₦airaland Forum

Lol you guys could be right... But I think very little have been revealed about Mibazar here, so it's very likely that he will be underrated. On the major story, GHEMARIA CANTICLES, Mibazar's skills are in full sway... Well let's just watch. Trust me neither Mibazar nor Ruel are what they appeared to be..... Let me not spill the beans

“Alright Ruel, we have an agreement. Show me where to source for supplies here in Zin and I will be on my way. “
“Oh I will do better than that my friend.“ Ruel stood up, pulled out a key and walked towards the locked door. “I already have supplies arranged for you. Also I have some selected professionals, in your line of work, I have employed to go along with you on this venture. “
“I work best alone, you should know that. “ Jarrael said as he stood to walk with the merchant.
“Yes that I know but I know you have worked with others when it suited your purpose, consider this one of those instances. “ the merchant turned with a conspiratorial smile as he put the key in the keyhole. “Still you will need these men of this job must be successful. “
“Well it’s your job, if it fails, you loose. I’d have gained five thousand gold and silver coins each. Anyway let your employees know, I won’t share my payment with them. What ever arrangements you made, you made with them directly and not me. Also let who ever will lead this poor expedition know that I move on my own when I want, where I want and how I want. I take no orders from anyone. “
Chuckling as he opened the door, he and Jarrael l stepped out of the office into the open warehouse, several torches fixed on sconces burning brightly, giving the wide storage space an orange colored glow with the arranged goods creating several shadows within the place.
“That won’t be a problem Jarrael, as you will be the one in charge of the poor expedition. “ he ended quoting Jarrael’s bitter remark.

“I might consider it if the payment is attracting enough. “
“This chest here full of gold and silver coins was the payment I was counting and arranging to offer for the job. Twenty thousand coins, ten of royal crown gold and ten of eagle silver. If you accept, I will be giving you half of it up front, the other half when you return the relics. “
“A very tempting offer for such a minor job. Any small time thief can accomplish this. “
“No, it’s not as simple as that. I suspect that Mibazar will be after the relics now too. His agents may already be all out to search out the location, you may encounter some of them if you take this job. You may come face to face with Mibazar himself. “
“You make the offer more tempting by dangling the bait of Mibazar and Tarikh before me. Seems it worked. I will take the job. So where are the relics hidden. “
As a reply, Ruel pulled off the thread tied around the leather parchment, handed it over to Jarrael. As Jarrael opened it, a map was what is scrawled on it. Ruel indicated a point on the open parchment. “The relics are hidden in the Ruins of the city of Kedesh. “
“Nothing exist in that place, not even the homeless and destitute stays there. One might be hard pressed to see anything living in that place. “
“Yes and something else makes the ruins of Kedesh interesting. “ Ruel closed the palms of his hands before his face and rested his back on the back of the chair. “Kedesh is the city that was built over the buried ruins of the ancient city of Ankara. So it has a way it all tied down. And Mibazar being a very wise priest may connect the different aspects of these events and suspect where the relics are hidden. He may not get the accurate place. But an idea of the general location. This map is the only item that can lead anyone to the specific location. “

“Oh I’m sure your father never told you where he hid those relics, he loved you and your sister so much, he didn’t want you involved in any of these. “ Opening the wall safe again, he pulled out a parchment made of skin, rolled and tied with a thin thread. The parchment showed abuse of age and long usage on it. Ruel didn’t open it but just dropped it on the table as he continued to speak. “Your father confided the secret to a trusted colleague, which was passed down before he died to another trusted person who was asked to pass it to me. Curiously though everyone that had held this secret have died under unexplained circumstances. “
“So the very thing my father wanted to keep away from me is what you want to involve me in.” Jarrael said his eyes on the new parchment.
“No, I think your father did that because he felt you were too young to deal with what was happening then. But now fate it seem has elected you to finish what you father started. “
Laughing casually Jarrael asked. “And the mysterious deaths of everyone who held the secrets you now posses doesn’t bother you? “
“Not in anyway. I am taking a risk which I believe will pay me more than the dangers involved. “ taking a cue from Jarrael’s attitude he put up a smug smile of his own. “I’m not doing this out of any sense of altruism, I intend to rake in massive profits from this. “
“So where are those relics hidden? “
With a sudden burst of uncontrollable glee the merchant said. “I can’t tell you that unless you commit yourself to take this job. “

meneski:
come oh!


If Ruel can manipulate our actor
then him own manipulation carry anointing...


