CHAPTER 13
News had spread that Tria's Gaimeleth army was on its way to Rynntopia. Ulysses knew that with no army of its own, Rynntopia would quickly fall and he wasn't going to let that happen.
Astorian soldiers rush everywhere, clambering into their own Gaimeleths or marching in line into airships. With his Mage Advisor, Gergon next to him, Ulysses listens as Gergon gives him a report on the quickly changing events.
" At the moment, King Ulysses, Tristen's army is situated in the forest area north of Rynntopia. We don't know how long they will stay there, but our spies report that it will be for 24 hours at least."
Handing his long red cloak to his squire, Ulysses begins walking to his own Gaimeleth, Shezarizard.
" It seems that King Tristen is waiting for us." Ulysses ponders out loud, a sense of disturbance in the pit of his stomach.
" Also my King, Queen Nivani is sending her army to aid us, as well as King Rubar's Gaimeleths of Freyd." Gergon calls after him, following him closely. Nodding in acknowledgment, Ulysses steps on to the lift-platform and is lifted to his Gaimeleth's cockpit. Climbing in quickly, Ulysses guides Shezarizard towards the royal airship, the Astral and stops at the ship's cargo entrance.
" Send message to Queen Nivani, and thank her for her assistance!"
" No need King Ulysses, Queen Nivani is personally taking her army to Rynntopia!"
Spinning round with shock, Ulysses orders Gergon to repeat what he had just said.
" I said Queen Nivani is heading to Rynntopia with her army."
"NO!"
Speeding his Gaimeleth into the air ship, her orders his men to hurry. He knew that Nivani was going to fight in her own Gaimeleth, but he feared for her safety and as soon as all his men are on bored, The Astral's Leva Stones hum into life, lifting the huge ship off the ground, out of the dock and into the air.
**************************************
" How many fish do we have now?" Riana asks, knee deep in the river. Taking a look over his shoulder to count their fish stock on the riverbank, Luanda gives a shriek of dismay and jumps onto land.
" Get away bird!!" Luanda screams at the huge eagle-like bird nibbling at their fish. Squawking with anger, the eagle grabs the fish in its huge talons and flies away, leaving Luanda standing there like a fool.
" No more fish..."
Climbing onto the bank, Riana sits on the grass to dry off.
" What are we going to sell now? Are there any berries in the woods or something? We need money!"
" Stop whining, I'll think of something." Grumbles Luanda, sitting down also.
Suddenly the sunlight catches something on her hand and looking down, Riana notices her gold ring.
" Hey! What about my ring? Will this sell?"
Pricking his ears up, Luanda scoots over to Riana and takes a peek at the ring. It was plain except for a diamond in the centre, which twinkles in the sun. Luanda looks at Riana unsurely.
" Are you sure its ok to sell this? Was it a gift? We can think of something else if it was."
Riana stares at her ring and frowns.
" My parents bought me this when they divorced. They wanted to show me that it wasn't my fault they split up, but all they did in the jewellers was argue over which ring to get me. In the end I chose this one, just so they would stop. I don't mind selling it, really!"
Luanda nods sadly and helps her to her feet.
" Well, that ring should give us enough to live off for a few weeks. Lets hurry to the village before the market closes."
Grabbing Riana by the hand, Luanda leads her onto a path that heads back into the woods. Soon, a clearing opens up and sure enough the river appears again, a village next to it. Riana stares in wonder as they enter the village. People of all different shapes and sizes walk through the market stalls. Beastmen, humans, lizard people, more than Riana could imagine! Suddenly, Riana spots a jewellers stall, managed by a gruff looking man. Dragging Luanda to the stall with her, Riana takes off her ring and shows it to the merchant, asking what price she could get for it. The man peers at the ring for a long time in contemplation, taking a magnifying glass, the merchant peers thoughtfully at the diamond in the centre and hands it back to Riana with a smile.
" I can give you 5 silver pieces for that ring. I would have given you more if the diamond wasn't cracked, I'm afraid."
