Another World - Prologue

 

It was early in the morning when Dragonknight Adam Warlock was pacing through the hall of the empty training room, dressed in full armour, so that the heavy stomps of his boots thundered through the hall. The task that was given him on this special mission was one totally new to him. In Riatoria, the so‑called other dimension, there was something brewing that looked just like starting symptoms of the Second Crusade. One man with enormous magic powers seemed to get more and more powers in an area there and he was of dark alignment, seeking more for himself. Adam had been ordered to investigate the situation. Adam knew of the existence of Riatoria. Everyone knew nowadays. It was twenty years ago, twelve years before the start of the Second Crusade, that people from Riatoria, high magic users, created a special portal to Vascaria, their world. And it came out that practically everyone had a parallel in the other world. That's why they first called it another dimension. He had heard about Cyberman's parallel, who, in contrary to the noble paladin, was a noble sell‑sword. She had travelled all over the world to find Cyberman, who was on the isle of Akrilonia at that time. The last years, it became common for people to travel and trade with the other world. There still was one portal, but like Vascaria, where all portals came out in New Iris, there was a place where all portals came out. So every place in the world where there was a portal, people could travel to Riatoria, and it went the other way around. Adam himself had never visited Riatoria before. First, during the Second Crusade, the mandrake had been a high magic user as well but constantly busy, and afterwards he devoted himself to the life of a Dragonknight. His companion, the female silver dragon Kruntia, had known him for hundreds of years so they could get along perfectly well. The strict rules and the codes of the knighthood were not bad, either. It gave him peace, calm and rest. As a knight, he had only fought once, in the Battle of Rices, with his legendary warmates. He had been famous as well, but instead of liking it, he hated it. Now he either had to let the world know he was a mandrake, who could live for millennia, or he should disappear after some time and show up again with another name, and lose all his friends. That had happened before. So he had decided to live on some more withdrawn with the knights, became one of them but he was already destined to become dragonlord because of his race. The three lords were only human, so it was just a matter of waiting.

Suddenly Kruntia appeared at his side. "And, you made up your mind yet?" "Nay, I just don't know. If you come along, we're too attractive to the world. But I can't possibly go alone." "When that man there is really like Black Akira, you should call upon..." "Aye, I know what you're thinking of. He certainly must come along. And where the big guy goes, goes quite a party nowadays. Of course Inge, Cyberman with his halfling and half‑elf, his brothers, his cousin and his sister, or half‑sister. I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Well, you don't know who is there and who's ready to follow you." "You are right about that. First, I have to go to Pezar and find out if Bulldozer's there. And who else is. There is plenty of time, they say. But you can never know when you don't have much information. Maybe tomorrow will be too late. I must leave at once." "Shall I give you a ride to Pezar?" "Please." "All-right." They went to the arena where the woman with silvery hair suddenly transformed into a silver dragon, Adam saddled her and mounted. Soon they took off, on their way to Pezar, capital of the Western Realm.

 

"You're sure this will work?" a man in black asked. Like the other two, he was dressed in black robes, tight black leggings and black robes over part of his head. Thin swords, a short bow, arrows, throwing stars and other weapons were at the ready. "Of course. Finally I have all equipment, we know all the rules, and all the proof that it were the night‑assassins who murdered our mother and sister. You gonna let them get away with that?"

"Of course not!" the third said loudly.His bright eyes looked into the distance, inspecting the road ahead. He had the best sight of the three brothers, that was why he was named Hawkeye. The shortest one, still a lot bigger than the average man, was called Razorblade and the biggest one, who wore a red scale mail underneath his black robes, was Bulldozer, the world famous hero. The three were now dressed as night‑assassins as well to avenge their mother and sister, who were killed by the night‑assassins during the war. Shortly afterwards Hawkeye and Razorblade had been captured by the enemy and taken away. It was by coincidence that Bulldozer met them again in his quest behind the magic wall. That was long ago. Suddenly they saw the woods where the night‑assassins trained. Of course, there were many of them, but the threesome knew which guild had killed their family. And they found that guild right ahead, right on schedule. "So?" "Let's get on with it. Wands at the ready, as well as the other weapons," Bulldozer said. He pulled one silver katana blade as he saw one lonely night‑assassin walking around. "That's an easterner all‑right." Hawkeye saw. "Good, count that one as one dead easterner." Bulldozer hissed. Razorblade readied an arrow." No way, Dad learned us how to catch arrows. They were taught to hear arrows coming and catch them as well." "Then why do we have longbows?" "Well, they can come in handy when things get wild." "I see. You know more about them. Then how... where are ya? Where's Bulldozer gone, Hawkeye?" "Climbed in that tree. The easterner's coming this way. Let's get a tree as well." Although the men were big and heavy, they were very agile and they could climb a tree with ease. When the man walked right towards them, they grabbed a sword, ready for a diving attack. The man looked like somebody was after him, as he looked back time after time. The brothers had no visual contact, but Razorblade was wondering who was chasing the man. Suddenly they spotted three other assassins, and one of them shot an arrow at the lonely man. The man ran away and decided to hide and climbed into a tree as well. The threesome went to the place where now four people had sought refuge in trees. Then they suddenly ran on, silent as ever, and spread into three different ways. They had lost the man, that was obvious, so they split up. The man wiped his forehead and was scared to death when he suddenly had a sword in his neck. Unfortunately, the man had chosen the tree Hawkeye was already in. "Hi there. I should have hung a sign 'occupied' on the tree here. But anyway, who are you and why were these fellas chasing ya?" The man was still shocked and gripped by fear. "T... there's more of you?" he asked with a Western accent. "Two more. Hey, you from the west?" "And you are, too, I hear. I am not a night-assassins. I am a ranger from the order of Nuax, trying to find certain people who were said to be with the assassins." "Well well. You know Tormentor?" "I certainly do. The man's got a reputation. Why?" "We're his cousins. Let's get on the ground." The four men sat down on the ground. "Who are you looking for?" The man looked around. "Well... it seems I am looking for you. Sir Adam has asked me to find Bulldozer Rockscale to send him to Pezar. When I got in Pezar, elfwoman Inge told me you were here, so..." "Well, you were there faster than we did. We were just on our way." "So, your mission is not accomplished yet?" "On the contrary, you were the first guy we were about to kill." "Then I got lucky. Anyway, when can you come to Pezar?" "As soon as I'm done here, I'll send a message." "That is not needed. Sir Adam has given me a ring of telepathic communication. With this, I can talk to him." "Who is this Sir Adam?" Razorblade asked. "Adam Warlock, of course. Only now he's a knight he is called Sir Adam Warlock." Bulldozer explained. "Oh, that funny guy. Whatever happened to you?" "Well, I saw a threesome of night assassins walking so I thought it was you. Tough luck there, they thought I was an intruder ‑which I was‑ and tried to kill me." "And you got lucky there. When night assassins want to kill, they kill." "Well, I had a gas bomb readied. I managed to disappear for a while." "Good. Well, we must get on with this." "What are your plans?" "We have to find the head­master and kill him, for he was responsible for the death of our mother and sister." "Therefore, you have to intrude." "And that's just what we're gonna do. We are ready for this, we have gathered all necessary equipment and now we have to do it. And get on with it. And meanwhile, we kill everybody in our way. That includes your three friends who are coming back right now." Hawkeye, who had the best eyes, said. They looked up and climbed back into the trees. From there, they waited for the threesome and ambushed them with an arrow, a blowpipe and a diving attack. "I have built a cabin right there. I will wait for you there. Come back." "Of course we will come back alive. See you then."

They continued with stealth and when they were at the walls of the fortress, they encamped. In the middle of the night, they were ready to roll and killed two guards silently with their swords. Bulldozer threw a climbing rope over the top of the castle walls and started to climb. They all climbed behind him and when he reached the top, he saw a lone guard walking around. He ducked behind the wall and silently grabbed a throwing star. When the guard neared, he suddenly raised his arm and threw the star at the guard. With a thud the star ended in the man's head. Night assassins wore no helmets, they just had robes around their head. After the throwing, Bulldozer climbed the last part and was followed by his brothers. "Let the rope hang for escape?" Hawkeye whispered. "No. When we must escape with this, they'll cut the rope long before we're down." "And they can find the ropes while we're in and understand there are intruders. Rope away." Razorblade added, also whispering. He removed the rope himself. They found the room where the guard had his room and found two other guards there. They swiftly killed them and decided to drop the bodies in a large hole where they saw more bodies lie. "This must be their cesspool for bodies. Let's drop that single guard there as well." "Good idea. There he lies. What about the blood?" "Nobody'll see that." They waited to see if someone else was coming but it was surprisingly silent in the castle. They decided to enter and they immediately saw that the halls were built in a way so that nobody could intrude, nobody who wasn't with the assassins. There were long halls, guarded by one man with a longbow. As soon as he sees somebody, he shoots. Practically only a night assassin is trained to dodge or catch arrows. But the intruder has no chance to advance, because the guard has a lot of arrows. But Bulldozer knew that. For two years he'd studied the night assassins, together with his brothers. It was hard to find out everything but he got same useful help from one man who could make the unique statement that he was a former night assassin: most assassins could not quit alive. So, he entered the hall with his brothers behind him with readied bows. The man immediately shot but while Bulldozer caught the arrow, the two brothers released their strings. The man had his bow in one hand and couldn't possible catch two arrows with the other one. One was aimed at his neck and the other at his stomach. The one at the neck he could block by swinging his bow two‑handed, but he missed the one at his stomach. The man bent over and at the same moment, he had a throwing star from Bulldozer in his head. "Nice work bro," Hawkeye said approvingly. "I knew it would work." Bulldozer just smiled. "And now?" "Now there is a free hall, and then comes another guarded hall." Everything they said had to be said in a low voice, because the acoustics of the stone halls were very loud. When they passed the free hall, they saw a big hole in the outer wall, probably a lookout. Bulldozer watched as he saw no less than nine assassins go outside. "The ranger," Bulldozer whispered. "You think they're out for him?" "Maybe." "No, there is one in red. A trainee who must do his final test. The nine are out for the trainee who must show he can survive. He'll be chased for three days. If he can return alive and get the main man on his knees, he's accepted." "Of course. Well, more men out." They approached the next guarded hall. "Now I've heard that easterners are curious people. Let's find out," Razorblade snickered. "What do you mean?" As an answer, Razorblade let out a loud moan just like he'd been hit deadly. In the meantime he drew his light katana blade and held it heaved near the wall and the gate of the hallway. Immediately, they heard soft but fast footsteps coming their way and when the guard was out of the hall and through the gate, Razorblade came down on his neck with the sword. "That's what I meant."  "Good thinking, Raz." Bulldozer knew what the castle looked like. "Okay, there must be a guard room here. Let's find out if that trick of yours still works." "But try another variation or I'll get bored." Razorblade smiled. Hawkeye started whistling in a loud way. After a few seconds, he heard somebody say: "Hush, not so loud!" That came from the guard room. "Hey, I'm trying to find my brothers!" Hawkeye yelled. Another guard came out and approached the big man. "Your brothers? Where are they?" he asked with a thick eastern accent." When the point of a silver katana blade came out of the man's chest, Hawkeye answered: "Right behind you. Thanks for helping me find them." "This is far easier than I thought," Razorblade said after Bulldozer had pulled his blade back and cleaned it. "We could as well have some fun with these guys." "Never underestimate a night assassin. Don't forget that they send the weakest out to stand guard. While guarding, they must practise and not be heard. The stronger guys are already working. I think that some weaklings and some strong guy are after that trainee, but there are more strong guys." "I know exactly how the four looked that killed our mother and sister and poisoned us to sleep with those fragging blowpipes of theirs. They are very good with blowpipes." "Well, so are we. By the way, are there more weak guards here?" "Ah, a lot of them yet to go." "Then we'll have fun with them," Razorblade decided. "HEY, I'VE GOT THE THIRD INTRUDER!" Bulldozer suddenly yelled. "One more guard there," he whispered. "Okay, it's your turn." The other two grinned and hid themselves. Again it was only a matter of seconds before another guard was running through the hall. "Third intruder? Where are the other two then?" "One is near the upper walls and the second in the first hall from there." "You think there are more intruders?" "Hey, there's two more!" Bulldozer pointed when the shadows of his brothers appeared. He grabbed his tonka and the other man turned around, grabbing his sword. But as soon as he turned around, he had the hard end of the eastern club on the back of his head. The brothers laughed, and went on. A couple of halls later ‑a night assassin guild fortress was full of halls‑ they found another guard and Razorblade attracted the man's attraction. "Okay, that's the good work!" The guard came at him. "What's going on?" "Oh, my brothers are working out with their blowpipes." "Ah, I see. And what's the target?" The man found out the hard way. "Okay, now we almost get to the serious part of the fortress," Bulldozer indicated. "Ah, too bad, I was just starting to like it." "Well, there's more to life than just fun, let's live with it."

Before they entered a training room, they checked their equipment. They all had the same stuff, but they were wearing their armour underneath their robes and that differed: Hawkeye had plate mail, Razorblade chain mail and Bulldozer of course his red scale mail. As arms they had wristcatapults, brass knuckles, smoke bombs, longbows, katana blades, blowpipes, throwing stars, bracers, spare arrows and small daggers for their wristcatapults, wands, short swords and throwing daggers. "Cyberman'd be proud of such an arsenal," Hawkeye said. "Come on, the man has even more weapons. And a lot of heavy ones, like his bastard sword his mace, his staff sling and his crossbow. This is nothing. Only difference is that he almost only wears western weapons and we have eastern weapons." "Well, these katana blades can all be used two‑handed. You could call it an eastern bastard sword," Razorblade, a bastard‑sword specialist, said. "Well, behind the wall I had two of them, so I always used them one‑handed. But I haven't been using them much ever since I got this diamond beauty." "Why did you take it with you? You said yourself that we should take no western weapons. And a heavy two handed sword is definitely western." "As I said, it's the magic that I command in this sword. We all know what magic can do in battle." For one and a half year, Bulldozer had been able to get magic from the sword. Via the sword he could summon fire, ice, lightning or even death itself. "With no effort at all, I can use power words with this sword. I aim the sword at somebody, say DIE and he dies. Incredible." "Then you could use that indeed when we come to the advanced dudes around here." "Exactly. That's why I brought it along. I don't need magic for weak guards." "And you brought it with you because you would never take distance from it." "It's worth a fortune and very handy." "With your mail, I think you have the two handiest combat things in the world." "I agree." "Shall we enter?" "Let's go!"

They entered the room and rapidly used their wristcatapults to take people down. The small crossbows were attached to the wrist and could be controlled by a chord around the thumb, launching small but razor-sharp daggers with tight springs. With the catapults, they took out three assassins but the rest was able to grab their weapons. But Hawkeye and Razorblade had their bows readied and while they looked at the positions of the assassins, Bulldozer threw a smoke bomb. In the smoke, Hawkeye and Razorblade released their arrows, knowing it would be a clear hit while the victims couldn't see it coming. Before the smoke cleared, Bulldozer had grabbed his second sword as well and charged. He met a man who used one katana blade two‑handed and had trouble with it. Then he blocked the sword and pushed it down, suddenly gave a head butt by jumping forward and stuck the left blade in the man's black-­robed chest. In the meantime, Hawkeye met a man who took a huge leap at him with a heaved katana blade. Hawkeye blocked the arm with his bow and when the man landed, he kicked the man on the knee with all his force, bringing the man down. He stepped on the sword arm and thrust his own sword down. Razorblade was holding off two men with his swords until Bulldozer came to help him. He came behind the men and stabbed them both in the back at the same time. In the short time that they staggered, Razorblade spun around, cutting both throats open in one move. When they removed the facial robes, Razorblade and Hawkeye recognized two of them. "Two down, two to go." "Time for some more action." But when they continued, they were suddenly stopped by at least 20 men. Ten of them had bows readied. "You have been killing good people, good assassins, with no apparent reason. If you have any reason, then say it now," the leader said. "In the Second Crusade, four of you have killed my mother and my sister, kidnapped my two brothers here. We have two of those people, now we want the other two," Bulldozer suddenly spoke in a stern, bitter voice. His brothers didn't understand. With so many assassins, there was no escape. And now their little brother tried to bluff them out of their weird boots! Well, they guessed he knew what he was doing. He had studied the night assassins the longest and even pretended to be one in the Second Crusade. "Where are the two you found?" the leader asked. Hawkeye was hoping the man was seriously listening to Bulldozer. "These are the two." "Name time and place." "Early in the war, Pezar, Western Realm." Suddenly, two man dropped their bows. "It is us you want," one of them said. "It is the fair chance of the avenger to fight the people he wants to fight. But there is one condition: there are two left of them, there are three of you. One of you must fight our master. The remaining two have a chance. When the third man dies, they must beat the two men in a fight to death. When they emerge victorious, they are free to leave, having their revenge. Should the third man defeat the master in a fight to the death, he will have to face both of the two men alone, because then he's proved worthy of being the master himself. When he wins, the three of you can either die in a challenge to kill all of us while bows will be aimed at you or leave the guild alive." "I could live with that," Bulldozer said. Hawkeye and Razorblade were just glad they lived.