Some tin dey make me fill say Ruel and dat priest get scores:/

Well em can't say much.... But the real truth in all these won't be revealed here in this story. If you take a good look at MEMOIRS OF BLOOD AND STEEL, you will notice a lot of things have happened and more will, just tit bits of hints is what we get here. I'm doing my best not to allow this story spill into other areas, just wont to focus it on events that involves Jarrael directly. I will only reveal the real truth about Mibazar here, that will be at the end of the story. But as for Ruel....

meneski:
come oh!


If Ruel can manipulate our actor
then him own manipulation carry anointing...


Some tin dey make me fill say Ruel and dat priest get scores:/

Well em can't say much.... But the real truth in all these won't be revealed here in this story. If you take a good look at MEMOIRS OF BLOOD AND STEEL, you will notice a lot of things have happened and more will, just tit bits of hints are what we get here. I'm doing my best not to allow this story spill into other areas, just want to focus it on events that involves Jarrael directly. I will only reveal the real truth about Mibazar here, that will be at the end of the story. But as for Ruel....

Hi guys, good morning, a very wet one in Lagos. Hope your day started well? (hey whats wrong with me, I'm never this nice? Could it be I'm being hypnotized by Ruel? )
Anyway let's have fun with this. At least at this stage of the story, it will be obvious that Ruel, the merchant is a skillful manipulator. (more of that at the end of my next following updates). But earlier in the story, we were introduced to a high priest of Nemphis, Mibazar, who appears to be an equally skillful manipulator and blackmailer. So in a contest, who do you guys think is better or more skillful at manipulating others, Mibazar or Ruel?
Lets have fun with this, I will really like multiple contributions. You can give reasons for your choice if you can. Also if after the updates of all of Ruel's acts, you feel like changing your choice, you are free. Well I would have love to start first but that will be revealing too much.
So let the fun begins....

“I am aware of that my friend, I took note of that too before desiring you to help me with this. “ A new kind of desperate look came on the merchant. “But you have stolen in time past. You were a successful thief. Even when you dropped the act and took up the part of the blade, you never threw away the skills. I also am certain that occasionally in the line of your present occupation, your old thievery skills had been culled up. “
Now Jarrael has always been curious, maybe a weakness Ruel had taken note of and intending to exploit. Anyway Jarrael wasn’t worried. He owe the merchant no obligation what so ever, so all he has to do is satisfy his curiosity. “What items do you want me to get for you?”
Ruel took a while before speaking. His face taking on the masks of several appearance. When he spoke, the words were low but to Jarrael, they sounded like thunder claps. “The same items that your father stole from the baron. “
Jarrael felt light headed. Intrigue was not a strange act to him but this merchant seem to be waving a tapestry of plots within plots. It is becoming clear that Jarrael may not just be looking at an ordinary merchant. “How is that possible? You implied during your tale that my father hid those relics in a place no one knew. Oh and if you are believing that my father may have passed such information to me, well you are wrong, he didn’t. “

“Well this won’t change anything, Tarikh will still die, I will still go after the high priest behind all of these. “
“You will waste your time with that Jarrael, you cannot kill Mibazar, it is impossible. I’d advise you engage your strength on other profitable Ventures. “ Ruel took the lamp to a candle held by a thin finely crafted candle stand. He put the candle on with the light from the lamp. Did the same to two other candles, then blew out the lamp. The candles were like round pools of light in the room, casting back the shadows from the lighted areas. “It will even be difficult for you to get at Tarikh now that the high priest is using him. Maybe after he is of no more use to him, then Tarikh will be vulnerable. “
“Well how I go about my things shouldn’t concern you. How does my life or death any benefit to you, merchant? “ Jarrael allowed his word to end in a sneer.
“I do have very personal reason you been alive will be of benefit to me. “ Taking his seat once again, he smoothed a wrinkled part of his clothes. “I need you to do something for me. I want to employ you for a job. “
With a snort, Jarrael asked. “What kind of job? “
“There are some items I want you to get for me. “
“Merchant I stopped being a thief long ago. And even then, I stole mostly for my master in the thieves guild and for myself. “ Jarrael flexed his hand and noticed his muscles were still in the slow form. “So I can’t steal for you, I no longer steal.

sleemoon:
Whaaat? Its not gonna happen here? If not here which story?




