"This forge," said Devron, "what was it capable of creating?"
"Things of great beauty, and also of great power," replied the wizard. "The forge was imbibed with magic from the dragon's ancient memory, and such power as he wielded then was not to be rivaled even by the elves which pride themselves on the great relics of power they created in the dark days of the fallen ages."
"So this Malkezdic created traps or something like that to keep you from getting into the dragon tomb then?"
"Exactly. This dragon was wise in the ways of the ancient technology of those that were far advance beyond even what we can fathom as amazing today. He taught some of our great ancestors, and helped those that were seeking enlightenment. His knowledge was greater than most, and currently I am trying to understand the locked door in which he placed a special code that if I only understood it better, would open without trouble, but has taken men so far three years to figure out."
"That is a long time, and something I would have given up on many years ago," replied Devron, surprised that the wizard would keep at the problem so long.
"I have lived more than three hundred and eighty years, son, and I am not about to back down from a challenge from a dead dragon whose only claim to fame was the fact that he could impress a few smart humans," replied Adrius. "That forge that he created all those years ago could be turned to greater good in the hands of those who know its power and create objects of power that can be used by all people. We have to unlock the secret of the forge if we are to better the lives of the common folk."
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
8. Malkezdic
"So who is Malkezdic?" asked Devron, deciding that learning all he could about the foe that even gave Adrius pause for thought was someone worth knowing a little more about. "You say he is or was a dragon."
"A dragon of great power and if possible, intellectual genius not to be rivaled by most men," replied Adrius. "You see, at the dawn of the Third Age, there was not much but barren wasteland between the sea and the heights of the mountain peaks to the west, and in that time the people living here and there on the land were not but barbarian tribes compared to the civilizations of today. One of the great dragons that ruled the kingdoms of man and elves, the manipulators of progress and culture, decided that he would found a kingdom in this land built upon the strength of man. This dragon, Malkezdic, decided to begin his great work by building a great forge, wherein he could fashion artifacts that would be of great use to the races of man."
"A dragon of great power and if possible, intellectual genius not to be rivaled by most men," replied Adrius. "You see, at the dawn of the Third Age, there was not much but barren wasteland between the sea and the heights of the mountain peaks to the west, and in that time the people living here and there on the land were not but barbarian tribes compared to the civilizations of today. One of the great dragons that ruled the kingdoms of man and elves, the manipulators of progress and culture, decided that he would found a kingdom in this land built upon the strength of man. This dragon, Malkezdic, decided to begin his great work by building a great forge, wherein he could fashion artifacts that would be of great use to the races of man."
Monday, September 12, 2011
7. Hawk and the Crow
"These are my beauties," said Adrius, gesturing up towards the rafters of the tower, where the chorus of croaking sounds told Devron at once that there were many crows roosting above him. There were also several hawks perched alone and in somewhat aloof manner on the west side of the tower, sitting on stone perches where they could watch the sun sinking slowly in the west beyond the hills that surrounded Arkon. The noble birds remained like stones, looking out into a world in which they had once soared with longing, but then Devron realized that he was only assuming that. There was no way of knowing if they ever had, or if they had been raised and spent their whole life in this tower.
"You seem deep in thought," observed the wizard, watching the guardsman, one of the few he had ever welcomed into his tower. "What are you thinking about? You might as well say, I can almost read minds you know."
"I was just wondering if you had raised these birds from chicks or not," replied Devron, unnerved by the wizard's comment. "And you can't really read minds can you?"
"How would you know?"
"You wouldn't have to ask so many questions like you did earlier."
"Good deductive reasoning, and more than a little right," replied Adrius with a laugh. "Yes of course I cannot really read minds, and as far as we of the inner circle know, few beings can. It is one of the few private places left to people these days, where their true beliefs can be expressed without endangering their lives or fortunes."
Adrius the Black led Devron up a flight of stairs that circled around the tower room, to a balcony quite close to the roosts of the birds above them. A broad floor opened to his view as he climbed the stairs, and Devron could see a great desk surrounded by several book shelves and experimental devices, many of which supported vats and small glass cylinders the wizard described as vials containing one substance or another.
"I am currently deep in study on the problem facing us in the dragon tomb on Gilmonda, but so far I have come up with nothing but one dead end after another," said the wizard. One of the crows gave a croaking sound and flew down to the desk, alighting on a small perch made of rod iron that seemed meant for the purpose. Adrius smoothed out the birds feather with his left hand, while moving some papers around with his right as he looked for something that seemed to be alluding him.