"But er... no matter what happens, the one who survives wins?" "Why do you ask that? That is logical!" "Of course, but things can happen. When I fight the master, he's about to slice me to pieces and suddenly he dies because of a heart attack, then I win?" "Of course. You survive, you win." Bulldozer heard it was a dark elf speaking. "Okay. Since it was I who sought revenge for my brothers as well and later found them, I will take on the challenge. I will fight your master." "Go ahead, brother. And come back." "Where diamonds are, The Mighty Bulldozer lives," he said. He even heard some people draw a breath hearing that it was Bulldozer who came. The brothers knew that Bulldozer meant that in case he was on the losing hand, he would draw his diamond sword and use magic. A door opened in the great training hall and an old man entered. Normally, they would have laughed seeing an old man but they knew that this old man was definitely not to be underestimated: he was the best of them all, the most experienced night‑assassin: the master of the guild. Ceremonial, he clothed and equipped himself, helped with all respect by his men. Then he pointed at a field, surrounded by iron bars. "Battle field," the old man said. Bulldozer was the first one to enter the field and stood on one of the two spots. The old master took place on the other spot and then the door was closed. All other men took off their facial robes and sat down, and so did Hawkeye and Razorblade, uncomfortably sitting down among the assassins. After a ceremonial bow, they started the fight at a ten yard distance from each other. The master drew a sword but to his surprise, Bulldozer drew none and took a fighting position with his bare hands. The man nodded slightly and put the sword back in the black scabbard on his back. Then he took a few steps back, like Bulldozer, and ran to leap into him. Bulldozer did the same and in mid air they soared beside each other, trying to catch each other with a blow. Bulldozer blocked the blow and they both landed on their feet, only to walk back for a second try. After five tries, Bulldozer got the first hit with a surprising kick behind the man's block. Because of this, he couldn't land on his feet anymore and broke his fall with his arms. The master fell down somewhat harder but then suddenly charged and then the close combat began, a combat in which the old man really seemed to be a master as he stunned Bulldozer thrice with fast kicks and punches. The brothers looked worried as Bulldozer lay down flat on his back while the master took another charge for a dive on top of Bulldozer. But at the last split second, Bulldozer made a pushing movement with both legs to throw the master far over him for a hard back landing. Then, obviously hurt, the master thought playing time was over and grabbed his sword again. This time, Bulldozer drew one sword as well. Suddenly Bulldozer grabbed his forehead with his right hand as if he'd forgotten something. Then he charged for a sword clash. The master joined the charge and leapt up high. But just as he raised his sword to clash with Bulldozer, he suddenly staggered and dropped down from top height, unable to move his sword. A small dagger was in his throat, the dagger from Bulldozer's wristcatapult. In seconds, the man died and Bulldozer removed the man's facial robe to show everybody he was dead, a ritual among night assassins. He pulled his dagger out of the man's throat and quickly pulled back the spring in the wristcatapult to ready the dagger again. "Your leader is dead, now bring me the doomed twosome," he commanded. The two men put on their robes again and entered the field, while the brothers were encouraging Bulldozer. "One down, two to go, brother! Remember that the first one was the hardest one!" "Hush, this is not the Western Games," a man said. That idea made the brothers smile. Bulldozer had won the wrestling event of the Western Games almost ever since the one in the war, he had missed one because he was behind the magic wall during the Games and both his brothers had beaten him once in the finals. The two men neared Bulldozer who drew both his blades to hold off the men. He saw one grab a throwing star and threw a smoke bomb while moving in. The star missed but Bulldozer appeared from out of nowhere for one man and chopped off his head with a clean slash. Then only one remained, and Bulldozer saw the fear in the man's eyes. He now grabbed another bomb. Unlike the smoke bombs, who were made chemically, this one was a magic bomb who caused a loud bang. The man jumped in the air and that was all Bulldozer needed to throw his never missing enchanted dagger in the man's forehead. Being a man with revenge, he did not remove the facial robes of his fallen enemies. His brothers congratulated him. They came at him and Bulldozer looked at the night‑assassins. There were nineteen, he saw. He grabbed his diamond sword and rose it in the air. Then he slowly moved it forward, with a concentrated look in his eyes. Then hell broke loose for the men in black. First a huge fireball exploded and then bolts of lightning struck with precision, coming from Bulldozer's sword tip. Then, all of a sudden, ice storm rained over them, while the lightning continued. Finally, they were all dead. "Time to see the ranger." "Yeah, and then to that Sir Adam. What do you think he wants?"

"I dunno."

"So, if I get it right, they are going to blow up the castle and kill every night assassin they see? Do they know the danger in that? They are the most dangerous fighters in the entire world. Okay, they are very formidable themselves, but they are outnumbered by far." Adam took a sip of wine that Inge had poured him. "If you read the Mighty One's history, being outnumbered and survive comes all the way. It started in the war, with the twelve teutonic soldiers. Then the small and the great battle behind the magic wall. And you know he commands the magic in his sword. He has some special items. And he's got himself and his brothers. They all have healing potions."

"Healing potion won't help when you fight night‑assassins. When they hit you, they kill you. And no potion can stop that. Why didn't they take you with you?" "Because it is a family job, of course. And there are no female night‑assassins. Not in that guild."

"I see. Well, night‑assassins are very silent and they're not." "But you've sent a ranger?" "I did. When they come back, I need Bulldozer. Of course, I would love to invite you as well to go to Riatoria but you're not exactly in the condition to adventure."

"Well, then who else are you going to take with you?" "Do you happen to know if Cyberman and his company is around?" "He entered the town two weeks ago, but without his company." "He dropped them again?" "I guess so. He stays in the Old Iron Maiden and spends his time with the dwarven metalsmiths." "Then I guess he's there right now. Shall we go and ask him?" "No need to do that. I have invited him for dinner tonight." "Then he will come here. Where is your son Kimbo?" "Training with Tormentor." "Training? The boy must be around seven!" "You know how a Rockscale grows up. Right now he's training with a short staff, that's the first weapon he can train with." "I see. And Kiki?" "Living nearby." "Wait, the ranger calls." A few minutes later he nodded with relief. "They have accomplished their mission and are on their way back. When they find the portal, they will be back in three weeks." "Good. I knew they could do it," Inge said with a smile. "How long before your child is born?" "Three months," Inge said. "How could you study and practise your art when you are a mother of two?" "Oh, that's not too hard. And when they're thirty years old, they can handle themselves just enough to let me practise again."

 

When the threesome came back, Inge and Adam were there waiting. "Ah, there you are. We hurried because I didn't want you to get bored of waiting." "Oh, something must happen before I get bored. I haven't been doing much lately, I trained a lot, but nothing else. Well, now that seems to change. I have to go to Riatoria. There a new Black Akira is, maybe his parallel. And I must go and see what is going on. Because you are so good in fighting mages, I ask you to come with me." "I see. The two of us?" "No, Cyberman will also come with us. I have talked to him. And, how was your mission?" "Well, everything went well and then we were surprised. But I knew they would give us the right to fight who we sought. And I had to defeat the master. He watches my sword and I remember my wristcatapult. Then that twosome, no big deal. And then the rest waits and I get my diamond sword and magic them to death, something they didn't count on." "Of course. I have studied a lot about you and your sword but I could not find the explanation. I don't understand how you could command the magic in that very special sword. It on itself is not so special when it comes to magic except for its enchantment. But it's, of course, diamond. Diamonds are known for their magical value. It is easy to use diamonds for magic because it is the hardest and shines very bright when held in light. When you use a diamond properly, it's a dangerous weapon because you can make a fire or blind somebody with the sunlight which it reflects. A very rich man could use sharp diamonds with his sling. But this sword is the first diamond sword I have ever seen and it must be made by magic. When you can command magic by using the sword, I think that Samat or Black Akira has put the magic in. And that means that there is maybe even dragon magic in the sword. We must find out."

"I don't know how I could call upon dragon magic." "Normally, I can't. But I know how to call. Shall we go out?" They went to a silent place outside town and Adam received Bulldozer's diamond sword ‑the first time that Bulldozer let somebody hold it. Adam stood there with the sword, and Bulldozer watched. "You're showing off or something? When are you gonna cast a spell?" "How did you say it worked?" "Just think of the impact and aim with the tip." It didn't work. "Strange. Let me," Bulldozer said and shot some magic missiles in the air. "It seems it obeys only you because you are the rightful owner of the sword. Or maybe because I have magic in me and you don't." "I have magic around me." "Maybe you should learn about more spells, then you can use them. Now you are a kind of magic user yourself. Only the magic comes out of the sword. That should make you a magic wielder." "I guess so. Know more magic wielders?" "Nope."

"Well, I am ready, where's Cyberman?" Adam looked at Inge. "He's staying in the Maiden." "Then we'll get him. Shall we leave tomorrow?" "Don't you need some rest?" "I had a relaxing trip home, I'm rested enough to leave at once." "Well, I'll go see Cyberman and if everything's right, we'll meet you here at dawn." When Adam left, Bulldozer asked Inge about her condition, meanwhile toying with his son Kimbo. Inge said she had never felt better but Bulldozer knew her fear of a second miscarriage. He himself wasn't afraid. With her second pregnancy, she had come along with Bulldozer to aid him with her magic through battles. Now Bulldozer had told her to take it easy and stay home. Inge had accepted it and had stayed home. Bulldozer didn't really need her magic aid anymore: he commanded magic himself by his diamond sword. He put away his black robes and dropped his eastern weapons. Now he wore his studded black leather leggings again, along with his sleeveless scale mail, his diamond sword, his spiked bracers, his short bow with ten arrows and his dagger. He went to bed early because he wanted to be fit before he left for the other world.

Another World - Chapter 1

 

The threesome rode to New Iris, city of a thousand portals. Adam led them to the portal to Riatoria. "So, you finally got rid of Adler and Ford?" Bulldozer asked. He had never liked the sarcastic half‑elven harper and the halfling with his loose fingers. "Well, things turned out to be some more complicated than I first thought with them." "Something with Adler?" Adam asked. He had always thought that there was more to Adler than met the eye. "Adler is no half‑elf. He is a shapeshifter, one of very few in the world." "A shapeshifter?" "What Cyberman means, is that Adler is one who has no true form but can shift to any shape he wants, except the high races: dragons, wyverns, griffons or mandrakes, though mandrakes almost don't differ from humans in terms of looks. I can change my shape and yours, but I do it by magic, Adler does it racially. And shapeshifters have kinetic gifts. Adler, as I saw in Triptid, has psychokinetic powers, that's how he could penetrate my mind with images. I already suspected that he actually was a shapeshifter because of those powers and because Bulldozer once spotted him in the shape of a falcon, with the same grey‑white feathers as Adler, and that he was eavesdropping on us. And not much later, he suddenly arrives."

"Yes, like you, he doesn't wish to spread the truth aloud. He lives on in his half‑elven shape." "And the halfling? Also a shapeshifter?" "No, Ford is a normal halfling and he's with Adler because Adler once did something for him so he wants to pay him back by helping him." "I never knew halflings could remember things like that. One butterfly in the sky and they completely forget about it." "Indeed, but you know that Ford is a loyal halfling. That's why he was a good squire for the years that I've known him. And that's been a couple of years now." "I know. But why was Adler always so irritating? And why didn't he tell you he was a shapeshifter before?" "Well, that's his attitude. Shapeshifter or not, he's just very sarcastic and he can be very strange at times. I don't know why now." "And I've heard you gave up your rights to the throne?" "Aye, I did. Fortunately Elriq has grown up and now I think he's capable. I didn't claim the throne when my father died half a year ago because I never wanted the throne in the first place. My brother asked me to advise him but I decided not to drop the weapons. I have been fighting for ten years now, or maybe even longer. I cannot first drop my rights to the throne and then sit next to it. If I wanted to stay in the court, I would have been there as king and not as second man."

"I can understand that. So, what do you do now for living?" "I just live. You know, in the years that I've been with you, Inge and the rest I have made a lot of money and because of my royal blood, I was already pretty rich. I have money in various vaults. I always have gems and same valuable jewellery in my pouches. You know that platinum has no value in Riatoria?" "I do. When I came there in Akrilonia, I didn't understand that that was in Riatoria." "Oh no it isn't," Adam corrected. "Not? And they were so different there! And you weren't even there, then how do you know?" "I have been there once, centuries before you were even born. Akrilonia lies south of the sea of mist. But it is true that platinum has no value there, either." "Good. I have some gems, some gold and some jewellery. A few small diamonds, opals..." "Good. They pay a lot for jewellery, especially diamonds. They give about thrice as much as in Vascaria." "Well, then I sell one diamond and get more gold coins than I can carry. And our coins?" "Your coins are just fine, they have about the same coins, I even think our creds are bigger." "They are smaller than the creans in the east." "But their coins ‑the disks‑ are even smaller." " That cames in handy. I didn't take many coins from home because I thought they wouldn't accept it. Anyway, you know who to meet?" "Aye, we shall meet Lord Chiano in Nevezer, a city very much like Pezar." "And that's a long way from that new Akira?" "It's not that bad, it seems that the man is a very powerful archmage who starts to build his army. It is no time for war yet. But if we don't act quickly, that shall be the case."

"Then we must definitely get this guy fast. Only problem is that you can't use that famous wand of yours anymore now you're not a mage anymore but a knight." "That is true, but you and your diamond sword can paralyse anything you like. But the big advantage now is that I can heal. And I learn very fast, so I can already heal some wounds." "Great, Cyberdude here can also heal a lot. And we still have the potions. We will manage if no strange things happen." "Only problem with knights is that they often want to lead the party. And I know that Bulldozer leads. How about that?" Cyberman asked Adam. "I know the big guy for a long time, Cyberman. He can lead all he wants, I know he's good leading, so I'll let him lead. You're right, otherwise, I would have claimed leadership, because I have the qualities."

"By the way, how would you have liked that, Bulldozer? Someone else taking the lead." "I don't know. I always take the lead." "But what I wonder: you have been a magic user for so many years, probably centuries. And now you're a knight. Does that mean that all your magic powers are gone?" "They are not gone, I still have them. But I just don't use them anymore. You must see, Cyberman, that I'm a highly unusual kind of knight. I know no other knight who has been a high magic user before. But then again, I know no other mandrake who's become a Dragonknight, either. And the races who live long enough to be a good mage and become a good knight are not allowed to become a knight, meaning elves and dwarves." "I see." "Are you interested in the knighthood? You ask so many questions." "Well, just like Bulldozer's cousin Tormentor, I always like to learn things about various subjects. The life of a knight seems interesting to me, being a paladin. When I was... raised, my father wanted me in the knighthood, but I didn't want to. I wanted to fight, and that's something you Dragonknights rarely do, sitting comfortably on your metallic dragon and letting them do all the work." "That is true, I must confess. But in some battles, we fight on the ground. There are more people having thoughts on that point. Five years ago, the order of Centro was rebuilt. Those knights don't have dragons, and they can be fighting knights. But they do more guarding work in the cities of the Hill Realm than they are fighting evil in adventures." "New Iris there!" Bulldozer reported. "There it is. Let's step into another world now." "I suppose you know how to find the portal?" "Of course, I'll lead you straight to it." When they entered the portal, they immediately saw that they were in Riatoria: they saw a town which they had never seen before. "Is this already the town?" "I believe so, yes. Ah, there's a merchant. Let's ask him." Adam went to the man and asked him something. The man shook his head but immediately opened a pack and showed Adam a map. "Ah, he finds a costumer at last," Bulldozer smiled. Adam paid the man and went back to the waiting twosome. "Well we're three days south of Nevezer. But I bought a map. We can buy horses in the town stables near the gates." "I think we'll first relax in a local bar and listen to what's going on," Cyberman suggested. "Fine, I'm pretty tired of riding," Bulldozer said and they went out to find an inn. They rented rooms and had a good dinner. "You still eat as much as you've always done, Cyberman," Adam smiled. "Wrong. He eats even more!" Meanwhile they found out a lot about ships. All the talk was about ships. Battle ships, merchants sailing, pirates, pirate-hunters, conquered islands and conquered towns. "You have a map of the world?" Bulldozer asked. "Why?" "I'm afraid that this war is a war on sea." "I certainly hope not so," Adam said. "I don't know a thing about sailing." They went to Nevezer the next day and arrived in three days. There they immediately went to the city hall, where they asked for Lord Chiano. "The lord is in his residence right now. I am the mayor, maybe I can help you." "Well, we're from Vascaria and we've been asked for by Chiano," Bulldozer bellowed. "The people from Vascaria! If you wait in the conference room, I'll send a message to Lord Chiano to come here at once." "Works for me." They had to wait for half an hour and then a big, fat man entered. He told them about the situation. "At the moment, there is a small war in the Southern sea. We have recently discovered some new islands and we want to rule them. But meanwhile, three other lords are trying as well and we battle each other. And in the far south, there is a high, young magic user, who looks like he's about twenty-five years old but he's very powerful. He commands people in the south to revolt and that is the biggest threat because he's doing a good job for himself. We have heard of your crusades and we know you have experience on that point. We don't, and that's why we ask you to help us."

 

Back in Pezar, Inge was accompanied by her young half‑elven son Kimbo and often visited by Tormentor, Bulldozer's cousin, Hawkeye and Razorblade, Bulldozer's elder brothers who also took care of his fighting school when he was gone, and Kiki, Bulldozer's sister. They were all at Bulldozer's place when suddenly somebody knocked. "Enter!" In came an amazon with a pale face. "I am looking for one Bulldozer Rockscale." "He's gone for a long while. Maybe we can help. Who are you?" "I am Katia, second leader of the Amazon town of Tinago in Riatoria. Magic forces are threatening our town and we know that Bulldozer has a reputation and is resistant against magic, so we need his aid." "Well, I'm getting bored here. We will come with you. We are not resistant against magic but we're his family and we have the same blood," Hawkeye said. After a period of explanation, Hawkeye, Kiki, Tormentor and Razorblade left, leaving Inge home with her son.

"So, we go south immediately?" Cyberman asked. "No, first I want you to fight the sea‑troops of the mage. He has various ships who participate in the war. He has conquered some islands and ships from each one of us. He's the dangerous fifth party. I want you to first battle his fleet and then himself." The threesome looked at each other. Wasn't it better to just get the mage himself at once? And they were no sailors at all and didn't know what a sea‑battle was like. They decided to agree. "Good. You'll be captains on a ship of your choice." "Well, we don't know a lot about ships. What kind of ships are there?" "Of course. There are light pinnaces, who can bear little crew and little cannons..." "Cannons?" "A quite new invention, but nowadays everybody uses them. A cannon can shoot a heavy steel ball quite a distance. It works like a wristcatapult, but then a very big one. I have a cannon in my garden, come and see." They entered the huge garden and immediately saw the black steel pipe. "This is the cannon, named after Sir Edward Cannon who invented this. This is a very heavy spring that can be pulled back by two men. Here you can insert this steel ball. Then you press this and the spring looses, launching the cannonball. See the force behind it because they can cross a huge distance." Bulldozer and Cyberman pulled back the spring and the lord pressed the button. The spring was released at once with great force. "Dangerous invention. And this was made by a knight?" Adam asked. "Indeed. We do not have Dragonknights like you but our knighthood has some great people among them. They also have two knighthoods, but they don't fight on the sea."

"Well, we've drifted off too far, to say it in sea‑terms. We have a pinnace, and what else?" "A pinnace is very fast but small. Then we have sloops, some heavier and bigger, barques, pretty fast for such a big ship, merchantmen, which can bear a lot of cargo, like food and goods, frigates, often used for battle because they can bear a lot of people and cannons, galleons and war galleons, who can bear a lot of cannons." "And we can have one ship?" "Well, make it two ships." "Is that enough?" "Well, we can always conquer other ships," Bulldozer said. "Indeed. I can provide you with some cannons and there are always sailors without a ship. Everybody's for hire." "So we have to pay them?" "Well, sailors work different. You don't pay them. They fight for you and you feed them. They love to be on the sea and expect that you divide up all your plunder when you're finished. You'll see that when you capture an enemy ship, some of the enemy crew will ask to join your crew. Trust them and take them, but beware that you have enough food for all of you." "We'll take a pinnace and a barque, if I understand everything well,"Adam said. Then he looked at Bulldozer, because he accidentally had taken the lead. "Fine with me," Bulldozer just said. "I will inform the authorities on our islands. Harbour taverns are a good place to find new crew, sailors come and go there." "We'll remember that." "But you said there are more enemies than the mage's men. They will attack us when we're flying your cologs." "Of course, and you must fight them if you can. I'll also send a master with you." "A master?" "A sea master knows everything about sailing, knows where you are, controls the navigating etcetera. A master is very important, sailing without a master is very difficult." "I see. This is interesting," Cyberman said. "What about magic?" Bulldozer asked. "What about it?" "Is magic not used in sea‑battles?" "I know no sailing mage." "Well, we're no mages ‑though he once was­- but I'm a magic wielder. I command magic without spellcasting. That can also be useful if we attack a ship." "Definitely yes. Then you have a big advantage over the rest." "It is quicker than a cannon,"Cyberman nodded. "Much quicker. Cannons must be loaded and your sword already is." "Good. You are to leave as fast as you can. Now go to the Harbour Tavern and I will plan a meeting with the master. He will also give you the captain's cloak. With this cloak, you shall be recognized as a captain, which can come in very handy at times, so always wear it." Shortly afterwards, they left for the tavern and they found the place full of men they could recognize as sailors. "Why are there so many sailors here?" Adam wondered in a low voice. "Look at the map. We are here on the western continent, there is a large continent on the north and east and a southern continent. And a huge sea, with many islands. Riatoria may be a lot like Vascaria but they have more sea than land while we have more land than sea." "I see. Yes indeed, this is a plane of water. So when there's war, they fight on sea. We could ride to the east and they have to cross a sea, a huge sea with many islands." Two hours later, a man came in. The threesome saw immediately that he was a man who was given a lot of respect by the sailors, who had been watching over the threesome somewhat suspiciously. The man walked straight at them. "You must be the threesome from Vascaria. I am the Master who will accompany you." "Good. I am Bulldozer, Cyberman and this is A..., Sir Adam." "Ah, the knight, pleased to meet you. Now do you have any questions for me, about me or stuff about sea?"

