{"id":4095,"date":"1983-07-12T00:01:24","date_gmt":"1983-07-12T04:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4095"},"modified":"2016-08-10T14:21:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-10T18:21:24","slug":"maelstrom-first-chapter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/maelstrom-first-chapter\/","title":{"rendered":"The Maelstrom, First Chapter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Maelstrom
\nA Tale by Michael DeAngelo
\nChapter One:\u00a0Cresting Waves<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The man and the elf sat beneath the trees, listening to the rain land upon the leaves.\u00a0 Long before, their fire sizzled and sputtered out, leaving just sparks and wisps of smoke behind.<\/p>\n

Icarus remained a few feet away from there, leaving the sanctuary of his lean-to behind.\u00a0 His pupil holed up there though, looking skyward as though he could learn to predict where the rain would fall.\u00a0 Though Helios couldn\u2019t see his mentor\u2019s face from that vantage, he was sure a smile was splayed across the elf\u2019s face.\u00a0 A pronounced sigh was released, loud enough that he was sure it would be heard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI assume that\u2019s your less-than-subtle attempt at making me aware that you\u2019re bored.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Helios asked in the most innocent tone he could muster.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy apologies,\u201d the elf teased.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that I\u2019ve seen dogs under the command of your father\u2019s hound master that are more discreet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we doing out here, Icarus?\u201d the pupil wondered.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re always putting my nose in books or cutting a fighting lesson short because \u2018it\u2019s better to stop a fight than to start one.\u2019\u00a0 You always have some kind of cryptic message behind every action.\u00a0 But for the life of me, I can\u2019t seem to find the lesson in all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Icarus spun about, finally facing his ward.\u00a0 \u201cMust there be a lesson?\u00a0 Could it not be a moment of respite in a life otherwise overflowing with training and learning and preparation?\u201d<\/p>\n

A knowing grin couldn\u2019t be contained as Helios looked upon his teacher.\u00a0 \u201cNot from you,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got three thousand years of experience.\u00a0 There\u2019s a lesson in this.\u00a0 Or at the very least, a reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf chortled.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, when I was your age, I was afforded some time to be na\u00efve.\u00a0 You already know so much, young Master Helios.\u00a0 In time, I fear I\u2019ll run out of things to teach you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomehow, I doubt that,\u201d Helios muttered.<\/p>\n

Icarus furrowed his brow then, and rose to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been more aware of your nightmares with every passing day.\u00a0 Yes, of course I\u2019ve noticed.\u00a0 And even the nights when you aren\u2019t awakened in a cold sweat, you still toss and turn, struggling to find reverie.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been tempted to reach out for help from another, but I wanted to try one last time on my own to rid you of your demons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis place\u2014or rather, the place we\u2019re going\u2014was always a place of reprieve for me.\u00a0 It reminds me of a place I knew in my youth.\u00a0 Though those times are long past, I still draw comfort from here.\u00a0 I\u2019m hoping that\u2014even though you won\u2019t have my memories\u2014you\u2019ll still find comfort there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helios rose then.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t necessary,\u201d he pressed.\u00a0 \u201cI appreciate the offer, but we don\u2019t need to go anywhere.\u00a0 So I\u2019ve been having nightmares.\u00a0 It hasn\u2019t affected me during my waking hours, has it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it hasn\u2019t.\u00a0 But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen it\u2019s business as usual.\u00a0 It\u2019s my job to be prepared for when my brother becomes king, is it not?\u00a0 Someone has to protect him.\u00a0 If we\u2019re taking a breather instead of training, I\u2019ll take this as a formal acknowledgement that I am prepared to stand beside my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf couldn\u2019t hold back a smile.\u00a0 \u201cHumor me, will you?\u201d\u00a0 He waved the lad on as he turned and walked past the smoldering pile of ash.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to remember, when your brother is king, you\u2019ll not just sit at his side in the throne room.\u00a0 In many ways, you\u2019ll be more important than he.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be an ambassador, an escort, a ranger\u2014all the things that Kevin cannot be because of his duties.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to know Ippius inside and out.\u00a0 Luckily, you\u2019ve got a teacher who has seen it flourish, decline, and rise up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helios threw up his hands in concession.\u00a0 Very well then.\u00a0 Tell me all about the trees and the flowers and the rocks, Icarus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou jest, but there was a time when my brother did just that with his<\/em> pupils.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel tremendous pity for those students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Icarus smiled.\u00a0 \u201cSo did I.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, the pair of them walked through the forest.\u00a0 Most of that time was occupied by silence, but on occasion, Icarus pointed out something worthy of note.\u00a0 There was a place that the elf once trained the young prince\u2019s father; a path that led to a bluff that overlooked much of the surrounding area; even a grave that Icarus had dug to bury a companion from long ago.\u00a0 Even though some of those memories were afflicted by sadness, the elf\u2019s tone never wavered\u2014until he saw his ward reach for a delicate red berry that seemed prevalent in that area of the forest.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave that be lad,\u201d Icarus bad.\u00a0 \u201cThose berries are incredibly poisonous to humans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust humans?\u201d Helios wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only lasting legacy of a mad elf,\u201d his mentor said.\u00a0 \u201cThey call the stuff Rezarium.\u00a0 Humans simply call it Crimson Nib.\u00a0 When it is crushed into a paste, it can be made into one of the most potent poisons there is.\u00a0 To others, it\u2019s simply a bitter flavor that might give you a small headache.\u201d<\/p>\n

