As soon as the bodies were cleaned up and the damage undone the men took a days rest. When the hour sruck Five A.M (our worlds time) the armies arose and travled across the dessert to the city Terram. After a week in a half of travle they were coming close to the city, David noticed this was were Josia lived, and what he didn't notice when he was here last time was there were hundreds of othe sand caves like Josia's all around. The people who lived in the caves were rebels and outcasts, they serve no but themselves. A few of the rebels were outside mining, "Do you serve the gods of Gannon and the lord of this country?" Ximo asked sternly. "No, we serve no man," was his reply. The renagade looked at the banner of Red Haven and said, "there are too few of you to deafeat this army you will need help." "Who will come?" Ximo asked. "The people of this land you stand on have been waiting for vengance this is our chance, we will come," The reble replied. Quickly word spread about and the rebels were armed with spears and swords, the combined armie marched for another five days until the saw the city looming over them. "Form ranks," Ximo yelled, "horse men upfront infantry in the back." There was a long pause and the came the gripping words. " For Red Haven, and for the One!" The armies charged taking the Gannonites by surprise. the battle dragged on for a day and finaly they pushed the Gannonites back to the palace. The Gannonites who were still alive were quickly killed, Ximo walked up to the gates where the prince and king sat on thier thrones. Ximo walked up the long passage swept the kings head off he pointed his sword at the prince who imidately yelled. "Please do not kill me. "If you were a greater man I would but I do not spill the blood of cowards and weaklings," Ximo said sternly. The comander of the rebles walked in. Ximo said, " Bow to your new king, lord Roeku the first." Ximo then Knigted him, and destroyed all the temples of the false gods. The people of Red Haven returned happy and rejoiced. Later Ximo maried Queen Hellen, and the Knights of the One continued on. King Mathis went to war with the dwarves of the blackwood and was deafeated, the dwarves forced him to make peace and from that day forward the dwarves were free in the land.
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Ximo did not know what to do war was coming and the queen would not believe him if he told her he was a knight of the One. "Well we cannot wait for those swords we have to fight," Ximo said. " We cannot fight, the queen will think we are spys, and Mathew will not be back before the siege begins," David replied. "Then we must talk the other folowers into talking to the queen," Ximo said. At an amazing speed they had talked the folowers of the One to talk to the queen. She had no other choice but to believe them, they were her only hope so they prepared for war. Once they were suited in armor they were given a short training sestion of how to use there swords. They wore chainmail under a leather over-shirt with leather clad pants and a steel helmet. Anxiously they awaited the seige, the folowers of the One gave them a book that the One himself wrote. They were made to swear an oath to the One and the queen to forever serve untill death take them. " All men of Red Havens armies to the wall, bar that door," Genarel Gonon ordered. Archers were placed on the wall with a barrel of oil beside them to light thier arrows. The scorpian banner of Gannon was insight. "Once they are in range give them a volley, They Genarle comanded. Folowing the genarles comand the archers lit their arrows. Ximo was in charge of one of the two towers on the front wall, he the closest to the shore could plainly see that one of the Gannonite ships were flanking them. They are on our right side, archers rotate to the right! Fire!" He yelled hundreds of arrows colided with the ship setting it ablaze. "back into possition men," Ximo commanded. The first two battalions of Gannonites positioned themselves infront of the walls. "Realese the abyss," the Genarle yelled. Imidiantly the archers fired and lit up the first line of Gannonites. "ladders!" Ximo yelled,"draw swords! the ladders came up and David was the first to swing a man back down with a vicious blow to the neck, blood splattered on the wall and with disgusting squish the body hit the ground. Archers fired upon the men clibming the ladder, but arrows quickly depleted. after sevral waves of arrows they were out, so they poured the rest of the oil upon the enemy. More and more battalions lined in front of the wall. "what are they doing," Ximo asked the genarle. They were lighting a huge firework. Gonon answered. "they are calling for siege towers and more men, they will have no mercy upon this countrey." Right after he said this it shot atleast one-thousand feet high and a giant scorpian lit the skies. the ladders did the work every man was fighting for thier lives on the walls of the great fortress. Many Gannonites had died by Ximo and David's swords, but it was in vain for it seemed the men never stopped clibming the wall. " fall back to keep!" Gonon ordered. They retreated to the keep and barred the door. "There is no hope their army is too great." Ximo said sighing, "I should have never come." The Gannonites encamped in the front walls, thus began a long siege. The sound of a battering ram at the door was heard every day and the firing of catupults were a normal sound. A week passed of being locked up in the keep flew by, and food grew short. "Mathew is probably dead," David said to Ximo with his head drooped down. The verry next day a sentry yelled, " A rider aproaches the back gate carrying the banner of read haven (which is a single sword with a saphire embeded in the hilt)." "Quickly! open the gate," Ximo ordered. Mathew road into the keep carrying the two swords. He handed it to Ximo and David without a word. They unseathed the sword, the saphire began to glow and both of them heard the mysterious voice of the One. "I will not allow my people to be enslaved, I will deliver them into your hands." Walking up to the genarle Ximo said,"Are you with?" "To the death," was the reply. they mounted thier horeses with the armies behind them. "unbar the door," Ximo ordered. The door was open , hundreds of solidures ran through the ranks of the Gannonites. They recaptured the walls, and stole the arrows realeasing them upon the enimies. the battle ended tthe next day. Red Havens banner was raised high. Ximo heard the same mysterious voice, " You have done well my child go to the capital of Gannon which you have already seen and demand peace in the land and the temples of these flase gods destroyed."