"I do. Battles, how are they fought?" "A very important thing. It depends on what you want. When you attack a ship to capture it, you must close in on them, enter the ship and beat the captain. Most likely, on swordplay. When you want to nail a ship, you can fire it to the bottom of the sea with your cannons. You had better not fire when you want to add the ship to your fleet, because then, of course, the ship will get damaged."

"When you attack a citadel, they will answer with cannonballs. You must avoid the cannonballs and shoot back while you close in on the citadel. Then we can enter the fort and once again, the captain beats the leader and the town can be yours."

"How do we recognize ships?" "When you come near a ship, they will close in or leave. When you are close enough, you see their cologs. When a ship of your own cologs comes near you it comes to hail for news or get food. When you can miss food, give it..."

"You are sitting here with a paladin and a knight. They'd give anything away if they help others with it." "All right. Ships can be repaired in towns or islands that are yours. Enemy traders will not deal with us. Remember all the news you have. Important things are recorded in the books. The fleet will stay together. In battles, you decide which ship to send and you must always be there. That means that when you lose the battle, when your ship is sunk, that you sink as well. Can you swim?" "I can." "So can I." "And I can, too." "That's important. When we get into a battle against another fleet, we must spread the crew and make the best of it."

"Sailors are no friendly people by nature. You must keep them happy by giving them enough food, water en sugar. When they mutiny, you're in trouble. When they start to get angry, you must satisfy them with part of the loot. That's why we have to plunder a lot. We need gold to keep the crew happy."

"And now I think you know enough, I will guide you on the way."

"By the way, what's your name?" "I am the master," the man said.

"Aye, master. We will leave tomorrow." "And who will wear the captain's cloak?" "Bulldozer will," Adam said. As soon as Bulldozer had the cloak on, many sailors came to him. He saw rowdy, burly men who wanted to join his crew. "We have space and food for them?" "We have enough." "Okay, you're welcome." "We leave at dawn at pier seven. The pinnace and the barque." The man nodded. "We have sixteen cannons, eighty tons of food supplies," the master reported. "Good we can move."

 

When the fivesome came in the town called Tinago, they immediately saw a wide row of rocks, with weird things between it. "It might sound strange, but I think it's better that I take the lead from here, remember there are only women there," Kiki said. The three men nodded. "You could lead the resistance in the east, so why not the three of us?" Hawkeye said with a smile.

They met Nathalie, a pretty blonde swordwoman, the leader of the Amazon clan. "Welcome strangers. I heard that your brother and cousin wasn't there but you want to help us. Come inside and I'll tell you about our problems."

When they were in the house, Kiki looked at Nathalie. "The rocks?" "The rocks, indeed. On one strange day, we got the rocks. Suddenly our town was surrounded by rocks. Square rocks, sticking in the ground like tombstones. We thought that it was just a joke but then strange things happened. Very strange things."

"What happened?" "On one day, the day after the rocks were there, one exploded into smithereens. Two people got hurt. The next day, we saw a flash of light and we all slept for twenty-four hours. A week from that, a stone changed into a beautiful bouquet of flowers. And another week from that, a rock became a boar."

"Strange things are happening with these rocks, we are afraid that rocks are magical and that they will all change into something else, something threatening us."

"You have no mage among your people?" "We haven't. All mages are men." "Well, Inge, my sister-in-law, is a female elven mage. But she couldn't come because she's pregnant. But she should have been here, maybe she knows what's going on."

"I can't detect magic," Tormentor suddenly said. The tall ranger continued. "I have some druid spells that might help, but I'm afraid it's just a matter of removing those rocks." "Remove the rocks? That's very dangerous! Who knows what happens? Maybe another rock explodes while somebody is carrying it away! Apart from that, those rocks are extremely big and heavy." "The first thing is no problem. We can move them after something has happened to one of the rocks, you tell me it took a while before the next rock did something, sometimes it lasted weeks. In that time we could move them. And with men- and horsepower, we could get over the seize and weight problems." But just as they moved close to one of the rocks to examine the position of the rocks into the ground they suddenly saw one of them rise out of the ground. It came loose from the ground and as everybody watched, it rose ten feet off the ground and suddenly fell back down in its original spot. "This is not a matter of dragging them away," Hawkeye said with fear in his eyes, "This is a matter of magic!" "I'm afraid yer right, big man," Razorblade nodded. "And there ain't a thing ya can do against magic. Even our little brother can't do anything here. Women, you have a severe problem here." "I think I know what's going on," Tormentor said. He was very experienced because of his adventures. "A mage is working out on these stones. I don't know why he chose to put the stones around this town, but this sure is a matter of magic and there's a mage involved. Now I'm not up to date here, so I'll ask you if you know any mages around here." Nathalie nodded. "There are a vast amount of magic users in Inleria, the southern realm of Riatoria." "I should have known, southern realm. Our own southern realm is a weird and dangerous place as well," Hawkeye said. Kiki, who had been raised near the Southern Realm, gave him an angry look. "What kind of magic users? Good, evil or neutral?" "All kinds of magic users live in the south. You see, the world has a war in the sea that lasts very long. Deep in the continents, there is peace and we live how we want to live. The magic users have redrawn, not wanting to get involved in wars they find useless." "I see. In Vascaria a mage wanted to conquer the world, but he was a dragon. And now there is a mage here who starts to act like that dragon. He wants to get involved in the war and conquer the world. My brother is after him now." "You told me so. We have no magic user in this town. The only kind of magic we have is the gift of the gods, in our temple. Our healers are very important because we have had several attacks." "Attacks? From whom?" "From time to time, an army comes. An army of men. They are said to come from a place we have never heard of." "What is the place called?" "The twin city of Kranak-Prisha." "Kranak‑Prisha you say?" "You know the place?" Nathalie asked the tall ranger. "Of course I know. It is a vicious but powerful town in the Teutonic Realm in Vascaria." "Also from Vascaria? More and more Vascarians come here and not everybody comes here with good intentions." "A friend of mine has told me some stories about Kranak‑Prisha. It is a violent town and then they wanted to get a crystal from the Blue Temple, a bunch who pretended they were priests but spent their time making very dangerous weapons in order to conquer the world. They were stopped just in time by Imm and his comrades. But anyway, what's more around here?" Nathalie gave them a map. "There is a tribe here, here and here. And here's a gnome town." "Argh, gnomes!" Razorblade exclaimed. "Of course, it's the gnomes!" "You don't have to tell me about gnomes. They are very friendly. We have always had a good relationship with the gnome town. We will never forget that one gnome who often visited our town. He has even stayed here for a month. He was sad because he always had something new and nobody wanted to listen to him. We cheered him up and he brought some of his friends to make us a catapult for rocks. It actually works, only the handle is very heavy. He said he would make us a better catapult but we never saw him back. I guess he's still working on it or just forgot it." "Gnomes don't forget easy," Kiki said. "I know. He said he'd make us something very special once. We're still waiting for it." "Meanwhile we have to look for a mage. A mage who planted rocks around an amazon town and does something different with each rock. Strange, but true."

Another World - Chapter 2

 

"So, we have a red flag. Why that?" "Well captain, the Marvisal flag has a red base. But when a ship comes close, the crew can't see the details. So we have one colour. The Inlerian ships fly a green flag, the Verenial a blue flag and the Silvernan a silver flag. Now everybody can see clearly who's flying whose colours." The sailing master looked in the distance. "We're out of our own waters now. Remember we have food for a hundred days with our small crew." "So we attack any ship that isn't flying Marvisal colours?" "They attack us as well. We are at war with Inleria." "That's where the mage rules?" "He doesn't rule...yet. Inleria is ruled by King Enon." Suddenly they heard a loud "Sail ho!", yelled out by the lookout in the top of the ship. "Sails in th'horizon, cap'n!" "Let's check it out!" They moved closer. "That's a big one!" Adam said. "Merchantman. Shall we?" "Aye, move a little closer." "For battle?" "For colours." "No need," Adam said. "I can see from here it flies a green flag. Inlerian." "Time for our first sea‑battle." "We could use the ship," the master said. "We'll close in and enter."

As the crew on the merchantman saw the ships, they also closed in. "What ship do we use?" "A pinnace is faster than a merchantman" "A barque with full sails is, too," the master said. "Then we'll stay on this barque and get them". The pinnace and the barque came together, only the required crew stayed on the pinnace, the rest climbed on the barque to fight. They had seventy men ready. They chased the merchantman and saw that the ship wasn't exactly loaded with crew. Adam, who had sharp eyes, could count thirty men. As they entered, Bulldozer saw the captain coming and grabbed his longsword to bring him on his knees in a quick way. "Cap'n the ship lo'ks pretty good, we gunna keep it? We have only six tons of space in th'hold and this one is loaded." "We'll keep it," Bulldozer decided. The merchantman could hold 100 tons and a big part of the hold was filled with goods they could sell, tobacco and sugar and a lot of food. The remaining crew surrendered and asked Bulldozer, just as the master had said, if they were allowed in his crew. Only ten men of the merchantman's crew had survived the battle, and Bulldozer took them. "But what if I don't want them?" he asked the master. "Simple. Then we throw 'em overboard." Cyberman and Adam looked concerned at that remark. "Seamen are no friendly people. This crew only gives you what you want because you feed them and keep them happy. Otherwise they'd mutiny and throw you overboard as well." "A mutineer has to fight me and I will kill him," Bulldozer said with a stern voice. They saw a town with a citadel and a red flag. They sailed into the harbour and went to the tavern to get more crew and to the merchant to buy more food, sugar and tobacco. When they left, they studied the map. "We are going to the Inlerian isle of Nikatan. With these winds we can enter the harbour fast," Cyberman said. "We'll do that." "And we're gonna conquer it?" "Aye." "Lord Chiano will be happy with that." "We're not here to please Chiano. But I'm starting to like this." They gathered some more crew and captured a sloop and a merchantman. "You could use your magic while attacking the town," Adam said. He had been watching the cannons with deep interest during the sea battles, Bulldozer hadn't used his diamond sword yet. No ship was damaged yet. With good manoeuvring, they had dodged all cannonballs. "We have a good crew. You can't deny that." "And you see how they are. You keep them happy by attacking every enemy ship you see and loot them. They see themselves as rich sailors now. We have a huge crew now and our holds are full. I..." "Sail ho!" "Ah, another ship. Yes, I can see. This is a huge one, master!" "A frigate. Can bear over two hundred men, thirty cannons and 140 tons." "Now I wonder who that might be," Cyberman said as he saw the frigate closing in on them. "A black flag. Now what does that mean?" Adam asked the master. "Well Sir Adam, that means they are pirates, probably the elven corsairs." "Elven corsairs?" "They are notorious dark elves who raid the sea, rarely using cannons but using rains of arrows. You know the skill of an elven archer?" "Of course I know. They are the best archers man can find." "Ah, I see. It's captain Lilliquis with his corsairs. Humans and elves led by a foul elf." "We'll get that frigate and add it to our fleet. Shall we accept crew from that pirate ship?" "Why not? They are just the same. They all want to plunder and they are no better or worse than the men we've got here. I advise you to take the biggest ship you've got -one of your merchantmen- and load it with crew. There might be a lot of pirates and a lot of guns and arrows will kill some if you don't watch out." Adam looked up. "Are we close to a place where we could repair ships?" "We are two days sailing from Leuthon, a Marvisal isle. There we can repair ships. Why that?" "Then I think it's time for the big guy to use his skills as a magic wielder and attack the pirates with magic," Bulldozer nodded. "I must keep them out of arrow range. Now you mean that I can damage the ship and wipe out crew till they are almost sinking and then enter." "Exactly." "Normally, we do that by manoeuvring and firing cannonballs but I see that you are starting to understand sea battle, Sir knight," the master said with approval. "Now what shall I do?" "Conjure up a fireball and send it into the frigate. Then follow up with an ice storm and break a mast with lightning. That should do it." "I've always been told that there are treasures buried by pirates. Are those stories true?" "When you want extra loot you can dig for treasures buried by pirates. Are those stories true?" "When you want extra loot you can dig for treasure if you've got a map. But you can also clash with the Inlerian gold fleet or the Silvernan tax fleet." "Gold and tax fleets?" "They have a fleet who stops on all their property to gather taxes. Corsairs love to raid them, on sea or in the town they are at the moment." "Corsairs closing in!" "Attack on the merchantman!" They all entered one of their merchantmen and sailed up to the large frigate. They saw they were a lot faster with full sails and they had 230 men ready. Bulldozer grabbed his diamond sword and unleashed a huge fireball. Shortly after that, ice rained over the frigate. They could already see the crew panicking and when a lightning bolt cracked into the mast, the merchantman sailed up fast. Suddenly a white banner shot to the top of the frigate. "Yey struck da col'rs, cap'n!" the lookout yelled in excitement. The crew cheered and entered the ship. Bulldozer also entered and found captain Lilliquis with his sword on the ground. "Now what do we do with you?" he wondered. "Sir, if you give me my freedom I'll give you valuable information about the gold and taxfleets." "Bah, we'll find out anyway. In the hold with him!" "Good move. You bring him to Leuthon and they'll reward you with gold."

"I see there is enough gold on the ship as well. All plunder." "Keep da dam'ged frig'te, cap'n?" the man, hungry for more loot, asked. "Right about that." "Aye aye cap'n." Dragging the damaged frigate, they had good winds to sail into the Leuthonian harbour in two days. There they paused to get the ship repaired and then they sailed up fast to the town of Nikatan, the first town on their list to add to Marvise. Meanwhile they plundered a sloop and sunk it, finding a second sloop worthless. They saw the town and attacked with a loaded 30-cannon frigate. They manoeuvred away from the cannonballs coming from the citadel and answered with their own cannons, knowing a citadel couldn't move. After four precise salvos they entered and scaled the citadel. The commander was ready to meet the man with the captain's cloak and Bulldozer saw him approaching.He grabbed his longsword and feigned a direct lunge. When the commander tried to parry, Bulldozer withdrew his sword and lunged anyway, killing the commander. Seeing this, the rest of the garrison fled and left the town to the mercy of Bulldozer and his crew. They entered the town cheering and immediately started to round up loot. They found a lot of gold, it was a rich town they had plundered. The governor fled and Bulldozer had to install a new one, this time a Marvisal governor. They left the town plundered, knowing that the town would get new gold soon. When they entered another Marvisal harbour, Bulldozer visited the governor who, to his surprise, promoted him to Major. "Are there ranks like that on board?" he asked the sailing master. "You are captain of the ship alright, but now you are a major in the service of Lord Chiano, you understand? That's because you gave him a new town." "Ah, I see. And now?" "On for more plunder!"

They sailed away again and Bulldozer wondered why they were all doing this. "We're not investigating on the mage, we're just fighting a war while we have been called here to fight the mage. Now this mage isn't ruling yet and he's not on the sea and we are. Then what in the Abyss are we doing here? That Lord will like it that we plunder everything and so will our crew. But I can't see the use of this." "I thought you liked it?" Adam asked. "Of course I like it. This is fun! But I have a pregnant wife and we've been on the sea for one and a half month. I want to be home when my child is born!" Adam nodded. "Where the heck is Cyber?" "The Cyberdude's been checking out the crew. He thinks they are mighty interesting and you can see he likes it on the sea." "Oh, they sure are. But you were right: the mage is not on the sea and we are fighting on the sea while we have to fight the mage. Then..."  "Sail ho!" "Well, here comes more plunder," Bulldozer grinned and gave orders to close in on the ship. "No use, they fly Marvisal colours but they're coming towards us. Lower the sails, they might come for food," Adam said. Bulldozer nodded and yelled more instructions to his lieutenants. Adam noticed that Bulldozer had already understood how to speak to these rough sailors. "Lo'r da sails, Marvisal barque cum'ng for food and n'ws!" His orders were followed strictly as the single barque came to the frigate. "Hail cap'n, we're runn'ng blast'ng low on food 'n' drink'ng wat'r, can thy miss sum' for us?" "Right away, cap'n. Hey folks, unload food 'n' drink'ng wat'r for da barque!" "How much cap'n?" "All they want! We've got plen'y!" "Aye, aye cap'n." The sailors of the barque climbed on the frigate and got food and water supplies. After that, they thanked Bulldozer and gave him some gold. "Spare ya gold, we've got 'nough." When the barque continued its way west, sailing with the wind, the fleet continued southwards. "We going to fight Inleria, cap'n?". "Well, we've got to find plunder somewhere," Cyberman joined Bulldozer. "I've been talking to the pirate, captain Lilliquis. As you know, I speak elven. He was surprised to stay in this ship because most of the time, a caught pirate is delivered in a town. I found this between his belongings." "You plundered the captive?" Bulldozer laughed. "Well, everybody wants to plunder so I play along. Look, it's a log with notes about the gold and tax fleets. Here, the Inlerian gold fleet. Now they should go to Rihackk, and from there to Erreno. Saint Marsh is next and then they go to Kintiar. Here's the map. We are pretty close to Erreno, a town with two forts and over 200 soldiers. Hard to take but when we've got it, we capture the gold fleet." "Great plan Cyberdude." "I prefer my old name Cyber again, I never thought Cyberman was the ideal name." "As you wish, Cyber." "So we'll stick around here and go to Erreno." "We'll let Adam spy because he's got excellent eyes." "We'll storm on Erreno with the frigate, unless..." "Sail ho!" "Close in!!" The crew was already used to close in on every ship they saw as that was the command Bulldozer always gave. They saw a ship bigger than they had ever seen before.

