ᘀ Jaeson ᗽ
As quietly as he could Ettan turned, closed and locked the door. Then he slowly crept down the narrow staircase. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door above him and after about a minute or two, as suddenly as it started, the banging stopped. This happened a few more times start, stop, start, stop but after a while, the banging went like mad.
A crackling began in the background and then a voice rang out, "You're a dead man, Cannore!"
This being quite scary to him, he looked hastily for an escape. Ettan was small and skinny so he could fit into tight spaces. Swiftly he scrambled into the air vent on his left. After crawling only a few feet he started to feel a burning sensation at his back. Turning as best he could, he was able to see a slight red glow. Knowing that this may be the last thing he would see he stopped to let himself go quickly.
***
Jaeson could barely recognize his younger brother, he was just a pile of ashy flesh and bone. His vibrant green eyes, they were like meadows speckled with flakes of gold were now just the pits of the dark empty sockets. And his hair, there was nothing left of that blonde mess. Whoever did this, would pay. No one could do this a person and get away with it.
2 Years Later
Jaeson Cannore never really fit in especially after what happened to his brother, Jaeson was tall, slim, and had an athletic build with his father's high cheekbones and his Mother's perfect nose, he also got his startling red hair from his grandfather and his eyes were slate-gray like his younger sister.
While he was handsome (some of the girls liked him) he couldn't settle with his looks and wanted to change them in any way. He was known as "the Cannore boy" and he hated it.
***
Jaeson entered the shop glumly. "How could I work on the anniversary of his brother's death?" he wondered. He only wanted to stay home and grieve but that would do no good. He had to work at the post shop to get all the news he could on assassinations.
"Hey, son you gonna getter work?", asked the gruff shopkeeper.
"Huh, sorry sir," muttered Jason.
"Don't mind one bit long as you get your hours, oh and sorry about yer brother. Just learned what happened." the shopkeeper grunted.
"Oh don't bother. It's been two years. He's dead now. Nothing I can do about it." snapped Jaeson.
"Where have you been for the last two years you old hag?" Jaeson thought.
"Actually, you can. The rebels need some recruits. And the recruiter is a friend of mine. His name is Anthon Fairront." said the shopkeeper in a hushed whisper.
"You old hag. You honestly think I want to go die with a bunch of idiots driven by blood lust, that doesn't even know what they're fighting for." Jaeson said fiercely.
"How dare you talk about Sergeant Anthon that way you little punk get out of my shop! Get out! NOW!" screamed the shopkeeper.
"Wait one minute. How come you're defending the Sergeant?̈" said Jaeson, thinking and after a moment he added, "You want me to lead you to him."
Moving quickly, Jaeson attacked the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper went for the long knife under the counter. He grabbed and missed. Moving closer to the counter to get the knife Jaeson tripped the shopkeeper. He fell hard-hitting his head on the table with a loud smack. He slumped to the floor, dead.
"Now did this really have to happen?" whispered Jaeson, mainly to himself.
Thinking hard Jaeson got an idea. He pulled a heavy box off the shelf and dumped its contents on the shopkeeper, setting the box down next to him. Then he put the stool on its side.
"There," said Jaeson rather admiringly.
Then as quietly as he could Jaeson crept out of the post office into the bustling street. He mounted his horse and headed south. After a few hours of hard riding, Jaeson had to stop and rest. He pulled off the path to a small stream. After taking a drink he noticed a red tinge in the water. Being a little antsy Jaeson decided to explore. After walking only a few feet into the reeds he found the source of the blood.
A dead soldier. And not just any soldier either. He was the recruiter for the Persian army.
"Oh my," said Jaeson startling himself at the sound of his own voice.
The soldier had deep knife wounds all down his back. There were even 2 arrows lodged in his back up out of him.
The two archers who shot him did not kill him, somebody had come up behind, stabbing him multiple times.
Remounting his horse Jaeson continued on the path. Finally, he saw it. A large oak. It looked like an oak tree of unnatural size from far away at least. Up close, however, you could make out a well-disguised door. This was the recruiter's office.
