Crowns and Contempt - BOOK 1

Chapter 01 - Last Ones

It was midnight. Two soldiers wearing cheap cloth armour were lazily guarding the eastern gate of the village called Irex. It was a night shift and both had gotten used to stay awake through the night.

"A howler?" Gorth asked.

"Aye." Brian answered.

"Behind the black tree?"

"Aye."

"In the morning?"

"Aye."

"You need to cut the rum. Shit has messed your brain."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me."

"If a Howler roams during the day, then Dragons are sleeping with mermaids."

"I decided I will marry a mermaid this year."

"You lost it. Mermaids eat men."

"Aye, I hope they do." A devious smile followed.

"Not that eat! Brian you're dumber than a Molask."

"Molasks ain't dumb. They will crush you under their feet."

"Aye. Strong and dumb. You ain't as strong as them but way dumber than them."

"I ain't dumb. When I was young my Ma told me my mind ain't anything like she seen before."

"Well she hinted? Speaking of hints, you heard anything about the Tavern owner's daughter?" Gorth changed the subject.

"She is beautiful, ain't she?"

"I know. What I mean she will be married this year."

"WHAT?!" Brian jumped with surprised.

"Why are you surprised?"

"I was going to marry her."

"What happened to the mermaid?"

"Forget the mermaid! Which prick will she marry?!"

"The blacksmith's son."

"That brawny, young and rich kid! What did she see in him?!"

"I wonder." Gorth answered sarcastically. As the night went on both indulged in their usual conversation while guarding the eastern gate almost till dawn.

"Oi, dawn's up! Change shift!" One soldier from the top of the gate yelled at both Gorth and Brian. Both of them sighed as the load on their shoulders was lifted and two new soldiers replaced them. They yawned while going inside the village as their time to sleep had begun.

The Great Kingdom of Elradon was divided into many regions, some controlled by Duke Faring, some by Duke Neheil and a major, but less productive regions, by the Emperor himself. The vast lands of Safaan was one of those regions. Mostly forests and plains, ample with fresh game, attracting war refugees people as well as bandits; not to mention the monsters. However, despite being large and delightful to live in, the region of Safaan didn't seem an interesting proposition to invest in. Sharing border with two nations; Draaves on the north and Lyzaria on the west. Thus the immediate threat of an invasion could never be ruled out, discrediting the construction of any productive structure which could become a gamble during an invasion. Nonetheless, while being a gamble for the Two Dukes, Safaan' attracted war refugees, establishing a chain of many small villages. Irex was one such village in the north-western region of Safaan. It was hidden by the mountains and influenced by Duke Neheil, one of the two major dukes in liege to the Elradon Empire.