Storyboards: Jaegos

Age 1/2 | Age 10 1/2 | Age 18, when he first saw Fieron | Age 18, the day after he met Fieron | Fieron & Jaegos' severely overdue wedding story | Christmas story | The Arrival of Trieni | Babysitting Trieni | The Disaster | Hiring a nanny | Repairing the wall | Brothers' Union | Dinner | Unwelcome customers | Rain

Travels: the Beginning | Sthiss Tor | Seline | End
Poetry: Forging

Jaegos age 1/2
The cow trudged slowly along the path completely oblivious to the howling wind and relentless rain that surrounded her. For some unknown reason, her master had attached something to her back and released her into the wild. Having spent her entire life sheltered on the farm, fear of the unknown outside world caused her to hesitate but her fear of the farmer's whip was greater by far. Now what would she do for food...
Days went by and the cow had become weak and tired. The forest was filled with very unfriendly creatures that were constantly trying to eat her, much unlike her friends back home. However, whenever they tried to come close the thing on her back would become warm and the creatures (some were what her friends called wolves) would run in fear. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she would continue her journey to nowhere. A few times she had considered the merits of turning back but realised that she had long since forgotten the way.
Suddenly, a very welcome sight greeted her eyes. In front of her was the edge of the forest and beyond was a vast and open field covered with grass. In the centre of the field stood a large house. Maybe the people living there would agree to take her in? The thought of a sheltered life once more banished all feeling of fatigue she felt and gave her the strength to step into the warm sunlight. And then the wolves attacked.
The cow's joy had lowered her already near non-existent guard allowing the wolfpack to surround her. Oddly enough, the invisible force that protected her before did not appear this time around (much to the pack's relief) and the cow was dead before she knew the wolves had struck. The alpha wolf approached the corpse and sniffed the basket attached to the back. The uncomfortable feeling of magic that came from the basket was fading gradually giving way to a new smell. The smell of a Sendarian baby. Licking its lips, the leader of the wolves closed in on its unexpected prize.
The first arrow killed the lead wolf so fast the rest of the pack did not even register what had happened till two more of their number had fallen to the mysterious attacker. With a howl, the new leader swiftly assumed his position and sounded the retreat. After ensuring the pack had gone, the ranger emerged from the shadows and took the sleeping baby from the basket. "Faeline will be interested in this." muttered the ranger and carried him home.

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Jaegos Raines age 10 1/2
The blacksmith looked down at the little boy standing in front of him. The kid was not even half his height and there was no way he was here to buy a sword. He probably could not even lift one. "So lad, exactly how old are you?" he inquired.
"10, well.. 10 and 1/2 to be exact" replied the boy.
"And what about your family?"
"My mum's a seamstress, the best in the land. I'm not sure what my dad is but he's usually away. My brother says he goes to Yar Nadrak to sleep with other women."
"Ok.. and what about your brother? What is he like?"
"He's training to be a priest. Although he likes to drink alot."
"This kid has one messed up home." the blacksmith thought silently to himself. "And where are they now? Your family, I mean."
The boy shrugged helplessly.
Sighing, the blacksmith prepared to close shop and help the kid find his parents.
Just as he was about to put on his cloak, a large Cherek slammed opened the door and stomped into the room. "I'm here for my axe." bellowed the sailor. Just great, he had forgotten that Grodik's axe was due today. The blacksmith quickly looked under the counter and took out one of his reserve weapons from his chest.
Better to give him something than be pulverised. "Here's one of my finest works ever!"
Holding the axe expertly in his hand, Grodik made a sort of "galumph" noise before proceeding to hack at the dummies kept at the side of the shop for weapon testing. Sometimes, it was hard to tell whether he was man or beast. "ARGHH, you expect me to fight with this?? You disappoint me Arik! And I HATE being disappointed!" Arik the blacksmith looked at the pile of sawdust which once had been his dummies and could not even dream what the problem might be. Although he did have the oddest feeling he was going to join the pile...
Grodik was halted midstride by the small figure tugging on his cloak. "Aww, isn't that adorable. He's offering me another axe! And what? You want me to try it on that last dummy over there? Ok." After patting the boy on the head, Grodik strode up to the last dummy standing (Arik swore he saw it tremble) and hacked its head off with one clean slice.
"Now this is what I've been looking for!" roared Grodik, obviously pleased. "How much for it?"
"Umm 100 gold pieces." stammered Arik, obviously shocked.
"Ha! Hardly seems a fair price for such a fine weapon! Here, have 500." After paying, Grodik stomped out of the shop, eager to try his weapon on something living.
Something was wrong. None of his weapons were THAT good. And he had no memory of forging such an axe before. Looking around, Arik suddenly realised the child was gone and all that remained was a trial of tiny footprints leading out from his forge. Could it be..?

