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Chapter 22 "Burying the Dead"
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
The Anointment Appendix 1 and Appendix 2
Appendix 1 Clans at the Time of The Gathering*Ancient Clan Clan Leader LocationTorac Toran* Fëornir Cathar" Tared* Sacio (Myllyof’s brother) Myrmidar" Tyr Börnir DanlòsM’charon M’chuin* Toor Elear" M’char* Kéman Darnir" M’chak Owan SòlasVerion Veron Bouron Velara" Viraghon Menyr Ankar" V’ron Lucôs MenlenarGordar Goran Kelar Nolor" Gratar Dasea IV Nesmenia" Gor Eron Manar" Gronan Menrath III Nezea
The Anointment Chapter One "Storm and Stress"
Part One The Journey The tempest had passed. The rumbles of thunder were fading, and the flashes of lightning were moving away as Yvayn, son of Myllyof, son of Myrmidon, sat on the rocky edge of an ancient water-worn shoreline. He looked up to see the sun glowing in a rich amber hue as it set under the towering clouds. He had been watching the tide in its relentless march up the shore toward his perch as it has moved for eons before him. The white foam climbed ever closer toward him, hardly stopping before another wave crashed again. More rumbling came and went as the winds brought a cool breeze off the water. The smell of the sea wafted up into his face misting him with a soft sheen of brackish water. He wiped his forehead as one particularly large wave crashed against the rocks with a ferocious deafening break. His thoughts were heavy. He had reached the age of his sixteenth year when every Menian male must make the ceremonial Anointment journey. Yvayn had heard rumors th
The Anointment Chapter Two "Leaving Home"
The afternoon was warm with clouds slowly rolling over Yvayn’s head toward the Southeast; again, he was alone in the field looking at the ocean. He watched the seagulls hovering over the edge of the water looking for morsels of food. There was a gentle, cool breeze coming off the land; the storm from the day before had brought with it cooler air. Summer was beginning to lose its fight as the autumnal winds of the great northern expanse began to advance south. Away in the distance, he could make out the shapes of merchant vessels heading toward Careath with their sails billowing outward in the strong ocean winds. The waves were crashing on the shore leaving heaps of foam in their wakes. Large balls of gray clay were rolling about the sand with the waves pushing and pulling at them. Yvayn remembered taking some of these when he was young and making a fort on the beach. It was not long before he heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around quickly thinkin
The Anointment Chapter Three "The Imperial City"
The road out of Dymor turned almost due north. The coast of Myrmidar ran north before turning west to the delta of the Mondo River where Careath was located. The North gate of Dymor was guarded on both sides by statues of two former clan leaders, Enor and Torak. They were the chiefs who led the clan north to Myrmidar after the Wars with Raka. The road on this side of Dymor was lined with grass rather than low bushes. The sky was clear as the four moved quickly through the morning air. Ancient forests dotted the landscape just within view on the eastern side of the road. To the west the ancient fields rolled down to the sea. Small farms lined the road on either side and the houses were of a common style, rectangular stone buildings with thatched roofs. Each house had a front door located in the center with one or two windows on either side. Some of the fancier houses had a chimney on one of the long sides while other houses just had a fireplace in the center of the house with
The Anointment Chapter Four "The Elder"
Yvayn woke to the sound of a bird singing outside his window. A gently breeze blew the curtains as he listened to the song. The bird sang a sweet melody as the young prince leaned on his pillows. He began to think as the music from the previous night ran through his head. The singing and dancing of the night before came back to his mind. He remembered dancing with the Semians in a circle. The music was an ancient Semian dance tune played on the shawm, cithara, and drums. He could not remember all the words, but the melody was quite clear in his head. Suddenly he realized the bird was gone and silence permeated the room. The dream he had that night ran back through his mind. The thought of it disturbed him somewhat, but why it bothered him remained a mystery. He figured out that the old man was the same strange man from Dymor, but the young lady was still a mystery. The old man’s face was well defined but hers was a shadowy mist. Yvayn remembered hearing crying but could not
The Anointment Chapter Five "On Our Way"
The harbor of Careath, on the Mondo River, had a lingering smell of rotting fish and sea salt. Seagulls and other birds flew overhead battling the breeze. The water was slightly choppy, and the sky was mostly clear. Down a long dock sat a boat with two huge fan-like sails being tended. They looked like the fins of a giant fish. Men moved quickly around the docks, lifting and throwing loads of goods on and off the ship. At last Myllyof’s group stood by the vessel that would soon take them away. The ship was clean for the passengers, but the crew was rather rough looking. Yvayn was shocked by the language of the sailors who were pulling in ropes from the dock. They yelled at each other as they tied ropes and set thing in order. He was still in a daze from the attempted abduction. “Gettin’ the ‘eck out my way!” one crewmember shouted at the young prince as he stood watching. Myllyof turned, looked at the crewmember and then motioned for Yvayn to move. “Son, it is thei
