Monument of Kyrie

 New Starfish-Frog City looked like a golden opportunity to travel for a young handsome Half Dwarf, Part Human, Part Elf. Going with his tall friend and taller twin cousin he travelled to see a monument. The monument itself was not for a frog or starfish, but of a giant carved on the face of a tall rock formation. In order to get there, he had to travel a bit of distance. Through the mountains and valley in the middle of the mountain range his journey brought him to a cabin which his family owned. Two cats dwelled around this cabin. They were only there whenever humans were spotted visiting this cabin. For one night they stayed before moving forward. Earlier that week his father's friends celebrated this chance for him to make this journey. It was the first time in his life to see this monument. Sure, he went to other places, but this one was special. Only he, his friends, and family knew about his adventures around the borders of their state. Whoever comes back home from an adventure or two is granted permission to travel to New Starfish-Frog City Giant. Passing through the mountains they took a cat with them. Along the path they go to a vineyard where the trio shared a bottle of wine. Thankfully for them it was during the holidays otherwise they would be in trouble. Each holiday the youth in their teens can drink alcohol. Lucky for them they only had a single year or two before they turned twenty. While sitting down a pair of foreign Scholars from a university nearby passed by on their own journey. 

When they were done and well rested, they pressed onward with their cat companion. On the road they rested at Two Bear's Lodge where three female pilots serving their current independent state gave them some warm companionship. An encounter like this was kept secret within the walls of establishments. Saying their cute farewells to the lovely ladies they made their way to the next settlement. Another day passed in the journey before reaching this monument. Just sightseeing, the young traveler met a pirate who looked exactly like himself. Seeing this pirate was more of a prickly outlaw who seemed a little disinterested in tourists they sort of left him alone. Yet this pirate approached them but became a little jumpy with them. It was due to the drinking he did this morning. Taken aback the trio tried to make light of this encounter. Taking in the main monument's grandness the young traveler, his cousin, and friend wrote their names down along with their adventures. His adventures numbered three with a mysterious figure for a master whose name he was not allowed to reveal. Roaming around the city a little more they find the pirate again who appeared a little more sober than the last time. This pirate sailed an airship crewed by 79 cat folk, Five to six humans, a few fox-folk, and one lizard man. On board his ship was an adventuring archaeologist who beats up occultists while racing against them in finding artifacts. What this archaeologist found were two-star fighters that new rested in the cargo hold in multiple pieces. A group of pilgrims were mistaken for cultists due to their hooded robes. The archaeologist and his own team of seven confronted the group. Just to ease tensions some locals invited them over to attend a festival. 

Attending two games they joined the same foreign scholars who arrived with a third one via sky skiff. Once the sightseeing, games, attending a fair, and carnival was over the trio returned home. Thanks to their new pirate friend the journey back was made quicker. Making the trip shorter gave them less clothes to clean. At home he made furniture for a while. A day later he took a break to attend a championship being held in a stadium outside of town. It took them three events worth of games to get to the main event. Many called it the winter championship due to the cold season. They did not stay long as the Medieval style cooking carnival coming to town required extra time, and early start to prepare. Once those games were over staff started to prepare for the la Era de Alboroto commemorative carnival. It came once a year or every two years. 

That did not hinder their plans, but he was certain it would not hinder someone else's plan. As they left the young traveler hoped that did not happen. Just a couple of days passed by at home before they found themselves ordered to an academy. For three hours they sat in the audience to a rewards ceremony for students and apprentices. All he could feel was boredom during the event. His thoughts went to traveling, seeing more of the world around their state. Day dreaming about other places in this world made him doze a little. It was not long before he fell asleep. He did not feel himself slump sideways onto the old man next to him who also fell asleep during the rewards. Nobody noticed he was asleep until it was over. Nudged awake this young traveler got off the old man's shoulder who did not notice at all. A curvy voluptuous looking woman in a white dress that covered everything, but her limbs was the culprit. Standing adjacent to him her had faced him but her body faced the empty seat. With her hair in a cute bun she smiled at him with eyes and mouth. He never saw her before. 

