| The Stormborn |
The Blue Ray and the Stormborn were sailing at a course north, close to shore - that they saw when the fog lifted a few days ago. No persuing galleys from the south - that was a stone that fell from their hearts, as they were all very tired and the dead still lay in elven spells and herbs, to preserve their bodies for proper burials. However, now was not the time - nobody wanted his ashes spilled over these lands.
The moonlight fell upon Ragnarr's face and he came back from the dark dreams he was in. He opened his eyes and saw that he was laying in furs, below deck.
He stood up from his place, feeling a sudden pulsing pain at some blurry points of his aching body. The northman washed his face. He put a chainmail shirt above his black tunic and placed his heavy fur boots, overlapping his breeches. He put on his heavy belt, with his greatsword hanging from it and headed to the deck, walking slowly, limping.
He saw Septim at the commander's post - it was only natural.
"Ah, feeling better, old friend?" asked Septim joyfully.
Ragnarr nodded. "Where are we and how long have we been on this course?"
"Three days, north-northwest, along the shore. We are heading towards the Khartyam Islands, since there was the fort Aeron was last seen, as that shipwreck said, Altrass was his name, or,..." Septim nodded in slight saddness - the man they found at sea who told them about Aeron Silverwind never made it.
"Very well, let me take the night shift,..."
Septim hesitated for a while, due to Ragnarr's condition, but then decided that he knew what he was doing.
"Thoren, bring me the maps of Ivor." called out Ragnarr as he took hold of the rudder oars.
Ivor Strongsteel was the last sea lord to explore these lands and waters, yet came back with only half his crew, insane and mad. Soon after their arrival, they all died off, moaning about the "forest creatures" and "lonely isles",...
"And Kormac, bring the ale and drinks on deck,..."
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[OOC: Wasn't I supposed to be your guard?]
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[ Even guards rest ((: Come on, it is not a large obstacle. Anyway, now with the ale on deck, just get drunk, like I will. ]
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Jonny had been standing on deck with Verll and Darius , just patrolling, becuase the only other thing to do at this time of night was sleep, and none of them where tired. When they saw Ragnarr come back on deck, they where all happy. The waited until things had settled down a bit more, and Ragnarrhad ordered the ale on deck. Then the three approached him.
"Hey Ragnarr, mind sharing the deck with three friends? Some of that ale would be nice as well."
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Septim walked down to his cabin and opened up a small chest at the foot of his bed, he grabbed out the egg and the ring and placed them on his bed, he stared at them long and hard, but he could not figure out the purpose of these.
"Maybe if Erunion and I worked together we could come up with a possible solution..."
Septim puts the two items into his chest and locks it, he then walks out his door and up the deck to Erunion.
"Hey Erunion, could you come down to my cabin for a moment?"
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[No persuing galleys from the south - that was a stone that fell from their hearts, as they were all very tired and the dead still lay in elven spells and herbs, to preserve their bodies for proper burials. ]
[ you say that none of us where tired, you should of read ragnarr's post better :) and who are these " three " you speak of , and also everone is asleep you need to read his post better.... i always do now.... you should of by now]
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As Erunion and Septim took a look at the objects septim had aqquired before , most of the other men slept.
Not many have had a good night slep in a while. The sea had almost gone to sleep itself with hardly a wave lusting apon the two boats. It was nice a tranquil setting.
As the boats closed in on the " Ivon " islands the sun rise came upon the men
Most peoples eyes opened and strolled out to deck
What an example to the men, there was their captain standing strong before them, as if he hadnt been injured at all
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[ Revenge, there is no Ivon Island, but we are heading for Khartyam Islands, as I wrote above.]
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Erunion's head was fuzzy. He could hardly see, and magic was the farthest thing from him now.
"Septim? I'd love to help, but my heads mildly messed up from that. I'll answer questions and the like, but don't expect me to help too much."
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[Revenge I take your spelling of the 'Blue Ray' as a personal insult, It's Blue*SPACE*Ray, and they deserve capital letters!!]
Seloc was enjoying his isolation aboard his ship. No eleves, no *beep*s and no new people that had to be taught the ropes.
Seloc still smiled at himself at how easy it had been to get rid of the new comer Might, to Seloc having him guard Ragnarr was a stroke of genius, that Seloc doubted anyone but himself could pull off.
Fair enought he still had to deal with some dim-wits but truth be told these *beep*s would do whatever he said.
Thor: "Captain I've finished de-weeding the ship!"
