Enderal I Lords and Mages
Chapter 1 Mistress of Whispers
8th Era, 479, 3rd of Weeping Widow
Ice Islands region, Wyk, Screaming Lady Fort
Aleron Pyke Point of View
The feat was well enough, but my unhatched dragon egg was all my mind could think about. That, and the lovely bosom on the noble woman I conversed with.
The castle of House Pyke, my childhood home, had never been the happiest of places, and that had nothing to do with the poor weather the Ice Islands oft suffered from. No, it was Lord Balon Pyke, my father. A strict man that cared only for the future of House Pyke, meaning he focused only on Balyzard and left Aegeus and me in the dirt, figuratively speaking, mostly.
I had been home for about a month and a half, give or take a few days. I dearly wanted to see my nephew as he returned and he had been delayed by a brutal naval battle with Norsemen. A battle his side won, to all of our pride and delight. Supposedly his father, Balyzard felt the most pride.
The gorgeous woman giggled with a seduced smile on her face.
“It truly has been too long since we met, Aleron,” she said sincerely.
“I am hardly anything special,” I told her. My eyes shamelessly wandered between her lovely eyes and her large breasts. The look in her eyes proved she was close to the point where she would let me bed her, even though we were not married. I felt that tradition was more of a suggestion anyway. I threw the occasional glance at the others gathered at the feast. Half the lords of the Ice Islands was gathered here with their families. Part of this feast was the yearly peace feast celebrated and half was my nephew Godric’s return from his first successful raid.
I raised my goblet to toast with her. It was a blue goblet with silver details and the silver image of a mermaid, the sigil of my House. She happily toasted with me and we drank from the ale filling our goblets.
“How is Lord Merkyne?” I inquired, testing her. “I haven’t spoken to him this evening.”
Lord Merkyne’s daughter frowned at me.
“Please my lord, don’t ruin the mood by mentioning either of our families,” she requested.
I was happy to oblige.
“Off course. My apologize my lady,” I said and titled my head and bowed with it in an apologetic gesture.
Young Lady Merkyne took a step closer to me, so that the tight velvet gown almost touched me. Her lovely eyes looked deep into my brown-blue ones. She swiped away a lock of her sleek raven hair.
“Is it true you have a dragon egg?” She whispered eagerly.
Slowly, I nodded.
“Aye. It lies tucked in by a fire,” I confirmed.
Her mouth was agape and she stared in awe.
“I…I have never seen a dragon, “Adrianne Merkyne confessed to me.
I sipped from the ale in my goblet.
“I have, two of them before. It was almost four years ago. I led two ships on a raid in the Savage Lands, against a Templar Outpost,” I elaborated. I left a pause to let her eagerly wait for my. She inched closer to me. “Though they were far away, they were magnificent creatures.” I raised my left hand. “Two Black ones, surely a wingspan of forty meters. They must have been enormous!” Honestly I exaggerated by twenty meters or so but the story was better this way.
“Oh, by Neptunia,” Adrianne said just over her breath. She glanced around to see that no one was listening. “I would, Love-” she emphasized the word. “-to see a real dragon.”
I gently placed my left hand on her hip and she in return placed placed her hand over mine, squeezing lightly.
“I don’t know when it will hatch, but I promise that if you stick around I will make sure you get to see it.”
Her eyes glimmered with joy in anticipation.
“Though, your father, it is doubtful he will allow you to remain here when this feast-”
She interrupted me,
“Fuck him,” she stated with determination. “Fuck him and that Graveston brat he plans to betroth me to. I’m not leaving without seeing your dragon crawl out of its egg.”
Adrianne had the perfect level of determination and defiance, just what I loved in a woman. In the back of my mind I was going down the same road that got me flogged by Lord Ebon Blackiron years ago. But things would be different this time, very different.
“With all offense to your father, I’d prefer you,” a shot a snide comment.
First she frowned, then she realized the insinuation and snickered.
I glanced around the hall. Balyzard was conversing with Lord Ebon Blackiron and the Lords Greywood and Graveston. His six years younger brother Aegeus was chatting with Lord Merkyne’s large bosomed wife. Voices from the stone laid hallway out of the dining hall caught my attention. I paced over to get a view of what was happening, and Adrianne followed.
“I-I d-demand you l-let me in!” Lionella demanded hesitantly. “I-I am his Bondwife!”
I arched an eyebrow.
“Who is this?” Adrianne inquired, amused by Lionella’s performance as the guards refused her entrance.
“My Bondwife,” I informed her. “I should see what this is about.”