She seemed new in town. Curious about who she was he got up to introduce himself, but she waved goodbye. Giving him a smile she helped the old man up. Before he could get a word in he was pulled over to attend a dinner. For seven of the graduating students, one of whom received an award a dinner was held. Dining at a restaurant called Three Bulls with an old friend from the school days at a temple of knowledge. The restaurant rested along a rive close to a waterfall. Here his friend regaled the others about their adventures outside their home state. One included the defeat of an evil wizard and his out worldly creature. Sadly, the story wasn't finished as they were cut off and shot down like deer riddled with arrows. 

Forced to keep quiet each threw in remaining pieces of the story in between bites as they pretty face, he saw got up to the highest level of the restaurant. Reserved for speeches, bands, singers, bards, small concerts, recitals, and recognizing achievements of others. A podium was set up for the speaker who congratulated someone on their achievements. Deep inside he felt a little undervalued as if his own dangerous journey did not mean squat to these people. Choosing to curb his tongue he watched. He saw this new pretty face present someone else with a reward. This was something separate from the academy. It was for a taller figure's ambition to become a renowned Limner, and their linguistic skills that helped win trade routes. Unsure if he wanted to watch this one claim this new figure of a woman, they young traveler got up to leave without a word. All he could think of was you had plenty of girls to choose from, why her? Exiting the restaurant did not bode well with his mom. However, he was lucky she did not pursue him or yell at him as it would cause a scene. Thar would have been embarrassing. 

Doubting he would find anyone else in this town he returned home. Isolating himself at home for a whole day he found a technology or device used to store data or information. Seeing it was no longer usable he set it aside to hand over to the museum. Still angry over the reward dinner the young traveler spent eight days at home. Hsi friends hung out with him after assembling furniture pieces delivered to him each week. Lucky for him he lived close to the beach meaning the restaurant and river rested on higher ground. No more than five days were spent walking on the beach each evening resulted in him seeing the usual families, male runners, old couples, but not a single woman on the beach. Did he arrive too late or did they all just leave? Disappointed by this he returned home not doing much else other than following a gold rule, and cooking for himself. Eight days of assembling delivered furniture, reading, following the rule of keeping calm when zero women are available for him somewhat changed his mood. 

Snow came and went for a single day extending his time at home another two days. All he had to do to keep himself occupied was read, solve mind puzzles, in door exercises, playing with a cat. Dabbling into some poetry turned on the radio since the screen he possessed was still broken from when the cat tipped it off the table. It kept his mind occupied from his own worries. If that pretty face was with other men, he did not want to think about that. Another part of the gold rule was if they find themselves believing a woman is copulating with other men just don't get mad at them. Especially when they are not their women. If he were to ever find out just don't even bother the woman about such things when she is in their life. To get his mind off that he found his gifted lute from an uncle who passed away to some swamp behemoth attacking a castle. While playing his gifted lute he spotted a deer outside his window. It only meant that this weather was some experiment someone dragged out. Deer were scarcely seen when it was winter. As the snow melted, he received a visitor. Someone came to offer him a job to check on two old houses twice a week. After an hour of discussing this with his mom he accepted the job. Four days later makes his way to the houses using a trail through the woods near the main town of Nagiflad. 

Not bothered at all by the eerie trail or the haunting conditions of the houses, Deven began working on the interior parts of the houses. Inside one of the houses he found some bestiary tome, melee weapons, a skeltanr skeleton, helmets, tree ghost, metal spit pike. A Fake spotted horse, some preserved stand for horse blankets, taxidermy calf cows, taxidermy owl on a stand, and taxidermy large striped, white feline jungle cat. Despite his love for cats this jungle predator scared him. During one adventure in the south, he was almost killed by one during an expedition with the temple. Closing the door to this one he went on to check on the other house. Greeted by small lizards that scattered to hiding places in cracks he entered this white brick made house. Discovering the second house became a brewery of some sorts. Sixteen days went by of him clearing out, sweeping, dusting, taking out broke pieces, and barrels. His own mother came by to share a beer with him. She brought over four letters for him. One revealed a personal invitation, the other was about business, the third detailed an order. As for the fourth it read about Dragon Order of Crusaders, inviting him to join them. 

