2 Chapter II: The City of Peace

Chapter II: The City of Peace

Although a great war was happening violently beyond its tall walls, Readal City seemed to be untouched from it, No attacks from the Poté had occurred and it appeared that they never even cared about the city, Due to this factor, It made it a valuable community in the effort as it was a not only a major trading stop but it was easy to send soldiers into the battlefield when needed.

Janna and Polort had not been in the city for some time, In fact the last time they were there, It was on a trip of hunting on which they stayed in the city for one night, This however was four years ago, Since then they had not gone to the city, The journey to Readal took exactly one day on the fact they left just shortly after the battle concluded at around midday and they rode until they reached the gates the next day just before midday, As they approached the gates, They could see the news of the attack on Kaserd had reached them, There were 3 rows of four guards lining each side of the road just beyond the gate plus a 2nd Squad commander guarding the gate itself, He walked up to them and shouted "Halt!", The two complied and he walked up to them.

"This city is closed under orders of Count Greel the V due to the nearby attacks from the Poté" he told to them with a firm voice.

"We know, We've come here because of that actually, As you know they stormed Kaserd" Polort replied.

"Indeed, And I would guess that you and your....wife would be refugees of the town?" he said with a higher tone.

"Actually I'm his mother, But yes we are, They came in suddenly without warning sometime last night, Well at least that's what the soldier told us" Janna explained to him with a kind-hearted voice.

"I see....well....oh alright, I'll let you in, But the instant you start causing major problems, We'll begin to suspect you two are spies of the Poté", He then turned his back and shouted to a guard manning the drawbridge, "Alright! You up there manning the bridge! Lower her down! We have visitors!".

"But sir....we were tol...", He cut him off mid-sentence and shouted back "I don't give a shit what you were told! They're survivors from Kaserd! Besides, Even if they are spies, We'll find out soon enough, Now am I clear you little piece of guttershite?!", "Yes sir" he said with a whimpered voice.

As the gate went down, The two rode in on the bridge which sat upon the Reaming River, Most of the city sat on a large island surrounded by the river of which both were sourced and went into Lake Gana, A massive lake which is well known for having large amounts of fish such as trout, Burbots and white-fish, Due to this many cities, Towns and other communities rested on the shores of the lake, Readal City if your wondering was at the north-eastern corner of the lake in an area often called the "Bay of Stillness", Named as such because of it's often still nature.

The residents of the city gazed upon the two as they entered, Both in curiosity and in distaste due to the aforementioned attacks, Polort could hear distinctly, Although faintly slight amounts of whispering such as "Poor souls" or another, More ruder one he heard, "Probably a spy", However all the rest he heard wasn't audible enough to make out a full sentence.

'Where should we stop mother?" he asked.

"Hmm....well if you want, We'll stop at the local tavern, That ok?" she replied.

He pondered for a short moment before responding, "Alright, We'll stop at the Inn of Whispering Trees".

In the whole city, There were 4 taverns/inns, Of course there was the Inn of Whispering Trees, The Lakeside Inn, The Readal Tavern and finally the Inn of the Slums, The last of which was the common name for a tavern located in the city slums, He chose the first of the four due to the fact it was called by just about everyone in the city to be the best, The Lakeside Inn, While had nice scenery, The service was garbage, The Readal Tavern was always packed to the brim due to its central location right in the middle of the city, And the Inn of the Slums often had a trait of smelling like a pile of month-old horse shit who were fed a diet of beans, Not to mention...the place was awfully dirty.

As they walked inside after tying the wagon to a post, They saw the place wasn't very busy which is unusual for a tavern in a city at midday, As they approached the counter, The local barkeeper Brenn came up to them, He was a short man (Only about 5 and a half foot high) with short, Scruffy brown hair, A beard with a medium-length mustache above of which was his long, Almost hook-like nose with a long scar running down on the left side and onto apart of his cheek, A mark of his days in the Jazarian 4th Army, His eyes were a light brown colour, Although he was only 45 years of age, His eyes both had large bags of old age underneath of them, We wore a gray-black tunic with an off-white apron beneath it, Around his neck was a silver amulet with a small, Round gem affixed in the centre of it, "What'll be?" he asked them.

"I'll have a spicer", said Janna while she sat down on a stool.

"Very well, And you?" he asked Polort.

"Just a nice bottle of mead, I'm not one for spicer", he responded.

"Okay, We're a bit low on mead right now, However I think there is still a case in the back, Just hold on a second, I'll go look", Brenn then walked through the door at the back of the counter and they waited for a few minutes, In case you're wondering, Spicer is the common name for spiced wine, A form of wine which is mixed with various spices, Herbs and plants giving it a very distinct flavour, Although it is an acquired taste with some liking it while others find it not palatable for their tastes.

