021: The First Tome of Nigel Part 12

Ishbosheth sat at a long dark brown wooden table, shackled with chains to the legs of a tall chair. His feet didn't even touch the ground, just swung in midair. Across the table from Ishbosheth sat Ana, or as they were calling her, Gea.

Ana's hair was greasy and her ringlets hung limp around her shoulders. Her eyes and nose were rosy from rubbing them, probably the result of excess crying. And her wings, which she once held high and proud, were now hanging low, tied together with leather straps. She was similarly shackled to her chair.

Torres, the slave trader, leaned up again the wall next to the table. This was the main reason the two hadn't spoken yet. Ishbosheth was just staring at her, happy she seemed to be ok. Torres kept sighing and shifting his weight between feet, taking turns putting one of his feet on the wall behind him to prop him up.

Ishbosheth moved in his seat to get more comfortable and the chains on his ankles clinked and clanked. He rubbed his hands together, "I... uh, punched a lion." The phrase sounded absurd coming out of his mouth.

Ana simply nodded, staring at the wood of the table. Ishbosheth expected more than a nod! He just said that he had punched a lion! Ana breathed out, saying, "I was there, up in the deck."

Ishbosheth lit up, "You were? You saw me? Was I good?"

Ana nodded again, still not moving her eyes off the table. "He snuck up on you. It wasn't fair. It wasn't like Alexander at all."

"What are you talking about?" Ishbosheth asked.

Finally, Ana looked at him, "He's usually a more honorable fighter, lets his opponent defend themselves. When he snuck up on you he didn't let you."

"You've seen him fight before?"

"Yes, a few times. He's Luther's son, so he fights a lot. He has three, Alexander, Nigel and Maverick. Nigel was trained in physical combat only, so he usually fights Stark and other strong fighters. Maverick is a mage, so he doesn't fight often, but does tricks. He wants to fight some Wizard some time, but Luther says not yet."

"How do you know so much about them?" Ishbosheth asked.

"Antony sent me to work in their home a couple days a week, so I've gotten to know them, Luther, the three cubs, and Raura, Luther's wife."

"I didn't know Luther had a wife." Ishbosheth said.

"Well, she's not been well, ever since the cubs where born she's been dying."

Torres stood up, "You are not to disclose this information," he said, drawing his whip out at its full length.

Ana quickly withdrew and went back to staring at the one spot on the the table, "Yes, sir," she said sheepishly.

Ishbosheth looked at Torres as he wrapped his whip up again. "I'm just glad you're ok," Ishbosheth said to Ana.

Ana sighed and gave a reluctant grin and a quick glance up at Ishbosheth. "Then we're done," Ana said, "I'll try and see if Antony will let us do this again."

"I'd like that," Ishbosheth said, as Torres unlocked his shackles and let him out of the room.

020: The First Tome of Nigel Part 11

Ishbosheth stood against the wall, right outside the arena where he had just beaten a lion unconscious. His chest was heaving, his throat felt like he had swallowed razors and his hands couldn't stop shaking. The door into the arena swung open and there stood Stark, his broad shoulders taking up the entire door frame. A smile crept onto Stark's face. "That's the way I taught you!" he said, slapping Ishbosheth on the shoulder. He felt like a feather and that caused him to fall to the ground.

Stark laughed and pulled Ishbosheth back up to his feet. This made him shake more, even with the strong man's arm holding his shoulder. He looked up at Stark as the man spoke again, "You're wanted by the princess, so stand yourself up."

Ishbosheth had to prop himself up against the wall to keep himself stable. When he made his way back into the arena, he found it to be much colder than it was before. The lion was still laying in the middle of the room, but Luther was standing over it, slowly passing his staff over the lion's body.

Ishbosheth walked over to the stairs that had the gate guarding them during the fight, but was now hanging open as most of the onlookers had shuffled out. He placed his hand on the rail, which felt strangely warm compared to the coolness of the large room. Making his way up to the observation deck, he saw Killian from a distance.

She came a few steps toward him as he approached and put out her hand for him to kiss. He knelt down and kissed her petite fingers. "You did well Dorian, you won for me."

Ishbosheth stayed kneeling because he felt too dizzy to stand, but also felt it'd be most appropriate. "How might I reward my champion?" he heard Killian's voice ask.

He didn't think for a second, "I'd like to see my cousin."

She was silent.

"Milady." Ishbosheth added, forgetting his propriety. He looked up at her and she was just looking back at him. "She's a work girl in Ant- your father's- house. Her name is Ana, but I don't know what her slave name is. She's a Shehawk."

Killian's eyebrows raised as if you say she knew exactly who Ishbosheth was talking about. "I'll see what I can arrange." Then she turned on her heel and went out the door at the very top of the observation deck, her flowing green dress billowing behind her.

Ishbosheth looked down at the arena from the edge of the deck. Where the lion used to be laying there was just a divot in the dirt floor, the lion was nowhere to be seen. Then Ishbosheth spotted him, coming up the stairs he had just ascended, heading toward him. Luther was trumping up behind the lion. The lion walked right up to Ishbosheth and got so close to his face he could feel the hot breath on his face.

"Alexander!" Luther yelled with his shaky voice.

The lion stood down, harrumphing. Luther came and put his hand on the lion's shoulder, "You were beaten, you must train more."

Alexander growled at Ishbosheth and turned around, heading back down the stairs.

Ishbosheth shouted down to Alexander as he ran, "You would've won! I was lucky!"

Alexander roared as he ran.

Luther turned to Ishbosheth again, "Alexander is my son. My primal son, the first, he cannot tolerate defeat. Please forgive his actions, he's quite upset."

Ishbosheth nodded.

Luther hobbled back over to the steps, saying over his shoulder, "You two will fight again, so prepare to feel his wrath again."

019: The First Tome of Nigel Part 10

Ishbosheth stood in a long corridor with doors on either side. He had just come through the one behind him, now being guarded by a man with a fur wrapped around his neck like a lion's mane.

Ishbosheth had his knuckles taped up again, just like in sparring practice, and had been put into a thick leather belt which was wrapped around his waist. He grabbed the ring handle on the door in front of him and pulled.

The room behind the door was a wide arena with an observation deck being held up by two tall pillars. Three large rocks were scattered in the middle of the arena floor. Ishbosheth took in the scene, and looked up at all the people seated on the upper deck. There were people lining the steps up to the deck, but there were some up there that caught Ishbosheth's eye. The first person Ishbosheth saw was Stark, standing in the very back corner, his broad shoulders hiding the fact that he had a neck. After him, on the opposite side, on the back wall was Luther, standing up, leaning on his staff, his graying mane framing his face. Finally Ishbosheth saw Killian, at the very front of the upper deck, leaning forward with her hands on the railing.

As he was looking around, Ishbosheth wandered further into the arena, between the two closest rocks. He could hear the crowd emit a few small laughs. Thinking this somewhat strange, Ishbosheth continued further into the center of the floor. The crowd's laughter became louder. Ishbosheth became a little more cautious and creeped into the very center. He heard some strange noises coming from behind him, like sacks of flour falling onto pavement. He turned around to see a lion, standing on its hind legs, between the two rocks he had just walked between, standing right in his own footprints. The lion threw back its head and let out a roar which shook Ishbosheth to the core.

The two stood there staring at each other in silence for a few moments. Then Ishbosheth ran. The crowd burst out in applause and cheers. The lion chased after Ishbosheth, switching between running on two and four legs, teeth bared all the while.