Adrianne eyed her mother and father. Her mother was too caught up in getting seduced by Aegeus and her father was too caught up in fondling a young servant girl. With that, she followed me to the hallway where I dismissed the guards with a wave.
“What’s with this persistence?” I asked her.
She quickly put her hands on my arm and looked at me.
“I-it’s hatching!”
My eyes widened and with Adrianne and Lionella followed me as I headed for my chambers where I had my dragon egg. By the time I reached my chamber I slammed open the wooden oak door and stormed in. I gestured for the slave servants present to get out. I kneeled in front of the half a meter large egg lying in a basket with blankets in front of the burning fireplace. And as I stared at it I saw that Lionella was right and there was cracks in the shell. Several in fact. I didn’t pay attention to whether it was Adrianne kneeling on my left or Lionella. I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders and that touch was definitely the Easterling’s, meaning Adrianne was on my side, surely staring as stunned and excitedly as I was.
I stared in silent anticipation as the cracking continued and I heard a tiny inhuman squeak from inside. Then a small crack appeared, a hole large enough for a small nose of black and crimson red appeared. It was mostly back with crimson stripes. A small smile crawled on to my lips. Two more holes appeared and a two feet of claws reached through. I couldn’t help put to lean closer.
“C-careful,” I heard Lionella warn me, but I ignored her, caught up in the wondrous moment.
The final top of the egg shell cracked open and left enough space for the occupant to crawl out. With an adorable screech as a raven scaled dragon, no more than twenty or thirty centimeters, and crimson stripes and markings across the little body. The little baby girl dragon looked around with big crimson eyes with a red snake-like pupil in the center. She squeaked and crawled out of both egg and basket and onto the wooden floor and continued up on my laps. I felt Adrianne grab my hand tightly. In my speechless state I stared at the little wonder as she made her way up my side and stopped on my shoulder, rubbing her head against my head for a moment. I felt a strange happiness I had never felt before.
8th Era, 479 3rd of Weeping Widow
Mordurel Continent, Riverlands Region, Unholy Alcazar
Jazeera Point of View
I had no idea that slowly but surely my life was taking a dangerous turn.
The large impressive castle of House Volkien was from where all of the Riverlands was ruled. I was in my study in one of the castle’s towers. It gave me a good view at the whole castle and all the five sets of walls-each of them surrounded by a moat-and the thick forest surrounding it, the nearby streaming river and the road leading up to the gate.
I currently wrote a message that would be carried by raven from the Mage Circle. It was the mage organization training mages and sorceress and they were based in Culhaven, the capital task to request records of books on Black Magic and Blood Magic when the king requested. But I naturally made it abundantly clear to my peers that it was King Berwyn requesting these volumes, not me. I wanted the Grand Master to know that was the case so they didn’t suspect I dabbled in the forbidden black arts.
I paused to move my hands through my short caramel blonde hair and scratch my head. I reached out and levitated over a tray with a jug of water and a glass goblet. After pouring myself a glass I swept it down and found it neither cold or hot. Medium and almost perfect. While I preferred my water cold, Luke warm temperature wasn’t bad at all. I found it good when I suffered headaches.
I heard a knock on her door and put down the goblet on the silver tray.
“Enter,” I said aloud.
The blue-black Panwood door opened and a Landsknecht appeared. He had the usual chestplate and colorful Gambeson covering his body. His had carried a Sallet helmet over his head, and his face covered by a face plate formed like an expressionless face. He brought his right fist up to his right upper chest and stood at attention.
“Sorceress, Lord Forsworn is here to see you,” the Landsknecht informed me.
He then stepped out and the Spymaster stepped into my study. I refocused my eyes on my message to the Mage Circle as he approached me. His eyes wandered from the dozen book cases to the balcony door and to her desk. The clean shaved man sat down across from me.
“How are you Sorceress Jazeera?” He asked.
“Just dandy,” I plainly answered. SI had started writing as I spoke. “What do you want?”
“Do you always assume everyone that speaks to you wants something?” He asked me innocently.
“In the king’s court, yes. everybody has reasons for everything. Schemes and politics.”
He snickered lightly.
“Fair enough.” He eyed the jug. “Water?”
“Mhm.”
“Do you have an extra goblet?”
“No,” I answered flatly, looking at the extra goblet. “What do you want.”
He sighed.
“Very well. I wished to inquire about his majesty’s request to the Mage Circle,” Lord Reginald of House Forsworn explained. He placed his soft skinned hands on the desk. “Is that what you are writing?”