Oh and a spoiler! If Lady Thorn get a single scratch on her body or u go kill her penre, kiss ur balls goodbye

The major story is GHEMARIA CANTICLES. I just wanted to write a spin off from this story, just focusing on Jarrael. So MEMOIRS OF BLOOD AND STEEL is a side chick

“That’s not possible. “Jarrael almost cried.
“Oh but it is my friend. I suspect that there is something that binds you both together. You have a love for each other so strong that transcends your physical appearance or knowledge. That even when you both saw each other the first time after many years, your hearts knew each other even when both your knowledge were blank. “
Jarrael sat down for a long time, his eyes seeing nothing, his mind totally blank. He would have remained that way for days if not that Ruel stroke steel to a flint that produced a spark which he used to light a lamp. The slow burning light gave an eerie look to the room. It brought back Jarrael from his thoughts. Then he realized the room had gone dark as night had descended outside.
“Tell me how it happened merchant. “
“I really don’t know that much beyond what I just told you. “Ruel stifle a yawn. “I will leave the telling of that to her. She will be better at telling the tale to you her self when you meet with her. “

Hahahahahaha I didn't know lady thorn already had so many admirers. Well it was inevitable in a way... Let me throw a few hints... Someone or some forces is/are really arranging things behind the scenes, guiding each events... But even that person /power will be surprised at the outcome, because other forces too are working on their own plans
Oh and a spoiler..... The real event of all these intrigue and intricacies, won't happen in MEMOIRS of BLOOD and STEEL, but on another story... Make una no vex o
I originally intended this to be a short story, but the story no gree short. It just continues to spew out more plots and counter plots.

“There is no gainsaying about it, she perished when the pirate captain that last bought her was slain. As much as I would wished otherwise, Meera is dead. “
“You seem so certain of that fact. “ Ruel spoke pointedly, his eyes looking at Jarrael. “Did you see her killed or did you bury her lifeless body? “
“What are you implying merchant? “
“That you sister didn’t die then, as a matter of fact she is very much alive. “
“Do not lie to me Ruel or else you will know that I don’t take jest lightly. “ Jarrael’s voice purred lowly as a wind viper on the trail of a tree rodent.
“Your sister is alive and that is not jest. She is closer to you than you can ever believe. I’m willing to lay down half of my wealth on a bet that I’m sure you have met her before. “
“Ruel you speak madness, speaking of my sister fondly won’t get you any favors from me. “
“Well I know that but still I will say the truth. “ Lifting up one of the silver coin he was counting, he gazed at the inscription on the head of it. “Isn’t there any woman you have met that has a hold on the softer part of your frozen heart? “
“None. I have no time for the softness of lust. All the women that had shared my bed and body where just for convenience, none matters to me. “
“So not even a single one have you loved, even if briefly? No one of them have cause a bit of tenderness in you? “
“There is none that I have felt any bit of tender for… “Jarrael stopped speaking abruptly. As much as he didn’t want to, his visage took on shocked expression as he faced the merchant.
“Yes she is the one. “ Ruel laughed quietly. “So I surmise that you know her. “

“You thread on very dangerous grounds now, merchant. “ Jarrael said his voice ominous and dangerous.
“Don’t I know it. “ Ruel said jovially robbing both palms together. “But it’s worth it. Please Jarrael I still have more to say. Just come back to the chair. I have another tale for you.”
Ruel asked after Jarrael sat down, “What do you know happened to your sister after your parents were killed. “
“Nothing. “ Jarrael said as his eyes gleamed and he enjoyed not the bitter feelings that knowledge brought to him. “I couldn’t follow after she fell into the throng and some men took her away. I only suspected she was sold into slavery. When I was old enough to search for her, Meera’s trail have grown too cold after several years. But this much I learnt, two men took her to the slave market and sold her off to a slave trader who in turn sold her to a cruel horse tamer. The horse tamer got tired of her and sold her to a pirate captain whose identity is unknown and whose ship was said to have perished and all his crew killed. Nothing more beyond that is known. Though I later got one of the men that sold her, the other died during a barroom brawl that turned bloody. The one I caught up with…well all I can say is he went to the world of the dead with lots of missing parts chewed by desert cats. “
“Most of what you just said is the truth or as close to accurate as anyone can get.” Ruel’s face took on a pensive look. “I’m sure you believed she is dead. “

“See merchant, I have no interest in any other thing you have to tell me. I’m no interested in the politics of the kingdoms, nor the motivation behind rulers or who is right or wrong in their power struggles. I don’t even care whole rules the world or even if the world is saved or destroyed. So nothing else you have to tell will interest me. “
“Not even if it's about your sister, Meera? “ Ruel said with a smile that appeared like a cross between a triumphant smile and a predator's waiting for its prey to come within striking distance.
Had someone else said that in a different situation, the person would have been dead before finishing the sentence, but Jarrael felt his heart burn with rage but his muscles seems weak to take any action. A tiny voice screamed at the back of his mind that something is wrong. Jarrael has never been this docile, he acts according to his feelings with speed and precision. But since Ruel began his narrative, Jarrael’s body had seem to remain at a state of rest as if loosing all its vigor. Words that would have turned other men to corpses have been repeated severally by the merchant, still Jarrael haven’t done anything. If he was a magic user, Jarrael would have believed that he was under hypnosis. Or was it the lady Thorn he was with, he would have concluded she was using any of her spices or scent to dampen his emotions. Here nothing of such, just looks like the words of Ruel seems to hold him down without making him feel any better. At least his mind is clear and he is in controls of his actions, so the worries are unnecessary. He will just assume it is the fatigue of the journey and his constant movement without rest, for now.

“So should I be made to believe that Mibazar is running his own private agenda without the support or knowledge of the priesthood or its head? “
“I would have been quick to answer that question in the affirmative, if I was any less enlightened. “ Ruel replied him squinting as if recalling an old memory. “But the ways of the priests of Nemphis are cryptic at the best of times. You can’t really tell what plots are made behind the walls of the black tower or the dark minds of Nemphis’ faithful followers. “
Jarrael stood up after a few minutes of forbidding silence . “I take my leave now. You are fortunate what is just told me is found interesting but of very little benefit. Still enough to prevent your demise. But I’d strongly suggest, you keep off trying to know too much about me. Your morbid curiosity for me will get you killed. “
“Did you think I went through these intricate schemes just to get you here and tell fire side tales? “ the calm voice of the merchant stopped Jarrael at the door which reminded him that Ruel had locked the door previously.
“You didn’t bring me here, I came here pursuing a lead and from the little you have told me, I don’t think there is any more thing you can tell me. “
“Well you are wrong about that. I still have one more thing to tell you. “

Things just seem to be taking a complicated turn. He was out to just kill Tarikh as revenge for the murder of his parents. Now it seems other players have their hand tied in this too. The politics of it is no concern of his, all he is interested in is taking his revenge. But it appears things may not be as simple as he initially thought with the involvement of a priest of Nemphis. Just a single tangle with one is enough to make him realize that. Now a high priest, Mibazar is also to be blamed for killing his parents?
“Was Mibazar the priest I faced in Aram? “ Jarrael asked the merchant, his voice quiet.
Chuckling loudly, Ruel replied. “If you had faced Mibazar, you wouldn’t be alive now. Your fast retreat wouldn’t have helped you. Mibazar is among the most powerful and wisest of the Nemphis priests. No, the one you encountered was just one of his servant priest. “
After another moment of silence, Jarrael asked again. “And is Mibazar the head of the priesthood of Nemphis? “
“No, he is not. “ Ruel quickly replied. “The head of the Nemphis priesthood order is the Arc priest, Achron the Supreme, the terrible and mighty. He is undoubtedly the most powerful of all the priests. No one gets to that position by seniority or promotion but by being the most powerful. So the position of Arc priest is one that is regularly been challenged. Achron haven’t been challenged for the past five decades, a testament to his power and prowess. “

Hi guys, sorry an update may come later.
By the way does any one understand how the weekly story nomination thread works?
Well any one that feels any of my story worths been there should help me put it up for nomination... Thanks in advance

“So the baron killed your father not because he was a thief, Tarikh wouldn’t even care if the blade steal from everyone in Hocklam but because he interfered with the plans of the high priest and baron. The high priest ordered Tarikh to arrest your father and all members of your family. He was told to torture your father, to get him to reveal where the chest was hidden. He was to use your mother, you and your sister to force him to talk. Unfortunately it was just your parents that were caught, you and your sister escaped. It was clear your dad didn’t reveal the place he hid the chest. He was killed and your mother too. Also the thieves that brought the chest in the first place were all killed, to keep the truth about the chest a secret. I doubt the baron fully know what the whole thing is all about. He is a pawn in a much larger game.
“So your father didn’t die a thief but a hero, in the belief that he wanted to prevent a terrible civil war, and stop the continual rule of a tyrant. “
The room became silent and cold as Ruel stopped his long narration. But within Jarrael, a storm boiled.

“Now how your father got into all this. “ Ruel closed the book, clasps his hands on the table. “The two ancient relics needed by the priest Mibazar are very potent that cannot by moved around by magical means. They contain very powerful protective spell, that negate teleportation or shadow melding, two easy ways sorcerers or magic users move themselves and things from place to place. But when Mibazar discovered where those relics are hidden but knowing he can’t move them magically, he hired some thieves to steal it for him. The relics were kept in a thick wooden chest bound with iron locked with both key and sorcery. Only a very powerful sorcerer or priest can open it. He showed the thieves where the relics were hidden by providing them a map. He instructed the thieves after getting the relics to take them to the baron Tarikh in Hocklam. The high priest had previously informed the baron on how he should arranged for the relics to be safely transported South to him at the Black tower.
“Your father, the blade, heard that the baron just received a huge chest. He thought the baron has just gotten the money he can used to hire more soldiers and also pay for some alliance he can use to fight and break away from the kingdom of Dhremoria . So it was decided by the under ground rebels that they should do something to thwart the baron’s plan. Your father volunteered to steal the chest. He did and after hid the chest in a place no one can find it.

