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++ Chapter 1 ++
The grasslands stretched as far as the eyes could see. Rolling green hills were visible in the distance, and the gentle spring breeze brought a wonderful sense of coolness to an otherwise warm day.
Philipe and Gregor had traveled for miles this past season, and it was views like this that they had chosen to be explorers in the first place. “We will make it to those hills” Philipe said “and then set up camp for the day.” Gregor nodded in agreement. Gripping his walking stick, Philipe marched forth and Gregor, motioning to the driver of the oxes, followed. The rest of the procession, which mostly contained about a dozen volunteer ‘soldiers’ to provide escort, and three other individuals to provide other support…cooking, cleaning, trapping, and other required chores needed on the frontier. The 4 ox team was attached to a wagon, which contained all of their non-perishable supplies. Other necessities, such as food and water, were gathered along the way as needed.
Dusk approached, and camp was set on a rather flat crest of a hill, which overlooked more grassland in all directions. Food was prepared, and the small group set about their normal nightly activities, which mostly meant fending off boredom. Philipe was scribbling on his parchment, a map that he was compiling of the previously unexplored area of the Great Land that the Gaul people called their home.
“This land is fertile” Gregor told Philipe “much of it can be settled by future generations.”
“Indeed” Philipe said. “It has been about a week crossing this area. The climate is getting warmer the further south and west we travel. I suspect that there is a great ocean in this direction. We should come upon it soon, my friend”
“Aye. And what riches will we find?” Gregor asked, smiling
“The elders speak of an ancient people that once lived many leagues to the south. Their villages filled with precious metals and wondrous devices that we can only dream of their purpose” Philipe reminisced of his father and grandfathers stories of the ancient ones. “They say that they had weapons as powerful as a thousand spears, and boats that could sail great distances out of the sight of land”
“I remember those stories too, my friend” Gregor replied. “I wonder what tragedy could have befallen such a magnificent people if they had such magical powers?”
“That is why we do what we do.” Philipe responded, “We learn from them, and their mistakes, and make not the same ones. It was abandoned villages much like the ones we seek that our wise men learned of such things we take for granted, like writing, crafting of clay, and even the forging of iron.”
“Perhaps, my friend, our elders and ancestors have discovered all of the lost villages?”
“Bah! That cannot be! We have for ages settled lands near the sea, where we can harvest its riches. I am sure that we have only scratched the surface of what these ancients have left behind. I believe that they too settled near the sea, but one not known to us yet. We find this sea, and we will find more settlements. When we return to Orleans, we will do so as heroes!”
Philipe had a lingering smile on his face, one that was contagious. They talked some more. They spoke of their families, of their homes, and when they would return. The soldiers sharpened their pikes and daggers before falling off to sleep. Others stayed awake for a few hours for watch. The night passed by, uneventfully.
++Chapter 2++
The next few days passed by uneventfully. They hunted some of the local wildlife, bucks mostly, to replenish their supply of meat, and foraged for other foods. The land they were passing through was rather ample in its bounty. Enough rainwater and fresh running water from streams was collected to keep their water skins full of the precious, life giving liquid. The terrain had passed from rolling, hilly grassland to flat plains. Sparse woodland was about, but that too subsided. On this midday, however, Gregor noticed something in the sky.
“Look!” He shouted to Philipe
Philipe turned and observed in the direction his friend was pointing.
“A seagull!” He exclaimed! This could mean only one thing; they were close to a large source of water. This great sea had to be nearby. “Come on, we must press forward”
The small group sallied forth. The soldiers seemed mostly uninterested, but content that they would share in whatever wealth this expedition shall discover. It took only 2 more days before they came to the shores, and white sandy beaches of a blue ocean.
Dropping his walking stick, Philipe ran forth into the foamy brine, cooling himself in both the cool water and the thoughts that he was right, after all. Gregor and the rest stayed back and smiled. They were camping here for the night. Eventually, all took turns bathing and frolicking in the sea.
That night, Gregor and his friend discussed over a satisfying meal of venison and fruit what their next plan of attack was.
“Well, we can either go east, or west.” Gregor stated, obviously.
“We shall go east. We have been traveling for months southwesterly. We shall follow the coast to the east, and eventually circle back to the homelands. I am sure we will not only find many more ruins and villages here, but will also be home to celebrate our findings within the next year or two.”
Gregor agreed. The party that evening was in rather good spirits. Fed well and rested, the night passed uneventfully to the morning, where the intrepid explorers packed their supplies and began to follow the coast to the east.
