Tales of the Company of the Spear (fiction)

The game is really pis#*ng me off, but your story writing is EXCELLENT!
If you can capture a hard nut to crack like me & get a 5✨ rating already, then you’re on a winner.

I’ll read everything you wright. :+1:

*And by the way, Boril happens to be my favourite hero, so it started off just nicely for me.

His experienced demeanor & indifference to glory was superbly well placed. A trove of experience for the young lass, whose path begins to unwind with intrigue. Well done.

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Thanks! And thanks to everyone who’s been reading. I’m certainly having fun writing this.

Here’s the next part:


3: Battle Plan

The first light of dawn was just appearing over the Ogron Mountains to the east, and the entire Company of the Spear was on the move. Squads of warriors and spellcasters were taking up positions at various points along the mist-filled valley, lying in wait for the monster they knew was coming.

There was also a low reddish light coming from behind a hill to the north, as if a forest fire was approaching.

Akwedas gestured. “There’s the hydra. It’s setting fire to everything around it.”

Drumnadrochit nodded and pointed to a low hill. “We’ll take our position over there. We’re fourth in the line, right after Alexandra’s squad. The Captain ought to be starting things off any minute now…”

A bright blue flash lit up the northern sky as bright as day for an instant, quickly followed by a loud crack of thunder. An unearthly scream split the darkness, and the reddish light intensified.

“There they go,” the dwarf continued. “Time to find our places.”

“What was that?” Siara asked, her voice full of awe.

“That was the Captain,” Akwedas explained. “Didn’t Drum tell you why this is the ‘Company of the Spear’? The Captain has a spear that shoots lightning bolts. It’s a relic from the Demon Wars, centuries ago. It’s the strongest weapon we have.”

The dwarf gestured towards the hilltop. “Zila, Siara, you take the top of the hill. Akwedas, right behind them. Jeremiah, behind Akwedas.”

“Where will you be?” Siara asked.

Drumnadrochit swung his axe around to loosen up his shoulders. “In the front, of course. Where else?”

“Drum’s axe is our best weapon against the hydra,” Zila explained in a low voice. “But he has to get in close to use it. Our job is to keep the titan occupied while he charges in. We also need to give Jeremiah some time to build up his blast. It’s powerful but it takes time to draw enough mana to do it. Akwedas is our healer, so he’s here in case we get singed.”

“Got it,” Siara said, stringing her bow and prepping some arrows.

Akwedas stared at the ridge to their north. “Captain’s squad is falling back,” he reported. “Torvald’s squad is moving to intercept.”

“Then Alexandra, then us,” the dwarf said.

“We’re drawing it away from the town?” Siara asked.

Zila nodded. “We’ll keep it moving in this direction. That way even if we fail, then hopefully the hydra will just keep going up into the mountains. We’ll at least give the town a chance.”

“We won’t fail, though,” Drumnadrochit told them. “We’ve taken out bigger beasties than this one. But we won’t take it out in one go. We’ll likely be at this all day. So lass, when Zila give you the word, you fall back and we’ll regroup. We’ll have another chance to hit it later.”

“When the titan is in range, you and I hit it in its weak spots,” Zila told Siara. “Eyes, ears, leg joints, the places you’d expect. Also the spots where the necks join are vulnerable. And underneath the tail.”

“Meaning that if you can put one of those lovely green magic arrows of yours up its ■■■■, take the shot,” Drumnadrochit added with amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“I’ll concentrate on the heads, try to blind it,” Zila continued.

“Won’t that be hard with so many heads?” Siara asked.

“Not as hard as you’d think. This is definitely a case where five heads are not better than one.” Zila smiled. “Stun one head, the other four get confused. They’re all connected, you see.”

“Torvald’s squad is falling back,” Akwedas reported. “The titan is coming over the ridge now.”

The first thing Siara saw was a reptilian head, with glowing red eyes and smoke coming from its nostrils. And then another. And another, screaming in pain and fury. The other two were low to the ground, snapping at targets that Siara couldn’t see. Soon the vast bulk of the hydra came lumbering over the hill.

It looked much the worse for wear. One head was missing an eye, there were patches of missing or damaged scales all over its back and sides, and it was visibly favoring its right foreleg. This did little to make the beast look less intimidating; its forty-yard-long body was sufficient to strike fear into Siara.