Attending to his duties for a few more days Deven goes to a different place than Three Bulls. At the place called Wellerman he sat down with a red-haired female bard, and an olive-skinned male agent with long black hair, dressed up in a suit, or as finely dressed as the other two. Someone else was there to dine with his well-dressed self. That new pretty face joined them to hear about his adventures. Unhinged he explained how he encountered many dangers along fellow adventures. Deven even told them how he got out of some encounters. It wasn't hard getting the name of the pretty face from the rewards ceremony. Jennyne  the new constable came from a large city across the sea known as Forgehall. A colonial city to a seafaring culture of warriors that became modernized. She did not want anything to do with any form of relationships. To her it would get in the way of her job in this town. A Deby downer revelation to him the moment he heard it spill from his lips. Smiling at him Jennyne gives him a kiss on the cheek then pinches it a little. Blushing from this Deven turned away. He learned a bit more about her before the personal meeting was over. She was more of a dancer, swimmer, javelin thrower, equestrian, a viola master, former house maid who delights in spending time with groups of people. Just before they parted ways the red head asked for him to hang out with her in her mountain house. The male agent told him to let him know when his next adventure was, he would be waiting. Jennyne gives each of them a hug as they depart. One day passed as he fulfilled an order before heading to the houses Deven found another abandoned building. Checking the interior Deven found it empty save for the messy destruction left behind. 

Taking note of this find Deven spends the next day clearing that building out. A few of his own friends came to help him. While replacing the door they find pieces of geodes. Nine days went by as Deven cleaned out the rest of the rooms in the three buildings. He discovered another abandoned building, allowed his friends to cashed in the geodes they found as payment for helping him. Checking off the lists in the evening Deven found two owls eyeballing him. At his feet he found a lizard and frog sort of hiding in the weed like clovers. Sort of bored yet tired he watching the critters escape him into the other parts of the yard. A couple of days later he slowly headed towards the Turtle Archery Range where he riddled several targets with arrows. Being the last one to leave Deven is given the combination to lock up the Archery Range. One a workday he is given no furniture to assemble. It seemed strange to not have any furniture to assemble this week. Taking this as a day off Deven locked up the four abandoned buildings as planned. He handed the keys to the constables the very next day. Somehow, they knew about the business letter concerning another building. Just four constables enforced the law here in Nagiflad. Constables Elizcon, Ghrosy, Natmad, Lageir worked tirelessly to keep the peace and resolve issues in orderly manners. With a fifth constable on board, they seemed less strained. Since he gained favor from a member Deven was brought to the designated location the business letter mentioned. 

For two days he spent hours painting the lower exterior of the building, and setting up for the porch to be painted by his replacement. It was not because he did something wrong it was because the main town pointer Corlos wasn't available, yet he was. More time went by with a few more orders, the new temporary job to run the Archery Range every two weeks. An old friend visited Deven. A female colleague from his adventuring days. Known as Camdyrn, this female adventurer was lean muscled with blonde hair. Armed with a rapier, and a few other weapons this Camdyrn brough a combination to a treasure and a map. Knowing he needed a break Deven prepared for this next adventure. Letting the agent know they received an extra companion, the red headed bard. After preparing to set off for four days the quartet did invite his friend and cousin who declined the offer. With provisions ready, a cat companion, the right songs to sing or enjoy they set off on an eight-to-ten-day adventure. On this adventure they use a lodge as a base while exploring some ruins where preserved mummies rested. On these mummies they found five alien symbols that appear more like characters for words, meanings, and actions. This added another week to their journey as there were more sections of the ruins to explore. 

Returning home with a small amount of loot, more stories to tell, new friends each of them went back to their respective ways of life. Each planned to meet again each week at different taverns and restaurants. Eight days passed with another few orders to assemble tables, and chairs before meeting his friends again. Just in time to see a rainbow outside the tavern they drank at one weekend each were notified they were given some gifts at their own homes. Returning home he discovered five weapons at his house waiting for him. One handed black knight sword, Silver Sword for killing undead, decorative hand axe, a battle axe with a name. The axes resembled the ones seafaring warriors used in the ancient times. On the table rested a sword similar to the same ones that warriors used in that era. Delighted to see these gifts he checked each one out before eating his own made dinner. 