++Chapter 3++
“There is a small village to the north,” the scout reported to Philipe. “About two score men occupy the settlement.”
This soldier was sent ahead to scout a suspicious tower of billowing smoke they spotted on the horizon. He breathed heavily as he reported his findings to Philipe.
“Do they seem friendly?” Philipe asked.
“I doubt it,” He continued. There were several pikes surrounding the village, each with a severed head stuck on top”
Philipe frowned. This could not be good. “Very well, we will do our best to avoid them. Keep your eyes sharp, and double the guard when we rest”
“Yes, of course” The soldier responded. He left to organize the rest of the group. Gregor stood nearby.
“Gregor, we must be careful.” Philipe explained “Lets continue and not let this development ruin our spirits” Philipe grabbed his walking stick and continued forward.
“Too late” Gregor whispered to himself.
They continued on along the shoreline for the rest of the day. No place presented itself as a good, defensive position to camp, so they did the best they could with their backs to the ocean, and doubled the guard for that evening. Little was said during the evening, and they kept no fire that night, lest to bring unwanted attention to themselves.
“I would imagine in a day or two we should be clear of this groups territory, so we shall travel as swiftly as we can the next few days” Philipe told his friend, Gregor, before sleep took him. Gregor hoped that he was right.
++Chapter 4++
The past two days were uneventful, much to the delight of the troop. Inactivity and boredom were now welcome, lest they add their own heads to the collection that the savages to the north maintained.
Dusk was approaching, and they were preparing to make their camp for the evening. It was at this time that the savages attacked.
Quickly and without warning, the screaming horde of bearded men and their crude axes swarmed from what seemed out of nowhere down upon the explorers. The soldiers barely had time to brace themselves for the onslaught.
Gregor and Philipe retreated toward the wagon, each drawing their own short sword hoping that their protectors would keep these savages at bay. The groups clashed together like a wave pounding against a makeshift dam.
Screams were heard, both the war cries of the savages, and the pains of the dying. Blood was sprayed everywhere. Gregor, Philipe, and the rest of the non-combatants huddled on the other side of the wagon, watching the bloodshed play itself out. The soldiers that they hired preformed masterfully killing enemy after enemy. Axe wielding maniacs were impaled on the cold, steel ends of their pikes, and when the action got closer, they skillfully engaged them with their swords and bucklers. What seemed like hours was finally over, but only a brief ten minutes had passed. They were still alive.
Not all of their valiant protectors could say the same. 3 lie dead among the scores of corpses representing the enemy. As the bloodlust settled, they got to the task of tending to those that were injured, and honoring those that were beyond.
Nothing was said that night. Philipe was thankful that he was still breathing, and that they had fought off the attack, but also said for those that had fallen. He had gotten to know them over the past eight months. He would honor them for their sacrifice.
The next morning, the only record that remained of the battle was the smoldering pyre for the dead, and the three shallow graves that held the final resting place of the three soldiers. Marking each grave was a sword, with each solders name etched into the hilt.
++Chapter 5++
Weeks passed. The coast snaked east, north for a few days, east some more, a little to the south and south east, then east again. The time was passed uneventfully. One of their soldiers had taken ill, possibly to an infection from a wound he sustained in the past battle.
In the distance, however, opportunity presented itself. One that they all had sought.
Great, high reaching ruins could be seen in the distance. A great city lie ahead.
Philipe smiled “There!” He exclaimed. Few words of happiness were spoken since the battle. Spirits, however, began to lift themselves from sadness.
The ruined city was something to behold. Old buildings, long abandoned for reasons that they could only guess, reached to the sky. This city was unlike any they had seen before. The buildings look only as if they were skeletons themselves, and reached higher than anything but the most wealthy and skillfully built structures of their homeland could achieve. Stone rubble cluttered the street, and mostly stone was all that remained of the dwellings they saw. Wood, cloth and leather would have long ago decayed.
They took note of other oddities. The stone that was used to build most of the structures was crafted with tremendous care and precision, far exceeding the skill of any masons he knew back home. Somehow, within many of the stone structures, they had reinforced it with great, but now rusted, iron bars and poles.
“How did these people manage to ‘grow’ the iron within the stone?” Philipe wondered, as they explored deeper into the city.
Many artifacts lay about. Many stone runes were found chiseled into various buildings, depicting perhaps the buildings use or directions within the massive citadel. Odd plants they had never seen sprout all over, but no animals, not even any insects were found.