“Don’t let it spook you, lass,” the dwarf cautioned. “It’s big, yes, but it’s mortal. We’re going to win this.”

Akwedas pointed. “Here comes Alexandra’s squad… now!

Suddenly bolts of gold and red light lashed out at the hydra from out of the mist at the bottom of the ridge. Glowing vine-like strands of green light slithered up from the ground beneath it, entangling its legs. Purplish stars seemed to surround its heads, distracting it. One head found one of the attackers, and breathed a gout of intense flame downwards. But a bluish light formed around the woman, shedding the flames.

The squad of warriors hit the hydra again and again, unleashing tremendous magical energies at the beast. But they could only wound it. In all too short a time, their magical attacks ceased and they fell back away from the titan.

“And now it’s our turn,” the dwarf announced, gripping his axe handle in anticipation.

“Breathe, Siara,” Akwedas said in a low voice. “Ground and center. Find you mana and use it.”

“Ground and center,” Siara whispered, nocking a shaft and drawing the bowstring to her ear. “Ground and center.”

She closed her eyes then. Another kind of sight took over.

Beneath her feet she could see currents of mana flowing through the earth, streams of mystical energy in a rainbow of colors. With her mind’s eye she could see her comrades as well; Zila a golden glow beside her, Drumnadrochit like an incandescent blue diamond in front, a warm red glow from Akwedas at her back. Jeremiah was a darkness limned in purple; she couldn’t as much see as feel his magic, drawing energy and slowly shaping it into a weapon of terrible potency.

She found her own mana then, the green flow of life that had always spoken to her the loudest. She drew it to her, feeling it rise through her feet and fill her with power. She took that power and bound it to the arrow she held, turning it into a dart that would pierce the hydra’s armor.

The hydra itself was like a vast bonfire, pulling a prodigious amount of mana from the earth merely to keep itself alive. It reared up in front of her, and Siara could feel waves of heat emanating from it. And yet she could also see weaknesses, vulnerable spots where its armor was less effective or where it had already been wounded. She narrowed her attention to a bright spot where two necks joined the body, and took aim.

“Ready… Attack!” commanded the dwarf.

Siara opened her eyes, found her target, and released.

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I regret not being able to give the “Like” more than once!
f8409e1834b2db1025a2d29520b569ea

What manner of Titan is that?

It’s a raging hydra. About 4-star.

https://3b64765c-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites.googlegroups.com/site/empiresandpuzzlesrpgwiki/intro/alliances/titans/titan-stats/raginghydra.jpg?attachauth=ANoY7coxk9aL3-qIngNFVjzXT50NxztxL05KCUmMRWefuwuqNGLIQOfk4cxPbwdLiOb3OV2zwi81yIves3ZZlYy6lMnPIwK9Qp_VpMFjpoz0LhOGTE6Dww6kxXt0Mtv_4sn9FbjSDO9lRrR8RYXzPtss948z6L0iduUElY3drTBLgAwr88f_YSsNE87oV_pkRDU8fV6mfIFc5MQnppBMDVBgKjUhITj6N2qCibf6fUPt_7HA2bXBd2umw1w8eBnVeQj8KL2aMyzwaARx60xoi3XBgRjeyKzsmPampG0eCGU1cN7ClBGpVyo%3D&attredirects=0

4: Aftermath

The sounds of revelry could be heard in the distance, as the Company of the Spear celebrated their victory over the titan. But Siara ignored them. She and her squadmates had business to attend to.

Jeremiah dropped a huge load of firewood at Siara’s feet. The two of them began adding it to a large, carefully stacked tower that reached as high as Siara’s head. A few yards away Akwedas and Zila worked on another, equally tall stack.

In between them was a wooden table, on which lay a short, mangled body that was barely recognizable as Drumnadrochit.

When the last of the wood had been added to the towers, Akwedas nodded. “That ought to do it,” he said. He gestured, and the wooden towers burst into flames.

By the light of the bonfires he turned towards the dwarf’s corpse. “This is going to take a while,” he said grimly. “Jeremiah, you stay. Zila, Siara, you go get some sleep. I hope to be done by morning.”

