Rosalind

Part 1The Lovers

1. All Father that thou Gods claim to be,2. enter me.3. I seek to sing my skin away;4. I come to play.5. With the winds crashing on my brow,6. move me how7. you deem me worthy.8. With the waves washing on my bones,9. teach me what10. I durst discover.

11. Make a circle, and enter it now!12. It is lovely being here, being of an ancient cheer.13. It is blessed being wrapped14. up in the festive season love;15. Yet here about me,16. I do discover warped visages that do uncover

17. greater horror than I have scape for,18. along the pathway of the lover.19. She that called him had reviled him,20. deciding that he was the fool ever-21. and left him out there, in the woods bare,22. with her umbrella and a shred of fabric.23. It was crimson, these small vestiges,24. that he yearned to reattach;25. he would hope for a millennium,26. but just for now, his road was black.27. Over a hill he dared no spy,28. for he knew ill to come on high-29. this fair country from which he stemmed,30. was nothing other than the realm and den31. of vile creatures, strange and wild,32. that claim the features of every child33. that does not sign,34. before they dream,35. and I hope you signed,36. before you read.37. Flighty horrors and visceral maws38. voracious paunches and grossest paws39. demons of every conceivable cause,40. bound together under their laws.41. It was this land that he would wander,42. for forty years of it's own time;43. in the darkness, he would wonder44. at the shreds of red that passed him by-45. for in the darkness, where demons dance46. they change forms and prance and prance;47. in the darkness from on high,48. the light of hope would pass him by.49. These foul creatures seemed to know,50. who he was, what he was there for,51. The toyed and taunted, and gathered round,52. the edges of the road, against they were bound.53. For such demonic forces, as he was doomed to meet,54. were of the condition that never could be55. set upon a wanderer’s struggle56. along that road, as long as it doesn't57. pass the borders of the road,58. in which condition, all bets are off.59. The traveller would to their realm surrender,60. and fall a victim to their mirth.61. This the weary lover knew,62. when he saw her fleeting form grow63. stern and scared, a thousand tears64. would pass from his eyes as she grows near65. and would taunt and would taunt,

66. though it was not her,67. and he kept walking,68. with her umbrella.69.70. As the demons piled on either side,71. as a wall high above the path's edge lines,72. they leered down, on this occasion,73. reassembling as his weird procession,74. and laughed and mocked, and spit from above-75. but he was untouched, and he walked on.76. 40 years he spent in this condition,77. and never lost hope, or lost his reason.

78. In the end, he saw the edge,79. and walked and walked, to meet it there.80. He walked and walked,81. thought each step,82. and breathed for every inch he took.83. His aged old frame, for now he was,84. in the dark roads' realm, of sixty one.85. He walked each step, until the end,86. and stepped over it, over the edge.87. Here he was, in a grand country scene,88. where all seemed right, and wholesome and clean.89. He was not old, he was again young,90. and he smiled under the bright sun.91. Along the road, he pranced and pranced,92. with his lover's umbrella in his hand.93. He made his way to the first door,94. to inquire where he should be headed for.95. The shepherd, he addressed the query,96. "hello sir, I'm in a hurry;97. is there a lady bedecked in red,98. who has passed by here,99. to and old homestead?"100. The shepherd sighed,101. and held his head,102. "She was here,103. but now she's dead.104. She left many years,105. along this road,106. to the site of her old107. family home.108. He had hope of meeting him there,109. the lover to whom she took care;110. but fate would have it that she should die111. as she sat idly by.112. It was not long, sir, that you missed113. her funeral possession, passing this;

114. you may go to see her grave,115. it's not far from here,116. I'll direct thee myself."117. In a stupor, the young man heard this,118. and passed beside him, senseless.119. He was unaware that he had passed,120. through the dark land,121. or felt its lash.122. All he felt was unbound terror,123. the broken horror that is a lover124. half gone.125. As he stood there, with the shepherd,126. he looked down on her gravestone, and he wept.127. "Here lies a beauty128. of such magnitude,129. that everyone who saw here knew130. that one day she would be a queen131. of some fair land beyond the sea;132. that is where we hope she is-133. beyond the gates of eternal bliss.134. Here lies Rosalind of the flowers,135. may she forever be loved."136. He raised his voice and cried to the sky,137. wondering why! "HOW THAT SHE MUST DIE!"138. the shepherd consoled him,139. but got struck with a fist,140. and the young lover fell141. onto his knees.142. "What's your name, young chap?143. I take it I know where you're at-144. I've pieced it all out, and know your story,145. you're the young man, who she was to marry."146. The young lover nodded, senseless, dejected,147. and all perforce, all vigour had left him.148. He stared at the grave, but tightened the grip,149. on the umbrella he held at his hip.150. "It's been forty days,151. since she came here to wait-152. your journey delayed you,153. so you cannot hate154. the stars in the sky,155. or wonder why;156. this came about157. because you're too late."158. The young man blinked,159. and with the plink of a drop160. of heavenly water,161. he remembered the plot;162. that he had walked,

163. for forty years,164. alone in the wilderness165. of forgotten fears.166. He looked up with a start,167. and prayed out aloud-168. "Shepherd, please tell me,169. where does abound170. this glistening city,171. across the sea,172. that is Rosalind's eternal bliss!173. Maybe, that I might pass the gates174. to take her hand and kiss175. her most precious face!"176. The Shepherd laughed aloud,177. "That's just a myth.178. It's on the epitaph that we may fix179. our thoughts to her in some pure place,180. like heaven, she is beyond our grace."181. "You do not understand,"182. said the young man,183. "in this plot is every hand.184. If it be heaven above,185. I'll march there myself,186. and from the gate keepers,187. I'll beg out an entrance.188. I'll do anything,189. for Rosalind."190. "Young man, your name?"191. "Edgar, m'sir."192. "Edgar, be sane,193. you're starting to rave.194. The best thing to do,195. is go the way you came.196. There's not a chance197. that you'll see her again;198. she's dead and gone,199. and blessed be your name."200. Edgar slowly rose,201. and apologized for the bruise.202. He held on, though,203. to that crimson red clue;204. He held on to his205. undying hope206. that she might see him,207. and her love stoke.208. So he past hither,209. through all the lands,210. seeking the sages211. that might know the plans

212. from this place to alight213. across the blue sea214. to this kingdom,215. where she would truly be.216. He gathered the clues,217. the maps and the manuscripts,218. and bought up a boat,219. and rowers for it.220. He was a young noble,221. and so had gold to spend,222. but by the end of 8 years,223. he had not a penny for his ends.224. He did have225. his required crew,226. a cartographer,227. a helmsman,228. and deck-hands a few.229. Wisely he purchased230. some trade goods for these231. that his research told him232. he may need,233. from folk tales

234. and sages235. and whispers of cats-236. He knew Rosalind was somewhere,237. he had faith in that.

238. They set of at pace for the blue sea,239. from the closest place to the fabled city.240. Atia, that Verthusian city.241. 8 days, 8 nights,242. they were tossed on the ocean,243. as peas in a pod,244. or a raindrop in slow motion245. they bobbed and they bounced,246. and nothing would save them,247. but they fought on,248. and stayed course,249. until they last day when,250. day 9 they spied251. a speck in the distance,252. where the lover sighed, and rejoiced253. that his studies had not failed him.254. He cried to his crew, for he was the captain,255. that they must press forwards,256. and overtake those mountains.257.258. It was that day, at twilight, they landed259. in a port, full of fishers and traders260. of the strange assortment,261. difficult to report;262. it's as if all heaven, all earth and under263. culminated their variety and their finest plunder.264. Such beasts to be seen, such wild apparitions,265. these monsters and due for fables to be written.266. When the men spied these creatures,267. the assemblage of wonders,268. they were gobsmacked and wide eyed269. presuming a blunder270. in their eyes and their minds,271. but it couldn't be other than it seemed,272. unless it was all a dream.

273. Around the intrepid travellers,274. a host had assembled,275. asking them where they intended276. to make business on the mainland.277. The captain stayed quiet,278. as he had learned wisdom-279. the quest he was on required discretion.280. The helmsman replied,

281. looking on bravely282. at the myriad of forms and endless variety283. that they made for the trading,284. to sell off their wares to the highest bidding.285. The host was appeased, and scattered quite pleased286. (yet some crawled, some hopped,287. and some took wing or fled),288. they needed, for the night, a place to discover289. the whereabouts of their query,290. the other half lover.

291. Thus Edgar set out,292. with the cartographer293. and the helmsman;294. they set out,295. in the twilight,296. for a tavern,297. for the night.298. Øyane's299. was all they could find;300. by then that301. it was better to choose than decide.

302. Inside they went, and asked at the bar,303. for the tales of the kingdom, if off afar304. there was a Princess Rosalind,305. whom might have taken here306. 10 years ago,307. or around that time.

308. The barkeep looked up,309. and was a regular sort,310. whipping a glass and human, of course311. except for and extra pair of stalk eyes312. which looked down on them from313. a foot high.314. "Of courses there's Queen Rosalind,315. who married our King,316. so many years ago, as you're saying.317. It's a happy blessing,318. we know not where from,319. though she's rather queer looking,320. and struck me quite dumb."321.322. The gentleman thanked him, and retired to the boat.323. Tomorrow they set out, to pass by the moat324. of this self same castle, where did abide325. the King of the land, and his young bride.326.

327. They had to sell off their boat,328. and disband the rowers,329. and the three set off,330. to discover their adventure.331. The cartographer at work,332. the helmsman at ready,333. the lover and captain334. distracted and heady.335.336. With their sold goods,337. and their sold equipment,338. they bought up a waggon339. and a couple of horses.340. In which they slept,341. for the stretch of their journey,342. and ate their provisions,343. when they had any.344. They met many people,345. so strange and fearful,346. Unlikely persons as to be careful347. of what they said, or if to help-348. and limited their adventures349. to the shortest sort.350. They passed many miles,351. and stopped over at herdsman,352. villages and shacks353. wherewith they met men354. and families of the most355. amazing assortment-356. and animals as had357. never been recorded.358. The cartographer was mad359. to take down it all,360. and deemed it worth a fortune361. should they ever recall362. themselves unto the land363. that was formerly home,364. but they stretched on,365. and stretched on,366. along this long road.367.368. After miles and miles, they were met with the sight,369. of a grand castle which reached up to the sky.370. Upon the hillock, and of stone all white,371. the castle shone in the sunlight exceedingly bright.372.373. The forest around them, was dappled with sunlight,374. as the pressed forwards, relaxed with the new sight375. of their journey's end, of their destination,

376. they laughed and made gay, and gave salutation,377. "Oh many months, oh many years,378. that we have searched for ye,379. We make profit in our journey to try and beseech ye380. Queen of the land, for our lost lover,381. that he may regain, what was chopped asunder."382. For the captain had not lost383. his hope for the future-384. he though what was made wrong,385. could be made anew.

386. As they made to the gates,387. the guards cried to announce themselves-388. "We are but tradesman, hoping to enrich ourselves".389. They were admitted, through the gate house,390. and travelled on streets, glorious and without391. blemish or scar, as if made in heaven-392. the site for Rosalind's haven.

393. They made their way along the streets,394. and stopped at an inn,395. where they decided to make inquiry in396. how they might enter,397. into the castle,398. and make thing amended for Edgar's better.399.400. They discovered the King was a lover of oddity,401. and so, in this land, that means of normality.402. They saw a chance there, to entertain him403. with what little they had left of their land.404.405. They made an appointment,406. as a travelling troupe,407. to entertain and delight,408. to make merry and move;409. the servants were delighted,410. and they were to perform,411. that very night,412. before the strange court.

413. In haste they made council,414. and decided their roles-415. discovered their purpose and made a group plan;416. they practised, and practised, until the evening,417. when they were admitted,418. and began to sing:

419. "Oh, grateful lord,420. we are these from across the sea!

421. Oh, lovely lady,422. we have searched for thee,423. beyond death with glee!”

(Soliloquy of the captain)424. “How many steps,425. beyond this bright realm have we now tread426. to catch sight of your gown-”

427. The Queen was beautiful,428. redoubled in glory,429. as if she were goddess,430. of some ancient story.

(Captain continued)431. “I've brought you this item,432. that you gave to me,433. perhaps you'd remember,434. when I give to thee,”

(All)435. “You're umbrella! you're umbrella!436. What a contraption! what a sight!437. Your umbrella! Pour vous bella!438. Rosalind, it's quite right,439. to see you here, alive and bright!”

(Soliloquy for the cartographer)440. “How many lands, have we passed through,441. simply to get, our sight on you.442. How many worlds have we wrote down,443. of your footsteps, we never had found-”

(All)444. “Until-445. You're discovered! You're discovered!446. Such a pretty lady, so high and mighty!447. You're a goddess, most amazing!448. Back from the dead and eyes like lightning!449. We hope that we450. do not offend,451. by asking to kiss, your lovely hand!”

(Soliloquy of the helmsman)452. “He have searched, and sailed and walked,453. through many hidden veils,454. where we found mysteries that455. shook us to the ground.456. We have made such great effort,457. to trace your light footsteps.458. So we discovered, such ancient maps,459. and passed beyond reason, onto thy track.”

(Soliloquy of the captain)460. “So it shall be,461. that I do love thee,

462. and hope for your hand463. for marriage with me.464. I still do love you,465. and hope not to trouble thee,466. but I dream of holding your hand in mine.467. Please, I beseech you,468. listen, please do,469. that I would do anything for you.470. Please my love,471. Anything, my dove,472. I hope you'll be happy473. whatever you choose.474. But my hope is stated,475. I hope that I made it476. in time for you to consider me thus.”

(All)477. “And all the rest!”

478. The court broke into grand applause,479. with such variety of persons480. as would cause481. someone unaccustomed to the ways of the land482. amazing wonder in perceiving them.

483. "Thank ye, thank ye,484. pleasant travellers,"485. Sayeth the King,486. "I do much wonder,487. at your singing.488. So strange and so wild,489. so unlikely a tale-490. we wonder, at the lands over there."491. The queen, seeking welcome492. from the King to speak,493. looked up at him, with opened lips.494. He nodded to her, and she stood up to speak,495. "Good people, thank ye, for your pleasant speech;496. I must requite, what you have brought me-497. for you did mention, in votre chanson,498. that you had brought an umbrella pour moi."

499. Between them, as Edgar step forwards,500. between their eyes their love was sent;501. Rosalind had not forgotten,502. and was to him begotten,503. in her secret heart, which passed through death-504. and on her breath as he stepped closer,505. she passed this message,506. for his ears alone:

507. "We must speak, mais je ne connais quand,508. but I love thee still and wish for your hand-509. don't look now but the King is jealous,510. otherwise I would thee kiss."511. The captain had handed512. the crimson umbrella513. to his lover,514. who smiled and offered515. her hand to her lover,516. who bent and kissed, with the utmost formality-517. the King in the distance watched them suspiciously-518. the Queen assuaged this, with a wave of her hand,519. "Think not on the manners520. between two old friends."

521. The three adventures gathered,522. to be heard by the court,523. who were a-gaggle and chirruping and all out of sort,524. perplexed and amused, and totally tossed,525. yet none among them seemed truly crossed.526. The King stood and addressed them, and all fell still;527. "It is quite the yarn thee spins,528. a mystical romp with many a thrill.529. What was they purpose, when thou hast come530. to my court to requite the love531. of my dear wife,532. whom betrothed to me has been533. for ten long years,534. in a life beyond sin535. and want, hunger or pain.536. What hast though thought on,537. For thy personal gain?"

538. The helmsman stepped forwards,539. with this on his lips;540. "We came to inform,541. and excuse any slips-542. our intention,543. must always be544. to delight and amuse,545. and set our souls free,"546. The cartographer added,547. "Please sir, don't be mad,548. we meant no ill will or contempt;549. we've travelled many miles,550. to see if what we would attempt,551. could truly every be tried."552. The King replied,553. "What is it that you intended to get?"

554. The captain stood forth,555. and spoke quite direct,556. "I hoped to see if my love still lived,557. as heaven directed and my soul required.558. Through hell's fire559. I've wandered aimlessly560. for nigh on561. half a century,562. to discover her untimely death;563. I wondered at what was the cause,564. that she had ceased of breath,565. and in my land,566. there was no clue,567. it was all of a sudden,568. my love turned blue.569. I speak without experience,570. as this is from an-others tongue,571. I was detained supernaturally,572. and I fear, 'tis was how death took she."573.574. The King looked affected,575. not quite choleric576. but he sensed the captain was onto it,577. and stopped at a fury-578. "Get thee hence,579. and out of my city!"

580. The guard was called in,581. and they were lead to the gate,582. of the castle's grand entrance,583. and the gate was let down.

584. That night at the inn,585. the three of them were found,586. by a peculiar servant,587. all tightly bound588. in cloth to obscure589. their womanly face,590. as to deliver591. without a trace592. a message, she said593. from Rosalind,594. to her dear captain,595. who she would wed.596. So the maid left,597. and left them a note,598. which the captain took with him,599. and opened remote600. from the two others,

601. and all else besides602. in his on room,603. where now he abides.604. "Edgar, my dear,605. my love and my life-606. when thee were missing,607. I was beyond strife;608. we searched high and low,609. and nary could by found610. except for a shred611. you left on the ground.612. From my understanding,613. some supernatural force614. came and transported615. thee from thy course.616. So it was,617. that I,618. waiting in tears,619. felt choked up and died,620. well before my years.621. I do now believe622. that the means of my capture623. is directly related624. to what you endured;625. I know this great King626. has power at his hand627. which allows him to sway628. this mythic land-629. His magicians are able630. to send winds or water,631. bind up a captive632. with nought but the thought of.633. I presume, that it was he that634. had killed me,635. and it was you whom he trapped636. in that land of slavery.637. I hope that now,638. he knows not our designs,639. as he could be plotting640. to end both our lives;641. as to our plans,642. to escape from the land643. as quick as we can-644. I presume that's why you're here,645. so that you must take me back.646. Please, please my dear,647. be here tomorrow, all black,648. and transport me hence,649. as quick as a bat.

650. We can escape him,651. I have a plan,652. don't send a message,653. just consent that you can.654. Love, Rosalind."655. The captain went down,656. to the inn's common chamber,657. and there she was waiting,658. his messenger,659. whose eyes were quite yellow.660. He told her he consented,661. and asked for the plan,662. She whispered to him,663. "the back door, tomorrow at ten."664. The adventurer's were curious,665. and they inquired of the captain,666. "What was all that,667. what of sweet Rosalind?"668. The captain in a low voice,669. described to them the plan,670. and the three set a-thinking,671. what must be done.672. They went to bed later,673. with their tact figured out,674. and woke with a bright sun shining,675. and went to bring that about.676. They scouted out the castle,677. and located the door,678. fed and readied their horses,679. and read up on their lore;680. They meant to know what hassle681. the King would set in course,682. if they needed to battle,683. and what he would retort.684. They gathered up equipment,685. from the gold they had,686. and set upon the castle687. at the appointed hour.688. In the darkness, all in black,689. they whispered as if ghosts,690. and found their way691. from the Inn's back way,692. to the castle's walls.693. There at the back,694. they crept with eyes keen,695. and not a torch was seen-696. they waited there697. patiently,698. to see what time would bring.

699. Presently, they hear the door,700. creaking open, and are forewarned701. by a whispered shout,702. from within,703. "Quick, they're coming,704. hide Rosalind!"705. It was the servant lady, dressed as her mistress,706. and Rosalind herself, homespun with head-dress.707. The adventures ran, and seized her arms,708. carrying her out into the dark.709. The servant girl710. quick barred the door,711. her they saw nevermore.

712. They ran though the streets, and got to the inn,713. to the stable with the waggon.714. The mounted it quickly,715. without a word,716. and headed out presently for the shore.717. Away through the town,718. and in the distance a roar,719. they hear the town guard summoned for.720. Nary they carried, and nought they slowed,721. bursting out for the open road.722. In the back, the lovers unite,723. laughing and whooping despite their plight.724. With them, the cartographer, finished his map,725. the helmsman out front, whoops out a "Yah!"726. The waggon bounces out along the road,727. through the woods with their new load.728. The lovers, in union, cried as they kissed,729. and tried to express the love that they missed.730. The cartographer stopped them, with a quiet hiss,731. "We're not through it yet,732. there's not a moment to lose,733. There's a trap to be set,734. I can feel it.735. Therefore, be vigilant,736. and stay aware,737. I do not intend738. to get caught in a snare."739. The captain emboldened,740. and the Queen straightened her dress,741. and they thought of the problem742. of getting out of this mess.743. With the King behind them,744. and enchantments in front,745. they chose to sleep746. while the waggon did bump.

747. Away in the distance, with a secretive air,748. a gentleman unfolded a message prepared749. by the King's servants and sent by a falcon750. to capture poor Rosalind,751. and those that confound him.752. The gentleman snorted, and looked up with glee,753. the treasure to earn was worth much to he.754. This character, from the tower, left the falconry,755. to take the stairs down to the armoury.756. He donned his black jerkin,757. of studded leather,758. with sabre and bodkin he started to prepare759. his horse for it's chase,760. with the tools he plied,761. an eyeglass, a compass, maps and disguise.762. He packed up some rations, and set to set out,763. giving thanks to the servants,764. with an explanation to set out,765. "I do business for the residing King,766. tell the nobleman their welcome to stay."767. Onto the twilight he rode until dark,768. to the next town, where he disappeared, for his part.

769. The adventurers made way, and slowed on their haste.770. It seem that the guards hadn't given chase.771. The helmsman assembled,772. as they stopped by the road,773. that they should disband,774. and to each their own cause,775. "We're conspicuous together,776. and have no hope to weather777. the current infamy with such unsuitable tethers.778. I mean no disrespect,779. I hope you all the best, but truly,780. it's to be the cause of our deaths."781. The cartographer protested,782. that for his part, he protected783. his friends and the Queen,784. and he was invested.785. He thought that it was foolish,786. to disassemble and run,787. and vowed to stay and help the Queen he had won.788. "It's knavery, you see, to follow as sheep,789. I expect that they will fleece you for being foolhardy.790. I for one will go,791. and see as I may now792. how I am to fare793. in this grand bizarre."