"They get bigger and bigger. What kind of floating citadel is this, master?" "That is a war galleon, the biggest you can find." "Hey that's fun we don't have a war galleon yet!" Bulldozer said. "Silvernan colours." "Charge, everybody on the frigate!" They loaded the frigate with crew and as they saw the war galleon come close, they closed in right away. Bulldozer sent holding spells into the ship with his diamond sword to paralyse part of the crew, then suddenly saw they were a minority compared to the crew of the war galleon. He continued spellfiring until he had to enter the galleon. To his surprise, it went the other way around: the remainder of the crew from the war galleon entered the frigate, the captain first. Then the smaller board cannons came into action and entering hooks were cut with vicious sword hacks. Finally they entered and as soon as the enemy crew was on the ship, Bulldozer gave them a blast of magic.They had to fight but after the captain was hit and fell into the roary sea, the crew submitted and 'the magic fleet', as Bulldozer's fleet was called, had another vessel to add to the immense fleet. The twelve vessels large fleet continued and the foursome chose the war galleon as their new flagship, seeing it was totally undamaged. They had found a lot of gold and goods in the hold and the crew was still very happy. "And da best yet to cum! Da gold fleet is our next victim!" Bulldozer yelled. The crew cheered and raised the sails for Erreno. As they arrived there, the winds were in their advantage: they led them straight towards the forts. "There! The gold fleet!" "Everybody on da war galleon! All han's on deck 'n' all possible cannons loaded! Weapons at da ready, extra rowers in positi'n! We must beach fast before da cannons from those forts can hit us! "Bulldozer yelled with a voice so loud that it was clearly audible on all ships, who were sailing very close to each other. They stacked the war galleon with over three hundred sailors and left only the necessary crew on the other ships and the crew they couldn't place on the war galleon anymore. With this they raised the sails, ordered the rowers to row and sailed towards the forts.

 

The foursome was sitting in the cabin that was reserved for them. "I still blame it on the gnomes," Razorblade said. "I still think it's a practising mage who chose this place by picking just a place from his map," Kiki responded. "I don't know what to think," Tormentor said, stretching out his nearly seven feet tall body, accidentally kicking Hawkeye. "Ow, watch your legs, cousin!" he yelled, more in surprise than in pain. "Let me tell you something, there is more now we have this problem with these forces from Kranak‑Prisha. We'll have to deal with that as well," Kiki sudden said. "Well, that's their problem," Tormentor said, uninterested. "They've asked for our help with one matter, but I can't see why we shouldn't help them with other matters." "She's right Tor. We're powerful fighters and when it comes to fighting, we can always help. And I've always hated teutons," Hawkeye added. "Alright, alright. But we have no magic powers except for our wands." "That's no problem. The wands are bursting with energy." "How can one fill wands and who filled ours, by the way?" Razorblade asked. "Didn't you know? Our mighty brother did that with his diamond sword." "Bah, that sword is one huge wand. I'll tell you that he may not get so many magic powers otherwise he'd become some kind of mage and he'll forget his training in fighting and his family tradition." "That's crap Raz, you know that Bulldozer is not a lazy mage. He only uses the sword when of the utmost emergency." "Now he does. Let's hope it remains that way." "Still jealous at him? After all you have accomplished?" Kiki asked. "I must admit so, aye," Razorblade answered with an ashamed nod.

"I can't understand it. You saved the Southern Realm while he was home training youthlings and planning attacks." "She's right, Raz. Get those jealous feelings about our little brother out of yer head forever. I can only see that the three of us have accomplished a lot, alone or together. What he does is also on my credits and on yours." "But they're talking about Hawkeye, Razorblade and The Mighty Bulldozer. We are referred to as 'his' brothers." "He got his name in a war where we could do nothing because of those night assassins. We were behind the magic wall playing Legion of Doom while he was about to free us." "We would have freed ourselves anyway." "But we waited for him. We were fools not to understand that we could turn our backs on the storm giant by stepping through the portal we were guarding. Guarding our getaway! We were fools!" "Now I don't understand this yammering about the past. You don't hear me complaining about the time I was a heavy drinker and a rag doll," Torment snorted. Razorblade was about to say some hard words to his cousin when Nathalie entered the cabin. "We have captured a male beardless dwarf who reports that the troops from Kranak‑Prisha are coming." "I don't believe it," Tormentor said with a broad grin. "Why not?" "Well, let me say that a beardless dwarf who reports that troops from Kranak‑Prisha are coming is a swearing smirk in blue cuirass armour who has had trouble with Kranak‑Prisha. The one I told about. I don't believe anything else, the Imm returns!" "Bring the dwarf," said Razorblade, looking outside. To his surprise, Nathalie didn't react. Razorblade looked her in the eyes. "I beg your pardon, I mean: could you bring us the dwarf, please?". "Oh, you asked for the dwarf? You needn't be so polite," Nathalie smiled. "Then why didn't you react when I said: bring the dwarf?" "Oh, I didn't see you speaking because you had your head turned. You see, I am completely deaf." Razorblade was shocked. "Then how can you hear what I say?" "Well, when you have been deaf for twelve years one learns to read lips very easy. But I can only understand you when I can see your lips, of course."

"Aha. Now where's that dwarf?" "I'll get him," Tormentor said and rose, then ducked because the cabin had been built for women and not for extremely tall men. He went outside and saw a small person in blue. "Hey ya bloody beardless sun of a dwarven thief!" "Get the bloody frag, it's that seven feet shipmast Serpentor!" Imm yelled in recognition. As soon as the women let him go, he stormed at his old friend. "Well I never expected to see your ugly face again!" "And I expected that I had a beard instead of you when we'd meet!" Tormentor answered laughing. They went back to the hut where Imm greeted the brothers in the terms he had always been used to use. This was only the first time that he met Kiki. "So you are the fragging half‑sister Bulldozer met in the war?" Imm asked. "Indeed. And you must be the dwarf who knows the most swears in the world." "Then we know each other." Imm took a drink out of his war bottle ‑a habit taken over from Bulldozer, he had always had a leather waterbag‑ and relaxed, for he had been on the run for a vast amount of days. "So, you're in trouble with Kranak‑Prisha again." "Aye, I found my old foe Mael again and he was not too glad to see me again I must admit. Not that I was glad to see him, he has been after me ten years or so ago and now he's after me again." "Why don't you tell us more about him? When we know more about him we always have a better chance to defeat him." "It seems impossible to defeat Mael for good, as I and Cyberman found out. But I will tell you what I know." He sat down comfortably and started to tell.

Another World - Chapter 3

 

"So, we did this sexton a favour by bringing the crystal to Mael, chased by this Mael who wanted the crystal for his emperor and when we finally were in Bael, led there by Cyber, they wanted to kill us. It just ain't fair! Clip tried to strike a bargain with this commander Chain while two cultwomen were guarding us but instead the commander struck Clip, the paladin in training. Mary, my elven colleague, caught him and leashed out on the cult, but she was told to shut up. And just when the commander was ready to slay us a drunk man entered, yelling: "Hey! Hey! Where's the keep?! I wanna drink!! Now!" With the cultwomen distracted, Clip swiped Helena off her feet and while Mary knocked her down hard, Clip went for Chain. Unfortunately, the commander was too much for the youngster as he kicked him against a hard fallen table. I decided to attack Zedra but she suddenly aimed that strange device at me and shot hundreds of tiny little darts with it. I had little time to roll away behind a table and I heard the vast amount of thuds of darts in the wood where my body had been seconds ago. Then the wino began again. "Hey! Say... that ain't fair... you've got weapons and they don't! That ain't fair, hey!" Furious, Chain turned to the man and grabbed his sword. But before he knew it, the drunk had kicked him and chopped him in the neck, downing him. Then he walked to Zedra, the only guard left. She grabbed her device again. "Farewell scum!" she hissed but she got tapped on the shoulder and when she turned around, she got the chair held by Clip full on her head. "Nice work, Clip," I said. I unstrapped the lady's blue cuirass armour and strapped it on myself. I had never seen such an armour before but I felt how strong it was and it still feels like leather. Quickly we left and in a dark alley, the stranger threw a ball into the bar and we saw it explode. "Thanks for helping us, stranger. But who are you and what in the Abyss was that?" The man threw back his hood and we saw an eastern, middle‑aged man with long black hair. "My name is Mattsu, and who may you be?" We introduced ourselves. "That? Oh, that's an invention from the east, Clip. I am an expert in making beauties like this one." He showed another ball and we backed off. Laughing, Mattsu explained that the balls had to burn before they exploded. "Say, Mattsu, you are a very good fighter and those bombs are very dangerous. Would you be interested in joining our cause?" I asked. "And what may that cause be?" he asked, and I explained.He agreed to join us.

 

Acolyte Deirdre of the Cult of the Crystal cried in agony. She and the rest were back in the Blue Temple of Bael. Deirdre fell on her knees and Acolyte Simon hurried towards her. "What is it, sister?" Acolyte Zeraus, the cult's strongman, came as well. "Helena and Zedra are dead," Deirdre cried. "What?" boomed Zeraus, "And Chain?" "He... he's still alive. I still feel his thoughts. But he's hurt... and angry." "It must have been those thieves! I must tell brother Aaron!" Zeraus said and walked away with big paces. "How did it happen?" Acolyte Simon asked. "They... were unconscious when it happened... a quick death."

 

"Piece of cake," said Mattsu while walking the dark streets. "We enter the temple, pass a couple of guards, get the crystal back and get the hell out of town. That can't be too hard." "I wish I could share your optimism, Mattsu," Clip said. "Remember that we might have to face hundreds of cultmen and acolytes and with a little luck Aaron to get the crystal back, if we find the crystal!" "Bah, not so pessimistic. What we need is a plan and a few bombs. I've got the bombs. Now come up with the plan and we'll enter the temple." "Just like that."

We observed the temple in shifts and when we were ready, Mattsu told us we would enter the temple via the sewers at a quiet time. At dusk we entered and followed Mattsu, who seemed to know the way. Suddenly we stood under a blue sign with familiar sigils on it. This is it. The sole entrance to the temple. He lifted the lid and entered. Suddenly we saw two acolytes, Deirdre and Simon, standing in our way. "We've been expecting you," Simon smiled. Behind us we could hear more people coming. "How did you know?" Clip asked. "My sister here is a telepath. She has tracked you ever since you left the bar where you killed our colleagues." We fell silent. Deirdre was a powerful telepath. She had tracked us down all the way, from all the people in town. Now the other Acolytes appeared behind US. "'T seems the odds are against us. Fortunately, I have bombs," Mattsu said and he lit one and threw it at the acolytes. The explosion killed most of them and others fled. Simon wasn't shocked and attacked Clip with his mace. Clip attacked but Simon dodged and parried all moves, as if he knew what was coming. The telepath! She helped him! "Attack the telepath! She helps this man with my thoughts!" Clip yelled. At the same moment Deirdre had two daggers in her chest, coming from Mary and me.

 

Chain had escaped wounded from the bar and he had sworn vengeance to the hooded man. He took his time to let his wounds heal and saw time and time again in his mind how the man beat him so easily. He would kill that man with his bombs! When he was ready he returned to the temple. He had a score to settle. But when he entered through the door, he saw it was pure mayhem inside. Dead acolytes, smoke, fire and screaming formed the scenario. Chain looked around. This was the work of the hooded man and the thieves. Good, he would get his vengeance. He stepped towards a hall and entered, waiting for what was coming.

 

Once Deirdre was dead, Clip saw Simon was struggling and getting clumsy while his mace seemed to get heavier and heavier. He lunged awkwardly and Clip pierced him with his sword, right through his heart. Simon staggered backwards and fell down, dead. Quickly Clip followed his friends. They ran through different halls and corridor, still led by Mattsu. Most of the places were blue and white, lit by strange white orbs. Sometimes Mattsu threw a smaller bomb who created a dense smoke. This was meant as cover. Suddenly they saw a big man blocking their way. "I know who you are and I will stop you or my name isn't Cooga." "Pleased to meet you, Cooga," Clip said and charged. A surprising move made Cooga stagger and all of a sudden, Mattsu joined the fray and killed him with a vicious chop to the throat.

"Don't you have a sword, Mattsu?" Clip asked. "I don't, but I have this," he said. He grabbed under his cloak and showed three axes, a battle axe and two hand axes. "And I've got my bombs."

"I guess that'll do. You fight good without weapons as well." "I was trained when I was your age." Mattsu now took the strange device Cooga had. They had learnt to call it a dartthrower. "This may be a handy help in our quest, I think. Now let's go after Imm and Mary."

 

In a secluded area, Headacolyte Aaron and Zeraus stood in front of a metal altar. Aaron put the crystal in a groove in the altar. "So Zedra and Helena are dead?" "Aye, Headacolyte. The thieves killed them." "And Chain?" "Still alive but his whereabouts are unknown." "He'll return. I am sure of that." Suddenly, quakes rumbled through the temple.

"What was that? Zeraus, go find out," Aaron commanded. "Yes, Acolyte." The metal door shut behind him. Smoke covered part of his sight. From everywhere he could hear of agony and pain. Something was terribly wrong. Suddenly I and Mary appeared out of nowhere. "You again!" Zeraus shouted. He grabbed a small box. "Yes, it's us again," I said, "Now show us where the crystal is." As an answer, Zeraus aimed the box at us and suddenly fire shot out of it. We barely escaped from the heatray. We attacked but without success. "You are going to die for what you did to my brothers and sisters!" the big man shouted. He was obviously very angry. Fortunately, Mattsu and Clip arrived. When he was distracted, I grabbed my axe and cleaved the man's upper leg. Zeraus yelled in pain and suddenly he had another axe is his head, one of Mattsu's hand axes. "Nice throw, Mattsu!" Clip said. "I think we will find the crystal behind this door," I said. "Right, but how do we open this?" "I saw the big acolyte press a lever somewhere around here." I saw it was a kind of button but the door remained shut. "Allow me," said Clip and he aimed the firebox at it.

 

Inside, Aaron saw in his orb how we defeated Zeraus. One little operation and the crystal was destroyed. Nay, that would have been a waste of all those years of work. Suddenly someone entered through the secret door. "Thanks the Machina, Chain, you're back. Now go outside and defeat these rogues." "I will kill those pests," Chain said with a bitter voice. "But not now. I'll leave and take the crystal with me if you don't mind." "I do mind, Acolyte Chain. You will go outside and..." "I don't think so," Chain said coldly. He showed a dartthrower and aimed it at the shocked Acolyte. "Why? Why did you betray us?" "Well, let's just say I found the truth in the Real Order of Dune," Chain said as calm as possible. Aaron was even more shocked. The Real Order was the natural antagonist of the Blue Temple. "You traitor!" he yelled and jumped at the commander. With the utmost precision Chain shot the darts in Aaron's chest. The acolyte jerked back and dropped dead. Then Chain went to the altar and grabbed the crystal. Just then the door exploded and we saw him and the crystal.

"He's still alive! Gods damn it!" Quickly Chain disappeared through the secret door. We followed him but we saw him fly away on a strange kind of wooden bird. "We've been had," Mary said, disappointed.

"There's no way we can enter this thing, let alone follow it." "It's heading for the east. Probably the Golden Mountains."

"I guess you're right."

Behind the temple, the sun rose in a grey morning sky.

Another World - Chapter 4

 

Mattsu woke me early the next day. "I think our troubles are not over yet" "What is it dammit?" I asked, not rested enough. I had drunk too much the last night in the temple, the acolytes appeared to be good distillers as well. "I have found a telescope on the roof of the temple and decided to aim it at the city. And I saw a huge platoon from Kranak‑Prisha" "What?" Mattsu led me to the roof and let me watch. To my horror I saw Mael and sergeant Kathleen leading their group straight to the temple. "This man has a way to track me down. And the bad thing is that we don't have the crystal anymore. But he'll only find out after he killed me" "He'll kill you anyway, after what you told me"  "Dwarf!" yelled Mael from outside. "Prepare to die! I'll have your head and the crystal!" "Too late whiskers! The crystal's gone!" "That little lie won't help you. Men, storm the temple". To my relief I saw a large platoon of guardsmen who intervened with Mael's bad plans. Mael saw that this amount of guardsmen was too much for him, so he tried another method. "Help us, brothers. There are thieves inside who have killed all brothers and sisters in the temple. They have taken over the temple. We passed by and decided to do the right thing". Still the captain guard was not convinced. "How do you know that all the brothers and sisters are dead? You're a telepath or something?" "In some ways, yes," Mael lied. For a while, the captain was silenced in thoughts. "Okay, we will help you."

 

"This is snacking unbelievable! Now the city guards are after us as well!" I grabbed my head in despair. "Calm down, there is still hope for us," Mattsu said with a calm voice. "How can you be so calm? There are a hundred fierce soldiers outside!" "Well, while you were sleeping, I checked out the basement and I found the most wonderful of all creations: a giant metal golem." "Do you happen to know how to control these things?" "I have investigated them. It can't be too hard. And we can enter through its belly". "Our last resort, let's see that golem of yours!"

 

Mattsu led us through corridors and suddenly we saw the huge metal creation. It was a huge, headless monster made of the hardest of metals. Two lumps on its back made it even uglier. "It's horrible," Mary screamed." "It's our lives," Mattsu said. We walked over to it. It had one big eye, made of colourless crystal. Its arms were so long that they almost touched the ground. Mattsu opened the door and we entered, seeing creeping in a golem was always better than getting killed by Mael. Once inside, we saw that the golem was inside like a cabin. "Is this an invention of the Blue Temple?" Clip asked. "Aye, it seems they were working on devastating weapons," Mattsu said while he was pressing a lot of buttons. They heard a rumbling through the corridors, indicating that Mael and his troops had forced the door and were inside the temple. "And I thought that the Blue Temple was a peaceful brotherhood," Clip said. "No way, bubba. The Blue Temple is as bad as the Real Order or any Black Brotherhood on Vascaria." "I'm afraid," Mary said. "What is it?" Clip asked. "She's afraid of enclosed areas. Part of elven nature, like being attracted to fire. "Mattsu answered. "Is that so?" Mary nodded. "You know a lot, easterner." "Well, I happen to be a smart guy who knows what he must know and does what he must do." "I guess you never cease to amaze us," Clip smiled. Mattsu absently pushed some more buttons and suddenly the giant creature started to move. Thousands of light points went on and flashed. Mary began to scream, we grabbed the chairs and strapped up the seatbelts. "Well, it seems that this Bluebird lives after all!" Mattsu said ectatic.

