Insane_Panda
Deity
Kal, we must sprachen.
LINESII- Into the Darkness- Part III
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
carmen510
Deity
Subscribing!
Swissempire
Poet Jester
I am Otaria, but the population of Otaria is Swades, as in the people. Over time they may think of themselves as Otarians, but right now to them and everyone else they're Swades. Its like how in the 13 Colonies, the people thought of themselves not as Americans, but as Britons.
jeps
Arcadefire
Edit: Nevermind
LittleBoots
The Bloody Banner
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,979
Gerougia here
IP, just to make sure, you know Kalmar's basic history right?
In a nutshell: Independent nation, conquered by Veritas but not fully assimilated, granted independence again at the end of the Great War. Here's the turning point in contemporary Kalmar history:
Since then, Kalmar has been a vassal of Khemri, though one kept on a long leash. Khemri has removed all pro-Valin members of government, and worked with Kalmar to bring back its old culture. Kalmar now has a unique culture, sort of a mix of Scandinavian and Roman cultures.
To: Kalmar
From: Kerans
We are willing to fight, but would prefer our independence through peaceful means.
To: Kalmar
From: Davar
You will never crush us!
@j_eps- Kalmar's been taken already. You could play a rebellion somewhere, or take one of the NPCs (Guarela's probably the best one available). Or you could join as a rival culture to North King.
In a nutshell: Independent nation, conquered by Veritas but not fully assimilated, granted independence again at the end of the Great War. Here's the turning point in contemporary Kalmar history:
Since then, Kalmar has been a vassal of Khemri, though one kept on a long leash. Khemri has removed all pro-Valin members of government, and worked with Kalmar to bring back its old culture. Kalmar now has a unique culture, sort of a mix of Scandinavian and Roman cultures.
To: Kalmar
From: Kerans
We are willing to fight, but would prefer our independence through peaceful means.
To: Kalmar
From: Davar
You will never crush us!
@j_eps- Kalmar's been taken already. You could play a rebellion somewhere, or take one of the NPCs (Guarela's probably the best one available). Or you could join as a rival culture to North King.
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Bounded only by the horizon, the fields were a road of baked mudbrick paving stones, the cracks deep between hot plates. It was as though Jaidev stood in the middle of a desert, but no desert could be this muggy. The years rain was coming soon: probably only days from the borders of the kingdom... Yet the quiet before the storm was filled with such a stifling wet heat that Jaidev thought he would probably die the day before the rains, to have his corpse be washed away like so much dust.
Distant thunder made him look up, but the storm was still a long ways off: he couldnt even see a grey cloud, let alone a black one. Sighing, he slung his pack and soldiered on down the road, squat farmers homes on either side of it, separated by miles of the same parched landscape that he had seen on his own lands. It was going to be a dull journey, he thought morosely, and a broiling hot one as well. He took a swallow from his water skein.
It was quiet, at least: quiet enough that he could think as much as he wanted. If only there was something to think about, hed be set. He didnt see that forthcoming, though: everyone in his family, probably in the nation, was just waiting out the end of the dry season. After that, it would be back to work as they planted, tended, and then finally harvested the crops during the monsoon. His father, Tushar, always told him he should be grateful that his life was so simple, and that it would let him seek his path more easily, but Jaidev didnt see that way.
His life was too simple, really. It was frustrating: as though he hovered around the edge of a massive puzzle, but never had all the pieces in view at once. Given glimpses of Tinura, but never seeing him in full radiance.
If only he could be given one day in... He wasnt sure where. Maybe the Citadel, rumors of which had reached even to Andhar, even to the kingdom of Rajkutra. If he was allowed one lone day to wander its archives, browse through the thoughts and minds of a thousand great thinkerseven get to talk to some of the future great thinkers as they began their work! Yet it would never be: the Citadel and its gold and silver scrolls of learning were an earth away, miles of mountains and oceans between it and here.
He smiled, wondering how many other people within fifty miles were thinking of the Citadel. Probably not that many. Most people probably hadnt even thought about it in their lives unless someone made an offhand reference. In a way, he had his own secret thoughts.
The road wound onward, steeping noticeably downhill as he approached the river, twisting to avoid hills. Pattanagara wasnt very far away now: only a couple of miles at the most. Already, a couple of towers showed only their very tip over the hills, like the young shoots of rice just poking to the surface of a paddy. The farms were getting larger as he passed by them, too, some of them genuinely houses, instead of just one room huts.
