Maiori's Journeys (book)

This Book article has been tagged for wikification.

In other words, the format needs a bit of cleaning up

and/or wikicode added to it.

Check book articles for wikification for more book articles needing wikification.

                        Maiori's Journeys 
 
I.  Arriving in Mer'Kresh 
 
Maiori thought he wouldn't like sailing.  He was half-correct.   
Maiori hated sailing.  The ship pitched; he was sick.  The ship  
sailed smoothly; he was sick.  Then once off the ship, Maiori got  
mugged on Ratha.  That wasn't sailing's fault, exactly, but he  
couldn't help blaming the ship which brought him, because if it  
weren't for that ship (and his Guild Master in Crossing sending  
him on this awful journey), Maiori believed he wouldn't have been  
on Ratha to be mugged.  Still, the attack had one positive as- 
pect: while at the hospital he met a brother Barbarian who gave  
Maiori just the right hint to help him reach his final destina- 
tion: Mer'Kresh. 
 
Finally docking, Maiori stared at the busy port.  There were ste- 
vedores hauling cargo up the gangplank, cursing and sweating.   
Some women ashore were waving at the sailors and shouting ques- 
tions in their strangely accented Common; he wasn't sure what  
they were selling, but the price sounded exorbitant.  As a swarm 
of children threaded through the crowd, he noticed one steal some  
fruit while another child distracted the vendor.  Absorbing these  
sights, Maiori thought he wouldn't like Mer'Kresh, either, but  
optimistically decided that the place at least deserved a chance.   
He trudged down the gangplank, glad to be upon what seemed to be  
dry land again, and set off to present himself to his new guild  
as his old master had ordered. 
 
In short time, Maiori learned that the city was circular, with a  
platform and one ring surrounding it, but he kept getting lost  
nonetheless.  One person would tell him to look for a Sijana's  
store, or Tavino's house -- which meant nothing to Maiori.  "How  
can you be lost?" one old Elf asked crossly after Maiori had  
asked him for directions to the Barbarian guild a second time.   
"The guild building is on the center platform.  Just walk around  
until you find it!  Even a 'Tog can't be so lost!"   
 
But Maiori was that lost.  He had walked the roadway three times  
and not once heard a roar that would mark his guild.  He had  
found plenty of other things.  While looking into the clear,  
shallow waters of the canal he slipped and fell in, only to be  
chased by a swimming lizard with long teeth.  Then local child- 
ren threw rocks at his head as he struggled to pull himself  
back to what passed for land.  Once out of the canal, a donkey  
kicked him, and a seagull snatched the last crust of bread from  
his hand, slick as a thief snatching a gem. 
 
Maiori wandered a little longer before finally sitting, feeling  
dejected and frustrated.  He rubbed his bald head, and watched  
the mobs of people rushing about their business.  They ignored  
him.  All but one.  As time passed, Maiori because aware of a  
tiny red-headed child watching him from across the street.  He  
shifted, she shifted.  He scratched his chin, she scratched her  
chin.  He smiled, but couldn't tell if she did. 
 
As he watched, the girl pulled a bit of bread from her pouch and  
started to chew it vigorously.  Still hungry, Maiori glanced  
away.  Then, at a squawk, he looked back at the child to see her  
fending off a seagull from her meal.  He stood and loped across  
the street intent on scaring the gull, but stopped short as the  
child, unconcerned, plucked the bird from the air by its neck,  
jerked it as though cracking a whip, and threw its body into the  
gutter. 
 
Standing silently in the middle of the road, Maiori, full of  
homesickness, realized she didn't need his help.  Her eyes widened  
and she shouted a warning at Maiori.  Jumping, he just avoided a  
cart bearing down on him.  The carter passed by, yelling some- 
thing Maiori didn't understand, but the gesture accompanying the  
words was universal.  That was the moment Maiori decided he hated  
Mer'Kresh as much as he hated sailing. 
                         ---=O=--- 
 
II.  Celyn 
 
Still chewing her bread, the little girl sauntered over to  
Maiori.  He studied the child as she approached, but he couldn't  
quite decide if she was Human or Elven.  Her facial features  
were delicate, like an Elf, yet her body looked more sturdy, like  
a Human.  The beat-up cap she wore kept her snarled red hair away  
from her face and effectively covered her ears.  She looked up at  
him and asked pleasantly, "Hey, you lost Escheni-tog?" 
 