Ishbosheth ran behind the last rock on the opposite side of the stadium, but the lion followed and jumped on top of the rock. Ishbosheth took off toward the gate leading up to the upper deck, but it was locked. He turned just in time to see the lion jump off the rock and start running toward him.

Ishbosheth started running along the wall, keeping his hand on it to keep his balance, but the lion chased right behind him. Ishbosheth felt his foot slip beneath him and he fell to the ground. He turned around on the ground just as the lion jumped on top of him and, with balled, furry fists, began punching his face and chest.

Ishbosheth wriggled with all his might, flailing his arms and legs, until finally broke free from the lion's grip. From his position lying on his back on the ground, Ishbosheth raised one foot and planted it firmly into the lion's face.

The lion reeled backward and stumbled to his feet. When the lion had gotten to its full height, shaking from the blow to the head, Ishbosheth jumped on its back and began punching the back of the its skull. It reminded him of beating the brick wall, thick and hard. He punched with all his might until the lion fell to the ground and went limp.

Shaking with fear and adrenaline, Ishbosheth rose up, fists still clenched. The crowd was silent. Killian stood, took her hands off the railing and began clapping quietly. Soon the whole crowd was clapping. Ishbosheth even saw Torres slapping his monstrous hands together. Ishbosheth felt proud as he stood over the lion, its back slowly rising as it breathed in and out, unconscious.

018: The First Tome of Nigel pt 9

It hadn't taken long once Ishbosheth found the right angle and strength needed to wear the paint off the brick wall. The day after he had gotten the paint off, the men were paired up with sparring partners with their gloves on again. The day after that they paired up with sparring partners again, except the men were put on small pedestals to practice their balance.

The day before the fights they didn't practice, but instead were shackled and paraded in front of the guests of honor one by one. The men were introduced by their slave name and then if they saw fit, the guest would tell them their own name.

Ishbosheth saw one young girl in a long green dress walking toward the men. Torres went from man to man, giving the girl their names. Once he came to Ishbosheth, Torres grabbed the back of his head, and pulled it up so he was facing the girl. "This, highness, is Dorian."

The girl had big green eyes that matched her dress. She smiled at Ishbosheth and his stomach fluttered. She took out a piece of green fabric, with a "K" embroidered on it. "Win tomorrow for me, Dorian."

"What's your name?" Ishbosheth said.

Torres took his whip and cracked it over Ishbosheth's back. "That's for speaking out of turn."

The girl looked sad, and then put a hand on Ishbosheth's shoulder, "I'm Killian, Antony's daughter."

Ishbosheth smiled at her and she eventually moved on to meet the next man in line.

017: The First Tome of Nigel pt 8

Only a few days had passed before Torres and Stark barged into the hospital wing. Torres held his small whip and had a blue bandana wrapped around his head. Both men had several scars on their bare chests and backs, that Ishbosheth could see as they marched passed all the beds, ripping all the sheets from the recovering patients.

"On your feet all of you!" Torres yelled, cracking his whip in the air. "There are only four days until you all fight Stark again, this time for a royal audience. You're going to be trained to fight so they will get a show. If you go down with one punch you'll be no use to anyone and will be killed. If the fight goes on too long, Stark will tire, and he's much more valuable than you, so the fight will be stopped and you will be flogged. A fight should last between five and ten minutes. Is that clear?"

There were mixed responses, which made for a muddled, "Yes sir..."

Torres cracked his whip again, "IS THAT CLEAR?"

"Yes sir!" the men all said in unison.

The men where shackled and led into a room with a floor of sand. Torres picked up a handful of sand and sprinkled it in front of the men's feet. "This is where you'll be fighting in a few days, which is why we'll be practicing in here daily. Each of you will take two small burlap bags and proceed to either Stark or myself."

Ishbosheth did as was instructed and got two small burlap bags from a barrel near the middle of the room and then went over to Torres, who had a big roll of cloth in his hands. Ishbosheth came up to Torres and he looked down on the small boy. "Hold out your hands," Torres said, as he unrolled some of the cloth. He started wrapping each of Ishbosheth's hands individually, about ten times around each hand. Torres then picked up one of the small bags and put it around Ishbosheth's large, cloth covered, balled fist. He did the same with the other fist.

Once all the men had their padded fists covered in the rough fabric, Torres stood on top of the barrel and started pointing around the room. "You will find a red mark on the wall for each of you. Go to the nearest red mark, stand next to it, and await my instructions."

Ishbosheth, again, was obedient and found a large red circle painted on the brick wall surrounding the courtyard. He turned to face Torres as he continued his instructions. "Practice your punching by hitting the red mark until you wear the paint away and can see the brick wall beneath. Begin now."

Ishbosheth turned back to the wall, slowly. He lifted his fists and took a look at them. Rough enough to pretty easily scrape away the paint, he figured. Stepping into a fighting position, one foot ahead of the other one, he cocked his fist behind his head and drove his fist straight into the wall. Pain shot up his arm, and he could barely lift his hand up again.

He used his left hand to cover his hurting right shoulder as he looked around the room at the men, jabbing at the red mark with angled blows. He tried that. One quick punch at the wall with his left hand hurt a lot less, and when he looked at his left fist again, he saw a little red dust on the cloth. Motivated, he lifted his right fist and kept on punching.

016: The First Tome of Nigel pt 7

When Ishbosheth woke up again, Luther was pushing a cart from bed to bed, placing a bowl on each man's table as he passed. As Luther came to his table, Ishbosheth sat up, noticing he couldn't open his right eye, due to the swelling in his temple. Through his one eye, he could see that Luther was bringing him a bowl of soup, steaming, with a silver spoon in it. Luther set the bowl down, then drew up a chair to sit on next to Ishbosheth's bed.

The Lion stared at Ishbosheth, with bandages on his head. A few moments passed, the two staring at each other in silence. Finally, Luther cleared his throat and said, "She's here."

Ishbosheth rubbed his head, "What?"

"The girl you were asking about. She's been kept by Antony as a house worker. She won't be sold to another trader. Not yet anyway."

Ishbosheth felt more relieved than he ever had in his life.

"As for you," Luther continued, "You've been chosen to be a house fighter."

Ishbosheth patted the bandages on his temple, "Because I'm obviously so good at it."

"No, you were chosen because you failed so terribly. That's how Antony decides which fighters he choses. If Stark has to work too hard to knock them down, he sells them for a big price to some slave trader to become gladiators, or to be killed by gladiators. He just wants to give a show, not a blood bath. We're going to start training you all once you begin to heal, and then you'll be thrown into a fight next week. So, rest up, and we'll start training tomorrow." Luther got up and scooted his cart over to the next bed.

015: The First Tome of Nigel pt 6

Ishbosheth followed the rest of the men into the main chamber. There he had expected to meet the women, but they were nowhere to be found. Instead, Antony stood in the middle of the room with a very muscular man wearing only black pants, his arms crossed, tattoos on his biceps. Antony, who had seemed so warm and welcoming last night, now stood with his hands behind his back and a stern expression on his face. He motioned to the muscular man, "This is Stark, my prized house fighter. He's never lost a fight for me."

Stark turned and walked through an open door into an adjacent room. Once he was gone, Antony scanned the crowd of men and pointed to one of them, then motioned him with a finger to come forward. Then he pointed to the door Stark had just gone through. The man cautiously glanced at the door, back at Antony, and then, seeing the insistent look on his master's face, slowly stepped toward the door. Antony followed him through, and shut the door behind him.