794. The helmsman, with this departs,795. and gave them all a start,796. yet chose to walk on swiftly,797. as a common thrift.798. They decide to unhitch,799. the waggon they would ditch,800. and continue on with horse,801. the cartographer and them both,802. each on separate horses,803. to make a faster switch804. from roadway to the country,805. as they had always planned.806. They passed through the woodland,807. and the mapper made a plan,808. to stay at south-south west809. to stay the course as best810. as the three together wished811. to depart the island quickly,812. and suffer no new strife,813. but simply make man and wife814. or a small new fortune815. on this geographical location.816. They passed the time with talking,817. as the horses trotted,818. and learned each others' stories,819. from the mappings to the glories,820. to the never ending struggle,821. and the love hurt, and the worries.822. The mapper did his best,823. to plot each passing brook,824. and the lovers simply sat,825. and smiled at each look.826. So they passed the day,827. and set up for them to stay,828. the night in the woods,829. so they set a fire in their midst,830. and slept. The Helmsman, in his travels,831. made way through weary miles,832. to meet up with a stranger,833. who asked him where he came from.834. The helmsman said835. he knew not where he came from,836. as his horse was overturned837. on the road ahead,838. and dead.839. The stranger,840. in a brown robe841. with a cowl over his face,842. advised him to turn

843. and to make his way to the village ahead,844. and there, with bed,845. he may recover his senses,846. and measure his stead.847. The helmsman consented, and thanked him profusely,848. and hurried onwards, where he met Lucy,849. the maid at the Inn, who beckoned him in,850. and made that he stay, and to dig in.851. Lucy was a fine lass,852. normaller than most-853. where scales and tails and stripes abound,854. she had but one dose855. of this strange affliction that had taken up the land,856. and for her all was normal,857. but that for her third hand.858. She was most industrious,859. and plied her trade with ease,860. washing and tending,861. helping and mending,862. and turning away disease.863. She was a right, sturdy woman,864. and desired what she had;865. to be betrothed to any man,866. would make said man glad.867. So it was, that a distressed Helmsman,868. fell into a bed,869. while the lovely, helpful Lucy,870. stroked, sang and fed.871. So he fell fast asleep,872. and thought little on what was said,873. remembered not his weak jab874. at a well attempted fib.

875. In the meantime, the stranger,876. who alighted on the empty waggon,877. in the dark of night,878. caught the sight879. of the trail south south west.880. With a lantern, he plodded forwards,881. in the dark of night,882. when he encountered, the magnificent fury883. of the lover's plight.884. There in a grove, straight ahead,885. was the cartographer and Rosalind886. with Edgar wondering at the strange and wild887. transformation that had become of him.888. His flesh had sprouted889. an amazing assortment890. of beautiful coloured feathers.891. His face had grown,892. and sprouted a bone,893. that beaked him most furious.894. As he danced around,895. making his sound,896. the stranger crept unawares;

897. while the two others tried,898. to calm him to hide899. his dreadful strange affair.900. Rosalind hugged him,901. to stop all his struggling902. and make him not so ill at ease.903. She said that she loved him,904. forever without whim,905. and it was only him who'd she please.906. She told him, "Don't worry,907. we're not in a hurry, we can fix this thing."908. At which he protested, and struggled afresh,909. trying to unfeather his limbs.910. The cartographer hollered,911. and brought on a choler,912. that he should not do such harm,913. that he was a fool,914. where the King did rule,915. it was like that he would accost him.916. This bout would end,917. and with it a friend918. would likely have time to fix him.919. For now, just quiet,920. and we will all sit,921. and try to console and amend.922. Just then the stranger,923. stepped into the light,924. and brought poor Rosalind925. into such a fright.926. Still with his cowl,927. and unknown to others,928. she recognized him,929. and it filled her with bothers.930. "Stay, my good lady,931. and my feathery friend.932. Stay ye good mapper,933. or I'll make thee an end.934. I've come to collect935. you lot for the King,936. and if you'll fight,937. I'll offer you pain."938. In the silence, he drew939. a chain from his back,940. with a manacled end,941. which rattled and clacked.942. his face was uncovered,943. and made almost black,944. except for chains hanging945. from his cheeks

946. that sang in947. such chaotic harmony;948. it was for him glee,949. to have these three trapped,950. without a weapon among them,951. and trees at their back.952. They couldn't outrun him,953. and couldn't get away,954. so he knew, for the King,955. they were to stay.

956. The King, in his castle,957. laughed with his plans,958. and turned his weary hand,959. onto the military designs.960. He had heard of the land,961. off to the south,962. and now he desired963. to see it's whereabouts.964. Thus he had instructed,965. the cartographer wit966. be not handled absurdly,967. nor sweet Rosalind.968. Edgar, he smiled,969. was to be a cock,970. cawing and strutting,971. though mute972. and quite plucked.

973. He thanked his great magician,974. and sat back again,975. in his throne he awaited,976. the two and their friend.

977. There, Lucy and the Helmsman,978. whose name was really Nedward,979. or Ned, for short, past time in sport,980. as Lucy discovered981. from what he recovered,982. being a shock of a loss,983. with fear and overworked.984. She confided in him,985. a few simple things,986. that she took for great secrets987. and blushed when she said them.988. Nedward kept quiet of his true up-bringing,989. and hid all he could,990. but imagined she guessed him.991. They made such kind beginnings,

992. that after she fixed him993. (and he was wont and needing,994. after testing his endurance)995. she bent down and kissed him.996. He nary protested,997. but held her closely,998. and continued with gusto,999. until she relinquished,1000. with a giggle,1001. and him a sigh.1002. The helmsman assented,1003. on her request,1004. to stay there and help her,1005. than continue his quest.1006. He took work in the stable,1007. and as a blacksmith;1008. He did what he could,1009. and enjoyed what he did.1010. Lucy, in time,1011. grew so affectionate,1012. that she demanded of him,1013. that he make an end of it;1014. She asked that he take1015. her hand in marriage,1016. so make them1017. two birds of a feather.1018. This was one month,1019. and he thought it quite soon,1020. though went to her father,1021. and asked him his boon.1022. He was an old man,1023. and sat in his chair;1024. he had long white whiskers,1025. and long wispy hair.1026. He was covered1027. in silver fish scales,1028. and when he was asked for her,1029. he clenched with his nails-1030. "Impertinent whelp!1031. you demand so quick;1032. How'm I to know1033. that with her you'll stick?1034. It's just as like1035. you'll sack her and leave1036. her deflowered.1037. Pass on with thee!1038. I trust no creature1039. as strange as you are1040. and if you requite her,

1041. you'll get not so far!"1042. Nedward took care,1043. not to stare in his eyes,1044. and we asked him again,1045. if he could summarize,1046. "No!" said the old man.

1047. Away many miles,1048. in the King's chamber,1049. sat a dejected Rosalind,1050. in his disfavour.1051. She had forsaken him,1052. and had disrepute the honour1053. of the King Almighty,1054. the Son of the Heavenly Father.1055. She had betrayed the country,1056. and would have sold it's secrets,1057. so now she was affronted when1058. he started to press1059. her for her past mistakes,1060. and to recapitulate,1061. to make good on what she'd done,1062. and thank Heaven for his grace.

1063. Meanwhile, in the dungeon,1064. a feathery Edgar1065. sat with the cartographer.1066. The cartographer was trudging,1067. back and forth, bludgeoning1068. their small jail cell's wall.1069. Edgar sang call,1070. and sat with wings all1071. over his downcast beak.1072. The maps had been seized,1073. and Rosalind, with ease,1074. so now they were feeling quite bleak.1075. They hadn't a plan,1076. and the Helmsman,1077. their man,1078. had fled1079. with their last1080. shred of hope.1081. So the mapper sat,1082. and pondered the rat1083. that squeaked1084. along the cobbled floor.

Part 2The Magician Awakes

1085. A man far away1086. on Verthusian soil,1087. in his youth had developed1088. an unlikely trouble;1089. he had waxed uncertain1090. of his whole world-1091. he found that he could1092. do the most unlikely1093. and fantastical things;1094. his world was a miasma1095. of distorted colours on wings.1096. He found that the universe1097. was on the tip of a pin,1098. and he pondered on how1099. he was without and within.1100. The moon shone bright on him,1101. and at nights, he'd sing1102. Flowers would open1103. with his passing whim.1104. He wasn't discovered,1105. by his family1106. until he was twenty,1107. when he had to flee.1108. He ran for the country,1109. and lived under the stars,1110. rather than be burnt1111. and scourged until scars.1112. "The Devil is in magic,1113. as Magicians adore him;1114. they must be rooted and burnt1115. to pay for their sin."1116. Such was the thread1117. of the common man,1118. and the Magician chose hardship1119. than appeasing them.1120. He wandered the country,1121. and lived off the land;1122. he migrated for winter1123. and became a man.1124. Thus he knew much1125. of his own homeland,1126. and far beyond that,1127. beyond the common ken.

1128. So it was one day,1129. when he was much older-1130. he had suffered many winters1131. since he was turned from home.

1132. His beard was big,1133. and robe was torn,1134. and he sat in a fall rain,1135. when the images of Rosalind1136. passed into his brain.1137. He dreamed so many things,1138. of this strange and glorious King1139. in a far off land-1140. he learnt of his master plan,1141. and his designs beyond.1142. In the grey light of day1143. in that cold drab rain,1144. the Magician learnt1145. of the adventurers,1146. and how he would save them.1147. His challenge would be1148. to raise the army,1149. to convince the King1150. of the conquest and gain1151. of taking the other land.1152. How to enact this plan,1153. he was attempting to glean,1154. he did not have connections1155. or the proper means;1156. it would have seemed hopeless,1157. to take so great a challenge,1158. but the Magician's mind had spoken,1159. and that was precisely that.1160. He seemed cold and old and broken,1161. but that was merely flesh,1162. his will was strong, a token,1163. of being that endured the test1164. of time and human stress1165. and the touch of magic's press.1166. Despite all this it seemed,1167. that energy did beam1168. from his knowing eyes.1169. He could heal with a touch,1170. and he did know as much,1171. as the Devil, as well as lies.1172. He was a bugger to deceive,1173. and did just what he pleased,1174. without fear of law or pain-1175. but he was an honest personage,1176. and if you gained his pledge,1177. his honour would hold an edge.1178. His first challenge was to1179. convince some holy fool1180. of his recent surprise;

1181. the next, most certainly were1182. to get certain proof,1183. for the existence of the land he described.1184. Through the Church's lead,1185. he could voyage the seas1186. and find those dreamed of lost ones.1187. His mind being set,1188. he tightened his belt1189. and went off for a certain cathedral-1190. he had no connections,1191. but in his predictions,1192. he knew someone who would listen.

1193. In Verthusia,1194. in the city of Atia,1195. along the coast of the sea,1196. there was a monastery1197. of significant personages1198. who were donated much money1199. by the wealth elite1200. for the sinless treat1201. of indulgences.1202. The Magician's query1203. was a man of this clergy1204. by the name of Father Entre.1205. He was a young man,1206. for his position,1207. which was that of Abbot.1208. He oversaw the place,1209. and wore a cheerful face,1210. though he was solemn in ceremony.1211. He'd listen to entreaties1212. of the poor and the needy,1213. and would give guidance to the astray.1214. He was a privileged to meet,1215. and would always greet1216. the people of the streets into his home.1217. The magician arrived at the monastery at night,1218. worn by many day's travel.1219. It had been temperate and clean1220. in the city of Atia,1221. where our story unravels.1222. Father Entre was asleep,1223. but the monks he did meet1224. invited him to drink and eat,1225. as gave him a place1226. to lay his head.1227. He thanked them, and said,1228. "I'm grateful,

1229. but hence,1230. what need you for recompense?"1231. "No need, my friend,1232. to give is our end,1233. and have no desire1234. for merchant lends."1235. "Perhaps, still I may1236. and so on the following day,1237. I entreat you to meet me with the Abbot."1238. "Sir, by all means,1239. he'd be delighted to meet1240. any traveller with a long tale."1241. They said thanks and left,1242. the Magician's request1243. would be satisfied with morning light.1244. He pondered his task,1245. and with time at last1246. slipped into a pleasant coma.1247. The woke him at dawn1248. and with a great yawn,1249. he pressed unto the Abbot's chamber.1250. The man he did meet1251. did smile to greet1252. this unfamiliar aroma.1253. "Hello," he said,1254. "I hope you've been fed,1255. but they'll join us with breakfast presently."1256. "Absolutely,"1257. replied he,1258. and thought of with glee1259. the porridge or oatmeal to await.1260. "I've come here with news1261. that's hard to believe,1262. of a land new to the Church1263. across the sea;1264. it's never been reached,1265. except by some three,1266. and to them I traverse,1267. and for them I beseech.1268. I ask, in short,1269. that some monks fare with me1270. on the perilous voyage1271. across the sea."1272. The Abbot,1273. incredulous,1274. sat and absorbed this.1275. "What do you mean,1276. "by these three?"1277. "Well sir, three were four,

1278. or perhaps maybe more,1279. but I mentioned adventurous three.1280. These self same men,1281. travelled to land1282. via a seaworth sailboat with oars.1283. There mission had been1284. to persuade a King1285. to relinquish a wrongly got maiden.1286. I think now they're got,1287. and in a cell, rot1288. until I could happily release them.1289. I did not count, the rower's,1290. who now1291. linger on the banks of said Isle.1292. I'd be pleased to see1293. the monks who could adjoin me,1294. the isle is of wondrous style."1295. The abbot still listened,1296. and with stern pernicon1297. attempted an answer when he1298. was interrupted by breakfast,1299. which steamed in there laps1300. from a number of monks who let be.1301. He looked up, "Where were we?"1302. as he started to eat,1303. and seemed all of a sudden1304. quite happy.1305. "We were discussing an isle,1306. of our land a while,1307. which could be of great interest to she,1308. the Church."1309. Father Entre, in concern,1310. asked the Magician to learn,1311. "How did you learn of this isle?"1312. The magician retreated,1313. into his seat and1314. thought very quickly,1315. then smiled.1316. “I am one sir,1317. who blessed by God, sir,1318. is able to see quite a while.1319. With that and the stars,1320. I've located birds,1321. and all these three things twinge my wile-1322. along with the rumour1323. of Rosalind and Edgar,1324. who left from this land1325. two months ago;1326. From all this I know,

1327. the location to go1328. to encounter land with no1329. Church, monastery or God's hand."1330. "That seems unlikely,1331. that it be close1332. and yet we1333. were unable to find it,1334. I beseech thee."1335. "The reason for that1336. is it's a magical land-1337. hold I will tell thee the truth.1338. I am a Magician,1339. and three days have passed since when1340. I had a dream of all this,1341. and of how to save them,1342. the lost travellers,1343. Edgar, and Rosalind,1344. Nedward and Geoffrey-1345. and the oarsmen,1346. I suppose.1347. They did pass1348. with a clever enchantment1349. purchased by the man,1350. Edgar, who gained1351. knowledge of when and where to go.1352. He was in love1353. with his sweet white dove1354. Rosalind who passed from this land.1355. Yet he did know,1356. that her death was just show,1357. and that she was somewhere beyond.1358. He travelled to find1359. what the world did hide,1360. and eight years it took for him to know.1361. I'm able to guess1362. from the stars and my chest1363. exactly how to pas fro;1364. I fear you'll distrust me,1365. and take this for calumny,1366. but I pray thee,1367. do not throw me ho.1368. I speak truth and desire,1369. to save these,1370. I aspire1371. to save our King1372. from those-1373. that King desires to overthrow1374. our nation1375. and subdue us to

1376. his will.1377. This must not be,1378. for a curse would he be,1379. and I hope above all to oppose.1380. That's the ultimate goal,1381. of this certain call,1382. and a long reel it has been."1383. The abbot was silent1384. and sat still and quiet,1385. then spoke out quite suddenly.1386. "Okay, I'll go,1387. for this now I'll know1388. to be truth or falsehood by thee.1389. You are not wicked,1390. and there's truth to what you've just said-1391. I'll travel with thee presently."1392. The Magician rejoiced,1393. and let out a great noise,1394. which had monks scurrying1395. head over heels.1396. The Abbot subsided1397. this sudden happy din,1398. and thanked the monks to reside within.1399. He asked if there were any1400. who could, presently1401. accompany them on a sea voyage.1402. There were a few that consented,1403. and the were told to go hence1404. to pack up and head for the sea.

1405. The Abbot did consider,1406. with the monks a-scurry,1407. and looked at the traveller meditatively.1408. "I know you must wonder1409. at my sudden decision,1410. and may find it hard1411. to accept my reaction.1412. I have, before this,1413. had a strange vision,1414. in which an angel told me1415. to trust in the friendship1416. of a curious mage1417. who would alight1418. on my doorstep;1419. so it seems1420. we have compact1421. between the light1422. and the darkness.1423. Whatever this be,

1424. I presume it's of merit."1425. The magician nodded,1426. with a calm quiet,1427. and thanked him for his1428. courageous religion.1429. "I was most afraid1430. that my mission would end,1431. or continue endlessly1432. after you said1433. 'No,' or 'Unlikely',1434. yet fate has presented1435. your present disposition,1436. to match our predicament1437. with fate's cumbersome magnitude.1438. I expect that our mission,1439. will decide a great deal,1440. and what with your vision,1441. there's a lot with this wheel.1442. More than a Kingdom,1443. for perhaps space was torn-1444. I can't know for certain,1445. but before love was shorn1446. by the King's actions1447. in that far land-1448. (for I've been endowed1449. with how he laid plans)-1450. he created a string1451. of love that led him-1452. Edgar, this is,1453. to his personal bliss.1454. The original action,1455. required great magic,1456. and I'm unsure how it happened1457. or who brought about it.1458. I'm certain, however,1459. from the description1460. of Edgar's exodus,1461. his actions were sinning1462. against heaven and love,1463. and the natural order-1464. I'd imagine that God1465. would call him a heretic.1466. It's a perversion of nature1467. to bring back the dead1468. without heaven's ordinance,1469. and I imagine he had1470. some clever trick,1471. perhaps he never killed1472. this lovely Rosalind,

1473. but simple he blood stilled;1474. then it's quite foreseeable1475. that this were slight of hand.1476. He must have done as much,1477. or I am not a man;1478. it's not too great a trick to pull1479. a woman from the ground1480. not beating at an inch,1481. but if her heart still was sound,1482. there are many a magic potions1483. that might for a step undo1484. the light of life's present faculties,1485. and still, or least subdue1486. until it's effects are mitigated1487. by antidote or metabolism;1488. the next step were the rift1489. or, perhaps, a schism-1490. that is the original transport1491. of Rosalind from here to there-1492. for originally they could not be1493. on the sea or in the air1494. of our great planet,1495. at least in real,1496. but in a fading,1497. beyond a veil,1498. in another dimension1499. or otherwise concealed.1500. As there has been no record1501. of their particular land,1502. and across the sea there's land1503. that has just been brought to mind.1504. I expect a great magician1505. pulled Rosalind to them,1506. then with Edgar's commitment,1507. the pull of love so strong,1508. that as soon as he returned1509. to Vethusian soil,1510. he discovered1511. with his toil1512. some dimensional map1513. that lead him to the place,1514. but it must have been1515. easier than that,1516. nor it seems he did not face1517. much resistance in his path,1518. and I feel that we will not-1519. in short it's a mystery that we have,1520. and that is all we've got.1521. How this land is here

1522. is unnatural and an ill-plot;1523. I fear for what comes next,1524. but we face it, I feel, with God."1525. With that they both departed1526. to set their things in order,1527. and in the afternoon,1528. set out to towards the border1529. of Atia and the sea,1530. with five monks and feed,1531. for their long mission,1532. towards this strange new land.1533. It took two days to get there,1534. to the port where1535. Edgar and the cartographer1536. and the helmsman had set sail1537. towards their fateful voyage;1538. these new strangers alighted1539. on a seaworthy trader ship,1540. and paid for with the Church's coin,1541. went on with those that would adjoin1542. the Church to a new land.1543. In the meantime,1544. the Magician devised a plan,1545. and the Abbot Entre1546. remained at the centre.

1547. The Magician believed,1548. the key would be1549. capturing the cartographer.1550. That would relieve1551. the King of his clear turn1552. towards their land, he believed.1553. The others were less critical,1554. but as good Christian souls1555. it made sense to retrieve1556. these wayward spirits1557. and take them1558. across the sea.1559. All other challenges1560. he could not foresee,1561. but hoped to encounter them1562. when they were ready.

1563. He hoped that the world1564. would be not too hostile,1565. the flora and fauna edible and docile;1566. he wished that the people1567. were helpful and sincere,1568. and the cities and towns

1569. easy to clear.1570. A lot of the journey1571. hinged on these facts,1572. and if they were false,1573. there was no turning back.1574. They had to make landing,1575. and they were sure they were close-1576. sea birds were flying,1577. which means their is coast.1578. They neared the golden sand1579. of this strange island1580. and they heard the waves1581. crash on the land.1582. They neared where the ports1583. inlet in a bay,1584. and saw the port town,1585. and the people did wave.1586. They docked, and embarked,1587. onto the new land,1588. with hope in their hearts1589. and Bibles in hand;1590. except the Magician1591. who stood at the rear-1592. he felt that their journey1593. was to be quite dear.

1594. They travelled the streets,1595. and procured something to eat-1596. and looked but saw nought1597. of a Church where to meet.1598. They decided that one, must begin at once,1599. so they parted for the town hall1600. and hoped for an audience.1601. Their goal was to retain1602. a small piece of land1603. where in a few men1604. might erect with hand1605. a steeple to the glory1606. of their almighty God1607. where people could hear the story,1608. and heal their Christian souls.1609. They were to find, and be admitted1610. into the Town Halls atrium1611. where they met an unusual man,1612. who enjoyed their plan, and then some.1613. He hoped for growth,1614. and any investors1615. from so strange a land,

1616. as to be like jesters,1617. were certainly welcome1618. to do what they could1619. and two monks were chosen1620. to issue for wood.1621. Their reaction was bittersweet,1622. as they loved to do good-1623. but here was a land,1624. that was utterly crammed1625. with the bizarrest of entities,1626. like the mayor himself-1627. he was four feet with warts1628. and looked like an elf.1629. At least they had another,1630. they thought1631. of their own kind-1632. to be cut off with nought1633. would be to leave behind1634. all that they knew1635. of homeland1636. and peace1637. in this carnival of creatures1638. each to impeach1639. their own oddity on1640. their mind and their senses,1641. but with time they vowed,1642. they’d learn to accept them.1643. They thanked the Father,1644. and started to plan1645. where they would buy,1646. and if they’d need hands1647. for their grand enterprise.1648. In the meantime,1649. with the rest of the coin,1650. Father Entre decided1651. to buy a good coach1652. which would fit all five of them1653. as they left for the land1654. and they passed from that town,1655. with nary a plan.

1656. What happens next,1657. will parry and vex1658. as it’s hard to impress1659. the circumspect toss.1660. They suffered a loss1661. of their fortune with frost,1662. a sudden change1663. to winter

1664. from hot.1665. On a warm sunny path,1666. they gentlemen set1667. their coach and their packs1668. and continued to press1669. forwards to where1670. they assured with their guess,1671. were to encounter their fate1672. but I digress-1673. it seemed in the town,1674. they were seen by King’s spies,1675. and they set around1676. to bring their demise-1677. they called on their wizard,1678. the great foe of those,1679. that they had new visitors1680. from Verthusia.1681. This wizard, the great,1682. called on the wind1683. for them to freeze and abate1684. and die on her whim.1685. So it was that1686. those priests and the man,1687. encountered snow caps1688. on green sheltered ground.1689. Knowing this crass,1690. unreasonable change,1691. was due to some cast1692. the Magician felt with his brain1693. for a counter spell to1694. this insidious design1695. to un freeze, undo1696. this abysmal clime.1697. He stepped out the coach1698. into the wind,1699. and climbed on a rock,1700. and began to sing:1701. “Obanlae,1702. lessen the cold-1703. I charge you, sweet wind,1704. to close and enfold1705. us, your passengers1706. with warm, kind wind-1707. we ask and impress1708. for the sake of your whim.1709. Tetakoho-1710. you I must charge1711. to stop and accost1712. the villain afar

1713. that costs us this cold,1714. to cost us our lives-1715. we stretch now our hold,1716. and bat back this pride.”

