Oalef- (temporary title)

A Bird in the cage

Beyond the rocky mountains of Decorus, men walked, fair of their skin, with their cattle along and raised settlements and faiths. The gardens were plenty, the rivers were scattered and the sun was pleasant. As their days passed, their came a man abnormally tall in stature. He spoke to them in their own tongue and they noted it verbally, for it were the times men were dark to the art of writing. But these words were to be spoken again and again by them until they could write it down. They were

"O children of the Adam, you have stepped into the adobe of Asher. Eat of my soil and drink of my water. Raise your children and defend your land. But remember you shalt not stay in peace lest you destroy it."

The man then walked away and disappeared in wilderness. Many of the people who heard it defied saying "We shall do as we please." But a party of the rest obliged. They restrained from fighting and sat down to build what they called a 'social paradise'. A society where men could find justice without fighting. Yet they failed to comply it against their feral brothers who constantly rose against them and each other. The party of the believers left to the mountains and searched for Asher, yet they found him not. But when they retreated back to their shelter they could not believe their eyes. The heads of their defiant brothers mounted on the pikes while their women and children mourned. They followed the trails of horrid and found a man, pale of skin, mounting a head on the pike. The elder among the party recognized the being, for it was no man he said to his kin "He is the mighty Asher!" And they bowed to him. The being turned to his new disciples and granted the elder and his sons with a favor and called them "The keepers of peace". A favor that turned them into mightiest warriors to ever walk on the face of earth. But mounted a great responsibility- of keeping the peace in Decorus.

Eras depleted, perhaps a pace of 4000 years. The children of the blessed remained true to their duty and bled all transgressors. They settled near the steps of the mountain to stand against invading enemies and called themselves the Groods, 'the blessed'. Under their shadows, the unblessed moved towards east and molded marvelous cities. The fertile lands and protection from foreign invasions helped them carve four great kingdoms. The kingdoms flourished in trade and culture while Groods never broke their warrior traditions and remained abstinent. Their province was the most backward in Decorus and fed on ranches. Had not their flourishing neighbors paid tribute for protection, the Groods would have no shiny swords they so boasted of. They did not write, they did not read. They lacked respect for outsiders and their traditions were considered barbaric by the kingdoms. But their relentless victories against foreign invasions has proved that their stood no champion in the known world to challenge a Grood indigenous for a duel. For this sole reason the Groods believed they were above the more civilized kingdoms of Decours. In their regular talks they often spoke of the favor they were granting to the rest of Decorus by not foraying their cities. How could they when bonded to the one decree of keeping the peace. This is a story of a cradle that bore two people. People of the wise and the people of the strength. But unaware you are of your own folly, if you believe that wise are born to the wise and fools are born to the fools. For it was the otherwise that had caused this tale to occur. Come, move your eyes on, for you shall learn a story of men who did the most unlikely of them. With their valour, with their lust and with their canny. Come, and you shall learn another tale of love. Another tale of war!

Gudfred, the ruler of Groods was being entertained by his young wives when he received two reporters. The first one said "Oh mighty king of Groods praise be to your wise rule and strength. I bring a message from the Kingdom of Brandon, King Rodulf has said 'My dearest of friends, May gods grant ages to your 50 years of age. I am in need of your most skilled warriors, for I wish to hunt down a pack of lions residing over my precious mines. I shall grant them with generous gifts, and to you the more generous one."