Seloc: "No you haven't I still see weeds! don't cme back till you've finished the job next time."
Thor relucatly turned around with his trowel and started working the dirt from out the side of the floor boards on the 'Blue Ray'.
Seloc smiled at the ironically timed disturbance, it was like some unseen force deamed it nessary to prove Seloc's point with the dim-witted Thor, and his weeds.
A shrill scream brought Seloc's chain of thought back to the fact his ship was a war zone up till yesterday, and he lifted himself up from his confortable position on the deck, next to the railings, to pick a pair of ear plugs. Inserting them Seloc drifted of into sleep, safe from the occasional wailings of his crew.
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[ I didnt really know what that had to do with it ..... nicely written]
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[Im finished guarding Ragnarr by the way. Hes fine.]
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Truely, these were fine days of sailing. The wind was constant, southern, with light waves - a remarkably smooth voyage.
Ragnarr was still observing and studying the maps from Strongsteel, with his drinking horn in one hand and the other holding the rudder oar.
The old runes burnt at Ragnarr's sight - Sea of Sorrow.
If Ivor Strongsteel had plotted the lands and waters here with accuracy (of what Ragnarr was confident), then they should reach the Khartyam Islands in three or so days, given that the wind remained the same.
That was good - more than enough time for resting, recovering from wounds and so on.
"Thoren, put these maps back where they belong." he said, then looked ahead. "Olaf, Jens, loosen the left-board cordages by quarter." he called out to be heard over the gust of wind and splash of waves. "Sir Verll, stay at the bow and infrom for anything ahead. Septim and Bacardi, you can start drills with the crew at midday, they need to get in form after all the slackering,... Might, you will practise with them,.. Revenge and Erunion, take the parchment from my chest. There you shall see an unfinished map that I started. I want you to plot the this coast, you will see where it is there,..."
He took a drink from his mead.
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[ that took me ages .... ]
[ from scratch apart from compass which I got from google ]
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[wow bud, nice. As for the three I was talking about:Verll, Jonny and Darius. And he said we where all tired. I decided that the tree of us wheren't. Where is Verll anyways, haven't seem him in a little while.]
Jonny walked about the deck with Septim, discussing which drills they should have the crew do first......
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*Might follows Jonny and Septim while observing the way these ships work.*.
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As Septim walked, he noticed three dark ships on the horizon. Septim knelt down and pulled a long scope from one of his many pockets.
"It looks like a merchant ship is being attacked by two pirate ships, Ragnarr!"
Septim ran up to the Captain's deck and pointed out the possible danger to Ragnarr.
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[OOC: I Thought we where going to train the crew. Oh man, this is gonna be ridiculous.]
Jonny just kept staring at the images in the distance.
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[ Good work, Revenge.]
[ Bacardi, it will be a light battle, as the merchants could stand for their own. ]
"Give me that elven scope, if you would,..."
Ragnarr looked towards the horizon, to where Septim was pointing.
True, two ships had flanked a bigger one, merchant galley. The galley would have no problems defending itself if the brigands were not two.
Honour required something to be done.
"Septim, send a raven to the Blue Ray to inform him to go for the western brigand ship. we'll sail for the eastern one,... Bacardi, get the crew ready for combat."
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[I am going to be unactive for some days, so all except Revenge and Might may control me. Until I am back that is ;)
[REMEMBER ALL EXCEPT Revenge AND Might ;)]
[Nice map Revenge!]
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[Thanks Verll! Saves me the responsibility! Sucks for Septim and Seloc though.]
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As the boats peeled away from each other, people started sharpening there blades , praying , even continueing there lives like nothing was transpiring
Revenge took to the deck in a black and grey buckled vest with little patches of red and Short trousers. With large black boots . He took out his long sword from his back holder and held it to the sky , but it almost looked like it had never been cleaned . There is engravings only in the both sides which should he was of a high power in his colony. He closed his eyes and wished the gods would far them all well in this battle. With it a large roar.
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[ Thanks all aswell , just trying to do my bit ]
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[Revenge your posting rubbish again stop, your stupid little posts of your in between our posts.
Ragnarr how about concidering an order that the posts go in, so *beep*ming doesn't ruin this thread?
Also are you named after Ragnar Lothbrok?]
Seloc recieved the message with a sigh, he had been hopeing for a nice peaceful vacation on this sunny desert island. Alass it was not to be so...
Seloc: "Kon ready the soldiers, were attacking that ship there."
He points to the one on the west.