The prince hummed to himself.\u00a0 \u201cPerhaps you should put up a sign,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

They continued on for only a few moments before the trees became sparse, and the sea stretched on into the horizon.\u00a0 Helios couldn\u2019t hide his grin, and Icarus clapped his hands together at the sight of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been forever since I\u2019ve seen the sea,\u201d the lad said.\u00a0 \u201cDid you know that Father would bring me on his ship when he would sail to\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf caught that drifting dialog and clapped his ward on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cDo not fret, my friend.\u00a0 I have no doubts you\u2019ll sail again.\u00a0 As ambassador to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that,\u201d Helios interrupted.\u00a0 \u201cLook out there.\u201d\u00a0 He pointed to the roiling clouds in the distance, his gaze locked upon them.\u00a0 \u201cThose don\u2019t look pleasant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCertainly not,\u201d the elf agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut we have nothing to fear of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo?\u201d Helios asked.<\/p>\n

Icarus shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cThose clouds have been there for years.\u00a0 That used to be the path your father\u2019s ships would take to reach the city of Lark.\u00a0 It was on an island much like Argos, but now it lies beneath the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of those clouds?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose clouds are just a reminder,\u201d the elf said.\u00a0 \u201cThe gods can be vengeful, and mortals can be foolish.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard the songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat songs?\u201d Helios asked.<\/p>\n

Icarus chortled.\u00a0 \u201cI could never do them justice.\u00a0 Suffice it to say, Hudorian punished an entire island of innocent people because of one thing or another, depending on who you ask.\u00a0 People know to respect the sea now, and the one who controls it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really makes you think,\u201d the young man said.\u00a0 \u201cAll it would take is one crazy mistake.\u00a0 Just one maddened person could completely change the fate of an entire world.\u00a0 You\u2019ve lived in a world where\u2014twice\u2014islands bigger than ours have plunged into the sea.\u00a0 We are at the mercy of these incredible forces, and we don\u2019t take enough time in our days to truly appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s that lesson you were talking about,\u201d Icarus teased.<\/p>\n

Helios smirked and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cOh, no.\u00a0 You can\u2019t just take credit for every revelation I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat doesn\u2019t leave me many lessons to take credit for.\u00a0 You\u2019re brilliant beyond your years, young Master Helios.\u00a0 You\u2019ve taught yourself many of the things you know without my help.\u00a0 So tell me, why did I bring you here?\u201d<\/p>\n

His ward narrowed his gaze and tapped his fingers on his hip.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2026 reminds you of something\u201d<\/p>\n

Icarus nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI find comfort in this place because it is not unlike my brother\u2019s grove, where he used to teach his students about the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now you\u2019re carrying on the legacy,\u201d Helios noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I don\u2019t have anything to teach today,\u201d the elf said.\u00a0 \u201cI just wanted to take you out here to get you away from it all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell what fun is that?\u00a0 Surely you can tell me more about the things you\u2019ve seen. \u00a0You have three millennia of knowledge that I don\u2019t.\u00a0 What about your time with my father? \u00a0Or, have you ever seen any of the gods?\u00a0 What about\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Icarus raised his hands to placate the lad.\u00a0 \u201cFine, fine.\u00a0 I\u2019ll humor you.\u00a0 But with so deep and rich a history to scout, how will I ever decide what to speak of?\u201d\u00a0 He flashed his eyebrows in jest before his gaze was drawn to the sea again.\u00a0 He stared out into that endless blue for a moment, and then his vision landed on those distant clouds once more.\u00a0 \u201cI was not present when Lark met its end,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut you that I was there when Shandranar fell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to speak of this, Icarus,\u201d Helios assured.\u00a0 \u201cI know it brings up bad memories.\u201d<\/p>\n

The elf sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThey weren\u2019t all bad.\u201d\u00a0 He drifted off into silence for just a while longer, until he seemed fixed in those dismal clouds.\u00a0 \u201cFor a time, it seemed all that was left of Tellest was a sky like that above Lark.\u00a0 We should have known that was bound to change.\u00a0 For better or worse, no one could have expected\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Maelstrom A Tale by Michael DeAngelo Chapter One:\u00a0Cresting Waves The man and the elf sat beneath the trees, listening to the rain land upon the leaves.\u00a0 Long before, their fire sizzled and sputtered out, leaving just sparks and wisps of smoke behind. Icarus remained a few feet away from there, leaving the sanctuary of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-143","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4095"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4095"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4096,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4095\/revisions\/4096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}