He returned to the two about five minutes later holding in his hand a bottle of spicer which had a circular bottom and a long, Tall but slim bottle of mead, The mead served in this region was made locally using the freshwater from the lake (Boiled first of course) along with bees farmed on an island located in the center of the lake, Often referred to as "Bee Island", The mead was also made there but stored on its sister island, Warm Wind Island, Called as such due to the odd occurrence of the wind being warmer than other places around Lake Gana which was usually mildly cold, Mead from this region was noted for its rich taste, Strong flavour (But not too strong, Just enough) and complex sweetness, All of which were dependent on how long it aged for and what kind of barrel it was stored in.

As he poured Janna a mug of spicer and Polort a mug of mead, She handed him 2 coppers for the drinks and thanked at the same time, "So, Do you think we should stay here? Or perhaps go more southwards? Maybe down into the Salinad region? The Poté don't care about them, Well not yet at least" Polort remarked.

"No I think we should stay here, Readal is a good city, It's quiet unlike the others, A good view of a beautiful lake, And best of all, There hasn't been an attack here in centuries, Even in the Two-Dozen War there wasn't one! Or so I've been told" Janna said while sipping from her mug.

At that point, An older man who was sitting 2 stools down from Janna said in regard to her comment "Yeah? Well I have a feelin' that peace won't last, I can sense it".

"And what makes you feel that?" Polort replied.

"You have shit in your ears? It's the sudden moves those feckin' Poté have been making lately, Yesterday they attack Kaserd out of nowhere, And the day before that they stormed into a fortress just north of there, Plus don't forget about them raiding into Ragord 2 and a half weeks ago, And that's just the highlights, In-between they've been killing guards on county roads, Destroying Jazarian towers and outposts, And really just killing everyone!".

Brenn then stepped in and told to the man "Alright calm down old timer, These two don't need to hear your gossip on the damned Poté, We hear enough on them as it is".

"I keep tellin' ya, My name is Angerd, Not ol' timer and I'm just warnin' these two young yippy dippys who don't know a feckin' thing about what's safe or not.

"Just be quiet, And also, For your sake and ours, Try and hold off on drinking anymore today, I think you may have had one too many", said Brenn as he took the medium-sized bottle of Aruk Desert Ale away from Angerd.

"Oh...oh alright, But I'm still talkin' to folk alright?" replied Angerd with a slurred voice.

Brenn sighed in distaste before saying in a hushed tone "Oh alright, But please, For the love of Ara, Keep it down, There are times when i truly think you're insane", He then walked away and then, Angerd came closer, He was an old man of about 70 or so with a long, White beard spotted with patches of gray, His hair was long and woolly, The colour matched his beard in tone and shade, He had eyes with different colours, His right was a deep, Dark blue, Almost the colour of the sky at dusk, His left was a medium brown, His face though showed the signs of an elderly and well-experienced soldier, He had lines throughout his face, Head and neck, Scars just about everywhere, A few cuts, And also a large, dark ring around his neck, Meaning at some point or another, He had been hung for a time.

"So, Ya from Kaserd huh? Well you're the first yet to come in alive to the best of my understanding, If there are others, They're at the other taverns, Honestly I'm surprised anyone lived, They stormed the place intensely so I've heard".

"Yeah they did, We made it out just before the siege began, A soldier warned us about their looming presence in the area, As you know they sacked Fort Kaserd just a little way's north of the town" Polort said while holding his mug.

"Ya, Well I overheard from one of them guards that there weren't many livin' when it all came to an end, And all the ones that were are now at the medical stations just northwest of here, They also reported that 981 people were killed, Terrible I tell you, Just terrible, Why would they attack a nice place like that?, Angerd said with his typical slurred voice.

"Don't know, If I did I would tell you, But I'm afraid I don't, I do have to ask an unrelated question though which I wish to have an answer to, Were you a soldier?" Polort asked.

"Yes I was, Until those wimps threw me out about 5 years back, Said I was 'too old' to fight, And yet, When I have a crossbow, I can shoot you from a hill 20 metres away, But I fought in many battles, A good deal with ol' Ugart, A fine friend indeed".

That last part caught Polort by surprise, 'Ugart, How did he....wait...' he thought to himself, "Ugart, You wouldn't be talking about Ugart the Mighty right?" he asked out loud.

"The one and only, Why? Have a connection?" he came closer to him upon asking.

"Yes, He, Ugart...was my father" he said solemnly.

"Father? You mean....your Polort? Polort Jagnar?" he asked with a higher voice.

"Yes, And this is my mother, Janna Jagnar" he said while turning his back towards her.

"Well...this is quite the coincidence indeed! Oh wait....i should have known, Now that I look closer, I can see you have his eyes, Those eyes of emeralds, That was his most distinct feature, His eyes which gleamed such a bright green that it looked almost like emeralds, And now i see you've taken that trait, In that case, I apologize for me rude acting earlier, I didn't know", He then bowed at him in a respectful manner, A way of asking for forgiveness in the parts.

"No worries, I took no offense" he replied.

"Thank you, So, How's that bastard doing these days?" Angerd asked with a grin.

"Oh....i'm afraid, He's dead", Polort said sadly.

