FHORDEWEI: AFRICAN LORE
Landcause.com presents
A Tale of African Lore
FHORDEWEI: KINGDOM COME
Prologue……
Before the lands were claimed. Before time passed and life was measured. When all that mattered was borne. The setting of order and authority. The Seven Realms to purify all actions. What was good and evil was not yet settled. The beginning is written. Who could rule this new creation. The decision was made. Humans were chosen and given dominion. Humans have the seat of power. Humans are preeminent and therefore the caretakers of the land and all life within. Therefore all judgment will rest in the heart of humanity. These sacred tenets of love, honor, justice and sanctity toward all life will guide humanity. When humanity cannot judge with truth, the First Father will judge last.
My name is Cordorec (Co’do’reck). One of the trusted of my tribe. I set the record for all. My tribe, the people of the dirt. Divine the condition of the ground (face of the dirt) as all life is connected to it above it and below it. How far the soil, land, and the dirt can travel as it latches a ride on a soul or a current of the wind. Call us the ‘dirtdviners’. What you will now read and hear will assault the senses. The truth is my charge and it’s never forsaken. History is done and it will stand as it is written and then revealed and it will never be revised.
The stories I will tell are difficult to bear. Prepare the soul. Prepare the heart. Prepare the mind and be faithful to the record. This one is tragic. Four daughters were murdered, but they didn’t die for reasons outside of the kingdom. They died for the most evil of all motivations. Money. They died for the lust of power. They died because one man defied the laws of our kingdom and couldn’t accept he was not chosen to be King. Witness now the catalyst for the First Father to make it official that the laws to govern humanity will now be written not just on the table of the heart, but more forcefully on medians that are able to secure the record. Now all will be judged by the same law. No more uncertainty in the adjudications of crimes because the heart may be weak and untruthful. The law was the first step, but it wasn’t enough to stop four daughters from dying. Please be seated. I will tell their story now.
Scene 01: Unspeakable tragedy
(The winds aren’t as noticeable at night. The dust that’s kicked up by the fierce currents seem to make a straight line for your eyes. The trees and the smaller vines are indicators of the wind, but not so much as the howling sound as it approaches and passes you in the distance. It couldn’t distract the call that rides along the trailing edge of the howling wind. A cry for help that forebodes lives in peril.
Four daughters of Fhordewei are dead. Their servants and guards are dead. The names of the daughters are Plemensia, daughter of Plou Maeson. Vyi’sea, daughter of Ealer Wanaver. Air’rais, daughter of Weaven Klothmaker. Storia, daughter of Sho’Im and Elethia Blackword the King and Queen of Fhordewei.)
Braecihm, First Voice: My King there is tragic news of which I must inform you. Your daughter is dead along with three of her friends. All the guards and the servants were killed. As it looks now a band of marauders fell upon them while they were preparing to return to the inner lands of the kingdom. The only survivors were your brother-in-law and his three servants.
Sho’Im Blackword: What? I must go to her. Where are my daughter and her friends now?
Braecihm, First Voice: I sent the Fowler and a squad from Black Company to bring them back to the kingdom.
Sho’Im Blackword: Good. Prepare my transport. I’ll meet them on their way back here.
Braecihm, First Voice: My King, it is forbidden for you to leave the kingdom now. We don’t know if this is an attack on you and your family, or it is simply a random attack. Until we find out for sure it is best that you stay within the city.
Sho’Im Blackword: What? I must know what’s going on.
Braecihm, First Voice: The Fowler and the members will secure all the daughters and the evidence. Nothing will be missed. We will know what has happened soon.
Sho’Im Blackword: Where’s my wife? Inform the, the Queen is setting up exercises for Black Company for the coming year at our Western border. Send someone to tell her what has happened.
Braecihm, First Voice: I did my King. I sent Se’Wan Scue (‘Q’) and her team.
