A thorn among roses

They haven’t spoken to me since we left the ship. Bartz cursed me, which seemed very out of order for him, as he seemed very much the gallant type after my foolish falling into the tribesmen outside the castle wood. And the old man who styles himself Galuf, he has been staring at me with the fiercest and yet softest eyes I’ve ever seen. He unnerves me.

The pirates docked at the port of Tule, and then walked us across the grasslands to the Lake-City of Tule. Being here now, I can understand why my father disallowed me from ever visiting. The Academy of Tule, while well-known throughout the kingdoms, is a beauty among the dens of wickedness that has spawned here. No wonder the pirates love this city so much. But the city seems to be wealthy beyond recognition, and little wonder to that as the builder of the canal lives here and because of their great gift to mankind, was given the task of controlling and taxing the canal by the kings and queens of our fair land.

While my father agreed to the decision to allow Tule as the gatekeeper of commerce for this area, they have not gone softly about it; a constant thorn in my father’s backside, and when times are tough, they restrict even more. What’s more, as of recent events Tule has become like a simpering child; the absence of wind has caused the canal to fill with the most unimaginable horrors (I’ve only heard in rumor, of course), as the Canal soldiers have returned to Tule and are not guarding the canal anymore.

Therefore, few trade ships brave the canal, and only those with sufficient manpower make it through alive. I’ve always believed that Zok, while playing the part of friend to my father, was always ruthless and yet had no backbone, a dangerous combination for someone so important. Perhaps father should have just kept him at Tycoon at his posh estate rather than sending him off to Tule where his corruption blossomed into a hopeless maelstrom.

We have decided (or rather forced) to spend the night at a seedy inn in Tule. The captain of the pirates has taken a room to himself, and sequestered the rest of us (along with his lecherous underlings) in the dining area of the tavern. The dancers are quite lewd, wearing almost no clothes and having no bearing on their sex, but the men seem to enjoy it. Even more, the old man who we found near the scorched rock also seems to be enjoying himself, almost too drunk to stand now but singing at the top of his lungs. Bartz, on the other hand, is sitting quietly near the stage, watching the dancers, hung over with what appears to be his second drink. He must really have low constitution.

I’m such a fool, to go off running to find father when I know he went so far away. I feel pity for the guards I convinced to come. I saw their bodies taken away by the tribesmen; no doubt their families will feel the pain of their loss. While fate seemed to spare me, it does not seem so now. Perhaps this is my punishment for taking the lives of those men and breaking apart their families.

I was surprised at the decision of the captain to spare us. I’ve heard stories from the court at Tycoon of pirates who brave the Median Sea, who have terrorized Tycoon’s trade for the last five years or so. While I am overjoyed to have discovered the location to their hideout, they will most likely just find a new one. Father will be pleased to know the identity of Faris Unworthy, as he is called by the soldiers, or in popular account, Faris the Bloodhound. He is known as a bloodthirsty villain who enjoys gutting the king’s man after gloating victory over them, and then looting every piece of gold and silver from the ship, finally setting fire to the ship and letting it drift to the end of the world.

Seeing the legend up close, though, he looks so soft and weak. Almost too perfect for a pirate. His men adore him, and were I a pirate I believe I would give my life for my captain as well. It’s lucky I was born royalty, then, and to the greatest king this land has yet seen.

I find myself out of place here: the last few days, I have been captured a prisoner by all those around me, from the gob tribesmen, to unscrupulous bounty hunters, to a den of the most wicked pirates in the Median Sea. I hope we will arrive at the shrine soon, and I can finally leave these cutthroats and be taken into the arms of the Cult, who while equally as questionable, at least have the decency of loyalty to the king. I will be glad to be away from this band of pond scum.