“Gentlemen, this is our legacy!” Philipe explained, “We must take what we can, so that our elders can learn of these people, and what they can teach us”
Gregor and Philipe, with some help, rummaged from building to building, collecting anything that seemed worthy of value. Finely crafted metalworkings were collected. Sculptures, well preserved parchments, and other things that can only be imagined were found, cataloged, and stored. They made as much room as possible in their wagon to accommodate their treasure.
Days were spent in this once great but now long dead city. Resting, recuperating, and preparing for the long journey home. One of the greatest treasures found was a tablet with what appeared to be a map of the entire continent, which they could decipher after only a short period of time by recognizing their own homeland, and the areas they have since explored. Although the trip home would be through unexplored territory, they hoped that in a short few months they would reach it.
And they did.
++Chapter 6++
The Gaul people were only but a shell of what they once were. It had been years since Philipe and Gregor, the two renowned explorers, returned from their journey. Many tales were written and plays preformed about the two of them. However, the group that journeyed had died shortly after returning, apparently from some strange illness.
Many of what remained of the Gaul felt that they had angered some god, which had cursed them, for now the illness that affected the famous explorers began to affect the population as a whole. At first, they sung praises to their sacrifice, but now seemed as if they had doomed the Gauls as a whole. People would slowly become ill, loose their hair, and what appeared to be burns would develop all over their body. None of the healers or apothecaries could do anything for them.
They learned much from the artifacts. They learned the shape of their continent, and the secrets of the stars themselves. They learned how to construct massive sailing vessels to go beyond the sight shore using the stars to guide them. They learned advance mathematical principles, which allowed them to construct larger building, and even to create concrete to strengthen them. Stronger and more powerful weapons were devised to help defend themselves from any aggressors. As the Gaul grew, they even began to settle areas close to the ruined city and other new ones they found. They learned to harvest the steel that was left there to use in their own crafts.
What they did not learn, however, was the dangers of radioactive poisoning, which claimed the lives of virtually all of the Gaul.
What was left was a mere shell of an empire, struggling to survive in a dangerous world. Too late they learned to avoid these cursed ancient ruins…for they embraced them too readily before they knew the consequences. Having been stung by the thirst for knowledge, the Gaul resolved themselves to living a simple life, void of technology. The passage of the Gaul had little bearing on the events of the rest of the world, and passed into the oblivious annals of Civilizations that flowered, but died before they bloomed.
The End
The grasslands stretched as far as the eyes could see. Rolling green hills were visible in the distance, and the gentle spring breeze brought a wonderful sense of coolness to an otherwise warm day.
Philipe and Gregor had traveled for miles this past season, and it was views like this that they had chosen to be explorers in the first place. “We will make it to those hills” Philipe said “and then set up camp for the day.” Gregor nodded in agreement. Gripping his walking stick, Philipe marched forth and Gregor, motioning to the driver of the oxes, followed. The rest of the procession, which mostly contained about a dozen volunteer ‘soldiers’ to provide escort, and three other individuals to provide other support…cooking, cleaning, trapping, and other required chores needed on the frontier. The 4 ox team was attached to a wagon, which contained all of their non-perishable supplies. Other necessities, such as food and water, were gathered along the way as needed.
Dusk approached, and camp was set on a rather flat crest of a hill, which overlooked more grassland in all directions. Food was prepared, and the small group set about their normal nightly activities, which mostly meant fending off boredom. Philipe was scribbling on his parchment, a map that he was compiling of the previously unexplored area of the Great Land that the Gaul people called their home.
“This land is fertile” Gregor told Philipe “much of it can be settled by future generations.”
“Indeed” Philipe said. “It has been about a week crossing this area. The climate is getting warmer the further south and west we travel. I suspect that there is a great ocean in this direction. We should come upon it soon, my friend”
“Aye. And what riches will we find?” Gregor asked, smiling
“The elders speak of an ancient people that once lived many leagues to the south. Their villages filled with precious metals and wondrous devices that we can only dream of their purpose” Philipe reminisced of his father and grandfathers stories of the ancient ones. “They say that they had weapons as powerful as a thousand spears, and boats that could sail great distances out of the sight of land”
“I remember those stories too, my friend” Gregor replied. “I wonder what tragedy could have befallen such a magnificent people if they had such magical powers?”
“That is why we do what we do.” Philipe responded, “We learn from them, and their mistakes, and make not the same ones. It was abandoned villages much like the ones we seek that our wise men learned of such things we take for granted, like writing, crafting of clay, and even the forging of iron.”
“Perhaps, my friend, our elders and ancestors have discovered all of the lost villages?”
