Nethron (1)
Adam Robinson

 

















Chapter 1
The fall of Meleticko
N
ethron stood stock still behind a large tree in the Rudden Forest. The Goz troops were encamped in a clearing a few yards away. Their leader had just finished whittling a stick and threw his knife at a skinny tree, sticking it head on with perfect precision.
Nethron was a spy for King Lan who was currently at war with the Goz clan, a group of unruly outlaws who enjoyed killing all people in sight. Lan liked to call Goz the deserters, for they had once been corporals for the Meleticko army.
The leader of the Goz, Jemico, speared a sausage on the stick he had been whittling. �gHow are we going to conquer this Meleticko city?�h He asked no one in particular, thrusting his sausage hungrily into the fire.
�gI�fve already told you!�h said a man sitting on the other side of the fire. He too, was frying a sausage, like a hungry bear.
�gAnd what would that be, Heliff?�h Jemico asked.
Heliff sighed. �gThe same as we did with the city of Jonicle. Meleticko is made mostly of wood. First, we catapult buckets of tar and fire brands into the city. We can have our men set fire to those junky wooden walls, which are only good for fire! The ones who escape are caught by our men, who are surrounding the city. And then, Ho Ho! Ha Ha! Everyone�fs dead!�h He ate his sausage in two bites, and got up. �gYou think about this now. I think it�fs the best plan yet.�h
Jemico sat there for a couple moments, and then jumped up. �gYes, I think you�fre right! Let�fs do it!�h He blew a horn made out of some strange material that Nethron couldn�ft tell. But he had seen enough.
Nethron ran back to the city, supposedly �gonly good for fire�h. But Nethron had no time to think about this, for he was already at the palace telling the king of what he had heard.
King Lan had an excellent military mind, and this problem proved no harder then any other thing he had dealt with. He called the corporal, and told him the following: �gSet a watch on all sides of the city, looking for the Goz. Pour tar and oil on the land surrounding the city, and cover it with a thin layer of peat. When the Goz are on the area with tar and oil, light the tar. They will be surrounded by fire before they realize what is happening. Have your best archers shoot them down. Do as I say as best you can.�h Then turning to Nethron, he said, �gAnd my son Nethron, what part of this plan would you like to do?�h
�gYour Majesty, I would like to light the tar, if you see fit.�h
Giving him his ring, Lan said, �gShow this to my corporal, and do as you like.�h
Bowing, Nethron ran out of the chamber, exited out of his skin. He would
get to light the fire to blot out his enemies!


Nethron sat at the west gate with flint and dry wood. He would use it to light the tar. He was horribly tired, and could hardly keep his eyes open. He knew that Lan�fs plan wouldn�ft work if he was asleep, but he was too tired to care. Just as he drifted off to sleep a pebble fell on his head. Tied to it was a note that said:

Nethron, it�fs me, Jomonder. After you light the tar, come find me.
I�fll be in my father�fs barn. I have a plan to kill Jemico. If we do that,
there will be no more war with us and the Goz. I cannot avenge my
mother and father�fs death without you tonight.
   Jomonder.

Nethron looked up towards the top of the wall. There stood Jomonder, Nethron�fs best friend. Jomonder threw a quill pen down to Nethron, who wrote this on the back of the paper:

I�fll see you then!
                         Nethron

He threw the pebble up to Jomonder, who read it with a wild grin on his face. He disappeared from Nethron�fs view, dancing.
Jomonder had been an orphan ever since the age of ten. Back six years ago, the Goz had surrounded his house, and lit it on fire. Jomander�fs dad had thrown him out of the window and into the Nantre River. In so doing, he had saved his son, but given his own life. In the Nantre, the fierce current brought him to Nethron�fs house. Ever since, they had been close friends. Now Jomonder wanted revenge on the Goz.
Presently, King Lan came to supervise things. �gThe Goz have been spotted about a league away. Be on the ready. I will send my swiftest page to alert you. When that hour comes, throw a fiery brand as hard as you can in their direction.�h
�gThank you, your honor, I will do my best.�h
�gSee to it. I will see you after the battle.�h King Lan walked away to speak some encouraging words to his soldiers.
Nethron settled down to read a scroll, and eat the bread and cold soup that he had brought.
�gDo you really mean it?�h said a voice behind him. Nethron turned in surprise and saw Jomonder standing on a large rock with a giddy expression on his face. He wore a tattered black cloak, with a green brooch shaped like an oak leaf, keeping the cloak on. He had a Longbow and a quiver of arrows on his back, and a small, sharp, dagger on his belt. He was nearly invisible in the darkness.
�gWhat on earth are you talking about?�h asked Nethron.
�gAre you really going to help me avenge my mum�fs and pop�fs death?�h
�gOf course I am! Have you ever known me to break my promises?�h He turned back to his supper.
�gI suppose I haven�ft.�h He paused. �gWell, that�fs good for me, because I need all the honesty I can get.�h Jomonder sat down next to Nethron with a thump, taking out a moldy-looking loaf of bread and a hard block of cheese.
�gWant some soup?�h Nethron asked.
�gSure! And you can have some cheese.�h
While they were trading supper, a boy came running up, panting for breath. �gIt is time!�h He said in between breaths. �gTime to light the tar!�h
Handing the page some water to refresh himself, Nethron set to work lighting the wood. Jomonder jumped to his aid.
Once the wood was well lit, Nethron threw it into the darkness, illuminating the Goz troops wallowing in the tar.
�gCome with me!�h Said Jomonder, swinging up a latter onto the city wall. �gTake this.�h He said, giving Nethron an extra longbow that was sitting on the wall.
Nethron took the bow, and looked down to the ground. The flame was enveloping the Goz, Leaving them helpless and confused in the fire.
And then, all of the sudden, Jemico raised his hand and yelled something as loud as he could. There was a blinding flash, leaving Jomonder and Nethron stunned on the ground.
Nethron was the first to get up, but he wasn�ft standing for long. There on the ground was fire. Still there, but not moving very much. In horror, Nethron realized that the fire was not fire, but hard, cold stone.
Just as Nethron was falling to the ground, limp as wet paper, Jomonder grabbed his arm. �gFollow me!�h He said, running to the south. Nethron followed him through mud puddles, lawns, flowerbeds, and gardens. Finally they reached their destination.
Jomonder opened a small trap door that was invisible in the mud. �gDrop in there!�h He said.
Nethron did as he was told, and Jomonder jumped in after him. Jomonder struggled with the door, for its dirty hinges were stuck.
Nethron ran to the aid of his friend, and together, the door started creaking shut. Then a shape loomed over the door. It was the shape of a man.
The man swung his sword at them, and they ducked, taking out their longbows. Nethron and Jomonder shot at the man and he fell to the ground.
The door fell shut, and all went black.
�gWhere are we?�h Nethron asked.
No answer.
�gJomonder?�h
He walked to the left, and stepped on something soft and warm. It was Jomonder!
Nethron opened the trap door, and looked down on the ground. Jomonder
was on the ground, stabbed through the heart. The soldier had killed Muisick. He sat down in a corner and started to weep.


Three hours later, Nethron was still weeping in the corner, when he wondered what had happened to the rest of the city. He slowly raised his head out of the hole, and started in surprise. The city was not there, only burning cottages and ashes on the ground. And in the middle of where the city had been, there was a spear in the ground. And stabbed on the top of the spear was Lan�fs head.



























Chapter 2
Sabian
N
o one is left. All are dead. The Goz have won! Nethron thought this as he paced the chard ruins of Meleticko. I�fm the only one left. No one was alive. Nethron�fs house was only black coals. We�fre the good guys! This isn�ft supposed to happen!
I will get revenge for Jomonder�fs death. I will get revenge for mum and pop. I will get revenge on Jomonder�fs mum and pop. I will if it�fs the last thing I do.
Nethron decided he should get going on his journey. His plan was to go find a sword fighting instructor, and get very good with weapons. When that was done, he would go and kill Jemico, and in doing so get revenge.


The journey was long and hard, for the nearest town was four leagues away. But on the third day of tired feet and aching back, his journey was rewarded.
He was on a grassy hill, which went up on a slow incline, and ended on a pointed rock facing the north. When he came to the edge of the point he smiled. The city of Helont was no more than two miles away. He was so tired and so happy at the same time that he closed his eyes, and ran.
He felt new strength, and ran all the faster. Then he realized that it was a mindless thing to do, running with your eyes closed. So he opened them, and there in front of him, not a foot away, was a cliff.
Nethron couldn�ft stop. The ledge was too close. He couldn�ft stop. He fell. And he fell. The ground was coming closer and closer. He grit his teeth. He new he would die, but he new not how much it would hurt.
At the last moment, a yellow shape jumped from the side of the cliff and roared. Everything went black.

