The Great Legend of Salem – Chapter 1 Act 2

Chapter 1
The Earth Cave


Act 2
Raiken’s Request

King Raiken continued the conversation at the dinner feast while dessert was being served. “I have lost some very important property of mine.” Said king Raiken as he tossed a jelly topped piece of honey cake into his mouth, chewing thoroughly before resuming.

“You see, this world has been under assault by an evil man named Coarex, who isn’t much older than yourselves. This vile man was once one of my servants, a faithful servant I might add too. He then met a girl whose name is Jezla. She put into his head that he could be a ruler without rising through the proper ranks. So, Coarex and Jezla, along with their friends, Fehlair and Nohanne, raised an army.

“I forgot to mention earlier that all nations in this part of Salem name their armies after precious stones or metals, and wear those colors to differentiate each country. Our nation’s stone is the sapphire, hence the blue tinted armor our soldiers wear.

“Coarex chose to make his stone the ruby, a stone that was the symbol of an equally wretched king from many centuries ago. His army, though small, is made up of almost supernaturally strong men. He is taking this world over bit by bit, one unrelenting attack after another, with thieves and mercenaries as allies. The world is beginning to tremble in fear of his footsteps.

“A few weeks ago, he came up to my gates and forcefully demanded my gold and jewels. I fought him with my armies, but to be sure he wouldn’t lay a hand on my treasures, I sent them to the neighboring country of Karinia. Now the king of Karinia, who claims to be my friend, will not return my requests for my gold. I do not know whether he has been overrun, has betrayed me, or just lost it somehow and is afraid to tell me.

“I’ve now rambled on long enough, I am asking you to go to Karinia and bring word of its fate back to me. All of you will be outfitted with the best clothes and weapons our army can muster. I thank you all for doing this.”

“We haven’t agreed to this yet, sir.” Responded Aaron. “I know, but I’ve made up my mind and since dessert is over, so is the discussion.” King Raiken said as he rose from his chair and left before any of the children could voice their opinions. Soon after, the children were escorted back to their room by the guards.

“Do you really think we can do this Aaron?” Asked Peter. “Sure. I mean, why not?” Said Aaron as he sat down on an immaculately kept bed in a corner of the room, “It could be our only chance.”

“All we have to do,” Sarah added, “is go to this Karinia, ask about king Raiken’s gold, and come back here and tell the king what happened to it. It couldn’t be easier.” “And after that,” said Mary excitedly, “we get to go home!”

“He said we might get to go home,” Peter shot back, “or, we could do this task and get left out in the cold when it’s over.” Aaron stood and walked over to the others. “That’s enough talking about that,” he said, “I don’t think it is our choice as to whether we are going or not.” He paused while he looked at each of the others, “We’re going.”

<+>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<+>

Aaron and Peter rose early the following morning, like they usually did. Peter went to use the “odorless indoor outhouse” that was just off to the right of the main room, marveling as he made his way over to it.

Aaron dressed in the opulent walk-in closet, and then stepped out into their personal courtyard, soaking up the warm glow of the morning sun while deep in thought. Peter joined him a few minutes later.

“What are thinking about Aaron?” Peter asked. “Oh...” Aaron said with some hesitation, “I was thinking about all we have been through, and where we might be going.” Peter nodded, and they both stood there on the steps leading into the courtyard, pondering the subject for a short while.

“Where are the girls?” Asked Aaron, breaking the silence, “Are they still in bed?” “I don’t know.” Answered Peter. In same moment that Peter finished his sentence, Sarah burst out from behind a bush, ran over to Aaron, who was nearer to her, and pushed him down. “Tag. You’re it!” She shouted as she ran away with Mary, yelling and laughing.

Aaron sat there on the ground stunned and surprised. He quickly regained his wits, smiled, and started running after Peter to tag him as “it”. Aaron ran behind Peter, chasing Peter with all of the agility he could muster, to the left, to the right, Peter eluded him expertly.

Aaron changed targets, chasing now Sarah instead of Peter, mostly because she had stumbled into one of the many hedges in the courtyard while trying to avoid becoming “it” herself.

Aaron dashed behind a hedgerow before Sarah knew where he had gone. Sarah was unsure of where to run, so she ran towards the most open part of the courtyard, the middle, hoping to see Aaron coming before he caught her.

On her way to the center, Aaron jumped out from behind the corner in front of her, reaching out to tag her. Sarah squealed in excitement as she dug her heels into the grass of the courtyard and ran the other way, barely out of Aaron’s reach.

