I · The beginning...

[Rob'Doomsday]

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"Wake up..." Was the whispering echoes I heard in my mind just before I opened my eyes. Still inside the bed, I take a seat and try to watch outside the open window. The wind was blowing fast this morning bringing some fresh air into the room. I went out of the bed and walked towards the little table that worked as my kitchen, on my small house. I took some bread and heated it a bit on the oven next to the table.

- Hmmmm... - I "said" to myself.

My little house was located on the second floor of an apartment building. The ground floor didn't exist, or maybe it consisted on the stairs to access the second floor and the stone pillars that elevated the construction over the swamp only, since this small town was in the middle of some dense swamps. In the first floor there was two little houses and my brother owned one of them. The second floor consisted in two more houses, one was small, and was inhabitated by Shiri, the girl that owned the tavern; and my house, that was a bit bigger. My house had a door that took you to a watch tower that went two more floors above the house. This tower was built thinking about the protection of the whole building, since this was the first building of the town, and was originally just an outpost in the middle of nowhere to guard the possible invasions from the northern lands.

This small town was called Finnet and consisted only of three big buildings, separated by a dusty dirt road: this apartment building to the south; a big tower a few steps away to the northwest of the apartments where a family of carpenters lived; and a nice commercial zone in the north by the town entrance. Below, in the east part of this commercial zone there was three little shops, and one more in one of their basements, with all kind of weapons and tools you needed to adventure yourself into the swamps. Above these shops and all the way to the west there was a big plataform, where you could find the town's tavern, a depot locker zone, as well as some places to chill out, like benchs or the "swamp watcher" with a wonderful view to the eastern part of the swamp, walking up some stairs.

I opened the barrel next the oven and looked around between the bottles. I selected a bottle and went to take a seat next to the table. Ripped off a piece of bread and took it to my mouth. Crunch.
I opened the door and walked inside the tower anexed to my house. Just as you opened the door there was a room with some old things, a wine cask, and on the west wall another door that took you outside the house to the main room of the second floor of the apartment building. Then there was a ladder to an empty room, and here, another ladder to another empty room. I didn't keep anything here, since these old windows weren't made to be closed, and everything here was exposed to the constant wind, sun or rain. I climbed to the last floor and took a look in all directions. From the west window I could see, through a dense swamp, the big swamp city - the place where I was born. To the south, I could see some almost inpenetrable dense swamps, and then some mountains, where dragons inhabited. Then to the north and to the east I could see more swamp and the beggining of the eastern forests. There was a hidden outpost with stables, in the last part of the swamps aroud that direction. There I used to go when I needed a horse to ride long distances.

I heard someone knocking the door.

- Hey, are you there? - I heard someone saying from outside; it was my brother.
- Hey man, good morning - I said as I opened the door.

I saw on his face that he was a bit worried.
He came in and we took a sit on the table and I gave him some bread.

- Listen, - he continued - I heard in the tavern that there's rumors running through the big city streets that the hordes from the north are preparing to attack the swamps. I'm really worried about this, and today I will go to the city to find out what is going on myself, with my friends from the King's troops. I would really like you to go to visit our mother, explain her this situation and tell her to start packing her stuff, I will give her my house in Tethra.

I was a bit shocked of course. My brother had that great ability, of coming always with the most shocking news and leave everyone with open mouth.

- What... Who told you this? Is this even possible? Weren't these barbarians gone from the northern lands? - I asked a bit nervous.

- It seemed so, but apparently they are not. Maybe they were staying underground or inside the mountains where the dwarves lived before. I don't know very much about this, I will find out and visit you in the afternoon... Now go and talk to our mother, I'm afraid something could happen to her.

He left, and as I was still watching him going down the stairs, I started getting ready for the trip. I took my backpack and threw my sword, my shield and some other things inside. In the swamp there was two small towns that depended of the big one. One of the small towns is the one my brother and I lived, and the other one is where our mother lived, but there was a little problem, to reach the other small town, you had to leave the swamps to the north, and round them all through the east by a dark forest and enter from there. And if you didnt want to take the risk of crossing this dark forest - it was dangerous - you had to travel to the neighbour town, and take the roads to there. But I wasn't able to do this trip, and my brother knew I wouldn't when he came to ask me to go there. I knew a little short-cut to this town.

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I walked down to the first floor and then to the ground floor in the town, and then to the exit to the north. When I was reaching it, I went up the stairs to the plataform and headed to the tavern. The place was lonely, only my neighbour Shiri that owned it was there, cleaning the tables from the breakfast clients that had just left.

- Rob! - Shiri said when she sighted me.
- Hello there, Miss Shiri! I was walking around the town and then I smell this irresistible smell... I followed it floating and arrived here... Do you have any clue from where it comes from?

Shiri's face turned into a smile and she laughed a bit.