Luanda, takes the ring and peers closely at the stone, frowning.
" I don't see any crack..."
" Well, take it or leave it..." the merchant says, leaning back in his chair. Suddenly he catches the eye of a gold necklace around Riana's neck.
" But that necklace will get a much better price, I see that it has rubies on it!"
Riana grabs her necklace protectively.
"I'm sorry, it isn't for sale. It has sentimental value."
The merchant shrugs and pulls out a pouch containing 5 sliver coins, and hands it to Luanda.
" 5 silver pieces it is then!"
Luanda hands the ring to the merchant and walks Riana away from the stall, irritated at the greedy man.
" It can't be helped, all merchants are like that. I'm certain that diamond wasn't cracked..."
Riana chuckles at her friend and looks for a clothes stall. Luanda spots one for her and they quickly head for it.
" I only need travelling clothes. Nothing too expensive."
Riana tells the merchant running the stall. Nodding, the woman pulls out a pale pink shirt, dark maroon sash and black-purple trousers, laying them out onto the table in front of her.
" These are very warm and would suit a lady such as yourself well!"
Riana inspects the clothing and turns to Luanda.
" Will these do?"
Luanda shrugs, having no knowledge of women's clothing. The merchant intervenes.
" Most certainly! They go with your green eyes! They cost 50 copper pieces all together, a barging!"
Luanda pricks his ears up once again. That certainly was a barging! Paying the lady with one silver coin, and receiving his change, Luanda buys a rucksack to go with it and drags Riana away from the clothes store, towards the inn. Suddenly, a dark shadow looms over the market and everyone looks up in panic to see a Trian warship fly overhead.
"What are Tria's forces doing here?" Luanda asks a beastman standing next to him. The wolf-looking man turns his orange-brown eyes at Luanda and answers sadly.
" It isn't here they're heading. News says that King Tristen has sent his whole army to conquer Rynntopia!"
Luanda stares up in terror at the warship as it passes over the village. Tristen had told him this was going to happen. It was his fault...
News had spread that Tria's Gaimeleth army was on its way to Rynntopia. Ulysses knew that with no army of its own, Rynntopia would quickly fall and he wasn't going to let that happen.
Astorian soldiers rush everywhere, clambering into their own Gaimeleths or marching in line into airships. With his Mage Advisor, Gergon next to him, Ulysses listens as Gergon gives him a report on the quickly changing events.
" At the moment, King Ulysses, Tristen's army is situated in the forest area north of Rynntopia. We don't know how long they will stay there, but our spies report that it will be for 24 hours at least."
Handing his long red cloak to his squire, Ulysses begins walking to his own Gaimeleth, Shezarizard.
" It seems that King Tristen is waiting for us." Ulysses ponders out loud, a sense of disturbance in the pit of his stomach.
" Also my King, Queen Nivani is sending her army to aid us, as well as King Rubar's Gaimeleths of Freyd." Gergon calls after him, following him closely. Nodding in acknowledgment, Ulysses steps on to the lift-platform and is lifted to his Gaimeleth's cockpit. Climbing in quickly, Ulysses guides Shezarizard towards the royal airship, the Astral and stops at the ship's cargo entrance.
" Send message to Queen Nivani, and thank her for her assistance!"
" No need King Ulysses, Queen Nivani is personally taking her army to Rynntopia!"
Spinning round with shock, Ulysses orders Gergon to repeat what he had just said.
" I said Queen Nivani is heading to Rynntopia with her army."
"NO!"
Speeding his Gaimeleth into the air ship, her orders his men to hurry. He knew that Nivani was going to fight in her own Gaimeleth, but he feared for her safety and as soon as all his men are on bored, The Astral's Leva Stones hum into life, lifting the huge ship off the ground, out of the dock and into the air.
**************************************
" How many fish do we have now?" Riana asks, knee deep in the river. Taking a look over his shoulder to count their fish stock on the riverbank, Luanda gives a shriek of dismay and jumps onto land.