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Jaegos Age 18: When he first saw Fieron
"Damn Torscha." thought Jaegos to himself. His brother had used his birthday as a reason to drag them to the bar for a celebration. After spending about 30 seconds trying to convince his stubborn younger brother to loosen up and enjoy,
Torscha finally gave up and ran off to join a drinking competition. Jaegos turned and watched as another contestant's face slammed into the table while Torscha continued drinking his 30th jug. Maybe he should lighten up. After all, it was his birthday.
Silence suddenly fell over the entire bar leaving only the music from a harp and a figure emerged from the backroom. Jaegos watched silenty as the Nadrak dancer entranced the bars patrons with her mysterious dance. Her movements matched the bard's song perfectly, occasionally flicking her hair to draw a few sighs from the crowd. The bartender, who happened to be gay and hence was unaffected, watched the mesmerized Jaegos attempt to drink a bowl of peanuts and shook his head.
Without warning, one of the drunk patrons shot forward and grabbed the dancer's hand.
"Hey dere beautiful, howz bout YOu zoin meh tozight?" slurred the very stoned guy.
"Uh oh.. here we go again." mumbled the bartender. The dancer glared at the drunk's hand and in one fluid motion slammed him to the floor and put a dagger to his neck. Leaning forward, she whispered something in his ear which drained him of any remaining skin color. One thing was for sure, he was not drunk any more. Standing up, the dancer brushed the dust from her clothes, sheathed her dagger and left.
"That Fieron, beautiful and deadly. If only I could get her as a regular dancer here." muttered the bartender.
"Fieron.." Jaegos said dreamily.
"Hey bro! Snap out of it!" Torscha whapped Jaegos out of dreamland with a knock to the head. "What’s the matter? Some people might think you've never drunk before!"
"Uhh.. Nothing.. Lets go." Jaegos stammered and dragged his baffled brother out the door.

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Jaegos age 18, the day after he met Fieron
"Are you sure this fish is fresh?" Jaegos looked suspiciously at the slimy creature in front of him. Just his luck that the butler fell sick on market day.
Since Torscha was having a hangover from the previous night's drinking competition (or so he claimed, he never had real hangovers), the job naturally fell to him. Now, to add to his growing misery, he seemed to have angered the stall holder with his comment.
"WHAT?! Of course the fish is fresh! All my stock is fresh! I wake up early to catch them every morning with blahblahblah..."
Jaegos ignored the insane babblings of the madman who was now waving the fish around and turned to focus on a familiar figure. "Fieron.." Her image had sent him back to the retarded state he had been in during their previous sort of encounter.
"Eh?" said the stall holder, snapping back to reality. Leaning forward to follow Jaegos' gaze, fish still in hand, a look of understanding appeared on his face. "Trust me boy, trouble follows women like her around, set your sights elsewhere. See? There's trouble now." A group of men had surrounded Fieron, one who Jaegos recognised as the one Fieron had whomped the night before. Grabbing the fish out of the stall holder's hand, Jaegos quickly dashed forward.
"So, think you can get away with embarrassing me eh?" the filthy pervert from before spat on the ground "Now boys! Getoopphhhh...!! the fish that slammed into the side of his head interrupted his sentence half way and knocked him to the ground.
Fieron, daggers almost drawn, looked surprised. The group of mobsters, very stupid people, tried to understand the meaning of getoopphhhh. The guy, who just got slapped by a fish and landed in a pile of horse dung, looked pissed. Fieron, who finally came to grips with the fact a moron would use a fish as a weapon, quickly used the moment of confusion to grab the same moron and escape.
Jaegos' heart was thumping. Whether this was due to him running for his life or because Fieron was running beside him, he didn't know. Behind them, the gangsters had finally got their act together and were giving chase. Very not good. If only he had picked a spikier or larger fish.
"This may seem inappropriate to ask right now, but who are you and why did you help me?" asked Fieron, still running.
"Um, my name's Jaegos Raines. And.. well, I don't know." Jaegos lied.
"Fair enough. I'm Fieron. You know, you could have picked a bigger or spikier fish."
"Wow! She even thinks like me!" Jaegos thought. "Ah well, too late now..."
"Hey, hold on a sec, we've arrived" Fieron stopped, turned and yelled at the top of her voice "Help! Rapists!"
Like a swarm of bees, city guards poured out of the headquarters and began to give chase to the "rapists".
Fieron brushed the dust off her clothes and turned to Jaegos. "Actually, you look quite familiar. You wouldn't happen to be the guy who tried to drink a bowl of peanuts at the Grunting Boar last night would you?"
"Yes..." answered Jaegos sheepishly. "DAMN" he thought.
Fieron chuckled politely. "Thanks for the help, by the way."
"Ok, it’s now or never!" Jaegos told himself and gathering all his courage, babbled "Ahh.. actually, umm.. would you.."
"Yes?" asked Fieron, a curious smile on her face.
"Would you... date me?"
"Hmm…" pondered Fieron, the same smile still on her face.

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Fieron & Jaegos' severely overdue wedding story
Author's note:
A)Many thanks to Faeline for bringing me into the Raines family.
B)Many thanks to Faldor for marrying Fieron and I.
C)Many thanks to Piisuke(who will never see this) for bringing me to the mud.
D)Dedicated to my darling wife, Fieron Raines :)

Jaegos' jaw dropped at the sight of the hall. White drapes and buntings covered the walls with flowers attached at strategic places. What seemed like thousands of chairs were lined up like legionnaires in neat rows. The path down the center leading from the entrance to the altar was covered by a crimson Mallorean carpet.
"Looks like Fae's overdoing it again"
Jaegos turned to greet the familiar voice. "You really shouldn't let her hear you say that uncle."
Lyrad shrugged. "Haven't I told you not to call me uncle? Here, have some chocolate."
"All these chairs... are there really that many guests?" asked Jaegos, putting the bar in his bag.
Lyrad pointed at the small mountain of invitations sitting in the corner drawing a groan from his nephew. "Just relax, everything will be fine." Lyrad comforted Jaegos and ruffled his hair.
"Yeah.. ok.."Jaegos muttered and retired to his room.

The ceiling was awfully dull. Lying on his bed, Jaegos stared at the it blankly wondering about his current situation. Proposing to Fieron was definitely not a mistake but yet, something just felt so wrong. His mum had gone to great pains to organise the wedding in Tol Honeth and it would be devastating if he backed out now.
Suddenly, a hand clamped over his mouth and someone whispered "Shhh.." softly in his ear. The hand released his mouth.
"Fieron?? What are you doing? And why so sneaky? And more importantly, you won't be doing this a lot would you?" Jaegos bombarded her with questions softly.
"We're leaving. I'll explain later. Oh, and I can't guarantee I won't do this again."
Although very confused, Jaegos nodded in agreement and Fieron opened the window. "Off we go."