By the road stood a young woman, tending the wilting flowers that had somehow survived the dry season by her familys farm. She looked up at the sound of footfalls, and smiled to see Jaidev approaching. He nodded to her.
Hello, Vimala.
She blushed at his attention, rearranging her hair nervously. Jaidev. What are you doing here?
Oh, he said, picking up a few things in town. Mothers taking care of the children, and Tushar is busy with his farmwork.
She frowned at that. But what work could he possibly be doing before the rains?
He nodded. Hes lazy. He needed an excuse. So poor Jaidev has to wander down the broiling hot road, most likely going to melt before he even gets to the city.
Vimala smiled, brushing some hair out of her eyes. Are you terribly thirsty?
He shook his head. I brought a water skein, he said, holding it up for emphasis. I think I actually would have died if I hadnt. She laughed. But I suppose more water is always a welcome thing on the road.
Shyly, she offered him her skein of water. It splashed against his tongue like a blessing from Tinura. Cold, he said, surprised. How do you keep it cold? He took another swig of the delightful drink.
We bury it in the ground. It cools overnight, she said. He gave her back the water, and sighed with pleasure. What were you going into town for?
Nothing particularly grand. A few odd spices, and a new knife if I could find one. He straightened his pack on his shoulder.
Oh. Well, I hope you find it all right. The markets are getting bigger every day, she said. She seemed closer than she had been only moments before. Was that his imagination?
So they are, he said. Well...
I suppose you should be going?
Probably. He looked at her, his feet rooted to the spot. Her eyes were a dark blue, so deep that he feared he might drown in them.
Vimala? another voice came from towards her house.
Oh, she said, gathering her tools from the ground. I had better get back. I told my mother Id only be a minute... Youll be coming back later? she asked tentatively.
Ill probably pass by around dusk.
All right, she brightened up considerably. Goodbye, Jaidev; fortune and argument fight for you. She turned to stride back towards the house; he watched her disappear through the doorway before continuing down the road.
The last leg of the journey took almost no time at all: he barely even noticed the heat. Finally, the dressed stone towers came into view, and the chaotic streets of Pattanagara spread in the valley beneath him. He went to the walls, and the sentry, looking utterly tired, examined him for only a moment before waving him through.
The noise of the city immediately engulfed him. Carts rolled up and down the streets, their wheels creaking; beggars pleaded for food or money; men and women alike tried to peddle the strangest wares; and guards, looking warily around at the whole mess, paced menacingly with swords at their belts. Jaidev drifted from booth to booth, catching snatches of conversation where he could. Most of it was inane drivel, but there were a few which caught his interest, if only momentarily, and he noted them down for future reference.
One old crone tried to press on him a document which she claimed was the original prophecy of Eldos, and that it bore the secret to an ancient riddle that must be solved. He glanced at it momentarily, and realized with a lurch of his stomach that the runes were written in blood. Jaidev pushed her away, not without some difficulty, and moved on.
Others stood watching a street magician, who was in the midst of performing a complicated gesticulation with a pigeon. The crowd tittered as he wrestled with the small bird, but Jaidev looked away almost as soon as he had seen it. Faking demigod-like powers never struck him as a particularly interesting activity. More amusing was a pickpocket who moved from watcher to watcher: they were all blinded by the magic.
Further down the street, a lonely looking man was slowly whittling away at a wooden flute. It looked well-made despite its simplicity, and Jaidev stopped to watch him for a moment when the man looked up. It makes a good tone. He set it to his lips and blew; a sweet melody came pouring forth, to the tune of an old song that Jaidev had once heard his mother sing. The passionate notes strung together in a cascade, up and down the scale, and then he stopped. Would you like one? I have a few made. He gestured to a series of the pipes that lay arranged on the table before him.
How much? Jaidev asked cautiously.
A one-piece, he said. Not very much.
Jaidev thought for a moment. Ill come back in a while. His parents had left him one of the little copper coins, but he wasnt certain what he wanted to spend it on.
He made his way to the market, wading through an increasing crowd of people, coming at last to the bazaar. It was a circle of stalls set around a white paved square, open to the air and heavy with the smell of people. Every good that he could think of was sold there: foods, spices, knives, books, games, toys, woods, carvings, gems, metals, paper, and so on around the square. It was a staggering selection. Yet he was bound by his instructions, and went to get the spices.
Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger were fairly easy to procure, but for some reason the seller had nearly run out of pepper: it was difficult to get him down to a reasonable price. In time, though, he had all that he needed, despite his coin bag feeling rather lighter.
The knife seller was absentmindedly flipping one of his goods in the air and catching it by the hilt. When he looked up to see Jaidev, he accidentally dropped it, and glared at Jaidev, sucking his cut hand. He looked briefly, selected a knife, haggled for a moment, and left with a new blade, almost out of moneytwo copper pieces remained in the pouch.
He wandered around for a little while, and stopped in front of a bookseller. He had the latest hand copied, bound volumes from the lands to the north, and even a few made by Rajkutrans, likely unknown outside of their own country. Examining a pile of them, he found A History of the World, by some Citadel priest. The copy was thick, no doubt due to its subject matter. He opened it to its first page, and found a collection of creation myths. Interesting, no doubt, but not what he really wanted... He flipped to the next chapter, and found an account of the founding of Veritas, Khemri, and Aney-Tigot. Fascinated, he read on for a while, until finally the book-seller prompted him to buy it.
How much would you want for it? Jaidev asked.
A silver piece, and I would not lower it for my own mother.
Jaidev silently cursed. A silver was beyond his means, certainly. He sighed, put the book back on the stand, and shuffled away. Chancing to look down, he saw a glimmer on the road. He stooped to pick it up: one of the silver pieces! Too buried in dirt to be recently droppedthat meant it was his. He practically ran back to the book-seller, and flushed, bought the history. His pack now heavy with goods and light with coin, he went, considerably more cheerful, on his way out of the city.
The flute-seller gave him pause. He had two copper pieces left, and the flute was only one. Abruptly, he turned to the merchant and bought it, thanking the man for his trouble, and adding in the other copper piece to show his gratitude.
Pattanagara passed away behind him as he went through the gate, and the world was quiet once more, as he made his way on the winding road between scaly fields southward.
He examined the flute as he walked, and tried an experimental blow on it. He wasnt half the musician that the seller had been, but his note still sounded somewhat ethereal and whole, and he fingered the pipe idly, letting the notes go where they went, with no melody in mind. Jaidev was starting to get a feel for the pipe after a few minutes, when thunder cracked again, loudly this time, and he looked up to the sky to get a slap of water in the face.
The monsoon had started.
He hurried home, knowing that the water would soon muddy the road considerably: already it was turning the fields on either side into a quagmire. The ground soaked up the moisture, drinking like a dying camel. The road, fortunately, had never been tilled, and was more of a small stream than a rapidly growing marsh.
As the lightning cracked overhead, and the rain began to pour down in sheets, he came to Vimalas house, to find her waiting outside in the rain, standing at the foot of the path to her door. The rain had drenched her hair, plastering it in a dark sheet to the sides of her head. Her sari clung to the curves of her body. He ran to her, and she hugged him tightly.
You waited in this? he asked incredulously. For me?
He felt her sigh. You should have known that I would, Jaidev.
I did, until it started raining.
You think Im only a summer love? she asked, half-smiling.
So youre a love now? came his reply, only slightly surprised. It was what she wanted, wasnt it?
Am I?
He considered it briefly. She had hinted and flirted for almost half a year now: he had guessed at what she might feel, though never asked her directly about it. I suppose that you are. She laughed. He pulled out the flute that he had bought only a couple of hours before, and handed it to her, covering it so it wouldnt soak in the rain for too long. I got this for you.
There was a moment of silence after she took the flute. He looked at her, concerned... It almost seemed as though she were crying. It was too hard to tell, though, with the rain pouring as it was. She looked up at him, asking, Does it play well?
Reasonably so. At least, I could get noise out of it, and the merchant could do a good deal more than that.
Suddenly, she curled a hand behind his back, pulling him close. Their lips met.
A troop of riders came dashing down the road, on their way to Pattanagara. It seemed as though someone was slung over the back of one of the horses, unconscious, but the soldiers were past too quickly, showering Jaidev and Vimala in mud.
You should probably go home before you drown, Vimala observed.
I dont want to go.
No... Duty calls, though.
I know. I still dont want to go.
She laughed, and pushed him away. He stumbled, and nearly fell in the watery road. Youll need to talk to your parents about me anyway, Jaidev. And I mine.
