Joysith and Slikyth knelt next to their brave Captain as he gave them final instructions. The two men were charged with burying their fallen comrades to keep the creatures of the forest from ravaging the bodies before another military expedition could be sent to retrieve the corpses. Their second task was to bury the Captain as well, once he had passed. The final task set to them before Axykarius died was to deliver his letters of recommendation and warning. The Captain’s letters, written during their voyage on the vast lake, detailed the service of the two soldiers as exemplary over the past two years, and recommended them for promotion. His final letter was to be written by Slikyth on the voyage back to the naval encampment. This letter gave a vote of approval to move forward with the colonization of the hillside forest, with a warning of danger from the local creatures. Although the stone giant they encountered was alone, Axykarius suggested there may be others in the region, since the first exploration crew had recorded multiple sightings. At the end of his exasperated instructions, Captain Axykarius murmured four words to Joysith and Slikyth; the same four words that had been their company motto: Ours is the Fury. With his final words Axykarius perished. The terrible storm died with him as the rain stopped and the clouds dissipated. Much like the fallen Captain, ‘this was the storms end’, thought Slikyth. Upon returning to the Howling Wolf encampment and delivering the letters, the two soldiers were promoted to officers. The Jenn-Kellon navy heeded the words of Axykarius, and proceeded with the colonization cautiously. Joysith and Slikyth were given command of a small company to take back to the hillside forest, and build a fortified encampment for future settlement plans. The two officers chose to remain in the new village with the consent of their naval commander. Soon after the high stone walls were built around the encampment, settlers were moved in to populate the area, with Joysith and Slikyth leading them. They never forgot the final words of Axykarius, and how he died heroically with the storms end.
[[Category: Backstory]]