Fieron and Jaegos walked hand in hand down the street.
"So, care to explain what this is about?"
"Let’s elope."
Jaegos' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "What?!"
"I'm not really comfortable with grand ceremonies and being the center of attention. I know you aren't either so let’s elope and go somewhere quieter."
Jaegos turned towards his future wife. "I love you."
"I take that as a yes?" Fieron grinned at her future husband.
Suddenly, the sound of a distant explosion came from behind the couple.
"Uh oh, looks like mum knows we're missing."

Jaegos and Fieron sat under the tree tired as hell. After successfully exiting the city gates, the couple had run like their shoes were on fire till they reached their current location.
"Where are we anyway?" Fieron asked.
Jaegos shrugged helplessly. Enormous oak trees provided cool shade to the forest floor. The ground was littered with leaves from the branches high above their heads. They had the uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
They both scanned the surrounding trees carefully. Although they had not noticed at first, now that they were relaxed, they could sense invisible eyes looking at their every movement. Shadows flitted from tree to tree.
"Oh no, we didn't go that far did we..?"
"Afraid we did" gulped Jaegos.
"Dryad forest..." Fieron prepared to unsheathe her daggers while Jaegos took his hammer out of his bag.
"CHOCOLATE!!" screamed a dryad and suddenly the forest erupted with life. Dryads poured in from all directions surrounding the two. "Hand it over!" yelled the lead dryad, arrow ever ready to let fire.
"Chocolate? Umm, ok sure.." Jaegos dug around his bag for the bar that uncle Lyrad had given him only to find it missing. "Oh no.."
"Here you go!" Fieron tossed a very familiar bar at the leader and soon the entire group of dryads was jostling to grab a bite. Jaegos looked at Fieron with large round eyes. "You nicked my chocolate bar?"
Fieron smiled sweetly back at him "I was hungry."
A few minutes later, the dryads' fighting had died down as they all lay sleeping in a pile on the forest floor. "You poisoned the chocolate?" Jaegos mused.
Fieron smiled sweetly "Maybe."
"I love you" Jaegos leaned forward to give her a kiss.
"I love you too" Fieron closed her eyes and prepared to be kissed.
"Zzzzzzz" snored one of the dryads, dreaming about chocolate kisses.
"Uhhum" interrupted a weird guy on a donkey, in a very polite fashion.
"Gah!" yelled Jaegos, tripping over a log behind him.
"Who are you?" asked Fieron, smiling, as she helped Jaegos to his feet.
"Me? Oh, I'm just a wandering priest who marries people who elope." replied the fairly old man.
Fieron and Jaegos grinned evilly at each other.

"Married?! MARRIED?!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN MARRIED?!?!?" Faeline Raines glared at her now very terrified son.
"Ummm ahhh.." blabbered Jaegos Raines.
"Run" advised Lyrad Raines, very amused.
Fieron Raines grabbed Jaegos Raines by the arm and run they did.

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Travels: The beginning
A cool breeze swept across the field like a wave of green passing over the resting figure. The cool air was a welcome compliment to the warm sun rays that carassed his skin. The smell of freshly bloomed flowers and the lovely song of a nearby nightingale refreshed both mind and spirit. This was what it was like to be in paradise.
Jaegos opened his eyes and watched the clouds lazily drift across the blue sky and began to reflect. Fieron had been gone for a very long time, having appeared early one morning in the strangest of manners and then leaving again. His brother Torscha was off on one of his journeys again. (He was, after all, a wandering priest) Mummy Faeline had travelled off to meet a client for a week and uncle Lyrad was simply away. Since uncle Mercane had been missing for years, Jaegos was the only one left at home.
Sitting up, Jaegos spotted a cute white bunny nearby staring curiously at him. Reaching over, Jaegos patted the bunny on the head and gave it a cookie from his pack. The bunny, having never seen a cookie before, simply ran. Chuckling, Jaegos left the cookie on the ground and watched the white ball of fluff hop away.
Perhaps the empty house was a sign. Maybe HE should travel and explore the world too. There was a lot to see and it would not hurt to try and sell his weapons else where for a change. Who knows, he might even pick up a new trick or two. As a further motivation, he could also try and find his darling wife.
But then again, it was a big move. All that effort and so many dangers, perhaps it would be best to stay at home. And what if Fieron came back? Then suddenly, Jaegos noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw the bunny had returned and was nibbling on the cookie. The blacksmith instantly got the message and laughed to himself. If even a bunny was brave enough to explore the unknown, how could he remain so cowardly? Jaegos stood up and left for home to pack for his journey.