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The next morning the queen put her plan to work not knowing she was being folowed. From the moment she started off they knew what she was doing. Finaly the ship was in sight she sighed in relief. The two men smiled as she walked into the ship. "How are we to get in," one of them whispered. The other pointed to a crate. running as fast and as quietly as they could they got behind the box and waited. The servant carried one of the boxes in, there was no one in sight they ran in. "That was to close," David said as they got setteled in the cargo hold." Yes, it was," Ximo replied. I cannot list the things they talked about while they waited because they waited for hours and hours until they felt the ship move. Being a small ship it was fast, when the prince found that the Queen had left he was outraged and sent his armies to attack. They were way ahead of them and they reached Red Haven knowing that the Gannonites were after them. Ximo and David found themselves in the most buatifull place they had ever seen the mountains were ahead and patches of flowers here and there. A tall man with a long white beard and a pointed hat passed, took a look at Ximo and said "Konar? Is that you?" he asked. Ximos expression changed, "No, Konar was my father he was brutaly murdered twenty years ago along with my mother," Ximo replied. The mans face turned white. " Come with me, Come on now!" he yelled. he led them to the library. "Why are we here?" Ximo asked. "No time for questions boy, you are Konar's son no doubt but he probably did not tell you," the man said. "Tell me what?" Ximo asked. The man paid no attention to him. He then looked at Ximo and said, "Have you heard of the knights of the One," "yes," Ximo replied. The man then said, "Did Servious ever mention them?" "No," Ximo answered. "Curse the dwarf for breathing," the man murmered. Than he began to say in a lighter tone, "Your father was a knight of the one, he protected us for many years. he married your mother and had a son. That son was Killed by the evil king Mathis's deadliest assasin, the one who killed your parents. Your father had another son and he knew you were not safe so he journeyed north to Mathis's kindom right under his nose you were never found until some sneak let it out. all that you read in the books were true." "Im-posible," Ximo stuttered. "You can believe me or you can die not knowing that you could have led Red Haven for many years," the man replied. Ximo's face changed, " I believe you," he said. "good," the man said, " I ride out now to the elves to get Two swords of the One." "Two" David asked. "Two, you didn't think we would leave you out did you," the man whose name was Mathew said. "Great," David mumbled.
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They journeyed on foot because the horses lost thier lives in the sandstorm. "We must reach the ruins of the great fort of Queen Hellen before sundown," Ximo said. If you knew anything about this world than you would know and I would not have to explain that this fort was said to be unconquerable. The armys of Red Haven owned the great fort but in the later years of Queen Hellen's riegn the army weakened, seeing thier chance the people of Gannon invaded and ransacked the city for five-hundred years before Red Haven launched one final assult now only ruins remain. Finaly they saw the great ruins, thier walk became a run and they entered the crumbling gate. Although it was still midday they began preperations for a fire and water for the journey tomorow. It grew dark and only the light of the fire shown through the darkness. "Do you think it true ghost of the warriors still dwell here?" Ximo asked." I know not, but if there are we must be ready, David replied. " I remember somthing Josia said when I asked him how we were to save you he said the One will previde, who or what is the One?" David asked. " from the books I read, the people of Red Haven believe that there is only one God unlike the people of Gannon who believe there are many gods, and the old storys say that there were a chosen few who had swords with a saphire in the hilt that glowed when the One was talking to them. They led thier people to victory many times," Ximo replied." That would be amazing if there still were These knights of the One," David said." We will soon find out," Ximo replied. Extremely weary Ximo turned over and was fast asleep. Awoken by the sound of cyoties Ximo and David set off again. They realeased a sigh of relief when they saw the sandy deserts end and it was once again grassy, but it was still part of Gannon. They saw some homes and decided to go around because the people of Gannon were not to kind to the northeners of Burro. After a few days of travling they saw a city, called Tabon this was more rich than even Teram. As they walked they heard a servant yell,"Make way for Queen Hellen the nineth of Red Haven." "What luck," Ximo said, "mabey we can barter our way to safe passage to Red Haven." "Lets folow them," David sugested, so off they went. The apartments for the Queen were much nicer than the slave-traders so they had to climb higher on the rooftops of other buildings to reach her window. Carefully they eavesdropped on the queen and her bodygaurd. " The prince is a foul man he would have better luck marying a dog," the Queen said. "But he is prince of Gannon which would make a very good ally," the bodyguard said. " I will not mary an ugly half-wit so that I have a good ally," the Queen said in a comanding tone "Yes my lady but if you leave without him in marrige he will send his armys to war, we cannot hold much longer our contrey is weak we do not have the fire we had long ago," he replied. " I-I have an idea we signal for a fast small ship and say you are going for a swim in the river and we cast off back to Red Haven," He sugested. this is a fine idea we will have a head start," she said. Just when Ximo and David were about to reveal themselves and barter passage the queen said " If you find anyone who has heard this meeting cut thier throats." As the Queen and her body gaurd left the room Ximo whispered to David "We will have to stow away."
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"We will go to Teram tomorow at the auction," Josia said. "How will we save him?" asked David. "The One will previde," was the only reply. After several hours They got hungry and decided to hunt dessert monkeys which David had never heard of, but they tasted delicious. An hour turned to a day, they then started of to Teram it like most places in the dessert country of Gannon was an amazing sight,towers were in every corner of the city. Noblemen wore gold necklaces rings and ear rings. To thier amazement they could see the slave trader pulling Ximo with a rope to the auction stand. Because Servious had worked him day and night with tough chorse he was a strong man, a bidding war began. Josia pulled out an emarold ring and said, "I will give you this ring for him, probably worth more than all the slaves you have sold put together." "How did you get that?" David whispered. "Spoils of war," Josia smiled as he replied. "Done," the slave-trader said happily. "Now you are going to get it back," Josia said to David as Ximo was pushed to him. "David, You're alive!" Ximo exlaimed. "Yes, and we are not going to be if we do what Josia wants for payback," He replied. "Who is Josia," Ximo asked. "Him with the blonde hair," David replied. He excplained what Josia said and what they were to do. "folow the slave-trader see where he lives, and in the night sneak in and grab it," Ximo said. What if he's wearing it, and he's not an enemy of us anyway," David said. "He was about to sell me into slavery probably forever," "Ok, but we better be out of here and In Red Haven in two weeks as we planned," David replied. Quietly they folowed the slave-trader, it led them to the outer gate where they planned to exit anyway. Josia waited in and ally beside the dwelling. after they waited at the tavern across the street it was midnight. They clibmed a ladder ontop of another house ,and pulled themselves through the window. He lay there sleeping the ring was on his finger. However they had a plan that would make anyones spine tingle. David clibmed back out and yelled," thief!" The man heard it he thought," they are here to steal the ring." So he put it in a drawer next to the bed. Not knowing that Ximo was watching from the shadow. He went back to sleep convined that he would awake before the thief opened the drawer, but he was a sound sleeper. Easily Ximo opened the drawer and grabbed the ring. Something caught his eye, a sword he saw that it was his on, he leapt back out with it seathed at his side." good," David whispered. they then gave it to Josia and left the city without alerting anyone.
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"Do we folow the river down through the dessert?" Asked David. "No, we have to cross," Ximo replied. They found a spot in the river where thier horses could cross, and set off. Quickly thier horses carried them through the land of buroo, it took a day to finaly reach the end of the grassland. In a second thier suroundings changed from a grassy plain to a waterless dessert, but they cared not they would be in Red Haven in a matter of days if all went well. As they trudged on they saw somthing it was like a smoke but it was moving towards them. "What is that?" Ximo peered at the moving cloud as he said this. it got closer. It was not a cloud. "Sandstorm!" David yelled. The wind had picked uo and now the sandstorm was upon them. "David where are you?" There was yell somwhere near Ximo he looked around but saw nothing. groaning Ximo fell as the sand poured into this part of the dessert. Ximo awoke in a cart a bearded man with a turbine was at the front. "Where am I?" Ximo asked. The man awnsered, "You are going to the city Teram there I will sell you as a slave." Ximo reached for his sword and noticed two things it was not there and the other his hands were bond.