Maiori eyed her warily and nodded.  "Yes.  And hungry.  And  
tired." 
 
She smiled.  "And some homesick, too?" she asked as she offered  
him her bread. 
"And some homesick, too," Maiori agreed, and after a moment's  
hesitation accepted her gift.  The bread that would have made an  
entire meal for her, he finished in one bite. 
 
"My name is Celyn."  She looked at Maiori curiously, "Who are  
you?  Why are you here?  We don't see many outsiders." 
 
Maiori replied, "I am Maiori, of the Crossing Barbarian Brother- 
hood.  My Guild Master sent me here because he said I must if I  
want to be a true leader of the guild someday."  Maiori paused a  
moment.  "And perhaps a little because it is far away and there  
was an incident with some bards and a keg of Vykathi ale." 
 
"What happened?" Celyn asked. 
 
"I'd rather not talk about it," replied Maiori.  He looked away,  
a dark green blush coloring his face. 
 
"Soooooo... you're just wandering the city looking for the Bar- 
barian Guild," commented Celyn. 
 
Nodding, Maiori asked, "Do you know where it is?  I have looked  
and looked, but can't find it.  There are no signs here!" 
 
Celyn squinted at Maiori.  "Why should there be?  Everybody knows  
where everything is." 
 
"I don't," Maiori responded. 
 
"You would if you were from here," she replied reasonably. 
 
Exasperated, Maiori asked, "Will you show me?" 
 
Celyn pointed across the street.  "Right there." 
 
"I've been in front all this time?" he asked incredulously. 
 
"All this time."  Celyn smiled.  Watching her, Maiori thought she 
wasn't smiling to laugh at him for being a "dumb 'Tog" like so  
many people smiled at his kind.  Her smile was kind and invited 
him to share life's jokes with her. 
 
Not knowing what to say next, Maiori said simply, "I should re- 
port to my new master."  He paused a moment, "Would you like to  
come in with me?  I am sure they would give you a meal for help- 
ing me find my way." 
Celyn shook her head.  "Thank you for asking, Escheni-tog.  But  
I'll wait until some other day to see if you want to share bread,  
once you know more about where you are and who is around you." 
 
Maiori shrugged.  "If that is what you want."  He added help- 
fully, "You can find me here, but my name is Maiori, not Ezsheny- 
tog." 
 
Celyn chuckled.  "Yes, I suppose it is."  She waved, and then  
melted into the crowds jamming the street. 
 
Maiori looked up at the massive guild building, with its blocky  
stone statues.  With a determinedly positive mindset that he  
would like the guild (even if he hated sailing and hated  
Mer'Kresh), he swung open the guild doors and bounded inside. 
                         ---=O=--- 

III.  The Brotherhood 
 
Maiori roared a greeting to his brother barbarians.  Not a big  
roar, just a soft "Here I am!" roar.  The sound echoed through  
the silent guild, but nobody appeared to greet Maiori. 
 
Puzzled, Maiori wandered through the sparring pit.  The sand was  
fresh and untracked.  He gave a slightly louder roar that made  
the weapons on the walls vibrate, but still nobody came to greet  
him. 
 
Growing more and more perplexed at the quiet, and a little  
alarmed, Maiori went out the guild's backdoor.  He paused at the  
sight of a well-tended garden courtyard.  After a moment, he rec- 
ognized the cone-shaped fire fountain as a meditation flame and  
felt more at home.  Thinking nobody heard his soft roars, he let  
loose a full-throated bellow, loud as he could muster.  One of  
the rocks cracked.  The plants shook and the sand danced.  And...  
a group of barbarians roiled from a bamboo hut at the other end  
of the sand garden straight toward him. 
 
"Heyo!  Heyo!" Maiori cheerfully called to them.  He had a moment  
to realize they were all clad in loose, hip-length tunics and  
wore their hair shaved around their ears and head with the re- 
maining long hair pulled into a ponytail; however, about the time  
he noticed they were all Elven and Human, the biggest of his  
newly met guild brothers tackled Maiori and tried to shove his  
face into the sand. 
 
