"All that talk of the surface and this is what you bring back?" Pythol watched as his father coldly addressed the spy they had spent so much time getting into the guards, clearly displeased by what he had managed to sneak away from the surface expedition. Pythol craned his neck to see what it was and was surprised to see a coin, a common copper by the looks of it, held between his fathers fingers. Larger than the standard copper coins used in T'arth N'avien, the coin seemed almost to glow in the light of the glow bulbs scattered about the room.
"No more useless trinkets, there must be more up there than this garbage!" Pythos, leader of Clan Ixthal spat out at the bowed head of the spy. " On my life my lord, I swear this is all I was able to retrieve safely. We were closely watched and searched before being allowed to leave the guards compound!"
"Pythol! You leave to join the guards academy tomorrow, do not dissapoint me as this one has. Here take this coin as a reminder to do better than this fool..." Pythos said as he flipped the coin Pythols way. Pythol did a clean catch with one hand and said" I shall not fail you father."
"See that you don't, your clutchmates would kill for this opportunity, quite literally" A cold smile crossed his face as he turned to the spy." Dismissed, report back on when the next expedition will be and this time do not dissapoint me."
"My Lord" the masked spy said as he fled the chamber. As he left my father turned back to me and gave me a considering look before saying, " You have been given an opportunity that brings great benefit to both you and the clan, from the day you enter the guards you cannot be seen to be partial to our clan. All ties will be cut and you will be a free agent with loyalties only to the council. This facade must be maintained at all costs. Alll members of the council have their spies and agents hidden within and all know this, however there may never be anything overt showing that you have favoured our clan. Only in this way may you rise up the ranks and serve our interests when the time comes. This may very well be the last time we speak like this, you must remember that everything we do, we do for the clan. I wish you safe travels my son, for tomorrow we are strangers.
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It is a hard thing, being separated from everything you have ever known. A life of privilege, vying to be the next clan leader, only to find that your skills and contributions to the clan have instead doomed you to a life outside of it. None of us expected that the caverns would re-open in our lifetimes, for many the surface had become a myth. Something to tell the hatchlings of. Easier for my people than some of the others for we were always dwellers in the deeps of the earth and it's waterways, it is part of what allowed us to survive where so many other species perished. We had our surface enclaves and many of our brethren were acclimated to living there before the end times. Still the destruction wrought above ground affected even those of us below the surface, with many clutches destroyed by collapsing cave systems and creatures fleeing the surface in those last desperate days. In many ways I feel closer to my ancestors now than ever before for they too faced the separation in those early days from the life they once knew. So be it. I leave tonight for the tavern known as "The Jaded Unicorn", from whence I shall leave on the morrow to start my new life as a guard trainee. I shall bring honor to my clan even if I must do so far away from it.
From the personal diary of Pythol Ixthal
First hatched son of Pythos the Blackspear.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
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"How about one more roll of the dice my friend? Why you may just win some of this coin back from me" said the red eyed young human across from me as I stared at him in disbelief...I had never before partaken in gambling nor imbibed quite so much alcohol, quite frankly I don't know what possessed me but suddenly all my faculties came back to me like a wave from the under sea crashing against a floundering ship. What was I doing?!Standing up in horror I quickly stumble away from the table."No, no more! Rushing off to the sound of the other patrons laughter , I can feel the heat of shame rushing to my gills, making them swell uncomfortably. One small mercy, I thought fatalistically, at least the room had been paid for before hand. With that I fell through the doorway of my room, quickly closing and securing it before slumping fully clothed over the bed.I remebered nothing further until awaking the next morning.
"Why do other races do this to to themselves?" I muttered to myself the next morning as I slowly dragged myself back to my feet. It was as I was opening the door to leave my room that I remembered the full extent of my activities the night before, as well as the full extent of my foolishness. By the dragon turtles shell, how much did I lose?! Yanking out my coin pouch and fumbling with it for a second or two in my haste to get it open, I finally managed to pour the contents out into my trembling hands.1,2,3....4 gold and 2 silver remaining, I had lost almost the entire content of my personal funds it seemed. Gills quivering in anger it took me another second to realise what else was missing - the copper coin from the surface! I had intended to have it packed safely in my baggage only to get interrupted by a servant informing me that it was time to leave, in my distraction I put it in my coin pouch. Only last night whilst in the tavern did I notice what I had done, however I decided to put it away later. In fact I remember telling myself that it would in fact be safer on my person! What was going on? This was not characteristic of me at all...Spotting the tavern keeper coming from the back holding what appeared to be a barrel of the foul swill I had somehow managed to indulge in last night I quickly approached him. "Good publican, a moment of your time, please."
"Eh? Why if it ain't our young lord of the Ixthal, left a bit 'bruptly last night didn' ya? Wot can I do for ye this morning?" As I was about to answer him, two of my sires flunkies came storming in to the inn. " Pythol, formerly of Clan Ixthal, the time has come to join the guard, are you prepared?" the taller of the two enquired. "I am." I replied, noting the smirk on the face of the shorter one. Taking a closer look i recognised him as an attendant that often followed a clutch brother of mine around. " I take it Nycthol needed first hand confirmation of my exile?"I asked wryly.
"Long has the great Nycthol awaited this moment, he has bade me tell you that he looks forward to you serving him in his capacity of council member in the future. He also bade me tell you that he knows that his sire has given you a token of some kind, give it to him and he may consider letting go of past offenses." He said with a sneer.
" Ah, would that I could but unfortunately..."
"Unfortunately what?!" he snapped impatiently.
"Unfortunately, as the good innkeeper here can attest, it was lost in a game of cards just last night." I said retuning the smirk. "I am afraid Nycthol will just have to be dissapointed, you on the other hand get to return to my brother with the news, an unenviable task as I know for a fact that he seldom rewards the bearer of good tidings and always punishes the bearer of ill." I could see the paling of his gills, a truly satisfying sight to behold. Petty I know but I think under the circumstances, warranted.
"Who has taken it? Tell me now!" He demanded with desperation clear in his voice. "Well I surely would but unfortunately the night itself is a bit of a blur to me, I may have imbibed just a touch too much in the way of spirits you see." I said with a wry chuckle.
Of course something always comes along to sour even the sweetest of moments...in this instance a deep voice speaking from the shadows of a table in the far corner of the room. "Mayhap I could assist you in finding this trinket, if'n you make it worth my time...could be I know where the person currently holding onto it could be found." With that an elderly Kor'Vali missing an eye shuffled out of the shadows. " So whats the information worth to ya?"