"Dead? But....but how? He was the meanest, Toughest, Most untouchable son of a bitch in all of the Six Kingdoms, To the enemy that is, To us he was a dear, Kind hearted friend who wouldn't betray even his least favourite ally" he said with a shocked voice.

Polort then rubbed his shoulders a bit, And even shed a tear or two before replying "According to what I've been told, He was killed in a battle against the Poté about four months after my birth".

"Oh....well when did this happen?" he asked, "Fifteen years ago, In the year 5A 181" Polort replied.

"15 years ago? Oh I see, Well it explains why I never noticed his death, I was stationed at Fort Fryet on an island in Lake Gabrodi deep in the southern region of Jazar from 5A 180 till the year before they kicked me out six years ago, I have to say though, He made a fine, Young, Strong man", He said the last sentence more boldly and proudly, As such, Polort blushed a small amount, And indeed he was, Although a bit sickly at times, He was still a strong, Hard working person, Working long hours, Helping on various chores around his house (When it was still standing).

"Thank you, So....you were a close friend of his I see, In what aspect or way?" he asked.

"Indeed I was, You see I was a general of the 4th Army, And he was my commander, I first met him in my days as a Sergeant during a fierce fight with the southern state of Poiat, I was...26 then, He was at that point, A 3rd rank General, The youngest in the army's history, With him being only 4 years my senior at 30 years of age, Well if it wasn't for me, on that day Neither he or you would exist, Due to that we became good friends, A bond which deepened as time went on", He stopped due to a cough coming on all of a sudden, Once he finished, He continued where he left off.

"I have to say on many occasions I saved him, And so I became his head man along with a fellow ally, 2nd rank General Aerta Hungarer and 4th rank General Trayven Oratser, Together we became known as 'The Four Horsemen", Off of the old fable about the end of everything being lead by four individuals on horseback, Anyway, I knew him for nearly 30 years and fought beside him on countless occasions, So remember, If you ever had or have a doubt on him, Be assured, He was a good man who fought for people and helped any good person in need of help".

Polort then started to think back on something his mother told to him as a young kid, About how she remembered the last time she saw Ugart alive, A mere three months after his birth and one month before his death, There were 3 others with him that day, A tall, Slightly bulky female elf who wore long, White hair who wore a set of armoured robes, A shorter man with a thinner build and red hair with light, Iron enforced leather armour, A tall man with a good amount of muscle with gray hair and different coloured eyes with a set of General's armour on Of whom would be Angerd, And finally, A medium-height person who had green eyes as bright as emeralds, Blond hair with a touch of gray at the roots who wore the outfit of a Commander, That person was his father, So with what he knew now, Those first two people were most likely Trayven Oratser and Aerta Hungarer, Polort then asked him "Where are the others now?".

"Well for Ol' Trayven, I'm not sure, Just shortly before the war began thirteen years ago, I got word through passed knowledge that he went north looking for a new life, Since then no one has heard from him, As for Aerta, Well seven years ago while stationed in the south, I was sent a letter by her and it detailed her plans to retire from military life and pursue her love for magic, A weapon she often used on the battlefield, Now she's the head wizard to Count Greel the V".

Just then, Someone walked in, And oddly enough, It was an elf of whom appeared to almost match the description of Aerta, A tall, Slightly bulky figure, Long hair which was as white as mountain snow, She wore a long, Red, Blue and orange robe decorated with various designs and on the front, The emblem of Readal City, A dove sitting upon a branch, "Brenn, Where are you?" she said with a deep, Rich feminine voice, "Speak of the Evil One, There she is" Angerd whispered to Polort.

"Oh, It's you Aerta, What are you doing here?" he responded to her.

"I've just come with a direct message from the Count, He's.....getting impatient with your lack of payments, You still owe us 2 score of silvlys and 4 and a half score of coppers, Don't pay up soon, We're....going to start getting angry, And you know what happens when we get angry? We....test out our skills on worthy targets" she said with a firm, Blunt tone without even twitching her upper lip.

"Alright alright! Just keep your magic to yourself, I'll send a payment of 2 score of coppers in next week followed by a score every week until the debt is paid, Okay?" he said with a loud voice.

"As long as it's paid, We don't give a shit, Ah and I see Angerd is here, As usual, But....with a companion, 2 companions!" she said while she approached the three.

"You two there, Who are you? And state your business".

"I'm Polort Jagnar and this is my mother Janna Jagnar, We came in after escaping Kaserd" he said to her.

"Polort Jagnar? From Kaserd? Then....it's you, Huh, You're Ugart's boy, Been a long time since I saw you, Last time you were just a little baby still sucking your mother's tit, Well... I think you two should come with me, I wish to catch up with you considering it has been....what 15 years now? Yes it has", She stopped for a moment to lead them up before saying "Hmm....yes, You've taken your mother's figure and your father's eyes, Hair and what appears to be strength, I approve, Enough of that, Come with me, I'll take you to my rooms at the palace, You can use the spares for the night".

The three then walked out of the tavern and onto the wagon after Polort untied it, They then rode down the long, Wide street which lead straight towards the Grand Palace of Readal.