The two women walked a dozen yards away from the bonfires, and then Siara stopped, taking a seat on a rock. “As if I’d be able to sleep,” she muttered.

Zila lowered herself down next to Siara. “I know,” she said. “But – this isn’t really something you want to see.” She stared at the two bonfires, looking haunted by old memories.

Siara shook her head. “Can Akwedas really – bring him back?”

“Maybe,” Zila said. “He’s had to do it before. But…”

“But what?”

Zila sighed. “It took us four hours to get Drum’s body out from underneath the hydra. And the longer the body is dead, the harder it is to raise. This is pushing it. He may already be past the point where he can be helped by anything short of Jeremiah’s kind of magic.”

“Is that why he asked Jeremiah to stay?”

“No,” Zila admitted. “There’s another reason we don’t like to do this. There’s always the risk that what comes back – won’t be Drum.”

“Oh,” was Siara’s only reply.

“And if there was something else wearing his body, could you cut it down?” Zila asked. “I couldn’t. He’s been my friend for ten years. But Jeremiah – he’d do what was necessary.”

The two women sat in silence for a while. Then Zila grumbled, “Old fool. Why didn’t he get out of there?”

“He did finish off the hydra,” Siara mused.

“Yes, but he didn’t need to. Jeremiah’s magic had poisoned it. It would have been dead in a few minutes anyway. But no, he had to dive underneath it and go for the belly. And get himself crushed when the damned thing fell on him. Idiot!” The tears running down Zila’s cheeks were at odds with the angry tone of her voice.

Siara sighed. “If I’d gotten off one more shot…”

“Don’t be a fool,” Zila snapped. Then, more calmly: “You pulled your weight. I know you were frightened – you’d have been mad not to be – but you held your ground and didn’t panic. Nobody could have asked for more.”

They sat together in silence for a while, listening to the sound of merriment coming from the town. Finally Zila said, “You want to go into town and join the feast? Might do you some good. Find yourself some cute local boy, let him make you forget about all of this.”

“Oh please.” Siara’s voice acquired a sarcastic edge. “That’s the last thing I need. I have enough problems right now, thanks.”

Zila raised a curious eyebrow. “Got something you need to get off your chest?”

“Just…” Siara fixed her eyes on the fire. “The last time I tried that – it didn’t end well. So no, it’s not my idea of fun right now. But if you’d like to go, feel free. Maybe you’ll find someone.”

Zila shook her head. “Only man I’m interested in is over there, trying to raise a friend from the dead.”

“Really? You and Akwedas?”

Zila nodded, smiling slightly.

“How long has this been going on.”

“A while,” Zila said. “It’s – well, it started out as just two people seeking some comfort. I think it’s something more than that now.”

Siara grinned impishly. “Getting serious?”

Zila shrugged. “Well, by the customs of his people, we’re already married. By the customs of mine… not exactly.”

“So what do you say you are?”

Zila smiled. “I’m his. He’s mine. That’s good enough.”

“Good for you,” Siara said, getting a distant look in her eyes. “Good for you.”

Suddenly an anguished scream sounded from the direction of the bonfires. Both women leapt to their feet.

“Is that good or bad?” Siara asked.

“Might be good,” Zila said. “If he’s in a condition where he can feel pain…”

Then they saw Jeremiah standing next to one of the bonfires. One bony arm beckoned them forwards.

“That is a good sign,” Zila said, and strode into the firelight.

Akwedas stood beside the table, looking exhausted. On the table, Drumnadrochit lay still, but breathing. He was mostly covered by a blanket, but his face appeared to be one giant bruise. His eyes were swollen shut

“What the bloody hell happened?” the dwarf asked, his voice hoarse.

“What happened is that the hydra landed on top of you,” Zila said. Her fists were clenched, and she seemed to be struggling to contain her anger. “Because you were too stupid to get out of the way.”

“Sounds about right,” the dwarf said. He struggled to crack one eye open. “The girl?”

“I’m here,” Siara said.

“She’s all right,” Zila assured him. “She’s not hurt.”

“Of course she’s not hurt,” the dwarf snapped. “How did she do?

“She did all right,” Zila said. “She pulled her share of the load. And she didn’t get herself killed. Which is more than I can say for you.”

