Lost Company

A single land split apart by feuding neighbors, their battles rage on all fronts with no man or beast able to escape.  Villages, families and friendships torn apart by loyalties to different kingdoms. There have been times where silence ruled the battlefields and the cries of spouses were all that was heard in the homes.  Even yet there were ones who with no loyalties benefited from the suffering.

These mercenaries are known as fierce fighters, their ranks filled with all manner of humanoid and not so humanoid creatures. They have thrived and even now become a force to be reckoned with by all whom cross their path. Some say that they are the reason this battle has raged for so long. There are some who whisper of a single boat capable of taking out battle hardened villages. The crew, said to be untouchable and have never lost a man or woman in battle. Their captain known only by her beauty and her deadliness runs her ship with extreme precision.

Spanning time there has always been war, lives lost in the pursuit of idealism and justice.  Most reasons become lost and forgotten and no one remembers why such fearsome battles erupted to begin with. However the end result is still the same.  This war however did not start over land, love, or even money. This one began with the hatred of a single man that caused the annihilation of a whole race.

In ancient times this race prospered, although extremely limited in population. Due to an unnatural birthing cycle, children were born every five years.  Still only a handful of these survived, the stress of childbirth caused the mother to exert extreme mental power. If the child was not strong enough he or she would become brain dead and die. These people were capable of manipulating items using their mind, a form of telekinesis.  Their power although frightening, can be seen as a beautiful orchestra of movement and grace.  Their specialty lied in an art of taking small spherical balls of different materials and dancing them through the air. They were peaceful in ways that no one else could understand.  It is in this that they were hunted down and annihilated so easy at first.

Shortly before their demise and against their beliefs they took their art and modified it in ways to defend themselves.  Thus in the final battle for their lives, thousands laid dead around them but even they had taken a loss.  For what started as three hundred, only two remained a husband and wife, the strongest o f their race.  Still they had not been able to use their full power fighting.

A man or whom some thought to have made a pact with some spawn of the abyss struck the final blows. A malicious laughter could be heard for miles as it rolled over land and water.  He who was hired to slaughter an entire race reveled as he wiped a sword across his own cloak.  With a wave of his hand beasts bred to hunt and rip anything with flesh to shreds started on the man. The dying woman exerting the last of her available power caused a small stone to fly thru the air.  Her eyes blurred and closed never seeing where she had hit only hearing the man scream in anger and the sound of ripping flesh.  Her final thoughts lingered on the precious package that had been floating at an incredible speed across the ocean on dozens of small balls.

It was only partly clouded and what looked like great fishing weather.  The people of a small village awoke shortly before the sun had made it completely above the water.  Colors of orange and red bouncing along the waves turned into a light blue as the waves approached land. The waves breaking against the cliffs to the left and right of the village echoed thru the caverns they have been creating for ages. The smell of salt drifted thru the air on a light breeze blowing from the east. The village went about doing their daily20chores, prepping nets and sharpening small knives. Children finding shells washed up on shore from the night’s waves run giggling showing their prizes to each other. Towards the center of the village a small house’s candles burn in all but room.  An older man weathered by the sea and by the stress of providing for his family walks back in from the outside. Pausing and passing his hand over the insignia of his family etched into the door, a habit he picked up when he had built the additional room. ‘Ammila, wake that boy, it would seem he stayed up all night staring out into the water again. I just don’t understand what he sees out there.’ Strevas went thru this same routine every morning, calling for his son to wake up and then sending his wife in to get him out of bed.  A small-framed woman nodding her head enters into what looks like an unplanned addition to the house.  She lights a candle placed on a small rock near the door and walks gently across the room.  A smile crosses her lips as she stares at what was many years ago a small child she had found on the beach. If anyone asked she couldn’t recall why she went for that walk along the beach.  Her family living in this village for generations knew the dangers of being out at night near the water.  Her conversation would always end with “I had a feeling wash over me and I was drawn.”

A few small movements near the bed and a strong yet wearied voice speaks out ‘I am awake mother’ in this she smiles. ‘Well then climb out of there and get dressed you can help me today since your father wont be going to pull in the traps.’ A young man in his late teens pulls the blanket covering him and as being fully dressed already, gets a laugh from his mother. ‘You little rock crab, get in there and get something to eat or have you already done that as well.’ A loud voice booms from the other room “Galleus you better hurry or I am going to eat your morning meal. Galleus looks up at his mother with a saddened look that she is all to familiar with, ‘I had that dream again mom, I laid here even after I awoke feeling like I was floating across the water and not wanting it to end. ‘Come now dear, we have told you dreams are our desires and chances to do things we can not really do.’ Still even as she stood there looking at her son her eyes dart away from his.  That night when she picked up that small child his eyes had startled her so much she almost dropped him back into the sea. Looking again she saw perfectly spherical and reflecting in the moonlight, the color that metal workers could only appreciate, bright silver.  Galleus seeing his mother get a saddened look as well, stood up and gave his mother a long hug on the way out to the table.

Looking up from his meal ‘Well its about time by the way Leness’s son needs help repairing his nets after that bad run in with a Shaceger. After your moms done with you, you should go and give him a hand. ‘I can help him if he wants my help. I just hope it wont take to long, afterwards do you think I can find Nehy’mir and help him with his herb gathering?’ Strevis shaking his head, ‘what do you see in him Galleus?  A man who goes around pretending to be something he is not.’ Galleus hearing the beginning of this argument one to many times quickly said. ‘At least he is doing what he likes and he does help people when they cant afford the healing the churches provide.’ At that time Ammila walked back in with some clothes in her hands. ‘It would seem I don’t have as much that needs to be done around here, why don’t you go ahead and help with the nets.’ Before Galleus could even open his mouth his mother quickly added ‘and yes, you can go help your friend but you better be back before dark.’ Galleus knowing not to press his luck finished his morning meal and headed outside.

By now the village was in full bustle, getting small boats ready and loved ones handing over small meals to last those going out for the long day.  Galleus worked his way along the beach giving and receiving greetings.  Some of the older girls smiled and in lifting baskets, did so revealing more then they should have. A fact that caused them to get dirty looks from their mothers.  Eventually he came up to the right hut and he could see Leness’s son already hard at work with the nets. ‘That must have been a huge Shaceger to cause you a mess this big, what was it 1-2 fingers long?’  Elis knowing he was going to get the end of a lot of jokes especially from his friend quickly retorted ‘Laugh it up, I wont be the only one sitting here repairing these.’  Galleus sat down and reaching into the mess grabbed a mangled net and started looking for rips. ‘I am going into the forest later to help Nehy’mir gather some stuff. Want to come?’ Elis looked up from his net and even though it was obvious he wanted to, glanced back at the door to his parent’s house. ‘I umm have more chores to do today maybe another time.’ Looking down at his net then out to the beach where the boats were about to launch Elis looked out to the sea.  Suddenly without any warning Elis jumped up startling Galleus and forcing him to drop his net. ‘What is a matter with you?’ Galleus yelled. Seeing his friend was not joking Galleus stood up looking in the direction his friend was staring. He quickly saw the sails of a ship coming into view from around where the beach turns into a cliff. As they stood there, other villagers seeing the ship as well started rounding up children and running to their houses. ‘You have heard the rumors that the war has spread as far as Milokene s, that town is less then 2 days travel from here.’ Hearing the graveness in his friend’s voice, Galleus started walking towards the beach, trying to get a closer look at the ship that was quickly coming into view.