1717. Such it did pass1718. that the wind, at last1719. stopped what it frozen,1720. and warmed the green grass.1721. The passengers within1722. the coach did begin1723. to shiver again,1724. with the warm, summer wind.1725. They charged their coach man,1726. one of the monks1727. to step within1728. to recover his thoughts1729. from the biting cold,1730. and he did so with glee-1731. the passengers told1732. of what they felt and did plea1733. their deity to withhold1734. such further wrath,1735. he had much to hold their1736. lives worth, at that.1737. Slowly they overcame1738. this ungainly cold.1739. They started on again1740. and pressed forward.

1741. The Magician knew the lay of the land1742. and the Father hoped to develop a plan;1743. The monks just hoped to help as they can,1744. and they wished for all to go according to plan.1745. The path they chose would take them through1746. many towns and lead unto1747. the Kingdom’s castle,1748. where they must find entrapped1749. the adventurers1750. wherein they’d release them fast1751. from their fate,1752. and move homewards1753. until they reached their own shores.1754. That was the large plan,1755. the skeleton of it-1756. how to achieve it,1757. they couldn’t pick.1758.1759. Miles away in a small town,

1760. was Nedward and Lucy,1761. hung up around1762. the fate that her father1763. placed before them-1764. that they couldn’t love,1765. not her by him.1766. Ned had pleaded1767. and made a great fuss,1768. then gave that up1769. and hoped sir’s ardour would rust1770. so that it might shatter1771. with a good tap,1772. so after his wait,1773. he stepped in to bat1774. away all fears1775. of his inconsistency;1776. he wished him to hear1777. his truth submissively1778. if not at all,1779. but harken, and hear-1780. it must be clear1781. that to Lucy, his dear1782. his heart was pure1783. and just and unafraid1784. and would forever hold1785. and never upbraid;1786. he hoped for her1787. the best of the worlds1788. and challenged her father1789. to give him a word1790. that he might take up1791. to prove his loyalty1792. there he might shape1793. a greater glory1794. for Lucy and he,1795. through his true might,1796. and he would prove it,1797. however was right.1798. The father heard this,1799. and wasn’t remiss,1800. though quite embroiled,1801. and let out a hiss.1802. He stuttered and stumbled,1803. them came out with,1804. “Alright! for your challenge,1805. You’d better do this.1806. Away in the mountains,1807. in years that have passed,1808. my Grandfather ventured

1809. and never came back.1810. With him,1811. some treasure,1812. and books that may last1813. through windy weather1814. and through the ice mass.1815. If you want Lucy,1816. bring all this back-1817. and here is it’s position,1818. marked on this map.1819. That’s whereabouts you’ll find what you need1820. and you’ll prove your good merit,1821. if you succumb not to greed.”1822. The helmsman consented,1823. and sent out forthwith1824. after a word with dear Lucy,1825. and her hope with it-1826. he readied a horse1827. with a small waggon,1828. and hoped to recover1829. whatever gold flagons1830. and uncovered nic-nacs1831. could be entrusted1832. unto this journey,1833. for his love to another.1834. He pressed up these mountains,1835. and stopped in the night-1836. for three days it was colder1837. and colder fight.1838. He came around the peak1839. with no little ease,1840. and looked on the map1841. for where it would please1842. his father in law,1843. or so he had hoped1844. to call this old codger,1845. before he did choke-1846. and up the steep climb,1847. he set forth his eyes-1848. it was quite an attempted,1849. but he didn’t mind.1850. he tided up his horse,1851. and set foot from their,1852. climbing and climbing1853. into the air.1854. the Pass was unlikely,1855. and he wondered quite how1856. any waggon could make for the clouds.1857. He climbed and he climbed,

1858. until he almost quite slipped,1859. but caught on again,1860. quite breathless.1861. He climbed and he climbed,1862. until miles above,1863. with most the day gone,1864. and in an alcove.1865. Wherein he lit1866. a torch from his pack,1867. and looked within it,1868. into the black.1869. In the dark hold,1870. glistened green scales,1871. with red and some gold,1872. and some wormy pale.1873. A coiled neck stretched out,1874. and unfurled some wings-1875. it was a wyvern of sorts,1876. which he knew from his dreams.1877. It screeched and stepped forwards1878. in a shuffling gate-1879. it roared and spit mucous,1880. and it didn’t abate.1881. He stumble backwards1882. in the small cave,1883. and stopped at the exit,1884. and pondered his fate.1885. Still, he had hope,1886. and drew out a knife-1887. he roared and stepped forwards,1888. and screamed out his life.1889. The wyvern, unnerved,1890. returned just a step, then spit and made forwards,1891. with wings and beak stiff.1892. The helmsman rolled under,1893. in a leaping tumble,1894. and came to the other side of trouble.1895. Here the wyvern turned with a swipe,1896. trying to knock him1897. to an inch of his life-1898. the helmsman1899. dodged left, and swung with his right1900. with a burning torch1901. to the membrane tight.1902. The wyvern did screech,1903. and tightened in a wing1904. and stepped forwards1905. with beak and teeth shining.

1906. Here the man ducked under1907. the furious attack,1908. and went for it’s gullet1909. with his knife in his left.1910. His stroke found soft flesh,1911. and the monster it did scream,1912. he withdrew in and instant,1913. and dropped his knife in pain.1914. The mucous of the monster1915. did steam on skin, and he wiped it away quite frantic,1916. and spit on his skin. that seemed to cure it,1917. but the pink had turned to black-1918. and moved a bit slower,1919. he hoped he could heal that.1920. The wyvern,1921. in the meantime,1922. writhed and tossed it’s head.1923. He hoped that from this,1924. it would wind up dead.1925. Instead of his hopes,1926. it returned in a fury,1927. redoubled it’s attack,

1928. and backed him to it’s nest.1929. He trembled against the wall,1930. and the wyvern rose in front1931. with wings and neck outstretched,1932. it’s shadow about to fall.1933. The helmsman had a hope,1934. and prayed to the above,1935. that when the wyvern dove1936. his torch he did shove1937. into it’s jaw1938. where it squirmed as it burnt-1939. and let out a roar,1940. choked with torch cloth.1941. He ran out behind it,1942. and grabbed up his dagger,1943. which he aimed at it's back with,1944. and plunged it within.1945. He stabbed and he stabbed1946. with scales coming loose,1947. and finally an end,1948. with his fury and host.1949. The wyvern asunder,1950. ripped up and choke,1951. fell to the ground,1952. and let up a ghost.

1953. Exhausted, he lay upon1954. this fallen beast1955. and heaved;1956. his breath was torn1957. his body red1958. with heat.1959. Despite the cold,1960. that blew outside,1961. the cave,1962. He reached out1963. and crawled into the depths.1964. In the dark,1965. his mind compressed,1966. and he was of the earth-1967. the darkness folded1968. into his breast,1969. and his lips began to purse.1970. He feared despite1971. defeating fear,1972. in the darkness now-1973. for now he knew1974. that in such dark,1975. beasts like this

1976. can show.1977. He searched the dark,1978. without a torch,1979. and gave that up at once-1980. so he tried1981. to retrieve said torch1982. from the wyvern’s maw.1983. He put a foot1984. upon it’s head,1985. and yanked until it hurt1986. and out it popped,1987. his faithful torch1988. it earned every penny’s worth.1989. He lit it with1990. a flint and steel,1991. or tried to just at once-1992. it was covered1993. in that self same slime1994. and smouldered but wouldn’t catch.1995. Carefully he whipped it clean1996. on a piece of cloth,1997. then tossed1998. said cloth1999. aside;2000. He tried again,2001. and lit it then2002. to discover2003. what dark hides.2004. In the cavern,2005. a small cave,2006. their was a wall2007. not far away-2008. besides the wall2009. a small hole2010. with some water2011. in a water fall-2012. the pool flowed to some depths below2013. from it’s spot2014. on this stone floor.2015. Otherwise,2016. just goat bones,2017. some fur and sticks2018. and the body of2019. the wyvern, shining2020. in the flare of light.2021. The helmsman2022. decided2023. that he must check2024. this small hole

2025. to his right.

2026. Down this, he peaked,2027. from sitting at it’s side,2028. with the torch fairly arched2029. the flame going wide2030. He saw nothing but black,2031. just a pool down there,2032. and couldn’t presume2033. how a waggon would fare2034. to fit down there.2035. He felt incomplete, however,2036. and so he set his tether2037. which he tied through the rock2038. at a convenient spot-2039. a stalagmite that drooped just so,2040. and went as such with hope2041. down this dark, foreboding hole.2042. He creaked down slowly,2043. every notch, one swing closer2044. to what he knowingly2045. departed for;2046. suddenly, his rope, taught2047. without reason, popped2048. its hold and dropped2049. the helmsman2050. cold into the water.2051. He splashed, and sunk,2052. in lightless gunk,2053. then raised,2054. floating and choking.2055. In the darkness2056. he devised2057. to search for his harness.2058. slow slapping2059. seemed to promise2060. a shore, or a rock face;2061. he splashed about2062. like a turned over trout2063. and eventually got to the place-2064. he thought that here,2065. the air was dear,2066. and smelt like something dying;2067. high above him,2068. he was struck with fear2069. by the sound of something flying-2070. but with the squeak of bats,2071. he sighed, and spat2072. the dark grimy water

2073. he had swallowed.2074. He heaved up on2075. the rocks, by the pond,2076. and sat facing the black.2077. out there, he saw,2078. a subtle ring spot2079. the surface of the still water.2080. A bubble, he thought,2081. and stood up to see it revealed.2082. More bubbled appeared,2083. and his heart grew afraid,2084. as he shuddered in the cold dark.2085. The water grew roiled,2086. and positively boiled,2087. with a growing shuddering shake.2088. The bats up above2089. grew wild and dove2090. into the alcove2091. stirring the air with their fury.2092. Nedward would run,2093. but the rope gently swung2094. above the water surface2095. about three feet.2096. It was too far to leap,2097. about six feet2098. from where he currently stood.2099. Maybe he’d make it,2100. but it’s best just to sit tight2101. when something mysterious does brood-

2102. Away in the distance,2103. Edgar was pittance2104. in his cell room2105. all alone.2106. His bright coloured feathers2107. were dirty and broken,2108. and he looked every inch of him bruised.2109. He sat all downcast,2110. and couldn’t have laughed2111. if it would have freed his soul-2112. he just watched2113. the floors and the walls2114. as time slowly took its toll.2115. The guard came around,2116. as he stared at the ground2117. lamenting the loss of his life;2118. with a bang on the gate,2119. it swung open, with haste2120. he bid that the bird-man did come,2121. “The King will receive2122. you, if you please2123. come along this way,”

2124. Edgar wouldn’t budge,2125. but the guard was a-grudge2126. to let him stay in his cage.2127. He fumbled and fretted,2128. and grabbed at his feathers,2129. but Edgar would nary shrug.2130. “At once! You must come,2131. or something will be done,2132. and you will not like2133. it’s consequences”2134. Edgar at last,2135. with a shrill bird-like gasp,2136. stood on his feet to be done.2137. He was brought out the dungeon,2138. with a manacle on him,2139. and thus he stepped into court.2140. The court did receive him,2141. and the King, pleased to see him,2142. with a sweep of his arm announced;2143. “This, my good people,2144. is the best fool singer2145. that I could have hoped2146. to encounter-2147. I hope, if you please,2148. that you will believe2149. my grand claims when you do hear.”2150. With that, the guard placed2151. chains on his brace2152. so he was stuck to the floor.2153. To the King’s left,2154. he lost what little breath2155. held inside his breast.2156. There was Rosalind,2157. pampered at whim,2158. with a fine gown2159. on her breast.2160. She did receive him2161. with shame, she perceived him2162. and couldn’t seem to look up as yet.2163. The King, now sitting,2164. began with his drinking,2165. and the fabulous court did consort.2166. They giggled and gibbered2167. and pointed as feathers2168. slowly drifted down to the floor.2169. “Hark! I hear nothing! I asked you to bring2170. this song bird onto my floor.2171. I entreat you to open,2172. and if this songbird is broken,

2173. I charge you to dispose of it.”2174. Rosalind jerked,2175. and before she was heard,2176. restrained herself in her seat.2177. The court did conspire,2178. and with the air on a wire,2179. the tension was enough to hurt.2180. “Rosalind, have ye issue2181. with my disposition,2182. or anything that I have said?”2183. The King was a danger,2184. and his eyes upon her2185. were all aflame and quite dead.2186. “No sir, I say-”2187. “Then on, again! I wish to hear this songbird sing!”2188. The guard, acknowledged this2189. and with a prompt kick,2190. shouted for the bird to “Get on with it!”2191. Edgar didn’t budge,2192. just stared at his love2193. and felt all hope2194. dissipate.

2195. With the strike of a shaft,2196. he was dropped almost flat,2197. with a swift strike to the back of his knees.2198. The guard pulled him up,2199. (he was ugly as a pug)2200. shouting for him to sing.2201. The court started laughing,2202. and couldn’t stopping gaffing-2203. especially with Rosalind’s shame.2204. The two just looked broken,2205. with not a word spoken,2206. knew how the situation changed.2207. “Now will you sing?”2208. the King did begin,2209. “You were such a song bird before-2210. but look at you now,2211. you dirty clout,2212. I shall have to mop up my floor.”2213. The court was roaring,2214. and some, almost foaming,2215. and Edgar couldn’t retort-2216. for if he did,2217. with his beak he’d2218. sound like some petty squeak.2219. “Rosalind, you see,2220. how pitiful and weak

2221. this bird thing seems to be?”2222. She nodded and hid her face as was bid2223. before the feast and the meeting.2224. “Tell me, my sweet,2225. do you love me?”2226. asked the King with a bubbling glee.2227. She nodded assent,2228. her soul looking bent,2229. and she started to weep secretly.2230. “NO, tell me, my sweet,2231. do not deprive me,2232. of your sweet voice, and honestly,”2233. Rosalind shook, and gave a hiccup,2234. but didn’t so much as look.2235. “Tell me!” He roared,2236. and to settle the score2237. grabbed her and flipped her upwards2238. “I love you,2239. I love you”2240. she said as she blew2241. snot from her plugged up nose.2242. “Wench, you will sit,2243. and you’ll pay for it,2244. the worst I can give is for you.”2245. Edgar hear this,2246. and got up with fists,2247. but rattled against2248. his confinement-2249. though he had but wings2250. chained like his feet2251. and pinned down the the floor.2252. “Ha, he has life!2253. And for my dear wife!2254. I’ll marry that he’s gotten eager!”2255. The court room all laughed,2256. and the chains merely clashed,2257. as the birdman attempted to soar.2258. The guard, with a smirk,2259. smacked him and jerked2260. his chains up into sitting.2261. The King looked down,2262. with his large crown,2263. ordered the guard,2264. “Kill him.”2265. The guard, with a smile,2266. pulled back in his style2267. for the death blow-2268. his pole ax was keen,2269. and was beginning to beam,

2270. when Rosalind shouted “No!”2271. “What’s this, my Queen”2272. Why do you scream,2273. so unbecoming to station;2274. do you disprove,2275. my choice in move,2276. with asking for this2277. dead songbird’s head?2278. For what is it’s use,2279. if it offers proof2280. that it cannot, and will not sing?2281. I ask you, my sweet,2282. please do not treat2283. this as some light passing whim.”2284. “I beseech you, sweet King,2285. your Grace, release him-2286. he’s done nothing wrong,2287. please, King!”2288. The King merely laughed,2289. saying, “Ready your ax-2290. we must have a song, or nothing.”2291. Rosalind sobbed, and fell with her claws2292. grasping at the King’s right hand.2293. “Get off me, wench,2294. or your heart I’ll rent2295. from your chest with a pin.”2296. She continued to sob, and let her hands drop,2297. wrapped up with the web within.2298. Yet the silence broke,2299. with the sound from the throat2300. of the downcast bird-thing.2301. It was pure and shrill,2302. with volume to fill2303. the whole chamber-2304. it wasn’t quite loud,2305. but it silenced the crowd,2306. and all the court listened with favour2307. Edgar gave heart,2308. and redoubled his start,2309. affected with the song’s savour-2310. it was sweet release,2311. and set him at peace2312. that his love2313. could hear him2314. just singing.2315. The King’s forehead glistened,2316. and his colour misted2317. to a ruddy red.2318. he looked at his fellows,

2319. who listened, quite mellow,2320. and stood in the midst of them.2321. The songbird continued,2322. and it’s yellow song flew2323. to red and orange in the ceiling;2324. it sprinkled in blue2325. and shed green feeling2326. along with a violent purple hue.2327. He sang his soul,2328. with little control,2329. lost in the depths of his music-2330. but the ax still came down,2331. and cut off his crown,2332. with the King’s roar for “Silence!”2333. Rosalind froze,2334. and slowly she rose,2335. wordless at the proceeding.2336. She quietly peeped,2337. with a sadness so deep2338. it cause pain just to see her.2339. The court all around,2340. still sitting down,2341. rose and proclaimed the King a giant;2342. “You’re righteous worship,2343. with grace you exhibit2344. a warranted virtuous rigour-2345. that songbird was drab,2346. dressed barely in rags,2347. and to it a service2348. you truly delivered.”2349. The King merely listened,2350. and to the guard, christened2351. the body to be burnt hither.2352. “Let him be immolated,2353. and my revenge will be sated,2354. tonight, with your lips,2355. my sweet dear.”2356. He grabbed Rosalind close,2357. with a grasping touch coarse2358. and callous to her soul’s pain.2359. “Away, all thee tither,2360. and forget about dinner,2361. we must have our privacy, today.”2362. Rosalind just wept,2363. with a broken red face2364. and felt nothing but disgrace.2365. Her world was asunder,2366. with her dead lover,2367. being mopped up

2368. from his locked place.2369. she would have shuddered,2370. or yelled and have thundered2371. when the King made with his ways;2372. but as was she died,2373. and try as he tried,2374. he couldn’t get shame on her face.2375. The night went forever,2376. and alas, he had spent her2377. before he could put her in place.2378. Still, he kept trying,2379. to hurt her,2380. or bind in2381. some powerful pain2382. to her grace.2383. At end, he could not,2384. and exhausted, he stopped,2385. he left her dull and thin faced.2386. She could not find sleep,2387. and couldn’t even weep2388. for the dreadful, shameful accost.2389. Worst of all, of course,2390. was the dead, burning corpse2391. that shone in her mind like a dagger.2392. Eventually, sweet sleep2393. did defeat2394. the tormented spirit2395. within her.2396. With darkness,2397. she dreamed,2398. and it almost did seem2399. that her lover,2400. her Edgar,2401. was with her.

2402. The cartographer,2403. meanwhile,2404. was locked up in a tower,2405. etching out each mile2406. he could remember of Verthusia.2407. The threat on his existence2408. was profound and immediate;2409. he loathed and feared the power,2410. of the magician breeding it.2411. He was acquainted with2412. the she-witch of Nozeth2413. an accomplice to the King,2414. a fearful dream lych.2415. She wasn’t a hag,

2416. not anything so simple,2417. but a mummified mass2418. that was her spirit’s temple.2419. The she-witch of Nozeth,2420. was charged from extracting,2421. the information for the King,2422. from the cartographer’s pen-mapping.2423. He did concede, and agreed to the transaction2424. his well being untouched2425. if he just did as she asked him.2426. For truly, to be liked or loathed2427. by the she-witch was a passion;2428. in her dark heart2429. was an unknown reaction.2430. to feel her touch2431. was horribly too much,2432. and a drop of humanity2433. evaporated at each such.2434. So to retain his sanity,2435. and steer clear of calamity,2436. he did as was asked,2437. and didn’t lie neither.2438. He did truly fear her,2439. and knew, when he was near her2440. that she could know his thoughts2441. and feel his words play,2442. whether they be truthful or nay-2443. and he never did lie,2444. this was the reason why;2445. hers was a deadly perception2446. in her ghastly convection.2447. He spent every night2448. recovering from fright2449. of her breath on his skin,2450. or a brush of his shin-2451. of which he was sure2452. was to the effect of a purr2453. to torture his mind2454. with the poison in her.2455. For her, love was death,2456. and spread it with breath,2457. not death but her love,2458. from heaven above2459. somehow distorted2460. and grossly contorted2461. into a figure2462. that was spite and embittered,2463. vacuous woe2464. or disease spreading slow.

2465. Thus she delivered2466. a constant knee quiver2467. to the bloodless cartographer,2468. who shook when he saw her.2469. She, in turn,2470. would prod and spurn2471. with a gentle touch2472. of horrific lust.2473. So went the days,2474. and the cartographer waned,2475. with horror and pain,2476. went on in his ways.2477. The she-witch of Nozeth2478. did as the King bid2479. and didn’t stray from it2480. except for a twinge to pit2481. force against force2482. without remorse;2483. in her black heart2484. there was some unearthly art2485. that delighted in conflict2486. or hope that something2487. would come of it.2488. So the days went,2489. and went on for days2490. an unceasing rent2491. and a grasping dead grey.

2492. Miles away,2493. with a spies new report,2494. the church was erected,2495. and newly directed2496. by hopeful young clergy2497. who helped out the needy2498. and with some rowers2499. who needed the powers2500. of a heaven divine2501. in the unearthly clime,2502. grew quite profitable2503. in the art of the pull2504. for new souls to fill2505. and new ails to pill.2506. They were loved by the people,2507. with their erect pure white steeple2508. as a wonder and an oddity2509. quite befitting really2510. their own town and home2511. and hope it would grow2512. with the power of the holy

2513. and the strength of it’s story.2514. So their days past,2515. Brothers Alex and Max2516. with a slew of strong rowers2517. to dig, grow and prosper2518. with their new place2519. under heaven’s sweet grace.

2520. The gentleman scholar2521. Father Entres2522. stepped out the carriage2523. and sighed a deep breath.2524. The city they met with,2525. by a false trail2526. was busy and reckless2527. and didn't cease or fail2528. in it's impressive2529. endless procession2530. of persons and colours,2531. carts, waggons2532. animals2533. and jargon.2534. It seemed hopeless to hope2535. that somehow they'd scope2536. the reason for visiting-2537. which the Magician didn't know.2538. He just had an inkling2539. that somehow, this place2540. was somehow important,2541. and deserved their attention2542. yet it did best to usurp it-2543. The maddening cacophony2544. grated and injured, really2545. the mentality of those persons2546. who needed serendipity.2547. The monks were recumbent2548. and energetically spent2549. simply by facing the constant2550. incessant plurality of personages.