 

After having bashed the door, the soldiers entered the abandoned temple. Bodies of dead acolytes laid scattered over the floor. Mael and the city guard captain each ordered their men to search the area. They themselves stood in the great hall. "So this is how a Blue Temple looks like from the inside," the captain said. "Yes", grunted Mael, "I've already been in one". "Is that so? The one in Kranak‑Prisha?" the captain said in a sarcastic voice. "Now what is that supposed to mean?" Mael asked, turning around angry. The captain was about to say something when suddenly the ground underneath them began to rumble. Quickly everybody came to the centre of the quake: the great hall. Nobody knew what was going on and before they knew it, two giant fists came through the ground, throwing soldiers in the air. Suddenly a giant metallic monster with one eye appeared and began slamming confused soldiers from side to side with its large arms. Mael and the captain stood flabbergasted at the appearance of the seemingly hellhound monster. "It's the Beholder! It's after us!" soldiers screamed and hurried out of the temple as fast as they could. "Get yourselves together men, it can't be the Beholder!" the captain yelled. "You're right, it's that accursed dwarf and his friends!" Mael boomed. They all looked at the eye and saw indeed people behind it. Quickly Mael and the captain ordered to shoot arrows as the eye but they saw it was to no result. Mayhem broke out when they saw they could do nothing against the giant creature and as an answer, it suddenly began to attack. Then, when it had defeated almost everyone, I decided to speak. "Hey Mael! Long time no see! Now the tables have turned uh?". "Indeed they have, dwarf. Now what are you gonna do? Kill us all?". "Why should I? I have no grudge against you." "You mean you let us live?" Mael shouted half‑relieved. As an answer, the monster started to tear the walls of the temple apart. Everybody who lived was soon covered by rocks and dust. The monster showed wings, bent through one knee and ascended into the air. "I didn't know that this thing could fly as well," I said, surprised. "There are a lot of things you don't know about Bluebird," Mattsu answered. "Why do you insist on calling this thing Bluebird?" "Why, that's its name". "Well, at least we've got rid of Mael and now we can go for Chain and the crystal." "Well, I bet you that Mael's still alive. The man always seems to survive."

 

Mattsu knew where Chain had gone, he claimed. I slept quietly and so did Clip. Mary looked at the easterner who had brought Bluebird to life by accident but now it looked like he was steering it experienced. "Tell me the truth, Mattsu," Mary suddenly said. "You are no ordinary adventurer. Your knowledge about us elves, about making bombs, and I see you control this thing like you've done it before." "You are very perceptive, Mary. I thought Imm would see through me before you." He pressed some buttons and turned around, letting Bluebird fly by itself. "I'm a former acolyte of the Blue Temple in the Eastern Realm. I was in love with the ideals: obtain the ultimate knowledge, change the world for the better. After a lot of tests they invited me and soon I was one of them. I never liked magic so they put me in the New Magic sector: science. With the help of the temple l designed a lot of things, weapons, aircarriages ‑such as this one‑ and more. I even helped creating the Dream Realm, at least its link to the world. Every time I created a terrible weapon, l doubted why. My brothers told me it was for peaceful use: to defend, to repel monsters and to open mines. They lied to me.

They were building an army of powerful monsters of metal, genetically changed humans with dangerous weapons ‑my creations! I couldn't let them use my inventions to kill or torture people so I started neutralizing them.

After a long period of neutralizing my own weapons, I was forced to leave my temple. Then I realized that there were Blue Temples in the West as well so I had to go there and go on neutralizing. Fortunately, I have some skills the acolytes here lack. Otherwise I would have been in serious trouble.

But there were only Blue Temples in Bael, which Bluebird tore down, and in Kranak‑Prisha, and I heard that that warlord has torn that down.

So my quest is completed: the power of the temple is gone forever.

But its knowledge is still there, like the crystal, and it has to be neutralized as well. That's why I'm still travelling."

"Anyway, do not tell Imm about this, I know he hates the temple and he would hate me as well if he finds out I was in blue once as well."

"Your secret is safe with me, easterner. By the way, Imm is now in blue himself," Mary chuckled. Then she looked at me while I was sleeping and then I woke up because of her loud scream. "W... wha's up?" I asked, sitting straight at once. "Imm, your face! It's... so strange!" Mattsu handed me a mirror and I looked a my own face. And then I saw it.

"Holy drat, how can this possibly be?" Mattsu examined it.

"It's the fire. I told you you were too close. You burnt your face and this is the result." "Hell I know I burnt my face... but... I look ridiculous! There is no dwarf who has no beard! When will it grow again? I look like a bloody halfling!" The fire had burnt off my beard and burnt my face as well.

Mattsu shook his head. "The burn wounds are too deep. I'm afraid that you won't grow a beard anymore" "Can't be! There is no dwarf without a beard!"

"There is now!" Clip laughed. I had to be calmed down and pinned down by Mattsu otherwise I'd thrown the youngster right out of Bluebird.

And this is why I have no beard. I had been burnt when the big Acolyte had used his firebox. Some of the fire had burnt my face and my beard.

 

"Almost there," Mattsu said after hours of flying. "Then we'll enter the Wood­cloud." "What is that anyway?" "It's the airship of the Corsairs. Kept in the air by magical means ‑both new and old‑ the corsairs who are magically created sub‑humans and a few humans keep themselves alive by raiding airships and eventually a small town from the air."

"What about the corsairs themselves?"

"They call themselves the Real Order of Dune. They claim to be the dire heirs of the true and forbidden knowledge of the dark knight. They say the son of Dune has created the Woodcloud and even the strange creatures that are the corsairs. But whether that is true or not, is not up to me to decide."

"How come you know so much about these corsairs?" I asked.

"Simply. I was once one of them". "What?"

After a moment of being startled, we all began to laugh.

 

The Woodcloud was north of the Golden Mountains. Inside, in the captain's room stood Chain, talking with the captain. He was an impressive shadow standing at a window, looking at the mountains. His body was covered with a black cloak and he wore a metal helmet. Then he turned around and Chain saw that his body was totally covered by blackened plate mail. He wore a grey tunic over that.

"So, B'Kane Ethor, what do you think of my latest achievement?" Chain asked, pointing at B'Kane's gauntleted hand with the crystal in it.

"Finally, finally I have the power over a whole city," hissed B'Kane in a strange voice, as if he lacked enough air to breathe.

He turned his head to Chain. "Well done Chain. Thanks to you we'll become rich and very powerful. We'll show the Blue Temple and the whole of Vascaria that we possess the true powers of Dune." Chain listened impatiently to B'Kane's monologue, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "The Blue Temple tells half‑truths and manipulate the people. We'll make it all good". B'Kane raised his other hand in a fist. "First we'll destroy Kranak‑Prisha and spoil it from all its riches. Then we'll raise the Beholder. He's been kept underground for too long. Then, at last, we'll execute the final reign of 'vascaria...my reign". "I am happy for you, B'Kane," Chain lied. He didn't know how B'Kane would extract the information from the crystal but after he had done that, he would die by Chain's hand. "You're not happy for me, Chain. But at least you're more competent than those magical mutates that serve as my little corsairs. You can stay here as long a you want. You have bought your entrance to the Woodcloud."

 

In the captain's room of the Floating Citadel, as Bulldozer had named his war galleon, he had a meeting with his lieutenant, Cyber, Adam and the master. "Why is it that you called us, Admiral Bulldozer? Things are going terrific, all our holds are full of gold, the crew is extremely happy and we haven't even got a damaged ship. I think I have to call it a true honour to be lieutenant of the magic fleet. Then what is going wrong?" "I'll tell you lieutenant Braven. We have come from Vascaria to fight the mage that gains power in Inleria. Meanwhile we are at war with Inleria and we fight the Inlerians on the sea. But the mage is not on the sea and I have a pregnant wife home. I want to go after that mage. I want to get this mission over with and get home to be there when my child is born. We have not come from vascaria to play pirates." The lieutenant looked disappointed but the sailing master intervened. "It is obvious that you come from another world. I'll tell you what has gone wrong: you heard you had to fight on the sea and you wanted to know everything about the sea. You haven't paid enough attention to your true mission and you haven't asked enough about the situation here. You must admit that you like it here on the sea. And now you realize you've forgotten about your mission. The mage's troops are fighting on the sea, flying striped Inlerian colours. Recognize the black stripe on the flag. They are half‑Inlerian and half‑pirates. Look at this map. The mage's whereabouts must be around here because his troops have conquered only these places, around this spot here, and from there they work to the outside. You just command to sail around and conquer everything within sight, but I know of your mission and I have made the plan to success. Lieutenant, if you'll excuse us..." "But the men... must I tell'yum that we gunna quit soon?" "Oh no. The men be told that we go on and on. We will not quit until this threesome has reached their goal. But it is not time yet. There is plenty of time to plunder and loot. And that is exactly what we'll do. Tell them that." "Aye, aye master."

The lieutenant was dismissed and left the room. "Why did you send Braven out?" Bulldozer asked. He saw Adam stare at the door while murmuring something. "Ah, still using your magic to see if he's not eavesdropping on us?" "Not that, but I know he's gone nonetheless. I have very good ears and I heard him going up." They all heard somebody coming down. "Cap'n, sail on th'orizon. Close in?" "Not now, we're busy and all attend to lieutenant Braven who has something to tell you." "Aye, aye, cap'n". "I don't want the men to hear this," the master said after the sailor had left. "We are going to this very area. The men have always been afraid of the men of the mage Admir. I first gave them time to show us how powerful we are ourselves to give them more confidence. I know they will be less afraid now because they are now considering themselves invincible since we have lost not a single battle. Now they're ready, and now we can go to the dreaded area. Understand?"

"I do," Adam said, "But did you say the name of the mage was Admir?" "Aye."

"Extremely ironic. That might be short for Admiruytrior."

"Maybe. So?" "That is also my name, only I call myself Adam."

"I knew that." "Master, could you please excuse us?"

"Oh, now we're getting personal," the master smiled. He rose and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"So, you never told me you had a brother as well," Bulldozer said. Cyber looked at Adam. "Is that true?" "Aye, it is, although I haven't seen him in two hundred years. He is actually a half brother, for he is some hundred years older than I am. But it needn't be him, it can just be coincidental.

Admiruytrior II could never get across the planes, because this mage has been here some thirty years now and the portal only exists for twelve years. So this is very strange indeed."

"Maybe. But you were such an intelligent mage and maybe so was he and maybe he created another way to get here," Cyber said.

"I believe that is very difficult. A group of great mages had to build the portal and I don't think one mandrake could have done that on his own."

"You never know with people who have studied magic for nine centuries," Adam simply said. "That is true. So you believe that we're here for your brother? Then we can't ask your help, because I don't think the code of the knighthood allows you to fight your brethren."

"Oh, that is not true.The code forces us to fight evil, even if that means fighting your own brother. When it really is my brother ‑which I seriously doubt- and he's evil, I will fight him just like I'd fight anyone else aligned to evil. There is no difference, Cyber."

"In theory, no. But reality might prove different." "Anyway, before we drift off to long discussions: I think we're done with the subject that brought us here, and I've got a fleet to lead, so if you'll excuse me...," Bulldozer said while rising from his seat.

"Aye, you're right. There might be a sail on the horizon."

"And I must encourage my men to fight the mage by capturing vessel after vessel and not damage one of my own ships."

"The master was right. Go help him with his job," Adam said.

Bulldozer left the room and was met by some of his men who asked him if there was trouble with them, because he had told the lieutenant that everything was all‑right. Bulldozer told them that everything was indeed alright and that they should pay more attention to their work on the ship.

"But cap'n, we're going to the stripe-zone. Don'tcha think it's too dangerous to go there or don'tcha know wha'da stripe zone is?"

"The sailing master has informed me about it. Remember that we are out to prove that we are really invincible. And nobody believes we're invincible until we have conquered the so‑called stripe‑zone. The zone is ruled by a mage and we are the magic fleet, so magic simply has to clash with real magic from the sea. The magic fleet will add the stripe‑zone to Marvise."

"Are ya sure we will manage, cap'n?"

"My dear friend, I would not go there if I was not sure I will end the fight victoriously. I might be a daring captain, but not a reckless one."

"Yer wise cap'n. Maybe the men'll think different now yer sailing to the stripe‑zone but..." "After the first five victories in a row they will think different." "Aye, cap'n."

Adam observed how Bulldozer was handling the sea‑roughlings. He handled them very well as if he was one of them. He understood that Bulldozer was in a hurry. He wanted to see his newborn child. An that's why he gave instructions to get to the stripe‑zone at once. He knew that he had to be there and so he went there. That was just the way Bulldozer was.

Chain left the captain's room when he suddenly heard a loud bell ring.

"Air raid!" yelled one of the corsairs. Quickly Chain looked southward and saw a flying object he knew too well. It was a flying golem.

 

"So this is the plan guys," Mattsu explained. "Clip and I will enter the ship see to it that we're enroled as corsairs. You stay here hidden. They're not fond of other races like dwarves and elves. After I talked to good old B'Kane, we'll try to find the crystal and then get out of here."

"Where do we hide?" "There is another room in here, the store room. You can easily stay there for some time, there's food and water for weeks."

"You mean we have to stay here for weeks?" Mary asked, frightened. This room was even smaller. "Of course not. Now get in there, we're almost..."

"Mattsu, what are those black balls coming at us?"

"By the dark demons of Rinthrah! They're firing cannonballs at us!" he shouted. Quickly he grabbed the control and moved away. He answered with a load of rocks which seemed to come from underneath Bluebird. Then the upper deck exploded and they could land safely. Imm and Mary went to the storage room. "Hey wait! You're so damn confident you are safe while Chain and a lot of damn corsairs will be wanting ya! Then how can you be so bloody confident?" I asked.

"First, I'm well‑known here. Second, nobody trusts Chain yet because everyone knows he's a traitor and nobody trusts traitors, not even corsairs. Third, I have something that B'Kane will most surely want." He produced a blue object: a crystal just like the one they were chasing.

"Where in the Abyss...?" "Well, it's easy to make such a crystal. You take a piece of blue crystal, like the one I found in the temple, and I have stored forbidden knowledge in it, about Kranak‑Prisha. Only these secrets are based upon my imagination. I made everything up."

He was about to open the door when he turned to Clip. "Remember, let me do all the talking. I know these guys. Don't let Chain upset you when you see him. We'll eat tonight and then we'll dance with some airwine while Chain will be filing his teeth for you."

With these words, Mattsu straightened his back, rasped his throat and opened the gate of Bluebird. They saw a lot of corsairs armed to the tusks waiting for them. Clip observed that they all looked alike. The corsairs were bald, sometimes wore a bandanna, had few teeth and missed a leg or a hand and had peglegs or hooks instead.

"Harr, these not be men!" one shouted.

"Nay, these are demons!" another one cried."

"Away wi''em!" some began to scream.

"I'd like to talk to your captain," Mattsu shouted, trying to get his voice over the noise of the corsairs.

"Cap'n B'Kane Ethor! I wish to talk to him!" The corsairs did not listen. Instead they kept on shouting and approached dangerously. Roughly they grabbed Mattsu and Clip. Clip wanted to resist but Mattsu gave him a sign not to fight, for that would only make things worse. Suddenly they heard a hoarse voice which quieted the group. Entered a man like all corsairs, he only seemed to be older. He had the filthiest teeth and smelled the worst.

"Avast, ya swabs! Belay yeselves an'man the mizzemast!" he gestured some corsairs to their places by waving wildly with his arms.

"'Tis a stormy course for the G'ld'n Mount'ns we're sail'ng 'n' da cap'n be not resting easy till Kranak-Prisha be ours!"

The biggest part of the group left, only a few remained to guard the two intruders, who looked at each other when they heard the first talk about Kranak‑Prisha. The man turned to the twosome.

"An' what matter of filthy beasts may yaw be?" he asked.

"Don'tcha recognize me Castmast?" Mattsu asked. "'Tis me, Dumbbomb, yer old mate!" "He'll be a yellabacked skunk, Cast, Ay tell ya!" one of the guarding men said." Shaddap laddie, unless ya wunna becum wyrmfodder!" Castmast said to him. Then he looked at Mattsu. "Yer really Dumbbomb, the ship's engineer," he said grinning broadly. "Our engines never b'came the same when ya left, matey!"

"That's why I'm back Cast. For the engines and lots more!"

"Yer back allrite, but there's one little score to settle."

"Wha's that,mate?" Then Castmast punched him in the stomach.

Tha's for taking away me girlie! Now I'm done with ya, you and yew friend'll do some dancing for us!"

"And I thought the dancing was after dinner?" Clip asked.

"Shut up, you don't know what they're talking about."

They were almost on the plank to fall down when a harsh voice silenced the corsairs. "What's going on here?" B'Kane asked.

Chain was following suit. The latter recognized the twosome on the plank. "Those are the friends I stole the crystal from!" he yelled. "Who do you call fiends? You took it by killing an acolyte!" Mattsu answered.

B'Kane ignored the discussion. "You are the one who's called Dumbbomb. You were our engineer till you had to leave because of a woman."

"Aye, aye, sir. And now I'm back to make it all good."

Behind B'Kane came a sound that was too cold to be a laugh.

"And what makes you so sure that I will take you back along with that friend of yours B'Kane asked sarcastically.

"This," Mattsu answered, holding up the crystal.

The corsairs, who didn't know what it was, looked at B'Kane and Chain. Chain was too startled to say a word, B'Kane's expression could not be read. "This is the real crystal with the forbidden information about Kranak‑Prisha," Mattsu declared. "No, it's a trick!" cried Chain. "The real crystal I gave you!"

"Wrong Chain, this is the real one. I switched them back in Bael, during our struggle. I knew somebody would get hold of it. My friend and I couldn't afford to lose it, not knowing it would end in B'Kane's hands anyway, so we made a false crystal full of lies. Then we always showed the imitation while we kept the real one safe."

"Is that so?" Chain asked. "Then what are you doing here?"

"Two purposes. One: we would go here anyway. Two: we saw you go here and we know you're a traitor. When you were allowed here, you'd soon betray the Real Order and we will do everything to stop that!"

B'Kane slowly turned his head to Chain. He whispered something to Chain and turned his head back. "Chain says there are two more of you: an elf and a dwarf. Where are they?" They saw the corsairs grunt.

They hated elves and dwarves. "Oh, I disposed long of those unknowing stooges."

"You have the crystal for me. Of course, you want something in exchange. What?"

"We only wish to join you and pledge ourselves to your cause.

We can help you by steering the Bluebird, or going to the engines... heck, we could be useful just anywhere!"

"Don't listen to them B'Kane," Chain whispered. "It's a trick. That's a fake crystal. I'm sure the one you have now is the real one."

"Be done," B'Kane just said in a cold voice.

"I will decide what to do with them and nobody else.

"Then he looked back at the twosome. "Dumbbomb, you and your friend... Planktank are hereby accepted as corsairs of the Real Order of Dune the moment you hand me the crystal." Everybody but Chain cheered.

Some corsairs helped Clip and Mattsu aboard again

Mattsu walked over to B'Kane and handed him the crystal. Slowly, the captain put a gauntleted hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome back Dumbbomb," he hissed. One big cheer exploded on the enormous deck of the Woodcloud. It seemed that the other corsairs had already accepted the two.

 

"Bah, I can't understand why everybody has always been so afraid of this area. It is just an area with small towns just like everywhere we have been so far. There is nothing special."

"Well, I can understand you're disappointed. You expected something new and you just got more of what you already had," Adam replied.

"That's true. I expected magic attacks, lightning bolts soaring through the air, aimed at the Floating Citadel. Instead just more cannonballs and we can dodge them all. They were surprised when we suddenly attacked with half the fleet instead of one ship only."

"They didn't know at which ship they had to aim their cannonballs," Cyber smiled.