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The river journey was nearing its end as the walls of Beltizar began to appear before them. Myllyof grew tired of the boat especially after Yvayn nearly ended up under it and decided to forgo Loctar and get off in Beltizar. The Mondo was getting wider as the ship approached the southern edge of the great lake. Lake Ozwanie expanded some forty to fifty leagues wide and was about two hundred leagues long. It sat along an ancient fault line that also served as the bed of the Mondo River through some of its course. The region around Ozwanie was once part of the ancient Semian Empire before the Wars with Raka. After the wars, the Semians migrated farther north, leaving the lands open for Menian expansion. Menians quickly settled the area, rebuilding some of the villages left by the Semians. The Great Quake changed the shoreline of Lake Ozwanie but not enough to keep fishermen away. The lake itself was full of fish, a welcome food source for the large appetites of the hardy Menian
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After a short walk they came to a stone building with an old wooden sign hanging above a porch. Swinging in the night air, it read: The Red Boar Inn—You Rest While We Work. They carried the heavy emperor inside and set him down. Jullious continued to hold him to keep him from falling to the floor. “Can I help you?” a plump old woman asked from a seat across the hall. “Yes.” Velsusi stepped forward. “We need three rooms for the night.” “Let me check my books.” The old woman stood up and limped over to an old book sitting on a well-worn table. She ran her chubby finger down an old yellow page. “That won’t be a problem. Who is in charge?” “I am,” the old wizard answered and walked over to her. He signed his name. She gave him a long look and sat back down. “I don’t put up with any scuttlebutt. So, keep it quiet or I’ll have you all thrown out.” Like so many other workers she was not aware of much more than he
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The Anointment Appendix 1 and Appendix 2
Appendix 1 Clans at the Time of The Gathering*Ancient Clan Clan Leader LocationTorac Toran* Fëornir Cathar" Tared* Sacio (Myllyof’s brother) Myrmidar" Tyr Börnir DanlòsM’charon M’chuin* Toor Elear" M’char* Kéman Darnir" M’chak Owan SòlasVerion Veron Bouron Velara" Viraghon Menyr Ankar" V’ron Lucôs MenlenarGordar Goran Kelar Nolor" Gratar Dasea IV Nesmenia" Gor Eron Manar" Gronan Menrath III Nezea
The Anointment Chapter 22 "Burying the Dead"
By sunset, Termâs had searched most of the battlefield and had found no survivors. He started lining up bodies in rows for burial. He still did not know how he would bury all the dead as he stopped a moment and took a long look around. Twilight was settling in and the shadows were long on the field. His heart sank. His moment of reflection was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Termâs fell to the ground and got next to a corpse. The footsteps got louder and came over the hill. They seemed to stop just behind him. It sounded like several people, but he could not tell if they were friends or foes. He turned his head slightly and opened one eye. He could not see who it was or what it was. His heart was racing when he heard a voice. “Who laid out the bodies?” “I don’t know. I see no one alive.” Termâs thought he recognized one of the voices, but he could not be certain with his heart thumping so loudly. The two people moved again and were closer to him, but dark
The Anointment Chapter 21 “Battle of the Fire Würm”
On the ninth day of the siege of Ver Nooy, a messenger approached Termâs with some hopeful news. The message came from Gerdar, the capital of Lodor. “Termâs, sir.” “Yes?” “My name is Pyllar.” “Go ahead and speak, Pyllar.” Termâs was seated near a low fire, as were many others, wondering what to do. “Julla and Hélarion are on their way north with an army gathered from the far reaches of southern Menia. They will arrive here tomorrow.” Pyllar stood waiting for some kind of response from the young guard. There was none at first, just a blank stare. “That is good news.” Sacio nearly shouted. “Don’t you think so, Termâs?” Termâs was staring at the charred city. Evidently, the mountain trolls were standing guard on the South wall. “Look, Termâs,” Sacio continued, “we’ve stopped them here in Ver Nooy.” “Have we?” “It seems so.” “I am not convinced yet.” “Don’t they usually keep moving on?” “Yes…but Ver Nooy is a large city. The
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The cold of night settled over Careath, and the air was especially frigid. A strong northwest wind blew leaves in the empty streets. A fire was crackling and popping in the great hall. Servants were bringing food to the tables of weary men who showed the face of battle. “Where are Termâs and Cai?” Saron sat down and looked at their empty spots. “They will be here soon.” Mia grinned. “Sorry, we’re late.” The two young ones came scampering in and sat down at the table out of breath. “Good to see you in one piece.” “Oh, hello, Erwaith. How are you?” “Good, and you?” He looked at Cai and grinned. “Fine…just fine.” As they talked, food and drink were served. Termâs stood up and rolled out several old maps. “We must go by land and sea.” “How?” Sacio was still dipping his bread in his wine. “We discussed this earlier…remember? You and I must follow the beasts and Erwaith can lead the others by sea to Ver Nooy. “I know, but what if t
