packed their things. He carried the rucksack and walked out of the room. When he had locked the door, he saw Gratila running towards him. Dan turned to him. “We’re leaving now, like I said, and I reckon I shan’t be returning for a long time, or maybe not at all.”

“It was an honor having you here, Master Dan,” replied Gratila. And he bowed his head and went away. Dan walked along the hall of Inn rooms for the last time and made it to the flight of stairs leading down. He walked down the stairs again and back to the Dining Hall. Unlike last night, it was now sparsely populated. The tables Dan had heard the most noises from last night were now empty. They were cleaned well, looking as if it was newly built. As he looked around, he easily found Vage in the fifth table from the door, eating some bread and venison. He saw another plate on the table as well, and on it was some bread, a bar of butter and some fried meat. There was also tea for both of them. He walked towards the table and, feeling hungry again, sat down and ate immediately. Vage looked at him. “I’ve already bought provisions.” Then his look suddenly turned serious. “Today we will leave Rahas. Are you prepared for this?” Dan nodded. “I am. There’s no turning back now, there’s it’s no use even if I do. Crios will be destroyed if I don’t go, and either way I face a great danger. I’d rather face this, however, than lie in Edisa and await my doom. At least, if I fail, I’ll always remember that I tried.” Then Vage put his hand on Dan’s shoulders. “I am sure you will not fail.” Dan thanked him and smiled. “At least Vage stands by me, providing me his support,” he thought.

A few minutes later, they finally finished their breakfast. Then, they left their table and went outside. Most of the torches were now extinguished, and now Welsa was surrounded by a sleepy shade of yellow as the sun rose in the east which slowly climbed the sky above the Bay of Vlahas. They walked once again along the brick streets of Welsa. In no time at all they made it back to the gate. The guard talked to them before they left.

“You’re leaving now?” he asked them."

“Yes, and not back to anywhere in Rahas but outside it.”

“Indeed? Then I have some advice for you. I’ve travelled outside before and made it to the village of Atun in Vlahas. However, during nightfall, when you go to the boundary of Rahas, be careful.”

“Once, I camped there for a night. I was suddenly awoken by the noise of rushing water. When I looked outside, I saw that a great tidal wave was approaching. It was humongous, and without another thought, I turned and ran towards the river of Essu. However, it was too huge and fast. Before I had even run far enough, the wave hit me. I almost drowned. The last thing I saw before I was hit was a huge squid. I thought that would be the last thing I would see in my life, but strangely, after I lost consciousness, I found myself already in Atun. The people there were hospitable, not only rescuing me from drowning but even paying for all expenses for inn rooms and healing. As I regained my energy, I asked the first person I saw there about that strange occurrence in the Bay of Vlahas. And he told me about the story of the bay of Vlahas. He said that long ago, in the 1535th Year, a huge squid came from the sea of Otagre and settled in the bay.”

“Many of their fishermen who were curious about the great beast attempted to tame it. However, they found out that it did not like being caught. It was angered and it sunk all of the fishermen’s boats. Thus all feared the terrible squid and did not bother it again. However, there was one fisherman, the son of one of the fishermen who died, who wanted to avenge his father. At nighttime, when the beast was thought to be slumbering, he came to the boundary of Rahas and sailed towards the beast’s dwelling. The foolish man did not know, however, that the beast never slept. When he had got close enough, the beast coiled his boat with its tentacles and crushed it. The man, however, was able to swim away back to shore as the beast angrily struck the boat. But when he reached the shore, the beast found out that he was alive and he was out of its reach. And so, it created a huge tidal wave to drown the man. Whether or not he lived was never known, but the squid did not see his body anywhere after the tidal wave, even as it searched underwater with its huge eyes. And so, it did not stop until it found the fisherman again. “

“Now, every time a man walks in the shore, the beast creates a tidal wave to drown him. However, the squid never found the fisherman among the unfortunate ones drowned by its wrath. But it relented not. It still creates its mighty waves in search of the body of that fisherman whenever it spies a man in the border of Rahas. Apparently, it had developed a deep hatred for him.”

