THE BLIND KING

 THE BLIND KING

 

   Shimzabar had left all he ever knew behind because of a broken heart. Though they were never lovers, E’linacyl was his dearest friend. He had known her since his childhood of living in the caverns, of the razored Iron Hills of the west. When the hideous orcs had begun to return to their dank holes after the war’s end, the people fled in droves once again. E’linacyl was there with Shimzabar when they entered the abandoned elven city of Lindol hand in hand, for neither of them had parents.

   Shimzabar was terribly distraught the day he lost E’linacyl on the streets of the city. After two weeks of endless searching, he braved enough courage to cross the Great River’s walkway to search for her in the lower part of the city called Mithar. After joining the Mitharian tower cult, Shimzabar’s heart leaped for the greatest of joys upon finding his dearest friend. For E’linacyl too, was gravely distraught in having lost him and went searching as well. Like brother and sister from that time onward they never left the other’s side. Through many adventures, they grew up together and faced the most trying of experiences. They relied greatly on each other and in time even fell in love with one another. The day came in his heart that Shimzabar desired to take her as his bride. One day he confessed his love for her to his mentor Baalyick. They went to the Grand Gazebo, as his friend has seen her there earlier and desired to witness their union. But upon their arrival saw a gathering who were swooned in shocking grief for the young lady who lay dead in a pool of her own blood. Great was the weeping of Shimzabar! Long into the night, they tried to remove him from his embrace till exhaustion and grief left him numb. The King himself called for a day of mourning as all had lost that dreadful day.

 

   Before the mountain face of the dwarves’ triple Mount Jebul washed the Bay of Dim-bar, where the Blue River emptied. The Blue ran north for several leagues with four branching streams into the east. All of these were in the depths of the Norwood Forest. On the greater northern edge of Norwood, the Blue River began, and after its entry into the woods, an ancient people had once begun to weave vines from one bank across to the other. Generations of the unnamed later came and went who continued that which had once been started so long ago. The Vined Bridge of Norwood served to connect the road which cut through the forest, but in more recent times it became disused as better roads were constructed. Before the woodland’s edge a dry ravine ran for some distance and then became a trickling stream, and over this stream, that spanned the old bridge did Shimzabar find himself standing, still numb in his grief.

 

   “Welcome to the land of the blind, my name is Jared, and this sad lot of misfits call me their King! The lost wander here into this forgotten land, where the discarded are left. None are turned aside, and the dead never leave. I am the best of the worst, and we are the scrapes of whatever remained after the Great War to end them all. Come if you must, stay as you like, and help when you can.”

  “You seem to have that memorized.”

   “When memory is all one has anything new is called a good day.”

   “So, these are survivors of the war?”

   “If mere existence can be called surviving, we are just a few dregs who washed up here. There are far many other dregs who filtered off into the cities. Those who are far worse than these humbled folk, for they are called Kings, Mayors, Priests, and lords whose deep scares influence others with their own versions of pains unhealed.”

   “I am beyond sorry that you have all endured so much. It is understandable that the unlovingness of others leaves only bitterness.”

   “Bitterness makes one unapproachable, we have all moved beyond the pettiness of the old reality into the realm of acceptance. Well, except for Denarius over there, the poor fellow was disfigured by his wife for cheating, and he is just passing through.”

   “So, much for passing through, I have been here thirty-seven years with these cads!”