2551. The three monks,2552. Markus, Geoffery and Damien2553. were sent out to stay within2554. a hostel Father Entres meant2555. to meet them at after an affair-2556. thus the three monks2557. prayed his relaunch2558. to their final station2559. went well.

2560. In the meantime they wandered2561. slowly getting onward2562. to this supposed destination2563. they heard of in hear-say.2564. It, they were told2565. was a chapel quite bold2566. in colours and nature2567. hard not to report.2568. The temple was to2569. some Goddess of truth,2570. art, love and wine drinking.2571. The Father was thinking2572. of entreating these people2573. to let them teach with them2574. under their ‘steeple’.2575. He hope to learn of2576. their nature of love2577. and hope they do sate their2578. needs for their lot.2579. He, in the meantime,2580. was off with the Magician2581. trying to find out what’s amiss with2582. their following the trail,2583. or how they had lost sight2584. of their trails destination,2585. leading to this plight.2586. The three gentle monks2587. were out in the road2588. wandering here,2589. wandering fro2590. when a person of grimace2591. quite demonstrable2592. grabbed on their robes2593. and started to pull.2594. “Help!”2595. cried Damien,2596. “What do you want?”2597. The large horned figure,2598. just laughed, then he tossed2599. poor Geoffery away,2600. with a flick of the wrist2601. who crashed into someone,2602. and they got quite pissed.2603. Markus did struggle,2604. but was ten times a siss2605. compared to this brute,2606. who gave him a hiss.2607. “Who are you weasels,2608. who walk in the streets?

2609. Don’t you know it’s2610. not pleasant to treat2611. the road as a walk way,2612. so stay out of the way,2613. or you’ll get quite hurt-2614. so do as I say!”2615. The giant released them,2616. and slapped his hands like2617. he had just finished work,2618. or ended a fight.2619. The three little monks2620. just bowed and surrendered2621. that they’d walk on the walk way,2622. and that they’d remember.2623. They hurried along,2624. and with the sound of the song,2625. turned at the next street2626. to see their prison.2627. It was a resplendent bright building,2628. all colours and white2629. and shone in the warm2630. sunshine with light.2631. The frescoes were women2632. of singular beauty2633. with feathered headdresses2634. and wings like grouse.2635. The door was wide open2636. with people within2637. and they saw that the people2638. had started to sing.2639. A song such as this,2640. would be a pleasure to bring2641. to any ear2642. not deaf-2643. it’s a magical blessing2644. of faith and renewal-2645. imagination’s press.2646. Beyond gentle dreaming2647. there is a soft place2648. that mesmerizes like2649. water does slake2650. an urgent thirst;2651. this music touches2652. how such moments brush,2653. a survival instinct inert.2654. harlems and virgins2655. dirge and pray2656. along with such a tune-2657. it invigorates the loins

2658. or turns them blue.2659. Besides this,2660. it locks wit2661. or frees up one’s truth2662. like laughter and wine,2663. or embarrassment’s bind,2664. this song with these things grew.2665. The monks were entranced,2666. and started to dance,2667. at first without meaning to.2668. They put on a show,2669. as it would go,2670. by stopping and starting,2671. and blurting there parts with2672. distraught unmanly woe.2673. They were in condition,2674. as if their perdition2675. were unasked for,2676. a loss of control.2677. So they did glisten2678. and asked for assistance2679. as they sweated and danced to and fro:2680. No one would hear them,2681. and few would passed near them-2682. in such wild assortments2683. it seemed as though2684. such dogged brunt2685. of emotion and quickness2686. seemed to pass unnoticed.2687. Thus they did dance,2688. and made with their prance2689. to the ladies who sung-2690. they pleaded to be released2691. relinquished to their peace2692. as the song was making them grunt.2693. But as they did try,2694. they did wonder why,2695. but the beautiful creatures upended them.2696. They were as the pillars,2697. harpies of singers,2698. and they couldn’t release them from eye.2699. so they danced and they sung,2700. and begged of the one,2701. that they love them as they did love her.2702. They stumbled and wept,2703. and did their own best2704. to shake those bird hearts2705. for the sun,2706. of their love.

2707. Such they were found,2708. as father Entre’s expounds2709. fretting and pawing away.2710. he met them right their,2711. in that city square2712. where the temple’s music held sway.2713. He had to admit2714. his temptation with it,2715. to do as he saw them play-2716. but he did resist,2717. and laughed at the twist,2718. the clowns about in their antic way.2719. He gathered their wits2720. of these friendly twits,2721. and pulled them out of the way.2722. With strong voice he urged,2723. they remove their own curse,2724. and continue on the way.2725. The magician did laugh2726. at the open crushed bash2727. that reality crashed into them.2728. They scrambled to say2729. they were only that way2730. since they were entranced by the witch.2731. Father Entres harkened2732. and said they must prepare2733. their hearts for such magical play.2734. Such was the standard,2735. of this strange land where2736. the unusual seemed to hold sway.2737. They, in the temple,2738. were in a red and gold room2739. with art on the walls with riches.2740. the ceiling was high, and the people did fly2741. like birds, or fairies or witch.2742. They all ventured forwards,2743. into the foyer,2744. when they did fall upon this:2745. A dance floor filled2746. with fourscore or more2747. in a chamber, like the land;2748. with musicians at hand2749. whose tabard and pipes sang.2750. There were scoundrels and squires2751. sellers and buyers,2752. haves and have-nots;2753. the myriad of persons paced2754. pranced and swept2755. in love or alone,

2756. or friends with their guests.2757. The scent of spirits were in the air2758. thick and bawdy or pure and fair:2759. persons staggering or passing out2760. made a spectacle at which some did shout2761. yet there were those,2762. for who this dance was sweet repose.2763. Nobility was mixed with common stitch.2764. Between the press2765. of persons breasts2766. were those of cavorting natures2767. laughing and capering2768. strange to those watchers2769. but familiar to all those dancers.2770. They seemed to be accompanied by those2771. that sang their song at the entrance doors2772. and were themselves with woolly knees2773. and horns sprouting from their brows.2774. The rest were fishy or fleshy,2775. angelic or messy,2776. hairy or furry,2777. crested or purring.2778. Some looked normal,2779. except the oddities2780. which seemed to foil2781. the known possibilities2782. like ghostly eyes2783. that went out of the head2784. or wicked teeth,2785. of those strangely bred2786. Most were humanoid,2787. but some were so strange2788. as to roll or flop,2789. like leeches in smocks.2790. There was such diversity2791. as they had never seen-2792. at least in attire2793. as grand as to aspire2794. to courts of kings,2795. yet mixed again2796. with vagabonds or runaways.2797. They waited at the side,2798. for the dance to subside,2799. and at the next interval, they set2800. towards at satyr man2801. with a bet2802. that these were those2803. that they were said to sight2804. and it turned into quite a fight

2805. to go a direct course2806. in that full ballroom;2807. these persons swung wild2808. and they ducked and ran2809. yet time wasn’t their friend2810. for as they approached,2811. the satyr and harpy would escape2812. to some further bench2813. or to continue the dance.2814. Such was there struggle2815. for about half an hour2816. at the end of which,2817. they had stepped on shoes2818. and made a ruckus,2819. as to attract2820. the attention of2821. the dancers and singers,2822. the satyrs and winged girls.2823. They got there chance to speak2824. to kindly entreat2825. for a meeting, please2826. with some of those2827. that know the course2828. of their temple’s order2829. and to have discourse2830. for a better future.2831. The satyr was unimpressed,2832. though he did his best2833. to be kind and continue2834. as he knew how to2835. inviting them to drink and dance2836. and make romance as best they could-2837. though if they were trouble,2838. that they should2839. be kicked from here with out a moment2840. to plead a case or go with2841. dignity and grace.2842. As such they were left standing2843. as the dancers swirled2844. the pipe and tabard going2845. and the world a whirl.

2846. In the rocks by a lake2847. in the bottom of a cave,2848. stood Nedward in fear for his life.2849. His blood was sent2850. en force to his head2851. with a fear that chuckled like dread.2852. The water was moving,2853. and it felt brave to him to scream,2854. but he held on instead2855. with courage defeating fear by shreds.2856. He was tempted to throw2857. himself at the rope2858. which was hanging six feet2859. from his nose.2860. He feared he would fall,2861. and never recall2862. himself onto the shore.2863. Still the sound rose,2864. and the bats from their holes2865. circled and circled above2866. the din was amazing,

2867. and driving him crazy2868. with the panic from something alive.2869. Slowly it rose,2870. and the sight of it drove2871. poor Nedward to the ground screaming.2872. It’s gargantuan face2873. was not out of place2874. on some island or some empty place2875. where civilization2876. has founded a nation,2877. then crumbled and left it’s trace2878. in monuments bespeaking2879. great might and reason2880. some strong and some significant grace.2881. Still the thing rose,2882. and acquired it's voice2883. that boomed as from outer space.2884. “Ohm at tahe ka,2885. Reto lai ma2886. Sotori jestintha?”2887. Nedward just shuddered,2888. in the fear of this other,2889. this giant and thing undiscovered.2890. From the bubbles of time,2891. by chances sublime,2892. this Nedward uncovered this tomb.2893. The giant was caught2894. in the earth left to rot2895. for time immomoriuum.2896. That he fell in this place,2897. and splashed to awake2898. this figure of species unknown2899. is a mystical prediction2900. and ferments transition2901. from this place2902. to another one.

2903. Poor Rosalind did slide2904. at the King’s left side2905. from her seat in a slump to the floor.2906. She never before2907. had with her face bore2908. such unintelligent magnanimity-2909. she seemed simply to see2910. a world that did please2911. and had exited out of the doom2912. that did confound2913. her soul to be bound2914. in horror and shroud.

2915. The court did surround her2916. and her condition did astound,2917. for no one did grace to presume.2918. But if they could guess,2919. by her grooms heaving chest2920. as he had pulled her into the room2921. that her world was asunder,2922. and he chose to plunder2923. her wonderful life of it’s bloom.2924. So she was senseless,2925. and entered in fits,2926. do leave by guard to her room.2927. There she lay still2928. while by wait woman’s will2929. she was fed by spoon and by pill.2930. By days she did wither,2931. and when no one was with her,2932. her mind dropped into a swoon.2933. She merely lay sick,2934. and couldn’t have quit2935. that state for the rest of the moon.

2936. In a tower by the quay,2937. the cartographer locked away,2938. had a breakthrough-2939. that is to say,2940. he had mapped most of Verthusia,2941. by memory via2942. ink and pen2943. and thick parchment paper.2944. The she witch of Nozeth2945. watched with bated breath,2946. as the last was confessed.2947. She told him in dreadful words2948. that he would continue to be held2949. until these maps proved true2950. or false.2951. So the cartographer sunk2952. though he was blessed that his lunch2953. was held by a regular maiden.2954. Each following meal,2955. without his appeal2956. was, by the same lady, brought in.

2957. Nedward, in the meantime,2958. was caught in the sight2959. of some monolithic golem2960. from another time.2961. This proto creature

2962. had a different language structure,2963. and they couldn’t understand2964. one another.2965. This golem wasn’t angry,2966. it seemed to envy2967. Nedward’s small size.2968. it didn’t have hope2969. for the future to hold2970. an opening or escape from it’s hold.2971. Still it did speak,2972. and with a stony beak2973. like a smile to the weak,2974. it exposed.2975. Nedward was stuck,2976. not knowing what2977. the giant would do if he chose2978. to climb up the rope,2979. or jump, to it’s place2980. and feared the look on it’s face.2981. He decided to wait,2982. to see if it slept,2983. and then he would alight from the cave.2984. So hours went by,2985. and without the sight of sky,2986. it felt like entering eternity.2987. The giant still stood2988. and looked as he would2989. over Nedward with a wondering eye.2990. The bats had all drifted2991. out for the night,2992. and Nedward felt he could hear the sunrise,2993. coming in the distance2994. like so many bells-2995. but still the Giant stood and looked.2996. It became clear to see,2997. that to leave he’d really2998. have to communicate with the2999. stony giant.3000. He attempted as much,3001. with a cough and a brush,3002. he attempted to give a report.3003. “I am Nedward-3004. I came from above-3005. I came here to search3006. for the key to my love-3007. now that I see3008. this place is empty3009. I must take my leave,3010. from this cave

3011. to the alcove.”3012. The giant simply stood3013. and listened as wood3014. but didn’t give a response.3015. Nedward did look,3016. hoping it shook,3017. or would give some sign3018. it had heard.3019. After a while he did wonder3020. if this unlikely blunder3021. of nature and time was awake-3022. after he questioned3023. if this thing was present,3024. or merely his mind in a quake.3025. Then he was impressed3026. by a dark, morbid jest3027. that perhaps all of this was just death.

3028. He did wait,3029. and the bats flew from space3030. to swirl in the chamber unfurled.3031. At length, the giant spoke-3032. “Umani Decope3033. Gattayalla Ferdno3034. Rashidi3035. Versta remis.3036. Aqua lintis3037. Fervi Desta Amide.”3038. Nedward deciphered3039. one word of all this,3040. being Aqua, water, he thinks.3041. So he scooped down,3042. and drew up from a pond3043. a handful of the shimmering stuff.3044. “Aqua?” quoth he, and poured it free3045. into the pond again.3046. The Giant did nod,3047. with a slow plod,3048. to it’s lowering and raising head.3049. Next, Nedward raised3050. a stone to it’s gaze,3051. and asked aloud,3052. “What’s this?”3053. The Giant replied3054. with a slow line3055. “Ooca” into the rift.3056. So this went on,3057. and Nedward tried for3058. a conversation with the giant.

3059. He asked what was height,3060. that with the Giant’s might3061. he may climb from this place.3062. The giant was wary,3063. and stood,3064. rather scary,3065. listening to Nedward’s plight.3066. This silence stood still,3067. until the Giant revealed3068. a big rock-like smile3069. to light.3070. He bent down to Ned,3071. and grabbed him in hand,3072. to raise him up above head.3073. He gently pushed him3074. and with a quick spin,3075. passed him through the top crevasse.3076. The light shone down3077. from that cave to the ground,3078. and Nedward waved from above.3079. He grabbed up his rope,3080. and exhausted, he choked3081. to see the sunlight with a love.

3082. With a determined grim frown,3083. he dragged the wyvern along3084. and pushed it off the edge.3085. He made his way down,3086. as careful as he found3087. a way to have managed3088. his descent-3089. he got to his horse,3090. and struggled of course3091. to fit the dead wyvern on it.3092. At last he desisted,3093. though his pride insisted,3094. he bring back a piece of his work.3095. He decapitated it,3096. this dead beast’s head slated3097. for show in the town on return.3098. It took three days for him3099. to get back again,3100. and by end, food was running thin.3101. Still he did make it,3102. and by heaven he saved grace3103. for his meeting with Lucy and her Father.3104. When he got there he found3105. as he stepped to the ground3106. that the place was abandoned within.3107. So he waited for hours,3108. for them to return,3109. and at last his suspicions began.3110. He believed he was duped3111. that the Father did rule3112. that he shall never see her again.3113. He imagined they fled3114. and so he grabbed bed3115. and slept after feeding his frame.3116. In the morning he found3117. a note on the ground3118. telling of Lucy’s right hand.3119. She said they had left3120. by her father’s evil guess3121. that you would survive to come around.3122. So they were at a family farm3123. off in the distance afield.3124. If he wished he could come,3125. but her father wasn’t done3126. protecting his daughter from him.3127. He decided to go,3128. in search of this home,3129. and set his soul grim3130. to gain her hand.

3131. As this was done,3132. and Nedward moved on,3133. that dark chain faced man3134. was on the hunt again.3135. He received word by bird3136. that the King need word3137. of the helmsman,3138. and to detain him.3139. He set out on horse3140. toward the last course3141. he saw the man heading,3142. back then.3143. It was on that dirt road3144. towards the town where3145. this same man he told3146. he'd find a bed there.3147. So he made haste3148. back to this place,3149. but didn't find hide or hair there3150. He began his search,3151. to recover the place3152. where Nedward last graced3153. or where was his perch.3154. He discovered from others3155. by coin and by hurt3156. that he was a lover3157. to this girl Lucy who worked3158. for her father at the inn,3159. and he worked therein3160. as a stableman and blacksmith3161. for his keep with them.3162. So he searched out this place,3163. and by fortunate grace,3164. Nedward had left3165. without a trace.3166. Also, all sign3167. of Lucy, who was bound3168. and wrapped by her father,3169. and kept as a follower.3170. The dark stranger cursed3171. and went at it worse,3172. searching for hints3173. as to the whereabouts3174. of Nedward or those3175. who held onto his heart3176. or threatened his bones.3177. Of these he found none,3178. except for moved dust

3179. and dirt from some boots3180. that were dried with some muck.3181. He couldn't quite place3182. the date of this change,3183. but knew he must race,3184. that Ned passed just this way3185. not so long ago3186. and the others left3187. six days hence or so.3188. He grabbed his horse's reins3189. and with his eyes trained3190. to see tracks in the soft dirt.3191. He could just make out3192. hoof prints of the lout3193. as he left for some place3194. in the distance.3195. he got on and rode3196. as best he could3197. until he caught sight of him.3198. Then he persisted3199. in chasing his victim,3200. a slow ambling pace3201. for his horse.

3202. Rosalind, as this happened,3203. was still in swoon, and still was passing,3204. when she had a touch of passion3205. from some otherworldly source.3206. She tossed, and moved,3207. as she hadn't done3208. since the setting of3209. that fateful sun3210. when the deed3211. of death was done3212. to her beloved3213. closest one.3214. She was moved, and stirred, and roused3215. ‘til she sat and looked around3216. and saw the room and her dressing gown3217. laid upon a chair.3218. She was awake,3219. and felt no despair,3220. no emptiness3221. and was not impaired-3222. she felt a warm3223. glow of love,3224. a connection deep3225. and high above.3226. She dreamed a queen

3227. gave up her crown,3228. and tossed it to3229. the dirty ground.3230. She stood up high,3231. and from the sky,3232. a sword that shone3233. to her hand was borne.3234. She was remade,3235. with a fatal fate3236. to turn the tides3237. of hate and sin.3238. Therein she found3239. some comfortable gown,3240. and went on down3241. to the court again.3242. With the people,3243. who gaped to meet her3244. she was glad3245. of the dream she had.3246. Still it grew,3247. her steps did prove3248. a steady drum3249. of someone new.3250. Her heart agleam,3251. as it would seem,3252. she stepped down to the court-3253. there the people3254. to and fro3255. made their business3256. and made their show-3257. but as she walked,3258. the more the talk3259. clamoured in,3260. and broke the din3261. of normal life3262. for the King's wife3263. was here again.3264. Before the King,3265. she stopped, did spin3266. and curtsied with3267. a regal bearing.3268. He looked on3269. with a royal frown3270. his blue skin drawn3271. and whitening.3272. "Hark, my dear,3273. no need to fear,3274. I am well,3275. and up again."

3276. He made noise,3277. and shifted pose,3278. but had not spoke3279. of anything.3280. So she stepped3281. into her place3282. beside the King3283. and with good grace3284. took her seat,3285. before them all3286. as a Queen3287. with her special call.3288. So her heart3289. beat loud and strong,3290. with the bright3291. and righteous song3292. that had been sung3293. to wake her from3294. her death like dream,3295. to be someone.3296. So it passed3297. that she then grew3298. in the lives3299. of those who knew3300. the King and her,3301. from whom she seemed3302. protected from,3303. by love of Queen.3304. As if something3305. green did grow3306. and flowered now3307. above the blow3308. of machete or saw3309. or any throe3310. of any soul3311. that would see her break.3312. Thus it was,3313. that a new sign raised3314. its head in land3315. by divine grace3316. and it's fateful hand3317. held her in place3318. to be a Queen,3319. with a warrior's face.

3320. After a certain disgrace3321. of getting kicked out the place3322. when the monks wouldn't dance,3323. they were banned.

3324. So Father Entres appealed3325. that they'd take to the field,3326. and not rest until the end.3327. To this the followers3328. accepted with dolor-3329. They hoped to stay there3330. with all those maids fair,3331. but flagellated as the spell broke.3332. Now, feeling better,3333. with the Magician,3334. they pressed for3335. the open road again.3336. The streets were quite hectic,3337. and such unusual specimens3338. made a stately pace on the road.3339. On large vehicle3340. was simply a wheel3341. turned on the inside3342. by them that reside3343. in their particular locomotion.3344. Another kept animals3345. like alligator-like things3346. in chamois reins3347. at the head of their cart.3348. They were business as usual3349. red feathered people,3350. with a scent of success on their breath.3351. Others tossed magic3352. into the packed street3353. like rabbles of butterflies3354. or water turned vapour in air.3355. The odd thing, as they stared3356. was that they seemed scared3357. by the strangeness3358. and peculiar nature3359. of Father Entres3360. and the Magician.3361. The Magician made comment3362. that with their consent,3363. they should disguise themselves3364. before their next place.3365. Father Entre agreed,3366. and started to plead3367. with strangers with grace3368. as to where they might obtain3369. make-up the same3370. as an actor or3371. a clown might sustain.3372. Eventually they found place

3373. a shop in disgrace3374. but garishly painted3375. with one great face3376. with the door as the mouth3377. which seemed to shout3378. emotional clout3379. like a charismatic pout3380. made gleeful and big3381. promoting a snigger3382. or a passing glance, least.3383. So they did withdraw3384. and admired the maw3385. of this great clown face3386. and pressed on within.3387.3388. What they found3389. was a place confounding3390. the sense of wonder3391. with it's colourful plunder.3392. Every wall3393. seemed to crawl3394. with pigments, masks3395. and things for the tasks3396. of those who wish to change and show.3397. The state of woe on such a face3398. put one's soul into disgrace,3399. and yet another in unreasonable rage3400. was sure to empty an entire stage.3401. Colours of wigs and formal dresses,3402. jester's clothes and feather's from grouses3403. made a cavorting cacophony3404. of emotions3405. from confusion to glee.3406. So they each were garbed and ready3407. to look peculiar3408. and so steady themselves3409. as normal among these folk,3410. yet each does feel like a personal joke-3411. The Magician, with him,3412. he is all black and brown,3413. with a colourful headdress3414. adorning his crown3415. as if some djinn3416. from a mystical desert,3417. he's dressed in the clothing3418. for such inclement weather.3419. Damien was garbed3420. in a dark red scarf3421. with some protruding horns

3422. and a wicked scythe.3423. Markus, compared,3424. was trussed up to look barely a man3425. he was head-dressed with antennae3426. with funny little wings3427. a green smock and breeches3428. and he was told to sing3429. rather than speak3430. what he meant to say.3431. Father Entres was crowned3432. with a celestial ball3433. and silvery cloth3434. that covered him all.3435. Anton was pestered3436. for so long a time3437. with a scale like covering3438. and two reptile eyes3439. his hands were clawed3440. and his scales were red3441. his smile was marked up3442. to make it look big.3443. After all this,3444. they each did wonder3445. at each others predicament,3446. and were somewhat befuddled3447. that this was the plan,3448. to go in such states,3449. and after this thought,3450. and laughed with great mirth.

