Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:43 am
A Soldier's Dream
The predawn light played with my eyes, making it a difficult task to pick a good path through the field. But it was much better than the pitch dark of the woods the night before. Running from a king-of-kings was never a good idea. The port town of Greyhaven, my refuge, had to be close now.
For years I had loyally served the king as his chief treasure hunter. Searching the woods, fields, and mountains of the kingdom for precious items left behind by ancient civilizations had proven to be a surprisingly good income for the king. I had started with a few soldiers under my command, but by the end I was commanding tens of thousands at a time in the endless hunt for more treasure. Yet I never received a pay increase or even a pat on the back unless it was to be sent out the door again.
It wasn't enough.
To desert the army was death, and the king would not give up his best treasure finder. So my thoughts began to turn to the sea. The king's hand did not reach that far, and there had always been rumors of unimaginable treasure waiting at its bottom. But the timing had to be right. Good thing I am patient.
The opportunity finally presented itself and no time was wasted. After weeks of fleeing night and day, I could finally smell the ocean ahead. Cresting a small ridge, Greyhaven revealed itself. Smoke rose from morning fires of the homes below, and beyond that…ships. Countless ships filled the harbor, their masts making a floating forest. Pausing to take in the site, the sun broke the horizon behind me, warming my back. Smiling slightly, I pulled out the spoils of my last treasure hunt for the king. Holding the ancient crown at arms length, I looked through it at the vessels in the harbor. "Now," I thought, moving from ship to ship, "to find one for me…"
For years I had loyally served the king as his chief treasure hunter. Searching the woods, fields, and mountains of the kingdom for precious items left behind by ancient civilizations had proven to be a surprisingly good income for the king. I had started with a few soldiers under my command, but by the end I was commanding tens of thousands at a time in the endless hunt for more treasure. Yet I never received a pay increase or even a pat on the back unless it was to be sent out the door again.
It wasn't enough.
To desert the army was death, and the king would not give up his best treasure finder. So my thoughts began to turn to the sea. The king's hand did not reach that far, and there had always been rumors of unimaginable treasure waiting at its bottom. But the timing had to be right. Good thing I am patient.
The opportunity finally presented itself and no time was wasted. After weeks of fleeing night and day, I could finally smell the ocean ahead. Cresting a small ridge, Greyhaven revealed itself. Smoke rose from morning fires of the homes below, and beyond that…ships. Countless ships filled the harbor, their masts making a floating forest. Pausing to take in the site, the sun broke the horizon behind me, warming my back. Smiling slightly, I pulled out the spoils of my last treasure hunt for the king. Holding the ancient crown at arms length, I looked through it at the vessels in the harbor. "Now," I thought, moving from ship to ship, "to find one for me…"
Beware the Artesians!!
nominate me because i can help haypi and i can prove it... 
