The War for Miogaror: Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Captain Balmore sat in silence, eyes closed, head bowed, waiting patiently for his audience with the King of Nare. He was seated on a stone bench, engraved with a pattern consisting of a thousand swirls. The walls around him were high, with beautiful purple and gold tapestries draped over its face. Steel grates holding burning flames jutted out at regular intervals, crackling and hissing contently. An astonishing door stood proudly at one end of the hallway. The door shimmered and sparkled a mystic deep green. A similar swirl pattern to the bench was also on the door, except made of brilliant polished gold. Above the door, leaping out from the wall was the statue of a birds torso. Each feather was a different colour, a brilliant jigsaw of rainbow. Two guards stood before the door, eyeing up the Captain with untrusting eyes. They stood clad in armour, with the helmet resembling that of a birds head.
“The King should be ready now, pirate.” One of them spoke through gritted teeth.
Balmore rose up off the stone bench. His black leather boot clunked and squeaked along the hall way and through the luxurious doors that were held open by the guards.
“Might be back fer a chunk of this fine door here later…” he muttered just as the guards closed the it behind him..
His black leather boots squeaked loudly as he marched over the violet marble floor. The room was wide and spacious, creating the effect that he was no longer even inside a building. Above, a skylight spewed rays of golden sun down upon a tall throne, causing it to glitter and sparkle, as it sat upon a raised dais. Balmore stood in front of the throne, now bathed in the warm light. With a hand upon his breast he knelled down, “King Barthello of Nare, Cap’n Balmore, at yer service.”

Long, silver locks flowed out from under his gold and emerald crown and rested gently on broad shoulders. His eyes twinkled, fierce, yet gentle, framed by soft cracks of age. Great, bushy eyebrows furrowed and raised themselves as the King took in and absorbed the man in front of him. Behind a neatly trimed beard, his lips turned to a smile, “Welcome, Balmore, to the Kingdom of Nare. Please, won’t you stand, for it is I that requires your help.” The King arose from his throne; a tall powerful figure, clocked in the reoccurring colours of the castle, and strode down the dais' steps. “Please, follow me if you will.”
Balmore was immediately on his feet, following the King’s heels as a puppy would to its master. He was lead down a corridor decorated with paintings and antiques, up a winding staircase and beyond a heavy wooden door. The room opened out into a medium sized hall; elegant, yet simple and homely. A long wooden table stretched out in the centre of the room surrounded by a cluster of three-legged stools. A fireplace lay cold and ash-covered against the wall, guarded by the glazed stare of a stag’s head looming above the mantelpiece.
“This is the guards quarter, used for meal times a I’m sure you can tell.” The King paced slowly around the room, “I believe this would be suitable for tonight. Captain Balmore, before we should discuss further matters, I wish to invite you and your men to supper. I believe this only to be a fair proposal, after all, your men must be weary from travel. So please, gather them up, and return to the castle just as the last light of day begins to wane. Tonight, we shall have our bellies filled with the finest meat and our jugs with mead!”