"If I may ask, not understanding anything of dragons or wizards, what is the problem?"
Adrius looked at the guardsman dumbfounded for a moment. The crow croaked softly and bobbed its head as it cast a beady eye over Devron.
"To put it simply, I am contending with mind of one of the most intelligent dragons who ever lived," replied Adrius after a moment. "A dragon named Malkezdic."
"And I am guessing that is very difficult."
"As difficult and different to understand as the hawk and the crow."
"But not so different," replied Devron. "One kills his prey and eats it, but yet he is tamed by men to do their hunting for them. He is not so free, although he may be so magnificent. The eyes of men are ever on him. The crow on the other hand is a wily creature that has no master because none want it, but it too lives off fallen prey, usually the prey of another hunter. The crow thus has the advantage over the hawk, and the benefit of it sometimes."
"I like you very much," replied Adrius. "You have insight, and of course you are right. This crow intends to best a hawk, and once this situation in Carthor is dealt with, I may take you to Gilmonda to see the problem for yourself."
"You seem deep in thought," observed the wizard, watching the guardsman, one of the few he had ever welcomed into his tower. "What are you thinking about? You might as well say, I can almost read minds you know."
"I was just wondering if you had raised these birds from chicks or not," replied Devron, unnerved by the wizard's comment. "And you can't really read minds can you?"
"How would you know?"
"You wouldn't have to ask so many questions like you did earlier."
"Good deductive reasoning, and more than a little right," replied Adrius with a laugh. "Yes of course I cannot really read minds, and as far as we of the inner circle know, few beings can. It is one of the few private places left to people these days, where their true beliefs can be expressed without endangering their lives or fortunes."
Adrius the Black led Devron up a flight of stairs that circled around the tower room, to a balcony quite close to the roosts of the birds above them. A broad floor opened to his view as he climbed the stairs, and Devron could see a great desk surrounded by several book shelves and experimental devices, many of which supported vats and small glass cylinders the wizard described as vials containing one substance or another.
"I am currently deep in study on the problem facing us in the dragon tomb on Gilmonda, but so far I have come up with nothing but one dead end after another," said the wizard. One of the crows gave a croaking sound and flew down to the desk, alighting on a small perch made of rod iron that seemed meant for the purpose. Adrius smoothed out the birds feather with his left hand, while moving some papers around with his right as he looked for something that seemed to be alluding him.
"If I may ask, not understanding anything of dragons or wizards, what is the problem?"
Adrius looked at the guardsman dumbfounded for a moment. The crow croaked softly and bobbed its head as it cast a beady eye over Devron.
"To put it simply, I am contending with mind of one of the most intelligent dragons who ever lived," replied Adrius after a moment. "A dragon named Malkezdic."
"And I am guessing that is very difficult."
"As difficult and different to understand as the hawk and the crow."
"But not so different," replied Devron. "One kills his prey and eats it, but yet he is tamed by men to do their hunting for them. He is not so free, although he may be so magnificent. The eyes of men are ever on him. The crow on the other hand is a wily creature that has no master because none want it, but it too lives off fallen prey, usually the prey of another hunter. The crow thus has the advantage over the hawk, and the benefit of it sometimes."
"I like you very much," replied Adrius. "You have insight, and of course you are right. This crow intends to best a hawk, and once this situation in Carthor is dealt with, I may take you to Gilmonda to see the problem for yourself."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
6. Gilmonda
"About thirty years ago, before either of us where born, a fairly small diplomatic dispute arose over the ownership of a small island in the Maredian Sea. You may have heard of it before. It is called Gilmonda, or the Dark Island in the common speech. As you have no doubt heard in stories, the island is perpetually shrouded in dark magical mists that keep direct sunlight from penetrating to the ground. Nothing was found of any note on it centuries before, only long bleak stretches of black stone.
"Then one day, a shipwrecked mariner showed up in Arkon claiming to have landed on Gilmonda and discovered in his despondent ramblings, a cave that had heretofore not been discovered. Inside he found remains of what appeared to be three ancient dragons, not locked in combat but supposedly lying be each other in a row. For a time this discovery was written off as the mad ravings of a hapless beggar, but the man swore that there was more that might be found if one had the courage to go deep into the ancient tunnels under the island that the cave had revealed.