Jaeson opened the door.
"Hello?"
Complete silence.
"Hello!"
Still silence.
"Sergeant Fairront!"
"Cough"
"Hey who's there?"
"Are you the Cannore boy or one of the assassins back to finish the job?" someone questioned in a weak voice.
"It's me Jaeson. What happened? I can't see a thing."
"I got attacked yesterday or at least I think it was yesterday," said the voice faintly. "I think it was an angry cult's assassins. They're cowards though. Came while I was sleeping."
"Yeah, they must've. They got to the Persian recruiter though," said Jaeson thoughtfully. "Though they might come back and make sure that the job is finished. Unless they're a confident bunch of prisses"
"Hey, Jaeson I need a hand. There's a navy ship departing around twelve ish," the Sargent said hoarsely.
"Um, don't know if you knew," said Jaeson, looking up toward the sun "but that means it is leaving in about 30 minutes so we better get going!"
Jaeson hitched his horse to the small cart in the Sergeant's shed. In the shed, he also found two short swords, one longbow, 34 arrows, three large shields, and a small black leather satchel with a plain silver coat of arms. It sounded like there was something fragile in it so he opened it. Only some coal.
"Queer," he thought.
He heaved everything but the satchel in the cart. Then he walked in to assist the injured Sergeant. The moment everything was loaded they were on their way to the west port.
***
"Sir, that boy. He and the Sergeant are heading west," a bandit said to me through the howling wind.
"WHY DOES THAT STUPID KID HAVE TO START GETTING IN OUR WAY" I shrieked. "I mean we went 20 years, 20 YEARS! With nothing stopping us and then we try and change the war just a little and this blasted kid comes along and gets in our way."
"But sir we did manage to kill the Persian recruiter," pointed out the bandit.
"Well, then all we did was make the rebels win and that defeats the purpose," I said void of the statement "Oh, and tell the pirates that they are to sink any ship that leaves the harbor for the next day and a half."
***
Jaeson slowed his horse they had finally reached the western port after 20 minutes of fast traveling. They had stopped in the city of Marion, a large port city, to have one of the local doctors look at the long cut across the Sergeant's chest. Other then that, the journey had been mostly peaceful except for the heat, it was searing.
The port was bustling. Jaeson couldn't understand how they would find the ship they were looking for. There were hundreds of ships of all shapes and sizes. Some ships were made with the grandest of wood others were nothing more than a couple of boards held together by rope and tar.
"Jaeson, the ship is called the "Terra Kronos"," called the Sergeant from the back of the cart
"I think I see it," Jaeson replied. "not much of a ship though, more like a pile of wood and pins"
Jaeson led the battered mare toward a small but cozy-looking stable. He put his horse in stall three and sold her to the owner of the horsery. Heading off in the direction of the ship Jaeson finally got a moment to think.
They boarded the ship, which to Jaeson's surprise, was a lot grander than it looked on the outside. It was stocked with hundreds of bows and swords and iron tip arrows. This ship looked prepared for war. Then it hit him. The ship was going to war, judging by the location of the port it was headed to... Persian
If Jaeson had wanted to leave, that was too late the ship left port.
The journey was uplifting and happy until one of the navy scores said that they saw a large ship tailing them. Few people took heed until the ship got struck from a holly arrow with a black flag attached...
The battle was instant. Grapples launched immediately after the flag tethering the ships together, Pirates swarmed from their vessel like agitated hornets from their hive. Ten men fell instantly to the ruthless blades of the pirates. "This isn't a raid so someone had put them up to kill." Jaeson thought well rushing to grab a sword. Though were they sent to kill them specifically or just anyone they came across.
Jaeson couldn't remember much after the ship got boarded. Only running to and fro, to help the other soldiers battle the pirates. Jaeson didn't know who won. Only that he was now a prisoner and that the pirates were heading toward the mainland of the great country, Eblene.
