Chapter 3: Human

- Jehidas, that human there, Bamor, he is a close friend of mine. I met him two years ago. I have been asking him about human society. The current dynasty is the Nortus.- Posarol start a new conversation during the ride

Nortus ? A family of pioneers that I met before. They are nice people and I got a lot of hospitality from them.

- Senior, what year is it according to the human kingdom? - I ask

- Year 100 of Nortus, Todur Nortus is the current king - Posarol replies

As we are going to the next trade point, I recall something else. When was the last time I saw them before the slaughtering? I didn't see anyone from that house going out nor hear anyone screaming in agony. How did they survive? Did they know something? Did they plan? So many questions. Perhaps the answer is simple: They had known the raiding before it happened. Why did they not warn us? Perhaps, they want to take over the kingdom. They want to have a reason to rebel, but by collaborating with orcs, this is not something a sane person would do. Now, I get why, the knights thought either I had single handedly slaughtered a village or I was an ally of Nortus. It was not the insult. It took the Nortus about 700 years to make a finale to be a true dynasty. Very nice! A good show, a well-planned patience.

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-Jehidas, we are almost there. You should spill out some water right now. Make sure it is only a quarter full bag.

-Why?

-Just do it.

I follow Posarol's order. I spill out the water. When we arrive at the next trading point, another oasis, a tent is awaiting us. It is an orcish tent. Leathery, brown and clumsily made. Aren't that orc and human having a bad relationship for like thousands of years? This is going to go west quickly.

-Mr. Lisor, what took you so long?- A rock-like voice

-Long time no see, Lorthor - "Lisor" replies

-Who is that new fella behind you? - Lorthor asks

-I am Bira, his apprentice- I nervously answer

-So human, what do you have to offer?- Lorthor questions

- 4 daggers, and you? - Posarol smiles

- Daggers? So far, good weapons and good tools from you. Today, I have special offers. Unlike leather from thick fur bulls, this leather comes from a white bear. Although the meat tastes horrible, this leather should be a good material for crafting. The stuff you long desire in this desert is a good coat ,that is warm enough for long cold nights and cool enough for hot days. It cannot be torn apart during sandstorms. Lately, I have been seeing sandstorms that can cut through clothes, leathers and scales. I witnessed a drake suffer a minor injury on his scales.

Sandstorms? I don't think that part is from natural causes, but from our kins. Posarol, please explain about these events.

- Two daggers for the leather. And the other two for 6 days provisional- Posarol immediately shout out

- How about something a bit more for that provisional part? Recently, our supplies are getting harassed by monsters and pixies- Lorthor tries to topple the scale of trading

- Fine, something more? I give you this- Posarol pulls something from his bag.

Transparent, it looks like a container. A glass bottle? Seriously? I had seen those in noble parties when I was a human. They usually contained wine, spirit and some kind of liquid narcotic too. To a human, this thing is super cheap and worthless. But to an orc who can't do such an artisan thing, it is super valuable to him. To drake, dwarf and elves, they can do it but in very different styles. Drakes have hard glassware, so unbreakable and unmeltable too.

Dwarves' glassware is very high quality and well balanced. Elves' ones are elegant and very very expensive. Humans mostly learn how to make glass from dwarves.

- Okay fine, you win this deal. See you next time. Don't forget to bring the sword. The ceremony will start next month. Our chief would choose me as a candidate for his daughter if I can bring the best sword- Lorthor laughs hard.

- This Lisor will not forget about the sword- Posarol smiles

We move back to our kingdom. On our way, I hear something strange. Posarol nods and allows me to go investigating. I move in the way that Posarol taught me a few days earlier. Gliding the sand is kinda relaxing compared to rolling like a useless ball. When I arrive, there is a human who is holding an axe and facing a monster. Sandworm is a simple minded creature. When facing one, you must not run away or it will chase you til the end of the earth literally. These creatures like to eat smaller one like humans, they have one purpose in mind: "consume, grow, breed ". To kill it, one must cut its head or yell loud enough to break its spinal cord. That human charges his head into the worm. Watching him, he can't win this. The worm confuses. Retreat or fight back. I feel sorry for the worm so I make a sand storm like my senior showed me days earlier. And the worm just bails away, and that human stands there like "who did that sand storm?". I yell:

- That was a mistake so sorry. I can't control my magic properly yet.

- Are you a bleedin' idiot? That sandworm is worth more than a fortune. Its teeth can give me another sword instead of this cursed axe.

- I am Jehidas the sand magician. I am still learning. What is your name?

- Marshan Himdaril. Are you an orphan or something?

- Yes, I am an orphan.

- Name the church.

- I can't since I was adopted by a merchant on his way

- I trust you this time - He points his axe to me

- Where can I meet you again? I have to return to my father.

- To where the sun sets from this desert, keep going there and you will find where I drink and rest. Remember this name of the town, Loreahor.

I quickly return to Posarol. When I get to him, he is still on his illusional llama. He smiles. We return to our kingdom. I question Posarol where the king rests at. The tallest tower, look at the deepest basement. There, where the king's real body is. But I come to the tower and see an old man. He says that he also waited to meet the king too. The moment I step into the throne room. We both bow down to the empty throne. When someone moves in, a green robe man with glasses says in a mockery way:

- Your highness, please do not joke around.