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Travels: Sthiss Tor
The dark alley of Sthiss Tor was incredible disgusting. Druggies wandered around like zombies occasionally babbling random nonsense while suspicious cloaked figures stealthily moved amongst the shadows trying to keep out of sight. Every form of pest ever recorded seemed to live in this place. Resisting the urge to puke, Jaegos thanked the Gods that Fieron was only part Nyissan. Turning towards the closest person, Jaegos decided to try his luck.
"Hi, are there any blacksmiths in this town?"
"Whass..? Bwatsssmiffss?" answered the drugged out lady. Jaegos groaned. He should have known better than to ask a woman who wore multi-colored finger polish and a snake on her head. Looking around, Jaegos realised that she was also one of the most normal people in the area. And then he noticed a kid trying to steal his wallet.
The small kid smiled sweetly at him before throwing a snake on his face and running like hell. "GAhhh!!" Jaegos grabbed the snake and flung it away. "Stop that kid! He's got my wallet!"
"So? What else is new?" came one reply. "Good going kid!" came another. Jaegos was really beginning to hate this place a lot. Before he lost sight of the little brat, the very annoyed Sendarian quickly gave chase.
The kid was fast and his small size worked to his advantage. While the tiny figure weaved its way between the numerous druggies in the narrow alley with ease, Jaegos kept having to barrel through them. After tripping over yet another sleeping druggie, Jaegos suddenly had an idea. "That kid stole my drugs!" Suddenly every druggie in the alley had swarmed the kid. "May the Gods forgive me..." muttered Jaegos and moved forward to pull the kid from the mess.
After getting rid of the mob by tricking them into thinking a city guard had the drugs, Jaegos grabbed the kid and dragged him away. "I don't like it when people steal my stuff." said Jaegos in a gruff voice, trying to sound really intimidating "So, if you don't want me to break your legs, your going to help me out. Understood?" The kid immediately stopped squirming and turned really pale. "I'm sooo going to hell for this." thought Jaegos.
The stench in the house was unbelievable. Even more druggies lay sprawled about all corners while their other less-stoned brethren sang and danced merrily. Jaegos guessed that none of them had bathed in ages. Wrinkling his nose, he followed closely behind his young guide. He had a feeling that he would probably never find his way out of this huge place on his own.
After a while, they found a large table with only a lamp and tablecloth on top. After pointing underneath, the kid climbed under the tablecloth and disappeared. Jaegos considered the possibility that his guide was on drugs too before following him.
Jaegos raised an eyebrow at the open trapdoor which the kid had just entered. "Why would anyone need to hide a trapdoor anyway? Everyone here is too drugged to notice or care." thought Jaegos as he entered and closed the door behind him.
Jaegos stepped off the ladder and observed the curious room he was in now. In the wall on his right was a fireplace whose cackling flame provided the dim glow that lighted the room. Nearby were a bunch of blankets strewn untidily on the floor, probably where whoever lived here slept. Shelves lined the rest of the walls, some holding jars of unknown herbs and other curiosities while others contained dusty old books. Furthest away from him was an old Nyissan sitting behind a desk, carefully listening to what Jaegos' guide had to tell him. "So, you managed to catch my young apprentice hmm?" questioned the head thief.
"Yes, I did" answered Jaegos as he watched the kid open a chest and disappear down yet another hidden exit.
"So, what can I do for you?" the head thief asked rather politely for a criminal.
Jaegos explained the purpose of his journey and his search for Fieron. The old Nyissan considered Jaegos' position and smiled "Well, I suppose I should help you out for not turning in the youngun, but I'll still need you to do something for me." Jaegos listened carefully.

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Christmas story
"Jaegos! Wash up then go help your brother place the dishes!'' Faeline yelled at her son from the kitchen. After smelling the exquisite scents that drifted out the kitchen door. Jaegos hurriedly took off his cloak and dashed upstairs to change into something clean. Work clothing was not suitable wear for that night's dinner.
Half way up the stairs, Jaegos spotted a large box with 2 legs poking out the bottom coming down. "Hey, don't just stand there! Hurry up then you and your bro can help me decorate the house!" Lyrad ordered his nephew. Grinning, Jaegos squeezed past his uncle and made a dash for his room.

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Jaegos marvelled at the amazing spread before him. The dining table was filled with the likes of turkey, wine and pie. Fieron placed the final dish, an unbelievably large fish, on the table and gave her husband a peck on the cheek just as the rest of the family arrived.
"Ok everyone! Take a seat and lets begin!" Faeline ushered everyone to their places and took her own place next to her husband, Neldion.
"Before we begin, I would like to give thanks for the continued safe health of everyone here today and the wonderful lives we lead now. Special thanks to the ladies for preparing the meal and token appreciation goes to Torscha for providing the wine." Neldion winked at his elder son and picked up his spoon and fork. "So, without further babbling from me, lets eat!"
A cheer rose from the rest of the table and everyone immediately began the assault. Jaegos turned towards Fieron and stared into her beautiful eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too. But dear, you must realise, your dreaming."

Jaegos woke up with a start as the wagon he had hitched a ride on drove over a pothole. Sighing, he stared out at the sky and wished for home again.

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Travels: Seline
Jaegos stared at the curious shop in front of him. In exchange for a ride to Seline, he had agreed to help deliver a package to one of the shopkeepers there. Hidden in one of the dark, long forgotten alleys, this place was anything but what he had expected. The skull of a bull was hammered into the door while small animal bones (well, at least he hoped they were animal bones) were sewn into the door mat to spell "Welcome". The added bonus of a foul stench that emitted from the windows was more than enough to turn Jaegos from this place on a normal day. Sadly for him, he had given his word and he always kept a promise. After taking a deep breath, Jaegos swiftly entered the shop intending to make his stay as short as possible.
The inside of the building was no less weirder than the outside. Jars filled with preserved animal parts and multi-coloured liquids lined the shelves. Sleeping bats clung onto the ceiling beams occasionally spreading their wings to fly to a better spot. Behind the counter stood a scrawny pale man wearing a large stupid looking mask chanting some magic words while poking a fat pig with what seemed to be a wand.
"Grow wings and fly damn it!" the shopkeeper cursed at the swine and hurled his mask aside. The pig merely oinked tiredly and fell asleep. Jaegos looked at the bats again and wondered how many had once been pigs. "Can I help you?" inquired the shopkeeper, finally noticing someone had entered his shop.
"Ah... yes, I have a package from Sthiss Tor for the owner of this place."
The shopkeeper's eyes suddenly grew almost twice their original size and his smile reached from ear to ear. "THANK YOU!!" he blurted out and with lightning fast speed, he leapt forward, grabbed the parcel from Jaegos' hands and vanished into a backroom. Jaegos, who had blinked and missed everything, stood there speechless. After finally figuring out what had happened, he turned to leave the shop when suddenly, a loud shriek came from the backroom which the shopkeeper had vanished into. Jaegos stared longingly at the exit before charging into the backroom.

