By: Yagaron Redson
Raneer
Lightning rent the sky. Thunder shook the earth so hard it might split. Raneer paced his his cell. He knew something unusual, no, extraordinary was about to happen, but not what.
There hasn’t been a gale this fierce in nigh 200 years! he thought.
Lightning flashed again, illuminating the walls once again. This time, Raneer saw a shadow of a figure with a sword. Somehow, just by looking at that shadow, he could tell that this person was of good heart, his weapon not used for evil or personal gain, but to help others --- those in need.
As suddenly as it had come, the shadow vanished.
What was that all about? the man wondered.
Just then the prison door opened. Someone walked in. It was a man dressed in flowing dark robes of red. The prisoners shrank back from him. All except Raneer.
He stopped in front of Raneer’s door. There he stood, smiling maliciously.
Tharia
Tharia was just finishing up her farm chores. She sighed. Growing up on the farm, she had always been caring for crops and greenery. She loved it.
Maybe it’s bringing new life into the world that makes it so worthwhile. The 15-year-old girl thought.
Perhaps that is also why she could not imagine what was taking place a mere twenty leagues away.
“Tharia, time for supper!” her mother called
“I’ll be right there!” was the response.
Tharia smiled as she walked back to the house. Life was good.
Raneer
“So, how are we today?” asked the robed man with a sneer.
“No different than yesterday, Jethrabar!” Raneer spat the name with distaste. This did not seem to affect Jethrabar, but that was to be expected.
“So you still refuse to bow to your king, eh?”
“I told you before and I’ll tell you again, I will NOT bow to a demon!” Raneer said, anger growing within his breast.
“We shall see about that, ‘heretic’” snarled Jethrabar. “You, guard! Take him away!”
Raneer did not know where he was being taken to. Torture was a likely prospect... though he almost wished for death. Almost.
Tharia
After Tharia had washed up, she came to the table. On it was a simple meal of bread, butter, goat's milk, and vegetables. Seeing that his daughter was seated, Androth said the customary words of blessing.
“Lethaga alun rohima antegun. Eltha saga roth.”
As they began to eat, Tharia wondered not for the first time what the strange words meant. She had asked her father once, and he had said that he didn’t know. Apparently no one knew anymore.
Tharia sighed. Some day she would find out.
Raneer
As he was being dragged away, Raneer thought about the shadow. Suddenly he realized something that made his head spin. The shadow was of a young woman, not a man as he had thought. It was very rare for a woman to do anything away from home- unless she was going to town.
Abruptly, Raneer was heaved onto a cot in another cage, jarring him out of his thoughts. This room was cold and dank with slime on the walls and floor - not warm and straw-lined like the other cell. A patch of mushrooms grew in one corner. Raneer studied them closely, leaning down for a better look. He was careful not to inhale too deeply.
Andola Funjari, he recalled in his mind, highly toxic, used for poison to put on arrow heads.He also remembered that, if treated properly, this fungus had incredible healing powers. Unfortunately, he did not have the time, knowledge, or materials for that.
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