The Meteor
Dusk was ever approaching as Etheracea’s two sons hovered low in the sky. To the north Isinia was a ball of molten brown trying to flee behind the Teseras Mountains. It was surrounded by deep oranges, purples and browns, silhouetting the tall peaks that acted as the Northern boundary of Etheracea. To the south, Osana too was heading for the horizon. A polar opposite to the warmth of Isinia, the southern skies were awash with deep greens and ice blues giving off a final chill. The final rays caught the strange rocks of Trillium Peak, causing it to sparkle in the early evening calm, like a lighthouse warning ships of the impending shore.
The night was a clear one. Stars and their constellations littered the sky, named millennia ago by the elves and passed on through generations to the humans that now inhabit this ancient land.
To Captain Tannock and the other sentries on the walls of Nethergale this was a familiar sight. Some looked to the heavens and wished for a change, others thought of lost loved ones. Most just took in the view as the day made way for night. Tonight however would be different. To the west one unfamiliar star shone brighter than the rest. It was also moving. Captain Tannock had heard of such a thing; a thing of legend, a shooting star. It was known that these fabled objects granted wishes to those who asked, but he didn’t believe in all that magic stuff. His sword and his men were enough for him to worry about.
This star was strange, not only was it getting brighter, but bigger. It lit up the skies more than any moon. A flaming arrow encased in fire as it headed for its target. Tannock was sure it would pass harmlessly overhead and crash somewhere far off to the east. It was not for him to worry where. His world was the castle or the barracks at Atol.
As it approached reds turned to brilliant whites as it burnt up and danced across the sky. More soldiers had joined Tannock, their gaze transfixed on the meteor. The captain noticed others below all looking to the skies. It was same all across Etheracea. Fisherman on Lake Theraya let their nets run heavy, travellers on the Nerum Plains fought to control their horses and mules and eagle riders stopped midflight as the ball of light exploded. Huge pieces of rock broke away, plummeting to the ground. Smaller fragments fell like hail stones setting fire to houses or buried deep in the countryside. Tannock was grateful the castle remained untouched along with the town below.
Out to the East the inhabitants of Tarak weren’t so lucky. The main body of the meteor passed over Etheracea getting swallowed up by the Mephista Duordina, the ocean that stretches out to the east. As a result a huge tsunami almost two hundred feet in height rose up and began speeding towards the coast. A pirate vessel was the first object to stand in the way of its watery vengeance. The crew didn’t stand a chance as the monstrous waves swept over the ship snapping the mast as one might snap a twig. Men were thrown overboard as the ship rode the crest of the wave to be carried off or drowned, finding peace in the watery depths. Wood splintered as wave after wave tore into the hull leaving just flotsam as it bore down on the cliffs of Tarak Isle.
Tarak Isle was also hit unawares. The Eagle Riders were unable to get down to the lowlands to warn its inhabitants. The angry and frothing seas met with the eastern cliffs of Tarak Isle just a few hours after the meteor struck, neither willing to give way. Outlying rocks, unmolested for millennia were cracked and obliterated under the onslaught. Spray shot high into the air to sprinkle the woodlands and plains on the coast.
The harbour town of Nelin was not so lucky. The waves sailed over the harbour walls. Wood, brick, boats were all swept away by the huge waves. They swept buildings aside dragging their occupants out to sea. Screams filled the air as the survivors headed inland to the highlands surrounding the Tarak Mountains. Some of the Eagle Riders headed out to, battling the coastal winds and rain in the search for survivors. Each one returned empty clawed.
A smaller fragment plummeted into Lake Theraya, super heating the surrounding water before finding a home deep on the lakebed. Steam bellowed from the crash site and dead fish were left cooking on the water’s surface. Here the waves were not as high, only a few small fishing boats were capsized and the outer harbour of Porthilla protected any moored boats from harm. The town’s inhabitants ventured out briefly to catch a glimpse of the steam rising far off in the west.
Captain Tannock had seen enough. Clapping his fellow sentries on the shoulder he felt it his duty, as the most senior officer, to report the night’s happenings to the king and council. Surely they would want a short report before heading to the Cavern Hall for supper. He took the steps two at a time as he descended the stairwell; the only sound that of his scabbard bouncing off his right thigh. He met few others as he entered a corridor on the second floor and made his way to the king’s rooms. His shadow flickered in the torchlight. Very little natural light could be found here, even in broad daylight.
* * *
The final part of the meteor crashed amongst the icy peaks of the Teseras Mountains, melting ice and snow and adding fresh water to the small rivers that made their way south to Etheracea. Steam once again rose high into the sky though it remained hidden within the thick cloud that surrounded the mountains. Deep within the glacier its strange inhabitants materialised from caves and hollows. These grey skinned brutes were dressed in black pelts made from the fur of dire wolves, their feet strapped with strips of leather to protect themselves from the harsh landscape. The meteor was calling them; all of them. Males, females, old and young took up arms and began leaving their homes as if starting some great pilgrimage. By night fall the glacial tribes were all marching towards the crash site as if driven by some mystical power and as the suns disappeared almost two hundred Orgalath were braving the sleet and snow of the glacier. Most were on foot but some rode giant spider-like creatures, used by some to help farm snow covered slopes.
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