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Travels: End
A blinding flash consumed Jaegos as he passed through the door and suddenly, he found himself back home.
"Mum!! You summoned me back??"
"Yes dear, there are chores to do. Besides, there’s a family matter that we must discuss."
Jaegos sighed and went up to the bathroom to wash up and prepare for dinner.

*END*

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The Arrival of Trieni
The Raines' living room was silent except for the soft cackling of the fireplace. Faeline was knitting a pair of woolly gloves while Neldion leaned back in his favourite chair reading a novel about young maidens rescued by squirrels. Torscha was playing a game of chess with Lyrad and losing very badly. Jaegos yawned and decided to break the silence.
"Mum, what exactly are we waiting for?"
"Oh don't worry, she'll be here any minute now." Faeline assured her younger son.
"'Her'?" Torscha perked up at the mention of a girl.
"Check" announced Lyrad, forcing Torscha back into the game.
A soft knocking drew everyone's attention to the door. "See? Told you so." Faeline smiled "Jaegos, could you kindly get that?"
Jaegos got up from his seat and went to open the door, curious as to the identity of their mysterious visitor. "PAPA!!" A mass of dark hair assaulted Jaegos as soon as he opened the door.
"Papa..? Jaegos is a dad?!" Torscha uttered amused as Jaegos struggled to pry the odd girl from his chest. "Check" Lyrad intoned again, once again reclaiming his nephew's attention to the board.
"Nonono, that’s not your father, Trieni." Faeline told the blue-eyed lass. "HE is."
"WHAT!??" Torscha jumped out of his seat stunned as his mother pointed at him. "Sorry" the girl told Jaegos sheepishly then leapt towards Torscha "PAPA!!"
"NO JUMPING ON ME!!" Torscha yelled and dodged causing the girl to fall flat on the ground. "Checkmate" Lyrad said softly, quite certain Torscha did not really care about the game anymore. "What’s this about Fae?" Lyrad turned to his sister and asked.
"Well, she appeared at our door one day and claimed she was Torscha's daughter. Her mother told her so."
"THATS IT?!? Where’s the proof?! I'm not even old enough to be her dad!!" Torscha argued while trying to escape the clutches of his "daughter".
"So I'm an uncle now?" Jaegos asked.
"NO YOUR NOT!!" shouted Torscha.
"And I'm a granduncle?" queried Lyrad.
"NO YOUR NOT!!!!!!!" Torscha blared even louder.
"Yes, you both are." Faeline replied, rather matter-of-factly.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!!" Torscha screamed as Trieni Raines finally caught her dad and gave him a big hug.

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Babysitting Trieni
Jaegos frowned as he watched his niece skip and dance around his shop. Normally he would not care but the fact that this was a smithy filled with dangerous weapons made her merry making extremely hazardous. If only he had not agreed to baby-sit her while Torscha went to drown his sorrows at the local tavern.
"So, how old are you anyway?" Jaegos inquired while ushering Trieni away from the shelf filled with sharp axes.
"15 at the start of the next full moon" Trieni replied as she reached out to try and play with a morning star. "Ooo!!! That one's so spiky!"
"No dear, that’s not a toy. Now PLEASE sit here quietly while I deal with this customer.." Jaegos suddenly had a flashback of Faeline saying something similar years ago to two young Sendar boys running amok in her shop and his respect for his mother went up another notch. "Good morning, sir. How may I be of service?" he asked the Mimbrate knight who had just entered his shop.
"Need a broadsword, old one broke mid-battle. Almost cost me mah life ye know!" the knight continued his story of how he bested 9 bandits with a broken weapon while Jaegos nodded and showed him his stock of broadswords. "..and then I umm is it safe for that young lass to be playing with a crossbow?" the Mimbrate inquired as he looked over Jaegos' shoulder.
Jaegos turned just in time to watch Trieni load a quarrel into the crossbow and squeeze the trigger. Swiftly, he slammed his body into his customer dropping both of them to the ground. The rogue quarrel flew through the space they had just occupied and lodged itself just above the door. Trieni just whistled innocently and put the crossbow where she had found it. "Torscha seriously owes me one.." Jaegos thought to himself as he pondered on how best to resolve the situation.
The knight picked himself off the ground and grunted. Silently he glared at Jaegos and then at Trieni and then back to Jaegos.
"I'll take that sword." he muttered.
"Umm.. 10 gold pieces." Jaegos concluded the trade and watched the knight stomp out of his shop.
"Trieni, come here please." Jaegos said softly. Trieni just gulped.

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"Why is Trieni tied to a chair?" Torscha boggled as he entered the shop.
"Oh, no reason" Jaegos replied and smiled sweetly.