Torres put his hand up in the air as he yelled, "Sit down!" The men sat as one. Behind the door they could hear cheering and the faint sound of bodies pounding together. The sounds didn't last very long at all until there was sudden loud cheering and after it died down, Antony escorted Stark back out into the main hall. Stark had blood on his knuckles.

Shortly after the two men had come out of the other room, two more men came out of the room, carrying the other man in their arms, limp and bloodied. Ishbosheth watched the men carrying the man with a bloody face out. When he looked back up at Antony he was terrified to see Antony pointing at him, motioning him to approach him. Nervously, he watched as Stark reentered the fighting room, as he stepped closer to Antony. Antony's face didn't change at all as he pointed after Stark.

Ishbosheth trudged toward the door and entered the room, with Antony following him. He was surprised. It was more like a hallway than a room. The walls on either side were very tall, the ground was sand and there were observation decks on top of both walls. The decks were filled with people, beginning to cheer as Stark reached down and rubbed some sand between his hands. Stark's back was toward Ishbosheth, and he could see that Stark had many stripes on his back from a whip.

A bell sounded and Stark spun around faster than Ishbosheth had seen anyone move. Sand flew from his hands as he began to run toward Ishbosheth, his hands open, high over his head. The crowd cheered loudly. Ishbosheth quickly ducked and ran underneath his arms. Ishbosheth turned to look at Stark, just as he spun around again, clenched his right fist and punched Ishbosheth in his left ear. Everything echoed and the world seemed to move slower for the few split seconds of travel between where Ishbosheth's head was and where it struck the wall. He blacked out.

***

Slowly his vision became unclouded. He was laying on a bed in a room he hadn't seen before. He recognized the man on his left as the one who had faced Stark just before him. Bandages covered his face, with some blood seeping through.

Everything still echoed. Ishboseth reached up and felt a thick bandage over his ear that had been struck, and an even thicker one on his right temple, where it had hit the wall. He hadn't lasted very long, yet, he spied his name on a piece of parchment on the table next to his bed. On it, it read, "Given Name: Ishbosheth. Slave Name: Dorian. Class: House Fighter."

Ishbosheth's head boomed and felt as though his eyes were being pushed out of their sockets. He laid back down and fell back asleep.

014: The First Tome of Nigel pt 5

Ishbosheth was shaken awake. Torres looked him in the eyes with a wide smile drawn across his face. "Wake up, my lord!" Torres said, nearly jumping with joy.

Ishbosheth stood to his feet, and Torres threw a fur-lined robe over his shoulders. "We had no idea you were of royal blood, my lord," Torres said, kissing Ishbosheth's hand. "Please, forgive us our cruelty. May we get you anything?"

Ishbosheth felt the lining of his robe. It was very soft and was white with small black spots. "What about my cousin? Princess Ana, Princess of Nu. She is under your order as well. Will you do the same for her as you've done for me?"

Torres knelt to his knees, clutching Ishbosheth's hand tightly. "Yes, majesty, she is being tended to right now!"

Ishbosheth felt his face growing warm. "Come, let me bring you to my master."

Ishbosheth was led through the crowd of dirty men, all bowing down to him as he walked past. Torres opened doors before him and led him into the main corridor he was in last night when he met Antony for the first time. And there stood Ana, in a matching robe and a crown of feathers on her head. "Oh, Bo! I'm so happy they let you go too!" Ana ran to meet him and the two embraced each other.

Torres, excitedly ran up the spiral stairs to a large set of double doors. "And now," he said, barely able to hold in his excitement, "may I present to you, Princess and Lord of Nu, Antony, King of Heest!"

The doors flew open, pushed by a strong wind. The wind caught Ana's wings and they ruffled out behind her, the fur cape between them down her back. Ishbosheth looked at his cousin. The smile on her face stretched from ear to ear and was so wide, it forced her eyes shut. Her hair whipped around like she was in a whirlwind.

Suddenly, the wind stopped. Ishbosheth looked back up at the door. The spiral staircase looked as though years had struck it. It was rusted and falling apart. Where Torres once stood was nothing but bones in a blue tunic, clutching the handle of the giant door, behind which stood another set of bones, wearing Antony's clothes.

Ishbosheth ran up to where the stairs once began, but before he got there, the bones of Antony began to topple. The sword he held in his hand fell from the balcony and at Ishbosheth's feet. The bones fell in a scattered pile, some on the balcony, others falling to the floor below.

Ishbosheth reached down to touch the sword, but as soon as he put one finger on it, it crumbled like sand. He heard crying behind him, so he turned. As he turned he heard the creaking of armor. He was suddenly dressed in armor from neck to toe. As he turned, he saw Ana, no longer wearing her robe, but a black cloak. And her wings were no longer stretched out, but drooping all the way to the ground. And her face was no longer smiling, but stained with tear lines. She was sobbing, but she couldn't wipe her tears, as her hands were bound to her sides. "Bo..." she whispered through her tears, "Bo..."

"I'm here!" he called to her, but she didn't seem to hear. He started running toward her, when a giant black bird swooped down and caught her in its talons. She screamed as the bird flew away with her. Ishbosheth yelled as the bird flew away, then looked back to where Antony's bones once stood in the doorway, but now there stood a giant bull, which leapt from the balcony, landed on the floor below and began charging at Ishbosheth. He put his arms up and prepared for impact, but a giant lion jumped on top of the bull before it could reach him.

The lion and the bull fought each other, but the bull tackled the lion to the ground and ran again at Ishbosheth. Its massive head pounded into Ishbosheth's chest.

***

Ishbosheth was shaken awake. Torres's scowling face wasn't a very welcoming first sight, "Wake up," he said, as he passed on by to shake the next one awake. "All you slaves are to report to the main hall. Your master will assign you your duties. You will do the duties you are assigned, and obey your master's every word."

It was a dream. Ishbosheth could feel the sweat running down his back and his legs felt like they had no bones in them. His hands shook as he stood up and got in line with the others. As they walked to the main hall, Ishbosheth couldn't stop asking himself, "What did that mean?"

013: The First Tome of Nigel pt 4

Ishbosheth woke to a man shaking his shoulder. He turned to look up at Torres, going down the line, shaking everyone awake. Ishbosheth watched until he got down to Ana. Torres was quite civil, shook her on the shoulder, didn't say anything to her, just moved on to the next one.

Ishbosheth looked up to find Luther. Once he did, they two's eyes met and Luther gave Ishbosheth a knowing look, then winked. Ishbosheth smiled, which felt strange, especially coupled with the feeling of cold manacles around his wrists and ankles.

Torres and Luther once again went down the line handing everyone a strip of salted meat and a chunk of bread. It was even harder to swallow right after getting up. Ishbosheth tried desperately to wet his mouth before putting the food in, but to no avail. He decided to let it sit in his mouth until he got water. Luther passed the bucket around while Torres went back inside the inn. Ishbosheth drank the up of water slowly, savoring every drop.

Once Torres came back out of the inn, carrying his pack, the chain was unhooked from the horse post and the convoy was started again. Luther stopped the group once to talk to Torres about buying another mule to carry the extra food and water. The two bickered back and forth, until Luther stood up to his full height, which towered over Torres, and Torres finally gave in, passed a gold bag to Luther and commanded the line to sit while Luther ran off.

Ishbosheth loved to watch people in the palace, and here was no exception. He watched people buy and trade their goods, people fighting with one another, people courting. He also saw a large number of Minotaurs, which meant that he was probably in Devland now. Had they really crossed Moguta's bridge without him waking up?