“Ah.” The dwarf allowed his eye to close again. “Knew she’d be a good one.”

“I have more work to do here,” Akwedas began, but Zila shook her head sharply.

“In the morning,” she ordered. “You need sleep if you’re going to keep at this. He’ll live that long, won’t he?”

Akwedas nodded wearily, and allowed Zila to shepherd him towards the tent.

“I’ll stay with him,” Siara said. But Jeremiah shook his head, and pointed to himself. Then he gestured at her, and waved towards the tent.

“Oh, all right then. I guess I could use some sleep.”

She turned to go, but a low voice behind her called out, “Lass.”

She went back to stand next to the dwarf. “What is it?”

“Good work today.”

“Thanks. But next time let’s try to do this without you dying. It kind of spoiled things for me.”

“Aye. We can give that a shot, see if it works.”

Siara stared down at him, trying to find something to say, but the words wouldn’t come. Finally she turned and walked towards the tent, shaking her head.

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Nice installments, @Drumnadrochit

Not everyday when one personifies oneself into the story and dying (brought back to life) 4 chapters into it. I have a feeling this story really is more about Siara than Drum. Being a mentoring figure also has its charms in a story.

One thing I noticed that it seems that the heroes in your story have taken more of a role of battling themselves, rather than with the command of troops. Aside from every characters’ own abilities and growth, it seems that you have incorporated the troops (and their attributes) into the individual heroes as the embodiment of their own abilities.

Good read, good read. Keep up the good work, and Drum was probably diving underneath the hydra belly for treasure/loot… Dwarves will be dwarves. :wink:

Yeah, for the moment this is mainly Siara’s story. Although the focus will shift to other characters eventually. I have some ideas about Jeremiah’s backstory that I may explore next.

As for killing myself off - Drum isn’t “me” so much as he is a character I created whose name I am using as my in-game avatar. (Besides, if Stephen King can kill himself off in his own story, so can I!)

And I couldn’t figure out how to work the troops into the story so I just decided to ignore them. It’s easier that way.

The next chapter will probably be posted around the middle of next week. Hope everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I’m enjoying writing it.

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I’m becoming addicted to you. Keep it up.giphy

5: Dead Zone

Siara stood in the middle of the dead zone and felt nothing.

Half a mile away from her, a crew from the Company was helping the locals dismantle the corpse of the hydra. Quite a bit of the carcass was of value to practitioners of various magical and alchemical arts, and the Company was carefully separating those portions and taking inventory. The rest of the hydra was being hauled off to an abandoned mine in the nearby hills to be dumped – alas, the meat was inedible to most creatures, and would poison the ground beneath it if merely left to rot.

Siara surveyed battle damage of a different kind. It was largely invisible to ordinary eyes – there were scorch marks in the grass, but nothing worse. But to a person sensitive to mana, the damage was both obvious and disturbing.

She was so absorbed by what she saw that she failed to hear Akwedas coming up behind her. “There you are,” he called out. “I’ve been looking for you. Jeremiah saw you out here, and he got worried.”

Siara turned, and gave Akwedas a puzzled stare. “Jeremiah?”

“Yes. He’d have come to get you himself, except that he’d be nothing but a pile of bones before he got to you. He’s mostly made of mana, you see, and out here…”

“I know,” Siara said, gesturing around. “No mana. None! It’s all gone! The earth here is… dead.”

“It’s the titan,” Akwedas explained. “They consume mana. It’s how they get so big. They drain all the mana from an area to keep themselves alive – that’s why they have to keep moving all the time. Everywhere a titan goes, you find a trail of dead zones in the mana.”

Siara shuddered. “It’s – unnatural,” she said. “How long does it last?”

Akwedas shrugged. “The mana will start to return in a few months. In two or three years you won’t be able to tell the difference. At least, that’s the case with a titan this size. The really big ones, they can drain the land clear to the roots of the bedrock, and it takes decades for the mana to regenerate.”

“I had no idea,” Siara said. “I mean, I’ve used mana all the time when hunting…”

“But never in a titan battle,” Akwedas said. “It’s shocking, I know. You don’t think of mana as a limited resource, but then you fight a titan, and you feel how fast it gets depleted. It’s why we only attack a squad at a time – there’s simply not enough mana near a titan for the whole Company to attack at once.”