Kon: "Right ho, sir 'The Happy Bottle'?"
Seloc: "I think that the one....yes, well you get on it, looks like im driving."
Seloc then smiled madly, and Kon replied likewise.
The 'Blue Ray' turned sharply of from it's position behind the 'Stormborn' and sailed for the opposing ship.
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It was already midday.
The longships Stormborn and Blue Ray flew through the waves towards the sea brigand ships as arrows approach their target ahead. The wind was a good south-western, leaving the advantage entirely to them.
The ship the Blue Ray headed to was a light xebec, The Happy Battle. The other one, for which Ragnarr's longship was sailing bore the name of The Final Massacre and was a fast galley, with about fifty oars on each board.
"What bastard would call his ship like that?" snorted Kormac.
The merchant vessel in the middle, the Maiden's Pearl, was a battlefield. Figures ran on its deck, fighting, battleing, in close combat, shreeks of pain and screams of terror sounding from far. It did not seem it could take any more of the sea brigands scum any longer.
They were probably two-hundred paces away when Thoren suddenly shouted.
"Raise oars!"
The men obeyed, even though the order did not come from the sea lord.
Thoren jumped on the board and then started running on the oars shaft, above the waves. Once he reached the end, he started jumping swiftly from one oar to another, elegantly, with a raised sword, shouting at the outlaw crew. An uproar followed, the northmen on board started banging their swords with a clash on to their round shields.
There was not much the brigands could do, as in the chaos upon the merchant vessel few made it to protect their own ships. The ones who had sent volleys of arrows towards them.
"Kormac, when you're ready. Septim, prepare a spearhead attack."
"Loose!" yelled Kormac.
A wave of their arrows tore the air with a swift flight and reached The Final Massacre, sweeping the deck as rain.
The ships were now five paces away. Ragnarr had brought the longship board to board, leaving a small patch of sea between the two decks.
He left the rudder oars to Thoren and drew out his own greatsword.
"No mercy for the brigands!"
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*Might jumped from the ship and landed with a roll onto the brigands ship. He used the roll to surprise two outlaws stabbing both in the throat.*
[OOC: What ship am I on? I thought I was on Selocs ship.]
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Hell. Bloody brigands. Damn my headaches!
A seriously annoyed Erunion came up on deck, and watched the start of the attack, when the order came to loose arrows, Erunion decided to heat it up a little...
The fire burst from the planks of The Final Massacre quadrant by quadrant, somehow leaving the wood unharmed, but burning the pirates to a crisp.
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Jonny jumped onto the enemy ship, only to jump back aboard his own ship because of the fire springing up from the deck of their foes ship.
"woah, watch out boyz, this fights really heating up."
As the fire died down, Jonny and the crew slowly went onto the ship agian, making sure more fire didn't spring up at them first. They slowly traversed the ship, making sure all the enemy where dead or on the merchant vessel. Then they jumped aboard the merchant ship, and started attacking the evil doers there.
As jonny jumped onto the ship, one of the sea brigands turned around, and managed to get a good blow right into his shin. As jonny landed hard on it, the bone snapped, and Jonny collapsed. It seems that the sea brigands where a bit better armed then was first expected, as Larny wa*beep* by an arrow right between the eyes, on fell backwards into the waters.
Jonny made a wild slash, while extending his sword, he took the villian who had de-limbed him out. He then slowly hoisted himself up, using the rail for support.
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Septim runs and jumped onto the merchant vessel, upon landing he cuts three men down.
"Jonny!", yells Septim as he runs over to his falling comrade. He cuts down three pirates on the way over and picks up Jonny over his shoulder. Septim then turns and runs and jumps over to the Stormborn, he is shot with an arrow while jumping between the two ships and lands hard, he drops Jonny and grasps the arrow in his leg, he breaks it off and pulls it out through the other side, he then mutters a few words and the wound on his leg heals.
"I can't heal broken bones, sorry Jonny...you'll need the Elven healer for that...", mutters Septim. He turns and jumps back to the merchant ship.
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[Erunion wasn't that the ship I was on? Did you just burn me to a crisp?]
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[OOC:I guess might died........that sucks.]
Jonny lay on the deck of the merchant ship, cussing up a storm, because of all the jolts Septim had caused in his leg. Lieing in a pool of his own blood, Jonny was defiently going to remember this. He would have been better off on the enemy ship, unmoved, where could he still could have fended for himself.