I looked up and nodded.
“Aye. I am.”
He nodded back.
“Hmm, they will never comply will they? They have no allegiance to our kingdom at all.”
I raised a finger.
“The Circle has no allegiance to any nation. They do their best to stay out of politics,” I reminded him of my order’s stance on politics.
He smiled dubiously.
“Off course they don’t. Anyway, surely they won’t hand over volumes about the dark arts to us. To Kill Berwyn.”
I shook my head with certainty.
“No, they won’t. Such dangerous volumes are only available for study by certified magic users,” I stated. “Not lords or even monarchs.” I had no illusion that this would succeed.
“And you are one of those certified,” Lord Forsworn stated matter-of-fact.
I paused for a moment, then nodded in response,
“I am. Every member of the Mage Council is.” I eyed him suspiciously. “Isn’t that something a spymaster like yourself should know?” It had the sound of an accusation.
In response the lord just smiled warmly.
“Did you hear of the cook?” He inquired, changing the subject.
She accepted it and answered, “No. What about him?”
Lord Forsworn lost his smile and became serious, his voice lowering. He looked to ensure the door was closed.
“It seems his majesty caught something in his throat and fell into a little coughing-fit at dinner,” he explained, leaning in. “He had the cook and a random serving woman beheaded instantly.”
I wished I had been surprised by the news. Yet the fact was that it was becoming increasingly difficult to work in the king’s presence. It wasn’t the first time the old king had executed somebody on a whim. It was grimly joked that people lived and died by his mood. I grabbed my goblet and finished the water in it.
“Didn’t her highness do anything?” I asked.
“She tried convincing him it wasn’t necessary,” he said regretfully. “It would appear the queen’s gentle touch can no longer change his mind.” He sighed.
I poured water into my goblet and the unused one on the tray and placed it on Lord Forsworn’s side of the desk.
“Thank you, Jazeera.”
“Don’t mention it.” I looked at my goblet and held it in my hands. “He’s pretty old though. That’s something.”
“You mean that he could drop dead at any time,” Lord Reginald Forsworn stated plainly, with an arched eyebrow.
I looked up at him.
“I am just saying that the king is very old. Over seventy. He’ll die in a few years and his son will ascend.”
Lord Reginald sipped from the water goblet. “I should be on my way.” He raised the goblet. “May I?”
I waved dismissively. With that he got up slowly and drank from the goblet as he walked towards the door he had entered from. Before he reached it he stopped and turned to me.
“Lady Jazeera. Can I give you some advice?”
I nodded.
“Leave.” I arched my eyebrows in confusion. “Resign your council position and return to your tower. This is not a scheme for ones, before the kings wrath strikes you. Leave.”
As he opened the door and left the Landsknecht outside closed it after him. I stared at the closed door for several minutes in silence.
8th Era, 479 3rd of Weeping Widow
Continent of Mordurel, Easterlands Region
City of Oakenport, Oaken Citadel
Dawn Oakenshield Point of View
As by now summer had truly settled in over Mordurel, this was clear to me as I ate in the garden of my family’s castle the Oaken Citadel. Despite the name it was made out of hard stone, not oak. It was from where they lived and governed their lands in the kingdom of Culhaven. From my seat I could see how the leafs in the trees that encircled the inner garden moved in the breeze. Some ten meters away the silver fountain spewed out ice cold water as always. The cold temperature it had was because of an underground spring somewhere below the Citadel.
I cut off a piece from a red apple and speared it on the knife and ate it a piece at a time. After I finished the apple piece I drank from the goblet with wine, though it was significantly containing water so I wouldn’t get drunk while dining. The table I sat by was filled with food, including two large bowls of chicken legs covered with a thin layer of spice bought from merchants from far away the Kyroshi Empire. I dreamed of seeing the distant and exotic lands of the Kyroshi one day. I imagined marrying into a rich Kyroshi family of aristocrats. I had seen a few merchants from Kyrosh. Their black hair, like that sported by my family and their paler complexion and narrowed eyes made them appear very exotic and attractive, and if the lowly merchants was attractive the nobles must be gorgeous!
As a nineteen year old I had already a firm grasp of the politics of the Easterlands and also trade. But my thoughts was interrupted and I looked to my left as footsteps approached. I saw two young girls in rags and covered in dirt. The eldest of them was walking first, I was eight or nine and the smaller was only around five or six by the looks of it.
“Hello Katarina,” I greeted the eldest.
“Hi Lady Oakenshield,” she greeted back with a wave of her dirty hand.