" Get away bird!!" Luanda screams at the huge eagle-like bird nibbling at their fish. Squawking with anger, the eagle grabs the fish in its huge talons and flies away, leaving Luanda standing there like a fool.
" No more fish..."
Climbing onto the bank, Riana sits on the grass to dry off.
" What are we going to sell now? Are there any berries in the woods or something? We need money!"
" Stop whining, I'll think of something." Grumbles Luanda, sitting down also.
Suddenly the sunlight catches something on her hand and looking down, Riana notices her gold ring.
" Hey! What about my ring? Will this sell?"
Pricking his ears up, Luanda scoots over to Riana and takes a peek at the ring. It was plain except for a diamond in the centre, which twinkles in the sun. Luanda looks at Riana unsurely.
" Are you sure its ok to sell this? Was it a gift? We can think of something else if it was."
Riana stares at her ring and frowns.
" My parents bought me this when they divorced. They wanted to show me that it wasn't my fault they split up, but all they did in the jewellers was argue over which ring to get me. In the end I chose this one, just so they would stop. I don't mind selling it, really!"
Luanda nods sadly and helps her to her feet.
" Well, that ring should give us enough to live off for a few weeks. Lets hurry to the village before the market closes."
Grabbing Riana by the hand, Luanda leads her onto a path that heads back into the woods. Soon, a clearing opens up and sure enough the river appears again, a village next to it. Riana stares in wonder as they enter the village. People of all different shapes and sizes walk through the market stalls. Beastmen, humans, lizard people, more than Riana could imagine! Suddenly, Riana spots a jewellers stall, managed by a gruff looking man. Dragging Luanda to the stall with her, Riana takes off her ring and shows it to the merchant, asking what price she could get for it. The man peers at the ring for a long time in contemplation, taking a magnifying glass, the merchant peers thoughtfully at the diamond in the centre and hands it back to Riana with a smile.
" I can give you 5 silver pieces for that ring. I would have given you more if the diamond wasn't cracked, I'm afraid."
Luanda, takes the ring and peers closely at the stone, frowning.
" I don't see any crack..."
" Well, take it or leave it..." the merchant says, leaning back in his chair. Suddenly he catches the eye of a gold necklace around Riana's neck.
" But that necklace will get a much better price, I see that it has rubies on it!"
Riana grabs her necklace protectively.
"I'm sorry, it isn't for sale. It has sentimental value."
The merchant shrugs and pulls out a pouch containing 5 sliver coins, and hands it to Luanda.
" 5 silver pieces it is then!"
Luanda hands the ring to the merchant and walks Riana away from the stall, irritated at the greedy man.
" It can't be helped, all merchants are like that. I'm certain that diamond wasn't cracked..."
Riana chuckles at her friend and looks for a clothes stall. Luanda spots one for her and they quickly head for it.
" I only need travelling clothes. Nothing too expensive."
Riana tells the merchant running the stall. Nodding, the woman pulls out a pale pink shirt, dark maroon sash and black-purple trousers, laying them out onto the table in front of her.
" These are very warm and would suit a lady such as yourself well!"
Riana inspects the clothing and turns to Luanda.
" Will these do?"
Luanda shrugs, having no knowledge of women's clothing. The merchant intervenes.
" Most certainly! They go with your green eyes! They cost 50 copper pieces all together, a barging!"
Luanda pricks his ears up once again. That certainly was a barging! Paying the lady with one silver coin, and receiving his change, Luanda buys a rucksack to go with it and drags Riana away from the clothes store, towards the inn. Suddenly, a dark shadow looms over the market and everyone looks up in panic to see a Trian warship fly overhead.
"What are Tria's forces doing here?" Luanda asks a beastman standing next to him. The wolf-looking man turns his orange-brown eyes at Luanda and answers sadly.
" It isn't here they're heading. News says that King Tristen has sent his whole army to conquer Rynntopia!"
Luanda stares up in terror at the warship as it passes over the village. Tristen had told him this was going to happen. It was his fault...