The Anointment Chapter 19 "At the North Gate"
Mia was seated quietly in her chamber praying to herself. She found it was the one thing that brought comfort to her aching mind. She was interrupted by a knock at her door. “Who is it?” “Sorry to disturb you, my lady, but I have brought someone you should meet.” “Well, come in, my dear Enor.” Enor presented himself and then motioned for Lyora to enter the chamber. Mia turned around and stood up. Her black cloak hid her face. “Good morning to you, Enor. I should not be so rude.” “Good morning to you, my lady.” “Who is this young girl you have brought here today?” “You know I am not one for long introductions.” “Yes…” “Let me present to you, your daughter-in-law, Lyora.” The grieving widow froze in her steps. Enor stepped back as Lyora walked slowly forward. The young empress bowed deep and confident. She too was dressed in black. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mia, of the house of Ivlar.” Mia looked at the young girl, then a
The Anointment Chapter 18 "The Gathering"
A familiar glow of sunrise began to creep into the eastern windows of the hall. From his bed Termâs found himself looking toward the ocean listening to the ebb and flow of the relentless waves. Suddenly he began to realize why Yvayn so often sat by the sea. The soothing effect of the Plenar’s waves relaxed his troubled mind. While Careath slept, the ocean was easy to hear, as was the rush of wind over the waves. The view out of the south windows of the palace was impressive, but he had never before taken time to notice. The marble floor of the great hall was damp from the evening’s heavy dew. Servants had not yet awakened to wipe it clean for the day’s events. Stars were fading from sight. One remained clear over the open waters. Morning birds began to sing loudly as they searched for morsels of food. Hundreds of them flocked into the courtyard behind the palace. Morning glories were still blooming in the chilled air. The first frost had not yet come to Careath, but the cool
The Anointment Chapter 17 "The Imperial City"
Careath was a most welcome sight to the young guard. The flags still flew high and were stretched out firm in the afternoon ocean wind. Tall elms twisted in the stiff breeze and wind-sculpted pine trees blew wildly on the sandy banks. The docks were busy with commercial sea-ships. Gulls flocked above the ships looking for any morsel of food they might find. Pelicans stood on large wooden posts and watched the Silver Hawk pull into its spot. The crew scrambled to get the ship tied down. Men on the dock grabbed ropes and pulled them hard to slow the warship and settle it into the wharf. Erwaith called to the passengers announcing that they had arrived. Termâs came up loaded with his bags while Cai and Lyora followed with Sasha. Another crewman carried the ladies’ bags. “Erwaith?” Yes, Termâs?” “You will need to stay here in the dock. I have a feeling we are going to need as much help as possible.” Erwaith ran his hands through his long gray locks of hair. “
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Termâs and Cai finally arrive in Tarpor after two long hard days of walking. They were both exhausted and sore. Termâs led them to an inn to rest. “Cai, you have to rest. I can get all we need, and you can get some sleep. I will look for supplies and some fresh food and better clothes.” “But I don’t want to be left alone.” “You have Sasha.” “But I want you to stay.” “Enough of this…you rest.” He was serious and helped her with her boots. “Maybe you can clean up a little.” “All right…” Termâs helped draw a warm bath for her by lighting a fire and getting a kettle of water. Then he left. He was gone for a long time. When he returned, he found her lying in her bed with Sasha. She was sound asleep. He did not light a lamp but settled down in his own bed to rest. They awoke with the sun shining brightly in their faces. Cai rolled over, but Termâs sat up. “Time to get up, sleepy.” “No!” She muttered from under her covers. Sasha was no
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The road to Mano was rough for both young travelers. They followed the enemy, but guards or slow-moving creatures often were on the trail, cutting them off or making them work as a team to keep hidden. While Termâs could fight the large creatures quite well, their unpredictable nature of them was mentally fatiguing. The Beras pass was desolate and cold. Termâs and Cai were often buried in thick mists and light rain. Finding food was not such a problem. Because of the confusion created by the marching army, animals were easy prey. Sometimes appearing right in their path or already dead when they came upon them. After a long hard climb, they saw the vale that led to Mano. The sky had cleared some and the sun was a welcome warm relief on their aching legs and bodies. Evidence of the marching band ahead was all around them with footprints, bloody dead animals, and a kind of putrid smell like a dead skunk or a week-old slain deer festering in the sun. Termâs remembered the smell