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The Disaster
Jaegos yawned as he continued down the familiar path back home. After a long day of forging weapons and dealing with obnoxious customers, he could really use a break. Closing his eyes, he absorbed the splendours of the surrounding nature. The song of the birds, the breeze caressing his face, the smell of smoke.. wait. THE SMELL OF SMOKE?! Jaegos quickly snapped back to his senses and watched in horror as a black pillar of smog rose into the air in the direction of the Raines' manor. All thoughts of R&R vanished from his mind as he raced back home.
"What in Belar's name??" Jaegos asked as he reached the gate.
"Well, it appears Trieni found one of my spellbooks and has been practicing for weeks without our knowledge. So happens one of her spells got out of hand and, well, you can see half the result. Now please be quiet dear, I'm concentrating on a spell." Faeline closed her eyes and began uttering arcane words under her breath. Jaegos felt the power gathering in his mother's hands before watching a gush of water burst forth dousing the fire. "Such a pity I can't repair the damages just as easily." Faeline frowned. "I don't suppose you could take a couple of days off work to repair some of the damages?"
Jaegos nodded. "Earlier, you said that the fire was only half the spell, what’s the other half?"
Faeline sighed and pointed to the nearby tree sheltering a rather sheepish looking girl. "Now what do you have to say for yourself?" Faeline glared at her granddaughter.
"Croak!" Trieni cried as she tried to explain herself "Croakcroak! croak!"
"It appears I have more than the garden to repair.." Faeline sighed. "She's really getting to be quite a handful. Since Torscha, Neldion and Lyrad are all away on business, and we have to go to work everyday, there just simply isn't anyone left to take care of her."
Jaegos considered the situation. Normally they could just hire a babysitter or someone to take care of her but now that Trieni had learned how to cast spells, they could not pick just anybody. This was beginning to become a serious problem. Suddenly, a very welcome voice came from behind.
"I see nothing much has changed since I left."
"FIERON!"

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Hiring a nanny
"Next.." Jaegos called as he politely dismissed the applicant. He had known from the start it would be hard finding a nanny for Trieni but this was simply ridiculous. A retired Cherek sea captain who promised to 'beat the discipline into her', a Nadrak who seemed more interested in what he could steal and a priestess who could not stop babbling about the greatness of Aldur were just a few of the more normal ones he had interviewed so far. Very nasty thoughts flew through his mind as the Tolnedran applicant kept bringing the topic back to the wages. He had much better things to do with his time than this, especially now that Fieron was back. For the millionth time that day, he escorted the applicant out of the living room.
"Next!" he called, only to find that there was no more next. A slight pang of disappointment poked him for his failure before he gleefully shoved the pang aside and collapsed onto the sofa to enjoy a well-deserved break.
Thoughts flooded his mind as he closed his eyes and entered the familiar blackness. Ever since Trieni had joined the family, his life had just been one disaster after another. Heck, it was her fault he had to stop his search for Fieron in the first place. But then again, she was only a kid. If anyone was to blame it was his brother for constantly running off without her. But then again, Torscha was his bro. And then came the thoughts of Fieron. He still did not know the reason for her disappearance and they had not had the time to talk yet. Which would have brought him back to Trieni if he had not been woken by a soft rapping on the door.
"Yes?" he asked as he opened the door.
"I'm here to apply for the job I believe you offered?" the mysterious woman gazed deep into Jaegos' eyes scaring the woolies out of him.
"Umm.. yes.. yes.. please enter." Jaegos stepped aside to allow the new applicant in as he tried to avoid both eye contact and noticing that she seemed to float in rather than walk. "So.. what makes you think your qualified for the job?"
"I'm very talented." the woman replied. She continued her unnerving stare at Jaegos. "You seem tense, have a cup of tea." Her hands moved in a mesmerising manner before producing a cup of tea out of thin air.
"Umm.. thanks.." Jaegos cautiously accepted the drink and took a sip. Well, she was talented at making tea, that was for sure.
"So, do I get the job?"
Jaegos considered the factors. She knew magic and could make excellent tea. But then again, she was just so darn CREEPY!! "Well.."
"Of course you do" Fieron strolled calmly down the stairs startling her husband. "Glad to have you here." She shook hands with the mysterious woman thus sealing the deal.
"Oh no.." Jaegos thought silently to himself as he started wishing he had hired the three armed Thull who smelled funny.

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Forging
Scalding flames and hammer strikes
help give shape to shapeless steel
With each blow a new sweat forms
on the blacksmith's brow

Could it be the tiny dagger,
whose small size hides its deadly sting?
or the flexible neck of the destructive flail
disintegrating that which its head does strike?

What about the head of the spear
master of strikes from far?
or the blade of the famous sword
favoured weapon of Mimbrate knights?

With each blow a piece of soul
from maker is put into his creation
When complete may it serve its purpose
be it to kill or to protect

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Repairing the wall
Jaegos wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve before continuing the repairs on the wall. Lately he had been spending half the time at the smithy and using the rest to repair the damages created from Trieni's lessons in magic. Yesterday it rained cats in his bedroom. The day before witnessed the first ever toilet paper tree. Now, she had somehow managed to send a cow flying through the kitchen wall.

"At least the cow lived..." Jaegos tried to think optimistically.

"Trieni is making progress you know." the creepy nanny aka Trieni's teacher aka she-who-makes-great-tea, suddenly appeared out of nowhere causing Jaegos to drop his hammer on his toe.

"OOOOOOOOooooOowwwWWWWWwwww!!!!" Jaegos began doing the famous one-legged hop before tripping over a roll of toilet paper and falling on to a cat.

--->> One hour of hairballs, claws and toilet paper later...

Fieron sighed as she tended to her severely wounded husband's wounds as he lay on the couch. "I don't get it, why did you agree to hire her anyway?" Jaegos asked, very disgruntled.

"Why not? She's perfect for the job. She knows magic, everyone, other than you, loves her, and she makes an amazing pot of tea. I just don't see what you have against her."

"She's just so darn creepy!! Why don't you people see that?? She doesn't even have a NAME for crying out loud!! And look at what she did to me!!" Jaegos whined angrily "OOOOoooWwww!! Okok! I'm sorry I raised my voice... Its just that I got a bad feeling about her..."

