| The Forging of Firengard |
[Taken from Haegon Vershmir's "The History of the Septims", this is a story detailing the creation of the legendary sword, Firengard.]
Firengard, a blade almost synonymous with Septim. For five hundred years it has been in the Septim Family, for five hundred years it has been used by the Septim Rulers. Few know how it was forged, for that tale was lost with the death of Calus I. My name is Haegon Vershmir, I am an archaeologist, and I have very recently found a book, intact, describing the creation of Firengard. The book is authorless, but through extensive research, I have found evidence that the story is quite true. It is my honor to be the first to copy the story of Firengard's Creation:
Tiber Septim was a mighty man that was taller than most, and shorter than few. His hair was dark brown, and his eyes emerald green. He was also the greatest warrior-Emperor in the history of the Septim Empire. He had been exiled from Cidel seven years earlier with his wife and three year old son, Pelagius. Five years ago, he and his wife made another, young Calus. Now, he was sitting on his Imperial Throne, his wife was sitting in hers beside him and a man was before them.
"Your majesty," said the man, "I am a farmer, my name is Goko. I don't quite know how to explain this sire, but, a piece of rock landed in my fields..."
"A piece of what?" asked Tiber.
"A rock, a metallic rock. It crashed into my wheat fields. I don't know what it is, but can your men get rid of it, I know myself to be unable to lift it. I have not tried. Can your men get it away from there?" asked Goko.
"I will go to investigate myself," said Tiber.
"Are you sure that is a good idea?" asked Solina.
Solina was Tiber's beautiful wife. She looked every bit Cidellian: a little over average height, brown hair, blue eyes, and a love for her family as great as any mother's.
"All that is out there is the Illuminati Empire, and they are our allies," said Tiber, "Besides, our Knights are quite able to defend me."
"Alright, be careful," said Solina.
"As always, my love," said Tiber before rising from his throne.
An hour later, he was armed with his steel longsword and armored in his platemail. His horse was a mighty white steed, Grella, he called her. He jumped on and called for his knights, ten men came forward on horses with Goko on one of them. Then, in tight formation, they rode off in the direction of Goko's farm.
|
The crater was gigantic, no wonder the farmer had been angry. Over two hundred feet in diameter, in the crater was a rock of white metal. Goko wasn't pleased with his farm's destruction.
"Then it goes crashing down! Boom! Knocked me and my wife off of our chairs!" yelled Goko.
"You will be taken care of," said Tiber as he looked into the crater, he then began taking off his armor.
"What are you doing sir?" asked the Knight Commander with worry.
"Climbing down," said Tiber.
Tiber tied a rope to the farmer's barn and began his climb down. A minute later, he was at the bottom of the hole. As he approached the metal, a voice called down to him.
"Sir? Are you alright?" asked the Knight Commander.
"Never better," said Tiber as he neared the metal.
It was beautiful, the most beautiful metal that Tiber had ever seen. It was nothing from Erus, that was for sure. Tiber put his hand on it, and suddenly, he felt numb. His face turned white and he began to shiver, and then, just like that, he felt an aura of warmth from the metal. He pushed it, and it seemed to move with ease, as if it were a pillow. Tiber grabbed it, and holding it above his head, threw it out of the forty foot hole.
"What the hell!?" yelled the Knight Commander as his horse backed away.
A minute later, Tiber climbed from the hole.
"Get me a cart...this is going back to the city," said Tiber.
|
Tiber soon returned to his capital, Septim City, with the cart, in it was a large chunk of metal. It was soon discovered that it was amazingly heavy to everybody but Tiber. Dwarves, Elves, and several of the Septim Empire’s best smiths were brought in, yet none could make a blade. Finally, after two years, a short, humanoid figure entered Tiber’s throne room. He was around four feet, with powerful looking arms and skin that seemed more pale than that of the Elves.
“I am Fas-Kai, a representative of the Girens,” said the humanoid figure.
“Who?” asked Tiber.
“The Girens…it’s a sad world when the world has forgotten us,” said Fas-Kai, “The metal you have, is has not been seen on this world for five thousand years.”
“What do you mean?” asked Tiber.
“The metal there was rare five thousand years ago, but findable. Only the greatest Kings held swords of that metal, and only we could forge with it,” said Fas-Kai.
“Can your men forge a blade from the metal?” asked Tiber.
“Let me finish my story!” said the Giren, “The Kings used their blades in war and almost drove the human race to extinction! The Girens were forced to use a safety ward they enclosed in all swords to destroy them and their holders. Now, only that metal remains, probably from the Gods…or maybe not. Blades of that metal corrupts, and only if you are the first to touch it will the metal fully accept you…I am willing to bet that you had your men climb into the hole and take it out…”
“No, I was, and I was able to throw it out as well,” said Tiber.