Nethron was standing on a field of clovers, looking out on the horizon. He wore a mail, and armor was belted on to his arms and legs. On his belt was a sword that was the same color as his armor. The bow that Jomonder had given him was in his hand. Next to him was a large hyena. The hyena was not chained, but Nethron showed no sign of fear. The hyena growled a low, deep growl.
 The Goz were encamped a quarter a mile away. They were unaware of Nethron, standing at the ready Images flashed through his mind. Jomonder. Mum. Pop. Jomonder�fs Mum. His Pop. Lan. The townspeople. This was all he thought
of.
Nethron drew his sword with a flourish. �gAre you ready, my brother?�h he said apparently to the hyena.
�gYes,�h replied the hyena.
Nethron did not look surprised that the hyena had spoke, but only answered, �gGood.�h He mounted it with ease. �gAnd now my good friend, onward.�h
The hyena bounded off towards the camp of Goz. When they were there, Nethron swung his sword like a pro. The Goz fell around him like flies.
And then, Jemico walked up to Nethron, sword in hand.
Nethron swung and he jabbed, blocked and thrust. Jemico soon had lost a finger, and had many cuts in his arms and legs. Jemico then had a burst of energy, and swung and stabbed Nethron through the heart. Nethron had failed to avenge the many deaths he had seen in his life.


Nethron woke up. He was lying on his back looking up on the cliff he had just fallen from. He felt no pain from the fall down the cliff. He felt as if he had been sleeping on a soft feather bed for months. No bruises. No pain.
And then he remembered the yellow thing flying out from the cliff. The thing had saved his life. What was it? He looked at the cliff. Where the thing had come from, he wasn�ft sure.
Of all the things he had seen in his life, the yellow blur was the most mysterious.
While he was looking at the cliff, a shape came bounding into view. It was the yellow blur; it was a lion.
Nethron backed away. He was terrified of wild animals, and had been since a bear had eaten a sheep while Nethron was in the field, watching the whole thing.
Much to Nethron�fs surprise, the lion talked. �gDo not fear, small one.�h
�gWho are you?�h Asked Nethron in a shaky voice.
�gI am the lion who jump out of the cliff to save you. I am the lion who will bring you to the hyena in your dream. I am the lion who will help avenge those deaths. I am Sabian.�h
�gSo - Sabian, what do you have with me?�h
�gI will help you become the swordsman you wish to become, and train you in magic.�h
�gIs that what turned that fire into stone?�h
�gYes. And that is what allowed me to jump off the cliff and not be hurt by the fall.�h
�gWhat do I have to do for this to be possible?�h
�gLet me breathe on you.�h
�gSo be it.�h
Sabian breathed a long breath in Nethron�fs face. Nethron changed from a fearful little boy into a young man that would always keep promises. In Nethron�fs eyes, Sabian turned from a terrifying lion into a friend and companion.
�gHow is that?�h Sabian asked.
�gWonderful. But why did you pick me to breathe on?�h Nethron asked, puzzled. �gI mean, why didn�ft you pick any old person?�h
�gI have breathed on many a person and trained many a magician. But you will get a hyena, while others get wolves, tigers, bears, and even dragons. You will hear more of this when you hear the story of the Firya Roccar. Right now, let us get you armor and a sword.�h








 