- What are you cooking Shiri? - I continued - I have to do a trip to my parent's house, and nothing would be a better company than the exquisit foods you cook.

- Today I have cooked some special menu, and I would be more than honored if this food keeps you strong for your trip dear Rob! - Shiri said as she walked behind the table.

She picked up a pan, and I noticed some delicious hams cooked together with some blueberries.

- First class hams and Blueberries collected by myself, Sir! With this, you will be strong as 10 of the strongest man together!

We both laughed. She filled a special bowl with pieces of meat and locked it, took a bottle of her home made wine and gave them to me. Even though I insisted, she didn't want me to pay her for the food. - Just bring back the containers Rob! - She said. I carefully placed some golden coins in the box she kept her money, while she wasnt looking.
She grabbed me by my shoulder, and suddenly her smile vanished. I noticed a worried face.

- Take care Rob... I'm scared of what can happen to us all. - She obviously knew the rumours too.

- Don't worry lady... Everything is going to be allright. I will be back very soon today. I will come to the tavern when I return, otherwise I'll knock your door in the apartment.

I left the tavern and went down the stairs, back to the city ground.
I walked a bit more north, leaving the city. I followed the way to the west and then to the south, where some trees started to appear. Following the trees a bit more, was the exit from the huge swamps, and the plains started. Our town was a bit exposed. Instead of following the trees I continued a bit more to the south, going around the swamp water that was surrounding our town, and there it was, after some swamp grass and other vegetation, the little river that I had to cross. I saw some blueberry bushes with only a few blueberries left. - I know where Shiri gets her ingredients now - I said to myself and a smile came to my face.
I took off my machete and started making my way through the swamp grass, and walked on that smelly swamp water until I reached the river. I picked up my backpack with one hand, rised it up in the air and went into the water. I swimmed with one hand only so the backpack didnt get wet. It was a really short swim to reach the other side, but this was not the bad part.
When I reached the other side of the river, I had to go again through some dense swamp grass and plants until I reached some kind of path. Usually on this way there were only wolves, spiders, wasps, snakes, and other small things, but the bad thing is that somewhere, hidden in this zone, some dangerous orcs inhabited.
I remembered the way I had to follow and I started walking, with some help from my machete. First a bit to the west, and then cutting a lot of vegetation, to the south. When I was chopping the last branches of some plants to get to the other side I heard some wild screaming - I recognized the Orc language!
I jumped to a little island in the middle of some swamp water and managed to hide behind a dead tree and some swamp plants, and waited. From the south, same way as I was going, two strong Orcs with heavy armors were coming, drinking who knows what from some really dirty bottles. The smell of the Orcs was terrible and I could smell them from where I was, from a long distance. They looked a bit drunk, and they were pissed that all this vegetation was standing in front of them, but they didn't bother and jumped right to the middle of the nasty swamp water. One of them did a bad step and felt, submerging himself into the water. The other Orc was laughing very hard watching how his friend was standing up covered in this rotten water. They continued their way, danger was gone.


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I continued my way without many more troubles. I reached the old wooden bridge through the river that surrounded this dangerous zone, and I was much more calm. I only had to follow a long earth path to reach the town. I walked a bit and I was passing through a big moutain when an elf jumped from behind the vegetation. In this mountain, a lot of elves lived, it was a really huge place. They had some kind of fort inside the mountain.

- Where are you goin, Human?! - The elf screamed.

- Hi there friend, I'm just going to the city to the south-east, to visit my mother.

The elves that lived there, were very friendly with the humans from the town. There was also a little outpost with shops that was owned by some of them, and everyone in the town used to shop in there. But I wasn't around this places very much so I was a stranger for them.

- Mm, okay. - Said the elf with a suspicious look on its eyes.

I continued my way to the east, and after a walking a bit more, I went through the vegetation and took a seat on a fallen log, and ate the hams the Shiri gave me. It was delicious. The blueberries cooked with the hams gave it a special taste that I never tried before. It was a beautiful day where the sun was shining and a fresh air blowed, but as the day was going by, I was starting to get more and more nervous. I wished that I was in Shiri's tavern enjoying this great food without any worries. I drank half of the bottle of wine and continued my way.

After a long walk, I reached the wooden bridge to the south that lead inside the town. This town was just next to the oceans, and it was a bit bigger than the one I lived. As soon as you entered it from the north you could find the stairs up to the local tavern to the east. This tavern had a nice balcony with a marquee as roof. Beautiful to sit on the afternoons and watch the sunset. Right in front of the tavern, east of the bridge was my mother's house. This was a two floor small house, she had a little kitchen in the first floor, and the bedroom upstairs. Next to the house there was a big building that worked as a stable.

I knocked the door a few times, and my mother opened the door. She hugged me.

- Mom, I have really bad news.

- Don't scare me Rob, what is wrong?