The old man stands up and walks to the throne. He sits there. One of the king's bodies. He was just playing with my mind. I stand up.

- What do you seek for, Jehidas?- the king asks

- A way to get stronger to protect

- Are you sure about what you seek?

- Yes

- You are a fool. Don't you realize the blood you spilled a thousand years ago?

- I do.

- I witnessed everything. You were the jester who killed not only orcs, you killed humans. You were the drake who drank the blood of dwarves. You were one of the dwarves who hunts wolves for fun. Can you remember a thing?

- I do. I was killed. I did not do such crimes

- Ha ha ha. I was messing with you around. But truly, I witnessed them all. You did not kill any human but someone said you did, one of the Nortus. You did not drink any blood from dwarves but a Nortus whispered the conspiracy. You did not hunt down wolves for sadistic enjoyment, another Nortus just rushed out those wolves to chew all the dwarves.

- How big is that Nortus?

- Their motives are really strange. Sometimes, they just do a thing, other times, they try messing with other races' politics. Eventually, they got themselves controls of the human kingdom.

- Just why do they do those things?

- If you ask me, my ruling experiences tell me that they are those people who take control from roots to all the society. From poor men to nobles.

- Why did they have to assassinate a jester, a noble drake, a dwarvish hunter?

- Blaming a mad jester who kills people is easy. Killing a noble drake with dwarves' assistance is perfect. A dwarvish hunter… perhaps he was an illegitimate son of a dwarven king. If the child finds out soon enough, well things can go bad for a king right?

- Just who are you?

- I was a human sage, an orcish chieftain, a drake king. Politics

- What should I do?

- If you ask me to do a thing as you? To get stronger, you were a drake. Get to know about fire magic. A dwarf, blacksmith. A jester, you can have many connections. To get revenge? Decades are just a short time to us.

-Should I kill Nortus?

-To kill such a house, you need to plan for hundreds of years. If they can plan for 700 years for the throne, you should reconsider about the time.

-I think I understand your intention of preventing me from doing wrong the method of vengeance.

-Do what you think is right. I am too lazy to stop you anyway.

-Lazy old fart

-People call me that for a thousand years. I don't give a care anyway.

After thinking for a while, I decide to ask another question

- Do you know the answer why I can talk after 8 days instead of half the years in the castle?

- Perhaps you were the best jester with incredible music magic.

- Sounds useless

- You think? I have mastered many magic types but not music magic. That kind of magic is more destructive than fire magic, more powerful than cosmic, more primitive than void.

- So what? Singing to someone til they die?

- You are an interesting one. Yes, you can be more powerful than I am but not enough to kill me so I do not worry about that.

- Just you are purely lazy and cryptic. I cannot stand this kind of conversation.

-My child. You are on your own. Just remember: Do what we agreed on. Do not take vengeance on innocents.

- Yaddy yaddy yah. I remember it, lazy old fart.

After the frustrating conversation, I leave the throne room. Back to the street.

Posarol doesn't have any other interests beside trading and gaining information. Should I go on my own to find a smithy?

I am kinda curious how a sandfolk makes a sword or any tool.

I am wandering the street. After 2 days, I have found a worthy smithy place. But here what shocks me, there is no anvil nor furnace.

Back in my drake's life, drakes have huge furnaces to melt down metal to get the purity but they do not need anvil since they pretty much play with melted metal like clay and maintain its state too. So that is one of the reasons why drake's weapons are heavy and crude but they are tough and almost unmeltable.

In my dwarven life? Furnace and fire control are very important. What I remember the most is a thunderstick. One shot that can pierce the hardest armour. But it is kinda hard to make. Anvil is where the art starts. The noise of metal clanging soothed my heart. But now, I don't think my heart is beating.

As for the human part, well, I had seen a lot and it was kinda noisy. As a jester, I only visited them when my flute was broken, when my knife was blunt or when my goddamned bell rang an ungodly horrifying sound.

Where is the blacksmith of this smithy anyway?

-Hello? Can I speak to the owner? - I yell out loud

-What ye want? Another tool or weapon? I don't like bein' woken up by some lads this early.- A grumpy old man voice

-So sorry for intrusion. Can you show me or make me this kind of weapon? It is kinda hard to do it alone.

-What is so hard about it?

-Thunderstick

-Hey - He grabs me to the shop and looks around

-What is the deal? - I ask nervously

-That weapon, ya want it? Go do it ya self. I hav' material but I forgot its shape and design. And one more thing, please do naut speak of its name in front of any other bein' along with their design and how it is made. Especially humans. They called those sticks "guns". They made those "guns" ,their "guns" are really strong but not enough compared to ours.

-I just vaguely remember our thundersticks' shape but not inside. That is the bad news.

-It is fine, it is fine. If you can remember the shape, draw it

I draw the thunderstick's basic shape on the sand. The blacksmith seems to be surprised. It looks like he remembers something.

- To my workshop. I will show ya how sandfolk do blacksmithing, young man. Ya name?

-Jehidas. Jester, Hiwan, Dasmuth

-Nice to meet you, Jehidas. And hello again Dasmuth

-Just who are you?

- Galthoral. Galom, Thobour, Ralfir. Remember me now ?