The sky was just beginning to morph into its dusk shades as the small lifeboat spluttered to a stop on the landing zone outside of Nare. The trio gathered up a small amount of what they had bought in Jujogo, incase anything was needed. They were escorted from their ship by a pair of guards; along a small dirt path, through a gate and then into some sort of large golden cage.
“Welcome to Nare, citizens. I hope you have a pleasant visit.” Upon the top of the cage, a set of large crystals began to glow and with an abrupt jolt, the cage began to rise. Roan stumbled forward with an “Oompf!”, then clung onto the golden bars for leverage.
“Simply amazing…” uttered Zayden quietly as the cage continued to pick up speed. It rose higher and higher, to an altitude that their ship could not of reached. The world below them seemed so small now, and soon, the tiny specks that were guards were gone, covered and concealed by a thin layer of cloud. Within a few minutes, the cages pace began to slow and inevitable came to a halt. Waiting for their arrival, another guard welcomed them to city, and opened the golden gates to The Levitating Kingdom of Nare.
The city was beautiful, from what they had time to see, as The Talon inn was only along the first cobbled road. However, they could not ignore the glorious fountain that came just after the inn. Its waters spurted high into the air in a delightful foam, and the low light of the sun highlighted every droplet that splashed back into the glistening pool. Golden structures of birds lined the emerald basin as if they were protecting the waters from any disturbance. Small islands hung even further into the sky, with small silhouettes of winged ships flying swiftly amongst them. Most evident however, was the silhouette of the Grand Castle. It sat upon its own land mass in the sky, looking over the entire city. But there was little time for sightseeing so the trio quickly scuttled into the inn.
Sure enough, the crew was there; singing and dancing merrily to the music being played by a small group of musicians. They were loud, terribly loud. They stomped and smacked, clashed and clunked their tankards (which of course, splattered drink all over the floor), laughed and shouted all the while chewing and chomping on what appeared to be servings of mutton. The group hadn’t appeared to have taken any notice of Skylar, Roan or Zayden, and didn’t until the group of musicians stopped for a small break.
“Awh lads! Look who finally caught up!” a drunken Vincent, with alcohol and meat juices speckled on his shirt, waded his way over and flopped an arm around Skylar’s shoulders, “What took you so long? Hic!”
Just at that moment there was a boom at the door, and the squeaky boots of Balmore plodded into the room. “Ah! I see you three made it! Just in time aswell! Lads! We’ve all been invited fer a hearty good feast up at the castle!” The crew cheered loudly and raised their cups to the thought of more food, “Aye but what have we ‘ere! You lot appear to have already had a barrel o’ beer! Straighten up men! Ack! Someone bring these men a loaf to soak up this nonsense!”
The extra food helped slightly, but sadly didn’t restore all the men to a sensible state. Together, the herd of pirates trudged their way through the cobbled streets, swaying this way and that with the wind. Another lift ride took the pirates up to the castle level, though the lift ride proved to be a wild adventure for some of the intoxicated crew. They were guided by a solider into the royal corridors, where hiccups echoed loudly, and straight to the doors of the guards hall, where a delightful aroma was creeping out from the cracks in the wood. The solider banged twice on the door, “Your…guests…have arrived, Your Majesty.”
“Ah, most excellent!” shouted a cheery voice, “Please, enter, enter!”

With the crew now sitting around the table, and pleasantries exchanged, the pirates were quick into tucking in to the marvelous spread before them. And what a spread it was! Scattered around the table were loaves of various breads, bowls of fruits and berries, bird legs and sausages, potatoes, corn and carrots, a cauldron of stew and bottles of mead, and, in the centre of the table, a roasted boar, ready to be carved. The food was served and eaten, and the mead drunk, until their stomachs could bare no more. When plates were cleared, a small man with a lute entered the room, and played songs by the now roaring fireplace. The evening festivities wore on, and one by one, exhausted pirates were escorted out of the room to beds which they could spend the night. It wasn’t long until only a handful of the starting group remained.
“Yer Majesty, tonight has been an evening of great joy for me men, and fer that, I am very thankful” spoke Balmore before taking a glug from his cup.
The King humbly rose his hand, “You needn’t thank me, I am glad you have all enjoyed your meal. However,” his expression suddenly became more hard and serious, “I believe we do have more important matters to speak of. I must tell each of you why I have summoned you.”
The happiness drained from the faces of the men, as they too gained a more stern expression. Those sitting at the far end of the table took up a new stool by the Kings chair. When all was settled, he spoke once more.
“Now what I say, I am not certain. But, I have reason to believe that we may have an impending war on our hands,” his brows furrowed, “However, there are further…complications. If what my knowledge and sources say are true, then we have something very grave on our hands. Very grave indeed…”
Uneasy glances were passed around the table, “What have you heard of, Yer Majesty?” Balmore spoke in a hushed tone.
The King rose from his seat and paced around the room, “Men, if what I have heard is true, then the very Gods themselves will be used as instruments of destruction.”
There was a gasp of mixed shock and horror, as whispers were exchanged between the men. “How is something like that even possible?” exclaimed Zayden.
“I shall explain. I trust you have heard the legends of The Old World?” King Barthello looked at the pirates, the response wasn’t very positive, “It is okay men, do not be ashamed. These are very old stories, and most parts have been lost to the ages. Not all is clear, even to me. Let me tell you of what I know.”