“And so, no man is safe. Fortunately, because it feared the sun, it only does its fell deed at nightfall. I was most unfortunate and camped there at night not knowing what terror awaited me, so I became one of its unwary victims. Most never live again and are devoured by the unforgiving beast. However, I was lucky enough to have been spotted by the patrolling guards of Atun. They found me not a moment too late and took me away before I was dragged towards the sea. And so, I tell you: pass the boundary with caution and be as far away from the bay as possible during nighttime. That is all. May the Mystic Ones bless your journey and grant you safety. Farewell and thank thee for staying in fair Welsa!” Dan thanked the guard and then he opened the gate for them. They walked out as the guards brought their ponies to them. They mounted on their beasts once again and, with a deep breath, they rode south.

The sun had now fully risen above the Bay of Vlahas, and far beyond it Dan could see Vlahas. The path was going downhill, and so he was able to see below. Not very far away, he looked at the Border of Rahas. He was quite confident that they would reach it ere sundown, but at the same time, he was feeling insecure, thinking not only of the terrible squid but of this journey as well. Now, he was leaving Rahas for the first time ever. Excited and nervous, he spurred Scale forward to take their first step out of the inner Rahas and towards lands yet unknown to him. Despite the fear that continually stayed his heart, a thought remained in him that gave him reason to go on…“For Crios.”

he Border of Rahas

Dan and Vage stayed for awhile in Welsa. Not much had happened there, but for Dan his visit to Welsa, the greatest village in Rahas, was only the beginning of his journey. On his way out, he was warned by a guard to be cautious in passing the Border of Rahas, for it was said that a squid lurking in the Bay of Vlahas creates huge, terrible waves whenever it sees someone passing the border at night. Now their journey outside inner Rahas is already being faced with a threat. We will now follow Dan as he faces the dangerous path through the Border of Rahas.

“It’s a long way,” said Vage. He and Dan were riding slowly along the hills that stood in the way to Vlahas. If not for these obstacles, they would have been able to reach Atun by late noon. Unfortunately, they were there nevertheless, and so they passed slowly. “At this rate, we’ll reach the border by sunrise tomorrow,” said Vage as their ponies trudged slowly along the tough soil of the hills. “At least we won’t have to worry about the squid.” “Nay,” replied Dan. “Before I slept, I checked the map of Rahas and Vlahas and I believe that if we go at a steady rate whit only very brief rests, we should reach the border way before dusk. If we do reach it by night, then we will sleep a distance away from the bay to make sure. At late morning tomorrow we continue our journey.”

They carried on. It was already late morning when they had passed two of the hills. There, they took a short rest. Then, they rode on slowly again until noon time, when they stopped and brought out their provisions. They had fresh fruit, meat and some Welsan Elixir.

The fresh fruit and meat recovered their energy in carrying their loads, but the elixir, the best kind in all Rahas, refreshed them. At their first drink they felt their vigor renewed within them, though a hint of soreness remained in their shoulders. “Welsan Elixir is indeed the greatest elixir in Rahas. However, I only brought enough for a few meals, so we should not drink excessively,” said Vage after a drink. And after packing their things, they continued. Hill after hill they passed slowly, until finally as the sun was already setting away on the east, they made it to the last hill. “Well, looks like we’ll sleep here. We should sleep above this hill to make sure that that squid’s waves don’t immediately hit us, in case someone passes there,” said Dan, pointing to the Boundary of Rahas which was a short distance away from them. And so they climbed the hill up to the hilltop. Their, Dan set up their sleeping gear while Vage got some wood for their fire. Vage gathered many twigs and Dan was able to ignite a warm flame. They tied their ponies to the nearby trees and they proceeded to eat their supper. They ate some fruits and bread and the Welsan Elixir. Then, they lied down close to the fire, providing soothing warmth to them in the midst of the cold night winds above the hill, and fell asleep immediately.

“Dan! Wake up!” heard Dan suddenly. It seemed to him that he had hardly fallen asleep, but Vage was shaking him awake. Dan opened his eyes. He looked at the sky. There was no sign of even the faint light that should have been present in the early hours of the morning. He looked at Vage. “What’s the problem?” As he looked at Vage’s face, there was a sense of urgency in his face. “What’s the-” but his speech was suddenly cut by a loud, fell roar. Dan stood up. He looked towards the Border of Rahas. Nothing was wrong there, but when he looked at the waters of the bay of Vlahas, he noticed that small waves were forming though the wind was not at all strong. Then he heard the roar again. Dan supposed that this was the squid, but who did it see? It was certainly not them, for they were high in the hill and they the middle of the Bay of Vlahas was not visible since it was blocked by other hills.

