Legends of Belariath

Claudius Victorius

Legend of Ramulous

Under the cloud-topped peaks of the Mountains of the Air Gods, a small village of humans lives. These humans are different from those of the other races. They are not lean and lithe like the Amazons they are not all as intelligent as the magi humans. These Humans however were the oldest race of humans on the great world of Bel`nock. They were called Barbarians. They were tall, standing at an average height of 7 foot. The tallest, being 10'3". They were huge muscular and strong shapes, and a rough hardened people. Living on the mountain surrounded by a hot desert, that could kill a normal man in less then a day, has honed there abilities, for stamina and survival to the finest. Due to the fact that food was hard to come by, they found ways to survive and have begun to increase in number slowly. Living in small huts made from mined stone of the mountain they were able to stay there while a small group of four or so barbarians went out into the desert and then to the lands beyond to get food for their people.

One day, a day that the sun shone brightly and fiercely upon the mountain, a young boy no older then ten and dressed in a loincloth and wolf skin gauntlets and boots. He walks between two larger and older men. The boy is very muscular for his age, but most of the Barbarian children are muscular from activities and training. He was nearly 5 foot, which was tall for a child in this village. One of the men turned to look down at the boy and said in a deep baritone voice, “Ramulous Silverblade, son of Clyde Silverblade, do you accept the challenge that will mark you as a man if you complete it, or be your death if you do not. The Challenge is to kill a Babha and bring it back here.” Ramulous nods.

”I accept, I will kill the Babha.” The man nodded and then led the boy through the village and to a table in the Town Square. They stopped before the table and the man reached forward to pick up a dagger made of bone. The dagger was 12 inches long and thin. It was sharp and meant to kill with one thrust. The man handed the dagger to Ramulous. Ramulous took it and said, “ With this dagger made of my fathers bone I will do honor to him and my tribe, by killing the Babha in less then two days. This I do swear upon all I own and my life.” And with that Ramulous ran down the mountain paths.

He smiled slightly to himself he had known that saying that would have had that effect on the people. He had worked out that if he didn’t get the Babha by midnight he wouldn’t be able to make it back in time with its corpse.

The smile faded as he ran off the last section of rock and onto the desert sand, as soon as he did sweat popped from every pour in his body. But he continued to run over the sandy desert heading north toward the forest. The Barbarians were known for their stamina and ferocity in battle. He kept to a fairly fast pass and after hours of hard running he saw on the horizon the forest he had been heading for. The sun was high above him now and the heat of the desert was getting to him, he was sweating like he had never sweated before. His muscles were beginning to ache from the long run. But he kept going until he reached the edge of the forest. He sank down to his knees when he got onto the grassy land and tried to catch his breath. His whole body ached and he was hungry and thirsty.

Forcing himself to look up he surveyed his surroundings. The forest was thick and vines were everywhere. Taking his dagger from his armband he crawled to the nearest vine and cut through it. Taking the vine he held it to his lips as water began to seep out. He thanked his father for teaching the way of the forest when he was young.

After drinking the water for about half an hour, Ram pushed himself to his feet and walked into the forest, using his dagger to cut at the vines. After tripping over a few vines and branches, he looked up and saw that the forest blotted out he sun, he would have to use his other senses.

After what seemed to be hours of walking, Ram finally made it to a stream. Smiling he ran out and jumped into the water feet first. His feet went in and were he had expected to be a bottom there was a hairy mass. Ram shrugged and began washing the sweat from his body.

The hairy man suddenly burst from out of the water sending Ramulous flying into the shoe. He shook his head and looked at the thing. It was huge nearly ten feet tall and wider then three barbarians standing side by side. It was hairy and its eyes were red and had glow to them. Its body was not fat but all muscle. It moved toward Ramulous its muscles rippling.

Ram groaned and slowly stood up he turned away from the beast and ran to a nearby tree and using his barbarian strength he ripped a branch from the tree and turned toward the creature. He recognized it now… it was a Babha.

He swung the branch at the creature, it blocked the attack and with its huge hand it punched Ramulous in the stomach sending the barbarian child flying to the ground and then to roll into a tree. Ramulous fought to try to stay conscious as darkness started to sweep over him. One of the creatures’ hands came down and wrapped around Rams leg and lifted him up into the air. Ramulous’ face was now level with the Babha’ now and he saw it grinning. Ram acting by instinct, pulled the bone dagger from his armband and letting out a war cry, he began stabbing at the babha with his last bits of strength as he did darkness enveloped him.

He woke a while later, his head hurt tremendously and so did the rest of his body, he forced himself to open his eyes and look around. His vision was blurred and it took a minute or two to get them focussed. Then he looked around and saw a shadowy shape lying next to him. Struggling to his feet, he saw that the shape was the babha and that blood was seeping from wounds to its head. He had killed the babha in his last moments of consciousness. Reaching down he pulled his dagger free from the corpse and sheathed it in the armband again. Then he dropped down onto the body of the babha and sat there for awhile to regain his lost strength and breath. He let the pain go away and before he knew it he was laying on the hairy mass and was asleep.

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