Luther came back shortly, holding a rope tied around the neck of a mule. He strapped two boxes of the salted meat, a pouch of bread, and several large jars of water to the mule's back before the group was allowed to stand back up. Once the gear was cinched up, they were on their way again.

***

Stopping only once, in a march that lasted from before sun up to after sun down, to stuff more salted meat, bread and water down their throats, the traveling group finally came over a hill, to see a sizable castle come into view.

They had since passed into the land of Heest. Ishbosheth wondered if this man wasn't King of Heest, then he must be of some great importance to live in a place so extravagant.

They were marched down into the valley where the castle was located, across a bridge over a ravine, and through the front gate. Ishbosheth saw a picture painted of a man, tall and wearing a lion furred robe. He had a longish beard that was pulled into a point at the end. His hair was covered with a large red hat with a large plume jutting out the top. The caption at the bottom Ishbosheth quickly read, "Lord Antony of Heest."

Soon, a man appeared before the group, the exact likeness of the man in the picture, minus the big hat, which was replaced by long brown hair, which fell over either shoulder. "Good evening," Antony said to the group. "I awaited your arrival. Torres, Luther, please take their chains off."

The man and the Lion went to each one and unlocked their chains. Ishbosheth didn't know how much they hurt until they were taken off and it felt so good to be free. He rubbed his wrists, but that started to make them hurt again, so he stopped.

Antony spoke again, "Men, please follow the corridor to your right, women the one on your left." Ishbosheth glanced over at the open archway, leading to a hall lit by lanterns on the wall. "I will see you all in the morning when you will be assigned your positions. Luther, please follow me." Luther walked with Antony as the two went up a set of spiral stairs.

Torres jerked his head to the right, to give the men the impression to get a move on it, and then to the left to let the women know as well. Everyone moved as one.

They followed each other down the hall to a large open area with several mattresses scattered about the room. There were easily enough for everyone to have one and they were all open, so Ishbosheth went up to one, expecting it to be prickly with either straw or feathers. However, he was happily surprised to find they were stuffed with wool! He picked up a mattress and moved it close to one of the walls and laid down. He could feel a smile peel across his face as his body sunk into the soft material, but he fell asleep before he could think anything else.

012: The First Tome of Nigel pt 3

"Alright, time to take a rest," the man in blue said as they reached a small village. Ishbosheth had almost grown accustomed to the chains around his wrists and ankles, causing him to walk hunched over like an old man. No surprise to him, they didn't get their chains removed.

The man in blue and the Leoxin walked over to a building, dimly lit by a fire further in. The man in blue handed a bag over to a man inside, who exchanged him with a bucket, and pointed around the back of the building, saying something Ishbosheth couldn't make out.

The Leoxin took the chains attached to the lead man and led the group around the back of the building, which Ishbosheth had gathered was an inn. Behind the building were crates stacked up as tall as Ishbosheth and had words written on them in a language he couldn't read.

The Leoxin hooked the end of the chain to a post used to cinch horses to. He hefted a box from the top of one of the piles onto his shoulder and then onto the ground. Taking a knife out, he pried the cover off, allowing the smell of salted meat to fill the air.

Ishbosheth's mouth was so dry that the salted meat didn't sound very pleasing, nor did the bread the man in blue held in his hands as he emerged from the kitchen. However, he felt as though his stomach was nearly caving in on itself, so as the Leoxin passed by giving each person in line a strip of the meat and the man in blue gave everyone a chunk of bread, he devoured it. He could barely swallow it.

The man in blue and the Leoxin continued down the line until they were nearly at the end when Ishbosheth heard the man in blue yell, "What in the name of Addonai?!"

He glanced down and the man in blue was holding Ana by the back of the head, her white blond hair falling gracefully between his large fingers.

"I told you I didn't want you! You're too young! That damned trader must've slipped you in! May he burn in Verago. May his children and his children's children after them follow him down."

He let go of Ana's head and she fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. The man in blue dropped a piece of bread by her head. The Leoxin knelt down, picked her face up and looked in her eyes as he brushed a tear away with an enormous, furry finger, and placed a piece of meat in her hands. He said something to her, but Ishbosheth couldn't hear.

The man in blue kept on walking down the line, tearing pieces off, very obviously upset. Once he got down to the end of the line he yelled to the Leoxin, "Water them, goddammit!" and went in the back door of the inn, taking a bite of the very heel of the bread before throwing it against the inside wall.

The Leoxin went to a well in the courtyard, put the bucket on the end of the rope and lowered it. When he drew it back up and took it off the rope, he grabbed a small tin cup from his pack that he had set down and plopped it in the water. He went down the line and one by one the men and women dipped the tin cup in the water and drank. The Leoxin would periodically have to refill the bucket, but he did so without a fuss.

Once everyone was watered he walked over to his pack and pulled out a thick cloak and threw it over his broad shoulders. "You will sleep here tonight. More meat and water in the morning. Another day's walking and we will be at my master's house. Until then, sleep well and stay in line."

Everyone chained up stood there for a while, not sure what they were supposed to do. Finally, one of the men lay on the ground and put his folded hands under his head like a pillow. Everyone followed suit. The Leoxin, however, sat there, with his cloak wrapped around himself, staring at each person specifically for at least a minute each.

Several minutes had passed and Ishbosheth couldn't fall asleep: his teeth were chattering too loudly. The Leoxin was still awake, staring at one of the endmost women in the line of chained people. Once Ishbosheth figured he had spent enough time looking at people, and he had mustered his courage, he propped himself up on an elbow. "Psst!" he called to the Leoxin.

The Leoxin turned his big maned head and blinked those big dark eyes at Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth stared at him with a look that he hoped read, "come over here." It translated and the Leoxin got up and walked over, crouching down to try to meet Ishbosheth's level. "What is it boy?"

"Is the man in blue your master?"

"No, he works for my master."

"What's his name? The man in blue."

"Torres."

"And your master?"

"Antony."

Ishbosheth looked down the line to where Ana appeared to be sleeping. On such a bumpy surface Ishbosheth couldn't understand how. "That girl down there. The one who Torres yelled at and said was too young. What do you think will happen to her?"

"Torres will probably try to find someone else to buy her. Someone who doesn't mind lying about her age. It's funny, he won't lie about a girl's age, but selling her to be used by strangers, and sending men to their deaths he has no troubles with."

"Could you maybe try to talk to him? See if he could keep her?"

"And why would he want to? What good is she?"

"I know her. I maybe she could be Antony's servant."

"Antony has many servants already."

Ishbosheth looked down at the ground and felt as if he were about to cry, but then felt the heavy paw of the Leoxin. "But I will see what I can do. Perhaps he would reconsider keeping her as a housemaid until she turns 16, then he could sell her."

That still didn't sit well with Ishbosheth, but it was better than their current situation. The Leoxin got up and was starting to head inside the inn to talk to Torres, but Ishbosheth caught him before he started off, "Excuse me. Thank you. What's your name?"

The Leoxin smiled, "My name's Luther," and walked into the inn.

Ishbosheth shivered a while longer, until he eventually rocked himself to sleep.

011: The First Tome of Nigel pt 2

Ishbosheth forced his eyelids open. Just a sliver of light peeked over his eyelashes. Trying to muscle his eyes open a little more, he looked around. His neck panged. He tried to rub the back of his neck, but his hands were bound to his ankles.

Tied up like an animal. How embarrassing.