“The world is not entirely full of lazy Kings it seems. Our people can forge you a blade, but only if you reclaim our forge,” said Fas-Kai.
“What has happened?” asked Tiber.
“A Dragon has taken up residence in a cave very close to our forge, he attacked frequently, and finally we had to leave,” said Fas-Kai.
Tiber sat back and thought for a long time.
“How large is the Dragon?” asked Septim.
“Probably about as large as your cathedral,” said Fas-Kai.
“I am going to need some men…” muttered Tiber, “And some damn good ones…”
|
Tiber soon wrote a notice asking for any volunteers. He did not make anybody go, for he would be making them go to their likely deaths. He soon got a list of names back...
Captain Ranraac Wraith - Captain of the Imperial Army
Sir Celvin Leiondon - Knight of the Order of Cidel
Sir Delran De Silver - Knight of the Order of Cidel
Major Herrius Maximus - Major of the Imperial Army
Captain Dethos - Lieutenant of the Imperial Army
Sir Hirgon Sadron - Knight of the Order of Cidel
General Zarafus Xarxes - General of the Imperial Army
Colonel Garon Zarrock - Colonel of the Imperial Army
Sir Invil Roderick - Knight of the Order of Cidel
Major Eridus Hasildor - Major of the Imperial Army
Captain Jarol Farilor - Captain of the Imperial Army
Lieutenant Henry Taison - Lieutenant of the Imperial Army
After receiving the names from his Steward, Tiber laughed.
"I must admit, I did not expect anybody to sign up after I wrote that there are Dragons involved," said Tiber, "Have them assemble in the Courtyard."
"Yes sir," said his Steward.
Fifteen minutes later, Septim walked outside into the grand courtyard in front of the palace. It was beautified by marble statues of ancient Emperors and renowned heroes, along with several fountains. Now, Tiber walked in front of the best men in the Imperial Army. There was one man he did not know, and as he approached, the man saluted.
"Name?" Septim asked the man.
"I am Lieutenant Henry Taison of the Imperial Army," yelled Henry nervously.
"At ease, Lieutenant," said Tiber as he walked on, after inspecting his men, he began his speech.
"Men, you are the best and bravest that our army has to offer," said Tiber, "The fact that you signed up to fight an ancient dragon in its home proves that. Now, your bravery will be tested as you stare into hell's mouth before you are burned alive...they say a Dragon's breath can turn steel into butter. Their scales block all but the sharpest of blades. So I ask again, are you ready!?" asked Tiber.
"Yes sir!" yelled the men.
"Very well, we leave tomorrow, kiss your wives and children goodbye if you have any, you might not see them again," said Tiber, "Dismissed!"
***
The next morning, Tiber woke up early. After a good breakfast, he walked into his armory. There was a suit of Cidellian ar*beep* the stand that had been given to him by a man he had idoled, General Morovon Symakus. After suiting up, he buckled dwarven sword and grabbed a kiteshield. He then walked outside. His men and his horse, Zerisar, were waiting.
"In all my years as a Cidellian General, I never saw men as brave as you," said Tiber as he was mounting his horse. After getting on, he turned his head to his men. Solina Septim soon walked out.
"I love you," said Tiber.
"I love you too, Tiber, please...stay safe," said Solina.
"I can't promise much, I am going off to fight a dragon," said Tiber with a smile.
Solina smiled back, "Have you ever lied to comfort somebody in your entire life?"
"Probably not," said Tiber with a chuckle, "If I die out there, make sure Pelagius and Calus both grow up to be fine men."
"I will," said Solina.
"Thank you...goodbye," said Tiber before riding off.
The soldiers and knights followed, and soon, the bravest men in all of the Septim Empire were over the horizon.
|
After a week of travelling, Tiber and his men came upon a slaver camp. It was far outside the Septim Empire's borders, but Tiber could not let the slaves remain enslaved.
"Taison, Wraith, Hasildor, Zarrock, get in position around the camp with your bows ready. Leiondon, De Silver, Roderick, and Sadron, ready yourselves for a cavalry charge. The rest of you, get ready to catch any that try to escape. Move out," said Tiber.