Putting them back in the sheathes Deven put them on a work bench he often used for interior projects. Another day passed before he received visitors. A pair of clansmen from the northern region arrived in kilts, and wool sweaters. These were the types of men who looked like him. At his door they offered him a chance to join them a quest to clear out a castle just outside the borders of his state. Lucky for him he had a few weeks off as scheduled this month. Someone else took up his assembling job while he was gone. Armed with three of the weapons given to him Deven was given some studded leather armor with small plates added to it. Covering his legs this brigandine armor felt comfortable thanks to padding mixed with the leather. If only his chainmail armor were intact, he would have brought that. It was damaged beyond repair. Replacing dozens of the small ringlets cost a fortune. The identical clansmen were called Bruthnol and Aud. Being twins they hailed from a family who were members of a clan known as Denn. One wore a full set of banded armor whereas the other donned a cross between ring mail and padded armor. 

Hand axe, the one-handed black sword, and silver sword were Deven's weapons of choice. Bastard sword, war pick, long dagger, single tonfa were Bruthnol's weapons. A Costencar custom forged Katana or Curved Blade, a Polearm, longbow & arrows, spiked buckle shield were Aud's weapons of choice. Going into the castle upon orders from his own Mayor, and state governor the Crusaders' mission was to clear all five sections of this castle. Known as Fleur Dos castle, this one came with three wooden extensions that appeared reinforced for defenses. Made from a mix of wood and stone Fleur Dos castle rested on a mound-hill encircled by an empty moat. The wooded parts were covered by stone balconies for defending archers to use. Each extension was encircled by a wall for defenses. Inside Castle Fleur Dos lurked a beast creature, one lone horse, an aging dog, some basic blade warlock, two headed turtle monster can be found in the underground catacombs according to a note. Found on a barrel this note was pinned to the wood with a dagger. Mainly empty in the outer courtyard Fleur Dos did not really feel empty. 

On the lookout for the targeted hostile, Deven, Aud, and Bruthnol formed a circle. Moving as one they slowly went through the lowest level first. Leaving their steeds outside with the entrance doors closed meant they trapped themselves, their horses, the dog with the hostile monsters. There was a portcullis, but it was shattered beyond repair. Finding most of the furniture intact the trio came across the dog who gave away the beast's hiding place near the storage in the barracks portion. Aud cut the beast to a few pieces leaving the turtle monster to Bruthnol leaving Deven at his side. The pair of them decided to go up to the other levels. With the halls lit by torches their path appeared clear yet cluttered with barrels, broken pieces, some junk, and box crates. Spider webs covered the walls, ceilings, unused rooms along with various decor from a bygone era. Inside the quarters of the lord or baron they found the Warlock next to an armchair. In their hands this warlock wielded a spell book of some sort. Spewing out spells or incantations quickly the warlock was enchanting the chair or attempting. All it did was reanimate the stuffed taxidermy pheasant, the drum table, the foot stool, and lantern. Doing that screwed the Warlock over as the objects attacked them. 

Whoever this warlock was they dropped the spell book while fighting off the animated objects. Fortunate for Deven, the warlock, and Aud, these objects did not have teeth. Intrigued by this the pair of them watched the warlock race around the room while being chased. It ended up being around the fur armchair for a few minutes until they tripped on the foot stool and fell on the chair itself. What happened next would scar a less experienced, or faint of heart. Any knowledgeable person would warn them to burn such an object. This armchair consumed the warlock whole. As their feet disappeared in the belly of the chair the animated objects dropped dead. Aud slowly approached the objects to ensure they were no longer enchanted. On the table a note was pinned to side of the table. Ripped it off Aud shared it with Deven. On it was a warning saying the chair eats anyone else, but the owner. 

