The Flames of summer

[Arashi_kuriyami]

Chapter 1.
There is decency in all good men,
the problem is not all of them are good.
-King Amaranth

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The sun shown high in the sky, Here on the out borders the green was truly vibrant. Lie flourished among the trees that reached ever higher into the sky. Birds sang the song of the day as the tree's swayed and dance with the wind. Those trees fallowed the sway of the land, dipping and rising in the total chaos that was this world.
  Those trees only ended into green grass and water fields that grew the crops that supported the city. Those city walls carved into a stone cliff. Its city wall half circled the front of the cliff face, Its walls a mixture of stone and wood.  It is here that the Panther king lived among his people. The city itself supported only a few thousand. But even here Elves, Catkin and all manners of species lived. Smoke billowed from forges, the smell of bread and other baked goods wafted to the edge of the forest.
  Strange though, even the farmers where armed, none walked or worked without a blade of some sort nearby. Especially the Panther kin, There strange short sword tucked behind them as they worked.

[Mikkaddo]

As the sun shone down the small caravan started moving again, morning has come a bit sooner than expected but it was a good sign. The signs of summer growing around them. The Commander was vigilant, like always when on an escort he hadn't slept the night before. He never found himself able to sleep when he had to go through the forest, bears, bandits, creatures . . . there were too many reasons to not be asleep. But with the sun there was light, and with light there was no chance of being caught blind. The time was almost noon when they finally reached the edge of the farms, there was at least a half hour journey left though, and the Commander was more than a little uncomfortable with the stares of the farmers.

Finally the Merchant spoke for the first time since the journey had begun and said "A-a-again thank ye fer the help, I fear I'd uh-been dead afore I even reached the middle of the forest without yer men an' yeself sir." The Commander sighed softly "I told you before and I'll say it only once more, I don't ask for your thanks . . . only the coin and cloak you promised me." The Merchant nodded nervously and swallowed hard. Upon reaching the gate the guards on post for the day raised their weapons, another approaching the Merchant who pointed at the Commander. "State your name and business here Traveler, there's been bandit attacks and we can't let them inside the walls."

"Malakai Mikilonious Mikkaddo, escorting a Clothier and his family and wares to a new home within the walls, we have the permit here" he reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll encased in leather to keep it dry incase of rain. The Guard opened the tube and pulled out the paper, trying hard to pretend he could read before handing it back and nodding at the other guards, who opened the gate quickly Mikkaddo put the paper away noting the stares of the guards, it must have been useless after all to wrap his blade in bandages, then again saying his full name didn't exactly hide anything either. But the gate was open and they could go now, he marveled at the smoke and noise of the city. It'd been so long . . . how many years? 10? 20? he couldn't recall. This place was so thick with people, it seemed to be alive on it's own, pulsating and throbbing and breathing with movement and life.

In all honesty, as much as the merchant seemed to be joyful at the sight of it all, Mikkaddo turned his head downward, he'd never enjoyed the crowds of a city, too many people . . . too much going on all around him and no way to watch it all. An hour or so later they reached the new home for the Merchant and had moved most of his items into the home, all that was left was for him to set up shop how he liked. Mikkaddo stood at the door waiting for the payment he was promised, the Merchant seeming to have forgotten him at first and then realizing he wasn't going to go away. He came to him, handing out a pouch of coins and then turning and soon returning once again with a black cloak of fine leather, edged with thick black fur. Mikkaddo took the cloak and examined it then, satisfied he put it on and locked it around his neck, then said his goodbyes and left.

Upon exiting the shop a man in a large cloak that was pulled up came to him and put a hand on his arm. "Ah, you should come with me . . ." Mikkaddo had to fight a very strong urge not to rip the hood off and grab the man by his neck, but instead simply turned his head to look at him. "Who are you, and what exactly are you trying to get from me? if it's not obvious enough by the massive blade on my back I'm not weak . . ." The man laughed softly a thin hissing laugh followed by a toothy grin "no no, I work in the castle . . . the King has requested your presence . . . and I would uh . . . like to personally present you to him." Mikkaddo sighed and ripped the hood down and noticed the man was wearing fine clothes from what he could see under the cloak, but wasn't wearing jewelry, the sign of a disgraced noble. Likely hoping that bringing a legend from the last war to the king would earn him some favor once again. "I have conditions . . . first, you stop touching me right now, and continue not to. Second, you get nothing from me . . . you want to escort me to the castle you get to do exactly that, and for free . . . third, or lastly . . . you do not try to say you know me, you know of me . . ." The man gave another grin and nodded his head fervantly. "Oh and one last thing . . . " he added as the man and himself began to walk. "If I find anything of mine is missing once we reach the castle or you have left . . . I won't just hunt you down, I'll hunt your family down first, and save you for last." The man stopped in his tracks behind him, letting Mikkaddo get even more steps ahead of him than before, Mikkaddo stopped when he realized the man had stopped as well and turned his head back. "I am a warrior . . . I have a code of honor but it doesn't mean murder is beyond my grasp, what is war after all but justified mass murder?" He continued on toward the castle. It would be a long day indeed.