He smiled. Yes, I suppose I will. But...
Yes?
Can we meet tomorrow? Early in the morning. Ill come to your house before dawn, and we can talk things over.
That would be wonderful. I hope youre a strong swimmer.
He barely remembered the walk home. When he finally came through the door, exhausted but smiling, he stopped short to see his mother, sitting before an open hearth, crying into her hands.
What happened?
Your father. The kings men took him.
His mind connected this with the riders that had splashed him on the road earlier. Oh Tinura, what do I do?
On the third day of the monsoon, riders waded up the road, their horses hooves churning the mud like a vast barrel of butter. The noise drew Jaidev and his family to the door, and sure enough, the horsemen drew up before the house. There were three of them. All wore swords.
Hurriedly, his mother bent and untied the cloth doorway; rain poured in, soddening the carpet. The lead rider strode in, his hand on the swords hilt. Jaidevs mother backed up uncertainly, and offered a timid greeting. He glared at her, and looked around. His eyes seized on Jaidev, the oldest boy.
Where is your familys deed?
Inwardly, he gave a sigh of relief. So these were only tax collectorscome to see if the years fifth had been paid. He went to his fathers room, the soldier following him, and his family in tow. He found the handsome teakwood chest under the bed, hidden away from any vandals, and set it on the floor. It sat there, deed inside. Locked.
Oh. My father had the key. He was
He stopped short as the soldier drew his blade. Without a word, he stepped forward, and brought the sword down on the box. The lock snapped, and broke apart; the soldier kicked the chest open, and pocketed the deed inside. He ignored the protests of Jaidevs mother, who screamed that he had no right to take away their rights to the land, and that there was nothing that she or her husband had done wrong. He looked at Jaidev, his black eyes boring into him.
In the name of King Natraj, I, Lord Rajendra, strip you of the deed to these lands. You have ten days to leave them; all goods that remain thereafter are property of the king.
Why have you done this? Jaidev asked, stricken. Why did you take my father, and now his land?
The vagrant Tushar was caught stealing a hen from the kings coops, lad. He will be punished and exiled, along with his family... you.
Punished?
Of course. Its rather light, to be sure: he will simply lose his right hand. That will be carried out tomorrow, at noon. Dont look so downcast. A hand is nothing compared to a life.
Next Story
Distant thunder made him look up, but the storm was still a long ways off: he couldnt even see a grey cloud, let alone a black one. Sighing, he slung his pack and soldiered on down the road, squat farmers homes on either side of it, separated by miles of the same parched landscape that he had seen on his own lands. It was going to be a dull journey, he thought morosely, and a broiling hot one as well. He took a swallow from his water skein.
It was quiet, at least: quiet enough that he could think as much as he wanted. If only there was something to think about, hed be set. He didnt see that forthcoming, though: everyone in his family, probably in the nation, was just waiting out the end of the dry season. After that, it would be back to work as they planted, tended, and then finally harvested the crops during the monsoon. His father, Tushar, always told him he should be grateful that his life was so simple, and that it would let him seek his path more easily, but Jaidev didnt see that way.
His life was too simple, really. It was frustrating: as though he hovered around the edge of a massive puzzle, but never had all the pieces in view at once. Given glimpses of Tinura, but never seeing him in full radiance.
If only he could be given one day in... He wasnt sure where. Maybe the Citadel, rumors of which had reached even to Andhar, even to the kingdom of Rajkutra. If he was allowed one lone day to wander its archives, browse through the thoughts and minds of a thousand great thinkerseven get to talk to some of the future great thinkers as they began their work! Yet it would never be: the Citadel and its gold and silver scrolls of learning were an earth away, miles of mountains and oceans between it and here.
He smiled, wondering how many other people within fifty miles were thinking of the Citadel. Probably not that many. Most people probably hadnt even thought about it in their lives unless someone made an offhand reference. In a way, he had his own secret thoughts.
The road wound onward, steeping noticeably downhill as he approached the river, twisting to avoid hills. Pattanagara wasnt very far away now: only a couple of miles at the most. Already, a couple of towers showed only their very tip over the hills, like the young shoots of rice just poking to the surface of a paddy. The farms were getting larger as he passed by them, too, some of them genuinely houses, instead of just one room huts.
By the road stood a young woman, tending the wilting flowers that had somehow survived the dry season by her familys farm. She looked up at the sound of footfalls, and smiled to see Jaidev approaching. He nodded to her.