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Revenge charged over to johny and rapped his leg with a bandage
" Its alright mate "
Revenge jumped aboard the boat and slashed at a few men , killing 2 and injuring another
As he slashed at a few others, he didnt notice the man behind him until he felt a seering pain in his lower back, Revenge turned and stuck his dagger in the mans throat, he pushed it in slowly, painfuly, he turned it vertically form horizontal, he pulled out his dagged and the man dropped to the floor, gasping for air, Revenge left him there to die. It wasnt right. It wasnt nice , he didnt care......
He jumped onto the middle boat and engaged in combat with his friends....
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The 'Blue Ray' pulled up to the side of 'The Empty BOttle' without incident.
Seloc was first over the edge followed by Kon, and Thor.
A very large pirate attacked Kon, knocking him over, and was bringing his axe down on his head. Seloc quickly stepped between them, and rammed his sword home in the pirates gut. The axe fell out of his hands and it's heavy handle, hitting Seloc on the nose. A warm red liquid started to spurt out, drenching Seloc's lower face in blood.
Before he could recover another pirate was swings his sword for Seloc's neck, he brought his saber up to parry it, and it bounced with a loud "twang" of Seloc's handle, leaving his hand numb. Thor had his dagger in the man's face before he could make another move.
All around the ship Seloc's crew had beaten the relentless pirates down, and most had already begun looting it.
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{No Might is not dead. I have more discrimination then that, even with a headache. He's just a little overheated right now. Ya know, Sahara at noon in midsummer.}
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Ragnarr was on the merchant galley, or as it was called, Fakhir, or Proud, in the quarbs' language. He had made his way through The Final Massacre onto it, realising that the real fight was here.
He swung his greatsword thorugh the chest of two lightly armored and poorly equiped brigands, a gush of blood spraying from their mortal wounds. The northman quickned forward, kicked a man out of his way and hacked in another's shoulder.
"Pagan, die!" cried out a fierce shriek from behind.
Ragnarr turned to see a sword a heartbeat away from his face, to which he ducked out of its arc and rammed his body into the chest of the attacker. The shocked man grunted, surprized from his undamaging slash, and started kicking in the air, until Ragnarr threw him onto the deck with a force that would break an old oaken door. The man did not move again.
That action had stunned the brigands around. After a few moments, the fight was over, with the pirates yielding to the northmen. Those who were not dead had dropped their weapons, paralized from terror.
Ragnarr felt a warm hand on his shoulder.
"God sent us honourable men!" a cheerful voice said in the common tongue, with a heavy quarbic accent.
The northman turned. A wide smile under black, clean mustaches, under a sharp nose in between of two friendly brown eyes. The captain of the Fakhir was more than joyful to have survived what he moments ago thought his death.
"These are the winds the Old Gods gave us." Ragnarr replyed.
The swarthy captain nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, of course,... everything on this ship,.. what ever you want, you can take,.. it is for a prize for our saviors, praise God almighty...."
Ragnarr turned around to see what had happened with his warriors. The casualties were incignificant,...
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[OOC:Ouch, insignificant. My legs off!]
As Jonny slowly made his way back up agian, Verll came over and helped him up. A minute later, Darius led Johanson to the spot where Jonny's blood had started seeping back through the bandage. Johanson worked some magic, and the leg was healed, with only a nasty scar running along, just under the knee cap, all the way around his calf.
It still felt tender, but Jonny was able to walk over to where Ragnaar and the merchant vessel's captain where conversing.
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" Hey someone , heal me up ! "
The blood gorged out of Revenges back, that slash went deeper than he had thought.
He sllwly walked over to a different group of men who had cornerd a pirate, they where stabbing him, lightly, making him suffour, Revenge held his sword and brought it down on the pirate , a crack and the man collapsed
" No man or being should be tortured " said Revenge as he walked off , towards ragnarr and the rest of his fellow men
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[OOC: I'm pretty sure gorged was not a very good word to put there.....also, if your saying that our crew was torturing a pirate, you might as well forget that. The crew isn't like that, they are ALL like ragnarr.]
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[ Revenge, what the hell? Bacardi is right, all of the northmen aboard are strict to honour and loyalty,.. ]
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[ I didnt meen our crew , i ment the Falkir crew believe me , sorry if i ment it like that :( ]
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The lifeless bodies were quickly dealt with - the brigands were thrown over board, the dead friends were prepared for burning, the wounded were being healed and the captive pirates were given row boats to get to shore, since they were not worthy of staining good steel weapons with.
