Prologue: Quest for the Red Sappire
It was a cold and dreary night. Even for the rainy season in the subtropical nation of Sartan, the air was damp and chilled. It was the sort of night when children volunteered to stay indoors and pets refused to set foot out of the house. Such were the conditions in the capitol city of Sartan, named Fraylic, when a lone figure strode boldly down the center of the street, in the area known as Old Town. In the largest city, in the medieval world of Lavacia, the original stone boulevards had been decimated over time leaving grooves, cavities and numerous signs of neglect. The buildings bordering the street fared no better. Time and lack of maintenance had left the once pristine neighborhood in a dilapidated state, giving shelter to those without means and those without conscience.
The fine mist had settled into an icy fog, which clung to the ground and swirled, as the figure passed its folds. Even in the poor lighting it was clear that the individual was a markedly tall man, with broad shoulders and a thick build. A gray woolen cloak covered the top of his head to his feet and was held closed in the front. The sound of his boot heels unabashedly striking the ground was the only sound, save for the trickle of water running down the sides of the street. Then a second set of heels sounded on the road ahead of him. Moments later, a man of normal stature skulked into the street and came to a stop at its center, where he turned toward the oncoming person and folded his arms.
The first man came to a stop not more than ten paces away from the one blocking his path. Then he spoke. “You certainly chose an obscure place for this transaction, Mr…”
The second man answered. “My name is of no consequence here, but yours is Dirk Grithinshield. I suppose you would have preferred to do business in your sizable store in the merchant district, but I find this setting more to my liking.”
“Your odds are better as well,” Dirk commented. “You can tell your men surrounding me to come out. We are alone and I already know where they are hiding.”
“You are mistaken,” the man said halfheartedly. “The agreement was that we each come alone.”
“Indeed, that was the arrangement,” Dirk confirmed. “You can tell that I have not been followed. However, I can see the breath of your men hiding there, there, there and there.” Dirk pointed at places in a circle around him. “It makes me wonder if you have kept your word on the rest of our bargain.”
The man waved, then four armed men stepped out of the shadows and moved closer to Dirk. “You are observant, Grithinshield. I’ll give you that.”
Dirk sighed in a tone that expressed that the situation did not surprise him in the least. “I could inquire further about your expected deception, but I want this transaction to be over with as soon as possible. Do you have the key I seek?”
The man was angered that his actions were anticipated and that they did not intimidate Dirk, as he had hoped. “I have the key, but I didn’t hear any coins jingle as you were walking. That makes me wonder if you have the money on which we agreed.”
“Fear not good sir,” Dirk answered. “The money is close by. Now, since you appear to have me at a disadvantage, and I am the one who has kept his word so far, you will show me what I am purchasing first.”
The man scowled and produced a golden key from his pocket. Begrudgingly, he tossed it to the waiting right hand of Grithinshield. Dirk ran his fingers down its length and looked at its handle in detail. Then, he tossed it back to the man who caught it, in an effort to defend his face.
“That was a poor attempt at a forgery,” Dirk said sternly. “Not only is the key warped, but you can see a glimpse of the iron underneath, where it was held as it was dipped in molten gold. The key I seek is solid gold. Your credibility is dwindling by the moment and I am mildly annoyed. Show me the real key, if you have it, or you will not see a single gold pharring.”
The man became angrier, but he had to give Dirk his due. He was no fool. Reaching in another pocket, he produced a different key and threw it to Dirk as his men closed their range. Dirk again caught it with his right hand and looked it over as before. He spent more time examining it than the first key. “Exquisite,” he noted. “The craftsmanship is as fine as any forgery I have ever seen. Whoever made this for you should be commended.”
The man became furious. “Are you calling me a liar?”
Dirk tossed the key back and answered. “You just heard every word I said and at no time did I call you a liar. I merely stated that this is a forgery. The good news is that it is an exact casting of the original key. That means you have or had the real one at some point. My guess is that you have at least one more buyer in line and that you seek to maximize your profits. It is a bold plan, but one which will not work on me. Now I will ask you one last time. Toss me the real key or I leave and you get nothing.”