"Actually, you’re the one responsible for your current state. And in any case, your dressings are done. Could you get the cow out of the house please?" A moo came from upstairs.

"How the heck did it get up.. oh nevermind.." Jaegos sighed as Fieron gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to her in time. Just relax." Fieron smiled and left to keep the first aid kit.

Jae watched his wife disappear into another room before standing up. To think he had forgotten to get rid of the cow. Another moo came from the upper floor. "Yes yes.. coming.." Jaegos absently muttered to no one in particular.

"Can we have a talk?" a voice that caused all the hairs on the back of his arm to stand on end. It could only be one person. It could only be...the nanny.

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Brothers’ Reunion
Flying cows and cats armed with toilet paper danced around Jaegos cackling evilly. A cup of tea morphed into a mysterious nanny with silvery hair and a piercing gaze. She opened her mouth and spoke.
"Hey bro! Wake up!" Torscha's voice came out instead.
"GWAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Jaegos awoke from his nightmare drenched in sweat. "GWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" he screamed even louder as he realised he was in a tree and was about to fall off. Quickly, he stabilized himself before looking down to find Torscha shouting at him from the bottom.
"How the heck did you get up there?" Torscha yelled at his younger brother "I was beginning to worry that one of Trieni's spells had accidentally incinerated you or something."
Jaegos tried to focus in on his last conscious moments. He remembered repairing the wall, the duel with the cat, Fieron treating his wounds and him getting off the sofa to get rid of a cow... then everything after that was hazy. No memories of how he had somehow landed up in a tree outside the house.
"I'm... not sure.. Hey, when did you get back?" Jaegos asked Torscha as he climbed down the tree.
"Dad and I just got back a few hours ago. Fieron filled us in on Trieni's spellcasting and the nanny. I know your married but why would you get the creeps from a sexy lady like that?" Torscha grinned.
Jaegos shook his head declining to answer the question. If even Fieron did not understand, it was unlikely his brother would. Although, he did feel a little less strongly towards the nanny. "Is the cow still upstairs?"
This time it was Torscha's turn to shake his head. "Trieni tried to cast a transportation spell on it and... well, lets just say there’s beef all over the hallway..." The Raines brothers shuddered in unison.
"You have got to do something about your kid before she blows us all to bits and pieces."
"Well, we do have the nanny to teach her to control her powers. Unless you still object to her THAT much?"
"Actually, I can't really remember why I didn't like her in the first place.." Jaegos raked his mind furiously for an answer but came out empty "Must have been something I ate"
"Maybe. Oh yeah, remind me to heal your wounds later. I heard a pussy kicked your butt." Torscha sneered at Jaegos.
"Well, I can still kick your butt. And for the record, it was a tie." Jaegos glared at Torscha.
"Pfft. Bring it on!"
Hidden away behind a nearby tree, the mysterious nanny smiled to herself as she watched the brothers tussle it out. Now that her spell on Jaegos had worked and there were no more obstructions left, she was free to carry out her plan.

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Dinner
For the first time in a long while, things were actually looking good for Jaegos. Now that Neldion and Torscha were back, he was at last able to return to work. Trieni was also finally learning how to control her powers and created a lot less damages, much to everyone's relief. Oh, and the nanny no longer gave him goosebumps. Now all that remained was to wash up and enjoy dinner with the rest of the family.

"DAMN YOU TORSCHA! GIVE ME BACK THAT CHICKEN WING!!"
"Make me" Torscha raspberried his younger brother and tore a chunk of flesh from the stolen wing.
"DAD!! GIVE ME BACK MY BEER!!"
Faeline watched as the men squabbled over food like little children and shook her head. "Men will never grow up."
"Boys will be boys." Fieron smiled and took a sip from her glass. "Now, Trieni, why aren't you touching your food?"
Trieni broke out of her trance-like state with a start at the mention of her name and merely chuckled a bit before returning to absentmindedly poking her dinner with a fork. Fieron turned to Faeline to see whether she knew the reason for Trieni's odd mannerism only to receive a shrug in return.
"Are you ill Trieni?" Faeline asked, slightly worried. Trieni merely shook her head.
"Food not to your liking? Did someone mistreat you?" Again Trieni shook her head.
"You didn't touch my stash of drugs again did you?" Fieron asked suspiciously. Trieni shook her head even more vigorously.
"What is the matter than?" Faeline gave up trying to guess.
Suddenly, Trieni burst into tears drawing stares from everyone at the table. Even the guys stopped their fighting. "I.. I.. *sniff* can't.. but.. you've all.. treated.. me..*sob* so.. well..*sniff*"
"Now now, calm down and tell us slowly, your not making any sense." Torscha walked over to comfort his daughter.
"I believe I know what she wants to say." the nanny walked into the dining room and smiled.
"Oh, and what might that be?" Torscha asked.
"She wants to say 'Goodbye'."
The queer declaration created a mixture of reactions at the table.
"What do you mean goodbye?? Why?! Where!? Who?!"
"Is this true?" Lyrad asked his grandniece. Trieni wiped her eyes and nodded.
The nanny smiled again "She is coming with me. I will guide and teach her as I always have since she was young. I will bring her to her true calling. I will bring her to serve the great God Torak. I will bring her... to glory"
"Like hell you will." Torscha stepped in between Trieni and the "nanny". "She's my daughter and I say she's grounded."
This drew a loud laughter from the "nanny" "She's a child of Torak, not yours. And I doubt you'll be able to stop us anyway. The food you ate? I added a sleeping potion. It should be taking effect any time now..."
Now that she mentioned it, Torscha was beginning to feel groggy and the world started to spin. At the table the others had also began to collapse. He turned to face the only one unaffected. "Trieni.. daughter.." he gasped and then everything went blank.

