Oath and Kingdom [The Swordbreaker Archives]

Chapter 4: Studies of the Ancients

It took a year to retrieve one ship full of books, and that was all The Citadel would pay for. The rest would be left to fate. In the end, most of the books were in dilapidated conditions, with faded text and ripped pages, some missing.

That did not bother Bol at all, and it seemed Dryn was eager to see books from his homeland. After spending a year learning to read, write and speak the two common languages, Callé and Scalgôri, he was eager to read stories from his own people. The first one he opened happened to be a folktale from his ancestors.

That first day, that was the only book Dryn touched. No matter how much Bol would try, he could not get words out of the child. Now a year older, Bol thought he might not remember the written language.

By the second day, he wrote the entire book in Scalgôri and allowed Bol to read it. It was a simple tale about a king and a trickster.

~~~

The story begins in a small kingdom on the edge of an island. This kingdom saw great riches, stones from the mountain providing the kingdom's wealth. The king was greedy, keeping it locked away for himself, the rocks too precious for the rest of the world to know.

This island was so beautiful it shone even in the twilight. The people cheered for the light, bathing in its warmth and power. It gave them hope, wonder, and a sense of comfort like no other. The city was their home, where the people had families and lived long, fulfilling lives.

One day, a ship crashed into the islands, leaving one man alive. The King offered his hospitality, but his patience was limited. He gave him shelter and food until he recovered but did not want the man in his palace for too long. He would find out about the stones and take them from him.

The man proved to be gentle and kind. He told stories that elated the king and his people, stories of beasts and men, conquering and love. Of riches so grand, only the humblest of people could walk away.

As the stories grew grander, the more intrigued the king became, the longer he let the man stay in his palace—a year passed before finally, the man wished to return home. The king wished he stayed to tell more stories, but alas, the man needed to return.

His departure was lead with a celebration. Everyone wished him goodbye with gifts, and each gift received a story in thanks. They watched him sail away, waving until the boat was lost to the sea.

In that boat, the king granted the man a single stone to lead his life to riches. When the man returned home and found the stone, he celebrated for the most joyous of days. He made enough riches to save the town.

The king remained solemn the days after the man's leave. His long years had passed, and finally, he decided to invite the man back. He sent another ship away to find him, offering another stone for his return.

And when he arrived back on the shores, the king welcomed him with open arms. Welcomed all who came with him. So many strangers on the shores welcome as friends. They spent months there, feasting and holding celebrations for all the wonders of the world. More stories filled the halls, followed by more laughs.

In the end, all was not what it seemed. The men who arrived on their shores, they were miners and thieves. Many of them wandered into the mountains the entire visit, taking what they could find and bringing it back to their ships.

Eventually, they left, taking enough stone and treasure to supply a kingdom for centuries. The Island king was left with little more than enough to last the rest of his lifetime, ultimately dooming the city.

But not all was lost. The ship that had taken the stones and treasures was heavy. It spent many days at sea, lost. A sea serpent lingered, sensing the prize within. It broke through the ship with its enormous jaws, pulling free the stone and treasure. The vessel sank with everything in it. No man survived.