A warm smile spread across my facial features and my eyes rested on the youngest girl. It was sad that someone so young was an orphan on the street.
The two girls stopped at the table, the youngest awed by all the food. She still hid shyly behind the bigger though. Occasionally eyeing me.
“Do you have something Katarina?” I inquired kindly, holding onto my warm smile.
The big girl nodded.
“Yes. Two Lords from House Jagon have spent like, two days in a brothel aft-after they left this Citadel place,” she said. “They are still there.”
Oh, I thought. It wasn’t strange for nobles to spend time in a brothel but it was interesting that they went there immediately after their meeting with my father ended. This information would be useful, to be fair all information was useful to some extent.
I reached to the table and picked up a chicken leg and handed it to Katarina. She eagerly started eating, but then remembered the other girl when she tugged at her rag shirt.
“Oh, right. This is Marina. She’s new at this and wants food too,” she introduced before ripping into the chicken leg with a predators ferocity.
I directed my golden eyes to Marina and offered her a warm comfortable smile.
“Hello sweetheart. I am Lady Dawn of House Oakenshield, but maybe you know that.”
Katarina nodded as the shy girl remained silent behind her.
“Do you understand why you are here? Have your friend explain how this works?”
Katarina was about to speak but I raised a finger to silence her. For a moment my smile disappeared but quickly returned when I looked at Marina.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” I told Katarina before looking at Marina for a reply.
Finally, she nodded.
“Good. Do you have something?”
She shook her head after a moment.
“That’s okay. Today you can…” I grabbed a chicken leg and offered it to her. “..have some food anyway.”
Marina’s shy demeanor disappeared and she eagerly grabbed the chicken leg and ripped into it as ferociously as a predator devouring a sheep or deer. Her eyes was wide and she barely waited until she swallowed before she filled her mouth again.
“Next time you have to give me some information though sweetie,” I stated gently. “Just a whisper, that’s all.”
Marina’s eyes suddenly widened and she dropped the partially eaten chicken leg and ran to hide behind Katarina. I leaned over the left side arm of my comfy chair in concern.
“What is it? You don’t have to be afraid sweetheart,” I promised her.
“Excuse me milady,” I than heard a male voice.
I looked to see one of the guards serving my family’s House approaching. His sword was in his scabbard and his shield in his left hand. In the right he carried an enclosed parchment. His chestplate had an oak tree carved into it. His thick brown beard parted as he spoke.
“Parton my intrusion, but I was to give you this letter immediately,” he explained.
I remained seated as sI nodded and reached out my hand. He handed me the parchment and bowed his head. Then he left. As he left I unfolded the parchment and eyed Marina.
“You don’t need to be afraid of them. The guards won’t hurt you in here. The Household guards has orders to leave alone when you are here. They won’t hurt you.”
Marina slowly walked out from behind her friend and picked up her chicken leg again.
“No, no leave it.” She looked at me when she heard my voice. Disappointment colored her face. “You won’t eat something that’s on the ground here.” I then handed Marina another chicken leg. The girl was awestruck and dug into it as ferociously as the first one.
My golden eyes studied the parchment carefully as the girls continued eating. Though Katarina had finished hers and just waited for Marina. The parchment read about Nordling raids from the Northland Highlands and into the Easterlands, the Houses in the north was pissed. I smiled to myself. It might be time for House Silverstag to lose their grip of power. Since marrying the Queen’s none-existent son was obviously impossible there was few ways for me to get into the House, their heir’s nine year old heir was an option, but him being ten years younger made it more likely they would marry him to a girl his own age one day, a girl from a different noble House. All that left only the opinion of a new ruling House and as much as I wanted that to be mine I knew my brothers would rule first. Leaving me out of the heir chain, which left limited options for me. A few I kept to myself when I plotted for my House’s future and discussed with my parents and brothers.
Marina placed the finished chicken leg on the table with a shy smile on her face. I returned it with my own smile.
“Do you like chicken?”
She nodded instantly.
“There is more for you next time, if you have a whisper for me. Okay?”
She nodded.
“P-promise,” she said weakly.
“Good bye girls.”
“Bye Lady Dawn,” Katarina said.
Marina shyly curtsied and hurried after Katarina. I blew a raven lock out of my view and tucked it back into place behind my ear. For the next twenty minutes I calmly ate as little orphan boys and girls came and whispered secrets to her and she offered them all warm food from my table. Eagerly they ate and eagerly they promised more if it meant more nice food next time. They gave me a lot of tidbits of things that happened in Oakenport.915Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuhulY0R67
