A Warrior's Legacy by Guy Stanton III Page B

the
Creator’s Son before I give you leave to or if you hear from the
Creator’s Spirit to do so! Is that clear?”
    “Perfectly brother I understand the risks
and I don’t want to endanger the men.” He replied simply.
    I didn’t think he did understand the risks.
As for myself I wished I could ease the tightness of concern I felt
inside. I saw a small masted vessel approaching and I gave the
order to prepare for visitors.
    The visitors that climbed up onto the deck
were bedecked in every imaginable bright color under the sun. I had
never seen the hues of so many colors ever worn in one display
before.
    They stared at us in utter amazement and
admittedly we did some staring back in return. We both, as peoples,
had to appear completely foreign to each other. They were smaller
of stature than we were, but the lithely muscled physiques of what
I took to be guards escorting the heavily dressed and bedecked
officials, were nobody to be trifled with.
    The tallest of them wasn’t over five and a
half feet tall, but height wasn’t everything. They all had coal
black hair and eyes. Their skin wasn’t white like ours, but neither
was it olive complexioned as the Zoarinians or the Attorgrons. And
it certainly wasn’t black like the Khartians and some of the
Attorgrons.
    Their facial features were completely
foreign and dominated by a slanted look about the eyes as some
Tranquil Islanders had.
    So these were the peoples of Assoria. I
stepped forward and bowed my head respectfully.
    “We have come in peace only wishing to trade
with your people and perhaps in time to share more with you if you
should seek it.”
    They seemed to be even more shocked as they
heard me speak. They looked among themselves and then one, who
appeared to be the spokesperson spoke.
    His words spoken in our language had a rusty
quality to them. “How do you come to speak the great sorcerer’s
language?”
    The great sorcerer?
    Not what I had been wanting to hear.
    “It is the language of our birth. We have
come from the northern lands from across the great sea.”
    “How did you make it through the great
storm?”
    “Our ships are powerful and we found a way
through. Tell me, has our long journey to your lands been all for
nothing or will you trade with us and strengthen the bonds of
friendship between our two peoples?”
    The official gave me an immediate toothy
grin that I did not care for and bowed down indicating the city as
he did so, “Our lands and cities are open before you. Come and see
all that the Western Kingdom has. Buy and trade with us to your
hearts content. We eagerly welcome this new friendship between our
peoples.”
    “We are in need of provisions for our ships
may we procure the necessary provisions in addition to our
trade?”
    “I would not hear of it, it will be our
great honor out of hospitality, to provide such provisions to you
without charge. Give us only a day to prepare and we will have all
that you seek and more delivered to your ships.”
    “Thank you. Your hospitality is extremely
generous and we look forward to knowing your people better. May we
come back with you to shore to see for ourselves the wonders of
your land?”
    His face flushed with pride at my flowery
words and he bowed again and indicated that we should proceed
before them to their craft pulled up alongside of our ship.
    Watching the dock come closer I asked our
official guide.
    “Are your people the only peoples of this
land?”
    A shadow passed across his eyes briefly
before he responded, “Sadly yes. There were once three great
peoples that dominated Assoria. We are the Western Kingdom. The
last of the three powerful clans of Berniam.”
    “What happened to the others?” I asked
watching him closely.
    “A great sickness befell the Eastern
Kingdom. Most of the people died and those who survived went mad
and roam the barren streets of their cities frothing at the mouth.
None dare go there for fear of catching the dreaded disease and
bringing