***
"Where are the prisoners?" growled Iron Dagger the captain of the ship
"Prisoner, captain," interjected the ragged first mate Boot Leg "We only got one the rest were left to die on the ship. On your orders, I might add."
"You useless buffoon! I need all the prisoners I can get. I would never give those orders!" snapped Iron Dagger.
"B-but sir you know I wouldn't, no not ever." stuttered Boot Leg "P-please."
"Huh, nothing but a little coward." cackled Iron Dagger "Wonder what them Persians would make out of the infamous Boot Leg? First mate to Iron Dagger! And the holder of the secret age of his captain!"
"Sir t-they would..." started Boot Leg.
"Land Ho" cried one of the pirates.
They had reached mainland Eblene. They would be traveling down the Hollon River 27 miles and stop in Hollow Lake.
***
There was a loud splash. Jaeson rushed over to the small window. When he looked into the water he could only see blood and stone gray dorsal fins. "I could be next," thought Jaeson begrudgingly.
There was a loud thumping on the stairs and a jiggling of a key in a lock.
"Oki Doki prisoner time's up below deck, now yer bein' tied to the mast!" cried the massive pirate joyfully.
Jaeson was tied up and thrown over the pirate's shoulder like a rag doll. The pirate climbed the stairs very quickly for his size and the extra weight. When they reached the top floor the pirate brought him to the front-most mast (out of four) and roughly tied him. The trip upriver was gruesome, every time a pirate walked by, Jaeson would either get spat on, slapped in the face or laughed at. When they finally reached Hollow lake, Jaeson was untied and thrown over the side of the ship. Nearly drowning Jaeson struggled to the surface.
"I have to get to shelter," thought Jaeson, after reaching the shore.
Whearly Jaeson stood up and walked into the forest. He couldn't get water to quench his thirst because the water was so polluted. Suddenly Jaeson was in a large meadow, not far off. Jaeson could see the outline of a building. It took nearly 15 minutes for Jaeson to get to the building, though it had not been far. The building was mostly underground and burnt. The ash had been blown away from years of wind. Jaeson walked down what looked like stairs. Then there was a loud noise on his left. Jaeson jumped to his right and looked at the gaping hole where the sound had come from.
"There must be something down there," thought Jaeson.
Slowly Jaeson climbed through the hole his eyes slowly adjusted and then he saw it the outline of a human figure.
"Will you come into the light?" asked Jaeson.
Slowly the creature crept into the light.
"No... i-it couldn't be," gasped Jaeson "Ettan is is that you?"
"You found me, you finally found me!" cried the figure "Jaeson it's me! You found me! It's me, Ettan!"
It was Ettan in the flesh.
"But you died, I watched you be buried, I saw the body," argued Jaeson
"No, no there was another person they didn't know, they thought it was me," Ettan said.
Ettan was dirty and his hair was long.
"So you've been here this whole time?" remarked Jaeson "Mother would be down your throat for letting this place get so dirty! Why were you here ?"
"For these," Ettan said pulling a lizard that looked like a bunch of melted coal. "Ashky salamanders, this place held the last breeding pair. His mate is off tending their litter. Quite amazing aren't they."
"You're going to leave them here right?" asked Jaeson.
"Oh, yes, of course, they wouldn't survive if I took them home," replied Ettan
"What do you mean if?" questioned Jaeson playfully.
But they left it at that and headed to the nearest dragonry were Ettan had kept his horp dragon on which they would ride home. They reached the city of Mercs, to find that Ettans horp dragon had been sold three months prior. So they headed to the little community dock to look for a ship.
They got lucky, Sir Edu the richest man in Eblene (other than the king of course) was sending one of his ships, the Echo, to the Northern Isles. Luckily, the ship had room for them. They were hired as cabin boys. About halfway through their voyage, the ship anchored down.
"What's going on? Why did we stop?," asked Jaeson.
"We're going sea hiking," answered the Captain "You're welcome to come with us, of course."
The water was warmer than expected. It was quite clear. But, suddenly out of the darkness came the shape of an ancient ship...