"My father, Julian the third of the name, decided to send some to investigate the matter after he also learned that the shipwrecked mariner was determined to head back to Carthor to reunite with his family and to approach the Council of Fifty, as you might know is the leading body of decision makers in the city. Indeed the man, a Gilius Martin by name, did return to his homeland and reported to those in power. By that time though my father had taken possession of Gilmonda, had found the ancient dragon cave, and with the assistance of men like Adrius here, discerned that this island is actually the home of a great dragon burial ground. The three found in the cave were actually left to be buried later by other dragons, but for some reason unknown to us, the project was never completed."
"It has taken us many years to understand even some of the many secrets of the island," interjected Adrius the Black. "Dragons are fell beast that have a great and cunning minds if allowed to grow to their full maturity. They have lain many a trap to defeat the foolish and unwary, and even I have almost been snuffed out by some of the protective wards, simply because they go beyond my understanding. Yet that is specifically why we want to keep the island for further research and hopefully to one day uncover greater knowledge about these creatures, their past, and how we might better relate with them in the future."
"So you see, before no one wanted the island," continued the prince. "Now many have desired to claim ownership. The lords of Carthor claim the island by virtue of Gilius Martin having landed on the island and having spent several days on it alone. My father claimed it by right of conquest. Until now, the relatively small dispute in the greater political matter of things has remained a sore spot in our relations with Carthor, but nothing further has happened until now. Annea and Herclius were in attendance at the coronation of a King Maxren of Brundia just a week ago, when they were abducted from their very rooms by Carthor agents right after the coronation. Maxren has issued threats of war against these treacherous men, but in fact, he can do nothing with my father's say so. Unlike what I said earlier when the guard was here, the lords of Carthor do not want trade benefits or mere money. They want Gilmonda, and have given us just five days to make up our minds before they kill my brother and sister. That is the urgency of this mission."
"We are incredibly close to unlocking something very powerful, and potentially very dangerous deep within the island's secret caverns," added Adrius again at this point. "The Carthor agents have discovered this, and hope it is also a weapon they can use against us if they can recover the island from the Angeli Empire. This is why we must stop their plan by rescuing the royal children of Julius III, before the next full moon, and you may have noticed, it has just begun to wax in the heavens."
"What do you have planned for me to do?" asked Devron at length, realizing the two powerful men were waiting for a response from him at this point.
"Many things, but at this point, how do you feel about hawks and crows?" asked Adrius with an amused smile on his lips.
"Then one day, a shipwrecked mariner showed up in Arkon claiming to have landed on Gilmonda and discovered in his despondent ramblings, a cave that had heretofore not been discovered. Inside he found remains of what appeared to be three ancient dragons, not locked in combat but supposedly lying be each other in a row. For a time this discovery was written off as the mad ravings of a hapless beggar, but the man swore that there was more that might be found if one had the courage to go deep into the ancient tunnels under the island that the cave had revealed.
"My father, Julian the third of the name, decided to send some to investigate the matter after he also learned that the shipwrecked mariner was determined to head back to Carthor to reunite with his family and to approach the Council of Fifty, as you might know is the leading body of decision makers in the city. Indeed the man, a Gilius Martin by name, did return to his homeland and reported to those in power. By that time though my father had taken possession of Gilmonda, had found the ancient dragon cave, and with the assistance of men like Adrius here, discerned that this island is actually the home of a great dragon burial ground. The three found in the cave were actually left to be buried later by other dragons, but for some reason unknown to us, the project was never completed."
"It has taken us many years to understand even some of the many secrets of the island," interjected Adrius the Black. "Dragons are fell beast that have a great and cunning minds if allowed to grow to their full maturity. They have lain many a trap to defeat the foolish and unwary, and even I have almost been snuffed out by some of the protective wards, simply because they go beyond my understanding. Yet that is specifically why we want to keep the island for further research and hopefully to one day uncover greater knowledge about these creatures, their past, and how we might better relate with them in the future."
"So you see, before no one wanted the island," continued the prince. "Now many have desired to claim ownership. The lords of Carthor claim the island by virtue of Gilius Martin having landed on the island and having spent several days on it alone. My father claimed it by right of conquest. Until now, the relatively small dispute in the greater political matter of things has remained a sore spot in our relations with Carthor, but nothing further has happened until now. Annea and Herclius were in attendance at the coronation of a King Maxren of Brundia just a week ago, when they were abducted from their very rooms by Carthor agents right after the coronation. Maxren has issued threats of war against these treacherous men, but in fact, he can do nothing with my father's say so. Unlike what I said earlier when the guard was here, the lords of Carthor do not want trade benefits or mere money. They want Gilmonda, and have given us just five days to make up our minds before they kill my brother and sister. That is the urgency of this mission."
