The Legacy of Ashland

01

As it came to pass seven children one from every union was sent to learn their place as rulers of their own. They came before the palace of the first leader of all. He who had brought out the first people of the land to union. The children stood at the footing of the temple as the looked upon a man siting upon a throne adorned with furs and jewels. The man called on the children to come forth and take a stool and examine it well. The stool was of bone the legs where attached to a shoulder bone and it stood only six inches tall. The man called to them to sit before him. The man told of himself to be Teramis the third king of Ashland.

Teramis;; “You have ben chosen from your clan to be sent here to learn the ways of the land so that you may know well how to lead your people true and strong. You as your forefathers before you. I do not know what knowledge you have of the history of Ashland but I ask of each to put away your knowledge and learn it new and true. As I and the teachers here have learned. The time before the land was bathed in fire will be taught to you but mostly only the time their after. And you will be learned the ways of the land as did the first king .

It happened once before, 65 million years ago. A meteor struck the earth setting it to burn and covering it with ash . But it didn’t hit earth instead it hit the sun . It did not end life on earth it saved it until the Ice age destroyed most of the Ash Age before it fully evolved .

In the distant heavens a planet was ejected from its orbit of the solar system. It caught a ride orbiting another planet as that planet came full circle in its orbiting pattern the hitch hiker was expelled with more momentum than when it entered, as it traveled between systems its speed kept it from being seen till it was trapped into another system

Eagle Eye was placed on the moon in April of 1961 and it gave vision to this. And tho many people watched only one saw its true intention. And it was he, the first king of Ashland and he that was declared King only after his death.

Inside a sacred land called Tivoli, in a sacred forest lye’s a tomb inscribed with these words .

02

” He who was known as a Numinous . His presence was recognized by wolf skins and with wreaths and goblets . A good spirit of the forest, plains, and fields; whose shade was known across the lands as (”He who wards off the wolf”) . The protector of sheep, revealed the future in dreams and voices that where communicated to he who came to sleep . Is marked by a sense of awe in the face of a new world as something fearful and just . For such awareness lies within every man , to shape this life for a better tomorrow . Hear lies a legendary king Lupercus.

One boy spoke up asking how can he forget his knowledge of the past and told himself to be of the eastern tribe and that the so called king had only done harm to his people .

Teramis;;;” And it is you the descendant of Leo . It is said that he was a great man and a true friend “

The boy stood ” I am Apertol and my grand father found no kindness nor did my people it was my people that was to suffer for this mans thirst for power and it is my people that still suffer today.

Teramis;;;;” Yes I see how you trouble yourself with the struggle of your people and my heart goes out to you , and yours “

Apertol;;;” Your heart ” he laughed “Your heart goes out, you KnoW not of heart, you speak of things you are blinded to , it was not heart that nearly destroyed my people it was ” he who spat on the ground” then asked.

“So you tell me old man, how does your heart ,feed, my people .”

Teramis;;; bowed his head ” I am grieved for your anger and I pray to you , to seek out what you need to know “

Apertol;;;; “You have nothing to teach me but lies “

Teramis took up a bone and struck a large plate and waited for the keepers to come. Then he asked them to take the child to Buelt . And gave to the boy a bone .He told him to stand upon th Buelt and blow until his teacher arrives . And told the boy to show to him respect for the teacher is old and wise and it was he that looked after the eastern tribe “

Teramis continued to the others “Have no fear he will be well in care of his teacher “

Another boy asked who the teacher is and Apertol told him to be Simurgh. The boys knew this name to be that of a demon of the night that comes and kills all those that disbelieve in the story’s .

Teramis told the boys that they will soon meet Simurgh and will decide for themselves .

03

He continued telling the boys of the history of the land and he began with drink and meats. And told the boys the importance of the feast that it was a praise to the gods for there offering of life and that they will do this of the morning, noon and evening and called it Thebaid (( )) an offering to the gods in respect for their bounty over the land and seas . Apertol called for the boys and gave each to them. A book bound in hide and within it was the maps and drawings of the first king . Teramis told the boys that soon a man of the northern tribe will come and lead them along the trail that was taken by the first king and that they will speak with the people and will learn the truth of Ashland .

More men arrived carrying bags and a staff and stood behind the boys placing the bag on the backs of them and handing the staff to each then lead them each a different way. Leaving behind the old leader as some women came to help him back inside . One woman asked

“Will they make a good leader?”

the old man replied “Yes! But no man is born a leader , leaders are made. The question is will one of them become a great leader and Yes I think the boy from the east will be the one .” The woman claimed “But he is bitter of heart how can he be a great leader .” The old man answered as he caressed the womans cheek “He will be great because his heart is bitter.”

As the boys headed out into the lands to seek their place in the world . A world that now is no longer green or barren but now thriving land of plants, trees, and creatures. The plants with their leaves transparent with black veins running through them and the trees with a look of vines entangling one another as they reach into the heavens then open into a canopy then entangle with the next group .There thickness massing overhead gave way to the light as it passes through the leaves and onto the ground covered in the once ash that evolved into a black moss hidden from the sun that now covers the ground s shades of black, gray, and silver, then the taller growth more like the trees but standing on their own and blooms of colors that will glow in the cast of night and sparkle as the wind passes through the land carrying the fragrance with it .

The boys guide teaches them of the life they find and instruct them that they will map out their journey and note all of the life they find along the way. Their first stop is to a structure made of stone with a dome roof of stone . The people there where happy to see the new faces that will come one a day for seven days and will be lead trough the building and view the work of the first king .

04

Along the walls where pictures and maps along with tools and pictures of the beast they where made from.

Tho as interesting as the trip was the highlight of it all was in the middle of one room where a strange looking machine sat and was started by one of the people of the museum and a story told of how it belonged to the first king and that he had only got to ride it a few times before his death. At the end of the tour the boys met with a old woman as she sat in a rocker with two bagats at her side descendants of her brothers Bagat named Chukwu she then introduced the great beasts to the boys and continued to tell her story of the first king and her family.

Soon the boys will arrive at the Buelt where the heads of the great beast still gaze into the middle of the arena and the stains of blood spilled on the hard ground still remained .

The trip continued on as they passed through the Quiqrin farm that has grown to cover a much larger area and over running the shelter where the king and the child had spent many years .