Apollux:
When Jarrael looked into the open page, the words where written in hieroglyphs that are completely unfamiliar. He has seen his shares of ancient writings and robbed enough old catacombs with relics that can be traced to the early part of human civilization, yet none of those writing style is like this. The scrawls and inscriptions have very ancient characteristics but with a much modern outlook an feel. Jarrael felt the hairs on the nape of his neck standing, his body tensed. The writing generated a dark aura that bothered Jarrael, he doesn’t like the part things are beginning to take but he decided to be patient and play along.
“This Is a hand written copy from the Iron bound volumes of Rhammon I, the first of the priest-king * of the lost city of Ankara, a city so ancient that it’s ruins Is buried below tones of earth. Even the city built over it too is in ruins. “ Hammering his index finger emphatically at the open scroll Ruel continued. “The volume of Rhammon contains the most ancient and accurate records of pre human and pre civilization histories. All other books, manuscripts and tomes are excerpt from Rhammon’s volumes. This scroll is the hundredth in a successive line of direct replica and repeated hand copies from the original source document . Diligently and carefully scribed by honest wise ones, chroniclers and sorcerers. This scroll is from a part of the manuscript of the beginning. Please patiently bear with me as I read the tales told from this writing. “

* At this stage I need to make some points that might be of value to those who are interested in the history of Ghemmaria. Let me quote from an ancient document kept in the vault of the white tower, the biggest library in all of Ghemmaria.
"... though Rhammon started life as an acolyte of Nimrod, he manifested the prophetic gift later in life. But due to his ability to retain information in his mind and recall long events with accuracy (what in modern time we will call photographic memory), he was made a scribe and chronicler of the mad prophet, Nimrod. So he was able to accurately document most of Nimrod's prophecies.
"Rhammon’s prophetic abilities manifested close to the end of Nimrod's life and a lot of superstitious followers of Nimrod claimed that it was the spirit of Nimrod that now possess Rhammon. Well, Rhammon took advantage of that, being a brilliant person, he took over the prophetic college headed by Nimrod, with lots of followers behind him and some of them great military leaders, he set out to conquer some of the surrounding lands and built the kingdom of Ankara. He became its first king and also changed his title from a prophet to a priest, intending to call men back to acknowledging the forgotten gods of Ghemmaria. So he was the first priest-king in a successive line of rulers in the ancient Kingdom of Ankara. "
- from the annotations of Physillus III, the seer and chronicler. Scroll DXVII vol. IV. page 217

The volumes of Rhammon maybe accurate but the words written therein are hard to be understood being the product of a deranged mind. But as the years turned into centuries and then millennia, the events became stories that became myths and fairy tales. For a while fools have sort the hidden place of Amadeus confinement, now believing in a new deception added to the accounts of the place that it is a cave, a false map to its location was forged and torn into five pieces. It is now believed that the cave he was locked up in was hidden because it contains riches, gold and wealth beyond imagination. Fools have traveled, fought and stole to acquire all the five parts of the false map to locate the place, most died, many perished over the centuries seeking the place to plunder its rumored wealth, none who dared have succeeded or survived to come to tell about it. Over time, the story of Amadeus secret faded from the memories of men or the truth about it became so distorted that it could not be validated for a long time.
“The priest of Nemphis may have discovered the secret from the undecipherable writings in the volumes of Rhammon. The real place Amadeus was locked is in no cave in this world nor does it contain any treasure except the crystal in which his essence was locked. The place is a timeless dimension, a limbo. "
Ruel brought out another book with thick cover having encased gold edges. Thick layers of dust covered the book. He wiped the dust off the book with a clean cloth, he opened a particular page indicated it. The page has hand written words, but with recognized alphabets but the language was not familiar to Jarrael.
“From my findings, Mibazar, a Nemphis high priest discovered a way to locate the hidden place of Amadeus. After diligent study of all the sources, he believed the way to locate that hidden place are the use of two ancient relics. One is a book, magically sealed that can only be opened by very few in this world called The rune scrolls of Kumish. The other is a black Diamond, the dark ruby. With these items Mibazar believed he can locate the hidden place of Amadeus, the Lord of fire, bring him back to earth and also through that means shatter the barrier of the all father preventing other gods from coming back to this world and bring back his god Nemphis, who was a subordinate to Amadeus during his reign before the reckoning of human history. “