3451. A distance away,3452. with the stranger giving chase3453. to Nedward3454. fate had them meet.3455. After three days of travel,3456. they arrived together-3457. the dark stranger3458. making Nedward's acquaintance.3459. He was still in his hood,3460. and wore a bandana,3461. so only his eyes peered out of his face.3462. He asked if he remembered3463. when they last had the chance3464. of meeting each other3465. and Nedward admitted,3466. he had no recollection.3467. So the stranger reminded him,3468. of his charity to a brother3469. when he told Nedward the way

3470. from the carriage to the inn.3471. Nedward remembered,3472. and thanked this dark stranger3473. who graciously accepted,3474. and asked to travel together.3475. Nedward consented,3476. and they kept at their pace.3477. Nedward didn't suspect3478. the dark stranger3479. in his brown cowl,3480. with a covered face,3481. at this hour-3482. for he had become3483. quite used to some3484. unbelievable visages;3485. he presumed that this was3486. such a case of3487. the grotesque met with modesty.3488. So the ventured forth,3489. to the limits of the town,3490. Nedward searching for Lucy at a port3491. the stranger in tow.3492. It was mid day and the sun was bright,3493. so Nedward was in no certain plight3494. until nightfall came to call.3495. They were in a tavern3496. after a day3497. of empty handed searching.3498. The stranger was saying3499. that this girl was sure to be moved on3500. and in truth didn't long3501. for Nedward in the least,3502. but that he best make peace3503. with this certain fact3504. and make on his way back3505. to where he came from-3506. which was where? he enquired.3507. Nedward was expired3508. with a listless heart,3509. and drank his tankard3510. and didn't start3511. to make response3512. to the strangers stinging words.3513. He felt there barbs,3514. but had not lost hope,3515. and planned the next day3516. to make it known3517. for whom he looked3518. to see where she

3519. had gone.3520. So he paid for his drink,3521. and wordlessly went to bed,3522. to which the stranger3523. just shook his head,3524. and waited while3525. Nedward went.3526. In the night,3527. when the trees do vent,3528. he crept up to Nedward’s room,3529. and picked the lock,3530. as silent as a dream3531. crept upon the floor3532. with a muffler and a cord3533. alighted on Ned's sleeping form3534. and muffled him while he snored.3535. He awoke, and choked,3536. as his wind was slowly broken,3537. he turned blue from the malicious bout3538. from a shouting fit to a black out.3539. Then the stranger wrapped him up3540. and dragged him down3541. through the tavern3542. without a sound.3543. He waited in the wings3544. for his chance to go3545. out the front door3546. without that bearlike owner3547. being in the know3548. of his transgression3549. on poor Nedward.3550. He put him on a horse3551. and they were out upon the road3552. in the middle of the night3553. without anything to show3554. for the action of the fight,3555. without a struggle,3556. “Just,” the stranger though,3557. “as it is right.”

3558. The King, at this time,3559. was in counsel3560. with the she witch3561. of Nozeth.3562. He listened to her whisperings3563. in an antechamber off his room;3564. She was adamant about certain proof3565. that they could overtake Verthusia3566. in one deft move.

3567. All they need do3568. was mobilize before they knew3569. of any military that could show-3570. with clever magic3571. and a selected storm,3572. such was their cabal,3573. they could be borne3574. on a tide of war3575. across the land;3576. when they retreated across the sand3577. of the corps and land burnt,3578. only the blood and bones3579. of their foes would remain.3580. Pensive the King sat,3581. and contemplated3582. ambiguous in position3583. on this present topic.3584. Suddenly he demanded what she thought3585. on the present predicament3586. of the invasive priests with magic-3587. who where they and what was their purpose?3588. The witch bit her lip,3589. a crinkled fold,3590. and pursed it as blood rolled3591. from the dried parched cracks3592. and spit all that.3593. "I have felt a man3594. that casts against3595. my defensive gales3596. and frozen wastes.3597. He is strong,3598. and is weak,3599. but I believe3600. I may defeat3601. this imbecilic child-like3602. vagabond with my spite.3603. He has no venom3604. compared to mine,3605. and should he try,3606. he should surely die3607. when we do fight.3608. Otherwise,3609. the priests are nothing,3610. and we could reprieve3611. our land of them3612. at the next opportunity.3613. I believe nothing is amiss,3614. my King, and they are no threat."3615. At this,

3616. she stepped forwards,3617. bowed and kissed3618. the King's right hand3619. listening for his disband3620. from the chamber.3621. Instead,3622. she stood bowed,3623. until she rose her eyes3624. to meet his face.3625. "I need you,"3626. he said,3627. "You are my strongest ally,3628. and I must not vie for power with you.3629. I know that you desire3630. some higher power,3631. and here I proclaim3632. that I must share your aim,3633. as I require3634. you by my side."3635. The witch's heart swirled,3636. and her head was filled3637. with calculations of plot3638. towards the grand3639. ambitions of this man3640. that were stirred by her faith3641. in a deathless grace3642. beyond time and mind3643. and destruction.3644. She slipped her tongue3645. over her gums,3646. and met his face with3647. a yearning mirth.3648. "It shall be done,3649. my lord.3650. For you, we have3651. the worst."

Part 3The battle

3652. The cartographer sat3653. in circumspect derision3654. verifying, if he can3655. the coming decision3656. extrapolated from3657. the sources of3658. inquiry and note3659. that the she witch wrote3660. for him to set

3661. with particular care.3662. He saw the coasts being stormed3663. on two fronts,3664. closely spaced3665. with one force seemingly small3666. the other a great wall3667. forcing its way inland3668. to disband the nation3669. through destruction3670. of the internal connections3671. of supplies by land ways.3672. He was unsure of the goal3673. of the smaller band3674. and the mystery intrigued him.3675. He thought it may be a royal party,3676. but for what purpose,3677. he couldn't have stated.3678. He was fretful of the implications3679. and hoped he could inform stations3680. of his own land of the oncoming doom,3681. but before these thoughts could bloom,3682. he must escape his present plight.3683. He judged that at night3684. he might slip away3685. after he took the key3686. from the night lady3687. whom fed him kindly3688. and dealt with his wastes.3689. He felt he could do this peacefully,3690. but knew that with the coming of an army,3691. violence was a worthy option3692. against even one innocent3693. though opposed.3694. He steeled himself in the night,3695. and took a book to read by3696. as she came with food for3697. his appetite's gorge.3698. As she entered,3699. he looked up,3700. and the comely lady smiled,3701. though she had strange vines3702. wrapping around her neck,3703. she was bedecked in common fashion3704. and in her hands,3705. were his steaming rations.3706. He was sick with worry,3707. with a smile said sorry3708. as she stepped up close to him.3709. She looked surprised,

3710. and confused,3711. and wondered what was the matter3712. that he was all a patter,3713. and wasn't at all in pattern3714. with who he usually seemed.3715. The mapper was abashed,3716. and couldn't look at her, really.3717. He stood up slowly,3718. and walked around her to the door.3719. Turning, he said,3720. "I can't permit you to leave.3721. Not without myself in possession3722. of the key;3723. I must be free, and you block the way3724. between confinement3725. and completion of my aims."3726. She looked at him,3727. with a fearful eye3728. and stuttered the question,3729. "For what reason? Why?"3730. to which there was no reply,3731. except his statement thus-3732. "I do trust that you'll3733. relinquish peacefully,3734. and there's no reason for me3735. to treat thee harshly.3736. No come, give me3737. what I need."3738. The maid stood quietly3739. and seemed violently3740. upset by the change3741. from trust to a threat;3742. slowly she faced3743. her hands to her waist3744. to unclasp the keys3745. with a sense of disgrace.3746. She stepped forwards3747. from where she was rooted in place3748. and came face to face3749. with the cartographer, Geoffrey.3750. "You don't know whom you play,3751. mapper- you'll never get away."3752. She handed him the key,3753. and before he could faint away,3754. she backed up in the room,3755. and waited in that place.3756. Geoffrey looked suspiciously3757. at the gentle waiting lady,3758. then stole out the wooden door,

3759. but still before, he told to her3760. that he was locking it for3761. the time being, and she'd be seeing freedom3762. once he was done and gone.3763. She was silent,3764. and he closed it gently,3765. then looked around, with his book3766. he took the passage left3767. as his guess was that this was3768. the best to follow3769. down below3770. until he'd know3771. where he was3772. and what to do.3773. He pattered along,3774. until just yon,3775. he heard the song3776. of a servant girl.3777. There she was,3778. folding cloth,3779. and tending beds3780. for all the rest.3781. He took a breath,3782. and stepped within,3783. she gave a start and ceased to sing,3784. her snake face split into a grin;3785. "Excuse me miss,3786. I'm a guest,3787. and I need a bath3788. and some new vestments.3789. Could you direct me where these went,3790. the bath I mean,3791. and my place of bed?"3792. She looked doubtful,3793. but all the same,3794. pointed him out3795. a certain way3796. to get to where3797. he meant to be3798. to the bathes3799. and some clean clothes.3800. He smiled and thanked her,3801. and went on his way,3802. with a smile Geoffrey3803. let hope in his day.3804. He slid along the corridor,3805. with the book full of plans3806. bound in as loose leaf,3807. in his clutching hands.

3808. He got to a doorway, and took a look about,3809. he thought this was the bathes room,3810. and so he was about to open them3811. when he heard a shout and felt a loom,3812. "You there! Servant! What are you to do?"3813. He took a look to his right3814. he tried to recover from his choking fright3815. which paralysed as he tried to speak3816. the guard that was a mere three feet3817. away from him3818. and towering over,3819. with a fuzzy nose3820. and hands with toes;3821. he gulped a breath and wished for cover.3822. The Guard repeated,3823. "Where you going?"3824. and Geoffrey,3825. not quite knowing,3826. made mute gestures and said nothing,3827. but looked confused and hoped this hint3828. would be followed by some more to follow,3829. that he could use to make a hollow guise3830. at least to appease3831. the passing query of this sentry.3832. "It's no time for servants to be entering the bath-3833. get you to the quarters,3834. scribe."3835. From the pointed finger,3836. Geoffrey guessed where the quarters where,3837. and thought him blessed3838. that he wasn't caught3839. and had not confessed.3840. He successfully got out of his mess.3841.3842. At the gates was the King's man,3843. with Nedward tied up and3844. gagged with cloth,3845. fearfully tossed3846. from many miles on horse back,3847. with out a stop.3848. The stranger marched proudly3849. into the streets,3850. a champion of justice3851. and ministry.3852. He went to the stables,3853. and with help from servants,3854. dragged his poor passenger3855. up to the court.3856. With a porter at port,

3857. the were admitted to sport3858. pride and shame3859. by royal blame.3860. Nedward was conscious,3861. he felt very nonplussed,3862. and patiently awaited3863. some horrible statement3864. from the blue white King;3865. he was surprised to see3866. Rosalind, seeming3867. rather cheerful3868. with the proceeding.3869. The King with great gusto3870. before his court3871. declared this a victory3872. against enemies foresworn3873. against King and country,3874. to be condemned to death3875. unless they were useful,3876. in this life or next.3877. The court did applaud him,3878. and Nedward brought away,3879. to a jail cell where Edgar3880. was stationed in captivity3881. as an inhuman slave.3882. Up above,3883. in the court room love3884. was poisoned and turned the dove3885. sweet Rosalind3886. from broken and spent,3887. to a straight edge blade,3888. archly cant3889. on remaining aloof3890. and secretly bent3891. on the destruction of King3892. as her personal subject.3893. Her she listened,3894. and felt strings in the court3895. of intrigue and allies,3896. and who should report3897. of underhanded dealings3898. or who should fear3899. the might of Almighty King,3900. her sweet dear.3901. She slowly made webs3902. and wheels within wheels3903. of people who were willing3904. to make certain deals.3905. She amassed a following

3906. of individual subjects3907. who wished for the King3908. to be gone and bloodless;3909. for he had made enemies,3910. more than a few3911. former friends3912. now sharpened knives with vehemence3913. and hid their secret truth.3914. So the court was turning3915. and she was uncertain who knew,3916. simply trusting in her burgeoning3917. glorious renew.

3918. Geoffrey did pace3919. down the hallway3920. looking every which place3921. for some one to say3922. "Hey, don't go that way!"3923. or "I don't know your face,3924. who are you3925. and why are you here?"3926. In his heart he knew3927. he had every reason to fear3928. for a few moments to,3929. certainly someone woman would near3930. to hear her call out3931. if she should shout.3932. He hoped by then3933. he'd be disguised3934. with plan3935. and away to the dungeon3936. to retrieve Edgar3937. if he were there3938. and get gone fair and square.3939. First he must contrive3940. a clever new guise3941. that could get him where3942. he could best prepare3943. a break and enter3944. to his plunder3945. his notable friend3946. who was carried under.3947. At first he worried3948. that Edgar would plainly3949. give them away.3950. Then with a sigh,3951. he discovered why3952. the guard regarded3953. his plain visage

3954. with a distrustful fear-3955. with all the absurdity,3956. I suppose that his normal was clear-3957. though again with the plethora3958. of shapes that surprise3959. one flesh faced human3960. is novelty to such eyes.3961. With a dart, he was there,3962. as people rounded the corner,3963. into a room just over3964. and closed himself3965. inside this cover.3966. Turning round,3967. he saw a couple3968. of rotund poofs3969. that looked like dandelions3970. floating gently under the roof3971. with bug like wings3972. jabbering in hiccups3973. or whispered wisps3974. like strange fuzzy bees.3975. He stopped and looked up3976. and tried to proceed,3977. as if nothing was amiss3978. and everything was as it seemed.3979. He got to the cupboard3980. and grabbed some garb-3981. checked if it fit him,3982. and made for the door-3983. the furry floating things3984. made down to meet him3985. and with a series of pings,3986. zipped to Geoffrey3987. with an air as to pester3988. So he was held at bay3989. to hear what they'd say.

3990. "We don't recognize you,"3991. they said,3992. "You're not a servant,3993. are you in the stead3994. of some one else?"3995. Geoffrey replied,3996. "I am a scribe,3997. and am working for the King,3998. to rewrite documents3999. for future reading."4000. The two of them backed up4001. in the air-

4002. "That's nobly important,4003. yet why haven't you been see here?"4004. "I've been busy at work,4005. and haven't had time4006. to wander about-4007. and if you don't mind4008. I'll be on my way,4009. for a place to change-4010. I must get ready4011. to present."4012. The two flying things4013. seemed to resent4014. the arrogant attitude4015. he had assumed,4016. and so they flew at him,4017. and kicked him with boots.4018. He cried out and ran4019. from that closed off room4020. into the hallway4021. the door closed with a boom.4022. He was out in the open,4023. and nothing to do4024. but find a place for him4025. to change in a room.4026. So he looked and he looked,4027. and found one quite empty,4028. and quickly stripped within,4029. quickly, I grant thee.

4030. Away in the basement,4031. with nothing to say,4032. was Nedward locked up,4033. in the same hold, they say4034. as the late Edgar bird man4035. who died that one day4036. not so long ago,4037. after singing away4038. the fear of a loved one,4039. against the King's way.

4040. At a distance in travel,4041. Here are the monks,4042. and the magician as well4043. all prepared for the journey4044. and they they think will4045. lead the way to the castle,4046. now that they've gotten directions,4047. with no sideways glances,4048. with a devil, an insect,

4049. a dijinn and a dragon,4050. then some prospect4051. of a celestial orbit4052. atop Father Entre's head.4053. They rode and on the way4054. to prepare the day4055. when they'd have4056. to give escape4057. to those adventurers4058. who were placed4059. in the grasp of the King.4060. On their way with wings,4061. they breathed the air and sang4062. to let relief fill their lungs4063. and alleviate the pace's4064. strain on their souls and brains.4065. Around them, they sensed,4066. the world was at plan4067. and forces were moving4068. and growing again.4069. Something strange4070. began to move,4071. and an unearthly4072. fear had began.4073. Something dark4074. beyond the black4075. was softly rubbing4076. along their nape4077. as they slept,4078. and when they woke,4079. which caught their tongues4080. when they spoke.4081. Yet all this fear4082. was merely smoke,4083. and with their song4084. they neatly smote4085. any fear in half.

4086. Yet in the dark,4087. beneath the castle,4088. the she-witch lurked4089. and brought to battle4090. these five wraiths,4091. who would lead the army4092. for the sake4093. of this isle's mercy.4094. She whispered around a portal drawn4095. in hogs blood and the bone of fawn,4096. circling with hope to spawn

4097. the blackest night could call on.4098. From outside, the answer came,4099. from the bleak and grey washed pain4100. of the realm they reside in4101. death in all it's majesty.4102. They swarmed in like smoke4103. boiled like tar4104. and filled the circle4105. through some great scar4106. the air was choked4107. and for long and far4108. the animals skittered4109. and the farmhands cry.4110. Deep in the bowels4111. of this witches dungeon,4112. deeper than prisons,4113. where Nedward was undone4114. as well as all others4115. who felt the horror near4116. became some animal4117. in the shapeless fear.4118. With this they slid out,4119. birthed in a grey4120. filament slick4121. of some mist from the fade.4122. From the hole they slid4123. and with whispers bit4124. into the new realm which4125. that had been called to visit.4126. Around them still, the witch4127. did stitch magic words4128. as bright as pitch4129. to bind them to her,4130. and make them grow4131. from animal souls,4132. and human bones.4133. As she passed them4134. through her song,4135. they slowly rose4136. one by one4137. to the height of men4138. or greater still4139. monuments4140. with a deathly chill.4141. In the darkness,4142. one by one,4143. she called them daughters,4144. her only sons.4145. With her heart,

4146. she had them fill4147. and they were connected,4148. and they would kill.

4149. The Queen awoke4150. in the dark of night4151. with a stroke of sick4152. and a rending fright;4153. somewhere in the dark of night4154. she knew there was some horrific plight4155. being put upon the land,4156. some destructive villainous hand4157. had chosen to pull against4158. the natural order true for man.4159. So she shook, in her bed,4160. then composed herself,4161. she went instead4162. to make a round4163. of her court and crown4164. the castle's chambers4165. wither her own4166. presence.4167. Along the walk,4168. in the dark of night,4169. she tumbled into4170. a man in fright,4171. who hurried by,4172. in a obscuring robe4173. who she did not know.4174. In regal stance, she cried,4175. "Behold! Stand there, knave,4176. I tell thee troth4177. go no further on,4178. or your life is smote.4179. Who art thou,4180. that wanders thus4181. in the night,4182. with such a fuss?"4183. So it was,4184. that Geoffrey4185. pulled down his hood,4186. and solemnly4187. commended himself4188. to the Queen,4189. who he had not seen,4190. or met with recognition,4191. as it seemed his fear4192. got the better of him.4193. Rosalind thus

4194. took a breath,4195. and with a puff,4196. breathed out again.4197. "The cartographer!4198. What say thou,4199. to be here,4200. and to be out now?4201. Where doest thou4202. intend to go,4203. for what purpose?4204. I must know."4205. Geoffrey raised his eyes,4206. and with a shock, a great surprise4207. did open mouth and his eyes wide4208. "Rosalind! In such a guise?"4209. He bowed to her,4210. or kneeled on floor,4211. and did not rise,4212. till she had insisted for4213. his response to her inquiry;4214. Why was he here,4215. with what chivalry4216. had he escaped his tower,4217. and made out thus?4218. He responded, shamefaced,4219. that he did run,4220. towards some sign4221. of a coming sun-4222. "For the night is dark4223. and I feel some one4224. has made a change4225. that has undone4226. my comfort;4227. as I'm now on the run4228. I had meant to save someone,4229. Edgar of course, he's the one-4230. He is down in the prisons, but4231. I cannot go there, not without sun."4232. Rosalind nodded, for she knew why,4233. the night was cursed,4234. they had burnt the sky.4235. Still, she tried not to cry,4236. and faced him boldly,4237. to tell him why4238. his hopes were in vain,4239. that Edgar did die,4240. by the King's hand, the reason why4241. was his love was free4242. and could not bind

4243. by chains and fear,4244. or misery.4245. So the cartographer4246. Geoffrey,4247. did slump backwards4248. and cry freely4249. that his friend was gone;4250. he was neatly undone.4251. Rosalind walked to him,4252. and pulled him up-4253. "Do not fear,4254. not all is broken-4255. we have ourselves,4256. and there is one more4257. who you can save,4258. and you must-4259. Nedward is in the dust4260. of the dungeon,4261. somewhere,4262. you must give an action4263. exceedingly fair-4264. to defeat tyranny,4265. and your fear,4266. and with this key,4267. you will go down there."4268. He nodded slowly,4269. and he got up.4270. He hugged her tightly,4271. and emptied his cup;4272. that is to say4273. he pushed fear away4274. and looked on the night4275. as a coming day.4276. "I will release him,4277. and we will escape.4278. We will release you4279. on some pleasant day,4280. but for now I feel you4281. must be this way-4282. you are to do4283. something great."

4284. So he went down4285. to the dungeon deep4286. by following those stairs4287. slick and steep4288. that he did once fear,4289. as he was brought to here,4290. and once again,

4291. to the King's leer.4292. In the dark,4293. he brought a torch,4294. and the light4295. did not touch4296. the unnatural chill4297. that pervaded here,4298. a whispering choke hold,4299. and childhood fear.4300. Still he trudged,4301. and made his way now4302. down the hallway4303. to where the cave4304. that was the jail4305. opened face4306. to bars and jail cells4307. and a fearful baying.4308. For all the prisoners4309. whined and prayed4310. in the darkness,4311. for the coming day.4312. The night was steeped4313. in a fear that played4314. on the recesses4315. of the sleeping brain.4316. He pushed on forwards,4317. in his fright4318. and grasped his torch4319. which offered a light4320. that the prisoners4321. swarmed towards:4322. Ox faced or sickly,4323. a covered hoard.4324. They reached for him4325. as he passed them by4326. and with his light,4327. they began to cry,4328. "Save us! Save us!4329. We will die!"4330. but he must walk on,4331. the reason why4332. was he had not heard4333. his friend reply4334. to his repeated,4335. desperate cry,4336. "Nedward! Nedward!4337. Where is thy4338. person stored?4339. We must fly!"