Aaron pursued Sarah around the courtyard until he saw Mary duck behind one of low hedges. Aaron broke pursuit, dropped to his hands and knees, and crawled as quickly as he could over to the hedge that Mary was hiding behind.

“Run Mary!” Shouted Peter, who was watching it all from the center of the courtyard. Mary bolted out of her hiding place and right into the arms of Aaron. Upon grabbing Aaron picked her up and twirled her around saying, “And now you’re it.”

The children continued playing their game of tag not knowing that they were being watched from inside the castle through a window. “Look at them Jargro,” said king Raiken to the knight that stood beside him, “they’re having so much fun.” “That is what children do.” replied Jargro, “They play and have fun.”

“I didn’t.” King Raiken said, “When I first arrived here, I was terrified. I didn’t have my parents here, or any of the friends that I knew. In fact, there was hardly anyone in the area; the land seemed devoid of human beings.

“My salvation was Maktone. He treated me like a son, I still consider him to be my step father.” King Raiken paused as he thought about the man who was so close to his heart. “Where is Maktone?” Asked king Raiken. “He went to Karinia.” Jargro answered, “He is trying to complete the job that you are sending the children on.”

“No.” King Raiken said in a reprimanding tone, “That man is in his nineties, he has no business traveling such distances while trying to do a job that knights less than half of his age couldn’t do.” “And you’re going to send four children to do the same job?” Said Jargro.

“Yes, but you’ll be there to protect them.” Said king Raiken; with Jargro staring at him in surprise, “ha–ha. That look on face is worth it. Now let’s go gather your helpers and send you all on your way.”


Act 3 is in the works.

Location: Lagath – um Castle

Lagath – um castle sits just north of the center of the town of Lagath – um, and has been standing in the same spot for more than a millennium. The interior and exterior have been redone many times as the reign of each king came and went.

If you search thoroughly around the castle, especially in the several basement levels, you will be able to find cracked and chipped walls that show the layer over layer construction used by the former kings of Lagath – um to fortify and redecorate the castle.

The castle itself is large enough that an unescorted guest might become lost in its numerous corridors. One part of the castle in particular, the basement, hasn’t been explored much, and therefore, very little is known about it. What is known, however, is that the castle seems to extend as deep into the earth as it is tall, some five stories into the ground.

The castle of Lagath – um is the pride of the town which bears its name. It has stood for over a thousand years, and will most likely continue to stand for another thousand against any natural forces.

The Great Legend of Salem – Chapter 1 Act 1

Chapter 1
The Earth Cave


Act 1
Lagath – um

Aaron lay where he was for a moment after he came to. He was surprised to even be alive, let alone lying in a mound of straw. He looked around at his friends, who, though not yet stirring, were obviously alright.

Looking at the large stone walls, Aaron notices that there isn’t a hole in a ceiling as he had expected. In fact, there is no obvious way he or his friends ended up in this room, other than the open doorway with the large wooden door.

He continues looking at the stone walls forming the roughly circular shape of the room, and notices that there are chains lying in the floor. Not sure what those are there for, he starts to see the large latch on the outside of that door, the massive iron bars covering the tiny window that let in the light he was seeing by, and the shackles hanging on the wall. Just then it dawns on him that he, and his friends, are sitting in a dungeon.

“Where are we, Aaron?” Asked Sarah, interrupting his thoughts. “A dungeon, I think.” Answered Aaron. “A dungeon!” Shouted Peter, awaking from his sleep, “Let’s get out of here.”

Aaron woke Mary and led his friends out through the door he saw earlier. They walked down a winding staircase and into a grand hallway, their footsteps echoing as they went. They awed at the tapestries hanging on the walls around them, and the giant windows between, lighting the whole hall in blinding sunlight, as they stepped cautiously through the castle that was around them.

On the floor was a brilliant red velvet rug that extended through the hallway for farther than any of them could guess. The ceiling arched over them, looming well out of reach, and causing all of them to feel very small, in addition to the confusion they already had. They stopped walking and took it all in. The walls, the great windows, the tapestries, the rug, where were they?

The children heard the sound footsteps coming towards them from somewhere down the hallway. They froze, unsure whether they should see if the owners of the footfalls would help them, or run and hide, and if so, hide where?

While still trying to decide, three men turned the corner at the end of the hallway. One was dressed like a king, the other two, like dignitaries of some kind. Aaron twitched, preparing to either defend himself and his friends, or run.

The three men continued to walk and talk, not even noticing Aaron and his friends until they were just a few feet away. “What have we here, king Raiken?” Asked one of the dignitaries. “I don’t know.” Boomed the king in response, “How did you children get in here?” “We don’t know sir,” Said Aaron timidly, “but we came to this room from the dungeon that is up the stairwell over there.”

The dignitaries looked at each other for a moment, and then one of them spoke angrily to the king. “Your highness,” he began, “are you trying to hide something from us? Are you such a man to imprison children?” ”No!” Shouted the king, “There is some mistake. Guard! Come here this instant.”

A guard came running from deeper in the hallway. Standing at attention in his bluish colored, steel armor, which was polished to a brilliant sheen, the guard announced his allegiance, “O’ king Raiken, king of Lagath-um, live forever for I am here to do as you command.” “Enough!” Responded the king, “I must know who imprisoned these children in the upper dungeon without my authority. Tell me now.”

“I do not know, your highness,” said the guard, “I know every prisoner who is taken into your upper dungeons, but I have never seen these children in your courts before.” The king looked down at the floor, deep in thought. “Well,” Questioned the other dignitary, “what say you king Raiken? You have thoughts on this matter, do you not?”

“I do.” The king said with a short pause, “How did you children escape from my dungeon?” “We walked out, sir.” Responded Aaron. “The door wasn’t locked,” Sarah added quickly, “it was wide open.”

The king stood silent for a moment. “You children are from the world above, am I right?” Asked the king. Aaron nodded. “Guard!” Yelled the king, startling everyone, “Take these children to my entertaining quarters, get them some descent clothes, and make them ready as royal guests. For tonight I am having a feast and will answer their questions then.”

<+>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<+>

Aaron and his friends walked behind the guards, which were in escort ahead of them, to the dinner feast. The dining room was very large, like most of the rooms in the castle, and decorated with brilliant chandeliers, stained glass windows, and most prominently, a huge painting depicting the king himself sitting on his throne and arrayed in the riches that belonged to him.

“I am king Raiken and that is what I want you to call me,” declared king Raiken as they began their dinner, “So, what is it that you want to ask me first?” “I want to know where we are.” Said Peter. King Raiken leaned back in his seat, and cleared his throat.

“The story is much longer than this, but you are in the world formed by the Creator, that is called Salem. This world is very different from the world you knew. Here, there isn’t any death from famine or war, only scars and sufferings. You will eventually die from old age, but until then you will only suffer.

“More specifically, you are in the countryside of Lagath-um, in the capital city which bears the same name. We are an average sized country of around 1 million, with an army of 350 thousand men.

“This is my short and much abbreviated version of where all of you have ended up, and I hope that it was a satisfactory answer. Now then, ask your next question.”

“You said that we can’t die from war or famine.” Aaron said, “Does that mean there isn’t any war here in this world?”

“No,” responded king Raiken, “unfortunately it seems to augment war, making it easier for countries to fight. When one ‘dies’ from war, they instantly become sand. Sometime later they appear in one of 70 ‘Villages of Refuge’, usually the one nearest where they died. Once there, they may or may not be in a coma, and must still recover from their wounds.

“I know how hard all of this is for you children to understand. I was once in your position too. Most elders here stumbled upon this world as you four did. The population here was pretty sparse until perhaps, 40 years ago. Now, most of those you will meet were born here.”

“Is there a way to leave this place?” Mary asked. King Raiken lowered his head, thinking deeply about his reply. “Most would say there is not any way to leave, but I know man who would tell you otherwise. A man who claims that, with help, he could send everyone to the other world. Are you all interested?”

“Yes!” Came the emphatic answers. “Good,” said king Raiken, “He isn’t here, but if you will do a small favor for me, I will tell you where he is, and make sure you children get to him.”




Act 2 coming after the break!

An Excerpt from Mary’s Diary

Oh! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that stump hidden away in the gigantic rock so long ago. I wasn’t sure about Aaron’s idea of going inside on that dusty ladder, but I wasn’t going to let my fear inhibit me from finding curiosity’s end. Little did I know what would happen, or what great a blessing could come out of something that looked like such an ugly curse.

From here, Aaron says we must go back to the castle that we first started this journey from. He is very apprehensive about it, but I’m excited and have a feeling that much good will come from it.

I’ll have to cut it short here, Maktone is calling for me.

Goodbye!

The Great Legend of Salem - Prologue

It was a near perfect summer day to be out playing games with friends, which is what Aaron was doing with his friends, Peter, Peter’s sister Sarah, and Sarah’s friend Mary.

Sarah and Mary were up in the old tree house each having a cup of tea, which they had brought with them and warmed up over the fire that the boys had made, enjoying the warm sunshine, and the cool breeze that blew through from time to time. Aaron and Peter on the other hand, were on the ground practicing sword fighting techniques that their fathers had brought to them from the war.