The man began to curse to himself, as Dirk had clearly seen through the ruse. After he found himself exasperated, he removed a gold chain from around his neck. A key hung from its links. With disgust, he threw the chain to Dirk.
After only moments of examination, Dirk proclaimed, “This, is what I came to purchase. You have finally held up your end of the bargain. So I shall hold up mine. Among the refuse on the right side of the street, is a sack with your money under an old crate. I scouted this area earlier and placed it there.”
A quick search by the nearest man found a hefty sack filled with gold. The man nodded the substantiation of the sum to his leader. “It seems you have lived up to your end of our accord. I can see how you have earned the nickname of ‘The Honest Trader’.”
“Such titles are hard to achieve and even harder to maintain,” Grithinshield noted. “All the fine words in the world will not make up for you having a name for impropriety. We made an arrangement and you eventually fulfilled your part, so I fulfilled mine. Our business is concluded. I bid you good night.”
The leader drew his sword. “If only it were that simple Grithinshield. You are a smart one. There is no denying that. For example, you were right that there is another buyer interested in that key. Since I have your money now, I will be requesting you return the chain and key to me. My admiration for your abilities compels me to let you live if you do so. But in the end, why should I be satisfied with one fortune when I can sell the same item twice and have two hoards? You were foolish to come here alone. Now toss me the key and we will let you leave with your life. My good name means little to me; which I suppose is the reason I never give it out.” The men surrounding Dirk drew their swords.
Dirk calmly removed the hood of his cloak, revealing the long blond hair on the middle aged man. Then he placed the chain around his neck. “You know, my son is training with Sedemihcra of Valia and he wrote to me that one of his first lessons was never to underestimate your opponent. To your misfortune, you have misjudged me and my abilities. You have broken our agreement and must pay the consequences.” He pulled a string at the top of his cloak and it fell to the ground. Dirk wore black armor around his torso and a matching shield baring the Grithinshield family crest in his left hand. The hilt of a broadsword stood out over his right shoulder. With that hand, he drew the weapon and held a masterfully crafted, gleaming bone sword. “You were wrong to think I was alone. I brought my faithful companion, Falconfeather, with me.”
The leader began to laugh and the others joined suit, “The trader brings a sword crafted from bone against our iron weapons and expects us to cringe?” The laughter continued.
Dirk swung Falconfeather back and forth as it rolled across his fingers like one of his digits. As it did so, the blade began to glow bright white in color until it appeared flames were running its length. “Your fate has been sealed. Falconfeather is angered and is, after all, a predator. The time has come for her to strike down her prey.”
As Dirk had talked, a man had approached from behind and was prepared to attack. It was to no avail as Falconfeather had communicated that information to Dirk long before the man was near. When the man reached up to strike; Dirk spun around and struck the man it the side with Falconfeather. The great blade easily cut through the man’s armor, slicing through his body like a butcher’s knife, before exiting at the completion of the stroke on the far side. The two halves of the man fell harmlessly to the ground.
The taste of blood made Falconfeather yearn for more. Dirk rushed the other man on that side and brushed a crushing blow aside with his shield. He then drove Falconfeather straight through the man's breastplate of his armor and erupted from his back. Placing his foot on the body for leverage, Dirk withdrew his weapon and turned to welcome the two attackers from behind that he knew were nearly upon him.
Both men attacked at once but Dirk was icy calm and prepared. He fended off one blow with his shield while clashing swords with the second. Once again, Falconfeather dominated. The iron sword of the man snapped at the initial contact, allowing Falconfeather to strike at the clavicle and slice through all the bones until it stopped in the stomach at Dirk’s order. The man was no longer a threat and on the point of death. Dirk needed his blade against his other opponent. Falconfeather deposited the man like a stone and wheeled around in Dirk’s grasp as the fourth man hit the shield repeatedly. With a single swipe, Dirk decapitated his opponent and kicked the body aside.
Dirk turned his attention to the leader and stomped toward him with fury in his eyes that matched Falconfeather’s. “I dealt fairly with you, even after you tried twice to cheat me. Then you tried to kill me. For these reasons, I have voided our agreement. I will give you one chance to live. Tell me who the other buyer is and I will release you. If you decide otherwise, you may join your companions.”