And so Dan supposed that there were only two possible answers for this: either the squid could see through hills or it had spotted someone else. Dan did not believe to be possible the first answer, but the second one was also doubtful, since he had already looke around the shore. However, as he looked at the border once again, he saw something that he had not seen there awhile ago, which perhaps had lain hidden in sudden fear of the terrible roar*. There, clearly visible now, was the figure of a small boy, dashing away, determined to escape as soon as possible. Dan feared the squid, for its roar was dreadful and the guard vividly described it as being huge. However, though he was safe up there, pity suddenly welled up inside him. The poor boy was running as fast as he could, but at his slow pace, it was quite hopeless for him to escape. And not much later, massive tentacles slid out of the waters and crawled towards the boy. At this, Dan took out his spear and without another thought, ran down the hill towards the boy. Vage, seeing Dan’s decision, unsheathed the Great Blade and ran towards the boy as well. The tentacles grabbed the child and wrapped him. The helpless boy could only cry as the beast slowly dragged him towards the sea. Dan, though dashing as fast as he can, was too far away from the beast. He began to feel that it was hopeless, but he urged himself to go on. The boy was now very near the shore and Dan knew that soon, he would drown. And finally, as Dan was already in the spot where the boy was grabbed by the squid, the boy disappeared below the cold waters of the bay of Vlahas.

Dan stood there, aghast. For a fraction of a second, he looked at the sea blankly. He had failed to save the boy. As he was thinking about what he was unable to do, the tentacles of the beast rose again and grabbed him. He resisted, but, being close to the shore, in no time at all he was dragged into the sea as well.

*The squid gained the ability to roar from a curse in the Sea of Otagre. Details on this can be found in the book of the History of Crios.

Vage caught up with Dan not a moment too soon. He saw the tentacles drag him towards the sea. Without another thought, he ran and with a quick strike of his powerful sword, he cut the huge part of the tentacle grabbing Dan. Then, as Vage ran to Dan, he suddenly jumped into the water with spear in hand.

Dan swam in the dark, murky waters of the bay. He looked around for the boy. As he turned here and there, he noticed a bleeding tentacle swinging madly in the water. And then, he saw the boy floating adrift. Then he spotted two large orbs floating behind the boy. Then, both of them rose above the waters. Dan swam up as well, and he beheld the great squid of the bay of Vlahas.

Towering tall, with huge eyes like great pearls and a great, crown-like head, two great tentacles, one bleeding, the other grasping the unconscious boy, the squid said in tales of old rose before Dan, a menacing beast determined to crush anyone that would oppose it. Any other man, no matter how great and brave, save probably the great knights of the Greater men, would have turned away in fear. But Dan, still looking at the boy, held his spear tighter and screamed to Vage, “Distract it while I find a spot to strike it!” Vage was hesitant, but the same bravery that overtook Dan welled up inside him as well. He nodded his head and picked up a huge stone and threw it above the beast’s forehead. He raised his sword to show that he was challenging it, and immediately it let go of the boy and turned to him. In its mind, it was thinking that finally, it had found the fisherman that it was looking for. It roared angrily and turned its tentacles towards Vage.

Dan caught the boy and laid him on a nearby rock. Then, as he saw that the beast was now bent on killing Vage, he swam towards it, dived out of the water and struck one of its eyes. The beast roared in pain and turned on Dan now. Seeing him floating in the water with a spear in his hand, the beast now considered Dan as the fisherman it had been looking for. As it slapped the waters where Dan was with its tentacles, he was able to swim away quickly. Then, with another dive, he struck its next eye. The beast howled in pain again, and it struck the waters wildly. Dan grabbed the boy and swam back to the shore. He carried the boy in his back, and then he and Vage watched as the beast, defeated, sunk back beneath the waters of the bay as blood, flowing out of its two eyes and one of its tentacles, stained the dark blue waters, turning them a vivid green. “I think it won’t be bothering anyone anymore,” said Vage as they ran back to the hill as Dan carried the boy.