Chapter 3
Tests
S
abian led Nethron through a field, up hills, through the woods, and up a steep mountain. About an eighth of the way up, Sabian stopped at a ledge that went down about two hundred feet and then flat for another ten or twelve feet, then went back up for about two hundred fifty feet. �gGet on my back.�h Sabian said. �gOnly I can get across this gap.�h
Nethron mounted Sabian with some difficulty, but he eventually got up.
�gReady?�h Sabian asked.
Nethron looked down the ledge. The rocks on the bottom were sharp and crooked, giving them a haunted look. A few bones lay at the bottom, apparently from people who had tried to get across. �gReady,�h He said.
Sabian took a few steps backwards, and then took a running leap. They landed safely on the other side.
�gDid you use magic that time?�h asked Nethron, amazed at the long distance the Sabian had jumped without difficulty.
�gNo,�h Sabian replied, �gI used it before because I had nothing to pad me. The moss on the mountain pads me well.�h
For the first time, Nethron noticed that the ground was covered in moss. Sabian�fs feet sunk into it, making a smooth ride for both of them.
Sabian turned a corner, now padding along on a bright blue moss with tiny yellow flowers. �gThis is the mossy mountain. I have cast a spell so that this moss will eat alive any being or animal unless I stop it from doing so.�h
�gI didn�ft think magic was real until Jemico turned fire into stone. Can Jemico do things like you?�h
�gNo. He is a weak magician, and can only do magic if it is in his rulebook. But we will us no rulebooks. You shall be a true Firya Roccar.�h
�gWhat does Firya Roccar mean?�h
�gFirya is elvish for human. Roccar means rider. This word was chosen simply because Firya roccars �gride�h wild animals. No other way can a human ride a living wild animal.�h He paused. �gIf you were an elf, you would be a Caliquende Roccar.�h
�gElves are real? I thought they were just in legends.�h
�gNo. Most normal humans think that, but they are not right.�h
They eventually came to a small cave in a cliff. Sabian walked into it, with Nethron following. It had a small, jagged, entrance, and moss surrounded it, but none ventured inside. As the cave went deeper into the rock, the passage got wider and wider until it was a long hall. The sides were not like a cave, but smooth and
polished. The floor was like a carpet, covered in thick moss. And all this was not what Nethron noticed first, but the roof. It was covered in huge stalactites. They were longer than three lions the size of Sabian. They were about as wide as Sabian. And somehow, there were no stalagmites on the floor. More magic. Nethron thought. In the corner was an unlit furnace, with an anvil and other blacksmith supplies. This was apparently where Sabian made the armor to give to his students. But how did he make it? His paws couldn�ft grasp the equipment; or could they?
Nethron looked at Sabian to ask him this question, and was just in time for something amazing to happen.
Sabian�fs long, shaggy mane turned into short, black hair. His paws turned into feet and hands. His legs turned from hairy to clean, bare skin. And his body grew clothes, black as night. And then there was total darkness for a split second. When the normal light was restored, there was no lion. Only a man.
The man wore a black shirt with shaggy sleeves. He wore gray and black shorts, coming down to his knees and ending in blue cuffs with green spots.
�gWho are you?�h Nethron asked.
�gSabian!�h Sabian replied. �gYou thought I was different from Sabian? Ha!�h
The man�fs voice did sound much like Sabian�fs, but he had a haughtier attitude. And his voice had a growling tone about it.
Sabian walked over to the furnace and lit it, filling the room with brilliant light. He produced all the supplies he needed when he needed them. In the end, he came up with a brilliant suit of armor with a sword that was the same color as the armor. Nethron realized that it was the armor from his dream.
�gThere,�h Sabian said.
�gWow!�h Nethron exclaimed. �gIt�fs beautiful.�h
�gTry it on.�h Sabian suggested.
While Nethron was putting on the armor, Sabian turned back into a lion, which was the same process, only backwards.
�gLet me test your knowledge, so that I know what to teach you.�h Sabian said. �gPick up that pebble on the table.�h Nethron did as he was told. �gNow lift it off your hand.�h
Nethron used his other hand to pick up the pebble. He started to think that Sabian was crazy, asking some one to do something that even a newborn baby could do.
Sabian started to laugh a loud, deep, laugh. �gNo, no, no. Using magic!�h
Nethron first tried staring at the pebble as hard as he could, then tried yelling at it, then blowing on it, but the pebble didn�ft move an inch.
�gHmm,�h Sabian had a grim expression on his face. �gI presume that you know nothing of magic.�h
�gNo sir,�h
�gThen let us test your fighting.�h He turned back into a human and went to a closet, producing armor and two wooden swords. He tossed one to Nethron.
Nethron did the best he could with the light wooden sword, but Sabian kept defeating him.
�gNot as good as I expected.�h Sabian said.
Sabian tested his archery, which Nethron was good at. Sabian told him to do as many pushups as possible, and Nethron did fifty. Sabian then got down on the floor and proceeded to do two hundred. Nethron was flabbergasted.
Sabian had many more tests, all of which Nethron did badly or failed. He was tested on climbing, pull-ups, boxing, wrestling and other things.
Finally, Sabian settled into his lion form and lay down next to a couch, which he invited Nethron to sit in.
�gI will now tell you the story of the Firya Roccars.�h

 
















 

 

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Copyright © 2007 Adam Robinson
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