The man held his long sword high. “Now who has underestimated his opponent, eh? Those men were common mercenaries I hired for this job. Who are you to give me orders? Here is one for you. Give me back the key or I will take it from your corpse.”
Dirk shook his head. “You had your chance.” He boldly strode into striking range. The man lunged at Dirk, who easily sidestepped the jab. He grasped the man’s wrist with his shield hand and shook the blade from his hold. At the same time, Falconfeather came charging toward his enemy’s body. The man held up his left forearm to give some measure of protection, but the furious weapon severed the limb with ease and continued its descent until it pierced the man’s heart. The limp body slid off the sword, leaving the red blood to seemingly be consumed by the blade.
Falconfeather glowed in triumph as Dirk’s anger subsided. He replaced the sword in its scabbard and addressed the dead man as though he were still alive while searching his pockets. “It did not have to be this way. I gave you every chance to live, but you chose death. May the Father Creator have mercy on your soul.”
After finding nothing of note on any of the bodies, Dirk took back his money and set out to find a city constable. As he walked, he looked at the magnificent key and smiled. “I need just one more piece,” Dirk said to himself. ”Just one more item and my boy can finally come home. I am so close now. Soon we will be together again Linvin. You are the chosen one. You can make the difference!”
After only two blocks, Dirk found a lawman. “Bless me, if it isn’t First Citizen Dirk Grithinshield!” the constable exclaimed. “Whatever would bring you to these parts on such a night? Even those of us in the police force shy away from this part of town.”
“I wandered into a downtrodden area and was attacked by some ruffians. They paid with their lives. Their bodies are just down the street. I do not know who they were, but here is some money to cover their burial expenses.” He gave several of the coins from the sack to the officer.
At the sight of all the gold, the constable noted, “Lord Grithinshield, it is bad enough to be down here at all, but bringing that sort of money invites trouble. You best get home before you run into more trouble. I’ll take care of the mess down there. Go on now.”
Dirk thanked him and gave him a little extra gold for handling the matter so delicately. He then swathed himself in his cloak and disappeared into the swirling mists.
It was a cold and dreary night. Even for the rainy season in the subtropical nation of Sartan, the air was damp and chilled. It was the sort of night when children volunteered to stay indoors and pets refused to set foot out of the house. Such were the conditions in the capitol city of Sartan, named Fraylic, when a lone figure strode boldly down the center of the street, in the area known as Old Town. In the largest city, in the medieval world of Lavacia, the original stone boulevards had been decimated over time leaving grooves, cavities and numerous signs of neglect. The buildings bordering the street fared no better. Time and lack of maintenance had left the once pristine neighborhood in a dilapidated state, giving shelter to those without means and those without conscience.
The fine mist had settled into an icy fog, which clung to the ground and swirled, as the figure passed its folds. Even in the poor lighting it was clear that the individual was a markedly tall man, with broad shoulders and a thick build. A gray woolen cloak covered the top of his head to his feet and was held closed in the front. The sound of his boot heels unabashedly striking the ground was the only sound, save for the trickle of water running down the sides of the street. Then a second set of heels sounded on the road ahead of him. Moments later, a man of normal stature skulked into the street and came to a stop at its center, where he turned toward the oncoming person and folded his arms.
The first man came to a stop not more than ten paces away from the one blocking his path. Then he spoke. “You certainly chose an obscure place for this transaction, Mr…”
The second man answered. “My name is of no consequence here, but yours is Dirk Grithinshield. I suppose you would have preferred to do business in your sizable store in the merchant district, but I find this setting more to my liking.”
“Your odds are better as well,” Dirk commented. “You can tell your men surrounding me to come out. We are alone and I already know where they are hiding.”
“You are mistaken,” the man said halfheartedly. “The agreement was that we each come alone.”
“Indeed, that was the arrangement,” Dirk confirmed. “You can tell that I have not been followed. However, I can see the breath of your men hiding there, there, there and there.” Dirk pointed at places in a circle around him. “It makes me wonder if you have kept your word on the rest of our bargain.”
The man waved, then four armed men stepped out of the shadows and moved closer to Dirk. “You are observant, Grithinshield. I’ll give you that.”
Dirk sighed in a tone that expressed that the situation did not surprise him in the least. “I could inquire further about your expected deception, but I want this transaction to be over with as soon as possible. Do you have the key I seek?”
The man was angered that his actions were anticipated and that they did not intimidate Dirk, as he had hoped. “I have the key, but I didn’t hear any coins jingle as you were walking. That makes me wonder if you have the money on which we agreed.”
“Fear not good sir,” Dirk answered. “The money is close by. Now, since you appear to have me at a disadvantage, and I am the one who has kept his word so far, you will show me what I am purchasing first.”
The man scowled and produced a golden key from his pocket. Begrudgingly, he tossed it to the waiting right hand of Grithinshield. Dirk ran his fingers down its length and looked at its handle in detail. Then, he tossed it back to the man who caught it, in an effort to defend his face.
“That was a poor attempt at a forgery,” Dirk said sternly. “Not only is the key warped, but you can see a glimpse of the iron underneath, where it was held as it was dipped in molten gold. The key I seek is solid gold. Your credibility is dwindling by the moment and I am mildly annoyed. Show me the real key, if you have it, or you will not see a single gold pharring.”
The man became angrier, but he had to give Dirk his due. He was no fool. Reaching in another pocket, he produced a different key and threw it to Dirk as his men closed their range. Dirk again caught it with his right hand and looked it over as before. He spent more time examining it than the first key. “Exquisite,” he noted. “The craftsmanship is as fine as any forgery I have ever seen. Whoever made this for you should be commended.”
The man became furious. “Are you calling me a liar?”
Dirk tossed the key back and answered. “You just heard every word I said and at no time did I call you a liar. I merely stated that this is a forgery. The good news is that it is an exact casting of the original key. That means you have or had the real one at some point. My guess is that you have at least one more buyer in line and that you seek to maximize your profits. It is a bold plan, but one which will not work on me. Now I will ask you one last time. Toss me the real key or I leave and you get nothing.”
The man began to curse to himself, as Dirk had clearly seen through the ruse. After he found himself exasperated, he removed a gold chain from around his neck. A key hung from its links. With disgust, he threw the chain to Dirk.
After only moments of examination, Dirk proclaimed, “This, is what I came to purchase. You have finally held up your end of the bargain. So I shall hold up mine. Among the refuse on the right side of the street, is a sack with your money under an old crate. I scouted this area earlier and placed it there.”
A quick search by the nearest man found a hefty sack filled with gold. The man nodded the substantiation of the sum to his leader. “It seems you have lived up to your end of our accord. I can see how you have earned the nickname of ‘The Honest Trader’.”
“Such titles are hard to achieve and even harder to maintain,” Grithinshield noted. “All the fine words in the world will not make up for you having a name for impropriety. We made an arrangement and you eventually fulfilled your part, so I fulfilled mine. Our business is concluded. I bid you good night.”
The leader drew his sword. “If only it were that simple Grithinshield. You are a smart one. There is no denying that. For example, you were right that there is another buyer interested in that key. Since I have your money now, I will be requesting you return the chain and key to me. My admiration for your abilities compels me to let you live if you do so. But in the end, why should I be satisfied with one fortune when I can sell the same item twice and have two hoards? You were foolish to come here alone. Now toss me the key and we will let you leave with your life. My good name means little to me; which I suppose is the reason I never give it out.” The men surrounding Dirk drew their swords.
Dirk calmly removed the hood of his cloak, revealing the long blond hair on the middle aged man. Then he placed the chain around his neck. “You know, my son is training with Sedemihcra of Valia and he wrote to me that one of his first lessons was never to underestimate your opponent. To your misfortune, you have misjudged me and my abilities. You have broken our agreement and must pay the consequences.” He pulled a string at the top of his cloak and it fell to the ground. Dirk wore black armor around his torso and a matching shield baring the Grithinshield family crest in his left hand. The hilt of a broadsword stood out over his right shoulder. With that hand, he drew the weapon and held a masterfully crafted, gleaming bone sword. “You were wrong to think I was alone. I brought my faithful companion, Falconfeather, with me.”