Taking this as an invitation to play, Maiori laughed good- 
naturedly, grabbed the fellow by the neck and planted him head  
first in the sand.  Maiori grinned and again greeted them cheer- 
fully, "Heyo!  I am Maiori of the Crossing!"  The rest of  
Maiori's guild brothers paused and studied him quietly.   
 
Maiori shifted uneasily.  None of them had yet said a word, or  
returned his smile and greeting.  He noticed slight hand motions,  
and realized they were signaling their next attack.  One feinted  
to Maiori's left, another circled behind, a third approached him  
straight-on.  The others hung back, silently observing. 
 
Throwing himself into this spar, for that is what he considered  
it, Maiori was on the verge of subduing the three when a woman  
strolled out of the hut, spinning a water globe upon her index  
finger.  She smiled at Maiori, took a sip of water from her globe  
and settled herself upon a rock to watch the sport.  Startled and  
puzzled at the mage's obviously comfortable presence in a Bar- 
barian guild, Maiori's momentary distraction gave his opponents  
the opportunity to pin him to the ground.  At this point, Maiori  
decided that he hated the Rissan Barbarian guild as much as he  
hated Mer'Kresh and very nearly as much as he hated sailing. 
 
As Maiori roared and struggled to throw off his captors, a  
pleasant masculine voice said, "Enough."   
 
Immediately the three barbarians released Maiori, nodded to him  
wordlessly, and bowed to the newcomer.  Peering at the voice's  
owner, Maiori saw a dark-haired Human man, face wrinkled with  
laugh lines and green eyes alert.  The man studied Maiori, now  
sitting up and shaking the sand from his ears. 
 
Smiling, the man said to Maiori, "I am Guild Leader Sendovil Cas- 
paras.  Tell me what you have learned." 
 
Maiori sprang to his feet gracefully, then bowed to the Guild 
Leader as he had seen the others do.   

"I am Maiori of the Crossing." 
After a moment's hesitation Maiori continued, "I learned there 
are lizards here that chase you.  I learned there are no signs 
to tell you where you are.  I learned people here don't show 
much friendliness to strangers.  I learned nobody here roars  
and you all stay in that hut over there instead of the sparring  
pit."   
 
One of the Barbarians interrupted, "That's the library." 
 
Maiori stared at the other Barbarian a moment, puzzled, then mo- 
tioned at the Warrior Mage.  She still sat upon the rock sunning  
herself while listening.  He ended his recitation of lessons  
with, "and you don't mind mages being in the guild."  She smiled  
at Maiori, traced a heart in the sand with her toe and winked. 
 
Sendovil nodded when Maiori finished, then turned to the group 
of Barbarians.  "Tell me what you have learned." 
 
There were a few moments of silence before they began to speak. 
 
One said, "He is reckless, coming into a strange environment  
without knowing what dangers may be present." 
 
A Barbarian that had been part of the group of three attacking  
said, "He is easily distractible.  When Maggie came outside, he  
was totally vulnerable." 
 
Other Barbarians spoke, "He announced his origin."  "We knew some  
of his weaknesses from that knowledge alone."  "He is trusting."  "He  
held back his strength."  "He displayed care toward us out of guild  
brotherhood."  "He has a sense of humor."  "He's awfully big!" 
 
Maggie added as the other comments faded, "He has a kind face and  
a good-humored smile." 
 
Sendovil nodded.  "Welcome to the Rissan Guild, Maiori.  You will  
find many things here to surprise you, and some of our teachings  
may seem heresy in light of what you have already learned from  
your old master.  For instance, we do not fear magic, nor hate  
it.  We believe it is too unreliable for a true warrior.  We be- 
lieve that physical strength is important, but that the single  
best weapon you possess is your mind.  You must train yourself to  
think first, strategically and tactically.  That training is as  
important as training your blade or your bow." 
 
Although his expression was mildly disbelieving, Maiori nodded to  
Sendovil.  "I will try my best." 
 
The guild leader nodded.  "That is all I ask.  Now, you must be  
hungry from your travels.  Come.  It will be an honor to break  
bread and share drink with you." 
 
Maiori gazed at the other Barbarians.  They seemed much more  
friendly; one explained the invitation to break bread and share  
drink were ritual words of invitation to a peaceful meal.  As he  
re-entered the guild hall with his new guild mates, and the very  
odd warrior mage, Maiori decided he liked the Rissan guild.