Lucky Keogh (Temporary Title)

Prologue

Prologue

“Civilization always comes with warfare shadowing.”

A troop of knights led by a good overlord were trudging on grubby armored feet, on their way to someplace after being defeated in a colossal conquest of their settlement. All of them wounded―incapacitating gouges and slashes―and had nowhere and no one to seek for redemption. Their king haplessly lost in the battle and his queen was taken along their properties―the castle, the people, the armory, the riches. Lucky for them to evade from the bed of their comrades’ carcasses and thick, hovering dusts.

Miles and miles they walked, weathering starve, thirst, weariness, ache; all things they never experienced from their first breath. Till one of them had to take his last. The most wounded could not last to hold on any further. Gloomy woods, steep alps, mad rivers, harsh winters, dying comrades―all of these they had encountered but human hospitability. After sixty days or further of directionless journey―finally―an oasis! A humble place that they were certain of accepting them for the sake of humanity. Indeed like an oasis in the middle of Onil wilderness. Life was never over for our resilient knights.

It had no name back then but the place already housed about fifteen families. Logging was the primary source of livelihood; they were proximate to a nurtured forest that therefore detached them from the civilization. Besides, evident from their houses of sheer wood and greeneries were the gift of nature. It was one ingenuous hamlet roofed by soaring trees, thus, their complexion was predominantly brownish, close to fairness. Lord Ergan and his eight remaining men were received by the chieftain like ordinary stray guests. They were not the first guests to be welcomed, notwithstanding its remote and secretive location. Their gashes and injuries were mended with indigenous medications. As quick as a week or two, they were back on their feet and finally able to mingle with everyone and integrate, until the people got used to having them around. The knights stayed in the hamlet for good. Where could they find as good as the place, anyway? Lord Ergan and his men spearheaded teachings since they grew up in a civilized town―arithmetic, reading, writing, wielding of weapons, hunting, carpentry, etc. That way could compensate the humanity of the hamlet. Lord Ergan, by generally acknowledged acclamation, eventually became the leader when the old chieftain died in ageing after a year. He could make further innovations; that was what the people agreed about. As soon as everyone could find money not only from timbers but from their learning, Lord Ergan began to build a school, amenities, drainages, and more infrastructures, making the old humble Helmdock undistinguishable. Finally, he christened the hamlet that was now a village “Helmdock”. Hence, the initial of civilization.

Generations had passed until Lord Ergan’s son to a Helmdock native was the newly inaugurated leader, now termed as the king. That was when a castle was erected, towering above the village and revealing Helmdock above the lush foliage of the forest and to the neighboring societies, consequently made the village Onil’s main source of lumber. He was King Mirodas, father of Prince Miro.

Helmdock remained as a sanctuary of nature notwithstanding the tremendous developments. The sylvan ambience was never gone. The brook providing water for everyday use was, as before, freely drifting from the evergreen mountain standing where the sun glanced breathtakingly every dawn. The only difference was an arching bridge of absolute ironwood built over it and now served as the moat, secluding the village proper. Across the bridge was where the houses settled, still home-grown oak and cypress but sturdier. Among the domestic buildings added were parlors, boutiques, and bazaars. All of them made of the finest lumber that Helmdock had to boast round Onil. In the midst of the woody structures was the square where it had a small concrete fountain―the heart of Helmdock―and plums and pines to shade every corner. Here, music was occasionally played by resident or visiting musicians as the people passed by, stayed to unwind, or to worship Balaccun for unending cornucopia of blessings. Asters, daisies, lavenders, violets, and other perennials were also planted and landscaped all around for the mountain and forest breeze to be more scented. Then as the sun set, light-bearing stilts would replace. Most of the denizens preferred to stay outdoors at night, beneath the moonlight. Helmdock was now still awake even after the day. Indeed, the old place of Lord Ergan was as if submerged into oblivion. Everything was reasonably metamorphosed.