The men said nothing as the carried out their orders, within two minutes, the four archers were standing behind the treeline in vantage points around the camp. Tiber and his four knights were ready for a cavalry charge, and the rest were ready to catch any who got away. Then, without warning, the archers fired and three found their marks. The fourth one barely missed one. The slavers all looked around to see where the archers were firing from, but couldn't see, and the archers fired again, hitting three more. Then, Tiber led the knights from the forest. Tiber nearly slashed one in half with his longsword, then chopped another's head off. Zerisar nearly ran into a pike, but moved at the last second and Septim jumped off. Septim chopped the pike in half and stabbed his blade through his enemy, he then turned and shield bashed an incoming opponent. The enemy was stunned, and Septim pulled his blade from the enemy he had just stabbed and decapitated the stunned enemy. He then turned, not even breathing heavily, and saw the leader of the slavers: Tyralus.
"Who the HELL are you?" asked Tyralus.
"I am Emperor Tiber Septim," said Tiber honestly.
"You''re outside your borders!" said Tyralus.
An archer shot Tyralus in the neck after he finished that sentence.
"Does it look like I care?" muttered Septim before grabbing a keyring from his belt. He then approached the cages and unlocked each one, he recognized one as Frellus Venel, a former officer of the Septim Imperial Army.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" asked Tiber.
"I tried starting a family away from war. Starting a homestead. And this is what I get," muttered Venel.
"Your wife alright?" asked Tiber.
"She's fine, we'll lead these guys back to Septim City if you'd like," said Venel.
"Yes, that would work. These slaves don't look like good navigators," said Tiber with a chuckle.
"Thanks for the save, I owe you one," said Venel.
Tiber said nothing as he mounted Zerisar, he then looked at Venel.
"You saved my life twice, I owe you one," said Tiber before riding off with his men.
|
After two weeks of long, uneventful, monotonous riding, Tiber Septim and his riders reached the foothills of Mount Loarn, where the forge was waiting. When they arrived, however, only Fas-Kai was waiting.
"Where are your people? We are recovering your forge!" claimed Tiber.
Fas-Kai smply shook his head.
"Where are they?" asked Tiber.
"They're dead, they all died many years ago. Would you like to hear the real reason that blades of those metal have not been seen in over five hundred years?" asked Fas-Kai.
"You said that there was no more of this metal," said Tiber.
"There's plenty, that was a load of rubish! We just refused to make any more, they attacked and we were forced to use the wards to kill the Kings and drive the humans away. After a few months, they came back in great numbers and wiped us out, all but me," said Fas-Kai, "I was only a child then, I never made a whitesteel blade...now I will make one for the only ruler who will use it without greed or corruption. That whitesteel is of far better quality than that found on Erus, it will make a fine blade. And at last I will be able to pass peacefully into the beyond and join with my ancestors..."
"You can't die?" asked Tiber.
"I can, but it is very painful, and until I forge a blade I will not be able to permanently die, I will simply be reborn in another location..." said Fas-Kai.
"Then let us make our way to the forge..." said Tiber.
"The Dragon was not a lie, sire, he does live on the mountain, but he will not bother us until the forge starts going again...it annoys him," said Fas-Kai.
"Then lead the way..." said Tiber.
With that, Fas-Kai walked off towards the forge and Tiber followed.
|
Fas-Kai's hands moved with lightning speed and precision as he hammered the whitesteel. The enchanted Hammer of the Girens was made for creating whitesteel blades, and now it was being used one last time on what would be the finest one ever created. Tiber did not disturb the last of the Girens as he worked, and finally, after three hours of forging (which was a very long time to forge a blade by Giren standards), the whitesteel blade was completed. After working so long, the Giren had become tired, and as he turned to dip the blade into the bucket of water, he cut Tiber (who was standing very close).
"Sorry," said Fas-Kai.
"No big deal, I've seen children get worse ones than this..." said Tiber.
Fas-Kai quickly dipped the blade into the cool water and steam rose.
"It is...done," said Fas-Kai before kneeling and looking up at Tiber.
Tiber did not know the custom that was the exchange of the sword, but he knelt in front of Fas-Kai anyway. He then held the blade out to Tiber, who held it up with two hands and lowered it to himself before gribbing the hilt. The blade itself was beautiful, pure, uncorrupted, white. The hilt was white as well, with a large white gem set in the center of the crossguard. With that, Fas-Kai fell to the floor. He was aging quickly, and didn't have more than five minutes left. He was going to join the rest of his race.
"Tiber...I must tell you something," said Fas-Kai, his voice growing weaker, "There is one reason that I know your family to be true of heart...many years ago...five hundred twenty seven to be exact...my race discovered the corruption that the blades created in men. They asked that all of the royal families returned their blades. All the Emperors, Kings, Dukes, Lords, and Knights that held the blades...they refused, all but one."
Fas-Kai let out a cough, and looked back up at Tiber.
"Emperor Devonus Cidellius, your ancestor," said Fas-Kai.