4340. He travelled thus4341. down the tunnel4342. until he got4343. to that particular kennel4344. that He and Edgar4345. did inhabit4346. when they were4347. originally caught.4348. Nedward sat4349. and shivered within,4350. and when he saw the light,4351. did begin4352. to stand and plead4353. like the rest of them,4354. "Please release me,4355. I performed no sin!"4356. Geoffrey quickly4357. unlocked him,4358. and with the gate open,4359. said "No time!"4360. We must run,4361. or I fear we die!"4362. So they ran4363. or more, they fly,4364. and as they ran,4365. Geoffrey tossed aside4366. to a prisoner4367. the key inside4368. his jail cell's space,4369. but continued to run4370. from that darkening place4371. as cries of joy4372. did overtake4373. the two of them4374. at a hectic pace.4375. But as they neared4376. the stairwell they4377. heard some sound from4378. where they did race4379. a shriek of horror;4380. the deep replaced4381. the escapist glee4382. with a deadly race,4383. so Nedward and his saviour ran4384. each of them4385. hand in hand4386. away and up4387. from the fearful land4388. that became of the castle's hanged.

4389. They made their way4390. to the stable,4391. ahead a trampling throng4392. and sidesteps before4393. the prisoners trampled4394. the guards at door4395. with a rising sun.4396. They slipped on through4397. the thick and glue4398. of the tussle;4399. and in the stable,4400. they did rustle4401. some eating horses4402. for their courses,4403. and rode off as4404. the night was done.4405. They made conjecture,4406. once in the clear4407. of what horror4408. and deadly fear4409. into their hearts4410. did leer4411. from the darkness4412. in the fortress4413. below the earth4414. that night;4415. they could not attribute4416. any earthly fright4417. to such a swallowing4418. bloody height4419. as they had felt,4420. that night.4421. So they rode,4422. onward towards4423. the direction others came;4424. No one but4425. the travelling lot4426. the wagon of the saved.

4427. The Magician was aware of4428. the magic that was done,4429. and feared to say4430. what passed this way,4431. on with yonder sun.4432. The signs did tell4433. that the magic spell was done4434. and quenched with blood;4435. the pervasive fear4436. was now out clear

4437. and tainted the wind and sky,4438. and the song of the morning dove.4439. He spoke in earnest4440. to the churchmen4441. that they must4442. redouble and hurry4443. for trouble surely4444. brewed too early4445. and they must make4446. a steady run;4447. else all will be undone.

4448. Father Entres4449. desired to know4450. what pretence4451. the Magician did follow;4452. for it is true they all had felt4453. the fear that passed their life through hell4454. but he did not know or could tell4455. what went on, but knew full well4456. the Magician gleaned the truth of it4457. from the passing of the act.4458. "It is a sign of a the birth from without:4459. someone has brought a deed about4460. that is reviled above all spells,4461. the bringing of a purging death.4462. The first is a wraith of souls4463. that consumes and breeds the dead to walk4464. with insects fleecing, as they crumple flock4465. and scourge the earth of all its stock.4466. So the situation," he concluded, "is dire.4467. The only sure way, of preventing this curse4468. to purge the purgers with fire."4469. Father Entres considered,4470. and made a declaration:4471. "They must have intention4472. to send them to our land.4473. This is the weapon4474. of their first strike4475. and we must kill them or die,4476. and lose our land's life."4477. Anton licked his lips in apprehension4478. looking a fit red lizard to them.4479. Markus lilted a curious peep,4480. something akin but not quite a squeak.4481. Damien just proceeded to gnash his teeth,4482. and took to looking surly with cheek.4483. "So we move onwards,"4484. the magician declared

4485. from his dark robes,4486. his piercing eyes stared.4487. "The night isn't done,4488. but it has its start here,4489. with the light of our fire4490. lighting the cheer."4491. As they proceeded,4492. through the grey day,4493. they met with two people,4494. they'd never parlay;4495. it was the Helmsman and Mapper,4496. out on their way4497. back to their country4498. with a demonic haste.

4499. They were noted as they chased4500. each other's tails,4501. but not one of the wagoners4502. could have regarded4503. the curious thrill4504. or the person they saw-4505. they moved with such haste,4506. that they knew not who or what4507. passed that way-4508. after considering their face4509. the obvious came clear4510. that these were two normal4511. persons in fear.4512. Knowing that these4513. were two people at least4514. come from their land4515. did slide home the piece4516. that they must be these4517. that they came in search of-4518. but as they came to this,4519. they realized they strove4520. in vain should they follow4521. at any pace.4522. They ran as if mad,4523. and had less in their ways4524. to carry, besides.4525. So they continued4526. and sped on their way-4527. at least that meant two4528. were still in the place.

4529. The King was frightful4530. to behold and to hear-4531. the ritual's success

4532. put him far too near4533. the power of Gods4534. and he felt that sweet stuff4535. and knew that with more,4536. there was never enough.4537. He was in rage4538. at the antic escape4539. of the prisoners who were4540. to be the wraith's first taste4541. of human souls,4542. and the start of his legion,4543. who now dwelt below4544. a horror to see them;4545. buzzing and moaning,4546. the dead and soulless prison4547. made any sane creature4548. nauseous to envision.

4549. So those that were captured4550. were forced down below4551. into the bowels,4552. where in soul they did know4553. dwelt a fate worse than death,4554. to be wholly consumed,4555. and fought to their last breath4556. that the could be exhumed4557. before the wraiths came4558. in that dark place.

4559. The Queen did know4560. that something took place4561. but the truth was concealed4562. from her High Grace;4563. the witch deemed it prudent4564. to keep her from this,4565. and made sure the King did4566. as this was a great risk.4567. Still, she had sources,4568. but had no proof,4569. so she made it her mission4570. to come up with truth.

4571. With a gently placed hand,4572. the witch whispered in his ear4573. that the world was to be his,4574. and the world would feel fear4575. of his earthly might4576. and the war he would win4577. would secure all he chose

4578. to rein in as his.4579. The she-witch of Nozeth4580. cackled once had done,4581. and licked her lips from cracking4582. with all her smiling and foam.4583. She retreated to the darkness4584. where she did as would make one4585. run until quite mad,4586. and laughed at all the fun.

4587. So the Queen was kept from knowing,4588. but she knew of the escape-4589. and knew that those were driven4590. back towards the fate4591. of those in prison,4592. but sensed that something worse4593. lurked behind the vision4594. as if driven in a hearse4595. of all those people fighting4596. their scales, their flesh, their fur4597. all trying to get free4598. of something clearly worse4599. than anything imagined4600. in a jail cell's curse.4601. She wondered and considered,4602. what was this that durst4603. deliver in response4604. to what was done.4605. So she asked4606. a servant's son4607. to sneak down there4608. to find out what4609. was done that night4610. and tell his Queen4611. the story of4612. what was seen.4613. With him gone,4614. she hope that others4615. that she had rescued4616. did recover4617. their freedom with4618. that hectic night,4619. and would continue on,4620. and stage the fight4621. towards their land4622. and help to right4623. the wrongs planned4624. that she knew would rise.

4625. So the servant boy4626. snuck and roamed,4627. his furry muzzle4628. quivering slow.4629. His bat like ears4630. twitched at mutters4631. as he made4632. his way down under.4633. In the darkness4634. the smell of green4635. poisonous4636. like pond rot screamed4637. out from where4638. he meant to go4639. to discover things4640. not to know.4641. So he crept4642. in the dark,4643. and saw the men4644. weeping out4645. with a buzzing sound4646. all around4647. as cries of pain4648. abound rebound.4649. On the bottom step,4650. he stepped in pitch,4651. something sticky black4652. was all he wished4653. to know about,4654. for he feared the worst4655. that it was blood4656. or something nursed4657. in the corpses smell4658. that spread around-4659. then he felt a bite4660. near the ground.4661. He reached down quick4662. and happened to pick4663. some locust like insect4664. from his leg.4665. The buzzing sound4666. was louder now,4667. and he could not fear4668. he must tell how4669. the downstairs faired,4670. despite how dear4671. the atmosphere4672. clinged in here.4673. He wandered forwards

4674. and saw a cell-4675. something within4676. writhed and fell4677. with a buzzing sound4678. that grew like hell4679. the chiming of4680. some abysmal bell.4681. Deeper in4682. a moaning grew4683. up and over4684. all that smell;4685. a dark grey shape4686. did move and shake4687. up the hallway4688. towards his place.4689. A shambling step4690. made him hold his breath4691. and retreat backwards4692. to fear what's next4693. A venomous light4694. within its eye4695. caught his sight4696. and emitted a cry4697. like a dead dog's whine4698. it lunged towards him4699. a slither step,4700. and hop abhorred in4701. they young dark eyes4702. of that furry whelp.4703. He turned and ran,4704. as fast as he planned4705. with every step4706. towards the end.4707. In the pitch he slipped,4708. and came crashing in4709. the stairs ripped lip,4710. and blood was red.4711. The thing was close,4712. and it poked its nose4713. forwards as its broken toes4714. groped along4715. the dirty floor4716. some dead fish thing4717. with bleeding pores.4718. The boy did climb4719. for all his life4720. up the stairs4721. towards the light4722. and then he ran

4723. out of doors4724. towards his home,4725. and shivered for4726. hours more.

4727. After a sleepless night4728. the five wagoners arrived4729. to the town below4730. the castle's shadow.4731. They resigned4732. to spend some time,4733. gathering notes4734. on what they'd find4735. in the town around4736. and matters of crown.4737. By chance did Damien4738. when sneaking around4739. heard a wail4740. a little down4741. and around the corner from4742. the place he started4743. to hear someone.4744. It seemed to him4745. a mother eased4746. the terrified eyes4747. of a wee sized mite4748. in a consuming fright.4749. Damien stalked4750. a little closer4751. to hear the commotion4752. with his left ear,4753. and this is what he heard:4754. "I saw them mummy!4755. The dead alive!4756. There was blood on the floor4757. and the room filled with flies!4758. One chased me4759. and I fear for my life!4760. I swear to the skies4761. this isn't a lie!"4762. The mother shushed him,4763. and sounded quite wise,4764. "You've dozed of my sweet,4765. and with summer's heat4766. you're fantasizing again4767. which is quite a good feat,4768. but don't get worked up,4769. it was just dream,4770. you're happy and safe,

4771. and that's all you need."4772. The boy was quite adamant,4773. and said very clear,4774. "I am still afraid!4775. I know that I fear4776. for good reason, it's true!4777. These things I tell you!4778. I crept down below4779. to the prison to know4780. what was amiss4781. for Queen Rosalind's risk,4782. for she wanted an answer4783. to what did they do4784. to those prisoners who ran4785. at last night's moon.4786. I swear this is true, mum,4787. you've got to believe-4788. I'm afraid of the castle4789. and if they will eat4790. the meat from my bones,4791. or Dads! Or who knows!4792. The whole town could-"4793. He froze, and he whispered a whisper4794. "Some one is listening,4795. I can hear someone quiver."4796. The mother just hushed him,4797. and told him to eat,4798. that this was all over,4799. and tonight he would meet4800. with his father to tell him4801. of this strange speech,4802. and 'til then no more4803. on monsters, just meat.4804. So Damien slinked4805. back to his fellows,4806. and told them about4807. that strange boy's bellows4808. which alluded to Rosalind4809. still on the throne4810. and something amiss4811. with last nights strange tone.4812. The magician looked solemn,4813. and turned to the Father-4814. "This just confirms4815. my earlier thoughts.4816. We have a plague4817. of wraiths to contend with,4818. and that is a pest4819. no one relishes."

4820. The Father bowed forward,4821. and contemplated deeply;4822. "What do you suggest,4823. do we strike now,4824. or give heat4825. to the villains when they send4826. these devils to their ends?"4827. The magician replied,4828. "We must lie in wait,4829. and follow these souls4830. out to sea4831. in order to immolate them4832. and set them free.4833. We must not feel haste,4834. or undue waste of time."4835. Father Entres nodded at that line,4836. "So for now we must bide our time,4837. though Anton, I have a task to assign,"4838. At this Anton turned4839. and looked at the Father,4840. his feet keeping beat4841. and his eyes all aflutter.4842. "You must make way to the castle gate4843. and recommend yourself to the Queen's wait.4844. You are a messenger with a certain tale4845. that she will desire to unveil.4846. Tell her our travels4847. so she may unravel4848. the happenings as she desires,4849. though do not force or ply her4850. to tell you anything,4851. as if you can,4852. of her eminence."4853. Anton bowed quickly,4854. and walked away briskly,4855. into the light before suppertime.

4856. At the castle he was received4857. by a gracious lady with slippery eels4858. sprouting from both ears.4859. Anton bounced on his heels,4860. and sang emphatically,4861. "I wish to see4862. the Queen of thee,4863. the gracious lady,4864. the Queen of May,4865. Rosalind,4866. if you'd lead the way."4867. The lady in wait

4868. did not nod4869. nor did she say4870. any word by way4871. of recognition;4872. she merely waited still,4873. and stared at Anton 'til4874. he coughed a bit4875. and expressed his merit;4876. "Please, my lady,4877. I am laid by4878. to bring and carry4879. my message high4880. to that ladies ear,4881. that she may, err..4882. with dignity bear4883. the news as she would."4884. The lady responded4885. dry and sardonic,4886. "Give me the message,4887. that would do the trick."4888. "No ma'am, that will not do,"4889. Anton continued,4890. "For my tale is a true4891. oral history,4892. a mystery,4893. for any soul4894. who will not let me through.4895. Please, move,4896. or guide the way,4897. I must have at4898. the Queen today."4899. The waiting lady4900. stood aside4901. with a promise4902. to be his guide,4903. though as he skipped4904. to her side,4905. the eel ears hissed4906. as if to chide.4907. So he travelled4908. the antechamber4909. to the staircase4910. and waited for her4911. as the wait woman4912. opened the door4913. and went inside4914. to get her accord4915. that such a messenger4916. could be let in.

4917. She exited with4918. a snarky grin-4919. "The Queen Lady waits within."4920. So Anton entered4921. and breathed in to begin.

4922. "My dear lady,4923. I come from Verthusia4924. and present gladly4925. for your enthusiasm4926. to help to release you,4927. and bring you home,4928. along with your companions4929. who do endlessly roam4930. with the hopes of avoiding4931. an impending doom,4932. we bring to you4933. word of your prison,4934. which is full of such horrors,4935. as I can relate,4936. an endless procession4937. born of dead hate;4938. it sounds as though4939. from some the dead4940. have come to the throes4941. of earthly breath-4942. the were made this way4943. by things past death:4944. Wraiths that cut4945. the strings of life4946. and give instead4947. some horrific strife4948. that escapes discussion4949. from sanity.4950. The worst of the villainy4951. is a plague that does freely4952. burst from these corpses4953. and devours all nearly.4954. Such is the trouble4955. that has been borne in thy castle4956. which will be reduced to rubble,4957. unless they fly forwards;4958. the plan is, we take it,4959. that they will forsake peace4960. and head to war with these4961. that crowd down in the dark.4962. The King intends to land4963. with those horrific hands4964. shipmates of the dead

4965. and the consuming wraiths4966. upon Verthusia land,4967. with an inhuman hate.4968. This, I do grant4969. is truth, by my hand4970. and I will verify4971. this solemnly4972. as I take my stand."

4973. The Queen this did acknowledge4974. and the faithful pledge,4975. that these were not falsehoods4976. and she understood4977. the weight of these terms;4978. She ventured to ask him,4979. how they came upon4980. knowledge of what went on4981. with Edgar and herself?

4982. "Madame, we have the help4983. of a Magician who has delved4984. into the mysteries of time and space4985. and these mark his eyes and face4986. with a depth of knowledge deep,4987. to be with him is to steep4988. in time immemorial.4989. He was guided to go4990. to my certain home,4991. the monastery where4992. Father Entres prepares4993. for visitors and guests,4994. the weak and the infirm.4995. When this man arrived a vagabond,4996. Father Entres did not spurn,4997. but gave this unlikely return4998. that he knew that such a one was to come;4999. angels had him know5000. that he should surely go5001. with such a man as this,5002. and help him in his risk.5003. How the Magician came to know5004. exactly, is unknown.5005. You may ask him, though5006. if he may visit your throne,5007. most glorious Queen."5008. "Thank you, though tell me,5009. why do you seem5010. unlike what you describe?5011. Are you in disguise?"

5012. "Yes, my Queen,5013. we did deem5014. that we should dream5015. of a way to pass5016. unnoticed at last5017. in a land of oddity.5018. This is what5019. we came to frame5020. as the best possible way5021. to save the day-5022. to go unnoticed5023. in this shape."

5024. She sat up and considered,5025. with a stern figure5026. the words of Anton5027. as he pattered along.5028. She sighed upon revision,5029. when she was lost on a decision,5030. and asked what the Father had counselled.

5031. "My Queen, it would seem5032. these monsters are vulnerable5033. only to flames that pull5034. their essence out5035. or something like that.5036. The Magician and he5037. say it is likely5038. the best to wait,5039. and hover silently5040. over the bait,5041. and burn them at sea5042. when they are sent off to be5043. the plague they're deemed.5044. Therefore, wait,5045. fair lady, stay-5046. we shall have done with fate5047. on the fateful day5048. That these demons5049. are sent on their way."

5050. The queen stood up shaking-5051. "I cannot believe what you're saying.5052. Instead, I to action commend myself,5053. to burn this castle down.5054. Leave as you please,5055. but do not stop me,5056. or else I shall have my end5057. with you. Adieu."

5058. With Anton's protests following her heels,5059. she sped down the many stairs,5060. to the servant's quarters,5061. where she ordered a cask of oil5062. be thrown into the prison below.5063. The servants, awestruck,5064. followed her way,5065. and did as she did say-5066. the cask was opened and it did spray5067. as it struck the ground,5068. and paved the way for the coming flame5069. of the lanterns from across the way;5070. the Queen did snatch it from it's place,5071. and with a grim look upon her face5072. threw this light into the dark,5073. and with it's spark a world ignite5074. as light burst forth with a coming night.5075. So they felt the inhuman fright5076. of things cursed and warped begin to fight5077. for a space away from the fire's bite5078. as they were crowded in tight.5079. Anton looked devastated,5080. and wished she had waited,5081. but that was the way of things5082. that brings about ends5083. to great to bend.5084. Rosalind looked pleased5085. with the cleanse of disease,5086. as the guardhouse slowly went up5087. with thick black smoke, lit with ease5088. burning in a smouldering rage.5089. From far away the bell was rung,5090. as well the cry went up5091. that something went hither,5092. a flame in the prison.5093. Rosalind did recommend to him,5094. "We fly tonight-5095. this was my fight,5096. and before I die,5097. I'd like to see5098. this castle alight.5099. Don't wait for me,5100. but we shall see5101. if I can end5102. this evening right."5103. So she went to the armoury,5104. as Anton did turn to flee,5105. where she gathered a knife

5106. to be hidden in her sleeve.5107. Then she walked5108. with grace as stately5109. as the Queen she was,5110. away to the courtroom5111. to await the King5112. in the evening.5113. He was present,5114. fuming greatly,5115. stalking forwards and back5116. as if to have a heart attack.5117. "A fire!" he cried,5118. "And some burnt alive!"5119. She did but smile,5120. and asked that he5121. but still a while,5122. and sit for a meal5123. as the evening died.5124. He shook her off,5125. and paced some more;5126. he was consumed5127. by his loss in score5128. and knew not what5129. became as yet5130. of the wraiths5131. and those living dead.5132. The witch, he'd expect5133. lived, he'd bet,5134. but with that much said,5135. he knew not where5136. she would be.5137. Suddenly,5138. with a candle lit,5139. Rosalind stepped towards him,5140. and asked that he take the flame.5141. So he did, with a question on his lips;5142. "What is this for, my dear?"5143. With a glimpse of her eyes,5144. his heart felt fear-5145. and too soon his heart5146. felt the knife's tear.5147. Silence rang hatefully5148. through the empty court,5149. as the candle clattered and fell5150. down to his side.5151. The blue skinned King5152. grasped at the blade-5153. and slowly his colour did fade5154. as he fell to his knees.

5155. He looked at her,5156. and she at he,5157. and without a word,5158. she turned to leave.5159. As she left,5160. he crumpled,5161. finally.

5162. In the night,5163. the wagon did await,5164. and they were wont5165. to leave before day,5166. as the King could surely learn5167. of their presence there,5168. and send that they not make it free.5169. Instead,5170. they saw5171. distantly,5172. the Queen did ride5173. on a horse along5174. the darkened street,5175. while the flame caught wildly;5176. behind her, the King's defeat.5177. "Let us ride,"5178. said Rosalind,5179. as she saw Anton's5180. waving surprise.5181. And so the did,5182. into the night.

5183. Geoffrey and the Cartographer5184. were putting horses to spur5185. after a fitful sleep under some elm trees,5186. and a meal of berries.5187. They were haggard and ill-fed5188. delirious because no bed,5189. and rode with a panic to their hand.5190. They reckoned still5191. that miles would fill5192. the distance to the shore-5193. but they lost no time,5194. as in their mind,5195. a war was fit to burst.5196. So they rode their horses hard,5197. but by day three they were in shock,5198. and had to stop my the way5199. on a bare patch of granite rock.5200. Their horses wheezed and seemed to seize,5201. and they knew that had pushed their luck,

5202. they were still far from there destination,5203. and had nothing in way of preparation.5204. They knew the first thing5205. was water for the horses;5206. they took their leads,5207. and looked about5208. for ponds and winding courses.5209. They had their luck,5210. when a pond they struck5211. off the road a bit.5212. They horses neighed5213. as if in thanks5214. when they caught sight of it.5215. So they sat and breathed a bit5216. in the lush bush, they were free to sit5217. and take their leisure as they saw fit.5218. Still they were restless,5219. and rather than press forth,5220. they took heart and searched for5221. food to forage5222. like acorns.5223. They knew that if they felt bones,5224. their horses would need it most,5225. and so they searched and searched some more5226. until they found a fair new score5227. of berries and grass5228. to refill their gas,5229. and slow their pace5230. the rest of the way.5231.5232. With the castle burnt down5233. and the murder of the crown,5234. the kingdom in chaos,5235. ruler ship was tossed5236. like a glittering prize.5237. So the vultures circled,5238. and the webs were tightened5239. for to snatch up the castle5240. as it was falling down.5241. With Rosalind's disappearance,5242. no one took disturbance5243. for they believed her to be forthwith5244. a victim of a fright.5245. It allowed them to be churlish5246. at her recent expense,5247. and say she must relinquish5248. her ruler ship to them.5249. This was unanimous among them,5250. as it meant for every one

5251. they had a chance to run5252. into the seat of the kingdom.5253. Without the Queen or King,5254. they were all ready to spring5255. into action for5256. the powers of a God.5257. So they all went forth,5258. and the lords and nobles sallied5259. with vassals aplenty, rallied5260. to determine their new worth.5261. It came to pass that one5262. an illegitimate son5263. rose to prominence from5264. the recesses of the land.5265. Quickly he was done,5266. from a poison or some such5267. villainous treason against5268. his particular run.5269. The nobles were all vying for5270. the strength with their own ardour,5271. but wisdom caught,5272. and all but one saved their skins5273. from being done5274. just like that illegitimate son.5275. So it was that a certain stranger,5276. a noble man, from over yonder5277. became the man to catch the crown,5278. and settled a black shadow down.5279. This strange man, we'd recognize,5280. from his dark face and glowing eyes,5281. the chains that laced around his size,5282. the dark stranger, King Orisi.5283.5284. While the Kingdom was in repair,5285. the She Witch of Nozeth prepared5286. and slowly bid her time.5287. Her children circled round the chamber5288. where she had left them with a stranger5289. locked inside a pentacle-5290. thus it was they could suck,5291. but never touch or merely brush,5292. so that they may consume his soul;5293. instead, they slowly took their toll5294. on the man as he lost his life5295. strip by strip and wisp by wisp5296. his world an unending, starving strife.