"We are incredibly close to unlocking something very powerful, and potentially very dangerous deep within the island's secret caverns," added Adrius again at this point. "The Carthor agents have discovered this, and hope it is also a weapon they can use against us if they can recover the island from the Angeli Empire. This is why we must stop their plan by rescuing the royal children of Julius III, before the next full moon, and you may have noticed, it has just begun to wax in the heavens."
"What do you have planned for me to do?" asked Devron at length, realizing the two powerful men were waiting for a response from him at this point.
"Many things, but at this point, how do you feel about hawks and crows?" asked Adrius with an amused smile on his lips.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
5. The Price
"Sit," instructed the wizard.
"In the presence of the prince, my lord?"
"Yes," replied Adrius with an eye brow lifted in annoyance.
"It is perfectly fine," added Prince Marcus, gesturing to a chair before his desk. Devron almost unwillingly took a seat, feeling that he was betraying all respect to the royal person by doing so.
"You were more adroit in your recognition that this will be no simple task, freeing my brother and sister from the lords of Carthor. Those barons of trade and underhanded subterfuge are all too prepared to deal with a direct attack, whether by open swords or through a diplomatic mission by one of my councilors. Thus as you clearly saw, another method must be attempted."
"We will need a man no one would suspect. A man that will blend in and be easily lost, but one on whom we can utterly rely," added Adrius, turning around and scrutinizing Devron hard. "This man might have to undergo torture, possibly assassinate high profile targets, communicate with the criminally insane, and perhaps even die. Are you prepared on your sworn word of loyalty to defend the interests of the emperor above your own, even if it cost you the final price?"
"Yes," replied Devron, swallowing hard while those steel grey eyes fixed him with a penetrating stare. "I am a Salvorian."
"Your association with the guard has nothing to do with this. My questions is, can we entrust you with a mission that might require more than you have ever dealt with before? Will you be able to take orders and follow careful instruction?"
"Yes," replied Devron, and something about the earnestness of his response seemed to finally convince the wizard that he meant it this time. Adrius nodded once, and then took a seat next to the unnerved guardsmen and turned to Prince Marcus to continue the briefing.
"I thank you for your loyalty to my father and myself," said the prince, sitting back and folding his hands before him. "This is a delicate matter and requires a short history lesson to perhaps enlarge the issue for your eyes. As a sworn guardsman loyal to the crown, you are already under the pain of a vow to not reveal any of this information, so I will not require any guarantees. The penalty is already clear to you I believe. Now to the matter of my royal siblings."
"In the presence of the prince, my lord?"
"Yes," replied Adrius with an eye brow lifted in annoyance.
"It is perfectly fine," added Prince Marcus, gesturing to a chair before his desk. Devron almost unwillingly took a seat, feeling that he was betraying all respect to the royal person by doing so.
"You were more adroit in your recognition that this will be no simple task, freeing my brother and sister from the lords of Carthor. Those barons of trade and underhanded subterfuge are all too prepared to deal with a direct attack, whether by open swords or through a diplomatic mission by one of my councilors. Thus as you clearly saw, another method must be attempted."
"We will need a man no one would suspect. A man that will blend in and be easily lost, but one on whom we can utterly rely," added Adrius, turning around and scrutinizing Devron hard. "This man might have to undergo torture, possibly assassinate high profile targets, communicate with the criminally insane, and perhaps even die. Are you prepared on your sworn word of loyalty to defend the interests of the emperor above your own, even if it cost you the final price?"
"Yes," replied Devron, swallowing hard while those steel grey eyes fixed him with a penetrating stare. "I am a Salvorian."
"Your association with the guard has nothing to do with this. My questions is, can we entrust you with a mission that might require more than you have ever dealt with before? Will you be able to take orders and follow careful instruction?"
"Yes," replied Devron, and something about the earnestness of his response seemed to finally convince the wizard that he meant it this time. Adrius nodded once, and then took a seat next to the unnerved guardsmen and turned to Prince Marcus to continue the briefing.