Back on the top, Dan helped to revive the boy. After a few minutes, he coughed out water and looked at Dan. “My mother,” he said in a weak voice as he looked around. “Where is she? Kind sir…I am lost…Please help me find my mother.” Dan got a cloth and wiped the boy dry as he replied to him, “We will find her. Go to sleep for now. We’ll keep you safe.” The boy looked at Vage, and seeing his sheath, he asked Dan, “Are you bad men?” Dan shook his head. Vage got close and told him, “This is not for slaying mindlessly, young child. I use it to defend people.” The boy sighed. “Th-thank you,” he muttered as he slowly felt drowsy and sleepy. “Thank you for saving me. Forgive me for being a trouble to you, sirs,” he said and with a yawn, he fell fast asleep. Dan turned to Vage. “More than anything, I have a heart for young children. Helpless, innocent little people they are, playing around without a care for the world’s troubles. Their heart is pure, and I will not allow anything, however great and fearsome, to harm them.” Vage patted him on the back. “Bless you, Dan, for having a heart for them.” Then he yawned and said in a tired voice, “We must go to sleep again and regain our energy. We fought with that beast sleepy and tired, and we will not be able to set out tomorrow lest we get some rest.” Dan nodded and went back to his sheets. Then, he moved close to the boy to secure him, and went to sleep quickly.

The rising sun slapped Dan’s face with warmth, and feeling new energy within him, he stood up, stretched his arms and looked at the bay of Vlahas. Faraway, the sun rose above the land of Vlahas. Clouds rose high above them, scattered and broken, shrouded in the yellow glow of the sunlight. As he looked at the border of Rahas, he remembered the events that took place their last night. Then he remembered the child. He suddenly looked behind him to see if the child had not awoken and wandered away, and sure enough, the child was lying there, asleep and in a dream. He smiled and then he looked at Vage’s sheets, which were empty. Then, he looked around and spotted Vage holding a basket full of fruits.

“Awake so early, Vage? I thought you would sleep more because of last night’s events!” he shouted to him as he made his way back to the top of the hill. Vage smiled at him. He handed Dan a bunch of wild grapes and said, “I slept enough. Worry not about me. We must continue our journey. Is the child awake?” Dan looked at the child again. He had neck long golden hair, and as Dan looked at it he noticed his face and saw that he was beginning to stir. He called the boy softly, he woke up. He looked around in wonder, and then he too remembered the events of last night. Being a polite boy, he stood up and bowed low to Dan.

“Once again I beg your pardon for bothering you yestereve, sirs. I am young Gorl Loweye the second. I am the son of Rinire Yellowskin and Gorl Loweye the first. I live in the village of Pagun in Vlahas.”

Vage suddenly said “Pagun? ...Dan, I sense that you want to return the child to his home. But Pagun is beyond the Avili River, and I am afraid that it will greatly delay our journey by three days. It would not be a problem if we were on a simple journey, but-well, you understand our plight.” Then Gorl spoke again.

“Is that so, sirs? If you are in such haste, then it will be better if you leave me with my Herrer*. He lives in Atun, and I am sure you can easily go there-unless you are heading to inner Rahas. If so, you **This is a word used by the Common Men which means “Father’s brother” in the Natural tongue.may leave me. I can find my way home, and though I usually get lost, I still manage to make it there. I only hope I don’t take too long.”

Dan shook his head at him. “We are heading towards Atun. It is not a problem. Stay with us, and we will keep you safe.”

Vage agreed with having Gorl with them now, since they could leave him at Atun. And so they packed their things and, with Dan and Gorl riding on Scale, they rode down the hill and after a short while, passed the border of Rahas (where the boy suddenly cried but calmed himself down) and finally, they were no longer in Rahas and were now in Vlahas. They were following the rising sun as their guide, and just a few minutes after they passed the border, Atun was now clearly visible from where they were.

By late noon, they were already very close. As far as Dan could see, Atun was more like Edisa than either Krsa or Welsa. No walls surrounded the village, save a tall tower with a huge, old bell hanging at the top floor.

“I would like to repay your kindness by informing you about Atun. That, sirs, is the Great Bell of Atun, or please tell me if you already know about it,” said the boy suddenly. Dan smiled and nodded.

“I would like to hear more about Atun, and I know not anything about it. Continue, young Gorl.”

