CHAPTER 1
My name is Stephan Lovengat and for the few of you who do not yet know me, I am a teller of tales. Historian, warrior, musician, and observer of kin and kind, I know most everything about everyone, and what I do not know, I can imagine. I see many things, and I understand many more. I tell a fine tale when it makes me a profit and have been known to join an adventure on occasion.
By your look, I would say, you might enjoy a tale. Let me see. Should it be a tale of dragons and queens? Or perhaps, it should be of deceit and woe. I would venture that a hollow reciting of an old love song would never do. No. A challenge is what you seek. So, such a tale you shall have.
This is a tale of truth and lies, of hope and heartache. It shall be a tale of warriors and wizards and wild things among us. A tale of times, a tale of my world, it is the tale of Thordon and the shadows who wanted to rule it. So where do you begin when telling about a world that was saved? How about, here?
Five years had passed since the shadowars were fought. Storehouses were full. Crops were almost ready for harvest again and all seemed well with the land east kingdoms. The summer solstice festival was sure to be grand this year. While preparing for the regalia, Hubert, Alteria's king received a gift and card. It read:
You’re Majesty
Please accept this jeweled tray as a gift and token. Celebrate the solstice and at the new moon, allow us to feast with you in Alteria the beautiful. We also will bring tokens and as we join them with yours, the union of our kingdoms will have a new leader.
It was signed by all the other kingdoms in the land east.
"Just like those freeloaders to invite themselves to dinner " thought the king, "Oh well, they probably want me to head up this union of theirs. Well, the tribute alone should be worth the price of a meal".
King Hubert ordered his servants to prepare the feast and the whole kingdom readied for the money that would be flowing in. Booths were constructed. Weapons were forged; armor of the finest mail was shipped in. Every food known to kin and kind was stored up and set to cook. The great hall was dusted and polished. King Hubert would announce to his people, his new importance and their new tribute there. Everything had to be perfect.
Antiques of ancients were brought up from the vault for display so that all who entered the hall would be duly impressed. Books of magic, a holy sword and shield, even a war hammer of giant proportions was brought to the hall. Some of the things brought, were a mystery to the king. Oh, he recognized scrolls and rings and gauntlets and such. But he left it to his chancellor and historians to remember what they were for.
Meanwhile, the King Sammet of Arradomin also received a gift. It was a rare and beautiful jewel, amethyst of the deepest purple cut in a perfect sphere three inches in diameter. Tire's king received a pearl of magnificent size. Arynthdale's gem was a ruby. Mountainridge received an opal. Beyonisle's king now owned a perfect black pearl. Every king in the land east save it be Alteria's received a different gem, all the same size, all cut just the same, and all with the same card attached. They read:
You’re Majesty
Please accept this jewel as a gift and token. Celebrate the solstice and at the new moon, and feast with me in Alteria. Bring your token and as we join our tokens together, we will enter into a union of kingdoms with your wisdom at our head.
Well, as you can imagine those kings were all quite impressed. Perhaps the money grubbing king of Alteria finally realized just how much he owed everyone else. To see him grovel and pay homage to anyone other than himself would be worth the trip. But to have a king's feast at his expense was more temptation than any of them could resist. The plans were set. The journeys were arranged. This summer solstice would be one they would never forget. The new moon came and so did the kings.
What pleased the people of Alteria was all the trade that came with them. Goods were being sold as fast as shops could stock them. Ales and meads and brews of every imagining were being downed by the gallon and every one's mood seemed to improve as the night wore on. As the hour of solstice arrived, King Hubert brought out the tray he believed had been sent to him by the others. Had less of the wine been enjoyed, he might have noticed the gasps of amazement from some of the kings at the ornate beauty of the tray.
The tray itself was shaped much like the land east. It looked to be made of platinum with a filigree of pure gold about the edge. In its center, perched a blue diamond, smaller than the other kings’ jewels but no less stunning. Around the diamond were indentations, each placed where the kingdoms of land east lay. Each indentation was encrusted with tiny gems to match the ones sent to the kings. The tray was placed in the center of the room and each king placed his jewel in the appropriate spot. As the last gem was placed and King Hubert rose to speak, the tray began to glow. Fixed by amazement, all in the room stared at the tray. The outer jewels glowed, then the inner circle of gems. Then, as if focused by some combined powers within, the diamond shone like the sun at noonday. It shot a beam of light straight up and let out a sound eerie and unnatural.
"What are you doing?" cried the king of Suldea." We came as you asked. Are we now to be blinded and tortured? Is this your idea of hospitality?"
"What do you mean, what am I doing?" answered King Hubert, “You all sent me the tray as a gift and invited yourselves to this feast!"
As the beam of light continued, the ground beneath their feet began to rumble and quake. A look of horror swept across the faces of the kings. Then their minds went blank and everything faded to black.
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