And slowly Ruel recounted the stories. Most of it Jarrael had heard bits and pieces of in the past. Just few caught his attention.
After the pantheon war, when the all father Arl, barred the gods and goddesses from the world of mortals, He bound up the essence of Amadeus, the Dali-ma’siva (Lord of fire) in a crystal, after his body was consumed by holy flames. The crystal was banished to a limbo, a place of no life and outside time. None of the gods know where it is except the all father. With the restrictions of Arl none of the gods can know. But in the circle of sorcerers and wise men, it was believed that man had no such restrictions from the all father, that with time, diligent study and enough magical exercise, the place can be discovered. But none dared take that venture because all fear the power of the Dali-ma’siva, he is the most powerful of the gods, powerful enough to even challenge the authority of the all father. He is so evil, that during his brief reign over most of Ghemmaria and mortals, Nemphis, the official god of evil, was in no way as evil as Amadeus.
As the years passed by, one of the first men to have had an idea about the place of the Lord of fire’s confinement was Nimrod, a prophet. A man so wise in the reading of signs and portends, determining augury and making lots of accurate predictions. Till the present, he has been the greatest grand prelate of the society of the eye. But he became mad. The rumors is that the secret of the hidden place of Amadeus drove him insane and twisted his mind turning his human figure into something else. In some rumors, it was whispered that he didn’t die but became a wraith, a restless ghoul that inhabits empty places. Some wise men have theorized that the secret to the limbo in which Amadeus was locked was in the mind of Nimrod but his insanity couldn’t let him present that knowledge legibly. Also others also maintained that the mad rantings and ravings of Nimrod could actually be prophecies in disguise and the secret of Amadeus could be gleaned if the mad prophecies were documented and studied at leisure. These theories led to two books being written. One was The Mad prophecies of Nimrod the Aberrant, which is rumored to be the very hand written work of the prophet himself. That is the authorized believe. But that is a lie, created to throw other seekers of the secret of the path of truth. Nimrod never wrote anything after he became insane. The second book to come out of it Is The Iron bound volumes of Rhammon. Rhammon was the direct scribe to Nimrod. A prophet himself but not as powerful as his master, Nimrod. He was a faithful servant of the prophet and accurately kept records of all the prophecies of Nimrod.

When Jarrael looked into the open page, the words where written in hieroglyphs that are completely unfamiliar. He has seen his shares of ancient writings and robbed enough old catacombs with relics that can be traced to the early part of human civilization, yet none of those writing style is like this. The scrawls and inscriptions have very ancient characteristics but with a much modern outlook an feel. Jarrael felt the hairs on the nape of his neck standing, his body tensed. The writing generated a dark aura that bothered Jarrael, he doesn’t like the part things are beginning to take but he decided to be patient and play along.
“This Is a hand written copy from the Iron bound volumes of Rhammon I, the first of the priest-king of the lost city of Ankara, a city so ancient that it’s ruins Is buried below tones of earth. Even the city built over it too is in ruins. “ Hammering his index finger emphatically at the open scroll Ruel continued. “The volume of Rhammon contains the most ancient and accurate records of pre human and pre civilization histories. All other books, manuscripts and tomes are excerpt from Rhammon’s volumes. This scroll is the hundredth in a successive line of direct replica and repeated hand copies from the original source document . Diligently and carefully scribed by honest wise ones, chroniclers and sorcerers. This scroll is from a part of the manuscript of the beginning. Please patiently bear with me as I read the tales told from this writing. “

“No way could you have succeeded with a priest of Nemphis with him. Your fast retreat saved your life. “Ruel countered him. “It wasn’t actually Tarikh that sort out the Nemphis priest but it was the other way round. A very ambitious high priest of Nemphis was able to detect the dark ambition of the baron, reached out to him in Hocklam, then used him in some ways to fulfill his dark priestly desires.
“A lot of these are speculations, rumors, secret whispers and hear says. While the baron thought of using the priest to fulfill his desire, it was actually Tarikh that was being used as a tool. To understand and appreciate fully what your father did, the sacrifice he made and the role you have to play I need to go back into lore. The story of the beginning of all beginnings. “
So saying, Ruel stood up again, went to the same wall with the cupboard but this time he faced a part that appeared to be a blank wall. He made an intricate sign with his fingers, spoke some inaudible words under his breath, silent even to the keen ears of Jarrael sitting close by. He placed his palm on the wall, a part of it moved inward, showing a small safe, from it Ruel pulled out an old scroll having three black wax seals.
Breaking the seals one after the other carefully, he spread the scroll on the table. “Here is written the full account of the tales I need to tell you. “