With the quest complete Aud, and Deven met Bruthnol at the courtyard where they reopened the door. An extra horse, a dog, Deven's cat, a spell book bound with a belt, the trio took a road to a fort. Known as Fort Withall or Withal Fortress it was just a day's ride away. At this fort manned by a score or more Happy Ghost Soldiers awaited their reward for clearing out the castle. Aud whispered in Deven's ear that the Happy Ghost Soldiers were one elite unit of the Crusaders. Inside this foot the trio found their way to the headquarters. Withall's headquarters was where a tall blond female knight called a Saxxy Dame awaited at her desk. She was not in the mood to hear or see any visitors. Yet she took them into her office anyways. Seeing the young Deven she smiled and sat down with her legs spread open. Aud looked at Deven, while Bruthnol glared at her then insisted this would be quick. Her expression went from pleased to great disappointment. Called Belle this Saxxy Dame tossed a reward in a coin bag to them. Aud caught it in both hands. In a rude voice she urged them to leave. Outside the headquarters they split the reward of 8,550 Krana between them. Going through the maze or labyrinth like fort they decided to leave it a few gifts. A horse and the dog were left to the soldiers manning the fort. Just the three of them, Deven's Cat, their own steeds journeyed back home, taking five days. An automobile would have helped except the paths, and roads were too narrow and walled along the flanks. 

Deven could not keep a clamped lid on what he experienced. Aside from a third of the reward, Deven received a new dagger from Aud. His family drank with him, celebrating his successful mission with a Crusader's Order. Despite the dangers he faced Deven's family were still proud of him. His own cat Skrap was also unharmed since she stayed with the horses during the event. Six days later his birthday came along. In the state Wadhem of the Donos Republics it is customary to celebrate someone's birthday for three days straight. Each day the celebrant received a gift. On the first day he celebrated with family receiving a thick layered vest that can also attach sleeves. His second day Deven celebrated with friends who got him a belly dancer for his entertainment. One the third day the Crusaders he met sent a lovely majestic priestess of comfort with slick curves to pleasure him. For him it became the experience. Another adventure to add to his list of multiple adventures. 

Twenty-three days passed as his jobs at archery range, assembly orders moved to a workshop took up his time. He was requested to clear out a shed, and an old assassin's guild. What he found other than broke pieces of furniture included two helmets, a prized spear, ten swords, seventeen daggers, contracts, several garottes, crossbows, bolts, arrows darts, various books. Various pieces of armor scattered around 24.4 Krana's worth in coins, some jewelry, and watches. Some of it he kept to himself whereas the rest were given to authorities or to his friends. Around this time the state he lived in received the Crusaders in force who arrived with some sea faring raider mercenaries. Aud and Bruthnol found Deven at the workshop. Joining them again he turned the band of Crusaders to 63 who fought alongside 169. From the port near his hometown, they sailed southwest to relieve a defending force at a Dragon City. Not of dragon's themselves, but the Dragonites as in Dragon Worshipers. 

Some Dragon Tower with four Crystal Chambers came under siege then seized by 490 Jackals, 52 Mutant Beasts. The only capable force available were 12 Sky Pirates, and 37 Sea Pirates who found themselves overwhelmed. It was a boy's birthday at the time. For three days they fought to remove these invaders from the area. During the fighting Deven was injured in the line of duty. Hit in the head with a wooden club the young Devil Crusader was sent home earlier. Back home he spent several days allow himself to heal. Their own doctor or town apothecary warned him to stay out for a few weeks. Ignoring this advice on the seventh day Deven rode off feeling cute to a shire called the Enraged Dragon. he met some new people who sort of enjoyed his company, yet seemed a little envious towards him. After that he attempts to shrug it off by growing a mustache for a month. He visits the main city of their state to see about it after avoiding it for years. Deven spent three days going back and forth to the city with his cat, family and his adventuring friend, Camdryn's family. While they were they oversaw listings of which steer were being selected to herd out to the countryside. Before returning home the herd was pressed to move quickly. Somehow, they learned about a leader being fooled out of information during an invasion towards the east. Playing with the herd for a few days Deven and his companions returned home to relax.