"You know what's so strange? I've been here with you and Cyber for some time and I even don't know my rank! Or am I just a passenger?" "Well then, go swab the decks, they must be brand clean when we attack the next town yes?" Bulldozer teased.

"But to be serious: you are second captain and so is Cyber. You are captains without cloaks."

"I see. So you're the only one we must obey?"

"Well, ye be smart if ye also obey da master!" Bulldozer snarled in the sailors tongue. They all laughed and then heard they had arrived near the next stripe‑zone town. "This be a small town cap'n. No citadel guarding."

"Piece of cake.That means we can just sail into the harbour with our entire fleet and attack on land," Bulldozer said with a cruel smile.

But when they sailed into the harbour, they already saw the striped green flag struck. Soon after that, the red flag was raised.

"We just had a raid from another army," a townsman said. "They were foot soldiers from a town I have never heard of. I don't remember the name of the town but it was called a twin city. It had a double name as well. "Cyber was listening carefully.

"Was the name of the town Kranak‑Prisha?" "Maybe. I don't remember. It was a difficult name like that, yes. They seemed to go to the landinward amazon town of Tinago."

"Tinago. The last one on our list," Bulldozer said.

"Does the mage Admir happen to live near Tinago?" "Well, not too near. He lives far away from the zone. His men have conquered this area to distract but he really lives two weeks from here."

"We'll have to go to Tinago anyway." "The town is not in hands of the mage's men," Adam said. "But it must be in ours, I guess. There must be a lot of plunder."

"Well, I do not agree that we have to conquer the place. But we must go there to help them fight the forces of Kranak‑Prisha," Cyber said. "You've had some hard experiences there huh?" "You bet."

"The place where the mage lives, can we go there by sea?"

"No, it's too much landinward. The sailors won't go that far."

"This was the last part of the stripe‑zone. I think it's about time to call it an expedition," Bulldozer said. "What do you want to do?"

"From here, we sail back: to Nevezer. There is a portal near. We divide up the plunder and go back to the portal town. Then we go back to this place and from there, we go to the mage. But first we go to Tinago. And we take all our men with us." "Will the men go help us instead of plundering?" Cyber wondered.

"They have to. After all I have done for them this is the least they can do. Indeed, they found all the men wanting to help and they left sailors to guard the fleet and the gold. The master ensured them they would guard the treasure with their lives. "I stay as well. You take over the lead on land," Bulldozer suddenly told Cyber. "What? You're not coming with us?"

"There are enormous treasures to guard. When a ship or a fleet arrives here they can plunder all they want. Now I'm here and with my magic, I will keep intruders away. You or Adam lead the gang to Tinago."

"In that case, I ll let Adam have the lead," Cyber said.

"Alright. How many men I can take with me?"

"Take a thousand of our best fighters. I will stay here with two hundred men and my diamond sword."

A mass of soldiers followed the knight, and Bulldozer remained on the Floating citadel. They had horses to pull wagons full of food. The town was very helpful indeed. Meanwhile, Bulldozer thought about home, about his wife, his son and his coming child.

The feast of acceptance was cheerful on he Woodcloud.

A band played some music. To Clip, it sounded like a prolonged explosion. Then a woman in few concealing clothes began to sing a rough and obscene song. Some corsairs tried to grab her but she kicked them back. The sight of falling mates only increased the cheerful screams of the corsairs. Everybody but Clip was drinking, smoking weird stuff and trying to get a woman. There were more women than Clip had expected.

Time passed and somehow Clip bumped into the singing woman who had stopped singing earlier. Clip didn't know when.

"Why don'tcha watch where ye going fool!" she ye]led.

"Excuse me madam," Clip answered immediately. It was obvious that she wasn't used to apologies as she stared at Clip intensely.

"Hey, you're the guy who came with Dumbbomb, ain't you?"

"Aye, they call me Planktank here."

"Houser's the name, doll. Singing's my profession."

"How come you don't have a name like the men here?"

"That's a stupid habit of them. They give each other names like Nutcut, Redbed, Castmast and Lifeknife." "You gotta be kidding!"

"Nay, those are real names. Ask anyone here! We women prefer nicer names."

"Like Houser." "For instance, yes."

"What was that horrible demonic you were playing for so long?"

"Silly boy. We of the Real Order are smart people. See, our instruments are activated by wind. We have a windorgan that creates fast music. Our drums are based upon the same principal, though its beats are much faster and wilder."

"I see about everyone here but the two of us is drunk or drugged."

"Another custom here. Even Dumbbomb hasn't lost it."

"How come you don't talk like the rest?"

"Inquisitive, ain't you? It's because I'm not born on this ship. They kidnapped me when I was a child. I didn't know who I was, but then I accepted the code of the Real Order and became Houser, bard of the winds."

"But let's not talk so much. There is a feast going on and we must dance."

With that,she grabbed Clip by the waist and they danced.

Somewhere in the woods of the Golden Mountains, a man was battling a band of robbers who thought that one man was easy prey. After two minutes, only one rogue was alive and ran away. With a tired motion, the man grabbed his crossbow and shot the rogue in the head.

"Nice shooting stranger," an old man said.The man turned around, sword drawn, but the old men made a sign of piece.

"Have no fear, warrior. I am just an old man on his way to Kranak‑Prisha. I am no danger to you."

"You're more than you look like, old man," the man said, recognizing the signs magic user.

"Sure so, but I am still old and the road is dangerous. Would you be so kind to escort me? I'll be happy to pay for your expenses."

"So be it, old man, but then for free."

"My my. It seems I met a real classic paladin."

With that, they together went to Kranak‑Prisha.

 

Mattsu woke up lying on the ground, surrounded by empty bottles. Somebody was shaking him frantically and when he slowly opened one eye, he saw it was Clip. "Wake up Mattsu, we're in deep Roelof waste!"

He muttered something and opened both eyes. He saw the hall was still full of people but something was wrong. Everybody stood silently around him and Clip.

Then he saw a grinning Chair, and a motionless B'Kane.

"It seems you have double‑crossed us again, Dumbbomb," B'Kane hissed.

"HARRR!" everybody harred at the same time.

"What's up captain?" he asked, though he guessed the answer.

"I have analyzed both crystals and they both tell things about Kranak‑Prisha, but I know that your crystal is full of lies!"

"Well maybe you didn't analyze it good enough," Mattsu shrugged.

"I have! And all I found were stories about Kranak's men of the Cross!" B'Kane shouted while pulverizing the crystal in his fist.

"Seize them! They will be executed immediately!"

At once, dozens of corsairs grabbed the twosome and brought them to the plank. "Again?" Clip shouted. "Only you, laddie. First Dumbbomb will be killed in a fair fight against Mainchain."

On the plank, Clip saw Mattsu and Chain step into a circle. But Chain had two butterfly swords.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, easterner," Chain grunted. But suddenly, with a loud whirling and clanging, Bluebird stood upright again. With wild motions of his arms he started killing corsairs. Panic broke out amidst the normally brave men and women of the Woodcloud and everybody started to run away from the arms. Only Clip and Mattsu stood still.

They knew that either me or Mary had reactivated the Bluebird when we saw the trouble they were in. When everybody was out of reach, Bluebird suddenly began to shoot fire. The corsairs were killed effortlessly because the fire made the magical creatures explode. Clip jumped off the plank and went to Mattsu.

"You all‑right?" he asked. "Aye. Fortunately, Chain never hit me."

They sought cover and under a pile of barrels, they saw the carnage Bluebird was creating. Thunder roared, accompanied by the screams of corsairs. The deck was one dark red strain.

"By the gods!" Clip shouted. "I didn't know that monster could create a disaster so huge!" Mattsu didn't say anything. He knew how dangerous Bluebird could be.

"Bluebird was created to battle dragons," he simply said after a while. Clip turned around to ask something but Mattsu was faster.

"One of the countless reasons I left was that the brothers saw the dragons as a bigger threat than the humans. Therefore they were preparing themselves for a war against the dragons. Then they came with Bluebird and its kin, a metal monstrosity created to resist both physical and magical attacks from dragons. Whether they can indeed stand against a dragon is unknown. We do know by now how easy it kills humans."

"The brothers tested the golems on humans, and it was then I realized that the temple wasn't as good as they said to the outer world."

Meanwhile Bluebird entered a portal big enough for its girth and suddenly Mary and me jumped out of it and greeted Mattsu and Clip.

"You bloody guys all‑right?" I asked.

"We're fine, but... who's controlling Bluebird?"

"Dunno," I shrugged, "One moment I controlled it like you saw and then I press a button and it wouldn't obey anymore. So we jumped out before it does anything stupid."

"It's set on auto! That means it kills by itself and nothing can stop it! Let's follow it and get the crystal!"

We didn't know what Mattsu was all blabbering about but we understood the 'follow it' part. We gave Clip and Mattsu their weapons back and grabbed our own weapons at the ready.

 

B'Kane and Chain had been the first ones to run from Bluebird.

While they were running through the corridors, they heard the slaughtering behind them. They dared not look back. Then they met Castmast, and B'Kane halted him. "Castmast, we're in terrible danger. Release the Underguardian at once!" "Aye, aye cap'n." Castmast ran on to follow B'Kane's orders.

"Who's the Underguardian?" Chain asked.

B'Kane answered surprisingly calm. "He is the one who protects us from such invasions as we are experiencing right now. Once it's released it will shred the metal monster to pieces." "I wish I could share your optimism."

They began to run faster when they heard the golem closing in on them.

While Bluebird was making a path for me and the others, we searched everywhere for the crystal but we couldn't find it. "I'm afraid B'Kane has the crystal in his quarters," Clip said. "Then we'll look for the metallic joker."

The army of corsairs was thinning fast and they met no more resistance. Now Clip dared to run in front of Bluebird, who seemed to ignore him in its onslaught. Clip rounded a corner and what he saw chilled every bone in his body. A purple, tentacle‑headed wyrm was standing no more than ten feet away. Its thin, membrane-like wings were folded while the talons on its thin legs were extended, shining like purple marble that has just been polished. It was a horrible sight but the most terrifying was the enormous mouth, a black hole with many white fangs. Clip stood paralysed while the wyrm approached him with the slyness of a snake. Its tail was just about to wrap itself around Clip's waist when a blast threw the monster back. Bluebird had come to the rescue!

Immediately the two surrealistic beings flung into each other for battle while we took care of the heavily shaken Clip.

"What... what... ?" asked Clip with a trembling voice while Mattsu tried to give him some corsairrum. "That's the Underguardian, a genetically altered purple worm. Bred to guard this ship. I tried to warn you but you had already run away." In blind fascination, we looked at the battle. The wyrm was faster but Bluebird made up for  its lack of speed with its tremendous bulk.

Still the wyrm was on the winning hand, hitting Bluebird many times.

But when Bluebird struck, the wyrm was thrown back, only to come again and go for a new attack. Suddenly it grabbed Bluebird's arm and threw it with enormous speed through a wall. When Bluebird disappeared, the wyrm turned towards the shocked foursome. Suddenly Mattsu threw a smoke bomb and while the creature was stunned, he led us away. "We're doomed!" Mary yelled. "Shut up and run!" I yelled back.

The wyrm was almost upon us when Bluebird saved us again. It grabbed the wings of the guardian and shred them to pieces.

The wyrm growled in pain and agony and turned again to the blue golem. We saw that despite the bulk, Bluebird was no match for the Underguardian. The golem seemed to realize it as well for suddenly its back spewed two jets of fire towards the wyrm. It went straight through the hull walls of the ship and Bluebird followed quickly and clamped onto the wyrm. From the hole, we could clearly see both creatures crashing to death on the rocks of the mountains.

"That's the last we will see of those horrible creatures," Mary said with disgust. "I was kinda liking the blue fella," I said." Me, too," said Clip. Mattsu kept silent.

 

Mattsu suggested to enter the bridge, for that was the only possible place left where B'Kane and the crystal could be.

Mattsu threw one of his last bombs to open the sealed door.

What they saw exceeded their fantasies. The bridge was full of metal and leather tubes, little dots of multicolored light, strange sounds and that all in a dark metallic decorum.

"I don't like the looks of this," Mary whispered.

"Just what is this?" I asked.

"I think it's both magic and science that keeps this ship in the air. This will be the unit that keeps the ship afloat automatically," Mattsu said aloud. I was the only one on alert. "Come again?"

Suddenly a blue blur came down and before they knew it, Chain was holding Mattsu in a fierce chinlock.

"Nobody move, this is between me and the easterner."

I neglected the order and grabbed my battle axe, but Mattsu rose a hand slowly and said "He's right. Between... me and him," and suddenly he threw Chain over his shoulder. "You go for the crystal and B'Kane," he ordered and we left the room. "Come on guys, they will keep each other busy for a while."

 

We climbed on a catwalk and from there we saw the enormous mechanic structure of the bridge. Everything was a different shade of grey.

"Somewhere around here must be our crystal," I muttered more to myself than to the others. "And if we have it, how do we get off this thing now that we have no Bluebird anymore?" Clip asked. "First things first."

Suddenly, Mary used her agility to suddenly sweep us off our feet.

A moment later a fireball passed over our heads. It was obvious that Mary, due to her elven nature, had felt the heat coming.

Then we saw the caster of the spell: B'Kane.

"Is this what you're looking for? Come and get it!"

"Can we take on this guy?" Mary asked. "Definitely not, but let's give it a try. You attack high, I'll attack low and Clip follows, because he has no protection nor resistance against the magic."

Quickly we attacked but B'Kane was fast enough to build a force field to block the blows from Mary and Clip. But he wasn't fast enough for me, or he didn't see me coming with a low roll. Anyway, I hit him hard in the hip and he lost all concentration and thus control over the force field.

Now Mary moved in and before B'Kane knew it, he had two daggers on his throat.

"One move and you'll be so much junk," she said in a cold voice.

Obviously, Mary was not the normal kind of elf who sacred life above all. I quickly grabbed the crystal from B'Kane's hands.

"Finally, I have it back," I said in delight.

"What do we do with this jester?" Mary asked. "Set free," I said.

"What?" Clip and Mary yelled at the same time.

"But first he will land this ship in the outskirts of Kranak‑Prisha."

"You heard me?" I asked B'Kane, "You have no crew, no crystal and no Underguardian and I will set you free if you land us safely."

"Pah! I'd rather die than do thieves a favour."

"Hey watch it! I'm not a thief, I'm a paladin!" Clip protested.

"Then what are you doing with these vile miscreants?" B'Kane asked, turning his helmeted head to Clip.

"Dunno. I guess I'm just a victim of circumstances."

 

Mattsu wasn't doing well. Chain proved to be an excellent fighter and he knew magic as well as he suddenly grew larger and stronger. To make matters worse Mattsu had wasted his hand axes and broken his battle axe.

From then, Chain began to cut Mattsu until he fell bleeding from a lot of wounds. "Ah, this is one of my best victories," he said, satisfied. Effortlessly, he picked up Mattsu and was about to cut his head off when he suddenly saw Mattsu holding his last bomb burning.

"Don't count the ol' Mattsu out till you've seen him buried!" he said with last breath. Then a great explosion engulfed the two men.

 

"What was that?" I asked Clip. "Seems like his last bomb."

"Go check on him, Clip, he was only to use that bomb in the case of the utmost emergency." Clip ran away and looked at B'Kane, who was bringing the Woodcloud down. Mary was right behind, holding her long dagger to his neck.

"Whatever your friend has done down there, he has damaged the engines. We are going down much faster now."

"All the better." A minute later, Clip came back.

"Mattsu and Chain... are both dead. It must have been a desperate fight."

"Pity. Those two were most valuable men," B'Kane said. "You shut up," I commanded, hurting with grief over my lost friend.

We suddenly heard B'Kane yelling. "Grab something, we're gonna crash hard!"

And indeed, we saw the ground come closer very fast.

We crashed and it shook up the entire ship, then ripped it into pieces.

At first we were dazed by the impact but then we got a grip on consciousness.

"Anything broken?" "Nay, just some bruises, that's all," Clip said.

"A lot of bruises," Mary said, "where's B'Kane?"

Another World - Chapter 5

 

"Boooy, da stripe-zone is all Marvisal, cap'n!"

"Aye, I see. And here are troops." "Where?" The second lieutenant of the Silvernan 32nd fleet, four ships, took over the spyglass.

"Definitely a huge fleet in da harbour. Could that be da magic fleet?"

"By the spirit of Kyranor! That is the magic fleet! Of course! What other powerful force o' Marvise could have conquered the entire stripe‑zone?"  "And there ain't no citadel here, cap'n. Tha'll be why the fleet guards it!" "Or it be just conquered by the magic fleet."

"Cap'n, yey say da magic fleet is big but I see no crew, yes, a few sailors. But not the huge army there is said to be."

"They might be out landinward to conquer more. They must be guards to guard da enormous treasures, like what they stole from our fleets."

"We could do no better thing than to surprise the guards of the fleet and conquer it while da rest of da fleet is away!"

"Aye, we'll surprise them," the captain nodded and commanded all the crew to sail to the harbour.

 

Bulldozer was sitting in his captain's room when Braven stormed in without knocking. "Cap'n, Silvernan fleet closing in!"

Immediately Bulldozer rose and grabbed his diamond sword. "How much?" "Merchantman, sloop, barque and galleon." "Are they that close?"

"I have a good spyglass." "Perfect." "Ya gunna magick it to da bottom?" "Well, I'll give them a warning this time."

"They be stubborn, cap'n. They know the treasures we have. They all know." "Let them try to enter the harbour," Bulldozer said and went to the deck.

"What? But... we have only a few men!" "I said let them try. I did not say they will enter!"  And with that, suddenly a landoffward storm began. He saw the ships struggling and trying to get forward with all tricks one could use on a ship.

 

"Cap'n, wind's making us impossible to enter!"

"It's impossible! We had reasonable winds! The gods don't want us to get the treasures by turning the wind against us!"

"Or da magic." "The magic, of course! It's keeping us back! Keep on trying! We must try to get closer! Fire cannonballs!"

"Da cannons don't get far with these winds, 'Tis stormy, hard to aim and they seem to stop too soon."

"I must see this!" the captain took his spyglass as well and looked.

He saw to his surprise that they couldn't get any closer, while the magic fleet lay peacefully in the harbour. A huge forcefield was raised to stop the blackened cannonballs. And now the guards were bringing their own cannons in position to fire back. "Retreat! Retreat!" the captain yelled.

"This is no fair fight! We must retreat!"

And retreat they did, only to sail up north fast, with good winds coming from the sword Bulldozer held in his hands.

"Magic be extremely handy sometimes, cap'n." "You bet."

 

"Raid! Raid!" yelled a female voice as Imm interrupted his story. Everybody grabbed their weapons and climbed the walls.

They all saw a huge army come to the town, led by two men in shining armour­. "These are not the men of Kranak‑Prisha!" Katia said.

"Then who are these?" "They carry a red flag. That means they are buccaneers from Marvise. Yes, these are sailors. What are they doing here?"

"I heard that Marvise has captured the zone and now they might be going to conquer more on land. We must be alerted."