“Bah! That cannot be! We have for ages settled lands near the sea, where we can harvest its riches. I am sure that we have only scratched the surface of what these ancients have left behind. I believe that they too settled near the sea, but one not known to us yet. We find this sea, and we will find more settlements. When we return to Orleans, we will do so as heroes!”
Philipe had a lingering smile on his face, one that was contagious. They talked some more. They spoke of their families, of their homes, and when they would return. The soldiers sharpened their pikes and daggers before falling off to sleep. Others stayed awake for a few hours for watch. The night passed by, uneventfully.
++Chapter 2++
The next few days passed by uneventfully. They hunted some of the local wildlife, bucks mostly, to replenish their supply of meat, and foraged for other foods. The land they were passing through was rather ample in its bounty. Enough rainwater and fresh running water from streams was collected to keep their water skins full of the precious, life giving liquid. The terrain had passed from rolling, hilly grassland to flat plains. Sparse woodland was about, but that too subsided. On this midday, however, Gregor noticed something in the sky.
“Look!” He shouted to Philipe
Philipe turned and observed in the direction his friend was pointing.
“A seagull!” He exclaimed! This could mean only one thing; they were close to a large source of water. This great sea had to be nearby. “Come on, we must press forward”
The small group sallied forth. The soldiers seemed mostly uninterested, but content that they would share in whatever wealth this expedition shall discover. It took only 2 more days before they came to the shores, and white sandy beaches of a blue ocean.
Dropping his walking stick, Philipe ran forth into the foamy brine, cooling himself in both the cool water and the thoughts that he was right, after all. Gregor and the rest stayed back and smiled. They were camping here for the night. Eventually, all took turns bathing and frolicking in the sea.
That night, Gregor and his friend discussed over a satisfying meal of venison and fruit what their next plan of attack was.
“Well, we can either go east, or west.” Gregor stated, obviously.
“We shall go east. We have been traveling for months southwesterly. We shall follow the coast to the east, and eventually circle back to the homelands. I am sure we will not only find many more ruins and villages here, but will also be home to celebrate our findings within the next year or two.”
Gregor agreed. The party that evening was in rather good spirits. Fed well and rested, the night passed uneventfully to the morning, where the intrepid explorers packed their supplies and began to follow the coast to the east.
++Chapter 3++
“There is a small village to the north,” the scout reported to Philipe. “About two score men occupy the settlement.”
This soldier was sent ahead to scout a suspicious tower of billowing smoke they spotted on the horizon. He breathed heavily as he reported his findings to Philipe.
“Do they seem friendly?” Philipe asked.
“I doubt it,” He continued. There were several pikes surrounding the village, each with a severed head stuck on top”
Philipe frowned. This could not be good. “Very well, we will do our best to avoid them. Keep your eyes sharp, and double the guard when we rest”
“Yes, of course” The soldier responded. He left to organize the rest of the group. Gregor stood nearby.
“Gregor, we must be careful.” Philipe explained “Lets continue and not let this development ruin our spirits” Philipe grabbed his walking stick and continued forward.
“Too late” Gregor whispered to himself.
They continued on along the shoreline for the rest of the day. No place presented itself as a good, defensive position to camp, so they did the best they could with their backs to the ocean, and doubled the guard for that evening. Little was said during the evening, and they kept no fire that night, lest to bring unwanted attention to themselves.
“I would imagine in a day or two we should be clear of this groups territory, so we shall travel as swiftly as we can the next few days” Philipe told his friend, Gregor, before sleep took him. Gregor hoped that he was right.
++Chapter 4++
The past two days were uneventful, much to the delight of the troop. Inactivity and boredom were now welcome, lest they add their own heads to the collection that the savages to the north maintained.
Dusk was approaching, and they were preparing to make their camp for the evening. It was at this time that the savages attacked.
Quickly and without warning, the screaming horde of bearded men and their crude axes swarmed from what seemed out of nowhere down upon the explorers. The soldiers barely had time to brace themselves for the onslaught.
Gregor and Philipe retreated toward the wagon, each drawing their own short sword hoping that their protectors would keep these savages at bay. The groups clashed together like a wave pounding against a makeshift dam.
Screams were heard, both the war cries of the savages, and the pains of the dying. Blood was sprayed everywhere. Gregor, Philipe, and the rest of the non-combatants huddled on the other side of the wagon, watching the bloodshed play itself out. The soldiers that they hired preformed masterfully killing enemy after enemy. Axe wielding maniacs were impaled on the cold, steel ends of their pikes, and when the action got closer, they skillfully engaged them with their swords and bucklers. What seemed like hours was finally over, but only a brief ten minutes had passed. They were still alive.