"It’s time to go child." The "nanny" extended her hand to Trieni.
"So, they will remember nothing of us?"
"That’s what the potion does. Now come, there is much to be done and our God is not a patient one."
Trieni took one last look at her family. "Good bye.. and thank you"

Jaegos groaned as he rubbed his head. The wine they had last night must have been really strong to have knocked out even Torscha. Pity he had to go to work today when he would much rather spend the morning sleeping off his hangover. With a sigh, he opened to door only to find a girl with dark hair standing in the doorway.
"Yes? Can I help you?" Jaegos asked politely.
"Oh.. It’s nothing.." said the girl before running away
"Who was that?" Torscha appeared from behind also ready to set off.
"Dunno. But she seems oddly familiar for some reason.."
"Must have been something you ate"
"Must be.."

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Unwelcome Customers
The shady Nyissan examined every inch of the throwing knife carefully. "There's no way this will fly straight" He finally declared to the very annoyed blacksmith. To Jaegos, there was nothing more insulting than someone critising his work. However, if he did not want to miss out on the sale, he would simply have to control his temper. Just so long as the Nyissan did not go to far...
"I'll only pay half the agreed amount for this junk." Ok, that did it. Just as Jaegos was about to show his ex-customer the joys of flight, the shop door blasted straight off its hinges to reveal a large, angry Cherek.
"FINALLY!! FOUND YOU!!" the Cherek roared at the Nyissan who was desperately trying to hide behind the counter "MAKE A FOOL OF ME WOULD YOU?? I'LL RIP OUT YOUR GUTS AND HANG YOU ON THE CITY GATES WITH THEM!!"
"Help me!!" The Nyissan pleaded with the very amused Jaegos as the Cherek grabbed his leg and attempted to yank him from a weapons rack.
"With what? He looks like a big strong guy and all I got for weapons is.. junk" Jaegos smiled sweetly as the Nyissan lost his grip and began to claw hopelessly on the floor as the Cherek dragged him away.
"No!! No!! The knives are excellent! I only wanted to get them at a bargain! PLEASE!!! HELP ME!!" Finally, the Nyissan realised what he had to say to save his life "I'LL PAY DOUBLE!!" Jaegos took a knife from the crate and sent it whizzing millimetres from the
Cherek's ear. "That door wasn't free you know."
"You'll regret that, Sendar" the Cherek growled angrily before hurling the Nyissan across the shop like a rag doll and drawing his axe. Jaegos picked up his trusty hammer and calmly stepped out from behind the counter. "Somehow, I seriously doubt that."
Jaegos ducked the Cherek's initial attempt to decapitate him and slammed his hammer straight onto his opponent's foot. The sound of bones cracking and the cry of pain were good indications of the success of his attack.
"You know, if you just paid for the door, I know a good healer who can take a look at your foot for you" The enraged Cherek merely roared louder tried again to cleave Jaegos in two. "Guess not.." Jaegos blocked the axe with his hammer and rammed his fist into the Cherek's face knocking his adversary out cold. "Thanks" Jaegos took the gold he required for the repairs from the Cherek's coin pouch and turned to complete a second deal.
Jaegos squatted in front of the very shaken Nyissan and smiled. "If I were you, I'd pay for the knives, which throw perfectly fine by the way, take them and leave here before that guy there wakes up. Oh, and be more careful with who you piss off in the future."

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Rain
Ominous black clouds blotted out the Sun casting a dark shadow across the land. Seeing as how Jaegos was currently walking home with no nearby shelter to hide under, things were looking very bad for him indeed. A sudden flash of light slightly before the roar of thunder served to warn the Sendarian to quicken his pace. After an exhausting day of work, the last thing he needed now was the wrath of the sky falling on his head.
Jaegos pulled his cloak tighter around himself both in an attempt to keep out the bone-chilling winds and to prevent it from flying away. Looking up, he spotted a tiny bird beating its wings furiously against the gale only to succeed in moving gradually backwards. Even the branches of the mighty trees swayed to and fro in their struggle against the invisible force. Again Jaegos added speed to his step. Best he find shelter before things got worse.
And then it happened. One dark spot appeared on the ground followed by another and another. Not before long, the sky unleashed the full extent of its fury drenching Jaegos from head to toe. The earth turned to mud causing him to sink with every step thus slowing his sprint back home. Again lightning streaked across the sky lighting the area briefly before the thunder boomed once more drowning out the patter of the raindrops.
Water droplets seeped through his hood and traced a path down his face. Jaegos' vision blurred as some managed to enter his eyes. Instinctively, he raised his soaking wet sleeve to wipe them dry and only succeeded in making the situation worse. Now that he was blinded, there was nothing to stop Jaegos from tripping over the log in the middle of the path and slamming face first into the mud.
Jaegos pushed himself out from the brown muck and began to spit in an attempt to rid his mouth of the disgusting taste. Although he still could not see properly, it was quite obvious his entire person was now filthy. There was no way Faeline would let him enter the house without cleaning up first. How ironic. Well, at least the rain was washing away some of the mud from his clothes.
And then, just like that, it was over. Rain stopped falling from the sky although occasional droplets continued to fall from the leaves they had been hiding on. The fierce winds calmed down and gave way to the gentle breeze. Feeling around inside his napsack, Jaegos found a cloth and used it to clean the mud from his eyes and face to be greeted by a welcome sight. Despite all that had happened, somehow a smile still managed to find a place on Jaegos' face.
Across the sky, seven colors had merged to form a rainbow.

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