"I thank you for your loyalty to my father and myself," said the prince, sitting back and folding his hands before him. "This is a delicate matter and requires a short history lesson to perhaps enlarge the issue for your eyes. As a sworn guardsman loyal to the crown, you are already under the pain of a vow to not reveal any of this information, so I will not require any guarantees. The penalty is already clear to you I believe. Now to the matter of my royal siblings."
Friday, September 9, 2011
4. Chosen
"How do so few of us rescue such important prisoners?" asked Devron, suddenly realizing as eyes turned his direction that he had spoken his thought aloud.
"We are the Salvorian Guard, you green recruit," thundered an older man who seemed ready to strike him across the face for what apparently was the greatest of insolent remarks. "Do not doubt our abilities that you know nothing of!"
"I just meant that if I was a lord of Carthor, I would expect an attack and prepare for it," stammered Devron, backing up slightly but finding the man behind him standing fast and forcing him to face directly the angry soldier. "No warrior is invincible."
"You know nothing of warfare or strategy, commoner! If I was not a sworn brother, I would challenge you to combat and pin your head above the mess hall."
"Is this true, lad, are you a commoner by birth?" This question came from the prince himself, a man who was not really much older than Devron and hardly one to be suggesting great age superiority, but the new guardsmen answered all the same out of respect.
"Yes, my family, the Valiani, come from the common people," said Devron. "We may be simple folk, but we are loyal."
"I do not doubt that," replied Prince Marcus, catching the eye of his councilor for a moment. Then he addressed the group of guardsmen as a whole. "Men, you will soon receive instruction from Lord Sevroth regarding the specifics of your mission. Kindly attend to your duties and make preparations for your eventual departure. May the will of the emperor never falter!"
"Hail the emperor!" cried the guard in unison.
The Salvorians moved as a body to leave with Devron getting jostled by some of his fellow soldiers as they filed out of the room. Without saying much, he was pushed by the others out of line and made to wait inevitably until the end as the others moved ahead. Just as he was finally allowed to follow, he felt a strong tap on his shoulder. Turning around he looked straight into the care worn but firm face of Adrius the Black.
"Common, but not so common I think," spoke the wizard for the first time with deep measured tones. His grey beard on closer inspection still bore traces of the black he had been named for so many years ago, leaving now only his robes to suggest the nickname. His intimidating presences was more than just his height and strength in body, but seemed to flow from around him like an invisible cape that threatened to snap out at anyone foolish enough to cross him. "Forget the others, Marcus. Give them something to do to keep them occupied. I want this one, the one from the common folk."
"We are the Salvorian Guard, you green recruit," thundered an older man who seemed ready to strike him across the face for what apparently was the greatest of insolent remarks. "Do not doubt our abilities that you know nothing of!"
"I just meant that if I was a lord of Carthor, I would expect an attack and prepare for it," stammered Devron, backing up slightly but finding the man behind him standing fast and forcing him to face directly the angry soldier. "No warrior is invincible."
"You know nothing of warfare or strategy, commoner! If I was not a sworn brother, I would challenge you to combat and pin your head above the mess hall."
"Is this true, lad, are you a commoner by birth?" This question came from the prince himself, a man who was not really much older than Devron and hardly one to be suggesting great age superiority, but the new guardsmen answered all the same out of respect.
"Yes, my family, the Valiani, come from the common people," said Devron. "We may be simple folk, but we are loyal."
"I do not doubt that," replied Prince Marcus, catching the eye of his councilor for a moment. Then he addressed the group of guardsmen as a whole. "Men, you will soon receive instruction from Lord Sevroth regarding the specifics of your mission. Kindly attend to your duties and make preparations for your eventual departure. May the will of the emperor never falter!"
"Hail the emperor!" cried the guard in unison.
The Salvorians moved as a body to leave with Devron getting jostled by some of his fellow soldiers as they filed out of the room. Without saying much, he was pushed by the others out of line and made to wait inevitably until the end as the others moved ahead. Just as he was finally allowed to follow, he felt a strong tap on his shoulder. Turning around he looked straight into the care worn but firm face of Adrius the Black.
"Common, but not so common I think," spoke the wizard for the first time with deep measured tones. His grey beard on closer inspection still bore traces of the black he had been named for so many years ago, leaving now only his robes to suggest the nickname. His intimidating presences was more than just his height and strength in body, but seemed to flow from around him like an invisible cape that threatened to snap out at anyone foolish enough to cross him. "Forget the others, Marcus. Give them something to do to keep them occupied. I want this one, the one from the common folk."