All of a sudden, they saw the line of rocks move slightly towards the army, then they all went back into their normal positions.

"The magic! These are the soldiers from the magic fleet! They have done this to us!" Nathalie yelled. "Magic fleet?" Tormentor asked. "It's a famous fleet from Marvise, just raised a couple of months ago, and they are led by a threesome. The captain is a powerful magic user and adding magic to combat, they have conquered everything they wanted to conquer. The magic fleet has conquered the stripe‑zone, which was conquered by Inlerian pirates, commanded by the magic user Admir, who lives two weeks from here. And now this fearsome fleet has come to attack our city."

"Wait! Hold your catapults and relax! These are friends!" Kiki yelled.

"Friends?" Hawkeye and Katia asked at the same time.

"Of course, big lummox! Listen to her: led by three men, the captain uses magic. Doesn't that ring a bell to you? Don't you see the two men in armour in front of the army?" "Gods damn it, I recognize that chain mail among thousands!" Imm yelled. "That's our friend Cyberman!" "And than that is Sir Adam!" "Indeed. They must have heard we were here! And now they come to help us!" "Against Kranak‑Prisha?" "Of course. Because I wasn't done with my story, I couldn't tell you about Cyberman's involvement. I know he holds a grudge against warlord Mael. Of course they'll help us!" Imm said. The huge army of sailors entered the town, led by Adam and Cyber, who were very surprised to see who were in the town as well. "What are you doing here?" Cyber asked. "Well, shortly after you were gone, this lady asked Inge if Bulldozer could help her and her town. But since he was gone, we decided to come along and see if we could help. And then they captured a prisoner which appeared to be Imm. And we're under attack by forces of Kranak‑Prisha. And Imm was just telling us about his experiences with the town and its men. He was about to tell us what happened when he came back into the town when we were approached by your army." "And that was a damn pity because it's a good story," Razorblade said. "Well, now Cyberman's there... " "Cyber, please." "Now Cyber's there, you can hear the rest of the story as well with a second narrator. Or don't you remember it so well anymore, Cyber?" Imm asked. "Of course I remember. Where did you end?"

"Well, we crashed on the Woodcloud and found B'Kane dead. Then we were about to go to Kranak‑Prisha." "You have spent some time telling!" "Well, it's my favourite story. I remember every detail, well, almost every detail, and I loved it. Especially this part."

"I understand, although it cost you."

"I have told this story so many times, and still I tell just the facts, I'm not quite a good bard who makes the story greater every time."

"And if you do, I know the correct version."

 

Anyway, we entered the town unnoticed and went into the Blue Temple where it was terribly empty. Of course, Mael and his men had killed all people there, ordered by their emperor Flingonn the Invisible. We found an altar and put the crystal in it. Suddenly, above us, a light began to glow, a deep radiant blue light. The light began to take shape, and suddenly we saw the face. "I think I know this face!" I yelled.

"That's acolyte Douglas!" I pointed at the face that was looking at us with a peaceful expression. Then the face spoke with a serene voice. "Greetings, strangers. Thou dost not seem to be acolytes of the temple." "No, we're not. We're... adventurers," I explained everything that had happened. "Zounds! It seems thou hast been running quite an errand."

"Yes," I said "but what exactly are you?" "Me, I am Douglas, the Oracle of Kranak‑Prisha."

The three of us were too surprised to speak. After a while, the oracle noticed we were too quiet. "I observe thou seems to be o'ertaken by mine likeness to the deceased acolyte Douglas. 'Tis true, mine face and personality both are based upon his, but I am altogether an other being than Acolyte Douglas."

"That doesn't sound comforting though," Clip muttered.

"Shut up, Clip. All problems aside, what are we going to do with the knowledge inside the crystal? I mean, that was supposed to come out, and not you."

"That may be true, but here, in this temple, the crystal and I are one."

"It makes sense," Mary said. "The Oracle feeds on the knowledge supplied by the crystal and the crystal cannot speak without the Oracle."

"I'll take that as an answer," I said. "But what do we do with the knowledge? After all, that was what these adventures and voyages were all about."

Nobody, not even the Oracle, spoke.

 

A few miles away, in the emperor's palace, chamberlain Kay‑Isol was looking outside the window in his room. Dark thoughts crossed his mind, thoughts about his emperor, Flingonn the Invisible, and...

"Warlord Mael wants to see you, chamberlain," a page announced. Kay‑Isol didn't turned around when he answered. "Let him enter," he said with the cold, dark voice that was his own. Three seconds later, the warlord entered and shut the door behind him. He was wearing a new armour and a new cloak. But his battered face betrayed he had been through a lot of trouble.

"I presume you still haven't gotten hold of the crystal?" Kay‑Isol asked looking at the decorated ceiling. Mael only nodded his head, looking down ashamed. "Mael, Mael. You have been the emperor's best warlord for years and now you cannot even perform such a light task? I give you one final chance. My sources tell me the threesome is in the town with the crystal. They are in the Blue Temple with it. How they've gotten there is beyond my knowledge. The important thing now is to fetch me the crystal. Go!" Mael saluted and left immediately.

"After Mael has performed his task," a bodiless voice behind him boomed, "kill him." This time Kay‑Isol was not startled. "He has become too unreliable." "Yes father," Kay‑Isol answered and grinned.

 

Imm, Clip and Mary were sitting in front of the projection of the Oracle.

"We've been sitting here for an hour and this Oracle hasn't come up with one answer yet," Clip yelled. "Shaddap! I hear noises!" I answered.

"It's warlord Mael and some men," Mary saw.

Immediately they took the back door of the temple, knowing they would have more chance of surviving outside. But there we found sergeant Kathleen and another platoon. "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide," she said with a cruel smile. "What now, Imm?" Clip asked. "Well I found Mattsu's bag after we buried his remains. And guess what I found?" With this, I threw the wooden ball towards the soldiers, lit. They ran away and an explosion followed.

 

Meanwhile a tired old man and a paladin in black entered the city. They tethered their animals in the stables near the town gates.

"Do you know if the emperor is in the palace yet?"

"He is said to live there but nobody knows for sure, of course."

The old man thanked the boy and paid him.

"I know that an old friend of mine is in town, a dwarf named Imm. He's in trouble, I would like you to help him while I pay a visit to my old friend Flingonn." "So you know the emperor?"

"Well, sort of. Cyberman, please go help him."

"On my way, friend Blabfarstan." The twosome parted, both going for their goal.

 

In the again abandoned temple, Oracle Douglas had come to a conclusion and solution, after thousands of calculations and thoughts.

He realized his newfound friends were gone, so he had no one to tell his solution to. Then he decided to do something no other Oracle had ever done: speak in the open air. He decided to let out all the forbidden knowledge.

"The best thing is to split up." I said. "Let the soldiers figure out who has the crystal." The three of us ran away. "I understand your strategy, Imm," Clip said. "Good luck, to both of you," Mary added. Then I ran on, Clip turned left and Mary turned right.

 

I was the first one to meet soldiers. They recognized me immediately, it was the first time I saw being a beardless dwarf was very recognizable. They ran after me but suddenly a voice echoed all over the town. "Let it be known to each and every person in the twin city of Kranak‑Prisha that there isn't one honest man or women in this town! Let me start with the mayor and his council..." "Douglas, you motherless..." I grinned but at the same moment one of the faster soldiers tackled me roughly. They didn't seem to be interested in the stories of the voice, or lacked the intelligence. "Finally we got you, snacking dwarf!" one of them said. "We'll take you to the chamberlain and we'll get promotions." Nevertheless, I struggled, knowing it was hopeless, one dwarf against six humans. Four pinned me down and the other two started to beat me up, trying to rend me unconscious. Suddenly, one of them let out a loud moan while blood gulped out of his mouth. The others watched terrified as he stooped to the ground. A sword thrust had made a gap through his body and they could almost see through it. Behind him, a man in black was standing. The second standing man charged with his lance but suddenly the man chopped the lance in half with his sword frozen moonlight, grabbed the part with the point and thrust it in the man's heart. The man staggered and fell, too. "What happened?" one of the soldiers holding me asked when he saw the two bodies, looking up from beating me. "I happened," Cyber said. Suddenly he threw a dagger in the man's forehead and now only three remained. Two attacked Cyber, and the other one watched over me. But I had feigned unconsciousness and while the female soldier was looking at the fight, I silently grabbed my axe and suddenly split her head.

Then, when Cyber had finished one of the twosome, I saw a clean chance to backstab the remaining one. I always have a good stabbing dagger with me though I favour my axe. "I will need a lifetime saving you, Imm," Cyber said, offering me a hand. "Well, I would have finished them, anyway, Clip should say. Thanks." "Now let's see how our common friend is." "I didn't know we had common friends, who in the Abyss are you talking about?"

 

After a while, Clip was suddenly standing in front of sergeant Kathleen. He looked back shortly, but there was nobody behind him. "No, nobody to save you now, Clip. Just you and me. And I'll have my revenge. You will pay for what you have done to my face!" Clip saw the bright pink scar he had caused way back. It was a horrible contrast to the rest of her face. Suddenly Clip felt pity for her. Caught off guard, Kathleen sliced his face with her broadsword. "Now we're even. And soon you'll be dead." Suddenly, the voice of the Oracle sounded again, very clear. "Take warlord Mael for instance. For some unknown reason, he adopted a young girl, Kathleen. She was a slave of an Eastern Drottinn, who happened to escape after her master had been slain by a band of marauders. If studied closely, anyone will see the tattoo on the right palm of her hand when she doesn't wear her gloves, which she wears to hide it. Its starlike shape indicates she was the slave of..."

A shock passed through Kathleen. She just couldn't believe Mael wasn't her real father. He had always said he'd searched for her when she got caught by the man who enslaved her. Then she saw Clip, who was also shocked and slowly dropped his sword. Then, ever so slowly, he opened his right hand. Kathleen shouted in disbelief as she recognized the same tattoo on Clip's palm and heard him say: "I think we know each other from way back.

"No, this can't be! You can't have been a slave as well!" "Kathleen... it's worse. We were both slaves under master Nikida Drottin." That name was the final hit on Kathleen's rationality. She dropped her sword and ran to a quiet corner where she started to weep frantically. Clip walked over to her.

"You don't remember? do you?" Clip asked, putting a hand on her left shoulder. She shook her head. "Try to remember. We were children. Nikida had just bought you, the gods only know where from. And he ordered me to take care of you Personally. I... I did so, with all the love I could give you, for I loved you as if you were my sister. I used to sing you a bedtime song I had learned from our minstrel, it went like this...". Clip wanted to start to sing but suddenly Kathleen turned around and interrupted him, her eyes suddenly very clear. "I know it, and I hated it! And I still hate it now!". She looked him straight in the eyes "You have mutilated me, and I hated you for it. Gods I've hated you! But now I realize you were a better father or brother than Mael's ever been for me. Oh Clip, I've missed you all these years!"

"And now we're antagonists. Ah, the wheels of irony, forever grinning."

Oracle Douglas's voice was the only sound around.

 

Mary was the least fortunate. She ran and ran, as fast as any elven thief. Unfortunately, she saw another patrol coming. She ran in an alley, only to find out it ended dead. And this time she was alone.

"What a pity," a booming voice said behind her. Warlord Mael, accompanied by a dozen or so soldiers, was standing there, sword drawn.

"It seems you're alone now, elfmaid. Where are your friends?"

"Go suck a dragon's egg!" she snapped, grabbed her dagger and charged for her last desperate fight.

 

"But I've got to find my friends!" I shouted.

The city of Kranak‑Prisha was in utter chaos, with riots going on everywhere. The forbidden knowledge, spread by the Oracle, caused a complete revolution. The citizens found out all about their leaders and did not decide to stand idle by it. The results were death, ransacking, bloodbaths, plundering. Against better judgement, Cyber followed me through the frenzied melee.

Suddenly I spotted something and turned into an alley. Cyber followed and the were Clip and Kathleen. "What's the story with her?" I asked.

Clip explained all. "Let's go find Mary now! I feel she's in trouble!" Clip said. "To the palace!" Cyber shouted. As fast as we could we ran to the palace. Though there were fights everywhere, nobody was around the Imperial palace. There was still fear for Flingonn, nobody knew where he was.

Just outside, they suddenly saw a patrol, led by Mael, carrying Mary's dead, blood‑covered body. "Nooo!" Clip yelled and charged. The rest of us followed after a short moment of hesitation. Screaming wildly, Clip attacked.

The savagery of Clip, combined with Cyber's onslaught, Kathleen's experience and my agility was too much for them. Mael saw that all his soldiers were dead or would be killed and taking all of us on would certainly mean his death. Realizing that was just what we sought, he turned around his horse and beat a hasty retreat. Then Clip began to cry over Mary's body.

"Okay, everybody in the palace, I'll try to catch him, you find Blabfarstan, who's killing Flingonn now, I guess.

 

When we saw the great hall we saw a magic spectacle.

Lightning bolts were flowing from Blabfarstan's hands in a very fast pace, going to a spot where we saw a shadow in the light: that must be Flingonn. Flingonn himself was casting, too. But Blabfarstan had conjured up a forcefield made of red light. The more bolts it took, the brighter it became.

"On my stars and garters!" Clip yelled. "He's absorbing the energy!"

And indeed, Blabfarstan collected the magic thrown at him and with a final spell he threw it all back in one magenta lightbeam of focused magical energy.

The bolt struck with murderous force against a quickly erected forcefield of Flingonn's but it still hit him. Flingonn was so hit that we could see a glowing shape.

"I am sorry I attacked you, Flingonn. But you have gone too far! You feared the Blue Temple and the crystal so much..."

"You know about the crystal?" the glowing shape asked. No features of the emperor were to be seen. "I do," Blabfarstan said. "The dwarf Imm here told me everything. I have seen the crystal when I met him first."

"You told him everything and not me?" Clip asked me but I didn't react.

I didn't want to miss a part of this.

"You know I've always hated the Blue Temple, Blabfarstan. I hated everything they stand for. Do you know what it feels like to have the biggest Blue Temple in the world in your town? To make matters worse, they were quite popular in the city. I managed to strike a bargain with them and divided the power in the city in some ways. But still they had gathered information against me to come with a revolution! So I sent out my son, Kay‑Isol,to get hold of that crystal."

Flingonn rose from the ground he had been lying on since the bolt. He was blinking now. "And now I hear outside my own palace the voice of that long deceased Acolyte Douglas! Tell me, who is responsible for this disaster?"

"I am," I said. I saw the head turn towards me and could imagine the way he looked at me. "And I'd like to know why you hate the temple even more than I do and I hate it a lot!"

"That's simple," Flingonn said,"... A long time ago, I knew a girl. Her name is now irrelevant. She and I were in love, very much in love. Then came the man I had seen at a meeting (he couldn't know that Blabfarstan had told me all about the meeting of the magic users) who was the leader of the Blue Temple. He took her away from me. In vengeance, I sent some assassins to kill that man for once and for all. The assassins killed the woman but failed to kill the man. Somehow he figured out I was the author of his grief and sent his own assassins after me. My guards could catch them and interrogated them long enough to find out who had hired them. Assassins are scum. Promise them money and their life and they'll tell everything. Did they know they would die after all?

Years passed and I conquered this city, with the help of my son Kay‑Isol, conceived by a lady sweeter than my second love, and some loyal men. Warlord Mael was one of them.

Great was my dismay when I heard that the man who almost ruined my life would use the Blue Temple in Kranak-Prisha as his head-quarters. It was then that I came with a plan. My son would kill the man I hate most."

"Acolyte Douglas," I said.

"Aye, Douglas. My son intruded in the temple and we invited him to the palace. He didn't know who I was and great was his surprise when he came and found out. By then, Kay‑Isol was right behind him with my crystal dagger to sly my foe. We hid the body and Kay-Isol went to the temple, saying he was waiting for Douglas. When he didn't show up, Kay‑Isol left the temple for good.

Douglas's death is the best kept secret in Kranak‑Prisha."

"And now we have to die to keep it that way?"

Suddenly Flingonn was invisible again. Moments later, the crystal dagger he had spoken of stuck in Blabfarstan's chest.

"Master aid me!" the mage suddenly yelled and in a flash, he was gone. The dagger was also gone.

I knew he would cast spells since his dagger was lost. So I had to keep him from casting. And I could do that by talking to him, distracting him.

"And how come you're invisible? Just a magical experiment gone awol or do you just wear a ring of invisibility?"

"God let it be that way!" Flingonn suddenly yelled angrily.

"Then I could just take it off and be visible again! Nay, this is the curse the dying Douglas cast on me. He said he hoped I'd never be seen again but dead. He had cast me this spell and since then I am invisible, even to rangers or trackers. You can't imagine how lonely I sometimes feel. But you'll feel nothing in a while."

And Clip fell down, struck by a kick or something like that. His momentum took us with him. We heard the voice of the mage over us, casting a deadly spell. Suddenly Douglas's voice rumbled through the Palace with replenished strength.

"...And emperor Flingonn thinks he'll always be invisible but there is one thing that will make him visible: steel."

A ruffling sound went though the room: Flingonn was looking something made of steel. Then we suddenly heard a loud moan and a visible Flingonn fell down on the floor, a steel daggerblade in his back. Chamberlain Kay‑Isol stood over him.

"Chamberlain, why did you kill thy own father?" Kathleen asked.

"Because the late emperor was not my father," Kay‑Isol answered in a low voice. We were suddenly caught in a paralysation spell.

 

"Ah, you mere mortals do not know who I am. The truth is... I am not a sun of Flingonn, but of Douglas."

"Yes, when Kay‑Isol came to the temple, I knew who he was. I knew his father had killed my mother. Then my father didn't come back after a meeting with the emperor. And Kay‑Isol came to the temple and asked for my father.

He didn't show up so I started to suspect something. Kay‑Isol waited for him and I drugged him and he told me everything. I killed him and then I just saw it wouldn't be difficult to get back at Flingonn when I looked like his own son. That wasn't difficult: I dyed my hair and changed my clothes and in a matter of hours, I became Kay‑Isol, son of the emperor.

Years passed and while being as close to the now dead emperor as one could be. Then I heard about the crystal. It would unravel all the secrets I carry and know I was chamberlain and thus a rival to my brothers. Ah, sweet irony.

So I sent warlord Mael to recover the crystal. With it, I would get rid of all my rivals in the city, leaving me as the absolute ruler of Kranak‑Prisha."

The chamberlain laughed in a mad, frantic laugh and then stopped.

"And now it's time for you to die now you know it all."

"Nobody's going to die here except thee, chamberlain," came a low, booming voice. Suddenly, Cyber stormed in and attacked the chamberlain, who started casting -he was a mageling‑ and when a bolt of energy came at Cyber, he grabbed his mirror and reflected the spell. Just then our spell was lifted and I threw my axe at the chamberlain. He was lying on the ground and then I can't miss.

Slowly Cyber turned to us. "It's all over, finally."

 

Imm tool a huge sip of ale to clench his thirst after telling his story. Suddenly they hard somebody yell. "Raid! Raid!"

They all stormed to the gates and on the scales, they saw an army coming.

Cyber and Imm both recognized warlord Mael, who'd become older as well.

But they all knew he was an extremely experienced veteran. Suddenly we noticed the strange rocks had all moved to one side of the town: the side from where the teutonic soldiers came. "The rocks!" Katia said. Nathalie nodded and spoke in strange voice, the voice of a half-mute.

"This is the first time I see this. They only all moved when the sailors came to the town. Then they stopped but then they were still around the town."

Suddenly the soldiers charged and were surprised when suddenly all rocks came out of the ground and charged into the helpless soldiers with literally shattering force. "I know this sounds stupid but... the rocks defend you!" Hawkeye said. Katia nodded. Cyber was ready to draw a wand but suddenly he heard casting at his side. He looked and was surprised as he saw Adam, in full armour, with his hands bare, holding tiny spell components, casting heavy fireballs into the army. The effect was huge: most soldiers died and a few fled. One of the first ones to flee was Mael. Then a second army came, again led my Mael but now the stones lay quiet on top of bodies, one thousand buccaneers stormed out of the gate, supported by Adam's magic. Cyber had also charged with the sailors to gel Mael but he was too far away. He went for a holding spell but suddenly, Mael was gone. Seeing their leader gone, the soldiers who still lived scurried in all directions. And this time it was over.

First now Cyber had time to talk to Adam. "So, you're casting again?"

"I told you my powers weren't lost. I have decided that there is an important battle of magic to come and the rules of the knighthood don't forbid the use of art in combat for good, the only combat we knights fight, as do paladins, of course. I have decided to become a mageknight instead of just a knight. I have great powers of art, why put it to waste?"

"You're right about that. And you conjured up that as well for more defense?"

"What?" Cyber pointed at a tower that had suddenly appeared next to the town walls. "What in the Abyss?" Katia said loudly as all turned towards the tower. ­They inspected the tower. "Very strange tower. There is no door, "Tormentor saw. "No door?" Indeed, they couldn't find an entrance.

"There's a door, but..." Hawkeye said,pointing upwards.

"Blast it with that door which doesn't know its proper place. I've always thought about getting it down if only I knew how..." they heard a fast voice and then the door came down. Two amazons jumped out of the way as the door landed where they had stood seconds ago. A rope also dropped on the ground and started to rise up towards the place where the door had been. "Now that is really a great invention of mine but hey! Comeback! "the voice yelled as the rope passed the gate and flew up high in the air, out of reach for whatever was in there.

"I told you it was a mage, with those rocks," Tormentor said smiling.

"And gods damn me if I lie about saying it was the gnomes!" Razorblade yelled.

"A gnome mage? There are no gnome mages!" Cyber said.

"Who said that? If only that rope got back so I could get down, you'll see there are no mages even though I know no other gnome mage if that's what you mean..."

"If you want us to understand you, please speak some slower!" Hawkeye yelled up. "Oh I'm sorry," the gnome said, slowing down the fast gnome‑talk.

"I'll get you down," Adam said smiling. He used a fetch spell to retrieve the rope and then he used a levitation spell to fly to the door where he bound the rope to a stake and cast a spell on it to ensure it wouldn't come off unless the mage dispelled the magic.

"Thank you very much great master of art as I am only starting and some things just don't work the way they have to work in the beginning. I need much improvement on every spell but you saw those rocks? I only wanted to come back but now they bury themselves in the ground with soldiers underneath them. Now they are really tombstones."

Adam, who had no trouble with the fast speaking, smiled.

"I fear that has nothing to do with your skill of art but more with your racial problems. And remember to speak slow to humans."

"Yes master. Why... armour? You are a knight?"  "Well, if there are casting gnomes, what could be wrong with casting knights?"

"Nothing I guess. What's your name, Sir master?"

"Sir Adam, and yours?" Too late Adam remembered to ask for the short version. As a mage, he had learnt always to interrupt gnomes or else you wouldn't get a change to say something in three days.

"The short version, please," he interrupted while the gnome was telling his long name. "Oh, Nask, at your service, master."

Now shall we go down to our friends?"

"Oh yes, I promised the ladies I'd be back with something great. And now I live next door to them so I can always visit them."

They went down, the gnome by the rope while Adam floated down after another spell, and met. They feasted all night long, the sailors got a reward from the town for helping them and they were more than happy and roaring drunk. But the next day Adam declared that they should go back to the fleet.

"Aye, da cap'n and da men left be bored," a lieutenant said and gathered the men. "And we? Shall we go along with you? I'd love to sail," Kiki said.

"Er... better not. The sailors believe a woman on board brings ill luck. You wait here, we're going to Nevezer and take a portal back to Tinago. There is a portal in the town we came from. Then you can come with us, if you will."

"Aye, we'll wait here. How long?" "Count it two weeks. Or three. It's a long trip from here to Nevezer and we might have some battles."

"We'll wait," Kiki promised. "And ya know the promise of a ranger," Tormentor added. "Aye. Until soon!" "So long."

Another World - Chapter 6

 

It was a long trip sailing back to Nevezer. For the pirates, it all meant three weeks more plunder. They lost some crew in a fierce battle with another Silvernan fleet of ten vessels but no ship was sunk and no plunder was lost. When they were only a few days sailing from Nevezer, Bulldozer gave orders to count all the gold. He was surprised to see how much it was, but then again, the magic fleet had been the most successful fleet in Riatoria history.

The sailors where a bit of disappointed when they heard the expedition would soon be over but when they heard what they would get all mouths got shut from astonishment. As soon as everything was divided they went off for the many harbour taverns in the town and soon they got themselves drunk.

The threesome went to report to Lord Chiano.

"It is absolutely marvellous what you have done. Not only you have defeated the dreaded mage in the stripe-zone but also you have caught many pirates, some leaders of elven corsairs and the Inlerian fleets.

Therefore I reward you with the Admiral title of Marvise, a bonus of gold and 1,500 acres of land. May you go in peace with the gods behind you on your trip home and gods speed you back."

"Well, we're not quite finished, the mage isn't defeated yet. Not at all! Only his pirates are but he himself is said to be a powerful mandrake who will not be defeated easily, so we're going back and really finish our business. But we will do that on our own, and we don't need ships anymore."

After a brief discussion, they left, storing most of their money in a vault. They rented horses to ride to the portal-town and took a portal back to Tinago. There their companions were already waiting.

"We've got enough fresh horses for a long trip. These are the best we could find and if you know anything of horses you can just see they're the best," Tormentor reported. Bulldozer nodded, the steeds indeed looked fine.

"Good, where did you get them?" "We bought them from the amazons. The gnome has promised to make them new inventions that can move faster then their best horses, so they sold us their horses."

"It's the weirdest story I have ever heard but those gulls still believe it. Who ever believes a gnome?" Razorblade complained.

"Well, that doesn't matter, we've got horses and all more we need so there's no time to waste. Let's go!"

They left the town, Imm behind Tormentor because he was to short to ride a horse, as are all dwarves.

"How long is it to that tower?" "Oh, the mapmaker said three weeks. Somehow I don't want this, my child will be born without me," Bulldozer said, eyes in thought.

"I think it is already, so there's nothing you can do now."

 

After ten hours they decided to encamp in the woods. Tormentor and Hawkeye went hunting and not much later they came back with a deer.

"That should be enough to fill eight mouths!" Hawkeye bellowed.

Razorblade and Kiki went to work with it while Imm gathered wood for a fire.

 

But while Imm was wandering through the woods, looking for dead wood, he wandered off and suddenly saw another campfire.

The people here had no deer and no cooking fire, but they had something else. The advanced thief that he was, Imm crept back with stealth and then ran away, back to his companions.

 

"Blast it Imm, what in the Abyss took you so long? And where is the wood?"

"Blast the oak yourself, Cyber! What I saw was some more important than some rotting dead wood. I saw a band of orcs camping too near here. And what's worse, they've captured two swordswomen. One woman and one elfwoman. You'd better come along for we're so close it's best that we discover them first. These are not the friendly orcs we met behind the magic wall. These are the foul creatures that we know."

"The dwarf's right, when they discover us at night we've gotta fight defending, rolling out off our bedrolls and then it might be too late against these creatures. Let's go find them!" Tormentor agreed.

 

Equipped with range weapons for a fast ambush , they were led to the place where Imm found the orcs.

A shock passed through Cyber's face when he saw the swordwoman bound but Bulldozer quickly held his hand on the paladin's mouth and they exchanged looks. One look from Bulldozer was enough to shut everybody down and they nocked their arrows on. They counted a party of ten big, nasty orcs and with quiet signs they discussed which one they would take.

Razorblade, Adam and Imm had no bows so only Bulldozer, Cyber and the rangers aimed at the orcs. Still six left when they all hit," Imm whispered.

Adam raised his sleeves of his unusual knightly armour and revealed his wrist catapults. At a sign the four released their arrows and immediately the rest of the party charged. Bulldozer gave Cyber a pat to direct him to the orcs first and then to the women and drew his diamond sword.

Suddenly a lightning bolt soared through the air, hitting an orc square in the head. Then another followed and then he charged in as well.

Adam was not casting but showed great swordplay, parrying and slashing in one fluid move, then finishing it for the unfortunate orcs with a stab in the throat.

Kiki, though only twenty-three, fought ferociously with her broadsword to avoid getting hit by the nasty carved sword her opponent fought with, but the creature's eyes bulged out when he got backstabbed by Imm.

Tormentor, who had experience fighting orcs, feigned retreat and when his orc charged with a victorious grin on its face of bloodthirst, he suddenly lunged forward and pierced the creature, then bashed it with his shield to avoid the orc's dying attack.

In a very short, all orcs were slain and then they had time to attend to the women. They had already recognized the company in shock.

One was Elizabeth, Cyber's Riatorian parallel, the other was a magewarrior of elven blood. She was not from this plane, she was a Vascarian elf and her name was Soraya.

Soraya, supposedly dead for a lot of years, Cyber's long-time lover and companion who ran of with a half-elven knight who later twisted to the dark side, pledged himself to evil service and killed Soraya.

This the holy stone of Lemonkis had told them.

Yet here Soraya lay, bound in Inleria by a party of orcs.

Both she and Cyber were without words.

"S... Soraya?" he finally asked. Silently she nodded. "Cyber..."

"I think the ladies would prefer to talk with their arms and legs loose," Tormentor interfered. Swearing, Cyber nodded. Meanwhile Kiki had reached them and quickly snapped the ropes with her ranger knife.

As soon as Soraya was loose, she ran to Cyber and looked at him. He nodded and together they walked off.

"Cyber, we're going back to our camp, you know the way?" Bulldozer yelled.

"Aye, wait for us!" "Of course!"

With Elizabeth but without Cyber and Soraya, they went back to their encampment.

 

"Well, we meet again, Elizabeth," Bulldozer said.

"You could say so, yes. Well that's been a lot of years. We last met in Akrilonia and that's about five years back. You didn't change a bit! You still look like that twenty-two years old warrior."

"Well, I'm twenty-six years now." "I know. What brings you here? Trying to find your parallel as well? And who are these friends of yours?"

"Liz, meet my brothers, Hawkeye and Razorblade, Kiki, my half-sister, Tormentor, my cousin, Imm, our dwarven friend and Sir Adam, Dragonnight and magic user."

"That's really an unusual combination. Well, I'm Elizabeth, Cyber's parallel from the house of Niotakkh in Inleria."

"Was that maybe some town which the magic fleet recently conquered?" Adam asked.

"Oh no, Niotakkh lies far landinward and our only contact with the sea is the large river Nio, just like Cyber's Catilae. We're not under anybody's control. But I heard that the magic fleet conquered a lot of newly discovered towns from Inleria." "That was my fleet, we just quit the expedition because we had to go here." "That was you? I saw the magic coming from your sword indeed. Then you're the magic captain everybody talks about."

"Well, for you I'm just the magic friend," Bulldozer laughed.

"And what brings you here?" "We are to stop the mage Admir. We started with destroying his sea forces and now we are after him."

"That's quite a difficult task. And you are to kill him again because of your scale mail?" "No, this time Adam wants him. It is to him the order was given, we are only here to help him."

Hawkeye and Razorblade looked up. They had certainly not expected this.

"I have a very special reason for this, believe me. It is most important that I go to Admir."

"And what's your business? Or just hunting in the woods? Is Niotakkh near here?"

"Well, it is a three-day journey from here. I was about to go back to Vascaria because I had found the elfwoman that's gone with Cyber, she told me about him and she hasn't seen him for over ten years. She told me something she had to tell him, about her parallel or something like that, and... well, I guess she's telling him all about it right now. So I'm glad these orcs got us 'coz otherwise you wouldn't have found you while you are right here. You know how long I have been wandering through Vascaria last time before I finally found him? Way too long! Well, you know that, you brought me to him last time and then he was in Akrilonia. You still remember that stupid old cleric with his weird music?"

"Ah, good old Nethuzal. Well, he died three years ago."

"Too bad to hear that, I just wanted to go to him again to find Cyber. I think life in Vascaria is totally different than life here. You have land where we have sea. You have farmers where we have sailors. You eat meat where we feed on fish. How did you like sailing?"

"It's real fun when you're winning though those sailors are a moody lot when they don't get enough plunder. Fortunately we always had enough but I heard stories from sailors about other fleets where there were mutinies every week, there was too little to eat and they were glad they finally lost a fight, the captain was captured and they were accepted on a new crew. It's just awful that when they're not accepted they're just thrown overboard. And I'm glad we plundered a lot and had space for enough men because every time the survivors joined my crew, I could not let them feed the fish, as the sailors say, and if I could I have a paladin and a knight with me."

"Yeah, the sailors are not the friendliest people in the world. But they are good fighters, also on land."

"You can definitely say so. yes. From what I've seen, they're good swordplayers."

"Where are Cyber and Soraya to?" "From what I know of them, when they meet after a long time they have a very long discussion. And now Cyber thought she was dead and yet here she is, so he needs a lot of explanation. Good I stood next to him, he almost shouted from surprise, when he saw the two of you and by then we didn't have our bows readied yet so the orcs would have been alarmed. But tell me, how can the two of you be captured by a party of stupid orcs?"

"Caught us in our sleep and first removed our weapons before they attacked and they immediately nailed Soraya before she could cast a spell."

"Tsk, tsk, why weren't you on guard in the open air?" "Soraya was deep in study and never heard them coming before they clobbered her."

Meanwhile Cyber and Elizabeth had wandered off together.

They found an aspen tree to sit under and they held each other for a long time. "Soraya. I thought... a god told me you were dead."

"Dead? Well,I think I know why you thought that. Let me start from the beginning."

 

"Almost eleven years ago. I was alone in the woods and found a great silver mirror. Somehow I felt that it was not real, that it was just an illusion. But when I looked into it. I saw myself. And when I moved, I got shocked: my mirror image moved differently. It suddenly started to speak.

"Soraya, I am Miriant, your parallel from Riatoria," it said.

I knew all about parallels and things like that so I was relieved: I wasn't magicked, it was just my parallel. As I thought, she is also a magic user and she had conjured up this mirror to get my attention and talk to me.

"I could not leave Riatoria to talk to you in person so I speak to you this way. I need your help urgently."

"Of course I will help, tell me how," I said. There is a big chance that you might need your parallel once so you have an obligation, to help yours. She told me about a large party of Riatorian elves who wanted to come to Vascaria. While there is nothing to stop them. The good elves from Riatoria, with all their rich lore, will disappear.

The situation was like over six centuries ago, when the Numavost elves moved from their original place, the part now known as the Northern Realm, to Numavost where they live now. Their land in Riatoria, Eliquion, was threatened by monsters and other terrors. And the climate also decreased rapidly, the trees were covered with snow and ice and died. The Riatorian elves heard that in Vascaria there is a good realm for elves. They want to go to Numavost. You must stop them. They call me their leader to bring them there but I can't. I want you to keep them in Riatoria and help them find a new realm to live in, a realm like Numavost."

"Why me?" I asked. "Why not the king of Numavost? He can prevent them from coming to his land."

"As you know, he cannot. He cannot refuse other elves since he knows what the second elfwars were like. They asked me to bring them away, I can't. I ask you to help me with this."

 

It was difficult but I agreed, and I met Miriant in Riatoria, where the elves lived on the Marvisal continent. I explained her exactly what I was like, for we had to change identity. We look like exact twins so the looks were not important.

Of course the fact that I replaced Miriant had to be kept secret, and now finally one other person knows it. It doesn't matter anymore, the people are moved to Silverna. We have found beautiful woods, beautiful hills and valleys and all in all a perfect place for the elves to live in.

But I missed Vascaria, I missed you, the last time I saw you was ten long years ago, and you have obviously grown up in battle.

Did you meet Miriant? And so she's dead, if I understand everything.

Tell me all about the years I missed. For I told her everything about you but when I hear you she never paid attention to a human youngster, she's my parallel and she looks like me but she hasn't exactly got a passion for certain humans like me."

 

And Cyber started to tell. First about how Miriant married a half elf and never met Bolrick anymore, then how Bolrick and he went on quest for the legendary azure gem, how that azure gem later got to Miriant and how she lost it to the half-elf who killed her.

He told her about their great quest behind the magic wall, where they killed the half‑elf and revenged her death. His later adventures with Bulldozer and his brothers, with Kiki, Tormentor, Imm and Adler and Ford.

He took long to tell everything, accepting her wineskin gratefully.

Then she started telling, about the masses of elves she suddenly knew all about, being their leader, about the long wanderings that got famous all over the world, about the trouble they had on the sea‑elves have never been sailors and many ships thought they were the elven corsairs ‑and how they finally reached the landinward part of Silverna, where they found a new home.

"What happened on Vascaria more than six centuries ago happened now in Riatoria, and though Miriant will go into history as the one who brought them there, I know that I have performed something great and if she were alive today she would have told all the elves it was really me who helped them. Unfortunately she died, so nobody will know."

"Then why didn't you tell the elves it was you?"

"Why should I? I helped Miriant in her place and she had promised me that she would tell the elves and I just heard from you that she is dead."

"Soraya, the war has been over for eight years in Vascaria after Bulldozer killed Black Akira with his bare hands. In the war was the last time I saw you. Eight years may not be that much for elves but it is way too long for humans. I was eighteen then, I am twenty‑six now. I have indeed matured through battle. But all of the time I have missed one thing and that is your love. Even with a]l my friends and the adventures with your brother, I still felt incomplete without you. I don't want to let you go anymore. Come with me with me, follow us and let's see how Adam kills this mage, which might be his brother. Let's get that over with and then go on together, in Vascaria.

I have never forgiven Gegner for attacking you ten years back.

The teutonic elven anti‑paladin is still alive and I still have a score to settle with him. We have. We will go to the Teutonic Realm and seek him out. Seek and destroy, that is.

I know what he's capable of doing, like he knows what I'm capable of. But he doesn't know that it was me, that youngster who got knocked out by him before he abused you. He'll remember when he's got the tip of this dwarvensword on his throat to end his days on this plane of existence."