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Only two soldiers remained: Joysith and Slikyte. Two men training to become officers of the Jenn-Kellon navy, found themselves alone with their dying captain. Originally sent through a mysterious portal decades earlier, the Jenn-Kellon navy was commissioned by council to explore this new realm and set up colonies if habitable. When the navy arrived on the other side of the portal, they commenced Project Independence by setting up the first base, Howling Wolf; on the coast of a lake they called Freedom Lake. In recent years the lake was renamed to Crystal Lake, due to its crystal clear waters and incredible depths. One morning when the weather was fair, a ship was sent out to find the northern border of Crystal Lake, and to explore its shores for habitable living area. When the crew returned from their mission amidst a brewing storm, they spoke of immense forests and mountain ranges, littered with plenty of hunting game as well as enormous “monsters.” The crew went on to give a detailed list of some of the animals, ranging from deer and wolves to menacingly giant spiders and oversized rats. Some records described a rock-like creature of great stature that could rip trees out of the ground with ease and hurl them great distances. According to these findings the Jenn-Kellon navy saw fit to continue the mission using a small military regiment to establish a settlement in the woods due north of the coast. This second mission contained 2nd Freedom Company, led by Captain Axykarius. The lake waters were rough as a storm overhead raged with immense winds and booming thunder. Despite difficulties sailing, Axykarius and his men made shore without casualties or ship damage. This would all change however, when the team was ambushed by a fearsome stone creature lurking in the forest.
Joysith and Slikyth Slikyte 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 Slikyte 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 SlikythSlikyte; 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 SlikythSlikyte. 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 Slikyte 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 Slikyte leading them. They never forgot the final words of Axykarius, and how he died heroically with the storms end.