“If that is so,” replied the boy, “then please listen well. That bell was built during the 1432nd year, when wars were still fought between Rahas and Vlahas. It is said that whenever the armies of Rahas were seen by the watchers of the tower, they would ring the great bell and soon, the forces of Atun would be prepared. Archers would take aim from walls that are now long gone, the swordsmen would run and meet the opposing armies and the rest of the warriors would hide wherever they could to meet their enemies in case they broke through the first lines of defense.”

“In the 1625th year, when peace was gained between Rahas and Vlahas and the wars ended, the bell was used instead to warn the citizens of danger or to signal a gathering. Now, it is also used to signal daybreak, noon and nightfall.”

Dan was amazed at how much a young boy like him knew. “You are much learned in your history, young master Gorl.”

Gorl blushed. “No, kind sir, to us those are merely pastime stories. They are not that hard to remember-though I tend to forget some of the more specific details.”

“Good for you, then,” replied Dan. Then he suddenly remembered a question he had been longing to ask Gorl. “What were you doing there in the border of Rahas, young one?”

Gorl sighed. “I was sent on an errand from Pagun by my father to buy some of his favorite Welsan Elixir from Welsa, but I got lost and made it at nighttime. And so I tried sleeping there in the border, but that…tat squid saw me.”

Dan suddenly felt curious and surprised at what he said. “Why would your father send a young child like you from so far a place as Pagun in Vlahas to Welsa in Rahas?”

Gorl remained silent for a while. Dan asked him the question again, and finally, he answered in a nervous tone, “Please do not speak of what I will tell you, sir, openly.” He lowered his voice to a faint whisper. “My father is not at all nice to me and my mother. He treats us badly and he always beats my mother whenever he gets angry. He has grown a liking for your Welsan Elixir, and he orders me to get him some. With only money, my pony and some water, I, a simple boy of eleven years of age, am sent to Welsa whenever my father wants. And so I travel to Welsa and back to Pagun in about two days. I face so many hardships on the way-crossing the Avili River, journeying towards the border and evading that squid. Only last night was I caught by it and it even consumed my pony, since I was so weary and could not go further. But this task is so full of dangers and I very much would like to tell my father to stop, but-” Gorl suddenly began to cry.

Dan was in deep thought as he looked at Gorl crying. He then felt enraged. “A father daring to send a young, immature child from Pagun to Welsa just to get some Welsan Elixir?” he said to himself. Then he turned to Gorl and comforted him.

“I will not allow this. Gorl, if you want, I will have a talk with your father,” he said in the midst of the sounds of the soft crying of Gorl. Then, he wiped his tears and looked at the sky. After awhile he spoke again.

“I…would…certainly like that,” he replied, with his voice stammering. “But…what will happen to our family?”

“Let your mother wed another man. If that will not solve this, then I do not know the answer, but to help you I must stop your father,” Dan said to him.

“I certainly hope things will turn out alright,” Gorl replied, and as he was about to speak again, he saw that they were already in Atun.

Dan did not believe his eyes. From afar, he thought that Atun was a dry, barren town when he saw the many scattered bricks and ruins abound. But as he looked at it now, he saw that there were many gardens to rival even those of Welsa’s. Dandelions, Sunflowers, Greleydans and even the extremely rare Retrinaleir, “the ageless flower”, which he thought grew only in the Great Forest under the Mountains of Retrin, being the land of the Naiths, was right there, as abundant as any other flower there, though wherever they were growing was fenced. As he entered the town he was warmly welcomed by the people around. He thanked them for their kindness. Then, he asked the people where hoe could see the Retrinaleir gardens. A man pointed to a garden which was right beside the house of, as he saw in the nailed sign, the Chief of Atun. Dan thanked him and proceeded there.

When he made it to the garden’s fence, he took a close look at “the ageless flower” and beheld its beauty. It was scarlet in color in that early sunrise, but many say that the flower changes its color to match the condition of the day while still not ceasing to please all who behold its beauty. And true enough, unless they wither or are removed from the soil, they will never die, staying many ages later as beautiful as it was in its first spring. Dan looked at a sign above one of them and saw that that particular flower was said to have lived since the creation of Crios.

A few moments later, Dan remembered his purpose and turned his sight away from the attractive flower. He turned towards Gorl.