5297. A week had past and the adventurers had gotten5298. to a village where they stopped in,

5299. to make a plan, and carry through-5300. they knew not where Nedward flew5301. with Geoffrey with maps,5302. but they supposed that5303. they would be on way5304. towards Verthusia.5305. So they sallied forth,5306. and hoped against the worst,5307. but in their time would see5308. what would come to play.

5309. At the church at the port town,5310. where Max and Alex set down,5311. the church was living a garish new life5312. with a lively parish of light.5313. The natives found them strange,5314. unorthodox and fabulous,5315. and many had arranged5316. to meet at their rallies;5317. they brought friends with them again,5318. on the next Sunday after.5319. The general consensus5320. was that the stories were a marvel-5321. they'd hear nothing of the greatness5322. of Jesus in the Bible-5323. they devoured the wisdom,5324. and starved for the truth,5325. so they sat down each Sunday,5326. each man and their wife.5327. So the Catholic faith did spread5328. across the sea to this strange land,5329. which Max and Alex did discover5330. was named Nozeth, with disclaimer5331. that that was not the ancient name,5332. but a recent change, they say-5333. originally the land was called5334. none other than Nemastal.

5335. King Orisi did send wide5336. a search for the she-witch;5337. he had heard of her blackest arts5338. and knew that he must stitch5339. some sort of link between the throne5340. and her power again;5341. so it was, on the third day,5342. The she witch emerged to him.5343. she was cowled in darkness,5344. and came with advance5345. of a raven with notice

5346. of her acceptance of hands5347. outstretched in welcome.5348. so she approached,5349. in a black cloak wrapping5350. around her whole.5351. As she entered, the King stood,5352. and in the scorched hall,5353. he remade the plinth;5354. he stepped down it's stairs,5355. and opened his arms-5356. "Queen of Nozeth,"5357. he said,5358. "would you be my bride?"5359. The witch kept her pace,5360. and came face to face5361. with the King clad in black,5362. his chains singing grace;5363. "No," said the witch,5364. "until the deal5365. is fully made plain5366. with your royal seal."5367. The King took the moment,5368. and breathed without pause-5369. "Then I recommend,5370. we join hands by law5371. that we might dominate all.5372. I know your position5373. was greater and hidden5374. with the previous King.5375. Thus I would bring5376. your majesty forwards5377. to be applauded and favoured5378. as the matron of Nozeth.5379. You would, as my Queen5380. give your support to our ascent5381. towards the heavens from5382. our mortal burdens.5383. As they say,5384. the sum of the parts5385. is greater than the whole,5386. and so I wish it of5387. our culmination to be true.5388. You will enjoy the proof of my admiration5389. with this powerful decoration-5390. I had it summoned from my residence5391. when I was a noble hence.”5392. "This, my dear," as he pulled it clear,5393. "is a diadem of Haza;5394. you will remember the golems of Maga

5395. that came from that time?5396. It would be a crime for this to be lost,5397. as it bears no earthly cost-5398. instead it is a relic of that time5399. with an enchantment I have strove5400. to find the place for5401. all my life-5402. With you, if you'd be my wife,5403. you'll find special favour5404. with this pleasure-5405. it allows the owner5406. to control and tether5407. the will of any other5408. to the point of exciting fever5409. or pushing them to death-5410. you may ensnare their breath5411. still their heart in the beating chest,5412. and you, the She witch of Nozeth-5413. I can deem no better place."5414. The she-witch of Nozeth5415. stood up straight5416. with a proud presence5417. a smile split her withered face.5418. "You are a fool, King Orisi,5419. to show me such gifts5420. and hope to deny5421. the power I would hold,5422. unless you lie,5423. or otherwise fold5424. truth to my eye."5425. King Orisi half bowed,5426. with his eyes on her frown,5427. and in sly he5428. stood up slowly;5429. with a studied air,5430. he raised a hand and left it there.5431. On his right hand,5432. on his third finger,5433. a ring resided brightly,5434. a mirror to what he'd give her.5435. "This is a counter5436. to that power that we spoke on;5437. it would allow me to resist5438. any influence you may insist5439. as freely as without5440. any imperious power.5441. So we may be5442. true to each other,5443. and lead."

5444. "A fine offer,5445. and I plead-5446. if thou art to speak truth,5447. what necessity5448. does the ring now hold,5449. does it influence me?"5450. The King smiled slowly,5451. and gave his own entreaty,5452. "I wear it as a memory5453. of those who gave it freely.5454. It grants me no boon,5455. save when in conjunction with you5456. when you wear upon your crown5457. the diadem I have found."5458. "Then let it be shortly5459. that I will marry thee.5460. Together, I can see5461. we make a greater tree5462. than if each would die alone,5463. instead let us share the throne5464. and with our powers shown,5465. spread a noble kingdom."5466. With that said,5467. King Orisi bequeathed the diadem,5468. retreated to his throne,5469. and with a hand5470. indicated she sit down5471. on the one besides him.

5472. When she had regally ascended the plinth,5473. He turned to her and said on a whim,5474. "What of the wraiths?5475. What to do with them?"5476. The Queen laughed,5477. and with a toss of her hand5478. brushed the thought aside-5479. "They will yet survive,5480. though I have a mind5481. to send them back5482. that they'd reside5483. in the plane they call home,5484. rather than be rent as clean as bone5485. by the hunger from this plane."5486. King Orisi nodded,5487. from his end of the game,5488. it was an opportunity for gain,5489. to strike as the old King planned,5490. but with greater reason.5491. Not merely would it please him,5492. but the outlanders had made an expedition

5493. with the introduction of their own religion5494. to the native population.5495. "It appears to me their is greater use-5496. instead, what I deduce,5497. is that we should send them5498. as a plague on the land,5499. Verthusia, I hear,5500. and of it clear5501. their military5502. and weaken the people until they5503. would submit to any saviour5504. that would lead them to the favour5505. of escaping a horrifying plague."5506. The Queen considered,5507. and with assent5508. nodded her head.5509. "It will do them health to feed-5510. such a wealth I cannot breed,5511. so we shall take them hence and lead5512. another nation across the sea."

5513. At the city by the sea,5514. all of the outsiders congregated-5515. there were sailors and monks,5516. an ex-queen and two exasperated5517. adventurers, and one magician5518. with four brothers, then.5519. They met and so they planned5520. that some would stay on5521. and some would land5522. on Verthusia as planned5523. with the news of war.5524. Markus, Damien and Anton5525. would head on;5526. Geoffrey and Nedward5527. and the Magician would accompany them,5528. so would the sailors.5529. Rosalind would stay5530. and deemed her life to pray5531. for her peace of mind-5532. with Father Entres,5533. Max and Alex,5534. she had chosen to silence5535. the pain of hate5536. that spread in her heart5537. with the love of God, to start5538. the healing of that abysmal cut5539. dealt by a hateful, infamous glut.5540. They united, and did quickly part

5541. each one off to restart5542. a life again that had then5543. been influenced beyond their ken.

5544. The King of Verthusia5545. was attended by God,5546. for of his associates5547. under his rod5548. he held in thought5549. the influence of higher things,5550. and a distinguished nod5551. went to his priestess who5552. he chose to listen for5553. God's almighty will to clear5554. a holy way through5555. the troubles of a tired kingdom5556. and the dangers of a war-5557. so he had an early warning5558. long before the course5559. had it that Nedward5560. and the rest came to him to say5561. that a war was planned with a mysterious land5562. off along sea ways.5563. He welcomed them, when they came5564. the party of those three-5565. Nedward, Geoffrey and the Magician's plea5566. came forward to be received-5567. they told him of the war intentions of the last known king5568. and how the King came to be rented from his throne by whim5569. of that certain weeping maiden who had now proclaimed5570. herself a nun in this land gone5571. over a rolling sea.5572. The King of Verthusia,5573. King Falsworth,5574. a noble man of noble heart5575. came to see their truth.5576. He told them that he'd seen the omens,5577. and asked for what would come-5578. they told him in their serious tones5579. of the horrors that had begun.5580. The wraiths they knew would come someday5581. but now they seemed hidden away5582. and in their wake all was grey5583. or black and rotting,5584. a horror blotting5585. all that is good and pure to die,5586. green a growing things would lie5587. in a diseased, devastated way5588. in the terrifying locust wave.

5589. So King Falsworth bid them stay,5590. that he may think the rest of the day.5591. So they did, and fed instead5592. on royal dishes like none could have.5593. The richest olives5594. the sweetest clams,5595. garnished with sauces5596. with bread and hams,5597. succulent fruits,5598. pepper, molasses,5599. vegetables grown5600. amazingly massive.5601. They had been starved5602. on their weary way,5603. so they ate all these staples5604. with an eager interplay.

5605. Rosalind prayed5606. on an empty pew5607. saying to God5608. all that she knew5609. all of her heart5610. and all her pain,5611. for all that had happened5612. she couldn't complain5613. for in that light chapel,5614. she felt her heart healed5615. with every breath,5616. a little congealed5617. with the goodness of God5618. and the love from his bosom5619. a miracle from5620. the torment before.5621. She sat and she wept,5622. and she cleaned her heart out-5623. it was purity to her,5624. a beauty without5625. agony or hardship5626. just sweet release5627. love; love without hurting5628. or painful grief.5629. She had vowed that she'd never leave5630. the side of God, and her belief.

5631. Max, Alex and Father Entres5632. did their very best to make a good mass5633. so they gathered their wits5634. and worked til the last5635. so they put all their effort

5636. into the task5637. of bringing in people5638. to enjoy their church.

5639. The King of Verthusia5640. was resplendent and glorious5641. when he called on5642. the adventurers of Nemastal;5643. he heard their many tales,5644. of their battles5645. and their torments,5646. how they struggled5647. and their stories met.5648. He desired to award them5649. with an honour to acclaim5650. the service they provided5651. in their country's name.5652. He brought to the a medal,5653. bequeathed on each of them5654. for outstanding merit,5655. in the face of an oppressive threat.5656. He had all of them applauded5657. before the nobles of his court5658. and had all of them attended5659. by ladies of a fetching sort.5660. They were held aloft5661. to be known and sought5662. by those of high society,5663. great ones of the King's propriety.5664. So they made a lasting figure5665. those persons of a epic, bigger5666. than the common or noble folk,5667. for the moment, as they broke5668. into public consciousness5669. as greatness did their figures bless.

5670. Miles away, horses did march,5671. carrying waggons of darkness that lurched5672. in a grotesque procession,5673. for many fold paces5674. taking unknowns to unknown places.5675. The King and the Queen5676. were inside a coach5677. that was seated at front,5678. as they did approach5679. the land they would doom,5680. across the sea;5681. Verthusia would die,5682. and they would then lead

5683. a skeletal land5684. ravished by greed5685. as immortal lych,5686. and their greatness would seed5687. a nation so bold, it would spread across land-5688. taking all places5689. that they could disband.5690. The marching was started,5691. the beat had been struck-5692. those unlit compartments5693. held horrors that sucked.5694. For in her dark corners,5695. the lych Queen had made5696. many more figures5697. that were still the same5698. as those she had started,5699. so now they were laid5700. in fives for ten cartings,5701. as they marched in their stage.5702. They had no prisoners,5703. except a few as that one-5704. who were trapped in a pentacle5705. slowly undone5706. to be milk to the young ones5707. who needed to feed,5708. that they might grow strong,5709. though not discover greed5710. lest they banish their position,5711. and spread like a curse5712. in their own land5713. where they would do5714. more than the worst.5715. So the whole army5716. moved like many hearse5717. and trickled down the path5718. towards more human earth.

5719. The war beat was heard,5720. all down the road,5721. at the Father's church,5722. with Rosalind in tow.5723. Max and Alex5724. shook, as they knew5725. that horrors came down,5726. and knew what to do.5727. They sent for a messenger5728. brave and too swift5729. to ship across the ocean5730. towards Atia's grip.

5731. They hoped they'd out pace them,5732. and give time to spare5733. that their message could alert them,5734. and they could meet despair5735. at sea with fire.5736. Thus the blackest curse on earth5737. would be sunk before it fell to worth5738. on human skin and toiled soil,5739. but that they could out do and foil5740. the new King and Queen5741. as they went their way5742. towards the quay,5743. towards the sea.

5744. Father Entres and them,5745. knew what was planned,5746. and so a young man,5747. who engaged in the church5748. rolled up his sleeves and abandoned his yurt.5749. He was a natural,5750. born at the sea,5751. so he went gladly5752. to wards destiny.5753. His name was Abert,5754. a man in his own,5755. with a crown with a spine5756. that went down his throat,5757. and along his back,5758. where he covered with that5759. same sort of cotton5760. as would have been gotten5761. from that spiny plant5762. that grows in those far fields.5763. His hope was to discover;5764. what went on appealed5765. to his sense of wonder-5766. though even keeled,5767. he did greatly desire5768. to sail far afield.5769. When he was asked by chance5770. to sail as a messenger,5771. his gladness was revealed,5772. and he took up his place5773. after he had kneeled.

5774. The world was racing,5775. and in the hearts of many5776. were dreams of war and terror,5777. and travesties aplenty.

5778. War is the greatest error,5779. and could it be avoided,5780. all would be unbroken,5781. and hands be merely soiled5782. by their brotherly toiling,5783. as sisters worked together in the fields,5784. yet for this unknown reason,5785. the hope for more appeals5786. to a sense of blood lust5787. a great sense of damnation.5788. So it was that to great fronts,5789. to spirits,5790. to great nations5791. came to know and became as foe5792. in so short a duration.

Part 4the War

5793. In his mountain chamber,5794. the giant felt a thunder5795. that broke him from his slumber5796. so soon to going under5797. after that strange young wonder5798. fell into this hole,5799. he felt his being groan,5800. at the comings of a war.

5801. His mind did not believe5802. the evidence of dream,5803. that told him, as it seemed,5804. that the King and Queen5805. had come again.5806. He looked at his own restraint,5807. and felt all of the haze5808. that is called rock and matter,5809. which he penetrated with a gaze.

5810. He felt that mighty pull5811. of duty to the crown,5812. so he uprooted and did fell5813. the mountain's peak with time.5814. For he was made of sterner stuff5815. then the rocks of mother earth-5816. enchanted with a magic touch5817. which has a mystic birth.

5818. He like many,5819. rose from homes

5820. under the earth,5821. and marched along5822. towards the sea,5823. towards the call,5824. and awaited there,5825. their master, all.

5826. In Verthusia,5827. the message caught5828. and spread like fire5829. to the King's court,5830. where it raised alarm,5831. and soldiers were made5832. to be ready at arms5833. for the coming days.5834. He took special precaution5835. to prepare ships at sea,5836. and hope that with luck,5837. he could end all with deeds5838. glorious and admirable5839. on the rolling waves,5840. rather than have death come,5841. to visit on his pages.

5842. The Magician was involved5843. as a player of his art,5844. that he may predict,5845. protect and end the start.

5846. The helmsman and the mapper5847. each did pay their dues,5848. and agreed to take the chapter5849. as knights for the King's ruse.5850. He commanded them to wait5851. in Atia with ships,5852. until they received word5853. to take to waves and pierce5854. the enemy as they sailed5855. with fire from their guns-5856. To sink them as they burned5857. to purge of unholy ones.5858. They nobly did consent,5859. and set upon their ways,5860. as captain the helmsman,5861. the cartographer his mate,5862. as candles5863. to light their countries' day.

5864. Thus they did wait ready,

5865. the Verthusian world quivered5866. for word from the Magician5867. to when they should deliver5868. themselves to the great ocean,5869. to clear the coming threat-5870. each man, each soldier willing5871. to die without regret5872. for their cause,5873. their nation, their home.5874. As their families filled their bones5875. with courage to defeat5876. whatever fear they'd meet.

5877. So it was, on a sunny day,5878. with waves crashing on the beach,5879. the Magician sent word5880. of the coming fleet.5881. Men, as soldiers,5882. filed in,5883. each with their regal5884. discipline.5885. Men, each brother,5886. shone in armour5887. as their ship was sailing under5888. that bright white sun,5889. and with good wind,5890. bringing them forwards5891. towards the end.

5892. The coast was clear, the sea was fine,5893. and the water was slapping so sublime;5894. the fish in the sea were leaping with glee,5895. it seemed to these5896. as they reached out to the open sea.5897. Destruction swept on the wind,5898. a foul smell like brimstone5899. curdling the water from green to grey,5900. tendrils outstretched for miles away,5901. and in the distance,5902. they saw the fleet5903. with a black cloud5904. giving them speed.5905. "Arm! To war!" the captains cried,5906. and each then bellowed5907. as each arrived5908. at their position,5909. at their own post-5910. and waited for engagement5911. with the oncoming host.

5912. The two winds clashed,5913. before the warships5914. and the air was shuddering5915. from such a turbulent strike.5916. The air started thickening,5917. cooling rapidly5918. then thick wet raindrops5919. fell to the sea.5920. The waves started churning,5921. like a serpent from slumber5922. a great beast beneath them5923. as they confront another.5924. So the armies cornered5925. each ship at rudder5926. aiming to take with5927. another ship to under;5928. if they could not sink5929. with spidershot5930. or furnace heated iron shot.5931. Thus the avant-garde5932. did reach the others,5933. they shot their cannons5934. over towards them-5935. Those black ships,5936. from the land of Nozeth5937. wither built like great caskets5938. that on the sea, shuddered.5939. There were but twenty,5940. and they sailed in a chevron5941. so as many would surpass and5942. the passengers aboard them.

5943. The first shot hit port5944. and swung the ship over;5945. the soldiers of King Falsworth5946. readied the cannons5947. each with their shot,5948. and their furnace5949. for hot shot to burn with.5950. With the fire lit,5951. and the ship coming close,5952. they fired it over,5953. and the sea did burst5954. off the ship at starboard,5955. with no damage done5956. to the ship as it sailed5957. under the rain from5958. the savage grey storm5959. that raged with its thunder.

5960. Within the ships,5961. they heard the rumble,5962. as they lugged their shot up deck.5963. The King had sent out

5964. some thirty frigates5965. to do the damage for their station.5966. Blast! went the cannons,5967. as the rain shoot their decks,5968. and cannons backed,5969. as they shot like a gun-5970. as the battle had begun.5971. Cannonballs flew through the air like more rain,5972. and the coffin ships5973. were hit and pitched,5974. and began to smoke5975. in rain.

5976. Just as flame5977. did hit the ships,5978. each seemed to burst5979. with ethereal wisps5980. of horrors grown5981. in no mother's womb-5982. and the spread across5983. the sea to whom5984. had shot the ships5985. they came from.5986. On one or two5987. they did pursue5988. these nightmare things5989. had raised a scream5990. that shook the hearts5991. of all who heard5992. and the cursed these5993. supernatural fiends.5994. On board of one,5995. it felt as though5996. the sea was5997. over flowing the bow;5998. the water was black5999. and thick as fat6000. which greased through6001. flesh, spirit, all.

6002. Soldiers were mauled6003. and fed upon as though6004. they were insects6005. to these bats that blew6006. on the stormy air;6007. they dropped once consumed,6008. weakened and grey,6009. suffering from the drastic change6010. of having their soul exhumed

6011. from the depths of their breasts6012. as they were passed through.6013. Once hit again6014. by the wisps,6015. these men6016. dropped on their backs6017. dead in their tracks.6018. So ships where whipped6019. in a storm within storm,6020. of matter reduced6021. from form without form.

6022. Still the ships fired,6023. causing more flames,6024. burning those black ships down,6025. through and through.

6026. In their ships,6027. The cartographer and mapper6028. heaved with the sea,6029. and their crew pulled relentlessly6030. on their sails to hold them still,6031. or worked like demons6032. with the fire to kill.6033. With flames rocketing outwards6034. from their ship,6035. they held their place6036. and fought the sea.6037. To the captain Nedward6038. a dark thought occurred;6039. that the wraiths could fly,6040. and so they could feed.6041. With a shout,6042. he called Geoffrey to heed;6043. "We will all die,6044. that's what I see-6045. each ship must burn,6046. and burn at sea-6047. else wise the wraiths will lead6048. the victory by attrition-6049. for, in their position,6050. they can slide across the sea,6051. without difficulty.6052. I doubt they could make the whole way-6053. but once they land on a ship,6054. they can lead it away.6055. Therefore, Geoffrey,6056. we must burn any ship that carries disease."6057. Geoffrey heard this as a pit of horror bloomed

6058. but once he had heard,6059. he resumed;6060. he did his duties,6061. and let men know6062. their new orders,6063. and that they should go6064. about shooting down6065. those two frigates bound6066. to their fate as a plague;6067. he marked them as red,6068. and sent semaphore flags6069. dictating what was said6070. to the rest of the band.6071. Red and yellow snapped in the air6072. and with a tone of despair the cannons fired6073. sinking those ships where the wraiths were,6074. which erupted in flames from the hot shots they used6075. sinking in the splattering sea fused6076. with the open sky and roaring wind.6077. The enemy was thinned,6078. the coffin ships burnt,6079. the day was turning6080. to the better from worst6081. for King Falsworth's men.6082. They herded their fleet6083. and surrounded them two deep6084. at a distance so to6085. avoid the wraith's approach-6086. they fired and fired,6087. and the enemy front was broken.6088. Slowly, like grease6089. the black boats sunk into the green sea6090. as the cold front eased,6091. and the victors knew peace.

6092. The flags waved the signal6093. to sink the last of the wrecks,6094. and to get home this night.6095. so they sailed back,6096. and rejoiced until light.

6097. On the bottom of the sea,6098. slowly marching6099. were the giants of the Maga,6100. from the ancients of the Haza6101. making their way6102. towards their prey,6103. the Land of Verthusia.6104. King Orisi and Queen Nozeth

6105. made their orders6106. as the coffins did depart,6107. not knowing that6108. the golems did march6109. slowly and surely6110. to their beach,6111. a score in number6112. and greater than any6113. mechanism of war6114. in any age since-6115. they burst from underground6116. or whatever place that6117. they were crammed into,6118. weighted in with time-6119. as the landscape change by the magic6120. that ran rampant to bind6121. all those old mysteries6122. into their places,6123. moving rock faces6124. and put them in stasis.