- This morning Horus came to tell me, there's rumours all around Verevat, that the hordes from the northern lands are planning an attack on the swamp city.

My mother was really silent, looking at me.

- Well, Horus sent me to tell this to you, and to tell you that you have to pack your stuff, he's going to give you his house in Tethra. You will be safe there if anything happens.

- But how could it be? Their last attack was around 20 years ago, and after that, they dissapeared... Where were them? - My mother answered

- We don't know... Maybe they were hiding and waiting to get strong again and attack, maybe they are not even there and its only rumors... Please just start packing your stuff... Just in case!, I will come back again tomorrow with more news. Take this as some vacations in the jungle, you always wanted to live there. And we don't want anything bad to happen to you.

My mother was very silent, and she looked at me a bit worried now.

- We should never have given them mercy... - She was saying while he looked at a random dot in the table.


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I left my mom while she was starting to sort her backpacks and went through the same way as I came. After finishing Shiri's bottle of wine, I accelerated my steps, because the sun was still shining, but not for long.
After walking a lot, the sun was going down, and I met the same elf that I met when I was going to the city.

- Where you live human, in the cave of the dragons? - He said.

- No way Mr., I do not get along with flying lizards... not even with the green and red ones! I come from the other side, through the river. - I said smiling.

- Did you listen the news? The hordes from the north are going to attack your cities. You will have to fight.

- And so will you - I ended, and continued my way.

I reached my town without major troubles, and specially, without any dirty orc on my way.

As I promised Shiri, I went to her tavern when I arrived.

- Rob! So glad to see you - Said Shiri worried.
- Your brother is waiting for you at his house.

I thanked Shiri for her awesome food and gave her the bowl and bottle she gave me.

- We will see us later tonight, now go to find your brother - She finished.

I knocked my brother's door. He opened and inside his house there were two more persons.

- Come in Rob - He said, very serious.
- Did you tell our mother about the current situation? - He asked
- Yes
- Did you tell her what she has to do?
- Yes
- Okay. Tomorrow during the day we both are going to see her and go to the port in Lopheth, they must leave as soon as possible.

The other two guys were sitting on his chairs, looking at the table, silent and very serious.

- What is going on brother..? - I asked.

- Everyone in the town already knows it. I didn't even needed to ask to my friends in the castle. But I went to them anyway, and they are in contact with the castle of Lopheth. The hordes from the northern lands are moving, they are in the ice mountains in the north. They are 10 times the inhabitants of Verevat and Lopheth together and they are going to attack for sure, we will have to fight. We will go to Verevat tomorrow and get ready, after leaving our parents in the port.

I was speachless, and now I understood why the other two guys didn't even greet me.

I left my brother's room and went to walk around the town to take some air.

I entered my house and it was all very dark, but I didn't lit the candles. I took an empty bottle from the barrel next to the oven. I opened the door that leaded to the tower, and right there, in front of me was the wine cask, ready to fill my bottle. With the bottle filled with this precious liquid I returned to the main room, and took a seat on the same chair in front of the same table that saw me start this same day that was ending. I filled my wooden cup and moved my head and stared through the window, into the night.

- Everything is so calm... - I said to myself inside my head just before rising my cup in direction of the night sky.

- My bad... - And I drank.

I went to bed with my head filled in thoughts and sadness, but the wine gave me a relaxed feeling and I felt asleep fast.

I started walking on the stone bridge. My brother and Shiri were walking at my sides, and there was a big silence on the place. This was a long bridge that was being held by giant stone columns. The whole place was like a huge hole in the ground filled with some small vegetation in the bottom. This bridge was covered with moss and didnt really lead anywhere, it just ended in the middle of the hole. We were walking there, and stopped in the end. At one point, Shiri made a bad step and slipped and fell from the bridge. In a quick move I turned into her into desperation and accidentally pushed my brother, who fell from the bridge from the other side.


I started hearing some sound beat... it was like a heart beat, but it slowly became hard and dry, until I woke up to find out someone was knocking the door. I jumped off the bed and opened the door really fast. It was Shiri.

- Shiri, what happened? I said a bit worried, half asleep.

- I'm leaving, Rob - She said, and hugged me.

- Can I stay here tonight...? - She continued.

I closed the door and she took a seat in the chair next to the table. I litted a candle, served her some fruits and a cup of wine and took a seat on my bed.

- Don't lit the candle... She whispered and drowned the flame between her fingers.

She was leaving the next day and was going to live in Valdrek. This was a very beautiful city, her mother lived there. I felt sad as hell at this point, but didn't show it.

- Let's go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a very long day for both. - She said, and in the dark, she walked towards me.

[Bon]

Good job, can't wait to hear more.

[Sir Balder]

Very nice story, Rob...looking forward to the rest.

[Nirdor]

Yes, indeed. Very nice story.

I'm always thinking about Venore in the south, and Orc Fortress in the north, while reading this.