The smell of blood, sweat and dirt filled his nostrils. Thick hair, like animal hair tickled the soles of his feet. With his eyes finally mostly opened halfway, Ishbosheth noticed he was in a cage, being carried between two horses. There was an old scrappy-looking dog in the cage along with him, lying at his feet.

He thought there was more light than there was. The only light around was coming from the full-moon overhead. He tried to see as much as he could in the limited light. All he could see was that he was part of convoy of many other cages being held by horses, but couldn't see what or who was in them. All he could think was that he was not in the right place, and he needed to find a way out.

But, sleep took him before he could think anymore.

***

A large rough hand slapped him awake. Ishbosheth sat up, stunned by the sudden strike. Noticing he was no longer in his cage, he glanced at his surrounding. He noticed mountains behind him and a forest before him. To either side there were many of the young men, all older than himself.

The man to his immediate left had a long beard, tangled and knotted. It looked like it could never be combed through. The man on his right wore only a long piece of cloth around his waist. Large jagged scars covered the man's dark brown chest, as if he had been mauled by animals.

A tall man with long black hair walked in front of the men lined up with Ishbosheth. As he passed by, he motioned with his hand for them to rise. Ishbosheth tried to oblige, but found himself to still be tied at the wrists and ankles. His wrists and ankles weren't tied together anymore; however, it was still difficult to stand.

Once all the men had been passed by and were all standing, another man, wearing a brilliant blue garment from head to toe, began walking in front. Along with the man in blue, a Leoxin walked, leaning on a staff for extra support.

Ishbosheth leaned over, peeking out from behind our from behind the large man to his right with the scars on his chest. The man and Leoxin were passing by each man. The man in blue would look at the man up and down, lift the man's arms if he saw fit, patted them on the chest, made them open their mouths. He then turned to the Leoxin and whisipered something in his ear. The Leoxin would then approach the man and place his large paw on their cheek. With his eyes closed, the Leoxin would mutter some words, open his eyes again and then either nod of shake his head to the man in blue. If the Leoxin nodded, the man would fall in line, behind the man in blue. If he shook his head, the man would stay in line.

Ishbosheth watched as the Leoxin did this to three of four men, until the man with the long black hair came back and snapped the end of a long slender switch on his cheek. Ishbosheth grabbed his cheek and recoiled, looking straight ahead.

When the Leoxin finally came to the large balck man, Ishbosheth could help peeking up to see what they were doing. The man in blue took the large man's arm and made him flex his biceps, which tripled in size. He patted the man on his chest and slapped his shoulders, then went to whisper to the Leoxin. Ishbosheth couldn't hear what was being said, but when the Leoxin turned towards he and the large black man, Ishbosheth looked into the Lion's eye. They were coal black except for a slight wisp of light grey, like a drop of blood in a pool of water.

Ishbosheth couldn't look away from the eyes of the Leoxin. Finally, the Leoxin closed his eyes and turned his attentino to the large black man. He placed his hand on the man's cheek and muttered something in another language Ishbosheth couldn't understand. Turning to the man in blue, the Leoxin shook his head, closing his eyes slowly.

The man in blue made his way finally to Ishbosheth. Ishbosheth was feeling hopeful. If this man was looking for slaves to work for him, and didn't take the large man standing next to him, he was surely not going to choose the little eight year old boy standing in front of him now!

The man in blue picked up Ishbosheth with his hands under his armpits and spun him around, examining him from every angle. "Open your mouth," the man in blue ordered. Sticking two fingers in Ishbosheth's open mouth, the man in blue hummed as he drummed one finger from the other hand on his scraggly chin.

The man in blue turned to the Leoxin who stepped forawrd. The wisp of white was all that Ishbosheth focused on. The Leoxin's furry paw rested against Ishbosheth's face. His whole body became warm, from the tip of his nose down to his heels. The Leoxin nodded to the man in blue. "Name?" the Leoxin asked.

"Bo." Ishbosheth began to say, but was interrupted by the man in blue.

"Dorian," he said. "Now your name is Dorian. He will be a house fighter. In line with the others now, Dorian." He pointed his long finger to the line of other men following closely behind.

Caught off guard, Ishbosheth gathered up his chains at his ankles and hobbled to the end of the line, catching an unbelieving look from the big black man standing next to him.

As Ishbosheth was turning around, falling into the line, he caught sight of a small girl with very lifht blond hair, in a group of other slaves, set aside for another showing. The bright yellow head stuck out drastically among the man black haired women. Ishbosheth stared at her until she turned her head.

It was Ana. It felt like a rock fell into his stomach. He needed to go get her and run as fast as he could. He stuck one foot out and it hadn't even touched the ground before Ishbosheth felt the bite of a whip on the back of his neck.

He grabbed his neck and turned around. The man in blue held a small whip in his hand, wrapping his hand around the leather tail. "Back in line, Dorian!" he bellowed.

A drop of blood slid down Ishbosheth's neck as he sheepishly shuffled back into the line. He tried to relocate Ana again, but he saw nothing but a sea of ebony hair. But she was just there! He had heard his aunt tell Ana and Katy that they were to protect him. Now, with Katy gone and Ana so close, but seemingly helpless, Ishbosheth felt an incredible need to save her.

But, how could he? He hadn't even moved an inch and the man in blue had stopped him. Not much more could be done other than hoping the man in blue would also buy Ana.

"Oh, Addonai," Ishbosheth prayed, "Let me be with Ana once more at least."

The line of men kept on moving down, with a man every now and then joining the moving line. Ishbosheth had never seen people like these before. Living in the palace all his life, around Hawkhorns and Harpies alone, he had never seen people as mixed bred as some of the people he passed by. Different colored skin, hair growing from their face in places other than beards.

With every step they took, the more hopeful Ishbosheth became, because the group of women was growing closer.

When the line had passed by all the men, eleven others stood behind Ishbosheth, all much taller and much older than he. The man in blue, much to Ishbosheth's joy, now turned his attention to the group of women. His heart once again sank as the man in blue talked rather loudly to the Leoxin, "That is all for the fighters, now let us choose some escorts."

Ishbosheth had gathered as much that we was going to either be working in this man's home or fighting. Even though he was scrawny, Ishbosheth knew how to fight, so he was not worried about that. What did worry him, hoever, was the future that would away Ana if Addonai answered his prayer, and she was brought to be a prostitute.

The man in blue marched in front of the women much as he did with the men. They stood erect, in a straight row, looking directly ahead. The man in blue did not however seek counsel from the Leoxin this time. He would look at the woman for a while, heave her turn around so he could see her from all angles and then decided if any other man would want her or not.

Ishbosheth tried to keep himself from running up and punching the man in blue eery time he looked at another one of the women, from the tips of their toes of their heads, gazing at them with foul intentions.

Mustering up some courage, Ishbosheth peeked out to look at the line of women. Over ten women had already fell into the line with the men. There were women of all ages. Except one that he saw. One blond head among the black haired women.

Ana. He could see her. The man in blue was going to judge her shortly. Torn with emotions Ishbosheth didn't know if he should be hoping that she wouldn't be bought into a prostitution ring, or hope that she would be bought so they could be together again.

The two women ahead of Ana, both very tall, dark haired women were looked at by the man in blue. Turning them around, he looked at them from behind. He sent both of them to the end of the line.

The man in blue had finally come to face Ana. Much to Ishbosheth's pleasure, he didn't look at her much. "How old are you, girl?" he asked her, scratching his chin.

"I'm fourteen years old."

The man in blue shook his head slowly. "You get them too young!" he yelled to the slave trader. "I keep telling you that they have to be at least sixteen years old."