Thursday, September 8, 2011
3. Special Assingment
"Devron Valian," said a voice. The guard turned and saw another member of the company beckoning him to follow.
"Sir?" asked Devron.
"Please don't delay. The prince has called for you himself. It is not wise to make him wait long."
"Yes sir," replied Devron, following immediately.
He had been caught off guard and day dreaming it was true, but nothing had in his wildest dreams had prepared Devron for a meeting with the prince himself. It had been a strange day by all accounts, resulting in a promotion and a request to speak with the heir to the Angeli Empire himself. Devron was beginning to feel that nothing would be strange after this day, yet he began to wonder as he entered the private study of Marcus Angeli and noted that there were more than ten of the guard in attendance already.
"Well, now that you are all here, I have something to say to you that is of the utmost importance," said the young man with the beard that was quite clearly new and grown for the sake of giving him an appearance of age and distinction. "You of the Salvorian Guard are chosen to accompany a trusted and devoted member of my council, Adrius the Black, on a journey to Carthor for the purpose of negotiating the return of my sister and brother, Annea and Herclius."
A tall man crowned with a full head of gray hair stood up from where he had been sitting, turning and facing the guardsmen. His penetrating eyes passed over each man as if their innermost secrets where revealed to him in a moment, and then he turned away as if they were irrelevant to his other occupying thoughts. Devron felt slightly insulted by the dismissive air the gray haired man known as Adrius the Black had adopted, but he was a known wizard and well remembered as a man not to be crossed openly or in ones thoughts if that were possible. It was widely thought that he could read minds as easily as a monk read a well loved book.
"Carthor is a dangerous place," said the leader of the guardsmen assembled. "May I ask your highness of the urgency of the matter?"
"You may," answered the prince, exchanging glances with Adrius. "The urgency involved stems from the fact that my sister and brother have been placed under arrest and thrown in the tower dungeon. We have received word that they will be executed if my father the emperor does not pay a heavy endowment or extend extremely lucrative terms of trade to the merchant barons of Carthor. Your mission, is to rescues my family members at all costs, and to elude the lords of Carthor. My father the emperor will not concede either demanded to these rebellious people, and so we must call on you men to do what diplomacy cannot under the leadership of my councilor."
"Sir?" asked Devron.
"Please don't delay. The prince has called for you himself. It is not wise to make him wait long."
"Yes sir," replied Devron, following immediately.
He had been caught off guard and day dreaming it was true, but nothing had in his wildest dreams had prepared Devron for a meeting with the prince himself. It had been a strange day by all accounts, resulting in a promotion and a request to speak with the heir to the Angeli Empire himself. Devron was beginning to feel that nothing would be strange after this day, yet he began to wonder as he entered the private study of Marcus Angeli and noted that there were more than ten of the guard in attendance already.
"Well, now that you are all here, I have something to say to you that is of the utmost importance," said the young man with the beard that was quite clearly new and grown for the sake of giving him an appearance of age and distinction. "You of the Salvorian Guard are chosen to accompany a trusted and devoted member of my council, Adrius the Black, on a journey to Carthor for the purpose of negotiating the return of my sister and brother, Annea and Herclius."
A tall man crowned with a full head of gray hair stood up from where he had been sitting, turning and facing the guardsmen. His penetrating eyes passed over each man as if their innermost secrets where revealed to him in a moment, and then he turned away as if they were irrelevant to his other occupying thoughts. Devron felt slightly insulted by the dismissive air the gray haired man known as Adrius the Black had adopted, but he was a known wizard and well remembered as a man not to be crossed openly or in ones thoughts if that were possible. It was widely thought that he could read minds as easily as a monk read a well loved book.
"Carthor is a dangerous place," said the leader of the guardsmen assembled. "May I ask your highness of the urgency of the matter?"
"You may," answered the prince, exchanging glances with Adrius. "The urgency involved stems from the fact that my sister and brother have been placed under arrest and thrown in the tower dungeon. We have received word that they will be executed if my father the emperor does not pay a heavy endowment or extend extremely lucrative terms of trade to the merchant barons of Carthor. Your mission, is to rescues my family members at all costs, and to elude the lords of Carthor. My father the emperor will not concede either demanded to these rebellious people, and so we must call on you men to do what diplomacy cannot under the leadership of my councilor."
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