I awaken from a strange nightmare. I am still curled up beside Goth, my pet grizzly bear. I had dreamed that I was being chased by mob of angry villagers. All of them wanting me dead for some unknown reason. I rise from the straw i am sleeping on. I see the stable owner and pay him to hold Goth for one more day.
I walk towards another wall within the city. In front of the wall is a large moate. I cross the ivory bridge. to approach the gate in the wall. As I approach I see Leo, Orion, and Nebulus awaiting me. In front of them are two more city gaurds. The gate they gaurd is 150ft it height, and 50ft. across.
Leo presents the guards with a document with the kings seal. The guard does let us in through the main gate (that gate is for passing armies), but leads us behind a row of bushes in front of the wall. concealed by the bushes is a stairway that goes below the ground and leads to another door that is gaurded by four gaurds. this door is also iron but only 6' by 3'. We are led behind the door and go down a tunnel that is two miles in length before emeringing from behind the wall.
What I saw astounded me. The castle was by far the largest in the land, and had taken two centuries to build. It's architects had used steel in its construction, so that new heights in architectual design could be achieved. The castle was a series of towers that climbed up to two hundred stories. These towers were interconnected by catwalks hallways suspended at various points of height.
The towers were all made of stone except for one, the king's tower, was made of black onyx, and towered two hundred and fifty stories. The windows were framed with gold. It was said that you could see all of the world from that tower. In Lion's Den I over heard legends of knights falling out in the top floor because the air was so thin.
The interconected towers that surrouded the onyx tower and its interrior walls formed a complete maze. It would take a stranger years to navigate it and learn its passages. My present company and myself, was placed into a carriage and informed that it would be a half days ride to the kings tower.
Having finally reached the black monolith that was the kings tower, Our party met yet another 150' by 50" door, but this one was of solid bronze. This time there was no side door. The army made no expense at protecting the king. The bronze door slowly opened. As it did so the two gaurds who had guarded it told us to make no sudden movements. When the door finally opened we were greeted by an entire battalion of troops in formation. We were escorted to the main hall by the troops.
The king's hall was a vast auditorium. The throne room itself was a large concert hallstage designed to amplify the king's voice. The stage stood ten feet off the rest of the halls floor. The king sat in a throne skulpted to look like a lion. Beside him to his right Queen Ariel, to his left his daughter princess Irulan. Prince Eric was on a diplomatic mission.
King Argon rose from his throne. "Do you know why I've summoned you here?," he asked the question was rhetorical. None of us dared to speak. A merchant named Truet the third has aquired a large amount of wealth from overseas. He is buy far the ritchest of all the merchants. The other merchants, pirates, business men all respect him! He has even gained the attention of the banking guild! My spys have informed me that he is trying to talk the other merchants into forming a trade union. Their first act will be to challenge my taxes, before the Allied Kingdoms!!!" roared the king. "My enemies see this as an oppurtunity to start another war!" continued the King. "It is simple Truet the Third returns to his home in the city in three days. His castle is heavily gaurded. I can't kill him with my soldiers because that would bring me under trial by the Allied Kingdoms. It must look like an assaination by rival merchants. That is why I am sending you four" said the king. "If you succeed you will recieve one million gold dinars each, if you fail my guards will hunt you down and kill you. Do you understand?"
Leo finally raised his head, "Yes, my Lord, Your bidding shall be done".
As we left I could not help but notice Princess Irulan, our eyes met, she smiled at me, then looked away blushing. I was rudely escorted out with my party of mercanaries.
We sat in our carriage on our halfday ride back out to the city. We informed by Nefron, a weasly looking manin black robes who served as one of the King's advisors, about the details of our plot and where to meet.
So would begin my days as a kings mercanary. I couldn't wait to see Goth, and to dream of Princess Irulan, her beauty had made an impression upon me that would last a life time.
Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:57 pm