Free The Battle of Ebulon by Shane Porteous

wrists, and managed to hold her back,
despite his wiry frame, and her enthusiasm. She was
furious.
    "What wouldst thou from
me?" she demanded. "Sorrow mightest thou know for this!"
    He understood her, but it
took him a moment to realize that she had spoken to him in Maynari,
the lay dialect of the capital city of the Kinnon. In the same
language, he replied, "Not I, lady-fair. Look about: come are we
are all, alike, and 'gainst path. Becalm thyself, and together
shine light we shall."
    She freed herself from his
loosening grip, and looked about, taking in the scene. "Name
thyself." She seemed a woman accustomed to making commands, despite
her state of relative undress.
    "Kalummenon, lady-fair.
And thine...?"
    She was startled by the
impertinence of his tone, but answered, "Mayadawanna. Off let us,
then, and find light promised."
    Together they took a few
steps into the crowd, and it became clear that many languages were
being spoken, from all over the Kinnon. Kalummenon knew several of
them, but by no means all. He searched out words he knew, but all
the while, Mayadawanna was calling out, in her own Maynari, and
courtly Abrilian, attempted greetings.
    An armoured man rushed
towards her, and they spoke hurriedly, on the edge of Kalummenon's
awareness. He sensed no ill intent from the man, and listened
instead to the cacophony of strange words.
    Mayadawanna called to him,
"Found am I. Fare thee well to kindred thine!" She smiled briefly,
acknowledging his assistance, and set off through the crowd with
her new friend.
    A roar from the vortex
drew his attention. A bear of a man stood, framed by the magical
light, raging uselessly. Few in the crowd paid him any attention,
until he drew his long sword, and called down a splendid curse on
those who had afflicted him thus. The man looked around,
desperately trying to decide who was deserving of his
wrath.
    One man pushed through the
crowd towards the bear, and Kalummenon turned to watch the
exchange.
    The bear-man seemed
surprised that someone had dared approach, but it was obvious that
the richly dressed man was not coming to fight him. The nobleman
spread out empty hands, and said in the courtly language, "Friend,
we have not done this to you, but are fellow victims. Please,
Friend, put back your sword, and join us in council. Help us
discern the true cause of this."
    The bear-like man returned
his sword to its scabbard, and began speaking quietly to the
nobleman. This noble looking gentleman seemed to be a Lord or
general, and in times of uncertainty people flocked to perceived
power. Kalummenon decided that for now he should be a bird of that
flock, and pushed through the crowd towards them.
    The crowd had seemed
completely disorganized at first, but now he noticed that small
groups of a certain nationality or region seemed to have already
gathered. Several other people were pushing through the crowd as
Kalummenon was, seemingly drawn to the apparent centre of power, or
else to the courtly words.
    The noble began to speak
to the tightening knot of men and women around him, just as
Kalummenon reached them. "Friends, I am Vardan of Tarakal."
Kalummenon knew that Tarakal was a close ally of the politically
dominant Abrilians, and he thought this Vardan seemed to have a
charming way about him.
    Vardan continued, "I do
not know who has brought us here, but it seems that each of us has
followed the call of our heart, heard a whispered name, and each of
us has been brought here from our own lands to this place. We are
all men and women of the Kinnon, and though we may be far from
home, I believe that keeping to the principles we hold dear will
only help us through this ordeal. So please, try to calm your
fellows, try to find shared languages for those who are not able to
understand the courtly tongue, and help calm those newly arrived
like Chirath here," gesturing to the newly arrived bear of a man.
"Meanwhile, I would suggest that we send out scouts to determine
the nature of the city