6125. The people of Nemastal6126. were at wonder when these6127. great stone anomalies6128. marched with their knees6129. at the second floor;6130. it was thus they seized,6131. the people of6132. the port side town,6133. and looked above.

6134. Thus Rosalind knew6135. the horrors that now bore6136. to her homeland,6137. on the ocean floor.6138. So she set out,6139. with the help of Max and Alex6140. to cross the sooner,6141. to prepare her people for6142. these golems that were nothing6143. like anything seen before6144. by any soul6145. alive to know;6146. they were ancient things of lore.

6147. Rosalind6148. at heart did brim6149. with courage as she start6150. across the water

6151. to her home.6152. She prayed to God6153. that she would cross6154. before the things,6155. to make it known,6156. for she knew6157. that the Queen did hide6158. behind many disguise6159. her plans to come6160. with false alibis6161. when she knew6162. the witch in court;6163. thus some subtle6164. poignant retort6165. was sure to come6166. to rip apart6167. the hearts of men6168. and those who guard6169. her sacred land.6170. She hoped and prayed,6171. and fought the waves,6172. that were quite calm for those three days,6173. and arrived of course6174. off a village port6175. where she made it known6176. she must have horse.6177. A smart young man6178. gave her a gelding6179. without kick and quiet,6180. then told her the worst.6181. "It's two days travel by horse6182. if you travel over this course,6183. off to Atia;6184. I wish you safely and6185. come back someday, huh?"6186. She kicked her heels on the horse and fled,6187. riding full tilt until the horse was dead,6188. or almost killed and wheezed until6189. it walked with a deadened tread.6190. At night she walked slumped on it's back,6191. and the next day she feared the horse would smack6192. dead on the dirt,6193. being accustomed to work6194. and not moving fast.6195. She got to Atia6196. at dinner when men were at6197. table with cheer,6198. for the war, never fear6199. had sizzled and quit

6200. before it began, they did quip.6201. Rosalind broke through6202. to a guard house into6203. the dining hall6204. with all the men present;6205. she had a fervour and menace6206. that comes from someone who has gone6207. many miles with too little food6208. and too little sleep6209. for the sake of some good.6210. "Men, be at arms,6211. be on your guard,6212. there are golems that march6213. from that land afar!"6214. A guard did insist6215. that she get lost, and pitched6216. a clever insult for one pissed.6217. She didn't have notice6218. for anything but onus6219. to her great duty to save her land.6220. She cried and she shouted,6221. and the men were outed,6222. that they tried to get her out in the end-6223. Geoffrey showed up6224. as they were pushing her out,6225. and she was able to call on her friend.6226. "Geoffrey, come heed me,6227. there is a fear that is seeping6228. towards here from under the sea."6229. Geoffrey did order6230. that the men that did force her6231. did stop immediately.6232. "Geoffrey, great golems6233. walk at depth along6234. the ocean floor towards6235. Atia's castle doors.6236. I set out when they did,6237. and its been five days since6238. I left the church floors.6239. Please, I hope you will endorses6240. what I'm saying, for the course,6241. we must save our land and bar the doors!"6242. Geoffrey feared for her head,6243. so he had her sent to bed,6244. and sent word to the Magician and Nedward.

6245. Together, they conferred6246. on Rosalind's word6247. that there was a threat from underwater.

6248. The Magician, surprised6249. through scrying eyes6250. verified this statement was true-6251. he said that these things,6252. these golems, were a stream6253. that ran steadily forwards.6254. He demeanour did not change,6255. but the state of his ways6256. denoted some great anxiety.6257. His friends looked perturbed,6258. and with his new words,6259. took note for what6260. they should do6261. and how they could do6262. anything to stop6263. the coming coup.

6264. Together, they thought,6265. and devised their plot6266. that the golems would stop at nothing.6267. The best then,6268. would be to end6269. the destruction by abandoning.6270. If they left no life6271. to be a target,6272. all the buildings would be upended,6273. and rebuilt, or later mended-6274. They would flow like water6275. out, then back in6276. hiding in the outskirts,6277. then ambushing these things.6278. They sent out a signal6279. for all the men to fall6280. into the court where they6281. instructed them all6282. to escort the people gently6283. into the forests along6284. the edges of the city,6285. which took not so long.6286. Thus all the army was hidden6287. with the people hidden too-6288. and as dawn rose,6289. their beautiful city6290. was razed by those from the blue;6291. they came from the water6292. titanic, gargantuan6293. and shook the earth with their footfalls-6294. for there were many and they did quick work6295. of all that their eyes would befall.

6296. It became clear to those men that stood by6297. that this foes would not easily die-6298. they planned and they wondered,6299. and it seemed clear to these6300. who stood about whispering6301. that they were easier trapped6302. than dispatched.

6303. Rosalind slept6304. on a cot of stone6305. surrounded by people6306. she had never known-6307. no longer in6308. that phantasmagorical dream,6309. but a reality of6310. her bones again.6311. The distance from pain6312. had been vaster afar,6313. but to be in the forests6314. of Verthusia did mar6315. and mangle the perfect tangle6316. of her broken heart.6317. It opened the cut,6318. yet let it breathe,6319. that she would remember,6320. with the soft breath of ease6321. found in one's country6322. if one is alone6323. as she was then,6324. sitting on stone.6325. The world was in havoc6326. but she didn't care-6327. she was happy to be living-6328. happy to be there.6329. If one is in havoc,6330. one can find peace-6331. in the loss of ones senses,6332. or the moment's sweet release.

6333. Rosalind breathed in6334. as the villagers were without6335. a home for the present,6336. and fear had then fought6337. to the hold of their throats,6338. which were hoarse in their whisper6339. always watching for them,6340. always holding dearer6341. what little they had,6342. and what they could hold

6343. was stuffed up against them,6344. and cuddle with cold.6345.6346. The Magician and King Falsworth6347. made their battle plans in secret,6348. relying on ambush and dug dirt6349. to stall and impede the new threat.6350. They planned to predict the pathway6351. of those golems that they6352. might dig a hole or pathway6353. that would keep them from approach.6354. The plan, the Magician knew,6355. was likely to be doomed,6356. unless the lore did sew6357. a false account of all that was known6358. about these golems who6359. could work against a mountain6360. as a child digs in clay.6361. Never the less,6362. they deigned6363. that they could capture them6364. and wrap them up and smash them.6365. That was the hope, for them.

6366. Markus, Anton and Damien6367. did spend their days hemmed6368. in by the city streets-6369. the capitol was grand,6370. from the work of one thousand master plans6371. by engineers and architects,6372. with pinnacles so high as to break necks.6373. The streets all progressed6374. up a steady slope6375. joining and ending6376. at the castle moat;6377. the whole was surrounded6378. by a great wall,6379. and it was foolishness to imagine6380. with any war would it fall-6381. it was made twelve feet thick6382. of solid stone;6383. there was not a cannon ball6384. or any art of human bone6385. that could topple this tall wall;6386. all around it were towers6387. with gunman to call6388. if there was approach6389. of an army at all.6390. Cannons were placed

6391. at each of these sections6392. to provide relief from such attacks6393. for the citizen's protection.6394. Markus and Anton with Damien along6395. could not feel safer,6396. as they went on6397. with their life as it was,6398. humble to above6399. in pious prostrations6400. at the cathedrals with love6401. to all that is holy,6402. to God above.6403. Still, they felt the murmurs6404. of fears within dreams6405. that the people were restless,6406. and things not as they seem.6407. They did their best then,6408. to stay calm and help men6409. as they could, in their ways.

6410. As the Giants pressed,6411. the soldiers fell backwards.6412. The townsfolk retreated,6413. to fill in after6414. where the giants had devastated;6415. the land they left bare6416. was covered in patchwork6417. of their homes and their fare.6418. The Giants seemed to6419. know where to go,6420. being driven inwards6421. from the ocean they flowed6422. inwards to the capital,6423. the castle of the King,6424. and they left devastation,6425. and nothing could stop them.6426. They tried holes,6427. they tried trenches,6428. they tried walls of earth and wood.6429. These giants would blast through6430. anything they could6431. devise or dig,6432. though they could gently slow6433. the course of these monstrosities6434. with the holes and the wood.6435. The forest was being ravaged,6436. as a path was ripped through,6437. and the worst was what happened,6438. as the Giants exhumed

6439. the roots of the forest6440. with their steady press.

6441. Some ships made a landing,6442. among the peasant's left,6443. in the ruins of the city6444. of what used to be Atia;6445. black ships were unloaded,6446. and brought a dementia6447. that scoured those hoping6448. for growth and rebirth.6449. These things damned, and horribly cursed.6450. The wraiths, those demons, were landed and ate6451. indiscriminately, all they could take.6452. Only five were what was needed6453. to empty the place,6454. but five great wraiths,6455. were the scourge of Verthusians.

6456. The King and Queen walked proudly,6457. after their procession,6458. the giants pressing forwards,6459. arching up the tension,

6460. while the wraiths created locusts6461. from the souls of the dead,6462. with a zombie hoard unfolding,6463. and bringing them ahead.6464. Slowly, by attrition,6465. all was made black and dead,6466. and the sounds of Nozeth aggression6467. pressed to the castles' edge.

6468. The City was exploding with expressions of fear,6469. as the golems did slowly draw near.6470. People had known that the enemy closed,6471. as they had been marched slowly towards the halls6472. but they were assured nothing could break castle walls.6473. The King had accepted more villagers under his wing6474. to stay safe inside the city rim,6475. as he believed, or had said,6476. that nothing would break6477. those castles walls, by heaven's sake.6478. Canons were blasting,6479. and shouts rang in the air6480. above the general panic6481. in the city square6482. The streets were filled,6483. by the people in from their homes6484. scurrying and scattering6485. and clustering in droves.6486. The priests, Anton and Markus6487. with Damien in tow6488. did their best to sedate these,6489. and clear them of woe.6490. Their efforts were in vain,6491. as the shouts slowly rang6492. louder and louder6493. and the ground began to shake.6494. Great heads were appearing6495. over the wall line,6496. as these monstrosities6497. advanced in their time.6498. The canons seemed helpless6499. to stop this new press6500. though the soldiers were valiant6501. and did their best.6502. The walls began to shake,6503. and the soldiers ran away,6504. as the stones did not just break6505. but shatter in the air.6506. The screams rang loud through the city, where6507. mortar fell like rain,

6508. and great horrors stalked.

6509. Inside the castle,6510. King Falsworth knew that6511. the only hope for his people6512. was if he give them that6513. attack their ancient home6514. the power of his throne,6515. and from the devastation that so far6516. had ran across his home,6517. he knew this was to be done.

6518. The City was screaming,6519. and the walls had come down,6520. as the King went in a procession,6521. of the royal crown.6522. He headed to the main gates,6523. which were left untouched,6524. and with his attendants,6525. left the cities clutch6526. into the maw of those he saw6527. advancing, as a deathly horde.

6528. His heart and soul drank horror,6529. but he knew no other way-6530. he made his advance,6531. to save the capital city.

6532. King Orisi and Queen Nozeth6533. marched at the head6534. in a stately black carriage6535. with two dark black mares.6536. The golems had halted,6537. and stood at the edge6538. of King Falsworth's city,6539. as threatening death.

6540. The procession neared,6541. and every step cleared6542. the hopelessness for his men.6543. The dead horde of townsfolk6544. fluttered with gems;6545. black glistening locusts6546. that cleared all the trees,6547. and ravaged the grass6548. under the feet6549. of those coming things6550. with dead eyes6551. and pale, bloodless limbs.

6552. Before them,6553. behind the coach,6554. were those five wraiths,6555. which had grown6556. to inhuman size,6557. yet less then the golems;6558. they were vile to behold,6559. greasy pale folds6560. of ethereal stuff6561. bubbling and boiling6562. in the slight wind6563. that whipped at their folds.

6564. So they approached,6565. with finality and poise,6566. and where King Falsworth stopped,6567. so did those,6568. the King and his Queen,6569. and the rest of the dream6570. that piled up behind them,6571. and blackened all the green.

6572. Rosalind6573. wandered within6574. the castle walls6575. with a vague notion6576. of what she saw6577. and what she heard,6578. but could not recall6579. what had hurt-6580. her heart swelled,6581. to fix it sores,6582. and memory opened6583. and broke down its walls;6584. she was on6585. a vast and open plane.6586. She remembered6587. a certain man,6588. a figure, common and regular6589. like any other6590. yet she remembered his name;6591. Edgar.6592. All was white that faded to haze6593. with a vestigial (shadowy) notion6594. of passing days-6595. her memories returned,6596. and with pain they burned6597. into her awareness as she heard-

6598. The city was crying,6599. and weeping with fear,6600. as those titans6601. towered as fear.6602. The wall was demolished6603. and spread on the streets,6604. will chunks of history6605. trod by mad feet.6606. All then depended6607. on one man alone,6608. and what he would do6609. as the last of his throne.

6610. The Kings did meet;6611. a black force on feet6612. against crumpling streets.6613. King Falsworth was flanked6614. by two guards, in raiment.6615. King Orisi had Queen Nozeth by his side.6616. Their meeting did preside6617. over all knowing minds;6618. those in the streets6619. and who did hide6620. inside their homes6621. fearing the timbers6622. would break like bones6623. in the coming throes6624. just shivered and shook6625. while the silence took place.6626. The dead, and the wraiths,6627. just stood in their place6628. wheezing and flaring,6629. with bubbles and grace.6630. Those titans,6631. with their unmoving faces,6632. were lifeless.6633. King Falsworth stepped forwards,6634. and said in a bold voice-6635. "I ask for the terms6636. that you request6637. for reverting your attack6638. and further conquest."6639. Queen Nozeth laughed,6640. with her undeniable face,6641. "You will give us your life,6642. and we shall hold this place;6643. it shall be as a new gate6644. to the great Kingdom,6645. and expansion of Nemastal's fate."

6646. The King's lip quivered,6647. and his will was forced to break-6648. as his hand crept towards6649. the weapon that hang slack6650. around his waist.6651. Slowly,6652. as sweat poured from his face,6653. The sword hissed out;6654. He opened his mouth,6655. and tried to shout,6656. but instead,6657. the blade whipped back6658. to slice of his head.6659. His neck split open,6660. and the blood ran red,6661. as his eyes stared upwards6662. and his spine did clang6663. against the steel.6664. He fell slowly,6665. to his knees,6666. and his guards in raiment6667. did move, then freeze.6668. King Orisi6669. did take his ease6670. as he stepped forwards6671. and said to these-6672. "Announce the arrival,6673. of a new King."6674. The guards bowed in a hurry,6675. and made their way within.6676. The day quivered6677. with a threat of rain.

6678. By the time the guards6679. had made their way to the castle gates,6680. the sky had opened,6681. and water poured6682. on the streets6683. and on the heads6684. of those suffering folk6685. with the weight of a heavy yoke6686. set upon their shoulders.6687. In their hearts they knew6688. what had happened6689. and the people grew6690. greatly saddened,6691. with a slow terror6692. in their stomachs6693. for the future

6694. that had begun.6695. The guards went to the palace,6696. and announced the news there,6697. that the King had been laid down6698. and they had left him there6699. at the feet of those tyrants,6700. and ran in their fear-

6701. After they were heard,6702. a dark wave spread,6703. and at its head,6704. was the guards frantic spurn6705. that the King was dead.6706. This frenzy fed6707. in each persons head6708. that heard these words6709. and filled with with dread.6710. As the news crashed6711. along the streets,6712. a wail rose up6713. as a whipping gale.6714. Remorse was unbound6715. from the tide of fear,6716. and without eyes for the future,6717. all that was clear6718. was a pit had just opened,6719. and all were put in it,6720. as the King and Queen horse whipped6721. their black chariot in.6722. The gates were left open,6723. and the procession began,6724. of the Royals of Nozeth6725. and the wraiths at their tails.6726. The horde of dead things6727. was left in a ring6728. surrounding the city,6729. with the sentinels within;6730. those great golems,6731. towering and still.

6732. They clattered up the streets,6733. and chill it was to meet6734. these aliens of Nemastal;6735. the wraiths at their tail6736. sucked the life from the very air,6737. and everyone felt ill6738. who caught sight of the pair6739. and their horrifying attendants;6740. peasants clutched pendants

6741. and made signs in the air.6742. The sun was blacked out,6743. in the drizzle of despair.

6744. They made their way6745. to the castle gates6746. and they commanded then6747. that they be opened.6748. Dutifully, fearfully,6749. the gate keepers obeyed;6750. the castle lay prone,6751. the King and Queen, grave6752. stepped over the threshold6753. in the carriage that day.

6754. As they arrived at the castle,6755. trumpets called out6756. in a forbearance foreshadowing6757. the honour and clout6758. of these two outsiders,6759. these foreign royals6760. who had taken the kingdom6761. with minimal spoils.6762. The King and the Queen6763. swept up to their thrones,6764. in a grand gallery from6765. ages past and present6766. depicting Verthusian heroes6767. resplendent and daring,6768. nobles with caring, considerate eyes6769. not for the world despised6770. though perhaps disdained6771. in a hushed table side way6772. by the common folk6773. in their day.6774. These two, King Orisi6775. and Queen Nozeth6776. took the step and the very breath6777. of all those who looked on,6778. including the soldiers and nobles6779. who cowered in fox holes6780. as the titans crashed.6781. The Magician and Rosalind6782. both saw the procession;6783. Geoffrey and Nedward6784. were affronted and afraid6785. at the sudden change of day6786. as the two black shapes passed this way.6787. The wraiths were left outside

6788. to slowly swirl and glide6789. as guards of the very worst kind.6790. They sat, these figures in black6791. and cast their eyes on those who survived-6792. their minds seemed to calculate6793. some wicked facts6794. as they surmised6795. each nobles traits,6796. and seemed satisfied6797. once they could satiate6798. or overcome6799. any dissidents.6800. No whispers were heard then,6801. and the silence of the grave6802. came from and the men and women6803. who stood and saw that day.

6804. So Rosalind was broken down,6805. though came to be strong in the crowd6806. of those that were to save the day,6807. the optimists, that held sway;

6808. The King and Queen felt that no perdition6809. it was of no necessity for contradiction6810. with the religion of the land,6811. in Nemastal or under them6812. in Verthusia.

6813. Rosalind, as a white figure6814. she was a sign of good6815. to the people met,6816. she did as she should.6817. She dealt with the poverty6818. after the blight,6819. and strained with the yoke6820. of these two new despots.6821. They planned to repair fate6822. to replant and remake6823. to earn a great place.6824. The people were employed6825. to replant the fields6826. and repair the rubble,6827. that Atia would stand again,6828. though the winter would be trouble.6829. Very little food remained6830. after the locusts went and came6831. when the Queen drove them into the sea.6832. The titans remained6833. as statues

6834. outside Verthusia's capital;6835. They were a symbol of power6836. and of the might over rabble-6837. though they turned outwards6838. as the power behind the gavel6839. of these unholy two.

6840. A noble was a steward in6841. Nemastal, where the men6842. at the Church6843. in the city6844. by the shore6845. had no word,6846. except from a messenger6847. who crossed the sea,6848. "a strange looking commoner"6849. said by a man with crab feet.6850. To them the news6851. was spice and delight,6852. "Verthusia has fallen,6853. Long live the King!"6854. Though the significance was lost on them6855. as to what this would really mean.6856. They knew the King6857. who died before6858. had a Queen from some land6859. beyond the shore6860. called Verthusia-6861. so still the same6862. must be this same land.6863. Verthusia,6864. a mystery6865. from which strange beasts6866. were sure to be-6867. strange beliefs6868. had spread from there6869. and Father Entres6870. and the others6871. encountered many a stare.6872. Most plainly wondered6873. what was said6874. of the war ever starting?6875. Had they missed it in bed?6876. For the place they had heard of6877. had never declared war6878. on Nozeth that they knew of6879. ever before.6880. In fact it was a mystery6881. where the land could be

6882. that it was suddenly so close6883. yet had never before been seen.

6884. But their days went on happily6885. for those many strange oddities6886. that lived on the island6887. across the sea-6888. though Verthusia worked slavishly6889. to reset the seeds6890. and grow back its peace.6891. The King and Queen6892. were rarely seen,6893. and horrible whispers came6894. of them needing children6895. and these frightened pleadings6896. never being hear of,6897. or those sad young eyes6898. never being seen6899. by their friends6900. or by their families.

6901. The trenches were filled in6902. and the dead trees hauled away6903. eaten through and fallen over6904. after the locusts had their day.6905. The forest would regrow itself6906. after the saplings took their root6907. and the young trees began to shoot.6908. The land was strictly operated6909. by the guards that had been initiated6910. in a military coup d'état.6911. They were in a perplexing state.6912. Each soldier that had been their that day6913. was normal in every way6914. except when duty defined what to say6915. or what actions to take6916. instead of reason's play.6917. They were programmed6918. in a certain way6919. to do, it seemed6920. as they were told exactly;6921. and it is this way to this day.

6922. The lyches are still on the throne6923. skeletal and white as bone,6924. though they still have some6925. resonance of position.6926. Though time has passed6927. and things have changed,

6928. they defy the grave6929. by unholy sway.6930. Slowly they expanded6931. the kingdom's place6932. to be an empire6933. by tactical ways;6934. first it was war might6935. with those great titans,6936. who were not defeated6937. though some lost in the desert6938. where strange magical men6939. seemed to subdue6940. a few by their means-6941. a desert of resistance grew.6942. The great planes and forests6943. were largely uncovered6944. and fly marked and trampled on6945. by the locusts and the trumpets6946. of the soldiers in formation;6947. the wraiths were avant-gaurd6948. and went into the cities6949. where the Kings did not surrender.

6950. So the years went on forever,6951. Rosalind rejoined her lover;6952. she died an old woman,6953. alone in her bed6954. worked hard by toils6955. with calloused hands.6956. She had learnt to smile6957. and give a soft hand6958. to comfort the child6959. or the distraught young man.

6960. The Christian faith did meet6961. another faith of worth6962. and ebb and flow6963. together;6964. Father Entres became the man6965. who discovered the faith6966. of the other land;6967. he incorporated his words to those6968. of the the Nemastal pantheon6969. with plans of spreading6970. the good of Christianity6971. with Alex and Max6972. in the ways they did best-6973. by preaching honestly.

6974. The Magician eluded6975. the King and Queen's grasp,6976. and headed for the foothills,6977. as he began,6978. so he did last.6979. He became a wandering man6980. again with little plans6981. but to stay away from them6982. that would use their power6983. to upend his soul6984. and take from him6985. his self control.

6986. Geoffrey and Nedward6987. both suffered this fate,6988. as knights of the King,6989. they became first mates6990. on the ships that did sail6991. through many battles6992. as King Orisi's chattel.

6993. The lands that were brought together6994. stayed tethered for many ages,6995. and the story of those two lovers6996. who brought these worlds both together6997. was forgotten as a side note in history.

The End