Hello, Vimala.
She blushed at his attention, rearranging her hair nervously. Jaidev. What are you doing here?
Oh, he said, picking up a few things in town. Mothers taking care of the children, and Tushar is busy with his farmwork.
She frowned at that. But what work could he possibly be doing before the rains?
He nodded. Hes lazy. He needed an excuse. So poor Jaidev has to wander down the broiling hot road, most likely going to melt before he even gets to the city.
Vimala smiled, brushing some hair out of her eyes. Are you terribly thirsty?
He shook his head. I brought a water skein, he said, holding it up for emphasis. I think I actually would have died if I hadnt. She laughed. But I suppose more water is always a welcome thing on the road.
Shyly, she offered him her skein of water. It splashed against his tongue like a blessing from Tinura. Cold, he said, surprised. How do you keep it cold? He took another swig of the delightful drink.
We bury it in the ground. It cools overnight, she said. He gave her back the water, and sighed with pleasure. What were you going into town for?
Nothing particularly grand. A few odd spices, and a new knife if I could find one. He straightened his pack on his shoulder.
Oh. Well, I hope you find it all right. The markets are getting bigger every day, she said. She seemed closer than she had been only moments before. Was that his imagination?
So they are, he said. Well...
I suppose you should be going?
Probably. He looked at her, his feet rooted to the spot. Her eyes were a dark blue, so deep that he feared he might drown in them.
Vimala? another voice came from towards her house.
Oh, she said, gathering her tools from the ground. I had better get back. I told my mother Id only be a minute... Youll be coming back later? she asked tentatively.
Ill probably pass by around dusk.
All right, she brightened up considerably. Goodbye, Jaidev; fortune and argument fight for you. She turned to stride back towards the house; he watched her disappear through the doorway before continuing down the road.
The last leg of the journey took almost no time at all: he barely even noticed the heat. Finally, the dressed stone towers came into view, and the chaotic streets of Pattanagara spread in the valley beneath him. He went to the walls, and the sentry, looking utterly tired, examined him for only a moment before waving him through.
The noise of the city immediately engulfed him. Carts rolled up and down the streets, their wheels creaking; beggars pleaded for food or money; men and women alike tried to peddle the strangest wares; and guards, looking warily around at the whole mess, paced menacingly with swords at their belts. Jaidev drifted from booth to booth, catching snatches of conversation where he could. Most of it was inane drivel, but there were a few which caught his interest, if only momentarily, and he noted them down for future reference.
One old crone tried to press on him a document which she claimed was the original prophecy of Eldos, and that it bore the secret to an ancient riddle that must be solved. He glanced at it momentarily, and realized with a lurch of his stomach that the runes were written in blood. Jaidev pushed her away, not without some difficulty, and moved on.
Others stood watching a street magician, who was in the midst of performing a complicated gesticulation with a pigeon. The crowd tittered as he wrestled with the small bird, but Jaidev looked away almost as soon as he had seen it. Faking demigod-like powers never struck him as a particularly interesting activity. More amusing was a pickpocket who moved from watcher to watcher: they were all blinded by the magic.
Further down the street, a lonely looking man was slowly whittling away at a wooden flute. It looked well-made despite its simplicity, and Jaidev stopped to watch him for a moment when the man looked up. It makes a good tone. He set it to his lips and blew; a sweet melody came pouring forth, to the tune of an old song that Jaidev had once heard his mother sing. The passionate notes strung together in a cascade, up and down the scale, and then he stopped. Would you like one? I have a few made. He gestured to a series of the pipes that lay arranged on the table before him.
How much? Jaidev asked cautiously.
A one-piece, he said. Not very much.
Jaidev thought for a moment. Ill come back in a while. His parents had left him one of the little copper coins, but he wasnt certain what he wanted to spend it on.
He made his way to the market, wading through an increasing crowd of people, coming at last to the bazaar. It was a circle of stalls set around a white paved square, open to the air and heavy with the smell of people. Every good that he could think of was sold there: foods, spices, knives, books, games, toys, woods, carvings, gems, metals, paper, and so on around the square. It was a staggering selection. Yet he was bound by his instructions, and went to get the spices.
Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger were fairly easy to procure, but for some reason the seller had nearly run out of pepper: it was difficult to get him down to a reasonable price. In time, though, he had all that he needed, despite his coin bag feeling rather lighter.
