A taste of home

A traveller in body and soul, the young Ermís had been far from home when his world was broken. It was almost a spectacular event, if it hadn’t cost the lives of his entire family. The air filled with ash and flames. Tones that reflected on the cloudy sky until the whole world looked like it was on fire. He and his crew alike had frozen in shock at the sight of approaching doom. Seconds that turned into minutes, as a dull and distant roar filled the air.

He remembered the desperate fight home in chaotic bits and pieces. Fighting tides and currents to get just a little closer to the landmass that once had raised them. He lost some of his wolves in the mad scrabble then, and others later when the impending volcanic tsunami had swept up their ship like a toy on the waves. Damaged and limping, they had fled everything they had known before. He lost other wolves then. To dehydration, hunger, and despair. He lost his last wolf on the day they finally found land. The damaged, sinking ship would fail them a distance from land. Forced to swim, they had taken to the waves.

His tired body gave out close to shore, and it came as something of a surprise when he woke later. Tired and bruised, with the tide lapping against his toes. He woke to the sound of Solars screeching. The dark plumage of his faithful bird was the first thing he saw as he groaned and opened his eyes. He dragged his paws under himself and pushed himself upwards. The effort left him trembling as he took his first good look at the Boreas. The cold air he sucked into his aching lungs was a mixed blessing. Food, water, shelter. Anything else could wait.

Days later:

The Ermis Prince looked at the remaining deer carcass with wry amusement. A full belly made any situation a little less bleak. But the truth was, he had lost everything. He looked up at Solar as the bird squawked at him. He tilted his head, listening for a moment, before nodding. "A market, you say?" He looked at the bracelets at his paws, and rubbed a hand against them reluctantly. Very well. He was a trader at heart. He would find a way to make this new world work.

This Armada market wasn't far from where he had been shipwrecked. He tidied his coat across his protruding ribs, and hid his limp. Showing no weakness as he strolled into the open pack lands. The scents of wolves suddenly all around him.


"Speech"