[Arashi_kuriyami]

 The path to the castle was long and winding, designed to keep enemies at bay. To keep them squeezed together as archers took them out. It was a well planned city indeed, Strange though only visiting nobles wore any jewelry. The people themselves were adorned with bones and simple jewelry.
The castle itself was cut from the cliff itself, It's doors grated steel. Everything about the place was made for functionality, not beauty. Murder holes adorned the walls, A single passage way lead deep into the castle itself. Each entrance, window and door way was cut from roughhewn stone.
Strange though,  the walls hummed softly the sound growing as they moved deeper into the castle.  The hum grew until it was identified.  It was a single voice echoed by many in tandem, Reverberating through the rock walls themselves.
"HA" the single voice cried out
"HAOH" A hundred other voices cried back in response.
  Soon the tunnel opened into a court yard, A single man stood in front of his soldiers  as they drilled. It was not just men, It was women as well. Spears flashed, Shields clumped as they drilled together.  Yet it was only the men who had crimson manes.  They drilled and worked together in almost perfect form and unison. As if they had done so many times before.
Each had a strange J shaped blade except one, A  boy of merely 18. His hair still black drilled with them. Spear in hand, shield in the other. His fur soaked in sweat from the effort. The noble who had guided mikkaddo stood quietly.
"Amazing is it not"? A new voice presented himself. An older panther, his crimson hair streaked with white. A pipe dangled from his lips as he puffed on it. He leaned against the stone wall that separated them. His hands cradling his pipe, Watching them as they drilled.
"An entire nation, that is determined to remain equal. Every man, women and child putting fourth effort and duty.  The only thing that separates them is respect. It makes you wonder how they determine their king."

[Mikkaddo]

The Wolf grinned watching the display and turned to the person speaking to him. "Yes . . . it does at that, though I'd more than imagine they decide based on military glory or valor, perhaps combat." Truthfully enough though the place did seem a bit odd up to that point, the long and winding passage made him uncomfortable, seeing the murder holes bothered him, he understood their purpose but it did nothing to dissuade his nerves. All it would take is one archer while he's unexpecting . . . or even their own king, and suddenly the kingdom would need a new ruler. Defense but at the price of danger . . .

He had to admit though, looking back toward the way he came "This castle is an amazing design . . . few enough are willing to build a castle at a cliff, but to carve one from the stone of the earth herself . . . a marvelous feat, it must have taken several generations to complete it . . . you wouldn't happen to know where the king is would you?" The disgraced noble with him had already put his hood back up and was making sure it was over his head far enough to hide his features. He stayed dead silent, letting Mikkaddo ask the old man where to find the king, so as not to speak "out of turn" or show his own identity.

[Arashi_kuriyami]

 The old man leaned on the railing, Thinking it over. He took a deep brag from his tobacco pipe.  It was food for thought.  A smile spread across the old panther's lips.
  "It was out of necessity. This place, and these people." * a little sigh escaped his lips*   "These used to be simple caves in the cliff face. But My people found them in the midst of a war 10 generations back.  When  Bogalduhr was destroyed the dwarves kin spread through out our jungles and valley's. They brought war hard on their heals. Many of our villages where destroyed, and slowly we were loosing. It was only  cooperation that kept us alive. It's here that the dwarves and our tribesmen  finally became civilized and this great city was born."
That old panther's split into a wide smile. "The king? I do actually, It would be my pleasure to introduce you to him. That is if its ok with you. That is if you don't mind the company of an old panther"?

[Mikkaddo]

Mikkaddo gave a soft smile, history . . . now there was a subject for a man to drown himself in. "Yes as I recall the Dwarves started that war . . . at least that's what I've heard . . . though the stories also claim the started a war with the Dragons, the Orcs, even my own people, never all at once . . . each story claims a different war during the same age." He laughed softly, the thought of the Dwarves and their war . . . he always found that particular mystery alluring . . . and now he may finally know the truth. "Who was it the Dwarves were warring on originally? I've not doubt they fought all the nations at some point but . . . well, I'm curious who they were warring after when they met your people the first time."

Though, now that he thought about it, he was getting ahead of himself. "Yes, the king . . . I don't mind an old Panther's company . . . finally getting to speak to another veteran warrior would be a welcome change actually." He wondered if that thought that occurred to him was true, the old man says he knows where to find the king, says he'll even take Mikkaddo there . . . there would be 3 possibilities to his mind, either the man was trying to get Mikkaddo alone for some reason, likely murder . . . an easily false scenario, the man was a general in the military and a personal friend of the king, far more likely but he'd be commanding troops most likely, or . . . perhaps he was more than he appeared.

"I hope you don't mind that one coming with us . . . I doubt he'd want to run the risk of not being present for the king seeing me in person." He grinned noting that the Disgraced Noble looked down and tugged softly on the hood over his head, perhaps what he had done to lose his standing in the nation was worse than Mikkaddo had thought.