The knife seller was absentmindedly flipping one of his goods in the air and catching it by the hilt. When he looked up to see Jaidev, he accidentally dropped it, and glared at Jaidev, sucking his cut hand. He looked briefly, selected a knife, haggled for a moment, and left with a new blade, almost out of moneytwo copper pieces remained in the pouch.
He wandered around for a little while, and stopped in front of a bookseller. He had the latest hand copied, bound volumes from the lands to the north, and even a few made by Rajkutrans, likely unknown outside of their own country. Examining a pile of them, he found A History of the World, by some Citadel priest. The copy was thick, no doubt due to its subject matter. He opened it to its first page, and found a collection of creation myths. Interesting, no doubt, but not what he really wanted... He flipped to the next chapter, and found an account of the founding of Veritas, Khemri, and Aney-Tigot. Fascinated, he read on for a while, until finally the book-seller prompted him to buy it.
How much would you want for it? Jaidev asked.
A silver piece, and I would not lower it for my own mother.
Jaidev silently cursed. A silver was beyond his means, certainly. He sighed, put the book back on the stand, and shuffled away. Chancing to look down, he saw a glimmer on the road. He stooped to pick it up: one of the silver pieces! Too buried in dirt to be recently droppedthat meant it was his. He practically ran back to the book-seller, and flushed, bought the history. His pack now heavy with goods and light with coin, he went, considerably more cheerful, on his way out of the city.
The flute-seller gave him pause. He had two copper pieces left, and the flute was only one. Abruptly, he turned to the merchant and bought it, thanking the man for his trouble, and adding in the other copper piece to show his gratitude.
Pattanagara passed away behind him as he went through the gate, and the world was quiet once more, as he made his way on the winding road between scaly fields southward.
He examined the flute as he walked, and tried an experimental blow on it. He wasnt half the musician that the seller had been, but his note still sounded somewhat ethereal and whole, and he fingered the pipe idly, letting the notes go where they went, with no melody in mind. Jaidev was starting to get a feel for the pipe after a few minutes, when thunder cracked again, loudly this time, and he looked up to the sky to get a slap of water in the face.
The monsoon had started.
He hurried home, knowing that the water would soon muddy the road considerably: already it was turning the fields on either side into a quagmire. The ground soaked up the moisture, drinking like a dying camel. The road, fortunately, had never been tilled, and was more of a small stream than a rapidly growing marsh.
As the lightning cracked overhead, and the rain began to pour down in sheets, he came to Vimalas house, to find her waiting outside in the rain, standing at the foot of the path to her door. The rain had drenched her hair, plastering it in a dark sheet to the sides of her head. Her sari clung to the curves of her body. He ran to her, and she hugged him tightly.
You waited in this? he asked incredulously. For me?
He felt her sigh. You should have known that I would, Jaidev.
I did, until it started raining.
You think Im only a summer love? she asked, half-smiling.
So youre a love now? came his reply, only slightly surprised. It was what she wanted, wasnt it?
Am I?
He considered it briefly. She had hinted and flirted for almost half a year now: he had guessed at what she might feel, though never asked her directly about it. I suppose that you are. She laughed. He pulled out the flute that he had bought only a couple of hours before, and handed it to her, covering it so it wouldnt soak in the rain for too long. I got this for you.
There was a moment of silence after she took the flute. He looked at her, concerned... It almost seemed as though she were crying. It was too hard to tell, though, with the rain pouring as it was. She looked up at him, asking, Does it play well?
Reasonably so. At least, I could get noise out of it, and the merchant could do a good deal more than that.
Suddenly, she curled a hand behind his back, pulling him close. Their lips met.
A troop of riders came dashing down the road, on their way to Pattanagara. It seemed as though someone was slung over the back of one of the horses, unconscious, but the soldiers were past too quickly, showering Jaidev and Vimala in mud.
You should probably go home before you drown, Vimala observed.
I dont want to go.
No... Duty calls, though.
I know. I still dont want to go.
She laughed, and pushed him away. He stumbled, and nearly fell in the watery road. Youll need to talk to your parents about me anyway, Jaidev. And I mine.
He smiled. Yes, I suppose I will. But...
Yes?
Can we meet tomorrow? Early in the morning. Ill come to your house before dawn, and we can talk things over.
