Dawn of Dusk

Maruusaal sat in his private chamber with the representative of Karrondor. The man was showing him a powder that would burn very fast and if packed into a wooden ball would explode sending wooden splinters in all directions. Earlier Borrial’s representative had taken them out, placed a cask of powder under several boulders and lit it. A horrendous explosion had ensued, as loud as thunder and the boulders were scattered all over the area.

“I will not buy the powder; I must learn how it is made. I will not become dependent on Borrial for my supplies.”

Alistal, Borrial’s envoy to Maruusaal, expected this requirement, “Very well, the ingredients are three parts sulfur, three parts charcoal, and nine parts saltpeter. You mix the ingredients together with enough wine to make a paste and then let it dry. Once dry it must be pounded up into small pebbles and kept dry. If it becomes wet, it will not work until it is dry again.” He handed the recipe to Maruusaal.

The recipe that he gave to Maruusaal worked but was not near as potent as the powder being manufactured in Karrondor. With less sulfur and smaller grains the powder was much more effective, but that was the benefit of invention, you could sell or give an inferior version of the invention to allies and keep the strongest or most effective for yourself. It was always helpful if you ever had to fight a former ally.

“I will show one of your mages the process tomorrow, if you would like to gather up the required ingredients. I am sure you want to know that everything I have told you is true. If I supplied the ingredients, there would always be the possibility that I would hide some essential part and not tell you.”

Maruusaal realized that this was true and he sent for Manseel his chief mage. Manseel came into the Kings chamber and Maruusaal gave him the recipe in the list of required ingredients, with the instructions that he should have them all gathered up and ready for the next morning. Manseel bowed and prepared to leave to gather up his ingredients. Alistal recommended that he get 3 pounds of sulfur, 3 pounds of charcoal, and 9 pounds of saltpeter.

For the first time since he began dealing with Maruusaal, Alistal felt safe sleeping in this castle. He wasn’t sure if Borrial was smart in giving flash powder to the goblins, but it wasn’t his decision. Each day Alistal felt less comfortable working for Borrial than the day before. This new weapon, flash powder could make a huge difference in any war.

Cannons were in use but the explosive agent was a seed pod from the dragru plant. The seed pods were explosive if exposed to fire; and if enough were packed behind a metal ball and exploded the cannon would eject the projectile at a high rate of speed causing great damage to the target.

The next morning Alistal sat down with Manseel and walked him through the instructions on how to make flash powder. By evening it had dried, and ground to a powder, and was ready for testing. Then Alistal showed Manseel how to make a fuse, using dried grass, rolled in tree sap, and sprinkled with flash powder.

After Manseel had exploded several piles of flash powder, Alistal, showed them how to pack it into a hollowed out piece of wood, to create a bomb. Maruusaal gathered a half a dozen goblins, handed one of them the wooden bomb, and had Manseel light it.

The bomb exploded, killing four and injuring two. Maruusaal was delighted, Alistal was horrified, and Manseel ran screaming in terror. Alistal suddenly realized that his cousin, Bartel, who is a soldier in Cryarlac, might end up on the wrong side of an explosion.

He knew that he was being watched constantly by Borrial. He felt however, that he needed to give this information to the Duke of Cryarlac. He wrote a letter to Bartel, his cousin, asking him to visit his home in Artermador.

Alistal did not understand why Borrial had not yet shared flash powder with his brother, Vistyral, but he did not want any part of Karrondor invaded by flash powder armed goblins; especially a part of the country where he had family living.

For the next several days Alistal and Manseel work together improving Manseel’s skill in making the flash powder. The next morning, Alistal was to leave and head back to Karrondor. In his satchel, he carried a letter for Maruusaal, to be given as he was ready to leave.

As he pulled the letter from his satchel, the letter caught and the seal broke open. Alistal quickly glanced at the letter, from Borrial to Maruusaal. The letter instructed Maruusaal to kill Alistal, and Alistal realized the reason this Tyrell had not received the formula for flash powder; Cryarlac, was being set up for invasion. That is the reason Borrial wanted Alistal to give Maruusaal a weaker formula for the flash powder.

Alistal realized that he’d been minutes from death. He wrote another letter to Maruusaal, re-melted the sealing wax from Borrial and used his own ring for the seal. In the letter, he asked Maruusaal to provide or guards, to escort Alistal to visit his brother in Cryarlac. He also asked Maruusaal to proclaim to the world that Alistal had been killed unfortunately in an explosion of flash powder.

As he handed the letter to Maruusaal, Alistal did not know if the letter was simply a confirmation of previous information, or if this was the only in instruction to kill him. As expected Maruusaal didn’t give the letter a second glance, tore it open, read the letter and instructed four of his guards to accompany Alistal to Cryarlac.

Alistal obviously did not know what was going on between Borrial and Vistyral, but he knew and liked Vistyral, and was going to show him the letter that his brother had written. He watched Maruusaal burn the letter, as he always did, took his leave, and left the Castle as soon as possible. Maruusaal, obviously pleased with Alistal’s help, instructed his guards to protect Alistal’s life at the cost of their own.

It would take him eight days to arrive in Cryarlac on horseback. He knew until he arrived in Cryarlac that his life was worthless, even Duke Vistyral might not be able to protect him. Nevertheless he knew the Duke was an honorable man, and would do his best to watch out for him. He reached into his satchel, and pulled out the letter he had written to his cousin, and threw it on the fire.