The leader began to laugh and the others joined suit, “The trader brings a sword crafted from bone against our iron weapons and expects us to cringe?” The laughter continued.
Dirk swung Falconfeather back and forth as it rolled across his fingers like one of his digits. As it did so, the blade began to glow bright white in color until it appeared flames were running its length. “Your fate has been sealed. Falconfeather is angered and is, after all, a predator. The time has come for her to strike down her prey.”
As Dirk had talked, a man had approached from behind and was prepared to attack. It was to no avail as Falconfeather had communicated that information to Dirk long before the man was near. When the man reached up to strike; Dirk spun around and struck the man it the side with Falconfeather. The great blade easily cut through the man’s armor, slicing through his body like a butcher’s knife, before exiting at the completion of the stroke on the far side. The two halves of the man fell harmlessly to the ground.
The taste of blood made Falconfeather yearn for more. Dirk rushed the other man on that side and brushed a crushing blow aside with his shield. He then drove Falconfeather straight through the man's breastplate of his armor and erupted from his back. Placing his foot on the body for leverage, Dirk withdrew his weapon and turned to welcome the two attackers from behind that he knew were nearly upon him.
Both men attacked at once but Dirk was icy calm and prepared. He fended off one blow with his shield while clashing swords with the second. Once again, Falconfeather dominated. The iron sword of the man snapped at the initial contact, allowing Falconfeather to strike at the clavicle and slice through all the bones until it stopped in the stomach at Dirk’s order. The man was no longer a threat and on the point of death. Dirk needed his blade against his other opponent. Falconfeather deposited the man like a stone and wheeled around in Dirk’s grasp as the fourth man hit the shield repeatedly. With a single swipe, Dirk decapitated his opponent and kicked the body aside.
Dirk turned his attention to the leader and stomped toward him with fury in his eyes that matched Falconfeather’s. “I dealt fairly with you, even after you tried twice to cheat me. Then you tried to kill me. For these reasons, I have voided our agreement. I will give you one chance to live. Tell me who the other buyer is and I will release you. If you decide otherwise, you may join your companions.”
The man held his long sword high. “Now who has underestimated his opponent, eh? Those men were common mercenaries I hired for this job. Who are you to give me orders? Here is one for you. Give me back the key or I will take it from your corpse.”
Dirk shook his head. “You had your chance.” He boldly strode into striking range. The man lunged at Dirk, who easily sidestepped the jab. He grasped the man’s wrist with his shield hand and shook the blade from his hold. At the same time, Falconfeather came charging toward his enemy’s body. The man held up his left forearm to give some measure of protection, but the furious weapon severed the limb with ease and continued its descent until it pierced the man’s heart. The limp body slid off the sword, leaving the red blood to seemingly be consumed by the blade.
Falconfeather glowed in triumph as Dirk’s anger subsided. He replaced the sword in its scabbard and addressed the dead man as though he were still alive while searching his pockets. “It did not have to be this way. I gave you every chance to live, but you chose death. May the Father Creator have mercy on your soul.”
After finding nothing of note on any of the bodies, Dirk took back his money and set out to find a city constable. As he walked, he looked at the magnificent key and smiled. “I need just one more piece,” Dirk said to himself. ”Just one more item and my boy can finally come home. I am so close now. Soon we will be together again Linvin. You are the chosen one. You can make the difference!”
After only two blocks, Dirk found a lawman. “Bless me, if it isn’t First Citizen Dirk Grithinshield!” the constable exclaimed. “Whatever would bring you to these parts on such a night? Even those of us in the police force shy away from this part of town.”
“I wandered into a downtrodden area and was attacked by some ruffians. They paid with their lives. Their bodies are just down the street. I do not know who they were, but here is some money to cover their burial expenses.” He gave several of the coins from the sack to the officer.
At the sight of all the gold, the constable noted, “Lord Grithinshield, it is bad enough to be down here at all, but bringing that sort of money invites trouble. You best get home before you run into more trouble. I’ll take care of the mess down there. Go on now.”
Dirk thanked him and gave him a little extra gold for handling the matter so delicately. He then swathed himself in his cloak and disappeared into the swirling mists.