“Young master Gorl, where is your Herrer? Before we proceed to Pagun, I would like to talk with him.”

“He is in the house beside the Eagle Wing inn. It is easily identifiable since it is the biggest house in Atun,” replied Gorl, pointing towards a structure to the northern part of the village. Dan could see a sign above its doors with a figure of a wing of an eagle.

With that, Dan spurred Scale towards the inn. They made their way slowly towards it, with Vage and Blade following behind. Soon enough, they were near its doors already, and as Dan looked at the house to the right of it, he knew that that was the house they were looking for. Towering three stories tall, the house of Gorl’s Herrer was indeed the tallest house in Atun. It was, however, less elegant than the other houses around with its few broken windows, tattered doors and rusted roof.

“He is not a man of riches,” said Gorl, “but he is more like a father to me than my real father. That is why I make stops here to visit him, and he gives me food and rest. However, he can’t solve my problem with my father, since he is younger than him and feared him ever since they were young children.”

“Has he been unkind since his childhood?” asked Dan as he dismounted from Scale and helped Gorl get down.

“Well, my Herrer says so,” Gorl replied, “but now I am beginning to pity my father. I believe he can change. I think there’s something in his life that is bothering him and making him that way. Let us ask my Herrer more about this.”

Then, they walked towards the entrance of the house. After reaching the door, Dan looked at Gorl.

“Shall I be the one to knock?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Gorl replied.

And with that, Dan looked at the house again. Then, he knocked softly on its broken wooden doors.

he Decision

Dan and Vage rescued Gorl Loweye and blinded the squid of the Bay of Vlahas. After finding out the problem of the boy with his father, Dan finally decided to face Gorl’s father to settle the problem and give Gorl and his family peace. Though it would be a great delay to their important journey, Dan felt he had to do it. And so, he has decided to talk with Gorl’s Herrer to find out more about Gorl the first, Gorl’s father. The final decision will be in this chapter as Dan temporarily stops his main quest to help a troubled child.

“Yes? Who is it? Is it you, Gorl?” came a voice from inside the house. “Have you gotten your father’s elixir already?”

“It is me indeed, my Herrer,” replied Gorl, “but I have brought no elixir with me. Rather, two men are with me. They have come to talk about my father.”

No answer came, but after a few seconds, the doors were opened by a stout-looking man. He had a thick, entangled beard and wore an old, ragged fur coat. He immediately looked at Dan and Vage with a doubtful, confused look. Gorl, knowing both, spoke first.

“Greetings, my Herrer! Dear sirs, meet my Herrer, Lourn Loweye.”

Dan and Vage greeted Lourn as well, who greeted back. Then, Lourn spoke to Gorl in a kind, polite voice that did not match his grumpy appearance.

“Greetings, Gorl! How did you know these men? And did you say they wanted to talk about your father?”

“Yes, my Herrer. Do not worry, however, for they are not suspicious strangers to me. They saved me from the squid of the Bay of Vlahas. I was caught by the beast that time and would have certainly died if they did not come. I…have told them about my problem.”

At that, Lourn beckoned Gorl to come closer. Then, he asked Dan and Vage to wait a moment while he and Gorl talked a bit. They agreed and waited outside while Gorl and Lourn went inside the house. There, Lourn spoke to Gorl in a low voice.

“Gorl, why are you still trying to solve this problem with your father? Please, Gorl, so that there won’t be too much trouble, let us not talk about this again.”

“Let us just hear what they have to say. Then, you will decide what we shall do,” replied Gorl.

“If that is your decision, then I shall agree, Gorl,” said Lourn, and then he went outside again. “Come in, Mister Dan and Vage.”

“Thank you,” replied Dan, then they went inside. There, it was a bit cold. As they passed inside, Dan was surprised at what he saw and observed.

Dan saw that the weak wooden floor creaked as they walked around, and that there was a broken lamp standing beside the only undamaged objects there, the chairs. Broken trinkets lay hither and thither bearing strange markings, and noticeable amongst a rummage of torn clothes, broken curtains and decaying pieces of wood surrounded by mushrooms lying below one of the open windows, was a shining silvery cloak, the only clean thing Dan had seen so far in the house and made him wonder how such a thing could lie among such a ruin. Before he had anytime to speak about this, however, Lourn spoke.