The war had been terrible, Aaron and Peter both wished their fathers hadn’t gone. Though they understood patriotism and defending the country in which they lived, their fathers weren’t the same when they came home. They were so much more serious, and made the boys work harder than their mothers had. “Oh well,” reasoned Aaron aloud, many months ago, “at least we get to learn to sword fight like real soldiers, not just play around like the other boys.”

Peter lunged forward with his wooden practice sword. Quickly Aaron parried the strike with his sword and started a counter swing of his own. Peter ducked, took two short steps to his right, and attacked Aaron on the weak side. Expecting this attack, Aaron turned away from Peter and jumped up on the large, cracked rock behind him.

“Ha Ha!” Yelled Aaron as Peter’s sword struck nothing but the air in front of him, “I dare you to outdo that move.” “You’re going to get it now!” Shouted Peter, readying himself for the next offensive.

“Hey you two, lookout!” Said Sarah from the tree house. “What?” Responded Peter, disgusted because she had interrupted their practice. “There’s a small tree growing up from between the cracks in that rock.” Answered Sarah gently, “Aaron almost stepped on it.”

Aaron stepped back, stooped down on one knee and began to examine the sapling. “It seems to be sick.” He said after awhile, “Maybe the rock is choking it out.” “Could be.” Said Sarah, now down from the tree house and standing by the rock. “Perhaps you boys could move some that rock out of the way.” Said Mary, also now by the rock, with a hint of challenge behind her voice.”

“No problem!” Shouted Peter as he began to tug on the smaller, though still large, pieces of stone. “Whoa! Hold on there Peter.” Said Aaron, “Even these smaller rocks are much too big for us to move without help. We need something to help us pry with.”

Peter and Aaron became very interested in freeing this little withering sapling as they tried several different methods of moving the smaller boulders. The girls tried their best to help too, pulling and pushing, fetching logs and brush from here or there hoping to find a perfect fit.

After several minutes of attempting to pry the tree loose with sticks and logs, even trying to dig under one of the boulders, Aaron and Peter began to get frustrated, and, eventually, all of them gave up.

“Let’s go home.” Suggested Sarah. “Yeah.” “Ok.” “Sure.” Came the replies. So, Aaron, Peter, Sarah, and Mary walked home.

<+>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<+>

The next morning, a Sunday, the children returned to the sapling after the Church service. “Wow!” Exclaimed Peter in astonishment, “There’s a stump under that rock.” They all stood where they were for a moment, mouths gaping. The rock was half crumbled, and the sapling was nearly twice as big as it was just yesterday. Under the now knee high sapling, was a gigantic stump 10 feet straight across.

“That isn’t possible.” Said Aaron, “That rock didn’t even budge a little yesterday.” “Well, shall we take a closer look?” Asked Mary. They all edged closer to the stump and realized that it was hollow.

“This is too strange” commented Sarah, “How could this rock be all broken now? How could the nearly dead sapling suddenly be thriving? And why is there a big hole in this huge stump!” She threw her arms up as if she were demanding an answer. “I don’t know,” Said Aaron, “but there’s a ladder here.” He motioned toward a ladder nailed inside the hole on the stump, reaching deep into the darkness.

“Why don’t we climb down there and see if we can get some answers?” Continued Aaron. “No.” Said Peter, “Bad idea.” “I’ll go.” Said Sarah. “Yeah,” Agreed Mary, “count me in too.” “Ok.” Said Peter reluctantly, “I’ll go too, I guess.”

Aaron started climbing first, followed by Sarah, then Mary, with Peter cautiously taking up the rear. They climbed down deeper and deeper in to the stale cold air of the tunnel, but there seemed to be no end. Everything beyond the entrance was pitch black, the darkness was piercing. “I think we should turn back.” Said Sarah. “Yeah,” Said Aaron, “everyone start climbing up.”

Peter grabbed each coarse wooden rung hastily, he wanted out of this dark tunnel as fast as possible. Rung after rung, step after step he climbed, nearing the top with each step. He could almost imagine the fresh air at the top, and he set his mind that he was going to reach that air within the next minute.

In fact, he was going move even quicker, with even mo- CRACK! The rung Peter grabbed broke in half. CRASH! His foot now hung free and the sound of wood splintering echoed through the tunnel. RIIIIIIP! The ladder completely broke loose from the stump wall casting all four children helplessly down the tunnel, leaving only their yells behind.

Stay tuned for the beginning of Chapter 1 - coming soon!