Of Prophets & Pigs
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 60722
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It’s a strange and fascinating truth that there are no unrelated events in
life. Some call it destiny, others synchronicity, but the
fact of the matter is that people and beasts and mountains and seas are
connected. Take, for instance, the fact that Frederigo D’Honaire was
currently hunting for a blue boar, add the fact that for years he had
hunted the local boars on his ancestral lands, take to mind that on the
third day after the first new moon of the springtime two years past he had
wounded one such brown boar. Everyone involved in that little hunt have
surely forgotten the “one that got away” from little Freddie. But what
they don’t know, what they will never know, is that that wounded boar ran
far and wide that day and fell into a ravine. The sudden rains the
following night flooded that ravine sending that poor senseless boar down
a river wash and far from its nestling home. It was found by a farmer who
killed it and then sold it in a local market. That boar was bought by a
foreigner traveling in the area, it was salted and dried, and kept for a
long journey. That foreigner was ambushed while moving about in
MalBoncton and his salted boar taken as booty. The meat was finally
presented to Gal, a man of great power within the Cult of the Black Market
which rules a great portion of MalBoncton. Unbeknownst to Gal the boar
had been chewed by lichcites while in the Suffex ravine and had become
contaminated. After a fine meal Gal’s stomach bloated and, within two
days, exploded. The man Ferigno took his place, and it was Ferigno who
became instrumental in the current invasion of Aquilaria.
Destiny, or synchronicity, take your pick. The Allarians wanted negotiations to go quickly, the Aquilarians did as well for their very survival depended upon it. But the matter of the marriage and interlinking bloodlines did not please the Queen nor her counselors. "A year of battle with these westerners, these men, and we are failing!" growled Syn’tri. "We need troops and these northerners can serve as both arms and fodder," said Mistr’ia. "To bed a man not of my choosing," sighed Astra. "That is insult. To wed a man is vile. They speak of marriage as if it were expected!" "Men are barbarians," added Lanha. "They use matrimony to transact agreements, whether political or financial. They know we suffer and in their greed and envy they throw marriage in our face... they do not know our ways." It was Uhurix who reminded the women of something else the men probably didn’t know. "We can always kill this Henri over time," she said. "A little root and herb in his meals and he will waste away as if bitten by a butterwasp." "We have not discussed where the demesne will be constructed," said Astra. "I do not believe our home shall be Themyscira after this wedding" (she spit out the word). Just then a high –pitched scream was hear and a running form burst into the grand tent where this meeting was occurring. The running, flailing form had blood on its arms and legs, and it ran right into the Queen! Stunned, the Queen smacked the screaming form in the head with her metal- gloved hand and it went down with a thud. "Ooooooooh" it said. Looking down the women saw that the form was a man, a boy really. An Allarian boy, the son of the Ambassador. His clothing was ripped, torn and bloodied. "What in the--" growled Lanha. There was more commotion outside the big tent and upon going outside they saw that a blue boar had also ran into the area, it too was covered by blood and shreds of cloth, both probably belonging to the boy. After reviving Fred and discovering that he had went "hunting" for the boar but got a beast twice his size, the women all sighed in unison: "Idiot." After being taken back to the Allarian area set up in the outpost, the women regrouped. "If that boy is an average northerner then we’ve got our fodder," said Uhurix. "And if that boy is typical of northern nobility, we won’t have too much to worry about this King, his son, or the future heir," smiled Syn’tri. "Indeed," added the Queen. "I think this boy gave us the sign we sorely needed. I shall marry this Henri. We shall take in these northerner troops. Under our commanders the westerners shall fall, and we shall take our revenge upon them." There was silence in the tent until a crackled voice spoke up. "And, we shall make sure your womb bears only girls." This came from Magy. "An herb here, a root there, a prayer to the Ones Above & Below. We shall prevail." Magy was not an amazon (as her name shows), she was born in Califie and grew as a servant-wench until a raid by the BMC brought her to MalBoncton. She was found to be astute by Grifhen and taken to Mirna the witch where Magy studied the craft. The craft dealt mostly with the herbs and within a few years Magy was presented to the Assassins Guild as a gift to cherish. One of Magy’s own recipes was used on Duke Harold Hindsight when the unfortunate incident of Vizcount Pitt of Gelda came to pass. Some three years ago she was visiting Wallants and a raid of amazons took her, she -being a woman- did not have her throat slit. She has spent the last three years building bonds of trust and exchanging knowledge, as well as learning the ways of the amazons. In the last year she had also spent much time concocting new and vicious potions, which when dipped onto arrow points and sword tips have caused the MalBonctons to die horrible deaths. MalBonctons dying at the hand of the creature of their own making. Destiny or synchronicity, take your pick. The second day went slowly, but for the commotion with Fred, the amazons gave no word of any decision (though they had come to one). The Allarians amused themselves with games of chance by card and dice. The Aquilarians entered into private prayer with their gods. It was on the third day that the delegations reunited. There was much discussion that day and Ambassador D’Honaire, Counselor Aldhelm, and the other Allarians shined in both word and pen. The Aquilarians, too, jabbed and thrust with terms and agreements. In the end, not all were happy, but an agreement was reached, an alliance made. In the end the word was given: "Tell your King Emry that his son Henri is acceptable to me. We shall wed as soon as needs be, and tell him that his armies are needed now." The Allarians prepared to send, with all haste, this message back to the King. They were to send Fred and a few hardy men on hardier horses back through the wilds of the Goth, to the Tumbar and through the King’s Road. Fred bade his farewell to his father and saddled up. "Freddie," said his father. "Take care and obey Sir Logan, he will be your arm and shield." Charles D’Honaire then whispered something into the ear of Sir Logan but all Fred could hear was shadows. After all preparations were complete the elder D’Honaire called out to the men and his son: "May the gods defend you and the darkness take flight. Falcon’s speed to you!"
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7/29/2006 8:02:34 AM
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