Tiber was in utter shock, he didn't know what to say, but Fas-Kai decided that he didn't need to say anything.
"He returned the whitesteel blade that had been given to him, it was called...Quicksilver. In return, we spared his life when the wards were activated and the royal lines died. His nation was the only one not to attack us...your line is one of noble spirit, it is the last of...of the ancient...families. Their Cidellius bloodline carries...magical power that is unknown to all, even you..."
Then, Fas-Kai's eyes widened, and he looked up to the ceiling. His face had the quality of petrified wood, and his hair was but white wisps.
"To the light..." muttered Fas-Kai before fading off into eternal bliss.
Then, Septim rose from his kneeling position and picked up Fas-Kai's body. He then walked out of the forge and grabbed a shovel. As he began digging, however, he heard a roar, and looked up to see a magnificent, yet terrible creature that was, as Fas-Kai put it, the size of a cathedral. The dragon seemed to be covered in crimson blood as it flew down.
"Watch yourselves!" roared Tiber, throwing aside the shovel and running into the forge. He grabbed his new blade and ran outside, looking up into the sky as the dragon swooped down and grabbed Henry in its mouth. With one powerful bite, Henry was bitten in half.
"No!" yelled Tiber.
The Dragon then turned and saw Tiber Septim, standing at the ready with a white blade. The Dragon then opened its mouth, and released a massive stream of fire upon Tiber. Tiber held up the blade in front of his face as the flames wrapped around him. He then saw, in awe, that his blade was splitting the dragonfire. Then, Tiber tightened his grip, and instead of splitting the fire, the blade absorbed it. As the fire was sucked into the blade, it began to glow. Finally, after a minute of the stalemate, the dragon turned and began to fly off. The blade now looked to be on fire, with the blue flames of the dragon now under its control. It was a thing of beauty. As Tiber ran forth, he heard his men yelling in panic.
"Tiber! No!" yelled Xarxes.
With a mighty jump, Tiber drove Firengard into the dragon's hind leg. Cutting through with the intensity of the dragon's own fire, the blade defeated the dragonscalesarmoring the beast's leg. Holding on by his sword, Tiber looked down below to see the distance between the dragon and Tiber widening with each moment. Mustering up the strength, Tiber pulled himself up and put his leg on the blade of the sword. The fire did not burn him. He then jumped up, grabbed onto a scale on the dragon's back, and pulled Firengard out of the dragon's leg. Pulling himself once more, Tiber reached the dragon's back and ran across it to the beast's head. Upon feeling Tiber on its back, the dragon performed several corkscrews. Tiber immediaely drove Firengard into the creature's back and held onto the crossguard as the beast twirled around. Finally, the beast stopped, and performed a backflip. Tiber nearly let go, but grabbed onto a spike and kept himself on. Finally, the creature stopped, and Tiber ran forth and grabbed the blade from the creature's back. He then ran forth, and the beast started to perform another corkscrew. With great agility, Tiber jumped forward and jammed the blade into the creature's head. The sword dug deep, and found the creature's brain. The creature gave a final cry and began to fall, but Tiber had already planned what he was going to do Pulling the blade out and swinging sideways while the creature was still crying, he cut off a wing, let go of the white sword, grabbed both sides of the wing, and held on with the iron grip that he was famous for. After a minute of parachuting down using the right wing of a dragon, Tiber hit the ground a lot softer than if he had fallen straight off, and after a minute, Tiber's men rode up and looked down at him.
"Ghost of Gavis, are you alright!?" asked Roderick.
"Never...better," said Tiber as he laid on the ground, "Go find the blade..."
"I already did, but it won't budge," said Xarxes as he pointed.
Across the field, sticking from soft farming dirt, was the white blade. After a minute of resting, Tiber got up and walked to the blade. Then, with one hand, he pulled the blade out of the dirt and looked at it.
"This is a fine blade!" said Tiber, "But I wonder now what I shall call it..."
"It is your decision, milord! It will only fight for you!" said Roderick, "As a matter of fact...it will only move for you..."
"I will call it...Firengard," said Tiber, remembering the fire it guarded him against, "It sounds to be a fitting name!"
"Indeed," said Roderick.
"Did you retrieve Henry's body?" asked Tiber.
"Not yet," said Roderick.
"Do that, now I believe that I can finally bury Fas-Kai in peace," said Tiber before sheathing Firengard and getting on his horse that Zarrock was holding for him. Then, with that, he rode off towards the forge.
|
|
:D
I don't think I ever read this one.
It does cause some continuity errors with your current story though...
|
This universe is seperate from Arenor's. =P
|
| [Top] Pages: 1 |