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David was in a strange enviorment when he awoke he was laying in a bed the walls around him where rock. The rock was not like concrete or bricks it was sandy and jagged. Dreading he had ever came he walked out of his room and into the living area. "Finaly awake?" A tall man with long blonde hair who had no wife said. Quietly he lived under a rock in this cave. "Where is my companion we were seperated in the sandstorm?" Sighing the tall man who's name was Josia said, "I saw a slave trader with a fair skined man like you in his cart he will be sold on auction day tomorow." "But- but that could be anybody," David replied stammering. "we do not usualy have men of the north sold we mainly get them from the rockwater islands," Josia replied. "Is there any way we could help him?" asked David. "Only by buying him or killing every one in Teram," Josia replied. Reconsidoring this he said, " If I help you, you have to help me." David agreed.
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"Get him up," screamed the terified mother. "I'm trying I'm trying," yelled back the father. "he's coming!" she said. " I know!" he replied.
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A cloaked figure hurried through the woods on a black horse, the horse was panting and he knew it was about to die this mattered not to him for many a horse had died under him. His eyes burned with anger as he contimplanted how the child escaped. He knew if one more misstake happened his master would be very unhappy. "Is he ready?" The mother asked. "yes," the dad replied. he handed the crying child to the dwarf named Servious. "keep him safe keep him hidden," the father whispered in Servious's ear. "go!" off the dwarf went deep into the black woods. He ventured on and on untill he saw the glow of a lantern in his small cottage built onto the mouth of a cave. " I have the human child," he panted as he said this to his wife, named Sarah. "Good bring him here he must be very tired from his long journey," Sarah said. "Him! tired, I did all the running," he said sternly. "Well, he's just a baby," she replied. She laid him in a small bed fit for a dwarf, and all his fears seemed to go away as he drifted off to sleep.
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"where is that thief of your's?" Servious yelled to Sarah. Suddenly the door burst open and the young man named Ximo, named after his ancester a great hero of a war in the south. He as you may already know was the baby who fled with Servious to the cottage on the mouth of the cave. "I'm not a thief it is spoil of war for if they knew we were here we would all be dead," Ximo barked as he threw a sack of money on the table for Servious, who he called the grumpy old half man. "Well you and your renagade army have caused enough trouble pretty soon people are gona be wondering where all thier gold is going and guess what they are going to look here in the forbidden black woods." Servious yelled back. Ximo's "renagade army" was his friend named David, who raids towns under the rule of the crule king Mathis. Walking back to his room Ximo smiled, because he was studying the launguage of the people south in the countrey of Red Havenwhich is much like ours today Red Haven was the land of his great ancester Ximo the 1st. Willingly David had agreed to help Ximo run away to Red Haven. I wish I could list the things he learned from those books, but that would take up many pages more than this book. Scurying into his room he quickly shut the door and read the last pages of the book. At midnight they would ride to Red Haven, and would be free of the grumpy old half man for he was very grumpy. Nearly every second felt like an hour but finaly it was midnight. Knock knock. Ximo heard from his window. "come on," whispered David in the pitch blackness of the night. Ximo climbed out the window, his horse was tied to a post it was a great white stalion that he had caught in the wood, and tamed it. he strapped his sword to his belt and was ready to leave. "Hurry," Ximo whispered, as he jumped onto mirra his horse. They set off Ximo's black hair that came down to his shoulders blew in the wind. quickly they traveled for they wanted to make it to the river of Buroo before dawn. They would then have to cross the barron dessert of Gannon. After several hours of traveling they could hear the sound of rushing water. If you knew how fast water depleted with horses galloping non stop for hours you would have known how their hearts lept to hear it. "David fill the water skins I will gather fire wood," Ximo said. About fifteen minutes later Ximo was back. They lit the fire with his flint and went fast asleep. Waking up early was hard for David because he was a sound sleeper and usauly slept in. Ximo on the other hand was a very light sleeper and got up early because Servious always had somthing for him to do. Shaking David he whispered, "time to get up, we have to cross the dessert before sundown or it will be weeks before we reach Red Haven." If he had known the toils that lied ahead he would have let David sleep.