Sho’Im Blackword: You sent her trusted friend ‘Three Hand’? Her security blanket when all others have failed her she never has. Good thinking. (The King knows that it will be of little comfort in spite of coming from Three Hand. Storia and her mother have a passing relationship. When you are Queen it is a title and responsibility that also requires you to take command of our most accomplished defense force).
————-1st Interlude————-
(Elethia, the Queen is constantly reassessing her personnel. Their strengths and skill sets must be matched to what’s needed to preserve her country. Fhordewei is the purpose. Battles aren’t won on the battlefield; battles are won by placing your personnel where they are best able to excel. The Queen is a motivator and stickler for details. Membership in Black Company happens by a complicated selection methodology.
All candidates are pulled from the populace. The candidates and their families sit down with the Queen and her command team and are told what membership in Black Company means. The history and the story of how it came to be are required reading as any course in learning taught in school. After that the training and observation begins along with the test of the recruits’ mental stamina. Yes, strength of arms and physical prowess is a part of being able to stay in a fight, but the strength of the mind will win the fight).
Elethia ‘the Mind of All’ Blackword: Captain Innsgood, let’s drill on downhill running with ‘Race’ and hitting with the ‘Line Breakers’ one more time.
Captain Phatta Innsgood: Very well my Queen. ‘Race’ and the ‘Line’ let’s get ready to practice your techniques again.
(At that moment in the distance one of the Queen’s ‘Foreseers’ picks up a cloud of dust and informs the Queen she’s about to have visitors).
Se’Wan Scue: My Queen, I I have news. (There is silence between the words spoken by Three Hand and the Queen is beginning to get a sense the news is not good).
Elethia Blackword: Three Hand, what is it? Tell me.
Se’Wan Scue: Your daughter. Storia. She’s dead.
Elethia Blackword: (The sound is an entirely new experience. Who says there is nothing new under the Sun? This is now an eternal memory that will affect my family and three others she thinks as she manages to mumble the words). How? How?
Se’Wan Scue: The details are unknown at this time, but the First Voice has informed the King that he believes they were ambushed. Three of her friends were killed alongside her. Your brother, Tray’Im and three of his aides were the only survivors.
Elethia Blackword: Captain Innsgood, take command and see to it the teams finish their drills. I’m departing for the city with dispatch.
Captain Innsgood: Yes my Queen. I’m. (The Captain withholds his solemn words of sadness for the Queen and follows her orders). All right, let’s make this the best sequence yet. Race and Line Breakers you’re up.
————–2nd Interlude—————
(As the Captain observes the teams get into position and execute their drills he can’t help but wonder with such a tragic day what will the King and Queen do in response to it. He brushes the thought aside and concentrates on making sure the movements of the teams meet their objectives.
In the distance the Queens’ transport is nearing the city as the Captain has followed the trail that led away from him in that direction).
Elethia Blackword: (First Father, can this transport go faster the Queen thinks to herself). Where’s the King she asks ‘Three Hand’ as they come closer to city and the entrance to her family’s quarters.
Se’Wan Scue: He was at the residence I was told when I was sent to bring you back.
Elethia Blackword: Good. I want to see him now and the children.
Se’Wan Scue: Yes my Queen.
(The arrival of the Queen is announced and the King has met her at the entry to their chambers. The second new experience she notices is that her husband is shaken. He has never been thrown off by anything during his time on the throne. The King and Queen both take note of each other and embrace.
Let’s go see her now the King states. They hold hands and Braecihm walks before them surrounded by their guards into the ‘death and passage’ room. Their daughter lies there with the other girls and the ‘U’taker’ warns them their daughters suffered grave wounds. It would be wise not to see them like that. They both ignore the warning and order the U’taker to show them their daughter.
This will go down as one of the reasons used to petition the First Father for justice. As for the Queen being a mother she thinks of Storia, the King being the ruler of Fhordewei speaks the names of the three other daughters as well. Vyi’sea, Plemensia, Air’rais. Four daughters of Fhordewei are dead and we will know why).
……..to be continued in Scene 02: Four Daughters