Not all of their valiant protectors could say the same. 3 lie dead among the scores of corpses representing the enemy. As the bloodlust settled, they got to the task of tending to those that were injured, and honoring those that were beyond.
Nothing was said that night. Philipe was thankful that he was still breathing, and that they had fought off the attack, but also said for those that had fallen. He had gotten to know them over the past eight months. He would honor them for their sacrifice.
The next morning, the only record that remained of the battle was the smoldering pyre for the dead, and the three shallow graves that held the final resting place of the three soldiers. Marking each grave was a sword, with each solders name etched into the hilt.
++Chapter 5++
Weeks passed. The coast snaked east, north for a few days, east some more, a little to the south and south east, then east again. The time was passed uneventfully. One of their soldiers had taken ill, possibly to an infection from a wound he sustained in the past battle.
In the distance, however, opportunity presented itself. One that they all had sought.
Great, high reaching ruins could be seen in the distance. A great city lie ahead.
Philipe smiled “There!” He exclaimed. Few words of happiness were spoken since the battle. Spirits, however, began to lift themselves from sadness.
The ruined city was something to behold. Old buildings, long abandoned for reasons that they could only guess, reached to the sky. This city was unlike any they had seen before. The buildings look only as if they were skeletons themselves, and reached higher than anything but the most wealthy and skillfully built structures of their homeland could achieve. Stone rubble cluttered the street, and mostly stone was all that remained of the dwellings they saw. Wood, cloth and leather would have long ago decayed.
They took note of other oddities. The stone that was used to build most of the structures was crafted with tremendous care and precision, far exceeding the skill of any masons he knew back home. Somehow, within many of the stone structures, they had reinforced it with great, but now rusted, iron bars and poles.
“How did these people manage to ‘grow’ the iron within the stone?” Philipe wondered, as they explored deeper into the city.
Many artifacts lay about. Many stone runes were found chiseled into various buildings, depicting perhaps the buildings use or directions within the massive citadel. Odd plants they had never seen sprout all over, but no animals, not even any insects were found.
“Gentlemen, this is our legacy!” Philipe explained, “We must take what we can, so that our elders can learn of these people, and what they can teach us”
Gregor and Philipe, with some help, rummaged from building to building, collecting anything that seemed worthy of value. Finely crafted metalworkings were collected. Sculptures, well preserved parchments, and other things that can only be imagined were found, cataloged, and stored. They made as much room as possible in their wagon to accommodate their treasure.
Days were spent in this once great but now long dead city. Resting, recuperating, and preparing for the long journey home. One of the greatest treasures found was a tablet with what appeared to be a map of the entire continent, which they could decipher after only a short period of time by recognizing their own homeland, and the areas they have since explored. Although the trip home would be through unexplored territory, they hoped that in a short few months they would reach it.
And they did.
++Chapter 6++
The Gaul people were only but a shell of what they once were. It had been years since Philipe and Gregor, the two renowned explorers, returned from their journey. Many tales were written and plays preformed about the two of them. However, the group that journeyed had died shortly after returning, apparently from some strange illness.
Many of what remained of the Gaul felt that they had angered some god, which had cursed them, for now the illness that affected the famous explorers began to affect the population as a whole. At first, they sung praises to their sacrifice, but now seemed as if they had doomed the Gauls as a whole. People would slowly become ill, loose their hair, and what appeared to be burns would develop all over their body. None of the healers or apothecaries could do anything for them.
They learned much from the artifacts. They learned the shape of their continent, and the secrets of the stars themselves. They learned how to construct massive sailing vessels to go beyond the sight shore using the stars to guide them. They learned advance mathematical principles, which allowed them to construct larger building, and even to create concrete to strengthen them. Stronger and more powerful weapons were devised to help defend themselves from any aggressors. As the Gaul grew, they even began to settle areas close to the ruined city and other new ones they found. They learned to harvest the steel that was left there to use in their own crafts.
What they did not learn, however, was the dangers of radioactive poisoning, which claimed the lives of virtually all of the Gaul.
What was left was a mere shell of an empire, struggling to survive in a dangerous world. Too late they learned to avoid these cursed ancient ruins…for they embraced them too readily before they knew the consequences. Having been stung by the thirst for knowledge, the Gaul resolved themselves to living a simple life, void of technology. The passage of the Gaul had little bearing on the events of the rest of the world, and passed into the oblivious annals of Civilizations that flowered, but died before they bloomed.
The End
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