 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| By Christopher P Bartlett |
|||||
| The Tale of Traimontai (Traimontai en Bekis) By Master Erinai en Toraikh (-12 - 70TC) Book One I His skin was the colour of the dawning bronze, His eyes alive with the promise of the ages, His voice as clear as mountain breezes Traimontai was his name. He carried with him the burdens of hope, A people searching for their home. Yet all the men saw in his deeds The promise of new life. It mattered not where he stood, All his people beheld him, Lifting their voices in prayer, That Traimontai would protect them. Never before had his people believed, Never again would they languish in doubt, He took his destiny and fashioned his fate Into a brave new future. They called him their saviour, They called him their king, All of this he was, and more, Traimontai, their god. II For four score years and more, Traimontai sought his peace Until his people were saved Never could his trials rest. A fiery desert blocked his path, Toward the land of fragrant meadows, When all seemed destined to burn away, He was their cooling water. Spurring men on with brave deeds, Inspiring all with acts of devotion, The man before them knew no fear, He brought the desert to its knees. Fields they reached, but did not stop, He dear friend Lonmi found his home, Some would choose to stay, But Traimontai would not settle. He saw the mountains loom above him, And knew his calling was closing in, The land of prosperous joy, For the people of Traimontai. III The cold mountain beckoned high Above the company, like a menacing impasse, He would not let them falter, He brought stout courage to their hearts. Higher and higher they climbed, Until they could almost touch the clouds, A great river they followed As it spiralled slowly upwards. The children grew weary, Their parents carrying their weakened forms, Before them always a beacon He was their hope in the dark. Traimontai found the silver pool Where the rivers found their life, A breath of the unnatural sounded there Amid the tranquil waters. Traimontai did not relent, He urged his people forward, For days they held their course Until a marvellous visage met their eyes. IV Dawn was heralded by a verdant plain, The river flowing freely towards the horizon, From the peak of Kalaistus - ‘The All-seeing’, Traimontai saw his destined land. Unbridled joy swept his followers, They rushed down the mountain valleys, All wished to be the first of their kin, To set foot on their promised home. Traimontai guided them downwards, Though the snow was closing in, All who followed his footsteps, Arrived in the land of Traimont. The river they followed descended, Through the fertile foothills, And there before the mountains, They brought forth their great city. Tora was the river’s name, Toraquai the city of the king, And as his people prospered, Traimontai guided them ever onward. Book Two I For golden summers and crisp winters The children of Traimontai prospered, Their land was bounteous and green They spread to all corners of the world. Cities they built, great Toraquai Sheltered in the mountain’s embrace, Along the Great Sea coastline Flourishing in the spring time. Yet there were some who knew not peace, Jealousy kindled their hearts, Saekryn, the brother of the king, Found fault in Traimontai’s benevolence. He raised torrents of abuse Upon the protector’s name Traimontai the deceiver Traimontai the weak fool. Saekryn spread his deceit, Spread the false words of mistrust, His flock grew, feasting on his words, And the peace was rent asunder. II The kingly brothers drew arms, Their followers split between the two, Traimont was riven by hate and fear, Brother fighting brother, father eclipsing son. Peace in Traimont was no more, The fertile land of Traimontai’s grace Torn asunder in a fiery collapse, Toraquai’s proud buildings crumbling in despair. Saekryn taunted his brother, Traimontai’s pleas left unheard Great armies drew forth, On the plains of Rendeth’s hearth. A great clash of steel and blood, Conflict without pity, without end, The souls of many departed the world, But still Saekryn’s thirst was not quenched. Three days of battle, The verdant fields stained a wicked crimson. “Henceforth,” cried the traitorous brother, “This shall be my people’s shade.” III His kingly grace remained unbowed, Traimontai faced his traitorous kin, A truce was called on the blood-stained earth, A parley between the brothers. The light of Traimont spoke softly, Pleading with his brother for reason, But Saekryn’s heart was dark, He made no reply, never to speak again. Battles continued throughout the land, Traimont was torn apart, Saekryn’s bitterness swelled, His anger knew no bounds. Traimontai gained the upper hand, Uniting his people to his cause, The crimson hordes driven to the sea, At Karraihala the traitor cursed once more. Before leaving Traimont’s fair shore, Self-imposed exile, his followers joined him, Traimontai wept for his lost brother, And turned to face his sundered land. IV Faced with the ruins and ashes, Traimontai returned to the mountains, Among the Traimuns he sought answers, He people feared his safe return. For fifty days, Traimontai prayed, To whom he prayed, none could say, But on the morning of the fiftieth day, He stepped silently into his palace. His followers looked into their lord’s eyes, Which had been consumed with grief, At the loss of his brother, The destruction of his domain. Finally Traimontai uttered the words, “We must rebuild, we shall endure,” And great determination swept the land, Their king was restored to them. Thus Toraquai was rebuilt, The blood-stained fields sown anew, Traimontai witnessed his people’s rebirth, The herald of a new dawn. Book Three I The age of troubles passed into memory, But Saekryn’s treachery lingered In the minds and hearts of Traimont, Traimontai remained ill at ease. His neighbours settled their own lands, Lonminium’s golden city by the river, Araimedes’ learned citadel, And the hunters of the Sokathan plains. Toraquai stood as a testimony Of Traimontai’s beneficence, Traders poured into Rendeth, The torn land was resurrected. Disquiet did not diminish, Saekryn’s people ravaged the shore, But the peace was maintained, Through noble sacrifice and blood. Yet throughout the age he lived, Traimontai looked to a future A time beyond the great ones, After the Founding Kings. II And thus envoys were sent, Messages taken to all corners of the land, Traimontai summoned his equals, To a conclave high in the Traimuns. From all the lands they came, The golden king of Vinium, The scholar king of Joredes, And the chieftain of Sokath. Traimontai welcomed them as brothers, Knowing his own brother was absent, The pain of that betrayal, Lingered heavily in his heart. He spoke at length to the kings, His tear-stained cheeks glistening in the sun, The words he had to say, Would not come easily. He told them it was time to leave, Depart Sotramar forever, Time to let their peoples, Face the world without them. III One by one, the others agreed, Swayed by Traimontai’s eloquence, Only when the kings had gone, Could their people truly grow. Solemnly the kings returned, Facing their peoples with grim hearts, In Toraquai the people waited, While Traimontai rose to speak. For hours he held them enthralled, With tales of wonder and glory, Yet at the ultimate moment, He told them of his plan. Cries swept the crowds, Pleading with him to stay, But Traimontai quietly walked away, Leaving Toraq as the new king. The people lined the streets, Saying their final goodbyes, As the glorious founding king, Passed into the foothills of the Traimuns. IV Toraq watched from the palace, At his king’s passing, The words spoken to him, Imprinted on his brain. There was work still to be done, So he could not dwell for long, On what had gone before, But rather look to the future. And what of Traimontai? He ascended the peak of Kalaistus, Once more reaching the silver pool, Where his companions waited. “Now my brothers, we must leave this place,” And without a further word, Traimontai and the Founding Kings Left the mountains silent. And as a new age beckoned, Toraq guided his people, Recalling the words of Traimontai, “I shall be with you always.” The End |
|||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |