"Derecho"
Derecho
As he paced back and forth, nervously awaiting to enter the chamber, King Blackthorn took a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh.
“This may just be the way to put an end to them.” The King thought to himself. After a few more deep breaths, the King gathered himself, walked to the chamber doors and slowly opened them. Upon entering the chamber, the King smiled and nodded at those who had gathered.
“I do thank those of you who have decided to join me here this evening. I do hope all of you had an enjoyable stretch of time to recoup and recover from the threats we have faced in the past several months.” Said King Blackthorn as he walked over to an empty seat and sat down.
“It is good to see you, your Majesty!” exclaimed Radim Bartos.
Several of the others gathered, exchanged pleasantries, and greeted the King as well. Over the next several minutes, a few of the King’s servants brought several trays of refreshment and beverage and distributed them to those who had gathered. As they began to eat and drink, the King continued to speak:
“We may have an opportunity to stop the Armageddon Cultists, once and for all.” Listening to the gasps and looking at their widening eyes, the King continued:
“We are against the magics of the elements. Each time now, they have attempted to sway the demons to their favor and have been met with defeat. If you may recall Anumi Mazetti and the demon of fire, Muspelheim; The Mad Piper of the earthen woods; Cilehar Nomek controlling Proteus Liir and the flooding waters. I suspect it is only a matter of time before they attack again, and if we are ready, I feel that we can eliminate them once and for all!”
“As you have pointed out we have been in battle with demons of the elements, we are narrowing down the list. What do you know of a demon of the winds?” inquired Tanila Elnorin. King Blackthorn looked over to Tanila and smiled. Upon reaching into his satchel, the King removed a rather old leather-bound book and set it onto the table. He then replied:
“Her name is Moryana Vayu. She is a demon of fierce power. In texts and tales of old, she was cursed when storms would blow over the lands. Blizzards, great winds at sea, vortexes from the skies, they said were caused by her.”
Tanila and the others pondered and chattered for a few moments as the King opened the book and turned to a page depicting ancient runic writings, and a crude drawing of a wind spirit. General Kinsington inquired:
“Is this demon already here? Can we stop it?”
King Blackthorn motioned for a calmness before he replied:
“I have no reason to believe the demon has been awoken. However, I feel very strongly that the cultists are already in the process of trying to bring this beast into our realm.”
The King looked over to his General and continued:
“The demons are not of our realm. Several magical artifacts, many of them very ancient and even fabled to exist, are required in addition to rituals to manifest these beings. The three magical tomes; The Mad Piper’s flute; the Heraldic diamond of Old Magincia. All of these artifacts were required.”
“Dare I ask what is required to summon this creature of the winds?” inquired Radim Bartos as he scratched his chin. The King sat back in his chair and pondered a few moments before replying:
“I have a few theories and ideas, but nothing confirmed. There is not a lot in these writings to go off of.” said King Blackthorn as he tapped the book and as the others looked on. He then continued:
“In the past, as with the three Tomes, this is something I would have kept secret from anyone not directly involved, as you all are. Perhaps we should bring this knowledge to the Governors so they can not only prepare for any impending attacks by the cultists, but perhaps aid us?”
Those gathered at the table sat and discussed for several minutes as they pondered how they would be involved searching for artifacts, confronting the cultists, and rallying the support of the citizens. King Blackthorn rose from his seat and began to pace around the chambers as he was lost in deep thought. Moments later, a knock came at the chamber doors. The King walked over, opened the chamber doors, and was humbly greeted by one of his servants. The servant lowered her head as she handed the King a sealed parchment. He then closed the doors and proceeded to unroll the parchment as he continued to pace around the chambers:
Your Majesty,
My name is Rubino Odello, and I am writing to request any assistance you may be willing to provide. I am aware the Kingdom and Nujel’m do not have any diplomatic ties, but perhaps that is something that can change, depending on your actions.
There has been a great catastrophe that has fallen upon the island of Nujel’m. The past several days have seen great storms blowing in from the seas. Although the winds have subsided, the foulness they have brought, has not. Several creatures I have never seen before are wreaking havoc on our people! I am not sure how much longer the island and our defenses can hold out.
I do have great aspirations for Nujel’m and our people. As a gesture of our potential future relations, sending us any help would be greatly appreciated. I will be leaving tomorrow evening, and setting out for the mainland to gather any brave souls that are willing to help. I await your reply!
Sincerely,
Rubino Odello
The King slowly lowered the parchment after he had finished reading it and was met with the gaze of all of those in attendance in the chambers. He then returned to his seat, set the parchment down on the table and pushed it towards Radim. A hesitant Radim reached for the parchment, picked it up and pondered over it for a few moments. He then looked over to the King and said:
“I think we have something to go off of now.”