Anima et Forma

Episode 27: A Cruel Bargain

King Edgar Deloriar made one mistake when he reclaimed the throne of Alexandria and overthrew the Pendragon pretenders. He exiled Princess Yasmine and her two-year-old son, Prince Andrew Pendragon III, a child of the heir apparent.

We all know the Good King avoided a war with the West Duchies by sparing Princess Yasmine and avoiding her father's vengeance, but what happened after she fled to Chios? She raised her spawn and, through a sinister demonstration of political prowess, took control of their Senate. Her seventeen-year-old son was elected Duke of Chios in 1451 A.D. This led to the Sixth Duchy War, and the city of Pyrgos breaking away from Chios Duchy. When the Duke of Milanis turned the officials of Pyrgos away, the desperate rebels entered into negotiations with the Duchy of Jadenar. The Duke of Jadenar abandoned Pyrgos to the wrath of his nephew, the Pendragon pretender, who marched on his subjects and put thousands to the sword. Upon returning to Chios, Andrew held a coronation in which he was named 'Grand Duke.'

By 1454, the Pendragons had stolen a second throne.

—Lord Randolf Humble, "Trouble in the West," 1553 A.D.

"Loose the sails!" Captain Deacon marched across the deck of his ship. Choppy waves battered the Crooked Crane as it rocked and swayed with the sea's fury. A rectangular canvas unfolded as it fell from the yard, then caught like a cloud in the wind, its center contoured and rounded. The ropes binding the sail crackled as they pulled taught, and the vessel lurched forward, cutting through the chop. "We're underway!"

Augustus stood on the yardarm, soaring over the deck and the violent sea, watching the City of Caliacra shrink into the distance, becoming a pile of dull red rubies and gleaming white pearls. The Crooked Crain was a light cog with four guns and an oversized, lopsided sail, hence the name. Gus climbed down to the deck alongside a diverse cast from various parts of Milanis. Their lookout, a young refugee from Colonia named Theo, remained atop the yardarm, dangling his feet as he whistled a sailor's tune. Deacon's seasoned crew tended to their duties as the Mysterium stood upon the stern castle, peering into the East with looks of deep contemplation. Gus moved up the steps and joined them at the wooden parapets. Rose, Dori, and Skiggi huddled together, wearing overcoats lined with brown fur. "It's beautiful!" Dori said.

"It's frigid!" Rose wrapped her arms around her dwarven companions, whose oversized coats folded into deep wrinkles of cured hides.

"That's the fresh air of a new journey!" Captain Deacon bellowed as he approached. He waved his right hand at the city. "Farewell! I'll see you soon! And, hopefully, I will be wealthy when I do!"

"How are you walking around in nothing but sleeves?" Rose asked the Captain.

Deacon laughed. "I've got more blubber than a seal." He patted his round stomach as he walked over to the ship's railing, doubled over it, and drew in a lungful of salty air. "Ah! Do you know what that smells like to me?" He stood, both hands clutching the rail, arms stiff, holding his head straight and nose high. He looked down at the dwarves. "It smells like money." He grinned.

Skiggi chuckled. "I love the smell of money!"

"Then you love the smell of the sea!" Deacon declared. "I've known a fair few dwarven sailors. Were they your family?"

"Not mine," Skiggi said.

Dori shook her head. "No. They were all smithies, tinkers, or miners. We'd like to learn, though. If other dwarves can sail, then we can learn, too! If you're willing to teach us, Captain."

Deacon scratched the red stubble on his left cheek. "Just don't get in the way of my crew. But what am I saying? Alessandro, here, will look out for you! Your friend knows his way around a ship. You will look out for them, won't you, Alessandro?" He glared at Gus.