The Tale of Sacrifice



The caravan headed northwest, gradually making its way to Vornavis. It left Nydds the day before, the merchants pleased with the quality of goods they received, and even happier with the rather large profit they would make upon their arrival. So great were their appetites for wealth, that rather than taking the safer, circuitous path between the cities, they went straight through the Sea of Fire.



Fortunately, while the merchants were greedy, they were not foolish. They knew the danger of Tehir raiders, and brought a number of guards. With them rode Sir Daryns, a champion in the east, and his squire, Mirinus. The imperial knight felt it his duty to keep the caravan safe through the harsh desert, and insisted on accompanying it without payment.



Mirinus studied under the great fighter for many years. He was now approaching his twentieth birthday, and was becoming quite anxious about finally being knighted. Increasingly more often, images of Sir Mirinus, knight of the empire, filled his mind. He could see himself now, sitting on top of a great charger like Daryns, carrying a finely crafted blade.



Certainly, squire had his own horse and sword, and he practiced with them often. However, he felt that with them he looked more like a jester than a hero. The blade of his sword was quite crude, fashioned from pig iron. His horse, old and stubborn, resembled more of a mule than a destrier. At times, he often felt embarrassed to be seen as this, but then his gaze fell upon Daryns, riding before him, and the thought that one day, he too would be leading a squire, bolstered Mirinus onward through his years of training.



In fact, so engrossed was Mirinus in his dreams that he did not realize the caravan entered the great desert until he was hit by a clump of sand his horse threw up under its hooves. The sand jarred his mind out of its imaginative state, allowing him to focus upon the blazing heat of the sun overhead. The squire felt nearly overcome by the sun’s rays when he heard a cry echo up from one of the merchants.



At first, his gaze darted about confusedly, but soon he found the cause of the trader’s distress. Over a ridge, in the distance, Mirinus could see black figures racing towards them. The caravan leaders did expect raiders, but not in such numbers. They were barely able to draw their swords before the brigands were upon them.



The battle was fierce, but because of Sir Daryns, many of the Tehir littered the desert. More continued to come, and their attacks became more aggressive. Things looked grim, but soon, a smile crept over Mirinus’ face. He could see the ranks of bandits thinning. It looked as though their assault would end after one last, desperate effort. If they could last through this, the danger would be over.



Although they were set for the final push in the attack, the guards had no idea just how bad it would be. Now they fell alongside the Tehir. It seemed the only beacon of hope lay in Sir Daryns, and the number of raiders closing in on him seemed to multiply by the minute. The survival of the caravan lay with the knight’s continued participation in the battle, and Mirinus saw only one way to ensure that.



The squire dove into the horde, his blade slashing out wildly. He did manage to strike a few times, but soon the raiders regrouped, and he fell. His plan worked, however, and Daryns was set for the final, small, remaining group of Tehir. The knight soon sheathed his sword, watching several raiders flee over the horizon.



Now, the danger ended, the caravan members emerged from under their carts. A small group of clerics and empaths had the grisly task of returning the guards to life. When they came to Mirinus, the leader of the merchants had the now-living squire taken to his cart to rest. Daryns sat by his apprentice’s side until the young man awoke.



When he opened the eyes, the knight smiled at him. Before the squire could say a word, Sir Daryns took his sword from his sheath, and presented it to his apprentice, saying, “We will worry about a formal ceremony later, when you are not too weak to kneel. Just know that on this day, you have done more to earn this blade than I ever could, Sir Mirinus.”