The slave trader shook his switch at the man in blue, showing that he didn't care.

"I'm sorry," he said to Ana. "You're too young." And he moved on.

Ishbosheth was close enough to hear every word. Soon, the line had moved on just enough so that he and Ana were standing right in front of each other.

"Bo!" she had whispered when she saw his face.

Ishbosheth kept looking forward, but talked to Ana, out of the corner of his mouth. "As soon as the line moves past you, step to the back of the line. We have to stay together!"

Ana understood. Looking at the man in blue, then glancing over at the slave trader, slapping his switch in his hand, she stepped out as soon as the line passed her. No one noticed to her knowledge. It looked as though they were going to be in the clear.

010: The First Tome of Nigel pt 1

November 1, 209, Kresan, Nu, Flaria

Hawks flew overhead in the roiling sunlight. Feathers of every color danced in the sky, mainly reds, yellows and browns. Dignitaries were gathered from every city in Nu. Thorbus, the Red, the war hero, adjusted his wings as he landed with his fleet of pure white Hawkhorns at his back. The red feathers on Thorbus's learge chest stood out like a sore thumb among the ivory company he led.

Many other hawkhorns stood by, waiting to congratulate the guest of honor. One citizen was elevated higher than even Thorbus on this day. Today was the Day of Wings for one special girl. Humans, Hawkhorns and Harpies were all welcome to attend any celebration of a Day of Wings. It didn't matter if you have wings or not, a beak or non, a bald body or a feathered back. This fact was evident when one looked at the company the guest of honor kept.

Her name was Katy, Princess of Nu. Today was her Day of Wings. Beside her sat her father, Menendrack, a brown-feathered Hawkhorn with a golden beak curved underneath his eyes. On the other side of Katy sat her mother, Katherine, a human with blond hair, a stark contrast to Menendrack's feathers. Beside Katherine sat her other daughter, Katy's younder sister, Ana.

Ana and Katy both were Harpies, the product of a union between a Fullbone and a Fullblood. Their bodies were like that of their mother. They looked very human except for their wings that each girl had growing from their backs.

On the other side of Menendrack sat a young boy: Menendrack's nephew. His name was Ishbosheth. Most people had taken a liking to just calling him Bo for short. He had grown substantially since his father, the Queen Katherine's brother, died in battle.

The party was well underway. The processional had just begun. Music flowed across the head of people into the grand hall where Katy sat, waiting for her ceremonial crown of feathers. The crown had just passed the threshold when the howl of a wolf was heard, followed by another and another. Soon a whole herd of wolves charged the crowd of visitors.

Vicious wolves, men and Rhinewolves attacked people at random. The calm was thrown into a frenzy. Even the brave Thorbus, the Red, and his fleet took flight at the sight of the Rhinewolves' teeth.

Katy felt a hand on her shoulder firmly push her to the ground. She was frightened. She looked up in relief to see that it was the soft hand of her mother. Under the cover of the table, Katherine also pulled Ana close. "These men are slave traders and thieves," she explained. "They mean to kidnap you and put you to work." She looked intently at Katy. "You are a woman now. I trust you to take Ana and Bo and run and hide. You three are the most valuable people here. They they kidnap you they will ask whatevery they want for your safe return but will never return you again, even if they get all they ask for and more. Now go!" She pushed Katy and Ana towards Ishbosheth who say shivering under the table at the other end.

"Disguise yourselves as humand," Katherine continued. "Put oil in your hair, wash out the curls and wear clothes to hide your wings." She kissed each girl on their heards. "Run and don't look back. Return here in ten days. They should be gone by then. I will pray for your safety until then."

Tears sreamed down Katy and Ana's faces as their mother's lips retreated from their foreheads. Nevertheless, Katy grabbed Ana in one hand and Ishbosheth in the other and ran toward a large table covered with many different kinds of food.

Ishbosheth peered up over the table and saw a large grey wold jump down upon a strong looking man and topple him to the group. The man and wolf fought for a while on the marble floor, but the wolf quickly got the upper hand and sunk his teeth into the man's neck.

Without thinking, Ishbosheth grabbed one of the smaller plates off the table and threw it like a discus at the wolf. The spinning plate struck the wolf above its left eye and the wolf let out a loud yelp of pain and spun around to face Ishbosheth not ten yards away.

"What have you done?" Katy yelled at her yong cousin, pulling him and ana by the arms into a dark doorway.

Ishobosheth reached out and grabbed a long knife lying on the table before he was pulled out of range. He looked into the bright yellow eye of the wolf bounding after them, his back feet coming forward, nearly stepping on his front.

Katy slammed the door just as the wolf ran its head into the thick wood. She could hear its skull crack. She, Ishbosheth and Ana ran deeper into the dark room, seeing a dot of light on the other side, growing larger as they neared it. It was another doorway. They emerged into a grown of bustling Humans and Harpies. As the three sped along in the panicking rabble, Katy spotted some long, hooded robes handing on the wall of her left. She reached out and grabbed several.

She tugged at the hood of a forest green cloak and handed it to Ana who threw it on, hiding her wings. A grey cape, whuch must have been used for a child came out easily in Katy's hand. She gave it to Ishbosheth. The cape when halfway down his back, but it was disguise enough. One more robe was in Katy's arms: dark ruby with a silver pendant on. Katy swung it over her wings and kept on running, throwing the other cloaks to the ground.

The crowd split like water on rock, one half went down another hallway while another ascended some stairs leading to what Katy knew was the barracks of the castle. She pulled Ana and Ishbosheth up the stairs with her and headed straight to the kitchens when they reached the top.

Katy hastily opened cabinets, taking out all the oils she could find. She opened a tall bottle and pulled Ana to her side. Holding the back of Ana's neck with one hand she doused her white blond hair with the slippery oil. The curls quickly straightened, leaving no signs of the ringlets the nobles wore. Katy then poured oil on top of Ishbosheth's head, flattening his hair against his scalp. She finished the bottle by emptying the remainder of the oil on her long brown, ringlet-filled hair.

Katy ran toward the running mod again, beckoning with a frantic wave for the other two to follow. But, it was too late. Katy disappeared into the crow before Ana and Ishbosheth could find her again.

Ana grabbed Ishobosheth by the wrist and yanked him with her. They sunk into the rabble and followed them down a flight of stairs this time. Ishbosheth turned to see Rhinewolves and wild men chasing them close behind.

Flying down the stairs like a herd of Blitwulf the crowd suddenly stopped dead in their tracks. Ana tried to wrestle her way through the crowd to see why they'd stopped with bloodthirsty wolves hot on their trail. She had pushed her way to the edge just as a tall man with a large bushy grey beard began shouting orders with a slight growl in his voice.

"Separate yourselves!" the bearded man yelled, "Hawkhorns to my right, Humans to my left."

Everyone began shuffling. Ana took Ishbosheth and scurried to the left, hoping the cloack on her back would keep her little wings shrouded.

"Humans, you may go!" the tall man bellowed, "Hawkhorns stay!"

The group Ana was in began bustling toward a near exit. Ana kept right in step until she heard the bearded man shout, "Princess Katy!" It caused Ana to stop suddenly and spin her head around. She turned toward the man, who held his two large, hairy arms up in the air. Each arm was holding something. In the left hand he held the dark ruby cloack Ana remembered Katy wearing, stained darker with blood around the neck which was ripped by jagged teeth marks. In the right hand he held two large wings that Ana recognized as her father's, also bloodied at the base as if they had been torn off his back.

The man's eyes narrowed like a beast when its prey falls into its trap. "And Princess Ana!" The man dropped the cloak and wings and started toward Ana. Behind him, na and Ishbosheth both saw the dead bodies of Katy, Menendrack and Katherine, all piled up with a wolf nibbling on Menendrack's heel.

In a fit of rage, Ishbosheth took the knife he had taken off the tbale into his hand and lunged at the bearded man. He grabbed the man by the back of the head and drove the knife into the man's neck. As the man fell, Ishbosheth jumped off and tried to escape from the evil men, but a large grey Rhinewolf grabbed him by the arm and knocked him on the head with a large club. Blackness invaded his vision.

009: A Summative Account of the Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Wars

Of Jeduthun the Historian by Gaieth the Scribe.

The Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Wars, or the Wars of the Stones, are very closely related. So related, in fact, that a summative account couldn't separate them. After the fall of the Keepers, when Addonai made them go their separate ways to their own villages, they were each given a gemstone: Catanas's Ruby, Isila's Emerald, Sorian's Amethyst, Trond's Onyx, Roak's Diamond, Olink's Sapphire, and Nephalon's Amber.

The Addonetts, followers of Addonai, quested after these stones, and once they were all seven found, they were put in a high place in Lindergard, capital city of Bagabel, throne of the High King of Kenna.On February 25, 133, the Negans of Rie, in Eastern Kenna, sacked Lindergard (The Second War), taking away with them the seven stones of the seven Keepers, claiming their own version of the divinity of the stones. They claimed the stones represented the seven aspects of Aithar, his Love, his Jealousy, his Royalty, his Strength, his Divinity, his Peace, and his Power. The stones were taken back to Selbine in Rie and scattered about the provinces.

Later, on September 28th, 133 the Addonetts rallied their forces and went from village to village in the area of Selbine in Rie, in search of their precious gems, in hopes of bringing them back to their rightful place, (The Third War). They were able to locate Isila's Emerald, Sorian's Amethyst and Nephalon's Amber. Fearing another attack, the Addonetts hid the three stones in three separate locations.

Then, on June 2nd, 134, The Negans struck Bagabel, (The Fourth War). Being led by the sorceress, Liin'dashai, the Negans knew where to strike in order to find the hidden stones. They retrieved all three in a timely manner, only three months time. However, as they were returning to Rie, the raiding party was ambushed. A small group of Negan runners went from the group, taking the last stone restolen, Sorian's Amethyst, and ensured safe passage to Rie. The rest of the raiding party fought off an army of Bagblins. The Bagblin army came out with a prize: The head of the sorceress, Liin'dashai.

Recovering for the dishonor of having their reclaimed relics stolen once again, the Bagblin army reformed and marched on Rie. On December 17th, 134, the battle began, (The Fifth War). The Addonetts pushed the Negan army back and dwindled their numbers so greatly that they finally yielded and boarded many ships, moving many of the Negans from Kenna, to the land across the Ora to the East, Trisalia.

After searching for years, the Addonetts could never find the stones anywhere in Rie. It is possible that the Negans took them with them to Trisalia, but that can never be known for certain.

008: An Account of The First War

Of Jame the Chronicler.

In the region of Orfor in Western Kenna, where the Keeper Olink called home, after The Great Flood of the year 100, when Hassius III was Emperor of Kenna, the waters of the Sezpin lowered. Much of what was Orfor washed away with the receding waters. The very western edge broke free from the rest of the land and drifted several miles from shore.

The denizens of Orfor divided themselves into two groups: Those who followed the general, Pellas, the ones who were skilled warrior; and those who followed the way of the mage, Nopra. The followers of Pellas blamed the followers of Nopra for the breaking of their land, because of their delving in the magical arts. The followers of Nopra blamed the followers of Pellas because they didn't follow Addonai, for it was from devotion of Addonai that the followers of Nopra drew their power.

Pellas declared war on Nopra and her followers. This began what would become known as The First War. Nopra's followers took the symbol of the spider as their banner, and called themselves the Spidra and took their half of the land of Orfor and named it Urchin, after the beasts that lived in that area. The followers of Pellas took the name Ardurians, after Ardur, the master of dragons from ancient days.

The Spidra conjured spirits and called upon the Naiads to fight alongside them in the battle. The Ardurians used the ancient stones of Ardur to call the ancient dragons from the depths.They called Ciero, the red dragon; Argard, the silver; Beline, the blue; Draco, the black; and Pirus the crimson.

All in all, the battle lasted 16 months. The Spidra laid down their arms, and called back their spirits, asking for a peace treaty. The terms were settled, on the grounds that it be known that the Ardurians would've won, had the battle continued. Being people of humility, the Spidra found that to be a small price to pay for peace.

The dividing line between Orfor and Urchin was set and marked by the Sezpin River, which flows westward into the Sezpin Ocean. Thus ended The First War.

007: The Birth of the Demons

Mera and Dochriedthe slept with each other, and Mera became pregnant. She went to Maya, the Naiad and placed the child in her womb. She later gave birth to Mera and Dochreidthe's son, Nael. Mera told her she had to name him Nael or else she would be cursed.

When the Keepers heard about the birth of the Demon child, Nael, they mourned.

Mera and Dochriedthe slept with each other, and Mera became pregnant again. She went to Selene, the Rhinewolf, and placed the child in her womb. She later gave birth to Mera and Dochriedthe's second son, which Mera commanded Selene name Bentlei.

When the Keepers heard about the birth of the Demon child, Bentlei, they mourned and wailed.

Mera and Dochriedthe slept with each other, and Mera became pregnant once again. She went to Sienna, the Elf, and placed the child in her womb. She later gave birth to Mera and Dochriedthe's daughter, which Mera commanded Sienna name Scarlett.

When the Keepers heard about the birth of the Demon child, Scarlett, they mourned and wailed, and went to Addonai. They told him what Mera and Dochreidthe had done. "I know, I've seen it," Addonai assured them.

"Why have you allowed this to happen?" The Keepers asked Addonai.

"When you betrayed my trust, your purpose was perverted. There now must be a new way to show my favor for you. I did not allow this to happen, I allowed your own choices to not go unnoticed. I am greatly burdened for these three women. Bring them to me."

The three women were brought before Addonai and He placed His hands on them and said, "Blessed are you among women, for your bodies were taken from you and used for unwanted purposes. I will bless your offspring, and they will overtake those who have wronged you."

006: The Temptation of the Norians

Now Addonai had three Angels, or Norians, with Him in Valde. Their names were Richt, Link, and Doreth. Richt stood by Addonai's right side, with a sword in his right hand and a staff in his left, for he was the Norian protector of honor. Link stood by Addonai's left side, with a sword in his left hand and a staff in his right, for he was the Norian protector of justice. Doreth lay at his feet, with no weapons, for he was the Norian protector of love.

Mera came into Valde one day and went to Richt, and tried to seduce him, but he would not give in. Then she came to Link and tried to seduce him, but he would not give in. Then she came to Doreth and tried to seduce him, but he would not give in.

After seducing Doreth, she asked why he wasn't given any weapon. "Addonai said I did not need one."

Mera then asked Doreth, "Why doesn't he trust you? He trusts your brothers with one, but to you he gives nothing. He probably doesn't want you to overtake Him. If you had a weapon, you could beat Him, and He doesn't want you to be more powerful than him."

Doreth asked Mera, "How would I get a weapon?"

"Come with me and I'll show you," she said.

Doreth followed Mera to the depths of Verago and showed him Broduil, which would become his sword. She gave it to him and Doreth went back up to Valde.