“Its not very hospitable,” said Lourn, “but please make yourselves at home. Now, we have here some bread and juice, so please wait a bit while I prepare them.”

“It is not necessary, thank you,” replied Dan.

Now then, let us talk about Gorl’s father. Please, be seated.”

Dan and Vage sat down on a broken wooden chair and Dan was careful not to sit quickly lest the already slender legs of the chair collapse under his weight. Then, after Gorl seated himself in a chairas well, Lourn, holding a silver goblet filled with wine, sat down and spoke first.

“Now, Mister Dan and Vage, I am sure Gorl here has told thee about his problems with his father. I ask your forgiveness if I am being rude, but may I ask…why you want to help Gorl?”

Dan cleared his throat and replied, “I am not supposed to meddle with other people’s private family affairs, but I am troubled by Gorl’s problem, which until now, has not been solved. Correct me if I am wrong, but I have found out from him that he is forced by his father to go to Welsa in Rahas to get him some Welsan Elixir. Also, his father beats his mother whenever he gets angry with her. This made me pity him and induced me to, after some careful negotiation, aid him in this problem.”

Lourn drank for a while then spoke again. After a brief pause, he found his voice and spoke replied to Dan.

“I see you pity Gorl’s condition. Myself, I believe my brother is too harsh, but I have never been able to stand up to him. Will you--?”

Dan answered almost immediately, thinking only about the incident at the Bay of Vlahas.

“I would be glad to, as polite as possible but if force be needed, force I shall use, so long as Gorl will be liberated.”

“A man of great bravery and daring be thee,” replied Lourn, “yet Gorl’s father is one who will take more than threats against his life to be persuaded. In truth, the reason why I am afraid to face my brother is because I feel that he is someone whom I should not defy. I learned that terrible lesson long ago.”

“Once, in our childhood, when we still lived together with our parents in a small house in Pagun, I and my brother disagreed on something. He was quite proud of himself and always told me that he was a better child than I. I closed my ears to his words and disregarded him. I managed to cope up with his attitude until that fateful day.”

“He went so far as to ordering me to leave the house and pretend that I wandered away and got lost. Obviously, I disagreed, but he…he hit my nose. Bleed it did, and I tried fighting back, but I soon lost consciousness. When I awoke, I saw that I was in bed and our father and mother decided to banish him. I could not walk yet, with my nose still under recovery, so I looked out our window. I called out to him, but he gave me a dangerous, threatening look, as if he wanted to go to my room and strangle me to death. I could feel his throbbing anger and feared that he would try to kill me, but after looking at me he set off and ran away without another word.”

“I never knew what happened to him. Eventually we moved here in Atun, where travelers from Rahas came often and trade was ever successful. Settling here, we decided to open a simple inn here and called it the ‘White Whale’ inn. We were not very successful, however, and eventually we closed it. Some people bought the inn and renamed it as the ‘Eagle Wing’ inn. We lived on the money they gave us and always shared a tithe of their profit with us, seeing that we did not have a source of money anymore. Later on, my parents died and left me alone in this house. It was not until several months ago when I heard about my brother again.”

“On the fifth day of the twentieth month of the 3212th year, I saw a young boy on a pony. He rode inside. Naturally, I disregarded him until I saw him heading westward, away from the gates of Atun. I saw that he was alone, and, wondering what a child on a pony would do alone on a path to the Border of Vlahas, I approached him.”

‘’ ‘What be your name, child, and why are you heading towards that direction?’ I asked. He turned out to be…the boy hither, Gorl Loweye the second, I found out much from him, including…about my brother. His name, of course reminded me of him, but I never thought he would be able to marry, unless by some sorcery he became a child again, so I was surprised. I tried first to stop him, but thinking of the possible consequences, including perhaps facing my brother, I decided to leave him on his way but gave him advice on evading a squid said to live on the Bay of Vlahas. Gorl here was very thankful. I revealed myself to be his Herrer, Lourn. And so, ever since that day, whenever he goes on his journey, I give him provisions to aid him on his way. I find his situation hard, too, but I am too old to join him in his journey, too big for his small pony and too poor to afford a traveling beast of my own. That is, so far, my story. I have asked Gorl about my brother and I found out about his cruel treatment. He has not changed, but has become even worse.