The merchant stood up, went to a cupboard built into the wall, opened a small storage space, took out a slim bodied jug. Pulling two well crafted silver cups, offered one to Jarrael, which was refused. “Long talk like this get me really tasty.” He poured himself a green colored liquid. “This is the bitter wine from made from a mixture of squeezed neouf leaves and the bark of a baoba tree. It may not have the sweat taste of a red wine but it’s total refreshing if you can over look the bitter after taste. “
Ruel drank from the cup then made a face. “Tarikh is a greedy power drunk despot but very smart. He oppressed even his own people when he became a baron. He increased taxes, haunted those he perceived as enemies and spent so lavishly that the treasury of the state was almost empty . Other vassal States of Hocklam were rendered poor. Then the discontent started. Though he ruled harshly with military strength, he successfully quail all open rebellion but in secret men schemed to over threw the baron. Then there were whispers in the secret that the baron is planning to secede from the kingdom of Dhremoria but he doesn’t have enough power and the military might to carry that out. Secretly he sort for alliance. Well he knew that the northern kingdoms wouldn’t break their treaties with Dhremoria , treaties that have allowed years of peace and progress. So his eyes looked elsewhere, the south. This is where your father and the priests of Nemphis came in. “
“So Tarikh has been fraternizing with those aphotic priests long before now. “ Jarrael whispered aloud. “If I had this information before I went against Tarikh, I might have been able to kill him. “

“As you must have known the king of Dhremoria annexed the small city-state of Hocklam by getting married to the only heir of the old couples who were the previous rulers of that state. When they died, the city-state became a vassal of Dhremoria. The king have the right to have ceded the empty throne of Hocklam to any of his relatives, in fact that was the wisest political course to take, many expected such move. But the king is a just man, who the same noble spirit that was on his grandfather, in the days of his reign strived so much to sign the peace treaties which the major kingdoms on Ghemmaria have signed. Those treaties have immediately ended the hostilities between previous enemies. There have not been a major war between kingdoms again. The fear of the war of conquest and subjugation has slowly died out. Any annexation of smaller kingdoms by bigger ones must be by referendum or marriage. With the wisdom of this great king, war ended, the northern kingdoms prospered and those of the south that were part of the treaties felt protected because the treaties guaranteed them of safety and protection from external aggression.
“The same noble and wise heart was in the former king and was passed down to the present king. So against all political advice, he sort out for any living relative of his queen to hand over the state of Hocklam to, he wanted the people of that city-state to maintain some measure of autonomy and their heritage. Well the only relative that could be gotten was Tarikh, who generally everyone believed was the younger sister of the queen but in truth was a bastard child, fathered not by the former baron of Hocklam, but his half brother who the baron then took under him when his half bother died. Tarikh was very young then and was brought up with the queen as her younger brother. The king knew about all these but was resolute in his decision. He gave the barony of Hocklam to Tarikh. And that is turning out to be a serious mistake. “

“Spare me the empty flatteries Ruel, it is wasted on me. I know full well who and what my father was. He was a thief, the best mind you. But nothing more. “
“Well this goes to show the depths of your ignorance about your father. “ His eyes gleaming, his smile condescending he continued. “Well no one can blame you for the gaps in your knowledge about your father, after all you were just ten years old then. “
“How did you know that? “
Raising his hand with the palm open in a stop gesture. “I know almost everything to know about the Blade, that was your father’s name, right? “
Jarrael said nothing but glared at the speaker. “You better be sure you have something worthwhile to tell me as you keep wasting my time or else weigh each word that proceed from your lips if they are worth more than your head. “
“Please once again Jarrael take a sit, the tale I’m about to tell is long indeed and you need to sit if you want to hear it all. “ Bending his head briefly, the merchant indicated, “Moreover the sword you have pointing at my throat will make smooth narration somewhat awkward. Don’t worry, my head is going no where. When you feel like taking it off it will still be here. “
In a single move, the scimitar was pulled off and sheathed behind Jarrael’s back. He took the offered sit and did the best to calm his mind against what is ahead. Ruel stood up went to the door and spoke to someone outside. “Sumair, see that I’m not disturbed for the next hour. “ So saying, he locked the door and came back to take his seat.
“Your father whom you knew as a great thief, was a lot more than that. “ the Merchant started as he stared Jarrael on the face. “Unknown to a lot of people he belonged to an underground rebel group that planned to topple the tyrannical and brutal rule of the newly crowned and young baron Tarikh.