He shook his head sadly. “It’s why I do this,” he said. “Mana is the life-energy of the world, and titans…” He frowned. “Titans are a cancer on that life. If they weren’t stopped, they would consume and consume until all the mana was gone and the whole world was dead.”

They stood in silence for a while, and then Akwedas said, “Anyway, you really shouldn’t stay out here too long. It’s not healthy.”

Siara didn’t seem to hear him at first. Then she said, softly, “Did you know that there are people who aren’t sensitive to mana? They can’t even feel it.”

“I know,” Akwedas said. “I’ve met a few.”

“The whole world must be like this for them,” the young woman continued. “All… dead. They have no connection to the life of the earth. No connection with other creatures, other people… It must all feel… unreal to them. And when nothing feels real to you…”

Her voice trailed off, and Akwedas saw the haunted expression on her face. “Come on,” he said. “This place is bad for you. Stay out here too long and it will do things to your mind.”

She allowed him to lead her back to the camp. As they approached the edge of the dead zone, they could see Jeremiah, waiting and watching. Siara walked up to where he stood and addressed him. “You really didn’t need to worry so much about me. I’m all right.”

Jeremiah nodded once, and then turned and stalked off.

“What was that all about?” Siara asked, eying the retreating skeletal figure curiously.

Akwedas shrugged. “I can’t say I really understand what goes on inside that skull of his,” he admitted. “But based on his actions? Jeremiah seems to be one of the few really good people I’ve ever met. I’ve trusted him with my life on more than one occasion.”

“How did he get – like he is?”

“You mean, dead? No idea,” Akwedas said. “He’s been with the Company longer than I have. Longer than Drumnadrochit, even. Nobody seems to know his story, and he obviously isn’t telling.”

“Poor man. Is there nothing that can be done to make him – better?”

“Not that I know. My magic can only do so much, and he’s long, long past the point where I could be any help to him.” Akwedas sighed. “Unlike a certain dwarf, who is not quite past the point where I can help him. I really ought to be getting back to him.”

Siara nodded. “How is he?”

“At the moment? It’s only mana and his own stubbornness that keeps his heart beating. By tomorrow I hope he’ll be able to get out of bed. In a week he’ll be as good as I can make him.”

“Good.” She turned and started walking away. “Tell him I said hello. I need to go make myself useful and help with the titan carcass, and stop thinking about anything else. You’re right – those dead zones can mess with your head.”

Akwedas waited until she was out of earshot before muttering, “It’s not the dead zone that did it to you, girl.”

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I’m really enjoying your story, and I do not think I’m the only one.

Please keep up the good work - I love the developing story! :smile:

Captivating writing! Thanks to you for the bright spot in my day and thanks to @JonahTheBard for pointing the way to these delightful characters.

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Absolutely enjoying your work. At this point l am completely captivated by your characters and eagerly awaiting Jeremiah’s back story.

"oh, most impressife,” the dwarf grumbled with a sarcastic edge in his voice. "Brin’ haem a giant bludy horn frae a freakishly oversized cuddie, parade it ben th’ streets tae universal acclaeem, tatties an’ neebs wi’ th’ Duchess, an’ every bard in every tavern frae haur tae Corellia is gonnae be singin’ abit it fur months, ur until th’ Black Dragon league ur th’ Iron Dogs ur whoever brings doon a bigger a body next week. absolutely grain.”

Could not help it but to hear the dwarf’s accent in my head while reading… an awesomely immersive fiction, @Drumnadrochit.

Keep dohs chapters comin.
Cheers.

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@Tough_E_Nough
That’s why I am looking forward to seeing/hearing Merida do her thing in Wreck-it Ralph 2.

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Yeah, that’s how I hear Drum in my head too. But when writing it out I decided to Americanize the spelling so that it wouldn’t be hard to read.

Anyway, what follows is, for now, the last part of Siara’s introduction to Company life. I’ll come back to her a bit farther down the road. Jeremiah is about to take center stage. After that, we’ll see.