That would be wonderful. I hope youre a strong swimmer.
He barely remembered the walk home. When he finally came through the door, exhausted but smiling, he stopped short to see his mother, sitting before an open hearth, crying into her hands.
What happened?
Your father. The kings men took him.
His mind connected this with the riders that had splashed him on the road earlier. Oh Tinura, what do I do?
* * * * * * * * *
On the third day of the monsoon, riders waded up the road, their horses hooves churning the mud like a vast barrel of butter. The noise drew Jaidev and his family to the door, and sure enough, the horsemen drew up before the house. There were three of them. All wore swords.
Hurriedly, his mother bent and untied the cloth doorway; rain poured in, soddening the carpet. The lead rider strode in, his hand on the swords hilt. Jaidevs mother backed up uncertainly, and offered a timid greeting. He glared at her, and looked around. His eyes seized on Jaidev, the oldest boy.
Where is your familys deed?
Inwardly, he gave a sigh of relief. So these were only tax collectorscome to see if the years fifth had been paid. He went to his fathers room, the soldier following him, and his family in tow. He found the handsome teakwood chest under the bed, hidden away from any vandals, and set it on the floor. It sat there, deed inside. Locked.
Oh. My father had the key. He was
He stopped short as the soldier drew his blade. Without a word, he stepped forward, and brought the sword down on the box. The lock snapped, and broke apart; the soldier kicked the chest open, and pocketed the deed inside. He ignored the protests of Jaidevs mother, who screamed that he had no right to take away their rights to the land, and that there was nothing that she or her husband had done wrong. He looked at Jaidev, his black eyes boring into him.
In the name of King Natraj, I, Lord Rajendra, strip you of the deed to these lands. You have ten days to leave them; all goods that remain thereafter are property of the king.
Why have you done this? Jaidev asked, stricken. Why did you take my father, and now his land?
The vagrant Tushar was caught stealing a hen from the kings coops, lad. He will be punished and exiled, along with his family... you.
Punished?
Of course. Its rather light, to be sure: he will simply lose his right hand. That will be carried out tomorrow, at noon. Dont look so downcast. A hand is nothing compared to a life.
* * * * * * * * *
Next Story
jeps
Arcadefire
Can you give me some info on Guarela?
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
we must speek also sir panda
TerrisH
Mischief?
Emor here. wishing to establish a homeland. hopefully.
@NK- Great story! I look forward to putting your nation into the next update.
@j_eps- The nation description says most of it. It's a liberal Bladeist nation, and a good friend of Gerougia.
@Azale- Do you want that to be your flag?
@j_eps- The nation description says most of it. It's a liberal Bladeist nation, and a good friend of Gerougia.
@Azale- Do you want that to be your flag?
Swissempire
Poet Jester
Grombar, I edited the post and wrote your starting story for you. Happy Nesing.
Grombar
Fire in the Hole
Looks real good Swiss and thanks again, now to figure out where to put said nation!
Insane_Panda
Deity
Scandinavia + Rome = Germany.
All your base are belong to us.
All your base are belong to us.
Insane_Panda
Deity
TO: The Keran, Davar
FROM: The Kalmarsrijk*
Your continued resistance will only mean your doom. We will not accept any measure of independence, and should you decide that it is in your interests to continue to fight the forces of the Rijk, then we will harbor no qualms as we execute every man, women, and child deemed an enemy. Should you join our fold, however, then we will welcome you, and we will allow self-governance within your respective regions - but resist, and you will die.
Vodan II, Kaiser of the Kalmarsrijk
*ooc: I am renaming my nation to the Kalmarsrijk, reflecting its greater size, and conquest of new territories. Similarly, as the state has been upgraded to an Empire, Vodan II will assume the title of Kaiser.
FROM: The Kalmarsrijk*
Your continued resistance will only mean your doom. We will not accept any measure of independence, and should you decide that it is in your interests to continue to fight the forces of the Rijk, then we will harbor no qualms as we execute every man, women, and child deemed an enemy. Should you join our fold, however, then we will welcome you, and we will allow self-governance within your respective regions - but resist, and you will die.
Vodan II, Kaiser of the Kalmarsrijk
*ooc: I am renaming my nation to the Kalmarsrijk, reflecting its greater size, and conquest of new territories. Similarly, as the state has been upgraded to an Empire, Vodan II will assume the title of Kaiser.