“You have to start talking before I loose interest and killing you starts appealing more to me than anything you have to tell me. “ Jarrael’s face took a dark turn, it seemed he was no longer the one in control of this interrogation. “What has my father got to do with anything besides me wanting to have my revenge on the baron Tarikh for killing my parents? “
“Almost everything that is happening now in the south, the changing political landscape here is in a way linked to your father. “Ruel carefully sat on the chair beside him mindfull of the sharp pointed steel at his throat.
“That is not possible, my father was not a southerner, neither had he visited the south at anytime while he lived. “ Calming down a bit when he noticed his emotions was beginning to override his self control. He allowed his voice to pick up its low and steady tempo before continuing. “All I need for you is to tell me how I can get another opportunity to take a shot at the baron again. It seems you are privy to certain of the baron’s hidden agendas. “
“For now, what I can tell you Is that you will tangle with the baron again but not just yet. “ the merchant rested his body on the backrest of the chair effectively removing his throat from the proximity of the sharp blade. “Jarrael what do you know about your father? “
All the emotions that he had bottled inside all these years, the feelings he had hardened his heart against, the reason for his cold exterior and frozen inner state threatened to spill out. The pains and helplessness that gripped him as he watched his parents been slain, the total grief at seeing his sister falling, a fall that seems to go on forever. The impotent rage at knowing she will be sold into slavery. The hollowness, emptiness and loneliness that have characterized his interactions with everyone he had come in contact with. The cold smoldering anger and hunger for revenge that will never stop until Tarikh’s head drops from his neck. All of these coalesced and rushed at him with great force, almost strong enough to shatter his iron will self control he had over them for years now but he got them back under control.
“My father was a thief, the best in all of Hocklam. He was one of the head of the thieves guild there. The most prominent and influential among the leaders. That was the excuse Tarikh used in ordering his execution. “
After a temporal silence he allowed so his next words will have the desired impact, Ruel spoke. “You father was not just a thief, he was more than that, a noble warrior that fought in his own way to put down oppression. “

“Welcome Jarrael, I have been expecting you. “ Ruel said congenially, with soft pleasing voice. “After the long wait, I thought you were no longer coming or may not be able to make it seeing that the road between Aram and Zin Is anything but safe these days. “
“You seems to know a lot about me, a bit too much for my liking, Ruel, I believe that is what you are called. “ Jarrael stretch his hand with the scimitar sharp point pressing lightly at Ruel’s throat. “Those who know too much about me have a way of having their heads severed from their necks. “
“Sure I know enough about you to believe you are not exaggerating. “ Ruel spoke calmly as if the sharp pointed edge of a sword that can decapitate him with the slightest move of a hand is the least of his problems.
“So you are making claims of knowing a lot about me, is that it, Ruel. “
“Not really about you actually, Jarrael. “
“Then who exactly? “
“It’s your father I know more about. “
“My father? “
“I think you will need to sit down to hear about all I have to tell you. “ Ruel carefully pointed at the chair opposite the table, moving his arm with cautious care to avoid the gleaming edge of the scimitar.

Hi sorry for the delay guys.... Was just busy and nepa have not been helpful for getting my devices charged. Anyway I have few updates tonight. Hope you will enjoy them...


He was a bit taken aback by the appearance of Ruel. He was expecting to see someone obese with bulging stomach having several layers of folded flesh on his cheeks. The impression he had gotten about Ruel was that of a greedy merchant that takes advantage of everyone around him, manipulating them for more profit and gain. Jarrael had always had this subconscious believe that greedy men are usually excessively fat. His innate feeling for the baron may have been responsible for it, but he was beyond caring. The room the man was in has spare furniture. It had just a well polished wooden table, with two chairs having gold plated armrests. Few rolls of rich colorful carpets were kept behind the chair the man Ruel was standing close to. A willow weaved basket contains some layers of small dried skins and hide. The floor was covered with rich fur carpet dyed scarlet. On the table are parchments and slates with written words, account and sales figures. An ink pot with a quil lay discarded. Golden and silver coins that seems to be what the merchant was counting when Jarrael barged in were arranged in neat pile. Just under the table is a chest more than half filled with the rest of the coins.

So seeing a man who is slim, putting on simple blue garment with a brown over coat not having on his any kind of jewelry whatsoever as is customary for other rich merchants. His hair was dark brown and cut short. With several thin layers of silver threads pushing through. His eye brows were thin under which are careful black colored eyes. Straight slim protruding nose, huge lips and well trimmed mustache.

Preboy:
@apollux
Did you finally post the concluding chapter of the first?... I can't start this if I don't know how that first one ended

BTW absolute great job on the first.

Yes but not here because then the spam bot was on my neck. I was able to send it to few people by email though

meneski:
Apollux are you with us?

Yes o, watching and enjoying myself immensely. Pop corn anyone?

meneski:
Apollux are you with us?

Yes o, watching and enjoying myself immensely. Pop corn anyone?