“Legend speak of the times of The Old World, where our lands were surround by a body of water rather than the skies, and they say that the Gods themselves roamed the same earth as me, dwarf and elf alike. But something terrible happened in those times, something that caused outrage and hatred between the lands, and a war like no other had ever been seen. Thousands died, no, many more than that. Villages were destroyed, slaves were tortured, children abducted, it was madness. The very soil became stained with the blood that was spilled! The toxic hatred would surely have ruined all if possible. At first, the Gods only advised their inhabitants to end the cruelty, but as the situation worsened, they stepped in themselves.” a woeful sigh escaped the lips of the King, as if he felt the pain of all those that had died, “O how it delved further into chaos. The Gods at first simply tried to intervene, but a horrid accident occurred. Dreadful and inexcusable. One of the Gods killed a mortal of a race not under his own protection. It was that moment that sent the Gods into rage, and they began fighting amongst themselves. Imagine? Gods! Fighting! When you know the destruction men can create, envision that created by Gods at war!”
The King began pacing around again, with all eyes following him. Suddenly, he stopped, “Oh. I believe, I have missed out a detail.” his emerald eyes swung over the small crowd, and stopped on Skylar, “There used to be one more land, five. The world once knew of five great continents. Sanctus. Little is known about this place. None know what ever became of it, or if it truly ever existed, but it is mentioned in this tale, and is therefore an important element.”
“The people of Sanctus were not involved in the war, and neither was their God, Niveus. Some say they could see the war through crystal balls, or a mystic lake. Others say they were born with the vision of a thousand eagles. Whichever you choose to believe, they could see what was happening, they witnessed the destruction of the world. Now, Niveus…Niveus was an immensely mighty being. They say his soul was connected to the very heart of the planet. He couldn’t bare to witness the deeds of mortals, and he was disgusted by the acts of the Gods. One day, he could not stand to see anymore bloodshed.”
“The people of Sanctus gathered and channelled all their energy and will into Niveus. With this force, he let out a bellow, a bellow that stopped everything. Time itself froze, but the Gods were not affected by this, and continued fighting. With a shrill cry, his voice pierced into the very minds of the Gods, and the violence stopped. They became selfless zombies, and each made their way back to their own lands. Now, what Niveus had to do next, he done with a heavy heart. But alas, he had no choice, the actions of each were unacceptable, and had to be punished. The souls of the Gods were encased in crystal form, and the bodies were entombed.”
“Over the next moon cycle, citizens of Sanctus ventured out in order to collect the crystalised souls. They were to hide them, protect them, or destroy them. Whichever they felt most appropriate.” The King finally returned to his chair, “and this brings us to the final chapter of our tale. With all his remaining strength, the will of his people, and the energy of the planet, Niveus focused. The earth trembled and the seas roared. The lands were rising from the waters! He sent them shooting into the sky for all to start a new life away from the pain of the war. But this task was to great for the weary God. Parts of the land did not complete the trip, and he was only able to make the journey halfway himself, before his own land came crashing down. What an unfortunate event…”
Everyone had become engrossed in the tale, that they had forgotten completely why they were even in the castle. It was as if this whole trip had become a reuniting with an old friend, to sing and tell tales with food and drink. No one knew what to say, but the silence was soon broken.
“Now, this brings me back to why you are here.” Spoke the king firmly, no longer lost in the hazy nightmare of olden times, “I have reason to believe there is a person of high power searching, or preparing a search, for these crystallised souls.”
“An-” Balmore’s throat had went dry, he coughed and hacked before speaking again, “And what does that mean exactly?”
“They say the crystals can revive the Gods, and the one that holds the crystal will be in full control of the being. Which I’m sure you can see, would be very problematic.”
“Are you trying to put us up against Gods, Yer Majesty!?”
The King let out a chuckle, “Oh! Heaven’s no, no! As I mentioned, I am not fully certain this is the case, and no serious action will be taken until I know the truth. But, the night has rushed past us, and dawn is nigh. Please, get some rest, and I will explain your role in the morning when all are accounted for.”
This sounded like a fine idea, and at the mention of rest, the men became very aware of how heavy their eyes felt. One by one, Balmore, Skylar, Zayden and Roan, Vincent and Hayes, and a few other sleepy pirates found their way to bed, and sleep engulfed them.

***

The wind whipped though his hair as he climbed down the rope, flailing around in the breeze. The screams from below were getting louder and louder and he soon heard them in full fearful glory, like music to his ears. The screams of women and the cries of little children, the boom of the cannons and crashing of the thunder above. The gleeful noises of his fellow crew running around, swords in hand and gunfire in the air. This was what he had been waiting for. He took another glance round at the scene. Small wooden houses were now engulfed in flames and billowing huge grey clouds of smoke to add to the ones in the sky. Blood began to stain several streets and it trickled its way along the small gaps in the cobbled streets, like a small river of red. Injured and dead bodies were lying on the pavements or leaning against the remains of their homes. Another loud boom from the cannons above and a nearby house shattered and burst into flames. An evil smirk crawled upon Skylar’s face and he pulled his dagger out from the holster in his belt. Holding it firmly in his right hand, he ran down the streets and…