6. Moving Out

The camp of the Company of the Spear bustled with activity as the companions packed up their baggage and loaded it onto mounts and wagons. Drum’s squad had just finished striking and packing their communal tent, and were engaged in the process of loading it onto the back of a pack mule. The mule was not thrilled with the idea and declined to cooperate.

“Easy, girl, easy,” Siara whispered, calming the animal just long enough for Drumnadrochit and Jeremiah to hoist the heavy canvas bundle onto the mule’s back. The fact that the mule disliked the dwarf and was terrified of the skeleton did not help matters.

“Alright, ye beastie, off with you!” Drum snapped after they had secured the tent to the mule’s pack saddle.

“Damned things are almost as stubborn as camels,” Zila said, as she helped Akwedas load the squad’s medical gear into a chest.

“They just need a firm but gentle hand,” Siara said. “Not a thorough beating,” she added, glaring at the dwarf.

“That’s why I put you in charge of the wretch,” Drumnadrochit said with a small laugh. “Come on, Jeremiah, let’s go pack up the toolbox.”

Siara shook her head and led the mule off to where the rest of the Company’s pack animals were being assembled for the journey. Suddenly she realized that someone was walking beside beside her, matching his pace to her own.

“So, you’re still with us,” the Captain said in a soft voice.

“Does that surprise you?” Siara challenged.

“A little,” the old man admitted. “I should have trusted Drum – he said you were one who’d stick around.”

“I put my name in your book.”

“That doesn’t commit you for life,” the Captain told her. “People come and go. You’re under no oath to stay longer than you wish. And a lot of people leave after their first battle. This life isn’t for everyone.”

“Well, I’m staying,” Siara said flatly.

“Why?”

Siara thought for a long moment. “I suppose… Well, like Drum said, it’s a job that needs doing. These titans are a menace, and if nobody does anything about it, they’ll wreck the whole world. And I’m someone who can do something about it.”

“You’re insane,” the Captain told her.

When he saw her furious glare, he laughed. “Don’t take it the wrong way. We all are. Stark raving mad, every member of this Company. You have to be to do this job. Any sane person would run from a titan, not stand in its path and challenge it. You’re putting your life on the line constantly, dealing with enormous monsters that shouldn’t exist, fighting beside your friends and watching them die, sometimes seeing them come back and then die again. It would drive anyone over the edge.” He winked at her and said, “So we prefer to find people who are crazy to start with. It saves time.”

Siara gave a short laugh, and then looked alarmed. “You’re serious.”

“Only half joking. We really are all more or less mad. Some of us are better at dealing with it than others. Zila and Akwedas have found one way – they hold each other back from the brink. Drum… is less successful. Half the time I think he’s trying to get himself killed. Every once in a while he succeeds. And Jeremiah… I’ve known him for a long time. And I honestly can’t figure why he’s still around, after all he’s been through. Sometimes I wonder if he just doesn’t know what else to do with himself.” He gave Siara a long look and said, “It remains to be seen how well you hang on to whatever shreds of sanity you may have left.”

“I’ll find a way,” she said. “I always have.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought,” the Captain said, nodding slightly. “Good. I need people who can handle themselves in a fight, and you’ve proven that you can. Now, let’s get this packing finished. I’d like to be on the road in an hour.”

“Captain?”

“Yes?”

“Where are we going, anyway?”

“Didn’t anyone tell you? There are reports of a demon lord rampaging through central Windemer.”

Siara hesitated. “You mean…”

“That’s right. Smack in the middle of the Deadlands. It’s a breeding ground for titans, for whatever reason.” He looked her in the eye and asked, “Does that give you second thoughts?”

“No,” she answered. “Wherever we have to go, I’m in.”

“Good. Anyway, it’s old territory for me. I met Jeremiah there, when we were both young. And it’s where I fought my first titan. A night dragon. A small one, but still…”

“Well, let’s get this Company moving!” Siara said with a grin. “That titan isn’t going to kill itself, after all.”

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@Drumnadrochit
Oooh, I like how the story takes a turn at telling story for other characters. Kind of like the Canterbury Tales…

About the Captain… Not much is said about him other than he is someone who is aged and wields a spear. I think perhaps he might be someone like Olaf?

That Captain is hiding Jeremiah’s secret

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Beautifully translated!
Thank you.:smiley:

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