The Eighth Voyage
Chapter One
As I walked off my ship only two things were going thorught my mind one, why in hell does this young knight want to talk to me and two, the trip will start late because of it. As I approached him he wasn't as tall as he looked from far away, but his dark armor and his broad sword strapped to his back made up for it. He also had an assortment of daggers shoved into his belt and a short sword in a sheath strapped to his side. Obviously this guy was either some what important or very rich. I hoped it was the first.
"Are you Mandred Toomanhoff?" he said in a very stern voice "Its Tumanhoff" I answered "What do you want?" He blinked and said " err right sorry. Uhh.. I'm here on behalf of the Emperor himself" He said trying to cover up his mistake "The Emperor eh?" I said sarcastically "I was wondering when he would send me my birthday card." He blinked again "Uh no sir this isn't a-" "I know it's not a birthday card" I interrupted "Give it here you idiot" I said grabbing for the envelope thinking that he would run away laughing with a group of friends that were hidden. Much to my surprise he stood there awkwardly when I took it from him. "Run along now." I said "His Majesty Karl Franz said that you should read asap." "Fine" I sighed. I opened it and read
Greetings, Mandred
Congratulations on your eighth trip to the "New World of Gold" . I'm sure that THIS time you will actually find some of the stuff that is said to be abundant there. Gold isn't what I'm interested in though. No, what I'm interested in is the people or rather "things" that guard this gold. Yes, the great civilization of the Lizardmen. Surprised I believe you and all the other "crazies" that have come back half starved and half dead to tell me that giant lizards did it. I have my own reasons of believing. You see since the storm of chaos the continent of Lustria has been ever catching my eye. If there is nothing in the godforsaken jungles except for old ruins of a long lost civilization. Why hasn't it been overrun by chaos or dark elves? Why isn't there even a presence of evil in that land?. Why is there no other race living in large numbers in Lustria? These questions have been bugging me for months. There must be SOMETHING there that is keeping the chaos tides at bay. An advanced civilization, The Lizardmen. So, Mandred why should I be worried about some poor adventurer seeking riches in a land so far away? Why do I choose you? Well the answer to that is simple: you have come back more than any of the others. So I give you a mission, one that is to be kept in the deepest of secrets. I want you to contact the Lizardmen and ask them for help in the fight against Chaos. Josef Schepke (the fine young knight that delivered this message) will be accompanying you on your voyage. The Lizards must be doing something right. We have to figure out what it is!
Best hopes,
Karl Franz
Emperor
I stood blinking at the strip of paper that had my certain doom written all over it. "Is the Emperor insane?!" "There is no way I'm getting near a temple without getting my limbs ripped off! Now I have to actually talk to those demons!? I don't even know IF they talk. Oh god this is not good". "Uhh is there a problem sir?" Josef's voice broke through my thoughts. "Wha-? Oh, no of course not, heh no problem here." I laughed unconvincingly. "The Emperor told me the mission and said that I will see to it that it will go along as planned" He said back in his stern voice "Did he now? Well that's quite unnecessary. I can get thou-" "No sir" he interrupted "There is no way of getting around this, I'm coming weather you like it or not! Those are my orders." He was starting to get red in the face by the end of this sentence. "Well okay then. We will have to make some room for you in the cabin. Have you ever been on a ship before?" I asked. "No" He replied "Oh well uhh… Lets show you around." I said "this is gonna fun." I thought. "REAL fun."