Their ships were stripped from everything valuable. Their whole cargo was devided between the merchants and northmen, including fine weapons, coins from the Golden Coast, topazes, silks and provisions.
After that they were burnt with the dead bodies of brigands on them.
Ragnarr was on the deck of the Fakhir, watching silently at the burning, creaking floating ships. It was nearly sunset.
He decided to bid farewell to the merchants and be on his way. The northman turned and walked towards the longship, when he saw Keldroth.
Aeron Silverwind's longsword. Hanging from the belt of the second in command of the quarbic vessel.
Ragnarr stood right in front of him, blocking his way to the commander's deck.
"Where did you get that from?" he asked coldly, looking at the man with icey eyes.
The man had the look of a man of the sea, who had seen quite a lot. Yet the moment Ragnarr's tall figure stood ahead of him, with a face as stone and a look as ice, the man tremnbled lighlty.
"I aquirred it. From a merchant on the Lonely Islands,..." he started.
"You have been there and yet are here, before me, alive?"
"I barely escaped,.. and I don't advise you to go there, my friend,.." the man said.
Ragnarr stood silent for a moment, making the commander even more nervous.
"What, you want it?..." he asked.
Ragnarr remained silent.
The man took it off his leather belt and reached out his hand, holding the sword. "You saved us from the menace, so..here..."
Ragnarr took it and headed towards the Stormborn. All were there, ready to leave. They bid farewell with the merchants and left its side, followed by the Blue Ray.
They were heading towards the Khartyam Islands, a day away, after which they would enter the greatest perills of the Sea of Sorrow - the Lonely Islands.
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Septim stands at the front of the ship looking out over the open sea.
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As they closed in on these mystical islands, people started becoming nervous at the storys and rumours being spread and the storys they had heard
It had drove 2 men crazy already, they hadnt even step foot on a island yet...
What was instore only time would tell
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{Define Crazy...}
Erunion stood in front of the two weak-kneed sailors.
"Now you two, stand you groveling bilge rats!"
The two just crouched in the corner, shivering and shaking, one started muttering.
"No.. No... Can't go on. We must... We must go back... We're all dead! WE'RE ALL DEAD!"
Bloody hell, their minds are broken!
Seeing that words alone couldn't help, Erunion sent a probe into each of their minds. Seeing that he had a lot of work to do, Erunion pulled up a chair...
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Septim suddenly felt his mind collapse, his thoughts were torn from his head and thoughts of his death invaded his mind.
"Arrrggghhhh!!!", said Septim, he was suddenly in a dark room with a ghostly figure in front of him.
"Who...are...you?", asked Septim.
"I am Cosilus Do-Vusin, the weaver of the tapestry of legends. I am one of the many High Lords of this planet...and I have weaved a legend for you. The Egg, the Amulet, and the Ring, you think they came to you by accident? You it was a coincident that two extremely powerful artifacts and one great egg fell into your keeping? I will protect your mind against the evil forces that seek to invade it, now...go forth...and complete the legend I have weaved for you...", said the ghostly man.
Septim felt a tug and sat aboard the Stormborn witha few Northmen above him.
"Your pulse read nothing...are you alright?", asked one.
"I am fine...", said Septim.
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XII. The Red Dungeon
The Khartyam Islands were the perfect place for dungeons - no one would want to escape, because once out of the heavily guarded fortress, you're "free" to fight the illogical forces of these lands. Few have escaped, none have survived,... except for Aeron Silverwind.
The islands were a cluster of small barren mossy rocks, cliffs and mists, fog amongst the short olive-like trees, growing on reddish soil. The sun's light broke through the mist into an irregular fall of golden rays, which some found majestically beautiful, others saw it satanic and demonic.
The mystical islands were not for the common man.
Ragnarr's warriors were northmen who have seen a lot and could stand up to anything, fight the toughest foe. But mystics was phsycological, and two of them had to be tied below deck to something, until their fever maddness passed.
The longships entered a bay, created by three islands, surrounding it. The one in the middle was the most barren and rocky. It was also were the Khartyam Castle was.
Red stones. Walls and towers, battlements, colums, arches - all from red stones, as if painted with blood. The main gate was located after a long climb up a narrow path on the cliff. Very hospitable and conveniant...
"We'll dock out of their range, ... only the Old Gods know what they have for us, these quarbs,..."
The Stormborn steered south and embarked on a sandy shore, not so far from the castle, but definatly out of sight of the towers. The Blue Ray close behind,...
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