***

He awoke with a start. Skylar sat abruptly upright in bed, catching his breath and rubbing his eyes. “Not this dream. Not again.” He muttered to himself as he realised where he was; in a warm bed, not in a battle zone. Not there.
The sun was already shining in through the window and birds could be heard twittering outside. With a groan, Skylar flung the blankets away and got out of bed. He stretched, and walked over to the window. It was much later in the day than he originally thought as the sun gleamed high above the city. Hastily, Skylar left for the hall.
Embarrassingly, he was the last one to arrive, also quite late, by the looks of things, as the breakfast spread was almost done.
“About time Skylar!” shouted Roan in his usual cheery tone, “Better hurry if you want something to eat!”
Skylar quickly scuttled over. Sitting next to Roan, he grabbed some bread and slapped some jam on top of it.
“Ah, so I see we are all now accounted for?” smiled the King from the top of the table, sipping what appeared to be apple juice, “Excellent. As soon as you all finish eating, I shall explain what I need of you.”
The meal continued for a short time, but most were already done by the time Skylar had arrived. Now, all pirates were attentive and ready for what the King had to say.
“I hope the meal was to everyone’s liking?” the King asked as he rose from his seat. A collective nod bobbed around the group, “Excellent. Now, I’m afraid I explained the majority of your purpose here to the men who were awake last night, and for that, I apologise. But I am sure your companions will fill you in on any matters that puzzle you in the following explanation.”
“I mentioned last night that I have reason to believe that a person of high power is currently in pursue of an ancient and tremendous power, a power that could cause great harm to us all. However, I did not mention who this suspicion was linked to; Empress Rhine of Terra, Silicis.”
“I do not wish to mention too much at this present moment, as if my accusations are false, I do not wish to soil the woman’s name. Though, I have received troubling news from reliable sources and comrades from that region. What I ask from your crew, is, firstly, to find confirmation that these suspicions are true. And secondly, begin preparations for protection if these accounts prove to be correct.”
“Hmmm, well, that all sounds simple enough,” spoke the Captain, “but, I just need to ask, why aren’t ye getting yer own guards and soldiers to do yer biddin’? Why pirates?”
A soft chuckle came from the King before he continued, “ I have my reasons, several infact. Firstly, I wanted my methods for this mission to be sneakier and more unusual than what a soldier would be used too. I need my…spies I guess I could call you, to be as natural as possible. Soldier behaviour can be very hard to cover. Also, I do not want to send out too many of my own guards, incase something terrible did happen in their absence. What a ruler would I be if I let my kingdom remain unprotected? I have a few other reasons, but mostly, I just trust this to be the right decision.”
“Honestly, I had also sent word of my need to other pirate filled areas. I felt a larger party to split all the tasks would have been the best action, but you and your crew appear to be the only response I’ve had,” the King shook his head and sighed, “I do not know how you would feel about splitting up your crew to fulfil each assignment. Haste must be made, and the value of time is currently a mystery. I do not wish to wait.”
Captain Balmore looked uneasy; the crew always stuck together when it came to work, “Mmm, this is a tough decision, I value all me men, and it would break me ol’ heart if something happened to one o’ them without my knowledge.” he scratched at his beard with a furrowed brow, “But I’ve had the upmost respect for ye ever since I was a wee lad meself. I grew up ‘round abouts ‘ere, you know. And ye’ve never made a bad decision. How split would the crew end up?”
“Four groups. The largest; will head straight to Terra, and cause a bit of a ruckus. I’d suggest that roughly ten of you would be needed for this part. Next, I shall need a much smaller group to take a message to a friend of mine in Brezerus, to the east of here. I will also need a group to stay behind here for a few days, as they will come in to the later part of my Terra plan. Quiet, quick men with good eyes and patience would be preferred for this, as they will be on a specific type of lookout. Also, I would appreciate if another group could spread word to fellow pirates, in some form. Yes, four groups would be needed.”
“How do you feel about this, lads?” Captain Balmore turned and met the eyes of his crew. There was a murmur of uncertainty, but slowly, they came to an agreement.
“Aye Cap’n. If its what we have to do.” voiced Marcus, one of the eldest in the crew. Nodding slowly, Balmore accepted their response, “Well, their ye go, ye have the word of my men!”
“You have my utmost thanks. I can assure you, you will be rewarded greatly for your efforts. You may decide amongst the groups yourself, I shall leave and return in the hour.” King Barthello got up and walked around the table, bowing gracefully and shaking each mans hand. He made his way to Skylar, and took his hand in a firm grasp. In an intense moment, their eyes locked; the sharp emerald of the King, and the piercing blue of Skylars.
“A horn, how interesting…Take my advice boy, avoid Terra. The aren’t as fond of interesting people like yourself in those parts.” The voice of the king echoed in Skylars head
“Excuse me?”
“I was giving you my thanks.” a warm smile on the man’s lips. He released Skylars hand and made his way to the wooden door, “I await anxiously, please, do not keep an old King waiting!”
And with that, he left.