He met Addonai and raised his sword. "See, now I have a sword as well. I am powerful. More powerful than both my brothers combined and more powerful than you. What do you say now?"

Addonai wept and said, "You're no longer the son I had. Leave me, for the pain is too great."

Richt and Link came to him and threw him from Valde, crying in mourning for the loss of their brother.

Doreth wept at being cast from Valde. Then he was met by Mera. "He threw you out because He knew he would be beaten by you. He's afraid of what you will become. Come with me and we shall make great armies to fight with you against Him and you will defeat Him and the throne of Verago will crush the throne of Valde."

So Doreth became Dochreidthe, and the two laid with each other.

005: The Unions of the Keepers

When the Keepers returned to their villages, they saw it would be good to consolidate their resources.

Roak and her other Swift villagers joined with Olink and his other Wise villagers. Roak and Olink wed and the result of their union and the union of their villages was the Human race, the Swift and Wise.

Catanas and his other Swift villagers, joined with Sorian and her other Strong villagers. Catanas and Sorian wed and the result of their union and the union of their villages was the Ogre race, the Swift and Strong.

Isila and her other Wise villagers, joined with Trond and his other Strong villagers. Isila and Trond wed and the result of their union and the union of their villages was a pair of twins. They became the Elven race, both Sky Elves, and Land Elves, or Dwarves.

Addonai came to the villages and placed his hands on the children of the Keepers, giving them his blessings and saying to the Keepers, "These children of yours shall be your third and final tier creation."

Mera, Queen of the Underworld saw the children and so began her plan.

004: The Keepers Fall

But soon, the Keepers began to quarrel.

Catanas and Isila had a dispute and Catanas set fire to a field she had planted.

Isila and Sorian had a dispute and Isila poisoned one of Sorian's animals.

Sorian and Trond had a dispute and Sorian sent an army of rodents to eat away one of Trond's mounds.

Trond and Roak had a dispute and Trond made a chasm that swallowed up one of Roak's whirlwinds

Roak and Olink had a dispute and Roak made a windstorm that swept all the water out of one of Olink's lakes.

Olink and Catanas had a dispute and Olink doused half of all the fires below the earth Catanas created.

Addonai saw all the quarreling that was happening among the Keepers. He came to them and said, "I have given you this power and you've abused it. These things that I created I let you take care of. I trusted you with these things and you've failed. You will no longer be in control of what I gave you. You will go back to your villages and live among the commoners again."

Addonai then came to Nephalon. "You also failed in your care of your fellow Keepers. You also will go back to your village and live among the commoners again."

Mera, Queen of the Underworld saw the misdeeds of the Keepers and began to scheme.

003: The Choosing of the Beasts

Addonai came to Catanas, and his sister, Roak, the swiftest of the Keepers.

"Go," He told them, "and find the three swiftest beasts on, under or over the land. Bring them to me and I will appoint them above the others."

Addonai then came to Isila and her brother, Olink, the wisest of the Keepers.

"Go," He told them, "and find the three wisest beasts on, under or over the land. Bring them to me and I will appoint them above the others."

Addonai then came to Sorian and her brother, Trond, the strongest of the Keepers.

"Go," He told them, "and find the three strongest beasts on, under or over the land. Bring them to me and I will appoint them above the others."

Catanas and Roak, in search of the swiftest beasts, chose the Horse, the Hawk and the Tiger.

Isila and Olink, in search of the wisest beasts, chose the Dragon, the Spider and the Wolf.

Sorian and Trond, in search of the strongest beasts, chose the Bull, the Bear and the Lion.

They brought them before Addonai, and He placed His hands upon them and proclaimed that they were to rule over all other beasts of their kind, as the swiftest, wisest or strongest. Addonai told to the Keepers, "These beasts will be your second tier creations."

Addonai called the beasts to rise, and gave them souls. They passed by him one by one. To the Horse He gave the name Centaur and gave it a human likeness.

To the Hawk He gave the name Hawkhorn and gave it a human likeness.

To the Tiger He gave the name Bengal and gave it a human likeness.

To the Dragon He gave the name Dracomere and gave it a human likeness.

To the Spider He gave the name Nimeduin and gave it a human likeness.

To the Wolf He gave the name Rhinewolf and gave it a human likeness.

To the Bear He gave the name Ursar and gave it a human likeness.

To the Bull He gave the name Minotaur and gave it a human likeness.

To the Lion He gave the name Leoxin and gave it a human likeness.

Mera, Queen of the Underworld, saw the beasts and began to plot.

002: The Calling of the Spirits

Addonai, the Great Creator, called Nephalon.

"I have given you the gift to give life." Addonai told him, "I tell you now, give life to the water."

Nephalon took his hand and touched the water. His hand glowed and the water rippled around his fingers. The hairs on the back of his hand stood up as he pulled out a portion of the water that took on the shape of a head. He pulled the neck down to make the body, then pulled at the sides to make arms and fingers. These he named Naiads.

Addonai again came to Nephalon and said, "Give life to this tree."

Nephalon took his hands and placed them on the tree. The veins in his hands rose to the surface and he formed a face in the bark of the tree. He drew out the head and formed the body and the arms and fingers. Theses he named Dryads.

Addonai again came to Nephalon and said, "Give life to this rock."

Nephalon took his hands and placed them on the rock. His fingernails turned white as gripped it and squeezed it to form a face and head. He took the head and drew out the body, arms and fingers. These he named Gaiads.

Addonai took the three and said that they were very good. He said to Nephalon that these would be the first tier creation.

Mera, Queen of the underworld, saw the creations and began to scheme.

001: The Creation of Cistron

Addonai, the Great Creator, in His infinite power, spread out his arms and made the skies, black and void. With His fingers he formed the moons, and planets. With the heat in his eyes He put the burning sun in the sky. With a single breath He breathed the stars into the sky.

With extra care, He pieced together Cistron. He set fire beneath the surface to move and form the land on its own. He sprouted plantlife from the ground, climbing, blooming, towering and lowly. He placed beasts in the waters, on the land and in the air. He separated the land from the waters, setting boundaries where the waters couldn't overtake the land. He swept up wind in the north, the south, the east and the west. With His fingers, He dug out portions of the land to make lakes, seas, and rivers. He took parts of all His creation in His hands, for what He was about to create was greater than anything He had created before. He formed man and breathed life into him.

He saw that all of this was good. He saw that there needed to be those to keep all of His creation. He created it perfectly, and could not leave it alone. Addonai gave Catanas, the Swift, to be the Keeper of the Flames. Catanas was given the power to control the flames as he saw.

Addonai gave Isila, the Wise, to be Keeper of the Plants. Isila was given the power to control the plants as she saw.

Addonai gave Sorian, the Strong, to be Keeper of the Beasts. Sorian was given the power to control the beasts as she saw.

Addonai gave Trond, the Strong, Sorian's brother, to be Keeper of the Land. Trond was given the power to control the land as he saw.

Addonai gave Roak, the Swift, Catanas's sister, to be Keeper of the Winds. Roak was given the power to control the winds as she saw.

Addonai gave Olink, the Wise, Isila's brother, to be Keeper of the Waters. Olink was given the power to control the waters as he saw.

Addonai also gave Nephalon, the Great, to be Keeper of Life and Keeper of the Keepers. To Nephalon, Addonai gave the greatest power, to grant life to what he saw fit. He could not take life away, but only give it.

Addonai saw that all he had created was very good.

He had created, and it was all perfect.